Guyana chronicle 14 07 14

GUYANA No. 103888

MONDAY JULY 14, 2014

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

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Gov’t committed to exploring avenues to protect rice industry - President Ramotar tells Essequibo farmers

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President Donald Ramotar

Security Oversight Committee will meet before August – Speaker Trotman Page

Germany wins World Cup

Education Minister engages former 13 President’s College students

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Philipp Lahm of Germany is presented with the World Cup trophy by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

Minister Priya Manickchand

Seven-year vision for agriculture sector Page 8 unveiled

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Education Minister visits Berbice as consultations on $10,000 grant continues EDUCATION Minister Priya Manickchand, accompanied by Georgetown and regional education officers, visited East Berbice (Region

ians on Government’s new initiative to give each school-age child a grant of $10,000.

The Minister and her entourage were warmly

the grant to the children.

Minister Manickchand asked parents to indicate by the show of hands whether they preferred encashing a voucher or

of choice they would prefer to use in encashing the vouchers; and responses ranged from the Guyana Post Office Corporation to Western Union, to various

Minister Priya Manickchand addresses students and parents in Region 6

Parents and students listen to Minister Manickchand Six) on Friday, July 11, to continue consultations with parents and guard-

received by Region Six residents, who braved the rains to fill every meeting place in large numbers; and she held engagements with parents in 122 schools in several meetings on how the Education Ministry can best provide

purchasing goods from accredited stores with the vouchers; and the almost unanimous choice was being able to encash the vouchers.

The parents/guardians were also asked to indicate the financial service

commercial banks, to Mobile Money Ltd. The Minister encouraged parents/guardians to alert her on issues that were of concern to them, whether or not those issues were education-related; and parents/guardians expressed concerns about businesses that were taking advantage of them by increasing prices on school items when they use the uniform vouchers to purchase items for their children.

The parents were very angry that when the voucher programme is not on, prices for school items would cost much less, but as soon as the ministry announces the start of the voucher programme, stores raise their prices.

Parents expressed that they would normally be able to get many more items if they paid cash than when they purchase with the vouchers. They said they felt robbed. One woman at Tagore Memorial Secondary School See centre page

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Security Oversight Committee will meet before August

– Speaker Trotman

By Vanessa Narine

THE Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the security sector, whose establishment was approved by the National Assembly since 2010, is still to meet.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Raphael Trotman, is tasked with convening a meeting of the Oversight Committee and in an invited comment he noted that this will be done before the House goes into recess in August.

“The truth is I did convene a meeting some months ago and there was a request to adjourn it. I am going to bring it back, but because of all that is happening, I will try to do it before we go into recess,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.

The Government’s Chief Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira, when asked to comment on the issue, explained that as far as she is aware no meeting has been held.

“As far as I know that meeting has not been convened, the Committee has not met. It may have been postponed before it was convened. It may have been that a notice to convene the meeting was sent out and it was postponed before the meeting was convened, that could be what possibly happened, but as far as I am aware there has been no meeting,” she explained.

Teixeira added that the Government did not request any adjournment of such a meeting, given its importance and the fact that a first meeting is long overdue.

“We did not request an adjournment. If it was convened and a request for a postponement was made, it

was not a request that was made by us,” she said.

The Chief Whip stated too that once the Committee’s meeting is convened the first task will be the selection of the Chair, who has to be a Government Member of Parliament.

“At the Committee of Selection, the names were put forward, the Government put its names and the Opposition put its names and the Committee was appointed. The Committee has to be convened to elect a Chair and the Chair has to be a Government person,” Speaker of the National Teixeira said.

The contention of sevAssembly eral Government Members Raphael Trotman of Parliament (MPs) is that the Opposition is avoiding a meeting because the Chair has to be a Government MP. Last month, the ruling party rapped the main Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), for skirting around a meeting of the Committee and raising security-related issues as motions in the National Assembly rather than have them brought before the Committee.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in a statement, said, “The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector would provide the best mechanism for

the resolution of security-related issues. Our Party is not unmindful of the Opposition’s frequent utterances on the importance of Parliamentary Committees to deal with issues that impact our society.

“The Opposition’s reluctance for the establishment of a Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector is mind boggling. The PPP believes that partisan self-interest is the bedrock of the APNU’s unwillingness to activate the oversight committee.”

Since the commencement of the 10th Parliament, the combined Opposition has tabled numerous questions on the security sector and moved a few motions demanding the appointment of Commissions of Inquiry (COIs) to investigate alleged breaches in the sector.

Additionally, former Attorney-General (AG) Doodnauth Singh in 2009 tabled the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2009 in the National Assembly.

The Bill was intended to amend the Constitution by inserting a new Article 119 D, providing for a Standing Committee called the ‘Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector’, which would have responsibility for the policies and administration of the country’s disciplined forces.

The move was in keeping with an agreement made

by National Stakeholders during security consultations in March last year. The original recommendation was made by a Special Select Committee reviewing the report of the Disciplined Forces Commission. The issue had also been the subject of discussion at the level of the Parliamentary Management Committee.

There are currently four sectoral committees responsible for economic services, social services, natural resources and foreign relations.

Kaieteur News headline on truck purchase misleading – Minister Whittaker

MINISTER of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker has indicated that the Kaieteur News story, in its July 10 edition, headlined “Govt to buy truck for four times the cost” is

misleading.

The Minister explained during a press conference last Friday that the cost is indeed given as US$436,803 and funded by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) which has ap-

proved it. He pointed out, however, that the cost does not merely cover a truck.

Minister Whittaker stated that the following equipment is included in the cost - a chassis with 32 tons capacity with double front and rear axles; hook lift equipment; an auxiliary crane; 10

closed top containers 15x4x8 feet; one open top container, 15x8x4 feet and spare parts.

Also included in the cost is the provision for training for four staff members for which the manufacturer is providing the training.

Moreover, Whittaker noted that all the pieces of equipment are new.

Minister Norman Whittaker

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Thousands flee northern Gaza after Israeli warnings (BBC News) THOUSANDS of Palestinians are fleeing northern parts of Gaza after Israel warned it was targeting the area in its campaign to stop rocket attacks.

The UN says 4,000 people have already sought refuge in shelters as Israeli air strikes continue for a sixth day.

Israeli forces have raided a suspected rocket-launching site in Gaza in their first reported ground incursion.

At least 159 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s offensive began, according to health officials in Gaza.

The dead are said to include 17 members of one family who died in an Israeli missile strike on Saturday

Some 800 Palestinians with dual citizenship began leaving Gaza via Israel’s Erez Crossing on Sunday estimated that 77% of the evening.

Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants and “terror

sites”, including the homes of senior operatives. However, the United Nations has

people killed in Gaza have been civilians.

The UN Security Coun-

Amid new spy scandal, Kerry calls U.S. and Germany ‘great friends’ (Reuters) - U.S. SECRETARY of State John Kerry, standing alongside Germany’s foreign minister, on Sunday stressed the strategic importance of relations between the two countries, which have been battered by new allegations of U.S. spying on Berlin.

“Let me emphasize the relationship between the United States and Germany is a strategic one,” Kerry said in Vienna on the sidelines of nuclear talks with

Iran. “We have enormous political cooperation and we are great friends.”

Kerry, appearing alongside Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier, did not address the latest spy scandal, though his remarks appeared aimed at the subject.

“We will continue to work together in the kind of spirit we exhibited today in a very thorough discussion,” Kerry said, adding that he wished Germany well in its World Cup soccer

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final against Argentina on Sunday.

Steinmeier also spoke of the importance of U.S.-German cooperation in working to resolve the conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East, and the Iran nuclear standoff.

“Ties between the United States and Germany are necessary and essential for both of us,” Steinmeier said. “We want to work on reviving this relationship, on a foundation

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of trust and mutual respect.”

He said this applied to “all the difficulties that have arisen in our bilateral relations in recent weeks.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday that new allegations of U.S. spying showed Berlin and Washington were completely at odds over how they viewed the role of intelligence, and she hoped German action would persuade the United States not to spy on partners.

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cil called for a ceasefire and peace talks on Saturday.

The military confirmed it had dropped leaflets over the city of Beit Lahiya on Sunday morning telling civilians to seek shelter. “We do not wish to harm civilians in Gaza, but these civilians must know that remaining in close proximity to Hamas terrorists and infrastructures is extremely unsafe,” the IDF said.

By 10:30 (07:30 GMT), more than 4,000 Gaza residents had taken refuge at eight bases of the UN Relief and Works Agency, spokesman Chris Gunness said.

Meanwhile, around 800 Palestinians holding dual citizenship began leaving Gaza via Israel’s Erez

Crossing.

The Palestinian Authority’s envoy in the UK, Manuel Hassassian, told BBC News there was nowhere for Gaza residents to hide.

“Hamas is an integral part of the population, and they are resisting from everywhere,” he said.

“When Israel says, ‘We dropped leaflets to evacuate the northern part of Gaza... we don’t need collateral damage’ well, they have been bombarding all of Gaza. And where do these people have to go? There are no shelters, no bunkers, no place to go, except their homes. If they leave their homes, they will be hit on the street.”

Pope Francis: ‘About 2%’ of Catholic clergy paedophiles (BBC News) POPE Francis has been quoted as saying that reliable data indicates that “about 2%” of clergy in the Catholic Church are paedophiles.

The Pope said that abuse of children was like “leprosy” infecting the Church, according to the Italian La Republica newspaper.

He vowed to “confront it with the severity it demands”.

But a Vatican spokesman said the quotes in the newspaper did not correspond to Pope Francis’s exact words.

The BBC’s David Willey in Rome says there is often a studied ambiguity in Pope Francis’ off-the-cuff statements.

He wants to show a more compassionate attitude towards Church teaching than his predecessors, but this can sometimes cause consternation among his media advisers, our correspondent adds.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Putin signs Argentina 6 people murdered in 24 hours nuclear deals on Latin America tour (BBC News) RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has signed a series of agreements on nuclear energy in Argentina.

It came during his tour of Latin America aimed at increasing Russian influence in the region.

The nuclear agreements will see the Russian atomic energy corporation Rosatom get involved in the construction of units in Argentina’s nuclear Atucha 3 power plant.

Mr Putin will go to Brazil to attend the football World Cup final on Sunday.

Russia will host the next tournament in 2018.

After Sunday’s match, Mr Putin will attend a summit of the Brics emerging economies - also including India, China and South Africa - in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza.

‘Grateful for support’ Correspondents say Argentina is desperate for foreign investment as it faces a

(Trinidad Guardian) ANOTHER bloody weekend in T&T leaves six dead in 24 hours. Among them is a 13-year-old boy who was gunned down just outside his home. Tragedy swept Trinidad’s West, South and Tobago between Friday and yesterday, leaving families scrambling to come to terms with the violence that entered their homes.

with me,” Baggan said. She said since the killing, she has had to walk back and forth along the same path where her son was murdered.

“When I run out last night and see his body, his blood was running down the hill towards my foot,” she recalled. “I have to pass there...it still have blood there,” she said. Baggan and husband Dexter Baker

Ms Fernandez may be hoping for some Russian help with Argentina’s economic crisis

possible default after investors rejected its debt restructuring.

The first stop of Mr Putin’s Latin America tour was Cuba - and he also made an unexpected visit to Nicaragua, the first by a Russian leader.

“Today, co-operation with Latin American states is one of the key and promising lines of Russia’s foreign policy,” Mr Putin told Cuban state media.

Mr Putin is looking to

tighten ties with this Region, partly to balance a slump in relations with the West over Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Havana reports.

In Cuba he met Fidel Castro, who led Cuba for nearly half a century before handing over power to his brother, Raul, in 2006 because of ill health.

Russian media said they discussed international relations and Russian-Cuban ties.

‘Climate of unease in T&T’

...former coup hostages anxious (Trinidad Guardian) FORMER hostages of the 1990 attempted coup believe T&T’s National Security agencies should be on the alert as a result of the climate of uneasiness pervading the land—rising murder toll, g a n g w a r f a re , l a b o u r unrest and poor governance. They also feel that the authorities should take action against Fuad Abu Bakr, son of Jamaat leader Yasin Abu Bakr, for beating and dragging an effigy of the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader through the streets of Port-of-Spain.

On July 3, Abu Bakr posted on his Facebook wall “action against the injustice in our society starts today. Walking round and round has been ignored. It is time for a people who talk too much and take too much to act. To act now and ensure a better

mother’s shop two houses away to buy two band-aids when gunshots rang out. His distraught mother Natalie Baggan said even though she ran out and saw his bullet-riddled body, she still could not believe her son was dead. “I hear the shots and bawl out his name because I know he now leave, and the shots was so close, so loud,” Baggan said.

Fuad Abu Bakr beats a bobolee of PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar outside the Parliament building on Wrightson

tomorrow. Our leaders will listen if we make them listen.” One day later, effigies of Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Dr Keith Rowley were beaten and dragged through the streets.

In response to the beating of the bobolees, the United National Congress Tabaquite constituency called on the relevant authorities to act

against the “disrespectful” actions against the PM. Three former hostages—Wendell Eversley, former national security minister Joseph Toney, and former National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) MP Rawle Raphael—feel that the Jamaat, with which Abu Bakr is associated, poses a serious security risk.

Natalie Baggan, 40, is comforted by eight of her 14 children hours after her 13-year-old son, Dayron Baker, was gunned down metres from their home at Cizan Trace, Diego Martin. PHOTO: RENUKA SINGH

The murder toll for the year now stands at 237. The tragedy began on Friday night when Dayron Baker, 13, was killed mere metres from his Cizan Trace home in Diego Martin.

The boy, a Standard Five pupil at the Patna River Estate Primary School, left his home just before 9 pm on Friday and was headed to his grand-

Baker was the fourth of 14 children. When the Sunday Guardian visited the scene yesterday, the small children seemed to understand their mother’s grief. One girl, Baker’s younger sister, continually stroked her mother’s face, wiping away her tears. “He was always with me, always with me. If I had to go anywhere, he was always coming

said Dayron was never involved in criminal activity, but they had a theory. “I think they came for someone else, and I think he saw who they were and they killed him to keep him quiet,” his father Baker said. “The people had to know the area, they had to know where they were coming.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

EDITORIAL

GUYANA

On strong Guyanese women and Priya’s denouement of Brent Hardt SOCIETAL psyche has been conditioned to celebrate male machismo that is mainly physical-based, with scant consideration, and even scantier applause, for the merits of all the ways women supersede male strengths and achievements; and even today, when an era is emerging where women are striding heights unimaginable in yesteryears, that challenge men in practically every arena where it has been pre-dispositioned to male dominance to emerge with even superior achievements, because women are pushing the boundaries and establishing capabilities and capacities where the male animal has not even aspired to.

In Guyana, this synergy was precipitated by a forward-thinking man whose recognition that one human being has the same pre-condition to excellence in achievement as another - notwithstanding class, religion, gender; or any other societal barrier preceded his struggles for human rights, social equity, and the upholding of all that enhances human dignity; and he even took that struggle to the international community of nations.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Liberator of Guyana, Father of the Nation, and the Mahatma of the Western Hemisphere, was a man out of his times and thinking; and he refused to bow to the prevailing concepts of his era that women are lesser creatures – such a consideration was not even on his radar; hence he always strode into every fray with his wife Janet firmly by his side, even recognising the advantages of her advancing before him in some instances – such as with the establishment of the women’s arm of his

political movement and socio-political struggles – first the WPEO, then the WPO, a cadre that was the wind beneath the wings of many victories against oppressive forces in this land all Guyanese call home.

Within the political landscape, because women often took centre-stage in many areas of struggle in the first-established PPP through the dynamics inculcated through Dr. Jagan’s recognition that women were a strength rather than a weakness in any socio-political demographic, when LFS Burnham forced a split in the PPP he took with him women who had been forged into tensile steel through the fires of political struggle; and thus first the Burnham faction of the PPP, which later morphed into the PNC, emerged with a women’s arm almost as strong as the WPO – the WRSM: Women who were no less dynamic and goals-oriented – albeit the goals were in different directions, than WPO members, such as Viola Burnham, and of recent times the late Deborah Backer, Faith Handing, Clarissa Rhiel, and Vanessa Kissoon, among others.

But while the leadership of the PPP continues to celebrate, motivate and equate strong women, the Opposition collective continually denigrates and degrades women standing firm in their resolve and refusing to compromise on their convictions, their integrity and their principles – especially in the execution of their respective mandates; regardless of societal misconceptions of rights and wrongs, of diplomacy that borders on hypocrisy, of acceptance of foreign invasion and violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Guyana, of transgressions – repeated endlessly

despite advocacies and advisories that diplomatic envoys were transgressing against the hospitality of this host country and violating diplomatic norms and conventions, even to the point of breaking international laws and requisite behavioural patterns, of rejecting sycophancy to an offending and offensive envoy of a very powerful nation; and also of confronting pertinent issues that relegate female members of a particular Opposition party to mere ‘squaws’ instead of giving them their rightful positions of respect and equity as merits their contributions and commitment to their Party’s cause, such as the treatment meted out to PNC stalwarts like Faith Harding and Vanessa Kissoon, and former AFC member Gowmattie Singh.

It is to be hoped that Vanessa Kissoon can rally her leadership skills and engage her community into productive endeavours, like Faith Harding has done to demonstrate what the male supremacists in their party never learnt – that leadership is about caring and developing ways to enhance lives rather than self-aggrandizement and the mere pursuit of power for power’s sake.

The joint Opposition, with leverage provided by opposition media, especially the Kaieteur News, has intermittently vengefully pursued several women with their normal vitriolic invectives and pejoratives – in both the PPP and PNC ranks, who have refused to bend their knees to the male machismo of Opposition leaders and supporters, with most recent victims being Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba – endlessly vilified in the most despicable ways by Hamilton Green and his cohorts;

PNC Parliamentarian Vanessa Kissoon, assaulted and degraded by her party’s leadership; and Education Minister Priya Manickchand.

The latter, in the spirit of militancy in defence of the sovereignty of Guyana, bearded the foreign snake in his cave and, with a precise, clearly defined but uncompromising address, presented with great style and elan, wrote finis to an episode of great disgrace to the representative of a guest nation hosted on Guyana’s soil, who has violated the hospitality of this country at so many levels and in such diverse ways that he has forever blackened himself and reputation in the annals of Guyana’s history of hosting foreign envoys since Guyana won independence from the British colonisers.

His violation of Guyana’s territorial integrity continued on the eve of his departure from this land when he again crossed all diplomatic boundaries, taking advantage of his captive audience at a function organised by his embassy in celebration of a USA landmark in its history, to again interfere in this country’s internal affairs by casting aspersions on this country’s Government and people in extremely undiplomatic and derogatory language, reflecting his lack of diplomacy and his disrespect for a sovereign state to which he is a guest.

This was merely one of his multiplicity of transgressions against this sovereign state, listed among them being disrespectful to our Head-of-State; insulting Ministers of Government, and even encouraging anarchy and civil war in a country where he was welcomed three years ago. Of course this merit-

ed a fitting response from this sovereign state of the Republic of Guyana, which the Government of Guyana, through the medium of Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Priya Manickchand, delivered in fine style in denouement of the Machiavellian anti-Government/pro-opposition plots, programmes and strategies devised, supported, implemented and encouraged by U.S. Ambassador Brent Hardt.

The entire Guyana should have been proud of Minister Priya Manickchand for her grace and courage under fire as she delivered the coup de grace on Brent Hardt.

However, instead of well-deserved plaudits for forthrightly condemning someone who used his diplomatic immunity to repeatedly violate the hospitality of Guyana, those who had enjoyed the largesse of the unrepentant Hardt exhibited the proverbial ‘fish market’ syndrome by attempting to drown the voice of Minister Priya Manickchand, with Nigel Hughes even refusing to allow her the use of a microphone.

But ‘leader ’ of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan, conscious of Opposition’s need for US funding, with his remarks denouncing Manickchand’s action especially with his reference to ‘Sitira gyal’, with all the implications and inference of prostitute-like behaviour inherent in his language and rhetoric, has encapsulated all the Opposition’s concept of the place a woman should hold in the socio-economic framework of a country, despite its public shows to encourage female voters

by giving token positions to a few females within their ranks.

However, they should emulate the example of the PPP which, guided by the principles of its founding father, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, empowers women to challenge and breach hitherto socio-political parameters, very much in the spirit of Cheddi and Janet Jagan’s freedom struggles.

Ironically, in emulating Janet Jagan by using strong language in defence of this nation, Priya Manickchand is a product of the USA concept of democracy; so Hardt’s undemocratic ‘democracy’ projects and rantings had formidable opposition – emerging out of USA spirit of struggles against oppressive forces, to which Hardt himself alluded.

The only problem is our freedom has already been won – by the PPP and Dr. Cheddi in October of 1992; so his ‘democracy’ project and his advocacy for civil war is unnecessary; because our democracy was won through democratic processes by a leader who always refused to succumb to adjurations to take this country and people via a route of violence to the ultimate goal of peace, progress and prosperity in a united nation – a concept to which Opposition elements remain strangers.

Because there has never been and will never be any need for physical confrontations when the PPP boasts such weapons as brilliant minds, patriotic dispositions and razor-sharp intelligence and tongues of a Priya Manickchand.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Guyanese ready for Local Government Elections OVER the past year and a half, at every public forum, the GECOM Chairman has confirmed to the nation that once the Minister of Local Government announces a date for Local Government Elections, GECOM would be ready to administer such elections in a six-months time-frame.

Also, reaffirming this position at a recent forum hosted by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry was the Commission’s Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Keith Lowenfield. At that forum, Mr. Lowenfield noted that funding was already allocated for the hosting of LGE and he and his team are ready to proceed with the necessary preparations once

the Minister of Local Government gives the directive to the Commission.

Now we hear publicly from politically appointed Commissioners of the Commission that the agency is not ready and that caution should be exhibited in respect to pronouncements and assumptions of GECOM’s readiness. This begs the following questions: Why after 17 years of the last elections being due, these Commissioners did not ensure that GECOM’s systems were in a state of constant readiness in the event the elections were called?

How could the Chairman and the CEO get it so wrong in their estimation and make such faulty “as-

sumptions” concerning the agency’s preparedness? Or is this whole episode just a symbolic reminder of the flaw and Achilles heel of this supposedly “independent” agency?

Whether the Chairman responds and disagrees or agrees with his colleagues’ assessment, this episode confirms that it is time to end the practice of appointing nominees whose loyalty rests with the political party that appointed them. Let us have a professional and aboveboard GECOM. In the meantime, the Guyanese public remains as ready as ever for LGE. CLINTON URLING BLUE CAPS

PPP/C elections commissioners urge caution on local government polls THE PPP trio, Mohamood Shaw, Dr. Keshav Mangal and Athmaram Mangar have expressed doubts about free and fair local government elections under GECOM. The PPP should demand that the PNC and GECOM representatives explain to the public via media what exactly GECOM is doing and why LGE was not held.

If the PNC lackeys on GECOM refuse to appear on air, then Government needs to keep pounding it on the airwaves until every single Guyanese in and out of Guyana know the PNC/ GECOM representatives are up to sinister tricks that is why they refuse to come openly to the public forums.

So far PNC has ev erything that they want in GECOM, including Hoyte-chosen Chairman Steve Surujbally, a longtime supporter of the PNC, who railroaded the technocrat CEO out to retain his own position in order to install another die-hard PNC supporter as CEO; so

the deck is heavily stacked against the PPP, in terms of free and fair elections of any kind. They have their own people in there now and the UK and US Ambassadors knew this, so the US and UK envoys, who normally support the PNC against the PPP, were pushing for LGE, because they know something is up in GECOM that would give traditional riggers, PNC, victory at the polls.

I feel sorry bad for these three PPP guys in there. They must be frightened to death for their lives, given the nature of the beasts.

The other sad part is that the PPP has no other choice but to ask Guyana Police for security, which is like asking the PNC for security to ensure free and fair elections.

More sadness for PPP and its supporters is that they cannot ask the GDF for security, because it is the same as asking Police, since they all pledged their loyalty to the PNC through ‘kith n Kin’ affiliations, which is not a far-fetched

assumption, given the fact of a conversation and later position between a former Commissioner of Police, who is now comfortably ensconced in Parliament in the PNC benches.

The USA, EU, and UK are working hard behind the scenes to ensure a PNC/AFC/APNU victory at the polls, even if they fund them and help them to cheat, as they have before.

It will be a very sad day for Guyanese should PNC get back to power, where they will jail many members of the PPP on all sorts of trumped-up charges.

I wish I could get my entire family, who love G u y a n a d e a r l y, o u t o f there in a hurry.

Most politicians and their families have visas to leave Guyana at will, but not so for many Guyanese who will have no choice but to stay there and burn under another misfit, destructive PNC admistration.

TED KING

PNC dis-empowering and de-motivating young leaders IN an effort to cushion the impact of the public ridicule for the nefarious, unilateral and unprincipled decision of suspending Member of Parliament Ms. Vanessa Kissoon, the PNC now has two public positions on this fiasco.

First, it was the Leader acting on ‘credible evidence’ as it related to the exchange between the General Secretary and Ms. Kissoon, thus the use of a so-called constitutional provision and suspended her: When it became clear that his decision cannot stand the test of public scrutiny and flies in the face of natural justice, the party, in a press release, attempted to fuse a series of unrelated events to justify the leader’s action.

Even in this failed attempt at Public relations, not one iota of evidence was presented indicating that Ms. Kissoon was and is in possession of the keys to the office.

What was clear in the party’s latest bid to save face was that, despite the resistance from

members in the region to the imposition of a coordinator, without meaningful consultation, they are still members of the party central leadership, with the proclivity to circumvent the will of the members, internal party democracy and stability of a critical constituency of the party in their quest for vindictive pursuits.

The office which is the subject of this controversy and the party infrastructure under its remit, was dysfunctional for years; and during this period there was no attempt to wrestle positions from the previous leaders. Now, while a concerted effort is in place to mobilise the party, re-enforce its institutional capacity and prepare it for any ensuing political action by a group of young proactive leaders, efforts are in motion to dislodge this.

Therefore, the only inference that can be drawn from this continuous saga is that Ms. Kissoon finds herself among a group of young leaders who are rising in popularity and their

political work and adumbrations are exposing the incompetence of their colleagues at the highest levels, therefore every effort must be made to curtail them. However, unlike the other members of this rising star grouping, Ms. Kissoon is most vulnerable, not only because she is a woman, but because her political nemesis have at their disposal the recall legislation as a tool to intimidate her and is building a case to use it.

However respected and successful leaders are - not those who find and use unorthodox methods to out-manoeuvre their opponents, but those who stand for, believe in and subscribe to the fundamental principles, Ms Kissoon’s fight is one of principle; therefore surrendering is not an option, thus in time she will be exonerated, because she has age, her constituency, and most of all, the Lord on her side.

BEVON CURRIE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Seven-year vision for agriculture sector unveiled

MINISTER of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and various Heads of Department and agencies within the ministry launched a strategy to significantly expand the horizon of agriculture to take an approach that includes not only increased food production and food security, but encompasses all the various aspects of agriculture.

The strategy which sets out ambitious targets, such as increasing sugar production to 450,000 tonnes by 2020 and developing a new marketing approach, outside of sugar and rice and expanding marketing and competitive opportunities at the local and international level, was launched recently in the boardroom of the ministry under the theme “Agriculture our vehicle for sustained economic and social prosperity.”

25 PRIORITIES The strategy identified 25 priorities for success and is based on the F-5 strategic approach to agriculture. These are Food security; Fibre and Nutritious Food Accessibility by Citizens; Fuel Production; Fashion and Health Products and Furniture and Craft.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Ramsammy noted that the strategy is a drastic move away from the approach of agriculture being important only for food and nutrition security, but instead seek to put the country on a road whereby agriculture will touch the lives of people everywhere.

“This 2013-2020 strategy is a comprehensive strategy that expands the approach of agriculture in Guyana and sets a new bar for agriculture. This strategy also very vigorously rejects the notion that agriculture is for people who cannot make it in any other profession... it vigorously rejects the notion that agriculture is only about subsistence livelihood, this strategy in fact adopts the approach that agriculture is one of the most robust methods of generating wealth,” the Minister said.

The strategy adopts an approach that opens the door of entrepreneurship for small and large businesses. Minister Ramsammy noted that, “it creates room for the small farmers, but not small farmers for subsistence livelihood, but small farmers as creating small businesses even as it creates a room for the large investors.”

IMPORT REDUCTION One of the goals of the strategy will be focused on ensuring that agriculture continues to be a catalyst for building the country’s export portfolio beyond

the export of sugar, rice and rum. It also targets the reduction of the importation of goods into Guyana.

The strategy in fact spells out that at least 25 percent of imports such as corn will be reduced by 2020. It targets as well the $5.2B import bill for the Caribbean. The Caribbean imports more than US$200M of corn into the Region.

This project is estimated to cost between $70 to $90M, Minister Ramsammy said.

Other infrastructure projects that will come in line under the agriculture 2013-2020 strategy includes the re-construction of the Cunha canal and sluice leading to the Demerara River that will create another outlet and control point for the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), and in the process also improve 15,000 acres of land on the East Bank CORN AND SOYA “This strategy is so and the livelihood of farmers in communities like designed that corn will Laluni, Minister Ramsammy said.

become an agriculture DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT production of Guyana He explained that the infrastructure project of the not only to meet our local demands, but also strategy will continue the improvement of drainage to meet a part of the by installing greater pumping capacity. It will also CARICOM demand,” focus on the restoration of the five discharges on the Minister Ramsammy East Coast that were closed in the 1960s and 1970s and assist in the control of water level in the EDWC. explained.

“We believe that the New pump stations are to be installed at Annandale, Caribbean has no need Paradise/Enterprise in the next two to three years.

The strategy in fact includes the construction of 34 to import corn and soya pump stations in 2013, 2014 and 2015, Minister Ramfrom outside of CARICOM. We believe that sammy said. The ministry has already completed 15 all of CARICOM’s de- stations, between 2013 and 2014, with another 11 on mand for corn and soya schedule to be completed this year. Seven other stations for the livestock industry will start construction in 2015, he said.

The portfolio of infrastructure projects to be completcan be supplied by the Minister Dr. Leslie ed from 2013 to 2030 should cost about $2B and will agriculture industry of Ramsammy also see focus on access roads, Minister Ramsammy Guyana, Belize and Susaid. The Ruby, Parika Backdam, Onverwagt and Laluni riname,” he said.

Guyana is already taking a major step forward in roads are being addressed at present at a cost of US$8M, production of corn and soya. The National Agricul- under the project.

The ministry’s strategy for agriculture 2013-2020 tural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) is currently finalising the methodology for large-scale also focuses on continued strengthening of support production of the two crops. The institute also has 22 infrastructure for agriculture, outside of drainage and irrigation, like development of the veterinary laboacres of soya at its research centre in Ebini. ratory. It also seeks to strengthen soil health as an

important part of increasing productivity and quality, INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT Another major component of the strategy is the to expand and improve plant and animal health to recognition of the need to strengthen the support in- improve production, increase production of livestock, frastructure for agriculture, and in this regard, will fish and fish products, sustain high production of rice focus on the realisation of a number of infrastructure and increase production and diversification of crops, projects, beyond the life of the national agriculture with priority on new crops.

The strategy also focuses on increasing the prostrategy, that is, the infrastructure support will be motion of agro-processing and value-added products, from 2013 to 2030.

Major projects will include the expansion of the enhancing transportation, storage and cargo space Abary conservancy and the establishment of Mahai- facilities, developing a human resource development ca-Mahaicony Conservancy. The latter will open up strategy to secure an agriculture workforce, and 200,000 acres of new agriculture land and lead to im- build capacity for agro-energy industry, among othprovement of another 200,000 acres of existing land. ers areas.

Granger says he acted according to PNCR constitution in suspending Vanessa Kissoon

By Ravin Singh LEADER of the Opposition, David Granger disclosed last Friday at A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) weekly press conference that despite claims by APNU Member of Parliament Vanessa Kissoon that he has no power to suspend her, he has done this while acting according to the PNCR constitution.

Granger, who was asked to respond to Kissoon’s statement that he has “no power” to suspend her, replied with “I did”, explaining that he has already suspended her and his action is justified since he had acted within the PNCR constitution.

He said “I have operated always with advice in accor-

- she says he has ‘no power’ to suspend her

‘God is in charge and I fear not’ -Vanessa Kissoon

dance with the constitution of the People’s National Congress (Reform)… any decision has to be ratified by the Central Executive Committee. I have never behaved outside of the constitution.”

Kissoon however is maintaining that the Party’s Constitution, Article 27 INTERPRETATION CLAUSE ‘Under this Constitution’ (5) reads: “A power to appoint implies a power to suspend, dismiss or revoke.” As such she stressed that “I am a member of the PNCR and not See centre page

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Old Kai: Chronicles of Guyana…

Exposing the links—

PNCR’s team Granger to probe Vanessa Kissoon is an insult to the entire membership OLD KAI could not help laughing after reading the names of those who have been selected by the PNCR leadership to probe Member of Parliament Vanessa Kissoon.

It is a clear attempt at a sick joke. The composition, quite frankly, is a deliberate attempt to insult Kissoon, who is a long standing member of the party, and by extension, the people of Linden. How else can one explain the presence of Malika Ramsey, who is now cutting her teeth in the party? This has nothing to do with the fact that after struggling to establish herself in the local media, she made a transition to the political arena in the lead-up to the last elections, where she is now trying to establish herself as a youth member.

Over this time, she has become Granger’s personal cheerleader, as a television host for the party’s programmes, she practically worships the man.

Anyone looking at the programmes would quickly corroborate this fact. So then how can we expect this young lady to deliver an impartial verdict?

She is employed by Granger, who is always keen to stress that he is the Leader; so are we to believe that this junior member would not bend to the wishes of her superiors and do their bidding against Vanessa Kissoon? Therefore, it is easy to see why she was placed there.

We now come to Christopher Jones, another cheerleader for Granger, who was rewarded with a Member of Parliament position after the last elec-

tions. Jones was employed as a cameraman at Congress Place several years ago by Robert Corbin, then leader of the PNCR. It is no secret that the man propping up Granger is Corbin; therefore it is also clear why Jones was selected to be a member of the disciplinary committee. If the ambitious Jones wants to advance his political career within the party, it is obvious he will not go against the wishes of his bosses.

Then there is the not so light issue of Jones being exposed by this very column for providing misleading information on an incident involving himself and Police ranks a few months ago, when he was quoted as saying that he was stopped by ranks after being warned a few weeks prior to either get a tint permit or remove the tint from his vehicle. He told the media that he informed the ranks that his vehicle was factory tinted, only to find out later that this was not the case, after which, obviously embarrassed, he had to remove it.

If he was so hesitant with the truth on such an issue, can the membership be assured that his conscience will be his guide this time around in the Kissoon affair, particularly given his links with the Granger grouping?

Let’s move on to the member who was selected to Chair the Disciplinary Committee against Vanessa Kissoon, no other than former Region 4 RDC Chairman, Alan Munroe, a longstanding ally and colleague of Robert Corbin. The link is more evident when one considers that in 2010, the very Munroe was the lone opposition newcomer selected by then PNCR leader Robert Corbin

to sit on the Teaching Service Commission.

Would he now go against the Corbin/Granger faction after all they did for him in the past?

That’s a majority in the 5 member panel; but let us also not forget that Cheryl Sampson and Lance Carberry are also long standing allies of Robert Corbin.

Now bearing in mind that this information has apparently been leaked to the media, and the party is yet to officially confirm, but based on these revelations by Old Kai, those behind the machinations against Kissoon will surely be forced to withdraw these names if indeed this is the composition of the panel and come up with a more independent panel to probe the Linden MP. If they do not, well, the people of Linden might feel that they have a legitimate cause and will feel that they have no other option but to follow through on their threats against the PNCR. Old Kai’s only hope is that whatever plays out over the coming days, that it does not descend into violence, bearing in mind that the PNCR has a history of party members being assaulted, even at Congress Place. Vanessa Kissoon is the latest victim to have apparently suffered that fate, and to top it off, she is the one being disciplined, while the other party member, who is an ally of Granger/Corbin, has just walked away.

Guyanese will laud the Government for the Marriott initiative THE UPROAR from the direction of the political Opposition over the construction of the Marriot Hotel should alert Guyanese as to the small world mentality of a collective that daily displays a lack of understanding of what modernisation is all about. The assault on this ground-breaking project has been led by the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), but principally by the latter, ostensibly on behalf of one of its premier financiers, who is also a hotelier.

It is simply a case of the AFC doing its best to save this financier’s hotel, from the heavy competition it will face when the Marriot opens for business. Never mind all the other questions from this party as to the identity of the shareholders, and financial returns. It was really a case of fighting a rear-guard action on behalf of their important member.

But then, such action, premised on purely selfish motives,

is in essence anti-national and anti-development. OBSERVER is certain that such a businessman is a believer in competition, but not where it involves competing with his entity. How selfish!

No country that intends to promote itself as tourist destination in these modern times, intending to attract international visitors, can ever hope to do so without a brand name hotel.

Call the latter – the ringing bell for attracting visitors. And rather than assail the Government for its visionary and bold decision in leading the charge for a vibrant tourist destination, the respective leaders of the AFC and APNU ought to give commendations for such a step.

The larger picture, easily understood by any junior economics/business student, is that competition is healthy for business; it is the fillip that stimulates new ideas that will lead to, among other things, a better product and a better service.

More so, it will generate income that will redound to the

economy of this nation.

Therefore, it is inconceivable that any single brand, such as the one that has been around for over four decades, that its current owner/Chief Executive Officer should continue to believe that new horizons with regard hospitality will not be undertaken. Improvements are the spice of any progressive enterprise, and not a shut-in mentality that can only lead to a dead end, and inevitable collapse.

Surely, Guyana’s hospitality industry needs to be taken to another level of first world standards; and, to this end, Government would have already commenced the process of marketing Guyana’s potential, that has been responsible for increasing visitor arrivals. Couple this with the proposed $4B Hospitality Institute that will become the flagship for servicing a rapidly developing industry, and Guyanese will, in a few years, laud the Government for the Marriot initiative.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Several markets to benefit soon from rehabilitation

THE Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development will soon be advertising for a number of market enhancement projects funded under the India, Brazil, South Africa Cooperation (IBSA) programme, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker said at a press conference on Friday.

Included is the $3.3M rehabilitation to the Anna Regina market, Region 2, and a tender for $11.6M towards the construction of a market shed to support the Corriverton market, Region 6, and provide for the growing number of market vendors, Minister Whittaker said.

Also to be tendered are the fencing, construction of a reservoir and a shed for the fish vending section at the Rose Hall market to the tune of $6M and for New Amsterdam, a tender for approximately $6.6M, to address concerns such as fencing.

Major repair work and the construction of a market shed to the value of $18.6M for the Rosignol market, Region 5 and the construction of a chain link fence, valued $1.7M to support the infrastructural improvement that vendors seek to support using the Diamond market tarmac are among works being processed, under the project

for advertisement.

LINDEN AND LETHEM MARKETS The project will also see $9.3M being spent on the Linden market, Region 10 and $1.3 at the Lethem market, Region 9, Minister Whittaker said.

Other aspects of the programme include the construction of sanitary blocks at Haslington, Beterverwagting, Grove-Diamond and possibly a tarmac for vendors at Annandale, Minister Whittaker said.

Government, in looking to address the issue of solid waste management countrywide has been able to provide additional support outside of the national coffers as it works towards improving the environment across the country. It has been successful in sourcing financing from the IBSA. The support seeks to address solid waste management in Guyana by implementing three strategies - the procurement of appropriate waste management machinery and equipment for collection, transportation and disposal of waste to the landfill.

PUBLIC AWARENESS It also seeks to address the expansion and rehabilitation of markets and market tarmacs to

control illegal vending, which is a significant contributor to solid waste. The third aspect has to do with raising public awareness.

Meanwhile, with regards to the Corriverton market which was severely damaged by winds over the weekend, the Ministry is working in collaboration with the municipality and the Region 6 Regional Democratic Council to repair the roof, Minister Whittaker noted.

Though temporary measures have been put in place, a more permanent solution is to be brought to fore in a few days, he said.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Collin Croal also reported that the tender for the extension of the Mabaruma market tarmac in Region 1 is set to be re-advertised, because all of the tenders submitted were over the budget and the engineer’s estimate for the works.

The project is set to be re-advertised as soon as this week, even as the renovation to the market itself, which started in 2012, is nearing completion. The extension to the market tarmac would have commenced in 2013, but the contract was terminated in December and re-advertised earlier this year. (GINA)

Four police injured after vehicle crashes into parked container

By Leroy Smith

FOUR Police Constables who work on special proj-

ects and assignments within the Guyana Police Force were early yesterday morning rushed to

the Georgetown Public Hospital after the vehicle in which they were travelling slammed into a parked

container on the Friendship Public Road, East Bank Demerara.

The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the officers were travelling along the Friendship Public Road when they came into contact with the parked container.

Sources close to the men

recalled that they had worked throughout the night on Saturday and into Sunday morning. At time of the accident, they were heading on yet another assignment when the accident occurred.

Information reaching the Guyana Chronicle is that the container was parked with no proper

lighting on the shoulder of the road, causing the unmarked police car to slam into it. However despite the container being poorly lit, the Guyana Police Force is carrying out routine and mandatory checks on its own vehicle See page 11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Four police injured ...

From page 10

to see if it had had any fault that could have caused the accident.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday morning, the police ranks were being treated for their injures, but were all alert and responding and were communicating with officers.

They received stitches to various parts of their bodies, mostly their faces, for the lacerations they sustained in the accident. There was, however, one of the four ranks who appeared to be a bit more injured than his colleagues, and he was being prepared to have several additional tests and scans run on him to determine the extent of his injuries.

Relatives of the injured police ranks were informed, and they were at the hospital awaiting word on the condition of the men. The fathers, wives, and other relatives of the injured were among those who visited the hospital.

The Guyana Police Force has long been calling on business operators and container owners to be more responsible in the way they park container trucks and utilise the roadways.

The Guyana Police Force has been calling for business operators to ensure that containers spend very little time parked on road shoulders whenever it is necessary, and in event of this happening, containers should be properly lit so that motorists and other road users of the night can be aware of their presence.

This admonition is, however, apparently not being taken seriously by owners of containers and container trucks. In many cases, one could see container trucks exceeding speed limits and travelling above 85 miles per hour along the East Bank Demerara Public Road and the East Coast Demerara Public Road. However there are numbers listed on those vehicles that persons can call to report these breaches to the owners of the container trucks. Regrettably, police ranks are not often on the road to catch these irresponsible drivers, so the practice continues.

The accident involving the four police officers came just hours before the Guyana Police Force Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony for ranks who died in the line of the duty.

The four Constables, Durwin Eastman, Anthony Branch, Aaron Seegobin and William Jeffers all received injuries and have been admitted to hospital.

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B’ Division Police form youth group in East Canje, Region 6

By Michael Khan THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) ‘B’ Division, under command of Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph and Senior Superintendent Marlon Chapman, formed a Youth and Sports Group in the East Canje Berbice area to continue the drive to forge relations with the wider community and to address the many social ills in that part of the society.

The ‘B’ Division Police have been leading the way in this regard with a number of community outreach initiatives, the most recent being the formation of a Youth and Sports Group on the East Bank of Berbice.

Last Wednesday, the formation of the East Canje Group was held at the Goed Bananen Land Community Centre in Berbice. The group is expected to attract youths from the villages of Reliance, Adelphi, Goed Bananen Land and Betsy Ground.

The police delegation included Senior Superintendent Marlon Chapman; Officer-in-Charge of the number one sub-division, Assistant Superintendent Guy Nurse; Chief Inspector Gregory Springer, and Corporal Randy Hamilton.

They held a wide range of discussions with those in attendance, touching on the following topics: truancy,

noise nuisance, youth development, unemployment, crime, and the promotion of sports, among other topics.

The attendees fully participated in the interaction.

Among those officiating at

should make use of every opportunity that is offered to them.”

He also looked at the potential and opportunities that can be derived from such a venture.

Sinclair; the treasurer is Tulsiedai Roopnarine, headmistress of The Betsy Ground Primary School; while Corporal Hamilton was given the full responsibility of coordinating all

Police officers with members of the group the ceremony was Pastor Leslie Hopkinson, who did the opening prayer and spoke of the purpose, plans, goals and vision of the organisation.

Assistant Superintendent Nurse, who was the main speaker, pointed out that: “Youths have an important role to play in the development of Guyana, and they

Following the discussion, the police officer said he was heartened by the response of the residents, and he told them: “I would like to see our efforts ‘bear fruit’, so that you can achieve great heights and be role model for the youths of tomorrow.”

The president of the group is Avenash Angad; the secretary is Coleen

events that the group plans to execute.

Four persons were also appointed mentors: Pastor Hopkinson; Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Interim Management Community Chairman Jaipaul Kuldip, Community activist Jacqueline Rose and Radesh Singh. (Michael Khan)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Victim of Corentyne serial hit-and-run accident allegedly involved in armed robbery activities

By Jeune Vankeric DELROY Parks, victim of a recent hit-and-run accident that claimed the lives of two sisters and a niece on the Corentyne Coast, has been charged and remanded to jail on two counts of robbery under arms.

He has been positively identified at the scene of one of the crimes, and was fin-

gered as a notorious bandit after his mask was pulled off by one of the victims.

The 28-year-old Parks, alias ‘Sticky’, of Cromarty Farm, Corentyne, had been the first victim of the June 11 hit-and-run accident which spanned three villages. He appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Whim Court, charged with robbery under arms.

Police allege that on July 4, last, at Kilmarnock Village Corentyne, Berbice, whilst being armed with a gun and in company with others, Parks robbed Alisha Drepaul of a cellular phone valued at $140,000; and a gold chain and two gold rings valued at $175,000, property of Alisha Drepaul.

He is also accused of robbing Andre Hoyte of a wrist

watch valued at $40,000, and a sliver bracelet worth $20,000.

Prosecutor Sergeant Phillip Sherriff, in opposing bail,

Delroy Parks cited the nature and prevalence of the offence, and the fact that a gun had been used.

He also said the accused is a suspect in similar offences, and that other charges are likely to follow shortly.

Sergeant Sherriff said that Berbice cops are investigating a series of robberies and rape offences committed in the Central Corentyne area. The first incident occurred on April 12th at Lot 21 Maida Farm, Corentyne Berbice. During that ordeal, three masked bandits, armed with a shotgun, cutlass and knife, entered the home of a hire car driver and robbed him of cash, a cell phone and jewellery. They also robbed the man’s wife of a substantial amount of cash and a large amount of gold jewellery, and moreover, robbed two other persons who were in the home at the time, taking away their cash and a quantity of gold jewellery, cell phones and US$700.

The man’s wife was also allegedly raped during that incident.

The second incident occurred on May 2, when

three armed bandits attacked, robbed and raped a female resident of Maida Farm and stole local and United States Currency from her.

During that incident, the masked bandits took the woman to her nearby relative’s house and commanded her to call out to her relative.

They had intended to carry out another robbery attack at that home, but the relative, after hearing the woman’s call, quickly dashed into the house, but not before pulling off the mask of one of the intruders.

She was terrified when she allegedly observed that Parks, whom she knew for years, and who lived a short distance away from her, was attempting to enter her home.

Having been recognized, Parks fled the scene, but was subsequently arrested by police. When captured, Parks was wearing a neck brace because of the injury he had sustained during the motor vehicular accident.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Education Minister engages former students of President’s College on way forward for the school

By Vanessa Narine

THE President’s College (PC) should be an institution reserved for the best performers at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examination, which determines the placement of students at secondary schools.

Entry to the PC should be restricted to 120 students of the top three per cent of NGSA performers, with allowance being made for one top student from Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine. And if the 120 students do not want to take up the places offered, as has been the case in many years, and only, for example, 20 students accept their placing, then the school should still be run to cater for those 20 students.

Those were quintessentially the contentions that attracted a robust five-hour exchange between Education Minister Priya Manickchand and a stakeholder group of approximately 20 former PC students on Saturday

and communities which will be adversely affected.

“If the request here now is to consider rebirthing the admission of only the top two per cent, I cannot do that without talking to the parents and students who are benefiting now. I have a constitutional responsibility to consult with the people who are going to be affected,” she said.

An interesting question that was asked during the consultation was: “Why change the current admissions policy when it benefits a wider cross section of students? This wide cross section of students, for example a student from Mabaruma, would not have had an opportunity to attend a very well-equipped school like PC, because the reality is that Government does not have all the money to equip all the schools with everything they need. Still, these students, once given a chance, do well.

So why change what is working for the sake of having another elitist school?”

Education Minister Priya Manickchand stresses a point during Saturday’s consultation on concerns regarding the state of President’s College

Corentyne) and 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice), and the Linden/Soesdyke Highway.

Non-residential students from Cummings Lodge to Mahaica would also be allocated places at President’s College.

The old students also called for a review of this policy to allow students from Cummings Lodge to Mahaica to have the option of residency.

Chief Education Officer

An old student raises a concern at the consultation (Photos by Adrian Narine)

during a meeting hosted by the Education Minister at the National Centre for Educational Research and Development (NCERD) to hone in on schools’ admission policy.

The recommendations have since raised some level of concern with the Minister, who pointed out that the subvention to PC, where students live in, is presently $180M per year, and it may not be economically prudent to spend that amount of money on 20 students, instead of 120 students per year.

The former students were, however, adamant that the school should be reserved only for the top performers, irrespective of whether the number of children who accept the offer is small.

The Education Minister committed to addressing this recommendation, but made it clear that any change from the current admissions policy would require wide consultations with the parents, students

The premise of the question was rejected, and the old students who recommended a change were adamant that PC needs to be an institution reserved for the best performers.

CURRENT POLICY The current admissions policy at PC is that all admissions would be done according to marks obtained, places available, cut off scores, and places of residence. All applicants would be ranked for selection according to score, and this year’s cut off score was 491.

According to the policy, a number of resident places would be identified for students of Regions One (Barima/Waini), Seven (Cuyuni/ Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo).

Available resident places are advertised for students of Regions Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam), Five (Mahaica/ Berbice), Six (East Berbice/

Mr. Olato Sam, who was part of the panel fielding questions from the stakeholder group, explained that the current policy was put in place during 2009 after the number of students opting to attend PC began to drastically decline.

“We were not able to fill the school with the traditional numbers…the lowest number we had in the lead up to 2009 was 49, when the capacity is 120 in the first year admissions.

What we were faced with was a decision on how to fill the school,” he said.

According to him, discussions on viable placement policy led to two scenarios: * One, extend the admissions to the best performing students in all the regions, in addition to the top two per cent; or * Two, have both residential and non-residential students attending, which would both ensure that the 120 first year admissions quota would be met and give an opportunity to

students who would not have such an opportunity by setting an applicable benchmark, since the top three per cent were being awarded places at wellequipped schools like Queen’s College (QC) and the Bishops’ High School (BHS) anyway.

Sam said the latter option was decided on.

QUESTION OF INVESTMENT Several of the old students contended that the reasons for the reduction in the number of students willing to attend PC included infrastructure problems, shortages of teaching staff, and the reduction of the wide range of programmes that were previously offered.

The Minister accepted that the programmes offered then, such as horseback riding, are not being offered now, but she said that the investments in the school have not only continued, but have significantly increased.

She, however, conceded that there appeared to have been some internal management problems with the school.

On the question of shortages of teachers, she noted that all schools, from time to time, have to deal with this challenge; and she made it a point to say that the current ratio of trained teachers to students is one to 35, which is the ideal ratio. She was clear that there are no remarkable shortages at the school.

Relative to the programme content, the Minister acknowledged that there has been some loss, but she was confident that all is not lost; and she pointed out that the nine-month-old Board of Governors was working on restoring this.

She rejected the assertion that infrastructure problems, shortages of teaching staff, and programme content in the school were the sole reasons why students were not taking up the offer to attend PC. “It was never a question of there being a lack of Government commitment,” the

Minister stressed.

Manickchand also pointed out that Guyana’s realities of 2014 have changed from those of 1985, and she said that some of these new realities may have affected parents’ decisions not to send their children to the school.

She said that, in the last few years, a number of top performing students were given the option to attend PC, but decided to attend schools within their own regions.

“This speaks to the investment we have been making across the board. We have developed our schools in regions, and have resourced those schools with facilities, equipment, and trained staff; and children are choosing to stay at schools in their own areas…

So it is not one thing,” she said.

She gave the example of the top students for the Caribbean region in 2012 and 2013, who both stayed at schools in Essequibo (Abram Zuil and Anna Regina respectively) instead of taking up places offered to them at the Georgetown schools.

TAKE AWAY Other issues that came up for discussion were (a) The accomplishments of the Board of Governors since its appointment, which was listed and lauded (b) Efficient internal management and (c) The opportunity for the PC old students to play a greater role in bolstering the state of the institution.

By the end of the session, and following an appeal by Minister Manickchand for “preconceived notions” to be dispelled, the stakeholder group agreed to the following: 1. That the Minister of Education would review and consult on the recommendation for a review of the admissions policy 2. The Minister of Education would review the policy that non-residential students from Cummings Lodge to Mahaica would also be offered residential places at President’s

College, to allow students in this catchment the option of residency 3. That the Minister of Education would publicly announce PC as a national school, as are QC, BHS, St. Stanislaus, St Roses High and St. Joseph High 4. That the Ministry of Education would ensure clearer communication of its policies and decisions 5. That old students of PC can attend the weekly meeting of the Board of Governors with PC teachers, every Thursday at 1.15pm 6. That greater steps would be taken to make PC self-sufficient 7. That the old students would organise themselves in a more efficient manner, as the Government of Guyana would support an old students association that is looking at supporting the school; and 8. That there needs to be a clear definition of where the school should go, academically and in other regards.

Considering the fact that tangible takeaways were agreed on, the Education Minister called for the engagement in the interest of improving PC be a two-sided one.

Manickchand said, “It is easy to say you are interested, but harder to put your money and time where your mouth is. I cannot keep engaging if you are falling down on your job.

“Discussions are great, but you have to properly send criticisms my way, and you have to do more than be critical if you are interested in contributing to PC. “From the last meeting to now, the old students have not done the things they said they were going to do, and I believe one of the important things that needs to be done is to ensure there is an organised old students association.”

The Minister pointed out that she had deliberately appointed a number of old students to the board, and was very disappointed to see that their attendance rate at board meetings was so low.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Gov’t committed to exploring a - President Ramotar tells Essequibo farmers

PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar, accompanied by Agriculture Ministers, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and Ally Baksh, and officials from the Rice Producers’ Association (RPA) yesterday met with rice farmers at Golden Fleece and Hampton Court on the Essequibo Coast.

Last week a number of rice farmers led by an Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor took to the streets in an unlawful demonstration, burning tyres, blocking roadways and assaulting police officers over delayed payments for paddy by millers. A number of them were taken into custody and later placed on bail.

The Head of State emphasised the importance of the rice industry, not only to individual farmers, but to the country’s economic development as a whole. He explained that the Government has been working over the years to diversify the economic base of the economy so as not to be solely dependent on a few traditional industries.

He noted that even though the sugar industry has been facing quite a lot of struggles, the country’s economy has remained strong, and the rice sector has made significant contributions to this.

The President spoke of the support that his Party has given to rice farmers over the years, and took the gathering back to 1964 when the PPP lost the general elections to the PNC. He reminded that some of the first people who faced victimisation were rice farmers. In 1965, the

President Donald Ramotar addressing Region 2 rice farmers

Education Minister visits Berbice ...

From page 2 said, “These stores unreasonable. The government trying to help the people and the store gouging out them eye.”

Minister Manickchand said that if this report is true, she is very disappointed with the stores. She assured the parents/guardians that if the ministry finds any store that has raised its prices for parents shopping with the government-issued vouchers, the Ministry would deal condignly with that individual business.

The Minister said that, on the other hand, she knew of some stores that would actually give special tokens to

parents shopping with the vouchers. She publicly called on storeowners to have a conscience, and explained to the parents that they have the power to make the stores offer competitive prices.

Parents also expressed their views on automatic promotion, and made recommendation on how children should be promoted.

Minister Manickchand addressed a range of other issues raised by parents/guardians in the county, and committed to bringing to the attention of the various Ministers the matters that were raised.

(GINA)

Education Minister Priya Manickchand is mobbed by parents in Berbice

then PNC regime reduced the price to farmers and when they attempted to protest in front of the Parliament, police dogs were released on them.

“The best friend that this industry has ever had has been the People’s Progressive Party in Government… the industry was on its knees when we got in government in 1992, the production was just about 90,000 tonnes of rice,” President Ramotar reminded.

As a result of massive investments in drainage and

CARICOM Central Bank Governors urge compliance with AML/CFT requirements CARICOM Central Bank Governors have agreed that strong legislative and effective compliance frameworks are fundamental to the continued functioning of regional financial sectors in accordance with acceptable international standards. These are reflected in the 40 + 9 Recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT).

According to a statement issued last evening, CARICOM Central Bank Governors, therefore, urge all CARICOM countries to ensure compliance with AML/CFT requirements and, where necessary, take prompt action to implement the recommendations of the CFATF, inclusive of legislative amendments, to avoid blacklisting.

Failure to do so will have far-reaching implications for each country, adverse spill-over effects to other Caribbean countries, and will result in a prolonged loss of international confidence.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

avenues to protect rice industry irrigation, opening up of lands, and subsidised prices for fertilizer, farm to market roads, new rice , among other interventions, the rice industry continues to record strong production. Even under the most testing of conditions, it recorded a production of over 400,000 tonnes for the first crop in 2014.

However, new challenges have arisen in the form of locating new markets, higher prices, and finding new ways to make the industry more productive and competitive. In this regard, the Government has dispatched a team of Indian scientists to visit the various mills across the country to determine how energy can be used more efficiently and to expand the industry by using by-products of rice.

The Government is also looking at other forms of marketing that will be competitive for farmers.

With regard to Guyana’s rice deal with neighbouring Venezuela, President Ramotar said, “We do not know what is going to happen in Venezuela, the political situation there is not very good…we have to think beyond that to protect the industry.”

He added that even if Guyana continues to hold the Venezuelan market, the percentage of rice being sold there will continue to fall as production continues to increase. In light of all of this, the President assured that his Government is committed to exploring avenues to ensure that the industry is protected.

Meanwhile, Minister Ramsammy explained that Guyana is a small country; it cannot consume all the rice it produces.

“We consume totally industrially and for food approximately 120,000 tonnes…it means that we have to export close to 500,000 tonnes. In 2006, we were only exporting about 200,000 tonnes. Last year, we exported 394,000 tonnes. As we are speaking right now, we have increased the export by 25 percent…by the end of the year between 475,000 and 500,000 tonnes would have been exported,” the Minister said.

More rice has been exported to traditional markets such as Jamaica and Europe, and new markets have been added as well, such as Haiti and Panama, which have been buying increasing amounts of rice. The Government is also in the process of negotiating with markets in Central America and Africa.

Only last week, an invitation was received to send a team to Africa to negotiate terms for them to purchase rice from Guyana.

On the issue of millers’ failure to pay farmers in a timely manner, the Minister recalled that earlier this year, President Ramotar immediately ordered funds to be released to pay farmers who were owed about $300M from the previous year (almost $200M of that amount were for farmers on the Essequibo Coast).

From left, RPA General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj, President Donald Ramotar, Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture Ally Baksh and Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy To date, the Government has only collected a small amount of this money that was released.

“Instead of the farmers being owed, we are now owed that amount of money. That is the kind of support we gave. In the last several months, we have released further amounts…our position is that rice farmers must be paid fully and on time,” Minister Ramsammy stated.

General Secretary of the RPA, Dharamkumar Seeraj, in his remarks said that the rice industry benefitted from very good prices at the beginning of the rice deal that is a part of the Petrocaribe arrangement. As a result, farmers took it upon themselves to invest in more acreage, so much so that the acreage cultivated per season moved from 175,000 acres to 226,000 acres, some outside of drainage and irrigation areas.

This year, there was an increase in production plus carry-over stock and only a 200,000 - tonne market to Venezuela. This led to serious implications such as delayed payments, which affected farmers throughout the country.

“We wanted more from Venezuela, both in terms of quantity, as well as duration, but we are taking these issues into consideration before going ahead with plans to rent additional rice lands at high prices and expanding cultivation.

Almost $20B has already been paid to farmers across the country. Recently, some $400M was paid out to rice farmers in Region 2. (GINA)

Rice farmers and millers at the meeting in Region 2

Granger says he acted according to PNCR constitution ...

From page 8 an employee,” noting that the Leader of the Party did not appoint her and as such he has no power to suspend her.

In a statement issued by Kissoon recently, she also explained that Granger emailed her on 24th June saying that he had suspended her membership from the Party. However, this letter suspending her membership preceded the Central Executive Committee meeting held on 25th June, 2014. She said also that to date she had not received any correspondence from the Central Executive Committee.

When questioned whether Kissoon will be recalled as a Member of Parliament because of her opposition to the ruling of the party, Granger contended that he has not made such a consideration and does not believe the issue warrants such an extreme measure. He said “there is no hint, there is no suggestion, there is no threat that her status as a Member of Parliament would be in jeopardy.”

The Region 10 APNU MP party’s representaVanessa Kissoon tive is claiming that on June 20th, she was assaulted at Congress Place, the PNCR Headquarters, by the General Secretary Oscar Clarke who requested keys to the party’s Region 10 office. Kissoon, however, maintained that she was not in possession of the keys and had explained this to Clarke several times.

The Region 10 representative also disclosed that she was never asked by Granger what transpired on 20th June. “My 28th June response to Mr. Granger’s letter expressed concerns about the violation of the party constitution and my rights under the said constitution in addressing the matter,” she said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Households in Albuoystown and Campbellville taken down with fever, headache, and strange swelling of joints

THREE adults and five children from two separate households in Albouystown and Camp-

the disease, according to the matriarch of the home, Joycelyn Griffith. They were given Panadol and

b e l l v i l l e w e re , e a r l i e r this week, rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and treated for what is believed to be the dreaded mosquito-borne Chickenguniya disease.

Two adults and a teny e a r- o l d g i r l f r o m t h e Campbellville household, who were first taken to the hospital about two weeks ago, were said to have been positively diagnosed with

sent home, but on returning home, two other children were said to have taken ill and were, on Thursday, taken to the GPHC for treatment.

The children, aged between nine and eleven years, were presented at the GPHC on Thursday with fever and headache, accompanied by swelling of the hands, knees and ankles and an inability to move the fingers. They, too, were

Some of the children at the GPH with swollen joints and fever

treated with Panadol.

And the Campellville household was again stricken when three others -Ferma, Alex and Antoine -- fell ill and were also

taken for treatment at the GPHC. Their symptoms include fever and headache, and swelling of the knees, joints, wrists and ankles.

H o w e v e r, t e n - y e a r-

old Antoine from the Albouystown household, whose condition seemed most severe, was set apart for ‘urgent’ investigations. He was sent to have

an X-Ray and urine and blood tests done. He presented with fever, headache and swelling of the knees. His condition is being closely monitored.

Teen breaks leg plunging into Canje River Better Hope man critical after struck by motor cycle on Line Top

By Shirley Thomas THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD Kamal Rampersaud of S h e e t A n c h o r Vi l l a g e , C o re n t y n e , s u f f e re d a compound fracture to his right leg after a swimming plunge into the Canje River.

The boy who is now an inpatient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) was executing a plunge into the water when the waves pushed a small boat into his path and he hit his right leg on the edge of the vessel.

He sustained a compound fracture and was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he was hospitalised for two days. The leg was not placed in a cast but was bandaged and he was advised to avoid moving the limb.

However, within a few days the wound became infected and odorous. He

Kamal Rampersaud on the road to recovery after fracturing his leg in a swimming plunge into Canje River

said when he touched it, he could feel the rugged edge of the bone. His parents took him back to New Amsterdam Hospital, and on recognising the extent to which the injury had worsened, the hospi-

tal evacuated him to the GPHC by ambulance.

At the GPHC, he received emergency medical procedure and the leg was subsequently placed in a cast. Kamal said he is now well on the road to

recovery.

Meanwhile, his relatives are happy for this intervention, noting that the leg had appeared to be turning gangrenous before he was taken to the GPHC.

FORTY-TWO-YEAROLD Dindiyal Parsram of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara is in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital following his involvement in an accident on the Better Hope Line Top on Tuesday night.

Returning home from a wake, he was said to have been struck down by a speeding motor cycle, which hurled him through the air and caused him to land heavily on the roadway.

Parsram has still not regained consciousness

since being hit. He has suffered a huge haematoma (swelling to the head) and a possible internal clot, which is bringing on regular attacks of seizures, and arrangements are being made for him to have a CT scan done soonest.

Because Parsram is known in the neighbourhood, he was taken to his relatives’ home early next morning, after being discovered at the roadside. His relatives took him to hospital, where doctors are working feverishly to hasten his recovery.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Biker in narrow escape after rear-ended in hit-and-run

By Shirley Thomas

SHADWEL Alexander, 34, of 130 Laing Avenue, narrowly escaped death last Friday when the motorcycle he was riding along Eccles Public Road, East Bank Demerara, was rear-ended by a motor vehicle, sending him flying under a motor-

who is employed at Techno Rice Mill, was on his way to work just a few rods away. Immediately after being hit, his rear wheel blew out and the impact hurled him through the air and under the motor car. He could not say in what direction his pillion rider ended up.

However, Alexander suf-

moned the police and he was taken to the Diamond Hospital.

But at the hospital, according to Alexander, he was shocked to find that the scenario there was a “much of a muchness.” The patient said there was only one doctor on duty, one security guard, no nurses and an ambulance

Aries - March 21 - April 19 Not everyone knows that we make our own luck, but it's a fact that you count on every day. If some recent setback has brought you down, don't think of it as failure -- instead, see of it as a lesson to help aid your future success. What will you know to do for next time? Once you've figured it all out, you can go back and tweak your original formula. You're sure to like your results next time.

Taurus - April 20 - May 20 Someone close is more than willing to teach you a thing or two, if you can just make some time for them. This goes double for any family elders or other mentor types in your life. Listen with extra care to what they've got to say to you. There's a lot more that they know about the human experience than you think, and their wisdom can cut across generations with ease. Keep an open mind and, of course, an open heart.

Gemini - May 21 - June 21 Get ready to make a big social splash! You might start to move through some ratified circles, both socially and through your job, so get ready to start living large and associating with some VIPs. The most important thing to remember is that it's what's within you that really count. Enjoy those champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but evaluate all big shots by the contents of their character.

Cancer - June 22 - July 22 If someone is trying to avoid your questions, you need to start raising a ruckus until they can't ignore you any more. Stay polite, of course -- good manners really do count in this situation -- but don't let them move past you until they've given up the answers you need. It's important for you to move on with the rest of your life, and that should mean something to them.

Leo - July 23 - August 22 Character is much on your mind right now, as you ask yourself what you are really made of. At some level, you may be trying to decide between right and wrong! Of course, things aren't always as black-and-white as that, but the essential principle often applies. As you walk through life today, try to do as much good as you can, though you may have to figure out a few things first.

Virgo - August 23 - September 22 Your brain might be stuck in a loop just now, so it's high time to take a look at your options. It's way too easy to repeat negative or nagging messages and just play them over and over without considering alternatives. When you catch yourself, though, you can reprogramme that station to something more useful and positive. Reply to every downer with something you can really believe in!

Libra - September 23 - October 22

Hurriedly applied sutures to Alexander’s forehead

car.

The accident took place around 22:30 hrs, at the traffic light opposite Two Brothers Gas Station, and fortunately for him the car under which he found himself was stationary, waiting for the green signal at the traffic light.

At the time Alexander,

fered a burst right eye, which has been shifted out of line; a gaping cut on his forehead; injuries to both hands and minor abrasions.

However, the errant driver who rear-ended him fled the scene without even attempting to find out what injuries he had suffered. Persons who witnessed the accident sum-

Monday, July 14, 2014 - 05:00 Tuesday, July 15, 2014 - 05:00 Wednesday, July 16, 2014 - 08:30

with no driver. On hearing his story, the doctor told him he was lucky to be alive.

He recalled being deposited in the treatment room where he was surprised that close to two hours had elapsed and he was still lying in a pool of blood and in pain without any medical attention.

“In all meh pain, I had to call out before the doctor come back to me,” he said. It was then he learnt that there was no driver for the ambulance so the Diamond Hospital had to send to Georgetown Public Hospital for an ambulance to take him to that institution for emergency medical care.

When the doctor observed the extent to which he was bleeding, he hastily sutured up the forehead and had him wait for the ambulance. It was a good thing that it did arrive since in addition to Alexander and his pillion rider, there was a pregnant woman and another patient for emergency treatment. They were all cramped into the one ambulance and set out for the GPHC, arriving there after midnight.

You've got so many different and interesting people in your immediate environment -- and they're all looking for you today! Everyone you meet has an absolutely fascinating, if completely unexpected, story to tell, and you should be enthralled by each and every one. It helps that you're pretty fascinating yourself and can spin tales with the very best of them!

Scorpio - October 23 - November 21 Even if you've got a problem with someone close, it's more important for you to deal with other issues right now -- like reclaiming your sense of humour! Do whatever it takes to get it back -- go watch a funny movie, call up a friend who's a reliable crack-up or just dance around in your underwear until the existential silliness overwhelms you!

Sagittarius - November 22 - December 20 Your ability to spin tales comes in handy in many ways on days like today. If someone needs help with a difficult or complex concept you know cold, step up and offer a bit of your knowledge. With your charm and light touch, you should be able to turn on their light bulb and make it look easy. Don't be shy -- this stuff is too important to keep to yourself!

Capricorn - December 21 - January 19 You need to put your money where your mouth is today. Even better, you should endeavour to put your money where your bank is! It's definitely time to wrangle your finances and start thinking clearly about the future. Your energy helps you get serious about long-term plans, and that has a definite effect on you right now. Start thinking about where you want to be in a few years, because with the right planning, it will happen.

Aquarius - January 20 - February 18 You rightly see yourself as a nonconformist, and you love the reactions you get. Go your own way and make up your own mind today, and your independence is sure to be widely admired. It becomes especially now that you're surrounded by various friends and loved ones who just can't get enough of your company. Ask yourself how you ended up with so many fantastic people in your life.

Pisces - February 19 - March 20 It's way too easy for you to get caught up in the daily rush of life. Try to regain your perspective by helping someone else today. It could mean volunteering for a big community organisation, mentoring a child or just writing a cheque. Whatever form it takes, today is definitely the day to think about service to humanity as a whole.

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Magical Goetze fires Germany to fourth World Cup crown

By Mike Collett

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil

(Reuters) - A world class Mario Goetze volley in extra time fired Germany to a fourth World Cup crown with a 1-0 victory over Argentina yesterday, leaving the South Americans and their captain Lionel Messi heartbroken.

The thunderous clash between Germany, Brazil’s 7-1 semi-final conquerors, and their bitter rivals had seemed headed for penalties until Andre Schuerrle escaped down the left after 113 minutes and sent in a cross that substitute Goetze controlled on his chest before slamming past goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

The magical strike meant Germany became the only European team to win the World Cup in the Americas, and left the superlative Messi without the title he so craved to crown his glittering career.

“All of Germany is world champion now,” the winners’ immense goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.

“We’re going to celebrate for at least five weeks now.

At some point we’ll stop celebrating but we’ll always keep waking up with a smile.”

It will be a richly deserved smile.

As much as all of Argentina hankered for a triumph on Brazilian soil, Germany were worth their win over a subdued Messi and his team mates who counter-attacked dangerously but lacked their opponents’ more fluid passing moves.

Messi’s poor final was summed up with virtually the last kick of the game when he had a chance to score a sensational equaliser with a free-kick 30 metres out.

The world’s best player never troubled the world’s best goalkeeper, however, blasting his effort high and wide and seconds later Germany were champions and Argentina were crushed.

“We gave it all, all our bodies could endure,” Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano said. “The pain is immense because we wanted to take the cup back to Argentina.

“The pain will last forever.”

GERMANY ROCKED Germany’s preparations had been rocked before kickoff when midfielder Sami Khedira, one of the tournament’s best players, pulled a calf muscle in the warm-up.

He was replaced in the starting lineup by Christoph Kramer, who had only made two brief substitute appearances earlier.

But Kramer only lasted 32 minutes, going off after a collision with Ezequiel Garay’s shoulder which left him looking dazed, and Germany had to rejig their side again.

Coach Joachim Loew brought Schuerrle on in an attacking midfield role with Mesut Ozil dropping back into a more defensive, central position. Despite the upheavals Germany ended the half with 65 percent possession and came close to seeing that domination pay off when Benedikt Hoewedes headed powerfully against a post just before the interval, although a linesman’s flag was up for offside.

Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain should have done far better before that, though, when he was gifted a chance in the 20th

minute following a careless header towards his own goal by Germany midfielder Toni Kroos.

WASTED CHANCE The loose ball went straight to Higuain but, with only keeper Neuer to beat, he dragged his shot embarrassingly wide.

Ten minutes later he swept the ball home after a perfect cross from Ezequiel Lavezzi and went on a long celebratory run thinking he had scored, but he was rightly flagged offside.

Messi, who generally had a subdued game without making much impact with his jinking runs, did have a good chance two minutes after the break when he escaped the shackles of the defenders but his angled shot went narrowly wide of the far post.

As the half progressed there was an air of inevitability that the match would move into extra time, al-

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though Kroos could have settled it before then if he had struck an 82nd minute shot with greater accuracy instead of side-footing the ball wide.

Argentina could have broken the deadlock in the first period of extra time when exhausted defender Mats Hummels allowed Argentina substitute Rodrigo Palacio a chance to score but Neuer came out very fast and the substitute lobbed his effort wide.

The game was finally decided by 22-year-old Goetze’s great strike, a fitting finale with the 171st goal of the tournament that tied the record set in France in 1998.Mario Goetze of Germany kisses the World Cup trophy after the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Shaun Botterill - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Lower order shines again as India draw first Test

NOTTINGHAM, England (Reuters) - A first Test of unlikely batting records fizzled out into a draw as India declared on 391 for nine late on the fifth day against England at Trent Bridge yesterday.

India recovered from losing three wickets early in the final day which briefly gave the hosts a glimpse of victory but Test debutant Stuart Binny and tail-ender Bhuvneshwar Kumar both scored half-centuries to snuff out the danger.

The Nottingham ground had not hosted a drawn Test match since 2002, when India were also the visitors, but despite both teams suffering mid-innings mini-collapses in their first innings, bowling proved a slog on a flat pitch.

India would have hoped to have been bowling for a victory yesterday but an alltime Test record 10th-wicket stand of 198 between Joe Root and James Anderson on day four meant they had work to do just to ensure the draw.

“We dragged ourselves out of a hole in this game (on Saturday),” England captain Alastair Cook told Sky Sports.

“We had a poor session

delivery to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (11) was dropped by his England counterpart Alastair Cook off Broad but failed to make the most of his luck when Liam Plunkett sent his stumps cart-wheeling out of the ground with a full delivery.

Stuart Binny gets aggressive against the spinners, in his top score of 78 on the final day at Trent Bridge. attack made early inroads. when we lost six wickets.

In the second over of It was an outstanding 100 the day Stuart Broad got the from Root and with Jimmy ball to reverse swing and to have got 80-something. Virat Kohli (eight), widely I didn’t see it coming but considered India’s most danthank goodness he got it.” gerous batsmen, was trapped The tourists began the leg-before. day on 167 for three, a Broad claimed his seclead of 128 runs, but under ond victim soon after when gloomy skies which aided Ajinkya Rahane fell for swing bowling, England’s 24 after edging a swinging

SMALL CHANCE At that stage an England victory was still possible but Ravindra Jadeja stemmed the tide with a laboured 31 before edging an Anderson delivery to Prior shortly after lunch.

“Today you saw no matter what pitch you play on, teams can be put under pressure, but unfortunately a couple of their guys got stuck in,” Anderson said.

“We knew there was a small chance of winning but we gave it everything.

Cookie was very keen to give the first couple of hours a real push, which we did.”

As the match idled towards a draw, under-pressure England captain Cook, who has not enjoyed a win in nine Test matches, decided to rest his four-man seam attack ahead of the second Test at Lord’s on Thursday and introduced part-time spinners Moeen Ali and Joe Root.

Martin powers to stage win, Nibali surrenders yellow

By Julien Pretot MULHOUSE, France (Reuters) - Germany’s Tony Martin powered to an impressive victory in the ninth stage of the Tour de France after a 155km mountain raid in the Vosges that saw Vincenzo Nibali surrender the yellow jersey to France’s Tony Gallopin yesterday.

Time-trial world champion Martin attacked after 15km and dropped his breakaway companion with just under 60 left to win his third Tour stage, following time trial victories in 2011 and 2013.

Gallopin took the overall leader’s yellow jersey after Nibali’s Astana team did not chase hard to catch a counter-attacking group.

That meant the Kazakh team will not be forced to defend the lead in today’s 11th stage, one of the most

demanding of the Tour.

Gallopin, of the Lotto-Belisol team, now leads Italian Nibali by 1:34 going into today’s 161.5-km trek to La Planche des Belles Filles but has little hope of retaining the lead.

Gallopin, whose uncle is a sports director with the Trek team, is the first Frenchman to wear the yellow jersey since Thomas Voeckler in 2011.

Several groups attacked early on, with Martin of the Omega Pharma-Quick Step (OPQS) team and Italian Alessandro De Marchi leading the way.

They were followed by a group of 28 featuring Pierre Rolland - fourth in the Giro this year - and Gallopin, who had been 3:27 behind Nibali at the start.

M a r t i n ’s m a m m o t h work helped the duo build a 6:30 lead over the peloton

while the Gallopin group could not close the gap, gradually falling back despite the work of Rolland’s Europcar team mates.

Martin powered away with 59km left at the foot the first-category climb of the Col de Markstein, keeping the Gallopin group at bay while De Marchi struggled.

The OPQS rider, who had come agonisingly close in the Vuelta last year when he was caught by the bunch a few metres from the line after a 175-km breakaway, had time to celebrate well before the finish this time.

Martin shook hands and smiled with his sports director Davide Bramati as OPQS snatched their second stage win of this year’s Tour after Italian Matteo Trentin prevailed on Friday.

Swiss Fabian Cancellara took second place and Belgian Greg van Avermaet

finished third in the stage.

Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez, third overall last year who said before the race he was looking for stage wins only, signalled his intentions to claim the polka dot jersey for the mountain classification.

The Katusha rider, who was in the Gallopin group, grabbed points at top of the Markstein and Grand Ballon climbs.

Gallopin jumped away from the counter-attacking group in the descent of the Grand Ballon but was reined in with 10 km left.

In what German soccer fans will see as a good omen, German rider Olaf Ludwig won a Tour de France stage on the day Germany beat Argentina in the 1990 World Cup final.

The two countries were playing the final later in Rio de Janeiro.

Ali followed his two wickets from the previous day when he trapped Binny lbw but not before the batsman had reached a maiden Test half-century - 78 off 114 balls.

In a Test of milestones Kumar’s half-century, following his first-innings 58, meant he was only the second number nine to reach 50 in each innings in a Test match, matching the record of Peter Siddle against India in Delhi last year.

Kumar also shared in a 111-partnership with number 11 Mohammed Shami in India’s first innings - a last-wicket record for India against England.

Even Cook himself had a bowl, much to the delight of the home crowd, and he was allowed a smile with the wicket of Ishant Sharma (13) when he edged to Prior.

“A few people aren’t

INDIA first innings 457 England first innings 496 INDIA second innings o/n 167 for 3 M. Vijay c Prior b Moeen Ali 52 S. Dhawan c & b Moeen Ali 29 C. Pujara c Stokes b Plunkett

55 V. Kohli lbw b Broad 8 A. Rahane c Prior b Broad 24 M.S. Dhoni b Plunkett 11 R. Jadeja c Prior b Broad 31 S. Binny lbw b Moeen Ali 78 B. Kumar not out 63

talking to me,” Cook explained after a playful two overs in which he played up to cheers of the fans.

“It was a extraordinary moment for me to have more Test wickets than (bowling coach) David Saker.

“We threw everything into today but when they got above 250-260 you felt we weren’t going to win.

We had a sniff when they were only 200 ahead but the wicket won.”

India declared after his over and as stumps were drawn all eyes moved to the home of cricket next week.

The visitors have not played a five-match Test series on English soil since 1959 and are in search of their first away win since 2011, while England are chasing their first victory of coach Peter Moores’ second spell in charge.

I. Sharma c Prior b Cook 13 M. Shami not out 4 Extras: (b-9, lb-7, nb-7) 23 Total: (for 9 wkts decl., 123 overs) 391 Fall of wicket: 1-49, 2-140, 3-140, 4-168, 5-173, 6-184, 7-249, 8-340, 9-387.

Bowling: Anderson 21-8-47-1, Broad 21-7-50-2, Plunkett, 20-185-2 (nb-3) Moeen Ali 28-4-105-3, Stokes 18-3-60-0 (nb-4), Root 12-4-22-0, Cook 2-0-6-1, Ballance 1-1-0-0

England name Kerrigan in squad for second Test

NOTTINGHAM, England (Reuters) - England have recalled spinner Simon Kerrigan to their squad ahead of the second Test against India following a draw in the opening Test at Trent Bridge yesterday.

The hosts struggled to see off a resilient batting performance from the visitors in the first Test in Nottingham with their four-man seam attack and part-time spinner Moeen Ali. India finished with innings of 457 and 391 for nine declared, and England captain Alastair Cook says Kerrigan will give them a different option ahead of the second Test at Lord’s starting on Thursday.

“He’s been good around us and bowled beautifully in the nets,” Cook told Sky Sports television.

“We want have an option in case it’s hot and dry at Lord’s and might spin more. Simon is a tough lad - he went away with the Lions and did well. I have no doubt in his toughness and he will be a fine bowler for England.”

Lancashire spinner Kerrigan has made one previous Test appearance against Australia in the 2013 Ashes series at The Oval, where he conceded 53 runs for no wicket.

England named the following 14-man squad: Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Chris Jordan, Simon Kerrigan, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior, Sam Robson, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

25

Stewart: Cook should stand down as captain FORMER England captain Alec Stewart has told current incumbent Alastair Cook to consider standing down for the good of himself and the team.

Cook’s position both at the head of the team and the batting line-up has come under increasing scrutiny as a result of poor returns with the bat and a run of disap-

Alec Stewart

pointing overall results.

His struggles have barely eased in the current Test against India and Stewart believes by sacrificing the captaincy he could save himself.

“I certainly don’t want him dropped from the side as I believe he will repay the selectors’ faith in him with a bucket-load of runs soon,” he wrote in the Sun-

day Mirror. “But relieving him of the burden of captaincy may accelerate his return to form.

“Captaining a side that isn’t winning allied with your own lack of contributions with the bat is soul-destroying. I can’t believe Cook is enjoying his cricket at the moment and if the captaincy responsibilities were re-

Captain Faulkner leads from front CAPTAIN James Faulkner and middle-order batsman Peter Forrest played the leading hands for Australia-A on day one of their second four-day match against India-A at Allan Border Field, leading the home side to 7-287 at stumps.

Australia-A lost three wickets in the opening session after Faulkner won the toss and elected to bat, and it was up to him and Forrest to steady the ship, which they did in the middle session without losing a wicket.

The hosts were 3-66 at lunch, with Phil Hughes (12) and Alex Doolan (18) both losing their wickets to India-A speedster U m e s h Ya d a v, b e f o re Chris Lynn (12) departed just prior to the interval, edging off the leg spin of Amit Mishra.

In the afternoon session, Faulkner played the aggressor, upping the run rate and

James Faulkner posting his 50 from 80 deliveries while a more sedate Forrest found his feet and set about taking control of the innings.

Forrest was out after tea for 77, looking to push his score along, while Faulkner lasted longer and came within one lusty blow

of his maiden first-class hundred.

Indeed, he attempted to reach the milestone with one heave when on 94, succeeding only in getting a top edge from Mishra which was comfortably taken.

Mitch Marsh (14) and Sam Whiteman (12) came shuddering back to earth after their lofty deeds last week, and at the close of play it was Queensland pair Ben Cutting (23) and Cameron Boyce (2) still at the crease.

As flagged by cricket. com.au on Wednesday, Test off-spinner Nathan Lyon has come into the XI to work in tandem with young leggie Cameron Boyce. Moises Henriques is the player to miss out.

India-A have made three changes for the clash, with B. Aparajith, Amit Mishra and Anureet Singh coming in for Karun Nair, Dhawal Kulkarni and Pragyan Ojha.

moved it might freshen up his mind and allow him to solely concentrate on his batting.

“It would be a brave decision to stand down from the helm but one Cook should seriously consider.

Giving up the England captaincy is not something that should be taken lightly and Cook will be aware of that.

I wouldn’t see it as a weak

move on his part.

“Only a strong character would do this and Cook is certainly that type of person. It would be in the best interests of the team and Cook himself because if he continues to captain a side that isn’t winning and offers nothing with the bat he would have to be dropped.” (PA Sport).

Ahye stuns Fraser-Pryce with late charge

GLASGOW, Scotland (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago national champion Michelle-Lee Ahye stunned Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as she starred for the second straight Diamond League meet by storming to victory at the Glasgow Grand Prix here Saturday.

The 22-year-old crossed the line first in 11.01 seconds, with Jamaican Fraser-Pryce finishing second in a season-best 11.10 seconds and Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure, third 11.17.

Jamaicans Kerron Stewart (11.22) and Simone Facey (11.30) were fourth and fifth respectively.

Earlier this month in Lausanne, Ahye raced to victory in the 100 metres there to reiterate the form that saw her run a world-leading 10.85 at the National Championships last month.

Meanwhile, World and Olympic champion Fraser-Pryce continued her losing streak on the circuit, and has now come up short in her last five outings.

Running out of lane three, Fraser-Pryce trailed leader Cote D’Ivoire’s Murielle Ahoure in lane four until the half-way mark before taking command. She looked to be closing in on victory but Ahye in lane five stormed through in the last ten metres to take victory.

In the men’s 400 metres, Bahamian Chris Brown took second spot in 44.94 seconds, as Botswana’s Isaac Makwala snatched victory in a time of 44.71 seconds.

Collier to retire as ECB chief executive (REUTERS) - David Collier will retire at the end of the 2014 season after a decade as chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, the organisation said in a statement yesterday.

“After 10 years at ECB I believe it is the right time to step aside and retire,” said Collier. “I shall turn 60 in the Spring and I do believe the time is right for a new CEO to open the batting.”

Collier, who is also an Associate Director of the International Cricket Council, was appointed in 2004 and saw England win the Ashes against Australia four times, claim the

David Collier World Twenty20 title in 2010 and reach the top of

the world rankings.

“David has overseen the

most successful period of development, playing success and growth for cricket in England and Wales and we are extremely grateful to him,” said ECB chairman Giles Clarke.

“David has produced and delivered strategic plans which have revolutionised cricket in this country.”

The past year has been more controversial for the national side, with Paul Downton appointed managing director, Andy Flower replaced by Peter Moores after the 5-0 loss to Australia and controversial batsman Kevin Pietersen having his central contract terminated.

Michelle-Lee Ahye

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

Paul DeNobrega wins 41st Ballot Box Martyrs 55-mile cycle road race

By Michael DaSilva PAUL DeNobrega returned two hours 12 minutes 50.40 seconds in winning the Chris Jagdeo-sponsored, National Sports Commission (NSC)-organised Ballot-Box Martyrs 55-mile cycle road race yesterday.

Wheeling off from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Freedom House New Amsterdam, Berbice headquarters, DeNobrega was involved in several attacks and breaks heading up the Corentyne Highway and was locked in a tight battle with several other riders as they turned back at the Corriverton Police Station to finish at Number 63 Village.

Alanzo Greaves, who returned last week from a training stint in the United States of America, attacked the pack nearing the finish but was pulled in back by the chasing bunch.

With approximately 250 metres remaining, DeNobrega launched an attack and Greaves responded but was unable to overtake DeNobrega and had to settle for second.

Christopher Holder placed third, Michael Anthony fourth, Hamza Eastman fifth and Paul Cho-Wee-Nam who helped his Alaqnis team mate, DeNobrega throughout the journey, had to settle for sixth.

Junior Niles who won the veterans category which ended at Number 63 Village on the upward journey, won five of the eight prime prizes

Paul DeNobrega that were up for grabs, while Eastman, Anthony and Holder won one each.

The Junior category was won by Anthony while Shaquiloe Agard placed second and Alonzo Ambrose.

Jaikaran Sukhai was second to Niles in the Veterans category and Linden Blackman third.

The Mountain Bike category was won by Ozia McAully. Second was Julio Melville and Emmanuel Ray Raul finished third.

The Mountain bikers also rode from New Amsterdam to Number 63 Village.

The female category was won by Marcia Dick in a time of two hours 21 minutes 46 seconds, while Monthy Parris was the first Over-60 cyclist to complete the course.

Last year winner was Godfrey Pollydore who had clocked two hours 12 minutes 49.52 seconds.

The cyclists were sent on their way by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport

CRICKETQUIZ CORNER

(Monday July 14, 2014) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALLBourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 225-6158; 223-6055) Answers to Tuesday’s quiz: (1)Ravi Rampaul-26 wickets (BB: 3/16 vs AUST, Colombo, 2012) 2) 62 players Today’s Quiz: Who is the first NZ player to take a wicket in an Int’l T20 game against the WI? Who was his victim?

Which two have never captained the WI in an Int’l T20 game?

RamnareshSarwan, Dinesh Ramdin, Brian Lara, Shiv Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Dr Frank Anthony, but not before they were given brief remarks by Regional councillor David Armogan in the presence of Director of Sport Neil Kumar, Member of Parliament Fazal Jafferally and Dr Vishnu Mahadeo.

The event was organised in memory of Jagan Ramessar and Bolo Nauth Parmanand who were shot dead on July 16, 1973 while transporting the General Elections ballot boxes to

the place for counting.

Prior to the presentation ceremony which was held at the spot where the two martyrs were shot, Kumar noted that the cyclists all did extremely well for the 41st memorial activity. He reminded that Presidential Adviser Navin Chanderpal is the person who was instrumental in organising the event from its inception.

Jafferally, in brief remarks, congratulated all the

participants and made mention of Ramessar and Parmanand.

He said since the shooting incident, the PPP has made the event an annual one.

Dr Anthony in his address stated that some of those in attendance would know the significance of the race.

He informed that in those days, Guyana was in a bad state and it was something

that not everyone enjoyed.

He said during that year, the PPP asked its agents to ensure that the ballot boxes were sealed after votes were cast and taken to the place designated for counting, but the two party members never reached their destination as they were shot and taken on a three- to four-hour journey before they were taken to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.

‘Albion Cup’ will be an annual affair-Minister Anthony

By Calvin Roberts

LAST MONDAY night, at the presentation ceremony for the first ever Caricom Day ‘Albion Cup’ four team championship, Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy on behalf of his colleague Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, said the event would be an annual affair.

Speaking with Chronicle Sport yesterday, Dr. Anthony confirmed the statement made by Dr. Ramsammy, adding that a championship trophy would be up for grabs, with the team who win the tournament three times taking home same, while lien trophies would be issued prior.

“When we initiated the lights, I had discussions with the Albion Cricket Club where I told them we will

-Amazon Warriors quartet to give Captaincy lecture

be making the four team tournament, an annual affair, with the Ministry providing a championship trophy which will have the name of the winners engraved on it, while a lien trophy would be supplied for them to take back to their respective clubs.”

In respect to the four games that was played and from which Albion emerged victorious to take the inaugural title, courtesy of a seven wicket victory over Port Mourant Cricket Club, Dr. Anthony said he thought it was a good contest, but noticed lots of room for improvements.

Both Albion and Port Mourant won their semifinal encounters easily, with Albion demoralising Young War-

riors, after seeing Port Mourant defeating their neighbours and nemesis Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets in the first semifinal.

“Yes I enjoyed the game.

I also thought it was a good contest, but I think that for most of the players, it would have been the first time for them playing under the lights, while at the same time there were some flaws in their technique.

But we are prepared to work with them to improve that and so forth, and will be holding a workshop sometime in the year to that effect at the National Resource Centre (NRC)” said Dr. Anthony.

And in speaking of the NRC, DR. Anthony pointed out that the facility will be

buzzing with activity on Tuesday, when the MCYS host a Captaincy Workshop, where young captains from across the country will be tutored on the fine aspects of the game by a quartet of captains from the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

“We have invited, Pakistan’s Mohammed Hafeez along with West Indies Test skipper Denesh Ramdin and Guyana’s very own Christopher Barnwell and Steven Jacobs, to be the facilitators at this workshop on Tuesday morning.

They will be interacting with young cricket captains from all over the country and this is just one of many courses the Ministry plans to execute this year,” said Dr. Anthony.

West Indies legends declare long-term support for CPL

WEST Indies cricketing knights Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Viv Richards have today confirmed their long-term support for the Limacol Caribbean Premier League, after being appointed to the Senior Management Team.

Sir Viv has been appointed as Performance Director and Sir Garfield assumes the role of CPL Brand Ambassador.

Sir Garfield and Sir Viv are widely regarded as two of the greatest cricketers of alltime, and their support speaks volumes for the success of the CPL, which began its second season with a thrilling opening weekend in Grenada which saw wins for Guyana Amazon Warriors, the Red Steel and the Jamaica Tallawahs, for whom Chris Gayle scored the first-ever CPL century.

Dubbed ‘The Biggest Party in Sport’, CPL

From left to right: Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Director of Cricket Tom Moody, CPL Brand Ambassador Sir Garfield Sobers, CPL CEO Damien O’Donohoe, CPL Performance Director, Sir Viv Richards, CPL COO Pete Russell. on show. thrilled sell-out crowds across the Caribbean in 2013. The tournament is set to be even bigger and better this year with global stars including Chris Gayle, Ross Taylor, Kevin Pietersen, Sunil Narine, Shoaib Malik and Marlon Samuels among the world class cricketers

Damien O’Donohoe CEO, Limacol Caribbean Premier League said: The support of these two giants of the game is a ringing endorsement for the CPL. The opening weekend showed we’re going from strength to strength and we will benefit hugely from the vast

cricketing expertise that Sir Viv and Sir Garfield will bring.

Sir Garfield Sobers CPL Brand Ambassador said: I’m proud to be associated with the CPL, ahead of what promises to be a thrilling 2014 tournament. The CPL has been absolutely fantastic for cricket in the Caribbean, and this year’s tournament looks set to win even more fans across the region, and around the world.

Sir Viv Richards, Performance Director, CPL said: I’ve seen first hand the benefits the CPL has had on the Caribbean. Up and coming youngsters get the chance to play with and against some of the best players in the world, and the next generation of cricketers can cheer on their heroes in packed stadiums. 2014 is going to be even bigger and better than last year, so the future is bright for the CPL

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday July 14, 2014

27

James Rodriguez wins Golden Boot COLOMBIA forward James Rodriguez won the Golden Boot for finishing as the top scorer at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The 23-year-old, who plays for Monaco, scored six goals in five matches as his side reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to hosts Brazil.

Rodriguez finished ahead of Germany for-

James Rodriguez

ward Thomas Mueller, who netted five goals as his side won the tournament.

A r g e n t i n a ’s L i o n e l Messi, who won the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player, was in a tie for third.

His four goals were matched by Brazil striker Neymar and Netherlands forward Robin van Per-

sie.

R o d r i g u e z ’s g o a l s helped Colombia progress further than they had before at a World Cup. He scored against Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan as they topped Group C before netting twice, one a sublime volley, during the 2-0 last-16 win against Uruguay.

Rodriguez’s final goal was a late consolation from the penalty spot as Colombia lost 2-1 to Brazil.

Germany’s Manuel Neuer, 28, won the Golden Glove awarded to the best goalkeeper at the tournament, while France’s 21-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba won the best young player prize. (BBC Sport)

Jamaica hold nerve to lift crown TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands (CMC) - Jennifer George made a clutch basket from the paint with 3:20 minutes remaining, as Jamaica held off a strong Dominican Republic (DR) fourth-quarter surge to emerge champions of the Women’s Caribbean Basketball Championship

here, Saturday night.

With the scores locked at 43, George held her nerve to score from close range and put Jamaica ahead for good, allowing them to get home with 51-45 victory at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex.

George had yet another strong game, scoring 13 points

Regional Under-17 wins for Guyana, T&T and Windwards SCARBOROUGH, Tobago – Results of fourth round matches in the Regional Under-17 Tournament played yesterday: At Bon Accord: Guyana beat Jamaica by 136 runs GUYANA 255 for nine off 50 overs (Adrian Sukwah 59, Travis Persaud 35, Keemo Paul 25, Richie Looknauth 24 not out, Sherfane Rutherford 23; Michael Frew 3-51, Tyrone Daley 2-48) JAMAICA 86 off 27 overs (Brad Barnes 28, Tyrone Daley 26 not out; Keemo Paul 4-28, Sherfane Rutherford 3-17, Richie Looknauth 2-20) At Louis D’Or: Trinidad & Tobago beat Leeward Islands by 3 wickets LEEWARDS 243 for nine off 50 overs (Ross Powell 75, Dmitri Adams 62, Tyrone Williams 30, Jaeel Clarke 30 not out; Bryan Boodram 4-48, N McDavid 2-30, E Gopaul 2-53) T&T 247 for seven off 49 overs (Brandon Maharaj 65, Keegan Simmons 53, Kirstan Kallicharran 33, Bryan Boodram 28 not out, Sachin Seecharan 26; Jaidel Richardson 3-58) At Shaw Park: Windward Islands beat Barbados by 5 wickets BARBADOS 190 for eight off 50 overs (Yvan Grant 59, Dominic Drakes 43 not out, Shamar Springer 25; Joshua Mann 2-28) WINDWARD ISLANDS 191 for five off 49.2 overs (Anil Matthew 83 not out, Emmanuel Stewart 75; Dominic Drakes 3-34). (WICB)

The winning Jamaica team pose with their trophy after beating the Dominican Republic in the final. (Photo courtesy Fiba Americas) and pulling down 13 rebounds, but it was Sasha Dixon and Shenneika Smith who led all scorers with 14 points.

No Dominican Republic player found double figures, leaving Yohanna Morton as the highest scorer with nine points and five rebounds, Melissa Santos chipping in with eight points.

The game proved competitive, and close, throughout, with Jamaica holding a two-point 14-16 lead at the

end of the first quarter while scores were tied at 22 at the half-time whistle.

Jamaica inched ahead 34-30 at the end of the third quarter, paving the way for an intriguing fourth-quarter battle.

Santos knocked down a jumper from the baseline to draw the DR within two of the lead at 34-32 but Dixon responded from three-point land to extend Jamaica’s lead to five, 37-32.

A George free throw stretched Jamaica’s lead even further at 40-34 with 7:31 and it appeared as if Jamaica would run away with the contest.

However, the DR held Jamaica scoreless for nearly three minutes while rattling off five points to transform the contest into a one-point game at 40-39, with 5:11 left in the game. Santos and Morton both found the basket from inside the arc, with

Morton scoring once from the line after she was fouled

by Smith.

A Dixon three-point gave Jamaica breathing space but the DR refused to go away, with Danilsa Andujar scoring a clutch brace before Morton drove into the paint for another basket, to blow the game open at 43-43 with 3:42 remaining.

George then came up big with her shot to send Jamaica ahead and Yamel Abreu fouled Smith to give Jamaica to more free throws which were converted for a 47-43 lead, four-point advantage with 2:34 minutes remaining.

DR got within three at 48-45 thanks to a Santos basket with 1:50 left but Morton and Abreu missed key baskets that would have given DR the lead.

Smith made one of two free throws after she was fouled by Abreu and Morton again missed crucial shots with time ticking away, as DR scuppered their chance to eke out a late win.

Some football fans viewed the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina at the OMG Restaurant on Sheriff Street yesterday afternoon. (Cullen Bess Nelson photo)

Sport CHRONICLE

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

Magical Goetze fires Germany to fourth World Cup crown

James Rodriguez wins Golden Boot See Story on Page 23

Mario Goetze of Germany kisses the World Cup trophy after the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Shaun Botterill - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

See Story on page 23

Germany celebrate after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Mario Goetze of Germany scores his team’s first goal past Sergio Romero of Argentina in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Miroslav Klose of Germany lifts the World Cup to celebrate with his teammates during the award ceremony after the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Shaun Botterill - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014