Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
Government Reneges on MoA as President Ramotar assents to cricket bill
State run Guyana Chronicle yesterday reported, quoting Attorney General Anil Nandlall that President Donald Ramotar
President Donald Ramotar
signed the controversial Cricket Bill last Wednesday, even though the Guyana Times newspaper reported the previous day, reliable sources informed, that the President said the Bill is yet to reach his desk.
The Cricket Bill continues to confuse everyone as, yet again; even its drafters seem at a loss to properly divulge information on its true status. It is obvious that the Attorney General, and not the Minister of Sports, issued the statement carried by the Guyana Chronicle. According to a reliably source, the previous day the president did not know where the bill was and on that very day, according to the AG the Bill was signed into law.
A usually reliable source at the WICB informed Kaieteur Sport that the Government of Guyana reneged on all its commitments negotiated and stated in a tripartite MOA between the Government of Guyana, West Indies Cricket Board and the Guyana Cricket Board. The source further stated that the agreement had two other parties namely APNU and AFC. At the GOG request these other political parties were removed as signatories to the MOA.
A few months ago negotiations between the GOG, WICB and GCB provided an ideal platform for a solution to this ongoing crisis but it is now revealed that the Government has back peddled on those promises.
When contacted for a comment Secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie stated that he read the Article in the Chronicle and cannot say what was the status of the Cricket bill? He said “to the best of my knowledge the Government did not sign the MOA and if the Bill is indeed law then it is time for the Lawyers of the GCB/WICB to deal with the situation.” Sanasie further stated, “I am not at all surprised as that is the nature of the Beast.”
The WICB had expressed concerns about the cricket bill and outlined to Guyana’s parliament, and all the political parties, the basis of those concerns and likely consequences. Should those concerns not be addressed Guyana is likely to suffer severely as
Anand Sanasie
no international cricket would be played in Guyana.
Mr. Anil Nandlall, who represented one of the cricket factions when he was in private practice and Minister of Sports Frank Anthony, may very well oversee the demise of our cricket as the WICB would surely act condignly. These two gentlemen continue to mislead the public by stating that the Cricket Bill is similar to that of Trinidad and Barbados, nothing is further from the truth, as those bills are about one page long and simply give corporate status to existing entities at the request of those entities. The Government of Guyana is attempting to hijack cricket in Guyana with their version of a bill that is about Thirty (30) pages and imposes constitutions on the GCB and DCB, not approved by its membership it was revealed.
The government is also misleading when they state that their IMC drafted a constitution for the GCB. It is understood that Mr. Nandlall hired Attorney Stephen Fraser and paid him Millions of taxpayers’ Dollars to draft a constitution, a cricket bill and persecute the GCB. The GCB Constitution appended to the bill was found to be in contravention of those of the Membership of the GCB, WICB and ICC, which is likely to create more chaos.
One legal source opined that this is the worst piece of legislation he has ever set his eyes upon and the GCB/WICB will easily win if this matter is brought before a judge, if not in Guyana, surely at the CCJ.
Kaieteur Sport understands that the new WICB franchise structure, School Cricket, Grassroot Programs, Kiddies Cricket, etc. are all in danger of being stopped as the GCB, once again, would be unable to function properly. Our Cricketers, Coaches, Commentators and others who depend on cricket for a living will suffer. Our young cricketers just performed exceptionally well yet we will lose another generation to the powers of the land that endeavor to take control of everything in sight.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
A lesson from the bread lines of America
…Peeping Tom Kaieteur News- If the American elections of 2024 delivered any one lesson to the rest of the world, it... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
