Guyanatimes international june 22 2018

Governor Cuomo Op-Ed: Page 39

INTERNATIONAL

A moral outrage New York will not tolerate

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Exxon aiming for 9th oil strike in Guyana

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24, 2018

ISSUE NO. 403

See story on page 8

…as drillship moves on to Hammerhead -1 New Cadets

Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Patrick West, MSS, earlier this week promoted 28 Officer Cadets to the Rank of Ensign following the successful completion of the first year of the Standard Officers' Course number 50.

The second year will see the Ensigns undergoing academic training alongside their military studies. After they have successfully completed the second phase of training they will be recipients of an Associate Degree in General Studies made possible through a memorandum of understanding between the Force and the University of Guyana. This batch of Ensigns have been trained in Jungle Warfare, Paratrooping Equitation and Watermanship. (In this DPI photo Officers give salute).

Guyana records another brutal domestic killing

Page 11 …Berbice man stabs wife to death, consumes poison after

American Airlines set to commence Guyana operations Dead: Tovanie Simmons

…with 4 flights per week from November

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American Airlines set to commence Guyana operations …with 4 flights per week from November

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embers of American Airlines (AA) have met with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on June 12, 2018 at the Authority’s head office in Kingston.

According to a statement from GCAA, the meeting was convened by the Director General, Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field, who outlined to the representatives of American Airlines, the requirements they must fulfill before commencing operations in Guyana.

American Airlines is interested in providing scheduled flights on the MiamiGeorgetown route from November 15, 2018.

The Director General expressed his pleasure at such a well-established airline showing an interest in the Guyana market.

He noted that the GCAA

GCAA’s Director General and other GCAA staff in discussion with representatives of American Airlines

is committed to doing its part in facilitating the application process of American Airlines,

while assuring the airline officials of the GCAA’s robust oversight capabilities.

American Airlines has already commenced the process for approval to conduct sched-

uled operations on the Miami -Georgetown route.

The airline is coming to Guyana at a time when the country, for the first time in its aviation history, will be hosting the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Air Transport Meeting scheduled for November 21 to 23, 2018.

The meeting is expected to attract delegates from many of the ICAO 192 member states.

Leading the team from American Airlines was John Williams, who indicated that American Airlines is enthusiastic about commencing operations in Guyana at the time of the ICAO Air Transport Meeting.

American Airlines is hoping to start operations with four flights per week, with plans to operate daily in June, 2019.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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EDITORIAL

GECOM and its employment practices

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t the beginning of this month, Dr. Roger Luncheon, PPP Executive and Election Committee Member, claimed PNC Commissioners at GECOM were discriminating against Indian Guyanese applicants for vacancies at the Secretariat by giving those shortlisted low to zero scores during the interview process, while providing high to 100% scores to their preferred candidates.

“If these disclosures are confirmed,” he declared, “it would reveal that the practice continues of excluding some ethnicities from GECOM Secretariat.”

The claim of discriminatory hiring practices at GECOM was repeated by the three PPP Commissioners at their statutory meeting, and they demanded that the ethnic breakdown of the staff be released.

However, PNCR-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander asserted conclusively that GECOM ‘does not keep information of its staffers based on ethnicity”, even as the Chairman of GECOM, who was unilaterally appointed by President Granger, released figures on just such a breakdown. This proved that GECOM does in fact solicit and record the ethnic identification of persons hired in its Secretariat.

The report showed the following percentages by ethnic group: AfroGuyanese (46%), Indo-Guyanese (21%), Mixed (20%), Amerindians (12%) and Others (1%). Conjugated with percentages of these groups in the population – Afro-Guyanese (46%/29%), Indo-Guyanese (21%/40%), Mixed (20%/20%), Amerindians (12%/11%) and Others (1%/1%), what clearly jumps out is the overrepresentation of African Guyanese and the under representation of Indian Guyanese in GECOM compared to their numbers in the general population. PNC-nominated Commissioner Alexander attempted to explain this anomaly by pointing to the historical preponderance of African Guyanese in the Public Service.

Accusations of ethnic discrimination by the Government are nothing new in Guyana. There were such widespread accusations during the PPP regimes of 1957-1964 and 1992-2015 against African Guyanese. Similar accusations were made against the PNC between 1964-1992 and 2015-present against Indian Guyanese. If the activities of any individual, organisation or group fall differentially on citizens who have some distinctive characteristic in common, it ought not to be of any surprise that they will enquire whether there are any connections between the action and the characteristic. The problem in Guyana is that governments have not moved legislatively to deal up-front with such accusations and thereby defuse a very explosive situation.

In the US, with reference to the distinctions made above on differential hiring of ethnic groups, their Supreme Court enunciated the doctrines of “adverse or disparate treatment” and “adverse or disparate impact”. Disparate treatment would apply to the scenario claimed by Dr Luncheon, wherein there is an INTENTIONAL selection process that discriminated against persons from an identified group. In this case, for instance, the scores of the rejected applicants could be evaluated vis-avis those of successful candidates to determine whether there was bias.

In the case of “adverse impact”, any specified group that is statistically anomalously represented for their percentage in the target population, without the need to prove intent, a rebuttable presumption of “discrimination/racism” is inferred. In 1978, a set of guidelines known as the Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures was adopted for four Government agencies (EEOC, Department of Labour, Department of Justice, and the Civil Service Commission). This provided information on what constitutes a discriminatory test surrounding employment testing, as well as all personnel decisions. Typically, adverse impact is determined by using the four-fifths or eighty percent rule. This is “a selection rate for any race, sex, or ethnic group which is less than four-fifths (or 80%) of the rate for the group with the highest rate will generally be regarded … as evidence of adverse impact.”

In the case of the claimed discrimination against Indians in GECOM, 80% of their distribution is 32%, and therefore with them constituting only 21% of GECOM’s Secretariat, the burden of proof shifts to GECOM to prove no discrimination. However, since the 80% test does not involve probability distributions to determine whether the disparity is a “beyond chance” occurrence, other statistically significance tests, such as the standard deviation analysis, may be used to do so.

We commend the US approach to the ERC, where the charges evidently will be laid.

The Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) on Wednesday evening launched its 2018/2019 edition of iNvest Magazine at the Roraima Duke Lodge Hotel. The launch saw in attendance several Government Ministers, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Private Sector among others. It was highlighted that for this edition a total of 30,000 magazines have being published. (In photo: Chief Executive Officer for the Guyana Office for Investment, GO-Invest, Owen Verwey presents Minister of Business with responsibility for Tourism, Dominic Gaskin with a copy of the iNvest Magazine)

Addressing poverty A

ccording to the United Nations: worldwide, some 1 billion people live in extreme poverty, and more than 800 million endure hunger and malnutrition. However, since 1990, extreme poverty rates have been cut by more than half. This is seen as a remarkable achievement, and all stakeholders, especially governments, are expected to continue making the necessary policy interventions and allocate the needed resources to further bridge the gap between the rich and poor.

Beyond income alone, what matters to people is whether they are able to realise their aspirations for themselves and their families. This means having food security; access to basic services, such as healthcare, transportation and education; and living in peaceful, stable societies.

In Guyana, too many citizens are still considered living below the poverty line and being unable to access opportunities that would allow

so far coming from the Government since it took political power in 2015 is not very encouraging. Rather than creating more employment opportunities for citizens and providing businesses with the incentives to expand etc, the Government has made certain policy decisions that saw hundreds of sugar workers jobless and forced into poverty. It could be recalled that in spite of the mounting calls for the APNU/AFC Administration to reconsider its decision to downscale the sugar industry via closure of sugar estates, the Government went ahead with its decision to close.

While alternative mechanisms were touted to cushion the social and economic impacts on communities, nothing substantial has been earmarked that would stem the swelling of unemployment occasioned by the closure of these estates. Certainly, the estates are a major source of sustenance for thousands, and their closure

them to lead better lives. We are well aware that Guyana is not a poor country in terms of natural resources. This country possesses bountiful natural resources, but in spite of this, the country remains underdeveloped and mired in poverty.

It is plagued by poor infrastructure, which in itself is an impediment to development.

Also, there is a wide disparity in development and in household income between the hinterland and the coastland regions, and between urban and rural areas. Urban areas are more developed, and have much higher household incomes. Efforts must therefore be made to reduce this gap if the nation is to become more equal in terms of urban versus rural areas and/or hinterland versus coastal regions.

President David Granger had said before that Guyana has enough resources to banish poverty forever. However, the nation is still waiting to see what concrete plans and programmes will be put in place to address poverty and create “the good life” that was promised on the campaign trail over three years ago. With the oil and gas sector set to take off, it is hoped that the benefits would be trickled down to help develop and provide more opportunities for the poorer sections of the community, which would eventually lift them out of poverty.

Most would agree that what we have seen

is being felt deeply and far and wide. Workers and their families are fearful that their communities would be destroyed, families broken up, and there will be increased incidents of crime and other social problems.

The Government must come up with plans to improve education and expand the country’s economy to create more economic opportunities, especially for those several thousands of young persons who have spent years equipping themselves with the necessary skills to function in the world of work.

Having said that, it is not the role of the Government alone to work towards reducing poverty; the private sector also has a crucial role to play in this regard. Businesses can create decent, sustainable jobs, foster economic activity through their supply chains, and contribute tax revenues for basic services and infrastructure.

Building a sustainable future requires governments and other stakeholders to intensify efforts towards eradicating extreme poverty, and ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunities that would allow them to live full and productive lives. In this regard, the full participation of the poor in decision making on issues that impact their lives and communities must be at the centre of governmental policies and strategies to help build a sustainable future.

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‘First oil’ in 2020: UK expert underlines need for ‘balance’ in local content policy

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nited Kingdombased local content expert, Dr Michael Warner, has underscored the importance of Guyana’s draft local content policy providing a level playing field for both local and foreign investors so as to avoid any breaches of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Provisions under the WTO TRIMS Agreement bar against measures that discriminate against suppliers who are foreign investors from other WTO Member States in favour of suppliers who are nationals of the host country.

Dr Michael Warner delivering his presentation on Wednesday at the Pegasus Hotel

“Leave the canvas wide for different class of alliances … The more the policy is interpreted to give direct preferences of the market to local suppliers … the

GDF Lieutenant Colonel graduates with honours from Washington University

Lieutenant Colonel Trevor Bowman (right) and a fellow student at the National Defence University

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Lieutenant Colonel of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has completed a Master of Arts Degree in Strategic Security Studies and a War College Diploma in International Security and Combating Terrorism from the College of International Security Affairs (CISA) at the National Defence University, Washington, DC. Lieutenant Colonel Trevor Bowman recently graduated with honours after successfully completing the programme conducted from July 3, 2017 to June 7, 2018.

Lieutenant Colonel Bowman received honours for his research paper titled “Lessons from Trinidad and Tobago: Addressing Crime and Preventing the Rise of Radicalism in Guyana.”

The Combating Terrorism Fellowship Programme is the flagship academic programme conducted by CISA, which targets the development of strategic leaders to confront complex national, regional, and global security challenges such as State instability, insurgency, and terrorism.

The Lieutenant

Colonel noted that the programme showed a troubling convergence of terrorism and crime, underscoring the importance of a holistic rather than militarised approach in combating security challenges.

For Guyana, he explained, “it is of particular relevance, as our country still wrestles with crime at both the domestic and transnational levels. Moreover, our emerging oil economy will see an influx of foreigners into the country. This dictates that the terrorist threat should never be disregarded.”

Apart from this recent achievement, Lieutenant Colonel Bowman has successfully completed several courses overseas, including the Jungle Warfare and Jumpmaster Courses in Brazil, the Special Operations and Psychological Operations Courses in the USA, and the French Commando Course in both French Guiana and Martinique.

The Lieutenant Colonel is also the only serving GDF officer to complete the All-Arms Commando Course conducted by the British Royal Marines, UK.

more likely it is you’re in breach of WTO rules…,” Warner cautioned.

The British specialist was at the time making a presentation to local stakeholders in the Private Sector on the best practices in implementing a local content policy. He is currently in Guyana working with the Centre for Local Business Development – a global developer. The event

hosted by Development A l t e r n a t i v e s Incorporated (DAI) on Wednesday at the Pegasus Hotel saw the attendance of representatives from the Private Sector and legal fraternity as well as officials from ExxonMobil. The US oil giant has been successful in its offshore exploration activities in Guyana, thus paving the way for first oil in 2020.

Having examined Guyana’s local content policy, Dr Warner noted that the draft document was “heading in the right direction”. However, he pointed out that the focus would now have to be on the implementation of the policy.

According to Dr Warner, there needs to be a balance in pushing local content.

“But I think

Governments are maturing … Politicians and the policy makers have to deliver the expectations of their society … and the two can come together, especially in a place like Guyana, where relatively people meet and talk…,” he posited.

While further warning against Guyana falling victim to the ‘Dutch Disease’, the British expert outlined that the entire Guyana would have to work hard to maximise the opportunities that would become available, suggesting that extensive on-the-job training be done. “There’s going to be huge amounts of opportunities for local folks to raise their game and meet the standards of international requirements,” Dr Warner stated.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana’s health sector suffering from gross incompetence, mismanagement Dear Editor, The Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings, and the Director of Clinical Health, Dr Shako, recently visited Region Six to do an analysis of the health sector.

I assume they visited most of the hospitals and health centres in the region, because they reported that the sector has seen a lot of positives since the APNU+AFC Coalition Government took office in 2015.

The minister and public officials of the Granger Administration continue to disregard the truth: that the health sector is really in a critical state, and is suffering from incompetence, mismanagement, corruption, and is failing miserably to improve services to assist hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Guyanese who are depending on this important, life-saving service.

At the meeting with Minister Dr Cummings, we were told that the National Ophthalmology Hospital will commence cataract surgeries in the next three months. This was shocking, since the senior Minister of Public Health, the Director of Health Services, and the Department of Public Information had publicly informed the Guyanese people that the National Ophthalmology Hospital was presently doing laser cataract surgeries.

In summary, there are difficulties in comprehending who is actually speaking the truth and who is lying. As I was identifying the issues in the health sector in Region Six, the minister abruptly informed me that she was busy, she had to visit two hospitals before leaving for Georgetown, and was unable to listen to the cries of the people.

This is the level of arrogance that was shown by the minister, and this Granger Administration is preaching about cohesion and inclusive government.

Before May 2015, most of the drugs and medical supplies for cataract surgeries were purchased from prequalified companies, but because of the vindictive attitude of this Government,

the Ministry of Public Health is refusing to purchase from those companies, and as such, thousands of vulnerable Guyanese awaiting cataract surgery and availability of other drugs are getting blind and dying.

If there is an availability of the necessary drugs and medical supplies, cataract surgeries can be done at the New Amsterdam Hospital, and prevent a huge backlog and even stopping people from getting blind. The APNU+AFC Coalition Government should stop political victimisation of this supplier, and purchase the necessary drugs and medical supplies immediately.

Another promise made by Minister Dr Cummings is that 24hour pharmacy would be at the New Amsterdam Hospital; but there is only one pharmacist in Region Six, who is near retirement, and there are limited amounts of drugs for the entire Region Six. Before I conclude, let me extend my sincere condolences to the family of young Beyonce Ross, who is a victim of the gross incompetence in the healthcare systems of Guyana.

President Granger, at Guyana’s 52nd Independence Anniversary, was showcasing youths, yet denied a teenager the right to access proper health care. Many ministers went to have publicity with Beyonce Ross, but failed miserable to resolve the problem.

The cost for all those ministers and public officials who visited her might have covered the expenses for Beyonce Ross’s medical bills overseas. Numerous Guyanese are identifying their medical issues, but are unable to fix them; and as such, this is causing them to die a slow death.

The reality is that this APNU+AFC Coalition Government only makes provision for its members to enjoy the good life, and behave like “carrion crows” and “vampires on the taxpayers of Guyana.

Regards.

Zamal Hussain Chairman Regional Health Committee Region Six

Concerns of residents have fallen on deaf ears

Dear Editor, Political parties do campaign vigorously, and go about trying to convince people that their vision for governing the country is best, should they win. Now this coalition Government’s track record seems to be riddled with more mistakes/incompetence/allegations of corruption compared to pleasing the public.

Everywhere I go, I hear complaints more than praises, so I wonder how they will bounce from that. I don’t believe oil alone can save our country.

Look at neighbouring Venezuela. Each party would have supporters from all over the country, and many would join/support because they would need to see development, especially for their area. They, too, would have a tremendous amount of ideas, and I wonder if the politicians would stop to listen to them after acceding to power. I don’t believe so.

Now, over the years, I’ve complained of numerous things, and made recommendations, many of

which seem to have fallen on deaf ears, even though they are important.

Of recent, a six-year-old boy lost his life due to (my views) the negligence of teachers who were directly responsible for the safety of children, given the location and condition of the area.

I’ve written about the riverine areas and the dangers lying there, and even made recommendations, but apparently they are not important, because I don’t believe any politician or their families could be affected whilst those directly in harm’s way continue in the same conditions.

Editor, we see the president providing buses, speed boats, bicycles etc., all over the country, which is very commendable, but these donations are not enough to handle the capacity. Many children still resort to the normal mode of reaching to schools, and in the riverine areas, this is mainly by boats, and some are very dangerous. One only has to use the social media and occasionally

one would see videos/images of the struggle.

Now, one would see that none of these children have any lifejackets, and one would know that lifejackets are rather expensive in Guyana.

Now, if our politicians have any sort of vision or care for this nation, they would have already put plans in place to either provide free life jackets or make them way cheaper for the school children, because their way of travelling is very dangerous.

What’s the purpose of them hiring companies and individuals to write and print glorious manifestos at election time and most of the plans/vision cannot materialise, while simple problems cannot be solved? Can we say we are a country with vision being run by the visionless, or their vision is only focused on oil and their rewards?

Sincerely, Sahadeo Bates

Decision to sideline Vishnu Persaud is irrational and lacking in fairness

Dear Editor, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson has made my point emphatically about the perverse ethnic and political domination, lack of diversity, and racial exclusion in the make-up and hiring practices of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), in his considered but irrational decision to reject the top ranked candidate, Vishnu Persaud, for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) of GECOM. Persaud emerged as the highest-ranked candidate out of an interviewing and review process which imposed surprising double jeopardies on him. The facts are as follows: (1): Persaud served in the position for over three years (2): Persaud was in employment at a senior level for several more years.

(3): Persaud has had ‘very good’ performance appraisals from CEO Lowenfield (4): Persaud acted in the position of CEO – vice Lowenfield – on a number of occasions (5): Persaud has exceeded the requirements for the job as advertised, greatly.

In fact, the position should not have been advertised in the first place, but the gentleman should have been rightfully reinstated to his post — a post which fell vacant only due to the absence of a full commission.

The hung vote across the table, however, meant that Chairman Patterson had to cast his vote.

A three-week delay for decision yielded his ‘considered’ position that Roxanne Myers, the second ranked candidate, was his choice for the DCEO position.

I repeat here my assertions that the decision is gross, irrational, lacking in fairness, and is an injustice not only to the individual it negatively impacted, but also to the entire Guyanese society.

The arguments of meritocracy

which were proferred by some in defence of the ethnic dominance and skewed culture at GECOM have been thrown out of the window by the Chairman’s action.

Here, we have had a candidate who clearly merited due, fit and proper consideration cast out in spite of having been ranked the highest of all those interviewed.

Even worse, the decision validates persistent claims that a group of Guyanese representing perhaps 50 plus percent of the population has no merit in the considerations for fair employment also at GECOM. The decision has, I have heard, left a bitter taste also in the mouths of Afro-Guyanese employees at GECOM, who felt that Persaud was unfairly treated.

And here I repeat my assertion that GECOM at the top management level is dominated by up to 90 percent Afro-Guyanese.

If the same were true for similar dominance by Indo- or any other group of Guyanese it would still be wrong and unhealthy, and must attract similar condemnation and efforts for redress.

We have to deal with uncomfortable truths fairly.

I have referenced the Lawrence Inquiry, which deemed the British Police as being ‘institutionally racist’ as a reference point for similar situations and behaviour elsewhere.

I insist that critical institutions of the state, such as GECOM, become reflexively racist sometimes without knowing it, but also become victims and pawns for the undertaking of sinister actions by some, to the detriment of fairness, justice, public good and sustainability of the nation. And this goes for whichever group dominates in any similar institution of the state.

The continuance of the denial

of fair employment on the basis of race, ethnicity, and association in critical institutions of the state, such as GECOM, is a manifest denial of the civil rights of citizens, and is injurious to a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and yet fragile nation.

Some of us therefore should not beat the drums in support of civil rights and justice for groups discriminated against in other countries, while we support and/or undertake discriminatory practices against groups of fellow Guyanese.

Moral equivalency matters in this issue.

An urgent staff audit of GECOM must be undertaken to answer questions of lack of diversity, ethnic suppression and exclusion, and political dominance at the institution. Such an audit has to take account of geographic imbalances and imbalances at various employment levels. Further, the stakeholders have to arrive at formulations to address these matters as they relate to the hiring of temporary staff and contractors for elections, when these issues become even more exacerbated.

GECOM CEO Lowenfield has to have the courage to dispassionately map the agency for unusual employment anomalies, said to be also existing representing family and membership of particular churches. Explanations for any such anomalies must be offered to allay negative public perceptions and anxieties, and to allow for redress.

GECOM, as a matter of urgency, has to draft, invite public comment on, and thereafter adopt, a Corporate Social Responsibility Charter (CSRC) and a Governance Charter which speak to its ethos and commitment in respect to its continued on page 8

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana to Jagdeo fumes over slothfulness reintegrate of Judiciary in hearing adolescent mothers Elections Petitions case into school system M …over 6000 pregnancies recorded in 2 years

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UNICEF Representative Sylvie Fouet presenting the policy to Education Minister Nicolette Henry

fter over one year of research and consultations, the National Policy for the Reintegration of Adolescent Mothers into the Formal Education System was on Monday released to the Education Ministry.

With this initiative – that will be implemented soon – many adolescent mothers will be given an opportunity to complete their formal secondary education and the system will also be used as a preventative measure whereby stakeholders will be sensitized to ensure that the policy is effective.

Present at the launch of the policy framework document was the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative, Sylvie Fouet, who highlighted that Guyana is second on the list for the highest number of teenage mothers in the Caribbean and Latin America, with about 97 births for every 1000 teenage girls. It is also in close range with The Dominican Republic which tops the list.

Some alarming statistics according to her reveal that, “Teen pregnancy is about 20 to 22 per cent or about one out of five teenage girls below the age of 19.”

Among the 15 factors that lead to teenage pregnancies as highlighted in the study, it was revealed that some of them include school dropouts, lack of knowledge and difficult relationships with parents and family members, poverty, incest, exploita-

tion and sexual abuse.

During interactions with teen mothers, most of them had thoughts of illegal abortion and abandoning their newborn child.

Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson highlighted that unsuccessful attempts by the Education Ministry to bring awareness in the past could be blamed on the lack of a framework document to use as a guide when dealing with such situations.

“A factor that must not be discounted is that many adolescent pregnancies maybe a consequence of forced sex, rather than consensual or risky sexual behaviour and therefore we have a responsibility to protect those girls.”

Brief remarks were also given by Education Minister Nicolette Henry who noted that this is a way of modernising education in Guyana.

“Teenage pregnancy is a complex issue which has multiple contributing factors that are common knowledge to many.

It is a symptom of a bigger societal sickness. It is now just a health issue, but a development issue that is deep-rooted in poverty, gender inequality, violence, child forced marriages, and power imbalances between teenage girls and their partners,” she said.

In 2015, some 3712 girls were reported pregnant while in 2016, a total of 3032 were recorded. In both cases, the age range was between 15 to19 years.

ore than three years after the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) filed an election petition in the High Court, the matter is still to be heard. On Wednesday, PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo said if this matter continues to languish in the court, it would mean that the Judiciary is violating laws.

Addressing a large gathering at Enmore in observance of the Enmore Martyrs, Jagdeo told his supporters that the Judiciary needs to understand the signal it is sending Guyanese if it does not act in an expeditious manner on these matters, particularly the election petition.

“We are not asking for a particular outcome, we’re asking for expeditious hearing of these matters. But if the Judiciary tolerates this sloth, then they will be violating, undermining a constitutional remedy to rigs and flaws in the electoral process,” Jagdeo told a cheering audience.

He argued that the law stipulates that this matter must be heard continuously, but that has clearly not been the case.

Jagdeo also used the opportunity to remind supporters that elections were rigged post 1992 and there is a possibility that it could happen again.

He referred to a case in Barbados where a citizen was denied the constitutional right to vote. The matter was nevertheless appealed and went as far as the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which incidentally handed down a ruling in the citizen’s favour, and that individual was allowed to vote.

“Ours has been languishing for three years. So, in this case with the (Guyana Elections Commission) GECOM Chairman, using the precedence in Barbados, we have applied to the Court of

A section of the gathering at Enmore in remembrance of the Enmore Martyrs

Appeal to hear this matter expeditiously because it has an impact; a bearing on the elections in the future,” he added.

The petition filed on behalf of the PPP/C seeks to challenge the validity of the outcome of the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

Following the outcome of May 2015 elections, the party underscored that the elections were not held in conformity with the Constitution of Guyana.

The matter, which was filed in the name of PPP/C parliamentarian, Ganga Persaud, essentially requested a recount of all ballot boxes for the last elections and fresh elections were also called for.

He had claimed that the elections were “unlawfully conducted” and that the results of the elections were affected.

He cited procedural errors and instances of fraudulent and/or suspicious actions during the elections. Unrest, fake Statements of Poll (SOPs) and multiple voting were among the reasons for the petition. Further, the presence of ‘huge mobs’ at several polling stations and other strategic places, particularly in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), were also cited by the party as another cause for intimidation and fear.

But the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield had described

the petition as frivolous and vexatious. He said too that the petition discloses no reasonable cause of the action and asked for it to be struck out.

But before demitting office, former Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang overruled Lowenfield’s summons to have the petition struck out. Justice Chang had ruled that the summons to strike out the petition was premature and therefore the court should proceed in hearing it.

Attorney representing Lowenfield, Roysdale Forde, had filed an appeal and further disclosed that Chang erred in law when he failed to direct his mind to the summons and to apply the proper principles applicable to the striking out of the petition.

Forde said the Judge erred in law when he made a finding and determination with respect to Article 163 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana and its relationship with Section 42 of the National Assembly Validity of Election Act, Chapter 1:04 without affording the Appellant an opportunity of responding to the said finding.

The matter was last heard in 2017 before acting Chief Justice Roxane George and Justice Franklin Holder.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Exxon aiming for 9th oil strike in Guyana …as drillship moves on to Hammerhead -1

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ith another successful oil discovery under its belt, the ExxonMobil contracted drillship Stena Carron is off to a new target, Hammerhead-1, located nine miles southwest of Liza 1.

The news comes on the heels of ExxonMobil announcing on Wednesday its eight discovery at its latest target Longtail and revealed that combined with the nearby Turbot this would amount to an additional 500 Million barrels of reserves.

ExxonMobil is now accelerating exploration activity with an additional drill rig expected in the next few months.

This would mean two engaged in exploration while another rig develops the Liza (1) field set to start production in early 2020.

According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) release, ExxonMobil’s success rate in the Stabroek Block at 80 per cent is the envy of an industry that averages 20-25 per cent.

The Stena Carron drillship that made the discovery

It currently holds proven reserves of 3.2 Billion barrels and this is sure to climb with the additional discoveries including Ranger where ExxonMobil has signaled its intention to drill an additional well to establish its size.

The eight discover-

ies to date are as follows Liza, Payara, Liza Deep, Snoek, Turbot, Ranger, Pacora and Longtail.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 Million acres (26,800 square kilometres) and located approximately 120 miles (193 kilometres) offshore Guyana.

Oil production is

planned to begin in early 2020 with revenues for the country expected to be used for transformative development projects soon after.

Local operator ExxonMobil’s affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is the

GEA staff dies in Essequibo Coast accident when Ram lost control of the vehicle and slapped into a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) pole.

After crashing, the vehicle turned turtle and in the process, Ram was thrown out face first onto a parapet a few feet away.

Ramlakhan was trapped inside the vehicle. The two were rushed to the hospital by Police ranks who were on patrol duties.

Ram was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital and Ramlakhan is said to be nursing

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transferred to Georgetown by his relatives.

An investigation has been launched.

Meanwhile, the Energy Agency, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed condolences to Ram’s family on behalf of Ministers David Patterson and Annette Ferguson, the Chairman and Members of the Board of Directors, management and staff of the EPA. The GEA said that Ram was an employee of the Agency from

Dead: Shankar Ram

23-year-old Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) staff died in the wee hours of Wednesday when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving and slammed into a utility pole.

Dead is Shankar Ram of Lot 14 Mon Repos Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD) while his colleague, Donetta Ramlakhan, of Enmore, ECD, is currently in a critical state at the Suddie Public Hospital.

Reports are the two were travelling north along the western side of the Zorg Public Road, Essequibo Coast about 00:15 on Wednesday

The GEA vehicle which was involved in the accident

serious injuries.

Guyana Times International understands that Ram and Ramlakhan were in Essequibo on work-related duties. The motor vehicle, in which they were travelling – PJJ 1069 – belongs to the GEA. Ram’s body has since been

June 6, 2013 to April 11, 2015 attached to the Licensing Division and then from May 15, 2017 to June 19, 2018 in the Fuel Marking Division. He leaves to mourn his wife, parents, relatives and friends.

operator of the Stabroek Block, holding a 45 per cent interest, while Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 per cent interest.

Confidence

Following

the

nouncement of the 8th discovery on Wednesday, Government issued a statement congratulating the company, stating that this other discovery is an “unmistakable demonstration” of its confidence in Guyana’s offshore reserves.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman said the 8th discovery at Longtail-1 is yet another verification and validation of Guyana’s massive offshore oil reserves.

“All Guyanese will be brimming with further excitement of this historic news which reinforces that in the near future, Guyana’s share of profit oil will allow for national infrastructural, economic and social transformation hitherto unimaginable,” he added.

Further to that, Trotman said Guyanese have the assurance that Government will ensure that the sector is managed responsibly, with their best interest and the interest of future generations in mind.

an-

Decision to sideline Vishnu... from page 6

constitutional mandate to prepare for, and conduct free, fair and transparent elections, for Guyana, which are acceptable. These should come out of a risk assessment process using acceptable matrices, and they should be regularly monitored and reported on for compliance.

In the meantime, much needed ethnic sensitivity training is required to deal with complaints of disdainful treatment at all levels of engagement with the Commission.

The ongoing deliberate, open, and also surreptitious stacking of GECOM senior staff with persons of a particular group and of a particular political preference has been just confirmed via Facebook and Twitter posts – now being rapidly taken down.

This event also supports charges that GECOM has been ‘captured’ by one political entity.

There is now the feeling that there is complete destruction of any general perception of fairness, integrity and transparency at GECOM. Commissioner Alexander should really be making better and positive use of his

time and intellect, rather than rushing in to the support the indefensible, both for the specific case and for the general issue here. He seems to have appointed himself both as the wordsmith and the mouthpiece for GECOM’s Chairman.

There are no other options left, given the preferred position at the highest levels at GECOM, but to refer the current matter to the Ethnic Relations Commission, and to bring the scrutiny of relevant international bodies on GECOM. He has become ‘the source’ of misrepresentations and half-truths appearing in sections of the media.

It is indeed regrettable that he is the main person advancing the case of the ‘deplorables,’ both at GECOM and in the media And if GECOM, as has been stated, has ‘dirty laundry’, the only place it must be washed is in the full view of the Guyanese public and the international community.

Respectfully, Robeson Benn Commissioner Guyana Elections Commission

NEWS 9

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana-born Dr Narendra Singh receives honorary doctorate from top Canadian university

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ecognised for his extraordinary humanitarian contributions and as a healthcare leader, Schulich alumnus and physician, Dr Narendra Singh, received an honorary doctor of laws from the Canadabased York University on Monday during the morning Spring Convocation ceremony.

Dr Singh has devoted his career as a physician to global paediatric and neonatal healthcare. He recently retired as Chief-of-Staff at Humber River Hospital in Toronto, Canada to direct his efforts full-time to the Guyana Help the Kids (GHTK); an initiative he founded in 2009 that has drastically reduced infant mortality rates.

He credited his achievements to a strong support system.

“I’m receiving this honorary doctorate of laws, but I’m somewhat conflicted since my success… is the combined effort of many people, some in the audience today… and so I would like to share this degree with them,” Singh said in his address to the convocation.

Musing over how to inspire a generation in the age of advanced technology, with “everything at their fingertips,” Singh chose to focus on what he learned from a long life and career.

He spoke to the graduates about the life lessons he learned on his own journey to success, and highlighted three main points: the importance of family, personal qualities for success, and the importance of giving back.

Two guarantees in life, he suggested, are that everyone will experience good times and bad times. He then asked the graduates “when adversity strikes, and it will strike, my question to you is who will be there?”

He spoke of his own support from his parents, and how after completing specialty medical training, he was offered an exciting job in the United States, but took a less exciting opportunity closer to home in Ontario to be near his parents and two brothers.

Though his career could have taken a drastically different turn had he accepted the position offered in the US, he believes he still did well and attributes his success to putting family over career.

“I will say to you unequivocally: your career will flourish if you’re happy and surrounded by loved ones like you are today,” he told the graduates, urging those who do not have the same fortune of nearby family to find and build their families.

Dr Narendra Singh received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the Canada-based York University on Monday during the Spring Convocation ceremony. Also in photo are Chancellor Greg Sorbara and University President and Vice Chancellor Rhonda L Lenton

“We are all connected and the stronger and healthier our relationships are, the more grounded, resilient and, ultimately, successful we can be,” he said.

Dr Singh also spoke of personal qualities that drive success, including good interpersonal skills and humility, and shared a personal memory of his to highlight that.

He recalled as a child in Guyana, at age six or seven, being one of the lowest ranked students in the class. Remembering the support of his family and how he did initially struggle, he also recalled that

with hard work, his grades began to improve.

“My point is that when you look at people who have done really well, finally, in their lives, their grades don’t necessarily explain all of it,” he said.

Singh also urged graduates to let their accomplishments speak for themselves. “Consider team success, not personal success; sing the praises of others, not your own,” he said.

Giving back is also a driver toward success, according to Dr Singh, who runs a charity to save the lives of infants. “Being successful also means helping

others to achieve their success … so make sure that you leave room in your life for giving back,” he noted.

And, while making a big contribution is important, Singh circled back to the sentiment that family is the stepping stone to a happy, fulfilling and successful life. “Give first to your family with your time and attention. You only have one chance. Invest in your family, hone your skills and wait for the right time to do the big things,” he said.

The honorary degree was conferred before graduates in the Faculty of Health, including students

belonging to the first cohort to graduate from York’s Global Health programme.

“It is a marvellous synergy that someone with such an outstanding body of work in global health is here as we celebrate our first graduates of the global health programme,” said York University Chancellor, Greg Sorbara of Singh.

Only recently, Singh was sitting in the audience among students when he graduated from the Schulich/Kellogg Executive MBA programme. He commended the programme Dean, Dezsö J Horváth, and faculty for making it the number one executive MBA programme in Canada and noted the programme’s global high ranking.

In addition to leading Guyana Help the Kids, Dr Singh is also a consultant paediatric intensivist at Doctors Hospital of Renaissance in Texas, USA. He has received numerous awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal of Canada; the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Award “Prix de Excellence/Specialist of the Year”; and the Professionalism Award from the Government of Guyana.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Govt not responsible for farmers Cops called in being owed for rice shipped to probe fraud to Panama – Agri Minister at Public Health

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griculture Minister Noel Holder and Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) General Manager, Nizam Hassan, have finally responded to the growing concerns of stakeholders in the rice industry who are affected by non-payment from buyers in Panama.

This swift response on Monday came one day after a report in Guyana Times that detailed the extensive delays regarding payments.

However, in an article published by the Department of Public Information (DPI), it contended that Government was not responsible for farmers being owed for rice shipped to Panama.

In fact, DPI quoted Minister Holder as saying while the rice industry is doing well, “millers should desist from using the farmers as a bank.” He explained that for the most part, transactions are done through an established letter of credit, noting that the Panamanian market offers a 30 per cent increase in price for rice.

“Given the existing arrangement and the fact that it is not an irrevocable letter of the credit agreement, the millers evidently want to enjoy both sides of the coin. They want both the increased prices as well as the terms outlined in the line of credit agreement. Millers have the op-

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

tion of paying farmers from funds they have or arrange payments through established banking agreements and are urged to do so since the law stipulates that farmers are to be paid two weeks after paddy is supplied to the millers,” a section of the DPI report noted.

GRDB General Manager Nizam Hassan, who has not been entertaining calls from this newspaper for the past several months, also told DPI that “the Board is not in possession of the funds and is currently working with officials

in Panama to ensure that the outstanding balance will be made available for payment at the earliest possible time.”

The General Manager further told the Government’s official media outlet that millers are aware that when they supply the Panamanian market, they will receive payments from the GRDB when it is received from Panama. He added that the market with Panama is a Government market that pays a higher price, but, is however “sometimes” delayed due to “Government processes”.

“Millers are owed for the two contracted supply – the last contract for 2017 and the first contract for 2018 and not for contracts for any previous years,” Hassan further told State media.

It was further reported that many small millers, who supplied rice under the past two contracts, were recently paid by the Rice Board to the tune of US$1,270,901 from its own resources.

“Additionally, GRDB recently received US$550,000 from Panama, which is currently being paid to millers.” The General Manager further pointed out that reports of millers securing private deals through the Mexican market has nothing to do with the Board.

“Shipments to the Mexican market are done in a private capacity, henceforth; the Board is not handling any monies for rice supplied to that market,” Hassan asserted, which was understood and published by this newspaper.

It was reported that many in the industry abandoned the 2014 Panama-Guyana arrangement after the GRDB was not forthcoming with payments. Sources indicated that millers secured private deals through the Mexican market and according to reports; one ship recently sailed to the Latin American country and another is reportedly on its way with rice.

However, it is from these very deals that many farmers felt they could be paid, thus questioning why millers are reluctant to hand over payments,” this publication reported on June 17, 2018.

These clarifications were repeatedly sought by Guyana Times International but Hassan would often avoid calls.

In 2014, Guyana inked a deal with the Government of Panama for 5000 tonnes of rice to be shipped there on a monthly basis. The recent non-payment is adversely affecting farmers across the country who said their ability to sustain their livelihood as rice producers is under threat.

Ministry

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Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

enior employees at the Public Health Ministry were Tuesday morning warned about the presence of Police Detectives and the internal auditors from the Finance Ministry, who will soon begin investigations into the “misappropriation of funds and the blatant attempts to steal” public funds within the Health Ministry.

This warning was sounded by Health Minister Volda Lawrence during a frank discourse with senior officials at the Ministry on Tuesday morning.

During the internal meeting, Minister Lawrence raised questions about “blatant attempts to steal” and other brazen dishonest acts perpetrated by employees, a statement from the Ministry detailed.

To this end, she noted that the Guyana Police Force and officials from the Finance Ministry will carry out open investigations into ongoing corrupt practices by staff members.

“Fraud has been going on a long time at the Public Health Ministry," Lawrence pointed out.

She went on to caution programme managers who appeared stunned by her revelations, adding “I am advising you to check what you sign and ensure it meets the regulatory requirements and it is in keeping with your programmes.”

Moreover, the Public Health Minister said, “I will not compromise on the issue of accountability within the public health sector.”

Furthermore, she did not hide her distaste for employees who have been “sabotaging the Ministry left, right and centre.”

Some workers have

even been sending missives on internal MoPH matters to persons outside the public service structure, Lawrence revealed. She indicated that letter writers will shortly have the opportunity to “bring the evidence” to support their claims.

Less threatening but equally toxic, the Minister noted, is the issue of insubordination, which is rife among some categories of employees.

“Some parts of the MoPH train have been derailed (and) the madness has to stop,” Minister Lawrence posited. This comes one day after the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday flagged officials from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) over the lack of accountability for drugs warranted to the region. Sums totalling G$135 million were transferred by two interdepartmental warrants to the Public Health Ministry for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies on behalf of the region. In the case of G$60 million, a financial return received indicated the full amount was expended. But the cost was not stated. In the case of a second warrant at a cost of G$75 million, the administration received a ‘Nil’ financial return.

This is not the first time such an issue has obtained within the Ministry.

There continues to be irregularities, not only at the various regional administration levels, but within the public health sector as a whole.

Several healthcare facilities, both primary and at the community-level, are plagued with drug shortages and discrepancies over its procurement process.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Cops hunting teen accused of stabbing Policeman eight times

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Policeman who on Monday evening was stabbed eight times while on duty, has been discharged from the New Amsterdam Hospital as Police hunt his 17-year-old attacker.

Commander of B Division (Berbice), Lyndon Alves, told Guyana Times International on Wednesday that Constable Randy Claxton was discharged from hospital. According to the Commander, Police are currently hunting his attacker, who is a ‘known individual’.

The Police Officer was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital on Monday, after he was stabbed eight times with a knife by a high school student.

The 32-year-old Constable of Central Police Station, who is attached to the Anti-Crime Motorcycle Patrol Unit, was at the time of the incident performing his duties.

Reports are he and another Constable from the Unit were on patrol in the vicinity of Main and Pitt Streets, New

Injured Police Constable, Randy Claxton

Amsterdam, when they observed close to 10 men in a group smoking what appeared to be marijuana.

The officers reportedly came off their motorcycles and approached the gang. However, one of them ran but was eventually apprehended.

Meanwhile, the teenager, who was part of the gang, reportedly approached the Police Officer with a knife in his hand and despite being told to put the weap-

on down, he attacked Claxton, stabbing him once to the back of his neck, four times to his back, two to the left side hip and once to his left forearm.

The teenager then made good his escape.

The officer was picked up and rushed to hospital where he was treated and admitted.

The Police have since made several attempts to apprehend the teenager but up to press time, he was still on the run.

Guyana records another brutal domestic killing …Berbice man stabs wife to death, consumes poison after

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28-year-old woman was brutally stabbed to death by her reputed husband who later attempted to take his own life at Corentyne, Berbice on Wednesday evening.

Dead is Tovanie Simmons of Corentyne Berbice.

Her attacker has been identified as 30-year-old Imran Lyte, a farmer.

Based on information received, the incident occurred at about 23:20hrs.

This publication was informed that Simmons was staying at her mother’s residence, and as such, on the evening in question, Lyte visited the home to discuss a misunderstanding between him and the woman’s brother- which had occurred on Sunday last.

However, the 28-yearold woman, who is said to be a mother of four, and Lyte became involved in a heated argument.

This resulted in the accused allegedly whipping out a knife from his left side pants waist and stabbing Simmons several times.

This publication was informed that the woman barely managed to

Dead: Tovanie Simmons

run out of the house, by jumping from the veranda, and running about 200 meters east before she fell to the ground.

Lyte then allegedly ran up behind the defenceless woman and slit her throat, before fleeing the scene to hide out in the back dam area of the village.

Simmons was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

She reportedly sustained 12 stab wounds to her neck, left breast, back, left hip, left forearm, right chest and chin, collectively.

Meanwhile, the woman’s attacker reportedly consumed poison after the incident and as such, he is presently at the Pour Mourant Hospital receiving treatment while under heavy police guard.

Investigations are ongoing.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Boyfriend accused of Venezuelans among pushing woman out of car highest number of foreign granted G$500,000 bail TIP victims in Guyana

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Accused: Rick Sewcharran

wenty-oneyear-old Rick Sewcharran who is accused of allegedly pushing his girlfriend, Sasia Adams, out of his moving car which resulted in her death was on Tuesday released on G$500,000 bail when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts slapped with a manslaughter charge.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

The Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident was represented by prominent Attorney Sanjeev Datadin in association with former State Prosecutor Siand Dhurjon.

In his bail application, Datadin told Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan that his client has been cooperating with Police ever since his arrest.

Noting that his client has no prior brushes with the law, the Attorney related that based on what he was told, the female opened the car door and fell

Deceased: Sasia Adams

out.

He observed that there was CCTV footage of what he deemed “an unfortunate incident”. Moreover, the Attorney stated that there was no evidence that his client acted deliberately to cause the woman’s demise.

Datadin noted that Sewcharran was interviewed by Police for more than three hours and that he led them to the scene and recounted what happened.

Although the prosecution had no objection to the accused being allowed his pre-trial liberty, Sewcharran was ordered to lodge his passport and report to Alberttown Police Station every Friday.

The 21-year-old will next appear in Court One on July 13, 2018.

Adams, an Essequibo native, resided at East Street, Georgetown and she succumbed to head injuries on June 12 after falling out of a moving car at Lamaha Street, Georgetown.

Based on initial reports, her boyfriend reported-

ly told Police that the teen fell out of his moving vehicle around 20:00h on June 10, two days prior.

However, alternative versions of what transpired during the incident surfaced as the still conscious Adams had related to doctors that she fell down. Another account had her jumping from the moving car.

The post-mortem examination conducted by veteran State Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh indicated that the woman died as a result of blunt trauma to the head. No mention of her dying from injuries consistent with a vehicular accident was disclosed or reported.

Investigators revealed that it appeared as though the woman was struck to her head and then pushed out of the moving car, resulting in her sustaining severe head injuries. The now deceased woman was employed at the Ramada Hotel as a front desk clerk.

Bandits terrorise, rob elderly couple at Soesdyke

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hree armed men in the wee hours of Tuesday morning broke into the home of an elderly couple at Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, and escaped with cash, jewellery and a motorcar.

Based on reports received, at about 01:45h, 61-year-old Frederick David was awakened by the three men as they stood by his bedside. The men were armed with a cutlass, a shotgun and a knife respectively.

The elderly man was

ordered to lie on the floor and his hands and feet were bound. He was also gagged. His wife remained asleep during the ordeal.

The armed men then ransacked the couple’s home and packed away one 40-inch TCL flat screen television, two gold rings, two BLU mobile phones, one Samsung Galaxy mobile phone, two Dell laptops, and G$25,000 in cash.

They reportedly placed the items in the man’s car bearing registration

number PVV 1491 and made good their escape.

After the men left, the elderly man managed to untie himself and called out to his wife who subsequently alerted the neighbours. The Police were summoned and it was discovered that the bandits gained entry into the home through the back door of the house.

The crime scene was dusted for fingerprints as investigations continue.

majority of the 68 cases of human trafficking recorded by the Guyana Police Force from January to May of 2018 were Latin American nationals, with Venezuelans heading the list.

This revelation was made by acting Coordinator of the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking In Persons (TIP), Oliver Profitt on Tuesday, who explained that the alleged victims are mostly adults.

Profitt, who spoke to media operatives on the sidelines of a training exercise for officers of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), said this issue is being closely monitored.

“Most of our foreign alleged victims are from

Guyana has recorded 68 cases of alleged TIP already for 2018. Police statistics also recorded 41 alleged TIP cases in 2014, 51 in 2015, 98 in 2016 and 50 in 2017.

Meanwhile, although there has been some level of success in tackling this issue and Guyana recently moving to a Tier 1 country, the TIP coordinator explained that there are still some challenges.

According to Profitt, one of the major challenges is being able to secure successful prosecutions, mainly due to the fact that most times the alleged victims are deported.

He said, “Let’s say for example we have an alleged victim from overseas, the time it takes to investigate and pros-

trying to tap into these options to make ourselves a bit more successful in the future…,” Profitt explained.

As such, a proposal has been drafted which looks at various options of improving the current process. The Task Force also plans to work more closely with other countries to collaborate on these issues.

The Social Protection Ministry has been the lead agency responsible for tackling trafficking and overseeing the work of the Anti-Trafficking Unit (ATU).

The US had recommended Guyana provide additional protection for victims, to enable them to testify against traffickers in a way that minimises re-traumatisation; record the number

Acting Coordinator of the Ministerial Task Force on TIP Oliver Profitt poses with participants at the training exercise on Tuesday

Latin American countries. The Dominican Republic was showing up a lot before, Brazil was showing up too. But now we are seeing more Venezuelans.”

In the US (United States) State Department Trafficking in Persons 2017 Report, it said Guyana is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour in mining, agriculture, forestry, domestic service and shops.

The report stated that for the past five years, women and children from Guyana, Brazil, The Dominican Republic, Suriname, and Venezuela have been subjected to sex trafficking in mining communities in the interior and urban areas.

Profitt made reference to a raid which was conducted by the Police Force earlier this year, where 41 alleged victims were rescued; 35 of whom were found to be Venezuelans.

According to Profitt,

ecute, sometimes mostly adults, and wouldn’t be interested in sticking around or staying through the entire process. And what you find in Guyana and almost all other nations, a victim’s testimony is paramount to achieving a successful prosecution.”

In most cases, the victims would have families back at home and would need their support in order to stay through the process. If they don’t have the support, then it is more than likely that they often times return to their home country and the cases are left unsolved.

But the acting TIP coordinator said the Ministerial Task Force is looking to increase prosecution rates through training, information sharing with other countries and alternatives to obtaining testimonies.

“What is positive is that even if the alleged victim returns home, there is a provision for the use of Skype; of video testimony from their home territory. So we’re

of cases reported to the trafficking hotline to promote a rapid investigative and victim assistance response; and provide training for diplomatic personnel on human trafficking.

Recommendations were also made to have funding of specialised victim services; vigorously investigate and prosecute sex and labour trafficking cases; train law enforcement, judicial officials and frontline responders – especially those working outside the capital – on victim identification and referral procedures and finalise the written identification procedures to better guide law enforcement officials.

In 2016, the Government reported 19 trafficking investigations, 19 prosecutions, and two convictions; compared to 15 trafficking investigations, seven prosecutions, and one conviction in 2015; and seven investigations, four prosecutions, and one conviction in 2014.

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Region 5 REO faces heat over drug purchases L

ack of accountability for drugs warrantied to Region Five proved a contentious issue before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, and in this regard, Chairman Irfaan Ali had Region 5 Executive Officer (REO) Ovid Morrison and team expelled from the PAC meeting.

Ali also instructed the Finance Secretary to consider taking ap-

Morrison described his conduct as simply discharging his duty as an accounting officer.

Ali then read the Riot Act to Morrison, quoting from Part VI of the Audit Act of Guyana, which states: “A person commits an offence who, knowingly and without lawful justification or excuse – (a) intentionally obstructs, hinders or resists the Auditor General or an officer authorized

22nd May, asking for the information to be submitted for auditing purposes. So far, the Auditor General has been denied this information!

In these circumstances, we have decided to ask the Finance Secretary to take the necessary measures provided under the laws. At this time, the PAC remains dissatisfied with the region,” Ali noted, before ordering the REO to leave.

PAC Chairman Irfaan Ali

REO Ovid Morrison (white shirt) makes a quick exit from the chambers

propriate action against the accounting officer, who faced the heat from the PAC after Auditor General Deodat Sharma had complained of being hindered in the execution of his duty by Morrison.

Sharma noted that Morrison had written him to state that no one from Region 5 could release information to the AG unless that information goes through him, prompting PAC member Juan Edghill, who was filling in for Ali, to question why Morrison was not cooperating with the AG. R e s p o n d i n g ,

by him in the exercise of his power under this Act; (b) intentionally refuses or fails to comply with any lawful requirement of the Auditor General.”

“The last time we sent this region away, we specifically asked the Finance Secretary and the Auditor General to do some specific things,” Ali recalled. “We have been informed by the Accountant General that she had the meeting with the REO and team, indicating to them what must be done. It has not been done,” Ali declared.

“We have a letter sent by the Auditor General to the REO, dated the

Sums totalling G$135 million were transferred by two interdepartmental warrants to the Ministry of Public Health, for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies on behalf of the region.

In the case of G$60 million, a financial return received indicated that the full amount was expended, but the cost was not stated. In the case of a second warrant, at a cost of G$75 million, the administration received a ‘Nil’ financial return.

Probed by the Chairman, Morrison noted that G$135 mil-

lion was warranted, but the Region had received G$154 million worth in drugs from the Ministry of Public Health.

Asked by Edghill why he had received extra, Morrison noted that the Ministry of Public Health would have to respond. He admitted that, at the time, he did not enquire.

Edghill demanded that Morrison explain how he accounted for the excess drugs, but Morrison noted that he would have to make further checks with the Ministry of Public Health.

“Based on the information the RHO acting suggested, I will now have to take that information and have it confirmed with the Ministry of Public Health,” Morrison informed the PAC.

Unacceptable

In fact, Morrison and his team seemed unable to answer many of the PAC’s questions, and this caused Edghill to

opine that the region either did not know what it was doing, or was covering up.

“That was an unacceptable exchange between you and the Auditor General; and had you allowed the Auditor General access to the information in your region, we probably would not have been spending forty minutes on this matter this morning,” Edghill related.

“Perhaps the Auditor General will need to do an investigation: to compare pricing and follow the paper trail to see what went on, because it’s obvious you don’t know or you’re not prepared to tell the PAC what is happening in your region. Or you didn’t even imagine you had an excess,” Edghill declared.

When asked, Accountant General Jennifer Chapman stressed that the REO should have done reconciliation with the Materials Management

Unit (MMU) of the Public Health Ministry in order to ascertain the variance.

In an interview after his expulsion, Morrison expressed disagreement with the Chairman’s decision. While reluctant to discuss his expulsion, he did attempt to clarify reasons for the letter he sent to the AG. “The letter that the Chairman of the PAC referred to was seeking documentation for audit for the year 2017.

As a result, I requested that they give me time for those documents to be submitted,” he explained.

“I replied to the Auditor General in writing, suggesting to him the amount of information requested and the process that would be applied. June 15 was deadline it would be submitted; it was done.

I submitted the list of the drugs, yet questions were asked,” he rebutted.

Trade Councils launched to improve international trade relations

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he Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on Monday revealed that three councils would be assembled to monitor trade relations with three of Guyana’s bilateral partners.

The three countries – Cuba, India and Canada – recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guyana to boost and monitor trade relations.

As such, the councils namely the Guyana-India, the Guyana-Cuba, and the Guyana-Canada Councils – are expected to be established soon, GCCI President Deodat Indar announced.

The councils will consist of representatives from the GCCI, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Business Ministry, GO-Invest, Guyana Bar Association, representatives from the respective country’s High Commission to Guyana, and officials from the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA).

According to Indar, the Councils “will operate in their own right, have their own meetings; have their own Terms of

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin flanked by the Cuban, Canadian and Indian Ambassadors along with representatives from GCCI

Reference that they agree on and they will deal with that, they will approve that, change that as they see fit; and they will run it independently, but there will also be some form of reporting mechanisms for it, so that we know that work is being done.”

Moreover, he posited that the Chairperson of each trade facilitation council would be expected to report to the statutory meetings, which would be held at the Chambers once

a month.

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin expressed eagerness to support the endeavour, noting that trade facilitation was not just the work of the Government or Private Sector as a collective body.

He further highlighted that the Business Ministry was “willing to participate” in any way that would ensure the success of the initiative involving Guyana and the three countries.

Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Armador Soeorro indicated that this launch and signing of the MoU collectively was an important step to improving bilateral relations.

In addition, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mahalingam Venkatachalam told media operatives that the launch of the Councils was one of the most anticipated steps towards fulfilling the mandate of the MoU.

Canadian Ambassador to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee related, “The Councils are only going to help things in a more organised way to ensure that both parties can realise the full potential of our countries and counterpart Private Sectors.”

Further, Indar explained that owing to reports of a fluctuating export sector, the GCCI took up the task of improving it.

“Over last year, this Chamber decided that the local scene we were seeing some downturns and some upswings in different sectors and strategically what we said is that we need to try to start building on the export markets for our members, so we took the initiative and we first went to Cuba … they actually drafted the MoU between the Cuba Chamber of Commerce and us … to strengthen ties bilaterally between Guyana – not just Georgetown Chamber of Commerce – but between Guyana and Cuba”.

Subsequent to this, Indar said that similar MoUs were signed with India and Canada respectively.

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WCD woman allegedly raped, husband assaulted during robbery attack

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olice in D Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) have arrested two of three persons who are suspected of terrorising a Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo family in the wee hours of Tuesday.

According to reports, the suspects reportedly raped the wife, while her husband was badly beaten. The men also threatened to kill the couple’s toddler, who was crying during the ordeal.

Guyana Times International understands that the couple was asleep when sometime around 02:30h, the husband was suddenly awakened after being struck to his head. He was then confronted by the three suspects, who ordered him to remain quiet and demanded cash and jewellery.

The man complied, handing over just over G$10,000 along with a ring he was wearing. By that time, his wife and two-year-old son were awakened as well. It was reported that the men began physically assaulting the husband and then turned their attention to the wife, whom

they allegedly sexually assaulted.

Moreover, during this time, the couple’s toddler was crying loudly and the men placed a knife to his neck, threatening to kill him if he did not stop screaming. The boy’s mother managed to console the frightened child.

Nevertheless, the perpetrators then held the family of three at knifepoint and escorted them to their car.

“It was further alleged that the suspects placed the victims in their (victims’) vehicle and drove away but the vehicle broke down and the perpetrators escaped,” the Police said.

The matter was reported to the Police and the victims were taken to seek medical attention, where they were treated and sent home.

Based on statements obtained from the victims, the Police said the suspects were identified.

As of result of this and from intelligence gathered, investigators arrested two males who reside in the same community. They remain in custody and are being interrogated.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana targeting ‘nature-based lovers’ as part of tourism drive

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overnment has set modest goals for the tourism sector, with Business Minister Dominic Gaskin noting that while Government does not envisage Guyana being a mass tourism destination, capacity to enhance its eco-tourism appeal will certainly be built.

Gaskin made this observation during a Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) awards ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel on Saturday. He noted that Guyana’s tourism offering particularly appeals to nature lovers, and has a heavy focus in the hinterland.

“We certainly do not want, or we do not envisage, Guyana as a mass tourism destination. We believe that our particular product is very attractive to a market segment that is not interested in mass tourism. They’re interested in a more authentic experience: nature-based, people- based tourism,” he explained.

“That is what we have, and that is what I think we should be sell-

ing. I don’t think we’re interested in creating Disneyland in Guyana. I think we know where to find Mickey Mouse and (Donald) Duck if we have to. That’s not the model we will pursue. We also understand that we have a special product, and our special product needs special attention,” Gaskin explained.

Gaskin maintained that capacity to improve the tourism sector is being built within the sector. According to the minister who has responsibility for the tourism sector and the GTA, marketing the country as a tourism destination will be pursued along those guidelines.

“Without the necessary expertise; without capacity; without knowing where we’re going, we would remain drifting in the wind, with no direction. We have to pursue the model that will work best for Guyana,” he declared.

“And in Guyana’s hinterland area, that’s where our rich, real, attractive, ecotourism product lies. That’s what we want to sell. That’s

Berbice man found hanging from ceiling

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin

where there are opportunities outside of mining. Tourism should be non-destructive,” he declared.

In January, Guyana hired US Expert Brian Mullis as the new Director of Tourism.

Indranauth Haralsingh had previously been performing the duties of di-

rector. It was explained that Mullis, a US citizen of California, was chosen from seven applicants.

In March of this year, former Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali, in a blunt assessment of the coalition’s performance in the sector, had expressed disappointment about how tourism is being

managed.

According to Ali, the tourism sector holds much potential for Guyana, but there is need for a Tourism Policy to be guided by a strategic approach that is not limited to developing and marketing Guyana as a product, but caters to partnering with the private sector.

Ali had pointed to a number of specific signature activities that were having a positive impact on the industry but have not been continued.

“Take, for example, the Rockstone Fish Festival, the emphasis on birding, the Guyana Festival, Phagwah, Diwali, the Wedding Expo, the Safari….these (are) all products that took time to nurture, and we have supported these products. We need to continue to embrace these products,” he had explained.

Ali had opined that the sector has become dormant because the Ministry of Business, which has oversight of the tourism sector, lacks the energy and vision necessary to take the in-

dustry forward.

Guyana had made significant strides towards the promotion of Sustainable Tourism, and had been recognised for its efforts. Guyana’s North Rupununi, Region 9, had justified the resources poured into its development by copping the 2012 Award for Caribbean Excellence in Sustainable Tourism.

The award from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and Travelmole (CTO/ Travelmole) was awarded to Guyana’s Rupununi Learners Inc for improving the quality of life of the region’s inhabitants.

In 2011, this award was shared by the Surama Eco-Lodge, also located in the North Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). This tourist destination was recognised by the CTO for harnessing the economic power of the visitor industry in a responsible and sustainable way.

The 2011 award was shared with Harrison’s Cave in Barbados.

Guyana to enact new scrap metal legislation by year-end E

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Dead: Ravi Surajpaul, also called ‘Dog Man’

he body of 22-year-old Ravi Surajpaul, also called ‘Dog Man,’ of Lot 338 Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne Berbice, was at about 6:00h on Monday found by his parents hanging from the ceiling of his home in what is suspected to be an act of suicide.

The dead man’s brother, Mooniram, told Guyana Times International he had had a conversation with his late brother on Sunday and nothing seemed amiss.

“He tell me he gone.

Me ask him, ‘Wheh yuh going?’ He said he (was) going home,” Mooniram detailed.

Moniram described his brother as a peaceful individual.

Mother of the deceased, Deomattie

Surisbally, explained that her son had cut his hand on Sunday and had had to seek medical attention; but other than that, there was nothing abnormal about his behaviour.

She explained that, later in the evening, she and her husband left to attend a “wake”, leaving Ravi at home, since he had refused to accompany them. Upon returning home in the early hours of Monday, they called out for him to open the door, but there was response.

They called a neighbour to open the door for them, and he jumped through a window and made the discovery of Ravi’s body hanging from the rafter.

The Police are investigating the matter.

ven as the Business Minister noted that scrap metal exportation is currently ongoing in a limited capacity, it was announced that the legislation needed to govern the trade was likely to be enacted by year end.

Business Minister Dominic Gaskin made this declaration on Monday. “Right now we are in the middle of a limited resumption, so there are exporters who are exporting scrap metal,” Gaskin said.

The Minister pointed out that new legislation had been introduced and approved

by Cabinet, and presently was in the hands of the Attorney General before it was presented to Parliament.

He stated, “We have also taken a new legislation to Cabinet. It has been approved at that level, it is being finalised by the Attorney General Chambers and after that, it will go to the National Assembly for approval”.

According to him, the Ministry is anticipating the new legislation being enacted before the end of the year, which will see ‘firm and solid’ management, to regulate and monitor the industry through the development of a managing body.

Government had approved a restart of the scrap metal trade in Guyana during February 2017 af-

ter closing down the industry one year prior to that.

The main reason for this was to allow exporters to ship out the existing stock for a limited period of three months and ensure that there was no stockpile of the materials.

However, in April 2018, after several months of delays, Government had decided to reopen the scrap metal trade on a limited basis to facilitate the clearing of some of the accumulated scrap metal across the country.

While a date for the resumption of the trade has not been announced, the Business Minister had told this media group that the date depended on several important factors.

The Minister disclosed that a meeting was held with exporters and dealers to introduce them to a new system that the Business

Ministry was trying to implement.

According to him, it is a software-based system that was specially designed to help the Ministry to monitor and regulate the trade once it resumes, creating a level playing field for all.

“We’ve met with them; we’ve discussed it with them and we have arranged some training sessions for them to familiarise themselves with how the system will work and we are looking to do a little resumption starting next month. I can’t give you an exact date because it depends on a lot of things,” he explained.

Gaskin said the resumption of the trade would give the Ministry the opportunity to test the system to ensure that it worked and also would help to clear some of the accumulated scrap metal that has been legitimately acquired.

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NDC Chairman wants full investigation into illegal drilling at Diamond

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ven as a multi-agency clean-up approach is underway to address the recent gas eruption that followed an unauthorised drilling by a resident of the Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, the Diamond/ Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) is calling for a full investigation into the incident.

Concomitantly, the NDC has commended the neighbours of Businessman Soownauth ‘Water Man’ Gorakh and his wife Tulabhaduree Gorakh after they had suffered displacement from last Thursday’s eruption.

Agencies such as the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC), United States-based oil giant ExxonMobil, as well as Massy Gas Products are involved in the cleanup and assessment.

NDC Chairman Bharrat Narine has stressed that he would not want to comment on

Recapping and trapping the gas at the family’s Diamond, East Bank Demerara premises may take up to three weeks

the matter publicly, as an investigation would have to be done before any formal statement is made.

He, however, disclosed that several “kind-hearted neighbours” provided food, clothing and shelter to the businessman and his family.

According to a Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) release, Gorakh, who expressed “unreserved remorse and sadness over the in-

cident,” has said that he and his wife sought to build the reservoir after they were experiencing “unstable water distribution” in Diamond.

“There are times when the water would go for three, four days, and we thought that it would be easier for us to build a reservoir so that we can have water more consistently,” the businessman was quoted as saying.

Gorakh reject-

ed claims that he is a wealthy businessman and that he is refusing to meet the other affected residents. “I met with the residents, because it is the very neighbours who have been affected (who) took me in with my wife and three children…I am affected myself, losing almost everything; and based on the advice from CDC and other persons on the ground, the house is completely damaged,

owing to the fact that the slush and gas would have destroyed everything,” he related.

It has been contended that the drilling of the well at Fourth and Sixth Avenue, Diamond was illegal. The drilling resulted in an eruption of mud, water and methane gas, and damage to several homes in the area. The well was dug in the family’s backyard, but they had not sought the ap-

propriate permission.

The Civil Defence Commission has explained that permission must first be obtained from the Hydrometeorological Office to conduct such drillings.

“If you are drilling wells, you must receive permits from (the) Hydro-meteorological Office, because you can have situations like this that threaten your life, your neighbours’ lives, and other people around you,” acting Director General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig has said.

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure recently commenced the clean-up exercise at the Gorakhs’ residence, and this will give access to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) teams, who will be working to recap the well.

Lieutenant Latchman Persaud of the National Emergency Operations System, Civil Defence Commission (CDC), has said that recapping works can commence on Monday, and it could last for up to three weeks.

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President’s revocation of farmers’ land leases unlawful WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

…Guyana Appeal Court rules

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uyana’s Court of Appeal last Friday upheld a decision handed down by the High Court, that the decision by President David Granger and his Government to cancel the leases that were issued to farmers by the former Administration was unlawful and unconstitutional.

The land leases were issued for farmers who wished to engage in the usage of the land for agricultural purposes, as outlined within the confines of the established agreement between the State and those who would be leased the land demarcated at Seafield, West Coast Berbice.

Back in December, acting Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, had ruled that President Granger’s revocation of farmers’ leases for lands was unlawful, two years after the affected farmers initially filed action in the court.

The farmers – Phillip Johnson, Rupert Blackman and Rawle Miller – along with their Attorney Anil Nandlall had

first moved to the High Court in 2015, challenging the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agriculture D e v e l o p m e n t Authority’s (MMA/ ADA) cancellation of State land leases in the rear of Seafield, West Coast Berbice.

Retired Chief Justice Ian Chang had quashed the cancellation of the leases in favour of the farmers in 2016 but they moved to the court once again in April 2016 after President Granger cancelled the leases in March of that year.

The acting Chief Justice handed down decisions in three constitutional challenges.

Declaring the President’s revocation of these leases unconstitutional, the Judge awarded G$300,000 in costs against the Attorney General in each of the cases filed by the farmers.

According to Attorney for the plaintiffs, Anil Nandlall, acting Chief Justice George granted several reliefs which supported their Notice of Motion.

The court agreed that under Article 142

of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the President’s cancellation of the lease was “contrary to and in violation” of the article, further determining the Head of State’s decision was “unlawful, null, void and of no effect”. Additionally, it was determined that the cancellation of their leases was “compulsorily acquisition” of the Applicant’s leasehold interest without prompt payment or compensation.

The plaintiffs also secured a conservatory order which prohibits the MMM-ADA, its officers or any other State official from entering upon, remaining, occupying or interfering with the Applicant’s quiet and peaceful possession, occupation and enjoyment of lease of State land for agriculture purpose as issued under the relevant laws.

Johnson, Blackman and Miller had claimed that previous President Donald Ramotar granted them their leases in 2014. After the retired acting Chief Justice had ruled in

The farmers: Phillip Johnson, Rupert Blackman and Rawle Miller along with their attorney, Anil Nandlall

their favour, they saw a notice in a newspaper which had stated: “Notice is hereby given that His Excellency, the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana has cancelled all State land leases as described in the Schedules.”

At that time, the three farmers observed that their leases were among those published in the two schedules.

They were subsequently removed from their rice lands. The matter was before the former

acting Chief Justice, Yonette CummingsEdwards who was earlier this year transferred to serve in the post of acting Chancellor of the Judiciary. As the matter was stalled, the farmers had complained about how much time had passed before a decision was handed down.

It was in August that six other West Coast Berbice (WCB) rice farmers had mounted a successful legal challenge against the revocation of their leas-

es for lands at Seafield and Number 40 Village which are under MMAADA’s control.

Acting Chief Justice George, in her ruling on that matter, observed that those farmers’ leases constituted property under Article 142 of the Constitution, and that the President’s revocation of those leases amounts to depriving the applicants of property without compensating them, as noted in Article 142 of the Constitution.

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CCJ to rule on Sovereignty of the People case early July T

he Trinidadbased Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is set to make a ruling on the Guyana Government’s appeal of the constitutional challenge to presidential term limits, along with citizenship and residency restrictions.

The decision is expected to be handed down

by Sir Dennis Byron, the current President of the CCJ. Sir Dennis is expected to demit office on July 3, while Justice Adrian Saunders will assume the presidency on July 4.

Sir Dennis was on the panel of Judges who heard arguments by legal teams representing the State of Guyana, and the applicant, Cedric Richardson. The other Judges included: Jacob Wit, David Hayton, Winston Anderson, Rajnauth Lee, and Denys Barrow.

The outcome of this matter could be a deciding factor as to whether Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo will be the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate in the 2020 General Elections.

Jagdeo was previously elected President in 2001 and 2006.

Coming out of the legal arguments from both sides was whether Article 90 of Guyana’s

Constitution by way of Act 17 of 2001 infringed on Articles 1 and 9 of the said Constitution.

Attorney General Basil Williams said Act 17 of 2000 was validly passed. He said the Basic Structure Doctrine was not applicable to Guyana.

This court action, among other things, challenged the constitutionality of the National Assembly-sanctioned two-term limit on the presidency.

Guyana’s Court of Appeal ruled in February 2017 that the constitutional amendments by Parliament to limit the number of times a person could serve as President were unconstitutional.

During that February

decision, then acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh, was supported

by Justice of Appeal BS Roy in upholding then acting Chief Justice Ian Chang’s decision that the amendments were unconstitutional.

The decision which the Appellate Justices upheld signalled that an amendment to the Constitution on presidential term limits, which was enacted when the National Assembly altered Article 90 via a two-thirds vote in 2000, needs a referendum to make a final decision.

This enactment was recommended by an across-the-board Constitutional Reform Committee of 2000/2001.

This Committee received both Government and Opposition input, and the reform received bipartisan support.

Many observers contend that if the CCJ ruled in favour of former acting Chief Justice Chang’s original ruling, it would allow for former Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo to run on the PPP/C’s ticket as presidential candidate for the 2020 elections. Despite this scenario, the Party is seemingly undecided on who would be its presidential candidate for the next elections.

Jagdeo, who now serves as Opposition Leader, had in fact told the press that he was more interested in building his party’s base than

being bothered by an ongoing court matter.

Jagdeo declared: “When the right time comes, we will decide on a presidential candidate.”

His comments followed speculation over his future, given that he formerly served as President from 1999 to 2011 and has re-entered the field of active politics.

Jagdeo has stressed that he was mostly concerned about ensuring that his party was victorious at the nation’s next polls. “I made it clear that the PPP has not decided on a presidential candidate for 2020.

“I’m General Secretary of the Party; I took over in January last year after the Congress, and my job as General Secretary is to work hard to transform the Party, to widen its base and prepare it to win the elections regardless of what position I serve in,” he noted.

Attorney General Williams had appealed the Appeal Court’s landmark ruling in February 2017 that declared that sovereignty resides in the people and not in the Parliament; and as such, certain fundamental clauses in the Constitution that serve to define its substantive nature can be altered only by a referendum of

the people.

AG Williams and his colleague, Raphael Trotman, challenged the ruling in the CCJ. The decision to refer the matter to the CCJ was presided over by acting Chancellor Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Appellate Judge Dawn Gregory and then High Court Judge Rishi Persaud.

If that appeal is unsuccessful, then the voters of Guyana would have a choice of four classes of persons that were barred by Act 17 of 2001. Amended Article 90 had specified that (A) only a citizen by birth or parentage can qualify to be the President; (B) a person must be residing in Guyana on the date of nomination for election; (C) a person must have been a resident for seven years immediately before that date, and (D) citizens of Guyana who have served for two terms as President were barred from re-election.

The last elections, back in 2015, saw former President Donald Ramotar serving as the PPP/C’s presidential candidate, while his running mate was diplomat Elisabeth Harper, who served as the Party’s prime ministerial candidate.

Revenue boss sets the record straight on Movietowne project T

he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is contending that it bears no responsibility whatsoever for the delay in Movietowne’s construction. According to the tax entity, it has in fact assisted the company in clearing its goods.

The GRA statement comes in light of complaints emanating from Movietowne investor Derek Chin in regard to processing delays and red tape.

GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia, in a statement to the media on Monday, noted that articles appearing in sections of the media imply tardiness on part of the GRA. “While legally guided by the rules of confidentiality, the GRA wishes to set the record straight in this instance.

Construction of MovieTowne commenced in 2011. In mid-2017, the principal of MovieTowne first met with the GRA to discuss the issue of concessions, and at that meeting, requested that concessions be backdated to the commencement of construction.

The GRA advised that concessions cannot be backdated, and should have been applied prior at the commencement of construction.

“The GRA also advised the principal that equipment currently being utilised in the construction of MovieTowne was in breach of the terms of anoth-

The Movietowne complex

er Investment Development Agreement (IDA) since, based on the said IDA, equipment earmarked for use on another major project was being utilised in the construction of MovieTowne.”

Statia claimed that instead of terminating the IDA on the basis of the breach, the GRA agreed to allow both projects to continue. He claimed that there was an understanding that the available remedies under the said IDA would be enforced after the projects were completed.

He went on to explain that MovieTowne had submitted an

IDA application to the Guyana Office for Investment (GoInvest). The company, Statia related, was in September 2017 advised by the GRA that only concessions in line with those granted to competitors in the industry would be allowed.

This supports Chin’s subsequent statements to this publication, made in an interview in which he denied receiving preferential treatment.

According to Statia, Chin was further advised that additional information would be needed, inclusive of source of financing, before a recom-

mendation could be made to the Minister of Finance for approval.

“MovieTowne’s container arrived at the wharf on October 21, 2017, and without the approval of the IDA, the GRA facilitated MovieTowne to clear its goods with a Prior to Processing (PTP) arrangement on November 19, 2017.”

“The goods were uplifted on November 28, 2017, demonstrating that there were no delays on GRA’s part. On December 29, 2017, MovieTowne was granted an IDA consistent with those granted to competitors in the

industry, which allow for the waiver of Duty and VAT on certain equipment,” Statia said.

Chin, a Guyana-born businessman, is currently constructing the first overseas branch of the Trinidad-based Movietowne franchise in Guyana. During a recent tour however, Chin had spoken out about challenges facing the construction project at Turkeyen. Chin had noted that these challenges were costing the company, but that interactions with the Government had dwindled.

“We have met with Government, and I don’t seem to meet with them anymore… to say that, ‘Mr Chin, how is your investment going? What can we do to help?’ So that communication link with the Government is very important… the Private Sector is the driver. The Government cannot outrun the Private Sector because it is the Private Sector. It has its own money, but the Private Sector needs to be given that encouragement,” Chin had said.

Additionally, the businessman had said Government should be more involved in discussion with the Private Sector, and work hand in hand with that sector, since its members are the ones who are the drivers of the economy.

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Different strokes…

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…for trade unions? t’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world!! Not many today will remember that classic comedy caper from the 60s, where a bunch of strangers learn of buried loot and each try to find it for themselves. It was quite a gas!! And it would be same for the PNC’s efforts over the decades to earn some goodwill over the Enmore Martyrs, after they did – and continue to do – everything in their powers to destroy sugar workers.

By 1976, having rigged the 1973 General Elections to give itself a supermajority in the National Assembly and getting the Americans to go along with them, the PNC got busy trying to eclipse Burnham’s arch-rival Cheddi Jagan as a radical Marxist on the world stage.

At the leftist World Peace Council meet in Bogota in June 1976, Burnham had his “anti-imperialist” credentials endorsed – to Jagan’s consternation, since the Americans were still backing him!! Burnham then announced the monument to the five Enmore sugar workers killed by the State’s Police Force on the orders of King Sugar on June 16 1948 – and got Jagan to support his nationalisation of Sugar!

Never mind that in 1974, Burnham had imposed the sugar levy that sucked up all the profit sharing the workers had won in 1968!! But “anti-imperialism” was the thing!! However, it wasn’t long after the Monument was unveiled in June 1977, that sugar workers were locked in a strike to end all strikes starting in August!! One hundred and thirty-five days of starvation and privation to remove that levy. Never happened!! But the workers got a monument!!

This year, FITUG – one of the two “umbrella” trade Union grouping, remember? – complained that after they demanded a WRITTEN INVITATION to the martyr’s commemoration, the responsible Ministry said they needn’t show up!! It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world!!

That Ministry just happens to be responsible for Social Cohesion!! Now some may think FITUG was being a tad snarky to ask for that written invitation. But things aren’t so simple in Guyana, are they. Remember when the PPP was invited to the Jubilee Independence celebrations and no seats were reserved for them??

So what gives? Your Eyewitness is surprised the trade unions would even WANT to commemorate the supreme sacrifice made by sugar workers – which led directly to the independence movement of this country – with representatives of a PNC Government that not only unilaterally shuttered half of the sugar industry and 5700 sugar workers – BUT INCLUDED ENMORE IN THAT ACTION!!!

Maybe in 1948 those workers should’ve accepted “cut and load” instead of “cut and drop”. Since in the present, their trade unions has evidently “cut and run”!!

It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world!! …for tobacco than rum??

Have you noticed the gruesome warnings that have to be posted on tobacco packaging to let smokers know of the just-as-gruesome fate that awaits them after they light up?? That one with the rotten, gangrenous toes made your Eyewitness almost gag!!

Now don’t get him wrong, since he’s totally against smoking – which he always thought was a ridiculous act after some writer or other asked whether he could imagine even a cow, inhaling smoke from burning grass. (No pun intended!!)

What his gripe’s all about is why haven’t similar laws been passed to compel pasting on every bottle of the stuff the dangers of demon rum?? And those dangers are as bad – if not worse – than those of tobacco smoking. And we’re not even talking about the self-inflicted ones like cirrhosis of the liver. There are the dangers to the rest of society – like alcoholic induced rages that end up in domestic and other modes of violence!

Your Eyewitness doesn’t care about the rest of the world. Rum’s a menace to Guyanese society!! Warn them!! …for UG’s VC All across the world, the composition of University governing councils are being widened to ensure a diversity of views inform the delivery of higher education.

Save in Guyana, where the bow-tied one rules!!

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Another miner dies AFC to discuss LGE plans at upcoming after pit collapses executive meeting at Imbaimadai

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miner was on Tuesday morning killed after a mining pit in which he was working caved in at Imbaimadai, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

The dead man has been identified as Almo Adams. Police Divisional Commander, Kevin Adonis when contacted confirmed that the now dead man was “jetting” when the walls of the pit came crashing down.

The officials stated that Adams was trapped under the mud. His coworkers rushed to his rescue but took some time to pull him from under the mud. He was subsequently taken to the Imbaimadai Health Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 10:00h. Adams’ body has been transported

to the Bartica Hospital Mortuary and an investigation has been launched into the incident.

In January, 23-yearold Handel Payne, also called “Daggie”, of Kaneville Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was killed after a mining pit collapsed at 35 Miles Konawaruk Backdam, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

It was reported that Payne and others were working in the mining pit when a section of the mud wall collapsed behind him, trapping him beneath the debris in the mid-section. He reportedly fell unconscious by which time the water began to rise rapidly. He was submerged and subsequently drowned.

He was later pulled out and rushed to the Mahdia Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

President David Granger (left) and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

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fter much back and forth between the two coalition partners, the Alliance For Change (AFC) will this weekend discuss whether or not it will be contesting the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) alone or together with the majority coalition party, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

According to the AFC, the party will be hosting its third quarterly National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for 2018 this Saturday at the Sophia Exhibition Centre, in Greater Georgetown.

“This NEC will focus exclusively on the party’s position, plans and preparations for the upcoming Local Government Elections…,” the AFC said in a statement on

Tuesday.

The party’s representatives from all 10 administrative regions and from the Diaspora are scheduled to attend the one-day meeting.

Having felt it was disadvantaged in the 2016 Local Government polls with regards to the allocation of candidates, the AFC had been mulling whether it should contest the LGEs alone this time round. However, the party subsequently initiated discussions with its coalition partner to discuss the way forward.

Last month at a press conference, the AFC said the party has proposed nine major points to be negotiated; the upcoming Local Government Elections being the

first.

However, this publication was reliably informed that the AFC is demanding 60 per cent of the total seats secured after the Local Government Elections which is expected in November of this year.

This demand comes after AFC Councillors in the Georgetown municipality has been sidelined by the APNU’s Councillors on a number of issues inclusive of the controversial parking meter project.

The 2015 Cummingsburg Accord only catered for arrangements between the two parties regarding the General and Regional Elections. To this end, the AFC proposed as part of the nine points up for negotiation that an agreement on LGE be crafted.

The minority coalition partner detailed some of its positions for negotiation in the LGE Accord.

The AFC’s NEC, after a May 1 meeting, had allowed additional time for the two coalition partners to have a definitive written agreement in the form of a Local Government Elections Accord.

LGEs are scheduled for midNovember and Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan recently told this newspaper that the exact date will be announced in two weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson assured that the entity has done its ground work and is now awaiting the announcement of the date to be fully prepared for the Local Government polls.

Love is the foundation, says Linden father of 9 did

By Utamu Belle

W

hile the role of fatherhood presents numerous challenges, Linden father of nine Leon Fiedtkou believes that a father's love is one of the main ingredients that keeps a family together. Mr. Fiedtkou, who hails from Speightland is father to 8 biological children and a foster child, the eldest being 48 and youngest 28 years old.

The Sunday Times Magazine recently sat down with the 73-yearold Fiedtkou, a well-respected gentleman in the community, where he spoke about his own experiences over the years associated with his role of fatherhood. While he agreed that fatherhood presents its own challenges, Mr. Fiedtkou believes that fathers should remain steadfast and always be there to give support.

As he explained, before he had any children of his own, he was a foster father. He said while it was a learning experience, it was nothing strange, since he was an elder sibling of 15 children. Though this union

Mr. Fiedtkou

n o t last, he went on to have more children, six of which he has with his wife, Gina who passed away 3 years ago. According to Mr. Fiedtkou, who is originally from Malali, Upper Demerara River, he grew up in a home with lots of children under the guidance of his parents. He later ventured into woodwork with his father.

“Most of the time I used to handle the work.

We had a shop and I was like second boss", he said, as he shared a glimpse into the relationship he had with his own father.

It was the love shown to him by his father, he went on to explain, which provided the fuel for his future generations.

Mr. Fiedtkou moved to Linden in 1992 in search

of better educational access for his children.

“I grew up in a home whereby my father had small children. I was the second eldest for my father. He had 15 children. So we grew up together and I had a lot of experience with children, my small brothers and sisters", Mr. Fiedtkou said.

Even after he separated from his foster daughter's mother, Mr. Fiedtkou raised his foster daughter until she became an adult.

"She's very dutiful to me up to now, because growing up she knew me

as 'daddy'".

A self-employed tractor driver for many years, Mr. Fiedtkou recalled the challenges associated with raising his children in the riverine community of Malali years ago. "Children are always a challenge. We had lots of challenges.

Living in the river (riverine area) wasn't easy.

Especially with sickness, we had to depend on God and most times home remedies. Because at that time engine boats weren't as popular as now, so it was challenging to get out here", he related.

He said nevertheless,

his family endured until they were able to move to Linden. Though his children are all grown now, he said quality family time is always on everyone's 'to do' list.

"I try to live a good family life with my children," he pointed out.

His advice to fathers?

“Love, togetherness and spending quality time".

"Fathers got a lot of responsibility. If you want to be a good father, you got to live with love.

In our home, birthdays, Father's day, Mother's day and anniversaries are things that we celebrate. We always assemble and have a day of fun.

I think that is one of the things that keep family together. A father's love", Mr. Fiedtkou noted.

He now has 10 grandchildren whom he noted are the joy of his life. Mr. Fiedtkou believes that when love is the foundation, a family is much stronger.

"I've seen the way some people treat their children. Fathers especially. If you treat them the wrong way, they grow with that and pass it on to their children. So, love is the key. If you show love to them, they would grow in love", he advises.

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

A flashback photo

34 feature

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Part of the family

By Davina Ramdass

6

3- year old Gladston Haydock Bagot, the pastor of Deliverance Tabernacle Assemblies of God met the love of his life, Barbara Baichulall at the age of just 26 years and knew immediatedly that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. The two courted for about one year and finally tied the knot about one year after.

The man of God who has always loved the idea of being a father had no idea that he would parent four wonderful and energetic kids along with several more during the course of his work. The pastor said when he first learnt that he was going to be a father he was probably the happiest

man in the world. He felt overwhelmed with joy since he would soon experience the feeling that God wants him to.

His first child, a boy was born in February of 1985. Pastor Bagot noted that he always wanted to ensure that he made his children at a young age so that it would not have an effect on his ministry.

It was not long after that his second child came, another boy.

He said at this point his wife and himself were now anxious to have a girl and decided to try with that goal, however, another boy came. After trying everything to cope with the three boys that they have, the two lovers went again in pursuit of having a baby girl which had finally came after much prayers.

Like every parent, the pastor also faced challenges in raising his kids the way he wanted to. While pastor alluded to the fact that he never had much difficulties in raising his children, he did mention some of the trials and testing he faced as a man of God. “The greatest challenge that presents itself is when you are a father and you have expectations for your children and they do not meet those expectations. They affect me a lot. Especially if they are facing certain circumstances. It puts a burden on you. It burdens you to see them face that challenge and you now become ready to do whatever it takes and pay whatever price you have to, just to see them happy and their future

Taxi driver gets 3 years for sexually grooming teen

D

aniel James, the 31-year-old taxi driver who early last month was slapped with a sexual grooming charge, was on Monday jailed for three years by the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

James reportedly sexually groomed a 15-year-old relative on at least two occasions between December 12, 2017 and January 18, 2018. He had initially denied the allegation and was placed on G$200,000 bail.

It was reported that James communicated with the teen via Whatsapp indicating his intention to engage in sexual activity.

The taxi driver allegedly knew that the child was underage, but still communicated with her.

It was further alleged that on January 18, James made arrangements to have sex with the teen, but the Police intervened and arrested James after being tipped off by relatives.

Convicted: Daniel James

change. It’s like your children’s trouble becomes your troubles and their joy becomes your joy.”

The most challenging part of his parenthood he noted however, was when the children started to get older and wanted to make their own decisions as teenagers. Before the children could have become the wise teenagers that they grew into, pastor Bagot said that there was one point in time, where he had to take care of all his babies by himself, since his

difficult but because of how discipline I was I was able to manage all that was happening.”

After that chapter of their lives were over and his children were now adults and ready for marriage, the Pastor said even now he was as happy as can be. The proud moment in his life came when two of his eldest sons got married in the year 2008.

It was not long after, that his second son also tied the knot with a woman of his dreams. As time passed and his baby girl grew into a woman, she too was ready to start a family of her own.

Mr. Bagot said this was an emotional part of his life because even though he had always prepared his mind for it, he

wife’s 8-year old sister.

In addition to this, pastor Bagot and his wife cared for a four month old baby after his parents, who were then members of his church were faced with a number of challenges. The baby boy stayed with the family until he was just about four years old before his mother decided that she wanted to play her motherly duties again.

Although heart broken, his wife and himself took in another stranger, this time a teenager into their home, where they are still parenting him. “We sensed in our hearts that we wanted to do something for this young man.

We see so much inside of him.

His parents still come to visit,

Pastor Bagot and his sweetheart Barbara

wife had left their Kuru-Kururu Soesdyke Linden home, as she chased her dream of becoming a medical nurse.

His wife, he pointed out, had left for Essequibo a short while after his fourth child was born. While most fathers would have been tempted the throw in the towel, this dedicated man of God was anxious to see his wife develop in the area that she was passionate about.

Mrs. Bagot had left her home for just about three years and would sometimes visit her family on the weekends whenever she had the opportunity.

“It was quite challenging because to carry the burden of the church and to take care of them, clothe them and all the rest it was

felt like he was losing his baby.

As he faced his fear, his only daughter tied the knot and he welcomed his son-in-law into his home. “My home felt empty after she left.

She was always there to make me laugh and do all kinds of things with me. I just felt like something was missing.

The now 63-year old father, said he liked parenting so much and was fairly good at it so he even took on the challenge of raising not only children from his family, but others as well.

He was so inclined to the feeling that he went as far as to bring a prisoner into his own home.

At one point he fathered his two nephews and one of his nieces, after their parents, who live overseas was frustrated. The man also parented his

but we are so happy to be able to help.”

Pastor Bagot said that he never really had the type of fatherly love he desired. He said he never knew his biological father even though he even played with the man’s children. He said he learnt who his father was after his mother passed away. The man who was fathered by a step-dad said he questioned his mom once about his dad and never again did after he got quite of an answer.

He noted that they never had much of a close relationship and never really felt loved. This however did not stop him from becoming the loving and caring father that he is today, but has propelled him to be a better person.(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

feature 35

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Dhilia Barnwell, as “love at first sight.”

Drawing from his own childhood, which he described as total fun, Christopher hopes to give his daughter the best life possible.

He remembers his own

F

Enjoying some quality time

atherhood is the ultimate goal for many men. The feeling of being able to be a part of creating another life is one that is cherished but do not underestimate the role of being a father since it is not one to mess with. When you are a father, you are your child’s teacher, counselor, coach, financial adviser, judge and jury, and a protector all at once.

For some of you who are already a father, you know the feeling all too well but for cricketer Christopher Barnwell joining the fatherhood club has allowed him to discover a part of him-

self he never knew existed. Christopher’s wife Dionne Cush-Barnwell gave birth to their beautiful baby girl on January

childhood days of playing marbles after a day as school or a game of cricket with the boys in the neighbourhood. He

My ultimate goal as a father is to make sure I raise my child in the right way, get her to do the right and provide for her.

16, 2018 and describes the first time he saw his daughter, Ms. Chelsea

First Easter

also enjoyed a good basketball match and even the classic hide and seek. Those are all experiences he hopes little Chelsea would have the opportunity to indulge while growing up in the more technologically advanced world.

Apart from being a great dad, so far, Christopher is somewhat of a celebrity in the world of sport. He is a right-arm fast bowler in the hitthe-deck mould who can also contribute with the bat. In his first season of domestic cricket, he served notice of both his skills, with a fivewicket haul and half-centuries in the first-class and List A formats.

While spinners formed the crux of Guyana's attack in their victorious 2010 Caribbean T20 campaign, Barnwell was their most consistent seamer, impressing with his nagging lengths and

Christopher with Dionne and baby Chelsea

clever changes of pace.

He has since then, gone on to play the game in various formats at home and overseas. The 31 year old has played for notable teams such as West Indies, Barbados Tridents, Guyana, Guyana Amazon Warriors, and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

With this success in his career, Christopher said the day he became a father was the day he truly experienced boundless joy. Since becoming a father, Christopher’s daily life has changed tremendously since everything now revolves

around ensuring that his daughter gets the best life possible.

“Some of my memorable moments with my father are him taking me to school, going on out of town trip to watch him play football, playing cricket in the backyard and cooking after a good game of cricket,” Christopher reminisced.

It is those same memories and more that he plans to create with his daughter.

“Once I don't have cricket and I'm home would take her out to visit the garden, zoo, play games with her, fly

kite and pay keen interest in the fun thing she like. My ultimate goal as a father is to make sure I raise my child in the right way, get her to do the right and provide for her.”

For Christopher, he is enjoying every moment with Chelsea and for his first Father’s Day he plans to reflect and think about the type of life he has lived and the quality of life he intends to provide for her.

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

36 FEature

by

Petamber Persaud

I

t is ironic in our patriarchal society that the celebration of fathers as in Father’s Day is not as big an event as say Mother’s Day. Without getting bogged down in a debate, this article will focus on a few writers in Guyanese Literature who fathered other writers in conjunction to fathering and producing their own literary children and will focus on those fathers whose biological off springs also produced outstanding works of creation.

The father* of Lisa St. Aubin de Teran

Jan Carew was a writer, educator, thinker, philosopher, diplomat and activist who made his mark wherever he

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

of discrimination, marginalisation and even gender inequity, fighting the ‘same cause’ by re-writing and righting history.

Carew is best known for his novel ‘Black Midas’, first published 1958. Jan Carew wrote extensively for children as teacher to student, opening their eyes to facts of life and myths, sometimes a fusion of Amerindian and African lore, giving life to history producing such gems are ‘Children of the Sun’, ‘Amalivaca’, and ‘The Sisters and Manco’s Stories’.

His other writings including novels, memoirs and plays like ‘The Wild Coast’, ‘The Last Barbarian’, ‘Moscow is not my Mecca’, ‘Ghosts in my Blood’, ‘University of Hunger’, ‘Black Horse, Pale Rider’, ‘Street of Eternity’, ‘Sea Drums in my Blood’, and ‘The Day of the Fox’ Lisa St. Aubin de Teran is described as a ‘writer of autobiographical fictions, and memoirist’, immortalizing the many places in which she lived in The Slow Train to Milan, The Hacienda, and Mozambique Mysteries.

The father* of Denise Harris

Jan Carew

worked and lived – Trinidad, London, Spain, Ghana, Canada, Mexico, USA, Czechoslovakia, France and Guyana.

And he discharged his responsibilities with the singular fixation to right wrongs

Wilson Harris is the recipient of five honorary doctorates. In 1968, he obtained an Arts Council Grant, and in 1971, he was a Commonwealth Fellow in Caribbean Literature at Leeds University, UK. He held the revered position of writer-in-residence at many universities around the world including places like Australia, New York, Texas, Toronto and Cuba. In 1987, he won the inaugural Guyana Prize for Literature in the fiction category and in 2002 he was awarded the Guyana Prize Special Award. In 2003, the University of Warwick staged a conference in honour of

Harris. In 1968, Wilson Harris was a delegate to the National Identity Conference in Brisbane and in the same year, he was a delegate to UNESCO symposium on Caribbean Literature held in Cuba.

In 1970, he was part of the Convention of Caribbean Writers and Artists held in Guyana planning for what turned out to be the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta). Some of his poems were collected in three volumes; FETISH, 1951, ETERNITY TO SEASON, 1952, and THE WELL AND THE LAND, 1952.

He has written numerous essays on topics including ‘The Enigma of Values’, ‘Fossil and Psyche’, ‘Greatness and Bitterness’ and ‘The Making of a Book’.

Wilson Harris has written and published some twenty three novels since his first, PALACE OF THE PEACOCK, appeared in 1960.

Denise Harris, born in Georgetown, Guyana, is widely-travelled; her attachment to UNICEF has taken her to places like Barbados, Jamaica, New York and Beijing. Her first novel, WEB OF SECRETS, won the Guyana Prize for Literature, 1996, in the category of best first book of fiction. The book is ‘fictional autobiography’ dealing with issues from which people shy away; it gives ‘a picture of a sensitive child suffering considerably from the stress of marital breakdown, the African-Indian racial violence of early 1960’s Georgetown and the failure of the family to confront the racial tensions within it’. It is also a novel of redemption.

Her second novel, IN REMEMBRANCE OF HER, was short-listed for the Guyana Prize in 2004. She is also a photographer.

Canada. She is the author of three novels and a short story collection (BROWN GIRL IN THE RING, MIDNIGHT ROBBER, THE SALT ROADS, SKIN FOLK). Her work has received numerous awards including the Warner Aspect First Novel Prize, the Ontario Arts Council Foundation Award for emerging writers, the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer, the World Fantasy Award, and the Gaylactic Spectrum Award. Her novel MIDNIGHT ROBBER was given Honourable Mention in Cuba's "Casa de las Americas" literary prize and is a New York Times Notable Book of the Year 1999. She has served as Writer-inResidence in many colleges and universities around the world including places like Australia, USA, London, and in Canada.

The father* of Oonya Kempadoo

Peter Kempadoo is the first Guyanese of Indian ancestry to write a novel. That book, GUIANA BOY, was self-published in 1960 by a small press, New Literature (Publishing) Limited, founded by Kempadoo. This first novel was well received. But his second novel, OLD THOM’S HARVEST, also set on the Corentyne Coast of Guyana was scoffed at because of his exploration of the Indian man and African woman relationship at a time when society was not ready to accept miscegenation from the other end of the spectrum. Kempadoo for most of his life was a self-taught, self-made man.

The father* of Nalo Hopkinson

Abdur-Rahman Slade Hopkinson was a man of many parts: New Amsterdam, Berbice, Georgetown, Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and North America; parts of the world in which he lived. He was a head teacher, university lecturer, journalist, poet, actor, playwright and painter. ‘THE FOUR and other poems’, his first collection, was published in Barbados in 1954. During the sixties, he became a Muslim, reflected in his later writing and, in 1970, he founded the Caribbean Theatre Guild. ‘THE MADWOMAN of PAPINE and ‘THE FRIEND’ were published by Curriculum Development Centre, Ministry of Education & Social Development, Guyana, in 1976. His plays include ‘Sala’ and ‘The Long Vacation’. His short story, ‘Marcus Aurelius and the Transatlantic Baakoo’ was published in the Faber Book of Modern Caribbean Short Stories.

Slade Hopkinson died in 1993, the same year his final collection of poems, ‘SNOWSCAPE with SIGNATURE’ was published.

Nalo Hopkinson is among the first science-fiction writers of the Caribbean.

She has lived in Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana and for the past 30-odd years in

Nalo Hopkinson

Peter Kempadoo

But he benefited from early formal education. A certified teacher and a trained nurse, Kempadoo put his talent to others uses and excelled as a reporter and broadcaster. And despite his contribution to Guyanese literature, Kempadoo still refers to himself as an accidental writer.

Oonya Kempadoo grew up in Guyana, lived in various parts of Europe and on many islands of the Caribbean.

Her first novel, BUXTON SPICE, was an instant success. It was on the London bestseller list throughout 1999, nominated for the 2000 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and won her the label ‘a Great Talent for the Twenty-First Century’ by the Orange Prize judges. The novel was translated in French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and Hebrew.

Her second novel, TIDE RUNNING, won the Casa de las Americas literary prize of Cuba. Both novels explored sexuality in youths. Her third novel is All Decent Animals.

Please forgive me if I missed your story – the story of you and your dad, and help me to correct this omission by sending relevant information, thank you. *No slight intended to the mothers involved in giving birth to the above children.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

37

38 news

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Another IMF team to visit Barbados as Government negotiates loan

F

ollowing a visit of one team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Prime Minister Mia Mottley going up to Washington to speak with officials of the financial institution, has come news that another team from the IMF will be in Barbados next month to begin negotiations with Government.

Prime Minister Mottley made the disclosure over the weekend, as she gave an update following the latest talks with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, which she said went well.

She said she was happy the engagement with Lagarde recognized the country’s situation was

urgent, and reported that the IMF was prepared to support Barbados’ Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan.

“The initial team was just a fact-finding team.

This team that comes now, from July 2 to 12, will actually be a negotiating team with the Barbados Government, to be able to settle on what would be the terms and conditions of the contract that underpins how much money they will supply to us, and what conditions there will be, if any, to that money,” she explained.

“We had an excellent meeting [last week]. We were able to articulate clearer why we need to be able to have a baseline that takes into ac-

count fixing our broken infrastructure and protecting the most vulnerable in our society. [We also spoke about] why we will continue to do the things that we have to do in order to be able to make the structural adjustment. That is critical—to make Barbados’ Government more fiscally responsible and to be able to see growth come back to our economy in a way that it has not over the course of the last decade.”

The Prime Minister indicated that the IMF had shown a willingness to cooperate with Barbados and responded with alacrity when she and her team engaged with the IMF officials.

“Anyone who knows

PRIME MINISTER MIA MOTTLEY (LEFT) GREETING MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, CHRISTINE LAGARDE.

anything about these processes [talks with the IMF] will tell you that they are amazed at how…fast we are moving forward….We recognize that uncertainty cannot serve the interest of anyone in this country….It is in our interest to be able to get to the point where we can put the framework for what is our programme behind us, such that all Barbadians can play their part,” she said.

Motley explained that the support Barbados would be seeking from the institution would be a loan at “very, very negligible” interest rates— around one per cent. She added that it would allow the country to boost its international reserves.

“But the importance of going to the International Monetary Fund is that it unlocks other international concessional funding. So, for example, the InterAmerican Development Bank will now be in a position to start lending us serious amounts of capital once we have an agreement with the IMF. “Indeed, upon signing with the IMF, there is an immediate unlocking of significant amounts of capital and then we go into other discussions with them on policy based loans and investment sector loans; and similarly, with the Caribbean Development Bank and others,” the Prime Minister stated.

She gave the assurance that Government was engaging with the IMF to bring back growth to the country to preserve the Barbadian quality of life and the value of the dollar, and not “to go on a spending spree”.

The Prime Minister noted that even though the meetings in Washington went much better than she and her team could have contemplated, in terms of the timelines, the work now lay ahead of them.

She said the Government is preparing a strong negotiating team for the discussions with the IMF. (Caribbean360.com)

T&T woman who had taken out restraining order found shot to death (Trinidad Guardian)

A

35-year-old mother of three, who had recently taken out a restraining order against a man she knew, was found dead

in St James last night.

Police said there was a single gunshot wound to the head. Police have since launched a manhunt for the suspect, who is believed to have gone into hiding.

According to police reports, at about 8 pm officers acting on information received went to Dundonald Hill where they found the woman, who was identified as Nadine Smith. Smith was married five years ago.

Up to late last night investigators were still on the scene gathering details.

However, speaking to the T&T Guardian under strict anonymity, a close friend of Smith, who was very distraught, described Smith as a “gentle and loving soul”. She said Smith often attended church and was known as a “woman of serious faith”.

“She was the most humble person you would ever meet and her

Nadine Smith

children were her world.

She lived for them and to make them happy,” the friend said.

“It is so shocking and sad to know she had to go in this inhumane way.”

An investigating officer told T&T Guardian that Smith recently removed herself from an abusive relationship with a man she knew and added that she received several death threats afterwards.

Smith’s murder was recorded as No. 263 for the year thus far.

Investigations are continuing.

news 39

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Governor Cuomo Op-Ed:

A moral outrage New York will not tolerate

G

overnor Cuomo: "We cannot wash away this stain on American history.

But we are not without a voice, and will speak up for the voiceless, with words and with action. We will not let what has been done go unanswered, and we will do everything we can to ensure that it never happens again."

The text of the op-ed follows: The New York Times published an op-ed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today (Thursday) affirming that the State will move forward with the multi-agency lawsuit against the Trump Administration on the grounds that the federal government is violating the Constitutional rights of thousands of immigrant children and their parents who have been separated at the border.

The Trump administration's inhumane treatment of immigrant children has left a dark stain on the history of our nation. It is a human tragedy and a threat to our values.

On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order rolling back his own policy of separating parents from their children — claiming to solve a problem that was of his own creation.

But this order is no solution at all. It still leaves open the longterm detention of immigrant children, which would clearly violate federal law.

Moreover, you can't un-abuse the more than 2,300 children who have been separated from their parents at the border with the swipe of a pen. The administration's family separation policy has already done potentially irreparable harm to those children who were used as pawns in the president's political agenda. And the order includes no plan to reunite these children with their parents, something that should be done as quickly as possible.

The potential toll on these children is heavy.

Research shows that the trauma of forced separation can cause long-lasting physical and emotional effects on children, changing how they process information, react to stress and develop executive function and decision-making skills. Such stress could also make these children more prone to inflammation and disease as they grow to be adults. As the number of adverse childhood events increases, the risk

of health problems such as obesity, alcoholism and depression later in life increases.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seemed to defend the policy by praising the resilience of refugees this week.

But in fact, by separating such young children from their parents, the federal government may have undermined that argument: Research shows that trauma can inhibit the development of resilience.

To make matters worse, the federal government is prohibiting New York from providing health and mental health services to the hundreds of children who have already been placed by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement in centers around the state — even though the state regulates those centers.

The facilities in New York are a testament to the love and compassion of our residents, providing high-quality care and homelike settings that contrast with the terrifying tent city and refurbished Walmart being used to house detainees along the border. But these children shouldn't be in facilities in New York or anywhere else in the first place. They should be with their parents.

The mistreatment of children seeking refuge within our borders is a moral outrage and an affront to the teachings of every major religion. "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold," it has been said, "is for people of good conscience to remain silent."

New York will not remain silent. Our state has always served as a beacon of liberty and opportunity for the world, and the Lady of the Harbor holds her torch high not only to light the way for immigrants, but to light the way forward when our country is lost.

This week, I announced New York State's intent to file a multiagency lawsuit against the Trump administration to swiftly reunite children with their parents and put an end to the abuse of immigrant families. We fully intend to move forward with this suit to prevent any further harm to the children in custody.

Our case rests primarily on three claims.

First, that holding the children apart from their families is a violation of the constitutional rights of parents to care for, maintain custody of and communi-

Governor Andrew Cuomo

cate with their children.

These parents are afforded the fundamental right to family integrity under the United States Constitution and under the New York State Constitution. By systematically separating parents from their children, this administration has

shown complete disregard for parental rights.

Second, that detaining children — alone or even with their families for an extended period of time — is a violation of the terms of the 1997 Flores settlement agreement with the federal government, which set

national standards regarding the detention, release and treatment of children in immigration detention. The settlement, which the administration is seeking to modify, prioritizes the principle of family unity, requires juvenile immigrant detainees to be released within 20 days, and explicitly requires family reunification with a clear preference for parental custody.

Third, we intend to invoke what is known as the "outrageous government conduct doctrine."

In a 1973 case, United States v. Russell, the Supreme Court wrote that it "may someday be presented with a situation in which the con-

duct of law enforcement agents is so outrageous that due process principles would absolutely bar the government from invoking judicial processes to obtain a conviction." That day has come. The callous tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have no place in this country.

We cannot wash away this stain on American history. But we are not without a voice, and will speak up for the voiceless, with words and with action. We will not let what has been done go unanswered, and we will do everything we can to ensure that it never happens again. Together, we can reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental values that built this state and this nation.

40 news

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana to ask ICJ for ruling in its favour …after Venezuela says it will not participate in border controversy case

G

uyana will ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to make a ruling on the border controversy with Venezuela in its favour after the Venezuelan Government announced it would not participate in the case.

According to Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even if Venezuela persists in its refusal to participate, the rules provide for the Court to proceed to a final judgment that is legally binding on both the participating and nonparticipating parties.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Ministry noted that under Article 53 of the Statute of the Court, “whenever one of the parties does not appear before the Court, or fails to defend its case, the other Party may call upon the Court to decide in favour of its claim”.

Guyana, the statement explains, intends to proceed in accordance with the said Article.

The Venezuelan Government issued an official statement on Monday outlining its decision not to participate in the United Nations Secretary Generalchosen procedure regarding its claim over

the Essequibo region.

This announcement followed several months after the decision was made by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, to refer the matter to the ICJ as a means of resolving the ongoing controversy.

During a meeting with the ICJ and a Venezuelan delegation headed by the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Jorge Montserrat the position was made known to ICJ President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf.

“The Venezuelan delegation has informed the President of the court, through a letter

signed by the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro Moros, of its sovereign decision not to participate in the procedure that Guyana intends to initiate, since the Court manifestly lacks jurisdiction over an action unilaterally proposed by the neighbouring country, which does not have the consent of Venezuela,” the statement said.

Justice Yusuf had invited the legal teams representing Guyana and Venezuela in the border controversy case, to attend a meeting with him in The Hague, Netherlands. The purpose of the meeting was

to fix the schedule for the filing of the written pleadings in the border controversy case between the two South American neighbours.

Such a meeting is part of the Court’s normal procedure following the filing of a case.

On March 29, Guyana filed an application requesting the World Court to confirm the legal validity and binding effect of the 1899 Arbitral Award regarding its boundary with Venezuela.

This application follows a decision by the UN Secretary General earlier this year in choosing the ICJ as the

next means of resolving the controversy that arose as a result of the Venezuelan contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899 about the frontier between British Guiana and Venezuela was null and void.

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

“Venezuela had only changed its position formally in 1962 as the United Kingdom was making final preparations for the independence of British Guiana and had threatened not to recognise the new State, or its boundaries, unless the United Kingdom agreed to set aside the 1899 Award and cede to Venezuela all of the territory west of the Essequibo River, amounting to some twothirds of Guyana’s territory,” Guyana submitted in its application to the World Court.

The court document further noted that while Venezuela has never produced any evidence

to justify its belated repudiation of the 1899 Award, the neighbouring country has used it as an excuse to occupy territory awarded to Guyana in 1899, to inhibit Guyana’s economic development, and to violate Guyana’s sovereignty and sovereign rights.

In filing the application, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, who will serve as Guyana’s agent in the proceedings before the ICJ, said: “…

Guyana has respected the Secretary General’s decision and placed its faith in the International Court of Justice to resolve the controversy in accordance with its statue and jurisprudence, based on the fundamental principles of international law, including the sanctity of treaties, the maintenance of settled boundaries and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.”

The UN Secretary General’s authority to choose the ICJ as the means for resolving the controversy is rooted in the Geneva Agreement of 1966, negotiated just before Guyana attained independence.

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This family paddling in their traditional canoe down the Chenapou River to their farm

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henapou Village-an Amerindian settlement located some 29 miles up the Potaro River is accessible by an approximate three hours boat ride, well that depends on how fast your boat moves. The village is divided into four zones and is described as the best place to live or have an escape from the everyday hassles of city life.

The name Chenapou is a Patamona word and when translated means Frog Pond and the village would have gotten its name from the variety of frogs that inhibits the pond. One of the most popular one, is what we refer to as the ‘mountain chicken’ and in this village, it is called Chenau.

The village has approximately 524 residents. Like every Amerindian Village, Chenapou has a Village Council that is headed by a Toshao, Vice-Toshao, treasurer and secretary. Councillors are responsible for different zones in the community and are also assigned duties in relation to health, education and the environment as well as other areas.

The main livelihood of the Chenapou residents is subsistence farming. All fertile farming areas are located outside the Village title with cassava, plantain, banana, pumpkin and squash being common crops and most households make local drinks such as cassiri, parakari and fly. In addition, some residents are also involved in mining within their customary lands.

Just over a year ago, the livelihood of the Chenapou became threatened when over twenty residents were arrested and charged for illegal mining within the Kaieteur National Park. However, those charges were dropped after widespread protests from the Amerindian communities along with their allies.

But to date the issue has not been fully dealt with. The Patamona people have long contended that the Kaieteur National Park falls within their customary lands and they should have unprecedented access to it.

Chenapou Village, because of its location, employment opportunities are limited to only two sectors-mining and farming. The women folk often take up farming as a means of providing a ‘back-up’ to the men folk’s earnings. Most of the men work on mining dredges and would usually ply their trade in the Blackwater - Korobrung area since

Early morning cleaning

Warishi ready- this woman prepares to go into the farm to pull some cassava

the earnings from mining are much more feasible for maintaining a family.

Despite that threat, the level of comradery and togetherness in the Chenapou is even stronger. Despite the hardships, the people of Chenapou are resilient and would welcome anyone warmly and treat you as though you are family. That is the spirit of Chenapou-where you do not go hungry or uncared for.

You would still see the residents getting up at the crack of dawn to have breakfast together before they go off to work in their farms.

Just for the crisp fresh air or experiencing frog pond or even the boat ride up the Potaro, Chenapou is the ultimate culmination of a great visit to Kaieteur Falls. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

Cassava bread drying

An early morning bath in Frog Pond

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Guyana to host national dialogue on domestic violence

First Lady Sandra Granger and Region Three Executive Officer Denis Jaikaran, along with other officials, pose with participants

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irst Lady Sandra Granger, in opening the second SelfReliance and Success in Business Workshop for residents of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on Monday, announced there will be national dialogue centred on domestic violence in Guyana.

This event, slated for August 3, 2018 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, will see participation from persons across the 10 administrative regions of Guyana.

“This [domestic violence] is a scar on our national life…I have been in discussions with some people about how we really go about addressing domestic violence in Guyana… We also have to deal with the issue of under-reporting or non-reporting of issues of domestic violence in our hinterland and our rural areas… We are planning to have a national dialogue…

I think we have to face up to it, and make it clear that we cannot tolerate this any longer,” she said.

The First Lady urged the participants to see the many opportunities a workshop of this nature can bring in terms of small and micro-enterprise development, and reminded that the certificates they would be receiving at the end of the programme are recognised by the Small Business Bureau and other micro-financing organisations.

“I saw the benefits [of this programme] not only to the persons who would have participated, but to their families and their communities as well. It is what I would call an holistic approach to success,” she said.

Region Three Executive Officer Denis Jaikaran, in his remarks,

participants in rolling out future projects.

Meanwhile, Director of Interweave Solutions (Guyana) Incorporated, Sanjay Yohann Pooran, who facilitated the workshop, provided the participants with an overview of the programme. He indicated that the workshop’s main objective is to educate the participants on how to start, manage, and grow small businesses; help them to lead balanced lives; and provide them with the opportunity to give back to their community through the formulation and implementation of a community action plan.

In an invited comment, Latoya Adams said she was thankful for the opportunity to participate in the workshop, and looks forward to the community action plan that would be established.

“I see this workshop as a great opportunity, and I especially look forward to the community action plan, since I see the progress the last participants made in the es-

First Lady Sandra Granger addressing the participants of the workshop

said the first Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop had led to establishment of the Region’s first salted fish factory.

He expressed his appreciation to the First Lady for taking the workshop to the Region for a second time, and pledged to assist the

tablishment of a salt fish factory,” she said.

The workshop is organised by the Office of the First Lady, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection and Interweave Solutions (Guyana) Incorporated.

This is the third Self-Reliance Workshop for the year 2018.

Martyrs and Neekharams

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atiricus got ready in a hurry to go to the Back Street Bar. It was Enmore Martyrs’ Day and it was the first year he and the fellas weren’t going to the official commemoration. When the Pee-an’-See government had closed down those four estates, it seemed like something had died in his pals, Cappo and Bungi. They’d literally given their lives to the industry, yet they weren’t bitter with Satiricus whose KFC party was part of the government.

“Budday, wha’ abee guh goh fa?” said Bungi to Satiricus’ question, as he nursed his beer. “Dis a wan mockery fuh wha’ dem people dead fa?”

“What do you mean?” asked Satiricus softly.

“Well, dem people back den bin know “cut an’ load” guh tek advantage pan dem, when dem stap “cut an’ drap,” said Cappo.

“An’ dem seh, ‘to hell wid dis!’ an’ dong tools!” continued Bungi. “Even de Police bullets na stap dem!”

“But what you think the unions should do,” asked Hari, in his quiet way.

“Hari me fr’en, dem sh’u’da tek example fram dem

ole people,” said Cappo, seriously. “Dem sh’u’da guh ah de Monument an’ protes’ ‘gainst de Guvment wha shut dong dem estate!”

“But what if the Police had shot them when they protested?” asked Satiricus anxiously. “I know Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat wouldn’t have agreed to that. But what if?”

“Na tell me ‘bout dem two neemakharaam!” said Bungi viciously. “But if de union people bin friken fuh get shoot, dem sh’u’da stay home.”

“I agree with them, you know Sato,” said Hari.

“Martyrs stand up and die for a cause, and if you can’t do the same, what’s the point of taking flowers?”

“Yuh see Sato, suga’ worka a pay dem union people,” said Cappo. “And de pay na fuh fetch flawah!”

“If dem cyaan stan’ up fuh de worka,” said Bungi.

“Dem sh’u’d sit dong in dem house.”

“Like Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat?” asked Hari slyly, as he looked pointedly at Satiricus. “Can’t see them nowadays!”

Cribbed and crabbed…

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…minds at MPI

his fellow Patterson – the Minister of Public Infrastructure – has been a real disappointment.

He just doesn’t understand he’s been given responsibility for an area of national life that needs a VISION of where Guyana’s supposed to be heading – if it’s ever to deliver the “good life” for its citizens.

Our country’s development has stagnated over the past half-a-century and nothing brings this home more than our decrepit, dilapidated and backward infrastructure.

Think of a country – any country – that you think is “developed”, dear reader, and what will pop into your mind, is its infrastructure! We don’t even have to go all the way back to Peter the Great – who earned his appellation because he pulled 17th century Russia out of backwardness by overhauling its infrastructure in trying to reach “European” parity. Think of Albert Speer – who rebuilt Berlin for Hitler after the devastation of WWI. Doesn’t Patterson want to do the same for Burnham after his devastation of Guyana?

Imagine he provoked the Chinese Ambassador into admitting he or his country would never be associated with the new Demerara Harbour Bridge to replace the floating wonder from 1978. The Ambassador implied Patterson was locked into some kind of medieval time warp, since the design included lifting up a section to allow tall ships to go upriver.

This was the feature of the Old London Bridge – built in 1209 – before it was scrapped and rebuilt.

Our floating bridge, of course, had its retracting span since it was never intended to be a permanent bridge and was in fact a donation of portable sections that the British army threw across rivers to get their tanks across, during wars!!

Anyhow, the PPP had mooted the construction of a permanent high span Bridge to replace the floating wonder, but after taking over, Patterson fixed the bids to have a single-sourced designer come up with a THREE lane structure that had a section that LIFTED UP rather than RETRACTED to allow ships to pass. This was supposed to be an improvement of the 1209 drawbridge on the London Bridge!! Thus the most objectionable feature of the present structure – Bridge Closings that wasted hundreds of thousands of man-hours and create serpentine massings of vehicles on both sides of the river!!

Now, it’s just been announced that rather than THREE lanes, there will now be FOUR and that the approach to Versailles won’t be so “cumbersome”!!

What the heck does that mean? They’ve removed the curved section that created the “Ming Swing” – just to land the bridge on the PNC’s financier land?

Where there is no vision, the people perish… …understanding of a constitution There’s a stubborn insistence by sections of the media not to acknowledge that while the Constitution of a country, will of course affect individuals, ultimately it’s concerned with fundamental principles by which the institutions of the state are to be governed while respecting the rights of the citizens. This is brought out clearly by the reporting on the High Courts and Appellate decision on the Richardson Case, which the PNC government appealed to the CCJ. The latter’s ruling is due by month’s end.

What Richardson claimed – and the Guyanese courts affirmed – is that under our Constitution, sovereignty does not lie in the Legislature as it does in England, but with the people. Here, Richardson argued, there are some decisions that Parliament on its own cannot make – they have to be ratified by a referendum of the people.

Those decisions are ones affecting what is called the “Basic Structure” of the Constitution, such as the locus of sovereignty.

So while Richardson affects four classes of individuals to run for the Presidency, it goes far beyond that. …oil blocks awards Seems ex-Presidential oil advisor Mangal wants to have all PPP oil blocs awards reviewed. But wouldn’t this also include the Exxon Award?

Or is he now straining to throw equal-opportunity brickbats? Ouch!!

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Unfettered unilateralism…

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…at UG

hy isn’t your Eyewitness surprised that UG’s Vice Chancellor, Ivelaw Griffith, has proposed that the Council that oversees his administration of the tertiary institution be drastically reduced in numbers? Well…just that every single action the bow-tied wonder has undertaken at UG since he was catapulted into his position was to promote his accumulation of power! For starters, even before he had time to settle down, the old YSM biggie was awarded a Cacique Crown of Honour!! But then, he’d just made the Army Officer’s training module a UG Diploma…and proposed the army retirement age be raised!!

The reorganisation of the senior staff? That just created a CABINET, of which Griffith’s the head!! The man created FOUR Deputy Vice Chancelleries to serve under him — Academic Engagement, Planning and International Engagement; Philanthropy; Alumni and Civic Engagement; and an Office of Strategic Initiatives!!

The salaries of this Cabinet match the salaries of President Granger’s FOUR Vice Presidents!! As to what they actually do to improve the abysmal conditions of UG, don’t ask…that’s for the peons!!

The Renaissance magazine at UG, is it part of his overall Renaissance programme?? This high-priced, glossy monthly has featured an article on Griffith in every single issue!! All it does is burnish his personal crest!! After spending his entire career in the US, where money’s no object, all he’s done is to cog wholesale the programmes of universities up there. The overall “Renaissance” is based on four “Imperatives”: Capital Investment – human capital, physical capital, and brand capital; Academic Enhancement – improving instructional credentials, curricula and pedagogy; Economic Viability – fortifying the major existing revenue streams, and Alumni Engagement. What this means concretely is that Griffith gets to fly frequently into the great yonder (the US) and live high off the hog with his “Cabinet”!!

Now for the miniaturisation of the Council.

The PPP had broadened this, back in 1995, to offer representatives of all Guyanese groups and strata an input into our “higher education” content and delivery.

He rejected the “Ivory Tower” model cultivated by the West, which simply created a new strata of entitlement!

But that’s exactly what Griffith’s all about!! Lord knows he must’ve been chafing to have to account to representatives of trade unions and farmers, for instance. These were riff raff, for God’s sake!! They weren’t ‘credentialised” by folks like him!! How dare they think they had anything worthwhile to tell him!!

He, after all, had his Cabinet – in which, like original literal cabinets of the Kings – only one voice resonated!!

But your Eyewitness knows absolutely that Griffith’s will would be done…after all, his sponsor, Granger, is cut from the same cloth as he.

The Burnhamites strike back! …on oil strategy It also wasn’t surprising Granger hasn’t renewed the contract of his Advisor on oil – Dr Jan Mangal. Even though born in Guyana, having only worked for the US oil giant Chevron, he suffered from the misapprehension he could “tell it like it is”!! This isn’t even done in the US!! Just look at the fate of ex-Exxon CEO Tillerson at the hands of Trump. But then Tillerson did push the envelope a bit too far by calling Trump a “moron”!!

Mangal didn’t go that far with Trotman…but he did imply it when he persistently insisted that the latter shouldn’t have been negotiating with Exxon on his own!

In fact, even after his contract wasn’t renewed, Mangal advised that in future negotiations over selling of oil blocks, the Government should hire experts.

Now, even in the best of circumstances, governments are touchy. But when you’ve got a government that’s vowed to fulfil the legacy of its dictator founder-leader… and is now staffed with army Brass… …don’t even THINK about being candid!! …on SWAT Boss decision Dookie, the SWAT boss sent home by COP Ramnarine upon instruction of Felix — who was filling in for Minister Ramjattan — is petitioning the courts that “the decision is unconstitutional, capricious, whimsical, and irrational.”

It’s also demeaning to Ramjattan; but then, what’s new??!!

By Mohanlall Seulall

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hey say that fathers are the embodiment of God. They are there for us when the going gets tough and guide us through it all and that is exactly what Jainarine Lall has been doing for his two daughters.

Lall is a unique father. At the tender age of five, he was diagnosed with poliomyelitis also known as polio and due to the economic constraints with his family; he could not have gotten the medical attention he needed at the time. The Essequibo native lost the ability to walk without aid but that never dampened his spirits.

His uncle Persaud, who was a Head Master, got him into the Poliomyelitis (now Ptolemy Reid) Rehabilitation Center in Georgetown at aged 12.

After leaving the Center, he spent a few years with a cousin who was a supervisor at a local upholstery factory in the City.

Visits to the factory blossomed an interest in the upholstery field resulting in him being among the best in the business right now.

Now he operates a business with his wife Girly and two daughters Versha and Valesha. As a father, he is very loving and his only dream is to see his two daughters become successful in life.

He is given them all the support necessary to fulfill their dreams.

He vividly remem-

bered his own dad who had to be away from the family from morning to night just to earn enough for the family to survive.

His encouragement to all fathers is to make time for your children and become their best friend, shower them with love and they will shower you with love. Become their role model; let them see you as their strongest pillar in the family unit.

Sometimes fathers are too busy in the day to day life that we forget our responsibilities to our children and when we become older in life it might be too late to bridge that gap.

“I wish that all fathers sit and reflect on our role as and see if we are really doing a fine job by being there for our children. They say that our parents are our god but as fathers are we really living up to that

statement? Remember we are the first teachers of our children so my only wish this father's day is to encourage all fathers to take a minute out of your busy schedule and reflect on your family relationship,” he advises.

“Although I am a disabled person living with Polio I tried to do my best for my family.

I even drive my own car to Georgetown to purchased materials for my business. I will never let my disability keep me from being who I wanted to be. With determination and faith everything can be possible,” Lall added.

In addition, he advises father to listen more and show just how much they care.

When asked about some of the challenges he has faced, Lall said that the Regional

Administration gave him a house lot and after doing all the preparation for construction of his home, the land was seized by the Courts and given to someone else resulting in him losing a substantial investment.

The Region eventually gave him a land in Capoey as compensation but when he attempted to access it, someone had already claimed ownership. He said that he is very frustrated he even wrote the president on the matter but seems of getting nowhere.

“Although I am a handicap person trying to make a living no one is listening to my story.”

Lall said that if not for his courage, determination and family support he might not have made it this far.

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

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Kareena Kapoor Khan to perform Badla: Amitabh Bachchan ‘finally away’ from prosthetics at Miss India 2018 finale

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fter taking over the silver screen with her performance in Veere Di Wedding, Kareena Kapoor Khan is all set to take over the stage too. The actor, who recently traveled to London for a vacation with husband Saif Ali Khan and little munchkin Taimur, has flown back to Mumbai to fulfill her professional commitment.

Kareena would be in town for two days and during her stay, she would be rehearsing for her performance, which

will take place on June 19 during the Miss India 2018 grand finale.

Kareena is going to set the stage on fire with “Tareefan” from her recent release Veere Di Wedding.

“Kareena returns to the stage after 2 years and she is really excited about her performance. She has allotted two days for rehearsals and is prepping for her act with a choreographer. Her prep session lasts for 9 hours a day. She will be performing to a medley of her favorite songs including Tareefan, Mera Naam Mary and Mauja Hi Mauja among others,” a source revealed.

After the performance, Kareena will reportedly fly back to London and join Saif and Taimur.

On the work front, Kareena Kapoor had recently shot for an advertisement with Saif Ali Khan. While the ad promo is yet to be out, the photos from the shoot went viral. Speculations are rife that Kareena has signed her next under Karan Johar’s production banner but nothing has been confirmed yet.

Meanwhile, the actor said she would focus on doing only one film a year from now on. (Indian Express)

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anhvi Kapoor’s debut film Dhadak is all set to hit the silver screen.

While the world awaits to see if Sridevi’s offspring is capable of taking forward her legacy, the young star is on her toes to promote her first Bollywood film. More than anyone else, it was late actor Sridevi who was excited about her daughter’s first step in the world of cinema. While many assumed that young Janhvi will take time to overcome the grief of her mother’s sudden demise, she stunned all by returning to the sets of Dhadak within a few weeks.

Talking about coping with the death of Sridevi, Janhvi said the shoot of Dhadak gave her courage. “It hasn’t been an easy experience. My work and my family have given me the strength to go on. If it wasn’t for coming back to the sets of Dhadak or being able to act, I think it would have been much tougher than what it is now. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to work in the film and act. It saved me in many ways,” Janhvi told India Today.

At the trailer launch of Dhadak, Janhvi had the entire Kapoor clan including Anil Kapoor, Boney Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor and others cheering for her.

In the interview, Janhvi also re-

M

anisha Koirala has found poetry in everyday mundaneness of the world – the sunrise, the grass, the shining stars – and feels more appreciative of life today with every breath she takes. She was diagnosed with the ovarian cancer in 2012 which she successfully overcame.

Though difficult, Manisha says the phase, where the fear of losing everything loomed

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egastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is currently shooting for Sujoy Ghosh’s Badla, is relieved to be finally away from prosthetics and heavy costumes. Amitabh is currently shooting in Glasgow. He shared two photographs of himself dressed in a black suit on Twitter.

The 75-year-old thespian, previously described prosthetic make-up as a “torture” on his blog. “Tomorrow is a torture. Prosthetic make-up for two film looks and trials. That sticky beard that extra beard that headlocks and the lot. I thought I had had a lifetime of it but no, there is always more to come,” he had written.

The actor earlier donned prosthetic make-up to look like a 12-year-old boy suffering from a rare genetic disorder called progeria in the 2009 movie Paa and for his latest release 102 Not Out. On the work front, Amitabh Bachchan has two more films in his kitty – Thugs Of Hindostan and Brahmastra. This will be the second

vealed Sridevi’s tip to her for being a good actor. She said, “My mom always used to say that in order to be a good actor, you need to be a good person.

Because the camera is very smart. If you’re not a good person, if you’re fake, it shows. If your heart is not clean, it is visible.” With on-set photos of Janhvi already out, many have also found her to be a mirror image of Sridevi.

Directed by Shashank Khaitan, Dhadak will see Ishan Khatter sharing screen space with Janhvi. The romantic drama, which is a remake of Marathi blockbuster Sairat, will release on July 20 this year. (Indian Express)

large, left her completely changed. “When I was at the brink of losing it all – with my health crisis – that made me appreciate life. For me, everyday is a blessing. I look at things which I ignored earlier. I enjoy sunrise, being barefoot on the grass, the stars in the sky, the breeze on your face or the ruffle of the leaves. I feel blessed to be alive,” Manisha said.

The actor says she is “at a relaxed and excit-

ing space” in her career and life, with her heart being more “compassionate, understanding and focused”.

While she feels grateful and blessed to still get good work, she is also

arlier this year, Irrfan Khan revealed that he has been diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. His illness came as a shock for his fans but the shock wasn’t limited to just his fans, this episode has been quite “different” for Irrfan as well.

Irrfan’s peers and colleagues have all respected his privacy and have not divulged details about his treatment and even Irrfan has not interacted with the media since his diagnosis. He has now spoken about his illness and described his turmoil to The Times of India.

“It’s been quite some time now since I have been diagnosed with a highgrade neuroendocrine cancer. This new name in my vocabulary, I got to know, was rare, and due to fewer study cases, and less information comparatively, the unpredictability of the treatment was more. I was part of a trial-and-error game,” said Irrfan.

He continued, “In this chaos, shocked, afraid and in panic, while on one of the terrifying hospital visits, I blabber to my son, ‘The only thing I expect from ME is not to face this crisis

thrilled to get feedback for her performances.

“When you get good reviews for your work, it’s reassuring. You wonder ‘even after 80 plus movies?’ and I say yes. It’s al-

ways nice to hear good feedback,” she said.

The 47-year-old actor has Sanjay Dutt biopic up for release and was recently seen in the Netflix

time that Amitabh and Taapsee will be seen sharing screen space again after Pink. Shah Rukh Khan is the producer of this Amitabh Bachchan starrer. The film is being directed by Sujoy Ghosh.

However, this will be the fourth time Big B will be collaborating with Ghosh.

The two have previously worked in films like TE3N, Kahaani and Aladin.

(Indian Express)

in this present state.

I desperately need my feet. Fear and panic should not overrule me and make me miserable.’ That was my INTENTION. AND THEN PAIN HIT.” “As I was entering the hospital, drained, exhausted, listless, I hardly realised my hospital was on the opposite side of Lord’s, the stadium.

The Mecca of my childhood dream. Amidst the pain, I saw a poster of a smiling Vivian Richards. Nothing happened, as if that world didn’t ever belong to me. I was left with this immense effect of the enormous power and intelligence of the cosmos. The peculiarity of MY hospital’s location – it HIT me. The only thing certain was the uncertainty. All I could do was to realise my strength and play my game better,” Irrfan told TOI. Irrfan also revealed that this realisation has made him ‘submit, surrender and trust, irrespective of the outcome.’ He also added that his concerns have taken a backseat and he now knows what freedom truly means.

(Indian Express)

anthology Lust Stories.

In Sanju, Manisha will be seen playing Dutt’s mother, Nargis.

The actor says she had to undergo several look tests and credits director Rajkumar Hirani for doing “excellent” ground work.

“I had a very good director and the team was so good, half of my battle was won there. When you work with good directors, it’s easier because they’ve already done the ground work, research.

We did a lot of look tests, watched documentaries, read books. I tried to bring out what we could.”

Manisha is also thrilled that her short film with Dibakar

Banerjee in Lust Stories has won people over.

The actor says she was not sure initially about the project.

“I had seen Dibakar’s previous works and I loved his short in Bombay Talkies. I knew he would make a sensible film. Personally speaking, I wanted to do it differently. But he had a vision. While rehearsing I understood where he was going. I didn’t agree somewhere with him but then in the end it all turned out very well.”

Sanju features Ranbir Kapoor in the lead and also stars Paresh Rawal, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza and Anushka Sharma.

(Indian Express)

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Black Panther’ wins big at 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards

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he MTV Movie & TV Awards gave Black Panther its first taste of awards glory, with Marvel’s blockbuster taking home four honors including two awards for its star, Chadwick Boseman.

Boseman quickly handed off his best hero award to James Shaw Jr., who wrestled an assault-style rifle away from a gunman in a Tennessee Waffle House in April. “This is going to live at your house,” Boseman told Shaw, giving him the show’s golden popcorn award. The actor said while it was an honor to be recognized for playing a superhero, it was more important to “acknowledge the heroes we have in real life.”

Boseman, who starred as T’Challa in Black Panther, also won the award for best performance in a movie.

Michael B. Jordan, who played the villain Erik Killmonger, won best villain.

Stranger Things was the top television honoree, winning four awards including a repeat win for best show.

The show is known for bringing fresh talent to light, as well as acknowledging established celebrities in more quirky categories like best kiss and most frightened performance. Host Tiffany Haddish donned a variety of costumes throughout the ceremony, including nods to classic film and TV roles such

H

ollywood diva Catherine ZetaJones says she is done with apologising for her star status. The 48-year-old actor, who is married to Hollywood veteran Michael Douglas, says she no more gets intimidated by the criticism that celebrities receive for their lifestyle.

“One thing I’m not is humble anymore. I’m sick of being humble. I really am. ‘So sorry I’m rich, so sorry I’m married to a movie star, so sorry

as Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Starlet from The Carol Burnett Show.

She kicked off the show with a Black Panther skit, foreshadowing the film’s big night, noting in her opening monologue that is it the first African-American film to earn more than $1 billion at the box office.

Throughout the night, Haddish also parodied other hit films such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi and A Quiet Place.

Black Panther, about a king and virtuous superhero of the technologically-advanced nation of Wakanda, broke barriers earlier this year as the first Marvel film to feature a black lead.

Its massive popularity overshadowed competing films like Wonder Woman and Avengers: Infinity War. Haddish, who also won an award for her breakthrough role in Girls Trip, noted that she is the first black woman to host the awards show, which is in its 27th year.

The gay teen comedy Love, Simon won for best kiss for a scene between Nick Robinson and Keiynan Lonsdale.

While Robinson wasn’t there to accept the award, Lonsdale gave some encouraging words to LGBTQ youth.

“I just want to say to every kid,” he said. “You can live your dreams and kiss the one that you love no matter what gender.”

In addition to win-

I’m not-so-bad-looking.’

No sorrys. Enough. All that is important to me now is my work. That’s what I love, and the rest of my life is a joy because I’ve got two beautiful kids and a healthy, happy husband. It’s all good, and I’m not going to be humble for that either,” Zeta-Jones told Daily Mirror.

The actor said she is happy that her children, 17-year-old Dylan and Carys, 15, are willing to pursue acting and follow the footsteps of

ning best show, kids of Stranger Things also won awards for most frightened performance, best musical moment and best performance for Millie Bobby Brown.

The actress, who plays Eleven in the series, couldn’t make the event because of a broken kneecap. Brown accepted the award for best performance via satellite.

Other winners included Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom in Riverdale for scene stealer, Gal Gadot for best fight as Wonder Woman and the young cast of It for best on-screen team.

Gaga: Fight Foot Two won the award for best documentary. The Netflix feature followed Lady Gaga during the production of her fifth studio album “Joanne.”

Common presented Lena Waithe with the trailblazer award for her activism, writing and “deeply honest art.”

During her acceptance speech, Waithe paid tribute to Paris is Burning, the 1990 documentary released about the drag scene in New York during the late ’80s. She called those documented, many who aren’t alive anymore, “the bravest human beings that ever lived” “I’m doing what we as a society should have done a long time ago and give them the glory and shine that they deserve,” she said.

Chris Pratt mixed humor and religious messages while accepting the show’s generation award, telling the crowd to “breathe. If you don’t, you’ll suffocate.” He also urged fans to “learn to pray” and accept that they are imperfect.

The show also featured musical performances by Nick Jonas and Mustard, as well as rising stars and Beyoncé protégés Chloe x Halle.

(Indian Express)

their grandfather Kirk Douglas and father Michael.

“I have two kids who want to be actors and I am so proud. It’s not about fame for them.

They’ve been brought up around famous people.

They know what that is like. They want the craft because that’s what they love. And it gives me such pride that they get it. They understand that this is not a quick fix.

They’re so good. I can’t wait for you all to see which way they’re going to go because they’re going to go somewhere, I’m telling you,” she said.

Zeta-Jones also said

Hollywood 49

Samuel L Jackson claims to have guessed ‘Avengers 4’ ending

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amuel L Jackson, who is busy promoting Incredibles 2, believes Marvel does not need to tell him how the Avengers: Infinity War sequel will end as he has figured it all out. The 69-yearold actor, who plays S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury in the MCU films, said he cannot guess which all superheroes have actually died in the recentlyreleased film.

“Who’s really dead, and who’s really in the flaky wind of Marvel dust, I don’t know, but I do know there’s a solution that they didn’t even have to tell me, just because I know who Captain Marvel is and what all that means,” Jackson told Vulture.

V

perpowers and becomes stronger than any other superhero in the universe. Before Avengers 4 comes out next summer, Oscar winner Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson will be seen in the standalone movie Captain Marvel due March 8. The film lets Jackson play a younger version of Fury and gives Marvel its first movie with a female lead.

In the post credit scene, Fury is shown disintegrating into dust after Thanos snaps his fingers wearing The Infinity Gauntlet, only before he sends a page via an intergalactic beeper to who appears to be like Captain Marvel.

In the Marvel Universe, Captain Marvel is a former pilot who gains su-

eteran director Martin Scorsese will be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rome Film Festival.

The announcement was made by director Antonio Monda and Laura Delli Colli, the head of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, the festival organisers said in a statement. Italian director Paolo Taviani will present the award to Scorsese, who is best known for modern American classics such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Aviator and The Departed.

Martin Scorsese is an American director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film historian. Scorsese’s body of work addresses themes as Sicilian-American identity, Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption, faith, machismo, modern crime and gang conflict. Many of his films are also known for their depiction of violence and liberal use of pro-

she was not always sure about her work as an actor but became confident with age.

“What shaped me as an actor, more than anything, is getting older. I genuinely lost my mojo. I didn’t like it very much anymore. I was on a successful path, there wasn’t any crisis or anything.

And I remembered how I started off so young and became s u c cessf u l

Jackson said he was filming for the Brie Larson-fronted movie in Atlanta when he was asked to film the tag. “I had no idea, it came out of the blue,” he added.

The actor said he did not even realise how Fury would perish until he saw the finished film.

(Indian Express)

fanity. Part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and influential filmmakers in cinematic history.

“I am extremely honoured to bestow the Lifetime Achievement Award to a Cinema Master,” Monda said. “I am thrilled and moved to celebrate Martin Scorsese, not only as a great director but also for his extraordinary and priceless contribution to the rediscovery of great classic movies and, most of all, of Italian Cinema,” he added.

Scorsese has long had ties to Italy as his grandparents on both sides had emigrated to the United States from Palermo, Sicily. His 2002 film Gangs of New York, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis, was shot in Rome’s famed Cinecitta studios.

The 13th edition of the famed Rome film festival will run from October 1828. (Indian Express)

because I was fearless.

There was no questioning, wondering what people would think.

“Somewhere along the middle I got frightened again and I started to question myself as an actor, my choices. As I matured as a woman, as a mother, as a wife, I’m not scared anymore,” she said. (Indian Express)

50 sport

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyana Govt finally releases Men’s team Sports Policy draft ready for battle CBC Championship:

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he cries of sportsmen and women from all across Guyana have been answered as the Social Cohesion Ministry, which covers the portfolio of sport, released a draft of the long awaited National Sports Policy (NSP) on Tuesday.

Athletes, especially those of international calibre, have been calling on the Ministry to speed up the process since the promise of such a policy was made in 2015 as part of the A Partnership For National Unity’s (APNU) election manifesto.

The NSP draft has been in generation from November 2016 to June 2018 and focuses on a number of crucial areas that have been stifling the development of sport in Guyana. Several of those areas are national, regional and internationally applicable laws, collaboration among national agencies on sport programmes and projects, sport governance, administration, management, organisation, education and educational institutions, medicine, financing (funding, sponsorship, incentives), tourism, manufactur-

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton

ing, intellectual property rights, elite athlete development, the media, overseas offices, Diaspora support, and anti-doping.

The Policy aims at raising Guyana’s sport fraternity to a level where, “Sports in Guyana is no longer viewed only as a casual pass time, leisure or recreational activity, but as an entire sector which services the fundamental needs and requirements of the Guyanese athlete, from the ama-

teur to the elite.”

As such, implementation of the Policy would mean that sport will be fostered not only at the organisational level but also in schools. In this instance, the common practice of only track and field in schools will be put aside and students of every primary and secondary school across the 10 administrative regions will be exposed to all sport disciplines and it is the hope of the Policy that adequate facilities will be established to fos-

ter that change.

Another key aspect of the Policy mandates that there will be “… awareness of and support for people with disabilities (PWDs) to access sports.”

A feature that would be a table turner especially since para-cycling athlete Walter Grant-Stuart has found it difficult to receive participation funding even after bringing home a gold medal.

Additionally, the Policy will focus on allocating financing and funding for national sport organisations and federations hosting competitive games in various sport disciplines and geographic areas, compulsory physical education in schools and anti-doping. The NSP is available for viewing online and is open to input and suggestions from sporting organisations and citizens. Despite consultations being a lengthy process, this is a procedure that was assured by Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton in an invited comment with Guyana Times International Sport.

As recent as last week, Boxing Coach Terrence Poole called for the swift implementation of the National Sport Policy so as to provide a basis so athletes who have medalled in international engagements could have ‘tangible rewards’ when they return to Guyana.

in Suriname

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he Guyana A m a t e u r B a s k e t b a l l Federation (GABF) has named the following 12 players to represent Guyana at the 2018 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Senior Men’s Basketball Championship and the FIBA AmeriCup 2021 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers in Suriname from June 22 to June 30.

Eighteen-year-old Stanton Rose has retained his post as Captain and will have alongside him: Harold Adams, Orland Glasgow, Shaine Webster, Ray Victor, Anthony Moe, Travis Burnett, Felix Hamilton, Travis Belgrave, Denzel Devonish, Timothy Thompson, and Kevon Wiggins.

Stanton Rose

Kevon Wiggins

Head Coach duties have been taken on by Junior Hercules while Dennis Clarke is the Assistant Coach and the Manager is Nigel Hinds.

The team, led by Guyana’s youngest-ever National Captain, includes five overseas-based players, comprising professional players Moe and Hamilton based in the United States of America and Antigua; former US college players Victor and Devonish along with Berbice-born 17-yearold Kevon Wiggins, the youngest player on the team. Guyana depart for Suriname on Friday, June 22 and will play Grenada on Sunday, June 24 at the Anthony Nesty Indoor Stadium in their opening game.

Keemo Paul replaces Hetmyer for Sri Lanka Test series

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ynamic all-rounder Keemo Paul will replace his Guyanese countryman Shimron Hetmyer in the Windies Test Squad for the remainder of the Test Series against Sri Lanka.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday confirmed that Hetmyer, the aggressive left-hand batsman, will return home to Guyana where he will recover from a recent illness. While there, the former Windies World Cup U19 winning skipper will continue his preparations to return for the 2-Day practice match against Bangladesh in Antigua.

Head Coach of the West Indies Team, Stuart Law, commenting on the situation said “Hetty is a big part of our future and now we want him to recover fully from his illness, so he can be at his best for the warm-up match versus Bangladesh.”

The 20-year-old Paul, who was Hetmyer’s deputy when they won the U-19 World Cup a few years ago, has made tremendous strides in his brief time on the international circuit, having played a number of ODIs and T20s for the Windies senior team.

Paul has also been a strong perform-

er in the longer version of the game for the Windies A team and should serve as an ideal replacement for his fellow Guyanese.

Meanwhile, the host lead the three Test series 1-0 following the draw in Test two and will look to seal the series when the final Day/Night Test bowls off on June 23.

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

'Words can't National hockey team suffer crushing describe Gabriel's performance' – Holder losses in Trinidad

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uyana’s national men’s hockey team had a dismal weekend as they lost their three-match friendly series in the twin-island republic.

Coming off of a loss in the first game, the local boys went on to suffer defeats in the second and third matches.

Guyana’s momentum seemed to have been building in the second match until they were forced to play short of a player after Rayon Branford received a yellow card.

Trinidad saw the opportunity to infiltrate the Guyanese defence and took the opportunity, netting two goals in quick succession before the halftime whistle blew.

Guyana’s closest goal-scoring opportunity came when a pen-

alty was awarded to Edmond Chinian after he was fouled inside the scoring box. However, the expectant hearts of the Guyanese players dropped when the shot was deflected wide by Andrew Stewart.

Trinidadian Tariq Marcano, however, continued his ‘player of the match worthy’ momentum when he set up a number of goal-scoring opportunities for his team.

The crucial match-up eventually ended on a 4-0 score in favour of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Guyanese team came out stronger in their third game, showing a level of competitiveness that they had not displayed in their first two encounters.

Unfortunately for the local team, Trinidad were one up quickly in

the first half and then surged to a 2-0 lead thanks to a goal off of Medroy Scotland’s stick. Capitalising on an impressive counter attack by Jamarj Assanah, Guyana’s captain, Robert France got the local team’s first goal on the board.

Shaquille Daniel and Marcus James later lengthened the Trinidadian lead after scoring two goals apiece. The Guyanese hopes were raised near the end of the third quarter when they moved the score to 4-2 owing to a successful penalty. Guyana’s hopes were short-lived after Daniel added another goal to Trinidad’s tally, resulting in a 5-2 win for the twin-island republic.

NSC’s National Swim Programme to kick off in July

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he annual ‘Learn to Swim’ programme which is organised by the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion and the National Sports Commission (NSC), is aimed at teaching the skill of swimming to children, especially those within the school age.

In past years, the programme has been a huge success, attracting over 100 students at each session and ensuring that they leave with the much

need skill. Organisers have even gone as far as to implement an Easter version of the programme. This year’s instalment of the vacation edition will run from July 9 to August 17.

Colgrain swimming pool located on Camp Street, will be host to the children 6-10 years, while the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, will be home to the 11-16 year sessions.

e took a few wickets with pace.

Then a few more with bounce. Even some with lateral movement.

Shannon Gabriel was so good in St Lucia that he vaulted into the record books. Only once has a West Indian bowler struck more than the 13 times he did in a single Test match. And that was back in 1976, when Michael Holding wrapped England up and put them in his pocket.

Shannon Gabriel (Sky Sports photo) "It's a great feeling," "Congrats as well to Kemar [Roach] Gabriel said after the game. "If someone told me, 'Shannon, and Kraigg, both reaching milestones you'll play Tests and take 100 wick- in this Test match," Holder said. ets', I would've told him, 'you're crazy!' "Three-thousand Test match [runs] as I'd like to thank family and friends for an opening batter is remarkable and obviously Kemar getting 150 wickets. supporting me.

"I was prepared well for this series, Very very pleasing to see our guys getgetting myself fit. As long as you get ting some landmarks and hopefully wickets, pains and aches go away. I they can keep pressing forward."

The other major talking point from was supported well by Kemar (Roach), he was unlucky. Miguel Cummins kept the Test match was a ball-tampering coming at the batsmen. (Jason) Holder issue that broke out on the third day. was also very good. Anything other The umpires laid a complaint against than a loss is good. We can take plenty Sri Lanka's methods at maintaining the red-ball, following which they reof positives from this Test."

There was only one clear star fused to take the field for two hours. though, at least in captain Holder's Eventually, their captain Dinesh eyes. "Shannon was absolutely out- Chandimal was charged by the ICC for standing. I don't think words can de- breaking the code of conduct.

Holder would not be drawn into scribe the spell he bowled in both the first and second innings. He was ag- talking about the incident, but he did gressive. His pace was up. He caused feel aggrieved that there was little trouble with every spell he came in and communication between the officials bowled and he stood up. He put us in a and the West Indies team. "To be honest I wasn't aware of what was going position to draw this Test match."

West Indies had won the first Test of on early in the morning. Then we got the series and were fighting to protect some information of what was going on. their 1-0 lead at the Darren Sammy Obviously we've seen what has transstadium. Gabriel was a key part of pired and what has come of it. I choose that, picking up 5 for 59 and then bet- not to get involved with it. The game is tering it with 8 for 62. Only three times in the control of the match referee. Just in the last 23 years has a West Indies a bit disappointed with how it was hanbowler taken five wickets in each in- dled. We basically sat around for two nings. On the back of that, Gabriel has hours with not much information."

Holder was far more open in talkleapt 11 places up to No. 12 on the ICC ing about the final Test of the series, Test bowlers rankings.

The other saviour for West Indies starting on Saturday. "It’s obviously was opener Kraigg Brathwaite. He sol- a special occasion, the first day-night diered on for 60.3 overs even as the top Test in the Caribbean. I guess the peoorder crumbled - they were 64 for 4 ple of Barbados - I'm from Barbados chasing 296 - to shut down Sri Lanka's as well - will come out and support us. hopes of levelling the series. The hosts They're really avid cricket fans and it had a little help from a timely spell of should be a really good spectacle at the Kensington Oval." (ESPNCricinfo) rain as well.

52 sport

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

'It's a shock,' says Langer after England 481 J

ustin Langer described Australia's record loss to England as "brutal" and "a shock" and said his players could not have had a worse day as they slumped to a third straight loss, handing the five-match ODI series to England.

A year out from the World Cup, Australia are ranked sixth, their lowest ranking since 1984, and the 242-run thumping at Trent Bridge was a harsh reality check for the reigning champions.

"It's a shock," said Langer after the game at Trent Bridge. "That is literally England at its best. It's no fluke that they are No.1 in the world.

"I've never seen nothing like that today. I was in Johannesburg when Australia got 400 [434 for 4] and South Africa then got it, but that was just brutal. Hopefully our young guys can learn from it. It doesn't get harder than that."

None of Australia's bowlers - and Tim Paine used eight in total - escaped the caning handed out by England's top order, although Ashton Agar conceded a comparably 'frugal' seven runs

per over. Andrew Tye suffered the worst punishment, his nine wicketless overs going for 100 runs.

"He's probably one of the best people I have ever met in the game of cricket," said Langer.

"He'll stay up but what I've said to him, like our batters, he's got to learn how to bowl at the first 10 overs, the second 10 overs, and at the death."

After a match where England scored 481, smashing the previous highest total by 37 runs, Langer compared England's batting lineup to the Australian side that won the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, led by Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting.

"I've got massive respect for England and the way they are playing their cricket," said Langer. "Their top three are brutal. The way they are playing is reminiscent of how we used to play in our day with Gilly, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting at the top.

"They have the England Test captain Joe Root batting at four and Eoin Morgan, England's highest ever

Justin Langer

one-day scorer coming in at five, Jos Buttler who is as dynamic as anyone at the moment and Moeen Ali who is beating us with the bat and the ball - well maybe not so much the ball, but he gives them some depth.

It's a pretty sad dressing room there because you expect to win."

In his first series as national coach, a job handed to him in the wake of an enormous upheaval that has shaken Australia on and off the field, Langer says his first job is to help the team rebuild.

"I've known what the task is before this game,

it's to build a team and to get better," said Langer.

"One thing I will say is that I have been impressed by their camaraderie and preparation. I mean they are young and we recognise that.

"What I do know is that you can work hard to gain at confidence. It's a bit like working hard to

gain respect. To do that we are going to have to go through some tough days like this."

With the series lost, the remaining two games give Australia the chance to experiment further. Langer indicated he may look to bring Nathan Lyon into the side and consider playing Alex Carey as a specialist batsman. Australia have yet to bat out their 50 overs in the series so far, and while they will regain significant strike power with the return of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, their top six looks far from settled, in terms of personnel and batting order.

"We've got to bat against the top and against spin," said Langer. "We need to have more rounded players. In 20-overs cricket you can get away with it as it's more condensed,

but in 50 overs you have a lot more time in the game than you think.

"For us to get bowled out in the 37th over on the best batting track in the world - there were huge missed opportunities there for some of our batters.

"Can't have had a worse day."

But for Langer, the immediate challenge is to take a group of young men, clearly hurting and low on confidence after such a massive defeat, pick them up, dust them off and send them out again at Chesterle-Street for the fourth ODI. "I have to look after them all," said Langer.

"These are the days when you are like a dad, not a headmaster.

We'll look after them.

It was a tough day but we'll keep chipping away at it tomorrow."

(ESPNCricinfo)

Sri Lanka skipper Chandimal appeals against ball-tampering suspension

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inesh Chandimal has appealed against ICC match referee Javagal Srinath's decision to find him guilty of ball-tampering during the second Test against West Indies in St Lucia. Chandimal was suspended from the third and final Test of the series.

Later on Thursday, the ICC appointed chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission, Michael Beloff QC, as the judicial commissioner to hear Chandimal's appeal. The ICC release said, the "hearing will take place on June 22, and, legal counsel for both parties and Chandimal will join via telephone or videoconference." It gives Chandimal a chance of participating in the third Test that begins on June 23 in Bridgetown, if the punishment is overturned.

Chandimal had been charged by the ICC after video evidence indicated that he applied saliva to the ball shortly after putting what the ICC suggested was a sweet into his mouth. He pleaded not guilty, before attending the hearing where Srinath handed Chandimal the maximum punishment available under the code - two suspension points and a fine of 100% of his match fee.

Chandimal's appeal is likely to

Dinesh Chandimal

hinge on what he put in his mouth.

One of the probable contentions is that Chandimal had a number of things in his pocket during the day, including cough lozenges (which you cannot apply to the ball) but also almonds, and he does not remember which of those things he put into his mouth in this particular clip.

This, the Sri Lankan team feels, is different from the ICC's framing of Chandimal's defence. Upon suspending Chandimal for a Test, Srinath had said in the ICC release: "Dinesh admitted to putting something in his mouth but couldn't remember what it was, which I found unconvincing as a defence and the fact remains it was an artificial substance."

Chandimal's defence is likely to contend that there was no way the ICC could possibly know that it was a substance capable of altering the condition of the ball, because the video evidence does not make it clear what the substance was.

The argument, essentially, is that the ICC does not have sufficient evidence to find Chandimal guilty of tampering. This has been one of Sri Lanka's assertions from the beginning.

(ESPNCricinfo)

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WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Hierro relieved Spain survived tough Iran test

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ostov-On-Don , Russia (AFP) — Spain Coach Fernando Hierro admitted his team had been on the ropes before a lucky Diego Costa goal handed them their first win of the World Cup yesterday as dogged Iran came close to causing a major upset.

The victory in Kazan puts the 2010 winners on course for the last 16, but Iran had an equaliser disallowed for a narrow offside.

“We have three points... but it was a very difficult and complex game. Both halves were very tough,” said Hierro.

“We started well, with good pace, but Iran are a very tough team, it's very difficult to score against them.”

Costa, who scored twice in a 3-3 opening draw with Portugal in Sochi, courted controversy early in the Group B encounter when he stepped on the toes of Iran 'keeper Ali Beiranvand.

His gesture went unpunished, and the Atletico Madrid striker required another stroke of luck on 54 minutes when his shot came off Ramin Rezaeian to beat Beiranvand after he had been sent through by

Fernando Hierro has warned his players against complacency at the World Cup (Sky Sports photo)

Andres Iniesta.

Just before the hour mark, the entire Iranian bench poured onto the pitch when Saeid Ezatolahi fired an equaliser for Iran.

But the thousands of Iranian supporters that filled the stadium with the sound of vuvuzelas throughout were left disappointed when it was ruled out for offside.

With three points from two matches, Iran still have a chance of qualifying if they can get a result against Cristiano Ronaldo's

Portugal on Monday.

Iran Coach Carlos Queiroz hailed the bravery of his side and pledged they would fight to make the last 16.

“We left the pitch 1-0 down, but we won respect. I'm sure the fans are proud of our team,” said Queiroz.

“Our players can go home and sit with their family and friends and be proud of themselves.

“People gave us no chance, but we still have chances to qualify for the second round. We'll fight for our dreams.”

Hierro welcomed Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal back into the starting line-up following his recovery from a hamstring injury suffered in the Champions League final win over Liverpool.

With Lucas Vazquez replacing Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, it gave La Roja a distinctively Real Madrid feel.

Costa got so frustrated with Iran's defensive tactics that he approached Beiranvand and provocatively stepped on his toes, leaving the 'keeper in visible

pain.

It went unpunished

by Uruguayan referee Andres Cunha, who had awarded France a historic first VAR-assisted in their 2-1 win over Australia.

Spain resumed in more positive fashion after the break, Beiranvand forced to produce heroics twice in the space of four minutes.

But Iran refused to buckle, coming close in the final minutes when midfielder Mehdi Taremi headed just over.

Shortly after the restart an Isco corner was flicked on by Costa to Gerard Pique, but his effort was cleared off the line.

Sergio Busquets's drive from 20 yards was then parried by Beiranvand, who palmed the rebound away before Lucas Vazquez could pounce.

Some great vision from Iniesta, and a slice of luck, broke Iranian hearts when Costa spun and latched on to the ball before seeing his shot rebound off Ramin Rezaeian and into the net.

Spain, however, were still flattering to deceive.

On a rare Iranian counter-attack, goalkeeper David De Gea was left irate when Taremi was left to head a metre wide.

Moments later, the stadium erupted when Ezatolahi fired through a packed Spain area to beat De Gea, but the assistant referee's flag was up.

In the final quarter hour Iran battled for a late equaliser, but after Vahid Amiri nutmegged Pique and fired over an inviting cross, Taremi's thundering header flew just over the bar.

54 sport

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Nepal’s ‘majic man’ Lamichhane hoping to create an impression in CPL 2018

New York Cup: Several high-profile softball players to be on show

Ramlagan is pleased with the selection and is very optimistic the players will create a big impact on their first outing representing the OSCL. With the reintroduction of white ball cricket in the OSCL’s various competitions this season, Ramlagan mentioned the guys were more equipped now to compete against these quali-

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he duo of Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis will have some reinforcements in their bowling side in the form of Nepal’s magic man with the ball, as the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots campaign to once again reach the finals of the Hero Caribbean Premiere League and maybe win it all this time around.

Seventeen-year-old Sandeep Lamichhane, who will be 18 by the time he travels to the Caribbean, has already had an eventful cricket career at such a young age with much more in store.

Lamichhane has represented his native land, Nepal, a record 25 times and also copped a spot in the Delhi Daredevils’ line-up three times in the 2018 edition of the Indian Premiere League. Additionally, the teenager was selected to play for the World XI in their charity match against the Windies at Lord’s Stadium a few weeks ago. Now, he will don the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots colours in the 2018 Hero CPL. During this year’s CPL draft back in February, thousands of Nepalese fans tuned in to witness their local hero being selected for the T20 tournament.

“I was in Zimbabwe then, I was playing World Cup qualifiers and I got lots of messages from well-wishers. By the time I got selected for the CPL everyone was so happy and they were cherishing all these moments,” Lamichhane told CPLT20.com.

The young man even admitted that he has viewed CPL before and is actually a fan of the “biggest party in sport”.

“I used to follow CPL from the beginning and I’ve been selected for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. It’s a big achievement for me, and again a good challenge for me ahead. I hope I’ll make it count, to play with big names; Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis it will be a good booster for me,” he said.

After being asked what he hopes to

F

Sandeep Lamichhane

gain out of the experience, Lamichhane said, “I just want to grow my cricket every time so that I can help Nepal cricket to go on a good high range of cricket. The journey has been good so far and I would like to keep it on the same form so that I can help Nepal cricket.”

He also went on to note that he is optimistic for the future of his home team, “We are now ODI status and we’ve secured ODI status for four years. We are looking forward to make an impact on the international arena so that we can be in the Test playing nation very soon.”

The teenager will bring his expertise on leg spin bowling to the St Kitts franchise, with his best figures being 3-7 in a match up against Hong Kong back in March of this year.

Damodar Daesrath

ormer Guyana First-Class skipper Damodar Daesrath and exGuyana and West Indies youth player Hemnarine Chattergoon have been named in the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) team for the forthcoming New York Cup slated for three consecutive days (June 29-July 1).

Teams from Canada, New York, Guyana and Florida are set to participate at the 12th edition, and some keen contests are highly predicted as a large number of high-profile softball players will be on show in both the Open and Masters’ categories.

Daesrath, who represented his adopted country Canada also at the highest level, featured in the tournament previously playing for other teams while Chattergoon, who as well wore the Canadian national colours at the senior level, will be looking to make an impression.

Several other players have represented Guyana and Canada in hardball cricket. Riaz Kadir and Raja Pooran are in the lineup to play for OSCL while Berbician Aftab Shamsudeen, who played for Canada at the international level, is included.

Assistant manager of the team, Canada-based Guyanese Bobby

Hemnarine Chattergoon

ty teams. Ramlagan, who was born in Wakenaam, also expressed that a captain would be named just before the competition starts. He further related that preparation for this mega softball tournament was very crucial and the team were set to have done that before proceedings begin in the United States of America. Veteran Sports Journalist and OSCL’s Secretary/Public Relations Officer, Frederick Halley is the manager. Ramlagan is also an executive member of OSCL in the position of Assistant Secretary/Treasurer.

The full squad reads: Damodar Daesrath, Riaz Kadir, Hemnarine Chattergoon, Rabindra Diaram, Anil Ramotar, Yadram Bohj, Aftab Shamsudeen, Bolanauth Sukhu, Zaheer Allard, Muniram Karran, Ravin Babulall, Anand Monelall, Shah Mahabir, Fizul Haniff, and Raja Pooran.

Rough start for Guyana’s national women’s basketball team in Suriname

T

he 12-member team, comprising mostly high school aged players, that travelled to neighbouring Suriname for the Caribbean Basketball Championships (CBC) suffered two tough losses in their first two games this past week.

Playing at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo, Suriname, the Guyanese just could not find their footing against the much stronger Barbadian team, which quickly got ahead of the local ladies with an 18 point lead after the first quarter.

Guyana was expected to put up much more of a fight but their lack of international playing exposure proved to

The National Women’s Basketball Team

be a huge disadvantage for them. Toni Atherley and Shakila Small lead the charge for the winning Barbados team,

with 19 and 16 points respectively.

While Guyana’s Miriam McKenzie and Jada Mohan put up a fight

with 12 and 10 points respectively, they were no match for Barbados who eventually won 7939.

In game 2 against hosts Suriname, Guyana played a much more composed game with both their offence

and defence working in perfect harmony.

Although the Guyanese team played much better in their second game, the local girls still fell short of a victory.

Again, Miriam McKenzie took charge of the side netting 24 points, whilst Kennesha Leacock ably assisted with 13 points.

Suriname’s Cyarah Kensmill and Zephanya Zeeluk put up 22 and 17 points to hand Guyana yet another defeat this time 73-52.

The Guyanese women are in Group B with Suriname, Barbados and The Dominican Republic. They will play another game before they return home on June 22.

WEEK ENDING JUNE 24 , 2018| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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