Chronicle 01 08 2016

SUICIDE WATCH No. 104425

FRIDAY JANUARY 8, 2016

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…President convenes emergency meeting to tackle suicide scourge

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Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo were among those engaged in a fierce debate on the Constitutional Amendment Bill on Thursday (Samuel Maughn photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016

FRIDAY JANUARY 8, 2016

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Budgets approved for constitutional agencies GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

…govt, opposition spar over amendments

By Tajeram Mohabir ALLOCATIONS of sums for constitutional agencies were yesterday approved with adjustments by Finance Minister Winston Jordan, but to vociferous disapproval of the Opposition.

In the marathon debate on sums for the various constitution agencies, the Opposition repeatedly accused the Government of violating the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill which it passed on assumption to office. The Act insulates these constitutional agencies from the Executive, namely the Finance Minister, so that he has no say in preparing their budgets to meet their yearly expenditures, and they draw their funds directly from the Consolidated Fund.

But the Government strongly refuted the contention of the Opposition, arguing that its actions are within the law. It contended that the reduction of the budgetary estimates of some of the constitutional agencies for 2016 do not reflect a cut in expenditure compared to allocations of the previous year, as the allocations were less. But importantly, the reduction was solely based on Government’s ability to meet the sums requested.

The consideration of the estimates began with a heated debate on who should answer questions regarding the budgetary estimate for the Auditor Office.

The Auditor Office, an

independent body, falls under the purview of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly, and Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Irfaan Ali argued that, as Chair of PAC, he should defend the sum requested by that agency, as provided for by the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, and not the Auditor General.

But Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman objected to this. He contended that MP Ali, an Opposition member, cannot speak through a Government minister in defending the estimate from the Audit Office, because that is the prerogative of the Auditor General.

However, Mr Ali reminded that the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill guarantees constitutional agencies independence of the Executive in the preparation of their budgets, and he said it would be wrong for the Auditor General to defend his allocation in the House through a Government minister.

Supporting him, his colleague MP Anil Nandlall told the House that he had informed the Government of shortcomings in the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill that it passed. He pointed out that it was weak in the procedures of its administration.

Mr Nandlall also contended that the move by Government to have the estimate of the Audit Office defended by the Auditor General was going against the letter and spirit of the Constitutional (Amend-

ment) Bill.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, differed in opinion from Mr Nandlall, pointing out that the actions of the Government are not in variance with the law, and that the issue at hand represented “uncharted waters”.

He stressed that “money bills” come from the Government, monies are spent by the Executive, and the Constitution allows the majority in the House to regulate procedures of the House. On that basis, Mr Ramjattan said, there is no need for an Opposition member to defend an expenditure of the Government. He also pointed out that all can ask questions.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams, also pointed out that the claim of Government violating the Constitution Amendment Act is erroneous, as the Finance Minister played no part in preparing the estimates for the Audit Office.

Minister Trotman also noted that the debate on estimates for the constitutional agencies is uncalled for, as outstanding issues should be settled in the Public Accounts Committee meetings.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who also took to the floor, reminded the House that it was the Government which fought for the independence of budgetary estimates for the constitutional agencies.

But members of the Op-

position benches screamed, “Honour it!”

SMOKESCREEN The Prime Minister somewhat bemused by the quip, called the Opposition out for creating a smokescreen. He pointed out that the Opposition, when in Government, had seen no need for budgetary independence of constitutional agencies, but now has the temerity to lecture the Government on financial autonomy for these bodies.

In the end, both the Government and the Opposition agreed to an adjournment of the House to settle their difference; and after all the earlier back and forth, a decision was made.

Speaker of the House, Dr Barton Scotland, on resumption of the sitting, told the National Assembly that Mr Ali, as Chair of the PAC, will be taking questions on the Audit Office, and he urged that the House should get on with the business of the day.

But when the consideration started, Ali commented that the Current and Capital Estimates, totalling $790,077,000 for period ending 31st December, 2016, were requested by the Audit Office. He said it would go a far way in enhancing public accountability and transparence through value-for-money audits.

But he criticised the Government for “cutting” the sum by some $76M, saying that the action by the Government will hamper the work of that

body in effectively carrying out its work.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo did not take lightly to the reduction. He said that with the passage of the Constitutional Amendment Act, the financial autonomy of constitutional bodies will be guaranteed, and there will be substantial changes, but this has not happened. The reduction, he contended, is “denuding” the Audit Office from carrying out its duties.

He said once constitutional agencies determined their budgets, the Opposition will not oppose it.

NO DENUDING Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, said there is no denuding of the Audit Office as the sum allocated reflects a $72 million increase compared to the previous year.

It was also pointed out that the now Opposition, when in Government, used to cut proposed sums of constitutional agencies before there were brought to the House.

M i n i s t e r J o r d a n e xplained that the Government

can only allocate sums that are affordable; while Minister Ramjattan pointed out that a direct charge on the Consolidated Fund by constitutional agencies does not mean that these agencies will get any amount that they requested. All sums, he said, must be approved by the National Assembly.

The estimates for Parliament and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution were reduced, but the sums allocated reflected an increase compared to the sums allocated the previous year. The estimates of the Judicial Service Commission, GECOM and the Office of the Ombudsman were approved with amendments.

Among the agencies whose budgets were approved with adjustments are the Director of Public Prosecution, which was reduced by $75M, and Parliament Office, reduced by $100M. The Office of the Opposition Leader was approved without any amendment.

Up to press time, early this morning, Parliament was still debating sums for several other agencies.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Syria to let aid into besieged Madaya

AMID reports of residents starving to death, the Syrian Government has agreed to allow aid into the besieged rebel-held village of Madaya, the UN says.

The UN humanitarian coordinator said it was planning to deliver humanitarian assistance “in the coming days.”

Aid agencies say conditions in Madaya, near Damascus, are “extremely dire.”

The UN said it also had government permission for access to Kefraya and Foah in the north, but unlike Madaya, these are besieged by rebel forces.

Up to 4.5 million people in Syria live in hardto-reach areas, including nearly 400,000 people in 15 besieged locations who do not have access to the life-saving aid they urgently need.

Madaya, which is about 25km (15 miles) north-west

of Damascus and 11km from the border with Lebanon, has, since early July,

while his family of five continues to suffer from severe malnutrition, it said.

in October, and medical evacuations took place in December, but Madaya

Syrian opposition supporters have urged the UN to ensure aid reaches Madaya

been besieged by government forces and their allies in Lebanon’s Shia Islamist Hezbollah movement.

The UN said it has received credible reports of people dying from starvation and being killed while trying to leave. On January 5th, a 53-year-old man reportedly died of starvation,

Save the Children also warned on Thursday that “more children will die in the coming days and weeks unless food, medicine, fuel and other vital aid are immediately allowed into…

Madaya.”

Aid lorries delivered medical and humanitarian supplies to the village

has been inaccessible since then, despite numerous requests for access.

Conditions have worsened with the onset of winter.

A Syria-based spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, Pawel Krzysiek, told the BBC on Wednesday

that he had visited Madaya during the last aid delivery, and that the situation was now “even more dire.”

“People here have started eating earth, because there’s nothing left to eat,” Madaya resident Abdel Wahab Ahmed told the BBC on Thursday. “Grass and leaves have died because of the mounting snow.”

Ahmed described the lack of medical facilities for the sick and vulnerable as “terrifying”.

The cost of basic goods has reportedly also surged, with 1kg (2.2lb) of crushed wheat selling for as much as US$250 (£171) and 900g of powdered formula for babies going for about US$300.

Activists say the siege of Madaya has been stepped up by the government and Hezbollah in retaliation for the rebel siege of Foah and Kefraya, which has lasted

even longer.

The situation in the predominantly Shia villages, about 7km (5 miles) to the north of the city of Idlib, is also reported to have worsened since the fall, in September, of a nearby government air base where helicopters were able to drop off food.

Some of the estimated 30,000 people trapped in the villages have been forced to eat grass and undergo surgery without anaesthetics, according to wounded pro-government fighters evacuated at the end of December under a deal that also saw rebels and civilians being allowed to leave Madaya.

The UN has warned that international humanitarian law prohibits the targeting of civilians, and also the starvation of civilians as a tactic of war.

(BBC)

Iran Embassy ‘damaged by Saudi strike’ IRAN has accused Saudi-led coalition warplanes of damaging its embassy and injuring staff in an air strike on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

State media quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying planes had deliberately targeted the site. Some later reports in Iran have, however, said missiles had struck only in the vicinity of the embassy.

Residents and witnesses in Sanaa reported there was no

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damage to the main embassy building.

Although the incident may turn out to be less serious than initially feared, the BBC’s Arab Affairs Editor, Sebastian Usher, says the growing row between Saudi Arabia and Iran could derail peace efforts in Syria and Iraq, as well as in Yemen.

The row began after Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia executed Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

Iranian protesters in Tehran,

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angry at the execution, then attacked the Saudi Embassy, leading Saudi Arabia to cut off diplomatic relations with Iran.

A number of Saudi allies have followed suit in taking diplomatic action against Iran.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Iran banned the import of all Saudi goods, according to a statement read on Iranian state TV. Hossein Jaber Ansari, a spokesman for the Iranian For-

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eign Ministry, had earlier said the raid had injured “a number of the building’s guards”, according to the Iranian news agency Ilna.

He called the incident a “deliberate action by Saudi Arabia”.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, Gen Ahmed Asseri, said Iran’s claims would be investigated.

At least 2,795 civilians have been killed in Yemen since March, when the Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign to restore the government and drive back the Houthis and allied security personnel loyal to ex-President Saleh.

In the past six months, coalition and pro-government forces have retaken Aden, but the rebels still control the capital.

The already dire humanitarian situation has also deteriorated, with more than 21 million people -- four-fifths of the population - now requiring aid. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Debarred Venezuelan MPs sworn in

IN its first full session in control of Congress, the Venezuelan opposition has sworn in three of its MPs who had been suspended for alleged election fraud.

The move defies a Supreme Court ruling and gives the opposition a two-thirds super-majority, which gives the opposition extra powers, such as removing judges from the top court.

The new speaker, Henry Ramos Allup of the opposition MUD coalition, has also said he would seek a government change within six months. He was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the new lawmakers on Tuesday. He did not say how the change would be brought about, but stressed it would be “constitutional.”

Following a landslide win, the assembly is under the control of the opposition for the first time in almost 17 years.

Under Venezuela’s Constitution, the president can be removed from office by means of a recall referendum.

More radical members of the MUD opposition coalition have, in the past few months, called for such a referendum.

In a letter sent in November from the cell where he is being held after being found guilty of incitement to violence, Opposition Leader Leopoldo Lopez wrote: “We can’t wait for the presidential elections in 2019, political change in Venezuela has a date, and it’s the first semester of 2016.”

Ramos Allup did not say whether he was referring to a recall referendum in his speech, but made it clear that “here and now, things will change.”

In response, Maduro struck a defiant note in an interview on state television.

“Let them [the opposition] call a recall referendum and

Newly elected Speaker Henry Ramos Allup said: “Here and now, things will change” then the people will decide,” public,” he added. be temporarily suspended he said.

It is still unclear if the while allegations of elec“But if they come [at investiture of the three tion irregularities during last me] by any other means, the banned opposition MPs will month’s elections were inpeople, Constitution in hand, be allowed to stand. It goes vestigated. will decide, and I’ll be there, against a Supreme Court In the December 6 elecdefending democracy in my ruling that they and one tion, the opposition MUD role as President of the Re- pro-government MP should coalition won 112 seats and

the governing Socialist coalition 55. The Supreme Court then suspended four lawmakers, three of them from the opposition, pending an investigation into electoral irregularities.

Constitutional experts have disagreed on whether the opposition would lose its two-thirds majority if any of their lawmakers remained suspended.

Some have argued they need all 112 out of the 167 seats, while others say that in case of their continued suspension, the two-thirds majority should be lowered to 109 to reflect the smaller total number of delegates of 163.

The two-thirds majority is key because it gives the opposition extra powers, such as removing judges from the Supreme Court, and creating a constituent assembly with a view to rewriting the Constitution.

(BBC)

Haiti presidential runoff election for January 24

FOLLOWING a working meeting on Tuesday with President Michel Martelly, Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has confirmed, in a letter signed by its President, Pierre-Louis Opont, “that it is able to guarantee the organisation of the second round of presidential and that of the partial legislative and local elections on Sunday, January 24, 2016.”

Twenty-four hours earlier, Opont had informed Martelly that it was impossible to organise the elections for January 17 – the final date, he said, voting could be staged to guarantee the handover of power from one elected president to another in time to meet the constitutionally mandated February 7 deadline.

The CEP has now agreed to respect both constitutional dates, namely, January 11, 2016, for the

return of Parliament, and February 7, for the inauguration of the elected President.

Meanwhile, for the second time in two weeks, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern over the ongoing electoral process in Haiti, on Tuesday urging the authorities and all political actors to resolve outstanding issues as soon as possible.

Jovenel Moise from the governing party and former government Executive Jude Celestin, the two top vote-getters in the first round of presidential elections on October 25, were set to face each other in a run-off on December 27, but that was postponed until further notice.

“The Secretary-General recalls that Parliament has not functioned since January 2015,” a statement issued by Ban’s spokes-

person said on Tuesday. “He underlines the importance of inaugurating the new legislature within the constitutional time frame, to ensure the renewal of democratic institutions and consolidate political stability in Haiti.”

He called for the electoral process to be “concluded as soon as possible in a transparent, inclusive and credible manner.”

Ban’s special representative in Haiti, Sandra Honoré, and the so-called “Core Group” –Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, the United States, the European Union and the Organization of American States -– on Monday called on state institutions and political actors to ensure a peaceful transfer of power to a newly-elected president by the constitutionally mandated date of February 7. (Caribbean News Now)

Voting in the second round for the senatorial and parliamentary elections and the first round for a new President in Haiti’s capital, Port au Prince, October 25

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

Towards a more scientific society SCIENCE is important to development, and its benefits are too numerous to mention. At a national development level, science aids in guiding proper decision-making, since, out of respect for empirical evidence, decision-makers are better informed, and time and scarce resources are effectively and efficiently utilised.

Science also creates an atmosphere of direction, orderliness and calm in the society. For instance, meteorologists know the importance of accurately reading atmospheric conditions in order to deliver timely and up-to-date weather and climate patterns. Outside of commuters, who rely on this accuracy to inform their activities, choice of clothing and weather gear; airlines, farmers and numerous others rely on this accuracy to determine travel schedule and farming activities.

Wrath is many times rained down on the weather forecaster when predictions are faulty, and this is because of the disruption faulty predictions could cause to the schedules of industries and individual. But the meteorological office cannot accurately announce coming patterns if not given the appropriate tools, including personnel, training and instruments to get the job done.

At the Climate Summit recently held in Paris, which among other things addressed issues pertaining to global warming, decision-makers were largely guided in deliberations and agreement by scientific evidence of the threats facing us if we fail to act. Findings of scientists on the state of the planet today and the destruction wrought on the environment through the choices made in pursuit of development were factors considered.

These revelations have informed the shift to new approaches to development, wherein countries have committed to introducing/strengthening policies to reduce emissions; apply reforestation; ensure energy-saving programmes, inclusive of buildings that will benefit from natural lighting, among other things. In some cases, countries have offered tax rebates/exemptions to home owners and businesses that are shifting to environmentally-friendly sources of energy.

Guyana has adopted a Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) which aims to contribute to sustaining the planet through reforestation, preservation, and the enabling of a Green Economy. In spite of the complex nature of government, businesses and other organisations, it is recognised and appreciated that citizens and customers whom these institutions are established to serve each have an important input to make towards the success of these institutions. Consequently, in pursuit of realising optimum performance, businesses conduct market/customer surveys.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

GECOM is capping our overtime Dear Editor,

I WRITE to seek your help in resolving a problem that some of the staff of the Guyana Elections Commission have been experiencing for a long time now.

It is a problem that is causing them -- and by extension me -- some concern, and would not be resolved without bringing it to attention of the public and the necessary authorities. I hope

that in doing so the issue can be dealt with quickly and amicably.

The overtime of some of the staff is being capped, even though some of them work extremely long and rigorous hours, even accumulating overtime in excess of 100 hours. The registration officer sometimes works far less hours than the junior staff, but gets an added $100,000 paid to him, while the overtime pay of other staff never

passes a certain amount.

Regardless of the number of hours they work, drivers are paid a maximum of $50,000.

The other issue is that the head office staff members are paid more than the staff members assigned to sub-offices, even though they all have similar designations.

This action seems to suggest that GECCOM is operating above the laws of Guyana by not paying its staff the overtime for which they have

worked.

This situation has been ongoing for far too long, and GECOM needs to stop trampling on the rights of its staff members.

I was very upset about these issues, because some individuals have been in GECOM’s employ for over five years, and have been investing their very hearts and souls into the work.

Yours sincerely, RAVINDRA SINGH

Ex-offender rehab centre needed Dear Editor, I BECOME increasingly convinced every day that my desire to see an inaugural ex-offenders rehabilitation centre established in Guyana is rooted in logic and basic commonsense.

My vision was again highlighted when I read what Child Protection Agency Director Ann Green said recently. She spoke of the need for her agency to conduct par-

enting classes. Green said emphatically: “Parenting is in trouble!”

This begs a series of obvious but logical questions: If parenting is in trouble, what kind of children are these troubled parents raising? If a parent doesn’t know how to parent, what kinds of mores and values are they instilling in their children?

Now that you have answered those two questions, you are closer to

understanding why I am in this mad scramble to establish a post-release ex-offender rehabilitation centre. We are failing our children -- they are falling through the cracks, they are behaving badly, we are incarcerating them, and then they are returning to society with additional scars and bruises, being branded as “criminals”.

Many in the society, even religious leaders, show disdain and scant re-

gard for these “criminals”, when the problem, by and large, has its genesis in problematic and failed parenting.

Ms. Green is right, and should be applauded for her frank assessment of the main contributor to Guyana’s crime problem. In essence, what the CPA Director is saying is that if the child does not receive the requisite foundational

See page 7

Red Caps can’t demand extra pay Dear Editor,

PERMIT management of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to thank Messers Shadeo Bates and George Daniels for expressing their concerns about the services offered by the airport’s Red Cap porters and taxi drivers.

The standard fee payable to the Red Cap porters is Gy$200 per bag; this

information is displayed in the Customs Hall of the CJIA. Anything above this is at the discretion of passengers and in consideration of the service provided.

Management will not condone Red Cap porters demanding additional money from passengers. Such a practice is in breach of their code of conduct, and attracts penalties of suspension and/or dismissal from

Where governments are concerned, in pursuit of satisfying their citizens, surveys/polls are considered important to gauge feedback/approval rating on performance and thinking on particular issues, such as race, gender, crime and so forth. From these surveys, governments and politicians develop policies and programmes, and put strategies in place, including laws, to realise their objectives.

Politicians vying for office usually take their cue from opinion polls, and run on platforms consistent with prevailing views in the society. For instance, where the populace despises corruption, those who want to win at the polls will find this issue worthy of addressing. In Guyana, where governments infrequently make decisions that are informed by scientific evidence, including polls and surveys, the people’s point of view is often made

the service.

In like manner, each airport taxi is equipped with an approved fare structure, and this must, at all times, be displayed in the vehicle for passengers to see.

Further, all our Red Cap porters and taxi drivers have name tags, making them easily identifiable to airport users. They are also required to adhere to the ‘turn’ system implemented by management.

Should passengers be subjected to the unethical practice of being charged more than the abovementioned fares, they are encouraged to contact our Public Relations Officer on 613-5117, or the Airport Duty Officer on the following numbers: 2612281/600-7022.

Regards, CJIA MANAGEMENT

known through social media, public conversations, newspapers’ letter sections, editorials, call-in broadcast programmes, and so forth. Even as these offer a very good sounding board for feedback, there exists deficiency in the sense that the views may not be a representative spread, may be confined to those who have the time and access, and may be the views of users of these tools.

In this 21st century economy, decision-making and development are largely informed by science. It accordingly bodes well to examine new approaches that will see this nation paying pre-eminence to evidence-based decision-making, and applying same to achieve equitable and just development in our diverse society.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Region One outreach…

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No proof NICIL has been good for Guyana Dear Editor,

FORMER Prime Minister Samuel Hinds (letter, Guyana Chronicle, 2 January 2016) claims that the “PU/NICIL has been good for people and country”.

Nothing in his letter proves this to be so. Mr. Hinds and the PPP have been challenging Guyanese who criticised them to provide “data and scientific analysis” in support of those criticisms, yet he did not include one iota of data and scientific analysis to support his claim that PU/NICIL has been god for people and country.

The problem he presents has many faces. First, Guyanese are in no position to independently evaluate the activities and results of the PU/NICIL. The reason is obvious. The government that Mr. Hinds served as one of its leaders has not maintained or developed systematic governmental organisational systems for the collection and regular publication of information about government activities done in their name and made accessible to Guyanese. The question is: where is the information which Guyanese must use to independently assess Mr. Hinds’s claims?

In the absence of this information, Guyanese must presumably accept the mere words contained in Mr. Hinds’s letter. Not surprising at all, because this is the level of disrespect which Mr. Hinds and the PPP have for the intelligence of the people of Guyana.

Second, in order to independently assess the claim made

by Mr. Hinds, Guyanese would, at minimum, need to be able to compare the starting benchmarks of the privatisation programme against subsequent historical records up to, say, the end of 2014. Since 80 per cent of the economy was owned

and controlled by the state of Guyana at the time of establishment of the PU/NICIL, what does this mean in terms of the following (data broken down by economic sectors would be most valuable): The total net value of all the assets owned and controlled by the state; the share of gross domestic product and national income arising from government’s 80% share in the economy; and employment, exports, and other factors relating to the 80% government share in the economy?

We can then compare these starting positions annually with what has since happened. We can compare this information with data on the changes and the link of these changes to the economic and social improvements in the lives of Guyanese, who must first understand, for example, which assets were completely divested into private hands, which assets were partially sold, and the interest which the state has in other income-bearing entities in the economy (eg. majority private enterprises in which the state holds shares); the revenues from these various activities, and what was done with those monies: eg. how much was transferred to the Consolidated Fund, to other government departments, to projects, or to other uses?; which assets are still held by the state?

What percentage of the Guyanese population, for example, are shareholders in divested companies? And how is this broken down among the various ethnic groups (the sovereign)? What is the level of employment of Guyanese citizens in the divested properties compared to the period before they were sold?

This would provide some indication of the amount of income which households continued to earn from divested properties.

Since the assets, their use and the activities undertaken

Refund is in order here Dear Editor, A YOUNG woman was treated unfairly by the police, and she deserves every possible help from the relevant authorities who had been approached by me for her to be refunded a whopping $250,000 paid against her will for an out-of-court settlement brokered by a Justice of the Peace.

Sheer skullduggery was practised by the investigating rank, who used his privileged position to force this young woman to enter into a settlement agreement based on a report made at the Suddie Station on 2015-12-14 by a man who was involved in a fight with her two brothers at a wedding function, where several persons were present.

In the process of the fight, the man is claiming that he suffered the loss of a gold chain and band with a given value of $270,000, but the jewellery was not linked to any criminal involvement.

The document by the JP specifically states that the compensation was for the missing jewellery, and this is a lot of money for a poor family to lose through no fault of their own; even though some borrowing was done to raise

the amount and, moreso, the settlement instigated by the rank was legally wrong because the course of justice had been perverted, occasioning a criminal offence that is punishable by law.

The young woman maintained that, while at the station, she had insisted that her brothers be charged and placed before the courts, but after the rank had injected fear in her that her two brothers would each end up serving a term of imprisonment, she decided to make the Agreement of Settlement.

To the best of my knowledge, there is, in the law, no provision whatsoever that allows for settlement of any crime report at the level of the station. As a matter of fact, any such agreement made by a JP is not legally binding.

From my layman’s understanding of the law, the proper forum to entertain settlement in any situation involving crime is at the courts, where that JP’s document could have been tendered in evidence; so I say the police, at all times, need to avoid the appearance, if not practice, of being involved in malfeasance.

This matter had already

been written off by the investigating rank as dead and buried through his crooked work, but it has been resurrected when, on 2015-21-21, the glaring injustice done to the woman was brought to the attention of the Divisional Commander, with my assistance.

Two days later, I accompanied the two brothers to give statements at the CID office at Anna Regina, but before doing so, they were informed that a charge for assaulting the man had been instituted against them.

They were also informed, in my presence, that the charge against them had already been dismissed, even though they did not make an appearance before the magistrate who was presiding in the nearby court at the time.

This young woman has reportedly since received information that the man got back his jewellery.

Once police ranks confine their operations within the ambit of the law, there will never be a problem, but only praise to be showered on them for giving exemplary service.

Yours sincerely, BALRAM PERSAUD

were for the most part (last 23 years) in the hands of PPP administrations, then it is the PPP, not the citizens, which must produce this kind of data and demonstrate what was “…good for people and country”. What does “good” mean anyway?

Third, the foregoing is only part of the story. There are other crucial elements of accounting and accountability. For example, one issue is the allegation that some assets, such as the Sanata Complex, were sold at several millions below market value to Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop. This would raise serious questions as to who PU/NICIL was ‘good for’, since citizens may have been cheated out of significant sums of money that could have gone into improving the scientific and technological capacities and capabilities of Guyana; and health, education, infrastructure, sanitation etc.

Fourth is the overall vexed question of accountability.

Article 9 of Chapter II of the Constitution of Guyana declares that “Sovereignty belongs to the people, who exercise it through their representatives and the democratic organs established by or under this Constitution”. We remain dazed at the legal capacity of NICIL, and the power of Mr. Brassington, in circumstances where the vast proportion of the economy effectively fell under the control of NICIL. This is not a simple matter. Nothing can describe this act of recklessness.

Small wonder, therefore, that Guyanese don’t know what was done in their name. NICIL is a law unto itself. The PPP not only claimed that the people’s representatives (the Parliament) cannot compel NICIL to report to it; it acted on the claim.

Regards, IVOR CARRYL

Failing a minor Dear Editor, I refer to the Kaieteur News article of December 25, 2015 which reported that the Court of Appeal had placed businessman Kevin Jordon on bail pending appeal.

Mr. Jordan was represented by, among others, Rex McKay SC, widely re-

garded as the leading lawyer in Guyana. The DPP was represented by Judith Mursalin, a very promising but relatively new prosecutor.

Mrs Shalimar Ali-Hack, the DPP, did not appear.

This was a case which called for Mrs. Ali-Hack to appear. It attracted national interest because it involved the sodomy of a child. Mrs.

Ali-Hack failed to step up and discharge her constitutional responsibility. If Mrs Ali-Hack wishes to hide from the court, she ought to resign and make way for someone else to fill her position.

Sincerely, ANONYMOUS WRITER

Ex-offender rehab centre ...

From page 6 skill-sets to prepare him/her for life, then that child is off to a problematic start in life.

While in the USA, I worked for the South Bend Community School Corporation in Indiana. My title was Family and Community Specialist. My role was primarily to mediate for the interest of the children between the school and the parents. I worked for an inner-city school. What I was made to understand was that projections for the building or expansion of prisons were based on the

dropout rates of what they call the K-12, Title One schools in the inner cities.

Those were the primary schools in neighbourhoods with predominantly underprivileged, addicted, low-income, families. Yes, with ‘parenting problems’.

People are people. The parents whom Green is planning to target fit the category of the parents I interacted with, and whose children I mediated for. If the professionals in the USA could tie the realities of problematic parenting to crime, it is obvious that that sociological fact could be assumed here

in Guyana. That is why, although we are bent on increasing the size of the police force and incarcerating these youths, there must be a comparative, wellthought-out, well-funded rehabilitative programme.

For, after all, it is not solely the problem of the youth.

Moreover, what the President is doing by releasing non-violent young offenders has merit, in my view.

Regards, PASTOR WENDELL P. JEFFREY Practical Christianity Ministries

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

EPA eyes reduction of import tax on Styrofoam alternatives – Aretha Forde

By Svetlana Marshall IN an effort to reduce the high price tagged on alternatives to Styrofoam products, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a reduction of the import tax, according to Environmental Officer Aretha Forde.

In a one-on-one interview with Guyana Chronicle, Forde explained that when the expanded polystyrene ban was proposed, the EPA, in consultation with the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, had proposed that a tax incentive be granted.

This decision, however, will have to be made at the level of the Cabinet, with major input from Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman -- who has responsibility for Natural Resources and the Environment, and Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who oversees the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

“There is no guarantee that there will be any tax reduction or any sort of incentive, but that is what we strongly encouraged,” Ms Forde posited.

Operators within the food industry, though in support of the ban on Styrofoam,

have been calling on the government to implement measures that would reduce the cost of the alternatives, currently considered to be very expensive.

THREE-MONTH GRACE PERIOD The ban on the importation of expanded polystyrene food products -- which include food containers, plates, hot and cold beverage cups, egg cartons, and meat and vegetable trays -- took effect from January 1, 2016, but the government has given importers and food operators a three-month grace period to utilize the stocks they currently have and to dispose of those that have already been shipped to Guyana before the ban takes full effect.

OPTIONS “GRA officials have suggested to us that (importers) can export the products to other countries that don’t have a Styrofoam ban, or they could dispose of (them) and claim losses to the authority,” Forde said, as she explained some of the options that can be considered when the ban takes full effect.

The Environmental Protection (Expanded Polystyrene Ban) Regulations pro-

hibit the importation, manufacture and sale of expanded polystyrene products in Guyana. Additionally, these regulations prohibit the sale, use, or provision of expanded polystyrene containers by food service establishments.

In this regard, the use of biodegradable, recyclable, and other environmentally-friendly containers or packaging for food products is being encouraged in lieu of expanded polystyrene products.

The environmental protection officer explained that any person or entity found to be in contravention of these regulations will, upon summary conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than $50,000. Similarly, any food service establishment found to be in contravention of these regulations will be issued with a written warning prohibiting the said establishment from selling or providing food for consumption in expanded polystyrene food service products. Failure to comply could result in defaulters being subject to a fine of not less than $100,000.

However, it was explained that, notwithstanding the provisions outlined in these regulations, if the

subject minister considers the importation, manufacture, sale, or offer for sale of any goods or any class of goods prohibited to be in the public interest, the subject minister may authorize the importation, manufacture or sale of the goods.

In alluding to the damaging effects Styrofoam has on the environment, the environmental protection officer said it appears to last forever. She explained that polystyrene products are resistant to photolysis, or the breaking down of materials by photons originating from a light source.

She said polystyrene’s inability to break down quickly poses a serious problem for landfill sites. “Because the waste management systems are not as ideal as they could be…persons tend to burn Styrofoam and plastic together, and that is hazardous not only to them, but to persons in the immediate environment, because those particulates are going to get into the air and affect the air quality; and the ash is not something you could just dispose of or bury, because again you risk leaking chemicals into the water table,” she explained.

STYRENE It was also pointed out

EPA Environmental Officer Aretha Forde displaying some of the alternative containers to Styrofoam products being considered by the agency

that, like plastic, Styrofoam is made from styrene, the foundational ingredient used to make polystyrene.

It has been established by the International Agency for Research on Cancer that styrene is a possible human carcinogen.

Persons who are regularly exposed to styrene often develop acute health effects, such as irritation of the skin, irritation of the eyes, irritation of the upper respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal effects, among other consequences.

Sports boosted at North-West Secondary

By Alva Solomon THE raising of funds to develop the sports curriculum at the North-West Secondary School in Region One has achieved one milestone, and several other benchmarks are being actively pursued.

At the beginning of the new term, the school received 100 footballs, football gear and equipment, which were shipped from the United States through funding from the GoFundMe network, a personal fundraising website based in San Diego, California.

The footballs were handed over to Head Teacher Carlotta Joseph earlier this week in the school corridor at Mabaruma. Joseph told this newspaper that the initiative, though small, will make a positive impact on the school environment. “It makes the children a bit more rounded, because we know that sports should play an integral part in the school’s curriculum,” she

said. She praised schoolteacher Andrew Campbell who had conceptualised the initiative.

Campbell told the Guyana Chronicle that the 100 soccer balls’ initiative came about after he had seen a “lack of support” for hinterland athletes by the relevant authorities. He said that, without doubt, there is a lot of talent in the hinterland regions, but one of the main obstacles in harnessing that talent is the lack of sporting equipment and gear.

BEST SWIMMERS He noted that the region has produced some of the best swimmers in the country; but, according to him, those accomplishments do not receive support from corporate Guyana, unlike what obtains with coastland athletes. He said emphasis needs to be placed on development of sports in schools in the interior locations of Guyana.

A coastlander who has been in the region for some four years, Campbell ex-

A teacher and students of the North-West Secondary School at Mabaruma pose with the footballs and other equipment received

plained that he liaised with a U.S.-based colleague, Celawan Jack, and she applied to the website for funding.

He said she created the page and sought assistance through the donation platform; and according to him, past students and overseas-based Guyanese were ready to support the initiative.

“We were looking to raise US$1,000 and we raised a little over that amount,” he said.

The next initiative is aimed at raising 100 pairs of football shoes for the students. In addition, he noted, there is a plan to refurbish the school library, another initiative which is being piloted by the school.

This teacher said the school board may consider hiring a librarian to manage the facility, and persons are willing to contribute to creation of the library. He said willing donors overseas are ready to ship hundreds of books to the North-West Secondary.

Campbell said the students, school board and the

school’s Head Teacher have all expressed appreciation to those persons who supported the initiative.

The APNU+AFC administration has indicated its support for the development of the hinterland, with sports being among several areas listed in the overall 10-point strategic plan for hinterland development.

Last August, at the National Toshaos Council meeting at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, President David Granger told toshaos that the Hinterland Language, Cultural and Sport Service programme will ensure that the cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples are preserved, along with improved access to Information and Communication Technology. This plan is also geared at facilitating the construction of stateof-the-art sport facilities in hinterland communities.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

DTL lays off 35 staff …workers tie action to warning from gov’t

Luck of the Irish DTL General Manager, Martin Ting

One of the workers operating the detective machine at the sawmill. This machine is considered by the Department of Labour to be hazardous because of the heat it emits and the fact that there are no safety stations in place (file photo)

By Svetlana Marshall MORE than 35 workers attached to the Mabura Hill operations of the Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL) were yesterday told “to stand down until further notice.”

The workers are of the opinion that they are being victimised by the DTL management because of the stern warnings the company would have received from Minister Simona Broomes when she had responsibility for labour, but this contention is being denied.

During an impromptu visit by Minister Simona Broomes and a team last December, DTL was found to be in breach of the labour laws and was sternly warned to “fix it or be shut down.”

After ushering in the New Year with their families, the more than 35 workers attached to the sawmill reported for duty on January 4 with the hope of having a productive year, but one day thereafter, they were told to “stand down.”

Hazel Romain, who has been working with the logging company for the past eight years, told Guyana Chronicle that, without any “proper explanation”, the workers were told to stay home until further notice, although they would be paid 50% of their salaries.

“They told us that we have to wait ‘till Broomes tell we we could come back to work’,” Romain said.

She alluded to a statement allegedly made by Sawmill Manager Mr. Su (only name given).

It was explained that, one

week before the company closed off its operation for the festive season, on December 18, 2015, workers within the sawmill were told to stand down.

“To tell you the truth, since last year they told us to stand down, but we thought that this matter would have been resolved by now. But is victimizing them victimizing us, because, in the first place, they keep telling us that we call de Minister pun them,” Romain explained.

Romain, who will now receive approximately $10,000 per fortnight, is selling snacks to augment her income. “I have children and I need money, so I selling meh lil snacks on the road fuh help out,” she explained.

Corletta Romain said that she and her husband are now in a “tight position.” Both of them worked at the saw mill at Mabura Hill.

“They told us to stay home until further notice, but I don’t see dem doing any repairs. So I don’t know when we will be able to return to work. I have two kids going to school. I not working, my husband not working… it is real tight pun we!” the woman complained as she cried victimization.

Ron Marks echoed similar sentiments. “Tuesday I come to wuk and the boss man seh that the manager seh leh we stay home because we deh pun stand down.”, Now unable to care for his mother and sister, Marks added that DTL’s decision to shut down the saw mill is an attempt to “spite” the workers.

“They trying to spite us because we talk for our rights. They can’t be wrong

and expect people to hide their faults! We have to speak for our rights!” Marks said.

But in an interview with Guyana Chronicle yesterday, DTL General Manager Martin Ting denied any attempt to victimize the workers. He said the closure of the saw mill is necessary to put corrective measures in place, as outlined by the Department of Labour.

In alluding to a December 14, 2015 letter sent by Assistant Chief Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Officer Lydia Greene subsequent to the visit, Ting pointed out that the Labour Department had deemed the saw mill hazardous. According to the letter, “the structural condition of the saw mill was very hazardous.”

It was also pointed out that some of the machines in the factory posed health risk to workers due to the heat emitting from them when put in to operation.

“Management must desist from forcing workers to operate defective machines, and also to place themselves in precarious situation, which may give rise to workers’ health and wellbeing being compromised,” another section of the letter, seen by this newspaper, stated.

“We had to put that one down if it was a health risk,” Ting said, as he referred to sections of the band saw mill which were found to be defective by the Occupation Safety and Health (OSH) workers.

“I had to comply…we are trying to comply,” the General Manager emphasized.

Asked whether it was necessary to send home the workers temporarily, Ting responded in the affirmative.

“If the machine cannot work, what should I do with the workers?”

DTL Sales Manager Robert Perry further explained that the detective machine within the sawmill is the primary one, and the other machines are dependent on it. Hence, if it is out of operation, the entire saw mill grinds to a halt. “That is the main machinery. Once that is stopped, all the rest of machines, the added saws, have to stop; because that deals with the log itself….

So once that main machine is down, there is nothing we could do on the other machines,” Perry explained.

It was explained that the company has already spent Gy$3M to repair the defective machine, but to no avail. The company is now analyzing the possibility of putting an alternative system in place, but this, according to the DTL officials, will take months to be effected.

“There are two lines; there is Line 1 (the one with the current problem) and line two, which has been down for a while. So what we will do is set up a complete line on line 2, and then we will return to line 1,” Perry explained.

However, he emphasized that this process will take months. If this does not work, it is a possibility that the workers may be retrenched, he explained.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) General Secretary, Seepaul Narine, when contacted by this newspaper, said if the company is indeed rectifying the situation, then its decision to put the workers on ‘stand down’ is a reasonable one.

THE public is again a bit confused following the announcement that the Learning Channel – owned

by Bobby Ramroop – will continue to air and the owner will receive the exorbitant multi-million-dollar payment as long as it does. The contract for the channel was supposed to end in December. This move has given the people much to talk about regarding making “promises” and keeping them.

What happened to the strong recommendations that had been made at cabinet level to not renew the contract? It’s a hard thing to win the trust of an already skeptical crowd when actions don’t match up with words. Yet, others believe that, perhaps without an alternative for the children, it would be unwise to deprive them of the only source of educational programming that the country enjoys, all in the name of politics. That makes sense. But, as we are still in the teething stage, I’ll revert to my usual advice of “let’s wait and see where this goes.” Meanwhile, I have to hand it to the likes of Jagdeo and Ramroop, these men just seem to have all the luck. No wonder they’re best friends; birds of a feather, I suppose.

THE NEW EBOLA SCARE?

We all remember the fear and panic that the Ebola outbreak had us in last year, but the public realises that with the recent announcement of the death of a Guyanese man who tested positive for Swine Flu after returning from China, similar panic of the threat of this disease is apparent on social media. Though the man died while being treated in Miami, he did fall ill while he was in Guyana, and people are asking the first (perhaps, natural) questions that come to mind: Who did he come into contact with while he was here? Can it be spread that easily? Is it as bad as Ebola? Can Guyana treat it? Well people, this is the age of information, so the first thing I’d advise is to equip yourselves with information. Reading up on the disease would be a good start. The good news is that we’ve apparently gone one step ahead and have procured vaccinations to combat the disease in the event of further infections. But until then, I’d say keep the panic at a minimum.

TARNISHED

Republic Bank became a trending topic after that institution publicly denounced claims that it is involved in money-laundering, as was stated in a Kaieteur News report. Of course, KN is simply doing what it does best – ruffling feathers, and one can only guess how credible its sources are; but Republic Bank did not take it lightly. The Bank has stated that the report is an attempt to tarnish its reputation, and that it will take all necessary steps (including legal action) to address the allegations. Looks like KN will be back in court yet again, unless what they’re saying is true. There are three sides to every story, but so far we’ve only heard two.

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Rice export value dropped in 2015

– but production and exports soared DESPITE increased rice production and export last year, the value of exports was lower than in 2014, Head of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Nizam Hassan, told the Government Information Agency (GINA).

Hassan said the value was 11.48 per cent lower than what obtained in 2014; and for the period January to December 2015, the value of exports was US$220.85M compared to US$249.4M for 2014.

He attributed the lowering of the value exported to the price being paid. When Guyana exported to Venezuela, the price received from that country was US$760 per tonne of rice, but after the loss of that market, Guyana has had to settle for between US $340 and US $400 per tonne, Hassan explained.

Guyana last year exported rice to countries in North America, Latin America, West Africa, European Union and CARICOM. Of those exports, the Latin American countries accounted for the largest revenue generation, importing as

much as US$99.5M worth of paddy.

FINDING ADDITIONAL MARKETS The GRDB head said the agency and other stakeholders remain committed to finding additional markets for rice producers in countries across the region and further afield. He said that, for 2015, the export figure stood at 537,334 tonnes, as compared to 501,208 tonnes for 2014. This represents 7.21 per cent more than the total export figure for 2014.

Rice production last year surpassed that of the previous year, with paddy production standing at 1,058,129 tonnes, equivalent to 687,784 tonnes of rice.

Hassan told GINA that the figure represented 80,840 tonnes or 8.27 per cent more production of paddy than 2014.

Paddy produced in 2014 amounted to 977,289 tonnes, equivalent to 635,238 tonnes of rice.

RESEARCH Additionally, the GRDB is playing an integral role in

the research and experimentation of various types of rice, in order to boost production of stronger and resilient varieties. The strains of rice GRDB 12, GRDB 13 and GRDB 14 will continue to expand in acreage in 2016. Nineteen advanced breeding lines are currently being tested in advanced yield trials in four locations across the country.

These candidate varieties will be tested in farmers’ fields, and if found suitable, will be released, GINA said.

Sixty-five advanced breeding lines are currently being tested at the Research Station at Burma. Each season, over 4,000 breeding lines are studied by the team at the Research Station. As such, the GRDB will be implementing a proactive programme to manage ‘red rice’. Similarly, comprehensive studies will be done on the paddy bug menace and its management, aimed at reducing losses.

At least 500 varieties of paddy from international research institutes and centres are this year expected to be accessed.

Merriman Mall vending…

Find suitable spots for them, conform to the laws. says Granger must They must not leave debris IN WAKE of protest action from the booted Merriman Mall vendors, President David Granger has said that vendors must be provided with suitable spaces to operate, but the City Council must also be able to enforce the city by-laws.

Responding to a question posed by National Communications Network (NCN) journalist Onicka Jones during a televised recording of “The Public Interest”, the President said: “The City Council has responsibilities. It has bylaws and regulations. I have been advised that the Town Clerk actually had meetings with the vendors. Warnings were actually given months ago.”

It is understood that a change in location can affect the vendors’ livelihoods, so the President said the City Council must put arrangements in place to ensure that those displaced are given accommodation at appropriate locations to ply their trade.

“There is a large vending population in Georgetown, and we must accept that.

Some people prefer to buy from vendors, but vendors

and rubbish [scattered on the ground], and they must not go into prohibited areas. The City Council must provide areas for them, and they must abide by the municipality regulations,” the President said.

NON-ADHERENCE In an invited comment, Town Clerk Royston King said that City Council was forced to temporarily suspend vending in that section of the Merriman Mall between Cummings Street and Orange Walk because vendors were not adhering to guidelines in regard to waste disposal and other guidelines that had been communicated to them last November.

“We told them that their stalls should be made to a specific height, colour and size; that they should have appropriately covered receptacles to dispose of their garbage in an environmentally-friendly way; that they should not drop their waste into the North Road or Church Street canals; that they should not park their vehicles on that stretch…and the area should be left clean at the end of the day. That was not adhered to, and so, out of an abundance of concern, we

suspended vending so that we can clean the environment,” King said.

However, a temporary area on the Mall, between Cummings and Light Streets, has been identified for vendors to operate while the council evaluates their operations to ensure that it falls in line with city by-laws. The area where vending has been temporarily suspended will be cleaned, and based on the vendors’ adherence to guidelines, a decision will be made on whether they can return to that location.

King said, “They are providing a valuable service to the people, [for] which we are grateful. Also, they have a right to make a livelihood. …the intention is…to strike a balance between their rights to make a livelihood and our responsibility to deliver a clean and healthy environment….” During this time, King said, the council would fabricate the stalls and install receptacles and other facilities that would allow those vendors to ply their trade in a way that would not offend the aesthetics of the environment or compromise the health of the communities that are contiguous to that stretch.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

GTUC now on board with President over re-assignment of Ms Broomes

BY Ariana Gordon FOLLOWING its original position of disagreement, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) yesterday accepted the clarification provided by President David Granger on the reassignment of portfolios and responsibilities given to Minister Simona Broomes.

Ms Broomes is now Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, and she has responsibility for occupational safety and health as well as workers’ rights in the mining and forestry sectors.

She had served as Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection.

Former Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott, is now serving as Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, with responsibility for labour.

“Evidently, this means that industrial relations’ issues such as conditions of employment, trafficking in persons (TIP) and determining a way forward on disputes involving employers and workers fall within the minister’s (Broomes) remit in the identified sectors,” a statement from the GTUC said.

The GTUC had, last week, expressed shock at President Granger’s move to reassign Minister Broomes.

GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis described Broomes as one of the

hardest working ministers in government, and noted that there was never a complaint by anyone on Minister Broomes’s performance.

“Were our opinion sought, disagreement would have been expressed in the minister’s removal,” Lewis said in a letter to the editor.

The GTUC has since modified its previous position of disagreement, saying that given what was explained by President Granger, Minister Scott will be responsible for occupational safety and health, conditions of employment, TIP, and labour disputes outside of the mining and forestry sectors.

Given the nature of the work before the two reassigned ministers, the GTUC believes the ministers need to be “empowered with the requisite instruments” which give them authority to perform without having to be challenged in any form on their areas of authority.

While describing President Granger’s actions as “unique”, the GTUC said the responsibilities of the two ministers are to be guided by the ILO core labour standards and the laws of Guyana. These standards are: Freedom of Association, Collective Bargaining, Forced Labour, Child Labour, Equal Pay, and Discrimination.

TIME-HONOURED PRINCIPLES “GTUC takes this

opportunity to welcome Minister Scott to the Labour portfolio, and looks forward to meaningful engagement and consultations consistent with Articles 13 and 149C of the Guyana Constitution, relevant laws, conventions and charters impacting on workers’ well-being.”

The body stressed that “a stable industrial relations environment” is critical to development, and is founded on “respecting time-honoured principles, the rule of law, and workers/citizens’ rights. Industrial relations cannot be guided by gut feelings.”

“As such, we hold expectation that the hallmark for labour relations that has defined the Granger/Nagamootoo administration under Minister Broomes continues throughout Guyana,” the statement said.

The GTUC has since prepared letters to the two ministers with the hope of engagement them to discuss matters pertinent to the labour landscape, including outstanding grievances and disputes, notably the sixyear impasse between the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) and the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GW), collective bargaining and other socio-economic concerns.

Cops raze ganja farm at Ekereku, Region 7

THE Guyana Police Force says ranks in ‘F’ Division (Lethem and other Interior Locations) were on roving patrol yesterday when, at Ekereku, they stumbled upon an approximately one-acre field containing more than 1,000 suspected marijuana plants measuring between eight and

twelve inches in height.

The plants were destroyed, but no arrest was made.

Last year, police narcotics ranks were involved in several similar operations in the Berbice and Demerara River areas, as well as on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

They managed to destroy

more than 180,000 marijuana plants and close to 400,000 tonnes in harvested cannabis.

Narcotics ranks on patrol yesterday conducted a search on a man at Agatash, Bartica and unearthed an unlicensed .32 revolver.

The man has been charged and is shortly expected to appear in court.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

‘Better will come’

French yacht saga…

Authorities awaiting – New Housing Minister mooring of vessel – Consulate informed

The yacht, “Allegro”, that was discovered with the dead man and dog

THE Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), after venturing out 150 miles at sea, towed to Guyana’s shores the French-registered yacht “Allegro” which was discovered recently drifting with a dead man and a dog. The vessel was expected to arrive last evening.

MARAD Director-General, Claudette Rogers, told this publication that it is the agency’s responsibility to take corrective action, and when the vessel is eventually moored, contact will be made with the French

Consulate to determine the way forward, while local authorities fulfil their duties accordingly.

A joint operation consisting of the Guyana Defence Force Coastguard, MARAD, and the Guyana Police Force assisted in retrieving the boat, which was spotted Wednesday drifting off the shore of Guyana.

Reports disclosed that a tanker which was moving from Jamaica to Brazil observed the French-registered yacht drifting with the tide out at sea. A dead man and a dog were spotted inside the yacht. The captain of the

tanker sent a transmission which was picked up by the local coastguard which informed the relevant agencies.

The captain of the tanker informed the coastguard that they could not stop as they had to continue along their journey, but provided the coordinates of the yacht.

Using the information, the GDF Skyvan conducted a flyover to confirm the information, which they did.

The aircraft returned to the coast and a team from MARAD, the GDF and the GPF journeyed to the location via boat.

The operation will entail the securing of the body of the man and his dog, as well as ensuring that the vessel was brought to shore so that investigations can be conducted and the post-mortem performed on the body to determine the cause of death.

The local French Consulate has been informed of the development, and is also said to be monitoring the situation.

‘Dog Mouth’ jailed for indecent exposure BALRAM Singh, alias ‘Dog Mouth’, appeared yesterday before City Magistrate Alex Moore accused of indecently exposing himself, assaulting a woman and damaging property.

He was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to the

three charges.

The first charge said that on January 4 at Stabroek Access Road, he exposed himself and indecently assaulted one Gail McAlmont.

Additionally, he was charged with damaging, on January 5, one wooden door of the Bourda City Con-

stabulary Outpost, valued at $10,000, property of the Mayor and City Council.

Unrepresented by counsel, Singh was sentenced to two months on the damage to property charge, one month for indecent exposure, and two months for indecent assault.

Bail granted wounding accused ORIN Moore of Queen Street, South Cummingsburg was placed on bail after he made his appearance before Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty to answer a charge of unlawful and malicious wounding.

The charge read that

on December 20, 2015, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Alpha Fletchman.

The facts of the matter were not stated.

The matter remained indictable, since the Administration of Justice Act was not applied, and Moore was not allowed to plead.

This was done so as to allow the prosecutor to seek advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The defendant, however, was granted bail in the sum of $50,000 and is expected to return to court on January 28, 2016, for report.

THE newly-sworn in Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Adams-Patterson, is aiming for persons who have completed paying for their house lots to have their legal instrument three months after, without unnecessary delay.

Ms. Patterson has replaced Minister Keith Scott, who has been moved to the Ministry of Social Protection.

She shared this vision after taking the oath of office yesterday in front of President David Granger at the Ministry of Presidency.

Attending the ceremony were Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Minister Keith Scott, and her relatives.

The Minister, who is responsible for Housing, said she intends to shake up the Housing Department and make it better prepared to respond to the needs of Guyanese.

“I am promising the people of Guyana that better will come, and some of the objectives that we have and want to see become a reality will happen.

“My personal ambition is to see that when a member of the public applies for a house lot, once he has completed paying for the house lot in three months, he should have his legal instrument in his hand. I know it can happen and we will make it happen,” the new Minister explained.

The former CEO of the Linden Enterprise Network

(LEN) said that based on the confidence President Granger has placed in her, she would work even harder while pushing for houselot matters to be dealt with expeditiously.

Minister Patterson, Member of Parliament for Region 10, also said she intends to tackle the long backlog of house lot applications.

Meanwhile, President Granger noted that Ms. Patterson has considerable knowledge and experience in the area of administration and management, which was the driving force behind his decision to make her a minister within the government and a member of the cabinet.

The Head of State said the new minister’s special skills in dealing with various issues would greatly assist her new portfolio.

Newly sworn in Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Adams-Patterson, fourth left, is flanked by President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo along with other Cabinet colleagues and relatives

SASOD lauds President’s position on LGBT THE Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) has lauded the position of President David Granger, who recently expressed his support for freedom of choice by persons in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

Last Thursday, on his weekly televised show, “The Public Interest”, the President stated that he is prepared to respect the rights of any adult to indulge in any practice which is not harmful to others. The view was expressed after veteran journalist Nazima Raghubir questioned the position of the Head of State in relation to same-sex activities in Guyana.

Guyana at present is the only country in South America where homosexual acts are still illegal. Under the laws of Guyana, homosexual acts carry a possible punishment of life imprisonment.

“SASOD welcomes President Granger’s recognition that ‘respect for human rights should prevail’ on policy and

law reform issues related to LGBT issues in Guyana,” the organisation said through its Managing Director Joel Simpson.

However, Simpson noted that while President Granger’s statement is a step in the right direction, it must be pointed out that the comments do not put into action the May 2015 Elections Manifesto commitments of his six-party coalition. The promise was geared towards “putting measures in place to ensure that all vulnerable groups... and those marginalised because of sexual orientation are protected and not discriminated against.”

“INSIDIOUS LAWS” And according to Simpson, the most basic measure is repealing the “insidious laws” which criminalise same-sex intimacy and cross-dressing, and perpetuate institutionally anti-LGBT discrimination in society.

But despite these encouraging comments made by the Head of State, the SASOD

Director pointed to the fact that the issue has not been ventilated at the level of Cabinet, as was revealed by the President, and this translates to there being no timetable for the review of these laws which criminalise same sex-relations.

“SASOD is very disappointed that a clear commitment of the coalition government has not at least been discussed for implementation in the now more than seven months since the administration has taken office,” Simpson said.

He opined that it would take very simple amendments to repeal these laws that criminalise same-sex intimacy and cross-dressing, and these steps are not complicated ones.

To this end, Simpson, on behalf of SASOD, called on the coalition government to demonstrate that it has the political will to take leadership on LGBT issues. “Repealing these archaic laws is the first step towards respect for human rights of LGBT Guyanese,” he said, adding that “our communities want real action in 2016, not mere rhetoric.” (Ravin Singh)

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

Ex-murder accused killed

Dead: Berbice businessman Patrick Mohabir

A BELVEDERE, Corentyne businessman was gunned down late Wednesday evening at his home in what is believed to be a hit.

Dead is 42-year-old Patrick Mohabir who operates a supermarket at the bottom flat of his Lot 9 Belvedere Village, Corentyne, premises.

He succumbed to his injuries at the Anamayah Memorial Hospital at Belvedere, Corentyne.

The man’s distraught wife, Shabeena Ahamad, told the Guyana Chronicle she believes that her husband was the target, since his assailants entered and fired a single shot in his direction, which caught him in the left foot, and also inflicted a chop to his shoulder.

They then left immediately, after taking with them two cellular phones that were being charged in the bedroom.

The house in which Corentyne businessman Patrick Mohabir was shot

Ahamad said she offered the men money and anything they needed so that they would not hurt her family, but during the five-minute ordeal, the men said nothing. At the time of the incident, the couple was at home with four of their six children.

Mohabir’s wife said the men were slimly built, masked, and armed with a gun and cutlass. They gained access into the house through a window on the right side of the building, but escaped through the back door.

She said that after securing their business, they retired upstairs for the night at about 23:30 hrs. She said she was awakened by her husband, who asked her to check on the children in the living room, as he thought they were still up and playing. “I got up to check what the noise was about,” Ahamad said, “but as soon as I open the bedroom

door, two men were standing in front of me.”

She said she pleaded with them to take whatever they wanted, and offered them money. At that point, her husband also got up, Ahamad said, after realising what was happening.

It was while struggling with the man with the gun that he was shot, while the one with the cutlass dealt him a chop to his body.

Ahamad said that while the men were on their way out, she managed to pull the mask off one of them, but he bent his head and quickly escaped through the back door.

She immediately called the police, who arrived promptly, but the men had already made their escape.

When this publication arrived at the scene, family, friends and customers were gathered at the home of the businessman and his family

to express their sympathy, while others were assisting to clean the blood-stained bedroom and blood trail from the bedroom to the entrance of the front gate in the lower flat. Many expressed shock and disbelief over the tragic incident.

Ahamad described her husband as a “caring father” who had no issues with anyone. She said they have been operating the business, Shabeena and Sons Supermarket, for over three years.

Mohabir and several others had once been charged and remanded to prison over the murder of an ex-police officer. This publication was told that Mohabir was committed in the Magistrate’s Court and was on remand for close to five years, but he was later acquitted of the charge.

The police are investigating Wednesday night’s killing.

Broomes says:

No conflict of interest serving as Natural Resources Minister NEWLY appointed Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, has dispelled the notion that there is a

conflict of interest existing, due to the fact that she is now responsible for overseeing natural resources operations in Guyana

while having a contractual agreement with a mining company.

The minister expressed this sentiment on Wednesday at a press conference.

Minister Broomes currently has an agreement with the Australian mining company Troy Resources, which is the parent company of Pharsalus. According to Demerara Waves Online News, a Troy Resources document seen by the news outfit states that the company has the option of acquiring a 100 percent interest in three medium-scale prospecting permits in keeping with an agreement signed in June, 2012. Broomes owns the three mining properties located in the Issano area.

Demerara Waves also Turn to centre

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

Give us cellphones and higher stipends – Region 10 councillors demand REGION 10 Regional Democratic Councillors continue to agitate for increased stipends and the provision of a cell phone.

The councillors made their concerns known to Regional Chairman Renis Morian at yesterday’s statutory meeting, where they reiterated that this promise must be fulfilled in 2016.

Those councilors currently receive $10,000 per month to facilitate their duties in serving the region. This, according to councillor Charles Sampson, is inadequate and should be increased.

In addition, the councillors are requesting cell phones, as they deem this a necessity in carrying out their duties. “It’s about time we get the cell phones, because monies have been passed for it and to date we cannot receive it,” argued Councillor Sampson.

Region 10 Chairman, Renis Morian

In pleading with Chairman Renis Morian, councillors reminded him of his role as mediator between them and the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkhan, to have these issues expedited.

“Mr. Chairman, you are the man to make representation for us, and you should make sure that, as your councillors, we should be treated better,” Sampson urged.

Responding, Morian asked the councillors to be patient, noting that local government election was imminent. He reminded them: “We are currently in waiting on the (holding of) local government elections, and at the conclusion of this process, these matters will be addressed.”

Morian also articulated that no other region had made such requests of government, especially for cell phones; and though he has engaged the Minister of Communities on the issue, he has been notified that the Office of the President needs to give clearance before such requests are met.

Money should not be a yardstick, said Councillor Sandra Adams, who is also Deputy Chairperson for the Community Development Council. She urged the councillors not to use their

stipend as a yardstick to measure how much service they would give to Region 10.

She told them to recognise what it takes to be a councillor, and said they had not been forced to place their names on the list, but rather, they willingly took up the challenge during the campaign trail.

“No matter how much money you receive, you knew what you were getting into and you made a conscious agreement to serve the people; and therefore you should not look at your stipend at this time to decide what you will do as a councillor,” Adams charged.

The councillors, however, remained firm in their resolve not to give voluntary service, and they said they should be treated better.

Councillor George Callender said that ministers and Members of Parliament received salary increases after mere months of serving the people, and Region 10 councillors’ meagre stipend of $10,000 has not been increased in over a decade.

Region 10 councillors also compared their stipends to those of toshaos and councillors of hinterland villages, whose job description is similar but who receive more money.

“For the councillors who are working, this may not be important to them, but for us who look forward to this $10,000 because that is our only means of income and we have monthly expenses, we need an increase,” declared Councillor Callender.

The Regional Chairman made it clear that he was not in disagreement with the request, and has made representation on the issue. He said he is urging councillors to be more proactive in their service to the region, as it would be counterproductive if they were to be remunerated for incompetent service.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

Poison control centres to be established countrywide

THE Ministry of Public Health (MPH) is seeking to establish poison control centres in various areas across the country, in an effort to reduce the number of suicide cases and monitor poisonous or hazardous substances.

Speaking to members of

the media at an MPH endof-year press conference last week, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Shamdeo Persaud disclosed that the MPH is currently in the process of identifying locations to establish facilities in Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo.

“We are seeking to de-

velop these centres across the country to not only monitor the substances coming into the country, but also to help persons who come into contact with them. A system will be (put) in place so that they (would not) only receive help physically, but can be guided via telephone

in order to deal with such an incident,” said the CMO, while highlighting that these centres are to be established and become operational by mid-2016.

ANTIDOTES Further, importers of these substances will be required to provide the various antidotes to the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board, which will be partnering with the poison control centres. The antidotes can then be duplicated and distributed to the various centres.

Funding for the undertaking will come from the

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shamdeo Persaud

Pesticides Control Board and will include procurement of the communication equipment and other necessary items, and training for rele-

vant operators.

A poison control centre is a medical facility that is able to immediately provide free expert treatment, and advice and assistance over the telephone, in case of persons being exposed to poisonous or hazardous substances.

Considering Guyana’s high rate of suicide, the CMO explained, the operations of such centres across the country could help curb such incidents, or at least reduce the number of successful suicides by immediately providing life-saving information for suicide attempts.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

Venezuela court blocks 2/3 victory of a defiant opposition

By Maria Isabel Sanchez, AFP CARACAS, Venezuela-Venezuela’s highest court on Wednesday effectively blocked the two-thirds majority that the opposition won in this month’s landmark legislative elections by suspending the inauguration of three incoming lawmakers.

The country’s opposition, however, defiantly insisted its legislators will all present themselves to be sworn in on Jan. 5, setting the stage for a tense political standoff.

“With the strength of the Constitution, with the strength of the law, and the strength of the people, the 112 MUD lawmakers will be sworn in,” the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition declared in a statement.

That statement was released shortly after the Supreme Court of Justice granted a request from embattled President Nicolas Maduro’s party to stop the three incoming National Assembly members from taking office on Tuesday, pending a legal challenge against alleged vote irregularities.

The decision leaves the opposition with a still-powerful three-fifths majority, enabling it to remove cabinet ministers from their posts, among other powers.

But it removes, at least temporarily, some powers Maduro’s opponents would have had, including the ability to put legislation to a referendum and to call an assembly to draft a new constitution.

Observers have speculated that the opposition could have used those powers to seek to force Maduro from power before the end of his term in 2019.

The opposition won 112 of 167 seats in the Dec. 6 elections, a dramatic blow to Maduro and to the “revolution” launched in 1999 by his late predecessor Hugo Chavez. Maduro’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) has filed court challenges contesting the election of nine lawmakers.

The court did not grant the

MERCOSUR. “THE PEOPLE’S WILL” Political analysts warn of a tough political struggle ahead for oil-rich but deeply troubled Venezuela, which is mired in recession and is facing a potentially chaotic period of divided government. Maduro alleged on

Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela

ruling party’s petitions to suspend the inauguration of the other six lawmakers.

One PSUV lawmaker from Amazonas also had his inauguration suspended, as the suit challenges the vote for the entire state.

The court must now hear arguments in the case, for which there is no timetable.

If it rules the elections were fraudulent, they will have to be held again in the districts involved.

Before the court’s decision, the opposition had denounced the PSUV’s court challenge as a “judicial coup” and had asked the international community to stop it.

In an open letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Kimoon and senior international officials, the MUD condemned the legal threat to its two-thirds majority.

“The country, the region and the world are facing a procedural coup attempt against the Venezuelan people’s decision,” MUD executive secretary Jesus Torrealba wrote.

“The ruling party’s irresponsible behaviour is pushing the entire country to the brink of disaster, which would have grave consequences for the entire region.”

The letter was also addressed to European Union foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, and senior officials of the Organization of American States, the Union of South American Nations, and regional bloc

Tuesday that the vote was marred by fraud.

“Criminals were buying votes…. There was a plan,” he said on state TV, adding that authorities were investigating. The Supreme Court of Justice is itself at the centre of a political firestorm, after the PSUV last week used an extraordinary ses-

sion in the final days of its legislative majority to name 13 new judges and 21 substitute judges to the 32-member court. The opposition, which boycotted the session, condemned the move.

On Wednesday, the nine opposition politicians targeted in the court challenge responded by filing a motion,

demanding the judges in the case recuse themselves because of their alleged ties to the PSUV. “We hold the president responsible for whatever happens if (the PSUV) continues with its plan to ignore the people’s will,” said Simon Calzadilla, one of the nine. (AFP)

SUICIDE WATCH 16

PARENTS, guardians, teachers and church leaders need to be more sensitive and understanding of emotional matters affecting young people, in order to reduce the country’s high suicide rate.

So said President David Granger following discovery of the bodies of 14-year-old Sherryanne Alli and 21-year-old Deoraj Persaud hanging from a house at Lonsdale, East Bank Berbice.

As a result of the country’s latest suicide, the President convened an emergency meeting with Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton; Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence; Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally; Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Karen Cummings; Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe; and Minister within the Ministry of Com-

munities, Dawn Hastings, at the Ministry of the Presidency to address the issue.

The President believes much more needs to be done to address the scourge of suicide. He said he is deeply concerned that the country’s suicide rate is higher than other countries’.

PLAN OF ACTION A plan of action that will see non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious organisations and

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

…

other civil society organisations working together with government on a centralised approach to suicide prevention was discussed and will soon be implemented.

A statement from the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday said the President is looking to implement a national programme that will have measurable outcomes.

“During the meeting, the President was also updated on the implementation of

President David Granger in discussions yesterday with Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Low Hastings, at the Minis

From L-R: Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally; Minis President David Granger; Minister within the Ministry o Dr. George Norton, and Minister within the Ministry of In emergency meeting o

No conflict of interest reported that so far, she has been paid US$40,000 on the signing of the agreement, and two more payments of US$40,000 each.

However, the minister is contending that she does not see her appointment to that ministry as a conflict of interest. “I don’t see it as a conflict of interest. I have three mining properties in the Issano area and Pharsalus and I had a contract gone back years, and if they are to mine the area, it is simple, we come back to the table; if I am to get a percentage or if they are going to buy me out, then that is simple.

I don’t see any conflict of interest there and that is very straightforward” she said.

Quizzed on whether she had informed the President, who made the appointment, about her involvement in

the mining sector, Minister Broomes related that “there is no secret between the President and me.”

However, President Granger earlier in the day had revealed that he was unaware of Broomes’s involvement in the mining sector. “I am not aware of her involvement in Troy Resources. I knew that she has a mining background and we felt that that would be an asset because of what she is likely to be involved in at the Ministry of Natural Resources, which would be the protection of our working people,” the Head of State said.

Reassuring that there isn’t, and would not be any conflict of interest arising, due to the existing circumstances, Senior Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman told reporters at the press confer-

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

…President convenes emergency meeting to tackle suicide scourge

h Health Minister, Dr. George Norton; Minister within the we; and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn stry of the Presidency

Guyana’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy, launched by the Ministry of Public Health last September with a view to ramping up government’s response to the ongoing problem,” the Ministry of the Presidency stated.

The President told journalists on the weekly televised recording of ‘The Public Interest’ that much more needs to be done to fight the scourge of suicide, and he intends to bring together international and civil society organisations to ensure that all of the factors related to suicide are identified and addressed.

“I am concerned, as President, that Guyana has a higher rate of suicide than other countries. It is not as though there is an average around the world and we are just average. We are above average, and that is disturbing,” President Granger said.

IN THE HOME He issued a call to parents, guardians, teachers and church leaders to be more sensitive and understanding of the emotional matters that affect young people. He said, “The church needs to be more careful; the home needs to be more careful; peers need to be more careful. It is a delicate period, but the state cannot bear the full burden of counselling. The home is where these matters should be resolved.”

President Granger said

ster within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings; of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings; Health Minister ndigenous People’s Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, at the on suicide prevention

t serving... ence yesterday that if there are potential areas of conflict of interest due to Broomes’s involvement, he would assume the responsibility of dealing with those issues.

“In the event that there is a perception or perceived or likelihood of a conflict in anything that the minister is dealing with, I will take

From page 12

over and ensure that she is insulated and kept at arm’s length from that,” Trotman said. Minister Broomes is responsible for overseeing Occupational Safety and Health, protection of workers’ rights in the forestry and mining sectors and the compliance with the various laws.

his administration intends to do all that is possible to reduce suicide. He noted that the circumstances and conditions under which people live need to be examined to understand the underlying factors responsible for Guyana’s high suicide rate.

SEARCH FOR CURES “I intend to find out why we have so many suicides, and, once we identify those factors, try to use governmental action and try to get the efforts of civil society and households to put this scourge to an

end. We are above normal, and I want to find out if it’s social, if it’s cultural, or if it’s economic; and (I want to) bring an end to it… “We know what the disease is, let’s find out what the cures are,” President Granger said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

Digicel Business achieves CISCO Gold Certification

DIGICEL Business, the Region’s leading business solutions provider, has announced that it has retained the Cisco Gold Certification as well as the Master Cloud Managed Services Provider designation for its operations across the Caribbean.

These are the highest levels of partner certifications from Cisco.

“We are thrilled to have retained these certifications, which make Digicel the most certified telecoms partner in the Caribbean and speak to the credibility and competence of our team of over

140 highly trained ICT experts across the Caribbean,” said Martin Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of Digicel Business.

Carroll explained: “This is very important to us and our customers. Delivering to our customers scalable, innovative, and reliable solu-

tions which will help them to drive efficiency and increase their bottom line will form a huge part of our focus at Digicel. However, the other equally important aspect for us is to provide them with a world-class support system, and this is what we’ve been able to do using

Cisco’s customer satisfaction best practices and marketing support.”

To earn Gold Certification, Digicel Business – in its operations across the Caribbean – has once again succeeded in meeting the rigorous standards set by Cisco in terms of networking competency, service, support, and customer satisfaction.

As a Cisco Gold Certified Partner, Digicel Business has met the requirements for attaining the broadest range of expertise across multiple technologies, by achieving Cisco advanced specialisations in the areas of enterprise networks architecture, security architecture, collaboration architecture, data centre architecture, and service provider architecture.

In addition, Digicel Business has integrated Cisco Hybrid IT, the resale of Cloud and Managed Services, into its offerings, which ensures high customer satisfaction in collaboration with Cisco.

The Master designation to provide Cisco-powered Cloud and Managed Services adds to Digicel’s extended range of over 640 accreditations, further cementing its commitment to helping its customers to increase efficiency and maximise profits.

“More and more companies – especially MSMEs - are seeing the benefits of outsourcing their day-to-day IT management and computer support, and that is where Digicel Business comes in.

By delivering end-to-end Managed Services - which include provisioning, management, and maintenance of the products and services offered -- together with Cisco and backed by our Tier III certified data centre, customers can now focus their capital on building their core

business, rather than investing in IT assets,” Carroll added.

The Cloud Master Service Provider designation also recognises Digicel Business’s investment and commitment to providing Cloud and Managed Services at Cisco’s highest standards.

The shared goal is to help businesses and organisations realise faster time to value.

These certifications will see Cisco continuing to provide Digicel Business with access to comprehensive sales, technical and life-cycle services training, and support for its customers.

The Digicel Group is a total communications and entertainment provider, with operations in 33 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific.

After more than 14 years of operation, total investment to date stands at over US$5 billion worldwide. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service, and best networks.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies Cricket Team, and is also the title sponsor of the Caribbean Premier League.

In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams, and also sponsors the Vanuatu Cricket Team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets, and has set up Digicel Foundations in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, and Trinidad and Tobago.

These focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Against the grain...

Suicide, sadness and insensitivity

By Akola Thompson I LIKE to consider myself someone who is willing to talk about anything.

Whether I agree with it or not, I believe conversations should be had. One thing I have always shied away from, however, is suicide.

I have never had someone close to me commit the act, so I never thought it was my place to air any view on the subject.

I would listen and remain silent to the insensitivity, sadness and often even anger in cases of suicide, because, ‘Who am I to comment on something that even I do not understand?’

Not often, but every once in a while, someone comes to me for solutions to problems they might have. I sometimes joke and tell them, “Hey, that psychology thing is just a minor,” but for some reason, they trust a 19-year-old with a slight energy drink addiction to make decisions for them. Of course, I feel bad, because, ‘Who am I to not make decisions when decisions are needed? Who am I to tell them that instead of solutions, what I have are

stories; stories that will hopefully cause one not to only think, but to feel?’

I grew up in Berbice, the County that is most famous for its suicide rate, and so, I grew up believing that suicide was a ‘Indian thing’, because the reality of the situation was that these are the persons who most often end their lives.

Of course, being a child who sought answers for everything, I quickly learnt that suicide is not decided by ethnicity, creed or affluence, even if these things may have a hand to play in the larger scheme of things; that the real problem is depression.

WARNING SIGNS Three years ago, I was living alone, and being someone who enjoys solitude, I did not notice the first warning signs of depression. But then again, who really notices the first signs? At the time, I was still in high school, as I had been kept back two grades due to migratory patterns and a pregnancy.

After one term, I dropped out of school, and while at the time I gave the excuse of being too smart for the

teachers, which was not far from the truth, mostly it was because socialising took too much energy out of me; energy I believed I needed to save.

I was having what I would like to call several mini-existential crises, and many days, I would sleep until my body simply refused to rest anymore, because less time awake meant less time to think; and less time to think silenced at least a few of the fleeting thoughts of suicide.

While this cosmic lone-

liness and feelings of inadequacy had cloaked me and threatened to remain unshaken, no one noticed, because I never let anyone see behind that stoic veil. It

can or should go out became increasingly frequent. While I’ve never tried, I have killed myself hundreds of times in my mind, and, of course, that is how it always begins.

was not until I stopped hiding behind that mask of joviality and contentment did it dawn on me that that is what most people whose suicides take us by surprise do: They hide.

Things went further downhill for awhile, and all that was sought were distractions. But even these distractions became too taxing, and thoughts on ways of how I

SOUGHT HELP In one state of lucid unselfishness, I knew that could not be the end of my story;not when I still had so many others to write. So what I did was I sought help.

I sought help because I did not want to be one of the dozens of young victims of suicide that are never heard of in Guyana, because the act in itself is so very common, I did not want to be a statistic.

Those thoughts did not go away overnight, but they did become significantly infrequent. And while my experience with depression is not something I have broadcasted, it is definitely not something I am ashamed of. What is shameful is that despite Guyana having one of the highest suicide rates in the world, to my knowledge, there is only one suicide hotline which was put in place by the Guyana Police Force in August of last year.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no suicide prevention centre. I may be wrong, and there may be more, but, ‘How many of these are government funded? And how many of these are actually known?’

But these things are needed, especially in a country such as ours, where stigma is still attached to mental health, and where young people now coming into their own feel as if there is no one with whom they can speak.

These things are needed, because they need to understand that despite their current situation, they can always rebound. Even from the deepest, darkest wells of self-loathing, one can always rebound.

As a writer, I have been conditioned to hate clichés, so while I flinch a bit to write this, people, I think, especially teenagers, need to realise that it is okay to not be okay. While one may think everything is bad, often, those bad patches remain just a sentence in a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien books. And, lets be honest here, those things are really long.

Chris Gayle to sue

CHRIS Gayle has said he will sue Fairfax Media for defamation after it published allegations he exposed himself to a woman while in Sydney to train for the 2015 Cricket World Cup. The 36-year-old West Indies player issued a statement yesterday saying he had retained media lawyer Mark O’Brien, and would “immediately commence defamation proceedings against Fairfax Media.”

“Cricketer Chris Gayle has strongly denied allegations, first published by Fairfax Media, that he indecently exposed himself to a woman during last year’s World Cup in Sydney,” the statement said.

“Despite such denial, Fairfax Media continues to publish the false and defamatory allegations, which have received widespread re-publication in media throughout the world.”

The allegations, first published on Wednesday, were made by an Australian woman who was working around the players. She said that she went into the team’s dressing room to get a sandwich after she thought the team had left and found Gayle, who allegedly partially exposed his genitals and asked, “Are you looking for this?”

The allegation has reportedly damaged the chances that Gayle will return to play in the Big-Bash League.

It followed the Melbourne Renegades decision to fine Gayle $10,000 for comments he made to female sports journalist, Mel McLaughlin in a live pitchside interview during Monday’s Big- Bash League game between Gayle’s Renegades and the Hobart Hurricanes.

Gayle told McLaughlin she had beautiful eyes, and asked her out for a drink. When McLaughlin, who appeared uncomfortable, returned to a question about the match, he said: “Don’t blush, baby.”

He later apologised for any offence caused to McLaughlin, saying it was “A simple joke”.

“There wasn’t anything meant to be disrespectful or offensive to Mel. If she felt that way, I’m really sorry for that,” he said.

McLaughlin told Channel 10’s The Project that she accepted his public apology, saying: “I just Big-Bash incident want to move on.”

The Renegades chief executive, Stuart Coventry, described the timing of the woman’s allegations as “opportunistic”, sparking criticism from his employer,Cricket Victoria. Its boss, Tony Donemaide, Cricket Victoria and Melbourne Renegades will both be subject to mandatory quotas of said: “We certainly don’t condone the reported comments attributed to Stuart this morning, and we’re 40% women on their governing boards, if the Victorian government accepts a parliamentary looking into it further.

“Cricket Victoria are committed to demonstrating that our sport respects girls and women, and committee’s recommendation to improve gender equality in sport.

Fairfax Media declined to comment. (theguardian.com) were working incredibly hard to ensure that is the case.”

20

Making moves with ‘Music Unlimited!’

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Christian, left, and Jeremy

‘Music Unlimited’

‘

MUSIC Unlimited’, officially launched in November 2012, was founded by the Sobers brothers, Christian and Jeremy, who were both budding professional musicians at the time in guitar and piano respectively.

Both had a passion for sharing their musical knowledge with others, and what started as music tutoring for

friends and family, was soon officially established as a Music School in 2012.

‘Music Unlimited’ is a music institution that has blossomed to now offer courses in Music Theory, Guitar, Piano, Bass, Vocals and Drums, which are also available Online.

The school is located at 89 Brickdam, inside the building that houses the Berea Roy-

al College, just opposite the Palms and right next door to ‘The Impeccable’.

Tutoring is available Mondays and Wednesdays from 16:00 to 20:00hrs, and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 16:00hrs.

It can also be done in the privacy of one’s home, once you ask them to, in that they can come to you if you cannot get to them. They also enrol students from age five, which is the age of their youngest “playing” student presently, right up to 50 and over.

In addition to the school, ‘Music Unlimited’ retails music equipment and accessories, from sound systems to parts and electronics.

Its certified programmes are developed, utilising numerous music tutoring syllabi from established music institutes, with among trained staff of tutors being Akilla Whitney and Jeremy Sobers (Piano & Theory); Shawn English (Vocals); Daniel Prowell (Drums); and Anastacia Shako (Guitar).

Through modified exercises, theory bases, videos

and games, as well as many JAM sessions, students are able to learn and retain principles faster. They have also performed internationally in such places as the Surinamese capital, Paramaribo, and represented Guyana in New York City for the One Billion Rising Event hosted in February 2015.

In November, they celebrated their third anniversary under the theme, “November to Remember”, while in December, they hosted two closing events for the year, namely: Final Jam (a huge jam session with over 50 musicians, singers and students), and a graduating ceremony for 12 vocal lab students and 40 music students.

They also had two each passes with distinction and merit at the recent ABRSM (Royal School of Music) from the November 2015 exam.

The Buzz sat down and got an exclusive interview with the two talented brothers behind the successes.

BUZZ: How old are you guys?

CHRISTIAN: I’m 22; I was born in 1993.

JEREMY: I’m 21, born one year after Christian in 1994.

BUZZ: Where did you guys grow up?

CHRISTIAN: We were born in Georgetown; moved around from Eccles to South to Central Georgetown to Diamond, where we currently live.

BUZZ: What schools did

you guys attend?

JEREMY: I attended the New Guyana School, from Nursery to Secondary. I was an excellent student. After that, I attended School of the Nations sixth form college, and I am currently a student at the University of Guyana.

CHRISTIAN: I attended the New Guyana School, from Nursery to Secondary, and Queen’s and School of the Nations for Sixth Form. I’m currently studying music via the Royal School of Music in London.

BUZZ: What inspired you to get involved in music?

CHRISTIAN: My childhood was extremely music-oriented. My father (Sean Sobers) is a well-known singer, and I was always meeting his musician friends and all these other famous singers at a young age.

This started the musical interest.

JEREMY: Just like Christian said, it was really from being around our dad and his friends from a young age.

BUZZ: When did you start playing music?

CHRISTIAN: I’m initially a self-taught musician. Later in my career, I began formal classes, and now I study via the Royal School of Music. I started playing guitar when I was 16, and was very terrible at first. Then I started research-

ing material Online and in the library, and I gradually got better, to a point where I started a band with friends.

JEREMY: I’m also selftaught; never took formal classes. At the age of nine, I found a keyboard in my house and started playing; played around with four chords for a month, then I stopped. It was not until I was 15 that I started playing again seriously.

BUZZ: Do you guys have any hobbies?

JEREMY: I like to read, and I also enjoy writing poetry and dancing hip-hop. As a musician, I play four instruments: Piano, guitar, bass guitar and drums. My favourite is probably piano; I guess I have a greater connection with that instrument.

BUZZ: Now for the million-dollar question: Do you guys have girlfriends, and if ‘yes’, what are their names?

JEREMY: Ha! Yeah, I do. And she’s an amazing girl, and she keeps me grounded all the time. Her name’s Nikkita Chetram, and having her makes it easy to keep things balanced. You could just chill and take some time off from the stress of the music and producing and recording.

CHRISTIAN: Do I have to say? That really puts me on the spot, but... Yeah; I do. Her name is Keishann, and she is honestly the one person I have a sense of home with. In our industry, it means a lot to have that one person always on your side, and who can hold you down and keep you safe from the groupies... LOL! BUZZ: What can Guyana expect from you in 2016?

CHRISTIAN: We’re gonna amaze Guyana with what we have in store for them... So let them watch out! And don’t sleep on us!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Artiste of the Week...

Living like Leeanna TWENTY-six-year-old Leeanna Naomi Allen of Kross Kolor Records is the Buzz’ artiste of the week.

Leeanna has been singing since the age of 16, but got her first production break in 2015 with the album, “Labeled Loved”.

The album features 12 songs from the singer, who, though a Christian, finds that the songs do not fit the traditional mold of what we define as gospel.

Initially a poet, who has done a lot of spoken word pieces, Leeanna recalls the move that made her transition into music. She initially started writing music out of necessity, but has since continued to flow and navigate her musical path.

She would rather be tucked away in a corner with her earphones and a notepad and pencil than be on stage performing for an audience.

Aside from the world of music, Leeanna has a degree in Economics from the University of Guyana (UG), and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of the West Indies (UWI).

She says that she has done things at a faster pace and really early with regards to her academic life. However, this faster pace is not limited to academics, seeing that the “new kid on the bloc” has been married five years now, and already has a two-yearold child.

Asked how she came to be

Leeanne Allen

married so young, Leeanna said that at 22, she already knew who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and the connection she had with him made it even easier. Leeanna is a volunteer with the Youth Corps Guyana, and in five years sees herself being a full-time musician and full time spoken word poet.

She is currently in production with Kross Kolor Records to produce a spoken word album.

Leeanna is a splendid individual with big plans for the future and slowing down, since, at 26, she has already jumped the biggest hurdles in life.

Buzz Beauty of the Week...

The Lovely Lisa Smith

THIS week’s Buzz Beauty is none other than the lovely Lisa Aniela Smith.

This 20-year-old is a student of the University of Guyana, where she is studying tourism and plans on picking up journalism within the tourism sector upon graduating.

Lisa says she enjoys the simple pleasures of life such as sunsets, swimming, camping and fishing, along with any other outdoor activity she could possibly do.

She was born in Georgetown, but was raised by her family on the Essequibo Coast, which helped foster her love for the outdoors and countryside where she spends most of her holidays.

She said she can be often found at a bush cook, or in a canoe or even climbing trees when her friends come to visit. Her hobbies include paint-

Lisa Smith ing and photography, having picked up the former at the age of 15. She attributes her patience and love for art and self-expression to the painting. Lisa’s mantra happens to be two-fold, with the first being, “Knowledge is

the gift which never fades”, meaning that once you have knowledge of something it will always stay with you, and giving the gift of knowledge is the best gift one can receive. She showed she does have a sense of humour by adding, “Unless the person develops a serious case of amnesia.”

The second of the two is something she reminds herself of every day: “Beauty is superficial; education is forever”.

For her, it means that beauty is fleeting, and can go at any moment, and that using it solely to get ahead in life leads you nowhere.

She would like to encourage young women like herself to grab as much education and knowledge as they can, since, when coupled with beauty, the world can be their oyster.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

‘Old Year’s Nite 2015’ in photos At the Pegasus...

OLD Year’s Night is typically a night to spend ringing in the new year in style, if not in church, and the final night of 2015 was no different. With heavy-hitters the likes of Gravity, Pegasus, Palm Court and 704 Lounge playing host to loads of events, last Old Year’s Night was one to remember.

Gravity Lounge...

At 704...

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, January 8, 2016

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Yesterday’s Results

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Leyland Leacock, Nicola Ramdyhan - GLTA 2015 Male and Female Player-of-the-Year

… 2015 Award Ceremony ushers in a new dawn for tennis AFFILIATE partners of the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA), sponsors and parents gathered for the announcement of the prestigious 2015 Player-ofthe-Year awards.

All except coach Leyland Leacock were not surprised that he would cop the top award of Senior Male-of-the-Year with 600 points while dethroning Anthony Downes who won the award several times in succession in recent years.

Leacock edged out a close encounter with Daniel Lopes who came in second with 560 points with Downes trailing third with 540 points.

Young Nicola Ramdyhan for the second time was awarded Senior Female-ofthe-Year with 630 points to finish the year ahead Aretta

Dey (570) and Afruica Gentle with 410 points respectively.

The awards are donated annually by Dr Arthur Ingram Hazlewood, an overseas-based Guyanese who is an avid tennis fan and prominent dental consultant who also provides financial support to the Association each year.

Lopes claimed the award of Junior Maleo f - t h e - Ye a r w i t h 6 3 0 points but not without the close encounter against Keenan Persaud with 613 points. Heimraj Resaul came in third with 504 points.

The Junior Female-ofthe-Year End Champion was once again captured by Nicola Ramdyhan who amassed a whopping 840 points holding off Aretta Dey with 805 points. The young and potent Shivani Persaud also racked up an impressive 567 points.

A special award for Most Improved Player was given to the promising 12-yearold Joshua Kalekyezi, who only a year ago was playing Green Ball categories before being thrown into the

Yellow Ball category where he immediately took on the challenges and made obvious commitments towards

A short presentation titled ‘The Climb’ was made by the most recent tennis scholar Gavin Lewis, who left Guy-

Leyland Leacock

Nicola Ramdyhan

excelling. This award was donated by Norris McLean, who is also an overseas-based Guyanese tennis player and enthusiast.

The GLTA presented an Appreciation Award to Bounty Farm Ltd for their unwavering commitment each year to the association to assist with fundraising. Chief Accountant Garfield Wiltshire received the award on behalf of the company.

ana’s shores in January 2015 to pursue studies in Criminal Law and Psychology and play college tennis at the Coppin State University in Maryland.

President of GLTA, Grace McCalman, expressed her optimism about tennis in Guyana even as she winds down her tenure and sees the latter half of 2015 as a historic juncture that signals a new dawn for tennis in the nation.

The association is spending much effort to foster better relations by developing policies and procedures to alleviate the inconsistencies of information transferred among members, clubs, parents and coaches.

An enhanced ranking system which is easier to understand was established and used to determine the overall winners.

She revealed that there were discussions with Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and the Department of Sport to tackle the two critical and basic factors of tennis development which are proper infrastructure and development programmes that expand tennis beyond Georgetown.

High on the Association’s agenda this year are working to implement the strategic plan for tennis in primary schools, refurbishment of the National Park courts and embarking on the development of the National Racquet Centre as a proper multi-complex facility that incorporates lawn tennis, table tennis, squash

and badminton while making optimal use of the space available. This would have the potential to serve as an international hub for Caribbean region.

She appealed to all coaches to put egos aside and work together and learn from each other so as to make coaches’ workshops work and be productive.

President of the Guyana Olympic Association, Mr. K. Juman-Yassin advised that sporting associations must get on board with Dr Rupert Roopnaraine’s vision for sport in Guyana.

Trevor Williams, who represented the Department of Sport, received applause from the audience as he proposed that sportspersons should not pay airport tax.

They should be recognised for the hard work that goes into preparation and upon return these persons should be welcomed by the media no matter the results posted.

He reiterated Government’s position to use lawn tennis and table tennis as pilots and to give full support to their undertakings.

GTTA welcomes reintroduction of tennis in schools

By Stephan Sookram THE Guyana Table Tenn i s A s s o c i a t i o n ( G TA ) welcomes the move by the National Sport Commission (NSC) to reintroduce the sport of table tennis in schools across the country.

President of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe, contended that the move is pivotal in ensuring that the sport develops.

“What we have done is to craft a project that seeks to re-introduce table tennis in a formal way into the schools system, basically targeting six GTU (Guyana Teachers Union) districts; so if we look at the National schools championship and we know those districts; there are different districts in different geographic areas.”

Munroe stated that the pilot project will see the fulltime employment of coaches to work with various schools from the grassroots level.

“Basically the project seeks to hire a coach, who will work on a residential

Flashback! Director of Sport Chris Jones hands over a table tennis board to the students of the Lodge Secondary School, in September, 2015. basis with the schools and the initial pilot will look at about fifty schools across Guyana.

We want to target students from 6 to 13 years old, basically, because we feel, given the global situation, that will allow us to nurture the talent at an early age with the right technical and tactical elements

of the game which will provide a feeding system for us,” contended the GTTA head.

According to the GTTA, the introduction of the sport in the school system will not only provide a large pool of players but also promote a more health-conscious society.

Munroe pointed out that

the “objective eventually is to introduce lifelong skills in terms of developing healthy lifestyle among other things as well as to, establish a schools team so at the different age group categories, each school would have teams at 11, 13 15 based on if it’s secondary or primary schools.”

He concluded that the

GTTA will be looking to develop a table tennis league, after assessing the effects of the project’s implementation over a period of time.

Just recently, Director of Sport Christopher Jones announced that the NSC is looking at two pilot projects for sport in schools with table tennis and lawn tennis set to take the stage.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Jaguars lose opener to Volcanoes on DWL

THE Leon Johnson-led Guyana Jaguars got off to a sour start in their NAGICO Regional Super50 campaign, after falling to the Windwards Islands Volcanoes by one run compliments of the Duckworth Lewis method.

Playing in St Kitts and Nevis, the Jaguars held the

Windwards Islands to 214 runs in their allotted 50 overs.

The pick of the bowlers for the Jaguars was former West Indies U-19 spinner Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai with 3-32 from his 6 overs which included one maiden over (6-1-32-3).

Steven Jacobs went for three for 40 runs (10-1-40-3).

Devon Smith (91), Sunil Ambris (47) and captain Liam Sebastian (27) did the damage for the Windward Islands, but, the weather wasn’t kind to the Guyanese in their run chase.

Rain forced the umpires to ‘pull the stumps’ when the Guyana Jaguars were 122-4

in their reply, with 26 overs already being bowled. The Guyana Jaguars needed 53 runs from 42 balls and Assad Fudadin at the crease on 44.

The Volcanoes won the title in 2013 while Guyana last hoisted the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) 50-over trophy 10 years ago.

Platini withdraws candidacy for FIFA presidency BANNED UEFA president Michel Platini has withdrawn his candidacy for the FIFA presidency.

He was quoted

by French sports daily L’Equipe yesterday. “I withdraw my candidacy. I can no longer (go through with it). I have neither the time, nor the means to go and see the voters, to meet people, and to fight with others.”

Platini, the head of European football body UEFA, was handed an eight-year ban from the game by FIFA’s Ethics Committee on December 21, along with FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

He is appealing the decision and insists he has done no wrong.

Platini, president of European football’s governing body since 2007, had submitted his candida-

sophically. Let’s wait and see what happens. But injustice is revolting me and I’m trying to fight it.”

Platini and Blatter claimed the payment was honouring an agreement made in 1998 for work carried out between 1998 and 2002, when Platini worked as a technical adviser for Blatter.

FIFA’s ethics committee said there was “not sufficient Michel Platini evidence” to establish the cy for the FIFA presidential payment was a bribe, but election but could not stand both men demonstrated an “abusive execution” of their while suspended.

He and Blatter, 79, plan positions.

“I can’t have any reto take their cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport gret in that story because things fell upon my head (CAS).

“I’ve spent more time in while I haven’t done anyhearing rooms than on foot- thing wrong,” added Plaball pitches speaking about tini.

“I’m struggling to under4-3-3 or 4-4-2 or football stand what happened, unless news,” added Platini.

“I’m taking this philo- there was a will somewhere

ECCB/Elizabeth Styles Cricket Tournament

Better Hope ‘A’ and ‘B’ clash in Sunday’s final

THE ENTIRE village of Better Hope will come alive on Sunday at the Better Hope Community Centre as the Community’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ sides clash for supremacy in the final of the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) premier competition, sponsored by U.S.-based business entity Elizabeth Styles.

A large crowd is expected since Better Hope Sports Club, for the very first time, dominated the entire competition.

Both teams played excellent cricket throughout the tournament and the contest is expected to be a thriller with the B team vowing to take the first prize of $350 000 and the winners’ trophy.

Other prizes include $50

000 for the second-placed team and a beautiful trophy for the player-of-the-match.

With the likes of explosive players Suresh Budhu, Ravie Singh, Chris Deonarine among others in the A-team, it will be a challenging task for their opponents.

The A-team also comprises an excellent outfit which includes captain Clive Rampersaud, Daniel Kowlessar, Mulchand Singh, Kevin Rampersaud and Jayadev Mana.

The A team squad: Suresh Budhu (captain), Chris Deonarine, Ricknauth Rooplall, Asad Mohamed, Ravie Singh, Wayne Narine, Nazim Khan, Imran Khan, Rasheed Rohoman, Danesh Mangal, Avinash Mohab-

ir, Raza Mohamed, Sultan Rooplall and Navin Bishun.

The manager/coach is Paul Singh.

The B team squad: Clive Rampersaud (captain) Kevin Rampersaud, Daniel Kowlessar, Roy Rampersaud, Sachin Singh, Jayadev Mana, Amir Khan, Ryan Premchand, Mulchand Singh, Mustafa Azimulla, Rajendra Dhanraj, Chandra Mohan and Sylvan Kowlessar.

The manager is Jagnarine Singh and the coach is Robbie Harriprashad.

The umpires are Charles Gibbons and Kenelyn Baker while the match referee is Judister Rampersaud.

The action is expected to start promptly at 10.30hrs.

to prevent me from bidding.”

The English Football Association had previously backed Platini for the FIFA presidency, but suspended its support in October pending the outcome of the ethics inquiry.

FA chairman Greg Dyke said recently the organisation had yet to decide who to now support.

“I had 150 associations thinking that I’m the right person to solve FIFA’s problems,” said Platini.

“It won’t happen. But there is no age limitation, so maybe I’ll come back in 20 years. Who knows?”

Devon Smith hits a six during his innings of 91 against Guyana yesterday (WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography) Photo name: Smith

All eyes on Zidane’s first match with Real

ALL EYES will be on new Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane and how he delivers his brand of attacking football, spearheaded by the ‘BBC’ in his first match in charge against Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga tomorrow.

So far the quietly-spoken Frenchman has given little indication of the way he plans to breathe new life into a side that boasts plenty of talent but failed to perform in big games under former coach Rafa Benitez.

“The idea is to play with the three of them,” Zidane told reporters as he explained the roles of top-notch forwards Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, known in Spain as the ‘BBC’.

“It is important to see attractive football and that is the line I will look to go down. Attacking and balanced.”

Benitez was never able to win over the dressing room with his studious approach following the departure of the more easy-going Italian Carlo Ancelotti in the close season.

Fans and the media also criticised the Spaniard for being too defensive and Zidane will now need his three leading

Real Madrid new coach Zinedine Zidane attends a training session in Valdebebas, outside Madrid, Spain, January 5, 2016. performers to show more willingness to track back.

Real’s attacking trident are as prolific with league goals as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez at Barcelona but it is in other facets to their play that the difference shows.

Both trios have hit 35 La Liga goals this season but the perception is that Real’s players have been less willing to defend.

Former France great Zidane’s illustrious career as a player demands the respect of the squad even though this is his

first stint as a top-flight coach.

Third-placed Real are four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, who are away to Celta Vigo on Sunday, and two adrift of Barcelona who host Granada tomorrow It was the first time since February that a side comprising Messi, Neymar and Suarez failed to score as Barca drew 0-0 with Espanyol last weekend but they quickly got back on track with a 4-1 win over the same opponents on Wednesday in the King’s Cup.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Australia takes Test series 2-0

... Warner hits quick-fire ton in rain-hit Test draw AUSTRALIA’S David Warner lit up the fifth day of the weather-ravaged third Test against West Indies with an 82-ball century before the dead rubber contest petered out in a draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday.

A draw and a 2-0 series victory for the hosts was always on the cards after all but 11 overs of day two and the entire days three and four were washed out.

Australia captain Steve Smith, however, said he had offered his West Indies counterpart Jason Holder a deal which would have set up the chance of a result but was turned down.

“I offered him 370 in 70 overs, which I thought was pretty generous,” Smith told reporters.

“It would take some good batting to get that on a day five SCG wicket but they weren’t up for the challenge unfortunately.”

Holder said West Indies had made a collective decision to spurn the offer.

“We just felt at this stage of our development it wasn’t the best thing for us,” he told reporters.

“It was a team vote, team decision ... I just think it was the best thing for the team.”

West Indies, who had resumed on 248 for seven, were dismissed for 330 to bring up lunch before Man-of-the-Match Warner launched his assault in front of the 6 000 fans attracted to the ground by free entry.

It was a typically aggressive display of batting from the local left-hander, who had notched up 122 not out to help Australia to 176 for two when the players shook hands on the draw.

The 29-year-old hit two sixes and 14 fours in his 103-ball knock, heaping more indignity onto a West Indies bowling attack which took just 12 wickets over the series.

He reached his 16th Test century when he swept the ball down legside for three runs before leaping into the air in his now traditional celebration of the milestone.

Joe Burns was the tourists’ 11th victim, departing for 26 and all-rounder Mitch Marsh made 21 after being promoted up

Australia Test cricket captain Steve Smith holds the Frank Worrell trophy among team mates after their third cricket Test against the West Indies at the SCG in Sydney, January 7, 2016. (REUTERS/Jason Reed) innings, both unbeaten. bowling of spinner Steve the batting order. Spinner and 212 runs before an equal“It’s been quite an im- O’Keefe.

Jomel Warrican claimed ly dominant 177-run victory pressive summer for us to Australia’s other spinner both wickets. in the second Test in Mel- win four Tests out of the Nathan Lyon (3-120) disPeter Nevill scored bourne, but a 2-0 triumph was six and not lose any,” said missed Kemar Roach (15) seven not out in his only not enough to lift them above Smith. and O’Keefe (3-63), playing batting opportunity of the India into second place in the “I think in total we’ve his maiden Test on home series, another illustration ICC Test rankings. scored 15 centuries be- soil, brought an end to the of Australia’s dominance.

Adam Voges was named tween us in six Test match- innings with the wicket of Australia won the first Man-of-the-Series after hit- es and we’ve obviously Jerome Taylor (13).

Test in Hobart by an innings ting 269 and 106 in his two taken 20 wickets on four Tail-ender Warrican, occasions.” who took five of West InFor West Indies, Denesh dies 12 wickets over the Ramdin secured a half-cen- series, was left on 21 not tury in a second successive out, the fifth time in five Test before falling for 62 to innings in the series he a sharp Smith catch off the had kept his wicket intact. from Demerara (Regal and players Tremayne Smartt, Wolf Warriors) are the teams Shemaine Campbelle and vying for the $500 000 first Erva Giddings would be unprize and a trophy available due to West Indies The Masters 15/15 game female team commitments.

Scoreboard at close of play on the fifth Bowling between Demerara and BerTickets cost $2 000 and and final day in the third and final Test J. Hazlewood 18 - 5 - 49 - 1 between Australia and West Indies on J. Pattinson 18 - 3 - 76 - 2(nb-1) bice carries a winners’ prize will go on sale two weeks Thursday in Sydney, Australia N. Lyon 46 - 12 - 120 - 3 of $200 000 while the win- before the event.

West Indies 1st innings M. Marsh 4 - 1 - 15 - 0 (Overnight: 248-7) S. O’Keefe 26.1 - 7 - 63 - 3 ners of the 10/10 female Demerara Masters: RichK. Brathwaite c Smith Australia 1st innings game between Berbice and ard Persaud capt., Ramo b Lyon

85 D. Warner not out 122 S. Hope c Nevill J. Burns c Roach Malone, Yunis Yusuf, Lloyd b Hazlewood

9 b Warrican 26 Rooplall, David Harper, Eric Da. Bravo c Khawaja M. Marsh c Blackwood Thomas, Mahendra Hardyal b Pattinson

33 b Warrican 21 M. Samuels run out P. Nevill not out 7 v/capt., Fazil Baksh, Dava(Hazlewood, Nevill) 4 Extras 0 nand Kannon, Tony Singh, J. Blackwood b Total (for 2 wickets declared, Lyon 10 38 overs) 176 Jagdesh Persaud, Wayne D. Ramdinc Smith Fall of wickets: 1-100 J. Jones, Mohamed Rafeek b O’Keefe 62 Burns,2-154 M. Marsh J. Holder c Burns Did not bat: U. Khawaja, S. Smith, Manager: Dharam Persaud. b O’Keefe

1 A. Voges, S. O’Keefe, J. Pattinson, Demerara Female team: C. Brathwaite b J. Hazlewood, N. Lyon Latoya Smith capt., Kavita Pattinson 69 Bowling K. Roach c Burns J. Taylor 4 - 0 - 27 - 0 Yadram v/capt, Zola Telb Lyon 15 J. Holder 4 - 1 - 15 - 0 ford, Matanna Cambridge, J. Taylor c Lyon K. Roach 4 - 0 - 29 - 0 b O’Keefe 13 J. Warrican 15 - 1 - 62 - 2 Roxanne Demonick, HaseeLatoya Smith J. Warrican not out 21 C. Brathwaite 7 - 0 - 23 - 0 na Mohamed, Tamika WilExtras (b-5 lb-2 nb-1) 8 K. Brathwaite 4 - 0 - 20 - 0 Total(all out, 112.1 overs) 330 Demerara will collect $150 son, Jinelle Nero, AmanFall of wickets: 1-13 S. Hope,2-104 Referees 000. da Bobb-Semple, Kaysia Da. Bravo,3-115 M. Samuels,4-131 Umpire: Chris Gaffaney Demerara will fancy their Shultz, Sangetta Sawh, AliJ. Blackwood,5-158 K. Umpire: Ian Gould Brathwaite,6-159 J. Holder,7-246 C. TV umpire: Marais Erasmus chances in the female game cia Allen, Odessa O’Neil.

Brathwaite,8-296 D. Ramdin,9-300 Match referee: Chris Broad since three of Berbice’s top Coach is Linden Wilson.

K. Roach,10-330 J. Taylor Result: Draw

Demerara name softball teams for Unity Cricket DEMERARA have named their softball teams to participate in the Legacy and 007 Promotions Unity Cricket set for the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, January 30.

Richard Persaud will lead

Richard Persaud the Demerara Masters team which will include Wayne Jones and former Guyana first-class batsman David Harper, while the Demerara lasses will be captained

by National female player Latoya Smith, and will include Kavita Yadram and Haseena Mohamed, who have both represented Guyana at the regional level.

The organisers have collaborated with corporate sponsors and received support from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA).

An exciting day is planned from 10:00hrs when the gates are opened.

Five softball matches will be played with the ‘Open’ 10/10 Final set to be played under lights before the main event which features the top T20 players in the West Indies commencing at 19:30hrs. The T20 game will be carried live on NCN Radio.

Karibee Boyz Berbice, Essequibo and two teams

SCOREBOARD

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday January 8, 2016

Guyanese cyclists fail doping test facing disciplinary action from Caribbean RADO

By Rawle Toney THE Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) in a press release issued yesterday stated that upon conducting testing in Guyana on Sunday, November 1, 2015, three Guyanese cyclists tested positive.

The Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Association is one of the 15 branches around the world that come under the umbrella of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

During the staging of last year’s National Sports Commission (NSC) ‘Tour of Guyana’ cycling event, the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, though their locally based Doping Control Officers, carried tests on Colombian Carlos Ospina, Raul Leal, Alanzo Greaves, Jamol Eastman, Geron Williams and Marloe Rodman (Jamaican), along with Raynauth Jeffrey, Hamza Eastman, Darren Matthews and Jaime Ramirez.

There was some amount controversy at the time, since Ospina had initially refused to be tested, citing unsanitary

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conditions. The Colombian eventually took the test, done by the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation Doping Control Officers.

Speaking exclusively with Chronicle Sport yesterday, Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation Executive Director, Tessa Chaderton-Shaw, confirmed that the three cyclists who tested positive were indeed Guyanese.

She stated that the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation is not at liberty to give the names of the cyclists, since to do so will be violating Article 14.3.5 of the World Anti Doping Code.

Article 14.3.5 of the World Anti Doping Code states that “no Anti-Doping Organisation or WADA-accredited laboratory, or official of either, shall publicly comment on the specific facts of a pending case (as opposed to general description of process WADC 2015 – Version 1.0 56 and science) except in response to public comments attributed to the Athlete, other Person or

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Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation Executive Director Tessa Chaderton-Shaw

their representatives”.

Chaderton-Shaw noted the local cyclists and representatives were contacted about the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation’s findings.

Asked about the possible penalties that could face the cyclists, the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation Executive Director only stopped short at saying the case is being looked at and the disclosure “will be made when everything is final. But at this point there’s not much that I can or could say” Guyana is one of 15 member countries comprising the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, whose responsibility is to provide education on the use of drugs and doping methods in sport, as well as to promote and coordinate the fight against doping in sport among the countries of the Caribbean.

Alex Bunbury looking forward to Guyana visit

By Rawle Toney GUYANESE-born Canadian football great, Alex Bunbury, says that he is excited about his proposed visit to the place he called home over 40 years ago.

The former Canadian National team striker, who made 65 appearances for ‘The Canucks’, is expected in Guyana on Sunday for his visit which runs until January 25.

“I look forward to sharing my lessons and my story with young Guyanese boys and girls of every race, and to inspire them to work hard, learn the fundamentals of football and play the game the right way. During my two-week visit, I will host 4 free youth football clinics, the first of which will be held in my hometown of Plaisance,” Bunbury told Chronicle Sport in an interview.

The 48-year-old Bunbury said that he’s looking forward to presenting his “bold vision and proposal to build and manage The Alex Bunbury Sports and Academics Academy in Guyana to help young people realise their full potential as productive, innovative and caring citizens in the game of life”.

Born in Plaisance to Doreen and Harry Bunbury, Alex said he’s grateful for the opportunity given by

Alex Bunbury his parents who migrated to Canada when he was nine years old.

Bunbury started learning the ‘Beautiful Game’ of football at age 12 and excelled at both the youth and senior levels of the Canadian National Football Teams.

“My dream journey as a professional footballer took me from Canada to England and then to Portugal where I found my niche at CS Maritimo in the first division of La Liga.

Over seven amazing years, I became (and still remain) CS Maritimo’s All-Time, leading goalscorer. Finally, I finished my distinguished career in the MLS with the Kansas City Wizards,” Bunbury said.

“Undoubtedly, football has brought me fame and fortune, but most importantly the lessons I have learned along the way have made be a better human being. I am a proud father of

4 beautiful children, Kylie an award-winning actress, Teal a current professional footballer and member of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, Logan an aspiring musician and Mataeo the youngest at age 10, following in his father and brother ’s footsteps.

Alex, father of New England Revolution forward Teal Bunbury reasoned that he’s passionate about helping young people (especially the disadvantaged) develop their natural gifts as footballers and leaders. I am passionate about giving back to my country of birth, the country that gave me a unique

set of values, discipline, humility and a strong work ethic that helped shape my success as a Hall-of-Fame professional footballer”.

Meanwhile Chronicle Sport understands that Bunbury, his brother, coach Sam (Bunbury), and a group of local coaches will host a free youth soccer clinic in the Plaisance/Buxton area during the first week.

They will be joined by Brooklyn, NY-based coach Stan Harmon, and Golden Jaguars captain Christopher Nurse (awaiting final confirmation) for a second week of the clinic for boys and girls aged 12-15.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday January 08, 2016)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL -Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to Thursday’s quiz: WI vs AUST, Brisbane, 1979-80 Deryck Murray Today’s Quiz: Which two made their Test debut against Australia?

Basil Williams; Desmond Haynes; Larry Gomes; Collis King; Carl Hooper How many Test matches Trevor Chappell played?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GTTA welcomes reintroduction of tennis in schools See Story on Page 28

Jaguars lose opener to Volcanoes on DWL See Story on Page 29

Assad Fudadin made 44 (not out) for Guyana

Australia takes Test series 2-0

Guyanese cyclists fail doping test See Story on Page 31

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216.

Gudakesh Motie had figures of 6-1-32-3 on debut for Guyana

See Story on Page 30

West Indies captain Jason Holder (R) grimaces after failing to catch the ball which hit his right hand during their third cricket Test against Australia in Sydney, January 7, 2016. (REUTERS/Jason Reed) Friday, JANUARY 8, 2016