2015 4 11

GUYANA

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

Guyana fastest growing economy in Caribbean

No. 104155 SATURDAY APRIL 11, 2015 GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

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– Opposition cares more about power than development – President

UNDP ‘Eminent Persons’ proposal raises questions Page

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– Gov’t, GECOM share similar positions

Minister Jennifer Webster resigns because of ill health – HPS

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Dr Steve Surujbally

Carter Centre reps in Guyana Page

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Jennifer Webster

Dr Roger Luncheon

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Jason Calder

Chisa Mikami

End of 56-year life partnership

The late Patricia ‘Dolly’ Singh

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

Guyana fastest growing economy in Caribbean – Opposition cares more about power than development – President GUYANA is definitely on an accelerated growth track in relation to its CARICOM sisters, in spite of political and economic challenges.

But President Ramotar is confident the growth figures could have been higher with cooperation from the political opposition.

President Donald Ramotar last evening told residents at a public meeting at Ruimzeight, West Coast Demerara, Region 3, that the Opposition has fought development at various stages over the past three years, in the National Assembly.

“Now we are regarded as the fastest growing economy in the whole Caribbean; but the Opposition continues to make efforts to stop the country from going forward…they

attempted to cut $89 billion from the budget. That $89 billion spent in the economy would have allowed us to grow much faster…they never told us to do more for the people, instead they concentrated heavily on cutting the budget,” he said.

The budgets for 2012, 2013 and 2014 were all cut by the Opposition, and according to the President, the political Opposition’s primary concern is gaining political power come May 11, and not uniting or developing Guyana as it is professing during the ongoing elections’ campaign.

The President said when the People’s Progressive Party left government in 1964, Guyana’s standard of living was high, but when the People’s National Congress (PNC)

left in 1992, a team from the Commonwealth said that Guyana and Haiti were the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

“They destroyed our country and made it the poorest country…they want to prevent us from moving our country forward. For them, development is not important, if it happens, it happens, political power is more important. …These are the same people who now come to ask you to put them back in government,” he told the large gathering.

The President said that the Opposition now wants Guyanese to forget the past, but Guyana is still trying to rebuild from that state when the country “was digging a hole to fill a hole,” referring

to the repayment of the debt burden, which he noted was 925 per cent bigger than the country’s economy, according to then Finance Minister Carl Greenidge.

“Our foreign debt was 950 per cent of our foreign earnings, and to pay back that debt took 153 per cent of our revenues…we were borrowing to repay our debt,” he said, adding that under the PPP/C, the country’s debt has been reduced to four percent of the country’s revenues.

Guyanese today are now living a better quality of life, the Head of State noted, adding that significant sums have been invested by Government on fighting poverty and creating better opportunities through education and social services.

“If you want to see the difference, look at our budgets, PNC spent more money on foreign affairs than on health, housing, water and agriculture put together. We are now spending most of the budget on the social sector, more than 30 per cent alone on the social sector, because we believe that the people are most important.”

Speaking about plans for Region 3, the President said these include a new highway and a major Information, Communication and Technology investment at Tuschen, likely to create some 900 jobs.

Addressing concerns close to the residents of this rice farming community, the President said that Government is working to put price support measures in place and

gain access to more markets in places such as Panama and Ghana, so that farmers could have better prices for their produce. He spoke of efforts to modernise the rice sector and embark on value-added products. He told the gathering of an example in Essequibo, Region 2, where waste products from rice are being converted to electricity and this reduces the cost of production by about 70 per cent, “and with these new technologies, you create new possibilities and nothing goes to waste.”

But while rice and sugar remain major contributors to the economy, agriculture is being diversified and the President spoke of the immense potential of products such as coconuts. (GINA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

UNDP ‘Eminent Persons’ proposal raises questions – Gov’t, GECOM share similar positions

By Vanessa Narine INCONSISTENCIES in procedure and questions o f t i m i n g w e re r a i s e d by the current Administration and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), in response to the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) “Eminent Persons” initiative.

The proposal, detailed in a letter, was seen exclusively by the Guyana Chronicle and proposes that five persons – Major General (rtd) Joseph Singh, Dr Eric Phillips, Dr Paloma Mohammed, Mr Chris Fernandes and Ambassador (rtd) Rudy Collins – act as “inside mediators” who will take actions that will promote a peaceful election process.

“The members are open to brining in other persons as may be needed,” the letter, signed by resident UNDP representative, Chisa Mikami, said.

The proposal was made to the Chairman of GECOM, Dr Steve Surujbally, on April 2 and the UNDP has proposed April 13 or 15 as possible dates for a meeting to discuss the proposal.

Dr Roger Luncheon

Dr Steve Surujbally

Chisa Mikami

“I would like to request a meeting with you and the member of the group at which UNDP will formally introduce them to you and together explore possible points of collaboration with GECOM,” Mikami said.

sition on the matter there is not expected to be a meeting.

“The Commission felt that it was not an appropriate time to meet,” the GECOM Chairman explained.

QUESTION OF TIMING When the Guyana Chronicle contacted the GECOM Chairman, he noted that the Commissioners had questions about the timing of the proposal.

“The Commission felt that at this time it was inappropriate,” Dr Surujbally stated.

Relative to the proposed dates for an introductory meeting, he explained that given the Commission’s po-

DEVIATION FROM PROTOCOL Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, disclosed that central Government was informed of the proposal by GECOM. Yesterday at his weekly post-Cabinet press conference, Dr Luncheon fielded questions on the issue and made it clear that the move by the UNDP to make such a proposal to GECOM runs

contrary to routine procedures.

“What the Administration insists is the procedure ought to be UNDP approaching central government on these matters, instead of an independent foray to GECOM…it [the initiative] misdirected to GECOM in the first place and should be brought to the attention of central Government with whom UNDP should and must engage,” the Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) said.

Dr Luncheon was em-

End of 56-year life partnership A LIFE partnership of 56 years ended on Wednesday in Barbados with the death, after a brief illness, of Guyana-born Patricia Singh, wife of journalist Rickey Singh. While just 19 years old, she had married the 20-year old Rickey at the Assemblies of God Church in Georgetown.

Best known as Dolly, she and her Guyana-born husband have been living for some 30 years in Barbados with their family.

Her husband credits her for holding together the family of six children through tumultuous working years in Guyana, Trinidad and Barbados.

The funeral service for the devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother will take place at her church, The People’s Cathedral, Bishop’s Court Hill, followed by burial at Coral Ridge Memorial Gardens, in Christ Church on Friday, April 17, 2015.

The late Patricia ‘Dolly’ Singh

phatic in pointing out that the mandate of GECOM is clear – the Commission is tasked with the management of general and regional electoral processes.

He said: “I know and the UNDP knows that the foray starts with central Government not with GECOM... we feel, and historically this is the way it has been, UNDP, or any other stakeholder, approaching central Government on initiatives of this sort will them be visited with approval or non-approval or some sort of response. “…the Administration contends that this ain’t exactly GECOM’s cup of tea.

GECOM is constitutionally charged, in terms of elections, with managing elections. This foray into mediation of possible conflict arising during or as a result of election isn’t GECOM’s business,” he stressed.

However, he acknowledged that there could be some merit in the effort. “It does seem that there is an anticipation of the need for mediation….there may very well be some contention around which an effort of

mediation could be beneficial…in theory it does seem to have some merit,” the HPS said.

NO FEEDBACK The UNDP last month completed its five-day needs assessment mission in Guyana and filed a report, which was also seen exclusively by the Guyana Chronicle.

Dr Luncheon, when asked, stated that Cabinet has not been provided a feedback on the report.

Understandably, he stated that he could not say if the report informed UNDP’s move to advance its “Eminent Persons” initiative.

“Whether the two are linked is another matter,” the HPS said.

The report’s completion comes after a small delegation of electoral experts from UNDP discussed a number of pertinent issues pertaining to the effective and efficient management of the May 11 elections in early February.

The UNDP was in Guyana from February 9th to 13th.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

U.N. wants ‘understanding’ of Western Sahara human rights situation (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for an “independent and impartial understanding” of human rights in the disputed North African territory of Western Sahara, according to a report seen by Reuters on Friday.

Ban’s annual report on Western Sahara stopped short of recommending the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the territory (MINURSO) monitor rights, which the African Union has urged.

Rather it suggests that the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) should do it. He offered no details.

“I call on the Parties to continue and further enhance their cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms and OHCHR, including by facilitating OHCHR missions to Western Sahara and the refugee camps near Tindouf, with

expected to renew MINURSO’s mandate this month.

Morocco took control of most of the territory in 1975 when colonial power Spain withdrew, prompting the Polisario Front independence movement to wage a guerrilla war that lasted until 1991, when the United Nations brokered a ceasefire and sent in MINURSO. Morocco rejects the idea of MINURSO conducting human rights monitoring and says the African Union has no business meddling in the issue. Morocco is not a member of the African Union due to Western Sahara.

Polisario now runs refugee camps at Tindouf in Algeria.

Morocco’s U.N. mission did not immediately respond

United Nations Secretary General Ban Kimoon listens during a news conference with Salim al-Jabouri, speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, in Baghdad March 30, 2015. Reuters/Karim Kadim/Pool unrestricted access to all relevant stakeholders,” Ban said in the report.

“These missions and other future forms of cooperation ... should contribute to an independent and impartial understanding of the human rights situation in both West-

ern Sahara and the camps, with the goal of ensuring protection of all,” he added.

The Security Council is

gation, saying Morocco was able to defend its interests without France’s assistance.

Rabat wants Western Sahara to be an autonomous part of Morocco. Polisario, backed by a number of African countries including Algeria, wants to hold the long-promised referendum among the region’s ethnic Sahrawis that would include the option of independence.

Morocco and Polisario disagree on who should vote in a referendum.

Western Sahara has a population of under 500,000. It is rich in phosphates, used in fertilizer, and potentially, offshore oil and gas. Polisario has complained about Western companies searching for natural resources based on permits from Morocco.

Islamic State attacks Iraqi provincial capital (Reuters) – ISLAMIC State militants attacked the capital of Iraq’s vast Anbar province on multiple fronts on Friday, seizing two areas on the city outskirts in a setback for a government campaign to retake the desert terrain.

The jihadists deployed vehicle and suicide bombs to tear through Iraqi government lines north of the city of Ramadi overnight before attacking on foot, said security officials and a hospital source.

The head of Anbar’s provincial council, Sabah Karhout, called on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send urgent military reinforcements and supplies to fighters, saying they were running low on ammunition.

Abadi visited Anbar on Tuesday and declared the start of the operation to liberate the Sunni Muslim heartland, seeking to build on a victory over Islamic State last week in

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to a request for comment on the report.

The 1991 ceasefire settlement called for a referendum on the territory’s fate.

But the referendum, which MINURSO was deployed to help organise, never took place, and attempts to reach a lasting political deal have foundered.

“It is vital that all human rights protection gaps and underlying human rights issues in situations of protracted conflict be addressed,” Ban said in the report. “This would also contribute to creating an environment conducive to the negotiating process.”

France, traditionally an ally of Morocco, has been accused of supporting Rabat at the United Nations, but Paris has rejected the alle-

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Smoke rises from a bomb attack in clashes between Iraqi security forces and Islamic State militants on the outskirts of Ramadi April 9, 2015. Reuters/Stringer the city of Tikrit. of policemen and soldiers in But a police source in the area and killed 15 memRamadi said early on Friday bers of their families. the insurgents had taken half A car bomb blew up the of the Albu Faraj area, and bridge linking Ramadi and provincial council member Albu Faraj across the EuphraAthal al-Fahdawi later said it tes river, a police source said. had been overrun completely.

An army officer and the Hundreds of families were police source blamed some fleeing Albu Faraj, just north members of the Albu Faraj of Ramadi, after Islamic State tribe for letting the militants militants broke into the homes infiltrate their area. The insur-

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gents also took over the adjacent Albu Aitha area, according to Fahdawi and local tribal leader Sheikh Ghassan al-Ithawi.

Large parts of Anbar had slipped from the government’s grasp even before Islamic State overran the northern city of Mosul last June and surged through Sunni areas of Iraq.

The group controls swathes of Syria and Iraq, last year declaring a caliphate across the territory.

Security forces and Shi’ite Muslim paramilitaries have since regained some ground in Iraq, although core Sunni territories remain under Islamic State control including Anbar and the northern province of Nineveh.

In Anbar, which shares a long border with Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, pockets of territory have remained under government control and Ramadi itself has been contested.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

US$68M investment in region’s youth …Obama announces major education and training programme UNITED States President Barack Obama Thursday announced a US$68-million education/training programme just before ending a successful working visit to Jamaica that he admitted was short but suggested that he would love to return with his wife and daughters for a longer stay.

In less than 24 hours in the Jamaican capital, Kingston, Obama also held bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, hosted a summit with Caribbean Community leaders, laid a wreath at the Cenotaph at National Heroes Park in honour of Jamaicans who died in both World Wars, and got a taste of Jamaican culture when he visited the Bob Marley Museum shortly after his arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston Wednesday night.

The American president, who kept a tight schedule in Jamaica ahead of the Seventh Summit of the Americas in Panama today and tomorrow, announced the education and training programme at a town hall meeting of regional youth leaders at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus.

This year, two dozen young entrepreneurs from

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller addressing yesterday’s meeting between Caricom leaders and US President Barack Obama (left) at the UWI. At centre is Caricom Chairman Perry Christie.

(PHOTO: BRYAN CUMMINGS) Strong in the Americas IniLatin America and the Carib- chance to earn a substantial tiative, which was designed bean, including Cuba, will get continuum of the training to increase the number of the opportunity to participate resources, and connections, educational exchanges bein a pilot programme in the networks and capital that tween the United States and US under the just-launched (will make) a difference,” the countries in the region.

Young Leaders of the Amer- president said.

“This isn’t charity for us,” icas Initiative (YLAI).

He explained that the Obama said. “It’s an investThe initiative is part of programme will help young ment in your future, because a wider education, training people expand their commer- that means it’s an investment and employment thrust which cial and social connections in our future.” the US is financing and will through business incubaThe US president said, be expanded to include 250 tors and other means, and too, that the direction of his young people in 2016 and that participants would have country’s development aid every year after that. access to virtual resourc- has shifted towards entrepre“We’re going to seek out es, training, mentoring, and neurship and SMEs, which the most innovative young platforms to extend their he described as priority areas. entrepreneurs in civil society linkages.

Responding to the anin the Caribbean and Latin YLAI is intended to build nouncement, Jamaica’s youth America and give them a on the president’s 100,000 minister Lisa Hanna, who

Obama honours war dead

…crowds give US president superstar welcome outside National Heroes Park (Jamaica Observer)-WE could tell from the loud, sustained screams of delight that President Barack Obama’s motorcade was approaching the south gate to National Heroes Park yesterday afternoon.

The large crowd of Jamaicans -- most of them residents of Allman Town — had waited patiently, for more than two hours, behind police barriers along the freshly asphalted Marescaux Road to get a glimpse of the first black man to be elected United States president.

At approximately 4:40 pm the motorcade, led by police motorcycle outriders, whizzed by to a crowd response reserved for superstars.

On entering the park,

the presidential limousine, nicknamed ‘The Beast’, pulled up near to the receiving line of Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, Opposition Leader Andrew Holness, National Security Minister Peter Bunting, Education Minister Ronald Thwaites, Custos of Kingston S t e a d m a n F u l l e r, C u s tos of St Andrew Donna Parchment, Colonel Daniel Pryce, Lieutenant Colonel Winston Walcott, Major General Robert Neish (retired), president of the Royal Air Forces Association Jamaica branch; M a j o r To r r a n c e L e w i s (retired), chairman of the Jamaica Legion; as well as World War II veterans Major Victor Beek (retired)

and Earl Beckford.

After being greeted by the party, President Obama took his place in front of the Cenotaph beside a US Marine officer who accepted a wreath from a Jamaican Regimental Police officer.

That done, the president and the Marine officer walked to the base of the Cenotaph where Obama placed the wreath in honour of the thousands of Jamaicans who fought and died in World Wars I and II. With the obligatory moment of silence in respect for the fallen soldiers observed, the ceremony ended as quickly as it had started.

Obama, his final assignment in Jamaica completed, had a brief conversation with Prime

Minister Simpson Miller, then got into his fortified limousine and headed to Up Park Camp

was among the 350 leaders from government and civil society who participated in the town hall meeting, told the Jamaica Observer that the YLAI was on par with initiatives being undertaken in her ministry.

“As you know, the NYS (National Youth Service) rolled out last year its entrepreneurship programme.

We’ve already rolled out the programme for this year; we’re training 1,500 young people in entrepreneurship, so this initiative is fantastic because we feel that if he wants 250 persons to go to the US next year, we already have those pools of people prepared,” Hanna said.

“I think Mr Obama is an extraordinary human being and I think what makes him extraordinary is that he has a passion for young people. It’s not often that you find leaders who get it, that young people are the future generation of power; and what he’s very clear about is not giving ad hoc things to make them feel good, but he’s putting in place mechanism to build that generation of power,” Hanna said, with reference to the YLAI. A fact sheet on the initiative on the White House website said the pilot programme will focus on tech-

nology by embedding participants in incubators to work on new applications that their host company or organisation uses or seeks to develop.

Funding for YLAI comes from the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

After yesterday’s meeting, several participants told the Observer that they were impressed with the US president.

“I was very impressed with the level of eloquence of the president,” said Jermaine Case, who was representing the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network.

He shared some very good views. I think he could have [allowed] a couple (more) questions, but in the main he addressed some very critical views which I think will enure to the benefit of Jamaica-US relations.”

Miss Universe Jamaica 2015 Kaci Fennell said she was happy that young people got the opportunity to engage with the president.

“I’m sad that he didn’t get to choose me, but a lot of questions got answered today, and I’m happy that our voices were heard.”

from where he was airlifted to Norman Manley International where Air Force One sat overnight awaiting his return to fly him to Panama for the Seventh Summit of the Americas.

There, no doubt, the security detail that meticulously screened every journalist and guest at yesterday’s ceremony will do again what they are paid to do -- protect the world’s most powerful leader.

After laying the wreath, President Barack Obama and a US Marine officer observe a moment of silence in honour of Jamaican soldiers killed in World Wars I and II. (PHOTOS: GARFIELD ROBINSON)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

EDITORIAL

GUYANA

We need that old time community spirit

THERE is a vital need to revive the community spirit of yesteryears.

There are still persons in the older generation who remember their growing-up years as a time when the entire community raised the children of the villages in rural enclaves.

Today, as the na-

tion reels from the emerging and progressively violent and criminal nature of children gone astray, it has become imperative for community leaders to once again revive the community spirit of yesteryears, when anyone’s child was cared for and looked over by the entire community.

Several years ago, one single mother who had re-located to the city from

a village in Essequibo because she had been transferred by her employers to a city branch of the business establishment for which she worked, discovered to her horror that her teenaged son had started smoking marijuana with youths who attended the school to which he had been transferred.

She immediately had him transferred back to his

old school in Essequibo and sent him to live with her eldest brother, who brooked no nonsense – was loving but strict with his nephew. The boy could not make a move without it being reported to his uncle by someone in the village and, subsequently, being unable to sneak around to access the marijuana, much less smoke it, he eventually

kicked the habit.

To d a y h e i s a r e nowned, highly-respected doctor working in the city. If it had not been for the intervention of a loving family member, who was supported by an entire village, he might have become a lost soul, another statistic of the underground world of substance abusers.

But even in rural communities that spirit of sharing and caring is petering out and one cannot help but wonder if the

plethora of problems – drug and alcohol use and abuse, teenage pregnancies, violence in and out of schools, disrespect to elders and authority figures, including teachers, even criminal activities that sometimes descend to murder of victims, etcetera, that are facing the society, with the major number of culprits being teenagers, could not have been minimised, if not altogether eradicated if the community spirit still prevailed in the society.

AFC cabal sees nothing good that the PPP/C does THE AFC Leaders and their acolytes will never see the positive side of anything which the PPP/C Government does. They will only criticise, complain and condemn.

The recent statements, made by Robert Badal in the Stabroek News (‘The sale of Guysuco’s co-generation plant should be reversed’) have only served to confirm this.

If we go back just a while ago he had wanted to invest 8 million US dollars in the Marriott Hotel but had vociferously attacked the feasibility of this same hotel. When his offer was refused, he then resumed his attack on the feasibility of the same hotel.

Now GPL and NICIL want to make an investment by purchasing the Skeldon co-generation plant but Badal has a problem. He wants GPL to make a loan to GuySuCo instead of buying the plant. Then of course they will criticise that loan as well. Ramayya and Mark

Ross had claimed in Berbice that this plant is not generating any electricity.

Badal has pointed out the cost aspect of the deal but has failed to appreciate the benefits aspect of it. The 30 million US dollars garnered from the sale of the co-generation plant will not only solve liquidity problems but will also be used to continue much needed capital works.

The injection of this money into GuySuCo will see a drop in the cost of production since the benefits from such cash injection have not been visited by Badal. What he sees is just the cost of electricity that GuySuCo will be paying to GPL. GuySuCo has been and is making enormous investments in machinery, equipment ( bell-loaders, harvesters) and land conversion, and the many benefits of these will not be seen immediately. Badal needs to make a proper cost-benefit analysis before he can draw conclusions. Mr Brassington and GuySuCo have done

this and they know that the benefits will far outweigh the costs, hence the move. Furthermore, Badal has failed to appreciate that GuySuCo will also be earning revenue from the sale of the bagasse to Skeldon Electricty Incorporated. In addition, GuySuCo will no longer have to meet the administrative and operational costs of the plant, nor will it have to concern itself about repairs and maintenance costs.

Moreover, labour will not be displaced since the workers at the plant will be retained

by Wartsila.

Badal did also deliberately deviate from the factors negatively affecting GuySuCo such as the 36% EU price cuts, the climate change which has affected not only the planting and harvesting period, but the maturity trends of the sugar cane as well, the poor labour turnout, the lack of funds for capital replacement and expansion, and the vicious circle which has resulted, and the severe

decrease of sugar prices on the world market.

GuySuCo’s management has been working assiduously to improve the industry and it is improving in areas which are within their control; but the AFC and APNU can at least contribute by exhorting their members and supporters to leave politics aside and co-operate with management and show some sense of nationalism.

On Thursday, even a serious accident caused by a slippery road at Albion Estate was used for political mileage by Ramayya.

Badal is also oblivious to the increase in efficiency of factory and field operations in GuySuCo which is not only resulting in increased production and productivity, but is giving workers more money in terms of bonus day pay. This increased efficiency will propel sugar production and reduce the costs of production, and an increase in sugar prices will definitely give GuySuCo the impetus it

needs to overcome the final hurdles. But yet again, Ramayya wickedly decries the efforts of management and workers by claiming on DTV 8 on April 4th, that this is a ‘political gimmick’ and bribery by the PPP. How can the earning of a bonus day pay be linked to bribery when the target set at Albion is around 2,200 tons per week? Does Ramayya feel that this is an easy feat to achieve? This man always paints the worst scenario to fulfil his selfish political ambitions.

The AFC+APNU coalition has never supported the sugar industry; but since it’s election time, they have changed their tune in order to get the votes of the sugar workers; but these workers can read between the lines from what is being said by high profile members of AFC and APNU. It is sad and disappointing that closure of the sugar industry is the only option offered by the AFC and APNU. Granger’s talk

about ‘sugar too big to fail’ is just an election gimmick; it is only the PPP/C who is serious about the survival of the sugar industry. Sugar workers need to understand this ‘gimmick’ and do not fall for it.

Lastly, and disappointingly as well, Badal seems to be unaware that the cost of fuel has risen once again so that his demand for a 30% reduction in electricity is simply ridiculous.

‘IT IS TIME’ that the Opposition parties put hypocrisy and politics aside and meaningfully support GuySuCo.That is the ‘CHANGE’ that this country needs. The move by NICIL is a great strategy in divestment and investment, and strong evidence is there to support it. The Opposition should give its support. GuySuCo is indeed ‘too big to fail’, as Dr Ramsammy had pointed out a long time ago!

HASEEF YUSUF

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

Carter Centre reps in Guyana

By Vanessa Narine A THREE-MAN team from the United States of America-based Carter Centre is currently in Guyana, undertaking a further assessment, which is expected to inform their decision to field an electoral observer mission to Guyana.

The Guyana Chronicle was informed that the Assistant Director from the Carter Centre’s Global Development Initiative, Mr Jason Calder, is heading the team.

The other members include Mr Pedro Teixeira and Mr Bartek Lech.

Calder was in Guyana last month and, among other engagements, met with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

In a prior comment, Chairman of GECOM, Dr Steve Surujbally, told the Guyana Chronicle that the first assessment undertaken by the Carter Centre related to the conduciveness of the existing climate for the hosting of elections, the electoral environment, and their impressions after speaking with political parties.

“The Carter Centre expressed their satisfaction with the positive developments that have

Assistant Director from the Carter Centre’s GDI, Jason Calder been made, and felt that it would be good for them to return to Guyana. They are prepared to come back with as many as 30 people.

Securing financing is the next step for them,” he said.

Dr Surujbally added, “They were not here in 2011, and they feel that it would be good for them to come back and be a part of the electoral process; which, according to them, moved from turbulence, violence and mayhem to a peaceful process,” he said.

According to him, a Carter Centre review of the advances in Guyana’s elec-

Jury found Michael Powley not guilty of murder , but

Guilty of manslaughter A Demerara Assize jury yesterday found murder accused Michael Powley not guilty of the murder of his neighbour Vishnauth Narine called ‘Buddy’, Presiding judge, Mr. James Bovell-Drakes did not impose sentence on the man in chains but ordered a probation report on him which should reach the Court by April 27, when sentenced will be passed.

Powley, represented by Attorney-at-law, Mr. Basil Williams, had pleaded not guilty and maintained that he had picked up a piece of wood and had gone to the assistance of his wife who was being attacked by ‘Buddy’ now deceased when two of Buddy’s friends had run up with cutlasses.

He the accused had to run away that day and did not know how Buddy got wounded on June 8, 2012.

However, Miss Natasha Backer who prosecuted had urged the jury to return a verdict that is in keeping with the evidence.

On the other hand, Mr. Williams who was demanding a not-guilty verdict of both murder and manslaughter said that in mitigation he would address the judge on the enormous inconsistencies in the case, when the matter is resumed on April 27th later this month.

Dr Roger Luncheon

Dr Steve Surujbally

toral processes could find the country being used as an example of how societies evolve.

developments had indicated that adequate independent and competent observers are needed to ensure that the elections are free and fair and free from fear, and that the results are free from contention and accepted by all competing parties.

The PSC made clear its full confidence in the Guyana Elections Commission to efficiently and effectively carry out their mandate; but it is important for the confidence of all stakeholders to have the work of GECOM independently observed and their outputs validated by respected third parties

PSC INVITATION Additionally, the Private Sector Commission (PSC), in the latter part of March, wrote to US Secretary of State John Kerry requesting his assistance to have the Carter Center field a full observer mission for the elections.

The move is part of its ongoing quest to ensure that the May 2015 elections will be free and fair.

The Commission explained that this step was taken after extensive consultation with stakeholders and analysis of recent political

LOCAL OBSERVERS Meanwhile, GECOM, yesterday, met with represen-

tatives from the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB).

The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed thatthe meeting with GPSU and the GECOM Chairman addressed the protocols that all observers, local and foreign, will be required to sign onto certain protocols before they are accredited as observers.

The EAB, on the other hand, met with the Commission to address their information needs, relative to a voters’ list sampling exercise they intend to undertake.

The two groups are an addition to several other international observers missions expected to have a presence in Guyana for the May 11 General and Regional Elections.

The traditional observer missions include: the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

Of the lot, the OAS has confirmed that it will have a presence in Guyana, a commitment solidified by an agreement signed, on Thursday, by the OAS Secretary General, José

Miguel Insulza, and the Permanent Representative of Guyana to the Organisation, Bayney Karran, in Panama City.

According to the body’s country representative, Jean Ricot Dormeus, a preliminary assessment mission is expected in Guyana next week to meet with stakeholders and make determinations on the size of the team and the length of stay.

Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, yesterday at a news conference, stated that no other group that was invited has confirmed that they will be in Guyana. However, he expressed confidence that the traditional groups will be in Guyana and that the Commonwealth, CARICOM and UNASUR will field teams.

Foreign observers, according to GECOM’s observer protocols, will be expected to adhere to more than 35 guidelines. In addition to the guidelines, the rights and privileges of accredited election observer groups were also outlined in the protocol. Similar rights and guidelines apply to local observer groups, which were detailed in a separate document seen by this newspaper.

CJ granted $20.2M bail to 16 petitioners OF the amount of $20, 250, 000 granted the petitioners pending the hearing of their cases,Colin Prescod who allegedly had 178 Kg cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking was granted bail in the sum of $15M. Following is an account of the offences, offenders and the amount of bail granted each offender.

Possession of Narcotics: Colin Prescod - $15, 000, 000; Neoma Gravesande - $125, 000; Tracy Bowen - $500, 000; Tamara Nicola $750, 000: Causing death by dangereous driving Maevin Massiah - $600, 000; Germain Alleyne - $500, 000: Assault G. Ramcharran - $30, 000; Threatrening behaviour -

Garreshram Ramcharran - $20, 000: Possession of Ammunition Harry Narine - $100, 000; Possession of Firearm without licence Harry Narine - $350, 000: Larceny Anthony Charles - $125, 000; Inflicting grievous bodily harm Mohamed Zamin - $300, 000 Obtaining money by false pretence Aslam Mohamed Kayum - $800, 000; Gopaul Tiwarie - $300, 000: Robbery Under Arms Dexeine Johnson - $350, 000 Break & enter and lareceny Kurt Grant - $400, 000

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

Minister Jennifer ELECTIONS FLASHBACK Webster resigns because of ill health – HPS MINISTER of Human Services and Social Security Jennifer Webster’s absence from the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic’s electoral list of candidates is due to her decision to resign for health reasons, according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon.

At his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing today, Dr. Luncheon indicated that President Donald Ramotar informed Cabinet that he had accepted “her notice of resignation that would be effective on April 30, 2015.”

According to Dr. Luncheon, the minister indicated that there was “a significant lack of improvement in her health situation, whilst conducting the fairly rigorous demands of minister of Government, particularly of the sector Human Services and Social Security.”

He added that Minister Webster made the decision and opted to pursue addressing her health concerns, and this led to her resignation from the office of minister, effective April month-end.

Webster previously served as Junior Finance

On the cost of rigged elections

Minister Jennifer Webster

Minister and Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President.

Annual Dr. Cheddi Jagan Lecture Series set for Monday AS part of the remembrance of the work and life of the former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan, the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (Red House) is set to host the annual “Dr. Cheddi Jagan Lecture Series” on Monday April 13, 2015.

According to a release from the Red House, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves will be the facilitator of the event.

The release also revealed that the session will be held at the Red House, 65-67 High Street, Kingston, Georgetown from 17:00 hrs (5:00pm).

Former President, the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan

ACTS of rigged electoral processes manifested into rippling effects in the Guyanese society in the late 1960s and 1970s.

In declassified documents from the United States of America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), it was noted that the British maintained that the principal threat to elections stemmed from the deteriorating security situation.

The document dated July 17, 1964 stated that: “They suggested that peace and order could not be guaranteed. The situation in Georgetown was particularly critical in that violence in the capital could force the postponement of elections. The British urged that Forbes Burnham, leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), be counselled to exercise all possible restraint on his supporters in Georgetown. They noted that the London papers played up the killing of Indian children, omitting African deaths and arson.”

It added that, “The British knew the US was running Burnham’s agenda and expected the US to rein in Burnham’s covert agenda to destabalise the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) Government.”

Pictured is one of the many buildings that went up in flames during this period.

More youths express support for the PPP/C SEVERAL new persons have recently indicated their support for the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), and yesterday shared their views explaining why, at a press conference held at Freedom House.

It was highlighted during this press conference by Olive Gopaul that persons who chose to align themselves with the PPP/C have come under severe criticism. “It is a democratic right to choose a party to be aligned with and we chose the PPP/C,” she stressed and urged persons to respect the choice of others and let us “work together to move this country forward.”

Speaking as a part of the youth make-up of party supporters, Roshini Boodhoo emphasised that it is “My right my choice and I think I should not be judged for choosing the PPP/C.” She

Roshini Boodhoo

Dr Peter Ramsaroop

Sarah Brown

explained that she is very pleased to be on the list of candidates for the PPP/C. “I am embracing progress and joining forces with this party to move Guyana forward in every respect.

Indeed the list has approximately 40% of its make-up from youths, and it is common knowledge that the youths will rule tomorrow, the youths are the future of Guyana. The PPP/C is definitely paving the pathway

for the youths in Guyana,” she stressed.

Boodhoo explained that persons should respect the choices others make: “I believe I have my choice and I am free to choose which party I would like to align myself with and I chose to align myself with the PPP/C.” She noted that the PPP/C is genuinely working to facilitate a better life for all in Guyana. “We [the youths] have resolved that

the PPP/C is the only party capable of securing a prosperous Guyana,” she noted.

Sarah Brown, a teacher by profession, explained why she chose the PPP/C: “I have not heard about progress from anyone, I have lived this progress as a young woman growing up in the interior; I have seen this progress first- hand.”

Brown noted that “I am a living example of this progress, with the educa-

tional opportunities I was given and as a young person I am very thankful for that.” She continued to explain that under the PPP/C Government progress is spread across the length and breadth of Guyana and it is not concentrated centrally. “Our leadership in the PPP/C believes that Georgetown alone does not represent Guyana, my party believes regardless of where you reside you must have equal opportunities,” she stressed. This is why I choose to support the party.

Dr Peter Ramsaroop, during his remarks also alluded to the fact that the PPP/C Government has made tremendous, positive strides towards the betterment of youths in Guyana.

He noted also that under the watchful eye of this Government the country has achieved universal primary education and is on its way to achieving universal

secondary education. The Government, he related, is also investing in technical education allowing youths to have choices.

When faced with the question of many young Guyanese claiming “lack of opportunities,” Gopaul replied that exploiting available opportunities are up to the youths themselves.

She explained that the opportunities are abundantly available; the youths need guidance from their homes, schools and communities that will shape their minds to go out there, grasp those opportunities and make full use of them.

Boodhoo also answering the question, “why should youths choose the PPP/C?” explained: “The answer is simple, if you want to see Guyana continue to progress and fulfil the dreams of the youths then the only party is the PPP/C.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

‘Omissions, misinterpretations’ bases for PPP/C concerns over MMU IN ADDITION to being the basis for private legal action filed against former president, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) is also being questioned for its conclusion that comments made by him were “racially divisive.”

The incumbent People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Executive Secretary, Mr Zulifikar Mustapha, in a strongly worded letter, noted that the decision to label comments made by Dr Jagdeo was unfair.

At an event at Babu John last month, Dr Jagdeo, while stressing that there is no place for divisions in the Guyanese society along racial lines, pointed to an example of what was done during the 2011 General and Regional Elections.

He said: “They shout about racism of the PPP, but they practise racism.

They whisper campaigns.

In the last elections they went to some of the AfroGuyanese villages and beat some drums at 6 O’clock in the morning and say let us throw out these coolie people. Get up, go out and vote, throw out the coolie people.

That’s the kind of language they use. Anybody from our party who uses that sort of language, we will kick them

PPP Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha out. This is our approach.”

This considered, Mustapha pointed out that the MMU’s position is not only “unfair,” but a “gross misinterpretation” of what was actually said.

“Was the speech of Comrade Jagdeo reviewed in its entirety, no reasonable mind could have arrived at such an interpretation. Comrade Jagdeo was simply reciting what was actually being peddled by other political parties and indeed, proceeded to condemn those statements and that type of political mobilization in strong terms.

Indeed, he was condemning racism,” the party’s executive secretary noted.

He added: “Are we to assume that you are encour-

Dr Bharrat Jagdeo aging political parties to use racism as part of their political campaign and strategy?

We in the PPP have always and will continue to condemn racism whenever it rears its ugly head. That is precisely what Comrade Jagdeo did. It is mindboggling how you can interpret that to be ‘racially divisive.’ It is the complete opposite.”

CONSPICUOUS OMISSION According to Mustapha, the PPP/C also has questions regarding the MMU’s “conspicuous omission” in expressing a view on the “twists” given to Dr Jagdeo’s comments in a Kaieteur New article, headlined: “PPP is a coolie people party- Jagdeo.”

He said: “We note your conspicuous omission to ex-

GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally sitting and staff of GECOM’s MMU press a view on Kaieteur News’s very skewed and malicious twist of what Comrade Jagdeo said in an article a day after the event under the screaming headline: ‘PPP is a coolie people party- Jagdeo’. “…we note also that you have refused to comment on a complaint which we have lodged with the Commissioner of Police in relation to the Kaieteur News story.”

The ruling party’s executive also questioned the MMU’s non-mention of another matter involving Alliance For Change (AFC) member, Dr. Veerasammy Ramaya.

Mustapha said, “We also

recognise that you failed to even respond,more so, express a view on our complaints to you in relation to statements uttered by Mr.Ramayya from the APNU/AFC on television in Berbice.”

Ramaya made “libelous” claims regarding Mustapha, in November 2011 – during the height on the elections campaign – on his televised programme ‘Issues of the People’, which airs on Channel 8, a local station that transmits from Region 6 (East Berbice/ Corentyne).

Both himand the proprietor of Channel 8, Tony Rambarran, were penalised by Judge NareshwarHarnanan, who ordered that the two

pay a fine of $60,000. Final judgement was also awarded in favour of Mustapha.

All considered, Mustapha said, “These omissions coupled with your misinterpretation of what was actually said

by Comrade Jagdeo force us to question not only your objectivity, but also your organisation’s professionalism and perhaps political bias.”

C o n s e q u e n t l y, t h e PPP/C has called on the MMU to review its decision at the earliest possible time and undertake a retraction of what was published.

The contention report is the first one produced by the MMU since its resuscitation.

Dr Ramsaroop defends Urling against Opposition attacks “COMMENTS from the opposition that state that Clinton Urling and other young people are not qualified to make Guyana better, are an insult to our nation and they need to be dealt with,” Dr Peter Ramsaroop asserted.

Dr Ramsaroop was at the time speaking at a press conference held at Freedom House and addressed the criticisms Clinton Urling is facing from the opposition. He explained that youths should be allowed to make their choice without being criticised if they affiliate themselves with the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).

“We should be absolutely impressed, Clinton Urling is a prime example of a young entrepreneur in this country; we should be patting him on the back regardless. David Granger should be the first one to say Clinton Urling I am glad that you have done

Dr Peter Ramsaroop well in Guyana and you are a successful young business person,” Ramsaroop said.

Since his decision to be part of the PPP/C 2015 election slate was made public, former BLUE CAPS head and businessman Clinton Urling has come under attack by supporters of the APNU+AFC. He has come under fire via Facebook with

persons calling for the boycott of his business.

“We can’t chastise them [youths] to call them names and to criticise them on social media is an insult to many young people in Guyana who will think ,wait a minute if I am an entrepreneur or I have done well and I join a particular party which is my political freedom then I am suddenly bad,”Dr Ramsaroop related.

Dr Ramsaroop recently endorsed the PPP/C and he explained his own experience at the hands of the opposition also. “I was a very good example when I was within the PNC (People’s National Congress) ranks. I was a starboy; suddenly so I am no longer there I am the worse person you could have ever seen.”

He also highlighted criticisms that the opposition are meting out to persons; he had this to say: “When you

Clinton Urling on Nomination Day look at the marriage of convenience of the APNU+AFC collation (A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change), they got engaged on Valentine’s Day,

married on Nomination Day and will be divorced on election day. The fact is the prenup is not going to work.”

In closing, he noted that “I will defend Clinton, I

will defend openly all the young people that believe the system is there to support them and you have to applaud them for supporting the PPP/C.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

APNU+AFC Alliance showing signs of fracture -- Dr Singh … says Alliance is about power, not about progress

By Tajeram Mohabir DECLARING that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is about progress for all Guyanese, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has said he is proud to be associated with the ruling party and its work to transform Guyana.

Contending that under the stewardship of the PPP/C the future of Guyana will be secured, Dr Singh on Thursday called on a De Abreu Street, Kitty, Georgetown gathering to not put trust in the Opposition.

The PPP/C, he said, is about sound leadership and diversity, and the latter is reflected in its List of Candidates, heading into the May 11 Regional and General Elections.

The party attracted a number of new candidates, many of whom chose to join the party because of its track record and its vision for Guyana.

The same cannot be said of the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Alliance’s List of Candidates, Dr Singh said.

The Alliance list, he pointed out, is made up of many old whining People’s National Congress (PNC) members. And of course, a few disgruntled ones who were once part of the PPP/C, but have now become bedfellows with their oppressors.

Theirs is no match to the PPP/C’s, he said, noting that the ruling party is not only about unity and diversity; it is dynamic and growing; it is a true representative of the people; and quite naturally, its List of Candidates represents the face of Guyana.

The PPP/C, he said, is proud of its work in transforming Guyana, its track record in Government and equally important, its name, as it has nothing to hide.

But not the PNC-controlled APNU, he said, pointing out that the party has been repeatedly changing its name to conceal its identity.

It was PNC, then PNCR, the PNCR-G, then APNU and is now APNU+AFC, and of late, recent happenings seem to indicate that the Alliance’s relationship is on

A passionate Dr Ashni Singh addressing the De Abreu Street, Kitty, Georgetown rally on Thursday

Prominent Attorney-at-Law Euclin Gomes on the go there cannot be any clearer a rocky ledge. indication that the Alliance This, he said, is reflected does not know what they in the recent decision by stand for.

APNU to mount only APNU Expounding on this party flags in Georgetown point, the Minister pointed to communities. the APNU+AFC Valentine’s According to him, it hap- Day union, telling his audipened after APNU+AFC ence that the marriage was Deputy Leader Moses Nag- about different positions and amootoo failed dismally to power, not about improving attract a sizeable number of the lives of all Guyanese and supporters at their rallies at continuing the development Whim, Berbice and Anna of Guyana.

Regina in Essequibo.

Their priority, he said, is It was reported that Nag- not about development and amootoo was summoned by progress, it is about power, Granger to explain his woe- oppression and destruction. ful support at the two major It is reflected in their tenmeetings where he could ure in Government, he said, have hardly attracted 12 sup- noting that basic food items porters, but is demanding 12 were banned, and abuse was seats in Parliament. rampant.

These are not people who Dr Singh said even when should be trusted, Dr Singh in Opposition, they had not said, contending that they changed, pointing out that cannot even unite among they blocked the Amaila themselves and can hardly Falls Project and deprived decide on their name.

Guyanese of cheap energy; On this note, he said, voted down the construction

The gathering at De Abreu Street, Kitty, Georgetown rally of the specialty hospital, an institution that will provide care for the sick; and they chose not to support the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, whose non-passage will severely affect the image of Guyana.

These are not people who care about Guyana and the people of this country, he said, urging the electorate that when they vote on May 11, they must vote to stop this tyranny by the Opposition.

Prominent Attorney-at-Law Euclin Gomes, a new member on the PPP/C platform, said the PNC, Young Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) which controls APNU, does member Lisa Takurdeen on the platform not like to hear about history ary Education Certificate as they are trying desperately and friends.

But Gomes rebutted, say- (CSEC), said under the to hide their identity.

He said complacency ing that it is the democratic PPP/C Administration, Guyamong party supporters right of the Alliance to ex- ana has been significantly caused the PPP/C to lose the press their views no matter transformed.

Importantly, she said, majority at the 2011 election, the soundness of it, contendbut they should not all let ing that the PPP/C will not significant emphasis is bestop any young member who ing placed on education and this happen in 2015. is willing to serve the party youth development, noting and the country. that today the education Arrogance The Alliance, he said, sector is churning out more They used their majority in the 10th Parliament, he should look at itself, point- professionals than any time said, to derail Government’s ing out that not even their before in the history of Guydevelopment agenda, and family members are willing ana.

Education, she said, did so without reason. It was to be on their List of Canopens the door for a brighter a show of power and that didates.

Their Valentine’s Day future, and the Government might is right, Gomes said.

The Attorney said a vote cook-up from their love has recognised this, and has for the PPP/C in 2015 will affair, he said, will get sour, been pouring attention and not just be a vote to indicate and the PPP/C, with the investment in the education support for the party, but generous support of the sector.

Branding herself a proud it will be a vote to stop the people, will be allowed to Opposition’s nonsense in continue the development product of the education sysof Guyana. tem designed by the PPP/C, Parliament.

Lisa Takurdeen, a res- Government, Takurdeen said It will stop the APNU and the AFC from continu- ident on the Essequibo the ruling party is the only ing their anti-developmental Coast and a University of party with a clear vision for agenda, and protect the gains Guyana Economics major, Guyana.

The young woman made by Guyana in the past was also a new member mounting the platform of urged the electorate to 22 years. vote solidly for the PPP/C The APNU+AFC Alli- the ruling party.

Takurdeen, who per- on May 11, so that develance had criticised the PPP/C List of Candidates, saying formed exceptionally well opment and progress can that it is made up of family at the Caribbean Second- continue.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

USA TODAY supplement declares …

Guyana is an emerging pioneer in green economic policy making

A SUPPLEMENT to USA TODAY, prepared by United World Ltd, has recognised Guyana’s effort to pursue a green economy.

The 12-page supplement on Guyana, titled ‘Why Guyana?’ examines among others, why the country is “the ideal base to do business in South America and the Caribbean.”

It cites among one of the reasons the fact that Guyana is green and peaceful. According to the supplement, Guyana has emerged as a pioneer in green economic policy making. It recognises that the country has taken the lead in important issues like climate change, and is pioneering in green creation, through its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) agreement

with the Government of Norway.

According to the supplement, the country’s proximity to markets in North America, South America, the Caribbean and even Western Africa makes the country a natural crossroads of commerce and diplomacy.

Emphasising the peaceful aspect of the country, the newspaper quoted Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett as saying that Guyana stands in principle, on many internal issues, “whether it has to do with Palestine or climate change, we do not change or negotiate on it.”

“We also believe that we should, and have as many friends and allies as possible. We are a small country, and we do not

World leaders in Doha to address crime prevention and criminal justice GOVERNMENT officials, policy-makers and experts meeting at the 13th United Nations Crime Congress will consider the role of crime prevention and access to justice for sustainable development. The Congress will be held in Doha, Qatar from 12 to 19 April 2015.

The meeting will focus on the links between security, justice and the rule of law, and the means to achieving equitable enforcement at all levels – national to global. Participants are expected to share their experiences, commit to stronger international cooperation in tackling transnational organised crime, and identify ways of integrating crime prevention and criminal justice in the post-2015 development agenda. The Congress theme, “integrating crime prevention and criminal justice into the wider UN agenda” will also highlight the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Supporting the Crime Congress has been the “It’s a Crime” campaign, launched globally in December 2014, which will run in the Caribbean from April to June 2015. The campaign focuses on different aspects of crime, highlighting their effects on sustainable development and their transnational impact. The global campaign can be followed at: http://www.unis.unvienna. org/unis/en/events/2015/crime_congress.html. “It’s a Crime” Caribbean will be launched online in late April by the United Nations Information Centre for the Caribbean Area (www. facebook.com/CaribbeanUN).

UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov, says the 13th Crime Congress will “set the tone over the next five years for the way the world confronts crime,” and describes it as the “first step not just to improve criminal justice responses, but towards a better quality of life for everyone.”

The United Nations Crime Congress is convened every five years to establish United Nations standards on issues of crime prevention and criminal justice. The 13th Crime Congress will mark the 60th anniversary of these meetings.

United Nations Information Centre for the Caribbean Area Press Release

believe in conflict. There is a large focus on peace and we have been discussing it in the Region. That is very important, especially at this time when we see so many conflicts in the world,” the Foreign Minister is quoted as saying.

It noted that these peaceful attributes of the country have helped it to secure foreign direct investment in agriculture, forestry, mining and petroleum, among other sectors, and that Guyana boasts an enviable array of natural resources including gold, diamonds, timber and bauxite.

It also quotes President Donald Ramotar as saying that “Guyana is also very well situated.” According to the supplement, President Donald Ramotar explained that

Guyana acts like a bridge between the Caribbean and South America.

“We see we have the possibility of helping the Caribbean to link up with South America too, and broaden their relations. The financial and economic crisis hit the region very hard. If we could develop more of a relationship with the south, we think global impacts could be made a little less,” he explained.

The president noted that “Guyana is a free, open, transparent, democratic society where there are very warm and welcoming people.”

The president called Guyana a place where Americans can do business or can come to relax and see nature at its best.

“I think that our country is very welcoming. Guyana is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial and multi-cultural country, and in this we are forging a unique Guyanese culture, while at the same time building on, and adding to the famous culture that helps make up our society so the Guyanese may be from different origins, like European, Indian, Native Indian (American,) African, but this culture includes all of them,” he said.

The USA TODAY supplement also examines, among other aspects, Guyana as a Regional gateway, its prudent policymaking, focus on education, powerful hydro-potential and tourism opportunities. (GINA)

‘Kissoon should have seen it coming’- says Selman

Africo Selman

Vanessa Kissoon

“VANESSA Kissoon should have seen it coming”, said former A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and now People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) member, Africo Selman, yesterday, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

According to the PPP/C newcomer, APNU’s plan to leave Kissoon off of their list of candidates has been in the making and she should have known that she would not have been put back on the list.

“Kissoon is quite a unique case, in that she has had several encounters with the leadership of APNU,” she said.

She added that the former APNU member has had many encounters with APNU Executive member Amna Ally and Oscar Clarke, who both have power in the APNU administration.

Selman also recollected that Kis-

soon had come under attack by APNU because she chose to support Greenidge when he ran for the position of leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC) – “since then they have been nitpicking on her,” said Selman.

According to the PPP/C member, evidence of the attacks on Kissoon appeared when she was demoted from the front bench to the back bench in the National Assembly.

GRANGER’S EXCUSE A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) presidential candidate, David Granger disclosed on Nomination Day, April 7 at City Hall, that “yes, she was left out of the list, as we have a balanced list…

She served two terms…We have a list of criteria and that criteria was applied because of the work that is ahead of us.”

In a response to that answer, Selman lamented that the “two terms” silly excuse that Granger gave is an attack on Guyanese intelligence, as he believes that Guyanese are not politically conscious.

She referred to the other APNU+AFC members who served more than two terms, such as Amna Ally, Basil Williams, Aubrey Norton, Raphael Trotman, Khemraj Ramjattan and others, noting that she is happy to be out of that administration, because of so much hypocrisy and double standards within APNU. PARTY OF REVENGE That apart, Selman also emphasised the fact that APNU is all about revenge, even in their attacks on the Government. “For example, when His Excellency extended an olive branch to APNU by proroguing the parliament, they refused to meet with him because they said they cannot trust the Government.”

Instead, she stated that they should have grasped at the President’s olive branch and meet with him to see how they could have broken the deadlock and move Guyana forward.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

Litigation against Finance Minister unnecessary – loan proceeds deposited in Consolidated Fund - HPS

HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, yesterday stated that the litigation brought against Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh for unauthorised spending is wholly unnecessary.

The litigation was brought against the Minister by the Parliamentary Opposition A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change. Dr. Luncheon was speaking at his post-Cabinet media briefing.

He noted that while the issue is simple, “at the end of the day, this issue of public expenditure management and allegations by the parliamentary Opposition of unconstitutional and unauthorised spending by the Minister of Finance continues to plague our society, our media in this the electoral season.

We strongly suspect, believe that it could be transformed into an electoral issue.”

He explained that the unconstitutional expenditure of public funds, a claim made by

the parliamentary Opposition, continues to be the same. “The Government executed a loan agreement with an international financial institution, and that loan provided a certain sum of money. This loan was a policy based loan.”

He added that such a loan is when Government undertakes to implement certain policies, and in this case it was in the environmental sector, particularly environmental protection. The loan saw Government committing to implement, introduce, and adhere to certain policies on environment and environmental protection for which Government would receive a certain sum of money.

Dr. Luncheon stated that while the board of the international financial institution approved the loan, the funds were disbursed to Guyana. The Opposition then moved to the court to block expenditure of those funds, a move which he indicated was totally unnecessary.

“…it was known to be unnecessary at the time the Opposition moved to the court for litigation. I have said it is a totally meaningless allegation because for policy based loans, funds are not spent,” Dr. Luncheon stated.

The proceeds of the loan were deposited in the Consolidated Fund and remain there.

The undertakings which Government had made were being met without expenditure from these proceeds from the international financial institution, he added.

“Our point is that the Opposition knew that the funds would be one, deposited in the Consolidated Fund, and two, that expenditure would not be incurred, and yet as the AG insists, they sought to abuse the court and take this matter to litigation,” Dr. Luncheon added.

He observed that this was a move by the Opposition to gain media attention, as well as to keep alive this issue of public expenditure

management and the Opposition’s allegations that “Minister Dr. Ashni Singh was indeed unconstitutionally spending funds from the Consolidated Fund.”

Minister Singh gave an undertaking at Cabinet to provide, in the greatest detail, the information that supported Dr. Luncheon’s disclosure … and indeed to go into greater detail on the handling, not only of policy based loans, but also of project loans, which was not a matter that the Opposition raised in their litigation. They dealt specifically with this policy based loan in the environmental sector,” Dr. Luncheon concluded.

During last week’s media briefing, Dr. Luncheon had indicated that the litigation was used as a ‘smoke screen,’ to continue to bring to the public’s attention the issue of Minister Singh’s spending and issues surrounding public expenditure manner.

(GINA)

Vetting of candidates lists to end today – GECOM CEO AS per statutory requirements, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is scheduled to complete its vetting of the lists of candidates submitted by political parties for the 2015 General and Regional Elections, today.

This was confirmed by Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, when asked by the Guyana Chronicle yesterday.

The Representation of the People Act, Section 14 states that: “The Chief Elections Officer shall, no later than the 30th day before election day, so inform the representa-

tive and the deputy representative of the list, specifying the defects [if any].”

Given that May 11 is Election Day, the 30th day before the Election Day – as stipulated by the Act – is today, April 11.

Once the checks are completed and the lists are signed off by Lowenfield, the approved lists will be published.

In accordance with the electoral system of Proportional Representation, in order to qualify for a seat in the National Assembly, contesting parties must contest a minimum of six (6) of the Geographical Constituencies

— totalling at least 13 seats — for eligibility to contest and submit Geographical Constituencies Lists and National Top-up Lists.

This arrangement will provide for qualified contesting parties to submit, on Nomination Day, two separate Lists of Candidates. Any political party can contest the election of members of any of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils. For this purpose, a List of Candidates must be submitted on Nomination Day. The parties submitting their National Top-up Lists, Geographical Constituencies

Man remanded for murder of nine- year- old Shaquan Gittens RYAN Bobb- Semple, 22, was yesterday remanded to prison for the gruesome murder of a nine-year-old South Ruimveldt child.

The accused with (no address given) made his appearance before Magistrate Judy Latchman and was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Particulars of the charge said that between April 1 and 4 at Houston Backlands, East Bank Demerara, he murdered Shaquan Gittens.

Semple appeared in court barefooted and sat quietly with his head leaning forward, before the charge was read to him.

Magistrate Latchman asked Semple if he had anything he wished to say or if he wished to make any complaints after the charge was read and Semple responded “No” in a nervous tone.

The first hearing was brief

and the courtroom was calm when the matter was called. Also, no relatives of the deceased or the accused were present in court.

The man,who was unrepresented by counsel, will make his next court appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on April 17.

According to reports, the suspect told investigators that he grabbed the child on April 1, took him aback of Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt and sodomised him.

While doing so, he reportedly choked the lad until he passed out. After committing the act, he reportedly slept with Gittens under a tree but realised the following morning that the boy had died. He then severed the child’s private part before having sex with his corpse; he then dumped the boy’s body into a canal.

Accused Ryan Bobb Semple (Photo by Geeta Rampersaud)

Lists, and Regional Democratic Council Lists included: The United Force (TUF); the Healing The Nation Theocracy Party (HTNT); the United Republican Party (URP); the Independent Party (IP); the Organisation for the Victory of the People (OVP); and the National Independence Party (NIP).

The two major political contenders are the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the coalesced A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

(Vanessa Narine)

CDC to coordinate Region 9 drought relief efforts – HPS CABINET has mandated the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to coordinate efforts to bring relief to residents of Region 9 and parts of Region 1, as they face drought conditions in their communities, due to low levels of rainfall. This is according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon, who informed the media yesterday at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing.

He stated that due to unseasonably low amounts of rainfall, parts of the two regions, as well as the north eastern section of Brazil have been hard hit by drought conditions. He noted that in addition to a lack of water, there has been the resurgence of pests which were attacking what little crops remained that were minimally affected by the drought.

The CDC, Dr Luncheon re-

vealed, will coordinate with the Ministries of Amerindian Affairs, Local Government, Housing and Water, Public Works and Guyana Water Inc. in their efforts to bring relief to the affected communities. This will be done by sourcing water from accessible rivers and other sources and via the use of tractors and trailers with black tanks, traversing the area and providing water to residents, he added.

It has been reported to Cabinet that most wells have dried up and the water table is “so low that shallow wells were at this point, inaccessible”, Dr. Luncheon said. The intervention will continue for the duration of persisting drought conditions.

Government has consistently sought to bring relief to areas, particularly those in the hinterland regions, affected by adverse weather conditions.(GINA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

HPS slams MMU NIS contributors can view all their for partial contributions monitoring WITH NEW ONLINE CONTRIBUTION CHECKING SYSTEM...

HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon has slammed the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) for not giving the same attention, as far as he knows, to statements allegedly made by an APNU/ AFC member in Berbice, as against those made by Former President Bharrat Jagdeo in Babu John.

The MMU, in its first report, concluded that statements made by the Former President in March, on the occasion of the death anniversary of the Jagans, were ‘racially divisive.’ Dr. Luncheon said that this component of the unit’s first report has attracted Cabinet’s at-

tention, and that Cabinet has since written to GECOM, the parent body of the unit, seeking clarification.

“Cabinet sought clarity from GECOM because the MMU is still a child of GECOM, GECOM does not have MMU operating independent of GECOM,” Dr. Luncheon explained.

He said that the intention is to obtain clarity from GECOM as to the judgement that the Former President’s remarks were racially divisive.

The Cabinet Secretary then noted Cabinet’s reflection of the MMU on its actions with regard to the former president, in the face of what he described as statements captured from TV programmes and submitted

Dr Roger Luncheon

to police and GECOM about racial discriminatory, inciting statements made in Berbice on television by an APNU/ AFC coalition member.

“It bewilders Cabinet somewhat that those incidents did not attract the same level of attention given by this media to this aspect of the MMU report, if they did address it, as compared to the attention given to Former President’s statement,” Dr. Luncheon said.

He said that Cabinet is awaiting clarification from GECOM. (GINA)

THE National Insurance Scheme’s (NIS) Online Contribution Checking System, which was officially introduced on April 08, was successful, and according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, once the routines have been addressed, individuals will be able to access the system.

The Online Contribution Checking System is an innovative option for contributors to conveniently access contribution updates via the World Wide Web (WWW).

During his post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Dr. Luncheon told media operatives that this initiative was taken in the context of the extended data entry and verification project, (June to December of 2014), that revealed a large number of unallocated contributions, for which the scheme had received the contributions,

but because of difficulties with names and numbers, has been unable to credit individual contributors with the contributions.

“The response was at each office to identify those unallocated contributions, the employers and the likely employees’ contributors that fundamentally call for access to contribution records. It is in that context that Cabinet understood this move to online access being accelerated and brought into effect on April 8, during the demonstration at the recently commissioned multi-purpose centre,” Dr Luncheon explained.

He further noted that once the routines have been addressed, each and every NIS contributor with access to online facilities, merely by using their NIS number and addressing some security safeguard, can indeed see online the entire history

of his/her contributions to the NIS. This, he said, has amplified opportunities, allowing for less physical attendance at local offices, a norm when there is a need to access contribution records.

Dr. Luncheon also spoke of the amendment which was passed in 2010, which allows for the scheme to provide the current year of contributions. Persons will be able to access their 2015 contributions by the end of the year..

The system is a web interface which connects to an offline version of the database used by the NIS. It was built on top of an existing and secure framework which powers thousands of sites on the web, including the United States Websites, and provides credentials and access to details regarding users’ contributions. (GINA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

APNU+AFC National Top up list reflects competence – says Dr Rupert Roopnaraine – Kissoon remains off list

By Ravin Singh THE coalesced parties of A Partnership for National Unity+the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) have submitted on Nomination Day, April 7, a National Top Up List that reflects the highest level of competence emanating from the coalition’s camp in the face of General and Regional Elections.

So says the leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, whose party forms one faction of the APNU coalition.

At an APNU+AFC press conference yesterday, Dr Roopnaraine both addressed the issue of the selection of candidates to form the National Top Up List and disclosed that the parties, in their selection process, had “placed a great deal of emphasis on competence.”

This, he said, was done in response to a lack of competence, from which the WPA posited Guyana was suffering.

He further related that the coalition has treated the matter with importance, and had strongly insisted on “integrity”, which resulted in the

Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine

Vanessa Kissoon

David Granger

nomination of candidates who could be trusted in political office.

“We are trying to ensure -- as far as we can -- that the list will pass those tests,” Dr. Roopnaraine added.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the AFC, David Patterson, squeezed in that the first criteria for the selection of candidates who had made the list would have been membership in one of the six parties forming the coalition.

Nominations would have been made by each region, he said, after which the shortlisted candidates would have

been considered depending on the allocation of representatives for each party.

This was done while a “balanced agenda” was maintained; while geographic location, age, and gender would have been among the other criteria for the selection process, it was revealed.

But the selection process of each party would have been relative to that party and its list of criteria, since an agreed position was not adopted by all parties forming the coalition. As such, it was revealed, the criteria for selecting representatives for each party was

not a generally agreed policy, but differed for each party.

That being the case, both Mr Patterson and Dr. Roopnaraine were unable to confirm the decision surrounding the exclusion of longstanding People’s National Congress member and former APNU Member of Parliament (MP), Ms Vanessa Kissoon.

Referring to Presidential Candidate David Granger ’s reasoning for the exclusion of Ms Kissoon -- which was that she had served two political terms -- the AFC’s General Secretary noted that this was not an agreed position of the

AFC. Patterson then shed some light on the fact that, while the AFC has term limits on Executive Members, there is no term limit on Parliamentarians.

“The coalition is made up of six parties. The list should be a representation of each of the six parties, and we are satisfied that the list is representing that,” Patterson concluded.

Subsequent to confirmation that Kissoon had not made the Top Up List on Nomination Day, Mr Granger had asserted that the list had been a “balanced” one, and that Kissoon had already served two terms in her political career.

Prompted on whether two terms were the maximum for any party member in the APNU, Granger responded in the negative, positing: “We have a list of criteria, and those criteria were applied because of the work that is ahead of us.”

Mr Granger had then refused to respond to whether Ms Kissoon had been informed, prior to submission of the list, that her name had been excluded from it.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

WITH CLESTINE JUAN & GEETA RAMPERSAUD

Alleged motorcycle thief Elderly man placed on own remanded until April 16 recognisance for allegedly TWENTY-ONE-YEAROLD mechanic Benjamin Smart (no address given) appeared yesterday before Georgetown Magistrate Judy Latchman, accused of stealing a motorcycle

worth $440,000, property of Joseph Barnes, on March 20, at High Street Georgetown.

The unrepresented man denied the charge, but Police Prosecutor Denero Jones,

asserting that more charges are likely to be laid against Smart, objected to bail being granted the accused.

Smart was therefore remanded, and the matter was adjourned to April 16.

Youth spared wrath of the law NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Claude Ashby of Lot 61 Joseph Pollydore Street, Georgetown appeared yesterday before Georgetown Magistrate Judy Latchman, charged with unlawfully assaulting his child mother, Tashana Caesar, so as to cause her actual bodily

harm.

Ashby denied committing the offence, which allegedly occurred on March 29 in Joseph Pollydore Street, Georgetown.

The magistrate was in process of remanding Ashby after the prosecutor objected to bail on grounds of the seriousness

and prevalence of the offence, and because the couple has a history of abuse; but Caesar requested the magistrate to quash the charge against the father of her child, since she is unemployed and he is their sole provider.

The magistrate acceded to her request.

‘Lil scramble’ between sisters lands them before magistrate T H I R T Y- S I X - Y E A R OLD Onica Marks of Lot 35 Stevedore Housing Scheme, Georgetown appeared yesterday before Georgetown Magistrate Judy Latchman to answer to a charge of assaulting her sibling,

Jenevia Marks.

Onica explained that the assault was “a lil scramble” which resulted in her sister also ‘firing back’, causing her to receive a cut to her head from a spatula her sister had in her hand.

Due to the sibling, Jenevia, not being present in court to answer the cross charge of assault laid against her, Onica was placed on her own re c o g n i s a n c e , a n d t h e matter was adjourned to April 16 in Court 1.

assaulting woman

F I F T Y- Y E A R - O L D Kwakwani resident Abdel Khan is alleged to have unlawfully assaulted Diane Moore on April 6 at Ituni, Region 10.

He appeared yesterday before City Magistrate Judy

Latchman to answer to the charge, and explained that he had been brought up with the Moore’s family and had only hugged the woman and given her a friendly kiss.

Based on that expla-

nation, the magistrate entered a not guilty plea on Khan’s behalf, placed him on his own recognisance, and transferred the matter to the Linden Magistrate’s Court for April 28.

Colwyn Harding freed of armed robbery charge M A G I S T R AT E J u d y Latchman has dismissed a case of armed robbery laid against Colwyn Harding after the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him yesterday in that Georgetown magistrate’s court.

The allegation against Harding was that on July 9, 2014 at Georgetown, using personal violence, he had robbed Sherry-Ann Hope of a quantity of cash and five cellular phones, altogether valued at $390,000.

Harding had appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on July 17, 2014 and had pleaded not guilty to the

charge. The matter had been subsequently transferred to Magistrate Latchman for trial.

During his first appearance, Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru had said that, on the day in question, the victim was standing next to Ashmin’s Store when a white car drove by and Harding exited, armed with a weapon. He allegedly attacked the VC and dealt her several chops to her hand.

But during that appearance, Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes had said that the defence was in possession of alibi statements which had been handed over to the police. Those statements had

allegedly substantiated his client’s assertion that he had been elsewhere at time of the alleged robbery.

Hughes had said that the police were in possession of the statements of at least three witnesses who had attested to the fact that Harding had not been at the location at time of the alleged robbery.

The prosecution had failed to present eyewitnesses at any time during the trail, and the magistrate stated that Hope had failed to present herself to the court to be cross-examined, thus she had shown neither interest in the case nor in its proceeding.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

WITH CLESTINE JUAN & GEETA RAMPERSAUD

Saleswoman on 12 charges of forgery and embezzlement remanded to April 17 THIRTY-THREE-YEAROLD Jasodra Bahadur of Lot 18 Block CC, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara appeared yesterday before Georgetown Magistrate Judy Latchman to answer a series of forgery and embezzlement charges.

The accused was not required to plead to any of twelve charges she faces, which are detailed below: On September 26, 2014 at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she allegedly uttered to Abarnauth Bahadur, an employee of New Horizon Inc, one bill to obtain $44,196, knowing same to be false.

On October 4, 2014, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she allegedly forged one New Horizon Inc bill for $29,464, purporting to show that same was issued to Roti Plus as held-over, knowing same to be false.

On October 31, 2014, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she allegedly forged one New Horizon bill for $22,098, purporting to show that same was issued to Roti Plus as held-over, knowing same to be false.

On August 28, 2014, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she allegedly forged one New Horizon Inc bill for $58,928, purporting to show that same was issued to Roti

Plus as held-over, knowing same to be false.

She allegedly embezzled $58,928 on August 28, 2014 at Georgetown, while being a clerk or servant to her employer, New Horizon Inc. On September 28, 2014, at Georgetown, while being a clerk or servant to New Horizon Inc, she allegedly embezzled the sum of $44,196 cash, taken into possession by her for or on behalf of her employer.

On October 4, 2014, at Georgetown, she allegedly embezzled $29,664 that she possessed for New Horizon Inc while being a clerk or servant.

On September 12, 2014, at Georgetown, she allegedly embezzled $60,401 taken into her possession for or on behalf of New Horizon Inc. On October 4, 2014 at Georgetown, she allegedly uttered one forged New Horizon Inc bill to Abarnauth Bahadur for the sum of $29,464, knowing same to be forged.

On October 31, 2014 at Georgetown, she also allegedly uttered to Bahadur one New Horizon Inc bill to obtain $22,098, knowing same to be forged.

On August 28, 2014, at Georgetown, she allegedly presented one forged New Horizon bill to Bahadur for $58,925, knowing same to

be forged.

On September 12, 2014 at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she allegedly uttered to Bahadur another forged New Horizon bill to obtain the sum of $60,401.

Ms Bahadur was allowed to plead to one charge, particulars of which detailed that on October 31, 2014, at Georgetown, she embezzled the sum of $22,095 while being employed with New Horizon Inc. Bahadur’s attorney, Ms. Latchmie Rahamat, said her client has pending matters of a similar nature in court, and bail should be granted her, since, to the best of counsel’s knowledge, Bahadur has attended all her court appointments; but Police Corporal Denero Jones, prosecuting, successfully opposed bail by citing that Bahadur allegedly committing the offences while on bail for previous charges.

Jones requested that bail should be denied because of the gravity of the offences and the penalty the offences carry. He also disclosed that forty charges of a similar nature are likely to be laid against Ms Bahadur.

Bail was denied, and the matter was adjourned to April 17 before Chief Magistrate Ms Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

East Berbice labourer remanded for drug trafficking TWENTY-FOUR-YEAROLD Jason Isaacs, a labourer in the interior who resides at Lot 18 East Canje Berbice, appeared yesterday before Georgetown Magistrate Judy Latchman on a drug trafficking charge detailing that on April 5 at Dovo Landing, Cuyuni River, he had in his possession 198 grammes

of cannabis-sativa (marijuana), for the purpose of trafficking.

Isaacs pleaded not guilty to the charge, but Police Prosecutor Denero Jones informed the court that the illicit substance was found in a brown bag shoulder bag that Isaacs had in his possession.

A t t o r n e y - a t - l a w M r.

Adrian Thompson, representing Isaacs, requested bail for his client, but Prosecutor Jones successfully opposed bail by citing that no special reasons had been given why bail should be granted.

Bail was denied, and the remanded accused will have to face the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on April 29.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

Houston woman loses home to fire

The burnt-out inside of the house

A COTTAGE was gutted yesterday morning as a result of a suspected electrical fire, displacing a woman who lived alone in the same yard as her relatives at Lot 58 Third Street, Houston, East Bank Demerara.

Fire victim Pamela Alfred told this publication that she did not manage to save anything, because she was not at home at the time of the fire which reportedly started at about after 09:00 hrs.

Alfred added that she was about three houses away when the blaze ripped through her modest wooden house and was alerted to the conflagration by a neighbour,

who related that her house was ablaze.

The distraught woman said she was born and grew up at the location and it is a terrible loss for her, and she is contemplating her next move, with nowhere to stay.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was summoned and contained the blaze to that building and hinted that the fire may have been one of an electrical nature, since the front house shared electricity with the razed cottage.

The police and employees of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. were also on the fire scene.

1467 babies delivered at GPHC for 2015 first quarter – records increase in deliveries by teens THE Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday announced that they successfully delivered 1467 for the first quarter of 2015.

According to a release from the GPHC, in total the health care institution delivered 1492 babies, however, 25 of those babies were stillbirths. Of the 1492 deliveries, 326 were born to teenage mothers ranging from under age 14 to 19 years old.

During, the first quarter of 2015, the hospital saw an increase in deliveries compared to the same period last year. During the first quarter of 2014, the hospital successfully delivered 1299

babies. In total, the hospital delivered 1325 babies during this period, but 26 were still births.

The release further revealed that deliveries in January 2015 surpassed the other months with a total of 565 babies being delivered.

January 2014, which also had the highest number of deliveries for the first quarter of the year, saw a total of 485 babies being delivered.

The first quarter of 2015, also saw an increase in deliveries by teenage mothers compared to last year, which saw 282 babies born to teenage mothers.

GPHC’s maternity ward admitted 2373 patients for this period.

What was left of the cottage after the blaze

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

The TSU Training School

This Tactical Services Unit Crest was one of the first projects of the virgin 30. officer-in-charge. school has a focus on acBy Leroy Smith While covering the same ademics, trade, and other THE Guyana Police Force syllabus as the Felix Austin skills, which are all part has among its training Police College, the TSU of the activities that defacilities a department Training School takes train- termine the percentage which focuses strictly on ing a bit higher with respect one gets as an evaluation training ranks to serve in to weapons training. Ac- of performance on the the Tactical Services Unit cording to training instructor course.

Sergeant Floyd Lewis, the The inaugural batch of (TSU).

The Force saw the es- main focus of the school is trainees of the Tactical Services Unit Training School tablishment of the Tactical weapons training.

The school graduated comprised thirty young Services Training School in October last year, after Po- its first batch of students men, who, despite having lice Commissioner Seelall last month, after opening its graduated are still occupyPersaud took over the reins doors in October of last year. ing the sleeping, dining, and The first recruits were taken other accommodation facilof the organisation.

Senior Superintendent from the Felix Austin Police ities of the school, which is Errol Watts, who was then College after a very thorough located in the compound of the Director of Public Prosa Superintendent of Po- screening process.

In addition to the spe- ecution at Rabbit Walk, Eve lice, was assigned direct oversight of the TSU as the cial weapons training, the Leary, Kingston, George-

town. They will, however, give up that space as soon as the school’s next batch of recruits has again been shortlisted from the Felix Austin Training College after their basic training.

Recruitment is done by the Force Training Officer, Senior Superintendent Paul Williams; Staff Officer 1 of the Police Administration, Senior Superintendent Maxine Graham; and Force Recruitment Officer, Assistant Superintendent Small.

At the moment, there are 102 persons in the Felix Austin Police College; and

of that number, thirty persons are to be transferred to the Tactical Services Unit Training School. The Police Force is, however, unable to send those thirty persons over just yet, given impending elections on May 11; but as soon as that period is over, the transfers would be made, and the school will begin training its second batch of recruits.

During a visit to the school on Thursday, April, 10, it was observed that the young men were not just involved in weapons and drill training, but were also into

skills training. With the use of blocks, they constructed a walkway from the Tactical Services Unit Headquarters stretching several metres to their training school inside the DPP compound.

They were also instrumental in constructing a sanitary block aback the training school. It was, moreover, evident that other skills were abundant among the young men, who created a sketch of a revolver which was posted on a wall inside the school and labelled. That sketch is used as part of the teaching aid for the school.

Best student Andre Harry speaks with Leroy Smith

21 of the 30 recruits pose with their instructor, Floyd Lewis, at extreme right, and O/C Errol Watts, as they surround the TSU Crown (Photos by Samuel Maughn)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

l at Eve Leary impresses When it comes to honesty and hygiene, the Tactical Services Unit gets a grade of 99.99%, based on the information gathered and evidence seen respectively.

Recruits are mandated to get out of bed at 05:00 hrs each weekday, and immediately after getting up, all beds must be neatly made up and ready for any unannounced visit or inspection. The sheets used on the beds are white, which represent purity.

There is no complaint that can be levelled against the recruits by visitors who tour the barrack room, or experience visiting the dining area, or even checking out the sanitary block. One can also say the same about the entire surroundings of the training school.

Sergeant Lewis, who has spent most of his police life as a training instructor, believes that the recently commissioned training school is one that can rival any well-established international training school in several aspects of its operations.

He said that starting up the school was not easy, as it was faced with teething problems, but those were overcome.

We also spoke with the best graduating student from the virgin batch, 20-year-old Andre Harry of Paradise Vil-

lage, West Coast Berbice, who completed his secondary school education with eight subjects at CSEC, with grades 2 and 3.

Before getting into what the training has earned him, and how he was able to adapt, he was asked about his decision to enter the Guyana Police Force, to which he swiftly responded: “I never wanted to be a police officer, but now I am considering making it my career of choice.” Harry said he also wants to attend the University of Guyana to study Security Management, and later return to do Criminal Law, since that is a burning passion he now has.

As to his decision to enlist in the Guyana Police Force, the young man said he wants to change the perception members of the public have about police ranks.

He shared an experience from when he was 17 years old, wherein he was walking along the roadway with a relative who was eight years older than him.

His relative was singing as they walked, when a police patrol pulled up alongside them and one of the ranks ordered the relative to “Stop singing on the road!” and the relative immedi-

The well-kept dining area of the hard working young men

ately complied, became scared, and headed home.

Harry said he considers that incident as an abuse of power, and something that should not ever happen to anyone else, and that also encouraged him to join the Force so that he can be part of a process of changing those little things.

Harry’s parents are both deceased, but he has six other siblings, three of whom are still in school while one is a stay-athome wife, another is in the Police Force and one attends the University of Guyana.

A sanitary block constructed by the recruits of the TSU Training School

This is what a typical bed at the TSU Training School looks like before recruits leave the barracks daily

Mentor and instructor, Sergeant Floyd Lewis

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CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR: WHEN you hear the name Christopher Taylor, it may sound like the name of a flamboyant sportsman or of someone famous; but this is the name of someone who is simply very gifted in graphic designing, and is trying to satisfy his hunger in the creative world of graphic designing.

He is a 20-year-old soft-spoken but not timid individual, who is also a talented photographer and is employed at the Giftland Mall as a Graphic Artist.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

One of Guyana’s best graphic designers Do not be fooled by his quiet demeanour, for he is not afraid of challenges relative to his work, and is willing to climb as high as it takes him to achieve his goals.

Taylor is a city resident who spends his free time designing flyers, video editing, doing illustrations for story books, and engaging in photography. He says he just loves what he is doing.

He became involved in graphic designing at a tender age after watching two of his siblings doing it, and he

Christopher Taylor

wanted to master the art of drawing by hand, something he was not versed in. After experimenting on the computer, he became fascinated by the vast array of possibilities.

Taylor, from a family of three brothers and two sisters, spent three years just taking photographs; he considers this activity as bringing out the best in him.

He said, “It is not just about taking a photograph, but it is about capturing the facial expression of that person

at the right time, since every picture tells a story, and photography is all about the mood of the person that is being photographed.”

Taylor is hoping to pursue a degree in Graphic Designing and Fine Arts at a recognised university overseas, but for now he is taking small steps in pursuance of his goal.

He says it has not been easy for him, but he is always up for a challenge and has an open mind when it comes to newer things in the world of graphics.

Taylor is one of those people who can create magic graphics when he sits at a computer. He is aptly described as “one of the best” by his colleagues, since he comes up with his own concepts.

For him, graphic art is not very lucrative locally, and he considers himself a ‘work in progress’ geared towards gaining as much experience as possible to qualify himself, although he is already equipped with the ‘knowhow’ in this regard.

Taylor told this publication that anyone can be a graphic designer, but not everyone can be an artist. He says he wants to master both fields, and it is not an obsession of which he can simply rid himself because it is engrained in his being; graphics is his world, the place where he feels most comfortable.

Asked what he would choose if he had to choose another career, Taylor said he would be a story writer or a teacher; but, for now, he is trying with graphic designing.

“In 2011, when I was asked, ‘what career are you going to pursue?’ I froze mentally; unlike my other classmates, who knew or pretended to know what their future career goals or aspirations were. I was clueless. I always liked teaching people & writing stories, so I figured I’d be an English teacher or a story board director; but I had never thought I’d become a Graphic Designer,” Christopher Taylor disclosed.

As a Graphic Designer and Illustrator, he uses a fusion of mythology and movie cinematics in his artworks.

Taylor said he was drawn towards Graphic Designing since, “as the middle child of my six siblings, growing up, I watched my two older brothers draw cartoons and people as a hobby.

“I wanted to do the same, and that sparked in me an interest for art. Six years later, I was introduced to the Windows Xp version of Microsoft Paint by two of my cousins. I’d watched them draw with shapes in the

programme, and I was fascinated by the range of tools, features and colours that were located primarily in that one programme, and how the traditional form of drawing with a pencil and paper had migrated digitally,” he said.

When he got his first computer, Taylor said, the first thing he did was teach himself the programme, then he created his first digital art piece.

He explained that the Internet had not then been created, so most of his entertainment came from drawing in the programme; and, over time, his passion for the hobby grew.

Taylor said four weeks later he got bored of the computer programme and became aware about Adobe Photoshop, which he went on to learn after he bought the Adobe Creative Suite CS3 for his birthday.

He said, “It is a funny thing that no other store at that time had stocked the software but Giftland Officemax”, the same store that became the first company to give him his work experience as a Graphic Designer, a working field he was not sure existed in Guyana until his mother enlightened him.

This self-taught individual said that both of his parents tried to enroll him into an art school to take up painting and drawing over the August vacation, but at that time he was too young, even though his skills were thought to be unparalleled among those of a similar age. Both schools, whose names he would not mention, said he needed to be at least four years older than the 10 years he was then at.

Taylor said, “As it is said: ‘Water, music and dance is life!’ So is art! Graphic Designing is a part of art, and I love it because it gives artists new ways of expressing their thoughts, character, current feelings and messages through countless forms.

“Another reason why I love Graphic Designing,” he said, “is because it gives passionate designers a way to make a living for themselves, by doing what they enjoy.”

Taylor’s advice to youths desirous of becoming professional graphic designers is this: “Keep practising; experiment often; ask for feedback, and collaborate!”

Taylor says that being experimental and practising can both challenge one’s designing limits and improve one’s skills and abilities. He says he rarely gets to meet other designers, but when he does, the collaborations make great projects and gives both parties valuable experience.

(Michel Outridge)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015 GUYANA CHRONICLE, SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015 VEHICLES FOR SALE  types of used vehicles, in excellent condition. Call Nexus Universal Sales, 690-8287.  3-ton Nissan Condor open tray. Tel: 671-7114, 233-6987.  Pick-up $2.3M, Isuzu dump truck $2.2M, Caravan bus. Tel: 220-3452.  in excellent condition $1.45M neg. Call 642-2289.  - 1986 Nissan D21 GFF series 2WD $400 000. Tel: 233-3025, 690-6946.  PJJ series $90 000 non-neg, engine needed.

Call 657-0482.  Toyota Raum AC, music mags, $950 000 neg. Call 612-9041, 234-0910.  2008 Nissan X-Trail, fully loaded $5 550 000 neg. Call 611-1833.  Ceres Toyota car, finance available. Price: $600 000. Owner leaving. Call Denise 614-2039.  Corvette sports car, red convertible, fully loaded, very low mileage. Call 639-3100.  new model Raum, AC, music, alarm start. Priced to go.

Tel: 685-7565.  hard-to-get spare parts for Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Honda, BMW, etc - Call 645-7800.  'M' truck without winch, good condition. Contact 666-7734, 611-2706.  L.-Touring wagon, HC series, $750 000 neg. Tel: 6196130.  Cadillac Escalade in immaculate condition. Tel: 6717001, 612-2263.  car Honda Fit PTT series, new, $2.2M neg. Tel: 6287528, 614-9188.   and Corolla Wagon going cheap. Owner leaving. Call 663-2257, 614-8960.   buy and sell vehicles for cash. We also do trade-in of vehicles 2006 Tacoma, AE 100.

680-3154.  Mazda Axela, excellent condition 17" rims, Price $1.7M neg. Tel: 226-4356, 665 3038.  2008 Premio - $3.4M, never registered, One MF 290 $3.3 neg. Call 648-1000.    Allion, 2008 model, fully loaded, never registered. Call 641-2477, 621-5115.  Allion, PPP series.

Price $1.7M. Contact 665-4537.  AT170 Carina, stick gear, in good working condition.

Price $400 000 neg. Tel: 6144020. , Mitsubishi freezer, refrigeration system, 3-ton, hardly used. Owner lives abroad. Tel: 674-6779. Price neg.  Carina AT 192, PJJ series, ideal for taxi. Phone 2224978, 655-6801.  200 to be repaired or scrapped & Mercedes 190 to be repaired. Call 6926521, 231-6322.   motor car PLL series. Price $950 000 & AT 192 motor car, PJJ series. Price $625 000. Phone 268-3953, 665-8517.  Massey Ferguson tractor in immaculate condition.

Call 671-7450, 626-5306.  Tacoma 4x4, stick shift, AC, bull bar, tool kit, high lift, in immaculate condition. call 671-7450, 626-5306.  CRV,fully powered, AC, mag rims $2.2M. Contact Rocky 621-5902, 225-1400  Ferguson 1085 tractor, imported from USA, needs small repairs $1.2M. 619-6863, 601-8276.   fully loaded , mags, DVD, CD, alarm, Price $1.350 M. Call Rocky 621-5902, 225-1400.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

VEHICLES FOR SALE

VEHICLES FOR SALE

white Honda CRV in excellent condition, registration no.

PMM 6173. Owner migrating. Call 225-8640, 627-3390.

 with original skirts,, excellent condition, 15" rims, DVD, alarm etc. Tel: 6946609, 233-2538.

   long base, stick gear, BMM series, in excellent condition Tel: 270-4098, 6869516.

 2004 Honda Civic, immaculate condition, Pioneer sound system and alarm - $1.9M, Tel: 629-5299.

 Tacoma 4x4 extra cab, 2006 model, fully powered, AC, automatic, 96 000 mileage, in immaculate condition, GRR series,. Purchased from Toyota company Price $ 3.8M neg. Call Shanab 626-1141.

 Deals! Deals! Venus Auto Sale: New model Toyota Spacio, front & back cameras, TV, CD, navigator - $2.15M. 682-5117

 Toyota, 1RZ minibus $1.3M neg, one Honda CG 125 $340 000, one Eagle 150 $120 000. Call 646-5250.

  Carina (private) automatic, fully powered, AC, mag rims. Price $960,000. Contact Rocky 621-5902, 225-1400.

 Toyota Corolla Fielder, 2003, body kit, fog, TV/ navigation, dark interior, rear spoiler, roof rack. Call 617-5536.

 212, yellow, HB series, AC etc. excellent condition.

Price neg. Tel: 616-0773, 6752811.

  multipurpose vehicle, 2006 model, 7seater, 119 000 km, 1500cc. PSS series, sky blue. Price $2.3M. NEG. Contact 697-2483, 627-0936.

 Hummer H2, very clean condition, low mileage, full chrome, leather interior. Call 6671116, 619-5400.   Toyota IST fully customised, aero body kit, leather interior, 16" rims sports Tel: 696-4659.  Volkswagen golf, manual gear shift, 2000cc, PLL series, excellent condition. Priced to sell $1.2M. Tel: 622-6932.  (open back) canter (diesel), manual, excellent condition, double wheel. Price $1.3M Contact Rocky 621-5902, 225-1400.   Carina (private, new model) automatic, fully powered, AC, mag rims, alarm. Price $1,350,000. Call Rocky 6215902, 225-1400.  Tundra extra cab (unregistered) 4 doors, manual, fully powered, AC, V6 (4x4) 2003.

Price $2.9M. Contact Rocky 6215902, 225-1400.  CANTER enclosed , long tray, side and back door, manual, 4D 32, diesel engine.Price $1.6M. Call Rocky 621-5902, 2251400.

 Wagon, excellent condition 15" rims, DVD, alarm, AC - $1.3M neg. Call 6679013, 233-2538.  Premio/ Allion, Nissan Dualis, fully powered, all excellent condition. Contact Leonard, 226-9316, 617-1505.  Mark II Blitz wagon year 2007, PPP series, automatic, fully loaded, lady-driven $3M. Tel: 646-2939.  192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN RZ minibuses, Pitbull buses & Super Custom bus. Contact 680-3154.  2006 Mazda Axela in immaculate condition, 17" rims, sports grille, reverse camera, HID, sports head lights etc. Priced to go. 602-3294.  in stock: Allion, Premio, headlamp $24 000, RZ minibuses park light & trafficator $4 000, Pitbull headlamps, bumpers, grilled etc.

Kitty Public Road Call 680-3154.  Wagon, excellent condition, CD, 16" mags, remote start, alarm, flair kit, $1 450 000, AT 192 Carina and Honda CRV. Price neg.. Call 626-2884.

 Fit 4-door wagon (hatch back) automatic, fully loaded, AC, mags, CD player, PNN series 1330 cc $1.7M - 225-1400, 621-5902.

 Toyota Hilux, series GKK, 4WD, colour black, fully loaded. Price neg. Contact Nizam on telephone 650-0679, 226-8008.

 Tacoma unregistered 2003 model, manual 4x4 3RZ 4-cylinder engine fully loaded, bedliiner $3.5M. Tel: 225-1400, 621-5902.

 , mint condition, mags, covered trunk, well maintained. Price neg. Inspect and make offer. All vehicles priced to go. Tel:623-0102

 minibus Zone 44, hardly worked, low mileage, in excellent condition. Tel: 628-0532.

 Hilux Surf, beautifully maintained, excellent condition. Price neg. Inspect and make offer. Tel: 623-0102.

 Cynos, stick shift, 2 doors, PKK 3177, year 1992, 1300cc Price neg. Tel: 231-9048.   in excellent condition teacher-driven, very reasonable price. Tel: 618-5592.  4, PMM series, fully loaded AC music, alarm, HID etc, excellent condi tion Price $3.3M neg. Contact 669-6499.  Toyota Hilux smart cab stick gear 4x4 low mileage, October 2011 manufacture - Tel 6754453, 677-7592.  Voxy and Noah to be registered in 'G' series. Fully loaded and never registered $1.7M. 617-2891.  Civic EK3, excellent condition, AC, mag rims etc.

Price $1.1M. Contact: 269-0010, 609-0686.   Toyota Hilux pick-up, excellent condition, no rust, off-road tyres, unregistered.

Price neg. Tel: 691-2077.  Hilux Vigo, 2005 year, silver, AC, mag rims, music, fully loaded. Price $3.2M - Tel: 602-2222  Hilux Solid Def, 4x4, 2 doors, manual long base. Excellent condition. Tel: 603-3384.  bus in excellent condition, fully loaded, next to new, hardly used. Call 225-3304, 653-6836..  192 car PKK series $600.000, Toyota, NZE car in excellent condition Price $1.650.000 neg. Tel: 667-7010, 646-7777.

 Sale!! Unregistered Toyota IST $2,150,000, body kit, TV, spoiler, fogs, alloy wheels, crystal lights, alar m 643-6565, 226-9931.  Pick-Up in good condition, Turbo-charged engine, automatic transmission, 2002. Priced to sell - $1.5M. Owner leaving country. Call 6474997, 645-9266.  extra cab pickup 5600cc, GKK 2781, 2001 model, bought and registered in October 2006. good condition. Sale price $3M, Tel: 225-8845 during working hours.  Corolla AE110, in good condition PKK series, music, ac, etc. $800,000 neg. Tel: 658-9111 4-Runner, 4x4 (new model), fully powered, automatic, AC, in immaculate condition.

Price $3.9M neg. Call Shahab 626-1141.  , ladydriven, mint condition, low mileage, fully loaded, leather seats, crash bar, side steps, full works.

Price neg. Inspect and make offer. Tel: 623-0102.  & Son Auto Sales. Lot 185 Charlotte & King Streets, Maraj Building. Tel: 227-0265, 227-1881, 629-5178, 627-8057. USED: Tacoma, (GRR series), AT 192, Toyota Rav4, Raum, Allion, Marino, AE110 Corolla, 212 Carina, RZ bus, Hilux, 4 doors.

                     Street Bourda, Georgetown. Tel: 6295178, 223-8655. We buy and sell used cars and trade-in your car for another. All prices are neg. USED: Alexa, NZE Corolla, Toyota Rav 4, Raum, Premio, Marino, New model AT 212, AT 192, Allion, AE110 Corolla, Honda Accord, Cedia Lancer, Ta c o m a ( G R R s e r i e s ) , R a n ge Rover DES 5L eng. Solid DEF and RZ bus. , 92 Duncan Street, C/Ville. We buy/ sell used vehicles - Verossa, Premio, Allion, Mazda Alexa, Raum, 212 Carina, Camry, VIOS, SV40 Camry, AT 192 Carina, RZ buses, AE 110 Corolla/Sprinter, AE100 Sprinter, Ceres Marino, Rav4, CRV pick-up and many others, We have all models of vehicles. Tel: 649-0329, 223-1239 David.  Notch Auto Sales Sale!

Just Arrived ! 2007 Allion (new model) $3.2M, 2007 Premio (new model) $3.5M, 2004 Red Raum $2.4M, 2003 Black Verossa $3.5M, 2005 Black Ractis $2.3M, 2005 Vitz $2.3M, 2006 Premio (new lights) $2.7M,2006 Allion (new lights) $2.7M, 2006 Rush (Bego) $3.2M, 2007 Corolla Axio $2.8M, 2006 Fielder (new model) $2.7M, 2009 Axela (new model) $3.5M, 2009 Axela (H/back) $3.4M, 2005 Mazda Verisa $2.4M, 2008.Red Honda Fit (new mod) $2.7M, 2006 Honda Airwave (black) $2.4M ($1.3M DF) 2008 Nissan Dualis (black) $4.8M ($2.5M DF), 2007 Tiida Latio $2.7M, 2006 Wingroad $2.4M,2007 XTrail (new model) $4.9M ($2.5M DF),2009 Black Subaru Impreza (sedan) $3M, 2008 Impreza (H/Back) $2.8M.2005/06 Suzuki Escudo $$4.8M ($2.5M DF) Call: 2277849, 674-2844.

WANTED wanteD  . Contact City Taxi Service. Tel: 660-1100.  four-bedroom house to rent. Contact 686-675-2415.      to work in a grocery/shop out of town. Tel: 6142464, 612-2057, 225-1276.  to work at a Taxi Service. Must live around town.

Tel: 695-0704.    at Readymix Concrete Ltd. Tel: 233-2773, 233-2774.  to work at nights. Excellent salary. Call 231-5992, 6239308. experienced cook; must have food handlers certificate.

Call 683-1134.  to work in office,, 20 years and above. Call 2230090 for more information.  live-in maid between 25 and 50 years old, Providence, EBD - 693-8880.  experienced butcher.

Contact A&Z Butchery, 14 North Road. Tel: 669-6672, 223-4237.  need workers for the interi or jet and marak and cooks. Female to work in shop Tel: 674-0812.   to work in Suriname, must be between 40 and 50 years . Contact 675-0137.  officers to work around Georgetown. Contact 2665022, 656-1612.  & porter. Excellent salary & commission. Police Clearance required. Tel: 226-5473.

WANTED

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WANTED VEHICLES FOR SALE

 & female between 18 and 35 years, to work in factory.

Call 223-0090 for more information.  Contact R&T Taxi Service, 212 Lance Gibbs and Oronoque Streets, Queenstown.

Tel: 227-0183, 227-2435.  delivery staff to work in Georgetown must have your own motor cycle.

Tel: 672-0237. For more Info.  in High acres, West Berbice. Call us at 223-5204, 225-2540, 223-8059, 628-7605, 661-1068.  to work in Canje, Berbice. Preferably from the same area. For details, call 592-327-2360. and Bartenders: Interested persons are asked to call 691-6348, 227-8545 between 08:00hrs and 16:00hrs.  Contact R&T Taxi Service, 212 Lance Gibbs and Oronoque Streets, Queenstown.

Tel: 227-0183, 227-2435.  computer parts,mother board, cardless phones, cellphones,etc.Call :6158734/223-1765  on Sheriff Street to do fast food business, will pay $US1M. Call :615-8734/ 223-1765  domestic/maid, age 25-35. must have Police Clearance, 2 references from previous jobs. Tel: 223-8156, 665-1029.

 whole day domestic, preferably around 35 years old. 3 days weekly, at $3 000 per day, Call 226-2322. Land to buy in Fort Ordnance & Glasgow (Berbice), Rosignol, La Parfaite Harmonie, Eccles, Herstelling 675-7292, 611-7223.            Warehouse Supervisors, Snr. Sales Reps, Storekeepers, Audit Clerks, , Heavy Duty Drivers, Cleaners, Labourers. Contact Ms. Clarice , Human Resource Department Toolsie Persaud Limited. e-mail: personnel@tpl-gy.com  Porter from East Coast of Demerara. Contact Ramroop's Trading at 1 'C' Orange Walk, Bourda. Call 227-1451, 225-5998.  for a specialneed child. Working hours Monday-Friday from 20:30hrs to 16:30hrs and Saturday 20:30 hrs to 24:30hrs, $20 000 per week.

Must have children & have patience, must be able to teach/ computer literate. Please call 231-4172.  cleaner and two cooks; cooks are only to fry. Workers from and around Georgetown preferred. Contact Manager, Blue Martini Club, 169 Lamaha De Abreu Street, Newtown, Georgetown, between 05:00hrs and 18:00hrs in person.  to work across Guyana in the following positions - Managers, Supervisors, Office Assistants, Indoor and Outdoor Sales Representatives, Cooks, Drivers, Security Guards, Farm Hands, Land Clearers, Electricians, Technicians, Carpenters, Painters, Masons, Mechanics, Welders, Canteen Attendants, Cleaners - call 666-3751.

Racing Tips South Africa Racing Tips Turffontein 08:15 hrs Wandie’s 08:50 hrs Light The Way 09:25 hrs Demosthenes 10:00 hrs Hammie’s Hooker 10:35 hrs Eva Tibbs 11:10 hrs Jamming English Racing Tips Chepstow 08:20 hrs Arzal 09:30 hrs Allerton 10:05 hrs King’s Song 10:45 hrs Azure Fly 11:50 hrs Powderonthebonnet 12:25 hrs Ballyvoneen 13:00 hrs Kerrow Aintree 08:30 hrs Parlour Games 09:05 hrs Sizing Granite 09:50 hrs Whisper 10:25 hrs Wonderful Charm 11:15 hrs Cause Of Causes 12:10 hrs One For The Guv’nr 12:40 hrs Hollies Pearl Lingfield 08:15 hrs Conflicting Advice 08:50 hrs Maymyo 09:25 hrs Bushephalus 10:00 hrs Gold Trail 10:40 hrs Misterioso 11:45 hrs Nigel’s Destiny 12:20 hrs Ninety Minutes 12:55 hrs Third Strike Irish Racing Tips Gowan Park 09:20 hrs Creggs Pipes 09:55 hrs Just Be Lucky 10:30 hrs Pantomime 11:00 hrs Temasek Star 11:40 hrs Edelpour 12:15 hrs Dancingwithangels 12:45 hrs Windsor Park American Racing Tips Keenland Race 1 Happy Fella Race 2 Dreaming of Gold Race 3 Thundergram Race 4 Nominative Race 5 Protonico Race 6 Big Red Charlie Race 7 Free as a Bird Race 8 Playtime Race 9 Filimbi Race10 Fame and Power Race11 Araqeel

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

World pays tribute to cricket Hope, Brathwaite ... legend, commentator THE world has been paying tribute to Richie Benaud, the former Australia captain and iconic cricket commentator, who has died aged 84.

A pioneering leg-spin bowler, Benaud played in 63 Tests, 28 as captain, before retiring in 1964 to pursue a career in journalism and broadcasting.

His final commentary in England was at the 2005 Ashes series but he continued to work in Australia until 2013.

In November, Benaud revealed he was being treated for skin cancer.

Marylebone Cricket Club said they had lowered the flag on the North Clock Tower at Lord’s as a mark of respect for a figure “universally liked and respected across the world of cricket”.

The Australian government has offered to hold a state funeral for Benaud, who enjoyed a long association with the BBC following his first radio appearance for the corporation in 1960.

“Richie was not just a great cricket commentator, he was one of the finest sports commentators of his generation,” said Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport.

“He was an integral part of the BBC team for decades and will be sorely missed by everyone who had the pleasure of working with him.”

‘The Marlon Brando of cricket’ Australia’s record wickettaker Shane Warne, who described Benaud as a “close friend and mentor” said: “Everyone loved Richie, he was above the Prime Minister in Australia and it was not just in Australia, it was worldwide that people loved him, and not just the cricket world.

“We’ve got Dame Edna Everage and Russell Crowe we’ve adopted from New Zealand, and Kylie, but Richie is pretty close to number one as an Australian icon.

“To me, he was like The Godfather of cricket - he was the Marlon Brando of cricket.”

‘The iconic voice of summer’ Benaud was revered for an outstanding playing career in which he took 945 wickets in 259 first-class matches and made 11 719 first-class

The Australian flag is lowered at half-mast at the Sydney Cricket Ground runs, scoring 23 centuries at an average of 36.50.

Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards: “Richie stood at the top of the game throughout his rich life, first as a record-breaking leg-spinner and captain, and then as cricket’s most famous broadcaster who became the iconic voice of our summer.”

Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott: “A sad day for Australia. We have lost a cricketing champion and Australian icon. What an innings. RIP Richie Benaud.”

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara: “So sad to hear about the passing of Richie Benaud.

The great voice of cricket is no more. He defined an era with conviction and sincerity.”

Australia coach Darren Lehmann: “Our thoughts are with the Benaud family at this time, RIP one of the game’s all-time greats. He will be missed by the whole cricketing world.”

“An absolute bobby dazzler” - listen to some of Benaud’s classic commentary.

‘A true giant of the modern game’ Benaud was the first man to achieve 2 000 runs and 200 wickets at Test level, and was a highly regarded tactician.

He never lost a Test series as Australia captain, winning five and drawing two.

England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke: “Cricket has lost perhaps its greatest advocate and someone who was a true giant of the modern game.”

‘An absolute gentleman, a master craftsman’ Following his impressive playing career, Benaud became even better known as a prolific author, columnist

and commentator on cricket.

After the 1956 Ashes tour in England, he completed a BBC training course while still a player, marking the beginning of a 40-year association with the corporation.

Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott: “Farewell Richie Benaud.

Wonderful cricketer, great captain, a master craftsman commentator and top man.

Will always be remembered and admired.”

Former India captain Anil Kumble: “His values cut across all generations and was the best example in cricket to everyone associated with it. Always had a kind word for every cricketer. Above all a great human being. Had a special place for every leg spinner.

Very sad day for cricket.”

‘Peerless, well-loved, a legend and an icon’ With his mellifluous, light delivery, enthusiastically imitated by comedians and cricket fans alike, Benaud also became the lead commentator on Australian television’s Channel Nine from 1977.

After his retirement he often spoke of a return to commentary but, to the great sadness of his legions of admirers, it did not materialise.

Former Australia batsman Justin Langer: “As a player alone he left a great legacy but as a commentator his gestures and his language were peerless. Wise men often don’t inundate you with words but when they speak you listen to everything they say.”

Australia captain Michael Clarke: “He was a great player and a great captain, a wonderful leader of men and I think he’s continued that off the field. He played the

game in the right spirit and all of us look up to Richie so it’s a really sad day.”

International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson: “Richie was a true legend, charismatic but always the perfect sportsman and gentleman.”

‘A gentle authority, an understated humour’ ABC’s chief cricket commentator Jim Maxwell: “He was one of the driving forces behind the enthusiasm for cricket in this country over the last 30 or 40 years.

“He has been an amazing influence for all those people who have followed the game and loved it for a long while because he always spoke with authority, a gentle authority, and with an understated humour.”

BBC Sport cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: “He was the face of my childhood and for millions of others. He was cricket on the TV in England.

He was our Richie - and that is the ultimate compliment for an Australian.”

‘What a marvellous innings you’ve had’ Formula 1 commentary legend Murray Walker: “Richie’s personality was distinctive and unique.

He was an extremely nice man who had a wonderful, laconic, laid-back style, and a brilliant cricketing knowledge which he communicated so well.

“He won everything you could possible hope for in cricket and had this superb gift of being able to put his knowledge into meaningful and entertaining words.”

Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman: “We lost a legend today - Richie Benaud. We will never forget you.” (BBC Sport)

From back page “It is always good when there is strong competition for places,” chief selector Clive Lloyd commented.

“A few players have been rewarded for the work which they have done, like Shai Hope, Carlos Brathwaite and Devendra Bishoo, but it will take some time to reach the standard of consistency that we all desire to see from our side.”

Hope, in his first full season of first class cricket, amassed 628 runs from nine matches, at an average of nearly 45, to be the fourth highest run-getter in the WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL).

Of special significance was his 211 against Windward Islands Volcanoes at Kensington Oval last month. The knock was the only double-century of the competition and came on the heels of an unbeaten 111 against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the same venue in February.

Brathwaite, meanwhile, also enjoyed a decent season for Barbados, scoring 220 runs and grabbing 19 wickets at an impressive average of 18 apiece.

The right-armer, a handy lower batsman with a first class century and who can also produce explosive spells, has already played one-day and Twenty20 cricket and was part of the ODI squad to South Africa last January.

Bishoo’s new lease on life has come courtesy of his 61 wickets in the WICB PCL, which was the second highest number in the competition.

He grabbed four fivewicket hauls and had a ten-wicket performance – against the Windwards in the last series of the PCL. The squad will be led

by Denesh Ramdin with opener Kraigg Brathwaite

has his deputy, and includes the irrepressible left-handed opener Devon Smith whose 822 runs at an average of 54 with two centuries during the PCL made him a straightforward choice, especially in the continued absence of Chris Gayle.

Smith played all three Tests against South Africa recently, gathering only 116 runs in five innings.

Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was unavailable for selection after sustaining a hand injury during the recent camp.

The series will be the first for West Indies under new coach Phil Simmons and Lloyd said there was a positive mood going forward.

“We have a new coach and we have to give him as much help as possible. He is a very positive guy, he has been successful and he is one of us,” said the legendary former West Indies skipper.

“We had a good chat after he was appointed and we have spent the last few days in further discussions about a number of things, so we are looking forward to see how it all works out.”

West Indies and England square off at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in the opening Test before moving onto Grenada for the second contest from April 21 to 15.

The third Test is scheduled for Kensington Oval in Barbados from May 1 to 5.

SQUAD – Denesh Ramdin (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite (vice-captain), Sulieman Benn, Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.

WICB pays...

From back page

“The cricket world is in mourning, as we have truly lost an icon of the sport.

To say Richie was revered would be an understatement.

Benaud, a leg-spinning all-rounder and shrewd, innovative captain, played 63 Tests between 1952 and 1964, leading the Australians on 28 occasions.

He is fondly remembered for his battle of wits with

late, legendary West Indies captain Sir Frank Worrell during the 1961 Test series Down Under.

“He will always be remembered as a legend of the game,” said Cameron.

“His on-the-field competitive style and skills were only surpassed by his incredible positive influence off the field, where he also excelled as a television presenter.”

33

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

Electric Faulkner and Royals sink Kings XI IT IS almost as if James Faulkner was built from the ground up with only one question in mind: What would a Finisher need? Power, he has that. Common sense, he has that by the truckload.

Percentage cricket, he doesn’t play any other kind. And confidence, he’s won a World Cup. S c o r e s : Rajasthan Royals 162 for 7 (Faulkner 46, Anureet 3-23) beat Kings XI Punjab 136 for 8 (Vijay 37, Faulkner 3-26) by 26 runs) Yesterday in Pune, he walked in after Kings XI Punjab shredded the Rajasthan Royals top order. But 75 for 5 was nurtured through the middle overs to 110 for 5 in the 15th and then Faulkner exploded.

His 46 off 33 balls lifted Royals to 162, which proved 26 more than necessary.

Faulkner, with the ball this time, ensured that result by the fifth over of the chase when he dismissed Glenn Maxwell for 7. Tim Southee was at the other side of that wicket, falling low to his left to convert a touch chance.

He bettered that in the 19th over with a hokeypokey catch, featuring spectacular assistance from Karun Nair, that will shred Youtube hit counters, crash ESPNcricinfo and break the internet.

And so the Achilles heel of the Kings XI batting line-up was found: a mix of enterprising bowling and electric fielding.

And it was on view from the very first ball of the chase - a delicious outswinger from Southee, an acrobatic catch from

and lines were stifling, the scoreboard pressure grew and batsmen were lured into making mistakes. With 71 needed off seven overs, David Miller, the last remaining hope for Kings XI, attempted to manufacture a boundary against a ball that got too

menace. Sandeep Sharma beat Ajinkya Rahane four times in the first over and was as much a part of the batsman’s downfall in the next over as Anureet Singh who induced the unnecessary slog.

The batsmen would be defeated eight more times by the moving ball and the score would read a docile 35 for 3 at the end of the Powerplay.

Then came Johnson. There were no snarls, no verbals, but the theatre was m a g n i fi c e n t .

Nine balls he unleashed that touched no part of the bat, and the first time contact was made resulted in the wicket.

And not just any old scalp, this was Steven James Faulkner celebrates the wicket of Glenn Maxwell.

Smith. This was bragging rights Sanju Samson and big on him. His ungainly over the future Australia Virender Sehwag was pull ended up a leading captain. Johnson first two handed a golden duck. edge that sailed down to overs yielded only eight Samson produced Faulkner at deep third runs, and only three times did a batsman make contact another gem when he ran man.

Wriddhiman Saha out after Both teams’ bowlers and survive.

Faulkner provided two the batsman had lazily had made excellent use of strolled out of his crease in a Pune pitch not lacking of those instances and search of a sneaky leg-bye. for grass. After losing the racked up many more as A second direct hit from toss and being stuck in he bashed Johnson for two Samson caught M Vijay, first, Steven Smith said sixes and a four in the 19th whose 37 was Kings XI’s he was unsure of how it over to pull off the star turn.

The 51 runs off 36 top score, short and left might behave. Perhaps the score at 64 for 4 in the that’s cricketer-speak balls he added with a ninth over. for ‘I hope it doesn’t bold, 19-year-old Deepak With their fielders’ jag all over the place’. Hooda helped Royals alertness to bank on, the His concerns were well- reach the final five overs Royals bowlers upped founded and the Kings XI with wickets in hand. their game. Their lengths new-ball bowlers were a (ESPN Cricinfo)

Sir Curtly set to launch `Time to Talk’ autobiography

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Sir Curtly Ambrose, the Antigua and West Indies fast bowling icon, will launch his autobiography in his homeland, this weekend.

The book, which will characterise his 98-Test career for West Indies between 1988 and 2000, will be entitled ‘Time to Talk’, playing to the beanpole speedster’s motto during his career that “Curtly talks to no

man”.

A gala book launch and signing is set for this evening at Sandals property on the island’s north coast.

It will form an unofficial part of the build-up to the three-Test series between West Indies and England, which bowls off on Monday at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds.

“I felt now is certainly the right time to do a book about my cricketing exploits,” Sir

Sir Curtly Ambrose will launch his autobiography tomorrow evening.

NOTABLE DATES ENGLISHMAN Robert McCracken made his last appearance in the ring on April 10, 2001. In a challenge for the vacant European middleweight title McCracken was TKOed in round 10 by Guyanese Howard `The Battersea Bomber’ Eastman.

The fight was held at the Conference Centre in Wembley in London, England. Referee Dave Parris was confident that he had seen enough punishment dished out and called a halt when the round was one minute and 54 seconds old. It was the 32nd consecutive victory for Eastman who kept a clean record.

McCracken never fought again. However, Eastman, who turned pro in 1994, had the first defeat of a stellar career in his next fight. On November 17, 2001 Eastman battled American William Joppy for the WBA version of the middleweight crown.

The orthodox Eastman dropped Joppy in the latter stage of the 12th round in a close encounter but lost by a majority decision. The Guyanese had another shot at a world title in February 2005.

This time he lost by unanimous decision to undisputed world champion Bernard `The Executioner’ Hopkins.

Eastman is still active and turned 44 last December 8. From a total of 62 fights, he secured 49 victories (38 KOs) and lost 13. In recent time Eastman has embraced the Rastafarian faith.

NOTABLE DATES

GAIRY `Superman’ St Clair was 22 years old and undefeated in nine fights when he collided with American Frederick Suswell on April 11, 1997.

The six-round contest was staged at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in New Jersey, USA and the flashy St Clair won via TKO in the third round.

It was the fifth in the USA for the Guyanese and the second time he engaged in a battle at that venue. St Clair had six more bouts before his first loss.

Coming against Diego `Chico’ Corrales on December 18, 1998, St Clair put up a game performance, but lost on points to his more experienced opponent.

While Corrales won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight title three fights later, `Superman’ had to endure a nine-year wait to finally earn the champion belt. On July 29, 2006 St Clair joined Andrew `Six Head’ Lewis, Wayne `Big Truck’ Braithwaite and `Vicious’ Vivian Harris as male Guyanese boxers to win world titles.

He defeated South African Cassius Baloyi to snatch both the IBF and International Boxing Organisation super featherweight titles, an emulation of a feat done by Harris in 2002. St Clair turned 40 in February and is still active in his adopted country Australia.

He won the last four fights and built a record of 46 victories, 12 defeats and two draws.

Curtly said.

“I know it will make wonderful reading and also to show the youngsters across the West Indies that if you put your mind to something and work really hard you can achieve it.

“All through my career I preached hard work, discipline and commitment and I was able to reap the rewards.”

The book is set around Sir Curtly’s illustrious career and gives insight into his early days and his overall development.

He took 405 wickets in Tests and

another 225 in 176 One-Day Internationals.

He also delves into his time as the leading bowler in world cricket when the West Indies ruled the game.

The book has two forewords. One is written by Steve Waugh, the legendary Australia captain, who had many bruising battles with Sir Curtly. The other is penned by and Richie Benaud – the former Australia captain and iconic commentator.

Sir Curtly currently serves as the bowling consultant for the West Indies team.

34

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

BUSTA SOFT SHOE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Millington’s brace hands Sparta Boss comeback win and 13th), Quincy Bourne (11th) and Golden Jaguars’ SEVERAL players Jermaine Junor (24th) netted had double strikes last for Alexander Village, with Thursday night during Claude Bascom (4th and the opening night of 18th) and Devon Charles action in the inaugural (17th and 26th) responding Petra Organisation/ for Charlestown.

Guyana Beverage Inc. Following the Sparta Boss Busta soft shoe football versus California Square championships, which was encounter, Albouystown contested at the Georgetown and a determined-looking Football Club Hope Street-Tiger (GFC) ground.

Bay lineup took the But none would field for the final be more memorable game of the night, for those gathered which ended 1-1 than Sparta Boss’ with Marlon Nedd Devon Millington’s (10th) scoring for brace, scored in one Albouystown and minute, handing his Calvin Shepherd team a come-fromnullifying his goal behind win over a four minutes later. game and physical Preliminary California Square action in the first lineup. round will continue Competing in the tonight at the same penultimate game on venue from 19:00hrs, the night’s six-game with Queen StreetChronicle Sport Samuel Maughn catches Sophia’s Dwayne Lowe (yellow card, Sparta Boss Tiger Bay facing trunks) as he scores his team’s second goal in their contest with Broad found themselves two Cross Street-WerkStreet during the opening night of the Busta soft shoe tournament. goals down within en-Rust, North the first four minutes of the one-goal advantage, Sparta Omallo Williams (6th and Ruimveldt colliding with contest, as Nash Moe (3rd) Boss increased it to two 23rd) and Andre Sookhoo 7th Globe Yard and Back Circle and Vassel Cantzlar (4th) had in the final minute, when scoring for Leopold Street, taking on West Back Road. given their team the lead.

Millington dribbled Nash even as Romello Fraser (4th), Following the Busta Not one to panic even with the greatest of ease Rishawn Sandiford (11th) break, Bent Street will though the scoreline was and found an unmarked and Raphael Edwards (26th) go head-to-head with to his team’s disadvantage, Richardson, whose finish to did the same for Tucville.

North East La Penitence, Millington fed Travis ‘Zorro’ an empty goal was as easy Sophia met Broad Street Festival City will open Grant, who, along with as taking candy from a child, in the third game of the night their campaign for the $600 Millington, Gregory ‘Jackie following which the final and were indebted to a hat- 000 first prize against Kitty Chan’ Richardson and whistle went. trick of goals from Dwayne Weavers and West Front Dennis Edwards made up Earlier in the night’s Lowe in the 6th, 9th and 14th Road ‘Gold is Money’ will the core of their team, with action which was witnessed minutes along with Shemroy culminate the night’s action a wonderful through ball by several executives of the Arthur’s 2nd minute strike, when they face Stevedore which he converted in the sponsor, Ballerz, through the as they defeated Broad Street Housing Scheme.

13th minute. efforts of the Ramsay clan, 4-2, with Ryan Jones (12th) Apart from the firstAt the Busta lemon-time got things rolling by edging and Akeem Sam (13th) place prize, the second- to break the score read 2-1 in D’Urban Street 6-5, with scoring for the losers. fourth-placed finishers will favour of California Square Steffon Ramsay hitting a hatGame four was played respectively pocket $300 and many felt an upset was trick of goals in the 4th, 23rd between Alexander Village 000, $200 000 and $100 000, on the cards, especially after and 26th minutes of play, and Charlestown and saw while in the group stage, California Square custodian backed by a double from no outright winner, as this the first- to fourth-placed Abfzal Gafoor had affected Lyliton Ramsay (5th and contest ended with a 4-4 finishers will respectively several saves to thwart 22nd) and Amos Ramsay’s scoreline. receive $30 000, $20 000, Millington and company. solitary strike in the 12th.

Chavez Hescott (12th $15 000 and $10 000.

By Calvin Roberts

But in the 28th minute, a lame free kick from Moe was intercepted by Millington who raced to the smaller goal area and lobbed the ball to the right of Gafoor to level the score, while he latched on to another pass from Cantzlar and beat Gafoor to his left one minute later to give Sparta Boss the lead.

Not satisfied with the

Leon Kennedy responded first for D’Urban Street in the 8th minute and was backed by double strikes from Jermin Gilbert (11th and 29th) and Quincy Ashby (15th and 17th), but it was a little too late for the D’Urban Street boys.

In the second game, Leopold Street and Tucville played to a 3-3 draw, with

ICC statement on the passing of Richie Benaud

THE International Cricket Council (ICC) has offered its condolences to the family and friends of former Australia captain and broadcasting legend Richie Benaud who has passed away at the age of 84 following a prolonged illness.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “Today is a very sad day for cricket as it mourns the passing of one of its most beloved sons. On behalf of the ICC, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Richie Benaud as well as everyone connected with Australia cricket.

“Richie was a true legend, charismatic but always the perfect sportsman and gentleman. He was also one of the most complete sportsmen who dedicated his life to cricket.

During his playing days, he was an outstanding all-rounder and inspirational captain. Following retirement, he turned journalist and broadcaster, and through his cricket intellect, knowledge and articulate presentation, became the voice of cricket.

“Richie was always engaging and knowledgeable about the game and although he may have been Australian

by birth, he had a great passion for world cricket. The esteem in which he was held was reflected by his induction into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009. Cricket will miss Richie Benaud but will remember him with fond memories.”

Benaud enjoyed a stellar international career and took 248 wickets and scored 2,201 runs in 63 Tests. He captained Australia in 28 Tests, winning 12 and losing four. In a first-class career, which spanned 16 years in total, the leg-spinning all-rounder scored 11 719 runs and took 945 wickets in 259 matches.

McCoy steals Aintree spotlight again

Tony McCoy on Don Cossack celebrates after winning the 15.25 Betfred Melling Chase. (Reuters/Darren Staples0

By Ian Chadband LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Tony McCoy warmed up for his final Grand National by winning the big race at the Aintree festival meeting for the second day in succession yesterday.

The 19-time champion jockey, who won the Aintree Hurdle on Jezki on Thursday, was a runaway winner of the Melling Chase, another Grade One race, as he steered 3-1 joint favourite Don Cossack to victory by 26 lengths.

The thousands who cheered him into the winners’

enclosure will be willing McCoy to repeat the trick for a third day in a row when he partners Shutthefrontdoor in today’s National, his record 20th and last ride in the famous steeplechase.

Of the £150M ($219.63M) likely to be wagered on the outcome, the lion’s share will be pumped on the 40-yearold McCoy. It is estimated it will cost British bookmakers £50M should Shutthefrontdoor win. If the fairytale occurs, McCoy has promised to retire on the spot instead of waiting until the end of the season later this month.

Jamaica to host Regional Under-19 tournament KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) - Jamaica has been chosen as the venue for the Regional Under-19 cricket Tournament scheduled to start in July.

The Directors of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) made the announcement after a teleconference meeting this week.

The six regional teams – Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Windward Islands – along with a side from ICC Americas will play the others once in a roundrobin competition with the top two teams contesting the Final to determine the winner.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for the region’s best young players to showcase their talent to break into the West Indies Under-19 squad for the ICC Youth World Cup next year in Bangladesh,” said WICB Director of Cricket Richard Pybus.

“The side has already contested the NAGICO Super 50 and currently a number of players are concluding a training camp in Barbados as part of the continued build-up.”

The Regional Under-19 tournament is scheduled to take place from July 20 to August 16.

CRICKETQUIZ CORNER (Saturday April 11, 2015) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

LasithMalinga& Ravi Ashwin

(2)

SohailTanvir (RR) 4-0-14-6 vs CSK, 2008

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who is the first wicketkeeper to effect a ‘stumping’ in an IPL game?

(2) Chris Gayle once made 175 runs in an IPL game.

How many sixes and fours he struck in the innings?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

35

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday April 11, 2015

Persaud hits half-century in exciting draw … Harry named Man-of-the-Match

By Calvin Roberts DEMERARA skipper Travis Persaud stroked a resilient half-century for his side, who were held to an exciting draw by perennial whipping boys Essequibo, at the end of the third day of their Guyana Cricket Board/Raj Singh Insurance Under-19 Inter-county three-day encounter yesterday.

Playing at the Everest Cricket Club ground, Demerara began their second innings with a lead of 35, after bowling out the Essequibians late in the previous afternoon, and were bowled out for 180 on the stroke of the extended tea session, after being 42 for 4.

Set 216 to win in the final session, Essequibo, who saw Keanu Harry finish with 2 for 56 (9 for 123) to be named the Manof-the-Match, were indebted to Nathan Persaud’s entertaining 33 (7x4) as they reached 71 for 3 off 18 overs, when play was called off at 16:47hrs.

Earlier in the day, Tevin Imloch started positively by hitting the first ball of the day from Jewmal Hartman for 4,

but lost Ronaldo Renee (2) who was caught by Akini Adams at backward square leg off Neyland Cadogan (2 for 18) in the second over.

Further trouble faced the home team, when Hartman sent Shurfane Rutherford’s middle stump cart-wheeling in the following over before he had scored, after which Imloch was lbw to Cadogan at 23 for 3.

Prior to Imloch’s dismissal, Akshaya Persaud was forced to retire hurt when on 2 at 14 for 2, after being struck on the knee by Hartman, enabling Travis Persaud and Malcolm Hubbard to push the score to 42, before Hubbard was caught on the deep midwicket boundary by Parmesh Parsotam off Looknauth Chinkoo for 18 (2x4), just before lunch.

The home team took the break on 54 for 4, with Travis Persaud on 15 and Vivian Albert 1. When play resumed, Albert was forced to retire hurt following a shoulder injury and this allowed his skipper and Ershad Alli to push their team’s score to 109, with their 67-run partnership.

Alli started shakily

Keanu Harry is all smiles as he proudly accepts the Man-of-the-Match trophy from Guyana Cricket Board’s Junior Chairman of Selectors Nazimul Drepaul. but grew in confidence, as both batsmen took the attack to the Essequibians, with Travis Persaud hitting Parsotam for two fours in his first over, while Alli hit Harry for a magnificent four on the up over extra cover, to post the 100.

Persaud got to his 50 from 117 balls while batting for 131 minutes

with five fours, but from 109 for 4, Demerara slipped to 119 for 6, losing both Travis Persaud and Alli to Adams and Harry respectively, and later 135 for 7 when Albert, who resumed his innings on his skipper’s demise, was lbw to Harry for 10.

Akshaya Persaud, who was later unbeaten on 32 (78

balls, 3x4), pushed the score to 157 with Daniel Basdeo (10), before both Basdeo and Tariq Dharamlall (0) were dismissed by Chinkoo (3 for 27).

Once again, Carlton Jacques displayed a level head to post 23 valuable runs for the final wicket with Akshaya Persaud, as they forced the umpires to extend

the post tea session by 30 minutes, before Jacques pushed one back to Adams.

When the Essequibians began their run chase for an unlikely come-from-behind victory, they lost Satesh Latchana (2), bowled by Rutherford.

But it was a demise that had no effect on Nathan Persaud, who pulled and drove the Demerara bowlers to the boundary with such authority, that five of his seven fours came in two overs from Jacques and Rutherford.

Two pull shots over square leg from Rutherford’s bowling, brought oohs and aahs from his teammates and those gathered at the venue, while he drove Jacques exquisitely through extra with the grace, poise and elegance of a young Carl Hooper.

Basdeo removed him, caught pulling by Dharamlall at mid on and even though David Williams got a six off Basdeo, it was a foregone conclusion that the game would end in a draw, which when called off saw Williams on 21 and his skipper Travis Drakes on 13 (2x4).

MCYS Easter Vacation swimming programme concludes PARTICIPANTS of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) Easter Vacation Swimming Programme, held at the Colgrain Swimming Pool, Camp Street, were encouraged by Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony and the Director of Sport Neil Kumar at the closing ceremony yesterday, to continue their pursuits in swimming, Dr Anthony reminded the youngsters about the many benefits that the sport had to offer, not only as an extracurricular activity but as a move towards a healthier lifestyle.

Dr Anthony conveyed the Ministry’s commitment to providing opportunities for youngsters to get involved in not only swimming, but sports at large, through the provision of programmes such as this one, backed by the establishment of

complementary facilities such as the National Aquatic Centre, and the soon-to-be-opened synthetic track.

For his part Kumar challenged the swimmers to take up the sport not only as a leisure activity but to join established swimming clubs that carry out year round training, so they can get into the sport competitively.

Held from March 30 to April 10, the programme was hosted for a second consecutive year, and is now set to remain an annual event on the Ministry’s programme.

The event, which catered to children between the ages of 6 and 16 years, saw the participation of over 80 swimmers this year exceeding the 76 swimmers that participated last year, and once again surpassing the 60 participants that the Ministry initially catered for.

Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony (left) speaking with the participants at the closing ceremony of the MCYS Easter Vacation Swimming Programme.

The programme was conducted during the August their school breaks. implemented to add to the school vacation, aimed as Participants trained daily Ministry’s annual Learn to being a means for the children from Mondays to Friday in Swim programme already to have an activity during two sessions, the first between

09:30hrs and 10:30hrs, while the second session began immediately after and ran up to 11:30hrs.

Training was conducted

by Cuban swimming coach Isabel Couza Fals, who was assisted by coaches Marcia Rodrigues, Marisa Wray, Oluko Venture and Kwesi Melville.

Participants of the programme are encouraged to follow up by registering with clubs affiliated to the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) so that they can compete in local competitions, and possibly even represent Guyana as a national swimmer at regional and international events.

Making remarks on behalf of GASA was national coach Sean Baksh, who spoke of how beneficial the programme was in attracting individuals into the sport.

Sport CHRONICLE

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

Persaud hits half-century in exciting draw See story on page 35

Hope, Brathwaite in line for Test debuts as Bishoo returns

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Rookie batsman Shai Hope has been rewarded for his heavy scoring in the recent first class tournament with a place in the West Indies 14man squad to face England in the first Test starting here Monday.

The 21-year-old righthander was one of two uncapped players selected in the squad announced yesterday, with fellow Barbadian Carlos Brathwaite also called up.

Brathwaite, 26, an intelligent fast-bowling all-rounder, has been on the fringe of Test selection for some time having already turned out in the shorter versions for West Indies.

The squad also sees the return of Guyana leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo who last played in Tests three years ago, but whose prolific wicket-taking in the first class tournament made him hard to ignore. Turn to page 32

Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo returns after a three-year absence.

Uncapped players Shai Hope (left) and Carlos Brathwaite called up for the first Test against England

WICB pays tribute to Richie Benaud ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) - The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has paid glowing tribute to cricket legend Richie Benaud saying the world has lost an icon of the sport.

Benaud, a former Australia captain and renowned cricket commentator, passed away aged 84, following a

prolonged illness.

“On behalf of the Directors, management and staff of the West Indies Cricket Board, let me share our deepest condolences on the passing of Australia legend Richie Benaud to his family and our colleagues at Cricket Australia,” said WICB president Dave Cameron.

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Flashback: Frank Worrell hands the trophy to Richie Benaud at the MCG after the 5th Cricket Test between Australia and the West Indies, 1961. Source: HWT Image Library

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SATURDAY APRIL 11, 2015