Guyanatimes 20 december 2017

Burger King opens in Guyana P12

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Issue No. 3428

PRICE

Govt warns importers, retailers

Food, drugs, cosmetics not labelled in English will be refused entry

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: After spending 3 years in jail

P8

Jury frees man accused of Pegasus taxi driver’s murder

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…such items will be removed from shelves

City Hall to appeal High Court ruling …on parking meter by-laws

P7

Man jailed for causing pensioner’s P8 death

Brazil donates 10,000 units of MMR Vaccine to Guyana

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Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence receiving a portion of the MMR vaccines from Brazilian Ambassador to Guyana, Lineu Pupo de Paula in the presence of Director of Family Healthcare Services in the Public Health Ministry, Dr Ertenesia Hamilton

National Land Policy coming soon

– GL&SC Commissioner

Truck P14 crashes, uproots GPL pole

…near Rahaman’s Park

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Ex-cop caught Truck driver stealing Constable's shot, injured at Buck Hall car, crashing it Page 9

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Stillborn twoheaded baby delivered in Berbice P15 …at New Amsterdam Hospital

2 News

wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt warns importers, retailers

Truck driver shot, Food, drugs, cosmetics not labelled injured at Buck Hall

in English will be refused entry

…action will be taken countrywide to remove all such items from local market

T

he Government Analyst-Food & Drug Department (GAFDD) is issuing a warning to importers, wholesalers, and retailers to discontinue the importation and the sale of food, drugs and cosmetics which are labelled in a foreign language.

According to the GA-FDD Director, Marlon Cole, the Food and Drug Regulations of 1977 section 18 (15) stipulates that declarations made on labels of any food, drugs, cosmetics or medical devices must be in English; making it an offence to import, sell or distribute those foreign labelled articles on our local market.

“The Department is

therefore urging importers to ensure that only items labelled in English or with English translation are imported and to immediately cease the importation and sale of same. This decision has become increasingly necessary because of the illegal practice of some importers tampering with labels, consumer complaints and observations made by the Department,” Cole said in a release.

He further stated that members of the National Food Safety and Control Committee were briefed at a statutory meeting held on December 12, 2017, of this malpractice; “hence enforcement actions will be taken

P The GA-FDD says the product labelled in Spanish (on the left) is unacceptable while the one on the right in English is

countrywide to remove all foreign labelled food items from our local market.”

According to Cole, consumers are strongly advised to purchase items that are properly labelled in English.

The Department said it will be working in collaboration with the Guyana

Revenue Authority, through its Customs Department to ensure only items that are labelled in English are released for sale on our local market.

“Foreign labelled items will be refused entry,” said the GA-FDD Director.

olice ranks on the Essequibo Coast were on Tuesday hunting possible suspects for the brazen shooting of a 26-year-old truck driver, who hails from New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop.

The truck driver, Osafa Roberts, is currently listed in serious but stable condition at the Suddie Hospital in Essequibo.

According to information disclosed by Police, Roberts was leaving his employer’s business place just after

midnight at Jamakie, Buck Hall, Essequibo River when he was reportedly confronted by a male who shot him to the abdomen. He was rushed to the medical facility, where he is currently nursing his injuries.

Police in E Division (Linden-Kwakwani) disclosed that on Tuesday afternoon, detectives were on the scene seeking clues and conducting interviews to solve the crime as the investigations into the matter continue.

news

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

Judicial posts

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, December 20 – 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, December 21 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, December 20 – 05:20h-06:50h and Thursday, December 21 – 05:50h-07:20h.

Time for acting appointments to end – Bar Association

... dangerous to perception of due process, administration of justice

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to heavy rain showers can be expected during the day, with thundery showers returning in the evening. Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North Easterly to East North Easterly ranging between 2.68 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 05:30h and 17:41h reaching maximum heights of 2.51 metres and 2.62 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:16h and 23:41h reaching minimum heights of 0.71 metre and 0.59 metre respectively.

SATURDAY, december 16, 2017

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Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette CummingsEdwards, with acting Chief Justice Roxane George

A

mid moves to make substantive appointments to the most important positions in the Judiciary, the Guyana Bar Association is calling for a timely end to protracted acting positions. This comes after President David Granger’s announcement that a nominee has been found to take over one of these posts.

According to Vice President of the Bar Association, Teni Housty, acting appointments can affect the perception of the Judiciary’s fairness when making decisions. And while Housty noted that good decisions have so far been made by the appointees, such appointments are generally discouraged.

“In the context of the Judiciary, acting appointments are always discouraged. (Only) recently Sir Dennis Byron spoke out against (it). Certainly in judicial appointments, it (would) be the better option to the administration of justice, particularly to the perception.”

“It is about time and it should be resolved. For too long, they called it the academy awards for the media profession. I think it’s about time the acting stops, not only for Guyana but the whole perception of the Judiciary. The administration of justice would be improved.”

Granger, who had made the announcement of the nominee during a press conference, had revealed the jurist to be resident in the Caribbean. On the matter of an overseas jurist being chosen as opposed to a local one, Housty referenced the fact that Guyanese have flitted in between countries and have distinguished themselves overseas in the field of law.

“The beauty about the practise of law in a commonwealth legislature is that officers can come from any part of the world and we have Guyanese jurists who have distinguished themselves regionally and internationally.”

At his press conference, Granger had revealed that the person chosen for either of the top judicial posts is currently in Guyana. According to the Constitution, however, the President must hold con-

sultations with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

It remains to be seen whether approval will be given, with Granger stating that he was prepared to meet with Jagdeo. But while there have been criticisms that the President is too close to the process when the Judicial Service Commission ought to take the lead, Housty noted that the nominee was derived out of a process.

“The Constitution makes provisions for the manner in which the decision was made.

There was also a recommendation from a committee that had been convened. For some time now, they’ve had many acting Chancellors.

The only Chancellor who was confirmed was Chancellor Bernard.”

“So whatever modality is adopted, it’s the Leader of the Opposition who (must approve). Applications were invited. So it’s the result of a process.”

Just recently, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis

Byron zeroed in on the trend of persons being appointed to top positions in Guyana’s Judiciary but being forced to act for years while their confirmation remains in limbo.

In a recent address to the Guyana Bar Association, he condemned the fact that since former Chancellor Desiree Bernard demitted office; an agreement has not been reached for the substantive appointment of a Chancellor.

“This has brought us to the situation today where the number one and number two officials of the Guyana Judiciary have not been substantively appointed. This is a most unfortunate state of affairs,” the legal luminaire stated.

“This situation has moved well beyond what ought to be acceptable in a modern democracy where respect for the rule of law is maintained.

The Constitution envisages the Judiciary of Guyana to be headed by officials who are substantively appointed and enjoy all the legal and institutional mechanisms to secure their tenure,” he continued.

Byron bluntly stated that the delay is a breach of

Vice President of the Bar Association, Teni Housty

the spirit and intent of the Constitution.

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards, was appointed by President David Granger in May of this year. Prior to that, she acted as the Chief Justice from December 2015. She was never confirmed to the substantive position.

Edwards replaced Justice Carl Singh, who retired after acting as Chancellor since 2005. On the other hand, the current Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George, was also appointed to her position on the same day as Edwards.

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

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

Is fighting crime a fake promise?

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he high crime rate continues to be a tremendous source of bother to Guyanese, locally and overseas, and also to visitors. This drives and sustains fears in the minds of all with a consumption of focus on how to be safe. Based on the constant evolution of how crimes are daily executed, there appears little option for safety. Fortified premises have been constantly breached, resulting in serious injuries and loss of life thereby forcing the “nothing I can do” reality into the mindset of the populace.

There are various factors which make an already bad situation worse. Two of these factors are the exponential increase of these criminal activities and the violent resort to what some may want to classify as petty crimes. In the end, a crime is a crime and perpetrators must be made to feel the full brunt of the law prescribed for levels of severity. A worrying example is reflected in reports received about a young lad who was robbed by two armed men of a box of food he just bought. Had the young man resisted, he could have been injured, or worse, his life snuffed out.

This type of crime adds a different dimension; that of desperation which can further and swiftly snowball the current terrible situation. There have been reports of similar crimes, not necessarily confined to areas where unemployment has been forced to increase. Three women were recently robbed following an invasion of their city home by armed gunmen. Among the items stolen was a pair of footwear.

One can argue that some footwear are extremely expensive, however, such actions by armed marauders emphasise this growing desperation. It could mean that all are now more at risk through items not readily considered as of interest to bandits.

This exacerbates the prevailing fear in the minds of the citizenry and will have devastating effects on local and national economies due to the natural propensity to curtail movements and activities in these circumstances.

Obviously, the desperation is not only in the minds of the criminals, but also in the minds of the ordinary people. They are desperate for the situation to be arrested! They are desperate for the authorities to act in the interest of their safety. Droves of law enforcement agents recently waited and escorted to the Police Station the unarmed People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, Bishop Juan Edghill. All are hoping for the same efficiency and meticulous planning in combating the escalating crime wave.

While that scenario played out, somewhere someone was being robbed or a car probably hijacked. The swift response then and into the chambers of Parliament the day before is what all have been yearning for. Too often, the ordinary folks are being fed by the Police the diet of the unavailability of ranks or vehicles to respond to a crime in progress. During the 2015 election campaign, Guyanese may have been fed the fantasy of expertise and willpower that the coalition has security as a priority and will arrest the crime situation if voted into office.

Many had no reason to doubt especially when former law enforcement heads were proudly boasted of and showcased in the line-up headed by a retired Brigadier. With that kind of power resources, criminals must have at that time shudder to think of their fate. As the old adage wisely advises, it was too good to be true.

The reality is that crime ballooned after the coalition took the reins of power as exemplified by the current ongoing situation. It would, therefore, not be unfair to posit that Guyanese were given fake related promises.

None is under the illusion that crime will disappear regardless of who holds the seat of power. However, in this instance, the coalition sold the nation a silver bullet on crime, which ironically is flourishing despite two and a half years into their rule. During that time, criminals were pardoned much to the dissatisfaction of Guyanese further broadsiding their afflicted mindsets. As feared, afterwards a pardoned few were found to be involved in heinous crimes.

What is fast becoming detestable is the apparent trivialising of the situation. There is reported bureaucracy when following up and a seeming resort for solace through questionable crime statistics that appeared to be strategically released claiming a high percentage in crime reduction. Even if true, it brings no comfort to the bleeding victims and the potential others. It also makes it difficult not to question motives on the recent shuffling of part of the hierarchy of the Police Force.

Reportedly, the substantive Commissioner of Police was instructed to remain at home for concerns it would not be in the best interest of ‘Christmas security arrangements’. Maybe therein lies the problem; it’s not about Christmas and if what’s happening currently is a gauge, then it is a catalyst that will evaporate any hope for relief.

A mother and child share a moment on their houseboat on the Mekong River in Can Tho, Vietnam. Can Tho is the largest city in the Mekong Delta, and at 105 miles from Ho Chi Minh City, is nicknamed “the western capital” (Photograph by Andy House, National Geographic Your Shot)

Parking meter ruling a good Christmas present Dear Editor, The recent High Court quashing of the parking meter by-laws must be music to the ears of most Guyanese and just about the best Christmas present the Private Sector, not least among them the New Building Society, could have received from a Judge.

Everyone is aware of the haphazard and arbitrary manner in which the Georgetown City Council went about this initiative. In fact one could be fairly confident that the other actions taken by entities such as the Movement Against Parking Meters will also defeat the Council’s illegal actions, as from the very beginning, it has to be noted that this entire arrangement has been

founded on a falsehood, which makes the entire process null and void.

The claim made to the present Council that the previous Council of the Georgetown Municipality had recommended and approved a parking meter contract is just plain and simple imaginary, fictitious and a big fat lie. And the culprit that misled the Council, the Government and the nation in this regard should be prosecuted.

It is quite shocking that the present group of City Councillors, fully aware by now that they were conned by the administrators into believing that the previous Council had approved the contract, are still not demanding to see the minutes of the meeting that purported-

ly approved it. They are still not moving to have the perpetrators of this untruth which is a very serious wrongdoing, dealt with condignly, but are rather just burying their heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich.

Of course, no such approval can be produced, as none exists, but just as appalling is the fact that the negotiating committee continues to allow itself to be disrespected by Smart City Solutions which has failed to produce the necessary documentation they require to properly review the contract and concession.

And now, quite arrogantly, the ‘Fantastic Four’ has responded by notifying the public that it is actively engaged with its legal team,

examining various options regarding the course of action to be taken, having regard to this recent ruling as they are of the view that the ruling exceeded the scope of the challenge, and as such, are thinking about challenging same before an Appellate Court to test its soundness.

In days gone by, the old people would have described the City Council as having ‘Bruk stick in their ears’ as it relates to their persistence with the scandalous parking meter contract.

What has been made clear by all and sundry, is that the contract is criminal, it is extremely unlawful and is corrupt to the core.

Sincerely, Modi Sankar

If anyone in town is lazy, it is the Finance Minister Dear Editor, I refer to a letter by Wesley Kirton titled, “When it comes to protection of our territory, no stones should be left unturned”. The gentleman, commenting on the US$18 million-dollar controversy, seems to support the President and Ministers involved in the non-disclosure of this money. He even suggests that the public should keep its mouth shut about the non-disclosure, unless it wants Venezuela to take away Essequibo, and for us to have to rewrite the Constitution.

Kirton feels the media can play a “critical role” is keeping the public quiet in what he in his luxurious patriotism refers to as a situation that requires a “cer-

tain degree of confidentiality in Guyana’s best interest.”

But first, the media must do some hard work.

To support his suggestion, Kirton quotes, of all persons, the Finance Minister: “Minister Winston Jordan says the media in Guyana is lazy. Prove him wrong.”

This gentleman rivals the usual propagandists on the Government’s payroll, who have recently gone quiet. He just may have a valid point about the media. After all, it is the Editor, Adam Harris, who has asked the public to be quiet and trust the Finance Minister. According to Adam Harris, the Finance Minister is not likely to do any wrong because he is very “afraid of jail”.

While one welcomes

the day when Government Ministers and politicians are sent to jail, I have no knowledge of Ministers being sent to jail for wrongdoings. For public officials, jail seems to be more of an invitation to do wrong, than a deterrence to do right.

But the media does not have to prove the Finance Minister wrong. He has done that himself. Indeed, if anyone in town is lazy, it is the Finance Minister. This is so because his boss, the President of the Republic, stated on record that the money was held in an escrow account when documentary evidence shows otherwise.

This is classic elections material for a vigilant Opposition party. It is the Finance Minister who was

being lazy when he allowed the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, to neutralise his relevance by dictating financial decisions to the President, when that was the Finance Minister’s job.

Here we have one Minister being paid for not doing his job, and another Minister being paid for doing what is not his job. More elections material. With this kind of excellent representational government, the public may lose not only Essequibo, but the entire country with all of its stones upturned not to Venezuela but to oil companies.

Sincerely, Rakesh Rampertab

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

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

A psychological fox emerges Dear Editor, The citizens of Guyana have endured a long, a bitter undemocratic rule (1968-1992) under the People’s National Congress (PNC). Economic and social decay pervaded the nation, which became paralysed by the pure mismanagement of the State’s resources, coupled with an outright disregard for Opposition parties, private enterprise, as well as individual rights and liberty. The dark rule of the PNC was brought to a much-anticipated end, as the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) secured a resounding and conclusive victory on October 5, 1992.

Post-May 2015 has seen the return to the dark days of the PNC – through the piloting of an A Partnership for National Unity brand, along with an Alliance For

Change co-brand. The PNC has never been open to democratic values and principles, and went to great length to exercise total control of the economy – which began with a PNC/United Force coalition Government. The PPP fought tirelessly for the collective voice of the masses to be heard, and the unfettered exercise of their free will.

The PPP has stimulated and nurtured a democratic culture during its 23 years in Government, which has allowed for the participation of every citizen in the political process. As anticipated, the PNCled coalition Government has carefully orchestrated a reversal to an undemocratic political system – the very system which kept the party in power for almost three decades. Guyana must now grapple with this stark reality, as President Granger graceful-

ly positions himself to receive the blessing as an autocratic ruler, with an elitist political view.

Authoritarianism is back! The Granger-led Administration is fixated in the belief and practice of Government ‘from above’.

As you would recall, since this coalition Government took office in 2015, they have been exercising their authority regardless of popular consent. The appointment of the Guyana Elections Commission Chairman, interference in the Police Service Commission, discontinuing of the Amaila Hydro Falls Project, and the secretive signing bonus from ExxonMobil, are but a fraction of the examples which can be used to explain the authoritative nature of this Government – led by no other than the President himself.

President Granger’s autocrat-

ic style goes against the grain of the democratic culture the PPP/C helped to cultivate and nurture.

Guyanese have enjoyed a stable political environment under the PPP/C, and the collective voice of the Private Sector, civil society, and the masses indicate that our democratic values are being eroded by the Granger-led coalition Government.

This must be taken very seriously by the people of Guyana, since an undemocratic political system will destroy the economy, and each citizen’s life and livelihood will be negatively impacted.

The people of Guyana must now organise themselves in the form of social control, to ensure their democratic rights and privileges, are not denied in the political process.

President Granger in no

stranger to the PPP/C. The Party is aware of his unwavering loyalty to the ‘Burnhamite’ philosophy.

Citizens do not be fooled, the ‘iron law of oligarchy’ had been reborn under the Grangerled Administration. The current Administration is authoritative, with an elitist political view, as President Granger seeks to consolidate his power.

The march of autocratic leaders cannot be halted, unless citizens get involved. Let us get involved in the political process and influence decision making at all levels of Government – as the worst is yet to come. Failing to take action now, will see the rise of dictator and ‘psychological lion’.

Sincerely, Bishop Juan Edghill, PPP/C MP

Decrease in agriculture's budgetary allocation Dear Editor, The 2018 agriculture budgetary allocation saw a decrease of $1.351 billion over the 2017 allocation. This allocation was approved by the Committee of Supply without any debate; hence, the lack of reason for this decrease. Other things being equal, it would have been assumed that the monies saved from the Guyana Sugar Corporation subsidy would have been used to strengthen the other agriculture subsectors. This would have been more urgent given the dire poverty being experienced by some sugar dependent communities such as Wales, Rose Hall and Skeldon. However, this does not seem to be the case.

It will be insightful and revealing to quickly assess the allocations in the Agriculture Capital Budget and the source of funds.

The Agriculture Capital Budget is $4.6 billion funded by foreign grants and loans

to the tune of $2.587 billion and funding by the Central Government accounting for $2.014 billion.

The foreign grants and loans came from the Caribbean Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the International Development Association, the Constituency Development Fund and the Governments of India and Japan. These loans and grants were given for specific projects in specific areas aimed at alleviating the drainage and irrigation problems, rehabilitating access dams as well as supplying technical assistance, construction and rehabilitation of agriculture centres, and funding pilot projects in meat processing and hinterland environmentally sustainable agriculture development projects in Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper

Essequibo).

It is worthwhile to note that the Hinterland Project will provide investment plans, investment funds, SOFA studies and institutional strengthening which is highly laudable. Since this will definitely increase the production and productivity in Regions One and Nine. A similar initiative by Central Government in those depressed sugar communities would have breathed some life in them. But I guess the needs of these communities are not a priority.

The Central Government contribution of $2.014 billion went mostly towards drainage and irrigation while some went towards improving rice variety and seed production, refurbishing the Guyana School of Agriculture, the National Agricultural Research and

Extension Institute and the new Guyana Marketing Corporation, while some will be spent on improving our Hydromet services.

Undoubtedly, drainage and irrigation are vitally important and should be given due emphasis and so are the research and development programmes. These will definitely improve the production and productivity levels to a certain extent. But it must be pointed out here that eventually the laws of diminishing returns will take effect and no matter how many inputs we continue to administer on the fixed amount of land the marginal output will decrease. So what happens then?

While the Agriculture Sector Budget is addressing the replacement of pumps, sluices, access dams and the

purchase of other machinery and equipment, there is a definite need to address the amount of arable lands available for the expansion of our agriculture subsectors. This is a sore area for our farmers, especially our rice farmers who are forced to rent lands at exploitative rates thereby adding as much as 20 per cent to their cost of production.

Moreover, there is currently a growing market for our rice and paddy but the Agriculture Ministry lacks the vision to take full advantage of that. Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) has vast acreage of land bordering on more than 200,000 acres standing idle while farmers are being held at ransom by some avaricious land owners. When will Governments learn that they need to do like the Apaches and put

their ears to the ground?

What is wrong with our policymakers? Are they satisfied with ‘cutting and pasting’ or just adjusting figures? I have heard about budget consultations but I am yet to determine if these are the right stakeholders who have been consulted! The supply of land for agricultural purposes needs to be increased and all the red tapes and bureaucracies removed!

The Agriculture Capital Budget lacks the vision needed to transform the agriculture sector especially in agriculture based regional economies such as Region Six there is a drastic need for more lands to become accessible to farmers.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf Regional Councillor Region Six

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

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By Vinita Mehta, PhD, EdM

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amily is forever, the saying goes.

Sadly, this isn’t true for everyone.

Family estrangements are on the rise - according to one study, they may be as common as divorce. It’s painful and alienating for those involved, and the holidays can be a particularly difficult time for those who are not in contact with family members.

What do family estrangements entail?

A recent study by Kristina Scharp of Utah State University sought to better understand how this breakdown happens.

Family estrangements occur when at least one family member begins distancing themselves from another because of longstanding negativity in the relationship.

This involves reducing social interactions and interdependence.

Though it is putatively understood that parents love their children unconditionally and would do anything for them, anecdotal and empirical evidence has found that that this isn’t always the case, thus explaining why adult children may opt to decrease or cease contact with one or both parents.

Studies reveal that the main reasons adult children seek an estrangement from a parent are abuse, bad parenting, betrayal, mental illness, unsupportive behaviour, toxicity, and drug and alcohol abuse. And while the experiences that drove these individuals to distance themselves were painful, the estrangement process is also in and of itself traumatic.

Parent-child estrangements are markedly different than other relationship breakdowns, Scharp contends. While they also involve the desire of one person in the dyad to decrease interdependence, this relationship is thought of as nonvoluntary. It’s just assumed that, be it good or bad, parents and children are essentially stuck with each other. This stands in contrast to friends and romantic partners, where the forged bond is volitional. Thus, when a parent or child begins to distance themselves from the other, it can leave both parties feeling unprepared.

This breakdown also lacks structure, unlike a divorce, which has a clearer legal recourse.

Moreover, and in contrast to other relationships that follow a more predictable course towards a break-up or the finality of divorce,

guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation parent-child estrangements often happen in fits and starts over stretches of time.

And for those involved, their grief often goes unrecognised.

Adult children usually find little if any support from others in their social network, which includes immediate and extended family as well as friends. Instead, they often come up against those who fail to understand their predicament, or refuse to consider their perspective. Others may even take it upon themselves to try to get the parties to reconcile, without regard to why the breakdown happened in the first place. Unsurprisingly, studies show that estrangements are associated with later physical and emotional problems.

In light of these factors, Scharp argues that clarifying the estrangement process can help clinicians diagnose estrangement and identify where support may be needed, help individuals who are undertaking such a distance to recognise and give voice to their experience, and educate individuals who are in a position to offer support to those in the estrangement process. To that end, she collected the narrative accounts of 52 adult children in the process of estrangement from their parents, and identified eight components: Communication Quality.

This refers to the reduction of meaningful contact.

It includes limiting the breadth and depth of

information discussed, and “deidentifying” with the parent. As one participant reflected, “When I talked to them it was only about certain topics.”

Communication Quantity.

This entails reducing the amount of contact between members. In order to achieve this, many adult children simply declared the relationship over with no recourse to strike a compromise or discuss the matter further. Some participants were less extreme, opting to communicate their dissatisfaction with the relationship or tapering communication with their parents.

One participant recalled, “I really didn’t answer phone calls for a long while.

I would get regular, almost daily . . . weekly phone calls from my mom. I didn’t answer them because I knew, I mean I had caller ID before I had a cell phone, and I’d just be like, “Ok, it’s my mom, don’t need to answer it . . . don’t need to.”

Physical Distance. To create greater physical distance, family members must both move away (eg, move out of shared home, move to different region, etc) and stay away (eg, forgo holiday visits and events involving the family member, etc).

For some adult children, this resulted in living with the other parent (in cases of divorce).

In many senses, however, leaving the area was far easier than staying away.

Typically, adult children found themselves creating and enforcing boundaries, like making it hard for their parents to track them down or not visiting at holiday time.

As a participant explained, “…when we want to get together for holidays, I’ll just come up with, Oh sorry, I’ve already gotten this planned or whatever.”

Presence/Absence of Emotion.

This refers to the “quantity of emotion” adult children had for their parents.

Adult children reported that as time passed, their feelings for their parents steadily diminished.

This was often the result of not experiencing or perceiving love from one’s parent. As one participant put it, “I don’t have any feelings, really one way or the other, for my father. So there were no feelings there to deal with. So the emotions were less.” (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

Christmas traditions W

e Guyanese have certain Christmas traditions that nearly everyone knows of.

We make black cake, we imbibe sorrel drink and ginger beer, we make garlic pork, and we of course, are treated to masqueraders on the streets dancing for spare change. Whilst not all Guyanese may be fond of our traditions, I’m here Ashley Anthony to tell you they could be far stranger!

Around the globe, Christmas is celebrated in numerous ways, some of which can seem completely unrelated to Christianity. This is because the celebration of Christmas coincides with many winter holidays, and these pagan festivals have left behind some curious traditions, which have now become associated with Christmas. We all know of Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, or Father Christmas. He serves as incentive for children to behave, by rewarding them with gifts. On the other hand, lesser-known Krampus, can be seen as a demon Saint Nick, or perhaps his evil twin. Described as half goat, half demon, Krampus punishes children who have been naughty. Krampus accompanies Santa Claus, and while Santa puts candies in the shoes of good children and birch branches in the shoes of bad ones, Krampus uses the birch branches to beat bad children, and is even believed to snatch them up to take them away to be tortured or eaten. Krampus is claimed to be the son of the Norse God of the Underworld. Despite many attempts to banish Krampus, he still remains a part of Christmas celebrations in most of Europe. There is also an annual parade known as Krampus run, where young men dress up as Krampus and parade the streets. Supposedly, the root of this ritual is that it scares away winter ghosts.

A less frightening tradition is that of Great Britain, where each family member must stir the Christmas pudding in a clockwise direction making a wish, before the pudding can be cooked. The pudding must be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, (known as Stir up Sunday), and should be prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles. The clockwise turning is meant to be from East to West, representing the Magi (three wise men), and their journey. Some people even went so far as to include small silver coins in the mix, and the persons who found them would be blessed with wealth in the coming year.

On the line of Christmas foods, in South Africa, a traditional Christmas feast includes “Mopane” or fried worms. The worm is not really a worm, but is in fact the fried emperor moth caterpillars. Some view it as a delicacy, and others dismiss it as bush meat. In Japan, thanks to an incredibly successful ad campaign in the mid-70s, Christmas has become irreversibly associated with KFC. The campaign “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!), was inspired by some Americans who were looking for turkey (a staple of American Christmas), and could not find any. They opted for Chicken instead.

Now, even though Christmas is not a recognised national holiday, people swarm KFC, some even reserving spots, or ordering their chicken months in advance to avoid the lines which can keep you standing for more than two hours.

There are tonnes of unorthodox Christmas traditions, from the refusal of Norwegians to clean on Christmas (lest their brooms be stolen by witches), to Ukrainians who decorate their trees with fake spiders and webs, to Greece where they believe evil goblins who live underground surface during the 12 days of Christmas, and make mischief. It makes for an incredibly interesting read if you’re a Christmas enthusiast, and in the very least, it makes us appreciative of our seemingly tame traditions.

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

City Hall to appeal High Court ruling …on parking meter by-laws

One of the parking meters

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

he Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown has indicated its intention to challenge the recent High Court ruling quashing the by-laws of the controversial parking meter project with Smart City Solutions.

Mayor Patricia Chase Green said the city’s legal team was in the process of giving notice of appeal to formally commence the proceedings.

Chase Green, in an interview with Guyana Times, said all the processes in legalising the by-laws of the parking meter contract with Smart City Solutions, were adhered to and she was confused by Justice Nareshwar Harnanan’s December 17 ruling.

Justice Harnanan ruled that the procedure used to bring into effect the by-laws was breached, resulting in them being invalid.

“What part of the process we failed in I am not quite certain, because we would have had extensive notices done at City Hall, at the National Library, at all of the Post Offices and at all of our markets .… I don’t know, but we are challenging it because as a Council, we have a right,” the Mayor said.

On January 23, 2017, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan signed the

by-laws that were approved at the December 13, 2016 Statutory Meeting of the Council.

The M&CC had entered into a contract with Smart City Solutions Inc on May 13, 2016, for parking meters to be implemented in Georgetown.

Chase Green alluded to Article 28:01 of the District Councils and Municipalities Act, which she said makes provision for the municipality to formulate by-laws and for the Minister to sign off on them. Additionally, the Mayor stated that the work of the municipality would not be stalled by the ruling,

of the city’s metered parking by-laws. NBS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anil Kishun, in an affidavit, noted that the approval granted was unlawful “in that it was done in breach of the Municipal and District Councils Act” and was, therefore, “null and void and of no legal effect”.

He outlined that the notice of intention to apply for the approval of the Minister of any by-law must be published in the Official Gazette not less than 14 days before the application is made. Kishun, in his affidavit, stated that this was not done and that the provisions of Section 305 of the Act were not followed and the Minister’s approval was granted unlawfully, unreasonably, without or in excess of jurisdiction and in breach of the statute.

The ruling comes after a new committee was formed to renegotiate the contract with SCS and was at a point of inking a new agreement.

Under the proposal, persons would be entitled to pay $100 per hour and could park in any space as opposed to the initial system where they paid for space and time.

However, the Mayor informed that the work of the renegotiating committee

City Hall

adding that it was in the process of drafting new bylaws for littering.

The case was filed in February by the New Building Society and sought to challenge the legality

would not be affected by the ruling and that she was anticipating the report following the consultation.

The new committee is being chaired by Councillor Akeem Peter and consists

of Councillors Noelle ChowChee (Vice Chairperson); Oscar Clarke; Jameel Rasul; James Samuels; Heston

Bostwick and Ivor Henry.

The Mayor mandated that two members of the public also sit on the commit-

tee and Civil Engineer Owen Godfrey Edwards and Accountant Robin Hunte were selected.

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Man jailed for causing pensioner’s death

S

eekumar Singh, the drunk driver who drove recklessly on September 19, 2017, thereby causing the death of pensioner Basil Rambarran, was on Tuesday jailed for two years.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan handed down the sentence after she found the 45-year-old guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

During the trial, the court heard that the accident occurred at about 16:45h on September 19, as Rambarran was heading

Seekumar Singh will serve two years in jail for causing death by dangerous driving

home from work.

According to Police reports, the minibus driver was heading towards Timehri, on the East Bank of Demerara, when the cyclist crossed the road and into the path of the oncoming minibus and the collision resulted.

Singh was subsequently arrested when he failed a breathalyser test that found his alcohol level in excess of the legal limit.

The pensioner succumbed to multiple injuries, according to a post-mortem

report.

Following the guilty decision, Singh’s Attorney, Lloyd Conway, in plea for leniency, noted that his client since the incident has cooperated fully with the Police.

He also reminded the court that his client attempted to save the life of the deceased after he was struck by rushing him to the hospital.

Magistrate McLennan considered the prevalence of the offence and thus handed down the two-year sentence.

After spending 3 years in jail

Jury frees man accused of Pegasus taxi driver’s murder

Deceased: Rubranauth Jeeboo

By Shemuel Fanfair

A

fter several weeks appearing before a judge in connection with the murder of Pegasus taxi driver Rubranauth Jeeboo, the former accused, Lorenzo Forde, was freed of the capital offence, following his acquittal by a 12-member jury.

This means that the 21-year-old man will be able to spend the Christmas holidays with his family after

spending three years incarcerated.

The jury’s decision to free Forde came after just two hours of deliberation following the summing up of the case by Justice Brassington Reynolds, who presided over the matter.

According to reports, on December 27, 2013, Jeeboo left his Campbellville, Georgetown home for work, and the following day, around 07:50h, his body was discovered with several injuries in a heap of garbage at Caneview Avenue.

Forde was 17 years old when he was accused of the man’s murder.

During the course of the weeks-long trial, the jury heard that there was no image taken of the interior of the deceased man’s Toyota Allion motor car. This had been revealed by former Policewoman Delicia Browne, who told the Court that she

A smiling Lorenzo Forde who was freed of the murder charge

was not asked to take photographs of the vehicle’s interior.

Later on in the trial, Police Sergeant Jomo Williams, who was the principal investigator for the taxi driver’s murder, had admitted to the Court that he never took fingerprints from the accused, because he was not asked to.

The Police witness had further stated that he could not

recall if any other evidence was taken from the car besides the fingerprints.

The jury also had to consider that during the Policeman’s testimony, he had noted that to his knowledge, none of the prints found had matched those of the man who was on trial. The Police witness did, however, point out that some of the prints matched another accused, whose name was called out in court. Forde was initially charged with another accused, Shawn Edinboro, who was absolved of the crime by way of being discharged at the end of proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court more than two years ago.

State Counsels Shawnette Austin, Lisa Cave and Tiffini Lyken presented the prosecution’s case while Forde was represented by defence counsels Hewley Griffith and Rachael Bakker.

Vendor charged for buying $1.4M in stolen items

A

Stabroek Market vendor who reportedly knowingly bought a number of stolen items found himself before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Kelston Adams, 38, of 738 Lot “Y” Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown, however denied the charge read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The charge stated that on December 6 and 13, 2017, at Stabroek Market, Georgetown he received three motor vehicle batteries, three pressed volume amplifiers and one 3300-volt generator with a total valued of $1.4 million; property of Leonard Sutchingyong, knowing that the items were illegally obtained.

Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore revealed that all of the items were found in Adams’ home. He however had no objections to bail being granted.

As such, Magistrate McLennan released the vendor on $70,000 bail. The case will continue on January 3, 2018.

As the world turns…

N

…some can stop it o…no…no! Your Eyewitness isn’t getting into that biblical morass as to whether God did in fact stop the Sun on the bequest of Joshua or whether technically it should’ve been the earth that had to be stopped to lengthen the day!! Naaah! The topic de jour is the fact that the US was able to stop the world by its representative to the UN merely putting up her hand in the Security Council!!

While they try to make the fact low keyed, the UN isn’t exactly the democratic institution they “boast and brigah” about! In fact, it’s an organisation steeped in the inequity of caste! The 193 countries on planet Earth that belong to the UN General Assembly are told they’re EQUAL, with equal votes and suchlike, all right. But the real power doesn’t lie with them – it lies with the Security Council, which has just five PERMANENT members and 10 other members elected every two years.

But even the Security Council which has the final say over the resolutions of the General Assembly – has its caste characteristics. The five permanent members – the United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom – have a “VETO POWER’ over the Security Council’s decisions – and by implication, over the rest of the world! The “veto power” thus confers the imprimatur of legitimacy to the decisions of the “Fabulous Five”, over the rest of the 188 other members!!

This power was exercised last week when the US used its veto to kill the General Assembly’s resolution calling on countries to avoid establishing Embassies in Jerusalem.

The vote was 14 against and 1 for – the “1” being the US, which was willing to thumb its nose at even its closest allies like Britain. President Trump, of course, had earlier declared it was moving its Embassy to Jerusalem – fully aware this move was implicitly backing Israeli’s position over the Palestinian’s, in the tense Middle East.

But the US hasn’t been the only permanent member that’s used its veto power – which was given to the victors of WWII – 72 years ago!! In November, Russia vetoed a commission investigating chemical weapons attacks in Syria; in February, China and Russia vetoed UN sanctions over chemical weapons there, while back in December 1989, the US, France and the UK vetoed a draft resolution condemning the US invasion of Panama.

In the 21st century, it’s high time democracy enters the chambers of the UN, with the General Assembly of the 193 nations of the world finally having the last say!

Well, with a New Year coming up…we can wish, can’t we? …continuity and change Since the forties when it pioneered the independence movement in the British Empire, India’s held a special place in our political thinking. And since apartheid was overthrown under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, South Africa shared that iconic status. Interestingly, South Africa was the testing ground for Gandhi’s political strategy of “civil disobedience” or “satyagraha” before he unfurled it in India. We’re all connected!

Over in India, the BJP, which displaced the Congress Party as the dominant all-India party after almost 50 years, continued its winning ways in two key states. But the Congress showed resiliency in Gujarat – the home state of PM Modi himself!! That’s positive because democracy needs competitive party politics.

Over in South Africa, Cyril Ramphosa beat out the exwife of President Zuma to become the candidate of the ANC in 2019 elections. Some fear the ANC might be split.

If it does, that’s also positive – since like in India, the overweening all-encompassing “Independence Party” can become undemocratic with no opposition.

Power to the people!! …City Hall remains unchanged Talk is, City Hall will not be able to pay salaries in time for Christmas. But the Mandarins there might be able to stop them feeling devastated like sugar workers.

How about cutting present salaries to fit the budget??

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

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

2018 will be more difficult for sugar workers – former Tug Captain …berates outgoing CEO for performance

By Shemuel Fanfair

A

former Tug Captain attached to the Wales Sugar Estate, Gordon Thomas has expressed much despondency regarding the future of sugar workers across the country, indicating the difficulties that lie ahead for the industry.

This comes in light of reports that some 4000 sugar workers will lose their jobs by year-end.

Thomas, a vocal critic against the closure of the estates, told Guyana Times in a recent interview that much of the recent misfortunes registered in the ailing industry should be attributed to outgoing Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Chief Executive Officer

(CEO) Errol Hanoman. The CEO is expected to part ways with the State entity when his contract expires at the end of this year.

“It’s a great relief not only to the people in Wales but in the whole industry that Hanoman is finally gone. He misled this Government but there’s a saying: ‘too late, too late shall be the cry’… at the end of the day, the peoples’ cries were on Hanoman; workers are pleased that he is gone,” Thomas told this newspaper.

Hanoman had resigned from the position under the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government in 2010, after just one year serving in the post and was rehired after

the coalition Administration assumed office in 2015. On both occasions, it was reportedly observed that personal commitments were responsible for his leaving.

Thomas, nevertheless, berated Hanoman for his performance, saying that the official did not make use of allocations from the State to assist in the industry’s operations.

“2018 will continue to be more a difficult time for sugar workers, not only in Wales but in the entire industry.

People continuing to feel the brunt, because there is no increase, no API and people’s morale are very low because of the management of GuySuCo,” the former Wales Tug Captain observed.

Ex-cop caught stealing Constable’s car, crashing it …Police vow to dismantle carjacking gang

A

n ex-Cop was promptly detained on Monday after he attempted to steal a car belonging to a Police Constable but failed when he crashed the vehicle a short distance away.

Reports surrounding the incident revealed that at around 10:30h, the plain clothes Constable, 32-yearold Rawle Alexander, of Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt parked his Silver Toyota Carina 212 motorcar at Second Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, to make a quick stop at a nearby store.

The officer reportedly left his car keys in the ignition.

However, when he returned just mere minutes after, he noticed a male racing away West on Second Street with his vehicle, turning South into Cummings Street.

The perpetrator in his bid to escape, crashed the car into two other parked vehicles, motor van GVV 9639 and vehicle PNN 2387, a short distance away.

As such, he was apprehended and taken into custody where he was identified as an ex-Policeman, Randy Charles, 33, who resides in Red Road, Sophia, Greater Georgetown. An investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, as car owners are now forced to operate their vehicles in fear that they might be the next victim in the growing string of carjacking attacks, Police A Division (GeorgetownEast Bank Demerara) Commander Marlon Chapman on Tuesday announced that the Police Force have recorded some success in cracking down on such cases.

Chapman was at the time speaking at the Guyana Police Force’s A Division annual Christmas Celebration when he took the opportunity to applaud ranks within his jurisdiction for recent

A Division Commander Marlon Chapman

fruitful efforts in clamping down on hijacking incidents in and around the city.

In doing so, the Assistant Commissioner of Police relayed, “One of major concerns in the Division is the offence of robbery under arms where vehicles are being stolen and I am pleased to inform you that we have made some success thus far.”

The A Division Commander further detailed that, “Two persons are in custody, one as recent as yesterday (Monday), and my assurance to you is that that gang will be dismantled.”

Earlier this year, the Guyana Police Force had issued a warning, particularly to taxi drivers operating Toyota Premio and Allion motorcars, signalling that there is a brewing scheme to attack and relive the motorists of their vehicles.

Ever since this announcement back in February, these cases have only been on a rise, some of which have seen taxi drivers being brutalised in the ploy as bandits cart off with their vehicles.

On Monday there were reports of one such sickening attack which saw armed hijackers driving off in a vehicle carrying a sleeping child.

After realising the child was in the car, the young girl was tossed out of the motorcar as the carjackers made good their escape.

However, according to Police last week, there have been 25 carjackings in the past seven months.

However until recently, Police were unable to zoom in on possible suspects, and as such, the vehicles have not been recovered.

Guyana Times understands that Police have approached certain mechanic shops with the hope of finding the hijacked vehicles, but have come across stumbling blocks.

It is on this note that a multi-agency approach was conceptualised which will allow for investigators to be armed with the necessary tools and information on specifications so as to narrow in on suspects and ultimately recover the stolen cars.

Former Tug Captain at Wales Sugar Estate, Gordon Thomas

In 2015, production reached 200,000 tonnes, but at the end of December last year, it was announced that 2016’s figure (183,652 tonnes) was the lowest production since 1990 when 129,920 tonnes of sugar had been recorded.

Thomas further claimed that the current Administration has not been employing suitable managers to effectively run the industry.

“The Government listens and takes instructions from people who don’t even have an idea of running this industry. It is a very sad moment for sugar workers.

Unless you put the right people to run the industry,

you wouldn’t get good results,” Thomas contended.

His comments come on the heels of his fellow sugar workers highlighting the strain of not having enough money to meet their basic needs following the closure of the Wales Estate on December 31, 2016. To date, many workers are still coping without their severance payments as they opted against taking up employment at Uitvlugt Estate, located some 22 miles away.

Some of the workers remarked that their wives were the only ones working which in some instances is putting a strain on how couples relate to one another.

One of the workers who is awaiting his severance payment told this newspaper on Sunday that at times of argument, he was subjected to statements whereby his wife reminded him of his employment status.

“All like how I am not working, sometime, you hearing wrong talk and all kind ah thing,” the former sugar worker who declined to be identified had observed.

Since the closure of Wales, there has been the scaling down of other estates across the country – more than 3000 sugar workers

GuySuCo CEO Errol Hanoman

across the Enmore, Skeldon and Rose Hall Estates were given letters of redundancy, in which their services were terminated.

Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) President Komal Chand had remarked that Government could take steps to salvage the industry, saying that dismissed workers could be rehired so that they could properly provide for themselves and families.

“We hope that these workers will be quickly rehired because they are facing very difficult times putting their children in school and to live,” Chand told Guyana Times earlier this month.

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Brazil donates 10,000 units of MMR Vaccine to Guyana

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razilian Ambassador to Guyana, Lineu Pupo de Paula handed over a quantity of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) Vaccine to the Public Health Ministry on behalf of his government on Tuesday.

Receiving the donation were Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence; Director of Family Healthcare Services, Dr Ertenesia Hamilton and Focal Point for Adolescent Health, Dr Oneka Scott.

A total of 10,000 units were received to aid in the continued fight against the MMR viruses. The Brazilian Ambassador noted, “This is the second donation that Brazil is offering for the Ministry of Health this year.”

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence receiving a portion of the MMR vaccines from Brazilian Ambassador to Guyana, Lineu Pupo de Paula in the presence of Director of Family Healthcare Services in the Ministry, Dr Ertenesia Hamilton

Earlier in 2017, Brazil and PAHO/WHO donated drugs to help counter-

act Leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease found in tropical and sub-tropical countries.

Ambassador Pupo de Paula said, “It is in our interest to help to vaccinate children and everybody…This just shows how good the relationship between the two countries is going.”

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister Lawrence welcomed the Brazilian Government’s gesture, noting that the vaccines acquired would go directly towards ‘cross border vaccination activities’.

“We do have a lot of persons traversing through Guyana, whether they are coming here to find work or to invest or whether they are using here as a ‘jump off’ point to some other neighbouring country,” the Minister explained.

She alluded to the fact that there were outbreaks of the MMR viruses in neighbouring countries. However, she noted that through efforts by these countries and Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO), initiatives were put in place to prevent the spread of such viruses.

Although these outbreaks did not affect Guyana in any significant way, Minister Lawrence emphasised that the vaccines acquired would “ensure that we have a stockpile of vaccines…We have a vaccination programme in Guyana, we are catering for that through our budget and through some of our partners”.

Further, she added, “because of the high incidence of persons going back and forth --- Brazilians, Surinamese, Venezuelans and so on, this boost will help us to take off that excess and ensure that we always have, to be able to help our sisters and brothers from the neighbouring states.”

The adult population will be primarily targeted. Public Health Ministry Director of the Family HealthCare Services, Dr Ertenesia Hamilton detailed, “Some of our adults are still at risk because they would have not benefited .… So this

Decolonisation

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atiricus was jubilant. In all the doom and gloom over the so-called “bad behaviour” in Parliament, he had kept his cool, even as his editor had insisted he cover the goings on there. In Satiricus’ estimation, the British had left us two great institutions – Parliament and cricket. And not necessarily in that order. That had become the topic in the gyaaf at the Back Street Bar. “My friends, let us start with cricket,” began Satiricus.

“Did you ever see the English watching cricket at Lords?”

“Budday, me see dem pan TV!” exclaimed Bungi. “W’en dem own maan knock wan six, dem just tap dem finga!!”

“That’s the point I’m making, fellas!” said Satiricus as he slapped the table for emphasis. “We didn’t continue with cricket like the English!”

“Carnival cricket!!” gushed Cappo. “Da abee t’ing!!”

“And the English have to copy us!” said Hari. “They haven’t taken to bringing in roti and curry with rum, as yet, but they’re getting there!!”

“Yes! Me hear den na eat cucumba san-wich nowadays,” said Bungi. “An’ dem allow beer.”

“And that’s why I don’t agree with all this moaning and groaning about what happened in Parliament!” exclaimed Satiricus. “Does the Talker think we’re Englishmen?”

“Yuh mean, w’en abee MP behave bad, dem na really behave bad?” asked Cappo, in surprise.

“That’s right! “Bad” is relative!” said Satiricus. “This is how we play politics!! We don’t just shake our heads when we disagree. We cuss and cuff!”

“Yeah!” said Bungi. “Da wha’abee does do whe’ever abee deh!! Da abee Guyanese cul-cha!!””

“So we’re really decolonising Parliament!!” said Hari in wonder. “Those shirt jacks by Burnt Ham and Jag Hand were just the beginning!!”

“That’s right!” said Satiricus with rising excitement.

“Did you see that video of the Uganda Parliament? Chairs were flying and MPs were jumping over desks to throw punches!!”

“Real decolonisation, boy!” said Hari. “Maybe we should put a boxing ring in Parliament?”

They all drank to that. donation will be aiding in improving the immunisation of our adult population, and those persons, who would have not been caught in the normal immunisation programmes.”

More specifically, it was further explained that the adult population in Regions One, Two, Seven, Eight and

Nine (regions sharing borders with Venezuela and Brazil) would be the first to access vaccines from this donation.

“Also, we try to immunise all of our officers who are first responders such as Port Health Officers, our Immigration Officers, our Police and our soldiers,” Dr Hamilton stated.

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

New Chairman

GECOM audit among issues on front burner

GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson

By Jarryl Bryan

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he sordid revelations of procurement abuse at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), as highlighted by a special audit from the Auditor General’s office, are among the issues which Commissioners expect to have their new Chairman confront.

During the absence of a Chairman, there had been reports of no meetings being held and the contents of the explosive audit not being addressed. According to GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj, the issue is now on the front burner with the appointment.

“Yes, we’ve been having regular meetings. The issue of the GECOM audit report has been raised and we are putting ourselves in a state of readiness to discuss the report. We’re still getting accustom to the new Chairman but other than that, I think we are well on track to have the issues we want discussed, discussed.”

Gunraj noted that coming out of the controversy, substantial issues such as procurement practises at the Commission will be addressed. This is even as the Commission must get ready for upcoming Local Government Elections, followed by General and Regional Elections.

“There are obviously larger issues of procurement practises and methods at the Commission, as well as specific issues that were raised in the reports. That is to say, the specific items raised in the reports.”

The audit

A special audit was launched last year after the Audit Office of Guyana reportedly noticed some discrepancies with the purchasing of 50 VHF communication radios by GECOM for close to $100 million.

The purchases had occurred prior to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections. It raised concerns over the extraordinarily high cost of the equipment. The investigation’s scope had included contracts and inventories, in addition to spending for the May 2015 General and Regional Elections.

It is understood that auditors were working from GECOM’s head office in High Street, Kingston. Besides the radios, some of the things that the State’s auditors were looking into were the purchase of a quantity of toners, pliers and batteries.

Based on reports, the radio

sets were purchased for use during the 2015 General and Regional Elections, particularly in the outlying regions of Guyana; however, they were never put into use after it was discovered many of them were not working.

Later, information surfaced that while the electoral body would have collected quotations from a number of suppliers, it handed the contract for the supply of the equipment to Mobile Authority, a company owned by a Water Street, Georgetown businessman.

But media reports later surfaced that some of the equipment purchased was obsolete and was not covered by warranty. As a matter of fact, sections of the Guyanese media reported that the Australia-based manufacturer, Barrett Communications, through its European office, distanced itself from the purchase.

The company made it clear that it had ceased to produce the equipment more than five years ago. Barrett said it had also tendered through the Advanced Office Systems for the supply of new radio equipment for the 2015 elections. However, GECOM subsequently cancelled the order.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has been calling for the release of the findings, in addition to questioning the deafening silence of GECOM’s then outgoing Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally and the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, on the matter.

For its part, GECOM has

in the past defended itself against the audit by noting

that because of the prorogued Parliament, it was forced to

operate in unusual circumstances.

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Burger King opens in Guyana – indication of progressive entrepreneurs, says Finance Minister

Members of the Corum Group with officials at the opening of the first Burger King outlet in Guyana

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urger King, the latest fast food franchise to be welcomed in Guyana, officially opened its doors to the public on Monday evening at Camp and Regent Streets, Georgetown.

The world-renowned franchise was brought here by the Corum Group, comprising a team of young entrepreneurs.

“I’m doubly pleased that this initiative has come from this group of young Guyanese

Group was confident it would serve Guyanese patrons with a “high-quality, fresh, diverse, affordable and all-around attractive menu and dining experience”.

Burger King’s Director for Central and South America, Patrick Coelho, said he was proud to see the brand being introduced.

“I’m confident that we have the right partners representing the brands here in

One of the delicious burgers available at Burger King

who, in spite of the odds, survived the doubts of the naysayers, put their money where their proverbial mouth is, and invested in our country’s development,” Finance Minister Winston Jordan told those attending the launching ceremony.

“Guyana is open for business. We will stand with any investor who is committed to the growth and development of this country that we call home. We will hold the hands of any citizen who is willing to work, to unlock the potential that has been bandied about. We will partner with you to weather the challenges that may arise in the quest to make Guyana a better country,” the Finance Minister emphasised.

Managing Director of the Corum Group, Clairmont Cummings explained that the franchise would create 300 jobs. He added that the

Guyana. We have the right locations and more importantly, we have the right mindset to make this extremely successful,” he added.

The United States Deputy Chief of Mission, Terry Steers-Gonzalez, noted that an American company investing in Guyana “is a vote of confidence” in the country’s strong business climate and economy.

“It is a foremost priority of this Mission to encourage economic prosperity that is mutually beneficial for both countries: economic prosperity for Guyana and economic prosperity for the United States,” he said.

Burger King is an international food icon with 15,000 stores across the globe. The Corum Group, which holds the Pizza Hut franchise, plans to establish six Burger King outlets across the country.

Managing Director of the Corum Group, Clairmont Cummings speaking at the event

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

In move to downsize, cut cost

Cash-strapped City Hall conducts manpower audit

…commences payment of wages, salaries

By Lakhram Bhagirat

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midst continued protest over the late payment of wages and salaries, the Municipality of Georgetown has embarked on a workforce audit, individually assessing the viability of its more than 800 staff members. This move comes after a continued call for downsizing from Chairman of the City’s Finance Committee, Oscar Clarke.

City Hall currently employs over 800 persons, with its wages and salaries bill amounting to over 68 per cent of its revenue.

In relation to this, Mayor Patricia Chase Green said the suggestions for the downsizing have been constant, even though the departmental heads are complaining of being short staffed.

She noted that at a recent meeting, the City’s staff structure was presented and it showed serious shortfalls in the execution of their mandate.

The Mayor explained that the City Constabulary is currently short of more than 100 persons, while the Engineer’s Department is seeking to fill the top positions.

“There is a need to look at every individual so an audit is being done on every individual to see if there is a need for that person. Nobody is going to wake up in 2018 and see that the Mayor and City Council, just because they want to downsize, just send home people. So it had to be done properly and I don’t see it being done before the end of the year or even early 2018 but it’s something we have to look at,” she informed.

“As the Heads of Department come with the staff structure and the amount of staff allocated to each section, you would see if there is a need for them. The Constabulary Department is saying that they are short 100 persons and will those vacancies be filled? No, because with the present monies we getting, we can’t fill it… it is a chicken and egg situation and we still have a service to provide to the

Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green

people and security is a major concern…,” Chase Green added.

At an Extraordinary Statutory Meeting on November 14, 2017, Chairman of the Finance Committee Oscar Clarke suggested that the municipality consider downsizing the number of staff members, since salaries account for 68 per cent of the Council’s revenue.

Clarke disclosed that at the start of 2017, it was agreed that workers will be paid between the 25th and 27th of every month and that workers will be given a multi-year salary increase from 2016-2018.

However, the Council was unable to meet its obligation last month due to lack of funds.

In addition to high salaries, Clarke told the Councillors that City Hall has about 260 pensioners and that number is rapidly increasing since every year workers are going into retirement.

Chase Green explained that in order for them to be able to pay December salaries, the administration was forced to extend its amnesty deadline until December 31, 2017. The option of amnesty was flouted so that the Council could accumulate monies to pay staff members for the months of October, November and December. The amnesty period began on November 15 and was scheduled to end on December 15, 2017.

“Salaries would have commenced yesterday (Tuesday) for all staff and we are pay-

ing in stages. Up to stage three have been paid today sometime later this afternoon (Tuesday) releases would be done for stages four, five, six, seven and most likely, we will be able to complete payments by the end of this week and the amnesty has been extended and we are getting monies coming in from the amnesty and also our taxes,” she said in relation to the payment of December salaries.

However, the late payment of wages and salaries, over the years, has become a norm for the Mayor and City Councillors of the city of Georgetown, creating quite a spectacle as the workers would usually picket the administration. Just in November, the workers were out on Regent Street protesting for the payment of their wages and salaries.

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

National Land Policy coming soon Truck crashes, – GL&SC Commissioner

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he Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GL&SC) is currently examining the possibility of having a National Land Policy in place as early as 2018, Commissioner Trevor Benn said on Tuesday.

According to Benn, Guyana has been without such a policy for many years.

The Land Policy will see the proper governance of both public and private lands, he explained.

“We are at the very infant stage of the policy and the board is spearheading the exercise… It will be through a participatory

GL&SC Commissioner Trevor Benn

process, to reach out to all Guyanese to get their vision,

of what that policy should look like,” the Commissioner stated. The Department of Public Information said he expressed his optimism that the policy could be ready for Parliament very soon.

According to Benn, the presidential commission of inquiry on land rights issues may have some recommendations to make toward the process, which will also see much public consultations.

Other initiatives, the Commission hope to get underway, include a revised National Geographic Information System Policy which will guide work in that area. Work is also ongoing on the Land Surveyors

(Profession) Act, which is expected to be taken to Parliament in the New Year.

The Commission will also commence the implementation of a US$14.8 million sustainable Land Development and Management Project that will have three main outcomes.

Apart from non-performing leases, some of the challenges over the year for the Commission include informal subletting and transfers of public lands, highly dependent paper-based operations, insufficient resources to open and develop new areas for various land uses and informal occupation of public lands.

uproots GPL pole …near Rahaman’s Park

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major accident was averted on Tuesday afternoon after a heavy-duty truck, with registration plate GVV 9475, crashed into a lantern post at the corner of Rahaman’s Park, Greater

scene related that the truck was speeding at the time of the incident, which later resulted in a heavy build-up of the late afternoon traffic.

The incident occurred just a short distance away from the new Christmas tree,

Georgetown, in an attempt to avoid colliding with a motorcar.

An eyewitness at the

which replaced the one that collapsed recently after vandals stole the straps that were holding it up.

news

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

From Enmore Sugar Estate

Ramsammy’s Ruminations 30 foremen/women yet to receive Something suspicious is going on with the CJIA severance payments – GAWU modernisation project T

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omething smelly was revealed by the Public Infrastructure Minister. During Budget 2018, he informed the nation that the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Modernisation and Expansion Project completion will be delayed until December 2018 and the price tag remains US$150 million. This is the original price tag when the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) started the project in 2011. But the project scope has been significantly downgraded.

The original US$150 million project included an airport with eight shoots; that is eight entry and Dr Leslie Ramsammy exit links to arriving and departing planes. Now the new design is for only two shoots – a 75 per cent reduction.

It gets worst. The arrival and departure terminals which were going to be new buildings are now rehabilitated buildings.

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) even boasts that the arrival terminals will now be a measly 83 square meters larger, increasing from 14,347 square meters to 14,430 square meters.

The CJIA Project is one of the several PPP projects that are being completed under the APNU/AFC Government; the only real development taking place in Guyana since 2015.

The CJIA project, in particular, is being promoted as an APNU/ AFC success story. I have no problem with APNU/AFC trying to take credit for the CJIA project and, in fact, I commend them for having the good sense to continue a project that is clearly in the interest of the nation and all of our people. It is poetic justice that they end up taking credit for a project that they actively tried to sabotage between 2011 and 2015. But even as we prepare to commission the new CJIA at the end of 2018, something suspicious is happening with the project.

The APNU/AFC and its supporters are latecomers when it comes to appreciating the virtues of the CJIA project. The project concept and financing arrangements were completed under President Bharrat Jagdeo and construction started under President Donald Ramotar. Before May 2015, David Granger and his APNU/AFC colleagues were loud in their denunciation of the project, describing it as unnecessary.

They, in fact, voted down financing for the project in 2013 and 2014. They claimed that the project was rife with corruption and, further, they claimed that the US$150 million price tag was far too high. I was in Parliament then and they claimed they knew of a bigger airport from the Region which they claimed cost less than half of the CJIA Modernisation and Expansion Project. APNU/AFC also claimed that the Chinese contractor was not qualified and not experienced enough and MUST be terminated.

The original project completion date in 2016 became impossible after the project was delayed because the APNU/ AFC voted against the project financing during Budgets 2013 and 2014. Further delays occurred because APNU/AFC in 2015 was not certain they wanted to continue with this PPP project. We will recall that the project was only resumed after a visit to China by senior APNU/AFC Ministers. During Budget 2018, the Infrastructure Minister informed the nation that the completion date will hopefully be December 2018. It is late, but we are cautiously optimistic that the project will be completed then.

In spite of our cautious optimism, the downgrading of the design raises troubling questions. They had been quite robust in alleging that the PPP had seriously inflated the budget for the CJIA project between 2011 and 2015 and during the 2015 election campaign, they promised that Ministers who were stealing from this project would be jailed. After May 2015, with APNU/AFC in Government, people had an expectation that based on what they had said before the elections that the price tag would be considerably less. How come then they could not complete the project at a cost seriously below the original US $150 million? How come the US$150 million was not enough and they had to downgrade the design?

The Public Infrastructure Minister, in informing the nation that the “almost” new airport will be commissioned in December 2018, told us that his Ministry is withholding US$7 million from contractors, giving the impression that contractors are being punished for not delivering on time. The truth is no US$7 million is being withheld from contractors.

The US$7 million is the sum that is being withheld to cover for the liability defect period. All Government contracts include a sum that is withheld until after the defect liability period.

This is the kind of dishonesty that we have come to expect from this Government. Unfortunately, an ever-growing heap of lies is the landscape that we live with under a brazen and shameless APNU/AFC.

hirty field foremen/forewomen of the Enmore Estate who were deemed redundant by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) are currently without their severance payments.

This is according to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), which said that the Corporation’s redundancy letters to the aforementioned persons dated October 24, 2017, stated inter alia “… in accordance with Section 12, subsection (2) (a), (b) and (c) of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act 1997 (TESPA), the Corporation wishes to inform you that your job is being made redundant. As a consequence, this letter serves to give you one (1) month’s notice of the aforementioned in accordance with Section 15, subsection (1) of TESPA 1997.” The letter continues “this notice shall expire on November 23, 2017, hence your last day of work with the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc, East Demerara Estate”.

Flashback: Earlier this year, sugar workers and their families participated in a protest march along several streets of Enmore, East Coast Demerara

To that end, GAWU posited that the affected group of workers, naturally, expected to receive their payments on their last working day, but were disappointed as the Corporation was yet to honour its lawful obligations.

“The workers related to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) that the non-pay-

Stillborn two-headed baby delivered in Berbice

…at New Amsterdam Hospital

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stillborn baby girl with two heads was delivered at the New Amsterdam Hospital on Saturday, creating history in the Ancient County.

The full-term baby, the first born for the teenage mother, was delivered via caesarean section by a team of doctors at the hospital.

According to Senior Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist, Dr Kester Persaud, the infant, when delivered, was seen with the two heads not fully formed, an undeveloped brain, skull and scalp, along with an incomplete closing of the backbone.

Dr Persaud said the doctors at the hospital treated the case with the utmost professionalism, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported.

However, he explained that if an ultrasound was done during the mother’s pregnancy, such a tragic situation could have been prevented.

Medical Superintendent of the New Amsterdam Hospital, Dr Visheshri Khirodher, noted that such malformation can be caused by environmental, chemical, or genetic issues.

The doctor stated that counselling would be provided by experts attached to the New Amsterdam Hospital to the young couple given the traumatising effects of the birth.

The doctors explained that the mother would not be allowed to become pregnant

until after a two-year period.

She will be closely monitored by medical professionals to prevent the reoccurrence of a similar birth in the future.

ment of their redundancy pay is adding insult to injury as they desperately require their monies to sustain themselves and their families at this time, until, hopefully, some work can be found in the near future,” said GAWU. Moreover, the Union says it finds the delay perplexing given public statements by several State officials, including President David Granger himself, “committing that the workers would receive their redundancy pay as the Government moves forward with its heartless plans to shutter estates and cruelly put workers on the road at the usually joyful Christmas Season.”

According to GAWU, “the delay certainly casts serious doubts on the

Administration’s utterances and we cannot help but wonder whether this is a harbinger of things to come as four thousand workers, in a few days’ time, will join the already saturated ranks of the unemployed in our nation.”

Hundreds of workers attached to the East Demerara Estate (EDE) located in Enmore, East Coast Demerara, have been issued termination letters by GuySuCo, as the plans announced by Government earlier this year to close the sugar estate started to take effect.

Earlier this month, termination letters were issued to more than 2000 workers at the Skeldon Estate. This move follows on the heels of the similar notice given to Rose Hall Estate workers about one week prior.

In May 2017, Government announced plans to close the Enmore and Rose Hall Sugar Estates, sell the Skeldon Sugar Factory, reduce the annual production of sugar, and take on the responsibility of managing the drainage and irrigation services offered by GuySuCo. In November, GuySuCo announced plans to retrench 2500 workers by the end of this year.

GAWU had said the downsizing and subsequent closure of sugar estates would lead to the loss of more than 15,000 jobs, and the potential threat of poverty for between 50,000 and 100,000 people.

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

Regional

Rio Police bust airport drugs Antigua & Barbuda getting US$29M ring that exploited innocent to rehabilitate infrastructure passengers’ luggage labels damaged by Hurricane Irma

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razilian Police have busted a drug-smuggling ring that operated in Rio de Janeiro’s international airport by duplicating the luggage labels of innocent passengers traveling domestically to send suitcases of cocaine abroad.

Twenty-seven people were arrested, including airline and airport staff, one foreigner, and an official from the Brazilian tax office, Police said. A large amount of foreign currency was also found. “The criminal scheme used innocent passengers,” Wagner Menezes from the Federal Police – roughly equivalent to Brazil’s FBI – told reporters on Tuesday.

“This was very worrying.”

The arrests during what Police dubbed Operation Rush also targeted members of criminal groups that sneaked electronic goods past customs to evade import taxes, and stole miniatures of wine, champagne and spirits from planes.

Soldiers patrol at Rio de Janeiro international airport as athletes and visitors arrive ahead of the 2016 Olympics.

Police said the investigation began in February

“We did a very specific investigative job and identified three groups operating at Galeão,” Menezes said.

The investigation began in February when a bag arrived in Amsterdam airport with a luggage label showing its destination as the Brazilian city of Salvador, he said. The bag was never claimed and was sent back to Brazil, where, after being x-rayed, it was found to contain 36kg of cocaine.

Menezes said the bag had been given the luggage label of an innocent elderly couple heading for Salvador, then put on an international flight.

“They were an elderly couple, retired,” Menezes said. He said it was not clear if a second luggage label with Amsterdam as the destination had also been put on the bag and then been removed or fallen off. (Excerpt from

The Guardian)

he Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved US$29 million in funding to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, to assist with recovery efforts after the passage of Hurricane Irma in September.

The funds will be used to rehabilitate and reconstruct critical infrastructure in the transportation, education, water and sanitation, and agriculture sectors.

Hurricane Irma impacted the twin-island nation on September 6, 2017, making landfall in Barbuda as a Category five hurricane.

In Barbuda, Irma destroyed housing, crops, livestock and fishing vessels, and also severely impacted the island’s water supply. The Antigua State College was also affected by heavy winds and rains, while storm surges and flooding caused additional damage to many roads.

The project has several components. Planned in-

What was left of most buildings in Barbuda after Hurricane Irma made landfall in September

frastructure works include: reconstruction of 11km of road, and repair of a bridge, along with associated drainage works; reconstruction and rehabilitation of education institutions in both Antigua and Barbuda and construction of teacher accommodation in Barbuda; rehabilitation of the desalination plant and water storage facilities in Barbuda; and the upgrade and rehabilitation of agriculture and

fishing infrastructure.

Additional components include a redevelopment plan and policies for Barbuda, capacity building initiatives and engineering consultancy services.

CDB had previously provided a US$200,000 Emergency Relief Grant and an Immediate Response Loan in the amount of US$750,000 for Antigua and Barbuda, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Mexico bus crash: Suriname closes last African mission, 11 tourists killed seeks African Union membership

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bus carrying tourists from a cruise ship has overturned in Southeastern Mexico, killing 11 people, officials say. Another 20 people were injured in the crash on a road between Mahahual and Cafetal in Quintana Roo state.

The bus was taking 31 people, who were on a Royal Caribbean cruise, to the ancient Mayan ruin at Chaccobén. The victims are reported to be nationals of several countries, including Canada, Italy and Sweden.

Also on board were the Mexican driver and tour

guides.

Bus crashes are common in Mexico where people often travel along dangerous routes at night – but an accident involving the deaths of so many tourists in broad daylight is rare, the BBC Mexico correspondent Will Grant says.

It is not known what caused the crash.

Photographs have now emerged showing the vehicle on its side with dazed survivors sitting nearby.

Emergency services are at the scene helping the injured. (BBC News)

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ue to austerity measures, the embassy of Suriname in Pretoria, South Africa, will close on January 1, 2018, and instead Suriname will seek membership in the African Union (AU) and appoint a diplomat to Addis Ababa, a move that was recommended by the former Suriname ambassador to the United Nations, Henry MacDonald.

The Foreign Minister of Suriname, Yidiz PollackBeighle, will hasten the appointment of a Suriname honourary consul in South

Africa and encourage Pretoria to do the same to “fill this gap.” The Minister said that she has a lot of work to do in appointing honourary consuls and non-resident ambassadors to achieve some of the objectives of her ministry and at the same time “this will save a lot of money”.

Diplomats have often said that both Guyana and Suriname should move their missions from Pretoria to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the diplomatic hub of Africa, and its looks like Suriname is heeding that message.

Besides appointing honourary consuls in both Pretoria and Paramaribo, Suriname will also request that African Union (AU) grant it observer status to intensify cooperation with African countries.

Now the Minister is

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The University of Technology is hoping to take its first batch of law students by September

ic entry into the programme at Norman Manley Law School. That is facilitated by Article Three of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Students earning LLB degrees from other institu-

tions must sit an entrance test and earn a passing grade, which does not guarantee admission. Reid pointed out that the Norman Manley Law School is unable to accommodate all stu-

dents who have been pursuing law degrees.

“I am quite aware of the agreement with CARICOM for the establishment of the Norman Manley Law School and its particular and special relationship with the University of the West Indies (UWI), so for us to change that arrangement to allow equity in access to the Norman Manley Law School, we will have to go back and have some amendments to the Treaty of Chaguaramas. That’s one option,” the Education Minister explained.

The UTech president, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, said steps will be taken immediately to establish the law school. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Committee set up to investigate allegations against T&T Chief Justice

University in Jamaica gets Cabinet’s nod to establish law school

he Andrew Holnessled Cabinet in Jamaica has given approval for the establishment of a law school at the University of Technology (UTech).

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator Ruel Reid says this will allow for more trained and certified persons in the legal profession and can position the country to become a hub in providing services in knowledge process outsourcing and legal process outsourcing – which forms part of the Government’s position of expanding opportunities for education and training of the workforce.

Currently, UWI graduates with a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree gain automat-

talking loudly about “economic diplomacy” but, when Suriname and neighbouring Guyana speak of this, when one looks at their embassies overseas, they have no such skilled personnel or a section of their missions devoted to make this a reality.

Chief Justice Ivor Archie

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committee was set up last week to look into and verify allegations made against Trinidad and Tobago Chief Justice Ivor Archie and the Law Association said it will await the outcome of the work before it decides on its next course of action.

In a release last Thursday, the Council of the Law Association cited Section 5 of the Legal Profession Act, which mandates that the purposes of the Law Association include representing and protecting the interests of the legal

profession and promoting, maintaining and supporting the administration of justice and the rule of law.

Speaking to the Trinidad Guardian on Sunday, president of the Association Douglas Mendes said, as part of its work to verify the allegations made against the CJ, it “will be speaking to those who it appears from the newspapers may know something.”

As part of the due process of law, he said, the committee will also give the chief justice “an opportunity to be heard,” but he could not say whether this would be done via a face-to-face interview or questions sent to the CJ for his response.

Last Thursday, the Law Association Council met, indicating its own “increasing alarm” at the allegations of improper conduct levelled directly and by implication against Archie and describing his continued silence as “nothing short of reckless”, the Guardian reported. (Excerpt

from Caribbean News Now)

wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

decries Israel’s China condemns US ‘Cold War UN killing of Gaza mentality’ on national security amputee, Israel denies he was targeted C A hina has condemned the “Cold War mentality” of the White House after the publication of a new US national security policy. The document labels China and Russia as “rival powers” and lays out a number of potential threats they pose.

The new strategy said Beijing and other governments were determined to challenge American power. But China’s foreign ministry criticised the strategy report, saying Washington should “abandon outdated notions”.

Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: “No country or report will succeed in distorting facts or deploying malicious slander. “We urge the US side to stop intentionally distorting China’s strategic intentions and to abandon outdated ideas of Cold War mentality and the zero-sum game.”

Russia also responded to the new strategy by saying it “cannot accept” that it is treated as a threat. It also criticised what it said was the “imperialist character” of the document.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has enjoyed a cordial relationship with US President Donald Trump

In the new US national security strategy, China and Russia are said to “challenge American power, influence and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity”.

“They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence.” (Excerpt from BBC News)

After 1 week, Myanmar silent on whereabouts of detained Reuters Journalists

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wo Reuters Journalists completed a week in detention in Myanmar on Tuesday, with no word on where they were being held as authorities proceeded with an investigation into whether they violated the country’s colonial-era Official Secrets Act. Journalists Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were arrested last Tuesday evening after they were invited to dine with Police

Officers on the outskirts of Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon.

“We and their families continue to be denied access to them or to the most basic information about their well-being and whereabouts,” Reuters President and Editor-In-Chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement calling for their immediate release.

“Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are journalists who per-

form a crucial role in shedding light on news of global interest, and they are innocent of any wrongdoing.”

The news group Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) on Tuesday cited government spokesman Zaw Htay as saying that the journalists were “being treated well and in good health”.

It gave no further details in its online report.

Reuters was unable to reach Zaw Htay for comment.

Myanmar’s civilian president, Htin Kyaw, a close ally of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has authorised the Police to proceed with a case against the reporters, Zaw Htay said on Sunday.

Approval from the President’s office is needed before court proceedings can begin in cases brought under the Official Secrets Act, which has a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. (Excerpt

senior UN official said on Tuesday that Israel’s killing of a disabled Palestinian man protesting against US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was “incomprehensible”, but Israel said he had not been targeted.

A statement issued by Zeid Ra‘ad al-Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said wheelchair-bound Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh was shot in the head by Israeli security forces close to the border fence with Israel on Friday.

But the Israeli military said its own investigation had found that it was not possible to say what had killed Abu Thurayeh and that no live fire had been directed at him during the dispersal of the violent demonstration.

It added that protesters hurled explosive devices and rocks and rolled burning tyres “with the aim of harming soldiers and destroying

security infrastructure” and that non-lethal riot dispersal means were mainly used, although a few live rounds fired under supervision were aimed “towards main instigators.”

Zeid said there was nothing to suggest Abu Thurayeh was posing an imminent threat when he was killed and “the facts gathered so far by my staff in Gaza strongly suggest that the force used against (him) was excessive.”

“Given his severe disability, which must have been clearly visible to those who shot him, his killing is incomprehensible – a truly shocking and wanton act,” Zeid’s statement said.

The Israeli military statement said “numerous requests” for information on Abu Thurayeh’s wounds had not been answered and that “if additional details are received, they will be examined and studied.” (Excerpt from

Reuters)

Zambia’s new Chinese Police Officers removed after outcry

from Yahoo! News)

Yemen rebel ballistic missile ‘intercepted over Riyadh’

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he Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthi rebels says it has intercepted a missile over Riyadh. The Houthis’ Al Masirah TV reported that a Burkan H2 ballistic missile had targeted a meeting at the al-Yamama Palace in the Saudi capital.

Witnesses said they heard an explosion and posted pictures online showing a cloud of smoke in the air.

There were no reports of any damage or casualties.

The coalition accused Iran of supplying the Houthis with the missile.

Iran has denied arming the rebels, who have been fighting a war against

The Houthi movement unveiled the Burkan 2 missile in February 2017

Yemen’s government and the Saudi-led coalition since March 2015.

A report on Al Masirah’s website cited the Houthis’ Missile Forces as announc-

ing the launch of a Burkan H2 missile on Tuesday “in response to the heinous crimes committed by the US-Saudi aggression against the people of Yemen”.

The missile had targeted a “meeting of the leadership of the Saudi regime in al-Yamama Palace in Riyadh”, during which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was expected to discuss the kingdom’s annual budget, Al Masirah said.

The palace is the main headquarters of the king’s office and the royal court.

Minutes later, Saudi state-run Al Ikhbariya TV reported that a missile had been intercepted south of the capital. One video posted by a man who said he was in the Olaya district shows a white cloud above the city.

The sound of an explosion can then be heard. (Excerpt from BBC News)

The day India freed Goa from Portuguese rule

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oa on India’s western coast was freed from Portuguese rule on 19 December 1961, more than four centuries after it was colonised.

The fight for freedom began in the 1940s as India inched closer to independence from British rule. But Goa remained a Portuguese colony until 1961, strain-

ing relations between India and Portugal as the former’s support for the anti-colonial movement in Goa grew. In 1955, India even imposed an economic blockade on Goa. In 1961, the Indian Army invaded the state after the Portuguese fired at Indian fishing boats, killing one fisherman. After 36 hours of air, sea and land strikes by

the army, General Manuel Antonio Vassalo e Silva, governor general of Goa, signed the “instrument of surrender”, handing over Goan territory to India.

Supriya Vohra hears from Goans about the days leading up to liberation.

Vasco, where we lived, was a trading port. After the Indian government imposed

an economic blockade on Goa, our provisions would be imported from across the world – potatoes from the Netherlands, wine from Portugal, vegetables and rice from Pakistan, tea from Ceylon [now Sri Lanka], cement from Japan, steel from Belgium. They would arrive in Vasco and then travel to different parts of Goa. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

The Chinese Police Officers were commissioned on Monday

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ambia’s Police Force has scrapped plans to employ eight Chinese nationals barely 24 hours after it unveiled the scheme, following a public outcry.

The new reservists were commissioned in the capital, Lusaka, on Monday.

But the decision prompted widespread anger, especially in light of a ruling taken earlier this year that bans Police Officers from marrying foreigners for “security reasons”.

Not even Zambians with dual-nationality are allowed to join the Police. Dickson Jere, a lawyer and former presidential spokesman, said the Constitution was clear on the matter.

The appointment of the Chinese reservists had left many other people scratch-

ing their heads particularly as the Government had previously removed other nationals from the security services, journalist Kennedy Gondwe reports from Lusaka.

Suspicions over the recent recruitment were bolstered by distrust towards the Chinese community in Zambia, which was estimated to number about 20,000 in 2015, according to the privately owned Lusaka Times.

But the part-time officers are not thought to be have been going to perform any special role liaising with Zambia’s Chinese community. Police spokeswoman Esther Mwata-Katongo had said they would just assist regular officers. (Excerpt from BBC News)

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wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

ARCHIE

Emotional purchases or spontaneous changes will (March 21be met with regret once you April 19) have time to think about what you’ve done or signed up for. Be cautious when it comes to money matters.

ARIES

Don’t let emotions overrule TAURUS common sense. Take care of pro(April 20- fessional and financial matters May 20) responsibly to ease your stress and better enjoy your downtime.

Choose disciplined maneuvers over impulsive action.

dilbert

Instinctive emotional acGEMINI tions will lead to regret.

(May 21Don’t make promises you June 20) cannot keep. Plans and commitments must be realistic.

Learn from your mistakes to avoid criticism.

Headstrong actions will be costly. Don’t sign up for some(June 21- thing that could break your July 22) budget. Limit your spending and walk away from situations that appear to be unpredictable.

CANCER

Peanuts

Stay focused on what LEO you have yet to accomplish.

(July 23- Leaving unfinished business Aug. 22) for someone else to take care of will make you look bad.

Avoid indulgent or irresponsible behavior.

Your stamina and disciVIRGO pline will help you conquer (Aug. 23whatever task or responsiSept. 22) bility you are handed. A positive attitude will be helpful when dealing with someone or something you find confusing.

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Don’t get all worked up over nothing. Embrace whatever comes your way and turn it into something that is beneficial to you. A personal change looks inviting.

Look for unusual offerings SCORPIO or lifestyle choices to come (Oct. 24up with the perfect way to Nov. 22) spend the holiday season. A disciplined approach to money matters will help decrease debt.

Common sense should be SAGITTARIUS a priority when dealing with (Nov. 23- friends and relatives. Be honDec. 21) est and expect the same in return. Truth matters and will shape what unfolds from now on.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Listen to your heart and share your thoughts with someone you feel close to.

Don’t let people from your past disrupt your life. Avoid making hasty decisions.

solution for LAST PUBLISHED Puzzle Don’t be tempted by peoAQUARIUS ple making rash or erratic (Jan. 20- choices. You are best off takFeb. 19) ing a wait-and-see attitude, especially if money or your physical health is at stake.

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Not everyone will be forthcoming regarding what they want or think. Set your own standard and do what will help you the most. Take care of unfinished personal business.

wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

19

IPL auction set for late January T

he 2018 IPL auction will be held on January 27 and 28, in Bangalore. That means the mega auction will coincide with the final two days of India’s third Test on the tour of South Africa; Virat Kohli’s team is scheduled to play the final Test of the South Africa tour from January 24-28 in Johannesburg.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the IPL has asked all eight franchises to submit their final list of retained players by January 4. The IPL is likely to finalise the pool of players who will be up for auction around January 18.

At the IPL Governing Council (GC) meeting, held on December 6, one of the members had expressed reservations about the auc-

tion clashing with the Johannesburg Test. Also some of the franchises were interested in seeing how the domestic players fared in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (India’s domestic Twenty20 competition), which ends on January 28, ahead of the auction.

The GC had also approved the retention rules at the same meeting. Franchises have been allowed retain a maximum of five of their existing players through a combination of player retention before the auction and the use of right-to-match cards during the auction.

The IPL also set a salary cap of INR 80 crore (US$12.4 million approx) for every team, and made it clear that franchises will need to spend a minimum 75% of the purse.

Captains for the eight franchise teams ahead of IPL 2017

Of the five players, a franchise can retain a maximum of three through retention in the lead up to the auction, and a maximum of three through right-to-match cards during the auction. If a franchise does not retain any player before the auction, it can still retain only three using right-to-match cards.

A right-to-match card gives the franchise the ability to buy back its player during the auction by matching the highest bid made for the player by another franchise, once the bidding is over.

The other restrictions on player retention are: a maximum of three capped Indian players can be retained, and only two overseas players and two uncapped Indian players can be retained. (ESPN Cricinfo)

GABF/National Club Championships…

GPL brightens “Road to Mecca”

Guyanese boxers return after successful CBC The fantastic four! From second left: Colin “Superman” Lewis (gold); Keevin Allicock (gold); Joel “Stone” Williamson (silver) and Desmond Amsterdam (gold) at the Eugene F Correia International Airport on Monday night. Also in photo is GBA President Steve Ninvalle (left)

A

fter capturing three gold medals and a silver medal in St Lucia at the Caribbean Developmental Boxing Championships (CBC) over the last weekend, Guyana’s quartet of boxers returned home on Monday night with their symbols hard work.

The quartet did Guyana proud as was expected with Bantamweight Keevin Allicock securing gold along with Middleweight Desmond Amsterdam and Colin “Superman” Lewis while Joel “Stone” Williamson missed out on gold but managed silver.

Upon his return, Commonwealth Youth Games silver medalist Keevin Allicock exuded confidence. “First of all I want to thank God for me coming out victorious, it was a wonderful experience going to the championships. I saw a lot of great fighters, a lot of different styles, it was a wonderful experience,” Allicock revealed.

The Commonwealth Youth Games silver medalist also pointed out that prior to his final bout with Bajan opponent Ajayi Jones; he studied his fighting style.

“I never fought him before, I studied some of his moves, saw him training but I kept praying because I never fight with fear, I have God with me at all times. I was confident ahead of the fight, I knew I would medal because that’s what I trained for.”

The tenacious young boxer also revealed that had Guyana been able to send more boxers, they would have been able to retain the CBC title.

“Not to boast but our (Guyana’s) level of boxing is superior to the rest of the Caribbean, if we had more boxers there (in St Lucia) we would have won more gold medals.”

Meanwhile, CBC Middleweight gold medalist Desmond Amsterdam who retained his title maintained that he was very proud of his achievement.

Team Grenada was crowned champions after dominating the championships with 18 medals en route to their maiden title.

Following the Spice island were Barbados in second, defending champions Guyana in third and hosts St Lucia fourth.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL,) Shevion Sears presenting the cheque to National Coordinator for the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation, Junior Hercules

T

he Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) continued to give back to community and youth development with a timely donation of $500,000 to the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) for its fourth National Club Championships dubbed “Road to Mecca IV” on Tuesday.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, GPL’s Public Relations Officer, Shevion Sears said it was is part of the company’s commitment to support the drive of developing youths and sports locally.

“GPL recognises our corporate social responsibility, which is to give back to national development. In this field of sports, which is basketball, we are honored to give back to the Guyana Basketball Federation. We are looking forward to the games, to ensure we see how our young people are propelling sports in Guyana,” Sears maintained.

Meanwhile National Coordinator for the GABF, Junior Hercules said the association is grateful for the “timely” donation. He explained that the monies will

be spent on purchasing trophies for the participants.

Hercules explained; “We want to thank GPL for such a timely donation. In fact, our budget for the tournament is $3.4M. Our premier sponsor is Banks DIH but we have some subsidiary sponsorship. What will we do with the contribution from GPL is use it to purchase trophies, we would invite a member from GPL to witness entertainment in addition to the tournament”.

The tournament which started on December 1 is being held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and ten clubs across the country including Berbice, Linden, East Bank Demerara and East Coast Demerara are participating. The tournament will conclude on December 24 with the finals while the semi-finals will be played on Saturday, December 23. Two of the ten teams have already qualified for the semi-finals; those teams are defending champions Bounty Colts and the Victory Valley Royals.

The winning club will pocket $600,000, 2nd place $400,000, 3rd $200,000 with cash prizes for the Most Valuable Player and other novelty awards.

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

“Chanderpaul’s presence always inspiring” – Hercules A

ssistant coach/manager of the Essequibo Franchise team Ryan Hercules stated that veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul presence was always inspiring and attributed that to Essequibo emerging champion in the 2017 Guyana Cricket Board three-day round-robin tournament.

In an exclusive interview with this publication yesterday, the former Guyana under-19 fast-bowler Hercules, informed that the entire side was able to jell around him and with his constant advices on a regular basis, the players drew great motivation.

“I just think everyone took advice from Shiv and also inspired by his presence; everyone knows about his status and they used it to bring out good work,” Hercules revealed.

“This year marks the second edition in succession for the eight-team tournament, and Hercules quickly said any team would have loved to have someone like Chanderpaul in their team to vie for top honours.

“Obviously, Chanderpaul has achieved a lot and now giving back to the game by still playing actively is tremendous; we welcomed him and he was willing to share

Ryan Hercules (left) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (right) after lifting the 3-day title last October

his knowledge and teach us whatever he could have, so we are indeed indebted to him,” the 29-year-old Hercules related.

During Chanderpaul’s two matches this memorable year for the Cinderella County lads, he phenomenally scored 116 and 91 and ensured the Essequibians did not lose either.

“That was the kind of expectations from Chanderpaul, he came in

immediately stamped his authority; he wanted to contribute and his presence felt so it was also a great delight to see him making that impact,” Hercules, who featured at under-15 nationally for Guyana as well, mentioned.

Hercules expressed satisfaction with the total’s team effort and the level of dynamism in their seven allotted matches and is confident they can make the same im-

pression in the limited-over version which is currently playing.

“Yes, Shiv made a major impact in the three-day format, but the advices he left for us to transfer into the one-day tournament are equally motivational and we are inspired and pumpedup to win this as well,” the Essequibian Hercules, who plied his trade for several years in England at County level, asserted.

Hercules has now taken over the Head coach position replacing Michael Hyles.

Hercules also thanked the players who performed outstandingly well and uttering that they deserved the title this year from Lower Corentyne.

Left-arm spinner Anthony Adams had a prolific season soaring to be the leading wicket taker with 53 victims and that a manifestation of the player’s eagerness to churn out exceptional performances.

Hercules convinced that several other players proved their talent and will continue to do great things, not only for Essequibo but Guyana and possibly West Indies. players like Ricardo Adams, Keemo Paul among others were mentioned.

(Ravi Madholall)

Faces of winners; from left, Ema Vasconcellos, Kyle Gilgeous, Kemo Prince and Byanka Young

Gilgeous, Vasconcellos crowned

MINISLAM Champs

K

yle Gilgeous of West Field Prep School and Ema Vasconcellos of Marian Academy emerged respective winners in the Boy/Girl Guyana Lawn Tennis Association’s (GLTA) Christmas Interschool competition.

The Red-ball competition held at the National Gymnasium has been ongoing in primary schools for approximately 11 years and saw some 26 players all under the age of 10 years old, competing in a mini version of the sport. Players contested for the eight schools Marian Academy, New Guyana School, St. Margaret’s Primary, St. Pius Primary, Westfield Prep, Winfer Gardens, St. Agnes and Buxton Youth Developers.

The tournament was conducted by

National Junior Coordinator Shelly Daly. Round Robin format was used because it is premised on frequency of play as participants get to face multiple opponents to increase the number of matches played to help build confidence and skills.

Some 17 boys competed in the first of four rounds with Gilgeous of Westfield Prep, Allayne Embrack of St. Agnes, Kemo Prince and Justin Leitch both of the Buxton Youth Developers being the final four. Gilgeous and Prince tied with two match wins a piece. However, Gilgeous secured the win because of a better game win/loss percentage.

Vasconcellos warded off 8 other competitors who along with her were vying for the Girls title. The girls had three rounds of matches with

Vasconcellos and Sienna Sookram both of Marian Academy, Byanka Young of New Guyana School and Kayesha Harding of St. Margaret’s making it to the final round.

Vasconcellos easily took first place with 3 wins, Young had 2 wins, Harding had 1 win and Sookram did not secure a game. Meanwhile, trophy for Best School was copped by Buxton Youth Developers having satisfied the criteria for enthusiasm, determination and consistency in developing tennis as a sport at their school as well as their participation and performance in the inter school competition.

The next MINISLAM U10 Schools competition for Georgetown will be held on March 16, 2018 at the National Gymnasium.

De Villiers, Steyn, Philander picked for Boxing Day Test

A

B de Villiers and Dale Steyn have returned to South Africa’s Test squad for the inaugural four-day, daynight Test against Zimbabwe, which starts on Boxing Day in Port Elizabeth. De Villiers last played a Test in January 2016, while Steyn has not played international cricket after suffering a shoulder injury in Perth last year.

The duo were joined in the squad by Morne Morkel, who has recovered from a side strain that has sidelined him since late October, and Vernon Philander, who is fully fit after a back problem sustained in England. Captain Faf du Plessis, who is in the final stages of recovery from a shoulder operation, has also been named.

Chris Morris, who bowled Titans to victory in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge final, has not been included.

Morris suffered a slight groin strain in that match and has

AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn return to the ‘whites’ for the inaugural Four-Day Test

also been withdrawn from the South African Invitation XI to play Zimbabwe in a three-day warm-up match in Paarl from Wednesday. De Villiers was initially due to participate in that match but will no longer play because of a lower back strain. De Villiers remains available for selection for the Test but there is no confirmation that du Plessis is guaranteed a start. ESPNcricinfo understands the Test captain may be granted an extra week’s rest to ensure he is ready for matches against India, which begin in early 2018.

“It is a very exciting moment not just for South Africa but for world cricket to have Dale and AB, two icons of the game, back in the multi-day format,” Linda Zondi, CSA’s convener of selectors said. “AB and Dale bring loads of experience to the side apart from being two of the South African all-time greats. It is also good to have Vernon back and it is very encouraging that our four premium fast bowlers - Steyn, Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel - are all back in the selection mix.”

South Africa’s pace pack will use the Zimbabwe match to find rhythm ahead of a summer which includes seven more Tests - three against India and four against Australia.

With all the premier quicks available, there was only room for one more seam bowler - allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo - as neither Duanne Olivier nor Wayne Parnell were included.

The squad is also heavily stocked with batting options.

Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram will open the batting, with Hashim Amla to follow. But, if South Africa stick with the same team balance they employed against Bangladesh, there may only be space for two out of Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Temba Bavuma and Theunis de Bruyn, with Quinton de Kock at No.6, followed by the bowlers.

Against Bangladesh, South Africa used six batsmen, two allrounders, two seamers and a spinner.

They may, however, revert to a seven-batsmen strategy, which would likely see Phehlukwayo miss out completely and leave the selectors with a choice between three of the four seamers and Maharaj. The possibility of an all-pace attack, especially on green Highveld pitches, against India, cannot be ruled out.

South Africa Test squad Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn. (ESPN Cricinfo)

21 “2018 a year for golf evolution” – Hussain sports

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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6

Jessica Clementson

This is the most common sequence, but the knights may develop in any order to reach the same position.

The opening is fairly popular with beginners who strictly adhere to the opening principle: “Develop knights before bishops.” It was one of the workhorses in the family of the Open Game, at even the highest levels, until World War I. Thereafter it fell by the wayside, along with a number of open games. In this period ambitious players explored the Ruy Lopez, believing it a better attempt for White to exploit the advantage of the first move. In the 1990s, this opening saw a renaissance, and is now seen in the praxis of players from beginner to Grandmaster.

The Four Knights usually leads to quiet positional play, though there are some sharp variations. The ECO codes for the Four Knights Game are C49 (Symmetrical Variation, 4.Bb5 Bb4), C48 (4.Bb5 without 4...Bb4), C47 (4.d4 and others).

N

ewly elected President of the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC), Aleem Hussain promised an aggressive start to 2018 while confirming that plans are in place to turn the facility into a full-fledged Country Club.

During last Saturday’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), in an uncontested election, Hussain and his new executive body were appointed to oversee the Club’s future for the next oneyear term. Hussain’s new team features; Paton George (VicePresident), Chatterpaul Deo (Captain), Pandit Ravi Persaud (Secretary), Aasrodeen Shaw (Treasurer), Parmanand “Max” Persaud (Asst.

Secretary/Treasurer), Anasha Ally (Public Relations Officer) and Mike Gayadin (Head Grounds Superintendent).

Regarding the Club’s plans for 2018, Hussain said that numerous initiatives are at the forefront of the planning, revealing that the big move was to turn the club into an official country club which will offer; 5-star meals, a highend bar, excellent dining and recreational facilities, ideal for wedding receptions, functions and more.

All the aforementioned

LGC President Aleem Hussain is foreseeing a new path for golf

for the first time featured the inclusion of schools in the tournament, the LGC according to Hussain will now take it a step further as they plan to apply themselves into the academic systems by fully targeting universities and schools on a weekly basis.

Hussain further confirmed that with the landscape of golf slowly being remodeled, he plans to open the doors of the LGC to the public.

He believes that with more emphasis being placed on golf, it will be easier for more persons to follow the sport and inevitably join the club, thus strengthening Guyana’s reputation as a powerhouse.

Furthermore, it was

McKinnon stars in Publik Steel Challenge

pEN PAL

property for sale

T

he Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:

Notable Games include: Paulsen vs B Raphael ½-½ 1857 Paulsen vs Morphy 0-1 1857 Steinitz vs Zukertort 0-1 1886

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he Guyana Sport Shooting Federation (GSSF) wrapped up their final tournament of 2017 with a bang, following top performances in Saturday’s Steel Challenge, sponsored by Publik Restaurant.

Veteran shooter Ryan McKinnon swept the final match which featured three tough stages namely; Smoke and Hope, Roundabout and Showdown, beating off second and third place winners Pravesh Harry and Rajiv Latchana.

With time the main villain during a Steel Challenge, McKinnon managed to prevail over the rigors of the Challenge’s obstacle course to record an exceptional time of 54.97, almost going down to Harry who finished with 56.78 while Latchana came in third with 71.07.

In the Ladies category featuring just two shooters, GSSF President Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon led the way, completing the three stages with a time of 73.90 compared to her rival in the female division, Alanna Lall shot a time of 305.28.

The Law Enforcement category saw veteran shooter Harold “Top Gun” Hopkinson dominating that category to end with an overall time of 83.38.

Meanwhile, the executives of the GSSF sent out season’s greetings to all its members and hoped for continued support in 2018.

Ryan McKinnon

The Lusignan Golf Club is set for a high-end transformation

amenities are expected to go along with the lavish course which according to the President “will be playable 365 days a year.” It was hinted that while the physical building will be remodeled, the outer parts are expected to undergo changes which could see; mini-waterfalls, fishes, fauna and other plants being used as eye-candy for the club.

While the Fairways at Lusignan have been kept in brilliant conditions over the years, Hussain said that it was thanks to MACORP who have been providing equipment to assist in the maintenance of the greens, which have made it even more possible to keep the course playable; even in the event of inclement weather.

Following a successful Guyana Cup Open 2017, which

confirmed that three major tournaments will highlight 2018 with the Guyana Open Cup 8 expected to surpass the previous editions. Hussain also believes that with the local golfers setting the benchmark over the years with pros like Avinash Persaud winning a record 8 times, more golfers will be able to improve their games and help keep Guyana on the map.

The Club Head credited Persaud for keeping Guyana at the head of the line and making the Country one of the most difficult to beat as Guyana’s participation ahead of an early 2018 assignment in French Guiana, was requested.

Meanwhile, Hussain said that 2017 is expected to sign off with a bang as plans are currently in place to stage one final tournament before the year officially concludes.

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

Boodie, Savory script another Essequibo win

GFF/Corona Super 16 Tournament…

– all other fixtures abandoned

U

nbeaten half centuries from Kevon Boodie and Kemol Savory helped Essequibo ease to nine wicket win over West Demerara in the only game possible when the Jaguars Franchise League 50 Over competition continued on Tuesday.

As if the near two-week long break was a thing of the imagination, Essequibo Skipper Anthony Adams easily snared 5-10 to bundle out West Demerara to 135 at the Tuschen ground.

It was a simple task for the Essequibians who strolled to their target after Boodie smacked 67 not out and wicket-keeper Savory who stroked an unbeaten 57.

Meanwhile, West Berbice and Lower Corentyne had their game at Albion abandoned due to soft pitch and wet outfield as was the case at Port Mourant where Upper Corentyne and Georgetown were set to clash.

The only match that was scheduled for Demerara, between East Coast Demerara and Upper Demerara/East

Fruta Conquerors, Western Tigers hunting quarter-final berths

T

Winners Connection FC have already booked their quarter-final berth

Kevon Boodie

Bank at the Everest Cricket Club also suffered a similar fate much to the disappointment of the players who are seeking impressive perfor-

mances for a chance at selection to the Guyana Jaguars Super50 squad.

Four more matches are scheduled for Thursday.

wo more quarter-finalists will be confirmed when the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Corona Super 16 knockout tournament continues at the GDF Ground, Camp Ayangana this evening.

The feature clash will bring together powerhouse, Fruta Conquerors and Ann’s Grove in a tantalizing affair under lights. The Tucville based side, Conquerors will seek to extend their good run this year by knocking out the East Coast Demerara side in their quest for a spot in the final eight.

However, it will be no easy task for the men in orange as Ann’s Grove have proven recently that they can be formidable opponents on any given day.

Fruta’s front line will be

led by the tenacious Jermain Junior while their defense will be buoyed by Jeremy Garrett, all in all the matchup should make for a thrilling 90 minutes of football as the underdogs clash with the big boys.

The first match of this evening will pit Western Tigers FC against East Bank Demerara based Grove Hi-Tec; this matchup will be an intriguing contest as Western Tigers will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing run of form while Grove Hi-Tec are on song having made it recently to the semi-final stage of the Turbo Knock-out cup.

The four teams that have already qualified for the quarter-final stage are Winners Connection, Mile Rock FC, GDF

FC and Den Amstel.

Winners Connection narrowly beat Camptown FC on penalties last Friday at the McKenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground in Linden, while Mile Rock FC had a comfortable 3-0 victory over Cougars FC. On Sunday at the Den Amstel Community Ground, West Coast Demerara, GDF needled Pouderoyen FC while Den Amstel beat the Indigenous All Stars 2-1.

Admission is $500.

The final is set for January 1 at the Guyana National Stadium with a grand after party with dancehall star Popcaan. The winning team is set to pocket $2,000,000 while the losing finalist will get $1,000,000.

Canal 6 win Jupats Bar & Grill dominoes

C

anal 6 emerged winners of the Jupats Bar & Grill feature dominoes tournament played last Sunday at the sponsors 785 Block “Y”, Section “C”, Golden Grove, Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank, Dememara venue.

Apart from the first sitting when they lagged one game behind, Cool As Ice and Gansham General Construction, Canal led throughout the other sittings to come out tops with a whopping 86 games, 13 more than Cool As Ice who placed second on 73 and Gansham General Construction who brought up the rear on 68.

Ron Callender, with the maximum 18 games, led the way for Canal 6 while there were consistent scores of 16 from Ronald Beharry, 15 from Mark Welch and

14 each from skipper Ramroop Sukhai and Basdeo Persaud.

The top scorers for Cool As Ice were Adrian White and Ryan Prashad with 15 and 13 games respectively while Raymond Alli and Michael Thorn made 15 and 13 respectively for Gansham General Construction. The lone love bird was Faiuze Sahid of Ghansham General Constrution.

Trophies were awarded to the winning and first runners-up teams and the Most Valuable Player, Ron Callender of Canal 6, all compliments of Jupats Bar & Grill.

The tournament was coordinated and run by popular dominoes enthusiast Manniram Shew of Shew’s General Store who expressed sincere thanks to the sponsors for their generous contribution.

Sonya DeAbreu of Jupats Bar & Grill hands over the winning trophy to Ramroop Sukhai of Canal 6 in the presence of other members and supporters

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, december 20, 2017

WI need a Gayle-force

23

…Hetmyer, Beaton in line for debut

W

est Indies’ chances of finding a way past a New Zealand side on this tour have been as slim as England bowlers’ prospects of finding a way past the middle of Steven Smith’s bat across the Tasman Sea. After being outplayed and out-thought in the two-Test series, West Indies unravelled against N e w

Ronsford Beaton

Zealand XI in the tour match on Saturday: from 180 for 1 they rapi d ly subsided to 288 a l l out. The bowlers then copped punishment from Test specialist Jeet Raval - who isn’t needed by Auckland in the ongoing Super Smash T20.

To compound their woes, they have lost first picks; Marlon Samuels (hand injury), Alzarri Joseph (back strain), and Sunil Ambris (fractured forearm). West Indies, however, will be enthused by the return of their captain Jason Holder, who had been suspended for the Hamilton Test, and Chris Gayle, who reminded everyone that he is still the Universe Boss with a record-breaking 18 sixes during his 69-ball 146 not out in the Bangladesh Premier League final.

But can they alone turn around the fortunes of the ODI side on Tuesday night (Guyana Time)? In addition to not qualifying for the Champions Trophy earlier this year, West Indies were swept 3-0 at home

by England and later lost 4-0 in the return series with rain washing out one match. In between, they lost series to Pakistan and India - and nearly to Afghanistan at home. Limited-overs success in New Zealand could be a shot in the arm before the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe next year.

New Zealand have no such troubles: they near-

ly stole a lateral sewin in India their imble planAnd it has into their with

b i ries with peccaning. seeped series t h e manage-

ment resti n g s e n i o r players - captain Kane Williamson and bowling spearhead Tim Southee - for the second and third ODIs of the series ahead of the busy home season.

Colin de Grandhomme has withdrawn himself from all three ODIs because of bereavement, but the hosts still have enough depth to keep West Indies down.

A hamstring injury has ruled Martin Guptill out of the series, and the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder G e o r g e Worker will open in his place. Doug Bracewell will replace de Grandhomme while legspinner Todd Astle will replace Mitchell Santner, who has been ruled out of the first ODI because of a shoulder niggle.

New Zealand might have to choose between Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson for the out-and-out fast bowler’s slot.

Kyle Hope, who had been dropped for the Test series, made his case for a spot in the ODI team by top-scoring with 94 in the tour match, although at the top of the order. He is likely to occupy a middle-order spot along with his younger brother Shai. On the bowling front, the visitors might have to pick between Nikita Miller, who hasn’t played ODIs since the 2015 World Cup, and Ashley Nurse.

In terms of the pitch, Holder said, “It [the pitch] has a bit of grass, should be a good batting track, it won’t change much during the game. The standard in world cricket now is 300plus - we’ve got to be looking at that.”

New Zealand team from; Kane Williamson (captain), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Lockie

New Zealand have won eight of their last 10 ODIs at home

Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor,

George Worker West Indies from: Jason Holder (captain), Ronsford Beaton, Sheldon Cottrell,

Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Kyle Hope, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Nikita Miller, Jason

Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams.

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

WednesDAY, december 20, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

WI need a Gayleforce

Pg 23

…Hetmyer, Beaton in line for debut Shimron Hetmyer who replaced Sunil Ambris is pipped to make his ODI debut

Chris Gayle is in red hot form in ‘white-ball’ cricket

Boodie, Savory script another Essequibo win – all other fixtures abandoned Pg 22

Match officials and ground staff conducted an inspection on Tuesday morning at Everest before the game was eventually called off (John Ramsingh photo)

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