CWI responds to Minister Norton since March - Source

CWI responds to Minister Norton since March – Source

May 19, 2018 Sports

While a story was published in the Guyana Chronicle in which Minister Norton was quoted as saying that the GCB is illegal, while at the same time saying that he is seeking legal advice from the Attorney General on the way forward on the issue of who can legally appoint a second cricket Ombudsman, a reliable source informed that the Cricket West Indies did respond to the minister.
Following is a copy of the Cricket West Indies response to the Minister, on the Appointment of the Ombudsman, which text states as follows:
26th March 2018
Honourable Dr. George Norton
Minister of Social Cohesion
Ministry of the Presidency
Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth &Sports
71-72 Main Street Georgetown, Guyana
Re: Appointment of the Cricket Ombudsman
Dear Honourable Minister,
I refer to your email communication to our President Mr. Whycliffe Cameron on or about January 9th 2018 inviting consultations pursuant to Article 17 of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act #14 of 2014 (“the Act”). I also refer to your discussion with Mr. Cameron on his visit to Guyana on February 15th.
I specifically refer to Articles 10 and 17 of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act. The Act places an obligation on the Minister with responsibility for Sports to engage in meaningful consultation with the West Indies Cricket Board on the appointment of the first cricket ombudsman.
I am advised that the first cricket ombudsman has already been appointed. The Act does not make provision for the West Indies Cricket Board to be consulted on successive appointments of the Ombudsman (see Article 17(b). I believe, Honourable Minister, from my reading of the Act, that appointments of successive cricket ombudspersons are within the domain of the Guyana Cricket Board.
Cricket West Indies Inc. (formerly known as the West Indies Cricket Board) remains committed to the development of cricket in Guyana. Cricket West Indies offers you Honourable Minister, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Yours Sincerely,
Signed.
Verlyn Faustin
Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary
Cc: Honourable Basil Williams, Attorney General and Minister of legal Affairs.
Kaieteur News understands that Minister Norton never responded to the West Indies Cricket Board until his comments in the Chronicle newspaper.
Responding to the comments by the Minister, an official of the GCB stated that this is another example of a flawed cricket act forced upon the Board without proper vetting and consideration or maybe vetting by a chosen few that is now resulting in further chaos. He further stated that the GCB is continuing to perform its duties and obligations with great success and a challenge to the legality of the Act itself is pending.
The main purpose for the appointment of the Ombudsman was to verify that cricket clubs, voting in elections at their Association and County board levels, actually play cricket and have a structure. Obviously there is an expectation that after this verification process, election at the association level would pave the way for elections at the county board level and ultimately an election at the level of the GCB where county boards are all entitled to vote with Nine (9) delegates each.
An election at the GCB would only be fair if the clubs are first verified so it seems a no brainer that the clubs must be audited first.
When contacted, Minister of Social Cohesion Dr. George Norton said that the Ombudsman Dr. Winston Mc Gowan didn’t complete his task and will seek advice from the Attorney General as to the way forward and is looking forward to meaningful consultation with the CWI head Dave Cameron. He said he never deny consultation from the CWI and also received a letter from the GCB about their meeting to appoint an Ombudsman, but it was little he could have done at that time.

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