Guyana chronicle 24 07 14

GUYANA No. 103898

THURSDAY JULY 24, 2014

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

GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

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$60M fund created to boost Rupununi development Page 3

- agreement signed by Gov’t, Conservation International and GBTI

David Granger’s desperate bid to reassert himself as PNCR leader

Page 13

In photo are, from left, IDB Country Representative Sophie Makonnen, Mr. John Tracey, Chief Executive Officer of GBTI, Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh, Vice President and Executive Director of Conservation International-Guyana Dr. David Singh

After successful one-day media workshop…

Trotman commits to future engagement to improve access 2 to Assembly Page

Miner Page 19 on drug trafficking charge refused bail

Accused Dean Layne

…four had died after ingesting liquefied cocaine in SSS Tonic

SPEAKER Mr. Raphael Trotman

An unmasked Stabroek News shows its political hands; no more pretence at independence!

Ashik Gavai

India Page 17 doctors remove 232 teeth from boy's mouth

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

After successful one-day media workshop…

Trotman commits to future engagement to improve access to Assembly

By Vanessa Narine SPEAKER of the National Assembly, Mr. Raphael Trotman, yesterday committed to hosting an engagement for media owners, managers, editors and Board Chairs as a follow-up to what was a successful exchange between reporters and Members of Parliament (MPs).

The one-day workshop, held at the Georgetown Club, was funded by the Commonwealth Parliament Association (CPA) and saw discussions around the theme ‘Parliament, the Media and the People’. It was attended by representatives from several media houses, as well as staff from the Parliament Office.

WATCHWORDS During the opening session, the Speaker underscored the importance of “trust, respect and legitima-

cy” as watchwords for the day’s session.

“If there is no trust, then there is no respect, and if there is no respect, there is no legitimacy. If there is no legitimacy in our state institutions, that includes the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, then we will have a creeping position and then a sprint towards anarchy,” he said.

According to him, the reports in the news and the gridlock that characterises the Parliament, among other factors, indicate that Guyana is moving from its “creeping position” and moving in the direction of a dangerous sprint.

Trotman said, “We are now standing upright and I hope we are not heading towards a sprint, as it is frightening, to say the least.

He cited a recent report from the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP), which listed Guyana as averaging 34 per cent

in terms of public trust and respect.

The Speaker of the House added that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) recently addressed the relationship of Parliament with the people of Guyana.

He referred to a June 26, 2014, statement, which said: “Politicians will need to overcome the lack of trust in them and embrace a more

inclusive approach to politics if democracy is to thrive as it should in the future. “…democracy is always facing new challenges. Public disengagement and disillusionment with traditional politics today is leading to increased marginalisation of groups within society and is undermining peace and democracy “…parliamentarians,

representing the will of the people, have to change both mind-sets and behaviour and reconnect with the people through a less conflictual and more inclusive way of doing politics.”

ROLE OF MEDIA It was against this backdrop that he underscored the role and responsibilities

of the media in supporting the National Assembly’s engagement with the Guyanese people.

“We need your help and we need to build a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. We need, however, to establish that we cannot allow manipulation of views…we need to

Please turn to page 7

Media operatives and other stakeholders at yesterday’s workshop

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

$60M fund created to boost Rupununi development - agreement signed by Gov’t, Conservation International and GBTI

THE Government of Guyana, in collaboration with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) and Conservation International (CI)-Guyana Inc., yesterday launched the $60M Rupununi Innovation Fund (RIF). The fund will provide financing and technical support for local and community-based agriculture and tourism enterprises to enable their participation in and support of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

The fund will support sustainable agriculture; agro-processing; marketing; sustainable fisheries; sustainable management of forests, savannahs and other ecosystems; agro-forestry; nature-based and agro-tourism and arts and craft. The development of these enterprises is intended to develop greater synergies among other low-carbon development initiatives, to contribute to the maintenance of ecosystems and to foster good business practices.

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, who signed on behalf of the Government, saluting the collaboration among the partners to establish the RIF, lauded the benefits it will bring to the Rupununi region, the people of that region, and the larger national economy. “Region 9 represents a major centre of economic growth potential for Guyana, with its capital, Lethem, already showing indications of rapid growth being positioned as it is as the gateway between Guyana and Brazil.” The Minister also noted that such partnerships are seen by the Government as critical to pursuing public policy objectives. He said, “Today we speak of public/ private partnerships, but they are not only to be viewed in the narrow traditional sense of mobilising private capital to achieve public policy objectives, but can be also seen in the context of collaboration such as this.”

He further stressed that

the significance of the partnership formed through the process of establishing the RIF should be embraced and replicated: “It represents a partnership with a large international NGO in Conservation International- Guyana, a major hemispheric developmental institution through the IDB, a major partner in the financial services sector in Guyana, and a major Corporate Citizen of Guyana through GBTI, and of course, a partnership with the Government of Guyana.”

The Finance Minister called on other private corporations to take a page from this and similar initiatives to likewise explore corporate initiatives that can enhance development of Guyana.

It is envisaged that with the assistance to be provided, sustainable agricultural and tourism enterprises will be created and existing enterprises will be enhanced.

These enterprises are expected to contribute to the Government’s efforts to develop a national green, low carbon economy, while at the same time enhancing the well-being of the people of the Rupununi.

The Rupununi Innovation Fund represents a unique partnership between the Government, through the provision of a waiver of corporate taxes on the income earned from loans granted under the fund; GBTI by investing $60M to the fund as seed capital; CI-Guyana by co-financing and executing the US$1.6M Inter-American Development Bank Multilateral Investment Fund (IDB-MIF) Rupununi Livelihoods Project.

The fund is a critical component of the ‘Leveraging Natural Capital in Guyana’s Rupununi’ Project, currently being implemented by CI-Guyana, with funding from the IDB-MIF and the Swift Family Foundation. The project seeks to demonstrate that natural resource-dependent local and indigenous communities in the Rupununi can enhance

and sustain their livelihoods, while maintaining the capacity of the Rupununi to provide environmental services such as carbon sinks and bio-diversity habitats.

Also at the signing, Mr. John Tracey, Chief Executive Office of GBTI said, “When in 2006, the Guyana

charged, so that an interest rate suited to this developmental lending activity can lead to maximum benefits to the participants.”

Vice President and Executive Director of Conservation International-Guyana, Dr. David Singh, in his remarks said, “Conservation

future. Guyana, particularly the Rupununi, is one of few places in the world where people can demonstrate how to fulfill their interests in improving livelihoods, contributing meaningfully to the national economy, while maintaining ecosystems. We will learn many lessons and

pununi have a strong history of conservation, culture, and tradition. There is much that we can learn from the region, especially as the Government continues its efforts to transform village economies along a healthy sustainable path.

The emphasis of the proj-

The audience at the signing yesterday Bank for Trade and Industry Limited opened a Branch in Lethem, Rupununi, it was in recognition of the potential of the Rupununi for tourism, agriculture and commerce and, by its geographical position, our gateway to Brazil and further south.

“GBTI’s banking philosophy of community banking has always been founded upon an understanding of the environment in which we operate and the tailoring of our banking services to suit, as far as possible, the needs and aspirations of the community. We seek at all times to make ourselves a partner in development and are fortunate that in the Rupununi, we have a partner in Conservation International, whose experience and understanding of this environment far outweigh our own, and has allowed us to fashion a unique fund, The Rupununi Investment Fund, to foster economic development of the region in an environmentally friendly way.

“We wish to thank the Government of Guyana for its support in the form of a waiver of taxes on interest

International–Guyana is particularly pleased with the partnership with GBTI and the continued support of the Government of Guyana, in support of the country’s efforts to build a sustainable

examples of good business practice from working with the people of the Rupununi, and we thank them for providing the institution with this opportunity.

The people of the Ru-

ect on local and indigenous community-based tourism and agriculture enterprises recognises the potential of the region to increase its contribution to both of these sectors.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

MH17 plane crash: Taiwan TransAsia Airways plane crash kills at least 40 Netherlands holds solemn (BBC News) A PASSENGER plane has crashed after a failed emergency landing in Taiwan, killing more than 40 people, local officials say.

The domestic flight crashed near Magong airport on the outlying Penghu island, reports said.

There were a total of 54 passengers and four crew on board, Taiwan’s CNA news agency reported.

Aviation officials said flight GE222 aborted its initial landing and then crashed, local media reported.

Transport minister Yeh Kuang-Shih said that 47 people were killed and 11 were injured, CNA reported.

The agency previously said that 51 were feared killed, citing fire department officials.

“It’s chaotic [at] the scene,” Jean Shen, director of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, told Reuters news agency.

About 200 military personnel have joined rescuers in the

ceremony for victims

The hearses left Eindhoven air base in a cortege, passed flags at half mast

Grief-stricken relatives of people on board the flight had to be comforted by staff in Kaohsiung International Airport

search for survivors.

Firefighters and other emergency personnel are attempting to rescue those on board.

“It was thunderstorm conditions during the crash,” said Hsi Wen-guang, Penghu County Government Fire Bureau spokesman.

“From the crash site we sent 11 people to hospital with injuries. A few empty apartment buildings adjacent to the runway caught fire, but no-one was inside at the time and the fire was extinguished.”

The ATR 72 turboprop aircraft departed from the southern municipality of Kaohsiung at 17:43 local time (09:43 GMT), but lost contact with controllers at 19:06, CNA said, citing the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

The plane was found at

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Penghu island’s Xixi village in flames, local media reported.

TransAsia Airways’ General Manager Hsu Yi-Tsung has tearfully apologised for the accident, the Central News Agency reported, pledging to spare no effort in the rescue operation and to transport relatives of passengers on the flight to Magong on Thursday morning.

Earlier on Wednesday, Taiwan was battered by strong winds and rain from a tropical storm, Typhoon Matmo.

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(BBC News) THE NETHERLANDS has received the first victims’ bodies from crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in a solemn ceremony at Eindhoven air base.

Forty hearses left for the town of Hilversum where the formal identification process will begin.

The Netherlands is observing a national day of mourning for the 298 victims, most of whom were Dutch.

Ukrainian pro-Russian rebels have been widely accused of shooting down the plane on 17 July.

UK government sources say intelligence shows rebels deliberately tampered with evidence, moving bodies and placing parts from other planes in the debris.

As fighting continued in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, officials in Kiev told the BBC that two aircraft, thought to be military jets, had been downed just 35km (20 miles) from the

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crash site.

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk later told the BBC that one of the fighters could have been hit by an air-to-air missile. He did not directly accuse Russia but said it was not brought down by a Ukrainian jet.

Two military planes - one Dutch and the other Australian - carrying the first 40 coffins landed at Eindhoven air base on Wednesday afternoon. They were met by members of the Dutch royal family, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and hundreds of victims’ relatives.

Churches around the Netherlands rang their bells for five minutes before the planes landed, and flags of all the nations affected by the disaster have been flying at half mast. There was also a minute’s silence.

The coffins were slowly loaded into a fleet of waiting hearses which then moved off in motorcades.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Venezuela Tower of David squatters evicted (BBC News) VENEZUELAN soldiers and officials have begun removing hundreds of families from a half-built 45-storey tower that dominates Caracas.

Correspondents say that the eviction of 3,000 squatters from the Tower of David is proceeding peacefully.

Those thrown out are being provided with new homes south of Caracas.

Their eviction is part of the Great Housing Mission - a flagship policy of late leader Hugo Chavez intended to help the poor.

The policy was conceived

Evicted residents were being taken by bus to their new homes

to provide poorer families with better accommodation.

When it was first built, the Tower of David was

Long-awaited Disabilities Act passed (Jamaica Observer) THE House o f R e p re s e n t a tives has passed the long-awaited legislation to fight against discrimination on the grounds of disabilities.

The Disabilities Act proposes, among other things, that no employer should discriminate against a person on the grounds of disability if the person is qualified for the Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller greets a disabled patron at job. the National Grand Gala - File The Bill also makes provision for of the disabled. persons with a disability to be entitled to the The bill, which has been in prelimienjoyment of privileges, interest, benefits and nary stages for over ten years, received treatments as every other Jamaican. bi-partisan support in the House when it Labour and Social Security Minister, Der- was debated yesterday. rick Kellier, in piloting the bill, said some 10 It will require the state to transper cent of Jamaicans are disabled and argued form the Jamaica Council for Persons that the Bill, when passed into law, will allow with Disabilities into a body corporate, for all persons to make a contribution to eco- which means nomic growth and national development. it will have Pearnel Charles, the Opposition spokes- to be fundman on labour, said 82 per cent of persons e d f r o m with disability are living below the poverty t h e p u b l i c line adding that every effort should be made to purse. reverse this reality and remove discrimination.

However, he said more effort was needed in relation to provisions for the modification of buildings to accommodate the needs

meant to be a banking centre typifying the new, prosperous Venezuela.

But it has been abandoned since 1994 and has subsequently become a home to squatters.

It became so notorious that it featured in a recent series of US TV series Homeland - depicted as a crime-ridden place where gangs rule and drug use is rife.

The first evictions began on Tuesday morning.

“Necessity brought me here, and the tower gave me a good home,” Yuraima Parra,

27, told Reuters news agency as she, her baby daughter and all their possessions were loaded into a truck.

“I was here for seven years. I’m going to miss it, but it’s time to move on.”

Ms Parra is part of an initial 160 families being moved out this week. In total more than 1,150 families will leave the tower.

Correspondents say that most of the tower’s occupants are being taken to the town of Cua, south of Caracas, Despite its image, residents say the tower - located in the

centre of Caracas and sometimes known as the vertical slum - has recently become something of a model commune, defying its crime-ridden image.

Correspondents say that the inside of the tower block has beautiful views and is kept meticulously tidy by the inhabitants, with daily polished corridors, well-kept apartments, work schedules and even its own in-house rules.

But on the downside it had no lifts, erratic water and power supplies and was often subjected to police raids.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

EDITORIAL

GUYANA

Ego is as old as the human experience OUR perspectives are mostly informed and conditioned by what we see around us.

Our socialisation process: home, parents (single parent) or lack thereof, school, friends or peers, workplace, religious institutions, politicians or leaders, society as a whole, all exert influence on our minds.

Our educational institutions are supposed to nurture us toward building a successful future; to prepare us for the challenges of life in the real world. They never prepare us to deal with our inner worlds of often conflicting and confusing emotions and feelings. Many of us simply do not know how to deal with them.

But it does not mean we are powerless.

We always have a choice. The ability to choose is what distinguishes us from the lower species of animals. This is what makes us uniquely human with a capacity to know right from wrong and to act in accordance with our conscience and the moral norms deeply ingrained in society.

Whether good or bad, like monkeys, most of us mimic. We see and we do. True to our ‘third world’ status, we become

mimic men and women to the point of not knowing who we really are. The upright and virtuous face we advertise for public viewing as leaders or the ugly one we zealously guard behind a mask of deception! We are all paying a price.

Empirical/statistical evidence speaks for itself. Violence, crime, senseless murder, disrespect and total disregard for others, domestic violence leading to spousal battering and death - all are bearing a younger face. Many ‘intellectual’ propositions are bandied around regarding the causative factors, with expert opinions and quotations prolific and constant; even those without any scientific bearing on the specific socio, political and economic environment. This is the Guyanese phenomenon – a dialogue of the deaf, dumb and blind! Each one wants to prove some level of supremacy; each one analysing the elephant in the room from a different perspective. Each one holding on to a different part of its anatomy and diffidently pronouncing, “AHA…this is the elephant” in a eureka moment of discovery, regardless if he is holding to the tail, trunk,

neck or tusk!

Unfortunately, while fiddling in our mental quagmire, we lose sight of the fact that both the victims and the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are human beings like you and me. Not mere statistics. Both need attention and help.

Statistics cannot unveil the mangled emotions which made the perpetrator a victim of himself or herself and circumstances.

Notwithstanding the fact that they are victims also, they must pay the price for their senseless and abhorrent acts. While society demands this, it must not deny the fact that they also need help.

These social ills are in the main pointing to an inability to deal with the myriad of conflicting emotions which are steeped in ignorance of self and the inner workings of the mind. Essentially it is an internal problem that is externalising itself. The problem therefore has to be addressed at the levels of both the individual and society. And its embryonic form has strong roots in what was supposed to be the protective haven of

family values and virtues, the home.

We see therefore that all of these societal institutions and relationships bring to bear formidable influence on how we make choices in an unspoken, intended or unintended battle for the control of minds.

And without being conscious of it, how we are in subtle ways influenced to make choices even though they may not be in our best interest! The influence is deep seated and much more formidable than most of us would like to admit or believe. It operates mostly at the sub-conscious than the conscious level of our minds.

Sadly, the best of intentions are masked by personal and fundamental human flaws.

The triumvirate of status, wealth and power is often accompanied by humongous egos, arrogance and pride! And this is not a malady afflicting any one race. Each one of us has an ego with which we romanticise our virtues and camouflage our flaws. It is as old as the human experience!

Albouystown entitled to Government assistance I WRITE once again to air my concern, this one being the conditions under which I live in. My area, Albouystown, is a reflection of a failed society, where mansions and exclusive housing schemes are being built with the best money can afford.

I see great structures every time I walk around central Georgetown: Large beautiful buildings! To some of the locals and those returning or visiting for the first time, this represents “transformation” and “development”.

However, take a further drive south to the end of Camp Street, and you enter the world I live in. The

direct opposite of what you may have witnessed a mere fifteen minutes ago. Every day I see youths in every street ‘liming’, and I see a heavy police presence.

I’m not ignorant of the fact that poverty exists everywhere, neither am I ignorant of our country’s resources to population ratio, or our recent economic growth. I understand that cycles of poverty have resulted in broken homes, generations of serial criminals, high levels of teenage pregnancies, etc. What I don’t understand is why intervention into this seemingly forgotten society must start with direct police intervention.

Why not an economic intervention first? What about equipping the residents with enough resources so that we can start to create a new Albouystown, a better one for our next generation? There was once a factory that made candies, now desolate and abandoned, and serves as a visual representation of a decaying community.

Incentives, through lower taxes and or lower electricity charges, could be given to our private sector to invest in depressed communities like Albouystown.

Such an initiative could result in employment for residents, and generate income in a much-needed community. This is just a simple suggestion on my part. I personally hold the view that what is happening here in the community

has become a human rights issue. The people are being deprived of proper housing and utilities; there is poor drainage, which results in heavy flooding, and sanitation services are dodgy and inconsistent at best.

Currently, some of the people in the area, including myself, have developed a series of rashes due to

the water being used in the household. An outbreak is a definite possibility if this continues to be ignored.

I believe that my community can help itself if given the chance. Give the people a chance to actively participate in their affairs, so they can stop this cycle of poverty that afflicts them.

So I repeat the call for

Local Government Elections, as I feel I am not the only one, nor is Albouystown the only community that feels it stands a better chance of having its concerns heard and acted upon by its own local representatives.

MARVIN WRAY Blue CAPS

Trotman trying desperately to get PNC back in power THE media reports that the Speaker is to rule shortly on the bid to refer Finance Minister to the Privileges Committee.

To Rule on what? Rule on it now! Trotman is trying his best to help PNC get back in power.

As Speaker of the House, he must know already what is legal and what is not.

This supposed lawyer does not seem to know the Constitution. Or does not want to know it, and so will trample on it like the PNC always does.

I f C a r l G re e n i d g e knows for a fact that the Finance Minister is guilty of illegal wrongdoing, then he must go to the police like the ‘crooked eye’ one did.

TED KING

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Employment of ‘blood relatives’ in the same organisation L A S T S u n d a y, o u r newspapers carried reports of “children and relatives” of the head of a public organisation being employed in the same organisation, thus raising questions of potential managerial and staff relations improprieties.

The very next day, the head of the organisation responded (also in the said newspapers) that “my chil-

dren were not given any special or peculiar treatment in terms of position, salary or status and were subjected to competitive interviews before being employed” etc etc.

Issues regarding the employment of relatives in the same organisation, whether or not the organisation is headed by a relative, has always been quite contentious and, as far as I know from my

fairly wide experience, the dilemma will continue, especially in small societies that are prone to suspicion, rightly or wrongly, of malpractices, especially among executives and leaders, despite the protestations, swearings and/or substance of ‘due process’ in the employment function.

It is a conundrum that goes to the heart of the ageold doctrine of ‘letting justice

be done and be seen to be done’ with greater emphasis on the “seeing” as opposed to the “doing”!

Some organisations have a stated written policy on the subject. The United Nations for example, of which I have firsthand knowledge, expressly prohibits the employment of children and ‘blood relatives’. Others do not expressly prohibit it, but

set out exceptional conditions or extenuating circumstances and safe-guards (for example, proving that no other suitable candidate are available and that there would be no direct reporting relationships etc.).

Other organisations are silent on the subject, supposedly preferring to leave it up to the wisdom, judgement and maturity of the respective managers, the labour

market context and similar socio-economic factors.

In the case of Guyana, one may also have to be cognisant of the plurality and well-known prejudices in the society, which might strongly invite serious consideration of the maxim: “Discretion is the better part of valour.”

THE Guyana Chronicle has been informed that a post-mortem performed on the body of Alvy Israel Richmond yesterday revealed that he died from a stab wound inflicted to the chest.

The result is consistent with the wound allegedly inflicted by Travis James on Richmond during an argument they had on Monday evening over the use of washroom space.

And with assailant, Travis James confessing that he had stabbed Alvy Israel Richmond, the brother of his reputed wife, ‘C’ Division police are ready to press charges in the matter.

A source close to the investigation confirmed to this newspaper yesterday that the accused would be appearing at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court to answer to the charge of murder.

NOWRANG PERSAUD

Trotman commits to future Mahaicony murder suspect to appear in Mahaica Court engagement to... today From page 2

know that the press corps is imbued with a sense of responsibility….let us try to do better,” Trotman said.

The Speaker’s latter comments were in line with the five themes that were discussed yesterday. Among the themes were: ● ‘Watchdog” Fourth Estate Coverage of the House,’ presented by Director of the Communications Department at the University of Guyana, Ms. Carolyn Walcott; ● ‘Procedures of the National Assembly from motions or bills to laws and standing orders,’ presented by Deputy Clerk (ag.), Ms. Hermina Gilgeous; ● ‘Problems Parliamentarians face – Media Coverage and issues surrounding their own mandate, responsibility and access to the press and public,’ which was presented by Alliance For Change (AFC) MP, Mrs. Cathy Hughes.

Former Speaker of the House, Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, also made a presentation, which addressed a review of the ‘Past relationships between the National Assembly and the media and recommendations for improvement.’

CONCERNS Leader of the Opposition, Brigadier (rtd.), David Granger also delivered an address during the opening session and commented on

sentiments that were reiterated during the day’s engagement.

He expressed several areas of concern, including the fact that the Head of State holds the portfolio of Minister of Information, since, according to the Constitution, portfolios unassigned resides with the President’s office.

“Why would the President want to concern himself with Information…why does the State hold onto media (outlets),” Granger questioned.

He charged that State media are being used in an “abusive” manner.

Granger said. “One would have expected that over this period (220 years) we would have matured, we would have learnt some lessons, and the media corps should have reached a certain standard of development. “…over those 220 years, there has been a war between the state and the free press and we are still at war. We are at war because the State has always sought to control the free press, to control the information released to the public, and the free press has always tried, not only to embarrass the State, but to provide information and opinions, which the State found unfavourable….the battle continues.”

According to him, the freedom of expression is a Constitutional right that must

not be hindered.

“These freedoms point to the necessity for the responsible administration of news outlets,” he said.

On this note, the Opposition Leader added that responsible administration is underpinned by a strong sense of professionalism.

“Should we, as a population, be written about and written to by quacks…every profession, whatever it calls itself must be based on education and a long period of training….it must be based also on a sense of social responsibility,” he said.

Granger noted too that a professional organisation of journalists must be members of a community that is self-regulatory, which will advance sanctions where there are breaches.

“If you do not adhere to these tenets, you are a quack, you do not belong in the field of journalism,” he said.

To this end, the Opposition Leader welcomed the workshop.

“This seminar is very important because the State does not have an option…it has an obligation to the population to provide information so that the public can make informed choices. Parliament is the key, because it is the pinnacle where the views of hundreds of thousands of people are addressed,” Granger said.

Also, representative of

the Guyana Press Association (GPA), Mr. Neil Marks, made remarks on the National Assembly’s engagement with the media and stressed the importance of yesterday’s engagement.

“This 10th Parliament has been very vibrant… sometimes the rules and the procedures of the National Assembly get by us easily…it is important that we understand the processes of Parliament to improve our coverage,” he said.

Also in attendance were A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) MPs Dr. Karen Cummings, Ms. Africo Selman and Ms. Annette Ferguson. Mr. Allan Fenty, veteran columnist and representatives from the diplomatic crops and civil society were also present.

Government MPs were not present at the workshop.

However, Government Chief Whip, Gail Teixiera, told the Guyana Chronicle that Government MPs were unavoidably absent, as they were attending to other urgent matters.

Additionally, several other initiatives to improve engagement with the Guyanese people are ongoing and include school outreaches. Upcoming initiatives are the launch of the National Assembly’s website, to be done in two weeks, and live streaming of sittings.

Post-mortem reveals that piracy victim died by drowning IN another investigation being conducted by the same division, a post-mortem performed on the body of the fisherman who was discovered at the Mahaica foreshore revealed that the young man had died as a result of drowning.

His father had indicated to the Guyana Chronicle one day before his body was discovered that the 25-year-old could not swim, and when they heard that he had been tossed overboard by pirates in Suriname they began to fear the worst.

The captain for the vessel on which the young man had worked at the time the pirates

attacked is the lone survivor; and he told investigators that, based on the pirates’ accent, he is confident that they are Guyanese.

Days after the piracy attack in Suriname, the ill-fated vessel was discovered in Guyanese waters, and that prompted the relatives of the missing fishermen to launch a search for them.

At the moment, there are still three of the fishermen who remain unaccounted for.

The men were allegedly attacked, beaten, chopped and thrown overboard by pirates who robbed them of their catch and engines two weeks ago.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Barbados politics...

Opposition ‘split’ amid anti-gov’t pressure

Analysis by Rickey Singh GUYANESE would be familiar with the “heads will roll” warning of an earlier period in the political culture of governance politics between the Peoples Progressive Party and People’s National Congress.

Well, the threat of such a development has now emerged within the ranks of the parliamentary Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) where growing dissent among leading Party stalwarts have moved from internal status to the public domain.

And amid the final stages of the country’s intoxicating annual cultural festival, ‘Crop Over’ -- Bajan’s equivalent to Guyanese ‘Mashramani’ or Trinis’ carnival -- Prime Minister Freundel Stuart’s governing Democratic Labour Party could well have a respite from incessant political batterings to which it has been subjected for some two months now.

Barbadians, across the political divide and social classes, have been angrily engaging the print and electronic media over a new form of taxation that they view as most onerous and punishing.

At the core of prevailing

widespread expressions of disenchantment is the government’s introduction of an across-the-board ‘municipal solid waste tax’ (SWT).

Based on the estimated value of private and business properties, the tax has sent all classes of owners howling -- the rich, middle and work-

Former Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottley ing class.

Amid rising clamours to ‘dump’ or ‘repeal’ the tax (which must be paid by this month-end with a penalty fee for late payments), the opposition BLP may have unwittingly fumbled into trapping itself by a surprising display among some of its more influential representatives by

publicly baring its internal differences in pressuring the government to repeal the controversial tax.

For the benefit of Chronicle readers, it is relevant to point out that, helpful as it may be to the government in enabling needed financing to the State-run Sanitation

(BRA) due payment on the new Municipal Solid Waste tax, which, incidentally, is supposedly based on the prevailing land tax.

Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart

Service Authority (SSA) for waste disposals, the new SWT, in effect, amounts to a double tax for owners of the same property.

This time around, however, instead of property owners receiving the customary payment notice on ‘land tax’, they have received from the Barbados Revenue Authority

having to make TWO separate payments for the same property, as previously assessed, and by this monthend or face a penalty fee.

Well, former three-term Prime Minister and leader of the BLP, Owen Arthur, felt this was simply too unfair and burdensome. So he launched a campaign in his

TWO TAXES; SAME LAND This, in essence, means

own St. Peter parliamentary constituency to roll-back the Solid Waste Tax and, hopefully, to influence wider public support outside of the BLP. Meanwhile, as Prime Minister Stuart and his much-pressurised Finance Minister, Chris Sinckler, were signalling gestures for remedial initiatives (without any whole-scale dumping of the new municipal tax), there came a proposal from the BLP’s leader and former Deputy Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, for an alternative approach in helping the Revenue Authority meet the financial burden of the Sanitation Service Authority.

She proposed a smaller and more equitable levy on existing water bills from the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), but not including Barbadians who fall under the prevailing ‘poverty line’.

Mottley feels so strongly against the government’s ‘solid waste tax’, that she announced, at a mass meeting of her Party in Bridgetown on Sunday night, that she was ready to lead a “protest walk” from Parliament building to Government headquarters today, even if it meant “walking alone”!

MOTTLEY’S FIRM STAND However, it soon became apparent that disagreements exist within the top and middle echelons on strategies to be pursued by the Party in both the short and longer term, as the media were to learn from various spokespersons of the BLP. One leading BLP parliamentarian, Kerry Simmonds, who has maintained close working relations with exPrime Minister Arthur, was to inform a radio talk-show on Monday that he had declined to speak at the BLP’s Sunday night meeting as a consequence of differing approaches to the new “solid-waste tax”.

By this past Tuesday, the Barbados Nation was reporting another BLP parliamentarian, Trevor Prescod -- known to be more favourable to Mottley -- as having described with bitterness unnamed elements of the Party as “snakes in the grass...”

Stay tuned for new developments as we await developments today, when the BLP’s leader carries out her threat to head a march of protest against the government.

Why is the AFC going at it alone

… Dr. Luncheon asks with regard to the no-confidence motion against the Gov’t

By Telesha Ramnarine SO FAR as the intended Alliance For Change (AFC) no-confidence motion against the Government is concerned, Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon said the real issue at present would be the significance of the “AFC going at it alone.”

Cabinet was not unmindful of the rather “solitary” approach of the AFC in terms of its declaration, Luncheon said yesterday at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President in Georgetown.

The declaration was solitary in the sense that the mo-

tion was reportedly considered by the joint parliamentary Opposition, Luncheon explained.

“The declaration, however, was made and made only by the AFC. The Guyanese were indeed awaiting what would be the eventual position of the joint parliamentary Opposition and indeed would no doubt have to read and understand what is the implication, what is the significance of AFC alone making this declaration. The issue for the Government, the issue for interested observers would be the significance of the AFC going it alone,” he said.

Furthermore, this must be taken in the context,

also, of A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) position. APNU had entered into a compromise agreement with the administration seeking to have a conclusion of matters surrounding, on one hand, their bills that had not been assented to by the President and on the other, CFATF/ FATF compliant legislation.

“Putting it frankly, their commitment was if the AFC and Government engagement was not mutually resolved, APNU and the Government agreement was of no value, no worth, null and void. APNU’s contention was that you had to have AFC on board. That

instance, in particular, gave us additional cause to consider what significance could be applied to AFC going it alone.”

Luncheon further informed that it was Cabinet’s reasoning that one should not be dismissive of the indications of this very small party with seven seats confronting the administration with 32 seats.

A few days ago the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) described as totally baseless, spurious and constitutionally incorrect the intended motion by the AFC as indicated in a letter to President Donald Ramotar.

Speaking on Government’s behalf during an in-

terview on the National Communications Network (NCN), Presidential Adviser on Governance, Gail Teixeira said that the administration is fully prepared to face any such parliamentary action which may be brought against it by the political Opposition.

The letter which was sent to the President indicated that the AFC would seek to move the motion to “force the Government’s resignation.” The supposed “forced resignation” indicated by the AFC was also put to rest by the Presidential Adviser, who noted that Constitutional Articles 106(6) and 106(7), state that should the no-con-

fidence motion be approved, the President and Cabinet will continue to serve until the results of any election is announced and certified.

Teixeira said that while the letter quoted Article 166 of the Constitution, it curiously failed to mention Article 218(3) and the Chief Justice’s ruling in the budget cut court case. Both of these clearly define the role of the Finance Minister and his constitutional options for accessing funds, a move which the AFC has described as unconstitutional and even sought to have the Guyana Police Force investigate.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Old Kai: Chronicles of Guyana…

PNC/R members now realise they created a monster - with an insatiable appetite to rule with an iron fist over the party

OLD Kai had warned PNCR members that they were inviting trouble when David Granger won by the slightest of margins to become their Presidential Candidate.

He has now become leader of the front group APNU, and party members are now accusing him of ruling with an iron fist.

This much is clear based on the alleged injustices being meted out to Vanessa Kissoon, one of their very own Member of Parliament.

But it appears that those around Granger have also felt they are ‘power houses’ and look down upon the ordinary David Granger members with disdain.

How else can we explain reports emanating from the Linden PNC/R groups that Amna Ally on February 1 had given David Granger an ultimatum, to get rid of Kissoon all because the Linden MP requested that Ally speak to her with a modicum of respect? Kissoon was immediately moved to the back bench of the National Assembly and it was here her troubles started.

Kissoon recently claimed she was assaulted during a confrontation with the party’s General Secretary, Oscar Clarke at Congress Place, after which she was suspended by David Granger even though he did not have the authority to do so and without even hearing her side of the incident. Her troubles continued, as a handpicked disciplinary committee, which consists of persons directly employed by the General Secretary will decide her fate and David Granger has stated that he is unsure whether she will be able to attend congress, because there is no guarantee the committee will finish its work in time.

At this point, Old Kai is wondering if Forbes Burnham left a handbook on his style of leadership for his predecessors to follow, as these outrageous attempts to

Aubrey Norton

Oscar Clarke

sideline someone who the cabal has apparently seen as a threat, bears similarities to our period of dictatorship in Guyana.

Worse yet, there are reports emanating in the press that attempts are being made to intimidate members who do

With this bitter division and clear attempts to attack and undermine those seen as challengers, it is rather ironic that the PNCR leadership decided to host their Congress under the theme: ‘PNCR for national unity, governance and development.’ Apart from the clear disunity, the development projection is rather farfetched, as let us not forget that this party is currently selling out lands it took from the State during their dictatorship, just to pay its debts.

not support the current status quo at Congress Place in the lead up to congress.

This is no surprise as earlier this year, Aubrey Norton had claimed during an interview with an online news site that he was receiving death threats and he had evidence of corruption by a certain clique in the party.

Based on this bit of information, we have to take David Granger ’s recent assertion that the PNC/R has never benefited from criminal proceeds and has always stood on the side of law and order, with a spoon Vanessa Kissoon of salt.

One now has to wonder, if there is more to this desperation by a certain grouping to hold on to power at all costs.

With this bitter division and clear attempts to attack and undermine those seen as challengers, it is rather ironic that the PNCR leadership decided to host their Congress under the theme: ‘PNCR for national unity, governance and development.’

Apart from the clear disunity, the development projection is rather farfetched, as let us not forget that this party is currently selling out lands it took from the State during their dictatorship, just to pay its debts.

Such actions are clearly not sustainable and it is only a matter of time before they run out of land to sell. With such a track record, PNC/R members should think carefully and question the capability of their leadership in advancing any form of development within the party at the upcoming congress.

However, with this climate of fear prevailing, Old Kai is not too hopeful that such will be the case.

Commissioning of SOCU GPF rubbishes KN article on row between itself and expected in 12 to 14 week the GRA - says reporter was simply expressing

THE commissioning of a fully operational Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) is expected within 12 to 14 weeks, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon announced yesterday.

Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President, in Georgetown, he said Cabinet has approved the turnkey approach to operationalising SOCU. SOCU was set up in response to a recommendation from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) for Guyana to intensify its investigations and prosecutions of money laundering offenses.

According to Luncheon, the main phases of this turnkey approach would see the rehabilitation of the intended SOCU headquarters on Camp Road. Its rehabilitation has been approved by Cabinet and the five-member investigative complement of staff was also approved by Cabinet.

The formation of a functioning and effective SOCU and its dedication to investigating anti-money laundering crimes will remain on the front burner, Luncheon had said at an earlier press conference.

his vile thoughts

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday issued a statement to the effect that it is unaware of being involved in any row with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), and that the cooperation between the GPF and the GRA remains steadfast and at a consistently high level.

The GPF statement also expressed serious concern over the “wickedness” of an article carried in yesterday’s edition of the Kaieteur News, and opined that the Kaieteur News is putting out information that impacts negatively on the integrity of officers of the law enforcement agencies and the inter-agency relationship.

The GPF, moreover, said it strongly believes that the Kaieteur News reporter

who penned the article simply embraced the opportunity to express his vile thoughts by hiding behind the frequently used term “police official” or “police source”, and in this instance “GRA official.”

The GPF said that in the Kaieteur News of Wednesday, July 23, 2014, under the caption “GRA mulls boosting up armory to confront armed criminals,” it is stated that the row between the GRA and the GPF went up another notch, with officials from both sides accusing each other of corruption, and that the police official allegedly contacted by the Kaieteur News was “a senior police official speaking on condition of anonymity,” while for the GRA it was “a GRA official.”

(Michel Outridge)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

A watershed moment in the annals of PNC history

WHAT a harsh critique and analysis of the leadership of the A Partnership For National Unity and its tactics since becoming the official political Opposition party as a result of the 2011 national elections!

This has to be a watershed in the history of the PNC, as to how it has been viewed at any particular time. In fact, Ram has disclosed what was immediately apparent when the latter grouping was announced as contesting the last general elections – that with the exceptions of the Justice For All Party (JFAP) and the Working Peoples’ Alliance (WPA), the other components were paper parties!

But the social commentator has only made public what even many in the PNC Party had slowly begun to realise: That Granger has been the wrong choice of person to lead this Party.

It is also instructive that such a detailed criticism of the retired army Brigadier has been made at a time when he has taken on the appearance of a leader under siege, with so many issues that continue to weaken his seemingly unsteady hold on the leadership of his Party.

A case in point is the raging internal dissent that has been further fuelled by the suspension of the popular Region 10 Member of Parliament, Vanessa Kissoon, and announced challenges to his leadership of the Party.

This particular incident has raised the question as to Granger’s ability to understand dissent within a political organisation, for surely, this current issue surrounding Kissoon would have had its genesis in prior disagreements she would have had with Party leaders with regards the Party’s political administrative affairs at Linden.

If anything, Granger should have been guided by the

Bauxite strike in the 1970s, when Linden workers confronted Burnham. For a high-profiled Party member as Kissoon definitely is, as demonstrated by the groundswell of support from her Region’s constituents, wisdom dictates that her concerns should have already been given a hearing

by Granger, with a view to resolving whatever differences there are. But now there is a full-scale revolt underway that seems likely to invade the imminent biennial Congress.

Surely, the leader of any political Party is expected to bring his authority to bear on especially issues that have the potential to threaten Party unity. Instead, this perceived lack of leadership and weakness may have very well emboldened the recently announced challenges to Granger’s leadership by longstanding member, Aubrey Norton, and the very popular Region 10 Chairman and Party representative, Sharma Solomon.

This failure of leadership has been reflective in Granger’s lack of concept in terms of a programme as to what he perceives as necessary for the socio-economic growth and development of Guyana. OBSERVER, in a number of past columns, would have pointed out his many inconsistencies and contradictions with regards to what he and his coalition had promised for Guyana, especially given the new parliamentary realities. Instead, where there should have been a closer cooperation with the Government in arriving at consensual solutions, there have been Motions that have been a threat to the advancement of the nation and its citizens. For, which Opposition leader worth his salt will support budgetary cuts that threaten directly the daily livelihood of citizens.

Given the contentious leadership contest which the

PNC Party had experienced during the Corbin tenure, and the fallout from those two instances that resulted in the exodus of many of the Party’s heavyweights, one would have thought that on ascending to the leadership, Granger would have sought to have those members returned to the fold.

OBSERVER stands to be corrected when he says that this was an initiative he had said would be examined. Of course, padding of the voting members lists and rigging of those contests were the main issues that had prompted the exodus of those members. Ironically, these very concerns have once again been highlighted, with another contest just days away.

OBSERVER can only conclude that no action had been taken to make the Party’s membership list transparent, and its balloting process above board.

Another failure of the PNC’s, for which Granger must bear responsibility, is still its failure to make the Party inclusive, a necessity that has been pointed out by Vincent Alexander during his challenge to Corbin. The former at that time gave a very frank assessment of the need for the Party to change the way that it functions.

If Granger is capable of a better quality of leadership, then perhaps he is overruled by the extremists that are known to exist within the PNC Party. Be that as it may, leadership is about leading in the face of such challenges, particularly when it comes to political leadership. Thus, if he cannot lead his Party, how can he lead this nation?

Granger’s leadership scorecard now stares him in face; and the fact that all sections of the Party seem to be in revolt mode means that members are dissatisfied.

The nation will soon be given its total when his Party’s Congress convenes.

‘I don’t know who took the photograph…

I don’t know who posted it… I don’t know who removed it’ Granger LEADER of the Opposition, Brigadier David Granger last Friday at A Partnership for National Unity’s weekly press conference confirmed that he did not remove a controversial Facebook photo of himself and executed bandit Kevin Fields.

Granger had found himself at the centre of the issue after the Facebook profile of Fields

revealed a “tagged photo” from Granger ’s profile at the funeral of Fields’ friend, Shaquille Grant, who was killed by Police ranks during a confrontation in 2012.

The photo was however removed from Granger’s account hours after Fields was killed while attempting a robbery. This sparked speculations as to why

the photo was removed from Facebook and who had removed it.

The Opposition leader however maintains that he does not know who posted the photo on his profile or who removed it. He further explained to the media that he doesn’t even know who took the photo.

“You have to ask the person who removed it, why they did it… I

don’t know why it was removed....

I don’t know who took the photograph, I don’t know who posted it and I don’t know who removed it,” he said.

Responding to a question as to who manages his account, Granger related that “I can’t tell you that,” reiterating, “I did not remove the photo and I did not post it.” (Ravin Singh)

David Granger

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

OAS Declaration on “Central American Unaccompanied Child Migrants” THE Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) yesterday adopted by acclamation a Declaration on “Central American Unaccompanied Child Migrants,” presented by the Missions of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, during a regular meeting in Washington, DC. The Declaration adopted states that “the migration of children and adolescents not accompanied by their parents constitutes one of the most glaring manifestations of social exclusion and the lack of protection of their human rights.” It also expresses “solidarity with the governments of the region, so that the problem of unaccompanied migration of children is addressed from a humanitarian perspective that ensures the wellbeing and respectful treatment of the children and that allows for family reunification where appropriate.”

In its text, the document calls on the countries of the region “to make genuine efforts to guarantee essential security conditions for their citizens, in particular children and adolescents, and respect their human rights, so they can develop and flourish in their own local communities within their countries of origin.” Moreover, it urges the international community and the countries of origin to jointly allocate resources to foster economic development, social inclusion, employment opportunities, and citizen security in order to reduce the impetus for migration to other countries in search of other opportunities not found in the countries of origin.”

The Permanent Council, through the adopted document, requests receiving countries and countries of transit to consider “as a central humanitarian principle” the “wellbeing and full respect for the human rights of children.“ Finally, the Declaration affirms the support of the member states to the affected countries “in their efforts to combat organized transnational crime, human smuggling and trafficking.

The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, congratulated the states involved in the problem “for the prudence and the calm with which they have addressed the issue.” He explained that the General Secretariat has had two fundamental concerns on the issue, “first the general way of addressing the crisis in some sectors, that have wanted to transform this into a national security issue,” and in second place, “the need to guarantee due process to the children in the framework of the procedures that are established by internal and international norms.”

“I want to applaud very directly the decision of the President of the United States to speak here about a humanitarian situation and, above all, for not making this a media issue but rather an issue in which we must seek solutions,” said the OAS leader.

Moreover, he urged members to show “our support for the reiterated request of the President of the United States for internal legislation that takes account of the phenomena of migration as they are today, and transmit our full willingness to cooperate as far as is possible to address this situation.”

Cabinet approves $204.5M contract for new Zeeburg Secondary School – seven other contracts cleared AT a post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, at the Office of the President, Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon advised that ‘no objections’ were granted to eight contracts in the areas of education, local government and health. and for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The approved contracts are contained within the table below.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Colombian army kills ELN rebels in Arauca province THE Colombian armed forces say they have killed eight rebels from the left-wing National Liberation Army (ELN) in the east of the country.

The air force and federal police took part in the operation, which targeted rebel bases in Arauca province.

Another eight rebels were arrested in the raid.

The Colombian authorities say the ELN is behind a recent wave of attacks against innocent civilians and infrastructure.

The government blamed the group for an attack on an oil camp in Arauca three weeks ago, which injured 13 workers and their relatives.

The camp is operated

The ELN operates mainly in areas close to the Venezuelan border

by Occidental Petroleum in Cano Limon, some 50km (30 miles) west of the provincial capital, the city of Arauca.

The ELN operates mainly in areas close to the Venezuelan border.

Peace talks In a separate development, Colombian armed forces killed five rebels from the largest rebel group, the Farc, according to the AFP news agency.

The operation took place in central Meta province.

The Farc has been engaged in peace talks with government negotiators since November 2013.

The prospect of a peace deal with the Farc by the end

of the year has played a key role in the election of President Juan Manuel Santos to a second term, starting on 7 August.

The ELN - Colombia’s second biggest rebel group agreed earlier this month to engage in formal peace talks in an attempt to end its fivedecades-long armed struggle.

But clashes between the rebels and the army are thought likely to continue until a final agreement is signed.

The Colombian government has rejected several calls by the Farc for a ceasefire, saying it would only enable the guerrillas to rearm and regroup.

Arizona execution takes two hours (BBC News) US death row inmate Joseph Wood has died after an execution in Arizona took nearly two hours to kill him.

Wood, a double murderer, was executed by lethal injection.

His lawyers filed an appeal for an emergency stay of execution, after he had been “gasping and snorting for more than an hour” in the death chamber.

They argued the extended execution process violat-

ed Wood’s right to be executed in the absence of cruel and unusual punishment.

The execution should have taken 10 minutes, his lawyers said, but Wood, 55, gasped more than 600 times before he died.

It began at 13:52 (20:52 GMT), and Wood was pronounced dead at 15:49, one hour and 57 minutes later, according to the Arizona attorney-general’s office.

He was convicted of the 1989 murders of his es-

tranged girlfriend Debra Dietz and her father Eugene Dietz.

Family members of the vicims were unconcerned by the way the execution was carried out.

“This man conducted a horrific murder and you guys are going, let’s worry about the drugs,’’ said Richard Brown.

“Why didn’t they give him a bullet?”

Wood’s lawyers had sought to force Arizona to

name the manufacturers of the drugs used in the execution, but a last-ditch ruling by the US Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution to go ahead.

In communications with Wood’s lawyers this year, Arizona officials said they would use a two-drug combination of midazolam and hydromorphone to put him to death.

But they declined to provide further identifying information, including the name of the drug’s manufacturer, citing a state confidentiality law aimed at protecting the drug makers from reprisal.

Wood was convicted of the 1989 murders of his girlfriend and her father

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

David Granger’s desperate bid to reassert himself as PNCR leader THE following is a statement issued yesterday by the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) detailing PNCR’s David Granger’s fall from grace, and his desperate bid to save face and retain his position as leader just days shy of what can be regarded as a watershed moment in his short-lived reign as a politician when the Party he heads holds its 17th Biennial Congress.

“David Granger is facing an uphill task to regain the leadership and confidence of the PNC at the upcoming PNC Congress, scheduled for July 25 -27, 2014.

“Granger has failed miserably to unite and strengthen the Party, which is currently undergoing serious trauma in terms of its organisational health.

“What Granger has succeeded in doing, with a fair measure of success, is to sideline the Party faithfuls, and instead catapult to the leadership people with a military background, including many who have never been involved politically.

“Granger is probably the most ineffective and uninspiring of all PNC leaders.

His leadership style has only

served to alienate a significant number of Party members and supporters.

“With the Congress only a few days away, Granger is desperately seeking to retain the unchallenged leadership of the PNC, but with so much of failure and so little charisma and appeal, his chances of retaining the leadership of the Party is far from secure.

“This is not difficult to understand, especially from Party insiders and loyalists who see him as a political novice, and as an “armchair general” whose leadership style seems to be one of leading from behind.

“Not surprisingly, there are now emerging several aspirants from within the Party who are openly challenging him for the leadership of the Party, the most recent of whom is Region Ten Chairman, Mr. Sharma Solomon, who is no doubt seeking to take maximum advantage of the on-going rift between the Granger-backed Congress Place and core PNC supporters over the Vanessa Kissoon fiasco.

“PNC strongman, Aubrey Norton, who was sidelined for the post of MP, even though he was very instru-

mental in getting out the Linden votes, is also in the race for Party Leader.

“It should be recalled that at the last PNC Congress, Granger narrowly defeated Carl Greenidge, and only after he secured the endorsement of former PNC leader, Robert Corbin, who openly campaigned on his behalf, which was further aided and abetted by allegations of vote rigging and influence peddling. Allegations of vote rigging at the upcoming PNC Congress have already surfaced from credible sources.

“Criticism of the Granger leadership style is not limited to Party insiders. Henry Jeffrey, in his Future Notes Column (Wednesday, July 2, 2014), questioned the sincerity of Granger in his call for a government of national unity should his Party gain power in the next general election. In this regard, Jeffrey wrote: ‘For my part, the PNC and the whole tribe of politicians can swear on the entire stack of sacred religious texts in Guyana and by all that is dear to them and I would not willingly put my life in their hands.’

“And the Conversation Tree columnist castigated

Granger for refusing to apologise for past crimes against the PPP, and more generally the people of Guyana. In his column, “The PNCR: Its past and future” (Stabroek News, June 22, 2014), he wrote: ‘Mr. Granger repeated a long established PNCR policy, designed to deflect public pressure that there would be no blanket apology on the basis of hearsay or conjecture as if rigged elections fall in those categories.’

“He went on to say that ‘the PNCR knows that such alliances are dead in the water without addressing its political past. Political allies will not risk being wiped out by an alliance that carries more baggage than benefit.’

“And the Stabroek News, in its Editorial of June 22, 2014, took Granger to task for his insistence that allegations of rigging of elections by the PNC should be investigated, describing the statements as ‘disingenuous in the extreme.’ What has emerged over the years, including from reputable overseas teams and British Granada TV programmes -- never mind the PPP’s own records which were diligently assembled -- brooks no doubt.

“It is clear that apart from a leadership deficit Granger is also faced with a credibility problem which continues to cast a dark shadow over his continuing ability to lead the party and by extension the combined political Opposition.

“A Stabroek News article (Wednesday July 2, 2014) captioned PNC members question ‘preferential’ treatment for Party General Secretary in wake of Vanessa Kissoon suspension are only surface manifestations of a much more deep-seated organisational and structural problem which potentially could undermine the base of the PNC as is currently playing out in Linden where members are calling for fairness in the dispensation of disciplinary action.

“Former Executive Member of the PNC and Minister under the former PNC regime, Dr. Faith Harding puts it quite bluntly when she said that the objectives being pursued by the Party at the moment were not in the interests of Guyana’s overall development.(Guyana Times, June 21, 2014) “She said that the PNC under Granger has lost its way because of the pursuits

and ideologies of its current crop of leaders and further indicated that she would decline any attempt at reconciliation with the Party given the current group that is managing the Party.

“And social commentator, Christopher Ram also weighed in on the issue by commenting unfavourably on Granger’s leadership capacity.

“In addition to his manifest lack of leadership qualities and the credibility issue, there is the added problem of his advancing age which would put him well into the biblical ‘three scores and ten’ age group by the time of the next election should he be retained.

“Granger stands exposed and is going into a Congress like a king in his new clothes.

His refusal to appear before the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry speaks volumes about his inability to come to terms with the past despite his own admission that the PNC may have killed people and rigged elections.

“The PNC, at its upcoming Congress, should consider dumping Granger from its leadership since he has proven himself a non-stellar performer and a failed leader.”

GPL apologises for Human Services past week’s power Ministry refutes Capitol outages at Bartica News article A SERIES of power outages that occurred within the last week caused Bartica residents considerable inconvenience, and the Guyana Power and Light Inc. issued a press statement yesterday afternoon expressing sincerest apologies for the unfortunate incident.

That release disclosed that the Numbers Eight and Nine Caterpillar generating sets had experienced technical faults which caused the outages.

GPL said it had recently performed corrective repairs on the No.9 set and that the engine remains in service to date, although, as of Monday last; the company has been unable to utilise its full output because of a defective main switch.

To install the replacement switch yesterday, the company said, necessitated a total outage of approximately one hour.

The power company noted that the No. 8 unit was placed in service for a short period on Wednesday night, after repairs were affected to mechanical faults identified, and checks on the alternator had been completed.

Unfortunately, the unit developed further mechanical problems, but repairs should be completed by Friday, GPL said.

The GPL release disclosed that, in the interim, the company would be forced to engage in load shedding during the peak period between 17.30hrs and 22.00hrs.

The company has said that those extended outages were unforeseen, and it wishes to reassure the residents that it remains committed to restoring reliable power and to continuously improve on its services.

The power company has said that the remainder of this year would witness commencement of preparatory works for a New 3 x 2 MW HFO-fired power station at Bartica.

Customers seeking further information are advised to contact the Public Relations Office on 225-1471 or 2261323.

The power company wishes to thank its customers for their cooperation and understanding.

… implying that it had failed a young TIP victim THE item carried by Capitol News on July 21, 2014 implying that the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security had failed to assist a victim of trafficking in persons (TIP) has been entirely refuted by that ministry in a press release which detailed that the person in question was indeed brought to the Ministry on April 22, 2013, but at the time she was pregnant, and the Ministry provided accommodation to her at a shelter, as well as clothing for herself and the expected child.

The Ministry said it also facilitated that person joining a prenatal clinic, and

that whilst at the women’s shelter, the alleged victim requested to visit a nearby shop to make a personal purchase.

This request was made on August 21, 2013, and the person was allowed to do as asked by the person in charge of the women’s shelter, but the young woman never returned to the shelter.

Subsequent efforts to locate and contact her proved futile. The Ministry’s staff conducted a search for the young woman, but were unsuccessful in their efforts, the release stated; and the woman never contacted the Ministry, not even after giving birth to her child; nor did she

indicate to the Ministry that she again needed assistance.

The Ministry has said it is always willing to support actual or alleged victims of TIP, and remains committed to supporting this individual and her child. Moreover, the Ministry wishes to indicate that contact can be made via the TIP hotline number 623-5030, or via telephone number 227-4083.

Further, the Ministry wishes to urge Capitol News -- and remind other media practitioners -- to contact the Ministry on these issues before disseminating such erroneous information. (Michel Outridge)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Education Ministry takes consultation on school cash grant to Region 10

Nothing like spending time with the young ones THE Ministry of Education last Friday met with residents of Region 10 to continue the $10,000 school cash grant consultations.

Leading the discussions was Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, who sought to enlighten parents and guardians on the initiative launched by the Government to assist parents financially in the new school year. The meetings were held at LICHAS Hall and Wisburg Secondary School respectively.

The Education Minister told the gathering, “The PPP/C Government of Guyana (GoG) has always been deeply committed to education and has always seen education as a means for persons to liberate themselves from mental and economic poverty.”

She noted that the Government is aware that, while undoubtedly poverty has

been significantly reduced; there remain parents who can do with a little extra help in providing their children with the access to a quality education.

She told them that, as a result of our economy doing better than it has ever done before, with 8 years of consecutive growth, the Government, as it usually does, wanted to reinvest in our most valuable resource, the people of Guyana, hence conceptualisation of this initiative.

Parents and guardians overwhelmingly expressed gratitude for the Government’s efforts, and lauded the birth of such an initiative, which they saw as a tremendous help. In this regard, parents promised to use the money they would receive for its intended purpose, and to encourage others to do

See Page 18

Education Minister Priya Manickchand interacting with residents of Region 10

15

Hundreds attended the consultation with Minister Manickchand

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

PAHO/WHO to reintroduce media awards for excellence in health journalism

By Shirley Thomas IN an effort to resuscitate the Media Awards for Excellence in Health Journalism, the Guyana Country Office of the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) yesterday commenced a one-and-a-half day workshop on Health Journalism at the Cara Lodge Hotel in Quamina Street, Georgetown.

PA H O / W H O R e p resentative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, in welcoming the more than 20 keenly enthusiastic journalists gathered from the local mainstream media outlets, outlined the aim of the workshop as being to improve the knowledge and skill of the participants to report health-related issues and better understand how health impacts society.

The workshop was ded-

PAHO’s Dr. Rosalinda Hernandez delivering her remarks at the Workshop

The objectives were to: ● Increase awareness of health and other development issues to influence the adoption of healthy lifestyles in Guyana through the dissemination of reliable health information. ● Encourage the coverage of news and the production of features, documentaries, and related media materials on health and development

Dr. Adu-Krow dealt extensively with non-communicable diseases’ health systems and services; while Dr. Rosalinda Hernandez, Advisor, FCH and HIV PAHO/WHO, presented an overview of communicable diseases.

Another speaker was PA H O o f f i c i a l A n g e l a Hoyte, who did an overview of Determinants of

Dr. William Adu-Krow, PAHO/WHO Representative in Guyana, addressing participants at the Health Journalism Workshop at Cara Lodge yesterday

icated to the familiarisation of the technical programmes of the Guyana Country Office, including the PAHO-CIDA project, journalistic techniques, and health information gathering and dissemination.

issues. ● Improve the overall standard of journalism, particularly in health and development; and ● Promote the PAHO/WHO Guyana Country Office media awards.

Health and Promoting Health throughout Life.

Other speakers were Melanie Thomas, PAHO/CIDA Coordinator, who gave an overview of the PAHO Canadian Funding Project (PAHO/CIDA); and our very own Mrs. Cathy Hughes, Consultant, whose

Participants listen to presentations during the PAHO/WHO Journalism Workshop

presentations were based on Health and Development: The Power of Journalism in the Promotion of Wellness; as well as Health and Development Partnership: The Role of the Journalist.

The highly interactive sessions allowed journalists to ask pertinent questions and brainstorm in order to come up with ways of sourcing ‘hard to come by’ information.

Journalists were also called upon to poignantly ask themselves the question: “Are we discussing health issues to an acceptable level?”

And commenting on style and content, members of the media were charged to go beyond reporting the sensational and deliver the ‘need-to-know’ information. “Only then can there be development of people, communities and our country,” Hughes said.

Members of the media were also sensitised on the difference between a ‘Reporter’ and a ‘Journalist’, and how these roles intertwine. Journalists were, moreover, advised to find a way of releasing information related to health, and to explore ways of preventing deaths. ‘It is about

a building-blocks process,” journalists were told.

Meanwhile, Dr. William Adu-Krow gave an undertaking that PAHO would seek to discover areas in which they can help, so that journalism can move forward. He also gave a commitment to work with the media Association of Guyana, adding, “Not that we will support you with everything, but we will give you technical advice.”

Evidently heartened at the response and the synergies established, Dr. AduKrow commented, “This is only the beginning of things to come. For me, even if it means an attachment of journalists to other media houses in the Caribbean such as Barbados …” He added that UNICEF, UNFPA, and others are about to come on board to make the Journalism Awards more meaningful, lucrative and impacting.

He also proposed leveraging PAHO/WHO for some of the health information needed for journalists.

The facilitators shared with the media a plethora of interesting health-related topics that can be explored and carefully documented, packaged in an interesting and palatable manner, with accuracy as its hallmark.

Journalists were also given an opportunity to come up with interesting ideas.

Pathetically a brief survey done during the workshop revealed a paucity of well researched and documented health related information in our Sunday publications, and that the emphasis was placed too much on ‘downloading’ and replicating other on-line information.

Participants were urged

to make the health page a reality for their respective media houses.

Journalists were charged to brainstorm and come up with new and innovative ways of presenting the information and team up with editors to make a commitment to allocate the space.

“To get the message out, you have to come up with creative suggestions,” Consultant Kathy Hughes said.

Meanwhile, reiterating the role of the journalist, PAHO outlined: “The role of Journalists in this partnership is vital to the process of informing and educating citizens in our communities. The task of good journalism, therefore, must be to ‘throw light’ and understanding on these issues, and to promote accurate information on a range of health-related issues, so that consumers can make informed choices and decisions regarding their health.

“All of this comes with responsibilities, and every media worker and journalist must ensure accuracy,” the PAHO officials emphasised.

PAHO Focal Point, Ms. Angela Hoyte, in wrapping up, concluded that the information went well; the group was small but very impacting, and garnered a lot of information from the PAHO Office.

In closing, Dr. AduKrow urged the journalists to strive for excellence, adding, “It’s about honesty, integrity and ethics.”

He admonished the participants to forge ahead zealously and with a passion for the task at hand, affirming: “As Journalists, the only limitations [on you] are the ones you put on yourselves.”

PAHO Focal Point, Ms. Angela Hoyte, making her presentation to the participants (Cullen Bess-Nelson photos)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

India doctors remove 232 teeth from boy’s mouth (BBC News) DOCTORS in India have extracted 232 teeth from the mouth of a 17-year-old boy in a seven-hour operation.

Ashik Gavai was brought in with a swelling in his right jaw, Dr Sunanda Dhiware, head of Mumabi’s JJ Hospital’s dental department, told the BBC. The teenager had been

suffering for 18 months and travelled to the city from his village after local doctors failed to identify the cause of the problem.

Doctors have described his condition as “very rare” and “a world record”.

‘Small white pearls’ “Ashik’s malaise was diagnosed as a complex composite odontoma where

a single gum forms lots of teeth. It’s a sort of benign tumour,” Dr. Dhiware said.

“At first, we couldn’t cut it out so we had to use the basic chisel and hammer to take it out.

“Once we opened it, little pearl-like teeth started coming out, one-by-one.

Initially, we were collecting them, they were really

It was all smiles from the medical team after the mammoth operation

like small white pearls. But then we started to get tired.

We counted 232 teeth,” she added.

The surgery, conducted on Monday, involved two surgeons and two assistants. Ashik now has 28 teeth.

Describing Ashik’s case as “very rare”, Dr. Dhiware said she had “not seen any-

thing like this before in my 30-year career”, but said she was “thrilled to get such an exciting case”.

“According to medical literature available on the condition, it is known to affect the upper jaw and a maximum of 37 teeth have been extracted from the tumour in the past. But in Ashik’s case, the tumour

was found deep in the lower jaw and it had hundreds of teeth.”

Ashik’s father Suresh Gavai was quoted by the Mumbai Mirror as saying that his son complained of severe pain a month ago.

“I was worried that it may turn out to be cancer so I brought him to Mumbai,” he said.

Ashik Gavai’s teeth were put on display by doctors after the operation

Town Clerk (ag) Carol Sooba...

‘Royston King operates like my boss’ –We ought to prioritise and not pay him

By Ravin Singh RESPONDING to City Hall Public Relations Officer Royston King’s letter published in the Stabroek News on July 17, acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba has noted that King does not act in his capacity, and accordingly should not be paid.

In that letter, King had related that Sooba continues to spend money, with impunity and great arrogance, from the Council’s coffers without the requisite permission or authority of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

He said the latest such incident related to the purchase of a chair for her office, and he questioned why she was engaged in such excessive and

irresponsible spending of the finances of a cashstrapped Council that cannot even provide effective waste management for citizens.

But in a press conference held at City Hall last Friday, Sooba explained that purchase of the chair was necessary, and that the expenditure was budgeted for, therefore the purchase could not be deemed illegal expenditure.

She revealed that King has not been acting in his capacity as PRO for quite some time now, and she stressed that she doesn’t even know when he is at work and when he is not.

Noting that King “acts like my boss” Sooba disclosed that she is unaware of what “work” he has

been engaged in. “He doesn’t act in his capacity…. I don’t know when he’s at work; and when he is there, I don’t know

what he does, because we have no proof that he does anything,” Sooba said.

Accordingly, the acting Town Clerk is urging that the Council prioritise on its expenditure and not pay King, since no work

is being done by him.

Only recently, King was unlawfully sworn in as Town Clerk by the Mayor and certain councillors at an illegal Extraordinary Meeting held in the compound of City Hall. King was,

h o w e v e r, f o r c e d t o abandon his post as the controversial issue spiralled, and his appointment was later deemed illegal. King has since returned to his legally appointed post as Public Relations Officer.

M&CC PRO Royston King assuming the post of Town Clerk at a statutory meeting after he was illegally appointed Town Clerk

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

GECOM’s claim of readiness for elections must be matched by evidence- HPS THE Government is calling on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to provide a timely and more thorough and holistic status report detailing its level of readiness and preparedness for the holding of local government and/or general elections.

Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President yesterday, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon explained that after five rounds of continuous registration, a list is prepared which will be subject to the statutory process called ‘claims and objections’ period. This period is scheduled for August-September. Another important prerequisite is a qualifying date.

“One cannot claim and one cannot object on one’s presence on the list in the absence of the age criteria, so GECOM manufactured an age criteria, a qualifying list and a qualifying date of April 31. It is Cabinet’s understanding that that qualifying date confers a specific and time-bound period of validity,” the HPS said.

The qualifying date set

by GECOM confers a specific and time-bound period of validity; therefore the list that is based on that date is not a list for all times. It is a list that could only be used if elections were called within the period of validity.

“There seems to be a view that this might be a march that GECOM is pulling by seeming to set an election date… because without a declaration by setting a qualifying date that confers an obligatory period of validity of a list then, it’s saying if you want to use that list Mr. President you have to call elections within this period,” Dr. Luncheon said.

The Cabinet Secretary said that there can be something “sinister” in this approach since it essentially marginalises the constitutional role of the Executive President in making that declaration for elections.

He reminded that prior to 1992, considerable amounts of energy and lives were lost in disputes and contentions over matters of electorate management; and from 1992 onwards, the wave of free and fair elections has not been a feature of the electoral practices in Guyana.

“Let GECOM submit for popular consideration a status report on the readiness of its claims, the exhortations of the chairman should now be matched by the evidence and if indeed, short-comings and deficiencies are identified, let’s fix them to the satisfaction of stakeholders and electorate, and let us get on with those other important issues that impact on the development of Guyana,” the HPS said. (GINA)

Education Ministry takes consultation ...

From Page 15

likewise.

One parent from the LICHAS Hall meeting, in expressing her gratitude to the Minister, said: “I am very happy that I will be getting this little help from the Government to assist with my children. You asked if my life is better than ten years ago, and the answer is yes; but still I need any extra help, and I am very happy that the Government is doing this to help us parents.”

A parent from the Wisburg Secondary School meeting spoke of this Government initiative as timely and relevant. He said: “This could not come at a better time. While it comes during the new school year, it is still a means of helping to offset some of the expenses we as parents have to bear

as we work towards getting the best education for our children. I am thankful to the Government and the Minister for making this possible.”

Recommendations were also made by those present to receive their cash grant in cash from a commercial bank, and not in the form of a voucher that could only purchase items. A number of critical issues were also raised and discussed, which the Minister addressed directly even as she offered solutions that were well received by members of the audience.

The MoE will be continuing these public consultations on the Gy$10,000 student grant in other regions and districts across Guyana. Consultations were already held in Regions 2,3,4,6, 9, and 10.

19

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Miner on drug trafficking charge refused bail

…four had died after ingesting liquefied cocaine in SSS Tonic A THIRTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD miner accused of possession of liquefied cocaine in SSS Tonic was yesterday refused bail on a drug trafficking charge.

Dean Layne, of HH Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown, made his appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and pleaded not guilty to the charge. The unrepresented man will return to Court on August 4.

The police allege that on Friday, May 2, at Cocorite Street, Georgetown, he had in his possession 252 grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Police Prosecutor Michael Grant said on the day in question, around 21:00hrs, the defendant went to the home of Candacy McGarrell’s niece, who was visiting from the United States, to take some bottles of SSS Tonic for his brother, who was also in United States.

However, the woman went back without taking the tonic, and five occupants of the home ingested the substance, four of whom later died at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Post-mortem examinations revealed that the persons died from consuming the tonic which was liquefied with cocaine.

The prosecutor successfully objected to bail on the grounds of the nature, gravity and

prevalence of the offence.

Those who died were Alex Blair, 42, his wife Simone Pryce, 36, their nine-year-old son, Jahaquel Blair, and Natasha George, 36. The only survivor was 12-year-old Jamal Waterman.

According to reports, Blair and his wife got up that day and they decided to drink the SSS Tonic and to they gave some to their children, Jacquiel and Jamal.

Within a few minutes of taking the tonic, the children reportAccused Dean Layne edly started to feel upset and vomited. The Blair family called their neighbour and best friend, Natasha George, to taste the tonic and George complied, reporting afterwards that the tonic was tasting funny.

Panday’s mother-in-law, accomplices convicted of July 2011 robbery MOTHER-IN-LAW of Malcom Panday, along with four other accomplices, was yesterday convicted for a July 2011 robbery under arms committed on businessman Malcolm Panday, at his Bel Air, Georgetown residence.

Chandrada Rampersaud, Jermaine Mitchell, Aubrey Simon, Rayon Jones and Hardat Kumar, a relative of Rampersaud, were all informed by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry that they were found guilty as charged.

The joint charge said on July 12, 2011, at Bel Air, the accused persons, along with one Rabindra Seemangal, robbed businessman Malcolm Panday and his wife Annie Ramsood of $7.4M. They were all remanded to prison and will return to Court today for sentencing.

Seemangal pleaded guilty to the crime on September 11, 2012, and was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.

Mitchell and Simon were also jointly charged with unlawful possession of firearm and ammunitions. Mitchell was convicted for this charge, and Simon, who was not present in Court, was found not guilty.

Twenty-three-year-old Mitchell told the Court that he is an employee of Banks DIH and is the father of a six-month-old baby. He added that he spent six months in remand for this matter and has no pending charges.

Mitchell explained that he does not know anything about this matter nor is he acquainted with the other persons that were charged.

Thirty-two-year-old Jones said he is self-employed and also claimed that he is innocent. He was represented by attorney-at-law, Mr. George Thomas, who also not present in court. Jones requested a short adjournment date for his defence counsel to address his mitigating factors. He was also facing a separate pending charge of receiving stolen property before Magistrate Judy Latchman.

The other accused, Kumar, said he is 33 and married with two children, aged eight and four. He added that he spent approximately five and half months on remand. He is also self-employed and has two previous convictions, one of which is perverting the course of justice.

As for Rampersaud, accused of masterminding the robbery, told the Court that she spent six months in the lock-up and does not wish to go back. The 53-year-old woman said she is single and has a 17-year-old daughter who depends on her.

The matter was prosecuted by attorney-at-law, Mr. Glenn Hanoman.

Meanwhile, attorney-at-law, Ms. Shellon Boyce, in association with Hanoman, in his absence, reminded the court that the offence carried out by the accused was serious.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Mark Forde rape trial adjourned to tomorrow

…to enable prosecution to contact witnesses

PROSECUTRIX in the Mark Forde rape trial, Mrs. Teshana Lake, yesterday applied to Justice James Bovell-Drakes for an adjournment of the case to Friday in order that she might at least attempt to find her witnesses.

Her request was granted with the hope that the witnesses would turn up tomorrow.

The accused Mark Forde, appearing in court immaculately dressed and represented by attorney-at-law, Mr. Adrian Thompson, pleaded not guilty to the charge laid against him to the ef fect that on October 10, 2008, in the county of Demerara, he had carnal knowledge of a young woman without her consent. A mixed jury was consequently empanelled to try the matter.

The prosecutrix intends to call five witnesses to testify in this matter.

Hearing is expected to continue tomorrow.

21

Below rates for July 23, 2014

Currency

Buying

Selling

G$/US$ G$/GBP$ G$/CAD$ G$/EURO$ G$/BDOS$ G$/EC$ G$/TT$

205.98375 350.85212 192.07446 277.35712 101.86969 75.45903 32.22602

208.43594 355.23737 194.28860 280.86743 102.89094 76.21551 32.54909

Aries March 21 - April 19 Your plans may not go off exactly as you’d expected -- in fact, they probably can’t. All you can really count on for a while is that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong -- at least as far as communication goes. It may feel personal, but it’s really, truly universal. Fortunately, if anyone is good at coming up with a Plan B, or C or even D at a moment’s notice, it’s certainly you.

Taurus April 20 - May 20 It may feel like the universe, or some important part of it, personally has it in for you -- making you late whenever possible, causing problems with directions and tossing whatever seems most inconvenient in your way. The good news (and it is actually good news, honestly) is that it’s not just you, it’s all of us. So try to make the best of it -- adversity can ultimately be a powerful bond!

Gemini May 21 - June 21 It might not be easy for you to deal with the delays, roadblocks and hindrances coming your way today, but at least you’ve got your famous versatility to fall back on. Imagine how the rest of the world feels! Communication and travel issues are unusually tough for all of us now. They’re not impossible for you, of course -- especially thanks to your ability to find a way through any kind of entanglement.

Cancer June 22 - July 22 You may have more than your share of frustrating encounters with one of your superiors, or maybe an important client. Believe it or not, though, the situation may not be entirely their fault. The whole world is dealing with all kinds of miscommunications, and each issue requires at least two mistakes to fully engage.

While you’re waiting out the worst of it, why not take a little vacation time or ask for a temporary transfer?

For Thursday July 24, 2014 -14:30hrs For Friday July 25, 2014 -14:30hrs For Saturday July 26, 2014 -05:30hrs

Leo July 23 - August 22 You’d better muster up as much of that famous bravery as you possibly can, because you’re sure to be dealing with something far more stressful than an irritated lover for a while. Just like the rest of us, you need to handle misplaced directions, miscommunications and mistakes -- all of which can lead to misunderstandings within any of your relationships. You can handle it all.

Virgo August 23 - September 22 Your patience is sure to be tested -- and it’s an extended examination! It may be most intense today, and you might start to think that you’re living through Murphy’s Law. The good news is that you’re well equipped to handle all the messy, irritating little details -- the ones that keep trying to come between you and where you want to be. Get to work and don’t let up!

Libra September 23 - October 22 Anything that can possibly be misunderstood or confused is exactly what you can expect for the time being. Your least favourite part of this situation is sure to be its impact on your one-on-one encounters -- keeping your appointments may not be easy. The best part, however, will be the fact that cancelled business meetings will leave more time for spontaneous lunches with your sweetheart.

There’s always a silver lining.

Scorpio October 23 - November 21 You just can’t really rush things along right now -- as much as you, and everyone around you, would like to. You need to hurry up and wait, which may be a drag -- but at least it’s a drag you’re sharing with everyone else. In the meantime, you can do your homework on the one big issue that’s been occupying your thoughts lately. When this period passes, you’ll be sure you’re right about everything that’s been happening -- and ready to act.

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21 The odds are good that you’ve got big plans coming up. That sounds wonderful, and if you’re lucky, they’ll go off just as planned. Watch out, though -- it could be easier said than done. You need to check, double-check and triple-check all your plans for a while, thanks to some odd energy coursing through your life. Just in case, make sure that you have Plans B and C ready to rock.

Capricorn December 22 - January 19 Whatever you do to deal with frustration, make sure that you’ve got it in reserve today. None of your best-laid plans are likely to work out the way you want them to for a little while, which is hard on you. You can deal with it, of course, just as you always do, because preparedness is one of your key strengths. Make sure that you’ve got everyone on your side.

Aquarius January 20 - February 18 You’re not exactly the soul of patience, at least according to those closest to you.

Today, though, you may be even a tad less patient -- with good reason. It might seem like Murphy’s Law in action, so if something can go wrong, it will. Your best bet, then, is always to have an alternate plan set and ready to go, to allow twice as much time to get where you’re going and to try -- really try -- to be patient.

Pisces February 19 - March 20 You’re going to need all the patience you can muster to get through today -- and that’s quite a lot, as you well know! Frustrating experiences in the realms of communication and travel are lined up and ready to go. In your case, it could make getting in touch with your special someone a bit more difficult. Start early, and leave lots of information: Where you’ll be, when you’ll be there and how to get in touch of you.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Guyana’s contingent at 20th

Commonwealth Games

THE 20th edition of the Commonwealth Games opened yesterday as some of the world’s best athletes converged on Glasgow Scotland for the hosting of what is being called the biggest games ever.

Although there are 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, 71 teams will participate in the Commonwealth Games, as a number of dependent territories compete under their own flag.

The four home nations of the United Kingdom - England, Scotland,

Wales, and Northern Ireland - also send separate teams.

Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games is the largest multi-sport event ever held in Scotland with approximately 4 560 competing athletes across 17 different disciplines, although the country previously hosted the 1970 and 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

Over the last 10 years, however, Glasgow and Scotland had staged World, Commonwealth, European, or British events in all 17 sports proposed for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, including the World Badminton Championships in 1997.

Guyana will compete in the disciplines of squash, table tennis, athletics, swimming, boxing, cycling, and with the best athletes from the respective disciplines selected, there’s hope that the country can add to their medal count at the championship since its first attendance, which stands at 15 (three gold, five silver and seven bronze medals).

Aliann Pompey (400m Manchester England 2002), Winfield Braithwaite (boxing, Edmonton Canada 1978) and Philip Edwards (800 yards run) in 1934, when the Games was held under the British Empire, won Guyana’s three gold medals.

The athletes representing Guyana are: Nicolette Fernandes, Alexander Arjoon, Sunil Seth (Squash), Christopher Franklyn, Paul David, Shemar Britton, Idi Lewis, Trenance Lowe, JodyAnn Blake, Nathalie Cummings (Table Tennis), Onika George (Swimming) Winston George, Adam Harris, Stephen James (Athletics), Mahendra Persaud, Lennox Braithwaite, Ransford Goodluck (Rifle Shooting), Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams, Alanzo Greaves, Geron Williams, Scott Savory, Raynauth Jeffrey (Cycling), Theresa London, Eon Bancroft, Dennis Thomas and Imran Khan (Boxing).

The Guyanese will begin their medal hunt today.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Majka closes in on polka dot jersey as Nibali gains more ground

By Julien Pretot LARY PLA D’ADET, France (Reuters) - Poland’s Rafal Majka took a big step towards winning the Tour de France polka dot jersey when he took a solo route to the stage victory yesterday as Italian Vincenzo Nibali strengthened his grip on the overall race.

Majka was the best climber on the 17th stage, a brutal 124.5-km trek from St Gaudens featuring four tough ascents, and extended his lead over Nibali and Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez in the mountain classification.

The win was his second stage victory after prevailing on the 14th stage in the Alps, and a third in four stages for Tinkoff-Saxo after leader Alberto Contador crashed out.

“I’m so happy because my team worked so hard for that result,” said Majka, who has 149 points in the mountain classification.

Nibali has 118 and Rodriguez 112 with 80 points left up for grabs.

Italian Giovanni Visconti was second with Nibali taking third place to extend his overall race lead to over five

minutes.

“It was a nervous stage, I’m relieved,” the calm Nibali said.

France’s Jean-Christophe Peraud was fourth as he gained more than 50 seconds on compatriot Thibaut Pinot, who struggled in the final climb.

“In the third week, it’s difficult everyday but I’m happy I can hold Nibali’s wheel,” said the 37-year-old Peraud.

Nibali leads Spain’s Alejandro Valverde by 5:26 with Pinot in third place overall, six minutes off the pace. Peraud, who is expected to fare better in Saturday’s time trial, lies fourth, eight seconds behind Pinot.

BRUTAL CLIMBS A group of 22 riders, featuring Rodriguez, Majka, Luxemburg’s Frank Schleck and Dutchman Bauke Mollema, who started the day in 10th position overall, broke away at the foot of the Col du Portillon, the first of four brutal climbs.

A Movistar soigneur (caretaker), on the climb to hand out drinks to the riders, tangled with Australian Luke Durbridge (Orica GreenEdge),

the top of the Col de Peyresourde, but he cracked in the penultimate climb up the Col de Val Louron-Azet.

Majka burst away from the breakaway group as he looked to strengthen his lead in the mountain classification.

Bardet attacked in the descent from the Col de Val Louron-Azet and opened a 30-second gap over Pinot, Nibali, Valverde, Peraud and Tejay van Garderen.

Once Bardet was caught on the final climb, Nibali attacked 5.5 kilometres from

Tinkoff-Saxo team rider Ral Majka of Poland reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the 124.5km 17th stage of the Tour de France cycle race between SaintGaudens and Saint-Lary Pla d’Adet, yesterday.

(Credit: Reuters/Jacky Naegelen) who fell off his bike, but remounted to continue the stage.

Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus powered away from the leading group and was first to crest

the finish as Valverde cracked.

Peraud was in the Italian’s wheel while Pinot, Bardet and van Garderen chased.

Nibali and Peraud opened a decent gap and Pinot and co limited the damage but could not catch the duo.

Valverde, who at one point lagged some 20 seconds behind the Pinot group, was helped on the way by a few Movistar team mates who had been dropped from the morning’s breakaway.

He fought his way back in the 10.2-km ascent and gained

a handful of seconds on Pinot.

“I had a bad moment, but there were some team mates to help me,” said Valverde.

“I found my rhythm again and managed to limit the damage.”

The 24-year-old Pinot now has today’s 18th stage to Hautacam to regain time on Peraud and Valverde.

“The ascent to Pla d’Adet did not really suit him, but he likes the climb to Hautacam,” his FDJ.fr sports director Yvon Madiot said.

Dunga names former team mates as Brazil assistants RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - New Brazil coach Dunga has named Andrey Lopes as his assistant manager and given former World Cup winners Claudio Taffarel and Mauro Silva places on his backroom team, the Brazilian Football Confederation said yesterday.

The little-known Lopes was Dunga’s assistant when he coached Internacional last year.

Taffarel, who will be goalkeeping coach, played alongside Dunga when they won the World Cup in 1994, as did Mauro Silva, the former midfielder, who Dunga said would help him where and when needed.

They were among the 13 new names appointed to provide back-up to Dunga, who was made national team coach on Tuesday.

“We are calling up players who were world champions so we have that DNA in our team,” Gilmar Rinaldi, the technical director

Claudio Taffarel will be goalkeeping coach in charge of Brazil’s men’s, youth and women’s sides, told a news conference in Rio de Janeiro.

“We want these professionals to be our critical eyes, pointing out where we can improve.”

The appointments came the day after Dunga was named coach for a second

time, replacing Luiz Felipe Scolari, who resigned after the World Cup where Brazil were hammered 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals and beaten 3-0 by the Netherlands in the third-place playoff.

Although many critics cried out for an overhaul of the domestic game and the appointment of a foreign coach, Dunga was brought back as national team boss, four years after he failed to take Brazil beyond the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

His new backroom staff is expected to be in place by next month before he takes charge of the team for friendlies against Colombia in Miami on September 5 and Ecuador in New Jersey four days later.

They also face Argentina in China in October and Turkey in Istanbul in November.

Their first competitive fixture will be in next year’s Copa America in Chile.

Zadran blasts Afghanistan to famous win (REUTERS) - Dawlat Zadran hit 24 runs from seven balls to help Afghanistan to a two-wicket oneday international win over Zimbabwe Tuesday, only the second time the wartorn country has beaten a Test-playing nation.

The victory at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo followed a 32-run victory over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in March, and

leaves the series 2-1 in Zimbabwe’s favour with one match remaining.

Zadran hit four sixes as he reached his highest ODI score, helping his side chase down their target of 262 with two wickets and two balls remaining.

Opener Javed Ahmadi top-scored with 56.

Afghanistan looked as though they would fall well short of their target until

they took 25 from the 46th over bowled by Zimbabwe spinner Sikandar Raza, Zadran securing the win in the final over with a six off Shingi Masakadza.

Zimbabwe reached 261 for eight in their 50 overs, with Hamilton Masakadza hitting 84 and skipper Brendan Taylor amassing 53.

The final match will be played at the same venue tomorrow.

29

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

WICB Regional Under-19

Powell ton puts Leewards in control over Guyana … Carthy and Louis also contributed

By Calvin Roberts INSPIRED by a splendid ton from Ross Powell, backed by useful contributions from Kasey Carthy and skipper Jeremiah Louis, Leeward Islands were large and in charge against hosts Guyana at the end of the second day’s play of their first-round West Indies Cricket Board Under-19 three-day encounter, yesterday, at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Resuming the day on 21 for 1 in reply to the home team’s first-innings score of 270, the visitors ended the day’s play yesterday on 300 for 8 from 113 overs, thanks to Powell’s 130, with Carthy 64 and Louis who was unbeaten on 49, offering support.

Shiraz Ramcharran and Steven Sankar have so far taken two wickets each for 45 and 71 runs respectively for the home team, who will be looking to dismiss their opponents early on today’s final day.

Early in the day, Powell started in pugnacious fashion with Shaquille Martina (6) as his partner, by hitting Kemo Paul for two fours in the first over of the day’s play, while a short ball from Keon Morris was pulled for four, forcing Brian Sattaur to turn to Ramcharran after only 20 minutes of play.

Sankar was also introduced into the attack at the Pavilion End and he got the breakthrough, trapping Martina lbw at 49 for 2, a wicket that enabled Powell and Carthy to join forces and add 97 for the third wicket, during which time both batsmen posted their half-centuries.

Powell was the first to reach the target, doing so off 90 balls and 116 minutes batting, counting eight fours and a six off Morris, even as his team reached 100 off 42.4 overs, with his contribution being 55 and Carthy’s 35.

Carthy got to his halfcentury in fine style after lunch which was taken with Leewards 104 for 2, when he struck Balchand Baldeo through the cover region for

his eighth four, having faced 115 balls while batting for 102 minutes.

However, when he was well set to score a ton, he played a wild swing at Paul and lost his off stump at 146 for 4 in the 61st over, with Powell on 67.

The Leewards later lost Ashran Hodge (13) at 183 for 4, but the burly Mohit Hingorani joined forces with Powell and piloted him to the tea break with Leewards 190 for 4, with Powell on 94 and Hingorani yet to score.

After the break, Powell got his maiden ton at this level from 260 balls while batting for 295 minutes in which he struck 13 fours and one six, before Hingorani was caught by Ramcharran at mid-off, when he looked to hit Sankar over that area.

Guyana took the new ball with Leeward Islands 221 for Leeward Islands opener Ross Powell acknowledges the applause of his teammates, after posting his first half century. The non-striker is Kasey Carthy who was the first to congratulate him, as captured

by Chronicle Sport’s Adrian Narine.

Windwards tighten grip against T&T

Lewis, Smith shine after Williams’ best of 7-31 on second day GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) - Ramaal Lewis and Odean Smith restored the balance of power to leave Jamaica hunting for a victory, after a career-best spell from Barbados captain Chad Williams restricted them to a narrow first-innings lead in the Regional Under-19 Tournament yesterday.

Lewis, the Jamaica and incumbent West Indies Under-19 captain, captured 5-75 from 29.1 overs with his flighty off-spin to end with match figures of 10-122, as Barbados were dismissed for 211 in the second innings about 35 minutes before the close on the second day of their first round match at Everest.

Odean Smith supported Lewis with 4-44 from 13 overs with his incisive fastmedium bowling and had put the early skids on the Barba-

dians with his late movement through the air on another hot, sunny day in the Guyana capital.

Jamaica, chasing 202 for victory, then reached 10 for one in their second innings when stumps were drawn with Odaine McCatty not out on one and Ramone Francis not out on zero.

The Jamaicans suffered an early setback, when Leroy Lugg, the tall, rugged West Indies Under-19 opener, played back and across to a well-pitched delivery from left-arm spinner Matthew Jones and was bowled for three.

This all unfolded after Williams collected 7-31 from 21 overs, as Jamaica were bowled out for 130 in their first innings about 55 minutes before lunch for a firstinnings lead of 10.

Lewis showed his ability with the bat making 23, but

none of the other Jamaican lower-order batsmen reached 20, as they lost their last five wickets for 19 runs.

Smith then produced two unplayable yorkers in the first over of the Barbados second innings and bowled down opener Lee-Germon Gaskin for four and Leniko Boucher for a duck.

The shaven-skull Smith followed up with the scalp of Dikembe Wilson also bowled in similar fashion for seven in his fourth over in a destructive opening spell of 5-2-8-3.

Once his threat subsided, Barbados started rolling with a 52-run, fourth-wicket stand between Akil Greenidge, son of former Barbados and West Indies batsman Alvin Greenidge, and Jafari Toppin easing the pressure.

Toppin hit the top score of 46, Greenidge made 39, left-hander Matthew Jones

added 34, Keon Harding got 26, Shamar Springer contributed 23 and Nicholas Kirton 20, as the Barbados batting showed the backbone that was absent in the first innings.

Jamaica, starting the day on 106 for five, had crumbled to the left-arm spin of Williams, who collected three of the last five wickets to fall.

He made the breakthrough, when he had Lewis caught at short mid-on following a useful sixth-wicket stand of 35 with Abijai Mansingh.

Wi l l i a m s a d d e d t h e scalps of George Walker and las-man Oshane Thomas lbw for four and a duck respectively to limit the damage for Barbados.

In-between, Guyanaborn off-spinner Neil Persaud bowled Smith for a duck and finished with 2-32 from 17 overs.

5 and for the visitors, it was a blessing in disguise as Powell got a hat-trick of fours off Morris in the first over with the new cherry, before he (Powell) was caught by Morris at extra cover off a top edge from Ramcharran at 254 for 6.

In all he batted for 346 minutes, faced 293 balls and struck 19 fours and one six in his innings and when he departed, Alzarri Joseph struck Ramcharran over long on for six, to hand the visitors the lead.

Even though Joseph was dismissed, caught by Shimron Hetmyer at long on off Ramcharran, Louis continued with the no-nonsense approach his lower order batsmen had shown, hitting Sankar for two sixes to remain unbeaten on 49 at the close having as his partner, Colin Archibald who is on one.

Roland Cato GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) - Windward Islands made a tactical move in a bid to press for outright victory against Trinidad and Tobago on the second day of their first round match in the Regional Under-19 Tournament here yesterday.

Windwards, who resumed from an overnight score of 91 for two, declared their first innings at 249 for 9 wickets to tighten their grip on the game after they had bowled out Trinidad and Tobago for 74 at Enmore.

Batting a second time, Trinidad and Tobago were

49 for one at stumps and will be hoping to avert a batting demise mirroring their first-innings fiasco.

Windwards dominated the second day with a solid batting display that allowed them to extend their lead to 126 runs.

Several of their batsmen got starts including a top score of 43 from Roland Cato who bolstered the innings with a 66-run stand for the 4th wicket with Anson Latchman.

Latchman scored 38 before he was caught and bowled by Anderson Phillip.

Good contributions also came from Tonis Simon 30, Melvin Gordon 32, Doran Edwards 26 and Gidron Pope 20.

Samuel Roopnarine was the pick of the bowlers with three for 53, while Phillip, Tevin Jadoo and Justin Joseph collected two wickets each.

Trinidad and Tobago skipper Jeremy Solozano was leading the effort to keep his side in the game with an unbeaten knock of 34 by the close.

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Superb Smith fires Tridents to Sunday is closing day for Kensecond win with unbeaten 110 nard’s Memorial Emancipation BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – A pulsating Dwayne Smith century fired Barbados Tridents to their second win of the Caribbean Premier League, a convincing 29-run triumph over St Lucia Zouks in their first home match here yesterday.

The right-hander finished on a superb, unbeaten 110 as Barbados Tridents piled up 186 for two off their 20 overs, after being sent in at Kensington Oval under overcast skies.

Pakistani Shoaib Malik chipped in with 49, in a 110run second wicket stand with Smith that lay the platform for the final assault in the last five overs which yielded 58 runs.

In reply, Zouks were never really in contention and ended on 157 for four off their 20 overs, with a few batsmen getting starts but failing to carry on.

Keddy Lesporis topscored with an even, unbeaten

50 from 38 balls while Sohail Tanvir struck an entertaining unbeaten 38 from just 18 balls. Andre Fletcher scored 27.

However, it was Smith who wrote all the headlines, punching seven fours and eight sixes in an innings that consumed 69 balls. He reached his first fifty off 39 balls and completed the second from just 29 deliveries in a responsible yet up tempo knock at the top of the order.

Smith signaled his intentions from as early as the first over when he smashed new ball bowler Roelof van der Merwe for 18 runs. The first two deliveries were off-side boundaries and the fourth disappeared over long-off for six, while the final ball was cut behind square for another four.

Shane Dowrich fell for a first ball duck off the first delivery of the next over,

caught behind cutting at leftarm seamer Sohail Tanvir and a protracted rain break then took some out of the steam out of the Tridents innings.

On resumption, Smith needed time to find his stride but once he did, Zouks’ bowlers came in for punishment.

He cut a Darren Sammy full toss over cover point for six in the eighth over before slashing the Zouks captain to third man for four a couple of overs later, to reach his half-century.

In an intriguing battle with fellow Barbadian Tino Best, Smith launched the speedster for six over backward square in the bowler’s third over, the 15th of the innings that leaked 16 runs.

Shoaib fell in the same over, bowled after thumping Best for two consecutive boundaries, and captain Kieron Pollard then joined Smith to add a further 58 for the third wicket.

GMAA 5km run Inter-Guiana Games set for Sunday starts next week in National Park AFTER many years of dormancy, the Guyana Masters Athletics Association (GMAA) will be hosting a 5km run in the National Park, come Sunday, in an effort to resuscitate its functions.

Leading athletes of GMAA Phillip Beckles, Llewellyn Gardner, Maurice Fagundes, Ian Archibald, Alisha Fortune, Carlene Phillips and Cameal Martins will be competing with top competitors from Mercury Fast Lane Athletics Club, Police Sports Club, Guyana Defence Force, and Running Brave.

Speaking with Chronicle Sport, assistant secretary George Barry said that the association was founded in 1976 but was inactive for many years due to the decrease in membership, but he is optimistic that this meet will be setting the tone for much more to come in the not-toodistant future since there has been an increase in membership.

While the clubs have signalled their intentions, Barry also mentioned that the meet is open to the general public.

All interested persons are asked to be at the starting line for a 16:00hrs start. Prizes will be given to winners of each category.

EIGHT days from the start of this year’s Inter-Guiana Games and the responsibility of bringing the bacon home will rest on the shoulders of the basketball, swimming and athletic teams representing Guyana from August 1 to 3.

Guyana will be eager to improve their tally especially with their strength in athletics being boosted with the newly constructed synthetic track at Leonora.

The women’s team will be looking to chalk up another win as they did last year beating their Surinamese counterparts in their own backyard, and the swimmers will have their work cut out as well.

The first leg of the games will be held here with the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall hosting the basketball, and the swimming will take place at the Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal. The second leg is set for Suriname, while French Guiana will be hosting the third and final leg.

Director of Sport Neil Kumar had earlier stated that he was pleased with the programmes undertaken

Neil Kumar especially by GABA in getting the teams ready for competition.

Kumar also mentioned that the Games should have higher yields in the not-too-distant future given the numerous programmes that have already covered over one hundred schools.

There was also a call made to the coaches of the athletics team for this year’s games, to have their team properly prepared, especially in the field events since much more is needed in that regard.

While swimming seems to be the weaker link, a call was also being made for the Guyana swimming association to be more forceful where their swimming programmes are concerned if we are to be competitive at this level and even bigger events.

Pollard finished on 18 not out from 14 balls and could only watch as Smith finished the innings with a crescendo. He moved into the 80s by pulling offspinner Shane Shillingford over mid-wicket for six and reached his century by clearing the ropes at mid-wicket with Sohail.

Smith repeated the stroke off the final ball of the innings, leaving Zouks with a tall order to avoid their third straight loss.

However, the visitors lost wickets regularly to slip to 79 for four in the 14th over before Lesporis and Sohail put on 78 for the fifth wicket to revive the innings.

Lesporis hit six fours and a six while Sohail stroked a four and bludgeoned four sixes but the asking rate of over 17 an over proved too much for Zouks.

Racing Tips

Sandown 09:00 hrs El Che 09:30 hrs Snow Squall 10:05 hrs Alonsoa 10:40 hrs Alex Vino 11:15 hrs Tercel 11:50 hrs Global Leader Yarmouth 09:10 hrs Felix Leiter 09:40 hrs Anna’s Vision 10:15 hrs Leaderene 10:50 hrs Marphilly 11:25 hrs Sbraase 12:00 hrs Port Alfred 12:35 hrs Refuse Colette Bath 09:20 hrs Alba Verde 09:50 hrs Absoluta 10:25 hrs Birdie Queen 11:00 hrs The Dandy Yank 11:35 hrs Zeb Un Nisa 12:10 hrs Spray Tan 12:40 hrs Kelpie Blitz Leopardstown 12:25 hrs John F Kennedy 12:55 hrs Korbous 13:25 hrs Marsali 13:55 hrs Gleneagles 14:30 hrs Byron Beauty 15:05 hrs John Constable 15:35 hrs Annus Mirabilis South Africa Racing Tips Vaal 08:45 hrs Woodstock Express 09:20 hrs Dancing Club 09:55 hrs Money Grubber 10:30 hrs Red Rain 11:05 hrs Yangtze Kiang American Racing Tips Saratoga Race 1 Saint Jerome Race 2 Battle Red Race 3 Miss Electronica Race 4 Ultimate Shopper Race 5 Orient Harbor Race 6 Bridgetta Race 7 Abilio Race 8 Wholelotaroyalty Race 9 Favorite Tale Race10 All Over Me

Day horse race entries RACE horse owners and trainers are reminded that Sunday is the closing day for entries for the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club’s Emancipation seven-race meet, scheduled for August 3 at the club’s racing facility at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice.

Race horse owners and trainers are therefore advised that to get their horses registered, they must make immediate contact with Roopnarine Matadial (325-3192), Ivan Dipnarine (331-0316), Justice Kennard (623-7609, 225-4818 or 226-1399), Isabella Beaton (693-7812) or Dennis Deroop (609-9143).

The feature event which is open to horses classified A and Lower will battle over a distance of one mile for a $1M prize money. The second-, third- and fourth-place finishers will receive $500 000, $250 000 and $125 000 respectively.

Entrance per horse is $110 000 each.

Four six-furlong races as well as two five-furlong races are also on the day’s card.

The opening event will see horses classified J3 Maiden battle over five furlongs for the $150 000 prize money while the other top three finishers will receive $75 000, $38 000 and $19 000.

The other five-furlong race is open to horses clas-

sified G3 but for non-winners as of August 2013 to present and H and Lower open.

The winner will cart off $300 000, the second- place finisher $150 000 and thirdand fourth-place finishers $75 000 and $38 000 respectively.

The first six-furlong race on the day’s card is for horses classified J1 and Lower and the winning animal’s owner will take home $200 000 while the other top three performers’ owners will receive $100 000, $50 000 and $25 000 respectively.

The horses classified D3 and Lower will compete for a $500 000 first prize while the second-place horse will receive $250 000, the thirdplace finisher $125 000 and $63 000 will go to the horse placing fourth. Horses classified G1 and Lower will battle for the $320 000 first place prize, while the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers will earn $160 000, $80 000 and $40 000 respectively.

The final six-furlong race will involve horses classified J and Lower and carries a first prize of $250 000 while the second-place finisher will earn $125 000, the third place horse will collect $63 000 and for placing fourth $32 000 is on offer.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday July 23, 2014)

Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 225-6158; 223-6055) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Guyana Amazon Warriors defeated Antigua Hawkbills by 2 wickets (with3 balls remaining).

(2)

Dinesh Ramdin

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who top-scored in the LCPL 2013 final?

How many runs he scored?

(2) Who were the on-field umpires standing in the opening game of LCPL 2014?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday July 24, 2014

Kadecia Baird disqualified in 400m

… Brenessa Thompson into 100m semifinal IT WAS a bittersweet day for the Guyana team at the IAAF World Junior Championships earlier yesterday afternoon as Kadecia Baird found herself ousted from the women’s 400m after she was disqualified but Brenessa Thompson moved into the women’s 100m semifinal last night.

As the event continued at Hayward Field, Oregon in the USA, Baird came up against six other contenders in heat two of the women’s 400m, running out of lane seven. The world junior silver medallist seemed poised for a win in the heat before being disqualified for running out of her lane. This gave the race to Croatia’s Yana Glotova who clocked 53.61 seconds to qualify for the semifinals.

Also disqualified from the race, for the same reason, was Croatia’s Dora Filipovic running out of lane 8. This was Baird’s only race at the

Championships, which is set to conclude this Sunday.

Guyana’s participation at the event will end today if Thompson, taking on the women’s 200m later this afternoon at 14:40hrs, local time, fails to make it to the final of the race. Thompson is competing out of heat seven of seven, running in lane eight. The heats will precede the semi-finals later tonight as well, while the final is billed for tomorrow.

With a 23.91 seconds season-best, Thompson has the fourth fastest entry time in the heats, entering with the same time as Brazil’s Victoria Rosa.

In last night’s 100m semifinals Thompson was set to run in heat one out of lane three. From the three heats being contested the top two finishers along with the athletes with the next two fastest timings moving into the final which was also scheduled to run off last night.

with 177 points gaining another 86 to add to the 91 points they finished with at the end of day one. Coming in third were ‘C’ Division with 77 points, while the fourth and final position went to ‘B’ Division who ended with 63 points.

Notwithstanding leading wins such as Nathaniel Giddings’ 17:06.9s of the men’s 5000m run, ‘A’ Di-

Kadecia Baird

vision were no match for the Headquarters team as they continued to see maximum participation in events throughout the day.

In the men’s 5000m HQ collected 8 points off Grivon Grant’s 18.01.6 secondplace finish. HQ had another second place in the female 800m where Dellie Williams clocked 2:35.2s to finish behind Jonella Jonas 2:23.3s

finish.

Scoring big wins for HQ were Clarence Greene in the male Javelin ‘B’ Class who threw 44.06m and Troy Williams who championed the men’s triple jump with a distance of 13.12m.

Competition in the Championships concludes tomorrow at the same venue. `

Commonwealth Games begin...

From back page

“The baton relay represents a calling together of people from every part of the Commonwealth and serves as a reminder of our shared ideals and ambitions as a diverse, resourceful and cohesive family.

“And now, that baton has arrived here in Glasgow, a city renowned for its dynamic cultural and sporting achievements and for the warmth of its people, for this

opening ceremony of the Friendly Games.”

The Queen, in her role as head of the Commonwealth, then sent her best wishes to the competing athletes.

Events inside the stadium are being shown to the assembled guests and crowd on Europe’s largest LED screen.

The giant display, which stands across the whole of the stadium’s South Stand, is almost 100 metres long,

GUYANA vs LEEWARD ISLANDS GUYANA 1st innings 270 LEEWARD ISLANDS 1st innings (o/n 21 for 1) D. Weste c Morris b Baldeo 1 R. Powell c Morris b Ramcharran 130 S. Martina lbw b Sankar 6 K. Carthy b Paul 64 A. Hodge run-out 13 M. Hingorani c Ramcharran b Sankar 1 J. Louis not out 49 A. Joseph c Hetmyer b Ramcharran 11 K. Scott run-out 1 C. Archibald not out 1 Extras: (b-10, nb-6, lb-7) 23 Total: (for 8 wickets, off 113 overs) 300 Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-49, 3-146, 4-187, 5-201, 6-254, 7-274, 8-290.

Bowling: Paul 17-2-65-1 (nb-6), Baldeo 26-12-43-1, Waldron 10-3-19-0, Morris 6-2-32-0, Ramcharran 22-6-45-2, Sankar 288-71-2, Chanderpaul 4-1-8-0.

BARBADOS vs JAMAICA

Police Headquarters in the lead with 200 points AFTER finishing the first day with the same points standing, Headquarters yesterday edged past ‘A’ Division after ending day 2 with 200 points when competition in the Guyana Police Force InterDivision Track and Field Championships continued at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

‘A’ Division finished

REGIONAL Under-19 scoreboards

11 metres high and weighs 38 tonnes.

Other adaptations to the venue include a speciallycreated stage floor covering the entire pitch and a multicoloured walkway specifically designed for the athlete’s parade.

Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor opened proceedings with a pre-recorded video message, before Glaswegian comedian Karen Dunbar

struck up an elaborate song and dance number celebrating Scotland, accompanied

by Torchwood star John Barrowman.

The routine welcomed visitors from across the Commonwealth to Glasgow and included larger-thanlife representations of famous Scots inventions, landmarks, cultural heroes and Scottish history.

BARBADOS 1st innings 120 JAMAICA 1st innings (o/n 106 for five) L. Lugg stp. Boucher b Williams 42 O. McCatty stp. Boucher b Williams 16 R. Francis c wkp. Boucher b Williams 4 M. Parchment c Springer b Williams 1 R. Morris c wkp. Boucher b Persaud 6 A. Mansingh c wkp. Boucher b Harding 11 R. Lewis c Kirton b Williams 23 N. Walters not out 13 G. Walker lbw b Williams 4 O. Smith b Persaud 0 O. Thomas lbw b Williams 0 Extras: (b-3, lb-5, w-1, nb-1) 10 Total: (all out, 60 overs) 130 Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-65, 3-69, 4-76, 5-76, 6-111, 7-111, 8-120, 9-121.

Bowling: Harding 9-2-26-1, Jones 11-2-17-0, Springer 2-0-160, Williams 21-10-31-7, Persaud 17-5-32-2.

BARBADOS 2nd innings L. Gaskin b Smith 4 D. Wilson b Smith 7 L. Boucher b Smith 0 A. Greenidge c Thomas b Walker 39 J. Toppin c Parchment b Lewis 46 N. Kirton lbw b Lewis 20 S. Springer lbw b Smith 23 M. Jones c Parchment b Lewis 34 C. Williams c and b Williams 2 K. Harding c Thomas b Lewis 26 N. Persaud not out 4 Extras: (lb-1, w-1, nb-4) 6 Total: (all out, 67.1 overs) 211 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-4, 3-13, 4-65, 5-105, 6-128, 7-159, 8-170, 9-189.

Bowling: Smith 13-3-44-4, Thomas 2-0-17-0, Lewis 29.1-5-755, Walters 9.2-2-31-0, Walker 5-0-22-1, Mansingh 8-2-11-0, Lugg 0.4-0-10-0.

JAMAICA 2nd innings (target: 202) L. Lugg b Jones 3 O. McCatty not out 1 R. Francis not out 0 Extras: (b-4, nb-2) 6 Total: (1 wkt, 5 overs) 10 Fall of wickets: 1-7 Bowling: Harding 3-0-5-0, Jones 2-1-1-1.

Position: Jamaica need 192 more for victory with nine second innings wickets standing Points-to-date: Jamaica 4.5, Barbados 4.1

T&T vs WINDWARD ISLANDS T&T 1st innings 74 WINDWARDS ISLANDS 1st innings (o/n 91 for two) G. Pope lbw b Jadoo 20 M. Gordon c & b Roopnarine 32 T. Simon b Roopnarine 30 K. Jno Lewis c Bootan b Phillip 17 R. Cato lbw b Jadoo 43 A. Latchman c & b Phillip 38 R. John lbw b Joseph 10 D. Edwards not out 26 D. Hypolite lbw b Joseph 0 S. Lewis c Jadoo b Roopnarine 13 C. Phillip not out 3 Extras: (b-4, lb-7, w-1, nb-5) 17 Total: (9 wkts decl’d, 108 overs) 249 Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-74, 3-92, 4-118, 5-184, 6-198, 7-204, 8-207, 9-232.

Bowling: Seetal 15-4-35-0, Phillip 15-3-29-2, Roopnarine 26-953-3, Jadoo 23-8-39-2, Joseph 18-5-39-2, Bootan 10-2-42-0, Christmas 1-0-1-0 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 2nd innings J. Solozano not out 34 A. Jangoo c Gordon b Lewis 0 B. Christmas not out 12 Extras: (lb-2, nb-1) 3 Total:(1 wkt, 20 overs) 49 Fall of wickets: 1-15 Bowling: Lewis 5-2-8-1, Phillip 4-1-14-0, Pope 5-1-12-0, John 3-0-6-0, Hypolite 2-0-3-0, Edwrads 1-0-4-0.

Position: T&T trail by 126 with nine second innings wickets standing Points-to-date: Windwards 5.1, T&T 1.2

Sport CHRONICLE

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

Police Headquarters in the lead with 200 points See story on page 31

Commonwealth Games begin at Celtic Park THE 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony has taken place at Celtic Park in Glasgow.

Thousands of athletes from 71 nations and territories took part before a 40 000-strong crowd and a global TV audience up to one billion people.

Their traditional parade around the stadium followed a live show featuring about 2 000 cast members.

The Queen declared the Games open by reading her own message from inside the Commonwealth baton.

Adventurer Mark Beaumont landed on the city’s river Clyde in a seaplane carrying the baton to Celtic Park, having

tracked its progress across the Commonwealth on a 288-day journey spanning almost 120 000 miles.

Inside the stadium, the baton was transferred among a group of volunteers who have helped children around Scotland find their potential through sport.

Sir Chris Hoy carried it on its final stage to Prince Imran of Malaysia, who struggled briefly to open the container and remove the message to hand to the Queen.

Her Majesty then spoke of the “shared ideals and ambitions” of the Commonwealth and highlighted the “bonds that unite” the 71 nations and territories.

Turn to page 27

The 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony was held at Celtic Park in Glasgow.

Guyana’s contingent at 20th Commonwealth Games See story on page 31

Guyana’s contingent at the 20th Commonwealth Games

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THURSDAY, July 24, 2014