Chronicle 11 16 2015

GUYANA No. 104374

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2015

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

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Wikileaks cable

U.S. envoy says cable dated

…does not reflect his views on Granger

Bruster’s to expand operations here P.4

P.3

Gov’t to expose ‘crooked’ land deal …between Jagdeo, Ed Ahmad

P.2

…mulls construction of pasteurisation plant Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo in discussion with owner of Bruster’s Ice Cream, Bruce Reid (second from left), United States Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway (first from left) and other officials during a tour of Bruster’s Camp Street location on Sunday (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

Young writers elated

Ed Ahmad

Bharrat Jagdeo

– at being shortlisted for Guyana Prize for Literature P.11

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 16, 2015

…between Jagdeo, Ed Ahmad

negotiating a settlement with Venezuela that would see that country being given “a channel out to the sea” was discussed while he was in power.

Jagdeo had further explained that while the 1899 award could remain intact with respect to land concession, the negotiated settlement could result in a slight concession in maritime space being given to Venezuela.

In response to Jagdeo’s suggestion, Harmon said something is awfully wrong.

“When we have the nation standing behind the government, when we have songs like ‘not one cuirass not a blade a grass’— to have somebody like Jagdeo saying give the people a piece. What is wrong with him? Is he a sane person?”

It was pointed out that in some countries similar comments would be considered treasonable behaviour.

Venezuela has been contending that the Arbitral Award of 1899 about the frontier between British Guiana and Venezuela is null and void. The agreement also provided that no new claim or enlargement of an existing claim to territorial sovereignty in these territories (of Venezuela and British Guiana) shall be asserted while the agreement is in force, nor shall any claim whatsoever be asserted otherwise than in the

Govt to expose ‘crooked’ land deal

By Svetlana Marshall A LAND deal involving the former President and now Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and convicted U.S. businessman Ed Ahmad is expected to be revealed this week.

Ahmad, who has pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud in the U.S., will know his fate on January 15, 2016 when his sentencing will take place.

“I will release something to the Guyanese public, where Jagdeo again during his administration arbitrarily gave a piece of land in Georgetown to his friend Ed Ahmad,” Minister of State Joseph Harmon said yesterday.

It was explained that the transaction was never recorded under the Lands and Survey Commission but included

US-based businessman Ed Ahmad

in a lease document stashed away in the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) under the stewardship of Winston Brassington.

Since entering office, the APNU+AFC Government

Minister Joseph Harmon speaking to the press on Sunday during the PNC regional conference at Vreed-en-Hoop, Region 3 (Cullen Bess Nelson photo)

has been exposing many of the corrupt acts committed against the people of Guyana by the former PPP/C Administration.

The controversial ‘Red House’ deal and the contentious Pradoville land agreement, in which Jagdeo and five of his Ministers have been implicated, are just two of the shocking discoveries that have been made by the David Granger Administration.

But Minister Harmon, who was at the time speaking during the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Annual Regional Conference in Vreed-en-Hoop, Region 3, said Jagdeo and by the exten-

sion the PPP/C has been in the business of “giving Guyana away”.

“Over the past 23 years, they have actually given away Guyana to the foreigners, their friends and family…,” Harmon contended.

At a time when the nation is standing behind the government in objecting to the levels of aggression shown

by Venezuela, the Minister of State said Jagdeo, who has been bullying and usurping the leadership of the PPP/C, has recommended that Guyana should give up a portion of its territorial rights.

In October, the Opposition Leader had said the idea of

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

Mixed Commission while that Commission is in being. However, under severe diplomatic pressure, Venezuela agreed to a 12-year moratorium on the dispute with the Protocol of Port of Spain in 1970.

Harmon refuted the claim often made by Venezuela that the accord was achieved on the basis of bullyism.

“In an arbitration sometimes you have to give up, Guyana gave up in that arbitration of 1899, Guyana gave land, it gave up a part of Ankoko to the Venezuelans as part of the settlement,” he pointed out.

Minister Harmon said while Venezuela is maintaining that the 1899 award is null and void it would not want to return the section of Ankoko which was initially given and negotiate from scratch.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 16, 2015

Wikileaks cable

U.S. envoy says cable dated … does not reflect his views on Granger “CERTAINLY those statements don’t coincide with what I have observed of the President,” U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway said in response to an over 30-year-old WikiLeaks Cable which suggests that President David Granger is a racist.

In an interview with Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, Ambassador Holloway said while he is unable to extensively speak on the leaked cable due to the fact that he only learnt of it earlier that day, he pointed out that the information is quite dated.

“It is something from over 30 years ago,” Ambassador Holloway pointed out, reiterating that the information presented does not match his personal observation of President Granger. However,

he said, “Tomorrow I need to find out more.”

Another source at the U.S. Embassy has said that the cable is clearly the opinion of someone and should not be construed as the position of the United States Government.

“Granger was a young man then and an officer in the Guyana Defence Force, how much of an influence he had then?” the source asked.

Meanwhile, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) said it stands with President Granger as it rubbished the allegation.

“The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) dismisses the malicious publication of a United States (U.S.) diplomatic cable dated June 27, 1974, which labels the leader of our party and

President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency Brigadier David A. Granger a racist.”

The PNCR added: “President David Granger has dedicated his entire working life to public service and at all times a major pillar of his written works and his personal philosophy has been the pursuit of national unity.

As leader of the PNCR, Brigadier Granger has articulated on numerous occasions that national unity is an imperative in Guyana’s current fragile political, social and economic circumstances.”

As the leader of a multi-party, multi-ethnic coalition, the President has travelled to all regions of this country preaching the gospel of social cohesion and racial harmony.

US Ambassador Perry

President David Granger

“President Granger is on record, that in a plural society like ours, there is a clear choice between the uplifting benefits of cooperation and the downside of destructive political competition,” the party said.

The party further emphasised that a glimpse into the work of the President, even before he entered office, would revealed his sincerity

in the call for national unity, noting that his personal life and work clearly debunk the malicious and unfounded claim being peddled through the cable.

“The PNCR questions the wisdom of the publication of this dated U.S. Diplomatic Cable without a right of reply or any other supporting evidence.”

It was pointed out that in

his address during PNCR’s 18th Biennial Delegates’ Congress in July 2014, Granger, then Leader of the Opposition, said the party was convinced that greater national unity was needed to bring greater national benefits such as elimination of one-party domination of the government; enhancement of local, municipal and parliamentary democracy; enlargement of multi-ethnic space and the elimination of ethnic insecurity; expansion of economic enterprise and development; and enrichment of cultural life, national consciousness and pride.

“This is the work we are engaged in; these are the ideals to which we aspire and, therefore, the party stands with President David A. Granger and will continue to work with him to build One Nation,” the PNC assured.

Bandits visit home of Kwakwani ‘a sheep without a shepherd’ former crime chief – but abandons mission on learning who he was

– residents want Local Government Elections

THE ‘A Field’ Sophia home of former Crime Chief Leslie James was unwittingly targeted by three armed bandits in the wee hours of the morning yesterday.

Turns out they would have second thoughts about finishing the job, when they learnt whose house they’d dared mess with.

Reports reveal that the men successfully stormed James’ home at around 03:00 hrs yesterday, using a window on the lower flat to gain entry.

They reportedly used CG motorcycles to commit the offence, and were even seen casing the joint before deciding the coast was clear enough to put their nefarious plan into action.

One was positioned at the front of the house to act as ‘look-out’ man, while the other two proceeded to terrorise James, his wife and daughter.

One even placed a handgun to the former crime chief’s temple and demanded that he take off his gold rings and other pieces of jewellery, with which request James complied.

They then packed several electrical items they’d planned carting off, when one of them came across some documents which revealed who James was.

At this, they decided to abandon the mission forthwith, and beat a hasty retreat. Reports have since revealed that one of the bandits has been caught, and positively identified

Former Crime Chief Leslie James

as a resident of the said Sophia community.

Up to press time, however, police were reluctant to disclose any information pertaining to the investigation.

THE hinterland community of Kwakwani is at present without any political representative as the last Interim Management Committee was not favoured by the residents.

This has developed several concerns as the community is now as a “sheep without a shepherd,” according to Vice Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council, Region 10 Elroy Adolph.

Adolph who hails from the community, in expressing his concerns, said Kwakwani is now in a deplorable state without a political representative to oversee things.

“Local government is long overdue not only for the people of Guyana but for the residents of Kwakwani who are awaiting a committee that will manage the affairs of the community with their best

interest at heart,” Vice Chairman Adolph commented.

At present there is not even an overseer in Kwakwani as the last one was not paid for his services. With the absence of an administrative body, residents are becoming complacent and are engaging in unlawful activities such as squatting and illegal construction of buildings.

Another problem that is escalating is the garbage situation as residents are presumptuously littering and dumbing garbage around the community which is becoming an eyesore.

“There is no garbage collection system in the community and the garbage is piling up all over the place,” the vice-chairman said. In addition, persons are unable to transact businesses that

are state-related such as the paying of taxes and the authorisation of house plans.

The community is in dire need of local government elections as they were not in favour of the last administration and therefore there was no accountability for funds used.

The government had granted the committee a $3 million subvention but there is no evidence of how the money was spent. The community is in need of infrastructural development and needs a body that will represent their interests and their concerns.

The vice chairman is anticipating highly the Local Government Election as he is positive that it will benefit Kwakwani tremendously. (Vanessa Braithwaite)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

Bruster’s mulls expansion here BRUCE Reid, founder of Bruster’s Ice cream, is looking to expand his operations here with the construction of a pasteurisation plant, well-placed sources have told the Guyana Chronicle.

Details are sketchy but it is understood that the project will soon come on stream.

The founder of Bruster’s Guyana ice cream franchise paid a courtesy call on the local outlets, even as he was enjoying the hospitality and beauty of Guyana for a short period.

Meanwhile, the local franchise held an event yesterday at the Camp Street Branch. In attendance were Prime Minister Moses Nagamotoo and Mrs Sita Nagamotoo, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder and U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway and Mrs Rosaura Holloway.

Reid commented on the warm welcome he received from the employees and Guyanese whom he interacted with during

- with construction of pasteurisation plant

the last two days. He said he appreciated the patronage of the owner of Royal Castle who visited the ice-cream branch on Saturday. At the event the special guests were treated with their choice of ice-cream as they enjoyed each other’s company.

There was also an ice-cream making contest in which they were given the opportunity of seeing Bruster’s special mixtures.

When asked why he opened a franchise in Guyana, Reid said that the owner of the company wanted to bring the franchise here and he thought it was a good idea. Bruster’s Guyana – the first international franchise operation of Bruster’s – is a subsidiary of WT George Group of Companies. The first outlet was launched at Regent and Hinck Streets in May of 2012 and this was followed by the opening of another branch at Camp Street. (Vanessa Braithwaite)

Children enjoying the taste of Bruster’s ice cream yesterday

Harmon: No jobs for the PPP boys

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Minister of State Joseph Harmon

Former Minister of Natural Resources Robert Persaud

Former Minister of Labour Dr Nanda Gopaul

GOVERNMENT has denied that two former Ministers under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) have been tipped for government posts.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon told the Guyana Chronicle recently that he is unaware of any such likelihood and moreover notes that no such talks took place.

Recently, there have been media reports suggesting that former Min-

ister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud and former Minister of Labour Dr Nanda Gopaul were well poised for government positions.

“I cannot confirm any such employment,” said the Minister of State. Asked if there is merit in statements made via media reports that talks are ongoing though no appointments have been made, Harmon said, “No

such talks as far as I know and I would know. I see no merit in the report.”

Attempts to contact both Persaud and Dr Gopaul were futile. However, it was reported in one section of the media that Dr Gopaul did not deny or acknowledge an impending government job or state whether he has been in talks with government officials on the subject.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

Alex Foster poised to take on bigger role

By Shauna Jemmott

AFTER 29 years of giving yeoman service as President of the St. Francis Community Developers, Alex Foster has plans of enlarging his territory from being the umbrella sheltering 59 community development groups, to the source empowering non-governmental organisations (NGOs) throughout the country’s ten administrative regions.

The recipient of more than 12 international awards and accreditations from more than 200 donor agencies here and around the world, Foster has pledged to give his life, if that is what it takes, for Guyana to regain the support of donors those who have left over the years for a possible countrywide eradication of poverty.

Known for his overwhelming contributions to development in the Mahaica/ Berbice and East Berbice/Corentyne regions, he was recently commended

by President David Granger during a function at his hometown Rosehall to mark his organisation’s 29th anniversary among other celebratory activities.

“Over the decades, this NGO has demonstrated its commitment to the Region; has demonstrated its service to the population. We want to see more like yours; we want to see more NGOs working to enhance living conditions; to remove inequalities; and to overcome the problems,” President Granger said.

“St Francis Community Developers has become a model community organisation; it has earned, and enjoys, significant support as is evident here. The presence of its collaborating partners, which include international donor organisations, the diplomatic community, and local businesses and civil society groups, testifies to the high public esteem in which St. Francis Community Developers is held,” he added.

WHERE IT ALL STARTED Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Friday, Foster said he had visited the Office of the Presidency prior to St. Francis’ anniversary celebrations with a proposal for funding the establishment of St. Francis as an office offering consultancy services for weaker community development NGOs.

“I had approached the President’s office for funding support to set up consultancy offices at St. Francis, so that we can be able to use our 29 years of experience to work full-time, and have a full-time staff specially dedicated towards the development of weaker groups,” Foster said.

At that meeting, he said, President Granger expressed an interest in poverty reduction at an extended level.

He quoted the president as saying, “I would like to reduce poverty; and for all to have the good life, everybody has to be on board.”

As the President explained, Foster said, he has his sights set on those international donor agencies that have pulled out of Guyana, and as such is therefore interested in empowering community development NGOs countrywide, lifting them to a standard that will see donor agencies again sitting up and taking interest in Guyana.

To his credit, the President refused to offer him funds for just Berbice, but gave him a better bargain, in that he proposed that Foster heads a countrywide NGO empowerment campaign, which his government has interest in funding instead.

Said Foster, “The President wants the international donor agencies that left to return to Guyana. If they are going to return to Guyana, all international donor agencies have set guidelines that have to be followed before community groups can be able to access their funding.”

MODUS OPERANDI By way of explaining how they operate, Foster said many local community development NGOs usually begin with an individual who has a passion to see progress, or to help within his community. He then recruits persons with similar interests, but with no formal training or adequate knowledge of getting it done, and take it from there.

“Most of the community-based organisations,” he said, “will not be able to access funding from these organisations, because they have to get audited financial statements.

“And to get audited financial statements, one will have to keep proper records to be audited; they will have to get five-year strategic plans, whereas many groups barely survive on a day-today basis...”

–has sights set on nurturing weak NGOs

St. Francis Community Developers President Alex Foster Noting that it is high time NGOs expand beyond koker repairs and bus-shed building and create major project goals within a five-year span, thereby developing a track record donor agencies can trust, Foster said donor agencies have a tendency of weighing the capacity of an organisation to execute a project within a given financial budget, based on the ones they have managed previously.

“Other than the track records, they would like to know that you have staff that is capable of delivering the service,” he said.

But because most NGOs do not have the financial capacity to pay workers, they fail to attract the best quality of staff. “But what they do attract is passionate people who want to serve; who want to give back, but have their limitations when it comes to satisfying the requirement of the donor agency.”

And while donor agencies may host their meetings in upscale venues, most members of poor groups do not have the resources to do that, and find it difficult to even find transportation to be present sometimes.

KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE Foster pointed out, too, that NGOs would do much better if those behind them have a clear understanding of the difference between community development and charitable work.

“Community development,” he explained, “is empowering people to help themselves. Charitable work, on the other hand, is when we want to feel good about our soul to get to Heaven, and we go out and feed a

couple of people, and say a few prayers and we do little holy things.”

The new project he proposes initiating will empower grassroots groups in order to build their capacity to access funding from the international donor agencies, and create network opportunities with faithful and willing donors with interest in community development.

Some of those agencies, Foster said, have already expressed interest in collaborating with the President’s initiative.

“Food for the Poor Guyana,” he said, “is fully on board with us, that when we go to communities and work and we can identify the need and bring it to them, they will seek to support those groups.

“And we are signing up various international and private sector agencies who want to work with us, so that when we go to the communities, we can take them with us to share their background information so that groups could apply or access their services that they are offering.”

ONE-OF-A-KIND TRAINING Foster also spoke about a plan by his NGO, St. Francis Developers, to establish a one-of-a-kind community developmental training complex, which will provide theoretical and practical preparation of potential community developers in Guyana and the wider Caribbean.

But in order for such a plan to be executed, Foster said he asked President Granger during the organisation’s anniversary celebrations last month for St. Francis to be issued a transport for the entire plot of land which it uses as its head office.

Said he: “We have asked for the land to be transported to St. Francis. To truly develop the land, and for donors to invest, we have to show that we have the land.

“For the development of St. Francis and the development of the community, we want to put 15 more buildings on the land in the next five years. The purpose of that is to create the first and only community developmental training complex in the entire world. I have travelled 43 countries, and what I do not notice is a complex or an institution that caters to

the holistic and comprehensive development of grassroots residents or developers who want to make an impact on their community.”

And while international donors ask for various requirements from NGOs to meet criteria for funding, no one offers training; preparing the organisations to meet such criteria. And while one can be trained in development support communication and similar courses at the University of Guyana, not all NGO officials meet the criteria for university entry.

“All the international donors are asking us for fantastic requirements, but nobody is training us to meet those requirements, so that village can create a training environment,” Foster said, adding: “To enter the University of Guyana, you have to get Math and English, and you have to meet certain entry requirements. The people who drive community development in Guyana and work at the local level do not have those requirements. So, what happens to them? They are the engine that is expected to grow their community without that training; so we want a responsive environment, where ordinary persons can come in and be trained.”

He said St. Francis has already begun talks with the Commonwealth Office to get the University of the

West Indies (UWI) to accredit its certification whenever the village project begins, since it also targets the Caribbean market.

Community development, he says, is the most powerful engine behind general development, and he is inspired by the United States of America which he sees as the champion of Community Development.

“Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey,” he said, “are all community developers.

Many persons are leaving fantastic jobs and getting involved in Community Development. In Haiti, community development attracted many international celebrities. It can happen here, but it will have to happen at a different level, due to the fact that our poverty is different.”

As opposed to the belief in some quarters that poverty stems from the lack of money, they at St. Francis believe that poverty is caused by the absence of hope, since those without hope and dreams have nothing to inspire them to carry on.

“St. Francis approves that community development can be a career option, and that is why we are setting up the village: To make community development a career opportunity,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

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Guyana

Editorial

Diplomacy of Peace GUYANA is the new, shining star in the advocacy of the diplomacy of peace in the resolution of conflicts. As regards territorial claims, Guyana’s striding position is that of respect for international law and sanctity of treaty obligations.

Wearing this shining arrow of peace and legality, President David Granger would have stood tall at the Fourth Summit of South American Arabs Countries (ASPA), as he had done at the just concluded United Nations (UN) General Assembly. At the ASPA summit the Guyanese leader was quick to point out that “it offers crucial lessons for successfully cultivating meaningful friendship, peace and mutually beneficial relations even amid disparate national and regional perspectives and challenges.”

According to him, the summit also reflected many timeless ideas and ideals that have inspired efforts since the initiation of the bi-regional enterprise over a decade ago.

“The world today stands in even greater need of such collective efforts. This summit signifies a renewed spirit of understanding and cooperation for mutual benefit and progress for our peoples, our governments and our continents. This summit will generate greater understanding, peace and solidarity in a world of growing inequality, insecurity and injustice,” President Granger said.

The diplomacy of peace is a winning option. We saw it bearing dividends only recently when the Mexican Government warmly received Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, and in solidarity with Guyana, not only pledged to buy paddy from this country in the face of a trade embargo

by Venezuela, but also expressed willingness to assist in preparing the regulatory framework for extraction of oil to ensure both safe practices and equitable rewards from the anticipated new oil wealth.

Our President was accorded a red carpet reception, with the Guyana delegation being flown to Riyadh on a private jet, provided by Saudi Arabia and received by His Highness Salman bin Abulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is fully aware that its OPEC partner, Venezuela, had cast poisonous eyes on Guyana’s oil potential and decided to embrace Guyana in what could be an assurance of friendship at a critical time.

As Guyana’s former senior diplomat, Dr Odeen Ishmael, revealed: “Guyana’s ties with Saudi Arabia can assist in countering aggression and any plans of usurpation by Venezuela since the Saudis are committed based on the South American Arab agreements to respect the territorial integrity of all states…” He said too that President Granger’s participation at the summit was also especially significant.

“He will always be held in high esteem by the Saudis for this, since he showed them respect by accepting the King’s invitation to travel to Saudi Arabia. Guyana can now build on this contact of friendship and win the solidarity of the Saudis and other governments of the Arab states in supporting our territorial integrity and in offering advice and other support for the development of our oil potential.”

Dr Ishmael is an authority on Guyana-Venezuela relations. He has been Guyana’s Ambassador to both Caracas and the Middle East, his last posting being in Kuwait before his retirement. He has authored the trilogy: “The Trail of Diplomacy-The Guyana-Venezuela Border Issue.”

In preparation of Guyana joining the “Oil Club”, it is refreshing that our new leadership had adopted a policy of forging strong relations with oil producing states such as Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Trinidad and

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

Collective action needed to end road carnage

Dear Editor, IT is quite understandable that everyone from the Head of State to the manin-the-street should be concerned about the carnage on our country’s roadways.

Anecdotally, chief among the several contributory factors for the unnecessary bloodshed that bedevils us are: the criteria for obtaining a driver’s licence; road conditions; excessive speeding; driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol; heavy tints on the windows of vehicles; distracted driving; and poor traffic education awareness just to name a few.

Incidentally, no one seems to consider persons being under the influence of a prescribed medication, or vehicles with manufacturer defects. Also conspicuously absent in these justifiable public outpourings are proposed strategies which can assist us in bringing this undesirable trend in road fatalities to an end. I suggest that any strategy aimed at addressing this scourge which has implications for national development should also embrace the concept of road policing to complement traditional traffic policing.

Editor, road policing is practised in some countries as a zero-tolerance approach which recognises that anti-social behaviour and speeding drivers on roads cause damage, disturb the peace and threaten the safety of communities. Therefore, all interventions should be focused on reducing injury on the roadways and ensuring that road users are not intimidated or victimised by unlawful and anti-social behaviour. Concomitantly, visible cooperation among the government agencies and other stakeholders will generate needed support from members of the public who must be made aware that criminals also utilise the road networks to facilitate their criminal activities.

A proposed strategy must take into consideration the focus and in-place strategies of the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department, in relation to carrying out its role in enforcing traffic laws and managing traffic enforcement to make safer and more secure communities. It should also provide direction on developing strategic road

policing priorities. Serious partnerships with other government agencies and non-governmental organisations could contribute towards the common goal of reducing fatal and serious crashes. Moreover, for the strategy to be successful there must be effective intelligence collection, strong lines of communication and information sharing, and the implementation of intelligence-led strategies which utilise the tasking and coordination process to ensure the strategies are adapted and implemented.

Furthermore, appropriate allocation of resources will achieve an effective balance of specific deterrence strategies against recidivist and targeted offenders, and enforcement activities such as high visibility cameras and application of random breath testing to make road users accountable for any unlawful road-user behaviour, anywhere and at any time. Among the key behaviours which can be targeted for change could be: inappropriate speeding; impaired driving through alcohol, illicit and prescribed

drugs, or fatigue; non-use of seat belts and child safety restraints; and unsafe behaviour with respect to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists, young children and older people.

Editor, not to seem too draconian, but I feel that legislation which empowers the State to impound vehicles that are driven in a reckless manner, or are driven at a speed equal to or greater than 10 km/h over the posted speed limit can have a salutary effect on the recalcitrant. Of course, this will have to be carefully monitored, lest it opens the door to insalubrilous practices. By locating the strategy in the context of road policing the GPF could be better able to promote a road traffic law enforcement style and culture reflective of the concept of policing compliance with traffic laws cognisant of all of the impacts that result from policing our roads.

Regards, PATRICK E MENTORE

Let’s work to eradicate suicide Dear Editor, OUR little country Guyana has become one with the fastest rate of suicide in the world today. Actually every day somebody commits suicide.

Most of the people who are committing suicide are very young teenagers and middle-aged folks, none whose age exceeds 35 years. Suicide has now become a global phenomenon among the educated, aristocrats, drug users, teenagers, poverty-stricken communities, religious communities and even among millionaires.

Suicide can be prevented among the young and old if they are properly guided by their parents but we have a break down in family values where divorce and

separation have become the order of the day, thus pushing our young people to become unwanted, unloved and rejected. Rejection is the key to suicide, all because of human selfishness.

Suicide is the act of killing oneself intentionally, or is taking an action that is very destructive to one’s self-interests. What causes one to commit suicide? Many people in many homes feel rejected by their wives, husbands, siblings.

They are abused verbally on a daily basis which leads them to commit suicide.

Some are depressed from long-term incurable sicknesses; some are depressed and oppressed by poverty and financial problems.

Some are rejected and left alone by their husbands to

Tobago. It must be noted that when Venezuela, in a criminal and punitive aggression, severed supply of fuel, it was Trinidad that hurriedly filled the gap. It is that the Granger-led Coalition will continue to blaze this trail of peace diplomacy while at the same time, tap into opportunities for trade and aid that could help grow the Guyana economy faster. We salute President Granger on his new look energetic and purposeful diplomacy.

fend for their kids; some failed exams and failed in business, failed in their marriages, their friends and loved ones failed them, thus pushing them to commit suicide. These victims feel lonely and rejected by society and even rejected by themselves. Suicide has grown to be a mental and psychological phenomenon globally. Then we have those who fall in love for the first time like Romeo and Juliet, who take their own lives for the one they love because they were prevented from marrying the one they love. Then we have those who kill the one they love then take their own lives.

Then we have some who dabble in witchcraft and obeah whose own demons turn against them, and the long dismal list goes on.

Suicide is also inherited from generations of families who have committed suicide. When I was studying literature, I read books by a very great American writer by the name of Ernest Hemingway. After reading a biography about this great

author, I was flabbergasted to learn that most of the Hemingway family committed suicide including Ernest who shot himself through his mouth with a gun.

Suicide is not the answer to our problems; it reduces our population and destroys our morality as a people. It’s about time our people go back to their churches and I am calling on our religious and political leaders to work with our people on a one-to-one basis. May I ask the Honourable Minister of Education and our Parliament to introduce religious education in our schools to educate our pupils and students spiritually and morally to deal with real issues and philosophy about life. We can eradicate suicide if we do home visits and build our people to comprehend that God has a great purpose and plan for their lives on this earth.

Yours faithfully, REVEREND GIDEON CECIL

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

Sugar can rebound, with the right leadership

Dear Editor, THE November 6, 2015 issue of the Kaieteur New carried a letter by Mr Anthony Vieira, which was critical of what I said about the sugar industry in an earlier interview with Stabroek News. I wish to correct some of the inaccuracies in Mr Vieira’s letter. Before I proceed to do so, however, I must express my disappointment at the contents of his letter, which seems to be based on rumours rather than facts.

Mr Vieira stated that Walchandnagar, an Indian company, had offered to sell GuySuCo parts for the Skeldon Estate. This must be a mistake, since we are talking about a new factory. Mr Vieira went on to say in his letter that the said company had the lowest bid, but the previous administration had given the contract to a Chinese company at a higher price.

These statements are absolutely incorrect; this was not the case. When GuySuCo invited tenders for the construction of the new factory at Skeldon, there were three bidders – a Chinese, an Indian and a Japanese companies. The Japanese company placed a very high bid. The lowest bid was from the Chinese company.

Before an award was made, Booker Tate was awarded the contract to be the consulting engineers for GuySuCo. The GuySuCo Board felt that it needed to be advised by competent technical professionals. The consulting engineers worked along with the board at every stage in this process. These consultants also visited both China and India where they held talks with both companies that tendered.

They reported to the board that all of the bidders were capable of building the new factory and that they were ready to work with whichever company was chosen to execute the work.

Clearly, with that advice from the consultants, price then became the most important issue to base the decision on. The board went for the lowest bidder. This project was awarded

as a turnkey project. During the construction process, the board was briefed at every meeting by its consultants. No payments were made to the company without clearance from the Booker Tate professionals.

I can even recall that at one point, the then government took a while to reappoint the GuySuCo Board and management, therefore, had to bear the responsibility to oversee the project. The Booker Tate consultants were so confident about the success of the project that they allowed the company to send its workers home on holiday.

In passing, let me say that Mr Vieira, the APNU and the AFC, while they were in opposition were very antagonistic towards Chinese investors/stakeholders in Guyana. To date, they have never criticised the consultants, but used every opportunity to find fault with the Chinese company that was awarded the contract. It seems as though they were instructed by higher powers to do so.

Such an anti-Chinese stance must change. I hope they are seeing how the U.S., UK and the EU have been courting Chinese investments.

I urge them to stop the onslaught against the Chinese if they want to attract investment in our country, so that the economy can grow.

These are the facts and I urge Mr Vieira and others to stop using gossip and rumours, most of which was started by the APNU, AFC and their friends in the media, as a basis for analysis. Mr Vieira was particularly critical of my statement that GuySuCo was looking at more revenue streams, including production of ethanol. He was practically shouting that we should have gone to Brazil for this.

While it is true that Brazil is the biggest producers of ethanol, they do not have a monopoly on the technology (they started in the 1960s).

Today, many other countries are in the business of producing ethanol. Indeed, there are some Indian companies engaged in such processes

in Brazil as well as India. The U.S. also, is a big producer as well as other sugar producing countries.

Therefore, where we procure such technology is not confined to one place. That would depend on where we could get the best deal, which may not necessarily mean from the inventor of the product. However, the main focus is that we should continue to push in that direction as fast as possible.

I did not say that explicitly in the Stabroek News interview, but I suggested to both the Government and GuySuCo to move as fast as possible in that direction. I was aware that in an earlier statement on behalf of the APNU, Mr Vieira had suggested the closing of estates and using the land to grow tilapia. I want to urge him to abandon that notion, particularly now that he is a member of the board.

He also seems to have gone into a frenzy when I suggested that GuySuCo and Guyoil could create a joint venture to blend the gasoline with ethanol to use in motor vehicles. The point I made then was that both these entities are state-owned and therefore, they could come to an agreement quickly. The negotiation process needs not be prolonged. And yes, the ethanol has to be blended if it will be used in vehicles.

Like all those persons now trying to be critical of the PPP/C when in office, the financial crisis at GuySuCo is often referred to. But from that quarter, nothing is being said about the reasons for that situation. Let me briefly recap this scenario for Mr Vieira’s benefit.

GuySuCo is experiencing this situation for two main reasons. One was the severe flooding in 2005 and 2006 and the second was the change in the trading with the EU and ACP countries. In 2005 and 2006, the fields on the estates were flooded for weeks due to heavy rainfall. In 2005, the Demerara Estates were the worst affected. In 2006, the Berbice estates

feared the worst. These natural disasters cost the industry a lot in terms of revenue and other costs. The other issue was the fact that in 2010, the EU slashed the price paid to GuySuCo by 36 per cent. Few other companies could have survived such a financial tragedy.

In passing, let me point out that the GuySuCo Board was anticipating this and this is one of the major reasons why it took the decision to build the new factory at Skeldon to produce at higher volumes in a bid to bring down unit cost. The board, even though it anticipated the cut, did not expect it to take effect so soon (in 2010).

Moreover, at that time, our country’s economy was doing very well. Rice, construction, gold, among other resources, were booming.

That created a big competition for labour.

All of this tell us that the industry had to be restructured. The EU recognised that and agreed to assist the ACP countries to restructure their industries. A lot has since been done in this area. Conversion of the field is in progress and much was achieved at Skeldon and Enmore, however, more investments are needed for the factories.

Another important aspect of transforming the industry was to move from just producing raw sugar to creating other revenue streams such as a refinery, electricity generation, ethanol production, distillery, etc. The plan was to convert the industry into a complex.

What is needed now is investments and government assistance to overcome the obstacles during this period. The sugar industry can prosper and make an even greater contribution to the livelihood of its workers and the country as a whole. It needs people at the helm who believe in sugar – therein lies the key to success.

Regards, DONALD RAMOTAR FORMER PRESIDENT OF GUYANA

Govt should quickly resolve industrial unrest in sugar industry

Dear Editor, ISSUES of industrial relations are not about how one feels, but about a body of rules and application that guide the discipline. The current approach in handling industrial relations grievances, be it in bauxite, sugar, public service or other, ought not to be done without regards to protected fundamental rights and freedoms, the Constitution, laws and international trade agreements. Thirty years ago rights and freedoms were not part of trade and development agreements. As such some actions within countries would have been overlooked by the international community, unlike what is taking place today.

The current trade agreement between the European Union and CARIFORUM, which Guyana has signed on to, has ensconced a chapter that attends to the social responsibility of the parties, which includes protection of the right to join a trade union of choice and collective bargaining.

Given that present approach to development is guided by a number of tools and not gut-feeling, unless efforts are made to identify and adhere to these tools, a country can likely be sanctioned at the international level for violations and transgressing of international protocols.

Perception that the impasse in the sugar industry is politically engineered has nothing to do with the rights of the workers to pursue, through their union, collective bargaining as protected in Section 23(1) of the Trade Union Recognition Act and Article 147 of the Guyana Constitution.

In pursuing justice in society the government has a greater responsibility, and in industrial relations, there are two agencies that

the government is expected to deal with: the employer and the workers’ organisation (trade union). It is not the role of government, however tempting it may be, to vocalise accusation that a trade union’s motive is political, because the government also risks being accused of seeking to trample the rights of workers under the guise of political accusation. Moreso such accusation creates the environment for pitting groups against each other.

The fact that GuySuCo has been able to say, without being upbraided, that it will not enter into collective bargaining with the union on a wage increase is in itself giving tacit support to breaking of the law. Doing this is also giving support to the Jagdeo and Ramotar regimes’ imposition of wages/salary increases on public servants and their refusal to hold the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BGCI) accountable to the law in regards to the outstanding grievances of bauxite workers.

GAWU’s wage proposal has been with the management of GuySuCo since March.

Management of an organisation is a day-to -day process and there exists a legal agreement between the union and company as to how grievances will be settled. Management cannot take its own time to engage the union on matters of import. The same principle holds true for public servants, bauxite workers and every management where unions exist.

The law expressly says a collective labour agreement between a company and union is legal unless otherwise stated. While workers may not be downing tools protesting, the industrial relations climate is far from what is expected, since these are issues that impact rights and freedoms. Guyana can be taken to the inter-

national forum and be censored for violating these sacred tenets.

For while the PPP got away with some violations, the fact that as a political organisation support is given to the posture and positions of GAWU, it is likely that the party will use their political clout at the international level to have this government censored. To avoid these un-pleasantries and a tarnished reputation the government has to proceed judiciously. This requires an understanding of roles. For while an attorney-at-law in a court has responsibility to defend/represent his client and present arguments to the effect, in government the role becomes applying the law, in its strictest sense, including respect for its spirit and intent.

Respect for fundamental rights and free-

God in motion

Dear Sir, With great emotion I write to compliment you and your reporter for a great human interest story on page 4 of your Saturday, November 14 edition of the Guyana Chronicle “10-year-old boy bitten by snake”. After reading this article it is incumbent on me as a former journalist in Trinidad, to send this mail, as this is truly “God In Motion”.

The story is about 10-year old Ryan Fredericks who got bitten on his leg by a Labaria snake in Port Kaituma and all the efforts and support by all personnel and authorities in saving his life. Editor, this tells the story of love, compassion and the willingness of all to put their very lives at risk to save someone else. Even in life and society when we face so many challenges, it is refreshing to see people without “thinking” ready to help and these

doms ought to guide and be the cornerstone in applying decision and recommendation, particularly by government and government institutions. The tenuous industrial relations climate reinforces the need for a Ministry of Labour, whose traditional task has been to develop and implement policies that would impact on a number of cross-cutting issues, including the accumulation of unresolved grievances. Further, the Minister of Labour is the nation’s chief conciliator in issues pertaining to industrial and labour relations.

Government is duty-bound to do what is right for the society and its people.

REGARDS, LINCOLN LEWIS

are the qualities that make us a true people.

This is about dedication and commitment to our community and country. In this situation young Fredericks’ life was at stake and I hope and pray that he will be okay. Congratulations to the Minister and the Ministry of Health , Roraima Airways and Captain Gerry Gouveia and his team, the medics and the simple men and women of Port Kaituma, and the security agencies for making this successful. Just like all those who make this happen, my life is also dedicated to the upliftment and development of young people in my town, a prosperous town of more than 110,000 residents. Sincere congratulations to all concerned, including your team at the Guyana Chronicle and “God’s Blessings” to all.

GOPAUL BOODHAN MAYOR OF CHAGUANAS TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 16, 2015

Ramayya promises a better Berbice …in spite of attempts at ‘character assassination’

By Jeune Vankeric NEWLY-appointed Regional Executive Officer [REO] for Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne), Dr Veerasammy Ramayya is out to prove his detractors wrong by getting the job done to the best of his ability.

“I will do my best; I will never make the President or the Prime Minister or the other members’ hand fall. I was placed here with the confidence of President Granger, to bring betterment to Region 6,” he told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday during an interview at his Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam office.

The bone of contention, it seems, is an article carried in the November 10, 2015 edition of the Guyana Times, under the headline, ‘Region 6 REO’s inexperience may cost residents millions: RDC Chairman’.

Noting that on reading the article at reference, he was “surprised and shocked” to learn that the unsavoury comments were coming from the

sitting regional chairman, Mr David Armogan, Ramayya said: “I see the entire article, not as a vendetta, but for the region itself, which has predominantly PPP members in the Regional Council; it is they who are stymying progress, by oppressing and saying that Berbice Region 6 is not going forward; they have their agenda of haemorrhaging the system.

“In my opinion, the vendetta that they want to execute is for character assassination, in that I am not capable of running the Region.”

He recalled that it was only a few weeks ago that a representative of the very Guyana Times called, enquiring about his qualifications. It so happened that the paper’s Berbice correspondent, Andrew Carmicheal was there at his office, so he seized the opportunity to show them to him.

MANY CERTIFICATES “He took over an hour to write the amount of certificates; I stopped him from making copies. But that ar-

ticle was never published, because they are ashamed,” Ramayya said, adding: “That by itself would allow the Chairman and the people of Region 6 to decide whether I am qualified, not as an accountant, but, I was in Real Estate. I did accountancy in college…”

But to return to the damning article of November 10, Armogan, besides deeming Ramayya unfit for the job, was also quoted as saying that although $260 million was awarded to the region for its advancement and to cater for the needs of the people in the area, only $15 million in capital works had to date been expended.

Ramayya denied this, too, saying: “I just spoke to my engineer, and we have already paid out close to $38 million as partial payment to contractors. The work that is currently in progress is worth $200 million; over 65 per cent of the capital works are completed.”

And, addressing the No-Confidence Motion which the Region 6 RDC had successfully passed at the

November 5 statutory sitting of regional councillors, Ramayya seized the opportunity to take former Alliance For Change (AFC) member, Mr Haseef Yusuf to task for his hand in the motion.

PLAYING WELL “He played the game quite well with the PPP government, by lambasting and degrading persons, but, by the same token, he is degrading himself as a person who claims to be an accountant and an intellectual,” Ramayya said of Yusuf, who now sits on the opposition benches.

Still on Yusuf’s case, Ramayya said: “I had sent him a letter, where he took government property, the Civic Centre at Belvedere, which consists of a Skills Training Centre and a playground. I got several complaints that the children were not given access to the premises.

“He was served a letter for immediate removal; that was enough for him to come up with the idea of how to remove Ramayya, the biggest threat for the PPP in

Region Six REO, Dr Veerasammy Ramayya

Region 6.

“I remember in 2011, it was Yusuf, in collaboration with myself, who joined forces to put the PPP out of power. Today, he is an opportunist, trying to be devious…

“Accordingly, the whole fabrication is coming to let the public know that I am not capable of being efficient as a REO. But, my biggest question is the fear that they have, that the programmes that I set for Berbice will not only win the support of the Afro-Guyanese, but also the Indo- Guyanese.

“They always believe that

Berbice belongs to the PPP; they are going around saying that we are doing this and we are doing that. I have never heard them say that it is the Government of the day that is executing the programmes.

“I wish that one day, the Regional Chairman can say, this Government is executing what was mentioned in the Manifesto of the 2015 campaign.”

Ramayya also made mention of another motion condemning the increase of government salaries, and the fact that the sugar factories, especially the Skeldon Estate, have surpassed their target, thereby allowing sugar workers to have an increase in payments.

“We have already found new markets for our rice; Berbice is on the progressive road,” he said, adding: “There is massive infrastructure development. In Black Bush Polder, almost all the bridges are completed. We are currently doing community bridges in the four polders. Prior to this, there was much improprieties, as materials, diesel, and lubricants were taken elsewhere.”

‘Don’t sensationalise reporting on suicide’ – urges Guyana Foundation THE Guyana Foundation is calling on the local media and all stakeholders to report responsibly on deaths by suicide, pointing out that sensationalising these issues is a setback in the fight against the scourge.

According to a statement from the foundation, suicide is a pressing public health issue that must be covered responsibly, accurately, and ethically by all stakeholders in order to minimise the effects of suicide contagion.

The foundation said this is imperative in light of the overwhelming evidence from over 50 international studies which indicate that media reports about suicide have been associated with an increased rate of suicide and suicide attempts, where the reporting explicitly details the suicide method and location, is prominent, repeated, and uses dramatic/graphic headlines or images, and sensationalises or glamorises the death.

Therefore, the Foundation is advocating that the local media and all other stakeholders urgently adopt international best practices in reporting, and public discussions about suicide, in order to avoid influencing behaviour negatively and contributing to copy-cat attempts.

Moreover, the Foundation has compiled the reporting guidelines that have been released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and various stakeholders around the world, and will make these available to all local media houses.

According to Managing Director of the Guyana Foundation, Anthony Autar, “the media plays a crucial role in influencing behaviour, and the stakes are extremely high when it comes to reporting about suicide. It is essential, therefore, that the media supports the work to reduce the suicide rate in Guyana by reporting

sensitively and sensibly on the issue.”

He added: “For instance, reporters must avoid sensational pieces, graphic headlines and images, and excessive details about the suicide method used, which are not just unhelpful but can convey the false idea that a particular method offers the quick, easy, painless and certain death that some vulnerable and at-risk individuals are seeking.

HORRIFICALLY PAINFUL “The truth is that most suicide methods are horrifically painful, with uncertain outcomes that can leave

one permanently maimed.

Moreover, most individuals who attempt to end their lives by suicide later regret it - although in some cases, this occurs too late.”

Mr Autar said greater care must also be taken to unpack the complex set of interrelated personal, social, psychological, cultural, biological and environmental factors that contribute to suicide in Guyana.

PERCEIVED ‘TRIGGERS’ He observed that too often, the perceived ‘triggers’ for a suicide -- such as the loss of a job or relationship breakup -- are oversimpli-

fied, with media reports glossing over the complex realities of suicide and its devastating impact on those left behind.

“We believe that if the local media adopts the WHO’s reporting guidelines on suicide, it can play a key role in changing public misconception, correcting myths, and encouraging vulnerable individuals to seek help.”

The Guyana Foundation has endorsed the WHO’s recommendations for suicide reporting.

These recommendations are: take the opportunity to educate the public about suicide; avoid lan-

guage which sensationalises or normalises suicide, or presents it as a solution to problems; avoid prominent placement and undue repetition of stories about suicide; avoid explicit description of the method used in a completed or attempted suicide; avoid providing detailed information about the site of a completed or attempted suicide; word headlines carefully; exercise caution in using photographs or video footage; take particular care in reporting celebrity suicides; show due consideration for people bereaved by suicide; and provide information about where to seek help.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 16, 2015

Local Muslim bodies condemn Paris attacks

– as ‘atrocity against all civilised people’ THE Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC) and the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (SADR) have joined other Muslim organisations throughout the world in severely condemning the terrorist attacks in Paris that resulted in the loss of over one hundred lives and severe injuries to hundreds of others.

ACIC President General Hakeem Khan said no religious teaching can justify or condone the barbaric and ruthless killings.

“We wish to express to the government and people of France our deepest condolences and our prayers, especially to the family and loved ones of those who died in the attack. In order for peace to reign throughout the world, brutality and hatred must be swiftly condemned and punished,” the ACIC President said.

He also said that the Paris

attack was an act by those who engage in tyranny and oppression under the name of Islam, and such acts have no place in Islam and must be condemned by all.

“Islam rejects and condemns every form of terrorism. Islam is not a shade for the justification of any act of violence against humans and humanity, whether committed by an individual, group or country. Certainly, freedom of religion and expression is one of the fundamental rights recognised in the international world and is enshrined in democratic values. But this right as well as other human rights and freedoms have bounds and limits, and no one has the right to abuse this right and impose one’s religious beliefs on others,” Khan underscored.

No religion, Khan added, can be portrayed by brutality, killing, oppression and misguidance. No Muslim allows himself to be

overwhelmed by fanaticism through misguided ideology to take actions to which Islam prohibits.

“Where do you find that the Prophet and his Companions murdered the innocent?

These attacks must be seen as provocative to any sane human being. The senseless violence, attacks and killings carried out by Muslims under the banner of Islam is an atrocity against all civilised people.”

The organisations indicated their support to the Government of France in hunting down and bringing to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

“These persons are traitors to Islam and humanity.

They have brought shame and disgrace to Islam and have declared that in their world, there is no room for differences and the resolving of same in a civilised manner.”

He continued: “We

ACIC President General Hakeem Khan

again reiterate the call for all of humanity to fight this ideology that is bringing wanton destruction to our civilised world. Unless we can eradicate this baseless ideology of these terrorists, others will continue to be indoctrinated to the evil ideology. We again express our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of France.”

Closed season for hunting of wild birds

– from January 1 to May 31, 2016 THE Guyana Wildlife Authority has announced that from the beginning of the New Year to May 31, 2016, there is a closed season for the hunting and capture of wild birds.

The Authority also stated that during this season it will be an offence under the Wild Birds Protection Act to capture, wound, kill, offer for sale or purchase birds during this period.

Guyana and Suriname are at present the only countries in the Caribbean that engage in this type of trade, and as such its scope for expansion is promising.

The Wildlife Division, which monitors the trade by issuing permits and making mandatory checks on the holding facilities, had made adjustments to the key laws.

Guyana is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – an international agreement between governments which aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

The Wildlife Division is said to earn up to $50

Macaws are in high demand overseas

million annually from the trade. There are 17 licenced wildlife exporters but only 12 are permitted to export birds.

Guyana’s birds, especially the finches (“twa-twa”) and macaws, are in high demand overseas, especially in Europe, fetching in some cases, thousands of US dollars apiece.

While some people are smuggling the birds for themselves, others are bird ‘mules’ hired for the job.

They can sometimes make almost US$15,000 for a single flight, transporting as many as 90 birds at a time, depending on how many birds survive the trip, according to a report.

Patterson: Energy sector set for massive transformation

By Rabindra Rooplall

THOUGH Guyana has the capacity to produce energy by way of a variety of sources, be it water, the sun, biomass or wind, the local energy sector is poised for transformation with the development of hydro-electricity, which promises a more reliable, cost-effective and renewable form of energy.

That’s according to Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, who made the disclosure in a message to mark Energy Week 2015, which was observed from November 8 - 14.

Energy, he said, is integral to a country’s economic growth and development, as it supports diverse economic activities, such as transportation, agriculture and manufacturing, all of which undoubtedly are key sectors

of development.

As such, as of November 10, there was documented installation of more than 1MW of solar photo-voltaic systems across Guyana, with an estimated annual production of 2 GWh. Many of these systems, the Minister said, were installed under the Hinterland Electrification Programme.

He also said there has been development of solar grid-tie applications and distribution of 507 solar cooking stoves to hinterland communities.

He said electricity in these remote riverine villages advances socio-economic benefits through small businesses, health facilities and education.

Patterson noted that support will also be given to solar photovoltaic and wind resource development, using grid-tie and off-grid applications.

Options for inter-connecting renewable energy generators to the grid will be reviewed and explored towards the implementation of grid-tied systems and net-metering platform, he said.

NEW CLIMATE PACT Minister Patterson said Guyana has maintained its stance on energy and sustainable development issues, and has been preparing for participation at the UN-led climate conference in Paris in December 2015, which is set to deliver a new universal climate change agreement.

The new agreement is aimed at putting the world firmly on track to a low-carbon, sustainable future that keeps a global temperature rise under 2 degrees C. “Guyana’s efforts in sustainable development,” he said, “are in accordance with its energy policy, which has

the objectives of providing a stable, reliable and economic supply of energy; reducing dependency on imported fuels; promoting, where possible, the increased utilisation of domestic resources; and ensuring energy is used in an environmentally-sound and sustainable manner.”

Regarding the energy efficiency initiative, he said legislation has been amended to remove duty and tax barriers to the importation of renewable energy equipment, compact fluorescent lamps and LED lamps, and to incentivise and motivate energy-efficient behaviour.

Coupled with public education and awareness programmes, consumers are encouraged to reduce their energy consumption.

MORE TO BE DONE While these achievements are not without their chal-

lenges, Minister Patterson said there is still additional work to be done to strengthen the country’s energy security.

As a low-lying state, Guyana is vulnerable to the impacts of rising temperatures stemming from increased greenhouse-gas emissions.

Also, the threat of climate change is very real, and we are compelled to take action by switching to alternative sources of energy, Patterson said.

“The other pillar of sustainable energy, energy efficiency, is equally important, given that minor behavioural changes can lead to improved efficiency, less wastage, and significant reduction in energy consumption. A small shift in demand, based on increased energy efficiency, can lead to savings of millions of dollars in the country’s oil import bill,” he

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

stressed.

Previously observed in Guyana in the 1980s, this year marks the fifth staging of CARICOM Energy Week, highlighting Guyana’s continued commitment to ensuring that stable, reliable and affordable energy is provided to all persons in Guyana, within an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable framework, Minister Patterson stated.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 16, 2015

Harmon gives Over 50 litterbugs prosecuted personally towards street light projects

– as litter wardens secure ‘Green City’ initiative

MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon has begun donating his salary increases in aid of street lights, for several villages across the country.

Speaking at the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR) Regional Conference held yesterday at the Vreed en Hoop Secondary School, Minister Harmon noted that he had been approached by the residents of Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, for street lights to be installed in preparation for Village Day 2015.

It was reported that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) did not have a budget-

ary allocation for the installation of street lights.

“I took my salary for the month of June and I gave it to the people of Pouderoyen to run their lights,” Minister Harmon said.

Soon after, he was approached by residents of Crane Housing Scheme, who were facing a similar problem.

“I promised them that I would do something for them and so today I donate to the people of Crane, the value of the salary increase I received for this month,” he said.

This was followed by the Minister handing over a cheque for the sum of $217,000 to Mr Bowman, a

resident of the Crane Housing Scheme, for the installation of street lights, which will be placed from the highway, into the Housing Scheme.

Minister Harmon has promised to donate his November increase to the community of Angoys Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice and the December salary increase will be given to a community on the Essequibo Coast.

The Ministry of the Presidency release said the Minister of State encouraged those present to become their brother’s keeper and to assist the government in the pursuit of its goal of national unity.

THE anti-litter squad of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has so far accounted for the prosecution of over 50 litterbugs, as they move to rid the city of refuse and restore it to its former glory.

The council has embarked on several clean-up initiatives but some exercises proved futile due to many negative factors, a significant one being irresponsible persons who constantly dispose of their litter improperly, thereby clogging drains and rendering the city unsightly.

However, recently, the council embarked on a new project, the ‘Green City’ initiative, which has so far been successful. A contributory factor in this success is the work of the new Anti-Litter Unit and the litter wardens who patrol the streets of Central Georgetown looking for persons who improperly dispose of their waste.

In an invited comment, Public Relations Officer

(PRO) of the M&CC, Debra Lewis noted that “the new litter wardens have been very effective since their introduction into the system.”

She said also that the litter wardens have accounted for the prosecution of over 50 persons, who were either sentenced or made to pay a fine.

Lewis highlighted that so far the corps consists of

six litter wardens, which will soon see the addition of four or five persons due to the recent recruitment of City Constables.

Currently they are positioned in Central Georgetown, but as time goes by the unit will expand, spreading out to other areas around the Capital City.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 16, 2015

Young writers elated – at being shortlisted for Guyana Prize for Literature

By Tajeram Mohabir KEISHA McCammon and Subraj Singh both count it a huge personal achievement to be named among those shortlisted for the Guyana Prize for Literature.

For the two young writers, being nominated is a morale-boosting victory, and whether or not they win, it has given them encouragement to continue writing and have their works published.

Both McCammon and Singh have been shortlisted in the Best Book of Fiction category for the Guyana Prize.

The announcement of winners in all the categories of the prestigious prize will be disclosed at a grand award ceremony slated for November 29.

McCammon’s book is entitled “Dancehall Lyrics: Top of the Charts”. According to the Prize Committee, the book is a fast-moving contemporary work of fiction which centres on a much-acclaimed Dancehall singer, Aaron Mills (known as AM). The committee says the book casts interesting light on the Dancehall music scene in Guyana.

Singh’s “Rebelle and Other Stories” has been described as a first collection of wonderfully written short stories, rich with the flavour, culture and folklore of coastal Guyana.

THE SEALED DEAL Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, McCammon, a for-

Subraj Singh

Keisha McCammon

mer journalist who now works as a producer at the Guyana Learning Channel, said her work was born after five years in the making.

The pleasant young lady related that she had submitted her work with an open mind, and was thrilled when she learnt of her nomination in the Best First Book of Fiction category of the prize.

“I feel great! I am extremely happy. This is a great encouragement for me, a young writer, and young writers in general,” McCammon told this publication.

She got her inspiration to write her novel while watching Jamaican Dancehall artiste Konshens perform at a concert in New Amsterdam, Berbice in 2010. That performance, the young writer said, “sealed the deal”, and she began writing the very next day.

McCammon finished the script in 2013, but had to do

some fine-turning. She managed to get all done in time for submission for the Guyana Prize.

The focus of the book is not only on Dancehall Music, as it also, in some detail, shows the power of the media.

The young writer related that the writers’ workshop was of much help, and she thanked Ruel Johnson, who has twice won the prize, for his help and encouragement.

McCammon says she intends to make writing a career, but writers in Guyana face many challenges when it comes to getting their works published by reputable publishing houses. She said that, with a strong support system for writers, this problem could be circumvented.

But being nominated, the young lady said, is a great encouragement for her to continue writing and putting forward her works for publication.

Gov’t to cap ozone depleting substances from 2016 AS a party to the Montreal Protocol, Guyana will be capping the importation of all hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) refrigerants, and importers are being asked to register with the National Ozone Action Unit if they wish to import for the year 2016, according to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture George Jarvis.

Although there are currently 34 controlled HCFCs, only a few are commonly used. The most widely used have been HCFC-22 (usually a refrigerant), HCFC-141b (a solvent and foam-blowing agent), and HCFC-142b (a foam-blowing agent and component in refrigerant blends). Registration closes on December 18, 2015.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, under the Trade Act (Cap:91:01) “no ozone depleting substance listed in the first schedule shall be im-

ported by an importer unless otherwise registered with the National Ozone Action Unit and the importer obtain a permit from it in respect of that substance in the form as per the second schedule on payment of a fee of one thousand dollars.”

The Ministry further noted that no importer shall import any equipment containing ozone depleting substances or that require ozone depleting substances for its continued operation, unless it is approved for medical purposes.

GREENHOUSE GASES Damaging greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) could be steadily phased out, UN climate officials have recommended.

These gases can warm the atmosphere thousands of times more than carbon dioxide and stay there for hundreds of years.

To date some progress has been made under the UN Frame-

work Convention on Climate Change.

Although many nations, including the USA, have backed the idea previously, this is the first time a deadline for action has been suggested by Guyana.

Chemical giant DuPont says the gradual phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 100 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2050.

The firm, which manufactures HFCs as well as develops replacements, says that action on HFCs taken through the Montreal Protocol could lead to a massive boost for the environment.

At the moment, HFCs account for less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. A UN coalition on short-lived climate pollutants estimates this could rise to between seven per cent and 19 per cent by 2050 if climate-friendly replacements are not found.

A CRAVE FOR CHANGE Singh, who graduated on Saturday from the University of Guyana (UG) with distinction in Literature, also credited Johnson, several other writers, and his lecturer for their guidance and support. He had initially started UG as a Biology major, but switched to Literature after the first year.

“Creating a change in people and society is some-

thing I really want to do. I found that writing provides that avenue, and I chose to do something that is more in line with what I want to do in contributing to the process of change,” the young man told the Guyana Chronicle.

“Rebelle and Other Stories” consists of nine innovatively crafted short stories on social and political issues that are very close to the writer.

Being among the shortlisted for the prize, he said, is a huge “shot in the arm,” as it will aid in the growth and development of his career as

a writer.

“I feel proud and honoured to be shortlisted,” Singh told the Guyana Chronicle.

The other writer shortlisted in the Best Book of Fiction category is Reuben Latchmansingh. His work is named “A Dip at the Sangam2”, which is a work of historical fiction about the abduction of the protagonist Raja from his Indian home, his transportation to the cane fields of Guyana, his experiences and success in Guyana, and his eventual return to India.

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Jagdeo caused tension with GAWU – former House Speaker Ralph Ramkarran FORMER President and now Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has been known to be a controversial man, and to many, his leadership style has been a loss for the PPP rather than a gain.

Former longstanding PPP Executive Ralph Ramkarran writing in his weekly blog ‘Conversation Tree’, said the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) has been historically close to the PPP, but tension developed under Jagdeo.

“The slow but unmistakable deterioration in relations between the PPP and GAWU began to take shape during the latter period of the first Jagdeo administration. The personal leadership techniques of Mr Jagdeo, together with the beginning signs of production and other problems in the industry, which the union was persistent in highlighting both privately and publicly to no avail, and other factors which cannot be recounted here, led to leadership differences between the PPP and GAWU,” Mr Ramkarran said.

He noted that industry woes and growing leadership tension led to increased militancy. The militancy had exasperated the Jagdeo-led government to the point where it threatened to de-recognise the union.

Both the PPP and GAWU were aghast at this threat. According to Ramkarran, the Jagdeo-led Government was seeking to undo what a People’s National Congress (PNC) Government was forced to do after

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

much struggle and suffering from colonial times.

A TERRIBLE REMINDER He pointed out that it reminded sugar workers of the worst days of colonialism. And with sugar production in dramatic decline and GAWU and sugar workers disaffected, the Alliance For Change (AFC) reaped the political benefits in the 2011 and 2015 elections.

But the former Speaker of the House said a distinction has to be drawn between the political and industrial.

He explained that political differences between the leadership of the PPP and GAWU have never excited the passion that industrial differences led to.

“Boysie Ramkarran, leader of GAWU in the critical 1970s and 1980s, had no political problem with the PPP, but walked away prematurely from both the PPP and GAWU in 1985 after an influential section of the PPP insisted, against

Ralph Ramkarran

his strong opposition, on the prolongation of the Lysons strike in the early 1980s, resulting in the closure of the facility and the loss of the jobs of 900 women.”

Current GAWU President Komal Chand was a strong supporter of Jagdeo’s selection of Donald Ramotar as the PPP’s presidential candidate.

NO FUNDAMENTAL QUARREL Chand, Ramkarran said, may disagree with Jagdeo’s leadership style and may not have supported him for the position of Leader of the Opposition, but he has no fundamental quarrel with Jagdeo’s political analysis, strategy and objective.

POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS He noted that the threeday strike by GAWU, just as GuySuCo is poised to meet its target for the first time after many years, for a reason that can be generously described as insubstantial – a plea for patience by GuySuCo until it considers the

report of the Commission of Inquiry – must lead the government to the conclusion that it was motivated by political considerations.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo two Fridays ago called on sugar workers not to go on strike after the union had threatened another three-day strike.

The industry heeded the Prime Minister’s appeal and the union had said that it will seek other constructive

measures to get GuySuCo to return to the bargaining table.

Sugar production slumped from 327,000 metric tonnes in the 1960s to an average of below 250,000 tonnes between 2008 and 2014.

Additionally, under the former administration, the sugar industry never came close to realising the promised 500,000 tonnes target.

Between 2009 and 2015

GuySuCo not only failed to make a profit, but suffered estimated total losses of $67.8 billion.

GAWU, Ramkarran said, needs to reflect on the fact that its own government sought to curb the militancy and general fortunes of the Guyana Public Service Union which, some would say, suffered dramatic declines when it terminated the agency shop agreement.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

Guyana reduces pneumonia impact on children under five

GUYANA has been able to reduce the impact of pneumonia on the under-five population, largely through specialised programmes which are geared mostly towards young children.

Making this declaration was Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings during her message on World Pneumonia Day which was observed on November 12 (last Thursday).

“This day is set aside to raise awareness about pneumonia. The opportunity is also taken to highlight strategies on the protection against pneumonia, as well as outline measures that would aid in the prevention and treatment of the disease,” said Dr Cummings.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), worldwide, pneumonia is the single largest cause of death in children under five years, and the impact is mostly seen in the poor and marginalised communities.

The Millennium Development Goals (Number 4) address the issue of child mortality, calling for a decrease in the rate of under-five mortality by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015.

There have been some successes in achieving this goal, as the under-five mortality rate has declined by more than half over the last 25 years, dropping from 90 to 43 per 1000 live births (12.7 million in 1990 to almost 6 million in 2015). But in spite of these statistics, pneumonia continues to be the leading cause of death in

young children in this population.

“Guyana, nevertheless has managed to reduce the impact of the disease on our under-five population largely because of programmes such as the Integrated

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings Management of Childhood Illnesses and our strong Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI),” said the Minister, while noting that children are routinely vaccinated.

Being vaccinated with Pentavalent, Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) vac-

cine protects children against pneumonia.

However, she noted that if the children still contract an infection, which could lead to pneumonia, the health workers are trained to recognise the signs of worsening trauma in order to make timely referrals so that children can receive adequate treatment.

BREAST–FEEDING She also stressed the importance of remembering that pneumonia can be caused by a number of preventable agents, including toxic smoke from indoor cooking, poor sanitation, and limited ventilation of homes. Notwithstanding such causes, there are several ways to prevent children dying from pneumonia. The most significant of the prevention strategies is breastfeeding the child.

Dr Cummings explained that for the first six months of a child’s life, the antibodies that the child needs to fight an infection come from the mother and are passed to the child through breast-feeding.

This is one of the reasons that it is extremely important to breastfeed exclusively during the first six months of a child’s life.

“It is essential to note that even if the child does become ill, once that child is being breastfed, the illness will have a shorter duration. Giving children nutritious meals consisting of lots of fruits, vegetables and water when the time is

right, complements this good nutritional start,” said Minister Cummings.

Further, parents and guardians also need to ensure that children are taken to a health clinic on a regular basis so that they can receive all their vaccines and can also be monitored by a healthcare provider.

Encouraging good hygiene is another point that cannot be over-emphasised. At an early age, children have to be taught to wash their hands, especially after coughing or sneezing, to prevent the spread of germs.

If a child has been diagnosed with pneumonia, and given medication, it is imperative that the parents and guardians ensure that the child is given the correct dose of the medication for the prescribed duration.

It must be noted that this serious respiratory illness is preventable. Moreover, early detection and treatment can result in saved lives.

The Ministry of Public Health is committed to ensuring that all children are given the opportunity to develop and grow into productive adults, equipped to contribute meaningfully to society.

“This commitment could only be realised if we educate our parents and all caregivers. Our children will be made safe through provision of vaccines and adequate healthcare facilities. Thus Guyana will continue to be unswerving in its fight against pneumonia,” asserted Dr Cummings.

GGMC conducting safety ––to reduce activities in hinterland mining fatalities THE Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has commenced a series of mine safety activities in the hinterland region.

These activities aim to bring awareness to miners and mining managers of safety procedures that will lessen the probability of the occurrences of mining fatalities in their respective territorial boundary.

The intended beneficiaries are operating in areas where mining fatalities have occurred or they are susceptible to such incidents. These are Lower Cuyuni, Puruni (Lower Mazaruni), North West and Imbaimadai.

In addition to this exercise, the commission will commence training of field officers to equip miners with

the necessary safety protocols that should be practised according to their unique territorial features.

This training will be carried out by a structural engineering firm that will focus on soil, groundwork, slope and earth mechanics so that there is an applied approach to the monitoring function.

According to the GGMC, several breaches of mining policies have been reported and since the miners claim that they were not aware of breaking safety procedures, measures are being put in place to edify them on these and if any future reports of non-compliance is made, operations will be halted with immediate effect.

“MARACK MAN” One guideline that seems to be often broken is that of the “marack man” and other workers in the mining pit who must be positioned at a distance of at least 1 ½ times the height of the active mine face. This measure is to allow some reasonable factor of safety for such persons should the active mine face fail.

Failure to comply with this guideline has caused several mining fatalities over the past months. One of the most tragic occurred on May 18 where 10 miners were buried alive at Pepper Creek, Konawaruk. Prior to these mine safety procedures, injunctions were made against GGMC by the court barring them from enforcing regulations. This resulted in several

mining tragedies.

Therefore, field officers were armed with Standard Operating Procedures in respect of Regulation 214, whereby a mines officer has the power to order work to cease if in his/her opinion the said work was being done in a manner that endangers life and limb according to GGMC. In addition to these, miners were requested to have in their employ a safety officer to place signage on safety within their camps and to encourage a safety culture among workers.

The GGMC is cognisant of the increase in mining deaths in 2015 and are using these arrangements to minimise such tragedies by bringing awareness to everyone involved in the process of gold and diamond mining.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

Charge passengers in loud, overloaded busses

By Shauna Jemmott AS Guyana joined the world in commemorating the United Nations World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, some influential voices have made strident calls for safer roads, including charging of passengers in loud and overloaded busses.

Sunday the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) collaborated with the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department in a rally which began at the Kitty Seawall and ended at the Guyana Police Force Seawall Band Stand in Kingston, both in Georgetown, to observe the day set aside for remembrance of those killed on the roadways.

Hundreds of persons from various support groups also joined the rally. Awards in the form of trophies were distributed to Ministry of Public Health Peer Educators, the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) dream team, and a group of youths from West Coast Demerara and Mahaica, East Coast Demerara for their work in promoting road safety.

Addressing the occasion, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson said the administration is doing all it can to ensuring better, safer roads, and has adopted a new approach in which sidewalks for pedestrian will be built along every newly-constructed public roadway.

Along with the construction of better roads, an increase in road-crossing signs, bus stops, and speed bumps are being placed in front of every school, all in an effort to ensure the safety of all road users.

Notwithstanding all of this, road accidents seem unavoidable.

“I can build better roads, safer roads with money… I can put in as many side-

walks as possible, what we can’t get is our pedestrians using the sidewalks. We still have way too many road accidents in our country. No matter how much and how well we improve our road infrastructure, if we don’t improve our mentality… they will all be a wasted efforts,” he stated.

The Minister also answered a call made earlier by Mothers in Black for permission to erect road safety signs at various locations. He pointed out that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has already begun work in this regard.

–– says Road Safety Council executive

of incentives to school children and the elderly to ensure safer travel.

“It is my intention to bring back the bigger buses on the longer routes. It is my hope that if we have the bigger, better, safer buses, carnage on the roads will be reduced.”

He later told the Chronicle that he is seeking to have a number of the 50 and 30 seater buses for long distance routes.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security

The hundreds who joined the road safety march from the Kitty Seawall to the Guyana Police Force Seawall Band Stand, Kingston, yesterday (Cullen-Bess Nelson photo)

BIG BUSSES He also disclosed that the Ministry has begun working on a proposal for the return of the big buses and granting

Khemraj Ramjattan reiterated his call for all to take an individual approach towards road safety.

He said while the government is listening to the voices of the people who are lobbying against road deaths, youths have

a role to play in ensuring safer roads.

GNRSC Executive Secretary Earl Lambert reminded that the United Nations designated day is observed every year in remembrance of the millions killed or injured in road accidents.

CHARGING PASSENGERS TOO Lambert said the carnage on Guyana’s roadways is unacceptable, and everyone has a role to play in stopping it.

On that score, he called for passengers to be charged whenever a bus is overloaded and/or plays loud music.

“If you are going to charge a bus driver and leave out the passenger who would have been allowing that fool to drive that killer machine in that reckless manner, it means that we are not going to make progress. I support charging passengers in that bus and when people know that they will have to pay a fine I am certain that they will be the ones to stop the recklessness,” he said.

He also called for tighter measures to be put in place to prevent drivers from buying their licences.

Denise Dias of the Alicea’s Foundation and Mothers in Black said the mayhem on the road has joined family violence and other problems to “become a virus”.

“We hear, we read and we see. We witness heart-breaking events of lives lost and our children’s future destroyed within seconds. Road deaths and casualties are accelerating beyond the speed limits and no matter how much those who are supposedly in control and behind the wheel, we as a nation must take off our eye masks and ear masks and we have to do something,” she said.

Trucker dies while negotiating bend on Potaro Road ––three injured colleagues admitted to GPHC

HIS stopping for a drink on the Itabali/ Puruni trail was Region 7 truck driver, Jermaine Khan’s undoing, as he subsequently lost his life after crashing the vehicle he was driving.

The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday afternoon when the truck, which was laden with mining supplies headed to a hinterland mining camp and veered off the roadway into the bushes at the side of the road, thereby bringing it to a halt.

Three other persons who were travelling in the same vehicle survived the ordeal, but Khan, 36, of One Mile, Potaro, Bartica was pronounced dead on arrival at the Bartica Hospital, after being pulled from the wreckage. The team reportedly worked for a Russian mining company.

The injured have been identified as Ronald Singh, Leroy Benjamin and Damon John, who were all brought by speedboat from Bartica to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where they were admitted.

Reports are that the driver was so intoxicated, he lost control of the truck while negotiating a turn on a hillside

on the Potaro Road, which caused him to eventually crash into a tree before coming to a halt. Rescuers had to use a welding torch to free the trapped driver from the wreckage. The others had somehow managed to free themselves from the vehicle.

Reports further reveal that the truck had early Saturday morning used the Mekdeci Crossing on its way to an unnamed mining camp. Along the way, however, the driver and passengers opted to have a few drinks at an Itabali Landing watering hole, before hitting the trail again at around 15:00 hours.

Half an hour later, persons heading in the same direction as the ill-fated truck in an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) recalled hearing the ominous sound of a vehicle in trouble.

And heading to the direction where the noise came from, they saw that a section of the forest had been mowed down by the impact and the truck tucked away more than 100 feet off the trail.

One of the injured men being taken to the Bartica Hospital via speedboat Saturday after the accident (Photo courtesy of Demerara waves)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 16, 2015

Indigenous communities live complex lives – in area falsely claimed by Venezuela LP, WHOSE identity will not be revealed for security reasons, belongs to the Pemón Arekuna indigenous community located in Sakaiká, 125 kilometres from Santa Elena de Uairén.

Santa Elena is the main city in Venezuela’s Gran Sabana district, close to the remote borderlands that separate the country from Brazil and Guyana. Every time LP wants to go back

to her birthplace with her family, she takes a taxi or bus to Sakaiká, and goes deep into the jungle.

This region, currently called “Guyana”, was once called Ikén by LP’s ancestors, according to Mariano Gutiérrez Salazar’s book, Pemon Culture (Cultura Pemón, UCAB 2002). The large territorial extension is highlighted on some Venezuelan maps as Guayana Esequiba, or

“Zona en Reclamación” (Reclamation Zone), but it is avoided in many others.

Administered by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, it is a zone which the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela claims as part of its territory.

LP was born in Parima, an Arekuna community located on the other side of the Schomburgk Line, a border delineated in the 19th century following

a boundary dispute between Venezuela and British Guiana (now Guyana). When her birth certificate was issued, however, she was listed as a native of San Rafael de Kamoirán, a Pemón Arekuna community.

The Parima community was converted to Adventism by foreign missionaries in the first half of the 20th century. A dispatch published in the Adventist Missions Quarterly (Third Quarter, 1942) provides an insight into the nature of the conversion of the Pari-

ma community: “Brother and Sister R. E. Brooks are at Parima Mission. They have a large number in their baptismal classes, and many were baptised in 1941. Indians come from Venezuela to study, and they carry the message back. Catholic priests and generals from Venezuela have visited Parima, and they speak highly of our good work and our methods employed in teaching. Brother Brooks is a coloured man from Nicaragua, but was brought up among the Indians, and he seems to be well suited to work for them.”

LP and her relatives carry provisions during an eight-hour hike through the jungle to Parima. There is no customs office to report to. Sometimes, she says, they stop halfway before crossing the river, so they can cook, bathe and rest until dawn. The next morning, after breakfast, they pick up the trail to their destination.

LP pronounces the word Parima with an accent. Her native language is Arekuna, and she learnt to speak English at a young age.

She was able to master Spanish — the region’s lingua franca — once her parents left Parima Mission to spread the gospel among the Taurepán community, with whom they share the same language.

LP is officially Pemón Arekuna. Since the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela came into force in 1999, the new national ID card recognises the community and even indigenous group she belongs to.

She estimates that several indigenous groups reside in the Essequibo region of Guyana: Sarao, Warao, Arawako, Kariña, Patamuná, Arekuna, Akawaio, Wapishana, Makushi and Wai Wai; but many of these groups also live on both sides of the border, and have been prosecuted by the Department of Immigration and Foreign Services for remaining in Santa Elena undocumented.

“If they come back, they will be deported to Esequibo,” says LP. Venezuelan authorities demand that Warao people identify themselves as Pemón, so as to avoid being taken for Guayanés, a discriminatory strategy that denies them their origins.

The Arawako, which are the most numerous, along with Warao, Kariña, Arekuna and Akawaios, live both

in Venezuela and Guayana.

Santa Elena de Uairén, Tumeremo and Puerto Ordaz are three locations in Venezuela’s Bolívar State where these groups go to hospitals and collect daily provisions. They identify themselves as Guyanese or Amerindian.

Governments from each side of the border barely know about it, but there is a group of Brazilian and Venezuelan citizens searching for gold and diamonds in the region. According to LP, there are even “Chinese extracting wood” there, too.

DD’S STORY During the 1930s and 1940s, DD’s grandparents — relatives of LP’s grandparents — “were rebels, they refused to wear clothes and to go to church.” They left Parima and went deep into Kuyuní region. They settled in Inawai, as far up as Las Claritas, where an Adventist mission later arrived, which they joined.

According to DD: “From Las Claritas, 88 kilometres on to San Martín de Turumbán, near Tumeremo (Sifontes district in Bolívar State), English is the dominant language between the Indigenous people.”

DD believes the San Rafael de Kamoirán and Parima Mission are one and the same: both Arekuna communities. San Rafael de Kamoirán was evangelised

by Catholic missionaries at the same time that Parima was evangelised by the Adventists.

San Martín de Turumbán as well as San Ignacio de Yuruaní, both districts of Bolívar State, are communities that were founded by Indigenous people from the Essequibo, those who once accepted the Venezuelan nationality but later became refugees.

Regarding the boundary controversy between Venezuela and Guyana, DD says: “That problem is nonsense to us. People from both sides of the border have been visiting each other.”

In the book Cultura pemón, several pages are dedicated to the Makunaimas, intrepid characters in Pemón legends.

One story runs that Wei, the Sun, and a father to all Makunaimas, “like a good Pemón, travels to Ikén in search for provisions.”

In this sense, his descendants are following in his footsteps, however difficult the journey. (Global Voices)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 16, 2015

US$14M to upgrade Bartica, West Dem, Suddie hospitals – new pack being negotiated for Speciality Hospital THE US$14 million balance of the US$18 million loan by Exim Bank of India to build the Specialty Hospital will now be used to improve health care delivery at the Bartica, West Demerara and Suddie Regional Hospitals.

Minister of State and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Executive Joseph Harmon speaking at a party regional conference in Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara, yesterday said the government has negotiated with the Indian Government to use the US$14 million to upgrade the regional hospitals.

This new arrangement, he said, would see the unused funds from the original deal being channelled towards the upgrade of three of the country’s regional hospitals, while a new pact is currently being negotiated for the funding of the proposed Specialty

Minister of State and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Executive Joseph Harmon addresses the regional conference at Vreed en Hoop in the presence of party officials (Cullen Bess Nelson Photo)

Hospital.

The Minister of State said that the upgrades to the regional hospitals are necessary at this time since many persons have been bypassing the regional hospitals and going instead to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

He said that persons were making that choice due to conditions existing at the regional facilities. With the planned upgrades, the Minister said this will no longer be the case.

“The Georgetown Public Hospital is facing the pressure but what we will do is

to ensure that the primary health care centres and hospitals are operational for the people. They must all have trained professionals and drugs and medication.

We are going to spend every cent of the US $14 million on primary health care,” Mr Harmon was quoted by the Ministry of the Presidency as saying.

He explained that the move to suspend construction on the facility while the government was in Opposition resulted from delayed timelines and inadequate accountability for public

funds by the contracting firm, India-based Surendra Engineering Company Limited (SECL).

“When we were in the National Assembly, we asked for copies of the agreement. We wanted to see all of the facts and the documents in relation to the Specialty Hospital, put on the table for debate but they never did

that. Instead what they did was enter into a shady agreement with a company, which robbed the country of its taxpayers’ money and after that, suing the company for fraud and all of that, knowing fully well that they were a part of it,” Minister Harmon said.

He was at the time referencing reports that the company had issued to the Guy-

ana Government, a forged document purporting to have emanated from the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT).

Minister Harmon has committed the government to transparency if and when the new deal is brokered for the Specialty Hospital to become a reality.

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Monday, November 16, 2015 - 08:30 hrs Tuesday, November 17, 2015 - 08:30 hrs Wednesday, November 18, 2015 - 09:30 hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

Miss Guyana Universe 2015...

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Taylor double century puts New Zealand in touch ... Williamson hits 166 in record partnership, Starc bowls delivery at 160 kph

By David Gray PERTH,(Reuters)- Ross Taylor scored the first double century by a New Zealander against Australia to drive the tourists to within 49 runs of the hosts’ tally on 510 for six at the close of play on the third day of the second Test yesterday.

The 31-year-old righthander shared a record partnership of 265 runs with Kane Williamson, who scored 166, as the tourists finally got on the front foot after losing the first Test by 208 runs and conceding a torrent of runs at the start of the second.

Taylor’s innings was already the highest of his career and, after finishing the day on 235 not out, he could yet eclipse the 253 David Warner contributed to Australia’s first innings 559-9 declared.

Q u es tio n s w ill b e asked about the quality of the WACA wicket after more a than a thousand runs were scored in three days but Australia’s Mitchell Starc showed there was life in the track with one frightening spell of new-ball bowling.

The left-arm paceman hit the 160 kilometres per hour mark with one delivery, took a chunk out of New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum’s bat with another and created a string of chances which all failed to go to hand.

It was the more pedestrian pace of Josh Hazlewood that broke the third-wicket partnership when Williamson toe-ended an attempted pull to Mitchell Johnson at mid-on, while Mitchell

Marsh’s 130-kph effort clean bowled McCullum for 27.

Starc (2-83) did get some reward for his fiery efforts with a full toss that BJ Watling (1) slapped to Nathan Lyon at point and Johnson (1-131) removed Doug Bracewell for 12 to claim his 311th Test wicket.

That moved the 34-year-old ahead of Brett Lee and into fourth place in the list of Australian Test wicket-takers with only Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee ahead of him.

Throughout all that excitement, though, Taylor batted on assiduously and courageously through 308 balls, peppering the boundaries with 34 fours.

The partnership with Williamson, who scored his fourth century in nine innings this year, was the highest by any New Zealand pair against Australia and the ninth highest by any visiting batsmen in the country.

Resuming on 26 with New Zealand 140 for two, Taylor looked as unsettled as Williamson was assured at the other end for the first hour.

He looked more and more comfortable as the day wore on, however, and after Williamson secured his 12th Test century, the former captain pipped him with his 13th soon after lunch by cutting spinner Lyon to the third man boundary. Passing 5,000 career Test runs on the way, he brought up the double century off Starc from his 31st four with yet another of the fine cover drives that had studded his innings.

SCOREBOARD AUSTRALIA 1st innings 559 for 9 decl (D. Warner 253, U. Khawaja 121) New Zealand 1st innings (Overnight: 140-2) M. Guptill lbw b Starc 1 T. Latham c Smith b Lyon 36 K. Williamson c Johnson b Hazlewood 166 R. Taylor not out 235 B. McCullum b M. Marsh 27 B. Watling c Lyon b Starc 1 D. Bracewell c Nevill b Johnson 12 M. Craig not out 7 Extras (b-7 lb-10 nb-3 w-5) 25 Total (for 6 wickets, 129 overs) 510 Fall of wickets: 1-6 M. Guptill,2-87 T. Latham,3-352 K. Williamson,4-432 B. McCullum,5-447 B. Watling,6-485 D. Bracewell To bat: M. Henry, T. Southee, T. Boult Bowling: M. Starc 30 - 6 - 83 – 2,J. Hazlewood 27 - 2 - 98 - 1(nb-1), M. Johnson 24 - 2 - 131 - 1(w-1),N. Lyon 30 - 4 - 93 - 1 M. Marsh 15 - 1 - 73 - 1(nb-2) S. Smith 3 - 0 - 15 - 0

Kristian Jeffrey reclaims Caribbean Champion Driver title … Matthew Vieira rules supreme in Superbikes

By Rawle Toney THOUSANDS of Guyanese crammed into the South Dakota Circuit yesterday to witness what was an outstanding day’s performance on the track by Matthew Vieira and Kristian Jeffrey as the two, competing in separate divisions, ruled supreme over their competition from other Caribbean territories.

It was the final leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) and Jeffrey, driving his now famous and feared Mitsubishi Evolution, retained his crown as ‘Caribbean Champion’, winning all three of his Group 4 races.

The day saw the likes of Mark Maloney (Barbados), Ravi Singh (Trinidad), Paul Vieira (Guyanese but representing Trinidad and Tobago) and the older Jeffrey (Kevin) all competing in Group 4 with the aim of taking Kristian’s title away.

But, after dominant performances in the previous three legs (Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados); the younger Jeffrey entered the Guyana leg with a lead that was basically impossible to overtake.

In the other categories, Paul Vieira won only one Group 3 race while the other two were claimed by (Ravi) Singh behind the wheels of his fire-spitting Mazda RX7.

Guyana’s Shan Seejattan won two of the three Group 2 races while countryman Rameez Mohamed won the other.

Meanwhile, sitting on the saddle of his Triumph Daytona 675, 17 year-old Matthew Vieira had the capacity crowd on their feet as he displayed skills reminiscent of his father (Mark) and the other Vieiras who all left an impressionable mark on Motor racing in the region.

With Kristian making the Group 4 Category too predictable, the crowd was entertained with Vieira’s daredevil like performance, with the youngster being forced to be at his best, facing stiff challenges from his cousins Elliot and Stephen.

Up to press time, the other results and final results were being tabulated and will be publish in its entirety in a subsequent report.

SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Flamingo Park 08:20 hrs Luv U Babes 08:50 hrs Ponoka 09:20 hrs Jet On Fire 09:50 hrs Dukes Idol 10:20 hrs Tobe Heather ENGLISH RACING TIPS Leicester 08:45 hrs New Vennture 09:15 hrs Dynamic Ranger 09:45 hrs Playing The Field 10:15 hrs Mica Mica 11:15 hrs Bally Lagan 11:45 hrs Theligny PLUMPTON 09:00 hrs Brave Jaq 09:30 hrs Inner Drive 10:00 hrs Ascott Boy 10:35 hrs Ragdollianna 11:05 hrs Verano

11:35 hrs Vinciaettis Wolverhampton 09:55 hrs Nietzsche 10:25 hrs Khismet 10:55 hrs Admiral Miller 11:25 hrs Never Change 11:55 hrs Pool House 12:25 hrs Jan Van Hoof 12:55 hrs Goodnightsuzy 13:25 hrs Late Shipment AMERICAN RACING TIPS Parx Racing Race 1 Cotton’s Secret Race 2 Spirit in the Nite Race 3 Chester B Race 4 Current rate Race 5 Longer Terms Doug Race 6 Blue Y Gold Race 7 Miss Moneyhenny Race 8 Lava Race 9 Bronze Bull

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

National Schools’ Track and Field Championships set for National Stadium

By Tamica Garnett THE National Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships has reached the magnitude where it has expanded too much to be hosted at small facilities, which is why the competition is once again being held in Region 4, primarily at the Guyana National Stadium.

According to events PRO, Edison Jefford a feasibility study was carried out to judge the possibility of having the Championships staged at the National Track and Field Centre on the West Coast of Demerara, which houses a synthetic track facility.

“This Championship has outgrown small facilities” Jefford related “The national Schools Championships is Guyana single biggest cycling, swimming and track and field event, the magnitude of this event certainly outgrows the synthetic track at Leonora. We have gone on several separate occasions to conduct feasibility studies, and the two Northern stands cannot facilitate 1500 plus athletes and spectators, we would have to more or less construct facilities to accommodate these athletes properly.”

Jefford pointed out that given the growth that the event has seen over the years, and given the ultimate level that the competition wishes to occupy, then the National Stadium remains the only venue with sufficient capacity to host the event.

“If we’re looking to grow this event, where we’re looking to take this event to the National Stadium is perhaps the only venue that can accommodate this event in Guyana at the level that we want it. And this is why it has been held in Georgetown since 2010.” Jefford said Jefford was speaking on Saturday at a briefing to bring the media up to

scratch on the on-going preparations for the Championships which will run from November 23 – 27.

Also present at the press conference head table were Competitions Director, Seon Bristol and Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) president, Mark Lyte, Regional Chairwoman of Region 4, Genieve Allen, Banks DIH Representative, Clayton McKenzie, and Principal

“Even though we have had a slow start, things have picked up. We have worked assiduously to ensure that there is a Championships in 2015, there were various bottlenecks and I am glad to say we have overcome such and supporters will get their money’s worth.” Lyte stated.

“All the teachers from the varying districts are ready and raring to go, and

The head table at yesterday’s press conference, from left, Competitions Director, Seon Bristol, Banks DIH Brand Manager, Clayton McKenzie, GTU President, Mark Lyte, Region 4 Regional Chairwoman, Genieve Allen, PRO Edison Jefford, and MoE Principal Assistant Secretary Glendon Fogenay.

Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Education (MoE), Glendon Forgenay.

Bristol assured that all systems are in place for the hosting of the Championships, while Lyte declared that the nation can expect a bigger and better Championships, when the event gets underway on November 23.

Acknowledging that the preparations for the Championships faced some initial hiccups, Lyte shared that the organisers have been able to overcome all obstacles and shareholders can expect another fruitful hosting of the competition.

the GTU is extremely proud to be a part of this National Championships.”

Lyte continued.

This year the competition is set to run across five days, with the teams set to arrive at the Games Village on Sunday, November 22, this is as opposed to previous years when the competition was held across four day periods, begin the Tuesday and the students would arrive on the Monday.

Bristol shared that this was a deliberate action on the part of the organisers to increase the number of days so that the competition can be completed at

earlier times on each day.

“This year Championships will be utilising five days starting from the 23rd. For this year we try to spread the Championships out so that we have less events on the different days, so that we can complete the days, we won’t be going into the evenings as is normal.

For this year we’re trying not to go that late, we’re trying the best to complete within daylight, which is why we have stretched the championships to the five days. “ Bristol said.

The competition gets underway from Monday November 23, with the swimming at the National Aquatic Centre on the East Coast, the shot put, long jump and triple jump field events at the YMCA ground, and the 10km road race, and 40km and 25km cycle road races on the East Coast public road. The principal track championships begins from Tuesday, November 24.

Regional Chairwoman, Allen, expressed her elation that the prestigious competition is once again being held within her region. She also implored upon the residents of the region and country at large to come out in their numbers to support the athletes and the event.

“We of the region are happy that the Championships will be held within our constituency. I want to say t I want to take this opportunity to say to all of the residents of region four, that we should be very proud that these championships are going to be held in our constituency, and I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to come out in your large numbers to lend support to our athletes.” Allen remarked.

Meanwhile, MoE’s Fogenay took the opportunity to bid to corporate sponsors to come on board and support the event. Thus far corporate sponsors include longstanding sponsors Banks DIH, Digicel and Giftland.

Rockville Hotel of Bartica to observe World AIDS Day with four-mile road race THE Rockville Hotel of Bartica will observe World AIDS Day with a fourmile road race titled `Run for the Rock of Life’ on December 1 in Bartica and the event is opened to athletes from all across Guyana.

The event will get underway at 16:00hrs on December 1 from the four miles housing scheme junction on the Potaro Road and conclude at the entrance of the Rockville Hotel, situated on Third Avenue, Bartica.

According to a release, the event is being staged in collaboration with the Regional Administration of Region 7, the National Sports Commission and

the National AIDS Programme Secretariat with support of the Athletic Association of Guyana(AAG).

The release added that the event has been adopted by the Sport and Cultural development committee of the Regional administration as the first major event of many planned programmes to be staged during the coming months, leading up to the celebration of Bartica Township status on April 23 next year as well as the celebration of Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary.

The release quoted the coordinator of the event, former national sports organiser and professional social

worker, Ras Aaron Blackman, this event is expected to bring together the best of the country’s distance runners with the promotion’s aim of building and encouraging a sound athletic programme for youths of Region 7.

The age group categories to be contested are; male and female u-13, 15, 17 and 19, open male and female 40-45, 46-50, 51-55, 56-60, 60-65, 66-70 and 71-75.

The winners and runners up of each category will receive cash prizes, trophies and medals, while the first 20 finishers hailing from Region 7 will receive prizes donated by the

Regional Administration of Region 7 and members of the Bartica business community.

The management of Rockville Hotel will present the first male and female athlete to cross the finish line with a special prize and entrance fee per athlete is $500. However, children attending school will not be required to pay an entrance fee.

Application forms can be uplifted from the Regional Chairman’s office Region 7, Rockville Hotel, Bartica and the Guyana Olympic Association office, High Street, Georgetown.

Entries close on November 26.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

Team Gillette Evolution Orville Hinds closes season on winning note

TEAM Gillette Evolution Orville Hinds closed the 2015 cycle season on a winning note yesterday by copping the 16 th Annual Diamond Mineral Water sponsored 50-mile cycle road race yesterday in the West Demerara area.

Hinds who crossed the finish line unchallenged in a time of one hour, 59 minutes 24 seconds also copped seven of the eight prime prizes that were up for grabs. The other

Team Evolution’s Orville Hinds

prime prize was won by his team mate Akeem Wilkinson who finished fourth overall.

Marlon `Fishy’ Williams crossed the finish line three minutes behind Hinds to take the second spot on the podium, while Christopher Griffith placed third.

Paul Cho-Wee-Nam of Team Alanis finished fifth and Paul DeNobrega sixth.

Griffith was however adjudged winner of the junior category having placed

third overall in the open category.

Andrew Hicks who won Saturday’s Payless Variety Store feature 35-lap event in the National Park had to settle for second in the junior category, while Nigel DeGrood finished third.

Talim Shaw won the veterans’ category ahead of Jaikarran Sukhai and Shameer Bazksh respectively.

The mountain bike category was won by Sherwin

GT&T Indoor Hockey Championships

Old Fort thrash Saints 12-2, GCC still at top of pool

THE Old Fort men’s first division team exacted the heaviest punishment of the night on Saturday with a 12-2 trashing of Saints as the GT&T National Indoor Hockey Championships continued at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

GCC however managed to secure the top spot at the end of the pool and was down to face fourth place Pumas in the first semifinal yesterday.

The Hikers round out the men’s first division semi-final spots and was down to face Old Fort in the second semifinal.

There was no surprise in the ladies division as predictably the Tigers and Panthers achieved victories over the under-21s (2-1) and Old Fort (5-2) respectively.

The Tigers are the unbeaten pool leaders and was scheduled to face Old Fort in the first ladies semifinal yesterday, while second and third place Panthers and Hikers were to meet in the second semi-final of the ladies category.

In a closely contested men’s second division competition, Phoenix edged out GCC and Old Fort for the lead on goal difference to face fourth placed Hikers in the first semi-final.

After forty six matches of play, GCC’s Orland Semple leads the goal scorers of the men’s first division competition with 11 goals to his name.

GCC’s Kevin Spencer and Jaguars’

Three GCC Tigers share the top goal scorers table with Panthers Ulrica Sutherland, each with five goals, going into the final day of play yesterday.

Apart from these four outstanding

Jaguars’ captain Andrew Stewart watches as his penalty flick being saved by Pumas’ custodian Medroy Scotland.

Andrew Stewart are close in pursuit with 10 each while Pumas Aroydy Brandford has nine.

All three players have been putting in sterling performances with the youthful Branford and Stewart worthy of MVP consideration for their leadership contributions to their team.

players, Panthers Aliyah Gordon has been one of the most exciting players to watch with her unmatched pace and dribbling skills.

Old Fort’s Jason Clarke and Phoenix Omar Hopkinson are well ahead of the rest of the field in the men’s second division competition with seven goals each to their credit.

England players will not miss Tests for IPL ENGLAND players will not be allowed to miss Test matches to play in the Indian Premier League(IPL), says director of cricket Andrew Strauss.

The Telegraph reported that players would be given permission to compete in the lucrative Twenty20 competition.

But Strauss, 38, said: “I can’t foresee any circumstances in which we would weaken our Test team in order to allow a player to play in the IPL or any other franchise-based competition.”

The IPL takes place in April and May. England play Sri Lanka in two Tests in May 2016, their first action of the domestic summer.

Strauss told BBC Test Match Special on Wednesday that “more separation” of the Test and one-day teams will improve their chances of winning

the World Cup. Asked about the IPL and the Big Bash, Australia’s Twenty20 tournament, he said: “I’m a massive fan.

“If you are an overseas player, what those Twenty20 competitions do is put you under real pressure. You have to stand up and deliver.”

England players, including current ODI captain Eoin Morgan, have competed in the IPL, although they have never missed Tests to do so.

Strauss has returned to the UK from the United Arab Emirates, where England lost the first game in the fourmatch one-day series against Pakistan.

One man quick to air his views on the subject was former England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who found himself at odds with the England and Wales Cricket Board over his desire to play in the IPL and commented on

Twitter about the developments.

“With this decision now, the whole situation is proving to be personal!” he wrote. “[Eoin] Morgan missed an international this year as captain! Missing any Eng cricket for IPL is what I’m on about! Such hypocrisy!”

Pietersen was told by Strauss in May that he would not be part of the team’s plans for the summer because there was a “massive trust issue”.

The South African-born batsman was instead offered an advisory role with the England one-day team, but rejected the opportunity.

He referred to that offer on Friday when he added: “Why should I advise when I’m still good enough to walk into any England side if there wasn’t personal grudges?!”(BBC Sport)

Forde. Second was Wayne Nurse and Third was Michael Holder.

After being sent on their way from outside the Wales Police Station, West Bank Demerara, Hinds and DeNobrega immediately went on a break and established it after a few miles into the race, but DeNobrega suffered a mechanical problem and Hinds continued to press on to keep the tempo up and singlehand-

edly went on to win by a very big margin.

DeNobrega did well to come back and occupy the sixth position.

The event was coordinated by national cycle coach Hassan Mohamed.

Demerara Distillers Limited’s marketing representative was on hand to witness the finish and made the presentation of prizes to the respective winners.

Rain washes out second day of Bangalore Test BANGALORE,(Reuters)- Steady rain washed out the entire second day’s play in the second Test between India and South Africa yesterday with the weather forecast for the next two days casting a cloud of doubt over the possibility of a result.

Having bowled out South Africa for 214 and knocking off 80 runs without losing any wicket on Saturday, the hosts were keen on putting up a big first innings total but the inclement weather played spoilsport.

After the early morning showers relented, start was pushed back by an hour to 10:30 local time (0500 GMT) and the players walked out to warm up for action.

The rain, however, returned soon resulting first in an early lunch before play was called off for the day.

“If weather permits, tomorrow the play will start at 9:15 (3:15 GMT),” the Indian cricket board posted on Twitter.

More rain and thunderstorms have been predicted for the next two days, jeopardising the possibility of a result in the contest.

While this is surely not how South African talisman AB de Villiers expected his 100th Test to pan out, the Proteas are unlikely to mind the rain intervention.

Beaten inside three days in the first Test on a turning track in Mohali, the visitors still seem in a spin funk with eight of their batsmen surrendering to the Indian spinners in their first innings at Bangalore.

Currently the top ranked Test team, South Africa have not lost an away series since 2006 but Hashim Amla’s team find themselves on the back foot in the four-Test series in India.

Apart from the batsmen’s vulnerability against spin, the absence of injured pacemen Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander has also taken much of the sting off their pace attack.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday November 16, 2015) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: Tillekaratne Dilshan-108 runs Andre Fletcher-80 runs

Today’s Quiz:

Which SL player had the highest individual score in the recent WI/SL T20 series?

Which WI player had the highest individual score in the recent WI/SL T20 series?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 16, 2015

Football members send transparent message

By Ras Wadada THE supreme legislative body of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) – The Congress – last Saturday beckoned to the wide-spread sentiments of the football fraternity and voted in Team Integrity, ringing in the dawn of a new dispensation for the ‘Beautiful Game’ here in Guyana.

After weeks of intense campaigning among the 22 members far and wide the process to elect a new executive for the Federation culminated in a close finish (10 to 12) for the right to govern

the sport for the next four years. The occasion at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston also ended the invaluable 14-month reign of the FIFA-installed Normalisation Committee (NC) under the Chairmanship of Clinton Urling.

The history of the oldest Federation in the Region would show that Wayne Forde is the 4 th President within four years since the shackles of abuse for decades were severed by FIFA when the then President of the GFF was suspended for corruption in 2011.

His successor did not

Two sessions being considered for Caribbean Development Boxing tournament THE upcoming Caribbean Development Boxing tournament is set to have more than 75 fights during a four day period which has now forced organisers to consider two sessions per day.

President of the Guyana Amateur d Boxing Association (GABA) Steve Ninvalle yesterday confirmed that he is in discussion with Kathy Harper-Hall of Barbados, Ralph James of Grenada and James Beckles of Trinidad and Tobago in order to fit all the bouts.

“I think the response was a bit more than what we expected. We have had a record number of entries and we, a Caribbean team are working to make sure that all the bouts will be run off smoothly,” Ninvalle said yesterday.

The tournament is scheduled for November 26 to 29 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. It has attracted 14 countries and is being dubbed the largest gathering of countries in Guyana for any sport in decades. Close to one hundred boxers and 30 officials are expected in for the competition which has regional bragging rights at stake.

“There are 26 bouts scheduled for the first day of competition. If we are to get through with this there would be a need for two sessions, at least for the first day,” Ninvalle claimed. The GABA boss said that a decision would be made by Wednesday.

Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, St. Maartin, St. Vincent, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago have registered to come to Guyana.

Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago have the largest teams. Barbados has registered 21 boxers while Trinidad is one behind. The Bajan team has a staggered arrival with three fighters due in on November 24. The rest of the team arrive the following day.

Meanwhile, Ninvalle travelled to Camp Seweyo on the Linden/Soesdyke highway yesterday morning to meet with encamped boxers. He also took the opportunity to hand over vitamins and supplements provided my Mike’s Pharmacy.

… dawn of a new dispensation

New GFF president Wayne Forde last long as a new Head was voted in when elections

were held in 2013, but just after one year and about five months of his mismanagement the world governing body stepped in to bring a halt to the chaotic situation by installing the NC. The tremendous and timeless works of the NC in bringing back some respectability to the sport must be applauded and the systems that they have installed within the structure of the Federation speak volumes for Transparency and Integrity.

In fact, the NC has prepared a solid foundation for the new executive to continue the positive evolution of the sport.

The membership of the GFF must come in for commendation as well for sending a clear message that football needs people of Integrity to govern the sport if it is to truly develop to its full potential.

The challenge now is for the Forde administration to take up the mantle with the passion and vision to em-

power the ‘Beautiful Game’ as they have declared in their impressive manifesto.

The composition of the team is inspiring and they are of proven integrity.

One can only be optimistic for the bright future and ‘Good of the Game’ as we herald in a new era here in Guyana by the astute leadership of a recognised football administrator whose favourite line is: ‘It is not who is good for football, but what is good for football.’

Jags secure first innings points but Hurricanes fight back

By Kizan Brumell

DEFENDING Champions Guyana Jaguars are sitting pretty going into the final day of their WICB Professional Cricket League Regional Four-Day match against Leeward Islands Hurricanes, currently being played at the Guyana National Stadium.

Today, Jaguars need seven wickets to complete an out-right win while the Hurricanes are trailing by 119 runs in their second innings after following-on in reply to the home side’s first innings total of 419 – 9 declared.

At stumps on day three Hurricanes are 215 – 3 from 74 overs with Nkruhmah Bonner unbeaten on 58 and Orlando Peters at other end on 25. Openers Sherwin Peters (39) and Shane Jeffers (31) gave Hurricanes a better start in the second innings before the latter was bowled by pacer Ronsford Beaton with the score on 50.

Peters and Daron Cruicshank batted well and took the score to 115, where the other opener fell leg before wicket to Christopher Barn-

well. Cruicshank played a resistant innings of 57 but was removed leg before wicket by Gudakesh Motie.

Motie was the star of the day playing in his second Regional firstclass match and claiming his first five wicket haul. His 6 – 20 from 13.2 overs was instrumental in the destruction of Hurricanes who folded for 85 from 47.2 overs in their first innings and were left facing a deficit of 334 runs.

Hurricanes began the third day on 48 – 4 since they lost Jeffers and Cruicshank to Barnwell, and Bonner and Orlando Peters to Motie in the final session on day two.

Motie tormented the lower order in the morning session after the partnership between Sherwin (28) and the captain Steve Liburd (23) was broken by Ronsford Beaton who removed both batsmen.

Rahkeem Cornwall (7), Jaison Peters (11), Jacques Taylor (00) and Gavin Tonge (00) all bowed out to the left-arm orthodox bowling of Motie as Barnwell chipped in with 2 – 5 and Beaton supported with 2 – 29.

The final day’s action begins at 9:30 hrs.

NSC congratulates new GFF president THE National Sports Commission (NSC) has extend congratulations to the newly elected President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde and his executives.

The NSC notes with much anticipation the commitment to move forward and fully supports your initiative which is to“Implement and sustain a more representative approach to governance with a consultative decision making process that values and reflects

the input of all stakeholders” The NSC further welcomes as stated by Team Integrity to “establish partnership for the expansion of scholarship opportunities for young footballers based both on excellence in the sport as well as academic performance” The NSC looks forward to a healthy relationship with the newly elected President and Executive of the GFF.

Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie returned excellent figures of six for 20 in the Leewards first innings.

SCOREBOARD Guyana 1st innings 419 – 9 dec LEEWARDS Hurricanes first innings S Peters not out 15 S Jeffers c &b Barnwell 9 D Cruickshank lbw b Barnwell 0 N Bonner lbw b Motie 0 O Peters stp b Motie 0 S Liburd c Bramble b Beaton 23 R Cornwall lbw Motie 7 J Peters c Chandrika b Motie 11 J Taylor c&b Motie 0 G Tonge c John b Motie A Joseph not out 0 Extras: (nb-3, b-3, w-1) 7 Total: (all out; 47.2 overs) 85 Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-25, 3-26, 4-26, 5-57, 6-73, 7-73, 8-84,

9-84, 10-85 Bowling: Beaton (12-3-29-2), Reifer (7-3-7-0), Jacobs (9-321-0), Barnwell (6-4-5-2), Motie (13.2-7-20-6)

LEEWARDS Hurricanes 2 nd innings S Peters lbw Barnwell 39 S Jeffers b Beaton 31 D Cruickshank lbw Motie 57 N Bonner not out 58 O Peters not out 25 Extras: (nb-1, b-4) 5 Total: (for 3 wickets; 74 overs) 215 Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-115, 3-135 Bowling: Beaton 9-4-21-0, Reifer 4-0-18-0, Jacobs 183-64-0, Barnwell 13-4-38-1, Motie 28-10-64-1, Johnson 2-0-6-0

Sport CHRONICLE

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

Football members send transparent See story message on page 27

Kristian Jeffrey reclaims Caribbean Champion Driver title

See story on page 24

… Matthew Vieira rules supreme in Superbikes

Guyana’s Kristian Jeffrey (first from left) leads the pack out of the Gooseneck turn.

Matthew Vieira waves the chequered flag after winning one of his three Superbike races yesterday (Samuel Maughn Photos)

A section of the massive crowd shows appreciation to the day’s competitors.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2015