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MOMENTUM BUILDS AT DAMON SQUARE RALLY...

PPP/C led Gov’t will transform Guyana into a Caribbean power

– Ramotar

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President Donald Ramotar

APNU+AFC preparing supporters for trouble – Jagdeo tells mammoth Essequibo rally

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Photo by Adrian Narine

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

MOMENTUM BUILDS AT DAMON SQUARE RALLY...

PPP/C led Gov’t will transform Guyana into a Caribbean Power – Ramotar

By Gary Eleazar RISK the future of Guyana in the hands of the political Opposition or return the PPP/C to office with an overwhelming majority and the nation will continue along its growth trajectory, transforming the country into a Caribbean power.

These were among the messages and sentiments taken to the Cinderella County, Essequibo, when the leadership of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), along with none other than Head of State, Donald Ramotar, staged a massive rally at Anna Regina.

DAMON SQUARE Thousands converged on the historic Damon Square, transforming the landscape into a kaleidoscope of PPP/C

colours, black, red, yellow and white.

Supporters donned the numerous versions of the party apparel as the election jingles blared intermittently as the various speakers took to the podium.

The President was welcomed to the podium by the exuberant gathering and spoke of his party’s vision for the nation once re-elected to office.

Ramotar was adamant in his presentation that the PPP/C intends, through its various strategic investments over the years, working in tandem with new ones; transform Guyana into a Caribbean power.

He said that in the near future, Guyana will become an oil and gas producing nation.

When this becomes a reality, according to Ramotar, it will create thousands of The huge crowd at the rally at Damon square, Anna Regina (Photo by Adrian Narine)

high paying jobs.

ECONOMIC FORTUNES Pointing to the track re-

cord of his Government in office, the President noted that the economic fortunes of the country have been reversed over the years from the time of the previous administration to reflect a positive balance; and over the past nine years, there has been sustained economic growth.

Guyana, according to

Ramotar, is currently the fastest growing country in the Caribbean. Expanding further on his party’s commitment to, and vision for the country, the President spoke of plans to transform Guyana into an investment friendly destination, not as a result of cheap labour, but rather an educated work force.

He said that a re-elected PPP/C in Office will place greater emphasis on education and training, particularly in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) fields.

Ramotar reminded too of his recent visit to India, where he met with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who committed to establishing an ICT Centre of Excellence in Guyana that will also serve as the Headquarters in the Caribbean and South America.

OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS Speaking directly to Essequibians, at the Damon Square rally, the President spoke of recent developments such as the Marriott Hotel and the recently commissioned Synthetic Track, Turn to page 5 ►

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

APNU+AFC preparing supporters for trouble – Jagdeo tells mammoth Essequibo rally

By Rebecca Ganesh THOUSANDS of persons at Damon Square, Anna Regina, screamed cheers as former President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo took the stage and told Essequibians that on May 11 the People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) will be celebrating another victory.

He cheerfully expressed, “the whole of Essequibo is here today and we didn’t bus the crowd from Georgetown, you are all Essequibians. I know now that you will continue to give us your support.”

He continued to explain that persons have indicated that they were not feeling the vibes on the Essequibo Coast, “but today we have nothing to worry about, Essequibo is ready.”

“Let me say on May 11 the victory must be a decisive one.” Dr. Jagdeo explained that the APNU+AFC (A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change) are preparing their supporters for trouble and because of this,

“the PPP/C needs a majority win so that they cannot contest us from any angle.” He made mention also that David Granger, after the many cycles of the claims and objections period by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), “he is now questioning the list.” He related that they will try to use this issue with the list to create trouble, “so I again urge you come out and vote on May 11.

“We have to win this election to keep our country moving forward,” the former President explained, as he highlighted that the APNU+AFC members have been spreading falsehoods to a lot of rice farmers, “but one thing is sure, that [is] during the bad and good times we [PPP/C] have always been with the rice farmers… and we will continue to be with them in the future.”

On a more serious note, Dr. Jagdeo explained that “we took the oil money and funded the rice project and this is because the Government cares about the industry.” He alluded to his

recent visit to Essequibo where the farmers spoke about the infestation of bugs and flooding.

“I went to the President and explained this to him and he has agreed that we will look into helping in all aspects, we also have to work on farmers being paid on time, and we help with the bug infestation.”

“Some $54B was spent on drainage and irrigation all over this country,” he noted.

“Presently we export almost 500,000 tonnes of rice and produce over 600,000 tonnes.

Do not listen to Doerga and the others because they want to fool you.” He noted too that the Government is looking for new ways to diversify the economy and so they have embarked on a project to diversify the coconut industry. “We support the coconut industry from the Pomeroon.”

Dr. Jagdeo pointed out some of the developments that are visible to the eye on the Essequibo Coast: “You have your own immigration office here so you need not come to Georgetown.” He

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

mentioned also that the Government wanted to do so much more, such as providing better communication and internet and distance education here in Essequibo, “but because for three years of stalled Government under the one-seat majority Opposition, they cut $80B from the budget. And now they are telling the people

that we are not fulfilling our promises.”

“Nagamootoo is a waste, he always was a waste and will always be a waste…he has been diagnosed as a megalomaniac, who is someone obsessed with himself,” he said, adding that 60 per cent of what he says is about himself, while 90 per cent are lies.

He urged the residents to pay attention at the rallies and read the manifesto and be informed about the plans the Government has for all.

“I urge all of you to be vigilant for the next three weeks. Never allow a militaristic Government in Guyana,” the former President stressed.

AT MASSIVE PPP/C ESSEQUIBO RALLY…

Harper says committed to vision of PPP/C planning that will have our country remain influential and continue to advance the interests of our country.

“My party aims to carry out our vision on key areas, particularly through education, job creation agricultural

Prime Ministerial Candidate Elisabeth Harper

By Rebecca Ganesh AS prime ministerial candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Elisabeth Harper took the stage to address thousands at the ruling party’s rally at Damon Square on the Essequibo Coast, she asked: “Are you ready for another victory and let

progress continue?”

Harper explained that she is committed to the vision of the PPP/C party and it is a vision that will clearly take Guyana forward. “For the past nine years our country has recorded growth even though our sister nations were affected by the fall of economies worldwide. And this is because of the strategic

processing, tourism and hospitality among others,” she declared.

She pointed out some of the achievements that the Government has recently made realities and “only recently we had the opening

of the Marriott Hotel, the first five-star hotel here in Guyana.” This shows, Harper explained, investors’ confidence in our economy.

Harper highlighted that travel for persons living on the Essequibo Coast has been

made much easier than in the past. “It is a tremendous achievement for the PPP/C to have acquired the two ‘roll-on roll- off’ ferries from China, reducing travelling time for many.”

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

ROHEE TELLS THOUSANDS AT ESSEQUIBO: 22 DAYS TO GO! ––They call it E-Day, but we call it Victory Day (V-Day)

By Navendra Seoraj “TWENTY-TWO days to go! They call it E-Day, we call it V-Day; as, next month at this time, we will be celebrating another victory of the PPP/C!” Those confident words departed the lips of People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary, Clement Rohee, they were enthusiastically received by thousands of PPP/C supporters who gathered at Damon Square at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast for one of the incumbent party’s rallies.

In his vibrant address, Rohee disclosed that May 11 is a day when the Guyanese people will decide whether the country goes forward or backward, and the PPP/C believes that the majority wants to go forward.

Therefore, he noted, the PPP/C’s policy stands as, “Forward ever! Backward Never!”

“We started a journey in 1992 which always had the people of Guyana at the centre, and today we are still working towards a better Guyana! We want a strong, stable and secure Government, and that is the direction we are moving

in, with the support of the Guyanese people,” he underscored.

Stressing the importance of the people’s support, the PPP/C stalwart highlighted that thousands of people had stayed at home and did not vote at the 2011 elections.

This, Rohee urged, should not recur.

He encouraged his expressive Essequibo audience not to allow a single person to stay at home and not participate in these elections, as, he said: “Every single person must come out and vote to put back the PPP/C in power!”

He declared that was one of the contributing factors to the bitter experiences which the PPP/C had suffered because of not having won the majority vote in the 2011 elections.

He said the situation had forced the PPP/C to share the Parliament with the now coalesced A Partnership For National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), and because of the Opposition’s behaviour in the National Assembly, the PPP/C had decided to shut down the Parliament and were forced to go to elections one and a half years earlier than was due.

“Nevertheless,” he said, “irrespective of all the Opposition’s imaginations, we will be victorious once again, as we still have the strength and determination and the confidence of the people! Because, as we make our promises, we deliver!” a profound Rohee declared.

JAGAN’S LEGACY Apart from members’ individual struggles, Rohee disclosed, the PPP/C carried the struggle for the entire Guyanese population, and yet “the Opposition came to us and said that we are betraying the legacy of Jagan. But i f p ro v i d i n g p o r t a b l e drinking water, distributing thousands of house lots, increasing assistance to pensioners, and providing school children with meals and uniforms is betraying Dr. Jagan’s legacy, then something is wrong, he declared.

“The PPP/C has never, and will never, betray the people of this country, as the traitors who left the PPP/C and joined the Opposition betrayed Jagan’s legacy,” he announced.

Rohee declared that the Opposition must confess

PPP/C General Secretary, Clement Rohee their sins, as the Guyanese people must stand up and defend each polling station and each ballot box.

GRANGER IN DANGER Meanwhile, apart from the foregoing, the PPP/C General Secretary said: “Granger is in danger, as he’s facing the danger of Ramotar and Harper to move him off the political scene.”

Rohee disclosed that the presidential candidate for the APNU+AFC ought to be afraid even of persons in his own camp. He said, “The power hungry Nagamootoo wants to throw him out!”

The Opposition APNU+AFC party is

currently engaged in gambling, Rohee declared; but for the love the PPP/C has for this country, it does not want to gamble, neither does its members want to put the future of this country in the hands of the corrupt APNU+AFC alliance.

Rohee lastly said: “I am encouraging each and every one of you to work hard, because every vote counts; and every one of us must do so because we want continuity and we want the PPP/C to remain as the ruling party!”

Also speaking at that Essequibo meeting was PPP/C stalwart Ali Baksh, who announced: “I bet my life that this is the largest

crowd ever at any rally in Essequibo, and this shows that we are ready to put back the PPP/C in power!”

Baksh said the PPP/C, along with the entire Guyana, struggled in the political wilderness where many people lost their lives, and now the PPP/C’s social policies are hell bent for betterment of the Guyanese people.

“This is a party of a proud history, in which everyone together achieved what the party has achieved; and there is much more that has to be done, and it will be done collectively under the leadership of the PPP/C!” Mr. Baksh declared.

Harper says committed to vision ...

From page 3

Harper alluded to many facts in the PPP/C’s manifesto for the upcoming May 11 poll, explaining that one of the major issues she will be looking at is the empowerment of women. She explained that the PPP/C builds national

pride and has an unwavering commitment to build Guyana, through the development of the different sectors that would have already seen national development such as housing and water, health and education are always priority.

Empowering women is vital, Harper noted, “We will review all the laws that will encourage and promote women’s rights and equality. We must exercise zero tolerance on domestic violence.” She explained that domestic violence destroys who we are and everything we stand for and we as a community should not encourage it and “I encourage our men to participate in this fight also.

“Single parents will be able to also further their education, training and day care services will be provided, child support will be mandatory by the court” [and these] are some of the opportunities that will be available to single parents, Harper noted.

She further explained that the PPP/C Government has over the years upkept “the rights of women, our rights in all aspects

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of the country, our right to an education more importantly.”

Harper further explained that teenage pregnancy is also a big problem and our manifesto will address these issues also; “If you had to leave school early, you have another chance to continue your education and provide for your family, opportunities will be available to support you.”

Harper noted that presently, more attention needs to be given to job creation for our young people and in the PPP/C manifesto, “we will make sure jobs are created and more development and a number of new initiatives for job-creation opportunities will be embarked upon.

“With these new initiatives, many more people will be able to enjoy a higher standard of living in this country,” she said.

“Our manifesto will talk about housing for young people, a vision that is geared to creating a Guyana with a great future, with more interacting and dialogue and facilitating our decision making within this sector,” Harper said.

“Come out and cast your vote for the PPP/C on May 11, vote for progress to continue,” Harper urged.

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Sunday CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Tonnes of dead fish removed from Rio Olympic rowing venue (BBC News) Brazilian workers have removed more than 33 tonnes of dead fish from the 2016 Olympic rowing and canoeing venue in Rio de Janeiro.

A team of more than 60 people have been working since last week to clear the remains from Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.

Scientists said the fish were starved of oxygen because of pollution.

Water quality has also been a major concern for

organisers in Guanabara Bay, where Olympic sailing events are due to be held.

The overwhelming smell at the lagoon has led to complaints from residents and members of local rowing clubs.

Rio’s environmental secretariat said on Thursday that the deaths were the result of a sudden change in water temperature, but scientists rejected that explanation.

Paul Rosman, an oceanographer who works at the lagoon, told Reuters that a

rise in algae blooms had led to a build up of carbon dioxide in the water.

“There was a big effort to stop sewage and we removed everything possible,” he added.

“But reducing the sewage doesn’t mean you have reduced the algae blooms.

That happens because of the excess of nutrients in the water.”

Tonnes of dead fish have appeared on the surface of the lagoon before.

Mr Rosman said succes-

sive state and city governments had ignored proposals to improve water quality by dredging canals that lead into the sea.

Rio Governor Luiz Fernando Pezao acknowledged earlier this week that there was “not going to be time’’ to finish the cleanup ahead of the games next August.

In January government officials also stated they would miss their target of an 80% reduction in water pollution in Guanabara Bay.

The fish are a small silvery species called twaite shad

Prime Minister tells Parliament…

‘No probe into AG’s fees’ (Trinidad Guardian) GOVERNMENT will not undertake a probe into legal fees paid to attorneys hired by the Office of the Attorney General over the past four years, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said.

Instead, she said, Attorney General Garvin Nicholas will lay a reply to correct the legal fee imbroglio in Parliament when he returns from overseas soon.

She confirmed this position Friday, in Parliament, in reply to questions from Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley about the likelihood of an enquiry in the wake of the controversy over the matter.

Persad-Bissessar said there would be no enquiry since the AG had accounted for the fees, inclusive of breakdown, and had also indicated that 95 per cent of the cases undertaken in which external legal counsel was retained have been won by the State. She said a billion dollars had been received for some of the matters for which counsel was retained.

Rowley asked whether the Fraud Squad would be called in to investigate, given the significant discrepancies associated with the $400 million expenditure on legal fees at the AG’s office.

The PM said, “No.” She added, “The allegations against the fees have been made to issues of quantum. There have been no allegations of fraud, so the issue of fraud doesn’t arise.”

She said if the Opposition had infor-

mation otherwise, Government would be happy to examine it, but thus far there were no allegations of fraud.

Rowley said some people had said they did not receive the monies initially reported to have been paid to them.

But Persad-Bissessar said that was when the original answer was tabled.

“Thereafter, the Attorney General did clarify those matters of persons who seemed to have double payment...it’s our intention for the AG to lay the corrected reply to the question in Parliament. He’s out of T&T and will do so on his return.”

She said it was obvious the original answers and information thereafter were not exactly the same.

“You may want to use the word ‘discrepancy’” she added, saying she was satisfied with the explanation on the expenditure.

On another question, this time concerning action on the March 23 national roadblocks by police, Persad-Bissessar said Government had asked for swift action to obtain the report on the roadblocks which had affected national productivity and caused “untold damage to national revenues and the commercial sector—and we consider such action unacceptable.” She said the report was done in three weeks and the Government was satisfied it was professionally done.

In terms of action to be taken, the PM

said any subsequent action must be taken by the Police Service, acting Police Commissioner and the Police Service Commission, an independent body which has jurisdiction over police matters. She said the report was discussed at Thursday’s National Security Council meeting.

“We asked the police representatives there—the acting CoP and her deputy—to say what areas of action they would pursue,” she said.

“They did advise they’d be looking at the matters going to the internal investigation units and also looking towards, where necessary, disciplinary action against such officers who may have in any way acted outside of their constitutional legal powers and the police service regulations governing behaviour in service. So we await the action taken where they have the power and the jurisdiction to deal with these matters.”

Persad-Bissessar said, however, that the exercise was not done by the entire Police Service.

“Let’s not blame the whole service, it was just a few officers who acted on their own initiative,” she said.

Asked by PNM MP Terrence Deyalsingh if she felt the CoP had disregarded the National Security Minister, she said the minister could not instruct the CoP, but could have discussions since the Police Service was independent.

PPP/C led Gov’t will ...

From page 2

and said very soon Government will be building an indoor sport facility.

“You too can become Olympic champions,” Ramotar exhorted.

Using the opportunity to once again level criticisms against the political Opposition over its stances in the 10th Parliament, to as the President put it, stymie Guyana’s development, he promised that once re-elected to Office, the PPP/C will build the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Plant.

He reminded of the numerous benefits of such a project, such as the reduced generation costs and its redound effect to each Guyanese, including the business sector.

Speaking to his rationale for calling an early election and the significance of May 11, 2015, the President called on the Essequibian supporters to vote solidly behind the PPP/C. “We must have the biggest victory in the history of the country,” said Ramotar, as he pledged his party’s continued service to the nation.

MAMMOTH CROWDS Accompanied on the campaign trail by his running mate, Elisabeth Harper, the PPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate has clearly grown more accustomed to the mammoth crowds, no longer timid or bashful.

Harper rose to her feet during her introduction to the Damon Square gathering and waved and danced with the crowd, obviously and vociferously ecstatic over her presence in Essequibo.

Making a clarion call for Essequibians to vote solidly behind the PPP/C, the Prime Ministerial Candidate was tasked with outlining a number of the her party’s proposal once re-elected to Office.

She spoke of a Special Development Fund for the Region in addition to the critical support that Government has shown to rice farmers in the locale.

According to Harper, with another victory for the PPP/C, Peace, Progress and Prosperity can continue in Guyana and come May 11, the choice to be made is clear.

She even cautioned, “don’t spoil your vote,” in reference to persons taking the time out on Election

Day, to, while preparing their ballot to be cast, ensuring the ‘X’ is placed where it should be in the manner prescribed.

Harper announced too that in addition to sustaining the gains made over the years, the PPP/C will be placing heavy emphasis on ICT and Education, among a host of other initiatives aimed at job creation.

According to Harper, a re-elected PPP/C Government will be placing greater emphasis on education, training, incentives for investments, employers, the establishment of industrial parks and a host of other driver initiatives.

VENEZUELA THREAT Having served as Ambassador General for a number of years, Guyana’s top diplomat, the PPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate also used the opportunity to publicly address Essequibians on a matter of sovereignty and essentially repeated the clarion call ‘not a blade of grass’ as she spoke to the Venezuelan territorial claim to Essequibo.

According to Harper, the PPP/C Government will be steadfast in its defence of Guyana’s territory against the Venezuela claim, and she reiterated a commitment to exhausting diplomatic means with a view to finding a solution.

Cornel Damon, a son of the Essequibian soil, and former Member of Parliament for the PPP, was among the first of the afternoon’s speakers.

He boasted proudly that the ‘Cup’ represents progress.

According to Damon, both Khemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo now of the Alliance For Change (AFC) came out of the ‘Cup’ and were now trying to upturn the ‘Cup,’ “but the cup will never fail.”

The Cup, according to Damon, is a symbol of progress in Guyana and urged supporters to identify the cup on the ballot paper before placing their ‘X’ and not be confused by the convoluted symbolisms representing the political Opposition.

Yesterday’s PPP/C rally attracted one of its larger gatherings since the beginning of the campaign season 2015.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Editorial

Guyana

Empowerment and the people ALMOST every day there are very young people passing through the courts for the commission of some serious crimes, including robbery under arms and even murder.

They use poverty as an excuse because of a conveniently erroneous premise of “marginalisation and discrimination. However, these are merely opportunistic excuses because there is work to be found for those who do not suffer from a “get-rich-quick’ syndrome and a propensity to covet the hard-earned belongings of others.

Education, tertiary training programmes for school drop-outs, even small loans for micro entrepreneurs are available for those who are prepared to make the necessary sacrifices and educate/ empower themselves for their own upward mobility.

In 2010, the Board of Industrial Training celebrated its 100th year of existence at a ceremony held at the Umana Yana, Kingston.

Held under the theme “A century of Empowering Youths with Technical and Vocational skills for life,” the ceremony featured presentation of awards to long-serving masters and staff. Among the companies to receive awards were Guyana National Industrial Corporation, the Guyana Sugar Corporation, Guyana Power and Light, and Transport and Harbours Department.

In excess of a century after its establishment, the Board has come a long way in empowering youths, with partners like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also coming on board to provide training to young people.

That anniversary was a milestone of life and history, according to former Chairman, the late Dr. Dale Bisnauth, who noted that the Board could not have reached such an achievement without the contributions of the persons who have served over the years.

The Board of Industrial Training (BIT) was established in 1910 under the Industrial Training Act Chapter 39:04, Laws of Guyana. At the time of its promulgation, the Industrial Training Act was described thus: “An Act to provide for the promotion of Industrial Training.” As such, the focus of BIT was formal Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), as it relates to apprenticeship within the industrial sector.

These apprenticeship programmes have four-year duration, with provisions made for shortened twoyear programmes in special cases where the applicant would have had previous technical training.

Training is offered in various engineering fields, such aspects as mechanical, electrical and building

construction with funding sometimes provided through collaboration with the private sector and other Non Governmental Agencies.

They also aim to ensure that the nation is provided with an adequately trained workforce in both industrial and commercial sectors of the economy.

One such programme that is currently under execution through funding by the Government of Guyana, and which receives the cooperation of the public and the private sectors, is the National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE), which commenced in September, 2005, and which has benefited over thousands of youths to date. They have been trained and certified at the semi-skilled level through this project.

NTPYE, a countrywide initiative, is the vision of former President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and was launched as part of the Administration’s policy to reduce the level of unemployment and better the living standards of citizens. Youths from 15 to 25 years from the 10 administrative regions have benefited from training and have acquired jobs through the Ministry of Labour’s Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency.

BIT expanded its role in 2009 through training programmes for single

parents, with the aim of providing marketable skills as a means creating or increasing income generation. Hundreds of persons have been trained under the single parent programme in employable skills that are in demand on the labour market and many graduates have received grants to assist in the establishment of small businesses.

Parents were trained in Childcare, Care for the Elderly, Pharmacy Bond Clerk, Medical Records, Health Care, Cosmetology, Sewing, Catering, Office Procedures and Information Technology. They also received the necessary equipment to begin their trade.

The initiative is part of Government’s strategy to reduce the level of unemployment and improve the living standards of its population. Added to this is the Women of Worth (WOW) programme, which provided loans and training to unskilled women so that they could be empowered financially and in all the variables that could facilitate wealth-creational activities.

The Government is keeping faith with the people; and although Guyana is a long way from reaching its optimum potential, with much left to be done, this nation has come a long way from the devastation and destruction inherited by the first PPP/C Government.

Best days still ahead of us A GREAT future for Guyana beckons.

It is for us as a nation to take advantage of the enormous opportunities that are before us by ensuring that the economic and social gains we have made over the years are consolidated and accelerated.

I have always maintained that the best days are still ahead of us. The potential to transform this country to a high income country is enormous. Few countries in the Region, indeed the world, are as endowed as we are in terms of natural and mineral resources. We are blessed with rich and

fertile agricultural lands and vast swathes of savannah lands.

R e g r e t t a b l y, t h i s p o t e n t i a l f o r development was thwarted by the curse of colonialism and dictatorial rule which spawned several decades of our pre and post-colonial history. The vast resources of our country were not exploited for the benefit of the Guyanese people, but to swell the pockets of foreign and local vested interests.

It is a lasting shame that Guyana was left behind, despite our vast potential to become

the most prosperous in the Region. The scars of our undemocratic and ruthless past are gradually being erased with the passage of time. We are moving on in the true spirit of peace and national reconciliation.

The tide has now changed and Guyana has now taken its place as a proud and well respected member of the commonwealth of democratic nations. This fresh air of democracy which is now blowing over our land must be appreciated and preserved.

This is not the time to deny our past.

Mistakes were made which ought not to

be buried in the sands of time, but boldly acknowledged. Our democracy was raped and our freedoms taken away. The nation perished under the stultifying environment of repressive rule.

This is the context in which our people must exercise their franchise in the upcoming poll. Too much is at stake. This election transcends the narrow confines of race and culture. It is about our present and future.

HYDAR ALLY

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

PPP/C again condemns intimidation

by Opposition supporters “THE People’s Progressive Party forthrightly condemns the actions

by Opposition forces in destroying elections-related materials mounted in various parts of the country and the intimidation of their supporters,” said People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) stalwart, Gail Teixeira.

Speaking at the PPP/C press conference held at Freedom House, Teixeira condemned the behaviour of Opposition supporters toward PPP/C supporters, noting also that the party thought it is time that they publicly highlight this sort of distasteful behaviour. “We want to bring to your

attention a number of instances which we find disturbing, which is important for you to know and also of course the public.”

She explained that the issue of intimidation and abuse of the PPP/C supporters by APNU+AFC (A Partnership of National Unity and The Alliance For Change) supporters in full colours of the yellow and green.

Teixeira explained some of the events that transpired over the last few days. “At La Penitence, Middle Road, where there has been a traditional polling station at a residence since 1997, on two occasions in the last five days groups of women and men have threatened the owner of the house and abused him, telling him that no one will be allowed to vote at that polling station.” She explained that the resident of the home was urged to make a police report, as well as to report same to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Another incident, she noted, was in Alexander Village. “A report on April 15 came out that nine persons in APNU+AFC colours [were] walking through the village threatening and abusing people and telling them what would happen to them if they vote for PPP/C. In Albouystown/Charlestown, we have reports that more covert intimidation, again of threatening people that they can’t be polling agents and they can’t vote for the PPP/C …”

At William and Queen Streets, Kitty on Monday April 13, she said, “The video is on YouTube, the footage of the

behaviour of APNU+AFC supporters, where Dr. Luncheon spoke, the meeting was interrupted by persons with APNU+AFC colours with their flags… a person who was passing by was grabbed and forced to hold the flag and dance on the street.

“These are some concerns, a report was received this morning where a man wearing a PPP/C t-shirt after a PPP meeting was accosted, beaten and threatened… we are currently investigating it,” she said.

“In the past we had incidents like this…it is very different this time… it is orchestrated, organised and engineered.

These are done by persons in marked APNU+AFC vehicles; in Cummings Lodge, they went in and pulled down the flags and posters. There are also reports in Albouystown, and other areas,” she stressed.

The party is calling on the police to pay heed to its concerns and reports and to do what is necessary to ensure an election that is free from fear and intimidation. Teixeira is also calling on the Opposition coalition to speak out against these behaviours of its supporters, adding that despite the ongoing situation, they have not once spoken out against it.

“The PPP/C forthrightly condemns the actions by Opposition forces in destroying elections-related materials mounted in various parts of the country…the PPP remains resolute and would not be fazed by these actions and would not allow its campaign to be derailed.”

PPP/C stalwart, Gail Teixeira and PPP/C member Charles Ramson Jr

Opposition responsible for vandalism of PPP/C election material THE AFC+APNU coalition can no longer deny that they are solely responsible for inciting the current spate of vandalism that is directed at the PPP/C election paraphernalia.

So far, this has been restricted to poster and billboards; but on 16th April, 2015, the Coalition’s National Candidate and AFC’s Executive member Mark Ross made an extremely bold declaration of incitement when he called upon AFC+APNU supporters ‘to collect the PPP/C ‘T’ Shirt and burn it’. This is the first time I am hearing this type of campaign strategy by a political party and it clearly shows the desperation of these people and the length that they will go to get votes. This ‘brassfaced’ inciter should know that what he has said is a criminal offence and he should immediately resign as a national candidate for the AFC. He is a national

disgrace and an even bigger disgrace to his Party and his family and himself. But what this neophyte politician needs to understand is that T-Shirts do not vote!

Posters do not vote! Billboards do not vote! People vote!

Only a few weeks back this man had made a death wish for the President and his entire entourage who were visiting Lethem. He said that he wished that it was they who had died in a tragic accident. Mark Ross then made a public apology and blamed it on his mental state of mind at the time. Now again he has done the unthinkable. I do think that this man needs a psychiatric evaluation to ascertain his state of mind and his qualification to hold any public office. The same should be done for his counterpart, Ramayya.

But this just exposed the type of people who wants to run this country,

their low level of mentality and their lack of respect of their fellow Guyanese who have a different view from their own. This exhortation by Mark Ross will only serve to emphasise the fact that the AFC+APNU coalition has already been consumed by the Burnham Touch. Everything they touch will be transformed into excrement. But even Burnham had some shame; he never commanded his followers to destroy the paraphernalia of the PPP. He did it secretly. But this new generation of the PNC appears to be worse! So voters beware!

I have the DVD with this incitement to vandalism by Mark Ross and I need for GEOCOM to investigate this matter, since this type of behaviour is in clear violation of the code of conduct set out by that body.

Moreover, Ramayya continues to incite

racial hatred between Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese; yet until now, nothing has been done to stop this racist and his racial incitement. This has been going on since Valentine’s Day this year. This same type of racial incitement was used by a Corporal of Police on residents of Chesney Village and I do believe that this type of incitement will soon develop into serious racial confrontations.

The AFC knows that they will never be able to deliver on the 11% Indian vote, so they are desperately attacking the Indians, hoping that they will facilitate the delivery of the 11% votes to the PNC. The Indians have already spoken and their paucity at the AFC meetings has strongly indicated this. The ‘dead meat’ prognostication by Ramjattan is being fulfilled!

HASEEF YUSUF

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PPP is critical for Guyana’s Development …Final Installment (Part 3)

By Keith Burrowes

BEFORE commencing today’s article, I wish to indicate that a number of persons have approached me to publicly comment on the upcoming elections.

I wish to state however that no one could argue unless they’re blind with the rapid transformation of Guyana in possibly all areas. We could now hold our heads up high whenever travelling to the Caribbean Countries (mainly Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago) in fact it’s ironic but I recently learnt that persons from a number of Caribbean countries are coming to Guyana to purchase food stuff and hardware items. This is all I would like to say at this point in time.

I wish to now continue the final installment of the article Public Private Partnerships.

A few weeks ago, perhaps longer, I wrote an article on the issue of publicprivate partnerships (PPPs or P3s), and promised a follow up, something I have finally gotten around to in this week’s article.

To recap, the basic model of what constitutes a public-private partnership is, to quote the EU, “A contractual agreement between the public and the private sectors, whereby the private operator commits to provide public services that have traditionally been supplied or financed by public institutions. The ultimate goal of PPPs is to obtain more ‘value for money’ than traditional public procurement options would deliver.”

In this installation of this series, I am going to take a look at how liberally we can interpret terms like ‘public services’ -as a means of opening up the basic concept of PPPs -- but for now, we need to look at the foundation of any good public-private venture, the policy environment.

Looking at the research I’ve done over the past week or so on the issue of P3s, I’ve discovered that Asian countries in particular seem to have gone the furthest

in the developing world in instituting workable P3 programmes, although -- as we might expect -- it is the developed world, the UK being the foremost example, which has made public-private partnerships into a high science.

P3s are increasingly recognised as crucial to development. As a Japanese ministry report, cited below, states: “Carrying out infrastructure construction projects efficiently, using PPPs, can also be evaluated from the perspective of contribution to poverty reduction. In the joint-study report (conducted by a Japanese ministry), ‘inclusive development’ means that poverty reduction and infrastructure construction are regarded as a pair of wheels; infrastructure construction drives economic growth that leads to poverty reduction, while promoting the supply of public services such as electricity and transportation, which will contribute to improving people’s living standards.”

In terms of a policy statement for the Asian model of PPPs, this implies a clear mandate for development in which the PPP venture -- infrastructure construction projects -- is arguably as incidental as it is correlative to the poverty reduction, something to take note of, since it bears on what I’m going to posit in next week’s article.

On the point of regional policy, there has been some recent focus to put this in place at the level of the Caribbean Community. A few months ago, at the opening of CARICOM’s 19th Council on Human and Social Development (COHSOD) meeting right here in Guyana, Secretary-General Edwin Carrington directly linked the creation of a P3 policy framework to sustainable development in the Region: “Policy coherence in human and social development no doubt makes it imperative for labour to be mainstreamed into the social and economic strategies of the Region. Among other things, this... means establishing a vision of the parameters of growth and development that are directly

linked to the human resource requirements as a main prerequisite of development.

But these cannot be achieved without a concerted effort to harness sustainable public-private partnerships, strengthen institutional capabilities and create the enabling environment for human resource development.”

The perennial problem, however, with regional initiatives such as this is that they often do not go beyond the specific donor-funded conference.

True, this typical failure to launch often has an associated element of lack of funding; developing economies often do not have the capital to invest in the sort of trial-and-error conceptual development process that results in working practical programmes. That said, innovation often costs less than people make out.

And in this case, the groundwork has largely been done already, with supporting information easily available as it should be in this age of the Internet. The Seoul Declaration on Public-Private Partnerships in Asia was actually built upon extensive work undertaken by the United Nations, and enshrined in several declarations and other policy documents, beginning with the Millennium Declaration of September 2000.

What has happened is that this has in turn spawned numerous other studies, reports and policy documents on P3s in Asia, undertaken by multilateral agencies, government agencies and ministries, non-governmental organisations and – as one should expect considering the issue – private companies.

Within these documents is a wealth of useful information on P3s from a regional perspective, as well as national ones. For example, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry issued a report on the Asian P3 Study Group (2004) which makes for useful reading from an investor’s point of view considering the increasing influence of Asia – Japan and China particularly – in the Region.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Keith Burrowes The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) has published a seminal discussion paper, “Infrastructure Challenges in South Asia: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships”, written by Geethanjali Nataraj which makes a sobering case of both the usefulness as well as limitations for P3s in Asia, usefully pointing out that while such partnerships will not replace state financing of large-scale projects, they free up state agencies to focus on their core mandates while still adapting to the changing infrastructural needs of the specific country. The international legal firm of Norton, with an office in Singapore, has its own publication on P3s in Asia inclusive of opportunities for investment as well as country specific risk assessments.

In short, the resources to at least begin the establishment of a P3 policy framework, as touted by CARICOM’s Secretary General, are already well within the public domain and accessible by anyone willing to dig. Therefore, the available information can certainly provide direction and serve as the basis for the regional embrace of the public-private partnership policy.

Next week, presupposing that we can build on the experience of the Asian experience in PPP policy formulation, I am going to take a look at how we can transform such policy into workable, practicable projects that are relevant to the development of the Region.

Tomorrow is a very historical day, and I am sure all Guyanese would like to wish President Obama all the best during his second term as the most powerful person on Planet Earth.

I hope that some of the businessmen in Guyana follow the example set by Dan Price owner of Gravity payments.

Dan Price, 30, who heads Gravity Payments, pledged to dip into his $1 million salary and cut his company’s profits so employees at the processing firm he founded could make at least $70,000 annually in the next three years.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Election times as a silly season

By Dr. Prem Misir I do not see election times as a silly season, as is popularly referenced, far and wide. Seeing it as a silly season provides the opportunity and ammunition to say silly things to the point of extremes. Indeed, in this silly season as well, lots of good things are said and do come to light.

And I am not referring to good humour as a silly thing; it is a good thing to mix humour with politicking, as good humour, for all intents and purposes, can disseminate effectively a candidate’s message. But unfortunately, amid the foolishness that occurs in many countries, silly things become predominantly the political culture of some election campaigns, where hordes of people come to campaigns expecting this foolishness. In fact, there are some people almost everywhere who look forward to hearing and seeing silly things during an election season.

And for some people, these silly things overly rehashed become their understanding of the politics of the society. Indeed, there is more to the politics of a society than a person’s digestion of a senseless sense of the country.Undoubtedly, seeing election times as a silly season degrades the true importance of an election. For this reason, sometimes a country gets the leadership it deserves.

In place of election times being seen as a silly season, why not have an election campaign period as a season to identify political leadership and statesmanship?

Indeed, all election seasons should gravitate toward achieving statesmanship.

In paying tribute to Abraham Lincoln on the anniversary of his death on April 15, 1865, Bess Connolly Martell of Yale News (April 15, 2015) was in conversation with Yale University’s Alfred Cowles Professor of Government and Philosophy Steven B. Smith.

Smith spoke about Lincoln who showed America how language and principles are important in politics, the stuff that makes for good political leadership and statesmanship. Smith felt that a great theme of politics is the idea of statesmanship, to find out who a statesman is and what it is that makes a statesman. Lincoln may be one of the few politicians to fit this bill of statesmanship.

And good statesmanship reinforces good leadership. Any election season provides numerous work sites to identify the makings of leadership. Smith’s writings show Lincoln as an exemplary leader through his obligations to constitutional government where his decisions were founded in the Constitution and the rule of law, his inspiring sense of moderation, and self-control.Thus, leaders who practise statesmanship would seek to ensure that decision making does not have constitutional excesses, naturally demonstrating the mark of an exemplary leader.

On the other hand, generations of political science students have been fed the view that politics has to do with the cynical manipulation of power. That understanding of politics may still very well

Undoubtedly, seeing election times as a silly season degrades the true importance of an election. For this reason, sometimes a country gets the leadership it deserves. be the case, but it does not totally consume politics. There is room to ease manipulation. For this reason, any election season attempting to build and identify statesmanship among politicians vying to take on the reins of government has to attend to the power of language in Smith’s terms, something that Lincoln used; not meaning fancy speechmaking, but reasoned argument and persuasion. Smith cited the Declaration of Independence to demonstrate Lincoln’s power of language where words and principles matter. Here is a part of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence in Congress on July 4, 1776: “…We hold these truths to be

self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organising its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness…”

As Smith would have it, Lincoln, through applying the power

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of language and principles, gave canonical status to the Declaration of Independence and to its equality clause, thus “…that all men are created equal…”Oddly enough, despite this notion of equality, the US still leads the world with an abundance of gross inequality.

And this stark equality deficit in the U.S. has a lot to do with the nature of political leadership and statesmanship.

Apparently, many in American political leadership have paid little attention to the power of language. According to Smith, Lincoln believed that words matter and politics really is an activity occurring mainly in words and through language.

Thus, any election campaign period can do better than just being a silly season. And further, any election campaign period, far and wide, would do well to see its season for identifying and building political leadership and statesmanship, essential prerequisites for improving the quality of life of the poor and vulnerable. Governments exist to attend to the poor and vulnerable…

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Chief Justice grants 20 petitioners $20m+ bail – pending determination of their cases ACTING Chief Justice, Mr. Ian Chang, SC., Friday granted 20 petitioners bail totalling $20M+, pending determination of their cases.

Particulars follow: For trafficking in narcotics, Claire Prescod was placed on $15M bail; Wayne Vanhur was placed on $325,000 bail; Ashley

Sodevan, $200,000 bail; David Fredericks, $400,000 bail; Stephon Watson, $600,000 bail; Lukinomick Theobald, $190,000 bail; Kishore Rambarran, $600,000 bail; Troy

Gordon, $550,000 bail; Nazim Osman, $75,000 bail; Keong Gravesande, $125,000 bail; Jason Isaacs, $325,000 bail; Laksha James, $250,000 bail; and Candacy Wharton, $250,000 bail.

For felonious wounding, Jodonauth Maraj and Seetram

Maraj were each placed on $100,000 bail.

For unlawful possession of firearm & ammunition, Trevor Sandy was placed on $300,000 bail, and Satraz Allicock was placed on $250,000 bail.

For robbery under arms,

William Evans was placed on $200,000 bail.

For attempted murder, Mary Jemmott was placed on $200,000 bail.

And for attempting to obstruct the course of justice, Elizabeth James was placed on $50,000 bail.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Liking the face of Government DEMOCRACY means a smooth working relationship between our freely and fairly elected Government, and the citizens of this nation. We’ve got to inculcate and cultivate that relationship into a concrete reality in every nook and cranny of this society. Guyanese want to know their Government cares for them. The Opposition wants Guyanese to hate their own Government, not conscious that this strategy shows their serious miscalculation of human nature.

We’ve achieved spectacular progress in this society. Guyanese move about in nice cars, live in lavish, stylish homes, dress with fashion and class, and eat abundant fresh food.

We know we’re developing and moving up in life. Now we travel to America and return, sightseeing the skyscrapers of New York, but embracing our lifestyle close to nature, basking under the tropical Guyanese sun, enjoying the natural environment and the outdoors and the fresh, unpolluted air and the atmosphere of freedom, fairness and equal opportunity we today enjoy.

We know Government works hard to maintain our democratic ideals and to ensure our macro-economic and social structures and systems function smoothly, that Government makes sure never again we would suffer from grotesque misapplication of those crucial ideas of democracy and development.

Government repairs what was broken, what had fallen apart, with 1,000 school buildings now spanking new and modern, with hospitals and roads and State buildings in firm shape.

Only at City Hall in Georgetown, where that fossilized Hamilton Green, a politician who managed this nation during the period of our ugly collapse, only there where he sits like an empty emperor, do we today see a public building falling apart. And Minister of Culture Dr Frank Anthony is moving to ignore such a figure, to renovate and rebuild that historic structure.

So we see constant progressing, we’re living as a peaceful people, we’re propelling our way forward, moving into the global community of 21st century nations.

EUPHORIC EXCITEMENT Guyanese know this. We feel the pulse of who we are today, the euphoric excitement, the inspiring adrenalin, as we develop very fast.

President Donald Ramotar transforms the image of the Guyanese Government with his open, engaging, humble style of leadership. The President encourages personal responsibility and individual initiative.

In our democracy, this makes for the ideal atmosphere in the land, where citizens employ an enterprising spirit in creating the life we want, in realising that our society today works as a meritocracy, whereby any citizen,

through hard work and discipline and dedicated application, could achieve the Guyana dream of owning his own well-furnished home, educating himself , living a full 21st century lifestyle.

Not even the most grotesque and ugly of Opposition malcontents could deny that we’re here today, that we’ve come this far on the journey to our potential as a world class society.

But, as is prone with human society, nothing’s ever perfect. Utopia is but a mirage on the distant horizon, and Opposition folks who tout a perfect, utopian Guyanese society should face their dishonesty, because they themselves could not deliver that promise to the Guyanese people.

Before we won back free and fair elections, before we regained our democratic soul, we saw how crippled our society became. We knew that after we restored democracy and kicked out the dictators we would face a hard, long road to rebuild the internal macro structures and systems upon which any modern society functions.

We’ve got a lot of it done, not much of it visible to the citizen. People don’t see the foundation systems and structures, the cornerstone, of our society, as much of this lies hidden under bureaucratic, mundane State work.

We depend on the media to tell the story of Government, to relate to us the tireless work of leaders like Head of the Public Service, Dr Roger Luncheon, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Youth, Sport and Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony, and several others who are progressive and visionary and forward-thinking, who toil through long hours to overcome the frustrating national human resource capital pool to bring us to where we are today.

We depend on the frontline workers and community leaders and regional administrators and Public Servants who interface with the Guyanese public, with the citizens of this land, to build that smooth relationship between our democratic State and our developing citizens.

And in this we see, unfortunately, a continuing breakdown. We’re far from perfect, and Government leaders are the first to stand up and tell citizens that we’re a work in progress.

The most crucial imperfection we face today is this interfacing of Government with the society, in that the State employees and community leaders who represent Government to the people all too often treat citizens with disdain, impatience and a callous disregard for their small, little concerns.

SOLVING THE PROBLEM Were we to solve this crisis, which finds root and longevity in those days when party paramountcy under the dictatorship regime of the

People’s National Congress (PNC) installed incompetent, ill-trained card-carrying party members into the Public Service, were we to solve this long-standing problem, we would radically transform how Guyanese citizens relate with their Government.

Opposition folks who refuse to think through this society’s problems with an open mind foment the problem, because they bandy around the vague term of “government” to scapegoat and verbally attack persons within Government who they hate and want revenge on and seek vengeance against.

So they ignore what’s really going on, in their blinded quest for bringing down the freely and fairly elected Government of the Guyanese people.

Making this scenario worse is the frontline managers and community leaders who represent Government to the people, for lots of them see their position as a privilege rather than an opportunity to look citizens in the eye, cultivate an open and authentic and real relationship, and serve the public with only the public good in mind.

With a rampant Opposition gleefully descending on this weakness of our society, taking advantage of pockets of citizen discontent to opportunistically seek their own aggrandisement, citizens face a real problem, feeling demoralised and unmotivated.

It’s human nature that Guyanese citizens want to feel significant, knowing that high Government cares for each one of us, that each voice is important, that each story forms the corporate Guyanese identity. All we ask is that those we interface with respect us, see us and not look at us with a blank stare, listen to our issues and our small little concerns, show us that we’re each important and valuable in this nation.

Citizens encountering President Ramotar and the progressive, open-minded Ministers of Government walk away with a renewed sense of their value, their importance. Maybe this is why President Ramotar rose to become Chief Citizen of the Guyanese nation. We see how engaging he is, how he pays attention to people talking to him, how he focuses on the citizen, that one soul, seeking him out as he

goes across the country campaigning.

We see the same attitude from those Ministers and Public Servants who are open-minded and real in their leadership, who walk with their hearts on their sleeve, and authentically talk to citizens.

Human relations calls for certain essential life skills, simple things like paying attention to the one we’re talking to or who engages us, listening for the heart cry of the person, seeing the person as a human being with feelings and emotions and hurts and pains and dreams and aspirations.

EACH CITIZEN VALUABLE Such is our nation, a people made up of individual stories, personal concerns and human interests, and each citizen sees himself or herself as the most important person in the world. All Guyanese want is that, in their interfacing with their own Government, they would feel how important their voice is, their vote is, their story is, in the grand design of the living, dynamic Guyanese story.

We can’t take ourselves for granted, even the smallest and humblest among us. We’re all important, vital to the heartbeat and pulse of this society.

It’s absolutely imperative that Government trains its frontline workers, its community interfacing folks, in the art of human relations, in the simple essential life skills of dealing with people, of making each and every Guyanese feel important and worthy and valuable.

Such a national attitude would do wonders in building the smooth relationship between our free and fair Government, and the Guyanese citizens we serve, thus eradicating a lot of the stress and frustration and unfortunately misguided negative emotion people feel towards their Government.

It’s a simple thing, this profound insight, that all we need is a nationwide cadre of frontline, interfacing community leaders who employ essential life skills of human relations in building that necessary smooth Government-people relationship.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

What our faces say about us?

LET THE POLITICIANS’ FACES SPEAK

By Tajeram Mohabir

IT is said that the eyes, without speaking, confess the secrets of the heart, but the face is really the mirror of the mind.

A genuine mind is indispensable to a comely face.

Interpreting facial expressions, or face reading, is called physiognomy or personology. But important to note, it is largely based on perception.

An expert analysing the face will look at the distinct features, since each, depending on their sizes and shapes, conveys a perception.

The main features of the face are the forehead, the eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, chin, hair and cheeks.

But what do these facial features say about us? The forehead is said to tell of a person’s intellectual capacity.

A pointed forehead is indicative of a person intellectually inclined; a high and round forehead tells of someone brimming with ideas; a flat forehead belongs to a forward-thinking person; while an indented forehead points to someone who is hot tempered, but can be impulsive and self-motivating.

The eyes, which convey the secrets of the heart, give insight into a person’s nature.

Persons with small eyes are said to be introverted; those with medium-sized eyes are considered balanced

The person in the photograph is People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP) Prime Ministerial Candidate Elisabeth Harper. Mrs. Harper has all the looks of a genuine person, but appears to be a bit introverted.

Based on her appearance, she is likely an approachable person, very likable in character, and does not appear to be someone who can be verbally aggressive on the political stage. Her personality can connect with the divergent masses.

and intelligent; while large eyes speak of persons who are extroverted and imaginative, but are emotional.

When speaking to someone, usually a look to the left is an indication that the speaker is lying. A look to the right generally is a sign that the speaker is trying to recall information. A look in the face, with a straight face, tells that the person is telling the truth or is speaking from the heart.

But it is a bit offensive to be looking into someone’s face for a considerable time

The person in the photograph is Prime Ministerial Candidate of A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo.

Nagamootoo is transfixed, pondering something(s) on his mind. He does not appear to be a satisfied man

while speaking to that person.

A constant blink tells that the subject involved in the conversation is uncomfortable.

According to Clinical Psychologist Deodatt Muridall Tillack, telling a lie is an abnormal act, and it can be detected in facial expressions. For example, a person who is lying is usually uncomfortable, will usually stutter, have a forged facial expression, and tend to make excuses continuously.

It is the opposite of someone who is telling the truth.

Turn to page 12 ►

The person in the photograph is President Donald Ramotar. “I am ready, bring it on!”

This is what the President seems to be saying or wants the electorate to know.

The person in the photograph is Presidential Candidate of the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, Mr. David Granger. His facial expression is indicative of someone who is authoritarian in nature, but this could also mean that he is a highly-disciplined person in his approach to life

The person in the photograph is Presidential Candidate of A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, Mr. David Granger. He is considered too rigid. He is strong willed, and could be a genuine person, but does not appear to be a genuine leader who can connect with the masses

The person in the photograph is Prime Ministerial Candidate of A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Future of children, Guyana must not be at stake

– Nandlall, Rohee urge Annandale residents to vote solidly for PPP/C

By Tajeram Mohabir

REITERATING that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is about peace, progress and prosperity, party General Secretary, Clement Rohee urged Annandale residents to vote resoundingly for the ruling party on May 11.

This, he said, is necessary to secure the future of their children and enable further development of Guyana.

Rohee said Guyana needs more jobs, more housing and a stable economy, and the PPP/C since coming to power in 1992 has created the environment for all of this to happen. Guyana has enjoyed nine years of consecutive growth.

But he added that the country has a far way to go and should be going forward, not backward. He told the sizeable gathering at the Annandale Market Square on Wednesday that it was the PPP/C which had hauled Guyana out of hopelessness and abject poverty in 1992.

In 1992, he continued, when the ruling party assumed power, its goals and objectives were to rebuild Guyana and since then, it has done tremendously in modernising and positioning this country on the path for a bright future.

The A Partnership For National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, which is hoping to

dislodge the ruling party at the May 11 polls, has focused its campaign on the slogan, “It is time for change.”

But Rohee told the Annandale residents that the PPP/C is the agent of change, as it has transformed the country from a state of bankruptcy in 1992 to the road of prosperity in 2015.

Telling the gathering not to trust the alliance, the PPP General Secretary said some of the very people in the APNU+AFC alliance who are calling for change, are the people who have experienced the transformation of Guyana under the PPP/C Government.

And it was a movement from the state of decay left by the People’s National Congress (PNC) in 1992, to a more unified and significantly better Guyana today.

After assuming the reins of power, Rohee said the PPP/C was beset with a host of challenges, noting that it had to deal with an almost empty treasury and collapsing industries.

Guyana during that time he said, imported rice from Italy and sugar from Guatemala, and citizens had to get permission from the Bank of Guyana if they were leaving the country with US$15 and more.

NOT CREDIT WORTHY Worst yet, Guyana was deemed uncreditworthy by

the international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

These were among the many challenges the PPP/C had to address when it assumed power, Rohee said, telling the gathering that it had weathered the storm, including the storm orchestrated by the PNC to remove the Government from office through protests, looting and burning.

The PPP/C, he said is proud of its track record in Government, and the party is proud of its achievements.

The same, he said, cannot be said of the PNC, which now controls the APNU+AFC Alliance.

He said when the PNC was in Government, it rigged elections after elections to stay in power and murdered and brutalised any who opposed their terrorism and oppression.

APNU+AFC Deputy Leader Moses Nagamootoo, Rohee said suffered from the thuggery but today, he has “sold his soul” in a desperate quest for political power.

The quest, Rohee said, began during the 10th Parliament when he (Nagamootoo) and Granger started to “tackle” each other.

According to Rohee, he “don’t mind people business,” but Granger and Nagamootoo were acting for all to see.

Like the nation, he said, he got to believe that the

“love” between Granger and Nagamootoo had chemistry when the two of them ignored every other day, and chose to “marry” on Valentine’s Day. Contending that the relationship between the duo is a complex one, the PPP General Secretary said he is not absolutely certain who has control over who in the relationship, but he knows beyond a shadow of doubt that Nagamootoo has betrayed his former mentor, leader and guide, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

Dr. Jagan, he said, would have never sided with oppressors to gain power, but Nagamootoo is doing it, plus he is using Dr. Jagan’s name to push his narrow cause.

The people, Rohee said, must teach Nagamootoo and company a lesson on May 11, but advised them that to effectively do that, all of them will have to come out and vote.

He urged the women to ensure that their husbands do not drink on the eve of Elections Day, and for them to wake up early on voting day.

resoundingly for the PPP/C on May 11.

May 11, he said is “no joke,” as every vote for the PPP/C is vital to not only returning the PPP/C to Government, but also to enable it to regain a majority in Parliament.

He told the Annandale residents that during the 10th Parliament, APNU with the support of the AFC “slashed and burned” several transformational projects in their attempt to derail the Government’s developmental agenda.

The Amaila Falls Project and the Amerindian Development Fund, he said, were among the many initiatives to create jobs and ensure a better Guyana, but they were guillotined without proper reason.

He said wide support for the PPP/C on May 11 is necessary to end this “tyranny” that is typical of the PNC. Granger and Nagamootoo, Nandlall added too have been making big promises on the campaign trail, but urged that they not be trusted.

VOTE EARLY The PPP/C General Secretary told the gathering that they must go early to the polls and see that their neighbours, relatives and friends do the same.

Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall was also firm is his call for supporters to vote

UNDEMOCRATIC BEHAVIOUR He said their undemocratic behaviour in the 10th Parliament, where they voted down projects that would have created jobs and improve the lives of citizens, is sufficient reason they should be rejected.

The Attorney General told

What our faces say...

When a person is telling the truth, that person usually has a bright face; is fluid in expression; has a firm voice, chooses the right words; and there is synchronisation in facial expression with gesticulation of the hands.

Above the eyes are the eyebrows, and according to the psychologist, these also convey interesting character traits of a person.

Low set eyebrows generally tell of a person who is prone to experience selfdoubt, while a wide set indicates persons who are cagey in nature.

Close to the eyes is the nose, which speaks of a person’s handing of money. A well-shaped nose tells of a person who will not be short of money; a straight nose tells of a person with the propensity to be successful; a long nose bespeaks a reasonable mind; and a nose with wide

nostrils is indicative of a lazy person.

Below the nose is the mouth. A small mouth is said to be reflective of someone who often gets lost in thought; a large mouth indicates a person who is demanding; and an upwardly curved mouth belongs to someone who is lucky.

Quite interestingly, a thick lip is a sign of an individual with an insatiable carnal craving, who also eats with a glut.

POWER HUNGRY At both sides of the face are the cheeks. According to Tillack, a fleshy cheek is synonymous with a person who is warm in nature, but a high cheek bone tells of an individual who is hungry for power.

Below the mouth is the chin, which largely speaks of a person’s determination.

A protruding chin is an indication of an individual who is strong-willed and fiercely independent, while a receding chin is a sign of a weak personality.

Above the forehead is the hair. The hair is believed to give insight into someone’s resilience. Soft hair tells of a person who is not physically and emotionally strong, while someone with course hair is opposite in personality.

The eyes, eyebrows, nose, cheeks, hair, chin, and forehead are all part of the face, but the face in general reportedly tells of a person’s character.

According to the psychologist, a circular face is reflective of an emotionally-centred and caring character; a square face belongs to persons who are aggressive, determined, controlling, and can be easily riled up; and a long face is that of a person

the gathering that if Granger could deny that there was no rigging of elections under the PNC, they should imagine what the APNU+AFC leader will do if he gets into power.

Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) General Secretary, Sheila Veerasammy also addressed the meeting.

She told the residents that Guyana is at a juncture where it should not be going backward, but should be going forward.

She said when the PNC was in power; its leaders did not only rig elections to stay in office, but also banned basic food items.

Veerasammy said that it was a criminal act for persons to have flour, dhal, potato and several items in their possession, pointing out that no caring Government would criminalise food and watch the nation’s children get “white mouth” and “beri beri.”

Under the PPP/C Government, she said, Guyana has been transformed tremendously. She contended that more schools have been built; students are excelling at their examinations; there is a better health care system; there is access to potable water and significantly more Guyanese have their own homes.

She urged the residents to vote solidly for the PPP/C on May 11 to enable progress and development to continue.

From page 11

who is practical in approach to life, is guided by established rules and facts, but often overworks.

It is not advisable for persons with rectangular faces to be placed in a situation for the long-haul. They are said to be quite energetic, but not for long. They burn out quickly.

BASIC TYPES OF EXPRESSION The Guyana Chronicle was told that there are many types of facial expression, but they fall under six major types. These are anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness and surprise.

According to the psychologist, the expression of the face conveys the emotion of a person and, to some extent, the person’s character. But it is not safe to convict a person by the face, by merely looking at photographs.

The Chronicle submitted the photographs (below) of the country’s top political leaders and asked for an interpretation. We receive the following response:His smile does not show enthusiasm and an upbeat spirit, and points to someone who lacks empathy. The side smile conveys the impression of someone who is sly or does ‘things’ quietly.

The expression is not one occasioned by the occasion, but appears to be cultivated overtime through disciplined regimen. Usually, a man hugging two women will be in happy, smiling mood.

His is a forceful expression. Nagamootoo is very assertive and passionate about what he saying; is not afraid of saying what he wants to say, but appears to have some anger in him. This can be detected in his raised eyebrows.

Nevertheless, he seems

like a man who is well-connected and commands the attention of his audience.

Harper is likely to deliver reasoned and rational agreements, and because of her genuine looks and her being a woman, her solicitations can draw empathy with the masses.

She appears to be a model individual, quietly certain of what she is about; calm, relaxed and assertive in a polite manner.

President Ramotar appears very confident, fired up, and ready for elections battle.

He is not happy or sad, and is calmly aggressive but not angry. There is no evident sign of fear or uncertainty in him.

President Ramotar’s enthusiasm conveys the impression of a man who is preparing for battle, and is quite certain that he can win hands down!

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Beyond the ‘bronze medal’ – President Ramotar touts importance of sports sector LESSONS learnt in the sporting arena are lessons that translate well for a united, yet diverse, country, such as Guyana.

Essentially, this was the message from President Donald Ramotar, who touted the many benefits of sporting activities for Guyanese and, by extension, the country as a whole.

“With every successful sportsman and woman, you have a team that supports them…sports teach us to play by the rules, to abide by the laws. It helps us to work in unity and work together,” he said.

The President contended that sport builds cohesion in society and said, “This [facilities to encouraging sport] will help to build what we have been striving for…to give meaning to our motto, One People, One Nation, One Destiny…we

see sports as making a huge contribution to developing a unique Guyanese culture.”

On the occasion of Fiday’s commissioning of the National Synthetic Track, at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, Mr. Ramotar agreed that the newly commissioned National Synthetic Track positions Guyana to move “beyond the bronze medal.”

The “bronze medal” was in reference to Guyana’s only Olympic medal, which was won in 1980. However, the country’s quest for Olympic glory has not faltered and consequent investments have been made.

Delivering the feature address at yesterday’s commissioning, the President assured the audience of his Administration’s commitment to the sports sector and called for the appointment of scouts, who will

be tasked with identifying young people with potential who could be nurtured in the areas of sports.

“We can use that spotting of talent and be able to work a programme to develop it and become a world power in sports,” he said.

CHARGE DELIVERED According to him, the new facility has many direct and indirect benefits and opens up opportunities, including the ability for Guyana to host regional and international sporting events, which has direct benefits for the tourism sector and the local economy.

“This facility gives us the possibility of holding many events in Guyana, which we could not have done in the past…we know we can now expose our young people and sportsmen and women to more

regional and international competition, many of which we hope will take place right here.”

In line with this consideration, the President also charged the Ministries of Education and Sports to collaborate closely to ensure that as many young Guyanese as possible take advantage of the investments being made.

“I would like to see all schools track and field activities held here so that they [Guyanese youth] can be inspired to achieve higher and higher goals,” he said.

Mr. Ramotar made it clear that the Guyanese people are the catalysts for the development of Guyana and in recognition of this; his Administration’s focus has been on investing in areas that benefit young people.

“We hold the philosophy that the most important fac-

Mark Ross says coalition will be incoming Government CONTROVERSIAL member of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, Mark Ross, told a small gathering at the coalition’s youth rally in New Amsterdam, Berbice, that the plan of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is to create an ICT park for “Incoming chatrees that will thief,” but posits that the incoming government will be that of the APNU+AFC coalition.

Ross, who is a fellow Berbician, was one of the many youth speakers at the rally which failed to attract the expected numbers on Friday last.

R o s s ’s f i e r y s p e e c h touched several issues including rice and sugar which sought to appeal to traditional PPP supporters, from the county of Berbice.

Amidst the many promises of the coalition should

they win at the upcoming polls, Ross noted that the PPP has been advertising their intention to erect an ICT park, should they (the PPP) win the elections. “PPP are putting up posters saying they are going to establish an ICT Park. What they mean is that they will create a park for the incoming chatrees that will Thief” the APNU+AFC representative told the few hundred in attendance.

But Ross is of the belief that the “incoming” government will be that of the coalition, after they secure victory at the General and Regional Elections.

Quite certain of a victory ahead of the May 11 polls, he posited that “when the coalition wins,” they will address issues such as education, tax reduction, youth empowerment, sugar and rice.

These promises were also echoed by fellow APNU+AFC list representative

Malika Ramsey, who disclosed that the coalition’s priority is to put education, poverty, suicide, domestic violence and youth empowerment on the front burner so as to address the current issues plaguing Guyana.

Ross over the last few months found himself in hot water over threats and comments aired on social media, which have stirred some degree of concern in the political arena.

The most recent episode of this being Ross’s comment on the death of a Finance Ministry official, following an accident in the Rupununi, where he was recorded as saying: “Awww. I am waiting for similar news of ‘Rumotar’ and his escorts.”

Politicos contend that Ross’s expression of his desire to see the death of a sitting Head of State is both troubling and, with elections in the air, politically insen-

tor for development is our people. That is why we have been investing in our young people,” he said.

ONLY THE BEST Hailing the National Synthetic Track as a “worldclass facility,” the President was emphatic in stating that the Guyanese people deserve “nothing but the best.”

“We believe that the Guyanese people deserve nothing but the best,” he said, “They must have the best. This is what we want, the series of facilities we have invested in to help the development of our people.”

He cited the National Stadium, acclaimed for major cricket matches and the recently commissioned National Aquatic Centre, among others.

“In the future, we will work towards building more facilities in all the counties,

so they can have the benefit of facilities to develop their skills,” Mr. Ramotar said.

He reiterated his Government’s commitment to supporting the sector.

“We cannot afford to stand still. We cannot afford to go back. We have to continually set our eyes on the future for us to keep moving forward….we must work to continue to build peace, progress and prosperity right across this land,” Mr. Ramotar stressed.

The President was among a line-up of officials, including Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, Director of Sport Neil Kumar, other ministry officials and members of the diplomatic corps, who witnessed the official opening of the facility, whose infrastructure will host both athletics and football events.

Absence of caution, commonsense cited in vehicular collision

The two motor vehicles involved in the accident at Middleton and Garnett Streets

APNU+AFC list candidate Mark Ross

sitive.

Ross has been vocal on social media expressing his dissatisfaction with the current Administration, which observers agree is his right. However, to publicly comment on the expectation of President Donald Ramotar’s death was seen as taking dissatisfaction one step too far.

LACK of caution and commonsense on the part of either or both motorists, recently resulted in a two-vehicle smash-up at the junction of Garnett and Middleton Streets.

However, both motorists were left reeling from the effects of the damage caused to their vehicles – a white Premio PRR 9085, driven by a male and a burgundy RAV4, PJJ 4119 driven by a female, since they collided and ended up partially submerged in the Middleton Street trench.

In the process, the front left side of the Premio was badly bashed in, while the bonnet of the RAV 4 was

also damaged.

A comment subsequently given by the female driver said that on the day in question (April 7), around 16:20hrs, her vehicle, PJJ 4119 was heading west along Garnett Street, while PRR 9085 was heading south along Middleton Street when they collided.

She admitted that it was the lack of caution and commonsense that led to the accident, but did not say on whose part.

Police visited the scene of the accident and commenced investigations after which they invited the drivers to the Kitty Police Station to give statements.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Guyana continues to benefit from Mexican agriculture programme GUYANA is among several countries that will continue to benefit from a technical cooperation agreement under the Mexican Government to build capacity in agriculture.

The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock Farming, Rural Development a n d F o o d ( S A G A R PA ) of Mexico, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), have launched the second stage of the programme geared to develop agriculture in the countries of Central America and the Caribbean.

The programme calls for 400 specialists and technical personnel from 21 countries to participate in training courses offered by scientific and educational institutions associated with the agricultural sector of Mexico, aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and encouraging further development in the Region via the transfer of technologies and innovations.

The programme, which

IICA is currently implementing in the Caribbean, will include, in this second stage, six countries of Central America and will offer for the first time virtual training programmes, certification courses and international seminars.

During the inauguration, the Secretary of SAGARPA, Enrique Martinez y Martinez, noted that agrifood trade between Mexico and the countries of Central America and the Caribbean is greater in terms of both volume and total value than trade with the European Union.

Therefore, he indicated, it is necessary to increase productivity in the Region and take whatever actions are needed to maintain or expand current trade levels.

“Let’s take the interests we share and focus them on the pursuit of our common goal: the development of agriculture and livestock farming,” he said.

IICA Deputy Director General, Lloyd Day stated that the cooperation being offered is possible, thanks to the capacity of the re-

Specific actions will be taken in the Caribbean focus on improving Black Belly Sheep production

search and educational institutions of Mexico, and to the talent of Mexican experts who are willing to share their experience and, in this way, improve agriculture in neighbouring countries facing similar challenges in terms of pro-

duction and productivity.

NEW TOPICS He added that new topics will be addressed in the second stage, such as plant and animal health protection services in seaports, airports and land border crossings, with the participation of SENASA; rainwater harvesting, with the Mexican Water Technology Institute (INTA); and bio-

technology and genomics, with the Irapuato Unit of the Centre for Advanced Research and Higher Education of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV).

In addition, the Open and Distance University of Mexico will offer two virtual programmes: a Master ’s Degree programme in Agrifood Safety and a certification programme in innovation for the agrifood sector.

According to Day, specific actions will be taken in the Caribbean focused on improving Black Belly Sheep production, with support from the Autonomous University of Chapingo (UACH), and on the in vitro cloning of tropical plants in Trinidad and Tobago, with support from the Scientific Research Centre of Yucatan (CICY).

Under Secretary for Food and Competitiveness of the SAGARPA, Ricardo Aguilar Castillo, stated that the goal for the first stage had been exceeded; with 295 specialists, rather than the 140 originally expected, receiving training in 15 countries of the Caribbean.

This programme is one of the outcomes of the technical cooperation agree-

ment signed in 2014 in Yucatan during the Third Mexico-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit, held by SAGARPA and IICA. The countries participating in the programme are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

The goal of this initiative is to address the specific needs of the participating countries, offering short training courses aimed at increasing the productivity and economic impact of their agricultural sectors.

The programme also receives support from the Secretariat of Foreign Relations of Mexico, the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AMEXCID), educational and research institutions of the agricultural sector, the Ministries of Agriculture of the participating countries, international organisations and institutions involved in training.

Chief Justice determines GFC decision against Willems Timber et al unlawful

By George Barclay AN order from the Guyana Forestry Commission suspending the Timber Sales Agreement of Willems Timber & Trading Company Limited forced that company to apply to the Court for Orders of Certiorari and Mandamus to have the unlawful decision set aside.

A Nisi Order entered on September 25, 2014 by Acting Chief Justice Mr. Ian Chang, after reading the Notice of Motion from the applicants, was made absolute Friday.

The applicants - Willems Timber and Trading Company Limited (WTTCL) and

Guyana Lumber and Timber Company Limited (GLTCL) -- have consequently been successful in their application filed on September 18, 2014 with sworn affidavit in support from Companies Director, Mr. Cecil Persaud.

Upon hearing arguments from the applicant’s attorney, the Chief Justice ordered that an Order or Rule Nisi of Certiorari be directed to the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) to show cause why its decision, made and contained in a letter to the applicant, WTTCL, dated September 11, 2014, to suspend the applicant’s Timber Sales Agreement (TSA) No. 10/85 and TSA No. 1/91

should not be brought up to this Honourable Court and quashed on the ground that the said decision of the Guyana Forestry Commission is unlawful, unreasonable, arbitrary, capricious, irrational, procedurally improper, unconstitutional, ultra vires, null, void and of no legal effect, unless sufficient cause is shown why the said Order or Rule Nisi should not be made absolute.

When the matter was called Friday, the Chief Justice declared that the matter was made absolute.

Mr. Rex Mc Kay, SC., and Attorney-at-law Mr. Neil Boston represented the applicants.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

200 more house lots distributed – during Housing Ministry’s most recent One Stop Shop

THE Ministry of Housi n g a n d t he C ent ral Housing and Planning Authority hosted their fourth ‘One Stop Shop’, on Friday, for lots on the East Bank of Demerara.

According to officials at the Ministry, Friday’s allocation exercise saw the distribution of approximately 200 lots, and was among the activities planned for 2015.

Those gathered at the Housing Ministry were elated to have the opportunity to move one step closer to home ownership; a few used the opportunity to express their gratitude.

“This is a great opportunity for us. We applied some time now and it is good that the Ministry is doing this now,” explained Joan Roberts.

M e a n w h i l e , M r.

Gooding explained that he was at the ministry on behalf of his daughter who is a young professional and who would b e n e fi t tr emendous ly from having a house lot.

“My daughter is a lawyer, a young profes-

Mr. Gooding

An elated Joan Roberts

sional and she would now be able to set the foundation at a young age,” he beamed.

The Ministry of Housing and the Central Housing and Planning Authority continues with their drive to provide affordable housing to all.

Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, explained to persons that they should not be lured by other persons to resell their lands, since the bank value for one of the allotted lots is estimated at $12M. He also informed them that because this is a recent problem the ministry is encounter-

ing, “we have in place on the contract you will be signing that the land cannot be sold or title transferred for 10 years.”

The Housing Minister congratulated the allottees on now being owners of their own houselots and wished them success in the construction of their homes.

“This is another example that the Government is working for our people, it is our duty to do so and we are proud that we can provide this service for you,” he said.

Young mason remanded for larceny from the person DOMINIC Morris, an 18-year-old mason of Lot 35 Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates Court on Friday charged with larceny from the person.

Dominic Morris pleaded not guilty to the charge, the particulars of which state that on Thursday, April 16, 2015; he stole one Samsung Galaxy cellular phone valued at $100,000, property of Melanie Deen.

According to the prosecution, on the day in question, Deen had exited a UG bus and was speaking on her

phone when Morris came up from behind and snatched the phone. He then attempted to make good his escape, with Deen in hot pursuit, whilst alerting others.

Morris was later caught by public- spirited citizens and received a sound beating, for committing the offence.

Bail was objected to

by Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman on the grounds of the nature, prevalence and penalty attached to the offence.

The prosecution’s objection was upheld and Morris was remanded to prison, until May 6.

A beneficiary going through the allocation process

The Chronicle spoke with a few beneficiaries and they unanimously answered, “we are very happy to be in line to receive our lots.”

Alex Samson, one of the beneficiaries, said: “Receiving my lot today is great and I am excited to be in my own home soon and enjoy my own comforts.” He noted that this is a tremendous move for him, as he will be able to provide his children with a home.

Mr. Singh, another beneficiary of a houselot explained that “I have only recently gotten married and starting a new life and to be given this opportunity of owning my own home is so good”. He explained that he will not have to pay a rent anymore and he can use the same monies to repay a bank loan “and at the end of all of this the place is mine.”

Some other persons who wished to have their

names withheld noted that this is an investment in their lives as well as their children’s. One recipient noted that she had applied for a houselot in 2011, and today she is receiving her dream.

A young single mother explained that she was very happy to have her houselot and noted that she will save a lot, since her repayment to the bank will be less than the rent she now pays.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

UG Career Day/Open Day 2015 attracts mammoth participation

HELD under the theme “Building blocks for a strong foundation,” the University of Guyana’s Career/Open Day 2015 saw thousands of schools across Guyana along with many private and public sector entities participating in the event.

The opening ceremony was staged at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT) Friday, in the presence of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (VC) Elizabeth Samlall and Dr. Barbara Reynolds, among representatives of both the private and public sectors.

In delivering brief remarks, Dr. Reynolds stressed on the necessity of having an array of diverse professionals in our country and in order to attain such a goal, one must consider his/ her academic path which begins at

the University of Guyana. Similar sentiments were then conveyed by members of the university’s Students Society.

Amidst the academic and humorous remarks, were several enthusiastic cultural presentations by students and members of the university. Chevy Devonish, UG’s Law Society President, marvelously stood out with his poem that embraced the bad outcome of marijuana. A representative of the Confucius Institute of UG lifted the gathering as she sang a cultural song. There were also dances done by students and the university’s Student Society’s ruling Queen, Esther Inniss.

The event also featured a “talent splash,” which was initiated by the Public Relations Division that focused on various talents and skills that students hold. A

competition was also held within the faculties on the basis of which has the best display. The final-year social work students also hosted a blood drive in the midst of the event.

Schools from Berbice as well as Linden expressed their appreciation to the university for giving them the opportunity to explore their career paths. They also had the opportunity of viewing the services offered by the Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Education and Humanities, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Technology, the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Confucius Institute.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) Paulette Paul told this publication that the aim of this event is to show the link between areas of study at the university and career

opportunities in the organisations that had participated.

Some of the organisations that took part in this year’s Career Day were: the Accountancy Training Centre(ACC), Air Services Limited (ASL), Banks DIH, Demerara Distillers, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA),the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Post Office Corporation, the Guyana Prison Service, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Technical Institute (GTI), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Guyana School of Agriculture, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) and Roraima Airways among others.

UGSS reigning Queen, Esther Inniss, gives the audience a peek of beauty and brain at the opening ceremony on Career Day 2015

The gathering at the opening ceremony in high spirits

St. Joseph High School students visit the booths

Students jostle for a glimpse of what the booths have to offer

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

GNBA hosts Girls in ICT Day Mentorship event

THE Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) yesterday hosted the Girls in ICT Day 2015 Mentorship Lunch at its head office located at High Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

The event saw a good turnout of young professionals, and was characterised by a very interactive and

Unit (NFMU) said that females are under- represented in decision making in ICT; as such, their voices are not heard and also revealed that less girls are enrolling for ICT at the University of Guyana (UG) and that needed to be changed.

She told the gathering that International Girls in ICT Day is an

THESE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: A Mentorship/Networking Lunch at the GNBA head office, Lot 68 High Street, Kingston, Georgetown, on April 17, 2015. The event will provide a forum for 50 females, comprising Computer Science/IT students, It teachers and ICT professionals to interact and network and generally discuss issues that prevent females from choosing and pursuing careers in the ICT field. It is expected that this forum will be an annual event and will

Mariel Barrow during her dramatic piece, a poem informative session geared towards motivating more females to pursue an ICT career.

Chairperson of the GNBA, Bibi Shaddick, in welcoming remarks said that there is a lot of potential for youths, especially girls and women, in the field of ICT and encouraged them to grab those opportunities.

She added that in the distant past women worked as typist clerks, which showed that women were the first in that field and noted that today more women are employed in call centres and other places of employment in the ICT forefront.

Shaddick said, “We want our nation, not only women, to be technologically inclined and we also want our women to lead, not walk behind men in ICT.” Dr. Hamadoun I. Toure, ITU Secretary-General Girls in ICT Day 2015 message was recorded and played for the event yesterday. The message highlighted the benefits derived from ICT and how young girls and women could be part of it.

Giving an overview of Girls in ICT Day, Mellisa Payne, an engineer at the National Frequency Management

ICT Day will be observed on April 23, 2015.

Payne added that for the past three years Guyana has celebrated International Girls in ICT Day, and this year they plan to once again play their part in the observance.

She added that the National Frequency Management Unit ((NFMU) in collaboration with other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, the Guyana National Broadcasting Corporation, E-Government Unit, One Laptop Per Family, Digicel, Qualfon, GT&T, NT Computeac, Brainstreet Group, Global Technology, Guyana Society for the Blind and University of Guyana have planned and organised several activities for 2015.

Secondary School for 300 pupils of 3rd and 4th forms.

At this event, female ICT professionals will speak about their experiences and present themselves as role models for the young students.

Additionally, booths will be set up to display some ICT applications in such areas as cyber security, networking, graphic design and computer programming. At these booths, the students will have opportunities to learn more about the particular activity/ application.

During the event, there was a dramatic poem by Ms. Levon George titled, “Remember When,” which was well received. There was also an energetic dramatic piece by nineyear-old Mariel Barrow of North Georgetown Primary School.

In the feature address, Jennifer Britton, Regional Coordinator in ICT for the Caribbean with the CARICOM Secretariat, gave a power-point presentation and interacted with the young professionals yesterday.

With the theme, “Create the life you want with ICT,” Britton said ICT is more than phones and computers and it is anything that has a microprocessor.

She pointed out that a lot of us are already in the ICT field and we do not even know the others such as librarians,

Members of the head table with a section of the gathering at the event initiative launched by members of the International Telecommunications Union at its 2010 Plenipotentiary Conference with the idea of creating a global environment that will empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs).

It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in April each year.

This year, International Girls in

yield suggestions that would lead to more girls choosing careers in the ICT sector.

A Tech Day Camp will be held on April 20, 2015 at UG’s Centre for Information Technology. It will target 20 female IT students and aims to develop their interest in computer programming and logical problem solving.

There will also be a Girls in ICT Day Symposium on April 23, 2015, and this will be held at North Ruimveldt

postal workers, journalists, etc.

She urged the girls present to pursue a career in ICT as she outlined the benefits both on the regional and international scene, where they could work right from their homes.

Britton also talked about ICT trends and its evolution among other topical issues pertaining to ICT in Guyana.

During lunch, a lively discussion followed with questions, comments and inputs from all present.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Combating the challenges of diabetes

By Shirley Thomas

FOR persons with diabetes, taking care of your overall health is a top priority, and germane to managing diabetes, is keeping your blood sugar under control.

And just why is it important to do this? Because whenever your blood sugar level rises and is not controlled, it triggers responses that could adversely affect major organs in the person’s body, leading to amputations; other illnesses such as strokes, erectile dysfunction; coronary heart diseases, blindness, nervous system damage, chronic kidney disease and eventually endstage renal failure.

Diabetes is a serious

chronic non-communicable disease. It affects almost all parts of the human body. If you do not control it, then it can cause serious problems with your organs.

Whenever a person consumes carbohydrates, his/her body gets glucose from the food they eat. After the food is digested, glucose passes into your blood stream. The glucose must then get into the cells and tissues where it will be used for growth and energy. But this cannot happen without insulin playing its part.

TYPE 2 DIABETES It is here that insulin (a protein made by the pancreas) which changes sugars into energy, plays a key role.

In fact, it acts as a key, and

opens ‘tiny doors’ in your cells, to let glucose in from your bloodstream. Once the glucose would have passed into your cells and is stored for energy, then the level of glucose in your blood stream goes down.

But if there is ‘insulin resistance’ and the cells are not opened up to take in the glucose, then it remains in the bloodstream and builds up, which constitutes hyperglycemia or type 2 diabetes.

Another disadvantage is that for people with type 2 diabetes, their fat, liver, and muscle cells do not respond correctly to insulin. This is called insulin resistance.

This condition can come about through the use of trans fat (such as margarine, shortening or some vege-

table oils), in which case, the fat plug up the insulin receptors, driving insulin resistance.

In short, Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there is a high level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. It is the most common form of diabetes. A person can get it if it runs in the family; when they don’t get regular exercise; when there are too many stressors in your life or if your body does not make enough insulin or can’t properly use the insulin your pancreas makes.

Type 1 Diabetes: The other major type of diabetes is Type I diabetes (or insulin-dependent diabetes). This is where the body fails to produce the insulin needed for cells to absorb glucose and results in the person having to take injectable ‘insulin shots’ in order to burn up the glucose accumulated in the bloodstream, and convert it to energy for the body’s cells and tissues.

Previously, Type I diabetes was common mainly among adults in Guyana. However, more and more children are being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

In response to this, the Ministry of Health has an innovative programme through which they are screened, treated and managed once diagnosed. The programme has the support of the private sector and foreign donors and caters to the nutritional needs of the affected children, as well as supplements, and the provision of special injecting devices to dispense insulin to the children on a daily basis. Early symptoms of diabetes may include: ● Bladder, kidney, skin, or other infections that are more frequent or heal slowly

● Fatigue ● Hunger ● Increased thirst ● Increased urination ● Blurred vision ● Erectile dysfunction ● Pain or numbness in the feet or hands

FROM SILENT KILLER TO ARRANT TERMINATOR Diabetes, through the years has been known as the silent killer. That is, because dangerous as it is, it is often goes undiagnosed and only when considerable damage would have been done, do we realise, it is present. In the United States for example, diabetes affects some 24 million people, but only 18 million know they have it.

This means that for 6 million Americans, their diabetic condition continues to go unmanaged.

But amazingly, the disease has now taken on a new dispensation, and from being subtle over the years, today, aided by a virtual paradigm shift in lifestyles and eating habits, it has become a virtual terminator. Where undetected and left unmanaged, it has led to rising cases of blindness strokes; cardiac diseases; erectile dysfunction, limb amputations and not least, end-stage kidney disease, necessitating dialysis which must now be taken for life, unless a kidney transplant can be done.

But even though taking care of your overall health is a top priority for diabetics, yet, so many diabetics engage in unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking and imbibing alcohol and unhealthy eating habits. And to compound the problem, a significant percentage of the

cases being monitored by this newspaper, across the spectrum, were never aware that they had diabetes until they developed complications which had already gone out of control and they had either lost their sight; had to have immediate amputations or had to commence dialysis within a few days.

But in Guyana today, where many persons were not aware they had diabetes or hypertension until their kidneys had been destroyed, the contributory factor has been found to be the uncontrolled or almost reckless consumption of foods prepared using ingredients considered hazardous to good health.

FAST FOOD CRAZE Because of the burgeoning fast food craze in Guyana, a sizeable percentage of our population (young and old) is steadfastly hooked on foods containing all the properties that make for a proliferation of diabetes in society.

These include: hi-sodium; hi-carbs; trans fats; processed foods with additives and synthetic flavour enhancers; artificial sweeteners - now used in nearly all the colourful and attractively packaged and presented processed foods.

And yet for all, when sickness knocks, we wonder why.

A healthy diet and an exercise plan are key to managing a diabetic’s condition and controlling his/ her weight. Your doctor or dietitian can advise you on planning your meals so that you can eat the right foods and manage your sugar intake. Have your blood-sugar checked regularly. Eat a wide variety of food, but do so in moderation and minus the aforementioned ingredients.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Chronicle Weekend Roundup with Telesha Ramnarine April 13-17, 2015

MONDAY, APRIL 13

BODY OF NUDE GIRL, 17, FOUND ON WCD FORESHORE

TWO men who have been fighting for some time to claim the love of a 17-year-old girl were arrested by the police, and remain in custody after the teen’s nude, decomposing body was found on the foreshore at La Jalousie, WCD. The partly nude remains of 17-year-old store clerk, Davkumari Ramadar of Lot 59 Bella Dam, West Bank Demerara, was found on the foreshore by persons who were traversing the area and were attracted by the stench.

Ramadar had been missing since two Saturdays ago, when she stormed out of her Water Street Georgetown workplace after a misunderstanding with her employer and another employee

JAGDEO CALLS ON LINDEN TO TEACH APNU+AFC A LESSON

A MASSIVE gathering of supporters screamed their approval when former president, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, took to the platform at the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C’s) third national rally at Lien Ken-Pen Square, Linden.

And their infectious enthusiasm was sustained as they welcomed his call for the political Opposition to be taught a lesson come May 11. “Linden must teach them a lesson!

Linden must say ‘No’ to intimidation!” he said, adding that the coalition of A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) is well versed in bullyism and intimidation.

“They are preying on the fears of people; they have good machinery for bullying people,” Dr. Jagdeo declared.

DRUNK DRIVING CAUSES POWER SHUTDOWN ACROSS DEMERARA, BERBICE

DRUNK driving caused a major Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) system failure across the counties of Demerara and Berbice. However, quick response by GPL officials in isolating the source of the problem on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System facilitated restoration of power within two hours.

GPL Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ash Deonarine, in an invited comment, told the Guyana Chronicle that the intoxicated driver of a canter slammed into a 69,000volt transmission pole at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

He added that the restoration of the electricity to users on GPL’s grid was done in phases.

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

GUYANESE WILL NOT BE ‘TRICKED’ INTO ‘SLAVISH DEVOTION’

IN what was one of the most responsive People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) public meetings to date, supporters of the ruling party and the political Opposition were vociferous in expressions of support and dissent respectively at the corner of Alexander and William Streets, Kitty.

And party stalwart, Dr. Roger Luncheon tailored his message for both groups, even as supporters of the coalesced A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) paraded the corner with APNU flags, and PPP/C supporters countered with rebuffs of their own and cheers of endorsement.

Dr. Luncheon’s quintessential undertaking was to highlight that “fewer people” are being tricked into “slavish” devotion by a political Opposition that advances a notion that they have a “transport” to the votes of sections of the Guyanese population.

DR. JAGAN WAS A LEADER OF EXTRAORDINARY QUALITY

ST. VINCENT and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, said that former President and founder member of the People’s Progressive Party, the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan, was a leader of extraordinary quality.

Delivering the Annual Cheddi Jagan Lecture, entitled “Cheddi Jagan: His Nationalism, His Regionalism and His Internationalism”, Dr. Gonsalves said Dr. Jagan’s intellect, honesty, decency, humanity, charisma and commitment in improving the lot of the poor and the working class set him as a brightness that sparkled and illuminated.

THREE ESCAPE DEATH AS CAR TOPPLES AT RAHAMAN’S TURN

THREE young men aboard a burgundy Toyota Fielder wagon escaped death and visible injuries when the driver lost control of the car in the vicinity of Rahaman’s Park on the East Bank of Demerara, and the vehicle toppled.

The vehicle, PMM 6282, was reportedly travelling north along the East Bank roadway when, in the vicinity of Rahaman’s Park, it flipped several times before turning turtle, forcing the occupants to crawl to safety.

The Guyana Chronicle was informed that the young men had been drinking at a nightspot further up the East Bank, and were heading to another bar in the city when the accident occurred. After the crash and the youths had crawled to safety, they quickly returned to the vehicle to remove bottles of rum and beer.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

TODDLER KILLED IN WATER ST ACCIDENT BURIED AMIDST LOUD WAILING

THE body of four-year-old Elijah Jadon Andrews, killed in a motor accident on Water Street outside Giftland Officemax on April 4, was buried at Le Repentir Cemetery amidst loud weeping and wailing.

His body was open for viewing at Sandy’s Funeral Home earlier in the day, before being removed to the 144-year-old St. Thomas Presbyterian Church for a Thanksgiving Service.

Hundreds converged at the church in Tiger Bay, a short distance from where the child had lived with his family.

Jason was struck down by minibus BPP 1702 as he attempted to cross Water Street on his way home from Rosemarie Lane.

CUBAN SPECIALISTS EXPECTED IN GUYANA BY MONTH END

GUYANA is expected to deliver training to persons in the medical field from around the Region in the area of rehabilitative medicine. Health Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsaran said this would be done under the Cooperation and Technical Assistance Agreement among the CARICOM Secretariat, Ministry of Education of the Republic of Cuba, and the Ministry of Health of Guyana, for the setting up of the Development Stimulating Centre for children, adolescents, and young people with special educational needs associated with disabilities.

The major component of the project would be Cuba’s sending of five specialists to work in the Centre to train Guyanese.

U.S PRESIDENT OBAMA ENDORSES GUYANA’S LCDS, AMAILA FALLS HYDROPOWER PROJECT

AN endorsement from US President Barack Obama of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and the focus on non-renewable energy via the Amaila Falls Hydropower project (AFHP) was the primary take-away from last week’s talks in Jamaica.

The United States President met with President Ramotar and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government in Jamaica.

The hydropower project is touted to be able to provide Guyanese with a cheaper, reliable and sustainable electricity supply. It involves construction of a hydropower plant in the area of West-Central Guyana, where the Amaila and Kuribrong Rivers meet.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

PRESIDENT VISITS EXXONMOBIL’S DEEPWATER CHAMPION OIL RIG

PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar paid a visit to the ExxonMobil drillship, the Deepwater Champion, currently drilling for oil under licence from the Government of Guyana in the Stabroek block, some 120 miles offshore Guyana and within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is the local subsidiary of ExxonMobil, the largest publicly-traded oil and gas company in the

world.

Minister Robert Persaud is coordinating the development of a National Oil and Gas Policy on which he has invited and encouraged wide stakeholder participation and comment.

HOSTILE OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS FORCE PPP/C TO CANCEL PUBLIC MEETING

HOSTILE supporters and activists of A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) have once again demonstrated their hostility by vandalising the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C’s) campaign materials.

The Opposition supporters have now taken their hostility and intimidatory tactics to another level, as manifested by their barring the PPP/C from conducting a public meeting in the area.

Speaking to a sizeable crowd on Wednesday evening during one of the party’s public meetings at Time Square Street in Grove, East Bank Demerara, PPP/C stalwart Ms. Gail Teixeira alluded to the intimidatory tactics and hostile behaviour of elements from the Opposition camp, who are bent on disrupting campaign meetings being conducted by the incumbent PPP/C in the lead-up to the May 11 General and Regional Elections.

EPA WARNS AGAINST KILLING JAGUARS

– even when they’re a threat THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that it is an offence to knowingly pursue jaguars with the intention to harm or kill them, even though they may present a threat.

Jaguars are protected, but, in a public advisory, the EPA stressed that it is criminal to attack or inflict suffering on any wildlife, whether they are protected or not. The EPA advisory acknowledged that persons may kill wildlife that pose a direct threat to themselves or others. However, the circumstances should be reported to the nearest police station or the EPA as soon as possible, and not later than seven days after the event.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17 AGAINST ALL ODDS… MARRIOTT GUYANA OPENS FOR BUSINESS

INTERNATIONAL and local business tycoons, members of the diplomatic corps, and a number of Government officials joined Head of State, President Donald Ramotar, and Ms. Brenda Durham, Senior Vice-President and Regional General Counsel for Marriott International Inc., for the historic opening of the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

The list of dignitaries reflected the crème de la crème of Guyanese business and social class, executive power, foreign relations and international partners. An international media contingent also descended on the Georgetown Marriott to join their Guyana counterparts in reporting on the opening of the world-class facility, built and opened to the world despite an obstinate Opposition front.

PPP CONDEMNS OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS’ VANDALISM, TERRORISM

THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has again vehemently condemned the actions of persons who have launched a campaign of vandalism and terrorism against the party’s efforts to engage the population in meaningful participation.

“The party would like to bring to the attention of the general public the wilful and malicious destruction of the PPP/C’s billboards, flags and posters, particularly in Region 3(West Demerara-Essequibo Islands).

This behaviour has continued unabated, despite reports and repeated appeals to the relevant authorities to intervene.

“These acts of terrorism and vandalism can only benefit the Opposition alliance; and their participation, support, and/ or encouragement strike at the core of our democracy.

“We shudder to think that these acts represent a return to the old days of terror and repression. Their attempts to instill fear and the use of military-style intimidation have not gone unnoticed,” the party said in a statement.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Chronicle reporter freed of Farmers endorse value threatening language charge AT IICA VALIDATION SEMINAR...

of dialogue among value-chain actors

REPRESENTATIVES of cassava and small ruminant farmers countrywide have said that recent value-chain analyses of the two products have helped them to see that solutions to production and marketing issues depend on constant dialogue between all actors in the chain: buyers, financiers and all other input suppliers included.

The endorsement was made at a validation seminar at the end of a six- month appraisal of the two sectors made by the local office of the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The action had been requested by the Government of Guyana under the auspices of the Agriculture Policy Programme (APP) which is being funded under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF).

The study had been done

by local consultant Selwyn Anthony in close collaboration with local agencies such as the New Guyana Marketing Corporation, the National Agricultural and Extension Institute (NAREI) the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and other value-chain actors such as producer groups and individual cassava and small ruminants farmers, hotels, restaurants and supermarket owners, and even land, water and air- transport providers of agricultural produce.

The consultant had also looked at ways in which funding could be obtained for the targeted cassava and small ruminant farmers to buy inputs and to improve efficiency.

A spokesman for the farmers said that they want to move rapidly to establish the recommended commodity chains dialogue platforms necessary for the interaction

of the producers, the buyers and the service providers, including bankers and extension staff.

“We recognise that if you don’t have these dialogue platforms, we will not get the linkages between all the actors in the value chain.

We will continue as individuals, each one doing their own thing in their own little corner and nobody getting anywhere,” he said.

He agreed that the way ahead for the farmers included formation of more producer groups, acquiring better market information, improving production practices, and lobbying for policy which would enable exports.

The farmers are looking forward to support from the IICA for the establishment of the proposed dialogue platforms which they hope will be recognised as the national bodies for the two sectors.

Agricola duo remanded for robbery under arms A DUO accused of robbing a businesswoman at gunpoint in Agricola were Friday remanded to prison by chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on an armed robbery charge.

Adam Downes, a 21-oneyear-old porter of Lot 34 Public Road, Agricola and Simon David of 21 Public Road, Agricola were slapped with the charge that alleged on April 16 at Agricola, armed with a gun robbed Nathalie Outridge of $565,000 cash, her $35,000 cell phone along with other items valued $45,000 – totalling $650,000.

Both men denied the allegation and Downes’s lawyer, Mr. Leslie Sobers, told the court that his client has an air-tight alibi, that on the day of the robbery his client was at the Providence Magistrates court on trial for robbery, it was then after his hearing he reported to duty, when the police arrested him at his worksite.

The lawyer explained that Downes’s, employer and co-worker can testify to his alibi, citing that it was a case of mistaken identification or simply wrongly profiled by

Robbery accused Adam Downes

Robbery accused Simon David

the police. Sobers noted that there is not nexus in the relationship between his client and the other accused beside the fact that they both live in the same village.

Police Prosecutor, Bharrat Mangru told the court that on the day in question about 10:35hrs, the woman stopped at a shop in the village, to make a purchase, when David, who was armed with a gun, appeared beside her and apprehended her.

The court heard that is was Downes who had cuffed the woman, while relieving her of the mentioned articles.

The matter was reported and

based on diligent investigations; David and Downes were arrested and subsequently charged.

Mangru objected to bail, citing the seriousness, prevalence and penalty that the offence attracts if the defendant is to be convicted. He also argued that Downes was charged for a similar offence and it was alleged that while he was on bail the offence was committed.

The prosecution’s objection was upheld, statements were ordered while the matter was transferred to Magistrate Judy Latchman for May 6.

GUYANA Chronicle reporter Rawl Toney, who was accused of threatening his wife with a pair of scissors, had the charge against him dismissed by city Magistrate Annett Singh on Friday after his reputed wife refused to proceed with the matter.

The court heard that the couple live together as reputed husband and wife, however on April 16 at

Costello Housing Scheme, We s t L a P e n i t e n c e , h e used threatening language against Jamiel Denny, his reputed wife.

Toney, however, denied the charge when it was read to him by the magistrate.

The prosecution’s case is that on the day in question, the couple had a misunderstanding when Toney became annoyed, picked up a pair of scissors and threat-

ened to kill her. The matter was reported and Toney was arrested and charged.

Toney, however, explained that while he did have an exchange of words with his wife, and that he had picked up a pair of scissors, he did not threaten Denny. The couple was ordered to attend counselling, after Denny requested that the case be dismissed.

Two more charged for Bourda Post Office heist TWO other accomplices in the million-dollar robbery outside the Bourda Post Office were brought before the court Friday to answer a series of charges pertaining to the robbery.

Semion Evans and Oliver Franklin were not required to plead to the charges after they were read to them

by Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court The first charge alleged that on April 1, at Regent Street, Evans and others, while armed with a gun, robbed Andre July of one G3 rifle and 20 rounds of 7.62 ammunition, property of the Guyana Police Force.

Particulars of the second charge stated that on April 1, at Regent Street, they robbed Andre July of $42,522,000, property of the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC).

It was further alleged that on the same day at the said location, they robbed July of one cell phone valued $10,000.

The men were also accused of robbing Darwin Hinds of one Pit Bull minibus valued $3.5M, while in the company of others and armed with a gun. The minibus is the property of the GPOC. The defendants were also charged with wrongfully restraining and abducting Andre July and Darwin Hinds on April 1, at Regent Street.

According to the police report, the defendants and

The Two robbery accused Friday at the city court

five other men stormed the minibus which had brought cash to the Bourda Post Office.

One of the men placed a gun to the driver’s head while another confronted the police guard and relieved him of his weapon.

One of the bandits pushed the driver from his seat in the bus and took possession of the vehicle, while his accomplice forced the policeman into the back of the bus and they drove off with the cash inside while their three other partners followed in a white car.

When the bus reached Cemetery Road it stopped, the men in the white car pulled up alongside and the cash was transferred from the bus. The bandits then abandoned the bus with the

two victims. The matter was reported and based on diligent investigations; Evans and Franklin were arrested and subsequently charged.

P o l i c e P r o s e c u t o r, Bharrat Mangru objected to bail, citing the prevalence and penalty that the offence attracts if the defendants are convicted. He also argued that an alleged firearm was used to execute the robbery.

Bail was refused and the defendants were remanded to prison until April 20.

It was only last week when Stravo Evans, 31, of Lot 169 Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown, was also brought before the court, another alleged accomplice to answer to the same charge, where he met the same fate as his two partners.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Psychiatric evaluation ordered for suspect in Shaquan Gittens murder

Murder accused: Ryan Bobb-Semple

CHIEF Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry has ordered a psychiatric evaluation for 21-year-old Ryan Bobb-Semple, who it is alleged, gruesomely murdered nine-year-old Shaquan Gittens at the Houston backlands a few weeks ago.

Bobb-Semple was not required to plead to the indictable charge alleging murder when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on April 10 before Magistrate Judy Latchman.

Attorney-at-Law, Paul Fung-a-Fat respectfully asked

for his client to be confined, so that he could be examined and a determination could be made as to his mental fitness to stand trial.

The mental examination was granted by the Magistrate; however Bobb-Semple will remain on remand until May 6, since investigations into the incident are still in progress.

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.

A post-mortem revealed that Gittens died of manual strangulation and drowning. There were also signs of sexual assault and the post-mortem also confirmed that the child’s private part was missing.

Sunday, April 19, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Monday, April 20, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - 05:00 hrs

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Sunday CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Racing Tips Racing Tips

10:10 hrs Dreamabad

French Racing Tips

10:45 hrs Alinbarbotin

Auteuil

11:15 hrs Biendeuno

08:30 hrs Terre Et Mer

11:55 hrs Au Combat

09:08 hrs Protekapril 09:40 hrs Saint Call

South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:45 hrs Melanchete 09:20 hrs Hunting Owl 09:55 hrs Just Lucky 10:30 hrs Wanton Child 11:05 hrs Cakewalk

English Racing Tips Wincanton 09:10 hrs Lochalsh 09:40 hrs Akula 10:10 hrs Sir Valentino 10:40 hrs Drdanella 11:10 hrs She’s Da One 11:40 hrs Trafficker 12:10 hrs Preseli Star

Stratford 09:00 hrs Guard Of Honour 09:30 hrs Artifice Sivola 10:00 hrs Russborough 10:30 hrs Cosway Spirit 11:00 hrs Bon Chic 11:30 hrs No Loose Change 12:00 hrs Carningli

Irish Racing Tips Curragh 09:20 hrs Waterloo Bridge 09:50 hrs Penny Pepper 10:20 hrs Oor Jock 10:50 hrs Due Diligence 11:20 hrs Massinga 11:50 hrs Princess Pearlita 12:20 hrs Morning Mix

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Sunday CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Chelsea open up 10-point lead with gritty United win

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard (right) wheels away to celebrate after giving his side the lead against Manchester United in the Premier League. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

By Tom Hayward LONDON, (Reuters) Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard struck late in the first half to secure a 1-0 home win over Manchester United and open a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League yesterday.

Belgium international Hazard found a neat finish in the 38th minute to grab his 18th goal in all competitions this season after Chelsea spent much of the opening period on the back foot.

United continued to dictate possession after the break but the hosts, who now have 76 points with six games remaining, defended stoi-

cally and stretched their advantage over second-placed Arsenal, who they visit next weekend.

United are a further point back in third, four clear of rivals Manchester City who host West Ham United today.

Louis van Gaal’s side, having won six successive league matches, arrived in west London full of confidence and with a realistic chance of leapfrogging Arsenal into second.

Without their metronomic midfield anchor Michael Carrick and the underrated Daley Blind, Wayne Rooney was deployed in a deeper role and almost opened the scoring

in the fourth minute but his curling effort flashed past the post.

Alongside Rooney, Ander Herrera controlled possession, setting the tempo for the visitors, and was the catalyst for many of United’s attacks in an impressive opening 30 minutes.

For all their possession and endeavour, though, United failed to breach Chelsea’s watertight defence and were made to pay by a slick counter-attack in the 38th minute.

United striker Radamel Falcao was dispossessed in midfield before Oscar flicked the ball into the path of Hazard who burst into the

area and slotted through the legs of David De Gea.

Hazard could have added a second goal shortly after the break but his flick hit the woodwork after Didier Drogba’s deflected shot looped over De Gea and into his path.

United defender Paddy McNair drew a save from Thibaut Courtois and Falcao also fired against the woodwork as United’s pressure intensified.

The hosts, however, were equal to the task and it will take a mighty capitulation for Chelsea, unbeaten in the league since Jan. 1, not to win a fourth Premier League title.

All-round Duminy sees Daredevils through JP Duminy’s all-round brilliance set the foundation of Delhi Daredevils’ second win of the season but it still took remarkable presence of mind from Mayank Agarwal to close the doors on Sunrisers Hyderabad.

(Scores: Delhi Daredevils 167 for 4 (Iyer 69, Duminy 54) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 163 for 8 (Bopara 41, Duminy 4-17) by four runs).

The home team needed seven runs off the last two balls when Karn Sharma’s slice was headed over the rope behind point, but Agarwal leapt and parried the ball back into play to deny Sunrisers four runs. That save more or less sealed the result.

That Sunrisers had managed to come so close was largely due to some late blows from Karn and Ashish Reddy, but they had already been put in an awkward position

by Duminy. He had scored a 41-ball 54, one of the two key efforts that lifted Daredevils to their eventual 167, and his four key wickets were key in stalling Sunrisers.

Duminy removed both David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan in the seventh over, just after the two had taken 30 off the previous two overs.

Those strikes changed the momentum.

Duminy pulled it towards Daredevils even further in the 17th over when he removed both Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara. It was only the fifth time a player had managed a fifty and a four-wicket haul in the same game.

Batting was not easy on a tricky pitch. After their loss to Rajasthan Royals in their previous match, Sunrisers had asked the curator for a surface with more pace, but it wasn’t to be.

The new pitch behaved exactly the way the other one did, with ball sticking and the bounce unpredictable.

Throughout the game, seamers often used their slower ones, there were plenty of edges, while Dhawan took a couple of blows around the rib cage.

Perhaps because of this unknown, Warner had said he wanted to bowl after Daredevils had opted to bat. As Agarwal edged to slip a rising delivery from Praveen Kumar, that decision seemed justified but Shreyas Iyer, after initial discomfort, showed that if a batsman was prepared to stick on, there were runs to be had.

Iyer punched Dale Steyn,

who was playing his first game of the season, for a boundary through cover in the bowler’s second over but was also lucky a couple of times as the edges evaded the fielders.

Twenty-eight runs came in the first five overs but as Duminy held one end, Iyer went on the offensive, taking 12 runs off the sixth over, bowled by Praveen.

Iyer reserved special treatment for Karn’s legspin, hitting the bowler for three sixes in the eight balls he faced off him, the last of which brought up his maiden IPL half-century, in 32 balls. That intensity manifested in the scores, as 52 runs came in the second five-over block.

Iyer was dismissed soon after as he was fooled by a slower delivery, but Duminy, who had been patiently watching from the other end took the mantle of scoring, hitting two fours and a six off Bopara, then hoisting Steyn over long-on to reach his half-century off 39 balls.

Such brilliance doesn’t ensure a win at times. Ask Yuvraj Singh, who has done that all-round double twice before, but his side lost the match in both instances.

Today, however, Duminy had two critical supporting acts - Iyer with the bat and Agarwal, in that last over, down at the boundary.

From back page

Berbice regain ...

But when Parsotam was adjudged lbw to Leon Andrews (1 for 15), no other Essequibian batsman apart from Chinkoo, who made 10 batting at number 10, reached double figures, as Lewis (4-11), Kassim Khan (3-9) and Seetaram (2-19) dismissed the remaining nine batsmen for 46.

At Camp Road, Rutherford and Renee started cautiously when play got underway at 12:00hrs, after water from the fore-day morning rain, caused a seepage just in front of the popping crease at the Atlantic Ocean End of the pitch.

Not to be deterred by the delayed start, the Under-17 took three wickets before the luncheon period, removing Renee (17, 2x4), Tevin Imloch (02) and Rutherford for 60 (77 balls, 8x4), thanks to the bowling of Sagar Hetheramani who ended with 6 for 59 from 29 overs of controlled off spin.

Prior to the first session slide which saw Demerara slipping from 56 for 1 to 66 for 2, Rutherford posted his first half century of the tournament from 60 balls and 165 minutes batting with six fours, before he was caught at slip

by Timothy McAlmont off Hetheramani just before the luncheon interval.

When play resumed after the break, both Hetheramani and Ashmead Nedd (1 for 33) befuddled the batsmen as they bowled in tandem, while the National Under-17 lineup conceded 28 runs and took the wicket of Chetnarine Pooran (00) who was bowled by Hetheramani.

Nedd had the opportunity to remove Akshaya Persaud when he was on 25 and Demerara 116 for 4, but Romaine Munniram at extra cover grassed the simplest of chances just before the tea break which Demerara took at 129 for 4 with Akshaya Persaud on 31 and Travis Persaud 7.

Akshaya Persaud was the first to go on the resumption, when he was caught by Adrian Sukhwah off a slower ball from Joshua Jones (2 for 45) at 137 for 5, which became 144 for 6 when Jones induced Travis Persaud (13) to edge one to his opposite number Ronaldo Ali-Mohammed at slip.

Malcolm Hubbard, who pulled a no ball from Jones for six over mid-wicket with disdain and Ershad Alli (15, 2x4) added 32 for the seventh wicket before Alli offered no shot from a wrong one from Hetheramani and was bowled.

Shortly after, Hubbard was caught by Ali-Mohammed at slip off Hetheramani for 32 (46balls, 2x4; 1x6) to hand the bowler his fifth wicket before Daniel Basdeo tamely became victim number sixth when he too was bowled with a wrong one for 2 at 196 for 9.

Faced with the herculean task of keeping out the bowlers for 8.5 overs, Carlton Jacques and Mark Hamilton did just that to deny their opponents first innings points as their team finished on 219 for 9 off 77 overs, with their individual contributions being 9 (1x4) and 18 respectively.

Hetheramani finished with 6 for 59, but for his first innings haul of 4 for 43 backed by his topscore of 60, Rutherford was dutifully named Man of the Match, as all four teams turn their attention to the limited overs version of the tournament which bowls off tomorrow.

Central searching for ... need to a draw to advance to the May 20 – 22 second round and a chance to represent the Caribbean at the CONCACAF Champions League like they did last year.

Coached by Former England International Terry Fenwick, Central FC who competes in the Trinidad and Tobago Pro-League has built a reputation of being one of the Island’s most feared teams.

With the likes of Willis Plaza, their goal scorer against Inter Moengotapoe, Ataulla Guerra, Akeem Benjamin, Jamal Jack and goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams, Central FC’s star studded line-up, especially their attack, can pose some trouble for Alpha United. “we wouldn’t give Central any respect for the fact of our share of success against TT ProLeague teams, beating T&T Defence Force when they were champions but that has past and gone, this is a new team, well organised as well so we’ll have to be very discipline” Dover told Chronicle Sport.

Alpha United had finished third in the 2011 CFU Club Championship and qualified for the Preliminary Round of the 2011– 2012 CONCACAF Champions League becoming the first club from Guyana to play in the CONCACAF Champions League.

In the playoff for third place, Alpha United

From back page

created history by beating Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force on penalty kicks (4-3) after regulation and extra time failed to break the 1-1 deadlock.

“Alpha is a very good football team; they’ve got a number of well recognised players from around the region and they would be a different kettle of fish to what we played tonight (Friday). We’re expecting a tough game, they’ll be organized and I think it will be a very good game,” said Central FC Coach Fenwick.

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender pointed out that his club is a debutant at the CFU level, having only formed in 2012 but noted “CFU is a great opportunity for our players to gain experience and if we work to win the next game and go on to the finals then I think we could go all the way and then who knows.”

Alpha United will turn to its usual playmakers Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, who many Trinidadians still remember for his heroics against MLS side New England Revolution in the CONCACAF Champions League with Joe Public FC, Grenadian Kithson Bain, Daniel Wilson, Panamanian Manuel Vargas, Jamaican defender Kirk Duckworth and midfield player Konata Manning.

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Sunday CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Russell blitz leads shaky KKR to victory KINGS XI Punjab pacer Sandeep Sharma’s controlled, incisive spell with the new ball had threatened to make a chase of 156 insurmountable for Kolkata Knight Riders, before Andre Russell’s blunt-force innings took the defending champions to their second win of IPL 2015 after three games. Kings XI, meanwhile, have three losses from four games.

(Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 159 for 6 (Russell 66, Pathan 28*, Sandeep 4-25) beat Kings XI Punjab 155 for 9 (Bailey 60, Maxwell 33, Umesh 3-33, Narine 1-17) The victory margin of four wickets with a little more than two overs to spare may suggest a stroll, but that was hardly how things proceeded in the first half of Knight Riders’ chase, when

Andre Russell raises his bat after making fifty against Kings XI Punjab .

Sandeep had reduced them to 60 for 5.

He pinned Robin Uthappa lbw for 13 in the third

over. In his next over, Manish Pandey chipped a catch straight to midwicket.

Thisara Perera got the

wicket of Suryakumar Yadav in the seventh over, and Sandeep returned with a double-wicket maiden that

accounted for Gautam Gambhir and Ryan ten Doeschate.

Within six balls, Knight Riders had slipped from 60 for 2 to 60 for 5. He got movement into and away from the batsmen and stuck resolutely to lengths.

There was a pattern to Knight Riders’ innings - the impressive cast of big-hitters would take guard, smash a couple of boundaries and then walk back.

While the wickets left them in a bind, the boundaries meant that Russell and Yusuf Pathan never faced an overtly steep asking rate.

Russell settled in with a couple of swipes, but Knight Riders’ final tilt at the target was set in motion in the 13th over, when Russell took 19 runs off Axar Patel, hacking two fours and a six off the first three balls.

His brutal fluency at the crease allowed Yusuf Pathan the luxury of a slow start before he, too, managed to find boundaries.

Their 95-run partnership, which lasted almost 10 overs, was broken only

when the scores were tied.

Kings XI were stifled right from the start of their innings, after being put in.

The top order of M Vijay, Virender Sehwag and Wriddhiman Saha struggled but the brisk stand between George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell provided some hope of a challenging total.

The pair added 63 for the fourth wicket, with Maxwell looking promising after getting a reprieve on 13, but their chances of a massive total petered out quickly once he was dismissed.

The second half of Kings XI’s innings sputtered along largely on Bailey’s efforts even as wickets fell rapidly at the other end.

The Kings XI captain - by far their best batsman this season - stitched together a calm 60 off 45 before his dismissal in the last over of the innings. In a steady bowling performance, Sunil Narine had returns of 4-0-17-1, his first wicket in the IPL with a remodeled action. (ESPN Cricinfo)

Assuria Open Classic tennis tournament

Reading keeper’s error sees Grant avenges earlier loss with Arsenal reach FA Cup final

gruelling victory over Razick

POPULAR recording artist Rudy Grant avenged an earlier loss he suffered three days ago by defeating US American Diplomat Albert Razick 2-1 on Thursday evening, at the Le Ressouvenir Tennis Club on the East Coast of Demerara when the Assuria Open Singles Classic Over 35 Men’s category got underway.

In the first set Razick played with a lot of composure, moving Grant around the court with several cross court slice backhands keeping Grant on the move. As Grant decided to come in closer to the net, Razick would play high forehand topspins to the baseline leaving Grant stranded near the net.

This led Razick to a 5/1 lead in no time at all, leaving Grant with a lot to think about as Razick rolled on to take the first set 6/2.

Razick expressed surprise at Grant’s fitness even though he was warned by a few players that the match would take a long time and that he should be prepared for a few hours on the court with Grant.

Grant rallied stroke for stroke in the second set to edge out Razick to take the set 7/5.

In the deciding third set, it was a battle about who could outsmart the other with drop shots, lobs, and heavy forehand topspin from corner to corner.

But Grant, with all to play for at 5/5, had to serve a few bombs to eventually take the lead at 6/5 as Razick watched how quickly the set disappeared from his clutches when he lost his service game on a few missed smashes.

This gave Grant the set and match 2/6, 7/5, 7/5 a gruelling two and a half hours later.

After the match, Grant said that it was a pleasure to play a gentleman as good as Razick and he hopes that they meet again on the court.

Grant was happy that he could avenge his

By Toby Davis LONDON, (Reuters) - FA Cup holders Arsenal were taken to extra time before a horrendous goalkeeping error by Reading’s Adam Federici brought the Championship side’s dream to an end in a 2-1 semi-final defeat yesterday.

Arsenal’s Alexis San-

chez snatched his second goal at the end of the first extra period to subdue the plucky second-tier strugglers, but his tame goalbound shot barely trickled over the line after being spilled by the devastated Federici.

It was an unfortunate way to decide a pulsating cup tie in which Reading’s spirit and sheer will to win al-

lowed Garath McCleary to equalise for Steve Clarke’s side early in the second half after Sanchez had given Arsenal a 39th-minute lead.

Arsenal, who were playing in their record 28th FA Cup semi-final, will now face either Liverpool or Aston Villa, who play their last-four clash on Sunday, in the final on May 30.

GSCL Inc. Independence Cup set for May 1 … Next Friday is closing date

Rudy Grant quick loss to Carlos Adams 6/2, 6/3 just two nights earlier in the Men’s Over 45 Singles category.

In other matches, in the Men’s Over 35 Singles, Sanjeev Datadin defeated Harry Panday 4/6, 6/0, 6/3.

In the Men’s Over 45, Harry Panday defeated Bo Arbogast 6/3, 1/6,6/3.

The tournament continues today with exciting Men’s and Ladies’ Open Singles and Novice Medley Singles categories being played all day,at the National Racquet Centre starting from 08:00hrs.

THE GEORGETOWN Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc. will be hosting its second annual Independence Softball tournament commencing May 1 and concluding two days later, with matches played on May 2 and 3, 2015.

Grounds to be used are Everest Cricket Club, Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Guyana National

Industrial Corporation (GNIC) and Ogle, with play in the Open and Over-40 categories. An entrance fee of $30 000 for both divisions will be charged.

The winning team in both segments will receive a trophy and $200 000 while the runners-up will be presented with a trophy and $100 000.

Teams are asked to note that only players who participate in this

competition will be eligible to represent Demerara in the upcoming Inter-county tournament.

The closing date for entries is next Friday, with the launching and draw taking place on April 28 at the GNIC pavilion from 17:00hrs. Those teamss desirous of having more information can contact the GSCL Inc. Tournament Coordinator Samuel Kingston on 614-9536.

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Sunday CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Messi’s 400th goal boosts Barca, Atletico win

By Tim Hanlon BARCELONA, (Reuters) - Barcelona’s Lionel Messi hit his 400th career goal for the La Liga leaders deep into stoppage time to seal a 2-0 win over a Valencia side that will rue their missed chances yesterday.

Barca’s Uruguay striker Luis Suarez continued his lethal form with a clinical low strike inside the area after being set up by Messi with less than a minute on the clock.

His goal followed the midweek double that helped clinch a 3-1 lead in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Paris St Germain to give Barca the lead from their first attack.

Messi then scored on the counter-attack deep into added time for his landmark 400th goal, knocking the ball into the net after his first shot was saved by keeper Diego Alves.

Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann scored twice, including a spectacular overhead kick, to secure a 2-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna that strengthened their grip on third place.

Barca are now five points clear of Real Madrid who have 73 and host Malaga later on Saturday.

Atletico have opened a four-point lead over Valencia, in fourth with 65 points.

Valencia had missed a

-

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi hit his 400th career goal golden chance to equalise in the 10th minute when Dani Parejo’s penalty was saved

by Claudio Bravo after Gerard Pique had barged into the back of Rodrigo Moreno.

Valencia’s Paco Alcacer also hit a post as Barcelona hung on and then in a second half which was played at a slower tempo Messi also struck the woodwork with a

Foreign Affairs Ministry Workers’ Day of Sports

attracts 18 ministries/agencies to date

THE Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Day of Sports slated for Sunday at the St. Stanislaus College ground, Carifesta Avenue, has attracted 18 ministries/ agencies to date and others wishing to be a part of the activity, which is being held under the theme `Tribute to all Women, can do so by contacting the organisers.

According to a release, to date, the teams entered so far are: The Enviromental Protection Agency, Guyana Forestry Commission, Lands and Survey Division, Guysuco, Cyril Potter’s College of Education, Guyana Prison Service, Guyana Fire Service, Cheddi Jagan International Airport, National Insurance Service, Caricom Secretariat, Digicel, Guyana Rice Development Board, Laparkan, The Auditor General’s Office, Bank of Guyana, Guyoil, Hand

in Hand Trust Limited, Banks DIH and other ministries.

According to a release, the annual Day of Sports is the brainchild of sports enthusiast James `Cool’ Lewis, who, along with his colleagues and workers from several other ministries, has been organising a day of activities, where workers from various ministries will get together one day each year to enjoy clean, healthy sporting activities, in a friendly manner.

Among the activities planned for the day are soft ball cricket, small goal football, dominoes, whist and track races including the needle and thread, lime and spoon, buns eating and two-leg races.

Medals, trophies and prizes will be sponsored by several government officials.

Lewis can be contacted on telephone numbers 672-6179 or 628-1656.

free-kick.

STRONG SIDE “These are moments when you can get involved and save the situation,” Bravo told reporters.

“We were up against a very strong side in all areas of the pitch and it followed a match in Paris where we had to put in a lot of work.

“Sometimes you have to do what you can to win a game when your game isn’t at its best. We will keep going with the same approach and work on specific aspects.”

They faced a solid Valencia side that were unbeaten in 10 matches and their heads did not drop following the setback they suffered when Suarez opened the scoring so early.

Valencia pressed for an equaliser but they lacked a cutting edge in attack against a defence in which Pique especially did not look comfortable.

Aside from the penalty which Parejo struck too close to Bravo, Valencia had lots of chances and much of the time Barca caused problems for themselves by giving the ball away cheaply.

However, the home side looked tighter in the second half and Messi sealed the win with Valencia pushing forward.

Griezmann put Atletico ahead with a perfectly executed bicycle kick after Jose Maria Gimenez headed the ball back into the box with five minutes played and then doubled their advantage by slotting home a loose ball after 21 minutes.

Atletico looked firmly in control but lost concentration at the back when Oriol Riera headed in with 13 minutes left and they were then put under pressure in the final stages.

Abandoned tour on the agenda in WICB, CARICOM meeting ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Last year’s controversial abandoned tour of India will be on the agenda when the West Indies Cricket Board meets with CARICOM’s Committee on Cricket Governance tomorrow in Grenada.

WICB president Dave Cameron, along with all 18 directors of the board, will sit down with four regional Prime Ministers including current CARICOM chairman, Perry Christie of the Bahamas, to discuss the state of the game.

The abandoned tour of India last October is one of three items up for discussion, with the reform and governance of West Indies Cricket, and the relationship between the CARICOM Committee on Cricket Governance and the WICB, also on the agenda.

“This will be a big opportunity for us to fortify our relationship with CARICOM,” said WICB Chief Executive Officer Michael Muirhead, who along with WICB vice-president Emmanuel Nanthan and corporate secretary Verlyn Faustin, will participate in the meeting.

“We believe that the governments of the Caribbean are among the group of key stakeholders in West Indies cricket and we want to engage them on some of the critical matters relating to the advancement of the sport in the region.”

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell will chair the meeting, with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, expected to be in attendance.

The meeting will bring Cameron face to face with the outspoken Gonsalves, who criticized the WICB chief in the wake of the abandoned tour.

Gonsalves, who played a critical role in mediating the subsequent impasse between the board, the aggrieved players and players union, WIPA, described Cameron’s leadership as “poor” and “embarrassing” in his handling of the controversy.

The long-standing Vincentian leader also called for Cameron to resign or be fired by regional boards.

Cameron was re-elected for another term last month.

Benn dropped for second Test ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC)-Left arm spinner Sulieman Benn has been dropped from the West Indies squad for the second test against England starting in Grenada on Tuesday.

The lanky Barbadian had disappointing match figures of two wickets for 200 runs in the first test which ended in a draw on Friday.

Selectors have drafted in Trinidad and Tobago fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, leaving Devendra Bishoo as the only frontline spinner in the Windies squad.

The switch from Benn to Gabriel represents the only change to the 14-man squad announced by the West Indies Cricket Board on Saturday.

“We saw a really good display on the final day, which earned us a draw. It was a tough situation, but Jason Holder played really well to get his first Test century and we also saw a courageous effort from the captain (Denesh Ramdin) and Kemar Roach at the end,” said new West Indies head coach Phil Simmons “We had some good moments in the first match and as a team we will look to improve when we play the second Test. We believe we can win, and we will play to win. We know the areas where we need to improve and what is required to win.”

The second Test starts on Tuesday at the Grenada National Stadium.

Squad: Denesh Ram-

Sulieman Benn din (capt/wkt), Kraigg Brathwaite, Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chan-

derpaul, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.

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Sunday CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Scotia Bank Kiddy Cricket Programme…

Cricket Clubs in Little Diamond/ Herstelling benefit with kits COMMUNITY Clubs in the Little Diamond to Herstelling area on the East Bank of Demerara benefitted from the receipt of three Kiddy Cricket kits from the Scotia Bank Kiddy Cricket Programme yesterday at the Farm Community Centre ground.

This Programme is been carried out by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) throughout Guyana.

President of the East Bank Cricket Association, Anand Kalladeen, said he is happy to have the gears as they would help to promote cricket on the East Bank. He thanked Scotia Bank and the GCB for recognising that clubs on the East Bank are in need of these kits, adding that he would like all clubs in his Association to eventually have at least one kit.

Overseer of the Little Diamond/Herstelling NDC, Diane Barath, also thanked Scotia Bank and GCB for remembering them in this venture.

He stated that the Farm ground has recently been resuscitated after a number of years and people are noticing,

President of EBDCA, Anand Kalladeen handing over the kits to Overseer of the Little Diamond/Herstelling NDC, Diane Barath. especially little children Development Officer, is very critical as the who are turning out in Colin Stuart, highlighted equipment used, assist in large numbers everyday to the Scotia Bank Kiddy the development of young play cricket. She said the Cricket Programme to talents who would be gears would be extremely the East Bank Cricket exposed to the technical helpful in developing these Association. Stuart, who is aspects of the game in a young aspiring cricketers. tasked with administering fun related environment, Also present at the the Programme in Guyana, and at the same time ground during the handing said the involvement of ensure that they learn over of the kits were East Scotia Bank Kiddy Cricket the laws of the game. The Bank Cricket Association Programme cannot be TDO noted that once they Vice-President, Rohan underestimated. It is seen as learn correct methods Sarjoo and the Little a meaningful development at an early age, it will be Diamond/Herstelling NDC initiative. easier for them to focus Works Chairman, Wilfred This collaboration on game situations later Bassant. between the GCB and on.

GCB Territorial Scotia Bank in Guyana

Members voice concerns as new season approaches …Ramcharran, Khan retain top SCUA posts

By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada – Umpires attached to the Scarborough Cricket Umpires Association (SCUA) have voiced their concerns on two major issues which surfaced during the 2014 season and are still to be resolved.

At last Sunday’s annual general meeting held at the Twilight Restaurant and Bar here, discussions featured on the much talked about subject of “pelting” in the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) and the still to be resolved matter involving East West Cricket Club whose players caused an abandonment of the Premiere League final in the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) tournament.

Dissenting views were expressed on the contentious issue of pelting with some umpires claiming that some players were being given the “green light” by others and continue to use this as a right to continue the un-

lawful act.

The SCUA has however issued a stern warning that the illegal bowling will not be tolerated this season and the errant bowlers will be penalized. If in the opinion of the umpires, a bowler is deemed to be pelting, a first warning will be given and thereafter he will be suspended from bowling in the match.

When the SCA held its annual general meeting several weeks ago, Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club (HACC) president Archie Mohan had bemoaned the fact that no decision was taken against East West for their unruly behaviour in the Premiere League final which was awarded to his team.

Acknowledging that they had received the report from the presiding umpires, SCA vice-president Besham Singh, whose portfolio the disciplinary committee falls under, assured that the matter will be dealt with prior to the commencement of the 2015 season.

This time around, it was the turn of one of the umpires who stood in the match to express his disgust that to date “nothing has been heard about the matter.” And once again, the SCA, who was represented at Sunday’s meeting, failed to respond positively. President Deo Samaroo however gave the undertaking that a report will be presented before the 2015 season get going next month. He also told the gathering that vice-president Bhesham Singh, whose portfolio discipline falls under, is currently out of the country.

On the brighter side, the SCUA took the opportunity to hand out certificates to several of his members who were successful at the Level One and Two exams, organized and sanctioned by the Ontario Cricket Umpires Association.

Special accolades were also reserved for treasurer Mathew Francis, who excelled at the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association (WICUA) exam a few months

ago and is primed to do his oral and practical during the new season.

Two posts were up for grabs, that of president and secretary and the incumbents, Albert Ramcharran and Azad Khan respectively, who were nominated by founder-member Vish Jadunauth, were returned unopposed for another twoyear term.

The experienced Peter Montfort continues as vice-president while Azam Ally remains the assistant secretary after being elected at the previous annual general meeting.

Members observed one minute’s silence on the passing of stalwart member Budhave Anandjit who died last year after serving the association for several years.

The SCUA, through its vice-president Montfort, will be conducting Duckworth-Lewis sessions prior to the start of the season and all interested umpires are urged to attend.

Blatter endorses Webb as potential FIFA president NASSAU, Bahamas, (CMC)- FIFA president Joseph Blatter has suggested that CONCACAF boss Jeffrey Webb has the potential to become leader of football’s governing body.

Blatter offered his comments at the conclusion of the 30th CONCACAF ordinary Congress in the Bahamas that confirmed Webb unopposed for his second mandate as president.

He told the Observer that the 50 year- old- Caymanian has demonstrated the capabilities necessary to lead FIFA one day.

“He is a leader of CONCACAF, he is already a leader in FIFA as he has a big task (as vice-president and chairman of the Anti-Racism and Discrimination Committee), and he will have a bigger task now in the next four years (as CONCACAF president),” said Blatter, set for a fifth and likely final term as FIFA president.

“In his speech after the elections, if you were listening, and I am sure you were, he is already projecting himself (as a future leader of FIFA) and he is a winner, so let’s see where he is going”.

This is not the first time that Blatter has been promoting Webb as a potential head of football’s government body.

Two years ago during a function in the Caribbean celebrating reforms within CONCACAF Blatter remarked that FIFA could soon have a new president and that it could be Webb.

Webb took over the helm

CONCACAF boss Jeffrey Webb of CONCACAF in 2012 in the wake of the infamous cash-for-votes scandal which resulted in the resignation of former FIFA strongman, Trinidadian Jack Warner.

Blatter, 79, who is expected to prevail at the FIFA polls on May 29, praised the leadership qualities of Webb and the role he played in changing CONCACAF. “I knew this congress was going to be important for CONCACAF because after 2012 when CONCACAF was going through a difficult situation, he took over and changed CONCACAF... today it was for him as he got his confirmation as president and that is a huge success for Jeffrey Webb, my colleague, my friend, my brother,” said Blatter.

“Now that he has been re-elected president of CONCACAF, and at the same time vice-president of FIFA, I am looking forward to serving with him for another four years”.

Blatter faces challenges from Michael van Praag (Netherlands), David Ginola (France), Luis Figo (Portugal) and FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein for football’s top job.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday April 19, 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)

Andy Ganteaume (WI vs ENG, Trinidad, 1948)

(2)

Shane Watson (RR)

Today’s Quiz: (1) When and where did the late George Headley once captain the WI in a Test?

(2) How many games Dwayne Bravo played in the IPL 2014 tournament?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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Sunday CHRONICLE April 19, 2015

Holder’s maiden Test century inspired by Mandela and grandfather ST.JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC)-West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder says images of the late South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela as well as his dead grandfather flashed through his mind after scoring his maiden Test and first class century on Friday.

Holder, playing in only his fourth test, struck an unbeaten hundred to help West Indies force a draw against England on the final day of the opening test at the Vivian Richards Stadium.

The 23-year-old Barbadian conceded that a Test century has been his long held dream.

“There was a lot of emotions running through my mind. It was something I visualised for a long time. I thanked god for it… and I remember my grandfather who passed away a few years ago,” said Holder.

“A lot of things just ran through my mind. I am a big fan of Nelson Mandela and the celebration was a

Jason Holder salutes fans on the final day of the drawn first Test between West Indies and England on Friday after completing his maiden unbeaten century to save the West Indies from defeat.(Photo by WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography). little tribute to him. I have a picture on my phone where he just has his hand up in a sign of peace”.

Holder, batting at number eight, anchored two key partnerships which frustrated the England

John wins 11th Annual Universal Auto Sales and Spares feature 35-lap cycling event TEAM Coco’s Jamal John rode superbly to win the 11th Annual Universal Auto Sales and Spares sponsored feature 35-lap cycle race in the National Park Yesterday, registering a time of one hour 18 minutes 08.62 seconds..

John along with 31 other pedal pushers faced the starter and after the second lap was completed, John along with team mate Raynauth Jeffrey, Shaquil Agard and Akeem Wilkinson broke from the pack and opened a sizeable lead which kept extending at every lap.

It was during the 17th lap, the quartet lapped a bunch of nine other cyclists that included last year’s winner Robin Persaud along with Warren McKay, Raul Leal, Junior Niles and others.

However, with 12 laps remaining, Wilkinson probably felt the pressure and kicked off, allowing the main chasing pack that included Marlon `Fishy’ Williams Hamzah Eastman and Walter Grant-Stuart to catch up with him.

Two laps later, Agard suffered a puncture to his back wheel and took quite some time to replace it with a borrowed wheel that did not seem to fit well as thereafter, he was visibly struggling to get back into contention.

John, helped on by two teammates, broke away and went on to win unchallenged.

In the sprint for the other top three places, Jeffrey started the sprint from approximately 125 metres from the line and was quickly followed by Williams, but when they straight-

ened up for home Eastman took the inside while Williams came around Jeffrey, but it was Eastman who crossed the line ahead of Williams. Jeffrey had to settle for fourth.

Wilkinson and Grant-Stuart placed fifth and sixth respectively.

John won four prime prizes while Jeffrey captured two and Agard one.

In other results of the 11-race programme organised by national cycle coach Hassan Mohamed, Brighton John won the three-lap race for BMX boys and girls ahead of Daniel Pereira and Toshawana Doris respectively.

Race sponsor Shameer Baksh won the five lap race for veterans under 50 years of age. Second was Jaikarran Sukhai and finishing third was Junior Niles.

Linden Blackman won the five-lap race for veterans over 50 years of age, while Wilfred Thom won the veterans’ over 60 years of age event over the same distance.

Raphael Leung was the winner of the 10-lap race for juveniles. Second was Jamal John and third was Romello Crawford.

Keon Thomas won the five-lap race for mountain bikers ahead of Juilio Melville and Deraj Garbarran respectively, while Alexander Leung came out on top in the BMX boys six-nine years old two-lap event.

Second was Esau Jai Singh and third was Cho Sue Hang.

Johnatan Jagdeo won the three-lap race for BMX boys 9-12 years old ahead of Johnatan Ramcushit.

attack.

He posted 105 for the seventh wicket with Captain Denesh Ramdin who hit 57,

and then put on a further 56 with Kemar Roach in an unbroken eighth wicket stand which enabled West Indies to see out the last hour.

“When I was sixty odd or so I saw the fields they were setting and then Denesh got out so the focused moved away from me,” he said.

“The English obviously set some attacking fields because they needed wickets and that freed up a lot of scoring options and it was just for me to play the ball on its merits and try not to play any rash strokes and just be selective “.

During the match West Indies held the advantage over the Englishmen on a number of occasions including during the first and second innings when the visitors were reeling at 34 for three and 52 for three respectively.

Holder says the West Indies need to work harder to secure pole position in the first innings of the match.

“Winning is obviously on my mind for sure. I think what is ideal for that situation is that we pay special attention to the first innings.

I think we need to set the game up well,” he said.

“Whether we bat first or bowl first I think we just need not to let the game run away from us. If we bowl and if we bat we need to at least bat a day and a half and bat England out of the game. I think the first innings is key to setup the game for us””.

The two teams were due to arrive in Grenada yesterday afternoon for the second Test which begins on Tuesday at the National Stadium in St.George’s.

“It would have been a lot worse of if we were going into Grenada one down,” Holder said.

“It does a lot for the confidence for the team and we keep pushing the word belief in the dressing room. The guys could have more belief within themselves and we could push on and win this series”.

England’s Cook satisfied with effort as England fall short leading we couldn’t have done any more. I can’t fault the lads’ effort.

“In these conditions, Test wicket you almost have to play the perfect game and that doesn’t always happen. We -takers dropped a couple of tough (Reuters) List of England’s highest Test wicket-takers after James Anderson overtook Ian Botham at the top of the list in the first test against West Indies in Antigua on Friday.

James Anderson - 384 Ian Botham - 383 Bob Willis - 325 Fred Trueman - 307 Derek Underwood - 297 Stuart Broad - 267 Graeme Swann - 255 Brian Statham - 252 Matthew Hoggard - 248 Alec Bedser - 236

Alastair Cook (REUTERS) - England did everything possible to win the first Test against West Indies which ended in a draw in Antigua Friday, captain Alastair Cook said.

They failed to bowl the hosts out after reducing them to 162 for five at lunch, West Indies’ Jason Holder hitting an unbeaten 103 to leave England frustrated again after their dismal World Cup campaign.

“We knew it was going to be hard work and it proved to be,” Cook told Sky Sports. “Getting three wickets in the first session was a great effort.

Credit to Jason Holder,

chances but I think it would be harsh to focus on those.

It was a tough wicket. The lads fought incredibly hard.”

Cook did enjoy the moment when his catch to dismiss West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin in the final session took James Anderson past Ian Botham as England’s leading Test wicket-taker.

“It was a great moment when Jimmy took the 384th wicket; we’ll remember it for a long time,” Cook said.

The England skipper had a disappointing match with the bat, scoring 11 and 13 to extend his long run without a Test century which dates back nearly two years.

Jonathan Trott also failed twice on his return to the side for the first time since leaving the 2013-14 Ashes tour in Australia due to a stress-related illness and England have plenty to ponder before the second Test in Grenada on Tuesday.

Sport CHRONICLE

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

Holder’s maiden Test century inspired by Mandela and grandfather See story on page 31

Berbice regain U19 Inter-county title with innings victory over E’bo -National Under-17 denied 1st innings by Demerara

By Calvin Roberts DEFENDING champions Berbice underlined their supremacy in this year’s Guyana Cricket Board/Raj Singh Insurance Under-19 Inter-county three day tournament, with an innings and 100 runs victory over Essequibo at the Enmore Community Centre ground, yesterday, to regain their title.

With the win, the Berbicians stamped their authority on all teams, to chalk up a 3-0 record in the three day format of the tournament, following their innings victory over the National Under-17 in the first round and 217 runs win over a hapless looking Demerara lineup in the second.

Scores in the match, Essequibo 139 and 92, Berbice 331.

At the Everest Cricket Club ground, Demerara who resumed the day on 53 without loss with Shurfane Rutherford on 30 and Ronaldo Renee 17, in reply to the National Under-17’s 251 all out, hung on for a draw, ending the rain interrupted day on 219 for 9 off

77 overs.

At Enmore, Berbice resumed the day on 273-7 and were bowled out for 331 in reply to Essequibo’s 139 for a lead of 192, thanks to some solid contributions from their overnight batsmen in Daniel Lewis and Ritesh Omroa.

Lewis, who was on 27 overnight and Omroa (34), posted their half centuries within the first hour of play and took their eighth wicket partnership to 100, before Essequibo removed Omroa who was lbw to Kemo Paul for 51 (121balls, 2x4).

Looknauth Chinkoo (1 for 37) and Keanu Harry ensured Joel Seetaram (02) and Grisean Grant’s stay at the wicket were short, removing them both via the lbw route to leave Lewis, who was later adjudged Man of the Match, unbeaten on 67 (131 balls, 6x4) as Berbice posted 331 for a sizeable lead of 192.

Akini Adams finished with 4 for 48 and got support from Keanu Harry who took 2 for 62 in the bowling department for the team from the Cinderella County, who got a positive start of 46 from openers

Demerara’s tormentor with the ball, Sagar Hetheramani displays the red cherry he used to torment their batsmen on his way to snaring 6 for 59.

Nathan Persaud (19, 3x4) and Parmesh Parsotam (25, 4x4) in their second innings.

Turn to page 27

Well done Shurfane! Man- of- the- Match and Demerara’s opening batsman Shurfane ‘Abooboo’ Rutherford smiles as he accepts his spoils from Chairman of the Guyana Cricket Board Junior Selection panel Nazimul Drepaul.

Central searching for a win; Alpha needs only a draw to advance

By Rawle Toney

Central FC Willis Plaza

GUYANA’S Alpha United and Trinidad and Tobago’s Central FC will battle today – the ‘Sharks’ versus the ‘Hammers’ – in final Group One game in this year’s Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship at the Guyana National Stadium from 16:00 hrs.

Both teams, sitting at the helm of their re-

spective country’s leagues this year defeated Suriname’s Inter Moengotapoe with Alpha United earning a 3 – 0 win and Central FC edging them 2 – 0 to set up today’s intriguing contest.

Alpha United holds a one goal advantage over their Trinidadian counterparts, leaving the ‘Sharks’ in a must win situation, while Coach Wayne Dover’s men only Turn to page 27

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Alpha United Gregory Richardson SUNDAY APRIL 19, 2015