Guyanatimes 14 may 2018

Haimaruni HEYS P14 participants determined to make a difference Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3563

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Monday, May 14, 2018

PRICE

Coalition’s 3 years

Shortcomings far outweigh successes – analyst Page 3

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

CJIA expansion

Govt pushes through P13 $346M in supplemental funding

– despite promises of no additional funds being required

…accuses coalition of being least democratic Govt Piracy massacre

Policeman who allegedly sold gun to pirates found dead Page 9

– reportedly kidnapped by Guyanese

Bandits strike at Chineseowned store on Regent St P10

GPL linesman hospitalised after receiving electric shock P11

Police destroy marijuana farm at Wisroc, P10 Linden

Marcia Abrams and Nomarra; Shonette Vyphuis and Saniayah, and Germaine Jacques and Kia – the winners of the 26th edition of the Mother and Daughter Pageant held at the National Cultural Centre on Saturday evening (Carl Croker photo)

Judicial appointments

Current impasse can lead to Page 9 unilateral decision – Ram

Several injured in 2-vehicle smash-up on Linden/Soesdyke Page Highway 13

Missing US$5M GTT shares

Govt should have gone to arbitration – source P12 …rather than 6-year pursuit of Hong Kong-based company

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news

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, May 14 – a night retraction at 03:30h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h and Tuesday, May 15 – a night retraction at 04:30h and a day retraction from 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, May 14 – 15:45h-17:15h and Tuesday, May 15 – 16:35h-18:05h .

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thunderstorms and light rain showers are expected in the early morning with cloudy conditions prevailing throughout the day and into the evening.

Temperatures will range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly to North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 7.15 metres.

High Tide: 03:35h and 16:01h reaching maximum heights of 2.76 metres and 2.73 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 09:34h and 21:50h reaching minimum heights of 0.42 metre and 0.49 metre respectively.

sUNDAY, MAY 12, 2018

LOTTERY NUMBERS E

03 08 12 19 20 26 13 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

DAILY MILLIONS 02 05 08 11 20 LUCKY 3 6 6 3 Afternoon Draw DRAW DE LINE

05

09

10 11

0

3

9

Evening Draw

12 16 18

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

Coalition's 3 years

Shortcomings far outweigh successes – analyst ...accuses coalition of being least democratic Govt

By Samuel Sukhnandan

D

ays after A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) observed their third anniversary in Government, Guyanese political analyst Dr David Hinds has given a critical analysis of the Administration’s work, and has concluded that the shortcomings far outweigh their successes.

Dr Hinds told Guyana Times on Sunday that Government has failed badly overall if one measures its performance against campaign promises and in the context of the historical moment.

This, he said, has to do with an accumulation of bad decisions and a lack of larger vision for Guyana. “There is not even a pretense of transformation from this Government,” he noted.

The Government, he noted, has done nothing about the vexing issue of public sector wages; and according to him, this failure has large implications for lifting the society out of poverty.

“This is happening while they raised Ministers’ salaries and paid hefty rent for some Ministers,” he reminded.

When it comes to the Government’s handling of crime and security, the political analyst claimed that the coalition has not been able to even put a small dent on crime. “In fact, crime has gotten worse within the last three years. There is no overall strategy on how to tackle this multi-faceted problem,” he observed.

Dr Hinds said Government stumbled badly on the oil sector. “There is too much secrecy. There is no clear nationalist strategy on how to garner the best outcome for Guyana.

Decisions are disproportionately in favour of the foreign oil companies. Decisionmaking is confined to too few people in Government.”

Hinds also told Guyana Times that, overall, there is not enough accountability displayed by the Government.

He claimed that there has been too much ‘clientelism’— many major appointments going to ex-military personnel and party people who are mostly African Guyanese.

While he said this move was expected, he still thinks there has been too much of it practised by this Government.

Shifting his attention to another issue, Dr Hinds noted that there has been no change

Political analyst, Dr David Hinds

in the way Government treats state-owned media.

“They started with some degree of openness when they first came to power, but they slipped right back into the bad

Working Peoples Alliance (WPA), a partner in the coalition Government, told this newspaper that the worst performance of the Government has been its own lack of consultation within its ranks.

“There has been no consultation within the APNU and between the APNU and AFC. The APNU hardly meets, and there is no forum for APNU and AFC meetings outside of Cabinet. All Government decisions are taken at Cabinet; the coalition parties do not participate in deliberations on Government action.”

As such, he described the coalition as the least democratic Government in Guyana’s post-colonial history as far as decision-making is concerned. He said, “At least under (Forbes) Burnham’s paramountcy of the party, the party was involved. This lack of consultation derails any good the Government is

“The Government must be given high marks for its outreach into the Amerindian communities. These are often neglected communities

by Government, until election time. The Government seems to have a clear policy of engagement in that community, which augurs well for the future,” he added.

Further, the political analyst said although there have been a few instances of discrimination against critics of the Government, there have been no systematic human rights abuses. This, he said, must be a significant achievement, given Guyana’s long history of hyper-authoritarianism.

“The Government must also be complimented on keeping its campaign promise to hold long overdue Local Government elections. This is a major accomplishment.

Local Government is an im-

President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

habit of party propaganda.

Even Government supporters don’t buy the Chronicle because they still perceive it as a party propaganda medium,” Hinds said. A former columnist with that same newspaper, Dr Hinds opined that its operation is a waste of taxpayers’ money, and it stifles the growth of the journalists who work in the state media.

“They can’t be creative— they go to work every day knowing that they are expected to censor themselves and bend stories to suit party dictates,” he expressed.

He also cited the unilateral actions taken by Government, especially when it didn’t have to go that route. The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) chair saga is one of the issues raised.

However, Dr Hinds, also an executive member of the

doing, as it constantly has to deal with protests by junior partners.”

Dr Hinds said the WPA, and to some extent the AFC, are treated with scant consideration by the (Peoples National Congress) PNC Government leadership.

“The APNU leadership took three months to respond to an AFC letter. You can imagine how long it takes to respond to the WPA,” he added.

Successes Meanwhile, in listing some of the achievements made by the coalition Government, Dr Hinds said that while the administration has not articulated a cohesive ethnic-impact policy, it has nevertheless exhibited sensitivity to the ethnic interests of the three major ethnic groups.

portant plank of democratic governance which has been badly neglected by previous Governments,” he added.

Although Dr Hinds criticised Government for its handling of the downsizing of the sugar industry, he said the Government must be commended for confronting the problem. According to him, while previous Governments have kicked the ball down the road, the coalition decided to tackle the problem.

While noting that the Government erred in the implementation of the downsizing plan, had inadequate consultation, and was late with the alternative plan and payments, “The deliberate engagement with the sugar industry shows that the Government is sensitive to the ethnic interests of Indian Guyanese,” he concluded.

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

Guyanese mothers

W

ith the contrived and commercialised sentimentality of “Mother’s Day” behind us, maybe we can look a bit more dispassionately at the status of mothers in Guyana today. How much has changed from the days of slavery, when planters actually ‘bred’ African women with anonymous African men to be mothers of children who could be slaves who could be more productive on the plantations?

How different was motherhood to those women than to those in the present who are “child mothers” to men who enjoy ‘visiting relationships”, but accept no responsibilities for rearing those children?

How much has changed from the days of indentureship, when the ratio of men to women in the best of times was an average of three to one? Because of the competition to secure a wife, “wife murders” became rampant, and more than traces remain into the present. After then initial imbalance, mothers in particular were socialised into the responsibility of keeping their families together.

This reality is being brought home with a vengeance in the sugar belt, where 5700 workers were fired by GuySuCo and another 2000 were made redundant with a cutback in cane production from private cane farmers. With a typical family of six, there would be almost 50,000 persons affected. Many of the workers were mothers, and the remainder have wives who are mothers. With no employment in sight either from the promised leasing land to the workers to engage in cash crop production or from private businesses, it will be left to these mothers to eke out a living for their families by any means necessary. It has always been so, and will be so in the foreseeable future.

We can look back at the circumstances of the old Burnhamite dictatorship, when a similar challenge was presented with employment and underemployment endemic from the mid-seventies onwards. Mothers flooded the neighbouring countries, looking for all and any possible source of earning an income to keep their children alive. Some became traders who became a stable feature at regional airports, importuning travellers to “help them out with extra weight”. Many of them were sexually abused for these favours, not only by travellers, but by officials at transit points. In every neighbouring country, Guyanese -- some mothers -- also had to become prostitutes when there was no other avenue for ensuring the survival of their families “back home”.

Even when avenues became available with emigration to Canada and the US, families often times were separated, as the men departed legally or illegally and left wives and children “home”. Oftentimes these men struck up other relationships abroad, and the mothers left behind had to fend for themselves. And this is that reality that is staring at mothers in the sugar belt today, the day after “Mother’s Day”.

It is incredible that more groups are not up in arms protesting the callous action of the Government through GuySuCo that so adversely affects all 50,000 persons in the families of the fired sugar workers - but mostly the mothers, who were extolled yesterday in so many superlatives. In the present, we have become too hypnotised by the marketing of the superficialities that pass for caring for our fellow man and woman. It is past time we remember that governments are formed to take care of disasters that may befall the citizenry; that is why we pay them the huge salaries and all the perks of office. They are not paid to create disasters – especially for the most valued segment of our population – our mothers. It is said that the future of a nation is in the hands of the youths. But the future of those youths is in the hands of their mothers. The citizens of this country have become sensitised over the past few years to “violence against women,” and this is a positive step.

We now have to look more granularly at the psychic violence against the mothers of our country by offering them no choice to fulfil their duty with dignity.

Guyanese singer Carlvin Burnett serenades First Lady Sandra Granger at the 26th Annual Mother and Daughter Pageant held at the National Cultural Centre on Saturday evening (Carl Croker photo)

Setting the record straight Dear Editor, Minister of State, Mr Joseph Harmon, has now entered the arena in defence of his colleague, Attorney General Mr Basil Williams. The Attorney General has been the subject of repeated public onslaught in the media for the constant loss and/or settlement of cases, which are costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

In relation to the cases that have been lost, the Attorney General’s modus operandi has been to blame me, former Solicitor General Ms Sita Ramlal, former Deputy Solicitor General Ms Prithima Kissoon, lawyers at the private bar, the junior lawyers currently working with him at his Chambers; and, in some cases, even judges have not escaped his net.

Logic and common sense, without more, will militate against a conclusion that all those persons are at fault, and he is not. But, then again, common sense is not as common as we may think.

Since I am being blamed for the tragic performance of the Attorney General, I feel impelled to share some information which may enlighten the public on some of these cases which have been lost and/or settled during the tenure of Mr. Williams.

I must emphasise that every Attorney General in Guyana over the last one hundred years inherited incomplete cases from their predecessors. These cases are not the personal matters of the holders of the office, but are filed against the State, and it is the duty of the holder of the office to defend them to the best of his/her ability. This has been the long and sacrosanct tradition of the office of Attorney General.

In its history, no other Attorney General is on public record, on even a singular occasion, blaming his predecessor for cases inherited. In breach of this scared tradition, the in-

cumbent has converted blaming yours truly into a fine art form.

Minister Harmon’s sudden entry into the muddy waters to assist the drowning Attorney General was precipitated by a statement made the Leader of the Opposition at his last Press Conference, when he estimated that the “Treasury has lost G$85 billion (425 million USD) through the decisions of the Attorney General’s Chambers to settle ‘winnable’ court cases, some of which have been pending for several years.’’ It is this humongous burden that Minister Harmon seeks to cruelly place upon my tiny shoulders. He says that these settlements were necessary “because of the failure of the former Attorney General to prosecute.”

Firstly, I am surprised that learned Counsel Harmon fails to appreciate that when cases are filed against the Attorney General, his responsibility is to “defend”, and not to “prosecute.” That faux pas aside, let us examine the matter a little closely for some details.

The Leader of the Opposition made reference to the settlement of a case filed

by DDL. This case was filed against the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Attorney General almost a decade prior to my appointment as Attorney General. Since it involves the challenge to the computation of certain taxes, naturally the GRA assumed the lead role in the case; the Attorney General was a nominal defendant. The matter has a long history in the court system, but what is relevant here is the GRA obviously felt they had a strong case, and retained eminent Senior Counsel from the private bar to represent them. The trial was ongoing before Justice Roxane George. A few months after the 2015 General Elections, the matter was suddenly settled on terms that the Leader of the Opposition estimates to have

cost the Treasury 80 billion dollars. As Attorney General, I had absolutely no input in the case, and because of the nature and stage of the proceedings, there was no need for an input from me. By what process or principle am I to be blamed for this settlement which caused the Treasury to lose this 80 billion dollars?

As a result of this settlement, negotiated and concluded under this administration, Banks DIH Limited, who have paid the same regime of taxes as DDL, have sued this Government, claiming a writeoff of the taxes they paid which were written-off for DDL under their settlement. This case, if Banks DIH Limited succeeds, will cost the Treasury further tens of billions of dollars. How am I to be blamed for this disaster?

I, as Attorney General, terminated B.K. International Limited’s contract in respect to the Haags Bosch project for multiple breaches of the contract. B.K. International Limited challenged the termination. After I left office, a High Court Judge ruled that the termination of the contract was unlawful. The Judge made no order to pay B.K. International any compensation. Any lawyer worth his salt would have appealed the decision of that judge, because B.K. was guilty of flagrant breaches of the contract. The Attorney General refused to appeal.

B.K. International then sends a letter demanding compensation, and indicating that if he’s not paid, he will sue. Any competent lawyer, armed with the facts of this matter, would have either ignored that letter or responded by challenging the company to sue. Instead, the Attorney General settles the case by the payment of 5.7 million US dollars!!! How can I be blamed for such punctilious incompetence?

The case filed by HN

Sugrim, which the State settled recently for 226 million dollars, is yet another of the many cases which the State should not have lost. The case was filed in June, 2015 (after I left office), and was concluded in April, 2017. In this case, the contract required that a performance bond be lodged by the contractor to the tune of 15% of the contract price within a specified time frame. The contract further provided that a failure to lodge the said performance bond shall be a basis to terminate the contract. The contractor never lodged the performance bond within the time specified, or at all, despite being informed in writing to do so.

The contract was duly and lawfully terminated on this specific ground.

This should have been an unassailable defence, yet the Attorney General lost. On two different occasions, he wrote to the Learned Trial Judge in the matter, indicating that he would personally assume conduct of the matter. He requested specific dates for the matter to be fixed, so as to be present.

The Judge accommodated him on all the dates he requested.

He copied to President Granger one of his letters sent to the Judge. Only he can explain the reason for so doing. Yet he failed to appear on the dates he requested. When he lost the case, he blamed Prithima Kissoon, the former Deputy Solicitor General.

He then filed an appeal.

Rather than proceed with the appeal, he settled the case. How can I be blamed for this?

In the TPL case in which 1.7 billion dollars in compensation was awarded against the State, the case was filed in 2008 against the Attorney General and NICIL (3 years before I was appointed). Eminent Senior Counsel from the private bar was retained to represent the Attorney General.

Continued on page 5

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Skullduggery Reputation of Digicel continues to at GGMC Pt 2 be tarnished by “Top Up” agents

Dear Editor, The management level at the GGMC urgently needs a complete overall in order to curb the level of corruption, which remains unchanged even though there were changes in leadership of over two years.

The only difference is: the players are operating more discreetly.

When a system is weak, it breeds corruption, and the only way to minimize this is to have persons with strong leadership qualities in command.

The corruption level at this institution is an indication that there is an urgent need for the Commissioner to step-up his game to curb the situation, or it will get worse.

Under the leadership of Mr. Robeson Benn, miners have enjoyed the best service from the staff at the GGMC, due to the strong leadership quality that he had demonstrated. A void for a good/strong leader was created at his departure, and this is yet to be filled. If disciplinary action is being introduced from a top-down basis, no one will be eager to be his/her brother’s keeper, and many atrocities will be exposed. This will also bring speedy resolution to matters which urgently needed resolution.

There is an individual who, in my opinion, has the tenacity to go after those involved in crooked behaviours and practices that are affecting the smooth running of this organization.

This individual has the ability to reform the Commission in order to acquire the best results, and change the image of the organization, but for some unknown reason/s, this individual was sidelined.

It was once rumoured that the individual was being tipped for the top position, and this sparked uneasiness among some staff. I overheard conversations among individuals lamenting that their ‘Runnings will be cut-out’ if this individual eventually acquires the position. Why then not choose a person of such character to run an organization like the GGMC, which has a high level of corruption, one of the highest in the country.

It is strange that little is being done at the GGMC to curb these practices, while it’s noticeable the changes that are taking place within other organizations, for example, the Police Force and the GRA, with their tough stance against corruption.

While interacting with the Commissioner, it was obvious that some members of the Commission are stubbornly resisting “the authority” for their own ulterior motive, which I think led him to say, “You went to all heights and breadth to say I am covering-up corruption.”

This leads one to wonder why these officers are holding back the findings of the reports, when these matters have drawn the attention of the highest office of the land and a wide cross-section of the Guyanese society. The Commissioner had even made mention, at our January 24th meeting, how far I was willing to go to get resolutions into our matters, but he still remains reluctant to release the findings of the reports that I had requested. Is it cover-

ing-up or collusion that is taking place? These are questions that are starting to plague my mind.

Why the delays? Is it to make the Government look bad in the hope of a change of Government at the next pole?

If those crooks could go so far as to resist the request for the resolution of our matters at Kurupung from the highest order of the land, I do not want to know of their other capabilities.

There are some officials who are claiming the delays are being created by some individuals within the organization, who are trying to cover their tracks and make the administration look bad. It seems as though the Commissioner has developed a new normal of sending persons to the court to resolve their matters, instead of him doing the right thing of taking a tough stance against corruption, the root cause of many of the small miners’ problems.

I am certain if the monies were to come from his salary or the salaries of many of these officials to pay those high-power lawyers, they would have chosen another course of action.

It is heart-rending for us as tax payers to be paying our taxes in the hope that the Government would be able to provide a better life for our children, only for the same monies to be spent on retaining high-profile lawyers to defend the atrocities that are being committed against us. It would be better spent if the Commissioner chooses to do the right thing.

There are many matters which need urgent attention.

Some have their genesis as far back as 1996, and the situations have been compounded by recent events.

Those matters have stymied the mining activities at Kurupung and turned it into a “ghost town”. Kurupung is the best known diamond bearing area of the country, and if there is an early resolution into our land situation, I am certain this community will spring back to life.

Without the availability of those lands that the crooks at the GGMC did all sorts of skullduggeries with, it is unlikely the diamond industry will be able to meet the 50% increase in production that Hon. Minister Broomes has projected for this year. The Commissioner may not want to release the findings of the reports due to what can be revealed and the persons who will be implicated in these barbaric acts.

Some may turn out to be his close associates, so he may choose to sweep the various matters under the table. With all that’s going on, the best solution will be an independent team of investigators to probe these matters. There is an old saying, ‘you cannot try the devil in hell and have favourable results.’ There is enough evidence to prove that high levels of corruption took placed with our lands at Kurupung. An investigation will be able to ascertain the level of involvement, and determine who did what, so they can be disciplined appropriately.

Sincerely, Suffering miner

Dear Editor, There is something amiss at Digicel, the international service provider which boasts of the high quality of service it provides to its clients in Guyana. While it may be true there are some areas of its service which it can take comfort in, for as long as the big wigs in the company continue to deny the existence of a scam within the organization, which has seen a number of its clients being denied the benefit of “Top Up” credit purchased for their individual phones, the credibility of Digicel will, in my estimation, be forever tarnished.

It is known that I regularly appear as a guest on a programme – Walter Rodney Groundings (WRG) – which is aired on HBTV CH9 on Sundays at 17.30h.

A number of viewers of the programme have on occasion raised with me their concerns in respect to the purchasing of Digicel credit and not being able to benefit from it. I have been assured that complaints have been made periodically to Digicel, and these have been ignored. Along with other commentators on the WRG programme, calls have been made to Digicel to examine its operations and to remedy faults wherever they exist.

Seemingly, nothing has been done by Digicel, and the complaints of being robbed of credit purchased from Digicel continue with some degree of regularity.

Editor, if I had harboured any doubts about the validity of the complaints made to me, they would have disappeared as a result of having suffered the same experience and being exposed to the most unprofessional response by Digicel’s representatives at its office in Barrack Street, Kingston, on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.

My experience had its genesis in a purchase I made at approximately 9.15 am on Friday, May 4th, at one of Digicel’s authorized dealers on Regent Street Bourda, near to Light Street. I requested and received a receipt, #18834.

After waiting several days for the credit and not receiving it, I rather foolishly assumed that the delay had to do with technical faults Digicel may have encountered, hence their inability to credit my account in a timely manner.

I returned to the place of purchase, (Digicel on Regent Street), on Tuesday 8th May for an explanation for the delay in crediting my account.

Some checks were made, and I was asked to visit the

Kingston Office, where the problem would be rectified.

When I arrived there, I was directed to an enclosure, and spoke to five members of staff, who did some initial checks and advised that within two hours of the purchase on Friday, May 4th, instructions were given by someone at Digicel to reverse the charges.

I spent nearly two hours there, and tried unsuccessfully to speak with the senior staff member who I was told was looking into the problem.

Eventually, I was told that within an hour, the credit would be sent to my phone. That was about noon on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. It is now more than nine days since I purchased the credit and five days since I was told by a representative of Digicel in Kingston that the “Top Up” would have been credited to my account, and nothing has been done. What is wrong with Digicel? Is it that they are fortified in their belief that genuine complaints made against them by aggrieved Guyanese clients will not be addressed by the competent authorities here? Digicel’s behaviour to their clients on this matter borders on contempt. I sense that in all of the complaints made against Digicel, none

was accompanied by a receipt to prove the claim of wrongdoing on the part of Digicel officials, their staff and or franchise holders, who by their behaviour have made themselves complicit in what is taking place.

My case presents a different scenario for Digicel. I have a receipt, which was shown to them, and they cannot ignore its existence, yet they refuse to act. It seems that Digicel have decided that the way to resolve this problem is to ignore it.

In the process, they are saying, ‘To hell with those clients who have suffered as a result of the acts of dishonesty on the part of their members of staff or franchise holders’, if that is what the outlets are. This is the entity which is laying claim to greater market share in the industry. For what purpose? To further rip off Guyanese?

I want to use this opportunity to signal to Digicel that I will not rest until I receive the credit I have purchased from their entity. I am warning you, Digicel, that I will do whatever I can, including picketing your Kingston office, to ensure I receive what is mine.

Best regards, Desmond Trotman

Desperate times demand desperate measures Dear Editor, The present situation in Guyana is of much concern to Guyanese, more so to the PPP/C former government officials, the party support base, and respected persons who criticised the APNU/AFC coalition government. The disrespecting and humiliation of two distinguish gentlemen, Dr Ashni Singh and Mr Winston Brassington, who served their country with distinction, is clear evidence that the Government is losing support, and as such is showing signs of desperation by using methods to appease and cling on to its supporters, who are very much upset about its

FAILURE in Government after three years. This situation reminds me of an article in the Washington Post News by Lewis Simons, dated October 4th 1977, title, "Indira Gandhi arrested in India". It is a true reflection of what is transpiring presently in Guyana. The arrest was described as a political one by Indira Gandhi because trips and political meetings by Gandhi were receiving enthusiastic turnouts in various parts of India. The Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, ordered her arrest, thinking that he would have satisfied widespread plaudits. But unfortunately, Prime Minister Desai

Setting the record...

from page 4

When I assumed office, the case was ongoing. Unsolicited, the Senior Counsel visited me and updated me on the matter. Knowing that gentleman, I have no doubt that he extended similar courtesies to Mr. Williams. Staff of the Attorney General’s Chambers have informed me that Mr. Toolsie Persaud visited Mr. Williams on more than one occasion at the Chambers, while the case was pending.

Yet, when the judgment was handed down, Mr. Williams is quoted in the Stabroek News as saying that not only was he unware of the case, but that the Attorney General was not a party to the proceedings.

How can I be blamed for such levels of ignorance!!!

In the case filed by Dipcon Engineering Limited, the Attorney General claimed that he became aware of the High Court decision three months after it was delivered.

He took another 3 months be-

fore he filed an application to appeal out of time. He provided no good reason for the delay. The Court of Appeal dismissed his application. Again, he blamed Prithima Kissoon.

He then personally drafted an appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice, which that Court threw out on the ground that it was procedurally wrong.

The Attorney General’s signature appears on those documents. As a result, the State was left with a 450 million dollars’ judgment. How can I be blamed? I was long out of Government.

I can go on to list and detail many more cases, but space and time will not permit me. I hope I have disseminated sufficient facts to set the public record straight.

Yours faithfully, Mohabir Anil Nandlall MP Former Attorney General

lost the next elections to Indira Gandhi. This is actually happening presently. Cde Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP are getting favourable responses in every corner of Guyana, and as such, can be faced with more victimisation to create fear among supporters as efforts are made to try to derail a sure victory for the PPP. These incidents are not about corruption, they are a clear sign of political discrimination against the PPP, hop-

ing that this will enable APNU/ AFC to win the majority in the General Election in 2020.

The PPP is strong enough to withstand any amount of political pressure and fear from APNU/AFC. Don't allow this disease of political victimisation to silence us, because democracy will surely die in this darkness.

Yours sincerely, Zamal Hussain

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A

home filled with reading material is a good way to help children become enthusiastic readers. What kind of books should you have? Ask your children about their interests. If they're too young to have a preference, your local librarian can offer suggestions about age-appropriate books.

Here are some other tips:

Keep a varied selection

Collect board books or books with mirrors and different textures for babies. Preschoolers enjoy alphabet books, rhyming books, and picture books. Elementary-age children will enjoy variety: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, plus dictionaries and other reference books.

Children can understand stories they might not be able to read on their own. If a more challenging book interests your child, make it something to read together.

Younger children can look at illustrations in books and ask questions as they follow along.

And don't limit reading material to books.

Children might also enjoy: magazines (for children) audio books postcards, e-mails, and text messages from relatives photo albums or scrapbooks newspapers comic books the Internet beginning reading and alphabet games on a computer magnetised alphabet letters e-readers or e-books

guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

Keep reading material handy

Keep sturdy books with other toys for easy exploration. Books near the changing table and high chair can be helpful distractions for younger children at appropriate moments. Plastic books can even go in the bathtub. Keep books next to comfy chairs and sofas where you cuddle up so you can read after feedings and before naps.

Create a special reading place

As children grow, keep age-appropriate books and magazines on shelves they can reach in their favourite hangouts around the house. Make these shelves appealing and keep them organised. Place some

of the books with the covers facing out so they're easy to spot. Put a basket full of books and magazines next to their favourite places to sit. Create a cosy reading corner, and encourage children to use it by setting up "reading corner time" each day.

Keep it appealing

Make sure reading areas have good lighting. Change the materials often – add seasonal books, rotate different

magazines, and include books that relate to what children are interested in or studying in school. Decorate the corner with your child's artwork or writing. Place a CD or tape player nearby for audio books.

Encourage children to create the reading

Set up a writing and art centre and encourage children to make books, posters, or collages that they decorate with their own pictures and writing.

Children love to read things they've written themselves or to share their creations with family and friends.

Think about atmosphere

Other ways to encourage children to read: Give your child a special, cosy space, and quiet time every day to read or write.

Limit time children spend in front of a screen (including TV, computer, and video games) to help ensure that they have time for reading.

Keep reading activities family-centred, and take an active role in guiding your child in reading activities and media. Even with today’s high use of technology, parents can decide how much print and how much media to allow into story time. Reading e-books doesn't have to mean sacrificing laptime. Make sure to snuggle up with a story often, in whatever format.

Read together. Offer to read a book aloud or ask your child to read to you from a favourite magazine. Make a habit of sitting together while you each read your own books, sharing quiet time together. (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

By Erin Ott

I

’ve taught enough students to know that setting the right tone in the classroom is the foundation of joyful learning. I want students to walk out of my classroom understanding one simple thing immediately: They matter. Their preferences, their individuality – I want all of it, and I want them to understand that their learning environment should represent a partnership between students and teacher.

Therefore, several years ago, I developed an assignment to invite trusting teacher-student relationships, an assignment I call the Take Care of Me List.

The specifics

Students must fill a page with a list of specific things I could do as their teacher to take care of them as learners. I ask them to explain each item with a few sentences. I purposely don’t restrict the types of responses so that each list will give me the true flavor of each student’s personality.

I write my own Take Care of Me List, as well, that I share as a model. My list typically includes student behaviours and habits that I would hope to see on our very best learning day.

Rather than going through a list of rules, this is a way for me to communicate that the way our classroom functions must support all of us.

I ask them to think back to a classroom in which they felt happy to learn. What did the teacher do to support them? What might a teacher do to help them learn in the best possible way? Then I give them some quiet drafting time in class – they complete the list for homework and turn it in a few days later.

Learning from the lists

I read the lists carefully, sometimes making notes for myself in a separate document. Students never fail to be insightful. Sure, I get my fair share of items like “Give me candy” and “Don’t give homework,” but even those types of responses reveal aspects of my students’ personalities and what is motivating to them.

Most of the time, there are several gems buried in a list that tell me things about my students’ preferences that I can easily address, whether regularly (“Please

don’t call on me without warning”) or on a random day (“I challenge you to a Bananagrams match!”).

Sometimes students want to share with me things I shouldn’t do that are based on unpleasant classroom experiences in their past. Every year I read lists that include “Please don’t yell at me or the class when you’re upset.” These responses give me a clue about the type of attitude they may have about school and/or learning. They show me kiddos who might need a little extra TLC in the teacher-student relationship department.

I take the lists seriously and work hard to address the requests in class when possible. I allow my practice and classroom routines to bend to accommodate each class, depending on what they tell me they need. I find that students feel safe in and respect an environment that seems to be responsive to them and not simply a reflection of a teacher’s preferences.

The key to success

Perhaps the most important part of this assignment is that I write a short response to each student.

Because it’s the first personal feedback I give students, I make sure that it shows gratitude for their work, acknowledges something specific from their list, and expresses genuine excitement for getting to know that student this year.

This is not the time to correct spelling or critique the quality of responses. I see this as my opportunity to have a solid, positive first interaction with each child.

I file the students’ lists away for future reference.

They’re handy later if a student seems unreceptive in class because they give me some strategies from the students themselves.

Sometimes the temporary cure to getting us unstuck is a Jolly Rancher on the desk (because usually the harderto-reach student has written “Give me candy” on his list).

Finally, I return the lists to the students in the last week of the school year – partly to remind them that taking care of them was a year-long endeavour, but also to show them that telling future teachers about their needs as learners and people can help them be successful. (Excerpt from edutopia.org)

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monDAY, may 14, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Power outages

GPL bound to fail in current format – source …Guyanese should expect more blackouts …public utility upgrade significantly delayed

W

ith the current spate of power outages, many are questioning the progress of the Power Utility Upgrade Programme (PUUP) that was initiated in 2014, costing US$64 million and intended to rehabilitate the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) systems.

However, power outages continue to disrupt the lives of many Guyanese.

In the meantime, the company has said it needs US$110 million to fix its problems. An upset director of the company who reached out to Guyana Times expressed concern about the delays that have characterised the project and the additional sum being quoted.

According to the director, over $100 million on new generation, transmission and new sub stations was spent by the company, adding that “GPL was under an expansion plan”.

He added that in 2014, the

The Kingston Power Station

company secured the PUUP for US$65 million, some of which was European Union (EU) grant money, “part [Inter-American Development Bank] IDB loan, to do a couple of things, but primarily to rebuild the distribution network and to re-meter”.

“They would go into areas; (to work on) distribution lines and that would have helped to reduce losses.

That project, I think, is significantly delayed. It’s 2018 and I think not very much has been accomplished. The project is non-performing,” the upset director said.

He added that GPL’s engines, operated by the Power Producers and Distributors Incorporated, are old; so old, in fact, that he expressed fear of an increase in power outages by next year owing to a drop in generation ca-

pacity from equipment failure. According to him, this would allow the entity to claim that the equipment was old, should it fail in the future, causing a failure in capacity.

He said that he became upset when the Government kicked out Wärtsilä.

“Wärtsilä had the oldest operating and maintenance contract with GPL in any other company in the world. Wärtsilä wants to make sure the equipment is always working. (And you) kick them out? I would not be surprised if next year one of the pieces of equipment fails and they say oh, this is old equipment. By next year I predict we’re going to get more blackouts because we don’t have enough generating capacity,” the frustrated director said.

US$110 million

When asked, the director also made specific reference to GPL’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Albert Gordon’s statement in April that US$110 million was necessary to overhaul the company’s operations.

The source observed that the sum sounded excessive.

“How much money they need sounds like a lot to me. Only a few years ago, fuel prices started to fall, GPL had significant cash reserves. I don’t know what has happened…who spends

or transferred somewhere else,” he said, adding that as a director he has not been receiving forthcoming information.

“But I’d like to see our financials and compare it to a few years ago…because fuel prices dropped significantly, so we were picking up billions in savings every month. We didn’t reduce the tariffs.”

In 2014, the IDB had approved loans totalling US$37.6 million along with non-reimbursable investment financing from the EU to help boost the efficiency and reliability of Guyana’s power system.

The IDB had said the project would be done through electricity loss reduction measures, improvements in the operational capabilities, and strengthening the management and corporate performance of GPL. The contract for the execution of the power upgrade programme was awarded to China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation/China Synergy Electric Engineering Company (CMC/CSEEC).

The local subcontractor is Ramoutar and Sons Contracting.

But for some time now, GPL has been plagued with constant power outages and other systemic failures causing consumers to complain

bitterly about the poor level of service being provided.

At a Public Utilities Commission (PUC) hearing earlier this year, GPL had said over the next three years, it would roll out about 80,000 smart meters, which would have radio transmitting capacity to send out data.

GPL Deputy CEO (Technical) Elwyn Marshall told the utility watchdog that the meters fell under the PUUP, which was aimed at providing a higher quality of service to consumers.

With the sustained and widespread complaints over the quality of service the power company provides in mind, commissioners had queried how the voltage regulation system would be monitored.

The Deputy CEO added that the smart meters would allow GPL to better monitor its feeder system, each of which was supposed to have only 4000 costumers.

Other measures GPL announced to improve its services included splitting existing feeders, rehabilitation of its distribution networks and additional power generation plants at Canefield, Anna Regina and Bartica.

Ultimately, however, GPL was fined five per cent of its shareholders’ dividends earlier this month by the PUC over the poor service.

8 NEWS

monDAY, may 14, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Carpenter slapped with 3 additional charges

F

orty-seven-yearold Anand Bhola of South Section, Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara (WBD), who was earlier this month arraigned on theft allegations amounting to $564,000, is once again slapped with three additional charges.

He appeared before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool on Thursday last and denied that on April 24, 2018, at North Section Canal Number Two Polder, he stole 15 Mamey fruits belonging to farmer “Deoranie”.

The defendant was also accused of stealing Kaopattie Samaroo’s 16 oranges and 15 lemons between December 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017.

These items amounted to $5,100. He was further implicated in a break-and-enter and larceny which occurred between June 25, 2017 and August 8, 2017 at Canal Number Two, where he was accused of stealing items from “Etwarie’s” dwelling house. Those items are valued at $140,000.

Bhola denied the charges, but the court was informed that he has pending matters. As such, Magistrate Liverpool released him on $20,000 bail on each of the two simple larceny charges, and $60,000 for the break and enter and larceny allegation.

Unrepresented, he was ordered to report to the Wales Police Station one

Friday in each month as the case continues.

It was only last week that he was similarly accused of committing at least two break-and-enterand-larceny offences in his neighbourbood earlier this year. The carpenter, who is also a father of two, was accused of breaking and entering the premises of Lakeraji Ramdyall between January 3 and 4, 2018, at South Section, Canal Number Two and stealing items amounting to $185,000.

Represented by attorney-at-law Paul Fung-A-Fat two weeks ago, the defendant was further accused of breaking and entering the dwelling house of North Section, Canal Number Two resident Mohammed

Rasheed, where he allegedly stole property amounting to $379,000. This included a laptop computer and two power drills. Bhola entered not-guilty pleas on both charges.

Bhola admitted to Magistrate Liverpool that he faced a similar charge before, but claimed that the charge was dismissed.

The prosecution at that time was disallowed from entering two separate charges which were determined to be out-of-date.

The defendant was granted $160,000 bail pending trial for the other matters, which will continue on June 7 2018. Police have been ordered to return to their owners the recovered items that were allegedly stolen.

Linden woman cleared of malicious damage to property charge

F

ifty-three-year-old Judy Wilson of Lot 28 Cinderella City, Amelia’s Ward, Linden walked out of the Linden Magistrate’s Court a free woman on Tuesday after being cleared of the offence of malicious damage to property.

It was alleged that on December 27, 2017, she unlawfully and maliciously damaged a dining table valued $140,000, a 20-inch Premier television valued $130,000, a sofa chair which cost $165,000, and electrical appliances, all to a total value of $923,000,

and all property of Shelly Boston.

Magistrate Clive Nurse, in delivering the court’s decision, noted that the prosecution failed to provide essential elements of the case, including evidence that it was no other person than Judy Wilson who

placed the items outside, causing them to be damaged. He added that the prosecution also failed to prove that the items were indeed damaged.

He therefore told Wilson that the case was dismissed, rendering her free to go.

Playing loud music charge against Linden duo dismissed

A

noise nuisance charge against Lindeners Burchmore Graham and Shurmon London was dismissed by Magistrate Clive Nurse on Tuesday last because of a prosecution error.

Graham, 32, of 173 First Alley Wismar, and London, 42, of 148 Half Mile, Wismar, were facing the charge of playing loud continuous music.

The facts stated that the duo, on July 14, 2017

at Greenheart Street, Mackenzie, Linden, operated a stereo set which played loud and continuous noise to the annoyance of Joseph London.

Magistrate Clive Nurse dismissed the charge on

ground that the prosecution failed to prove an essential element of the charge -- that the noise was loud and continuous. He said there was no measure of how loud the noise was, and how long it was played for.

Another prosecution error was that the charge was filed incorrectly. Instead of being charged for playing loud continuous music, they should have been charged under the charge that states: “No person shall, in any road, street, public place or land, or in building or premises, by operating or causing or suffering to be operated any stereo set, juke box, radio, wireless loudspeaker, gramophone, amplifier, automatic piano or similar instrument of music, or by any other means whatsoever, make or cause or suffer to be made any noise which shall be so loud and so continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to occupants of any premises in the neighbourhood.”

Earning…

T

…AFC’s keep he leaders of the AFC have moved from the risible to the ridiculous. Khemraj Ramjattan wants “constitutional” change – as promised since he hitched up with Trotman – AND he wants to give a statutory imprimatur to the common law criminal charge of “seditious libel”??!! God help us all on this benighted speck of real estate on South America!! Has the fellow ever heard of “incommensurable paradigms”?? That’s what “constitutionalism” and “seditious libel” constitute.

The latter arises from the days of the absolute Monarchy, when the rule was: “let no dog bark” when the King passes. The King’s word was literally the gospel.

After all, he was appointed by Divinity, and seditious libel was analogous to blasphemy against God! If you blasphemed, then having your tongue pulled out was an act of mercy!!

In England, a Star Chamber was established by the seventeenth century to deal with Seditious Libel – which was the "notion of inciting by words or writings disaffection towards the state or constituted authority".

Let us just say the Star Chamber was modelled on the Spanish Inquisition, and valiantly tried to outdo that abomination in practising and refining the fine art of torture. The entire history of “constitutionalism”, on the other hand, has been an attempt by the people to curb that arbitrary power of the absolute King. Founded on the notion of the “rule of law”, this proposed that all and sundry should be equal before the law – enshrined in a constitution. And when it came to criminal charges, if the gravamen of the seditious libel is to move to launch an insurrection against the state, there are enough laws of the books TO HANDLE THEM. Notice your Eyewitness said, “On the books” – that is, they’ve already been given statutory basis. So one can only surmise that people like Ramjattan want to drag us back to the Middle Ages, when we would all have to genuflect when the rulers – himself included, of course – pass by. After that genuflection, of course, it’s just another step to lopping off the extended and bent neck of someone who supposedly insulted the rulers.

Who knows, it might just be for looking at them crosseyed?!!

Some question why Ramjattan insists he can still get his party’s proposals on Constitutional change passed before 2020. No problem!! It’ll just be like the way Burnham, who insisted on being an oxymoronic “constitutional absolute monarch, held the 1978 referendum, permitting him NOT to have a referendum on his new constitution by rigging it to deliver a 97% majority!!

Of course Burnham was caught – as Ramjattan will be, and like all smart flies -- on the backsides of his own artifices. …the people’s trust?

Your Eyewitness is pleased that at long last -- 7 years waiting? – the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) is up and running again. Early on, Cheddi Jagan had insisted on keeping his word that a Race Relations Board be established to address the ethno-racial divisions that had kept Guyana spinning its wheels -- progress wise -for half a century.

The PNC protested the Chair being Bishop Randolph George of the Anglican Church, and didn’t cooperate.

That took care of that initiative!! After the 2000 constitutional changes, the ERC was launched, with its membership given greater legitimacy from the wide array of bodies nominating members.

The PNC didn’t cooperate because the Chair was Bishop Juan Edgehill. Did they have a “thing” against Bishops?

The PNC Leader challenged the bona fides of the ERC in 2011, and it went into hibernation. Now with them back in the saddle, and with the PNC-friendly John Smith of the Assemblies of God– almost a Bishop - chairing the ERC, we can expect them to cooperate.

But will they ease ethnic tensions? Let’s see. …cultural cash After its Big Bash for the Jubilee Independence Celebrations, the Government passed the baton to a private group to run the “Independence Carnival”.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

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

News

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monDAY, may 14, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Judicial appointments

Current impasse can lead to unilateral decision – Ram

G

iven President David Granger’s decision to unilaterally appoint a chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) earlier this year, Social Commentator and Attorney, Christopher Ram, has said Guyanese should not be surprised if that scenario repeats itself with the vacant judicial posts.

Ram described the current impasse regarding these delayed appointments as unfortunate, and one that could have a negative outcome.

“President Granger has shown that he is not averse to taking action in an autocratic, unilateral style, so nothing should be surpris-

ing anymore,” he added.

But the attorney stressed that instead of accepting these decisions, Guyanese should speak up for themselves and force change among the so-called leaders and politicians.

Ram noted that many Guyanese these days have been cowed into inactivity, if not because they are fearful, but he stressed that that state of being should not continue.

“It is more than unfortunate and really sad that our country is so divided and polarized that an important and absolutely necessary constitutional matter we don’t seem to be able to get…both action and agreement on. It continues a pat-

Attorney and commentator Christopher Ram

tern, and one would have hoped that we would have seen the last of it.”

Ram said the only outcome that could flow from

Piracy massacre

Policeman who allegedly sold gun to pirates found dead

– reportedly kidnapped by Guyanese

T

he body of a Surinamese Police Auxiliary Agent who went missing on Saturday afternoon was on Sunday morning found dead in his Toyota Prado in front of a technical institute at Passiebloemstraat, Paramaribo.

The 23-year-old Policeman, Premcharan Ravikant, was reportedly kidnapped by Guyanese fishermen who are part of a gang in Suriname since they believed that he might have leaked information to his su-

The main suspect, “Crackhead”

The Toyota Prado (with doors open) in which the Police rank’s body was found (dwtonline.com photo)

Dead: Gavin Outar

periors about the illegal gun racket. His corpse was seen in his luxury vehicle by passers-by who in turn contacted the Police.

News coming out of Suriname stated that the now dead young Police Officer left home on Saturday at about 13:00h without informing his relatives about his destination. However, after some time elapsed, his parents attempted to contact his mobile phone, but the calls went unanswered. turn to page 10

this polarisation is that Guyana would continue to suffer, because no matter what resources a country has, governance, embracing the rule of law, respect for the constitution, and comity between the parliamentary parties are important ingredients that help a country to develop.

But while Ram feels a unilateral decision could be taken, given that the President and the Opposition Leader are at loggerheads on this matter, the Opposition has already made it clear that it will oppose any action taken in this regard. As a matter of fact, it said that any attempt to unilaterally appoint a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice will be vigorously challenged.

Former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Anil Nandlall, has said if there is any attempt to ignore the strict constitutional prescription relative to the substantive appointments of Chancellor and Chief Justice (CJ), his party “will leave no stone

unturned in a relentless effort to ensure constitutional compliance.”

Hinting that his party would legally challenge any attempt at unilaterally appointing Justice Kenneth Benjamin as Chancellor of the Judiciary and Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards as Chief Justice, the former AG said, “It is sincerely hoped that the two highly respected and experienced judicial officers identified by the President will not lend themselves to be used in this proposed constitutional heresy.”

Reform

Ram told Guyana Times on Sunday he supports the idea that Constitutional Reform is required if this issue is to be fixed. “Of course we need Constitutional Reform, but we are not even observing -as Lincoln Lewis keeps making the point – clearly, our Constitution is clearly deficient,” he said.

Further, Ram said the judicial system itself is stuck in a quagmire as far as the appointments are concerned. “But you’ve had the President saying of a decision made by the Chief Justice, that’s her opinion and he has his. That is extremely disrespectful. And the Executive must show the same kind of respect to the Judiciary as it expects the judiciary to pay to it. That’s how it works, but not here.”

The outspoken attorney also highlighted that calls for Constitutional Reform made by coalition parties, including the Alliance for Change (AFC), is just an act of hypocrisy and deception.

He said, “None of

them want Constitutional Reform when they are in power.

(Khemraj) Ramjattan knows we won’t get Constitutional Reform, so he is just playing a big game. The (Peoples Progressive Party) PPP didn’t either; nor does the (A Partnership for National Unity) APNU, We are really stuck among a lot of politicians that (are) almost counter-development, if not anti-development.”

Transparency Institute Guyana Incorporated (TIGI) has called on President Granger and Opposition Leader Jagdeo to show maturity and utilize compromise to bring an end to the current impasse regarding top appointments to the Judiciary.

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has also called for an end to this state of affairs. It said the delay would affect the quality of justice being offered.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has made it clear that President Granger would have to re-initiate the discourse.

He noted that he was waiting on the President to get back to him on the mode of future discourse, and stated that the proverbial ball has always been in the President’s court.

But a few days prior to Jagdeo’s statement, President Granger had said there is nothing left to discuss on the matter. The Head of State had said he had looked forward to a timely settlement of the appointment, which many deem critical to the effective functioning of the Judiciary, but that didn’t happen.

10 news

monDAY, may 14, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Police destroy marijuana Bandits strike at farm at Wisroc, Linden Chinese-owned

A

s Police continue their drug eradication exercise, ranks of E Division (Linden-Kwakwani) have destroyed more than 500 marijuana plants aback Wisroc, Linden on Saturday

afternoon.

Based on reports received, a team of Police ranks attached to the Mackenzie Police Station conducted a five-hour operation in the Wisroc, Wismar, Linden

store on Regent St

One of the camps destroyed by Police

area about a mile and a half from the Wisroc-Rockstone Trail. During the exercise, the ranks discovered a fiveacre farm with approximately 500 cannabis plants ranging from four inches to one foot in height. In addition, they also found a nursery with about 1500 seedlings.

The marijuana plant nursery

Two camps were also discovered with small amounts of dried cannabis along with improvised smoking utensils, a quantity of male clothing, cooking utensils, and farming tools. The marijuana plants and camps were destroyed. No arrests were made as Police continue their investigations.

Fishermen resume operations after deadly pirate attacks

M

ore than two weeks after the deadly pirate attacks in Surinamese waters, fishing vessels have resumed their operations, on Saturday afternoon.

Fishermen and fishing boat owners suspended their operations in light of the attacks, which left four dead and 11 still missing.

Five men survived the attacks which occurred in the Wia Wia Bank area.

In the first incident, four boats were attacked; mere days later, another boat suffered the same fate.

The green light was given for the trade to recom-

mence as from Saturday.

The high seas fishing trade in Suriname is carried out

by Guyanese natives who operate out of Paramaribo.

They have been promised protection by the Surinamese Coast Guard as

well as the Guyanese lawmen.

At noon on Saturday, several fishing boats left Port Paramaribo on the first fishing expedition since the deadly attacks.

On Thursday last, the

decomposed body of Gavin Outar was discovered at the Number 63 Beach, Corentyne. Outar was one of the fishermen killed during the recent attacks.

He was reportedly working on the MV Shifanie, which is the same boat on which one of the four survivors, Sherwin Lovell was working. Danesh Persaud, also called “Vicky”, the captain of the boat, was the first fisherman to be discovered dead on the Wai Wai Bank.

The MV Shifanie is believed to have been the last boat attacked. Outar was laid to rest on Sunday at the Stanleytown cemetery.

The Chinese store that was robbed on Sunday

F

our bandits on Sunday afternoon robbed the owners of a Chinese clothing store located on Regent Street, Bourda.

The incident occurred around 12:15h at Wang’s Fashion. According to reports reaching Guyana Times, four young men went into the store. However, it was unclear what transpired inside the small store and what the bandits took from the owners, who closed up and left the Lot 118119 Regent Street premises shortly after the incident.

When this newspaper contacted the one of owner, the traumatised businessman did not want to speak to the media.

Nevertheless, a nearby vendor confirmed that the robbery happened, but noted that she was unaware of it until after the incident.

“I don’t know anything till after it happened,” she related. The woman further stated that she could not recall seeing the Police at the scene, adding that the owners closed the store and left shortly after.

Policeman who...

from page 9

Soon after, his family received a text message, and it was then they suspected that the Police Constable had been kidnapped by Guyanese.

It was reported that the text message intimated that the man would have provided a firearm that was used in one of the recent pirate attacks that left four men dead and 11 still missing.

It is believed that Ravikant was kidnapped because it was feared that he would talk and as such, to prevent this from happening, he was silenced.

However, the family without hesitation immediately contacted the Police and handed over the critical information. After examining the text message, detectives are still to ascertain if the Police rank was indeed murdered or if he committed suicide.

The text message, as was reported, is presumably being used to lead family members astray. A source out of the neighbouring country told Guyana Times that the young Police Officer joined the force less than a year ago, but lived a lavish lifestyle. It is not clear whose vehicle the man was driving at the time of his demise.

A 30-year-old Guyanese subsequently walked in to the police station and confessed to murdering the officer.

Meanwhile, as the pirate attacks deepen, it is believed that other Police ranks might be involved.

On Wednesday, the main suspect, “Crackhead”, who was arrested in Suriname, has reportedly confessed to killing five of the fishermen before throwing them overboard.

The man, who had been wanted in connection with

the attack, told Surinamese law enforcement officers during his interrogation that he was the ring leader in the recent spate of pirate attacks in Surinamese waters.

Reports coming out of Suriname stated that he also told Police that it was not a robbery on high seas gone bad, but rather he was just following orders – orders to attack the boat and “get rid” of the occupants.

Although a confession statement was signed by the suspect, the Police are continuing their investigations as they confirmed that 27 others are being questioned.

During the confession by “Crackhead”, he did not provide the names of his accomplices. On Thursday, the decomposed body of piracy victim Gavin Outar, 33, of 18 Sheet Anchor, East Canje, Berbice, washed ashore at the Number 63 Beach, Corentyne, Berbice.

At the time of discovery, the body was clad in a blue three-quarter pair of pants and bore a tattoo on the left side of the chest. Based on the description of the tattoo, a cousin of the dead man turned up with a photograph of Outar sporting the same tattoo.

Three Saturdays ago, four boats were attacked by a group of men who brutalised the occupants then threw them overboard. Two days later, another boat was attacked, and the captain was killed. The crew is still missing.

Those identified as missing are Ramesh Sanchara; Ganesh Persaud, Vickey Persaud, Glenroy Jones, Bharat Heralall, Ralph Anthony, and Tiaknauth Mohabir.

(Bhisham Mohamed)

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monDAY, may 14, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GPL linesman hospitalised after receiving electric shock

A

linesman attached to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is currently hospitalised after suffering from an electric shock outside Demico House (opposite the Stabroek Square), where technicians were replacing some old power poles.

The man has been identified as Nara Singh, a resident of Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara. He has been working with the power company for the past five years. The incident occurred around midday on Sunday.

Guyana Times understands that Singh, said to be in his mid30s, was on the ground holding some wires, which suddenly became live with current, thus pelting him a few feet backwards. He reportedly landed on his back with the wires resting across his stomach.

Singh’s colleagues were able to get the wires off his body, and he was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GHPC), where he remains unconscious.

The GPL team, approximately two dozen members, reportedly started working sometime about 10:00h on the day in question, to replace the existing poles that were beginning to rot.

GPL workers continuing to work after one of their colleagues suffered an electric shock while handling wires at the same spot

According to the taxi driver, the incident traumatised the crew members, particularly the one who was up on the pole at the time the incident occurred.

“The man stick up on the post. He ain’t touching anything, and then the current come back on the wire, they had to block off the whole street… the wire start to smoke on the ground and so,” he stated.

Guyana Times was told that the power had been cut from the wire and that it was lying on the ground for some time prior to the incident. One crew member was overheard saying that it reportedly came into contact with another live wire, thus

The fallen tree still there at midday Sunday

A taxi driver who witnessed the incident told the Guyana Times that he was watching the men work on the two sets of poles on each side of Croal Street when he saw Singh get electrocuted.

“I stand by my car watching them men work. It had one man on the post and this man (Singh) was at the bottom…

I don’t know where this current come [from], but the way it come -- and he had the wire in he hand -- it pitch he back, and he drop on the ground and buss he head all,” the man said.

The eyewitness went on to relate, “The wire drop pon he stomach, and all you see he left stunning pon the ground. You know how long they tek fuh pull the wire [off]. A man had to run till at the middle [of Longden Street] to get something and come and pull off the wire off he. Then a bus man pull up and they throw the man in the bus and rush he to the hospital.”

electrocuting Singh. The man had said, too, that the current was so much that the wire had even wrapped around the linesman’s neck.

However, a senior engineer attached to the power company told this newspaper that at this time they are uncertain as to what exactly transpired, since different versions of the incident are being related by the workers who were on ground.

“We have to do an investigation, then we will know exactly what happened; because everybody in a state of shock right now…so they saying whatever coming to mind, but we have to wait and see,” the engineer said.

Meanwhile, a vendor who used to ply her trade outside Demico on Croal Street complained that there is always some issues with those poles.

She recalled that a few years ago a wire had drop alongside her vending booth and burst into flames.

The woman further stated that a similar incident had occurred before, where a GPL worker was also electrocuted.

“The man that de get pitch down with that wire the first time it happen, smoke come through that man ears… but that man ain’t dead,” she recalled.

As the men resumed work shortly after the incident, one of the senior officers on the ground told this newspaper that the incident had him and all the workers stressed.

“Right now we stressed out, but we still have to work,” the man said.

While the men continued their work at the head of Croal Street, over on the intersection at Brickdam and Avenue of the Republic, a tree that had been located in the compound of the St Andrew’s Kirk) had fallen out on the roadway, taking down part of the fence along with nearby power lines.

However, <<Guyana Times>> was told that the linemen were those of the Guyana Telephone Telegraph company (GTT). Although the tree had fallen since late Saturday afternoon, it could not have been removed until Sunday afternoon since it was laden with bees.

The fallen tree was subsequently cut into pieces and removed.

(Vahnu Manikchand)

Scores trapped in Atlantic Gardens due to road construction

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esidents of Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara were stuck in the community for several hours on Sunday with no way in or out owing to the ongoing construction work on the main East Coast Demerara Highway.

To add to their plight, it was noted that the road was the only access road for the scores of persons living in the neighborhood.

Affected residents complained to Guyana Times of the grave inconvenience caused by the construction work on such an important day as Mother’s Day, arguing that they should have at least been informed beforehand.

Sandeep Changur, a construction worker, explained that the bridge was destroyed to facilitate the installation of an underground drainage pipe. He said that the works commenced around 09:00h on Sunday and were completed just about midday.

The worker added that no vehicular traffic was allowed in or out of the area for this period; however, the workers did try to provide a temporary crossing for pedestrians.

A disgruntled male resident said, “Today is a special day for people to go and see their mother and their friends and relatives, and these people this morning just cut the road and got people stuck in and out the neighbourhood. We couldn’t go out or in. We had to walk and is bad, because they didn’t even inform the public about this and it was like couple hours straight we couldn’t

The drainage pipe which workers were installing on Mother’s Day. Just above is the bridge which pedestrians were forced to use for hours

get in or out. They should have had some sign or notice to inform us in here, so next time they should be more professional.”

A female driver in the area related, “Today is Mother’s Day, and I was going to get my mom and my daughter from church and upon arriving here, I saw that there was no road.”

She said when she attempted to enquire what was happening, that too was a challenge since she was left with no option but to confront a Chinese worker who was on duty.

“It was really bad, because we don’t really have a problem with them getting the work done, but at least they could have informed us a few days before so we would know how to programme ourselves. It was kinda hard for pregnant women and then it had old people coming from church as well so they had to make this make a bridge,” she added.

The East Coast road expansion project started on August 29, 2017. The project is expected to be completed by 2019.

In addition to the major

traffic build-up on the East Coast Highway, it was chaos for businesses, in that their entrances are blocked thus affecting sales tremendously.

The project is being undertaken by the China Railway First Group Company Limited to the tune of US$47 million with funding having been sourced through the Export-Import Bank of China and the Government of Guyana.

This project, will see upgrade of the road to include four lanes from Better Hope to Annandale, and two lanes thereafter. There will also be extension and reconstruction of bridges, and improvement of the drainage system.

The project would also include installation of traffic signals and signs, road markings, sidewalks, and street lighting. Upon the project’s completion, road users will benefit from an upgraded roadway that allows for improved capacity and reduced travel time, better drivability, and safety improvements for motorised and non-motorised traffic.

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Patterson promises Local Content Framework and SWF legislation by year-end

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hree years after the first major oil find

by ExxonMobil, the Government is yet to set up the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) now termed the Natural Resources Fund as well as to table the Local Content Policy Framework legislation, but according to Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson these critical pieces of legislation are expected to be tabled, passed and assented to by the end of the year.

“The National Resources Fund will be tabled and hopefully passed and supported this year. I am satisfied, and in Cabinet we had a full update on one outstanding issue and it will be here and in place long before any oil is drilled as well as the Local Content Policy. Before the end of the year, both will be up and running,” Patterson told a news conference on Friday.

In January, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman promised the legislation by the first quarter in 2018, but it is yet to be delivered.

The Bill was drafted by the Commonwealth Secretariat and scrutinised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank as well as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The Natural Resources Fund aims to save funds for future generations; one way includes converting non-renewable assets into a more diversified portfolio of assets and to mitigate the effects of “Dutch Disease”.

A SWF is defined as pools of money derived from a country’s reserves, which are set aside for investment purposes that will benefit the country’s economy and citizens.

The funding for a SWF

aged with a number of reporting requirements,” Dr Wilde said following a Cabinet briefing in April.

The Commonwealth expert, who has experience in helping to design similar legislation in other countries, added that reports compiled quarterly and annually to international standards “must be submitted to Parliament and be made public” .

Local Content Framework

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

comes from Central Bank reserves that accumulate because of budget and trade surpluses, and even from revenue generated from the exports of natural resources.

Guyana’s international partners and others have urged that the fund be transparent, independent and non-partisan to better protect the Guyanese people.

Commonwealth Economic Adviser, Natural Resources Division, Dr Daniel Wilde, just last month said Guyana was on the right track in relation to the SWF. “The main components were the relationship between the Sovereign Wealth Fund and the annual budget, ensuring that all petroleum revenues are transparently paid into the fund. The management of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, which ensures appropriate checks and balances and the Ministry of Finance is the overall manager on behalf of the Government, and that the Bank of Guyana is the operational manager. We also talked about the reporting arrangements and auditing arrangements, which should ensure that the fund is transparently and well, man-

As ExxonMobil prepares to officially commence production in 2020, there is a lot of preparatory work currently ongoing, which requires services tailored to the specific needs of the industry.

Over the weeks, there have been intensified reports of the local companies being bypassed for contracts and services with foreign companies being favoured. In the past, ExxonMobil has indicated that it was working with over 300 local companies, but to date the names of those companies are yet to be released.

However, on Friday, Minister Patterson said that they have to be vigilant in terms of local content, and identified that there were companies that were eligible for work with Exxon which were not making use of the opportunities before them.

“We have companies that are eligible, but they are not applying and I know that in the maritime sector and know personally because I have had to go to them and get the documents and have them submitted to Exxon and I don’t know why. The onus is not only on Exxon, the onus is on us,” the Minister added.

He also asked for evidence of qualified local companies that would have applied for

work with the oil giant and were unsuccessful, noting that they were yet to find any in the maritime sector.

Additionally, he explained that he would have already assisted over 100 mariners to gain employment with Exxon as a part of utilising local content.

“In 2016-2017, I met with a group of sailors and they came to my office and they said they have some of the skills and I asked them to go around and every mariner, seafarers you know to write

their names down, what they can do. We compiled a list of almost 200 persons and we sent this list to Exxon…of the 200, 100 have been employed in the maritime industry, but you will hear the complaint of someone saying that I am a sailor and I am not employed and it is the process and they have to be competent,” Patterson explained.

He added: “No one speaks about the employment. We have to be aware of the opportunities and we have to tap into it and it is not the respon-

sibility of Exxon to go knocking on the doors of people offering jobs.”

According to the draft Local Content Framework document, the policy seeks to address the suite of opportunities that may arise and the approaches to be taken in selecting and developing opportunities related to enhancing the capabilities of Guyanese nationals and businesses through training and well-tailored social contributions for greater impact and benefits among others.

Missing US$5M GTT shares

Govt should have gone to arbitration – source …rather than 6-year pursuit of Hong Kong-based company

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ith the confusion that accompanied Guyana’s attempts to collect the outstanding US$5 million from the sale of the State’s 20 per cent stake in GTT, some persons are wondering why recourse was not previously made to an arbitrator or even the courts.

According to a source close to the original deal that saw Hong Kong Golden Telecom Company (HKGTC) snagging the shares, Guyana would have been better placed to collect the outstanding money had it gone to arbitration. The source made it clear that the $5 million was never paid at the time Minister of State, Joseph Harmon returned from China and Government said it was.

“When [National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited] NICIL first advertised GTT [shares], the highest public tender was $7 million. Through Ambassador David Dabydeen, they were able to get this company to buy the 20 per cent. They pushed a high price; they got US$30 million – US$25 million upfront,” the source said, adding that after two years passed and the outstanding money was not paid, the NICIL Board began discussions on how to get the money.

“The money was never paid, so when Harmon went to China and came back, and said it was paid and then they found out it

The sale of Government’s GTT shares precipitated an almost six-year pursuit for the outstanding monies owed

wasn’t paid and then they were negotiating, they should have gone to arbitration. I don’t know what has happened, but nothing NICIL did was improper. And they got very good value, because up to (2016) very little in dividends was being paid (by GTT).”

The shares

NICIL had disposed of its 20 per cent shares back in 2012. The outstanding US$5 million was to be paid by October 22, 2014, but it was never paid despite several written requests from NICIL. Minister Harmon and NICIL legal counsel Natalia Seepersaud had subsequently travelled to China with the intention of collecting the money, but were informed that the money was already paid.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman had later announced that Harmon was able to retrieve some documents

which showed that the monies were paid. But following the controversy this revelation sparked, NICIL had refuted that the monies were ever paid.

To make matters worse, it was reported that former Ambassador to China, David Dabydeen, had arranged a waiver of the payment with the Chinese company. This claim was promptly denied by former President Donald Ramotar.

The deal

In January of this year, NICIL Chairman, Dr Maurice Odle had told Guyana Times that an interim agreement between the State and Hong Kong Golden Telecom Company was in full force.

“An interim agreement has been made to accept three million in the first instance, of the $5 million [US] that is owed,” Dr Odle had explained.

“Negotiations had been continuing with respect to the remaining $2 million.

The situation remains that negotiations are in place, (so) those negotiations are (still) ongoing.”

The next month, NICIL CEO Horace James had said that talks were wrapping up. He had also been optimistic of a March deadline for the negotiations to end.

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monDAY, may 14, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CJIA expansion

Govt pushes through $346M in supplemental funding

Guyanese nurse receives honorary degree from US university

– despite promises of no additional funds being required

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ven though assurances were given by officials that the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project would not attract more costs, the Government was on Friday able to push through over $346 million in supplemental financing for the project.

During the consideration of Financial Paper # Two, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, had to defend the supplemental allocation.

According to Patterson, the new arrival terminal is likely to be opened in June.

“In a few weeks, we will be opening sections of the airport, so this is our last

the airport authorities and the Ministers of Public Telecommunications and Business are seeking bids

chase and installation of two additional boarding bridges for the CJIA Expansion Project.”

At the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s end-of-year press conference in 2017, CJIA Expansion Project Manager Carmichael Thorne had sought to assuage worry that the extension would include an increase in the total sum to be expended on that project.

Thorne had stated that this will not be the case, adding, “It is a time-only extension, so there is no cost attached to it…but the other issues are catered for in the contract.”

The US$150 million project was scheduled to be com-

for automated kiosks for to scan your passport and (cause you to) go directly to immigration.”

Patterson was staunchly grilled by the parliamentary Opposition, who raised concerns about changes in the airport design. According to the Financial Paper, “The additional resources are required to facilitate the pur-

pleted within 32 months of its commencement in 2013.

However, Thorne noted that the deadline was extended to December 1, 2017, since the project would have experienced several delays.

In 2012, Guyana, under the leadership of former President Donald Ramotar, had secured a US$138 million loan from the China

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

The CJIA expansion model

chance to make any artistic adjustments. The departure lounges we saw downstairs will be opened for use next week. Progressively, we will put one airline there from next week…and if everything is perfect, we will move all the others there,” Patterson said.

Patterson had stated, “The Minister of Citizenship,

Exim (Export-Import) Bank to fund the expansion and modernisation project, for which the Guyana Government has injected some US$12 million.

However, when the coalition Government came in to power in 2015, the project was put on hold, but following discussions between Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and the contracting company, China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC), it was announced that the project would be continued.

Thorne had been optimistic of the project being completed by 2017. At a project update briefing, Thorne noted that of the US$150 million, only US$37.3 million had been expended to date.

Of this amount, some US$33 million was spent by CHEC, which included US$1.9 million of local funds put up by the Government of Guyana.

As it relates to the works being done, the Infrastructure Ministry’s project manager told media operatives that while the initial plan was for the northern end of the runway to be extended, because of difficulties with the terrain, a decision was taken to extend the runway from both the northern and southern ends, in order to minimise the cost.

On completion of the expansion project, it is expected to yield two air passenger boarding bridges for passengers’ arrival and departure; a 450-person seating departure area; escalators and elevators, in addition to its extended runway that would cater for larger categories of aircraft. (Jarly Bryan)

M

Mandy La Fleur

andy La Fleur will be the first resident nurse in Guyana to receive a Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Saint Joseph. She accepted the honorary degree on Sunday in Connecticut, USA. According to an article published by the Department of Public Information (DPI), Nurse La Fleur was identified to receive the endowment after her résumé was reviewed in 2017 by University President Rhona Free and the Board of Trustees.

La Fleur was considered because of her commitment to improving the health and wellness of the people of Guyana and her efforts towards advancing the expertise of nurses globally, and locally. The University also reviewed her role in HIV/AIDS prevention among health-care workers, and her service as the United Nations Population Fund liaison for Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health in Guyana.

These, President Free noted, “reflect the compassion and dedication to meeting society’s needs that the University encourages among their students”.

The final decision to al-

low the University to follow through with Nurse La Fleur’s selection was endorsed by the PAHO/ WHO Representative for the Guyana Country Office, Dr William Adu-Krow and Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence.

As a trained Nurse/ Midwife, La Fleur holds an MSc in Nursing (Education, Leadership & Management and Public Health); BSc Nursing (management focus); and a Registered Nurse/Midwife diploma.

With over 30 cumulative years of knowledge, skills, and experience in health sector management and practice, and in planning, programming and implementing of health programmes, La Fleur is well poised with the knowledge and skills toward the successful accomplishment of the mission and goals of the Public Health Ministry – particularly in the division of Health Sciences Education.

Having earned a Master’s degree from the University of Saint Joseph, Nurse La Fleur was invited by the Board of Trustees to deliver the feature address at their undergraduate commencement ceremony on Sunday.

Several injured in 2-vehicle smash-up on Linden-Soesdyke Highway

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everal persons are now injured following a two-vehicle collision along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway on Sunday at about 17:30h.

According to information reaching the Guyana Times, mini bus BHH 8451, with more than a dozen occupants, was heading to Georgetown when, in the vicinity of Kuru-Kururu, it

Prem Persaud being transferred to the GPHC

Another passenger being taken to the ambulance in preparation for travel to GPHC

collided head-on with silver grey Allion motorcar PMM 548, travelling in the opposite direction.

This newspaper understands that the driver of the motor car reportedly veered into the path of the minibus after swerving from a pothole.

Both vehicles were badly damaged, and their occupants were rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where they were

Relatives of injured accident victims at the hospital

treated. Some of the seriously injured ones, including two children, were transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Among those from the bus who sustained injuries are Wayne George, Anthony (only name given), Jewan (only name given), Steve Francis, Prem Persaud, his wife Sunita Persaud, their son Harry Persaud, and Vanita and Sarita Persaud.

Ten-year-old Mitesh, who was in the mini bus, suffered a broken leg; but a 2-month- old baby and a three-year-old toddler escaped unhurt.

Guyana Times was told that the son of one of the occupants of the bus will be celebrating his birthday on Tuesday, and an outing to the creek was planned with his friends from the area.

Doctors attending to one of the injured persons

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monDAY, may 14, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Timehri residents plead for Govt’s assistance as main access road continues to deteriorate

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Another section of the deteriorated Alliance Road, Timehri, EBD

s the rainy season arrives, residents of Alliance Road, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) including hundreds of children have to traverse the deplorable access road which they have been calling for authorities to fix for the past several years.

The condition of the access road has deteriorated over the years and although several attempts were made to get it properly rehabilitated by the past and present Administrations, the residents are once again forced to live with the reality as well as their fear that the road will not be done in their lifetime.

After the Government changed in 2015, several residents took time out to visit Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan with the aim of getting the road fixed, but the situation remained the same.

Initially, the Minister reportedly told the residents that

The deplorable state of Alliance Road, Timehri, EBD

the road fell under the Public Infrastructure Ministry, but after contact was made with Public Infrastructure

Minister David Paterson, the residents were told it was the Communities Ministry that dealt with neighbourhood

roads.

In fact when contacted, Minister Patterson explained that his Ministry was responsible for declared public roads and some main access roads. “I have been assisting the region and town councils quite a bit, but not all these roads are under my Ministry,” he stated.

Attempts to get a comment from Communities Minister Bulkan proved futile.

However, in order to use the road, residents pool their monies and pay for it to be graded on a regular basis, as after some time, it returns to its former state. Vehicle owners are constantly greeted with additional costs to repair their vehicles as a result of the damage incurred owing to the state of the road.

As such, the residents are renewing their calls to the relevant authorities to assist them in their plight in the hope of getting the road rehabilitated.

Haimaruni HEYS participants Nurse recognised for determined to make a difference 40 years of service

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xcitement is high among 20 talented youths in Haimaruni in the Moruca sub-district, Region One (BarimaWaini) as the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) programme is changing the trajectory of their lives.

Following the completion of the first six months of the one-year program, there are already thriving businesses evident.

During a recent visit to the village, Minister within the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe visited three of the establishments and was very pleased with the efforts made by the youths there.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that a couple, Cleveland David and his partner, opened a snackette.

The business is located in an area in the village where there is ongoing development of a tourism project.

The project itself is located in close proximity to the Haimara Creek, a branch of the Waini River.

David said since the business opened its doors, the community has been very supportive and they would continue to work towards its expansion as they eagerly awaited the completion of the village’s tourism initiative, which would further boost their business venture.

Among other business initiatives undertaken are subsistence and poultry farming, fishing and a bak-

Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe

ery. Agriculture ventures are on the increase as the youths are working individually and in groups to plant acres of farmland with cash crops and several permanent crops.

The secondary school, the school feeding programmes, the village and neighbouring villages will be among the groups and institutions supporting these ventures, according to the Regional Education Officer (REDO), Nigel Richards, who accompanied the Minister and her team to Haimaruni.

Parental involvement and support were also evident as parents continue to be active participants in ensuring their children’s business ventures are successful. One such example is a bakery established by two siblings, Shefiline and Shereen Smith. Their father sought the expertise of a villager who built a six-foot wooden oven, lined with aluminium sheets, which they utilise to bake delicious pastries, bread, salara, butter flaps, and much more.

The elderly Smith, who wears many hats, is a seasoned baker and three times a week he bakes a variety of foods and his daughters who have already built a long list of steadfast customers would venture into the village to sell their edibles.

Basil Cornelius, Senior Councillor of Haimaruni, satellite to the main village, Karaburi, acknowledged that parental support was a decisive factor in the success of the business ventures undertaken.

“They have started good initiatives that can work in the community and with continuous support coming from their parents, their business can be successful. A year from now, I see them having very successful businesses,” the Senior Councillor explained.

Minister Garrido-Lowe’s visit is noteworthy, since this is the first time in the history of the village that a sitting Minister of the Government has visited. The ministerial team was also ready to financial-

ly support a number of the businesses established, including the Smith’s bakery since the visit coincided with one of the scheduled baking days.

Members of the team were able to purchase snacks; drinks (sweet fly); salara; and butter-flaps which were hot out of the oven.

The Minister said she was proud that the youths have grasped the opportunity provided and were now venturing into small businesses which represented an important economic advancement which would ultimately change their lives.

“Our Government has invested a lot of money in our youths, to build capacity so that they can establish their own businesses and it’s really good to know that it’s working,” the Minister said.

Haimaruni, which has a population of approximately 150, was generally ignored by the past regime and for the first time (2018) the village will benefit from a presidential grant. Over the years, grants were used to fund projects in the mother village of Karaburi.

The HEYS Programme, which is the Ministry’s flagship youth programme, is aimed at giving Indigenous/ hinterland youth a second chance at life, and following its implementation in 2015, close to 4000 youths from all ten administrative regions have benefited.

This would have seen Government budget almost $2 billion for the nation’s Indigenous youth.

Nurse Hazel Europe holding her award that was presented to her by the RDC

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azel Europe, a nurse attached to the Grove Health Centre who has served the community for the past 40 years, was recognised by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) for her significant contributions.

Regional Health Officer (RHO) Quincy Jones in applauding Europe’s impact explained that she has made a great contribution to the health sector and as such, the Region was indeed privileged to be at the receiving end of her service.

For her service, she was recognised by the Region and conferred with an award.

In accepting the award, Europe expressed gratitude to the RDC for the recognition, noting that it all started with a young woman whose aim was to pursue a professional nursing career.

She related that the many challenges she faced as a young nurse only served to motivate her further.

“I am a determined nurse who is very committed to this profession, as it’s a pro-

fession of care and love and that is what I live my life by each day, as I understand that if I do otherwise then I am not serving my profession,” she said.

Europe, who first began her working career as a teacher, taught for five years before she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse.

She was enrolled as a nurse on October 1976 and has the distinction of serving in every health centre on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

Although she has met the age of retirement, she continues to provide much-needed service to the community owing to her passion for the profession. As such, she is not sure when she will “call it quits”, but what she is certain about is that she does not foresee it being any time soon.

“I love what I am doing, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue in the profession and I would like to urge my fellow nurses to serve with dignity and pride while giving of their best,” the distinguished woman related.

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monDAY, may 14, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Kuru Kururu AOG honours mothers

Nonpareil to get eco-friendly building in 2018

The fence around the building was constructed with tyres Barbara Bagot flanked by mothers of the church

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s mothers around the world were honoured in observance of Mother’s Day, the Kuru Kururu Assembly of God Church took a special time to celebrate the mothers that attend the church, handing each of them a token of love.

Scores of mothers turned up at church despite the weather conditions, well decked, to return thanks to God for not only sparing their lives, but for allowing them the privilege of being a mother.

During the brief sermon, Pastor Gladston Bagot re-

minded the mothers that they all are special.

Some of the mothers shared the joys and challenges they face as mothers. Several lucky mothers were called to the stage on Sunday, as they offered words of encouragement to the young and aspiring

mothers.

As is customary, the mothers received tokens of love and appreciation from the church, as the various departments shared their wishes to the mothers in the forms of poetry, dance and song.

Residents of Kuru Kururu call on Govt to address road situation

The roadway

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fter years of calling on Government to have their roads fixed in Kuru Kururu, Linden Highway, the residents within the small village are hoping that their

Vehicle exiting the village

Development Committee (CDC) explained to Guyana Times that the roads have been getting worse over the years, despite some efforts by the residents to maintain what is left of it.

Another section of the road

cries are not swept under the proverbial rug for yet another time.

A member who sits on the Community

The main roads in the village, specifically through the second busshed, are lined with pot holes deep enough to se-

verely damage vehicles.

Several drivers have been using their initiative to make use of alternative passageways, but bus drivers are subjected to use this route, which they also have been complaining about.

The second bus shed is the main access road used to get to the schools, Police Station and Health Centre.

A member of the CDC said that last week the Ministry of Communities met with the team and discussed the possibilities of the road being fixed.

That resident said he was made to understand that the village will likely have to wait until next year, when provision would be made for the project in the subsequent budget.

While it was acknowledged that the Government had fixed the main road at the back of the village last year, which was then

known as the worst road in the village, he said the roads in the front have now become a sore to the community.

A villager stated, “We have a perfect road at the back, but leading to it is like driving through hell”.

The residents of KuruKururu are therefore calling on the Government to review its plans and have their roads fixed.

A source in the village told Guyana Times that there is a popular trucker who lives at the back of the community who is known for his reckless driving.

The resident said that because that specific driver owns several trucks, he was requested by the CDC to play a role in fixing the roads. However, he responded by saying that he pays for his road services and he is not obligated to provide such community services.

A

n eco-friendly building will soon be constructed in Nonpareil, East Coast Demerara, after a combined effort from the Greenhouse Club and members of the community.

This was revealed by Public Relations Officer of the Non Pareil Greenhouse Club, Anthony Stanislaus, who revealed that plans are being finalised to construct the building using unwanted materials such as plastic bottles and unwanted tyres, among other non-biodegradable waste items.

The building, which will be 1400 square feet, will serve as a multipurpose centre and will benefit the community in the long run.

“We will use the glass bottle by breaking it up and put it in the cement mixture, which will strengthen the mixture and get rid of the glass bottle. As for the tyres, we will be using (them) to make the fence with…”

He explained that the club will use about 1000 tyres for the fence and some parts of the building, while the plastic bottles will be used to replace concrete hollow blocks by filling them with the cement mixture.

This, he stated, will reduce the amount of waste being

burnt by the community, reduce pollution, and prevent flooding due to blockages caused by excess plastics.

“The building will have a normal column, beams and foundation made of cement; but now, instead of using hollow blocks, we putting plastic bottles. So now this will help to get rid of all the plastic bottles in the drainage and canal system and also lying around the places. So it will keep a clean and healthy environment”, Anthony Stanislaus related.

In addition, he stated, “Old tyres take 80 years to decompose, and glass bottle take 1 million years to decompose. So now instead of burning plastic bottle and tyres, which would cause air pollution, we will be using (them) as building materials which are durable and strong.”

The project is being undertaken with the aim of spreading awareness on the hazardous effects that improper disposal of waste can have on the environment.

The group is also encouraging other communities to venture into such projects.

The project, which commenced in September, 2016, is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

A nurse attends to a blood donor at the Demerara Bank Limited health fair on Saturday during the company’s inaugural health fair, which was organised to promote health and safety in the workplace under the theme ‘Banking on your Health’

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monDAY, may 14, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

No laws provide for sexual harassment Campaign finance in beauty pageants – Chief Justice (ag) legislation in near

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exual harassment in beauty pageants does not come under any category in the legislation. That was disclosed by Acting Chief Justice Roxane George as she responded to a question from a curious member of the audience at a recent forum where discussions were being held on the issue.

The Chief Justice said, “Sexual harassment in beauty pageants, it doesn’t fall under any of the categories that are in the legislation right now”.

She explained that in those cases, most times the pageant is just called off and the affected persons are encouraged to speak out about

it. Persons contend that, in such cases, there is no justice for the contestants who are victims. The Guyana Times heard that it is more of a punishment to the contestants, since under those circumstances, the pageants are usually cancelled.

In April last, the most anticipated Miss Linden Beauty Pageant was cancelled two weeks before the signature event, after allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct perpetrated on a delegate by a popular Linden businessman while the delegate was seeking sponsorship. The decision to quash the pageant was taken by the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC). LTW

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George

Project Coordinator Devin Sears told Guyana Times Entertainment that most councillors voted against the hosting of the pageant.

The incident allegedly took place at the businessman’s home on March 3, 2018. The incident was being investigated by the Police.

Former Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland called for the pageant to be cancelled following the revelation of sexual exploitation.

Holland, who is no stranger to pageantry, is well aware of the consequences of such an allegation, and thought it fit to make representation to call off the pageant.

He described the incident as disturbing, and urged young women in pageantry to lift their heads high as they are ambassadors of the communities they represent.

Businessman moves to court to challenge GPF over minibus “wrapping”

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West Coast Demerara businessman is ready to move to the courts since he believes that Police, without authority, are unlawfully forcing minibus operators to remove their ‘wrap designs’.

The proprietor of Unstoppable Auto Sales, whose only name was given as Danny, explained his misery and noted that the minibuses are only designed to “catch the passengers’ eyes”.

He explained that he has several buses that work on the West Bank and West Coast of Demerara; and in one instance, when a Police Officer stopped his driver, he said he did not care whether the colours of the wrap design were on the registration or not, he wanted to see a “plain bus”.

On Friday, Danny posted that one of his minibuses was detained at the Vreed-

A few of the wrapped minibuses at the Square of the Revolution

gave his name as Justus, he related, “We have a couple of buses working on the road because of course that’s a source of income for us, and we are getting some issues with the Police because they

This bus was seized on Friday so that the driver would remove the ‘XO’ design

en-Hoop Police Station simply because of an ‘XO’ design was at the front of the bus. He noted that his ‘fitness’ was even revoked for the modest design.

The businessman claims this type of Police behaviour is unlawful, and he even had one of his colleagues consult a lawyer on the issue.

When Guyana Times contacted that colleague, who

are telling us that they don’t want this stripe and that stripe, and all the colours on the bus are on the registration and I don’t know why they are locking up these buses, and we are losing a lot of days’ work. “I made contact with my lawyer, and we were seeking to get some advice as to why (this is so), and he was saying that as far as he knows, there is no

law which says that you cannot have more than one colour on your vehicle or so”.

Justus further stated that hundreds of thousands of dollars were invested to make the buses attractive to passengers. He argued that now more money will be spent to remove those designs and respray the buses.

Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer Jairam Ramlakhan said he was unable to say specifically which section of the law dictates that minibuses should be plain-coloured.

He therefore referred this publication to Traffic Chief Ramesh Ashram, who also failed to say specifically which section of law provides for buses to be plain-coloured. Ashram would say only that the provisions for this initiative are in the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act 51:02.

As such, the businessman is gearing to file his lawsuit against the Guyana Police Force via his attorney.

He is likely to secure the support of the scores of drivers whose minibuses have been seized over the past few weeks. Back in March, a campaign was implemented to strip all minibuses that had wrap designs. The de-

faulting vehicles were taken to the Brickdam Police Station.

The acting Traffic Chief had estimated that over 30 minibuses had breached the traffic regulations by possessing these ‘wraps’.

Meanwhile, the affected drivers have related that the initiative has affected their livelihood, as they continue to lose money while their minibuses are parked.

Citizens who use the buses as sole source of transportation also expressed their concern, noting that when the minibuses were not functioning, it was difficult to get to their destinations. However, the acting Traffic Chief noted that this could be avoided if the traffic rules and regulations are followed.

Following this episode, minibus operators had staged a protest calling for the Police to put an end to the campaign. They said they feel they are being harassed. The vibrantly coloured buses were registered to the following routes: Kitty-Campbellville (40), Stabroek-South (41), Georgetown-Timehri (42), Georgetown-Mahaica (44), Stabroek-Albert (45) and Stabroek-Sophia (48).

future – AFC

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

I

n 2011, the Carter Center recommended the implementation of campaign financing laws and even prior to that, the Alliance For Change (AFC) was pushing for the implementation of the laws; however, after three years in Government, the party and its coalition partner are yet to make a step in that direction.

At a press conference to reflect its third election victory anniversary on Friday, party Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan made another promise to deliver the much-touted piece of legislation.

He noted that they have begun the campaign to draft the legislation referencing a recent visit by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s General Secretary, Akbar Khan, during which they requested assistance in doing so.

“We have started that campaign and I know prior to her passing, Sheila Holder had done a lot of work on that aspect, all that work still remains and we support campaign finance legislation. As again, we have a number of other things and we have to present the legislation now and we have to get the more advanced one from the Commonwealth,” he said.

“I have asked for a draft campaign finance legislation (from the Commonwealth).

The CPA Secretary General Akbar Khan … met us and indicated where we can get these things, along with source materials for the Consolidated Fund and so on. So, we are going to tap into those resources to come up with a campaign legislation that is modern enough to take care of all the concerns,” Ramjattan added.

He reiterated that the party would honour the legacy of Holder. While in Opposition, the AFC had moved a motion in Parliament to set up political financing legislation in 2011.

In its final report on the

2011 General Election, the Carter Center said the need to create legislation to cater for campaign financing was important and even reiterated that in its 2015 report.

“To ensure realisation of the right and opportunity to be elected, legal reform is necessary to improve campaign finance laws. Legislation should be strengthened to routinely require disclosure of contributions and expenditures.

Consideration also should be given to establishing reasonable limits on donations and expenditures to ensure that the free choice of voters is not undermined or the democratic process distorted by disproportionate expenditures on behalf of any candidate or party. A monitoring and enforcement body with oversight authority of compliance with campaign finance regulations would also be a positive contribution to Guyanese politics,” the report stated.

Additionally, the report stated that Guyana’s legal framework for elections was silent in the area of registration and operation of political parties; hence, the reason why legislation is needed to establish clear requirements for the registration and operation of political parties that would support the freedom of association and promote broad multi-ethnic parties that could represent citizen interests in governance.

Now that the 2018 Local Government Elections are in sight, it is timely to highlight that the Carter Center had recommended in 2015 that the code of conduct for politicians be signed much earlier to include a clear and strong enforcement mechanism.

According to the Transparency Institute of Guyana, political financing laws are about protecting the State from corporate and other interests, and ensuring that incumbents avoid corrupt use of State resources and ensure access to resources for all recognised political parties among other issues.

monDAY, may 14, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

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Around the World

Pompeo: US to lift sanctions if North Korea Tensions rise ahead of US Embassy opening in Jerusalem dismantles nuclear weapons programme

U

A

US delegation has flown to Israel amid rising tensions ahead of planned protests against the controversial move of the American Embassy to Jerusalem and rallies calling for the Palestinians' right of return to the homes from which they were expelled in 1948.

Several US officials, joined by President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband and senior adviser Jared Kushner, will attend the opening today, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding.

Trump announced last December that Washington formally recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and would move its embassy there from Tel Aviv, breaking with decades of US policy.

His decision, long-sought

by Israel, sparked anger and protests throughout the occupied Palestinian territories and drew condemnation from world leaders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) hands US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman a letter of appreciation [Amir Cohen/Reuters]

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump's "bold decision" as the Israeli Foreign Ministry held a festive ceremony to welcome the US delegation, which also included 12 Congress members.

The event, however, was shunned by most European Union countries.

Earlier, hundreds of Jewish settlers raided the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, raising the Israeli flag and praying there, on what Israelis call Jerusalem Day,

which marks the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.

The ancient marble-andstone compound, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, houses al-Aqsa Mosque – Islam's third-holiest site – and the 7th-century Dome of the Rock. Jews call it Temple Mount.

Visits by Jewish groups, including politicians, have triggered violence over the years, with Palestinians fearing that Israeli hardliners are trying to take control of the site. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Trump seeks to save Chinese jobs at ZTE ahead of trade talks

U

S President Donald Trump has said he wants to help save ZTE, one of China's biggest telecoms companies.

The firm has suspended operations after the Commerce Department last month banned US companies from selling it components for seven years.

ZTE pleaded guilty to making illegal shipments to Iran and North Korea.

Trump tweeted that he

was working with President Xi Jinping to ensure ZTE would get back into business fast, saying too many jobs in China were at risk.

US commentators say the tone of the tweet is a dramatic shift for Trump, who has consistently accused China of stealing US jobs.

The concession to Beijing comes ahead of high-level trade talks later this week in Washington aimed at resolving an escalating trade

dispute between the world's two largest economies.

Beijing has made resolving the situation with ZTE, which employs about 80,000 people, one of its demands for striking a broader trade agreement with US. In March 2017, ZTE admitted to violating US sanctions by illegally shipping American technology to Iran and Korea and was fined US$1.1 billion. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that Washington would agree to lift sanctions on North Korea if the country agrees to completely dismantle its nuclear weapons programme, a move that would create economic prosperity that “will rival” that of South Korea.

As Pompeo spoke on several Sunday morning talk shows, the Pentagon said three American prisoners freed by North Korea had left Walter Reed National

Military Medical Centre in Washington and been reunited with their families.

President Donald Trump and North Korean’s Kim Jong Un have a planned June 12 meeting in Singapore, the first such encounter between a sitting US President and a North Korean leader.

Pompeo said the United States would not be willing to invest taxpayer dollars to help the country, but was willing to “lift sanctions” to pave the way for private

American investment in North Korea’s energy, agriculture and infrastructure sectors.

“What Chairman Kim will get from America is our finest – our entrepreneurs, our risk takers, our capital providers. ... They will get private capital that comes in. North Korea is desperately in need of energy ... for their people. They are in great need of agricultural equipment and technology,” he said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

CCJ rules St Lucian academic should be registered to vote in B'dos elections

T

he Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Sunday ruled that a St Lucian-born academic should be registered as an elector to cast a ballot in the May 24 general elections in Barbados, and warned the Chief Elections Officer that failure to carry out the order by midday today could land her in jail for contempt of court or be fined.

In an unprecedented hearing, the CCJ, which is Barbados’ final court, said that Eddy Ventose, a professor of law at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), had satisfied “the necessary legal and regulatory conditions for registration as an elector”.

In the ruling of the five-member panel of judges, read out by the CCJ President Sir Dennis Byron, the court said Angela Taylor, the Chief Electoral Officer, “shall register or cause the applicant to be registered as an elector before 12 noon on Monday, the 14th day of May, 2018”.

The Caribbean Court of Justice

Dennis said that if Taylor “does not comply with the order, you may be held to be in contempt of court and you may be imprisoned and or fined”.

Barbadians go to the polls on May 24 to elect a new government with the contest expected to be between the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) headed by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and the main Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) headed

by Mia Mottley, who is seeking to become the first woman Head of Government in that Caribbean Community (Caricom) country.

Political observers had said that the matter before the CCJ, which is Barbados' highest court, has implications not only for the appellant but also for Commonwealth citizens, living in Barbados, who want to be registered to vote in the general elections. (Excerpt

from CMC)

Sao Paulo fire: Search Former St Lucia PM suggests curfews for victims called off as part of hurricane preparedness

O

The search for victims of the blaze went on for more than 10 days

fficials in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo have called off the search for victims of a fire in a 26-storey building

which collapsed.

The State Governor said two weeks after the disaster that four people were still unaccounted for.

On Saturday, the bodies of 10-year-old twin boys were found.

The building had once been Sao Paulo's Police headquarters but at the time of the fire some 250 people were squatting there.

Firefighters combing the ruins of the Wilton Paes de Almeida building recovered the remains of four people, including the twins.

"We do not expect to find anything more," Sao Paulo State Governor Mario Franca told reporters at the scene. (BBC News)

F

Hurricane inducted looting in Dominica prompts warning

ormer St Lucia Prime Minister Stephenson King says curfews should be considered as part of preparation for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season.

“I believe Saint Lucia must take note of what transpired in Dominica,” King, the current Minister for Infrastructure, told a disaster response planning meeting Saturday. The

former Prime Minister said he once believed that “Dominica was one of the more civil societies in the Caribbean”.

“When we see the level of looting very early and even throughout — almost a total breakdown of law and order, we here in St Lucia must prepare ourselves for that.”

He suggested that when the country is in a shut-down mode ahead of an approaching storm, there should be 'some kind of curfew' until it is determined that it can be lifted to allow members of the public to venture out. (Excerpt from CMC)

Surabaya church attacks: Indonesian family of bombers “had been to Syria”

A

family of six who carried out three church bombings in Indonesia had returned from Syria, Police say.

The Islamic State group has claimed the attacks, which killed at least 13 people on Sunday.

A mother and two

daughters blew themselves up at a church, while the father and two sons targeted two others in Indonesia's second city, Surabaya.

National Police Chief Tito Karnavian said they belonged to an IS-inspired network, Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD).

Police say the family were among hundreds of Indonesians who had returned from Syria, where IS has been fighting

Government forces. No details were given about the family's alleged involvement in that conflict. (Excerpt from BBC News)

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guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, May 14, 2018

ARCHIE

Personal changes should be made for the right rea(March 21sons. Don’t do anything out of April 19) anger. Think about how you could have better handled a recent situation.

ARIES

Show everyone what you TAURUS have to offer, and make it (April 20- clear what you want in reMay 20) turn. Taking control and doing all you can to reach your objective will be beneficial.

dilbert

Someone who knows truth GEMINI (May 21- from fiction will question you June 20) if you don’t stick to the facts.

Personal changes will bring you the most satisfaction and the highest returns.

Ask for help if you need it. Collaborating with peo(June 21- ple who understand your sitJuly 22) uation will encourage you to get things done and move forward, even if you are stuck in the past.

CANCER

Peanuts

You may crave change, but

LEO it’s important to keep things in (July 23- perspective and to move slowAug. 22) ly to ensure that you do everything according to protocol.

Simplicity and moderation are in your best interest.

Calvin and Hobbes

Make plans to explore and VIRGO expand your mind, skills and (Aug. 23experience. Set up meetings, Sept. 22) sign up for a course or network with like-minded people.

Domestic problems will esLIBRA calate if you don’t handle sen(Sept. 23- sitive matters diplomatically.

Oct. 23) Compromise and a strategically orchestrated plan will help you get your way. Kindness and understanding are encouraged.

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD — SYLLABLES (SYLLABLES: SIL-uh-buls: Units of pronunciation in a word.)

SUDOKU

Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 30 or more words in SYLLABLES? The list will be published tomorrow.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

er. Look at your options and be realistic regarding how you decide to move forward.

Someone will hype an SAGITTARIUS idea when trying to lure you (Nov. 23to take part in a risky venDec. 21) ture. Don’t take a chance or believe everything you hear.

Average mark 22 words

SATURDAY’S WORD — PHAETON thane paeon pone hate then pane pant heap tone pate heat tope paten hone oaten oath path hope peat aeon opah pent ante open peon atone nape phat atop neap phone tape neat poet than note

Partnerships are favoured.

SCORPIO Working alongside the right (Oct. 24person can make your profesNov. 22) sional and personal lives easi-

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

solution AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Check out your options and make a decision based on what you want, not on what someone else is prompting you to do. Trust your judgment and do your own thing.

You’ll be faced with an emotional decision. Don’t overreact or set impossible goals. Logic, reason and knowledge will lead you to a wise choice. Personal improvements are favoured.

How you handle your personal finances will make a difference. Refrain from buying products that promise the impossible, and beware investments that sound too good to be true.

monDAY, may 14, 2018

Buttler makes easy work of Mumbai to lift Royals to 5th place J

os Buttler made his fifth consecutive IPL fifty - a feat previously managed only by Virender Sehwag - and Rajasthan Royals picked up their third consecutive win to rise to fifth place on the table, only a week after being on the verge of elimination. Buttler's unbeaten 94 was much more free-flowing than some of his other recent fifties and cast away any possibilities of a stumble through the middle the win was achieved with two overs to spare.

Earlier in the evening, Mumbai Indians had thrown away the advantage that openers Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav had provided them with an 87-run stand in 64 balls, collapsing dramatically through the middle overs to make fewer runs in the second half of the innings than the first. Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes shared the spoils as Mumbai finished with a sub-par 168 for 6 that put no real pressure on Royals during the chase.

The result also meant Chennai Super Kings became the second team to confirm a spot in the playoffs.

K Gowtham has generally been used in three-over spells

by Rahane this season, and is almost a certainty with the new ball when the opponents have a left-hand opening batsman. Before Sunday, he'd taken five wickets at 6.88 during the Powerplay.

But Suryakumar didn't allow him to bowl at Lewis in the first over, getting two boundaries off him before allowing Lewis to face the last ball. Lewis then drilled the first legal delivery he faced past

extra-cover to give Mumbai 14 off the first over.

Gowtham only returned in the 12th over, when there were two left-handers at the crease. Lewis punished him off the last ball of that over as well, taking him for a six. He wouldn't get a third over.

Rajasthan Royals had been forced to drop their best bowler, Ish Sodhi, in their last two games since he had fallen ill. Sodhi and Gowtham had been vital to Royals' attack, but with Gowtham neutralised early and replacement legspinner Shreyas Gopal getting a clear signal of Lewis' destructive intent in his second

Sanju Samson of the Rajasthan Royals takes a catch of Hardik Pandya of the Mumbai Indians

over, which went for 17, Mumbai made sure only four overs of spin were bowled on the evening.

Lewis and Suryakumar stuck to Mumbai's template of relying on wickets in hand at the end: they were brisk, but not destructive. They kept the run rate above eight an over in the first ten, despite four overs going for six or fewer.

However, a combination of strong bowling plans and loose shots allowed Royals to come back, beginning with two wickets off two balls from Archer in the 11th over - Suryakumar for 38 and Rohit Sharma for a golden duck. Both

SCOREBOARD Mumbai Indians Innings (20 overs maximum) SA Yadav c Unadkat b Archer 38 E Lewis c Samson b Kulkarni 60 RG Sharma (c) c Unadkat b Archer 0 Ishan Kishan † c Samson b Stokes 12 HH Pandya c Samson b Stokes 36 KH Pandya c Gowtham b Unadkat 3 BCJ Cutting not out 10 JP Duminy not out 0 Extras (lb 2, w 7) 9 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 8.4) 168-6 Did not bat: MJ McClenaghan, M Markande, JJ Bumrah Fall of wickets: 1-87 (SA Yadav, 10.4 ov), 2-87 (RG Sharma, 10.5 ov), 3-108 (E Lewis, 13.2 ov), 4-119 (Ishan Kishan, 14.2 ov), 5-131 (KH Pandya, 16.5 ov), 6-166 (HH Pandya, 19.5 ov) BOWLING: K Gowtham (2-023-0), DS Kulkarni (4-0-43-1), JC Archer (4-0-16-2), BA Stokes

19

(4-0-26-2), S Gopal (2-0-210), JD Unadkat (4-0-37-1) Rajasthan Royals Innings (target: 169 runs from 20 overs) DJM Short c †Ishan Kishan b Bumrah 4 JC Buttler † not out 94 AM Rahane (c) c Yadav b HH Pandya 37 SV Samson c sub (RD Chahar) b HH Pandya 26 BA Stokes not out 0 Extras (lb 1, w 9) 10 TOTAL (18 Overs, RR: 9.5) 171-3 Did not bat: STR Binny, JC Archer, K Gowtham, S Gopal, JD Unadkat, DS Kulkarni Fall of wickets: 1-9 (DJM Short, 0.5 ov), 2-104 (AM Rahane, 13.1 ov), 3-165 (SV Samson, 17.5 ov) BOWLING: JJ Bumrah (3-0-34-1), MJ McClenaghan (4-0-28-0), KH Pandya (4-0-240), HH Pandya (4-0-52-2), M Markande (3-0-32-0)

Jos Buttler of the Rajasthan Royals plays a shot on his way to an unbeaten 93

batsmen fell to short balls, and that seemed to be Royals' plan, along with taking the pace off, for everyone but Lewis.

To him, Royals' seamers went full and wide outside off, right from the start. Lewis was in no trouble, picking up boundaries in all directions on the off side. It was a full and wide ball, however, that he ended up flaying straight to sweeper cover in the 14th over.

At 108 for 3, Mumbai still had plenty of big hitters, but the offcutter accounted for Ishan Kishan and Krunal Pandya.

Hardik Pandya made a valuable 36 off 21 in this context, but Mumbai only made 82 in their last ten overs.

It was fitting that Royals' most difficult moments in the chase came around when D'Arcy Short was at the crease.

The opener has now made 116 runs in seven innings this

season, at an average of 16.42 and a strike rate of 116.16.

On Sunday, his innings began with an inside edge against a Bumrah inswinger he knew little about, and ended four pokes later with an outside edge. Still, that first over yielded 13 runs.

Buttler's preference to blaze away in the Powerplay was put on hold by a good bowling line-up - although he managed to hit Krunal for a six and a four in the fifth over - but he rarely seemed fussed as he went about building a steady partnership with Rahane for the second wicket.

Despite more solidity in the middle order than in their previous two games, Royals were content with taking it as deep as possible with their top order.

And, on this occasion, it worked. The 95-run second-

wicket stand saw them through till the 13th over. When Rahane fell, the required rate was just above nine.

Then, Buttler and Sanju Samson went berserk. Having been unable to take it deep on previous occasions, they made merry in chopping down the required runs in no time.

It began with Buttler slogging Hardik for six a ball after Rahane had been dismissed and following up with a drill down the ground, over his partner's head, to immediately pull the momentum back. He repeated this in the next over against Bumrah. And before Mumbai knew it, Buttler had moved from 55 to 94 in 15 balls. Before they knew it, they had conceded 14, 14, 12, 9 and 18 from the 13th over to the 18th and allowed Royals to climb above them on the table.

(ESPNcricinfo)

Lewis Hamilton wins 2nd race in succession, by dominating eventful Spanish Grand Prix

T

he Mercedes driver was supreme at the front in a race that featured a heavy first-lap crash, two caution periods and a number of spins and collisions.

Hamilton's win moves him into a 17-point championship lead, with title rival Sebastian Vettel fourth on Sunday following questionable strategy calls from his Ferrari team.

Valtteri Bottas made it a Mercedes one-two ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman held on to third place, easily fending off Vettel's challenge despite damaging his front wing when he ran into the back of Lance

Stroll's Williams at the restart after a mid-race virtual safetycar period.

Vettel dropped to fourth from second when Ferrari decided to pit him under the virtual safety car, the four-time champion saying he was running out of tyre life.

The problem cost Vettel what could be a crucial six points in his title fight with Hamilton.

Ferrari had also stopped early during the opening part of the race, Vettel making his first stop on lap 17 in an attempt to pre-empt an attack from Bottas.

The Finn was on course to jump Vettel in the pits anyway when he stopped after two

Romain Grosjean kept his foot on the accelerator, throwing him back into the path of the oncoming field

further very fast laps, only for a problem with a rear wheel to delay him in the pits and leave Ferrari unpunished.

But Ferrari's problems

returned, forcing the second stop that cost Vettel a place on the podium.

Vettel said: "We couldn't make the tyres last. For us, it

was clear it was the right thing to do. If you look from the outside, it is easy but inside the car we were going through the tyres too quick so we were not able to stay out for another 23 laps. Even in the end, I was not able to attack to the end."

Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen retired from second place with an engine failure on lap 24, before he had made a pit stop.

Hamilton was supremely above Ferrari's concerns, as he converted his first pole position since the opening race in Australia into a first-lap lead.

After the early safety car for a multi-car crash caused by Haas

driver Romain Grosjean in Turn Three, Hamilton bolted at the restart and had a 1.4-second lead at the end of the first racing lap.

Hamilton then pulled away at chunks of a second a lap and was immediately in control of a race he never looked likely to lose.

Listen: 'This is more like it' - Hamilton celebrates on team radio Ferrari's strategy let Mercedes off the hook for their slow stop to secure the first onetwo of 2018 and Verstappen drove beautifully with a damaged car to take the final step on the podium. (BBCSport)

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monDAY, may 14, 2018

Rayudu's hundred puts CSK on brink of playoffs C

hennai Super Kings all but joined Sunrisers Hyderabad in the playoffs with a dominant win over the leaders of the league on Sunday evening.

The job was finished for them a few hours later by Rajasthan Royals; their win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede confirmed a topfour finish for CSK. Sunrisers arrived in Pune with a perfect record batting first, having successfully defended118, 132, 146 and 151. Asked to bat first, they put on their highest total of the tournament, but ran into Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu, arguably the best opening combination this IPL. Watson began the aggression but Rayudu wasn't too far behind. Rayudu capped a remarkable turnaround of a season with his maiden T20 hundred, and Watson fell for 57 off 35. The real damage, arguably, was done by Super Kings bowlers: a returningfrom-injury Deepak Chahar at the start of the match to force a slow start on Sunrisers, and then Dwayne Bravo at the end of the innings to convert what looked like a chase of 200 into 180.

You know the basic principles of swing, the techniques, the release, the wrist position, but the phenomenon of swing bowling sometimes surprises you by disappearing suddenly.

When the ball does swing, though, it becomes difficult to take it from upwards of eight runs an over. Alex Hales and Shikhar Dhawan tried, followed by Kane Williamson, but they all struggled against the swing of Chahar. MS Dhoni cleverly gave him a change of ends to sync his outswing with the wind in Pune after giving him the customary first over. Bowling the fourth

over, Chahal got rid of Hales, and Dhawan and Williamson were forced to be watchful as Chahar finished inside eight overs with figures of 4-0-16-1.

Sunrisers' 29 for 1 at the end of six was the secondlowest Powerplay this season for the loss of just one wicket.

The lowest was Super Kings' 27 against the same opposition in their first match against each other. Super Kings went slow till the ninth over - much like Sunrisers here. Super Kings were 41 after nine, Sunrisers 51 after nine.

CSK coach Stephen Fleming talks about Ambati Rayudu's century, Deepak Chahar's comeback, and other key factors in his team's win over Sunrisers Hyderabad Starting the 10th over, the next seven went for 11, 13, 14, 11, 16, 14 and 11. This was clinical hitting against bowlers who were now under pressure. The swing was gone, the pitch looked flat, and both Dhawan and Williamson took full toll. Both reached fifties, Williamson crossed 500 for the season, making it fourth season in a row for a Sunrisers captain to score 500 runs. The hitting looked effortless, even though it featured Williamson typically accelerating manically as his innings got longer - hitting big sixes.

The last ball of those seven overs was a slower ball from Bravo - a predictable one arguably - but it arrived so slowly that Dhawan was almost through his second shot - a ramp - by the time the ball reached him. All Dhawan managed was a lob to short fine leg. Bravo collected his cap, went to deep point, saw the first ball of the next over fly over short third man, but ran hard to his left and took with both hand catches and on both feet a catch that a few other

fielders would have put in a dive for. These are catches that can be appreciated only at the ground: the anticipation, the early movement, the still head, the control.

In two balls, both set batsmen were gone, and despite 21 off 11 from Deepak Hooda, only 38 came in the last four overs.

It is difficult to tell what changed in under two hours. It did become overcast, which should actually aid swing. And if there is any swing to be had, Bhuvneshwar Kumar should get it. When the best bowling side of the competition bowled, though, there was no swing, and Watson and Rayudu punished them.

Watson went after young Sandeep Sharma and Bhuvneshwar, racing to 26 off 13 in three overs.

Sunrisers were forced to use Rashid Khan inside the Powerplay for only the fourth time this season.

Rayudu hit him for four.

Williamson then went to Shakib Al Hasan probably because Watson had got out to leftarm orthodox spin twice in 11 balls this IPL. Watson hit him for four first ball.

Siddarth Kaul went for four, six and four in his first over, all to

Rayudu.

Watson finally fell off the bowling of Shakib, run out in the 14th over, having played his part in the biggest opening stand

o f this I P L .

With 46 required off 39, the only matter of interest was if Rayudu would get the 29 he needed for the century.

A four from Dhoni, with seven required and with Rayudu on 99, might have given him a nervous moment, but Dhoni duly took the single and allowed Rayudu to take the single to bring up the hundred and level the scores, in the 19th over.

(ESPNcricinfo)

Shikhar Dhawan on the attack for Sunrisers Hyderabad

Ambati Rayudu of Chennai Super Kings hits a six on his way to triple figures

SCOREBOARD Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings (20 overs maximum) S Dhawan c Harbhajan Singh b Bravo 79 AD Hales c Raina b Chahar 2 KS Williamson (c) c Bravo b Thakur 51 MK Pandey c Willey b Thakur 5 DJ Hooda not out 21 Shakib Al Hasan not out 8 Extras (lb 3, w 10) 13 TOTAL (20 Overs, RR: 8.95) 179-4 Did not bat: SP Goswami †, Rashid Khan, B Kumar, S Kaul, Sandeep Sharma Fall of wickets: 1-18 (AD Hales, 3.3 ov), 2-141 (S Dhawan, 15.6 ov), 3-141 (KS Williamson, 16.1 ov), 4-160 (MK Pandey, 18.3 ov) BOWLING: DL Chahar (4-0-16-1), SN Thakur (4-0-322), DJ Willey (2-0-24-0), Harbhajan Singh (2-0-26-0), SR

Watson (2-0-15-0), DJ Bravo (4-0-39-1), RA Jadeja (2-0-24-0) Chennai Super Kings Innings (target: 180 runs from 20 overs) SR Watson run out (Williamson/†Goswami) 57 AT Rayudu not out 100 SK Raina c Williamson b Sandeep Sharma 2 MS Dhoni (c) † not out 20 Extras (w 1) 1 TOTAL (19 Overs, RR: 9.47) 180-2 Did not bat: SW Billings, DJ Bravo, RA Jadeja, DJ Willey, Harbhajan Singh, DL Chahar, SN Thakur Fall of wickets: 1-134 (SR Watson, 13.3 ov), 2-137 (SK Raina, 14.1 ov) BOWLING: Sandeep Sharma (4-0-36-1), B Kumar (4-038-0), Rashid Khan (4-0-250), Shakib Al Hasan (4-041-0), S Kaul (3-0-40-0)

Yates wins stage 9 to extend lead as Froome fades

B

ritain's Simon Yates stormed to a superb win on stage nine of the Giro d'Italia to extend his lead in the general classification as compatriot Chris Froome lost more time.

Mitchelton-Scott rider Yates, 25, accelerated away with 100m to go on the summit finish to Gran Sasso d'Italia.

He now has a 32-second lead over team-mate Esteban Chaves, with reigning champion Tom Dumoulin 38 seconds back.

Team Sky's Froome is two minutes 27 seconds down in 11th place.

Monday is the second rest day of the race, which finishes in Rome on 27 May. This was Yates' first stage win at a Giro and it brought him a bonus 10 seconds on top of the 12 he put into Dumoulin.

But it was the manner of the win on the 225km route from Pesco Sannita that was arguably more important, the day a real test of his credentials as he seeks his first Grand Tour win - and one he passed in wonderful fashion.

After a 12-man break had gone away early, the last survivor was swallowed up with 3km to go and the real race began.

Simon Yates has successfully defended the leader's pink jersey for three successive days

Yates was happy to sit in the wheels as first Guilio Ciccone and then Thibault Pinot attacked into a stiff headwind, but came out of their slipstream to go clear and celebrate with a clenched fist as he crossed the line.

It was another chastening day

for Froome, the four-time Tour de France champion spat out the back of the small lead group and losing 67 seconds to Yates.

He had looked short of his best throughout the first week, twice crashing, and this was further evidence that his bid to become only

the third rider in history to win three Grand Tours in a row is in real trouble.

Dutchman Dumoulin will perhaps be less concerned, the time trial on stage 16 offering him the chance to perhaps take as much as a minute and a half out of Yates.

But with Yates able to count on the support of Colombian teammate Chaves, the man from Bury will be starting to believe this could his race.

"That one was for the boys who've been riding on the front all day - they've had a couple of tough days, always riding on the front on some really long stages," said Yates.

"From the beginning of the stage today, we were always thinking that if we kept the break close enough then it might be possible for the stage.

"Once Astana showed some interest in the stage then I knew it was possible, but you never know deep into the final.

"It was a very difficult day.

Chris crashed yesterday; maybe he was affected by that."

Team Sky sporting director Nicolas Portal said: "It's not perfect. He was looking good the last couple of days but we have to stay optimistic.

"We have two more weeks coming up and hopefully we have some better days. Let's hope that we can quickly forget this stage - they will keep fighting, and they won't give up." (BBCSport)

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sports

Leslie pleads for more youth involvement in CPL D

irector of Cricket at the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Stephen Leslie is calling for talented cricketers throughout the region to be given more opportunities in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Since 2013, the privately owned CPL has become the premier Twenty20 tournament in the region replacing the previous competition organized by the West Indies Cricket Board (Cricket West Indies).

Prior to the creation of the CPL players from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, the Windward and Leeward Islands were selected by their national selectors to represent their respective countries in the annual Twenty20 tournament organized by the governing body for cricket in the region.

President of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Dave Cameron in an address to a luncheon held by the BCA two months ago said CWI was staging the tournament at a loss each year but was now receiving $1 million annually from the CPL. According to Leslie, the method used to select budding young cricketers from throughout the region to take part in the CPL to the best of his knowledge had very little to do with what transpires in the various Twenty20 competitions played at the domestic level in the Caribbean.

“Simply put, for a young cricketer to be selected for any of the franchises in the CPL is not dependent on their performance for their clubs in their respective countries. There is an application process where cricketers who are interested in playing in the CPL can apply, their names go into a pool and they might be picked at the players’ draft,” Leslie told ‘Barbados TODAY’.

“I think our administrators at the level of Cricket West Indies from the respective territorial boards should suggest to the management of the CPL that we should have a system which gives more opportunities to talented cricketers to play in the tournament. Right now, if there are 15 in Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean who are talented enough to play Twenty20 cricket in the CPL but have placed themselves through the application process, they have little or no chance of playing CPL cricket which is the Twenty20 franchise of the Caribbean. So, we have to educate the players on what they are required to do to participate in the CPL,” Leslie explained.

He issued a call for the directors of the six territorial boards to hold discussions with the top brass of the CPL and ask them to create a format that allows more talented cricketers to be exposed during the tournament.

“Currently, if a cricketer is not in the pool through the application process, there is no hope of him playing in the CPL. I believe a solution must be found which gives truly talented cricketers the opportunity to play in the CPL. Communications from the CPL explaining the process that is required to play in the tournament to our cricketers is a critical element,” Leslie said.

He pointed out that from this season the BCA has been streaming all of the matches played in their Twenty20 competition.

“The streaming of our Twenty20 competition has added a new dynamic to the competition. It provides an opportunity for coaches and other persons looking for new talent to see the potential of our cricketers and could lead to some of them being included in the draft of one of the various Twenty20 leagues around the world,” Leslie said.

Since the start of the 2018 domestic season, there has been a school of thought that the current structure of the Sagicor General Twenty20 competition has placed members of First Division teams playing in the tournament at a disadvantage.

Under the current system, First Division teams compete with each other in Phase One of the tournament with the top teams joining clubs from the Elite Division in Phase Two of

21

BCA Director of Cricket Stephen Leslie

the competition competing against clubs from the Elite Division.

As a result, some cricketers and fans have stated in the electronic media that there is a possibility of first-class cricketers playing for First Division clubs and only getting a couple of Twenty20 matches if their team is eliminated quite early in the competition.

Leslie stressed that First Division clubs have not been placed at a disadvantage under the current format.

“Between 2008 and 2015 with the exception of two years, most of the teams within the Twenty20 framework were playing three to four matches before the play-off stage, therefore this format which began in 2016 where the First Division clubs play in Phrase One and more or less advance into Phrase Two, do not deprive the clubs of anything,” Leslie said.

He explained players

such as Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Shane Dowrich and Dwayne Smith who are currently representing Division One teams are not in a unique situation.

“The reality is the current format allows the First Division teams to build up momentum going into Phase Two of the competition. They would have played three matches before advancing to the second stage of the tournament and would be better equipped to compete against teams who are at the Elite level.

Recently, YMPC, one of the First Division teams who have advanced to Phase Two of the tournament, defeated Empire an Elite team. Hopefully, in 2019 we will revisit the structure of the competition and even if adjustments are needed, whatever is done should reinforce in the mind of the players that there is a competitive level to Phase One of the tournament,” the director said. (Barbados Today)

Lomachenko stops Linares as Ukrainian makes history in New York V asyl Lomachenko made boxing history by stopping Jorge Linares to claim a world title in a third weight division in just his 12th professional fight.

The Ukrainian took the WBA lightweight world title at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, despite being put down in the sixth round in New York.

The 30-year-old got to his feet before stopping the Venezuelan with a vicious left to the body in the 10th round.

"My father told me, 'you need to go to the body'," Lomachenko said.

"I prepared for the last few rounds and I knew about this punch, but I thought I already did what I needed to do. I was wrong and he caught me.

"He's a great fighter and he gave me one more lesson in boxing," Linares, who was leading on one judge's scorecard at the time of the stoppage, insisted he could have continued and said he wants a rematch after his 13-fight winning streak was ended.

However, the hand and foot speed of double Olympic champion Lomachenko - considered among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world - proved decisive against his bigger opponent.

Vasyl Lomachenko (right) ended the bout with a vicious flurry in the 10th round

In his first lightweight bout, he was floored by a straight right to the nose late in the sixth round, but within two more rounds he had opened a cut over Linares' left eye and targeted it remorselessly.

A ferocious flurry of blows in the 10th, which concluded with a thudding left to the body that sent Linares to the canvas, was enough to convinced referee Ricky Gonzalez

to award Lomachenko victory by technical knockout.

The Ukrainian lost in his second professional fight - a WBO title fight at featherweight - but claimed the belt in his next bout, before adding the WBO super-featherweight title in his seventh fight to become the fastest two-weight world champion in history.

"Going into this fight, we knew

'Loma' was a huge talent," said Lomachenko's promoter, Bob Arum.

"After this fight, we know now that he's a fighter."

No man has claimed titles in three divisions faster, with Australian Jeff Fenech doing so in his 20th bout and greats such as Oscar de la Hoya (22 fights), Floyd Mayweather (34) and Manny Pacquiao (41) needing longer to achieve the feat. (BBCSport)

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monDAY, may 14, 2018

RDC/DEVCON school cricket launched T

he inaugural Regional Democratic Council (RDC)/DEVCON/ Lloyd Britton/Regional Executive Officer (REO) Inter-Secondary School Cricket competition was launched last Friday.

Some 16 schools from Region Four will do battle in a 35-over-per-side tourney. Present at the RDC Head Office during the launch were: Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Territorial Development Officer (TDO) Colin Stuart; Director of Sport (DoS), Christopher Jones; Banks D.I.H Powerade and Rainforest Water brands Manager Clive Pellew; and Nolan Lancaster, representative of sponsors Devcon Construction.

Jones said the move was a n o p portunity for the players to market themselves for the future, via this competition.

GCB’s Territorial Development Officer (TDO) Colin Stuart outlined the logistics of the competition. A maximum of 35 overs per innings and the option of declaring after 20 overs have to be bowled with two innings per side.

Stuart posited that the project is a praiseworthy one and praised the RDC Region Four for what he said is their ‘insightful investment’ into the sport.

Banks Brand Manager Clive Pellew explained that his company had scouted two players who went on to play for Guyana and West Indies.

Other speakers included Regional Executive Officer Lucas, Lancaster, and sponsors from Devcon Construction.

They all echoed simi l a r sent i ments and further encouraged the young talents to be disciplined and build

Football on the beach!!!

GCB TDO Colin Stuart

friendships during the tournament.

The competition will see eight days of play at two venues on the East Coast of Demerara, namely the Enmore and Lusignan Community Center grounds, with the finals set for May 24th at Enmore.

The competition will have ten special prizes, including most valuable player (MVP), most runs in the competition, the highest score, most wickets, best bowling figures, best allround performance, most disciplined team, and most catches.

Chase’s trounce St Rose’s as YBG championships continue

Heineken Champions League viewing party moves to Marriott beach front

T

he Independence weekend in Guyana will be filled with great festivities; and on Saturday, May 25, the attention will turn to the final of the UEFA Champions League final between two powerhouses: defending champions Real Madrid and Liverpool.

While the blockbuster match takes place in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, from 14:45h, the Marriott Beach at the Kingston seawall will be transformed into a fes-

expectations. Hence we decided, ‘Why not go outside of the box?’ and Marriott beach front seemed like the ideal location”, the Heineken head explained.

She added, “Needless to say, we have outgrown any indoor venue, hence (we are) looking outside the box”.

It is no secret Champions League Football is a growing phenomenon in Guyana.

It has a vastly growing fan base, which has been a heartening fact for Yussuf.

“Five years ago, when we

Mall Entertainment Strip, Yussuf explained that this year’s intention is not about attracting a large audience, but rather ensure those who come enjoy the experience to the fullest.

“We had over 3500 persons at Giftland in 2017.

This year we would like to go a little smaller, as we want to ensure that everyone who attends enjoy the Heineken experience,” she said.

Yussuf further revealed that while the mood of the city will be filled with Soca,

The viewing party is usually filled to capacity (Yura Stephen photograph)

T

A glimpse of the youth basketball action

he Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) National School Basketball Festival (NSBF) Regionals round robin Under 14, Under 16 and Under 19 competitions continued on Saturday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with Chase’s Academy handing St. Rose’s High a crushing defeat.

The rebound-dominated encounter saw Chase’s gaining a small lead by half time,

and then working to maintain that lead by time the final buzzer went off. Orwin Kuley of Chase’s Academy took command of his team’s scoring by shooting a number of impressive 3-pointers. The youngster ended the night with 24 points, which led his team to a 34-23 victory.

On the other side, Chris Perez of St Rose’s registered the highest score for his team, 10 points.

The basketball action

will continue on Friday, May 18, with the Tutorial High Girls coming up against School of the Nation’s, after which last year’s runners-up, President’s College Girls, will face off against St Rose’s High. Under 19 action for that day will see School of the Nations and Plaisance Secondary going head to head, followed by the superb GTI team coming up against the experienced St Rose’s High.

tival for the 6th Heineken/ UEFA Champions League Viewing Party.

This was disclosed to Guyana Times Sport on Saturday by Heineken’s Brand Manager Darshanie Yussuf.

According to Yussuf, the move to the beach front comes as the ANSA McAL Group looks to be innovative in treating its large fan base.

“Our Heineken consumers have very high expectations of us, so every year we ensure that we exceed their

started the campaign promoting the Heineken UEFA Champions League, there was just a handful of people, enthusiast really, who were interested. I am happy to say that this, our 6th year, has seen a following where persons have been requesting tickets (invitation only) since 6 months ago”.

Outlining the continuous growth of the party, which moved from Georgetown Cricket Club stands to the Gravity Longue, to 704 Sports Bar and then the Giftland

due the presence of many top Caribbean artistes, the ANSA Group has decided to add a different flavour and bring Jamaica’s reggae sensation Tanya Stevens to perform at the after-party.

Tickets are only given at promotions at supermarkets at bars. Those locations include Palm Court, Giftland Entertainment Strip, Pizza Hut (Sheriff Street), Barbacoa, Seepaul’s Bar, Seeta's, along with all Bounty, DSL and Real Value supermarkets.

(Akeem Greene)

23 GFF striving to increase guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, may 14, 2018

Linden Synthetic player pool by 500% Track looking good for October 2018 T

he world-class synthetic track currently in development for Linden is on track for its projected October 2018 finish, according to Minister of Social Cohesion/ responsibility for Sport, Dr. George Norton.

The minister toured the Region 10 mining town on May 9, and disclosed that the first two phases of the track’s development w e r e completed, w h i l e work on the third phase was in progress.

Lindeners were given a glimpse of the progress designed by the German company BSW. Assistant Director of Sport, Melissa RichardsDow, said the progress has been smooth thus far. According to her, all bills of quantities have been prepared and submitted for evaluation.

Following the completion of the procurement process and selection of a contractor, construction of an eight-lane, 400-metre track will commence, with the laying of the track expected to be done between 14 and 21 days.

The facility is also expected to house numerous parts which will encourage other sport beats. “This was designed with the intention of having everybody involved, to have everybody included in the air of social cohesion,” Minister Norton said.

It was also hinted that the East Berbice-Corentyne Region Six area would also benefit from such a grant, as that region has been identified to have a synthetic track in the future.

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton

John crowned Independence 3-Stage Road Race champion

Some members of the Golden Jaguars team during a warm-up

T

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is completely focused on improving the level and quality of football being played in Guyana.

The key to this is producing strong, talented players who would be able to compete with or against international players. To this end, the GFF is striving to increase the number of registered players by a resounding 500%.

“Over the next 3-5 years, we aim to increase the number of young people playing football in Guyana by 500%,” Wayne Forde, president of the GFF, declared.

Currently there is a total of 1,260 players on board, registered with the Regional Member Associations (RMA) which are accredited by the GFF. Of those players, 325 are enrolled in the GFF Academy Training Centre programme, which spans the length and breadth of Guyana.

Forde is of the strong belief that football is an avenue for the betterment of the nation’s youth, and an antidote for negative peer pressure.

“My administration’s priorities during the past two and a half years have been deliberately focused on stabilizing the football fraternity.

Through football, these youths have the tangible opportunities to strengthen their resilience

to negative peer pressure and to build strong self-confidence in their abilities both on and off the field of play,” Forde has said.

The GFF has taken on a strategic approach to the situation by partnering with various entities in order to fund competitions, which will further encourage youths to get involved. The RMA is currently benefitting from a National Milling Company (NAMILCO) five-year contractual commitment of thirty million dollars, which will go towards the nation’s first intraassociation GFF/Flour Power Under-17 Boys League.

Additionally, the RMA is also in receipt of a twenty-five-milliondollar committed investment from the Pele Alumni Group for an Intra-

association GFF/Frank Watson Under-15 Boys League.

“In coming months, we will triple our investments in competition and support at the level of the RMA. Each member

will receive funding, material and technical support for their senior men’s and women’s divisional league; under-15 development girls league, under 13, 15 and 17 boys league, and an under 20 men’s league. These competitions will feed the Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme,” Forde stated.

The ATC is expected to produce players that will take Guyana into the 2016 FIFA World Cup.

Guyana Football Federation President Wayne Forde

GuyanaNRA fundraising raffle drawn

T Jamal John

J

amal John stormed to the top of the podium on Sunday as the curtain came down on the three-stage cycle road race to commemorate the 52nd Independence Anniversary.

After two days and many miles of racing in rainy weather, the Team Coco standout, who finished in the top five of each stage, was rewarded with the winner’s trophy.

John won the first stage on Saturday from Ocean View to Mahaicony and back; placed fifth in the second stage around D’Urban Park, also on Saturday; then returned yesterday to finish third in the finale behind United We Stand Cycle Club mates Briton John and Deeraj Garbarran.

The third leg was a 20-lap race around the outer circuit of the National Park.

Curtis Dey and Paul DeNobrega, John’s breakaway mates in the first stage, placed second and third overall for the event, which was organized by the United We Stand Cycle Club.

17 year-old Ajay Gopilall, winner of the second stage, was fourth overall; while Alonzo Ambrose and skilled veteran Junior Niles completed the top six overall positions.

he Guyana National Rifle Association (GuyanaNRA) fundraising raffle drawn this past weekend saw a lucky winner riding away with one new Jialing motorcycle.

The GuyanaNRA are extending gratitude to all persons who would have purchased tickets. They note that the funds raised would assist in offsetting expenses for the Guyana team which will be defending both their Long and Short Range at the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Championships set for Barbados from May 20.

The team recently concluded their final team practice session before leaving for Barbados on Saturday.

Held at the compound

of Industrial Safety Supplies Inc. at 226 Camp Street, Cummingsburg, the drawing saw the holder of ticket #0013050 (E. Brazilio) won the first prize of One Jialing 125cc motorcycle.

The second place prize of one 8HP Outboard Engine sponsored by Crown Mining Supplies was won by the holder of ticket #0006301.

Holder of ticket #0009178 won the third prize of one 50” TV, compliments of Industrial Safety Supplies Inc., while the fourth prize of one refrigerator, compliments of Queensway, was won by the holder of ticket #0005416.

The winners of the 10 consolation prizes sponsored by Mr. Andre De Abreu are: 1. One

electric fan: ticket #0040501; 2. Another electric fan: ticket #0040847; 3. One non-stick cooker: ticket #0007265; 4. One coffee maker: ticket #0040805; 5. One rice cooker: ticket #0035279; 6. Another rice cooker: ticket #0018799; 7. One six-speed mixer: ticket #0039055; 8. Two-burner gas cooker: ticket #0016718; 9. Nonstick pot: ticket #0013348; 10.

Ten-piece, non-stick cookware set: ticket #0043688.

Winners of the above prizes can uplift them from Mr. Hemant Narine at Industrial Safety Supplies Inc., 226 Camp Street Georgetown. They have three months within which they can uplift their prizes. They are also required to walk with a valid ID in going to uplift their prizes.

monDAY, may 14, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Chase’s trounce St Rose’s as YBG championships continue

Pg 22

Pg 23

Youth basketball action at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall

RDC/DEVCON school cricket launched Pg 22

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