Sunday Times Sunday July 21 2019

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Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 3991 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, July 21, 2019

GECOM executing unverified House-toHouse Registration Page 3

... PPP to seek injunction against elections body Adherence to Constitution, CCJ rulings

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Miners P12 call for establishment of Industrial Court

8-hour power outages for Regions 3, 4 this week P10

2 arrested for beating P16 fisherman to death

Opposition demands President’s resignation in formal letter Page 7

…cops hunting for 3 others – Police

...calls for dissolution of Parliament, elections date

President in Cuba for medical P9 check-up

Appointment of GECOM Chairman A group of Trinidad-based Guyanese was joined by several People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Members of Parliament outside the Grand Hyatt-Regency Hotel, Port-of-Spain where a peaceful demonstration was held, calling for the APNU/AFC Government to respect the Constitution and adhere to the ruling of the CCJ. At the time the demonstration was held Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Social Protection Minister Amna Ally; Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon; Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine and several other Government officials were attending an investors forum at the hotel

American Chamber Berbice butcher calls on Govt to respect shot to foot by masked CCJ, Constitution Page 10

…uncertainty has grave implications for investment – GCCI

gunmen

Page 12

President’s interpretation of CCJ ruling “warped”, P2 “disingenuous” – PPP

…says Jagdeo has no obligation to include Granger’s suggestions

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SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

Appointment of GECOM Chairman

President’s interpretation of CCJ ruling “warped”, “disingenuous” – PPP …says Jagdeo has no obligation to include Granger’s suggestions

T

he People’s Progressive Party has rejected President David Granger’s insistence in submitting names to himself for the appointment of a new Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman.

In a televised programme on Friday, the Head of State said he foresees a gridlock in the ongoing hammering out process if the Opposition does not accept that he has to be a part of the informal stage.

“It is a recipe for gridlock.

The important thing which the CCJ aimed at is to ensure consensualism. That is to say, there must be a spir-

it of compromise; there must be acceptance of the role of the President in hammering out the list and similarly, we are to aim – both sides – at having a list of candidates which are not unacceptable to the President. Unless we accept that principle, we will end up in gridlock and that is what we’re heading for if the Opposition continues to deny the President a role in hammering out that list,” President Granger stated.

However, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party in a statement on Saturday said that this “flip-flopping” by the Head of State forces questioning of his “sincerity, good faith, honour, and in-

tegrity in the discharge of his constitutional role and function”.

The party reminded that the President had previously acknowledged that he could not recommend nominees for the final list of 6 names to be submitted to him for the selection of a new GECOM Chair. “…as I discussed with the Leader of the Opposition – he is open to nominations or recommendations on my part but I cannot recommend to myself. The recommendation must come from him to me. And I will make a selection. But the CCJ ruling – and this might have caused some confusion in the media

over the last couple of weeks – allows to two sides to hammer out, that is the word they used, hammer out suitable persons for the list. But it means, yes, I could make submissions, but in the final analysis, that submission has to come to me from the Leader of the Opposition, the CCJ has not taken away that role from the Leader of the Opposition and it has not taken away my prerogative to make a selection. Those have been preserved by the CCJ,” President Granger had said at a July 4 press conference after meeting with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

According to the PPP

in Saturday’s missive, the President’s interpretation of the CCJ ruling is both warped and disingenuous. “…the President misinterpreted the CCJ judgement in casting an enlarged role for himself in insisting that the names he suggests must find themselves on the final list to be submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition, while at the same time, completely ignoring the gravamen of the decisions in the No-Confidence Motion cases…,” the PPP said.

Further, the Opposition went on to question the Head of State’s utterances on “gridlock” in the hammering out stage, saying that the process is still ongoing.

“We are awaiting an indication of whether the President finds them not unacceptable. (By speaking about a “gridlock”) does it

now mean that the informal engagement has been aborted? If so, the President is obliged to invite the Leader of the Opposition to formally submit six names for the appointment of a Chairman of GECOM in light of the CCJ’s judgement quashing the appointment of Justice (rtd) James Patterson,” the Party said in its missive.

Currently, the Opposition is awaiting the President’s feedback on four new names that were presented on Wednesday for consideration.

Already, the President has found four of the Opposition’s names “not unacceptable” to him, meaning they will potentially end up on the final list of six nominees to be submitted to the President for the selection of a new GECOM Chair. turn to page 9

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SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

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

Sunday, July 21 – 05:30h-07:00h and Monday, July 22 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, July 21 – 06:45h-08:15h and Monday, July 22 – 07:25h-08:55h.

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GECOM executing unverified House-to-House Registration ... PPP to seek injunction against elections body

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Low Tide: 08:26h and 20:40h reaching minimum heights of 0.75 metre and 0.87 metre.

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ith House-toHouse Registration having forcibly commenced on Saturday, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has signalled their intention to approach the High Court on Monday to obtain an injunction against the exercise.

This was revealed by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo in a video recording made to reinforce his party’s position on the Houseto-House exercise.

According to Jagdeo, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has no legal basis for carrying out the exercise, since it will clash with the intent of the Caribbean Court of Justice rulings.

Moreover, Jagdeo pointed out that House-to-House was being carried out based on an order made by the unilaterally appointed former GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, shortly before he demitted office.

“That order was overtaken by the judgement of the CCJ on July 12, which made it very explicit that GECOM must comply with the Constitution. And the Constitution says that elections must be held in three months. GECOM itself said that if they conduct Houseto-House Registration, they will not be ready until December 25.”

“They told the Court that and yet the Court ignored

tion and the form has a part where the scrutineers from the parties have to sign on.”

Jagdeo noted that in light of these circumstances, his party and supporters will not cooperate with the exercise. Additionally, Jagdeo revealed that they will be approaching the High Court next week, to seek an injunction against the exercise.

“This activity has started and people are worried about it. And they want to know if they should register or not. Well we in the PPP have decided that over the weekend we will not be complying with this activity, since on Monday we will go to the courts to seek an injunction against this ille-

pressure and through the courts, which have an obligation to uphold the CCJ orders.”

House-to-House

The House-to-House exercise, which was last conducted in 2008, will see enumerators going in teams of two to three, from door to door in various communities across Guyana. The enumerators will present forms to registrants to fill up, as well as take fingerprints and pictures.

In an advertisement by GECOM, it is stated that these enumerators work from 15:30h to 18:30h during the week and from 09:00h to 16:00h on weekends and holidays. The ex-

Guyanese living in Trinidad, joined by several Opposition MPs, protesting Government’s and GECOM’s disregard for the CCJ and Constitution of Guyana

that, because they could not ignore the Constitution.

The CEO was told by his own legal officer at GECOM that to go to House-toHouse Registration would be illegal. Yet it is persisting. And this is done in the absence of a functioning Commission.”

He also noted that Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield did not even inform them of the start of the exercise, when political parties are supposed to ensure the transparency of the process.

“They have hurriedly started this exercise. It’s going to be problematic because even the way it is being done, PPP has not been informed formally about the need to have scrutineers tracking this activity, although every transac-

gal activity, which is done in contravention of the CCJ.” “So we will not be cooperating. We will try to stop the activity; we’ve briefed the international organisations. Many have expressed concern over this approach GECOM has embarked on… so we will stop it through international

ercise is intended to produce a new National Register of Registrants Database and Official List of Electors.

This means that everyone, regardless of whether they were registered before or not, must register anew at their place of residence between July 20 and October of this year. turn to page 13

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SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

Defend the Constitution

J

ust before flying off to Cuba for a check-up on his medical condition, caretaker President David Granger threw another long set of wrenches into the process of selecting a new Chair of GECOM, and as such, into setting a date for the next general elections— which he is constitutionally mandated to do by proclamation.

Granger is now asserting that the role the CCJ advised he play in “hammering out” the list which the Leader of the Opposition is constitutionally required to submit to him, must also involve him in submitting and not merely suggesting names.

Granger insisted in an interview with one of his staff, “the President must be given [must not “may”] must be given a role and it means that I have to be involved in the selection of nominees, before those nominees come back to me”. Now while this is seemingly non-contentious, the problem arises in the precise “role” the President envisages for himself. The magnanimous gesture of the Opposition Leader to propose that Granger can suggest some names in the consensual process towards compiling his list of six names has now evidently been transmuted in Granger’s mind into an absolute, non-negotiable right.

One challenge towards appreciating the point is that Granger insists on discussing it at a hypothetical level by pitching assertions such as this other formulation: “There is no way that the removal of the President’s role in the crafting of the list, the ‘hammering out’ of that list, could result in an outcome that is consensual, that is acceptable.

It would be spurious if the Opposition insists on exclusively crafting that list or unilaterally crafting that list. The CCJ’s ruling makes it impossible for that to occur”.

But when we examine Granger’s actions, it becomes immediately apparent that he is simply engaging in sophistry to mask his intention to have another handpicked candidate once again as the GECOM Chair. After several meetings between himself and Mr Jagdeo (with other members of their political entities) and also by plenipotentiaries of the two sides, Granger finally condescended in accepting four of Jagdeo’s nominees as “not unacceptable” from the original list of 11 he had culled out of the 18 names in his first three rejected lists. And it was here that Granger revealed his duplicity by insisting that two names which he selected from his original 8 following Jagdeo’s gesture, must be added to the other four to make up the requisite list of 6 to be presented to himself.

Now, even a most cursory examination of this demand would reveal that it is simply a Trojan horse for unilateralism

by Granger. There are two considerations that are evident.

The first is since Granger is the one who decides which name is “not unacceptable”, he would obviously be in a position to select his own nominee, whom he would have wanted from the beginning. And second, he would have reduced the role by the Opposition leader on compiling his list in the consensual process to a mere farce.

Granger resorted that if the Opposition Leader can continue to object to his nominees, this would lead to “gridlock”. But this is the result of his own artifice: if four names are “not unacceptable” to him, in the interest of obeying the orders of the CCJ to have elections be scheduled by Sept 18, what prevented him from choosing one of those names? By his insistence of including his own nominees, he is being just too clever for the good of the country. But he cannot be allowed to get away with the continuing series of constitutional violations he has committed. It is time for the people of Guyana to make a decision on the clear and present danger Granger and his PNC present to our fledgling democracy.

The first PNC dictatorship was not built in the stealth of the night, but in broad daylight. Let us not repeat that tragedy— it will be farcical. Defend the Constitution!

A child waves at characters SpongeBob and Patrick Star from the television series SpongeBob SquarePants at the pop culture festival Comic-Con International during opening night in San Diego, California (Reuters/Mike Blake)

Hamilton Green’s distortion of history – setting the record straight Dear Editor, The media recently carried a letter penned by Mr Hamilton Green in relation to the tragic sinking of the Son Chapman due to an explosion in the Demerara River. This incident occurred on July 6, 1964.

In his letter, Mr Green said he was not pointing a finger at anyone for what happened, however, his entire letter was pointing a finger at the PPP. In recent times, the PNC-led APNU has been trying to use this incident to whip up racism for political mobilisation. Racism is their main weapon to try to cling to power.

Mr Green is aware that neither the enquires that were held, nor the colonial police, which at that time was working with the PNC to force the resignation of the Government of 19611964, ever made any changes against the PPP for that incident.

Mr Green resorted to circumstantial evidence to prove his point.

He insinuated that it could have been a reprisal for what occurred at Wismar/McKenzie on May 25 and 26, 1964. This is how he put it “... over 75% of the Indo Guyanese were roughed up and forced to flee their homes and businesses...”

A worse understatement was never made. The “roughing up” that Mr Green spoke about were the dozens of persons killed, women and children raped. Many of the women had bottles rammed into them. Even little babies were torn from the hands of their mothers and murdered. Two hundred buildings, homes and businesses were destroyed complete-

ly. Many perished in the flames. This included the family of Senator Christine Ramjattan, who almost lost her sight and her father was brutally murdered.

The first report on May 26, 1964, of the previous day’s events, put the amount of dead at twenty-seven (27) and forty (40) injured by gunshot, many of the forty died later. Of course, dozens more died on May 26, 1964, in that massacre.

Mr Green wrote that that was a reprisal for what was happening on the Coast, mainly the East and West Coast of Demerara.

That is just not true.

Most of those who suffered death and destruction of their homes were Indo Guyanese. The death count just before the massacre at Wismar/McKenzie was thirteen (13) Indians and five (5) African Guyanese.

The truth of the matter is that the PNC, with the support of the British colonialists through the British Police Commissioner, had gone on a terror campaign against PPP supporters.

During the strike by GAWU for Union recognition that Mr Green spoke about, the police were used to harass sugar workers.

The PNC supplied scab to Bookers to break the strike.

PNC recruited thugs to go into villages to beat and harass sugar workers. They were often transported by Police vehicles. It is clear that the British decided to use the strike to create mayhem as part of the destabilisation. The PNC and MPCA were the main tools of the colonial master.

While the colonial police facilitated the attacks on the PPP members and supporters, they prevented sug-

ar workers who had formed committees to guard their villages from the frequent attacks. Many times the police, accompanied by thugs, arrested and delivered serious beatings on them. One at Blairmont was murdered in his yard. Needless to say, no one was ever arrested.

The PNC X-13 plan that was exposed in this period was a terrorist plan to create as much violence as possible to prevent independence from being granted. It was in operation since 1962 but only exposed in 1964. It was that plan that was being executed by the PNC. That is why the Britishcontrolled Police took no action to stop the violence directed against Indian and African Guyanese PPP members and supporters.

Coming back to the Son Chapman tragedy, let me say that the most likely cause was accidental. I say this since if the PPP had anything to do with it, that would have given the British the condition to jail and disgrace the PPP and in particular, Cheddi Jagan.

It is apposite to point out that by then a large part of the PPP leadership was detained without trial or even charged.

What was known also, was that Son Chapman was ferrying explosives to Wismar/McKenzie, for a while before the PNC’s murderous rampage of May 2527, 1964.

The police had many reports of this. The Premier, Cheddi Jagan, told Peter Owen, the British Commissioner of Police, that he had information that this was happening months before the explosion in Son Chapman. And months before May 25 and 26, 1964.

Of course, the colonial police paid no heed.

Indeed, from all the papers that have been released from the US State Department and the British Foreign Office, we see how they were protecting the PNC leadership and their criminal acts. Even Mr Burnham, who was found with an illegal weapon in his house, was protected by the Governor. He ensured that the case against him was dismissed.

Moreover, the papers revealed that the PNC via Mr Burnham was collecting money from the CIA that period to help with their organisation. That continued until 1973.

The Governor even went so far as to decree that individuals or organisations who or which were found in possession of the PNC’s X-13 plan would face compulsory jail time. This was another demonstration of the British protecting the PNC in their efforts to frustrate the granting of independence.

The question may be asked, where was the PNC getting the dynamite from.

Those old enough would know that dynamite was the preferred explosive used by the PNC at the 1963 and 1964 riots.

Recall that large quantities of dynamite were reportedly stolen from the quarries owned by Correa (A PNC legislative member) Martin Fredericks (he was a candidate on the UF list) and De Freitas (supporter of the UF). The police never recovered the explosives, nor were any arrests made.

The amounts taken were large. Fredericks Quarry, for instance, lost 500 lbs. of Gelignite (dynamite), 2 coils continued On PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019

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

Elders should promote power-sharing Dear Editor, The political leaders are not listening to each other.

Respectable elders should come together and suggest power-sharing to the leaders as a solution to Guyana’s problem. The political leaders may be more likely to listen to the elders than to their opponent.

The Opposition has been talking the language of constitutional rule – follow the Constitution as instructed by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on elections following the successful passage of a No-Confidence Motion – without any results.

That demand for early elections and to follow constitutional governance will not go anywhere. It is not enforceable unless some big powers like the US or Canada or the UK or India or the UN or Commonwealth impose a solution. No big power is willing to get involved in resolving Guyana’s intracta-

ble political problem. The problem facing the country in holding an election is no longer a legal or constitutional issue. It has become a political issue that requires diplomacy (from third-party involvement) and a practical political solution. May I suggest a solution of some form of “power-sharing” in which elections are held soon and the parties that win seats form an “inclusive national unity Government” with Cabinet and all other positions being doled out based on the proportionality of votes (not necessarily seats) received. The coalition seems to want to be certain it is in the next Government to oversee the oil revenues. So the only solution is power-sharing that guarantees all parties a role in Government formation and management of the country (Cabinet, Boards, Commissions, etc).

There can be a de facto, if

not de jure, agreement on how the positions will be allocated before the elections.

In this way, the coalition is guaranteed a role in governance even if it does not win a plurality or majority. The PPP or other parties will also be guaranteed a role in Government.

As publicly stated, the incumbent coalition, for whatever reasons, is not willing to hold an election any time soon and not without an updated electoral list derived from House-to-House Registration. As so many have commented, a credible election can be held soon with an updated list by making sure all eligible voters (18 and over) are on it and voting is free and fair. But the incumbent is not budging on the issue because it fears the current electoral list may result in its defeat or gives an unfair advantage to the Opposition.

There is no justifiable

reason why the coalition should fear defeat because its political leader remains very popular in the PNC base. President Granger is far more popular in his base than other politicians in their traditional base.

The PPP base is very divided. What unites the base is that elections should be held soon. But it does not mean the base will fully support the PPP. So the President could very well pull off a victory under the current list.

Nevertheless, the President is not taking a risk with early elections. So a political solution is needed to offer guarantees to the incumbent (and other parties) in the event of a defeat. Powersharing is the answer.

The political stakes are very high in the coming elections. The incumbent, for whatever reasons, fears defeat and being out of power to manage the impending huge oil wealth. There has

got to be a compromise to make the incumbent and all other political parties (PPP, ANUG, LJP, Fed Up, among others) and stakeholders feel they will be a part of the Government regardless of who wins a free and fair elections.

Unless this issue of “the victor will not take everything” is addressed and soon, there will not be elections this year.

Powersharing is also a way to unite the fractured nation.

The country has been the most polarised I have ever encountered in my near fifty years of political struggle. We must address this polarisation regardless of which party or groups of parties win the elections.

And right now, according to a poll I conducted, no party will win the next elections.

And the coalition (or PPP) could very well win a plurality repeating the problem experienced in 2011 to

Hamilton Green’s distortion of... of Fuse Wire, 1600 Detonators and 400 electric wire. This was reported by the police. The number of explosives taken from Corriea and De Freitas was just as large or even greater.

It was those that were ferried up to McKenzie and were used in blasting buildings during the holocaust (using Burnham’s description) at that location. They were also used extensively on the Coast by PNC’s terrorists and in Georgetown in 1963, at Rice Marketing Board and the bombing of stores owned by Indian Guyanese.

It was very clear that part of the cargo on the Son Chapman was dynamite from the stolen amounts.

In passing, let me state that none of the explosives came from Demba Bauxite Company at McKenzie; their stock was not breached and all were accounted for.

Historians can be sure that these explosives were in the possession of the PNC for the following reasons: In the yard of Mr Reid,

who became number 2 in the PNC, dynamite and detonators were found. He was then in a senior position at Bookers and living in Bel Air Park. He was never charged.

On March 27, 1964, an explosion took place in the house of Joseph London at Asylum Street, New Amsterdam. London was a PNC activist. He lost seven of his fingers in the explosion. He obviously had the explosives in his hands when it went off. When the police searched his house, they found “seven (7) sticks of blasting gelatine and ten (10) detonators with fuses.

Finally, on August 17, 1964, the colonial Commissioner of Police, who collaborated and defended PNC thugs and terrorists, was forced to admit that it was acts of the PNC. He had to in light of many exposures that were taking place internationally, including the United Nations. Peter Owens said; “... enquires so far have revealed that there exist an organised thuggery which is central-

Shifting of dates does not augur well

Dear Editor, First, the list could not be completed following H2H registration before November 2019, then at CCJ, we learnt December 2019 was touted, now suddenly, H2H Registration

can be completed in three months, October 2019, or shorter.

The shifting of dates does not augur well for the image of the electoral body.

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

ly directed...” He later, in a sworn affidavit, stated that “... subversive and criminal activities of a criminal gang attached to a political party known as the People’s National Congress...” existed. This was the gang responsible for the destruction of that period.

What action did he take?

None. Instead, he used the occasion to further persecute the victims. A large part of the PPP’s GAWU leadership was detained without trial.

These included the Deputy Premier Brindley Benn, Education Minister CV Nunes, President of GAWU, Harry Lall, General Secretary of GAWU, Phelomena Sahoye among others. Thirty-four PPP leaders were held at Sibley Hall in the Mazaruni River.

Only Robert Jordon from the PNC was held. He was

a Legislative Assembly Member for the Wismar/ McKenzie Constituency. He was quickly released.

For its part, the PPP never stopped fighting for a unity of the Guyanese people. Immediately after the Wismar/McKenzie massacre, the PPP in a statement said “Yesterday, May 25, 2019, Guyanese were given a foretaste on what they might expect from a Government constituted by a coalition of the UF and the PNC. In Wismar, one hundred (100) dwelling and business places were destroyed by fire and eight hundred (800) non-PNC-UF Guyanese became refugees from an area in which many of them had spent most of their lives.

“It is a sad commentary on the quality of the UF-PNC leadership that by such going on as took place

yesterday at McKenzie our Afro-Guyanese citizens are made to appear to the world as a ruthless and destructive mob whereas their whole history shows them to be a kind-hearted and generous people.”

“Afro-Guyanese must surely stop now to think about the leadership they have been following and the direction in which they are being led. As was evident after 1962 and 1963, violence can only lead to economic stagnation and unemployment. The leadership of the UF need not work for a living it is wealthy, but the working people who follow the UF and PNC should

2015.

No one has been offering a solution to what is essentially a political issue on holding elections required in the Constitution. One can quote the Constitution ad infinitum (as the CCJ ruled), it will not lead to elections soon. Except for ANUG, no other party has been proposing power-sharing post-elections as a solution to Guyana’s intransigent problem. It is a practical way to address Guyana’s political problem.

Some elder statesmen (women) should come together and request to see the leader of the coalition and the Opposition and propose such an idea. The group of elder statesmen (women) can serve as mediators for a compromise solution that can lead to early elections and shared governance.

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

from page 4

look ahead to discover the faith of their future”.

Mr Green knows all these things, he played a big part in it. It was in this period that he gained the reputation as being one of the PNC’s notorious strongmen.

Distortions and halftruth will not serve any good purpose at this time.

If our country is to heal, we need the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

Isn’t it time to come clean Hammy?

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

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SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019

Page Foundation Leaning on others to become more independent

…who teens rely on for help may predict when they reach milestones of adulthood

By David Szwedo, PhD

M

oving out, getting a job, and meeting the responsibilities of daily life are generally seen as key markers of becoming an independent adult.

But in order to reach these milestones of independence, research shows it may actually be important for teens to learn how to first practise skills of dependence, such as learning to rely on others for help.

For many young adults, a natural developmental struggle occurs during adolescence between dependence and independence in social relationships. As they get older, teens begin to desire more independence from their parents while also seeking greater involvement in their peer relationships.

Although relying more on friends during the teen years is quite typical, doing so in certain situations can sometimes become problematic. For example, when teens begin turning to friends to help with serious problems, friends, though well-meaning, may not be the best sources of support.

This may be for the simple reason that teens’ friends are still exploring who they are and may not yet have the knowledge or experience to be as helpful as adults.

Friends may be better able to help with particular problems when they are, say, 18, as compared to when they are 13.

This idea was supported in research conducted by my colleagues and I that examined how willingness

Why children like repetition, and how it helps them learn

By Vanessa LoBue, PhD

“A to seek help from others during adolescence predicted later examples of adult independence behaviours.

In a sample of 184 teenagers studied over a period of 12 years, we found that not only who teens asked for help, but also when they asked were critical to understanding the teens’ independence in their mid-20s.

Teens’ willingness to ask for help

The study examined teens’ willingness to ask for help from three key relationship partners at three key time points: in early adolescence, late adolescence, and early adulthood. We examined their willingness to ask for help from their mothers at ages 13 and 18, their best friends at ages 13, 18, and 21, and their romantic partners at ages 18 and 21.

We found that teens who were more willing to ask for help from their mothers at age 13, their best friends at age 18, and their romantic partners at age 21, were all more likely to show evidence

of different types of independence behaviours at age 25.

The willingness to ask for help from these partners at these times predicted independence behaviours such as greater financial responsibility and success, current employment, and attaining a higher level of education.

Two psychological theories can help put these results into context. For example, attachment theory suggests that the ability to establish healthy dependence with a trusted person facilitates exploration of independence in the larger world.

Furthermore, focal theory suggests it is beneficial for teens to focus attention on different relationships at different ages, in part so that their psychological resources for managing relationships are not depleted by attempts to manage too many issues or relationships at one time.

Indeed, there is evidence that having an attachment figure who is able to provide support aids explora-

tion and independence both in childhood and adulthood, with parents, friends, and romantic partners typically serving as such attachment figures. Importantly, research has suggested that attachment may be transferred to different relationships across adolescence, from parents to peers, and then from peers to romantic partners as teens get older.

Thus, leaning first more on parents for help, then on friends, and then on romantic partners as teens get older makes sense when considering that these relationships are likely characterised by greater trust and intimacy at different points of adolescence.

Moreover, parents may be more helpful in earlier adolescence when they are more intimately involved in teens’ lives, but friends and romantic partners are more helpful at older ages when these partners have also acquired greater knowledge and experience to be supportive of teens in helpful ways. (psychologytoday.com)

gain!” My 4-yearold son Edwin likes to yell over and over again when he finds a new activity or joke that he likes. My 16-monthold, Charlie, likes to repeatedly throw objects on the floor from his high chair or even against the wall if it makes an interesting sound.

They both like to hear the same stories every night before bed, they like to eat the same foods for lunch, they like to play with the same toys and watch the same movies every day. When they find something they like, they want to do it over and over and over again.

Why do children like repetition so much? An early developing preference for the familiar is actually quite common in infancy and early childhood. These preferences begin to develop before a baby is even born – in the third trimester of pregnancy. At that point, foetuses can taste, smell, and hear, and as a result, at this time, they begin to develop preferences for familiar flavours from their mother’s food in the amniotic fluid that floats around them (Schaal, Marlier, & Soussignan, 2000; Menella, Jagnow, & Beauchamp, 2001). They also develop preferences for familiar sounds, like the sound of their mothers’ voice (Kisilvesky et al, 2003), their native language (Moon, Cooper, & Fifer, 1993), or even familiar stories that are read to them from outside the womb (DeCasper & Spence, 1986). This trend continues after they’re born, and only after a few hours of exposure, newborns develop a fast preference for their mother’s face (Field, Cohen, Garcia, & Greenberg, 1984).

Soon after, they develop preferences for faces in general (Johnson & Morton, 1991), all based on familiarity.

This preference for the familiar might be adaptive –creating an early affinity for the people that are most likely to take care of them.

So perhaps it’s not surprising that children like to read the same books, watch the same movies, and sing the same songs on repeat every day. In fact, there is evidence that this repetition might even support learn-

ing.

Not surprisingly, research has shown that children learn better from reading a book over and over again than just reading it once or twice. In one study, researchers presented three-year-old children with the same new words in three stories over the course of a week. The new words were exactly the same for all children, but half of the children were presented with the words in the same exact story repeated three times, while the others heard the same words in three different stories. Children learnt the words better when they heard the same story repeated than when they heard the same words presented in three different stories (Horst, Parsons, & Bryan, 2011).

The same trends have been found for babies. In a similar study, researchers presented 18- to 24-montholds with a storybook that detailed specific actions needed to make and shake a toy rattle. Infants were read the book either twice or four times, and the researchers found that the more the babies were read the book, the more they imitated the actions they learnt (Simcock & DeLoache, 2008). Repeated exposure to actions presented on television also leads to more frequent imitation (Barr, Muentener, Garcia, Fujimoto, & Chavez, 2007).

People often say that practice makes perfect.

Research certainly supports this, especially in children.

In fact, studies have shown that repetition can be critically important for learning in general (eg, Karpicke & Roediger, 2008) – especially for memory (Hintzman, 1976) and language learning (Schwab & Lew-Williams, 2016). So while adults can easily pick up new information from a single exposure, when kids ask to watch the same movie they’ve already seen a hundred times or read the same book before bed for the 10th night in a row, it might just be their way of learning the storyline. And although it might be boring or even annoying to do the same thing over and over and over (and over and over) again, this extra practice might be just what children need to learn new things. (psy-

chologytoday.com)

news

7

SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Adherence to Constitution, CCJ rulings

Opposition demands President’s resignation in formal letter ...calls for dissolution of Parliament, elections date President shall resign if the

I

The letter written by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to the President

n the wake of the coalition Government’s reluctance to dissolve Parliament and set an election date in accordance with the Constitution and recent court rulings, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has written President David Granger demanding his resignation.

In the letter, which was seen by this publication, the Opposition Leader reminds the President that since July 12, 2019, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) deliv-

ered its consequential orders in the matters of Zulkficar Mustapha v the AG and others, Christopher Ram v the AG and others, Bharrat Jagdeo v the AG and others and Charrandas Persaud v Compton Reid and others.

He listed several conditions for the President to accede to, including that the President and his Cabinet immediately resign and that the President issue a proclamation dissolving Parliament. He also called

for the President to fix a date for the next general and regional elections, not beyond September 18, 2019.

Jagdeo also reminded the President that CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders had said that when the No-Confidence Motion was passed on December 21, 2019, Article 106 of the Constitution had immediately been activated.

Article 106 (6) of the Constitution states: “The Cabinet including the

Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence”.

Meanwhile, Article 106 (7) states: “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election”.

Jagdeo also cited the Judge’s ruling, which states that there was no need for the Court to gloss over Article 106’s provisions but it is, in fact, the responsibility of the constitutional actors to be faithful to the rule of law and operate within parameters of the Constitution.

“Upon the passage of a vote of no confidence, the Article requires the resignation of the Cabinet including the President. The Article goes on to state, among other things, that notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and that an election shall be held within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine.”

Further, the CCJ President noted that with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) also

President David Granger

being responsible for the conduct that elections, it, therefore, means that the elections body “too must abide by the provisions of the Constitution”.

He went on to point out that elections should have been held on March 21, 2019, following the December passage of the Opposition sponsored motion but that process was on “pause” pending the legal proceedings. That process, he added, however, was no longer on pause following the Court’s June 18, 2019 ruling, which upheld the validity of the No-Confidence Motion and thus triggering the need for fresh elections.

This means that General and Regional Elections would have to be held on or before September 18, 2019, to be consistent with the three months’ constitutional deadline.

Pressure

This latest move from the parliamentary Opposition comes as pressure continues to mount on the Government to comply with the Constitution of Guyana.

Recently, representatives of the international community had urged the country’s political players to act swift-

Opposition Jagdeo

Leader

Bharrat

ly and in compliance with the Constitution, as ordered by the CCJ. In a joint statement issued last Monday, members of the diplomatic community in Guyana, including the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union, stated that they have taken note of the CCJ’s pronouncements on July 12.

They said it is important for the rule of law that all invoked actors abide by the CCJ’s ruling and the relevant provisions of the Constitution.

The diplomats furthered urged that this adherence be done expeditiously.

“The Caribbean Court of Justice – Guyana’s Supreme Court – has spoken. It is important for the rule of law that all invoked actors abide by its ruling and the relevant provisions of the Constitution. We urge everyone to do so expeditiously,” the diplomats said in the joint communique.

This follows statements issued by the Private Sector Commission (PSC), which also urged compliance with the Court and Constitution.

Dissolving Parliament is a necessary step before calling an election. But so far, the President has made no moves to do this.

8 news Hope looms for Region 5 RDC SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

…VC optimistic about ending impasse

V

ice Chairman of Region Five, Rian Pieters is optimistic that the current impasse which exists between the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the A Partnership

Chairman Vickchand Ramphal

for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition will be resolved very shortly.

The two sides are in disagreement over whether Ovid Morrison, who is

the Clerk of Council and also the Regional Executive Officer (REO), can perform the duties as Clerk outside of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

Additionally, the appointment of three new Councillors has caused the RDC to be at a standstill over the past three sittings.

According to Pieters, a mediation mechanism has been put in place which could result in the two sides reaching an agreement.

“I have spoken to the Chief Whips of both sides and at this point, at some [point], the issue will be resolved,” Pieters told reporters following Thursday’s RDC meeting which he was forced to adjourn.

When the May meeting was called to order, Chairman Vickchand Ramphal said he saw three persons at the horseshoe and was told that they were new Councillors who took the oath of office before

Travesty…

G Region Five Vice Chairman Rian Pieters

Morrison at a private ceremony.

Ramphal argued then that Morrison did not have the authority in his capacity as REO to perform the ceremony but Morrison and the coalition Councillors felt otherwise and supported Morrison’s walkout.

The three persons are Frank Wilson, Emerson Benjamin and Marian Fordyce who replaced Carol Joseph and Dolston Huston,

REO Ovid Morrison

who resigned, and Renie McCalmont, who never took her seat.

Pieters on Thursday acknowledged that independently, the RDC has been unable to resolve several issues.

“The one that would have caused today’s meeting to be adjourned, was the one that seems to suggest that the Councillors were not properly sworn in and then they were placed around this horseshoe, occupying positions as if elected members of the Regional Democratic Council. This is a clear contradiction of our legislation,” Pieters said, while adding that he wants the three persons to occupy their seats but it must be done legally.

“It is my view and my hope that the Clerk of Council will understand his role as it relates to his legal mandate to the Council.

It is the consul that makes the policies channels general direction and it is not the bureaucrats that direct the Council.”

He said that as an elected member of the Council, he will not condone any breach of the regulations which govern how individuals become Councillors.

He added that as Vice Chairman of the RDC, he remains committed to ensuring that the basic services are provided to all the people of the region.

“We are committed to development as residents of this region and as a region, we can only move forward by abiding by the regulations that would direct us along the path that we all want the follow.”

…by caretaker Granger ranger’s finally come out and revealed the method behind his seemingly obstreperous madness over the choosing of the new GECOM Chair. As is his wont, he didn’t have the gumption to address a media presser where he could’ve been grilled over the gaping holes in his “explanation”. Rather, he spoke to his simpering “Deputy Director of the Ministry of the Presidency’s Public Information and Press Service Unit” on his so-called “Public Interest Programme”, which, in the past had at least included some other ‘safe’ journalists.

Now, we all know the CCJ had called for a “consensual” process to effectuate the directive of Art 161 (2) to select a GECOM Chair: the President must pick from a list of six names “not unacceptable” to him submitted by the Opposition Leader. Now this process had worked just fine ever since 1992 on at least 3 occasions between the PPP and the PNC – until Granger rejected 3 lists of 6 names by Jagdeo to unilaterally appoint James Patterson.

Suspicions as to why he wanted his hand-picked nominee surfaced early in the day when he insisted the person HAD to be a judge. These suspicions were well confirmed subsequently. He wanted a “toothless poodle”, a la Burnham’s infamous Justice Bollers, to fiddle with the electoral process to guarantee his PNC-led Government’s return. The CCJ’s order for “consensualism” was directed to Granger to prevent him from acting unilaterally once again!!

The CCJ explicitly ordered him to provide reasons for rejecting candidates submitted by Jagdeo to show it wasn’t arbitrary, whimsical, and capricious just to make another unilateral appointment. The CCJ envisaged meetings between the two sides – especially with their principals, Granger and Jagdeo— to “hammer out” the “not unacceptable” names. Jagdeo, in his magnanimity, proposed that Granger could also suggest some names.

But this was just what Granger was waiting for – and it proved the maxim, “give them an inch and they’ll expect a mile”, was absolutely spot on!! He countered Jagdeo’s original resubmission of 11 names with eight names of his own – dominated by party loyalists. After two weeks of desultory meetings, he finally found 4 of Jagdeo’s names “not unacceptable” but then submitted 2 new names, which Jagdeo rejected and which made Granger reveal his true intentions.

To his captive media operatives, he railed about Jagdeo denying him “a role” in the selection process!! If he’d already found 4 of Jagdeo’s names “not unacceptable” why couldn’t he then select one of them from the list of six?? He’d be playing his role, wouldn’t he??

But noooo!! He wants to create his list and choose from it too!!

Unilateralism approved by the Opposition Leader!! He must think everyone’s stupid!! …of GECOM Institutions are centred on some value, which, in their operations, they seek to bring alive. The institution named GECOM’s role is described pithily on its website: “the entity that’s responsible for the administration and conduct of elections in Guyana”. Get that?? “The entity that’s responsible for the administration and conduct of elections in Guyana”, nothing more, nothing less.

It doesn’t set the date for elections as we explained yesterday – that’s the responsibility of the President, who must operate according to the very specific constitutional directives. As explained by their in-house counsel, they cannot aid and abet the President in flouting those constitutional directives; they’d also be in contempt once those directives were confirmed by a court.

GECOM has now embarked on H-t-H registration – ensuring that CCJ’s directive to the President that elections must be held 3 months after June 18, that is, Sept 18 will be flouted. The Opposition’s in a quandary on responding.

But that is because they’re trying to act within the law against folks who are breaking the law!

Ain’t gonna work!! …by Caricom If Caricom didn’t censure the PNC for violating all the norms of democracy for decades during the Burnham dictatorship, why expect them to act differently now?

It’s the same brotherhood of the skin – with oil now an additional incentive!

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

news

9

SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

President in Cuba for medical check-up P

resident David Granger has left the country for Cuba to do a medical checkup, leaving Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo in charge at a crucial time when negotiations are ongoing between himself and the Opposition to choose a Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman.

According to a statement from the Government, President Granger and his wife, First Lady Sandra Granger, flew out of the country on Saturday morning for a medical checkup at the Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirurgicas (CIMEQ) in Cuba, where he was being treated for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

This comes after his completion of radiotherapy back in April of this year.

The Head of State was diagnosed with the disease, a type of cancer which envelopes the lymphatic system back in October.

The Ministry of the Presidency in its brief statement revealed that his trip for the medical eval-

President David Granger

uation was scheduled by his doctors at the Centre.

Although no date was given by the Ministry, the President is expected to return to Guyana next week.

His last visit to Cuba was in April, which marked the completion of the radiotherapy that lasted almost three weeks. It was noted that there has been no

President’s interpretation of...

Initially, the Opposition Leader had presented 11 names to be “hammered out” by a working group comprising of representatives from both Government and the Opposition. These nominees were among the 18 rejected back in 2017 by President Granger, who had gone ahead and unilaterally appointed Justice Patterson as the GECOM Chair.

However, the CCJ on June 18, 2019, ruled that Justice Patterson’s appointment was flawed and unconstitutional. Days later, he stepped down, opening up the process for a new chairman to be appointed.

The Court had also urged that there be consensus between the two leaders in this process, resulting in the establishment of the working group. However, during a series of meetings last week, the President’s representatives shortlisted only five of the Opposition’s 11 nominees.

This resulted in a breakdown in those talks after the Government’s side could not say definitively whether those names shortlisted, as

from page 2

well as those suggested by President, are not objectionable to him.

The process was then referred back to the two political leaders, who met last Tuesday and agreed to continue the hammering out process with a smaller team.

That team met on Wednesday, during which the four of the Opposition’s new names were tabled.

Additionally, the Opposition, at the meeting, indicated that the President’s two suggestions of Attorney Kesaundra Alves and Justice Claudette La Bennet did not find favour with the Opposition Leader.

The two sides were supposed to meet the following day but that meeting is yet to happen.

Nevertheless, with two more spots available to complete a list of six nominees ‘not unacceptable” to the President, the PPP said they are willing to continue the hammering out process – something which the Head of State also committed to during the televised programme.

complication in this cycle of treatment and that the Head of State’s medical specialists are looking forward to his recovery and his return to normalcy.

Granger will, however, continue a schedule of medication prescribed by his

doctors who deemed it no longer necessary for him to continue chemo treatment.

On October 30, 2018, the President and First Lady Sandra Granger travelled to Cuba for him to undergo medical tests after he had complained of feeling unwell. Days later, he was diagnosed with cancer.

According to research, certain viral and bacterial infections appear to increase the risk of NonHodgkin's Lymphoma. A few symptoms include swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin, abdominal pain or swelling and chest pain, coughing or trouble breathing. It also results in unexplained weight loss, persistent fatigue and night sweats among others.

Constitutional crisis

The President’s latest visit comes at a time when a constitutional crisis beckons, after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled the no-confidence vote of December 21, 2019, as validly passed against his coa-

lition Government.

The CCJ had also ruled that the GECOM Chairman he unilaterally appointed back in 2017, retired Justice James Patterson, was unconstitutionally appointed.

This had forced Patterson to resign and the President and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, to negotiate with each other to appoint a new Chairman.

However, talks reached several tense moments that almost saw negotiations collapsing.

Jagdeo had submitted a list for GECOM Chairpersons that included retired Major General Joe Singh, who served as GECOM Chairman years ago; Environmentalist Annette Arjoon-Martins, retired Justice of Appeal BS Roy, businessman Captain Gerry Gouveia, Attorney-at-Law Kashir Khan, former Magistrate Krishnadatt Persaud, conflict resolution specialist Lawrence Latchmansingh; Retired Major General

Norman McLean, businessman Ramesh Dookhoo, retired Puisne Judge William Ramlall and Onesi La Fleur.

But in a turnaround, the President then submitted a list of nominees of his own that featured the return of former GECOM Chairman Patterson, in addition to retired Justice Claudette La Bennet, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Chairperson Kesaundra Alves, Stanley Moore, economist Aubrey Armstrong and former Solicitor General Kim Kyte.

The President also proposed known PNC-affiliates and businessmen Stanley Ming (a former PNC parliamentarian) and Kads Khan.

Alves and La Bennet were subsequently shortlisted by the President as persons he had no objections to. However, Jagdeo had rejected them and moved to put forward four more candidates in the hopes that they would have the President’s no objection.

It is at this critical stage that talks rest.

10 news American Chamber calls on Govt to respect CCJ, Constitution SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

…uncertainty has grave implications for investment – GCCI

T

he American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) are the two latest Private Sector bodies to join the call for the coalition Government to respect the rulings of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and adhere to the constitutional requirements following the successful passage of the December 21, 2018, NoConfidence Motion.

Ever since the Opposition tabled motion was successfully carried in the National Assembly some seven months ago, the proverbial constitutional scale has been unbalanced because of non-compliance with Article 106 of the Constitution. Initially, Government accepted defeat and promised to follow the law of the land but that position changed when questions were raised about whether the number of votes required to successfully pass the motion was achieved.

Chief Justice (ag), Roxanne George ruled that the motion was successfully carried but that was overturned when the Court of Appeal ruled, 2-1, that the motion was not carried since it required 34 of the 63 votes in the National Assembly.

However, the CCJ has since ruled that the motion was

successfully carried and the constitutional provisions should be adhered to.

The unilateral appointment of Justice James Patterson as Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission was also thrown out as being “flawed” and in violation of the Constitution by the CCJ. Since the CCJ issued its consequential orders on July 12, there has been much controversy on the Government’s approach on the way forward.

Integrity

In light of this, AMCHAM is urging all political actors to comply with the CCJ ruling in an effort to bring an early resolution to the consequential orders in keeping with the Constitution of Guyana.

The Chamber anticipates that this process will be expeditious and mirror democratic customs as was explicitly clear in the ruling of the Court as mandated by the relevant provisions of Guyana’s Constitution, which in effect ensures the maintenance of the rule of law which is critical for continued investor confidence in Guyana.

“AMCHAM also notes the obligations of the President of Guyana, the Leader of the Opposition and the Guyana Elections Commission to act with integrity and statesmanship in upholding the

Constitution and rule of law.

It is an opportune time for goodwill to prevail to unite all the people of Guyana towards a sustainable and economically prosperous Guyana,” the Chamber said in a statement.

Grave implications

Meanwhile, in a strongly worded statement, the GCCI said that it is cognisant of the current political climate and its impact on the business sector and Guyana as a whole. The GCCI said that uncertainty in the political arena has grave implications for investment, consumption and by extension, economic growth of the country. It added that businesses require certainty and stability in their external environment, which foster the confidence to invest. It went on to explain that it is the role of Government to provide a stable environment which is conducive to business.

Thus far, the Chamber believes it necessary to add its voice to the situation as the uncertainty about the next steps affects members and cause for concern have been invoked.

The GCCI sought to remind Government that they are in “caretaker” mode and adherence to the Constitution is imperative.

“The necessity of a fully functional Government with

the full confidence of its people is instrumental to a stable business climate, and as such, the GCCI urges that Article 106 (7), which states that elections must be held within 3 months of a successful No-Confidence Motion, be followed as is mandated by the Constitution. This is so clear and written in plain lan-

guage, that the President of the CCJ stated it needed no gloss,” GCCI said.

In relation to the swift appointment of a Chair for GECOM, the Private Sector body urged the President and the Leader of the Opposition to work together, through the constitutionally provided mechanism and in good faith.

GCCI said that the direction and flow of the process must be done in a manner that allows the Opposition Leader, as a constitutional post, to have input in the selection process. Otherwise, the input by the Opposition Leader would be to no effect, defeating the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.

8-hour power outages for Regions 3, 4 this week

M

aintenance by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) will result in an eight-hour power interruption across Georgetown and sections of Demerara from Tuesday until Saturday this week.

The utility company stated that the activity will commence on Tuesday, July 23, at Newtown, Kitty; Victoria to NootenZuil on the East Coast of Demerara and Timehri on the East Bank of Demerara.

On Wednesday, July 24, Canal Number Two Polder will see maintenance works, followed by Kitty on Thursday, July 25.

A large network from Leonora on the West Coast

of Demerara to Naamryck, East Bank Essequibo, will conclude these activities on Saturday, July 25.

Consumers were advised that the works will be under-

taken from 08:00h to 16:00h on each day mentioned.

Last month, the company had announced its intentions of buying power as they continued to suffer from the challenges of providing reliable electricity.

Chief Executive Officer

(CEO) of GPL, Albert Gordon had disclosed at a press conference that they are in talks with both Giftland and Banks DIH Limited to buy power from them to boost the capacity of the interconnected system. GPL was looking to source some five megawatts of electricity during peak hours from both entities.

At that time, additional pressure mounted when its submarine cable linking the Kingston and Vreed-en-Hoop stations developed technicalities and was de-energised. This affected distribution to the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS), resulting in power outages in a number of locations.

NEWS

11

SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

British envoy reiterates call for decriminalisation of attempted suicide …as media personnel sensitised on mental health reporting

The second coming – of the dictatorship

W

illiam Butler Yeats wrote his prophetic poem, “The Second Coming” in 1919, right after the end of WWI when the rise of Hitler and the rise of fascism were not even on the horizon. But he saw in the detritus of ‘the war to end all wars’ what lies ahead: “Turning and turning in the widening gyre, the falcon cannot hear the falconer. Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. The blooddimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere, the ceremony of innocence is drowned. The best lack all conviction, while the worst, are full of passionate intensity”.

Then, in his concluding lines he asked, “And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?” And this is the question that all Guyanese must ask today as we witness the PNC under David Granger blithely violating the clear orders of the highest appellate Court for Guyana, the CCJ, Ravi Dev that elections must be held three months after the successful passage of a No-Confidence Motion. The several levels of the Judiciary gave the PNC the benefit of the doubt that they were not just “trying a thing” with their mathematical concoction about the “majority” of 65. But on June 18, the last vestiges of doubt were removed when the CCJ announced the “pause” on the operationalisation of the NCM had ended; meaning that elections must be held by September 18, and Granger should have so proclaimed to comply with the Constitution.

For Granger to now continue with his most transparent ploy of falling back on GECOM to determine the date of the elections, by claiming that H-t-H registration is necessary for “credible” elections, is to add salt to the wounds he has inflicted on our Constitution. The CCJ expressed their incredulity to GECOM about this manoeuvre by asking what should they do with the Constitution of Guyana when the latter’s lawyer said that H-t-H would deliver a voters’ list on Christmas Day 2019. We do not need to rehearse the second prong of Granger’s charade to delay elections in contravention of the Constitution by insisting that the CCJ’s advice on a “consensual” process to replace his unilaterally-appointed Justice Patterson, means that his role is to propose names to the Opposition Leader.

Evidently, his constitutionally defined role to make the ultimate choice is not “sufficient”, and the Opposition Leader’s constitutionally defined role to submit the list is purely mechanical.

In our divided land of multiple cultures and religions, the “falconer” is our Constitution. It is the social contract we have worked out to control those who we choose to govern us – the Government, which is the “falcon”. When the falcon will not listen to the falconer, the centre cannot hold and anarchy will be loosened onto the land. Intimations of this eventuality abound, but we also have the experience of the post-1968 PNC. Not coincidentally, that “blood-dimmed tide” was also loosed with the PNC asserting control of the Elections Commission and compiling a list of electors with the first “H-t-H” registration.

The rigged elections of 1968, when horses and babies voted, were followed by the elections of 1973, where ballot boxes were collected at the point of GDF rifles. The elections of 1980 that the British Parliamentary Group described as “more crooked than barbed wire” and finally the elections of 1985 when Hoyte delivered unto himself an even larger majority than even Burnham had ever dared.

But the rigged elections are just book-ends of a reign of terror involving the physical violence of organised gangs like the House of Israel and “Kick down the door bandits” and the psychic violence of the pervasive lawlessness.

The latter arose from the cumulative effect of Burnham’s control, his arbitrariness, and his destruction of every independent institution in the country. It engendered amongst the people, first the Indians and towards the end the Africans, a feeling of helplessness – anomie – and a belief that nothing or no one could change the situation. The immiseration of the population further contributed to the atomisation. But in the end, the best did not lack conviction: the PPP under Cheddi Jagan kept the faith and Walter Rodney burst like a flare over Guyana We cannot allow the “worst” to now prevail with their “passionate intensity”.

B

ritish High Commissioner Greg Quinn has renewed calls in support for the decriminalisation of attempted suicide, as he shared the belief that it is not a criminal offence, but rather a cry for assistance.

This was divulged during a workshop organised for media personnel by the British High Commission in collaboration with the Guyana Press Association (GPA) and other contributing stakeholders.

He stated that suicide was removed from the list of criminal offences in England and Wales since 1961 and such actions should follow through for Guyana as well because it eliminates the stigma for surviving family members.

“Suicide here in Guyana needs to be decriminalised.

It needs to be taken off the criminal statute. It is no way a criminal offence…It was decriminalised in England and Wales in 1961 with the ap-

propriately named Suicide Act. What that fundamentally means is not only is the stigma removed from surviving family members, but also those why try and fail are no longer prosecuted…If you do, here in Guyana, you are and this we believe is fundamentally wrong. Trying to commit suicide is a clear statement of a need for help,” the High Commissioner shared.

Last October, UK consultant Peter Pursglove, who was here under the Support for the Criminal Justice System Programme (SCJSP), had proposed amendments for the decriminalisation of current offences and recommended alternatives to imprisonment in respect of certain summary offences, especially minor and non-violent crimes.

A statement from the Attorney General (AG) Chambers had indicated that crimes such as vagabondage, vagrancy, obeah, witchcraft,

roguery, criminal defamation and attempted suicide are decriminalised in other countries, and such changes have not impacted negatively on public safety.

However, it was not clear if public consultations would be carried out to determine whether or not to effect these legal changes.

The AG’s chambers had said these activities are intended to impact the Criminal Justice System by increasing the use of Alternative Sentencing. It was outlined that objectives would be achieved through both amendments to existing legislation and the drafting of entirely new legislation.

Sensitisation

Media operatives were briefed by several professionals who are versed in mental health and other correlated issues. As part of the training, they were exposed to several aspects of sensitive top-

ics— including suicide and incidents involving young children— which should be reported with caution.

According to Psychologist Raiza Khan, it is more than just the reporting of these offences. Families need counselling to heal from tragic experiences which are sometimes sensationalised for marketing. She advised that headlines should be worded in such a manner that it does not degrade victims and information within an article should not cause discomfort to readers. Journalists were recommended to place hotline numbers, statistics on the suicide rate, risk factors, and other research to spread positive data.

Stakeholders acknowledged the fact that the mental wellbeing of journalists are also affected by gruesome events since close attention is paid to details and interaction with bereaved family members.

12 news

SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Miners call for establishment Berbice butcher shot to foot by masked gunmen of Industrial Court

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he establishment of an industrial court here in Guyana to settle labour disputes have been long requested by Trade Unions and was even considered by Government last year but never materialised.

However, miners who are at the depths of their despair with workplace struggles for better wages are now strengthening these calls.

Several workers of the Aurora Gold Mines, owned

by Guyana Goldfields, who would have recently protested against their employer, told Guyana Times that an industrial court is desperately needed in Guyana to provide unbiased judgment. So far, negotiations between workers and companies have not produced fruitful results in their opinion.

One worker told this publication on Saturday, “At this time, we’re not treated fairly when the company decide what they want to give us and what they think is good enough.

There is not much the Labour Department could do because the company is the one with the higher hand. They employed us and they can hire new people. It is time for us to get a court that we can turn to when things are not going

Several workers of the Aurora Gold Mine, owned

by Guyana Goldfields, were on strike recently

right.”

Another worker contended that in their situation, workers have to wait for a long period of time before any significant changes are made.

“Right now, we just get out bonus and we don’t know if we are getting anything more for now. We as miners have to work in con-

ditions that are so bad and yet nothing is being done for us. The union could only do so much,” a worker told this publication.

Their representative, the National Mine Workers Union, which is yet to be officially recognised, have also shared the same position as the workers.

President of the Union,

Sherwayne Downer also explained to the Guyana Times that the mining industry is “drowning” with labour and other related issues. As such, an industrial court will alleviate these problems.

Back in December, Government was assessing the possibility of establishing a labour court in a bid to ensure quicker resolution of industrial disputes.

Recently, workers of AGM had downed their tools and initiated strike actions for two days after calls mounted for them to be officially represented by a union and other improved working conditions and wages.

After negotiations, a letter was issued to employees granting the second quarterly bonus of 7.6 per cent on July 25, while asserting that the formula for the next bonus will be reviewed.

The notice, seen by this publication, indicated that a Site Compensation Committee will be established by August 31, to review “compensation related issues including those related to contract employment”. By October, the final report will be produced. Contributions to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) will also be reviewed.

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Berbice butcher is now nursing a gunshot wound to his left foot after being ambushed by three masked gunmen at his home early Saturday morning.

Injured is Deochan Bookay of Lot 9 Lancaster Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

Reports are that at approximately 04:00h on Saturday morning, Bookay was in his yard and in the process of slaughtering sheep to sell when he noticed a group of men approaching him.

This newspaper was told that three males were dressed in dark clothing and had cloths tied around their faces. They were also brandishing guns which were all pointed in Bookay’s direction.

Guyana Times understands that a confrontation occurred between the butcher and the suspects, during which the gunmen fired shots in Bookay’s direction. Bookay was hit in his left foot and he fell to the ground. Because of the loud commotion, alerted neighbours rushed out as the gun-toting trio quickly made good their escape on foot.

Bookay was subsequently rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he was admitted for medical attention.

According to a Police

source, it is believed that the armed trio did not visit Bookay’s residence to execute a robbery.

“It seems as if there is some bad business deal or something of that nature because they did not demand anything from him or attempt to rob him or his house at any point. It could be that he knew them or at least why they came up to him. They did not kill him and apparently only fired shots after he and them had some kind of confrontation,” the source said.

Meanwhile, investigations into the shooting incident are ongoing while Police are on the hunt for the three perpetrators.

Just two months ago, a cattle farmer was admitted at the New Amsterdam Hospital after being shot twice at his Manchester, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) home.

Glenroy Collins, 27, was shot during a dispute over his cattle rearing in the suspect’s rice field, destroying thousands of dollars of rice. At the time of the incident, the suspect had been arrested by Police, who had been hunting for him; however, they had been unable to locate the weapon.

Earlier this year, several cattle were poisoned as rice farmers retaliated to the destruction of their crop by animals.

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SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Farmers Market App

Ministry seeking transportation for produce importance of the app, as she highlighted that some parts of the world are still struggling to produce their own food.

Further, she pointed out that the app will help farmers to properly choose a crop to plant based on the demands of the public, rather

than planting on presumptions.

This will reduce the occurrence of spoilage and more importantly, revenue loss.

Hughes had urged farmers to collaborate with each other on the initiative to supply the internation-

al market if their produce does not reach the required amount requested.

The new app, which is being welcomed by farmers and potential agriculturalists, was developed by 2017’s winner of the Ministry’s Hackathon, Innovative Systems.

GECOM executing unverified... from page 3

Disenfranchised

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he Telecommunications Ministry, through its Farmers Market App, is searching for persons with any type of vehicle, suitable for transporting goods, to express their interest in providing this service.

In a notice published in Guyana Times on Friday, the Ministry reminded that transportation services will be needed to supply both local and international markets with fresh fruits, vegetables, rice, seafood and even meats among other things.

As such, owners of aeroplanes, canters, refrigerat-

ed trucks, vans, or boats, heavy-duty cargo trucks, barges and tugs are needed to transport the items.

The app was launched on Tuesday to help farmers buy and sell produce.

Farmers will, however, have to be certified by the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) by proving their goods are of an exceptional standard.

A representative from the Agriculture Ministry explained that the farm certification means that the Agriculture Ministry, or NAREI, in particular, is providing the assurance

that the produce being exported or traded are of the highest quality.

This assurance also extends to the fact that the products would have passed through a certification programme that ensures that it is free from pests and diseases.

The representative explained that the Agriculture Ministry’s NAREI branch will be responsible for visiting farmers and advising them to ensure they meet the requirements for certification.

The Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes, pointed out the

The requirement for proof of residency has produced alarm for overseas-based Guyanese to the point where a court case was filed by an overseas-based Guyanese against House-toHouse Registration, on the basis that it would disenfranchise her.

In her court filings, Bibi Zeenatoun, a retired teacher and citizen of Guyana, had sought Writs of Prohibition and injunction and a conservatory order against GECOM. Her fixed date application explained that she worked in the United Kingdom from 1980 until her retirement in 2014. She then acquired property and maintained a residence in that country. Besides her citizenship, however, she has family ties to Guyana

that include an adult son and his two children.

According to the application, Zeenatoun “fears that she will be excluded from the proposed exercise of Houseto-House Registration and thereby, in effect, be de-registered and in consequence thereof, and she will be unlawfully denied her statutory and constitutional right to be registered and to vote”.

“The Applicant’s right to vote will and can be protected if the Respondents were to engage in Continuous Registration as provided for in Section 6 (1) of the National Registration Act Cap. 19:08,” the application advised.

Order

There has also been much debate on whether the exercise can go forward since the former Chairman,

who signed the order, retired Justice Patterson, was found by the Caribbean Court of Justice to have been unconstitutionally appointed.

Additionally, GECOM has said that House-toHouse Registration will take 90 days, further delaying elections that should have been held since March 21. But while GECOM has said that teams have been doubled to shorten the time of the activity, this publication observed a marked absence of enumerators in sections of the city on Saturday. There were, however, GECOM staff in several sections across the country including communities on the East Coast of Demerara, East Bank of Demerara, Berbice, Region Six; Essequibo Coast, Region Two.

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SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Choosing a fulfilling C'bean urged to enhance disease career in the surveillance in wake of WHO Ebola warning environmental arena

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he Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is urging regional countries to enhance disease surveillance at ports of entry and at health facilities following the categorisation of the current outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) as a public health emergency.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the current EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The declaration followed a meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee for EVD in the DRC. The Committee cited recent developments in the outbreak in making its recommendation, including the first confirmed case in

Health workers dressed in protective gear begin their shift at an Ebola treatment centre in Beni, DRC

Goma, a city of almost two million people on the border with Rwanda, and the gateway to the rest of DRC and the world.

While the WHO said that the risk remains very high at national and regional levels but still low at global level, newly appointed CARPHA executive

director, Dr. Joy St. John, is urging member states to enhance disease surveillance at ports of entry and at health facilities at this stage.

“It is important that the region takes on a proactive approach. Use this as an opportunity to review and strengthen your systems,”

she added.

CARPHA said that in keeping with the International Health Regulations, and the statement on the meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee for Ebola virus disease in the DRC on 17 July 2019, no country should close its borders or place any restrictions on travel and trade.

“Such measures are usually implemented out of fear and have no basis in science. They push the movement of people and goods to informal border crossings that are not monitored, thus increasing the chances of the spread of disease. Most critically, these restrictions can also compromise local economies and negatively affect response operations from a security and logistics perspective.” (CMC)

Tanker seizure: Jeremy Hunt urges Iran to release Stena Impero

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he Foreign Secretary has urged Iran to reverse its "illegal" seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf.

Jeremy Hunt said it "raises very serious questions" about the security of British and international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

An undated handout photo shows Stena Impero at Bandar Abbas port [Tasnim News Agency/Handout via Reuters]

It comes as Iran released new footage of the capture on Friday of the Stena Impero.

Tehran said the vessel was "violating international maritime rules".

Speaking after a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Hunt said Iran viewed this as a "tit-for-tat situation" following the detention of an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar.

But he said, "nothing could be further from the truth".

The Stena Impero's owners said they wanted access at the port of Bandar Abbas to the 23 crew members, who they said are in good health.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said it appears the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was "quite prepared to push this right up to the brink of a conflict, but probably stopping just short of it".

The Stena Impero was seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on Friday in a key shipping route in the Gulf.

Footage emerged on Saturday appearing to show the moment the tanker was raided.

It came after Royal Marines helped seize Iranian tanker Grace 1 off Gibraltar earlier this month, because of evidence it was carrying oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.

Abbasali Kadkhodaei, spokesman of the State watchdog the Guardian Council, said on Twitter that "the law of retaliation is a recognised concept in international law" shortly after the ship's seizure was announced.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

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ore and more, the environment is rapidly becoming a “hot topic”. With so many changes happening on Guyana’s environmental landscape, undoubtedly, there is a greater need, now more than ever, to increase your knowledge in this field.

Further, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to encourage you to do more than just read literature surrounding issues affecting the environment, and rather, become part of the solution.

With all the national examinations completed and some students still awaiting their final results, many are probably somewhat indecisive on a next step to either propel in their professional or academic career.

The EPA wishes to encourage you to consider an exciting and fulfilling career in environmental field. Here are a few questions to consider before you jump in: * Do you love the outdoors? * Are you concerned about the state of the environment? * Do you long to make a difference in the world?

If your answers to these questions are yes, then pursuing an environmental career may just be ideal for you!

The environment field is wide and involves Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Law, Education, Research, Geography, Agriculture, Engineering, etc. While all of these disciplines may link to the environment, each has its own unique content and skills.

Let’s take a look at some types of jobs in the environmental field that are possible for persons studying various disciplines. * Physics and Chemistry: These persons can be involved in identifying chemical or industrial pollution problems and their solutions. * Biology: There is much scope for these persons to focus on methods to protect, conserve, and manage animals and plants (life). A Biologist studies the underlying principles which govern life on earth. * Engineers: Such persons fit in well with jobs that involve waste management, environmental infrastructure and technology, building design and construction and emergency response. With the oil and gas prospects being high, engineers with various areas of specialty will be needed. * Health and Computer Science: Graduates in these disciplines can occupy jobs in environment such as record keeping and reporting, internet and web designs, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), public health and sanitation and education. * Environmental Education: Working in this field will equip you with the skills to design and developed programmes to aid awareness building to influence attitudes and change behaviour of people everywhere.

Special skills needed While it is possible for persons to enter the environmental field through various disciplines, becoming an advanced environmental professional usually makes it necessary to pursue higher studies with an environmental focus, that is, hydrology, environmental chemistry, geo-physics, environmental engineering, petroleum engineering, environmental and public health, environmental science, environment education, etc. There are also many fields of study that have evolved to address specific needs in the environmental field. These include environmental management, wildlife management, protected areas management, biodiversity conservation, etc.

Environmental professionals work in offices, on oil rigs, shore base services, laboratories, outdoors in the field, etc. In our country, environmental professionals travel throughout country to monitor the environment, conduct research, evaluate developmental activities and educate and inform people about environmental conservation and management. To function in the field of environment, it is important to have an understanding of the physical sciences and the biological sciences and how these affect the environment.

Interpersonal skills Becoming an environmental professional is not only about academics. Persons aiming to work in the environment field need to have or develop their interpersonal skills. This is important for working with other people to resolve issues and obtain consensus on laws and practices that safeguard the environment and human health.

Reporting and presentation skills are also essential to explain research findings; so are oral and writing skills. Computer literacy is also a requisite skill for studying the environment as models are now being used to study and predict impacts on the environment influenced by man or nature.

To prepare yourself for an environmental career, you can start taking an interest in science, mathematics, and computer science.

You can also get familiar with topics such as rocks, the earth, and the environment. Reading books about these subjects and watching videos and documentaries on environmental issues, nature, science, among others is also recommended.

We hope this week’s article provided that “light-bulb” moment to get you on the right track to pursuing a career in the environmental sector. It’s never too early or late to plan for your future.

You can make contact to the Agency on 225-5471-2; www. epaguyana.org or epaguyana on Facebook, Ganges Street, Sophia, Georgetown should you have questions regarding Environmental Authorisation

15 Teens urged to take suicide prevention seriously A news

SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

An analysis of Government’s revenue & expenditure for the periods 2011-14 & 2015-18

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oday’s article extends on the analysis presented in a previous article which was carried on July 7, 2019, titled “Contextualising 2018’s End Year Performance – Further Insights”, by this analyst. In today’s analysis, the author seeks to endeavour in a more comprehensive analysis of Government revenue and expenditure over the last eightyear period, aggregated and compared as two periods of four years each – for simplicity in the presentation. Space, however, precludes a detailed analysis in a single article and, thus, this article shall be continued in next week’s edition.

Source: Extrapolated from Bank of Guyana Annual Reports, Budget Speeches & End Year Outcome Reports by Ministry of Finance.

For the period 2015 –18, Government total revenue amounted to $751 billion which increased by $217.6 billion or 41 per cent from $533.4 billion in the corresponding period of 2011-14. This increase can be explained by increases in the level of taxation rather than increases in a more broadbased tax system. Total expenditure increased by $210 billion over the period 2015-2018 from $680 billion in the corresponding period of 2011-14, representing an increase of 31 per cent; while current expenditure increased by $228 billion for the period 2015-18 or 48.3 per cent from $472 billion in the period 2011-14.

On the other hand, allocation of expenditure for infrastructure and construction projects which include the rehabilitation, maintenance and construction of roads, bridges, stellings, education infrastructure, health and security infrastructure, Information and Communications (ICT) infrastructure, and hinterland roads and other infrastructure, increased by 49 per cent or $115 billion to $350 billion for the period 2015-18, relative to the corresponding period 2011-14.

Interestingly, however, while Government current or consumption expenditure for the period 2015-2018 increased by a whopping 48 per cent when compared to the previous four years period, capital expenditure for the period 2015-18 actually fell by 8.65 per cent or $18 billion relative to the period 2011-14.

Government expenditure is often divided into three main types: (1) current expenditure or government final consumption expenditure. This category of expenditure include goods and services for current use to directly satisfy individual or collective needs of the members of the community. (2) Capital expenditure of fixed capital expenditure (or government investment) include government spending on goods and services intended to create future benefits, such as infrastructure investment in transport (roads, rail, airports), health (water collection and distribution, sewage systems, information communications technology, and research spending). (3) Transfer payments – spending that does not involve transactions of goods and services, but instead represent transfers of money such as social security payments, pensions and unemployment benefits.

As mentioned earlier, this analysis will be continued in the forthcoming weeks in order to present a thorough analysis.

(For comments, questions and responses on articles featured in this column, readers can reach the author at jbinsights@outlook.com).

suicide symposium aimed at educating a mass of teens on factors leading to suicidal tendencies and suicide prevention was hosted by the Guyana Learning Institute (GLI) on Saturday.

Dozens of youths and young adults turned up at the Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) building, Kingston, Georgetown, where the one-day session was hosted. Facilitators of the symposium included former Programme Manager of the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS) Dr Shanti Singh and current students of the tertiary institution.

Speaking more about the symposium, Principal of the GLI Ganga Persaud briefly explained that the programme was planned and executed as part of a footprint project for the 12th batch of students at the institution.

On that note, he underscored that the event was aimed at educating and fostering cohesion among teenagers in suicide prevention.

Some of the participants at the symposium hosted by the Guyana Learning Institute

In addition, Dr Shanti Singh briefly elaborated on the areas that would be covered in her presentation at the symposium during a quick interview with this publication, some of these included: factors that lead to suicide and ways of addressing and preventing suicide as well as those who are affected.

“My task is to work with them so that there can be increased knowledge and un-

derstanding of factors that lead to suicide…there are some of the myths that you need to be very much aware of and be able to dispel. I think importantly, that it’s some of the myths that we don’t recognise and we take things for granted,” Dr Singh posited.

During a highly interactive session, the participants at the symposium were urged as teenagers to take their roles seriously in

helping to prevent the widespread social issue, as they were involved in both group and individual presentations focusing on their views on suicide as teenagers.

The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) conducted a study in 2017, which found that the leading cause of death was suicide among persons between the ages of 15 to 24 years old, while most of the victims are male.

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SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

2 arrested for beating fisherman to death …cops hunting for 3 others – Police

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wo men have been arrested for beating to death 20-year-old fisherman Alvin Seenarine, and seriously injuring his brother at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

This is according to Crime Chief (ag) Michael Kingston, who confirmed to Guyana Times on Saturday that the two suspects are currently in the lock-ups as the probe continues.

Kingston said that the police are also hunting for three other individuals who are linked to the beatings/ murder.

Alvin also called “Chockoloo”, of Lot 820 G Zeelugt North, EBE, along with his brother, Devendra, had visited a relative’s home located in the same village and were reported to have

Crime Chief (ag) Michael Kingston

been imbibing alcohol. The brothers left at about 22:45h but shortly afterwards, residents in the area said that they heard a loud commotion and rushed to investigate.

One resident relat-

ed that it was noticed that three men armed with instruments were beating Devendra, who is presently at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) battling for his life.

The other brother, Alvin, was discovered in a motionless state a short distance away from his injured brother with multiple wounds about his body.

Residents picked up Alvin along with his brother and transported them to the Leonora Cottage Hospital.

However, by the time the two brothers arrived at the hospital, one was already dead.

Alvin was pronounced dead on arrival while his brother was immediately admitted for emergency medical treatment.

As a result of the severity of his injuries, Devendra was subsequently transferred to the WDRH for fur-

ther treatment where he was admitted. There he remains, up to press time, in a serious condition.

The matter was then reported to the police who immediately began hunting for the three alleged assailants.

Fatal accident

Intoxicated GDF rank still to be charged

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ore than one month has passed since 57-year-old pedal cyclist Ramlackhan (only name given), succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after being struck down by an intoxicated Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rank but charges are yet to be laid against the military official.

Deputy Police Commissioner and Traffic Chief, Linden Isles told Guyana Times on Saturday that “a complete file” on this matter was sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and that the police are awaiting advice.

Initially, advice was sought about driving under the influence since Ramlackhan was unconscious, however, the pedal cyclist succumbed without regaining consciousness and this caused the investigation

to take a different route.

“It was a serious accident that turned into a fatal accident. So at that time [and until now], he was released in the custody of the Army. Now the investigation is continuing because it was a serious accident initially and so we now have to investigate a fatal accident,” the Traffic Chief had told this publication.

At that time, he had also stated that the DUI charge, as well as others that may be laid against the army rank, will be done altogether.

“After the man would have passed away, there are certain systems that have to be followed,” he had further stated.

On May 25 last, Ramlackhan was struck down along the Vryheid’s Lust Railway Embankment Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD), by motorcar PRR 7815 allegedly being driven by the soldier. The severely injured man is said to hail

from Lot 346 Martyrs Ville, Mon Repos, ECD. At the time of the accident, Ramlackhan was towing another friend, who is reportedly from Sixth Street, Success, ECD. His friend suffered minor injuries.

Reports are that on the day in question, the duo was riding along the roadway when they were hit off the bicycle by the vehicle being driven by the GDF rank, who was reportedly under the influence of alcohol.

Ramlackhan was picked up and taken to the GPHC, where he was admitted a patient.

A breathalyser test was conducted on the driver of the vehicle, and it was discovered that his alcohol intake was above the legal limit. While Ramlackhan was in a coma at the GPHC, the soldier, who was allegedly driving the car involved in the accident, was released into the custody of the Army.

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SUnDAY, JUly 21, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Burning welder’s body

Sawmill owner, employees in hot water …body burnt after cop left crime scene for assistance – Crime Chief

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well-known sawmill owner from Corentyne, Berbice, along with some of his employees could face jail time for perverting the course of justice among other charges related to the burning of a welder’s body to ashes before Police could investigate his death.

The dead man, Yogindra “Steve” Ramkarran, was employed at a sawmill and is said to have mysteriously died about 100 feet from the camp he was employed at in Berbice on July 4, 2019, but his co-workers burnt his body after allegedly being instructed to do so by their boss.

However, their employer continues to deny the allegations.

Crime Chief (ag), Senior Superintendent, Michael Kingston in a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Saturday stated that when the police received a report about Ramkarran’s demise, a rank was dispatched to investigate.

However, due to the distance of the crime scene, it took some time for him to arrive at that location.

Kingston explained that

when the officer arrived, he found a decomposed body, which he was told was that of Ramkarran’s.

“Indeed the body had begun to decompose. So the police left to go and get assistance and when he returned with the assistance, that is what they had done [burn the body]. The police had no involvement in the burning of that body, none at all, the men in [the] workplace said they were acting on the instruction of their employer [in burning the body] but he denied this,” the acting Crime Chief said.

As a result of this, the workers who burnt the body, along with their employer, were arrested and held for the mandatory 72-hour holding period as investigations were underway.

However, according to the Crime Chief (ag), this case is a “bizarre” one and, therefore, legal advice is necessary on the way forward.

“We have to seek legal advice. It is a matter of, it is one of these strange matters that we never really had to deal with before, so we had to seek legal advice. The file is presently with the legal adviser at the Director of

Public Prosecutor’s chambers,” he said.

Testing on bone sample

He stated that although it has been alleged that the ashes from the decomposed body belong to Ramkarran, the necessary testing needs to be conducted, for confirmation.

According to the acting Crime Chief, samples of the remains will be tested at the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) to confirm the identity.

“We had a crime scene team that went up into the area, we took whatever bone sample was there and samples were also taken from the relatives. That is basically for DNA purposes, we will utilise the services of the [GFSL] lab unless they tell us that they are incapable. But for now, we will utilise the services of the lab and a file has already been compiled and sent for legal advice on this matter.”

Meanwhile, according to a senior officer close to this case, there is at least one charge that the employer and co-workers of Ramkarran can face, if indeed it is his ashes and bone sample that was recovered.

“There is a charge such as disposing of a body… disposing of a body other than in the rightful means or charged of disposing of a body than the prescribed way, I believe it is,” the source said.

Thirty-four-year-old welder, Ramkarran of Number 72 Village, Berbice, was discovered dead by his colleagues about 100 feet from the camp he was employed at in Berbice on July 4, 2019, but it is unclear as to what led to his demise.

According to another senior police source close to the investigation, Ramkarran was allegedly consuming alcohol at a shop a short distance away from the camp on July 3 and after the business closed, he left to return to the camp.

However, he was not seen again until his co-workers found his body the following morning.

Meanwhile, the now dead man’s sister, Somwattie, told Guyana Times earlier this month that at that time

Yogindra “Steve” Ramkarran

of her brother’s death, her other siblings were clueless about the entire situation.

“My husband called the sawmill where Steve was employed at and the owner told him that Steve died and that they are making preparation to bring his body out from river.”

However, the distraught woman had stated that

three individuals, who worked at the sawmill, arrived at her residence a few days later and related to her family that her brother’s body was decomposed and could not be removed from the location where it had been found and as such, it was cremated.

Police are continuing their investigation.

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SUnDAY, juLY 21, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

Sections of Georgetown zoo to be rehabilitated

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he Guyana Zoological Park, located within the Botanical Gardens, will experience a long-awaited rehabilitation. This was announced by the Department of Environment, Ministry of the Presidency.

In a notice published in the newspaper on Friday, the National Parks Commission, which falls under the Department of Environment, invited bids for the “execution of the rehabilitation of enclosures and exhibits for birds” within the park.

Bids for the project will be read on Tuesday, August 13, 2019.

The announcement of this rehabilitation falls in the face of a previous disclosure made by former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, who had the responsibility for Guyana’s tourism to construct a safari-type facility for the remaining animals.

The zoo, which was formerly one of the most exciting places to visit as a child, has deteriorated over the years to become a habitat for birds and some reptiles.

With the number of animals in the “once magical” destination dwindling, the former Business Minister told this newspaper back in

An empty cage at the Zoo

March that plans were in the making for a better zoological park.

According to him, the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) was considering a safari-type zoo.

“We would like to be able to showcase some of our wildlife, but in conditions that are internationally acceptable. If that means moving the zoo to somewhere where there is more space or having a more safari-type facility, then so be it, but I am not sure what the long-term plan is, I only know that it is being looked at and that there are regulations specifically dealing with zoological parks”.

The former Minister said

although the Government is considering moving the zoo, no new location has been identified to his knowledge.

The former Minister would only say, “I know that there are plans to do some, well to implement, some new regulations concerning the treatment of wildlife, as well as how zoos or a whole set of regulations for zoos and a few other areas related to wildlife activities”.

He added, “All I know is that it is modern regulations and it is designed to really change the way we do things when it comes to the zoo. I’m not even sure whether the zoo, as it is, is going to continue or how it is going to be operated after the regulations take effect”.

The zoo officially opened

Camille’s Academy hosts fitness expo to promote health significance among students

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amille’s Academy in collaboration with Action Invest Caribbean Incorporated, on Saturday hosted its inaugural fitness expo and health fair event, with the sole aim of fostering both physical and mental fitness among students so as to boost academic achievements.

Being the first of its kind, the event saw the attendance of members from the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GABBFF), Soca sensation and fitness instructor, Vanilla among other persons.

Managing Director of Camille’s Academy, Camille Deokie

Representative and business coach of Action Invest, Keon Smith in speaking with Guyana Times, expounded that the partnership event

Some of the items on display at the fitness expo

takes on a more fun-oriented approach towards education and the schooling environment, but at the same time teaches students the importance of physical health.

“What we’ve decided to do is to build a holistic schooling environment for the young and the future leaders of Guyana. This fitness expo is one of the first and its gonna be an annual event that we’re gonna use to showcase not only the fitness aspect of the students but also on display [are] their academic achievements…and is looking to create different ways to make education fun,” Smith asserted.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of the institution, Camille Deokie in brief comments on the event, posited that improvements to oneself begin with a healthy lifestyle, and this is the backdrop for which the event is

hosted.

“A lot of studies would’ve revealed that once kids live healthier they will be smarter, so for me, directly and indirectly, will improve lives… it will even impact of academic results and people’s lifestyles in general and all the ambassadors today is basically with one mindset and that is if we really want to improve our results we have to go healthier” the Director asserted.

Parents and students came out in numbers at the event, to enjoy organised activities including an official marching exercise, an award ceremony, a fitness competition which is built around the normal exercises covered in the subject of physical education (PE), all of which complemented the items on exhibition at the booths in the areas of cohesion, environmental health as well as tourism.

its gates to the public back in 1952. Its grounds have been used as the Botanical Gardens since 1895.

The filled cages with harpy eagles and hungry lions once managed to transform a child’s face in seconds from being excited when the eagles flew around to say hello, to afraid when the lions roared to ask for some food.

Instead, when Guyana Times visited the zoo recently, the dull environment merely had a few birds, exotic cats, including the Jaguar and about two others. Huge snakes, caimans, turtles, and monkeys were among the few animals that could have been seen.

Over at the petting zoo within the park were a few donkeys, turtles, and goats along with a few disappointed children, who never even bothered to touch the animals.

“I don't have words”– Boss of torched Japan animation studio mourns bright, young staff

M

any victims of an arson attack on a Japanese animation studio were young with bright futures, some joining only in April, the shaken company President said on Saturday, as the death toll climbed to 34.

Thursday’s attack on Kyoto Animation, well known for its television series and movies, was the worst mass killing in two decades in a country with one of the world’s lowest crime rates.

It was all the more poignant because of the young age of many of the victims when Japan has one of the world’s oldest populations.

Many of the victims were young women, company President Hideaki Hatta said.

“People who had a promising future lost their lives.

I don’t know what to say.

Rather than feeling anger, I

just don’t have words,” Hatta said.

Authorities on Saturday issued an arrest warrant for 41-year-old Shinji Aoba on suspicion of arson and murder, NHK said.

Police have confirmed Aoba’s identity and said he was previously convicted of robbing a shop. They plan to arrest him once he recovers from heavy burns, NHK said.

He was earlier airlifted to a university hospital in nearby Osaka.

Aoba went to the studio on Thursday morning, poured fuel around the entrance and shouted “Die” as he set the building ablaze, according to NHK. He told Police he had done it because the studio had plagiarised his novel, Kyodo news reported. Hatta said he had not seen any correspondence from the suspect and had no idea of the plagiarism claim. (Excerpt from Reuters)

sunDAY, july 21, 2019

19

Tour de France 2019: Dhoni pulls out of Windies Pinot wins stage 14 as tour to serve in army M Thomas loses time D

efending champion Geraint Thomas lost more time to Tour de France leader Julian Alaphilippe as Thibaut Pinot won stage 14 on the Col du Tourmalet.

Britain’s Thomas was dropped by the lead group with around 1km to go before Frenchman Alaphilippe crossed the line six seconds after compatriot Pinot.

Thomas stays second overall, but is now two minutes and two seconds behind Alaphilippe with seven stages left.

Adam Yates also lost time, to slip out of contention for a top-10 finish.

A short but brutal stage delivered all the anticipated drama and was decided at the end of a 19km climb up to the finish line on the summit of Tourmalet, one of the Tour’s most iconic mountains.

It was seen a true test of Alaphilippe’s credentials as a Tour winner and, just as in Friday’s time trial, he exceeded expectations and extended his lead.

After the last escapee from an early breakaway was reeled in halfway up the final ascent, the contenders for the general classification fought it out for the stage win.

Alaphilippe was initially content to stay on Thomas’s wheel as the lead group was slowly whittled down to fewer than a dozen riders.

The 27-year-old, seeking to become the first home winner of the Tour since Bernard Hinault in 1985, has no pedigree in the high mountains but again showed his strength and character in the toughest conditions.

While Thomas cracked and eventually finished eighth, Alaphilippe crossed the line in second place to earn a time bonus that sees his overall advantage over the Welshman increase by 36 seconds.

With more mountain stages to

Stage 14 result 1. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) 3 hrs 10 mins 20 secs 2. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/DeceuninckQuick Step) +6secs 3. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) same time 4. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger/BoraHansgrohe) +8secs 5. Egan Bernal (Col/Team Ineos) same time 6. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +14secs 7. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education First) +30secs 8. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Ineos) +36secs 9. Warren Barguil (Fra/Arkea Samsic) +38secs 10. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana Pro Team) +53secs

come in the final week of the race, Thomas is not yet out of contention for the yellow jersey but also faces a fight for a podium finish.

Steven Kruijswijk, who finished third on Saturday in the same time as Alaphilippe, is now only 12 seconds behind the Welshman.

Thomas’s Team Ineos team-mate Egan Bernal, Germany’s Emanuel Buchmann and Pinot have also moved to within 70 seconds of the Welshman overall.

Britain’s Adam Yates started the day in 10th place but his hopes of mounting a strong challenge are over after he was dropped early on Tourmalet, eventually finishing more than six-and-a-half minutes after Pinot.

Yates falls to 18th, but he was not the only rider to suffer damaging losses on the final climb of the day.

Colombia’s Nairo Quintana also fell off the pace before the finish and drops from ninth to 14th, while Ireland’s Dan Martin went from 11th to 16th.

(BBC Sport)

ahendra Singh Dhoni has opted out of India’s tour of West Indies as the selectors embark on their search for his successor once the long-serving wicketkeeper-batsman hangs up his boots for good.

Dhoni is an honorary lieutenant colonel in India’s territorial army and has pulled out of the tour to serve his regiment, according to a Press Trust of India report carried by local media. “Dhoni has made himself unavailable for the tour of West Indies as he will be spending two months with his paramilitary regiment,” the report quoted an unidentified Indian cricket board (BCCI) source as saying. Finding a replacement for Dhoni will top the agenda when India’s selectors meet in Mumbai on Sunday to pick the squad for the tour of West Indies. Dhoni, who turned 38 this month during the Cricket World Cup, enjoys cult status in the cricket-mad country after he captained the side to the World Twenty20 title in 2007 and their second 50over World Cup title in 2011 at home. The veteran of 350 one-dayers, however, has been the subject of intense speculation on his retirement from international cricket over the past few days since India’s semi-final exit from the World Cup. Dhoni, who quit playing tests at the end of 2014, has not provided even a hint of what his plans are but he enjoys unwavering support from India captain Virat Kohli who has publicly backed him on numerous occasions. “He is not retiring from cricket right now. He is taking a two month sabbatical to serve his paramilitary regiment which he had committed much earlier,” the BCCI official said. Widely considered as the best ‘finisher’ in contemporary cricket, Dhoni has recently struggled to start his innings while his ability to put bowlers to the sword at the end has also been on the wane. Dhoni’s glovework, however, still remains top class and questions have been raised by former cricketers, pundits and local media if it was the right time for him to step away and help India groom his successor. The next 50-over

MS Dhoni

World Cup is still four years away but the World Twenty20 will be held in 2020, leaving chief selector MSK Prasad and his colleagues to plan for the tournament in Australia. India will play three T20s, three ODIs and two tests in the Caribbean and the tour will provide the opportunity for the selectors to also test the fringe players while resting some who play all three formats for the team. The team have also failed to nail down the number four batting position in the limited overs sides, something that hurt them during the World Cup, and a new set of batsmen are expected to audition for the spot. All-rounder Vijay Shankar, who was initially given the nod, left the World Cup through injury while KL Rahul had to move up to open the innings when Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out with a fractured thumb. India’s test wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, the favourite to fill in Dhoni’s shoes in the limited overs formats, slotted into the role during the latter stages of the World Cup, while Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill are also in the mix.

(Reuters)

Romelu Lukaku: Man Utd reject £54M Inter Milan bid M

France’s Thibaut Pinot celebrates as he crosses the finish line on the Tourmalet (Thibault Camus/AP)

General classification after stage 14 1. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Deceuninck Quick-Step) 56hrs 11min 29secs 2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Ineos) +2min 2secs 3. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +2mins 14secs 4. Egan Bernal (Col/Team Ineos) +3mins 5. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger/BoraHansgrohe) +3mins 12secs 6. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +3mins 12secs 7. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education First) +4mins 24secs 8. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana Pro Team) +5mins 22secs 9. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +5mins 27secs 10. Enric Mas (Spa/Deceuninck QuickStep) +5mins 38secs

anchester United have rejected a 60m euro (£53.9m) bid from Inter Milan for striker Romelu Lukaku.

The bid falls well below United’s valuation of the 26-year-old Belgium international, who joined them from Everton two years ago for £75mM Lukaku sat out Saturday’s pre-season victory over Inter, whose m a n a g e r Antonio Conte reiterated that the striker remains his number one target.

“I consider him a player who could improve our team,” the Inter boss said.

“On one side it is my hope and my will, on my other side we will see what we find with

the club.

“It’s not right to speak about the player in this moment because he is a Manchester United player and for this reason we must show great respect for the club and at the same time for the player and for my players.”

On Friday, Conte admitted he had tried to sign Lukaku while manager at Chelsea [ f r o m 2016 to 2018].

“You know I like t h i s player,” he added.

Inter’s move for the Belgian is thought to hinge on

the future of Mauro Icardi, who has not travelled on the club’s pre-season tour of Asia amid reports he is to leave.

When asked about the Argentina striker, Conte replied: “The club was very clear that Icardi is out of Inter’s project. This is the reality.”

Lukaku missed both of United’s tour matches in Australia because of injury before also sitting out Saturday’s match in Singapore.

“If you’re a player and don’t manage to train for a week and he’s missed three games now I think he’ll be concerned,” said Solskjaer.

“He’s working to get back on the pitch and let’s see how long that takes. It’s his ankle.

“I think we have done really well without Romelu but we all know he’s one of the top, top strikers in the world.” (BBC Sport)

20 NBA notebook: Harden withdraws from FIBA World Cup

guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, july 21, 2019

H

ouston Rockets star guard James Harden has withdrawn from playing for USA Basketball in the FIBA World Cup in China, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Harden has informed coach Gregg Popovich that he won’t be participating, according to the report. The event runs Aug. 31-Sept. 15.

Harden is electing to focus on the Rockets and plans to use the time to adapt to playing with new backcourt mate Russell Westbrook.

Harden is the second NBA star to pull out in recent days. Los Angeles Lakers power forward Anthony Davis reportedly withdrew last week.

—The Indiana Pacers added more guard help in

the wake of Darren Collison’s recent retirement, signing a one-year, $4.8 million deal with free-agent guard Justin Holiday.

The move unites Holiday with brother Aaron, who figures to see his responsibilities at point guard increase in his second NBA season. The two are also brothers of veteran New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday.

Justin Holiday, 30, averaged 10.5 points and had 3.9 rebounds in 82 games (77 starts) for the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies last season. The Bulls traded him to Memphis in January.

—Former Duke and WNBA player Lindsey Harding has been hired by the Sacramento Kings as an

assistant coach.

Most recently a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers beginning in April, Harding was the first black woman to become a full-time NBA scout when the Sixers hired her before the 2018-19 season.

Other female coaches in the NBA include Kara Lawson of the Boston Celtics, Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Spurs, Jenny Boucek of the Dallas Mavericks and Lindsay Gottlieb of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

—The Toronto Raptors announced the signing of guard Matt Thomas, a move that had been in the works for weeks.

Thomas, who played college ball at Iowa State, spent the last two seasons

playing professionally in Spain.

The deal is reportedly for three years, though official terms were not disclosed.

—Tommy Sheppard will have the interim title pulled off and be named general manager of the Washington Wizards, the Washington Post reported.

Sheppard, who joined the organization in 1994, has been serving as the interim general manager since Ernie Grunfeld was fired in early April.

Sheppard was the team’s senior vice president of basketball operations for most of the 2018-19 campaign. He handled the salary cap and contract negotiations while in that role. (Reuters)

NBA player James Harden of the Houston Rockets attends a promotional event in Taipei, Taiwan (Reuters)

ExxonMobil Schools Football tournament…

New Campbellville, East Ruimveldt are female finalists

N

ew Campbellville Secondary will face East Ruimveldt in the final of the female leg of the 2019 ExxonMobil Schools Under-14 Football tournament.

During Saturday’s semi-finals, New Campbellville relied on their skills to defeat Charlestown 3–2.

During the first half of play, the eventual victor led the action for most of the match, scoring goals compliments of Breanna Solomon in the 17th and 25th minutes.

However, Shania East gave Charlestown new life when she scored in the 39th minute, but Shoiana Adams scored in the 45th to quickly restore the two-goal advantage. Five minutes later, East narrowed the margin to one goal, but the equalizer remained elusive, thus New Campbellville become a

finalist.

In the other game, it was easy sailing for East Ruimveldt, who breezed by Tucville 2-0.

Keasha Jones, in the 15th, and Shaqwana Wright (46th) were the scorers in the match.

In the quarterfinals of the male tournament, Dolphin Secondary, Carmel Secondary and Cummings Lodge Secondary steamrolled their way into the semi-final round with respective wins over St John’s Bosco Orphanage, Lodge Secondary and New Campbellville.

Meanwhile, a hard-fought battle between Queenstown and Marian Academy, which ended at 3-3 in regulation time, saw Queenstown advance after a 3–2 penalty shootout win.

Action in the Exxon U-14 Schools Tournament

The Open 2019: Lowry’s incredible 63 puts him Diamond League: Hughes, Blake in control ahead of final round bested by Simbine in London

I

reland’s Shane Lowry produced one of the great major championship rounds with a sensational eight-underpar 63 that sees him take a four-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of The Open.

Lowry, who called it “one of the most incredible days of my life,” carded eight birdies to finish on 16 under overall at Royal Portrush.

England’s Tommy Fleetwood is Lowry’s closest rival on 12 under after a 66.

JB Holmes is third on 10 under, one head of Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka.

World number one Koepka, who won this year’s US PGA Championship and finished runner-up at the Masters and US Open, finished with successive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to keep himself in contention to win a fifth major in his last 10 appearances.

But the day belonged to the 32-year-old Lowry who started the day tied at the top of the leaderboard alongside

Holmes and was in sensational form from the first hole until the last, hitting 17 of the 18 greens in regulation as he set a new course record.

A partisan crowd at the Northern Irish course cheered his every birdie, the noise being so raucous that Fleetwood and playing partner Lee Westwood, who were in the group in front, had to wait to play their tee shots on the 18th.

And there were incredible scenes as Lowry walked down the last. Scenes usually reserved for the final day of the championship, as fans stood to applaud and cheer their man as he completed a memorable round of golf.

With adverse weather forecast for Sunday, tee times have been brought forward with the first tee time at 07:32 BST with the leaders beginning their final round at 13:47 BST.

(BBC Sport)

A

frican champion Akani Simbine notched his first Diamond League win of the season, holding off Anguilla-born Briton Zharnel Hughes at the London Diamond League meeting on Saturday.

Simbine clocked a season’s best 9.95 seconds to edge out Hughes, who at 9.97, was also going the fastest he has all year.

Jamaican champion and 2009 World Champion, Yohan Blake went down to the line with former training partner Hughes, clocking the same time. Just behind those two were Japan’s Yuki Koiek in 9.98 and Canada’s Andre De Grasse, 9.99.

Koiek was running as fast as he has ever gone, while DeGrasse, who has been struggling to return to his best form after a couple of injury-set seasons, had gone quicker than he has all season.

Shane Lowry celebrates making a birdie at the 15th

Thompson stays strong for 200 Olympic 200-metre

From left: Zharnel Hughes, Akani Simbine, Yohan Blake and Yuki Koiek go across the tape in unison during the men’s 100-metre event at the London Diamond League on Saturday

champion Elaine Thompson is continuing to show good form ahead of the IAAF World Championships, winning the half-length event at the London Diamond League on Saturday.

Thompson lead early and managed to stay ahead of the field to stop the clock at 22.13 seconds.

The Olympic champion’s win came against a field that included the Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, who tried to make a late push but found she was given as good as she gave, eventually

crossing the line in a season’s best 22.36.

Beth Dobblin of Great Britain was third in a lifetime best 22.50 seconds, while another Jamaican, Sashalee Forbeswas fourth in 22.93.

The field was rounded out by the Netherland’s Jamile Samuel, 22.94, Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji, 22.95, Jamaica’s Schillonie CalvertPowell, 23.16, Great Britain’s Bianca Williams, and teammate Katarina JohnsonThompson. Both Williams and Johnson-Thompson were running season’s best. (Sportsmax)

sunday, july 21, 2019

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By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he Lady Jags having dominated St Lucia 2-0 at the Leonora Track and Field Centre on Friday, their coach, Ivan Joseph, has said he is ecstatic with the win over St Lucia, and has rated it as a collective effort.

Asked what it feels like to be table-toppers, Joseph said, “Well, first of all, it’s a collective team effort, so I’m happy for the ladies.

I know they put in a lot of hard work, and I know that was a great St Lucia team we beat. I am also happy to see our local players score

Lady Jags’ Head Coach Ivan Joseph

from right over the river.

“You know, heading into the matchup, we were confident, but our main focus was to try to stop the St Lucian captain, Krysan St. Louis, from getting touches.

If you noticed, she was shattered all game. Also, we focused on number 10, Tanika Bernard. So we knew (that) once we did our job, things would happen.”

The U-20 coach also noted that while the Jags’ main focus was St Lucia, they will now have to turn their attention to Suriname.

He reiterated that his intention is to not appoint a captain for the team, because he believes that every player on the team is an individual leader.

“I find that, in coaching women’s teams, they are leader-full; so we look to see how we can delegate

33rd annual Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools Cricket tournament…

Business School register win, DAILY & QC suffer narrow defeat SUNDAY COPIES OF THE

GUYANA TIMES

in your area?

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Circulation Department on Phone: 223-7230 EXT: 55

T

he 33rd annual Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools tournament continued with some intense action across Barbados.

The Queen’s College (QC) of Guyana, playing against 360 Cricket Academy for position 11 at Weymouth, lost the match by three wickets. Batting first, QC scored 140-9 in 40 overs, with Vickash Jaikaran top-scoring with 37, while Navindra Persaud chipped in with 22. Idris Allen scored an unbeaten 17, while Elnathan Sukhnandan and Ronaldo McGarrel each scored 13 for QC. Bowling for the 360 Cricket Academy, Ronnico Ross grabbed 3-13, while

Lachlan Shaw had 2-5.

In reply, 360 Cricket Academy reached 141-7 in 38.1 overs. Jed Collins scored 31, Ben Jones hit 26 not out, Anay Baruah managed 24, and Hugh Sheriff scored 14 not out.

Bowling for QC, Gary Ross bagged 6-24.

In the other encounter, at Leers, the Guyana-based Business School battled the Queen’s Park Club for position 17, and registered a 17-run win to beat the same opponent twice in this tournament.

Batting first, Business School scored 84 all out in 26 overs. Ushardeva Balgobin top-scored with 17, while Tatesh Shivrattan scored 10.

Bowling for the

Trinidad-based Queen’s Park Club, Mikkel Govia grabbed 3-18, while Sameer Mohammed had 2-5. Shiva Mc Coon and Jabari Phillip had 2-9 and 2-13 respectively.

In reply, Queen’s Park Club were bundled out for 67 all out in 28.5 overs, with Josiah Smith topscoring with 19. Left-arm spinner Stephon Wilson did the damage for the Business School with 4-20.

He was well supported by right-arm off-spinner Tathesh Shivrattan, who ended with 3-14.

Neither of these Guyanese teams will feature in the final of the 33rd Sir Garfield Sobers final, slated for Monday July 22. The final will be

played between Sir Everton Weeks’ COE U-17 School and Alleyne School at the Mecca of cricket in the Caribbean, the Kensington Oval.

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that authority across the board, rather than putting it in one or two people. In terms of that (strategy), things have been working really well. You could see that we have a very boisterous bench and a supportive group of young people,” he said.

Joseph also said he was extremely proud of midfielders Nailah Rowe and Serena McDonald.

He said that while they are young, he knows they have a bright future ahead, owing to the fact that they have another U-20 Championship tournament in which to play.

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21 Joseph rates team’s victory as a collective effort guyanatimesgy.com

s the rainy season subsides, the highly anticipated horse racing meet, the Nand Persaud Sprint Classic, has begun attracting a number of sponsors.

The event is set for Sunday, August 11, at the company’s racing facility at Macedonia Estate, Number 36 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

Thus far, the meet has seen beverage giant ANSA McAL Group of Companies coming on board through the Stag Beer Brand. The Trophy Stall is also on board, as are the following business interests of the Nand Persaud Group of Companies: Nand

Persaud and Company Limited, NPG Packaging and Plastics Inc., Sky Plus, NPIC Communications, Nand Persaud Green Power Solutions, Flexotech Inc., Nand Persaud Foundation Inc., Amazonia Rice Incorporated, and Plastic Incorporated.

There is as much as four million dollars in cash and prizes up for grabs in the meet.

The feature event will be for horses classified E and Lower, and will be competed for a winning purse of $300,000. The 2-year-old horses will compete for a winner’s prize of $150,000, while the J and Lower

race will have a take-home prize of $150,000.

The event for K and Lower horses will enable the winner to take home $140,000, while the L Class races for stallions and mares respectively will each carry a winning prize of $100,000.

The other L Class event will see non-earners from the other two L Class races competing for a winner’s prize of $100,000.

All prizes are inclusive of trophies.

The champion jockey, trainer and stable will all be rewarded with trophies and other incentives, compliments of Trophy Stall.

Persons interested in entering animals in these races are invited to contact Mohini on 600-4728, or Amanda on 618-5966.

Boasting the only horseracing facility wherein horses run in a straight line from start to finish, the Nand Persaud Group of Companies has the complete package: racing track, promotional group, race horses, and stables. The company also produces, imports, and sells feed.

This August 11 event is being promoted through the Sky Plus Incorporated Promotion Group.

22 Singh seeking improved performance in 2nd Regional U-19 outing

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, july 21, 2019

T

he flamboyant Guyana Under-19 left-handed batsman Sachin Singh is heading into the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Under-19 tournament with abundant confidence that his performances would improve.

This tournament will commence in St Vincent and the Grenadines during the upcoming week, and the Guyana U-19 team are currently preparing to participate therein at the camp conducted by Coach Julian Moore and Team Manager Andy Ramnarine.

Guyana Times Sport caught up with Sachin Singh at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence cricket facility at La Bonne Intention (LBI), ECD during the past week, and in a chat, he spoke of making a return to the Guyana Under-19 team.

One of four Guyanese participants in the West Indies U-19 training squad, Singh told this reporter that he is aiming to improve his performance over last year’s.

“I come as an experienced player from last year, so I will be looking to help the younger ones in the setup,” Singh explained.

The solid left-hander, who bats at the top of the order, added that he has been working on some basic pull shots and punches.

Having played in the Guyana team that won the championship in St Vincent and the Grenadines in 2018, Singh says he has vast experience playing in that Caribbean country, and is aware of the necessary adjustments required of him as he heads into this Regional Under-19

Sachin Singh batting during his 48 against Berbice in the final (Brandon Corlette photo)

tournament.

Singh reflected on his performance in the Hand-

in-Hand Under-19 InterCounty tournament, which he described as not one of

his best.

“I probably got one score above 20, which was a 48 in the One-Day final against Berbice; but I have learnt a lot (about) how to handle the pressure and so forth”, Singh disclosed.

The confident lad told this reporter he is aiming to score many runs in this Regional U-19 tournament.

“My main goal is to score the most runs this year”, Singh declared.

Asked if the tag of “West Indies U-19 selectee” adds any pressure on him, Singh replied: “No. To be honest, I don’t really think about it; I just go out there and play my game”.

Singh who plays for the home of legends, Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), has extended gratitude to his day-one coach, Garvin Nedd, Mr. St John, and

Singh will be making a return to the Guyana Under-19 team

Coach Julian Moore. He further thanks Dennis Squires of the DCC and Sherfane Rutherford.

Singh, who has come through the ranks, is a highly gifted youth player who has played for the Guyana Under-15 Team and had captained the Guyana Under-17 Team last year.

He is among the few players from Guyana to have played both Regional Under-17 and Regional Under-19 tournaments in the same year. (Brandon Corlette)

Epic contest anticipated

― as cyclists ‘battle’ in Grenville Felix Memorial race

T

he sixth Grenville Felix Memorial cycle race, being held today, Sunday July 21, is anticipated to be an epic affair as cyclists contest for valuable prizes, cycling supremacy, and bragging rights.

The race will pedal off at 13:00h from Canfield, East Canje and head towards the Number 51 Police Station on the Corentyne Coast, before returning at the point of origin for the finish after covering 62 miles.

This event, organised by Flying Ace Cycling Coach Randolph Roberts under sponsorship of the Felix Family, is open to cyclists from all parts of Guyana. all the top wheelsmen will be on show, and lucrative prizes will be up for grabs.

Balram Narine, Romello Crawford and Andre Green will battle for supremacy in this race

Jamaul National

John, Road

2019 Race

Champion and the Grenville Felix Memorial defending

champion, will be aiming to successfully defend his

championship when the intense clash gets underway in Berbice.

In addition to John, Romello Crawford, Andre ‘Padlock’ Green, Balram Narine, Andrew Hicks, Curtis ‘Chappy’ Dey, Ajay Gopilall and Ralph Seenarine are among the stars who will be on show.

Lucrative prizes will be awarded to the first eight finishers, first three juveniles, first four 12-14 cyclists, first two females, and first three veterans.

Additionally, eight sprint prizes will be up for grabs.

This event, one of the biggest cycling events in Berbice, is being hosted to honour the memory of the late Grenville Felix, who had been an engineer at the Rose Hall Estate before he

passed away at the age of 96.

The Grenville Felix Memorial Trophy is a lien trophy which will be given to the first person who gets their name on it three times.

Felix, a father of 10, was one of Guyana’s first and oldest engineers at the time of his demise. He worked with the Bookers and Guyana Sugar Corporation and also in various parts of the world.

This is the eighth cycling event held to honour Felix.

The first two were held in honour of his birthday, and the race was changed to a memorial event after he passed away.

Divine Entertainment Summer Super Cup…

Crucial matches on tonight

F

riday night’s no results the Divine E n t e r t a i n m e n t ’s Summer Super Cup twelve team football championship means that tonight’s (Sunday) double header may decide which clubs are likely to reach the semifinals from the three team, four group play, following the 0-0 drawn game between Milerock and Silver Shattas in Group D and the 2-2 stalemate in Group B between are Blueberry Hill United and Amelia’s Ward Panther at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

The Silver Shattas playing their first game failed to score when they faced Milerock who ended their campaign with another draw this time, scoreless against the Shattas.

The other game Friday night was also without a winner when Blueberry Hill

playing their first of two games held on to drawn their game 2-2 against the Ward Panthers through a 94th + 4th minute strike by

Montel Dainty.

Blueberry Hill had grabbed the lead in the 9th minute through Troy Miller before the Ward Panthers

knotted things up one minute before the first half ended 1-1 when Delon Luke scored. But Kevin Charles would send the Panthers

ahead in the 59th minute through Kevin Charles before that late equaliser by Dainty.

The first game tonight will

bring together Topp XX who face Coomacka in a Group A clash. It is Coomacka’s first of two games and they would be looking to win since Topp XX, who lost to Eagles United 2-1, must win to have hopes of meeting the next round.

Game two tonight is also a critical Group C game. Haynes and Winners Connection is coming int this game knowing they must win to stand a good chance of moving to the final four.

Their opponents Hi Stars are aware of this, as that game between Winners Connection and Capital FC ended 1-1, and they (Hi Stars) could spell doom for the Winners Connection with a win. Hi Stars know also that a good result would see the likely clash with Capital FC being the deciding game of their group play.

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, july 21, 2019

23

Sir Curtly Ambrose impressed with Shepherd’s brilliance

Romario Shepherd batting during the fourth One-Day game against India “A”

D

uring the fourth OneDay International match between West Indies ‘A’ and India ‘A’ at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, former West Indies’ fast-

bowling icon Sir Curtly Ambrose opined that Guyanese bowler Romario Shepherd is ‘one for the future’.

“I think Shepherd has what it takes to play at the higher

level,” Ambrose, 55, declared during his stint at commentary.

He added that he has had the opportunity to work with Shepherd at various West Indies fast bowling camps,

and has noted that Shepherd has a good attitude towards learning.

Shepherd, a brisk right-arm fast bowling all-rounder who plays club cricket for Tucber Park in New Amsterdam, has currently shown great improvement against India ‘A’ in the One-Day tour.

Shepherd has taken 7 wickets in 4 matches, with figures of 4-36 against some highquality Indian players, all of whom had experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Bowling the new ball for West Indies ‘A’, Shepherd surprised the batsmen with some quick deliveries.

Shepherd’s top delivery in the series came against opening batsman Anmolpreet Singh, whom he dismissed with a deadly bouncer.

Another good delivery came against Manish Pandey; who, on a century, was undone by a beautiful Yorker by which he was trapped leg-before.

Shepherd has certainly caught the attention of Ambrose and West Indies’ Chief Selector Robert Haynes.

His strategy is to rush the

The eminent Sir Curtly Ambrose

batsmen. In the space of 3 balls in the fourth One-Day game, he hit two Indian batsmen on the helmet.

Ambrose, who played 98 Test matches and 176 One Day Internationals for West Indies, from which he had garnered more than 620 wickets, urged Shepherd to stay focused during the fourth One-Day game.

A player for both the Guyana Jaguars Team and

the Guyana Amazon Warriors Team, Shepherd has been a consistent performer in the Regional arena. Since making his Regional debut at the First Class level in 2017, he has taken 67 wickets in only 21 matches. He has since earned a call-up to the West Indies ‘A’ Team in March 2018, and his performance has been improving with every match.

In the recently concluded Regional tournaments for 2018/19, Shepherd finished as the best fast bowler with 37 wickets in 10 matches. He had also shown his ability with the bat in that same Regional 4-Day tournament, recording three half-centuries.

In the fourth One-Day match against India ‘A’, Shepherd again proved his ability to bat by registering an eight-ball 21. With India touring the Caribbean in the upcoming month, Shepherd, currently in the West Indies ‘A’ Team, will be aiming to strengthen his performances in order that he might earn a maiden call-up to the West Indies senior team. (Brandon

Corlette)

CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championships…

Guyana take command of Group A ― to face Suriname today

By Timothy Jaikarran

F

riday night was packed with nonstop action as football fanatics were treated to two enticing matches in the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championships at the Leonora Stadium, WCD. The matchups saw Suriname trample Antigua and Barbuda 5-nil before Guyana claimed a 2–nil

victory over the rampant St Lucia side.

Guyana now joins St Lucia atop the points’ standings of Group ‘A’ with 9 points, but the Lady Jags have a superior goal difference of six against St Lucia’s two.

Riveting action returns to the Leonora Stadium today with Guyana battling Suriname from 16:00 hrs while third placed Bermuda take on Antigua and Barbuda from 18:30 hrs.

THE MATCH The crowd screamed and cheered when the Lady Jags took to the field looking calm and poised.

At the sound of the whistle, Guyana took firm control of possession, and their defending was resolute, as they denied St Lucia’s in-form captain, Krysan St Louis, any meaningful part in the game.

Before Friday’s showdown, St Louis already had a 5-goal tally, but being swarmed by the Guyanese contingent, St Louis was locked out of the match; and the pressure overflowed to the other members of the St Lucia team, who eventually let their guard down, allowing Tiandi Smith to draw first blood for Guyana when she converted a pass from the midfield in the 19th minute.

St Lucia attempted to push Guyana back on the defense in search of an equaliser, but the Lady Jags went into overdrive and reversed roles, almost piercing the St Lucian defense seven times in the first half.

In the second half of play, St Lucia searched desperately for a goal, but goalkeeper Anessa O’brien had figuratively locked the door and thrown away the key as she maintained her flawless streak in the tournament. Her feline agility and rock solid defense proved quite frustrating for the St Lucia side.

Jaguars’ midfield play was flawless, thanks to the contributions of Serena McDonald, and Nailah Rowe who eventually was able, in the 73rd minute, to pierce the St Lucia defense and make it a two-possession game.

Frustratingly, no amount of substitution could work for St Lucia, thus the former table-toppers were eventually forced to throw in the towel and basically await the regulation time whistle.

In the other matchup, Suriname registered their first win of the tournament, while Antigua and Barbuda, currently at the bottom of the group, slumped to their third consecutive defeat.

Orthea Riley registered the first helmet trick of the tournament by scoring in the 20th, 32nd, 59th and 68th minutes. Suriname’s other goal was an own goal netted by Antigua & Barbuda’s Tyanna Simon in the 44th minute.

Serena McDonald was instrumental in the midfield

GTTA benefits from ITTF equipment grant

T

he Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) on Friday cleared from the Muneshwer’s Wharf a quantity of table tennis equipment received as a grant from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) in that international body’s efforts to assist the GTTA in its drive to develop and decentralise the sport in Guyana.

The equipment received

comprised of six Stag 1000DX competition tables; six clipon table tennis nets; six score cards; 80 STAG Elite beginners’ racquets; 4.5 gross of STAG One Star plastic training balls, and two gross of STAG and Three Star plastic competition balls.

The grant was provided after the GTTA had approached the ITTF with a proposal to develop and decentralise table tennis in Guyana, and actively engage the ITTF programmes.

The GTTA has, in a release, said this of the grant: “It will significantly impact the development efforts of the GTTA, allowing us to expand our programmes in areas of athlete training, talent identification and selection, competition, club development, coordinated national team training, and other key areas.

“This fits in with our strategic plan, which is to have programmes for all levels of players throughout

GTTA President Godfrey Munroe (left) ensuring the equipment’s safe departure from the wharf

the year, and to provide equity and access to more players across Guyana, and (operate) as a platform for

sustainable development (of) the sport, in addition (to) assisting the association with its capitalisation efforts as we

seek to grow the sport (and) acquire a home for the sport as a key sustainable pillar.”

The grant positively impacts the GTTA’s decentralisation efforts, given its strategic plan to host and take national competitions and training camps to the rural areas as part of developing the sport; and to provide competition tables to regions such as Berbice, Linden and Bartica.

The foregoing is part of a vision to gradually build capacity in the regions so as to allow steering committees in those areas to host domestic and national tournaments and training programmes.

Responding to the assistance received from the

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), GTTA President, Godfrey Munroe, is extending his appreciation to ITTF Latin American Development Officer Carlos Esnard, ITTF Development Officer Ramon Ortega Montes, as well as to the LATTU and CRTTF, for lobbying for Guyana to benefit from the grant based on the GTTA’s advocacy.

The GTTA would, further, like to extend gratitude to Social Cohesion Minister responsible for Sport, Dr George Norton, for facilitating the tax waivers, and also to the staff of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

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

SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championships…

Pg 23

Guyana take command of Group A - to face Suriname today

ExxonMobil Schools Football tournament…

New Campbellville, East Ruimveldt are female finalists

Pg 20

Epic contest anticipated Pg 22

― as cyclists ‘battle’ in Grenville Felix Memorial race

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

July 21, 2019

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUly 21, 2019

Feature Remembering Corporal Romain Cleto

that, because my world went black,” Bollers remembers.

She told the <<<Sunday Times Magazine>>> that despite their daughter, Nivia, being just a year old then, she knows who her father was and how he died.

The now seven-year-old is constantly reminded of her father, since there are several photographs of the two of them around the home.

Looking back on how much their lives have changed since Cleto’s tragic death, Bollers said moving on was more than tough.

Everywhere she turned, she was reminded of her profound loss and every time Romain Cleto

By Lakhram Bhagirat

H

e was gone in a matter of seconds. He took his last breath alone, lying on the hard cold streets of Georgetown while being riddled by bullets from those seeking to escape from him. He was just doing the job he loved doing and hoped to see his baby the next day.

Little did the family know

that they would see him for the last time and they did not know that “see you later” actually meant goodbye forever. For the past six years, the family of Police Corporal 20196 Romain Cleto has been searching for that opportunity to be at peace with the fact that he was brutally killed but to date, they are yet to come to terms with his death.

The bullet riddled vehicle

At just 25 and a new father, Cleto had his life snuffed out by bandits who were going about wreaking havoc on several communities.

On April 27, 2013, Cleto reported for duty and was leading a mobile patrol in the vicinity of Regent Street and the Avenue of the Republic

in Georgetown when they approached a suspiciouslooking silver-coloured car.

That fateful incident occurred just after 18:30h that Saturday evening. The area was busy at that time since it was in close vicinity to the University of GuyanaPlaisance Minibus Park just outside the Bank of Baroda and the attack was described as like being in a combat zone.

“Corporal 20196 Romain Cleto was fatally shot while Constable 21240 Randy Daly was shot and injured to his left arm and Constable 21144 Anil Persaud was injured by glass from the shattered windscreen. The injured ranks are being treated at the hospital,” the Guyana Police Force said in a statement following the incident.

Cleto was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital while his colleagues nursed their injuries. Based on eyewitness accounts, the new father noticed the suspicious-looking vehicle and began to approach it. However, before he could make contact with the occupants, they began to riddle him with bullets, causing his death almost instantaneously.

They also turned their locked and loaded gun(s) in the direction of the patrol vehicle and continued their assault before speeding off.

The pavement was stained with Cleto’s blood as he took his last breaths and several spent shells were recovered by his colleagues.

The Bank of Baroda building also had several bullet holes.

As that was going down, Cleto’s girlfriend, Reanna Bollers was at home with their one-year-old daughter expecting that he would be home with them soon.

It was some time around 19:00h when Bollers received a call informing her

Nivia Celto all grown up

that the father of her daughter was involved in an accident and she should make her way to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

“When I got the call, I was at home with the baby and they told me that Romain was in an accident and that he at the Georgetown Hospital. I thought something happened to the vehicle and that was it, so I rush down to the hospital. But when I get there, my heart sink because I know something really bad had happened.

“When I got to the hospital and I see the people and I immediately know that it was serious. I was still thinking that it was an accident, but then they told me that there was a shooting and Romain was shot and pronounced dead at the hospital. I did not really remember anything after

she looked at their daughter, she was reminded of the need to move ahead.

Being 22 and a new mother made moving on much more difficult.

“It has been real hard for me to move on, because Romain was the first person in my life. It was hard for me and my daughter, because I was studying her the most because she would have been the one without a father. Moving on was hard, because I worry about our daughter because she was now fatherless.”

Nivia is growing up beautifully, but for Bollers, it is sad because her first love has missed every milestone in their baby girl’s life.

“Life goes on and we have to move on, but he is forever with us. We miss him every day and wished he was here.

We really do.”

JUly 21, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature Remembering Constable Rayon Roberts

exactly who murdered her husband.

She was able to get a good look at them and later identified them as notorious criminals Christopher Belle, Romel Reman, and Roger Bunbury.

“I could not walk free (after I identified them), because I would have to look over my shoulder. I was inside most of the time and could not work. My husband never let me work and now he was gone, and I had six children and no help at all. We were building a house on Railway Embankment at

Rayon’s widow Sharon Roberts

By Lakhram Bhagirat

L

aw enforcement officers face a great deal of danger every day in the execution of their duties.

They are quite often the first in the line of fire and put their lives in danger to protect ours from criminal elements. In the execution of their duties, some of those officers lose their lives and leave behind families.

In many cases, those fallen officers are the sole breadwinners and when they lose their lives, their families feel the brunt of the hardships.

That is exactly the case of Sharon Roberts, who is still trying to pick up the pieces some 16 years after losing her beloved.

Police Constable 14500 Rayon Roberts was gunned down on Thursday, January 2, 2003 in what can only be described as an act of cowardice. The father of six was one of the many targets for bandits who wreaked havoc on the nation during the 2002-2009 crime wave. It was during that period that the Guyana Police Force lost a number of its officers who were the target of these bandits.

When he lost his life, Roberts was one of four Policemen who resided in Bent Street, Wortmanville.

It was sometime about 22:30h on January 2, 2003 and Roberts was at a shop a short distance away from his home when three men walked up to him and opened fire. According to media reports from back then, three of the bullets were said to have lodged in his head: one which entered from the lower temple and lodged in the forehead; one that entered through the back of his head which also lodged in the forehead, and a third that entered through the forehead.

The Police had recovered five .32 spent shells from the scene.

Roberts’s widow, Sharon, is still battling to piece together her life after losing him. She goes about every day wondering where the next meal is going to come from and how she will survive. Her husband had been a member of the Guyana Police Force for some 13 years before he was brutally murdered.

Remembering that fateful day, Sharon said that their fifth child, Randy, was celebrating his second birthday and her husband had gone to the shop to buy groceries when he was executed.

“He come home to buy ice cream and he went across to the shop. He went to buy the cream, cigarettes and a Guinness, and I see this three men pass me on the bridge and I ain’t really tek it fuh nothing really, so they passed me back on our bridge here and all I hear was gunshot start firing,” she related.

Sensing that her husband may have been in danger, Sharon, who had given birth some two months before, sprinted to the shop. When she got there, the sight was one that she vividly remembers to this day. There was her blood-soaked beloved, crouched up and lifeless. She screamed like the proverbial “mad woman”. She screamed and screamed while holding his lifeless body. She was drenched in his blood as well and then a second later, her entire world went black.

Soon her husband’s colleagues came and pried her away from him; they took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where his death was confirmed.

Sharon remembers walking in a daze and being taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Brickdam Police Station where she was shown an album of possible suspects.

Shivers went down her spine as she skipped through the album because she knew

Liliendaal and I could not even go there.”

Today, she is facing the possibility of being rendered homeless, because her relatives already issued her with a notice asking her to “find somewhere else”.

After her husband died, Sharon had to take up employment and was initially offered a job with the Guyana Police Force and after a few months of taking up the job, she realised that her children were being neglected. So she chose to quit and started doing odd jobs around to provide for her family. She then ventured into making snacks to sell, but after a while the revenue did not equate with the expenses and she eventually turned to the securi-

ty service sector. Now she is working as a security guard for Radar Security Supplies and Service to send her last child to school.

“It is hard, really hard; it’s hard, man. I sit many days and I just cry, because I know if Rayon was here then life would be so much better for me and these children.

Three done married and got their families, but I still have three and one is in school. He is the baby and he got to write exam next year. Hopefully, I can afford to pay his fees. My children does miss their father and Randy, although he is 18, does still cry every time it is his birthday, because he does miss his father,” Sharon said amid tears.

It is some 16 years now

since Rayon has been dead, but for Sharon it feels like just yesterday, because every day is a struggle. A struggle to survive, a struggle to provide for her family, and a struggle to keep her sanity.

She goes days without sleep and meals, because the bills need to be paid, children need to be fed and there is never enough for them all.

She is, now more than ever, on the edge because of her impeding homelessness. Now at 50 years old, she finds it extremely hard to try to start over, because she could never move on.

She still smells her beloved’s blood, feels it drenching her, and sits with his pictures and cry.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUly 21, 2019

Feature

Remembering Special Constable Kwesi Lawrence

Venice Sam

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

here is an indescribable pain associated with losing a child. It is one that many try to describe but fail. The pain envelops your entire body and weasels its way into every nook and cranny. It makes every breath taken feel as though thousands of needles are piercing your body.

But as a parent, how does one move on after losing a child?

The answer to that question is yet to be found by the millions seeking it.

For almost 13 years, Venice Sam has been searching everywhere for that answer and it seems as though she will be searching for the

rest of her life. Part of her world went dark on Sunday, July 31, 2006 when her son, Guyana Police Force Special Constable Kwesi Lawrence was shot and killed.

He was just 19 years old with a full life ahead.

Though his death was an accident, the loss had a profound impact on the family, particularly his mother, with whom he was very close. The Guyana Police Force said that Lawrence was on a Joint Services operation in the backlands on the East Coast of Demerara when he was accidentally shot by another rank who was cleaning his M-70 rifle.

“I miss him every day, because he was the best of the pack. He was very loving and when he would wake up every morning and give me a hug and kiss and then say ‘Mommy, I love you’ and would always do everything I ask,” Sam says as she reminisced on the memories of her son.

She said her son was shot to his hip and bled to death en route to the hospital. As a mother, she felt every imaginable feeling when she heard he had died. The light just went out and nev-

er came back on. Sam, to this day, is still coming to terms with the loss of her middle child.

Being a part of the Police Force was always the end goal for Lawrence and helping him get in to the Force

ple that was like Police or soldiers and he always heard me saying that I like military work. He always said when he grows up he wanted to be a Police or soldier. “ W h e n they eventually called him, he was so excited and he said

Kwesi Lawrence

was a task his mother undertook. She was the one who filled out the application, took him to interviews, and even took him to his first day of training.

“He always wanted to become a Police Officer. As a child growing up, he was always a quiet person, he was always willing and he would kind of look up to peo-

‘Look, I am going to be a Policeman now and when they see me, they gotta respect me’. He imagined himself in the uniform.”

Lawrence was still undergoing training at the time of his death, and because of the crime situation at that time, he was called to join one of the several operations to catch criminals who were wreaking havoc on the country. He was very eager to fulfil his duty to his country and protect citizens with the full support of his mother, who had also been part of the Force but had resigned.

She remembers the day she received the call informing her of Lawrence’s death.

She describes it as one of the toughest days she has had

and one that she wishes on no one.

She was at home with her family when the phone rang some time around 02:00h on August 1, 2006. She answered and it was a friend who lived a short distance away. The friend, who was part of the Neighbourhood Policing Group, asked to her to immediately pay her a visit. With shaky knees, Sam made the approximately five-minute journey and when she arrived, the friend sat her down.

After she stopped shaking, the friend asked that she call her mother which she did.

“I know it was something about death, but my mind did not run on Kwesi. So when I called my mother she told me that Kwesi get shoot and he dead. I dropped the phone and I ran back home and I told my husband and his siblings. I try to describe what I feel, but unto now I can’t do it. I cannot describe how I feel about his death or how it affects me. I am still trying.”

After that call, later in the day, the Police Welfare Officer contacted both Sam and Lawrence’s father and invited them to talk about what had happened. But nothing mattered to her, because at that time she was grappling to accept the reality that her child was now dead, mere days before she would have celebrated her birthday.

The entire family felt the impact of his death, because he would usually aid in managing the household

as well as send his siblings to school. With that revenue gone, the hardships were there, staring the family in the face. His siblings had to start taking up jobs to make ends meet and aid in putting themselves through school.

It was a heart-breaking time for the family, because Sam was there watching them going through the motions and there was very little she could have done.

For two years, she worked with local race car driver Mark Vieira as his cook and he would help her with purchasing school supplies for the children.

However, she felt that it was time she gave back, even though she had very little, and continue the dream of her son, so she applied to become a Neighbourhood Police. But at that time there were pressing vacancies for SEs in the Force, so she was re-enlisted and has been serving ever since.

“Kwesi loved to sing and I miss that about him. He was loving and the others would say he is my favourite, because he was mannerly. He was kind. He was the best of the pack. To see him dead so young is something that breaks my heart, but life goes on. He is in my memory and always with me,” she says referring to the fact that she keeps his photograph in her wallet with her.

Sam has another son who is preparing to join the Police Force and despite the tragedy, she is full steam behind him.

guyanatimesgy.com

JUly 21, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

Remembering Superintendent Leon Fraser

“He knew they were planning to kill him”

Leon Fraser

By Lakhram Bhagirat

W

hen someone decides to join the law enforcement sector, they know that they are literally putting their life on the line. They are okay with the fact at any given time they can be called on to defend the citizenry and that was exactly what Superintendent of Police, Leon Fraser, was doing when he became the target of notorious criminals.

On April 2, 2002, Fraser and a team were responding to a report on the Linden- Soesdyke Highway when he was gunned down. Media reports from back then indicated that the shootout was a well-orchestrated strike with the sole focus being Fraser.

At the time of his death, Fraser was one of the most feared/respected members of the Guyana Police Force and was responsible for a number of successful anti-crime operations. Based on information available, on the fateful day, Fraser led a team to Yarrowkabra on the Linden- Soesdyke Highway to investigate reports of a vehicle matching the description of one that was believed to have been hijacked by the February 23, 2002 Camp Street Prison escapees.

When they arrived, they were engaged in a gun battle with five men suspected to be the escapees. The men turned their guns on Fraser and took him out before making good their escape. Fraser was a controversial member of the Police Force as well as one of the most feared. There are reports that when he walked into communities riddled with crime, there would be silence and an instant clearing out of those criminal elements.

Sections of society lauded him while others accused him of Police brutality. Until his demise, Fraser had been involved in many highprofile anti-crime operations and was instrumental in the siege that led to the death of the notorious Linden London.

Fraser’s widow, Nadera Fraser, told the <<<Sunday Times Magazine>>> her husband joined the Guyana Police Force as a constable, but because of his potential he was encouraged to apply to the Cadet Training Programme offered by the Guyana Defence Force. He was successful in his application and upon completion, returned to the Police Force and spent some time in the Mounted Branch before moving to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Leon and Nadera have a daugh-

ter together and were a couple for over 19 years before he was killed. She describes him as being a quiet and reserved person: “Nadia (our daughter) was nine years old when Leon was killed. He was a quiet person and very reserved.

As a matter of fact when we met, I was the one who approached him and that should tell you about the type of person he was. He was very reserved not in a manner of being ignorant of his environment, because he was always alert.”

She said that while Fraser was one of the most respected Policemen of his time, he was also very domesticated. He was also disciplined in a sense that the world did not see. She and their daughter got to see it every day when he would get up at 05:00h and clean the stove, make coffee, cook and then go off for exercise with his squad.

He always helped around the house that they shared at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.

“He got discipline from the Force. He started as a constable and then he was pushed to complete the cadet course and from there, he took off.

What he learned there (at the cadet course) during the rigorous training, he applied it to his work even though some people may say unorthodox or he did it different, but it was effective in achieving the end result,” his widow noted.

Nadera has always been a businesswoman and on April 2, 2002, a container loaded with goods had just arrived and she was going to have it cleared through Customs. She vividly remembers the last conversation she had with Leon and says that unto today it is burned into her memory.

“He had called me and told me that when he is off duty, he will get some of his boys and we will empty the container; that was while I was going to clear it. But when he called back later that afternoon, around quarter to one (12:40h), I told him that we have to wait until the next day and he said that was good, because he now have to go up the Highway

to check out a report about the car the bandits had hijacked on Good Friday day.”

She said she was at the stall in Stabroek Market when rumours started circling about her husband’s death. One of the vendors then called her and enquired about whether the rumours were true, but she had no knowledge.

“About an hour later, one of his friends came and said ‘Nadie, I got something to tell you’ and he said that we got to go to the (funeral) parlour and identify the body. Me and my daughter went and we identified the body and so on.”

It was not until later that night a senior officer reached out to the family and officially informed them of Fraser’s death.

His death hit Nadera so hard that when she got the news, she just sank to the ground and could not have moved afterwards. A feeling of numbness overtook her body and she was in a daze.

She has very little memory of the days after her husband’s death.

Nadera became extremely cautious and fearful for her family’s lives and slipped into severe depression. She had to have the

intervention of doctors before she could begin to do anything else.

The business she worked so hard to build was dwindling away and she had no drive to work again.

However, she found the strength in her daughter and began pushing forward. After two months, she returned to work and began rebuilding. She remained a resident at Eve Leary for over five years after her husband’s death and has since moved out and even got remarried.

“Even though I am remarried, I still do miss him. He was a part of me and he was a very good man. When he died, my daughter took it very hard because he would wake up every morning and do his thing and take her to school before 8:00 am. When we went to the parlour to identify his body, she screamed there and after we went home, she screamed and threw down the furniture, but since then she has been bottling up her feelings. She is just like him. She is reserved and don’t talk too much. She just goes on with life.”

The night before he was killed was Easter Monday and Fraser was supposed to take Nadera and

Nadia to the seawalls to hang out, but he did not, and what he told them made it clear that he was aware of the level of danger he was in.

“We were to go to the seawall, but he sat in his room and he took all his shoes with Nadia and they sat down and they polished all the shoes. He even told me to bring mine and they polished it.

3That night he told me that “they planning to kill me, you know’. That’s why we did not go out Easter Monday night. The morning before he died, he had this safari jacket and he put it on. I told him that if you got to go out aren’t you supposed to put on a bullet-proof? He said ‘one time you got to dead, not two time you does dead’ and I said put on your bullet-proof and he said when he go over (to Police HQ), he will put it on.”

Nadera said that she was aware when her husband was killed, many persons were “jubilating”, but she sought to remind that he was only doing what he was trained to do and that was to catch the bad guys and ensure that there was peace in Guyana.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUly 21, 2019

Preserving our literary heritage

By Petamber Persaud

(T

he Commonwealth Writers recently announced the Overall and Regional winners for its 2019 short story competition. The Regional winners are Mbozi Haimbe (Zambia), Saras Manickam (Malaysia), Constantia Soteriou (Cyprus), Alexia Tolas (The Bahamas), Harley Hern (New Zealand), and the Overall winner is Constantia Soteriou.

Guyanese Kevin Garbaran was shortlisted from 5,081 entries. This is the first time he has entered such a competition.

Here he talks about his short Story, ‘The Ol’ Higue on Market Street’.)

PP Guyanese writers have benefited and continue to made good use of the platform provided by the Commonwealth Foundation. Going back a long way, we find Grace Nichols winning the Commonwealth [Poetry] Prize with ‘I is a longmemoried woman’, David Dabydeen with ‘Slave Song’; for short fiction and the novel, we turn to Mark McWatt, Karen King-Aribisala, and Pauline Melville; for writers who have been shortlisted for the short story include Maggie Harris and you, Kevin – and at this point I must say congratulations…

KG Thank you.

PP Awesome news that – you been shortlisted from a huge number of entries….

KG 5,081 PP Dennis Nichols won

the short story competition in 2000/2001 with ‘The Release’ – a well-crafted story of under 600 words, I think. You are fortunate that you had 5,000 words to play with.

But let’s get back to the shortlist – an entry that has been shortlisted has the potential to be the winner.

So you are a winner in my book.

Let’s locate Kevin Garbaran.

KG I was born in Haslington, [East Coast Demerara] and grew up in Zorg on the Essequibo

Coast…

PP Quite a few writers from the Essequibo…

KG My primary school days were at Suddie Primary. After that I went to President College because I always wanted to experience life in the dormitory – I was really inspired

by Harry Potter – where children from all over the world would come and interact. So my thinking was by going to President’s College I would meet people from all over Guyana and it would be exciting. However, President’s College was not

like Hogwarts …

PP But it did have magic there.

KG Yes, it was a magical experience. I spent many days in the library there and it was there I took a liking to literature.

Before that I read a few stories and lots of nonfiction on subjects like dinosaurs, stars and the universe – things like that. But literature for me really started there at President’s College.

PP And the types of books?

KG Mostly, mythological stuff – stories from ancient India, ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, those stories really got me started.

Then I discovered Arundhati Roy, Emiley Bronte…moving on from there.

PP And you moved into writing. Where did this start?

KG I started journaling when I was 9 or 10 and I continued that throughout my school days because it was a way of making sense of the world, making sense of my experiences and I wanted to record that.

Apart from that, when I was much younger, I used to make up characters for my many cousins, and I would give each a character and we would put on a show for our parents and also the neighbours we had invited.

So that is where it started.

PP Keeping a journal is valuable to a writer, valuable material for your writing. I recall writers like A J Seymour and others keeping a diary including Edgar Mittelholzer who use to record things like the weather, in fact, his writing is heavily influenced by the weather [among other things].

KG Yes, I can go back to how I viewed situations in the past; sort of observe the headspace I had at a given time.

I like writing about childhood – childhood experiences. I may not remember everything but during the writing, I would slip back into that time. mentioned PP You something about getting into the writer’s head and I like doing that – finding out how a writer approach a particular subject/issue as we know there is nothing new under the sun…

KG True PP So we look for new approaches, new angles and this brings me to your short story which was shortlisted, ‘The Ol’ Higue on Market Street’. I’ve read numerous stories even poems about the Ol’ Higue, what is your take on Ol’ Higue?

KG I wanted to use the Ol’ Higue as a metaphor for such issues that are prevalent in our society …

PP Like?

KG Domestic violence and abuse - when you think about the Ol’ Higue, you conjure images of horror and violence. The story was also triggered by an incident where this woman named Radika was beaten to death because people claimed she was an Ol’ Higue. So in my story I sort of sympatise with her….

PP Interesting, intriguing, tell me more… (to be continued) Responses to this author please telephone 226-0065

of email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

What’s happening:

Coming soon: A new book by Ameena Gafoor: ‘The Evolution of Writing in English By and About East Indians of Guyana, 1838 – 2018’. And it is here: ‘The Dark of the Sea’

by Imam Baksh, two times winner of the Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature.

Many heroes fall during battle This fight for freedom often costs These men and women we send to foreign shores Often it these lives that are lost.

But they will not be forgotten We honour those souls that slip away And know that they've become angels In heaven, on this day.

The memory of them lives on As we sleep we see their face The dreams seem so very real We often imagine their warm embrace.

God has given them free reign To whisper gently to the trees To glide effortlessly among the clouds And dry your tears with a breeze.

So as long as we are alive We will hold them in our hearts And as long as we can breathe Our heroes will never be apart.

So as we bury you with honor We will grieve, then heal & pray And even though we'll miss you We'll be reunited in heaven one day.

By Linda Racaniello

guyanatimesgy.com

JUly 21, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Lindener’s passion for helping others leads to a blossoming career in physiotherapy

By Utamu Belle

T

here’s a school of thought which says, “Do what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life”. Just ask 32-year-old Lindener Quacy Paddy, whose natural passion for helping people has led him down the successful path of a blossoming career in physiotherapy.

Paddy has been working as a Rehabilitation Assistant/ Physiotherapist in the Rehabilitation Department of the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) for over 10 years. Physiotherapy involves working to restore the movement and function of parts of the body in persons affected by a disability, illness, or injury. <<< Sunday Times Magazine>>> recently sat down with the inspirational father of two, who revealed how this passion has also led him down the path of self-development and service to his community. He hopes that his story inspires other young people to work hard in pursuing their dreams and what they love to do.

“In 2014, I decided to attend the University of Guyana, specialising in physiotherapy. The programme I did was Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Rehabilitation, majoring in Physiotherapy.

I graduated in 2018 and restarted working here. Since then, I’ve been putting the knowledge I gained at University to use. Actually, giving back more of myself in terms of not only looking at the surface level of a Rehab Assistant but more utilising the skills and looking at the patients more holistically rather than just looking at their condition,” Paddy noted.

Following his graduation from UG last year, Paddy, who is also a major football fan, pursued a number of upgrading courses, including an International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) training medicine course, which was done through the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA). This

afforded him an opportunity recently to travel to neighbouring Suriname with the Guyana men’s senior team in preparation for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. This, he noted, has upgraded his knowledge about basic principles in the football arena.

Following this, he was selected to travel to Mexico to work along with the Golden Jaguars Beach Football team which participated in the World Cup Qualifiers.

He has also worked with the Lady Jaguars Under-17 team in preparation for a tournament next month.

For him, having the opportunity to incorporate sports and physiotherapy is like a dream come true.

“When I was a Rehab Assistant, I worked a lot in football ... I have a passion for sports as well. I’ve always been a sports person,” Paddy explained.

He has also worked with athletes on the Linden Mayor’s Cup football, which he noted set the stage for his skills to be recognised.

Physiotherapy, he noted, has opened up new horizons for him.

“It’s kind of tedious, but it’s worth it, especially with the exposure it brings ... It’s opened up a new world for me in that I never knew of ‘persons with disabilities’.

(Before) I just saw people on the road looking different and people teasing them and I would join in, but I never knew the severity of it ... but being in this profession ... you get to appreciate persons in a better way,” he explained.

Paddy said working with patients with conditions such as cerebral palsy also gives an understanding of how parents have to cope with this type of disability.

“It’s disheartening sometimes to see a mother financially unable to come to therapy or a parent whose partner walked out on them because of a child with disability .. . but you have to try and not let that get into the way of your intervention.

It’s a caring profession. We spend more one-on-one time with the patients than the

doctor,” he said.

He added that the knowledge he has gained on looking at patients holistically has assisted him in learning more about them rather than just focusing on the issue that he was presented with. This, he noted, also leads to the discovery of contributing factors to the immediate issue they are being faced with.

“I have a natural passion for helping people ... I always wanted to go into a profession whereby I can give back to the community of Linden, which bred me basically. I also wanted to do something in science because in school I was in AgriScience (stream),” he said.

While he has always had a love for science, he joked, “I didn’t want to be a nurse, because I didn’t want anybody calling me ‘Nursey’”.

He said he has no regrets in choosing the field which fit perfectly with his character. And working along with patients and seeing their gratitude months or even years after is both satisfying and motivating. This, he explained, is also one of the reasons why he decided to

specialise in physiotherapy which also includes speech and occupational therapy.

Being a father of two boys, Paddy related that his days are very busy. It starts off with preparing the kids

for school, then taking them and his niece to school before commencing his eighthour work-day at the hospital. He also sees private patients later on in the day, which is wrapped up by helping his children with homework. His busy schedule also entails working at local football tournaments.

He credits his personal developments with attending University, noting that it has opened up new horizons and assisted him with problem-solving skills.

“I don’t focus on problems now, I just focus on solutions.

If I have a challenge, I try to find solutions,” he noted.

Nevertheless, Paddy highlighted a major challenge for his department in sensitising the public about rehabilitation services. He pointed out that sometimes patients are only referred to the Department when they are at advanced stages of their conditions. As such, he encouraged persons to visit the Department in the early stages of discomfort, noting that audiology services were also available.

While it has been challenging to balance attending University and his fami-

ly life, Paddy said he was far from finished as it pertained to pursuing his dreams.

“I’ve accomplished so much, but I’m far from finished. I really hope to pursue my Master’s in Sport Medicine. I’m hoping that I can get a scholarship to study overseas for that. I really love sports and Sport Medicine would channel me to that direction. So, that is one of my future goals – to elevate to a Master’s level, even to go on to a doctorate level ... I do believe in three things – prayers, perseverance and patience. I believe that if you practise those three things it will take you to places you’ve never been,” he advised.

Paddy said it has been a blessing to have come this far and being presented with the opportunities he’s had, more so as someone from the town of Linden. He encourages youths to always do their best and to be prayerful and patient in seeking out opportunities.

“When you’re given the opportunity, don’t squander it. Go hard for it ... I have always believed in building bridges, not burning them,” he said.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUly 21, 2019

O

riginally constructed in 1827, the St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anglican Church celebrates its 192nd anniversary this year.

According to information from the National Trust of Guyana, the church, which is still operational, was first opened for service on December 9, 1827. The structure was replaced by the present one on June 29, 1855.

Prior to the erection of the first church, services were held under a clump of bamboo trees. On November 25, 1826 a meeting was held in the house of Captain Thierens of Plantation Vissailvalligheid. At this meeting it was decided that a church and parsonage should be built. A site was chosen on the front lands of Plantation Enterprise, Leguan. On December 9, 1827 the church was opened for service.

The church, which is built of bricks, was originally covered by a roof of wallaba shingles; this was later replaced by metal roofing. At the left of the north-western entrance stands the detached bell tower, surmounted by an octagonal brick spire. With this artistic design and leaning tower, St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church is located on 10,843 acres of land and is regarded as one of the finest brick structures constructed in Guyana.

The Church was rededicated on Saturday June 29, 2019. (Photos compliments of Hans Buer)

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JUly 21, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

9

Health

H

airy cell leukemia is a rare, slow-growing cancer of the blood in which your bone marrow makes too many B cells (lymphocytes), a type of white blood cell that fights infection.

These excess B cells are abnormal and look “hairy” under a microscope. As the number of leukemia cells increases, fewer healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets are produced.

Hairy cell leukemia affects more men than women, and it occurs most commonly in middle-aged or older adults.

Hairy cell leukemia is considered a chronic disease because it may never completely disappear, although treatment can lead to a remission for years.

Symptoms

Some people have no signs or symptoms of hairy cell leukemia, but a blood test for another disease or condition may inadvertently reveal hairy cell leukemia.

Other times people with hairy cell leukemia experience signs and symptoms common to a number of diseases and conditions, such as: A feeling of fullness in your abdomen that may make it uncomfortable to eat more than a little at a time Fatigue Easy bruising Recurring infections Weakness Weight loss

Causes

It’s not clear what causes hairy cell leukemia.

Doctors know that cancer occurs when cells develop errors (mutations) in their DNA. In the case of hairy cell leukemia, mutations in the DNA cause your bone marrow stem cells to create too many white blood cells that don’t work properly.

Doctors don’t know what causes the DNA mutations that lead to hairy cell leukemia.

of infections that your body might otherwise fight off.

Bleeding.

Low platelet counts make it hard for your body to stop bleeding once it starts. If you have a mildly low platelet count, you might notice that you bruise more easily. Very low platelet counts can cause spontaneous bleeding from the nose or gums.

Anemia.

A low red blood cell count means fewer cells are available to carry oxygen throughout your body. This is called anemia. Anemia causes fatigue.

Increased risk of second cancers

Some studies have found that people with hairy cell leukemia may have an increased risk of developing a second type of cancer. It isn’t clear whether this risk is due to hairy cell leukemia’s effect on the body or if the risk comes from the medications used to treat hairy cell leukemia.

Second cancers found in people treated for hairy cell leukemia include non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, among others.

Diagnosis

To diagnose hairy cell leukemia, your doctor may recommend:

Physical exam.

By feeling your spleen — an oval-shaped organ on the left side of your upper abdomen — your doctor can determine if it’s enlarged. An enlarged spleen may cause a sensation of fullness in your abdomen that makes it uncomfortable to eat.

Your doctor may also check for enlarged lymph nodes that may contain leukemia cells.

Blood tests.

Risk factors

Your doctor uses blood tests, such as the complete blood count, to monitor the levels of blood cells in your blood.

People with hairy cell leukemia have low levels of all three types of blood cells — red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Another blood test called a peripheral blood smear looks for hairy cell leukemia cells in a sample of your blood.

Exposure to radiation.

During a bone marrow biopsy, a small amount of bone marrow is removed from your hip area. This sample is used to look for hairy cell leukemia cells and to monitor your healthy blood cells.

Certain factors may increase your risk of developing hairy cell leukemia. Not all research studies agree on what factors increase your risk of the disease.

Some research indicates that your risk of hairy cell leukemia increases based on your: People exposed to radiation, such as those who work around X-ray machines and do not wear adequate protective equipment or those who received radiation treatment for cancer, may have a higher risk of developing hairy cell leukemia, but the evidence is inconclusive.

Exposure to chemicals.

There are conflicting studies on the role of industrial and agricultural chemicals in hairy cell leukemia development.

Complications

Hairy cell leukemia progresses very slowly and sometimes remains stable for many years. For this reason, few complications of the disease occur.

Untreated hairy cell leukemia that progresses may crowd out healthy blood cells in the bone marrow, leading to serious complications, such as:

Infections.

Reduced numbers of healthy white blood cells put you at risk

Bone marrow biopsy.

Computerized tomography (CT) scan.

A CT scan shows detailed images of the inside of your body.

Your doctor may order a CT scan to detect enlargement of your spleen and your lymph nodes.

Careful analysis of hairy cell leukemia cells in your blood and bone marrow samples may reveal certain genetic and chemical changes that give your doctor an idea of your prognosis and play a role in determining your treatment options.

Treatment

It’s not always necessary to start treatment for hairy cell leukemia immediately after the diagnosis is confirmed. Because this cancer progresses very slowly and sometimes doesn’t progress at all, treatment can be delayed.

10 Sunday Times Magazine Feature

T

he preppy style has enjoyed a high fashion renaissance in past years, which means chino shorts have taken a bold turn. Pastels are hot, but if you want to steer away from a fratty look, change up your colors. Khaki is a neutral option, but you don’t have to play it safe. Black or navy shorts can add new life to your wardrobe.

A pair of athletic shorts, be it mesh or sweat, is an easy option when the situation is casual.

Athleisure is a legitimate fashion cornerstone these days, so don’t feel like they can only be worn with tees and tanks.

Branch out and try to work them into your social attire. As with all shorts, avoid overly baggy and long choices. You don’t want to look you hopped out of your dad’s 70s basketball photos, but just above the knee is always a solid bet.

JUly 21, 2019

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JUly 21, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home décor Ingredients • • • • • •

2-8.5 oz box corn muffin mix 2 Eggs 1/2 cup sour cream 2/3 cup Milk 3 tbsp melted butter 1/2 Jalapeno finely diced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and pour into an 8 x8 baking pan that’s been greased with butter. Place into preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the top with butter before serving.

(Jehan Can Cook)

S

ome people have a natural eye for design, but if you're more in the camp of those who can't do anything without consulting Pinterest board upon Pinterest board before making any major changes, we feel you. We'd love to have an interior designer on speed dial before deciding exactly where and how hang to hang that sweet new wall art we bought on a whim, but until we win the lottery, we'll have to settle for trusting our guts, and taking plenty of design tips where we can get them. We've compiled some secrets straight from the pros to help you with all your decorating needs. (House Beautiful)

Mix Old and New Decor Old and new belong together.

A mix of modern pieces and antiques never tires.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 1/2 lb ground turkey 1 large onion, chopped 2 tbsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp oregano 2 canned chipotle peppers, chopped 1 tsp salt 3 tbsp sugar 2 beef bouillon 15 oz can chili beans 15 oz can kidney beans, drained 28 oz can diced tomatoes 1 cup water 1 tbsp canola oil

Directions

In a large pot over medium fire, heat oil. Add onions and turkey, cook until brown.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and allow to simmer for 1 1/2 hour. Serve by itself or with cornbread. *Garnish with sour cream, cheddar cheese, chopped scallions or pickled jalapenos.

(Jehan Can Cook)

Choose the Right Bulbs Choosing the right light bulb is very important.

LED bulbs are energy efficient, and they can look great.

Use the Ceiling to Redefine the Room Look up! We use ceilings a lot.

Through them, we define the lines and beauty of a space.

Ingredients • • • •

3 cups green mango peel and diced, about 1 large mango (discard the seed) 4 cups water Juice of 2 limes 1 cup simple syrup

Directions

Place diced mango and water in a blender and puree. When the mango is finely pureed, place a large strainer over a large pitcher and pour the pureed mango into the strainer to separate the liquid from the pulp. Stir the pulp with a spoon until all of the liquid is removed, then discard the pulp. Next add the simple syrup and lime juice and stir to combine. Place in a refrigerator until cold, then serve. (Jehan Can Cook)

White Kitchens Are Forever Classics never go out of style.

Don’t hesitate about doing a white kitchen in your own house, thinking I’d been there, done that.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUly 21, 2019

Puzzles

ACROSS 1 Put on a coat 6 LeMond or Louganis 10 Low-tech calculators 15 Left Bank lid 20 Roman soothsayer 21 Steel plow inventor 22 La Scala city 23 Burro alternative 24 Where Minos ruled 25 Facetious tribute 26 Discharge 27 Tylenol rival 28 Cosmic principle 29 Farewell 30 Formal-wear flower 32 More nervous 34 Fern or moss 36 Yellow Pages 37 Excited 40 MD assistants 41 Suffix for verb 42 Mushroom morsel 44 “Star Trek” priestess 48 Yes in Yokohama 49 Mom’s girl 50 Waiter’s offering 53 Greeted the day 55 Codgers’ queries 56 -- Powers of spydom 58 Sanskrit dialect 59 Lieutenant under Kirk 61 Up -- -- (stumped) 63 Cote murmur 64 Gen. Powell 65 What you wear 66 REM events 67 Orchard units 69 Slangy refusals 70 Nefertiti’s god 71 Gym dances 74 Have lunch 75 Stream forth 78 “Imagine” composer 81 First space lab 82 Graceful wrap 83 Finish 84 Blend 86 “Where Eagles Dare” actress 87 Negligible 89 Orange liqueur 93 Bikini half 94 Hook’s henchman 95 Geologic sample 96 Hobgoblin 97 Entices (2 wds.)

100 Like a wedding cake

102 Vaulter’s aid 103 UHF part 104 Spacious 108 Fumbled for words 109 Jo March’s professor 110 Goalie’s milieu 111 Waste time 112 Famous Khan 113 Divide 115 Earnest request 116 Caramel-colored 117 Under par 118 Opus 120 Popeye’s sweetie 121 Company VIP 123 W. Hemisphere alliance 124 Flake off 125 Perfume label word 127 Column order 129 Dance studio wear 131 Fortune (2 wds.)

136 Cake decoration 138 Pulls dandelions 142 Claws or talons 143 “-- the Riveter” 144 Wolfgang’s thanks 145 Sound 146 Philbin or Sajak 147 Shaman’s quests 148 Threw hen fruit 149 Common expression 150 Siskel cohort 151 Whinny 152 Grass stalk 153 -- Dame

DOWN 1 Stuff the suitcase 2 Mystique 3 Disney’s Bob - 4 Spice rack item 5 Escalator part 6 Hollow rocks 7 Broadcast again 8 Gaelic 9 Outfit 10 Pseudopod users (var.)

11 The fish that got away? (2 wds.)

12 Walrus hunter 13 Players 14 Crazy about 15 Mild 16 First-born 17 Shankar the sitarist 18 Sheik colleague 19 Legend 21 Culverts

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- COTILLIONS (COTILLIONS: kuh-TIL-yuns: Formal balls.)

Average mark 37 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 56 or more words in COTILLIONS?

TODAY'S WORD -- COTILLIONS clot coil coin colitis collins collision colon colonist colt cool coot cost olio onto otic

till tocsin toil toll tonic tonsil tool icon instill into licit lilt lint lion list

loin loon loot lost lotic lotion noil scion scoot silicon sill silo silt slit slot

snit soil solicit solo solon sonic soon soot still stoic stool

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" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

31 Ponytail site 33 Cheshire Cat, finally 35 Singer -- Rawls 37 “Pequod” skipper 38 It had three parts 39 River to the Seine 42 Marathoner’s gorge 43 Police-blotter info 45 Yearly (2 wds.)

46 Polite cough 47 “Has 1,001 --” 49 In -- (as found) 50 Browser’s delight 51 Beethoven’s “Fur --” 52 Anais the writer 53 Rathskeller fare 54 Flitted about 57 Keep -- on 58 Lyrical 59 Kenya neighbor 60 Very funny! (hyph.)

62 Babysitter, often 64 Grill steaks 66 J.R.’s town 68 At the table

69 A Sinatra 71 “-- Pinafore” 72 Lubricate 73 Buyer’s gain (2 wds.)

76 Skimpy 77 Leave on a trip 79 Refinery shipment 80 Bridal notice word 82 Destroys documents 85 Earth goddess 88 Wound a matador 90 Submarine (hyph.)

91 Cattle-call reward 92 Dragon puppet 94 Powder, to skiers 98 Noted lava spewer 99 Algerian port 100 Warm spell in winter 101 Desdemona’s foe 102 Collins or Esposito 103 Web addr.

105 “Garfield” pooch 106 Marseilles Ms. 107 Raise one’s voice 109 Traveler Nellie --

111 Track meet event 114 Rain hard 115 Taro-root paste 116 Gave a ticket 119 Alley frequenter 121 Murmuring sweetly 122 Snare 123 Acted like a pig 124 Not real 126 Selling point 127 Japanese immigrant 128 Halloween quaff 129 Hint of color 130 Samuel Clemens 131 Troublesome joint 132 Metrical foot 133 Genial 134 Elvis -- Presley 135 Iditarod terminus 137 Zoo enclosure 139 Touch up 140 Designer label 141 Vague amount See Solution on page 14

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JUly 21, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 13

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUly 21, 2019

Bollywood/Hollywood

dominated the 2019

Emmy nominations

A

fter Netflix beat out HBO last year for total Emmy nominations, HBO returned to its usual dominant position in 2019, earning a whopping 137 total Emmy nominations, thanks to Game of Thrones’ final season.

The network secured a total of 32 nominations for Game of Thrones, breaking the previous record held by NYPD Blue (26 nominations in 1994). HBO’s other 105 nominations this year came from series like Barry (17 nominations) and Chernobyl (19 nominations). HBO also earned nearly three times as many nominations as the four traditional networks (ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS) combined.

There’s no denying that Game of Thrones is a rare cultural juggernaut. More than 45 million people tuned in for the show’s final episodes, according to HBO. It’s logical that the Emmy voting body would honor the series, which shaped television culture more than almost any other series over the last decade. And that comes in spite of how negatively Game of Thrones’ final season was received by both fans and critics. Mad Men and Breaking Bad were both significant and influential, but Game of Thrones turned appointment TV into a worldwide obsession all the way through its series finale. That’s incredibly rare.

A

ctor Arbaaz Khan said he initially had concerns about starring in Sridevi Bungalow as the subject of the film appeared to be linked with superstar Sridevi’s death.

The film features Priya Prakash Varrier in the title role, while Arbaaz will be seen in a guest appearance portraying the part of a Bollywood actor.

Sridevi Bungalow was mired into controversy as the plot line of the film seemed to make a reference to Sridevi’s demise.

The last shot of the trailer ends with Priya’s character dying in a bathtub.

Sridevi, aged 53, died of accidental drowning in her hotel room’s bathtub in Dubai in February 2018. The late actor’s husband-producer Boney Kapoor had issued a legal notice to the makers of the film earlier this year.

Asked about the film’s runin with controversy, Arbaaz said, “When they offered me the film, I’d asked them if it has anything to do with the unfortunate incident with Sridevi ji and they denied it completely. They said the story has no relevance with

her and that they had registered the story and the title of the film long back.” The actor-filmmaker said the makers assured him there is no similarity between the late veteran actor and the film.

“They told me they have addressed the issue earlier with the media and that I should be rest assured that just because the title is similar doesn’t mean the film is co-related to the incident that has happened. I got some assurance,” he said. (Hindustan

Times)

Crossword Solution

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JUly 21, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUly 21, 2019

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Don’t give up or let someone discourage you. Make your plans clear and offer others a choice to pitch in and help or to let you carry on with what you are doing.

Not everyone will be happy with the decisions you make, but the ones who are will be glad to get involved and help you reach your goals. Romance and travel are highlighted.

Stick close to home and GEMINI be with the people you (MAY 28- know well and can depend June 20) on for support. Refuse to let anyone dupe you into something costly or unnecessary.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

You’ll get an education if you allow someone to take too many liberties. Keep an open mind, but don’t get involved in something excessive. Play it safe and stick to what’s familiar.

Take better care of your health and emotional wellbeing. If someone tries to coax you into doing things differently, take a pass and do things your own way.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Don’t make a fuss or put up with someone who is doing so. Be realistic about what’s possible. Remain grounded and avoid getting involved in someone else’s scheme.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Do something that requires energy. You may not like exercise, but physical activity will benefit your mindset. Go for a walk if it will help you avoid an unsavory discussion.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts

Personal, emotional or spiritual growth will be eyeopening. Sign up for a course that will broaden your sense of awareness or spark your creativity. Romance is encouraged.

Take care of money matSAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23- ters. It’s time to save money inDec. 21) stead of spending it on things you don’t need. Trusting someone with your emotional issues, personal information or secrets will backfire.

Calvin and Hobbes

Make positive domestic CAPRICORN or lifestyle changes. Looking (Dec. 22- at a property or discussing Jan. 19) your plans with a loved one will prompt you to do things you enjoy more often.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20Mar. 20)

Follow through with your plans instead of putting someone else first. If you keep putting yourself second, it will create envy and mistrust.

Get out and stay active.

Surround yourself with people who have similar interests or who bring out the best in you. Love and romance should be priorities.