Guyana Times - Saturday, February 8, 2020 by Gytimes

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Issue No. 4190

THE BEACON OF TRUTH SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

PRICE

Elections 2020

Ballot papers arrive, over 10,000 extracted – to be dispatched for Disciplined Services, non-resident voters

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE: Residency for voting

Legislation intended P10 only for 1992 elections – Nandlall Shop owner P8 slapped with murder charge

See story on page 3

Albouystown teen wanted for murder P8

The Atlas Air, considered a very large cargo aircraft, was the first aircraft to utilise the newly-constructed apron at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport for Code D and E-sized Aircrafts. The aircraft was contracted to transport ballot papers for the March 2 General and Regional Elections from Canada to Guyana

Bauxite Union urges arbitration to resolve RUSAL dispute …bashes Labour Dept for incompetency See story on page 7

Jagdeo calls out ERC for lack of code of conduct ahead of elections

Page 11

GuySuCo offers GAWU GTT, GPL top list pay raise 1 month before of consumer elections – GAWU to reconsider complaints – PUC Page 15

Page 7

2 arraigned for Corentyne rice farmer’s P8 murder

Public building renamed “Stephen Campbell P14 Building” – in honour of country’s first Indigenous parliamentarian

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Elections 2020

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Saturday, February 8 – 04:30h – 06:00h and 14:30h – 16:00h and Sunday, February 9 – 05:30h – 07:00h.

Ballot papers arrive, over 10,000 extracted

– to be dispatched for Disciplined Services, non-resident voters

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, February 8 – 15:35h – 17:05h and Sunday, February 9 – 16:25h – 17:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine is expected throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius. Winds: North North-Easterly to East NorthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres. High Tide: 03:58h and 16:13h reaching maximum heights of 2.56 metres and 2.73 metres. Low Tide: 09:46h and 22:15h reaching minimum heights of 0.65 metre and 0.44 metre.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

LOTTERY NUMBERS E

06 13 14

17 19 25

FREE TICKET

Bonus Ball

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2020

DAILY MILLIONS

03 04

09 14 15

LUCKY 3

Afternoon Draw

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

PAY DAY

14 SUPER PAY DAY

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020

01 05 06 08 09

08 10 12 18 21

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Crude Oil Rough Rice London Sugar

$54.93/barrel $245.16/ton $428.10/ton

Live Spot Gold Bid/Ask Low/High Change

$1570.00 $1560.90 0.00

Change % -0.64 +0.70 0.00

USD Per Ounce $1571.00 $1574.90 0.00%

Ballot papers and other materials for the March 2 elections arrived on Friday

Agents from the various political parties observing Friday’s exercise at GECOM

he ballot papers and other election materials have arrived in Guyana and were secured at the head office of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). But before this, over 10,000 ballots were extracted for the Disciplined Services and non-resident electors to cast their votes ahead of the March 2 General and Regional Elections. The election documents were produced by printing firm, Canadian Bank Note Company Limited. The Canadian company had first supplied GECOM with elections materials at the 2018 Local Government Elections (LGEs). GECOM Commissioners Sase Gunraj, who is Opposition-nominated, and Charles Corbin, (Governmentnominated) had travelled to Canada late January to oversee the production of the election’s materials. Both ordinary and tendered ballot papers and statement of polls arrived from Canada on Friday morning and were escorted to GECOM’s High Street, Kingston, Georgetown headquarters by the Police. At the Elections Commission, a total of 10, 309 ballot papers were extracted for voting by ranks of Disciplined Services and for non-resident electors, which includes Guyanese diplomats serving overseas. “So we will post it up to them and ask that it returns

that they are available for posting at the various polling stations and other strategic locations as required by law without disenfranchising them. Those qualified to vote at the upcoming D-Day are 6702 from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), 3036 from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), and 488 from the Guyana Prisons Service (GPS). Of the total ranks from the entire Disciplined Services, there are 47 from Region One (Barima-Waini); 282 from Region Two; 1482 from Region Three; 5324 from Region Four; 976 from Region Five; 1328 from Region Six; 61 from Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); 17 from Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); 29 from Region Nine and 680 from Region 10. “We are extracting 10,226 ballots specific for those ranks. They will be enveloped in preparation for the 21st. So we’re extracting them today and at a later date, we will be enveloping those for the Discipline Services,” Lowenfield explained on Friday. According to the Chief Elections Officer, the remaining ballots will be secured in the container under locks at the GECOM head office until dispatching. Friday’s exercise was observed by the two foreign experts, former Chairmen of the Elections Commissions in India and Ghana respectively, Dr Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

by a particular date… The enveloping for the non-resident, we’ll probably finish it today [and] secure it,” Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield told reporters on Friday. A total of 83 ballots were extracted for the non-resident voters. This includes 71 from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), four from Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), two from Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), three from Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) and one each from Regions Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), Nine (Upper Takutu-Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). Meanwhile, over 10,000 ballots were extracted for members of the Disciplined Services, who will be casting their votes on February 21. As customary during any elections, members of the Disciplined Services are required to cast their votes ahead of the polling day so

and Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, both of whom are here assisting GECOM with its elections preparations. Also overseeing the exercise were agents of the various political parties contesting the elections. A total of 11 parties have been approved by GECOM to contest the upcoming polls, which is just over three weeks away. These include the incumbent A Partnership or National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition; People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C); A New and United Party (ANUG); The Citizenship Initiative (CI); Liberty and Justice Party (L&JP); Change Guyana; Federal United Party (FEDUP); The New Movement (TNM); People’s Republic Party (PRP); Organisation for the Victory of the People (OVP) and United Republican Party (URP). A total of 13 parties had made submissions to GECOM on the January 10 Nomination Day but the Guyana National Service Party and the National Independent Party did not meet the requirements and as such, were kicked out the race. Earlier this week, the Elections Commission published the Official List of Electors (OLE) which includes the names of 661,028 voters. The document has been shared and persons are being urged to ensure they verify their information on the final voters’ list.

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Coronavirus: Taking no chances

ountries around the world are scrambling to deal with the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus which has so far claimed the lives of at least 638. All but two of the deaths were in mainland China, with one person succumbing in the Philippines and another in Hong Kong. As with the death toll, the number of persons being infected with the virus worldwide is also climbing with China accounting for the vast majority. In addition to the large number of deaths and infections, the outbreak of the virus has taken a tremendous toll on not only the international airline industry and public health systems worldwide, but also several other sectors including tourism and business etc. To fight the further spread of the coronavirus outbreak in China and globally, and protect states with weaker health systems, the international community has launched a US$675 million preparedness and response plan covering the months of February to April 2020. Certainly, this outbreak has challenged countries’ public health systems and most of them would need financial and other forms of support to be fully prepared. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, has pointed to the very weak health systems in many countries, many of them not having adequate mechanisms in place to detect people if the situation were to emerge. He has since made an urgent call for support to be fast-tracked to bolster weak health systems so that countries would be able to detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus, in order to prevent further human-tohuman transmission and protect health workers. According to the WHO, the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for the new coronavirus lays out activities and resources needed by international health organisations globally, to implement priority public health measures in support of countries to prepare and respond to the virus. The objectives of the plan are to limit human-to-human transmission of the virus, particularly in countries most vulnerable if they were to face an outbreak; identify, isolate and care for patients early; communicate critical risk and event information; minimise social and economic impact; reduce virus spread from animal sources, and address crucial unknowns. The plan focuses on: Rapidly establishing international coordination and operational support; scaling up country readiness and response operations, and accelerating priority research and innovation. As noted in the SPRP, WHO assesses that the outbreak poses a very high risk in China, as well as regionally and globally. The risk assessment was based on factors including the likelihood of further spread, the potential impact on human health, and the varying levels of effectiveness in national preparedness and response measures. Accelerated action, as called for in the plan, can address these risks and areas requiring support. Guyana must continue to be vigilant and fully prepared to respond to any eventuality. We have noted that some steps have been taken to address the matter and the health authorities have assured the nation that everything is being done to ensure that all systems are in place effectively and efficiently handle the situation, should the need arise. This includes collaboration with PAHO/WHO, immigration authorities, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and other agencies. It was reported that screening is ongoing at the various ports of entry across the country, including the Eugene F Correia International Airport and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the ministry has been sensitising officials on how to deal with suspected cases of the deadly virus. According to the WHO, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death. Citizens must be reminded of the precautions that should be taken; these include regular hand-washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

This Hope Estate Primary School pupil displays her piece, “Celebrating Primary Education as Guyana Transforms Technologically”, when the schools’ Mashramani continued at the National Cultural Centre on Thursday

Over 17,000 youths are unemployed and will not be fooled again

Dear Editor, I was tickled by the resurrected promise of the APNU/ AFC, regarding the creation of jobs for the youths. After spending almost five years in office, it is abundantly clear that the APNU/AFC failed to fulfil this promise. According to the Labour Force Survey (GLFS) 2018, unemployment among youths worsened over the past four-plus years. This report revealed that the total number of youths unemployed increased to reach 17,058 during the fourth quarter of 2017. The vast majority of unemployed youths came from rural areas. The GLFS 2018 showed that 72.6 per cent or 12,380 of the unemployed youths came from these communities. There were also more female youths who were unemployed according to the GLFS 2018; 54.2 per cent of female youths compared to 45.8

per cent of their male counterparts. More depressing than the youth unemployment rate was the labour participation rate that captures the extent to which citizens of working age are actively seeking employment opportunities. The GFLS 2018 placed the labour participation rate at 54.5 per cent during the last quarter of 2017. It, therefore, means that approximately 45.5 per cent or 249,307 persons of working age did not actively seek employment opportunities during that period. Two possible explanations for this depressing scenario are: (i) a large portion of our people lack ambition, or (ii) almost half the population of working age have lost hope of finding employment opportunities. It would be responsible for assuming that option two

is true since all of the critical labour-intensive sectors have contracted significantly over the past five years, thereby reducing the number of employment opportunities available. Editor, I am sure that a large number of youths who will be voting on March 2, 2020, are not necessarily interested in the statistics presented above since they are either unemployed or have abandoned hope of finding a job. They do not need any academic lecture on unemployment to be convinced that unemployment has reached crisis proportions. I am equally convinced that the youths are more interested in the solution to this problem. The politicians who are competing for votes of the youths during the 2020 elections are, therefore, duty-bound to provide concrete plans on how they will address the problem. In particular,

they will need to convince the youths that they have plans to resuscitate the labour-intensive sectors with the gains from the oil and gas sector. The youths know that unless the labour-intensive sectors (agriculture, mining, construction, services) are revived, employment of our youths will remain an elusive dream. The new oil and gas sector can only produce a few thousand jobs (not more than 5000) at most. In this regard, it might be useful for all the political parties, and not just the APNU/AFC to present their plans to demonstrate they can catalyse our labour-intensive sectors with the gains from oil and gas. The time for resurrecting old promises has expired. The youths are looking for practical solutions.

Dear Editor, My attention was drawn to a release made by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) in parts of the press on February 1, 2020. In that release, it is stated that the ERC “…condemned what is called the unacceptable conduct” over the past few days of purported supporters of political parties contesting the upcoming March 2nd General and Regional Elections…” Here, as has happened so often in the past, the PNC/ APNU has been engaged in hostilities at public meetings of the PPP/C in various parts of the country. The PNC/APNU/ AFC have also been engaged in pulling down and destroying flags of the PPP/C in many places as well. Only the PNC/ APNU is engaged in these activities. Yet in the release of the ERC, blame is cast on all polit-

ical parties. The ERC seems to lack the courage to say boldly that it is the PNC/APNU that is responsible for these hostilities. Here is a constitutional body that is failing to discharge its responsibilities to the country. If this was an isolated case, it may not have been worthwhile to take this issue up. However, it has infected our commentators and journalists as well. Fear of calling out the PNC for its misconduct is a pattern. Whenever they are forced to criticise their behaviour, it is always generalised. They blame the victims as well. The ERC has joined other institutions in this seemingly cowardly behaviour. This deep flaw displayed by the ERC and many news outlets is seen in almost all our important institutions. The courts are once again

taking what appears to be partisan positions whenever they deal with issues that have political consequences. It was noticeable that two courts in Guyana ruled that Mr Granger’s appointment of James Patterson was legal. This was at a time when people with only a spattering of legal knowledge saw that it was illegal. In fact, the Constitution was deliberately written for non-legal persons to understand it. Without doubt, Mr Granger broke the law and disregarded our Constitution in naming Patterson for that position. It was obvious that Paterson was put there to do the bidding of the PNC/APNU. Yet, despite what was so obvious, two of our highest courts ruled it legal. The PPP/C had to go to the CCJ where the decision was overturned. Much time was, however, lost and who

knows what harm was done to GECOM. Another glaring biased position of the courts relates to the PPP/C 2015 Elections Petition. It was never called up for hearing and absolutely no explanation was ever given for this disregard for something so important as an Election Petition, something that is given priority in democratic societies. When you contrast that with the Elections Petitions that were heard and decided on in Trinidad and Kenya, even though those countries held elections after ours, then you can appreciate the conclusion of bias by the courts against the opponents of the regime. Look at the difference in treatment when the regime hatched trumped-up charges against PPP/C leaders. Quickly, almost with indecent haste, the matters were heard in our courts.

With regards, S Pasha

Our institutions are failing us again

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

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Global Witness report and What happened to the Linden its surrounding scandal to Lethem transportation link? underscore failure of Guyana’s toxic political culture

Dear Editor, The Global Witness report and its surrounding scandal underscore the failure of Guyana’s toxic political culture. As noted by one columnist writing anonymously in KN, Guyana did not need this report to know they were grossly misrepresented by the APNU/AFC coalition. I further agree with another columnist from KN, Mr Frederick Kissoon, who rightfully hinted at Guyana’s poisonous political culture on the report’s suggestion that Mr Raphael Trotman (or others) be investigated. Mr Kissoon said he found this to be “comical,” and one will suppose he’s saying nothing will come of it. Said another way, this is Guyana. The world is now waking up to Guyana’s poisonous politics. In this case, the chief honcho at the head of the table will say the “wise and prudent” response is for him to accept all responsibility and pardon everyone. When this APNU/AFC regime came to office, I criticised its decision to hand the portfolio of foreign policy to Mr Carl Greenidge. Now Guyana has paid the price. Economics should not replace the principle of self-rule or the laws of the sovereign as the basis of foreign policy.

But this is exactly what has happened under the APNU/ AFC regime. Business has trumped Guyana’s right to negotiate fairly or its right to freely articulate its interests in world tribunals, which are elements of Guyana’s right of self-rule. According to the APNU/ AFC regime, Guyana needs foreign oil barons to pay its legal fees, or to explore, or to exist. The State is now impotent. The chief honcho at the head of the table will continue to say that Guyana received a “fair” deal (not an “excellent” one) because Guyana has not been invaded yet by its newfound enemy, Venezuela. Anyone who dares to question this Exxon deal, therefore, becomes an enemy of the State. So equally comical is this suggestion that Global Witness is interfering in Guyana’s right to self-rule. This is the spin of the same APNU/AFC coalition which is allegedly paying foreigners to give political advice regarding a local national election. One more example of how local politicians have failed: Because of them, a right to self-rule has come to mean a right to self-help. The politicians have engendered a toxic political culture from which they rise above the law, as they see fit for their preserva-

tion. They are terrified by this thing called democracy. Loyalty to the Constitution has been replaced by loyalty to party bosses. They know how to juggle a right to vote in party elections or in Parliament. On the hustings, they now read from prepared speeches. And if a foreign sovereign issues a warrant for a citizen, such a citizen has little or no support to get from local politicians. It points to what Peeping Tom suggested recently, that Guyanese still have a colonial mentality and an “inferiority complex”. Today, there is talk of this Exxon deal and betrayal. But one can recall June 2006 when a well-known Guyanese was “nabbed” in Suriname. No one stood up to speak out. No one spoke about territorial integrity, national security, or due process. All of these great mishaps flow from the same toxic political culture, which will simply roll pass this Exxon deal too. Oil is the new revolution in town but it will not be a cure for this toxic political culture. Maybe one day, however, the Guyanese people will give democracy a try. Sincerely, Rakesh Rampertab

Our institutions are failing...

Added to that is the drama surrounding the No-Confidence Motion of December 21, 2018. The decision of the National Assembly was challenged on the most spurious of grounds, ie that 33 was not a majority of 65. In the court, the Chief Justice upheld the decision of the National Assembly as legal and proper. The PNC/APNU appealed the case and unbelievably, two Judges in the Appeal Court overturned that decision of the Chief Justice. Again, it must be emphasised that the law is not written in such a way that makes it difficult to understand. Any person with primary education would understand it. Yet, two learned Judges ruled in favour of the PNC/APNU. The reasonable mind must question that decision and contemplate where this country is heading. The PPP/C had to, once again, resort to the CCJ to get that decision overturned. Even then the regime continued to act with scant regards for our Constitution and our laws. The ruling of Guyana’s final court was given scant regard by an illegal regime that continued merrily along as if everything was normal. They entered into contracts for billions of dollars when, in fact, the CCJ said that the regime had to be in a caretaker mode. Billions of taxpayers’ dollars are being used for naked PNC/ APNU/AFC propaganda. The disregard is so open that a Judge was threatened in the court without any repri-

mand from the Judiciary. The signs are really ominous. The Guyana Police Force is another very important institution that is being undermined and subverted in the interest of PNC/APNU. The SOCU which was set up to combat money laundering, has been de-professionalised and turned into an arm of the PNC/APNU. It has lost all credibility, it has lost focus and has become an instrument to harass, victimise and slander persons suspected of being anti-Government. That is not all. The tentacles of the PNC/APNU is gripping the whole institution. The PNC/APNU illegally intervened and halted the promotion of officers of the Police Force. This has completely emasculated the Office of Commissioner of Police and the Police Service Commission. It appears that the constitutional role is being sacrificed for PNC/ APNU control. This submissive position is also adopted by another very important constitutional body, the Integrity Commission. That body was established to promote integrity in Public life. This is an important institution for the moral health of our country. This organisation is being ignored by this regime. Government Ministries and Government members of the National Assembly are ignoring it and just not submitting the reports that they are legally required to do. Worst yet, the Integrity

Commission is doing absolutely nothing about this. They just accept being ignored and seem quite content to sit like a useless puddle and disregard their own oath of office and the police are not acting to enforce our laws. Much the same or worse is happening at the Guyana Elections Commission. Prior to this regime taking power, GECOM’s reputation was improving constantly. It had done a lot of good work that gave Guyanese confidence in that body. Now we see that faith evaporating. From the moment that attempts were made to impose James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM, people’s confidence was shaken. In addition, the dismissal of highly professional persons from that body suggested that bias judgements were at work and the PNC/ APNU was working to take control of that institution. We must recall GECOM’s changing positions from the time of the No-Confidence Motion. Their first reaction was that GECOM was ready to hold elections by March 2019. Strangely as the PNC/APNU position changed so too did GECOM’s stance. It shifted to coincide with demands of the PNC, putting many obstacles in the way of conducting elections according to the Constitution when a No-Confidence Motion is passed. This behaviour of our constitutional bodies today is a throwback to an earlier period of PNC paramountcy and dictatorship. At that time the

Dear Editor, Why must this nation continue to accept mediocrity on this proposed plan to construct the Linden to Lethem transportation link? Since August 2018 the Ministry of Public Infrastructure announced that the Guyanese and Brazilian authorities were working to complete the design of the LindenKurupukari end of the road. Yet, to date, nothing! To understand the genesis of this executive incompetence on the part of team Granger, one must read the 2018 Auditor General Report (2018 AG Report); it is a real eye-opener. According to that report, some $224 million was approved in the 2018 budget to fund the consultancy for part of this road. What happened in reality - nothing was done! This was after the APNU/ AFC in the 2018 budget, promised this nation that it “will be launching the feasibility studies and detailed designs for the first phase of the LindenLethem road, covering the section from Linden to Mabura Hill, thereby improving access to hinterland communities and Northern Brazil; while opening new economic opportunities along the corridor”. But after 2 years and 2 months, all we got from team Granger was hot air. The British quite rightly placed the external funding on hold after September 18, 2019, because of the illegal nature of the Granger regime but rather than jumping with some local funds to at least build one FROM PAGE 4

institutions of the state were turned into an arm of the PNC. The PNC so-called Sophia Declaration of 1974 had described the Government as the executive arm of the PNC. The control was so all-embracing that Ashton Chase, a man of great integrity and standing in our society, once commented of the behaviour of the Judiciary in that period. He noted that Judges no longer waited for orders from Burnham as to how to rule in particular cases, they began to anticipate what he wanted and delivered for him. Today we seem to be moving briskly in that direction. The consequences are well known. A broken economy, widespread poverty and a political atmosphere where fear and the suppression of free speech becomes the norm. People’s basic human rights are already being violated. It is behaviour such as is being displayed by the Ethnic Relation Commission and others that results in the destruction of democracy and the promotion of dictatorship. Those holding important office must know this, they must be aware of the dire consequences for the people when they fail to discharge their functions fairly. Our institutions have seriously let us down. They can only redeem some dignity by beginning to call a spade a spade and to discharge their duties without fear or favour! Sincerely, Donald Ramotar

kilometre of the roadway, the Granger group left the residents of the Hinterland to suffer as the road deteriorated, further delaying access to Lethem from Linden by as much as 8 hours. How many more promised will this illegal Granger group break before March 2, 2020? All team Granger has been doing since coming to office was launching one study after another, but when it came to actually doing real work, it seems that if there are no personal benefits in the deal for them – then no deal. Rather this Granger group seems more interested in doing small bits of work in the hinterland at astronomical prices as they continue to pull wool over the people’s eyes on their wanton acts of corruption. As an example, some 2.4 km of the road at Lethem was done and, in the process, the tax-

payers were “hit up” for some $473 million to progress this work. The engineering estimate of similar civil works in similar conditions illustrates such a project should cost no more than $250 million since all the raw material can readily be purchased in Brazil which is nearby. So why was the contractor paid almost double the real value for this road? Lucky contractors; unlucky taxpayers! The task of creating a modern road network from Linden to Lethem is not impossible but it requires leadership, vision, and willpower to get it done. After four years and six months, clearly, we have enough evidence to prove that we cannot expect that from Mr David Arthur Granger. With regards, Sasenarine Singh

The social responsibility of corporations during these elections

Dear Editor, Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR has become the north star for corporations around the world and more so in North America. Nike, for example, is one of the trailblazers in CSR after being publicly criticised by the likes of Michael Moore and university students in the early nineties. This challenging time for Nike forced the company to change its approach on how it operates globally and reshaped itself as a true global citizen. They did that by improving working conditions for contract employees in Asia and improving good governance in other parts of the world. Today, Nike is the most profitable fashion retailer in the world and confirmed that their success is because of its CSR business model. The energy sector too has strong CSR policies that govern their operations. British Petroleum (BP) has taken more direct steps to improve systems in many countries that include human and labour rights. The ISO has also developed a guideline for how companies should conduct themselves in the social space by implementing ISO 26000. The aim is to provide a detailed guideline on the role of corporations as it relates to human rights, social justice and labour rights among other areas. Considering the above, we should understand that clearly, all companies operating in Guyana have a role to play by ensuring free and fair elections are conducted. It is the responsibility of these companies to remain objective and not influenced any unethical behaviour of leaders in any capacity that adversely affects the integrity of our democratic process. We have seen in many cases around the world where corporations have turned a blind eye on unethical behaviours or secretly support governments that oppressed its people for preferential gains. You just have to look at West Africa where history is littered with

activists who have been assassinated in their fight to protect the rights of the people. As Guyanese, we should expect nothing less than the full implementation of all companies’ CSR policies as they would apply it to their home countries. Our resources are making them richer and in return, we are asking that they do their part so that our fragile system is supported and strengthened to protect our democratic freedoms. Our history has shown that the PNC Government has rigged the elections for 28 years. We also know that the DNA of the PNC is strong in APNU’s structure more so now than in 2015. This is so because the AFC is no longer a relevant entity. The PPP/C has worked tirelessly during its time in Government to make Guyana a place for international business. The plan to have oil realised today was because of the work done by Cde Janet Jagan to have Exxon explore our waters. The PPP/C brought back a strong democracy to Guyana which paved the way for free and fair elections once again that resulted in APNU taking part and gaining power in 2015. But we are now seeing that APNU has disregarded the Constitution and forced themselves to remain in office way beyond their legal lifetime. These are all troubling signs for our democracy that we worked so hard on to rebuild. I call on all corporations operating in our country to take heed of these things as they assess our social landscape. I call on them to remember that APNU is a caretaker Government that has sidelined the Constitution and has overstayed their legal limit by over ten months. In these elections, we are not only fighting to rebuild our country after five years of regression but to restore a fair democratic process for all Guyanese. Sincerely, Malcolm Watkins

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

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By Marty Nemko, PhD

ood parenting includes only three core principles:

Err toward positivity Of course, it’s easier said than done, especially if you’ve come home after a long day of work and now must turn to parenting. But if only aspirational, the goal should be to set a tone of kindness, setting only moderate limits, reasonable but not rigid enforcement, giving earned praise where possible and dispensing criticism with a minimum of words and never with corporal punishment. Simplistic though it may sound, it also helps if your home is filled with pleasures: reading to your child, playing together, listening to music, from humming in the kitchen to pleasant music on your stereo or Alexa. Reason, but minimise lecturing Of course, there will be times you’re tempted to say, “Because I said so!” But the aspiration should be to provide a reason for what you’re asking of your child. It should be brief and, often better, a question that encourages your child to come up with a reason. For example, let’s say your child says, “Homework is stupid! Why do I need to compute the area of a parabola?” You might respond, “Can you think of a good reason?” If s/he doesn’t, you might say something like, “It teaches thinking skills and discipline, plus you’ll get a better grade on your report card.” Brief, rational, not accusatory. One more example: Your younger child is playing with your older child’s toy and the older one yells, “That’s MY toy!” A possible response: “That’s true. Does it seem right or wrong for you to share it with your sister at least for now?” The same principle applies when expressing your opinion, whether about politics or why you’ve chosen a particular movie for the family to watch. Give a solid reason or create an opportunity for

Foundation

learning. For example, let’s say your child asks, “Why do you hate President Trump so much?” In response, the two of you might watch a brief YouTube of one of his speeches and then ask, “Well, what do you think?” Build intrinsic motivation The previous principle will help build intrinsic motivation to behave wisely but, of course, no one’s perfect. So, your child will sometimes misbehave. It’s helpful to have these possible responses ready: Ignore. Not everything is worth a battle. The schoolmarm look. Sometimes, a look is better than a lecture. When your child knows why you’re not happy, that look can gain compliance without your expending energy on a lecture that may yield only defensiveness. A brief explanation. For example, “Even if for a number of nights in a row, we just make small talk at family dinner, having it nightly gives us a time we can count on when we can tell and ask each other anything.” Guilt invocation. Staying with the previous example, let’s say your child refuses to come to the dinner table: “Mom, I’m in the middle of this amazing video game!” A possible response: “You’re a big boy now and know why it’s important that we have family dinner. I’m a little disappointed having to debate this with you again.” Here’s a more serious example: Let’s say you smell marijuana in your child’s room or find a stash in his drawer. Rather than expressing anger or punishing the child, guilt-invocation might be a wise first approach, for example, “Johnny, while putting away the laundry, I found a bag of marijuana in your drawer. I’m scared. The evidence is frightening on marijuana’s risks, especially for teens: lower IQ, mental illness, even heart disease while still young!” I can’t force you not to do it but

you’re often such a mature kid. I’m hoping you’ll be wise enough to stay off that stuff and befriend kids who do.” I’d then give my child a hug. Guilt-invocation has an undeservedly bad reputation. Of course, a relentless barrage of denigration is inappropriate, but in small doses, invoking guilt can yield that valuable intrinsic sense of right and wrong. Contrast that with the parent who attempts to gain compliance with rewards and punishments. When a child with insufficient intrinsic motivation is away— at school, with friends, at college—s/he is more likely to make poor choices. 5. Rewards and punishments. With some kids, reasoning and guilt-invocation are insufficient to yield even moderately good behaviour. Such children often need firm limits with rewards and punishments for violations. For example, you might say, “You can watch TV only after you finish your homework and it’s done well.” A word about corporal punishment. Nearly all experts agree that hitting your child is an absolute no-no. It’s likely to yield short-term compliance but long-term resentment and a desire to rebel when away from your watchful eye (and belt.) The biblical, “Spare the rod, spoil the child” flies in the face of nearly every authority as well as defying common sense. The takeaway Except in the extreme, parenting is less central to how your kids turn out than many people believe. We’re learning that ever more of who we are is under genetic control, and Judith Rich Harris’ research found that peers are more influential than parents. Plus, there’s the influence of school and neighbourhood. Yes, you matter, but good enough parenting is good enough. Aim to follow the three principles and even if you frequently err, you’ll likely have a child you can be proud of. (psychologytoday.com)

ere are some ways to make healthy snacking part of your everyday routine: Prepare healthy snacks in advance. Did you know that you can make your own granola or trail mix? When you make something yourself, you get to control the ingredients and put in what’s good for you! You also can keep plenty of fresh fruit and veggies at home to take on the go. Cut up melons or vegetables like celery and carrots in advance. Keep the servings in bags in the fridge, ready to grab and go. Keep healthy snacks with you. Make it a habit to stash some fruit, whole-grain crackers, or baby carrots in your backpack or workout bag so you always have some healthy food nearby. Make it interesting. Healthy snacking doesn’t have to be boring as long as you give yourself a variety of choices. Whole-wheat pretzels with spicy mustard, rice cakes with peanut butter and raisins, or low-fat fruit yogurt are healthy, tasty, and easy. Satisfy cravings with healthier approaches. If you’re crazy for chocolate, try a hot chocolate drink instead of a chocolate bar. An eight-ounce mug of hot chocolate has only 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. The average chocolate bar, on the other hand, has 230 calories and 13 grams of fat. Substitute non-fat frozen yogurt or sorbet for ice cream. If you’re craving savoury munchies, snack on baked tortilla chips instead of regular corn chips and pair them with salsa instead of sour cream. Or satisfy salt cravings with pretzels instead of chips. Read serving size information. What looks like a small package of cookies can contain 2 or more servings — which means double or even triple the amounts of fat, calories, and sugar shown on the label. Don’t slip up after dinner. Evenings can be a tempting time to indulge in sugary, fatty snacks. If you’re really feeling hungry, don’t ignore it. Instead, pick the right snacks to fill the hunger gap. Whole-wheat fig bars, rice cakes, or air-popped popcorn can do the trick, as can fruit paired with cheese or yogurt. Treats to try Here are a few healthy snacking ideas: Ants on a log: Spread peanut butter on celery sticks and top with raisins. Banana ice: Peel several very ripe bananas, break them into 1-inch pieces, and freeze the pieces in a sealed plastic bag. Just before serving, whirl the pieces in the blender with a small amount of water or juice. Serve right away. Add berries for a different flavour or top with fruit or nuts. Healthy ice pops: Freeze fresh, unsweetened 100% juice in ice pop moulds or ice cube trays. Happy trails mix: Combine 1 cup whole-grain toasted oat cereal with ¼ cup chopped walnuts and ¼ cup dried cranberries for a healthy trail mix. As with everything, moderation is the key to smart snacking. People who eat regular meals and healthy snacks are less likely to overeat and gain weight than people who skip meals or go for long periods without eating and then scarf down a large order of fries. It’s natural to feel hungrier at certain times — like between a long afternoon of classes and your swim meet. Knowing how much food your body needs to satisfy this hunger is critical. A handful of walnuts is great brain food before sitting down to do that Maths homework. But a whole bag won’t help you add anything — except pounds! (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bauxite Union urges arbitration to resolve RUSAL dispute …bashes Labour Dept for incompetency

he Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the coalition government’s lack of approach in handling the RUSAL dispute and has urged the Labour Department to go to arbitration. Russian-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) had reached a deadlock and the firm then moved to suspend its entire operation here and dismissed over 300 workers. The company is also rumoured to be permanently closing its operations here after a number of equipment was mobilised from the Aroraima site. On Friday, General Secretary of the Union, Lincoln Lewis explained that the well-being of these workers should be protected. “What is the hindrance to the resolution? We need to know…These are workers. These are citizens of Guyana. All they’re fighting for, all they’re asking for is for the

rule of law to be applied. Is that asking too much of a government?” Lewis said. He added, “In the grievance procedure, it says that when we negotiate the collective labour agreement, you will have bilateral – the company and the Union. When that fails, you go to conciliation. When conciliation fails, the conciliator has a responsibility to declare a deadlock, which paves the way for arbitration.” Zeroing on the situation in Aroraima, he reminded that there have been protests action by workers throughout the past days and even law enforcement officials were called to quell the situation. For this, the General Secretary said that the coalition administration should be held accountable. “This Government has an opportunity not to let blood on its hands by moving this matter to arbitration and I’m sure this is not the first time the Minister has referred to. Not the first time they’re hearing

GB&GWU General Secretary Lincoln Lewis

this… This Government is being held accountable today and must withstand scrutiny.” He went on to say that the company is on the verge of closing its operations, while the Social Protection Ministry is still in talks for the workers to be reinstated. “They are asking RUSAL in the first instance to reemploy these people. RUSAL carry away nearly all of the mining equipment. How daft

we are? If these people carry away the mining equipment, you believe any word from them that they will reemploy these people.” “The Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union has been asking for the parties – the BCGI management and the Union to move to conciliation to allow the process in governance procedure to work. This is a legal process and it must be allowed to work,” Lewis further added. He also assessed the capability of the Labour Department by saying, “They [the Labour Department] … are incompetent…A bunch of incompetent men who are working for the employer against the State”. On Monday, Government Minister Amna Ally joined Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle to engage officials of RUSAL. In recent times, the company had been facing some difficulties, which the meeting was called to iron out. However, during these dis-

Some of the equipment at the estuary of the Berbice River ready for shipping overseas

cussions, it was learnt that the company had already taken the decision to terminate some 326 workers and close its operations before entering talks with the Ministry. When the company had initially announced its decision to terminate 142 workers, it stated that it was experiencing difficulties after Government ended its duty-free arrangement for its fuel. Following the decision to lay-off employees, workers and residents blocked the sec-

tion of the Berbice River utilised by the Aroraima-based company. This further compounded the company’s problems. A letter from the company dated January 29, 2020, which was seen by Guyana Times , indicated that the company was forced to further reduce operations and to lay-off employees owing to adverse operating circumstances including shipment interruption because of the blockage of the Berbice River.

GTT, GPL top list of consumer complaints – PUC

he Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has received 715 complaints in 2019 from consumers who have expressed their wanton dissatisfaction with the services they received from various utility companies in Guyana. Topping the list of complaints were the Guyana Telephone Telegraph Company (GTT) and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL). Out of the 715 complaints received last year, only four came from the county of Essequibo. This is according to the PUC’s Complaints Division Manager, Destra Bourne. “For the year of 2019, we have received 363 complaints against GTT, 262 complaints against GPL, 86 complaints against GWI and four complaints against

Digicel,” Bourne explained. She posited that some of these complaints are still pending a resolution. “Each complaint, we deem it to be important, so we try to resolve those issues in the shortest time possible,” Bourne said. PUC Chair Dela Britton told the media that the Commission receives complaints on a daily basis. “Some of the complaints, general complaints, sweeps of complaints we deal with on a day-to-day basis would be tampering issues, application for services, billing, change of tenancy, disconnection of services, reconnection, technical issues, transfer of services and in some instances, we have a queries desk,” Britton outlined. As it pertains to timelines, Britton stated that

Public Utilities Commission Chair Dela Britton

when a complaint is received, it is forwarded with the required information to the utility companies, which have a certain time to respond. “We treat every complaint no matter how [small] it might seem to the consumer, we treat every complaint as though it

is the highest level because it impacts your quality of service as a consumer and it also impacts the sort of operations of the particular utility, so there is no degree of severity in an individual complaint, but they are all treated with the sort of priority and is given the same sort of scrutiny internally as to what might be perceived as a major complaint,” she underscored. For the past couple of

Complaints Manager Destra Bourne

months, citizens have vented their concerns on social media about the services they have been receiving from GTT. Some of these issues were relating to data, MMG, among others. PUC functions to regulate, investigate, set tariffs, and improve development and expansion plans for utility companies and their consumers. These companies include GT&T, Digicel, GPL, and GWI.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Albouystown teen wanted for murder

n 18-year-old lad is wanted by the Police for questioning in relation to the murder of Kyle Chase, who was stabbed to death on December 30, 2019, at Guyhoc Park, Georgetown. Wanted is Steven Archibald whose last known address is Lot 136 Victoria Street, Albouystown Georgetown. Chase, 23, of South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was at a female friend’s house playing cards with his cousin, Trevon Chase. According to the Police,

Steven Archibald

Kyle Chase

two males – one being the ex-boyfriend of the female – turned up at the house and

became enraged upon seeing the two cousins there. Police said that an ar-

gument ensued and a scuffle erupted among the men during which the suspect allegedly stabbed Chase several times with an object. Chase collapsed and was rushed to Davis Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Steven Archibald is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 2266978, 225-8196, 226-2870, 226-7065, 227-1149, 2267065, 911 or the nearest Police station.

2 arraigned for Corentyne rice farmer’s murder

wo men were on Friday remanded for the murder of a Corentyne rice farmer which occurred on January 30, 2020, at No 68 Village, Berbice. The two, 60-year-old Gobin Balram, a farmer, and 25-year-old Jerry Pirtam a labourer, both of Number 65 Village, Region 6 (East BerbiceCorentyne), were not required to plead to the indicated charge which stated that on January 30, they murdered 40-year-old Parmanand Lakeram. The men made their appearance before Chief Magistrates Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and were remanded until February 25, 2020. The matter was transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court. It was reported that Lakeram and two men were in his vehicle travelling into the backdam when they saw a light approaching. As such, the farmer stopped his vehicle and disembarked to make inquiries but instead, he

Dead: Parmanand Lakeram

Jerry Pirtam and Gobin Balram

was shot in the process. Police had stated that the now-dead man instructed his two friends to hide as he approached the oncoming motorbike. After the incident, the friends told Police that they heard Lakeram screaming to them, “run boy, run, Chunic just shoot me’.

At that point, the men left their hiding places and went in different directions but as they ran for their lives, they heard other gunshots. The two men quickly informed the family of what transpired and without hesitation, they went to the scene in the company of the dead man’s brother.

There, they saw Lakeram sitting in a pool of blood next to his vehicle. From all indications, the body bore about eight gunshot wounds to his hand, two to his head, and two to his abdomen. Both of the man’s friends had their hands tested for gunshot residue but none were found.

Shop owner slapped with murder charge

eyon David was on Friday charged for murder when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge and was remanded to prison. The matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court which will be called up on February 26, 2020, for full disclosure. David is accused of murdering 28-year-old Raymond Leitch, a miner

of Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice). Leitch was shot during an argument with David at Quartzstone Backdam, Region Seven (Cuyuni Mazaruni). Based on information received, on the day in question, the now dead man along with the suspect and two other men were gambling. During the game of cards, an argument erupted between Leitch and the suspect which quickly escalated into a scuffle. Persons at the scene

Murder accused: Ceyon David

reportedly intervened and both the suspect and the victim went back to their respective shops. However, a verbal confrontation continued between the two men. It was during the verbal spat that the suspect whipped out a gun and shot the deceased to his chest. Leitch succumbed to his injuries while being flown to Georgetown. Upon landing, he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Outed… F

…authoritarian compulsions olks are wondering what in the world “got” into Granger for him to blurt out in front of a large crowd on the campaign trail that he, Granger, has the power to strip any dual citizenship of their Guyanese citizenship!! The fact of the matter, nothing got INTO Granger; the outburst merely revealed the most defining characteristic of his personality – a megalomaniac authoritarian bent!! Burnham had inserted Art 46 into his 1980 Constitution as part of the constellation of powers that – on paper – made him the most powerful leader on planet earth!! Imagine if he had the wherewithal to exercise it worldwide!! Unfortunately, he didn’t and ended up taking it out on Guyanese – plunging the country to barely hover precariously over Haiti on the misery index!! So Art 46 does, in fact, give the President power to strip Guyanese citizenship from dual citizens. Somehow it escaped the constitutional changes on 1999-2000, which was supposed to reduce some of the more ostentatious Presidential powers. But back to why Granger opened his mouth and let “story” jump out! After WWII – precipitated by a slew of dictators: Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, etc – social scientists were able to distil the “authoritarian personality” into a set of defining characteristics. One of the major ones, paradoxically, was their worship of a “hero figure” on whom to pattern their lives, because basically, the authoritarian leader is completely insecure about himself. For Granger, the hero is Burnham – whose legacy, he’s vowed to “fulfil”. He even gave over his house to the “Burnham Foundation”, to keep Burnham’s half-baked ideas alive. Another characteristic is a simplistic black and white worldview, with blind allegiance to what is “right and wrong”. It’s this certitude in his “rightness” that made him tell the Chief Justice that her legal judgement on his appointment of Patterson to head GECOM was her “perception” and he was entitled to his!! What we heard at Diamond on dual citizenship exemplifies another characteristic: boosting their egos by boasting to crowds about their “powers” over them!! Have you ever heard North Korea’s Kim Jong Un?? He assures his crowds he can even destroy America!! Authoritarian personalities cannot accept that they can be wrong and others right – and this is what makes them reflexively opposed to a democratic order. Granger survived in the army, because his blind obedience to Burnham catapulted him upwards, in an authoritarian system where those he bypassed had to go along with Burnham’s orders. It was for this reason that Granger accepted that he could become leader of the PNC via rigged elections – and will be willing to go that route on March 2. The authoritarian personality is also obsessed with violence: beware the Ides of March!! …by Kamau Braithwaite The poet-philosopher of Afro-centricity in the British Caribbean, Kamau Braithwaite, just passed away. His career, in a sense, was a harbinger of our Walter Rodney’s. Scholarship boy, first degree and then onto Africa – Ghana in Braithwaite’s case – and then back to the Caribbean at UWI and eventually American Ivy league Universities. While Rodney was to utilise the more universal tool of Marxism to guide his praxis; Braithwaite invented his own – Nation’s Language. He recognised the genius of Rodney’s contribution and when the latter was assassinated, he wrote a long, impassioned poem in tribute, “A poem for Walter Rodney”. It’s as good as any of his works to appreciate what he meant by “Nation’s language”. “to be blown into fragments: your flesh like the islands that you loved like the seawall that you wished to heal bringing equal rights and justice to the brothers…” Braithwaite refers to Burnham’s goons murdering Fr Darke: “... the knife ran through the dark...” and to the ‘walkie talkie” that Burnham’s agent used to murder Rodney. But today, some contracted amnesia!! …goon squad Hitler had his “Black Shirts”; Mussolini, his “Brown Shirts” and today, we see Granger’s “Green Shirts”. They serve to intimidate those who don’t accept the leader’s WAY! Green-shirt RUSAL workers even defying Police clearing the Berbice River!! Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Residency for voting

Legislation intended only for 1992 elections – Nandlall A ttorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall has argued that the 1991 legislation which sought to reinstate residency as a requirement for registration to vote, into the Constitution of Guyana, was merely inserted to cater for existing circumstances leading up to elections the following year and was not intended to be kept. Nandlall was at the time making oral submissions in response to this contention introduced by Attorney

Attorney General Basil Williams

General Basil Williams last week. The Appellate Court was set to rule on the partial appeal filed by the AG to reverse an August 2019 High Court decision which blocked the removal of persons from the National Register of Registrants (NRR) Database – something that the Houseto-House Registration exercise sought to do by creating a new database. Chief Justice (acting) Roxane George had ruled, in the case brought by Christopher Ram, that it is

unconstitutional for qualified persons to be removed from the list if they are not in the jurisdiction or not at their residence during the registration exercise. However, AG Williams is contending that Section 2(f) of the Constitution (Amendment) (No 4) Act 1991 (Act No 36 of 1991), reinstituted the residency requirement. This piece of legislation was part of the constitutional reform process prior to the 1992 elections.

Attorney Anil Nandlall

The State argued in court on Thursday that while this legislation was omitted from the subsequent revised editions of the Constitution, it does not affect its validity especially since it was never removed from the laws. But Nandlall, who is representing Ram in the proceedings, pointed out that the legislators are not that incompetent to make such an omission in the Amendment documents of the Constitution. He explained that the 1991 statutory provision was specifically created in light of prevailing and peculiar circumstances at the time and would have “died a natural death when those circumstances came and went” following the 1992 elections. “…because of prevailing exigent circumstances at the time, a series of reforms took place, some of which needed legislative support and this piece of legislation, which is under review, is part and parcel of a menu of legislation enacted at the time. Many of them were specifically to deal with, and only to deal with, the peculiar circumstances which arose at that particular juncture and their efficacy and validity did not extend beyond that factual matrix that they were intended to address,” he told the court. According to Nandlall, who is a former Attorney General, the Act must be read with the entire Section 2 and not just 2 (f), since the latter cannot exist by itself. “Once read carefully… the legislation clause by clause tells a reasonably intelligent reader that it applies only with temporal effect… There is more comprehension here than law, there is no principle here… This thing was passed only for that period… So how can you read this to apply anywhere else,” he asserted. Nandlall went on to tell

the court that it should concern itself with what the law is and not what it should be, as it is being asked to do by the AG. He noted that the revised Constitution is a summary of the amendments since 1980 that is constantly updated and the 1991 legislation was never included. “So that was never intended to be kept and so it was omitted, and properly so… But there is no omission here, this was deliberately not intended [to be kept]…,” he stressed. The former AG further outlined that the residency requirement can be inserted into the legislation, but it is not there. However, he noted that if this is to be done then residency would have to be defined clearly to take into account situations where persons may be out of the jurisdiction, such as students studying overseas, during the registration period. Nandlall’s arguments were supported by lawyer for the Guyana Bar Association (GBA), Attorney Sanjeev Datadin, who pointed out that while the 1991 legislation was validly passed, that altered reading of the Constitution came to an end when that Parliament of 1991 ended. “…What is contained in Section 2 was meant to only be applied for so long as that Parliament existed. The words are very unique, Your Honour, it says in relation to ‘the Parliament that was dissolved’. It doesn’t say in relation to ‘Parliament’ without more… So it says in relation to this Parliament that was dissolved and recalled, read the Constitution as such. When that Parliament is out of existence, there is not lawfully authority to continue [to] read the Constitution as such,” Datadin asserted. The Appellate Court also heard submissions from Senior Counsel Stanley Marcus, representing the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, representing Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield during Thursday’s hearing. Justice CummingsEdwards at the end of the session informed the parties that the appellate panel, which also includes Justices Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud, will deliver their rulings on whether residency is a requirement for voting on Monday, February 10 at 15:00h.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Jagdeo calls out ERC for lack of code of conduct ahead of elections O

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has called out the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) over the delayed code of conduct, which should have been in place for the elections season to govern the manner in which political parties conduct their campaigns. Political parties normally sign onto the code of conduct – a pledge to ensure that the messages delivered to supporters are free of all forms of discrimination. During his press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo insisted that the framework is needed especially during the pre-electoral season when inflammatory statements might be made. The code of conduct, he noted, should have been signed by contesting parties before Elections Day rather than after the polls are completed. At that time, the Commission was called out for failing to ensure that this is done. “That is what the ERC seems to heading for, when the elections are over, then

to sign this code of conduct because no other party seems to be interested and we have no leadership from the ERC to take strong action against people. I’ve seen some of these small parties using caricature to stereotype political parties and people of different races and not a single word of condemnation although that is illegal.” Thus far, the Commission has sent out two drafts of the document. He noted that while his party has committed to the guidelines estab-

lished in the document, the same response is lacking from the others. “We must now have inflammatory rhetoric and we’re prepared to sign to that. The last time the ERC sent us a draft, we were the only party that responded, the only party. We gave them a ton of ideas. I’ve seen now another draft come from the ERC. We’ve responded already. But they will have that signed when the elections are over it seems,” Jagdeo said. GECOM has confirmed that 11 political parties were given the clearance to compete in the National and Regional Elections set for March 2, 2020. However, the conduct will ensure that all politicians are held accountable for their actions, before, during and after the hosting of the elections. Last month, Chairman of the ERC, Dr John Smith had disclosed that the code of conduct was sent to all parties contesting the elections. “The ERC, during interactions with various political

Examination was expected to be conducted on the remains on Friday; however, the Regional Commander related that this was postponed until Monday. The skeletal remains are highly suspected to be that of 65-year-old Aroaima, Hururu Mission resident Linton Ashley who went missing in December last. It was reported that the remains were recovered about 50 feet away from

Ashley’s logging camp at the UB concession situated at 101-kilometer UNAMCO trail in the Upper Berbice Region. A saw was reportedly discovered next to the remains along with a fallen greenheart tree. In addition, there were several pieces of clothing suspected to be that of the 65-year-old, which included a green and grey hat, a pair of black long boots, black pants and a blue shirt.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

DNA test conducted on skeletal remains found at Kwakwani

DNA test was conducted on the skeletal remains which were recovered at Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River last weekend but the results are still pending. This was according to Regional Commander of Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) Superintendent Hugh Winter who confirmed that the test was done locally. A Post-Mortem

parties, proposed the signing of a code of conduct relevant to the elections period. A draft was shared with the parties for suggested inputs. The Commission remains optimistic for a public signing in the near future. The Commission also anticipates a similar code of conduct from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). It is hopeful that upon signing, the content of both would be honoured,” the Chairman had said. At that time, the agency was empowered to recommend the banning of political parties from participating in elections if it is found guilty of breaching laws dealing with ethnicity. However, over the years, no action was ever taken against groups or individu-

als for breaching such laws. The code of conduct will address the conduct of politicians in all public forums, including political rallies. After several years of being defunct, a new ERC was established in 2018. The body’s mandate is to provide equality of opportunity between persons of different ethnic groups and to promote harmony and good

relations between such persons and provide the elimination of all forms of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity. It is also required to discourage and prohibit persons, institutions, political parties and associates from indulging in, advocating or promoting discriminatory practices on the ground of ethnicity.

er in his possession when he was not the holder of a firearm license. He was unrepresented. Police state that on the day in question, Police ranks received information and stopped motor car HC 1343 and the defendant was seen in the backseat. He was asked to exit the car and upon doing so, he pulled out a firearm from the waist of his pants and placed it under the front seat of the car.

Pellew attempted to escape but was apprehended Police and was placed in custody where he admitted in a caution statement that someone gave him the firearm to bury. The prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds of the prevalence of the offence and the penalty the charge attracts. Pellow will make his next court appearance on February 26, 2020, at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court.

Fisherman remanded for possession of illegal gun

wenty-one-yearold Roahane Dellon Pellow, a fisherman of New Amsterdam, Berbice, was on Friday arraigned on a gun-related charge when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Pellow denied the charge when it was read to him by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. The charge stated that on February 4, 2020, at Reliance Public Road, East Canje, he had a 38 revolv-

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 | GUY

ed roses are the traditional way to say “I love you,” and are, therefore, the most popular flower sent on Valentine’s Day. However, think beyond red this year. Valentine’s Day is when we celebrate love, of course, but in the people we love, there is often much more to celebrate. Luckily, for most

every feeling and sentiment, there is a colour of rose. What the flowers convey: Red: “I love you.” Nothing says “I love you” like red roses. Red symbolises love, beauty, courage, respect, romantic love, and even congratulations. White: “I am the one

for you.” While many send red roses on Valentine’s Day, surprise your Valentine this year with white roses that symbolise true love, purity, innocence, reverence, humility, youthfulness, and charm. Pink: “Thank you.” Perfect for a friend that you want to honour on Valentine’s Day, pink roses show appreciation, grace, perfect happiness, admiration, gratefulness, and gentleness. Yellow: “We’re friends and I care about you.” Another way to h o n our your

friendship, yellow sta for joy, gladness, fri ship, delight, new ginnings, welcome b and remembrance. Yellow with red “I’m falling in love you.” The beautiful su roses let that new son in your life k that you want more friendship – they s bolise falling in love Orange/coral: “I w you in my life.” Orange lets the ceiver know that you passionate about th The colour means de enthusiasm, and f nation. Red and white gether: “We

ARY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ndship, yellow stands oy, gladness, friend, delight, new beings, welcome back, remembrance. ellow with red tip: falling in love with ” he beautiful sunset s let that new perin your life know you want more than ndship – they syme falling in love. range/coral: “I want in my life.” range lets the reer know that you are ionate about them. colour means desire, usiasm, and fascion. ed and white together: “We

are a great match.” Send a mixed bouquet of red and white roses to your Valentine to signify unity. Peach: “Let’s make this a memorable Valentine’s Day.” If you are ready to say, “Let’s get together,” peach roses are the ones to choose as the rose colour symbolises intimacy.

What does Valentine’s Day mean?

Valentine’s Day is an annual holiday recognised around the world. It celebrates romantic love, making it a popu l a r

day for couples to spend together. Valentine’s Day is traditionally associated with red hearts, romance, flowers, candy or other sweet things, and the exchange of cards, called valentines, that express love.

14 NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Public building renamed UG launches Diploma in “Stephen Campbell Building” Valuation programme – in honour of country’s first Indigenous parliamentarian

Guyana’s First Indigenous Member of Parliament, the late Stephen Campbell

he building which houses the Department of Citizenship was on Thursday officially renamed the “Stephen Campbell Building” in recognition of the work and contributions made by the late Indigenous stalwart. According to President David Granger, Campbell was an ardent advocate for protecting Indigenous citizenship and it is therefore fitting that the building be dedicated to the late Indigenous Member of Parliament (MP). He explained that in Campbell’s lifetime, he wore many caps; a teacher, farmer, labourer and as a rubber-tapper, toiling in the bauxite, gold-mining and logging industries but that he is best remembered for his sterling agitation for the protection of

Indigenous peoples’ rights. “…rights which he felt were derived from their citizenship of this country. The British Guiana Independence Conference, 1965, acknowledged Indigenous peoples’ rights to the legal ownership and occupancy over areas and reservations where Indigenous peoples normally reside. This decision was greatly influenced by Stephen Campbell’s tireless and persistent agitation. He pointed out that the Guyana Constitution 1966 enshrined the protections for which Campbell had petitioned. “Stephen Campbell’s vision of citizenship embodied the concept of national integration. This, he felt, could be achieved only if each person is respected, regardless of his or her class, ethnicity or place of residence and where everyone enjoyed opportunities for economic, political and social advancement. ‘Guyaneseness’ – the quality of being Guyanese – is to belong to a country which celebrates its cultural diversity by respecting each other.” The caretaker President pointed out that Campbell was a pioneer of Indigenous peoples’ rights, specifically land rights, and that he laid the foundation for the range

Students and invitees at the launching of the programme

Relatives of the late Stephen Campbell along with caretaker President, David Granger, at the unveiling of the building named in honour of the late Indigenous leader

of Indigenous peoples’ rights which are currently enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana. “Stephen Campbell’s labours were not in vain. The Preamble to the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana iterates that the Guyanese people value the special place in our nation of the Indigenous peoples and recognise their right as citizens to land and security and to their promulgation of policies for their communities. The Constitution [at Article 149G] mandates that: Indigenous peoples shall have the right to protection, preservation and promulgation of their languages, cultural heritage and way of life.” He added that the Stephen Campbell House will stand as a testimonial of the nation’s commitment to protecting the

right of every citizen regardless of race, religion or region of residence in accordance with the Constitution. Stephen Joseph Campbell was born in Moruca, a sub-district of Region One (BarimaWaini), which is the northernmost part of Guyana, on December 26, 1897. He was elected onto the Legislative Council of British Guiana on September 10, 1957. Campbell pushed for Indigenous land rights to be guaranteed in the Independence Constitution and also spearheaded a historic change in bringing to the fore the vital and rightful place of the Indigenous peoples in the mainstream of life in Guyana and its future development. His achievements are celebrated annually in September – Indigenous Heritage month – when the Indigenous traditions and culture are showcased.

he University of Guyana on Thursday launched a Diploma in Valuation programme in partnership with the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission. Being the second university in the Caribbean to offer this diploma, the university announced that the course will run for 18 months and will facilitate a total of 30 students. Persons enrolled are representatives from the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Guyana Lands and Survey Commission, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Lands Registry and Deed Registry. Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams in her remarks stated that land is a contributive factor to human activity. She pointed out that lands in Guyana will become expensive since the country is now producing oil. She also posited that Guyana’s land administration and management system needs improvement. “Valuation is a critical pillar in effective land ad-

ministration. It is the basis of negotiation between buyers and sellers for land rent, land taxation, compensation, mortgages, secured borrowing, future investment, land use planning and identifying the value of an organisation’s assets,” she stated. In contrast, the Minister said the programme will benefit professionals by equipping them with the essential tools to play key roles in Guyana’s development. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission Trevor Benn added: “the programme is crucial to allowing the country to earn its full and right share of revenues from properties in the country. We have to be able to oversee our nation’s patrimony in a way that brings good value to the people of Guyana”. UG’s Registrar, Dr Nigel Gravesande, posited that the institution came up with this programme which will meet industry needs but will also satisfy the prescribed academic best practices and standards.

NEWS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BDO Chartered Accountants GuySuCo offers GAWU pay raise 1 month before elections opens office in Guyana – GAWU to reconsider

ith less than one month before the March 2 General and Regional Elections, the incumbent Administration has surprisingly offered an increase in wages to workers on the sugar belt – something which they have been calling for over the years. This offer was made during a meeting on Friday between the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and representatives from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU). It comes just days after workers staged a picketing exercise outside the Ministry of the Presidency on Tuesday, calling for pay hikes. In a statement on Friday, GAWU said the day after picketing, an invitation was extended for the Union to meet with GuySuCo officials and during the engagement, the proposal was made. “…the sugar corporation informed that it approved certain pay increases to the sugar workers.” However, no information was given about the offer made and according to the Union, it has not accepted it as yet. “While our Union, at this time, will refrain from disclosing the details as the GAWU and the workers are actively considering the company’s offer, at the same time, it demonstrates that it is only through struggle that the workers and the oppressed will be able to surmount their obstacles and score even meagre gains from the Administration,” the Union noted in the missive. The Union’s delegation for that meeting comprised of officials and representatives from the various estates. GAWU went on to outline its suspicious of the proposal for pay hike at a time when the country is

gearing up to vote in about three weeks’ time. This comes on the heels of sugar workers being snubbed by the Government when it announced salary increases for the public sector in November last year. “It did not escape our attention that the offer comes less than a month away from when the workers and their families are expected to exercise their franchise and when there are active attempts to woo their support after years of assault after assault perpetuated against them. While this does appear suspect, it nevertheless demonstrates too the principled-ness of the workers’ actions to be treated fairly and equitably and to live lives where they can afford the basic necessities of existence,” the Union contended. On Tuesday sugar workers from Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion Estates gathered in front of the Ministry of the Presidency to continue their pleas for wage increases, which they are yet to benefit from since 2015 when the APNU/AFC coalition took office. “It has been a continuous struggle that has been waged since 2015 and one that saw workers, on many occasions, taking part in protest and picketing exercises outside of the sugar estates, the GuySuCo head office, the President’s office and the National Assembly along with those struggles workers as well as staged vigil activities to call attention to their plight and thousands of them also subscribed to a petition calling on President Granger to intervene positively in the matter,” GAWU noted. According to the Union, the workers were staunch in their demand for a deserving pay increase as they maintained that they were discriminated against. During the campaign

trail leading up to the 2015 Elections, the APNU/AFC coalition promised sugar workers 20 per cent wage hikes together with a “good life”. But after securing the votes from the sugar belt to get into office, the coalition instead downsized the industry to just three sugar estates, shutting down the Wales, East Demerara (Enmore), Rose Hall and Skeldon factories which resulted in some 7000 sugar workers being placed on the breadline.

Representatives of BDO along with BDO Guyana partners

PUC lacks technical support staff

ith the alarming number of complaints by consumers on a daily basis, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Friday revealed that it is lacking the technical support staff to properly investigate these complaints. This is according to Chairperson of PUC, Dela Britton, who was addressing the media. “We admit that we are lacking in that sort of technical support, but what we have done as it relates to Linden and our application for complaints officers for Linden and Essequibo, we have increased the requirements to a first degree”. More so, she outlined that the Commission is hoping to fill these positions as it expands its operations. “The PUC of the further is hoping that we can deploy persons across this country’s 8 thousand square miles so that we can have officers, really and truly investigatory officers”. To this end, they are looking to embark on an internship programme for students from technical and vo-

Public Utilities Commission Chair Dela Britton

cational schools in order to increase its capacity. “We really and truly are hoping to get that moving by the end of next month in terms of finishing the negotiations for the school and then we can start to really recruit interns for the different areas and the sectors”. Despite receiving fewer complaints from Essequibo, the PUC will be opening its fourth office on Monday at Henrietta Road, Essequibo Coast. The PUC has offices in New Amsterdam, Berbice and Linden.

DO Chartered Accountants, one of the world’s leading accounting and advisory firms, has officially opened an office in Guyana. The office will be located at Quamina Street, Georgetown. During the official launching ceremony at the Marriott Hotel last night, CEO of the international firm, Albert Lopez, explained that the company decided to invest in Guyana in light of its growing economy. ‘’How did we get to Guyana? Conversations we’ve been having for a few years, relationships through Suriname, relationships through Trinidad, working with some clients mutually throughout the years. Then we started seeing the importance of Guyana in the sight of the world, and more importantly, we started seeing large economies setting their eyes on Guyana and making investments. Some of our larger clients from larger economies started reaching out and asking do you have an office in Guyana, we can

say yes, we have an office in Guyana”, he said. The firm offers audit and assurance services, tax compliance and advisory services, business services outsourcing such as payroll and accounting, and a wide range of other professional services. Rakesh Latchana, a Guyana partner at BDO, said that Guyana has had long affiliations with the US company. He noted that the company aims to put its clients first. “At BDO, we build strong relationships with our clients and invest time in getting to know what matters to them. Our integrated global network already enjoys a reputation for delivering an outstanding service that is consistently bettered in that of our competitors, and BDO’s ambition is to become the market leader from exceptional client service,” he posited. BDO is operating in over 160 countries around the world and has 21 offices in the Caribbean.

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Regional

Drug lord Escobar's hitman Jhon Russia Foreign Minister slams US sanctions during visit to Venezuela Velásquez dies in Colombia

Velasquez claimed to have killed 300 people for drug lord Escobar

notorious murderer who worked for Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar has died of stomach cancer, Colombian officials say. Jhon Jairo Velásquez, who boasted of killing 300 people for Escobar, was 57. Known as "Popeye", he was released from prison in 2014 after more than 20 years and launched a YouTube channel, attracting more than a million followers. But he was jailed again in 2018 on charges of extortion.

Velásquez died at the National Cancer Institute in the capital Bogotá, where he had been receiving treatment for stomach cancer since December. He was a close associate of Escobar, who ran a drug trafficking empire from the Colombian city of Medellín that sent thousands of tonnes of cocaine to the US. Velásquez gave himself up to the authorities in 1992 and spent 23 years in prison, reportedly gaining a reputation for the stories he told about

his life of crime. After his release, he started a YouTube channel called Repentant. He was re-arrested for extortion and was taken into custody at a party hosted by Colombia's top drugs trafficking investigator. Escobar's drug empire made him one of the world's richest men during the 1980s and 1990s. He was killed by Colombian police in 1993 as he attempted to avoid extradition to the US. (Excerpt from BBC News)

ussia’s Foreign Minister on Friday slammed US sanctions against Venezuela during a visit to Caracas, providing a public show of support for President Nicolas Maduro as Washington mulls ramping up pressure on the South American nation. Sergei Lavrov arrived in Caracas on Thursday, only hours after the US State Department suggested its Venezuela sanctions programme could begin targeting Russia, whose oil companies have helped Maduro by buying much of the OPEC nation’s crude. Assistance from Russia could be decisive for Maduro to boost oil production and restore economic growth after a surprise opening of the economy last year that followed years of hyperinflation and the exodus of 5 million people. “We have agreed to deepen our economic, commercial and investment cooperation in several areas despite the illegitimate sanctions,” Lavrov said alongside Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela

following an afternoon meeting with Maduro. “The most promising sectors are energy, natural resources and industry,” Lavrov said in comments broadcast on state television, without providing details. US President Donald Trump met at the White House this week with opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognised by more than 50 countries

as Venezuela’s legitimate president. “We consider sanctions to be unacceptable,” Lavrov said during an earlier televised meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart, Jorge Arreaza, and other Venezuelan officials. “It is outrageous that unilateral actions by the United States affect social and humanitarian projects.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Salvador. Guatemala started receiving asylum seekers in November, and Honduras and El Salvador are expected to follow. "We are not going to admit anyone seeking asylum until we as a country have the conditions and technical, financial and human capacity to be able to give these people who are seeking asylum and sent to another country the best treatment," Hill Tinoco said. The so-called asylum cooperation agreements are among the controversial measures the US govern-

ment has taken to close the door to asylum seekers arriving at its border with Mexico. Hill Tinoco said her government is at the point of determining the technical team that will meet with their US counterparts to develop a plan of how it could work. The administration of US President Donald Trump did not immediately comment on Hill Tinoco's statement, but during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump touted the agreements with Central American countries, calling them "historic". (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Brazil's Bolsonaro signs into law bill on quarantine rules for coronavirus El Salvador says it is not ready B to receive asylum seekers razilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signed into law quarantine rules for Brazilians who will be brought back from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of a coronavirus outbreak, the Official Gazette said on Friday. Two Brazilian Air Force (FAB) planes are due to ar-

rive in Brazil on Saturday with the evacuees - who are initially expected to number around 30, although this could change. They and the military personnel involved in the operation will be quarantined at the Anápolis airbase in Goiás for 18 days. Parliament approved the quarantine rules this week after the government decid-

ed to repatriate Brazilians following a change of position by Bolsonaro, who was initially opposed to the repatriation. According to Health Ministry data provided on Thursday, Brazil has 8 suspected cases of the illness, but no confirmed cases. (Reuters)

l Salvador is not ready to receive asylum seekers from the United States and will not accept them until it can offer them the necessary protection and support, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Hill Tinoco said on Wednesday. El Salvador is one of three Central American governments that signed bilateral agreements with the US government last year that would allow the US to send asylum seekers from its southwest border to instead apply for asylum in Guatemala, Honduras or El

Mexican President to hold raffle over predecessor's plane

he Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has confirmed that he will have a raffle to cover the cost of his predecessor's luxury plane and raise funds for state-run hospitals. The specially-outfitted Boeing 787 Dreamliner was purchased in 2012, at the start of the presidency of his predecessor Enrique Peña Nieto. López Obrador has described the plane as a symbol of government excess. He frequently uses com-

mercial flights to travel across Mexico. An initial plan to raffle off the plane itself faced widespread mockery as people questioned what ordinary Mexicans could do with such an aircraft. The luxurious jet has been reconfigured to fly only 80 people, has a large "presidential suite" and a private bath. López Obrador has now decided to give 100 winning ticket holders $1 million. The government hopes to raise about $160 million from 6m ticket sales.

The remaining money will be used to buy medical equipment for public hospitals and ensure the plane is kept in-flight condition while the president tries to sell or rent it. Raffle tickets will cost about 500 pesos ($26) and the winners will be announced on 15 September, the day before Mexican Independence Day. The President had previously pledged to use profits from the sale of the plane to fund efforts to curb illegal migration. (Excerpt from BBC News)

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OILNEWS Oil falls as Russia needs time on more OPEC+ cuts

il prices slipped on Friday as Russia said it would need more time before committing to output cuts along with OPEC and other producers amid falling demand for crude as China battles the coronavirus epidemic. Brent crude LCOc1 futures fell 49 cents, or 0.9 per cent, to US$54.44 a barrel by 1305 GMT, and were heading for a fifth weekly loss due to persistent concerns over the impact of the virus. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures were down 53 cents, or 1 per cent, at US$50.42 a barrel, also heading for a fifth consecutive week of losses. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow supported cooperation with other producers, in remarks which appeared to boost prices in early trading. However, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday Russia needed a few days to analyse the oil market and would clarify its position on deeper cuts next week. Novak predicted global oil demand may fall by 150,000200,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2020 amid the virus - a relatively conservative forecast. A panel advising the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, known as the OPEC+ group, suggested provisionally cutting output by 600,000 barrels per day (bpd), three sources told Reuters on Thursday. The OPEC+ group, which pumps more than 40 per cent of the world’s oil, has been withholding supply and agreed to deepen the cuts by 500,000 bpd from the start of this year, to 1.7 million bpd, nearly 2 per cent of global demand. “The oil market may be willing to show some patience until the Kremlin decides the next course of action - how patient remains to be seen,” BNP Paribas analyst Harry Tchilinguirian told the Reuters Global Oil Forum. Prices came off earlier highs after China’s central bank governor said the world’s second-biggest economy may experience disruptions in the first quarter. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Canada readies aid for Alberta as deadline for massive oil sands project nears – sources

anada is preparing an aid package for Alberta, heart of the country’s struggling oil industry, that would help dull the pain if it blocks an oil sands project that could create thousands of jobs, sources familiar with the matter said this week. Ottawa must decide by end-February if Teck Resources Ltd can build the C$20.6 billion (US$15.7 billion) Frontier mine in northern Alberta despite climate and wildlife concerns. The decision is a major test of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2019 election pledge to put Canada on the path to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Complicating the decision, unhappiness with the Government’s energy and pipeline policy cost Trudeau’s Liberals all their Alberta seats in October 2019 elections. In Alberta, the project is considered essential for employment and growth. Teck said it would eventually create 7000 jobs, although the company’s chief executive recently questioned whether it will ever be built. About 20 oil sands projects currently sit dormant despite receiving approval. Options being considered in the aid package, to be featured in the upcoming budget, include a cash injection to help clean up thousands of inactive oil and gas wells abandoned by bankrupt companies, five sources with knowledge of the situation said. Also under discussion is expanding the federal fiscal stabilisation programme that helps provinces deal with economic downturns, a measure Alberta’s Premier Jason Kenney has demanded. Local infrastructure projects could also be in the mix, the source said. All five sources said while Trudeau was particularly concerned about national unity, given strains with Alberta, he has not made his position known. (Excerpt from Reuters)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Around the World

Li Wenliang: Coronavirus death of Wuhan doctor sparks anger

he death of a Chinese doctor who tried to warn about the coronavirus outbreak has sparked an unprecedented level of public anger and grief in China. Li Wenliang died after contracting the virus while treating patients in Wuhan. Last December he sent a message to fellow medics warning of a virus he thought looked like Sars another deadly coronavirus. But he was told by Police to “stop making false comments” and was investigated for “spreading rumours”. News of his death was met with an intense outpouring of grief on Chinese social media site Weibo - but this quickly turned into anger. There had already been

Li Wenliang contracted the virus while working at Wuhan Central Hospital

accusations against the Government of downplaying the severity of the virus - and initially trying to keep it secret.

Dr Li’s death fuelled this further and triggered a conversation about the lack of freedom of speech in China. The country’s anti-cor-

ruption body said it will open an investigation into “issues involving Dr Li”. The Chinese Government has previously admitted “shortcomings and deficiencies” in its response to the virus, which has now killed 636 people and infected 31,198 in mainland China. Dr Li, an ophthalmologist, posted his story on Weibo from a hospital bed a month after sending out his initial warning. He had noticed seven cases of a virus that he thought looked like Sars - the virus that led to a global epidemic in 2003. On December 30 he sent a message to fellow doctors in a chat group warning them to wear protective clothing to avoid infection. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Botswana to hold elephant hunting auctions

otswana is to hold its first auctions for the right to hunt elephants since lifting a ban last year. The country has some 130,000 elephants, the world’s largest population. Authorities will issue seven hunting “packages” of 10 elephants each, confined to “controlled hunting areas”, a spokeswoman said. The Government revoked a 2014 ban in May, saying human-elephant conflict and the negative impact on livelihoods was increasing. The lifting of the ban has been popular with many in local communities but criticised by conservationists. Seven packages of 10 elephants each are on offer and the auction will take place in the capital Gaborone on Friday afternoon, the BBC’s

A pair of male elephants is seen in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, April 25, 2018. Picture taken April 25, 2018

Southern Africa correspondent Nomsa Maseko reports. The bidders - who must be companies registered in Botswana - are expected to put down a refundable deposit of 200,000 pula

(US$18,000; £14,000). The Government has issued a quota for the killing of 272 elephants in 2020. The hunting would help areas most impacted by “human-wildlife conflict”, wild-

life spokeswoman Alice Mmolawa told the AFP news agency. Many rural communities believe a return to commercial hunting will help keep the elephant population away from their villages, and also bring in much-needed income in places not suitable for high-end tourism. But critics fear it could also drive away luxury-safari goers opposed to hunting. Audrey Delsink, Africa’s wildlife director for the global conservation lobby charity Humane Society International, called the auctions “deeply concerning and questionable”. President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s predecessor Ian Khama introduced the ban in 2014 to reverse a decline in the population of wild animals. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Global defence firms line up as India goes shopping to update ageing fleet

S and European defence firms backed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s military modernisation drive at a defence exhibition on Friday, despite a lengthy procurement process running into years and limited funds. Airbus SE and USbased Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co are eying multi-billion dollar deals under Modi’s aim to upgrade an ageing fleet of aircraft and enhance local arms manufacturing to cut imports. The military is also looking to buy submarines, warships and battlefield communication systems. But these have made little headway. Airbus is offering to set up an assembly line in India in partnership with

the Tata Group to produce the C295W military transport aircraft as a replacement for Indian Air Force’s Avro fleet. The 120 billion rupee Avro replacement programme has been in the pipeline for almost a decade. Airbus on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India’s Adani Aerospace and Defence, part of the diversified Adani Group, for aircraft services in India and South Asia. Boeing, which has pitched its F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet fighter for the India air force and navy and is competing with Lockheed Martin’s F-21, said it plans to push India’s armed forces’ drive for modernisation through a suite of five products -

A visitor uses his mobile phone to take photographs of rifles on display DefExpo 2020 in Lucknow, India, February 6, 2020

the Super Hornet, KC-46 tanker, P-8I aircraft, AH64E Apache and CH-47(I) Chinook helicopters. Lockheed Martin, as part of its fighter jet F-21 proposal for the Indian Air Force, signed an MoU

with Bharat Electronics Ltd on Friday to explore industrial opportunities around the F-21 fleet, which is essentially building up a spare and supply ecosystem. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Invest more time and money in yourself and the lifestyle you want to pursue. Working alongside a loved one will help you achieve your long-term goals. An optimistic attitude will help you get your way. If you offer kindness and affection to those you love, what you receive in return will be heartwarming. A contribution will be enlightening. Work quietly behind the scenes and stay out of trouble. Getting involved in a spat will not serve you, your relationships with others or your reputation well. Be grateful for what you have. Group or organizational activities will be rewarding. Your willingness to help others will boost your confidence and reputation. Romance will develop through the company you keep. High energy channeled shrewdly will lead to accomplishment. Make personal changes to the way you live. Focus on your health and easing stress. A positive change will give you a new lease on life. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe everything you hear. Look at possibilities and make adjustments to suit your needs. You will do well if you concentrate on organization, detail and precision. A move, change of environment or meeting with people who share your beliefs will encourage you to try something new. Join a group that can provide you with mental stimulation. Romance should be a priority, along with adventure, discussing intentions and making plans. Your communication skills will be enhanced, aiding your ability to be persuasive, charming and successful.

Live up to your responSAGITTARIUS sibilities. Physical fitness (Nov. 23will be rewarding, and pamDec. 21) pering will ease your stress. Book some time at your local spa, or indulge in something that relaxes you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Host an event. Entertaining will put you in an excellent position to enlist the help and support of others. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to include a loved one. Romance should be a priority. You can make positive changes at home if you do the work yourself. Updating your domestic gadgets will make your chores more manageable, leaving you more free time to enjoy family and friends. Romantic encounters will surface while traveling, learning or volunteering your time and services. Be selective and careful not to mislead someone. Honesty will be in your best interest.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

NBA round-up: Bucks, Giannis

avenge earlier loss to 76ers Trey Lyles had a season-high 23 points and collected 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who have lost six of their past eight games. DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and eight rebounds.

New Orleans Pelicans 125Chicago Bulls 119

Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13), Russell Westbrook (0) and Robert Covington celebrate their victory over the Los Angeles Lakers (USA TODAY Sports)

i a n n i s Antetokounmpo collected 36 points, 20 rebounds and six assists as the host Milwaukee Bucks avenged a Christmas Day loss to the Philadelphia 76ers with a 112-101 victory on Thursday. The reigning NBA MVP has recorded five consecutive games of at least 30 points, 16 rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, who improved to 17-2 since dropping a 121-109 decision to Philadelphia. It marked Antetokounmpo’s first career game with at least 35 points and 20 rebounds. Antetokounmpo struggled mightily in the previous matchup against the 76ers, shooting a season-worst 29.6 percent from the field (8 of 27) and misfiring on all seven 3-point attempts during his 18-point performance. Before Thursday’s contest, Antetokounmpo selected Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid as his first pick — second overall — in the NBA All-Star draft. Embiid had difficulty finding his range later Thursday, making just 6 of 26 shots from the floor. He finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Houston Rockets 121Los Angeles Lakers 111

Russell Westbrook scored 41 points and Robert Covington added 14 as

Houston’s small-ball lineup proved effective again in a road victory over Los Angeles. Covington made a pair of big 3-pointers in the last three minutes while making his Rockets debut after he was acquired in a four-team trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. James Harden scored just 14 points for the game on 3 of 10 shooting as the Rockets went on a 16-3 run down the stretch to put the game away and win their fourth straight. Anthony Davis scored 32 points with 13 rebounds for the Lakers while playing through a right index finger injury, while LeBron James added 18 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds.

Portland Trail Blazers 125San Antonio Spurs 117

Damian Lillard registered 26 points and 10 assists to help host Portland stage a come-from-behind victory over San Antonio. Carmelo Anthony had 20 points and eight rebounds, and CJ McCollum added 19 points as the Trail Blazers won for the sixth time in eight games. Gary Trent Jr. matched his career best of six 3-pointers for all 18 of his points, and Hassan Whiteside matched his season best of 23 rebounds to go with 17 points and four blocked shots.

Rookie Zion Williamson scored 21 points, and JJ Redick came off the bench to add 18 as visiting New Orleans defeated Chicago. All-Star forward Brandon Ingram scored 15 points in 21 minutes before going to the New Orleans bench for good midway through the third quarter as a precaution after spraining his right ankle in the second quarter.

It was Williamson’s fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points. The Pelicans recorded 38 assists on 49 baskets as they completed a sweep of the season series with their sixth consecutive victory against the Bulls.

New York Knicks 105Orlando Magic 103

Julius Randle scored 22 points, including a clutch 14-foot jumper with 1:44 remaining, as host New York knocked off Orlando at Madison Square Garden in its first home game since firing team president Steve Mills on Tuesday. Randle shot an efficient 10-for-16 from the floor, and his jumper gave the Knicks a 105-98 lead as the Knicks

secured their third straight win, outscoring Orlando 25-13 over the final nine-plus minutes. Taj Gibson tied a season high with 19 points for New York, with Elfrid Payton finishing with 15 points, nine assists and a career-high seven steals. Nikola Vucevic led all scorers with 25 points as the Magic lost for the seventh time in eight games. (Reuters)

NBA notebook: Wolves-Warriors swap tops busy trade day

he Minnesota Timberwolves will acquire guard D’Angelo Russell from the Golden State Warriors in a blockbuster trade that includes forward Andrew Wiggins, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday. Per the report, the Warriors will also receive a 2021 protected first-round draft pick and a 2021 secondround selection. Forward Omari Spellman and guard Jacob Evans will also head to Minnesota as part of the deal, per the report. Russell had flourished in his first season in Golden State since being traded by Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant deal in July. The 23-year-old is averaging a career-high 23.6 points per game to go along with 6.2 assists. Wiggins is averaging 22.4 points along with career-best totals in rebounds (5.2), assists (3.7) and blocks (0.9) in 42 games this season. Clippers and Wizards The Los Angeles Clippers landed a pair of guards to help boost their title chances, getting Marcus Morris Sr. from the New York Knicks, as well as Isaiah Thomas from

the Washington Wizards in a three-team deal. The Clippers will send guard Jerome Robinson to the Wizards, while also sending forward Mo Harkless and a first-round draft pick to the Knicks. Both teams confirmed the move Thursday night. Morris, 30, has averaged a career-best 19.6 points in his ninth NBA season and first with the Knicks. Thomas, who turns 31 on Friday, has posted 12.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 40 games (37 starts) with the Wizards this season. Cavaliers and Pistons The Cleveland Cavaliers were in the final stages of acquiring top NBA rebounder Andre Drummond from the Detroit Pistons for Brandon Knight, John Henson and a second-round draft pick, ESPN reported. Drummond, 26, is a twotime All-Star who leads the NBA with 15.8 rebounds per game. He also led the league in rebounding each of the past two seasons, as well as in 2015-16. The Connecticut product has played in 591 games (540 starts), all with the Pistons, since he was selected in the

first round of the 2012 NBA Draft. Wizards, Nuggets and Hawks The Wizards acquired Shabazz Napier from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Jordan McRae, ESPN reported. Napier, who was involved in Tuesday’s four-team deal that sent Clint Capela from Houston to Atlanta, has scored 9.6 points this season with the Timberwolves. McRae has 12.8 points for the Wizards this season. The Atlanta Hawks made multiple moves just b e fo r e t h e t r a d e deadline, acquiring guard Derrick Walton from the Clippers and forward Skal Labissiere from the Portland Trail Blazers. The Clippers received $1.3 million cash and a second-round pick for Walton, according to Yahoo Sports. The Blazers received cash for Labissiere, according to ESPN. In addition, the Hawks requested waivers on Nene, whom they acquired in Tuesday’s four-team trade. The Philadelphia 76ers acquired forward Glenn

Robinson III and guard Alec Burks from the Warriors in a move to solidify their bench. The Sixers will send secondround picks in 2020, ‘21 and ‘22 to Golden State in the deal. To make roster room, the 76ers also traded reserve forward James Ennis to the Orlando Magic for a 2020 second-round pick, and they also waived backup guard Trey Burke. (Reuters)

GSW Coach Steve Kerr

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Milo gears up for its 8th under-18 tournament

or the eighth year running, secondary schools’ under-18 teams will have opportunity to declare themselves the best in town by winning the Milo Football Competition, which was officially launched on Friday (yesterday). Organised every year by the Petra organisation, this tournament gives more than 20 school teams from Georgetown and other areas opportunity to compete against their peers in a test of skill and wit. Over the years, the competition has seen “bragging rights” being attached to the winners and consistent top teams. Opening the simple ceremony that launched this competition, Petra organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca declared that once football is being played on the field, everything comes into play. He said

that events over the past seven years have demonstrated that this tournament has been receiving great support throughout the years; and he urged the players, coaches and teams to continue to put their best foot forward in order to assist in development of football. He said there is desire for the sport to continue being played in a better manner, because lads from all walks of life have passed through this tournament and are today excelling in football. While assessing the positives of the tournament, Mendonca emphasised the importance of Beepats’ contribution to revitalizing football at the school level. Also speaking at launching of the tournament was the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) Youth Development Officer Bryan

Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Linden Championship…

New champion to be decided tonight

Nestle Brand Manager Shellona David

Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca

Joseph, who said he is happy the Petra organisation is able to contribute to the development of football in Guyana. He noted that the GFF is currently preparing to ship off its U20 Men’s Team to the U20 CONCACAF Championships, and disclosed that some of those players would be participating in the U18 Milo tournament. Nestle Brand Manager Shellona David said this event is highly anticipated, and her company is proud of the period the tournament has been played under the Nestle brand. She also urged players and teams to bring their ‘A’ game to the competition, since there would be lucrative prizes up for grabs. The competition has attracted 24 teams, and will commence on February 15 and be run over a 10-week period at the Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue. Teams will be divided into six groups of four and play a series of round-robin matches before the top two teams from each group and the best four third-place teams advance to

the quarter-finals. After that, the youths will battle through the knockout stages to make it to the top. The teams expected to participate in this competition are: The Bishops’ High, Canje Secondary, Cummings Lodge Secondary, Carmel Secondary, Golden Grove Secondary, St Mary’s Secondary, East Ruimveldt Secondary, Lodge Secondary, Charlestown Secondary, Vergenoegen Secondary, Kingston Secondary, President’s College, Queen’s College, Ann’s Grove Secondary, North Ruimveldt Secondary, St Cuthbert’s Mission, South Ruimveldt Secondary, St John’s College, Tutorial High, Annandale Secondary, Friendship Secondary, Uitvlugt Secondary, Marian Academy and Christianburg-Wismar Secondary. The school finishing in first place would receive $400,000, while second place will pocket $200,000. Third and fourth place finishers would receive $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

Pre-season basketball matches…

UG Trojans defeat Eagles 88-80 Flashback: Part of the semi-final action between Silver Bullets and Quiet Storm in the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Linden Championship, held at the Christianburg Hard-court

new champion will be crowned this evening in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Linden Championship after Swag Entertainment and Quiet Storm have completed their battle in the tournament’s ultimate matchup at the Christianburg Hard-court. Tournament heavyweights Swag Entertainment have lived up to their potential by securing their second appearance in the finale; and with impressive numbers on their side, having tallied a tournament-leading eight goals in three matches, they will start the match as firm favourites, especially since they have conceded just two goals in the earlier quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the tournament. The Swag Entertainment quartet of Clive Nobrega, Deon Charter, Kwesi Quintin and Kendolph Lewis have been responsible for this team’s extraordinary prowess, having provided wins against Amelia’s Ward Russians, Presidential and Barsenal. On the other hand, relative newcomers and first-time finalists Quiet Storm have exceeded all expectations in their quest to uplift the coveted title. Their place in the championship round was acquired following wins over Silver Bullets and Retrieve Unknown, having earned a bye in quarterfinal action. According to the numbers, Quiet Storm possess the best defense of all teams that participated in the tournament, as they are yet to concede a goal during regulation

play. They have, however, struggled in offense, having returned scoreless outcomes in their campaign. Both of their aforementioned wins occurred from the penalty mark. According to a pre-match statement from tournament coordinator Rawle Gittens, “All systems are in place for an exciting night of action, which will bring the curtains down on the Linden zone. At the end of the night, we will crown a first-time champion, an event which has occurred rather frequently, and which indicates the competitive nature of the competition. The final is expected to be highly competitive, putting two teams with different styles against each other. Once again, we would like to thank the fans and the players for their continued support and commitment to the brand.” The third-place playoff between Silver Bullets and Amelia’s Ward Russians will take place prior to the finale. The final of the Guinness Plate Championship will also be staged then. Winners of this finale will pocket $400,000 and the championship trophy, while the second-place side will pocket $150,000 and the respective accolade. Similarly, the third and fourth place teams will receive $100,000 and $75,000 respectively and a trophy. Meanwhile, the winner of the Guinness Plate Championship will pocket $60,000.

ꟷ Wilson encouraged by team’s performance

The UG Trojans

idding to better their chances at any upcoming basketball competition in 2020, the UG Trojans Under-23 team defeated their Eagles counterparts 88-80 in the pre-season warm-ups held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on Homestretch Avenue. The Trojans team, having lost to the Eagles on Monday last by 104 to 92, were handed the uphill task of facing them again. As the first period commenced, the teams exchanged points, scoring at a slow rate. However, the first period went to the Trojans 25-12. Having a deficit of 13 points in the first period of play, the Eagles needed to redeem themselves early before the lead was lengthened, but things did not go as they had planned. Thus, at the end of the second quarter, the Eagles trailed the Trojans 2543, having an 18-point deficit, and they sank

further into a hole from which they could not extricate themselves. Changing their strategy and pulling out all the stops, even substituting players in their quest to overcome a 9-point lead the Trojans had over them, the Eagles still found the Trojans too strong for them, even to the point of establishing an unassailable 22-point (65-43) lead in the third and final period. At the end of the encounter, Trojans Coach Warren Wilson said, “These games really have encouraged not only me, but the team: that as long as we put the work in, by God’s grace, we will reap the rewards. I am confident we can win our last game in the U23 division, because we have added some fresh talent, and they are hungry for the win.” The Trojans will face the Eagles U23 side at the CASH in their next encounter.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

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Felix sets sight on 5th Olympics after year of change W

ith a possible fifth Olympics in her sights, Allyson Felix faces a year unlike any other - yet the goal in many ways is the same, especially as an athlete. In the roughly 15 months since giving birth, Felix carved out a new role on the track and off it, advocating for better benefits for working mothers and maintaining her competitive edge as she looks to add to her long list of accomplishments. The 34-year-old six-time Olympic champion will be the biggest name at the NYRR Millrose Games on Saturday at the Armory in New York, as the most decorated American track and field athlete. But life could hardly be more different than it was when she competed in her first Olympics 16 years ago. “I feel a greater sense of responsibility now,” Felix told Reuters. “Of course, qualifying and going after gold medals is still on the top of my list but I also feel this opportunity to show my daughter so many things, show other girls a lot and to really just stand by a lot of my values.” After giving birth in November 2018, Felix returned to competition last year and ran in the United States’ record-breaking 4x400 metres

Allyson Felix

mixed relay at the world championships and said that consistency in training has been essential.

“With last year being a year coming back from pregnancy and all of that, it’s not my usual buildup,” said Felix, whose daughter, Camryn, was added to her entourage on the road for competition and training sessions. “(I’m) just trying to be really smart about everything and being patient and sticking to the plan – as an athlete that’s always difficult.” But the challenges of pregnancy went beyond the physical: In May last year, Felix penned an opinion piece in the New York Times in which she said she faced potential pay cuts from sponsors including Nike for having children. “It was outside of my comfort zone, for sure, to talk about a super personal situation,” she explained. “But I do feel like the reception from women across all industries has been really encouraging.” The 16-time world championship medal-winner also applauded middle-distance runner Mary Cain for speaking out against coach Alberto Salazar for alleged abusive behaviour at the Nike Oregon Project. Felix plans to compete in the 200-metres and 400-metres this year, with the U.S. Olympic trials set for June. (Reuters)

Magnum Mash Cup Futsal Championship…

Kingston dismiss Sparta Boss from the competition K ingston solidified their status as dark horses when they eliminated defending champions Sparta Boss 3-1 in the biggest upset ever recorded in the Magnum Tonic Wine Mashramani Cup Futsal Championship. This development occurred on Thursday at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue when Kingston prevailed in the round-of-16 showdown to ensure a new champion will be crowned in this prestigious tournament. Stephon Reynolds’ hat-trick was fashioned in the third, sixth and 10th minutes; while, for the losers, Gregory Richardson netted in the eighth minute.Kingston will now oppose Spartacus in quarterfinal play slated for this evening at the same venue, after the latter mauled Broad Street 6-1. Moore smashed three goals in the ninth, 11th and 16th minutes, while Mark Carrega tallied a double in the fifth and 18th minutes, and Osric Barrow added a goal in the 14th minute. For the losers, Omar Sinclair scored in the seventh minute. Meanwhile, Bent Street crushed Mocha 5-0. Sheldon Holder scored a hat trick in the fourth, fifth and seventh minutes, while Colin Nelson and Jermaine Beckles netted in the ninth and 17th minutes respectively. Their quarterfinal opponents, Sophia, edged Ansa McAl AllStars 3-2 on penalty kicks after regulation time ended 3-3. Gerald Grittens tallied a double for Sophia in the fifth and seventh minutes, while Joshua Kamal netted in the ninth minute. For Ansa McAl, Shamar Fraser recorded a double in the 12th and 18th minutes, while Akin Curry scored in the fourth minute. On the other hand, Gold is Money and Leopold Street will face off in the quarterfinal round following hard-fought wins. Leopold Street bested Avocado Ballers 2-0 after Omallo Williams and Darren Benjamin netted in the eighth and 10th minutes respectively. Gold is Money edged Alexander Village 2-1, with Randolph Wagner and Andrew Murray scoring in the seventh and 18th minutes respectively. For the losers, Shem Porter scored in the sixth minute. Meanwhile, Back Circle and Rio All-Stars will battle in the final quarterfinal fixture. Back Circle earned their place in the final eight after defeating Albouystown 2-0, when Donovan Francis and Selwyn Williams scored in the 17th and 18th minutes respectively. On the other hand, Rio All-Stars needled Future Stars 1-0 when Jermaine Junior scored in the 12th minute. The winners of the respective quarterfinal matches will progress to the semifinal round, to be played on February 15th. Winners of the event will pocket $600,000 and the championship trophy, while the second-place side will collect $400,000 and the respective accolade. On the other hand, the third and fourth-placed units would receive $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding trophy.

Action between Back Circle and Rio All-Stars in the Magnum Tonic Wine Mashramani Cup Futsal Championship

Sterling out 'for weeks' with hamstring injury

anchester City forward Raheem Sterling will be out "for weeks" because of a hamstring injury, according to manager Pep Guardiola. The England international, 25, limped out of his club's 2-0 defeat at Tottenham on Sunday. "It takes weeks, but I don't know how long right now," Guardiola said. Second-placed City, who are 22 points behind leaders Liverpool, confirmed that scans had revealed damage to Sterling's left hamstring. Sterling has featured in 23 of Raheem Sterling

City's 25 league matches this season. "It is a problem being without him but we were without Gundo [Ilkay Gundogan] in the first season and ([Aymeric] Laporte this season. It is what it is," Guardiola added on Friday. It was better news on City winger Leroy Sane, who is back in training after suffering a serious knee injury in the Community Shield against Liverpool on 4 August. "He has started to train with us. He needs to recover tempo and confidence," the City manager confirmed. "It needs time. He needs weeks." (BBC Sport)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

West Indies finish 5th after washout D

ue to the fifth-place playoff game being washed out, West Indies finished fifth in the 2020 U-19 World Cup while Australia had to settle for sixth. Although Australia posted 319 for 8 in their first innings, and looked ahead of the game when the rain came down in Benoni, their three-wicket loss to West Indies in the group stage consigned them to sixth in the tournament. Australia's innings had half-centuries from opener Liam Scott, No. 5 Lachlan Hearne and No. 6 Cooper

Matthew Patrick

SCOREBOARD

Connolly, who scored 66, 58 and 64 respectively. T h e y were off to a flying start thanks to Scott and fellow opener Sam Fanning, who made

99 in 15.5 overs, but a string of dismissals had them at 174 for 4 at the 30over mark. The brisk fifties from Hearne and Connolly though, helped Australia aim for a 300-plus total, and if it wasn't for a bunch of wickets at the death overs, they could've scored more than the 319 they eventually got. Right-arm offspinner Matthew Patrick was

the most successful West Indies bowler, taking 3 for 34 in his ten overs. West Indies began their chase of 320 quickly too. Openers Kimani Melius and Leonardo Julien struck 62 runs in 12.3 overs, before the former fell, cutting Scott to point. As soon as Melius began to leave the field, the skies opened up, and continuous rain forced the umpires to call the

Australia Under-19s Innings (50 overs maximum) L Scott b Nedd 66 S Fanning c †Julien b Patrick 38 MW Harvey (c) b Patrick 20 O Davies b Patrick 39 LD Hearne c Nedd b Seales 58 C Connolly c & b Young 64 C Sully run out (Nedd/†Julien) 13 P Rowe † not out 2 T Sangha c Anderson b James 4 T Murphy not out 0 Extras (b 3, lb 1, nb 1, w 10) 15 TOTAL (50 Overs, RR: 6.38) 319-8 Did not bat: M Willans Fall of wickets: 1-99 (Sam Fanning, 15.5 ov), 2-121 (Liam Scott, 20.1 ov), 3-157 (Mackenzie Harvey, 27.4 ov), 4-174 (Oliver Davies, 29.5 ov), 5-275 (Lachlan Hearne, 45.1 ov), 6-310 (Cooper Connolly, 48.5 ov), 7-314 (Connor Sully, 49.2 ov), 8-318 (Tanveer Sangha, 49.5 ov) game off some time later. According to tournament rules, in case of a washed out knockout game, the team that finished higher on points at the end

BOWLING JNT Seales (10-0-46-1) RR Simmonds (6-0-44-0) JM James (6-0-53-1) NRJ Young (8-0-70-1) AR Nedd (10-0-59-1) MJS Patrick (10-0-43-3) West Indies Under19s Innings (target: 320 runs from 50 overs) KS Melius (c) c Fanning b Scott 39 LJA Julien † not out 14 Extras (lb 1, w 8) 9 TOTAL (12.3 Overs, RR: 4.96) 62-1 Yet to bat: KA Anderson, KSA McKenzie, MJS Patrick, DJ Beckford, NRJ Young, JM James, AR Nedd, JNT Seales, RR Simmonds Fall of wickets: 1-62 (Kimani Melius, 12.3 ov) BOWLING C Sully (6-0-24-0) M Willans (5-0-24-0) T Murphy (1-0-7-0) L Scott (0.3-0-6-1) of the group stage would finish higher. West Indies were unbeaten in Group B, while Australia had lost to West Indies. (ESPN Cricinfo)

LGC to host Wine Vaultsponsored Golf Tournament championship golf, and grand prize giving to the winners of the finest Ventisquero wines. President of the LGC, Aleem Hussain, has thanked the owners of the Wine Vault for their support. "Just like fine wine, the best things in life takes time to come to fruition, and I am pleased to welcome the Wine Vault as the Club's newest partner! I know that many of our members are regular customers and will be very appreciative of the great prizes that will be handed out on Saturday," Aleem Hussain has said The tournament will start at 12:30pm, and wine sampling will be between 4:30 and 6pm. There will be three flights: 0-9, 10-18 and 19-36, so all categories of players (proficient and beginners) can be accommodated. A nearest to pin competition at the end of the tournament, along with a putting contest, will also provide opportunities to win prizes for all in attendance. Co-owner of the Wine Vault, Marcelle Shewjattan, and LGC President Aleem Hussain alongside LGC PRO Guy Griffith

his weekend, just in time for Valentine's Day, three 4-letter words 'amor', 'love' and 'golf' will be forever linked, as the Wine Vault, located at the Marriott, partners with the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) to host its first grand event, featuring its Ventisquero Wines. The featured event has been a long time in the making, and the owners felt that this was the right time to showcase their fine selections and top brands. With Valentine's Day around the corner,

there is no better gift that a loved one can receive than a glass or bottle of top-quality wine, and the Wine Vault has a wide selection and price range for everyone. "This tournament will be a special occasion for the partnership, since the LGC is seen as a top-rated location and the number of events that will be held there in 2020 makes it a priority for our involvement," said Mangar. The event will include wine tasting and sampling of a variety of wines, 18 holes of

The Wine Vault

Since 2017, ‘The Wine Vault’, located at the Marriott Hotel, has been touted as the “purveyor of fine wines”, and has focused on introducing a vast array of wines from around the world, including from France, California, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Spain and Italy. If one cannot visit the Wine Vault’s elegant store at the Marriott, their vast array of wines can be found in many of the country’s top restaurants and bars.

“The Wine Vault's vision combines worldclass service with some of the best wines in the world, especially at this time with the influx of foreigners in Guyana since the massive oil and gas discoveries by ExxonMobil,” co-owner Shewjattan has expressed. The owners try to personally visit the locations from which they source their fine wines "to figure out the winemaking process, the quality of grapes, and exactly what makes one better than the other, so that their clients have the best in their hands”. With the knowledge and experience gained from visiting vineyards and attending seminars, the team is well equipped to train and educate both staff and customers on the various types of wines they stock. “The three of us pride ourselves on the fact that we don't sell wine, we create a palatable experience for our clients that is perfect for every occasion and meal,” Sharma added. "The goal is to add new wines to our stock each year, and introduce the wonderful world of wine to Guyanese one glass at a time." For persons interested in learning more about wines, simply follow the Wine Vault on social media or visit their location at Marriott to keep up-to-date on exciting upcoming events. www.thewinevault.gy or emails can be sent to thewinevaultgy@yahoo.com. There is also a Facebook page with the name ‘The Wine Vault at Marriott.’ The store is opened daily from 08:00hrs until 22:00hrs.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

CWI PCL 4-Day Championships…

The Scorpions have stung! ꟷ Jaguars bowled out for 190, but spinners lead fightback Story and Photos By Brandon Corlette

he second day’s play in the CWI PCL 4-Day Championship match between the Guyana Jaguars and the Jamaica Scorpions, being played at the National Stadium at Providence, can be described as having been filled with ‘glorious’ uncertainties, as the Jaguars were bundled out for 190 in 83.1 overs in reply to the Scorpions’ first innings total of 187. However, at stumps, the day’s accolades were evenly shared, as the Scorpions were on 50-3 in 14 overs, enjoying a lead of 47 runs; while the proverbial big fishes John Campbell (31) and Jermaine Blackwood (00) were among the three wickets that fell late in the day to spin twins Kevin Sinclair and Veerasammy Permaul. Jaguars’ cautious approach Jaguars resumed the second day on 17-0, with Chandrapaul Hemraj on 13 and Tagenarine Chanderpaul on four. Chanderpaul fell for five early in the day, when the score was on 32-1. He was trapped in front by off-spinner Pete Salmon, and rain hit Providence with Jaguars on 37-1, resulting in a 42-minute delay. In the first over after the rain interval, Captain Leon Johnson played a sweet cover drive off a Salmon delivery, and it went into the cover boundary. However, Johnson did not last too long, departing for only six to his name with his team at 53-2. One run later, Hemraj, who was looking promising, hit one rising in the point region and

was caught for 38 from 68 balls, which included three fours. Hemraj stood his ground, but the umpire’s decision was final. Considered Guyana's most consistent batsman of recent, Christopher Barnwell joined forces with Vishal Singh, and the duo took Jaguars to lunch at 62-3 in 28 overs. Some level headed batting by the senior duo repaired the Jaguars innings before Barnwell lost his wicket for 34. He was bowled by a perfect Jamie Merchant off-break delivery that turned, beat bat and pad, and clipped the stumps. The right-handed Barnwell, who was positive in his approach and had stroked some cracking shots, played 74 balls and hit four boundaries. After the 58-run partnership with Barnwell and Singh, the Jaguars lost four wickets in the space of seven runs, slipping from 112-4 to 119-7. Scorpions were right back in the contest when the floodgates were opened at 115-5, as Singh departed for a 94-ball 22. He was trapped leg-before to Merchant, while Anthony Bramble, who made only two, fell at 115-6, trapped in front by left-arm spinner Patrick Harty. Jaguars slipped further downhill as they felt the Scorpions’ sting. The visitors were playing aggressive cricket, with fielders backing up their bowlers and players appealing at the tops of their voices. Sinclair looked clueless when he was bowled by the same off-spinner for one,

which pushed the score to 119-7 in 56.1 overs.

Reifer, Permaul to the rescue After the collapse, Raymon Reifer and Permaul, with a wealth of experience, piloted Jaguars to the tea interval with no further hiccups. The duo negotiated well with the score on 161-7. Reifer was on 24 and Permaul was unbeaten on 18. Some calypso shots by the duo, who added 65 runs together, took the score to 184 before Permaul, the eighth wicket, was bowled by a Harty delivery that kept low. Permaul had played an innings of substance, facing 62 balls and scoring 35 runs that were decorated with six fours. Two balls later, another delivery that kept low removed Nial Smith for a duck, and Jaguars were reeling at 184-9 in 79.3 overs. Reifer was certainly running out of partners, and he was required to take most of the strike and shield the tail-enders. He had an opportunity to take three and keep the strike, but he exposed Keon Joseph and the innings was quickly concluded on 190 in 83.1 overs. Reifer was left stranded on 33 from 107 balls, including two fours and one six, while Joseph was leg-before to leggie Nkruma Bonner for

CWI Director delighted with local coaches’ turnout

ricket West Indies (CWI) continues to make investments under President Ricky Skerritt. CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, was happy with the amount of local coaches that graced the interactive session on Thursday last at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence. Under the aim of improving coaching at all levels throughout the Caribbean, and to produce world class cricketers from the Caribbean, new Coach Education Manager Chris Brabazon and Adams spoke to the local media and shared their sentiments on the coaching programme. "First of all, I am happy with the turnout and the feedback from the Guyanese Coaches, and we have ticked the important boxes," Adams stated. Brabazon, who has been 15 years with the Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA), explained that he was pleased with the programme. “This session was really good, after that session from Antigua last week for the franchise coaches. I am satisfied with some of the ideas that were presented. In our effort to produce world class players, everyone is really committed to joining in and play their part,” Brabazon explained. He added that some of the challenges around the Caribbean may be slightly dif-

ferent, but he remains optimistic that the coaches can work together. The new Coach Education Manager said he is very lucky to be part of this journey. “To have past players and legends of West Indies cricket being able to share really valuable inserts is going to help me in my role. To have access to these players is really fantastic, and I am looking forward to repay the favour being granted to me.” Adams noted that there are a number of challenges faced by local coaches. “There are challenges that are being faced by coaches throughout the Caribbean, like facilities and equipment. I have no doubt that, as we go around the Caribbean, we will encounter a few more, but we have to work together to see how best we can assist in these areas,” the 52-year-old Adams declared. Adams highlighted that it is really exciting to see the coaches having the passion and love for the game and the players, and the willingness to stick it out to keep improving. “This means we have the raw material, which is the main ingredient for success in terms of coaching pathway. We have the potential for creating a climate where we can really develop world class players,” he stated. CWI now will continue their coaching quest in the other Caribbean countries.

a duck. Harty bagged 3-30, while Merchant had 3-37 and Derval Green had 2-29 in a collective bowling effort. Jaguars bag 3

at stumps The Jaguars had secured a small lead of three, while the Scorpions then had 12 overs to bat to survive the day. The visitors, however, lost wickets as follows: captain Campbell, who made 31 from 30 balls, was trapped in front by Sinclair, while Permaul removed night watchman Nicholson Gordon for one and Blackwood for a duck at the close; then a brilliant running catch from Reifer at cover saw Kevin the end of Sinclair first innings

SCOREBOARD Jaguars 1st Innings 190 all out Tagenarine Chanderpaul lbw b Salmon 5 Chanderpaul Hemraj c Fudadin b Green 38 Leon Johnson b Green 6 Vishaul Singh lbw b Merchant 22 Christopher Barnwell b Merchant 34 Anthony Bramble lbw b Harty 2 Raymon Reifer not out 33 Kevin Sinclair b Merchant 1 Veerasammy Permaul b Harty 35 Nial Smith lbw b Harty 0 Keon Joseph lbw b Bonner 0 Total (10 wickets, 83.1) (14 extras) 190 FOW: 32/1 (14.3) Tagenarine Chanderpaul 53/2 (21.5) Leon Johnson 54/3 (23.3) Chanderpaul Hemraj 112/4 (50.1) Christopher Barnwell 115/5 (50.6) Vishaul Singh 115/6 (51.2) Anthony Bramble 119/7 (56.1) Kevin Sinclair 184/8 (79.1) Veerasammy Permaul half-centurion Blackwood. Scorpions ended the day on 50-3 in 14 overs, with local boy Assad Fudadin unbeaten

184/9 (79.3) Nial Smith 190/10 (83.1) Keon Joseph Bowling Pete Salmon (28-9-54-1) Nicholson Gordon (9-0-26-0) Jamie Merchant (16-2-37-3) Derval Green 14-5-29-2) Patrick Harty 15-5-30-3) Nkruma Bonner (1.1-0-2-1) Scorpions 2nd Innings 50-3 John Campbell lbw b Sinclair 31 Assad Fudadin not out 13 Nicholson Gordon lbw b Permaul 1 Jermaine Blackwood c Reifer b Permaul 0 FOW 49/1 (10.3) John Campbell 50/2 (11.5) Nicholson Gordon 50-3 Blackwood Bowling Raymon Reifer (2-0-5-0) Nial Smith (2-0-15-0) Kevin Sinclair 5-2-17-1) Veerasammy Permaul (4.4-1-9-1) on 13. Permaul took 2-9 in five overs, while Sinclair took 1-17 from his five. The third day’s play will resume from 9:30h.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020

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

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CWI PCL 4-Day Championships… Page 23

The Scorpions have stung! ꟷ Jaguars bowled out for 190, but spinners lead fightback Page 20

West Indies finish 5th Milo gears up for its 8th after washout under-18 tournament See story on page 22

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