Guyana Times Newspaper - Saturday, September 22, 2018

Rum P15 Association calls for “responsible” consumption of alcohol Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Issue No. 3694

PRICE

Countdown to LGE

WHAT'S INSIDE:

PPP, APNU confident of victory ahead of LGE polls (See stories on pages 3, 9,10)

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo poses with some of the candidates of the municipality of Georgetown for the upcoming Local Government Elections in November. Below, Chairman of People's National Congress Reform, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence makes her way with some of the candidates to submit their party's lists of candidates to the Guyana Elections Commission Returning Officer at the Critchlow Labour College

…APNU “sorry” for letting down Georgetown residents …as independent parties submit “winning” candidate lists Road carnage rocks Guyana

Baby among 5 killed in Essequibo Coast, Berbice, WCD accidents

Pages 5&16 (A Basir photo)

$80 vat included

Attorney denies “cussing out” Policeman P7 …pleads not guilty to 5 charges

PSC calls out Govt on underfunding of security sector P17

Fisherman jailed for wounding wife

P5

Businessman remanded for trafficking male Venezuelans P15

Headteacher calls for Govt’s assistance at flood-prone Charlestown P15 school …as voluntary group hands over sanitation block

Govt inches closer to P7 raising property rates

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BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, September 22 – a night retraction at 03:30h and a day retraction at 14:30h-16:00h and Sunday, September 23 – a night retraction at 04:00h and a day retraction at 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Countdown to LGE

PPP, APNU submit candidate lists …APNU “sorry” for letting down Georgetown residents

parency and accountability.

He noted that City Hall is steeped in unaccountability and that the PPP would bring an end to that.

Saturday, September 22 – 14:55h-16:25h and Sunday, September 23 – 15:30h-17:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

Too late to say sorry?

WEATHER TODAY Sunny weather is expected throughout the day, with clear skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 21 degrees Celsius to 31 degrees.

Winds: East South-easterly to Easterly and East Northeasterly to North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 5.81 metres.

High Tides: 02:43h and 15:08h reaching maximum heights of 2.36 metres and 2.41 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 08:41h and 20:59h reaching a minimum height of 0.80 metre at each scheduled high tide.

wednesDAY, september 19, 2018

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

PPP party faithful on their way to deliver their candidate lists for the Georgetown municipality

By Jarryl Bryan

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ritchlow Labour College was a melting pot of political ideology on Friday as political parties went to submit their lists of candidates for the Local Government Elections (LGE) to the Returning Officer.

These included the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), all contesting in the First Past the Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) categories of the municipality of Georgetown.

Both the PPP and APNU marched in with a large contingent as they submitted their lists. PPP Councillor Bishram Kuppen noted that the city has had enough of controversies at City Hall and that his party stood a strong chance at the polls.

“We’ve submitted a list of 15 names of candidates who we selected through intense house-to-house consultations in the communities,” he explained. “They’re all knowledgeable, they’re experienced, and they’re willing and ready to go to and overhaul City Hall. Because we believe City Hall needs to be overhauled.”

“Most of the candidates came out of the communities because they’re tired of the corruption. One of the things they’ve said is that the sitting Council has been there for over 50 years and they basically have nothing to show for it. They’ve showed they’re incapable of

managing Georgetown.”

The outgoing Councillor explained that their full plan

would be rolled out in a matter of days, but it would include a push for more trans-

Members of APNU en route to Georgetown’s LGE Returning Officer

APNU was meanwhile put on the spot as they were confronted with a number of issues they presided over as the majority party on the City Council. These issues include the controversial parking meter project and non-payment of salaries and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) for municipal workers.

APNU Deputy Mayor Akeem Peters, who accompanied a large number of party faithful to the college, apologised on behalf of his turn to page 5 party.

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

Taking decisive action to end TB deaths

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n its most recent assessment, a few days ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that even though fewer people fell ill and died from tuberculosis (TB) last year, countries still need to do more to bring an end to the disease by 2030. Although global efforts have averted an estimated 54 million TB deaths since 2000, TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, according to the WHO. WHO’s 2018 Global TB Report, released earlier this week, calls for an unprecedented mobilisation of national and international commitments. It urges political leaders gathering next week for the first-ever United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB to take decisive action, building on recent moves by the leaders of India, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, and South Africa. Nearly 50 Heads of State and Governments are expected to attend the meeting. Such high-level political attention and understanding of what the world needs to do to end TB is very encouraging, and it is hoped that the relevant stakeholders will use the opportunity to capitalise on this new momentum and act together to end this terrible disease.

As stated by WHO, to meet the global target of ending TB by 2030, countries need to urgently accelerate their response – including by increasing domestic and international funding to fight the disease.

The WHO report provides an overview of the status of the epidemic and the challenges and opportunities countries face in responding to it. It states that overall, TB deaths have decreased over the past year. For example, in 2017, there were 1.6 million deaths (including those of 300,000 HIV-positive people).

Globally, an estimated 10 million people developed TB in 2017. The number of new cases is falling by two per cent per year, although faster reductions have occurred in Europe (five per cent per year) and Africa (four per cent per year) between 2013 and 2017, the WHO said.

Ending the TB epidemic requires action beyond the health sector to address the risk factors and determinants of the disease. We believe that next week’s UN High-Level Meeting on TB will provide the right forum to discuss the crucial issues relating to ending TB deaths; such as the need for more financial resources and cooperation across all sectors to bring an end to the disease. Like the WHO and others, we also believe that the necessary commitments at the level of Heads of State will be essential to galvanise multi-sectoral action.

Even though Guyana still has a far way to go, this country can boast of tremendous progress made in its fight against TB; and all efforts must be made to ensure these gains are not reversed. It could be recalled that the actual number of new TB cases diagnosed by the National TB Programme (NTBP) rose steadily throughout the 90s. However, with some key interventions by the previous and present administrations, annual cases declined from 2008 and stabilised for four years thereafter due to further expansion of the Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) programme.

Based on official statistics, the case notification rate over the past five years decreased from 92 per 100,000 in 2012 to 70 per 100,000 in 2017. This is quite an achievement and kudos must be given to all the stakeholders that are working to further reduce TB cases in Guyana.

Some years ago, the DOTS system was successfully implemented in all the regions of the country and has been essential to ensuring case detection, standardised treatment, with supervision and patient support.

Ending TB will only be achieved with greater collaboration within and across governments, and with partners from civil society, communities, researchers, the Private Sector and development agencies. This means taking a whole-of-society and multidisciplinary approach, in the context of universal health coverage.

As alluded to earlier, funding also remains a crucial component. All partners can help take forward innovative approaches to ensure that everyone suffering from the disease has access to TB diagnosis, treatment and cure. Governments and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) may have the best ideas to tackle TB, but it makes very little sense if there are inadequate financial resources to ensure their effective implementation.

The Public Health Ministry, along with other partners, must continue building on the gains made over the years regarding efforts to reduce TB cases in keeping with the WHO targets.

Hundreds of children poured into the West Demerara Secondary School on Friday to participate in the Education Ministry’s second annual Career Fair 2018 as part of Education Month activities. In photo, students engaged a representative of Nations Schools at one of the book exhibition booths

Good for bauxite workers: good for sugar workers Dear Editor, Please grant me the opportunity to flag for the attention and consideration of all my fellow Guyanese, the article in the State newspaper of Wednesday, September 10, 2018, entitled, “Task force works out severance pact for RUSAL workers.”

In these times of rapid evolution in technologies and capabilities, taste and fashions, and in the relationships across a world trending to be more and more interdependent and more and more one, and at the same time, activating and encountering social and political forces aiming at resisting and reversing such trends, we must all be concerned that there might be great and rapid changes in the work we do and by which we earn our living. These do seem to be turbulent times and for more of us than ever before, the job we now have may leave us and for some time we may be seeking another.

Workers in our traditional bauxite and sugar sectors have been facing such turbulence, more or less intensely from time to time, at least since the 1970s, starting with the nationalisation of those sectors at that time. It has been a rough ride since then

for most of our citizens working in bauxite and sugar, and every one of us would be aware of what is ongoing presently.

We cannot but be sympathetic to the workers of RUSAL’s bauxite operations in the Berbice River, whose jobs seem to be about to be ended through events in the world at large. And, therefore, I am supportive of and urge support to those workers: in particular what has been revealed in the article of the recommendations of the Task Force headed by the Honourable Minister Simona Broomes and including the General Secretary of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union, Lincoln Lewis (also formerly President and General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Council, and my bauxite colleague of five decades).

The article states that the Task Force recommends that these RUSAL bauxite workers facing termination be paid “a similar package that was applied in the case of LINMINE in 1993 and onwards, BERMINE in 2002 and onwards and OMAI Gold Mines in 2004, which means that the minimum (severance) pay for each year of ser-

vice shall be equivalent to six weeks for each year of service to the maximum of two years’ pay in benefits”.

Allow me to say that this is roughly twice what is required in the “Termination of Employment” law which we the PPP/C Administration enacted around 1997 as the consensus between Unions, Employers and the Government.

The PPP/C person that I am, allow me the indulgence to flag that the recommendation quoted above acknowledge how favourably the PPP/C Administration treated with bauxite workers from 1993 onwards, through 2004 onwards: from 1993 when there was no law, and twice as well in 2004 and onward as the consensus law required.

I call on all my fellow Guyanese to at least question the impression which was so often given and which they may have entertained, that we PPP/C have been heartless when it came to bauxite, bauxite workers and bauxite communities. Further, join the demand for similar, equitable treatment for all sugar workers, who are no more or no less Guyanese than bauxite workers and whose communities are just as much Guyanese

communities. Prompt payment of severance is not haemorrhaging of our nation but our law and the humane and fair thing to do.

The PPP/C in much more difficult times, empathising with bauxite workers, losing their jobs paid promptly twice what the law required. So, today we support the call for RUSAL workers to be treated similarly and with no question, no hesitation, we call for similar equitable treatment for sugar workers and sugar communities.

We appreciate the acknowledgement of Mr Lincoln Lewis of the generous severance payment of the PPP/C Administration to bauxite workers. We expect the support of Mr Lincoln Lewis in our struggle for similar treatment for sugar workers; what is good for bauxite workers must be good for sugar workers also.

Yours sincerely, Samuel AA Hinds Former Minister responsible for mines and minerals including bauxite Former Prime Minister and President

Untimely ‘death announcement’ of our sugar industry Dear Editor, I believe that a section of the media in an editorial prematurely announced the death knell of Guyana’s sugar industry.

The focus of the editorial was on raw/bulk sugar and the price for same

in the world market. It conveniently, perhaps deliberately, ignored the increasing demand for ‘value-added’ sugar and the premium prices payable for refined, customer-oriented packaged sugar as well as the possibilities avail-

able in the ‘preferential’ Caricom countries for market-driven demand, production and distribution.

It would be enlightening to hear the ‘unvarnished’ truths from GuySuCo (as opposed to the apparent bias of political operatives).

Furthermore, why are the powers-that-be continuing to ignore the studied recommendations of the CoI into the sugar industry?

Sincerely, Nowrang Persaud

saturdAY, september 22, 2018

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News

Leonora man dies A in WCD hit-and-run

Fisherman jailed for wounding wife fisherman who hit his wife with a plate to the head will spend the next 12 months in prison thinking about his behaviour.

Vicky Bacchus, of Lot 7 River View, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was jailed by Magistrate Leron Daly on Friday when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and admitted to

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23-year-old man was killed on Thursday evening at Uitvlugt, West Coast of Demerara (WCD), after a hit-and-run accident which severed one of his legs.

Dead is Chapil Dave Kumar of Lot 5 Bush Wine, Leonora, WCD. Reports are that the incident occurred at about 22:30h.

Guyana Times was told Kumar was standing on the southern side of the Uitvlugt Public Road waiting to cross the road when a motorcar that was proceeding West along the southern carriageway struck him.

His lifeless body was picked up and rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital by public spirited persons, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body was taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home where a post-mortem examination is scheduled to be conducted on Monday.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Friday, the dead man’s sister, Sariyana Kumar, said her brother and his wife had left home

wounding his wife.

Bacchus admitted that he wounded Michelle Russell, who has been his common-law wife for over 10 years.

The prosecution contended that on September 19 at River View, Ruimveldt about 15:00h, Bacchus went home under the influence of alcohol and started to verbally abuse the Virtual Complainant. As

a result, a heated argument ensued, and Bacchus struck the VC in the head with the plate by throwing the same at her, causing her to sustain a laceration to the head.

The VC was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was examined and received seven stitches to her head. Bacchus was later arrested, and charged for the offence.

PPP, APNU submit...

from page 3

Chapil Dave Kumar

to purchase food earlier that evening. After leaving the restaurant, Kumar was standing on the road where he was struck. His wife did not sustain any injuries.

“He and his wife left home to buy a Chinese food at the restaurant in Uitvlugt and they just walk out of the restaurant and then the car hit him. I got the call at 11 ‘o’ clock direct.” According to her, the family was told that it was a white car that struck her brother. She added that her brother was severely injured since he was dragged some distance away

causing one of his legs to be severed. The woman was devastated at the fact that the driver had shown no remorse for Kumar, as she said, “He just kept driving.”

Sariyana Kumar noted that family members are desperately trying to find out who is responsible for her brother’s death. CCTV footage from neighbouring businesses have since been requested. The father of a three-year-old was planning to celebrate his 24th birthday today and he and his wife are expecting another child.

He noted that while they did not meet the expectations of the people, they still deserved another chance.

“We must apologise for not reaching the expectations of people. But what we must say also is we reached something that was in place for two decades,” Peters said.

Peters denied that previous Councillors were replaced due to their performance. He noted that the party wanted to give as many new people a chance as possible. When asked directly whether he himself was satisfied with his contribution on the Council since being elected there, Peters professed that he was.

Modest showing

The AFC, which was smaller in numbers than either of

the two parties, is contesting the full slate for the First Past the Post and had 26 persons on their PR list. AFC Campaign Manager Michael Leonard downplayed their modest showing to submit their lists, noting that many of their operatives were at work in party offices or spread out.

When asked what new the AFC would bring to the table, Leonard alluded to former Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan’s agitation against the parking meters. According to Leonard, they would continue to push for wider consultations on such matters.

Another measure he said they would also push for is for public voting records to be kept for each Councillor. This would show exactly how the people’s elected representa-

tives are representing their interests.

Besides the three parties, representatives from the United Republican Party were also present. According to Constituency 11 candidate Jason Hubbard, they will be contesting the elections in several Local Authority Areas (LAA). Meanwhile, independent candidate Michael Williams will be contesting in constituency four. Together he and his supporters arrived at Woolford Avenue decked out in blue and toting posters.

With Nomination Day out of the way, it is expected that candidates will go into campaign mode before November 2, when the Disciplined Services come out to vote and November 12, which is Election Day.

APNU/AFC Administration bungled badly Dear Editor, It is with much dismay I read our Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman’s response to possible closure of RUSAL operations in Guyana.

Editor, our Government’s first response to this crisis was to activate a task force to deal with the future of workers attached to RUSAL BCGI and Oldendorff Carriers in April 2018; they were worried about severance benefits. The APNU/AFC Administration did not think to make representation to the United States Government on behalf of the 700 workers and those precious jobs. I believe that this action is part of a pattern of behaviour based on low self-esteem.

It is the same behaviour exhibited when our President signed an MoU with Trinidad & Tobago for hydrocarbon development, the APNU/ AFC Administration bungled badly during those negotiations when – for the first time in our nation’s history we held the upper hand – we, for the first time, had the opportunity to force our Caricom neighbour with whom we have a massive trade deficit due to their protective machinations of their market, and we blew it completely.

The second response to the RUSAL crisis is encapsulated in a statement by Minister Trotman: “The Government of Guyana would wish to have a normalisation of operations ASAP, and so if RUSAL is unable to continue, then a new partner will have to be found to develop the resource.” Editor, I know of no new partner or major project investor so far under the APNU/AFC Administration, all of the Foreign Direct Investment projects in Guyana began under the previous PPP/C Administration. Oil, our newest pillar of the economy, was made possible by President Janet Jagan in 1999. Since assuming office in 2015, APNU/AFC have created a hostile and uncertain atmosphere for investors; they have done so by bringing frivolous, politically-motivated court cases against the former head of NICIL, Winston Brassington and Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh.

These legal challenges to incentives given to foreign companies have not gone unnoticed by potential investors, who have now adopted a wait-andsee attitude. It was a case of cutting your nose to spoil your face. RUSAL has been badly treated while providing high-paying stable jobs for hundreds of employees.

I do not foresee a long line of companies seeking to partner in the bauxite industry in the near future under the current APNU/ AFC Administration.

Editor, Guyana could have petitioned the US State Department for an exemption to sanctions: we could have pleaded the plight of the workers; the APNU/AFC Administration did not

even make an attempt.

We (Guyana) are now of significance to the American economy with our ever-growing oil reserves coupled with our hefty Diaspora vote in American elections, serious consideration would have been given to a petition for easement, but sadly our Government is trapped in its begging bowl syndrome as evidenced

by the presence of two Ministers of Government for the signing of a paltry US$20 million loan from the IsDB. General elections are due in 2020, until then it seems we are

doomed to suffer many indignities as a nation led by insecure men.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

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saturdAY, september 22, 2018

Page

Foundation

…rock art gets new life in an activity designed to help your child become familiar with local petroglyphs

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ong before writing was developed, people recorded events, ideas, plans, and feelings by marking them on a rock. Sometimes they carved into the stone.

Sometimes they scratched off a surface coating. Sometimes they painted on the rocks. The method that they used was typically determined by the availability of a "paint", the hardness of the rocks, and the availability of tools that could be used to produce their message.

All of these markings are referred to as "rock art". People worldwide have been producing rock art for thousands of years.

Some of their messages,

produced thousands of years ago, can still be seen today.

The oldest are usually found in rock shelters and caves where they are protected from the elements. However, in arid climates some examples of rock art have persisted for 10,000 to 15,000 years, depending upon how the art was produced, the direction that it faces, and the type of rock used as a "canvas".

There are two basic types of rock art: petroglyphs and pictographs.

A petroglyph is an image that is carved into a rock. This "carving" can produce a visible indentation in the rock, or it can simply be the scratching away of a weathered surface to

of human development. He discerned three traditions or series in the petroglyphs found in Guyana—Enumerative, Fish Trap, and Timehri. The first two are associated with subsistence lifestyles. The last refers to the horticultural period, characterised by the cultivation of cassava.

reveal unweathered material of a different colour below.

A pictograph is a drawing or painting that is created on a rock. Because they are merely

a surface coating, pictographs tend to be less durable than petroglyphs. The ones that survive are most often found in caves, rock shelters, and areas with dry climates. (geology. com) Petroglyphs are powerful cultural symbols that reflect the complex societies and religions of the surrounding tribes. The context of each image is extremely important and integral to its meaning.

Locally, the Timehri and Aishalton Petroglyphs are the most famous examples.

Thousands petroglyphs, which were pre-dated to 5000 BC, illustrate the relationship the first people bore with their

surrounding environment and with wild life.

In his book Prehistoric Guiana, eminent archaeologist Denis Williams proposed

that the petroglyphs found in Guyana were created during the Archaic period (circa 7000 BC).

According to Williams, the petroglyphs represent evidence of ancient migrations, settlement, and the state

What You Need: List of common Amerindian petroglyphs, Search online or start with those pictured.

Paper Pencil Coloured pencils What You Do: 1. Explain to your child what a petroglyph is.

2. Show your child some common petroglyphs.

3. Have child try to reproduce common petroglyphs.

4. When he’s finished, your child may want to add colour to his petroglyphs using coloured pencils over the pencil drawings.

6. Have your child think of a person, place, kind of weather, or emotion that is important in his own life. He could make

up some new petroglyphs or pictographs for one or several of these, and sketch them on his paper. If he likes his new petroglyphs or pictographs, he can colour those also with coloured pencils. (Adapted from education.com and guyfolkfest.org)

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he best way to predict the future is to create it.

It is important to teach your children to be self-reliant so they can cope with future challenges of adulthood, while being respectful and kind to others. There is no better time to inculcate such values than when they are young.

How parents convey their expectations of their children play a major role in their children’s development.

Parental expectations are the beliefs that parents hold about their children’s future achievements. These expectations, when expressed effectively, can have a positive impact on children – influencing their choices and nudging them in the right direction.

But what does this mean in practical terms? For many parents, juggling career and family leave you with little time for anything else. The good news is that there are simple everyday activities you can engage in to impart such values and share your expectations in a positive manner!

Practical ways to teach self-reliance Education can be both formal and informal. As a parent, you can encourage independence by getting your child to carry out daily tasks at home.

• Start by encouraging your child to clean up after himself/herself. For example, washing their own cups after use. This teaches your child to be responsible for his/her own actions in the long run.

You might want to complete these tasks for your child to save time, but do not just think of the here-and-now; think of the long-term effects too. By taking over tasks he/ she is capable of doing, you could be sending the message that you have no confidence in your child's abilities or that someone else would clean up after him.

• Get your child to help with simple household chores like wiping the table after dinner and doing the dishes. This way, he/she learns the value of doing things on his/her own and are more appreciative of what they have. By doing chores for the

entire family, it encourages the child to look beyond himself/ herself and to be aware of how he/she can contribute to the family. As a side note, it is important to acknowledge your child’s contribution by showing appreciation after he/ she has completed the chore.

• Encourage your child to pack his/her own bag for school. It might not sound like much, but this is a great step in instilling independence.

Knowing what goes into the bag and being prepared for school the next day is an important lesson in independence.

Practical ways to cultivate respect As a parent, you want your child to not only be independent, but also respectful and appreciative of those around them. Like independence, these values can be taught at home.

• Always remind your child to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to people who helped them. This is not only basic courtesy, but also reminds them of the importance of showing their appreciation.

• Encourage your child to give up his/her seat on public transport to those who need it more. When children learn to consider others’ needs before their own from a young age, they foster stronger empathy later in life and treat others with respect and understanding.

This simple lesson also encourages children to look out for those around them who may be less fortunate than themselves.

• “Walk the talk” by setting a good example for your child. Children don't just learn from words; they learn by observation too. Set a good example by being respectful too.

Your child is like a seed growing into a tree. Whether the tree eventually bears good or bad fruits depends on the gardeners’ commitment to nurture them and create the best environment for growth and development to occur. As parents, you provide guidance at every stage of your child's life. Inculcating important values should start from young to raise independent and respectful adults. (familiesforlife.sg)

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saturdAY, september 22, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Attorney denies “cussing out” Policeman

…pleads not guilty to 5 charges

Attorney Ryan Crawford leaving Vigilance Magistrate’s Court on Friday

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ttorney Ryan Crawford on Friday denied five charges slapped on him after he reportedly verbally abused a Policeman.

The attorney appeared at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court on Friday accompanied by a battery of lawyers.

The charges stated that on September 13, 2018, at the Yorkshire Public Road, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, he failed to produce his driver’s licence; he also drove an unfit motor vehicle; he used obscene language; he behaved in a riotous manner. A charge of prohibition of tinted glass was also slapped on him.

The 48-year-old attorney denied all the charges when they were read to him by Magistrate Peter Hugh. He was released on his own recognisance.

His attorneys are Sanjeev Datadin, Teni Housty, Pauline Chase, Aneesa Chow, Ganesh Hira, Ramesh Rajkumar, Chandra Sohan, Horatio Edmonson, Lloyd Thomas, Eon Smith and Joel Edmond. The lawyer is expected to make his next court appearance on October 10 at the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court.

Almost two weeks ago, a video of the lawyer went viral on social media showing that he was demanding that the Cop gave him an explanation for stopping his vehicle. However, during the incident, the lawyer was heard shouting expletives at the Cop while refusing to show his comply with the requests of the Cop. In the almost fourminute-long video, the lawyer repeatedly used profanities at the officer as he questioned the rank’s legal grounds for stopping him.

Following the posting of the video, Crawford had taken to his Facebook page to make fun of the incident even going as far as to market him.

The Guyana Bar Association however in a statement to the press condemned Crawford’s actions but nevertheless highlighted the right of citizens against arbitrary stops.

It was only after this statement that the lawyer issued a public apology but added that he was not sorry for questioning arbitrary authority.

His apology stated “I am not trying to justify my behaviour. My language was

not proper as an officer of the court nor as a member of the Bar of Guyana. I apologise for my language, but I’m not sorry for questioning arbitrary authority”.

In his apology, Crawford also stated that it was his frustration that was the cause of his expletive rant noting, that he was only attempting to get his point across which is that he was illegally stopped. When he was questioned at the Whim Police Station earlier this week, it was unearthed that several of his documents were only recently renewed.

Govt inches closer to raising property rates – Canadian firm to complete valuations by next year end

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he valuation of properties throughout Guyana, being undertaken with assistance from a Canadian firm at a cost of over $300 million, is expected to last until the end of next year. With it, will come, the inevitable hike in property rates.

The initiative was supposed to review existing property rate structures, to raise more money at the regional level. According to Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, work on the $330 million contract will conclude at the end of 2019.

“One of the major handicaps the councils are faced with is the lack of financial resources. It is a fact that one of the principal revenue tools is that from rates for properties within their jurisdiction.

It has not been an effective tool to be used by councils.”

“Central Government has awarded a contract to the tune of approximately $330 million to engage a Canadian company named the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation of Ontario to provide the technical support to the Government valuation office.”

Besides the valuations and revaluations, Bulkan noted that the project would also produce an inventory of properties.

“That exercise is expected to last between 12 to 18

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation of Ontario, the firm that will help undertake the valuations

months and it should be completed sometime by the end of next year. That information will be provided to all of the Local Government organs and they will have at their disposal accurate real time data that can assist them in making informed decisions.”

“Central Government is not going to dictate to any organ what level of taxation should be applied or rates.

That is a determination that will be made individually by each of our councils. So we are committed to working with our councils to ensure their financial sustainability,” Bulkan said, hailing this as an opportunity for councils to be less dependent on Central Government.

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation does property evaluations for the state of Ontario, Canada, and other jurisdictions. Its work spans Canada and overseas.

It was only last year that City Hall announced property rates would go up by 10 per cent, meant to provide relief for a cash-strapped municipality. It was reported some time back that City Hall was

owed $2 billion in property taxes.

When workers went on strike after their deductions for National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions, PAYE and union dues were taken from their earnings but were not remitted to the relevant agencies, City Hall’s cash strapped condition was on display.

Town Clerk Royston King told the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) that the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is unable to pay its workers in lump sum the money it owes them for retroactive payments on wag-

es and salaries and increases given to the workers.

This disclosure was made at a meeting held with the GLU to discuss the workers’ welfare one day after scores of City Hall workers had taken to the streets to protest the non-payment of their retroactive payments.

Over the years, City Hall has been attracting attention for its inability to pay its workers. The Mayor has been recorded in the media as deeming the Municipality “bankrupt”; and in the past, Central Government has had to intervene with financing to provide a bailout.

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saturdAY, september 22, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

“Fifty” slapped with murder charge

T

ravis Hazel, popularly known as “Fifty”, who allegedly murdered a Linden resident was on Friday arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The 31-year-old of Silver City, Wismar, Linden stood before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan and had the indictable charge read to him.

The prosecution is contending that on September 15, 2018 at Co-op Crescent, Mackenzie, he murdered 55-year-old Leron Barron.

Hazel, who was unrepresented, was subsequently remanded to prison. The case will continue at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on October 8.

Initial investigations revealed that there was an argument between Barron, who was known to do odd jobs around the Mackenzie Market, and the suspect,

during which the suspect allegedly armed himself with a piece of wood and dealt the now deceased a severe beating before fleeing the scene. The bad-

ly wounded man was later taken to the Linden Hospital Complex where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, Guyana Times was told that persons who witnessed the incident have indicated that the now deceased man had accused the suspect of being involved in the sale of cocaine, and a confrontation ensued. Reports also indicate that the deceased man was also involved in another confrontation with another man on the fateful day as well.

A post-mortem examination conducted gave the cause of death as brain haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head.

Family jewels…

R

…destroyed

eacting to Guyanese concerns about Trinidad getting the better end of the Energy MoU he was about to sign with Keith Rowley, PM of T&T, President Granger rather cavalierly remarked he wasn’t “giving away the family jewels”! Surely, he knows the term “family jewels” colloquially refers to testicles – precious gems responsible for creating all families. His flip remark led some to suggest that if he hadn’t given away the family jewels to T&T, he certainly behaved as if he lost them!!

Here it was he was throwing a lifeline to the moribund T&T economy by giving them an opportunity to pretty much run our oil industry – and as the Opposition Leader pointed out, he didn’t even have the “family jewels” to demand they end their ban on our honey exports’ safe passage through their ports!! Their trade minister said noncommittally, they’ll “look into it”! Just like when they harassed Guyanese in-transit passengers for years, all they did when our government complained was to mutter, “they’ll look into it”! But now we had leverage!!

But if he was using the term “family jewels” in its proper sense to refer to that which is responsible for the existence of all Guyanese, he could only mean the sugar industry. That’s the reason why all of our forebears – save the Indigenous Peoples – were brought here. And this he’s already destroyed out of sheer spite. The oil that’s still being discovered under our seas, no matter how expansive, will run out one day – as T&T found out to their chagrin.

The land that was created through the blood, sweat and tears – and yes…their lives – to cultivate the sugar cane for the European rulers, on the other hand, can keep on giving forever. It’s quite possible sugar isn’t a viable product any longer…but to deal with that challenge the way Granger did, is to throw out the baby with the bathwater. While oil, and gold and even manufacturing, may come and go…humanity will always need food – and that’s what our land can deliver.

The sugar challenge wasn’t just thrown into our lap like a hand grenade…it’s been years in the making.

And in every plan the assumption was the land was going to be leased to the workers to be diversified into food production that a growing world needs. But this government shuttered four estates – and counting – and put them on the block for sale – like with the slaves of yore.

There’s no insistence in the prospectus that the land must be used for food production. The buyers can do whatever they want. Even introduce new plantations and hire 21st century slaves.

But that was the plan all along, wasn’t it? …of freedom of movement For a country that was unfortunately founded on slavery and indentureship – when you needed a pass to be off your plantation – the restriction of the freedom of movement is not to be treated lightly. But in Guyana, the Police have taken it upon themselves to be able to stop any vehicle at any time – especially while brandishing “big guns” – with no other reason than to shake down the driver.

The Police Act gives the policeman power to arrest ‘any person whom he has good cause to suspect’ of an offence. So once your vehicle is stopped, the Police must tell you the offence you committed since he is “arresting you” if he doesn’t let you go. In the video the policeman circulated after he stopped Crawford, it’s only after challenged he came up with the “tint” rationale.

Now “reasonable cause to suspect” is a question of fact – but the fact that the Police didn’t immediately ask for the permission for the tint, strongly suggests that the stop was arbitrary.

To demand a fried rice?

…and intimidation

Crawford was slapped with FIVE charges – including riotous behaviour!! Riotous? Well maybe “characterised by boisterous or unrestrained merriment”!

But “proceeding from or of the nature of riots or rioting”?? Naaah!

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

9 PPP dominates WCD LGE 2018 nominations News

saturdAY, september 22, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

prompted her to take up the challenge and to support her party during this election.

Dinesh Prashad called for the support of residents of constituency eight, urging them to take up the mantle

The United Republican Party (URP) leader of the said district came out strong with some 20 candidates.

“We are here representing the UPR which is a private party, right now we

in eighty LAAs. Only the political parties, voluntary groups and individuals with approved symbols to contest Local Government Elections 2018 will be allowed to submit

The PPP/C candidates

T

he Opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) dominated the Local Government Elections (LGE) nominations on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD).

Not even an hour-long downpour dissuaded the PPP/C supporters from taking to the streets with banners, flags and their traditional party colour – red marching through the streets in their Local Authority Areas lobby for support for the upcoming Elections.

Even though slow, the process went along smoothly and without any major hiccups. Lists were presented to the various Guyana Elections Commissions

(GECOM) officials by 10:00h and were completely vetted and posted for the public by 14:00h.

Tuschen/Uitvlugt

Secretary of the PPP/C Tuschen/Uitvlugt contesting group is confident that his party will prove victorious at the LGE on the entire West Coast come November 12.

According to Beshpatty, “generally, we feel that having submitted the lists and with the support which we would’ve had today, we feel very optimistic that we would be winning in the constituencies by a landslide victory”.

As such, the party is calling for it members to rally

around them in order for victory to be attained.

Guyana Times spoke with a number of the PPP/C candidates who were all ready for election day.

Ranzan Alli, a Tuschen/ Uitvlugt constituency seven candidate, said the West Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD) areas are calling for support in order for developments to be “finally” undertaken.

Zeelugt

Another PPP/C candidate, Poornadai Sukhu said her constituency of Zeelugt, WCD, is one that is plagued with crime which is not being addressed; and as such, she needs to see change. This

Linden records smooth Nomination Day process

The Linden PPP group outside the GECOM office in Linden

By Utamu Belle

L

ocal Government Elections (LGE) Nomination Day in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) saw a smooth and peaceful process being executed at the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) office at Mackenzie on Friday.

Contesting party members were in full campaign mode before and after handing in their lists of candidates vying for the eight constituencies which fall under the Linden municipality.

Four parties submitted lists in Linden, inclusive of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the People's Progressive Party (PPP), the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the United Republican Party (URP).

Independent group, the New Horizon Movement was unsuccessful in handing in its list, having arrived late. Meanwhile, individual candidate, Orrin Miller, announced that he had joined forces with the PPP and was no longer contending as an individual for Constituency Four.

APNU Linden campaign manager, Valerie Adams-Patterson on Friday after submitting the party’s list

A d d i t i o n a l l y , Independent Group Linden For Lindeners was a no show for submission. APNU was the first party to submit as the office opened its doors to facilitate the process. The party's campaign manager, Valerie Adams-Patterson, after submitting the list told members of the media that the party is currently in full campaign mode and is sending a strong message. APNU has submitted candidates for all eight constituencies in Region 10.

Speaking after the PPP handed in its list, party representative Akani Blair said the process was very smooth, as he applauded

GECOM's staff for professionalism. He said the Party will work hard to effect positive change, once given the opportunity. "We're covering all the constituencies… these Local Government Elections, we're excited about it and we believe if the voting public give us that opportunity, we are going to effect change like never before in this town of Linden. This municipality would have suffered immensely and we (will) make the changes that are required for the upward mobility of this community… and we know that we are going to do much better than previous Councils if given this opportunity," he said. turn to page 16

Returning Officers of GECOM examining the submitted PPP/C list

and fight for the change that they want to see by voting.

The PPP’s list of candidates to contest the LGE was posted by GECOM after it was examined, with 10 candidates vying on behalf of that Party for said Tuschen/ Uitvlugt District.

However, only one of three candidates representing constituencies six, seven and 10 spoke with Guyana Times and decried the harsh conditions in his area which prompted him to run on behalf of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

Lloyd Holder said “the youths them need someone to be their voice man, they going astray, it’s sad to see, so somebody need to fight for them, why not me?”

have 20 candidates and 30 signatures and we are here to help out the youths them in the communities,” the secretary explained.

Stewartville/Cornelia Ida

The PPP/C also dominated nominations at the Stewartville/Cornelia Ida and the La Jalousie/Nouvelle Elanders Districts. GECOM has disclosed that seven political parties, 21 voluntary groups and 33 individuals are vying for victories in some or all of the LLAs. The Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) are contesting in all municipalities and NDCs, while the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is contesting

their lists of candidates, having used the prescribed GECOM forms. These lists will be examined by the Returning Officers to determine whether they were properly submitted in accordance with the relevant laws. If the list is considered defective, the representative/deputy representative will be notified by the Returning Officer.

If the party, group or individual is not satisfied with the reasons provided by the Returning Officer, they can file an appeal against refusal of approval no later than the 45th day before Election Day to a Magistrate of the magisterial district. (Kizzy Colman)

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saturdAY, september 22, 2018| guyanatimesgy.com

PPP, APNU declare victory ahead of LGE polls …as party leaders submit “winning lists” for East Coast constituencies

By Michael Younge

T

he Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the ruling A Partnership for National Unity coalition (APNU) on Friday submitted what they called “winning lists” as they both declared victory at the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) which are slated for November 12 this year when they will face voters in scores of East Coast constituencies.

Before the crack of dawn, party supporters and leaders were seen camping out at the various Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Returning Offices so that they could have the opportunity to present their lists first which in turn could see their party symbols being the first to be printed on the ballot paper for the LGE. “I was here since Thursday night… We camp out to ensure that we don’t miss the opportunity of presenting first,” an APNU official attached to the Plaisance/ Industry Local Government Authority Area (LGAA) reported.

At that LGAA, there was no confusion, nor any major discrepancies recorded as both the APNU and others who contested the area conducted themselves in an orderly fashion.

Better Hope

Over at the GECOM

Leader of the list, Zaman Shaw and other candidates

APNU’s leader of the list, Shanika Hayne, holding the envelope and other candidates

sub-office located in Better Hope, the APNU and PPP again showed up on time to present their respective lists. While only about six persons from the ruling APNU turned up to give support to those presenting their lists, the PPP supporters numbered close to 40 as they backed their leaders.

Head of the PPP candidate list for the Better Hope/LBI LGAA, Zaman Shaw, said his party was confident of a resounding victory as he explained that the persons presented to face the electorate on the PPP list were tested and tired, and in some instances newly minted people who were passionate and dedicated to community service.

Meanwhile, the head of the APNU’s list of candidates, Shanika Hayne, also exhumed confidence. She said her coalition party understood the needs of the Better Hope/LBI district and wanted an opportunity to serve the people in order to assist them in attaining real development.

Candidates of the Lusignan LGAA on Thursday before presenting their list to the Returning Officer

Lusignan

Supporters of the PPP at Enmore

This enthusiasm and excitement continued over at Lusignan where party stalwarts from the APNU were busy submitting their list of candidates ahead of their competitors.

Speaking with Guyana Times over at the Lusignan Community Centre building where the NDC office is located, the leader of the

APNU’s leader of the list Andrew Weekes and other candidates after presenting their list on Thursday

APNU list of candidates, Andrew Weekes explained the party was only contested two areas with the LGAA. “We have a list of qualified and legal persons. We have submitted and they

have accepted our list. The process was smooth. We are confident as we are only competing in constituencies Nine and Seven,” he remarked. turn to page 16

New group looking to knock out mainstream political parties

…as EBD Nomination Day goes smoothly

The newly formed PVM members as they head in to submit their lists of candidates for the upcoming LGEs

PPP’s candidates in the Returning Officer’s office at the Grove/Diamond Local Authority Area

By Vahnu Manikchand

T

ired of promises from political parties, some frustrated residents from the Grove and Diamond communities on the East Bank of Demerara decided to take matters into their own hands and have formed the People’s Village Movement (PVM) to contest the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE).

On Friday, political parties and independent groups as well as individuals across the country flocked the offices of the Returning Officer within their Local Authority Areas to submit their lists of candidates for the November 12 Local Government polls. On the East Bank of Demerara, the process went fairly smoothly at the various locations.

Prior to submitting the list for his newly formed “movement”, PVM

APNU candidates were satisfied with the process after submitting their list for the Eccles/Ramsburg Local Authority Area

leader, Gerald Forde, told Guyana Times that the group is learning from the mistakes of larger political parties and is aiming to take a hands-on approach to tackle issues affecting the communities. In fact, he said the Movement has already

had a community cleaning-up exercise.

According to Forde, while it is generally believed that Local Government is just about cleaning drains and parapets, the PVM will be focusing on other aspects of Local

Government such as employment creation, taking care of vulnerable people, tackling crime and turning the area into a hub.

Moreover, the PVM leader posited that they have also been working on getting youth involved in the movement. Being 28-year-old himself, Forde explained the importance of this since the youths are considered the leaders of tomorrow.

However, he did point out that it is proving to be a challenge to get young people involved.

Of the nine constituencies under this Local Government Authority, the PVM is contesting in five of them. They were the last to submit their list to the Returning Officer at the New Grove Primary School on Friday morning.

PPP submission

Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) turned up

with an entourage at the location and was the first to submit their list, which was accepted after vetting by the Returning Officer.

Heman Ramphal told Guyana Times that they were generally satisfied with the process, which took about 20 minutes. According to the current Grove/Diamond NDC Councillor, the party is confident about regaining majority seats at this year’s Local Government polls.

In fact, he posited that they are expecting to win at least 15 of the 18 seats compared to 12 seats won at the 2016 LGEs. Unlike the PPP, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU’s) list for that area was submitted by two representatives.

Eccles

Meanwhile, at the Eccles/ Ramsburg Local Authority Area, the APNU list was presented to the Returning Officer at the Peter’s Hall Primary School just before midday and included in that team was Attorney James Bond, who related that the process there was also satisfactory. However, Bond did recommend for the Elections Commission to go paperless, saying that there was unnecessary wastage of paper.

“It is a complete waste of paper, time, energy, ink and resources. It will be easier for both us the parties as well as GECOM if we can just bring the photos on a flashdrive…

We need to go paperless and we have get modernised in this country, it’s not too late,” he insisted.

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Scenes from Nomination Day for upcoming LGE

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news

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Rum Association calls for “responsible” Businessman remanded for trafficking male consumption of alcohol Venezuelans

T

he West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ A s s o c i a t i o n (WIRSPA) this week announced the launch of an initiative to promote responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages across the Caribbean.

The group on Friday strongly condemned the abuse of alcohol and a pledge was made to lend support to efforts that address these issues and are committed to doing so as an industry and in collaboration with other producers of alcoholic beverages.

WIRSPA acknowledged the impact of inappropriate consumption of alcoholic beverages by individuals and said “We believe, and current regulatory advice maintains, that responsible drinking remains a valued and enjoyable part of life in a modern society.

Notwithstanding, we cannot ignore the negative impact on our societies caused by the excessive consumption of alcohol.”

As such, WIRSPA committed itself to a collaborative approach across the industry to achieve the objec-

WIRSPA Chairman Komal Samaroo

tive. “We will seek to broaden the involvement of all producers, distributors and retailers of alcohol beverages so as to achieve the fullest impact from these commitments and we will engage stakeholders on these issues to ensure that our engagements are meaningful and credible,” the body said.

In doing so, Demerara Distilleries Limited (DDL) have indicted its plans to engage Government and nonState stakeholders to determine how the industry can best contribute in practical

ways, to the implementation of policies and actions to mitigate the impact of harmful consumption.

Chairman of WIRSPA and of DDL, Komal Samaroo said, “There is an urgent need for us to build a culture of responsibility in our communities. We are committed to providing leadership to build a strong coalition of producers, State agencies, and civil society advocates to work to achieve this transformation in the shortest possible time.”

He added that “while we as individual producers are active at the national level in supporting efforts to reduce harmful drinking, as a group we intend to intensify these efforts starting in 2018. In this regard we have established a task force to look at a range of issues including labelling, advertising and promotion, and online marketing, incorporating international best practices. We will also encourage and support actions to reduce driving under the influence of alcohol and drinking by underage and vulnerable persons.”

According to him, the

organisation will seek to broaden the involvement of all producers, distributors and retailers of alcohol beverages to achieve a greater impact on communities.

Samaroo noted that along with the Government other stakeholders will be engaged on the issue to ensure their objective is met.

Making reference to DDL and the local market specifically, the Chairman disclosed that “Demerara Distillers will be embarking on an initiative to resuscitate the local alcoholic beverages association. “We will need to put aside our competitive marketing interests,” he said, “and work together in pursuit of the greater good for Guyana.”

The West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association is one of the oldest Private Sector trade associations in the Caribbean.

It represents rum producers in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Haiti, Dominica, The Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

W

ildlife exporter Feezal Shaw of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara appeared on Friday before Georgetown Magistrate Leron Daly, charged with two counts of human trafficking.

One allegation against the 61-year-old defendant is that between February 14 and June 14, 2018, he recruited, transported, and harboured two Venezuelans illegally for the purpose of human trafficking.

The other charge alleges that Shaw held the two men against their will while he had them working for him.

The Prosecution is contending that Shaw also threatened the men that if they did not comply with his wishes, he would report to the Police their illegal presence in

Guyana, and have them arrested, charged and deported.

According to the Prosecution’s case, the Venezuelans arrived in Guyana on February 14 via Port Charity. On February 15, they were taken to a house at Timehri to build exotic cages at $10,000 per cage.

After three weeks, Shaw took away the men’s passports, but promised to assist each man to get a work permit.

Objecting to Shaw being placed on bail, the Police Prosecutor citing the serious nature of the offences.

Magistrate Daly upheld the prosecution’s submissions and remanded Shaw to prison. The case will continue on October 15.

Headteacher calls for Govt’s assistance at flood-prone Charlestown school …as voluntary group hands over sanitation block

H

ead Mistress of C h a r l e s t o w n Secondary School, Ms LeniDee McBean, has called for Government to look into the school’s environs, which are flooded when it rains.

She made the call during a ceremony in which the voluntary group Nulli Secundus (Second to None) was handing over a sanitation block to the school.

The head-teacher used the occasion to appeal to Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson, who was at the time visiting the school for the handing over ceremony. She said, “I am happy that this event through the group has brought him (Hutson) here, and we will hope that he sees other needs of this institution.

Mister CEO, right now we have a situation here; when it rains, it is flooded. This entire tarmac is flooded.”

She explained that stu-

“I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that, as Chief Education Officer, I will continue to not only look at the needs of Charlestown Secondary School, but I have a broader responsibility to ensure that there is equity (and) there is quality in terms of education delivery throughout this entire country; but Charlestown Secondary School will be no exception,” he assured. The Chief Education Officer added, “I believe it is important Students of Charlestown Secondary School washing their hands at the new facility

dents are disadvantaged by the flooding that takes place at the facility because they are unable to participate in sporting activities outdoors, and she has sometimes tried to facilitate indoor activities as an alternative. This poses a problem, though, since the Information Technology Lab

is located below the auditorium which the children would sometimes utilise for sporting activities.

The CEO took note of the head-teacher’s remarks, and responded that the Education Ministry would tend to not only the needs of that school, but others as well.

that, as (the) education sector, we can collaborate and cooperate with different groups, so that we can move education forward.” Meanwhile, Guyana Times has been told by president of the voluntary group, Martin Massiah, that the timely donation was made after some two months of toiling by persons hired by the group to facilitate the works.

The project was constructed to the tune of some $400,000, which was covered by the Nulli Secundus Group.

“We have been working on this project for two or three months, and so we raised money. We identified the need in Charlestown for a water facility, (or) somewhere where they (children) will be able to wash up…and we were able to identify the need for a bigger station, because of the size of the school,” Massiah said.

The head-teacher of the school thanked the group for the effort, and urged the children to take care of the facility.

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saturdAY, september 22, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Nomination Day 2018

Nomination Day in Berbice

La Grange/Nismes groups Controversy over list, alleged biased confident of clean sweep behaviour by GECOM staff reported

R

The PPP candidates and supporters at the La Grange/Nismes NDC Office prior to submitting their list of candidates

I

t was all high praises for the Returning Officer in the La Grange/Nismes Electoral District for ensuring that process of submitting the lists of candidates contesting the November 12 Local Government Elections (LGE) was one that was thorough and smooth.

At 14:00h on Friday, the nomination process closed with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) contesting the seven constituencies in the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC). The PPP representatives said they are all confident of a clean sweep in the six constituencies they are contesting.

Heading the PPP delegation was Anjanie Narine who said the nomination process was the same as last LGE; however, one concern was the number of representatives allowed to hand over the list of candidates.

“The last election they had allowed the contingent of all the candidates that are contesting to witness the presentation of the list and this year they did not allow that but a few of us alone. That’s one thing and that’s a concern actually and we need to sort that out at GECOM,” she said.

The PPP’s list was ac-

Enmore

Additionally,

a

small

The PPP contingent leaving the GECOM Office in New Amsterdam

been allowed on the APNU list.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the region, a similar situation was played out, wherein the PPP said it was at the office first and was given the number one tag, but the returning officer asked for APNU to be first to submit its list after members of that party began to behave unruly in the GECOM compound.

Again, Anamayah is contending, the PPP was denied its right to be the first to submit its list; and he is alleging

Anjanie Narine presenting the PPP’s list of candidates to the Returning Officer

cepted with no difficulties as well as APNU’s. The La Grange/Nismes NDC district had some nine constituencies but because of the recent downsizing by Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, the number was reduced to seven. The APNU are contesting four of those constituencies while the PPP is aiming for six.

“We are expecting a clean sweep. We are expecting to win the two Bagotville and Nismes constituencies because we have had favourable responses from the residents there and we have contested those and lost it last Local Government Elections. Two of the constituencies are un-

opposed and APNU is contesting two but we are certain of winning them,” Narine said.

Narine related that they have already begun campaigning and are expected to intensify the house-to-house campaigning. She said the main focus is to ensure their constituents are educated about the importance of local governance.

APNU was the first party to present their list of candidates but their representative declined to offer a comment to the media. They were followed by the PPP and the United Republic Party (URP) but the URP bowed out of the race at the last moment.

PPP, APNU declare victory...

But that was not the case for the PPP whose party list leader explained they were competing in all areas and had candidates ready to campaign following the nomination day proceedings.

“We have nine constituency candidates and 29 Proportional Representation candidates… we have consulted extensively and we have a mixture of youth and experience as well as a balanced list as far as gender is concerned,” Mohammed reported.

In this area, the party also had a majority of its candidates present and the music from its sound system was still ‘banging’ as the PPP Lusignan list was being presented.

egion Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne) came alive on Friday when the two major political parties – APNU and PPP/C -- along with one independent individual, submitted lists to contest the November 12 Local Government Elections (LGE) in a process attended by controversy.

The biggest areas of contention were at the two extremities of the region in which eighteen Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) and three Municipalities [New Amsterdam, Rose Hall Town and Corriverton] are situated, making the Region by far the largest for LGE. At the Plegtanker/ Kortberaadt NDC on the East Bank of Berbice, one of two new NDCs in the region, the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) is contending it had arrived at the NDC with its list since 20:00h on Thursday, but the security guard there reserved a place

group of persons congregated at Enmore in support of the APNU as they watched the process from the sideline, while the PPP officials were first to present their list.

When Guyana Times arrived, the PPP party stalwarts were awaiting their comrades in the cool as the blistering mid-morning sun took its toll on all those who dared to stand up to it.

PPP Executive and former Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony lauded the process, explaining that he is confident that his party would win almost all, if not all of the seats, up for grabs in the LGAA within his district.

He commended the residents for their hard work and explained that local governance was about giving ordinary folk, the opportuni-

from page 10

ty to service and be heard.

Dr Anthony said he was pleased with the progress made under the PPP within the community but he expected much more to be done to realise their overall mandate of building better communities.

Similarly, the APNU representatives at the Enmore GECOM Sub-Office were upbeat and confident despite their small numbers.

The party was represented by Pastor Claude Smith and school teacher Marcia Gordon who briefly expressed confidence in the coalition’s ability to make inroads in the various areas it was contesting.

No major discrepancies or problems were reported at other areas along the coast, including Buxton/ Annandale, and Nabaclis.

The APNU contingency at the New Amsterdam office

for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which arrived sometime after 05:30h on Friday -- the same time at which the returning officer arrived – and the returning officer allegedly allowed APNU to submit its list first, which according to PPP Member of Parliament Adrian Anamayah is an act that has raised concerns for his party.

According to Anamayah, APNU members had fooled persons and had caused them to sign documents which APNU members used to indicate that those persons were APNU candidates. He said that had his party been allowed to be the first to submit its documents, as should rightly have been the case, some of those names would not have

that GECOM already is acting in a seemingly biased manner.

According to the parliamentarian, the PPP will be challenging the actions of the returning officer in court.

An effort made to get a comment from APNU was met with hostility.

The Alliance for Change (AFC) did not contest in Corriverton and Rose Hall Town, nor did it contest at the Moleson Creek NDC. However, it submitted a list to contest in the town of New Amsterdam, where the APNU will be contesting in only six of the seven constituencies.

The other parties to be contesting in New Amsterdam are the Guyana National Congress, the United Party

for National Growth and Development, and the United Republican Party (URP).

Speaking of the APNU’s chances in New Amsterdam, Mayor Winifred Haywood has expressed confidence in that party winning. APNU currently holds the most seats in the municipality.

However, the PPP has similarly expressed confidence in winning the November 12 poll.

Zabrally Armogan, who led the PPP contingent which marched from Freedom House in Berbice to the GECOM office, has said that party is strong and will be going for an “all-out win” in the town of New Amsterdam.

Submitting the URP’s list was former welterweight boxing champion Jeff Roberts.

According to him, the URP is strong and is sure that all of the persons on its list would be voting for that party.

The URP is contesting in most of the NDCs and in one town; the PPP is contesting in all of the NDCs and towns; while APNU is contesting in most of the NDCs and all of the towns, and the AFC has submitted to contest only in its stronghold areas, which include one town and several NDCs. At the Port Mourant/ Johns NDC, a PPP stronghold, Councillor Orin Dougall will be contesting as an individual. He told the <<Guyana Times>> that the PPP is split, and because he was very outspoken, he was not chosen to be on that party’s list. However, he praises democracy, which has given him a chance to represent the people of his constituency.

At the Wyburg/Caracas NDC in West Canje, another new NDC in the Region, the PPP and APNU are the only two parties contesting.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Linden records smooth...

Blair said given the present political climate and economic situation, the Party's confidence level has got to be high. He noted that there is now a window of opportunity for the Party owing to the deficiencies of the present Council. Selected candidates, he noted were chosen through a consultation process with the general public.

He said the public was invited and decided on the best candidates, adding that that this process was democratic.

Speaking for the AFC, representative Audwin Rutherford said the present system has failed and people are yearning for something better and different. He said the Party which joined forc-

es with the APNU at the last LGE has now independently submitted candidates for all eight constituencies.

He said the AFC will not make organisations such as Community Development Councils political tools, adding that victory was not only about winning the majority but being able to represent the people.

Additionally, URP representative, Eon Halls said while he will not be vying as a constituency candidate, he has placed a number of capable young people on the list.

Meanwhile, representative of the New Horizon Movement, Godfrey Isaacs, said the team was late due

from page 9

to some challenges associated with the photocopying of documents. He pointed out that despite challenges, they still managed to be there.

The representatives arrived two minutes after the process was expected to wrap up. Nevertheless, he said consideration should have been given. "We worked tirelessly to contest, but at the end of the day, it seems as though we have to work in another avenue… We will continue, we won't stop working. Even if we have to form groups, we will get further than the representatives. We are confident of that. So, this won't deter us from doing what we have to do," he said.

news

17

saturDAY, september 22, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

out in droves to Motor cyclist killed in Come vote – GECOM Chairman East Canje accident – urges Guyanese to peacefully exercise franchise

F

The canter involved in the accident

ifty-two-year-old Rajendranauth Harold Singh of Lot 28 Reliance Abandon, East Canje Berbice was killed on the Betsy Ground public road in East Canje on Friday at about 12: 30h when he slammed motorcycle CF 1615 into the rear of canter GWW 1831.

According to the Police, Singh, who had been a supervisor working with a cane harvesting contractor, was on his way home from work, and was proceeding in a northerly direction while the canter, being driven by 36-year-old Dyndial, was reversing west out of a yard towards the public road. The motorcycle collided with the

right-side rear of the canter, and the impact sent the cyclist flying. He landed on the western parapet a few

feet away from the bike, and sustained injuries about his body. There was no damage to either the canter or the bike.

Rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, Singh succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.

Villagers could not say whether Singh was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

Dyndial, meanwhile, was made to undergo a breathalyzer test, but no trace of alcohol was detected in his system.

The motor cycle Rajendranauth Harold Singh was driving at the time of the accident

A

s Local Government Elections (LGE) approaches, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is urging every eligible person to come out and exercise their right to vote, even as it promises to do everything to ensure a free and fair process.

According to GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, the elections mark an opportunity for citizens to take the political initiative. He was adamant that GECOM had learnt from the past and would implement an effective system.

“We have learnt from errors in the past and we are building on that. Come out in droves,” Patterson encouraged citizens. “You have the right to exercise your franchise peacefully. We want to have free and fair elections here. Which way they go is no concern of ours.”

Asked what GECOM is doing to ensure free and fair elections, Patterson described it as a subjective topic. But he was adamant that GECOM is doing whatever is within its power to facilitate the pro-

A

Dead: Corwin Paul

The mangled vehicles following Friday’s crash

District Hospital in Charity of lot 26-27 Windsor Castle, Essequibo Coast.

According to residents living in the area, Paul who was driving his car PSS 2174 at a very fast rate was transporting his girlfriend and her child to Charity, when he he lost control of the vehicle on a concrete bridge on the Jibb Public Road, Essequibo

Coast, and smashed into a Tacoma pick-up, GPP 5205, driven by businessman Adam Barakat of Lot 17 Bounty Hall Essequibo Coast, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

Following the head-on collision, residents rushed to the scene and tried to rescue the occupants of the badly damaged car. However, the six-month baby died on the spot, while Paul reportedly died on the way to the Suddie Hospital. They were both pronounced dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, Tristiana Joseph was rushed to the hospital where she was admitted in a critical condition but then succumbed to her injuries around 19:15h later that day.

On the other hand, the 80-year-old driver of the pickup vehicle also received minor injuries and was rushed to the hospital, where he was admitted for observation.

cess.

“We will do everything in our power to have it free and fair. But I have no jurisdiction in shouting at anybody when they say anything to the contrary. That’s their perspective. And that’s where subjectivity comes in.”

With just over 50 days to go before Local Government Elections, GECOM said symbols it received from the seven political parties was an in-

PSC calls out Govt on underfunding of security sector

Baby among 3 dead in T Essequibo Coast crash six-month-old baby is among three persons killed in a two-vehicle crash on the Essequibo Coast Public Road on Friday.

The accident occurred sometime around 14:15h on the Jib Public Road.

The dead infant has been identified as Javon Joseph while other the dead persons are his 19-year-old mother, Tristiana Joseph, of Dredge Creek, Upper Pomeroon; and her 38-year-old boyfriend, Corwin Paul, a health worker of the Oscar Joseph

GECOM Chairman James Patterson at Critchlow Labour College for Nomination Day

crease compared to the three from 2016. If the list is considered defective, the representative/deputy representative will be notified by the Returning Officer.

If the party, group or individual is not satisfied with the reasons provided by the Returning Officer, they can file an appeal against refusal of approval no later than the 45th day before elections day to a Magistrate of the magisterial district.

In the 2016 election, the voter turnout was 47.10 per cent. Cane Grove in Region Four saw the highest turnout with 63.56 per cent while Linden, a stronghold of the APNU, recorded the lowest, whereby out of 23,880 people eligible to vote, only 8395 cast their ballots and 116 were rejected.

Georgetown, another APNU stronghold, saw 37.66 per cent with 42,313 out of the 112,364 voting. In the end, the PPP/C recorded victories in 48 out the 71 LAAs. However, the PPP/C and APNU/AFC coalition tied in Mabaruma, Region One.

he Private Sector Commission (PSC) has expressed its grave concern at Government’s underfunding of the various law enforcement agencies.

This was related to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan during a meeting with a delegation from the PSC. The engagement saw a range of issues affecting the nation’s prison system being discussed and solutions sought to some of the challenges facing the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) in particular.

Among those issues addressed were the lack of adequate transportation; the general conditions under which prisoners are being held, especially at the Lusignan Prison since the fire at the Georgetown Prison and the threat posed to prison warders as a result of these conditions; and the lack of smoke detectors which would serve to provide ear-

ly warning of any fires at the various prisons.

The PSC delegation, led by its Chairman Desmond Sears, commended the Public Security Ministry for recent improvements which have been made within the prison system with regard to the supply of water and the upgraded road leading to the Lusignan Prison.

However, it did register concerns at the underfunding of the Police, prison and fire services.

Nevertheless, on the issue of the lack of transportation, Chairman of the PSC’s Governance Sub-committee, Captain Gerald Gouveia, indicated that since the fire at the Camp Street Prison there is no kitchen facility there and as such, food has to be transported daily from Lusignan.

“I am advised that quite often the food arrives hours late and in some cases is spoilt when it gets to

Georgetown,” Gouveia said during the meeting. He also drew attention to the lack of transportation at the New Amsterdam Prisons which affected the timely movement of prisoners to the court and for medical attention.

To this end, the PSC recommended that some of the buses currently at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Camp Ayanganna headquarters should be reassigned to the Guyana Prison Service to alleviate the critical logistics problems which it faces.

However, Minister Ramjattan pointed to a number of constraints which his Ministry faces as well as identified a menu of initiatives upon which it has embarked in an effort to resolve some of the issues.

Following the meeting, the PSC dispatched a letter to the Minister documenting its concerns along with its recommendations.

North Ruimveldt family arrested over ganja bust

R

anks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have arrested a North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, family following the discovery of a quantity of marijuana in their home.

According to reports, the narcotics Police went to the North Ruimveldt home at about 11:45h on Friday and conducted a search. During the search of the premises, the ranks unearthed several sealed parcels.

Upon further examination, it was found that the

parcels contained the illegal substance.

The family of four was subsequently taken into

Police custody to assist with further investigations, which are in progress.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

saturdAY, september 22, 2018

ARCHIE

Keep busy and take care of matters personally. Your (March 21- ability to see what needs to April 19) be done will far exceed what anyone else can offer.

ARIES

Embrace life and be willTAURUS ing to try something new. The (April 20- more you learn and experiMay 20) ence, the further ahead you’ll be. Love and romance will bring you closer to someone special.

dilbert

Make your decisions based GEMINI (May 21- on what you know, not on June 20) what someone tells you. You’ll be misled if you give someone the chance to do your thinking for you.

Explore, do something new and exciting and express (June 21- the way you feel about someJuly 22) one with an affectionate gesture. A makeover or trendy new look will give your ego a boost.

CANCER

Peanuts

Slow down and take a LEO break. Give yourself a chance (July 23- to mull over what you should Aug. 22) do. Having a good plan in place will help you avoid making a mistake.

Home improvements are VIRGO featured. A change will lift (Aug. 23your spirits and encourage Sept. 22) you to enjoy life and engage in events that stir your emotions. Romance is in the stars.

Calvin and Hobbes

You can make domestic LIBRA (Sept. 23- or lifestyle changes if you Oct. 23) plan your actions carefully.

When in doubt, say no and wait for something better to come along.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

TODAY’S WORD — CANNIBALS (CANNIBALS: KAN-ih-buls: Persons who eat human flesh.)

Stay on top of a situation SAGITTARIUS that could affect your repu(Nov. 23- tation. Don’t reveal personal Dec. 21) information to someone who is monkeying about in your business or using emotional tactics to manipulate you.

Average mark 20 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 36 or more words in CANNIBALS? The list will be published Monday.

YESTERDAY’S WORD — EMPLOYS

epos espy mole mope mopey myope peso ploy poem

poesy pole pome pose posy lope lose lyse yelp

sepoy sloe slop slope sole some

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

A personal update will SCORPIO make you feel good about (Oct. 24your appearance.

The comNov. 22) pliments you receive will give you added confidence. Love and romance are on the rise.

solution for last published puzzle

Say little and do a lot.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22- Bring about changes that will Jan. 19) make others take notice. An opportunity will be too good to pass up. An agreement will change your life.

Slow down and think matAQUARIUS ters through. You have plenty (Jan. 20- of time to develop a solid plan Feb. 19) before you make a move. Keep your life simple and modest.

Share your thoughts and PISCES (Feb. 20- feelings and make your intenMarch 20) tions known. A joint venture is favoured, once you work out all the small but important details. Compromise will lead to solutions.

saturdAY, september 22, 2018

19

Joshua vs Povetkin: How the fight could pan out A

lot of casual fans want to see Anthony Joshua banging people out in a couple of rounds but an opponent who is more resistant has to be broken down first.

Joshua is smart. He knows that.

And given he has a four-inch height and seven-inch reach advantage over Alexander Povetkin, he is expected to start on the outside, dominating with his jab and gradually wearing down Povetkin, much like Wladimir Klitschko did during his wide points victory over the Russian in 2013.

It wasn’t an impressive last performance from Povetkin against David Price, even though he finished it with a peach of a knockout, because the Russian was in serious trouble at the end of the third.

Price is a big puncher but

Anthony Joshua (left) has a four-inch height and seveninch reach advantage over Alexander Povetkin

he’s not the fastest – whereas Joshua is more explosive and can bang even harder.

Joshua should give it two

or three rounds to see what Povetkin has got and then start throwing a couple of power shots behind the jab

to test his chin. And as soon as you get him going – finish him.

One can struggle to see

how Povetkin can win this.

Not doubting his pedigree – like Joshua he is an Olympic super-heavyweight champion – and puts his shots together nicely.

Having been brought up in the Russian system he is also correct in what he does, although that makes him easier to read. His best hope is to weather the early storm by keeping his defence tight and as Joshua fades get in close with his big hooks and uppercuts. It’s not an impossible scenario but putting into action can be troublesome.

Joshua’s last performance against Joseph Parker was criticised because there was no knockout but many saw it differently. Don’t forget Parker was unbeaten and had never been put down – yet Joshua’s trainer, Robert McCracken, devised a game-

plan that gave his man an easy night.

Meanwhile Dillian Whyte only just clung on to beat Parker. There will be pressure on Joshua to get the knockout with 80,000 in Wembley baying for blood but there is no need to take risks. The knockout will come.

Some people think Joshua has stamina issues – he looked desperately tired against Klitschko and Carlos Takam. But a good young one will always beat a good older one and at 39, time is not on Povetkin’s side. He has also shown chinks in his armour, especially against Price. While the Russian will be competitive for three rounds, it is expected that he will be gassing by rounds five or six. Which is when Joshua has a chance to get him out of there. (The Guardian)

Karun Nair to lead Board President’s XI against West Indies

Aguero signs 1-year Man City extension

atsman Karun Nair, who was benched throughout India’s Test tour of England, will lead a 13-member Board President’s XI squad to take on the visiting West Indies for a two-day practice match in Vadodara. The match will begin on September 29 and will precede the two-Test series in October.

Hanuma Vihari, who was selected ahead of Nair for the fifth Test against England and made a fifty and a duck on debut, also found a place, as did Mumbai batsman Prithvi Shaw, who was also called up for the final two Tests in England without getting a game.

Mayank Agarwal, who has been on the periphery of an India call-up for a while, also made it to the side on the back of an extended prolific run that included a first-class double-century last month against South Africa A and a one-day hundred in the quadrangular series that followed. In his last first-class innings, he scored 80 on a tough second-innings pitch against Australia A. Shreyas Iyer and Ankit Bawne, who struck three fifties in six firstclass innings against the visiting South Africa A and Australia A teams, form a strong batting lineup. The selectors, however, opted for a less experienced bowling attack, especially the pace line-up which will be led by Kerala’s Basil Thampi, who has played 18 firstclass matches.

Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar and Tamil Nadu

anchester City striker Sergio Aguero has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2021.

Aguero, 30, joined City from Atletico Madrid i n

B

Karun Nair to lead Board President’s XI against West Indies

pacer Krishnamoorthy Vignesh were rewarded for impressive performances in the Duleep Trophy.

Saurabh finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker, with 19 scalps from three matches. Vignesh, with eight scalps in two matches, was also among the top-five wicket-takers. Madhya Pradesh’s Avesh Khan, Bengal’s Ishan Porel, experienced allrounder Jalaj Saxena and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan complete the

13-member squad.

West Indies will be in India for a full tour featuring two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is in OctoberNovember.

Board President’s XI squad: Karun Nair (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, Shreyas Iyer, Ankit Bawne, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jalaj Saxena, Saurabh Kumar, Basil Thampi, Avesh Khan, K Vignesh, Ishan Porel. (ESPNcricinfo)

M

2011 for a reported £38m.

T h e Argentina international has played a major role in City’s m a j o r successes since t h e n , winning t h r e e Premier Leagues and three EFL Cups.

He is City’s record scorer with his 204 goals cluding the inry-time winner QPR in 2012 the title.

“I’m very

inj u against that won h a p p y

because they have treated my very well since the first day I got here,” said Aguero, who will have spent a decade at the club by the time his new deal expires.

“My idea was being here for 10 years. This was the main reason I signed.”

Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain said Aguero remains at the “forefront of what we want to achieve i n the coming years”.

“We are fortunate to have had one of the best strikers in the world at our club for so many years,” he said.

Aguero added: “It’s true that we’ve got a lot of young talent, that in the future can make the difference. At the same time the youngsters are quite developed already, like Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus.

“There are a lot of players that have got things to improve and learn, but being in this club you learn and improve faster than anywhere else.

“We have a good team, we need to be focused and if we are at 100%, we have lots of chances to do great things.”(BBC Sport)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturdAY, september 22, 2018

Heritage Games 2018 underway T he Indigenous Heritage Games are more than just playing sports, they are an opportunity for Indigenous athletes to make their mark and represent Guyana. So, said Minister within the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe at the opening of the Indigenous Heritage Games at Everest Sports Ground. Six hundred athletes from Indigenous

villages countrywide will be participating in cricket, volleyball, football, swimming and archery over the next three days.

The minister highlighted that due to the heritage games last year, a number of Indigenous athletes are now representing Guyana in football including Ronaldo Rodrigues, Wayne DaSilva, Franklin Peters, Naomi Aaron

and Shemika Atkinson.

“Heritage games is not just you coming to Georgetown and playing a game; it is you having an opportunity to be chosen to represent Guyana at the national level in the different disciplines,” the minister stated.

Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock echoed similar sentiments, adding that the games called upon the athletes to display

discipline.

“The games, our celebration, is not only a wild thing; it is about looking for the opportunity of getting better in every area of sport so that we can have something to celebrate as a nation,” the minister is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying.

Aside from having Indigenous peoples on

Guyana’s national teams, Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton would like them to push themselves a bit further and aim for the world stage.

That is, competing at the World Indigenous Games –

countries.

The first day’s events will see strictly football action.

The following day archery, volleyball, cricket will be ongoing at the Everest Sports Ground while swimming

a multisport event, which involves over 2,000 athletes from over 30 different

competitions take place at the National Aquatic Centre. All of the events start at 09:00hrs.

AIBA allocates US$300K for training of Caribbean boxing officials

T

he Jamaica Boxing Board is embarking on a campaign to train more officials locally and across the region thanks to an allocation of US$300,000 over the next three years from the International Boxing Association (AIBA).

The regional body, the National Boxing Federations of the Caribbean, was allocated US$80,000 for 2018, US$110,000 for 2019, and US$110,000 for 2020. The funds were made available following a presentation

by Jamaica Boxing Board President Stephen Jones and Marco Depersoy from Aruba earlier this year that impressed the AIBA executive.

“The Executive Committee was impressed by the extent to which the Caribbean working group went to give a detailed picture of the challenges the Caribbean region faces in attempting to provide quality boxing programmes for its members as well as the creative steps that they are taking in order to continue to raise the level of boxing and participation in the region,” said the letter sent to the Caribbean over the signature of AIBA Interim President Gafur Rahimov.

“The Executive Committee was impressed by the Caribbean’s desire to widen the scope of its pro-

McGregor launches tirade against Nurmagomedov

Conor McGregor (right) and Khabib Nurmagomedov face off at the first UFC 229 pre-fight press conference

S

wigging shots of his own whiskey, Conor McGregor rolled from showman to salesman to angry opponent in a full-throttle news conference in New York.

The Irishman will return to the octagon for the first time in almost two years at UFC 229 on 6 October.

He faces the man who succeeded him as UFC lightweight champion, the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“This is what I expected,” said Nurmagomedov. “He’s gonna talk.”

And he did...

McGregor ranted about how the Russian would be “dead right now” if they had come to blows after an incident in April, what he learned from his mega-money boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather, fighting for fun and not for money, as well as lauding his new whiskey venture.

’He would be dead right now’

Jamaica Boxing Board General Secretary Leroy Brown (left) outlined this week that AIBA has allocated funds to facilitate training for boxing officials across the region

gramme outreaches to ensure better development of boxers, coaches, referees, and judges, ITOs, ringside doctors and cutmen. The Executive Committee finds that the presentation for the Caribbean directly aligned with the goals and objectives or AIBA and AMBC. Now that it has access to the funds, the JBBC said it wants to begin recruitment and training as early as December.

“We are in need of boxing officials in Jamaica and we are starting a programme on that. We are going on a recruitment drive for boxing officials,” said the boxing board’s General Secretary Leroy Brown.

“We are also going into training mode where our current officials are con-

cerned. We are going to be having a couple of seminars and we are hoping that, possibly in December, we will be able to get an official from AIBA who will come to Jamaica, guide us and test some of our officials so that we can some more international officials.”

Brown said he is inviting Jamaica’s Caribbean neighbours to send their candidates to the seminars and the testing sessions.

Brown said that there will also be opportunities for the country’s widening pool of boxing boosted by the addition of about 150 youngsters who have been training over the past two years under the country’s Fight for Peace programme.

Several fighters from the programme that uses boxing

to channel youngsters away from a violent lifestyle, will be on show on fight cards on October 6 and November 17 in Kingston and Montego Bay, respectively.

“There are lots of youngsters out there who are going to use this to make themselves better boxers and boxing can make you into a millionaire if you are handled properly,” Brown said.

“Right now we have 150 boxers who have been nurtured and are on the brink of breaking out and making themselves into good boxers, first in Jamaica as amateurs and then they move to the professional scene and then they go to the national scene, so the horizon is looking great at this moment.”

(Sportsmax)

In July, McGregor was sentenced to five days of community service in the United States after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct over an incident in April at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center after a UFC media day.

It occurred after an alleged confrontation between McGregor’s friend Artem Lobov and Nurmagomedov, with McGregor throwing a metal dolly into the window of a bus carrying fighters, including the Russian.

McGregor is also being sued by another UFC fighter on board, Michael Chiesa, who claims he suffered physical, emotional and financial damage.

“I came back for the love of this, to come and shut this man up - a little rat, a little weasel, a little hard man in groups,” said McGregor, who has agreed a new six-fight deal with the UFC that includes the Nurmagomedov bout.

“A man who grows in numbers but on his own and when confronted in a similar situation, cowers away. Did you not see me outside the bus? I showed you my hands - no weapons.

“To let him know I came unarmed. Step off the bus.

You talked the big game, now I’m here. He done nothing. Hid and cowered behind women and caused what happened to happen.

“I just thank the Lord Jesus Christ that that man had not got the balls to step foot off that bus, or that the bus door did not open, because if that bus door had opened, this man would be dead right now.

“He would be in a box and I would be in a cell and we would not have this great fight ahead of us.”

‘I am set for life, I’m here to enjoy this’

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor was stopped by Floyd Mayweather in the 10th round of their Las Vegas bout McGregor’s venture into boxing last year ended in a defeat by former five-weight world champion Mayweather, but it generated more than £450m and there were suggestions the Irishman could retire.

When the fight was mentioned at Thursday’s news conference, Nurmagomedov described himself as “the Floyd Mayweather of MMA”.

“I’m going to maul you.

After this fight he is going to go back to boxing,” added Nurmagomedov. “You come for money, I come for legacy.”

Laughing that suggestion off, McGregor responded: “I don’t have to fight for money no more, I have made so much. Don’t get me wrong, I could’ve retired from the boxing.

“I am set for life, I don’t have to be here. I am here to enjoy this. I am going to love putting you out of your misery and stomping on your head.”

But the 30-year-old did say he had learned from his time in the ring with boxing great Mayweather.

“Of course. It was a great boxing match. At 30 minutes, it was my longest contest,” he said.

“I learned some things of course. With every fight, you learn and grow. I was very happy with the experience as a whole and, of course, you’ll see on 6 October the lessons I have learned.” (MMA Junkie)

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he third annual Limacol K n o c k o u t Football Tournament continued on Thursday evening with Mahaica Determinators and Riddim Squad squeezing past their opponents to pave roads to the next round which quickly approaches.

Riddim Squad and Mahaica Determinators recorded two hard fought victories, against Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and Pele respectively, with both matches ending 1-nil.

In the opening match of the evening, held at the Ministry of Education Ground in Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, Determinators caught the Pele side slipping early, and grabbed the lead when Eion Abel scored in

the 19th minute.

The only thing time could tell after that is Abel’s goal was the decider, and it took Determinators to five points.

However, they are still second in Group A, trailing the defending champions, Police Football Club, who have six points; while Pele and Northern Rangers each have a point.

Later in the night, Riddim Squad took control of Group B from GFC with their win in the feature match.

After battling to a goalless first half, Teon Jones found the back of the net in the 74th minute to register the other decider of the night.

The Mocha side now move on to topping the Group with six points, while GFC are second on four points. Buxton Stars have three points, while Sunburst Camptown have one.

The tournament continues on Saturday with another double header that sees Rangers taking on Determinators from 18:00 hrs, then Camptown and Stars capping off the night from 20:00 hrs.

All matches are being played at the venue mentioned earlier.

Klopp not expecting goal repeat

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VACANCY EXISTS AT MIMA DÉCOR: OFFICE ASSISTANT/ ACCOUNTS CLERK. MUST HAVE: CXC BUSINESS SUBJECTS. PROFICIENCY IN MS OFFICE- ATLEAST 3 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD. QUICKBOOKS (WOULD BE AN ASSET). A DEGREE IN THE BUSINESS FIELD (WOULD BE AN ASSET). SEND APPLICATION TO: MIMADECOR12@ GMAIL.COM. 8 SHERIFF STREET GEORGETOWN. TEL: 227-0186 VACANCY EXISTS AT MIMA DÉCOR: CASHIER. MUST HAVE: ATLEAST 5 CXC SUBJECTS (INCLUSIVE OF MATHS AND ENGLISH). PROFICIENCY IN MS OFFICE. QUICKBOOKS. AT LEAST 3 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD. SEND APPLICATION TO: MIMADECOR12@GMAIL.COM. 8 SHERIFF STREET GEORGETOWN. TEL: 227-0186 VACANCY EXISTS AT MIMA DÉCOR: INVENTORY CLERK/ANALYST. MUST HAVE: CXC BUSINESS SUBJECTS. PROFICIENCY IN MS OFFICE. QUICKBOOKS. A DEGREE IN THE BUSINESS FIELD. ATLEAST 3 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD. SEND APPLICATION TO: MIMADECOR12@ GMAIL.COM. 8 SHERIFF STREET GEORGETOWN. TEL: 227-0186

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Mohamed Salah

L

iverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says the club “do not expect” Mohamed Salah to replicate his goalscoring form of last season - and joked his forward is facing “a crisis”.

Egypt international Salah, 26, netted 44 times for the Reds last season and was the Premier League’s top scorer.

He has scored twice in six matches this term, though he had only one more goal at this stage of the 2017-18 campaign.

“No-one remembers that [how he started last season],” said Klopp.

Salah scored Liverpool’s opening goal of the season against West Ham in August, but has not scored since his strike in the Reds’ win over Brighton four weeks ago.

“Wow, that is a crisis,” said Klopp, whose side host Southampton on Saturday (15:00 BST kick-off).

“It is really no problem.”

When asked if people

were expecting the same from Salah as last season, the German boss said: “Of course everyone expects that, that is clear.

“We don’t expect that - but we want him to score as often as possible.”

Liverpool have won their opening five league matches and are second in the table, level on points with Chelsea, and Klopp says Salah remains a “threat” to the opposition.

“On the defensive side, the past two games he was outstanding, perfect,” he added.

“That says everything about him. He is really ready to work for the team in these moments.

“It is a completely normal situation for an offensive player that they have times when they don’t score. But he is still a threat, has fantastic situations in both games and he is in good shape.” (BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

saturdAY, september 22, 2018

Windies, SA ladies brawl in must-win final ODI T

he Windies Women will be seeking to end the ongoing ODI home series with a tie, versus the South African la-

Campbell making a battling 46 for the Windies, to end as their top-scorer.Both sides showed skill on the Kensington track,

wickets apiece.

Torrential rains on Wednesday saw the second ODI being washed out, with both teams splitting points. Rain had caused a delay right at the start, reducing the affair to 43 overs per side, before it was further reduced to 38 overs after another hour was lost 10 overs into the South Africa innings.

South Africa eventually made 177 for 8 in the 38 overs, with the in-from skipper van Niekerk hitting 53 and getting support from Chloe Tryon, who made 37.

evenly poised, despite the Proteas having a slight edge due to their drawing first blood. The Windies ladies have been in top form, and should their star-studded attack -- which includes Hayley Mathews, who was eager to perform on her home ground, along with the likes of Campbell, Taylor and others – come to the party, the home team could secure a draw.

South Africa, on the other hand, have been in good ODI form, and will be keen to clinch the series as they prepare to change formats and play some

Packed cycling weekend starts today

Andrew Hicks

T Dane van Niekerk

dies in Saturday’s day/ night, 3rd and final game of the ICC Women’s Championships.

Being played at the Kensington Oval Ground in Barbados, the series has witnessed the visitors drawing first blood on Saturday in the first match. It was MVP Sune Luus’s 58 and her wicket which saw South Africa ease to a 40-run win in the opener, as both sides had a decent encounter.

Visiting Skipper Dane van Niekerk and opener Laura Wolvaardt were also among the top scorers in the first game, which saw Guyanese Shemaine

as bowlers from both sides adapted well. The Windies pair of skipper Stefanie Taylor, who starred with 3 wickets, and Deandra Dottin, who contributed two, were the chief operators with the ball in hand.

South Africa, however, showed a bit more skill, as star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp ended with three victims and also became the third South Africa women's bowler -- after van Niekerk and Shabnim Ismail -- to claim 100 wickets in ODIs. The less-experienced pair of Tumi Sekhukhune and Zintle Mali wrapped up a good match with two

Shemaine Campbell

Dottin’s excellent bowling form continued, as she snared 3-29 before rain ended proceedings.

The final match now means both teams will be

T20 cricket against the Champion Windies side following the end of the ODI series. The first ball is expected to bowl off from 14:00h. (Clifton Ross)

he inner circuit of the National Park will again be venue for the 14th annual Laparkan Holdings (LPK) 11-stage Cycling Programme, which gets underway on Saturday, September 22.

This programme is set to get underway at 9:30 hrs, and will feature the normal card, which sees races from the BMX 6 – 9 to the 35-lap feature schoolboys and invitational race, which usually ends the proceedings.

Andrew Hicks won the 13th annual LPK programme in 2017 with a time of one hour, 18 minutes, 30 point 28 seconds. Other winners in 2017 were Nigel Duguid, Ozia McAulay, Jonathan Ramsuchit, John Niles, Marvin Knight and Gerard Barrington.

This 14th annual LPK Cycling programme is the first of two of the Guyana Cycling Federation’s sanctioned events on the calendar for this weekend.

On the following day, Sunday, September 23, the 16th edition of the Victor Macedo Memorial Road Race will be staged. This race begins at 224 Peter Rose Street, Queenstown; from where the cyclists will make their way on to Mandela Avenue and proceed to the Linden/Soesdyke Highway on the East Bank of Demerara, before returning to the National Sports Commission on Homestretch Avenue for the finish of the race.

Veterans Over-45 and Mountain Bikers will turn around at Yarrowkabra, while the others will go to the Long Creek School Junction for the U-turn.

Set to pedal off at 7:30hrs, the race will see competition in the Open, Juniors, Mountain Bikes, Veterans under-45 and Veterans over-45 categories.

Prizes are up for grabs in both races.

guyanatimesgy.com

saturdAY, september 22, 2018

23

November’s ICC Women’s World T20 gaining momentum – official theme song launched

A

s the West Indies prepare to launch the first-ever stand-alone ICC Women’s World T20 in November, the spectacle has been gaining huge momentum across all the three host countries.

The event bowls off at the Guyana National Stadium, with India and New Zealand starting the action. In the second match, Australia will play Pakistan and the Windies round off the day playing Qualifier 1 under lights. Providence will also host matches between archrivals India and Pakistan on 11

November and trans-Transman adversaries Australia and New Zealand two days later.

The Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia will be the other venue for the group stage with the first match there pitting England against Sri Lanka on 10 November, while the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua will host both semi-finals on 22 November and the final on 24 November.

The street parties bowled off in the respective host countries Antigua & Barbuda, Guyana and St Lucia as

hundreds of eager fans marked the start of the countdown to the global event.

The ICC Women’s World T20 2018 will be played from 9 to 24 November and hosts the West Indies will defend the title they won in Kolkata, India, in 2016. Nelecia Yeates, Head of Commercial for the tournament, said three giant bats – standing 20 feet tall, will be erected across the host territories to display all the information and will also serve as markers across the countries.

“This was a great event as

we launched the ICC Women’s World T20 tournament in the three host territories. It was fantastic to see so many people turning out to participate and get the first look and admiring the amazing giant bats.

“The countdown is on to November. Now, with the launch of the theme song as well, we are well on the road to hosting this event.

We believe fans will come on board and feel the excitement and the vibes. They will surely answer the call to watch this as we prepare to showcase this amazing region. Players will love this, fans will love this and the whole cricket world will watch and love this” said Yates.

The campaign will also showcases the vibrant West Indian culture and lifestyle which features dancing and music, with a catchy theme song. In the coming months various activities will be held in three host territories featuring musicians, entertainers as well as past and present cricketers.

The tournament will feature the 10 best teams in the world.

Defending champions the WINDIES are in Group A along with Bangladesh, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka, while Australia, India, Ireland, New Zealand and Pakistan form Group B. All 23 matches of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20

2018 will be broadcast live to maintain the momentum and focus on women’s cricket, while the Decision Review System (DRS) will be used for the first time in any ICC World Twenty20 event, ensuring consistency in the use of technology in top world-level events.

The ICC Women’s World T20 is the first ICC event taking place in the Caribbean in eight years. In the ICC World T20 2010, the women’s event was staged alongside the men’s event and in the final played after the men’s final in Barbados, Australia had defeated New Zealand by three runs.

National players off to good start in Jaguars League T

he first few rounds of the Guyana Cricket Board/Cricket Guyana Inc/Jaguars 50 Overs League have churned out some impressive performances from a few of Guyana’s senior and upcoming cricketers who will be gearing up for the upcoming regional season.

Despite opening rounds one and two being washed out, franchises still continue to show determination, and have grabbed the playing time with both hands. Defending champs Georgetown have been playing well, but they will be happier with the form of skipper Leon Johnson.

The West Indies Test player has been in fine touch to date, hitting back-to-back unbeaten fifties, both in match-winning efforts; while a few of his senior players, like Robin Bacchus, Raymon Pérez and all-rounder Chris Barnwell, have been hitting their straps. Barnwell has been good with the bat, smashing 80-odd, followed by 37, while picking up wickets.

Johnson’s form will be important to the franchise. So,

primary wicket-takers so far.

Young Kemol Savory has shown his skill with the bat by racking up a century for Essequibo, to get his campaign underway; while U19 batsman Kevlon Anderson has continued his form exhibited during the regional tournaments by also getting some

Leon Johnson

too, would Barnwell’s, as both players play crucial roles in the team. And with Guyana preparing for another regional 4-day title defence, it is good for cricket when the senior players find their touch early in the season.

East Bank’s Vishaul Singh, another of Guyana’s senior players, contributed a solid 45 in the previous round versus Johnson’s men. The left-hander has been around the Windies Test and A teams as of recent, and his form will be key in the middle-order, regardless of the team.

Another batsman who has

been in tremendous form is opener Trevon Griffith, who, upon his return to Guyana, having played a few seasons for the Jamaica Scorpions, seems to be hungrier than before. The left-hander crunched 111 in the last game, to follow up his half-century, and could play bigger knocks, which might open a way back for him in the national team.

Veterans Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Ricardo Adams and Anthony Adams, the battery of left-arm spinners, have also been pressing their cases early up front, as they have been among the

runs under his belt playing for his Berbice franchise.

With a few more rounds to go and a number of talented players jostling for spots in Guyana’ senior team, it will be interesting to see how many of the players -- both seasoned Jags players and upcoming stars -- can cope with the com-

petition ahead of the regional season.

A Cricket West Indies (CWI) fitness team would also be in Guyana for a few days, to conduct a fitness test for the Guyanese players at the Lenora Synthetic Track from 8:00h on Saturday and Sunday.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Heritage Games 2018 underway

Page 20

Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock and Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe [left], with Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton (right) pose with one of the football teams from Region Seven. Also in photo are Permanent Secretary Alfred King (second left) and Guyana Football Federation President Wayne Forde (second right)

Packed cycling weekend start today Page 22

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