GCB elections set for January 29 …. What happened to the Cricket Bill? Changes needed
Dec 25, 2016 , http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....bill-changes-needed/
Dr Rupert Roopnarine
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Former Member
GCB elections set for January 29 …. What happened to the Cricket Bill? Changes needed
Dec 25, 2016 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....bill-changes-needed/
By Sean Devers
A notice of the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Election of office bearers for the new term was placed in the newspapers and it is hoped that the non-performing members are not returned to office.
On the Agenda is a report from Area Boards and it will be interesting to see the contents of those reports, especially the one from the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) where no meaningful cricket has been played this year.
This year’s National Secondary School’s cricket tournament could be described as a farce. Every team had bowlers who ‘threw’ and there were no Coaches sent into the schools before the competition commenced. The quality of the GCB Franchise League was diluted due to the number of teams. Instead of eight there should have been six.
The GCB is opposed by the two areas that has produced most of the National players at all levels; Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) led by Roger Harper, and the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under Anil Beharry.
Since the contentious January 2013 Elections, the GCB has not done much in those areas for cricket development. When contacted BCB President Anil Beharry informed that the Board’s life ends at month end but it is not clear if the injunction against the BCB will expire at that time paving the way for elections before the GCB’s.
In the last Elections David Black, representing West Berbice Association, attended the GCB AGM in defiance of the decision not to attend by the BCB.
He was rewarded with Managerial positions of National teams and although there were allegations of indiscipline under his watch in St Vincent during this year’s Regional U-19 tournament in which Guyana lost every match in the three-day format. An investigation was launched into the issues which involved three senior players and the manager but the findings were not made public.
A petition was sent to the National Assembly by Ronald Williams, Winston Boston, Malcom Peters and Claude Raphael on behalf of Constituent Members and Stakeholders of Guyana’s Cricket in the matter of recognizing the illegality, disorder and chaos into which cricket has fallen and the poor and potentially harmful image being projected especially to our young cricketers and the importance.
The Petition pointed out the urgency for the National Assembly to enact legislation through the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill 2012 towards a legal and lasting remedy for cricket.
The petition represented the interest of the Berbice Cricket Board, the East Coast Cricket Board, the Georgetown Cricket Association and Sub-Associations and Clubs of the Essequibo Cricket Board, the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association and the West Demerara Cricket Association and also cricket stakeholders throughout Guyana.
The petitioners claimed there is no legitimate Executive Committee of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) as only one (1) of the three (3) Constituent Member Boards took part in the purported elections held in July 2011 and again in January 2013. There is no legitimate Executive Committee of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) as a court order was issued in January 2013 prohibiting the holding of the DCB elections, there is no transparency or accountability for the monies remitted by the West Indies Cricket Board Inc (WICB) to the purported GCB, adding that for the past three (3) years, there has been no OGM or financial statement as is stipulated by the constitutions of both the GCB and the DCB.
They also said the Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDCA) was founded in 2000, has a membership of eighteen (18) clubs, covers the vast area in Upper Demerara including Linden, Kwakwani, Ituni and the river communities and is populated by upwards of 50,000.
Drubahadur took over from Fizul Bacchus, the acting president following the resignation of Ramsey Ali in February 2012. Ali had been elected to the post in a contentious election in July 2011, and quit after police and court officials raided his home and the homes of other board officials.
Bacchus was elected vice-president, administration, while Anand Sanasie and Anand Kalladeen got the posts of secretary and treasurer respectively.
After the last elections, the BCB took the GCB to court, claiming the new administration was not properly established. The Chief Justice recommended that “there may be immediate need for the then Minister responsible for sports to impose his executive will in the national interest”.
Following that ruling, Ex Sports Minister Dr Frank Anthony appointed an Interim Management Committee (IMC), headed by ex-West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, to run cricket in Guyana. The WICB, however, refused to acknowledge the IMC, in keeping with the ICC’s stance against government intervention in cricket administration, and said the only authority it would recognise was the GCB.
The National Assembly, on in May 2014, passed the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill that seeks to provide legal administrative guidelines for cricket, which over the years has become a national sport.
The Alliance for Change (AFC) did not support the bill, while the other parliamentary party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), including present Education Minister who is also responsible for Sports Dr Rupert Roopnarine, voted in favour.
Dr Anthony, who presented the Bill to the National Assembly, said it was drafted after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, pointing out that the Bill firstly makes it legal for the GCB to be established as a corporate body comprising the Demerara, Essequibo and the Berbice Cricket Boards, all of which will also be made corporate entities.
A section of the Bill addresses the issue of phantom voting for the election of persons for administrative positions. Pastor Winston McGowan, a UG lecturer and cricket historian was appointed Cricket Ombudsman and tasked with the responsibility of verifying and registering clubs; he or she will have ample time to verify legitimacy of clubs.
Clive Lloyd and Roger Harper, the two former Guyana and West Indies players, have called the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) elections held on January 27, 2013 “illegal” and hit out at the WICB for failing to act responsibly.
When asked last year what was the status of the Bill, which was passed in the National Assembly on May 15, 2015 and was accented into law by former President Donald Ramotar, Minister Nicolette Henry said she was not aware of it.
When the GCB was formed in 1943, cricket was run by the BCB in Berbice and by the Essequibo Cricket Committee in Essequibo. Berbice had 2 votes in the GCB – the same number as a Georgetown’s first division clubs. In 1969 the Berbice votes were increased to 3 when the rules were changed so that the BCB Chairman of selectors would automatically be one of the five National Selectors.
In 1971 the rules changed again and Berbice gained 3 more votes, bringing its tally to 5. The Essequibo Cricket Committee became the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB), with 4 votes in the GCB. Each Georgetown first division club still had 2, for a total of 16 votes.
In 1972 it was agreed that the Presidents of the BCB and ECB would automatically hold the posts of 1st and 2nd Vice-Presidents in the GCB. This automatically increased the Berbice votes to 6 and Essequibo votes to 5.
In 1973 several Georgetown clubs wrote then Minister of Sports Shirley Field-Ridley, expressing dissatisfaction with the administration of GCB President Frederick Rampersaud. A commission of inquiry was convened, hearings held throughout Guyana, followed by new elections, which led to Rampersaud being replaced by Berkeley Gaskin.
In 1992 the GCB handed over control of cricket in Demerara to the newly-formed Demerara Cricket Board.
Former Member
Drubahadur
See Claude Raphael racist letter.
Government should remove the impediments to elections for the cricket boards
Dear Editor,
In 2011 former Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang in his ruling on the Angela Haniff v GCB application for an injunction stated that the government through its Ministry/Minister of Sport should install an Interim Management Committee (IMC) as a short-term measure, and legislation as the long-term remedy for the escalating cricket crisis. This effectively placed the responsibility on the “government” to resolve the lawlessness, illegality and corruption that had taken over the very essence of our cricket.
Sad to say that to date there has been no improvement. Both governments, the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC, must share collective responsibility for the current shambolic state of our cricket. Although the PPP/C government through its Minister of Sport established the IMC and enacted the law consistent with the former CJ’s recommendation, the process took too long, principally because of the evident ambivalence within that party. For while some party leaders were publicly acknowledging that the GCB officials were operating illegally, others seemed more disposed to accommodate the ‘illegality’ especially former Director of Sport Neil Kumar who publicly gave “unflinching support” to that illegal board.
The GCB executive then and even now was composed of an all-Indian cast that is fearful of facing any democratic process that involves free and fair elections. Guyana is a multi-ethnic country and it is inconceivable if not highly improbable that in any transparent cricket electoral process all executive members elected could be of one particular race.
The APNU+AFC government while in opposition remained relatively quiet during the turbulent years 2009-2014 but participated meaningfully in the parliamentary process through the Cricket Select Committee in refining the draft bill presented by the PPP/C administration into a readily acceptable document.
The inclusion of the Ombudsman in the new Act was important to ensure transparency in the voting process at elections of the various boards, along with the inclusion of the Upper Demerara Cricket Association (Linden) which remains totally ostracized from participating in any cricket activity to date.
It is very instructive to note that Dr Rupert Roopnaraine in his very eloquent presentation to the National Assembly on the merits of the Cricket Administration Bill 2012 stated:-
- “The very word ‘cricket’ has become a synonym for all that is true and honest. To say ‘that is not cricket’ implies something underhand, something not in keeping with the best ideals”.
- “For now, suffice it is to say that the crisis of Guyanese and West Indian cricket is not unconnected with a crisis in cricket administration. In fact, recent events have shown that the crisis reaches right up to the ICC”.
- “The Bill before us today, I believe, is an attempt, long delayed and much deferred, to grapple with our own local situation. It is my hope that what we are doing in relation to the Cricket Administration Bill will reach into the other territories where there is much to be done in relation to cricket administration”.
- “We can neither afford to luxuriate in the nostalgia of glories past nor wring our hands as we bemoan the current decline”.
- “What then are the key elements of the Bill? The Hon Minister [Dr Frank Anthony] has outlined some of them. One, the issue of elections to the executive of the GCB; this is at the heart of the issue”.
To date even though the political guard has changed and the APNU+AFC coalition is now the government and Dr Roopnaraine is Minister of Sport, cricket is still suffering. The GCB twelve- member executive is still an all-Indian cast and its four directors at WICB are all Indian. This is a totally unacceptable situation where there have been no elections held and where the illegal GCB executive members have sought and served injunction after injunction to prevent any further elections, notwithstanding Dr Roopnaraine’s statement that “elections of the GCB are at the heart of the issue”. And despite meetings with Dr Roopnaraine, the Attorney General, the Minister of State, the Director of Sport, the National Sports Council and President Granger himself, nothing has been done. Instead, after sixteen months of the APNU+AFC government the illegal cricket regime is still being allowed to operate with impunity whilst desecrating our cricket and cricketers in the process. Dr Roopnaraine had lamented in his address that “who could have imagined that the current West Indies team would not include a single Guyanese”. This is due to the incompetence of the current leaders of our cricket administration who seem to be inextricably intertwined with both the previous and the present governments. For some time now the GCB has been destroying our cricket by victimizing players, associations and boards and also through their inability to transition our talented players from the local to the international level.
The boards/areas with the competent personnel to improve our cricket all round will undoubtedly emerge after the process of free and fair elections are implemented according to the law, which this same group claims they recognise. The successful development of our cricket cannot be achieved within the present illegal framework where there is no cohesion or fusing together of the best resources available. Development could best be achieved if there is a structured and well thought-out programme with all involved. It must include the re-establishment of our school cricket, the strengthening of the club structure and the organizing of carefully-designed competitions at the association and board levels, along with support for coaching, academy, umpiring, scoring, pitch and ground (venue) upgrading programmes.
The scrapping of the Inter-County Tournament is clear case of short-sightedness, and while it is certainly a good idea for players to play as much cricket as possible, the three-day Premier League has been badly implemented and will be counter-productive without the requisite stated pillars of support, the foundation upon which we can build a sustainable cricket development programme.
The current government campaigned on the tenets of transparency, democracy and anti-corruption and promised “a better life for all”. “All” must include the youngsters of Upper Demerara, the Black clubs of East Coast and the many disenfranchised players throughout Guyana. The government cannot be seen to be supporting the illegality that the current GCB regime represents by awarding them and by not enforcing the law. It is time for the Attorney General and the Minister of Sport to defend the challenge and clear the way for the democratic process of free and fair elections to begin. It must not be further delayed. Mr Odinga Lumumba in his contribution to the debate on the Cricket Administration Bill 2012 stated:
“Mr Speaker, I want to say and as I try to argue that the present crisis of West Indian cricket and the current drought of emerging talent in Guyana have much to do with the state of cricket administration in the region and here in Guyana. My own hope is that our newly-minted Cricket Administration Act will set a new standard for cricket administration throughout the region. Further Mr Speaker, cricket is not the only sport to have had administrative difficulties. Presently, we have difficulties in football, basketball, volleyball and boxing, all of which have their own difficulties. But this activity today will prove to the wider community of Guyana that the dreams and aspirations of our youths that are shattered by a few selfish, narrow-minded thinking men can be set aside by this National Assembly.
“Leadership, and in particular ethical leadership, must be the yardstick of any social organization. It is inappropriate to put a thief, a culprit or a shady character to head any segment of society. And it is more regretful when politicians and men and women of cloth choose to represent characters who have the capacity to paint their path with birthday parties, outrageous fees and complimentary tickets in order to buy favours.
“When these things occur, the good of the organization will often derail the dreams of our sportsmen and women and their future is then cast aside. The objective of the organization then becomes a wealth scheme for the few and the role of the National Assembly can be questioned if we do not act decisively.
“This awful cricket tragedy in Guyana has resulted in the undermining of the skills sector of Guyana cricket. The Hon Dr Roopnaraine spoke well of that issue. The continuous confrontation has resulted in underdevelopment and un-development of a sport that has given so much to this nation.
“On behalf of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government. I am proud to support this Bill and I am honoured to support the right of Linden as it earned its right to give us more Basil Butchers. With these few humble words, I support the passing of this Bill which will certainly represent the end to cronyism and mosquito politics in cricket affairs in Guyana. Thank you”.
The above represents an impressive array of statements by Dr Roopnaraine and Mr Odinga Lumumba (extracted from Hansard on the parliamentary cricket debate). I am nonplussed at the unwillingness of successive Governments of Guyana to deal condignly with this most unacceptable situation that is stifling our cricket.
In light of the foregoing, it is incumbent on the current government after sixteen months in office to take decisive action and remove the impediments to free and fair elections, thereby eradicating the lawlessness of an illegal regime masquerading as the Guyana Cricket Board. The AG must now appoint a lawyer to defend the frivolous challenge to the law and the injunction granted to stop all elections (2014-HC-DEM-CIV-106). An appeal was immediately filed by the previous AG’s lawyer (2015-HC-DEM-CIV-APL-49) who was removed by Mr Basil Williams when he became Attorney General leaving that matter undefended. Government has the responsibility to ensure that justice, legality and proper accountability are the hallmarks of any national organisation including the GCB.
Yours faithfully,
Claude Raphael
Former Executive, GCB
Former Director, WICB
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