Guyana Times Tuesday October 29, 2019

1280 assisted by CIOG over past 2 years Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4091

THE BEACON OF TRUTH tuesday, OCTOber 29, 2019

PRICE

Piracy attack

3 confess to killing 4 fishermen

Missing

…tell Police 2 missing men dead

Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

Guyana looking for ICJ judgement rather than advisory opinion – Greenidge P3

Dead

Dead

Govt fails to appoint Guinness Bar Judicial Service destroyed by fire Commission page 7

Mahaicony villages flooded

...livestock, cattle moved to higher ground

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Page 2

Missing

P11

See story on page 14

Page 10

Transfer of lands by Govt not surprising – Opposition P9 Leader 1 in custody over soldier’s P8 murder Body of missing teen found in P7 abandoned mining pit

Vinyl thief P8 gets 6 weeks' imprisonment

Essequibo Coast man killed in accident P14

2 news

tuesday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Piracy attack

3 confess to killing 4 fishermen

…tell Police 2 missing men dead

T

hree men have confessed to the Police that they murdered the four fishermen who were on fishing vessel “Sara 1” earlier this month before dumping them overboard.

again.

Dead are Kawal Kissoon, called “Ajai”, of Letter Kenny, Corentyne, Berbice and 20-yearold Otto Lamar Petrie of Miss Phoebe Village, Port Mourant, Berbice. The other two fishermen – Marvin Tamesar, also called “Buddy” and “Bin Laden”, 20, of Miss Phoebe Village and Vishnu Seeram, called “Kevin”, 20, of the same village – are yet to be located.

A Police source close to the investigation told this newspaper that the three suspects were arrested by Police on Friday.

According to the source, as the 72-hour holding period was about to expire, investigators made a breakthrough when one of the men buckled under pressure from intensive questioning.

Missing: Vishnu Seeram, also called “Kevin”

Each suspect is said to hail from Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and confessed to chopping the now dead men about their bodies, a Police source confirmed on Monday.

Guyana Times understands that the men admitted that they tied the men with rope, and threw them overboard.

On October 5, the men left a wharf at Number 65 Village for sea aboard “Sara 1” – a fishing vessel owned by Sharanand Rabindranauth of Number 68 Village, Corentyne. Those aboard were never seen or heard from

Dead: Otto Lemar Petrie This reportedly led to the other two men admitting to the crimes, which also implicate other fisher-

Missing: Marvin Tamesar, also called “Buddy” or “Bin Laden”

men from Berbice. The Police are on the hunt for those men who reportedly are presently at sea.

This publication understands that the suspects, who were in another fishing boat ventured over to the “Sara 1” with the intention of stealing the fish that the now dead men had caught although it was a small quantity of fish.

The suspects proceeded to demand that the men hand over the catch as they attacked the four fishermen, but the victims reportedly fought back which led to the murders.

According to the source, the suspects confessed that after the confrontation on board “Sara 1”, they threw the men overboard, before snatching their loot and making good their escape.

The “Sara 1” was found on the foreshore of Wellington Park, Corentyne, on October 11.

The fishing vessel Sara 1

That same day, the body of Kissoon was found with his hands

Some 36 hours after Kissoon’s body was found, the body of Petrie was discovered on the Abary Foreshore, Region Five (MahaicaBerbice).

Onicka Simon, the mother of Petrie, shortly after his body was discovered on October 13, had told Guyana Times that her son had on the same clothes he left home wearing on October 5.

“That is how I know that is him,” she said. The almost inconsolable Simon, after seeing her son’s body, blamed herself for allowing him to go out to sea.

“Is I tell him that he got to find a work to do, and when he ask me if he could go …. I should have tell him ‘No’. He don’t know nothing about the water out there,” the grieving mother had wailed.

Petrie was the eldest of six siblings.

According to his mother, he Dead: Kawal Kissoon, also called “Ajai” wanted to make a difference, but bound behind his back and feet now he would never get a chance to do so. (Kristen Macklingham) bound together.

news

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tuesday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

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

Tuesday, October 29 – 05:00h-06:30h and Wednesday, October 30 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, October 29 – 16:50h-18:20h and Wednesday, October 30 – 05:30h-07:00h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day. Clear skies are expected this evening.

Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Northerly to South South-Easterly to North North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

Guyana looking for ICJ judgement rather than advisory opinion – Greenidge

W

ith Guyana seeking a final resolution to the Venezuelan border controversy at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), ensuring compliance and adherence to whatever ruling is made will be up to the World Security Council. This is according to Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge.

Greenidge, who was at the time speaking during the Guyana Press Association’s (GPA) Awards Ceremony noted the importance of the ICJ giving an actual judgment, rather than an advisory opinion, in Guyana’s fa-

municated this with all parties. It is now left to the court, he noted, to determine exactly what consent the convention gave. The former Foreign Affairs Minister further clarified certain aspects of the case.

“We are not asking the court to hand over territory to Guyana, we’re not asking whether the exclusive economic zone belongs to Guyana. We are asking whether the 1899 treaty still stands and if it still stands, does the maritime space as well as the land space still stand.”

“Another question is

High Tide: 17:14h reaching a maximum height of 2.91 metres.

Low Tide: 10:50h and 23:13h reaching minimum heights of 0.43 metre and 0.30 metre.

The International Court of Justice

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vour.

“It is important if that court pronounces in favour of Guyana but even more important would be if the court gives a judgement, as opposed to an advisory opinion, in favour of Guyana because failure of a party to honour a judgement may bring action by the security council.”

The security council, he added, shall, whenever it deems necessary, call upon the parties to settle their disputes by certain means. “We are arguing that Article 4 of the Geneva Convention constitutes an agreement between Guyana and Venezuela to submit the matter to any forum chosen by the Secretary General.”

Greenidge noted that Secretary General Antonio Guterres did refer the matter to the ICJ and had com-

whether if a party does not appear before the court, can the proceedings still continue. Failure of one party to appear does not prevent consideration. If one party does not appear, it is for the court to satisfy itself that it has jurisdiction, in circumstances when one party does not appear. That is where we are now.”

Guyana’s case before the ICJ comes up in March of next year. Venezuela has

said since last year, however, that they would not participate. The country, which is in the midst of economic, political and social turmoil, has said that it prefers dialogue.

Guyana filed an application last year requesting the World Court to confirm the legal validity and binding effect of the 1899 Arbitral Award regarding its boundary with Venezuela, after the UN SG referred the matter to the ICJ. The controversy arose as a result of the Venezuelan contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899 about the frontier between British Guiana and Venezuela was null and void.

According to Guyana’s application to the World Court, for more than 60 years, Venezuela had consistently recognised and respected the validity of the binding force of the 1899 Award and the 1905 Map agreed by both sides in furtherance of the Award.

“Venezuela had only changed its position formally in 1962 as the United Kingdom was making final preparations for the independence of British Guiana and had threatened not to recognise the new State, or its boundaries, unless the

Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge United Kingdom agreed to set aside the 1899 Award and cede to Venezuela all of the territory west of the Essequibo River, amounting to some two-thirds of Guyana’s territory,” Guyana submitted in its application to the World Court.

The court document further noted that while Venezuela has never produced any evidence to justify its belated repudiation of the 1899 Award, the neighbouring country has used this as an excuse to claim territory awarded to Guyana in 1899, to inhibit Guyana’s economic development, and to violate Guyana’s sovereignty and sovereign rights.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, october 29, 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

Self-interest strangling democracy

A

few days ago, leaders of the European Union (EU) granted an extension for Brexit until January 31, 2020. This extension from the October 31, 2019 deadline allows the United Kingdom (UK) the possibility of general elections being held in December this year, as teased by its current Prime Minister.

Across in the United States, political pundits continue to lament that if a President from the Democratic Party had been embroiled in the controversies Mr. Donald Trump seems to find himself in, the question of impeachment would have probably resonated unanimously with Republicans. President Trump is a Republican, and the Party in general is opposed to impeaching him.

One plausible explanation offered is that some Republican lawmakers are up for re-election, and may not want to risk antagonising the Party’s base. In other words, their political survival lies in Trump’s base, and as such, they may be forced to look away from the controversies that are unfolding. Some Pundit alleged that’s putting self-interest over national interest.

What’s the relevance of those two scenarios to Guyana? In the first instance, democracy flourishes in the UK despite threats and attempts by the Prime Minister to hinder the process. Inasmuch as there were heated debates and suspicions, in the end, the rule of law prevailed. The Prime Minister, despite his valiant attempts, was not allowed to flout the laws and to have his way in regard to leaving the EU by the October deadline with or without a deal.

An election sometime in December now seems unavoidable; December 12 is being touted. That means the Elections Commission of the UK has about forty-five days from when the extension was granted to hold the election with an electorate that was in excess of forty-five million as at 2017. Simply put, they have half the time as per constitutionally allowed in Guyana for a snap election, and ninety times the amount of voters as here.

If and when the election is announced, it is unlikely that the UK Election Commission would say it is not prepared to deliver. It is unlikely that the Prime Minister would publicly state that he has to be guided by that Commission before announcing the election date.

In other words, their Elections Commission is always at the ready to cater for such situations, and the Prime Minister would more than likely not pass his responsibility of announcing an election timeline and date to it.

In Guyana, with a constitutional ninety-day period for a snap election, and with just about six hundred thousand voters, more than a year elapsed following the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion (NCM), as elections are now scheduled for March 2020.

While some can argue that the UK is far more advanced than Guyana, there are constitutional mechanisms here to ensure a continuously updated voters’ lists. The difference here seems to be that the system was not allowed to work. Had the APNU/AFC Government respected the constitutional provisions for the NCM, the elections would have been held by March 21st this year.

After been shocked by the NCM, and becoming cognizant of public displeasure at it, even from its supporters, APNU/AFC reneged on their initial pubic position of adhering to the Constitution. They then used a most preposterous mathematical theory to challenge the NCM in the courts, knowing fully well that it would protract a timeline beyond the constitutional March 21, 2019 date; the date for the snap election to be held. They then latched on to the “expiration” date of the voters’ list as a reason not to have the elections.

The coalition attacked and discredited the list, and completely shifted the responsibility of election timeline and date to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Ignoring constitutional timelines and provisions that allow for an updated list, GECOM then claimed it could be ready only by December 2019 to hold elections which had been due eight months before.

As it is, the elections will be held a year after they were constitutionally due; and from its actions, GECOM has declared that it cannot facilitate a snap election as enshrined in the Constitution.

Political pundits here have lamented that democracy was stifled by an alleged collaboration between APNU/AFC and the GECOM Secretariat. Some have cited the Secretariat implementing decisions not taken by the Commission as evidence of that alleged collaboration; decisions that seemingly suited the APNU/AFC agenda.

In all of that, lawmakers, including those with a legal acumen from APNU/AFC, seemingly turned away and found ways to deliberately prevent the Constitution and democracy from working in the interest of the country and its people. They also refused to adhere to the ruling and consequential orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which would have seen the elections being held by September 18th this year, following resort to the court.

Cognisant that the electorate has lost confidence in it, a desperate APNU/AFC seemingly had to find a way to buy time with the hope of buttering its supporters to improve its chances at the ballot box. That reeks of self-interest over national interest, as some Republican lawmakers would have done. That self-interest is at the expense of democracy; seemingly strangled here, but alive and practised in the UK. That may possibly explain why Guyana’s potential remains unfulfilled.

This family rides along the Kingston, Georgetown seawall as unusually high waves bashed the sea defence on Monday afternoon causing flooding within the vicinity (Dexter Ceres photo)

‘Green gold’ tree offers Brazil deforestation hope

T

rees that help keep soils fertile could slow or stop deforestation in Brazil’s “arc of destruction”.

A project using inga trees hopes to show smallholders that they can earn a decent living from the land.

Inga trees, known as icecream bean trees, fix nitrogen into the soil, boosting productivity levels.

Scientists hope the scheme will convince smallholders not to sell their land to large agri-businesses and remain farmers in the Amazon.

Growth of the “miracle tree”

“It’s very much a kind of ‘miracle tree’ or a super tree because some of the species can do some amazing things,” said Toby Pennington, professor of tropical plant diversity and biogeography at the University of Exeter, UK. The growth of vast cattle ranges has contributed to deforestation in the Amazon “They can grow really fast on very, very poor soils, even soils where a rainforest has been cut down and have become very degraded.”

The trees (there are more than 300 species) are in the legume family and that means they can fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil.

“But even amongst legumes, they have pretty fantastic growth rates,” the Professor told BBC News.

“More than that, these species have fruits that are edible and often have local markets right across Latin America.”

The trees can also be coppiced, providing wood fuel, and the leaves are a good source of forage for cattle.

As the tree was common and found throughout the Amazon Basin, it was deemed to be a miracle tree or super tree by projects trying to stem the relentless deforestation in the region.

Professor Pennington said properties like nitrogen fixation and lots of leaf fall, which produces mulch, means that you can grow crops under-

The inga tree’s versatility means that it warrants its label as a “miracle tree”

neath them with low input of fertiliser and herbicides.

“If you had a cup of coffee this morning that came from Latin America, the odds are that it was growing underneath one of these inga trees.”

Professor Pennington, who has been studying inga trees for more than two decades, has been working alongside a project that promotes the benefits of the trees to smallholders in southern Brazil’s frontier of deforestation - -an area known as the “arc of destruction”.

Dr Saulo de Souza from the Institute of Green Gold [Instituto Ouro Verde] said the project delivered environmental benefits by introducing tree cover into pastures, encouraging biodiversity while mitigating the worst effects of climate change.

“These plantations would favour wildlife that could use them as habitats or as stepping stones to move between forest remnants,” he said.

“By fixing carbon, tree growth in pastures could reduce the ecological footprint of dairy cattle.

“The trees could also increase soil permeability, granting higher loads to the water table and reducing soil erosion.”

Dr de Souza told BBC News the trees helped local communities by helping to restore the fertility and viability of the land that had become degraded.

“These systems are more resilient to severe drought

and diseases, which have been the main cause of pasture degradation in the region,” he explained.

“Communities will benefit from increased food security and income provided by the agricultural species planted, as well as from increased land productivity and premium prices paid for agro-ecological dairy products.”

Another important factor of the projects, Dr de Souza said, was the ability to reduce social marginalisation.

“It is of great importance to offer new opportunities and green technologies to help smallholders. Family farming also plays a critical role for global food production. In Brazil, they are responsible for 70 per cent of domestic food consumption.”

By showing that the land could be harvested sustainably and profitably, the land owners were less inclined to sell up to industrial cattle and soy producers, Dr de Souza said. This would allow local communities to thrive and slow the relentless mark of deforestation in the region.

However, the current political situation in the country is making it hard for researchers and NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs), such as the Instituto Ouro Verde, to operate and continue their work against deforestation.

Bleak outlook

In August, Germany and Norway announced they would suspend money going

to the Amazon Fund, a multimillion-dollar global effort to tackle deforestation in the region.

Politicians from the two European nations said the Brazilian Government, headed by President Jair Bolsonaro, was backing policies that favoured deforestation and was actively pursuing ways to hamper pro-rainforest projects.

Sources on the ground in the Amazon told BBC News that frozen funds, political persecution and misinformation were “definitely undermining” the work that had been built for decades.

Data from Brazil’s National Space Research Institute suggests that deforestation for 2019 is up at least 75 per cent on the previous 12 months.

Professor Pennington said: “A lot of that soy [grown on an industrial scale] is coming back to the European Union and to China for animal feed, so we’re all implicated in that food chain.

“These massive agricultural businesses are problematic environmentally in many ways.“They’re extremely high input in terms of pesticides, which they’re spraying aerially, and the chemicals are getting into water supplies.

“In this part of Brazil, when the area was originally opened up, it was really opened up to a lot of smallholders.”

But Professor Pennington explained that, increasingly, the land was being bought by large agri-businesses, who offered the smallholders very good money, which was very hard to refuse.

“But it doesn’t just have to be massive cattle ranches or massive soybean plantations,” he added.

“There are opportunities for people to have smaller pieces of land that are financially viable for them to have an income and a lifestyle that they feel is more healthy and that they’re happy with.”

(BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, october 29, 2019

5

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

Suffering Region 5 farmers threatened with poverty Dear Editor, Just as the residents and farmers of Dantzig-Columbia in Region 5 had feared, the high tides of this past week have brought another round of flooding and more destruction of crops and loss of livestock.

This is the latest round of flooding, which has become a factor of life for over a year now. Every high tide now brings new flooding and more agony for farmers and residents living between the Mahaica and Mahaicony rivers in an area stretching from Dantzig to Fairfield.

Even as the threats intensify and reach crisis proportion, the project to construct a new sea defence structure in the area, which was started in 2014/2015, is still stalled; nothing has been done since 2015.

The most that the APNU+AFC Government can speak of is that they had mobilised BK, A&S and M&B Construction, but no meaningful work has been done.

As this new episode of high tide comes, fearful Region 5 farmers -- especially those in the DantzigColumbia area, including villages like Cottage and Broom Hall -- are bracing for more agony. Even as this new episode of flooding brings more suffering, the farmers are still recovering from the devastation of the last episode of high tide, which occurred several weeks ago.

There are 3,000 acres of land (at least 300 acres of rice land) still inundated with salt water, and cannot be used for another two years because of salt water destruction from the last flooding a few weeks ago, and this new flooding adds to the devastation.

Crops, including rice and cash crops, and cattle and other livestock have been lost, and more will now be lost. In addition, the new floods add to the threat that some of the salt water-damaged land will not be available for another two years because of prolonged salt water inundation. As the lands of more than 150 farmers and their families suffer more salt water inundation this week, farmers are still waiting for Government to demonstrate any meaningful concern. In the meanwhile, with the newest floods, there is more jeopardy for hundreds of other farmers and more than 15,000 acres in-

land.

The pleas of the farmers and their families have fallen on deaf ears. The advocacy of the Regional Chairman and the RDC have been ignored. The PPP Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali and PPP General Secretary and other leaders have visited the affected areas and have urged Government to help, but the Government has been AWOL, MIA. Except for some cursory interest, the problems these farmers face have been mostly neglected by Government officials. Noel Holder steers far away from these genuinely devastating problems farmers face. The illegal Minister of Infrastructure has been busy lying to people about the many failures and the dozens of empty promises they have made to people. David Granger, Moses Nagamootoo and the rest of the APNU+AFC show no sign they are even aware of what’s happening.

For the last year, high tide after high tide has caused major flooding in the Dantzig-Columbia area.

More than a year ago, the Chairman of Region 5 had advised the sea defence department of the Ministry of Infrastructure that sea defence structures in the area are in disrepair, and unless immediate remedial actions are initiated, these structures would crumble.

Just before local government elections were held in November 2018, residents and farmers from the area had publicly expressed concern. Before that, the Region 5 RDC, through its Chairman, had appealed for help, cautioning that farmers would lose their livelihoods if immediate action was not taken.

The appeals of the residents, farmers, RDC and the General Secretary and other leaders of the PPP went unheeded. The negligence now necessitates major investment in the sea defence structure for this area -- an investment that appears far in the future, when it would be too late to prevent major poverty from taking over this area, and by which time valuable arable land would have been lost.

After the last episode of flooding a few weeks ago, flooding that still persists for most of the areas north of the highway, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, shamed into a late and fee-

ble response, started to construct a temporary inland dam to bring some relief to residents from future inundation. The latest episode of flooding in the past few days has proven that this late, hasty, and “unfit and improper” action can neither bring relief for the residents, nor prevent further flooding from affecting hundreds of acres of farmland north of the highway.

In addition, farmlands inland south of the highway are also threatened by saltwater encroachment in the inland canals. Because of the porous, collapsing sea defence, salt water keeps encroaching into the canals, making its way into and affecting farmlands far inland.

While about 3,000 acres of arable land north of the highway are directly affected by floodwaters every time high tides come, another 15,000 acres are threatened because this flood water enters and brings salt water into the Bellamy Canal, which distributes it through the northsouth drainage canals into farming areas far away from the sea defence structure. In addition, the saltwater spills from drainage structures into irrigation structures.

The salt water does not only cause immediate losses of crops and livestock, affecting the earnings of families and threatening greater poverty in the area, but already close to 1,000 acres of land are not usable for the next two years, and thousands more are under threat of being permanently lost to agriculture unless somebody does something.

Sadly, APNU+AFC do not seem interested, because they figure there is no vote to be earned.

This stretch of sea defence has been vulnerable for decades. Before 2015, the MMA, the NDIA and the Sea Defence Department in the Ministry of Infrastructure had collaborated to ensure the integrity of the sea defence. The MMA, in collaboration with the Sea Defence Department, had for many

years maintained the northern dam of the Bellamy Canal; and, in 2013/2014, had buttressed the dam between the Mahaicony River on the east and Spring Hall on the west. The Ministry of Agriculture’s Mangrove Extension Department had expanded and strengthened the mangrove defense between 2011 and 2015, and the Ministry of Works (Infrastructure) had begun to build a supplemental defence by armouring the sea defense dam with boulders. But since 2015, much of the efforts have stalled.

The mangrove programme in this area was discontinued. The existing mangrove trees in fact appear to have been destroyed. The boulder armouring of the dam by the Infrastructure Ministry stopped soon after May 2015.

The collaboration of the MMA with NDIA and the Ministry of Infrastructure is now non-existent, leading to no maintenance of the Bellamy Canal dam.

This negligence/disinterest by APNU+AFC in the problems posed by the sea for farmers in the DantzigColumbia area is just the latest example of the disrespect APNU+AFC has shown for farmers and for agriculture since May 2015. More flooding is inevitable, as the collapsing sea defence structure in the Dantzig-Columbia area becomes worse from APNU+AFC’s neglect and disinterest.

Farmers’ losses are now moving from existing crops and livestock to permanent losses of their farmlands, losses of livelihoods, and more people becoming impoverished. In the midst of this injustice, David Granger is now promising that agriculture is the future for Guyana. These empty, shameful promises fooled many people in 2015.

In 2020, these empty promises have a light shining on them, and no one will fall for the lies.

Sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

Justice Ramlall: Then and now

Dear Editor, I am sure that President Granger has talents that are superior to those of Merlin the magician. When President Granger was involved in his “fit and proper” search for a Chairman of GECOM, Justice William Ramlall had been proposed, among others, for consideration for appointment as the Chairman of GECOM. After due consideration, the President had, with one sweep of his brush, tarred Justice William Ramlall -and all others referred for his consideration by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo -- as being not “fit and proper”.

Recently, the newspa-

pers carried a mind-boggling announcement from the Ministry of the Presidency.

It emerged from stars and bubbles. President Granger had waved his wand, and Justice William Ramlall had been cleansed and thereby became by Presidential magical wonder a “fit and proper” person, and was rendered indisputably eligible to be appointed Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority.

President Granger is apparently one of the persons with a divine charge to perform miracles.

Sincerely, Selwyn Persaud

Criminalise quack counselling

Dear Editor, The Caribbean Voice is once again forced to address the issue of untrained personnel presenting themselves to the public as counsellors. While one such person now parades as a social worker even though she has no social work credentials, another person with an undergraduate degree which is not in psychology is working full time as a counsellor with one of Guyana’s leading NGOs. The fact is that quack counsellors have neither the knowledge nor the skills to diagnose and treat mental health issues, and their actions usually lead to greater harm to those they purport to help.

Occasionally, such harm can be fatal, as happened earlier this year when a young lady counselled by a quack ended up taking her life.

It is criminal for anyone

without a medical degree to practice as a doctor, or for anyone with no legal credentials to practice as a lawyer.

And since counsellors have the capacity to bring back someone walking the tightrope between sanity and insanity, and even save lives, it should also be criminal for anyone to counsel without requisite credentials – a minimum of a degree in psychology (preferably a Masters’ degree) and supervised clinical internship experience.

So TCV appeals to all political parties to ensure that their mental health plans include putting protocols in place to license counsellors (TCV can help with this), and legislation in place to criminalise the actions of unqualified individuals who offer counselling services to the public.

Sincerely, The Caribbean Voice

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tuesday, OCTOber 29, 2019

Page

Foundation

T

he flu is annoying enough on its own. So it doesn't help that flu season falls at one of the most exciting times of the year.

What is the flu?

Flu is the common name for influenza. It's a virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs.

Often, when you're sick with a virus, your body builds a defence system by making antibodies against it. That means you usually don't get that particular type of virus again.

Unfortunately, flu viruses mutate (change) each year. So you aren't protected from getting the flu forever.

Some years the change in the flu virus is slight. So if you do get the flu, it's mild. The antibodies from having the flu before give you some protection. But every 10 years or so, the flu virus goes through a major change and many people get severe cases. These large-scale outbreaks are called epidemics. If they spread worldwide, they're called pandemics.

How does the flu spread?

The flu virus spreads through the air when a person who has the virus sneezes, coughs, or speaks.

The flu can sometimes spread through objects that someone with the virus touched, sneezed, or coughed on.

When a healthy person touches these contaminated items and then touches their mouth or nose, the virus can enter their system.

People carrying the virus can be contagious one day before their symptoms start and about five to seven days after they first get symptoms. So it's possible to spread the flu before you know you're sick.

Flu epidemics often start in schools and then move quickly through a community as students spread the virus to family members and people around them.

How do I know if I have the flu?

Flu symptoms start one to four days after a person was exposed to the virus. The main symptoms of flu are: headache sore throat a high fever chills muscle aches stuffy nose dry cough feeling very tired loss of appetite The fever and aches usually stop in a few days. But the sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, and tiredness may continue for a week or more.

The flu also can cause vomiting, belly pain, and diarrhoea. But if you have only vomiting and diarrhoea without the other flu symptoms, you probably have gastroenteritis.

Some kinds of gastroenteritis are called the "stomach flu," but they're not the same as influenza. Some gastrointestinal infections are caused by nonflu viruses or bacteria.

You may feel miserable if you get the flu, but it's unlikely to be serious. It's rare that healthy teens get other problems from the flu. Older adults (over age 65), young kids (under age 5), and people with ongoing medical conditions are more likely to become seriously ill with the flu.

To avoid missing out on sports events, Halloween parties, feasts, and holiday fun, follow these tips:

Steer clear of someone who is sick (coughing, sneezing, etc.)

Flu viruses travel through the air, so try to stay away from people who look sick. Of course, people who have the flu virus don't always look sick. That's where vaccines and hand washing come in.

It's also a good idea to avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth – three places where flu viruses can easily enter the body.

Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow – not into your hands.

That way, you're not spreading the virus when you touch surfaces that other people may touch too.

Stay home if you have the flu

You don't want to pass your germs to someone else.

Staying home is a great excuse to curl up and watch your favourite movie, play video games, or read. Rest can help the body recover faster.

You also can fight the flu on a daily basis by keeping your immune system strong.

Some great immune boosters are: getting enough sleep eating healthy foods (including five or more servings of fruits and veggies a day!) drinking plenty of fluids getting regular exercise Don't let the flu mess with your festive season fun.

Fight back! (kidshealth.org)

Wash your hands well and often

Hand washing is an important defence against germs like flu viruses. Why? Hand washing also helps protect against other germs and illnesses that there aren't vaccines for, like the common cold.

Wash your hands after using the bathroom; after coughing or sneezing; before putting in or removing contact lenses; before using makeup; and before eating, serving, or preparing food. The great thing about hand washing is it’s easy protection. So get in the habit of washing your hands when you come home from school, the mall, a movie, or anywhere else where you're around a lot of people.

Continued from Monday Build positive emotions

Positive feelings create a sense of happiness and well-being. Make it a habit to notice and focus on what's good in your life — even the little things, like the praise your dad gave you for fixing his bookshelves or how great the salad you made for lunch tastes.

Noticing the good things even when you're feeling bad can help you shift the emotional balance from negative to positive.

Seek support

Talk about how you're feeling with a parent, trusted adult, or a friend. They can help you explore your emotions and give you a fresh way of thinking about things. And nothing helps you feel more understood and cared for than the support of someone who loves you for who you are.

Exercise

Physical activity helps the brain produce natural

chemicals that promote a positive mood. Exercise also can release stress build-up and help you from staying stuck on negative feelings.

Step 3: Get help with difficult emotions

Sometimes, no matter what you do, you can't shake a tough emotion. If you find yourself stuck in feelings of sadness or worry for more than a couple of weeks, or if you feel so upset that you think you

might hurt yourself or other people, you may need extra help.

Talk to a school counsellor, parent, trusted adult, or therapist. Counsellors and therapists are trained to teach people how to break out of negative emotions. They can provide lots of tips and ideas that will help you feel better. (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

NEWS

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tuesday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt fails to appoint Judicial Service Commission …former AG says failure to reconstitute a blot on coalition’s tenure

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o Judicial Services Commission (JSC) has been appointed since 2014, under former President Donald Ramotar, and according to former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, this failure will remain a blot on the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) record.

The JSC is responsible for overseeing and disciplining members of the Judiciary, but since 2017, when the life of the last JSC expired, a new commission has not been appointed. In his recent writings, Nandlall outlined the importance of the Commission.

The functions of the JSC are set out in Article 199 of

Former AG Anil Nandlall

the Constitution. According to Nandlall, the JSC has the power to make appointments to, to remove and to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding

or acting in the following offices: Commissioner of Title, Magistrate, Director of Public Prosecutions, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Registrar of the High Court, Deputy Registrar of the High Court, Registrar of Deeds and Deputy Registrar of Deeds and other such offices connected with the courts or those for which legal qualifications are required as may be prescribed by Parliament.

At present, Guyana is headed into elections season, as the Government fell to a no-confidence motion since December 2018.

Nandlall noted that with the Government rendered into a caretaker status, it was now too late to reconstitute the

Body of missing teen found in abandoned mining pit

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he body of 17-yearold Keion Paul, the teen who went missing on Friday right after he went swimming with a group of friends at a location in Puruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), was on Saturday pulled from a deserted mining pit in the area.

According to reports, the teen’s lifeless body was pulled from the pit at about 15:30h by a number of persons, who formed a search party to locate the teen after the news spread about his disappearance.

This publication understands that Paul, also called

Dead: 17-year-old Keion Paul

“Boyce”, left his home on Friday to go swimming with friends. However, while swimming, the teen experienced difficulties and went underwater, but did not resurface. This prompted Paul’s company to inform the teen’s family and relatives of what happened.

Thus, a search party was launched soon after and ended on Saturday when the body was discovered.

The teen’s body was transported to a private mortuary in the city as it awaits a post-mortem examination (PME) which is expected to be performed on Wednesday.

President David Granger

JSC , until a new government was sworn in.

“With an unconstitutional Executive, occupying the seat of Government by imposition, along with a Parliament whose tenure has expired, a JSC cannot be appointed until after the elections, as the Constitution requires the appointments to be made by the President with an input from the National Assembly,” Nandlall said on Monday.

He added that a clinical analysis of the governmental structure in Guyana led to this ineluctable conclusion: there was no lawful Executive nor Legislature; the only branch of Government which obtained was the Judiciary, which is presided over by an acting Chancellor and an acting Chief Justice, discharging the functions of those two offices without the support, oversight or disciplinary powers of a JSC. In May 2017, the JSC was complemented with two new members, namely Chief Justice (acting) Justice Roxane George and Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) President Patrick Yarde.

The individuals were sworn in as ex-officio members by President David Granger during a short ceremony at State House.

However, the life of the JSC came to an end in September 2017. It is not as though its significance is lost on the President.

During the appointment

of the ex-officio members, President Granger had explained that the JSC was intended to insulate judicial appointments from political partisanship and personal and other biases. It is a mechanism which ensures that judicial officers will be appointed on the basis of their competence and integrity.

Further, he had posited that the JSC was obliged to ensure that its recommendations for appointments of judicial officers flow from a dispassionate and objective process and are based on clearly defined criteria applied in assessing the appropriateness of appointees.

Granger had also noted that the JSC upheld the independence of the Judiciary and ensured by its diligence that judicial appointees possessed the attributes and embodied the personal values which make them capable and willing to resist being influenced by improper partisan and personal interests.

8 news

TUESday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

1 in custody over soldier’s murder

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suspect has been arrested in relation to the murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rank, Olijah Chesney, whose body was discovered in Tucville Squatting Area, Georgetown, two weeks ago with gunshot wounds.

This newspaper was told that the suspect, a 17-year-old male of Tucville, Georgetown, was nabbed on Friday.

Chesney, 18, of Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was found dead at about 11:50h on October 14, 2019, at Tucville Squatting Area. His body was found shortly after

Trading, Kitty Georgetown, who shot one of his assailants. As such, it was be-

lieved that Chesney was one of the bandits who attempted to rob the now dead businessman. When his body was found, he was wearing a navy blue jersey with black pants.

A purple shirt was next to his body. This attire was similar to that which the bandit who had earlier attacked and killed the businessman was wearing.

However, Police later claimed that Chesney was not involved in the robbery, adding that the teen was killed during a misunderstanding over a motorcycle purchase.

Edward Rollins

the vinyl, which belongs to his sister, was at the mother’s house when he stole it. The matter was reported and he was arrested. In court on Friday, Magistrate Daly fined Rollins $30,000.

The Magistrate informed him that failure to pay the fine will result in him serving six weeks in prison. In response, Rollins told the Magistrate that he will serve the six weeks.

Dead: Olijah Chesney

a robbery attempt on a businessman, Deon Stoll, called “Mow” outside of El Dorado

Vinyl thief gets 6 weeks’ imprisonment

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man, who allegedly stole a roll of vinyl from his sister was on Friday jailed for six weeks.

Edward Rollins admitted to the offence when he appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Rollins, who was charged for simple larceny, admitted that on October 19, 2019, at Bent Street and Louisa Row,

Georgetown, he stole a roll of vinyl valued $30,000 from Ester Crawford.

Rollins, in a plea of mitigation, said, “I take the thing and go and sell it”.

Police Prosecutor Christopher Morris informed the court that Rollins resides with his mother and on several occasions, he stole items from the home. The prosecutor added that on October 19,

Moving goalposts…

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…on handmaidens t must be rough being a handmaiden, but Moses Nagamootoo is handling it with aplomb, if not outright glee. The handmaiden who brought the role to public notice was, of course, Bilhah, who served Rachael, consort of Jacob. When Rachel, jealous of her sister Leah, became frustrated when she couldn’t do her job – which in those days was getting children, especially sons – she said to Jacob: “Here’s my handmaid Bilhah. Go have sex with her. She can bear children on my knees so I can have children through her.”

Fast forward to 2011, when Ramjattan realised he couldn’t do his job – which was to bring in Indian voters from Berbice under the AFC tent to shut up Trotman who felt Ramjattan wasn’t pulling his weight. Ramjattan brought in Moses (Nagamootoo), his pal from back in the day, whom he’d taught the ropes as a lawyer. Said Ramjattan in 2015 to Trotman of Nassau: “Here’s my handmaid Moses. Have him lie with David (Granger) as Prime Minister candidate so he may bring in Indian votes which would be due to me.”

And Moses verily did bear fruit, and David was very pleased, since he had now become the Ruler of all Guyana!! But Moses soon became jealous of his sponsor Ramjattan, who as head of AFC was really David’s consort.

When maids lie with the boss, they do start to look at the mistress differently! He worked to undermine Ramjattan, so David would cast him out. Ramjattan had hoped he would lie with David (Granger) in 2020, but hell hath no fury like a handmaiden scorned!! And we have the present turn of events, in which Moses told David (Granger) he could lie with someone from the Amerindian community as PM, because they’d be more fertile where votes are concerned.

Thing is, Moses had shown he was willing to be a better handmaiden to David than Ramjattan, any day. Unlike Moses, who had his handmaidenship handed to him on a platter, and was willing to be a doormat, Ramjattan figured he’d earned the RIGHT to be the handmaiden this time around. David, however, moved the goalpost on Ramjattan, even though he was supposed to be his main consort as the leader of his major coalition partner – the AFC. Said David (Granger) to Ramjattan: “I am the Chief Executive (king) of the country. I am open to recommendations as in who to lie with from all six of the parties (consorts) in my harem (Coalition). Citing the pre-nup agreement he had David (Granger) sign before the marriage, Ramjattan is now threatening to quit the marital home.

But, poor fella, he has nowhere to go!! He’s become a redundant handmaiden!! …from pandits to bandits Moses Nagamootoo’s day job is to write a column in the Sunday Chronic. This week, he waxed lyrical about being “Among the Pandits”! For a fella who has kvetched for years about being oppressed as a Madrassi by those high falutin Pandits with North Indian roots, he certainly laid it on thick!! But then again, it is that (elections) time of the year when politicians – even those on the way to oblivion – try to nice up as many voters as they can!!

But in Moses Nagamootoo’s case, one would have hoped he’d expand a tad on what it has been to move from hanging around pandits – for 50 years in the PPP – to dealing with bandits for 5 years in the PNC!! For instance, what would he say to Raphael Trotman after that massive giveaway on the oil contracts?? Or to Volda Lawrence’s $605 million pharma contract to ANSA McAL? Or to David Patterson on the eventually-dumped sole sourced DHB design?

Not even on the bottom-house pharma warehouse over which Larry Singh cussed him out? …by Caricom Caricom has reverted to where it was during the PNC’s “constitutional” dictatorship between 1968-1992. That is, maintaining a studied silence on the constitutional crisis precipitated by the PNC, even after Bruce Holding called them out.

Because it’s the PNC? Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

9 Transfer of lands by Govt not surprising – Opposition Leader news

tuesday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

T

wo gazetted orders granting large tracts of land signed

by Finance Minister Winston Jordan have raised eyebrows, particularly since they confer the land on his colleague, junior Agriculture Minister Valerie Adams-Yearwood.

According to order number 80 of 2019, made on October 19, 2019, Yearwood had 1.098 acres of land transferred to her. The land, located in Linden, is situated on both banks of the Demerara River.

Meanwhile, order number 79 of 2019, also made under the Public Corporations Act, transferred one acre of land to the Junior Minister.

This land is also in Linden,

Hundreds in Linden walk in support of fight against cancer

Some of the participants at Sunday’s cancer awareness walk

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he streets of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), were flooded with hundreds of persons on Sunday, who walked, ran, jogged or rode in support of the fight against cancer. The initiative, which saw numerous organisations, groups, families and individuals participating, was put on by the Women on the Move Organisation, which is observing its 19th year in support of a cure for cancer. This year was deemed the biggest of its kind by organisers and supporters and was hosted under the theme, “I am, I will”. Participants, decked out in pink attire marched

from the Wisroc junction and Burnham Drive at Wismar with the event culminating at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground.

There were also health talks by doctors and other health professionals.

Numerous groups and families also carried banners bearing the photographs of loved ones who died as they lost their battle with cancer. October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month whereby awareness campaigns are conducted internationally to help spread the word about the deadly disease and its prevention, treatment and the possibility of a cure.

Junior Agriculture Minister Valerie Adams-Yearwood

situated on both banks of the Demerara River.

Both pieces of land are known as Plantation Noitgedacht and both pieces of land were also property of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Government’s holding company for State property until they were transferred.

Speaking at his weekly press conference, Opposition Leader Bharrat

Jagdeo was not the least bit surprised at the transfer of lands to persons connected with the Government.

According to him, this is an ongoing issue.

“So in the last week we saw a minister get prime lands in Linden, preferentially. No house lots there.

But that’s an ongoing thing; I don’t think it surprises Guyanese anymore, what happens with NICIL in this period.

“They’ll get together and find a way of excusing any decision they make and then sell that as the best decision and embrace each other,” Jagdeo, who has in the past revealed massive distribution of State land to Government cronies, added.

A few months ago, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) had featured prominently in the news when Jagdeo had dropped bombshell revelations that the Government has been quietly distributing massive tracts of prime State lands to em-

Signing the order was Finance Minister Winston Jordan

ployees of the Ministry of the Presidency as well as to cronies in the People’s National Congress (PNC)led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) faction of the coalition Government and officials of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA).

According to the Opposition, the lands were all strategically located to massively benefit the beneficiaries with the coming oil boom. Jagdeo had revealed

that most of the leases for these plots of prime real estate were issued by GL&SC after the December 21, 2018 passage of the no-confidence motion that caused the Government to fall.

Much of this land was on the banks of the Demerara River, at a time when the oil industry has brought a demand for the construction of shore-based facilities capable of servicing oil rigs and Floating Production and Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessels offshore.

Since the revelations that persons closely affiliated with the Government had snapped up land in prime locations, questions have been raised about the process that was used to allocate such large tracts of land.

Among those questions have been exactly how much these beneficiaries paid per acre for their land and how they received information on which prime land was available, in the absence of advertisements.

10 NEWS

tuesday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mahaicony villages flooded

...livestock, cattle moved to higher ground

In photo, the Atlantic Ocean overpowers the inadequate sea defense structure at Mahaicony, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) on Monday, causing major flooding in several communities (Reel Guyana photo)

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he adversity of high tides has been felt once again, as villages in Region Five (DemeraraMahaica) were inundated by floodwaters. The highest tide was experienced on Monday afternoon, causing farmers to deploy measures to protect their livestock and cattle.

As high magnitude waves rushed onto the coastland since late Sunday,

residents in several communities braced themselves for flooding throughout the week.

The high tide season commenced on Friday last and is expected to last until Thursday. The highest tide was predicted for Monday afternoon, at a height of 3.31 metres. Due to this,

residents informed Guyana Times that several villages in Region Five were af-

fected, including Dantzig, Columbia, Glazier’s Lust and Prospect.

According to Riyaad

Bacchus, many farmers were left with no choice but to move their livestock and cattle to higher grounds.

While he would have succeeded in doing so, other persons in the area were not that fortunate as many animals would have drowned, or could not survive in the

high waters.

“Everyone from five villages on the northern side of the coast are affected.

One person, he had a poultry farm and some of them drowned. He get to save some but it’s like in the thousands for him. Some persons evacuate their livestock. For us, we had to take them across the road. You have to say its about 200 heads of cattle,” he related.

During a similar spring tide four weeks ago, there was severe flooding along Mahaicony. At the Dantzig foreshore, water levels reached new records as other areas became inundated.

The situation was escalated due to a breach in the sea defence.

Until now, Bacchus said that the structure is yet to be mended. While they were given reassurances that the relevant Ministries would

remedy these constant floods with defence mechanisms, little to none has been done.

“We wrote the Ministry of the Presidency and they responded, saying that they discussed it with Cabinet and what’s not.

And that the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Agriculture will respond.

They kept a meeting but what I can say for around this area here is that nothing was done. There’s still a breach there,” the affected resident expressed.

Villages along the area have been facing heavy floods this year due to the decline in mangrove presence to protect the dam.

Now that this important resource is lacking, the natural soil barrier is susceptible to erosion.

“Since February this year this started when the mangrove started to uproot and the dam eventually erode. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure did some work there but that wasn’t enough. In September, everything washed away.”

During last month’s flooding, officials declared that more than 300 acres of rice were destroyed and hundreds of acres were under threat of destruction by saltwater. Apart from the destruction of the rice, the flooded land became salty and could no longer work for rice production.

In Region Three

(Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), affected communities ranged from Leguan Island, Wakenaam Island, Parika, Uitvlugt, Anna Catherina, Den Amstel, Fellowship, Blankenburg and Cornelia Ida. After an assessment, affected families were informed there were no breaches in the defence structure.

Monday’s high tide would have also affected the coastal stretch along Georgetown and West Demerara by overtopping the seawall structure.

Head of the Civil Defence Commission, Kester Craig indicated that cleaning sup-

plies were distributed to the villages by his team.

After an assessment, persons in low-lying and riverine areas in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five, and Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) were put on high alert and asked to take precautions. Drones were being used to measure the severity of the disaster.

In the past two years, the rising ocean has negatively impacted coastal communities, beleaguering farmers by destroying their livelihoods.

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tuesday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

1280 assisted by CIOG over past 2 years

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he Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) on Monday conducted its general council meeting for 2019, where members were updated on its operational procedures and functions for 2017 and 2018.

According to General Secretary of the Organisation, Abdul Hafeez Mahinudin, a whopping 1280 persons were assisted through various programmes they would have facilitated. As customary, donations are distributed to help orphans, the elderly or any other category of persons who might be in need.

Surgeries and medical care for persons are also supported through the CIOG, along with the distribution of pharmaceuticals countrywide.

“There were distribu-

tion of hampers, wheelchairs, walkers to the poor, and over 5000 pairs of footwear were also distributed. Medical outreaches were conducted in the various communities in Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice,” the General Secretary detailed.

Some $30 million was distributed annually to 116 orphans and vulnerable children across Guyana.

Meanwhile, the organisation would have also provided psychological and mental health assistance to stakeholders across the country.

Treasurer Al Hajj Raza Ally gave a breakdown of their income and finances, which showed that the total funds collected for 2017 was $246 million, a reduction from the previous year. In 2018, $216 million was collected by the organisation.

“Expenditure was also

Stakeholders gathered for the CIOG’s general council meeting

reduced to $198 million in 2018. There is a net deficit from operations of the schools. These schools are heavily subsidised donors and generous entities. We provide an education for the

orphans and needy mainly as well as regular students.

The schools and the funeral services are the two main services that bring in income,” Ally pointed out.

In the coming months,

an asset verification exercise will roll out, providing clarity on their financial undertakings for donors in other parts of the world and in Guyana.

“In the years to come,

we will continue to progress for the sake of Allah and the benefit of Muslims of Guyana, with the continued promise of an independently audited financial statements annually,” the treasurer asserted.

Meanwhile, Chairman Moeen Ul Hack told the gathering, “We prefer each other to ourselves and our desires.

It means that we look after, we are concerned about the affairs of our brothers and sisters. Together, we are inviting to that which is right forbidding that which is wrong…Plurality of getting this job done and doing what is right. I do not know your sincerity nor do you know mine”.

Members of the organisation asked for continued and increased support, to ensure that their contributions to society are conducted.

Local content commitments

Every oil company should have locals in managerial positions – GCCI T

he need for locals to be hired in senior, managerial positions by international oil companies drilling for oil offshore Guyana was emphasised by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry

these companies and their local content commitments, GCCI recommended that quarterly reports be submitted by oil companies that contain details on their hiring practices.

“The quarterly report

skills transferal.

According to GCCI, the policy should address “the University of Guyana or an Institute in the University being a body to run courses and certification with link to international bodies

A batch of trainees who were recruited as rig clerks earlier this year

(GCCI), in a position paper on Guyana’s Local Content Policy.

The third draft local content policy was recently released, with the objective of garnering the views of stakeholders. The GCCI, in its examination of the policy, found several shortcomings in the document.

According to the Chamber, no less than five Guyanese should hold managerial positions within oil companies. The international oil industry is no stranger to such arrangements, with some of the very companies exploring for oil offshore Guyana practising this measure in other countries they operate in.

As a way of monitoring

should state the number of new Guyanese employees employed during the respective quarter and their job descriptions,” GCCI recommended. “Where Guyanese are not employed because of lack of expertise, the contractor, subcontractor, licensee or other allied entity shall ensure, to the satisfaction of the Commission that every reasonable effort is made to provide training to Guyanese in that field locally or elsewhere.”

When it comes to the human development side of local content, GCCI noted that the policy must ensure that there is a link with the pre-existing national development strategy that addresses certifications and

which perform certification of workers for oil industry.”

“A deliberate and explicit plan for skill transferal and development of the indigenous capacity needs to be articulated in the Local Content Policy. There are skills in the O&G industry which can only be acquired via (hands-on learning),” GCCI also said.

In May of this year, El Dorado Offshore and Ramps Logistics had partnered with US oil giant ExxonMobil to recruit 12 rig clerk trainees for the emergent oil and gas industry. Recruitment Director Natasha JairamAbai had explained that this was the third batch of individuals to benefit from this type of training, but this

year, the number of women increased. It was announced that the candidates would undergo 10 weeks of training, both theoretical and practical, at four different locations and that, from Guyana, they would move to Trinidad and Tobago and one of the drillships as part of the exercise to forge their skills in all areas.

El Dorado Offshore sent its first batch of recruits back in 2017, in an effort to meet the human resources demands of the oil industry. Presently, it has deployed a number of persons to serve the industry.

Some are stationed right here in Guyana while others were placed on supply vessels as well as in coun-

tries as far as Singapore.

Not much data exists, however, to illustrate exactly how many persons have been taken on in senior capacities. At present, programmes at the University of Guyana have been revamped to include undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the oil sector.

12 NEWS

tuesday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Peters Hall fire

“We have nowhere to go” – tenant “W

e have nowhere to go. We have nowhere to put our heads now because we don’t even have a bed anymore. We don’t know what our next move is.” Those were the words of Annie Reginald, who lived in one of the two houses that were destroyed by fire at Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Sunday night.

At least a dozen persons are now homeless and displaced as a result of the blaze that started at Lot 28 Peters Hall, EBD, and quickly spread to the house next door and burnt the upper flat while destroying most of the lower flat.

Reginald told Guyana

A tenant of a house that was destroyed by the fire, Annie Reginald

said that she and her children were visiting relatives in Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) when

The upper flat of the house next door to where the fire started

Times on Monday that she was a tenant at Lot 29 Peters Hall, EBD, where she lived with her three children. She

they heard about the fire.

“I got a call from boss lady, who informed me about this fire about a little

after 7 pm (19:00h). I was in Berbice so I had to try to see how fast I could get to town to see what I could save and when we got here after 11 pm (23:00h)…I could not believe what I saw,” Reginald said.

She explained that her family managed to salvage a few household items after the fire was completely extinguished. However, the water used to contain the fire by firefighters destroyed most of what was saved from the blaze.

“Most the things were destroyed, most of the things.

Whatever we saved that is what we are carrying out now. We don’t really have a bed to sleep because everything soaked, soaked, soaked. Most of the things have to throw away and we have to start from scratch again.”

According to Reginald, the upper flat of the house she lived in was leased to two tenants, both of whom were attending the Texilia University in Providence, EBD. “They are somewhere from Mackenzie or somewhere in Linden but they attend the University in Providence and so they were renting here to go to school and everything they had, all their books and such, are now ashes. I was told their

The blaze that destroyed the two houses at Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara, on Sunday

family from Linden came for them.”

The woman also stated that the owner of the property lives overseas with her family. Neither the proprietor nor her relatives have signalled their intent to rebuild or renovate at this time, she added.

“Right now the woman sick and she take on. She take on right now. I have no idea what they will do.”

When <<<Guyana Times>>> visited the residence where the fire started, the families had been relocated temporarily at the homes of other relatives.

However, on Sunday night, one of the occupants

where the blaze started, 62-year-old Omadai Persaud told reporters that she and some other female relatives were sitting at the front of the house talking when they heard shattering sounds coming from the upstairs back apartment that was occupied by another female relative.

“When I go by the back and check, I see she whole [apartment] full with smoke… If I didn’t come out, I woulda get bun up in the house,” she told reporters.

The women contended that the fire was not caused by diyas, as was being speculated, but was, in fact, an electrical fire.

“It start from the meter.

The meter was sparking…,” the woman stated. She told reporters that her nephew had indicated that the meter had been sparking a few days now.The eldest occupant, Liloutie Persaud, 79, is the mother of the dentist, Anand Seepersaud, who operates a dental clinic on the Peters Hall Public Road.The other occupants are Deocali Persaud, 60; Ishwar Rahat, Djiewesh Persaud and Kalawatie Boodram, who celebrated her 65th birthday on Sunday.

Meanwhile, investigations by the Guyana Fire Service continues.

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tuesday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana’s robotics team placed in top 25% worldwide ...as team cops Albert Einstein gold medal

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fter three days of intense robotic battles, Guyana’s robotics team has earned a place for the country among the elite top 25 per cent robotics teams worldwide, after the FIRST Global Robotics Competition concluded in Dubai on Sunday. The tournament saw the Guyanese team securing six victories and three losses with a ranking of 39th place out of a total of 190 participating countries.

However, the country’s ranking was due to the team’s excellent performance which was evident

when they won the Albert Einstein gold medal for excellence, a prestigious award given to teams whose robots performed the best during the FIRST Global Challenge and exemplified all the tenets of the FIRST Global community.

In a statement on Sunday, StemGuyana reported that its eight-member team – all members of StemGuyana – overcame several challenges leading up to the awards. Chief among these was the extreme delay of the team’s robot’s arrival in Dubai to partake in the competition.

Team Guyana (StemGuyana photo)

“When the team of eight

Guyanese youths represent-

school, Michael wanted to become a nurse. Her dreams were quashed when she became pregnant in 1943. In those days, it was difficult for an unmarried woman with children to work.

She subsequently moved to Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to work with the bauxite company as a cook and a caretaker.

It was during that time, she became a mother of two.

In the early 1950s, she returned to Berbice.

Michael attributes her long life to eating right, especially using a lot of herbs.

Her favourite dishes are pepper pot, Fufu and ochro soup.

Moreover, she comes from a family blessed with longevity. Her mother died at the age of 95, her brother at the age of 89 and her sister at the age of 66. Another sister was killed in a fire at age 72.

In 2017, Michael suffered a slight stroke at the age of 98.

Prior to that, she took care of all of her grandchildren ensuring they went to school.

Now Michael cannot do much for herself, she has a network of family and friends who are willing to support her, no matter what.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Canje woman celebrates 100th birthday

R

achel Isabella Michael celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, three days after she became the country’s latest centenarian.

Despite being confined to a chair, starting just about one year ago, Michael is up and about – cooking, attending church, and reading without glasses.

Born on October 23, 1919, Michael has five children aged 75, 73, 68, 62 and 53.

She has lived to see her fourth generation, having 19 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and several great-great grandchildren.

Rachel Isabella Michael

Born at Betsy Ground, East Canje, Michael spent most of her life there.

During her days at

ing Hague, Timehri, Enmore and Georgetown arrived at the Cheddi Jagan airport on their way to the global robotics event in Dubai, they were told that because the robot was packed in a wooden crate, they wouldn’t be able to travel with their prized possession to the global tourney. It was truly a blessing that one team member was routed through NY the very next day and was called upon to deliver the robot to Dubai. The story gets infinitely more complicated but suffice to say that the robot did not arrive until 10 pm the night before kickoff,” StemGuyana stated.

Meanwhile, commenting on the team’s performance during the competition period, the local technolo-

gy group highlighted that days one and two, were comprised of both wins and losses but the final day went in complete favour of team Guyana.

“Day one saw the Team Guyana alliance winning two out of three games, the loss due to failure of a motor which stopped the team from shooting to earn points.

The team ended the day in 24th overall ranking. Day two’s play of four games began with two brilliant back to back victories and 2 painful losses, one wellearned but the other due to another failure of a motor on the robot. The losses dropped Team Guyana into 62nd ranking and put tremendous pressure on the young team to win both final games on day three. Day three brought victories and high scores as team Guyana members worked together to execute their game strategies and rally back to end the day among the elite 25 per cent of teams in the world,” they explained.

This year, the FIRST Global organisation hosted 190 national teams out of the 195 countries in the world. It was the largest and most competitive global competition to date and teams which are mentored by large, well-known engineering firms in their home countries often do very well.

14 news

tuesday, october 29, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Young Attorney admitted Bar destroyed to Guyana’s Bar Guinness by fire

T

A burnt-out section of the Guinness Bar Restaurant

he popular Guinness Bar Restaurant on D’Urban Street, Georgetown, was destroyed by fire on Monday evening.

Reports are fire engulfed the lower flat of the building at about 19:00h.

Speaking with Guyana Times, owner of the business, Troy Mendonca said that he received a phone

call informing him that the building was on fire. He estimated his losses to be in excess of $15 million. He said that the business has been in existence for about 17 years. Mendonca added that he has 10 employees. The Guyana Fire Service has since launched an investigation. There are no reports of injuries.

A

fter graduating with honours from the Hugh Wooding Law School this year, 23-yearold Janet Adeba Ali has been admitted to Guyana’s bar to practice law in Guyana.

Ali’s petition was presented by Attorney-at-Law Jamela Ali before Chief Justice Roxane George.

During the petition, the Chief Justice advised Ali to always seek guidance from her seniors in the profession and to always keep abreast with and uphold the laws of Guyana, in order to have a striving career.

Ali’s early education started at Queens College where she gained 12 subjects at CXC. The lawyer secured a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Guyana and subsequently continued her legal education at Hugh Wooding Law School.

In an interview with Guyana Times after being admitted to the bar, an enthusiastic Ali expound-

Attorney-at-Law Janet Adeba Ali

ed that becoming lawyer has been a life-long dream, which was inspired by her grandfather at the young age of three.

She explained that the journey throughout law school was challenging, but even so, she is thankful for the support from family members.

“Well as the quote says that law is a jealous mistress, so law requires a lot of dedication and sacrifice.

When I was studying at the Hugh Wooding Law School, I was financed by my family, who was the strongest support system that I could have asked for and I am eternally grateful to them,” said Ali. She added that she pursued legal education not only because of inspiration from family members but “because I see it as an avenue through which I can serve a good purpose in society – I can be a voice for the voice-

less – I am particularly interested in helping persons to resolve their disputes and still be amicable after it is over”.

“Mediation is a great avenue through which this can be possible and now is the time where people should become more aware of this service. The new civil procedure rules have been in existence for 3 years now where mandatory court-annexed mediation can be ordered – this is one of the areas that I intend to put some effort in. It is not only a faster and more cost-efficient and feasible for many Guyanese. In terms of criminal law, my interests lie more in prosecution rather than defence, therefore, putting forward cases for the State,” expressed Ali. The enthusiastic lawyer explained that she is also willing to pursue a career as a prosecutor, since her aunt is the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack.

Essequibo Coast man killed in accident Jamaica Govt must be held accountable for its

failing economic programme ꟷ Opposition

N

ishan Prashad of Somerset & Berks, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) succumbed to the injuries he sustained on Monday evening after being involved in an accident.

According to information received, 22-yearold Prashad was hit by a speeding motor car on the Somerset and Berks Public Road at about 19:00h. He

was rushed in an unconscious state to the Oscar Joseph District Hospital at Charity, and was being transferred to the Suddie Public Hospital when he died.

The driver of the car involved in the accident drove away from the scene, but was later found and arrested by Police. He remains in Police custody.

The Police at Charity are investigating.

P

eople's National Party (PNP) spokesman on Finance, Mark Golding, says citizens should hold the Government accountable for what he says are the major economic management failures now taking place in the country.

The issue, he said, has left taxpayers with higher debt service obligations and to find more money to pay for light bills, energy and other essential imports.

Golding attributed it to "instability in Jamaica's foreign exchange market, with

a severe shortage of supply of US dollars, despite the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) selling US$50 million of the country's international reserves to the commercial banks over the past seven days".

Last Friday's selling rate of J$138.80 to US$1.00 represents a fall of over J$12.00 (or 10 per cent) since the beginning of the 2019/20 fiscal year, the finance spokesman outlined, adding that with almost two-thirds of Jamaica's public debt stock in foreign currency, it will cost more to service debt and pay for im-

ports.

He noted that from January to July 2019, the BOJ lowered its policy interest rate six times from 1.75 per cent to 0.5 per cent, while at the same time lowering the cash reserve requirements from 12 per cent to 7 per cent.

This, he said, resulted in an increase in liquidity in the financial system by J$28.1 billion while the rate of credit expansion in the economy has slowed compared with last year.

“The expansion of liquidity is adversely impacting

the foreign exchange market, a predictable outcome given that Jamaica's inefficient credit transmission system remains substantially closed to small businesses and is not financing higher levels of economic expansion” Golding said.

He added that the official forecast of economic growth for this fiscal year has been cut in half to 0.7 per cent, with the closure of the JISCO Alpart plant in St Elizabeth and business confidence has fallen for two successive quarters. (Jamaica Observer)

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tuesday, october 29, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Chile's President moves 8 Killing the leader may not be Ministers after protests enough to stamp out Islamic State

T

C

hilean President Sebastián Piñera has announced sweeping changes to his cabinet in an effort to quell mass protests which have swept through the country for days.

Eight ministers, including those of the interior and finance, will be replaced.

The move comes two days after Mr Piñera put the entire cabinet on notice.

Despite the measures, protesters have again clashed with security forces in Valparaiso, Concepcion and the centre of the capital, Santiago.

Dozens of firefighters are also tackling a huge fire in a shopping centre near the presidential palace in Santiago.

At least 20 people have been killed since protests over inequality erupted more than a week ago.

President Piñera said the country had lived through "difficult days". "Chile has changed and the government also has to change to deal with these new challenges and times," the president said about the reshuffle.

The fire broke out in the shopping centre after a demonstration

He also said that "our government has listened to the clear and strong message sent by Chileans, who demand and deserve a more just and supportive country with more opportunities and less privilege".

Interior Minister Andrés Chadwick, who was severely criticised for his handling of the response to the protests, will be replaced by Gonzalo Blumel.

There have also been changes at the ministries of finance, economy, labour and sports. Santiago Governor Karla Rubilar will from now on be the new government spokeswoman.

Protests triggered by

a now-suspended rise in the price of metro fares in Santiago widened and spread to other parts of the country over the past 10 days.

They culminated in a march in the capital on Saturday attended by at least a million people - the biggest demonstrations to be held in Chile since democracy was restored in 1990, according to organisers.

Protesters have expressed their discontent over a wide variety of problems, ranging from high levels of inequality and poor funding for education to the high cost of healthcare. (BBC)

Jailed British pensioner tells Police he was “forced” to smuggle drugs on cruise

J

ailed cocaine cruise grandad Roger Clarke is spilling the beans on crooks he said forced him to smuggle drugs.

The Brit gave police details and snaps of associates who he says coerced him into moving cocaine across the Atlantic.

He and wife Sue are serving eight years in a Lisbon jail after police found £1million of the drug in their suitcases’ lining.

In a letter written in prison, Clarke, 72, said: “I can give information that would help the police stop some of the smuggling of hard drugs into the UK.

“Why didn’t the Portuguese police pass all the information we gave them on to the English police?

"We gave them names, telephone numbers and my wife even had pictures on her iPad.” Clarke, originally from Bromley, South London, says he turned to the drugs trade to try to save his struggling ­restaurant business in Spain.

The former chef claims a customer once paid him 2,000 euros to smuggle 10kg of ­cannabis in a car.

“He asked me to do more but I refused,” Clarke wrote.

“Next thing he returned with a couple of guys, beat

me up and said if I didn’t continue they would set about Susan plus they knew we had family in Spain and would get at them.”

Police arrested him and his wife on the Marco Polo after it docked at Lisbon on December 4, 2018.

Clarke claimed he was handed the cases in St Lucia but did not know drugs were in them.

The couple were convicted of trafficking last month.

They are appealing against their sentences and want to return to the UK to a prison nearer their family.

(UK Mirror)

he killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is of considerable importance, experts believe, but the underlying reasons for his jihadist group’s existence remain and attacks in the Middle East and beyond are not likely to stop.

Baghdadi’s death at the hands of the United States is likely to cause Islamic State to splinter, leaving whoever emerges as its new leader with the task of pulling the ultra hardline group

back together as a fighting force.

Whether the loss of its leader will in itself affect the group’s capabilities is open to doubt, analysts in the region say. Even if it does face difficulties in the leadership transition, the underlying ideology and the sectarian hatred it promoted remains attractive to many.

Where once they rode around in armored vehicles, brandished rifles, flew black flags and indulged in acts of spectacular cruelty, the

Sunni Muslim militants are now prisoners or scattered stragglers whose leader was chased down in a tunnel during a raid by American special forces.

“Operationally it doesn’t affect much, they are already broken and globally their attacks have receded,” said Rashad Ali, resident senior fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based think-tank.

“They are mostly concentrated in the Iraqi-Syria borderlands.” (Reuters)

France mosque shooting: Man arrested after mosque attack

F

rench authorities have arrested a man suspected of shooting and seriously wounding two men in their 70s outside a mosque in southwest France, police have said.

An 84-year-old man opened fire when the two victims, aged 74 and 78, found him trying to set fire to a mosque in Bayonne, a police statement said on Monday.

The victims were brought to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, while the suspected shooter, identified as Claude Sinke, was later arrested near his home. Sinke also set fire to a car outside the Mosque.

"I strongly condemn the heinous attack perpetrated in front of the Bayonne Mosque," President Emmanuel Macron said on his Twitter account.

"Everything will be done to punish the perpetrators, and protect our Muslim compatriots," he added.

Separately, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner confirmed the arrest, and offered his "solidarity and support to the Muslim community."

Marine Le Pen, the leader of a far-right National Rally party which has had links to violent anti-Muslim groups, also condemned the shooting.

"The attack ... goes

The suspected shooter, identified as Claude Sinke, was arrested near his home [AFP]

against all the values of our movement," she said.

While Jean-Luc Melenchon, a left-wing leader said, "public speech must stop encouraging hatred."

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.

The mosque was cordoned off for investigations and a bomb squad was sent to Sinke's home in SaintMartin-de-Seignanx, a town of 5,000 people some 16km (10 miles) from Bayonne.

A team of psychologists was put together to provide care for witnesses of the incident.

The incident came just hours after Macron had urged France's Muslims to step up the fight against "separatism" in the wake of the latest attack on French

soil, in which a police employee stabbed four colleagues to death this month.

There have been intermittent attacks on mosques in France since 2007, when 148 Muslim headstones in a national military cemetery near Arras were smeared with anti-Islamic slurs and a pig's head was placed among them.

In June this year, a gunman wounded an imam in a shooting at a mosque in the northwestern city of Brest, but police ruled out a terror motive.

In March, workers building a mosque in the small southwestern town of Bergerac found a pig's head and animal blood at the entrance to the site. (Al Jazeera)

16

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, october 29, 2019

Regional

T&T teen goes missing 5 Argentina election: Centre-left years after sister vanished Alberto Fernández wins presidency F C entre-left Opposition candidate Alberto Fernández has been elected President of Argentina in a vote dominated by economic concerns.

Fernández, 60, got more than the 45 per cent of the vote needed to win, beating conservative incumbent Mauricio Macri.

Raucous crowds gathered at Fernández's election headquarters to celebrate the result of Sunday's poll.

The vote was held amid an economic crisis that has left a third of Argentina's population in poverty.

Former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, 66, will now become Vice President in Fernández's Administration.

She is said to have played a

key role in Fernández's electoral triumph.

Macri, 60, had trailed behind his challenger in pre-election polls and was trounced by the Opposition

in primary elections in August. He conceded defeat on Sunday night, congratulating his political rival.

On Monday, Fernández was seen arriving at the

presidential palace in Buenos Aires to discuss an orderly transition with Macri.

Fernández, who belongs to the populist Peronist movement, said his team would collaborate with the outgoing President "in every way we can".

With 97.13 per cent of ballots counted, Fernández had 48.10 per cent of the vote, Argentina's electoral authority said. Macri had 40.37 per cent. To win in the first round, a candidate needs at least 45 per cent of the vote, or 40 per cent and a 10-point lead over the second-place contestant.

Fernández is expected to assume the presidency on December 10. (Excerpt from BBC News)

General Carl Bethel on the issue.

“We discussed a lot of things. I think that the first point of view is that some people are in Fox Hill (prison) for minor things like the immigration matter. I know that The Bahamas is a country of law, but sometimes you have to see it like the humanitarian way because…there isn't a major crime,” Darlier told the

Nassau Guardian newspaper.

He said that instead of sending illegal Haitian migrants to jail, they should be sent to the detention centre “and be repatriated to Haiti,” adding “they don't have to spend time in Fox Hill”.

He said it was harsh to send Haitians to prison for petty offences, adding that it was an expensive undertak-

ing to keep Haitians in prisons.

“If you keep someone in jail, you are to take care of them. You are to feed [them]. I think it's [better] for the Government to just send them back. It's not a big deal. It's not a big crime.

Just ship them back, send them back to Haiti. This is one of the main concerns that we were discussing.”

(Excerpt from CMC)

Centre-left Opposition candidate Alberto Fernández and former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, 66, who will now become Vice President in Fernández's Administration

Bahamas Govt urged not to jail Haitians for minor immigration offences

A

Haitian diplomat is appealing to The Bahamas Government not to imprison nationals from his country who have been convicted of minor immigration offences even as Nassau continued the programme of deporting illegal immigrants, including Haitians, last weekend.

Haitian Chargé d'Affaires Dorval Darlier said he had held talks with Attorney

ive years after Nicole Jaggan mysteriously disappeared while on her way to a hairdressing class, her younger brother Andron Jaggan has also gone missing from a supermarket in South Trinidad.

It is uncertain whether the two incidents are related.

Jaggan’s parents moved out of a ramshackle home at Suchit Trace where they lived for 23 years and went to Kristen Avenue, Boodoo Trace, Penal, where they bought land and started constructing a house after Nicole’s disappearance.

Their newfound wealth raised suspicions from neighbours who claimed the family began living an extravagant lifestyle after their daughter went missing.

Police said Andron’s disappearance was reported to them by his mother Vicki Bhagwandass-Jaggan on Saturday afternoon.

She told the Police he had gone to the supermarket, but never returned home.

Guardian Media went to Bhagwandass-Jaggan’s house at Boodoo Trace to speak with her, but she never came out of the house.

A woman, presumed to be Bhagwandass-Jaggan was heard speaking inside the house.

But in an interview with Guardian Media, Andron’s father, Prakash, who is separated from BhagwandassJaggan, said he did not believe his son was missing.

He said the Police never visited his home to interview him and he was unsure whether or not his son was actually missing.

Even though a Venezuelan link was suspected in Nicole’s disappearance, there were no anti-kidnapping officers at the homes monitoring calls or visits. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Colombia's capital elects 1st woman mayor

“No negotiation”: Bolivia Opposition Leader says strikers will not accept talks

B

olivian Opposition Leader Carlos Mesa on Monday ruled out any negotiations with President Evo Morales to end the South American country’s political crisis, as strikes closed roads, schools and businesses around the nation.

Bolivia has been convulsed by protests for more than a week after its electoral tribunal abruptly suspended publication of presidential election results, later announcing Morales had pulled off a razor-thin victory allowing him a fourth term.

The results, which meant Morales narrowly avoided a run-off with Mesa, sparked

Presidential candidate Carlos Mesa waves upon arriving to hold an assembly in Zona Sur, La Paz, Bolivia October 27, 2019

accusations of fraud from the Opposition Leader and his supporters.

Morales, Latin America’s longest-serving leader, has denied the allegations, but

to win the backing of some of the lower placed presidential candidates.

That support could be enough to put him ahead of Martínez in round two.

Both Lacalle Pou and Martínez will spend the next weeks trying to gain the support of those voters who in the first round cast their ballots for candidates who have now been eliminated.

Lacalle Pou is determined to bring change to Uruguay after more than 14 years of Broad Front Governments. Even though he trailed behind Martínez in the first round, the conservative candidate said voters "had sent a clear message" that they wanted a different government.

The conservative congressman has already spoken to defeated presiden-

agreed to an audit and said he will go to a second round of voting if irregularities are found.

No date has been set as yet for the audit by the Organisation of American States (OAS), but Bolivians have taken to the streets.

Residents of capital La Paz on Monday took part in a general strike called by the opposition.

“I have always had the spirit of dialogue and a democratic and peaceful spirit, but my personal will is, at this time, conditioned by the popular protests,” said 66-year-old Mesa, who was previously President from 2003 to 2005. (Excerpt from Reuters)

C

Claudia López won with around 35 per cent of the vote

laudia López, a gay politician who advertises herself as "incorruptible", has become the first woman to be elected mayor of Colombia's capital, Bogotá.

The 49-year-old centre-left candidate had won 35.2 per cent of the vote with nearly all votes counted.

The mayorship of Bogotá is widely considered the second-most important political post in Colombia after the presidency.

"Not only did we win, but we're changing history," s López said on Twitter.

She narrowly beat liberal

Carlos Fernando Galán, who received 32.5 per cent of the vote.

A journalist-turned politician, López is a member of the country's Green Alliance party. Known for her outspoken criticism of rightwing politicians, she has also been heavily involved with anti-corruption efforts in Colombia.

Her policies include putting more Police on the streets, fighting child labour and creating better educational opportunities for people over 45. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Uruguay presidential election to go to 2nd round Man, woman shot dead inside Kingston home

T

he candidate for Uruguay's centre-left Broad Front coalition, Daniel Martínez, has won the 1st round of the presidential election but is short of the 50 per cent needed to win outright.

Martínez will now face Luis Lacalle Pou of the conservative National Party in a run-off on November 24.

Lacalle Pou is expected

tial candidates Ernesto Talvi, Guido Manini Ríos and Edgardo Novick, and is certain of their support for the second round.

Martínez congratulated his rival on making it to the second round, but said that he would continue the Broad Front's agenda of "distributing wealth and being a nation of justice".

(Excerpt from BBC News)

T

wo people were murdered at their home in Charlton, Kingston early Monday morning.

Dead are 28-year-old Tiffany Wilson and 25-yearold Nardo Henry, both of the same address.

Reports from the Constant Spring Police are that about 03:00h, explosions were heard by resi-

dents who then summoned the Police.

Upon arrival at the scene, Police said the door to a bedroom inside the house was kicked off and the deceased were seen lying on their sides with several gunshot wounds.

Investigations are ongoing. (Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesDAY, october 29, 2019

Around the World

EU agrees Brexit delay as British Parliament blocks December election

T

he European Union agreed to a Brexit delay of up to three months on Monday, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would push on with his bid to end Britain’s political paralysis with an election on Dec 12.

With the United Kingdom’s scheduled Oct 31 departure from the EU now virtually certain to be postponed, Brexit hangs in the balance, with British politicians still arguing over how, when or even whether the divorce should take place at all.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives to the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, October 28, 2019

Johnson, who had loudly promised to deliver Brexit on Oct 31, “do or die”, has re-

peatedly demanded an election to end what he casts as a nightmare political deadlock that is sapping public trust by preventing any Brexit outcome at all.

Hours after the 27 countries remaining in the EU backed his reluctant request for a delay, Johnson attempted to force a snap election on Dec 12 in the hope of finally winning a majority to pass the divorce deal he has negotiated with Brussels.

But his third attempt to call such an election gathered only 299 votes in Parliament, short of the 424

- or two-thirds of the house that he needed.

After the vote, Johnson said he would try again, by a legislative route that would only require a simple majority.

To follow this route, Johnson will need the support of Opposition parties such as the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Liberal Democrats.

These have been pushing for a Dec 9 election, aiming to ensure that Johnson cannot try again to rush his divorce deal through. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Iraq declares curfew amid ongoing mass anti-Government protests

A

u t h o r i t i e s in Iraq have declared a curfew in the capital, Baghdad, where mass anti-Government demonstrations continue for a fourth day.

The renewed protests came weeks after an earlier wave of rallies broke out as a result of widespread anger at high-level corruption, mass unemployment and poor public services. More

than 200 people have been killed in this month's demonstrations in Baghdad and several southern cities.

As protests continued on Monday, State media quoted the Baghdad Operations Commander as saying that the curfew from midnight to 6 am local time will be valid "until further notice".

Earlier in the day, at least two anti-Government protesters were reported-

ly killed and more than 100 people were wounded in clashes with security forces in Baghdad as thousands of students joined in the demonstrations in defiance of a Government order and tear gas from security forces.

The students skipped classes at several universities and secondary schools in Baghdad and southern cities to take part in the protests,

despite the Government ordering schools and universities to operate normally.

It was not clear how many students were among those killed and wounded.

Security forces have fired tear gas and stun grenades to keep protesters from crossing a main bridge leading to the Green Zone, home to Government offices and embassies. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Trump: “Ahead of schedule” on China trade deal

U

S President Donald Trump said on Monday he expected to sign a significant part of the trade deal with China ahead of schedule but did not elaborate on the timing.

Leaders of the world’s two biggest economies are working to agree on the text for a “Phase 1” trade agreement announced by Trump on Oct 11. Trump has said he hopes to sign the deal with China’s President Xi Jinping next month at a summit in Chile.

The US President said the phase one portion would “take care of the farmers” and “also take care of a lot of the banking needs.”

“So we’re about I would

US President Donald Trump makes a statement at the White House following reports that US forces attacked Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in northern Syria, in Washington, US, October 27, 2019

say a little bit ahead of schedule maybe a lot ahead of schedule,” he said.

Agricultural products are a major area of discussion.

Beijing wants the United States to cancel some existing US tariffs on Chinese imports, according to people briefed on high-level telephone discussions on

Friday, in return for pledging to step up its purchases of US commodities like soybeans.

The United States wants Beijing to commit to buying these products at a specific time and price, while Chinese buyers would like the discretion to buy based on market conditions.

Trump agreed earlier this month to cancel an Oct 15 increase in tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods as part of a tentative agreement on agricultural purchases, increased access to China’s financial services markets, improved protections for intellectual property rights and a currency pact. (Excerpt from Reuters)

California fires: Los Angeles hit by new blazes

T

housands of Los Angeles residents have been told to evacuate because of a fast-moving wildfire that began in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Getty Fire started near the Getty Center arts complex and spread to about 500 acres (202 ha), close to some of the city's most expensive homes.

California's Governor has declared a State-wide emergency as wildfires continue to rage in many other areas.

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti announced he would sign an emergency declaration to draw more resources to fight the Getty fire.

Some 3300 homes are in

17

Firefighters stand watch as the Kincade Fire burns in Santa Rosa

the mandatory evacuation zone.

Meanwhile, wildfires are continuing to sweep through northern California.

Some 180,000 people have been ordered to leave homes, with roads around Santa Rosa north of San Francisco packed with cars

as people tried to flee.

All schools in Sonoma County were closed for Monday and today as tens of thousands of homes remain under threat.

The biggest blackouts in the State's history have already left a million people without electricity. Power

companies are trying to stop damaged cables from triggering new fires.

Sonoma has been ravaged by the Kincade Fire, which started on Wednesday and has burned through 50,000 acres of land, fanned by high winds.

The 150-year-old Soda Rock Winery was among the structures destroyed.

There are fears the blazes could cross the 101 highway and enter areas that have not seen wildfires since the 1940s.

Some 43 of California's 58 counties are under "red flag" warnings. The warning informs firefighting services that conditions are ideal for wildfires. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Rights groups accuse Tanzania's Magufuli over rising repression

Tanzanian Journalist Erick Kabendera arrives at the Kisutu Residents Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on August 19, 2019 [Emmanuel Herman/Reuters]

T

wo international rights groups have accused the Government of Tanzanian President John Magufuli of increasingly repressing political dissent.

Since Magufuli’s election in 2015, Tanzania has implemented laws that stifle independent journalism and severely restrict the activities of NGOs and opposition parties, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in two separate reports released on Monday.

Civil society activism and public discussions on human rights-related issues have also been suppressed, while the authorities’ “regressive” policies have restricted the playing field for those seeking to challenge the ruling party, they added.

"With elections around the corner, people don't feel that they can comment honestly,” said Jehanne Henry, HRW’s East Africa Director, referring to Tanzania’s polls scheduled for next year.

“Human rights activists are restrained from pushing for accountability for disappearances and other human rights abuses,” she told Al

Jazeera.

The rights groups interviewed dozens of Government officials, lawyers and NGO representatives, as well as academics, journalists, diplomats and religious leaders.

They said the Government has stepped up censorship since 2015 by banning or suspending five newspapers for content deemed critical. Among them was Tanzania's major English-language paper, The Citizen.

The organisations also said the Government uses the 2015 Statistics Act to control independent research and public access to independent statistical information, denying people alternative sources of independently verified information.

Both Amnesty and HRW called on the Tanzanian Government to "immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against journalists and politicians brought simply for exercising the rights to freedom of expression and association". (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

3-year-old boy trapped in abandoned borewell in TN dead – official

T

he three-year-old boy who was stuck in an abandoned borewell near Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu since Friday, is dead, an official said on Tuesday. Commissioner of Revenue Administration J Radhakrishnan said the body of the child was “dismembered” and in a “highly decomposed” state.

“Efforts are on to retrieve the mortal remains of the child,” he told PTI in the early hours of Tuesday.

Radhakrishnan said those posted near the borewell observed foul smell around 10:30 pm on Monday following which medical personnel and teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) assessed the situation.

“We have been told that the body is in a highly decomposed state... we have suspended the digging operation,” he said. Sujith

Wilson had fallen into the disused farm borewell while playing near his house in Nadukattupatti on Friday evening, and various central and state agencies were called in to rescue him.

Prayers were held by various sections of society for the child’s early rescue, while leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi wished the wellbeing of the child.

Earlier on Monday, a heavy German-made drilling machine was deployed to dig a parallel shaft to reach the boy stuck at a depth of 88 feet, but rescue efforts were hampered by rocky soil and rain. Two Fire and Rescue Services personnel were lowered into the freshly drilled shaft, using a ladder and with all necessary support like oxygen, for initial assessment of the condition inside. (Excerpt from The Times of India)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESday, OCTOber 29, 2019

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Peanuts LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

LAst PUBLISHED puzzle AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Stay focused on your responsibilities and on finishing what you start. If you let someone interfere or upset you, you will appear incompetent. Set boundaries and remain calm.

Set the pace you want to maintain, and don’t stop until you reach your destination. Your drive and attention to detail will set you apart from any competition you encounter.

Keep an open mind, but know your limitations.

Refuse to become consumed by someone else’s plan. It’s up to you to set your ideas in motion and to reap the rewards.

Imagination, drive and determination will be essential. You are on the road to a better future, so don’t fear the changes heading your way. Embrace personal improvements.

Listen carefully, observe the changes going on around you and consider how best to use your skills to improve your situation. Experience and knowledge will pay off.

Know when to say no.

A positive change is heading your way. Travel, education and spending time with people you find enlightening will play a role in the decisions you make. Romance is heightened.

Get charged up about something worthwhile, instead of worrying about someone’s petty comment.

If you focus on self-improvement and doing your best, you will get ahead. Money management is favored.

Emotions can be shared, and issues can be resolved.

Have a solution in mind and be willing to compromise. A good partnership will bring out the best in both parties.

Keep your personal matters, passwords and possessions a secret. Sharing too much information will put you in a vulnerable position. Play it safe and avoid regret.

A change of plans will work to your advantage.

Embrace whatever challenge you face with enthusiasm. Someone you encounter will interest you. A relationship will influence how you move forward.

Take a moment to absorb what’s going on around you before you respond to it.

Try not to draw attention to yourself, as you’ll accomplish more if you work quietly on your own.

Keep your plan in perspective. If you aim too high, you’ll fall short. But if you pace yourself carefully, you’ll come out a winner.

Romance is encouraged.

tuesday, october 29, 2019

19

roundup: Grizz sink Nets on Crowder's buzzer-beater

J

ae Crowder drained a 3-pointer as time expired in overtime to lift the host Memphis Grizzlies to a 134-133 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Brooklyn appeared poised to record its second win in three outings after Memphis rookie Ja Morant failed to connect with Kyle Anderson on an inbounds pass with 8.1 seconds left.

Spencer Dinwiddie made one of two free throws to push the Nets’ lead to 133131, but Morant set up Crowder for the game-winning shot at the top of the arc. Morant scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and pushed the game into overtime with a welltimed block of Kyrie Irving as time expired.

Dillon Brooks made 9 of 15 shots from the field for 21 points as the Grizzlies overcame an eight-point deficit with 3:20 remaining in the fourth quarter to record their first win of the season.

Trail Blazers 121, Mavericks 119

Carried by 35 points from CJ McCollum, 28 from Damian Lillard and 20 from Rodney Hood, Portland overcame a sluggish first half to pull out a clutch victory at Dallas.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Skal Labissiere (left); guard Damian Lillard (centre) and CJ McCullum celebrate a basket in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks (USA Today)

Lillard’s lefty layup with 26.8 seconds to go — after a Mavericks shot-clock violation — put the Blazers ahead for good.

Kristaps Porzingis led Dallas with 32 points, adding nine rebounds and five assists, while Luka Doncic had 29 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

Lakers 120, Hornets 101

half as host Los Angeles defeated Charlotte. Davis also had 14 rebounds and three blocks.

LeBron James scored 20 points, dished out 12 assists and grabbed six rebounds.

Dwight Howard delivered a solid effort off the bench, scoring 16 points on 8-of8 shooting, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking four shots for the Lakers.

Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 23 points.

Cody Zeller finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds (seven on the offensive end), three blocks and three steals.

Terry Rozier also scored 19 points, while Dwayne Bacon added 15 points for the Hornets.

Timberwolves 116, Heat 109

Andrew Wiggins scored 16 of his 25 points in the

fourth quarter — including three straight 3-pointers at one point — to lead Minnesota past Miami in Minneapolis.

In a span of just over four minutes, Wiggins scored 16 of Minnesota’s 17 points, as the Wolves went from a 9693 deficit to a 110-101 lead.

Prior to that stretch, he had been 0-for-5 on 3-pointers in the game. Then, he made five straight shots, including four threes, during the 17-5 run.

T-Wolves big man KarlAnthony Towns had 23 points and 11 rebounds.

But he was fairly quiet after a 15-point first quarter.

Miami was led by rookie guard Kendrick Nunn, who scored 25 points. He is off to the best three-game rookie scoring start in Heat history.

Thunder 120, Warriors 92

Dennis Schroder scored 22 points as host Oklahoma City blew out Golden State, which has averaged 130.5 points allowed in back-toback losses to start the season.

The Thunder dominated from the start, scoring the game’s first eight points.

The margin was less than double digits for only about six minutes of game action.

Oklahoma City led 70-37 at halftime.

Danilo Gallinari added 21 points, and Shai GilgeousAlexander 19 in the win.

The Thunder made 15 3-pointers, four by Gallinari.

Stephen Curry led Golden State with 23 points but was just 2 of 9 from behind the 3-point line. The Warriors shot just 15.2 percent from behind the arc (5 of 33).

Pistons' Morris fined $35K for verbal abuse

The NBA fined Detroit Pistons forward Markieff Morris $35,000 on Monday for “directing inappropriate and offensive language toward a game official” on Saturday.

The incident occurred during the Pistons’ 117111 loss to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers.

Morris, 30, scored a season-high 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in the loss.

The fine was announced

by NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe.

(Reuters)

Cilic, Raonic make winning starts at Woods headed for Presidents Paris Masters; Federer withdraws Cup after Zozo victory M

T

Anthony Davis scored 25 of his 29 points in the first

iger Woods’ victory at the Zozo Championship on Monday made all but certain his appearance in one global golf event and boosted his chances of competing in another.

Woods will captain the American side at December’s Presidents Cup in Australia, and even before winning at Narashino Country Club had been widely expected to choose himself as one of his four captain’s picks to join the eight automatic qualifiers on the team.

“I think certainly as a player I got the captain’s attention,” he joked after matching Sam Snead’s record of 82 career victories on the PGA Tour.

Woods has one more week to assess the form of potential choices, and will watch from afar as some of them have a final audition at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions tournament starting in Shanghai on Thursday.

He sat out the 2017 Presidents Cup while rehabilitating after spinal surgery that he had undergone five months earlier.

But he was on the American team on the two previous occasions the Presidents Cup was held at Royal Melbourne, in 1998 and 2011.

While the Presidents Cup is just around the corner, next year’s Olympic golf in Tokyo also looms large.

Only the top four American players in the world rankings will qualify, so Woods’ place is far from assured, given the depth of talent in the American ranks.

He vaulted from 10th to sixth in the world with his win on Monday, but is still only the fourth-ranked American behind Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas.

Tiger Woods He can ill afford to have another quiet patch like his mediocre form in celebrates winning the four months after his Masters victory this year. the final round “Hopefully I can play a little better than I did post-Masters this year of the Zozo and qualify for the team,” he said. (Reuters) Championship

arin Cilic and Milos Raonic booked their spots in the Paris Masters second round on Monday, while Roger Federer pulled out of the tournament with next month’s ATP Finals on the horizon.

Cilic eased past Hubert Hurkacz of Poland 7-6(5) 6-4 to set up a second round meeting with three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka.

The 2014 U.S. Open champion dictated the contest with power and precision as he won 86% of his first-serve points to seal his third consecutive victory over Hurkacz in less than two years.

Big-serving Canadian Raonic capitalised on fast court conditions to outclass Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-3 6-2 in just over an hour at the AccorHotels Arena.

A back injury has limited Raonic to three matches since the Rogers Cup in August, but the 2014 Paris runner-up was back to full strength as he struck 14 aces in a masterful display.

Raonic will next face newly-crowned Vienna Open champion Dominic Thiem.

Federer withdraws

World number three Federer pulled out of the tournament as he fine tunes his schedule heading into the season-end-

ing ATP Finals.

The 38-year-old Swiss lifted a record-extending 10th Swiss Indoors championship title in his hometown of Basel on Sunday and has decided not to play back-to-back weeks at this stage of the season.

"I am extremely disappointed to have to pull out of the Paris Masters," Federer said in a statement here “I have to pace myself since I want to play as long as possible on the ATP Tour. I am sorry for my French fans who I will see next year at Roland Garros.”

Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas have booked their places for next month’s ATP Finals, with the Paris Masters set to determine who clinches the final two spots for the London tournament.

Italian Andreas Seppi has replaced Federer as a lucky loser in the Paris main draw and will meet Moldova’s Radu Albot in the second Marin Cilic round. (Reuters)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

tuesday, october 29, 2019

Usman takes UAE to play-offs, Ireland get direct entry to T20 World Cup M

uhammad Usman’s unbeaten 89 helped UAE qualify for the playoffs of the T20 World Cup qualifiers with a 14-run win over Canada but their victory wasn’t big enough to trump Ireland on the basis of net run rate. As a result, Ireland finished on the top of Group B and became the second team after Group A toppers Papua New Guinea to get a direct entry to next year’s T20 World Cup. UAE will now play Netherlands in a qualifier, with the winner going through to the T20 World Cup. The loser, however, will get another chance, in a second qualifier against Scotland.

The ICC has approved replacements for UAE players Ashfaq Ahmed and Ghulam Shabber. Left-hand opener Faizan Asif will replace Ashfaq, who has been provisionally suspended by the Emirates Cricket Board in relation to an ongoing corruption probe, while

17-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Vriitya Aravind will come in for Shabber, who was suspended by the ECB for opting out of the UAE squad without intimation.

At the start of the match, Canada too had an outside chance to top the group but the defeat meant they finished fifth with three wins from six games.

Usman, the left-hand batsman, struck six fours and two sixes in his 63-ball innings to take UAE to 154 for 5. In response, Canada were 68 for 2 after ten overs but couldn’t match the climbing required rate and could reach only 140 for 5 in the end. Waheed Ahmed was the most successful bowler for UAE, picking up 3 for 21 with his medium pace.

UAE didn’t have a great start after being put in and lost both their openers - Rohan Mustafa and Chirag Suri - in the first two overs. Rameez Shahzad and Usman stabilised the in-

nings by adding 42 for the third wicket before left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar dismissed Shahzad for 23-ball 27.

Usman and Darius D’Silva took UAE to 95 for 3 in 15 overs with clever running between the wickets as the pair pinched 14 twos during their 73-run partnership. But Canada blew a golden opportunity to end Usman’s innings in the 14th over on 40 when he pulled Dillon Heyliger to Nicholas Kirton at deep square leg, who spilled a straightforward chance. Usman stepped it up on the first ball of the 16th over, hitting Heyliger for a six over midwicket to bring up his fifty off 43 balls. Two balls later, he pulled one to fine leg for four before D’Silva ended the over with another boundary.

Zafar, who missed the previous match with a left pectoral strain, struck back with the wickets off D’Silva and Sultan Ahmed off succes-

sive deliveries. But Usman and Waheed plundered another 30 from the final two overs off Heyliger and Romesh Eranga to take UAE to a competitive total.

Though spin had dominated throughout the week, and in this match itself, allrounder Nitish Kumar’s offspin was never utilized to combat the left-handed Usman.

Srimantha Wijeyeratne and captain Navneet Dhaliwal gave Canada a start of 29 in 3.4 overs and the team fifty came up in the seventh over but Waheed dismissed Dhaliwal for 41 off 36 off the last ball of the 12th over. With the first ball of his next over, he had Hamza Tariq caught and bowled to dent the chase further.

Canada needed 58 from the last five overs - UAE had plundered 59 in that period - and Nicholas Kirton and Ravinderpal Singh’s best efforts didn’t prove enough. (cricinfo)

Muhammad Usman

World Series fans greet Trump WTA Finals: Halep sees off with boos, “Lock him up!” chants Andreescu, Svitolina beats Pliskova

S

imona Halep survived match point before beating Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu in a pulsating WTA Finals clash in Shenzhen.

The 28-year-old Romanian was on the brink at 6-5 in the second set before taking her third set point in the tie-break to force a decider.

US Open champion Andreescu required lengthy treatment on her back before Halep clinched a 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 win.

Earlier on Monday, defending champion Elina Svitolina beat Karolina Pliskova.

Andreescu plays Czech

President Donald Trump was booed while watching the fifth game of the baseball World Series, being played in Washington DC

U

.S. President Donald Trump was greeted with boos and a smattering of chants of “Lock him up!” when he appeared on screen at the World Series in Washington on Sunday, even as he celebrated one of the biggest wins of his administration.

Trump appeared on a display screen at the Washington Nationals Park stadium between innings of the Game 5 matchup between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros.

The president, along with first lady Melania Trump and several lawmakers, appeared live on the screen as part of a video package thanking U.S. troops for their service.

The hometown crowd cheered fans and soldiers displayed earlier on the screen, but there were boos and isolated “Lock him up” chants when Trump appeared.

Trump later left the stadium an inning before the end of the game, which was won by the visiting Astros.

The frosty reception came on the day

Trump announced the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group, in a raid

by U.S. special forces in northwestern Syria.

Trump won just 4 percent of the vote in the District of Columbia in the 2016 presidential election.

The U.S. capital is hosting its first World Series since 1933.

Trump did not throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the game, as many previous presidents have done. That task fell instead to celebrity chef Jose Andres, who founded a nonprofit group to feed disaster victims around the world.

Andres also canceled plans to run a restaurant in Trump’s Washington hotel because of Trump’s disparaging comments about Mexicans, which led to a legal settlement. (Reuters)

second seed Pliskova on Wednesday in their second round-robin match, with the 19-year-old saying she will spend the next 48 hours trying to overcome the back problem which hampered her against Halep.

“In the third set, I really don’t want to blame my back, but I felt like I didn’t have the same power as I did in the first and second set,” Andreescu said.

Ukrainian world number eight Svitolina edged an 18-minute first set tie-break before sealing a 7-6 (14-12) 6-4 win.

Both players broke each other early in the opening set before the marathon tie-break which Svitolina clinched when the Czech’s backhand landed wide.

Svitolina’s break in the seventh game of the second set proved decisive as she claimed a seventh successive victory at the WTA Finals.

Svitolina, 25, said: “That was probably one of the longest tie-breaks I have played.

“I was just trying to be ready for her big serves today. I tried to move quickly and react quickly. The slightly slower surface gave me a bit more time.”

The WTA Finals sees the world’s top eight compete in two round-robin groups of four, with the winners and runners-up advancing to the semi-finals.

Svitolina is in the Purple Group alongside Pliskova, Halep and Andreescu. The Red Group features Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty, Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic. (BBC Sport)

Former world number one Simona Halep is bidding for her first WTA Tour Finals triumph, having finished runner-up in 2014

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, october 29, 2019

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Bridgestone Guyana Open 2019 Golf Tournament…

21

Avinash Persaud is 10-time Guyana Open champion ꟷ Julia Stephenson cops 1st female title

P

laying under fantastic conditions at the Lusignan Golf Club, and being undeterred by the quality of the competition he was up against, Guyana’s golfing maestro Avinash Persaud cruised to his 10th win of the prestigious Bridgestone Guyana Open (2019) Golf Tournament, played on October 26/27; and in the process, he set a record that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon.

Confident as always, Persaud established his supremacy by fending off stiff challenges from Avinda Kishore, Alfred Mentore, Kassim Khan, and LGC President Aleem Hussain in the Championship Flight of this tournament.

In the Ladies category, Julia Stephenson, born in New Amsterdam and back home after 40 years of living in Barbados, won by a onestroke margin over nearest competitor Shanella London.

She said of her win: “I was extremely happy not only to win here in my homeland, but to be back after so long and to win playing among such great and friendly golfers. I have been playing golf for over 30 years, and have represented Barbados in several Caribbean territories, but I only learnt of the Golf Course in Guyana when LGC President Aleem (Hussain) played in the 2019 Sir Garry Sobers Golf Classic in Barbados and invited us.

“Many thanks to Aleem; and to my husband Franklin Stephenson, who has been my coach and mentor all the years of my playing golf. In fact, my husband is owner of the best cricket practice facility in the Caribbean, the Franklin Stephenson Academy, where cricketers from the West Indies

team, English county teams, young Barbadian cricketers who are being mentored, and several other cricketers all practice.”

Run off excellently by Captain Chen, with all involved being happy with the results, this tournament saw a limited number of players because it clashed with the Diwali holiday; but great playing conditions were supported by excellent weather, and the players and caddies were given lots of water and prizes, compliments of CIDI – (Blue Waters).

With support for this event coming from more than 40 major companies, this tournament was certain to be an unforgettable experience; and the level of play did not disappoint, as upsets came where least expected, as shown in the results.

LGC President Aleem Hussain has thanked the tournament’s players and supporters, including Anwar, Troy Cadogan, Guillermo Escarraga, Rudy Ramalingum, Aditya Persaud, George Bulkan and Panko Ramsundar, along with the Executive members of the LCG, for making the event and his term in office a success. He was especially grateful to the main sponsors and new sponsors who are supporting the vision to bring golf to new heights in Guyana, and he praised the media for registering what he termed a magnificent job of promoting the sport.

The results of the top golfers in each category of play after 2 days are stated below.

In each Flight, the Best Net and Best Gross scores for the first day were awarded prizes. For the 2 full days of play, prizes were awarded for 1st to 3rd place overall in the Net and

Gross scores.

The tournament’s champions in the male and female categories were decided by the Best Gross overall.

Consequently, Avinash Persaud (146) and Julia Stephenson (177) were declared the tournament’s champions. The tie-breaker was considered for overall scores is the 2nd day’s performance.

In the 0–9 Flight, overall Best Net winners were: 1st - Avinda Kishore (141), 2nd Avinash Persaud (142), and 3rd - Alfred Mentore (142).

Recognition was given to Mike Mangal (145) and Aleem Hussain (146).

The Best Gross winners were: 1st – Avinash Persaud (146), 2nd – Avinda Kishore (149), and 3rd – Franklin Stephenson (157).

In the 10–18 Flight, overall Best Net winners were: 1st – Rakesh Harry (130), 2nd – Satrohan Tiwari (134), and 3rd – George Bulkan (142). Overall Best Gross winners in this category were Satrohan Tiwari (166), Rakesh Harry (166), and Aasrodeen Shaw (168).

In the 19–28 Flight, overall Best Net and Best Gross winners were: Imtiaz Subhan (134/178), Dr Philbert London (138/180), and Miguel Oviedo (145/201).

In the Seniors Flight, Best Net and Best Gross winners were: 1st – Tulsieram Persaud (151/199), 2nd – Maurice Solomon (151/201) and 3rd – Abdool Azeez (155/211) In the Ladies Flight, overall Best Winners were: 1st – Shanella London (149), 2nd – Dr Joaan Deo (153), and 3rd – Julia Stephenson (155).

Best Gross winners were: 1st Julia Stephenson (177), 2nd – Shanella London (177), and 3rd – Christine Sukhram (180).

Athletics: Johnson urges quick return to training for Tokyo aspirants

A

s athletics’ elite rest up from the latest world championships on record, 12 times global gold medallist Michael Johnson has some advice for Tokyo medal seekers: don’t stray too far from the track or exercise room.

“If you take too m u c h time off, that’s just going to extend the

amount of time you have got to take to get back into training shape,” the former 200 and 400 meters world record holder told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“And there’s not going to be that kind of time.”

Track and field athletes had 348 days from the end of the 2015 Beijing world championships to the start of the 2016 Rio Olympics (August 30, 2015 to August 12, 2016).

This time the difference is 299 days with the Doha championships concluding on Oct. 6 and athletics at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics starting on July 31, 2020.

“If it were me, I would probably not take more than a week completely off after the season,” said Johnson, now a BBC analyst.

He offers the advice not only as one of the world’s top allMichael Johnson’s 400m record time sprinters but usstood for almost 17 years ing the experience of his

staff at Michael Johnson Performance in Dallas, where hundreds of athletes in sports ranging from global athletics to the National Football League come to enhance their athletic development.

While sitting on the beach or spending time with family after a strenuous 2019 season no doubt would be the preferred option, athletes are understanding that long breaks will not be forthcoming this year, Johnson said.

“Many of the athletes I’ve spoken with have already made plans to significantly shorten, if not pretty much eliminate the traditional off-season break,” the 52-year-old Texan said.

“Maintain as much (fitness) as you can. I wouldn’t let the type of conditioning get all the way down to zero.

“If you do, things will go much smoother when those rapidly approaching November days of training return.” (Reuters)

Avinash Persaud and Julia Stephenson display their spoils after reigning supreme at the Guyana Open Golf Tournament

Bolt never worried Lyles would break world record

R

etired Jamaica sprint superstar Usain Bolt has insisted he was never worried about rising United States track star Noah Lyles eclipsing his 200m world record at the Doha World Championships.

The 22-year-old American had a stellar season, even breaking Bolt’s meet record at the Paris Diamond League meet. On the back of several strong performances to claim the US 200m national title, including an effortless win at the US national trials, speculation grew that Lyles would go after the world’s best mark of 19.19 set in 2009.

In the end, Lyles was triumphant and claimed the 200m title in 19.83, while

than good enough for gold, the time was slower than some expected.

“I knew he wasn’t going to get it. It’s not easy. A lot of people see it and feel like you show up and you just run fast,” Bolt told NBC Sports Olympic Talk.

“For me, throughout the season, I figured out what I needed to do. I didn’t run races because I wanted to run fast. I ran races to figure out how I needed to run the corner, my technique I needed to fix. If you followed me through my career, I didn’t run a lot throughout the season. I trained. I ran and competed, figured out what I needed to improve, then did that [repeated that process] over again. That’s what I did to perfect my race [for the championships].”

more

Retired Jamaica sprinter Usain Bolt

(Sportsmax)

22

tuesday, october 29, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers U-18 League…

4 schools triumph

ꟷ including defending champions Annandale

T

he second edition of the Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers Under-18 Football League got off to a cracking start on Sunday afternoon with a double-header that saw St. John’s and Queen’s College each drawing first blood on opening day’s play.

And when the league returned yesterday, Lodge Secondary and 2018 champions Annandale Secondary were the ones rejoicing at having won their respective matches.

The Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers Tournament has taken on a league format which allows each competing school to play every other school at least once. Prior to the football action, however, the competition saw an official kickoff to the tournament being taken by Tradewind Tankers’ representative Jacqueline James.

In remarks, Guyoil Marketing Executive Ashmin John told the players to keep in mind the grand prize, as she urged them to play towards that goal.

“We are extremely proud to be hosting this second annual football competition among these youths, and we’re extremely proud of the youths’ (conduct) last year and the way they played for their schools. On this note, we would like to encourage all the teams to think about the developmental project you would want to do for your school, and play towards that,” John advised.

Petra’s Troy Mendonca offered words of encouragement to the teams as they embark on weeks of competitive football. He also took the opportunity to extend gratitude to the sponsors.

“I want to encourage you, the players and officials: let us cherish this moment, let us make every effort for this tournament to be successful. I said that because without Guyoil and ANSA McAL, we wouldn’t have been here today. May the best team win,” Mendonca declared.

A goal from Dawani Austin in the 20th minute gave St. John’s College the advantage when they battled with Saint Stanislaus College. While holding off their opponents, Diquan Bovell was able to find the back of the net in the 52nd minute to register St. John’s second goal.

In the second fixture, Darrel De Santos of Queen’s College put his school in the driver’s seat with a goal scored immediately after the whistle sounded, in the first minute of play. However, Andrew Carto levelled the scores for Charlestown

The tournament’s official kick-off was taken by Jacqueline James, representing Tradewind Tankers

in the 15th.

With the scores at 1-1 at the beginning of the second half, Kaden Conway and Diarra Thomas netted one each to put a win out of Charlestown’s reach.

Round 1 games of the league continued on Monday, with Cummings Lodge Secondary and President’s College playing to a draw.

Cummings Lodge were in control of the encounter in the first half, as K=Jitzak Martinez (5th) and Ronnel George (28th) each found the back of the net. However, in the second half, President’s College mounted a clever attack, and saw excellent results, as Allistis Henry (43rd) and Shalom Chisolm (71st) managed to tie the game and have the points shared.

Last year’s third place finishers, Lodge Secondary, were not quite as dominant in their first outing, but still pulled off a win over Marian Academy. Nicholas Trotman netted the first goal in the 5th minute, but spectators had to wait until the second half to see more fireworks; which came when the ever-consistent Dorwin George added two more to his team’s tally, with goals in the 56th and 59th minutes, for a 3-0 victory.

It was a close encounter for defending champions Annandale Secondary, but they proved why they were deserving of the championship trophy in their all-orange affair with the Bishops’ High School.

Annandale had an impressive first half, scoring four goals. Omari Glasgow opened the scoring in the 5th, and was followed by Colin Henriques in

the 7th.

Bishops’ first goal came in the 21st minute off the boots of Aquino Luke. However, Henriques completed his brace in the 24th, and Glasgow did the same in the 31st to push the scores to 4-1.

Poor playing on part of the defending champions and an excellent use of wit by Bishops’

saw the Georgetown school registering two more goals, for which Romeo Bradford (54th) and Malachi Richards (63rd) were responsible; but Bishops’ could not complete the comeback, and had to accept the 4-3 defeat.

This league is expected to continue next Sunday. (Jemima Holmes)

WIFBSC Short Range Match 2019…

T&T shoot Guyana into 2nd place

H

osts Trinidad and Tobago have surged to the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council Short Range championship; in the process dethroning Barbados, which had won same on home soil in 2018.

All the action unfolded at the Tucker Valley Range in Chaguaramas, and was hosted by the Northern Rifle Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NRATT) under the auspices of the West Indies Full Bore Shooting Council (WIFBSC).

Former WIFBSC Individual Champion Lennox Braithwaite last Saturday shot the highest score of any team (148.14), but his

Team Canada won the match with a score of 1142.71, while Team England was fourth with 1115.74.

The Guyanese remain kings of the LongRange Team Title, and will hold on to the Milex/ Crown Mining Trophy until next year.

Lennox Braithwaite – Top Individual score in Team Match/2nd X-Class Individual

Ransford Goodluck – 3rd X-Class Individual C/ship

efforts could not land Guyana the Short Range title, as 2019 Individual champion Dr Varma Rambarran shot a total of 147.18 to lead host team T&T to 1130.80 points, just two more than the Guyanese team’s score (1128.65).

Thus T&T won the team trophy most coveted

by Caribbean marksmen and women.

Although Guyana had not won the title, Captain Mahendra Persaud, in an invited comment, said his charges had still made themselves and country proud, given some challenging circumstances they had faced.

He noted that all the shooters had done their best, and he attributed the win by the Trinidad and Tobago side to their capitalizing on home advantage to the fullest.

Former champs Barbados ended in third position with a total score of 1075.60; while Antigua and Barbuda placed fourth with a score of 1063.58.

end third.

Goodluck and countryman Lennox Braithwaite ended with the same amount of points but were separated by Vs, Braithwaite accumulating 34 while Goodluck accumulated 30.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Anderson Perry was fourth (392.24), Roberto Tiwari fifth (386.27), T&T’s Justin Lall sixth (386.26), Barbados’s Jason Wood seventh (385.23), Antigua & Barbuda’s Laurne Benjamin eighth (380.20), T&T’s Norris Gomez ninth (377.24), and Antigua & Barbuda’s Rev. Olson Daniel 10th (377.15).

Rambarran wins Individual title The Individual championship title was won in record style by T&T’s Dr. Varma Rambarran, who dropped just a single point in totalling 404.39. In the process, he dethroned Guyanese Ransford Goodluck, who tallied 392 points to

Guyana depart November 4 for Super50 T

he Guyana Jaguars team recently selected to compete in the 2019 Cricket West Indies Colonial Medical

Jermaine Levy rocked the Guyanese batting attack as the CCC Marooners cruised to victory in the 2018 finale

Insurance Super50 Cup is scheduled to depart these shores on Monday, November 4.

Prior to departure, the squad will have some more game practice before attempting to secure the 2019 Super50 Cup title. They have opportunity to operate as a unit when they oppose a Rest team in two practice matches. The first match is billed for the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground on Wednesday, October 30, while the second is carded for the Enmore Community Centre Ground on Friday November 1. Each match is scheduled to commence at 9:30 hours.

National select players Gudakesh Motie and Nial Smith will appear for the

Rest side in the first match, while Kelvin Umroa will line up with the Jaguars side. The Rest side comprises Trevon Griffith, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Tevin Imlach, Vishaul Singh, Ricardo Adams, Anthony Adams, Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed, Richie Looknauth and Keon Joseph.

Umroa’s squad comprises of the 2019 Jaguars outfit, with captain Leon Johnson, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Christopher Barnwell, Raymon Reifer, Anthony Bramble, Jonathan Foo, Kemol Savory, Ramaal Lewis, Veerasammy Permaul, Clinton Pestano and Ronsford Beaton being members.

In the grand finale of the 2018 Regional tournament, Guyana were easily outdone by the Carlos Brathwaiteled CCC Marooners.

GuyanaNRA Secretary Ryan Sampson won the bronze medal in the O-Class category. A total of 69 shooters took part in the Individual championships.

GuyanaNRA vice-captain Dylan Fields and teammate Sherwin Felicien competed only in the Team Match.

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, october 29, 2019

23

Time to make this opportunity count, says Nial Smith

By Brandon Corlette

A

fter an astonishing season in the recent SBF Petroleum Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) 50-overs Franchise League, Guyana Jaguars newest recruit, Nial Smith is excited about his maiden call-up for the 2019 Colonial Medical Insurance Regional Super50 tournament. In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Times Sport, Smith stated that he is waiting to grab this opportunity with both hands.

“It’s a great feeling, I’ve always wanted to represent my country at the higher level in cricket and now getting this opportunity, I’m happy and waiting to grab it with both hands”, Smith disNial Smith closed.

Smith finished the league as the second highest wicket-taker, with 18 wickets. The right-arm fast bowler, representing Lower Corentyne, had a best bowling figure of 6-41 against Georgetown at the historic GCC Bourda. In that spell, the Tucber Park sensation bowled with ven-

om, hitting batsmen on the body.

Heading into the CGI Franchise League, Smith has been putting in the work. “Well I’ve had a great season in Trinidad getting to play among some West Indies players, the likes of Andre Fletcher, Jason Mohammed, Evin Lewis, and Kieron Pollard among others. They have really given me a lot of confidence coming into this Franchise playing against our local stars; I wanted to compete more and I had a lot of success in the end”, Smith explained.

Smith has been one of main reason for Lower Corentyne to win the title this season, with his aggressive bowling. Reflecting on his time the team, Smith stated that it was great playing with this team which featured a lot of young talent and some experience players; Veerasammy Permaul and Jonathan Foo. “Even Coach Julian Moore it’s very excited to be around this franchise on and off the field”, Smith echoed.

The former Guyana Under-19 player, Smith added that he had always believed in his abilities to perform at optimum best and he always backed himself. “No matter who I’m up against I always like the challenge and I think that brings out the best in me”, Smith stated. The team gifted seamer who showed his prowess with the bat told this daily publication that he aspires to continue the hard yards of work from this point.

“Well my goals are to keep working harder from here on and doing well for the Guyana Jaguars, I’m looking to make an immediate impact heading into this tournament when I get my chance to play I’ll do

Nial Smith reacts after hitting a Georgetown batsman

my best for my country”, Smith highlighted.

Smith expressed gratitude to all those who supported him on his successful journey thus far and hopes to follow or even go beyond the footsteps of his Tucber Park Club-mate, Romario Shepherd.

“I would like to thank God for making this possible and the selectors for giving me this opportunity, I would like to thank Mr Carl Moore for always believing in me, he had always seen the talent in me and

he was the one to always keep encouraging me to keep playing. I’ll also like to thank the players in Lower Corentyne team for supporting me each and every year, Coach Julian Moore, team manager Quacy Maltae and I must say thanks to all the supporters who keep encouraging me and believing in me that I’ll make it some-day. Last but not least I must thank my dad (Albert Smith) for always supporting me in every way possible”, Smith concluded.

Foo delighted at Guyana Jaguars’ recall to duty

By Brandon Corlette

R

Jonathan Foo batting during the CGI Franchise League

eturning with a bang in the recently concluded SBF Petroleum Cricket Guyana Inc (CGI) Franchise League was Lower Corentyne’s Jonathan Foo. The right-handed batsman knocked down the selection doors in scoring 333 runs in the domestic season, which earned him a recall to the Guyana Jaguars setup that will compete in the upcoming Colonial Medical Insurance Regional Super50, which commences on November 6.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, Foo -- a firm and ardent believer in his abilities -- said he was pleased with this recall to the Guyana Jaguars team, and opined it shows that the selectors have some trust in him.

Foo was one of the reasons why the Lower Corentyne team had clinched the 2019 CGI one-day 50 overs’ league.

Reflecting on his season, he had this to say: “My season with the bat in the franchise was a bitter-sweet one. I got among the runs on a few occasions, but missed out on three centuries. Nevertheless, I would take the overall season score any day”.

This 29-year-old, who had made his ‘List A’ debut in October 2011 and last played a ‘List A’ match in February 2017, has featured in cricket matches around the globe.

He played his last T20 match in September 2017 wearing the Jamaica Tallawahs’ colours, but played competitive cricket in the United States of America (USA) and in Hong Kong.

“I was involved in some competition cricket in Hong Kong and New York when there was no cricket in Guyana. Opportunities presented themselves for me to stay and play in Hong Kong, but I always want to be in Guyana cricket. I want to

go out there and represent he is setting himmy country”, the patriotic self some small Guyanese declared. but realistic Many would goals. “To deem Foo a be honT20 batsman, e s t , but during m y his homecomgoals ing with Lower a r e Corentyne in small. the franchise, I’m realhe showed his ly a team skill as a comperson, plete cricketer. and whatever role Reflecting my captain or coach on his appresent to me, I’ll be proach during the more than happy to Franchise, Foo had accept it and work this to say: “I would towards it. say I’m playing acWhatever cording to the situlittle ation of the game.

I I love batting, can and a lot of peod o ple see me as a t o T20 batsman, but I see myself as a complete cricketer”.

In regard to his future, Foo disFoo represented closed Jamaica Tallawahs that in the 2017 CPL

get my team in a better position or get us over the line, I will give it 110%.

“I’m prepared to be called upon at any point in time.

That’s the mindset I’m going into the tournament with,” Foo declared.

This star batsman of the Albion Cricket Team has thanked his immediate family, his two beautiful daughters and wife, whom he describes as his biggest motivation.

He, further, has expressed gratitude to his club mates: Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Devandra Bishoo, and club manager Vemen Walters; and has thanked the coach of his Lower Corentyne Cricket Team, Julian Moore.

Moreover, he has said: “I would like to thank a very good friend who has been behind me for years. I call him ‘Turbo’. I also would like to thank my Albion Cricket Club and the Galaxy Cricket Club in New York for their continuous support when things were not going the way I wanted”.

tuesday, october 29, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

WIFBSC Short Range Match 2019…

Page 22

T&T shoot Guyana into 2nd place Team Guyana at WIFBSC 2019 Championships. From right: Ryan Sampson, Leo Romalho, Roberto Tiwari, Mahendra Persaud, Lennox Braithwaite, Dane Blair, John Fraser, Peter Persaud and Ransford Goodluck. Missing are Dylan Fields and Sherwin Felicien

Page 22

Page 23

Time to make this Guyana depart opportunity count, November 4 says Nial Smith for Super50 Nial Smith jumps for joy after playing a match-winning knock (Brandon Corlette photo)

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