WEDNESDAY 20th November, 2019
’ No.105827
‘Drastic and unconscionable’
... Gov’t weighs in on dismissal of Troy Resources workers
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… vows to protect workers’ rights, bring redress in shortest possible time … calls on company to take steps to mitigate further distress
‘Get your act 02 together!’ PAGE
…IDB says Sheriff/Mandela road project will resume when contractor fixes issues … working with government to help iron our problems
More positive male role models needed
Partners and media operatives signing the banner to indicate their commitment to joining the campaign to bring awareness to road safety (Adrian Narine photo)
… psychologist says as GNNL 11 celebrates male workers PAGE
President David Granger, on Tuesday afternoon, received a courtesy call from the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri. Prime Minister Mottley made a brief visit to Guyana on her return to Barbados from the Republic of Ghana. She was welcomed by President Granger, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings and other officials. Prime Minister Mottley was accompanied by Barbados’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Jerome Walcott and other officials. In this Ministry of the Presidency photo President Granger and Prime Minister Mottley share a light moment on her arrival at the CJIA
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 20, 2019
‘Get your act together!’
… IDB says Sheriff/Mandela road project will resume when contractor fixes issues
… working with government to help iron our problems By Lisa Hamilton INTER-AMERICAN Development Bank (IDB) Representative, Sophie Makonnen, has given the assurance that, should the contractors involved in the ongoing Sheriff/Mandela road expansion project, get themselves in order, there was “more than a chance” that IDB support can resume. On Monday, it was announced that the Bank suspended the disbursement of funds for the on-going US$31 million project owing to health and safety violations by the Chinese contractor, Sinohydro Corporation Limited. In a post, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson said that violations related to significant breaches of the Loan Agreement, specifically to Section 4.08 Environmental and Social Management. This meant that there were serious health
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Representative Sophie Makonnen and safety infractions as well as traffic management failures by the contractor. He said that Sinohydro was warned on several occasions to rectify those issues but unfortunately, majority of failures identified have remained outstanding. In fact, the Ministry said in a subsequent statement that for more than 12 months, it
consistently issued numerous Notices to Correct (NTCs) to Sinohydro on various environmental and social non-compliances, as well as on infractions related to traffic safety and control with the most recent issued on October 25, 2019. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday, Makonnen said that the IDB is working along with the government to see how best the issue can be rectified. “There has been a suspension until things are back to where they should be,” she said. “This is not an ideal situation but like every contract there is sometimes difficulties and this is a difficulty that’s being addressed by the government of Guyana. We are working on a technical basis with the Ministry [of Public Infrastructure] to see how best it can be addressed but the primary responsibility is with the signatories of the contract…we want to see at
the IDB the road [completed] as much as the government of Guyana and as much as everybody.” Despite the contractor’s failure to rectify the issue, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has already commenced actions to address the defaulting issues, since some of the failures pose serious safety risks to the general public. The Ministry has been in discussions with the IDB regarding the measures to be adopted by the Contractor to facilitate the resumption of the disbursement of funds inclusive of a plan to correct all the misgivings. The issue was brought to light after Sinohydro Corporation Limited dismissed an employee and said it was because Ministry failed to pay the contractor for the last three months. “While the dismissal of any employee is regrettable, the contractor should not seek to blame any other entity for the clear disregard of contractual obligations,” Minister Patterson had said. The Ministry’s statement also noted that while a general lack of routine maintenance on the contractor’s part was observed, there has been recent effort by the contractor to comply with the safety
regulations in part. “However there are still the matters of new sites and areas where drainage works are completed, that have been left in a deplorable and unsafe manner such as open drains, protruding steel, lack of pedestrian walkways / facilities, lack of signs and barriers as a result of several open work sites, lack of retro-reflectivity as well as the poor construction quality of signs and barriers as a result of which the barriers have fallen on the ground; and flaggers either not being present, or not perform the tasks of regulating traffic at the construction areas,” the statement read. Meanwhile, Makonnen clarified that the guidelines set out by the IDB are in accordance to international best practices and are not specific to Guyana. “In the loan to the country, as to all the countries we work with and all the contracts that are funded through our loans, there are all subjected to same policies or standards, environment safety, all of those. So, any contract has to respect those, especially where citizens could be in danger,” she said. The IDB-funded Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue road expansion project was
contracted to the company in December 2017 but work commenced in August 2018, following surveying work. The project was intended to improve road safety; simplify traffic movements; provide adequate drainage for the road corridor and interdependent communities; and extend the design life of the pavement and all roadway structures to a minimum of 20 years from the expected end of construction. This stretch of road will see the construction of a twolane roadway with a concrete median portioning the two lanes along Sheriff Street, while Mandela Avenue will involve expansion of the roadway from a two-lane road to a four-lane road with a central concrete median and shared-use paths. A roundabout will be constructed at the junction of Sheriff Street and David Street/Railway Embankment Road, while the completed roadway will also be outfitted with the requisite road safety amenities, including sidewalks, bicycle lanes and adequate parking spaces. Bridges will also be upgraded; while in the vicinity of East Ruimveldt and North Ruimveldt Secondary schools, there will be a pedestrian overpass.
Works being conducted on Mandela Avenue back in January 2019
‘Drastic and unconscionable’
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 20, 2019
... Gov’t weighs in on dismissal of Troy Resources workers … vows to protect workers’ rights, bring redress in shortest possible time … calls on company to take steps to mitigate further distress
GOVERNMENT, on Tuesday, described Troy Resources Guyana Inc’s decision to dismiss 375 of its workers as “drastic and unconscionable. The management of the Australian-owned gold mining company, due to financial challenges, took the decision to terminate the services of all of its laid off employees on Sunday. The announcement, however, was made on Monday via ‘memo.’ Severance pay is expected no later than Friday. The dismissal of the more than 300 workers came up for discussion when Cabinet met on Tuesday. “Cabinet is most distressed by the action taken by Troy Resources and considers the dismissal as drastic and unconscionable, particularly at this time when we are heading into the Christmas season. It came without reasonable notice being given to the workers, their union or the ministries of Social Protection and Natural Resources,” A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government said in a statement.
Cabinet is now calling on Troy Resources to take all measures to ensure that its action does not bring further distress to workers and their families. Given the serious implications of the decision taken by Troy Resources, Cabinet has appointed a sub-committee to further examine the matter and engage the Australian Company with a view to
ment said. Weighing in on the matter, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman said he and the Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally briefed Cabinet on the termination of the workers by the mining company. Minister Trotman said while Government and Troy Resources were in
Troy Resources Inc Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ken Nilsson (right) and General Manager, Eric Olsen reactivating its mining operations expeditiously. “Cabinet empathises with the affected workers and assures each of them that it will take steps to protect their rights and to bring redress in the shortest possible time,” the Govern-
active discussion, Government was unaware that the company would terminate the services of the over three hundred workers who were laid off of work during the last six weeks of the year. “We believe that the ac-
Troy Resources Inc gold production plant at Karouni in the Cuyuni/ Mazaruni Region (Tamica Garnett photo)
tion taken by the company, of course, is precipitous,” Minister Trotman said while adding, “we are most disappointed I have to say, I don’t believe we were given sufficient notice of this action, both ministers did engage the company’s management last week and none of us had a sense that this was going to happen.” Iterating Government’s disappointment, he said “every door has been opened to the company for them to resume operations in a shorter time; we have made that possible for them.” He too assured that the Government will continue engaging the company about early restarting and bringing back all workers laid off. “This is not the time of the year that we should see workers going home, they have homes, its Christmas,” he noted. Hours after Troy Resources broke the news to its workers, the union for the employees, the People’s United and General Workers Union (PU&GWU), said it was alarmed at the company’s decision to terminate employees without giving it notice. “The Union wrote them earlier this month asking to meet for discussions. There’s nothing that is surprising to the Union; we were conscious that the next move that they would’ve come with would’ve been to pay severance,” GTUC’s Lincoln Lewis said, adding: “The termination of employment and severance pay law says that the Union has to be given one month’s notice, and the list of names and classification of the people that would be sent home. None of that was done.” According to Troy Re-
sources, it intends to restart operations and rehire the affected workers. “It is expected that ‘Troy’ will go back to rehiring employees, as needed, for a start-up in the near future, and hopes most current employees will be available and willing to return to work,” the ‘memo’ read. It then goes on to say, “In the meantime, ‘Troy’ continues with exploration work, repairs to the processing plant, and securing the assets. The success after restart is heavily dependent on team work, open communication, and the understanding that we all need to pull together to make it work.” During a media visit to the company’s Karouni sites last Thursday, management said it was costing the company some US$40,000 per day to continue in its suspended state, which began since October 12. Guyana’s Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act 14 (1) gives employers the option to lay off employees for a period not exceeding six weeks. Notwithstanding reportedly outperforming its September gold production target by 1395 ounces, and plans to start mining a small test pit at Ohio Creek, the company said it was hard-hit since operations were suspended. Following the October 8 death of Ryan Taylor, one of its geologists at its “Hick’s Extension” mine in Karouni, Troy Resources laid off all but 137 of its employees, on the pretext of complying with a directive from Minister with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott. Scott’s ‘cease-work order’ was rescinded by Minister of Social Protec-
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman tion Amna Ally on October 15, but the company chose to remain closed instead. Following Taylor’s death also, investigations were launched by the Occupational Health and Safety (OH&SD) Department and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Despite all investigations and reports have been completed, none of them have been released. Guyana’s Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act 14(1) gives employers the option to lay off employees for a period not exceeding six weeks. A decision on the way forward for the company had been expected following a meeting between the executives and their Australian principals last Sunday night. Notwithstanding reportedly outperforming its September gold production target by 1395 ounces, and plans to start mining of a small test pit at Ohio Creek, the company said it was hard hit since operations were suspended.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday November 20, 2019
U.S. support for Israeli settlements renews focus on core issue in Mideast conflict JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel’s ruling right-wing government on Tuesday moved swiftly to embrace Washington’s backing for Israeli settlements, even as Palestinians and Arab leaders said it was a threat to the international rule of law. Monday’s announcement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo abandoned the position that settlements in Israeli-occupied territory were “inconsistent with international law”, reversing a position taken by the United States under President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost no time in making political capital out of the announcement, as he struggles to remain in power following two inconclusive Israeli elections and possible criminal prosecution over corruption charges, which he denies. “I admit that I am very
moved,” Netanyahu said as he visited the Etzion bloc of settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. “The Trump administration has corrected a historic injustice,” Netanyahu said. “This is a very great day for the State of Israel and an achievement that will stand for generations.” Some Israeli analysts said the announcement had little practical effect - with settlement building already in evidence under a Netanyahu government, as it had been since the area was captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. In Geneva, the U.N. human rights office said the settlements remain in breach of international law, echoing a position taken by the International Court of Justice in an advisory opinion in 2004. Israel disputes this, and Netanyahu has cited historical and biblical links to the West Bank in supporting Jewish settlement. Palestinians
say settlements jeopardise their goal of a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. “HOLD BACK” Although President Donald Trump told Netanyahu in early 2017 that he would “like to see you hold back on settlement for a little bit”, the intervening period has seen repeated postponement of the White House’s “Deal of the Century” peace plan. Trump has also made a succession of pro-Israeli initiatives. These include U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017, moving the U.S. embassy to the city in 2018 and cuts in U.S. aid to Palestinians. In March, Trump recognised Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in 1967. Hagit Ofran, Settlements Watch Director of the left-wing Israeli group Peace Now, said there were 430,000 settlers in the West Bank and 200,000 in East Jerusalem, living in 132 settlements and 121 unofficial settlement outposts. About 3 million Palestinians live throughout the West Bank. “If you want to know what the Deal of the
Century plan was, we know what it is now,” said Ofran after Pompeo’s announcement. “It is to say to the Palestinians ‘you are not going to get any of your basic demands and rights’.” INTERNATIONAL LAW The speed and consistency of the response by Palestinian officials suggested they are familiar with headline-grabbing Trump initiatives and have decided to frame them in a wider context. “The bias of the Trump administration towards the most extreme in Israel blinds it from seeing the basic principles of international law and consensus,” said Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on Twitter. Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour said he was consulting other nations at the Security Council to “lobby a unified international position to confront the American illegal announcement regarding settlements”.Diana Buttu, a former legal adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization, said the U.S. decision had been decades in the making. “Each U.S. administration, since Reagan, has pandered to Israel on
20 November, 201910:00hrs - ~11:30hrs
settlements,” she told Reuters. “I get the sense from the Palestinian leadership’s responses that they believe this issue has to be framed as not just about ‘us’ but about the world order that people believe in... when you go down this path it isn’t just about Palestine, this affects Crimea and other places around the world.” FACTS ON THE GROUND David Friedman, the Trump-appointed U.S. Ambassador to Israel, said on Twitter that Pompeo’s announcement would “advance the cause of peace” by creating a “level playing field” for future talks. To many Israeli settlers, the U.S. move simply recognised the status of settlements they regard as permanent. “From the sea to the Jordan River, it belongs to the people of Israel,” said Zomi Osi, a settler speaking near the new settlement neighbourhood Ramat Givat Zeev, which is expanding along a valley in the West Bank. But yards away in Beit Ijza, overlooking Ramat Givat Zeev and an Israeli highway built through the West Bank, retired Palestinian villager Mahmoud Salem said nothing could change the fact that the land was Palestinian. “He (Trump) doesn’t own it, he has no right to give it to anybody and he can’t force its owners to leave it,” he said. GAZA AND ARAB WORLD In Gaza, where Israeli withdrew soldiers and settlers in 2005, Palestinian student Fatima Attallaa stood outside
a building that was once part of the Israeli settlement Neve Dekalim, saying she looked forward to the day when the West Bank was also free of settlers. “The American decision is void,” she said. “Settlements will be removed. We are at a university that was once a settlement and today it is Al-Aqsa University.” Wider Arab and Muslim reaction was equally condemnatory. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said such an “unfortunate change” in the American position would not bring Israel security, peace or normal relations with Arab countries. Egyptian state news agency MENA quoted him as saying it would “push the legions of Israeli settlers to practise more violence and brutality against the Palestinian population.” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter: “No country is above international law” and “fait accompli style declarations” had no validity. Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, said a U.S. change of position on settlements would have “dangerous consequences”. Calling the settlements illegal, he said they killed prospects for a Palestinian state existing side-by-side with Israel. But in U.S.-allied Saudi Arabia, the state news agency did not mention the issue after a cabinet meeting, focusing on criticism of Israeli air raids in Gaza.
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Guyana CHRONICLE, Wednesday November 20, 2019
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Journalists must be tough and fair, says Gleaner Editor-In-Chief
JAMAICA GLEANER-The press should be unbowed in its pursuit of the truth and not engage in self-censorship for fear of public backlash, says veteran journalist Kaymar Jordan, the new editor-in-chief of The Gleaner. Addressing a Press Association of Jamaica public forum yesterday evening at The Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston, Jordan was emphatic that the news must be a factual reflection of the society it serves, “be it in terms of the spiralling crime situation, our fast-depreciating dollar, corruption at the
Caption: Gleaner Editor-in-Chief Kaymar Jordan addressing the Press Association of Jamaica’s annual forum at The Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston yesterday
highest level, or red flags in other areas, such as entertainment and sports”. A self-confessed “unapologetic news hound”, Jordan waded into the controversy over a recent Sunday Gleaner story that explored a charity show hosted by Jamaican entertainer Orville ‘Shaggy’ Burrell to raise funds for the Bustamante Hospital for Children. She defended the story as fair and balanced, covering all the bases and airing the views of the relevant parties. Jordan, a Barbadian with more than 20 years of experience in radio, television
and print journalism, said that although The Gleaner had taken flak for being “anti-Shaggy”, the newspaper would be unafraid of probing hot-button issues. “There are certainly no sacred cows when it comes to the truth,” she said. Likening journalists to doctors who are guided by the Hippocratic Oath, Jordan said media practitioners should rigidly adhere to professional principles, ethics and standards. She urged journalists not to be swayed by political or other persuasions because biases or personal agendas should play
no role in the production of the news. “I wish to assure you, as I stand before you today, that I am neither pro-JLP, or -PNP, or pro- anything else for that matter, except pro-journalism, and this will be the only marker used in making editorial decisions,” she said. Jordan also called for media organisations to invest in newsrooms sufficiently in order to promote the culture of investigative journalism, supporting the quest to unearth truth. Reporters, she said, “especially in instances where details are in short supply”, should “dig
deeper and deeper until they arrest that elusive guy, the one we all know but can’t seem to pin down - the truth”. While acknowledging views that the news was too negative, the editor-in-chief urged readers and viewers to focus less on the message and messenger, challenging them to partner in reshaping cultural norms and realities. “If the news is merely mirroring what is taking place in our communities, it stands to reason that the behaviours and daily happenings are what are too negative,” Jordan said.
Ganja ‘high’ schools
--Marijuana-laced cookies the rave among St James students JAMAICA GLEANER-Amid concerns of a permissive culture of drug use among Jamaican children, there are fresh fears that easy access to marijuana-laced foods is putting students at risk of health complications in ‘high schools’.Stakeholders in the western parish of St James are particularly worried that the consumption of ganja cookies and other marijuana-infused products could take hold. While school administrators were generally coy in response to reports of high-school students in St James getting ill after ingesting ganja cookies – cakes laced with ganja – several children with whom The Gleaner spoke have confirmed that the practice is growing. “Three boys eat the cookie and started to act strange,” a student at Irwin High School said of an incident that occurred more than a week ago. “They had to be taken to the hospital for medical attention. Two of them are back at school, but I don’t know what happened to the other one.” When Victor Newsome, principal of Irwin High, was contacted, he acknowledged a recent incident but said his
own investigations had not yielded substantial information. “All I can say is that I have heard of one case, but I cannot confirm it because I have not seen anything myself,” said Newsome, who was rushing off the school’s compound to take an injured child to the hospital. “I am doing my investigations, but I am not getting any information.” A teacher at another St James school, who requested anonymity because she was not authorised to speak on behalf of the administration, disclosed that she had personally seen students consuming ganja cakes at schoolboy football matches and fears that the practice could become more prevalent because the pastry was considered less dangerous than smoking weed. “We see boys sharing the cookies at matches and it seems to be a popular thing among them,” the teacher said. “It allows them to get high without actually having to smoke the ganja spliff, which was the more popular practice in the past.” Dr Marcia Johnson Campbell, medical officer of health for St James, says she has grave concerns about adolescents consuming ganja,
arguing that it could impair learning, concentration, and language development. “Whilst there are some beneficial medicinal properties of cannabis, the adverse effects of marijuana, especially by our young people, are real and significant, and we must urgently work together to prevent use in our students and (address) early detection and treatment of those who have already begun to display symptoms of mental-health issues,” said Johnson Campbell. However, the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) has chided the State for not doing enough to discourage ganja use among children, with its executive director, Michael Tucker, calling the current environment a “free-for-all”. A 2016 National Household Survey study by the NCDA indicated that 10 per cent of 12- to 17-year-olds perceived that there was little or no risk associated with regular use of ganja, with up 40 per cent reporting minimal, if any, risk linked to infrequent use of other substances. Fifty per cent of secondary-school-age children said that illegal drugs were sold in and around their school
compounds. Last month, The Gleaner reported that a random drug test of 25 students at a Manchester boys’ home revealed that only three were found to not have ganja in their system. Despite being a strong advocate of ganja use, Ras Iyah V, head of the Westmoreland Hemp and Ganja Association, who also sits on the board of the Cannabis Licensing Authority, told The Gleaner that he was opposed to youngsters ingesting ganja in foods. “When baked, the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in the herb (ganja) is activated … . That is the substance that creates the psychological effects, which might require medical attention,” said Ras Iyah V. “That is really the only way that herb can really hurt a youth.” “When a ganja cake is ingested, it does not take effect immediately, which may cause a youngster to think it is okay to eat several slices … . Sometimes it lingers in the body for 30 to 40 minutes before they start feeling the effects, which is where the problem comes in,” added Ras Iyah V.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 20, 2019
Delivering for women SINCE being elected to office in 2015, the David Granger administration has made significant strides towards delivering on promises made to Guyanese women. This fact has resulted in women being afforded opportunities, the likes of which have never been seen before. In this regard, the APNU+AFC coalition government has exceeded expectations, and women may now enjoy a better life than was possible under the People’s Progressive Party’s restrictive and neglectful regime. The continuously improving conditions that women now enjoy are inextricably interlinked with the concept of gender equality. According to The United Nations (UN), gender equality means that women and men, and girls and boys, enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protection. It does not require that girls and boys or women and men be the same, or that they be treated exactly alike. Instead, those resources, opportunities, and protection depend on the particular needs of citizens. There is no doubt that women have, historically, been at a distinct disadvantage with regard to opportunities. Unfortunately, that state of affairs still exists; in some parts of the world, women are not even allowed to drive a car or to go outdoors unaccompanied by a man. In Guyana, conditions are better; there is currently legislated equity between the rights and entitlements enjoyed by women and those to which males are entitled; however, laws alone are not sufficient to ensure equity. This is so because, historically,
women were viewed as subservient to men, and that cultural bias — having become ingrained — must be rooted out in order for full equality to be realised. It is to this ideal that the David Granger administration has committed itself. His Excellency has promised that, “Government will continue to work with women’s organisations, law enforcement, and international organisations, among others, to achieve the goal of equality. The ultimate result should be women having a greater say in decision-making in all spheres of life.” President David Granger has kept his promise. The President has emphasised that economic empowerment is key to a better standard of living, and therefore, the administration continues to support more female entrepreneurs. Through the Small Business Bureau and the Women of Worth (WoW) initiatives, there has been an increasing number of women receiving funding and grants to help them grow their businesses, including in the areas of agriculture, agro-processing, cosmetology, event planning, jewellery design, manufacturing, and other enterprises. Government has allocated greater resources to tackle domestic and sexual violence, such as the establishment of a new taskforce to help vulnerable women leave abusive relationships. The construction of new women’s shelters across Guyana is an ongoing exercise; improving the provision of healthcare for women is also a priority. For example, a new vaccination programme against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) has been initiated, and continues nationwide with the objective of preventing cervical cancer. It is now a
priority to improve the level of maternal and child medical care with the objective of reducing infant and maternal mortality rates. The Granger government has initiated a Gender and Social Inclusion Policy, which aims to tackle negative economic, cultural and social practices that hinder equality. The administration has established a three-year GyGirlPower campaign which is being funded by €30M from the European Union to encourage girls to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects; areas that have traditionally been dominated by men. Those are just a few of the programmes that have been initiated by the David Granger government. Remarkably, all of the programmes undertaken by government have shown measurably tangible, positive results. Evidently, to date, The APNU+AFC coalition administration has an enviable track record of meeting its commitment to delivering higher quality services to Guyanese women. The president has kept his word, and continues to introduce innovative programmes intended to benefit women in all spheres of life. Government continues to make great strides towards gender equality, and, as a consequence, women may now enjoy a better life. Of course, although much progress has been made, there is still much work to be done. As such, Guyanese must ensure that the gains that have been made are not lost; citizens should cooperate with government to guarantee that Guyana continues along the path towards full equality for women.
Ramotar defends handling of Rodney CoI Dear Editor IN the November 16, 2019, issue of the ‘Stabroek News,’ Mr Kwayana made some remarks pertaining to the Rodney commission’s work that needs a response. He was critical of me for not seeking to have a consensus with the PNC/APNU and WPA as to the ‘Terms of Reference’ of the commission. I felt then, and still do now, that if I had sought the consensus, the commission would have never gotten off the ground. Not only did I not consult the APNU and WPA, but I did not raise this matter with the PPP either. I took that decision to work with the family who suffered long and the most by the tragedy of 1980. The Terms of Reference (ToR) were worked out between the Attorney General, then Mr Anil Nandlall and the Rodney family. The term ‘Intellectual Author’ that Mr Kwayana commented on cynically, in the ToR if copied from Fidel Castro as Mr Kwayana noted, is not important; most important was that Walter Rodney’s family agreed with it and it captured an important aspect of the
investigation. I should point out that to the best of my knowledge it was the first time that the family was directly involved in the process. All previous attempts to establish such a commission, the WPA said it was representing the family. In speaking to the family, I found out that no member of the family ever asked that an inquiry not be held as was told to President Jagdeo by Dr Roopnaraine when he was about to establish such a commission in 2005. In speaking to the family, I found out that none of them ever asked that no inquiry be held in 2005, as was told to them by President Jagdeo who was ready to set up such a Commission, by Dr Roopnaraine. I wish, also, to say that when myself and Mrs Rodney spoke of the matter, I was not seeking any political gains, contrary to Mr Kwayana’s belief. Uppermost in my mind was her request to bring the issue to closure. Indeed, in the process of our conversation, I said to Mrs Rodney that I wanted her to go into the inquiry with her eyes wide open. I asked her if she was aware that many of her
late husband’s closest comrades had migrated into the PNC and may not be willing to fully cooperate. She said she was aware, but still wanted to proceed. I, too, who lived through that period was anxious to have this done. The only reason that I did not initiate it immediately on taking office was because of my mistaken belief that the family did not want it. So, Mr Kwayana, that is simply the fact. The other issue I want to clarify is the question of Donald Rodney’s charges. When this matter was raised with me, I immediately agreed to wipe out the charge. However, the attorney general at the time told me that Donald Rodney was charged and convicted in his absence. Therefore, I could not just wipe out those charges. He recommended that the next best way available to me was to pardon Donald Rodney and that is what I did. I understand that the family is not happy with that; I understand their feelings on this matter, but that was the advice I got and I acted in accordance with that advice. Mr Kwayana also said that
“….. notably absent from the ToR was any reference, direct or indirect, to redress for the losses imposed on the Rodney family with its very young children…” He is right. However, he went on to say that “….the consideration of redress would not be absent from the President’s mind.” He is wrong here. This matter was never raised with me until late in the inquiry, that is, sometime in 2015. My attitude then was to let the inquiry conclude and we would deal with it immediately after; I am of the view that the family should be compensated. The report, even though truncated, has justified that. Mr Kwayana then joined with his colleagues in the WPA to excuse the PNC for terminating the inquiry immediately after taking power. He wrote; “…. President Granger …. new to the political arena, was in a difficult situation…. The party he led apparently began to press for the immediate closure of the inquiry…”. This, of course, is sheer speculation. Regards Donald Ramotar Former President
Op-Ed
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday November 20, 2019
By Raphael Trotman
Sheila Holder was a giant among women and the matriarch that stood protectively over the AFC family. Her death on November 20, 2011, left a void that is not easily filled. The Alliance For Change bears the unmistakable mark of her presence and contribution, which we have enshrined as part of our identity. Looking back, I recall when early in 2005 Khemraj and I encouraged Sheila to join on our political adventure. We had already made a decision that fate and circumstance had trust us in a direction that would see us leading thousands of like-minded patriots in transforming the political landscape in a way that was to be beyond our wildest imagination.
Indeed, what we were attempting had not been done before and the odds and opponents were certainly stacked against us. We recognised as well that this was not a job for one or two persons and that we needed to join forces with at least one other to form a triumvirate. Sheila Holder proved to be the best person who was a natural fit for all that we needed. She had demonstrated strength, charisma and intellect while representing the WPA in the National Assembly, and in her public appearances and engagements in championing the cause of consumerism, and best of all, she was a representative of the WPA, a party that we had tremendous respect for. We considered Sheila to be a high--value political prize and we were determined to convince her to join us.
Remembering SHEILA VALERIE AGNES HOLDER February 7, 1946 - November 20, 2011
In discussion with Sheila, surprisingly, there were no hard negotiations or clamour on her part for personal aggrandizement. Instead she willingly agreed to come alongside us as an equal and on the basis that we would conduct ourselves as different from the three parties we were coming from. When she finally said yes our political configuration was then completed - the three dominant political forces (PNC, PPP and WPA) were now, in a manner of speaking, merged into a force called the Alliance For Change. Sheila unintentionally and quite naturally evolved to become the AFC’s “mother” and she was a positive force that brought order and rules and respect to the party’s activities. Much to the chargin of
Stabroek News demands cash payments for ads Dear Editor, AN amazing thing is happening in Guyana. On the one hand, the Stabroek News is accusing the government of starving it of state advertisements because of deteriorating relations with officials over a number of issues, including demands for cash payment for ads. The government on the other hand appears to have woken up a bit late to the fact that people around the world now access social media outlets and sites far quicker than traditional media such as newspapers. So now that it is changing direction and focus to spread out ads to online outlets more than newspapers and television stations, there is a rift between government and the newspaper. That rift could have been avoided if only those in charge had clicked earlier. I called around to the three main newspapers yesterday and discovered that daily circulation of none is more than 25,000 copies in such a vast country. So
placing the majority of ads in newspapers, ads such as job vacancies, requests for nominations for national awards and others usually miss the general public because these ads are placed only in mainstream, traditional media. If officials insist on continuing with newspapers, radio and television, these ads should be duplicated on social media for all to see. In the case of Stabroek News, which I regard as the nation’s mainstream medium, persons both locally and in the diaspora have limited access to the paper as they have to subscribe or be limited to the few paragraphs the paper releases for internet readers. Its circulation, I was informed, is about 7,000 daily, so once again the question of where to place ads for maximum money value is a no-brainer. Of the four dailies, it is a toss up among the Guyana Chronicle, Stabroek News and even Guyana Times for the lowest circulation. I have also seen the Times being distributed for free in some areas because of poor
support. As people like Mark Benschop, Gordon Moseley, Demerara Waves and the Media Critic have proven, social media is where it is all at. Let us hope that those who place these ads snap out of the traditional media stupor; social media access is free. The Stabroek News would do well to tweak its online presence rather than demanding paid subscriptions. The fact is that some of the rival media houses have the same stories on the same day as that paper. Readers simply switch to those outlets. The paper would do well, I think, to make it up to government as when all is said and done, government is one of the largest advertisers; it is also the largest employer and the one which will more often than not have to advertise its numerous services, tender opportunities, vacancies and such like for statutory and other reasons. Sincerely, Earl Hamilton
Sheila Holder
some women, she was not shy to say that she was not a modern day feminist and had no intention to pretending to be. Instead, she espoused strong family and civic values and responsibility, and instilled a no-nonsense ap-
proach to ethnic relations within the party and in our public pronouncements. No doubt, her disciplined and wholesome upbringing as a child and her experiences as a woman, gave her a strength and confidence to assume the take charge and get it done attitude that she brought to the AFC. We needed her to do just that and she did it with an ease and a grace that was second to none. There were no angry words and hostility where she was concerned, but a firmness and a look that let you know that something said or done was inappropriate and would not be condoned. I remember Sheila for many good things and the one which stands out for me is her oft quoted adage: “Nature abhors a vacuum”. The AFC filled a political vacuum that was necessary to be filled in 2006,
and Sheila filled a vacuum within the AFC that only she could fill. Even now she remains irreplaceable and we miss her daily. As we enter into another cycle of political uncertainty and confusion, it is the quiet guiding voice of Sheila Holder that we remember as we tread our way forward carefully and purposefully. There is always going to be a vacuum to be filled, and if not by us, then someone or something will. Let us step into the next exciting challenge with purpose and a plan--as Sheila would have advised we do. We in the AFC will always be grateful for the gift of Sheila Holder and for the everlasting structures that she built. The politics of Guyana have been transformed by the contribution of those like herself who came, acted and left.
World Toilet Day
Dear Editor
YESTERDAY over 2 billion people, many of whom are Indigenous, still do not have basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or latrines. Article 21 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples makes specific reference to adequate sanitation for Indigenous Peoples; but on a global scale, much of the world’s population are
without proper ablution facilities. World Toilet Day is a day that is commemorated annually on November 19 to tackle the global sanitation crisis. This year’s aim is to deliver on Sustainable Development Goal 6, which promises clean water and adequate sanitation for all by the year 2030. Indigenous Peoples are among the most marginalised people in the world.v Article 21 of the UN
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states: “Indigenous Peoples have the right, without discrimination, to the improvement of their economic and social conditions, including, inter alia, in the areas of education, employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security. Regards Rooplall Dudhnath
Kaieteur News must do the honourable thing Dear Editor, THAT ludicrous article by the Kaieteur News on November 11, “Gov’t gives out land larger than Georgetown to a single individual” has only added to the unfair, discriminating campaign of the People’s Progressive Party to ensure certain Guyanese do not attain land wealth in this country. That ludicrous article by the Kaieteur News has also sought to unfairly discredit the current government in relation to land-issuance policies. It is now time for the Kaieteur News to issue a public apology to the government and
Mr Kirk Hollingsworth. I have noted the Kaieteur News claiming that the information in the official gazette was incorrect. I however know that good journalistic qualities demand that one check and check again, because once information is published it cannot be undone. The KN has caused the government and Mr Hollingsworth incredible embarrassment because of their inability to dish out factual information and provided more fake news and propaganda material for the desperate PPP. How can an experienced newspaper like KN, which has been around for more than two decades, make such an immature mistake? How
can 3200 acres of land be larger than Georgetown? Where in the mentioned location is that amount of land available to be given to this one individual, or did the KN conclude that the government would have sold residents and their homes to this one person without them even knowing? Editor, Kaieteur News must undo what it has done, because such discouraging information could be toxic in this very fragile political climate. Kaieteur must make a public apology with the same prominence it gave the initial article. Regards Peter Joseph
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 20, 2019
Expansion in pipeline for Watooka Guest House
…even after recent, massive upgrade MONTHS after its massive upgrade, management is mulling expansion of the Watooka Guest House to meet the demands of a growing clientele. Since its recommissioning, the facility has been experiencing a 100% occupancy rate and was forced to turn down potential guests during these periods. Manager Rawle Dundas, said that serious consideration is being given to expansion to meet demand. Presently, the facility is having expansion effected to its riverside deck, which has been one of its well-received additions. “Based on the response we have gotten so far, we are already thinking about expanding, because we had a young lawyer from Georgetown who wanted to stay in Linden....we didn’t have space and she was not the only one,” Dundas said. With Linden making tremendous strides in its tourism sector, Dundas posited that the guest house
sees itself as being a major player in the future. “We see ourselves as the facilitators of the activation; we see ourselves as being able to afford opportunities to our young people, whether it be people who have craft or agricultural products available because we would want to use local things at ‘Watooka’,” he added. The manager affirmed that “Watooka” is open to all and sundry and everyone can have a share, whether it is to earn, accommodation, dining, or touring the facility. The Watooka Guest House is one of the oldest colonial buildings in Linden that served as a restaurant and guest house in the early 1900s. The massive upgrade included refurbishing of 13 suites, including the Presidential and Prime Ministerial Suites; purchasing of modern equipment, appliances and other amenities; expansion of sections of restaurants, such as the bar, installations of air-condi-
Manager Rawle Dundas
tioning units, lights, WIFI system and cable TV; a complete kitchen makeover, landscaping and general maintenance of the lawns. The entire compound, which also boasts a pool, a decorative lawn and garden, has been extensively improved. The roof, windows, pool, fence and gate, among other things, were also mod-
The renovated Watooka Guest House
ernised. In addition to the new deck, other added amenities include a fully furnished annexe that comes with all modern amenities. This is located opposite the guest house. In an effort to boost its hospitality service, a plethora of new services are
also now available. These include collaborating with tour agencies to ensure guests enjoy a full experience of Linden, a private lounge, a membership scheme, security escorts and transportation services, as well as catering for private, small and large events, among other things.
Opposite “Watooka” is a centennial park which features the old railway station with locomotive as walking draglines that were used in the earlier days of bauxite mining. These were also spruced up as part of the upgrading project.
The Caribbean Voice is not a front – PPP nor otherwise Dear Editor Georgetown, Guyana, November 19, 2019: WITH reference to a letter in a section of the print media titled, ‘Caribbean Voice is a PPP front group masquerading as mental health advocate’, The Caribbean Voice (TCV) unequivocally states that we are a non-profit, volunteer-driven, NGO and have never been associated with any political party, nor do we plan to do so. Our membership is ethnically, culturally, socially and politically diverse. It is drawn from Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the UK, Canada and the USA; all countries in which TCV currently operates. Plans are afoot to soon get involved in St Lucia. The list of all members is available on our website at http://caribvoice.org/about-tcv.html. TCV emphatically states that Ms Gail Teixeira has never been associated with our organisation. Our Board of Directors comprises Dr Dawn Stewart, Dr Frank Anthony, Rev Desiree Watts, Dr Sixtus Edwards, Mr Imam Baksh, Mr George Simon, Dr Rohan Somar, Dr Shamir Ally, Mr Harry Shivdat, Mr Rohan Singh, Dr Lorraine Barnaby and Ms Bibi Ahamad. The late Dr Faith Harding was also a board member. One of our focal points is to save lives. Our professional counselling team has been effectively counselling numerous persons-free of cost-- since the launch of our suicide and abuse-prevention campaign. Those who have reached out for help span all the divides in and out of Guyana. To date, no one has been rejected, nor do we ask about ethnicity, political loyalty, cultural subscription or social standing.
Our National Conference on Suicide and Abuse, held in August 2015, was attended by over 75 organisations across Guyana. The conference was addressed by Minister of Public Security,the Hon Khemraj Ramjattan and then Minister of Social Protection, the Hon. Volda Lawrence, as well as H.E. Bryan Hunt, the then Chargé d’Affaires, USA Embassy , Guyana. The National Anti-Violence Candlelight Vigil was launched four years ago, through Voices Against Violence (VAV). VAV, an umbrella of diverse entities and individuals, has seen numerous vigils held in communities across Guyana by NGOs/CBOs/FBOs and other stakeholders. On August 17, 2018, the Hon. Sydney Allicock, Vice-president and Minister of Indigenous Affairs, was the guest speaker at a press conference to launch that year’s vigil. Our biannual El Dorado Awards focuses on the work of these organisation and individuals who make a difference across Guyana through volunteerism and giving back. Honorees are chosen on this basis only; they come from all parts of Guyana and reflect Guyana’s diversity every which way. TCV has conducted numerous workshops in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Seven, reaching over 5,000 persons from all walks of life. One such workshop, held in Region Two and attended mostly by Amerindian youth, was conducted at the request of the Ministry of the Presidency on August 17, 2018. As with all other workshops, fees were not charged for this one. We are in the process of planning two national campaigns across Guyana, starting next year: a lay counsellor training programme and a domestic violence awareness campaign
that would include focus groups with males. Also, to observe 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, November 25 to December 10 annually, we will be holding panel discussions on national TV in Guyana, focusing on safety and help for suicide and abused victims. The panellists will be drawn from various entities, both governmental and non-governmental. Currently, we are involved in Project Turnaround with the Buxton Youth Developers, an institution established especially for students who dropped out of school or never attended school. In collaboration with other donors, we are working to improve the infrastructure-- both internal and external--and to boost the academic and co and extra-curricula programmes. Additionally, our team has been working in the Buxton/Friendship area empowering/counselling, primarily youths and abused women as part of this project. TCV’s advocacy is extensive and most of what is lobbied for can only be implemented by the government of the day. Naturally, its supporters may perceive our advocacy efforts as anti-government. In fact, we have been accused of being anti-government during the governance of the PPP and now the APNU, but the fact is that our efforts have contributed towards a number of measures implemented; these include the suicide helpline; the psychology programme at UG and a bill in parliament to decriminalise suicide, which was voted against by the government. Also, promises have been made for the Gatekeepers’ Programme, counsellors in schools and a registry of sex offenders, but we are still awaiting implementation. It is in this context that our letter responding to Minister Broomes ‘anti-suicide
campaign’ at Linden was crafted. Under the previous PPP administration, then Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsarran was also taken to task by TCV for dropping the Gatekeepers’ programme that had been implemented by his predecessor, Dr Leslie Ramsammy. We also took on the National Family Commission under the PPP government for wasting valuable resources on a conference, with a foreign keynote speaker whose fee was in the millions of dollars. That conference was subsequently cancelled. TCV has never received support of any kind from either the previous or current government, although promises were made. We raise our funds ourselves, although recently we did receive donations from a few businesses in Guyana. Finally, Mr Annan Boodram and TCV are not one and the same. Mr Boodram is simply the president of TCV, which comprises more than 70 personnel with varied expertise and experience, who collectively plan our work, raise funds and execute the plans. Like every other TCV member, or members of any other entity for that matter, Mr Boodram has a life outside of TCV, that is wholly his own and has nothing to do with TCV. As TCV’s board member Harry Shivdat points out, “TCV has been in existence well before 2015 and the positions officially taken are based on our assessment of the facts and have nothing to do with who forms the government. TCV works in a non-partisan, professional manner to ensure the best outcomes for those at risk Regards Bibi S. Ahamad Director/Corporate Secretary
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday November 20, 2019
Energy negotiating firm opens doors in Guyana With the aim of enhancing the professionalism of energy negotiators the Latin Chapter of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) was launched in Guyana on Tuesday. The launching took place at the Herdmanston Lodge and with the help of the local Hughes, Fields and Stoby law firm. Now in Guyana, the company will not only engage with locals but persons in Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The AIPN is an independent not-for-profit organization that supports international energy negotiators around the world and enhances their effectiveness and professionalism in the international energy community. Founded in 1981, it has some 3,200 members worldwide in 110 countries and is known for its model contracts widely accepted in the oil and gas industry. AIPN has 20 industry model contracts and 6 contracts in developments and gives its services to numerous host governments, oil and gas companies, law firms and institutions. Some if its contracts include: Confidentiality Agreement, Consultant Agreement for Business, Gas Sales Agreement, International Dispute Resolution Agreement, Joint Operating Agree-
ment (JOA), LNG Master Sales Agreement, Seismic Acquisition and Well and more. AIPN members get complimentary access to download all AIPN model contracts, access to networking events, can join any of AIPN’s drafting committees and educational modules for those contracts where available. Speaking with the media, Director of AIPN and Commercial Manager Hess Corporation, Michael Beirne said that it was interest from Guyana through companies like Hughes, Fields and Stoby law that led to their launch in the country. Meanwhile, Director of AIPN and Principal at Bloem Consultants LLC, Willem Bloem said: “There is definitely key interest in anything to do with nation development [such as] learning, training, on-the-job training, course training. We have been very welcomed with open arms.” Beirne noted that of the many model contracts offered by the Association, it is likely that several will be beneficial to Guyana as it develops as a petroleum producing nation. While the Directors noted that AIPN --- in providing their contracts to members such as governments --- does not take a position on what should be right or wrong, it provides the legal frame-
work as starting point for negotiations. “AIPN does not facilitate the negotiations of contracts, it provides you with a starting point,” Bloem said. “They can use the expertise because they know where to find it and it’s available to them. What we will not do as an organization is to actually sit with the government and say you should do this or do that. An advisory, that’s completely separate because that is a professional service [but] we’re a non-profit member-based organization so we provide these starting points but we do not actually do consulting works with the government from AIPN.” At the launching, remarks came too from Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Commissioner, Dennison Newell who said that it is important that organizations like AIPN grow to provide their services in needed locations. He stated: “To have the AIPN in Guyana with a view that there could emerge a formal relationship with sector stakeholders is really exciting, at least to me. I hope that with this step this evening, recognition of what the AIPN does so well is amplified and the body of work that is available already will be accessed for personal and collective education.”
Seated from left at the launching of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) in Guyana are: Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Commissioner, Dennison Newell; Director of AIPN and Commercial Manager Hess Corporation, Michael Beirne and Director of AIPN and Principal at Bloem Consultants LLC, Willem Bloem (Carl Croker photo)
Several persons turned out to the event (Carl Croker photo)
ECLAC calls for breaking statistical silence
…urges more and better data to move towards Sustainable Development with equality The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, urged the region’s countries to break the statistical silence and seek more and better data to respond to the long-standing desire for sustainable development with equality. ECLAC’s most senior representative, along with Guillermo Patillo, Director of the National Institute of Statistics (INE) of Chile, and Rolando Ocampo, Chief of ECLAC’s Statistics Division, inaugurated the Tenth Meeting of the Statistical Conference of the Americas, which will be held through Thursday, November 21 at the United Nations regional commission’s central headquarters in Santiago, Chile. “We have come to break silences, to seek more and better data to forge effective paths to a better tomorrow. We have come to share what we’ve learned and strengthen capacities, to more accurately depict the traits of our reality, not for the purposes
of contemplation but instead with a transformative spirit that seeks to respond to the long-standing desire for sustainable development with equality,” Alicia Bárcena stated in her opening remarks. The high-ranking United Nations official said experience has shown that having timely and quality statistical information is an essential precondition for States to be able to effectively and efficiently perform their irreplaceable role. “This is essential so that policies are based on evidence coming from national statistical systems that bring together ever more autonomous statistics institutes, central banks, and health, economics and environment-related agencies, among others,” she indicated. She also underscored that territory matters and, therefore, geography matters. “Our territory is marked by its own singularities, urgencies and needs, its own history and dreams. That is our fundamental raw material,” she said.
ECLAC’s Executive Secretary highlighted that, 19 years after its creation, the Statistical Conference of the Americas (SCA) has become a crucial pillar for the statistical development of Latin American and Caribbean countries due to its countless roles, which range from representing the region’s countries in the global mechanisms involved in the Sustainable Development Goals process, the wide variety of the thematic and statistical tools available to the Conference’s working groups, to addressing the most recent challenges. She added that strengthening official statistics in the region’s countries is not just the responsibility of national statistics offices, but of society as a whole, and the State most especially. “This highlights the importance of giving more priority and resources to the development of National Statistical Systems, while simultaneously taking action to improve the legal and institutional framework of these systems
with the aim of bolstering confidence in statistics among all social, economic and political actors,” she said. During her remarks, Alicia Bárcena welcomed Rolando Ocampo, the new Chief of ECLAC’s Statistics Division. Meanwhile, Guillermo Patillo, in his capacity as chair of the Tenth Meeting of the Statistical Conference of the Americas, highlighted the exchange of experiences taking place between the region’s countries in areas such as geography and matters related to big volumes of data. “We hope that over the next two years, we will continue making progress on ever more effective coordination and on increasingly profound exchanges of experience and knowledge, under the aegis of ECLAC, which has provided us with a unique forum for integration,” he stated. The INE’s Director added that in the last biennium, the region’s countries “have carried forward a set of
initiatives that contribute to elevating the average level of statistics and of the methodologies we use.” “For the biennium that is about to start, we have sought to focus our efforts so that we can achieve things that make sense to us and that take us a step further with regard to methodological and technical issues,” he said. The Statistical Conference of the Americas is a subsidiary body of ECLAC and its main mandates include promoting the development and improvement of national statistics and their international comparability, as well as international, regional and bilateral cooperation among national offices and international and regional agencies. During the SCA’s tenth meeting, participants will address the institutional strengthening of national statistics offices and their leading role, the development of human resources and of statistical production to ensure its quality, as well as regional and international
coordination and cooperation for developing official statistics in the region. Member States will also analyse the outcomes of the Biennial Programme of Regional and International Cooperation Activities 2018-2019, approve the creation of Working Groups for the 2020-2021 period, and select the new Executive Committee of the Conference for the 2020-2021 biennium. In addition, a joint session will be held with members of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for the Americas. As a prelude to the Conference’s tenth meeting, on Monday, November 18, a high-level seminar was held on the future of economic statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean, in which prominent experts called for rethinking the current statistics system’s pertinence for tackling structural challenges in a changing world, in light of the 2030 Agenda.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 20, 2019
‘I want to be able to educate persons about the law’
…young attorney Chevy Devonish It is often said “Love what you do and do what you love” and this was proven by newly sworn-in attorney-at-law Chevy Devonish when he was admitted to the local bar on Tuesday. DEVONISH, a journalist, a University of Guyana lecturer and now an attorney, was admitted to the bar by Acting Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George-Wiltshire at the Demerara High Court. His petition was presented by attorney-at-law Stephen Fraser, SC who presented the court with a brief biography of Devonish. The new attorney-at-law holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and a Bachelor of Law Degree (LLB.).
Balancing the world of law and journalism, Devonish graduated from the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) in Trinidad and was awarded his Legal Education Certificate (LEC) on September 6, 2019. There, he was selected as valedictorian by the HWLS Examination Committee and also served as group representative to the Guyanese class (2017-2018), Vice-President (VP) of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) from2018-2019. Devonish also served as contributor, editor, and committee member of the Gavel, HWLS official newsletter from 2017-2019. He is also a freelance journalist at Stabroek News.
Chief Justice welcomed Devonish to the bar and urged him to commit to the hard work that success entails and to commit to conducting thorough research to serve his clients and the citizens of the nation. While acknowledging Devonish’s dedication to the law, the CJ reflected on Former Chief Justice Ian Chang, who was laid to rest on the same day. She urged Devonish to aspire to the same legal height as Chang, who some labelled as a legal icon. In addressing the court for the first time, Devonish thanked his mother, who as a single parent helped him to reach his goals. Devonish explained while in the media he covered Par-
liament, press conferences and aspects of both law and politics. “What I realised was that I didn’t know enough to be able to do my job so I decided to enroll in the law programme and I thought that would assist me in doing my job.” He explained that he intended to complete the three years which were required to get his LLB and go back into the media. However, in 2016, after meeting attorney-at-law Fraser, he was allowed to be an intern at his law firm. It was that opportunity that propelled Devonish to join the Legal fraternity. “I want to be able to educate persons about the law pertinent to their everyday life such as landlord and tenant, land law; I want to be able to educate Guyana populace about laws which
Chang laid to rest FORMER acting Chief Justice, Ian Chang, was laid to rest on Tuesday, after a moving service at the Brickdam Cathedral. The service was attended by several members of the legal fraternity. Chang died on Saturday evening at a private hospital in Georgetown after losing a battle with cancer. During his tenure, he presided over many high-profile, controversial and constitutional cases in Guyana, while he served as acting Chief Justice for more than a decade. Ian Chang was also former Acting DPP and former Justice of Appeal. He went off on annual leave in December 2015
ahead of his February 2016 retirement. President David Granger said, he too, was saddened at the death of Justice Chang. He extended heartfelt condolences to his immediate family members, relatives and friends. For his part, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, expressed condolence at the passing of Justice Chang, saying that while he practised as an attorney, he had applauded Justice Chang for his bold decisions, which he had invariably reduced into writing and made available to attorneys. “Justice Chang was always approachable, an almost grassroot-type jurist, who was
willing and ready to advise on complex legal issues. He was popular among members of the Bar for his introduction of what became known as the ‘Happy Hour’ when he would accede to applications for bail for persons on trial for serious offences including, on at least one occasion, the capital offence of murder.” Nagamootoo added that Justice Chang made his mark on Guyana’s judicial system, and whether or not his decisions were popular, it cannot be said that he was ‘a timorous soul’. In a statement Saturday the Judiciary and Magistracy of Guyana said they were
Former acting Chief Justice, Ian Chang
saddened by the passing of Ian Chang C.C.H., S.C. whom they described as “a true son of the soil.” In a release to the media, the Supreme Court of
Recently-appointed attorney-at-law, Chevy Devonish and Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire
are important to them and I also want to be able to contribute to development of both local and regional jurisprudence, perhaps even international jurisprudence following in the footstep of
Justice Duke Pollard”. He explained that he desires to practise constitutional law, administrative law, and human rights and environmental law but was still committed to the media.
Judicature Protocol and Communications Unit stated: “Justice Chang served his profession and fellow Guyanese with great honour and integrity. His was a life of service to the nation. He was respected for his phenomenal legal intellect and was a fountain of legal knowledge which he readily shared. Justice Chang’s death will undoubtedly leave a void in the justice system and with colleagues within the legal fraternity whose lives he impacted. The Judiciary and Magistracy express condolences to the family and friends of Justice Ian Chang. May his soul rest in peace.” The Bar Council of the Bar Association of Guyana, on Sunday, said it was with a sincere sense of loss, together with an appreciation of the blessing of mercy, that it was
placed into a state of mourning upon learning of the death of the former Chief Justice acting. “For Chang, S.C., he made law his life. His life was a testimony of dedication in, and to, the law. His love for the law was one he demonstrated and shared with all of us who had any opportunity to have an interaction with him. This affection for the law was revealed and communicated in words, thoughts and actions which can be described as “Chang style”. We of the Bar Association know that his death is a loss of a friend and a mentor,” the council said in a statement. The Bar Association of Guyana also extended its deepest sympathy and condolences to Chang’s sorrowing relatives and friends.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday November 20, 2019
More positive male role models needed – psychologist …Guyana Chronicle hosts International Men’s Day activities MORE positive male role models are needed in society while focus should also be placed on men’s health and wellbeing while overcoming toxic masculinity. This was the view of Psychologist Wil Campbell during his address at a men’s forum held for male staff of the Guyana Chronicle, on Tuesday, at the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) Boardroom, Quamina Street, Georgetown. The event was held in observance of International Men’s Day which is observed annually on November 19. The event, which is celebrated worldwide, underscores the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities. The theme for International Men’s Day 2019 was: “Making a Difference for Men and Boys.” The psychologist said men do have parenting rights, do suffer domestic abuse and do
Psychologist Wil Campbell
General Manager (ag) Donna Todd
are and if they would want their daughter/s to one day bring home a man with their qualities, how they would feel. As such, he explained that men should always be cognizant of their impact on a child’s life. The psychologist said boys look up to their fathers and inculcate their actions and habits. As such, it was important to be a good role model so that the next generation will benefit from positive upbringing. He explained that all parents should actively participate in their children’s upbringing while teaching them about life, morals, values and positive traditional roles. Meanwhile, General Manager (ag) and Administrative Manager, Donna Todd, in her remarks, during the opening session, noted that International Men’s Day was founded to promote positive male role models; not just movie stars and
Editor in Chief, Nigel Williams (center) flanked by some of the men of GNNL on International Men’s Day at the Guyana Chronicle. (Delano Williams photo)
have unmet mental health needs. Many men are leading lives of quiet desperation. Attacking their supposed toxicity doesn’t help. He noted that International Men’s Day has been in observance for the past two decades and men should reflect on themselves since they are being beaten down in society. He noted that women are liberated and independent through empowering themselves, while men are not strengthening themselves equally. “Women have society, but men don’t have that, they do things on their own,” the psychologist said. “We have to get to a place where we strengthen and empower ourselves and each
other so that we can keep up with the newly-empowered woman.” He explained that men do not need to compete with women since their roles are different and unique. “We have to understand our roles, otherwise, what we do is compete with someone who is running a different race,” he said. Campbell said men are providers who need to accept responsibility for all their actions and inactions in their respective lives. Further, he said men are physically stronger because they are designed to be protectors and not the violators as seen in many domestic violence cases. The first comprehensive national survey on gender-based violence in Guyana done recently revealed
that more than half (55%) of all women experienced at least one form of violence at the hands of their partner. The various forms of violence against women and girls examined included sexual, physical, emotional and verbal abuse. While the global estimates show that one in three women worldwide experiences either physical and/or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner at some point in their lives, in Guyana, this is one in every two women. “In Guyana, 38 per cent of women [surveyed] have experienced physical and/or sexual violence, above the global average,” a report launched this month titled “Guyana Women’s Health
and Life Experiences Survey (WHLES)” stated. The survey was administered among 1,498 women between ages 15 and 64 in the 10 administrative regions. Half of all women who experienced intimate-partner violence never sought help, according to the report. Meanwhile, the psychologist said men need to educate themselves and understand that women also need and deserve to be nurtured and pampered. “Whenever you put your hands on a woman, ensure that it’s to make her feel good, like a massage or something of that nature,” he noted. “When I say pamper, it means reaching out to women in loving ways.”
Underscoring that such was hard to do when men may find certain things done by women upsetting, the psychologist said it was a man’s responsibility to ensure that he found coping mechanisms and stay away from violence. Adding that men should aim to be positive role models, he explained that when children look at their parents they learn a lot from their actions and conversations. “Girls tend to choose men similar to their fathers, even if they hate their fathers, they somehow are drawn to men who treat them the same as their father did,” he noted. He added that if men who have daughters focus on the type of person they
sportsmen but every day, working-class men who were living decent, honest lives. The General Manager explained that boys and girls needed positive male role models and that was the best way to create a fair and safe society which will allow everyone the opportunity to flourish. She also reminded the attendees that the annual day aimed to improve gender relations; focus on men’s health and wellbeing; promote male role models; celebrate the contributions men make to their communities; highlight the challenges men face and create a safer world for everyone.
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40 undergoing First Aid training
Forty participants, on Tuesday morning, started a one-week training course in First Aid and the use of the Automated External Defibrillator at the Guyana Red Cross Society (GRCS), in fulfilment of the second component of the First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger’s Early Childhood Development Workshop. This component of the workshop is being held at the GRCS’s Kingston headquarters. Confidential Secretary to the First Lady,
Lieutenant Colonel Yvonne Smith and Director General of the
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday November 20, 2019
GRCS, Ms. Dorothy Fraser also attended the opening.
Badal biting big …says will find names for all 10 regions
THE Change Guyana party is aiming to contest in all 10 Administrative Regions in the coming General and Regional Elections and its Presidential Candidate, Businessman Robert Badal, is confident that this will be possible for the three-weekold party. “We’ll contest all the Regions. All the Regions. We’re now putting things in place to move out into the Regions. We are only three weeks now so this week we’re going out, we’re going to meet people, small [groups] of people,” Badal told the newspaper on the sidelines of a press conference on Tuesday, assuring: “We’ll find names for all the Regions” The public concern is still present that many new political parties often form close to the elections period but are unable to garner enough votes or even requirements for Nomination Day. Contesting parties, according to Guyana’s Electoral System, must contest a minimum of six of the geographical constituencies adding together at least 13 seats for eligibility to contest and submit geographical constituencies list and National Top-up List. Added to this, each political party must have at least one-third women on the list of candidates validly nominated. Questioned whether the party has taken stock of the representation of women, the Presidential Candidate said: “Of course. We need more women to come forward. I’ll have a group of women in there tomorrow who I’m talking to, about 30 of them, then [there’s also] the Women’s Chamber…
we’re inclusive both gender-wise, ethnic wise.” Meanwhile, he stated that when it comes to the representation of youths, he has to “convince them to be candidates” even as he noted that the party has a strong presence of university students. Just in October, another new party, A New and United Guyana (ANUG), travelled to Linden to launch its party office in the Region but amassed a very low support turn-out. Badal said that although Change Guyana only recently launched, its campaigning efforts are nothing to be overlooked. “We’re campaigning all the time, we’re on social media…now we’re paying a lot of money to put it out [our campaign] and it’s on everybody’s smartphone. So, they have been campaigning for about a year now,” he said. Change Guyana has already registered as a party to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) ahead of what’s expected to be “the mother of all elections”. However, he admitted that it is not likely that the party will meet the capacity to also participate as an observer in the elections. Badal said: “It’s going to be difficult for us to observe because we don’t have the ground [or] foot soldiers there but we’ll rely on the observations of the international organisations, all the newspapers, the Chambers, the private sector.” The party has been hosting weekly press conferences on various topics where the media is allowed to ask questions specific to the topics.
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Public Service Credit Union offers attractive prizes in its first Christmas promotion
THIS year, five lucky members of the Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union (GPSCCU) will walk away with $500,000 each, the first time ever the body is promoting such an event. On Wednesday, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the union, Paul Clarke, noted on the Guyana Chronicle’s midday programme, Vantage Point, that the winner will decide the purpose for spending the attractive prize. He said the promotion runs from November 20 until December 20. The promotion targets persons whose salaries are less than $100,000 per month and whose accounts are in good standing. Additionally, eligible members must
hold at least five years’ membership, and must have taken loans from the credit union in the past. Employees of the credit union and their relatives are not eligible, Clarke said. Since it’s the very first promotion of its type being offered by the credit union, Clarke said that,” we are eagerly awaiting a response from our members.” The GPSCCU is being managed by an interim management committee which was installed in May 2018.Thus far, the union has implemented several initiatives to attract more members. Since its installation, over 1600 new members have been added to the credit union’s roster while a series of initiatives have taken effect to enhance the body’s development.
Four men accused of robbery remanded FOUR men were, on Tuesday November 19, 2019, remanded to prison by Magistrate Faith McGusty on robbery under arms charge. Businessman Baldeo Francis, 37; Driver Ramesh Singh, 45; Police Constable Kort Nedd, 27 and Leron Campbell, 26, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and were not required to plead to the charge. Particulars of the charge stated that, on November 11, 2019, at Matthew’s Ridge, in the North West District, armed with dangerous weapons, they robbed Jose Da Costa of $95,000 cash and a quantity of raw gold valued at $18M, property of Deonarine Sookram. On Tuesday, businessman Francis was also ‘slapped’ with two separate gun and ammunition charges. The first charge stated that, on the same day, at Skull Mountain, Arakaka, in the North West District, he (Francis) had in his possession one .223 riffle and two 9mm pistols without being the holder of a firearm licence. The second charge stated that, on the same day and at the same place, he had 120 rounds of ammunition, without being the holder of a firearm licence. Francis pleaded not guilty to the two charges, when they were read to him. Attorney-at-law Jerome Khan, who represented Francis, told the court that the gold that was found by the police belonged to his client, and some of the gold disappeared because his client handed it over to the police. Khan also told the court that the quantity of gold handed over to the police was more than what was shown and being circulated in the press. Attorney-at-law George Thomas, who represented police constable Nedd, told the court that his client was never a part of any robbery or any confession to any robbery. Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman objected to bail being granted to the four men based on the serious nature of the offence, the penalty attached and the value of the raw gold. Blackman also told the court that, on the day in question, Da Costa and his workers were at the Matthews Ridge Airstrip, awaiting a private plane, when the suspects, who were armed with Ak47 guns, attacked them and went into a cooler where the gold was. The men took away the raw gold and the cash and made good their escape. The matter was reported and police, acting on information, stopped Francis’ vehicle. A search was conducted and the raw gold was found in a container. Francis then took the police to his house and showed him the guns that were in a drum. Francis was arrested, and, based on the information provided, the other men were later arrested. Francis’ lawyer also asked the court to grant bail to his client on the illegal guns and ammunition charge, since his client was not found with the items. The lawyer added, that the police carried his client to his hovuse and, while Francis remained in the vehicle, an officer by the name of McGregor went into the house and returned with the guns and ammunition. Magistrate McGusty, after listening to the prosecutor and the lawyer, remanded the men to prison until November 26, 2019, and transferred the matter to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
The offices of the GPSCCU on Hadfield Street.
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President attends Joint Services games
President David Granger and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces on Sunday declared open, the Annual Inter-Services Swimming and Athletics Championship at the Base Camp Ayanganna Playfield. In his brief address to the members of the Joint Services, the Head of State said that while the championship will bring rivalry, it is his fervent hope that it also promotes cooperation and collaboration between the Army, Police, Fire and Prison Services.
He further noted that as participants strive for excellence in their respective athletic fields, so too must they endeavor to be their best personally and professionally. Following the opening of the games, the Guyana Defence Force and Guyana Police Force were adjudged the first place winners for the March Pass while the Guyana Fire Service took third and the Guyana Prison Service came in at fourth place.
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Kalibur Security, Region Ten RDC settle differences
–– contract to continue under revised conditions
OVER 300 workers, most of whom are women, can breathe a sigh of relief, as the Region Ten, Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the Kalibur Security Firm, have come to an amicable agreement to resolve their issues, in the favour of both parties and to continue the contract to provide security services, under revised conditions. This was relayed to top representatives of the security firm by Regional Chairman, Renis Morian and Councillors on Tuesday. Present at the meeting, were officers attached to the Department of Labour and Union Representatives. Both parties described the meeting as a cordial one. They were able to bring closure to the issues. A decision was made to not terminate
the security firm’s contract, as was initially contemplated when the RDC passed a motion to that effect recently. The RDC is one of the security firm’s major clients in Region Ten, and that would have seen about 300 staff on the bread line. The conflict between the security firm and the RDC arose after a female security guard engaged Morian on allegations of sexual misconduct being meted out to women guards by male supervisors. The security guard also went to the media and made the allegations, where she revealed she was a victim as well as other females. The other females, she mentioned, denied same and, last Friday, even protested against the move by the RDC to terminate a contract based on the report of only one security officer.
Regional Chairman Renis Morian shaking hands with representatives of the Kalibur security firm, following their meeting
Jailed for helping father escape police custody A 21-year-old farmer was, on Tuesday November 19, 2019, sentenced to 12 months in prison, by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, for assisting his father to escape custody. Samuel Domingo of Katoonarib Village appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to the charge, when it was read to him. Particulars of the charge stated that, on March 27, 2019, at South Rupununi,
he assisted Eustace Domingo to escape lawful custody. Domingo was, at that time, a suspect in the murder of Reginald Thompson. “I couldn’t watch my father go down like that. I had to help him,” Domingo (Jr) said. Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court that, on the day in question, Domingo (jr) returned home from his farm and observed that his father was
under arrest, and in custody of the village toshao and constable Marcus Alexander, having been arrested for the murder of Thompson. Mansfield added that, Domingo (Jr) who was armed with a knife, forcefully took his father from the toshao and the constable and went into some nearby
bushes, after which they fled to Brazil. Domingo (Jr) was later arrested, told of the allegation to which he admitted. He was later charged. Magistrate McLennan, after listening to the prosecutor and Domingo (Jr), sentenced him to 12 months in prison.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Web accessibility training for the differently abled
THE Ministry of Public Telecommunications on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Guyana (UG) to train special needs persons to become computer literate under a programme called Web Accessibility. The signing ceremony was held at the ministry’s headquarters at Colgrain House on Camp Street, Georgetown. Also known as the “Internet for all”
Minister Catherine Hughes and representatives from both her ministry and the University of Guyana, including Professor Michael Scott, right, appending their signatures to the agreement initiative, the training is aimed at assisting special needs students of the
university in acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to develop and
improve Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) accessibility, policies and programmes. The web accessibility programme is also aimed at ensuring that no one within the special needs community is left behind in the world’s growing technological era. The programme is among many other initiatives being undertaken by the ministry, and is aimed at ensuring that all Guyanese are part of the global and digital world. Speaking at the event, Minister Catherine Hughes said, “The signing of this (MoU) is a forward movement along the path to-
wards fulfilling the promises made to Guyana’s community of persons living with disabilities. The government, as you know, has taken an all-in approach to bring persons with disabilities into the mainstream public light, i.e. the working environment, to offer them the same opportunities to learn, earn, and access web content and software that were created specifically for their use.” The minister also highlighted that a part of the course is geared at training website developers to establish various Guyanese websites in both the public and private sectors that will allow persons
with disabilities to access the Internet. Minister Hughes further stated that one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2030) speaks to easy access to the Internet is a human right. “Therefore, persons with disabilities are encouraged to use the Internet more. It is mandatory that they are able to access websites that provide them with information and education, the same way any other citizen would be able to,” Minister Hughes stated. UG’s Professor Michael Scott, whose office will be responsible for the aforementioned course, said, “It’s important to recognise that all human resources are critical to our development. We all have our limitations, but the reality is that we need to ensure that all our human resources can rise above such limitations with help from media; we can make a difference in their lives. We recognise that it is imperative that we give them such opportunities.”
ILO engages stakeholders –– on skills needed for ‘green’ economy, petroleum
WITH Guyana said to be on the cusp of transformation into a petroleum state and a ‘green’ economy, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has sought to engage stakeholders on the skills which are necessary during the transition. Key stakeholders were sensitised on the required skills during a “skills anticipation” three-day workshop, which was funded by the ILO and coordinated by the Council for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in collaboration with the Board of the Industrial Training (BIT). The training will provide insight into the transformation which confronts the country, and outline what is required to meet the needs during the transition. “You will be able to understand the changing workplace and its demands, and the way the future of work will be perceived,” said TVET Director Floyd Scott in his remarks during the opening ceremony of the workshop at the Cara Lodge on Monday. He said the workshop will strengthen TVET’s capacity to use different methodologies to collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data to forecast the skills which are required. Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection Keith Scott, in his brief remarks, said participants must see themselves as game-changers, and make their technical contributions to curriculum design in skills
training. Senior Specialist for Skills and Employability at the ILO’s Caribbean Office, Hassan Bata Ndahi said at the conclusion of the workshop that stakeholders will have an idea what skills are required for a ‘green’ economy, learn about the different approaches to skills anticipation, and understand data analysis. The topics which will be covered will be in line with the government’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), Ndahi said. The ILO’s work will, however, not stop there, since the organisation intends on working closely with the government to implement the GSDS. The ILO is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally-recognised human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace. As the only tripartite UN agency, the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers representatives of 187 member states to set labour standards, develop policies, and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. According to the ILO’s website, in support of its goals, the organisation offers unmatched expertise and knowledge about the world of work acquired over almost 100 years of responding to the needs of people everywhere for decent work, livelihoods and dignity.
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Caricom awards winners of solar challenge competition
THE CARICOM Secretariat, on Monday, hosted an award ceremony for the Guyanese winners of its recently held Solar Challenge competition which was held under theme “Empowering people, Building resilience. The challenge was held during the month of October this year. The Guyana Solar Challenge was a national competition held to engage and educate youth nationwide about the benefits of renewable energy. The challenge was held as a collaborative effort among Solar Head of State (SHOS), the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), CARICOM, Guyana Power and Light (GPL), MPC Capital, Guyana Ministry of Environment, Public Service International (PSI), and Guyana Energy Agency (GEA). Participants were asked to utilise their creative energies in various artistic forms aimed at raising awareness towards renewable energy, with specification towards the potential delivery of long-term economic benefits, reduction of harmful environmental impacts, and the increase of energy security for Guyana. The winning projects demonstrated creativity and an ability to educate the public about the specific benefits of solar
energy for Guyana. Speaking at the awards ceremony Deputy Secretary-General of the CARICOM Secretariat, Amb. Manorma Soeknandan highlighted the importance of youth involvement in various activities aimed towards Guyana’s development. “Youth involvement is seen as being very important by the heads of CARICOM. Through influence and knowing how their fellow peers think, we are urged to set a good example for each other”. Soeknandan also elaborated on cooperation and change in the behavioural patterns of citizens, towards a safe and sustainable future, through Guyana going green and the hopes of the secretariat being an example towards going green in September of 2020. Coordinator of the competition Mr James Ellsmor, Director of Solar Head of State, in his vote of thanks, extended his heartfelt gratitude towards the sponsors, participants and the planning committee of the aforementioned competition. Prizes were awarded to the top four entries and certificates to the other participants. Ms Renuka Persaud copped the first place prize with her piece of an animated video that captured every aspect of the competition
Winners of the Guyana Solar Challenge and other officials in a fun but edifying manner. Second place went to Mr Josiah Mentor, third place to Mr Omari Joseph and fourth place to Ms Esther Watson. Dr Devon Gardner, Programme Manager of Energy, CARICOM Secretariat, in his closing remarks, highlighted that, through the Energy Programme, CARICOM aims at creating climate change resiliency, through sustainable development and energy supply in the Caribbean. CARICOM focuses on identifying funding gaps and potential solutions, building capacity and research, developing information and knowledge management, and promoting and providing regulatory solutions that support sustainable energy solutions in the Caribbean.
GTT pumps US$60K into GIPEX 2019 – company deems conference a gateway for networking in oil and gas industry
GUYANA Telephone and Telegraph, Company, said it has tripled its sponsorship of the Guyana Petroleum Business Summit and Exhibition (GIPEX) having deemed the annual event as a crucial forum for the country’s emerging oil and gas sector. “This high-level, international business summit will allow GTT and other thriving businesses the opportunity to connect with the influential oil and petroleum stakeholders and get insights on the latest developments in the oil and gas sector. GTT witnessed the many benefits of the conference last year and by our repeated and elevated presence we wish to signal that we are actively supportive, already engaged in meeting the telecom needs of the sector,” Nedd said in a release on Tuesday. The telecommunications company has pumped
GTT’s Chief Executive Officer Justin Nedd USD$60,000 into the summit making it a lead sponsor. In 2018, the company supported the GIPEX conference with a USD$20,500 sponsorship investment. GTT’s CEO will speak at the business summit, elaborating on ‘Why Guyana; the Investment opportunity of Choice’. “GTT has invested in Guyana for almost three decades; despite challenges we have
made an impact as one of the largest foreign direct investment organizations in the country and have adapted with every change,” Nedd reminded. The CEO explained that the company hopes to strengthen its connections with companies in the oil and gas sector and forge new relations, providing the assurance that Guyana’s telecoms sector can meet international demand. GIPEX is aimed at facilitating networking and providing investment opportunities for companies across all sectors associated with the petroleum industry in Guyana. In 2018 the summit was deemed a success as it attracted global participation from over 600 delegates and 200 international and national oil and gas companies. This is the second annual oil and gas summit to be held in Guyana as scheduled for November 20-22 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.
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New visions championed for global media development in all-media era SHANGHAI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Senior executives from major international media organizations have championed new visions on the development of the global media industry to cope with the profound changes brought by the rapid development of new technologies. The executives, who attended the fourth meeting of the World Media Summit (WMS) presidium held in Shanghai on Monday, called for innovations and cooperation between media organizations to improve their news services and shoulder greater social responsibilities such as combating fake news. The delegates reached a consensus that media organizations should ride the wave of change, embrace innovation, seize development opportunities, overcome challenges, mitigate risks and strive to open up new development space. INNOVATIONS Cai Mingzhao, executive president of the WMS and president of Xinhua, said changes in the media landscape are mainly reflected in four aspects: cross-border communications have transformed the media landscape; mobile end users business has become mainstream in the field of communication; technological evolution has recast modes of business for news industry; fake news posts challenges to journalism ethics. Regarding the development and innovation of media in the future, Cai proposed that mainstream media should keep their advantages in content, innovate news products, strengthen technological leadership, and build an all-media team.
He said Chinese media have proposed to advance the integration of traditional and new media, conduct a systematic transformation of all links of news dissemination, and work hard to realize the media’s integrated development. The delegates agreed that news media should follow the trend of widespread and profound changes taking place in the global media landscape, attach more importance to technological innovations, fully play their professional advantages, step up pragmatic cooperation and jointly discuss strategies for innovation and development. FAKE NEWS The executives also proposed that greater efforts should be made to crack down on fake news online, as well as to establish effective mechanisms and apply new technologies to safeguard the authenticity and
credibility of news reporting. Noting that the popularity of the internet has blurred the lines between fact and fiction, Cai said fake news posts challenges to journalism ethics, not only harming the audience but also undercutting the authority and credibility of mainstream media. Jim Kennedy, senior vice president of the Associated Press, said the company has established a special team to combat fake news and vet potentially false news on a daily basis. Kennedy added that media organizations can collectively work on AI tools needed to discern deep fakes and that the WMS can provide a platform for media outlets to discuss technologies that can be used in this regard. WMS IN NEW DECADE Summarizing the achievements of the
WMS in the past decade, Cai made several proposals at the presidium meeting to continuously inject vigor into the mechanism and enable it to play a bigger role. He said the WMS needs to build a more open and inclusive platform for media cooperation, improve the operating mechanism of the summit to make it more practical and efficient and foster more popular and influential media cooperation projects. The delegates agreed that the WMS mechanism has played a significant role in facilitating the communication and cooperation of media organizations around the world, becoming one of the most important high-end communication platforms for media globally. They also proposed that in the face of changes and challenges, media across the world should strengthen cooperation, learn from each other and carry out pragmatic cooperation in various fields. The WMS was co-initiated by nine media organizations with global influences, including Xinhua, News Corporation, the Associated Press, Reuters, TASS Russian News Agency, Kyodo News and BBC. Organized by Xinhua, the first WMS was held in Beijing from Oct. 8 to 10, 2009. More than 170 media leaders from across the world attended the event, which issued a joint statement. The second WMS was held in Moscow in 2012. The third summit was held in the Qatari capital of Doha in 2016, which issued the World Media Summit Doha Statement.
China shares wisdom of social governance with world HANGZHOU, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) --More than 200 scholars from nearly 20 countries attended a forum in east China’s Zhejiang Province to discuss the significance of the Chinese mode of social governance to the world. They agreed that China can provide wisdom to a world that is in need of new governance models. Home to about 13,000 clothing manufacturers and some 350,000 migrants, which accounts for 78 percent of its population, Zhili used to be a headache for authorities in social governance, given the complexities of interpersonal relationships among residents who came from all across the country. However, after adopting what authorities called an “embroidery” style of social governance, which emphasizes micro-management, Zhili has transformed itself into a model town where people of different backgrounds live in harmony. “If experience is the true source of knowledge, it is from you that we should be
learning,” Albrow told a forum held in Zhili in Zhejiang Province this week, where more than 200 scholars from nearly 20 countries gathered to discuss the significance of the Chinese mode of social governance to the world. Drawing support from the public is another feature of the Chinese model of social governance. Yu Cuiying, 61, is a resident of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang. Every day at 6 a.m., after putting on a red waistcoat and a pair of sneakers, she starts her day’s duty as a community vigilante, which involves patrolling the neighborhoods and regularly reporting suspicious incidents to a WeChat group. Over the years, the number of Hangzhou’s community vigilantes has grown from merely 18 to more than 42,000. They have played a key role in mediating disputes, deterring unruly behaviors, as well as collecting public opinions and maintaining
social order. “The Chinese model of social governance aims to solve China’s unique problems,” said Ouyang Kang, director of the Institute of State Governance of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. “A prominent feature is that it is participated in by the public and its benefits are shared by the public.” At the forum, experts from home and abroad agreed that China can provide wisdom to a world that is in need of new governance models. “The Chinese social-political model is an attractive one for many developing countries. Each country should choose its own best economic and political model,” said Jiri Paroubek, former prime minister of the Czech Republic. The key to social governance is to boost social development and people’s welfare, said Albrow, adding that the Chinese way of social governance can also help European countries ease social tensions.
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CANU rank shot, injured during anti-smuggling raid
A RANK from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit, on Monday night, sustained a gunshot injury, after he and several other officers, on a joint anti-smuggling operation, came under fire from smugglers in Mahaica Creek. While the name of the injured rank was not made public, CANU official, Leslie Ramlall, confirmed the incident. The anti-smuggling operation was led by the Guyana Revenue Authority Enforcement arm and was backed up with support from the Guyana Police Force and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit. Guyana Chronicle was told that the operation was an intelligence-led one which had been in the making over the last few weeks. The agencies involved did not brief many of the ranks about the operation they were going on and it was not until they arrived in the general area that they were briefed. While in the Mahaica Creek, the ranks observed a boat fitting the description of
the one they went in search of, and, shortly after that, they came under fire and were forced to return fire. After a considerable period of gunfire exchanges between the two sides, the other side with the suspected smugglers retreated and fled the scene. Law enforcement officers then made their way onto the vessel where they noticed a quantity of suspected smuggled beers, alcohol and chicken. The items are said to be the property of a man in Mahaica who owns several boats and has been on the radar of both CANU and GRA. Following the operation on Monday night, the law enforcement agents secured the vessel throughout the night, after it became grounded in the vicinity of Bee Hive, as they were attempting to escort it away from the danger zone. Amid mosquito bites, coupled with intermediate downpour, law enforcement maintained a presence at the Bee-Hive foreshore as they sought to secure the boat with its cargo until first light. Once the place became clear, entrance and disem-
The seized vessel barking of any vessel to and from the area were restricted as they awaited assistance to have the vessel removed from its distress
position. The investigation into the issues is on-going. No one has been arrested.
New Region 10 commander in walkabout in Linden TO better acquaint himself with the new territory, newly- appointed Commander of Region Ten Division, Superintendent Hugh Winter, on Tuesday, engaged members of the business community in Linden, hire car drivers and the Mayor of Linden, Waneka Arrindell and Councillors, during a walk-about exercise. He was joined by his Deputy Commander, Dexter Brown, and other senior ranks, representing the various departments in the division. The Commander and team, engaged particularly business owners and explained that the Division will be adopting an aggressive security posture to protect businesses from criminal elements, during the upcoming Christmas season. They also shared security tips with business owners on how they can protect themselves and their businesses, during this season. The ranks then met with hire car drivers plying the Amelia’s Ward and Wismar route as well as those plying the Georgetown route, and engaged them on the many traffic laws drivers were observed breaking and the need for them to comply earliest, so as to avoid prosecution. Winter and team also formally met with Mayor Waneka Arrindell and her Councillors and communicated on how the division and the Constabulary can collaborate on various projects, to ensure citizens feel safe and protected. The parties discussed collaboration with
the toll station system and how same can be better managed. Arrindell also mulled moving the booth to a more convenient location, where ranks will be better able to monitor same. Discussions also surrounded stricter enforcement of the movement of logging trucks on the Wismar shore, particularly during peak hours and on main thoroughfares. The facilitating of training for Municipal Constables was also discussed as well as collaborated patrols and sensitization programmes. Winter said that the walk-about comes days before the official Christmas presentation, where citizens will be detailed on the posture that will be taken to ensure the season is a crime free one. Winter was posted to Region Ten, upon the establishment of Regional Divisions, last month. Since then, he would have visited all stations and outposts in the region and would have also engaged Rural Constables and Toshaos, in an effort to close the gap between the outlying communities and Linden. As part of his preventative crime fighting strategy, Winter said he felt it was important to participate in social activities as it was a means of building trust with the residents. The general focus on the Division is to follow in his predecessors’ steps, to keep crime rate in the Division relatively low. Earlier in the year, the Division enjoyed a 20% reduction in all categories of serious crime.
Commander of Region Ten Division, Hugh Winter and other senior ranks engage hire car drivers in Linden
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Close to 400 objections upheld - GECOM PRO A TOTAL of 395 objections have been upheld by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) out of over 17,900 made across the country during the concluded Claims and Objections (C&O) period. GECOM PRO Yolanda Ward has stated that out of the total objections made, 13,747 were withdrawn; 3,822 were dismissed and there were 609 appeals. It was revealed at a recent meeting of the Commission that thousands of objections to names on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) had been received by the Commission. According to Law, an elector may visit the appropriate registration office to register an objection to the PLE of a person whom the elector believes was not qualified to be an elector. The objection is documented, signed by the objector and then submitted to the registration officer. This is followed by an investigation of the objection and a hearing held by the Registration Officer. Subsequently, a report is submitted to the secretariat and, if the objection is upheld, all particulars of the objectee are removed from the list to be used for polling. Many of the objections to names on the List have been attributed to representatives of the coalition. However, party representative in Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice) area, Carol Joseph has stated that numerous objections were thrown out by the Commission in the absence of any representation by the APNU+AFC accredited scrutineer. “I was not informed. I was totally unaware of the decision of the RO to proceed with the public enquiries. He had the responsibility to inform me about the imminence of these proceedings at least three days before. He did not. He did not adhere to what is considered to be the proper procedure. He went ahead and held the enquiries and made decisions about the APNU/AFC objections, completely and totally in my absence as the accredited scrutineer,” she said. The Returning Officer of GECOM’s office at Mahaicony is reported to have rejected APNU/AFC objections to over 535 names being on the PLE in the Abary/Mahaica Sub Region of Region 5. Joseph has stated that she has formally appealed the dismissals of the APNU AFC objections by the GECOM Returning Officer at Mahaicony. The appeal is to be considered by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GECOM. Altogether, Joseph said that the APNU/AFC had objected to a total of 13,000- odd names being on the PLE in Region 5.
All clear for seasonal city vendors THE Georgetown Mayor and City Council has announced that seasonal vendors can now ply their trade in an orderly manner. In a release, City Hall said “all seasonal vendors are hereby advised that the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown have given permission for you to ply your trades, effective Wednesday November 20, 2019.” However, this permission for vending, City Hall said must only be carried out during the period 06:00 hrs. to 18:00 hrs. Further, all pallets and mobile erected structures must be removed after vending. Failure to comply with the Council’s regulations will have serious consequences.
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Foreign Affairs men
In observation of International Men’s Day 2019, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Karen Cummings shared a moment with the men of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Groups trained in juvenile alternative sentencing
THE Juvenile Justice Department of the Ministry of Public Security, in collaboration with The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Community, Family, and Youth Resilience (CYFR) programme, has trained thirty-five Civil Society Core Groups, NonGovernmental Organizations and Government Departments, in Juvenile Justice Diversion and Alternative Sentencing (JJDAST).
The training was conducted on the 14 and 15 of November 2019, by consultant Dr. Dianne Williams, a Criminologist and Certified Criminal Justice Specialist. The objective of training was to build the capacity of participants to better implement diversion and alternative sentencing programmes, a release from the ministry said. Key components of the training focused on policies and procedures related to diversion and alternative sentencing, the roles and
functions of organizations providing diversion and alternative sentencing support, the organizational framework and related practical guidelines, and protocols and processes for the implementation of approved diversion programmes. The training was a major step in building a support cohort among civil society groups in all administrative regions of Guyana, who can provide suitable diversion programmes to a child who comes into contact or conflict Dr. Dianne Williams (center) During the JJDAST with the law. The Juvenile Care Foundation; Guyana Justice Department, through Responsible Parenthood the Director, is mandated, Association; Volunteer under section 9 of the Juve- Youth Corps; National Conile Justice Act, to develop ordinating Coalition Inc; and maintain suitable di- Central Islamic Organizaversion programmes and to tion of Guyana; Practical recognize as suitable, diver- Christian Ministries; Hope sion programmes offered by Foundation; Hope for All; Government Departments, Child Link; Monique’s Non-Governmental Organi- Caring Hands; Protect zations, Civil Society Groups Your Peace; Board of Inand the Juvenile Justice dustrial Training (BIT); Specialists Sustained Youth Committee. T h e C i v i l S o c i e t y Development and Research Groups who participated (SSYDR); Interweave Soluin the training were: Rights tions Guyana; The Rainof the Child Commission; bow Foundation; National Sophia Community De- Parks Commission; Guyvelopment Association; ana Trans United; For the Social Life Issues Guidance Children’s Sake Founda& Counselling Service; tion; Guyana Community Young Pioneers, District of Persons Living with and Grand Lodge of Guyana; Affected by HIV; Society Family Awareness Con- Against Sexual Orientation sciousness togetherness; Discrimination (SOSOD); Real Talk; reMan Guyana; Rainbow House; Mystique Amerindian Peoples’ As- Dance & Empowerment sociation; Ministry of Ed- Group; United Bricklayers ucation; Merundoi; Youth and United Bridge BuildChallenge Guyana; Linden ers.
Motorcyclist hastily buried after fatal head-on collision TWO motorcyclists crashed into each other in a head on collision at Rupunau Church yard located in South Central Rupununi, Region Nine, on Saturday, resulting in the death of a 31-year-old. Dead is Ben Aguilar of Rupunau Village South Central Rupununi. The other motorcyclist was identified as 25-year-old Baldwin Wilson of Rupunau village South Central Rupununi. Reports indicate that Baldwin Wilson and Aguilar were riding separate motor cycles at a fast rate of speed in the Rupunau Church yard and collided head-on in the same compound. As a result of the collision both riders were thrown onto the ground and sustained injuries about their bodies. Wilson was placed in a vehicle and taken to Lethem Regional Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty and admitted as a patient while Ben Aguilar, who was presumed dead by family members, was taken home to be buried. When police subsequently visited the scene, they were informed that Aguilar was already buried in a wooden box. Police subsequently exhumed the body and transported it to the Lethem Regional Hospital, pending an autopsy.
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 20, 2019
CARICOM reiterates position on Venezuela THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping has reiterated its commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the political and economic crisis in Venezuela, where opposition forces have renewed their call for the removal of President Nicolas Maduro from office. A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here, said that a four-member CARICOM delegation, including Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Dennis Moses, as well as the CARICOM Secretary General, Irwin La Rocque, met last weekend in Mexico to discuss the crisis in the South American country. “We reiterate our commitment to contribute to the efforts of the Venezuelan people to find a peaceful and democratic solution to their differences, in order to achieve peace and stability. We call on all actors to return to the path of a broad, credible and inclusive dialogue for that purpose,” according to the Declaration issued at the end of the meeting. The Declaration reiterated the commitment of the signatories of the Montevideo Mechanism to contribute to efforts to find a peaceful solution to the problems confronting Venezuela, through dialogue. CARICOM had said that the Montevideo Mechanism provided a guide to achieve peaceful resolution. Its core imperatives are dialogue, negotiation, commitment, and implementation “Further, the signatories reject the invocation of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance in treating with the challenges of Venezuela and recognize the usefulness of confidence-building measures in advancing the dialogue,” the Declaration noted. It said that given that other initiatives had not yet been fruitful, “we underline our position in favour of a dialogue based on impartiality and trust, as proposed by the process by the Kingdom of Norway”. “We reiterate our concern about the humanitarian situation in Venezuela, urging all parties to guarantee the protection and respect for human rights,” the Declaration added. The meeting also agreed on a “roadmap for future action”. Last weekend, opposition party supporters took to the streets chanting “We are not afraid,” in the largest anti-government demonstration in months. Political observers said that while the action did not appear to match the anti-Maduro protests earlier this year, it still amounted to a major uptick from the smaller-scale protests of recent months. The demonstrators said they felt inspired by the uprising in Bolivia that saw a divided opposition unite, win the backing of the military and force the resignation of former president Evo Morales, a staunch ally of Maduro. CARICOM has maintained its non-interference and non-intervention in the internal affairs of states, prohibition of the threat and use of force, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, respect for the constitutional framework and democracy, and the right of people to self-determination, all core principles which should not be violated. Venezuela’s Opposition Leader, Juan Guaidó, has declared himself the interim leader of the South American country and has been promptly recognised by several countries including the United States, Canada and some Latin American states. But Russia, China and Cuba are among countries that are supporting President Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn into office in January this year for a second consecutive term as president.
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Records tumble on day three in ‘Nationals’ field events By Faizool Deo SEVERAL records were broken when the field events commenced yesterday, on Day Three, at the 59th National Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track & Field Championships at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora. Up to the end of the afternoon session, three teachers and five athletes had broken the marks of their predecessors. Included in the mix was nine-year-old Delmar Benjamin, who handed the Rupununi their first record in high jump, according to officials from that district. The Grade five student of Aishalton Primary School was elated to have claimed a victory and new record in the High Jump Boys 10-andunder event. His 1.27m jump
was better that the previous record of New Amsterdam’s athlete Samuel Welcome (1.22m) in 2017. Rupununi District team manager Ariel James said that the young athletes are very driven and that they practise with a high jump makeshift apparatus on sand (no mattress/ cushion). Along with Benjamin, Zeryssa McRae (District 10) etched her name in the record books with a solid performance in the U-14 High Jump division. McRae jumped 1.48m to erase the previous mark of 1.38m, which was jointly held by Makayla Hilliman (South Georgetown) and Alice Fraser (Corentyne). Meanwhile Annastacia Clarke from District Two, Essequibo Coast/Pomeroon was able to
break the Discus - record en route to victory in the event. Her throw yesterday of 18.58m was slightly better than Tiona Lewis’s 2018 mark of 18.30m. Two teachers broke their own Shot Put records. Chenille Bowen (District 11) was able to break her 2017 record of 8.60m with a new mark of 9.15m, while Osofa Dos Santos bettered his 2018 mark of 13.05m with a throw of 13.93m. The other teacher’s record broken was in the Javelin Over-40 division. Curt Richard (District 1) was able to win that competition with a 38.m throw which better the 2017 record (36.94m) of Nikolai Newland (Corentyne) Okenoko Pascall (District 5) also broke a record in the throws, when he was able to push the shot put 14.25m
to eclipse the 2017 record of Sean Lam (13.43m). The other record broken was in the javelin Boys U-20 division. Joshua Tappin hurled the javelin to a distance of 57.31m, which was better than his District 10 teammate Jermaine Simmons’s 2018 mark of 55.88m. Outside of the records, there were several finals, including a victory for national athlete Deshana Skeete in the Long Jump Girls U-18 category. Skeete broke her PB in the event en route to a gold medal. Her top jump of 5.30m, was however off the mark of Chantoba Bright’s 5.82m mark, which was made in 2017. The 2019 meet, which is scheduled to conclude on Friday, is set to continue today at the same venue with more track and field action.
Golden Jaguars, Reggae Boyz play to exciting 1-1 draw JAMAICA and Guyana played to an exciting 1-1 draw in Group C of League B of the 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League on Monday night at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Guyana got on the scoreboard first with a long ball out of the
back from defender Matthew Briggs that materialised into a rocket from Emery Welshman in the 45th minute. The Welshman goal is the forward’s second of the tournament and the first goal conceded by the Jamaican defence during the group stage. It took Jamaica only five
minutes into the second half to level the score. Bobby Reid hit a ball from right-field into the box to find Javon East in the 50th minute. The last of those opportunities came on the last play of the match, saved by Guyana goalkeeper Quillan Roberts, in the 90+4 minute. Roberts
finished with four saves. Jamaica finish with an unbeaten record of five wins and a draw and the top spot in the group. The Reggae Boyz will feature in League A in the next edition of the tournament. Guyana end as runners-up of the group and advance to 2021 Gold Cup qualifiers.
Beaton reported for suspected bowling action RONSFORD Beaton, Guyana Jaguars fast bowler has been reported for a suspect bowling action following his match against United States of America (USA) a few days ago. Beaton was reported during the Jaguars game against USA last Monday at the Queen’s Park Oval, as the ongoing Colonial Medical Insurance Regional Super50 Cup continued. A release from Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Monday stated that Beaton’s action was mentioned by match officials after he bowled
eight overs and went wicketless for 37 runs, despite the Jaguars winning the match by 13 runs. The 27 year-old only recently made a return to competitive cricket during the local Jaguars Franchise League 50 Overs tournament, where he represented then defending champs Essequibo. His pace and return to form saw him bully his way back into Guyana Jaguars national side following a few seasons away from the franchise. Video footage from the game where Beaton was reported will be sent to Loughborough
University in the United Kingdom (UK) for an opinion report; which is in accordance with the CWI Regulations for Dealing with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions. Beaton, who played two One Day Internationals (ODI’s) for the Windies was first suspended from bowling after being reported during an ODI versus New Zealand on Christmas Eve of 2017. The International Cricket Council (ICC) then suspended Beaton from bowling internationally for nearly half of 2018 following his action being deemed suspect.
The remodelled action was then assessed at the same Loughborough University on August 13 2018, when it was revealed that Beaton’s elbow extension for all his deliveries was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Illegal Bowling Regulations. Meanwhile, CWI will again arrange for an independent assessment of Beaton’s bowling action and despite his call, he will be permitted to continue bowling in the Super50 until the outcome of the assessment is released.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday November 20, 2019
BCB/Banks DIH first div. cricket
Tons by Surujnarine, Ivan propel Albion to outright victory … RHT Thunderbolt, Tucber Park, Blairmont secure 1st innings points THE 2019 Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)/Banks DIH 1st Division 2-Day cricket tourney bowled off last weekend with a number of breathtaking performances highlighting the opening round of matches. At Albion, Port Mourant Cricket Club (PMCC) lost by an innings and 148 runs to Albion. Port Mourant crashed out for just 98 runs in their first innings as Rampertab Ramnauth and
Eon Hooper
Rajiv Ivan
Kandasammy Surujnarine Mahendra Boodram top-scored with 29 and 30. The resistance was met by some bowling class from the ever-improving Kevin Umroa who snared 6-45 and former Windies Test spinner Devendra Bishoo, returning to club cricket after a hiatus, picked up 3-32 for Albion. The home team, in reply, amassed 358 for 6, mainly due to some class from a pair of former Guyana batsmen in Kandasammy Surujnarine and Rajiv Ivan who both smacked identical scores of 112. Ramesh Kasinauth 50 and Adrian Sukhwa 36, capped off a strong first-innings batting exhibition. Port Mourant saw a glimmer of hope after Demetri Cameron bagged 4 for 116, but it was tough going for his side who were staring at a deficit of 260 runs. PMCC’s second innings was no different as they were flattened for 112 despite Ramnauth hitting 63 not out. Bishoo returned to claim three more wickets (3-45) ending with a grand total of six victims while Ivan followed up his ton with returns of 2-32. Rose Hall Thunderbolt Flour and Rose Hall Canje play to a draw At the Area ‘H’ Ground, Rose Hall Town Thunderbolt Flour, batting first, made 279 after Delbert Hicks 89 and Eon Hooper who scored his first senior ton, 109, lifted their side after a top-order collapse. Bowling for the visitors, Zaheer Hussain and Boodram Ramsarran grabbed two wickets apiece, but their side were bowled out for 159 despite Joel Seitaram’s 42. Hooper highlighted the day with a strong bowling outing which yielded figures of 4 for 36, while
Shawn Pereira (3-27) and Junior Sinclair (2-34) lent support. RHT Thunderbolt Flour enforced the follow-on but was denied a possible victory thanks to Kedar Amsterdam who scored his maiden first-division century, stroking 101 with Seitaram hitting a useful 49 as the visitors ended on 199 for 5 when the match came to an end. Blairmont vs West Berbice was affected by rain At the Blairmont ground, Kevin Jawahir slammed 196 to lead Blairmont to 421 for 8 declared. Batting first, Marvin Prashad hit 86 and Seon Glasgow 49. West Berbice, in reply, were bowled out for 164 despite 67 from Karime Mentore. National youth player Nigel Deodat starred with 7-62 for Blairmont, who led by 257 before deciding to bat again, before declaring at 47 for 2. Batting again, West Berbice struggled to 22 for 3 before rain ended the match early. Young Warriors and Tucber Park ended in draw. At the Cumberland ground, Young Warriors scored 191 all out with Trevon Stanislaus making 55. Off-spinner Quacy Mickle captured 5-64 and Leon Swammy 4-42 bowling for Tucber Park. In response, Tucber Park reached 260 all out with Mickle completing a fine allround performance to score 42 not out, with support from Anthony D‘Andrade 41 and Keon DeJesus 40. Stanislaus then returned to snare 5-49 as the Warriors in their second innings reached 51 for 3 before the match ended. Albion will play RHT Thunderbolt Flour at the Area ‘H’ Ground, while at home Port Mourant will tackle Rose Hall Canje with both games being played this coming Friday and Saturday. Meanwhile Saturday and Sunday’s clashes will see Tucber Park play West Berbice at Bush Lot ground while Young Warriors battle Blairmont at Cumberland.
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Diplomatic Corps, Everest Masters upbeat ahead of Sunday’s Charity T20 match BRITISH High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn, promised an exciting day of cricket, when Guyana Diplomatic Corps (DC) and Everest Cricket Club (ECC) Masters battle for supremacy at the annual T20 Charity match, this Sunday. Speaking at yesterday morning’s brief press conference held at the battleground for Sunday’s clash; ECC pavilion, Commissioner Quinn duly stated that the event was solely directed towards giving back to a few designated charities which they have supported over the years. Quinn pointed out that the DC last held such a match in
From left, captain of Everest Masters Rajesh Singh, ECC manager Rehana Ragoobeer and British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn, following the launch of the annual Charity T20 cricket match
2017 which they lost by one run and, while being firm on keeping the names on his team a secret, he promised a better showing by his side and urged the opposition to bring out their A-game. According to ECC manager Rehana Ragoobeer, the club, as part of their charity work for the day, will gift five children under the age of 12 free membership to the club, which will help them to build their careers in cricket. Also present was skipper of the opposing side, Rajesh Singh, who jokingly told the British High Commissioner that he was hoping Diplomats would have revealed their side in advance so as to
help Everest Masters gain the upper hand. Nevertheless, Singh in all seriousness thanked his Club as well as British High Commissioner Quinn and the Diplomatic Corps for making them a part of the charitable event, adding that he expects top performances from both sides, come this Sunday. Meanwhile, the action is set to bowl off at 10:00hrs this Sunday, November 24. Admission to the venue is $300. Children under the age of 10 are free while ECC will also be providing limited parking at $500 per vehicle. (Clifton Ross)
‘Muscles’ humbled by bodybuilding win in T&T LINDON ‘Muscles’ Burnett is humbled by his win last Saturday at the Clinton Sammy Classic in Trinidad and Tobago. The Space Gym trainer, who had taken an eight-year hiatus from the sport, decided to return to centre stage last month, at Stage of Champions in Georgetown. A second place finish in the U-176 division prompted him to hit the stage again, hence his decision
to compete over the weekend in T&T. At his most recent competition, the 48-year-old thrilled spectators and judges alike with a proportional body and his usual excellent delivery the result was a first place in the middleweight division. For the Guyanese, the win was a reminder of his potential. “It was humbling to know that I still have what it takes to
compete at such a high level regionally, after somewhat of an extended break…” Burnett said that bodybuilding has always been his passion, so it was not difficult to return to it. Although the veteran bodybuilder is hoping to compete in the Mr Guyana (Senior National Championships) next year, he would also focus heavily on giving back to the sport.
“I want to showcase my talent and body at upcoming tournaments, but I definitely want to train and potentially find an aspirant that can take the discipline to the next level. Oh how I would wish to see a Mr Olympia be a Guyanese I don’t think that’s possible in my lifetime though.” Lindon Burnett has returned to bodybuilding with a bang.
Ponting’s warning: We haven’t seen the best of him OF all the international superstars who will be on display this Australian summer, there’s one man that Test legend Ricky Ponting is looking forward to seeing the most – Pakistan ace Babar Azam. Babar looms as one of the major batting threats in the Pakistan side for the Domain Test Series against the Aussies, starting tomorrow, despite averaging just 35.28 in his 21-Test career. The 25-year-old, the world’s third-ranked ODI batsman and No.1 in T20 cricket, blazed an eye-catching 157 against a strong Australia A bowling attack in Perth last week and Ponting believes it’s only a matter of time before the right-hander improves on his underwhelming Test record. “We haven’t seen the best of him yet,” Ponting told cricket. com.au.
“Twenty-odd Tests for an average of 35 – he’s better than that. He averages 54 in one-day cricket at a strike-rate of about 90. “He’s a very, very classy player. “He’s a really exciting talent and probably the guy I’m looking forward to seeing the most this summer. I’ve seen the Aussies a lot and I’ve seen a lot of the Kiwis, but I’m really excited to see him. He could be anything.” Ponting hasn’t seen much of Babar in the flesh just yet, but he did get a first-hand account of his destructive talents during this year’s World Cup. The three-time Cup winner was an assistant coach for Australia’s campaign and during their group match against Pakistan in Taunton, he watched on in amazement as Babar slammed seven fours in just 28 balls against a potent pace attack before being caught on the boundary.
“He looked like he was playing a different game,” Ponting remembers. “As soon as we over-pitched, he banged it through the covers or banged it down the ground. And when we dropped short, he got onto that pretty quickly as well.” Babar was just 22 and three matches into his Test career when he toured Australia three years ago and failed to pass 25 in six innings batting in the crucial No.3 position, with Josh Hazlewood dismissing him four times. Josh Hazlewood had the better of Babar Azam three years ago - what will happen this summer? He has since shifted down to No.6 and his unbeaten century in Perth last week, which featured 24 boundaries, came at No.5 in the order. Ponting believes keeping Babar away from the new ball as much as possible in Test cricket will help unlock his undeniable
Aussie Test legend Ricky Ponting most excited to see Babar Azam in action this summer as the Pakistani looks to prove he’s better than his record suggests. talent. “What they’ve tried with him before obviously hasn’t worked (because) when you watch him bat, he’s better than a 35 average,” he said. BRILLIANT BABAR POSTS
UNBEATEN HUNDRED “If they can massage him and help him through a little bit, keep him away from the new ball a little bit here in Australia, then I think they’ll get the best out of him.” Babar dazzled against the pink
ball in Perth as he posted just the fourth first-class century of his career, with his drives through the covers and down the ground catching the eye. Having been in Australia since late October for the recent T20 series against Aussies, Babar said he’s confident he can adjust local conditions in time for the first Test. Babar’s impressive knock was halted by a brilliant run-out “There is just a bit more bounce and pace here so it requires a wee bit of adjustment,” he said. “But the more you practise and play here, the more you get used to it. “My goal always is to perform in every single match. The way my form is right now, I want to continue that and carry it into Test matches.” (Cricket.au)
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Estwick says still much work to be done ahead of T20 World Cup LUCKNOW, India (CMC) – Assistant coach Roddy Estwick has hailed the work of his bowlers but believes there is still much work to be done if West Indies are to become a major force again in the white-ball formats. Speaking in the wake of the 2-1 defeat in the three-match Twenty20 series against Afghanistan last weekend, Estwick said it was important that the Caribbean side continue to learn from their mistakes and improve, especially as they prepare for next year’s T20 World Cup. “There’s a lot of work to be done in all white-ball cricket. That’s an area we’ve been
West Indies seamer Kesrick Williams falling down,” Estwick said. “Obviously the three-nil victory (in the ODI) series was very, very good. We played decent cricket. We started well in the
T20s but we fell off a bit but we’ve got to keep learning from it. We’re building towards the World Cup next year in Australia so we’ve got to keep building blocks. We’ve got to keep learning, and we’ve got to keep teaching as well, because once teaching takes place learning will take place and once we can grow together as a group and learn from our mistakes, I’m sure we’ll be a lot better for this.” The reigning T20 World champions, West Indies, opened the T20 series with a 30-run victory but then suffered backto-back defeats in the games following, to concede the series.
However, Estwick said he had taken some positives from the outing, one being the way West Indies had executed with the ball to restrict Afghanistan to manageable totals. “A lot of the plans we put together, obviously the guys went out and executed, and when you look at the three games, the highest score against us was 156 … so we’ve got to be happy with that,” he pointed out. “We’re not happy with the result because obviously it’s a team performance but overall from the bowling group I thought we did reasonably well.” Estwick singled out seamer Kesrick Williams who bowled
superbly to lead West Indies with eight wickets, and an excellent economy rate of just under six runs an over. The 29-year-old Williams was returning for his first series in 17 months following a spell on the sidelines. “Special mention must go to Kesrick Williams, obviously he is now coming back into the side after a period out of the side and I thought he was very, very good,” said Estwick. “I thought he bowled good lines, good lengths and also good change of pace. Special mention must also go to Shai Hope who wasn’t originally in the squad (but) came in at the last minute because of injury
to Denesh Ramdin and he got a fifty and he kept tidily as well.” Estwick said it was important all players made the best use of the opportunities given them to establish themselves in the squad. “You’re trying to look at as many players as possible and for me that’s the key thing – the opportunities given to players so you can see what they’ve got to offer, so you can formulate your plans, so when you get to the World Cup you’re sure of your best XI and you’ve left no stone unturned.”
Black Pearl, Police B survive first night of Turbo football EXCITING action in the 2019 edition of the Turbo knockout football was on point on night one when Black Pearl FC and Police B FC moved into the next round last weekend. In the first game, Black Pearl lived on the off the boot of Julius Hamilton, who opened the scoring in the 6th minute. Two minutes later, however, GT Panthers’ Joshua Allicock equalised and brought things level.
Action between Police B and Dynamic FC Hamilton returned two minutes again, restoring the into the second half to score
Black
Pearl lead and things looked
to be going in favour of that side before GT Panthers’ Seon Urquhart slammed in another equaliser in the 75th. With the game locked 2-2, extra time was needed and while there were many chances, none was converted. In the end, Black Pearl prevailed on penalties 3-2. With the game plunged into extra time, the determination of both teams showed vividly, but the goalkeepers worked
overtime to ensure that the scores remained locked 2-2. The Police B team produced a come-from-behind win in the second game. Dynamic FC had the lead from early in the game, Kevaun Garnette scoring in the 3rd minute. This was followed up by Paul Collins in the 19th minute as the game seemed to be under the East Coast side’s control. However, Police B had other
ideas. On the resumption of the second half, Omari James in the 55th started the comeback for the lawmen. Leon Rose in the 80th minute followed suit to push the scores to 2-2 then Police’s Ozese Halley found the winning goal in the 87th. The winning team will receive $400 000. Second place will pocket $200 000 while third and fourth will collect $100 000 and $50 000 respectively.
Brian Tiwari 9-a-side anniversary football set for this weekend THE Brian Tiwari birth anniversary 9-a-side Inter-Ward Village Football tourney is set to kick off this weekend at the Den Amstel ground. Coordinator of the event, Lennox Arthur, confirmed the fixtures for the matches which will be contested on
Brian Tiwari
November 23 and 24. Saturday’s action will kick off with Bagotville tackling Plaisance from 16:00hrs while Hurry Ate and Lima Dam battle from 16:30hrs. Goed Fortuin and Sophia will lock horns from 17:00hrs, with Stewartville capping off the evening’s
round against Casa Coima from 17:30hrs. Action for Sunday kicks off at 16:00hrs with Sarah Lodge tackling Gaza, followed closely by De Kinderen and Timehri squaring off at 16:30hrs. Crane clash with Soesdyke from 17:00hrs while Pouderoyen tackle GT Ka-
naimas in their 17:30hrs match-up. As the evening steps in, West Side Spartans and Kuru Kururu will collide from 18:00hrs with Uitvlugt coming up against the likes of South Ruimveldt from 18:30hrs. The final two matches of the tournament and
evening will feature the home team Den Amstel in a double-header; first against Wales from 19:00hrs then against D’Urban Backlands from 19:30hrs to close off the tourney.
Construction of stadium for 2020 Tokyo Olympics completed at cost of $1.25 billion CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday November 20, 2019) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Romario Shepherd & Brandon King (2) Ibrahim Zadran Today’s Quiz: (1) What was the result of the recent WI/AFG T20 International series? (2) Who was voted Man of the Match? Answers in tomorrow’s issue
This photo, taken on November 15, shows lighting being used on the turf of the new National Stadium in Tokyo which will be the main stadium for 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. (Photo: KYODO)
TOKYO: Construction work has been completed at Tokyo’s National Stadium, set to be the centrepiece of next year’s Olympic Games, the site’s owners said yesterday. The Japan Sports Council said the final work had been completed on Thursday with just the final quality and safety checks remaining before the stadium opens next month. It will be officially unveiled on December 21, with the Emperor’s Cup soccer final being the first sporting event to be held there on New Year’s Day. Completed at a cost of about 157 billion yen ($1.25 billion), the stadium, which can accommodate 60 000, will also
host the athletics and soccer events during the Games. Construction started in December 2016, about 14 months later than planned, after the original design was scrapped because of a public outcry over spiralling costs. The delay meant the stadium could not host matches of the Rugby World Cup, as originally planned. The National Stadium is one of eight new venues to be used at the Tokyo Games. All of them are either complete or on schedule to be finished before the event. The Tokyo Olympics runs from July 24 to August 9.
Guyana CHRONICLE, Wednesday November 20, 2019
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King, Vieira crowned 2019 Champions … Seejattan, Deodass, Seebarran also gain trophies
ANDREW King and Matthew Vieira retained their Group Four and Superstock championships respectively on a night of Gala celebrations at Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s (GMR&SC) awards ceremony. At Parc Rayne on Monday night, loud applause filled the air as King was announced as the Group Four champion, retaining the title he won last year. On Sunday, in the final leg of the GMR&SC’s Clash of Champions, King was unstoppable in his group, staving off the challenges of two-time Caribbean Champion Kristian Jeffrey as well as his father Kevin and Barbados’ Mark Maloney. King’s team also won the award for the best circuit racing team/mechanics after wins throughout the year locally, as well as in Barbados.
enough points in the earlier rounds to ensure that coming down to last weekend, the bare minimal would do. On the day, there were wins for Jeffrey and Barbadian Suleman Esuf.
GROUP THREE Motilal Deodass snatched the group three Championship off Vishok and Danny Persaud respectively. The Motor Trend-sponsored Toyota Starlet was in fine form all year, being more reliable than the rest of the group to win the championship. Despite a late charge from Stefan Jeffrey and his Honda Civic, Deodass had gained
CHOKE STARLET CUP In addition to winning group three, Deodass also walked away with the Starlet Cup win overall. Despite winning one race during the final day, he had more than enough points accumulated throughout the year to ensure that there was no serious threat to his title. Anand Ramchand picked up two Starlet Cup wins but that was not enough to get
MIRACLE OPTICAL SPORT TUNER Mohamed F. Ahmad was crowned the champion of this group and he fought to the last race for it. The Honda Civic driver was on the podium for all three races of the weekend and even won two of them, securing his place for the year as the Miracle Optical Sports Tuner Champion. He also pocketed $500 000 from series sponsor Miracle Optical for his win.
Matthew Vieira was crowned Superstock Champion of 2019. (Mikey Spice photo)
STREET TUNER Raymond Seebarran added another championship
him the title. In addition to the trophy, Deodass also received $500 000 from the group’s title sponsor, Choke gas station. GROUP TWO Shan Seejattan and his K20-powered Special Auto Honda Civic picked up the overall win for this class ahead of Chet Singh and Paul Vieira; but that was not without a fight on the day. Seejattan, like many others, had amassed a decent cushion heading into the final round butand walked away with podium finishes on the night. In that class, there were wins for Rameez Mohamed,
Andrew King retained his group four title. (Mikey Spice photo)
Ahmed Esuf (Barbados) and Vieira in that class. In addition to the trophy, Seejattan won a ticket to Miami, compliments of Executive Travel Service.
trophy to his cabinet with the Street Tuner win. The former karting champion was in fine form with two wins on the day and for his efforts, was able to win the championship.
In addition to the trophy, he secured $500 000 from Prem’s Electrical. 125CC BIKES The 125cc ‘light bike’ class was won by Terrance Clarke. Despite not winning any of the races on the weekend, Clarke had amassed enough points to have a cushion to race winners Steven Vieira and Steven Nobrega. Cyril’s Taxi Service handed US$100 to Clarke for winning this class STREETS Dwayne Caesar won the Street Bike class with one win and one second-place finish on the day. The weather was not conducive to have them complete the final race of the day but the eventual champion had already won the title. He pocked US$150 from Cyril’s Taxi and US$200 from Windjammer. SUPERSPORT BIKES While it was Team Mohamed’s Enterprise that showed the best form on the day, Matthew Vieira won the overall Superstock Bike class. The young Vieira finished with one third and two fourth-place finishes to ensure that the championship remained with him.
Thomas, Hamilton half-centuries keep Hurrianes in semi-final hunt BASSETERRE, St Kitts, (CMC) – Devon Thomas and captain Jahmar Hamilton stroked unbeaten half-centuries as Group A hosts Leeward Islands Hurricanes took another step towards a semi-final berth with a convincing six-wicket victory over reigning champions CCC Marooners here Tuesday. In pursuit of 191 for victory at Conaree, Hurricanes overcame an early blip to coast to victory with nine overs remaining in the innings. Thomas top-scored with 78 not out off 96 deliveries with nine fours and a six while Hamilton ended on 77
Captain Jahmar Hamilton struck a half-century.
not out off 114 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes. Hurricanes were floundering on 32 for four in the eighth over after new-ball pacers Carlos Brathwaite (2-35) and Akeem Jordan (2-42) sliced through the top order but Thomas and Hamilton produced a match-winning unbroken fifth wicket stand of 152 to deny Marooners. With the win, Hurricanes moved to 16 points from four wins and two defeats while Marooners remained rooted to the bottom of the tables with four points from their single win in six outings. Paul Palmer had earlier notched his maiden List A half-century when he scored
exactly 50 as Marooners crawled to 190 for nine off 50 overs after they were sent in. Jonathan Drakes with 29 and Gian Benjamin and Jalarnie Seales, both with 28, all got starts but Marooners failed to string together substantive partnerships and found themselves bogged down. They lost Kyle Corbin in the fifth over for eight with the score on 17, caught at first slip by Kieran Powell off seamer Quinton Boatswain (2-18) but Drakes and Benjamin added a crucial 42 for the second wicket to steady the innings. Left-arm spinner Jason Campbell (2-38) broke the stand when he had Benjamin
caught in the mid-wicket ropes in the 15th over and when Sadique Henry (5) and Drakes also perished in quick succession, Marooners were struggling on 83 for four in the 23rd over. Palmer came to his side’s rescue, however, striking four fours in an 82-ball knock and putting on 33 for the fifth wicket with captain Brathwaite (9) and 31 for the eighth wicket with Seales. West Indies left-hander Kieran Powell then gave Hurricanes a swift start to their run chase, slamming two fours and a six in a cameo 15-ball 21 in a 26-run first wicket stand with Montin Hodge (6).
But in nightmare 18-ball period, Hurricanes saw four wickets tumble for just six runs. Jordan struck twice in the fifth over, having Hodge caught at short mid-wicket and then removing Keacy Carty one for one, also caught by Henry in the same position. Brathwaite then removed Powell in the next over, nicking a drive through to the keeper and in his next over, claimed Amir Jangoo without scoring, top-edging a loose swing at a short ball to be taken at gully. Thomas and Hamilton, however, blunted the Marooners attack to dash their hopes of a win.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday November 20, 2019
Records tumble on day three in ‘Nationals’ field events PAGE
Dr George Norton, Minister of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport, presents the medals to some of the record-breaking performers. From left, Joshua Tappin, Zeryssa McRae, Annastacia Clarke and Osofa Dos Santos.(Faizool Deo photos)
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National athlete Deshana Skeete jumped to a PB en route to a victory in the Long Jump Girls’ U-18 category.
Golden Jaguars, Reggae Boyz play to exciting 1-1 draw PAGE
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Action between Javon East (#10) of Jamaica and Matthew Briggs of Guyana on November 18, 2019, at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Jamaica. (Photo compliments: CONCACAF)
Delmar Benjamin carried Rupununi to their first record in the High Jump at Nationals. Here he points to his new personal best height.
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019