Sunday Times June 16, 2018

LOOK INSIDE !

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 3956 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, June 16, 2019

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Ramjattan ousts Nagamootoo as AFC's PM nominee Page 3

...sign of coalition Govt's failure and NCM's validity – Trotman

Govt stands in solidarity with Cuba on US imposed economic embargo – President Page 14

Regions 1, 2 & 7 record highest levels P9 of fuel smuggling – GEA

Jaipaul Sharma moved from P10 Finance Ministry

... to understudy Patterson at Ministry of Public Infrastructure

Donated blood in Guyana guaranteed 100% safe – CMO Page 13

P18 GPL completes remedial works to damaged submarine cable

…interruptions still likely on WBD, WCD

Several persons were on Friday evening recognised for their contribution to the National Blood Transfusion Service as Guyana joined the rest of the world in celebrating World Blood Donor Day 2019. Also in photo are Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud and Head of the Transfusion Centre, Dr Pedro Lewis, along with other officials (Dexter Ceres photo)

Erosion in quality of life, struggles of workers evident daily – Ali Page 11

… says PPP/C commits to end pains and suffering of populace

MoPH P15 says no drug, staff shortage at Diamond Diagnostic Centre

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SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

3 Ramjattan ousts Nagamootoo as AFC's PM nominee news

SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

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

Sunday, June 16 – 04:00h and 14:30h-16:00h and Monday, June 17 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, June 16 – 15:50h-17:20h and Monday, June 17 – 16:35h-18:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers are expected to prevail throughout the day into the evening followed by partly cloudy skies. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South-easterly to North-easterly between 1.78 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 15:57h reaching a maximum height of 2.52 metres.

Low Tide: 09:31h and 21:43h reaching minimum heights of 0.56 metre and 0.70 metre respectively.

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...sign of coalition Govt's failure and NCM's validity – Trotman

T

he Alliance For Change (AFC) on Saturday voted overwhelmingly for Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan to be the Prime Ministerial candidate for the coalition at the next General and Regional Elections, bypassing the incumbent, Moses Nagamootoo.

According to sources, over 200 delegates supported Ramjattan. In his brief comments after the vote, Ramjattan noted that the party saw him as “fit and proper” for the role; hence, he was elected. He also sought to dispel reports of a rivalry between himself and the incumbent Prime Minister.

“I suspect in the minds of the large sections of the National Conference membership, I was fit and proper for it … (I told them) I would do a good job of it, if I am made Prime Minister. And that was largely it. I had spoken to a number of the delegates and they asked some searing questions. I think I provided very good answers,” Ramjattan said, noting that the questions pertained to what he would do to create jobs and reform the Constitution.

“He (Nagamootoo) was most gracious. He has been a mentor since PYO [Progressive Youth Organisation] days. And, of course, I regard him highly. And he came across and he gave me a big hug,” Ramjattan explained to the media.

Speaking to the media afterwards, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson – who was also elected for the second time as the party's General Secretary (GS) – intimated that the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) was duty-bound to accept Ramjattan as President David Granger's running mate as long as the Cummingsburg Accord was in effect.

“The Alliance For Change is a political party in its own right. The AFC has made a recommendation it will stick by. So just like we did in 2015, we will do in 2019 or 2020, if we stay in a coalition,” Patterson said.

“If we’re in a coalition and we’re governed by an agreement and that agreement is currently in effect, it says the AFC shall nominate a Prime Ministerial candidate. There’s nowhere in that agreement that says we’ll nominate a Prime Ministerial candidate who the coalition accepts or not.”

It is a decision that leaves Nagamootoo with only the role of 'elder statesman' in the party, should the AFC's partner, APNU even honour the Cummingsburg Accord.

In addition, replacing Nagamootoo is something that former leader Raphael Trotman had warned would

From left: newly-elected Executive Committee member Haimraj Rajkumar, newly-returned General Secretary David Patterson, Prime Ministerial nominee and party leader Khemraj Ramjattan and reelected Vice Chair Cathy Hughes

undermine the coalition Government in the eyes of the people, by seeming to validate the Government’s failings and the passage of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM).

“The No-Confidence Motion was a direct challenge on the Granger-Nagamootoo leadership. In my view, if we were to jump to replace either gentleman in an emotive way, we would be openly conceding that the motion and vote were justified and valid,” Trotman had stated in sections of the media back in February.

With the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) expected to rule on the NCM cases on Tuesday, elections could be

called as early as this year.

There are some who have opined that APNU could sidestep AFC and go the route of choosing a Prime Ministerial candidate from within its own grouping.

Party positions

Meanwhile, Ramjattan was also elected unopposed as leader of his party earlier on Saturday, riding on the endorsement of former leader Trotman.

Both Patterson and Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes had previously declined nominations for the leadership of the party, paving the way for Ramjattan’s election.

Trotman, who is also Natural Resources Minister, was in turn endorsed unopposed as Chairman of the party by Ramjattan. Hughes was also re-elected to her post as Vice Chair. turn to page 7

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SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 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

Father’s Day and Obama

T

oday is “Father’s Day”. The tradition has been fuelled by commercial interests: that it is a day to praise fathers and shower them with gifts.

Nothing wrong with that, except that, in Guyana, the evidence is clear that while there are many fathers deserving of the praise, there are as many who have neglected their duties as fathers, leaving the care and upbringing of the children they “fathered” up to their mothers and maternal grandmothers. Today we focus on the advice of one such deserted child.

Barrack Obama was an exceptional public figure for a host of reasons other than being the first black President of the United States. While some may cavil at his perceived failure to significantly alter the trajectory of African American historical disempowerment, in the estimation of others, the living example he offered that community, and indeed the world -- on how to be a good family man, a good husband and a good father -- is immeasurably more significant. And on this Father’s Day, it might be very salutary to reflect on this neglected legacy of Obama’s in a land where the issue is of fathers being more often than not missing in action.

As an individual whose parents were divorced when he was just two years old, and whose father returned to his birthplace, Kenya, after studying for his PhD in economics at Harvard, it was clear from his memoir, “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance”, that Obama reflected profoundly on the father-child dynamic and made conscious choices as to what kind of father he would become. Raising two daughters in the hothouse that is the White House could not have been easy, but Obama took special pains to be involved in their upbringing, even as he guided the most powerful nation on earth.

Unlike what appears to be the growing norm, Obama declared in one Father’s Day speech, as he began his Presidency, “What makes you a man is not the ability to have a child; it’s the courage to raise one…We need to show our kids that you’re not strong by putting other people down; you’re strong by lifting them up. That’s our responsibility as fathers…It’s up to us to say to our daughters, ‘Don’t ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit, and reach for those goals’. It’s up to us to tell our sons, ‘Those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in my house we give glory to achievement, self-respect and hard work’. It’s up to us to set these high expectations, and that means meeting those expectations ourselves; that means setting examples of excellence in our own lives.”

He fleshed out that advice a year later: “As fathers, we need to be involved in our children’s lives, not just when it’s convenient or easy, and not just when they’re doing well; but when it’s difficult and thankless, and they’re struggling. That is when they need us most.”

Today, in Guyana, the norm is for fathers to still see child-rearing as “women’s work”, and this is the fundamental disjunction that has children without positive male role models.

It has become commonplace for leaders to exhort the young to become “educated”, but this orientation towards learning is very difficult without a positive environment, which includes hands-on fathers, not just mothers.

“Michelle and I know that our first job, our first responsibility, is instilling a sense of learning, a sense of a love of learning, in our kids. And so there are no shortcuts there; we have to do that job. And we can’t just blame teachers and schools if we’re not instilling that commitment, that dedication to learning, in our kids,” Obama said.

In conclusion, he advised: “Above all, children need our unconditional love, whether they succeed or make mistakes; when life is easy and when life is tough.”

Happy Father’s Day, Guyana. May it be real.

PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali received a warm welcome upon his arrival at Enmore, East Coast Demerara on Friday from a resident as Guyana remembers the slain Enmore Martyrs

They fled Venezuela's crisis by boat – then vanished Pt 2 V Continued from Saturday

enezuela’s national healthcare system, once considered a model for Latin America, is now plagued by shortages of imported drugs, equipment and even basics like rubber gloves. Thousands of doctors and nurses, their salaries ravaged by inflation, no longer show up for work.

At the Luis Felipe Guevara Rojas Hospital in El Tigre, signs at the maternity ward inform women in need of Caesareans to bring their own antibiotics, needles, surgical sutures and IV drip. Even electricity isn’t a given. Doctors there said the power fails almost daily, forcing them to rely on backup generators.

Infant mortality rose sharply, to 21.1 deaths per 1000 live births in 2016 from 15 deaths per 1000 live births in 2008, reversing nearly two decades of progress, according to a study published in January in The Lancet medical journal. Mothers, too, are dying at higher rates during childbirth, the study said. Some 11,466 babies died before their first birthday in 2016, up 30 per cent from the year before, according to the most recent figures from Venezuela’s Health Ministry.

“Any woman who gives birth in a Venezuelan hospital is running a risk,” said Yindri Marcano, director of the El Tigre hospital.

Trinidad would almost certainly have better medical care, Maroly Bastardo and her husband, Kennier Berra, reckoned. An extra incentive: a child born there would be a citizen and could make it easier for them to obtain legal residency someday. Family members would accompany Bastardo to watch out for her and the little ones, Dylan, 3, and Victoria, 2.

On April 2, Bastardo, the children, and her sister-in-law Katerin travelled 500 kilometres by taxi to the port of Guiria. Located on Venezuela’s remote and lawless Paria Peninsula, the city is known as a hub of migrant tracking and drug running.

There they joined Berra’s father, Luis, and his Uncle Antonio, who would also make the trip. The six settled into a rundown hotel above a Chinese restaurant to make final preparations.

They hung out with a friend of Luis’s, Raymond Acosta, a 37-year-old local mechanic.

Luis took charge of securing their places in a smuggler’s boat. A construction worker, he and his wife had already emigrated to Trinidad and had helped other relatives make the journey in recent years.

Acosta said Luis had negotiated a price of US$1000 for all six members of the party: US$400 payable up front, with the balance due in Trinidad, US dollars only.

But as the departure approached, the smuggler jacked up the price. They would need an extra US$500 cash up front. Rather than back out, Luis had his wife in Trinidad drain their savings, and he arranged for a contact there to transport the cash to Guiria.

Another setback followed on April 23: A migrant boat heading for Trinidad with 37 passengers overturned in the Dragon’s Mouths.

Rescuers found nine survivors and a corpse; the rest remain missing, according to Venezuela’s Civil Protection and Disaster Management Authority.

Smugglers hunkered down for a few weeks, according to people involved in the boat trade in Guiria. The family’s crossing was delayed.

News of the accident unnerved Bastardo’s mother in El Tigre. The night before the scheduled departure, Carolina begged her daughter to

Maroly Bastardo and her two small children

reconsider.

Bastardo replied via text: “Mothers have to do what they can to help their children....Don’t worry. Better times are coming.”

Photos, texts, then silence On Thursday, May 16, Acosta took the six voyagers to a taxi stand, where they said their goodbyes around 3 pm. They were headed to the small fishing village of La Salina, 4 kilometres from Guiria, to meet their boat, and were relieved to be finally getting underway, Acosta said.

He said he felt uneasy that none of the family took a life jacket in case the smugglers didn’t have enough to go around. He also fretted about the possibility of an overloaded boat.

“People are now more desperate,” Acosta said. “I always told Luis that they shouldn’t go if there were too many passengers on board.”

Before they boarded, Bastardo snapped a cellphone photo of Katerin, Dylan and Victoria with their backs to the camera, staring out to sea. She sent it to her family.

The plan was to arrive at the Trinidadian port of Chaguaramas under cover of darkness.

The 70-kilometre journey from Guiria typically takes about four hours, putting them in port around 20:30h at the latest. Luis wanted his son there early.

“At 6.30 in Chaguaramas, be waiting,” he texted Berra at 16:37h. as their voyage got underway.

Those who know the route say pilots headed for Chaguaramas carrying migrants typically navigate along the coastline until reaching the eastern tip of the Paria Peninsula around nightfall. At that point, the lights of Trinidad’s towns are visible as they prepare to enter the final 20-kilometre stretch, the Dragon’s Mouths.

Evening turned to night. The Ana Maria didn’t show. Berra said he paced anxiously until Police arrived at midnight on the Chaguaramas dock and told him to leave. He said he returned early Friday morning and waited all day and deep into the second night. Still nothing. He repeated the vigil on Saturday.

“After the first sinking, Maroly was afraid, but she still wanted to be here with us,” Berra said in a phone interview from Trinidad.

Back in El Tigre, Bastardo’s family was growing uneasy. She and the others were not returning text messages.

On Friday, they heard instead from someone identifying himself only as Ramon. Locals in Guiria said Ramon had helped arrange for their relatives to cross by boat to Trinidad without documents, including on the Ana Maria. The vessel had engine trouble, Ramon wrote, but would soon be on its way.

“We are going to change the motors and continue,” Ramon said in text messages viewed by

Reuters.

In a telephone interview, Ramon said he works for an operation that takes people to Trinidad legally, with a limit of 10 passengers per vessel. He said he was simply passing along information given to him by an unidentified smuggler to ease the family’s fears. He declined to give his surname and denied he was involved in any illicit activity.

By Saturday, May 18, reports of the Ana Maria’s disappearance had surfaced in the news and social media.

In an early morning Facebook post, Robert Richards, an American fisherman, said he had found a “young man” on Friday afternoon, floating 50 kilometres offshore of Trinidad, “fighting for his life”. Photos accompanying the post showed a figure in a life jacket bobbing near a piece of floating debris. Richards said the man had “been in the water for 19 hours...on a boat that sunk the night before with 20 other people on board, so far no other survivors.”

Richards, whose Facebook page says he resides in the U.S. Virgin Islands, has not responded to calls and text messages seeking comment.

Abreu was identified as the man in the photos by relatives of people on the Ana Maria who saw the Facebook post. Venezuela’s Civil Protection agency confirmed he had been rescued.

In a May 24 statement, police in Grenada said a man “in need of urgent medical attention” was rescued May 17 by a vessel in waters between Trinidad and Grenada and brought to Grenada for treatment. They said the man, a Venezuelan national, left the hospital without “authorization.” His whereabouts remain unknown.

Venezuelan authorities barely searched for the Ana Maria. The Civil Protection authority, in charge of maritime rescue, had no boats to send. Its half-dozen-or-so vessels are all in disrepair or missing parts, said Luisa Marin, an agency official in Guiria. The Venezuelan military sent out a boat from Guiria on Saturday, May 18, two days after the Ana Maria vanished, but the craft malfunctioned after 20 minutes and had to return to harbour, Marin and other locals said.

Trinidad’s coast guard conducted its own search in Trinidadian waters, but spotted no signs of the Ana Maria or its passengers, National Security Minister Stuart Young said publicly on May 21.

Hoping against hope With no wreckage or bodies found, some relatives of the missing say they believe the migrants were kidnapped by criminal gangs. But Trinidadian authorities have not presented any evidence that this happened. The National Security Ministry declined to comment.

Bastardo’s mother, Carolina, 38, says she no longer sleeps. She scours the news and social media for any shred of information. Every time she reads that Trinidadian authorities have apprehended yet another group of undocumented Venezuelan migrants, she wonders if her Maroly might be among them.

“It just causes me more agony: Is it her? Is it not her?” Carolina said from her porch in El Tigre, staring into the distance.

Bastardo’s nine-year-old sibling, Aranza, says she believes her big sister is still alive. The child’s birthday is coming up June 30. She tells her mom the only present she wants is to have Bastardo and the others back. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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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

Purging threat to public servants is a dictatorial obscenity

Dear Editor, For more than three weeks now, the public was shocked to learn that the Department of Public Service in the Ministry of the Presidency transferred more than $20 million of public funds to the children of Minister Simona Broomes in 2018 and 2019.

The Government remained silent until today, June 14, when Joe Harmon, the Director General in the Ministry of the Presidency, who is a former Minister, announced that the funds were part of scholarship arrangements for the adult children. He did not explain why it took almost a month to provide information, nor did he provide informa-

tion about the scholarships, whether these scholarships were advertised or whether they were special arrangements to benefit the children of Ministers.

The payments were meant to be a secret and, clearly, the APNU/AFC Government was angry over the exposure. Like any brutal dictatorship, there were consequences.

A whole department in the public service was fired by the new Minister who replaced Minister Rupert Roopnaraine, and who is also a senior WPA executive.

The reason for their firing was that they might have been responsible for exposing the secret. After first denying that any worker was

fired, Harmon confirmed the workers were fired, but that the Government reviewed the decision and decided to, instead, suspend the workers until the completion of an investigation. While not confirming that the investigation is to find out who was responsible for exposing the information of the more than $20 million transfer to Minister Broomes’ children, the public knows that this is the reason.

The investigation is another set-up, a farce, an insult to the people, and adding salt to the injury. On June 14, it was announced that the investigation will be done by a senior PNC member, Mr Lance Carberry. This is like put-

ting a cat to watch milk.

Having been caught in an act of purging, APNU/AFC reverses itself, pretending to honour the due process. But there is absolutely no impartiality, not even the pretence of impartially, in this obscene, fake investigation. The truth is that there has been an abuse of public funds and APNU/ AFC is desperately trying to change the narrative.

As part of the change in narrative, APNU/AFC has their apologists calling for purging in the public service. The call from David Hinds, the WPA member, demanding that all PPP “moles” be purged is an open, obscene, Nazi, Hitlerite threat to pub-

CCJ’s impending ruling

Dear Editor, On Tuesday, June 18, 2019, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will deliver landmark rulings in the appeals emanating from the legal challenges filed against the No-Confidence Motion passed by Guyana’s National Assembly on December 21, 2018, and a challenge filed against the appointment of Justice James Patterson as the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

These litigations have placed within the province of Guyana’s Judiciary, the very foundation of Guyana’s constitutional and electoral democracy. Sitting at the summit of the nation’s judicial hierarchical structure, the CCJ has the final say.

This, it will do on June 18 from the seat of the Court in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The lawyers involved are invited to receive the decisions via Skype at the Guyana Court of Appeal, Kingston, Georgetown. The CCJ has informed via its website, that the proceedings will be streamed live so that the world can view.

Through these appeals, the CCJ is afforded the unprecedented opportunity to pronounce, inter alia, upon the strength of the supremacy of Guyana’s Constitution and the efficacy of numerous mechanisms and devices that inhere in the Constitution, as checks and balances against Executive power conceived and designed by the framers of the Constitution to exact greater accountable, responsible and democratic Government.

The adversarial system of litigation which Guyana’s legal process embraces facilitated a dichotomised presentation of legal arguments, with one side in the litigation, challenging the legality and viscosity of these safeguards and the other side, asserting their effect, vigour and impregnability. Sitting at the apex, as an adjudicator, the CCJ will ultimately determine the extent and fortification

of those facets of Guyana’s constitutional and democratic polity.

For example, after these rulings, we will know the true nature of the constitutional supremacy doctrine; we will know whether a NoConfidence Motion does, or does not exist in Guyana’s National Assembly; if it does, the impact and consequence of its successful passage and how and when is it successfully passed; whether defects in the qualifications of a member of the Assembly can affect its potency; whether GECOM is the master of, or subordinate to, the Constitution; and whether the President can capriciously reject nominees submitted to him by the Leader of the Opposition for the appointment of a Chairman of GECOM and instead, unilaterally appoint one of his own choosing. In short, the CCJ will ultimately determine, as my erudite colleague, Kamal Ramkarran puts it, whether the Constitution of Guyana is merely a piece of paper.

I know first-hand, that the CCJ cannot say that there was a paucity of legal submissions, for legal submissions preponderated ad nauseam, ranging from the reasoned to the ridiculous and up until merely a few days before notices were received of the date of the rulings.

The importance of these rulings reverberates beyond territorial Guyana. Not surprisingly, the litigations have captured the attention of the entire Caribbean, North America, Europe and indeed, wherever Guyanese are domiciled.

In the Caribbean, it has been the subject of commentary of the media, politicians, academics and laymen alike. Its importance to democratic norms and constitutional rule in the region has been repeatedly underscored in opinion pieces published by media outlets throughout the Caribbean.

Further, I am aware, that it is already the subject of articles and analyses currently being undertaken in aca-

demic circles not only in the Caribbean but at universities in the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

I have highlighted on a number of previous occasions that the mechanism of a “No-Confidence Motion” exists as a common feature in Westminsterstyled Constitutions throughout the English Commonwealth. Once successfully passed, its consequences are immutable. The Government against which it is passed is defeated and must resign. Regaining the confidence of the electorate at general elections to be held contemporaneously becomes mandatory. This position obtained long before the advent of the concept of a “written Constitution” in the British Empire. It was birthed in the mid-17th century in England, where no written Constitution exists until now. It was bequeathed by Her Majesty’s Government to her former colonies in their Independence Constitutions and has become an innate part of their constitutional democracies.

Since Independence, the Union of India has witnessed over 50 No-Confidence Motions in its provincial Houses of Assembly and the Lok Sabha. The Parliament of the Dominion of Canada passed three over the last two decades. In the Caribbean, I recall one being passed in Barbados against Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford and quite recently, one was moved in St Kitts and Nevis but was defeated. In over 250 years of recorded history, in none of the instances where the motion was passed, has the impugned Government reacted in the manner in which the coalition Government of Guyana did. This has certainly contributed significantly in titillating interests, expectations and anxieties alike, in relation to the impending rulings.

Additionally, commentators have expressed the view that these cases are a test for the court itself and

the rulings can have an impact on its future, if not its very survival.

Modern constitutional purists and protagonists view the Constitution, not as an inanimate instrument but as an organic, living organism. Those who are charged with interpreting it are admonished against an interpretation that is pedantic, sterile and legalistic and are encouraged to employ one that is liberal, purposive, expansive rather than restrictive and one that breathes life into the language of the Constitution, in order to decipher the true intent of its framers. The CCJ itself has embraced this enlightened approach. In the case of Cedric Richardson vs the Attorney General of Guyana, it discarded volumes of technical legal doctrines and dogmas and ruled that the clear intent of Guyana’s Parliament was to prohibit an Executive President who completed two successive terms in Office, from being elected a third time.

Expectations are high that the court will adopt a similar jurisprudential interpretative lens in construing the provisions of the Constitution that are the focus of the appeals. The true test lies in how far the court will be prepared to go in its consequential orders, in giving effect to the intent of the framers of the Constitution, once it finds that the Constitution has been violated. In this regard, early elections is the prize. The time by which they were to be held has long gone. Within the timeframe, one must insert the appointment of a Chairman of GECOM, for it is impractical for elections to be held without a Chairman.

Hopefully, the consequential orders will embrace these various tenets.

All we can now do is wait for Tuesday.

Sincerely, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP Attorney-at-Law

lic servants. Who are PPP “moles” that Hinds wants to be purged? Persons suspected of voting for the PPP? All Indo-Guyanese people working in the public service? Anyone suspected of being a “whistleblower”?

Last week, Guyana and the world observed the anniversary of the brutal murder of Walter Rodney, it is tangible evidence that Rodney’s freedom fighter party has been totally bought out by the dictators they once fought against.

It was nauseating when Volda Lawrence insisted her Government is only obligated to hire “PNC” people. It is even more nauseating now as David Hinds demand a “purging”. Volda Lawrence was repeating PNC’s founding leader, Forbes Burnham’s mantra of party paramountcy. For more than four years now, every step APNU/AFC has made has been designed to restore the old PNC’s philosophy of party paramountcy. Now David Hinds wants to strengthen party paramountcy by layering it with an ugly Nazi, Hitlerite purge.

Essentially, every public servant will now have to openly become a card-carrying member of the PNC, an out-and-out PNC activist. Any public servant who is unwilling to become a card-carrying member of the PNC, who is unwilling to stoop at the feet of the PNC leaders will become suspect, will become deemed a PPP “mole”. The demand for the “flushing” out of alleged PPP “moles” has already driven fear among public servants. In effect, the purging call is a threat to all public servants to carry out all instruction given, no questions asked,

even if illegal and even if they are being asked to condone wrong.

It is an open secret - the public servants who were initially fired and then suspended were being punished because the Government suspected they were the source of information that more than $20 million from the public service department’s budget was transferred to two children of Minister Broomes. For such transfers of public funds, there is no right of secrecy.

This, by law, must be public information. Whatever reasons are proffered for the transfer of taxpayers’ money to any citizen cannot be shrouded in secrecy. To now spend taxpayers’ money for an investigation of how the information became public is adding salt to the injury.

The threats, the “flushing” out, are all part of a purging policy belonging to brutal dictatorships. Such authoritarian purging has absolutely no place in even a fledgeling democracy.

Clearly, there were people bothered by the abuse of public funds and used their right of whistleblowing that all democracies today promote. In fact, in 2018, Guyana enacted whistleblowing as a right of all citizens. Whether the whistleblower is from that particular department or not is no reason for any one of those public servants to be fired or suspended. Not only has the whistleblowing right been abrogated, but the appointment of a clearly biased investigator also renders this ugly incident an obscene, Nazi-like purging.

Regards, Dr Leslie Ramsammy Former Minister

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The secret to being a good father

…past child development research often ignored fathers. But new studies are finding that non-maternal caregivers play a crucial role in children’s behaviour, happiness and cognitive skills

By Sophie Hardach

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he Aka tribesmen in the Central African Republic often look after their young children while the mothers are out hunting.

They soothe, clean and play with their babies, and spend more time holding them than fathers in any other society.

Their devotion has earned them the title of “the world’s best dads” from online commentators – which is somewhat ironic given that the Aka are strictly egalitarian and shun rankings.

Still, it shows just how dramatically the wider view of being a “good father” has changed over time.

Today, many dads are celebrated for being sensitive, caring and hands-on. A growing body of research is transforming our understanding of how they can shape their children’s lives from the start, challenging conventional ideas of parenthood and gender.

This is striking given that until the 1970s, the role of fathers in their children’s development was not much studied at all. Their most important job was seen as economically supporting the mother, who would in turn be the emotional anchor for the child.

“There was a lot of focus on how relationships with mothers were very important, and there was very little thought about other social relationships,” says Michael Lamb, a psychologist at the University of Cambridge who has been studying fathers since the 1970s. “The most obvious of those was the father-child relationship – a relationship that was viewed as more important as children grow older, but was always viewed as secondary to the mother-child relationship.”

Or as Marian BakermansKranenburg of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, who is doing a series of studies on new fathers and family relations, puts it: “Half of parents are fathers, yet 99 per cent of the research on parenting focuses on mothers.”

Now, new research is showing that the social world of children is much richer, and more complex, than previously thought.

It is not just dads who have moved into the spotlight. Grandparents, step-parents and single parents have also helped researchers understand what really makes a child thrive – and that it’s not just about one caregiver.

“Part of the argument that I’ve been trying to make for the past 45 years is that actually, no, there are multiple important factors,” says

Lamb. “We do want to recognise differences in their importance, but we also need to recognise that – to quote that cliché – it does take a village, and that there are a lot of important relationships that shape children’s development.”

A range of recent studies show how flexible parenting roles can be.

Psychologist Ruth Feldman of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University has found that, just like mothers, fathers experience a hormonal boost when caring for their babies, which helps the bonding process. When dads are the main caregivers, their brains adapt to the task.

And emotional involvement matters. Babies with emotionally engaged dads show better mental development as toddlers and are less likely to have behavioural problems later on, compared to babies whose dads behave in a more detached way. Older children benefit, too. Those whose fathers, or father figures, are more emotionally supportive, tend to be more satisfied with life and have better relationships with teachers and other children.

“The factors that lead to the formation of relationships are exactly the same for mother and father,” says Lamb. “It really comes down to the emotional availability, recognising the child’s needs, responding to those, providing the comfort and support that the child needs.”

Past research has found that mothers and fathers do tend to interact differently with small children: mothers bond more through gentle caretaking, while fathers typically bond through play. But that, Lamb says, has less to do with gender and more with the division of childcare.

Studies have shown that regardless of gender, it is the parent who works during the day, and comes home in the evening, who tends to play wilder games, like picking up their baby and swinging them around. The parent who looks after the baby all day is likely to interact with them more calmly.

The parent who takes on most of the care during the day is often still the mother for a range of social and economic reasons.

One is to do with parental leave. While all OECD countries except the US provide nationwide, publicly-funded, paid maternity leave, only half provide paid paternity leave that lasts for at least two months.

Meanwhile, given the persisting gender wage gap, it often simply makes economic sense for new mothers rather than fathers to stay at home. Across the OECD, women earn 13.8 per cent less than men (based on median earnings).

This helps to explain why parental leave alone is not the answer. In the UK, where shared parental leave is available, as few as two per cent of couples take it.

In fact, even among the much-praised Aka, the women do the majority of the childcare. They hunt and forage with their babies snuggled against them in a sling. But no-one yet has declared them the world’s best mothers.

But involving dads more from the start can have many benefits, research has shown. And play, regardless of whether it’s calm or boisterous, is particularly beneficial.

Play is vital

“Play is the language of childhood: it’s the way children explore the world, it’s how they build relationships with other children,” says Paul Ramchandani, who studies play in education, development and learning at the University of Cambridge. He and his team observed fathers playing with their babies in the first months of life, then tracked the children’s development. They found that early father-baby interactions are much more important than previously assumed.

Babies whose dads were more active and engaged during play had fewer behavioural difficulties at age one compared to those with more distant or detached dads.

They also did better in cognitive tests at two, for example in their ability to recognise shapes.

T h e s e outcomes were independent of the mother’s relationship with the child.

Ramchandani cautions that the results should not be interpreted as a clear causal link. Instead of directly affecting their children’s development, the distant dads’ behaviour could, for example, be a sign of other problems in the family. Still, he sees the study as an encouragement to play with your child long before they can crawl and talk: “Some dads don’t do that when the babies are young, because they’re unsure about what they should do, or unsure if they’re doing the right things.” Of course, new mothers may feel similarly hesitant.

But Ramchandani says it can be as simple as sitting the baby on your lap, making eye contact, and observing what they enjoy.

“It’s the getting involved that’s the most important thing, because you’ll get better at it if you practise it. It’s not something that comes naturally to everybody. Some people are really good at it, but for most people it takes practice,” he says.

In many ways, fathers are more involved than ever. There are fathers’ playgroups, dads-only baby massage classes, and hugely popular online videos of dad-and-baby dance ensembles.

Visit a typical weekday baby group in even a relatively progressive neighbourhood in London, however, and the picture quickly changes.

Yes, there are usually one or two dads around, and they are just as competent as the mums. But the bulk of parenting still seems to fall to women. Around the world, women spend up to 10 times more time on unpaid care work – including childcare – than men.

“I think we’re at a crossroads in terms of how we view fathers,” says Anna Machin, an anthropologist and author of The Life of Dad, a book on modern fathering.

M a c h i n argues that while most dads want to be more active at home, the workplace has not really adapted to this.

“That’s where the tension is for men at the moment: between needing and wanting to care, and also needing to still provide,” she says.

Given the financial pressures many families face, Machin fears there could actually be a reversal to more traditional roles: “If you’re a dad now, if you want to be involved, you have to be a bit of a pioneer in the workplace. You have to go against all that culture of, ‘men go back to work’. You have to be the one to go, ‘Actually, I want to assert my rights’.

“And that’s quite a hard thing to do.”

A more equal division can have many long-term benefits.

Researchers led by sociologists Helen Norman and Colette Fagan at the University of Manchester found that fathers were more likely to be involved when the child was aged three if they shared childcare equally when the child was nine months old. In Scotland, a study of more than 2500 families showed that supportive father-child relationships matter as much as mother-child relationships for children’s wellbeing.

In another sign of change, the study included father-figures such as stepfathers, whose impact has often been side-lined.

“People did take note, and it’s helping to maintain or increase the profile of fathers in a range of policy discussions,” says Paul Bradshaw, director of the Scottish Centre for Social Research, which undertook the study on behalf of the Scottish Government.

“One of the points we’ve learned is that there isn’t a model of the ideal father. There isn’t a recipe for what the father needs to do or what sorts of behaviour he needs to emulate,” says Lamb.

Ultimately, he says, it’s about being emotionally available, and meeting the child’s needs. “Different people do that in different ways.

There’s been a lot of talk about, ‘do dads need to do that in a masculine way?’ And the answer is no, they don’t need to.

“They need to do it in a way that makes sense for them, that feels authentic, that allows them to be fully and coherently engaged in the relationship with their child.” (BBC)

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SUnDAY, june 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

SARA oil blocks probe

Defined scope, TOR needed for credibility – Jagdeo R

eiterating an earlier position that a reputable international firm should carry out any probe into the award of oil blocks offshore Guyana and not the Clive Thomasled State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA), Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is insisting that in order for such an investigation to be credible, there needs to be defined scope and terms of reference.

Jagdeo explained to reporters at his recent weekly press conference that this is the only way that the Opposition People’s Progressive Party will support the investigation.

However, he noted that the Private Sector and oil stakeholders will have to be added to the process since they are the ones who will be most affected by the probe.

“I think we should work out like national terms of reference – get everyone together. So, get the Private Sector, get the political parties and they do clear terms of reference so that everybody is at one on this and the scope of the investigation should cover everyone… and then you maybe approach an international organisation of repute to do this. I can’t tell you exactly whom but somebody who is not part of our landscape that can bring an impartial view that all sides – the oil companies, as well the Government of Guyana and the people of Guyana will have credibility in,” the Opposition Leader noted.

According to Jagdeo, this will ensure that no one is treated unfairly or feel that the probe is a witch hunt against them.

Last month Professor

Thomas had disclosed that the agency is looking into the award of the blocks by the Donald Ramotar Administration before the 2015 General and Regional elections.

However, Jagdeo had previously said that the PPP welcomes the probe since it has nothing to hide but noted that they will only support it if it is done by an independent international firm.

When asked whether this suggestion will be taken under consideration, Government’s spokesperson Joseph Harmon told Guyana Times when contacted last week that he could not say since Cabinet was not briefed on the probe

by SARA. In fact, he repeated this during the post-Cabinet press briefing on Friday, saying “We have not had a report from SARA with respect to the nature and extent of their investigations”.

Harmon, the Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency, pointed out to reporters that SARA is an independent agency and operates on its own. However, he noted that Government will support the agency in pursuing the necessary actions if breaches or acts of illegality are found but there needs to be credible evidence of this.

“Government will be prepared to throw its weight behind the agency so that we have an outcome that is in the interest of the people of Guyana. Of course, it has to be based on evidence which comes before us. As of right now, people are responding to reports that are made in the newspaper and that is what we have”

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

Harmon contended.

On May 22, an article appeared in the New Yorkbased Bloomberg website, in which the SARA Director was quoted confirming that there was a probe ongoing.

According to Thomas, the probe was in its early stages and would be centred on the award of blocks and licences to ExxonMobil and Tullow.

Thomas was quoted by Bloomberg as saying “we’re investigating the issuance of the licences, for example, and the various blocks.

We’re building up a case.

This is an area of investigation into how the blocks were allocated and the decisions that were made”.

However, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) said that this investigation can harm Guyana by discouraging potential investors from vying for future oil blocks.

Head of the GCCI’s Petroleum arm, Charles

SARA Director, Dr Clive Thomas

Ramson had expressed worry over the impact these revelations have on Guyana’s image especially since the article appeared

in Bloomberg, which meant that thousands in the global business community would have read this unsavoury news.

Meanwhile, GCCI President Nicholas Boyer decried the haphazard way in which the investigation is being done. He also noted that the investigation is being done at a time when much of the regulatory framework for the industry has not even been set up.

“At this point, I think we’re shooting in the dark.

I think SARA is wasting its time because of the lack of having a petroleum commission in place, lack of policies saying how it’s going to issue future blocks and approach relinquishment.”

SARA is said to be investigating the award of concessions in the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks offshore Guyana. The Canje Block was awarded to JHI, Mid-Atlantic Oil and Gas, and Ratio Energy in March 2015, a few months before the national elections.

Ramjattan ousts Nagamootoo...

With outgoing General Secretary Marlon Williams not contesting his position, it was understood that there were five nominees: former GS Patterson, Michael Leonard, Beverly Alert, Leonard Craig, and Michael Carrington, with Patterson emerging the eventual winner.

Meanwhile, the National Executive Committee will comprise recently-minted Business Minister Haimraj Rajkumar, Junior Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Valerie GarridoLowe, new parliamentarian Reynard Ward, former Chronicle General Manager Sherod Duncan,

City Hall Councillor Juretha Fernandes, Trevor Williams, Vince Adams, Suraj Singh, Allison Mohamed, Subaschand Orilall, Rickey Ramsaroop, and Derek Basdeo.

Not making the cut was Director of Public Information Imran Khan, who in the run-up to the National Executive Council (NEC) had complained of threats being made towards him and his wife to run them out of the party and back to Antigua.

According to Patterson in his interaction with the media, there were a total of 14 motions on the floor. He noted that some of them had

from page 3

to do with making changes to the party constitution. One such motion was for members of the National Executive Committee to not be Cabinet Ministers.

A recent letter writer had drawn attention to the issue, arguing that while the Committee was supposed to hold Cabinet Ministers hailing from the party accountable, it could not do so if those very Cabinet Ministers are the executives. This motion, Patterson revealed, was defeated.

“Of the 14 motions, six were passed, four were withdrawn, and the other four were defeated,” Patterson informed the media.

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SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

National footballer jailed for 2018 shooting of cop

N

ineteen-year-old Jobe Caesar, who is no stranger to the court, was on Friday given a six-month prison sentence

by Senior Magistrate Dylon Bess on a wounding charge committed on a police officer in 2018.

The teen was charged for wounding Kerry Joseph on September 3, 2018, at East Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

Magistrate Bess, during his ruling on Friday, informed the court that evidence obtained during the Preliminary Inquiry is sufficient to convict Caesar of the charge.

Thus, the footballer of Albouystown, Georgetown, will spend the next six

Jailed: Jobe Caesar

Husband, wife charged for selling alcohol to underage children

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man and his wife found themselves answerable to the Court of Law on Thursday, charged for reportedly selling alcohol to children under the age of 16.

It was reported to the police that forty-year-old Mark Marshall and 37-yearold Chandra Marshall of Supenaam, Old Market Road, were allowing persons under the age of 16 to be at the licensed premises, which is contrary to section 54 (1) of the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Act Chapter 82:01.

months behind bars.

Caesar is also before the court on charges committed earlier this year, which includes robbing and damaging his ex-girlfriend’s motorcar after their alleged abusive relationship ended.

According to facts previously presented, Kerry Joseph also shared a relationship with Caesar’s ex-girlfriend and on the day in question, Joseph visited the home of the said woman where she was attacked by the convicted man.

A report was subsequently made and Caesar was arrested for the offence.

The couple was also found to be selling intoxicating liquor to young persons which is contrary to section 55 (1) of the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Act Chapter 82:21.

As such, they were both taken before Magistrate Esther Sam where the charges were read to them.

The duo pled not guilty and were both granted bail in the sum of $20,000 each.

They are expected to make a second court appearance on July 7, 2019, when the matter is scheduled to continue.

Security guard to stand trial at High Court for attempted murder

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rincipal Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus ruled that 30-year-old Rondell Mitchell will now stand trial at the Demerara High Court for the offence of attempted murder committed in 2018.

Magistrate IsaacsMarcus in her ruling noted that the evidence presented during the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) was satisfactory and sufficient, thus Mitchell will be facing a trial during one of the court’s assizes.

The charge which the former Friendship, East Bank

Demerara (EBD) resident faced detailed that he attempted to murder Sherwin Anderson on October 28, 2018, while he was in the vicinity of the Meadow Bank fishery wharf.

According to previous media reports, the court heard that Mitchell discharged a loaded firearm at Anderson with intent to murder him in the presence of Oquacy Harvey and Romario Nurse.

The court was informed that on October 28, Anderson was at the fishery wharf when the accused allegedly took his mobile phone and flashed a picture of him.

This reportedly annoyed him and a heated argument broke out between them.

Mitchell then armed himself with a 9mm pistol and shot the victim to his abdomen. The two other men were in the vicinity when the man was shot.

The injured Anderson was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

An investigation which was launched led to the arrest of Rondell who has now been committed to stand trial at the High Court.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

Looting…

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…Guyana uring the riots which they’re infamous for when out of office -- to intimidate the PPP to get back in -- PNC supporters routinely loot business houses in the city with frenetic abandon. Skinny fellas who’d balk at fetching a basket for a fee run with massive refrigerators on their backs like those appliances are made of feathers!! These looters, however, are mostly from the lumpen elements that abound in the darker urban sections, and they seize the opportunity to “make their hand” when called upon by the PNC enforcement bureau.

Back in the day, Hamilton Green earned his spurs as a leading light of the latter office, to be succeeded by Corbin, as the millennium rolled around and Green was defanged by Hoyte. But once in office, the PNC culture of looting not only continues unabated, but increases exponentially. However, this time, the looters aren’t the lumpen centipedes, but the white-collared ones placed into office. They loot with such abandon that it’s clear they wished they had the guts to run off with some of the aforementioned refrigerators!!

Sadly, most commentators, including your Eyewitness, whitewash the white-collar looters as indulging in “corruption”, which somehow suggests that it’s just a lapse in moral judgement, rather than a wilful grabbing of property that’s not theirs and running off with it. It’s nothing of the sort; and it’s time we stop insulting the lower classes and call out the big ones from the PNC for the common looters they are.

Take Simona “I is” Broomes, for instance, who started out with a borderline case, then went on to bigger lootings.

The moment the PNC let her get away with being a Minister of Natural Resources, claiming she had no mining interests, when all she’d done was transfer ownership of the leases, dredges etc to her son and daughter, she became emboldened. She looted millions from the treasury by renting luxury houses in the city rather than staying at Government-owned apartments, because, coming from the bush, she had to be housed.

Bolstered further, she then conducted various and sundry shakedowns on folks in the interior under the cover of her ministerial positions and TIP reputation. Finally, we hear of $20 million being transferred from a Ministry of the Presidency account to Broomes’s aforementioned children.

There’s no disguising that final act of barefaced looting, which led to a public outcry! So the PNC sets up a one-man “Board of Inquiry” using an old PNC diehard. What a joke!!

Who’d they think they’re fooling?

And we don’t have the space to get around the looting

by PNC’s Bobby Vieira (transmission towers; Carnival franchise); London’s Jubilee Park; Larry’s warehouse etc etc.

Next up is ballot looting!! …by Patterson While David Patterson came into Government from the AFC, he took to the PNC’s ways like duck to water, and started looting like he’d been practising all his life. Which he very well might have been doing, seeing he was a “quantity evaluator”; you know, those folks who sign off on the “value” of property being sold, and whose first question to the client is “How much do you want it to be valued at?”

Patterson was called in to save the PNC blushes when the PNC’s Lt Col (retd) Larry London’s company, HDI, collected over $600 million to build Jubilee Park, but couldn’t show anything but some rotten wood. Following that master shyster, Patterson then claimed he’d spent another billionplus dollars to complete the project. Four years later, he still hasn’t provided the Auditor General with info on where the money went!!

Emboldened, he bypassed the NPTAB instructions to retender the design for the new DHB and handed it to a Dutch company, LievenseCSO, spending twice the money budgeted for a 19th century design!

And now SOCU’s exculpated him!! …and nixing Nagamootoo Trying desperately to woo delegates, Nagamootoo rescinded Duncan’s dismissal from the Chronic for the latter’s G/T support base. After Harmon said only a Board can rehire a fired employee, Nagamootoo insisted this didn’t “negativise” his directive”!

Nixing isn’t “negativising”??

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

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SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Regions 1, 2 & 7 record highest levels of fuel smuggling – GEA

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egions One, Two and Seven continue to lead the way in fuel smuggling as the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) seized over 1057 gallons of illegal fuel worth over $1 million between January 1 and May 31, 2019.

According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr Mahender Sharma, the seizures were made during four separate operations conducted by enforcement staff.

“In Region One, fuel is permitted to enter the country at a lower tax rate but must be utilised solely within that region. This fuel, however, sometimes filters through to Region Two. As areas bordering Venezuela, the presence of illegal fuel in Regions One and Seven is notable”, Sharma noted.

Guyana Times was told that for the year thus far, the GEA

GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia

continues to work steadfastly in identifying and tackling the issue of fuel smuggling throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.

GEA CEO, Dr Mahender Sharma

As of May 31, 2019, inspectors of the GEA would have conducted 5536 site visits and collected a total of 11,492 samples of diesel, gasoline and kerosene through-

out the country.

Dr Sharma, during the interview, stated that the GEA continues to collaborate closely with its sister agencies, including the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), to identify and “appropriately deal with” persons who are found in possession of illegal fuel.

It was also noted that capacity-building through relevant training programmes is presently on-going.

Just a few months ago, Commissioner General of GRA, Godfrey Statia stated that billions of dollars in revenues have been recouped from seizures of illegal fuel over the past three years, as the GRA continues to dent the “Black Market” with support from its sister agencies.

He had said that being cognisant of the issues, the GRA has taken corrective action to bolster resources and foster more collaboration with sister agencies

to safeguard and protect borders from nefarious activities.

Statia pointed out that since he took office in 2016, the measures put in place have allowed for billions of dollars in revenue to be recouped from the seizure of illegal fuel alone.

“In Region One alone, over $375 million was collected from fuel smuggling in 2018, while the Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) recovered over $600 million in duties, taxes and fines, of which $124 million was a result of fines, and $119 million from sales and auctions from seizures,” he had told the media.

Having reinforced its presence at the frontier locations and shifted much of its Revenue Protection and Risk Management focus away from low-risk and trusted traders, the GRA has been able to zero in on high-risk traders and smugglers.

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SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Jaipaul Sharma moved from Finance Ministry

... to understudy Patterson at Ministry of Public Infrastructure

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he reshuffling of Cabinet members has not yet ceased, as Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma has been moved from his respective portfolio to assist the Public Infrastructure Ministry.

The decision was confirmed by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, who positioned on social media that Sharma will provide support to the Ministry with effect from July 1.

This was later confirmed by Sharma, who also took to social media stating that his appointment will assist in “much-needed infrastructure”. The reasons for the move are unknown but according to a close source, it might have been done in light of the recent comments made by Sharma in connection with the Marriott Casino Tender that was called off.

However, the reshuffling ensued after the

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

ruling of Chief Justice, Roxanne George back in January that it is illegal for persons with a second citizenship to serve in the National Assembly. This decision was upheld in the Appeal Court in March.

As such, senior Government Ministers namely: Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin; Foreign Affairs Minister,

Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma

Carl Greenidge and Public Service Minister, Rupert Roopnaraine were also forced to resign from Cabinet and the National Assembly, owing to their dual citizenship status.

Former Junior Public Health Minister, Karen Cummings was sworn-in as Foreign Affairs Minister alongside the newly recruited Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams;

Business Minister, Haimraj Rajkumar; and Public Service Minister, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley.

This period also saw a reshuffling of Junior Ministers, with Annette Ferguson and Simona Charles-Broomes being transferred from the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Natural Resources respectively.

Minister Ferguson

was appointed Housing Minister within the Communities Ministry, while Minister Broomes holds the mantle for Youth Affairs within the Ministry of the Presidency.

Moreover, Minister Valerie PattersonYearwood was also reassigned as Minister of Rural Affairs within the Agriculture Ministry.

Government then created a position for Harmon as Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency.

Gaskin was later appointed Director of Manufacturing and Marketing within the Business Ministry with responsibility for the enforcement of standards, providing assistance to small producers and access to markets, particularly Eastern Caribbean markets.

Additionally, Dr Roopnaraine was recruited as Director of Public

Service Training within the Ministry of the Presidency with responsibility for training standards at the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service, Guyana Defence Force Staff College and Guyana Police Force Staff College.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge took up responsibility as Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for the Department of Frontiers and Territorial Integrity and the Department of Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Article 155 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana states that “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who (a) is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state”.

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SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

Erosion in quality of life, struggles of workers evident daily – Ali What will change?

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nce again, we are headed towards elections. But exactly what will that lead to, if we haven’t addressed our fundamental ethnic security dilemmas which prevent us from realising the fundamental premise of democracy: that the state be managed for all the people of the country. Those who manage the affairs of the state have to accept they are servants of the people. Hegel called them the “universal class”.

If the staffing of the institutions of the state is in the control of any single “faction” of the society, it presents another dilemma for democracy. In Guyana, the African Guyanese community has a vast overrepresentation in the key state institutions mentioned, especially in the Armed Forces; and has historically used this incumbency to neutralise the numerical advantage of Indian Guyanese. This creates an ethnic security dilemma for the latter, since, even though they might secure a majority under the Westminster system and form the Executive after “freeand-fair” elections, that Executive cannot guarantee stability, especially for their supporters or for themselves.

Ravi Dev Any PPP Government, therefore, have to always take into consideration, before taking any policy decision, whether the Opposition would initiate violence under cover of their control of state institutions. Way back in 1963, the Secretary of the State for the Colonies succinctly stated the problem, after the leaders of the PPP, PNC and UF could not reach agreement on the away forward on constitutional measures following ethnic riots: “…the Premier (Dr. Jagan) told me that if the British troops were withdrawn, the situation would get completely out of control.

The root of the trouble lies entirely in the development of party politics along racial lines…Both parties (PPP and PNC) have, for their political ends, fanned the racial emotions of their followers, with the result that each has come to be regarded as the champion of one race and the enemy of the other.

“The Africans accuse the Government party of governing in the interests only of the Indians, and demand a share in political decisions. On the other side, the Indians accuse the Police, which is mainly African, of partiality towards the Africans, and demand the creation of a separate defence force, recruited more extensively from the Indian community, to counterbalance the Police.”

In its proposals, the British pointed out that there was the need, in general, “to protect minorities”, and in particular to address “the racial nature of the problem”. For the latter problem, “the Government should endeavour to rule with the general consent of the population…(and a new armed force)… should be constituted before independence by the Governor, who would endeavour to ensure that recruits were not drawn predominantly from any one racial group.” The British recognised that, under present conditions, neither the PPP nor PNC would be able “to increase appreciably its following among the other racial groups.”

They then submitted, “…it must be our deliberate aim to stimulate a radical change in the present pattern of racial alignments. It was therefore my duty to choose the electoral system which would be most likely to encourage inter-party coalitions and multi-racial groupings”. Finally, they concluded, “proportional representation would be likely to result in the formation of a coalition government of parties supported by different races, and this would go some way towards reducing the present tension.” (7) Sadly, while the British had a very good diagnosis of what ailed Guyana, their proposals were fatally flawed, since the racially balanced proto-Army SSU formed by the Governor was soon dismantled by Burnham. PR, on its own, was simply a device to allow the PNC and the UF to coalesce and elbow out the PPP. As a consequence of the “Mexican stand-off” over the last half-a-century, Guyanese politics has become so divisive that, today, even with oil in the offing, we remain on the precipice of becoming a failed state.

During their twenty-three years at the helm, the PPP did not address the need for creating that “universal class” to run state institutions; they were paralysed by the “principle of anticipated reactions” from the PNC-bolstered coercive forces and bureaucracy. They attempted to work out a modus vivendi with those forces by co-opting some in leadership, but this just weakened the state.

Today, the PNC under Brigadier (rtd) David Granger have taken personal total control of the bolstered army, police and bureaucracy to perpetuate the ethnic security dilemma of Indian Guyanese. What will elections change?

… says PPP/C commits to end pain and suffering of populace

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eople’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) P r e s i d e n t i a l Candidate, Irfaan Ali is confident that his party will return to power and when it does, it will ensure that the hardships faced by many due to the actions of the APNU/AFC Administration are eliminated.

He was at the time speaking at the Enmore Martyrs’ commemoration ceremony on Friday evening. Ali told the gathering that presently, thousands of workers

the quality of services that workers are afforded in our country. Today, as we come here to celebrate the life of these great martyrs more than 35,000 families would have seen the breadwinner from their family losing their jobs. More than 35,000 people today in our country, 35,000 workers, are without a job in the sugar industry itself, we have more than 7000 who are directly affected”, he added.

Ali further stated that the struggles of the mar-

PPP/C Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali addressing hundreds of ECD residents at a commemoration ceremony for the slain Enmore Martyrs on Friday last

A section of the crowd at the commemoration ceremony for the slain Enmore Martyrs on Friday

are suffering tremendously due to the hardships meted out to them by the APNU/ AFC Government. On this note, he referenced the thousands of sugar workers who were sent packing after Government closed the sugar estates.

The PPP/C Presidential Candidate committed to the PPP/C easing the burdens of the populace when it is voted back into office at the upcoming General And Regional Elections in Guyana.

“Every single day we are seeing the erosion in terms of the quality of life, the quality of Government and

tyrs continue but in a different form – one with an independent country being managed by a dictatorial Government.

Ali posited that the struggles of those martyrs still continue but it is the inspiration of the struggles of these martyrs that continues to inspire the movement of the PPP/C to never sway from representing the working people and interests of Guyanese.

“We live in a time today when we see workers suffering, workers are paying difficult prices, as their democratic rights are eroded every day. Workers’ inter-

est is not only about their jobs and their salaries, it is about the quality of life, the quality of service and the quality of Government that they are given.

In addition to the more than 35,000 workers who are without a job today, we are seeing that all the important sectors of our country - forestry, bauxite, rice, agriculture, on the whole, all these sectors, the mining sector, these are all the sectors that are on decline.”

He also stated that the PPP/C is working on a strategy that it will implement when it returns to governance so as to return decent working conditions and bet-

ter services to all Guyanese.

“No Government can ever be successful; no Government can ever be successful if they believe that their only responsibility is for a few top supporters in the management structure of the party because let me assure you that the gains by this Government is not even felt by their supporters on the ground.

So when we are returned very shortly in the Government, I want to assure you that we are going to return hope, development, progress, pride to every single community, every single home and the lives of every single Guyanese”.

The Presidential candidate highlighted that the negativities brought upon the country at the hands of the APNU/AFC coalition Administration have had devastating effects in every region across the country and that once the PPP/C is re-elected to governance, it will rectify the situation.

“The PPP/C very shortly will be returned to office and when we return to office, we will show this Government what is meant by governing for all the people in the interest in all the people.”

12 news Orientation held for Region 3 work study students A SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

s secondary school students complete their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, many are now entering the work study phase, where they will be welcomed by public and private entities to be introduced to the world of work.

On Friday, over 100 students in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) assembled at the West Demerara Secondary School for an official orientation exercise.

As customary, work study is conducted in two phases, facilitating students between June and August to give them a five-week simulation in a work setting.

Students are required to report for work in their school’s uniform and are given a stipend at the end of their stint.

A recently implemented mechanism also saw these persons receiving a certificate from the Regional Education Office, which can be used for job applications as a reference for work experience.

District Education Officer, Devendra Persaud explained that these students will be placed at various institutions within the region.

Students during the orientation

Some are assigned to agencies that are linked to their career preference, but this is not always the case since there are limited spaces to fill at each agency.

“The objective of this work study exercise is to expose students to the world of work, where they will be taking you through the process of career awareness, career exploration and other life

skills and experiences,” he said to the students.

Meanwhile, Coordinator, Caroline Daniels asserted that this year marks the 44th year since Guyana commenced work study for CSEC students.

“The work study programme was established in 1975, operating on a model adapted from the Cuban enterprise…2001 formed

the genesis of work study being organised to work in two phases.

This has become an annual event, whereby students who have recently completed the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination are given an opportunity to partake in work-related activities for a period of five weeks.”

Some students expressed their elatedness to commence this new

venture as they await their results.

This orientation exercise was also carried out in other regions across the country.

A total of 12,269 candidates were registered for the 2018 examinations as compared to 12,684 registered for 2017.

Subject entries were 69,194.

An analysis of the 2018 results revealed that the overall pass rate at the General and Technical proficiencies for Grades One to Three was 69.1 per cent. The overall pass rate has improved from 2017 where a pass rate of 63.68 per cent was attained.

Improved performance was evident in 16 subjects, constant in 7 subjects and declined in 12 subjects. Outstanding performances were noted in 7 subjects where 90 per cent and over gained acceptable Grades (Grades 1-3).

Some subjects with outstanding performances were Agricultural Science (Double Award) with 96.14 per cent, Information Technology with 97.5 per cent, Religious Education with 96.69 per cent, Physical Education and Sports with 99.92 per cent and Industrial Technology – Mechanical with 98.57 per cent.

NEWS

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SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Donated blood in Guyana guaranteed 100% safe – CMO …working towards 5% voluntary donors countrywide

By Rupa Seenaraine

T

he National Blood Transfusion Service has recorded over 10,000 voluntary blood donors in Guyana through several collection mediums, all of which have displayed a 100 per cent safety regulation in the process in which the blood is obtained and administered to patients.

This was shared by Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, during the global celebration of World Blood Donor Day 2019 on Friday.

He recognised that a large population of Guyanese are voluntary donors, which enhances the donation exercise.

So far, they have managed to extend the collection network beyond the centralised location in Georgetown. However, a principal operation base allows for increased safety regulations.

Presently, the Blood Bank has set the target to achieve 30,000 voluntary donors or five per cent of the population to facilitate the ever-changing modernised healthcare, catering for all medical needs.

“Our services are centralised for a good purpose to try to bring the standards

Blood donor Angelica Holder rewarded for her contributions by Dr Pedro Lewis of the NBTS

of blood safety in all its facets. So, every time you donate blood, more than 11 markers are looked at on every unit to make sure that we’re not giving you a disease that you don’t have and we can guarantee a 100 per cent safety of the blood. We also do some other checks which amount to 17 or 18 [regulations],” the CMO stated.

He added, “We’ve passed that 10,000 mark. I think last year we even exceeded 12,000 so we can reach for the 30,000 mark in terms of collection.

Remarkably, a large proportion in excess of 90 per cent

Damaged submarine cable affects water supply on WBD

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undreds of residents on the West Bank of Demerara are experiencing an “unreliable” flow of water as a result of the damaged Guyana Power and Light (GPL) submarine cable.

This is according to the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

In a notice on Friday, the water company explained that all of GWI Stations on the West Bank of Demerara are being affected by low voltage. This has caused station motors to become unable to operate continuously, thereby resulting in an unreliable water supply.

However, the most affected stations are Canal Number Two Polder, Belle Vue, Wales, L’Oratoire and Good Hope. “Due to the severity of the situation, a generator is being mobilised at Canal Number Two to mitigate the current problems being faced with water,” the company assured.

This generator will, on the other hand, improve service to customers in Canal Number Two and Belle West, while customers along the villages from Schoonord to Free and Easy will remain affected, GWI informed as it added its apologies for the inconvenience caused.

This alert from GWI comes on the heels of an announcement also on Friday, by the Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, that the main submarine cable across the Demerara

River to link the Vreed-enhoop and Kingston substations has been restored with less load shedding activities.

Nonetheless 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. The two entities are powering their own operations using heavy fuel oil and have substantial capacity.

In a notice published in the daily newspapers by the Maritime Department, it was revealed that works commenced on June 8 to rectify the first damaged submarine cable laid on the riverbed along the channel of the Demerara River which connects the Vreed-enHoop and Kingston Power Stations.

A second GPL submarine cable was disrupted on June 6, due to another maritime accident that occurred four days after the disruption of the 69kV submarine cable.

This 13.8kV submarine cable, which rests along the upper Demerara River within proximity of Craig, East Bank Demerara, was dislodged by a barge sailing along the Demerara River.

As a result of this incident, West Demerara customers from Vriesland to La Retraite were without electricity while efforts were underway to alternatively power these customers from the Vreed-en-Hoop Substation.

voluntary donors so very few persons are going through a family replacement.”

Most populated areas in Guyana are used as stations for blood donation. With the Georgetown Public Hospital established as the primary site, the activity continues at regional hospitals in areas such as Bartica, Mabaruma, Lethem, Mahaicony, Fort Wellington, Diamond, Suddie, Linden, New Amsterdam,

West Demerara and others.

Persaud reminded that while some persons might display resistance towards the idea of donating or receiving the fluid, it has no adverse effect on the health of an individual. Contrarily, it has proven to improve the body’s operations.

“What we really don’t want to have is for anyone to have to lose their life because they needed blood or some support and it wasn’t available…There is still a lot of fear among the population…

Giving blood does nothing adverse to your health. We know that persons who donate regularly have some of the best health indicators,” he insisted.

Blood demand

Generally, some persons require blood units as a result of accidents, medical conditions, surgeries, genetic disorders among other causes.

In Guyana, a large proportion is used to save the lives of pregnant women. As such, the need for these donations

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

is fundamental.

Head of the transfusion centre, Dr Pedro Lewis related that they currently have a chain of over 450 collaborators to amplify collection statistics.

With talks to open a trauma centre, it is estimated that Guyana’s blood demand will significantly increase.

While there has been a number of constraints, Lewis signalled that they have been able to supply the needs of

private and public medical institutions.

“We try as much, of course with our constraints, so that we can collect as much units as possible. If you’d ask if we have enough blood, I would say I’m not satisfied. We have to realise that the Ministry of Public Health is moving towards establishing a trauma centre very soon and we’re talking trauma, we’re talking a lot of blood units and we need approximately five per cent of Guyana’s population,” Lewis explained.

It was highlighted that there is a need for more education and awareness among the general populace on the quest to save lives through adequate blood contributions.

On Friday, a number of persons were recognised for their donations to the Blood Bank. One of the recipients, Angelica Holder, emphasised the importance of such blood, since it eliminates the waiting time before a patient can be treated.

14 news

SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

World Day to Combat Govt stands in solidarity with Cuba on US imposed economic Desertification and Drought 2019 embargo – President

P

resident David Granger on Saturday assured the Republic of Cuba of Guyana’s solidarity relative to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the Government of the United States of America (USA).

President Granger was at the time meeting with Cuba’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla; Director General of Latin America and the Caribbean Division, Ambassador Eugenio Martinez Enriquez and Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, His Excellency Narciso Reinaldo Amador Socorro, at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Minister Parrilla travelled to Guyana for the Sixth Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Caricom and Cuba which was held on June 14, 2019.

“We have historically over four decades, regarded the integrity and sovereignty of Cuba in this hemisphere. We have taken a very strong and principled position on the question of the blockade and we will continue to give our support for the lifting of the blockade,” President Granger said.

The Head of State noted that the blockade is an

President David Granger exchanges a handshake with Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla before the commencement of their meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency on Saturday morning

aberration of international relations which have been perpetrated by one state against another.

“We will continue to insist that the unlawful blockade against the Cuban people is lifted; it is something which is really part of the previous era of the cold war, it has no place in modern international relations. So, you can count on our solidarity in this regard,” he said.

On Friday, Caricom’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs

in a declaration adopted at the conclusion of the Sixth Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Caricom and Cuba, rejected the imposition of unilateral coercive measures while calling for an “immediate and unconditional end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the Government of the United States of America against Cuba.

The statement released by the Caricom Secretariat also called for the end to

what was described as the extraterritorial nature and the financial persecution of Cuban transactions, the severity of which has increased.

“In this regard, we denounce the application of the new measures under the Title III of the HelmsBurton Act, legislation which flagrantly violates International Law and undermines the sovereignty and interests of third parties, announced by the US Government which strengthens the US blockade against Cuba.”

Additionally, President Granger iterated that economic development and peace in the Caribbean Bloc contributes to international peace and security.

“I would like to assure you, the Cuban Government, of the Government of Guyana’s solidarity in removing this blockade which has hampered economic development. I see the Caribbean as being not only a zone of peace, not only from a political or military point of view but also as one of economic stability,” the Head of State said.

President Granger and the Cuban Foreign Minister discussed matters of mutual interest including climate change and the environment, the protection of wildlife, renewable energy and healthcare, to name a few.

The President thanked the Government of Cuba for providing excellent and professional healthcare to him while he was being treated there for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma over the past few months. “I would like to iterate my gratitude to President Miguel DíazCanel, the Vice-President… yourself and the doctors at Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirurgicas (CIMEQ) for the excellent care given to me,” President Granger said.

Meanwhile, Parrilla thanked Guyana for its continued support. He said Guyana and Cuba have a history of cooperation and collaboration and reiterated that the two countries will continue to work on areas of mutual interest.

“We would never forget Guyana’s contribution dating back to 1972 [when diplomatic relations were established],” the Cuban Foreign Minister said while noting that despite the challenging times faced as a result of the blockade, Cubans remain resilient.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Karen Cummings; Minister of State, Dawn HastingsWilliams; Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba, Halim Majeed; Director Generals of the Ministries of the Presidency and Foreign Affairs, Joseph Harmon and Audrey Waddell respectively, also attended Saturday morning’s meeting.

T

he purpose of this day is to promote public awareness of land degradation and draw attention to implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

To maximise its impact, the UNCCD Secretariat invites all states, civil society organisations, international and non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders to draw attention to land issues, and educate the public about effective methods of achieving land degradation.

Acknowledging that desertification and drought are problems of a global dimension, in that they affect all regions of the world, and that joint action by the international community is needed to combat desertification and drought, particularly in Africa, the General Assembly declared 17 June to be "World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

What is desertification, and how is it caused?

Desertification is defined by the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification as the reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity of dry lands, resulting from persistent degradation of dry land ecosystems by human activities, including unsustainable farming, mining, overgrazing, and clear-cutting of land; and by climate change.

Desertification can also occur when; • The tree and plant cover that binds the soil is removed.

It occurs when trees and bushes are stripped away for fuel wood and timber, or when land is cleared for cultivation.

• Animals eat away grasses and erode topsoil with their hooves.

• Intensive farming depletes the nutrients in the soil.

• Wind and water erosion aggravate the damage, carrying away topsoil and leaving behind a highly infertile mix of dust and sand. It is the combination of these factors that transforms degraded land into desert.

Impact of desertification

Desertification is a global issue with serious worldwide implications for biodiversity, eco-safety, poverty eradication, socio-economic stability, and sustainable development.

Drylands are already fragile. As they become degraded, the impact on people, livestock and environment can be devastating. Some 50 million people may be displaced within the next 10 years as a result of desertification.

What is being done to combat in globally, regionally and locally?

What is being done, and how can you play a part?

In order to prevent and reverse desertification, major policy interventions and changes in management approaches are needed.

Such interventions should be implemented at local to global scales, with the active engagement of stakeholders and local Key Facts communities.

"By 2025, 1.8 billion people The seventeenth will experience absolute wasession of the Committee ter scarcity, and 2/3 of the for the Review of the world will be living under Implementation of the water-stressed conditions."

Convention (CRIC17) of the United Nations By 2045 some 135 million peoConvention to Combat ple may be displaced as a reDesertification (UNCCD) sult of desertification."-UN 2019 was held here in Guyana from 28 to 30 January 2019. CRIC17 reviewed the first global assessment of land degradation based on Earth observation data reported by governments. The assessment, which was conducted by reporting countries using a harmonised approach, shows the trends in land degradation between 2000 and 2015 based on data provided by 145 of the 197 countries that are party to the Convention.

The assessment provided the baseline for assessing progress in the reduction or reversal of land degradation globally, going forward. It will also contribute to countries’ efforts to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN), which is Sustainable Development Goal target 15.3.

In addition to the policy approach, the Environmental Protection Agency, though its various programme areas, works closely with environmental users to ensure proper environmental authorisation is obtained before operations that pose significant impact to air, water and soil quality are carried out. The EPA, through in monitoring and enforcement arms, ensures that environmental users adhere to environmental protection and conservation laws. It also encourages and supports a number of best practices and initiatives, such as: • Reforestation and tree regeneration • Increased education and awareness • Climate Smart Agriculture • Water management — saving, reuse of treated water, rainwater harvesting.

• Countering erosion through terracing and other measures, • Enriching the soil with nutrients, and • Turning to alternative livelihoods that do not depend on traditional land uses, such as dry land aquaculture, greenhouse agriculture, and tourism-related activities Feel free to share with us, via our Facebook page, one way you plan to join the rest of the world in observing this day.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail. com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

MoPH says no drug, staff shortage at Diamond Diagnostic Centre The inter-relationship of geopolitical risks and the likelihood of delayed oil production, and an imminent economic crisis for Guyana

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n previous writings, this author had presented analyses on a number of macroeconomic outcomes of Guyana’s economic performance by examining datasets from as far back as ten years ago. Those analyses had pointed out two critical, worrying trends viz-á-viz the widening of the balance of payments’ deficit, largely financed from the Bank of Guyana’s (BoG’s) foreign reserves, which in turn is depleting the international reserve balance.

A

mid cries from medical professionals attached to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre about drug and staff shortages at the medical facility, the Public Health Ministry has outrightly refuted this accusation.

Director of Regional and Clinical Services, Dr Kay Shako denied that there is a drug shortage while noting that supplies are to be replenished in the near future.

“There is no critical drug shortage. Presently there are six medications: calamine lotion, unsterile gloves, sterile gloves, salbutamol inhaler, beclomethasone inhaler and insulin syringe which are soon to be replenished”, Dr Shako said in a missive to the media.

She also debunked the employees’ plights of staff shortage claiming “Managers of the health facility are provided with the scope and supportive supervision needed to improve health service quality and efficiency, through innovation and the reinforcement of protocols for the equitable dispensation of governance and administration at the

Centre.”

However, the optimum human resources to function effectively was not mentioned, but rather the services that are offered.

“Our staff complement receives Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support training annually, especially staff in direct provision of emergency care and services. Ninety-five per cent of nurses and doctors have been trained in BLS.” “The Centre offers electrocardiogram (ECG) in both the Emergency and Outpatient departments, with an average of 20 ECGs are done daily in both departments with a monthly average of over 1000 patients receiving this service”, the Director added.

This release was issued days after nurses at the facility reached out to Guyana Times complaining that all of the operations of the hospital are being done by only a few of them, who are left to multitask and are forced to work long hours beyond their shifts in order to get the work completed.

One of the nurses, who

Director of Regional and Clinical Services, Dr Kay Shako

wished to remain anonymous due to fear of victimisation, told this publication that a majority of the staff of the hospital have been migrating to England through agencies soliciting medical personnel for overseas jobs while others have sought transfers to escape the “stressful” environment at the Diamond hospital.

“A lot of the nurses gone away to work in England and others are seeking time off to study at University, and others are taking transfers because they can’t continue to work at Diamond.

This place is like a slave camp with no proper facilities to carry out the job. It’s just a few of us doing all the work. It’s like one person doing four persons’ job. We don’t even have basic medication to give to patients. It’s a very ridiculous situation here,” the nurse stressed.

Further, the nurses added that machines and other vital equipment have been out of order for an extended period of time despite several reports to the administration about seeking repairs.

This came on the heels of Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, recently boasting of her Government’s commitment to improving access to primary healthcare to all of Guyana. The Minister’s statement comes at a time when the healthcare system is experiencing the longest and most widespread shortage of drugs in recent history.

Furthermore, the credibility of the public hospitals is under much fire owing to the alarming number of reported deaths of children and newborns.

Agricola accident

Police yet to arrest persons who thrashed truck driver The above trend has resulted in the BoG having to buy up FX from the private FX market, a trend that started in 2017 and continues to date. To this end, the BoG has bought up approximately US$300 million in just over two years; something that had never happened in the last 10 years. It is noteworthy to mention that, in Guyana’s context, inflation is closely linked to exchange rate as the key driver of inflation. Should the aforementioned trend continue, therefore, the BoG would be placed under severe constraint to attain minimum import cover and stabilise the exchange rate, as further depreciation is anticipated in the short-term.

This is especially the case since the commercial banks’ net foreign assets would eventually be placed under pressure, which would result in depreciation of the exchange rate and, in turn, hyperinflation.

The notion of an FX shortage is perhaps not at an alarmingly serious state at this present moment, because the net foreign assets of the commercial banks remained above US$250 million. In fact, they have reached to about US$300 million as at the end of April, 2019. This outcome means there is sufficient private foreign capital flowing into the system, which can be easily explained by the large influx of foreign companies coming into Guyana on account of the emerging oil and gas sector. This is nothing to be excited about, however, because this situation will be quickly reversed at end of the year, when these companies have to repatriate their profits to their parent companies in their respective home countries.

As such, the point noted about the Central Bank purchasing FX from the commercial banks is an ever-increasingly worrying trend. If this trend continues, the commercial banks’ FX balances would start to deplete, and then there will be a real shortage problem. This analyst’s estimation is that, by December 2019, exchange rate can depreciate by 20 – 25 percent (conservatively) if this trend continues. Within this framework, therefore, this is a serious problem that needs to be arrested forthwith. It appears that the policymakers are taking a throwback attitude towards this issue because oil money is anticipated next year or late this year, which will sort of restore some stability. This does not mean that we should not monitor and instil some stability measures now, because it can get out of hand despite oil.

An important consideration that is perhaps being largely ignored by the policymakers is that, though oil may start to flow by this year end -- and that would help to avert an FX shortage problem in a timely manner -- if oil production is delayed for geopolitical reasons: (risks) owing to tensions in the region with Venezuela and the border controversy, and this issue takes a different turn for the worse, Guyana would be in serious trouble. Such an outcome would result in dire consequences for Guyana’s economic progress, given that the other traditional productive sectors are largely underperforming. This would be problematic; and therefore, one ought to ask the question: are our politicians and policymakers mindful of such risks?

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

The child, Ciara Benjamin, was attempting to cross the road with her

The truck driver, Danion Welcome, was beaten at the scene of the accident

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t has been close to two weeks since the truck driver involved in the Agricola accident, which claimed the life of a sevenyear-old girl, was beaten severely by residents from the area.

While the Guyana Police Force had dubbed vigilante justice as unacceptable and sought to go after these persons, they are yet to make any arrests.

On Saturday, A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) Commander, Marlon Chapman told Guyana Times that the matter is still being investigated.

On June 3, the Commander was quoted as saying that once footage of the incident is looked at and the persons are identified, they will be prosecuted.

“Once they are identified we will have them arrested. Everyone who is identified for assaulting the man, we will have them arrested.

Despite the circumstances, they cannot beat someone, that is against the law”, he has claimed.

aunt, Simone Barry, when she was struck by a truck, bearing registration plate

GWW 962, driven by Danion Welcome. turn to page 17

16 news

SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Parents seek swift justice for son’s death

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he parents of Keyno Akeem Sinclair, who was killed in a suspected hit-and-run accident at Cumberland, East Canje on May 6 last, are calling for justice after viewing CCTV footage which revealed a police officer trying to hide the evidence.

Initially, police had arrested a lorry driver after reports indicated that Sinclair was hit by a molasses truck.

This was after there were reports that the lorry driver was seen attempting to wash off what appeared to be blood from the vehicle. However, further investigations led to other leads.

Reports are that a Police Lance Corporal attached to the Traffic Department was spotted at the scene after the accident and reportedly colluded with the driver to make it seem as though another vehicle caused the accident.

The driver is the wife of a

efforts made by the police thus far.

“The officer upstairs told me that they have footage of it and they believe a police involved. I need justice; it coming slow but what I need to know of the setting up of an actual court appearance,” he said.

Meanwhile, a senior police official has confirmed that the Lance Corporal is no longer under close arrest. According to that source, the CCTV footage which the police allegedly had has disappeared and that came at a high price.

Sinclair is urging the Department of Public

Dead: Keyno Akeem Sinclair

prominent New Amsterdam businessman and at the time, she was allegedly following the businessman, who has a relationship with another woman, when the car slammed into Sinclair, killing him on the spot.

CCTV footage suggests that the woman and the

Parents: Compton and Jonell Sinclair

Lance Corporal were at the scene of the accident and secluded themselves until the lorry passed. Sinclair’s body was placed on the roadway for it look like an accident.

There are reports that the police officer kept the initial vehicle in another

bit to prevent the woman from facing justice.

Divisional Commander Paul Langevine had confirmed that the woman was arrested and the police officer was put on close arrest.

Father of the deceased, Compton Sinclair said he is a bit satisfied with the

Prosecutions (DPP) to make haste in advising the police so that those responsible can be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, the grieving mother, Jonell Sinclair, said after meeting with top police officials, they advised her not to go to the media and promised a fair investigation.

“He said they have in hand and are not leaving it like that; they are not taking any sides. He asked me if I am satisfied with what they are doing so I said yes.”

However, Police say the matter is still under investigation.

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SUnDAY, JUNE 16, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Abused Venezuelan migrants to get Govt support

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ith an estimated 30,000 Venezuelan migrants now in Guyana, their vulnerability to various types of abuse and exploitation is high.

It is with this in mind that the Guyana Government has partnered with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to develop a programme for Venezuelan survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV).

Government has already been providing a number of supportive measures for Venezuelan migrants including seeking to develop homesteads and integrating migrant children into the local school system.

The Ministry of Social Protection’s Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit met with the UNFPA on Thursday to interact with stakeholders to identify key service providers, the types of services offered to survivors and to generate a map of services with key contact information.

GBV Specialist attached to the UNFPA, Karly Bennett revealed that there are currently 177,000 Venezuelan migrants in the Caribbean, with some 30,000 already settled in Guyana.

Because of their vulnerability to violence, UNFPA, the Government and other UN agencies conducted an

Karly Bennett of the UNFPA

assessment in Regions One, Four, and Seven.

“What came out of the report is that some of the major concerns are around trafficking, sexual violence, survival sex, sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment and IPV or domestic violence. We see this a lot in emergencies, this kind of convergence of sexual violence, trafficking and survival sex, that means there is a combination of people trafficked for sexual servitude,” Bennett explained.

In light of the findings, she recommended that the first step to address this issue is service mapping.

During this step, the aim is to bring together key players in each region and map the services available for GBV survival.

The next step highlight-

ed is to make a referral pathway including brochures or leaflets with all the requisite information to distribute to victims. Bennett finally recommended the training of frontline providers including immigration, police officers and social workers to strengthen their referral systems.

Manager of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, Akilah Dorris explained that her Unit does not have access to readily available information of GBV in Guyana and relies on reports shared by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and very few partners.

The Unit is governed by the 1996 Domestic Violence Act and the 2010 Sexual Offenses Act which were both amended. Both Acts provide basic provisions for persons who were identified as victims of sexual violence, GBV or domestic violence; as well as the mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

According to the Manager, the most recent drafted national plan of action which focusses on the protection of victims, prevention of GBV, sexual and domestic violence, prosecutions, rehabilitation of victims among others will soon be approved for implementation.

In the interim, the Sexual

Charity businesses warned of hiring underage children

Students of Charity Secondary School on Friday during the march

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n observance of World Day against Child Labour, which was held on Wednesday last, scores of students from the Charity Secondary School participated in the Social Protection Ministry’s walk on Friday.

Those who participated in the walk were very vocal as they sent a strong message, chanting "Stop Child Labour" especially to the businessmen in the Charity commercial area.

Speaking at the event, Regional Labour Officer, Jason Narine stated that

child labour is more evident in the Charity commercial area than any other part of the region. As such, he related that through his Ministry, target will be placed on those who employ underaged children since it is illegal and punishable by law.

On this note, he added that based on statistics, child labour is most prevalent in the Charity area and with the assistance of the Social Protection Ministry, it is the hope that it will stop.

“We want to have these children back in school so that they can qualify themselves and become better adults”, Narine stated.

Hundreds of students from the Charity Secondary School marched under the banner "Children Shouldn't Work in Fields but on Dreams".

Narine added that he is pleased with the exercise and hopes that a strong message is sent to those businesses that might be guilty of child labour.

Police yet to arrest persons who...

The truck remained fixed on the median with the child pinned underneath. A light pole was unearthed as a result of the impact and subsequently collapsed, ending up on the roadway.

This publication understands that the driver of the truck, Danion Welcome, was severely beaten by residents from the area and later handed over to the police.

After the scene was cleared, another unexpected tragedy arose when the lorry was set alight at about 18:10h, creating a towering inferno in the middle of the roadway.

Welcome’s attorney, James Bond, has defended his client by saying that he was neither reckless nor negligent during the tragic accident.

Commissioner Leslie James had told the media that

from page 15

they are reviewing the surveillance footage to determine who was at fault for the death of the seven-year-old child.

He also encouraged civilians with information on the accident to come forward while denouncing the vigilante beating of the driver. He reiterated that those who were involved in the beating, once apprehended, will face the full brunt of the law.

Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit has developed protocols for police officers, medical practitioners and prosecutors to address sexual violence related matters. With support from the UNFPA, a consultancy that will see the de-

velopment and implementation of an Essential Services Package for survivors of Gender Based Violence is being undertaken.

Representatives from Women Across Differences, International Office of Migration, Counter

Trafficking Unit, Blossom Inc, Childlink, Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association, Ministries of Communities and Public Health, Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Sex Worker Association were present at the workshop.

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SUnDAY, june 16, 2019 | guyanatimesGY.com

Guyana Aviation Polytechnic Guyana to host Port State Control meeting launched to aid oil and gas sector

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uyana is slated to be the host of the 24th Annual Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding (CMOU) Port State Control Committee meeting between June 19 and 21 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

This Committee meets annually to discuss collectively, how to set standards to abide with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) conventions, also to explore ways of improving the living and working conditions of seafarers in the Caribbean.

Another main function of the CMOU is the harmonising of measures of member states, with special emphasis placed on training, certification, manning guidelines, in-

spections, and guidelines for surveyors.

Meanwhile, Guyana has been a founding member of the CMOU for Port State Control in the Caribbean region since its formation in Barbados, on February 9, 1996. Other founding members include Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, the Netherland Antilles, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The membership has since increased to eighteen states with the addition of Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cuba, France, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia. In addition, St Vincent and the Grenadines has joined as an associate member state.

Other observer states have indicated their willingness

to become members, and it is hoped that the membership of the CMOU will continue to grow over the next few years.

It is expected that attendance to this meeting will include the Caricom member states, along with Aruba, Bermuda, Cuba, Curacao, the Netherlands, and France, as well as representatives from intra-governmental organisations such as the Paris MOU, the IMO and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and a few commercial shipping interests.

Incidentally, the CMOU is a regional co-operative body affiliated with the IMO. The event is being held under the auspices of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD).

GPL completes remedial works to damaged submarine cable …interruptions still likely on WBD, WCD

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enior Manager of Logistics and Local Content of the Orinduik Development Inc, Sharon Roopchand believes that education is key in transforming Guyana into a sustainable oil-producing nation.

Speaking at the launch of the first event of Aviation Polytechnic on Friday at the Herdmanston Lodge, Roopchand stated that training and development are the pillars to ensure local content development.

“The launch of the Aviation Polytechnic is a milestone that marks Guyana’s preparedness to meet the aviation platform and demands to support the local oil and gas sector”, she added.

She further explained that as Guyana embarks on “this vast, uncertain role” in the extraction of its oil-rich resources, the country’s education system must take priority with reference to aviation.

“Since everything is happening offshore, the Polytechnic aims at having a robust trained supply of re-

sources to the entire industry is paramount to the sustainable of a safe offshore aviation.”

Roopchand stated that the Polytechnic posits to fill the immense gap in the aviation industry as well as to bring the country’s current and emerging local workforce up to the proficiency level to actively participate in the oil and gas sector.

Meanwhile, Director of Policies and Regulations of Orinduik Development Inc, Hugh Denbow also noted the importance of aviation skills training tied into local content.

He said that based on the thrust of Guyana in relation to establishing itself as a successful and sustainable oil-producing nation, the demands in the aviation sector will expand, and therefore the Polytechnic will provide the relevant and necessary training to meet all of those demands.

Denbow added that technical education plays a huge rule in developing Guyana and that while the focus is on aviation, other agencies must stay focused on expanding education and skills training in other areas.

96 students graduate from Hinterland Scholarship Programme 2019

Contractors laying the cable at Princess Street, Georgetown and across the Demerara River (GPL images)

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lthough the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) would have completed remedial works to rectify the damaged submarine cable across the Demerara River linking the Vreed-en-Hoop and Kingston power plants, residents along the West Bank and West Coast of Demerara may not be relieved of power failures just yet.

In a statement to the media on Saturday, GPL explained, “…customers on the West Bank and West Coast Demerara may experience periods of service interruptions as the Vreeden-Hoop plant, which is now operating in an isolated mode, is not as stable as when it was interconnected to the rest of the DBIS (Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System)”.

In addition, “The inadequate reserve capacity, which has been exacerbated by the absence of the 69 kV cable, may result in generation shortfall and periodic service interruptions in the Eastern DBIS,” the power company informed.

The “energised” 13.8 kilovolts (kV) submarine cable came as a result of GPL’s damaged 69 kV cable which resulted in the unavailability of 14 Megawatts (MW) of generation to the Eastern half of the DBIS. The routing and laying of the new cable were done with the aid of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), Gaico Construction Services and staff from GPL’s Project Management Department, Engineering Services, System Planning and Designs, Network Operations and System Control and Engineering Services departments.

MARAD will be responsible for ensuring the safety of the cable from potential damage by oceangoing vessels, even as plans are afoot to have it laid at least three metres beneath the riverbed.

In the meantime, the new 13.8 kV cable will be providing over 5 MW of power to the Eastern DBIS. “It spans approximate-

ly 4000 feet from Princess Street, Georgetown, to the GPL power station at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.

Additionally, two small generating units, with an aggregate capacity of 2 MW, were returned from Anna Regina to boost generation during peak demand. Further, one of GPL’s second largest units, a 7.8 MW, is back in operation after being unavailable for planned maintenance,” GPL informed.

While this cable has been renewed, a second submarine cable which was damaged by another vessel is also in the process of being fixed.

The damaged 69 kV cable which rests along the upper Demerara River within proximity of Craig, East Bank Demerara, was dislodged by a barge sailing along the Demerara River.

GPL said it is working closely with the contractor to complete the repairs as quickly as possible and to have the cable back in operation soon.

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Students at the graduation ceremony in 2018

total of 96 students pursuing their secondary education under the Hinterland Scholarship Programme (HSP), facilitated by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, have once again been recognised for their outstanding performances at various secondary institutions within the capital city and beyond.

These students mainly comprised of form five students who recently sat the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

Held at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown, the ceremony was graced by the presence of Minister within the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe; Permanent Secretary, Alfred King; Member of Parliament (MP) and Ministerial Advisor, Mervin Williams and family members of the graduates.

Minister Garrido-Lowe, who was tasked with delivering the feature address at the auspicious ceremo-

ny, in her address to the graduates, expressed great satisfaction towards students of the respective regions taking advantage of and greatly benefitting from the programme which will in turn help to develop their communities.

“It is very pleasing that we are sending skilled persons into the respective regions to better their communities…

Human Capital Development is a front-burner subject of any Government’s agenda.

Our Government is proud of the fact that we have been allocating much more resources towards this cause, and is evidenced in the way we approach development in Guyana.”

The Department of Public Information (DPI) quoted Garrido-Lowe saying.

The Minister further reiterated that her Ministry is continually developing and putting measures in place to aid in the development of the country’s people, while further urging the students to pursue higher education.

“We need more educa-

tors, health workers, professional agriculturists and business people. The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs has been tirelessly doing its part and will continue to push harder for real-time development of our peoples…

We need technical and qualified people to carry out these initiatives to the highest level” she underscored.

In addition, Member of Parliament (MP) and Ministerial Advisor, Mervin Williams in his brief remarks also admonished the students to grasp opportunities as they become available while reassuring them that they will continue to have the Government’s support in their educational journey.

The HSP initiative was developed with the goal of assisting and motivating students to aspire their educational, social and cultural potentials and presently has 608 students who are enrolled in the programme across all ten administrative regions.

sunDAY, june 16, 2019

19

Aaron Finch and Mitchell Starc headline big Australia win A

ustralia’s best stuff, personified by Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc, looked world-beating against Sri Lanka at The Oval; yet, there were still signs that Finch’s team have plenty of kinks to iron out, not least being problems in an unbalanced batting order, but also the continued reliance of the bowling attack on Starc and Pat Cummins, currently first and second on the tournament wickets’ table.

There were times -- when Finch, Smith and Maxwell were in full flight, and when Starc helped cut Sri Lanka down from 186 for 2 to their final tally of 247 -- when the Australians appeared irresistible. Indeed, this win took them to the top of the competition’s table.

Those moments were, however, interspersed with issues that seem hard to fathom from a team contending for a World Cup: such as how Shaun Marsh ended up trying to start a top-order innings in the final five overs; and why Australia persist in ignoring Nathan Lyon as their best fourth-bowling option.

At some point in this tournament, these issues will rear -- as they did against India, also at The Oval -- but Sri Lanka were neither confident nor accomplished enough to take advantage of the opportunities afforded them by Australian blind spots. They pulled Finch back from a rapid start, but then allowed him to reset with Smith. Sri Lanka were able to sprint to 115 for 0, and then 186 for 2, before losing momentum and creating a scenario in which Starc bowled with scoreboard pressure behind him.

Even so, Finch’s performance in particular was worthy of praise, being crisp and punishing in equal measure; and the contributions of Smith, Maxwell and Starc were very much in line with what the team expects of them. On current form, Australian look set fair to also defeat Bangladesh, meaning their final trio of games against England, New Zealand and South Africa will be met with a minimal degree of anxiety.

An overcast morning and a pitch tinged green swayed both sides to entice Sri Lanka to ignore their specialist spin bowlers and also Dimuth Karunaratne to send the Australians in. Finch would have done likewise.

Immediately it was apparent that the surface was easier paced than expected, with very little sideways movement, allowing Finch to get into stride with a series of beautifully crisp drives off both front- and back-foot; aided, too, by some substandard ground fielding.

Despite his Taunton century, David Warner was less fluent, rather mimicking his struggles at The Oval against India. The part-time spin of Dhananjaya de Silva put a clamp on the scoring, and then found a way through Warner, when he sought a way off strike by leaning back to try and cut off the stumps.

Usman Khawaja, returning to No. 3 after a couple of demotions, did not fare any better, having to swerve out of

the way of a Nuwan Pradeep bouncer, before trying to slogsweep Dhananjaya and picking out deep midwicket.

Sixty-nine for no loss after 13 overs devolved to 110 for 2 at the halfway point, but Finch and Smith needed only a brief few overs of settling down before going on the attack.

They were in many ways a perfect duo, Smith busy and inventive, Finch brutal and simple in approach. Between them they left the Sri Lankans with next to no margin for error, putting together a stand worth 173 from a mere 118 balls. Finch’s hundred was his second in World Cups, and by the time he fell to an Isuru Udana slower ball, he had tallied the third-highest individual score by an Australian at the World Cup - putting Adam Gilchrist’s 149 in the 2007 final in the shade.

Smith looked similarly intent on a hundred, only to be tunnelled under by a Lasith Malinga yorker that left the former captain looking to the heavens in frustration. But his innings had been a sparkling one, full of the energy and resolution that suggested he was fresh in both body and mind.

Smith has not yet played a truly big innings in this tournament, but he looks ready to unleash one at a moment of import.

Maxwell’s arrival brought a typical flurry, including 22 off Pradeep’s final over to leave him nursing figures of 0 for 88 from 10 overs. At 302 for four, and with five overs remaining, a score in the region of 360 looked plausible, but Sri Lanka were to push back with the help of Australia’s still-unbalanced batting. Shaun Marsh looked as suited to the middle order as Maxwell does the top order in cobbling three from nine balls, the resultant slowdown reaping a pair of run-outs as Malinga, Udana and Thisara Perera all finished well.

Maxwell nudged a boundary from the final ball, but 32 from the last five overs might have been match-losing on another day. As it was, Sri Lanka threatened for more than half the chase, starting out with a starburst of shots from Kusal Perera and Karunaratne that brought the many Sri Lankan supporters in the crowd to vocal life.

Australia’s liberal diet of short balls was feasted upon, and the curious decision to call up Jason Behrendorff and then not give him the new ball contributed to his first three overs costing 32.

When Kane Richardson made a speculative caught-behind appeal and Finch called for a review, the lack of any evidence on replay meant that when Maxwell pinned Karunaratne in front of the stumps from around the wicket, but far enough down the pitch for Richard Illingworth to say not out, there was no referral to discover that ball-tracker would have brought three reds and the first Sri Lankan wicket.

Finch, though, was able to bring Starc back, and a full, straight delivery knocked back Kusal Perera’s middle

stump. Karunaratne persisted, however, with help from Lahiru Thirimanne and Kusal Mendis; and at 186 for 2 in the 33rd over, the game was well and truly alive.

However, Karunaratne was slowed by the tidy bowling of Maxwell, playing the stopping role earlier performed by Dhananjaya, and in trying to cut his way from 97 to 101, he found Maxwell lurking to take the catch in the gully.

Four wickets in four overs were soon to follow, three of them to the intimidating Starc - including two in as many balls, removing Thisara and Kusal Mendis - the reward for pressure imposed in an area, but also the precision of the left-armer, now well established in World Cup matches.

It was unsurprising in a few ways that things devolved so dramatically, for this is a Sri Lankan team short on confidence and experience, while the Australians are growing ever more confident of their ability to defend a target, not least when Starc and Cummins are lurking.

Starc’s haul took him to 13 wickets for the tournament.

He is two clear of the next best, Cummins. In their fortunes lie Australia’s. (Excerpted from Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Australia Innings (50 overs maximum) DA Warner b de Silva 26 AJ Finch (c) c Karunaratne b Uda na 153 UT Khawaja c Udana b de Silva 10 SPD Smith b Malinga 73 GJ Maxwell not out 46 SE Marsh c Siriwardana b Udana 3 AT Carey † run out (Udana) 4 PJ Cummins run out (Udana) 0 MA Starc not out 5 Extras 14 (lb 4, nb 1, w 9) TOTAL 334/7 (50 Overs, RR: 6.68) Did not bat: JP Behrendorff, KW Richardson Fall of wickets: 1-80 (DA Warner, 16.4 ov), 2-100 (UT Khawaja, 22.6 ov), 3-273 (AJ Finch, 42.4 ov), 4-278 (SPD Smith, 43.3 ov), 5-310 (SE Marsh, 46.6 ov), 6-317 (AT Carey, 48.1 ov), 7-320 (PJ Cummins, 48.3 ov) BOWLING O M R W SL Malinga 10 1 61 1 N Pradeep 10 0 88 0 I Udana 10 0 57 2 NLTC Perera 10 0 67 0 DM de Silva 8 0 40 2 TAM Siriwardana 2 0 17 0 Sri Lanka Innings (target: 335 runs from 50 overs)

FDM Karunaratne (c) c Maxwell b Richardson 97 MDKJ Perera † b Starc 52 HDRL Thirimanne c †Carey b Behrendorff 16 BKG Mendis c †Carey b Starc 30 AD Mathews c †Carey b Cummins 9 TAM Siriwardana b Starc 3 NLTC Perera c Warner b Starc 7 DM de Silva not out 16 I Udana c Finch b Richardson 8 SL Malinga c Khawaja b Richardson 1 N Pradeep c †Carey b Cummins 0 Extras 8 (lb 2, w 6) TOTAL 247 all out (45.5 Overs, RR: 5.38) Fall of wickets: 1-115 (MDKJ Perera, 15.3 ov), 2-153 (HDRL Thirimanne, 23.5 ov), 3-186 (FDM Karunaratne, 32.1 ov), 4-205 (AD Mathews, 35.4 ov), 5-209 (TAM Siriwardana, 36.2 ov), 6-217 (NLTC Perera, 36.6 ov), 7-222 (BKG Mendis, 38.1 ov), 8-236 (I Udana, 39.6 ov), 9-237 (SL Malinga, 41.4 ov), 10-247 (N Pradeep, 45.5 ov) BOWLING O M R W MA Starc 10 0 55 4 PJ Cummins 7.5 0 38 2 JP Behrendorff 9 0 59 1 KW Richardson 9 1 47 3 GJ Maxwell 10 0 46 0

Andy Murray to make Queen’s doubles comeback against world’s best R arely could a doubles draw have attracted so much interest as the one at the Queen’s Club in London on Saturday; and when the balls of fate had been dropped, Andy Murray and Feliciano López were matched against the best team in the world, Juan Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah. They more than likely will play on Wednesday.

The Colombian hotshots won in Barcelona and Rome, reached the semifinals at Roland Garros, and are leading the race to London for the ATP World Tour Finals. It will not be a quiet hit in the park for Murray, who is returning to the game after four months out, after recovering from his second hip surgery.

Watching Murray and López work out at Queen’s this week was the defending Fever-Tree tournament singles champion Marin Cilic, and he had words of encouragement and caution for the Scot.

“He was hitting with Feliciano, just practising,” the Croat said. “I was watching from over two courts away. He was hitting incredibly cleanly and really well. I didn’t see much moving. The question is always with the movement, especially on grass, a little bit difficult. But if he’s in the tournament, he definitely must feel okay.”

Struggling with form this summer, and destined to have problems of his own in the first round against the fast-rising Chilean Cristian Garín, Cilic added: “I was talking a little bit with him at the Australian Open [where Murray last played, losing in

the first round in five tough sets against Roberto Bautista Agut] and wishing him all the best for his recovery, hoping to see him back as quickly as possible.

“He’s been an incredible figure for our sport for so many years, especially here in England. It’s incredible to see him back.

I’m just hoping his recovery is going to get even better and better, and that he’s going to be feeling really well. Hopefully, he will also continue to play at a high level.”

Hope is in the air, then. What Murray will not know until he gets into the contest is how his rebuilt body would react to the unscripted pressure of match conditions on a surface that can be hazardous if damp. The forecast is good for the first few days of the week, so the surface should have calmed down by midweek.

Juan Martín del Potro, the Argentinian who plays the young Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the first round, said Murray “has nothing to lose”. Knowing more about injuries than your local A&E department, he said: “If he plays a tennis match without pain, it will be even bigger than winning a tournament.”

After Queen’s, Murray wants to further explore the state of his recovery by playing in Eastbourne, before contemplating a return to Wimbledon. It is uncertain whether López will be able to accompany Murray, given that Lopez is unsure if he has to qualify for the singles there. The All England Club could cooperate by giving the Spaniard a wildcard, even though Murray says he would happily play with any of a few non-specialists he

has spoken to about doubles.

If the chosen player were to be Nick Kyrgios, they would pack any court on which they appeared, perhaps for not all the right reasons. The Australian refused this week to row back on recent attacks on “cringe worthy” Novak Djokovic and “super-salty” Rafael Nadal.

“A couple of people have loved it actually,” he said at the Surbiton Andy Murray tournament.

“I’m not going t o mention names, but regardless if people like it or don’t like it, they were just my honest thoughts.”

Kyrgios, whose motivation dips and soars like a hawk, plays France’s Adrian Mannarino in the first round in the same quarter as the first seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has drawn the British No 1, Kyle Edmund. Dan Evans, who has been in sparkling form, will need to be at his best in his opening match against Stan Wawrinka.

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guyanatimesGY.com

sunDAY, june 16, 2019

Imran Tahir too good for Afghanistan – as South Africa ease to win

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f Afghanistan are the standard-bearers for the old ICC Associate cricketing nations, they have so far not advanced the cause in this World Cup. They have been unlucky; there may be a bit of turmoil behind the scenes in the running of their team; they have certainly been disrupted more than most by the vagaries of the English weather; but they keep getting thrashed.

They have been pursued around the country by rain clouds, as a consequence, they have played on damp, green surfaces; their matches have been annoyingly interrupted, an inconvenience to which more hardened pros are more readily accustomed; and they have developed a nasty habit of collapsing spectacularly. As a consequence, they have scored nowhere near enough runs to give any scope for their two gifted spinners, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, to cause an upset.

Their collapse against South Africa in Cardiff, in between more showers and on another grassy pitch, was woeful by any standard. From the respectability of 69 for two, they lost four wickets for one run in 10 deliveries. It was a minor miracle that they managed to reach 125, having slumped to 77 for seven.

South Africa knocked off their adjusted target – 127 (don’t ask me how or why) – with nine wickets and almost 20 overs to spare. Thus they have now registered their first victory, but much sterner tests await, starting with their match against New Zealand at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

They have to assume that they cannot afford to lose another game.

Meanwhile, a battered Afghan team now head for Old Trafford; where, with the confidence of their batsmen in shreds, they play England on Tuesday.

The veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir was Afghanistan’s chief tormentor in Cardiff, snatching two wickets in his first over. His first ball was a perfectly pitched googly which bowled Noor Ali Zadran, and then he induced a straightforward return catch.

The exuberant Tahir embarked, on his sprinting celebration on each occasion, that it makes little difference to him whether it is Virat Kohli or Ashgar Afghan who has fallen to

his wiles. Now Tahir’s teammates visibly relax.

There had been a few nerves among the South Africans during the first 5.5 overs, during which Afghanistan had reached 33 with loss, only to be interrupted by the first of two squally showers. In that time, the burly left-hander Hazratullah Zazai, who has Chris Gayle as his hero and mentor, had struck the odd exotic boundary in between lofting one massive skier, which found Chris Morris back-pedalling frantically and making a valiant yet unsuccessful attempt to hold the catch. In fact, he ended up kneeing the ball to the boundary.

Kasigo Rabada and Beuran Hendricks, the left-armer who has replaced Dale Steyn in the squad, were lively without finding the perfect length. Hazratullah tested their patience, while Noor Ali Zadran was minded to progress in a more orthodox manner.

But after that first break for rain, the South Africa attack was more purposeful. Hazratullah was soon caught on the boundary hooking a short ball from Rabada, while Rahmat Shah was lbw to Morris; so that when the rain intervened again, Afghanistan were faltering on 69 for two.

Then came the subsidence, which was triggered by Tahir, with Andile Phehlukwayo and then Morris offering eager support at the other end. Rashid naturally responded aggressively to the crisis with an array of exuberant swipes, some of which made contact with the ball. Thus he became the third and last Afghan batsman to reach double figures.

In fact, his frantic 35 was the highest score in the innings.

As the skies cleared and the shadows lengthened, the South Africans knocked off the runs without any alarm. A more confident side might have polished the Afghans off more quickly, but neither Hashim Amla nor Quinton de Kock has been in prime form in this tournament, so there was some sense in their biding their time in an attempt to recover their touch for more serious challenges ahead. Moreover, the Afghan bowling attack is of much higher quality than their batting. Aside from the spinners, the veteran Hamid Hassan and Aftab Alam are combative and accurate.

There were a few vintage strokes from Amla; yet, despite spending 28 overs at the crease, he did not give the impres-

SCOREBOARD Afghanistan Innings (48 overs maximum) Hazratullah Zazai c van der Dussen b Rabada 22 Noor Ali Zadran b Imran Tahir 32 Rahmat Shah lbw b Morris 6 Hashmatullah Shahidi c du Plessis b Phehlukwayo 8 Asghar Afghan c & b Imran Tahir 0 Mohammad Nabi b Phehlukwayo 1 Ikram Alikhil † c Amla b Morris 9 Gulbadin Naib (c) c Markram b Imran Tahir 5 Rashid Khan c van der Dussen b Imran Tahir 35 Hamid Hassan c du Plessis b Morris 0 Aftab Alam not out 0 Extras 7 (lb 4, w 3) TOTAL 125 all out (34.1 Overs, RR: 3.65) Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Hazratullah Zazai, 8.2 ov), 2-56 (Rahmat Shah, 15.1 ov), 3-69 (Hashmatullah Shahidi, 20.4 ov), 4-69 (Noor Ali Zadran, 21.1 ov), 5-70 (Asghar Afghan, 21.5 ov), 6-70 (Mohammad Nabi, 22.1 ov), 7-77 (Gulbadin Naib, 25.2 ov), 8-111 (Ikram Alikhil, 32.4 ov), 9-125 (Rashid Khan, 33.5 ov),

10-125 (Hamid Hassan, 34.1 ov) BOWLING O M R K Rabada 8 1 36 BE Hendricks 5 1 25 AL Phehlukwayo 8 1 18 CH Morris 6.1 2 13 Imran Tahir 7 0 29

W 1 0 2 3 4

South Africa Innings (target: 127 runs from 48 overs) HM Amla not out 41 Q de Kock † c Mohammad Nabi b Gulbadin Naib 68 AL Phehlukwayo not out 17 Extras 5 (lb 1, w 4) TOTAL 131/1 (28.4 Overs, RR: 4.56) Yet to bat: AK Markram, F du Plessis (c), HE van der Dussen, DA Miller, CH Morris, K Rabada, Imran Tahir, BE Hendricks Fall of wickets: 1-104 (Q de Kock, 22.5 ov) BOWLING O M R W Aftab Alam 5 1 16 0 Hamid Hassan 4 1 11 0 Rashid Khan 7 0 45 0 Gulbadin Naib 6 0 29 1 Mohammad Nabi 6.4 0 29 0

sion that everything is now in working order. De Kock discovered greater fluency in his innings of 68 from 72 balls.

So this mismatch came to an end prematurely, before the lights were switched on; and it produced very little excitement for the crowd. The tournament needs some closer contests, and there is every reason to expect that South Africa’s next match, a crucial one against New Zealand, will provide one.

But, on this evidence, it is less likely that this will be the case when Afghanistan meet England, however deep the home side’s injury concerns. (Excerpted from The Guardian)

Rising Stars set to battle Laluni in final – Fernandes blasts 12-ball 60

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ne week after booking their spot in the finals of the Laluni T20 Cricket Tournament, Rising Stars have secured another spot in the finals of the Laluni Three Team T20 Competition, played at the Laluni ground.

Teams participating in this competition were Rising Stars, La Grange and Laluni Sports Club. As luck would have it, Laluni Sports Club drew a bye and thus advanced to the finals, leaving Rising Stars and La Grange to battle each other. Rising Stars then prevailed, thereby booking their spot in the finale.

With an unfortunate history in 2019 of contesting final matches only to lose and settle for being runners-up, Rising Stars broke that curse last weekend with a defeat of Laluni.

However, fate has again brought these two teams against each other, and Laluni would now look to level the score when they face off in the finals.

In the semifinal match against La Grange, Rising Stars won the toss and decided to bat on a flat track. Skipper of the Rising Stars side, Elroy Fernandes, gave his side a blistering start by hammering a 12-ball 60, inclusive of 8 maximums and 3 boundaries.

In the process, he recorded the fastest 50 in the competition; and although his wicket fell in the early part of the innings, the damage was already done.

The in-form all-rounder Shaquille Brisport then came to the crease, and picking up from where Fernandes had left off, he again wreaked havoc in the Laluni camp.

With support from Anthony Smith, who blasted a quick- fire 30, Brisport took his side to a competitive total of 170-7 in their allotted 20 overs, ending his innings on 70, which included 6 six-

Elroy Fernandes, Shaquille Brisport, Anthony Smith and Marvin Cheong were instrumental in taking Rising Stars to the finals

The victorious Rising Stars team

es and 5 boundaries.

Replying, La Grange All Stars were never in the chase, and were bowled out for 89 in

14.2 overs.

Bowling for Rising Stars, Marvin Cheong returned figures of 3-10 in 4 overs; Shaquille Brisport recorded 3-14 in 4 overs, and Shane Persaud returned 2-7.

Rising Stars won the competition by 81 runs, and will now do battle against Laluni Sports Club in the final.

Kerr says: Warriors are going to look “a lot different” next season

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teve Kerr believes the Golden State Warriors are going to look “a lot different” next season, following their loss to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals.

Golden State’s three-peat bid was ended on Thursday after the Raptors dethroned them for a 4-2 series victory. Stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson suffered serious injuries in the finals, and are expected to miss a majority of next season.

Warriors head coach, Kerr, has addressed the uncertainty heading into 2019-20 by telling reporters: “Our team is going to look a lot different next year. Durant will be out at least a

year, recovering from a ruptured Achilles, while Thompson attempts to bounce back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)”.

This means two All-Stars players will be missing from the Warriors’ starting line-up for a while. Durant could decline the player option in his contract, and Kerr is unsure what the two-time NBA Finals MVP is thinking.

“I have no idea what Kevin’s going to do. I know we all want him back,” Kerr said.

And then there is DeMarcus Cousins, who missed a large chunk of 2018-19 recovering from a torn Achilles, only to tear his quadricep in the first

round of the playoffs.

Cousins did return for the Finals, but was inconsistent, and his one-year rental playing for the veteran minimum is over.

Kerr encouraged the big man to seek a more lucrative deal elsewhere, but said he could be welcome back again if he wanted to stay.

“I could absolutely foresee a place for DeMarcus here, if he wants to come back,” Kerr said. When asked if this was the end of Golden State’s dynasty, Kerr responded “No. I don’t think in those terms.”

Golden State’s roster will be headlined by

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green next season, but they are reportedly still prepared to give max offers to Durant and Thompson, despite their injuries.

The Warriors are preparing for a fresh start in the city of San Francisco, and it may be the beginning of a new era for the franchise.

(Sportsmax)

sunday, june 16, 2019

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21

Walking Boys dismantle Disconnection Crew T

he first major upset in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Bartica Championship occurred on Friday when defending champions Disconnection Crew lost to newcomers Walking Boys in play at the Bartica Community Centre tarmac.

The unlikely result stunned the mammoth crowd which had descended on the venue to see the action.

Following a scoreless nor-

champions Rivers View defeated Man City 2-1 compliments of a Guinness Goal [GG] (a goal scored in the final two minutes counts as two) scored in the 19th minute.

Potato United, Mighty Rulers, Prison Officers, Beacons, Police, and GoalRaiders each recorded wins to earn their respective places in the group round.

Potato United crushed Potaro Strikers 5-1 in their

Complete Results Game 1 Mighty Ruler-3 vs Itaballi-1 Game 2 Prison Officers-3 vs Falmouth-1 Game 3 Potato United-5 vs Potaro Strikers-1 Game 4 Walking Boyz-0 vs Disconnection Crew-0

Walking Boyz won 1-0 on sudden death penalty kicks Game 5 Beacons-1 vs Almanac Kings-0 Game 6 Goal-Raiders-1 vs Ballers-0 Game 7 Jones Avenue-0 vs Police-2 Game 8 Rivers Views-2 vs Man City-1

mal time interval, Walking Boys held their nerve in a tense penalty shootout to prevail 1-0 over the Disconnection Crew.

In other results, former

‘Derby’ matchup, while Mighty Rulers downed Itaballi 3-1. Prison Officers confined Falmouth 3-1, while the Police arrested Jones Avenue 2-0.

And Beacons bested Almanac

A glimpse of the opening night’s proceedings

Kings 1-0 while Goal-Raiders squeaked past Ballers 1-0.

Up to press time, the group stage round was underway at the same venue.

The top two finishers from each pool will proceed to the semi-final round slated for today. The grand finale will also be staged today at the same venue.

Winners of the zone will

collect $400,000 and the respective trophy, besides earning an automatic place in the National Championships, which are pegged to start in August.

Meanwhile, the losing finalists will receive $150,000 and a trophy, while the third and fourth place finishers will pocket $100,000 and $75,000 respectively, to-

gether with the corresponding accolades.

The victor of the Guinness Plate Championship will receive $60,000.

The other major sponsor of the event is Colours Boutique.

In attendance at the venue was Banks DIH Limited Outdoor Events Manager and former national player Mortimer Stewart.

Rising Stars shine in Bartica’s GFF/NAMILCO U-17 League R

ising Stars Football Club swamped Beacons Football Club 5- nil in a match in the Bartica Football Association’s (BFA’s) leg of the GFF/NAMILCO Under-17 League played on Thursday at the Bartica Secondary School Ground.

Having been put on a short pause to accommodate some of the other BFA programmes, play in this league recently resumed; and in the match being reported on, two goals came from the boots of Regan Kippins, while one each was scored

by Ian Gomes Jr, Joshua Jones, Daniel Williams and Ian Yaw. As soon as the match

commenced, Rising Stars wasted no time before flexing their muscles to show their opponents why they are table-toppers in the league. They continually flustered the Beacons side, and constantly forced them to play on the defensive.

The nifty Regan Kippins blasted in two goals in the early stage of the match to place Beacons at a two-goal deficit. Nothing worked for the Beacons in this match, and switching tactics and making substitutions were all done in vain as Rising Stars scored the last three goals to close the casket on the Beacons’ hope of a comeback.

Play continues during

the course of the week with Potaro Strikers FC coming up against Lazio FC, Mil Ballers FC taking on Agatash FC, and Rivers View FC duking it out with Beacons FC. With a format similar to that of the Frank Watson Under-15 tournament, the NAMILCO Under-17 tournament will first be played at the Regional Member Association (RMAs) level, before there is a grand playoff with the nine winners to crown a national champion.

The league is part of the Youth Development Programme of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), through its Regional Member Associations, and

Rising Stars continue to show their dominance in the Bartica GFF-NAMILCO Under-17 League

is being held in partnership with the National Milling Company (NAMILCO).

The clubs that are competing in this tournament

are Beacons, Lazio, Rising Stars, Potaro Strikers, Mil Ballers, Wolves United, Rivers View, and Agatash United.

Kumar Joseph continues to reach greater heights in USA cricket – New recruit for Atlantis CC

G

uyanese cricketers who migrate to the United States of America (USA) are usually on a mission to achieve greatness; and that is exactly the situation with Kumar Joseph, a former Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) player who has been playing cricket in the fabled Big Apple since 2016.

Joseph’s latest achievement is gaining selection to play for the Atlantis Cricket Club (ACC) in the Metropolitan Cricket League. This league is well recognised, and the Atlantis team for which Joseph has been selected to play is captained by USA National player Alex Amsterdam and features Barbados Regional player Aaron Jones and Berbiceborn former Guyana Under-19 player Trinson Carmichael.

Joseph, who will attain the age of 25 years in September, has been dominating cricket in the USA since his migration in 2016. During a chat with this reporter, he revealed some stunning performances he has registered.

Playing for the Majestic Cricket Club in the Commonwealth League, the off-spinner, who is a capable batsman, had a best bowling figure of 5-19.

Playing for the Eastern American Cricket League as captain of the Gladiators Cricket Club, his topscore that season was 54, and his consistency gave him the opportunity to be awarded the ‘best

batsman of the club’ in 2018.

Because of his impressive performance, Joseph gained selection for the New York Under-23 team, and finished as the leading wicket-taker in a tournament that featured Regional players. His best bowling figures in that tournament were 4-20, and his name has since become a regular name in the USA cricketing arena.

Playing for Liberty Nationals in the National Cricket League that is played on Saturdays, Joseph participated in five limited overs games wherein he grabbed 13 wickets and finished as the best bowler.

His breakthrough year has been 2018, wherein he finished with 345 runs in 22 innings and grabbed 52 wickets in 24 matches overall, including a best bowling figure of 4-16 and a best score of 55 not out.

His consistent performances have been a reflection of his great talent, and in the near future, Joseph will be a member of the USA squad.

Cricket has been on the rise in the North American Region, and recently USA earned ODI status. Additionally, the players in the USA have been exposed to CPL as Associate players, and Ali Khan has been the latest success story.

As a right-handed batsman who is also a right arm off-spinner, Joseph will be aiming to follow in these successful footsteps. (Brandon Corlette)

Kumar Joseph accepting an award after his stellar performances in a recent season

22

Paul, reserves should be considered replacement to injury-prone Russell

Dwayne Bravo

W

guyanatimesgy.com

SUnDAY, june 16, 2019

By Brandon Corlette

d i nary for the talent and strengths he pos- sesses. In his 55 matches, he has 1034 runs, with a high score of 92* at an average of 27.94. His strike rate is fittingly formidable, smashing the cricket ball at 130.55.

In the ODI format, he has had 69 wickets in his 54 innings, bowled at an average of 31.69, and with an economy rate of 5.82. Has best bowling figures are 4-35, and he has the ability to consistently touch 90mph. All of this optimum performance, including his athleticism in the field, can only be achieved if he is fit.

It is surely possible for the West Indies to add another

ith at least five matches remaining in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Cricket World Cup, Andre Russell’s injury hiccups have continued to be of concern for the West Indies. During his recent match against England, which saw West Indies crumble by eight wickets, Russell scored an odd 21 from 16 balls, and bowled only two overs.

Having the ability to win games on his own, Russell has not performed at his optimum best thus far. In his three outings this World Cup, he has only 36 runs under his belt, and four wickets from 13 overs. On average, the unfit Russell is giving an average of four overs per match, and is not capable of occupying the crease for a long period.

During the match against England, former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding was unimpressed with Russell the batsman.

He declared that Russell’s strike rate will not matter in this format if his average is poor.

The 31-year-old Jamaican has had the reputation of being an explosive all-rounder in the T20 format, but he is another inconsistent performer in ODIs. Fit or unfit, the next match against Bangladesh, scheduled for tomorrow, Monday June, 17, will see the determined Russell aiming to make a mark and silence Andre Russell leaving the field during a World the critics. His ODI career is relatively or- Cup match with physiotherapist Oba Gulston

player to the World Cup squad if Russell has raised question marks with his injury.

Australia has drafted in Mitchell Marsh for Marcus Stoinis, who is injured but remains in the World Cup set-up. India’s Shikar Dhawan, who is also being monitored with his injury, has remained in the squad while India drafted in Rishabh Pant a s t h e

back-up player.

With Russell experiencing similar difficulties, the reserves may come into play. The likes of Kieron Pollard

Guyanese Keemo Paul, who should have

Keemo Paul

initially made the squad, may be one of the replacements considered.

Experienced Trinidad and Tobago all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard may also be options for the West Indies to add in their World Cup squad.

Paul, who last played an ODI against Bangladesh in December 2018, was ruled out with an injury when England toured the Caribbean earlier this year. He has since been recovering, and is fit and ready to play. The talented 21-year-old Guyanese has 11 ODI matches under his belt, with 11 wickets having been taken.

Meanwhile, Pollard has not played an ODI since October 2016, but he was also listed as a reserve player, with the CWI new policy that was implemented allowing the big players to play based on their availability, hence the likes of Pollard and Bravo may be considered.

Golden Jaguars pumped Rose Hall Town’s for Gold Cup debut Dominique Rikhi hits …’We need the fans to get behind us’ says Coach Johnson

F

ollowing their first training session since touching down in Minneapolis, ahead of their first match in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup against the USA on Tuesday evening, Head Coach Michael Johnson has posited that the Golden Jaguars team is focused and ready for the task at hand.

This is Guyana’s debut at this prestigious tournament, the highest in the confederation and the Guyana Football Federation has afforded the team a vital period of encampment along with two friendly internationals to aid the team to bond and get their technical and tactical awareness in the best shape ahead of its Group D matches against the USA on Tuesday next at the Allianz Field, St. Paul, MN; Panama on June 22 at the First Energy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio and Trinidad and Tobago on June 26 at Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas.

The team was taken through the paces at the National Training Centre on Friday afternoon by Johnson and his technical staff and once again exhibited lots of energy after their all-day journey from Costa Rica on Wednesday and a deserved rest day on Thursday.

Friday’s session, according to Johnson, was aimed at getting the players back in the groove and blowing the cobwebs off. More detailed

century in USA

Dominique Rikhi left and Dino Choo-Wee-Nam Goalkeeper Akel Clarke showcases his skill during a practice session

work will now be the order for the next few training sessions, he informed, as they aim at finalizing the starting X1 and to ensure that they know their responsibilities.

Citing the fact that the team has virtually been living together for the past two weeks, Johnson stated that the gelling of the team has gotten better with each day: “So relationships have started to develop, there’s a lot more understanding about people’s background and families, which draws people together; so they are a real tight-knit group.”

This kind of pulling together is what the Head Coach is positive would help the team through the CONCACAF Gold Cup: “We don’t have the big names like the Pulisic’ worth 52 million but we have got is really tight-knit group that is together and I think that you will always go further

together.”

Johnson, who would also be making his debut as a Coach at the Gold Cup having represented the Reggae Boyz in the tournament, noted that the players can only do what they think they can do once they remain together as a team.

Nicknamed ‘Magic’ as a result of his exciting style of play during his tenure in the English leagues, Johnson once again called on the fans to play their role in rallying around the team, reminding that their support is crucial: “The team can’t do it on their own, we need the fans to get behind us, we need the fans as an extra voice, we need the fans sending positive messages whether its via social media, on the radio or newspapers, you need to know that you are not out there on your own.

Because we are massively the underdogs but it gives you

great pride, it gives you great resilience when you know you are fighting for a cause and for your fans who we need to stand united behind the team and get us over this line.“ Citing that the team would thrive off the underdog mentality, Johnson said that the Golden Jaguars have an inner belief that they are going to do something special in the Group: “Nobody has given us a chance at scoring a goal, winning a game, I’ve heard that you would not get a point, I’ve heard some of the media talking that it’s a great chance for USA to kick start their bad run of form but we are 100% positive in the way we would be approaching our matches.”

Honing in on the mental aspect of the game, Johnson informed that the enormity of the tournament is something that they have taken cognizance of.

F

ormer Guyana Under-19 batsman and Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports (RHTY&SC) player Dominique Rikhi smashed a brilliant 122 in the third game of the Eastern American Cricket Association (EACA) 40-over competition.

Rikhi’s century led his Richmond Hill Liberty Cricket Club (RHLCC) to a 133-run victory over Meten-Meer-Zorg New York Cricket Club (MMZNYCC).

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Captain Rikhi’s RHLCC posted 310-7 in their allotted 40 overs. Rikhi smashed six maximums and 12 boundaries in a brilliant innings. The right-handed stroke maker reached his third century for the RHLCC in 84 balls. He was supported by Dino Choo-Wee-Nam, who hit an aggressive 77 from 44 balls, which was decorated with eight fours and six maximums.

Bowling for MMZ-NYCC, Keith Edie had 3-43 while Kelvin Shewpersaud and Somai

Gandhi had two wickets each.

Another Guyanese player, Jamiel Jackman, gave RHLCC the perfect start by removing Eddie for one. The MMZ-NYCC were further restricted to 54-4 at the end of the eighth over, and were further restricted to 177 in a losing effort.

Nikin Permaul top-scored with a blistering 39, while Kelvin Shewpersaud scored 29 runs. Leon Mohabir was the pick of the bowlers for RHLCC with 3-35, while Altaaf Habibullah, Jackam and Trevor Henry got two wickets each.

This 40-overs tournament will continue today, Sunday June 16, 2019, at the Bay Park, where RHLCC will meet Galaxy CC. The 2019 Liberty Sports Club is based in Queens, New York, and is locally sponsored

by SVC Sawh Voltcomm, Century 21 Professional at 119-17 Rockaway Blvd. B&R Sheet Metal Corp. Rockaway Group of Companies. EBS LLC and Cricket Helmet Covers Inc.

23

guyanatimesgy.com

sunDAY, june 16, 2019

ICC Cricket World Cup

Jason Holder

Windies seeking to restore dominance against Bangladesh that

By Brandon Corlette

T

h e

c o m manding seven-wicke t victory in the opening m a t c h a g a i n s t Pakistan seems ages ago for the West Indies, the Caribbean team having since losing to Australia and England, and having a no-result match against a wounded South African team.

West Indies will now lock horns with Bangladesh on Monday June 17, 2019 (tomorrow) from 5:30h local time. This match will be played at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton.

After the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, many teams have played a different brand of cricket, Bangladesh having improved tremendously since knocking out England in

tourney.

Bangladesh Tigers have also beaten the West Indies in all three series they played thereafter, accomplishing this feat home and away through their core players: Shakib Al Hassan, Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe Mortaza and Mushfiqur Rahim.

I n their 2018 ODI tour to the Caribbean, Bangladesh won 2-1 against the West Indies. In the first two matches played at the National Stadium at Providence, Bangladesh won the opening game by 48 runs on the back of Iqbal’s unbeaten 130; West Indies got a narrow win with a three-run margin, thanks to Shimron Hetmyer’s brilliant century in front of his home crowd; And it was another Iqbal show when he smashed a century to lead Bangladesh to an 18-run win in St Kitts.

In that three-match series, Iqbal finished as the leading run-scorer with 287 runs, while Hetmyer had 207 runs in that se-

ed the Caribbean team thrice, registering an eight-wicket win and t w o

Bangladesh Tigers

ries. The current captain of Bangladesh, Mortaza, finished with seven wickets in that series.

West Indies suffered a similar result when they toured Bangladesh in an ODI series and lost 2-1.

Bangladesh won the opening match by five wickets in Dhaka, while West Indies bounced back with a four-wicket win on the back of Shai Hope’s brilliant 146. In the final ODI,

West Indies suffered a comprehensive eight-wicket loss when the Bangladesh spinners tangled the Caribbean batsmen. Hope was the only bright spark with the bat, finishing with 297 runs in three innings.

The Bangladesh latest assault of the West Indies came in the TriNation Series in Ireland in May 2019. The Bangladesh Tigers, who remained unbeaten in that series, defeat-

five-wicket wins in the same series.

I t seems as though the West Indies have lost the formula for defeating Bangladesh in ODIs, as Hope, the batsman, has not been ‘among the runs’ in the World Cup. In the Tri-Nation Series, Hope had ended with 470 runs in five innings, including two centuries and two half-centuries.

In tomorrow’s clash, West Indies will have at the back of their minds how good an ODI team Bangladesh is.

On the current ICC ODI teams’ rankings, only one rating separates the teams, and the differences will be settled in the all-important World Cup clash. The number-sevenranked Jason Holder-led team and the number-eight-ranked

Shimron Hetmyer

Mortaza team will be aiming for a fifth point in the current World Cup. Each team has one win and two losses thus far in their respect i v e four

matches in the World Cup. Nicholas Pooran has 137 runs in the World Cup thus far, leading the batting charts among his Caribbean team mates.

Oshane Thomas, with seven wickets, is leading the bowling chats for West Indies.

Match winners are present in both teams.

Bangladesh have Shakib Al Hassan, who has been in sublime form in the World Cup with 260 runs in three matches. There are also Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar and Rahim.

West Indies will be seeking to fit the missing pieces together and regain that dominance displayed against Pakistan in the World Cup opener.

ExxonMobil Under 14 tournament off to an exciting start

The St. John’s College team receives their trophy for the most uniformed team

S

everal Under 14 football teams suited up on Saturday morning and took a lap around the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue, which signalled the beginning of the second annual

ExxonMobil Boys’ and Girls’ tournament.

Although their round robin matches will begin until next Saturday, June 22, the female teams joined their male counterparts at the opening ceremony for the march pass.

To make the occasion more interesting a prize was offered for the most uniformed team. The trophy which was provided by the primary sponsor ExxonMobil, was awarded the St. John’s College Boys, who showcased discipline even in the boiling sun.

Prior to this, Petra Co Director Troy Mendonca shared the vision of the tournament, which results in producing all rounded students.

“We are very happy to be here and not just we as in Petra but the players, sponsors, and officials. We’re happy to be here because we all share the same vision, which is to provide the opportunity for these youngsters to play football, in the process of them interacting, meeting new friends and it is all helping to build our future leaders,” Mendonca stated.

Community Relations Manager of ExxonMobil Suzie De Abreau took her opportunity with the mic to wish the players a good 7 week tournament and emphasize ExxonMobil’s commitment to sport in Guyana.

“At ExxonMobil Guyana, we’re committed to the development of youth trough sport. We view these activities as great opportunities to foster teamwork and build good skill in the kinds participating. We commend Petra for their hard work in get-

ExxonMobil’s Community Relations manager Suzie De Abreu

ting the tournament off the ground and wish all participants the best of luck,” De Abreu said.

The 24 boys’ and 12 girls’ teams are also being encouraged to join the fight against chronic diseases. This mandate was pushed

by Ministry of Public Health’s representative Glendon Fogenay. Here’s what he had to say: “Football is a healthy way to spend time, infect physical activity leads to better health not only for the body but also mental health.

Involvement with sports also helps with your accountability,” Fogenay explained.

The first game of the day and the 2019 tournament saw North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary holding St. John Boscoe home to a 1-1 draw.

The male and female winners of the tournament will have the opportunity to choose a school project that they would like to see completed as the first prize.

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

ExxonMobil Windies Under-14 seeking to restore tournament dominance off to an against exciting start Bangladesh

ICC Cricket World Cup

Pg 23

Pg 23

Pg 19

Aaron Finch and Mitchell Starc headline big Australia win

Golden Jaguars pumped for Gold Cup debut

Pg 22

…"We need the fans to get behind us,” says Coach Johnson

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JUNE 16, 2019

Feature

F

athers for many young women have had a massive influence on their lives and are great role models when it comes to shaping their opinions on issues of religion, justice, morality, education, and for many, their sense of humour.

Father-child relationships, in all communities and at all stages of a child’s life, have a profound and wide-ranging impact that last a lifetime, whether those relationships are positive, negative, or indifferent. Men’s participation as fathers and as caregivers also matters tremendously in women’s lives. And, it positively affects the lives of men themselves.

For this reason, it is evident first-hand that fathers can play a critical role in women’s empowerment. This is not just because most men want to see their daughters grow up in a world that offers the same opportunities to them as to their sons, it is also because fathers with more gender-equitable attitudes are more likely to pass on those values to their children, their family, and their community.

Last week, a report was launched at the Women Deliver Conference in Vancouver, Canada, entitled “State of the World’s Fathers”. The report was produced by MenCare, a global campaign to promote men’s and boys’

involvement as equitable, non-violent caregivers. 50 minutes a day.

That’s the amount of additional time men would need to contribute every day to caring for children and households to make a leap toward achieving gender equality in unpaid care. The report, the third of its kind, was released just in time for Father’s Day 2019.

New research across seven countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, the UK, and the US) finds that 85 per cent of fathers say that they would be willing to do anything to be very involved in the early weeks and months of caring for their newborn or adopted child. So, what’s holding them back?

The report identifies three major barriers: (1) the lack of adequate, paid paternity leave, and low take-up of leave when it is available; (2) restrictive gender norms that position care as women’s responsibility, alongside the perception of women as more competent caregivers than men; and (3) a lack of economic security and government support for all parents and caregivers.

The “State of the World’s Fathers” reveals that no country in the world has achieved equality in unpaid care work – or pay equality – between men and women. The progress is incredibly

slow.

Analysis of time use data finds that if men took on at least 50 minutes more care per day (and women did 50 minutes less), the scale would tip toward equality.

“We must accelerate national commitments to support all children, parents, and families to thrive, and to achieve men’s uptake of half of the daily care of children and of our homes. Full stop,” Promundo President & CEO Gary Barker said.

He noted, “Anything less continues to perpetuate the inequalities that women and girls face every day.”

At the conference, Unilever's

Dove Men+Care and Promundo also launched a global Paternity Leave Corporate Task Force – a member-led and owned alliance that aims to identify, promote, accelerate and bring to scale commercially and societally sustainable solutions that will result in improved access and uptake of paternity leave for all men. The global report calls for countries, employers, and civil society to commit to accelerate action and support men’s increased participation in unpaid care work.

The report was launched alongside the MenCare Commitment, aimed at facilitating an enabling environment where men take on 50 per cent of the unpaid care work by 2030. It also supports fathers to put their intentions to care into action by – at a minimum – taking on an additional 50 minutes a day.

The report also highlighted that research increasingly confirms that fathers’ involvement affects children in much the same ways that mothers’ involvement does. It added that fathers’ involvement has been linked to higher cognitive development and school achievement, better men-

tal health for boys and girls, and lower rates of delinquency in sons.

Studies in multiple countries have shown that fathers’ interaction is important for the development of empathy and social skills in sons and daughters.

Based on the research conducted, the report recommended that to achieve full gender equality and maximum well-being for children, countries must move beyond rigid, limiting definitions of fatherhood and motherhood and move toward what children need most to thrive.

This is not merely a question of encouraging men to be nurturing and caring. This is an issue of social and economic justice.

It pointed out that changes are needed in policies, in systems and institutions, among service providers, within programming, and within data collection and analysis efforts.

The report provides specific recommendations for change at each of these levels. These include creating national and international action plans to promote involved, non-violent fatherhood, and men’s and boys’ equal sharing of unpaid care work.

Action plans on fatherhood and caregiving, it stated, should span multiple areas, including gender equality; children’s rights; health, education, and economic development; violence prevention and response and labour rights. Actions must be matched with clear indicators and budgets in order to measure progress and make visible the need for men and boys to do a fair share of the care work, it added.

The report recommends that world leaders/Governments institute and implement equal, paid, and non-transferrable parental leave policies in both Public and Private Sectors, as well as other policies that allow women’s equal participation in the labour force and men’s equal participation in unpaid care work.

Engaging men in caregiving, it noted, is about helping men to have the deep, meaningful connections to others that are at the root of well-being and happiness – but even more than that, it is about enabling men’s, women’s, and children’s full potential.

It is also about achieving full equality for women and girls.

The “State of the World’s Fathers 2015” argues that it is time to shift both the perception and the reality of the role that men can play in nurturing, and to bring in the social measures and economic, social, and political support that are necessary to make this transformation possible. (Photos provided

by State of the World’s Fathers report)

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

By M ohanlall S uelall

F

or the world, the quality of a father can be judged by the goals he sets and by how much he accomplishes.

But for a child, a father is the man that protects him or her even when they do not need that protection. A father is a man who holds down the proverbial fort and is stern yet the most tender man.

One man who embodies those qualities is Rajendra Persaud as he not only provides but he cares for his family in every possible way.

Popularly known as “Uncle Fur”, Rajendra is a man with a very tender heart and a soft touch.

Coming from humble beginnings, he knows the value of hard work. He is the fourth of 11 children and knows as well the value of having a stable household and has been trying to provide that for his family ever since.

During his formative years, Rajendra attended Anna Regina Primary, now

CV Nunes Primary, and then the Anna Regina Community High, which is now called Cotton Field Secondary School.

However, like many of the people his age, Rajendra was forced to drop out of school and take up work to contribute to the family.

He was employed as a contracted worker at the Guyana Rice Board (GRB) in Anna Regina, where he served for three years, then moved on to the Guyana Electricity Corporation (GEC), now the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) where he was contracted to distribute “light bills” along the Essequibo Coast.

During his stint as a bill distributor, Rajendra would walk house to house along the 36 miles long Essequibo Coast to ensure that he performed his job effectively. He believes that with determination, honesty and integrity, all things are possible and those traits allowed him to execute his functions. Additionally, his time as a bill distributor allowed him

to meet, interact, and make friends with people across the Essequibo Coast.

After serving GEC for three and a half years; in 1983, the system changed and GEC started to use the service of the Guyana Post Office Corporation and he was left without a job for over a year during which time he assisted his parents in the rice fields.

He later saw a vacancy for a labourer at GEC in Anna Regina and applied. His application was successful and he was once again employed, but this time as a labourer with the Transmission and Distribution Department.

Rajendra said that with determination, dedication and hard work, you can achieve your goals. He stood his ground during hard and difficult times and worked rain or sun, night and day, obeyed all instructions, abided by all rules and regulations, and, most of all, was honest and served with pride which earned him today the title of Line Superintendent.

In 1986, while he was just 23 years old, Rajendra got married to Sarojanee and they had two children. When asked about being a father, he said that the feeling by itself is an indescribable one. He tries to be the role model of his children and have them tread a path that will be fulfilling to them.

This father – a tower of strength to his family, friends and loved ones – is always there, side by side with his wife to prepare meals for the family and takes the kids to school before going to work on a daily basis. On weekends, he will help with the chores at home, so his family can have some time for themselves.

However, just last year, he lost his wife which shattered the family, but being the strong person he is, Rajendra picked himself up and further cemented himself as the rock for the family.

“Fathers should be the gatekeepers of their family and must be strong enough to hold

the family unit together, especially when the tide is rough and the ship is being tossed about. Fathers should take hold of the steering wheel and guide the ship to safety.

A father is a special person sent by God to be a role model for his children and all other children whom he might have met during his lifetime,” he said.

Rajendra encourages all fathers, young and old, to be responsible and live by example, to take up their responsibilities as fathers and help to mould their children so we can have a closer family unit.

Presently, Rajendra is giving his spare time to educating children in the path of Dharma and is enjoying visiting mandirs along the Essequibo Coast and sharing his fatherly love to all.

He said that it was not too late for those fathers who neglected their children, or for those children who neglected their fathers to repair that broken relationship.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Feature

Single father starts campaign against domestic violence

By: Davina Ramdass

A

t a time when domestic violence, particularly violence against women, is becoming an epidemic in Guyana with very few strides made in curbing the issue, one man is doing his part by sparking conversations about domestic violence.

Randy Shepherd, a single father of one, has always been very passionately against violence against women. This passion led him to start a campaign

always been passionate about effecting a positive change in the country, especially at a time like this when women are being murdered so frequently at the hands of their lovers. The Ogle, East Coast Demerara businessman has been pushing his finances in educating Guyanese about the impact of domestic vi- olence.

“It’s

The designs on his car which motivated him further to launch his campaign

this, the man goes to jail or he takes his own life and the kids are left to suffer, so my thing is, as a Guyanese first, I want to do as much as I can, as little as it might seem, to get the message out there,” he explained.

He detailed how he recently placed a logo at the back of his car which advocates against domestic violence which has been attracting a lot of attention. This is one of the few things which motivated him to start the advocacy group.

His message to men is, “This is not right.

This is

Shepherd at a recent outreach held in Berbice

dubbed “Men Against Domestic Violence’, which is seeking to reduce the number of women being brutally abused and even murdered by their spouses through sensitisation.

Shepherd told of how he has

something that is so painful every time you pick up a paper, you’re watching the news, you pick up the phone on social media, you’re just seeing somebody mother, somebody daughter being killed and at the end of the day after

totally not right. It doesn’t matter whatever she may have done or whatever. It’s not right. Children are left hollering for their mothers and it’s painful to watch and listen to.”

The activist said he was aware

that his ef-

forts may very w e l l not be

Randy Shepherd and his son

enough to completely stop this type of hurtful occurrence, but he intends to reduce the number of persons being abused to the most minimum figure possible.

As part of the campaign, he noted that plans were in place to reach out to the Government to ensure that it understood stronger laws were needed to protect the women of Guyana. Furthermore, he believes that more laws should be implemented to help abused women. “We need to stop sitting and waiting for the Government to do everything. We put them there and we need to get them to do what we want them to do,” he added.

Shepherd said that growing up, he had always been an advocate.

In fact, he said he was more passionate about the issue given that he has a mother, sisters, nieces, and other close female relatives who he would never like to see being hurt by a male.

In addition, he said that for too long he has been sitting back watching women being killed at the hands of people, specifically, men who they trust and could no longer just rely on the Government for their protection.

“I have been hurt. Women did things to me. There are times that I stood over them and I heard voices saying ‘finish it’, but then I think back and ask myself what is there to gain from doing this. I’d leave somebody without a mother, somebody without a daughter and your life also would be taken away

from you, because is either you end up in prison or you go and do something stupid,” he noted.

Speaking to the fundamental need for a father in one’s life, Shepherd said that once he was giving his son a bath and he asked about his (Shepherd’s) father. He told his baby boy that his father had left him and then the little boy then looked him straight in the eyes and asked, “Daddy, will you leave me?” As he brushed away his tears, Shepherd said he assured his little one that he would never leave him.

In achieving his goal of lowering the cases of domestic violence, Shepherd noted that for now, himself and a team of a few others have been distributing sensitisation fliers to be pasted in vehicles to help spread the message.

This is usually done during the week at the Square of the Revolution from 12:00h to 13:00h.

As funding becomes available, he intends to spread the message across the 10 Administrative Regions in the best way possible.

Already, the single father has been able to spread awareness on domestic violence in Berbice.

The most recent statistics of domestic violence show that more women are being abused daily by their lovers. In fact, gender-based violence in Guyana has risen by 14.2 per cent over the past six years.

This was shared by First Lady Sandra Granger at an event hosted last year. “It seems to be not a single day passes without there being a report of someone being raped, brutalised or murdered, usually by an intimate or previous intimate partner,” she stated.

According to the First Lady, reported incidents of domestic violence by an intimate or previous intimate partner rose from 74.8 per cent in 2011 to 89 per cent in 2017, with females accounting for upward of 80 per cent of the victims. It was noted that three-quarters of these genderbased violence cases stem mostly from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

By Leah Hernandez

M

illions of children worldwide are fortunate enough to have a father figure in their lives, while others can only dream of having that man we call a “father”. This contrast often times leads most of us to ask: “what is a father?” and “who is a good father?”.

The simplest definition of the word father is “An important male figure in the origin and early history of something”, but, most importantly, being a good father means being an endless role model and making all the difference in a child’s life, as you are a pillar of strength, support, and discipline.”

To celebrate and recognise the contributions fathers and father figures make to the lives of their children, the third Sunday in June of each year is, therefore, set aside as the time to celebrate Father’s Day. With great enthusiasm and anticipation surrounding this day, I was fortunate to interact with one father who had his goal set on being a “good father”.

I g n a t i u s Hernandez like some of us presently was not raised by a father who was a perfect example of the title given, but rather one who was an alcoholic and gave less attention to the welfare of his family. This father of four related to me that, as a child growing up, he vowed never to be like the man whom he saw most of his life, but somewhere along his life’s journey it happened.

“When I used to see him drunk, I used to say in my mind I would never drink or be like him. As I grew, I did not want to follow his example, his role as a father was not really one to take example from, he did not have that impact or positive influence on me… [but I] started drinking when I was 18, It was my own choice, then I became addicted to it,” a thoughtful Hernandez related.

According to my 57-year-old father, even though he walked in the shoes of his father for some time, the thought of him being a potential father and having a family of his

own motivated him to desire a change, as often times he would reflect on the words “I would never drink or be like him”, while he further credited the desire for change to Christianity.

“I knew it was wrong and I desired a change, but because of the habits and cravings for it, it was there and I couldn’t stay without it, but I wanted to be a better father from the one I grew up with.”

In the midst of our interesting conversation, I asked my father what are his thoughts about playing the role of father figure in a child’s life, and in the most appealing voice, he responded, “If you want to be a better father, you have to be an example, having an impact on your family, because you cannot lead without being that example … the role of a father is being a security, it’s a breadwinner, a foundation to the family, an example where the whole family looks up to you and you are honoured and respected.”

After this, I went on to ask him how he personally felt about being a father to us (his four children), and again, but this time in a more eager voice, he responded in the briefest way possible, saying it is a blessing to be a father.

“Being a father isn’t something I would say is easy, but I’m happy to be a father, because besides the responsibility and being tough, it’s still a blessing. I can stand up and joyfully declare I have fulfilled my responsibilities as a father,” he said.

Finally realising that our conversation would soon be over, I quickly implored him for some advice that he would want to share with present and potential fathers on how to be a good dad. This is what he carefully uttered to me: “To those fathers, be a foundation, bear your weight which means take responsibility, be interested in the welfare of your children … if all fathers take their stand, this world would be strong, a better community, a better country, we will have better children and strong families.”

My father concluded his answer with a famous quote which states: “Anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a daddy”- Anonymous.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Preserving our literary heritage

History of

O

n July 19, 1910, the governor of the US state of Washington proclaimed the nation’s first “Father’s Day”. However, it was not until 1972, 58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day official, that the day became a nationwide holiday in the United States.

The “Mother’s Day” we celebrate today has its origins in the peace-and-reconciliation campaigns of the post-Civil War era. During the 1860s, at the urging of activist Ann Reeves Jarvis, one divided West Virginia town celebrated “Mother’s Work Days” that brought together the mothers of Confederate and Union soldiers. In 1870, the activist Julia Ward Howe issued a “Mother’s Day Proclamation” calling on a “general congress of women” to “promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, [and] the great and general

interests of peace”.

However, Mother’s Day did not become a commercial holiday until 1908, when–inspired by Jarvis’s

daughter Anna, who wanted to honour her own mother by making Mother’s Day a national holiday–the John Wanamaker department

store in Philadelphia sponsored a service dedicated to mothers in its auditorium. Thanks in large part to this association with retailers, who saw great potential for profit in the holiday, Mother’s Day caught on right away. In 1909, 45 states observed the day, and in 1914, President Wilson approved a resolution that made the second Sunday in May a holiday in honour of “that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America”.

The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm – perhaps because, as one florist explained, “fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have”. On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honour of fathers, a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, but it was a onetime commemoration and not an annual holiday. The next year, a Spokane, Washington woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and Government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first state-wide Father’s Day on July 19, 1910. Slowly, the holiday spread.

In 1916, President Wilson honoured the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, DC. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. However, many men continued to disdain the day. As one historian writes, they “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more prod-

ucts – often paid for by the father himself”.

During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether in favour of a single holiday, Parents’ Day. Every year on Mother’s Day, pro-Parents’ Day groups rallied in New York City’s Central Park – as a public reminder, said Parents’ Day activist and radio performer Robert Spere, “that both parents should be loved and respected together”. Paradoxically, however, the Depression derailed this effort to combine and decommercialise the holidays.

Struggling retailers and advertisers redoubled their ef-

forts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” for men, promoting goods such as neckties, hats, socks, pipes and tobacco, golf clubs and other sporting goods, and greeting cards. When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honour American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it was a national institution.

In 1972, in the middle of a hard-fought presidential reelection campaign, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday at last.

Siesta

Happy Father’s Day, Dad. Thank you for all you have done.

If there was an award for the best father ever Then I’m sure you would have won.

You’ve always encouraged me with my art, And took interest in the crazy things I drew, You’ve taught me to never give up on myself, And you’ve shown me that any dream can come true.

Thank you for being my personal taxi.

Maybe dad stands for “dad always drives.”

You have taken me to all the games and practices, And managed to never miss one, despite our crazy lives.

Thank you for all your kindness these years, You’ve wiped tears and snot from my face, You’ve put up with mood swings and heartbreaks, Your arms are my safe place.

You’ve been my support, Through good times and bad, I feel lucky indeed To have you as my dad!

Anonymous

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

By Jemima Holmes

S

tories are often told of young students who become so attached to their female teachers that once in a blue moon instead of saying ‘Teacher…’ or ‘Miss...’ the word ‘mommy’ comes out. These instances are often a testament to how close teacher and student can be.

What most people don’t realise is that the same goes for male teachers or in the world of sport, coaches.

Whenever we sit down to catch a game of cricket or football or even indulge in a riveting game of chess, what we see are players who have done tedious work to perfect their craft. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, there are coaches who have worked equally hard to ensure that their players are at competition standard. The long practice hours that are put in by player and coach can bear the fruit of a champion, but the amount of time spent together can also pave the way for a bond akin to that of father and child.

For one Chess Coach, he was introduced into the world of dealing with children long before he had any biological children of his own. Over the years, the knowledge he acquired has given him a head start on fatherhood. Although he may not be the perfect father, this Coach has been blazing a trail at home and in the world of chess.

Whenever you see Guyana’s top FIDE Chess Coach, Wendell Meusa, you most likely are greeted with a smile and some plan on how he can attract more young players to the sport. Always equipped with a set or two of chess pieces, Meusa has made it his duty to introduce the next generation of players to the game.

What others may see is just an instructor, but to students, they see a father- figure and role model, in whose shoes they would like to walk someday.

While coaching came naturally to Meusa after being in the forefront of chess for years, fatherhood greeted him with mixed emotions and uncertainty of what to expect.

In 2011, Meusa expe-

rienced the the team did well greatest hurt on our first time in a parent could strange waters,” feel, losing a he explained. seven- monthAs a father, old son. For Meusa is all too fathis reason, miliar with what when his parents expect of first daughtheir children. As ter entered such, he makes it the world on his duty to remind February 20, the students un2016, his joy der his care that it was marred is important to reby uncertainspect the sacrifices ty. But as her made by their parlife unfoldents. ed, and as she “I always tell was joined by my students to rea brother in spect the sacrificJanuary 22, es of their parents 2017, Wendell and work hard to felt for the make them proud,” first time what he said.

Wendell Meusa engages with teachers as he introduces them to the game of chess many describe When it comes went on to cop nine Senior 2014 as Coach was to me my as ‘the greatto favourites, Chess Championships, eight biggest accomplish because Meusa said he doesn’t have est love’. ”Being a father means of which came consecutivethe world to me. I have two ly from 2011- 2018. Wendell intelligent bundles of joy later attained the titles and I pray every day that National Chess Coach and God guides me to become Team Manager for his work the ideal father for them,” with the Guyana National a smiling Meusa said about Chess team in 2014 and his parenting journey thus 2016.

Currently, the Chess far.

Coach has over 126 stuFatherhood, however, dents in Georgetown alone, does not come without sacrimost of whom are part of fices and having to put others’ needs before yours. This the Wendell Meusa Chess is a lesson that Meusa has Foundation (WMCF). His learnt over his years of be- sessions are often times uping a father and has grown beat and filled with clever comfortable with the idea of questions from the young, inquisitive bunch. selflessness.

“I have been coaching “The most important of from 2005 with Barbadian all the lessons I’ve learnt FIDE International Master through fatherhood is how (IM) Terry Farley for disciplined and hardworkBarbados Primary ing a man has to be in or- the & Secondary School der to meet the needs and Association.

I have lost wants of his family,” Meusa count of how many children explained.

Similarly to being there I have coached, but I can say and assisting when his own in Guyana alone I would eschildren take their first timate over 500 children,” steps, Meusa is the one who Meusa stated, reflecting on urges on young players to his years of work.

Of course, the work he take their first plunge into puts in comes with its rechess.

“I enjoy teaching begin- wards. Highlighting his ners the history of chess, the work with Bajan IM Orlando difference with chess when Husbands and FM Yu Tien compared to physical sports Poon in the earlier years of and I have a story I made their chess career and even up when teaching children work with Cecil Cox, Ron about chess pieces,” Meusa Motilall, Su Hai Feng and shared about his introducto- Anthony Drayton as some of his best moments, Meusa ry chess lessons.

His ascension to cites Guyana’s debut at the Barbados Junior Chess Chess Olympiad as one of Champion (2003 and 2005) his most memorable mowas among his first ma- ments.

“Working with the jor achievements in chess.

Thereafter, the trailblazer Olympiad Team in Norway

A few of Wendell’s students during preparation for the CARIFTA Chess Championships 2019

any at home nor in the classroom. Citing that it is important to love and give equal amounts of attention to his children, biological or not, he declared: “I don’t have any favourites; I love both of my children unconditionally. I do my best to show them both in any way possible.”

While seeing students/ players succeed is something that any coach hopes for, Meusa gets his rewards when his students find new ways to excel at their sport, which is a must for the game of chess.

“It is always a great feeling to see one of my students excel, but my greatest feeling comes mostly from our training sessions discovering new ideas, strategies and having jokes/laughter,” Meusa said.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Feature

By Utamu Belle

H

e’s well-known around the Linden community as Nurse Allen, host of the popular local radio programme “Healthy Living with Nurse Allen” on 104.3 Power FM. The vibrant 36-yearold Colwyn Allen, though a Registered Nurse by profession, is also a Quality Assurance Officer attached to the Linden Hospital

Complex (LHC), who also oversees the Upper Demerara and Kwakwani Hospitals.

He is also the founder of Linden’s Healthy Living Health Club. Though he wears many different hats in the community, Allen takes pride mostly in being a husband and the father of three beautiful girls, ages 11, 7 and 2, a role he says he takes quite seriously despite his busy schedule.

The Sunday Times Magazine recently sat down with Allen to get a glimpse into his life as a professional father on the go and to learn more about how he skilfully manages to be there for his family all at the same time.

“I’m the person like a spare wheel for a car; I function in almost all facets in

alone, because women of today they have to work even and straight. And when they come home from work – the sink full of dishes? No, I try not to be a product of that,” he said.

Though he admits that he’s not the perfect father, Allen said he tries in his doings, to teach his girls the true meaning of a father.

He also advises fathers out there to do the same.

“Even if you and the

life because I try my best to leave a legacy for my children. I always believed that children should – yes we know that they should try and acquire things for themselves but one of my philosophies is that parents should leave an inheritance for their children. We live in a world where we often see children

are left to fend for themselves,” Allen told this publication.

Reminiscing on his time growing up, Allen said he was privileged to grow with both parents in a Christian home, along with his siblings, which he explained is a family structure which he has always wanted for himself.

“Not… that a single parent, him or her, won’t bring forth good children, but I think it’s more difficult for a single parent ... but growing up in a family whereby mommy and daddy is around in a Christian home, we learned to be respectful, obedient, loyal and my parents were very strict when it comes to bullying. So that is something we could not have been a part of ... I try to inculcate these same attributes to my girls, because I want them to be good products of society.

You know the saying that ‘you make children, but you don’t make their minds?’ But my thing is, I want to play a part as a father,” he noted.

Taking the girls out to see and learn about different places, Allen noted, is one of the things he enjoys, as he added that he does not wait for school tours for them

to be educated and informed about important places. As a busy working father, he noted that recreational family time is very important.

Showering them with love and appreciation, he noted, is also important.

“I kiss them every day, we hug ... when you do that I think it’s a lot of positive energy you give out ... all these things are morals and values you instil in children, so I try my best to be that father, that husband to my wife and children,” he explained.

When it comes to school work the parental responsibilities are shared, as Allen, who is also a former teacher, pointed out that he assists with Social Studies and Science while his wife assists with English Language and Mathematics. He said being a father is more than “just bringing in the money, but being there to support your family in every way”.

“I’m the one in the home who does all the ironing. I try to let my children see that if you’re going to have a home – a family, look for these attributes. A man should know to cook, clean, help out with washing wares and stuff like that. A man should not leave these roles for a mom

mother get problems ... you might go separate ways; my encouragement to fathers is that they should take up their responsibility and ensure that even if they have to pay support though the court or post office, just send the money ... Be there and make the provision for your children,” he advised.

Allen also admits that there were real life challenges. Given the fact that his wife is also a nurse, he said both have to manage when they get home from work. He also pointed out that it was very challenging when his first daughter was born, as he had opted to help out by babysitting.

“It was very challenging, because when the three months was up, my wife had to return to work...It was like, ‘boy, what going on here?’,” he joked. “Baby crying and all these things...but over time it got better and we learned to adjust ourselves,” he added.

Allen’s advice to fathers is to be an inspiration for their children to follow and to leave a positive legacy for the generations to follow.

“I would like to say to fathers, let us be a positive change. Let our children look up to us; let us remove all the stigma and the discrimination and the words spoken that we are ‘good for nothing’. Let us stand up as men, take our rightful place, be with our families and ensure that we are there to ensure that our children become parents and that we nurture our grandchildren,” he noted.

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

9

Health

W

e all know that it's common for men to skip the doctor until they become sick, injure themselves or are faced with a serious health problem.

And a majority of men will postpone seeking care for a few days to see whether they feel any better. It's the whole "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" line of thinking.

But there are steps the men in your life can take today to improve their vitality and help prevent health problems down the road. Of course, there are some things that can't be changed, such as family history and age, but every day choices can have a big impact on their current and future health.

to curb weight gain as you age.

Drink alcohol in moderation

If you drink alcohol, limit your consumption to no more than two drinks per day. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one four-ounce glass of wine or 1 1/2 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)

Don't use tobacco

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals and is a known cause of cancer. Smoking also increases the likelihood of high blood pressure, heart disease, lung problems and other health problems. And if you think chewing tobacco is safer, think again. Not only is chewing tobacco a known cause of cancer (carcinogen), it also contributes to gum disease and tooth loss and may be linked to fertility problems. And, few could argue that chewing and spitting is attractive to a partner. If you smoke or chew, talk to your health care professional about ways to quit. Consider nicotine replacement therapy products that include selfhelp programs, if appropriate.

Get routine health checkups

Get routine health checkups, screenings and (don't forget) dental exams. Just because you're healthy doesn't mean you're off the hook.

Going to your health care provider for regular checkups could just save your life.

By keeping up with these appointments, your health care provider can make sure you stay up-to-date with immunizations (Yes, they're for adults, too!) and important preventive health screenings.

It also gives you a chance to talk about any health concerns or changes you've noticed. Make sure to talk with your health care provider about your family medical history and ask which screenings you might need.

For example: • Body mass index (BMI) • Cholesterol • Blood pressure • Certain cancers depending on risk factors, including your age and family history (e.g., lung, colorectal, prostate, skin) • Diabetes/blood glucose (sugar) level • Depression (Did you know men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women, which is thought to be due to underdiagnosed depression?)

• Sexually transmitted diseases And, if you're like most people, you dread going to the dentist, but add that to your "to do" list. Dental exams aren't just important for your teeth and gums; your mouth may also be a red flag for other health conditions.

Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet

Eating a diet that's low in fat (less than 7 percent of calories should come from saturated fats), cholesterol, and salt, and packed with fresh fruits and vegetables (two cups of fruit per day; three cups of vegetables per day for men up to age 50 and two and a half cups for men aged 51 and over), whole grains and fiber can help improve your health, prevent heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.

Get moving

Try to get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week.

Taking a walk, jogging, swimming and mowing the lawn all count. But don't be

Practice safe sex

If you are sexually active, remember to practice safe sex.

Buckle up every time

Always wear a seat belt when you're in a motor vehicle to prevent death or serious injury in an accident.

Obey all rules of the road.

Don't be a distracted or aggressive driver. Limit cell phone use and don't use other electronic devices while driving.

Learn to manage stress

a weekend sports warrior.

Start slowly if you aren't normally active and gradually build up. No time? Research shows that even short bursts of physical activity—as few as 10 minutes of intense activity several times a day— can help men improve their health. Talk to your doctor about the right exercise program for you.

Lose the gut for good

It's important to maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight, especially around the waist, can be hard on your body. Carrying too much body fat forces your heart to work harder and increases your chances of heart disease and stroke, even if you have no other risk factors! So, try

Many men define themselves by their careers, which can raise stress levels. Over time, stress can take a toll on your emotional and physical health. Notice early warning signs of stress, such as irritability, tension in your shoulders and neck, grinding your teeth or clenching your hands into fists, and find healthy ways to de-stress (for example, exercise, meditation, massage).

Talk to family and friends about how they can help you integrate these tips into your everyday life and stick with them.

10 Sunday Times Magazine

JUNE 16, 2019

Feature

Dads!

There's a lot of responsibility placed on fathers. Being a dad often comes with the many added commitments of making a lifetime partnership work; navigating a busy job; and for some of you, going to the gym.

While many see fatherhood as a reason to let it all hang out, having a mini-you (or several) is no reason to throw away your sense of style.

So get off the couch and out of that horrible hoodie and show them you still got what it takes to be the best looking dad around.

guyanatimesgy.com

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

Father’s Day Recipes

Ingredients • • •

• • • • • • •

2 pounds chicken wings kosher salt , to taste fresh cracked black pepper , to taste Sticky fish sauce 1/4 cup ketchup 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon rice vinegar optional , chopped cilantro to garnish

Directions

Ingredients •

• •

• • •

• •

2 medium peaches, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved 8 ounces mozzarella cheese pearls, drained 1 cup chopped peeled mango 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil Dressing 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 fresh basil leaves

• • • •

2 teaspoons honey 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Place the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. For dressing, place vinegar, basil, honey, salt and pepper in blender. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Pour over peach mixture; gently toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with additional basil.

Cook the Wings: Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. On prepared baking sheet pan, spread chicken wings out in one even layer (we don't coat our wings with oil before baking, but you can if you want. We find that the oil just makes the wings greasier. The wings release enough fat already). Season chicken wings with salt and pepper. Bake for about 4550 minutes until golden brown, flipping the wings halfway through baking, after the first 25 minutes or so.

Make the Sauce: While the wings cook, make the sauce. Combine all of the sauce

ingredients (ketchup, honey, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, and rice vinegar).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the sauce and the cooked wings and toss to coat. Cook for about 1 minute or until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky. Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro if desired.

Breakfast Burgers for

• • • • •

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup self-rising flour 1 cup whole milk 2 cups fresh (or frozen) blackberries Whipped cream and/or ice cream,

serving

Directions

Ingredients •

Ingredients

Dressing: • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • 1 tablespoon drained prepared

horseradish

Burger: • •

•

• •

•

•

•

•

12 ounces ground beef 8 ounces ground chicken/ turkey Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar (about 2 ounces) 4 English muffins, regular, sandwich-size or corn, split and toasted 1 vine-ripe tomato, thickly sliced into 4 pieces 1 cup peppery greens, such as baby arugula, mustard greens or watercress 4 large eggs

Directions

1. For the dressing: Stir the mayonnaise, mustard and horseradish together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. For the burgers: Gently mix together the ground beef, chicken/turkey and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the meat into 4 pieces and form each into a 4-inch patty.

3. Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the patties. Cook until well browned, about 3 minutes, and then flip. Top with some of the cheese and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the burger is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Spread the toasted muffins with some of the mustard dressing and top with a slice of tomato and a burger patty.

5. Crack the eggs into the skillet with the meat drippings and cook to your preference.

6. Place an egg on each burger and finish with some baby arugula on the top of the English muffin.

1/2 stick butter, melted (1/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter.

In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar with the flour and milk. Whisk in the melted butter.

Rinse the blackberries and pat them dry. Pour the batter into the baking dish.

Sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the blackberries. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. When 10 minutes of the cooking time remains, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

Ingredients • • • • •

1 seasoned leg of lamb 6 tablespoons olive oil divided 1/4 cup fresh chopped rosemary divided Sea salt and cracked black pepper 2 pounds root vegetables ( carrots, sweet potato, cassava, potato)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Rub the roast all over with 2 tablespoon olive oil, cover

with 2 tablespoon rosemary.

3. Wash and pat dry the vegetables trimming off the tops and bottoms. Chop into small pieces and transfer to a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the vegetables along with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat.

4. Transfer the prepared vegetables to a large baking tray on a single layer.

5. In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over a high heat. Gently place the roast into the pan and sear for 30 seconds on all sides. Transfer to a roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast for 1 hour.

6. Roast the vegetables at the same time checking after 40 minutes with a sharp knife. It should be able to go into the vegetables with little resistance. It may take up to an hour for them to be ready though.

7. After one hour take the lamb from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10-12 minutes before slicing. Serve with some of the root vegetables.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Puzzles

ACROSS

92 Stable fathers

93 Cherchez la --!

1 Tree with pods 94 Facade 6 Wobbled, as a rocket

95 Work around 11 Nose stimuli

97 Green prefix 16 Overhead

98 Annapolis frosh 21 Stagger

99 Coffee emanation 22 Dull yellow pigment

100 Turn sharply 23 Utter foolish talk

101 The “elephant boy” 24 Fairway warnings

103 Pro -- (in proportion) 25 Sports palace

104 Microwaves 26 A moon of Saturn

105 Cyclopean (hyph.)

27 Family tree, to some

106 Coarse 28 Jungle warnings 108 Leans against 29 They can rock you to sleep

110 Library sect.

31 Lightweight cord

111 Tack on 33 Mont. neighbor

114 Off in the distance 35 Bigger than med.

115 Tulips and daffodils 36 NNW opposite

117 Luau dish 37 Ewing matriarch

120 Narrow inlet 38 Gardener, often

121 Oahu welcome 39 Keeps in stitches

123 Bluebottles 41 Intl. trade letters

125 Watch site?

42 Ladd and Shepard

127 Raj headquarters 44 Glazier’s units

129 Like some yogurt (hyph.)

46 Broke to bits

131 Moon position 51 Wild duck

133 Spookily strange 52 Chromosome part

134 Canoe anagram 53 Lasting impression

135 Usual weather 57 Lay low (2 wds.)

136 Undersized pups 58 Bandleader Count - 137 Pedro’s wherewithal 59 Mission starter 138 Change color 60 Meyers of “Kate & Allie”

139 Put a spell on 61 High dudgeon

140 B-vitamin source 62 Story going around

141 Dog-tired 63 Reinforce

64 Sausage variety DOWN 66 Drop -- -- line

1 Hammer parts 67 Meadow munchers

2 Mystiques 68 Fall preceder

3 Where Minos ruled 69 Nashville’s -- Pearl

4 Teen woe 70 Comanches’ kin

5 Windy City airport 72 Coal measures

6 Called from the Alps 73 Just the same

7 Like lemon juice 74 Plaids

8 -- idea was that?

75 Frontier saloon plus

9 Shore eagle 77 Spread sand or salt

10 Bug repellent 78 Brawl

11 Car dealer’s extra 79 Offend greatly

12 Talks monotonously 82 Mr. Spock’s father

13 Movie with a posse 83 Scream and shout

14 Country addr.

84 Horne of jazz

15 It may jackknife 88 Parthenon site

16 Ski-lodge type (hyph.)

89 Fainthearted

17 -- and hiss 90 Retina cells

18 Paperless exams 91 -- tai cocktail

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- DILEMMAS

(DILEMMAS: dih-LEM-uz: Unusually undesirable or unpleasant choices.)

Average mark 52 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 67 or more words in DILEMMAS? TODAY'S WORD -- DILEMMAS dais dale dame damsel deal deism deli dial diel dime dismal idea ideal ides idle isle lade

ladies laid lame lase lead lied lime email made maid mail maim male mead meal medal media

medial meld mesa mesial mild mile mime misdeal mislead misled aide ailed aimed aisle alms amid aside

said sail sale same seal seam semi side sidle slam sled slid slide slim slime smile

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.

19 Border on

20 Hairpin curves

30 Censor

32 Ambergris source

34 “Great” dogs

40 -- Enterprise

42 Fable writer

43 Cave, maybe

44 Hippie greeting

45 Klein of fashion

46 Famed orca

47 Water-lily painter

48 Pond growth

49 Meet, in poker 50 Half of a Heston role

51 Domesticates

52 Slope

54 Huge blossom

55 Adam of “Chicago Hope”

56 Floats to the top

58 Good, to Garcia

59 Kid’s wheels

62 Geneva’s river

63 Adobe 64 Trevi Fountain coins

65 PC chip maker 67 Forest denizens 68 Operated a ferry

69 Soda fountain treats

71 Wild time 73 Condor’s abode

74 Doctrine

76 Holm and Woosnam

77 Kickboxer Jean-Claude

Van - 78 Edible lichen

79 Mirage sights 80 City in New York

81 Pulsate 82 Swahili for “lion”

83 House components 85 Atlanta campus 86 Overly trusting

87 Gave alms

89 Hen’s lack 90 Gives a crew cut

93 Stop a train

94 Keg-party site

95 Floor 96 Geese formation

98 Lip-purser 99 Lapis lazuli color 100 Haughty types 102 Suffix for press 105 Slickest 107 Like lots of shopping now 108 Burning 109 Teased 110 Spurts 111 Mind’s heat 112 Jigsaw element 113 Became ashen 114 Glue on 115 Safari boss 116 Footfalls 117 Do a grammar task 118 Stew ingredient 119 That is (Lat.) (2 wds.)

122 Linear measure 124 Frisky 126 Discreet honk 128 Make bales 130 Fiesta shout 132 Blue or green See Solution on page 14

Father's Day

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JUNE 16, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

patent shows rollable phone displays

S

amsung is still figuring out how to release its futuristic Galaxy Fold, which is plagued with durability issues and without a release date. But that hasn’t stopped it from dreaming up new phone designs, including a compelling patent for a phone with a rollable display.

This patent discovered by Let’s Go Digital (via Gizmodo) shows off a phone that appears fairly traditional at a first glance. But it’s actually hiding a secret rollable display inside, and the top housing containing the selfie camera and earpiece seems able to extend outward from the phone, making for a screen that’s going off the charts when it comes to aspect ratio.

The phone in the patent looks vaguely like the BlackBerry Priv, except instead of exposing a handy QWERTY keyboard, you get a super tall screen that’s the size of a Rite Aid receipt. (We’re going to have to add this to our field

guide on wacky, bendy phones.)

Rollable displays aren’t impossible. LG is bringing its rollable OLED display to market this year, and Corning says that it’s making progress on bendable glass for phones. Though, for what Samsung is proposing in its patent, we’re still likely years away from seeing tech like this come to phones.

Compelling as this patent is, there’s also the question of how durable a phone like this would even be, what with a sliding mechanism that could be as vulnerable to dust particles as the Galaxy Fold was. Moving forward, phones that incorporate a foldable display and moving parts will likely attract skepticism before excitement, but here’s to hoping that Samsung figures out a way to pull this one off, assuming this ever does make it to market. If it does, we’ll be one small step closer to the foldable phones from classic science-fiction movies and TV shows. (The Verge)

fixes Android Q announces beta bootloop issue, TurboGrafx-16 Mini console resumes updates K

G

oogle has re-released Android Q’s fourth beta after fixing an issue that caused some Pixel devices to “bootloop,” meaning they were trapped in a constant reset state.

The issue arose after some Pixel users tried to install the beta Over-The-Air. Writing on Twitter, Google said that all devices enrolled in the beta will now receive the new Beta 4 update, and that it has updated the downloadable images for developers.

The incident is a good reminder to never install beta software on any hardware that you rely on as your primary device, no matter how tempting its shiny new features might be. That said, outside of this incident Google’s Android updates tend to be quite reliable. With Android Nougat the company introduced a new “A/B (Seamless) System Updates” method to allow a device to roll back to a previous version when encountering problems with an update — it’s unclear why the fallback didn’t catch the problem on this occasion.

Android Q Beta 4 is a fairly minor update in the grand scheme of things. As well as tweaking the software’s new dark mode theme and fixing various bugs, the update included a new settings menu item that hints at native facial recognition coming to Android. (The Verge)

postpones planned laptop launch amid US trade war

H

uawei has indefinitely postponed the imminent launch of a new Windows laptop, consumer division CEO Richard Yu has confirmed to CNBC. The product was set for a reveal at the CES Asia show in Shanghai, but trade sanctions from the US government are restricting Huawei’s ability to use American products like Microsoft software and Intel processors. The news was first reported by The Information.

Yu described the situation as “unfortunate” to CNBC, saying that the laptop would have been unveiled last week without a release date, but Huawei’s placement on the US Entity List has stopped the company from announcing the product altogether.

Whether the laptop ever sees the light of day will depend on how long Huawei remains on the blacklist.

There aren’t any technical details of the upcoming laptop in the reports, beyond that it would be a new

entry in the MateBook line.

At Mobile World Congress in February, Huawei announced the MateBook 14 and updated its well-regarded MateBook X Pro line.

Neither has shipped yet.

Digitimes reported earlier last week that Huawei is halting production and development of laptop computers. Microsoft has remained silent on the matter other than removing Huawei’s laptops from sale in its online store.

Huawei has suggested that its stockpiling of components and proprietary technology will mitigate the effect of US sanctions, and the laptop division only represents a tiny sliver of the company’s business. But the computers represent Huawei’s biggest consumer success in the US to date, and the retreat could be the most visible sign yet of the damage the trade war is inflicting on the company. (The Verge)

onami has announced the latest in the slew of shrunk-down retro consoles, the TurboGrafx-16 Mini. Six games have been announced so far for the system, which will be released in Japan as the PC Engine Mini and in Europe as the PC Engine Core Grafx. It’ll have two USB ports for controllers and support a five-way multiplayer adapter.

The games announced so far are: • R-Type • New Adventure Island • Ninja Spirit • Ys Book I & II • Dungeon Explorer • Alien Crush Other versions of the system have different games announced so far. For example, the PC Engine Mini is confirmed to include Castlevania classic Dracula X: Rondo of Blood.

The original PC Engine was designed by Hudson and manufactured by NEC. It was released in Japan in 1987, and the US-focused TurboGrafx-16 followed in 1989. The PC Engine did pretty well in Japan but the TurboGrafx-16 failed to make much impact in the US. Konami was one of the biggest supporters of the platform and ultimately acquired Hudson, meaning the mini console shouldn’t have much trouble securing a strong lineup of software. No word on how many games there will be in total, though, nor on pricing or a release date. Konami says that information will come soon. (The Verge)

L

ike its competitors, Dropbox used to be a simple concept — a folder on your computer that seamlessly syncs with the cloud, meaning you always have a backup of your files and an easy way to share with others across the net.

But the company’s ambitions are much bigger, as it has slowly shown: it wants to be one of the collaborative tools in your arsenal alongside heavy hitters like Google Docs, Microsoft Office, Slack, Salesforce, Trello, and Zoom, and today it’s unifying those ideas into a single new desktop app that it’s calling “the new Dropbox.”

According to the company’s blog post, it’s designed to be a kind of meta-platform that helps you organize your “work about work,” but the highlight here is the ability to create and collaborate without ever leaving the new Dropbox app —

you’ll be able to start and edit Google and Microsoftbased docs, spreadsheets and slide decks (Dropbox has been working on this for a while), start Slack conversations and Zoom video conference meetings (you can share Dropbox files to each), and manage Atlassian (Jira, Trello, etc.) based projects, instead of tabbing over to each of those web apps individually.

And, it seems like the new app is laying the groundwork to let you do light project management without the help of one of those dedicated tools, too, by letting you add todo lists, assign tasks, add comments, and see who’s been doing what with a “team activity feed.”

There’s also a new unified search bar for all of your Dropbox, which sounds handy. (The Verge)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 16, 2019

Bollywood/Hollywood

Esha Deol, Bharat Takhtani take newborn daughter Miraya home

A

ctor Esha Deol and her businessman husband Bharat Takhtani were spotted outside a Mumbai hospital with their newborn daughter Miraya and elder daughter Radhya on Thursday. They posed for the paparazzi gathered outside the hospital as they made their way home.

Esha was seen in a lavender floral dress , carrying Radhya in her arms. Bharat was seen in a light blue shirt and white pants, carrying Miraya, who was wrapped in a white blanket.

Announcing the birth of her daughter, Esha took to Instagram, where she shared a poster: “Welcome to our tribe. Baby girl Miraya Takhtani. Born on June 10, 2019. Big sister Radhya. Proud parents Esha and Bharat.” She captioned the image: “Thank you very much for the love and blessings.” She also shared a photo of Radhya and wrote, “I’m being promoted to big sister.”

Esha, who is the daughter of veteran actor Dharmendra and actor-politician Hema Malni, married Bharat in June 2012. The two welcomed Radhya, in 2017.

In a recent interview to Mumbai Mirror, Esha revealed the inspiration behind her daughters’ names. “When Lord Krishna worships Radha, it’s called Radhya, while Miraya means a devotee of Lord Krishna. Both the girls have that in common and I love how Radhya and Miraya sound together.” (Hindustan Times)

W

ith Kabir Khan’s ’83, Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone will be seen together for the fifth time in a film; the couple has earlier done Sanjay Leela Bhanali’s RamLeela, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat and Homi Adajania’s Finding Fanny.

However, Ranveer is delighted that finally they are doing a film together in which they “don’t die in the end”.

Deepika will play Ranveer’s onscreen wife, Romi Dev, in the film where he is essaying the role of legendary cricketer Kapil Dev. ’83 is based on India’s first win at the cricket World Cup in 1983.

Deepika announced the beginning of her shoot schedule for the film with, “& on to the next...Thank You @ kabirkhankk for this incredible honour...! #RomiDev #Day1 @83thefilm @ranveersingh”. Ranveer had a wonderful response: “and this time we don’t die in the

A

ctor Salman Khan says his validation of doing a good film comes solely from the box office collections but when critics praise his movies, he feels “scared”. The actor, who had a major career turnaround with Wanted in 2009 which was followed by Dabangg, said public acceptance is the ultimate verdict for him.

“My validation comes from the box office collections... that the people have liked or not liked a film. It doesn’t make a difference if someone (a critic) has given it so many stars (ratings) or ridiculed the film.

“It’s their bread and butter. God bless them, give them two more (slices of) bread,” Salman said in a group interview. Asked how he feels when the critics give glorious reviews to his films, the actor said he is unable to wrap his head around it.

“I get scared. That why did they give (those star ratings) because their thinking never matches with the audience. Then I wonder ‘oh what if this doesn’t do well’. But the reason I do the kind of movies I do is because I loved the scripts. I want people to come inside the theatre and forget about their life. Enjoy the film. Take away the heroism or leave the theatre becoming a good person. These are the things I follow while doing a film,” he said.

Salman is currently elated with the response to his latest, Bharat which released two weeks ago on Eid. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film also features Katrina Kaif and Sunil Grover. The 53-year-old actor said it is the “best Eidi” his fans have given him. The film, a remake of the 2014 Korean drama “An Ode To My Father”, is set against the backdrop of Partition 1947. Salman said the emotions in a scene must speak to him in order for him to be able to make the audience believe in it. (Hindustan Times)

Justin Bieber says Tom Cruise fight challenge was a joke

end! Yay!” he wrote on her post.

Ranveer and wife Deepika have previously featured in three Sanjay Leela Bhansali films – Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. All the three movies had a tragic ending with lead couple or one of them dying in the climax. In their first film to-

gether, Ram Leela Goliyon Ki Rasleela -- Bhansali’s desi version of Romeo and Juliet, Ranveer and Deepika shoot each other in the end while they die separately at the same time in Bajirao Mastani.

Padmaavat, too, had Deepika committing suicide. Ranveer appeared in a cameo in Finding Fanny

Second woman accuses Cuba Gooding Jr. of groping

A

as Deepika’s dead husband.

Kabir Khan’s 83 chronicles the underdog victory of Indian cricket team in the 1983 World Cup. It is set to hit theatres on April 10, 2020. The film also features Pankaj Tripathi, Saaqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Ammy Virk, Harrdy Sandhu, actor Jiiva and Chirag Patil. (Hindustan Times)

second woman is claiming Cuba Gooding Jr. groped her in an incident that occurred more than a decade ago, law enforcement sources told The Post on Thursday.

The alleged victim came forward after reading allegations from earlier last week that the Oscar winner grabbed a 30-year-old woman’s breast in a Manhattan club, sources said.

The older incident allegedly happened at a restaurant in Manhattan, where Gooding groped the woman’s behind. Gooding was set to turn himself in to police for the more recent case, but his lawyer said he’s reconsidering after video emerged that allegedly shows he did nothing wrong.

Sources said he would likely be arrested for forcible touching — a misdemeanor charge with a two-year statute of limitations, meaning he can’t be prosecuted for the older alleged incident.

“No one has brought any of that to my attention,” Gooding’s attorney Mark Heller told The Post.

When he was told that the allegations date back more than 10 years ago, he added sarcastically, “Good luck to her” and noted the statute of limitations. (Page Six)

J

ustin Bieber said Wednesday that he was “just playing” when he challenged Tom Cruise to a mixed martial arts fight.

Bieber made the announcement to paparazzi photographers outside his wife Hailey Baldwin’s fashion business in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon, according to video posted by TMZ. “It was just a random tweet. I do that stuff sometimes,” Bieber said, according to the video.

“I think he would probably whoop my ass in a fight,” he added.

“He’s got that dad strength.”

The “Sorry” singer, 25, on Sunday challenged Cruise, 56, to a UFC cage fight in a tweet.

“I wanna challenge Tom Cruise to a fight in the octagon,” Bieber tweeted. “Tom if you don’t take this fight your [sic] scared and you will never live it down.”

The 5-foot-9 crooner also asked UFC honcho Dana White if he was willing to put on the bout. It wasn’t clear what prompted the pop idol to throw down the gauntlet to Cruise. (Page Six)

Crossword Solution

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JUNE 16, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUNE 16, 2019

Fun Times

Archie

If you reconnect with someone, it will bring back (March 21memories and inspire you to April 19) take up an old hobby or activity. Physical challenges will lead to self-improvement.

Romance is in the stars.

ARIES

Make changes that encourTAURUS age you to follow your dreams (April 20- and pursue your goals. Focus May 20) on getting rid of possessions you no longer use or need and on minimalizing your responsibilities.

Learn from experience GEMINI and by watching others. Don’t (MAY 28- expect to be treated differJune 20) ently by someone who disrespects others. When it comes to love and partnerships, look for honesty, loyalty and trust

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

You have the right of way. Don’t second-guess the choices you make just because someone is using emotional tactics to sway your opinion. Do what feels right to you.

Enjoy the company of people who share your beliefs. Contribute to something that will have a benevolent influence on your community. Plan a romantic celebration with a loved one.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Keep your ideas simple and your plans moderate. Stick to a budget and don’t let anyone persuade you to get involved in something that will cause you stress. Choose the right thing over pleasing others.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Don’t play games. If someone isn’t being fair, know enough to walk away.

Concentrate on what makes you happy, as well as on personal growth. Socialize with like-minded people. Romance is favored.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

A change of scenery will spark your imagination.

Your ideas will lead to a new direction full of promise and opportunity. A reunion will bring back memories.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Be demonstrative when it comes to your emotions.

Keep your communication open and honest to avoid being misunderstood. Think big, but live within your means.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Calvin and Hobbes

Consider your options and bring about change. An idea someone offers will help you save time, but before you begin, make sure you are abiding by the rules and regulations.

Attend an event that moAQUARIUS tivates you to revamp your (Jan. 20- appearance, health and atFeb. 19) titude. Personal growth will encourage you to devote more time to yourself, your family and your loved ones.

PISCES (Feb. 20Mar. 20)

Do something that requires creativity, imagination and physical energy. Keeping busy will help you avoid getting involved in someone else’s problems.

Keep your distance from unsavory influences.