Kaieteur News

Fisherman found dead after leaving for sea Suspect in murder of Parika woman captured

Guyana’s gold rush entices foreign investors to fast-track Canadian gold company operation

Canadian mining company, Reunion Gold has firmly set its sights on reaching gold production at its Oko West Gold Project located in Guyana’s Region Seven(Cuyuni-Mazaruni)by 2027

Last November, the company which has an estimated 42 million ounces of gold, submitted an application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking permission to conduct gold

mining The company’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rick Howes, during an interview disclosed that they areonafasttrackedtimeline withitsOkoWestproject.

Since discovery in 2021, Howes noted that the resource estimate continues to grow, and that the deposit offersamplescaletounderpin a meaningful mining operation. Last June, the company announced its maiden resource estimate of

25millionouncesofgold In afewmonths,thecompanyis expected to update its Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), as Reunion Gold is now actively considering both open-pit and underground mining.

R e u n i o n ’s C E O underscoredthatwhatsetsthe company apart is the meticulousexecutionoftheir strategy to advance the project through studies and permitting, to support the

aggressive timeline, which was affirmed by overUS$70 millionraisedlastSeptember tofullyfundthestudies

Guyanahadbeenpraised byforeignminingcompanies for its established Mining Act, a rich history of economical gold deposits, and favorable mining laws with a pro-mining government Reunion’sCEO attributes being adequately capitalized to continue without further dilution as a major accomplishment for

the company last year. Despite volatile markets, Reunion Gold was able to secure funding from La ManchaInvestmentGroup.

Howes said, “In September yeah we took the opportunity to raise some money and really position ourselves to be able to execute the remaining study phase and the permitting phase of the project ” He also disclosed that the company anticipates up to US$25 million more by July 2024 “So that sets us up reallywell ”thecompany’s CEOstated

Notably, the interviewer asked how the company was abletosecurefundingsincea lot of companies were not getting funded To this, Howes responded, “You’re absolutely right, difficult marketandyouknowIthink thereisabitofadifferentiator in the market for quality of project and also jurisdiction in terms of how that affects timeline and so on.” He continued,“Soforusweare very fortunate, we have a great mining jurisdiction which supports mining and has a fairly well define permitting; and (a) process that allows you to move quickly and in many cases parallel activities. So we are takingadvantageofthat.”

The CEO noted that the opportunity in Guyana to move from discovery to production in a very short timeframe is the reason why the company needed to raise money He explained, “So with permits in hand, with feasibility study complete, that’s happening within a year, so that’s a pretty tight timelinesoinordertobeable to do that we needed the funds…So we looked at it from that point of view Obviously we neededtoraisethatquantum of funds in this market (s0) weneededalargeinvestorto take an interest, so we were fortunate that La Mancha came in as a major investor…”

To this end, the interviewer asked what allowedLaManchatoinvest thatamountofmoney,when theprojectisinsuchanearly stage. The CEO explained that La Mancha is familiar withtheprojectastheyhave been in dialogue with Reunionforquitesometime and had done their own due diligence.

Howesnoted,“Inthisday and age, the issues with mining company if they are too slow, if they take from

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Reunion Gold, Rick Howes

discovery to production

(about) 15/20 years that’s a long time to have investors waiting ” In Reunion’s case, he explained, “This is just lucky for us, a great discovery that we quickly brought from zero ounces to 4/5 million ounces very quickly so it’s really a case that we have a project for sureofthatqualityandgrade and scale so take advantage ofit.”

The CEO added that beingabletoturnthevalueof moneyaroundoninvestment in one-third of the time is worth a lot to investors. Howes also stated, “We (Reunion) weren’t constraint by the ability to advance the project at all in terms of financing, which is because probably because of the statement of the country and thevalueoftheassetbutwere probably in a handful of companies that can do that…”

Moreover, Howes disclosed that Reunion will continue to explore for more goldwhileadvancingtheOko West project He noted 2024 as a crucial year towards production milestones In conjunction with the PEA, Reunion is in discussions with the Government of Guyana(GoG)foraminerals agreement to outline project fiscaltermsandeconomics

Also, the feasibility study is slated to commence t h i s y e a r H o w e s underscored the importance of exercising caution in defining project parameters and costs during this phase. By adhering to realistic assumptions and detailed engineering, he expressed confidenceinstayingwithin Oko West’s budget and timeline.

Notably, baseline environmental field studies are set to conclude soon in preparation for the submission of a formal Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. Additionally, key permits are anticipated to be obtainedbytheendof2024, this timeline, Howes said positions Reunion to make an official construction decisionbynextyear

Jagdeo says he can only talk about jobs, local content and gas from Stabroek Block because his Govt. not renegotiating

Whileforeignoilmajors continue to boast of high returns from Guyana’s lucrative Stabroek Block, thecountry’sVicePresident Bharrat Jagdeosaidthathe can only speak of the revenues the lopsided ExxonMobil contract allows the country to receive, jobs, local content benefitsand“freegas”.

Last Thursday at his weekly press conference, Jagdeo reiterated that his government will not be renegotiating the Exxon contract.

“So right now, as I said before we have a PSA (contract) that determines oursharesoftheproceedsso we are limited by that,” JagdeotoldaKaieteurNews reporter when asked what Guyanacanboastof.

He continued: “I have also explained why we cannot renegotiate now because we will kill the momentum the investment

momentumforthefuture.”

The Vice President also spoke of the benefits Guyanese are receiving. He said, “…We are getting about US$2 billion …just under US$2 billion in revenue which will grow to aboutUS$9billionayearin thefuture.”

Jagdeo noted that because of the demand for the oil, and the gas sector, “wenowseetennewhotels goingupherethatwouldnot have been built if we didn’t have the demand for travel etc.”

The government’s lead onoilandgasmattersnoted that some 1500 Guyanese companies are now benefiting from an income worthaboutUS$700million through the country’s local contentlaw

“We have seen about 6000 Guyanese now have goodjobsinthesector and these are important things foruswhetherIwouldhave

wanted the agreement in 2016 [To be better], you have heard me criticize it even in opposition,” he told KaieteurNewswhileadding that Guyana has to respect thecontract.

Jagdeo said that while Guyana is stuck with a bad contracthisgovernmenthas soughttoekeoutadditional benefits for the people of Guyana.

Those additional benefits, according to the VP, are the local content benefits and the natural gas thecountryissettoreceive.

“Thefreegaswhichisa substantial sum of money coming every year… That will save Guyanese when that project [Gas to shore project] is completed in excessofa$100millionper year in lower electricity bills,” Jagdeo said adding “Thosearethethingswecan say to Guyanese and we have changed the PSAs for futureoilprojects.

Nonewsandpermitsatthis timeonLindenHighway-Govt.

“It’snotgoingtohappen,”VicePresident (VP)BharratJagdeoonThursdaystatedashe explained that the application by Acting Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken and Acting Deputy Commissioner Calvin Brutus will not be granted to conduct sand mining operationsontheSoesdyke-LindenHighway

On Tuesday, Kaieteur News reported that Hicken and Brutus have each secured 11.7 acresoflandfortheirrespectivesandmining projects in Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway and have submitted their applications to the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)forpermissiontoproceedwith theiroperations.

Theprojectsummarieswerepublishedon the EPA’s website since February 26, 2024. However, Jagdeo on Thursday disclosed that thegovernmenthasmadethedecisiontostop

issuingsandpitminingpermits.“Letmemake itclearthattheGovernmentofGuyanaonthe highwayhasputaholdonallthesandpits…we are trying to get large tracts of land to do the SilicaCityonthehighwaysowewanttheland for public use, housing and development of newtownsalongthehighwayetcetera,sowe can’tonlygiveout(land).”

ThedocumentpublishedbytheEPAstates that Hicken and Brutus acquired from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Mining Permit for the purpose of extracting on commercial scale quarry sand. The primary objective of both projects is to extract quarry sand on a commercial scale, with an anticipated production target of 76,000tonsannuallyoveraperiodof10years.

Notably,theVicePresidentsaidthe Continued on page 8

Editor:

Tel:

International Women’s Day

Women have come a long way, risen high, shattered glassceilingsinsomeplaces. Thoughwomenhavetraveled long, grueling roads, the way forward is still tricky, with many treacherous curves to be navigated. Guyanese women, our wives and daughters, our sisters and fellow workers,andourfemalecitizens,havealsogrownfromwho andwhatandwheretheywerebefore. But,again,thereisso muchmoretobedone. ThewomeninGuyanaareheldas ourtreasuredvessels,ourfellowstriversandbuilders,and ourinvaluablepartnersinthedemandingworkahead.

We have had more and more women as leaders in the local arena. Educators, ministers, business and religious leaders,evenoneasanationalleader Amongtheleading voicesforbetterinGuyana,therearesomestrong,fearless women very much in the middle of the fight. In fact, it is moreaccuratetoassertthatourbravewomenhavebeenin the forefront for a safer, cleaner, healthier Guyana. They have been present in battles over the environment, about what is safe and sound for their families and their wider communities. Theirworkshavebeeninthecity,aswellas in the deep hinterlands, as truth and justice are made into priorities,avoiceisgiventothetroublesofthevoiceless.

These are the Guyanese women that have made us proud,andwecallthemoursisters,forsotheyare. Onthis InternationalWomen’sDay,wesalutethem,andurgethem to keep pressing ahead, maintain the good works. But for every one woman who steps forward to represent the richnessoftruecitizenship,therearedozens,ahundred,that arecontenttolettheworldpassthembyunaddressed. Their children may not have as much as they should; their own stomachs gnaw with emptiness and anxiousness from needing,aboutwhattodo,andfromtheweaknessesoftheir stillness.

Thiscountryisatastagethatitneedsmoreofitswomenfolk tostandup,andtospeakup Theymust,sincetheyaretheones who know best how much their families are pressured, how oftentheyareforcedtoanundignifiedexistenceinacountry thathassomuch Itisthewomenwhoknowoftheplightsofthe otherwomenintheircommunities,theirextendedfamilies,and intheirotherspheresofactivity Theyknowmorethantheir menfolk,fortheycarrytheweightofthefamily’sneedsontheir heads,andintheirhearts Becauseitisfrequentlywomenwho arethedrivingforcesintheirhomes,thego-getters,thenthey mustbeabletoinspiretheirhusbandsandtheirsonsandtheir brotherstoagreaterawarenessofwhatisatstakeinthisnew Guyanathathasbeengiventous,butfromwhichsomanyare squeezedout

Thelifeofwomenhasbeenofsecondclasscitizens,so they know about what it means to be disrespected and illtreated,eventraumatizedtothisday Regardingthelatter, thissavageryisstillongoingintoday’sGuyana,butthatis anotheruphillstrugglethatcontinues. Theprogressthathas been made by women in Guyana must be harnessed and leveraged for still more progress. Nothing that is worthwhilecomeseasilyorfreely,buthastobefoughtfor, with great sacrifices made. Guyana is at this stage today, andmorewomenneedtobeinthefightforbetterment.They know this is what went on before, which is why there is today, an International Women’s Day, an acknowledgement,andhonour,thatishard-earned,anddue initseveryessenceandfiber.

Local leaders are not willing to make decisions that wouldmakethelivesofGuyanesepoormoremanageable. Local leaders prefer to giveaway Guyana’s riches to their foreign bedfellows, so that both groups profit more. Whateverwillbehad,whateveristobegained,inGuyana will have to be battled for, and women have their part to play Theyhavebeensickandtiredoftheliesfedtothem before; our women should recognize the deceptions and dangerousness of what leaders are doing to them and this countrytoday

More Indigenous women must take lead in villages

DEAREDITOR

Thethemeforthisyear’s International Women’s Day is “Invest in Women: accelerate progress” It highlights the importance of gender equality, women’s andgirls’empowerment,and theirrightstohealthierlives. It’s a powerful development tool.(UnitedNations,2040).

Onthisspecialday,Itake this opportunity to salute all our women in Guyana and theworld.Iwishtoreiterate that you are the cornerstone and foundation of humanity, a very important and significant societal role that needs to be highlighted; which requires investing more in women and promotingtheimportanceof genderequality

ForIndigenouspeoplein Guyana, I salute all women in our communities. Thanks for your great contributions in helping to foster the promotion of the language and culture of our people among other important

worksyouareengagedin.

It is good to see some women in Indigenous communities making progress over the years, but there is more work to be done.Weneedtoseemoreof our sistren taking up the mantle of becoming leaders insomeimportantsectorsin ourvillages.Oneareaistobe Toshaostoleadourpeople.I hope I am not sounding gender biased against men even though I may sound ambitious for power and leadership,butIamnot.

O v e r t h e y e a r s Indigenous men have been given many chances in leadership positions and some did well; especially thosewhoaredisciplinarians and who possess the gifts of good governance, serviceoriented, decency, Godfearing, and influencing villagerstoworktogetherto develop their communities holistically. Others are striving but need support from cooperative and

service-oriented village council members to get thingsdone.

Amid this maledominated Toshaos experience in our communities,therearewomen whomosttimesarethedriving forceofthingsbutwhoarein the background In this reality, given the upcoming Toshao elections this year, I applaud the brilliant and promising young men who areonthevergeofbecoming leadersoncetheyareelected by their villagers. But as Baltasar Gracian said, “It’s not enough to be intelligent; you mustalsohavetheright character”.

The same applies to women. Nowadays most of our young maleToshaos are smart and can talk well in public, etc. but most times they lack other aspects such as discipline, exaggerated alcohol consumption, and morality thus, result in not being good role models in our villages and cannot lead

their people in proper and edifyingexamples.

As such, there is a need for brave women to take up the challenge and lead most of our communities with qualities centered on: discipline, soberness, good governance and dialogue with modernity and other skills,besidesthosewhocan display strictness to put an end to slackness in most communities. For this to happen there is a need for most of us indigenous men and villagers to de-school our biased attitudes towards womenperceivingthemthat they cannot be leaders and givethemachance.Let’suse this International Women’s Day to examine ourselves and de-school our conditioned way of perceiving our sistren and promote gender equality by having more women Toshaos for the upcoming elections.

YoursSincerely

Indian Nationalists didn’t despise Jagan

DEAREDITOR, Donald Ramotar penned that “Indian-Nationalists despised Jagan for not pursuingracistpolitics”(KN Mar7). Ramotarerrs.Their quarrel with Jagan was over communism, not race Communism was a troubled ideologyforIndians.

I commend the former President for his patriotism and nationalism and his role in combating election riggings to which he referenced Mr Hamilton Green whose political history in elections and governmentiswellknown.

Seecharan is an awardwinning historian, and possibly the most prolific contemporary Guyanese historian. He has written extensively on IndoGuyanese history in the colonialperiod,aswellason the history of West Indies cricket, including a 4-vol history of cricket in Guyana (2 vols published so far). Clem’s highly acclaimed works celebrate IndoGuyanese achievement in diverse spheres, but he does not advocate Indian economic or political domination He also celebratesAfricanGuyanese a n d We s t I n d i a n achievementinseveralofhis works, including their pioneering intellectual work

intheregion.HeisnoIndian nationalist. It is therefore wrong to relegate a substantial body of Clem’s scholarly work as being warpedbyracialprejudiceor a petty Indian nationalist agenda. This is a disservice toaneminentscholar Ramotarandothercritics ofSeecharanshouldreadthe bookbeforecritiquingit.It’s a c o m p l e x a n d comprehensive study in which he examines why Cheddi lost the game to Burnhamalthoughhehadall the trumps in his hand. It is based largely on Jagan’s voluminous writings over nearly 50 years, colonial documents, and MI5 files. Seecharan asserted that Cheddi blew his chance to carry Br Guiana to independence.

From the beginning of Cheddi’s political career, he was a communist who believed that the Soviet Union was setting the example for the universal liberation of humankind Despite this, by 1960 the British were all set to give Cheddiindependence,buthe decided that Castro’s Cuba vindicated the Soviet model as applicable to the Caribbean The British Labor Party resisted the Americans for some time, but Cheddi’s loyalty to

Castro (visiting Cuba twice in1960anddeclaringCastro asthegreatestliberatorofthe 20th century), was a dangerous stance to take in the context of the ColdWar That was a blunder And when he met President Kennedy in October 61, Cheddi left the President in no doubt that he was on the side of the USSR. Cheddi consciously decided to support the USSR against the US. That’s why he was left in the wilderness for 28 years.

Burnham was virtually dead politically after the 1961 General elections. It was Cheddi’s lack of statesmanship and his understanding of geopoliticsthatmadeitpossible for LFS to be resurrected from the dead Cheddi genuinely believed that the Soviet mantra was of universalvalidity;thatitwas shapinganewman,andthat it was winning all over the world and that he must get aboard the wagon train. He didn’t understand the consequences of his action on the territory and on his supporters; they were not communists but would suffer for innocently supportingcommunism.

Clem’s book is no defenderofLFSeither Clem d o c u m e n t s L F S ’s

understanding and practice of realpolitik, his dictatorial frame of mind, and his relentless pursuit of power from the inception, in the earlyPPP-andhisriggingof elections.Clemalsoexplains why LFS claimed to adopt a formofMarxismafter1974, arguing that it gave him a rationale to propound and adopt ‘the paramountcy of the party’ as advocated by Marxist-Leninist regimes universally Besides, the latter was meant to undermineCheddi’scrusade forfreeelectionsasifitwasa liberal democratic society It’s a study that is in no way celebratoryofLFS’srule.

SimilartoClem’sworks, Prof Ramharack is a serious scholar who fought against racism and racial persecution experienced by Indians and for Indian equality, and he also championed free and fair elections from 1977 onwards.

He, myself, and others foundedagroupin1977that wasdedicatedtothestruggle for the restoration of democracy in Guyana and combating human rights violations.

The Indian supported PPP became and still is a beneficiary of that long strugglethatledtofreeand (Continuedonpage06)

Dev joins the chorus to undermine central role Jagan played in Guyana’s politics

DEAREDITOR

,

Here we go again with Ravi Dev’s nonsense quoting USA officials who over the years, made comments on President Cheddi’s ideological positions -all the while undermining leaders from the third world, even to the extentofassassinatingsome ofthem.

DoesRaviDevunderstand thedeviousmethodswhichUS officials took part in to kill PatriceLumumbaoftheCongo and Salvador Allende of Chile?-heshouldreadthebook “TheLumumbaPlot-thesecret HistoryoftheCIAandaCold WarAssassination”byStuartA

Reid

Dev joins the likes of Vishnu Bisram and others to undermine the central role of Jagan in Guyana’s politics while hiding his insignificant role in trying to be a Hindu IndianleaderofGuyana,which has led him nowhere as his electoral endeavours left him with no support, especially among the Hindu section of Guyana’spopulation.

Jagan was sincere, honest,

humbleandtotallydedicatedto the welfare of the Guyanese people, regardless of race, religionorclassandDevknows thatbuthismindisacalculating one, bent on bringing Jagan down-all due to his failed political career to seduce Guyanese East Indians to abandon Jagan and the PPP I remember, in the days in the 1990swhenthereweretalksfor a united third force at many meetings where Ravi Dev would commit to specific positionsandwouldchangehis mind once he left the meeting roomandIrealizedsincethen thatDevreallywasawasteof time Today,Devhasbecomea “stagehandler”forthepresent PPPgovernmentbecauseofhis commitment to what he perceives as E Indian (and particularlyHindu)domination of the economic political and cultural landscape of our country-PresidentCheddiwas dead set against that principle and his belief in Marxism , which,initspureform,asKarl Marx demonstrated , does not allowforDev’sracialideology Yes, Jagan was a Marxist and proud of it -so what ! US

officials lied , falsified and connived against Jagan over the years and Dev knows that buthechoosestobe,asalways, a distortionist of Guyana’s history

Editor,themischiefDev’s intentions allay in quoting USA officials on President Cheddi’s political positions , shows up Ravi Dev’s calculating mind especially when he quotes a statement thatintellectually,JanetJagan was superior to President Cheddi- that was very deliberate and sums up the extent of his hatred of Jagan Ravi Dev could live 40 lives andstillneverreceivethelove and affection that Guyanese (especially E Indians} still feel for President Cheddi On Jagan’s death anniversary, RaviDevshouldbeashamed of himself for quoting such liesandnonsense.Godbless you Dad, and rest in eternal peace-your name and spirit willneverdieintheheartsof theGuyanesepeopledespite deformation by castaways likeDev

Yourssincerely, Cheddi(Joey)Jagan(Jr.)

Hinds’letter ignores the present plunder and rape of our natural resources

DEAREDITOR

Due to the temporary absence of my wife, I did some shopping in and around the City, meeting with a cross-section of citizens, including vendors. On our way home, I was greeted with a pleasant refreshing heavy drizzle of rainfall.

With the heavy traffic I regarded the drizzle like blessingsfromtheheavens.

Blessings indeed, with the abundance of natural resources,diamonds,timber, gold, manganese and now oilandgas,weGuyaneseare the luckiest folks on this planet Lucky, because coupled with the above abundance of natural resources,fortunatelyweare not required to deal with several feet of snow, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamisorvolcanoes.

Theaboveisunknownto the three quarter million citizens of the Cooperative RepublicofGuyana.

Onreachinghome,Ihad read to me two letters of interest, one written by

Samuel A Hinds

,

AmbassadorfromGuyanato the USA and the OAS, Former Prime Minister and President titled ‘We are coming to come but not yet there,’ Stabroek News 6th March, 2024 His letter regurgitated the well worn sentimentsofcertainfolksas he turned the pages of his understandingofourhistory These sentiments as expressed in his letter come asnosurprise.

R e c a l l e d , o n EmancipationDay,fromhis lofty position, he told a group of Guyanese assembled to celebrate the occasion of the date that slavery ended in the British Empire.

The gathering adverted to thehorrorsofslavetrade and the need for reparative justice. This worthy highrankinggentlemantoldthem toforgetthepast.

His letter like others, studiously avoided the present plunder and rape of our natural resources at the behest if not connivance of some of our local leaders.

Not a word, as Guyana is now travelling on an ignominious road towards recolonisation. Ignoring the rights of our indigenous people, forgetting the horrors of slavery, taking little account of the labour a n d h a r d s h i p s o f indentureship, and no demonstration of ancestral piety by recognising those whose blood, sweat and tears civilised our coastal belt and discovered the minerals in our interior I said to myself ‘pity those who speak the words of our erstwhilemasters.

Withrespecttotheletter by the other Former President, my friend and Brother, Donald Ramotar, titled ‘Indian- Nationalists despised Cheddi Jagan for notpursuingaracistpolitical line,”also published 6th March, 2024, Stabroek News, I understand the sentiments expressed but pose this question - Is the present leadership of the People’ Progressive Party faithfultothebeliefsand

(Continuedonpage09)

Indian Nationalists didn’t despise Jagan...

Frompage04 fair elections. It was Dr. Jagan who claimed that Indians were victims of racisminGuyanaduringthe dictatorship, and it was he who labeled the dictatorship asanapartheidsystem.Why then is Ramharack, myself and others excoriated and derogated for combating the intense racism and cultural marginalizationexperienced byIndians?

Why is being an Indian nationalist problematic for Ramotar?Andisoursdifferent fromAfronationalism?Which Africanleaderorrightsactivist was or is not an ethnonationalist?Afronationalismis a response to Indian nationalism and vice versa Doesbeinganethno-nationalist mean that one is prejudiced against other groups or antiworkingclass?Can’tonebean Africanist and still respect Indians and vice versa Can’t onebeChristianandstillhave tolerance and respect for a Hindu or a Muslim and vice versa? Ethno nationalism, pride, and affirmation in one’s culturalandorphysicalidentity (roots), has become institutionalized in Guyanese wayoflifegoingbacktothe period of slavery and indentureship Drs Seecharan and Ramharack and those Indians who sought to influence Jagan from the mid-1940s thru 1990 did not invent it. It

inheres in the society. It defineseachofthegroupsin the nation. One can blame theWhitemanforcreatingit under its divide and rule strategy, but it has remained a realty in our society Politics became ethnicized in 1955 onwards and has remained so till this day In fact, an argument was made that ethno nationalism was the main cause of the riggings experienced between 1966 and 1992 and the attempted rigging of 2020. As Green hinted, the African PNC could not win anelections.Soitresortedto rigging.

Champions of Indian rights Indian didn’t seek to have “Indians pon top” They, as did Ravi Dev, myselfandothersadvocated for “power sharing” (devolution of power) between and among the different ethnic groups and classes so that no group dominate.Thereisnooralor written evidence from any Indian nationalists from the 1950s thru the 1990s a d v o c a t i n g r a c i a l dominationbyIndians.They appealedtoJagantoabandon communismsothattheWest would not turn against Indians. Ethnic domination was de facto rule between 1965and1992.

No Indian nationalists voiced hate for Jagan. Their appeal to Jagan to move

away from communism did notmeantheydespisedhim. On the contrary, they cared for and loved him and the Indian community and as suchthepleatoembracethe West rather than the Soviet bloc.

Mention is made of the massacre of Indians in Wismar-McKenzie That massacre and other ethnic violence should have been a warning sign to the PPP leadership of what would happentoIndiansiftheparty did not move away from communist ideology The leadership persisted with communism and antiAmericanism with devastating consequences forthePPPandIndianswho had to run to America for survival.

Indian nationalists “did not praise Burnham for his siding with the British and American” The Indian nationalistssoughttheirown supportfromtheBritishand Americans, but they were unsuccessful in getting Indian support in the 1964 elections.BalramSinghRai, for example, appealed to Indians for support to win seats so he could negotiate on their behalf for power (control of key Ministries). He was rejected (as was Hoosein Ghanie of the Muslim Party) and Indians were left powerless and hapless after Burnham took

power . Ramotar writes that theworkingclassofallraces have been pauperized Whose fault was it? Two socialist parties governed between1957tillnow—66 years.WhatdidRamotar,his party, and PNC do to empowertheworkingclass?

Thewealthybeneficiariesof governancewerenotandare not Indian nationalists There is hardly any wealthy Indian businessman (except a Muslim family) who has consistently supported Indian causes or Indian culture. And that Muslim family, from media reports, generously donates to all groups.

Ramotar claims that Indian-Nationalists worked hardtopushthePPPonaracist pathasBurnham Nowealthy Indian expressed hate for the working class and none advocated for racism to replace communism Cultural nationalism yes! Nationalism (prideinidentity)mustnotbe equated with racism (hatred for those not of one’s ethnicity) Iknowofseveral b u s i n e s s m e n a n d apparatchiks who were with the PNC up until 1992 and when their party lost power, they switched over the PPP; they have been embraced while those who combated discrimination are waiting outsideatthegate.

IagreewithRamotarthat Jagandidnotharborracism.

He was an honorable patriot a n d h o n e s t H i s misunderstanding of global and geo-politics landed him in trouble and by extension the exclusion of his supportersfrompower Ialso agree that Jagan had fought for racial and working class unity But he was not successfulasthecountryhas remained racially divided as whenhearrivedin1944and when he died in 1997. As Ramotar himself pointed out,inspiteofthedespairof Guyanesebetween1965and 1992,Africansstillvotedfor PNC in 1992 and have remained loyal to the PNC till this day In spite of his errors, Jagan must be given his due for his struggle favoring the working class empowerment.

Ramotar is right that the solution to our racialized politics is cross-racial unity But unity is not achieved by simplycallingforit.Wehave been trying for racial unity since 1953 without success. Even Ramotar tried in 2011 elections and was rejected, and he doled out more resources to Africans, Mixed, and Amerindians than on Indians during his tenure. Yet, in 2015, he was rejected by Africans and Mixed races. Angry Indians voted against him for his p o l i c y o f ‘ r a c i a l appeasement’. The question then is how do we achieve

cross racial unity? I remind Ramotar that Lenin and Stalin created ethnic homelandsforthedozensof nationalitiesintheUSSR. If ethnicity was not salient, why the need to create homelands for each nationality?Marxstatedthat ethnicity (nationality) is but anepiphenomenonoftheclass struggle and will disappear in the communist phase of development After seventy years of communist rule, ethnicityremainedverystrong intheSovietUnionandwasa factor in its dissolution by Gorbachev The socialist republic of Yugoslavia was dissolved in seven ethnic republics and there have been ongoing ethnic wars for independence of other nationalities Socialist Guyana can’t resolve ethnic conflict after seventy years The socialistrepublicofVenezuela claims territory of the socialistrepublicofGuyana. Andothersocialistnationsin Latin America have also beenengagedinconflictofa nationalist nature. What is the magic bullet to end ethnicnationalismwhichhas worsened post-colonialism? Was communism necessary as a condition to take the colony to independence and or improve the miserable conditions of the working class?

Yourstruly,

Voters’ list tops 706,439

— Alexander warns list will soon exceed resident population

Longstanding commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), VincentAlexander has highlighted that with effect from March 1, 2024 GECOM has produced an Official List of Electors, which ismadeupof706,439voters.Andhewarned that the voters list will soon exceed the resident population of Guyana which is approximatedtobeinthevicinityof780,000.

Inalettertotheeditorofthisnewspaper Alexandersaidthattheschoolagepopulation is estimated to be over 200,000. “Hence our resident voting population should be approximately 580,000, which means the voter list exceeds the resident voting population by no less than 126,439. How is this possible? This is possible because nonresident Guyanese are also included on the voterslist,”hepointedout.

TheGECOMcommissionersaidthisisof concernbecausetherecountoftheballotscast inthe2020elections,resultedinthousandsof claimsoftheexistenceoflistedpersons,who werepurportedlyoutofthecountry,forwhom votes were cast; also, the results were sufficiently close for malpractices, averaging fourperapollingstation,toaffecttheoutcome oftheelections Alexandersaidonlyasmall fractionofthethousandsofallegedfraudulent votes were subjected to verification by the ImmigrationDepartment

“The Attorney General (AG) has since taken possession of the documents in which thousands of the verifiable claims are documented TheAGhasbeenpatentlysilent, althoughheisinapositiontoprovetheAPNUAFC wrong by having the claims refuted throughatestedverificationprocess”

According to Alexander a process which positivelyverifiedthatoutof517caseswhich were sent for verification, 383, representing 741%, were verified as instances of persons who were out of the country, although the GECOMdocumentsrecordedthattheyvoted

“Thiswouldnothavebeenpossibleifthe names of the non-resident voters were not listed. GECOM is therefore challenged to fulfill its mandate by ensuring that the possibilityofsuchfraudulentvotesbeingcast is reduced, if not eliminated,” Alexander wrote.

He said despite this GECOM by a majority vote (the chairperson and the PPP nominated commissioners) joined the PPP‘s chorus that there are checks and balances to prevent such occurrences, although the evidence clearly shows that there were such occurrences,thusprovingthatthechecksand balances were circumvented. “They also resort to the Court’s ruling that a Guyanese once registered cannot be removed from the voters list, unless he dies. Herein lies the

connivance.Noeffortisbeingmadetorectify this proven and exploited flaw,” Alexander said.

He noted that the judge‘s ruling is being used as the beginning and the end of any action that can be taken, meaning that no action can be, or is being taken. “However, the Judge‘s ruling does not address the fact that thousands of registered Guyanese die overseas every year, yet there is no mechanism to have their names removed fromthevoters‘list.Thereisnomitigationof the instances of absent persons being voted for, particularly since such persons are undoubtedlynumberedamongthethousands of registered overseas voters, who would havedied.”

Alexander said there are those in GECOM and the political circles who are complicitinnotrectifyingtheflawedsystem, while probably participating in, or condoning, its exploitation. “This is evident in their objection, and resistance, to the implementation of electronic fingerprint identification at the place of poll. Such a systemwouldnothavenamestakenoffofthe voterslist,hencecomplyingwiththeJudge`s

GECOM, Commissioner, Vincent

ruling, while, at the same time, preventing absentee voters and the deceased overseas voters, in particular, from being impersonatedasevidentlyhappenedin2020, whileprobablygoingundetectedinprevious elections.MypropositiononTuesday,March 5, 2024 that GECOM addresses its mind to thisobviousdefectinitssystem,fellondeaf ears, as GECOM merrily prepares for elections that are due, no later than 2025. Previous proposals to implement such a system were stymied by calls for feasible studies, for something that is widely practiced across the globe; and the inaction with regard to the conduct of feasibility studies. It seems that our very electoral machine is complicit in the facilitation of electoralmal-practices,”Alexanderasserted.

Nonewsandpermitsatthistime...

Frompage3 governmentisawareofsandpitoperatorswho were jacking up the price of sand To combat this, he explained that the government had openedsomepublicsandpitsareasandintends toopensomemoretoensurethatthepricefor sandremainsreasonable Jagdeoexplainedthatthegovernmenthas receivedover200applicationsforsandpits He noted,“Becauseit’salucrativethingnowthe sand prices have gone up, and a lot of people who have these sandpits they even undermine they come close to the road they

do all sorts of thing” “So we are not giving permission for no sandpits at this time,” he added JagdeonotedthatwhileEPAhaspublished a notice in relation to the sandpits for Hicken and Brutus – he underscored that the Government’s position is clear and that the applicationswillnotbegranted “It’snotgoing to happen Now they may have the land for agriculture use, that is what people have land forbutnotforthepurposeofminingsand,we have to have a strategy that brings down the price(ofsand),”theVicePresidentnoted

From commanding heights to demanding heights

Itis abitterirony On theonehand,thereis nowarejectionofthe idea,endorsedbybothJagan and Burnham, that state o w n e r s h i p o f t h e commanding heights of the economy is necessary to upturn exploitative productive relations and to improve the lot of the poor

On the other hand, the alternative to state domination of the economy i s p r i v a t e s e c t o r development, except that instead of being a ‘commanding’ class, the privatesectorinGuyanahas becomea‘demanding’class.

At one time, a regional Prime Minister threw a subtle hint at then President Bharrat Jagdeo That regional Prime Minister spoke about some CARICOM leaders had developed a reputation for

“[going]around,hatinhand, toeverycapitaloftheworld like panhandlers on the street,tellingpeoplehowwe arethewretchedoftheearth, wearepoorandthatweneed allsortsofcharity.”

The term “panhandling economy”, in this sense, applies to countries that heavily rely on borrowing and seeking aid from other countries and multilateral agencies to finance their development projects or to sustain their economies. In such cases, these countries may find themselves in a cycle of dependency, continually seeking external assistance to meet their financialneeds.

Atthestartofthedecade of the 1990’s, Guyana had a highandunserviceabledebt. It required debt relief and financing for development. Thecountryhadswungfrom

being a state-dominated economy to one that has more market-led policies.

Consistent with this new dispensation, the country’s leaders set out on a path of beggingandborrowing.

This mentality of dependency on external financingbecameengrained. And despite Guyana today being an oil-producing country and designated as thefastestgrowingeconomy in the world, our leaders are still trapped by the idea that they must continue to beg and borrow to finance development.

As such, Guyana is on a borrowing spree Just recently it signed several agreements for loans. It has borrowed from the IDB to financeprojectsinthehealth and education sector It is also awaiting funding from the EXXIM Bank of the

Fisherman found dead after leaving for sea

The body of a 23-yearold fisherman was on Thursday found floating in thevicinityoftheJibseawall on the Essequibo Coast, RegionTwo.

Police identified the fisherman as Mahindra Persaud of Devonshire Castle, Essequibo His

brother, Marvin Persaud said that he last saw him alive on Tuesday morning around 07:00hrs when he wasleavingforthesea. Two days later he was found dead. According to police his body was found floatinginthevicinityofthe JibSeawallaround06:30hrs

on Thursday Investigators believe that he might have been a victim of drowning. They suspect that he might have fallen overboard between 20:00 hrs on Wednesday night and 06:30hrsonThursday

Investigations are ongoing.

Hinds’letter ignores the present...

Frompage05 workofitsfounder,Dr CheddiB.Jaganand worst,isitnotthecasethatthebehaviourof those now in charge is a contradiction negation of what Dr Cheddi Jagan stood for?Donald,Ibelievethatthetimehascome for all of our leaders to stop being petty in prevarication and form a unity, a oneness, a

United States for its gas-toshoreenergyproject.

All this borrowing has raised concerns about the country’srisingdebt.Butthe country’s leaders find comfort in the fact that Guyana has a sustainable debt-to GDP ratio and debt servicing-to-revenue ratio What happens when the oil runsout,however,seemsnot tohavebeenamajorworry

The begging and borrowing mentality is now contagious. The country’s private sector has become a ‘demanding’class. Theyare fond of asking for c o n c e s s i o n s , t a x concessions mainly And they have been the prime beneficiaries of such concessions. In 2021, the Auditor General reported that concessions totaled some 266.7 B with more than 90% going to b u s i n e s s e s T h e international financial institutions were long concerned that the government’s authority of issuing concessions would have been used selectively Assuch,theyhadpressedfor legislationtolimitdiscretion in the awarding of concessions.A2003Guyana Development Policy Review, published by the World Bank, had urged that discretionary fiscal and tax practices be halted and an investment code be tabled that would provide equal

respectedcohesiveforce thatwillensureour people are the principal beneficiaries of the creator’s blessings.Ifwedonotrealisethis attitudinalmetamorphosis,ourblessingswill beacurse.

Sincerely

DEM BOYS SEH

Wake tun up nowadays!

Some people does mix up‘wake’housewithparty

One man tun up de other dayata‘wake’andstartone dancing. Well, it was more like he was passing on de road and hear de noise and decideheganstopandhave agoodtime.

Islikehedon’tknowde difference between a ‘wake’andafeteanymore!

De man dancing through likeifhedehinadancehall competition He bussin’ moves like he deh pun stage.Evenwhenherealize he deh in de wrong place, henahbeatout.

But who gan give de man wrong. De wake was hotter than a dancehall session! It had people beatingtassadrum,meking yuh think yuh deh at CPL cricket.Andyuhknowdem doesclaimdatdeCPLisde biggestpartyintown

So don’t blame people when dem dancing at ‘wake’house.Isbecauseof what happening now at dese‘wakes’.Yuhdoesgat big speaker box, playing loud, tent and drinks and food sharing. No wonder some people does mistake de‘wake’fuhparty

It’s like we living in a worldwheremourningturn into morning People coming fuh eat, drink and fuhdeentertainment.

And dis trend ain’t stopping anytime soon Next thing yuh know, dem gon’start selling tickets to wakes like it’s a concert.

VIP section for de closest mourners, and general admission for anyone who justwanttocatchavibe.

So next time yuh hear ‘bout a wake, don’t forget tobringyuhdancingshoes. Andyuh bestmoves!

Talkhalf.Leffhalf

treatment of all investors. O n e s t u d y h a d recommended reducing discretion and moving towards a more rule-based system for the granting of concessions.

An investment law was passedinrespecttothis.The InvestmentActspecifiesthat there should be no discrimination between local and foreign investors and between foreign investors from different countries. Yet, during the time of the APNU+AFC there was a major quarrel between the APNU and the AFC over the government’s refusal to grant concessions to a local investor, comparabletothatofferedto aforeigninvestor

Despite this nondiscrimination provision, allegationsofdiscrimination in the award of fiscal concessions still prevailed. In one instance an investor complained that a sawmill hadtobeparkedinthejungle because of the refusal of the government to grant concessionstohimthatwere awardedtoothers.

The business class in Guyana is notorious for making ‘back-room’ deals. They are excellent at extracting concessions from the government and year after year they are rewarded with more and more concessions. Investors line up day-in, day-out to meet

with political officials to negotiate concessions, something that is not consistent with a rule-based system.

The Guyana Office for Investmenthasnowbecome a factory for the granting of fiscal incentive agreements. These agreements represent a major loophole in the system,andithopedthatthe international financial institutions, would use the present leverage they have over the government, to demand a curtailment of these agreements and to egg the government towards a morerule-basedsystem.

Such a move would however bring great displeasure to the local private sector who thrive in the role of courting governmenttoprovidemore and more concessions to them The ‘demanding’ class continues to ask for more and more each year, andtheyoftengettheirway

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

BharratJagdeo:Fighterorquitter

Whentheissueisaboutattaining power or retaining power, Bharrat Jagdeo is the fiercest of fighters Fiercest with broad strains of cleverness and resourcefulness attached Contrastingly, when the challenge is what would benefit others beside himself, meaning Guyanese,BharratJagdeohashighjumped into the ranks of the worst chokers.

When the oil and gas sector challenges, this former president becomesafrailshadowofhimself,a flat tire on a twisted wheel He collapses in ready self-inflicted defeat;heyieldsandwallowsinthe dustbin of ignominious retreat To ram the point home: regarding mastery of the political game and lust for power, there is none better thanJagdeothechamp. Butwhen it comes to fossil fuel benefits for Guyanese, there is none that is more of a shrinking violet, a withered feather, than Bharrat Jagdeo,theserialquitter

Tohelphim,Iamthinkingofthe kind of bold conversations that Dr JagdeoshouldbehavingwithExxon, beitMr Routledgeorhigher-up The conversations of today from which he beats a cowardly exit: not now Not me Not giving anyone the opportunity to hang him out to dry

There is that calculation about power again, which is the first consideration for this wiliest of political operators. Here is the conversation that Jagdeo should havewithRoutledgeintheboldest ofstarts, but which never gets off the ground I gift him this recommendation.

BJ: ‘I must tell the Guyanese peoplesomething,Icannotgobackto them empty-handed They are increasinglymadatyou[Exxon],and ifIamnotcarefulmoreofthemare goingtobemadatme’

AR: ‘We have sanctity of contract,whichmeanstherecanbeno conversationaboutmoreforGuyana, sowhywastetimebybringingupthe issue? Whynotletthetwoofustalk otherbusiness?’

BJ: ‘I hear you I know that Guyanaisinasoftposition,butifyou sayso,thenthatisit I’mnotgoingto fight that But how about a little something, some small bone, that I cangobackwith,andtellthepeople abouthowhardIhadtofighttoget Exxon to this place of generous understanding?’

AR: ‘Apparently, we are not understanding each other Barry, but Exxon’spositionissetinstone What is so elusive about nonnegotiable? This conversation is over The

secretarywillshowyouout Havea niceday’

Quitter Quitter Quitter Jagdeo has never taken ‘NO’for an answer when it is politics and power to himselfthatareinvolved Butwhenit is fossil fuels and fairness for Guyanese, there is none more fearful, none more tentative, and none more fawning that Bharrat JagdeotoExxon’ssuperpowerlash He should have been the one delivering the lash that stings and straightacrossAlistairRoutledge’s condescending countenance. I’ll helphimrecover

BJ: look, if that’s Exxon’s attitude,thenIamleftwithnochoice buttogoaboutthisthehardway,so thatGuyanesecangetmore’

AR:‘whatdoesthatmean?’

BJ: the EPA could become a different animal Instead of the pussycat that it has been, it could becomeanaggressivewildcat’

AR: ‘is that a threat? Where is thisgoing?’

BJ: ‘The EPAhas to do a better job,whichhasbeensaideverywhere Regulationsareatrickycreature,and politicians shouldn’t interfere with thetechnicalpeople,asIhavesaidall along Also, project approvals can take time to study After all, there are huge volumes of paper to go

through’

AR: ‘Now I am getting more than concerned, I am getting really angry’ BJ:itisgoodthatangerisbrought up Thereisahandfulofangryjudges in Guyana’s judiciary, and the government looked terrible and subversivewhenittookExxon’sside of that parent company guarantee case Thatcan’thappenagain’

AR: ‘so, what is the end game here?’

BJ: ‘Exxon is on its own And more and more supporters of the government are silently raging againstExxon’

AR: ‘what about cricket sponsorship,billboards,MtSinai,and all the other good things, don’t they count?’

BJ:theydon’t Exxonisnowa confirmed monstrosity among thinking Guyanese; they see the company as the incarnation of the Ugly American Public Enemy Number1’

AR: ‘so, what is your utility to Exxon then, after the relationship cultivatedandfertilized?’

BJ: ‘Understand this: I have deliveredaboveandbeyond Inow havetolookoutformefirst’

AR: ‘too bad that Guyanese are suchrottenropes’

BJ:‘Thechoiceformeisclear:to beRobertE LeeorUlyssesS Grant (loserorwinner) Myfirstloyaltyis nottoExxon;myfirstloyaltyistome Formyownsurvival,Inowhaveto appear to be about the Guyanese peopleandtheirinterests Ihaveto domuchbetter,deliverrealbenefits’

AR: this is going to cost you Exxonisgoingtohitbackhard’

BJ: that’s Exxon call Now get thisstraight:Ihavealwayspulledthe rightcardwhenitispoliticsinvolved I’vealwayscomeoutawinnerinthe powergame. So,whatwillitbe?’

If only former president Jagdeo couldhavethecourageandpatriotic character to confront Exxon using some of his natural shrewdness, he couldstillemergeabigwinnerinthe eyes of Guyanese and the world I would be his strongest corner-man First,hemustshakethealbatrossof quitterhangingaroundhisneck

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaperanditsaffiliates )

Jagdeo says Guyana receiving full 2% royalty from Exxon

Vice President Bharrat

Jagdeo on Thursday disclosed that Guyana is receiving its full 2$ royalty from ExxonMobil, as outlined in the Stabroek B l o c k P e t r o l e u m Agreement.

Jagdeoduringhisweekly press conference told reporters that while Professor, Dr. Kenrick Hunte in a letter to Kaieteur News on Sunday provided arguments that the country was receiving a mere 0.5% royalty, this was not accurate.

The chief policymaker for the sector explained, “Royalty is calculated on production minus, so total crude production minus the crude used in the operations for transport and on the FPSOs(FloatingProduction Storage and Offloading vessels), the fuel used. In Guyana’s case, the FPSOs areoperatedbygas,sothere is no deduction whatsoever, so royalty is calculated on the basis of total production andtotalsales.”

He continued, “Every

month,theyhavetoconfirm what the average weighted price would be and the Ministry gives approval for that...soattheendoftheyear when you aggregate this, you should get total sales figure. So we get 2% of that total sale, not 2% of the profits.”

Jagdeo further assured, “We got 2% of total sales as the royalty What might be confusing to Hunte... is that the 2% is paid from the contractor’sprofit,sointhis case, the profit oil is 25%, 75% goes to cost recovery, soofthe25%ofgross,thatis total sales, we get 12 and a

half percent. The contractor gets 12 and a half then he takes from his share of profits, 2% and pays it to government, so we end up with 14.5% of the 25% of gross and they end up with 10.5%.”

The Vice President was keentonotethattheroyalty, though listed as an expense for the contractor was not recoverable.

In his letter, Professor Hunte argued that ExxonMobil was paying the state 0.5% instead of the stipulated 2% agreed in the contract.

Royalty is a fixed

percentageofthegrossvalue of revenue, paid to governments or the owners ofnaturalresources.

Dr Hunte explained that basedonhisanalysis,theoil giant has been deducting 75%ofthemonthlyearnings in the Stabroek Block to recover its investments, in keeping with the provisions ofthePetroleumAgreement. Itisfromtheremaining25% that Guyana receives 50%, whichisequivalentto12.5% ofthetotalrevenuesearned. Exxon then hands Guyana a share of its earnings, valued attwopercent.

Dr Hunte, therefore, argued that this is not in keepingwiththetermsofthe

Agreement,pointingoutthat Article15.6(page39)states that: “The Contractor shall pay a royalty of two percent of all Petroleum producedandsold.”

Consequently, he explained,“Thisimpliesthat thetwopercentroyaltymust be sourced from the total salesandnotfromtheprofit s h a r e o f E M G L (ExxonMobil Guyana L i m i t e d ) . I n t h e circumstances, it is contended that this act by EMGL,whichusesitsprofit share to pay Guyana’s royalty, violates the condition of Article 15.6 in the PSA; it robs Guyana of its correct royalty payment;

andthisapproachbyEMGL generates a smaller share of totalsalesforGuyana.”

To arrive at his conclusion of the 0 5% royalty being paid to Guyana, Professor Hunte sharedtheformulaheused.

“This understated royalty (UR) amount is specified as: UR = 2% (profit) = 2% (25%) total sales (TS) = 0.5% (TS). Therefore, Guyana’s share of total sales (TS) is not 14.5%, but it is only 13 %; that is: profit (12.5 %) plus royalty(0.5%).”

Tothisend,henotedthat Guyana lost over US$208M inroyaltybetween2020and 2022.

Exxon’s 52% billboard misleading

-Jagdeofinallyadmits

“Exxon’s billboards are misleading,” those were the words of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo when he addressed members of the media on Thursday at FreedomHouse.

Jagdeo was addressing mattersrelatedtotheoiland gas sector when he said:

“One thing I can agree with Vincent Adams on, is that these billboards that Exxon (is)puttingupallaroundthe place,ismisleadinginmany ways… Exxon’s billboards are misleading. So they said Guyana receives 52% of all profitsfromStabroekBlock, 50% profit share plus 2%, they don’t speak about the 75% here going to cost recovery.”

The VP said that this ‘touting’bytheoilcompany makes, “people think it’s now Inthefuturewewillget a significant amount. (The billboard also states) more

than$280BforGuyanasince 2019.Sothesebillboardscan bemisleading.”

TheVPventedthatwhen persons look at the billboards they would believe that Exxon runs the county “You believe they run the country when you lookatthesebillboards.Very misleading sometimes, so I canagreewiththat.”

During an Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference last Friday, former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams explained that contrary to the explanation provided by Jagdeo recently in defense of Exxon’s misleading billboards, Guyana will never benefit from 52% of the monthly revenues, even after the oil company’sinvestmentshave been recovered. The chief policymaker for the

petroleum sector during his February 22, 2024 media engagement, told reporters that Guyana will enjoy 52% ofthetotalproceedsfromoil production, after the costs havebeenrepaid.

VP Jagdeo pointed out that presently, 75% of the earnings are deducted to cover cost, with the remaining 25% shared with

Guyana. He said however, “When those costs are amortized fully, then we get 50%ofthetotalproceeds,all theprofits.Sosay100%now goes to profit oil, all the revenue goes to profit oil because you finish amortizing the investments, paying back for the investments, so now 100% of your revenue is available

One of Exxon’s billboard that claims Guyana receives 52% profit share from the oil rich Stabroek Block

fordistribution,not25%.”

He said this means Guyana will receive 50% with an additional 2% royalty, taking the country’s share to 52% while Exxon would receive 48%. To this end, Dr Adams said, “We watched and listened with dismay, the second VP’s pressconferenceofFebruary 22, 2024, and thought our ears must be failing us with the disbelief of what was being spouted by this selfanointed oil guru from whom the people are expecting truthful information about our god givenpatrimony.”

The former EPA boss contends that there have been several letters penned by learned professionals explaining Exxon’s billboardhoaxofthe52%oil revenues being received by Guyana, which the VPmust have seen “The VP embarrassingly went on to expose the toxic mixture of

hisdutifulnesstoExxonand the limitations of his honorary degree, when he once again prattled on with his selling of Exxon’s farcical billboard touting that Guyana is getting 52% of the oil revenues. Let us readandspellfortheVPthat it is impossible for Guyana to ever get 52% of the revenues, without the impossibilityofzerocostfor production operations,” Dr Adams argued. He pointed out however that the VP completely failed to inform the nation that even after costs associated with the Stabroek Block projects have been repaid, Guyana’s oil will still be deducted for operational expenses Presently, the operational cost is an unknown factor, butatanestimated30%,Dr Adams said profit oil will thenbe70%.Thismeansthat Guyana’s share will be 37% –halfofthe70%plusthe2% royalty

GBTItogetnewCEO

TheGuyanaBankforTrade&Industry(GBTI)Limitedhas announcedthatitsChiefExecutiveOfficer,JamesJimFoster, will be demitting office on 31st March 2024, and Shawn Gurcharran,DeputyChiefExecutiveOfficerwillassumeduties asCEOon2April2024

“GBTIexpressesitsdeepestappreciationtoJamesFoster, our outgoing CEO, for his transformative leadership since 2020 Jim’s global banking expertise and strategic foresight havebeenpivotalinadvancingGBTI’spositioninthebanking sector Jim’stenurebroughtaboutsignificantachievementsand setnewbenchmarksforexcellence.TheBankisindebtedto JamesFosterforthislegacy,”theBanksaidinapressrelease.

AccordingtotheBankwithover20yearsinbankinganda solid tenure as GBTI’s Chief Financial Officer and Deputy ChiefExecutiveOfficer,Gurcharranisuniquelypoisedtolead themanagementstructureofthebank “Hisprofileincludesan MBA with a Specialism in Finance and ACCA and CGI fellowships,whichhasbeeninstrumentalinGBTI’sfinancial growthandstrategictransformationefforts.

TheIncoming-CEOissupportedbyanexecutiveteamwith extensive experience; a portent for a continuing trajectory of growth, innovation, and commitment to excellence His appointment continues the legacy of strong Guyanese leadershipatthehelmandmanagementlevelsoftheBank,”the releaseadded

FirstLadydonatesambulancetoGPHC

First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali on Thursday donatedanambulancetothepaediatricward of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in the presence of the hospital’sChiefExecutiveOfficer(CEO)and somestaff.

Receiving the keys on behalf of GPHC wasitsCEOMr.RobbieRambarranwhosaid thatitisthefirsttimethepaediatricwardwill haveitsownambulance.”Thisisthefirsttime the paediatric ward will have an ambulance attached to it, so we wish to thank the First Ladyforthis,”Mr Rambarransaidaccording toapressreleasefromtheOfficeoftheFirst Lady

He explained that as the hospital continues to build capacity, donations like these are welcomed since they allow for the expansionofpatient-careservices.

TheCEOalsocommendedtheFirstLady

for her continued support to the hospital and itspatientsoverthelastthreeyears.Mrs.Ali had previously made donations of menstrual and sanitary products and hampers for newbornsandtheirmothersatthehospital.

Speaking briefly at the handing over, the First Lady, who is a mother of two, said that she through it appropriate to have an ambulance dedicated to the paediatric ward.

“Eventhoughpaediatricemergenciesareless frequentthanadultemergencies,theystilldo occur and so I thought it was necessary to have an ambulance dedicated to this ward,” Mrs.Alisaid.

Sheusedtheoccasiontoalsocongratulate theCEOandhisteamfortheworktheyhave been leading at the country’s premier healthcare institution, and to recommit to working with them to expand healthcare servicestotheGuyanesepeople.

FormerReg.5REOfailsto justifywhyphotocopiedbillswere attachedtoPaymentVouchers

Former Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Five, Ovid Morrison on Monday could not provide the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) with a reason why there were two uncertified photocopied billsattachedtopaymentvouchers.

During Monday’s sitting of the PAC, the matters raised in the 2019Auditor General’s (AG) Report under the Region Five’s Regional Democratic Council (RDC) were addressed.

The AG’s report noted that an examination of some 93 Payment Vouchers totalling $37 468 million revealed that “Photocopied bills were attached to two Payment Vouchers totalling $174,000. As suchtheauthenticityofthebillscouldnotbe determined In addition, we could not determine whether the transactions representedduplicatepayments.”

This was highlighted by Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill who questioned whytheRegionusedthephotocopybills.

In response, former REO Morrison told the PAC meeting, “Mr. Chair, the Regional HealthOfficershouldbethepersontoanswer that. However, from my knowledge if an original is misplaced or lost there would be requestmadetohaveaduplicatecopy,sothat preparation of the payment could be done. I

am not sure whether that was one of the condition.”

After listening to his response, Minister Edghillmadeitclearthatshouldaphotocopy or duplicate receipt be used for whatever reason(s) it is imperative that a notation be madetoindicatethatthephotocopiedbillisa certifiedandtruecopy

Chairman of the PAC Jermaine Figueira then questioned, “Did the copy have a JP saying that this is the original copy, a duplicateoftheoriginalcopy?”

Unable to respond, Region Five’s team referredthequestiontotherepresentativesof theAudit Office, who noted that none of the copieswerecertifiedbyaJusticeofPeace.

Meanwhile, Auditor General, Deodat Sharmasaidthat“Wedonotacceptduplicate copy, if you have a duplicate copy then that voucherwouldhavetobereconstructedwith thepermissionoftheAccountantGeneraland thatiswhywebroughtitintheattentionofthe paragraph.And that is why we also enforce thatweshouldhaveapaidstampbecauseyou don’t know when bills would be recycled. And it is a matter that I would have to look backatwiththeAccountantGeneralandthe FinanceSecretarybecauselongagoweused to have a stamp to prevent that whole situation.”

inks$74Mincontractstoboost watersupplyinNappi&Surama

The Amerindian villages of Nappi and Surama in Region Nine will soon benefit from new water supply systems through the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDC), BasicNeedsTrustFund(BNTF)programme.

According to information received from the BNTF on Thursday, the Government of GuyanathroughtheBasicNeedsTrustFund signed $74,999,138 in contracts with contractorFaldhariSingh&SonContracting Servicestoexecutethewatersupplyprojects.

Kaieteur News understands that the projects include the construction of trestles andtheprovisionofwatertanks,installation of transmission and distribution networks, installation of solar systems including securitylights.

Caribbean Engineering & Management Consultants Inc (CEMCO) has been awarded the contract to be the supervision consultant.

The BNTF through which the projects would be funded is a cyclical grant funded programme by the CDB that aims to reduce the incidence of poverty by targeting the causeofinequitableaccesstoqualitywaterin poorandvulnerablecommunities.

To achieve this, the construction of shallow and deep wells, installation,

extension and rehabilitation of transmission and distribution networks, construction of standpipes and installation of customer service connections along with Water, SanitationandHygieneTraining(WASH)are being implemented under the Water and Sanitation sector through the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) and the Government of Guyana.

Aftertheseprojectsareimplemented,itis expected that there will be improved access to quality water and sanitation services according World Health Organization’s (WHO)standards,theBNFTrelated.

Last year, the National Assembly approved $600million for the implementation of the CDB’s Basic Needs TrustFund(BNTF)10thCycleprogrammein Guyana.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr AshniSinghhadexplainedatthetimethat the sums will be used to undertake rehabilitation of community roads, livelihood enhancement projects, and skills training programmes, as well as for the construction of water supply systems in Nappi,Warawatta,Kariako,Kurukubaruand Surama.

Electionsfraudcasetrialdelayedagain

The trial into the 2020 elections fraud case, scheduled to begin on Monday after a three-yeardelayisagaininterrupted.

Thedelayinthestartofthetrialisaresult of Senior Magistrate Leron Daly requesting constitutional guidance from the High Court based on an application by defence counsel, Nigel Hughes for minutes from the Guyana ElectionsCommission’s(GECOM)meetings forthecorrespondentperiod.

On Wednesday, Magistrate Daly after considering Hughes’argument and listening to submissions by Special Prosecutor Darshan Ramdhani KC, ruled that Hughes’ contention that the absence of the GECOM minutes for the period in question would resultinanunfairtrialtohisclientshassome merit.Asaresult,sheruledthatthematterbe referred to the High Court for determination andadjournedthecaseuntilApril2,2024.

Criminal charges were brought against several former officials of the Guyana ElectionsCommission(GECOM),aswellas two People’s National Congress/Reform

(PNCR) members in relation to the alleged attempt to rig the March 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that followed.

Those charged for elections fraud are:

former GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers, former District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, PNC/R members,VoldaLawrence,andCarolSmithJoseph and other GECOM employees, Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Bobb-CummingsandMichelleMiller

Hughes is representing Lowenfield, MyersandMingo.

On Monday, Hughes requested access to theGECOMMinuteswhichwasobjectedto bytheSpecialProsecutorwhopositedthatthe request by the defence attorney should have been made two years prior He said too that Section 140 of the Representation of the People’sAct(ROPA)prohibitstheuseof

Continued on page 16

Police to get quick response marine unit

- as Pres. Ali urges greater professionalism among ranks

Very shortly, a quick response marine arm of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will be activated as the government has invested in the procurement of patrol boats that will be based along the coastline.

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This is according to President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali in his address at the opening of the Annual Police Officers’ Conference on Thursday. The president mentioned that two patrol boats have already ar-

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President Irfaan Ali inspecting a guard of honour at the conference

rived in the country, while two more are expected to arrive soon. This investment is aimed at matching assets with the landscape to provide a more effective policing system. “We have all the rivers. We’re known as the land of many waters.

We’re known for expansive rivers that cover our coastland but we never utilised this asset to support policing,” the head of state articulated.

According to President Ali, this initiative will drastically improve the police response time, especially in emergencies that have occurred in highly congested areas along the coast. “If you have to go through the traffic from Stabroek to Diamond, the marine response will be half the time or less the time to establish a presence anywhere on the coast,” he explained. Moreover, the government is investing in agile units that are equipped with quick-response assets to further improve the response time.

Additionally, these outposts will be technologically fitted. “That is what is happening now, we’re building out these smaller but more agile units to respond faster, to integrate greater and to build relationship within the community,” the president affirmed. The head of state also revealed that a platform is being established to incorporate all stakeholders involved in security to ensure a coordinated effort to maintain law and order and provide a safe environment for citizens. The three-day conference is themed “Transformative Unity: Nurturing Trust, Youth Development, Professionalism & Safety

Through Competence & Strategic Partnerships,” and it presents a platform for reflection on the achievements as well as confronting obstacles and charting the path for the future.

Highly professional force

Meanwhile, President underscored the importance of having a highly professional Guyana Police Force (GPF) to safeguard democracy and the principles of natural justice. Noting that the police force must position itself as a safe, welcoming, and trustworthy institution, Ali said: “At the end of the day … what is important is that we build a highly professional police force so that any citizen can go to bed [and] sleep well knowing that there are institutions in our country that will not falter and disappoint the people of this country,” he stressed.

President Ali went on to remind officers of their sacred oath, which is dedicated to the principles of justice while reiterating the need for officers to become strong leaders of democracy.

“Not based on influence, but it’s natural. It becomes an inherent character, an inherent character of who you are when you put on this uniform and people look at you, they must see someone who will not hide when the country needs them to defend democracy, defend the rule of law and uphold your constitutional requirement,” the president expressed, highlighting that law enforcement personnel hold a critical balance in society.

The president also spoke on several crucial matters, including the role of technology, which is important to addressing modern policing

challenges that come with the exponential transformation currently unfolding in several sectors. President Ali also recognised the outstanding performance of the police force in the past year, pointing to the expansion of its human resource capacity.

Along this vein, he voiced confidence that in the next five years, there will be a highly trained, competent and qualified police force.

Another crucial achievement highlighted was the expansion of partnership between the police force and its regional and international partners. According to President Ali, that relationship has expanded greatly.

He, therefore, advised that the international accreditation of the Police Force Academy is in its final stages as a testimony to the expanded relationship. “This is one of the things we wanted to achieve, build infrastructure here, build systems here that are of international standards because we believe this is how we can share our prosperity with the region,” he asserted.

He added that Guyana has advanced partnerships with the United States, United Kingdom, and India and it is now up to the police to further develop those partnerships. While significant achievements were made in every area, President Ali noted the pertinent issue of road fatalities, which he said requires stakeholders to work collectively and comprehensively to find innovative solutions.

“It is unfortunate that you have to find innovative ways of enforcement, when it is within the power of

(Continued on page 17)

Elections fraud case trial delayed again...

From page 15 GECOM’s decisions or communication in court proceedings.

However, the defence attorney told the court that Section 140 (2) of the ROPA contradicts Articles 144 and 149 (D) of the Constitution which speaks to the right to a fair trial.

In response to Hughes’ submission, Magistrate Daly said that the argument has merit and noted that Article 153 of the Constitution allows a magistrate who is confronted with a constitutional issue to refer it to the High Court unless the said issue is deemed to be frivolous or vexa-

tious.

Further, Magistrate Daly said she did not find the defence attorney’s submission frivolous while noting that the defendants have a right to cross examine themselves and present on their case, and based on those circumstances she referred the submission to the High Court.

Onderneeming community to get $130M primary school

TheOnderneeming community on the Essequibo Coast will soon have a primary school for the first time which will be built to thetuneof$130,821,128.

K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that just recently the $130 million contractwassignedbetween the Government through the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) and contractor Builders Hardware, General Supplies & Construction The project will be supervised by consultant

E&AConsultantsInc.

The Basic Needs Trust Fund is a grant funded programme by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) which aims to reduce the incidence of poverty by targeting the cause of inequitable access toqualityeducation.

The school project is funded by CDB through the fund and the Guyana Government.

Government had stated in a public advertisement previously that it has received US$ 7,937,000

financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) towards the costoftheBasicNeedsTrust FundTenth Programme (the BNTF10).

TheBNTFinastatement noted that the move to have thisschoolbuiltisthatagap has been identified in the c o m m u n i t y o f Onderneeming Currently, s t u d e n t s f r o m Onderneeming travel to the Suddie Primary School to accesstheireducation.

To achieve equitable access to education in that

Police to get quick response marine...

Frompage16

allofus,withinthepowerof everydriver,everyroaduser, toactandbehaveinamanner that is befitting of what is expected of them on the roadways,” he lamented noting that this issue is compounded with the rapid development occurring.“All ofthesearemattersthatweare notunawareof,butmattersthat compound the situation because we have to find the balance and you can’t slow things down. You can slow the speed but not the development; [it] is integral,”headded.

Evolvingchallenges

Meanwhile,Commissioner of Police (Ag) Clifton Hicken has charged senior police officers to remain vigilant, adaptable and proactive to

tackle evolving policing challenges.TheTopCopwas delivering remarks at the conferencewhenhemadethis remark Hickenhighlightedthe accomplishments achieved which were a collective effort, and the fact that the Police’s 2022-2026 Strategic ManagementPlanhascreateda roadmap for progress towards innovation, collaboration, and excellence “Through our collectiveefforts,wehavethese tangible outcomes that have strengthened our organisation and enhanced our ability to serve and protect the communities Together we gained remarkable success,” thetopcopexpressed The commissioner also highlighted the achievements gained so far including equipping all police regional

divisions with a district intelligence committee, that guides intelligence lead operations, implements predictiveanalyticsfortraffic p a t t e r n s a n d t h e decentralisation of services among others However, he was keen to note that these challenges preventing safer communities must never be underrated “With all of this, let us not underestimate the challenges we face, the complex issues ranging from the persistent threat of drug trafficking to increasing prevalenceofcybercrimeand digital security threat amidst ourresourcesconstraint,”the Commissioner underlined The force is also challenged with the low recruitment of new ranks and retention rates.(DPI)

Parika man wanted for wife’s stabbing death captured in Timehri

Twenty-four-yearold Melroy La Rose who was wanted by the police in connection with the murder ofhisreputedwife,Nikesha Sutton, was on Wednesday evening arrested by the police.

Region Three’s Police Commander and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mahendra Siwnarine, confirmed La Rose’s arrest and told Kaieteur News that the wanted man was capturedintheTimehriarea.

La Rose is currently in police custody in Region Three.

The 24-year-old man allegedly stabbed Sutton to death on Monday at their Parika backdam, East Bank Essequibo(EBE)residence.

According to police, at about 15:00h on the fatal day,LaRosewhowasunder the influence of alcohol arrived home and was

community,theconstruction of a new primary school in Onderneeming will be accomplished under the Education and Human

Resource Development (Infrastructure) sector of the programme After the school,whichwouldbeaflat building,isconstructed,itis

expected that there will be improved access to quality education and human resource development services.

Opposition never requested well data to make ring-fencing decision - Jagdeo

Despite pointing to the need for “well data” to determine the viability of ring-fencing the Stabroek Block projects, the Opposition has never made any request for information, Vice President Bharrat JagdeosaidonThursday

During his weekly press conference the VP asked, “So the well data, how does itrelatetoring-fencing?”He nevertheless committed that government would provide the information needed by the Opposition if it was not proprietary Opposition spokesperson on Oil and Gas, Elson Low had previously stated that the opposition needed this information to determine whetheritwouldsupportthe calls for ring-fencing of the Stabroek Block projects

precise understanding of theseinvestmentsintermsof additional fields, we would need data, more data on the fields themselves and we willneedtoreviewthatwith expert advice so that will give us a good sense of the direction of travel and the nature of additional investments in the Stabroek field so as we have previously said, when in office we will be looking closely at that data and we will ensure that we have a clear understanding of that regarding any future projects and the approval of projects and the approval of the pace of projects,” he said. Accordingtohim,this was important since each project cost varies and the Oppositiondoesnotwantto “dissuade investments ”

thehouse.

According to the police, the woman placed some of her clothes in a bucket and wasmakingherwaythrough a track to her sister’s house which was nearby On her way there, the suspect picked up a beer bottle, broke it and stabbed the womaninherneck.

Arrested: Melroy La Rose

involved in a heated argument with Sutton. He thenlefttheirhome.

La Rose returned to the home at about 17:00h with two alcoholic beverages in his hand. Another argument ensued and resulted in a scuffle between the two. It was reported that Sutton’s sister intervened to stop the fight. Shortly after that, the suspect told Sutton to removeherbelongingsfrom

La Rose then fled the scene while Sutton was taken to the Leonora Hospital where she was pronounceddeadonarrival.

OnTuesdaynight,police issued a wanted bulletin for LaRose.

M e a n w h i l e , o n Wednesday morning, Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh performed a postmortemexaminationon Sutton’s body at the Ezekiel Funeral Home Sutton’s causeofdeathwaslistedasa “stabwoundtotheneck.”

Investigations into the stabbingdeathcontinue.

When told about this on ThursdayJagdeosaid:“You can put him in the center of the data room, in fact and it would be a great thing to have him look at it but whatever is public we will giveittohim,ifhewantsit, and let’s see how he will comeupwiththismodelfor ring-fencing,” the former Presidentsaid.

EarlieronThursdayLow during the Leader of the Opposition’s press conferencesaidthepolitical group still needed data to determine the viability of ring-fencing the projects in theStabroekBlock. Aringfencing provision would ensure that each oil project paysforitself.Itwouldalso enable Guyana to receive 50% of all the revenue g e n e r a t e d a f t e r ExxonMobil’s investments have been repaid. Former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adamshadsaidgovernment was gambling the country’s oil profits by refusing the ring-fencetheprojects,since oil prices can potentially takeasteepdiveinthefuture asthedemandforfossilfuel reduces owing to the transition to cleaner energy Low in an invited comment by this publication said that while he would not use the term “gambling” it is true that the operator is maximizingprofitsfromthe block.

He said, “I wouldn’t use the term gambling, but ratherwhatIwouldsayis,of course we believe that the operator is profit maximizing. It is looking to ensure that their business is run efficiently so we would anticipate they will be looking to invest based on, looking to secure profits for themselves, of course Guyana will be able to access profits as well from additionaloillifts.”

Low added that for the Opposition to make a concrete decision on ringfencing the projects, it would require a greater understanding of the wells that can only be determined with data on the wells. “In order for us to have a more

When asked whether the Opposition agrees that the country can receive fewer profits in the future from lower oil prices, Low said thiswasaconcernforalloil producingstates.

“That is definitely a concern that every oil country will face however really in Guyana what we look at is the long term oil price.

It is important that we understand that the long term oil price is not a price that oil will be every single day but it is an average and so what has been recently talked about is $65 a barrel being the long term oil price...that is one of the factors that will determine the viability of investments and the return on investments so while yes, there could be a decline in the price of oil, it is really about an average number whenwelookatit,”hesaid.

US has secretly sent Israel over 100 weapon shipments since war began - Report

(THE GUARDIAN)

The US is reported to have made more than 100 weapons sales to Israel, including thousands of bombs, since the start of the war in Gaza, but the deliveries escaped congressional oversight because each transaction wasunderthedollaramount requiring approval The Biden administration has become increasingly critical of the conduct of Israeli military operations in Gaza and the failure to allow in meaningful amounts of humanitarian aid, with the death toll now over 30,000 and with famine looming. Butithaskeptupaquietbut substantial flow of munitionstohelpreplacethe tens of thousands of bombs Israel has dropped on the tiny coastal strip, making it one of the most intense bombing campaigns in militaryhistory

The Washington Post reported that administration officials informed Congress of the 100 foreign military sales to Israel in a classified briefing Few details are

known of the sales, because keeping each one small meant their contents remainedsecret,buttheyare reported to have included precision-guided munitions, small diameter bombs, bunker busters, small arms andotherlethalaid.

The White House spokesperson, Karine JeanPierre, declined to comment onthereportonWednesday The Arms Export Control Act makes significant exceptions for arms sales to closeallies–alimitof$25m for “major defense equipment”, defined as bigticketitemsthatrequirealot ofresearchanddevelopment, but the limit rises to $100m for other “defense articles” likebombs “Thisdoesn’tjust seemlikeanattempttoavoid technical compliance with US arms export law, it’s an extremely troubling way to avoid transparency and accountability on a highprofile issue,” Ari Tolany, director of the security assistance monitor at the Centre for International Policy thinktank, said She added that, in exploiting the

loophole, the Biden administrationwasfollowing the steps of its predecessor “They’re very much borrowing from the Trump playbook to dodge congressional oversight,” Tolany said The state department office of the inspector general found that between 2017 and 2019, the Trump administration had made 4,221 below-threshold armstransferstoSaudiArabia and the United Arab Emirates,worthanestimated totalof$11.2bn.

The under-the-radar deliveriesmadebytheBiden administrationtoIsraelwere additionaltothethreemajor militarysalesthatweremade public since the start of the war: $320m in precision bomb kits in November and 14,000 tank shells costing $106mand$147.5moffuses and other components needed to make 155mm artillery shells in December The December deliveries of tank and artillery shells also sidestepped congressional scrutiny because they were made under an emergency authority In defending its

continued arms sales to Israel, despite ever more public misgivings about its conductoftheGazawar,the administration has argued thattheyarepartoftheUS’s basiccommitmenttoIsrael’s selfdefence.

“We continue to support Israel’s campaign to ensure thattheattacksof7October cannotberepeated.Wehave provided military assistance to Israel because it is consistent with that goal,” Matthew Miller, the state department spokesperson, said. “We support Israel’s legitimatemilitarycampaign consistentwithinternational humanitarianlaw.”Thestate department has been vague

Govt to consider GTU’s multi-year salary hike proposal -asnegotiationskickstart

The Government of Guyanaissettoexamineand deliberate on the proposed multi-year agreement for hike in salaries for teachers as the long-awaited negotiations commence on Thursday

The multi-year proposal covers a period of five years, 2019 to 2023 The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU)’s Presdient,Dr MarkLyteleda 13-member delegation to the negotiations with the Chief Education Officer (CEO) SaddamHussainandhisteam at the Ministry’s boardroom onThursday

The Education Ministry hadinitiallyproposedthatthe agreementshouldcover2024 However, the GTU was insisted that the negotiations must date back to 2019 GeneralSecretaryoftheGTU, Coretta Mc Donald told KaieteurNewsthattheunion is now even more optimistic that their proposal will be looked at “The Government will be meeting and discussing our proposal of the multi-year agreement starting from 2019-2023

Theunionhadproposeda25 percent salary increase in 2019 and a 20 percent increase for 2020-2023

Officials of the GTU and the Ministry of Education during discussions at Ministry’s Boardroom on Thursday.

“Whattheywereproposingis way different from what we have There have been single digitsandourswereadouble digitfigure”AccordingtoMc Donald, other issues on the agenda that were raised with the ministry included the 2% difference in salary for 2017 and 2018, the clothing allowance increase and the Whitley Council being paid everythreeyears.

According to Mc Donald, the financial matters have been given priority in the discussions.

“Financial matter is at the top of the list to be looked at…we will meet again on Tuesday Welookforwardto fruitful engagement when weresume.”

The Ministry of Education in a statement said that it met with representatives of the GTU intheMinistry’sboardroom

to continue discussions on relevant matters of interest tobothparties.Accordingto the Ministry of Education, its team was represented by theChiefEducationOfficer, Mr Saddam Hussain, Deputy Chief Education OfficerAHED, Mr Marti DeSouza, Deputy Chief Education Officer- Admin, Ms Tiffany Harvey,theMinistry’sHuman Resource Manager, Ms Jacqueline Simon, and Mr Kerwin Jacobs, Senior Education Officer The Guyana Teachers’ Union was representedbyGTUPresident Dr Mark Lyte, GTU General Secretary, Ms Coretta McDonald Ms Mariska

Williams, Mr Julian Cambridge, Mr Heathcliff Peters, Ms Sumanta Alleyne, Mr Collis Nicholson, Ms. Donnette D’Andrade, Mr Rabindrauth Boodram and Mr ColinBynoe,alongwith

three General Council members,Mr DeorajNauth, Mr Sergio Joseph, and Ms. VanessaKissoon.

During the meeting, the MinistrysaidtheGTUandthe MoEidentified27issuestobe tabled for discussion

Followingthis,thetwoteams agreed on the order in which thematterswillbeaddressed

The first issue tabled for discussion was the establishment of a Terms of Reference for the meetings

After deliberations, it was agreedthattherewillnotbea signed Terms of Reference, however, both parties agreed thatattheendofeachmeeting, two representatives of each negotiation team and two witnesses will sign the minutes Thenextmeetingis scheduled for Tuesday, March12,2024,at09:30am i n t h e M i n i s t r y ’s Boardroom.

about how much effort it is putting into assessing whether Israeli forces are committing war crimes. A processcalledCivilianHarm IncidentResponseGuidance (CHIRG) was set up in September last year, before the Gaza war, to make assessmentsoftheusemade of US armaments, and Israel’s military operations are under review, but the processisslowanddoesnot committheadministrationto takingremedialaction.

“Whetheritisarmssales toSaudiArabiaandtheUAE u n d e r t h e T r u m p administration, or sales to Israel under the Biden administration, Congress –

and the American public –deserve full transparency about who is buying US weapons and how many weaponswearesellingthem,” saidDemocraticcongressman Joaquin Castro, who pushed unsuccessfully for an amendmentinFebruarywhich wouldrequireallarmssalesto bereportedtoCongress,ifthe total sales to a single country exceeded a threshold over a fiscal year. “While the amendment was not adopted, I’ll continue to push for our ability to conduct congressional oversight and forAmericanstoknowwhere our arms are being exported to,” Castro said in a written statement.

Water dredge

miner drowns in Mazaruni River after land caves, traps him underwater

A60-year-old

miner who owned and operatedawaterdredgein the Mazaruni River, Region Seven reportedly diedonWednesdayaftera portion of land caved into thesaidriverwhilehehad dived to extract gravel [material that contains gold]fromtheriverbed.

The dead man was identified as Bertram Willie of Wisroc New Housing Scheme, Linden, RegionTen.

One of Willie’s workers told police that the incident occurred at approximately12:45hrs at Cowing Backdam, Upper Mazaruni River

The man said that his boss had dived into the river to extract gravel from the riverbed when he [the worker] noticed that a piece of land was caving into the river at the exact location Willie haddived

The man said that realizing Willie was in

danger and could be buried underwater; he tried signaling to him by tugging against a rope that was attached to him [Willie] but received no response.

The worker said he immediately informed the other miners and together they dived into the river to locate Willie but noticed him pinned underatreestump.

The man recalled the group being able to free Willie from under the stump but noted that he wasalreadydead.

“Willie’s body subsequently floated” and was retrieved by the miners who transported it to the Imbamadai Health Post where he was pronounced dead on arrivalbyadoctor

The body was transported under police guard where it awaits a post-mortem examination.

Investigations are ongoing

India seizes initiative after England collapse on day one in fifth test

DHARAMSHALA, India (AP) — England was spun out for 218 and India piled on the visitor’s misery with 135-1 in reply to slip back into the driver’s seat after day one yesterday of the fifth test.

Kuldeep Yadav took five wickets and Ravichandran Ashwin four in his 100th test to have England all out in 58 overs after being 175-3.

India openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma then shared a century stand to help them trail at stumps by only 83 runs.

India has already won the series at 3-1. England suffered a stunning seven-wicket collapse for 43 runs from the halfway point of the day.

The English seemed to be cruising to that point.

They won the toss and opted to bat. England reached lunch at 100-2 led by Zac Crawley’s fourth half-century of the series, Ben Duckett’s 27 until a spectacular running catch by Shubman Gill and Ollie Pope’s stumping.

After lunch, Crawley added 18 more runs to be out for 79 off 108 balls when Yadav found exaggerated

Friday March 08, 2024

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Today your brain is supercharged, Aries. If you've been thinking about doing some writing or have put off analyzing a particularly tricky problem, this would be the perfect day to get started.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

With today's planetary energy, you'll find yourself a little more extraverted than usual, Taurus. You'll finally be able to say what you really think about things.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Today you're unstoppable! You're a very hard worker by nature, and with the current planetary alignment you'll be able to accomplish even more than usual.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

Discard those items from the past for which you really no longer have use. As much as you like to surround yourself with objects of sentimental value.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Intimacy will be in the air over the next few days. Loved ones suddenly want to spend more time with you, and you'll want to invite friends over every night! By all means, do.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

Feeling unusually adventurous, Virgo? You're often motivated by your idealistic expectations, and the planetary configurations today .

turn and bowled him through the gate.

Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, playing his 100th test, made it to the middle session drinks, after which the day took a remarkable turn, literally.

Bairstow getting caught behind off Yadav for 29 triggered the collapse.

Four balls later, Root was out leg before on 26 to Ravindra Jadeja.

Another eight balls later, Yadav trapped skipper Ben Stokes lbw for a six-ball duck with a wrong one. England went from 175-3 to 175-6 in the

space of 12 deliveries. It scored 94-6 in the middle session.

Ben Foakes tried to marshall the lower order again while Ashwin went to work.

Tom Hartley was out caught at long on. Mark Wood was caught at slip. Foakes was bowled for 24 to end the resistance, and James Anderson fell for a three-ball duck.

England lost its last seven wickets for 43 runs in 13.2 overs. Yadav, 5-72, picked up his fourth five-wicket haul against England and Ashwin grabbed 4-51.

Golden Jaguars heading to Saudi...

From page 23

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

The celestial energy signals a pleasant change for you today, Libra. Finally, the overpowering emotions that have been surging from your relationships will subside. You are now beginning a more contemplative phase.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

This is a good day to devote time and thought to spiritual pursuits, Scorpio. Do something inspirational that instills a sense of wonder deep in your soul.

SAGIT (Nov.22–Dec.21)

A new phase in your life is beginning, Sagittarius. The previous phase could be interpreted as having taught you to be serious and devoted to professional responsibilities.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

Today's aspects might clear up some rather sketchy ideas about your professional future, Capricorn. If you long for a change, such as daring to undertake a more artistic pursuit.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

You have acquired some sound confidence in yourself, Aquarius. Now it is time for you to show everyone else by actually putting it to use in your life.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Today's planetary energy should compel you to commit certain acts of self-affirmation that are needed to define your territory and protect your rights.

India seized the momentum thanks to a 104-run opening stand between Jaiswal and Sharma.

Left-hander Jaiswal scored 57 off 58 balls and crossed 1,000 test runs in his ninth test, the quickest for an India batter.

Jaiswal hit five fours and three sixes, the latter all coming off Shoaib Bashir’s first over.

He was out stumped to the off-spinner late in the evening session.

Sharma notched his third half-century in the series and finished the day unbeaten at

52, including six fours and two sixes.

Shubman Gill was 26 not out off 39 balls.

India made two changes from the fourth test with fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah coming in along with debutant Devdutt Padikkal. England made one change. Mark Wood replaced Ollie Robinson, who was sick and confined to his hotel room.

Scores: India 135 for 1 (Jaiswal 57, Rohit 52*, Gill 26*) trail England 218 (Crawley 79, Kuldeep 5-72, Ashwin 4-51) by 83 runs.

Shabazz and his coaching staff to assess the team’s strengths and weaknesses as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup campaign.

The inaugural FIFA Series aims to facilitate football nations in competing against teams outside their confederation, fostering greater international football interaction and contributing to global football development.

The pilot edition will feature 20 member associations playing across four locations spanning three continents.

Algeria, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka are the host nations for the first FIFA Series.

Anthony Drayton wins 2024...

From page 25 Sachin Pitamber. The chess tournament was supervised by FIDE Arbiter John Lee and International FIDE Arbiter Kelvin Daniel from Barbados. Several Guyanese players who are known for playing the speed chess format also participated. They included Davion Mars and the Motilall brothers. The speed chess format forces players to overwhelm opponents in a few minutes. The GCF congratulates Anthony Drayton on his achievement and thanks all the players who participated in the Blitz.

The CARICOM Classic games continued yesterday with rounds five and six, and March 8th with rounds seven and eight. The week-long tournament will conclude on March 9th.

West Berbice cricketers benefit from AJM/Cricnation592 Store

Cotton Tree top performers in the r e c e n t l y concludedAJM Mash It Up T20 tournament benefited f r o m c r i c k e t g e a r compliments of AJM EnterpriseviaCricnation592 Store.

PlayerofthefinalKevon Jawahir,bestbatsmanFawaz Gaffoor and best bowler

Waqar Hassan were the recipients of quality cricket gear Jawahir played a stellar all-round effort in the final to lead Cotton Tree to a crushing win against Achievers A at Bush Lot Sports Complex.

Jawahir struck 52 and claimed 4-18 from four overs.

Opener Gaffoor struck a blazing 79 in the final and left-arm spinner claimed 5-14 from four overs Thegearspresented to the cricketers estimates tomorethanG$150,000.

AJM Enterprise aims to develop cricket in the

West Berbice area and p r o v i d e q u a l i t y entertainment to the cricket-lovingpopulation

The tournament, which saw Cotton Tree walked awaywithG$1,000,000was

filled with a lot of side attractions, including cheerleaders, big screen view, live streaming and a lucky fan walked away with $G50,000 for a one-hand catch.

Some good allroundcricketfrom theWestDemerara boys saw them upset the home team East Bank on their home turf at Farm Ground when action continued in citywide GFCSA/DCB U-19 InterAssociation 50-Over competition.

West Demerara posted 136alloutbattingfirstatthe Farm Ground on the East Bank; with opener Parmeshwar Ram leading his team’s batting charge with33(3x41x6).

Ram’s opener partner, RezenkielReneehit16while Sachin Balgobin, steadied themiddle/toporderwithan aggressive 24 featuring 6

tournament a country-wide event.

AJM Enterprise is a subsidiary of Jumbo Jet Jumbo Jet has been in operationformorethanthree decades, and they are synonymous with supplying heavydutyequipment.

The heavy-duty giants, JumboJetareresponsiblefor supplying 70% of the local contractors.

A J M d e a l s w i t h specialized transportation, crane rental, equipment rental, supply of raw materials, (sand, aggregate) andthelistgoeson.

The AJM enterprise is involved in significant projectsacrossGuyana.

DIHLimited. According to the sponsors, plans are already in place to make this

Cricnation592 Store is a cricket equipment store located in Berbice, Guyana. The store provides quality cricket gear to cricketers across the ancient county of Berbice, and throughout Guyana.

fours,leavingtherestoftheir teammate to shift their attentiontodoingbetterwith thebatnextround.

It was clinical bowling from the home team East Bank, who utilized just two bowlers to get the job done, in Krsna Singh who bagged an impressive 4-15 and Zahid Mohamed who chippedinwith3-24.

East Bank then fumbled their chase, being restricted to 126-10 with Dravid Manohar resisting with a top-scoreof22andAnthony Lim, hitting 20 down the order to finish as the two leadingrun-scorers.

Op

Mohamed(13)whoreturned withbattohelpthechase;all had identical scores but failedtoconvert.

Aside from a number of key run-outs which aided in the downfall of the home team, Kelvin Raymond returned 2-17, while Balgobin (1-14) and Udesh Seetaram (1-34), played goodsupportingroles.

Action continues today with Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) battling East Coast Cricket Association (ECCA) at Demerara Cricket Club Ground (DCC) Upper D e m e r a r a C r i c k e t Association (UDCA) will f a c e E a s t B a n k a t MalteenoesGround.

Over 40 horses already entered for Kennard for Memorial Turf Club Phagwah Horserace meet

BYSAMUELWHYTE

Withracedayjustovera week away, systems are alreadyinplaceforthemuch anticipated Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) annual Phagwah horserace meet set for Sunday 17 March at the club’strack,BushLotFarm, CorentyneBerbice.

So far over 40 of the country’s top horses have already taken entry and turfites are expected to turn out in their thousands for what is expected to be an excitingdayofracing.

A number of sponsors including Metro Stationery and Office Supplies,Trophy Stall, Torginol Paints Guyana Limited and The Kennard Family have indicatedtheirwillingnessto be a part of the days programme.

With six races and over $5M in cash trophies and

other incentives on offer, horse owners and punters havebeentakingnochances. The owners are busy fine tuning their animals as they gothroughtheirworkoutsin preparationforthebigday Metro Stationeries and Office Supplies will once again take charge of the feature event for C1 and Lowerhorses.

That event will see the horsesracingoveronemile for a winning purse of $1M

The other events listed are the H1 and Lower six furlongsraceforawinning take of $500,000 and a trophy

The animals classified J and K and lower will be competeoversixfurlongs.

There is an event for the Three years old Guyana Bred animals over 7 furlongs.

The L class open event

replaces the one for L and lowerandwillbegoingover 6 furlongs for stakes and a trophy compliments Torginol Paints Guyana Limited.

ThereisalsoaraceforL non-winners animals over 5 furlongs the stakes and trophy will be sponsored by Mrs Chan Kennard and family Businessman Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall Guyana will be sponsoring trophies for the outstanding jockeys,trainersandstable.

Interested persons can make contact with Basil Bactowar 661-7815, Fazal Habibulla 657-7010, T Jagdeo 618-7278 or Isaac Dalloo 689-0629 for more information.

The day’s event will be conducted using the rules of the Kennard Memorial Turf Club(KMTC).

Racetimeis13:30hrs

Golden Jaguars heading to Saudi Arabia

…to battle Cabo Verde, Cambodia in FIFA Series

The Golden Jaguars are bound for the Middle East, ready to compete in the inaugural FIFA Series against Cabo Verde on March 21 and Cambodia on March26.

Scheduled to be held at the Prince Abdullah AlFaisal Stadium in Jeddah, GuyanaFootballFederation (GFF) president Wayne Forde expressed excitement abouttheupcomingmatches in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, emphasising the enthusiasm among local stakeholders, particularly the Golden Jaguars team members.

As per the initiative approved by the FIFA Council in 2023, these matchesmarkthebeginning of a new tradition where FIFA will host matches acrossthesixconfederations everyeven-numberedyear

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offers a unique experience for all of us, especially our players. The environment will be markedly different from what they’re accustomed to within the Confederation of Concacaf. We hope they seize the opportunity to

Deon Moore and Omari Glasgow are expected to be part of the squad in Saudi Arabia.

showcase their skills, aimingtocatchtheattention ofclubsinSaudiArabiaand other scouts monitoring these games,” remarked Forde.

Forde commended the national coach, Jamaal Shabazz, highlighting his achievements in the Concacaf Nations League, where he guided Guyana to promotiontoLeagueA.

“We eagerly anticipate the start of the World Cup qualifiers in June and the Nations League, which begins in September As we

strive towards 2026, we’re focused on arranging more international friendlies for the team while actively scouting new talent to bolster our programme,” addedtheGFFpresident.

C o a c h S h a b a z z expressed his excitement a b o u t G u y a n a ’ s participation in the FIFA Series, emphasizing the historic aspect of playing in the Middle East for the first time.

TheFIFASeriesoffersa valuableopportunityfor (Continuedonpage21)

2024 CWI CG Women’s Super50 Cup… Unbeaten Guyana looking for 3rd straight win versus defending champs

Ared-hot Guyana women’s team will be seeking their third straight win but against dangerous rivals and defending champs Barbados, when the two lock horns today at the St. Paul’s Sports Complex Ground, St. Kitts.

The Guyanese ladies have been exceptionalafterwinningtwostraightgames against some good competition, making today’sbattleatruetestoftheirform,willand momentumgainedtodate.

Barbados have been dominant as expected, most notably in their last game whichwasheadlinedbyopenerKyciaKnight whomissedoutonatonbyjust7runs.

AlthoughKnightledthebattinginthelast game, the likes of Aaliyah Alleyene, Asabi Callender, NaiJanni Cumberbatch, Kyshona Knight and others could be potential gamewinners,shouldGuyanalettheirfootoffthe gas;bowling-wise.

Guyanahasbeenbattingbetterwitheach game, with West Indies player Shabika Gajnabirecordingtheteam’sfirstfiftyinthe lastgame.CaptainShamaineCampbell,who almost scored her first fifty in the previous round, along with the in-form Realanna Grimmond, Ashmini Munisar, Sheneta GrimmondandMandyMangruhaveallbeen showinggoodsignswiththebat.

Barbados will want good things from theirpacersinShamillaConnell,Alleyneand spinner Keila Elliott in particular, all of whomshowedgoodsignsinthelastgame.

Thechampswillneedtobeextrawaryof the Guyanese bowlers, their spinners in particular who have been the real matchwinnersfortheirside.

With spinner Plaffianna Millington lookingdeadlyastheleadingwicket-takerto date,herpartnersincrimeMunisarandNiya Latchman have been exceptional in locking downopponents.

With Kacyia Schultz and pacer CherryAnn Fraser still yet to hit their strides, Guyana could easily out bowl the champs todayandgothreeupinthecompetition.

Meanwhile,Trinidad&Tobagowillseek togetpasttheJamaicansoverattheConaree SportsClub,whileLeewardsandWindwards battle for Island supremacy over at Warner Park, when Round three’s action continues todayacrossSt.Kitts.Actionbowlsofffrom 10:00h.

Cheddi Jagan’s Memorial 2nd leg scoots off March 10 in Berbice

Following the thrilling spectacle in the initial phase of the 2024 edition, the Flying Ace Cycle Club is p o i s e d f o r t h e commencement of the second leg of the Cheddi Jagan Memorial Road Race eventinBerbiceonSunday

Emergingasthevictorin the first leg, Briton John from the United We Stand CycleClubsecuredhisthird consecutivewinattheevent.

The seasoned cycling star has enjoyed an exceptional start to the season, triumphing in the Burnham Memorial Road Race and Beacon’s 40-mile Road Race. Now, as the Jagan’s Memorial Road Race first leg champion, he aims to solidify his standing among the elite competitors in the field.

The action shifts to Berbiceforthesecondstage

oftheThree-Stageevent,set to pedal off just in front of theFreedomHousebuilding in New Amsterdam (Berbice). The route will traverse a challenging path to Springslands Police Station before looping back to Babu John for the grand F i n i s h T h e e v e n t accommodates participants in Senior/Open, Junior, Veterans Over-50, and U50 categories.

While the races are scheduled to conclude at Babu John, the Veterans Open race will wrap up its upward journey at the same destination.

Awardsforallcategories include trophies and cash prizes.IntheOpencategory, the first-place finisher will receive $45,000, with second and third places awarded $35,000 and $25,000, respectively The

Juniorcategoryprizesareset at $25,000, $18,000, and $15,000 for the top three positions.

The O-50 and U50 prize structurevariesslightly,with the U-50 race offering $25,000, $18,000, and $15,000 for first, second, andthirdplace,respectively IntheO-50category,thetop three finishers will take home$18,000,$12,000,and $9,000.

The race is scheduled to start at 8:00 am on Sunday, M a r c h 1 0 , w i t h transportation departing from Georgetown at the N a t i o n a l S p o r t s Commission office on Middle Street at 5:30 am on the same day The event is organizedbytheFlyingAce CycleClubexecutive,ledby Linden Dowridge, with the supportofformerDirectorof SportsNeilKumar

Mike Tyson to return to ring to fight YouTuber-turnedboxer Jake Paul in July

SportsMax-MikeTyson will return to the ring this summer to fight YouTuberturned-boxer Jake Paul in a heavyweight bout at AT&T Stadium which will be streamed exclusively on Netflix.

Netflix and Most ValuablePromotions(MVP) announced the July 20 contest yesterday, but there has been no clarification as to whether it will be an exhibition or a professional boxingmatch.

F o r m e r w o r l d heavyweight champion Tyson (50-6, 44KOs) ended his stellar career in 2005 with defeat to Kevin McBride,butdidtakeonold rival Roy Jones Jr in an exhibitionin2020.

Paul fought on the undercard of Tyson’s draw with Jones Jr in Los Angelesandhasgoneonto forge a boxing career in recent years, notably losing toTommyFury–thebrother of Tyson Fury – in Diriyah lastyear

Boxing great Tyson, who will turn 58 in June, said: “I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with JakePaul

“ H e ’ s g r o w n significantlyasaboxerover theyears,soitwillbealotof fun to see what the will and ambition of a “kid” can do with the experience and aptitudeofaGOAT

“It’safullcirclemoment

that will be beyond thrilling towatch;asIstartedhimon his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with RoyJonesandnowIplanto finishhim.”

Paul’s experience in boxingextendsto10official bouts after he first stepped into the ring in 2018 to beat fellow YouTuber Deji Olatunji in a white-collar matchatManchesterArena.

“It’scrazytothinkthatin my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. Now, less than

Mike Tyson will return to the ring this summer to fight YouTuberturned-boxer Jake Paul.

fouryearslater,I’mstepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons,” Paul (9-1, 6KOs)said.

“My sights are set on becomingaworldchampion and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion ever, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time.

“Thiswillbethefightof alifetime.

28 senior teams gear up for epic clash in Climb Guyana’s Easter Edition Football

ClimbGuyanaCup makes a return with its Easter EditionFootballtournament featuring a total of twentyeightmaleandfemalesenior teamssettocompeteforboth cash and glory from March 22to24inNorthRupununi.

The Aranaputa Sports Ground in North Rupununi will come alive with seventeen (17) male teams, andforthefirsttime,eleven (11) female teams and four Under-15 teams, all representing North, Central andSouthRupununi.

The Battle of The North champions,MassaraStrikers FC, may have clinched victory in December, but with their absence in this competition, a new male winnerwillemerge.

Participating senior men’s teams are All Stars Blazers FC, Challengers United FC, Falcons FC, FC

Competition is expected to be keen among the participating teams in the Climb Guyana Football tournament.

Basin, Guyana Rush Saints FC, Jaguars FC, Legends UnitedFC,MocoMocoFC, Paiwomak FC, Snatchers FC, Snipers FC, Spartans FC, Tabatinga FC, Three

HillsFC,ThreeRegionsFC, Toka FC, Wowetta ThunderboltFC.

Senior Women’s clubs are All Stars Blazers FC, Challengers United FC, FC

Anthony Drayton wins 2024 Caribbean Blitz Chess title

Previous action in the Caribbean Blitz category 2024.

Guyanese FIDE

Master Anthony

Drayton is the Champion of the Caribbean Blitz 2024 hosted by the GuyanaChessFederationon Wednesday, March 6th, at the Ramada Georgetown PrincessHotel.

The competition was open to all members of the visiting teams for the ongoingCARICOMClassic Chess tournament, and Guyanese chess players and attracted more than forty participants.

Among the players were females from both the visiting CARICOM and Associated Members and localteams.

The fast-paced intense chess competition was played over seven rounds with three minutes on each side plus 2 seconds incrementaftereachmove.

Drayton triumphed over his opponents to gain an undefeated 6.5 points. He won against Guyanese players Rolex Alexander, S a c h i n P i t a m b e r, Trinidadians Ysvett Hermoso Rodriguez, Quinn Cabralis, Joshua Johnson, andJamaicanNathanHinds.

He drew with Surinamese Jason Yeung in the last round Coming in second, third, and fourth place with 5.5 points each were FM Joshua Johnson, FM Quinn

Cabralis, and Jason Yeung, respectively Guyanese Candidate Master Ronuel Greenidgeplaced5thwith5 points. Rodriguez, JhusticeDemonte McDonald (Jamaica), Phillip Corbin (Barbados), and Ryan Blackwood (Cayman Islands)alsogained5points withthe6th,7th,8thand9th positions. Barbados Emar Edwards took the 10th positionwith4.5points.

Cash prizes totaling USD 1,250, sponsored by the Guyana Chess Federation, were presented to the top ten winners, and the U14 prize went to Guyanese13-year-old (Continuedonpage21)

also provide teams with more playing time in preparation for the start of the Regional Senior Men’s League.

“Easter is one of the busiest travel times in Rupununibecauseit’srodeo season.

We decided to host the ClimbGuyanaCuptoaddto the Easter festivities in the region, and to also give playersmoreplayingtimein a competitive environment ahead of the upcoming new season of the Rupununi Football Association (RAF) SeniorMen’sLeague.”

Basin, Flash FC, Gladiators FC,GuyanaRushSaintsFC, Jaguars FC, Paiwomak FC, Strikers FC, Three Hills FC andThreeRegionsFC.

Climb Guyana Cup Founder Amanda WilsonFalloon that the decision to host the tournament was driven by a desire to contribute to the Easter festivities in the region, and

“Wearelookingforward to another successful tournamentattheAranaputa SportsGround,threedaysof intense competition and lots of fun As a fitting conclusion to the event, the Aranaputa Rodeo is scheduled for March 25, immediately following our championshipmatch.”

Each match is scheduled torunforadurationofforty minutes All clubs will compete in the knockout stage, with the winners

advancingtoroundtwo.This sequence will continue until onlythetopfourperforming clubs are left to compete in the championship and thirdplacematches.

Wilson-Falloon added: “A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the clubs, the Rupununi Football Association (RFA), the North Rupununi Football Association (NRFA) and Aranaputa Upper Burro Burro Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) for their continuous support of Climb Guyana as we persistinhighlightingafresh platformforcompetition.”

Fans will witness fierce competition between some of the Rupununi’s premier clubs vying for a prize pool ofonemilliondollarsincash andprizes.

Climb Guyana Region

Nine Director Alphonso K i n g n o t e d t h a t “preparations are on stream for the tournament and the teams are eager to compete. We encourage all fans to come out and support their teams.”