• Thursday February 21 2019. • Vol 37, #12 • Serving the community for 36 years. www.equalitynews.ca SERVING, CARIBBEAN, EAST ASIANS, GUYANESE, JAMAICANS, TRINIS AND MORE. 416 759 6397 ADVERTISING THAT BRINGS RESULTS Join our many satisfied clients who know that ads in Equality News work. Call for rates: Marie 416-759-2359 or Bhaskar at 647-216-2359 150 Lawson Road, Toronto ON M1C 2J4 GECOM defies constitution, says it is Thursday May 30 2019 • Volume 37, Issue #27 See full report inside on Page 4 EQUALITY TRAVEL Your first stop to the Caribbean 416-759-2359 1 & 2 MUDLOT WATER STREET, KINGSTON, GEORGETOWN, GUYANA. TEL: 592- 226-5513-4 | 226-5314-5 | 226-4113 FAX: 592- 226-5517 | BUJU IN GUYANA: Jamaican reggae superstar, Mark Myrie, popularly known as Buju Banton, visited the communities of Leopold Street, Charlestown and Tiger Bay in Georgetown, and Victoria on the East Coast Demerara, where he interacted with young people. His mes- sage for them: “Badness is not it”. The singer, pictured here with Di- rector General in the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, was a special guest for Guyana Carnival. Edward Seaga dead on 89th birthday The bright light that characterised the life of former Jamaica Prime Minister Ed- ward Phillip George Seaga faded Tuesday in sync with the last heartbeat of an illustrious life that symbolically ended on his 89th birthday. Seaga, Jamaica's fifth prime minister, former leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), succumbed to one of mankind's bitter enemies — cancer. Born May 28, 1930 in Boston, Massa- chusetts, USA, Seaga drew the curtain on his innings around 1:00 pm as medical per- sonnel at the Florida hospital, which accom- modated him for over a week, ran out of all options to prolong the life of a man who was revered by a vast number of Jamaicans for several decades. Prime Minister Andrew Holness an- nounced in Parliament that Seaga's body will be flown back to Jamaica for a state fu- neral on a date to be determined. Although he was not born on the land that he loved with a passion, Seaga was taken to Jamaica at age six months by his fa- ther Phillip George, a Lebanese/Jamaican, and mother Erna Maxwell — a woman of Jamaican/African, Indian, and Scottish her- itage — fully immersing him into the Ja- maican culture to which he would contribute greatly to changing in future years. By 1948, Seaga enrolled at the highly- acclaimed Harvard University, from which he graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences. Upon his return to Jamaica shortly after, Seaga entered the music industry, pro- moting some of Jamaica's foremost artistes, including Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, before being appointed to the Legislative Council (renamed the Senate in 1962) as an Opposition member in 1959, aged 29, mak- ing him the youngest member ever. An original member of the team that crafted the Jamaica Constitution in 1961, Seaga, shortly after he was appointed sena- tor, moved into Kingston Westerrn, the con- stituency he would rule, politically, for 43 years, up to his retirement from elective pol- itics in 2005. The failing health of JLP founder and leader Sir Alexander Busta- mante opened the door for a new successor, and Seaga emerged as that man in 1974. But he had to wait six years later to become Ja- maica's fifth prime minister after the JLP won in the bloody 1980 General Election that resulted in the deaths of more than 800 people. (Continued on Page 4) Former Jamaica PM helped craft island’s constitution
Transcript
• Thursday February 21 2019. • Vol 37, #12 • Serving the community for 36 years. www.equalitynews.ca
SERVING, CARIBBEAN, EAST ASIANS, GUYANESE, JAMAICANS, TRINIS AND MORE. 416 759 6397
ADVERTISING THAT BRINGS RESULTS Join our many satisfied clients who know that ads in Equality News work.Call for rates: Marie 416-759-2359 or Bhaskar at 647-216-2359
150 Lawson Road, TorontoON M1C 2J4
GECOM defies constitution, says it isnot preparing for Guyana elections
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has spo-ken. It is not ready for General and Regional Elections andwill not be any time soon.
This position was officially taken on Tuesday by way ofa vote.
The Commission voted on three motions in the name ofA Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Commissioner,Charles Corbin.
The first motion considered was one calling for PresidentDavid Granger to be informed that GECOM cannot be readyfor elections within the 90 days that the constitution pre-scribes in event that a motion of no-confidence is passedagainst the government.
GECOM recorded two People’s Progressive Party (PPP)Commissioners voting against that motion and one Commis-
sioner abstaining. The three APNU Commissioners voted infavour of the motion and so it was carried.
Second, the Commission considered a motion that re-solved to let it be registered that GECOM is not financiallyable to hold elections in the short term. All three PPP Com-missioners voted against while APNU Commissioners votedfor the motion. GECOM Chairman, Justice James Pattersonvoted with APNU Commissioners. That motion was there-fore carried. Third, the Commission considered a motion thatgave direction to GECOM Secretariat for it to continue withits work programme for 2019, as it were before the passageof the no-confidence motion. That motion was passed, too,in the same fashion that the second was passed.
See Editorial, Page 6GECOM chairman James Patterson
BUJU IN GUYANA: Jamaican reggae superstar, Mark Myrie, popularlyknown as Buju Banton, visited the communities of Leopold Street,Charlestown and Tiger Bay in Georgetown, and Victoria on the EastCoast Demerara, where he interacted with young people. His mes-sage for them: “Badness is not it”. The singer, pictured here with Di-rector General in the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, wasa special guest for Guyana Carnival.
Edward Seaga deadon 89th birthday
The bright light that characterised thelife of former Jamaica Prime Minister Ed-ward Phillip George Seaga faded Tuesday insync with the last heartbeat of an illustriouslife that symbolically ended on his 89thbirthday.
Seaga, Jamaica's fifth prime minister,former leader of the Jamaica Labour Party(JLP), succumbed to one of mankind's bitterenemies — cancer.
Born May 28, 1930 in Boston, Massa-chusetts, USA, Seaga drew the curtain onhis innings around 1:00 pm as medical per-sonnel at the Florida hospital, which accom-modated him for over a week, ran out of alloptions to prolong the life of a man who wasrevered by a vast number of Jamaicans forseveral decades.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness an-nounced in Parliament that Seaga's bodywill be flown back to Jamaica for a state fu-neral on a date to be determined.
Although he was not born on the landthat he loved with a passion, Seaga wastaken to Jamaica at age six months by his fa-ther Phillip George, a Lebanese/Jamaican,and mother Erna Maxwell — a woman ofJamaican/African, Indian, and Scottish her-itage — fully immersing him into the Ja-
maican culture to which he would contributegreatly to changing in future years.
By 1948, Seaga enrolled at the highly-acclaimed Harvard University, from whichhe graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor ofArts degree in Social Sciences.
Upon his return to Jamaica shortlyafter, Seaga entered the music industry, pro-moting some of Jamaica's foremost artistes,including Byron Lee and the Dragonaires,before being appointed to the LegislativeCouncil (renamed the Senate in 1962) as anOpposition member in 1959, aged 29, mak-ing him the youngest member ever.
An original member of the team thatcrafted the Jamaica Constitution in 1961,Seaga, shortly after he was appointed sena-tor, moved into Kingston Westerrn, the con-stituency he would rule, politically, for 43years, up to his retirement from elective pol-itics in 2005. The failing health of JLPfounder and leader Sir Alexander Busta-mante opened the door for a new successor,and Seaga emerged as that man in 1974. Buthe had to wait six years later to become Ja-maica's fifth prime minister after the JLPwon in the bloody 1980 General Electionthat resulted in the deaths of more than 800people. (Continued on Page 4)
Former Jamaica PM helped craft island’s constitution
2 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
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From Page One
Seaga remains the longest-servingMember of Parliament, with 10 consec-utive election victories.
His Cabinet appointments in-cluded Minister of Development andWelfare from 1962 to 1967, and Minis-ter of Finance and Planning followingthe death of Sir Donald Burns Sangsterin 1967. During his tenure as primeminister from 1980 to 1989 he againserved as minister of finance.
Starting Jamaica Festival in 1963and spearheading the move to have Na-tional Hero Marcus Mosiah Garvey'sbody flown back to Jamaica in 1964 forreburial at National Heroes' Park (thenGeorge V Memorial Park), and the cre-ation of the Creative Production andTraining Centre in 1986 were amonghis most notable achievements.
A lifelong sportsman, Seaga waschairman of the Premier League Play-ers Association, president of TivoliGardens Football Club, Netball Cluband Basketball Club.
One of his cherished infrastruc-tural developments, though, was theTivoli Gardens housing project — amajor transformation of the then Back-
O-Wall settlement in West Kingstonthat thousands called home.
Seaga retired from active politicson January 18, 2005 after more thanfour decades of a stellar career asleader of the JLP and member of parlia-ment for Kingston Western,
He has published extensively onvarious topics and issues from 1954 to2012.
Seaga married Marie Elizabeth“Mitsy” Constantine, a former Miss Ja-maica (World) in 1965, but that unionended in divorce in 1995. Sons Christo-pher, Andrew, and daughter Anabellewere products of that marriage.
Following his divorce, Seaga mar-
ried Carla Vendryes on June 14, 1996.The marriage produced daughterGabrielle, who was born on September16, 2002.
The recipient of several local, re-gional and international awards, includ-ing Jamaica's second highest, the Orderof the Nation in 2002, Seaga also re-ceived five honorary degrees fromUnited States universities.
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Seaga was longest-servingmember of Jamaican Parliament
5 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
Toronto police have had access tofacial recognition software since lastMarch, and say it can find a possiblesuspect from a surveillance camera orwitness image from a crime scene ap-proximately 50 per cent of the time.
A report to be considered by theToronto Police Services Board thisThursday says police bought the sys-tem from NEC America at a cost of$452,000.
It compares photos and screen-grabs from videos against the TPSdatabase of approximately 1.5 millionmugshots.
In one instance, the new facialrecognition system was used to identifyDean Lisowick, a victim of convictedserial killer Bruce McArthur, who in-vestigators had a difficult time posi-tively identifying after his remainswere discovered.
The use of facial recognition soft-ware in law enforcement has met sig-nificant criticism.
A study completed in part by aUniversity of Toronto researcher earlierthis year found the rate of error forAmazon’s facial recognition system in-creased as the subject’s skin shadegrew darker. It also had more troublewith women’s faces than with men’s.
It found that Amazon’s systemmisidentified dark-skinned women asmen close to a third of the time.
Amazon markets its system to law
enforcement agencies but it is not theone used by Toronto police.
In the report, police say the use ofa facial recognition is supported by
criminal legislation and the Charter,and that they will not use the system toactively “conduct, real-time facialrecognition comparisons at majorevents, such as concerts or sportingevents.”
They say the system is used togenerate “potential candidates” and ar-rests are only made after additionalsupporting evidence is secured. Policealso say they will not use any othermugshot image database beyond theirown.
The system cannot provide a sug-gested identity when the image is tooblurry or a suspect’s face is concealed,but officers were still able to use it tomake arrests.
During the last nine months of2018, the system was used to analyzeabout 5,000 crime images. In about3,000 of those, it identified a potentialcandidate for further investigation.
Of the 3,000 candidate images, ap-proximately 2,400 of those images “ledto the identification of the criminals re-sponsible for these criminal offences.”
The offences where the systemwas used in 2018 included four homi-cides, numerous sexual assaults and alarge number of shootings.
Rate of error with the software increases with dark-skinned women
Toronto cops using facial recognition software
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has re-versed this year's cuts to municipal fund-ing, including child care, public healthand EMS, but future cuts will continueas planned.
"We're a government that listens,"Ford told reporters outside his office atQueen's Park Monday morning. "We'regoing to give the mayors more time.We're going to work with them."
The Progressive Conservative gov-ernment has been under increasing pres-sure in recent weeks over fundingchanges first revealed in its springbudget. The City of Toronto has said it'slosing millions in funding for everythingfrom public health to child care to para-medics.
More than 31,000 people inToronto signed a petition demanding theprovince reverse the cuts, which were re-vealed after the city passed its 2019budget.
"This is a very good announce-ment," said Municipal Affairs MinisterSteve Clark. "It's being very responsiveto what our municipal partners are say-ing."
The cuts, combined with the can-
cellation of an increase to municipalities'share of the gas tax, mean local govern-ments would be out well over half a bil-lion dollars annually.
The City of Toronto had said thecuts would have a significant negativeimpact on the public. The total cutsamounted to $177 million in 2019, city
officials said.In addition to direct cuts, that cal-
culation also included a proposed shiftin the existing cost-sharing model.Under the current system, programs de-livered by Toronto Public Health arefunded 75 per cent by the province and25 per cent by the city.
The Tories planned to reduce thatsplit to 60-40, then to 50-50 in 2021. Thegovernment now says it will maintainthe current model while municipalitiesreview their books.
In a statement, Toronto Mayor JohnTory thanked Ford for reversing the cuts,adding that both governments must worktogether more closely before Ontario's2020 budget.
"This must be done in a prudent,collaborative manner that does not im-pact the vital services that people inToronto rely on each and every day,"Tory wrote. "This can only be done if wework together."
While Toronto Board of Healthchair Joe Cressy said the government"did the right thing" by reversing thecuts, he said the impact may only havebeen delayed until next year.
"We must all continue to stand upand speak out to ensure future cuts to ourvital public health and child-care serv-ices do not proceed," he said in a state-ment.
While Ford said he's still calling onmunicipalities to reduce their spending,he acknowledged some will need moretime to do so.
"We're willing to work with them togive them more runway," he said.
"Are we right a 1,000 per cent oftime? I wish we were right 1,000 percent of the time," Ford added.
Ontario has 444 municipalities, andmany expressed concern about the fund-ing cuts.
"On behalf of Ontario's big-citymayors, I want to thank the premier andMinister Clark for listening to our con-cerns and responding," wrote CamGuthrie, mayor of Guelph and the chairof the Large Urban Mayors' Caucus ofOntario (LUMCO).
"Now we have the time to come tothe table with the province and figure outhow to do this in a way that best protectsour local residents and the services theydepend on," he added.
Doug Ford
Doug Ford backs down onfunding cuts to municipalities
6 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
The decision by Guyana Attorney Gen-eral Basil Williams to file two appeals ofthe decision by Chief Justice RoxanneGeorge-Wiltshire’s findings that last De-cember’s No-confidence vote against thegovernment was constitutional, is graspingat straws.
“The Honourable Chief Justice Rox-anne George-Wiltshire erred and misdi-rected herself in law when she ruled thatthe motion of no-confidence upon a divi-sion vote of 33:32 members of the NationalAssembly was validly passed as the requi-site majority of all the elected members ofthe National Assembly, pursuant to article106 (6) of the constitution,” the AttorneyGeneral contends in his appeal.
In her decision, CJ George-Wiltshireexplained that in getting a majority, oneside must acquire one more than the otherside. An absolute majority, she said, asspecified by the constitution, is a majority
of all Members of Parliament present re-gardless if they are present or not. Thechief justice concluded that an absolute ma-jority is 33.
As such, she ruled, the motion was con-stitutionally allowed, and therefore legal.This means that the Granger governmentmust abide by the constitution, which saysthey must step down and call electionswithin 90 days of the date of the no confi-dence vote, which was December 21, 2018.
It is reasonable to expect that theGranger administration, which is sworn touphold the constitution, will abide by it,now that its bid to overturn the vote hasbeen found lacking.
If it fails to do so, it becomes an illegaladministration.
The move by Williams, therefore,seems to us just another attempt to forestallthe inevitable in a desperate bid to hold onto power.
Legal minds everywhere have said thatthe government has no ground to stand onvia this latest appeal. All it is doing is drag-ging the country through political uncer-tainty at a time when clear leadership isneeded to move the nation forward in termsof dealing with its own fledgling oil econ-omy, as well as the international crisis inVenezuela, right next door.
Security issues at home are also para-mount, with crime seeming to be on anever-increasing trajectory that includes theshooting last week of one of Guyana’s mostcelebrated expatriates, Dr Brian O’Toole,and murders that are happening almostevery day.
AG Williams and President Grangermight also be accused of trying to buy timeto use the offices they hold to try to dis-credit any opposition they may face at thepolls, including using the state-controlledmedia as well as law enforcement tactics to
bring them into disrepute.They may think these are strategic
moves, but the drama is being seen by theinternational community for what it is: adesperate attempt to hold onto power. Theglobal community has communicated asmuch to the Guyana government.
To add to the woes, the Guyana Elec-tions Commission, headed by a geriatricchairman who has been in ill health, is nowsaying that the agency will not be preparedto hold elections until July – four monthsafter it is constitutionally due.
Since the chairman of the agency washandpicked by the Granger administration,we have to openly wonder whether this,too, is another delaying tactic by the gov-ernment.
It’s time to stop the games and call theelections now.
Open Letter: Violent act won’t stop meDear Friends,My wife and I came to Guyana 41 years
ago to try and be of service to the Bahá’ícommunity. As we have no clergy in theBahá’í Faith we found employment in vari-ous fields of education. 21 years ago westarted School of the Nations which beganwith 5 children and has now grown to a com-munity of more than 3,500. We have partner-ships with the Universities of Cambridge,London, Bedfordshire and with ABE in theUK that allow us to offer internationally ac-credited undergraduate and graduate pro-grammes. The School of Nations has been asource of great joy to us as we have seen ourgraduates serve in important capacities inGuyana and other part of the world.
But then a new chapter opened last Sun-day when I was shot outside my home bywhat many people believe may be someonefrom the Nations community. I was informedonly yesterday that this news has reached theDaily Mail and the Times in the UK and assuch wanted to share this update.
Since one of the bullets shattered mybone and damaged the artery in my arm a
great amount of time and effort has now beendevoted to my own care in one of the verygood hospitals in Georgetown. But, ofcourse, the other major priority has been thesafety of the school community. Our team atNations has been working tirelessly to ad-dress thatand regain the peace and compo-sure we have had at Nations for more thantwo decades.
This violent action from a member of thepublic is totally new in Guyana and unprece-dented. But it would appear that it has beenfuelled by social media where initial com-ments by a handful students in Guyana hasbeen transformed by comments from a smallgroup of students in North American andgrew into aggressive and dangerous state-ments. It was a dramatic example to us of thevery real dangers of social media which dra-matically escalated to the shooting on Sun-day night. So on the one hand we are nowtrying to look at the physical challenges toovercome to make our school communitysafe for everyone. But the other challenge isto try to reflect on the source of such actions.
In the final analysis these terrible actions,
whether here or in other countries, are asymptom of the breakdown in society and assuch we need radical steps to address socialissues. Whilst we don’t pretend what we aresharing now is the solution across George-town or Guyana we wanted to share the sup-port and training we are giving to ourstudents in Nations. I recently took a groupof sixteen of our 6th Formers to our sisterschool in Canada, Nancy Campbell Acad-emy in Stratford, Ontario for 8 days to learnabout the power of the arts but more impor-tantly to learn about social issues and whatyouth can do to address them. This has beenpart of an ongoing programme of training atNations and indeed at our house on this re-flective process.
Several months ago , we started a weeklyprogramme with 6th Formers helping stu-dents from Forms 1, 2, and 3 get together tostudy material related to the purpose of lifeand how to lead moral and fulfilling lives aswell as how to deal with the turbulence char-acteristic of youth today whether in Guyanaor any country in the world. There are nowseventeen 6th Formers supporting this pro-
gramme. In addition, they use art, music,sport, and drama to facilitate these discus-sions.
Surely now part of our conversation hasgot to be how do we address the social issuesand definitely at the same time take the nec-essary steps to deal with threats and vio-lence. These activities have proven reallystimulating and uplifting and are addressingsome of the challenges the youth face allover this country and indeed all over theworld. We have been very fortunate in thisprocess to have had youth from the UK,Canada and other countries to help developthis intervention. Partly the idea of sharingthis message is simply to explore one re-sponse to the growing violence in our soci-ety.
In the final analysis these challenges canonly be addressed by us all working together.
Heartfelt greetingsDr. Brian O’Toole, MBEDirector, School of the Nations
By David Granger
Guyana’s Independence on 26th May1966 was a transformative experience thatopened opportunities for everyone but, par-ticularly, for young people.
Independence was transformative. Itbrought forward-looking changes which im-proved the living and working conditions forall, including our youth. It laid the founda-tion for a better life for future generations.
The immediate post-Independencedecade was a period of effective effortsaimed at expanding the country’s infrastruc-ture and improving public services. Thesenation-building initiatives propelled rapidimprovements in the country’s economic,physical and social infrastructure.
Infrastructure – such as aerodromes,bridge across the Demerara River, highwaysand wharves – was expanded. Communitycentres, health clinics, housing schemes andmany new schools were established. Theeconomy was set on a path of growth. Publicservices – water and electricity – were ex-tended to unserved areas.
Economic and financial institutions,such as the Guyana National CooperativeBank and the Guyana Agricultural Develop-ment Bank provided much needed access tocapital for households, farmers and manufac-turers. The Guyana Marketing Corporationassisted farmers to transport their produce tomarkets.
Social protection was revamped, in-cluding through the establishment of the Na-tional Insurance Scheme. Social cohesionwas advanced. Recognition was accorded toall of our main religious groups and stepstaken to reduce the divisiveness of the period
just prior to Independence. The introductionof free education from nursery to universityemphasised the importance of ensuring asound education for our young people and ofreducing distinctions of class, gender and ge-ography.
The newly-independent state strolledonto the global stage with confidence. It be-came respected and recognized for its effortsat advancing the cause of the developingcountries, particularly of the small African,Caribbean and Pacific states.
Guyana, today, is poised for anothertransformative moment. The commencementof petroleum production, next year, and thetransition towards becoming a ‘green’ state,will increase economic growth and providegreater resources for development.
The future belongs to young people.The resources derived from economic ex-pansion and diversification will be deployed,primarily, to secure and safeguard our chil-dren’s and grandchildren’s future. Youngpeople can be assured of greater opportuni-ties as a result of oil production and the poli-cies of the Guyana Green State DevelopmentStrategy.
Young people have started to play apivotal role in driving development. Yourgovernment is preparing young people to as-sume responsibility for our nation’s future.A National Youth Policy has been promul-gated. The ‘Policy’ explains Government’svision as:
… a nation in which young people areunited, educated, trained, safe, happy,healthy and integrally involved in the deci-sion-making processes, while enjoyingequality of opportunity and equal access tothe resources of our country and are politi-
cally, economically and socially empowered.Education, equality, empowerment and
employment are the four pillars of our na-tional youth policy. The good life, regardlessof the resources available to us, will be un-attainable unless young people have accessto better education, enjoy greater equality,are provided with expanded employment op-portunities and are empowered to make de-cisions which determine their future.
Education is a bedrock of govern-ment’s youth development policy. Govern-ment’s policy of every child in school aimsat ensuring that no one is left behind. Youngpeople are being equipped with the knowl-edge and skills to become productive citi-zens. An ‘education nation’ is beingestablished. Education is being enhanced atall levels – nursery, primary, secondary andtertiary.
Equality is integral for youth develop-ment. Your Government, already, is creatinga fairer, friendlier framework for ensuringgreater equality by providing improved ac-cess to public services – business registra-tion, immigration, legal services, publiceducation, public health, public information,public infrastructure, public security, publictelecommunications, electricity and water.Young people in the hinterland can look for-ward, one day, to having access to the samepublic services as those on our coastland.
Employment for all is possible. TheGuyana Youth Corps is retraining our youthto improve their ‘marketability’ and to makeeasier the transition between school and theworkforce. The Corps reflects Government’semphasis on consolidating its youth initia-tives so as have a stronger focus on employ-ment and job creation.
Your government also is committed toreducing the numbers of young people whoare not in education, employment or in train-ing (NEET). The Sustainable Livelihoodsand Entrepreneurial Development (SLED);the Hinterland Employment and Youth Serv-ice (HEYS); and the Youth Innovation Proj-ect of Guyana (YIPoG) initiatives are otherexamples of how government is helping topromote self-employment for young people.
Empowerment of young people has be-come a reality. Local Government Elections,held twice in three years has evinced a surgein youth involvement in local democracy.Young candidates contested and campaignedin local government elections in 2016 and2018.
Youth today have a greater say in deci-sion-making. Young professionals and en-trepreneurs are being consulted in thefashioning of our national Budget. Youngpeople’s opinions and interests are taken intoconsideration in the development of Govern-ment policies.
The future belongs to young people.This axiom is true today as it was 53 yearsago when Guyana attained its Independence.The central aspiration of the independencegeneration was to secure a better future fortheir children and grandchildren. Young peo-ple, today, can look to a bright future withgreater confidence, enthusiasm and hopeknowing that their government is laying astronger foundation for the good life forthem and their children.
I extend to all Guyanese, but especiallyto our young people, greetings and bestwishes on the occasion of the 53rd Independ-ence anniversary.
Happy Independence Day 2019!
RIP, Mr Seaga
Granger’s address on Guyana’s Independence
We would be remiss if today wedo not acknowledge the life and pass-ing of one of the foremost politicians inthe Caribbean, Edward Seaga.
The former Jamaican Prime Min-ister died on Tuesday on his 89th birth-day -- quite fitting, we think, as Seagawas known to have a flair for the dra-matic.
Seaga rose to power in a Jamaicathat was highly polarized, with both hisJamaica Labour Party (JLP) and thePeople’s National Party (PNP) led thenby Michael Manley going to extraordi-nary lengths in the 1970s and 1980s tocourt the vote in a country that was se-
verely divided between the haves andthe have-nots.
Seaga, in spite of being an Ameri-can-born white man (in the Jamaicancontext), seemed at first to have an al-most magical appeal to the island’spoor, disenfranchised blacks. Electionsduring that time were a bloody affair inJamaica. The 1980 election brought theisland to the brink of civil war and leftover 800 people dead. Seaga led theJLP to victory and managed to restorecalm among the people by stabilizingthe economy with the help of the US.
It helped, of course, that in thedays of the global cold war, the JLP
was seen as the more conservative op-tion to the Manley-led PNP, regardedby western powers as a socialist partybecause of Manley’s closeness withFidel Castro.
Seaga then managed to win everyelection he contested for the next 43years, making him the longest servingmember of parliament in Jamaica’s his-tory.
He was seen as an economic wiz-ard as well, credited for the formationof the Jamaican Stock Exchange andthe Unit Trust, and he established theframework for local financial institu-tions to form and flourish.
Up to his death on Tuesday, Seagaremained a controversial figure in Ja-maican politics. Once viewed as achampion of the poor, he is seen as theleader who eventually polarized theinner communities that led to the riseof the “Don” culture that brought crim-inal activity with it, giving Jamaica theunhappy reputation of being one of themost violent countries in the worldtoday.
But even his harshest critic cannotdeny his value to the island he lovedsince moving there as a 6 year-old.
RIP, Mr Seaga. They don’t makethem like you any more.
Activities in the Guyanese miningsector and the corresponding produc-tion levels do not match the amount ofgold being declared to the Guyana GoldBoard (GGB) and the entity has begunto go into the mining districts to buy theprecious metal while also tightening upsecurity measures for exports.
“On a comparative basis, the quan-tity of gold coming to the Gold Boardhas declined. Consistent reports and in-telligence are that activities in the min-ing sector and the correspondingproduction levels do not match theamounts being declared at the GoldBoard locations,” the Gold Board statedin a Stabroek News column on Friday.“In other words, the gold is goingsomewhere,” it said.
According to Gold Board, thesecircumstances imperil the wellbeing ofthe GGB and Guyana.
With the appropriate clearances,the column said, decisions and commit-ments were made to go out in the fieldand meet the mining constituency “tomove closer to the point of discovery.”
The column said that if the goldcannot come to the Gold Board, thenthe Gold Board will move and go towhere it is found.
“In so doing, the Gold Board isbeing proactive and extending a serviceto the lesser served in the sector. TheGold Board is expending energy andscarce resources to address a shortfall
in its projections, establish a meaning-ful and honest presence, and embarkupon a possible wide-ranging arc ofpresences and efforts,” the columnsaid.
The column emphasised that theBoard’s priorities are to buy gold asmandated by the law, and reach thosemining sector communities that are inneed of a consistent and trusted pres-ence, “a presence that seeks to fulfil theinterests of those who have complainedabout being underserved, taken advan-tage of, and left to their fate.”
The column added that the moveto meet the miners in the field has notbeen met with universal warmth andalso immediately, there were claims andcomplaints that the GGB was enteringinto competition with long establishedplayers, and that there was no need forthose who have been authorised by thestate to engage in the business of buy-
ing gold and declaring the same to theGGB.
The GGB column rejected this andsaid it is far from the truth. The GoldBoard has no intention of competingand taking business away from othersor removing others from their opera-tions, it said while reiterating that theobjectives of the Gold Board are to pro-vide a much-needed service; to estab-lish and maintain a presence in theareas where there are either minimal orno other official buying presences, andto increase its declarations and bring inmore foreign exchange to the country.
“It goes without saying that the ac-tions of the Gold Board seek to achievetwo other things: provide the miningcommunity with an avenue to sell min-eral production to a legitimate sourceand to keep the sale of such gold withinthe borders of Guyana. Thus far, the re-sponse has been encouraging,” the col-
umn said.The GGB also highlighted that the
Gold Board has begun the process ofensuring gold shipments declared forexport at the Cheddi Jagan InternationalAirport (CJIA) be sealed. The GGBsaid that President David Granger hassignaled his keen interest and firm com-mitment for the sealing of such ship-ments to become a reality as soon aspossible.
“The combined knowledge, ex-pertise and wisdom of vigilant over-seers – local and foreign – haverecommended, in fact insisted and de-manded that sealing at CJIA becomethe norm and standard. Numberedamong these providing such insightsand guidance are longstanding and rep-utable security entities and couriers;governmental agencies responsible forand dedicated to the fight againstmoney laundering, drug trafficking, fi-nancing of terrorism and smuggling ingeneral, but of gold in particular,” thecolumn stated.
The GGB observed that gold is adepleting asset and said there is thegeneral consensus that many knownand more unknown forces and channelsare being marshalled and utilised todrain away the gold production inGuyana. The column asserted that asignificant part is not declared to theGold Board.
Gold mining in Guyana
8 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
Aries (March 21-April 19) Stay in touch with the MoonAlert because this morning is loosey-goosey. Keep a low profileand behind the scenes. However, once the Moon enters your sign(3 PM EDT or noon PDT), then it’s all systems go and you’reempowered!
Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is a lovely day toschmooze and enjoy the company of friends and groups. Don’tagree to anything important until the Moon Alert is over. Peopleare attracted to you now because with fair Venus in your sign,you are charming and gracious with everyone.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) You are high viz. this morning.(Personal details about your private life might be public.) How-ever, this morning is a poor day to agree to anything importantor make decisions. Don’t volunteer for anything. After 3 PMEDT or noon PDT, enjoy good times with others.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) This morning is full of gentledaydreams and far-way wishes, especially related to travel andsuccess in publishing. However, this morning is a Moon Alert sopostpone important decisions and purchases until later in the day.At that time, you might find yourself at odds with an authorityfigure.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) You might be focused on sharedproperty, inheritances and insurance issues this morning; how-ever, because of the Moon Alert it’s a poor time to make deci-sions regarding these areas.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Do your best to cooperate withothers this morning while the Moon is opposite your sign. It willbe a Moon Alert until 3 PM EDT or noon PDT, so agree to noth-ing important. After that, focus on financial issues, shared prop-erty and inheritances.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today begins with a Moon Alert,which means do not agree to anything important and restrict yourspending to food, gas and entertainment. However, after 3 PMEDT or noon PDT, when the Moon Alert is over, you’re free toact; but be cooperative with others.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) This morning is a creative time!You find it easy to think outside of the box. It’s a great time toschmooze and socialize with others. It’s also a wonderful timeto enjoy playful activities with children. By 3 PM EDT or noonPDT, you’re ready to work.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You might want to playhooky today or sleep in. (My pillow said, “Stay a while – notyet.”) You will enjoy relaxing at home; however, postpone im-portant family discussions or purchases until 3 PM EDT or noonPDT when the Moon Alert is over today.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) This is a loosey-goosey daybecause of the Moon Alert until 3 PM EDT or noon PDT. Justgo with the flow and restrict your spending to food, gas and en-tertainment. Afterwards, a serious discussion with a female fam-ily member might take place.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Avoid important financial de-cisions or shopping for anything other than food, gas and enter-tainment until 3 PM EDT or noon PDT today, especially becauseyou are focused on financial matters. After that, it’s all systemsgo and you will get busy!
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today begins with the Moon inyour sign (until 3 PM EDT or noon PDT); however, it is a Moonalert, which is why you feel vague and lacking direction. How-ever, it’s a pleasant, creative time, especially for the arts andschmoozing with others. When it’s over – get busy.
Ranveer Singh: PlayingKapil Dev a ‘challenge’He has played a quirky wedding planner, a
street-smart con man, a ruthless invader, a rap-per, and now he is diving into the role of reallife cricket icon Kapil Dev. Actor RanveerSingh says essaying an icon like the former In-dian skipper comes with a set of challenges,which he is well prepared to face.
Ranveer has embarked upon the journeyof 83, a Bollywood film in which he will beseen as Kapil Dev.
Before leaving for London with the'squad' to begin the shoot, Ranveer told IANS:"I feel prepared and less anxious than I waswhen I started."
"This is the longest I have prepared forany role. I have been preparing essentiallysince January, which makes it about sixmonths. I have done three weeks, three and ahalf weeks, four weeks, six weeks, but sixmonths preparing for a character is unique...But then, it's a unique film in itself," added theactor, who was suited, booted and moustachedfor the role.
As the 'game' is about to begin, the actorgave an insight into the preparation that hasgone into it.
"Playing a living legend poses a uniqueset of challenges, and your approach to thepreparation for that character has to be all themore intensive. And it has been. But at thesame time, it has been very rewarding and ful-filling," said Ranveer.
In the course of the "absolutely wonder-ful" prep for the Kabir Khan directorial, hesays he has learnt a lot about being an athlete,about cricket and about the "iconic cricketer"Kapil Dev.
Ranveer not just trained with Kapil Dev inDharamsala, but also spent about 10 days withhim in Delhi, trying to pick on the nuances tobring out the best possible performance on-screen.
The actor says, "It was a process of takinga lot of tips... Cricketing is one aspect and thenthe characterisation is one aspect. So it hasbeen a two-prong process in essence.
"I think what I gained from Kapil sir hasbeen invaluable. There is no other way I'd doit. I am very fortunate, privileged and honouredthat he welcomed me into his home. He waswarm, welcoming and forthcoming. Every-thing I gained from him during those days isgoing to be invaluable for the construction ofmy performance."
Presented by Reliance Entertainment, 83will begin its shoot from June 5 in Glasgow.Joining Ranveer are Saqib Saleem, AdinathKothare, Chirag Patil, Harddy Sandhu, AmmyVirk, Jatin Sarna, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir RajBhasin, Dinker Sharma, Jiiva, Sahil Khattar,Dhairya Karwa, Nishant Dahhiya and RBadree.
The squad will begin the shooting at alocal cricket spot in the Scottish port city for aweek, followed by other popular locations likeDulwich College in London, EdinburghCricket Club, Nevill Ground at Royal Tun-bridge Wells in Kent and The Oval cricketground.
The film will trace India's historic victoryin the 1983 cricket World Cup. It is slated torelease on April 10, 2020 in Hindi, Tamil andTelugu.
9 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
10 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
Police are investigating thedeath of 18-year-old KareemaMary Cholmondeley who was runover by a car on the Turkeyen Rail-way Embankment Wednesdaynight.
Police Headquarters revealedin a statement that the teenager’s42-year-old reputed husband toldthe Police that they were having anargument when she threw herselfonto the roadway just before shewas run over by another car.
Cholmondeley was picked upin an unconscious state and takento the Georgetown Public Hospital
Corporation where she was pro-nounced dead on arrival.
According to the Police, thedriver of the car said that he wasproceeding west along the southernside of the road and observed amale pushing a bicycle on the saidside of the road and as he wasabout to pass him, he observedsomeone lying on the roadway butbecause of the short distance, thevehicle ran over the individual.
Both the reputed husband andthe driver are in custody assistingwith the investigation; the driverpassed a breathalyzer test.
Husband claims wifethrew herself from car
Ex-con guilty of killingLinden bus driver
Ex-convict Kerry Cromwell was Tuesday found guilty of theMarch 2016 murder of Linden bus driver, Elvin Lorrimer, who was shotand killed as he stood at the Linden bus park in Georgetown. Aftersome two hours of deliberation, the 12-member jury returned a unani-mous guilty verdict. Cromwell was remanded to prison until June 20,when he will be sentenced by Justice Navindra Singh.
According to reports, Lorrimer was shot by one of two bandits ona motorcycle at the bus park. The 53-year-old man of 184 Carter Road,Kara Kara, Linden was reportedly preparing to make his return trip toLinden, at the time of the incident.
Instead, he was shot, and later died at the Georgetown Public Hos-pital while receiving emergency medical treatment
11 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
Jagdeo calls for probe into CJIAIt’s time for the people to decide
whether they got their money’s worth.The government must release the mod-ified design on the Cheddi Jagan Inter-national Airport (CJIA) renovation tothe public, immediately, says Leaderof the political Opposition, BharratJagdeo.
With $30B (and counting) goinginto a renovation that some contractorssay could have been done for just $1B,Government has a lot to answer for, onthat airport renovation.
It’s awful enough that the originaldesign excluded a cargo facility, aparking lot, an office space for air-lines, and a commercial centre. ThePeople’s Progressive Party (PPP) hasaccepted some criticism for that sincethe original contract was inked byJagdeo’s administration.
He has claimed that those facili-ties were left out so that the construc-tion works could be procured locally.
But now, even what was left in-side that original design isn’t all there.The government claimed that, when itassumed office in 2015, it noted sev-eral issues with the plan as it was.
Minister of Public Infrastructure,David Patterson, said that Governmentfound a mere seven percent of thework done with China Harbour Engi-neering Company (CHEC) layingclaims to more than half the money –US$90M.
It claimed that drastic changesneeded to be made. It then made thosechanges and didn’t even announcethem until recently.
Instead of a brand new terminalbuilding for the Arrivals and Depar-tures along with a longer runway, therewas renovation of the old terminalbuildings and a smaller structure forthe Arrivals.
The number of passenger bridgeshas been reduced from eight to fourand the fancy, energy–saving glassroof that CHEC, the contractor, prom-ised is now zinc sheets.
The Opposition insisted that Gov-
ernment illegally modified the fixedprice contract with CHEC.
It seems that time after time, theairport encounters some new issue.One day, it was flooding. Another, itwas air bridges that were out of order.
And throughout this, travelershave been required to pay an addi-tional fee, which will automatically beincluded in the ticket price, from July1, 2019.
Kaieteur News has compared theairport pre-renovation to the currentstructure, but it’s up the citizens, now,to determine if Guyana got its money’sworth.
In an interview with this publica-tion yesterday, Jagdeo said that if themodified design is released, the peoplewill see massive alterations to it.
“The Minister keeps creating theimpression that he did better than whatthe original contract was. So this willdisprove his entire assertion,” the for-mer President said.
Jagdeo added that because of this,Patterson is extremely unlikely to re-lease the modified design.
Calls have been made before, bythe political opposition, for the modi-fied design to be released, and govern-ment has not done so.
During a recent press conference,Kaieteur News posed the question tothe coalition’s lesser partner, the Al-liance for Change (AFC) whether itwould hold Patterson accountable anddemand the release of the modified de-sign, in light of the structural issuesCJIA currently faces.
Cathy Hughes, Minister of PublicTelecommunications, said that Patter-son would be “on top of” any issuesbeing faced at the airport, and that shewould raise the question with Patter-son, asking him to respond to the pub-lication.
Minister Hughes had stressed thatGuyana has a terrible history of cor-ruption, but that this administration iscommitted to working on and chang-ing it.
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport -- $30 billion spent
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12 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
13 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
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Initially sentenced to death for mur-dering a man in 2008 at Sand Hills,Berbice, Elmo Benedict and Dave Ban-warie, had their sentence commuted to 25years’ imprisonment following a judg-ment handed down by the Court of Ap-peal Tuesday.
In 2012, Banwarie and Benedictwere convicted of the March 1, 2008murder of Rakesh Rajaram and were bothsentenced to death by High Court JudgeJames Bovell-Drakes. At the time themen were charged, the death penalty wasthe only punishment under the laws formurder.
Following the sentence and convic-tion, Benedict and Banwarie throughtheir lawyer, Mark Conway, filed an ap-peal arguing that the trial Judge give thejury no directions on the standard ofproof and erred in law for blurring thestandard of proof.
The convicts further argued that thetrial judge erred in law for not directingthe jury to consider manslaughter in theabsence of provocation and that the trialjudge failed to properly address the juryon the defence of provocation. Conwayalso argued that the death sentence wastoo severe in all the circumstances of thecase.
Chancellor of the Judiciary YonetteCummings-Edwards, and Justices of Ap-peal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud,allowed the appeal, substituting the mur-der conviction for manslaughter and im-posing a term of imprisonment of 25years with time already spent to be de-ducted from the sentence.
DNA testing nowin Guyana
Guyana stands poised to start DNAtesting soon.
Director of the Guyana ForensicScience Laboratory (GFSL) DelonFrance, revealed that equipment whichwill allow deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)testing to be done locally, arrived inGuyana last Friday.
It was supplied by Italian firm Q&TS.p.A at a cost of approximately $107M($US513,000).
France said that once the equipmentis installed, staff will undergo over twoweeks of training here. Some overseastraining may also be required.
In March, Minister of Public Secu-rity, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that therehad been some challenges in acquiringthe equipment. But he had assured thattesting will begin by year-end.
The equipment will have the capac-ity to conduct tests on eight samples at atime.
DNA samples were first collectedhere and sent overseas in 1993 for thestill-unsolved Monica Reece case.
DNA samples tested overseas alsohelped to confirm the identity of BabitaSarjou, whose skeletal remains werefound behind her husband’s Lot 51,Seaforth Street residence in May, 2016.
Similar samples sent to an overseaslab also helped confirm the identity ofsecondary school teacher, Nyozi Good-man whose remains were found at Pat-tensen, Turkeyen, in 2016.
But the prohibitive cost, and thelengthy time they have often had to waitfor results, have always presented a chal-lenge to investigators.
‘Bam Bam’charged withmurder
A man was Tuesday remanded toprison after a murder charge was read tohim in which he allegedly stabbed hisfriend to death after he went to the aid ofa woman who claimed that the defendantwas in her room.
Lexroy Garraway, called ‘Bam
Bam’, was not required to plead to the in-dictable charge which was read to him bythe Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in the Georgetown Magistrates’Courts.
It was alleged that he murdered EricNurse, called ‘Black Boy’, 24, from Dia-mond Housing Scheme, East Bank De-merara (EBD) on May 22, last, at TakatuLanding, Mazaruni River.
The defendant told the court that heis a 37-year-old miner from Enterprise,Lower Pomeroon. He went on to say thathe was previously charged for woundingand he was sentenced to two years’ im-prisonment for the matter.
Ex-Death Row convicts get 25 years
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15 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
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16 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
NOW OPEN AT MOVIETOWNE, GEORGETOWN, GUYANA
ExxonMobil’s Head of Govern-ment and Public Affairs, Deedra Moe,says that the company would be willingto cooperate with the State Asset Recov-ery Agency (SARA) which is probingthe award of oil blocks it holds offshoreGuyana.
The news of the investigation bySARA was first reported byBloomberg.com, which quoted theagency’s head, Dr. Clive Thomas, as say-ing that the Stabroek, Kaieteur andCanje Blocks, all operated by ExxonMo-bil, will be part of the inquiry, as well asthe Orinduik Block operated by Tullow.The Kaieteur and Canje Blocks weregiven out by the Ramotar administrationjust days before the 2015 General andRegional Elections.
Moe said that the company has seenthe media report on the issue, but it hasnot been contacted by the government inrelation to it. The official stated nonethe-less that, “ExxonMobil followed all ap-plicable laws and regulations in
acquiring its government approved li-cences.”
In the meantime, Head of Trans-parency International Guyana Inc.
(TIGI), Dr. Troy Thomas, said that he ispleased with the recent disclosure thatthe award of offshore oil blocks to thelikes of ExxonMobil is being probed bythe State Asset Recovery Agency.
TIGI’s head said that the investiga-tion is necessary since the circumstancesunder which the blocks were given outdo raise concerns.
The TIGI Head had said, “…I knowformer President Donald Ramotar hadrebutted arguments about the giveawayof our assets just before elections. But Ithink a full investigation would serve uswell…The award of contracts should bean open process, especially as it relatesto oil. I don’t think we can afford for
contracts to be done in the dark.”The official added, “At the end of
the day, people have a right to know howtheir resources are being given out. SoSARA is doing the right thing in this re-gard…”
The TIGI Head said that SARA’sinvestigation should also ascertain whatscope there might be for reclaiming anyof the offshore assets that were notawarded in a fair manner. He had saidtoo, that the anti-corruption body shouldhire all the technical help it needs to en-sure this investigation it is pursuing is asuccess as it is a matter of national inter-est.
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Lord Bishop of Jamaica and theCayman Islands Howard Gregory wasMonday afternoon elected the 13th arch-bishop, primate and metropolitan (An-glican) of the Church in the Province ofthe West Indies (CPWI).
He succeeds John Holder, who re-tired as archbishop in February 2018.
Gregory was elected by clergy andlaity attending the 40th Synod of theCPWI at Cascadia Hotel in Port ofSpain, Trinidad. He was one of two nom-inees put forward by the House of Bish-ops following its deliberations yesterdaymorning. The other candidate wasPhillip Wright, bishop of Belize.
Following separate deliberations bythe House of Clergy and the House ofLaity, the entire body reconvened as anelective assembly and Gregory waselected on a simple majority.
The Province of the West Indieswas established in 1883 and Archbishop-elect Gregory is the third bishop of Ja-maica to be elected. The first was EnosNuttall, bishop of Jamaica 1880-1916 —who was elected primate on May 26,1893 and became the first archbishopwhen the title was changed in 1897.
William Hardie, bishop of Jamaica1931-1949, was elected archbishop in1945 and served until his resignation in1949.
While Bishop Gregory is the firstJamaican-born diocesan bishop to beelected to this position, he is not the firstJamaican archbishop. Orland Lindsay,who worked in the Diocese of Jamaicabefore being elected bishop of Antigua
in 1970, was elected archbishop in 1986in succession to Archbishop CuthbertWoodroffe of the Windward Islands,who was the first West Indian Arch-bishop. Archbishop Lindsay held the po-sition until his retirement in 1998.
Archbishop Nuttall, while servingas bishop of Jamaica, played a leadingrole in drawing up the Constitution for a
Provincial Synod which had its firstmeeting in Jamaica in October 1883 withthe opening service being held at St An-drew Parish Church. At the time, thesynod only involved the bishops of theprovince. It was not until the 1950s thatthe canons of the synod were amendedto provide for the involvement of laymembers in the deliberations and thefirst such synod was held in Trinidad in1959.
The CPWI comprises eight dioce-ses, namely Barbados, Belize, Guyana,Jamaica & the Cayman Islands, North-eastern Caribbean and Aruba, The Ba-hamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands,Trinidad and Tobago, and the WindwardIslands.
Jamaican Howard Gregory electedArchbishop of the West Indies
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Howard Gregory -- 13th Archbishop of the West Indies
19 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
20 EQUALITY NEWSTHURSDAY MAY 30 2019
"It’s Time." That's the word fromfor mer Oropouche-West MP Mick elaPan day. With the gen er al elec tion due in16 months, this is the mes sage thatT&T’s newest po lit i cal par ty lead byPan day is send ing out as it promis es torev o lu tionise gov er nance by puttingyouths at the fore front.
The Pa tri ot ic Front held its launchin Ch agua nas Friday and was con fi dentof form ing the next gov ern ment.
"It’s a long time in pol i tics, oneyear and four months," Pan day, daugh -ter of for mer prime min is ter Bas deo Pan -day told re porters.
Dur ing a meet ing of fam i ly andsup port ers on May 20, 2018, Pan daywas giv en the man date to form a newpar ty. She an nounced yes ter day that ithad been reg is tered with the Elec tionsand Bound aries Com mis sion. The par tyhas not yet de cid ed on whether it willcon test all con stituen cies. She said thenext elec tion should not be about PNMand UNC, but about putting the coun tryfirst through uni ty.
De liv er ing her maid en speech asleader, Pan day promised that young peo -ple would in flu ence po lit i cal de ci sion-mak ing in a Pa tri ot ic Front gov ern ment.This was her call for young peo ple to getin volved with her par ty and to help buildit from the ground up.
"We do not be lieve that our youthsare the prob lem as some peo ple ad vo -cate. In fact, the Pa tri ot ic Front be lievesour youths are the an swer to the fu turede vel op ment of our na tion. For too long,
we have alien at ed our youths by deny -ing them a mean ing ful role in our de ci -sion-mak ing process and ourde vel op ment. In stead of us ing ouryouths to stick up posters and en gage inpro pa gan da ac tiv i ties as some po lit i calpar ties do, we must en gage our youths inmean ing ful par tic i pa tion in the po lit i calde ci sion-mak ing process es of the coun -try," Pan day said.
She said the law less ness and neg a -tive be hav iours that ex ist were in her it ed
from colo nial ism. In many ways, she be -lieves that the colo nial men tal i ty still ex -ist ed as cit i zens still do not be lieve thatT&T was their own and they had a re -spon si bil i ty to pro tect it. In seek ing toneu tralise this, she said the par ty, onceelect ed, will em bark on a mas sive re-ed -u ca tion pro gramme from the low est tothe high est lev els. She said that State-owned me dia would be re spon si ble forpro duc ing pro grammes to help achievethis ob jec tive.
"If we are to de vel op our most valu -able re source, our hu man re source, wehave to re form the ed u ca tion sys tem.The Pa tri ot ic Front be lieves that our ed -u ca tion sys tem is still colo nial in its na -ture and geared to wards pro duc ingper son nel and work ers for the met ro pol -i tan coun tries. Our sys tem should pro -duce a core of high ly skilled in ven torand in no va tors with rel e vance to ourneeds as a na tion. It is ur gent, there fore,that we re-ori ent our ed u ca tion sys temand syl labus es in all our learn ing in sti -tu tions to pro duce in vestors and in no va -tors, and cre ative minds, in stead ofmere ly be ing copiers of oth ers."
Co in ci den tal ly, the par ty waslaunched on her fa ther's 86th birth day.He was al so present at the launch. WhilePan day did not say whether her par tywill in clude pop u lar po lit i cal faces, herfa ther said he would be as sist ing the par -ty. The par ty’s lo go was de signed by thefor mer UNC min is ter of hous ing and set -tle ments John Humphrey. Pan day saidthe par ty was open to any one. While acoali tion gov ern ment was not dis cussedby the par ty, she said they are will ing tospeak to any one. The se nior Pan day,who on ly re turned to Trinidad on Thurs -day, af ter seek ing med ical treat mentabroad, said that the par ty seeks to de -vel op a na tion and get ting in to of ficewas on ly one step. He said that was go -ing to be done by in volv ing young peo -ple who want change.
Pandays launch new TT party
Patriotic Front leader Mickela Panday with her father, Basdeo Panday
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Captain Jason Holder has under-scored the importance of the ICC WorldCup to the Caribbean, and hopes hisWest Indies side can make the regionproud when the tournament bowls offhere Thursday.
West Indies boast a fabled historyin the tournament, winning the first twoWorld Cups in 1975 and 1979 – bothstaged in England – and reaching thefinal of the 1983 edition before dramat-ically losing to India.
Though there has been little successsince then, fans’ expectations have beenraised especially following the side’s 2-2 draw with world number ones Englandin the five-match one-day series earlierthis year, and Holder said they would beaiming to put some smiles on the facesof supporters again.0
“We’ve spoken a lot about restoringpride to West Indian cricket,” saidHolder, the world’s leading all-rounderin Tests.
“We know the significance of oursuccess to an entire region. When theWest Indies are doing well, an entire re-gion is happy. What other sport can saythat? The success of those teams of thepast is held close in the hearts of all ourpeople, they adore their cricket.”
Legendary captain Clive Lloyd was
the architect of the region’s previousWorld Cup titles, and his hundred in the’75 final against Australia at Lord’s helpset the two teams apart.
The final four years later belongedto Lloyd’s heir apparent, Sir VivianRichards, who unveiled a magical un-beaten 138 against England, again atLord’s, to power West Indies.
While those memories remain freshin the minds of Caribbean people,Holder said his side were looking to cre-ate their own history in coming weeks.
“I understand their achievementsbut I don’t want to dwell on it. I want tocreate my own legacy and we are in con-
trol of how people remember this teamin 30 or 40 years,” Holder pointed out.
“As a collective we can highlightthe significance of history but it comesdown to you as an individual. No onecan change the past and we wouldn’twant to but let’s focus on the future andwhat we can control.”
West Indies will not be among thefavourites when they face Pakistan intheir opening match in Nottingham onFriday. They have not won a series infive years and were forced to play in anICC qualifying tournament to reach theWorld Cup, after finding themselvesranked ninth in September 2017.
However, their daring brand ofcricket in the recent series against Eng-land has offered plenty hope, and Holderbelieves opponents can write off WestIndies at their peril.
“We know we are underdogs andit’s not a problem for us, we’ll be doingeverything in our power to win this com-petition,” he stressed.
“Just look at Tiger Woods [winningthe Masters earlier this year], it provesanything can happen in sport and some-times. When the pressure is off or atten-tion is elsewhere, amazing thingshappen.”
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