27 th January, 2019
No.105530
Maduro given ultimatum by European leaders 04 PAGE
Keeping the Wapichan language alive PAGE
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AFC backs Granger -Nagamootoo ticket – reliable sources confirm PAGE
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Top cop escapes unhurt 07 PAGE
Teen 09 crippled by bullies recovering PAGE
–– several injured in Covent Garden accident
Scenes from the accident that occurred around 14:45hrs on the Covent Garden Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Saturday (Leroy Smith photos)
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
AFC backs Granger - Nagamootoo ticket –– reliable sources confirm
President David Granger THE Alliance For Change (AFC) is said to have endorsed a David GrangerMoses Nagamootoo ticket for the next elections, constitutionally due next year. Through a statement issued at the end of the party’s National Executive Committee meeting on Saturday, Guyana Chronicle was told that Nagamootoo appeared to have gained the nod of his party. “There was wide, almost unanimous endorsement for Mr Nagamootoo,” well placed sources in the party disclosed. The AFC, in its statement, would only say that “The leader also reaffirmed his confidence in the David Granger/Moses Nagamootoo leadership to guide the Coalition Government in the period ahead.” Guyana Chronicle was told a more formal endorsement of Nagamootoo would come soon. Nagamootoo was born in Whim Village, Corentyne, Guyana. His parents were first generation Guyana-born offspring of Indian immigrants who came from Madras. He has worked as a teacher, a journalist and studied law and has been
admitted to the bar in Guyana. Nagamootoo has been a Member of Parliament since 1992. At a recent news conference, the AFC asserted that it is not in a weakened state at the coalition’s negotiating table, nor is it unprepared for a possible election following the no-confidence vote. “The AFC reaffirms that the coalition remains strong and reassures all Guyanese that the party is firmly committed to the rule of law and remains Guyana’s largest multi-ethnic party, which continues to be unwavering in pursuit of representing the interest of all Guyanese,” Public Security Minister and AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan said at the news conference. He added: “We are very much prepared for an election, but we will have the elections, I understand [and] as was agreed to at the leader of the opposition and the President’s meeting when the two very important matters of court cases and GECOM’s readiness are known”. In the meantime, the AFC said that whenever the time comes for elections, the party will contest as a coalition along with the APNU but has, individually, already begun to do its own groundwork. “We are on outreach all across the country as we have been doing for a number of months now and that will continue; it will be even bigger this year,” he said. Meanwhile, regarding their position as a legitimate negotiator at the coalition’s table, he added: “We will do our best at negotiating. The Cummingsburg Ac-
cord is still in existence and indeed it will be a new scenario if we have to hold elections. Hopefully, we may not because we are fighting a case in court and I’m pretty optimistic about what the court will do; right up to the CCJ we will go if it means that. But yes, indeed, I feel that we are in a strong position. Our support base all across the country is with us and they’ve been growing in numbers.” SOLID BACKING Guyana Chronicle reported last week that the APNU+AFC coalition has signalled their full confidence in seeing the incumbent president, David Granger, continuing and have all endorsed him as the presidential candidate heading into the next elections. APNU General Secretary Joseph Harmon, in a letter, said it is with a deep sense of pride “that I endorse David Arthur Granger to be the coalition’s presidential candidate for a second term.” “This is a man who has proven over the past three and a half years to be one with great vision, capability and has a right thinking mind. “We in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) are confident of his candidature as we have seen the appreciation of the Guyanese electorate for the work he has done over the years,” Harmon said. He added that Granger’s sober thinking, his advocacy for peace and development and his desire to see Guyana progress have all aided to enhance his beliefs of good governance.
“Guyanese, we need a good captain who can steer the ship ‘Guyana’ without malfeasances and corruption so that all of us can be beneficiaries of good governance and a developed country. Let us support the APNU+AFC Coalition,” Harmon, who is also minister of state, concluded. “He’s a very upright person, very principled. No one can point a finger at him in relation to personal corruption; he’s really a model citizen, and we’ll be in support,” affirmed Working People’s Alliance (WPA) executive member, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, who said he sees no reason that his party would be swayed from President Granger as the candidate. “I have heard nothing other than that and I am certain that there’s no plan in the party to switch from President Granger. I’ve had the advantage of knowing President Granger probably longer than anyone else in the party, since we were in school in the same house, and I feel confident that he will lead APNU+AFC coalition to victory when it comes to that.” ENDORSEMENT The WPA is one of several parties constituting the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition section of the government. Other parties include the People’s National Congress (PNC), National Front Alliance (NFA), Guyana Action Party (GAP), the Justice For All Party (JFAP). The APNU was formed in 2011 and then joined forces with the Alliance For Change (AFC) in 2015 to contest elections that year.
Amna Ally, General Secretary of President Granger-led party, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), said despite orchestrated rumours and untruths regarding his health and competence: “I, on behalf of the PNCR, would like to indicate that he is ‘fit and proppa’ for a second term and the PNCR endorses his candidature.” Ally said the party looks forward to being under his guidance for a second term and urged Guyanese to vote for vision, development, cordiality, selfless work and enjoy the good life. Additionally, Ally said President Granger was elected unopposed at his party’s Biennial Congress last August and that the party is fully aware of his competence, his principles and his vision for Guyana. “We are also cognisant of his discipline and in no way can be deemed as a corrupt leader. He possesses the necessary qualities that are required to be a country’s leader. He has constantly been active in cleaning up the 23 years of mess which the PPP put our country in,” Ally added. She said Granger has been tried for the past three and a half years and has proven his competence to lead Guyana for a second term. Leader of the NFA, Keith Scott, who is also Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, noted that his party earlier this month took a decision to back Granger for the presidency. “We look forward to the opportunity to reaffirm our support for him. We did have our executive meeting earlier in the year, coming out in
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo support of that,” Scott noted. “The people of this country trust President Granger, he has the right discipline. He has been very democratic in his dealings since he has acceded to power, and that is the kind of person that we need to bring healing in this society,” said Scott. “We are very confident that he is going to recover from his illness and give us that support,” noted Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, leader of the Guyana Action Party (GAP). “He knows this country, he knows the needs of the people, he knows the residents and their passion for being able to live a good life. That is the driving force behind the GAP supporting him as leader. I think he’s a fair man.” For his part, leader of the JFAP, Chandra Narine Sharma, affirmed that the party stands firmly behind the coalition government and President David Granger as the presidential candidate for the APNU+AFC slate. “I am sticking with the coalition; Sharma is sticking with the coalition and that will not change,” the party’s leader told Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday last.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 27, 2019
Venezuela crisis: Maduro given ultimatum by European leaders
(BBC) European powers have warned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro that he must call elections or they will officially recognise the opposition’s claim of leadership. Mr Maduro is under pressure after his rival Juan Guaidó declared himself “acting president” on Wednesday. Several countries, including the US, already back Mr Guaidó as president. Venezuela later rejected the ultimatum at a UN meeting, where divisions between world powers were laid bare. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told members of the UN Security Council in New York that Mr Maduro’s presidency was legitimate, and the country would not be pressured into
calling elections. “Nobody is going to give us deadlines or tell us if there are elections or not,” he said. President Maduro was sworn in for a second term earlier this month, in an election marred by an opposition boycott and allegations of vote-rigging, leading to large anti-Maduro protests. He accuses Mr Guaidó, the head of the National Assembly, of mounting a coup. On Saturday, permanent Security Council members France and the UK joined Germany, Spain and other European nations in what looked like a co-ordinated demand that elections be held in Venezuela within eight days. An EU statement was more cautious, seeking fresh
elections or the bloc would take “further actions, including on the issue of recognition of
of the Venezuelan people”. Russia, a UN Security Council member, has said
Nations clashed over a way forward in Venezuela’s political crisis
the country’s leadership”. Speaking on behalf of the EU, UK Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan said Venezuela needed a government “that truly represents the will
foreign support for Mr Guaidó violates international law and is a “direct path to bloodshed”. China, Mexico and Turkey have also publicly backed Mr Maduro.
What happened at the UN? Discussions at the UN on Saturday were tense as nations clashed on how to resolve the crisis in Venezuela. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Russia and China of “propping up a failed regime” and said it was time to “support the Venezuelan people immediately”. “No more delays, no more games. Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you’re in league with Maduro and his mayhem,” he said. But Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Washington of plotting a coup against Mr Maduro. He said the council was not established to “support regime change” and called for further dialogue to “find a way forward”. China’s representative to the UN, Ma Zhaoxu, said that while his country was committed to the “purposes and principles” of the council, the situation in Venezuela “does not constitute a threat to national security” and China “does not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs”. CRUNCH MOMENT FOR VENEZUELA So, it’s the US versus Russia again at the UN - this time over Venezuela. The old Cold War adversaries are sparring once more. New subject. Predictable game. It’s more or less “my enemy’s enemy must
Sunday, Jaunary 26, 2019 –– 10:00hrs
be my friend”. Washington says Venezuela represents a threat to peace and security in the region. Moscow says it is Washington which represents the threat, risking a descent into uncontrolled violence. For all the war of words at the UN, this does look increasingly like a crunch moment for Venezuela and its profoundly polarised society. Why is Maduro being challenged? He was re-elected to a second term last year - but the elections were controversial, with many opposition candidates barred from running or jailed. The National Assembly argues that the presidential position is actually vacant because the election was unfair and that under the constitution this means that Mr Guaidó, as head of the National Assembly, should take over as acting president instead. Tens of thousands have held protests over Venezuela’s economic crisis - including an annual inflation rate that the opposition says reached 1,300,000% last year. Mr Maduro has so far retained the support of the country’s military, but Mr Guaidó has asked them to “put themselves on the side of the Venezuelan people” and back him instead.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 27, 2019
AFC stays wedded to coalition
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The Alliance For Change (AFC) National Executive Committee (NEC)
THE Alliance For Change (AFC) National Executive Committee (NEC) unanimously approved a motion for the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition to be maintained as per the Cummingsburg Accord for the next General and Regional Elections. This means, whenever elections are called, the parties, as was the case in 2015, will contest the elections as a single unit. The motion was unanimously approved on Saturday when the AFC held its first NEC meeting for 2019 at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown. February 14 will mark four years since the signing of the Cummingsburg Accord at the Georgetown Club, which brought together the APNU and the AFC as a coalition to contest the May 2015 General and Regional Elections. It was their coming together that aided the
defeat of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government. The coalition garnered 206,817 votes in the general election and 201,324 in the Regional elections. They were granted 33 seats in the National Assembly as against the 32 won by the opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic. In addition to recommitting to the Cummingsburg Accord, the NEC renewed the party’s commitment to constitutional reform and recognised the need for greater and meaningful involvement and participation of young people in the next coalition government. According to a release issued following the meeting on Saturday, the AFC said it recognises the need for greater empowerment and the provision of more opportunities for the young people of Guyana. It also unanimously approved a motion to unequiv-
ocally support free education from nursery to university and to facilitate housing for all Guyanese with revenues to be derived from oil. “The Constitution of Guyana provides that “every citizen has the right to free education from nursery to university, as well as non-informal places where opportunities are provided for education and training,” the AFC stated. Leader of the AFC, Raphael Trotman, in his address said the party has taken note of the concerns and views of citizens. He said
the Guyanese public holds the AFC to a different political standard than that of the traditional political parties and acknowledged that the AFC did make some missteps in government and that the party must work harder to deliver for the Guyanese people. The leader also reaffirmed his confidence in the David Granger/Moses Nagamootoo leadership to guide the coalition government in the period ahead. Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan, in his address, outlined for the NEC meeting the legal matters pertaining
to the no-confidence vote of December 21 and underscored that the APNU+AFC government is legitimate, credible and proper and will not engage in dereliction of duty by not pursuing the matter to the fullest extent of the law. The NEC meeting
was expanded to include regional, municipal and Neighbourhood Democratic Council councillors and saw over 110 delegates in attendance from all 10 administrative regions in Guyana, along with the diaspora.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 27, 2019
Progress towards equality for Guyanese women SINCE being elected to office in May 2015, President David Granger’s administration has made great strides towards the goal of gender equality. Inequality between men and women is of global concern and is known to be an enormous impediment to growth, community development, social advancement, and personal progress. President Granger’s commitment to national equality necessarily includes his determination to achieve gender parity and equity. To date, the coalition administration by continuously working on the problem, has made commendable progress. One-third of ministerial positions in the coalition’s Cabinet are held by women. In May 2017, on the 51st year of Guyana’s independence, the Ministry of the Presidency announced that 31 of 69 National Awardees would be women. The highest honour awarded that year, The Order of Roraima, was conferred on Madam Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards. Ms. Agnes Dalrymple, former Chief Sea & River Defence officer and Head of Department at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, expressed her views; she said, “When I left school back in the 1970s, my mom wanted me to teach. Instead, I did a diploma in architecture. By the time I retired, I was an engineer and head of department at the ministry.” She added, “There is no reason to think you can’t do something because it’s ‘a man’s job.’” On August 19, 2018, Ms. Volda Lawrence and Ms. Annette Ferguson were elected to top positions of leadership in the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), one of Guyana’s largest political parties. The foregoing examples underscore how far we have
come as a society towards the goal of gender equality through the empowerment of women. Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Amna Ally, iterated the administration’s position. During the ministry’s ‘I Am Woman’ celebration on International Women’s Day 2018, the minister said, “Promoting gender equality and empowerment of women in all spheres of life remains a national priority of the Government of Guyana, and this global event provides us with the opportunity to assess the progress made in keeping with national priorities. It allows us to examine the challenges and face and seek measures in which we can overcome these challenges to achieve gender parity.” The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines gender equality as, “equality between men and women; it entails the concept that all human beings, both men and women, are free to develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set by stereotypes [and] rigid gender roles and prejudices. Gender equality means that the different behaviour, aspirations and needs of women and men are considered, valued and favoured equally . . . Gender equity means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs.” Gender equality is a matter of such great significance that it is the fifth of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). Those SDGs were adopted on September 25, 2015, by the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly under the 2030 Development Agenda, titled "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” In President David Granger’s publication ‘Women in Guyana,’ he had written,
“Unfortunately, historically, women have, and continue to be, discriminated against. In some societies, women still are not allowed to vote, drive a car, or even go outdoors alone.” The President noted some local progress, he wrote “Guyana has progressed a far way from such practices . . . in the last century, the status of women [in Guyana] has improved from blatant discrimination during the colonial era, to agitation during the struggle for independence, to representation in the post-independence period, to a time of intense legislation. And, we must now move towards full realisation of gender equality.” With a path to the goal in mind, the president said, “The administration recognises that gender equality cannot be realised by only the passage of legislation; history proves this to be true. Instead, there must be a change of mindset. The gap between political and economic opportunities between men and women must be narrowed and eventually eliminated. Towards that end, His Excellency has articulated a five-point national policy initiative: equality of women, eradication of poverty, equal employment opportunities, elimination of domestic violence, and equal access to education. In elaborating on the rationale for the five-point plan, President Granger elaborated, he said that, “Women are more likely than men to be the heads of destitute households. Therefore, government will consider and implement measures to lift families out of poverty. Encouragement of entrepreneurship by women, access to micro-credit, and concessionary business financing are among the measures being undertaken.” He added, “Although many women have skills and qualifications, they simply cannot
find jobs.” His Excellency noted that, “too many women are the victims of abuse.” And he promised that, “all girls must have access to primary and secondary schools. The gap between boys and girls regarding access to education must be closed.” First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger is fully involved; she has used her office to target the most vulnerable sectors of the Guyanese society, including adolescents and women. She has aligned herself with local and international organisations that prioritise women’s rights. The First Lady is the patron of Women Across Differences (WAD) and the Guyana Girl Guides Association. She is a recipient of the Woman of Distinction Award from Celebrating Women International. Additionally, the First Lady in partnership with the Ministry of Social Protection and Interweave Solutions (Guyana) Incorporated, conducts Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshops. Those workshops target women who want to get into business, in all of Guyana’s regions. While modestly acknowledging the work done, and progress made towards equality for women by his own administration. The president has emphasised that, “Guyanese must change their attitudes in order to move the process further and faster. His Excellency said that we must dismantle impediments and remove barriers to gender equality by eradicating geographic, occupational, political and racial differences among ourselves.” Guyanese should heed those words and let progress continue.
Some thoughts on the no-confidence motion PLEASE permit me space in your column to express my thoughts, relevant to the no-confidence situation. These thoughts were prompted by a statement in one of the newspapers on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. The statement declared that civic society is worried over the present political climate in our country. I have read with much
interest the various explanations and interpretations of the no-confidence vote and the computation of what is the majority vote. However, in none of the articles have I seen any mention of God’s position or any admonition to pray for God’s intervention. I have, therefore, decided to pen the following statements:
1. It is God who brings nations into being and is therefore interested in their affairs. 2. God is never taken by surprise and is therefore not worried about Guyana’s present situation. Remember, He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent – three characteristics that He alone possesses. 3. God has a plan for Guyana. 4. It may seem that God’s
plan is not working or it is taking too long to come to pass. 5. God’s plan will prevail. Example – Joseph’s sale to the Egyptians (Gen. 50:20); Jesus crucified on the cross (Eph 3:1-12); Daniel in the lion’s den (Dan 6:25-28); David and Goliath (1 Sam. 17:50-53). It is not that I am trying to spiritualise the current situation, because God does not exist in a vacuum. It is not that
I am engaging in the ostrich syndrome mentality, but God has always been active in the affairs of men and nations. However, in God’s time, He usually reveals why He has allowed certain situations to occur. Mankind has a responsibility as expressed in the Scriptures to: 1. Pray for those in authority that we may live in peace
(1 Tim 2:1-3) 2. Pray against the powers of evil that seek to bring disorder, disunity and chaos. (Cor. 10:4-6) 3. Declare that God’s desire will be established. (Matt. 15:18-20) 4. Commit the situation to God and allow Him to do His work. (Psalms 37.5). Peter Bryan
Top cop escapes unhurt
SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 27, 2019
–– several injured in Covent Garden accident POLICE are investigating a serious accident which occurred at around 14:45hrs on the Covent Garden Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Saturday. According to a release, the accident involved motor jeep PSS4796, owned by the Guyana Police Force, and motor canter GWW9079, owned and driven by Basdeo Lalchan, 37, of Lot 1718, Section B Block X Great Diamond, EBD. The jeep is attached to the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, and was driven by Corporal Mark Smith with occupants Leslie James and
Alistair Roberts, Superintendent of Police, who is the Commissioner’s Personal Assistant (PAC). The other occupant of the canter at the time of the accident was identified as Janathan Ramkellwan, 24, of lot 1374 Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD. Enquiries disclosed that motor jeep PSS4796 was proceeding north, along the western side of the western carriageway of the road, with its beacon light and siren on, while motor canter GWW9079 was proceeding in front, in the same direction, the release said.
“As the motor jeep approached, the said canter suddenly swerved from east to west and stopped, leaving the rear portion on the driving lane; as a result, the left front of the jeep collided with the right rear of motor canter GWW9079, causing the said canter to spin and collide with motor lorry GXX230, and the motor jeep collided into the rear of GPP6739, which was stationary on the western side of the road,” the release said. The release further added: “As a result of the impact, Superintendent Roberts, along with Basdeo Lalchan
and Janathan Ramkellwan received injures about their bodies. The driver and occupant of the canter were taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where they were treated and referred to the GPHC and admitted as patients in the said institution. Superintendent Roberts was taken to the Mercy Hospital, where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty and admitted at the said institution, suffering from injuries to his left shoulder.” A breathalyser test was conducted on Corporal Smith and no alcohol was found in his system.
Commissioner of Police Leslie James
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DEFENCE, DESPERATION AND DESTABILISATION
IN his address to officers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) last Thursday, Commander-in-Chief and Guyana’s President David Granger stated that the force must maintain a state of readiness to secure our entire country and protect it from present and future foreign threats. “The force,” he added, “is obligated to secure the state and safeguard the entire territory from invasion, incursion and insurrection. Incursions must be deterred; insurrections must be suppressed; the state must be secure.” Speaking to the issue of rebellion, the retired Brigadier and former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force reminded officers about the 1969 Rupununi Uprising, which was suppressed by the army.
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RUPUNUNI REBELLION That rebellion was supported by foreign forc-
It was described by the President, himself a brilliant historian/military strategist, as “the single most serious threat to the national integration, national security and territorial integrity of the state.” He further referred to threats from Suriname and Venezuela to our New River Zone and to Western Essequibo, respectively. After I had listened with rapt attention to the Guyanese President, I came away with the idea that My Turn for today would be dedicated to DAVID ARTHUR GRANGER. Except fleetingly sharing the same village and primary school during our childhood, I have not known the measure of the man who would be President and with whom I would be the running mate for the 2015 national elections. I have since watched him at work, and I can say that we are fortunate to have him at the helm at a time, as he himself noted, when Guyana has become the victim “to claims on its territory despite international recognition of its land mass, territorial borders, territorial sea and exclusive economic zone”. TRUE GRIT As Commander-in-Chief, he knows from experience the true grit of our soldiers, and he has no reservation in certifying that the Guyana Defence Force “has been, and must always remain, ready to deter aggression, defend national sovereignty and ensure the development of our country as a safe, secure and strong state.”
It is testing times like these that we look for leadership from a tried and tested soldier for Guyana, who understands that threats are not only occurring in our maritime space, but also on land. These include illegal mining, illegal logging, illegal arms and narcotics, trafficking in people and wildlife, and the smuggling of precious minerals. In his keynote address, the President underlined that Guyana’s natural resources belong to our people – present and future generations. He emphasised, “Every citizen has the right to benefit from them. Our agricultural, fishing, forestry, mining and petroleum resources must be made more secure for our people’s profit and the country’s prosperity.” Guyana’s defence policy stressed the ‘doctrine of total national defence.’ According to the President, all the elements and instruments of national power – economic, military, political, social and technological – will be employed in the interest of national security. PROTECTION FROM CONSPIRACIES National security has wide-ranging scope, and includes protection from conspiracies and incitement to overthrow a lawfully elected government. The Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, must have had this in mind when he stated that investigations against Charrandass Persaud, was a matter of national security. Though he refrained from elaborating, I sensed that domestic security is just as important as external interference. When I heard the leader of the opposition saying that the present elected government lacked legitimacy, I could not resist drawing an inference that more attempts would be made to unseat our Head of State and his government. It was widely believed that to remove the President impeachment proceedings have to be filed under the controversial Article 180 of the Constitution. However, impeachment invariably
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
requires a weighted majority of two-thirds and three-fourths of the elected members of the National Assembly. It was never contemplated that the President, together with his whole Cabinet, could be removed from office by a simple majority on a motion of no-confidence, but this is what the opposition wants us to believe. HYBRID ELECTORAL SYSTEM Guyana’s hybrid electoral system has spawned the 65 MPs who are drawn from lists of candidates for each of the contesting political parties. They are fielded from a combination of proportional representation (PR) and regional or geographical slates. There are 40 PR candidates and 25 regional candidates. The defector who crossed the floor was drawn from a regional/geographic list. At the 2015 elections, the APNU+AFC coalition received in excess of 206,000 votes, and it was allotted 33 seats in the National Assembly. Those voters would not accept that a single rogue MP, coming from a regional slate, could conspire to bring down their government. What is revealing is that the MP did not only sell his assets and shut down his law practice that was located in his region. He was also loaded with U.S. currency, hence his gambling at a local casino and his scramble to lock down a million-dollar gold deal. Though the police would not give details, all indications are that the man was bought, which made him cast what Guyanese widely believe to be an unlawful vote. The lay person, who is not versed in the law, sees it as an immoral or sin vote. They would punish the Jagdeo-PPP for that at any future poll. But that could wait. SHEER DESPERATION What is of immediate interest to national security should be the fresh bout of frenzy from the opposition leader. Out of sheer desperation at grabbing political power, he is threatening to sabotage foreign investment in the sugar sector. He seemed opposed to divestment and modernisation which his own regime had canvassed as he now threatens to reverse any privatisation agreement. Such careless talk could destabilise the country. It could be exploited by anti-national elements, and it could render Guyana vulnerable to interference from external forces. It is in this context that I fully share the advice of President Granger that Guyana needs “total national defence”. His strategic approach at the Officers Conference assures that Guyana is not only in safe and capable hands, but our security forces have a plan to combat external aggressors as well as domestic terrorists. We cannot allow political desperation to take our country down the path of destabilisation.
SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 27, 2019
West Ruimveldt ground gets facelift
By Navendra Seoraj THE West Ruimveldt Community Centre Ground received a facelift on Saturday, thanks to the efforts of junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, who organised
few weeks ago, said the minister, who added that she engaged the community and the young people asked her to clear the ground. “I took an oath to serve so I contacted the town council and the councillor who is responsible for the communi-
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and repairing of the fence and more upgrading of the field later,” said Minister Broomes in an invited comment on Saturday. She commended the residents, especially the young people for coming out in their numbers to assist in the
Residents cleaning the parameters of the community centre ground (Delano Williams photo)
Junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Broomes (first from left) and Councillor Richards assisting in the cleanup exercise (Delano Williams photo)
a clean-up exercise with support from residents and City Hall officials. This initiative started a
ty… the Ministry of Communities has provided funding for the ground so they would see the installation of lights
effort. Broomes challenged them to empower themselves by forming a group, getting
it registered and undertaking small contracts in the community. “Government cannot provide all jobs but it is a major push for youth development… they are doing it voluntarily right now,” she said, adding that she has done work with communities before and will continue to do more work. The Natural Resources Ministry did work in ‘green’ spaces before and they intend on doing more work in order to contribute to the development of ‘green’ spaces.
Broomes stressed the importance of ‘green’ spaces and sporting facilities for youths, noting that there are not enough right now. Solid Waste Management Director, Walter Narine, echoed the sentiments of the minister and further commended her for the work she has done. He believes that such efforts impact youths directly, in the sense that they will have more space for recreation. Councillor of the Mayor and City Council, Trichria
Richards, said development of the ground was the main issue in the constituency. “I decided to come along with the minister so that the community can have better ownership… all community members should have a stake in the ground… the next plan for this is that we will set up a committee that will involve community members who will have a stake in this… they will get involved because they can use the ground,” said the councillor.
Teen crippled by bullies recovering BHOJPAUL Ramjas called “Dave” of Lot 3, Number 54 Village, Berbice, was overjoyed when in 2013, he obtained a place at the Skeldon High School after sitting the National Grade Six Examinations (NGSA). However, at secondary school, things quickly went downhill for him as he was bullied, beaten and forced to climb a utility pole where he was ordered to touch a live wire by a group of boys he considered his “friends”. The aftermath of that episode saw him spending more than 800 days at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) confined to a bed, unable to walk and suffering excruciating pain. Thanks to the intervention of Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA), a non-governmental organisation, Ramjas was flown to the US for treatment and there his recovery began. Speaking to the Guyana chronicle, the now 17-yearold said the incident is still fresh in his mind, as he still has nightmares about it.
Ramjas recalled that he went to the backdam with four friends but was not prepared for the spate of events that followed, which changed his life completely. The day started as anticipated, they were having fun picking fruits, milking cows, and swimming in the trenches; however, a guy identified as “Kuvesh”, four years Ramjas’ senior, reportedly got aggressive with him. Kuvesh dealt him several blows about the body and forced him to climb a GPL utility pole and touch the live wire. Fearing for his life, Ramjas said he climbed the pole and touched the wire. Soon after, his shirt and pants were on fire and the other ‘friends’ with him pushed him into a nearby trench to quench the flames even as he screamed for dear life. Badly burnt, he was assisted by one of the friends to make the two-mile journey out of the backdam and on reaching the roadway, a car was stopped and he was rushed to the Skeldon
Hospital but was transferred to New Amsterdam immediately via ambulance. Soon after, he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he spent the next two and a half years before being discharged after doctors say there was nothing more they could do for him at that time. Some 36 per cent of Ramjas’ body was burnt, and in some areas, he was burnt to the bone. At home, his mother Nalini Ragnauth, 43, cared for him and prayed his life would get better. DOCTORS HAD GIVEN UP “Them doctors give up on he because some parts burn down to the bones. The way how he been deh I say sometimes he not gonna make it too,” said Ragnauth as she broke down in tears. “When he come home from the hospital, he would cry out in pain and that does affect them neighbours who used to live
Burn marks on Ramjas’ body
around here at the time. They would say why u just doesn’t give him a dose of poison and done,” the mother said. Even in the hospital, he was made to suffer at the hands of nurses who are said to be relatives of one of the accused, the mother claimed. “They used to pinch him, slap him and twitch him all over, all on he mouth they use to pinch he up. One day, a lady reach me and say how a nurse handling my son and
she start explain when I ask him, then he say ‘yes’, but he was frighten to talk. I went to them and tell them and since then they don’t want to see me there,” the mother said. Things however began to change for the family after Ramjas’ aunt, Camille Ragnauth of the US, visited him and saw his condition. She contacted the President of SHEA, Lori Narine and a fund-raiser was held on September 8, 2015. Narine recalled that when she learnt of the case, Ramjas was in a terrible state and needed a miracle to survive. “Bhojpaul was treated at the hospital and sent home after several months; however, due to inadequate home care and lack of local medical treatment, he had recurring infections which was eating away at his already fragile body. So, he lay in his bed and waited for either a miracle or death. This child suffered beyond the stretch of words until his aunt visited from the US and started a campaign to help him,” Narine said.
Within a month, through assistance from SHEA, Ramjas’ family was able to arrange his treatment, secure his medical visa, travel arrangements, housing and meals and raise enough money to cover most of his fees. The hospital that treated his burns did so pro bono. About five months later, he returned to Guyana in March 2016 and was painfree and able to walk after almost three years, thanks to the work of SHEA. Now home and able to play his favourite sport, cricket, Ramjas, who has a twin sister and two other older siblings, has his sight set on returning to school to complete his studies. “I would like to thank everyone who helped me, because of them, I have a second chance in life and I am very happy,” the young man said.
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Understanding Energy
Development to continue MOST Guyanese will already know the story: on December 22, the Venezuelan navy intercepted a seismic exploration vessel
looking for oil in the western part of the Stabroek Block. The ship was forced to turn back even though
they were exploring with permission and permits from the government within Guyanese territorial waters. In the weeks since, Ven-
ezuela has doubled down on its actions and reiterated its claim over the western part of Guyana’s maritime territory despite its actions
being condemned by the United States and the international community. The situation is uncertain enough that the seismic vessels have not yet been able to return to the area. According to reports, the incident occurred more than 110km west of the nearest discovery to date— the Ranger find. While the situation must be resolved, the good news is that development of existing finds is continuing on schedule and as planned. Nearly all of the 5 billion barrels discovered at 10 sites in our waters so far has been found in the southeastern part of the block, far from the maritime zone that Venezuela is encroaching upon. ExxonMobil has stated that its progress on developing the Liza Phase 1 project is continuing and that the project is still set to produce as much as 120,000 barrels of oil per day by early 2020. Planning for Liza Phase 2 is also progressing, and that project could be producing even more oil by 2022. Liza Phase 2 is currently awaiting a variety of approvals and permits from the government, but Venezuela’s recent activities are not slowing progress. Exploration drilling continues as well. Last week, the drillship Stena Carron started drilling the Haimara-1 exploration well 31 km east of the Pluma discovery in the southeast region of the block. And, the Noble Bob Douglas is slated to drill a second exploration well called Tilapia-1 later in the month. This well is set to be drilled in the Turbot region, where a series of discoveries, like the Longtail well, have helped add nearly a billion barrels to Guyana’s estimated reserves over the past several months. The Turbot area is where a seismic research ship is currently using
sound waves to map the rock under the sea floor as part of a multi-million US dollar exploration program. That ship, under contract with Exxon and owned by the Norwegian company, Petroleum Geo-Services, is making a detailed map of the underlying geology to aid in exploration—a process discussed at length in a previous Understanding Energy column. Guyana energy development remains on track and we still have the potential to be producing as much as 750,000 barrels per day by the late-2020s. Drilling has proceeded rapidly in the Stabroek over the last two years with an unprecedented success rate for wells and unexpectedly porous subsea rock that has made drilling easier and faster. Much of that success has been clustered in specific “sectors” like the Turbot. According to reports from Norwegian energy consulting firm, Rystad Energy, one day each of these clusters of wells could support its own floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. Exxon has stated that up to five of these ships could be needed for offshore development. So even with some exploration activity halted, finds to date and estimated production rates could push Guyana past Mexico and Venezuela in terms of oil production by 2025. In addition to the billions of US dollars in revenue that the production will create, that kind of development could also help establish Guyana as a regional economic centre and allow us to properly fund our own border security. Overall, it seems that despite Venezuelan threats and actions, Guyana is rapidly moving towards becoming a major oil producer, putting us in an increasingly strong position for the future.
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
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Working towards improvement in delivery of quality public healthcare nationwide By: Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings M.P. THE Ministry of Public Health views the health and wellbeing of all persons living in Guyana as a national priority. Through the seven programme areas that are under the umbrella of the ministry, sustained efforts are being made to ensure that we provide the best quality public health care within the scope of our ability. The public health sector received a budgetary allocation of $35.9 billion, an equivalent of 11.9 per cent of the 2019 national budget, which represents a $2.6 billion increase from the 2018 allocation. The Ministry of Public Health remains committed to enhancing the quality of care we provide to the people of Guyana. TOWARDS THE RENEWAL OF PRIMARY CARE Since 2015, following decades of stagnation, potentially transformative changes in primary healthcare are proceeding in several areas within the Guyanese public health sector. These changes – primarily collaborative and interdisciplinary models of care delivery and quality improvement programmes – have been encouraged by an improved fiscal climate, and growing political and public concern about healthcare access and quality. However, while transformation has begun within the public health sector, much remains to be done to address Guyana’s now-improving healthcare performance, relative to other CARICOM countries. Processes are particularly needed at the regional and central levels to collectively engage the full range of key stakeholders in providing policy advice and informing the articulation of clear policy direction for primary healthcare. Critical areas for investment include integrated health information systems, quality improvement processes, interdisciplinary primary healthcare teams and group practices, and systematic evaluation of primary healthcare innovations and ongoing system performance. REDUCING THE PREVALENCE OF NCD All our programmes continue to deliver optimally even against the myriad challenges we face. During 2019, Guyanese can expect to benefit from a more robust and responsive public health system. There is still a lot of work to be done within our society to raise awareness of a number of public health issues. While much emphasis has been placed on HIV/AIDS, there are other areas of See page 12
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Working towards improvement ...
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great importance that require sustainable activities to bring about behavioural change and healthy lifestyles. One such important area is that of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). An exorbitant amount of our public health budget is spent on NCDs. Reducing the risk factors associated with NCDs will surely reduce the disease burden caused by NCDs, resulting in the reduction of premature mortality and morbidity in Guyana. Through a combination of population-level primary prevention and individual-based primary prevention strategies, we can meaningfully address the reduction of NCDs in Guyana. The short and long-term disability from the onset of NCDs leads to a decrease in the working-age population’s participation in the labour force and contributes to significantly reduced productivity. Most likely, NCD’s effect on production and productivity will reduce per capita gross domestic product growth, especially in Guyana where we have a growing economy dependent on sources of human capital.
Taken together, the evidence suggests that a prerequisite for national development is healthy ageing, which in turn requires effectively tackling NCDs. In this regard, we need all hands on deck! IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES The Ministry of Public Health, through the Regional Health Services Department, continues to monitor the quality of public health care being offered throughout the 10 administrative regions and put measures in place to drive its improvement. Strategies are being implemented to ensure our rural communities receive quality and affordable access to healthcare. As a Ministry, we are continuously looking at ways to raise local government and other local stakeholder engagement to make our policies more effective, and curb the unintended consequences of policy and programme
implementation in regional communities. Currently, the ministry is sending specialist doctors to the regions so as to better serve those most in need of specialized care. Though specialist doctors are not in large supply, we are doing our best to prioritize and serve those areas of high demand for specialist care. In addition, medical outreaches have also been done in some remote areas like Waipa, Karasparu, Paramakatoi, and Kamarang, among others. These medical outreaches will continue throughout 2019. There have been efforts at establishing, and in some cases, refurbishing regional health facilities to ensure they are structurally sound, fit for purpose and aesthetically pleasing. The provision of adequate accommodation for medical personnel within the regions is attracting the attention of the ministry as we embark on regional infrastructural works in 2019. ADVANCING MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CARE SERVICE DELIVERY Guyana continues to make improvements in the area of Maternal and Child Health (MCH). In 2019, we intend to build on the gains made and ensure that mothers and their children benefit from the public health care they require. Currently, Guyana continues to benefit from an Inter-American Development Bank US$8M loan for an MCH project that is contributing significantly towards the reduction in maternal, perinatal and neonatal deaths in Guyana. Some of the key components of this project currently being implemented are the improvement in the supply chain management for new types of contraceptives, drugs, and blood products. Moreover, there is the upgrading of maternity waiting homes, the addressing of health literacy to improve MCH health literacy in a significant way, the training of more health workers, and the engagement in substantial capacity-building within the entire MCH Unit. The delivery of MCH care, particularly to the hinterland population, is being done in a structured manner and is aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality rates to a bearable minimum. Furthermore, the ministry provides an integrated health care package for mothers and children that includes immunization, antenatal and post-natal care, family planning, management of malnutrition, prevention and early treatment of disease, all delivered in an efficient primary health care system. CONCLUSION Quality assurance is a key component in the delivery of quality public health care to the people of Guyana. At the policy level, we are shaping policies that will ensure that we have a public health care system that delivers value for money, the best possible patient outcomes, and adequately serves the people of Guyana. While there remains much work to be done, the Ministry of Public Health remains committed to maintaining a high quality of health care service delivery by constantly measuring the effectiveness of the programmes and institutions that provide it. We will ensure that all our programmes and health facilities are operating in compliance with established regulations, policies, and laws, both at the central and regional levels. The development of internal strategies to support quality healthcare delivery and the overall health of the community we serve will also form part of our strategy moving forward. In 2019 and beyond, I urge all the hard-working staff of the ministry to exhibit behaviours that correlate strongly with our commitment to quality and improved patient care outcomes. Let us be drivers of our quality improvement efforts. Be courteous, be polite, be professional, be caring. Through our actions, we will naturally be the promoters of quality public health care. Let us together work to ensure we have a pubic heath care system that is the pride of Guyana.
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
India celebrates 70th Republic anniversary
THE Indian High Commission in Guyana celebrated India’s 70th Republic Day on Saturday, at the residence of High Commissioner Venkatachalam Mahalingam in Happy Acres, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). Republic Day is celebrated to mark the day when the Indian Constitution came
to force. On November 26, 1949, the constitution was adopted which came into force on January 26, 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of India. The simple ceremony in Guyana began with the hoisting of the Indian flag and a few cultural presentations.
Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam, salutes as the Indian flag is hoisted to celebrate India’s 70th Republic Day (Delano Williams photo)
A host of Indian nationals stand in reverence as their national flag is being hoisted (Delano Williams photo)
A traditional dance is performed as part of the celebrations for India’s Republic Day (Delano Williams photo)
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
–– cause of fewer aviation accidents, says GCAA director-general
By Svetlana Marshall GUYANA, over the last three years, has seen a reduction of accidents in the aviation industry. Such progress, linked to increased training and inspec-
tions, has set the country on a path to achieving 85 per cent compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and recommended practices (SARPs) this year. Director-general of the
Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt. Col. (ret’d) Egbert Field, in an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said significant improvements in the management of the country’s aviation industry
has put Guyana way above the world average. Approximately 10 years ago, when the ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) was conducted here, Guyana had scored 44 per cent; however, in 2017
when another audit was conducted the country achieved a 66 per cent compliance level. The director-general said based on an estimate, the local aviation industry’s ICAO compliance, at the end of 2018, stood at 80 per cent. “So officially we are at 66 per cent, now unofficially we are at 80 per cent. We are awaiting a formal audit from ICAO in order to really establish where we are,” he explained. In 2018, the GCAA had approached ICAO to conduct another audit of the country’s aviation industry, but with the international aviation watchdog assessing a total of 192 states; such requests could not have been facilitated at the time. The local aviation authority, however, remains optimistic. In the absence of a complete audit, which includes an onsite visit, there is an interim system in which authorities such as the GCAA are allowed to submit requisite information on the industry’s operation for assessment. It is based on that assessment that an estimated compliance rate is determined. While pointing out that the world average for ICAO compliance is 60 per cent, Field said he would like Guyana’s rating to rise to the 90s. Such achievement, he said, would be a strong indication of the “excellency” within the country’s aviation industry. The GCAA director said increased training within the industry is among contributing factors to the improvements in the country’s compliance with ICAO standards and recommended practices. In the case of the GCAA, more than 100 persons were trained. “We have done a lot of training. In 2018, we trained over 116 persons… and they did about 107 courses,” he pointed out, while adding that increased training is critical for the existence of a robust authority. With increased training, particularly of inspectors, the GCAA since 2015 has been able to significantly increase the number of ramp inspections conducted. Ramp inspection is assessment of an aircraft on Guyana’s territory. “In 2015, they only had
GCAA Director-General Egbert Field nine of those inspections between Timehri and Ogle. In 2016, there was only about seven… [however] with the training done over the past two years, we have been able to do 205 ramp inspections for 2018 alone, and this is moving from 2017 – with a 122 ramp inspections,” the GCAA director-general detailed. SAFER ENVIRONMENT He said continuous inspections keep operators in check and foster a safer environment. “What additional inspections do, it means that there is more oversight, inspectors are able to see or to find non-compliant issues or non-compliant items and that increases the safety margin,” the director-general said. He said as training and inspections increase, accidents within the aviation industry would decrease. In 2018, the civil aviation authority recorded two minor accidents and a major accident at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), but there was no loss of life. It was explained that while an elderly woman, who was a passenger on Fly Jamaica Flight No OJ 256 when it crashed at CJIA last November, died after the accident, her death has not been “linked” or “could be attributed” to the accident. Field said six accidents in which two persons died were recorded in 2019. “We had six accidents in See page 16
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
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Deterrence, defence and development By His Excellency Brigadier David Granger President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana (Speech delivered at the GDF Officers’ Conference 2019)
THE Guyana Defence Force moved swiftly to suppress the rebellion that erupted 50 years ago on 2nd January, 1969 in the Rupununi District ? a zone in the southwest of the country of nearly 58,000 km² – larger than Costa Rica – that zone is over a quarter of our national territory, it was threatened with secession. That rebellion, occurring less than 32 months after Guyana’s independence from Great Britain and supported by foreign forces, constituted the country’s earliest and severest test of statehood, security and social solidarity; and it was the single most serious threat to national integration, national security and the territorial integrity of the state. The Guyana Defence Force moved equally resolutely seven months later to repel the incursion in the south-east of the country that threatened to seize a zone of about 15, 540 km² ? larger than Puerto Rico ? and that occurred on the 19th August, 1969. Foreign forces had occupied part of the zone in contravention of international law and the Guyana Defence Force expelled them. Officers, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela continues to lay claim to the Western Essequibo, a zone of 159,500 km2 – larger than Cuba – that it describes as the “Zona en Reclamación”. The Republic of Suriname, similarly, continues to lay claim to the New River Triangle. Officers, Guyana has been victim, always, to claims on its territory despite international recognition of its land mass, its territorial borders, its territorial sea and its exclusive economic zone. Our territory is populated by Guyanese citizens and its resources are for them; they form part of our national patrimony. The Defence Force has been, and must always remain, ready to deter aggression, defend national sovereignty and ensure the development of our country as a safe, secure and strong state. Guyana’s territorial integrity was violated again on 22nd December 2018 – just last month, one day after the noconfidence motion was heard in the National Assembly. A Venezuelan navy corvette – the Karina PC-14 – made a hostile incursion into Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The incursion took place at approximately one hundred and forty-four kilometers (144 km) from the boundary that separates Guyana from Venezuela. A helicopter on the platform of the naval corvette attempted to land on the Ramform Tethys – an unarmed vessel undertaking seismic surveys lawfully within the Guyana’s EEZ. The exploration vessel was forced to discontinue its operations at that time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs dispatched a note of protest rejecting Venezuela’s aggression and asserting that its use of force “…to impede Guyana’s exercise of sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone, [was] a manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations and general international law.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made it clear, also, that Guyana reserved the right to pursue measures to protect its sovereignty and sovereign rights against future hostile acts. Venezuela’s most recent aggression con-
President David Granger inspects a Guard of Honour Thursday morning at the opening of the Guyana Defence Force’s Annual Officers’ Conference, held at the Baridi Benab, State House stituted its second naval assault against our alerts us to the need for continued vigilance ing and petroleum resources must be made territorial integrity and sovereignty. It is to to protect our airspace, land borders, coastline more secure for our people’s profit and for be recalled that another petroleum exploration and territorial sea. Over-flights and landings the country’s prosperity. Your government vessel – RV Teknik Perdana – which was by aircraft suspected of involvement in illegal had promulgated a defence policy aimed at conducting a survey in the Roraima block off- activities undermine our territorial integrity strengthening the Defence Force’s role in shore was intercepted by a Venezuelan Navy and sovereignty. deterring aggression, defending the territory frigate – the PC 23 Yekuana – and ordered The influx of more than 3,000 migrants and promoting economic development. to cease its activities on 10th October, 2013. fleeing economic and political distress in Guyana’s defence policy emphasises the The crew of the Perdana was conducting a Venezuela necessitates stronger controls doctrine of total national defence. survey of the seafloor in Guyana’s EEZ. The along borders. It implies that all the elements and inVenezuelan navy ordered the vessel to sail struments of national power – economic, to its Margarita Island, where it was seized DEFENCE DOCTRINE military, political, social and technologfor six days and released subsequently. It is The Guyana Defence Force therefore, ical – will be employed in the interest of to be recalled, also, that patrol boats of the must maintain itself in a state of readiness national security. Surinamese navy expelled a petroleum CGX to secure our entire country and protect licensed exploration vessel and drill ship, it from present and future dangers. The DEFENCE ORGANISATION the C. E. Thornton, from our waters on 3rd Defence Act charges the Guyana Defence The regular force must continue to June, 2000. These all occurred within recent Force “…with the defence of …Guyana.” consolidate its work, already resumed, of memory. The force therefore is obligated to secure restructuring its organisation by strengthGuyana failed to reach a diplomatic the state and safeguard the entire territory ening the technical corps and by deploying resolution of the dispute over its maritime from invasion, incursion and insurrection. In- the Reserve Force countrywide. delimitation with the Republic of Suriname. It cursions must be deterred. Insurrections must I announced in October 2015 that the sought resolution under the provisions of the be suppressed. The state must remain secure. force will be restructured and reorganised United Nations Convention on the Law of the The force faces numerous challenges in pro- to ensure that it is well-commanded, wellSea on 24th February, 2004. The Arbitral Tri- tecting our territory. The elongated coastline trained and well-equipped to perform its role. bunal conclusively defined the delimitation of and land and river borders of nearly 3,000 Restructuring and reorganisation are aimed the International Maritime Boundary between km, the expansive hinterland and extensive at improving its agility, capability and flexGuyana and Suriname. It deemed that the: network of waterways, constrain our ability ibility. The force’s technical corps is being “…expulsion from the disputed area of to control our territory effectively. improved. The Air Corps’ fleet, last year, was the CGX oil rig and drill ship C.E. Thornton The small size of our economy and augmented with the acquisition of light reconby Suriname on 3 June 2000 constituted a limited physical infrastructure diminish the naissance aircraft. Light transport aircraft are threat of the use of force in breach of the Defence Force’s ability to respond rapidly to be procured this year, 2019. Convention, the UN Charter, and general in- to threats against our territory. Our country The Intelligence Corps and the Signals ternational law...” Guyana remains committed is rich in natural resources. The coastland Corps have been reformed to enhance intellito ensuring that the Caribbean and continent comprises thousands of hectares of fertile gence, surveillance and communications. The of South America remain a zone of peace. It farmlands which have supported agriculture personnel strength of the Intelligence Corps subscribes to the peaceful settlement of dis- for centuries. has been increased. The Signal Corps has putes and will never do anything to endanger The hinterland contains abundant mineral benefitted from the acquisition of new radio international peace.” wealth – bauxite, diamonds, gold, manga- equipment and personnel training. Incursions have occurred not only in our nese, other precious metals and timber – it is The Engineer Corps has received equipmaritime space but also on land. Illegal min- home of an incomparable biodiversity. Our ment to enhance the force’s agility, improve ing, illegal logging, illegal arms-, narcotics-, rivers and territorial sea teem with valuable its responsiveness to eliminate climate hazpeople- and wildlife-trafficking and the smug- aquatic life. Petroleum reserves, found in our ards, promote greater stability within frontline gling of precious minerals have continued. EEZ, constitute a transformative economic communities and foster defence cooperation. They have to stop. Citizens have been killed. resource. The Engineer Corps, in 2018, worked Communities, particularly those living in our Our country’s natural resources belong to alongside the Brazilian Army’s 6º Batalhão frontier villages, must be made safe from our people – present and future generations. de Engenharia de Construção to drill wells transnational crime. Every citizen has the right to benefit from The persistence of transnational crime them. Our agricultural, fishing, forestry, minSee page 17
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2017 and two cases which were fatal, so you can see that drop when it comes to 2018,” Field told this newspaper. He pointed out that the accidents in 2017 were attributed to a shuttle operation which had not been approved by the GCAA. He said it was for that reason that the GCAA had suspended all shuttle operations until they were brought in line with the regulations
governing the authority. Operators got the green light from the GCAA to carry out their shuttle operations once their manuals were reviewed, facilities inspected and flight patterns assessed, the director-general explained. “For the past year, there was no death or no accident which could be attributed to the shuttle operation. That is what we have to do… we have to ensure that opera-
tions are properly approved, that we do proper oversight on them and once that is done, that impacts on the safety side of things, which means safety is improved, thus the fall in the accident rate,” Field said. Close to 80,000 flights were conducted in 2018 compared to approximately 70,000 flights in 2017. FULLY COMPLIANT In 2018, a team from
Trans Guyana Airways aircraft (Photo credit: GCAA) the United States’ Transportation Security Administration (TSA) conducted security inspections at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, and found that the airports have been fully compliant with TSA’s established standards. A report on the assessments conducted was submitted to the Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure with responsibility for Aviation, Annette Ferguson. The GCAA is now in the process of drafting new security regulations in accordance with the modern Civil Aviation Act, which was passed last November and replaces the Civil Aviation Act, Chapter 53:01. The Act makes provisions for enablement of the Chicago Convention and the agreement establishing the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System. It also provides for offences pertaining to the safety and security of passengers, aircraft and airports and for the regulation and control of orderly development in the sector. The strides made in Guyana’s aviation industry have not gone unnoticed. When Guyana hosted the ICAO’s Air Transport Meeting and the Third African Diaspora Meeting last November, it was applauded for significant progress made in the area of safety, and for being a regional leader in the aviation sector. The ICAO’s Council President, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, at the conclusion of the three-day meeting held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, was among officials who took note of the country’s achievements. “Within the context of our No Country Left Behind initiative, and in order for us in Montreal to reach all our member states and there are 192-member states, we
need regional leaders; and Guyana has proven to be a regional leader, and that is one of the reasons why we believe that Guyana was able to host such an important meeting,” Dr. Aliu said. During that conference, Guyana signed Air Services Agreements with Ghana, Singapore and Aruba. This year, it is expected that similar agreements will be signed with a number of other countries. “We also moved towards initialising or doing preliminary stages of agreements with over 20 countries, which will include Colombia, Zimbabwe, Gambia, the Cameroons, Jordan, Mozambique, Rwanda and Sri Lanka. So there are a number of other countries that we have begun our priority work with and hope to move toward onward to this year,” the GCAA director-general said. At the end of the conference, Minister Annette Ferguson, Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, was invited to hold the post of Vice-Chairperson for the ICAO’s Second High-Level Conference on Aviation Security (HLCAS/2) held at the ICAO Headquarters in Montreal, Canada in November, 2018. The aviation authority has also planned to install an instrument-landing system at the newly renovated CJIA, as well as an Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS,) which will provide critical information to pilots on the weather, runway navigation information. But the industry is not without its challenges. Field told this newspaper that the sourcing of qualified personnel for certain positions and finances are the primary challenges. He said finances are needed to hire highly qualified persons, to hire and train more inspectors who will be required to travel to the aerodromes that are spread across the country.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
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in the Rupununi region in order to build greater climate resilience and provide a regular supply of water for frontline communities. The Force has received financial resources to improve its capabilities. Budgetary allocations increased by more than 75 per cent from G$8.0B in 2014 to G$14.02B in 2019. The Force is set to improve its physical infrastructure, to acquire drones for border surveillance, inshore patrol vessels and engineering and transport equipment through budgetary allocations in FY 2019. I issued a directive for personnel to be brought up to authorised establishment levels, for operational readiness and infrastructure to be improved and for the technical corps to be upgraded and for equipment to be recapitalised. The Reserve Force, as you saw this morning, the Guyana People’s Militia – has been reformed. Recruitment has resumed countrywide. Personnel strength has increased from fewer than 125 members in January 2015 to nearly 1,500 in January 2019. Recruitment must continue until it is 50 per cent of the strength of the regular Force. Officers, defence policy is aimed at ensuring that national defence is comprehensive, covering our air space, sea space and land frontiers. Intelligence and surveillance of our territory demand that the Force should have a permanent, physical presence in every administrative region in the form of voluntary or part-time reservists. Reservists, therefore, will constitute at least 50 per cent of the strength of Regular Force and will be deployed to enable them to respond readily to threats and emergencies countrywide. The Force’s programme for reorganisation includes the promotion of youth development. The Guyana National Cadet Corps (GNCC) was resuscitated on 19th January 2018. This Corps’ recruits youth and is aimed at enhancing their skills and leadership abilities, building character and instilling the values and standards of civic responsibility. The Corps has trained 364 young persons from six participating schools in five administrative regions. DEFENCE OPERATIONS Officers, the domination
of our national territory cannot be taken for granted. Ground forces will continue to conduct long-range jungle patrols to the farthest corners and frontiers of our territory. The GDF was never intended to be a ‘coastal’ force; it is, and will remain, a comprehensive national force. It must reach every corner of the country and must be competent in conducting longrange patrols, in any weather or terrain, by day and night and for long periods. Officers and soldiers who cannot go on long-range patrols, in any weather or terrain by day or by night, for long periods have no place in the defence force. Frontier villages - - those which lie along our borders – are vulnerable to illegal incursions into our territory. Residents of these villages must be protected from these threats. Frontline villages are guardians of our national territory and patrimony. They are our first line of defence against any attempt at incursion. They are the eyes and ears which can alert the Defence and Police forces to hostile action which threaten public security and national defence. Frontier villages protect our environment and our mineral resources from transnational illegal miners, loggers and smugglers and narco-traffickers. Your government, in recognition of the vulnerability and value of frontier communities, promulgated a ‘frontline village policy’ aimed at ensuring human safety and national security. The Defence Force continues to cooperate with frontier villages to protect our national territory and natural resources and to repel threats to human safety. Operation Armadillo, as you are aware, was launched last year to respond to the threats posed by criminal gangs along our borders and to protect our frontline villages. That operation involved maintaining friendly relations with frontline villages, mobilising village defence units and improving communication. The operation resulted in a reduction in reports of assaults by foreign ‘Sindicatos’ and reinforced border security. Operation Ocean Guard, similarly, was launched in June 2018 and was intended to exercise continuous aerial and maritime surveillance of our coastline and territorial waters. It resulted in improved safety, a decrease in the incidence of piracy and
the disruption of contraband smuggling and drug- and people-trafficking. Exercise Green Heart and Exercise Ironweed will be modified to emphasise the importance of longrange jungle patrols. These exercises will continue to prepare our troops to master all forms of terrain and weather conditions and respond to emergencies and the Chief of Staff has received instructions to create long-range ration packs to
allow officers and soldiers to sustain themselves during longer Ironweed and Green Heart operations. These operations and exercises demonstrate the force’s preparedness to defend the state. They help our troops to become more agile and versatile and more confident in their legs. DEFENCE COOPERATION Officers, Guyana continues to cooperate with friendly countries. Cooperation is the basis for collective security, for the resolution of regional tensions, for collaboration in combatting transnational crime and for managing disasters.
Cooperation with foreign countries has allowed the force to improve its capability through training, joint exercises, the exchange of information, intelligence-sharing and the donation of non-lethal equipment. Cooperation is being pursued with several countries – under regional, multilateral and bilateral arrangements. Your government has employed diplomacy and deployed resources successfully to denounce acts of aggression against its territory, to isolate aggressive states in the international community and to bring pressure to bear on them to refrain from continuing or repeating similar conduct. It has mobilised international support
for respect for our territorial integrity and sovereignty. Your government agitated for the territorial controversy with Venezuela to be resolved through a peaceful, juridical process. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, for the first time in 53 years, on 30th January, 2018, advised that he would refer the controversy to the International Court of Justice. Your government is confident that the court will rule in our favour and bring an end to this decades-old controversy which has impeded our national security and obstructed our economic See page 19
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
Keeping the Wapichan language alive
–– university graduate returns to Aishalton to teach language to children
By Alva Solomon
INTRODUCING a language which was traditionally spoken by your
ancestors to the schools where you live can be challenging, especially when the education system revolves around an English-speak-
ing curriculum. But the task becomes easier when you were raised in an environment where the language is the primary
of Education was fully on board. As time progressed, the ministry and the project planners agreed on the MoU. “When we got that paper, it gave us the assurance we needed and the communities were fully behind it,” she said in elated tones.
means of communication. For Leah Cassimero, a proud Wapichan descendant, the aim of ensuring the tradition is passed down from her
Proud Wapichan, Leah Cassimero ancestors remain alive and is firmly set within her sight. Cassimero, a University of Guyana (UG) graduate, grew up listening to her parents and relatives in the deep South Rupununi village of Aishalton speaking the Wapishana language (also referred to as Wapichan). She fluently speaks the language and her job as academic coordinator of the Quality Bilingual Education Programme for Wapichan (QBEP) children, allows her to realise a dream; one which she told the Guyana Chronicle is to see the language being revived in Wapichan villages and become part of the primary school curriculum farther outside the Rupununi. After months of discussions, the project grew to fruition in July 2018 when a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the QBEP and the education ministry was signed and both parties agreed to introduce the language course at three pilot schools in Region Nine. These schools are Maruranau, Sawariwau and Karaudarnau nursery schools. Aishalton was identified as the pilot village for the project’s implementation. Cassimero told the Guyana Chronicle that prior to implementation of the project, the schools needed re-assurances that the Ministry
BEING INVOLVED Cassimero said in 2017, she was in her final year of academic studies at UG, pursuing a Degree in Business Management, when she was contacted by the project coordinators. She said although there was some amount of awareness of the project in the Rupununi, she did not know much of what was happening. Cassimero said the Wapichan people who live mainly in the South Rupununi, look forward to quality education, one that involves their culture. She said to keep the language and culture alive, it boils down to educating the children using their own language; leaving it aside would be a travesty, she said. ”Whatever initiative we think of, it all comes down to education; if our people are educated, we will be empowered enough to make proper decisions for ourselves,” she added. She said in 2017 when she finished her last exam at UG, she pondered what her next move would have been. “And then I got an email where they asked if I would like to fly down to the Rupununi to meet a resource team who were trying to start a programme for Wapishana children,” she said. Cassimero did not know what to expect on her return to the Rupununi, but when she arrived she said she was amazed that the group, which was working voluntarily on the programme, was See page 20
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development. NATIONAL I NTEGRATION Officers, the Defence Force is so organised and deployed countrywide that it has become an essential agent of national integration. Recruitment into the force helps to create a sense of belonging, to recognise all groups and allow them to practise their culture freely. It was a joy to visit Makouria and some persons who had never crossed the Berbice River or the Demerara River, were being trained on the banks of the Essequibo River, truly participating in geographical integration. People from communities in 10 different regions were meeting each other for the first time. That is the path to national integration. Our country is fortunate to be a country in which the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas coexists with cultures of Africa, Asia and Europe. Multiculturalism must not become an impediment to national integration. Military service does not require soldiers to abandon their cultural practices and adopt another culture. It recognises the country’s demographic and geographic realities. It accords recognition to every group and encourages the promotion of their practices. Everyone feels more accepted and, thus, will be imbued with a greater sense of belonging to the force and to the state. The Force’s social posture accords with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) definition of a cohesive society as one that: “… works towards the well-being of all its members, fights exclusion and marginalisation, creates a sense of belonging, promotes trust, and offers its members the opportunity of upward mobility.” All of these qualities are embraced by the Defence Force. National integration, like social cohesion, is concerned with enhancing cooperation among citizens, civil society, institutions and the state. The Defence Force has a duty, an obligation to ensure, also, that institutional authority is exercised in a manner that promotes equality and inclusivity. TOTAL NATIONAL DEFENCE Officers, national defence is being improved. The pillars of our national defence policy – force reorganisation, defence operations, defence cooperation and national integration – sustain the state, support our people and strengthen the economy. Your government, through its enlightened and progressive defence policy, is strengthening the Defence Force to help it to secure our borders and safeguard our territory. The nation can be assured of the government’s resolve to protect the people and preserve the national patrimony. It commits to continuing to take measures to shield the people from the peril of transnational crime. The Defence Force will continue to work with frontier villages to protect our territory and natural resources and repel threats to human safety and national security. Our doctrine of total national defence doctrine is relevant to our means, our manpower and circumstances. It is aimed at preserving our territorial integrity, ensuring respect for our sovereignty and safety for our citizens. These four pillars – organisation, operation, cooperation and national integration – are the stanchions which sustain the state. The force is the vanguard of national defence. The Force is conscious of its duty to preserve our territory, protect our people and develop the economy by implementing our national defence doctrine. The Defence Force has been, and always must be, ready to deter aggression, defend sovereignty and ensure the development of our country as a safe, secure and strong state. I thank you.
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Keeping the Wapichan ... From page 18
advancing something she dreamed about. The group was meeting with Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock and senior Education Ministry officials at the time and Cassimero described the scenario as “major.” “So I had to be there,” she said. After familiarising herself with the project, she said the group encountered a few bottlenecks which needed to be ironed out and at the end, she was asked if she wanted to take part in the programme on a full- time basis -- she accepted. Cassimero is wary of the fact that when indigenous youths complete their university studies, many may not want to return to their hometowns to contribute to their (hometowns) development. “So this gave me that opportunity, one where I can actually work at home and work with the language , so I was coming back home to work,” she said with a smile. The young lady worked voluntarily for the first three months on the project “to get a feel of the project,” as she wanted to do something for her people. Cassimero also writes competently in the Wapichan language. She recalled that after completing secondary school, she enrolled in a Wapichan literacy programme offered in the village. ” I passed the exam and so this project gave me an opportunity to utilise the knowledge I gained from that literacy programme,” she said. UNIVERSITY STUDIES PUT TO PRACTICE The young woman noted too that she utilises the project management skills she attained while reading for her degree. “It was a good chance for me to use those technical skills and I saw the potential of everyone and I decided to fit in the more technical aspect of the job and gathering information and processing that in English and in Wapishana,” she said. She said initially there was some fear from the instructors when the project was being rolled out. That fear, she said, revolved around the guidelines within which the Ministry of Education operates. However, she said the teachers were given assurances by the project planners that they were there to assist. FEEDBACK After the first school term was completed last December, Cassimero said the good points and the “not-so-good points” of the project were listed. “The good one is that children are being able to communicate in the Wapichan language,” she said, as she noted it was a huge plus for the project’s progression. “People get the idea that the bilingual education language is about teaching language alone, but because children are already speaking the language, it is just a means of communicating and at this point it is for the child to be comfortable speaking his or her own language,” she added. She said one of the things which need strengthening is the availability of teaching materials. For this school term, she said the plans were restructured. “I have very high hopes for this term,” she said and she said too that the project is being delivered to ensure results. At the moment, Cassimero is hosting a radio programme which is tied to the project. The programme, which is hosted on Radio Aishalton, was launched last weekend when the United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages celebrations were held at the village. “Right now I am dedicating all my energies towards the project to see that it is successful,” Casimero said with a smile.
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CJ to rule on no-confidence motion Thursday
CHIEF Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire will rule on Thursday on at least two of the constitutional cases that brought into question the validity of the vote of no-confidence against the government. Ahead of her ruling, Attorney General Basil Williams said he is confident of a win.
The attorney general by way of a Fixed Date Application is challenging passage of the no-confidence motion against the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government on the basis that the opposition did not secure a majority as required by the constitution. The case, The Attorney
General v The Speaker and the Opposition Leader was the last of three critical constitutional cases to have been heard by the chief justice last week. Moments after arguing his case on Friday, Williams stood in the corridor of the High Court and expressed his confidence. “I am very confident, we did a lot of work in this
matter, and we believe that the court will make its decision,” he told reporters. Inside the courtroom, he with the support of Attorney-at-Law Maxwell Edwards argued that the government could not have been defeated by way of a no-confidence motion when Article 70 guarantees it a five-year term in office. Resolution
101 is a certification by the Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs that the no-confidence motion was validly passed on December 21, 2018 by a majority vote. But the attorney general submitted that because the resolution is subsidiary legislation, it cannot lawfully abridge or curtail government’s five-year term in office as provided for in Article 70 (3). “It (Resolution 101) is inconsistent with Article 70 (3) which is an entrenched provision guaranteeing the government five years, and only the president who is heading the government, could reduce the term not the Opposition,” he explained outside the courtroom. The question of what constitutes a majority in the 65-member National Assembly was also heavy debated throughout the case. The attorney general and his team are arguing that by virtue of the requirements laid out in Article 106 (6), the Opposition needed 34 votes and not 33 to defeat the government. “We had the question of the majority which you know has permeated all three cases and we showed that Mr. Nandlall failed to deal with the fact that the constitution has several different ‘majority.’ The simple majority is the simplest one; the absolute majority has to be greater than the 33 of the simple majority because it requires all the elected members; and then you have two-thirds majority,” he explained. In support of his arguments he cited several cases in which the half-plus-one method was used to acquire the absolute majority. Anil Nandlall, the attorney representing the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, put forward four definitions to support his argument that a majority refers to more than half. “The inevita-
ble consequence of the approach which the attorney general advocates for determining a majority is that in every case where a body is made up of an uneven number of persons, a majority of that body must exceed the minority by at least three. By his calculation, a majority of 11 would be 7 (11÷2=5 1/2,, rounded to 6;6+1=7). This would necessarily mean that a court comprising three judges can only make decisions unanimously, since a majority of three must necessarily be three,” Nandlall submitted. In addition to ruling in the case brought by the attorney general, the chief justice said she will also rule in the case Christopher Ram vs The Attorney General and the Leader of the Opposition, on the basis that they are similar. Ram, a political commentator, has asked the court to rule that the no-confidence motion was validly passed. However, for the case Compton Reid v The Speaker, Charrandass Persaud and attorney general, the chief justice, though not confirming that she would rule in the matter on January 31, expressed the hope to do so. Reid is challenging the validity of the vote cast by Charrandass Persaud on the basis that he breached the constitution by having dual citizenship while being a Member of the National Assembly. Persaud on December 21, 2018 broke ranks and voted in favour of an Opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion to bring down his own government. He has since been expelled from the Alliance For Change (AFC) and recalled from Parliament. Speaker of National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland, through his Attorney, Rafiq Khan, SC, informed the court that he will abide by the chief justice’s ruling.
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
Justice Peter Jamadar to join CCJ JUSTICE Peter Jamadar is to be appointed a judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), the CCJ has confirmed. The Honourable Jamadar will assume duty at the court after Justice David Hayton retires from office in July 2019. Justice Jamadar currently serves as a judge of the Trinidad and Tobago Court of Appeal, a position which he has held since 2008. Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeal, he worked in private practice until he was appointed a judge of the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago. In making the announcement, Justice Adrian Saunders, Chairman of the RJLSC and President of the CCJ, noted that “the court continues to attract some of the most qualified and talented jurists. Justice Jamadar has developed a well-earned reputation throughout the Caribbean and the Commonwealth for his well-reasoned judgments and his outstanding work as a judicial educator. His exemplary leadership of the Judicial Education Institute of Trinidad and Tobago (JEITT) has contributed significantly to the success of that body, which has recently developed and rolled out a Gender Protocol for the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Justice Jamadar will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to our bench.” The RJLC advertised Justice Peter Jamadar the position of judge in 2018 and received 18 submissions from applicants in the Region and from Africa, Australia, Europe, and North America. In September 2018, eight applicants were interviewed, subjected to background investigations and a rigorous selection process by the RJLSC. From that process, the RJLSC selected two judges, Justice Andrew Burgess, who was sworn in recently, and Justice Jamadar who will be sworn in later this year. Justice Peter Jamadar obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree, UWI (Hons) in 1982 and his Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School, St. Augustine, in 1984. In 1984, he was admitted to the Bar of Trinidad and Tobago. He holds a Masters’ Degree in Divinity from the University of Toronto (1997) and is a certified transpersonal psychologist and a certified mediator. He is the current vice-chairman of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO). In addition to his judicial work, Justice Jamadar is also very involved in judicial education both nationally and internationally, serving the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI) as the vice-president of programming and a Faculty member. He is also the current chair of the Trinidad and Tobago Judicial Education Institute (JEITT) and a fellow of the CJEI. He has written two books: The Mechanics of Democracy and the Democracy and Constitution Reform in Trinidad and Tobago” with Dr. Kirk Meighoo, as well as, numerous articles and other publications. He is also currently working with the United Nations Global Integrity Network to develop a Global Social Media Protocol for judicial officers. He presently serves on several judiciary of TT committees, including the Rules Committee, Bench Bar Committee and Judicial Research Counsel Committee.
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Decomposed body discovered at Better Hope Backdam THE decomposed body of Cedrick Riley, 58, called “Jkee” of Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast, was discovered on Saturday morning at Better Hope Backdam, Region Two. The body was discovered by Zakir Fazel of Better Hope, Essequibo Coast, in a rice field about 40 feet west of the Better Hope Public Road. As the news of the discovery spread, persons gathered at the scene where the body was identified by Munette Boston, who recognised the clothing the deceased was wearing. The body was retrieved by detectives attached to the ‘G’ Division of the Guyana Police Force. It was taken to the Suddie Mortuary and is awaiting post-mortem examination. Police have launched an investigation into the discovery.
SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 27, 2019
‘Be proactive, reduce risk of catching the flu’ –– CARPHA advises
The area where the body of Cedrick Riley was found
THE Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is urging persons to practise good personal hygiene in order to reduce the risk of transmission of influenza and other respiratory viruses. Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused mainly by two types of viruses: Influenza A and Influenza B. The Influenza A (H1N1) virus caused a pandemic in 2009; although often referred to as “swine flu”, this name is misleading, as it is not spread by contact with pigs or pig products. Influenza A (H1N1) is a virus that continues to circulate around the world, including the Caribbean. Typically, the flu season in the Region occurs between September to March when there is usually an increase in the number of persons coming down with the virus. The flu is characterised by the sudden onset of high fever, cough (usually dry), headache, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise (feeling unwell), sore throat and runny nose. Most people recover from these symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention, but influenza can cause severe illness or death in people at high risk. Dr C. James Hospedales, Executive Director, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), explained that the primary form of influenza transmission is through interpersonal contact. He added that large social events such as carnival, festivals and concerts can create serious public health challenges, because persons are often crowded together, sharing personal space and common areas. Given elevated flu activity in the northern hemisphere, combined with the high travel season to the Caribbean, it is important that people take the necessary steps now, to protect themselves and their loved ones from the flu. CARPHA urges persons to take proactive measures to reduce the risk of transmission of influenza and other respiratory viruses. Good hygiene measures that persons can take include: covering your mouth with a tissue or handkerchief, or using your elbow, when sneezing or coughing; safely disposing of used tissues; washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after coughing and sneezing and before and after meal preparation, eating and using the toilets. Alternatively, you may use an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer; avoiding contact with others by staying home if you are sick and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces regularly. Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent the disease. Safe and effective vaccines have been available and used for over 60 years. Vaccination is especially important for health workers and people at higher risk of serious influenza complications, such as the very young, pregnant women, the elderly and chronically ill persons, and for people who live with or care for high-risk individuals. Persons should contact the Ministry of Public Health or community health centre for more information about vaccination programmes.
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Relatives want amswers after mix-up with cancer patient body By Vishani Ragobeer
THERE has been much confusion at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) following the death of six-year-old Sharezer Mendonca, after her body was given to wrong family, resulting in an unauthorised autopsy. Mendonca was diagnosed with Leukemia – a cancer of the body’s blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. The young girl passed away on Thursday morning at the GPHC, after being in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for some time. “The family was making
request would be granted. On Friday however, the family was dealt a series of blows as they were unable to locate the body of Sharezer in the hospital’s mortuary, after making the decision to transfer her to a private mortuary. Bakraj related that when the family entered the mortuary, the attendant informed them that there was only one young girl in there, but when they saw the girl, it was not Mendonca. The young girl’s body was not found anywhere in the mortuary. “It was frustration [and] chaos… we wanted to scream our lungs out,” Bakraj said. “I was so traumatised; I almost blacked out when they pulled
Six-year-old Sharezer Mendonca a decision to hire a private pathologist to observe the post-mortem,” aunt of the young girl, Azeena Bakraj, told the Guyana Chronicle. This decision was made after young Mendonca became the third of three children who died after receiving treatment for Leukemia at the hospital. Seven-year-old Corwin Edwards succumbed on January 14 and Roshini Seegobin, three, died on January 18. The trio succumbed after an alleged adverse reaction to medication which was administered to them as part of the treatment for Leukemia. Mendonca’s family, through their attorneys, wrote the hospital requesting that the scheduled autopsy be postponed until Monday, January 28. This was to facilitate the arrival of the private pathologist that the family sourced from Trinidad and Tobago. One of the family’s attorneys, Ganesh Hira, told another newspaper that they were given assurance that the
open each body [in the mortuary] and none of them were the body of Sharezer.” Eventually, the family discovered that Mendonca’s body was on its way to Parika, where it was being transported by a family from Bartica, in place of another deceased young girl. The aunt related that when the body was returned to the family, she was readily identified as young Mendonca. But to make matters worse, there were visible incisions made on her body which indicated that an autopsy had been performed on her. The aunt said that the Bartica family expressed great surprise when they heard about the mix-up also. Following the death of the first two children, the GPHC confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the deaths. During this investigation, all medical persons who were directly involved will be interviewed and the medication
which was administered will be assessed. “Further, usage of that medication has been discontinued while the investigation continues… we advise members of the public to resist the urge to speculate on what is a sensitive matter and to await the findings of the investigation,” the GPHC said. Bakraj noted, however,
that the family is currently seeking legal advice and stressed that there seems to be a lack of professionalism and due diligence at the GPHC. The family’s legal team has also requested that the hospital make the young girl’s medical records available. “It is just totally unacceptable... I can’t find words
to express how traumatised it was to know that Sharezer’s body was not in the mortuary,” Azeena said grimly. The young girl’s body is now in the care of a private mortuary and is awaiting a second autopsy that the GPHC has agreed to, according to the aunt. This will be done in the presence of the family’s
pathologist. “It is so heart wrenching for a family to go through this. I am still trying to come to grips with what happened [on Friday],” an emotional Bakraj said. “At this point, we need the GPHC to just be transparent. We need answers to our questions.”
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Loss of land and resources needs attention –– Roopnaraine reminds delegates ahead of CRIC 17
LOSS of land and natural resources remains a continuous impediment to nations which have to preserve their fresh water sources and build sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems, said Minister of the Public Service, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine. “It is therefore paramount that we pay attention to these issues and use our skills to strengthen the implementation of the convention,” said Dr Roopnaraine during the launch of a training fair for delegates of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the
Minister of the Public Service, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine (Adrian Narine photo) Convention (CRIC) 17, which officially commences on Monday at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre. Guyana, as a signatory to the convention, remains committed to protecting its natural resources by turning the country into a ‘green’ State, said the minister, adding that it is important for the nations within the convention to build capacity. “Capacity building is important for us to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals… It is also important to ensure implementation of UNCCD… in recognising this it is the first time that CARICOM tabled any submission of all parties in more than three decades,” said Minister Roopnaraine. In line with this, he said government welcomed delegates to assess implementation of the convention by looking at awareness raising; policy and institutional framework; and participation and collaboration. Approximately 400 to 600 delegates from 196 countries around the world are expected to travel to Georgetown, including UNCCD Executive Secretary, Monique Barbut, and operational units from the UNCCD Secretariat and United Nations offices, UN media operatives, civil society and Inter-Governmental Organisations. Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), Trevor Benn, is excited about the conference and encouraged the delegates to push forward in the effort to ensure that there is a sustained future. Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, Pradeep Monga, in his remarks, said CRIC 17 is an effort to build the capacity of all partners and institutions which are working in favour of sustainable land management. He said capacity building is at the fore of achieving land degradation neutrality and over the next See page 29
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Loss of land and resources ... From page 28
two days, delegates will share their expertise and collaborate to enhance the effort. According to the UNCCD’s website, CRIC17 will review 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 by145 of the 197 countries that are party to the convention. According to the UNCCD, the assessment is expected to provide the baseline for assessing progress in the reduction or reversal of land degradation globally, going forward. It will also contribute to country efforts to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN), which is Sustainable Development Goal target 15.3. This is a significant step in the global effort to address land degradation. A survey conducted in 2009
Some of the delegates who travelled to Guyana for the UNCCD’s CRIC 17 (Adrian Narine photo) revealed that countries were using a combined total of 1,500 unique indicators to monitor land degradation globally, making it difficult to get a clear picture of the scope of the problem. CRIC17 will also conduct interactive dialogues on three related emerging issues: the gender action plan as a tool to improve the living conditions of the people affected by land degradation; new and innovative sources to finance initiatives to combat land degradation; and the progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal target on land degradation neutrality, for which the convention plays a lead role. At the end of the session, CRIC17 will propose recommendations that will be under consideration by its governing body, the Conference of the Parties (COP), which will meet in Fall 2019. CRIC meets once in between the sessions of the COP to review country reports submitted in compliance with the COP decisions.
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Chase takes 8 for 60 to wrap up crushing Windies victory BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Off-spinner Roston Chase’s career-best eight-wicket haul propelled a dominant West Indies to their second largest win ever over England, as they crushed the hapless visitors by 381 runs inside four days of the opening Test, to take a shock 1-0 lead in the three-match series here yesterday. The 26-year-old bowled brilliantly to take eight for 60 – the second-best performance ever by a West Indies bowler against England – as the tourists, chasing an improbable 628 for victory, crumbled meekly for 246, three quarters of an hour after tea at Kensington Oval. Resuming the day on 56, with survival as the only realistic option, left-handed opener Rory Burns led the initial resistance with a top score of 84 while all-rounder Ben Stokes chipped in with 34 and Jonny Bairstow got 30. Jos Buttler (26) and captain Joe Root (22) got starts but England never came to grips with Chase on a wearing track, especially after
lunch, when they lost four critical wickets in a damaging slide. They had looked in good stead at lunch on 134 for two but the decline in the second session saw them lose their last eight wickets for 112 runs, handing the hosts their third-largest Test victory in terms of runs. The day had started brightly when Burns and Keaton Jennings (14) extended their opening stand to 85, to keep the Windies without any immediate success in the morning session. Burns scored quickly, punching 15 fours off 133 balls in just under 3-¼ hours at the crease, while Jennings opted for defence as his approach, in his boundary-less nearly 2-¼ hour stay at the crease. Approaching the first hour, West Indies got the breakthrough when fast bowler Alzarri Joseph got Jennings to drive at a fulllength delivery and edge a catch high to Jason Holder’s left at second slip. Burns then put on another 49 for the second wicket with the fluent Bairstow, in a stand
which appeared to be taking England safely to lunch. But Chase breached Burns’ loose forward defensive stroke and bowled him between bat and pad with the penultimate delivery before the interval. The real drama, however, started almost immediately following the resumption. Off the third ball, captain Joe Root fended off a lifter from speedster Shannon Gabriel to second slip where Holder took the gentle lob, but television replays showed the bowler had overstepped. Undaunted, Gabriel struck in his next over when he got Bairstow to glove one through to wicketkeeper Shai Hope, who was deputising for the injured Shane Dowrich. Root made little of his reprieve when he departed on the stroke of the first hour after lunch, steering Chase to Darren Bravo at slip at 167 for four. England then resisted through a 48-run fifth-wicket stand between Stokes and Buttler, the former playing positively in an attempt to transfer England’s pressure.
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Victory – a glimpse of ... “They really turned up, they kept their focus. What we looked to do strategically, they did. I think that’s all credit to Jason and how he led the team and the boys.” England resumed the final day on 56 without loss in search of an improbable 628 for victory, and reached lunch on 134 for two. However, four wickets tumbled in the second session as they lost their last eight wickets for 112 runs to be dismissed for 246 in their second innings. Part-time off-spinner Roston Chase spearheaded the hosts’ attack, snatching eight for 60 in a brilliant 21-over spell as only opener Rory Burns with 84 showed any resistance before falling in the final over before lunch. “He (Chase) was won-
derful today. I just think the pressure created by the bowling unit was great,” Pybus explained. “You have four good quick bowlers. Roston bowled exceptionally well, his control was good, (there were) good fields, (he) built up a huge amount of pressure throughout the day and just his control and consistency. That will give him a huge amount of confidence going forward.” He added: “I think collectively as a unit they complemented each other, managed to put together good waves of pressure. Interestingly on the fourth day we thought it would go up and down a little more than it did. “But the quicks were good and I just think that the amount of pressure that was built up – I don’t want to say
Roston didn’t bowl well; he bowled exceptionally well – but when you’ve got pressure from both ends it’s pretty tough for the batters.” West Indies entered the Test with a cloud of controversy hanging over them following the controversial naming of Pybus as interim head coach. His appointment led to public bickering between Cricket West Indies directors and a call from one for the decision to be rescinded. But Pybus said the issue never made its way into the team unit so there was no need to get players focussed. “We just got on with it. It wasn’t a discussion; we knew what we wanted to do. I think the noise was outside – it certainly wasn’t inside,” he said.
Stokes went after Chase with a boundary to long-on before clearing the ropes at long-off in the same over. But Chase struck two key blows in the last 13 minutes before tea, when he first trapped Stokes lbw then had Moeen Ali caught at second slip by Holder, as he drove at the penultimate ball before the break. Tottering on 217 for six at the break, England were staring down the barrel and Chase duly performed the final rites, as he took the last four wickets for the addition of only 29 runs. With his first ball of the second over following the resumption, he claimed Buttler to an excellent catch by debutant John Campbell at short mid-wicket, to complete his second five-wicket haul in Tests. In his next over, Chase got his sixth wicket when Ben Foakes’ attempted sweep found Shimron Het-
SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES 1st innings 289 ENGLAND 1st innings 77 WEST INDIES 2nd innings 415-6 decl. ENGLAND 2nd innings (target: 628 runs) (overnight 56 for two) R. Burns b Chase 84 K. Jennings c Holder b Joseph 14 J. Bairstow c wkp. Hope b Gabriel 30 J. Root c Bravo b Chase 22 B. Stokes lbw b Chase 34 J. Buttler c Campbell b Chase 26 M. Ali c Holder b Chase 0 B. Foakes c Hetmyer b Chase 5 S. Curran stp. Hope b Chase 17 A. Rashid c Brathwaite b Chase 1 J. Anderson not out 4 Extras: (b-4, w-3, nb-2) 9 Total: (all out, 80.4 overs) 246 Fall of wickets: 1-85, 2-134, 3-143, 4-167, 5-215, 6-217, 7-218, 8-228, 9-234. Bowling: Roach 14-3-58-0, Gabriel 16.5-2-55-1, Holder 12-6-24-0, Chase 21.4-2-60-8, Joseph 12-4-35-1, Campbell 3.4-0-10-0.
myer’s lap at short leg, for five runs, and Adil Rashid (1) holed out to Kraigg Brathwaite at deep mid-wicket in the bowler’s next over,
to put England on the brink. The next Test starts at Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua next Thursday.
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Cummins 10 for 62 headlines Aussies thumping win at the Gabba By Kieran Williams BRISBANE, Australia (Reuters) - Pat Cummins took a career-best 6-23 to help Australia crush Sri Lanka by an innings and 40 runs inside three days in the series opening day-night Test in Brisbane yesterday. The paceman completed his maiden 10-wicket matchhaul as Australia bundled out Sri Lanka for 139, five fewer than the tourists had managed in their first innings, to register their second Test win of the summer at the Gabba. “Any Test team that you can beat in three days is a huge effort,” Australia captain Tim Paine said. “It’s not easy to do to take 20 wickets and score enough runs and have a Test match done in three days.” “But we’re not anywhere near the finished product. We are a long way off where we want to be.” While Cummins was adjudged man-of-the-match,
Jhye Richardson also impressed by claiming two second-innings wickets on his debut with Australia comfortably maintaining their record of not having lost a Test at the Gabba since 1988. “If Pat Cummins bowls like he bowled in this Test match against anyone he’s going to take wickets,” Paine said. “I thought he was just relentless with his line and length. “I thought he and Jhye in particular with their discipline and their ability to keep hitting a spot and wearing them down was outstanding.” Resuming at 17-1 yesterday, Sri Lanka’s hopes of saving the match were dealt a heavy blow when Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis fell in consecutive overs from Cummins at the start of the day. After taking a wicket with the final ball of day two, it took Cummins just two balls on day three to get his next wicket, squaring-up the
scoreless Chandimal and finding the edge which ballooned to Kurtis Patterson at gully.
caught by Burns in the slips to reduce the tourists to 35-4. Right on tea, Richardson
Pat Cummins could not be stopped; his fifth wicket was that of Thirimanne on 32. (Getty Images)
In his next over, Cummins teased an attempted drive from Mendis (one), who edged to Joe Burns at second slip. Lahiru Thirimanne (32) and Roshen Silva (three) briefly stemmed the flow of wickets, before Cummins got his fourth, having Silva
produced a fast yorker to bowl Dhananjaya de Silva for 14. Cummins got a deserved fifth wicket but in controversial circumstances when he had Thirimanne adjudged caught behind, a decision upheld by the TV umpire despite no conclusive evi-
dence Thirimanne had edged the ball. Niroshan Dickwella tried one attacking shot too many off Richardson and holed out to Marcus Harris at square leg, before Cummins’ sixth wicket came from a spectacular catch by Patterson at gully off Dilruwan Perera. Suranga Lakmal was last man out when he was stumped by Paine for Nathan Lyon’s only wicket of the innings. “We are really disappointed as a team,” Chandimal said. “Our batting was below par throughout the game, so that’s the one area we will have to improve as a team.” “If you can’t score a 300 total in an inning, it’s always tough to beat a team like Australia, especially in Australia.” Lahiru Kumara did not bat after Sri Lanka confirmed the paceman had torn his hamstring during the second day and will be unavailable for the second
Spinners torment Kiwis again as India coast to 90-run win WRIST-spinner Kuldeep Yadav tormented New Zealand again as India coasted to a 90-run victory in the second one-day international at Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui to take a 2-0 lead in the fivematch series. The left-arm spinner, who had four victims in the eight-wicket victory in the first match in Napier, claimed 4-45 as New Zealand were dismissed for 234 in 40.2 overs in reply to India’s 4-324. All top-six New Zealand batsmen got starts in pursuit of a target of 325 which was achievable on a good pitch that offered true bounce and pace. The hosts, however, were unable to really build any fruitful partnerships as India took wickets at times just when New Zealand appeared to be getting a slight edge in their pursuit. Yadav destroyed New Zealand’s middle order as he dismissed Tom Latham (34), Colin de Grandhomme (three) and Henry Nicholls (28) in quick succession to end any hopes of their leading a rear-guard recovery. The 24-year-old had the opportunity of taking his second one-day international hat-trick when he dismissed Nicholls and Ish Sodhi on successive balls only for
Kuldeep Kadav and Chahal picked up six wickets between them to kill the chase. (Getty Images)
Lockie Ferguson to deny him. Recalled all-rounder Doug Bracewell, arguably playing for a place in this year’s World Cup in England, showed he had vastly improved his batting, with a counter-attacking 57 - his first ODI half-century. None of the Indian batsmen looked
like he was in trouble and with openers Shikhar Dhawan (66) and Rohit Sharma (87) scoring at almost a run a ball, the visitors should have really set a target in excess of 350. The third match is also at Bay Oval tomorrow.
SCOREBOARD SRI LANKA 1st innings 144 AUSTRALIA 1st innings 323 SRI LANKA 2nd innings o/n 17 for 1 Dimuth Karunaratne c Tim Paine b Pat Cummins 3 Lahiru Thirimanne c Tim Paine b Pat Cummins 32 Dinesh Chandimal c Kurtis Patterson b Pat Cummins 0 Kusal Mendis c Joe Burns b Pat Cummins 1 Roshen Silva c Joe Burns b Pat Cummins 3 Dhananjaya de Silva b Jhye Richardson 14 Niroshan Dickwella c Marcus Harris b Jhye Richardson 24 Dilruwan Perera c Kurtis Patterson b Pat Cummins 8 Suranga Lakmal stp. Tim Paine b Nathan Lyon 24 Dushmantha Chameera not out 5 Extras: (b-9, lb-15, nb-1) 25 Total: (all out, 50.5 overs) 139 Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-17, 3-19, 4-35, 5-69, 6-79, 7-109, 8-110, 9-139. Bowling: Mitchell Starc 14-1-56-0 (nb-1), Jhye Richardson 13-5-19-2, Nathan Lyon 8.5-3-17-1, Pat Cummins 15-8-23-6.
Test in Canberra beginning on Friday and will also miss the team’s subsequent tour of South Africa.
SCOREBOARD INDIA innings Rohit Sharma c Colin de Grandhomme b Lockie Ferguson 87 Shikhar Dhawan c Tom Latham b Trent Boult 66 Virat Kohli c Ish Sodhi b Trent Boult 43 Ambati Rayudu c & b Lockie Ferguson 47 MS Dhoni not out 48 Kedar Jadhav not out 22 Extras: (lb-1, w-10) 11 Total: (four wickets, 50.0 overs) 324 Fall of wickets: 1-154, 2-172, 3-236, 4-271. Bowling: Trent Boult 10-1-61-2 (w-4), Doug Bracewell 10-0-59-0 (w-1), Lockie Ferguson 10-0-81-2 (w-1), Ish Sodhi 10-0-43-0 (w-1), Colin de Grandhomme 8-062-0 (w-2), Colin Munro 2-0-17-0 (w-1). NEW ZEALAND innings Martin Guptill c Yuzvendra Chahal b Bhuvneshwar Kumar 15 Colin Munro lbw Yuzvendra Chahal 31 Kane Williamson b Mohammed Shami 20 Ross Taylor stp. MS Dhoni b Kedar Jadhav 22 Tom Latham lbw Kuldeep Yadav 34 Henry Nicholls c Mohammed Shami b Kuldeep Yadav 28 Colin de Grandhomme c Ambati Rayudu b Kuldeep Yadav 3 Doug Bracewell c Shikhar Dhawan b Bhuvneshwar Kumar 57 Ish Sodhi b Kuldeep Yadav 0 Lockie Ferguson c Vijay Shankar b Yuzvendra Chahal 12 Trent Boult not iut 10 Extras: (w-2) 2 Total: (all out, 40.2 overs) 234 Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-51, 3-84, 4-100, 5-136, 6-146, 7-166, 8-166, 9-224. Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 7-1-42-2 (w-1), Mohammed Shami 6-0-43-1, Vijay Shankar 2-0-17-0 (w-1), Yuzvendra Chahal 9.2-0-52-2, Kedar Jadhav 6-035-1, Kuldeep Yadav 10-0-45-4.
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Osaka outclasses Kvitova to claim Australian Open, world No.1 rank By Sudipto Ganguly MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Naomi Osaka overcame nerves, tears and a spirited challenge from double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, to claim the Australian Open title with a 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4 win yesterday. It was a second successive Grand Slam crown for the Japanese, after her U.S. Open triumph in September, and she became the first Asian player to claim the world number one ranking in the process. Kvitova saved four match-points, showing the same resilience she needed to return to the top level of tennis after a knife attack and lengthy surgery in 2016, but her fightback fell just short. Osaka shed tears after losing the second set from a 5-3 lead but returned to court after a washroom break calmer and more composed. She broke Kvitova in the third game of the final
set and converted her fifth match-point to end a superb final in two hours 27 minutes, receiving the acclaim of the crowd in stark contrast to her last Grand Slam success. While she had heard only boos from an angry and frustrated crowd after defeating home favourite Serena Williams in an ill-tempered U.S. Open final, yesterday she received a proper coronation from an approving audience at the Rod Laver Arena. “Hello, sorry, public speaking isn’t really my strong suit so I just hope we can get through this,” Osaka said after receiving the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup from former champion Li Na and a winner’s cheque for A$4.1 million (£2.23 million). “Huge congrats to you, Petra, I’ve always wanted to play you and you’ve been through so much. You’re really amazing and I’m really honoured to have played you in the final of a Grand Slam.” The 21-year-old Osaka
Japan’s Naomi Osaka poses with the trophy after winning her match against Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)
became the youngest women’s world number one since Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who was 20 when she topped the rankings in 2010. The fourth seed, one of the cleanest strikers of the ball in women’s tennis, also became the first player since
Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to win the next Grand Slam after her maiden major title. For Kvitova, simply being in a Grand Slam final was a triumph of sorts. She had missed the tournament two years ago while recovering from an attack by
a knife-wielding home intruder that left her with a stab wound to her racquet hand. “It’s crazy, I can’t believe I just played a final of a Grand Slam again. It’s been a while in a final for me,” said an emotional Kvitova. “But mostly, thank you (to my team) for sticking with me even (if) we didn’t know if I would be able to hold this racquet again.” Osaka took the first set on a tiebreak after both players had exhibited their entire array of shots in a high-quality opening to the match. Kvitova’s serve, which looked impregnable during the early games of the opening set, suffered a dip as Osaka took up unconventional receiving positions, forcing the Czech to make adjustments. Osaka had won 59 straight matches after taking the first set before yesterday’s final and showed why, as her serves grew bigger and the winners flowed from her racket in the second. After an early trade of
service breaks in the second set, the Czech’s confidence appeared shaken and she was broken to love before Osaka held her serve to win a fourth straight game. But the 28-year-old Czech, who had lost just seven out of 33 career finals before yesterday, fought back with booming serves to save three match-points and hold for 4-5, before breaking Osaka to draw level. A teary-eyed Osaka could not stop Kvitova’s fightback as the Czech won four straight games to win the set after the Japanese served her fourth double fault. A break in the third game of the decider, however, proved enough for Osaka, who fell to her knees as Kvitova’s forehand went wide to hand her the title.
Five-star Man City rout Burnley in FA Cup as Shrews scare Wolves (REUTERS) - Manchester City continued their impressive scoring spree to rout Burnley 5-0 in the FA Cup fourth round yesterday and make it 30 goals and seven straight wins in three separate competitions since the turn of the year. Another Premier League side, Wolves, required a 93rd-minute equaliser from Matt Doherty to draw 2-2 with League One Shrewsbury Town while Newport County, from League Two, also scored in stoppage time against Championship (second-tier) side Middlesbrough to clinch a 1-1 draw that also means a replay. There was, though, never much chance of a shock at the Etihad from the moment Gabriel Jesus put City ahead with a fine strike after 23 minutes. Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero also scored, with a Kevin Long own goal completing the demolition.
The win - City’s eighth in succession since losing to Leicester on Boxing Day comes three days after they reached Wembley in the League Cup and means Pep Guardiola’s side, who trail leaders Liverpool by four points in the Premier League, are competing for trophies on four fronts. “It is our eighth victory in a row and of course we have scored a lot of goals,” said Guardiola, who is seeking City’s first FA Cup trophy since 2011. “Everyone wants to help the team but there is always something to improve - today they (Burnley) had one or two chances which we gave them.” Four-time winners Wolves will be delighted to have secured a replay after fighting back from two goals down against a side who are 54 places below them in the English football pyramid. Defeat would have been doubly embarrassing because
Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi celebrates with John Stones during the match. (Action Images via Reuters/ Jason Cairnduff)
Shrewsbury are managed by Sam Ricketts, a former Wolves captain who was a regular member of the side that won the League One title in 2014. Ricketts seemed to have hatched the perfect gameplan when goals from Greg Docherty and Luke Waterfall had the home fans anticipating a rare foray into the
fifth round but Wolves, who knocked out Liverpool in the third round, fought back with goals from Raul Jimenez and Doherty to keep their names in the hat for tomorrow’s draw. “Our players can take a lot from that,” said Ricketts. “Neither side will have wanted a replay but we will have another game. Don’t write us
off yet, we went to Stoke and won in a replay.” Newport will also approach their replay full of hope after thrilling their 1 200 travelling fans with a scrambled equaliser from Matthew Dolan, a former Boro academy player who never played a first-team game for the club. The replay ensures a return home for Tony Pulis, who hails from the same Newport suburb as County manager Michael Flynn. The Welsh club, who beat Premier League side Leicester City in the previous round, are seeking to reach the fifth round for the first time since 1949. Newcastle and Watford made clear where the cup ranks in their list of priorities by making 18 changes between them for their all-Premier League meeting at St James’ Park, which the visitors won 2-0 with goals from Andre Gray and Isaac
Success. It is only the second time in 10 seasons that Watford have got this far. Brighton & Hove Albion could only draw 0-0 at home to Championship side West Bromwich Albion while League One side Doncaster Rovers reached the fifth round for the first time in 63 years after beating League Two Oldham 2-1 with two goals from Ben Whiteman, his winner a controversial penalty in injury time. League One side Portsmouth have an impressive FA Cup tradition and remain in the reckoning after their 1-1 draw with QPR, for whom Nahki Wells equalised Lee Brown’s opener. Oli McBurnie scored twice as Championship side Swansea beat Gillingham, of League One, 4-1.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 27, 2019
Flintoff & Boycott ‘disrespectful’ Scott leads Malteenoes to convincing win against to Windies –Johnny Grave MYO in U-19 clash
Jason Holder’s previous highest Test score was 110.
CRITICISM of West Indies by former England players has been “borderline disrespectful”, says West Indies Cricket chief executive Johnny Grave. West Indies bowled England out for 77 before setting the tourists 628 to win the first Test in Barbados.
Ex-all-rounder Andrew Flintoff said the “world’s gone mad” after West Indies captain Jason Holder made 202 not out. Former batsman Geoffrey Boycott described the hosts before the series as “very ordinary, average cricketers”. West Indies are above
only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings. But Grave said negative comments about a side who look set to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series were “completely unwarranted”. He told BBC Sport: “Criticism of our players and suggestions that they’re not world class is unfair. “They are so dedicated. We’ve got 11 cricketers here and many more in the region who want to play Test cricket.” England failed to take a wicket on day three as Holder and Shane Dowrich, who scored an unbeaten 116, helped West Indies declare on 415-6. England turned down a
first-class warm-up match England, third in the ICC rankings, have won only one series in the Caribbean in the past 51 years. They lost 1-0 in 2009 after being bowled out for 51 in the first Test and drew 1-1 on their most recent tour in 2015, against a side described as “mediocre” by England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves. Before this series, England chose not to play a first-class match. Instead they drew two two-day games against a West Indies Cricket President’s XI in which players were allowed to bat twice in an innings. (BBC Sport)
GFC, Police clash in monumental ‘STAG Revival Cup’ Final tonight IN what will be GFC’s second final in a matter of months, the faithful fan base will be hoping that they can cross the line this time around and lift the trophy, when they face Police FC tonight in the Georgetown Football Association’s (GFA) ‘STAG
Revival Cup’ at their home ground. Police are known adversaries and will go into the clash as slight favourites. However, GFC have young talent who will need to be at their best if they are to come out on top. Both teams grabbed their
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final spots last Sunday. Police were the first to seal their spot as they narrowly beat GT Panthers 2-1. In their semi-final against Fruta Conquerors, GFC produced a workmanlike performance in a thriller which had to eventually be decided via penalties. With regulation and extra time failing to produce a winner with the deadlock at 1-1, the game went down to penalties and GFC held their
Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)
Viv Richards-291 (The Oval, London 1976)
(2)
Brian Lara-400* (ARG, St. John’s 2004)
Today’s Quiz: (1) What was the result of the first Test of the current WI/ENG series? (2)
Who was voted ‘Player of the Match’? Answers in tomorrow’s issue
nerve to beat Fruta 3-2. The winners of the STAG Beer Revival Cup are expected to walk away with $500 000, while second- and thirdplace will receive $250 000, and $150 000 respectively. The Revival Cup was launched last year by the GFA with support from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to encompass football clubs within the Georgetown area.
AN all-round effort from skipper Jerimiah Scott propelled home team, Malteenoes Sports Club, to a convincing victory against the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) yesterday in their opening clash of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Noble
(4x4s). Kester McAllister finished unbeaten on 28 runs. Bryion Bowen, Mohammed Jameer, Dillon Ramsaroop and Joshua Gardner finished with two wickets each for the visitors. In their time at the crease,
Shamar Yearwood (left) and Jerimiah Scott were outstanding for the winners.
House Seafoods Generation Next U-19 100-over cricket competition. Scores in the game: Malteenoes 268 all out in 49.1 overs, MYO in reply 111 all out in 36.3 overs. Armed with former national U-15 batsman Shamar Yearwood, who left Transport Sports Club this month, and former Antiguan U-17 cricketer Nicolas Tappin, the home team were the stronger side on paper and it showed in the middle after they won the toss and batted first. Tuen Hicks and Yearwood added 88 runs for the second wicket after Wayne McPherson (1) lost his wicket early. Hicks struck four fours in a score of 30, while Yearwood scored 43 (seven fours). MYO were able to break the partnership and take four other quick wickets to bowling themselves back into the game (94-2 to 131-6), but Ntini Permaul joined Scott, and the pair added 88 runs for the seventh wicket. The skipper carved out 68 runs (9x4, 1x6), while Permaul supported with 32
MYO lost wickets at regular intervals and barring Niran Bissu, the other batmen were guilty of not batting themselves in. The middle order batsman, who reached the boundary four times and went over it twice, scored 41, but his dismissal (caught at backward point chasing a wide ball off of spinner Wayne Bollers) led to a late order collapse as the last four wickets fell for three runs to leave the team on 111 all out in 36.3 overs. Jameer batted at three, added 18 for the visitors, and Bowen, batting at six, scored 14. Scott, who did his damage in the middle, led the home team’s bowling attack with 3-10 from seven overs, while there were two wickets each for Permaul, Bollers and Ray Seecharan.
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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, January 27, 2019
Narine pips DeNobrega to cop 26th Ricks & Sari Cycling Meet By Michelangelo Jacobus BERBICE leading cyclist, Balram Narine, got the 2019 season off to a great start yesterday, by pipping Team Evolution’s Paul DeNobrega and Michael Anthony (Linden Bauxite Flyers) on the finish line in a shock victory, to grab the feature Schoolboys and Invitational 35-lap race of the 26th Ricks and Sari 11-race cycling meet. At the inner circuit of the National Park, the eventual top six finishers pulled no punches as they separated themselves from the pack
as early as the fourth lap. From there it was a matter of endurance and tactics which would determine the winner. However, Narine stuck with Anthony and DeNobrega throughout the race. Finally, on the homestretch to the finish line, DeNobrega and Anthony perhaps underestimated Narine’s finishing power. He managed to keep up and eventually powered ahead of DeNobrega in a close finish. DeNobrega’s bike-throw finish landed him second place while Anthony fin-
ished third. Fourth to sixth went to Briton John, Alex Mendes and Ajay Gopilall in that order. In other results Nehaum Rigby took the BMX Boys 9-12-years race while Jose Rodrigues was the winner in the BMX Boys 6-9-years. Ajay Gopilall was the top Juvenile rider with Steve Bhimsen retaining the BMX Boys 12-14 race. Team Coco’s Junior Niles copped the Veterans Under-50 event while Andy Spencer won the Veterans Over-50 race. Ozia McAuley finished first in the Mountain Bike race.
Michael Singh is new GABF president MICHAEL Singh was yesterday voted president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) when the sport’s local governing body held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Executive Committee Elections at Roraima Duke Lodge. Singh, who ran unopposed, will have Kenrick Thomas, Lawrence Simon and Alex Graham as vice-presidents, General secretary Patrick Haynes, treasurer Gavin Singh, assistant secretary/treasurer Joseph Chapman, and technical coordinator Andrew Hercules. The affiliated members: Bartica, Berbice, Georgetown, Linden, Guyana Basketball Officials Council, Women’s Basketball Association, Georgetown Masters and GT Pioneers, elected all the positions unchallenged at the smoothly-executed elections. Nigel Hinds, who was elected in January of 2014 to the helm of the GABF, had publicly announced that he was not seeking re-election, despite Guyana’s success on the regional stage. It was during Hinds’ tenure that Guyana made a return to the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championship, a tournament they won for the first time last year when it was hosted in Suriname. Singh, who served as a vice-president under Hinds, upon addressing the gathering, first paid tribute to the former president, who he said served the sport with distinction. Meanwhile, the new GABF president pointed out that the first item on their agenda, is securing the almost $10M needed for the National basketball team to ensure their participation at the February 22–24 FIBA AmeriCup
Balram Narine (left) powers over the finish line ahead of Paul DeNobrega (right) and Michael Anthony (centre) to cop the feature event of the 26th Ricks & Sari Cycling meet. (Delano Williams photo)
The next cycling event will be the R&R International 11-race programme
which will be held at the same venue on February 9, while the same sponsors
Confusion remains as Bowlers set up easy win JJTRC release for Lusignan Sports Club provisional programme
By Rajiv Bisnauth
Some members of the new GABF executive body, seated from left: Kenrick Thomas, Michael Singh and Lawrence Simon. Standing, from left: Junior Hercules, Alex Graham and Joseph Chapman. (Rawle Toney photo)
qualifier tournament in Colombia. Guyana will play in ‘Pool B’ of the qualifiers in Bogota, Colombia, where they are expected to face the home country (Colombia), Paraguay and Bolivia. The GABF will first meet today to charter a way forward with the assistance of government and corporate Guyana to give the Junior Hercules-coached team the best possible preparations to enhance their chances of winning the tournament. (Rawle Toney)
will have their Road Race on February 10 over in West Demerara.
THE Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee (JJTRC) has released their provisional programmes for the Triple Crown Series, with the second leg set for March 24, the same day with the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) traditional Phagwah race meet. Both JJTRC boss, Nasrudeen Mohamed Jr. and KMTC head, Cecil Kennard, agreed that there will be no changes to their respective dates, which will now leave not only the sport but turfites, jockeys, sponsors and stable owners is total confusion. Kennard had told Chronicle Sport last week that his club has no problems with the first and third legs of the Triple Crown but does have a problem with the second date because it’s the same day with the Phagwah race meet which is over four decades old. This new development could have been avoided if there was a proper legislation to govern the sport. Dubbed the ‘Sport of Kings’, horse racing, since its resuscitation locally, has been operating under a legal document that was registered under the Miscellaneous Deeds Act. However, the draft, Guyana Horse Racing Authority Act, which will allow the sport to run more effectively, to deal with violators, and to give the GHRA the power to schedule race dates among other regulations, was championed by Kennard in 2015 but to date that critical piece of legislation is yet to be implemented. Nothing much was done by the previous administration with regard to the implementation of the legislation, and the present Government cannot escape some criticism since a copy of a horse-racing legislation has been lodged with the government since late 2015. Meanwhile, the provisional programme for the Triple Crown series has carded nine races for each race meeting, with $1M set for the winning stable in each feature event.
IN WHAT could be deemed a one-sided affair, Lusignan Sports Club produced an allround effort to thrash Lusignan East Strikers by eight wickets in the latest round of the East Coast Cricket Committee (ECCC)-sponsored SPR 40 overs cricket tournament yesterday at the Lusignan Community Centre ground. Winning the toss and deciding to bowl first, the hosts were spot-on right from the start, as their bowlers never allowed the opposition to score freely and as a result the latter folded for just 89 in 29 overs. Sachin Sahadeo top-scored with 22, and was the only batsman to reach double figures. The wickets were shared among the bowlers with Vickram Doodnauth claiming 3-24, Chanderpaul Ramraj and Rajpaul Basdeo taking 2-12 and 2-8 respectively, while there was a wicket each for Kumar Bishundial and A. Mohamed. In reply, the home team lost both openers early, but an unbroken third-wicket stand between Steve Ramdass and Shazam Ali ensured
Steve Ramdass
the commanding victory, as they surpassed the target at 94-2 in 15.1 overs. Ramdass struck six fours and one six in his unbeaten 47 while Ali hit three boundaries in his 27. The tournament continues today with seven games: Lusignan B will host Paradise Sports Club, while Strathavon B, Cane Grove New Generation Sports Club, Fairfield, Enmore Enforcers, Better Hope A and Ogle will host Better Hope Sixers, Buxton, LBI, Bee Hive, Golden Achievers and Strathavon Sports Club respectively.
Chase takes 8 for 60 to wrap up crushing Windies victory PAGE
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Roston Chase leads his team-mates in a victory lap. With figures of 21.4-260-8, Chase was West Indies' unlikely bowling hero on another memorable day. (AFP)
Victory – a glimpse of Windies true abilities, says head coach Pybus BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Interim head coach Richard Pybus believes yesterday’s emphatic 381-run over England in the opening Test here has provided a glimpse of what the future holds for West Indies. Written off before the start of the three-Test series, the Ca-
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ribbean side stunned the English by outplaying them over all four days of the affair at Kensington Oval, to come away with an amazing victory with a full day and half a session remaining. “I’m delighted. The guys played extremely well – prepared well, executed well. I’m just very happy for the boys,” the English-
man told reporters afterwards. “I think when you turn up and you deliver your game plans and you execute them really well with precision, it gives you an understanding of possibilities and what you can do down the line. TURN TO PAGE
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Windies interim head coach Richard Pybus
Osaka outclasses Kvitova to claim Australian Open, world No.1 rank
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2019