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Academy
Joinder parties' Parliamentary seat dispute GECOM Chair assures of intervention on removal of Asha Kissoon
Govt targets job creation in outlying regions to bridge oil & gas opportunity gap …offers new incentives to investors
“Patently fabricated, concocted and malicious” – AG in $100M lawsuit against Melly Mel …says judgement could be passed in absentia Fisherman dies after vehicle plunges into canal
“No matter our beginnings, have the strength to rise” – MP Charlie
Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, has committed to resolving the ongoing controversy involving the presence of Dr Asha Kissoon sitting in the National Assembly in a seat she has been occupying beyond the six-month term allotted to her party under the Joinder Agreement.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of the Joinder List, Dr Kissoon’s party, The New Movement (TNM), was entitled to occupy the opposition seat in the National Assembly for 91 days. That timeline has ended since November 2023, but Dr Kissoon continues to occupy the parliamentary seat in a move that has sparked criticisms from some quarters, including A New and United Party (ANUG), whose turn it is to serve in the House based on the Joinder Agreement.
While GECOM had previously distanced itself from the matter, saying that it has “absolutely no authority” to remove Dr Kissoon from the National Assembly, Justice Singh told reporters after being grilled at a press confer-
ence on Friday that there is a way for the Commission to intervene.
“There is another step that I’m thinking of, which I don’t want to divulge here. There is another step… That step would be addressed in a short time from now,” the GECOM Chair assured.
It has further been noted that this matter has been on the agenda of the seven-member Guyana Elections Commission, but has not been discussed.
On March 2, 2020, TNM, ANUG, and the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) had crafted a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) in which it was agreed that they would merge the votes earned by them if those were sufficient to earn them a seat in Parliament, and they would share occupation of that seat in Parliament on a rotational basis that is proportionate to the votes each had earned.
At those elections, the number of votes secured by the three joinder parties were: 2657 by LJP – the most votes secured by a joinder party; 2313 by ANUG, and 244 by TNM. Based on the Joinder Agreement, each party was entitled to occupy the shared seat for a specific period.
The stipulated duration of the terms for each party was: two years, six months and 20 days for the LJP; two years five months for ANUG, and 91 days for TNM.
The three parties had previously committed to acting as a broker between the Government and the main Opposition, but during Friday’s press conference, GECOM’s Legal Officer Attorney Kurt Da Silva explained that this arrangement is not catered for in the Representation of the People’s Act (ROPA) at Section 97, which speaks to Joinder List. According to Da Silva, the seat is awarded to the party within the Joinder that has the highest number of votes.
“So, if it’s one seat, the party with the most votes gets that seat…for the entire period [of the parliament],” he confirmed.
As GECOM Legal Officer, he noted, “When [LJP Leader Lennox] Shuman resigned, the list that [the replacement] name needed to come from was the LJP list.”
Questioned why GECOM had never intervened to address the situation, the GECOM Chair reminded that the issue had never been discussed.
“That matter went before the commission, and they said nothing,” Justice Singh posited.
After the 2020 Election, Shuman took occupation of the single merger seat, which he held for two and one-half years before honouring his commitment and resigning from the National Assembly in March 2023.
Dr Kissoon was then sworn-in as a Member of Parliament in April 2023, and was also elected as Deputy Speaker – a position Shuman had held.
Based on the MoU signed, the TNM Leader should have resigned from the National Assembly in November, 2023, thereby allowing ANUG to
commence its parliamentary tenure, but this has not been done.
Back in March, ANUG had said Dr Kissoon had, on one occasion, indicated via a “verbal and informal promise” that she would vacate the seat on February 29, 2024; but three months late, she had reneged on that commitment by refusing to relinquish the seat.
At a press conference in March, ANUG Executives had called the TNM Leader’s actions undemocratic and a breach of trust; and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, had explained to this publication in March that Parliament did not have the power to remove Dr Kissoon in the wake of these events.
“They don’t have power to remove her. The Head of her List can ask that she be removed; she could resign if she’s found guilty in a court of law for some criminal offence, and citizenship is another one. Things like that. But we cannot remove her otherwise,” he explained.
Dr Kissoon has not spoken on the issue, and continues to serve as both a Parliamentarian and as the Deputy Speaker. (G8)
The Nations University saw 305 students graduating on Saturday and they were encouraged to not be distracted by the noise of the world and instead focus on their goals, embrace their potential and rise above life’s distractions to achieve great-
then you can lose your way in life and where you want to take your country or your own career,” Jagdeo said.
The Vice President has pledge to meet with the graduates privately and interacted with them more about future opportunities.
Jagdeo explained that
ness.
The charge which was delivered by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo aimed to inspire the group graduating with disciplines in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Oil and Gas Management, Human Resource Management, General Business Administration, Law, Project Management, Education, Engineering and Welding to strive and excel locally and internationally, given that they are now certified through the University of Bedfordshire, University of London, City and Guilds, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, ABE, and ABMA.
On this point, they were also urged to plan ahead utilising the power of imagination as fuel to turn aspirations into reality.
“You can imagine everything, every day you should be imagining that future. It happens if you imagine it long enough in life because it is a stimulus to work for it. And so, when I wake up, I think not today, I’m seeing that 10 years from now where we would be… the power of imagination is unbelievable”.
“That’s why when people push us to make popular decisions which may sound good today but would not ensure sustained prosperity in the future as a Government or a party, we fight it off. Although people may not understand why we do that, it may seem optimal, it may seem obvious that you do it today. But if you don’t have a long-term vision, if you don’t have a guiding light,
local manpower is needed in the oil and gas industry, as well as health science education.
As it relates to the O&G sector, individuals were encouraged to join the many businesses providing local services to international companies here.
“We passed the local content law which now forces the oil and gas company, in fact it makes it illegal for them not to hire Guyanese if they’re requisite skills
here, to pay them comparable pay as the foreigners and to procure goods and services from our people in a number of sectors where they’re carveouts for Guyanese. As a result of that law, which we advocated for in Opposition and passed when we got
into Government, today the Guyanese businesses, about 1,000 small businesses in Guyana, are going to end up with procurement opportunities of 700 million US dollars this year” he said.
Meanwhile, on the topics of investing in health science education VP stated “in the areas of education and health care, we’ve removed the corporate tax.
So, if you invest in education and health care, be-
cause I hope that some of you will not just go to work for someone, that you want to start your own business because ultimately, I think that’s the future where you can have the most rapid increase in wealth formation at the individual level. But we’ve removed the corporate tax from these two sectors. So, if you invest in education today or any health facility, you don’t pay any corporate tax”.
Also delivering remarks was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nations Incorporated Dexter Phillips, who announced the launch of the Nations International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studiesa peer-reviewed, cross-rep, open-access publication.
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Now that Indian PM Narendra Modi has completed his two-day State Visit, following his attendance at the G20 Summit in Brazil, it is apposite that we reflect on the significance of that visit. While, throughout his trip, Sri Modi emphasized the cultural commonalities between his country and ours, occasioned - as he pointed out - by the presence of “three lakhs” (300,000) of persons of Indian origin, we must not forget that, while not insignificant, relations between states are not necessarily dictated by cultural commonalities.
As Lord Palmerston remarked pithily: in geopolitics, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies, only permanent interests of the states.
So, what were the interests that India was seeking to satisfy? And conversely, what were ours? First, and foremost, there are the eleven billion barrels of oil (and counting) being lifted from the bottom of the Atlantic presently at the rate of 659,000 barrels per day (bpd), heading to 1.2m bpd in a few years. India is one of the largest importers of oil, and this would only increase in the short term as they ramp up their manufacturing base even as they attempt to shift to renewables. Recently, their largest refiner, Reliance Industries, was granted a waiver to import crude from Venezuela, and they have been doing this at the rate of 2M barrens monthly. However, with the bipartisan passage of the “Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime” Act (BOLIVAR Act) by the US House of Representatives now awaiting Senate Approval, it is clear that even before Trump’s assumption of office, new sanctions will be imposed, and India would need new suppliers.
Accordingly, it should not surprise anyone that when Mr Modi addressed a special sitting of Parliament at the end of his trip, he said India views Guyana as an important energy source, and revealed that India is interested in buying up to two million barrels of crude. Guyana’s Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat told reporters that while Guyana is willing to supply India with a large amount of crude, the matter is not simple, because ExxonMobil, the main operator in Guyana’s offshore oil production, would have to be consulted, and would have to agree to such an arrangement. He added that Guyana prefers that Indian companies bid for oil blocks, and that negotiations could occur if a bid is submitted.
India’s strategic interest is to also carve out a larger role for itself in the new, evolving multipolar global order as the US hegemonic role after WWII inexorably declines. It evidently sees its status as a leader of the Global South as one avenue for fulfilling this role. Speaking at a speciallyconvened sitting of the Guyana Parliament, Modi noted that many of the systems and institutions created after the Second World War are crumbling, and a new global order is needed to address the many challenges being faced by those in the Global South. He posited that, like India, Guyana could play a significant role in this regard. “Whether it is India or Guyana, we also have our aspirations for development… And that is why it is of utmost importance that the Global South speaks in one voice. This is a moment of awakening for the countries of the Global South. This moment presents us with an opportunity to work together and to create a new world order. And in this, I see a big role for Guyana.”
Earlier, Modi had co-hosted the second CARICOM-India Summit, wherein an agreement was made to further expand the existing partnership between the two. With CARICOM’s 15 votes at the UN and Guyana’s strategic geographical location in South America, Modi recognizes that Guyana can play a critical role in India’s aspirations. He emphasized that “Guyana is a gateway to the vast Latin American continent. You can become a bridge of opportunities and possibilities between India and this vast continent, and together we can further improve the India-CARICOM partnership.”
In terms of our national interest, we must insist that India appreciate the threat that Venezuela poses to our survival as a nation, and act accordingly.
Dear Editor,
A little evidence certainly tells the whole story. According to the Guyanese proverb, “If oil ah float, wata deh ah battam!”
Another horrible accident in Sheriff Street last Tuesday has increased the fatality statistics to an illogical status. The logistics to compute this uncompromising position include: males, adults in their twenties, speed, trucks, time, and disregard for traffic rules, among other incidentals. This incident reflects the existential craziness which proliferates the obvious inconsideration of those thoughtless ones who deliberately flaunt traffic rules and regulations to pose a threat to the lives of the unfortunate bystanders.
The same way “every rope gat two ends”, the Government will continue to construct modern roads to facilitate the current needs, but at the said time, the Government will also deal severely with the delinquent users.
Lawlessness certainly continues to eclipse lawfulness on the roads of Guyana, as the carnage figure mounts in a most atrocious manner, attracting the attention of all civic-minded Guyanese and also to alarm the Head of State, Dr. Irfaan Ali, to not only summon a special gathering on Thursday, but also to read the Riot Act on road users, the police, and lawmakers.
President Ali had to take special time out to address the despicable deterioration of the sad status of accidents occurring on the roads, especially in the eyes of a distin-
guished Head of State of another country paying a visit to our dear land of Guyana.
It is demeaning to know that the reckless behaviour of careless road users is a heartless exercise which daily plagues the lives of many innocent Guyanese, who have to suffer because of irresponsible elements factored to create this unacceptable fiasco. Many lives are snuffed out; people are maimed and disfigured; there are financial, physical and emotional losses; properties are lost and/or damaged, and dependents are left to survive without loved ones. Those left behind to struggle with life quickly realize that “Nah every crab hole get crab.”
As people’s lives are disrupted and disturbed, unforeseen, unplanned and uncalled-for circumstances become a reality, and have to be dealt with condignly, thanks to brash and brazen drivers and riders.
President Ali painfully pleaded with all road users to exercise due care and attention, and to comply with the laws governing the usage of the road. His Excellency intensively instructed those responsible for upholding and executing the law to adhere to their responsibility without fear or favour.
“Spare the rod and spoil the child” is one of the deficiencies which need to be rectified. As Commander-inChief, Dr. Ali advised his legal advocates to amend the law in order to plug any loopholes or flaws which may not be stringent enough and are bending towards some degree of leniency for punishment.
Guyanese have this tendency to require constant supervision in order to stay in line. Perpetual policing is of paramount priority. When the “cat is away, the mice will play.” The minute the teacher turns her or his back, many students resort to disorderly behaviour. That is why the President threw down the gauntlet, and will bring out the heavy artillery before the Christmas holiday begins. His game plan includes: the usage of body cameras and CCTV; the help of digital speed advisory boards; suspending drivers’ licences after the issuance of three tickets; clamping down on illegal and abusive use of sirens and emergency lights; stricter monitoring of drinking-and-driving, pursuing bar owners who sell alcohol to drunk drivers, and suspending bar licences; reviewing the competence of truck drivers, etc.
It was a case of “mouth open, story jump out.” The President spoke to the country and all the relevant stakeholders on Thursday, and just after midnight, in of all places the famous village of Leonora, residents were awakened because of a rowdy commotion in front of the infamous Leonora bar, where a pedestrian was involved in an accident with a car, the driver and the victim being customers patronizing the business premises in the wee hours of the morning.
As was instructed by the COP, the police are required to be on the beat in streets, and keep the peace in that area. Did the police fail to follow simple instructions? When will we address the question of licensed bars
functioning in residential areas and disturbing the neighbourhood? When will we address the situation of bars and night clubs operating after midnight, especially in the rural areas?
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. The conversation unfortunately fell short, and did not lament on the loud, lewd and lousy music being blasted at high decibels on moving and parked vehicles, especially in the minibuses and taxis servicing defenseless customers day and night. Why are these vehicles allowed to be heavily equipped with all the latest electrical gadgets which make them sound like a concert in the open park? Why are police turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to this antique, annoying and antagonizing anti-social behaviour which takes place in their presence? This nefarious interference which disturbs the peace is unacceptable, and its wing needs to be clipped.
While the Government is building more streets, roads and highways to better accommodate the heavy traffic and numerous vehicles for transportation, Guyanese are reminded of their proverb, “Cat a ketch rat, but he a thief he massa fish.” Good and evil come from the same source, and so Government and the people have to be wary of this sickening road situation and take all and full precaution to prevent accidents. Remember the 5 Cs and do the right thing, because road safety is every body’s business.
Yours respectfully, Jai Lall
Dear Editor, On September 28, His Excellency President Dr. Irfaan Ali of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana launched his book, titled “Achieving Global Food Security: The Caribbean Experience and Beyond”, at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford in England.
The book thoroughly examines the existing food security challenges in countries of the Global South (Third World), with a special focus on the food security crisis in the Caribbean.
In the book, Dr. Ali highlighted the urgent need to address and solve the pressing food crisis issue in the Caribbean. Brilliantly and
cleverly written, the book not only provides a universal and comprehensive overview of the problems, causes and challenges besieging food security globally, especially in the Caribbean, but also explores a number of strategic policy options, proposals and recommendations to alleviate the problem in the Caribbean and elsewhere.
To say President Dr. Ali understands the problems and has become a global advocate and leader on the issue of food insecurity and world poverty is an understatement. He wisely and thoughtfully penned the book at a time when countries of the Global South -- including the Caribbean and Latin America, not to
mention Africa -- are faced with the steepest increases in food and other commodity prices, which have increased the cost of living to its highest level in the region in recent times.
The high cost of living, coupled with a huge labour shortage in the Caribbean, has negatively impacted development in the region.
Several scholars contend that the book has been written at a time when agricultural output is on the decline in the Caribbean and elsewhere, due in part to inclement weather and, in some cases, severe manmade disasters. If nothing else, President Dr. Ali has presented us with a scholarly and practical piece of work that has bestowed
on the Caribbean and the world a novel and ingenious pathway to increase agricultural production and solve the food security crisis by exploiting the region’s potential for agricultural investment and development.
President Dr. Ali’s heroic work has been applauded and praised by scholars in and out of the Caribbean as a significant, necessary, timely and scholarly contribution to food security -- one of the most pressing global issues today. The book provides an in-depth and authentic analysis of the present food scarcity situation faced by the Caribbean, as well as an insight into the future if there is no serious effort to tackle the problem immediately.
President Dr Irfaan Ali has issued a clarion call to the leaders of the global community of nations to find a lasting, if not permanent, solution to global food security. He told them it would be a colossal mistake of today’s leaders to leave the problem for future generations to solve.
“Achieving Global Food Security: The Caribbean Experience and Beyond” reveals President Dr. Ali’s sincere and heartfelt concern for food security and for the poor in the Global South countries who are facing the brunt of the problem. The book provides a macro-framework of the massive investment in agriculture in the region with the intent to increase agriculture
output and thus lower the cost of living. His groundbreaking work has not only highlighted the food security problems in CARICOM countries, but has outlined a series of policy measures to strengthen the region’s food security position. The book is a bold and ambitious undertaking by the Guyanese leader, and would serve as a useful resource for scholars, intellectuals, students, and the general public in the Caribbean and elsewhere who are seeking to understand the region and its food security problems. Beautifully crafted, persuasive and objective, it was a pleasure to read.
Sincerely, Dr
Asquith Rose
Dear Editor,
The huge problem facing the Opposition and its fringe elements is that they really do not have a legal leg on which to stand when it comes to the next general elections. They fully well know what would be their fate when that time comes.
Seeing they cannot stop the holding of a free, fair, and credible process, they turn and do the next PNC thing: try to create confusion or some degree of uncertainty in the holding of that process.
They are, at the present moment, concocting a new and untried process of biometrics and electronic voting; something that cannotI repeat: cannot - be done in the short timeframe between now and the next election.
We are talking about voter education for GECOM staff itself, as well as the entire voting population out there. The purchase of election equipment must also be taken into account, among other things.
A credible election held by the method they are advocating is not feasible, and
cannot be done at this time. So, in their confused state, they want to bring the entire electoral process into disrepute, and are now trying to claim that the presence of other nationalities, such as Bangladeshis and Venezuelans in particular, might be possible additions to a PPP/C voting tally.
To answer that question, we quote the law, which states that Commonwealth peoples who have lived and worked in Guyana for the period of one year are eligible to vote, other nationalities are also eligible on the attainment of two years being domiciled here.
So, what’s the problem? Frankly speaking, there is none, but the PNC persists in bringing that age-old PNC act of deception that the other nationalities would be the cause for a PPP victory. Well, like I said, the law dismisses that claim, as well as any act of intimidation or forceful blockage of someone from voting. These also constitute criminal acts.
On the objection of foreign nationalities voting in an election in Guyana, let
us do a short investigation of the subject. Let us begin with the question “What If”. What if the Haitians who came here in the hundreds did remain on our soil, would the PNC have objected to them being here? Would they have objected to them taking part in our election? The answer is no, there would not have been an objection; because, in the eyes of the Opposition, the Haitians were a potential reservoir from which votes could have been sourced.
Nigel Hughes would
have made out a strong case for his party. In fact, the matter was litigated by the Opposition, and the man who claims to be in constant contact with his ancestors held sway with that argument. After all, why shouldn’t our Haitian brothers and sisters not have a permanent place with their Guyanese African brothers and sisters here?
The argument was sound, and won the judgement of a court.
However - and this is the
crucial point - the Haitians who came never stayed here, therefore the grand plan of the PNC backfired on them.
The Haitians were more interested in the lucrative position abroad, one of which is the oldest profession in Brazil, their preferred destination. It all fitted in with the argument Government had put forward in court and lost.
So, where are the Haitians? Answer: They are hosted in Brazil, locked out of the voting rights here in
Guyana, and that is a heavy loss for the PNC. As we say in Guyanese Creole, that loss “bun dem.”
So the only option left them is to come up with a plan to debar Bangladeshis and Venezuelans from voting, because they pose a threat to the PNC. But like I said, once someone has fulfilled the requirements of registration to be here, then why can’t they vote?
Respectfully,
Neil Adams
In this final installment on Emergencies, I wanted to remind readers that grave consequences also arise from their misuse of medications/ herbs. Often, the caregiver, in panic, would administer medication that he considers to be appropriate for the afflicted animal. And way too often, that drug may be given in largerthan-recommended quantities, or is contra-indicated.
COMMONLY (MIS)
USED ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEDICINES AND ANTIHISTAMINES, ANTIALLERGY DRUGS
ANTIHISTAMINES
These groups of chemicals work against those inflammatory processes that cause, inter alia, an itching sensation, and consequently scratching. It must be noted that the animal’s body responds to these chemicals in different ways and with varying intensities.
Some antihistamines can cause drowsiness and stomach/ intestinal upsets. Worse, an incorrect dose (for example, an overdose) can result in death. It is also important that the pet caregiver discuss the matter with the vet, who may even expose the animal to specific trials relative to the usage of antihistamines for optimal results in treating a specific ailment.
The itch-scratch syndrome may be caused by many
other factors and disease agents. Healing of a specific/ complicated condition may not be achieved by introduction of just any antihistamine acquired over the counter (OTC).
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS
Several drugs on the market (again, often sold OTC) have an anti-inflammatory function. One drug (for example a corticosteroid) may be highly effective in preventing and suppressing inflammation, but may also work against the body’s immune system. Using such a medication by itself on pets is looking for trouble. It is highly recommended that you let your vet prescribe such a drug, together with the concomitant necessary supportive medications.
Other medicines performing anti-inflammatory functions,
and which are not steroids, are called nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They, too, relieve pain and inflammation, and do not cause
caregiver should not decide to introduce these pain killing antiinflammatories, because these drugs do have serious adverse effects.
Cats have a notorious reputation of reacting badly to drugs such as aspirin and acetaminophen (Tylenol).
I beg caregivers of especially female dogs (and cats) not to ever attempt to introduce hormones to prevent pregnancy or terminate pregnancy, or enhance the possibility of the adult pet becoming pregnant. Such an exercise is fraught with danger and calamities and deleterious consequences. Animals come in so many shapes, sizes and breeds that one type of
the side effect of reducing the body’s own immune (defence) system.
But, here again, the pet
hormone intervention does not fit all animals. Clearly, haphazard hormone interventions cannot, and must not, be implemented, based on online research.
Note, too, that there are many laws governing the usage of hormones in Veterinary practice.
If you feed your dog a balanced and appropriate diet, there is no real need for supplementing that diet with vitamins and minerals. Of course, as the animal gets older (senior citizen), you may raise the matter with your veterinarian. Several factors would then have to be taken
kidney failure, which caused the ailment in the first place. These medicinal home remidies may not end well.
USE AND MISUSE OF HERBS AND OTHER FOLK MEDICINES
My take on this is simple. Unless the actual curing ingredients (in leaves, barks, roots, etc.) have been isolated, and after extensive research has been carried out, dosage rates and methods of introducing the herbs into and on the animal’s body have been definitively
into consideration, for example breed, general health status, level of oral hygiene, energy levels, body mass indices.
Every pet has to be assessed individually during discussion with your vet in order to arrive at a specific protocol relative to providing vitamin/mineral/ trace elements supplements.
MISUSE OF DIURETICS
These drugs are used to
established, I would not greatly advocate the usage of herbs as a significant part of pet medicine. Similarly, I do not advocate the usage of old engine oil (waste oil) on the skin as a remedy to cure mange in dogs. I trust that the message has been documented and delivered comprehensively enough to caution animal caregivers to not take it upon themselves to use medications on their
remove excess water from dogs and cats (and other mammals, of course) which exhibit swelling (edema) on the limbs or fluid (volume) overload. These symptoms are usually associated with kidney or heart failure. So often, clients arrive at the vet’s clinic boasting that they have used drugs, and the swelling has appreciably been reduced. Commendable, but the causative origin has not been removed. In fact, introducing the drug and waiting for the efficacy to kick in means loss of time for the vet to tackle, say, the
pets without first consulting a veterinarian.
I have not touched all the medications administered to pets supposedly to effect a cure for a perceived ailment, such as home treatment for cancers and tumours, the use of antiviral drugs and drugs to treat urinary incontinence, psychotropic agents and cough suppressants, but the message remains the same. My advice always is to consult your veterinarian before you introduce any medication that has not been prescribed for the ailment.
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has ruled out any possibility of a referendum being held before the constitutionally due 2025 General and Regional elections, noting that the election, and not a referendum, is the electoral body’s priority.
During a press conference on Friday, GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, made it clear that the electoral body is in no position to hold referendum, since it would hinder their ability to conduct General and Regional Elections.
“First of all, at this time we are not aware in the slightest way, shape or form of any indication of there being the need for a referendum as something that GECOM should focus on, that’s number one… there is no time between now and that period within which we can hold it because obviously, the constitutionally due conduct of general elections cannot be interfered with,” he said.
And while the issues for the referendum could be included on the ballots for the General and Regional Elections, as occurs in other jurisdictions, Persaud noted that laws would have to be changed to facilitate this.
“Obviously, the constitutionally due conduct of general elections cannot be interfered with. Laws would have to be changed
to make provisions for all of that and I don’t see that happening in time to…if there is to be a referendum I must say in that regard,” Persaud added.
There have been recent calls from the opposition, including the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) for a referendum on whether the Government should renegotiate the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil.
However, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has already expressed its disapproval of such a referendum before the constitutionally due 2025 General and Regional elections.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had pointed out that AFC is the very same party, in the person of former Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, who signed the 2016 agreement. Jagdeo had reiterated the PPP/C’s position that it is not in favor of a referendum for next year, making it clear that
GECOM, which would hypothetically be tasked with carrying out the massive preparations a referendum necessitates, has to focus on preparing for the next General and Regional Elections and be in a state of readiness by next year August.
According to the Vice President, AFC would love to have GECOM divert its attention from the upcom-
ing election. Jagdeo noted, however, that the PPP/C would not be sucked into AFC’s trap, even as the smaller party scrambles for issues to latch onto to generate support.
At a subsequent press conference, Jagdeo had also noted that while the 2016 PSA may present problems when it comes to acting on a successful referendum, the matter could still be relooked at after the General and Regional elections.
During an edition of his ‘Issues in the News’, Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall had also been critical of the calls for the referendum. He too had pointed to the irony of the opposition calling for a referendum on an agreement they themselves had finalised.
Nandlall had described the calls as “ridiculous”, pointing out that “they (AFC) hid this contract for nearly two years with-
out telling the people of Guyana that they have signed a contract that is perhaps the most important document ever signed in the history of Guyana.”
According to the AG, “the contract itself says in
about 10 clauses…that it cannot be altered unilaterally. It can only be altered with consent by both parties.” Already, ExxonMobil has already expressed its unwillingness to altering the contract. (G3)
From the way the Opposition – especially the PNC - are going after Chair of GECOM, Justice (retd) Claudette Singh, you’d never suspect that, following the procedures for selection, it was they who’d nominated her!! Clearly, they’re still in thrall to the views of Comrade Leader Fat Boy, who insisted that GECOM Chairs – like Harry Bollers, for instance – must only ask “how high?” when told to jump!!
For years now, PNC supporters and leaders have been marching up and down the streets outside the GECOM Office, demanding various and sundry changes to election regulations – plus Claudette’s head!!
Now, your Eyewitness has explained that it doesn’t matter what “changes” they demand. Even if they were granted, some new ones would be demanded!! The PNC know they’re gonna be whupped in 2025, and all the protests for new rules is to give them an excuse to come out and riot after the elections!! Remember when they lost the 1997 elections and rioted, claiming the PPP rigged?? When the CoI showed that everything was kosher, they went to the Courts, claiming it was “unconstitutional” to use National ID Cards to vote – even though they’d agreed to it in Parliament!!
And guess who had accepted their plea and cancelled the results of the elections? That’s right – Miss Claudettewho was then on the bench!! And maybe that’s why they’d nominated her?? So maybe they’d forgotten she was then merely following the law!! Like she is doing right now with the “bloated” list they are carrying on about!! The law says we can’t take off the names of Guyanese who’ve registered but might now be abroad!! Claudette shouldn’t be taking them on; and as she said, she should just proceed with her work!!
But we should remember that the PNC hadn’t placed their protests and riots on pause back when Claudette was musing over their case!! For that matter, when they lost the 2001 elections - following Claudette’s ruling in their favourthey INTENSIFIED their rioting!!
Now, dear reader, you must be wondering: since the PNC will be rioting once they don’t get their way, why do they bother with the demands and march up and down outside in the hot sun? It again goes back to the template Comrade Fat Boy left them!!
He had this cynical rule going back to his training as a lawyer - that the substance of the law can be traduced, but the FORMS must be followed!! For instance, once when he and Cheddi were walking out of Parliament in their early unity days against the Brits – before exiting, he took the time to BOW to the Speaker!! And that’s why, when he became a dictator, he yet held elections – which he duly rigged!!
Expect riots in 2025!!
…Modi
Your Eyewitness would never have thought that Modi would be accused by anybody of “campaigning” for the PPP when he praised three of their leaders – Pres Ali, Jagdeo and Ramotar – as “Ambassadors of Indo Guyanese”!! But there it was: one of the Indo-Guyanese leaders of the PNC was asked by a journalist if that wasn’t the case, since HE hadn’t been declared a member of that fraternity!! But the PNC leader claimed that wasn’t the case, and the description wouldn’t help the PPP.
But what he should’ve done was to praise Mr Modi for not dubbing him an Indo-Guyanese Ambassador!! Remember the last time he stood up for Indo-Guyanese, when they were insulted by an Opposition WPA activist who claimed they had originated in the slums of India?? He was duly cussed out as a “slave catcher”, for defending the enemy against one of “his own”!! he must’ve been quite happy he bit THAT bullet!!
And it’s the PPP leaders who might be troubled by the description!!
…Maduro
They say “time is longer than twine”!! But it still looks like time has run out for Mad Maduro, after the US House passed the BOLIVAR Act - “Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime”!! Now for the Senate!!
Wrapping up his two-day, event-packed visit to Guyana, PM Shri Narendra Modi of India addressed the IndoGuyanese community at the National Cultural Center. Ironically, the center was built by the PNC in 1972 using money expropriated by Burnham from the “Indian Repatriation Fund”.
In his entire speech, Modi emphasised the connections with Indian culture.
“First of all, I want to thank President Irfaan Ali for joining us.
I am deeply touched by the love and affection given to me since my arrival. I thank President Ali for opening the doors of his home to me. I thank his family for their warmth and kindness. The spirit of hospitality (“Atithi”) is at the heart of our culture. I could feel that over the last two days. With President Ali and his grandmother (Nanie), we also planted a tree.”
On the Order of Excellence he was awarded, he said, “This is an honour to 1.4 billion Indians. It is the recognition of the 3-lakh (300,000)-strong Indo-Guyanese community and their contributions to the development of Guyana.”
He recollected his visit to Guyana in August 2000, in which Swami Aksharananda and I had been involved. He took time to visit us at SVN earlier, where he displayed a remarkable recollection of the details of that visit and the one to the Enmore Martyrs’ Monument.
“I have great memories of visiting your wonderful country over two decades ago. At that time I held no official position; I came to Guyana as a traveller full of curiosity. Now I have returned to this land of many rivers as the Prime Minister of India. A lot of things have changed between then and now, but the love and affection of my Guyanese brothers and sisters remains the same! My experience has reaffirmed you can take an Indian out of India, but you cannot take India out of an Indian.
“Today I visited the Indian Arrival Monument. It brings to life the long and difficult journey of your ancestors nearly two centuries ago. They came from different parts of India; they brought with them different cultures, languages and traditions; over time, they made this new land their home; today these languages, stories, and traditions are part of the rich culture of Guyana.
“I salute the spirit of the Indo-Guyanese community. You fought for freedom and democracy; you have worked to make Guyana one of the fastest growing economies; from humble beginnings, you have risen to the top. Shri Cheddi Jagan used to say: ‘It matters not what a person is born, but who they choose to be.’ He also lived these words. The son of a family of labourers, he went on to become a leader of global stature.
“President Irfaan Ali, VP Bharrat Jagdeo, former President Donald Ramotar, they are all Ambassadors of the Indo-Guyanese community. Joseph Ruhoman, one of the earliest Indo-Guyanese intellectuals; Ramcharitar Lalla, one of the first Indo-Guyanese poets; Shana Yardan, the renowned woman poet; many such Indo-Guyanese made an impact on academics and arts, music and medicine.
“Our commonalities provide a strong foundation to our friendship. Three things in particular connect India and Guyana deeply: culture, cuisine and cricket! Just a couple of weeks ago, I am sure, you all celebrated Diwali; and in a few months, when India celebrates Holi, Guyana will celebrate Phagwa!
“This year, the Diwali was special, as Ram Lalla (the icon of the Baby Shri Ram) returned to Ayodhya after 500 years. People in India remember that the holy water and shilas (bricks) from Guyana were also sent to build the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Despite being oceans apart, your cultural connection with Mother India is strong. I was one of those who had taken several bricks to India in 1997.
“I could feel this when I visited the Arya Samaj Monument and Saraswati Vidya Niketan school earlier today. Both India and Guyana are proud of our rich and diverse culture. We see diversity as something to be celebrated, not just accommodated. Our countries are showing how cultural diversity is our strength.
“Wherever people of India go, they take one important thing along with them -- the food! The Indo-Guyanese community also has a unique food tradition, which has both Indian and Guyanese elements. I am aware that dhal puri is popular here! The seven-curry meal that I had at President Ali’s home was delicious. It will remain a fond memory for me.”
According to Phillips, this journal provides a platform for faculty, students, researchers and practitioners to share their valuable research work and academic insights with a broader audience.
“You brought invaluable perspectives from boardrooms, lessons from real-world challenges and insights from years of professional experience, elevating the learning experience for
everyone around you. This dual commitment speaks volumes of your dedication to continuous improvement, irrespective of the successes you might have already achieved in your professional lives. Then, there are those of you who embarked on this journey straight out of school or without any prior work experience” Phillips said.
The CEO also implored the graduating class to re-
flect on their challenges and utilise past lessons to guide them.
“To the graduating class, Class of 2024, today we celebrate not just your academic achievements, but also the extraordinary effort it took to balance the demands of education with the responsibilities of professional and personal life”.
“The true value of your education is reflected in the impact you create, the challenges you tackle and the lives you touch. Use these various academic
and professional qualifications you’re receiving today as tools to break barriers, push boundaries and build bridges that connect people, ideas and possibilities… Let them guide you to lead with integrity, act with empathy and inspire others to dream bigger and achieve more. Congratulations, and may the road rise up to meet you and the winds be always at your back. Go forth with knowledge, confidence and passion to change the world in ways that matter” he added. (G1)
With the holiday season approaching, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has reinforced its commitment to cracking down on traffic violations.
Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh, Traffic Chief, has declared that while efforts are being made to manage the increased congestion, there will be zero tolerance for road users who violate traffic laws.
Speaking on the police programme Traffic and You on Friday, Singh emphasised: “There are and will be persons who will not comply with the rules of the road…we encourage you,
but you will be ticketed and or charged.”
The traffic chief highlighted a comprehensive strategy to address holiday traffic, particularly in high-activity areas like Georgetown, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and Region Three. He stressed that measures, including park-and-ride systems and carpooling, have been suggested to reduce congestion. Singh also noted the challenges faced by the department, such as limited manpower and resources, and called for the accelerated rollout of intelligent traffic systems.
“Until the technological rollout is made fully for intelligent traffic cameras, smart city transport, and other means… it demands the physical presence of a police rank,” Singh added.
The heightened vigilance coincides with recent directives by President Dr Irfaan Ali, who has condemned the rampant indiscipline on Guyana’s roadways. Addressing the issue of reckless driving, particularly by truck operators. The President announced that licences will be suspended for drivers caught speeding more than three times along major roadways such
as Heroes Highway.
“We cannot continue to have this type of indiscipline on our roadways, especially with the trucks and truck
drivers,” President Ali stated, adding that truck owners may soon face penalties for their drivers’ misconduct.
President Ali has called for the enhanced enforcement of updated traffic laws, including the tougher penalties for drunk driving introduced earlier this year. These legislative changes include raising fines for driving under the influence to as much as $300,000 for repeat offenders and instituting vehicle manslaughter charges for fatalities caused by drunk driving.
In light of these measures, the President also announced plans to introduce speed advisories, digital boards to monitor speeds, and additional body cameras for traffic ranks. He emphasised the need for bar owners to comply with li-
quor licensing regulations, warning of potential licence suspensions for non-compliance.
So far in 2024, 99 fatalities have been recorded on Guyana’s roads, compared to 148 in the same period last year. Despite this decline, reckless driving remains a significant concern, with over 60,000 traffic tickets issued this year, amounting to $400 million in fines.
The GPF’s intensified holiday policing efforts aim not only to reduce congestion but also to prioritise safety for all road users during one of the busiest times of the year.
“Each [region] has been given the attention it so deserves,” Singh affirmed. “The focus is to reduce congestion while at the same time we enforce the law.” (G9)
Member of Parliament, Alister Charlie recently graduated as valedictorian at the University of Excellence, Management and Business (UEMB), with a Master’s Degree in General Business Administration.
In his valedictorian speech, the parliamentarian representing the governing Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Administration spoke about his humble beginnings and his dedication to achieve greatness.
“As I look back on my journey, I am reminded of my humble beginnings growing up in the hinterland of Guyana. Like many hinterland children, I attended school barefoot, dressed in my little khaki pants and a white school shirt, with my exercise books carried in a plastic bag. Resources were few, and my family couldn’t afford much, but what they gave me was priceless. My parents, though they had little, always encouraged me to take my education seriously, to dream big, and to work hard for a better future,” Charlie noted.
He also recalled that from a young age, he was also athletic, and one race in particular stands out in his memory.
“I remember running with everything I had and finishing first. But in another race, I stumbled and fell. I could have stayed down, but instead, I got back up and kept running. I didn’t come in first, but I finished. That experience taught me a lesson I carry with
me today: success isn’t just about winning. It’s about resilience, about the strength to rise after a fall, and about the courage to finish what I start,” he explained.
As he achieves yet another academic milestone, the MP said he feels the fulfillment of his journey that began with those humble steps in the hinterland.
“My journey hasn’t always been easy, but it has been worth every step,” he added.
Speaking to his fellow graduates, Charlie acknowledged that “some of us, like myself, came from humble beginnings, but we chose to rise, to keep pushing forward, and to reach for more.”
He noted that, “the journey is not always easy, and there will be obstacles, but I encourage each of you to keep pursuing your education, no matter the challenges. Education is the key to transforming our lives, and it opens doors to opportunities we may never have imagined.”
“Let us remember that no matter our beginnings, no matter the obstacles, we have the strength to rise and the courage to finish our race. Just like I learned as a child, even if we fall, we must get back up and keep going. Let our lives be a testament to what is possible through hard work, humility, and an unwavering commitment to our goals,” Charlie further expressed.
Charlie, who achieved a GPA - 4.0 (A+ Distinction), says he now plans on pursuing a PHD as the next step in his academic career.
As the world of technology creeps upon the doors of every teaching institution within Guyana, Camille’s Academy has opened its doors to the fraternity of this era-changing technology.
As the Academy prepares to kick off its golden 25th anniversary on January 25, 2025, a milestone marked and linked to the number ‘25,’ it is also gearing up for the official opening of the Diamond Learning Institution and four Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) labs across their four learning academies, perfectly timed to coincide with this celebratory year.
Camille Deokie-Gorakh revealed this during an interview with this publication, where she outlined the initiatives and funding allocated for the new institution, which will heavily focus on STEM education from as early as nursery level.
To top it off, US$1 million have been invested in the new Diamond Academy thus far.
“For this Diamond Campus that we will be launching, we’ve invested one million U.S. dollars into that campus. Obviously, we have a partnership with Republic Bank, but that’s just a fraction of what they have loaned us,” she said.
This campus will stand out from all other campuses due to its high focus on STEM education.
“We know it’s important to take a balanced approach to learning. I
mean, while the primary focus is on academics, STEM will now be part of our curriculum, across our 4 locations including Diamond,” she explained.
Many people are unaware that the Diamond campus is actually an old building that has been renovated.
“Mind you, Diamond had a pretty old and outdated building for more than 15 years. After COVID, we made a lot of changes…We’re not taking that traditional approach any longer.”
According to Deokie-Gorakh, over the years they have been working to stay on top of the ever-blossoming technology era, which has all been in preparation for the new launch as
well.
In 2024 alone, the Academy invested GY$5 million in the first six months of the year to train teachers on leveraging AI tools.
“This entire year, we’ve been doing a lot of curriculum reform to include STEM as early as the nursery level. We see how the entire education landscape is evolving, and if we don’t adapt, we’ll be left behind,” she noted.
In addition to this, she shared how the Academy has taken small steps in integrating AI into education—an effort that will align well with the new campus once it’s built.
“We also sponsored an AI for education conference, which saw us spend about US$10,000. Not just to bring the technology to Camille Academy teachers, but also to provide an opportunity for 200 teachers and 200 students from across Guyana to attend. None of the attendees paid to attend the conference; we made it possible for them,” Deokie explained.
The AI educator for the event, Nick Brown, an AI specialist, was brought to Guyana for one week by Camille’s Academy.
The first half of 2024 was filled with these educational advancements.
However, in the second half, the Academy brought the first AI for Education conference to the Caribbean, while also continuing to train their teachers. As a result, this academic year, the curriculum has
been reformed using AI and other innovative programmes.
Some may fear that AI will replace current jobs, but Deokie dismissed this concern, stating, “You need that personal touch. You need humanto-human interaction. For me, I will never replace our teachers. However, we’re using AI to simplify the way we
do things.”
These initiatives, aligned with the hope that students will succeed in their academics, have already produced great results.
“We had four students who became top performers in Guyana. We secured two places from our West Coast location, two from East Bank, and one from East Coast,” she shared.
“Our student of the year had 14 subjects, with 10 ones, three twos, and one three. You’ll see that on the banner.”
In addition to recognising student achievements, the Academy also highlighted the importance of acknowledging teachers.
“We would normally have an endof-year awards ceremony for teachers and an internal appraisal system. This year, however, we decided to include Teacher of the Year, and they were given equal recognition as the students,” she explained.
After the graduation, the Academy hosted a two-day business conference in partnership with other organisers.
“Although the STEM lab faced some delays, work will continue, and everything should be set for the official opening,” Deokie-Gorakh said.
There is a lot of work involved, but Deokie-Gorakh emphasised the importance of the path that the organisation is taking to have students educated.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s rewarding to see the holistic approach we’re taking to education. We’re not just focused on academia. You might have aspiring Olympic athletes in our school who you don’t even know about. That’s why we’re also pushing our sports programme to give them an opportunity to shine.”
Started in 1996 and established in the year 2000 Camille’s Academy has grown from a small tutoring programme in a garage to a respected educational institution with four locations across Guyana.
Cognisant of the fact that persons living outside of Regions Three and Four may be disadvantaged when it comes to accessing oil and gas job opportunities, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is focusing on incentivising investors to generate jobs for youths in outlying regions, thus reducing the need for them to leave their homes for work.
During his recent press conference, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo responded to questions about youths living in the hinterland and other regions away from the coast, being disadvantaged when it comes to accessing opportunities related to oil and gas.
Jagdeo acknowledged that with many of the job opportunities in and around oil and gas being concentrated in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica), there is a need for jobs to be generated in these other regions too.
“So right now, it’s not just from the hinterland. But if you live in region 10, and most of the opportunities around the oil and gas sector are here in regions three and four. If you live in region 10 or six or one, seven, eight or nine, you’re likely to be disadvantaged because you’d have to travel to work.”
“You’d have to move to work. So that is why we started with the part time work in those areas. And we’re trying to shift a lot of the job opportunities, through a number of initiatives,” Jagdeo ex-
plained.
These initiatives include call centres, co-investing and increasing fiscal incentives for investors to create job opportunities outside of Region Four. For instance, the Government has been vocal in its desire to co-invest with private sector individuals in areas such as agro-processing, particularly in the hinterland. This would be similar to the policy the Government has pursued with call centres.
“So, it’s not just hinterland people, but people who live outside of four and three. Three and four tend to be easier to move across. But from the time you go to the further regions, they have to travel long distances. And so, they wouldn’t be able… they’ll be disadvantaged. But eventually, that’s what’s going to happen.”
“As we start moving out a lot of the processing facilities and stuff, people will be able to get their job opportunities closer to their homes. I don’t want to list them here today, but like the call centres, the
co-investing, the changing of the fiscal regimes so you can get more incentives for investing in a region outside of say… Region Four, to generate jobs in those areas.”
In Region Three, the transformative Gas-toEnergy (GtE) Project is being built which includes the construction of an integrated Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Plant and a 300-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant at Wales. The project will be utilising natural gas from the country’s offshore operations in the Stabroek Block.
Meanwhile, Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where oil production and exploration is ongoing by international companies, is located off the coast of Guyana. Total employment of Guyanese in the oil and gas sector is estimated 6,500.
As many as 454 persons were hired within the first half of the year in the oil and gas sector, already exceeding 50 per cent of the target set by the Local Content Secretariat (LCS)
Haisai Jones, a Sophia resident who had been facing three counts of raping a 14-yearold girl, was discharged last week after a jury returned not-guilty verdicts on all charges.
The jury acquitted Jones of the first two counts of engaging in sexual penetration with the child, which allegedly occurred on March 7 and 8, 2023. On the third count, due to a lack of evidence being presented, Justice Sherdel IsaacsMarcus directed the jury to deliver a not guilty verdict.
The case had drawn significant attention since the police issued a wanted bulle-
tin for Jones in June of this year. After evading authorities for months, Jones was apprehended in October at Kairuni Backdam, along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by Taneisha Saygon and Padma Dubraj, argued that Jones demonstrated a pattern of predatory behaviour. They relied on testimony and evidence to establish their claims of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. However, defence attorney Adrian Thompson countered by questioning the reliability of the witnesses and highlighting gaps in the evidence.
Justice Isaacs-Marcus’s
Freed: Haisai Jones
summation, delivered just before jury deliberations, provided a comprehensive analysis of the evidence and legal standards. The jury concluded that the prosecution did not meet the burden of proof. (G9)
for oil and gas new hires for 2024. But most of the companies that are directly and indirectly supporting offshore operations are based in Georgetown and its environs.
The Government had set itself the task of creating 50,000 jobs within its first term in office and indeed, the Government has said that
this goal has been achieved since the party assumed the reins of Government in 2020. Then there is the part time job initiative, which has so far given employment to thousands around the country.
It was announced last year that over 11,000 persons were employed through the programme in Regions
Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), injecting $2.3 billion into these households since the programme started in the second half of 2022. (G3)
Dutch shipbuilder
SBM Offshore has secured the US$1.5 billion needed to complete the Jaguar Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel that will service ExxonMobil Guyana’s sixth oil project offshore, the Whiptail development.
It has been revealed that a consortium comprising of 16 financial institutions have stepped up to provide financing for the project. In a recent statement, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for SBM, Douglas Wood lauded the financial institutions for their faith in the project.
“I am proud of our teams which have successfully secured the project financing of FPSO Jaguar, the Company’s first project under the sale and operate model. We are demonstrating once again the value of our unique lifecycle offering not only from an execution and operation standpoint but also in our ability to continue to provide material financing solutions for our clients. We appreciate the continued support from the 16 financial institutions,”
Wood said.
Meanwhile, the company revealed that it will be drawing down from the loan in a phased manner over the construction period of the FPSO. The loan duration is also in line with the construction phase of the FPSO, which is expected to be completed and servicing the Whiptail development by 2027.
The Jaguar FPSO will be designed to produce 250,000 barrels of oil per day, with a capacity to treat 540 million cubic feet of associated gas daily and inject 300,000 barrels of water per day. Furthermore, the vessel will have storage capacity for approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil.
The FPSO’s design is also based on SBM Offshore’s Fast4Ward® programme, which combines the Company’s seventh new build, multi-purpose floater hull along with several standardised topsides modules.
Only recently, a steel strike ceremony was held for the Jaguar FPSO, marking the official start of works on various structures and topside modules for the vessel.
Notably, three local companies were contracted to provide fabrication services for the vessel.
The companies are Guyana Oil and Gas Support Services (GOGSSI), Industrial Fabrications Inc. (InFab), and ZECO Group of Services. To date, 290 tonnes of green steel have been fabricated by local companies for two FPSOs- 50 tonnes for Prosperity FPSO and 240 tonnes for the ONE GUYANA FPSO. This number is expected to increase for Jaguar FPSO, which will see an additional 316 tonnes of steel being fabricated by the local companies.
The Whiptail development will be the sixth development within the Stabroek block, approximately 200 kilometres offshore Guyana. ExxonMobil Guyana Ltd (EMGL), an affiliate of ExxonMobil Corporation, is the operator and holds a 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek block, Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds a 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, holds a 25 per cent interest.
There are currently
three FPSOs operating in Guyana’s waters: the Liza Destiny, the Liza Unity and the Prosperity in the Liza One, Liza Phase Two, and Payara off-shore developments respectively. Six FPSOs are expected to be operating offshore Guyana by 2027.
The fifth FPSO, which
would be named “Errea Wittu”, meaning “abundance” in the Indigenous Warrau language, would operate in the Urau project. It would have an oil storage capacity of two million barrels, an oil production design rate of 250,000 barrels per day, and be able to offload approximately one million barrels onto a tanker in approximately 24 hours. This vessel will be delivered by MODEC, a Japanese company which had confirmed the construction of this FPSO with a ceremony in February 2024. The projected start-up date of the US$12.7 billion Uaru development is 2026. (G3)
Traffic enforcement exercises conducted by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have resulted in a wave of citations across key regions, with officers targeting public transportation providers and addressing widespread non-compliance with traffic regulations. These ongoing efforts are part of a daily nationwide initiative to promote safer roadways and ensure adherence to the law.
In Region Three (Essequibo Island- West Demerara), law enforcement officers focused on public transportation operators during an extensive traffic exercise on Friday. The op-
eration unearthed numerous violations, with key infractions including illegally
tinted windows, obscured identification marks, and the breach of road service licence conditions. Drivers
Traffic
operating vehicles without proper certification, failing to produce licences, and exceeding passenger limits also came under scrutiny.
The exercise concluded with a stern warning for offenders, as 20 certificates of fitness were revoked on the spot. Operators were mandated to address vehicle defects and present their vehicles for further examination before resuming operations. The Traffic Department has underscored that these measures are vital to fostering accountability and improving compliance among public transport operators.
Meanwhile, over in Regional Division 4’C’ (East Coast Demerara) traffic ranks ramped up enforcement along the Friendship Public Road on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), targeting minibuses, hire
Three police officers have been placed under close arrest following the shooting and escape of murder suspect Carlton Courtland Jones from the Lethem Police Station, days after his capture during a confrontation with law enforcement officers. His accomplice Rickford King also escaped. Jones, wanted for the 2022 murder of Aeriey Matthews and a string of cattle rustling cases, managed to flee custody on November 20, under circumstances now being investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
Jones, who had been shackled to a wheelchair due to injuries sustained during his arrest, escaped from the station's Enquiries Office around 01:05h. Jones, 28, was apprehended on November 18 along-
side his alleged accomplice, Rickford King, following a police operation along the Lethem/Kurupukari trail near Pirara Village, Central Rupununi. Acting on intelligence, officers intercepted the men traveling on a motorcycle. When the suspects failed to stop, a chase ensued, ending in a crash.
The pair, armed with machetes, reportedly attacked the officers, injuring
an inspector. Police allegedly discharged warning shots before subduing the suspects. Both men were treated for injuries at the Lethem Regional Hospital and later taken into custody.
While in detention, Jones managed to escape under unclear circumstances, prompting an internal investigation and a region-wide manhunt.
On Friday, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) issued a wanted bulletin for Jones, labeling him as dangerous and urging the public to assist in his recapture. Jones had been evading authorities for over two years before now.
However, in a statement on Saturday, the OPR said they are now investigating whether procedural lapses or negligence contributed to the escape. The three officers under close arrest are assisting with inquiries. (G9)
cars, and lorries. Violations such as the use of illegal window blinds, excessive tinting, and overloaded vehicles were among the key concerns addressed during the operation.
The police force has described the exercises in both regions as highly productive, reflecting their commitment to addressing common traffic offences that contribute to congestion and accidents. The crackdown reflects a broader initiative to reduce the reckless behaviours that contribute to congestion, accidents, and road fatalities.
President Dr Irfaan Ali recently expressed concern
over the alarming rate of road indiscipline, particularly among truck and public transportation drivers, and called for stricter penalties for repeat offenders.
Earlier this year, the Government announced amendments to traffic laws, significantly increasing fines for offences such as drunk driving and speeding. The updates have provided law enforcement with additional tools to hold drivers accountable and reduce the number of traffic-related incidents.
As the holiday season approaches, police have vowed to maintain a strong presence on the roads to ensure compliance and safeguard lives. (G9)
A37-year-old security guard, Herman Nicholas, was granted bail in the sum of $500,000 after he was slapped with a trafficking in persons charge.
Nicholas, a resident of Lot 113 Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara (ECD), appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It is alleged that he trafficked two Venezuelan women, ages 19 and 21, for the purpose of sexual exploitation between August 19 and 22, 2024.
The charges against Nicholas allege that he assisted in coercing the women into providing sexual services to clients at the Red Dragon Night Club, located on Robb Street in Georgetown. It is further claimed that he collected payments from clients for the services rendered by the women.
When Nicholas appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution,
Charged: Herman Nicholas
emphasising the gravity of the offence and the young ages of the victims, objected to bail. However, in the absence of any supporting evidence presented in court to substantiate the trafficking allegations, the Magistrate opted to grant Nicholas bail.
The bail was set at
$500,000, with $250,000 allocated to each of the two charges. Nicholas was also ordered to report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) every first and third Friday of the month. Nicholas is scheduled to return to court on December 4. (G9)
AWest Berbice (WCB), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) mother is hospitalised after being stabbed and chopped by her partner.
Injured is Leticia Reynolds of Number 30 Village, WCB. Reports are that the 23-year-old housewife was stabbed several times and chopped to her neck on Friday evening.
The incident took place at her home and the suspect is her fiancé – a 26-year-old corporal with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). The couple lived together.
Police said Reynolds lives with her five-yearold son and the GDF soldier. The corporal is stationed at Camp Ayanganna, Georgetown.
Reports are that on Friday evening the soldier went home at around 17:50h and accused Reynolds of permitting her son’s father to visit during his absence. She acknowledged the visit but told him that there was no interaction between her and him.
In a release the police said the corporal became fu-
rious and grabbed a knife from the kitchen, and held it to her neck, he then allegedly instructed her son to leave the premises, to which the child complied.
The soldier then proceeded to stab Reynolds multiple times on the left side of her face, below her left eye, on her finger, and in her right abdomen. Fearing for her life, she attempted to evade him by running around the house.
The angered man then picked up a cutlass from the kitchen and inflicted a chop wound to the woman's neck, resulting in significant bleeding before fleeing the
scene.
The injured woman sought help from a relative who took her to Fort Wellington Public Hospital. She was subsequently later transferred to New Amsterdam Public Hospital for further medical care.
Meanwhile, police said that the corporal subsequently walked into the Weldaad Police Station, identified himself as Philon Edwards and admitted that he had wounded the Reynolds. He was arrested and placed in custody. An investigation has been launched. (G4)
“Patently fabricated, concocted and malicious” – AG in $100M lawsuit against Melly Mel …says judgement could be passed in absentia
Attorney General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall has slapped Melissa Ann Atwell, also known as “Melly Mel,” with a $100 million lawsuit, becoming the second Government Minister in a matter of three months, to sue the overseas based Guyanese.
The AG filed the lawsuit in the High Court on Friday. According to the legal documents, the AG is seeking over $100 million in damages for libel. He is also seeking an injunction against Melly Mel to prevent her from continuing to publish these defamatory posts, as well as an order for her to remove the existing posts from her Facebook page.
In a statement, the AG noted that he was giving ‘Melly Mel’, who is resident in the United States of America (USA), an opportunity to return to Guyana to defend the case. This is particularly important since judgement could be passed in her absence if she doesn’t return.
“I am hereby providing Melissa Atwell with a glorious opportunity to appear before and establish to the satisfaction of an independent and impartial tribunal, the veracity of the many false and fabricated allegations she has made against me.”
“After all, it is the least I can do and Atwell deserves no less. I am attaching legal proceedings which I have filed today against Melissa Atwell in the High Court. Let the truth prevail,” Nandlall said in his statement.
In the statement of claim, Nandlall pointed out that Melly Mel has over 130,000 followers on her Facebook page. He also noted that the defendant has previously published defamatory statements that “are racist, inflammatory and incite racial violence amounting to criminal offences in Guyana.”
Further, the AG noted that she has libeled persons from the Government and public officers and even private sector individuals.
“As a result, the Government of Guyana, through its legal representative, the Claimant, in his capacity as AttorneyGeneral and Minister of Legal Affairs, has informed the nation that the Government of Guyana is working with the United States of America law en -
forcement agencies, and with law firms in America retained for the purpose of taking action against persons residing in the United States of America who publish similar and such
statements that can and are intended to cause public injury.”
According to the statement of claim, Nandlall had only recently concluded a retainer contract on behalf of the Government, with a US law firm. Nandlall intimated in the statement of claim that this was the catalyst for the defamatory statements she began to make against him on her Facebook page.
The statements, according to Nandlall, portrayed him as a thief, a murderer, and someone unfit to hold public office or practice law. These statements, Nandlall noted, were “patently fabricated, concocted and malicious”.
“The Claimant has never met the Defendant, never interacted with her, does not know her, and has no relationship whatsoever with the Defendant. His only knowledge of her is of her presence and her posts on Facebook, and accordingly, the entire smear campaign launched
against the claimant is based upon manufactured allegations, maliciously intended to destroy the claimant’s reputation and professional standing, and to lower his status in the estimation of his Cabinet colleagues, his political peers and indeed all right-thinking members of society,” Nandlall said in the statement of claim.
“The nine (9) publications made by the defendant that have been complained about in these proceedings have seriously and irreparably damaged and are likely to continue to seriously and irreparably damage, the reputation and standing of the Claimant 2024/68-HCSOC-DEM-CIV 2024/11/22 17:42 Page 25 of 27 26 among his Cabinet colleagues, his political peers and indeed all right-thinking members of society in Guyana, the Caribbean and throughout the world.”
Only in August, Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, had filed a $50 million lawsuit against Melissa Atwell, and Alliance For Change (AFC) Parliamentarian Sherod Duncan over defamatory statements made during a Facebook live programme, ‘Credible Sources’, on August 2, 2024.
Back in 2019, Atwell also had a $100 million lawsuit filed against her by the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital for tarnishing the hospital’s reputation via social media posts. And reports had emerged last year that several cybercrime charges had been filed against her with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) over her social media publications. The complainants had reportedly included politicians and senior police officers.
Saturday was a memorable day for Bartica resident, Britney Hendricks, who was among the 461 persons who graduated from the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) as it gave her a second chance to write the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams after dropping out of school in 2021.
“I dropped out of high school in 2021, which really hurt because I thought I’d never get the chance to write CXC again. However, when I heard about the Academic Upgrading programme, I decided to join. I did my subjects, and I did great. I am so happy—this is a huge accomplishment,” she said in her testimonial posted by the University of Guyana (UG) just before
her graduation. The young lady who graduated encouraged others, “don’t give up, no matter how old you are. If you keep going, you will eventually get it done.”
The ceremony on Saturday saw 130 males and 331 females graduating in various areas of study.
Speaking during the ceremony, UG Vice Chancellor Professor Paloma MohamedMartin charged the students to consider the importance of maintaining an equal balance of males and females, as this 35 per cent of men if continued can create a gradual imbalance within Guyana’s society.
“Oftentimes, when you have a class of so many women, which is wonderful—ku-
dos to that—there are very few young men who are winning these prizes. But this year, I noticed that while there is a predominance of women in the classes, and they are still winning most of the prizes, about 35 per cent of the prizes were won by young men,” she said. She further encour-
aged that the whole society should strive for balance.
“And I want to encourage you that as a society, we must aim for balance. We want our young women to find good young men, so they can, if they wish, be part of a family. And vice versa. When all the girls are educated but the men are not, we create an imbalance. So, we want balance on both sides.”
Amidst the imbalance, she relayed significant inspiration to the students present at the event.
She drew a powerful metaphor comparing giant animals often feeling boxed in zoos to graduates who may feel constrained by internal barriers, suggesting that students should not be limited by the belief that they cannot break free from whatever holds them back.
“For IDCE in particular, when I see your faces out here, I see many of you striving to break the kinds of bonds that may have been placed on you by many things…Some of you are here doing your second-chance mathematics and English to get into university. Some of you are tak-
ing makeup courses. But none of you are here because you didn’t break free from whatever it was that might have tried to hold you down. And that is absolutely amazing,” she stated whilst being greeted with a round of applause from the students.
On that note, she encouraged the students to reflect and examine all the things that would have held them back from pursuing their dreams.
“Write yourself a letter congratulating yourself. Write down everything that was a barrier to your success
today that you overcame. Write down the names of the people who said you could not do it, and thank them for creating a challenge for you to overcome.”
She also pointed out the importance of not just thinking about what they want to achieve, but articulating it first to themselves, and then writing it down. In her view, when doubts arise and threaten to make them forget about their goals, they have something concrete to focus on.
She emphasised the vast opportunities available, even for those who may come from humble beginnings.
“We have many, many companies and people in this country. You have so many examples of people here who came from nothing or very little, but their work ethic, what was going on in their hearts and minds, and their determination— that intrepidness—is what caused them to succeed.”
She added, “Among you, there are people who could do this. It may not be a big fancy conglomerate, but it could be an excellent catering business or a wonderful service for the elderly…This is a big area. A lot of people are looking for individuals to care for their elderly parents, especially those in the diaspora who don’t want to place them in homes overseas. There are so many opportunities in the country. Get together.”
On that point, she stressed the importance of networking with other graduates right at the event, as they could become future business partners.
“If you haven’t met each other yet, you’re from different parts of the country. Get
to know each other before you leave here today, because you never know, your business partner might actually be in the group somewhere else in the country. Having said these words, I always pray God’s blessings upon your lives.”
Proud and satisfied
Meanwhile, Hillary Chester, who graduated with a Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (COHS), said “from the beginning, I always wanted to be a safety officer, so pursuing this programme was a step towards my future career.
I’m glad there weren’t many obstacles. I always say, where there is a will,
there is a way, so I put my best foot forward, and now I’m graduating today [Saturday]. I feel awesome— it’s great to be graduating right now, I’m thinking about pursuing the Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, which will make me more marketable. I would encourage others by saying that it’s not about the beginning but the ending. How you start isn’t as important as how you finish.”
“I feel very proud and satisfied to be graduating today,” Monique John in her testimonial said.
“I was actually encouraged by my daughter, who is currently a student at the
University. She’s studying Pharmacy, and she encouraged me to study too. After this, I plan to move on to a programme in Occupational Health and Safety. This programme was a great experience, though I did face some small challenges. Sometimes we had internet issues, especially when submitting assignments or during exams. A slow internet connection could be frustrating. I remember having to redo my Math Paper 2 because of it. However, despite these challenges, it was all worth it,” John who graduated with a certificate in Industrial Relations & Management said. (G2)
Police in Region Six are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East CorentyneBerbice) fisherman.
The lifeless body of thirty-four-year-old Mitchell Benn was pulled from his pickup which was submerged in a canal on Saturday.
Benn would have lost control of his pickup and dove off the road and into a canal at Babu Jaan.
According to the police, they are investigating a ‘fatal incident’, which occurred at about on Saturday at Babu Jaan, Access Dam canal.
Benn owned the pickup he was driving at the time, GRR 9936. The incident occurred not far away from his Lot 203 Area R Ankerville Port Mourant,
Berbice home.
According to the police, Benn was proceeding west along an access dam at Babu Jaan allegedly at a fast rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle and ended up in a canal situated in a northwestern direction and submerged.
He was pulled from the vehicle in an unconscious condition and taken
to the Port Mourant Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Benn initially of Rose Hall Town had recently moved from his matrimonial home to his parents’ home at Port Mourant.
His body is at Ramoo’s Funeral Home, awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Investigations are continuing. (G4)
Two farmers were arrested on Saturday morning in the NorthWest District (NWD), Region One (Barima-Waini) after police found two unlicensed shotguns with matching ammunition at their respective properties – weapons which both suspects said were used for “protection and hunting”.
According to Police, at about 06:00h on Saturday, Commander of Regional Division #1, Superintendent Krishna Ramana, led a team of Police ranks to the home of Guy Wells, a 28-year-old farmer of Hotoquai Village, NWD, to conduct a search following information received that he had in his possession illegal firearms and substances. The search was conducted but no evidence of illegal substances or firearms was found at Wells’ residence. However, one of the detectives proceeded to search the suspect’s farmland, which is located a short distance from his home. In the presence of Wells, the Police discovered a single-barrel shotgun, which contained a live cartridge, hidden in some bushes. Additionally, Police found a black ‘fanny pack’ containing three live cartridges and two spent
The shotguns and ammo that police found on Saturday
cartridge shells.
Wells was asked if he held a licence for the firearm, to which he replied, “No.”
According to Police, he was informed of the offences committed which are possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence.
Police said that Wells responded, “Officer, I use this for my personal protection and for hunting.” He was subsequently arrested and placed in custody.
Based on further information received, ranks proceeded to the home of Herbert Williams, a 36-yearold farmer from Hotoquai Village, NWD. A search conducted at his residence did not yield any evidence of illegal substances or firearms. However, the Police conducted a search on his farm, also in his presence, and found a single-barrel shotgun.
Countries at the COP29 summit in Baku adopted a $300 billion a year global finance target on Sunday to help poorer nations cope with impacts of climate change, a deal its intended recipients roundly criticized as woefully insufficient.
The agreement, clinched in overtime at the two-week conference in Azerbaijan’s capital, was meant to provide momentum for international efforts to curb global warming in a year destined to be the hottest on record.
Some delegates gave the deal a standing ovation in the COP29 plenary hall, while others lambasted wealthy nations for not doing more and criticized the Azerbaijan host for hurriedly gavelling through the contentious plan.
Williams was asked if he held a licence for the firearm, and he too replied, “No.”
Williams disclosed that he had purchased the firearm for $10,000 from a man in Yarakita Village, NWD, a few years ago and used it for his protection and hunting.
Herbert Williams was then arrested. Both Guy Wells and Herbert Williams were escorted to the Mabaruma Police Station, along with the firearms and
“I regret to say that this document is nothing more than an optical illusion,” Indian delegation representative Chandni Raina told the closing session of the summit, minutes after the deal was gavelled in. “This, in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face. Therefore, we oppose the adoption of this document.” United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell acknowledged the difficult negotiations that led to the agreement, but hailed the outcome as an insurance policy for humanity against global warming.
“It has been a difficult journey, but we’ve delivered a deal,” Stiell said. “This deal will keep the clean energy boom growing and protect billions of lives.”
“But like any insurance policy – it only works – if the premiums are paid in full, and on time.” The agreement would provide $300 billion annually by 2030, boosting rich countries’ previous commitment to provide $100 billion per year in climate finance by 2020. That earlier goal was met two years late, in 2022, and expires in 2025.
The deal also lays the groundwork for next year’s climate summit, to be held in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, where countries are meant to map out the next decade of climate action.
The summit cut to the heart of the debate over financial responsibility of industrialized countrieswhose historic use of fossil fuels have caused the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions - to compensate others for worsening damage wrought by climate change.
It also laid bare divisions between wealthy governments constrained by tight domestic budgets and developing nations reeling from costs of storms, floods and droughts.
Negotiations had been due to finish on Friday, but ran into overtime as representatives from nearly 200 countries struggled to reach consensus. Talks were interrupted Saturday as some developing countries and island nations walked away from the table in frustration.
“We are leaving with a small portion of the funding climate-vulnerable countries urgently need. It isn’t nearly enough, but it’s a start,” said Tina Stege, Marshall Islands climate envoy.
Nations have been seeking financing to deliver on the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7F) above pre-industrial levels - beyond which catastrophic climate impacts could occur.
That target is slipping out of reach.
The world is currently on track for as much as 3.1C (5.6F) of warming by the end of this century, according to the 2024 U.N. Emissions Gap report, with global greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels use continuing to rise.
“I had hoped for a more ambitious outcome,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said of the COP29 deal. “But this agreement provides a base on which to build.”
The roster of countries required to contribute - about two dozen industrialised countries, including the U.S., European nations and Canada - dates back to a list decided during U.N. climate talks in 1992.
European governments have demanded others join them in paying in, includ-
ing China, the world’s second-biggest economy, and oil-rich Gulf states. The deal encourages developing countries to make contributions, but does not require them.
The agreement also includes a broader goal of raising $1.3 trillion in climate finance annually by 2035which would include funding from all public and private sources and which economists say matches the sum needed to address global warming.
Countries also agreed on rules for a global market to buy and sell carbon credits that proponents say could mobilise billions more dollars into new projects to help fight global warming, from reforestation to deployment of clean energy technologies. Securing the climate finance deal was a challenge from the start.
Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election victory this month has raised doubts among some negotiators that the world’s largest economy would pay into any climate finance goal agreed in Baku. Trump, a Republican who takes office in January, has called climate change a hoax and promised to again remove the U.S. from international climate cooperation.
Western governments have seen global warming slip down the list of national priorities amid surging geopolitical tensions, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and expanding conflict in the Middle East, and rising inflation.
The showdown over financing for developing countries comes in a year that scientists say is destined to be the hottest on record. Climate woes are stacking up in the wake of such extreme heat, with widespread flooding killing thousands across Africa, deadly landslides burying villages in Asia, and drought in South America shrinking rivers. Developed countries have not been spared. Torrential rain triggered floods in Valencia, Spain, last month that left more than 200 dead, and the U.S. so far this year has registered 24 billion-dollar disasters - just four fewer than last year. (Reuters)
Oil prices climbed about 1% on Friday, settling at a twoweek high, as the intensifying war in Ukraine this week boosted the market's geopolitical risk premium.
Brent LCOc1 futures rose 94 cents, or 1.3%, to settle at $75.17 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.14, or 1.6%, to settle at $71.24.
Both crude benchmarks were up about 6% for the week, their highest settlements since Nov. 7 as Moscow stepped up its Ukraine offensive after Britain and the U.S. allowed Kyiv to strike deeper into Russia with their missiles. "The RussiaUkraine escalation has raised geopolitical tensions beyond levels seen during the year-long conflict between Israel and Iran-backed militants," said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen.
President Vladimir Putin said Russia would keep testing its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in combat and had a stock ready for use. Russia fired the missile into Ukraine, prompted by Ukraine's use of U.S. ballistic missiles and British cruise missiles to hit Russia.
"What the market fears is accidental destruction in any part of oil, gas and refining that not only causes long-term damage but accelerates a war spiral," said PVM analyst John Evans.
The U.S., meanwhile, imposed new sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank as President Joe Bidenstepped up actions to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine before he leaves office on Jan. 20.
The Kremlin said the new U.S. sanctions were an attempt by Washington to hinder the export of Russian gas, but noted that a solution would be found. The U.S. also banned food, metals and other imports from about 30 more Chinese companies over alleged forced labor involving the Uyghurs. China, the world's biggest oil importer, announced policy measures this week to boost trade, including support for energy product imports, amid worries over U.S. Presidentelect Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs.
China's crude oil imports were set to rebound in November, according to analysts, traders and ship tracking data.
Oil imports also increased in India, the world's third biggest oil importer, as domestic consumption increased, according to government data. (Reuters)
Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, says that almost all market fires in the past year were caused by illegal electricity connections.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the ‘Local Government Expo,’ held at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on Wednesday.
“Within the last year, we have experienced more than seven major fires in markets across the country; 99 per cent of those fires were due to electrical short circuits,” McKenzie said. He highlighted two major fires in the Corporate Area earlier this week: one at the Pearnel Charles Arcade downtown and another at the Azan Supercentre warehouse located off Marcus
Garvey Drive.
The minister emphasised that the fire at the Pearnel Charles Arcade underscores ongoing concerns about fire safety in markets. He urged municipal corporations to take steps to eliminate illegal electricity connections in these spaces. He also commended the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) for their swift and effective response to recent incidents.
“This week has been a busy week for the JFB, and it is because of improvements in service and efficiency that they were able to respond in a meaningful way,” McKenzie said. The minister noted that having adequate resources, including fire trucks, played a critical role in the Brigade’s ability to respond quickly to the emergencies. (Jamaica Observer)
At least 20 people have been killed and 66 wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes on an apartment block in the densely populated Basta neighbourhood of central Beirut.
At least four bombs hit an eight-storey apartment building at about 4am on Saturday, without warning, producing blasts heard around the Lebanese capital. The strike levelled the building and destroyed seven smaller residential buildings in the surroundings, leaving meters-deep craters of rubble where the structures once stood.
Lebanon’s National News Agency said the strikes used bunker busters, and the sound of the explosions were similar to those heard when Israeli used the penetrative munition to kill the former head of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah, but the Guardian
was unable to independently verify these reports.
The target of the Israeli strikes was unclear. Israeli media reports offered the name of several high-level Hezbollah officials as possible targets, but a Hezbollah MP denied any member of the group was in the building at the time and Israeli authorities had yet to comment on the reason for the strike.
Rescuers were continuing to search for survivors, but were not optimistic that the dozens of people who went missing in the blast would be recovered alive.
“We are still just at the beginning of the rescue operations. I’m not sure anyone is alive underneath the rubble – this is the strongest strike I’ve seen,” a rescue worker said.
Abu Omar al-Safaa, a 55-year-old who lives in a building adjacent to the strike, spent all morning
digging through rubble to find his relatives who lived in the building.
“When I heard the strikes, I rushed here and tried to pull people out.
Only one person, my cousin, was pulled out alive. The rest were dead,” al-Safaa said, sitting down to take a rest. He lost two cousins in the strike and more of his relatives were missing.
Nearby buildings were
damaged, some of them rendered uninhabitable by the force of the explosion. Hassan, a 40-year-old resident of a building five metres away from the strike site, said he would be forced to live with his relatives elsewhere. He was still waiting for news of his neighbour, a Syrian couple with three children who were in the building at the time of the strike. (The Guardian)
French ambassador after Macron called its leaders ‘morons’
Haiti’s government has summoned the French ambassador to the country to protest about “unfriendly and inappropriate” comments from Emmanuel Macron, who was caught on camera calling the country’s leaders “morons”.
The French president had on Wednesday described the decision of the Caribbean country’s transitional presidential council to oust the prime minister earlier this month amid an escalation in gang warfare as “completely dumb”.
“Honestly, it is Haitians who killed Haiti by letting in drug trafficking,” Macron was filmed saying in Brazil, before hailing the ex-prime minister Garry Conille, who was ousted amid divisions with the council, as a great
leader.
“They are total morons, they should never have fired him,” he said.
His remarks sparked outrage in Haiti, a former French colony. After Haiti
freed itself from slavery and declared independence in 1804, it was forced to pay
France a “debt” for lost property – including slaves – over more than a century that some activists say amounted
to more than $100bn.
Activists are seeking French reparations for the debt, which many blame for Haiti’s centuries of economic and political turmoil.
The clip also shows the French president blaming Haitians for “letting drug trafficking take over”.
“Quite frankly, it was the Haitians who killed Haiti,” the French president said in the clip.
Conille, who before taking the prime minister post earlier this year had been a top UN official, was replaced by the entrepreneur and former senate candidate Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, a fresh blow to stability in a nation with a deeply fragmented political class while around half the population faces severe food insecurity. (The Guardian)
T&T insurance board pays out $1.75B more than it collected
The National Insurance Board of T&T (NIBTT) paid out $6.5 billion in benefits, while collecting $4.74 billion in contribution income in its financial year ended June 30 2024, Minister of Finance, Colm Imbert, told Parliament yesterday.
That left T&T's social insurance provider with a deficit of $1.75 billion, which was funded by NIBTT's investment portfolio.
The funding of the NIBTT's 2023/24 deficit resulted in its investment portfolio declining by $950
million, or 3.38 per cent, to $27 billion as at June 30, 2024.
"The decline in the portfolio's market value was mainly attributable to approximately $370 million in unrealised losses as well as the withdrawal of $1.96 billion to finance the National Insurance System (NIS) deficit during the financial year," said Imbert. He made the statement to Parliament on the report of NIBTT's audited financial statement for the financial year ended June 30, 2024. The report was laid in
Parliament yesterday.
Imbert said as at June 30, 2024, about 70 per cent of NIBTT's portfolio was invested in T&T, while the remaining 30 per cent more or less comprised investments held in North America.
He said the equity portion of NIBTT's investment portfolio stood at $17.06 billion or 63 per cent of the total fund size at the end of the financial year 2024.
"The Fund's locally listed equity portfolio under-performed its benchmark, the ALL T&T Index return of 5.16 per cent, by 385 basis
points, due to the portfolio's overweight positionto specific assets. However, the international equity portfolio continued to be the main driver of the National Insurance Fund advancing by approximately 23.97 per cent," said Imbert.
"The NIBTT's fixed income portfolio decreased by 18.40 per cent or $1.62 billion to $7.18 billion with a weighted average purchased yield to maturity of 5.06 per cent as at June 30, 2024," Imbert said. (Excerpted from T&T Guardian)
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
GEMINI (MAY 21June 20)
(June 21July 22)
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) (March 21April 19) LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
Rethink your next move. Someone will wait for you to make a mistake or take on too much. Excessive behavior will hold you back, but if you use your energy positively, you can deploy a cost-efficient plan. Concentrate on domestic matters, home and changes that make your life simpler. Positive actions will encourage positive results. Make self-care a priority.
Tunnel vision will set you back. Forward movement will point you in a direction that soothes your soul and encourages you to let go of any negativity. Make your voice heard, be specific and do what’s best for you. Avoid emotional reactions, impulsive spending and conjecture. Gather the facts before you share information. Be innovative and search for feasible solutions that benefit everyone involved.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19) LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
PISCES
(Feb. 20Mar. 20)
Determine what you want to accomplish and put your energy into making progress. Surround yourself with like-minded people and organizations that you believe in.
Keep the peace when dealing with family matters or expenses. A civil conversation will help you put an end to arguing. Something you won’t be able to fix with words will require you to make a tough choice.
Get out, participate and chitchat with people who offer a unique perspective on life, love and achieving peace of mind. An opportunity to get together with old friends or relatives will lead to exciting suggestions.
Time spent getting your place in order and ready for the festive season will give you a sense of accomplishment. Trust your intuition and follow your heart.
If you try to wing it, someone will test you by observing what you say and do. Concentrate on facts and on building up others. A positive attitude will get you where you need to go.
Express your feelings and address issues involving family or finances. Offering a vision regarding your plans will help initiate positive change. A celebration is in order.
Look for an opportunity, and something scrumptious will tempt your appetite for change. Channel your energy and focus on what’s meaningful to you. Adjustments to your lifestyle will give you the boost you need. It’s OK to hesitate if something is troubling you. Don’t trust secondhand information or offers that sound too good to be true. Choose what’s best for you.
Following disclosure made in another section of the media, that the top teams in the Guyana Football Federation KFC Elite League have not yet been paid, fast food giant KFC, as sponsor of the tournament’s title, has distanced itself from that situation by disseminating a statement wherein it has absolved itself of the drama surrounding the payment delays.
The KFC missive reads:
“KFC Guyana, the proud title sponsor of the KFC Elite League, is committed to supporting the growth and development of football in Guyana. Our sponsorship aims to enhance the experience for players, fans and stakeholders, while promoting fair competition and fostering local talent.
“It has come to our attention, via Stabroek News
Article dated November 22nd, 2024, that prize remunerations for the recently concluded KFC Elite League
have not yet been disbursed by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).
“We wish to clarify that KFC Guyana, as a sponsor, plays no role in the management or distribution of prizes. These responsibilities rest solely with the tournament organizers.
“We are deeply concerned about the potential negative impact this situation may have on the league's reputation and, by extension, on our brand. As a sponsor, we expect all commitments and obligations to participants to be honoured in a timely and professional manner.
Umar Kremlev, President of the International Boxing Association (IBA), has congratulated Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle on his re-election to the helm of the local fraternity.
Kremlev’s congratulatory message, conveyed in an official press statement on Friday, declared: “Please accept my sincere congratulations on the elections in Guyana, resulting in which you were re-elected as the President of the Guyana Boxing Association. This is a momentous achievement and a testament to the confidence and trust placed in you by the members of the association. I remain confident about the future of boxing in Guyana, and I congratulate you on your re-election, wishing you all the very best and great success during your new term in office. I look forward to meeting you again in the very near future.”
Incumbent president Steve Ninvalle and his executive committee were elected unopposed following the staging of the GBA electoral congress at the National
Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue in Georgetown. This experienced administrator has been elected to serve for another four-year cycle following a unanimous decision by the clubs under the jurisdiction of the entity.
Other members re-elected are: First Vice-President Dr. Marissa Parris, Second Vice-President Lt. Col. Gordon Nedd, Third VicePresident Carl Graham, Secretary Stacy Correia, Treasurer Dexter Patterson, and Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer Seon Bristol. Ninvalle has made the following disclosure in regard to the President of the International Boxing
Federation: “President Umar Kremlev has been instrumental in the global development of the amateur component of the discipline. Advancements in primary areas: such as competitions, coaching and refereeing certifications, and increased prize pools, which in the medium and long terms have made this segment of boxing even more lucrative and prestigious, (are due to his influence). His acknowledgement is a recognition and a vote of confidence in the work that is being undertaken in Guyana. This will only serve to strengthen and invigorate our efforts to propel the sport to higher levels.”
“We therefore encourage the GFF to resolve this matter promptly and transparently, as such issues can erode trust and deter future support for local football.
“KFC remains steadfast in its support for football in Guyana, and we reaffirm our dedication to advancing the sport through ethical and constructive partnerships.”
Responding to the article in question on Friday, the GFF has made known its intention to pay out the prize money this month, and has thus explained, “The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) wishes to address
the article published in the Stabroek News regarding the payment of prize mon ies for the recently con cluded Season 6 of the Elite League.
“The GFF acknowledg es that the presentation of prizes has not yet been held. We are pleased to inform stakeholders that plans are underway to conduct the prize presentation within the month of November.
“We also confirm that all of our sponsors, includ ing the title sponsor, have fully honoured their commitments - both financial and otherwise - to the Elite League. This is a testament to the strong partnerships we maintain with our sponsors, whose support remains invaluable to the growth and development of football in Guyana.
mitment to enabling the sustained participation and growth of our Elite League Clubs.
“It is important to highlight that the Elite League is a key element of FIFA’s compliance criteria for member associations, with specific funding provisions assigned for its execution.
The GFF has fully met these criteria for Season 6, which included hosting 10 participating teams, playing no fewer than 90 matches over six months.
“In addition, the GFF is among the few FIFA Member Associations that provide substantial funding to support its Elite League
“We remain dedicated to working closely with our clubs to ensure their continued development and success. We thank all clubs for their patience and ongoing support as we finalize the arrangements for the prize presentation.
“The GFF reiterates its commitment to advancing football in Guyana and ensuring transparency and accountability in all our operations.”
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) FC earned their second Elite League title in as many years when the tournament concluded in August, while newcomers Slingerz FC, who returned to the League only this year, copped the second position.
The Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) National T20 League under the patronage of His Excellency Dr Irfaan Ali culminated under lights at the National Stadium at Providence on Saturday.
It has seen flourishing results for national under-19 bowler Myhiem Khan, who proved to be a clinical force in the tournament.
Representing the Essequibo Jaguars, Khan was lethal with the ball, and even though his team didn't win the championship, they finished as runners-up. Moreover, he won the tournament's “most catches award” and led his side to a three-wicket victory in their last group match, taking four wickets for 33 runs.
In a comment invited by this publication, Khan expounded on the experience he gained in the tournament, and declared that belief was the key to his performances.
Khan said, “A lot of experience, I would say, because it's a bigger league than I usually play in, club cricket. And I did well in the T20, so in youth cricket now, I'll dominate, because the little advice and little things that I did in the T20 worked for me. So, I'm going to just continue doing it, and continue being good.
“The key to my perfor-
mance was nothing too hard; it was just one word: ‘belief’. Because I always believe, and I always think that once I believe in myself, I can do good in anything I want to,” Khan detailed. He went on to emphasize that fitness and patience are personal improvements he has to make in order to continue to make an invaluable impact at the senior level.
(Omar McKenzie)
Amaiden Test century for Justin Greaves headlined a dominant day for West Indies against Bangladesh on day two of the Antigua Test. After his 115 helped West Indies post 450 for 9, West Indies bookended the day with two Bangladesh wickets, leaving the visitors 410 behind with eight wickets in hand. It was a fine recovery for the West Indies after they had slipped to 261 for 7 despite an overnight score of 250 for 5.
Greaves shared a 140run eighth-wicket stand with Kemar Roach, who batted for more than four hours to produce 47, the highest Test score in his 15-year career; and his unbeaten 115 justified his Super50s form, when he struck three consecutive centuries earlier this month. He made a very patient effort, striking just four boundaries in his 206-
West Indies declared with Bangladesh needing to bat out a maximum time of an hour and 45 minutes. But there was no respite for them against the four-man
ball stay, and it was the perfect follow-up after Alick Athanaze and Mikyle Louis, both falling in the nineties on the opening day, had laid the foundation before.
Bangladesh continued to give away strong positions with the ball, toiling for 144.1 overs, but unable to bowl out the home side.
Hasan Mahmud took three wickets, all of them on the second day. Taskin Ahmed toiled hard, and even found the edge of Greaves's bat once, but nobody appealed. The spinners, stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam, shared three wickets from their combined 73.1 overs.
West Indian pace attack. Zakir Hasan fell for 15 after he had under-edged a
5 shortly after he was dropped on the same score.
It was a long way from the start of the day for the visitors, having started the day in the best possible way by taking two early wickets.
Mahmud removed Joshua Da Silva with the fifth ball of the morning session, trapped lbw with a delivery that darted into his front pad. This was Mahmud's first wicket in the game, despite bowling well on the first day. It was also his 24th wicket this year, making him the highest wicket-taker in a calendar year among Bangladesh's pace bowlers.
That number became 25 when Alzarri fell in Mahmud's next over. Zakir took a superb two-handed catch at gully reminiscent of how he opened the Pakistan tour with Abdullah Shafique's catch at gully in August.
However, if Bangladesh had sensed they had their opening to bowl out West Indies for under 300 runs, that was blunted by Roach. He was the right type of foil for Greaves, who was willing to grind out the Bangladesh attack. Greaves handed the strike to Roach from time to time, as the pair didn't allow any more wickets in the first session. There were only two boundaries in those 26 overs too, but that hardly bothered the home side, who needed a recovery.
Greaves started the second session with his third boundary when he pulled Taskin through midwicket. He, however, survived a caught-behind chance on 77 with neither Taskin nor wicketkeeper Jaker Ali (who
It was followed by a rain break of seven minutes, after which Roach slammed Mehidy over his head for his first boundary.
was deputizing for Litton Das after the first session) hearing a faint nick. it was only a replay on the big screen that showed what Bangladesh had missed out on.
Shortly afterwards, a Roach single brought up the team's maiden century partnership for the eighth wicket against Bangladesh.
Mahmud finally removed Roach with a fine angling delivery that clipped the top of his middle-stump. Their 140-run stand was West Indies' third-highest for the eighth wicket.
Greaves soon reached his century with his fourth boundary shot, driving Taijul through the covers. It was potentially his best shot of the innings, and the
9-438 (Jayden Seales, 142.2 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W
Hasan Mahmud 27-3-87-3
Shoriful Islam 18-4-53-0
Taskin Ahmed 26-3-76-2
Taijul Islam 38-7-111-1
Mehidy Hasan Miraz 35.1-5-99-2
Bangladesh 1st Innings
Mahmudul Hasan Joy c Athanaze
b AS Joseph 5
Zakir Hasan
b Seales 15
Mominul Haque not out 7
Shahadat Hossain not out 10
Extras (lb 2, nb 1) 3
Total 20 Ov (RR: 2.00) 40/2
Yet to bat: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Litton Das †, Jaker Ali, Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Zakir
3.12) 450/9d
Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Kraigg Brathwaite, 13.3 ov), 2-25 (Keacy Carty, 15.5 ov), 3-84 (Kavem Hodge, 37.3 ov), 4-224 (Mikyle Louis, 74.2 ov), 5-228 (Alick Athanaze, 77.4 ov), 6-253 (Joshua Da Silva, 84.5 ov), 7-261 (Alzarri Joseph, 86.2 ov), 8-401 (Kemar Roach, 134.3 ov),
landmark was only his second first-class ton. West Indies declared in the 145th over of their innings, after their tailenders Seales and Shamar Joseph had struck some meaty blows. That left enough time for the bowlers to have a crack, which they did successfully. (ESPNCricinfo)
The Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) are intent on producing ‘something special’ in the inaugural ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League T20 tournament -- the first stand-alone event of its kind in South America. With the Amazon Warriors team now assembled, the players took to the Guyana National Stadium at Providence on Friday night for their first practice session, and according to Head Coach Prassana Agoram, match simulations were conducted.
In a comment to media operatives, Coach Agoram detailed what the team was able to achieve in that ses-
sion. “The most important thing is to make sure that there’re a lot of new additions to the team. We need to make sure that we master the conditions here. If you see this particular CPL, the pitch was slightly up and down; even for us, we got a little bit of a time to get adjusted, even though we played well. We want to make sure to get the match simulations and everything; guys understand the conditions, how to pace the innings as batting and bowling is concerned,” Agoram ex-
plained.
He further clarified, “So, it’s a match simulation. To be very honest with you, it’s all about what is going to be the average score, based on the pitches we are going to get. Be it 170, be it 180, we are going to break it into phases. Sometimes you say, ‘We’re going to get 180’. That puts pressure on the batsman right from ball one. The boys responded very well.”
One thing that Agoram is eager to witness again is the massive support that Guyanese fans gave to the
Pakistan’s Lahore Qalandars and Bangladesh’s Rangpur Riders are the most recent teams to arrive for the inaugural ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) T20 tournament, which bowls off next Tuesday.
After lengthy travel, the teams arrived in the Land of Many Waters on Friday night and Saturday morning respectively, and have both been warmly greeted by representatives of the Guyana Tourism Authority. In the case of the Qalandars, Guyanese and West Indian legend Sir Clive Lloyd was even on hand to meet the team.
Amazon Warriors. He especially pointed out that President Dr. Irfaan Ali even backed the team.
Agoram shared, “I’ve been to every single global league in the world, and the first time I came here, in 2023, my captain told me, ‘You’re going to see a vibe there’. I was thinking, What kind of a vibe I’m going to get here?’ But let me tell you, this is my second home with the kind of support we get here!
“The President of Guyana in attendance for
each and every game, cheering for each and every run, makes it very special. We’re bound to give something very special for him for the Guyana Super League,” Agoram vowed.
Quizzed on whether he believes the hosts can keep the trophy at home, Agoram responded in the affirmative, and detailed his two goals for the season. “Definitely! To win the tournament, that is going to be the ambition everyone wants to drive on; and the second (is) I want to make sure a lot of youngsters
there, I want to make sure what they learn from here gets their game promoted to the next level. So it’s going to be two ambitions for me: one, to win the tournament just for the people around Guyana; and to make sure that we entertain people and people learn what exactly it is to go to the next level,” he responded.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors will kick off the blockbuster event in a clash with Pakistan’s Lahore Qalandars on Tuesday, November 26, from 19:00hrs.
Three thrilling games are on the cards for the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground today, as the Republic Bank Under-18 Schools Football League takes centre stage with the penultimate round today.
One can expect spirited performances as teams scramble for points to either save face in the tournament or make a case for the top two spots, the winners of which would reap sweet rewards next month.
Today’s football action will begin with South Ruimveldt taking on President’s College from 13:00hrs. Either team is yet to bag an outright victory in the 5 rounds contested thus far, but South Ruimveldt are ahead of their opponents, having drawn two of their encounters for 2 points thus far.
The following game will see West Ruimveldt Secondary and East Ruimveldt Secondary doing battle from 15:00hrs. Although they possess a scary goal difference at the moment, East Ruimveldt were able to turn their fortunes around in the last round, bagging their first victory. On the other hand, West Ruimveldt had a strong start to the tournament, but have slacked off in the past two rounds. As such, the second match today is one in which both teams are looking for redemption.
Then at 17:00hrs, the tournament’s defend-
A glimpse of what to expect in the Republic Bank U18 League today
ing champions, Chase’s Academic Foundation, will come up against Waramuri Secondary.
Waramuri lost their first game of the tournament last week, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Dolphin Secondary; but this clash would be interesting to witness since Chase’s Academy would be without many of their key players and their Head Coach, who are on National duties in Suriname as part of a friendly international series.
Their leading man, Bryan Wharton, and his trusted sidekick Omar Sam are expected to suit up for the dominant force in Guyana’s schools’ football circuit, but the question that remains unanswered is: will they be enough for Chase
to maintain their victorious streak?
As expected, Chase’s Academy currently lead the league with a perfect 15 points from 5 games played and an impressive goal difference of 26. Dolphin Secondary trail closely behind, being also unbeaten in 5 rounds, but possessing a goal difference of 15. Waramuri Secondary are in the third position with 12 points from 5 games. at the bottom of the table is President’s College, having lost all of their 5 games under new management in this tournament.
The Republic Bank U18 League is also supported by Guyana Beverage Inc under their Busta brand, and by Tiger Rentals and MVP Sports.
The Championship Trophy for the inaugural ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) T20 – design of which has been inspired by Guyana’s 276 discovered waterfalls, including the magnificent Kaieteur Falls, the largest single drop waterfall in the world -- has been unveiled by none other than President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali himself.
Earlier this week, he showed the GSL T20 Trophy to Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at a cricket event during his State Visit to Guyana. Coincidentally, this GSL T20 Championship Trophy has been designed by Indian company Loka Lifestyle.
Also present to witness the trophy’s unveiling were legends of the game Sir Clive Lloyd and Alvin Kallicharran, alongside a number of other former and current players, including a few who would be suiting up for the Guyana Amazon Warriors next week.
Sir Clive Lloyd, Chairman of GSL, has said: “The Global Super League is South America’s first stand-alone T20 tournament, and is a
fantastic opportunity to showcase beautiful Guyana to the rest of the world. With that in mind, it is very fitting that the trophy highlights Kaieteur Falls, one of the most stunning landmarks in the region. We are looking forward to seeing which of the five competing teams will claim the trophy on 6th December.”
The ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, which will see teams from Australia, Bangladesh, England, Guyana and Pakistan competing for the trophy and a US$1million prize pool, will bowl off on Tuesday, November 26, and last until Friday, December 6, with games being played exclusively at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The first game of the tournament will see local franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors taking on Pakistan’s Lahore Qalandars.
Tickets are available in Georgetown, Essequibo and Berbice.
