Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 04-10-2023

Top teachers to share winning methods in special math training programme

–– President Ali says

A SPECIAL programme aimed at improving the overall pass rate in Mathematics for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams is being put together by the government , according to President Dr Irfaan Ali.

The Head of State made this disclosure on Monday during a consultative engagement held with teachers from across the country on Monday, which was held at State House

According to the President , several teachers who have a track record of seeing high pass rates for the subject will be put into a special programme which will see them developing training manuals which include the teaching methods they used to achieve these percentages to then be shared across the country

He said, “We are putting you in a special programme where you will develop an entire training manual for the teachers

and you will develop the same method you used to achieve 96 per cent to be shared across all the schools countrywide.”

Added to this, he noted he was in discussion with the cabinet about the possibility of personally putting a prize for the school that records the highest increase in passes for Mathematics during the next CSEC cycle

Moreover , he urged the group to challenge themselves to boost the national Mathematics percentage from 39 per cent to 75 per cent He proposed that incentives

could be connected to this shared goal

“That is why we have to get the best and the best sometimes we all have the same skill but different methods and that method might be working so if we can get all our children to get exposure to that method maybe that is what is needed,” President Ali added

Meanwhile , he indicated that while some get caught up in celebrating top 10 and top 100 passes, which must be done, a closer look must be taken to increase overall pass rates for various subjects.

President Ali receives IICA Leadership Award

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan

Ali left for San Jose, Costa Rica Tuesday morning to attend the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Conference.

In Costa Rica , President Ali he received IICA’s award for his leadership in food security and sustainable development and pay a courtesy call to the President of Costa

Rica, His Excellency Mr Rodrigo

Chaves Robles

President Ali also addressed the forum on global agriculture from the perspective of the Americas and Caribbean region

In announcing the prestigious award this year , IICA said the decision to award President Ali is in recognition of his leadership in agricultural transformation, food secu-

rity, and support for building resilient economies in a sustainable manner in Guyana and the Caribbean IICA had said in its announcement that the President’s support and commitment to public agendas related to issues such as regional integration, rural connectivity , social inclusion in the countryside and gender equality , all of which are central areas

of IICA’s work, were also considered for the presentation of this award.

The Head - of - State is the institute’s first awardee in this category

The Institute provides cooperation services through close and permanent work with its 34 member states, including countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

The President was joined by First Lady , Mrs Arya Ali; Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar

Mustapha and Advisor to CARICOM on AgriFood System Dr Richard Blair.

President Ali commits to broadening classroom grants for teachers

AN expansion of the recent cash grants for classroom purchases is expected to happen soon for teachers across the country

President Dr Irfaan Ali disclosed this during a meeting with teachers at State House on Monday

During the engagement, a teacher expressed gratitude for the government’s recent intervention in providing grants to teachers for necessary classroom items.

Even though the intervention was necessary, she observed that teachers cannot buy fans for their hot and overcrowded classrooms, and suggested that this issue should be addressed

The Head of State responded that the government will examine the list of items covered by the grant and consider expanding it before the week is over

The Ministry of Education recently announced classroom grants to help teachers buy necessary janitorial, field, and office supplies.

That programme is part of the ministry’s commitment to teachers and to ensure the improvement in the delivery and quality of education

Under this programme, teachers are to be given $4,000 per child on the coastland and some $5,500 per child in the hinterland per term For schools with less than 56 students enrolled , a standard amount of $224,000 per term is expected to be granted

As a result, teachers would not have to spend their own money to improve their classrooms

President Dr Irfaan Ali ( Office of the President photo)

Food production system to be transformed into major income earner for citizens –President Ali says –– discusses establishing an IICA School of Agriculture

By Trina Williams

PRESIDENT , Dr Irfaan

Ali , on Tuesday , echoed his undying commitment to transforming the agricultural sector into one that shines as a major income-earner for men, women and especially young people.

The President made these remarks during a discussion with the directors of the Inter - American Institute for Agricultural Cooperation ( IICA ), including Director General Manuel Otero.

Dr Ali is currently in Costa Rica where he will be honoured with the prestigious IICA award for his remarkable leadership in food security and sustainable development

Speaking on the steady progress Guyana is making when it comes to reducing its food import bill, the President said: “We have set ourselves a goal of reducing the food import bill in CARICOM by 25 per cent by 2025,” adding that this goal must be coupled with critical policies, budgetary allocations, among other

necessities

Dr Ali then went on to say that his administration is working tediously to position Guyana’s agricultural sector along with the food production system into a business market for citizens

The President said: “Agriculture is not just the production of food For us agriculture is a business; it must be able to be competitive, it must be able to earn, it must

want 35 per cent of all the new farms to be owned by women and young people and we are already on target with this ,” he related while expounding on the vast number of opportunities in Guyana for these groups

Striving to reengineer the entire food production system, the President said: “… Only this morning we discussed with IICA, a partnership that will see us working

“IICA has an important responsibility in bridging the inequality gap between and among countries with access to technology, access to data, access through sources, building human capacity, training and development So it’s bringing together all of these factors and positioning them in a way that will make us food secure but also food rich,” adding that from an environmental and economical

perspective, producing nutritious food is a main priority

He then went on to say:

“So, we in Guyana are positioning ourselves to function in a world in 2030 and

beyond where every major conversation on food security we will be at the table,” adding that the same goes for climate and energy security.

be able to be profitable [and] it must be able to generate proposals that are bankable and make sense for the private sector.

It must be attractive to women , young people , it must be a science that is ongoing and that is what we are trying to do in Guyana.”

Speaking more on women playing a vital role in the development of the agricultural sector, the Guyanese Head of State said the government is already rolling out initiatives to ensure that both women and young people are involved

“ We have already launched a programme in Guyana where we said we

on the creation of a regional food hub , digitization and communication strategy to ensure that all the partners are involved...”

He further stated that there were discussions with the IICA about establishing institutions that will aid in achieving this goal For instance, converting Guyana’s School of Agriculture into a regional one, that carries the IICA brand

Moreover , while acknowledging the gap in achieving food security and issues that have disrupted the objective, the President pointed out that the IICCA can play a substantive role in bridging this

President, Dr Irfaan Ali (centre), Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha (third from left), Inter-American Institute for Agricultural Cooperation (IICA) Director General Manuel Otero (third from right) and other IICA officials

Kevin McCarthy ousted as House Speaker in historic vote

(Reuters) - A handful of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday ousted Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as party infighting plunged Congress into further chaos just days after it narrowly averted a government shutdown.

The 216-to-210 vote marked the first time in history that the House removed its leader, with eight Republicans voting with 208 Democrats to remove McCarthy.

McCarthy told reporters he

would not make another run for speaker.

"I fought for what I believe in," McCarthy said.

"I believe I can continue to fight, but maybe in a different manner."

The House looked set to go leaderless for at least a week, as multiple Republicans said they planned to meet on Oct. 10 to discuss possible McCarthy successors, with a vote on a new speaker planned for Oct. 11.

Tuesday's rebellion was led by Representative Matt Gaetz, a far-right Republican from Florida and McCarthy antagonist who finally turned on the speaker after he on Saturday relied on Democratic votes to help pass a bill to avoid a partial government shutdown.

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"Kevin McCarthy is a creature of the swamp. He has risen to power by collecting special interest money and redistributing that money in exchange for favors. We are breaking the fever now," Gaetz told reporters after the vote.

It was the latest moment of high drama in a year when the Republican-controlled House brought Washington to the brink of a catastrophic default on U.S. debt of $31.4 trillion and a partial government shutdown.

Republicans control the chamber by a narrow 221212 majority, meaning they can afford to lose no more than five votes if Democrats unite in opposition.

McCarthy's ouster as speaker brings legislative activity in the House to a halt, with another government shutdown deadline looming Nov. 17 if Congress does not extend funding.

The White House said it hoped the House would move swiftly to choose a replacement speaker, a position second in line to the presidency after the vice president.

UNCHARTED WATERS

The vote left Congress in uncharted waters as it scrambles to update farm-subsidy and nutrition programs, pass government funding bills and consider further aid to Ukraine.

It was unclear who would succeed McCarthy.

McCarthy had repeatedly angered Democrats in recent weeks, including by launching an impeachment inquiry into Biden and on Saturday by giving them little time to read a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown that he needed their votes to pass.

Democrats could have saved McCarthy but, after considering it, said they would not help Republicans resolve their own problems.

Other Republican leaders like Steve Scalise and Tom Emmer could possibly be candidates, though neither has publicly expressed interest. Representative Patrick McHenry was named to the post on a temporary basis.

The last two Republican speakers, Paul Ryan and John Boehner, retired from Congress after clashes with their right wing.

In debate on the House floor, Gaetz and a handful of allies criticized McCarthy for relying on Democratic votes to pass temporary funding that headed off a partial government shutdown.

"We need a speaker who will fight for somethinganything - other than staying on as speaker," said Republican Representative Bob Good.

Representative Nancy Mace told reporters she voted to remove McCarthy as

speaker because he broke promises to her on improving access to birth control and supporting a bill she wrote on rape kits.

"I've made deals with Kevin McCarthy, with the speaker, that he has not kept to help women in this country," Mace said. "We have done nothing for them."

McCarthy's supporters, including some of the chamber's most vocal conservatives, said McCarthy had successfully limited spending and advanced other conservative priorities even though Democrats control the White House and the Senate.

"Think long and hard before you plunge us into chaos, because that's where we're headed," said Republican Representative Tom Cole.

NO DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT

Democrats said they viewed McCarthy as untrustworthy after he broke a May agreement on spending with Biden.

"Let them wallow in their pigsty of incompetence," Representative Pramila Jayapal told reporters before the vote.

Gaetz was one of more than a dozen Republicans who repeatedly voted against McCarthy's bid for speaker in January. McCarthy ultimately secured the gavel after 15 rounds of voting over four days. To win the job, McCarthy agreed to rules that made it easier to challenge his leadership.

McCarthy supporters have said Gaetz was motivated by a hunger for publicity, a chance to win higher office or resentment over an ongoing ethics probe into possible sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.

Gaetz has denied wrongdoing and said he is not motivated by a dislike of McCarthy.

"This isn't a critique of the individual - it's a critique of the job. The job hasn't been done," he said.

Kevin McCarthy

Switzerland, US Donate $8 Million to Brazil's Fund to Fight Amazon Deforestation

BRASILIA (Reuters)Switzerland and the United States have donated $8.4 million to Brazil's Amazon Fund to help stop deforestation and preserve the world's largest tropical rainforest, the Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDES) that manages the fund said on Tuesday.

Switzerland contributed 5 million Swiss francs ($5.4 million) and the United States $3 million, the bank said in a statement.

The U.S. donation is part

of a $500 million contribution over five years announced by President Joe Biden in April at a climate meeting where President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva repeated Brazil's pledge to reach zero deforestation by 2030.

"These contributions reinforce the commitment and confidence of these countries in Brazil's environmental agenda and the Amazon Fund's actions in the region," the bank's social-environmental director Tereza Campello said.

The Amazon Fund was created in 2008 to raise donations to fight deforestation. Norway provided an initial $1 billion and Germany $68 million. More recently Britain and the European Union said they will contribute.

The fund supports the prevention, monitoring and combat of Amazon deforestation and fosters sustainable development. Since its creation, it has funded 102 projects with a total investment of 1.75 billion reais ($340 million), BNDES said.

CAL to acquire 12 new passenger aircraft

ment of Transportation

“to operate to the full extent authorised by the Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of T&T”.

In an operational forecast, CAL made specific reference to Puerto Rico and St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands as new routes.

The airline projected rapid growth for these new US destinations.

expand its cargo services across the region.

In 2019, CAL unveiled a new cargo loyalty programme and customers enrolled in the programme can earn miles every time they ship with CAL’s cargo services.

(Trinidad Guardian) Finance Minister Colm Imbert has announced that state-owned Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) plans to lease 12 new passenger aircraft to deal with increasing demand.

In his 2024 Budget presentation , Imbert said following the exit of LIAT, the Caribbean has been exhibiting strong air transport demand.

“Additionally, international visitors are on the rise,” he said.

He said in July 2021, since this country reopened its international borders, international visitors have been increasing, with arrivals reaching 226,483 in

2022, revitalising the tourism sector. “This buoyant trend continued into 2023, with visitor arrivals for January-July 2023 recording 182,508.”

With that in mind, the minister said as markets progressively recover, Caribbean Airlines aims to utilise its assets effectively and establish a foundation for network growth.

“The airline thus intends to expand its fleet to meet this growing demand through the lease of four additional ATRs and three additional B 737-8s, bringing the fleet size to a pre-pandemic level. CAL also plans to lease five Embraer E-175 regional jets to

service the intra-regional demand and to establish bases and hubs across the region to promote efficiency and cost-reducing measures,” he revealed.

In April of this year, CAL’s American law firm, Condon & Forsyth LLP, applied to the US Depart-

An operational forecast in the application projected CAL transporting 5,339 passengers to and from Puerto Rico and earning US$694,228 in revenue in 2023 with the airline expecting the Puerto Rico route to quadruple in 2024 with 21,356 passengers and revenues of US$2,776,280.

Passenger travel aside, Imbert also disclosed that CAL is pursuing cargo operations as an essential revenue source and is leasing 2 ATRs and 2 B 737800s aircraft to grow and

An aerial view shows a deforested plot of the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil July 8, 2022. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly/File Photo

... as demand for regional, international travel rises

A Caring Administration

PRESIDENT Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and a team of senior government officials met with teachers across the country

The meeting was convened at the behest of the President to listen to the concerns and challenges faced by teachers with a view to finding ways to having them resolved.

From all indications, the meeting was quite productive For one thing, it provided an opportunity for President Ali to have a direct and candid interface with the nation’s teachers Regrettably, the union representing teachers, namely the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) seem more concerned with pursuing its own agenda, one that is aligned with that of the political opposition Issues of concern to teachers are placed on the backburner and conveniently sacrificed on the altar of opposition political expediency

Given such a scenario, the interaction between President Ali and the teachers are both timely and necessary This is by no means an attempt at union busting as is projected by some opposition elements. The PPP/C administration has always advocated and promoted the idea of collective labour

agreement and was in fact the first to enact legislation to protect workers through their representative unions Indeed, the first PPP government in 1953 was removed from office for enacting the Labour Relations Bill aimed at recognising trade unions with majority support It is apposite to recall that when the APNU+AFC was in power, it downgraded the Ministry of Labour to departmental status, a clear indication of the importance it attached to the nation’s workers.

By contrast, the PPP/C administration has placed workers on the front-burner by way of enhanced salaries and better working conditions This is not to suggest that there are not challenges that needed to be resolved Many of the issues faced by workers are not fully ventilated due to poor union representation as in the case of teachers

As pointed out by President Ali during his engagement with the teachers, ‘now that I have a full understanding directly from you, I am in a better position to come up with a holistic approach as to how to deal with the welfare of students and teachers

together.’

There is no point denying that teachers continue to face challenges in terms of learning resource materials In recognition of this fact, the Ministry of Education has recently taken a decision to make available to schools and classroom teachers a cash grant to be used specifically to enable teachers to procure such materials without having, as it were, to dip into their own pockets

At the level of addressing welfare issues affecting teachers, President Ali had already given a commitment to ensure that special housing loans be made available to teachers who would have already acquired land but cannot build due to financial constraints Many teachers have been experiencing difficulties to access bank loans due to technical and other reasons and this intervention by the President is indeed a welcome development The President has also committed to engaging the banks to facilitate loans from $15 million with an interest rate of 3.5% Additionally, President Ali has instructed that an infrastructure audit be done

to determine classroom deficit and other shortcomings, including teacher shortages especially in the hinterland areas

All of this speaks to a caring and responsive administration for which credit must be given to President Ali for his proactive leadership style in dealing with issues affecting the working people and Guyanese on the whole

Teachers are the moulders of the nation

As the country observes Teachers Day on October 5, this is indeed a wonderful gesture on the part of President Ali to empower teachers The theme for this year’s Teachers’ Day is, ‘The Teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse teacher shortage.’

This theme is very apt and consistent with the policy orientation of the PPP/C administration which has been making significant strides in terms of addressing the issue of teacher shortage, while at the same time empowering teachers to perform at their best in order to deliver a high quality of education to meet the demands of an expanding economy

The PNC has returned battered, bruised and beaten

Dear Editor,

THE just concluded CPL cricket season provided us with great entertainment.

For some, it was a moment to brag and boast while for others, it was a moment to bewail and bemoan We have been appeased when, with the flick of the bat, the ball was smashed to the boundary for a four or six to provide a thunderous applause, if, the runs scored were for your supporting team If the wicket was shattered by a legitimate delivery or the ball was caught from a hit, especially on the boundary line, we were appalled and become annoyed Such was the fate of the bowler or batsman in a fast-paced game of glorious uncertainties, played gentlemanly in a packed ground President Dr Irfaan Ali has, time and again, displayed his proven skills as a talented cricketer, both with the bat and ball The other side is yet to stake any claim!

One of the key ingredients in the game’s perfection is the application of proper timing. Poor timing may produce devastating result That is exactly what happened to the PNC as they choose to go galivanting to Capitol Hill, Washington DC, when, the US House of Representatives were engaged in trying to pass a bipartisan Bill in order to avoid the Federal Government’s fourth partial shutdown in a decade So, they went to play a game and found the other side ignored and avoided them by not turning up Peaceful, Preferential and Priority Catering is rolled out on a red carpet for the PPP/C, being defenders of democracy and not for the PNC election riggers! When

will they start seeing the ball?

What were they thinking? That the wanted Burke will bark on Jeffries to order the White House to drop everything and meet with the propagators of propaganda who are agitators of animosity? Guyana’s business is the US business and so Capitol Hill must pave the way with garlands of red flowers to welcome the royal family of dictator Burnham who are loyal to PNC party politics flying above the heads of the people of Guyana! This peeved and aggrieved contingency which was a grand representation of illusive oppression, suppression and depression must be given an immediate hearing so that they can air their views, present their case and receive accolades, applause and appreciation for their bold, brave and brazen attempt to expose and defeat the deniers of defenseless dwellers domiciled in Guyana! The PNC was devastated by a yorker! Whom will they beg for an appeal? The two umpires, the Democrats and Republicans have given them out Maybe the third umpire, New York’s AG?

The distinguished professor who teaches Politricks 101 made the side He was seen on and off the field The water boy post was vacant and so Was he not smart enough to duck the beamers and bouncers and declared himself unfit for such a game ? Guess his interest is more for a game’s commentator position His chess move may have payment for potential dividends Hindsight has better foresight for judgement in this game The team was short of a couple of players Did they run out of context, or, was it a case of

being unable to come up with players with the requisite skill and ability to be considered? Maybe, no one else wanted to be part of the despicable display and a predictable loss The scorebook keeps ticking with ducks!

Of course, they were caught off balanced, not properly grounded and stumped Like they say, the proof is in the pudding Don’t talk about how good you can play or how bad the other side is Demonstrate, display and deliver the “Mckoy” stuff to prove whatever you are saying is true. They can’t because they are the ones who have consistently: rigged elections, hid their SOP’s, deny an US$18M signing bonus, agreed to the worst oil deal, bankrupt the country twice, skinned the Treasury, engaged in financial mismanagement, dwelled in corruption, destroyed records, denied audits, professed conflict and not peace, resorted to violence, spread hate, encouraged mo fya, slo fya, declared ‘war break,’ closed sugar estates, put people out of work, made babies go hungry, contributed to suicide, took away school children’s ‘pocket piece,’ raised taxes, gave themselves salary increases, told others to ‘hold strain and tie their belts,’ lied to the courts, lost to the CCJ, are poor in mathematics, are bent to break rather than build, practice racism, indulged in discrimination, employed their own kit and kin, used party cards as passports , banned essential food items, created hardship with too many lines in a non-aligned country, ruled with the gun, governed with dictatorship, drove fear into people , draped criminals , caused citizens to abandon their homes and seek refuge for

greener pastures and are guilty of an endless list of misdemeanors

That infamous team was blindly hitting at thin air as the ball spun away and they came up short They made a bad decision and left the wicket wide open Their meek and timid attempt to impress Capitol Hill, boomerang back on them when the PPP/C declared a string of successful developments to show investor’s confidence: over 50,000 people gained employment since 2020; the opening of a $1B West Central Mall at Leonora; Optique Vision Care announced the building of a 1st Specialty Eye Hospital by 2024; the commissioning of a $28M Haslington Nursery School; the distribution of 63,000 Black Giant chicks countrywide to boost agriculture; Courts announced a $10B mega complex at farm; the opening of a Shell Service Station at Enmore; 575 residents assigned house lots in Lethem; City Hall’s roof will soon be completed; the completion of 6 bridges to reach Lethem, etc

Certainly, the PPP/C has the limping PNC trotting all over the globe, clueless about the game they definitely are not equipped to play With Trinidad & Tobago fielding a trade mission to Guyana, that certainly hit the PNC where it hurts most The PNC has returned, battered, bruised and beaten from an embarrassing trip that could have been played right here on their own home turf!

Editor Navendra Seoraj

Stabroek News to lecture Mexican president

Readers of the Stabroek News (SN) and the Mexican Embassy in Guyana are expecting a chastisement from the newspaper of the Mexican President. Here is what the Mexican president said: “They (the U.S.) don’t do anything. It’s more, a lot more, what they authorize for the war in Ukraine than what they give to help with poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean. Remove blockades and stop harassing independent and free countries, an integrated plan for cooperation so the Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Ecuadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans wouldn’t be forced to emigrate.”

After how SN went after President Ali for making the identical comment, SN readers will expect a dressing down for the Mexican president and I guess the Mexican embassy will take note. Informing his two hosts on Good Morning Britain of how the US has poured resources into Ukraine that Haiti has not got in 60 years, SN went after the President observing: “The President deplored the disparity in support given by the developed world to Ukraine, compared to the Palestinian people and Haiti. Someone should explain to him that Ukraine is at war.” Ukraine falls in a special category.

The Mexican president went further than President Ali, as you can see from the quote above. So e can expect an editorial from SN educating the Mexican President on the intricacies of international relations. The Mexican president will be informed that Ukraine is a special situation and is a country that is at war.

In my reply to SN (see

my column of Thursday, September 28, 2023 headlined, “Ignorance of international relations may be a crime”), I made the point that President Ali merely used the aid to Ukraine issue to underscore the point that the US have resources that it is stingy with when it comes to developing countries.

The Mexican President must have seen the interview on Good Morning Britain because his remark on the aid to Ukraine carries the identical meaning to President Ali’s delivery. He is pontificating on the vast resources that the US has given to Ukraine it has not delivered to its neighbours in Latin America to alleviate poverty.

Now here are a few lines in that SN editorial that remind us of the power of the colonial mentality even after 55 years of independence in the CARICOM region. I quote SN: “And as for President Lula and his anomalous position on Ukraine, why do we have to follow him?”

So if we should not follow President Lula, which world leader then shall we follow?

Is it President Biden?

And why Biden? If it is Biden, then why in a world of superpower rivalry should we take the word of any of the superpower leaders?

And why should we avoid following Lula when Lula is in good company? The world’s most enduring democracy, India, has not taken a position of condemnation of Russia.

What Guyana, CARICOM, China, India, South Africa, and dozens of other countries have done is to rightfully condemn the unjust and violent violation of the sovereignty of Ukraine by Russia. But a large number of nations have avoided fol-

lowing the US Government’s frenzied position on Russia. It is important not to write the following words, “The American position on Russia.” There is no unified American position on Russia.

There are three distinct American positions on the Russian invasion. The first is the unlimited outpouring of resources by the Government of the US. The second position is that of Republican lawmakers who do not agree with continued aid to Ukraine and such aid will probably stop if Trump wins and the war is still ongoing. The third position comes from American academia. The foreign affairs professors are against the Russian invasion, but they put sophisticated analysis on why Russia invaded by citing the inherent security concerns of all nations.

What the editors of SN need to know about President Lula and many others like the leaders in India and South Africa is that they do not want to follow the American lead on Russia because they feel the US and Russia are made of the same thinking and are alike when it comes to security interests and that the US have engaged in tragic wars that were determined by the very reason Russia is in Ukraine. Dozens of countries know the US concern for the sovereignty of Ukraine is not based on the universal principles of respect for sovereignty. There is Yemen, a war that the US supports. The Israeli air force constantly violates the sovereignty of Syria by bombing it. Finally, how much respect does the US have for Palestinian sovereignty?

Lindeners being educated on opportunities in oil and gas sector

REGION 10 residents on Tuesday began benefitting from a three-day outreach being conducted by the Centre for Local Business Development.

The outreach is aimed at educating individuals and businesses on projects and opportunities in various sectors such as oil and gas, construction, and health

One of the participants, Lisa Robertson expressed, “I’m here out of mere curiosity and being educated on what’s happening in and around our country, knowing that oil is the most recent thing I’m here to be educated so I can better represent on a simple question-answering thing when somebody asks you about oil and gas, you will be able to say well this is it or that is it.”

Leslyn Marks, another participant , said she is optimistic that the session will help her business

“I have a small business and recently it hasn’t been doing so well, so I came to get a better un-

derstanding of the business world and those things and the expectation is to go back with the knowledge to continue and strive ,” she said”

Director of CLBD, Natasha Gaskin-Peters, said the agency partnered with Exxon Mobil , Hess and CNOOC to provide the free sessions to residents

“ Whether it is that

you are seeing opportunities in the oil and gas sector, in the mining sector, in the agriculture sector , whatever sector you are seeking those opportunities , we are here to help you to build those business systems,”

Gaskin - Peters told the gathering

Amelia ’ s Ward , One Mile, Mackenzie, and Wa-

tooka will benefit from the outreaches over the period of October 3-6, 2023 Participants will benefit from the centre ’ s core awareness training (Introduction to Oil & Gas, Introduction to HSSE and Introduction to Procurement ), along with a general overview of Guyana ’ s economy and resources.

Participants at the session

Lisa Robertson

Leslyn Marks

Africa, CARICOM and Haiti, where Black lives still matter!

Part 2: Will UN Security Council back US-funded Africa-Caribbean multinational invasion force?

THE United Nations (UN) Security Council met (Monday, October 2) on the crucial question of whether to back another US-backed intervention in the Caribbean — this time in Haiti, but without American or UN troops

Instead , the world ’ s top security watchdog will be asked to approve a multinational force funded by the US, but led by Caribbean and African troops

Washington will fund the latest external intervention with US $100 Million and will also provide the military planes , arms, logistics, intelligence, and medical support for the envisaged thousands of police officers and soldiers from Kenya and several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states

Among those that have already indicated willingness to participate in the hundred-million-dollar deployment of Caribbean men and women are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica, with Kenya pledging at least 1,000 troops

The UN is not being asked to authorize a UN Peacekeeping Force (PKF), but instead to back a US-led initiative involving long-distance support akin to Ukraine , where European , NATO and G-7 states are supporting the war by providing everything for the battlefield, but from afar

It seems more like the UN being asked to give its blessing to a US-backed multinational force comprising police officers being sent to fight against gangs supposedly so feared by the US that it won’t commit any of its troops

But the effort to get the Security Council’s backing and blessing may not be all - thateasy, as China and Russia, with veto powers, are not expected to willy-nilly agree to yet another external armed intervention in Haiti, while the Council is preoccupied with talk about peace in Ukraine

In addition, the only Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

Chronicles of a Chronic Guyana Chronicler

By Earl Bousquet

member-state on the Council, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, has indicated it will not support the proposed US - led Haiti plan

In the past week, it’s been ‘All Systems Go’ for execution of the latest plan for the umpteenth invasion of Haiti under the usual pretext of saving lives and protecting interests , after which the lives of Haitians never get better

It’s also like the plan is to observe the 40th anniversary of the Grenada ‘Rescue Mission’ that cost more lives in an invasion and occupation that outlawed a party and forever destabilized the three-island Caribbean state that was home to the first revolution in an English-speaking state

The October 25, 1983 USled and Caribbean-backed Grenada invasion was precipitated by the house - arrest of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop on October 17, followed by popular protests that led to his death with some of his fellow Cabinet members on October 19

The October 2023 plot – 40 years later -- is to have Caribbean and African faces ‘leading’ the force, just like back in 1983, when some Caribbean states handed over the fig-leaf ‘invitation ’ for a ‘ rescue mission’ through a full-fledged invasion of a neighboring state, to bury a revolution that had already committed suicide

Haiti has seen more than any country ’ s fair share of deaths and disasters, coups and counter - coups and elections that change nothing for anyone except the military and corrupt political leaders

In the past three decades, none of the several ‘ elected ’ Haitian governments has ever been able to get the state to function, leading to complete breakdowns in law and order, sectoral divisions between the military and police, fractions between lower and high ( or supreme ) courts, unimaginable corruption at all levels and growth of com-

munity breakdowns that led to gangs and gangsterism featuring murders and kidnappings;

The mega - earthquake of 2010 left 500,000 Haitians homeless in a nation already ravaged by poverty, corruption, and the absence of governance

Also in 2010, following the earthquake ’ s destruction , UN PKFs sent to assist introduced a cholera epidemic that resulted in over 820,000 cases and approximately 10,000 deaths

Haiti was declared cholera-free in 2022, but after more than two decades, not one Haitian victim ’ s family had received compensation from the UN, which easily and heartlessly invoked ‘diplomatic immunity’ to avoid paying reparations due to victims of its peacekeeping soldiers’ unhealthy doing

In July 2021, elected president Jouvenel Moise was brutally assassinated at his home (and in his wife’s presence) by

an imported group of mainly Colombian mercenaries

Since then , his successor , Prime Minister Ariel Henry, has been acting as President, with no signs of either elections or peace anywhere on the horizon.

Press reports indicated

Prime Minister Henry was fingered and questioned over his predecessor’ s death, even accused of involvement , which he’s always fervently denied

The one common denominator in all the calls made in the discussions with the group of CARICOM ex-Prime Ministers in their latest meetings with Haitian stakeholders was their call for Prime Minister Henry’s resignation, which he also refuses to heed

Clearly , Henry ’ s intent is to remain in charge until and after the promised external military intervention by Kenyan and Caribbean troops with possible UN - backing ,

never mind the complete rejection of external military intervention by the vast majority of Haitians, especially after their dirty UN cholera experience

Kenya is seen by Haitians at home and abroad as blindly rushing into late implementation of an inherited decision at a much-changed time in Haiti, with all the manifestations of a truly-failed state, by all yardsticks

The larger picture in the grand and wider scheme of things unsaid is that there’s no way 1,000 Kenyn soldiers and even twice as many Caribbean police officers can handle the situation as being described in Haiti today

Any Caribbean contingent in any international military force to be deployed to Haiti will include the Caribbean’s UStrained Regional Security System (RSS) -- established after

the US-led invasion in the name of a rescue mission in 1983

This time around , with global attention on France ’ s decline in Africa and the West preoccupied with the rising costs of the non - ending war in Ukraine and emergence of more warring hotspots in Europe (in Nogorno-Karabach and ex - Yugoslavia ), all the emphasis of those supporting external intervention is on ensuring Haiti doesn’t finally get the freedom it lost after France killed its revolution

The grand 2023 plan is to invoke a ‘Black-on-Black’ approach that would see invaders looking like Haitians doing the dirty work of cleaning-up the mess for continuity of their long and exhausting journey of exploitation and oppression by external forces only interested in their hidden sub-soil and sub-sea natural resource treasures now coming to light.

Guyana’s influence grows on world stage through climate agenda

DURING the Atlantic Council Forum in the US last month, the Guyanese President highlighted the substantial continuing support for Guyana’s climate programme. According to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, the future of the nation will also depend on how the region and the world develop, in addition to what the nation does on its own.

The world is aware of Guyana’s energy sector development, and according to President Ali, the petroleum sector is critical to national development and positioning Guyana as a critical node for regional energy supply security Since so many people are now discussing the petroleum component, President Ali said that Guyana hopes to have its national gas strategy prepared soon He also hopes to set an example for conservation efforts around the world and ensure that there is a balanced discussion on the topic, including the roles of gas and oil in the transition to net zero. “We think any discussion on this subject that excludes oil producers or investors in gas is unbalanced and will not lead to the creation of policies that are both effective and fair.”

“We are championing this, and we have the credentials to champion this because, on the environmental side and on the oil and gas side, we are strong in both areas. We are now working on positioning Guyana as an important regional energy security hub So, those are things that our policy formulation is based on”, President Ali said

He continued , “ Importantly , we also want to focus on Guyana’s economic trend towards 2030 and beyond He noted that one of the most important facts of that growth, if one were to examine the first half of this year, is that Guyana’s economy grew by more than 56% The composition of that growth comprises: the non-oil sector grew by 12.5%, and construction is growing by 44% President Ali stated: “The economy is broadening, and that is what we want.”

Further, he said: “We are investing heavily in the infrastructure to strengthen other sectors within the economy to make them more competitive; to ensure that our economy is well diversified; and to build a country that is resilient, sustainable, and highly competitive in a world up to 2030 and beyond a world that will be very complex and very different from the place that we know today We are focusing on the traditional as well as the new sectors, and there is a big focus on food, energy and climate security.”

The policy formulation, he said, necessitates the role of digitisation and artificial intelligence. “We understand that we cannot do this in a straight-line manner; we cannot get to where we want to position Guyana in the world in 2030, and beyond that, if we do not pursue several complementary development programmes in parallel.”

“So, we have to adopt the most relevant technology today (now) and then work to bring the population abreast to meet that new environment That would ensure our sustainability, our resilience, and our competitiveness These are the types of things that are influencing us and moving us into

a position in which we believe that we can make a significant regional and global contribution,” President Ali explained, noting that he wants to position the country as a global leader in energy, food, and climate change

During a question-and-answer segment, President Ali was asked, “What can we expect from you and Guyana in 2024, looking ahead to the turn of the decade? How do you expect the economy to change and your relations with the rest of the world to change?”

In response, President Ali said, “What you can expect of Guyana is a responsible country, in which we bring balanced developmental aspirations with climate , energy, and food security A country that will be strong in its democratic credentials with respect to the rule of law A country that works towards bringing an equitable, prosperous mode of operation into its policy for the people of that country The country is moving ahead on a platform that will build out health care, an education sector that is second to none, and a country that occupies more of the discussion space and the policy-making space globally, especially in the areas of climate, energy, and food A country that will remain steadfast in our commitment as a good global citizen and one that upholds the principle of multilateralism and supports a pro-poor approach to development.”

On a similar note, in his remarks delivered at the National Defence University in Washington, DC, last month, President Ali expressed that the modern world cannot create defense strategies without taking the effects of climate change into account, especially in the Latin American and Caribbean regions The President emphasised that climate change is one of the most important vulnerabilities in the area and that it will take an annual investment of between $80 billion and $110 billion to adapt to it

“This issue is devastating not only to economies and people but also to infrastructure, and included in that infrastructure is the military infrastructure defence against natural disasters , and your asset that is required to provide that defence,” he added

( This is part of a weekly series on LCDS .) The author can be contacted at cparkinson0206@gmail.com.

Region Three triumphs in second annual Spanglish Bee

IN a spirited competition, Grade Four migrant pupils from various regions showcased their language skills at the second annual Spanglish Bee, hosted by the Ministry of Education’s Migrant Education Support Unit in collaboration with the National Literacy Department (NCERD). The event took place at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development.

Participating regions included Three, Four, Seven, 10, and Education District Georgetown. The competition challenged students in spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension, with a particular focus on antonyms, synonyms, homophones, and riddles.

Region Three emerged as the champions, securing a remarkable 97 points. Region Four secured second place with 84 points, and Region 10 took third place with 82 points. In contrast, Region Seven and District Georgetown garnered 25 and five points, respectively.

Region 10’s Fernanda Gomez was celebrated with the Best Overall award.

The Spanglish Bee, according to National Literacy Coordinator for Literacy in Schools, Ms. Donella Britton-Shamsudeen, aims to ensure that migrant children have equal access to educational opportunities. It was designed to evaluate the literacy skills of migrant pupils while preserving their first language and showcasing their English proficiency.

Ms. Omawattie Ramdin, Head of the Curriculum Unit at NCERD, offered words of encouragement to the pupils, urging them to continue striving for excellence and to make the most of the educational opportunities available to them.

The first-place winners of the Spanglish Bee were each awarded electronic tablets, courtesy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The Spanglish Bee aims to ensure that migrant children have equal access to educational opportunities

Guyana’s Commitment to Transparency: Sixth round MESICIC review underway

–– on-site review to combat corruption

IN a significant step towards upholding its commitment to combat corruption, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance in Guyana has announced that the country will undergo its sixth-round, on-site review through the Follow-Up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC).

This review , scheduled to take place from October 2nd to 5th, 2023, underscores Guyana’s dedication to fulfilling its treaty obligations under the Organisation of American States ’ ( OAS ) Inter - American Convention Against Corruption (IACAC).

MESICIC serves as the anti-corruption mechanism of the OAS, uniting 33 of the

34 member states to evaluate their legal frameworks and institutions in alignment with the IACAC The primary goal of this mechanism is to assess the effectiveness of domestic laws and institutions in preventing and combating corruption

As part of the review process, MESICIC experts from within the member states, along with support from the Technical Secretariat, meticulously evaluate Guyana’s anti-corruption measures These evaluations include consultations with government officials and civil society organizations to gather essential information that contributes to their comprehensive report

This report typically contains recommendations aimed at further strengthening Guyana’s anti-corruption framework Guyana ratified the IACAC in 2000, demonstrating its commitment to fighting corruption The country has an expert within MESICIC , which convenes twice a year to discuss pertinent matters

For the sixth-round review, Guyana will be assessed by experts from the Republic of Suriname and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago These experts will engage in consultations and meetings, constituting the “on-site review” taking place in Georgetown, Guyana

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance emphasizes the importance of this national exercise, which requires the active involvement of civil society actors, private sector organizations, and public sector and state agencies Several state agencies are expected to participate in this crucial review, including the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Ministry of the Public Service, the Guyana Revenue

Authority (GRA), the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Audit Office of Guyana, and more Additionally, a diverse range of civil society organizations has been invited to participate and make presentations, further enhancing the comprehensive evaluation These organizations include the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( GCCI ), the Guyana Bar Association, the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL), and others

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance has played a pivotal role in Guyana’s anti-corruption efforts, compiling and submitting the country’s most recent report under the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption in May 2023 The ministry also chairs the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (IACAC), comprising 17 agencies involved in Guyana’s anti-corruption framework

This committee continues to provide essential training to these agencies and contributes to the compilation of state party reports, aligning Guyana with its regional and international treaty obligations, including those at the MESICIC level The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance leads the Government of Guyana’s efforts in anti-corruption treaty reporting and serves as the coordinating agency for the MESICIC Sixth Round On-Site review

This comprehensive review signifies Guyana ’ s unwavering dedication to combatting corruption and furthering transparency in the nation’s governance.

New 'Check a Website' service launched by Get Safe Online in Guyana

GET Safe Online, a globally recognized leader in online safety resources , has unveiled its ground - breaking “ Check a Website” service in Caribbean nations , including Guyana.

This newly introduced service, accessible at www.getsafeonline.gy/checkawebsite/, empowers individuals and businesses to navigate the digital landscape securely by verifying the legitimacy and safety of websites before engaging with them

In today’s digital age, where online activities have become an integral part of our daily lives, the importance of ensuring the safety and authenticity of websites cannot be overstated With the surge in cyber threats, users require tools that assist them in making informed decisions and safeguarding their personal and financial information

The “Check a Website” tool, offered by Get Safe Online, provides users with a user-friendly platform to evaluate the credibility of websites they plan to visit By simply entering the website’s URL, users can obtain instant information about its safety status and potential risks within seconds The tool employs a sophisticated algorithm to generate a trust score based on over 40 data sources and thousands of reports on malicious websites from law-enforcement agencies, regulators,

and consumer brands

Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to introduce the “Check a Website” service to Guyana. As more individuals and businesses in the Caribbean Region embrace the digital landscape, it’s crucial that they have the necessary tools to protect themselves from online threats Our service aims to provide users with the confidence to explore the internet safely, knowing that they are armed with the latest information about the websites they interact with.”

Mr Christopher Deen, General Manager of the National Data Management Authority

of Guyana, emphasized the significance of the new service, saying, “In an era where our lives intertwine with technology, safeguarding our digital assets and information has become crucial As partners in this effort, we encourage every citizen and business to use this tool to verify the legitimacy of all websites you visit – especially those that require your personal and financial information.”

Get Safe Online’s campaign work in the Caribbean is set to resume, thanks to funding from the UK ’ s International Development

Programme , provided by the UK Foreign , Commonwealth, and Development Office

The launch of the “Check a Website” service in the Caribbean aligns with Get Safe Online’s mission to promote online safety and security awareness in the Region By providing users with the power of information, the organization seeks to create a safer online environment for everyone

To access the “Check a Website” service in Guyana and make more informed online decisions, visit www getsafeonline gy/checkawebsite/

Gov’t stands firmly that Arbitral Award of 1899 is valid

THE Government of Guyana has reiterated its stance that the Arbitral Award of 1899 is valid and echoed its absolute support and embrace of international law. A statement was issued by the government on Tuesday in commemoration of

says Guyana will continue to abide by international law

the 124th Anniversary of the Arbitral Award which settled the land boundary between British Guiana and Venezuela.

The following is a statement by the Government of Guyana:

In 1897, Venezuela and

Great Britain concluded an agreement -- the Treaty of Washington -- by which they agreed to submit the dispute regarding the location of their land boundary to binding arbitration before a tribunal of eminent jurists, including the heads of the

judiciary of the United States and Great Britain The parties -- Britain and Venezuela -- agreed in that Treaty to accept the Tribunal’s Award as ‘a full, perfect and final settlement’ of the boundary issue between the parties That ‘settlement’ is exactly

124 years old today, October 3, and Guyana still accepts and celebrates the Arbitral Award as stipulated by the Treaty.

On 3 October, 1899, the Arbitral Tribunal delivered its Award, which determined the boundary between Venezuela and British Guiana (“the 1899 Award”).

The 1899 Award was the culmination of arbitral proceedings during which the respective territorial claims of Great Britain and Venezuela were addressed at great length and in detail by distinguished legal counsel representing the two states, including through many thousands of pages of written submissions and more than 200 hours of oral hearings before the Arbitral Tribunal.

For more than six decades after the 1899 Award was delivered, Venezuela treated the Award as a final settlement of the matter It consistently recognised, affirmed and relied upon the 1899 Award as “a full, perfect, and final” determination of the boundary with British Guiana Between 1900 and 1905 , Venezuela participated in a joint demarcation of the boundary, in strict adherence to the letter of the 1899 Award, and emphatically refused to countenance even minor technical modifications of the boundary line described in the Award

Venezuela proceeded to formally ratify the demarcated boundary in its domestic law and thereafter published official maps, which depicted the boundary following the line described in the 1899 Award

However , in 1962 as British Guiana was ap -

proaching its independence from Great Britain, Venezuela recognized that it would become neighbour with a nascent state and by virtue of its expansionist ambition, Venezuela abandoned the rule of law and good faith and laid claim to the Essequibo territory

As Guyana commemorates the anniversary of the Arbitral Award of 3 October, 1899, we continue to adhere to and embrace the rules of international law and respect our pacta sunt servanda obligation

Guyana instituted proceedings against Venezuela by Application to the International Court of Justice on 29 March, 2018, asking the court to resolve the controversy that has arisen as a result of Venezuela ’ s contention , formally asserted for the first time in 1962, that the 1899 Arbitral Award regarding the boundary between the Colony of British Guiana and the United States of Venezuela is “ null and void.”

The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana remains firmly of the view that the Arbitral Award of 1899 is valid Guyana is committed to a path of final and peaceful settlement and will continue to adhere to the rule of international law and the procedures of the International Court of Justice

It is for honour that we call today as we celebrate on this anniversary date that Arbitral Award of Paris of 3rd October, 1899, in continued respect for the sanctity of Treaties and the rule of law.

British High Commissioner: ‘It’s a good time to invest in Guyana’

GUYANA’S major transformation offers abundant opportunities for local and foreign investors, according to British High Commissioner Jane Miller as she spoke about the business relationship between Guyana and the United Kingdom (UK).

In a recent DPI interview, the High Commissioner emphasized that foreign countries can easily access investments in Guyana, because of its rapid economic growth

“ It ’ s a super exciting time to be in Guyana , it ’ s the fastest-growing economy in the world and in terms of encouraging people to come here , the statistics speak for themselves So , Guyana is selling itself with its economic growth ,” Miller stated

Because of this , the High Commissioner said she has been encouraging businesses from her country to invest in various sectors in Guyana.

According to Miller , in the last year , two trade missions visited the country which resulted in at least 50 per cent of them either establishing businesses or part-

nering with local companies, because of the opportunities that they witnessed while exploring

“It’s a good time to invest here because of the massive opportunities that exist you just have to explore the country to see whether it be the infrastructure that’s happening , the new roads , new bridges, and of course agriculture and eco-tourism,” the High Commissioner underscored.

Moreover , Miller noted that the most important thing that Guyana has been doing is carefully using the resources that are generated from the oil and gas sector to build a country that will remain sustainable in the future

As she credits Guyana for utilising every opportunity from other foreign countries, Miller noted that her country has supported this growth through academia

This , she said , has helped to equip Guyanese who went abroad to attend the many prestigious universities to upgrade their knowledge and enhance their skills , aiding in the diversification of careers in the country. (DPI)

British High Commissioner Jane Miller

Prosecutor urges special court for stalled electoral fraud case

–– Hughes suggests dropping cases to expedite proceedings

By Clestine Juan

SPECIAL Prosecutor Darshan Ramdhani, KC, who is representing the State in the electoral fraud case, has once again called for the assignment of a special court to hear the evidence.

This plea comes as the case has remained stagnant for nearly three years, raising concerns about its progress

The electoral fraud case involves former District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo; former People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) Chairperson Volda Lawrence; PNC/R activist Carol Smith-Joseph and four others

The trio along with Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Bobb-Cummings and Michelle Miller, are before the Court for allegedly

to progress

Ramdhani acknowledged the complexity and potential duration of presenting the evidence, proposing a solution: dedicating a magistrate exclusively to this case to expedite proceedings

Magistrate Daly noted her existing caseload and expressed doubts about accommodating this request, as it might overburden the court further

“The Court should not be put in such a position,” Ramdhani said in agreement

He offered to write to the Chancellor of Judiciary (ag) Yonette Cummings and the Chief Magistrate to discuss potential solutions and the appointment of a dedicated magistrate

Hughes argued that the prosecution was acting unconscionably by filing multiple cases, knowing the challenges it could create

He suggested that the prosecution

fectively, as he had previously written to the magistrates sitting at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court about the same challenges in March 2021 , with no resolution

To resolve the issue conclusively , Ramdhani announced his intention to write to the Chancellor and Chief Magistrate, urging them to identify a special court for the case

The case has been adjourned until October 25, pending a report on the outcome of these discussions.

Previously , Ramdhani had singled out the prosecution’s readiness to commence trial once the court was ready to proceed

It was disclosed that the prosecution has over 90 witnesses to call to the stand to testify

“The prosecution has a ton of evidence to lead We have the certified

2, 2020, at Georgetown, conspired with former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and Mingo to defraud the electors of Guyana by declaring a false account of votes cast in the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections

Additionally , Miller was slapped with a separate charge which alleged that between March 3-5, 2020, at the GECOM Command Centre at Ashmin’s building on High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, she conspired with persons to defraud the people of Guyana by not using the figures from the Statements of Poll for the purpose of ascertaining the figures to make the declaration of the results for the said District Four, thereby resulting in a false declaration being made for the said district

The defendants’ attorneys had previously argued for the case to be heard in the High Court, given the nature of the proceedings which they claimed might infringe on their client’s rights to a fair trial within a reasonable time

Nevertheless, the Chief Magistrate ruled that despite the voluminous evidence and the complexity of the case, the court has been proceeding with hearing of the case “expeditiously.”

The case was thereafter transferred to Magistrate Daly

defrauding the electors of Guyana by declaring a false account of votes for the 2020 elections

On Tuesday , the case was scheduled for a case management conference (CMC) before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrate ’ s Court

During the proceedings, Ramdhani requested that all the cases be consolidated into one, as the underlying evidence stems from the same source

In response, the defendants’ attorney, Nigel Hughes, expressed concerns about the extensive amount of evidence and the number of defendants involved, suggesting that the case might take several years

drop some cases to expedite the proceedings

Ramdhani strongly objected to this proposal, reminding the court that the defendants’ lawyers had previously applied before the former Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, which was rejected

In dismissing the application , the Chief Magistrate had ordered that the case be heard expeditiously, giving its national importance

Despite the back-and-forth, both sides acknowledged that the case’s complexity meant it could take years to complete because of the volume of evidence

Ramdhani reiterated the need for a special court to address the matter ef-

copies of the Statements of Poll (SoPs), we have the videotapes, we have the witnesses on ready and we know the courts have been trying their best to deal with these matters as judicially as possible,” he said

Ramdhani along with Attorneys-at-law Glen Hanoman, Mark Conway, Ganesh Hira, Arudranauth Gossai, and George Thomas are all on record for the State Attorneys-at-law Hughes, Eusi Anderson , Ronald Daniels and Konyo Sandiford are representing the defendants

It is alleged that Lawrence, Smith-Joseph, February, Livan, Bobb-Cummings and Miller between March 2 and August

In August 2021, Mingo, along with Lowenfield and his then deputy Roxanne Myers, had their employment terminated by the commission.

INFLATED RESULTS

It is alleged that the trio inflated or facilitated the inflation of results for Region Four, the country’s largest voting district, to give the APNU+AFC Coalition a majority win at the polls when, in fact, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had won by 15,000 votes

Those who rejected the results filed several legal challenges which ended up

Special Prosecutor Darshan Ramdhani, KC

Top row, from left: Volda Lawrence, Keith Lowenfield, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller. Bottom row, from left: Enrique Livan, Sheffern February, Clairmont Mingo, and Carol Smith-Joseph

CHRONICLE, Wednesday, October 04, 2023

before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana’s highest appeal court

A lengthy recount of the votes eventually declared victory in favour of the PPP/C, and Dr Irfaan Ali was sworn in as the President of Guyana on August 2, 2020

In April 2023, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the events of the 2020 General and Regional Elections found that there was collusion and collaboration between senior GECOM officials to divert votes to the APNU + AFC instead of safeguarding and preserving the integrity of the electoral system

Chairman Stanley John and commissioners — former Chancellor, Carl Singh and Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith made these findings based on evidence from the many witnesses who had testified, along with the reports of the international observers

“…our inquiry reveals that there were, in fact, shockingly brazen attempts by Chief Election Officer ( CEO ) Keith Lowenfield , Deputy Chief Election Officer (DCEO )Roxanne Myers and Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo to derail and corrupt the statutorily prescribed procedure for the counting , ascertaining and tabulation of votes of the March 2nd election, as well as the true declaration of the results of that election, and that they did so – to put it in unvarnished language of the ordinary man – for the purpose of stealing the

election,” the commissioners said in their report.

UNLAWFUL ACTS

The report found that Lowenfield blatantly made decisions and employed procedures in direct contradiction to the law and the will of the people

The findings revealed too that GECOM staffers ignored specific instructions from the court, used materials that were illegal and or manipulated , and sided with APNU+AFC agents to berate observers whenever objections were raised

After careful scrutiny, the CoI commissioners concluded that there was a conscious and deliberate – even brazen –effort to violate the provisions of section 84(1) of the Representation of the People Act (RoPA).

In so doing, certain “senior GECOM officials” abandoned all need for neutrality and impartiality, and demonstrated a bias for the APNU+AFC and, in the course of events over those days, showed an “open connection” with that party, and by their efforts sought a desired result for the coalition

As such , the commissioners said that after consideration and analysis of the evidence , Lowenfield , Mingo and Myers “were principally responsible for clear and deliberate attempts to frustrate, obstruct and subvert the ascertainment of votes in electoral district No. 4.”

‘Purple Day’ 2023 to highlight domestic violence support services

IN recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security will host ‘Purple Day’ on October 20

The event aims to raise awareness of the impact of domestic violence and highlight initiatives that address the issue

This was disclosed by Head of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, Dr Cona Husbands during a radio interview on Tuesday

She noted that Guyana has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the Caribbean with one in two women being affected, while the rest of the Caribbean has a one in three ratio

“Fifty-five per cent of women have endured some form of violence in their life and this is based on a study done in 2018 So, we recognise there is a need to raise awareness and let the public know that you do not have to endure domestic violence and there is help for you,” she emphasised

Additionally, Domestic Violence Month activities will feature family engagement sessions and continued radio announcements to spread awareness

Meanwhile, Dr Husbands highlighted a series of initiatives available to victims of domestic violence offered by the Human Services Ministry

These initiatives include the Survivors Advocates, which is tailored to provide victims with the assistance and support needed to start anew As such, over 2,000 women and men have received relief since the launch of the programme last year, with numbers steadily increasing

The CopSquad2000 training programme was conceptualised to enhance the level of care, sensitivity and policing protocols offered to victims of gender-based violence

“We have measures in place for persons to leave because it is not something that you should endure at all,” she acknowledged These measures include shelters, rent assistance and food supplies for victims who were removed from their residences until they were able to get back on their feet.

Hope Canal to become sustainable water reservoir –– Gov’t finalising funding

THE government is finalising funding to establish Hope Canal as a water reservoir , which would offer a sustainable water source for the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

Minister of Housing and Water , Collin Croal , has stated that the feasibility study for the Hope Canal has been done , and now the next step is to secure funding “So, this is a done deal Within the Hope Canal, we will be able to provide a constant supply of water to the upper East Coast this is something we are shifting to,” he said

The Hope Canal was built by the People ’ s Progressive Party / Civic ( PPP / C ) Government before 2015 to facilitate drainage from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the Atlantic Ocean

Recognising the pressing challenges posed by climate change and the growing demand for clean drinking water, especially along the coast, last year the government initiated a feasibility study to assess the potential of utilising and treating the water captured at the Hope Canal facility for domestic consumption Minister Croal said a

The largest sluice in Guyana is situated at the Northern end of the Hope Canal and it helps in moving excess water to the Atlantic Ocean. The structure is made up of eight doors that serve as a drainage sluice

similar initiative is being considered in other areas including Watooka in Linden, Region 10, and Bartica, Region Seven “ We have challenges , too, with the waterways [ in those areas] it is important that we find a freshwater source or supply,” he underscored

In the meantime , the

government is actively enhancing access to treated water in numerous communities along the coastal belt

In October 2022 , contracts worth $ 8.5 billion were signed for the construction of new water treatment plants . These plants are set to be established in Onderneeming in Region Two, as well as in

Parika , Wales , and Lust en Rust in Region Three

Additionally, existing water treatment facilities located in Vergenoegen , Fellowship , Pouderoyen , Eccles , Covent Garden , Grove , Better Hope , Mon Repos , Friendship , Cotton Tree , New Amsterdam, and Port Mourant are slated for rehabilitation.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal

Region Four Chairman charged for assaulting wife

–– soon to appear in court

CHAIRMAN of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and executive of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Daniel Seeram, has been charged with assaulting his wife

Seeram is expected at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court early next week

The ex-Guyana Defence Force (GDF) captain is being charged with assaulting his wife and causing her physical harm Seeram and his wife are on bail for assaulting each other

Last year, Seeram was released on $20,000 bail for a charge of threatening behaviour allegedly committed against his father-in-law, Shaheed Hamid He appeared before Magistrate Alisha George at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court

The charge read that, in early March 2022, he committed the act against his 50-year-old father-inlaw at MovieTowne, Turkeyen , Greater Georgetown The magistrate released Seeram on $20,000 bail

This newspaper had previously reported that during the incident involving Seeram and his fatherin-law, Seeram reportedly brandished his weapon to threaten Hamid

Daniel Seeram

Security personnel at the establishment intervened and escorted Seeram out of the building

Hamid later reported the matter to the Turkeyen Police Station This newspaper was told that on the same day Hamid issued his report, Seeram visited the Alberttown Police Station and did the same, claiming Hamid brandished a firearm at him during the altercation

It is alleged that Seeram told the police that he went to MovieTowne to speak to his wife about an ongoing issue between them He instead met the woman’s father and the exchanges ensued

Recently, Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC-R), Aubrey Norton, has called for the resignation of the Regional Chairman following another domestic violence allegation against him

During a recent press conference, when asked if Seeram should resign, Norton said that he understands the serious nature of the allegations and will leave him to do the “decent thing.”

“ As it relates to the resignation , I think Daniel Seeram understands the nature of what has happened It is true it is not the first time, and I will leave it to him to do the decent thing,” the Opposition Leader said

“We think he should step down But I’m saying to you, at this stage, we have not said to him, “Look, you need to go,” the Opposition Leader said Norton related that the party “opposes vehemently any attempt to embarrass, assault or do anything to women.”

Women’s rights activists, who are known to be vocal on such matters, are yet to comment or outline their positions

Strong CARICOM, foreign support expected in Agri Forum, Expo 2023

THE Agri Investment Forum and Expo will have strong participation from CARICOM, foreign countries, and international agricultural organisations at this year’s expo later this month.

This was disclosed by CARICOM’s Assistant Secretary-General of Economic Integration, Innovation and Development, Joseph Cox during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Cox made the disclosure following a meeting of the expo’s planning committee at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal on Tuesday.

“ What we are expecting coming out of this and given our role at CARICOM where we have been apprising all member states and apprising the various stakeholders, is to have

fulsome participation from every country ,”

Cox said

He added that the interest in the expo and feedback remains consistent among these countries

“We are looking at a number of countries that have expressed interest, whether or not they are establishing booths or just that they are attending.”

Meanwhile, the assistant secretary-general who is also on the committee, stated that the preparations are moving apace with cooperation from all stakeholders

Further, representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Dr. Gillian Smith said that her delegation will have a booth that will benefit local farmers

“We are going to focus our booth on food systems We are going to highlight the specifics that are needed to positively transform the agri sector,” she stressed Dr Smith added that a policy advisor will be part of the delegation and will be facilitating discussions with stakeholders

“We want to ensure that farmers, especially the small and the medium size farmers find inclusive markets so that their products can be…included in this 25 by 25 push,” posited the FAO representative

The 2023 Agri Investment Forum and Expo is slated for October 20 to 22 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre It will be celebrated under the theme, ‘Achieving Vision 25 by 2025.’

The expo is expected to see over 100 exhibitors, both local and international, showcasing their various agricultural products, equipment and other services.

United Nations (UN) Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Guyana, Dr Gillian Smith

CARICOM ’ s Assistant Secretary - General of Economics, Integration, Innovation and Development, Joseph Cox

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Wednesday, October 04, 2023)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS

ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD

- 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown. (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) India

(2) West Indies

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who won the 1987 Cricket World Cup?

(2) Who took the runner-up spot?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Rowley says time is running...

From page 32

so I am moving in the nottoo-distant future to host a virtual meeting with a wide cross section of people,” he said.

“I am not just talking about people who want to pontificate, we want people who have something that they want to contribute to the upliftment of the game with a view to having something to work with because what I have done so far, there several divergent views. How do you get these divergent views and distill them to get a plan out of it.

“Once there is a plan in place, there will be a role for the governments, and the governments should and could get involved in ensuring that the nursery (of the game) is kept alive, and that our boys and girls are properly resourced and trained, and then feed upwards.”

Rowley drew reference to a boys’ school in the two-island republic, where cricket facilities were left to ruin, and they were recently refurbished because of his intervention.

“This represents what could be the future for West Indies cricket…,” he said. “There were cricket nets at a boys’ school, a

boys’ school, where no cricket was being played in those nets. Grass was growing and it was taller than me.

“Eventually, they came and removed the grass, the fence, and everything, and all that’s left there now are the two concrete pitches on the ground where cricket used to be played in a boys’ school in T&T. That summarises West Indies cricket.”

He said: “If we do not deal with that and where our boys are coming up under a school master and being taught the game… because one of our problems is that some of our people have reached (international) cricket and have not been taught the game.

“You watch the game and you wonder why people are choosing reckless and some of those aggressive shots when they are batting – shots that get them out time and time and time again. They have no defence. One of the most basic shots in cricket is a forward defence, and when you do not have it, you try to hit your way out. When you are in doubt, lash out.”

BCB/Ali Bakery Under-17 Tournament

Albion beat Rose Hall Town to lift Berbice Under-17 title

Albion defeated Rose Hall Town Bakewell by 94 runs to lift the Berbice Cricket Board Under -17 inter club tournament for 2023.

The final was played at the breezy Cotton Tree Cricket Ground in West Berbice, home of the Tournament sponsor, Ali’s Bakery.

Albion won the toss and elected to bat first in sunny conditions. They immediately lost Ari Kadir, run out for nought, but Tameshwar Mangal and Damion Cecil added 30 for the second wicket before Cecil was bowled by Kolmanchand Ramnarace for 7.

Solid batting from Afraz Budhoo 34(four sixes and a four), Devin Lallbehari 16, Mangal 28, and A. Jawahir 55 (2x6’s, 4x4 fours) led Albion to a solid 209 all out in 49.4 overs. Bowling for Rose Hall Town Bakewell, Kolmanchand Ramnarace took 5 for 54 from 10 overs while Deeraj Ramjit claimed 2 wickets for 38. Raj Tika and Guyana Under-17 vice-captain Matthew Potta-

ya took a wicket apiece for 30 and 21 runs respectively.

Needing to score 210 from their allotted 50 overs, Rose Hall Town Bakewell lost opener Mario Butcher caught off the bowling of N. Isphik for nought at 4 for 1 in the second over.

Nelroy Hicks was then run out for 10 while Guyana Under-15 player Ramzan Koober was also run out for 13 as Rose Hall Town was reduced to 30 for 3 in the 6th over. A well-played innings of 44 from Pottaya eventually led his team to 115 all out from 37 overs as he ran out of partners.

National Under-15 wicket-keeper Sohail Mohamed was the only other batsman to reach double figures with 10.

Bowling for Albion, Kumar Deopersaud with 3 for 17 from 6 overs, Feaz Baksh 1 for 14 and Tameshwar Mangal 1 for 15 from 6.3 overs as several Rose Hall Town Bakewell batsmen were dismissed via the run-out route. Arwin Jawahir was named Man of the Finals for his

match-winning innings of 55.

The winning team received $ 70,000.00 and a trophy while the runner-up took home $40,00.00 and a trophy. The man of the match received a trophy and cash prize.

Chairman of the BCB Competitions Committee, Leslie Solomon stated that the board was proud to successfully complete another youth tournament and would now work on completing the Under- 11 and Under -13 tournaments. Emphasis will be placed on senior cricket at the second- and first-division level while the BCB will also start the 2024 season early with the Under-15 inter-club tournament.

Mr. Roshan Gaffoor, an employee of Ali’s Bakery, expressd gratitude to the Berbice Cricket Board(BCB) for organising an excellent tournament. Gaffoor encouraged the players to remain focused and congratulated Albion on a well- deserved victory.

The Winning Albion Under- 17 cricket team

Devindra Jawahir collects his Man-of-the-Match award

Cricket World Cup 2023:

'Triumph in India would be England's crowning glory'

By Jonathan Agnew BBC cricket correspondent

AFTER the debate over who they should and shouldn't pick, England arrive at the World Cup in India with a very good chance.

They have become a successful white-ball outfit - first under Eoin Morgan and now Jos Buttler - and would be most people's second favourites behind hosts India.

If England go all of the way it would be the crowning glory for this generation of players.

Yes, winning the 2019 World Cup on that incredible day at Lord's was wonderful, but, in terms of an accomplishment, defending that title in India, without the home support or the familiarity of conditions, really would be special.

England are feared as a team. Opposition bowlers are intimidated, knowing full well the destructive power the batting line-up possesses.

There are more question marks around England's bowling, especially with Ben Stokes not being able to balance the team and play his role with the ball because of an injured knee.

Will leg-spinner Adil Rashid be fit enough to last the tournament? How will all-rounder Moeen Ali fare? Which of the seamers will they pick?

But England - and, just as importantly, their opponents - know they can chase any score and that is not a bad place to start.

Their 3-1 series win against New Zealand last month also answered a few questions following the uncertainty over selection.

Stokes' 182 put to bed any absurd doubts over whether he should have been picked after coming out of retirement.

Dawid Malan always seems to have to justify his place, but he nailed down that spot at the top of the order with his century, a 96 and another fifty.

People need to let him get on with it because his record speaks for itself. I am always astonished people question him.

Once Malan secured that spot opening with Jonny Bairstow it was always going to weaken Jason Roy's position in the squad.

You need the spare batter to be more of a utility player and, although you would not call Harry Brook on opener, he could do it if needed, as well as his more natural position in the middle order.

Captains and management always talk about competition for places being a good thing, but I know from my own experience as a player that it it is not always so. It can spread among your mates in the team and become an unhealthy situation.

Roy has made himself available should England need to call up a reserve and that is a good thing; it shows a happy camp.

Hopefully the 15 players in the squad can now settle down to business.

One issue that has come out of the series against New Zealand is the form of Joe Root after he made three single-figure scores and a 29.

I would not say I am worried - just a bit surprised. Root is a fantastic 50-over player, don't forget.

Is he still feeling he has to push his scoring rate too much, like he may have felt with 'Bazball' in the Test team?

If he is, he must forget that because he already scores at a good rate without taking too many chances.

His approach should be: come in at number three if England lose an early wicket, bat the majority of the overs and score a hundred.

That way, with Buttler, Bairstow, Stokes and Liam Livingstone around him, England will score big totals.

These World Cups are all about momentum. England got on a roll last time in those must-win games against India and New Zealand in the group stage before cruising past Australia in the semi-finals - and they have a nice start to this tournament.

They face New Zealand on Thursday before Kane Williamson is fit to return, then Bangladesh in Dharamshala - where conditions suit seamers more than anywhere else in India - and then Afghanistan.

We should not take anything for granted, but they should expect to be hitting South Africa on the back of three good wins.

That said, I would never rule out New Zealand doing well at a World Cup.

I have predicted them as one of my semi-finalists,

along with England, India and Australia.

You may look at New Zealand man-for-man and think there are stronger XIs, but they are tenacious and have such a good record, having reached the final of the past two 50-over World Cups, plus two semi-finals and another final in the T20 format.

South Africa are an interesting side too. Quinton de Kock will retire from oneday internationals after this tournament and he may not be the only one.

But the Proteas have found some form, coming from 2-0 down to beat Australia last month, despite all their problems structurally at home.

That shambles could even galvanise them. It did with West Indies at the 2016 T20 World Cup in India.

India are going to be very tough to beat.

In that 2016 World Cup, the last global white-ball tournament here, I remember India's first match was played on a difficult, spinning pitch and it counted against them when they were bowled out for 79 by New Zealand.

I will be interested to see what the pitches are like this time.

It is in India's interests to produce good surfaces for batting rather than dust bowls, which detract from good ODI cricket, and the tournament will be better if

the hosts go far.

I was lucky enough to be in Mumbai for the 2011 World Cup final, when M.S Dhoni hit a six to seal victory.

Afterwards you expect thousands of people to be moving away from the ground, but instead people were pouring into the area around the Wankhede Stadium, all while I was trying to get away for a flight. It was impossible.

This time I was greeted by a sign in Mumbai Airport saying this will be the greatest World Cup ever - and why not?

I'm keen to see what the crowds are like for neutral games, but it will be noisy, colourful and great fun.

The 50-over game lurches from being extremely successful to being in crisis and at the moment it does seem the format under the most threat.

What makes World Cups so good is the jeopardy, something lacking from bilateral series when a team lose but move on to another game in three days. Moreover, these days people think if something is not done quickly then it is not exciting. This tournament will be a reminder that is not true.

What better way to start than a repeat of the greatest final ever played?

Maxwell and Babar hit their stride as Australia pip Pakistan

....Australia were propelled by a team effort as they turned to their part-time spinners to squeeze a little more juice out of this warm-up.

Australia beat Pakistan by 14 runs in the sides' final warm-up game before the World Cup, propelled by a team effort with bat and ball. In a game that Australia controlled significantly more than the scoreline suggested, Australia posted 351 and struck early several times, before a Babar Azam-Iftikhar Ahmed partnership dragged Pakistan back into the contest.

Winning the toss and batting first, David Warner's 33-ball 48 got Australia off to a flier, but Pakistan struck repeatedly through the middle overs to peg them back. Hasan Ali was economical up top but it was Usama Mir who took

the wickets, while Mohammad Nawaz played his usual, reliable role.

But Pakistan's bowlers lost momentum through the death overs against a fierce onslaught by Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis, with 126 runs coming off the final 12 overs. Cameron Green, too, tucked in towards the death with Mohammad Wasim and Haris Rauf coming in for particular punishment, with the allrounder reaching an unbeaten 50 off the last ball of the innings as Rauf leaked 97 in 9 overs.

Pakistan began brightly but soon ran into trouble. Imam-ul-Haq was undone by a lovely seaming delivery

from Pat Cummins, while Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique fell to ungainly slogs.

Marnus Labuschagne, who took three wickets, opened his account by removing a promoted Shadab Khan early, and as the run rate dropped, Pakistan were in trouble at 83 for four.

But instead of finishing the game off quickly, Australia decided they wanted to squeeze a little more juice out of this warm-up.

The next 20 overs or so saw them turn to the parttime spin of Labuschagne and Maxwell, and the even more part-time spin of Steve Smith and David Warner.

The latter nearly picked up Iftikhar with a rank full toss, but once Josh Inglis shelled that, carnage ensued. Warner went for 41 in his two overs, and the two piled on 144 in just under 18 overs

before Iftikhar finally holed out to the straight boundary.

Babar Azam, who looked in sublime touch, gave way once he reached an unbeaten 90, but with 87 required off 13 overs, Australia began to

get serious again as Cummins returned, removing Salman Ali Agha in his first over. Pakistan continued to chip away thanks to a half-century from Nawaz, but Australia burrowed ever further into the tail with wickets.

With 21 to get in the final three overs and one wicket in hand, Cummins turned to Labuschagne once more. He conceded six off his first three balls, before a Hasan Ali slog found Mitchell Marsh at long-off, ending a chaotic game where Australia wrapped up a win that might easily have been more comfortable, if they so wanted. (Cricinfo)

England beat Bangladesh in their final World Cup warm-up game on Monday

Glenn Maxwell played expertly against spin

Regal Masters Over-40 prevail in thriller

By Frederick Halley

IT took a super over to decide the Masters Over-40 winners in the nail-biting contest between eventual winners, Regal Masters, and Ariel Masters in the Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc/Prime Minister’s T20 softball tournament, which ended in a blaze of glory at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground, Queenstown on Sunday last.

Staring defeat in the face, with their usually reliable top-order gone, defending champions, Regal Masters, rallied to tie the game, forcing a super over which they duly won by eight runs through the efforts of Patrick Rooplall.

The hard-hitting opener, who was earlier dismissed for seven and was obviously disappointed, made amends by slamming 19 of the 20 runs in the super over which saw Ariel Masters replying with 12.

Set 201 for victory, after Ariel Masters reached a challenging 200 for six in their allotted 20 overs, Regal Masters started disastrously, losing the prized wicket of Rooplall (seven) with only 13 on the board in the second over.

Wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals despite Regal Masters maintaining a healthy strike rate as they reached 91 for six after nine overs. Skipper Eyaaz Mohamed and Lakeram Roopnarine (15) added a valuable 53 for the seventh wicket be-

fore the latter departed with the score on 144 for seven in the 14th over.

It became 148 for eight with the dismissal of Mohamed for a well played 39, which included two fours and two sixes but the lower-order refused to accept defeat as tension rose in both camps.

Ehwaas Baksh, who batted at number nine, and number 10, Roy Persaud, continued to frustrate the Ariel bowlers, adding a further 40 for the ninth wicket but with a further 13 needed for victory, Persaud’s stumps were disturbed by Raul Reid.

Balram Roopnarine (five not out) stuck around with Baksh, who ended on an undefeated 21, ensuring a tie after scampering two off the last delivery off a misfield, setting the stage for the super

over.

Earlier, Ariel Masters were led to their challenging total through consistent batting from their top-order. The inform Raul Reid (41) and Patrick Khan (30 with five fours) added 61 for the fourth wicket while Reid, whose knock included four fours and six, shared a further 44 for the fourth wicket Sheldon Adams who hit a quick-fire 35 with two fours and three sixes. Reid then added a vital 54 for the fifth wicket with his skipper Samuel Kingston who spanked a top score of 44, decorated with three fours and four sixes.

Roopnarine ended with two for 22 while Baksh took two for 47.

The winners took home $600,000, a trophy and

medals for the players while the runner-up received $50,000 and a trophy. Baksh was awarded the player-of-the- match award for his all-round performance while the Most Valuable Player

(MVP) prize of a 32-inch television, compliments of Regal Stationery and Computer Supplies, went to Rooplall who scored an even hundred and an unbeaten 90 in the preliminary round.

Shemar Joseph benefits from ‘Project Cricket Gear’

YOUNG National fast bowler Shemar Joseph was gifted one complete cricket kit, compliments of Cricket Equipment Guyana.

At a simple ceremony held recently, the gear was handed over by Ajay Gainda, owner and Managing Director of the company located at Bel Air Rubis Gas Station, Rupert Craig Highway.

The Berbician rise to fame resulted from his hard work and commitment. He only recently made his debut for Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Gainda said that his company is pleased to be part of the development of this talented cricketer who expressed his gratitude for the kit.

Total cricket-related

items received/purchased so far: $370,000 in cash, 13 coloured cricket uniforms, two trophies, 17 pairs of cricket boots, 31 pairs of batting pads, 32 cricket bats, 29 pairs of batting gloves, 23 thigh pads, three pairs of wicket-keeping pads, five arm guards, two boxes, 10 cricket bags, six bat rubbers, six helmets and one softball cricket bat.

In addition to the above, $600,000 worth in gear was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former National wicket-keeper/batsman. All cash collected is being used to purchase cricket gear requested and not available at the time.

To date, 68 young players from all three counties of Guyana have benefited from three junior gear bags, two

trophies, four arm guards, 27 bats, two boxes, five helmets, 23 pairs of cricket shoes, 15 pairs of batting pads, two thigh pads, one bat rubber, 24 pairs of batting gloves and two pairs of wicket-keeping gloves.

In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area benefited from two used bats. Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenam Cricket Committees and Cotton Tree Die Hard also received one box of red cricket balls each; Cold Fusion Cricket Club 13 coloured uniforms while RHCCCC got three boxes of balls, 15 white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicket-keeping gloves and a set of stumps and bails. Other beneficiaries are the Essequibo Cricket

Board, the Town of Lethem and youth coach, Travis Persaud, softball teams in the Upper Corentyne area, No.65 Young Titans and Just Try CC.

Cricket-related items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist in identifying talent. Progressive and well managed cricket clubs with a youth programme, will also benefit.

Anyone interested in contributing can contact Anil Beharry on 623 6875 or Kishan Das on 1 718 664 0896.

Shemar Joseph (centre) poses with Ajay Gainda (left) and Arvind Gainda

The victorious Regal Masters Over-40 players and supporters celebrate their win

MVP Patrick Rooplall is congratulated by GSCL Secretary/ Treasurer, Telesha Ousman

Player of the final, Ehwaas Baksh receives his trophy from Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, sponsor of all the trophies for the tournament

Galatasaraytwice come from behind to stun Man United

Manchester United's woeful season lurched from one damaging loss to another as Galatasaray took advantage of some calamitous defending to record a comeback Champions League win at Old Trafford.

Ten-man United led twice through young striker Rasmus Hojlund, the second a brilliant effort as the 20-yearold took advantage of Davinson Sanchez's slip to race 50 yards and beat Fernando Muslera with a deft finish.

But the hosts could only hold their advantage for a combined 10 minutes, as first old-boy Wilfried Zaha, then Kerem Akturkoglu levelled.

Then, after Mauro Icardi had failed to convert the penalty that followed a terrible Andre Onana mistake that led to Casemiro's red card, the Argentine made amends when he sped clear of the hosts' defence nine minutes from time and found the finish.

It is the first time United have started a Champions League group stage with successive defeats, and piles the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, whose side are bottom of the table, four points behind their visitors who are second, behind Bayern Munich.

United have now lost two on the trot following Saturday's Premier League home defeat by Crystal Palace, five of their past seven games and six out of 10 in all competitions this season.

Terrible night for Ten Hag

This was a truly awful night for Ten Hag, who stood in the pouring rain before the final whistle hoping his side could snatch something to give them hope in a campaign that has been as bleak as the weather.

"Our start to the season has not been good enough," he said in his programme notes. "Although there are reasons, we will not attempt to hide behind excuses. It is up to us now to turn our fortunes around. What happens next is up to us and nobody else."

The early signs are not good, though Hojlund at least provides something positive to reflect on for United.

Marcus Rashford created the Dane's first with a lofted cross into the six-yard box, where Hojlund beat Sanchez to thump home a header.

Then, after Rashford had sprinted clear only to mess up a routine square pass that should have presented Bruno Fernandes with a tap-in, Ho-

jlund embarked on his own run from halfway, this time with considerably more success to take his Champions League tally to three in two games.

Casemiro failed to track Akturkoglu's run into the box after Sofyan Amrabat had been turned too easily by the touchline, and the Turkey forward levelled for a second time.

Onana's £47m price tag came with the assurance he is good with his feet. But when the Cameroon keeper sent a pass from the edge of his six-yard box straight to Dries Mertens, his goal only survived because Casemiro fouled the Belgian and Icardi missed the penalty.

There was no reprieve when Icardi won it four minutes later, and the jubilant celebrations of visiting fans scattered all over Old Trafford only made a bad night worse for United.

Zaha's Old Trafford re-

demption

When he reflected on his unfulfilled United career on the eve of the game, Zaha said he had emerged stronger for it.

There are some who argue he had the talent to operate at a higher level than Crystal Palace, and even now could be doing better for himself than the Turkish Super Lig.

Zaha's complaint about water not being immediately to hand when he approached the dugout during a break in play suggests the same attention to detail does not exist in Turkey as the Premier League.

Nevertheless, Galatasaray provide Zaha with the Champions League platform he craved, and almost a decade after making his United debut on this ground, he scored his first goal in the competition.

There was not much finesse about it. A long ball launched out of the visitors' half, which created the tussle on the edge of the area that Zaha was simply too strong for Diogo Dalot in.

His volley bounced into the ground, but was enough to send the ball looping over Onana. Unlike in September 2020, when he scored twice in a Palace win at Old Trafford but no fans were present to see it, this time Zaha was able to milk the celebrations, although they were nothing compared with those that followed the final whistle.((BBC Sport).

VAR officials involved in Spurs-Liverpool ‘error’ not selected for this weekend

THE two match officials stood down from duty following Saturday’s incident that saw Liverpool wrongly denied a goal will not be involved in this weekend’s Premier League fixtures.

Darren England and Dan Cook were VAR and assistant VAR respectively when a “significant human error” resulted in Luis Diaz’s effort incorrectly being disallowed for offside in the Reds’ 2-1 loss at Tottenham.

Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) on Sunday announced the pair had been replaced for their next matches – England was due to be fourth official that day at Nottingham Forest v Brentford, with Cook to be assistant referee for Monday’s Fulham-Chelsea clash, but Craig Pawson and Eddie Smart stepped in.

And on Tuesday, England and Cook did not feature as the Premier League released its list of officials for matchweek eight this Saturday and Sunday.

Simon Hooper, the on-field referee for the Tottenham-Liverpool contest and fourth official for the subsequent Fulham game, is to be VAR when Everton host Bournemouth on Saturday.

After Diaz’s 34th-minute effort at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, when the score was 0-0, was disallowed PGMOL put out a statement saying “a significant human error occurred” and that a goal should have been given but “the VAR failed to intervene”.

The PA news agency understands Liverpool have formally requested the audio from PGMOL of the conversation between Hooper and England related to the incident.

Liverpool issued a statement on Sunday night saying they would “explore the range of options available given the clear need for escalation and resolution”.(Sportsmax)

Williamson to miss New Zealand's 50-over World Cup opener

KANE MISSES

KANE Williamson will miss New Zealand's 50-over World Cup opener against England on 5 October as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

The Black Caps' one-day international and T20 captain, 33, has not played since tearing cruciate ligaments at the Indian Premier League in April.

New Zealand cricket say Williamson will play as a batter in a warm-up game against Pakistan on Friday.

He will then look to bat and field in a final warm-up against South Africa.

"Right from the start we've taken a long-term view on Kane's return to play," said New Zealand coach Gary Stead.

"His recovery is tracking well and it's now a matter of making sure he can cope with the rigours and intensity of international cricket.

"We'll continue to take a day by day approach to Kane's rehabilitation and certainly won't be putting

any pressure on him to return before he is ready."

Williamson has played 161 ODIs, scoring 6,554 runs at an average of 47.83.

Tom Latham will captain the Kiwis against Pakistan and could also be skipper when they face England in Ahmedabad, India.

The tournament opener is a repeat of the 2019 World Cup final at Lord's, which England won based on the amount of boundaries scored.(BBC Sport)

Mauro Icardi joined Galatasaray on a permanent deal in July

Kane Williamson has played 161 ODIs, scoring 6,554 runs at an average of 47.83

Demerara and Berbice register Inter-County wins

ROUND two of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) senior inter-county 50-over tournament got underway at the Enmore Community Centre and the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) grounds, resulting in a marginal win for Berbice and a more convincing victory for Demerara, respectively.

Berbice clashed with the GCB Select XI at Enmore in a closer-than-expected three-wicket win. The Select XI won the toss and decided to bat first, posting 188-9 from their allotted overs. Skipper Veerasammy Permaul starred with the ball, snaring a five-wicket haul from his 10 overs; giving up 40 runs. Kevin Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie and Niall Smith each took one wicket for Berbice.

Opener Raymond Perez top scored with 52 while Christoper Barnwell (50) was the only other batter to reach the half-century milestone for the GCB Select XI.

In response, Kevin Sinclair, who opened the batting for Berbice, top scored with

target they would’ve felt was about 30 runs short. None of their batsmen got to 50 with wicketkeeper batter, Kemol Savory, top scoring with 36 runs and Quentin Sampson not far behind with 32.

Ronaldo Ali Mohamed and Sherfane Rutherford each grabbed three-wickets in an excellent bowling effort for Demerara.

Matthews fortifies hold as No. 1 allrounder in T20I rankings

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, (CMC) – West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews reinforced her place at No. 1 in the latest ICC Women’s Twenty20 International all-rounder rankings after producing back-to-back exceptional performances against hosts and world champions, Australia Women.

Matthews made significant gains in the batting and bowling rankings after playing a leading role in both departments in the first two T20Is against the Aussies in Sydney and now has 480 ratings points – a personal best.

81 runs to guide his team to the three-wicket win.

Over at GCC, Demerara got past Essequibo by four wickets with 4.4 overs to spare.

Essequibo won the toss and batted first, posting 203 runs all out in 41.2 overs, a

In reply, West Indies’ Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul held his bat through the innings with a top score of 71 that steered a somewhat wobbly Demerara reply to victory. His score include six 4’s and one 6. Akshaya Persaud provided ample support with a knock of 41 from 51 balls.

Anthony Adams was the pick of Essequibo bowlers taking 2 for 40 from his 10 overs. (Calvin Chapman)

Captaincy and franchise cricket helped my batting, Matthews says

SYDNEY, Australia, (CMC) – West Indies Women’s captain, Hayley Matthews, said the responsibility that comes with the role, and her exposure to franchise cricket over the past couple years were key factors in the improvements to her batting.

The 25-year-old all-rounder hammered an incredible 132, and her side pulled off the highest successful run chase of all time in women’s Twenty20 Internationals against hosts, world No. 1 and world champions, Australia Women, on Monday.

Matthews smashed 20 fours and five sixes from 64 balls in a breath-taking assault on the Australian bowling, and the Caribbean side successfully chased 213 to secure a seven-wicket win in the second T20I at North Sydney Oval to level the threematch series 1-1.

“Today was quite in -

credible,” Matthews told reporters at the post-play news conference. “I can’t quite find the words yet, but I don’t think many days of cricket have beaten that.”

Her batting performance came after she took three for 36 from her allotted four overs with her off-spin while Australia Women piled up 212 for six after they were put in to bat, and it made her a shoo-in for a seventh straight Player-ofthe-Match award in T20s.

Matthews made an unbeaten 99 in the first T20I,

which her side lost by eight wickets on Sunday at the same venue, but she made sure that she did not miss out at the second time of asking with her dynamic second T20I hundred.

“The leadership of the team has definitely helped me to take responsibility of my game, that along with learning and understanding my game a lot more from playing franchise and T20 cricket on the road,” she added.

“Two of those put together over the last 12 months have really helped, not only with me scoring

runs, but scoring them consistently as well.”

She said: “I speak about trying to lead by example, and I think it’s something growing up I watched Stafanie do, while I was playing with her in my younger days.

“Since I’ve taken over the role, I’ve really tried to emulate that and take responsibility and set a really good example for the young girls.”

Taylor made 59 from 41 balls, and Matthews combined with her predecessor as West Indies captain for a record 174run partnership for the second wicket, while the Australians were left to rue a couple of dropped chances during the run chase just when the two batting stalwarts for the visitors started to believe.

“Steph and I really started to have a look at chasing it when I think we needed 105 from 54 balls,” she said. “At that moment,

The 25-year-old moved up 10 places to No. 7 in the batting rankings, her highest position since making her debut nine years ago against New Zealand Women in St Vincent, while she rose two places to tie with Sri Lanka left-arm spinner, Inoka Ranaweera, at No. 5 in the rankings for bowlers.

Matthews was unbeaten on 99 when her team were swept aside by eight wickets in the first T20I on Sunday at North Sydney Oval, but she slammed an incredible 132 to follow up a three-wicket burst to lead her side in the highest successful run chase of all-time in women’s T20Is on Monday at the same venue.

The opener and off-spin bowler is currently enjoying a run of seven consecutive Player-of-the-Match awards in women’s T20Is.

Her predecessor as West Indies Women’s captain, Stafanie Taylor, has also made moves in the latest rankings, rising six places to 30th in the batting rankings, but she is still way below her personal best ranking of No. 1 achieved 13 years ago.

Taylor made 59 off 41 balls and shared a record 174 for the second wicket with Matthews in the remarkable, successful run chase in the second T20I.

Only two other West Indies Women batter appeared in the top 100 of the latest rankings – Chedean Nation, who was not selected for the trip to Australia, dropped one spot to a tie in 77th with Josephine Nkomo of Zimbabwe, and Shemaine Campbell, who formalised the win in the second T20I, was unmoved at 81st.

All the West Indies Women’s bowlers appearing in the top 100 of the latest rankings, except Matthews and pacer Chinelle Henry, remain practically in the same place. Henry moved up five places with a personal best 423 ratings points, and she was tied in 73rd with fellow pacer Fatima Sana of Pakistan.

Off-spinner Karishma Ramharack remained 30th, leg-spinner Afy Fletcher dropped one place to 34th, Shamilia Connell moved up a spot to 44th, fellow pacer Shakera Selman, who was also not selected for the trip to Australia, moved up one to 83rd, and Cherry-Ann Fraser remained at 99th.

with the momentum we had, we really spoke about trying to go as hard as we could from both ends with the wickets we had in hand.

“Kudos to her as well. She had an amazing knock at the other end. It took so much pressure off me and kept the boundaries flowing.”

Taylor was dismissed with 28 needed from 18 balls to give Australia a sliver of hope, and Matthews fell with nine needed off seven balls, but Chinelle Henry and Shemaine Campbelle stuck around to

formalise the result with one ball remaining.

“It was a very long day,” Matthews said. “After getting so close to a score, chasing 212 doesn’t come every day, especially for our team, you really want to get over that line.

“I had all faith in Shemaine and Chin. They are experienced, they’ve been around the circuit for a long time, and have been coming into their own of late, so I had no doubt.”

The final T20I of the series is tomorrow at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

GCB Senior Inter- County 50-over cricket

Tevin Imlach collects runs on the leg side against the bowling of Ricardo Adams (Adrian Narine)

West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews

Rowley says time is running out for Windies revival

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) –

Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister, Keith Rowley, boldly predicted that if West Indies fails to “get its act together”, teams such as the United States will easily beat them on the international stage.

Rowley is the current chairman of the Caricom prime ministerial sub-committee on cricket, which has been mandated to examine all matters related to the development of the sport in the Caribbean to better position it so that West Indies could return to the glorious days.

The T&T prime minister conceded that a lot of work was needed to arrest the slide of not only the West Indies team, but

the sport generally in the Caribbean, and he has embarked upon a mission to design a long-term strategic plan to address several issues.

“If we do not get our act together now, we will struggle to beat the United States because they have now come into the game and their organisational skills, their resources, and management of sport, they will leave us behind,” he said in a wide-ranging radio interview on I95 FM this past Saturday in Port of Spain.

“You notice now that there will be Twenty20 World Cup matches in the United States? We do not have much time to get to the root of our problems and try to grasp the nettle

and put down a plan.”

Rowley said the issue impacting West Indies cricket were complex, and the situation needed to be handled carefully to get the best outcomes.

“It is a complication that requires, first and foremost, to understand what exactly is the problem, what is the minefield you are crossing, and how do you cross that minefield,” he said. “I am working on understanding these three things.

“My objective is working towards a development plan, and having spoken to some of my prime ministerial colleagues that is the approach we want to take. Flying around and blaming people and depressing ourselves about the state

of the game is not getting anybody anywhere.

“We need to get the people who can help us to put our finger on the pulse of the problem. We need to diagnose the problem –and it is not uni-faceted, it is multi-faceted.”

Rowley said he hoped to convene a meeting in January with several stakeholders inside the sport and others too, to reflect on the best way forward, so that a formidable strategic plan can be designed to set West Indies cricket on a firm footing.

“The first part is to do a general consultation, and I think I have heard a lot (since taking up the post) and some people have submitted memorandums[sic],

Continued on page 26

Cricket legend Tendulkar named ICC Global Ambassador for World Cup

THE International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced India legend and Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar as the Global Ambassador for the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with just two days to go until the pinnacle event of the one-day game gets underway.

The Master Blaster, who has an enviable record of featuring in six 50-over World Cups in his decorated career, will walk out with the Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy before the opening match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, declaring the tournament open.

Tendulkar said: “From being a ball boy in 1987 to

representing the country in six editions, World Cups have always held a special place in my heart. Winning the World Cup in 2011 is the proudest moment of my cricketing journey.

“With so many special teams and players set to compete hard in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 here in India, I am excitedly looking forward to this fantastic tournament.

“Marquee events like the World Cup seed dreams in young minds, I hope this edition too inspires young girls and boys to pick up sports and represent their countries at the highest level.”

The biggest Cricket World

Cup ever will also witness an eclectic cast of ICC ambassadors – West Indies legend Vivian Richards, South Africa’s AB de Villiers, England World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan, Australia’s

Aaron Finch, Sri Lanka spin great Muttiah Muralitharan, New Zealand’s Ross Taylor, India’s Suresh Raina and ex-captain Mithali Raj and Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez.

The cricket legends will lend their support and elevate the spectator experience by placing fans at the centre of the action, bringing them closer to the game than ever before through meet and greets whilst sharing expert analysis that will be made available via the ICC Online Media Zone. They will also be seen in attendance for select matches across the country, further adding to the excitement of the highly anticipated World Cup.

Claire Furlong, ICC General Manager, Marketing & Communications, said: “It’s a real honour to have Sachin as our Global Ambassador as we celebrate the one-day

game and get set for what we know is going to be the biggest Men’s Cricket World Cup ever. He is joined by nine fellow legends of the game who will bring the fans closer to the action and we can’t wait for it all to begin.”

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will begin on October 5 with defending champions England taking on New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. A total of 48 matches will be played across 10 venues, culminating in the final on November 19 in the biggest cricket stadium in the world. (ICC).

Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister, Keith Rowley

Sachin Tendulkar: "Winning the World Cup in 2011 is the proudest moment of my cricketing journey."