2015 7 123

SUNDAY No. 104248

SUNDAY JULY 12, 2015

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

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GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

Venezuelan Opposition…

INCLUDING VAT

Maduro’s Govt wants to ‘beat its chest’ on Essequibo claims Page

Venezuelan opposition candidate for President, Henrique Capriles

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- to divert attention from Venezuela’s internal troubles 18-yr-old stabbed to death after leaving Masjid 13 Page

‘FATALLY STABBED’: Adonie Parbhoo

Kitty Cabs taxi service suffers ‘Friday night of horror’ - one driver shot by deranged man, another injured in brazen carjack Page 2

President Granger attends financing conference in Ethiopia 3 Page

Decomposed remains of mother, baby found - in house Page

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President David Granger

Reported halt in rice trade with Venezuela…

RPA stands

by Gov’t - to work in best interest of rice farmers

Page

5

See inside

Police conducting investigations at the scene where the car was abandoned yesterday.

- Rebranded hotel set for Five-Star status in September

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Kitty Cabs taxi service suffers ‘Friday night of horror’ - one driver shot by deranged man, another injured in brazen carjack

By Shirley Thomas A 30-year-old Kitty Cabs taxi driver was yesterday reliving a most harrowing experience of having to flee from his car under blows and threat of being shot, after three men who had hired him to do a run took him to an eerie spot, and beat him before hijacking the car, which they eventually stripped and abandoned on a lonely roadway in Lamaha Park, in Georgetown.

The taxi driver recalled that at about 23:30 hrs on Friday night, he was hired by three men to go on a run to La Parfaite Harmonie on the West Bank of Demerara. Having agreed to pay his price of $2,500, they boarded the car. But as he was driving off, they said they would like to go to Lamaha Springs first, and the driver complied with their request.

However, when they had already proceeded past the Police outpost in Lamaha Springs, the men directed him to a dark and lonely dead-end. At that stage, the driver stopped the car and

Owner of the Kitty Cabs taxi service, Ms Zora Khan, speaking to the Sunday Chronicle at the scene in Lamaha Park yesterday morning

Police conducting investigations at the scene where the car was abandoned yesterday.

told them candidly that he was not going in that lonely trail, especially since the road was bad.

They then asked him to take them to Sophia, and he drove them to where ‘B’ Field intersects with ‘C’ Field.

They told him to keep going, but he refused, and the men became annoyed.

One of them got out of the car, and the driver told the men to pay him $1,200 for the distance he had covered.

The man pretended that he was going into his pocket, but suddenly began to ‘pelt cuffs’ at the driver, who said he began to fight back.

The two other men who were in the back seat of the car joined their partner in attacking the driver; they viced him

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

President Granger attends financing conference in Ethiopia - to support implementation of post-2015 Development Agenda PRESIDENT David Granger will be attending the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The conference themed ‘Time for Global Action’, begins on Monday and ends on Thursday.

President Granger left Guyana yesterday and he will be accompanied by Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the Unites Nations, Ambassador George Talbot and Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, Ambassador Keith George.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has been sworn in and will carry out the functions of President of Guyana, in Mr Granger’s absence.

The Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Ethiopia gathers high-level political representatives, including Heads of State and Government, and Ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, as well as all relevant institutional stakeholders, non-governmental organisations and business-sector entities.

It will result in an inter-governmentally negotiated and agreed outcome, which should constitute an important contribution to and support the implementation of the post-2015 Development Agenda.

According to the United Nations, in resolution

68/204 of December 20, 2013, on “Follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development,” the General Assembly decided “to convene, in 2015 or 2016, a Third International

countered in the achievement of the goals and objectives agreed therein, as well as actions and initiatives to overcome these constraints, and to address new and emerging issues, including in the

President David Granger

Conference on financing for development.”

COMPREHENSIVE AGENDA The conference will have a comprehensive agenda “to assess the progress made in the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development, reinvigorate and strengthen the financing for development follow-up process, identify obstacles and constraints en-

context of the recent multilateral efforts to promote international development cooperation, and taking into account the current evolving development - cooperation landscape, the inter-relationship of all sources of development finance, the synergies between financing objectives across the three dimensions of sustainable development, as well as the need to support the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015.”

The United Nations said in the same resolution, the

General Assembly requested the President of the General Assembly “to convene, as soon as possible, inclusive and transparent inter-governmental consultations, with the participation of the major

the United Nations General Assembly, John W. Ashe, appointed George Wilfred Talbot, Permanent Representative of Guyana, and Geir O. Pedersen, Permanent Representative of Norway,

Ambassador George Talbot

Ambassador Keith George

institutional stakeholders involved in the financing for development process, as appropriate, on all issues related to the conference, including the date, format, organisation and scope,” and requested the Financing for Development Office of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat to provide secretariat support for the consultations.

as co-facilitators to lead the inter-governmental consultations on his behalf.

A total of 10 informal meetings, held during the period from March 10 to June 5, 2014, resulted in the agreement among delegations on a draft resolution on key issues related to the modalities of the conference and its preparatory process.

The World Bank has reported that Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) signalled plans to extend more than US$400 billion in financing over the next three years and

CO-FACILITATORS By a letter of January 31, 2014 addressed to all member states, the President of the 68th session of

vowed to work more closely with private and public-sector partners to help mobilise the resources needed to meet the historic challenge of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The institutions - the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank Group (referred to as the MDBs), and the International Monetary Fund - had announced their plans in the lead-up to the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa.

According to the World Bank, the SDGs are ambitious and demand equal ambition in using the “billions” of dollars in current flows of official development assistance (ODA) and all available resources to attract, leverage and mobilise “trillions” in investments of all kinds public and private, national and global.

ODA, estimated at US$135 billion a year, provides a fundamental source of financing, especially in the poorest and most fragile countries. But more is needed.

The bank says investment needs in infrastructure alone reach up to US$1.5 trillion a year in emerging and developing countries.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Reported halt in rice trade with Venezuela…

RPA stands by Gov’t - to work in best interest of rice farmers

By Tajeram Mohabir WITH neighbouring Venezuela reportedly halting rice shipments from Guyana, head of the Rice Producers Association (RPA), Mr Dharamkumar Seeraj, has said the largest organisation representing rice farmers is ready and willing to work with the Administration to minimise the impact of this loss.

The action by the Spanish-speaking nation to the west came amidst intensification of its claim over Essequibo, a move Guyana has strongly protested.

The Bolivarian Republic has been more vocal in its claim since U.S. Company Esso Exploration announced the discovery of oil in the Liza-1 well on the Stabroek Block, approximately 120 miles offshore Guyana, a few months ago.

The Chronicle, yesterday, made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Agriculture Minister Noel Holder for a comment on the reported action of Venezuela and suggestions on the way forward.

President David Granger However, according to a report in another daily, the Minister has confirmed Venezuela’s pull out of the rice-for-oil deal with Guyana.

Seeraj told this publication that, if indeed the reports are true, the action by Venezuela can be best described as premature. He said Guyana should explore its legal options, which are clearly spelt out in the agreement with Venezuela. He also said that, in light of what has been reported, it would be important for Guyana to seek clarity on

RPA head Dharamkumar Seeraj

Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro

the matter.

Seeraj, part of the former Government’s team that negotiated the rice deal with the Venezuelans, suggested that it could probably be a case of Venezuela asking Guyana to hold on export until it is ready for another shipment of rice from Guyana. This, he said, is quite different from Caracas issuing a frank order to stop all imports from Guyana.

Nevertheless, he said a loss of the lucrative Venezuelan market will be a big blow

to the local rice industry, and would mean that the Government would have to redouble efforts to find new markets for farmers.

Rice production has

been growing to record levels in recent years, but there have been complaints from millers and farmers about inadequate market to off-take the high level of production. In light of these complaints, the previous Administration had begun looking beyond traditional markets to sell the produce.

It was hoping to secure markets in Africa, with the hope that these will grow and expand as time goes by.

Seeraj said it would be important for the Government to probably pick up where the former Government has left off, so as to ease the pressure on the industry.

Former Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy had said that Guyana cannot forever rely on Venezuela to

buy its rice.

URUGUAY DEAL On April 20, the PanAm Post, which provides news and analyses in the Americas, reported that Uruguay has offered to give Venezuela food in exchange for oil, after Vice President Raúl Sendic had met in Montevideo with his Venezuelan counterpart, Jorge Arreaza.

According to the report, Sendic explained that Uruguay has to “establish a permanent flow of trade and exports” with Venezuela, because “there’s little availability of money in this country.”

As a result, the report said, Montevideo is to offer

Please turn to page 12

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Editorial

Guyana

An elusive CSME?

W

HILE it should be appreciated that last week’s 36th regular meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government felt obliged to devote quality time to the unexpected flare-up in diplomatic relations between Guyana and Venezuela, there is no escaping the necessity for more focused attention to advance overdue progress to achieve long-stated goals via creation of the Community’s Single Market and Economy (CSME).

In the face of increasingly challenging financial and economic problems at the global level that include powerful nations which remain friendly and disposed to Guyana and its CARICOM partners, we, as an economic grouping of 15 member countries ought to be perceived as being MORE, not LESS, committed to realisation of stated policies and programmes for the CSME. Those of influence within the Region’s private sector and civil society organisations who often engage

CARICOM in dialogue, are revealing increasing anxieties over lack of promised ACTION to advance the CSME agenda.

Their criticisms should not be ignored or dismissed as being anti-CARICOM. Rather, there needs to be some self-criticisms by those directly involved in the principal decision-making structures with a view to determining how new attitudes and work programmes could well serve to stimulate progress towards creation of the still elusive CSME. In their end-of-summit communique released a week ago yesterday, Heads of Government stated that they were “acutely aware of the opportunity to build truly vibrant societies and resilient economies and chart a new era of sustainable development for the region and the world within the context of ongoing and integrated global processes for sustainable development….”

Without questioning the level of their commitment for realisation of the CSME, it would not have gone unnoticed

that the 23-page communiqué provides NO specific new information in relation to envisaged CSME. However, the communiqué disclosed that in the specific area of promoting “sustainable energy” within the Community, the Heads of Government endorsed the creation of a “Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE)” as the implementation hub for sustainable energy and activities and prospects within this Region.

We reject this pusillanimous claim I NOTE with some alarm the media handling of this border matter with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

As Independence was in the offing in 1962, Venezuela raised at the United Nations this ridiculous claim to a substantial part of Guyana. The Venezuelans provided not a bit of evidence to support their claim. Four months before our Independence date, there was an agreement for them to provide any new documents to support their claim.

The truth is that our western neighbour pulled out of its century-old hat a rabbit claiming much of our inheritance.

From then until now, all of us who are true patriots do not regard this as a ‘dispute’.

For me, and I believe every patriot, it is no more than a spurious and provocative claim by Venezuelan leaders. We reject this claim – end of the story.

Dave Martin put it succinctly and sweetly: “Not a blade of grass – not one curass – not one blue sackie – not one rice grain,” etc.

The total area of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is 83,000 square miles or 214.979 square km. End of story.

Frankly, there is nothing to discuss with Venezuela, except for the niceties of diplomacy.

Eighty-three thousand square miles of bush, rivers,

MAJOR HAMILTON GREEN

mountains, crapaud, lemon grass, daisy, genip tree, bundarie crab, hassar, Indigenous peoples, Africans, Indians, Chinese, Madeirans, Portuguese, Europeans, Dougla, buffianas and whose mixture defy description. All “belong to we” and all of us are Guyanese.

As a parting salvo: To the pusillanimous and those fascinated by the glitter of black gold (oil money), let them know that first, we will soon be producing oil; but second and more importantly, our Dear Green Land of Guyana is not up for sale. Amen.

I beg the media and citizens to stop talking and thinking about a dispute. There is no dispute; only a ridiculous claim by a neighbour, which we reject.

HAMILTON GREEN, OR., JP

Let us not be bullied by a greedy neighbour LET me apologise if the tone is an angry one; but I do not apologise for what I am going to say.

Recently, the book ‘Change Makers’ by Rosabeth Ross Kanter fell into my hands. An excerpt from the introductory comment by William S Anderson, Chairman, NCR Corporation, grabbed my attention about Arnold Toynbee in his describing “the rise and fall of nations in terms of challenges and response.”

“A young nation,” he said, “is confronted with a challenge for which it finds a successful response. It then grows and prospers. But as time passes, the nature of the challenge changes. And if a nation continues to make the same, oncesuccessful response to the new challenge, it inevitably suffers a decline and eventual failure.” He was talking about nations, or was it the CARICOM states bordering mighty Venezuela?

No! It was about the U.S.A. Arnold Toynbee, to be precise, was numerically off.

We are, however, faced with numerous challenges, not one, to which we now, as a young nation, must find successful apropos responses.

But this excerpt, however, reminds me too much about Guyana and this Venezuelan neighbour of ours, and the current

pressing issues of a national nature with which we are faced.

However, I am talking specifically today about the border issue.

How true and timely for Guyana that the border issue, among other things, challenges us to respond once again. Past attempts to have Venezuela rescind its claim by accepting the findings of over a century ago once and for all have been thwarted by geopolitical manoeuvrings and the cries of our small nation going practically unheard, or on the hearingimpaired. Now, on the heels of a possible/probable large oil find and the prospect of becoming oil-rich, the ugly giant appears. This must concern all the people of Guyana.

The world and we, also, know what has happened in Georgia and what the giant Soviets did. My political naiveté aside, Venezuela can overrun the Essequibo by military might, though in misplaced justification, and annex it. Essequibian citizens, it is now claimed, can acquire Venezuela birth certificates as citizens of Venezuela. This needs investigation and addressing urgently, as this can cause Essequibians to behave contrary to the heritage or birth rights.

Modern the world is, and a global village as Marshall McLuhan predicted, but ‘Might’ is still practised by some

as ‘Right.’

Bullies have to be shamed and embarrassed among the community of nations for them to forego their expansionist ambitions. It works sometimes, but big guns I own and bullying is my game…that’s the Venezuelan argument.

Let’s be candid: Guyana, with its anticipated newfound wealth, does not have the geopolitical pull of a Venezuela, nor the resources to prolong or engage in a legal wrangling over what is ours at the moment; yet we must -- and all Guyanese must at this time -- demonstrate the loyalty we have to the land of our birth. Political gamesmanship will not do to contend with this “bone in my throat,” as President Granger puts it. Polysyllables and rhetoric of the most highfalutin kind without concerted action by Government and our people cannot force Venezuela foregoing this ridiculous claim to two-thirds of our land, which has been settled over a century ago.

Our resolve to stop this issue from rearing its ugly head again and again must be unequivocal, and the relaxed pacifying positions must be done away with. Our See page 7

7

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

AN APPEAL TO HINDUS:

Do not be duped by persons pretending to heal or cure ailments THE Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha strongly condemns the actions of the Berbician pandit who raped a young woman as part of a “rite.” The Sabha categorically states that Hinduism does not at all promote any of the activities alluded to in the news reports. The perpetrator of this heinous act should face the full force of the law.

The Dharmic Sabha would like to appeal to Hindus not to be duped by persons pretending to heal or cure ailments. We advise, as we have done in the past, that persons who are ill should seek medical attention, and not fall prey to those who would exploit them under “religious” pretexts.

The Sabha urges all pandits to conduct themselves in a dignified manner, wherein their life and practices could withstand scrutiny and be above reproach.

DR VINDHYA PERSAUD President, Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha

Is Bryan Hunt overstepping the boundary of his role as a foreign diplomat in Guyana?

I FIND it nauseating -- as a patriot, nationalist and Pan-Africanist -- to read in the local newspapers almost on a daily basis, U.S. Charge d’Affaires Bryan Hunt’s comments on every aspect of Guyana’s internal affairs: from when we should hold Local Government Elections to who must sit in the Parliament, to how we must vote in international forums, and how we should manage the wealth from our resources to the legalisation of same-sex marriage, etc.

Pan-Africanist Kwame Toure cautioned us many moons ago that “Black visibility is not Black Power.”

He was explaining the deceptive and sophisticated system of control exerted under neo-colonialism.

When we were a colony, we could see the white faces in power dictating our every move. Neocolonialism ensures “black faces in high places,” while empire dictates from behind closed doors, although Hunt is certainly not remaining behind closed doors. He is displaying a disturbing level of confidence as he oversteps the boundary of his role as a foreign diplomat in Guyana, announcing his directives openly and without hesitation.

U.S. Charge d’Affaires Bryan Hunt The language and posturing are disturbing.

Language such as “the Government of Guyana has been spoken to” on this or that matter is a warning of what is to come. Hunt was recently quoted in the Kaieteur News as saying that “it is clear that the vision of the new Administration is very close to that of the U.S.A. for Guyana.”

I, for one, would like to inform Mr Hunt that, in the spirit of our ancestors, we intend to demand our right to forge our own national vision, and we do not expect any other nation on earth to have a vision for us, including the United States of America.

I am constantly amazed

at the power of white supremacy, especially the way it has imprisoned the minds of non-white peoples.

Too many of our leaders are so intellectually incarcerated that they are not even aware of their slavish behaviour and utterances.

Many of them on the one hand proclaim pride in their own culture, and relish events where they wear the clothes, eat the foods, and dance the dances of their culture, but are at the same time unable to view the world from a perspective that is rooted in their own culture; instead viewing everything with a European gaze, a gaze that is so instilled in them that, as I said, they are often unaware of their slavish mentality.

African intellectual warrior Jacob Carruthers said, “Neo-colonialism besieged Africa at the very moment of political ‘independence’ precisely because the African leaders had been nurtured on foreign ideologies and alien principles.” It is these same alien ideologies and principles -– Soviet-style Marxism, Neo-liberal Capitalism, the Westminster system and so-called Liberal Democracy -- that have Africa and much of the ‘Third World’, including Guyana, in such a mess today.

This is what made Forbes

Let us not be bullied ....

From page 6

children must be taught to know what is theirs, and we must act now.

I am saying that embedded corruption in Guyana, crime, high unemployment, poor health care, and education decline, just to name a few, require “successful responses.” High on my personal list is greedy Venezuela.

At this time, I am seeking to get us to respond to an ugly future which faces us and our children, should we not, once and for all time, respond and settle with those folk to the west of us. I am not talking appeasement of any kind.

Venezuela is always flexing its military muscles, and this bullying neighbour expects us Guyanese people to cower in fear and desist from whatever activity we undertake to increase or improve our living standards for our peoples.

Let me say this: ‘Settled 116’ needs to be flag-poled on Guyana’s flags and strung along our borders to the west. We should be parading in front of the Venezuelan Embassy daily and all embassies here. We must decorate the sidewalks and walkways with Guyana flags, which must be renewed every year until this matter is ended for all time.

Billboards must be placed throughout our land, and a communications campaign, both local and international, mounted with such ferocity that Venezuela must be aware we are not backing down.

“Not a blade of grass” time has come again. And you,

political dissidents, don’t even mention Burnham; this is about us today. Here and now!

Our spirit of nationalism must become impassioned, highlighted and ignited into our youths and those yet to be born. The effrontery of the Venezuelans to terrorize must be met head-on. They remind me of that neighbour who makes it their duty to be offensive, and harass and molest peace-loving ones. We must campaign with the local daily newspapers, TV stations and radio, and use all means to educate our people, both local and overseas. Educationists must begin classes with the tools to inculcate in the minds of young Guyanese their land heritage, and make it a priority, as the Venezuelans are doing likewise and creating problems now for the future if they do not relinquish this wicked claim and decrees by their leaders.

The Guyanese children must learn that today’s bully can be tomorrow’s enemy with gun in hand, forcing their presence and language upon us.

Some day in the future, a leader from that side of the border -- to appease the population for whatever reason for deficiencies they have -- may one day go a step further than making a decree. Many a foray onto Guyana’s soil have been made and recorded. The time to act forcibly is now.

Patriotic songs to the cause must be sung to rouse the spirit of nationalism. I don’t want to wake up with a Venezuela AK-47 pointing in my face.

The Venezuelan leadership toning down its belligerent

Burnham an outstanding thinker and leader. Burnham was determined to steer us away from this type of ideological, political, cultural and economic enslavement.

Recalling Burnham’s vision for true independence and self-determination all those years ago reminds us of the degree to which our nation has degenerated, making our current state of affairs seem all the more depressing.

Hundreds of years of colonialism ensured that all colonized peoples were indoctrinated with a Eurocentric perspective on all matters – theological, philosophical, political, cultural and economic. In a nutshell, this perspective instilled in us the idea that, in the words of African historian W. E. B. Du Bois, “Whiteness is ownership of the Earth.” This is a false notion that consciously or unconsciously most of our people hold on to until this day.

Afrocentric scholar Molefi Kete Asante points out: “The liberation of the minds of African people (and all colonised peoples) will be a tougher battle than the eradication of settler (colonial) regimes.”

To free oneself from this type of mental slavery requires each of us to engage in a conscious and

determined act of relocating and repositioning ourselves and our worldview within our own culture.

Ideologies, as well as political and economic systems, are all products of culture. Europeans have taken what is particular and specific to them and their culture and, in their arrogance, have universalized what is an ethnocentric worldview. They relentlessly enforce this ethnocentric worldview worldwide in a variety of ways, both overt and covert, using brutal military force when all other methods of coercion fail.

It is only by the conscious act of emancipating ourselves from mental slavery that we are able to become fully aware of, and resist, the ongoing tyranny of White Supremacy.

Bryan Hunt, British High Commissioner Greg Quinn, Canadian High Commissioner Dr Nicole Giles and the European Union Representative to Guyana would do well to remember that they are from a group of nations that has no moral or historical right to pronounce on how Guyana or any ‘Third World’ nation governs itself.

They need to be mindful See page 20

decree must not be cause for us to celebrate and tone down our condemnation of their ill-conceived ambition to own twothirds of Guyana. It should be cause for us to ratchet up the discourse and muster Guyanese to lobby internationally for a permanent and immediate settlement… No, I am wrong… acceptance of the 116-year-old treaty which defined and delineated the boundaries.

My father is 98 years old, and the map of Guyana has always been what it was. When, rather if, I get to that age, I want the map as defined to be the same. And I want my children to grow old with the same expectation.

No country needs to be focusing its energies on a boisterous neighbour armed with up-to-date machines of war and greedy paws. No! We should be seeking peopledevelopment and improved standards of living, with laws humanistic in nature and creating democratic institutions throughout our land. That should be our engagement.

Yet Venezuela has given us a challenge today to which we must respond. Our response, with the availability of mass media to transmit truth to the ends of the earth, should be by telling the true story of the expansionist ambitions of Venezuela as she seeks to absorb two-thirds of our small nation. All of our embassy officials must make the case for immediate resolution at each and every forum they attend with urgency, and our cause must be made out as an imperative.

I call on all Guyanese to stand shoulder to shoulder in protest…non-political in their stand…united in the defence of our country…because “We are all in.”

OWEN HUGHES HR/PR Development Support Communicator

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

COMING GRANGER/ JAGDEO MEETING - facing the challenges, not ‘baby talk’

F

Analysis by RICKEY SINGH

INALLY, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) last week did what was long expected.

It made public its list of 32 parliamentarians for the 65-member National Assembly, on the basis of the declared official results, while still pursuing the course of a court challenge to claimed irregularities that deprived it of a sixth successive term in Government.

What’s now more than overdue is the relevant oathtaking ceremony by these Opposition MPs for the voices from both sides of the Parliament to be heard in, hopefully, vigorous, constructive debates - in the national interest as distinct from vicious politicking and wicked personal engagements.

At the time of writing, and against the backdrop of some quite significant diplomatic and legal developments -- for instance the Chief Justice’s ruling on Presidential term limits -- there continued to be the depressing obsession by sections of the local media and even elements within the coalition Government over the high profile return to political leadership life of former two-term President Bharrat Jagdeo.

On the other hand, apart from occasional interventions by the PPP’s General Secretary and former Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee - seemingly a favourite editorial whipping horse for one leading local newspaper — there remains the absence of serious, constructive dialogue in the national interest. Even, that is, in the face of deteriorating relations between Guyana and Venezuela that’s rooted in the latter’s 19th century colonial claim to some two thirds of Guyana’s 83,000 square miles.

In this context, it was encouraging to note the observations made in yesterday’s ‘Guyana Chronicle’ on the “PPP and the National Assembly”. In rightly contending that the party owes it to the country and its supporters to behave with “expected maturity”, the editorial noted: “After decades of an adversarial Parliament, both sides of the political divide have a golden opportunity to institute a new

kind of power-sharing…”

The cynics may dismiss this persuasion as political “baby talk”, or worse, given the historical divisions and personal bitterness that lingers among some in the leadership structures of both the PPP and the PNC, the latter now in command of the relatively new APNU/ AFC coalition Government.

FACING THE CHALLENGES Yet, the renewal of PRESIDENT territorial conflict between DAVID A. GRANGER Guyana and Venezuela, which seems in need of urgent, matured diplomatic initiatives, instead of competing with sabre-rattling talk in Caracas or Georgetown, serves to underscore the need for a new culture in cooperation between Government and Opposition.

This, of course, would require mutual respect between two historical, formidable mass-based parties, and avoidance of any bragging rights by their leadership.

Consistent with the progression of developments since May 11 and including the leadership changes within the PPP that have resulted in the current national political status quo with the imminent oath-taking ceremony for the formal new structure of the 65-member National Assembly, it seems advisable for both President David Granger and (expected) Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo be in readiness and in mood to do business with each other - in Guyana’s national interest.

Significant developments that have occurred, since the outcome of the May 11 elections, include formation

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD RAMOTAR

FORMER PRESIDENT AND EXPECTED NEW OPPOSITION LEADER BHARRAT JAGDEO

of the new Government; leadership changes within the PPP and the understandable absence, with their consent, of both former President Donald Ramotar and his civil society Prime Ministerial running mate Elisabeth Harper, from the PPP’s chosen 32 parliamentarians for the 65-member National Assembly, a primary focus would, of necessity, shift to the inevitable, historic meeting between President Granger and Opposition Leader Jagdeo.

The prevailing political tension, as well as the numbing wave of gun-related killings and criminality must feature as priorities for the inevitable coming Granger-Jagdeo meeting.

Both leaders should expect to be under close monitoring of their moods and responses to the pressing national issues confronting this nation that’s in urgent need of healing and where political and social divisions remain anchored amid changing rhetoric and fancy media posturings.

(Rickey Singh is a noted Guyana-born Caribbean journalist based in Barbados)

Engaging the Diaspora

Keith Burrowes

(Part 1)

is hard to say exactly what all this money is being used for, but the assumption that it is not being used for strategic investment may be a safe one.

A 2007 paper, ‘The Development Impact Of RemitBy Keith Burrowes tances On Caribbean Economies: The Case Of Guyana’, written by senior economist at the Bank of Guyana, Ms THE idea of engaging a country’s Diaspora is not Debra Roberts cites an unidentified survey which shows a new one; indeed, from my little more than casual food and clothing as accounting for almost half of remitresearch on the issue, the nexus between the Diaspora tance spending; education and real estate represent roughand development is one that is garnering increasing at- ly one third; and the remainder, a collective 22 per cent, tention across the world. Serbia, for example, actually being dedicated to has a Ministry of the Diaspora. business investment The most obviously iden(8) and savings (14).

‘Whatever the method, it is clear that tifiable area is, of course, that “It is necessary,” we need a way to transform the mode of money, resources from the writes Ms Roberts, of remittances from the Diaspora from Diaspora pouring into the local “for the country to one of subsistence to one of a conscious, economy. have a Remittances strategic investment’ The importance of remittancand Diaspora Unit in es to the financial well-being of Guyana, as is done many Guyanese cannot be overstated. Remittances sent in many Latin American and some Caribbean countries. to Guyana through formal channels, according to World This unit should be responsible for engaging the Diaspora Bank statistics, amounted to around US$200 million ($40 in discussions and viable development reform strategy, billion Guyana dollars) in 2006, a roughly seven-fold along with monitoring trends in migration and remigrants increase from the 2000 figure of US$27 million. activities.”

This figure represents the money documented through Whatever the method, it is clear that we need a way bank transfers and remittance services, but doesn’t, of to transform the mode of remittances from the Diaspora course, cover cash physically brought into the country. It from one of subsistence to one of a conscious, strategic

investment.

The second area in which the Diaspora could be engaged is the area of skills.

With Guyana in receipt of generous amounts of donor funding in several areas of development – health, security, public infrastructure for example – a fair portion of these sums are either repatriated to the donor countries themselves or spent on expatriates who See page 9

9

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

HINDS’SIGHT

Bharrat Jagdeo is the PPP’s best soldier - especially at a time when the party has to hold on to its support base in the hour of defeat

T

By David Hinds

H E re c e n t a n n o u n c e m e n t t h a t f o r m e r President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, could become the PPP’s leader in the National Assembly has caused much comment from political pundits and commentators. Some have argued that his elevation to the office would not be good for the PPP. Others think he would be an easy target for the Coalition.

Bharrat Jagdeo has emerged as the most colourful politician of his generation. In my opinion, he presided over the most destructive regime in Guyana’s postcolonial experience. And this includes the much reviled Burnham regime. His rule changed the way politics is practised in Guyana - perhaps forever. But while the Jagdeo regime was bad for Guyana, it was good for the PPP and its constituency in some critical ways.

One of the problems for the PPP when it was in office during the period 1957-64 was how to govern without overt and covert destabilisation in a political center that was populated by supporters of its opponents and controlled institutionally by African Guyanese. The PPP blamed its demise in 1964 partly on the urban hostility it faced.

When they returned to power in 1992, the PPP faced the same challenge. After they made their initial move to dominate, the PNC and its supporters gave them hell.

They literally had to fight for survival from 1997 to 2003 as the country was made ungovernable via marches, strikes and violent confrontations. By then Dr Jagan was dead and Mrs Jagan had surrendered.

Enter Jagdeo. He set about doing what Dr Jagan could not do - he made it possible for the PPP to govern without humbug in Georgetown. Within a decade his regime had put an end to the challenges to the PPP. The so-called Buxton insurgency was crushed.

The African Guyanese community and the institutions they controlled succumbed to the politics of bribery and force. From trade union to political party to African Rights groups to Village Groups to the military, important sections of the African elite and the African Guyanese masses were seduced by the Jagdeo factor.

The Jagdeo regime did something else. First, it trapped the African Guyanese youth in the dancehalls by elevating partying to state policy and to the pinnacle of “culture.” Second, it neutralised the Urban Street Force and Underground that it felt was In my estimation, Bharrat Jagdeo, at the helm of the PPP, is not good for that section of the population which does not like the PPP. But if you are a diehard PPP supporter, at a time when the party has to hold on to its support base in the hour of defeat, Bharrat Jagdeo is your best soldier.

sympathetic to the Opposition and recruited some to the para-sate Phantom Squads. In the end, African Guyanese resistance was crippled and silenced. This opened the way for unrivalled domination by the PPP at all levels of the society.

In addition to silencing the African Guyanese community, the Jagdeo regime reconstructed the Indian Guyanese community. It merged PPP dominance with East Indian dominance and reinforced a sense of superiority in sections of that community. In the process it opened space for two critical tendencies. First, an Indian supremacist tendency grounded in an anti-black racism which begun to emerge and found semi-state legitimacy that, for example, was reflected in editorials and commentaries in the state and PPP supported media.

David Hinds Second, a new type of East Indian youth emerged.

Flushed with money, bling and other material trappings, they ruled the dance-halls and the streets as the new bullies.

These developments and others infuriated sections of the East Indian population that in turn revolted at the 2011 election and voted for the AFC. The Jagdeo way had backfired--momentarily. Fast forward to 2015.

The PPP was at its weakest. African Guyanese were energised by the prospect of an electoral victory and showed signs of breaking out of the Jagdeo prison.

Indian Guyanese were threatening to also bolt their prison.

Enter Jagdeo again. He went into top gear. He reached for a rhetoric and style that went to the heart of the Indian Guyanese socio-political psyche. He took the podium and moved the traditional PPP bottom house rhetoric into the open.

He fought back like a “kick ass” warrior. In the end, he brought back a significant portion of the 2011 rebels to the PPP ranks. To my mind, it was he who was largely responsible for a discredited PPP coming within striking distance of the Coalition. Thanks to Jagdeo, the East Indian community would no longer perceive themselves as targets for bullying by other ethnic groups.

In my estimation, Bharrat Jagdeo, at the helm of the PPP, is not good for that section of the population which does not like the PPP. But if you are a diehard PPP supporter, at a time when the party has to hold on to its support base in the hour of defeat, Bharrat Jagdeo is your best soldier.

(Dr David Hinds, a political activist and commentator, is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Caribbean and African Diaspora Studies at Arizona State University. More of his writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics. com. Send comments to DR.DHinds@gmail.com)

Engaging the...

From page 8 provide skills which do not currently exist in Guyana.

It is an undeniable fact that the bulk of Guyana’s university graduates migrate to countries where they can receive the sort of employment and remuneration commensurate with their qualifications.

It may also be true that the level of specialisation required for many donor funded projects do not currently exist within the local pool of skills.

But if you consider the fact that a tremendous amount of Guyanese talent exists outside of Guyana in virtually every area imaginable, then there is no reason why there cannot be a greater engagement of that talent to address our local developmental needs.

The question may be asked about the intrinsic value of this sort of nationalistic affirmative action in this area.

Does, for example, a Guyanese consultant perform bet-

ter than his counterpart from another country simply by virtue of being Guyanese? While there may be a way to compare per se, for me the probability – and we can assume that probability still has some place in policy formulation – that factors like an inherent sympathy, a good understanding of country context, family ties and plain patriotism will highly likely influence not only job commitment and performance, but also the possibility of a continuous engagement over the long term.

What we do not have on hand is a readily available database of skilled persons in the Diaspora who can be called upon to give their services to their country. I believe that the technology is available now that such a database can be developed, probably even within the operational framework of Ms Roberts’s recommended Remittances and Diaspora Unit.

The final area in which the Diaspora can be helpful is that of the strategic influencing of policy in resident countries – not alone, but within the context of the larger Caribbean Community.

The necessity for and potential of a serious policy

lobby in Washington, and even Brussels, has been a perennial cry of regional policy analysts like David Jessop and Sir Ronald Saunders, himself a Guyanese.

Outside of the normal diplomatic channels, Guyana can spearhead – as it has done many other initiatives within the context of CARICOM – a broad-based CARICOM Diaspora Initiative which would seek out (possibly with the use of the skills database proposed earlier in this column), consolidate, and re-engage with the Diaspora to address strategic interests in areas ranging from security to investment.

Finally, with an issue of this nature, there is only so much a weekly column can address. That said, I hope I’ve stimulated enough thought to warrant further discussion. Perhaps a few months down the road, we can see the establishment of a think thank dedicated to engaging the Guyanese Diaspora in as comprehensive a manner as possible, from mechanisms to ease their [re-] entry into local society to the establishment of overseas lobbying groups.

Whatever the outcome, for me, this is an issue whose time has definitely come.

10

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Crime fighting requires holistic approach

By Lincoln Lewis

community services such as in minor conflict resolution or pointing the aggrieved to social services systems that CRIME is one element of the culture in every society can handle their matter. and a result of structural deficiencies. It speaks to a In the 21st century, crime fighting has to factor in problem rooted in our economic, political and social the wellbeing of officers, the citizenry and weeding out development or lack thereof. those who use the cover of their uniform to ride shotgun Amidst reported increase in violent crime and the for dastardly acts. desire to have same contained and finally eliminated, Empowering the police and citizenry in working such can be realised through a holistic approach. A together in avoiding and solving crime requires a holistic approach will factor in a strategy to avoid and Police Force whose members are properly trained and solve crime. remunerated, where basic needs such as food, clothing, Crime fighting has to become part of the nation’s housing, utilities and proving education for their economic plan since the economic plan is what children can be met. The tedious and vexing bureaucracy informs development and people-centred development where the promoted have to await extended period contributes to the reduction and elimination of crime. for their new wages/ It is important to note in salary and custodian each society/community the officials are made to pattern of crime differs, and Of immediate concern is the morphing feel the execution of it is for this reason crime cultural acceptance of the glorification of this function is at his/ fighting has to be tackled the ‘get-rich-quick syndrome’ and this is her whim or fancy ought based on the characteristics one factor that affects persons across the to be revisited. of the society/community. socio-economic and political spectrum as It becomes necessary In making crime seen in proliferation of the narco-economy, in addition to addressing fighting part of the which rivals the formal economy and carries claims of favoritism nation’s developmental with it reprisals killings, both of which pose for promotion to also thrust each community, clear and present danger to the nation’s examine the provision region and town ought security (i.e., people, borders and government) of soft loans for housing to be given the needed and vehicles, improved support to develop their housing facilities for own indigenous plan and ranks transferred away programme to lift their from the area they residents out of poverty which factors in the creation reside, having the Police Credit Union managed along of decent jobs. Inherent in this, a system must be principles similar to the banking system. Addressing the developed to avoid persons from getting into criminal wellbeing of workers tasked with the responsibility of activity alongside actions to crime solving. crime fighting is important in pursuit of the objective.

Of immediate concern is the morphing cultural This nation is aware there are persons who have acceptance of the glorification of the ‘get-rich-quick mismanaged and abused the resources of this country but syndrome’ and this is one factor that affects persons yet, at the same time, they are not being asked to account across the socio-economic and political spectrum as for their stewardship, while the junior staff on many seen in proliferation of the narco-economy, which rivals occasions have been dismissed and placed on the breadline. the formal economy and carries with it reprisals killings, There will be no deterrence to crime when those both of which pose clear and present danger to the who are accused of blue collar and low-level white nation’s security (i.e. people, borders and government). collar crimes are held to account while at the same Crime cannot be solved or miminised by just giving time allowing higher level and politically connected to to the police and other attendant arms vehicles, guns walk free. Those who through their incompetence have and communication technologies. In fact, hardware is contributed to this country losing millions/billions of not the only solution to crime fighting. dollars cannot be allowed to continue. Perpetuating their An important element in arresting crime is the incompetence will send the signal that criminality is an fostering of good Community/Police relations, and this incentive, which will undermine efforts at crime-fighting. has been absent for too long in the society. Citizens must It needs to be understood that every dollar spent from not only feel comfortable that the police will Serve and the national coffer without prescribed permission is an Protect, that they can play a role by providing valuable abuse of the citizens/workers/taxpayers. Corruption is information with the confidentiality ensured, but the a human rights violation since it undermines human time is now to examine the feasibility of having systems development. Corruption means less scarce resources in place where officers are empowered to provide basic

Lincoln Lewis available to go towards social services and wages for public servants.

White collar and blue collar crimes are both hindrance to the development of the society and must be confronted with equal passion, resources and commitment. This nation is replete with evidence where some who, through various means have used state property illegally, continue to hold office and/or have not faced the brunt of the law while the small man is placed before the court.

Where personnel have mismanaged the people’s money on failed project(s) in the name of the people, termination of service or ignoring this violation is inadequate. These persons must be called to account and since the current government in its manifesto has made it clear that it will be a government of the people and was elected to be better than the previous government, their approach to crime is expected to be holistic.

This nation has lived through dark days where recent governments have aided, cuddled and abetted criminality in various forms, be it State-associated phantom squad, plundering the nation’s resources, association with known questionable characters, or unleashing State agencies to transgress citizens’/ workers’ rights and violate laws.

There must be a change in the way the people’s business is managed, for what was wrong under the PPP cannot be right under the APNU+AFC. Given the people have clamoured and worked for a change, the change must not be seen just in faces but in spirit and the way the nation’s business is being managed. Change requires conformity with our Constitution, Laws, universal declarations, regional and international charters and conventions. It’s the citizens’ civic duty to partner with Government and ensures it operates consistent with these principles.

CRIMEWATCH GUYANA

By Allan A. Fenty

Allan A. Fenty

THE Guyana Chronicle today re-introduces a timely and hopefully helpful and appreciated feature, CRIME WATCH GUYANA. Our correspondent, in collaboration with and guidance from the Guyana Police Force, Public Relations Department, some private Security Services and other Security Consultants, will offer simple-to-read advisories and suggestions to PREVENT, DETECT AND PERHAPS EVEN SOLVE CRIME. From Street Robberies, Burglaries, Illegal Weapons to Forgeries, Conman frauds and Financial Crime, CRIMEWATCH GUYANA will strive to make you citizens aware and security-conscious at all times.

If you have information, suggestions FOR THIS FEATURE, PHOTOGRAPHS, please send them to the Editor-In-Chief. You may want to SAVE these features too. Happy useful reading.

HOW TO TIP OFF Many citizens, whether they were eye-witnesses, current or former accomplices or collaborators, suspects, neighbours, workmates, etc., assist law-enforcement agencies in their investigations into crime, from time to time.

However, the vicious nature of the criminals these days, the loop-holes in various laws, the short-comings of the prosecution and doubts about some police personnel, all combine to prevent these persons from coming forward with vital information.

Often, the telephone or email approach is preferred by those who wish to be anonymous and safe when giving information. At the end of this piece are contact numbers that could be used. Here too, are a See page 12

11

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

AN IDEA - AYANGANA CONSTRUCTION COMPANY (ACC)!

I

By Sase Singh, in Washington DC

T was General George Patton who said – “lead me, follow me or get out of the way”.

On the question of jobs and poverty in Guyana, for the longest while we had – unfortunately - very poor leadership at the highest levels and thus it was most pleasing to finally see the Guyanese people tell those who failed at the task of creating jobs and alleviating poverty for the masses to ‘get out of the way’.

At this point in time (July 2015), there is much hope in the society that these two difficult questions will be addressed by the incoming Administration.

Where there is no vision, hard empirical data and a national plan, the working class will always perish.

Based on the performance of the pre-April 2015 authorities in the Ministry of Finance, there was poor vision, unacceptable poverty and employment data and a deficient national plan.

Thus, I welcomed the statement from the new Minister of Finance to rebuild the Bureau of Statistics after his discovery that it was “...severely emasculated...”

My personal experience from using the data from the Bureau of Statistics found them out of date and at times questionable.

The CDB estimated youth unemployment in Guyana at 41%. According to that study, the data set reflect persons available to join the labour force between the ages of 1529 years old. This information is quite unsettling and the prognosis is that if we do not act with much haste on this issue all the social indicators will come under greater stress – higher crime rates, higher suicide rates, more cases of rape and so on. This is a clear and present danger to the nation.

A group of us in the Diaspora formulated an idea calling for the re-establishment of the Ayangana Construction Company (ACC) to partially address this issue of youth unemployment.

Guyana once owned State-owned corporations like Hinterland Road Construction Company (HRCCL), Construction Management Combine Company (CMCCL) and Ayangana Construction Company (ACC). These organisations did valuable work in hinterland road construction, engineering supervision and actual construction services. But they all failed.

They failed mainly because their respective revenue models were deficient and at the time of their failure, Guyana had great economic imbalances as a result of weak performance in the traditional export sectors. But Guyana is in a better macro-economic position today but with the same old problems – too much unemployment and poverty.

The ACC is critical as a policy tool to partially address

three of the many developmental challenges left by the previous Administration in May 2015 – failure to create enough jobs, failure to adequately alleviate poverty for the single parent families and failure to secure better value for money for services offered to the State.

The rational for this project is as follows: • Low income homes in communities for single parents in a more cost efficient manner; • Cash neutrality; • Apprenticeship, skills transfer, job creation, future entrepreneurs.

The first objective is to fulfill the promise of constructing homes in housing scheme in a more cost effective manner for eligible single parent families using INEXPENSIVE apprentice labour resources. This will lower the per unit cost per home since the single parent beneficiary will only have to fund materials and the salaries of the trainers (skilled craftsmen who are supervising the project). They shall not pay for the labour cost of the apprentices. This opportunity shall take many single parent families out rental apartments into their own homes with real equity and on the highway out of poverty.

Secondly, how do we maintain cash neutrality? ACC shall earn market value from the State for approximately 30% of the maintenance services needed by the respective Government Departments. The Government of Guyana (GoG) spent some G$2.1 billion in 2013 and 2014 on “Maintenance of Buildings”. According to the preliminary budget we have prepared, the income earned for carrying out these works, is more than adequate to fund the entire operational cost of ACC including the stipend and tools for the apprentices.

If one is to read the Auditor General’s Report over the years, one can easily recognise that the private sector has under-served the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), which is funded mainly by Capital Expenditure from the National Budget. The primary reason for this situation is that good contractors are too thinly stretched, creating opportunities for shabby contractors to infiltrate the market place.

The objective is to allow the good private contractors to focus on the “big ticket” and more complex capital projects (approximately G$45 billion annually) funded by the capital budget.

This situation will allow the State to build its own inhouse capacity in a manageable way to focus on the less complex maintenance projects funded by the current budget.

The third objective is a mass scale apprentice scheme in all 10 Regions that will train on average 4,000 youths between now to 2020 in the fine art of carpentry, welding, masonry, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical installation and so on.

Sase Singh

These apprentices will be under the supervision of experienced craftsmen and technicians like retired members of the GDF Engineering Corp. These apprentices will be paid a stipend (below market value) for 12 months for their labour but their intangible gains are - a real skill, official certification from ACC in conjunction with the technical institutes, once successfully certified - access to job fairs to help them seek placement in the private sector and finally a free tool bag with their very own basic set of tools. The graduates even have the option of using their newly earned skills to opening their own business.

THE BUSINESS ACC can be subdivided into two Departments – the House Construction Department and the Public Maintenance Department. The House Construction Department shall train apprentices who will work under experienced supervisors to constructing low cost housing schemes for single parents in all 10 Regions. The Public Maintenance Department shall earn income from maintenance jobs on state properties with manpower from the apprentices under supervision of experienced craftsmen.

CONCLUSION As I said before, we are now at the dawn of our 50th Independence Anniversary with many significant challenges. This idea can clearly start the ball rolling on three of them – job creation, skills transfer and poverty alleviation. This isn’t someone else’s problem. It is ours to fix.

Next time I shall be sharing some ideas on why at this time it is absolutely necessary to update the National Development Strategy and an associated Poverty Alleviation Programme and use it to build a 10-year plan for Guyana.

Ogle Airport to commence commercial night operations - from Wednesday OGLE Airport International (OAI) has announced the commencement of commercial night operations from Wednesday July 15, 2015, when LIAT will introduce its first scheduled evening flights between Piarco Airport, Trinidad & Tobago, Grantley Adams Airport, Barbados and Guyana.

In a press release issued by Public Communications Consultants Limited (PCCL), OAI stated that LIAT’s expanded schedule will now include night flights between Trinidad & Tobago, departing Piarco Airport at 19:40 hrs (7:40pm), and arriving at Ogle Airport at 20:40 hrs (8:40 pm) every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

As regards Guyana and Barbados, LIAT will depart Ogle Airport at 21:10 hrs (9:10pm)

and arrive at the Grantley Adams Airport at 23:10 hrs (11:10 pm).

The release went on to explain that LIAT will continue its daily Barbados flights, departing Grantley Adams Airport at 12:20 hrs to arrive at Ogle Airport at 14:20 hrs. It will then depart Ogle Airport at 14:50 hrs and arrive at the Grantley Adams Airport at 16:50 hrs.

The release added that LIAT’s schedule will also include flights out of Grantley Adams Airport at 06:00 hrs to arrive at Ogle Airport at 08:00 hrs.

The airline will then depart Ogle at 08:30hrs and arrive at Piarco Airport, Trinidad, at 09:40 hrs, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

12

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

RPA stands by Gov’t From page 5

exports of rice, dairy products and chicken in exchange for Venezuelan petroleum.

A press release from the Uruguayan Presidency said both Vice Presidents have agreed to apply “a programme of commercial and energy issues to advance in bilateral negotiations.”

Guyana produces in excess of 600,000 tonnes of rice annually, 34 per cent of which is exported to Venezuela at a premium price.

Given the size of the export, a loss of the Venezuelan market could cause a contraction in production, seriously affecting rice farmers and millers.

SUPPORT Seeraj told the Chronicle that the issues affecting the rice industry are of concern to the RPA, and he is prepared to work with the Government in the best interest of rice farmers.

Venezuela has been pushing hard to add credence to its claim of ownership of the Essequibo, which accounts for twothirds of Guyana’s land mass. ‘El Universal’, a Venezuelan newspaper, reported on Friday that the Government of Venezuela will, in the upcoming days, launch a diplomatic strategy to recover the territory of the Essequibo, ownership of which it is disputing with Guyana. This announcement was made by retired colonel Pompeyo Torrealba Rivero, who advises President Nicolás Maduro in this matter.

Torrealba coordinates the Office for the Rescue of the Essequibo, created by the Venezuelan Government to lay its claim to ownership of the Essequibo. He informed that President Maduro has ordered the teaching of this matter of the Essequibo as a subject in universities and elementary and high schools, and also in media located in bordering areas.

He has also reportedly proposed to issue identity cards for the estimated 200,000 inhabitants of the Essequibo, and to start an awareness campaign to make the population of Guyana understand that Essequibo belongs to Venezuela.

These developments have come in light of the decrees issued by President Nicolas Maduro (illegally) claiming a vast

area of Guyana’s territory.

President David Granger has said that while the new decree, Number 1859, does not contain the coordinates of the decree Number 1787, it does contain a general description of all defence zones, with the description of the eastern, central, and western regions remaining consistent with previous versions of the new decree.

THREAT OF FORCE In an address to the National Assembly on Thursday last, President Granger denounced Venezuela’s description of Guyana’s maritime boundaries as “Integral Maritime Defence Zones” in the new decree. He noted that “there continues to be a threat of force in these areas.”

In rejecting Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s waters as defence zones, President Granger contended that the decree “goes on further to state that these defence zones are spaces created to plan and execute integral defence operations.”

“We consider decree 1787 as constituting an act of aggression against Guyana,” President Granger noted. The Head of State recalled his recent trip to Barbados for the 36th CARICOM Heads of Government meeting, and a recent visit to Guyana, where Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma expressed solidarity with Guyana from the 53-nation Commonwealth.

“The matter is to be discussed at the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting in New York in September,” President Granger continued. During the CARICOM Summit in Barbados, the President met with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon who “committed to sending a mission to both Venezuela and Guyana.” The President expressed his willingness to accept that group delegated by the UN Secretary General.

“The decree, of course, violates the word and spirit of the 1966 Geneva Agreement that forbids the claiming of new territory while the agreement remained enforced,” President Granger maintained.

He further explained in the words of Article 5, “no new

claim or enlargement of an existing claim to territorial sovereignty in those territories shall be asserted while this agreement is in force, nor shall any claim whatsoever be asserted otherwise than in the mixed commission, while that commission is in being.”

The Guyana-Venezuela issue has been like a sleeping volcano spanning across decades, but Venezuela’s new claims, according to President Granger, goes far beyond the previous claims of Essequibo and its maritime boundaries and now extends to the maritime space of Demerara, and even part of Suriname’s maritime space.

MISPLACED AGGRESSION Former Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon, in a statement, also added his voice to the developments following the aggression shown by Venezuela.

He said Venezuela’s claim of what is not hers is an act of misplaced aggression.

“To continue to want to grab what has been settled by international arbitration is a show of contempt for the rule of law. To decide on one day you will use this decree and next day use another in efforts to push an agenda which is known to have no moral and international premise and support among right-thinking persons within your country is a sign of desperation. All 83,000 square miles and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in relation to Guyana remain ours!” he said.

The former Region 10 Chairman contended that President Maduro’s failure to provide basic amenities for the citizens of Venezuela has angered his people, resulting in a series of protest action and widespread discontent.

“The President’s failure to properly address domestic affairs has seen him turning his personal aggression against Guyana and other sovereign nations. The intention of President Maduro’s act is to rally the citizens of Venezuela against Guyana and others with a view of diverting attention from his failed economic policies,” Solomon contends.

CRIMEWATCH ...

From page 10

a few CRIME WATCH GUYANA suggestions for those willing to assist the police: • Go in person to the nearest Police Station and ask to speak to either the Officerin-Charge – or a particular officer you know or trust.

• Write a letter – signed or unsigned. Address it to a chosen officer. Include information that can be verified and by which investigating officers will know that your information is authentic. Tell the police who to look for, when to go, where to go and what to search for.

• Make written copies of information you supply. Keep duplicates for both yourself and trusted, senior persons in the society. (If anything back-fires, you, the police and the criminals will know that the information is in other safe hands.)

• It might be advisable to approach your priests, teachers, attorneys or employer with information, from time to

time. Political Leaders, when and if trusted, are other persons to be considered.

Very useful, as intermediaries who can speak to the police, are media personnel who are trusted by well-meaning informants.

If you have information, you may consider contacting a senior media manager or journalists you know or trust, even before you approach security personnel.

Of course, if you wish to remain anonymous, it can help to use the mail (letter, telex, fax, telegram) or the telephone (See numbers below).

•

TIP OFF THE AUTHORITIES… Here Are Important Police Telephone Numbers You May Use •

Police Commissioner -

226-2487 •

Personal Assistant to Commissioner -225-2744 •

Crime Chief

-

225—3650 / 226-1326 •

Deputy Commissioner (OPS) - 226-0449 •

OFFICE – Professional RESPONSIBILITIES - 226-8467 •

Fraud Squad

-

2260192 /227-6123

•

NARCOTICS BRANCH HOTLINE - 225-1111 Many more to appear from time to time

13

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

18-yr-old stabbed to death after leaving Masjid

The blood spattered seats and the Holy Quran on the floor

‘FATALLY STABBED’: Adonie Parbhoo

ADONIE Parbhoo, an 18-year-old lad from East La Penitence was last evening stabbed to death moments after walking out of a Masjid.

According to information reaching the Chronicle, the teen who works as a miner in the interior was attacked by three young men.

Relatives are pointing fingers to the sons of a distant relative. The man’s mother who spoke with this publication stated that her son came out of the interior because of the Ramadan period to observe his fasting.

Sources who have been able to see the remains of the man confirmed, late last night, that he received at least one stab wound to the region of the chest.

The Police are conducting their investigations into the incident and the Chronicle will bring you more on this story in Monday's edition of our publication. (Leroy Smith)

Kitty Cabs taxi service suffers ...

From page 2

and began beating him. But when they realised that he was a force to be reckoned with, one man shouted to the other “Shoot he! Shoot he!” at which point the driver became terrified.

He overpowered the man in the front seat, jumped out of the vehicle, and ‘ran for life’.

By then both the driver and the car were blood spattered from minor abrasions he had sustained. He said that, after running some distance, he spotted a hire car, flagged it down and asked to be taken to Turkeyen Police Station.

When he made the report, the Police reportedly told him that the patrol car was just on the road, but did not come across either the men or the car. The driver then asked the police to make another drive around to see if they would find the men, but the police responded that he should return to the station at 09:00 hrs the following day (yesterday) and make a formal report.

Despondent, the driver took another taxi and headed down to the Kitty Cabs car base, where he informed his boss about his dreadful ordeal.

Meantime, the men who had stolen the car drove it to Lamaha Park, where they stripped it of its battery, all four controllers for the windows, and the keys for the car. They also took away two Curve cellular phones; cash to the tune of $28,000; documents the driver had in the car, including his driver’s licence and passport; a new pair of boots, and other personal effects.

As instructed by the Turkeyen Police, he returned to the station at 09:00 hrs yesterday morning, and whilst giving a statement, a phone call came through to the officer stating that the car had been found abandoned on a lonely track in Lamaha Park.

The police took him to

the spot, where they found the car stripped. The distraught complainant, who gave descriptions of the men, recalled that they were young and perhaps had not even reached 28 as yet.

The driver is a Muslim and was doing a period of fasting for the month of Ramadan. He said he had his Quran with him, and the men threw it onto the floor of the car, but he vowed they will pay for their deeds.

Meanwhile, the newly resuscitated Lamaha Park Community Policing Group

(CPG), on making the discovery that a car had been abandoned in the area, immediately informed the East La Penitence Police, who promptly responded to the call. The CPG has expressed concern over the frequency with which bandits have been stealing and abandoning cars at that spot, noting that it has now been the third such incident in the last two months.

Police arrived on the scene and proceeded to do dusting for fingerprints and other evidence.

Sunday, July 12, 2015 - 14:30 hrs Monday, July 13, 2015 - 14:30 hrs Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 14:30 hrs

NIGHT OF HORROR

Meanwhile, owner of Kitty Cabs, Ms. Zora Khan, with whom the driver works, travelled to the scene where her car was discovered yesterday morning. She recalled that it was a night of horror for her.

She said that, shortly before receiving the news of the young driver’s encounter and

the carjacking of her vehicle, she had to rush to the Georgetown Hospital after another driver had been attacked and shot in the neck by a man ‘seemingly on a high’.

Ms Khan said she learnt that the man, who lives in a ‘Wai Wai’ house next to the taxi service on Alexander Street, had asked her driver for money and the driver had

replied that he had none. On hearing that, the man chased him into the dispatch room and shot him in the right side of his neck. The bullet travelled to the left side and lodged in the driver’s shoulder.

He has been admitted to the GPHC, and is awaiting surgery to have the bullet removed.

14

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Decomposed remains of mother, baby found

By Ravin Singh THE decomposed bodies of 28-year-old Youleana Charles and her five-month-old daughter were discovered in their Lot 408 Section C, Block Y, Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home by police in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Reports are that Charles, an Amerindian woman who initially hailed from the North West District, had moved into the rented house with her daughter last December, and little had been known about them. One neighbour explained that the woman did not “mix much with people”, and neighbours had very little knowledge on who she was.

The neighbour related that neither the woman nor her 5-month-old baby had been seen for the last few weeks; but, over the past few days, neighbours residing immediately next to Charles had begun complaining of a stench emanating from the yard. One neighbour who lives just next door reported that he had been receiving a foul odour since Sunday last.

Accordingly, another neighbour made efforts to contact the owner of the house, Clement Ramroop, who resides overseas.

Ramroop then made contact with someone he knew in the neighbourhood, requesting that she check the house to see what was wrong.

Ranks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were then summoned to the location by residents, after which they broke the door and discovered the two bodies which were decom-

- in house posed to the point of being unrecognisable.

Persons said that the woman’s husband, who is not always around, works in the interior location with a mining company, but neither the name of the man nor the company was revealed to the media.

He was reportedly last seen at the location about two weeks ago.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the deceased would usually visit her family for lengthy periods of time, and return when her husband was off-duty.

It was suggested that when persons did not see the woman or her daughter at the house, they were of the view that the

duo was at the woman’s relatives, who live outside of the community.

Following the discovery, Ramroop informed his friend from the community that he would be seeking to immediately return to Guyana to address the unfortunate development at his premises.

The overseas-based man indicated that it was only two weeks ago that he had spoken with the woman’s husband concerning their tenancy at the Golden Grove property.

Because of the state of decomposition, crime scene investigators could not immediately determine if the two had suffered any form of physical injury prior to their death, or what may have caused their deaths.

The police are expected to perform a post-mortem on the remains in the coming week, even as they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the mother and child.

The house where the woman and her daughter lived in Golden Grove (Adrian Narine photo)

Cops unearth marijuana at airport, G/t house - in separate operations

By Leroy Smith INFORMATION reaching the Chronicle detailed that, at approximately 11:15hrs yesterday, Collin Downes of Lot 14 D’Urban Street, Lodge was getting ready to ship some foodstuff to an interior location on a domestic flight via the Ogle Airport when what is suspected to be cannabis sativa was discovered in the cargo.

Police sources said the foodstuff was about to be loaded on a flight to Kaikan when ranks from the Police Narcotics Branch conducted an inspection of the items and found 280 grammes of the leaves, seeds and stems of a plant suspected to be cannabis sativa concealed in a 10kg bag of rice.

The Police promptly took the man into custody as he was present at the airport and able to witness the inspection of the items. He continues to assist the Police with their investigations.

And Police conducted an unrelated search on a house at Lot 15 Norton Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown and unearthed 25 grammes of illegal substance suspected to be cannabis, concealed in a small handbag in a bedroom which is usually occupied by one Nadira Persaud. The handbag was also said to belong to Nadira Persaud.

The 30-year-old woman was at home at the time of the search, and was promptly arrested by the police. She was, up to late on Saturday evening, in custody of the police, assisting with the investigations.

This newspaper has learnt that the police were able to make the discoveries and arrests based on intelligence.

Over the past year and a half, the Guyana Police Force has upped it game in the area of intelligence gathering, and this has been affording them success in their operations. Moreover, those investigations have also led them to build some strong cases which are now before the courts.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

15

Venezuelan Opposition…

Maduro’s Govt wants to ‘beat its chest’ on Essequibo claims - to divert attention from Venezuela’s internal troubles

By Derwayne Wills VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro’s rival from the country’s 2013 Presidential elections, Henrique Capriles has come out to slam the country’s leader for using the Essequibo issue to draw attention from the other political and economic problems facing the oil-rich country.

Following Maduro’s address to Venezuela’s National Assembly last Monday, Capriles, also Governor of Venezuela’s Miranda State, was reported by Venezuelan online agency, 2001, saying “yesterday (July 6), we saw in the AN [National Assembly in English] that they now want to retrieve the Essequibo [but] who will believe them?”

“Maduro was Foreign Minister for six years and now you realise there is a territory to claim? Please! What they want is to put an issue on the table to divert the attention of the Venezuelan people from the issues that affect them,” Capriles continued.

The Venezuelan Opposition Leader went on to challenge Maduro’s attempt to marginalise Venezuela’s youth in the country’s upcoming December 6, 2015 elections, where Capriles could make a comeback since the leader of Venezuela’s 29-party Opposition coalition, Leopoldo Lopez remains in political prison under Maduro’s orders.

Lopez’s imprisonment has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community, but Maduro remains

adamant in his accusation against Lopez, a Harvard University graduate, being involved in the 2014 protests across Venezuela, which ended in the death of at least 11 Venezuelans including university students and police officers.

On July 8, registration for Venezuela’s upcoming elections closed with no intention from the Government of reopening the process. “They are not interested in young people expressing themselves because of fear,” the news agency reported Capriles as saying.

“The Government does not want to register [the youth], because they know that our young people are more than voters, they are the future of our homeland.” “If young people are organised,” Capriles continued, “I assure you that the country will have a different course.”

President Nicolas Maduro is the successor of Venezuela’s former President Hugo Chavez, who started Venezuela’s socialist revolution in 1998. Chavez died in 2013 after an arduous battle with Cancer. Maduro, a former bus driver, served as Chavez’s Foreign Affairs Minister before his assent to the Presidency.

VENEZUELA’S ECONOMY Since Maduro’s assent to power, the Venezuela economy had plummeted significantly. Shortages in basic food commodities, rapid inflation, and the decline in the oil price on the global market saw Venezuela is less than favourable economic

and social circumstances.

Challenging Maduro’s socialist regime, students took to the streets in 2014 and 2015 in violent protests against Maduro’s grip on the country’s economy.

Following Maduro’s first decree, on May 26, claiming the Atlantic waters of both Essequibo, and Demerara, seasoned Caribbean Diplomat Sir Ronald Sanders noted in an article post on Barbados’ Antillean Media Group (AMG) that Maduro’s claim can neither stand up to international law, nor can he enforce such a claim without sanctions from the international community.

“The answer lies, to some extent, in the hostile domestic politics of Venezuela which have intensified in the wake of deteriorating economic conditions, creating widespread hardship,” Sir Sanders reasoned in his post.

On his most recent trip to Trinidad and Tobago, President Nicolas Maduro managed to negotiate for the Caribbean nation to provide an economically-strapped Venezuela with toilet paper, which has become scarce in the country.

VENEZUELAN ID CARDS FOR ESSEQUIBANS More recent revelations coming out of the Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy were reported by Venezuelan news agency, El Universal that Head of the

Please turn to page 18

16

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Newly elected Regional Chairpersons, Deputies sworn in – President urges them to embrace a plan of action

PRESIDENT David Granger has called on the newly elected Regional Chairpersons and their deputies to be regional leaders and not “party Chairmen”.

These officials were sworn in, on Friday, before President David Granger at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Those sworn in as Regional Chairmen are: Brentnol Ashley, Region One; Devanand Ramdatt, Region Two; Julius Faerber, Region Three; Genevieve Allen, Region Four; Vickchand Ramphal, Region Five; David Armogan, Region Six; Gordon Bradford, Region Seven; Bonnaventure Fredricks, Region Eight; Bryan Allicock, Region Nine and Renis Morian, Region Ten. The Regional ViceChairpersons are: Sarah Browne, Region One; Juliet Coonjah, Region Two; Inshaan Ayube, Region Three; Earl Lambert, Region Four; Rion Peters, Region Five; Dennis DeRoop, Region Six; Olinda Griffith, Region Seven, Headley Pio, Region Eight; Carl Singh, Region Nine and Elroy Adolphus, Region Ten. After taking their oath of Office, the President in his charge to the chairpersons and their deputies urged them to take their oath seriously.

“I’d like to encourage you to pay close attention to the words that you uttered, the oath that you took, and

the documents that you signed; in a flash you have decided to administer the 10 Regions of Guyana, without fear or favour, affection or ill will.”

Pointing to the seriousness of the oath, the President told the Officers that they are expected to administer those Regions for the benefit of all the residents. “It is not an idle oath, it is something that you must take seriously, when I was sworn in as President of this country those were the words that I uttered on the 16 of May; I said I’m the President for all of Guyana.”

In this light, President Granger said all the people of Guyana must have access to him as President and to the good things that flow from his Administration.

“Similarly, in your Region, all the people in your Region,

President David Granger and the newly elected Regional Chairpersons for the 10 Administrative Regions (GINA photo) regardless of their religion or their ethnicity, regardless of what part of the Region they are from, must get the

benefits of your judgment, must get the benefits of your good will.”

S p e a k i n g o f

how important each Administrative Region is to his Administration, the President said in his mind

President David Granger and the newly elected Vice Chairpersons of the ten administrative Regions after being sworn in on Friday (GINA photo)

Citrus Grove Co. Head pays courtesy call on President

Head of Citrus Grove Co., Mr Ronald Fletcher, met with President David Granger and Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin last week. The possibility of working along with the relevant ministry for the further development of the company was among the issues discussed. (GINA photo)

the Regions are hybrids of Central Government and Local Government. Hence, if the Regions do not succeed, the country will not thrive.

It is for this reason, the President said, that Central and Local Government must come with the aim of building 10 strong Regions, which will eventually build a stronger country.

Equally important too, the President said is for, civil society, councillors, social partners and other stakeholders to be involved in decision making for the Regions’ best interest.

“I would like you to examine your Regions and work out a plan…I call it the Plan of Action for Regional Development, and I would like to see all of you develop some sort of plan of action for Regional Development.”

The President said that even as these plans are being crafted, serious consideration must be given to clearly defined economic goals.

“Every single Region can be rich, no Region is desert, no Region is swamp land, and every Region has resources, human resources, material and natural resources, and we must decide how those resources must be exploited in order to benefit our people.”

The Chairpersons were also advised on the importance of going after investments for their respective Regions as plans are on stream for creating more towns in the Regions, with the aim of attracting more investments.

Infrastructural development in the various Regions is also important, President Granger said, as he pointed to the need for stateof-the-art sport facilities, technical institutes, banks, and upgraded aerodromes.

“I want to see the Regions developing in themselves and for themselves, producing a high standard of education, high standard of employment.”

Further, the President also encouraged those Regions with resources to produce hydro-electricity to play their role and come up with initiatives that will benefit themselves and all of Guyana.

The President also took the opportunity to congratulate the newly elected officers as he called on them to embrace the plan of action for Regional Development. (GINA)

17

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Surinamese Ambassador pays courtesy call on President President David Granger sharing a light moment with Suriname Ambassador to Guyana, Ms Nisa Kurban Badoe and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge during a courtesy call the diplomat paid to the Guyanese Head of State, last Friday (GINA)

Young members pay courtesy call on President ahead of World Scout Jamboree

A group of young Scout members who will be representing Guyana at the World Scout Jamboree 2015 paid a courtesy call on President David Granger last week. The group will attend the Jamboree in Japan which will run from July 28 to August 8, 2015. The event will attract thousands of Scouts and Guides from all across the world.

President David Granger, sharing some literature with the young scouts following his brief engagement with them.

Young painter pays courtesy call on President Granger

Master Pauxing Liu, an 11-year old painter, in the company of his proud parents paid a courtesy call on President David Granger on July 10. The young lad also took the opportunity to show some of his work to the Guyanese leader. Master Pauxing Liu is the son of Mr. Liu Yuyin, Counsellor for Political Affairs for the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana (GINA photos)

18

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

PPP-run website accused of ‘fabricating’ stories

By Ravin Singh

A section of the PPP-run website which carried the article which was deemed to be a misrepresentation

A REPORT carried on a People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-run website, describing an “Economic downturn” in Guyana’s economy as the reason for several multi-million dollar companies being forced to lay off staff, has been described as a “fabrication” by at least two of the four companies being implicated.

The website, http://progressiveradionews.com on July 2, 2015 carried an article with the headline, “Economic downturn forces huge layoffs by big companies,” implicating Guyana Stores Limited, Muneshwers Limited, Gafoors and Laparkan.

According to the article, earlier in July the party (PPP) had warned of the consequences our country and economy face as a result of the “confrontational approach adopted by the APNU+AFC defacto Government.”

They urged the Government to end the alleged “Witch-hunting and the arbitrary dismissals” of public servants, as well as the “reign of intimidation and fear” now gripping our country.

Additionally, the party stated that they warned that “triumphalist and insensitive

chatter” such as Finance Minister Winston Jordan’s “not being distracted" comment, will only serve to "throw salt in the wounds" of the thousands who are still “traumatized” as a result of them being “cheated electorally.”

“We posited that such insensitive statements from a man who is responsible for the economy of Guyana can have a far-reaching and negative impact on the productive forces in the most dynamic sectors of the country’s economy,” the article further stated.

Following this was statistical representation to prove the PPP’s case that the “downturn” had forced the companies which for many years provided employment for hundreds of Guyanese, to downsize staff.

The numbers as were recorded were; Gafoors – 70 employees; Laparkan – 35 employees; Guyana Stores Limited – 30 employees; and Muneshwers Limited – 35 employees.

But according to the four companies, this had been a complete misrepresentation of facts and seemed to be a political stunt.

Offering a comment to defend the position of Muneshwers Limited, one of the directors, Robin Muneshwer asserted that the report of 35 employees being laid off was far from the truth and appeared to be a mere fabrication. He

explained that the company engages in business and not politics and as such, “will not be used for propaganda purposes.”

He argued that the article has “no merit and no basis,” since no effort was ever made to contact the company to confirm whether any staff had been laid off. The director re-assured this publication that no staff from any branch of Muneshwers Ltd. had been laid off and they continue to commit to providing quality services to the people of Guyana.

The Administrative Division of Guyana Stores Limited, a private company, also denounced the contents of the article, stating that the company has not fired or laid off any staff as was reported in the article.

A source from the company explained that a decline in sales commenced some two years ago and this trend continues.

However, the source related that the management of Guyana Stores remains committed to the people of Guyana and their staff and even in light of the fact that business has been slow, no 30 employees were laid off.

The management of Gafoors and Laparkan expressed similar sentiments, condemning the contents appearing in the article and distancing themselves entirely from it. Both companies also asserted that no employees had been laid off

and the article was a misrepresentation of the facts.

Appearing on their Facebook page too, the PPP alluded to “more evidence of [an] economic downturn,” by implicating popular local creole restaurant and bar, Jerries Tight and Sweet, which had been in operation for 23 years.

According to the PPP’s report, 60 members of staff were likely to be affected by the decision of the proprietor to shut his door. The party added that, “The proprietor's wife expressed uncertainty about remaining in Guyana, given the current economic climate which she said was brought about by the change in Government.”

But contrary to this report, Jerry Bacchus, proprietor of the business in an interview with News Source, explained that, “I want to make it very clear, emphatically clear that I am not closing down because of any change in Government or any curfew or 2 am close- down.

It has been tough for me since 2013 and so I have decided to move on from this business.”

He further added that the downturn for him started back in 2013, and at present, people are attempting to make it look like politics is the cause, “but it’s not that.”

The business has in its employ, 45 staff and not 60, as was reported by the PPP.

The report carried on the PPP’s Facebook page on Friday, which was also deemed an inaccurate report

Maduro’s Govt wants ...

From page 15

Maduro-created ‘Office for the Rescue of the Essequibo’, Colonel Pompeyo Torrealba hinted to the Venezuelan Government issuing identification cards to Guyanese living in Essequibo, with an intense education campaign on Venezuela’s claim to the Region.

With even more developments in Venezuela of the country’s President recalling his Ambassador to Guyana, and issuing statements that the United States is looking to infiltrate Venezuela through Guyana, former Ambassador of Argentina to the United Nations, Emilio Cardenas believes this to be an effort by Maduro to postpone the country’s elections in fear of his party losing.

“By appealing to nationalism and encouraging conflict, Maduro could suspend elections and invoke this for safety reasons,” Cardenas noted in a letter to Argentinian media agency, Rio Negro.

“There are good chances that the Venezuelan mid-term election will take place, without discounting that Nicolas Maduro can fraudulently reduce the impact of the election, which if conducted transparently, would be a sign of unhappy Venezuelans strongly rejecting mismanagement that has destroyed Venezuela.”

“So you resort to poor swipes at inflating the border crisis on the Essequibo coast, where a consortium of foreign companies authorised by Guyana has discovered oil,” he continued.

Venezuela continues its claims of Guyana’s Essequibo region and the Atlantic coast off that Region, as well as Demerara’s Atlantic coast through President Maduro’s issuance of an amended decree, which maintains the Venezuelan Armed Forces to use ‘threat of force’ in Guyana waters that have been deemed Integral Maritime Zones.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

T

Handling upsurge in violent crime

HERE is no doubt that we are witnessing an upsurge in violent crime -- especially gun crimes -- since the year 2000. So grave is the problem that it has not escaped the attention of President David Granger, his Cabinet and the security forces.

As it relates to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW), any planned initiative must simultaneously address supply reduction and demand reduction.

Moreover, there must be stricter mechanisms governing legitimate firearms. These should include: inspection and compliance, custom supervision, end-use monitoring and verification, investigation in event of violation, and prosecution for violation.

The proliferation of illicit SALW has its origin in the legal flow of weapons. Therefore, the origin of every illicit

weapon confiscated by the law-enforcement agencies should be established. This will allow policy makers to develop and implement relevant policies to combat this scourge.

The UN Register of Conventional Arms allows for transparency in the transfer of arms. Hence, it is easy to detect at what stage weapons enter the illicit domain.

Supply-side disarmament intervention primarily serves to remove illicit weapons from the hands of criminals and other individuals.

For example, in Brazil, the Disarmament Statute facilitated the voluntary collection of small arms and revolved around a weapons buyback programme with amnesty.

At the end of the exercise, there was an 11% decrease in firearms-related deaths in Rio de Janeiro (Dreyfus et al 2008). Nevertheless, success of such initiatives is highly dependent upon building trust and public confidence,

which can be fostered by the broadening and widening of the democratic process and the reformation of the state security apparatus, judicial and penal systems to better serve citizens.

Another intervention method is the ‘Consent to Search’, which was launched in St Louis, Michigan, USA from 1994 to 1996. It involved law-enforcement agencies searching the homes of known, young criminal elements with the consent of their parents, and in cases where guns were found, they were granted immunity from prosecution. At the end of the intervention, 530 guns were recovered, a significant amount when compared to other methods where search warrants and forced entry were used (SAS 2006).

On the other hand, the demand reduction approach for SALW is concerned with factors that influence people to acquire and possess legal or illicit firearms.

Large acquisition of SALW by individuals and

communities is indicative of state failure, since it demonstrates low confidence in the State’s ability to provide security. Arguably, the strength of the State is measured by its ability and willingness to provide fundamental political goods associated with its functions: physical security, legitimate political institution, economic management, and social welfare.

Restoring public institutions, therefore, requires a positive change in the State’s behaviour, which would engender public safety and security. This is achieved through public participation in decisionmaking, monitoring and evaluation of results.

A d m i t t e d l y, a k e y function of the State is to prevent violence by collaborating with key stakeholders and implementing relevant initiatives.

The State is legally empowered to use force in service of compliance

with State laws to maintain order and protect the vulnerable. In executing this role, agents of the State must not abuse citizens or abdicate their responsibilities, because this will inevitably result in loss of confidence in ability of the law-enforcement agency to execute its role.

Moreover, no demandreduction strategy will be successful if critical stakeholders do not have confidence in the lawenforcement agency to protect them; hence, lawenforcement agencies must work tirelessly to restore their image.

Lamentably, individuals who are economically deprived are more susceptible to criminal attitudes, including armed violence. Their plight is made worse by limited job opportunities, weak State institutions, and poor governance. Hence, alleviating the conditions of the underprivileged requires that Government implement

economic and social development programmes.

Generally, people’s attitudes and behaviours toward gun ownership change as development projects deliver substantial success.

E c o n o m i c development programmes should be influenced by strong macroeconomic and fiscal policies that promote a climate that is conducive to economic g ro w t h , w h i l e s o c i a l programmes should seek to promote better and i m p ro v e d e d u c a t i o n , health, and other social services.

LELON SAUL

Congratulations to President Granger and his new Gov’t for national awards I, ROSHAN Khan, wish to express congratulations to President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Cabinet, and the entire Government of the day for being elected President and Government of Guyana.

I am extremely impressed with the way things are moving calmly, yet with dynamism.

I feel particularly inspired by His Excellency and Government for ensuring and inspiring the city and nation to conduct a general cleanup of communities.

I am most delighted, particularly for our Garden City of Georgetown, and also for so quickly deciding to present National Awards to deserving Guyanese, international personalities, and institutions.

This is a master stroke, in my opinion.

I take special pride in learning that an organisation and religious institution in which my family and

I are active members and supporters has been honoured for its great work and contributions to Islam and humanity in general.

This is not only in West Coast Demerara, but also for all Guyana.

I am speaking of the indomitable and beautiful edifice and well managed institution and group, The Anna Catherina Islamic Complex.

Besides its works, its resource administrator, President General Hakim Khan, is truly a man of charisma and much instrumentality. The Board a n d Tr u s t e e s a r e m o s t committed and dedicated to the works of the complex.

The institution displays many instrumentalities in itself. It definitely has become the most reputable and functional Islamic and human-serving centre in Guyana now.

Maybe the powers that be will one day honour this amazing institution of peace and universal harmony on a postage stamp of our beloved

Republic of Guyana. It gears to serve every community, regardless of religious or ethnic considerations and group. Indeed, I, Roshan Khan, my family and enterprises will only

It is known that all Governments, at times, will err or not see eye to eye with its supporters, and even people in general. In my opinion, they held the National Award as a thing of

support and sponsor such institutions, individuals and religious groups that are open and respectful to all Guyanese.

While I acknowledge many great and most useful achievements of the previous administration or Government of Guyana, N a t i o n a l Aw a r d s a n d Honours are one area in which I totally disagreed with them, and even complained about.

personal property, and they were very stingy in their conferral of national awards.

It is an honour which should have been done annually or at least every two years.

The credit most rightfully goes to the Government of President Granger. So, kudos to President Granger!!

Another area of disagreement I had with the previous Government is the appointment of Marriage Officers, Commissioners

of Oaths to Affidavits, and Justices of the Peace, all of which were directed mostly through one Islamic organisation; and the same situation applied with the Hindu groups in regard to recognition and facilities.

Some were most stingily given out, maybe in extreme cases to others, here and there. They placed all their eggs in one basket.

In reference to Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths to Affidavits, I was reliably advised that, for maybe over a year, the files were lying on the former President’s desk.

I even sent out a message to his office as a friendly reminder that the files are on his desk awaiting his final approval and signature. I suggested that it would be prudent to do it before the elections and his signature would be on the approval, that families would be happy and motivated. They are still lying there. I have to smile when I think about it.

Governments must learn to listen.

So President Granger, in fairness to you and your Government, you are doing great things in stealth, but yet with power to enhance confidence and even support.

Rational acts and positive behaviour will garner more and more to your support base.

Congratulations for this wise and timely decision with regard to the national awards, especially to the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex.

May God bless all Guyana always! I pray that all, including supporters of the now Opposition, and the Opposition leaders themselves, would please realise that this is our country; and while supporting their party, they must never forget we must all be patriots of a great and successful country.

ROSHAN KHAN International Islamic Peace Ambassadors Network

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Amaila Falls Hydropower Project & potential of Potaro Basin DURING the previous Parliament, the combined Opposition frequently made the point that the AFHP as proposed by the Government could not be supported, and a more holistic view of hydropower in Region 8 should be considered.

As reported in the media on July 9th, Minister of State, The Hon Joseph Harmon, said the project continues to be under review. He was reported as saying that, apart from the economic feasibility study completed by the IDB, there were other issues that have to be addressed.

Of course this is in keeping with the position adopted previously, and I draw attention to one of those issues: namely, the broader view of hydro in the Region.

One of these issues should be consideration of the potential of the Potaro Basin, which includes various sites: viz Tumatumari, Tiger Creek, etc. The World Bank, in 1981/2, had commissioned Montreal Engineering Co Ltd –- renamed Monenco Agra in 1982 -- to perform a full feasibility study of Tumatumari Falls.

The full Feasibility Study was issued in August 1982 in three volumes (ref: W.O.GOG 7917-5)

including annexes A to F and supplementary reports.

We have title to the hard c o p i e s o f t h i s S t u d y, including all annexes and supplementary reports received from Monenco Agra. This feasibility study gave positive results, and in the conclusions, the report said: “Provided a low head run-of-river development at Tumatumari is the first of a sequence of hydro developments in Guyana, a 50/60 MW development, Tumatumari is the least-cost solution.”

The report said: “It is recommended that preparation of bidding documents for the Tumatumari development be authorised as soon as possible.”

This did not proceed, as before the bidding documents could be issued, political considerations prevented that.

Reference the dispute over the Essequibo, under intense diplomatic pressure, Venezuela agreed in 1970 to a 12-year moratorium on the dispute with the “Protocol of Port of Spain.” In 1981/2, the full study was commissioned by the World Bank on the basis that the protocol would be extended/renewed.

I n 1 9 8 2 , Ve n e z u e l a

refused to renew the protocol. Subsequently, Venezuela invaded part of the Guyanese territory, and, as a result, the World Bank suspended the issue of the Bidding Documents as the hydropower plant would be in disputed territory.

Therefore, the World Bank accepted the full f e a s i b i l i t y s t u d y, a n d Tumatumari as an economic and viable hydropower development of 50/60MW. As the bidding documents were not issued, the development then lay dormant until re-activated in 1996 by a company in Guyana, Dessinaide Consulting Engineers Inc. (DCE), The Government of Guyana granted DCE a Permit to Proceed on Tu m a t u m a r i . D C E r e assessed the project, completed additional field work, and after the work programmes were completed, contracted Monenco Agra to update their earlier Feasibility Study, including the hydrology, and to provide up-to-date costing.

This joint study by DCE and Monenco Agra, cost analysis and supporting work, was completed in 1999. This report with the latest hydrological and other data re-affirmed the viability of the development, and also recommended the optimisation of the installed capacity to 60M. These

Is Bryan Hunt overstepping...

From page 7 that they represent a group of nations that has committed more human rights abuses, carried out more ethnic cleansing and genocide, committed more war crimes, and plundered m o r e o f t h i s e a r t h ’s natural resources than any other nation or group of nations in the history of humankind.

Any corruption that takes place in our country or any other ‘Third World’ country pales in significance to the well documented corruption, on a global scale, that the West European and American empires have presided over in the past and right up to the present day.

Driven by the ideology of White Supremacy, these nations are in fact responsible for more terrorism and brutality than any other force in human history. The trans-

Atlantic trade in captured Africans alone was a Maafa (holocaust) responsible for the deaths and suffering of millions, not to mention the genocide of indigenous peoples globally. The list of their atrocities is endless.

By referring to themselves as “the international community,” a misnomer for a minority of nations, including the U.S., Canada, Britain and France, they arrogantly place themselves in a position of authority on all matters global while excluding the views of the majority of nations. This racial minority has managed to maintain its control over the majority of the world’s peoples by what Euro-American theologian Rosemary Reuter describes as the three ‘Ds’ – deception, destruction and domination.

American political scientist Samuel Huntington, in his book, The Clash of

Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, frankly admitted that “the West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion…but rather by its superiority in applying organised violence.

Westerners often forget this fact; non-Westerners never do.”

Are these the values that we wish to inculcate and reproduce as we forge Guyana’s future and the future of the Caribbean as a whole?

The deception and hypocrisy is everywhere to be seen for those who have eyes to see. The new face of imperialism - posing as a defender of human rights, rule of law, democracy and justice -- is juxtaposed with a blatant continuation of the same terrorism that has characterised its behaviour for centuries: permanent

studies are available.

A Letter of Intent (LoI) (1998) between the Government and Tumatumari Hydropower Inc. was signed by the prime minister.

The LoI signed by the Government was valid for one year, and although it was renewed, it has now expired.

Options for Amaila and Tumatumari: The development of Amaila is still to be determined.

This allows options to be considered. In the development of Tumatumari, there are benefits for the Amaila project and also to GPL.

scheme) would give regular water flow into the river, thereby giving Tumatumari an increased water flow (installed capacity) in the dry season. Even without Amaila, Monenco Agra in the 1998 study raised the issue of optimisation of the installed capacity to 60MW by building mini dams in the Potaro River to more regulate a regular flow. The operation of Amaila would i n c r e a s e Tu m a t u m a r i ’s installed capacity to 60 MW and increase the low-installed capacity in the dry season.

BENEFITS OF TUMATUMARI HYDROPOWER FOR AMAILA Mercados Energeticos Consultores, in 2009, did an ‘Economic and Financial Evaluation Study: Guyana Amaila Falls Project’. There were several issues raised, including low hydraulicity in the dry season.

The Study also reported that Amaila was not able to meet the demands of GPL and those of the self-generating business community, which were estimated at 47 Mw = 38% of GPL. Therefore, there is not sufficient energy from Amaila to meet national demand.

The Study also raised concerns that when Amaila is down, or has

reduced production due to maintenance of the turbines, GPL would require stand-by gensets. This has capital expenditure for GPL to maintain stand-by to cover short-term requirements.

An operational, additional hydropower facility would eliminate/reduce the need for stand-by, thereby creating cost savings to GPL. Amaila has a transmission line requirement of 285 km ( 1 7 7 m ) . Tu m a t u m a r i has a transmission line requirement of 155km ( 9 6 m ) . Tu m a t u m a r i transmission would run along the Mabura Hill to Linden road. This is a wide road which can accommodate a transmission line with minimal additional work.

Transmission could be from Amaila to Tumatumari (or to a point on the Linden Highway) where both the Tumatumari load and the Amaila load could be integrated into a transmission line to Linden and thence to the national grid. The benefit to Amaila is that more than half the transmission line to Linden would be provided by, or shared by the Tumatumari Hydropower scheme.

Benefits of Amaila to Tumatumari: Tumatumari, being a run-of–the-river, means that there is lowinstalled capacity in the dry season. Amaila (as a reservoir

warfare, genocide, plundering of ‘Third World’ resources, economic exploitation, and regime change whenever a government does not serve the interests of empire. The democracy they speak of is a façade, even in their own countries, where Black youths are being gunned down in the streets; and despite their immense wealth, thousands are homeless and millions are living below the poverty line.

The manifesto of Britain’s RESPECT Party points out that, “The gap between rich and poor in Britain is now wider than when Charles Dickens wrote about the work houses and poverty of Victorian Britain.”

It may seem that in Guyana, “Westoxification” has caused us to forget who these people really are. It may appear that we are swept away by the deliberate promotion of foreign-mindedness, used to manipulate our people’s thinking, combined with the

seemingly convincing act on the part of the imperialists to appear as our saviours and protectors from all things evil. However, many of us right here in Guyana and millions of the victims of their crimes worldwide know that despite their deceptive posturing, they are the same “men of death” that Guyanese poet laureate Martin Carter described in his famous poem “This is the Dark Time My Love.” They are still “watching us sleep and aiming at our dreams.”

We a r e l i v i n g i n dangerous and difficult times.

Our leaders are forging ever closer alliances with empire, regardless of what it stands for. They would do well to remember the courageous words of Dr Martin Luther King, gunned down in Bryan Hunt’s country by agents of White Supremacy for exercising his right to the very democracy and freedom of speech that they so love to boast about: “Cowardice asks the question: ‘Is it

safe?’ Expediency asks the question: ‘Is it politic?’ But conscience asks the question: ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but because conscience tells one it is right.”

Our hope lies in the fact that the past and the present are filled with people who will never surrender to the tyranny of White Supremacy. A victory of the people can only come about when we, as a people, find the consciousness and courage to give birth to a truly independent Guyana.

Only then will we have completed the liberation struggle begun by our ancestors, the struggle to exercise our inalienable right to self-determination.

BENEFITS TO GPL There is concern that GPL distribution and transmission on the national grid would not be able to cope on day one with the full load from Amaila.

As Tumatumari can be operational about two years ahead of Amaila, it would allow GPL to restructure for the hydropower. It could gradually migrate to hydropower from gensets, and when Amaila comes on stream it would be a seamless transition.

Also having an additional 60Mw on the national grid would reduce the need for stand-by generation, and give a cushion for future expansion of the customer base.

With the additional 60Mw, GPL would win See page 21

GERALD A. PERREIRA Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Crime in all its colours is gradually being reduced IN Soteriology (the study of Jesus as the Christ, or the study of salvation), theologians speak of the “Now but Not Yet”. A brief explanation of this concept would go something like this: As Christians, we are saved now. We still have our human frailties and we are still subject and subjected to sin, even as we are becoming better every day. So we remain in Christ, doing His will and obeying His commands, and living in the knowledge that we are already saved, Now. But, in reality, we are ‘not yet’ saved, because we are awaiting the second Coming of Jesus. So even as we acknowledge the benefits which come with our salvation now, we await the fullness in Christ, which has not yet been revealed.

This philosophical, salvific, conundrum pressed heavily on my mind as I contemplated the oft-repeated so called escalation of crimes in Guyana. The application of this soteriological concept is this: the new Administration is doing their best now, but their true potential is not yet seen.

The truth is that, since the new Administration came into power, the number of crimes has been drastically reduced. But it all depends on who you ask.

For example: One former minister is asking for payment in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for work that has no objective process for its measurement. The Government is refusing to pay him. Several secret bank accounts were unearthed containing millions. A group has sent in an invoice for $100 million for payment for some hand-shake, back-street deal. The Government is refusing to pay them also. Then we have the situation with the sale and transfer of Government-owned vehicles.

These are only a few of the publicised, questionable, criminal activities that have been halted since the new Administration took office. And we are still in the first quarter of the honeymoon.

However, because of the construct of our Guyanese minds (a subtle belief that bluecollar crimes are worse than white-collar crimes), we are claiming that there is an escalation in crimes. Pound for pound, more monies have been saved and reclaimed from the coffers of the white-collar criminals than those that have been lost to the actions of the blue-collar criminals.

I am pressing this new Administration to formulate, as a part of their crime-prevention strategy, a formal system of interviewing the career criminals in the prisons in Guyana. Let them send into the prisons individuals skilled in the art of passive interrogation with the intention of hearing from these criminals what is their modus operandi. I am suggesting this approach because, having worked as a criminologist and prison chaplain in the U.S., I know that you can reduce crime if you understand why crimes are being committed in the first place.

Additionally, I am convinced that if we were to get into the minds of the blue-collar criminals, we would find a preponderance of cases which would suggest that the barefaced, callous, wanton behaviour of the (white collar) criminals provide a catalyst for the behaviour of the (blue collar) criminals.

I think that we will also find that the “upsurge” in blue-collar crimes is directly related to the notion that these low-level criminals know that their days are numbered, so they are desperately trying to grab as much as they can.

These blue-collar nuisance criminals know that this new Administration will go after all criminals, and since many of them are unemployed or under-employed, they are in a mad rush to loot and store up their illicit booty and gains.

It might not even be farfetched to conjure that what you will find is that some of the white-collar criminals are facilitating and encouraging these blue-collar criminals.

So while the Granger Administration needs to continue to work feverishly to provide the public security that the Guyanese citizen are “not yet” experiencing –- a reduction in blue-collar crimes -- they need NOT take their eyes off of what they are doing “now” -- reducing the white-collar crimes.

PASTOR W. P. JEFFREY Practical Christianity Ministries

Amaila Falls Hydropower...

From page 20 back commercial customers who currently self-generate, thereby increasing the c o m m e rc i a l c u s t o m e r base. So, with both Amaila and Tumatumari as a development project, it would be a win-win for all.

O P T I O N S : Tw o independent power schemes, independent of each other but with the benefits listed above, or combine both projects into one hydropower scheme with the benefits to Amaila, Tumatumari and GPL listed above.

CATCHMENT AREA: Tumatumari has a much greater catchment area than Amaila. It has the Amaila, then Kuribrong and then the Potaro Rivers.

TIME LINE: Tumatumari - to be operational within two years of the provision of development funds. If taken as a joint development with Amaila, this twoyear timeline would not be affected.

ADDITIONAL POINT: A major developer of hydropower is Norway, with 17 hydropower plants and also a builder and

investor in many countries worldwide. Norway is currently building a h y d ro p o w e r p l a n t i n South Sudan. Under the GRIF agreement between G u y a n a a n d N o r w a y, consideration could be given to approaching the Government of Norway.

PETER DOUGLAS, Managing Director Tumatumari Hydropower Inc. Dessinaide Consulting Engineers Inc

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National School Basketball Festival

SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Scottsville 08:20 hrs Marine Drive 08:55 hrs Miss Varlicious 09:30 hrs Azincourt 10:05 hrs To Life 10:40 hrs First Sea Lord ENGLISH RACING TIPS Stratford 09:20 hrs Paolozzi 09:50 hrs Louis Phillipe 10:25 hrs Oliver’s Gold 11:00 hrs Miss Tenacious 11:30 hrs Leoncavallo 12:05 hrs Zama Zama 12:40 hrs Cornish Beau SOUTHWELL 09:10 hrs Table Bluff 09:40 hrs Call Me Vic 10:15 hrs Lilly’s Legend 10:50 hrs Big Sound 11:20 hrs Kings Grey 11:55 hrs Ubaldo Menhies 12:30 hrs Tilinisi PERTH 09:00 hrs Sharp Rise 09:30 hrs Le Grand Chene 10:05 hrs Bouggietpopieces 10:40 hrs Galizzi 11:10 hrs Russian Regent 11:45 hrs Baraboy 12:20 hrs Carinena IRISH RACING TIPS Dundalk 09:35 hrs Black Wolf Run 10:10 hrs Chatterton 10:45 hrs Escapism 11:15 hrs Urbestchance 11:50 hrs Outspoken 12:25 hrs Manorov 12:55 hrs Captain Carleton SLIGO 09:25 hrs Bachasson 09:55 hrs Miss Dinamic 10:30 hrs Long Dog 11:05 hrs Sea’s Aria 11:40 hrs Theturnofthesun 12:45 hrs Fugi Mountain

MHS and St Rose’s to clash for U-14 title today THE Under-14 category of this year’s National School Basketball Festival (NSBF) has turned out to be the most exciting and the top two schools have made their way to today’s finals.

Mackenzie High School (MHS) and St Rose’s High School will contest the championship game after both teams secured commanding wins in their respective semi-finals yesterday.

MHS dismantled Bishops’ High 44 – 7 while St Rose’s clipped the wings of Marian Academy 25 – 19 in front of a vocal and appreciative crowd at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Led by their point guard and leading scorer in the tournament so far Yonnick Tappin, the Linden based school ended the half leading 23 – 3.

It was if they were playing among themselves; a typical training session as they piled on the points to take the win and making a strong statement of their intentions to take the title back to Region 10.

Tappin had a game high 12 points, nine rebounds and picked up three steals.

Stephan Duncan contributed nine points, while Isaiah Adams and Shamar Chapman both netted six points for MHS.

In the other semi-finals, St Roses held a four point advantage at half time (9 – 5) but turned things around in the second half to book a showdown with MHS. Anthony Yansen had nine points while point guard and floor general Kwesi Roberts, Shakel Bobbsemple and Troy Miller all scored four points for the championship game bound St Roses.

For the losers, Josiah Daniels had six points and Josiah Dundas led the way with nine points.

Meanwhile, MHS was down to play in both the U-16 and U-19 semi-finals against Marian Academy and St Roses respectively.

Trophy Stall contributes overall Mr. Gym Expo trophy THE Savannah Suite at the Pegasus Hotel will be buzzing with muscle flexing this evening when the Fitness Paradise annual Gym Expo comes off with an international flavour.

Athletes from Studio Body Shape of neighbouring Suriname will also be on stage against their Fitness Paradise counterparts; formalising relations between the two gyms.

The Overall winner of Mr. Gym Expo will be rewarded with a beautiful trophy, compliments of The Trophy Stall of Bourda Market.

Yesterday, Manager of The Trophy

Stall, Ramesh Sunich handed over the trophy to Manager of Fitness Paradise Donald Sinclair.

Sunich said he was pleased to be on board with Gym Expo and complimented Sinclair for the initiative of linking with Studio Body Shape of Suriname which can only enhance relations between the two gyms whilst making a positive impact on the sport.

Sinclair expressed gratitude to Sunich noting that The Trophy Stall has always been supportive of events that his gym undertakes. Showtime this evening is 19:00hrs.

Wimbledon winner Serena eyes ...

From back page I did the whole walk around the court.

I was peaceful, feeling really good.

Maybe a little after that I started thinking about New York...

“Then I just thought, ‘Oh, man, I’ve won New York three times in a row. I hope this isn’t the year that I go down’.”

At 33 years and 289 days, Williams is now in her own exclusive club as the oldest player in the professional era to clinch a grand slam title, surpassing Martina Navratilova by 26 days.

What makes her tally of 21 grand slam titles so remarkable is that eight

have come after she turned 30, with no sign that her ability to pummel much younger opponents is on the wane.

In fact, the secret to her current stranglehold on the women’s game, might just be that she has been there, done it and bought the T-shirt.

“I’ve just been super relaxed,” she said. “I’ve been taking time every match.

I didn’t have an easy go this tournament, but I still just take it one match at a time...

“I’ve learned a lot. That I’m able to do anything. Anyone’s able to do anything they really set their mind to.”

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Late glitch fails to slam brakes on Serena charge

Williams wins fourth straight grand slam title

By Martyn Herman

LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - Standing a set and 5-1 up in the Wimbledon final against a Spaniard playing only her second match in tennis’s most famous arena, a fourth consecutive grand slam singles title looked a formality for Serena Williams yesterday.

She duly completed the job against Garbine Muguruza 6-4 6-4 to claim the so-called ‘Serena Slam’ and will head to the U.S. Open bidding to become only the third woman to win the “calendar year” Grand Slam in the professional era.

But an angst-ridden finale in which Muguruza tenaciously fought back showed that, despite Williams’s vast experience and vice-like grip on women’s tennis, crossing the finishing line for a 21st grand slam title made her heart pound just as fast as when she made her first breakthrough at the 1999 U.S. Open.

Which, for her rivals hoping that at nearly 34 the American will become blase about collecting trophies, is bad news.

“I just learned that all the people are nervous, even Serena, in a final, because I saw it,” Muguruza, the first Spaniard to contest a Wimbledon women’s singles showpiece match since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1996, told reporters.

In winning her sixth Wimbledon title and first since 2012, Williams became the oldest woman to win a grand slam in the modern era and, unless she suffers a dip in form, it seems unlikely anyone can stop her march into the history books at Flushing Meadows where she is unbeaten since 2011.

On Saturday, however, it was the feat of holding all four majors concurrently, something she also achieved at the 2003 Australian Open, that was foremost in her thoughts.

“I honestly wouldn’t have thought last year after winning the U.S. Open I would win the Serena Slam at all,” said the world number one. “It’s super exciting.

to hit home and the Spaniard crumbled, losing 14 out of 15 points to trail 5-1 as her vastly-experienced American opponent closed in for the kill.

Serena Williams of the U.S.A embraces Garbine Muguruza of Spain after winning their Women’s Final match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, yesterday. Reuters/Toby Melville “I just knew I wanted to win Wimbledon this year. Of all the grand slams, it was the one I hadn’t won in a while.”

MAGNIFICENT MUGURUZA Muguruza, the clean-hitting 21-year-old born in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, played magnificently in the first set, leading 3-1 and 4-2 before Williams raised the intensity levels after a slow start to take the opener.

The enormity of the occasion and the sheer presence of Williams then seemed

Then, Williams got a bad attack of the jitters before regaining her poise in the nick of time.

“You’d be surprised, I feel vulnerable every time I step out there,” she said. “It’s just overcoming those feelings.”

She was totally dominant until, serving at 5-1, she was broken to love. Muguruza then started swinging as she had in the early stages of the match when she had broken serve in the opening game and led 3-1.

Williams began to miss and the 20th seeded Muguruza, cheered by the Centre

Court crowd, held for 3-5.

It still seemed only a hiccup for Williams as she stepped up to serve for the match for a second time.

ANXIOUS SERENA But her anxiety was apparent when she began the game with an eighth double-fault, gesticulating to her players’ box where her family and friends, including rapper Drake, watched on.

Muguruza won the next two points with backhand winners, the second one almost leaving Williams in a heap on the baseline.

Williams replied with an angry ace and screamed, “Where have you been?” to her trusty weapon. Two more booming aces earned her a match point but a tense rally ended with Muguruza punishing a mid-court ball.

At deuce a Williams onslaught was repelled and she snatched a backhand into the net and a point later the set was back on serve when the Spaniard wrongfooted the top seed.

Muguruza could not sustain the recovery though and a double-fault and a net-cord calmed Williams’ nerves and she converted her second match point when Muguruza hit wide, although silence briefly reigned as both players seemed unsure whether the ball had clipped a line.

“There was definitely pressure towards the end, Garbine really stepped up to the plate today,” Williams added of her young opponent who shed tears when receiving a long ovation as she collected her runners-up trophy.

Dutch/Romanian duo Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau later won the men’s doubles beating Andy Murray’s brother Jamie and John Peers 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4.

Vuillermoz shines on Tour stage eight, Froome leads

By Julien Pretot MUR DE BRETAGNE, France (Reuters)-Alexis Vuillermoz earned the French their first victory on this year’s Tour de France, his final kick proving too hot to handle for the big guns in the eighth stage yesterday.

The AG2r-La Mondiale rider attacked twice in the final climb, a brutal two-kilometre ascent at an average gradient of 6.9 percent, and countered overall leader Chris Froome less than one-km from the line.

The 27-year-old Vuillermoz beat Ireland’s Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin) by five seconds while Spain’s Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was 10 seconds behind in third

place after a 181.5-km ride from Rennes.

“I really wanted to go for the stage win today, it was all or nothing,” Vuillermoz, a former mountain biker, told reporters.

Team Sky’s Froome, the 2013 champion, still leads Slovakian Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) by 11 seconds and American Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) by 13 in the general classification.

“That was a tough climb, but my team mates did a great job in bringing me to the front, I was in the best position,” said Briton Froome, who once he realised Vuillermoz was gone focused on keeping pace with his rivals.

Defending champion Vincenzo Nibali of Astana lost 10 seconds to the other members

of the Big Four (Froome, Spain’s Alberto Contador and Colombian Nairo Quintana).

“I was very surprised to hear that, especially with the cross headwind that made it easier to stay in the wheels,” Froome told a news conference.

Contador is seventh, 36 seconds behind Froome. Nibali is 13th, 1:48 off the pace with Quintana in 16th place, 1:56 adrift.

Inside the final kilometre, Froome upped the pace in typical fashion, glued to his saddle with his head bent down, but Vuillermoz hit back, suggesting he could be tough to handle in the mountains.

Vuillermoz, who took 11th place overall in the Giro d’Italia in 2014 in his second year as a professional, is supposed to ride in sup-

port of team mates Jean-Christophe Peraud and Romain Bardet, second and sixth overall in last year’s Tour.

Today’s ninth stage is a 28-km team time trial before the first rest day of the three-week race, which then heads to the mountains.

“In the Pyrenees the race for the yellow jersey will really start,” said Froome.

German Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) lost the green jersey for the points classification to Sagan, who was fourth on the day.

Eritrea’s Daniel Teklehaimanot (MTN-Qhubeka) retained the polka dot jersey for the mountains classification, which he can expect to lose in the Pyrenees where the top climbers will start their battle.

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First Ashes Test ...

Broad and Moeen lead England to victory

By Justin Palmer (REUTERS) - Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali led England’s charge to a 169run victory over Australia with a day to spare in the first Test yesterday to make a flying start in their bid to regain the Ashes.

Broad and Moeen took three wickets apiece as Australia, set an improbable target of 412, were shot out for 242 on the fourth day at Sophia Gardens.

“It’s a start. It’s a long series, it would be nice if it was a one-match series,” joked England captain Alastair Cook.

“We are going to have to play well for a long period of time but I am fully confident the guys are up to it.”

England, having drawn their last two series against West Indies and New Zealand and with question marks over Cook’s captaincy, were given little hope by many of troubling Australia who thrashed their old rivals 5-0 in 201314.

But in new coach Trevor Bayliss’ first match in charge, England produced an

energised performance epitomised by their team spirit.

Australia, outplayed for much of the first three days, collapsed from 97 for one in their second innings

England will head to Lord’s for the second Test on Thursday knowing that of the last 17 Ashes series, the team that has eventually lifted the urn has won

and when Mark Wood sent back Adam Voges (1), a reeling Australia had lost four wickets for nine runs in 36 balls.

Brad Haddin (7) also

and Broad’s fine opening spell in the morning session set the tone.

He removed Chris Rogers (10), after he was dropped on four, and repeatedly troubled Warner who battled to a half-century and threatened to cut loose until he was trapped lbw by Moeen.

Australia were deflated, England elated and the

steady fall of wickets, each departing batsman greeted by huge cheers, left the tourists with plenty to ponder with a short turnaround before the second test.

“We tried to play our natural game,” said visiting skipper Clarke. “Some guys played positive, others backed their defence a little more. Whatever we tried didn’t work today.”

SCOREBOARD

SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff, Wales - England’s Moeen Ali celebrates with Alastair Cook and teammates after taking the wicket of Australia’s David Warner yetserday as wickets tumbled after lunch.

Big-hitting Mitchell Johnson bludgeoned 77 to hold Cook’s men up but they sealed victory when Josh Hazlewood holed out to long-off.

TIMELY BOOST

the opening Test 15 times.

David Warner’s dismissal by Moeen for 52 in the last over before lunch proved the key and gave England a timely momentum boost.

A revved-up Broad removed Steve Smith (33) and Michael Clarke (4)

perished, slog-sweeping to mid-wicket, and when Shane Watson went lbw for the 29th time in Tests, Australia’s last hope of clinging on disappeared.

With the threat of rain on the final day, England were hungry for wickets

ENGLAND 1st innings 430 (J. Root 134, M. Ali 77, G. Ballance 61, B. Stokes 52; M. Starc 5-114) Australia 1st innings 308 (C. Rogers 95) England 2nd innings 289 (I. Bell 60, J. Root 60; N. Lyon 4-75) Australia 2nd innings (Target: 412 runs) C. Rogers c Bell b Broad 10 D. Warner lbw b Ali 52 S. Smith c Bell b Broad 33 M. Clarke c Stokes b Broad 4 A. Voges c Buttler b Wood 1 S. Watson lbw b Wood 19 B. Haddin c Cook b Ali 7 M. Johnson c Lyth b Root 77 M. Starc c Lyth b Root 17 J. Hazlewood c Root b Ali 14 N. Lyon not out 0 Extras (b-4 lb-3 nb-1) 8 Total (all out, 70.3 overs) 242 Fall of wickets: 1-19 C. Rogers,2-97 D. Warner,3-101 S. Smith,4-106 M. Clarke,5-106 A. Voges,6-122 B. Haddin,7-151 S. Watson,8-223 M. Starc,9-242 M. Johnson,10-242 J. Hazlewood Bowling: J. Anderson 12 - 3 - 33 – 0, S. Broad 14 - 3 - 39 – 3, M. Ali 16.3 - 4 - 59 – 3, B. Stokes 8 - 2 - 23 - 0 M. Wood 14 - 4 - 53 - 2(nb-1), J. Root 6 - 1 - 28 - 2

National U-15, U-19 squads start encampment …Travis Persaud to lead U19s, Ashmead Nedd U15s

GUYANA’s Under-15 and Under-19 squads that have been selected to represent the country at the upcoming Regional tournaments commenced their encampment period at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence, La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara yesterday.

The six-day preparatory camps are being held simultaneously at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence hostel and indoor facility at LBI on the East Coast of Demerara.

Coaches Julian More and Adrian Amsterdam will spearhead the Und e r- 1 5 an d U n d e r- 1 9

squads respectively.

Ashmed Nedd will

ASHMEAD NEDD lead the Under-15 squad.

The other members of that squad are: Sachin Singh, Alphius Bookie,

Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Garfield Benjamin, Qumar Torrington, Haifa Walters, Nivendra Persaud, Pradesh Ballkishun, Kelvin Umroa, Orlando Jailall, Robin Williams and Kevin Christian.

Exciting allrounder Travis Persaud will lead the Under-19 squad that includes: Ricardo Alimohamed, Shemron Hetymer, Tevin Emlack, Parmesh Parsatom, Balchand Baldeo, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Parmanand Ramdhan, Kasim Khan, Nathan Persaud, Akinie Adams, Grisean Grant and Akshaya Persaud.

Meanwhile, in an invit-

ed comment, Amsterdam said he will be trying to identify areas of weakness

TRAVIS PERSAUD in the players so that those areas can be worked on.

He expressed satisfac-

tion with the level of fitness of most of the players on the first day.

The Guyanese captured the 50 overs- title as well as the threeday crown last year, to complete the Under-19 double, when the tournaments were staged in their homeland.

The six regional teams - Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Windward Islands along with a side from ICC Americas will play the other once in a round-robin competition, with the top two teams contesting the final to determine the winner.

The tournament presents another opportunity for the region’s best Under-19 players to showcase their talent to break into the West Indies Under-19 squad for the ICC Youth World Cup next year in Bangladesh.

The Guyanese wing out for Jamaica on July 20.

On the other hand, Moore explained that he will not only be focusing solely on the on-field aspect but topics such as: captaincy, field positions and the importance of teamwork will be dealt with.

Guyana will host the Under-15 tournament from July 23 to 30.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

GFF and Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs on week-long tour of Hinterland region THE Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs is once again teaming up with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) in an effort to develop the sport of football in the hinterland region.

Minister within the Ministry, the Honourable Mrs. Valerie Garrido-Lowe, along with GFF’s Technical Director Claude Bolton, journeyed to the hinterlands where they would travel between regions 7, 8 and 9 to kick start the Ministry and Federation’s plans for the sport.

On July 1, the GFF handed over 100 footballs to the Ministry to aid in their preparation for the hinterland games, but Minister Garrido-Lowe made it clear, that the indigenous people, whose favourite past time sport is football, deserve an equal opportunity at representing Guyana at the International stage.

“What generally happens, although they are really talented and enthusiastic, they don’t get the necessary exposure, training and

everything and it makes me sad to see every time a national team has to represent Guyana, I’m not seeing a truly national team; I’m not seeing my indigenous brothers and sisters, and I would like us to change that,” said the honourable minister.

The minister pointed out that it is her hope for the ministry and the GFF to form a strong link “where we can develop hinterland football to a high level where the opportunity can come to our hinterland brothers and sisters”.

Chairman of the GFF’s Normalisation Committee Clinton Urling had opined that Guyana has a unique geography in the Caribbean Region, with large expanses of land, while noting “we’ve not seen the best of Guyana’s football when we send our national team out, I sincerely believe that some of our best players will come from the hinterland region and since becoming the head of the Normalisation Committee, we’ve made a deliberate effort to expand the game and reach out to the hinterland communities”

GFF Technical Director Claude Bolton (L) and minister within the Ministry of the Indigenous People’s Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe, along with GFF NC Chairman sharing a light moment after their July 1 meeting.

Grant, Persaud, Daniel and Seaton continue winning ways

By Tamica Garnett FOLLOWING their opening wins on Friday, swimmers Aleka Persaud, Amy Grant, Scott Daniel, and Leon Seaton were among those who continued with sturdy wins, when the second day of competition in the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) July Sprint continued yesterday at the National Aquatic Centre.

Persaud reigned with her usual winning streak in the girls 8 and under category, once again winning all of the events she participated in, while Silver Shark’s Amy Grant also had a winning streak in the girls’ 13 – 14 category.

Continuing the dominance that she has showcased all year long so far, Persaud took gold in the 100m IM (1:30.18s), 50m freestyle (35.30s) and 50m butterfly events (38.14s), to follow up with her winning performances in the 100m freestyle (1:16.68s) and 50m breaststroke (45.17s) on Friday, when the competition began.

Grant on Friday championed the 100m freestyle in 1:11.21s just ahead of Dolphin’s Kenita Mahaica who came in at 1:18.81s.

Yesterday she continued by

winning the 50m freestyle (30.98s) and 50m butterfly (33.56s), both times trumping Mahaica for the win.

As the swimmers race

AMY GRANT to out- master each other they are also swimming to make a place on the Guyana team to the Goodwill Swimming Championships in Trinidad, where Guyana will compete against swimmers from a number of countries including the host country, Barbados and Suriname.

Each country is allotted a maximum of 40 athletes per team. Persaud and Grant are no doubt expected to be among Guyana’s lot this year, with GASA hopeful of taking the full complement this year.

Also expected to make the team would be Silver Shark’s Seaton who also had a winning streak this weekend. Competing in the boys 9 – 10 category, the national record holder took top honours in the 100m freestyle (1:10.72s), 50m breaststroke (44.89s), 200m IM (3:01.16s), 50m freestyle (30.90s) and the 50m butterfly (35.68s).

In the boys 13 – 14 category, trio Scott Danirel, Antonio Hussein and Nathan Hackett faced off for the top spot. Though Dorado’s Daniel managed to dominate for the most part he received ample competition from the latter two, even being overpowered

by Hackett in the 100m backstroke.

Hackett touched the wall in 1:13.10s in the 100m backstroke, in just enough time to oust Daniel as he came in at 1:15.06s.

Daniel was down to silver again in the 100m breaststroke after clocking 1:19.56s when Hackett clocked 1:19.10s.

Nonetheless, Daniel walked away with the win in the 100m freestyle (1:00.36s), where Hackett was settled all the way to third as Hussein lodged the second place win after clocking 1:01.52s, while Hackett swam 1:03.23s.

Daniel also took the gold in the 200m IM and 50m freestyle (27.41s).

Also registering massive wins in the competition were Dolphin’s Sekhel Tzedeq, Dorado’s Lian Winter, Soroya Simmons, Athena Gaskin and Silver Shark’s Jadyn George.

The competition continues today at the NAC pool beginning from 09:00hrs.

Wasteful Haiti go down to US FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts, (CMC) – Haiti remained winless at the CONCACAF Gold Cup when they crashed to a 1-0 loss to the United States in their second Group A game here Friday night.

Playing at the Gillette Stadium, the French Caribbean side were done in by a 47th minute strike from Clint Dempsey, to remain on one point in the group following their draw with Panama last

Bravo inspires Red Steel as Patriots suffer

RED Steel captain Dwayne Bravo produced a man of the match performance as he lifted his side off the bottom of the 2015 Hero Caribbean Premier League table as they cruised past the Patriots in the last game at Warner Park.

Bravo claimed his second four-wicket haul of this year’s CPL, taking 4-29 in 4 superb overs - which also saw him reach the milestone of 250 T20 wickets, only the fifth player to reach that landmark.

Bravo was ably supported by Samuel Badree (218) and Johan Botha (2-23) ans the Patriots struggled to put together a challenging total only a few hours after their fine win over the St Lucia Zouks, bowled out off the last ball for 146 in their 20 overs.

That was largely thanks to Devon Thomas’s fabulous late knock of 44 off 23 balls, including 22 off the last over, which saw them at least have something to defend, but when Jacques Kallis hit five glorious boundaries in the first two overs of the Red Steel’s reply, it never looked enough.

Kallis went for 23 and Cameron Delport made 38, but despite their dismissals and disappointments for Darren Bravo and Dwayne with the bat, Willian Perkins’ excellent 64 off 43 balls saw his side home, spanking the winning runs for four through the offside.

Tuesday in Frisco, Texas.

The result saw the US qualify for the second round with one game remaining while Panama, who drew 1-1 with Honduras in the night’s other game, lie second on two points.

Both Panama and Haiti have one point.

Ironically, Haiti dominated the first half, creating several opportunities but failing to convert any.

Mechak Jerome struck the crossbar with a free kick early on and Wilde-Donald Guerrier, who tormented the US defence, twice came close with powerful volleys.

However, Haiti paid the price for their wastefulness two minutes after half-time when LA Galaxy star Gyasi Zardes teed up Dempsey at the top of the penalty area, and the veteran striker made little mistake with a clinical strike.

Duckens Nazon, who scored the equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Panama on Tuesday, almost equalised ten minutes later this initial shot was blocked by goalkeeper Brad Guzan and his rebound went wide.

In the preceding game, Luis Tejada put Panama ahead in the 21st minute for a 1-0 lead at half-time but Andy Najar struck nine minutes from the end to earn Honduras a point.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

DeNobrega wins P&P Insurance feature 35-lap cycle race PAUL DeNobrega won the feature 35-lap event of the P&P Insurance and Consultants sponsored cycle race in the National park yesterday.

The programme which was organised by national cycle coach Hassan Mohamed saw DeNobrega returning a time of one hour, 15 minutes 56.78 seconds.

Veteran racer Robin Persaud placed second, while Akeem Wilkinson, Paul ChoWee-Nam, Alonzo Toshawana Doris won the threelap race for boys and girls 12-14 years, and Ambrose and Mario King occupied the other top four positions respectively.

DeNobrega and Ambrose won two prime prizes each while Christopher Holder, Jamal John, Mark Harris and Persaud won one each.

Ambrose, Cho-WeeNam, Harris and Akeem Wilkinson made an early break but were hotly pursued by seven other riders.

H o w e v e r, w i t h t w o laps remaining, the quartet stepped up the pace and opened a sizeable lead.

With 250 metres remaining, Persaud attacked but DeNobrega and Wilkinson responded and DeNobrega prevailed.

In other results from the day’s programme, Jamal John won the 10-lap race for juveniles ahead of Christopher Griffith and Brighton John respectively. John’s time for the event was 22 minutes 43.20 seconds.

The veterans’ under 50 years of age five-lap event was won by Shameer Baksh, second was Jaikarran Sukhai, and third Ian `Dumb Boy’ Jackson.

Kennard Lovell won the veterans’ over 50 years fivelap race ahead of Linden Blackman, while Wilfred Thom, the only competitor in the veterans’ over 60 years five-lap race romped home an easy winner.

The five-lap open race for mountain bikers was won by Seon Budhan, second was Daniel Perreira, and third was Nicholas Alphonso.

Alexander Leung won the two-lap race for BMX boys 6-9 years old ahead of Satyah Baksh and Shay SueHang respectively.

Toshawana Doris won the three-lap race for boys and girls 12-14 years of age, second was Ronaldo Naracho.

The presentation of prizes to the respective winner was done by P&P Insurance’s Managing Director

Pakistan all-rounder Hafeez fashions win over Sri Lanka (REUTERS)-Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to go 1-0 up in the five-match series after Mohammad Hafeez claimed his best bowling figures in one-day internationals before returning to register his 10th hundred at Dambulla yesterdayy.

Part-time off-spinner Hafeez has been

MOHAMMAD HAFEEZ under pressure lately after being reported for a suspect bowling action during the test series in Sri Lanka but proved his worth with figures of 4-41 to restrict the hosts to 255 for eight.

He then made 103 off 95 balls as Pakistan, who won the test series 2-1, easily chased down the target with almost five overs and six wickets in hand.

The right-handed Hafeez walked out to bat at number three after an opening stand of 47 and looked in sublime form, driving the

fast bowlers crisply and hitting the spinners with disdain.

He went past his 50 with a six and hit a boundary off Thisara Perera to cross three-figures, before getting out two balls later in the same over. Hafeez smashed 10 fours and four sixes in total.

Shoaib Malik (55 not out), who added 75 with Hafeez for the fourth wicket, hit a six to complete the victory and also brought up his 32nd half-century with the shot.

Earlier, Sri Lanka got off to a brisk start after Pakistan captain Azhar Ali put them in to bat, but they failed to stitch together meaningful partnerships as all their top five batsmen were out after initally looking set for decent scores.

Hafeez was given the ball as early as the ninth over and struck with his third delivery to dismiss Kusal Perera (26) and break the opening stand of 44.

Veteran opening batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan (38) also fell to Hafeez, who faces a nervous wait to know his fate as a bowler after being reported by match officials for a suspect action during the first test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month.

The 34-year-old underwent testing and is allowed to continue bowling until the results are known. He will be automatically banned from bowling for 12 months if his action is found to be illegal because he has been reported twice in a two-year period.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews (38) and Dinesh Chandimal (65 not out) steadied the hosts, who were reduced to 118-4 after Dilshan’s dismissal, with a partnership of 82 runs.

But Mathews holed out off leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who was man of the series during the Tests, at a crucial juncture, pegging back Sri Lanka’s efforts to raise the scoring rate in the final 10 overs.

Paul DeNobrega (right) crosses the finish line ahead of Robin Persaud to win the P&P Insurance and Consulants’ sponsored feature 35-lap cycle race in the National Park yesterday (Photo by Delano Williams).

Vikash Panday Who congratulated everyone, even those who did not make the

podium position.

He thanked all the participants for their ap-

pearance and pledged his company’s support for the sport in the future.

Fitness Paradise Gym Expo on tonight BODYBUILDING, fitness and fashion aficionados are in for a special treat at the annual Fitness Paradise Gym Expo which will be held tonight at the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus hotel from 19:00 hrs.

This year’s event is tipped to be one with a difference with Gym Expo 2015 celebrating the recently established link between Fitness

Bikini and Miss Expo Best Legs.

Jermaine Karg and Daes Burgzorg of Studio Body Shape will be competing in the Mr. Gym Expo Bodybuilding and the Mr. Expo Hot Body contest respectively, while Ms. Shirley Parta and Ms. Margaretha Vrede will be taking part in the special fashion sequences that feature clothing by

Representatives and members of Guyana’s Fitness Paradise Gym and Studio Body Shape of Suriname (Delano Williams photo) Paradise Gym of Guyana and Studio Body Shape of Paramaribo, Suriname.

According to the terms of the agreement, members of either gym automatically become members of the partner gym and can train on complimentary basis at the partner gym.

Gym Expo 2015 will feature participants from both Fitness Paradise Gym and Studio Body Shape of Suriname.

The events include the Mr. Expo Bodybuilding in 2 classes and the Mr. Expo Hot Body. Ladies will be seen in the Miss Expo

front line fashion designer Olympia Small.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), Southland International, Fitness Express, China Trading, Trophy Stall and John Lewis Styles are some of the sponsors for tonight’s event.

Dr. Karen Pilgrim, Vice President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) will officially declare tonight’s activity open and according to the organisers, part of the proceeds of the event will go towards the Guyana Paralympics Association to support the activities of that body.

31

SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 12, 2015

Pan Am Games contingent gets grand welcome

By Frederick Halley

TORONTO, Canada -- President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K. Juman Yassin has once again bemoaned the fact that Guyana’s sportsmen are not on a level playing field with their counterparts from other developing countries.

The long-standing GOA head made the remarks on Thursday night at a grand welcoming ceremony, organised by the Guyana Consulate here for the country’s contingent at

which has been approved by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) but was quick to point out that “you need to have other infrastructures that would support your athletes, among them, a sports medicine programme and ensuring top level coaches are there and unless you get all of these things we will still be in a position of difficulty.”

On a positive note, Yassin was optimistic that within four to six years, Guyana’s athletes will benefit from the facilities and be

…GOA president calls for level playing field Two-time Pan Am Games medallist Julian Austin, who gained a Silver and a Gold medal while competing for Canada at the 1979 and 1983 games in Puerto Rico and Caracas, Venezuela respectively, told the athletes that their motto should and ought to be that “you are here to compete and not participate.” Austin, who represented

Members of the Guyana contingent pose with manager of the rugby squad (sitting) Peter Green, GOA president K. Juman Yassin, Consular General Sattie Sawh and Chef de Mission Ivor O’Brien. the 2015 Pan Am games, which commenced earlier this week but had its official opening ceremony on Friday night.

Delivering remarks at the function, which was held at the Twilight Restaurant in Scarborough and attended by Consular General Sattie Sawh and several prominent Guyanese living in Toronto, Yassin outlined the several difficulties faced by the local athletes.

Alluding to the fact that Guyana does not have full-time coaches and athletes, Yassin disclosed that they are required to work and attend schools during the day and train mostly in the afternoons.

He also referred to what he described as “the lessons syndrome” in Guyana which also prevents the young athletes from developing and surmised that “this is not what gives you Gold medal.”

The GOA president said his organisation was thankful to the previous administration for providing an Olympic size swimming pool and a track at Leonora,

able to gain medals at international games.

“Despite these difficulties, our athletes have been able to elevate themselves and to be able to be here to participate in the Pan Am Games is no easy feat and as president of the GOA, I want to commend and compliment them and urge them to dedicate themselves in order to go higher.”

Yassin also called on the Guyanese diaspora to assist in whatever way possible in order to stimulate and generate the athletes’ upward mobility.

The GOA president also disclosed that his association has already met with Dr Rupert Roopnarine, the new Minister of Education whose portfolio sports fall under, and the GOA is looking forward to his promised input in sports.

Chef de Mission Ivor O’Brien, in his remarks, called on the athletes to give of their best and if this is good enough to earn them medals, then it would be much appreciated.

He also reminded them “to have fun and at the same time remain focused.”

‘Green Machine’ out of steam at Pan Am Games - Sunil Seth eliminated in round – of – 16

GUYANA’S National 7’s Rugby Team, popularly known as the ‘Green Machine’ are not having what they had planned it to be, a successful Pan Am Games in Canada.

The Guyanese were blown away 45 – 0 by the hosts in their first game of the contest and then allowed Argentina to run havoc on them in their second match, going down 41 - 1. Their final game of the preliminary was against Brazil.

Meanwhile in other results: Badminton: Narayan Ramdhani lost in straight sets to Javier Nelson of the Dominican Republic. Ramdhani lost the first game 14 – 18 and the second 10 – 12 after the set ended 21 – 21.

His sister Priyanna, also suffered a similar fate and she lost 5 – 9 and 5 – 7 (21 – 21) to Bermany Polanco, also from the Dominican Republic.

In the mix doubles match, the Ramdhani siblings lost to the pair of Christian Araya and Ting Ting Chou of Chile 15 – 7 and 8 – 6.

Squash: Sunil Seth was knocked out in the round of 16 while Jason-Ray Khalil was beaten in straight sets by Paraguay’s Nicolas Caballero (11 – 2, 11 – 5, 11 – 4).

Seth got past Guatemala’s Mauricio Sedano 11 – 9, 11 – 9 and 11 – 5 but fell to hometown boy Shawn Delierre 11 – 3, 11 – 8, 11 – 8 in the round of 16.

Canada at field hockey after migrating from Guyana, lamented the fact that he didn’t get a chance to represent the country of his birth.

In her opening remarks, Consul General

the Golden Arrowhead, but to compete with other world-class athletes from the Americas. Guyana may be geographically small, but that does not mean that we aren’t skilled, talented and capable.

You all are a testament to our national ability to succeed.”

Speaking specifically to the officials, Sawh said she had no doubt “that you have worked hard to ensure our country’s successful participation in the games, and that our team, collectively, will not only perform well, but will display the discipline, enthusiasm and sportsmanship that our nation is proudly known for.”

The Consular General reminded the athletes that “the competition will be fierce, the challenges will be many, and the pressure will be high, but never forget that you have an advantage that none of the other athletes have – you are Guyanese.

You are from a nation of strong, skilled and successful people, and you will no doubt make all of your brothers and sisters, be they at home, in Canada, or elsewhere, extremely proud.”

The athletes and officials were recipients of souvenir t-shirts, compliments of Harold and Sandra Pertab, a Guyanese husband and wife residing in Toronto.

Apart from the three track and field athletes, who will be managed by former 400 metres specialist Allian Pompey, most of the other athletes and officials from the other disciplines were present at Thursday night’s function. Pompey, along with sprinters Adam Harris, Winston George

GOA president K. Juman Yassin (left) and Chef de Mission Ivor O’Brien pose with the Pan Am Games torch.

Sawh disclosed that she was excited that the Pan-Am Games had finally arrived. “For those of us that live in Toronto, the topic of the games has been on everyone’s lips for many months, and all of the build-up and preparation have finally boiled down to the next few weeks. The city will come alive with activity and passion for all of the events that will take place. It is a very special time to be in Toronto.

According to Sawh, “Guyanese in Toronto are very engaged and connected. Guyanese are involved in all levels of society, from volunteering efforts to community initiatives, from arts and culture to business, from education to entrepreneurship, and indeed, even in sports. Guyanese are everywhere, and no matter what we are doing, we carry a unique love and passion for our homeland very close to our hearts. It is that connection that makes this reception such a joy to be a part of.

“As a community, we are overjoyed to welcome the young men and women from Guyana to Toronto to not just represent

and Jenea McCammon are due in Toronto on July 17 with the track and field segment of the games set to get underway on July 21.

Guyana will be represented at squash by Sunil Seth, Jason Ray-Khalid and Kristian Jeffrey; swimming by Onika George and Omar Adams and badminton by Narayan and Priyanna Ramdhani.

The respective coaches are Ramon Chan-A-Sue, Paul Kanhai and Gokarn Ramdhani.

The rugby team players are: Richard Staglon (Captain), Peobo Hamilton, Lancelot Adonis, Rickford Cummings, Claudius Butts, Ronald Mayers, Patrick King, Akeem Frazer, Ryan Gonsalves, Dwayne Schroeder, Phibian Joseph and Avery Corbin. The manager is Terrence Grant with Theodore Henry as coach.

The programme was chaired by Clyde Gulliver of the Guyana Consulate, while Kim Sue of Norman Sue Bakery and a prominent member of the Guyana Festival Committee gave the vote of thanks.

Sport CHRONICLE

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

Pan Am Games contingent gets grand welcome

Please see story on page 31

Wimbledon winner Serena eyes fairytale in New York

By Toby Davis LONDON, (Reuters)-Having spent the last two weeks saying she would not talk about a possible Grand Slam, Serena Williams allowed herself a few moments to enjoy her sixth Wimbledon title before thoughts turned to New York and the elusive calendar year feat.

Williams belongs to an exclusive club of women who have held all four major titles at the same time, and achieved the so-called ‘Serena Slam’ for the second time with her 6-4 6-4 victory over Garbine Muguruza in Saturday’s Wimbledon final.

But there is an even more prestigious gang who have won Wimbledon, the Aus-

tralian, French and U.S. Opens in the same calendar year and Williams wants in.

Only Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) have achieved the Grand Slam, but Williams stands on the brink of joining them and victory at the U.S. Open in September will rubber stamp her membership.

Like all great champions, it was not long after leaving Wimbledon’s hallowed turf before the American’s mind wandered to the new challenge.

“It took me a little while,” she joked.

“I think when I did my interview... after the match, I did the whole presentation, See page 26

Trophy Stall contributes overall Mr. Gym Expo trophy Please see story on page 26

Serena Williams of the U.S.A shows off the trophy after winning her Women’s Final match against Garbine Muguruza of Spain at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, yesterday. Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett. (See other story on Page 27)

National School Basketball Festival

MHS and St Rose’s to clash for U-14 title today Please see story on page 26

Trophy Stall Manager Ramesh Sunich hands over trophy to Fitness Paradise Manager Donald Sinclair

Going all the way! St Rose’s point guard Kwesi Roberts going all the way to the basket against Marian Academy during his team’s 25 – 19 semi-final win in the NSBF U-14 category. (Delano Williams photo)

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SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2015