Issuu

MONDAY 26th April, 2021

No. 106342 SEE PAGE

Elections Petition ruling today

The Lady Fazeela vessel arrived in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) on Sunday morning (Photo taken from SVG video)

Guyana’s generosity praised SEE PAGE

― as second vessel with supplies arrives in St Vincent and the Grenadines

51 COVID-19 deaths SEE PAGE

SEE PAGE

recorded in April alone

$500M road repairs among developments for Region One

SEE PAGE

Discipline, involvement of parents behind SVN’s CSEC success

‘Cassie’ has a history of academic excellence

SEE PAGE

Dharm Shala: By Rehana Ahamad

EXACTLY 100 years ago,

Pandit Ramsaroop Maraj quit his lucrative trade as a jeweller and embarked

on an admirable journey to serve humanity. The Pandit, born on November

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

3, 1889 at Friendship, Wakenaam, on the Essequibo River, was the younger of two brothers. He would later migrate to Georgetown, where he was completely moved by the needs of those around him. Pandit Maraj’s exposure to the plight of the less fortunate inspired him to establish an organisation entirely dedicated to addressing their needs. In addition to providing warm meals and comfortable beds to destitute persons, he also wanted to create a space where persons could benefit from medical, religious and educational services, all free of cost.

magnitude of services intended, Pandit Maraj’s efforts started off less ambitiously with a soup kitchen. Though small scale, word of the kitchen spread like wildfire and many who were struggling for food relied on the services provided. Soon enough, the initiative would capture the attention of several businessmen and Albouystown, Georgetown residents who wanted to help. Less than a decade later the Dharm Shala was born. Known as the “Home of Benevolence for all Races,” the facility, located at 140 King Edward and Sussex Streets,

a simple, but meaningful Thanksgiving Ceremony to commemorate the facility’s 100th anniversary. The event was attended by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, who delivered remarks to the gathering which consisted mostly of residents of the Dharm Shala. “Let me salute this grand institution -- the Dharm Shala on the achievement of the historic milestone of its 100th anniversary. In doing so, I wish first of all to pay tribute… to the Ramsaroop family, Pandit Ramsaroop Maraj who – 100 years ago

The Dharm Shala, founded by Pandit Ramsaroop Maraj, has been providing humanitarian services for 100 years

Armed with his vision and dedication, Pandit Maraj founded the Hindu Religious Society in 1921. Via this charitable organisation, the former jeweller was able to rally some amount of support to make his dream a reality. However noble, his endeavors were not without hindrances. Due to limited finances and the unavailability of buildings to house the

Albouystown, remains a safe haven for many in need, particularly the homeless and elders. The Dharm Shala, one of the first of its kind in the Caribbean, was officially declared open in 1929 by Rev C F Andrews. In 1939, a Christian chapel was built to provide religious relief. Later in 1941, the Dharm Shala extended its service to the less fortunate in Berbice, establishing a building of similar capacity to the one it had in Georgetown. This was accompanied by a Hindu temple and a Chapel. After the Pandit developed health-related complications in October 1950 at the age of 60, his work was continued by his son, Harry Saran Ramsaroop, who also gave up his thriving job, to serve the less fortunate in society. So admirable was the work of the Dharm Shala, that it attracted the attention of the British Monarchy. On January 30, 1960, the Princess Royal, on the fourth day of her five-day tour to British Guiana, visited and was treated to a tour of the remarkable facility. GREAT DEDICATION Dharm Shala, known as the longest existing humanitarian charity in Guyana and possibly the Caribbean, is now managed by Saran Ramroop’s two daughters, Pamela and Kella. Over the past few years, the two sisters have remained dedicated towards keeping their grandfather’s legacy, by continuing the work of their late father. On Friday, they hosted

-- had the remarkable foresight and incredible passion and concern for his fellow citizens to have founded this institution,” Dr. Singh recognised. He said that the Dharm Shala’s contribution to Guyana can be appropriately hailed as invaluable, as the facility has provided the much-needed care and support to an important demographic – the elderly who, in their prime years, have served Guyana in various capacities. “It is an excellent example of commitment... and I believe that without that level of devotion to cause this institution could scarcely have survived 100 years. This is an example that is worthy of emulation,” the Senior Finance Minister surmised. Dr. Singh also related the best wishes and regards of President, Dr Irfaan Ali and the rest of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, who value the indelible contributions made by the Ramsaroop family. Following the ceremony, Minister Singh used the opportunity to serve a hearty lunch to the current residents of the Dharm Shala. Before leaving the facility, the Government official was treated to a brief tour of Pandit Maraj’s residence, where he added his name and inscribed a short message in the visitor’s book that continues to be maintained. Dr. Singh also relayed Government’s unwavering support to the Dharm Shala and its commendable operations.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

Guyana’s generosity praised ― as second vessel with supplies arrives in St Vincent and the Grenadines Vishani Ragobeer WHILE receiving another shipment of relief supplies from Guyana on Sunday, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning, and Information Technology in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Camillo Gonsalves said that Guyana has been “exceedingly generous” to the island.

by ash fall from the eruption in SVG. This is the second vessel dispatched to SVG from Guyana. “We are very, very humbled by the outpouring of support and solidarity that we have gotten from the Cooperative Republic of Guyana,” Minister Gonsalves said on Sunday, while receiving the vessel. The finance minister ex-

in Guyana were mobilising support to ensure that their brothers and sisters in St. Vincent and the Grenadines could be made more comfortable in this very challenging time,” the Finance Minister told members of the Vincentian media. Some of the items received in this second shipment include: more than 10,000 cases of water, more

ters where the evacuated and affected people are staying. “We should single out today the Government and People of the Cooperative

Republic Guyana because they have been exceedingly generous. There are some countries who have sent one boat but Guyana has already

The Lady Fazeela vessel arrived in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) on Sunday morning (Photo taken from SVG video)

After the initial eruption of La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent on April 9, countries have been pooling resources to help the Caribbean island. On Sunday, the vessel ‘Lady Fazeela’ arrived in the country with relief supplies, after making a stop in Barbados to provide relief supplies there. Barbados has been affected

plained that from the moment the volcano exploded, President Ali made contact with the Prime Minister of SVG, Ralph Gonsalves to ascertain the needs of the volcano-affected country. “As soon as the Prime Minister explained our needs and challenges, President Ali was mobilising support in Guyana and ordinary citizens

than 1,000 food hampers and perishable food items such as fruits and vegetables and over 150 water tanks. There are also cleaning and sanitary items and molasses. The minister noted that several countries across the Region and farther afield have demonstrated their solidarity with SVG by providing relief items to be used in the shel-

Supplies from the Lady Fazeela vessel being offloaded in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Sunday morning

sent two boats and more to come,” Minister Gonzalves highlighted. He also said that Guyana has demonstrated “genuine solidarity” and underscored, “This boat is a symbol that with the help of our friends, SVG will rise again and build back better and will return to normalcy in the shortest possible time.” “Guyana understands our responsibility to CARICOM [the Caribbean Community], we understand our role in CARICOM and I want to assure Prime Minister (of Barbados) Mia Mottley and Prime Minister Gonsalves that not only are we with them in this immediate term, but we are with them throughout the process of rebuilding – not only the physical infrastructure, but rebuilding the lives that would have been affected,” President Ali said before the Lady Fazeela departed. Meanwhile, the Guyanese Honorary Consul in SVG, Nigel Russell, said that he was “heartened” by this shipment since he is cognisant of the efforts made to organise the supplies. The local authorities continue to mobilise resources so that more relief can be sent to SVG. Additionally, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, has said that possible repatriation arrangements for Guyanese in SVG are being assessed.

President’s birthday wish: that all Guyanese be safe and united PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali was on Sunday regaled by the Guyana Police Force Band in a simple ceremony held at State House to commemorate his birthday. The Head of State was accompanied by First Lady Arya Ali, as renditions of “Happy Birthday”, “For he is a Jolly Good Fellow”, “Electric Avenue” and other special requests from the President were played. In expressing his gratitude for the special performance, President Ali used the opportunity to convey his birthday wish. “My wish is for Guyana to get out of this pandemic; for all of us to be safe; for you and your families to be safe; for our country to be united and for all of us to be uplifted.” He also acknowledged the “instrumental, inspirational and leading” role of Director of Music and Culture, Superintendent Charmaine Stuart, who recently passed. “To you and to her family from myself, the First Lady and my family and government, we express our sincere condolences on the passing of this great soul who would have inspired through her leadership and her work. I am sure she has instilled in you the character and the strength to continue in her vein, in getting better and stronger.” President Ali was also presented with a gift on behalf of the Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie DSM and the Guyana Police Force. (Office of the President)

The Guyana Police Force Band at the simple ceremony at State House (Office of the President photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

Discipline, involvement of parents behind SVN’s CSEC success

THE Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) Secondary School has recorded another successful year at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination after its students accounted for half of the ten who were named as the country’s top performers. The educational institution has since credited the persistent success of its students to a high level of discipline, and the involvement of parents. Seventeen-year-old Geveshwar Rajkishore, who placed fourth in the country with 18 Grade Ones and one Grade Two, said the school was pivotal in his accomplishment. “I think it played a major part. If it weren’t for the teachers, the way they taught the syllabus, the way they had us building our character; it helped me to prepare for my examinations,” he said. Even more than the academic teachings he has been able to take away from the

school, Rajkishore is particularly touched by the school’s high emphasis on character building and the overall wellbeing of its students. “I would say, it is the

in the end to put everything together to perform the best we can,” he noted, adding that: “The principal and admin talk to us about issues we

cousins all came here and had a lot of great things to say about the school. I used go to the Academy of Excellence right around the corner, and whenever I came from

“unique” institution which places emphasis on discipline administered with care and compassion. The religious school, which focuses on the principles of

these [five] students [in the top ten] not all of them would’ve qualified to go to QC or Bishops, or any of the senior high schools. They came with NGSA scores

A section of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan Secondary School SVN’s 2020 CSEC top student, Geveshwar Rajkishore

way the classes are timetabled, and also the teachers and the morals that the school holds - always be on time, never procrastinate, always try your best, and be truthful - that really helps us

SVN Founder and Principal, Swami Aksharananda

have to face. They always try to keep a positive mind and tell you that things can change, in which they do change in the end. Some may say that we’re too strict, but the strictness helps to shape us in the future.” Attending the Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara institution for his secondary school education was something Rajkishore had long hoped for even during his years in primary school, due to the continued great reviews he would hear. “I wanted to come here because my siblings and

school I would always see the students on the road,” he shared. Rajkishore is one of 84 students from the school who wrote the regional examination this year. The school has an overall 459 students on its register. SVN is a non-governmental organisation and a not-for-profit secondary school. Construction on the school’s building began in 1998 and first set of classes began on September 5, 2002. The school includes a two-storey concrete building spanning approximately 7,200 square feet. The school describes itself as a “different” and

Hinduism, emphasises a philosophy “that we really cannot teach anyone. All knowledge is already inherent in the individual soul. The student then must be the focus of learning, not the teacher or the curriculum.” This school is the brainchild of Swami Aksharananda, who is the current principal. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Aksharananda credited the school’s continued production of high performances to its emphasis on a “high level of discipline, commitment to work which depends on the student, family support and teachers’ contribution”. “Another thing that is exceptional about our school is that our students don’t go anywhere for any kind of [extra] lessons. Whatever is learned at school and provided by the teachers is enough for us. We don’t allow our students to take lessons and so on,” he related. He also noted that the school has a reputation for making exceptional students, of children who might not have started out that way. “Many of these SVN students would not have been admitted in what would be considered the [high ranking] high schools. Among

as low as 400 and below; when you look at the overall performance it is amazing,” Aksharananda noted. Nonetheless, he said the students’ high ranking performance was expected, as the students would’ve done equally well in the mock exams preceding the writing of the actual CSEC exams. He says when the full list of top performing students in Guyana is announced he is expecting to see even more of his students being named. He is very elated that his students continue to excel, and noted that Guyana needs the development of more tertiary institutions to accommodate the high supply of highly intellectual students. “On the whole we are waiting on the final results to be published. We have a strong belief our students will do well when the final results are out,” he said. He added: “So I am very happy, glad. I only hope that they are able to continue. Unfortunately, all we have in Guyana is the University of Guyana. We hope in time our country will be able to provide real higher education for students who excel like this, not just those students from SVN.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

Shooting of Venezuelan solider may be related to drug ‘bust’ THE shooting incident of 28-year-old Venezuelan, Edmundo Luis Berti Garcia, a lieutenant in the Venezuelan National Guard stationed at the Guyana/Venezuela border, may be related to a recent drug “bust.” The lieutenant of Venezuelan nationality was shot by two other Venezuelans on April 24, 2021 at Imbotero Landing, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini) while on

duty at the Guyana/Venezuela border. Police on Sunday disclosed that investigations have thus far revealed that, on April 19, 2021, Garcia intercepted a boat in which a quantity of marijuana (ganja) was discovered and seized. The two occupants of the boat at the time are now the prime suspects in the shooting incident. The victim, reportedly, crossed the border

into Guyana at Imbotero, on Saturday, and was confronted by the suspects who were both armed with firearms. They opened fire hitting him to his body, a police press release stated. The two suspects made good their escape while the soldier was assisted out of the river by public-spirited individuals and taken to the Mabaruma Regional Hospital by police ranks stationed at

Imbotero. While receiving medical attention at the hospital, the victim requested to be taken back to Venezuela for further treatment which was facilitated by a team of police officers and ranks from the Guyana Defence Force, who took him to the Guyana/Venezuela border and handed him over to another officer of the Venezuelan National Guard.

QC attains a milestone ―students are top regional performers at CSEC and CAPE

GUYANA’S premier secondary school, Queen’s College, is well known for consistently producing top performers at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) assessments.

was Guyana’s top student for CSEC with 22 Grade Ones and one Grade Two, while Upper Six student Zane Ramotar attained 14 Grade Ones and one Grade Two to be named Guyana’s top performer at the CAPE for 2020. But outside of nationally,

Principal of Queen’s College, Jackie Ralph

However, the year 2020 marked a milestone for the school when for the first time, it secured regional top performers at both exams, in the same year. This is according to the school’s principal, Jackie Ralph, who shared that the accomplishment is a dream come true for the institution, which has already “done it all.” “We would’ve either gotten CAPE or CSEC [individually] but we would’ve never been able to do both in the same year. As a school it is the first time in the history of the college that we would’ve been able to accomplish both the CAPE and the CSEC [top student],” Ralph shared. It was on Friday that it was officially announced by the Ministry of Education (MoE) that QC’s Bhedesh Persaud

Persaud and Ramotar are also the top performers in the Caribbean for CSEC and CAPE, respectively, a first for the school. This will not be the first year that Guyana won the top spot for CSEC and CAPE at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) regional awards. Rather, it is the second consecutive year that this has happened. For 2019, Riana Toney won for CSEC, and Michael Bhopaul won for CAPE. For QC, this 2020 accomplishment adds to the long list of regional academic accolades that the institution already boasts. “We’ve done it all already. We captured the science prizes, humanities, the technical, the mathematics [prizes]. We would’ve captured all of those subject areas, and we would’ve

captured CSEC and CAPE singly, but we always wanted to bring home the double to the college. We knew that we had our students who were capable of helping us to realising that goal,” the headteacher related. Ralph shared that the achievement is all the more poignant for her as it was also a personal goal that she wanted to achieve under her tenure. She said it came just in time as she will not be with the school for much longer. “I am retiring this year and this was my vision before I left; to bring home to the college the top [regional] awards for both CSEC and CAPE. Every year we set the goals for the institution and this was one of the major goals,” she happily shared. Ralph lauded Persaud and Ramotar for making their school proud, and also praised the staff of the school that supported the students in their academic aspirations. “I wish to congratulate Bhedesh as well as Zane, we know they would’ve worked extremely hard with their teachers. We know that they would’ve achieved these awards based on their capability,” she expressed. She added: “Along the way we supported their initiatives, and many teachers would’ve worked beyond the call of duty. I must commend those teachers who helped to bring this to the college.” The accomplishment did not come as a surprise to Ralph, who shared that the school had been striving towards capturing both regional awards based on a struc-

tured programme that had been monitoring the progress of Persaud and Ramotar throughout their years at the school. “I am extremely excited, but I know for a fact that this was expected. This is something that we planned for since 2019. We would’ve chronicled the students’ performances over the last five and seven years, so we know for a fact that they were capable of earning the top positions in the Caribbean in the respective fields, CSEC as well as CAPE,” Ralph said. Knowing the school was looking forward to copping both top spots made it all the more agonizing when all was not right with initial grades issued, when CXC had released preliminary results in September, 2020. In 2020, CXC had faced major backlash over what many students said were lower than expected grades. The regional body subsequently received an unprecedented number of review requests, with Guyana receiving at least 6700 grade changes for CSEC and 456 changes for CAPE. Due to the long wait for completion of the reviews, it took seven months before the top students were named for Guyana, and the Caribbean. “The only thing that we are sorry [for] is that we had to wait so long, and the agony of knowing you had earned the top they withheld from you. We are extremely happy that the students would have] received the results that they would’ve earned,” Ralph added.

28-year-old lieutenant in the Venezuelan National Guard, Edmundo Luis Berti Garcia, being assisted by ranks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Coast Guard (GPF photo)

$500M road repairs among developments for Region One

Regional Chairman, Region One, Brentnol Ashley

THE Ministry of Public Works will be advancing some $500 million into the rehabilitation of internal road networks in Barima-Waini, Region One. Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley said the 2021 national budget has catered for a range of developments in the agricultural, education, health, and infrastructure sectors. This, he said, is in keeping with the PPP/C administration’s promise of improving citizens’ quality of life. “That tells volume to the government’s commitment to bringing development to the people of Region One, regardless of where they live. The government and the RDC are very committed to ensuring that the gaps are closed, that bridges are built, so that people can feel a sense of prosperity, wherever they are,” he told the Department of Public Information (DPI) recently. In the education sector, the chairman said the Tasawinini community in the Matarkai sub-district will soon have a school, which will allow children from satellite villages to access education closer to their homes. “Prior to this project, children had to go to a number of miles to Matthews Ridge, et cetera, so education is becoming more accessible to the children across the region.” The region is also gearing for major developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Ashley said students have

been learning virtually since the pandemic began. To this end, smart classrooms will be established to further advance the education programme. Concerning health services in the region, the chairman said upgrading of the Mabaruma Regional Hospital to a smart hospital is already underway. Several specialists including surgeons, gynaecologists and internal medicine physicians have already been assigned to the institution. Doctors will also be placed in communities such as White Water, Yarakita, Manawarin and Waramuri in the Moruca sub-region and Arakaka in the Matarkai sub-region. Ashley added that the region has been allocated a substantial sum of money for the agricultural sector. The programme for this year will include investments in large-scale poultry rearing at the Santa Rosa, Port Kaituma and North West Secondary Schools. A Regional Agriculture Department will also be established to support farmers in the region. Meanwhile, Ashley said Barima-Waini has been able to successfully reduce the number of COVID-19 cases which had skyrocketed last year. “We are very grateful because of our hardworking frontline staff, whether Joint Services, community leaders and health workers, we were able to fight and reduce COVID drastically,” he said. He said the few positive cases are being monitored.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

Capitalising On Opportunities GUYANA is on the verge of becoming a giant investment hub, as the government seeks to unfold opportunities to drive economic activities within the country. The discovery of oil here five years ago has led to the continuous creation of opportunities to enhance economic development in Guyana, and provide a significantly better standard of living for all Guyanese. This has prompted development of the Local Content Policy (LCP), which will aid in local businesses benefitting from Foreign Direct Investments to improve business operations. The LCP has been developed in relation to the petroleum sector, which is the main contributor to the exposure of the other sectors to additional benefits for the country. The policy allows for the Guyanese people to benefit from the petroleum sector, either directly through employment of our people and suppliers of local goods and services, or indirectly through the provision of training and services that will influence other sectors. The Government of Guyana is committed, now more than ever, to driving economic activity within the country. Due to the many opportunities for Guyana to develop itself, the government seeks to provide assistance by putting measures in place to enable business owners to overcome

their local trade barriers, and improve and increase their business operations. The President and his team have outlined on many occasions that there are opportunities available in the health, education, service, tourism and hospitality, agriculture and infrastructural sectors. However, the private sector is expected to take the country to higher economic levels as it possesses the requisite talent, skills, knowledge and mindset to invest in big projects that will not only be profitable, but also create extended opportunities for Guyanese, such as high-quality goods and services and jobs. The government is investing in providing education of higher levels and training for its people to be properly equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute to the development of the economy. As can be seen around the world, technological advancements are taking over business operations for their obvious benefits of efficiency and cost effectiveness. The world’s competitive nature will keep increasing, as innovative minds around the globe will generate ideas that will make life easier in ways for all which will come at a cost. These investments will also be in sync with the UN Sustainable Development

Goals, which means that our traditional operating mechanisms will eventually come to an end, as the cost of maintenance will not be economically viable. Therefore, we have to prepare ourselves now to adapt to those changes that will be unfolded in the future, or we will be left behind. Guyana has to be able to become self-sustainable, and provide a better future for tomorrow’s leaders. Bearing this in mind, Guyanese need to take steps in equipping themselves with the relevant skills and resources to take advantage of the opportunities that will unfold, and assist in developing the country. The way in which business is currently being conducted in Guyana needs to be reformed. The traditional family-owned businesses that are solely operating to make ends meet for their homes need to think on a wider capacity of the country at large. These small-business owners must commit themselves to taking risks to expand and diversify their operations, and improve their standards and quality of outcome that make their services highly competitive in nature, while at the same time meeting the demands of local and international markets on a larger scale. If the small, family-owned businesses continue to operate on a lower scale, then

Guyana will take a longer time to develop into a resilient country. Our people need to invest in innovative ideas that can help Guyana become less dependent on imported products, and provide a small margin for foreign companies to come into the country to provide services that can easily be provided locally. The Government of Guyana will assist potential business investors by creating an environment where partnerships can be formed with foreign investors to fund the expansion projects. For this reason, the Government of Guyana is also working towards providing access to education to Guyanese in every corner of the country, on all levels, so that they are properly prepared. Young professionals need to do away with the idea of receiving a better life abroad, and remain in Guyana to contribute their skills in enhancing economic development. The young minds need to contribute to Guyana’s history by developing the country’s resources in innovative ways, and assist Guyana in adapting to the changes of the future. The President has always emphasised that young professionals are our leaders of tomorrow, and so Guyana needs them more than ever in developing the country.

Charmaine had clean hands, a warm heart and passion for her job Dear Editor, I RECENTLY learnt with much grief about the death of an outstanding Guyanese, Charmaine Stuart, Senior Superintendent of Police and Director of Music and Culture of the Guyana Police Force. News of this irreparable loss hit me like a bolt from the blue. I believe that all those who knew Charmaine are equally perturbed. I was acquainted with Charmaine for over three decades. During that period I found her to be a person of the highest calibre. Aside from being intelligent, honest and hardworking, she was extremely easy to get along with. She joined the Guyana Police Force Military Band MS as an apprentice and worked her way through the various rank

structures to the position of senior superintendent and director of the best band in the land. She was the first and only female to reach the apex of management of the police band. Several years ago while I was the training officer for the Guyana Police Force, and against all odds, I selected her to attend the Police Junior Officers’ Course which was a three-month, live-in training programme. The training was designed to focus on leadership and general policing. It did not have anything to do with music, which at that time was Charmaine’s strong point. This training which was executed in collaboration with the University of Guyana was intensive. Although Charmaine spent all her service in a specialised section of the force, she blended well with her peers, superiors,

subordinates and facilitators. During the course I discovered that she had a serious addiction. Yes, she had an addiction for knowledge in general policing. During one of our numerous confabulations she told me that she was passionate about self-development. She opined that members of the GPF owed it to themselves to develop themselves and not for the GPF to develop them. Later, on her own, she gained admission to the University of Guyana and graduated with a degree. Charmaine was a founder-member of the Guyana Association of Women Police. She served as the vice-president and on several occasions she represented that body both locally and overseas. Charmaine also took part in numerous activities conducted by the force and the Joint Services. You name it and Charmaine was there participating.

In 2017 she was adjudged the Best Cop for that year. Prior to her death, arrangements were in train at the highest level to retain her service for the strategic development of the band and its members. However, before play could have started her innings was unfortunately abbreviated. Charmaine had clean hands, a warm heart, a cool head and a passion for her job and God. To her sorrowing family, relatives, friends and members of the Guyana Police Force, I hasten to express my deepest sympathy. May her soul rest in peace. Yours faithfully, Clinton Conway Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

100 years of lawful trade unionism in Guyana Dear Editor, THIS year, 2021, is the Centenary Year for lawful trade unionism in Guyana, consequent upon enactment of the Trade Unions Act: Chapter 98:03 – No. 17 of 1921 on 18 June 1921. With Labour Day on May 1, trade unions through their leaders may reflect on this law in their statements to mark this important Centenary Year of lawful trade unionism. This Trade Unions Act provides for the Regulation and Registration of trade unions to enable them to function in good standing within the law. The then British Guiana Labour Union became the first trade union to register on July 21, 1921. (Ashton Chase a History of Trade Unionism in Guyana) This Trade Unions Act imposes obligations on trade unions to enable them to carefully manage the affairs of trade unions as good and faithful union stewards, in a transparent and publicly accountable manner. Some of the main provisions of the Trade Unions Act include: * The purpose of any trade union shall not be unlawful so as to invalidate any agreement (Section 5). * The Act protects trade unions against action of tort and breach of contract or agreement or trust in pursuance of a trade dispute (Sections 7 and 8). * The prohibition of trade unions from conducting union business, and to function, unless legally registered with the Registrar of Trade Unions in accordance with this Act. (Sections 11-12). * The Act also provides for the property of the unions to be vested in trustees, (trustees cannot hold offices in the same union), for legal action by or against trustees, and lim-

itation of responsibility of trustees (Section 16-21). On Financial Accountability, the Trade Union Act expressly requires every treasurer or other officers of unions to render to the trustees, and the members of the union at a duly constituted meeting of the union, a just and true account of monies received and paid, funds remaining, and all bonds and securities of the union. The trustees are required to submit to the auditor general for audit within 14 days of the receipt of the account from the treasurer (Section 22). The Act further stipulates the requirements and conditions in relation to the registration with the registrar of union rules, the registered office of the unions; withdrawal or cancellation of certificate of registration; a change of union’s name; amalgamation of unions; registration of change of name and amalgamation, and dissolution of the union (Sections 25-33). Annual Return and Registrar’s Reports Section 35 of the Act imposes an obligation on every registered trade union to present to the registrar a general statement of receipts, funds, effects, and expenditure before the May 1 in every year. The statement must show fully the assets and liabilities of the preceding year and must be prepared together with such information and in the manner stipulated in this Act. The registrar of trade unions is required to lay before the National Assembly, annual reports with respect to matters transacted by the registrar in keeping with the requirements of the Trade Unions Act (Section 36). The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Trade Unions The International Labour Conference of the ILO at its 35th session adopted a Resolu-

tion in 1952 concerning the independence of the trade union movement and the principles for establishment of freedom of association and good industrial relations. The resolution affirmed that a stable, free and independent trade union movement is an essential condition for good industrial relations and should contribute to the improvement of social conditions of workers; the principles which should be laid down in this regard, which are essential to protect the freedom and independence of the trade union movement and its fundamental task of advancing the social and economic well-being of the workers, The resolution affirmed that: * the fundamental and permanent mission of the trade union movement is the economic and social advancement of the workers; * the trade unions also have an important role to perform in cooperation with governments and employers’ organisations in promoting social and economic development and the advancement of the national community as a whole; * it is essential for the trade union movement in each country to preserve its freedom and independence, so as to be in a position to carry forward its economic and social mission, irrespective of political changes; * a condition for such freedom and independence is that trade unions be constituted as to membership without regard to race, national origin or political affiliations, and pursue their trade union objectives on the basis of the solidarity and economic and social interests of all workers. * When trade unions in accordance with national law and practice, and on the decision of their members decide to establish relations with a political party, or to undertake constitutional political action as a means

towards the advancement of their economic and social objectives, such political relations or actions should not be of such a nature as to compromise the continuance of the trade union movement or its social and economic functions, irrespective of political changes in the country. * Governments in seeking the cooperation of trade unions to carry out their economic and social policies should recognise that the value of this cooperation rests to a large extent on the freedom and independence of the trade union movement as an essential factor in promoting social advancement and should not attempt to transform the trade union movement into an instrument for the pursuance of political aims, nor should they attempt to interfere with the normal functions of a trade union movement, because of its freely established relationship with a political party. On Labour Day, May 1, 2021, the trade unions and the trade union movement and their leaders are called upon and challenged to let their membership and the Guyanese public know how accountable and faithful they have been over the last decade in meeting all their obligations and requirements under the Trade Union Act as outlined above. Similarly, the registrar of trade unions; the trustees of trade unions; trade union treasurers; the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Auditor General, in faithful discharge and in the integrity of their responsibilities under this Trade Unions Act, Chapter 98:03, must inform the concerned parties and the public on the state of affairs in relation to their statutory duties under this Act Sincerely, Samuel J. Goolsarran

Inertia has taken over City Hall Dear Editor, I BELIEVE the time has come for the residents of Georgetown to begin seeking answers as to what services they are really receiving in return for the municipal rates, taxes and fees that they are compelled to pay. And this question needs to be asked, because no longer do they receive demand notices with a summary of proposed income and expenditure attached, something that is required by law, neither are the details of the yearly budget made public. So why all the cloak-and-dagger stuff? For years now the City Council has stopped building, repairing or maintaining the roads in Georgetown. It is well known that The Ministry of Public Works is responsible for all declared and main roads in Georgetown, which include the main public highways and roadways. However, it is also established that the Georgetown City Council is responsible for all other streets, roadways and footpaths. But for years now they have stopped purchasing aggregates and binders such as lime, asphalt, concrete, along with other assorted products. In fact, they no longer own any Crawler Excavators, Motor Graders, Road Rollers, Wheel Loaders or an Asphalt Mixing Plant, but rather they just simply wait for central government to do all the roadworks. So where does that portion of

property rates that citizens pay go? Under the law, the Mayor and Councillors of the city of Georgetown have a duty and obligation to collect and impound stray animals found on their own wandering around streets, roads or parks of Georgetown. But alas! They wait for the Ministry of Home Affairs to do this job for them, opting to not even have a dog cart of their own. In the meantime donkeys, horses, cows and other four-footed friends are left to roam the streets aimlessly, posing a risk to life and limb of their own and to humans. Well over a year ago, a crane toppled and crashed into the municipal abattoir. Slaughtering of animals, processing of meat and inspection of meat products ground to a halt and have not restarted since. One would have thought that the council would have used the occasion of this near tragedy to tear down this old derelict structure erected since 1933 and replace it with a modern facility to complement the vast potential of Guyana’s agricultural sector, with the goal of boosting beef and pork production with the long-term aim of tapping into the international market. But no, the city seems ready to give up yet another of its functions to central government. Under the perceptive leadership of the astute lawyer, politician and diplomat, Sir Lionel Luckhoo, who was Mayor of Georgetown in 1955 and again from 1960-1961, the

Luckhoo Municipal Pool was developed in Georgetown and provided affordable access to a form of exercise that’s seen as a valuable life skill and one which could bring people together to learn, bond and get fit. After more than 25 years of operation, a crack was discovered and the pool was closed. To date, despite the hopes and aspirations of many, many persons, a new pool was never constructed. What recreational facilities is the council providing to the citizenry? Years ago the council had in its employ an officer that went around checking to see which street lights were not working and which lamp posts were rotting in the city. This was reported to the power company for remedial action. Those services are gone. Streets are left dark and rotting light poles are left to snap and crash to the ground The city had its own incinerator and landfill sites to take care of the garbage generated by the citizenry, which was hauled by its own fleet of refuse trucks. Today everything has to be hauled all the way to the Haags Bosch landfill in Eccles that was constructed by central government. Le Repentir Cemetery, first used in the early 19th century, is the country’s largest burial site with thousands of old and new graves, has been all but abandoned by the Georgetown municipality. One has to put up with vandalised tombs, foul smells, piles of garbage, animal carcasses and roadways

blocked with broken palm trees and old fridges, before reaching the final resting places of their loved ones. Is there still a Sexton, and maintenance staff of the cemetery? The municipality no longer weeds the parapets and reserve areas in the city; no longer fixes broken bridges; hardly maintains the Promenade Gardens; the East Ruimveldt, Albouystown and La Penitence markets are in a state of ruin; City Hall is on the verge of collapse; at the Stabroek Market Wharf, zinc sheets dangle dangerously after a section of the roof caved in a few years ago. Whenever a criminal act is perpetrated in the city one can never find a city constable to report it to. No longer are sanitary inspectors visiting yards to ensure proper hygiene practices; no longer are the pavements washed or the streets swept; there is no fogging for mosquitoes; buildings are going up all over the city in violation of building codes; itinerant vending and street-vending have gotten out of hand; drains are clogged and flooding occurs after the least rainfall, and now the icing on the cake is that they have decided to shutter their day care centres, one of the few worthwhile services that they offered. So what are the citizens paying for? Less than 10 per cent of the services to which they are entitled? Sincerely, Anu Bihari

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

Prime Minister Phillips ‘grounds’ with Region Five residents ― to visit the other regions to hear of their concerns and provide solutions

PRIME MINISTER, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, had a successful visit to Mahaica-Berbice (Region Five) on Saturday, where he held several community meetings, interacted with residents and businesses and reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to developing the region. The Prime Minister said that the outreach was a part of his Government’s responsibility to help solve the challenges

of ordinary Guyanese and he intended to do such in multiple communities throughout Guyana. “This is a visit that I intend to do to every region, so that as your Prime Minister I can interact with you, listen to you and have a fair idea as to what are the big things that are affecting you in your community and what are the big ideas that you would like me to take back to the Cabinet and to the President, as we seek to conduct the

affairs of State to the benefit of all Guyanese,” he said. During the outreach and business visits, the Prime Minister moved across several communities. He started with a walkabout at the Mahaicony Branch Market, where he met with vendors and shoppers. The Prime Minister, who is the Head of the Covid-19 Task Force, also appealed to the residents of Dundee to take their vaccines to protect themselves against the deadly

COVID-19 virus. He informed the residents, during all the meetings, including at Dundee, that the Government is committed to fulfilling promises made in the manifesto of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). High on the agenda, he said will be agricultural development projects within the region. At the Bush Lot outreach, the Prime Minister explained that work had already started.

COMMITMENT Location manager of the rice mill, Reymona Ramlall, said she was pleased to have the commitment of the Prime Minister for the development of the region and its private sector. She said the mill purchases paddy from hundreds of rice farmers across Region Five and Region Six and that she appreciated the commitment of the Prime Minister to assist with overcoming challenges

Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, speaks at one of the community meetings in Region Five (Office of the Prime Minister photo)

“We have cleared 800 miles of canal from August 2nd to now and we have also reduced the land rates from $15,000 to $3,500; this is a Government that didn’t only put promises in a manifesto, but also hit the ground running from August 2nd.” A community meeting was also held at Rosignol while the Prime Minister also toured A. Cayume Hakh and Sons Rice Mill at Golden Grove and R&R Business Enterprise (a hardware store) at Bath.

that would hamper the sector’s growth. “It’s nice to have the Prime Minister visiting us; what’s comforting is to know that he is willing to be there with us to help the farmers. We have farmers coming here from both Regions Five and Six and they look forward to doing business with us.” Prior to those stops, the Prime Minister had toured the Guyana Power and Light’s Onverwagt Power Station to assess its operations.

He was accompanied throughout the outreach by Member of Parliament, Faizal Jaffarally; Regional Chairman, Vickchand Ramphal and other regional executives. Among some of the concerns raised by the residents throughout the visit were land disputes, drainage and irrigation challenges and the upgrading of farm-to-market and community roads. The Prime Minister requested that the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) investigate the concerns and move to resolve them, where possible, while he said that Central Government will also assist where it can. Regional Chairman Ramphal said that he was pleased by the Government’s engagement with the people and its collaboration with the regional administration. “Our people made full use of this opportunity of the Prime Minister visiting the region and that is the approach that we have to take to better the living standard of our people... Region Five is the largest rice-producing region in our country and so there is much need for improved infrastructure.” During the outreach, the Prime Minister also stopped briefly in Number 41 Village to pay his final respects and offer his condolences to the relatives and friends of Abiola Blackman, a supporter of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), who died on April 16, 2021. (DPI)

51 COVID-19 deaths recorded in April alone THERE have now been 51 deaths recorded in the month of April so far, following the deaths of two men and a woman on Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health. The latest fatalities are a 80-year-old man from Region Four (Demerara- Mahaica); a 51-year-old man from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and a 55-year-old woman from the same region. The Health Ministry said that they all died while receiving care at a medical facility on Saturday. These three fatalities have resulted in the total number of COVID deaths recorded for the country, since March last year when the pandemic began, rising to 284. This April is now the deadliest month of the pandemic, locally. October, last year, was previously the deadliest month with 44 deaths. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health via their COVID-19

daily dashboard reported that an additional 103 people were infected over a 24-hour period. This means that 12,703 cases have been recorded since March last year. There have been 10,786 recoveries, however. These new cases came from several regions, including: Region One (one case), Region Two (23 cases), Region Three (13 cases), Region Four (49 cases), Region Five (seven cases), Region Six (six cases), Region Nine (three cases) and Region 10 (one case). Additionally, 55 men were newly infected while 48 women were infected over the 24-hour period. Importantly, there are 1,643 active cases, that is, people who are currently infected with COVID-19. In the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), there are 12 of these active cases; the rest of these cases are in home isolation (1,548 people), institutional isolation (73 people)

and institutional quarantine (10 people). Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic; that is, they are not exhibiting any symptoms. The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force from April 1, 2021, until April 30, 2021. They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic. As per the current measures, however, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes. Physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are also important. The current curfew time is 22:30hrs to 04:00 hours. Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

‘Cassie’ has a history of academic excellence ― top CSEC student for Region Two added to her list By: Indrawattie Natram SINCE primary school, Region Two’s top performer at the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination, Duvina Seurattan known as “Cassie”, has managed to keep her academic performance high by continuously studying and staying focussed. The eighteen-year-old former student of the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School (ARMS) and resident of Cullen Village, secured 19 ones and two grades two at the examination. She is extremely happy about her successful performances over the years and told the Guyana Chronicle, during a recent interview, that despite all the challenges she has faced, she somehow maintained the first place position at the end of every school term.

cohesion club. She believes that for one to become rounded, one must be involved in a wide range of activities such as religion and sports, and one must have a social life. Seurattan made it clear that she did not regret her decision to pursue her secondary education in Region Two. She said over the years she developed a love for her school, her teachers and her fellow students. She told the Guyana Chronicle that every year she was honoured at the school’s prize-giving exercise for her efforts during the school year. She said she has many accolades and awards which are a constant reminder of her successes at ARMS. The teen who will soon be heading to the University in Canada to pursue studies in Chemical Engineering, recalled that, in 2018, she was again motivated when she wrote the National

Duvina Seurattan manning a booth for her school during a social cohesion activity

Duvina Seurattan uplifting a prize at one of the school’s graduation and prize-giving ceremonies

She said her potential was unlocked when she copped the first position for the region at the 2015 sitting of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) with 522 marks. She said although she was awarded a spot at the prestigious top school, Queen’s College, which is located in Georgetown, her mother, Kumarie Seurattan, encouraged her to attend ARMS. She took that advice and attended the Essequibo Coast secondary school. Her mother would later become her biology teacher. The teen recalled that her days at ARMS were not spent only reading and researching, but she also got the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities such as athletics and debating competitions, and she was a member of the social

Grade Nine Assessment. At that national exam, she was a top performer. She explained to this publication that, as she approached the fifth form, she knew that she had to become even more serious and focus on her studies. She recalled having to give up a lot of activities to study which sometimes lasted for hours. She said that under her teachers’ guidance she completed all her School-Based Assessment (SBA) and to her surprise submitted them on time. STUDYING DURING THE PANDEMIC According to Seurattan, the timing of the pandemic presented challenges. She told the Guyana Chronicle that it struck at the time when she was in full

exam preparation mode. She vividly recalled how concerned she was when she heard that only the paper one and the SBA component were going to be used to determine the final grade. That made her very nervous as she knew she was going to be under tremendous pressure to do well in paper one. Additionally, she noted that students were required to sit a major examination amidst confirmed cases of COVID-19. She vividly recalled going into the examination room all masked up and with a bottle of hand sanitiser in her possession.

The top student said she was very elated and satisfied that she achieved her ultimate goal, which was to make her parents, school, and her region proud. She related that now that she had completed her secondary education, she would soon depart for Canada to further her studies. She said her deep love for chemistry and the endless opportunities it can offer, were her reasons for choosing that area of study. Meanwhile, her mother told this publication that she expected her daughter to perform excellently. The secondary

school teacher also spoke of her daughter’s academic success since nursery school. The teen’s father, Gobin Seurattan, took the opportunity to congratulate his daughter on her outstanding performance. Headteacher of Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School, Lalljeet Rooplall, congratulated Seurattan and the other students for their hard work and excellent performance. She added that they have all made Duvina Seurattan the school proud.

―

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

The twins who topped at CSEC By Mesha Sealey

IDENTICAL twins from Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, on Friday achieved an impressive milestone after they were named by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) among the highest achievers in Guyana for the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate (CSEC) 2020 examinations. Both students of Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN), Shivnarine and Shivshankar Chaitram, fondly abbreviated to ‘Shivs’ by their peers, tied for the position of sixth, out of thousands of students in Guyana. According to their schoolmates at SVN, the pair mirrored each other in ways that identical

twins usually do. “They move like one cohesive unit,” one of their peers, Trayon Douglas, recalled of the pair. “They did almost everything together. In classes they’d always get the same scores, ‘cause they studied together. When one got the top place, the other would tie with them. Sometimes one wouldn’t even need to speak. One spoke for both of them.”

RARE AND REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT It came as no surprise, then, when the twins also produced identical grades at the CSEC 2020 examinations. The ‘Shivs’ scored 17 grade ones and two grade twos, a feat both rare and remarkable, especially in

Guyana. Although the boys had seen the scores they achieved for CSEC long before they were confirmed, Shivnarine, the older of the two, explained that they had only received the news of their placement among the top performers when it was announced by the Ministry of Education on Friday. “It was an unexpected surprise that we placed in the top 10, but we always knew we would have done well. So, in a way, it was a mixed surprise,” he stated in an interview with this publication. Raywatti Chaitram, the twins’ mother, noted that the twins had always been on top of their studies, as well as their schoolwork, constantly scor-

ing places among the top performers in their classes; so she had expected them to be high achievers this time around. “Since they were growing up, I always knew they had this great potential and ability to go further, as well as achieve a lot. Since in primary school, they were straight-A students. They were always at the top. They did well for NGSA, and they had also tied [then]. And when they started secondary school, they still maintained straightAs. They were at the top, they were going forward, and they were achieving more and more, so I am very proud of them, that they could have reached this level,” she expressed.

WELL-PREPARED While some students across the country had been blindsided by the sudden lockdown instituted with the advent of COVID-19 in March 2020, Shivnarine said they were well prepared for their examinations, not only by their school, but with their own studies as well as the encouragement to minimise distractions by both their parents. Currently, they are pursuing studies in Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) subjects at Saraswati Vidya Niketan. While Shivnarine is aiming to get into the field of medicine as a neurologist, Shivshankar wants to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, a medical doctor who specialises in surgical procedures of the heart, lungs, oesophagus, and other organs in the chest. They attributed their success primarily to their parents,

who Shivshankar gratefully noted kept them from becoming ‘playful’ in the absence of physical school; their teachers

who is also a teacher, revealed. “They are my role models,” the twins’ 14-year-old-sister, Trishala Chaitram, expressed.

Shivnarine (left) and Shivshankar Chaitram

at school, who were quick to bridge the gap in education created by the dissolving of physical school; and study time with each other. Both parents expressed confidence and pride in the twins’ achievements, reiterating their constant success over the years. “I expected them to place high, but I never told them,” their father, Harrichandra Chaitram,

She will be sitting the CSEC examinations in 2024. While twins in Jamaica have scored high at the CSEC examinations both in 2015 and 2020, it is the first time that twins have scored identical grades. The Shivs are two of the five students from Saraswati Vidya Niketan to place among the top 10 at the CSEC 2020 examinations.

GMSA mourns passing of Chintamani THE Board of Directors and staff of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) have expressed sadness at the passing of one of its members, Bissessar Chintamani, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Triple C Consultancy and Modern Security. Chintamani was recently appointed to the GMSA’s executive board. This appointment recognised him as an invaluable contributor to the agri-sector, having demonstrated his commitment and passion towards advancing the sector since joining the membership, a GMSA release said. “He was an advocate for cultivating non-traditional crops and used many innovative techniques and solutions to encourage farmers to undertake large-scale production. Under his acco-

lade of contributions, Chintamani recently partnered with the University of the West Indies (UWI), in an initiative which offered free online courses to GMSA members,” a release said. Chintamani’s contributions were well recognised and impacted many small farmers countrywide. His

Bissessar Chintamani

passion was always to empower farmers and see them develop. He was committed to that cause and pursued it with vigour and relentless drive, the GMSA noted. In December 2020, Chintamani was the recipient of the GMSA’s Award in recognition of his efforts in sharing knowledge with agro-processors for agricultural initiatives. In 2018, he was also the recipient of the President’s Award in recognition of his company’s efforts in promoting the use of technology to enhance primary crop productivity. “As we pay tribute to this true professional, our friend, colleague, mentor, and innovator, the GMSA would like to extend deepest condolences to Chintamani’s family during this time of grief,” the GMSA release concluded.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

To beat or not to beat

NO one likes to feel physical or emotional pain. However, some adults are convinced that ‘sharing licks’ is the only way to get children to stay in line and do as they are told. How often have we heard these type of references, ‘I gan tear yuh skin’, ‘I gan cut yuh tail’ ‘When I hold you I gan wash yuh skin with licks’. You may say to yourself, ‘There is nothing wrong with beating a child - I was beaten as a child and I turned out alright ‘. But wouldn’t you have preferred a childhood where beating did not occur at all? Hitting children is not a ‘normal’ part of childhood. Other people say, ‘Is only licks this child understand’. They could be correct. When children are raised in environments where beatings are rife, it becomes all they understand because it is all they know. Most of the incidents, mishaps or mistakes for which children get beat are the same errors that grownups make every day, yet no one beats them. Some adults who abuse their children mercilessly have undiagnosed mental health problems or childhood traumas that govern their thought process. The child only needs to put one foot out of line to trigger an adverse reaction and a beating. Children are resilient and full of love; they would take the abuse, and nine times out of ten would still want to stay with the perpetrator if given a choice. The child is unaware that he/she is a victim of abuse. A child only knows what his parents, siblings and environment teach him. If mishaps are dealt with calmly and reasonably, then the child will grow with that mindset. He/she will adopt

the clear and reasonable approach he/she has learnt and apply it to life’s circumstances. But where beatings are used to reproach a child, the child may learn to either fear the ‘beatings’ or get used to them rather than understand the significance of obeying rules. He/she may also grow to believe that physical aggression is okay in certain social situations. When adults use beatings as a quick fix to a problem, the root of the problem still exists. Many fail to find out ‘why’ the incident happened and ‘what’ may lie behind inappropriate behaviour. Beatings occur purely out of adult frustration or anger, on occasions. They teach children aggression and send the wrong message about problem-solving. Some children find it hard to equate how adults who claim to love them can inflict such physical pain. While others assume their parents do not love them, this can lead to a strained relationship. A one-year-old child wants to pull a wire he sees hanging from a laptop, his mother scolds, ‘No, don’t touch that’, the child backs off for a while (like bright children do as a bluff) then proceeds towards the wire again, the mother kisses her teeth and raises her hand at the child, ‘If you trouble that I gan beat yuh’. It sounds harmless, but it is aggressive, and the punishment (slapping, beating etc.) will increase in severity as the child grows, even though there is an alternative. Parents can nurture the respect and type of relationship they need with their children from young. What if the mother, said ‘No, don’t touch that’, to the child and explained ‘you cannot play with that, but here are some toys you can

play with’, while finding a safe place for the child to sit and some toys to occupy the child’s attention. Also, the mother can remove the laptop wire away from the infant’s temptation. There is no need to threaten or physically beat the child at all. Though culturally, for some people, that is how they are programmed. Studies have shown a direct link between physical child abuse and delinquency, aggression and marital abuse in later life. Aggression seemed to be the reflexed reaction caused by the physical pain of abuse. Most studies found more negative factors linked to physical abuse and no longterm positive effects from physically abusing children. For most parents, when the child is young, a sharp slap on the leg gets the desired effect for immediate behaviour change, especially when out in public, and that is as far as it goes. As the child develops and basic understanding and rules are applied and followed, no further physical discipline is required. The child understands what is expected of him/her, and any untoward conduct is dealt with appropriately. Talking to a child to evoke behaviour change can be long-winded, tiresome and repetitive. How many times have we heard parents say, ‘I tired talk to that child, she ears hard’. The desired result is highly dependent on the parent/ child relationship. If there is a lack of respect or disregard, children are unlikely to pay heed to anything the adult might say. However, in cases where communication is lacking, beating a child will only exasperate the problem. It is understandable that

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY

in this fast-moving world, there is less time for parent-child interaction. However, there are many non-violent ways to discipline or punish children. If you want the best for your children – find the one that is right for you. If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

Republic Bank records dip in profit FOR the half-year that ended March 31, 2021, Republic Bank Guyana has recorded an after-tax profit of $1,712 million. According to the institution’s audited financial statements published on Sunday, the recorded profit represents a decrease of $248 million. This translates to a 12.7 per cent dip when compared to the corresponding period last year. This, the Bank recognised,

is as “a result of reductions in net interest and other income (due to reduced levels of economic activity and the non-recurrence of certain one-off events along with an increase in our provisions for loan loss.” Further, the bank said that its total assets grew by $36.4 billion or 19.7 per cent. As it relates to customers’ deposits, this saw an increase of $31.8 billion, or 20.1 per cent year-

on-year. “On the basis of this performance, your directors have approved an interim dividend of $1.00 per stock unit (2020: $1.00),” the bank informed its stakeholders. At the end of September last year, its parent company, Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL) recorded a 42.8 per cent decrease in revenues, when compared to the same period in 2019.

In a press release issued then, Chairman of the company, Vincent Pereira had attributed the declines to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and related challenges that it brought on. “.... decreased economic activity, lower margins due to reduced interest rates; waiver of fees and commissions under the COVID-19 relief initiatives; increased provisioning to cover potential future losses

at US$15.57 billion, which represented an increase of US$2.51 billion or 19.2 per cent from the previous year. This increase, it was explained, was owing to the acquisition of Scotiabank’s banking operations in St. Maarten and the Eastern Caribbean - Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Republic Bank Guyana

would no longer be selling its operations. Nonetheless, Pereira had said in 2020 that “While there continues to be uncertainty over the future direction and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confident that the Group’s strong capital base, diverse geographic footprint and robust governance culture leave it well-positioned to support the recovery efforts of the economies with-

Latest audited financial statements show a 12.7 per cent dip in profits when compared to last year

on the loan and investments portfolios, and impairment of the remaining Goodwill held in our Barbados subsidiary,” Pereira was quoted as saying. As at September 30, 2020, Pereira said that the company’s total assets stood

had also attempted to acquire Scotiabank’s Guyana shares as well, but was blocked, following Government’s intervention. In early 2020, Dr. Gobind Ganga, Governor of the Bank of Guyana, informed that Scotiabank

in which we operate.” He further assured of the bank’s commitment towards responding to the needs of its customers and clients, while providing safe working conditions for its employees.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

Elections petition ruling today By Richard Bhainie

THE highly anticipated ruling in the last-standing Elections Petition, 88 of 2020, Claudette Thorne et anor v Keith Lowenfield et al, is scheduled to be delivered today by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George C.C.H, S.C., in the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature. The decision by the chief justice will be handed down at 11:00hrs and is expected to be widely broadcasted; however, it will be livestreamed and can also be accessed at the Supreme Court website at www.supremecourt.gy.

torney-at-law Dominican Senior Counsel, Anthony Astaphan, asked the court to dismiss the petition. He told the court that there was no breach of the constitution and that “Order 60 was entirely consistent with Section 22 and Section 162.” Astaphan had elaborated that Order 60 was “transparent,” enacted in “good faith” and was intended to remove the difficulties that prevented a declaration of final results, which was pending for several months.

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George CCH, SC Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, who is representing the state in the matter

Attorney-at-law Anthony Astaphan, SC, who is representing The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)

Attorney-at-law, Douglas Mendes, SC, who is representing, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo in his capacity as representative of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) In this matter, petitioners Claudette Thorne and Heston Bostwick contend that Section 22 of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act 2000 is unconstitutional and that Order 60 of 2020, which authorised the elections recount process, is invalid, null, void and of no effect. Order 60 was created by virtue of Article 162(1) of the Constitution and Section 22 of the Election Laws Amendment Act 2000, in order to resolve irregularities, anomalies and discrepancies which occurred during the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections process, before declaring the results of the elections. The petitioners are also contending that the Returning Officers’ Electoral District Declarations could not have been set aside and the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) actions were unlawful and encroached upon the High Court’s Jurisdiction under Article 163 of the constitution. The last time the matter was called up on April 8, 2020, GECOM through its At-

Counsel representing the petitioners, John Jeremie, SC “In the face of these difficulties, what was GECOM to do? What should GECOM have done with the intransigent [sic] of the returning officer and the chief elections officer and the difficultly to get cooperation for resolution of the matter,” he asked the court. “GECOM was literally, by the constitution and by statute, obliged to act; it was obliged to act otherwise chaos would have resulted as a result of the inability of GECOM because of the difficulties and intransigent [sic] it faced in declaring the final results as to who was properly elected in Guyana,” he said. Alternatively, Astaphan submitted that if the chief justice should find a breach, there were no consequences which affected the conduct or result of the recount and thus the petition should be dismissed.

He also submitted that the position of the petitioners that the results of the elections were affected by the recount is “wholly inadequate.” “There must be material particulars and facts that indicate precisely how that would have been done; merely to state that is a vague and general statement and they have not indicated how that is done,” he said. However, despite the submission by the Senior Counsel on behalf of his client, the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) GECOM commissioners, Vincent Alexan-

der, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman, penned a letter to the editor in which they noted that “it is a gross misrepresentation to attribute his submission to GECOM.” “We the commissioners, whose nominations originated from the APNU-AFC or their predecessor, do not subscribe to the view that Astaphan’s submission is reflective of GECOM’s position,” the trio noted. Attorney-at-law, Trinidadian Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, representing Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo in his capacity

as representative of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), put forward similar arguments as Astaphan. He contended that there was no excessive delegation of power to GECOM by Section 22, and that Section 22 is constitutional. Further, representing the State, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, S.C, shared similar sentiments, emphasising that there is the absence of material facts and no foundation has been laid in the petition to establish any grounds upon which the elections can be vitiated.

The first elections petition, 99 of 2020, Monica Thomas et anor v Keith Lowenfield et al, was dismissed by the chief justice on January 18, 2021, on the basis of a procedural impropriety that the second-named respondent, David Granger, was not served the petition within the prescribed time for service. S u b s e q u e n t l y, a t t o rney-at-Law Roysdale Forde, S.C. representing the petitioners Monica Thomas and Brennan Nurse, has since moved to the Court of Appeal to have the chief justice’s decision in that matter set aside.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

New sandpit for Region Two

CHAIRMAN of the Local Government Committee of the Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Dr. Ranjeev Singh, has said that residents can expect to pay reduced prices for sand when a new sandpit is opened at Onderneeming. The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) councillor made this announcement while presenting a report during a recent statutory meeting of the RDC.

used to enhance the communities within the NDC, he explained to the councillors. According to Dr. Singh, the committee is awaiting an update from the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GL&SC) regarding surveying of the piece of land for the proposed sandpit. He said once the sandpit is in operation, the NDC would be able to earn revenue from selling the sand. He added that the sand will

Dr. Ranjeev Singh addressing Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) councillors during the recent Regional Democratic Council (RDC) statutory meeting

According to Dr. Singh, the operation of the sandpit will be the responsibility of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) under which Onderneeming falls. He told his fellow councillors that presently no sandpit in Region Two is under the control of the regional administration. It is for this reason he said that there are plans to survey several acres of land in the Onderneeming area from which sand could be sold. Dr. Singh said that persons in the region have to purchase sand from private individuals at high prices. Once operational, the Annandale/Riverstown NDC will be collecting royalty payments. Additionally, he said persons uplifting sand from the pit will have to pay a fee. This revenue will be

be sold at a cheaper price, thereby allowing residents to save some money when constructing their houses. Dr. Singh urged members of the council to pen a letter to the GL&SC requesting that it expedite the surveying. Meanwhile, Regional Chairperson Vilma de Silva expressed support for the venture and made a commitment to follow up the surveying issue with GL&SC officers. During her brief remarks, she informed the council that in 2015 the region was receiving tolls from the sale of sand; however, that sandpit was subsequently closed. She is optimistic that there will be an economic spin-off in the construction sector once the sandpit becomes operational.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

All-round Jadeja powers CSK to win (ESPNCRICINFO) - A stunning assault of 36 runs off his bat in the final over, the prize wickets of Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers, and a spectacular direct hit to run out Dan Christian made Ravindra Jadeja the star as the Chennai Super Kings handed the Royal Challengers Bangalore their first loss of IPL 2021. With their fourth straight win in five games, the Super Kings also snatched the top table position with a 69-run win in Mumbai. Jadeja first launched five sixes in the Super Kings’ final over to lift them from 154 to 191 and then bowled Maxwell and de Villiers in consecutive overs to reduce the Royal Challengers to 83 for 6 that effectively ended the chase with Virat Kohli already back in the pavilion for 8. Devdutt Padikkal threatened to take control of the chase with an attacking 34 off 15 that gave the Royal Challengers a powerful score of 65 in the powerplay, but the loss of four wickets in four overs after that did irreparable damage to their pursuit. Jadeja also dismissed No. 3 Washington Sundar for 7 in his match-winning figures of 3 for 13 and Imran Tahir’s double blow before the Royal Challengers could reach 100 effectively sealed the Super Kings’ win. Another du Plessis fifty lays platform Fa du Plessis struck his second consecutive fifty and gave the Super Kings, who opted to bat, a solid start by clearing the in-field with ease against the fast bowlers. He caressed the first ball he faced through the covers and then lofted Mohmmed Siraj over long-on and Kyle Jamieson twice on the off side to set the tone for his team-mates. Ruturaj Gaikwad played second fiddle for the first four overs before attacking Yuzvendra Chahal and Navdeep Saini to give the Super Kings a powerplay score of 51 for 0. Patel takes the pace off the ball and CSK Kohli had said at the toss they brought in Saini to “go hard at the batsman in the middle overs” with his pace but the exact opposite happened. Saini got only two overs for leaking 27 runs as his pace helped the Super Kings batters clear the short boundaries with ease. Becoming only the second team to opt to bat at Wankhede in the IPL since 2018, the Super Kings cruised to 83 for 1 at the halfway mark after Gaikwad fell for 33. Suresh Raina, promoted to No. 3 in the absence of the injured Moeen Ali, had already smashed three sixes in the first 15 balls he faced and the Super Kings were ready to launch from 110 for 1 after 12 overs. Patel soon put the brakes on them by dismissing the well-set du Plessis and Raina off consecutive balls. With both batters offered back-of-length cutters, Raina found deep midwicket and du Plessis holed out to long-on. The Super Kings could have even been 112 for 4 had Christian not dropped a sitter at deep midwicket when Jadeja was on 0. The next ball also saw a misfield - from Padikkal - and Jadeja made the Royal Challengers pay for it. The Jadeja death over On 154 for 4 after 19 overs, Jadeja heaved Patel, this season’s highest-wicket taker, for four merciless sixes on the trot on the leg side. Whether it was a slower ball, a cutter or an attempted yorker, Jadeja kept smashing them towards the deep midwicket boundary. The third ball of the over was a no-ball for being a high full toss, and after Jadeja retained strike with a double off the over’s fourth legitimate ball, he went on to smoke a fifth six, over long-on, before finishing the over with a one-bounce four behind square on the leg side to take the over’s tally to 37. The Jadeja show continues Until Padikkal was batting, it looked like he would run away with the chase like he did against the Rajasthan Royals three days ago. With a combination of flourishing drives, pick-up shots and fluent strokes he tore into Deepak Chahar and Sam Curran to race to 34 off 14 before handing a catch to deep backward square leg off Shardul Thakur’s short ball in the fifth over. Kohli had already edged Curran behind two overs ago and the chase now rested on Maxwell and de Villiers. And Jadeja hit the stumps when both were batting. Maxwell first lost his leg stump by missing a slog-sweep, on 22, in the ninth over and de Villiers saw the ball turn past his outside edge to knock his middle stump two overs later. Jadeja had his arms in the air, the Royal Challengers had their top six dismissed, and the Super Kings were truly on top. Between those two big wickets, Jadeja also swooped in from cover to smash the stumps down at the wicketkeeper’s end that found Christian short of his ground in the 10th over.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

SRH lose super-over thriller to Capitals

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Kane Williamson once again masked the Sunrisers’ lack of middle-order firepower and took them as far as the Super Over. But that final hurdle just proved too much. The Delhi Capitals’ Axar Patel, only recently recovered from Covid-19, was chosen ahead of Kagiso Rabada, the Super Over expert, to bowl in the most intense conditions, and

are best to bat on right at the start of the game. Then it starts to wear, with every single ball. Eventually run-scoring becomes a serious hassle. So Prithvi Shaw decided to take advantage of his position as opener. He took strike and promptly hit the first three balls to the boundary. His best shot though was an imperious cover drive for six off Siddarth Kaul in the third over.

Kane Williamson muscles one away, Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2021, Chennai, April 25, 2021 through artful changes of pace and vicious use of angles to cramp the batters, he restricted Sunrisers to seven. People will debate the choice not to send Jonny Bairstow, who struck at 211 on the night, for the Super Over. But that will end up in the footnote of this engrossing game as Rishabh Pant persevered against Rashid Khan, reverse swatting him for a boundary to bring his team and his pandemic-hobbled city extra joy in extra time. SHAW GOES BERSERK The pitches in Chennai

The camera panned to Pant just then. He was sitting in the dugout, his chin resting on his hand, very quiet, almost contemplative. He was the next batter in, so perhaps he was focused on getting into his zone. Even so, that shot was so good it broke through the captain’s zen and made him nod in appreciation. SUNRISERS VS PANT The Capitals marched to 51 for 0 in the first six overs. Now with the field spreading and the spinners coming on, hitting through the line became almost impossible. Even the half-cen-

turion Shaw, who cruised to 39 off 23 in the powerplay, could make only 14 off his next 16 balls before getting run-out. The Sunrisers placed all their faith in taking pace off the ball. But as well as they did that, they weren’t making too many inroads. Chances came in the 16th and 17th overs when Pant and Steven Smith offered catches to short fine leg (Khaleel Ahmed) and short third man (Siddarth Kaul) but neither were accepted. David Warner was hunched over by this point. His bowlers were doing everything right. His fielders were doing everything wrong. And because of that a power-hitting genius was still at the crease. Pant made 37 off 27 balls. He hit slower deliveries for six. He reverse-scooped fast bowlers for four. He toyed with Rashid, whacking the legspinner for 15 off eight balls. His 58-run partnership with Smith helped take Capitals to a very reasonable 159 for 4. BAIRSTOW AND WILLIAMSON STEP UP Put the ball in a spinner’s hand - spinners of the quality of R Ashwin and Amit Mishra - and it was spitting and bouncing and ripping and dipping. Bairstow somehow put all that to the back of his mind - and better yet, he made the spinners put them in the back of theirs too. Worried by his power against tossed up deliveries, they all went fast and flat at him and he still punished them. The Sunrisers opener made 38 off 18 balls. He could have been gone for 1 had Shimron Hetmyer not misjudged a tough catch on the midwicket boundary. Williamson has a subtler approach. He knows he 08:35 hrs Gunnerside 09:10 hrs George Bowen 09:40 hrs Al Qaasim 10:15 hrs Summa Peto 10:45 hrs Howzer Black

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can’t blast an opposition out but he can bring them to submission, slowly and methodically. And he did that here. Williamson swept and reverse-swept the Capitals spinners, always mindful that his wrists came down on top of the ball to prevent the top edge. He made the most of the little flaws in the field; when Kagiso Rabada ran in with mid-off up, Williamson charged out and lofted the ball over that fielder. He knew the value of taking this chase deep and so he used the crease, worked the angles and ran like a demon between the wickets. THE SURPRISE CAMEO Despite all of this, Sunrisers still needed 50 off

the last 30 balls. How does a T20 team with no recognised finisher manage ten an over for that long? Well, with some help from a very unlikely source. J Suchith came into the side because Bhuvneshwar Ku-

mar pulled up sore. With the game going the other way, he struck Avesh Khan for two cracking fours in the 19th over and Kagiso Rabada for one towering six in the 20th to force a Super Over showdown.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday April 26, 2021) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Varun Chakravarthy-5/20 (KKR vsDC) (2) 5 centuries

Today’s Quiz:

(1) How many matches were scheduled for IPL 2020? (2) Which wicketkeeper effected most dismissals in IPL 2020?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

Hasnain, Ali secure T20 series against Zimbabwe

Hasan Ali picked up a career-best 4 for 18 AFP/Getty Images (ESPNCRICINFO) - Hasan Ali and Mohammad Hasnain saved Pakistan the blushes and secured them a T20I series win over Zimbabwe, who have gone 24 bilateral rubbers without a T20I trophy now. Zimbabwe had a chance of pulling off a surprise win and completing their third-highest-successful chase after Wesley Madhevere’s second career half-century took them to 78 for 1 at the halfway stage, well on track to reach the target of 166. But they were unable to maintain their scoring rate and it ballooned on them in the next few overs, thanks to pressure from Hasnain and Ali, who forced a collapse. Zimbabwe lost six wickets for

39 runs from midway into the 14th over and finished 24 runs short. Ali picked up a career-best 4 for 18 and reached a landmark 150 T20 wickets as he finished as Pakistan’s best bowler on the day. He received good support from Hasnain, who got 1 for 26, as Pakistan recovered well after their other seamers leaked runs. Scoring was more free-flowing than it has been in the series so far, with Pakistan notching up the highest total on a fresh pitch. Their middle order was not required after a 126-run second-wicket stand between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan took them to a competitive total.

The IKO Academy of Guyana pushing community engagement THE International Karate Organization’s (IKO) Academy of Guyana consistent with a commitment it gave to the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport has commenced an ‘engagement through community-based sport’ agenda in Guyana. On Saturday last the body partnered with the Learning Nest Foundation, an NGO formed with the intention of giving the younger generation a chance at having a different perception of the world. IKO Guyana visited and spent the day at the Laluni area, a farming community on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway where the Karatekas held a demonstration of katas, kumite, embu and bunkai routines. Shihan Jeffrey Wong, a 7th Dan Black Belt who is the Chairman and Chief Instructor of Guyana’s premier karate organization, said sport has a unique way of making a positive social and cultural impact in communities and countries throughout the world. Shihan Wong wanted his organization to focus on the “bigger picture”, by taking the time to understand and recognize gaps in communities that the IKO could fill by building and maintaining effective relationships between his organization and the people of Guyana, particularly the youths. Wong said that using Karate as the vehicle, he wanted to encourage active lifestyles, encourage the right behaviour, build respect and tolerance, develop role models, achieve aspirations and build community relationships. Vice Chairman and Vice Chief Instructor of IKO Academy of Guyana Professor Aubrey Mendonca of Iowa State University stated that engaging a community through sports can mean many different things to many different people, but believes the old adage “it takes a village” to make something good happen. Professor Mendonca, who is currently on another of his regular visits to Guyana, said that sport is a unifier of people, and allows for the creation of a common identity within a certain culture of people, igniting passion, loyalty and community enthusiasm. Under a program it is calling ‘Guyana Kickz’ IKO Academy of Guyana intends to visit, set up clubs and train youths in the martial art of Karate-do in all three counties of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice which they are confident will lead to the reduction in the local level of crime and antisocial behavior in Guyana, through the provision of inspiration, motivation and the skills required to negotiate life in and out of the dojo. In light of the of the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, the Guyana Kickz initiative being pursued by the IKO Academy of Guyana, shall be placing special emphasis on showing that karate is a sport that can be practiced safely, through the “3 Cs” (no closed spaces, no crowded places, no close-contact settings).

Rizwan capped off fantastic white-ball form on this tour with his fourth half-century in seven T20Is and once again dominated the leg side. He scored 70 of his 91 runs in that region. Alongside him was Azam, who complimented Rizwan with runs all around and a milestone of his own. Pakistan’s captain is now the fastest to 2000 T20I runs. BABAR TAKES OFF As much as there will be debate over which names will rotate through the big three (or is it four or five?) batters in international cricket, there could be none over one of them, which must occupy a spot at the moment.

Azam added another achievement to his list when he became the fastest player to 2000 T20 runs, leapfrogging Virat Kohli and getting there in four fewer innings. He got there with a beautiful drive through extra cover after dancing down the track to meet Ryan Burl’s legspin. That was the first boundary in his innings, and it came off the 21st ball he faced, and was followed immediately by another off a short ball and a third in Burl’s next over, when he hit a flighted ball over the bowler’s head. He was happy to play a supporting role to Rizwan, though, as he reached his 18th T20I half-century.

City wins English League cup (BBC) - Manchester City won the League Cup for a record fourth time in succession with a deserved victory over a disappointing Tottenham Hotspur side at Wembley.

Pep Guardiola’s face was a picture of joy at the end of a week that saw Manchester City heavily criticised as one of the Premier League clubs involved in the ill-fated and

Aymeric Laporte’s header arrived with only eight minutes remaining City defender Aymeric Laporte, arguably fortunate to be on the pitch after escaping a yellow card in the first half before being cautioned after the break, rose above Spurs substitute Moussa Sissoko to head home Kevin de Bruyne’s free-kick eight minutes from time. It was appropriate reward for City creating a host of chances and dominating Spurs, who did not enjoy any sort of positive reaction from sacking manager Jose Mourinho on Monday and replacing him with caretaker Ryan Mason. The final was played in front of 8,000 supporters, including 2,000 from each club - and it was a delight to hear noise inside Wembley’s vast arena once more. City start their silverware collection

quickly abandoned European Super League. No-one can begrudge City or Guardiola this piece of history, with Laporte’s winner finally giving a performance that was top class in so many areas apart the end product it deserved. Riyad Mahrez was outstanding while Raheem Sterling was tireless even if his finishing touch still eludes him. It means City, who lost the chance of a historic quadruple when they were beaten by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley eight days ago, secure their first trophy of the season three days before their Champions League semi-final first leg at Paris St-Germain. City are within touching distance of retaining the Premier League title

so this cup success, the 30th major trophy of Guardiola’s glittering managerial career, sets the perfect platform for further glory ahead. The Spaniard’s players may have feared they would pay for their missed chances but anything other than a City win would have been a real injustice. Spurs’ big gambles fail to pay off It has been an eventual few days for Spurs, with Mourinho surprisingly dismissed at the start of a week in which they were attempting to win their first major trophy since 2008. Chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s hierarchy simultaneously became a target for criticism over Tottenham’s involvement in the European Super League. Indeed, one of the first chants from the 2,000 Spurs fans who were reunited inside Wembley was ‘We want Levy out’. In the context of this cup final, it was a gamble to dispense with Mourinho - who boasts a track record of success on these sort of occasions - and replace him with 29-year-old rookie coach Mason. If it was designed to lift clouds around this Spurs squad and spark a reaction that might overcome City, it failed miserably. Mason’s side - and it should be stressed he has barely had any time to exert serious influence - were insipid, lacklustre and could have no complaints about the result. Harry Kane, an injury doubt until late in the build-up after sustaining an ankle injury in the draw at Everton, declared himself fit but looked well off the pace and stayed down on a couple of occasions after challenges. The England made minimal impact on the game but he was not alone in that respect for Spurs, whose wait for a trophy goes on after a poor display.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, April 26, 2021

Petterson rewrites records at National Championships CARLOS Petterson, local strongman and powerlifting favourite, should be representing Guyana at an upcoming international powerlifting competition and he said that his aim is to maintain his consistency throughout. On Sunday, Petterson rewrote the local

national records for the squat, deadlift and total events in his 93 kg weight class in the men’s open raw division. The strongman, with a mantra of ‘records are meant to be broken’ was, at the time, qualifying himself for the 18th Annual FESUPO/ North American Regional Powerlifting (NAPF) Pan-AmerCarlos Petterson (93 kg) rewriting the local men’s open raw deadlift record

Nadina Taharally during one of her lifts on Sunday

ican Regional Championships, carded for August 17 to 21 in Orlando, Florida. Importantly, however, Petterson told Chronicle Sport, “I won’t say that I am preparing for a special competition, I just keep pounding and pounding so that when the competition comes up, I am able to focus more on what I gotta do.” The qualifiers, held at the St. Stanislaus College auditorium at Brickdam, Georgetown, was the return of competition from the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF)’s since the pandemic forced the events to a halt. And, for Petterson, his ability to lift and compete once again was something he welcomed. “I’m glad that I was able to set back certain aims… My totals are there and now it is time

to focus on the world (championships),” he said also His squat was 307.5 kg, his deadlift was 350 kg and his total was 822.5 kg. According to him, the totals he managed to lift now places him in the top four of the world. Lifters from Ukraine, Sweden and the United State (US) are the competitors he has his mind set on beating. And he assured this newspaper that he has enough “in the tank” to train and become stronger. All the athletes who would have made the GAPLF’s 2020 shortlist must now re-qualify in order to be eligible to compete at the NAPF Championships in August. In addition to Petterson, there were also guestlifts from Paul Adams, Wazim Mohamed and Nadina Taharally on Sunday.

Chappelle, Abrigo, Hunter and Mohamed win at powerlifting competition By Vishani Ragobeer AFTER being hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, local powerlifting returned on Sunday with the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF)’s National Novice / Junior Championship and Qualifiers held at the St. Stanislaus College. Sunday’s competition was strange to anyone who is familiar with the local powerlifting scene. The faces of the spotters, referees, athletes and well, everyone were covered with face masks and some face shields. The dozens of usual supporters (who liven up the venue with their shouts of support at every lift) were absent, though the competing athletes were loud enough to do the job. Still, the competition was a ‘weighty’ one. For females, in the junior category, 14-year-old Angel Chappelle (52 kg) emerged the overall winner. She managed a 65kg squat, 30 kg bench press and a 75 kg

Best lifter (classic) in the Novice and Junior category, Romeo Hunter deadlift. Her total was 170 kg. She won the women’s sub-junior raw category and in the women’s open raw, for her weight class. Speaking to Chronicle Sport after the competition,

she said that she was very proud of herself given that she had only been training for a few months. And, now that she has experienced what the competition is like, she is enthused about par-

ticipating in more and more events. Importantly, the young Chapelle also broke four national records. Her best squat and her overall total set the record in the 52 kg weight

class women’s sub-junior raw and women’s open raw category. In the novices’ category, Keisha Abrigo (69 kg)- who competed in the women’s open raw category- emerged the overall female winner after she lifted a total of 337.5 kg. Her squat was 125 kg; her bench press, 42.5 kg; and deadlift, 160kg. Other winners in the female’s leg of the competition included: Salma Hack (57kg) who lifted a total of 257.5 kg and won the women’s open raw in her weight class, and Homwattie Hirawan (76kg) who lifted a total of 252.5 kg and won both the women’s open raw and the women’s Mast 1 raw in her weight class. Meanwhile, in the men’s segment, 14-year-old Romeo Hunter (66 kg) emerged the best lifter (classic) in the novice and junior categories. Meanwhile, Faroud Mohamed (74 kg) emerged the best lifter (equipped) in the novice and junior categories. Hunter managed a total of 440 kg. His lifts were:

170 k squat, 110 kg bench press and a 160 kg deadlift. He won in the sub-junior raw and the men’s open raw categories for his weight class. Hunter set the new men’s sub-junior raw bench press national record. Mohamed, on the other hand, scored a total of 465 kg. His squat was 170 kg, his bench press was 100 kg and his deadlift was 195 kg. He placed first in the men’s sub-junior equipped and men’s open equipped for his weight class. Mohamed rewrote the squat, bench press, deadlift and total national records. In the open raw category, the winners were: Kelvin Moore (59 kg), Cidel Patrick (83 kg), Paul Meusa (93 kg) and Thurston Pearce (105 kg). Corvin Sealey (93 kg) came second to Meusa. Askhay Goukaran (93 kg) won in the men’s junior raw category. Additionally, Yogaishawar Seecharan (120 kg) won in the men’s junior equipped and the men’s open equipped.

some of the karatekas during a kata demonstration

The IKO Academy of Guyana pushing community engagement

see story on page 22

Overall female winner in the Novice’s category, Keisha Abrigo (69 kg)

All-round Jadeja powers CSK to win see story on page 20

Chappelle, Abrigo, Hunter and Mohamed win at powerlifting competition see story on page 23

Dan Christian is run out courtesy of a direct hit from Ravindra Jadeja, Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2021, Mumbai, April 25, 2021

Petterson rewrites records at National Championships see story on page 23

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MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2021