Dear Editor,
The new dispensation regarding the future administration of cricket in Guyana is welcomed by the North Essequibo Cricket Committee (NECC), given the successful passage of the Cricket Administration Bill in 2014. The committee views the bill as facilitating free and transparent elections by the county boards as well as the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). In view of this, the NECC will be conducting its Annual General Meeting shortly, as has been the general practice; it will precede that of the Essequibo Cricket Board’s Biennial General meeting. The ECB by way of notice from the Secretary to the eight area committees has confirmed its BGM for January 11, 2015, even although it has not had an ordinary general meeting for the last seven months as mandated by the constitution which stipulates that two such meetings should be held within a year.
This notwithstanding, the NECC views the upcoming BGM as pivotal for preserving the democratic processes of the ECB and its affiliate members. As a result this is an opportune time for the eight area committees to conduct their internal elections in a timely manner and before the holding of the ECB’s elections. The NECC appeals to the President of the ECB Mr Fizul Bacchus to ensure that this is done. All constituent members should be given the right to elect their representatives and Mr Bacchus should lead from the front by having timely elections at the level of the Pomeroon Cricket Committee where he serves as chairman. The state of cricket generally has never been so low and in Essequibo it is even worse. Dates for statutory meetings have not been kept, competitions at the ECB level have been non-existent, there have been no camps for the junior players, no fundraising to boost the operational status of the board, and the list goes on. The holding of the board’s BGM therefore will test the will of the constituent members and this should be done by the area committees having their local elections. The NECC will always uphold such a principled position. The other area committees should do likewise.
Yours faithfully,
Hakim Khan
Secretary
