Guyana chronicle 26 07 14

GUYANA No. 103900

SATURDAY JULY 26, 2014

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

GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

President Ramotar declares open Berbice Expo 2014

PRICE: $60

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President Donald Ramotar makes his first stop at the GUYSUCO booth

2015 Budget preparations underway –Edghill Page

Guyana on trajectory of steady improvement…

Sustained 12 progress reflected in UNDP report

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PNCR 18th Biennial Congress opens…

Granger advocates for ‘One 3 Nation’ governance approach Page

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh

– Finance Minister

GUYSUCO Decomposed body of foreman 21 female fatally struck by remains speeding car found at Turkeyen Stabroek news justifies its political ambition by

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PNCR Leader Brigadier (rtd.) David Granger, being escorted into Congress Place for the 18th Biennial Congress’ opening ceremony (Delano Williams photo)

NYOZI GOODMAN

ensuringall its columnists be anti-government players !

-underwear, belt could help determine if remains are that of missing school teacher

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Decomposed body of female remains found at Turkeyen -underwear, belt could help determine if remains are that of missing school teacher

By Leroy Smith

WHILE not confirmed, police investigators are somewhat convinced that the badly decomposed remains of a fe-

male which were discovered in a clump of bushes at Turkeyen on the lower East Coast Demerara on Thursday afternoon might be that of missing St. Stanislaus

College teacher, Nyozi Goodman, who has been missing for about two weeks.

Yesterday morning government pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh visited

the location where the remains were discovered to carry out a post-mortem. Undertakers who were present at the scene on Thursday night were not allowed to remove the body from the location based on the state of decomposition and the advice of investigators.

According to images, which were seen by this publication, the woman remains constituted 95% of skeleton with some amount of flesh on one of the foot of the remains.

NYOZI GOODMAN

Media personnel jostling to get a closer shot of the area where the decomposed remains laid covered

A very close look at this image will show that a bone from the remains of the female lay between the bushes This publication was informed by sources close to the investigation that the police cannot definitively say that the remains are that of the missing teacher. Investigators said that they are sure that the remains are that of a female.

However the same source who has been in contact with the relatives of the missing teacher, and who would have described her, is suggesting that the remains are more than likely that of the teacher.

The Chronicle was told that someone very close to the woman would have to determine if the cloth belt which was tied around her hand and the underwear which was discovered close to the body are the belongings See page 11

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

PNCR 18th Biennial Congress opens…

Granger advocates for ‘One Nation’ governance approach

By Vanessa Narine THE People’s Nationa l C o n g re s s R e f o r m (PNCR) 18th Biennial Congress opened yesterday amid a tangibly charged atmosphere, under the theme ‘PNCR for National Unity, Good Governance and Development.’

Leader of PNCR, and the main Opposition the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Brigadier (rtd.)

David Granger used the platform to advance the party’s advocacy for a “one nation” approach to governance.

He said: “The PNCR’s ‘One Nation’ approach could be the main means of combining the talents of a wider constituency and of creating the conditions for social cooperation and economic progress.

“The three-fold purpose of such a project would be to reach a broad consensus on the goals of national development, to establish a sustainable institutional architecture and to create effective policy instruments for the achievement of our common objectives. “…our One Nation project will be the basis for major sections of society – including the government; political Opposition; trade unions; private sector and civil society – to come together to seek agreement on a broad national programme to move our country forward.”

According to him, the PNCR understands that the building blocks of ‘One Nation’ include not only new policies, but also a continuous process of party reform.

“Our Party, therefore, is continually renewing itself within the Partnership as a movement to give a voice to people from every part of the country and every part of our great diaspora,” Granger said.

UNITED NATION The PNCR leader

added that a united nation ought to be one in which cooperation prevails over confrontation and national integration over communal disintegration.

“The President and the PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party/ Civic) must understand that the way out of the crisis is to promote national unity, ensure human safety and foster economic development.

The PPP/C has demonstrated that, on its own, it is incapable of solving the country’s current crises,” he said.

Granger stated too that it was with that vision the party’s founder leader, Mr. Forbes Burnham, sought to establish a government of national unity.

He said: “It is with that vision that, today, as the fourth leader of our Party, I am proud to continue the PNCR’s tradition of leadership in advancing the One Nation project and in reaffirming A Partnership for National Unity’s commitment to that objective.”

The PNCR Leader was emphatic that going forward, his “mission” is to establish a government of national unity.

“The people want greater inclusion, not exclusion. The PNCR is convinced that greater national unity will bring greater national benefits including: elimination of one-party domination of the government; enhancement of local, mu-

nicipal and parliamentary democracy; enlargement of multi-ethnic space and the elimination of ethnic insecurity; expansion of economic enterprise and development; and enrichment of cultural life, national consciousness and pride,” he said.

Granger pointed out that the PNCR made a contract with Guyana 50 years ago and it has a duty to transfer the “injunction of inclusionary democracy” from the dry pages of the Constitution to a living practice in every neighbourhood, every municipality, and every region, as well as in the National Assembly.

“The PNCR is an integral part of APNU. We will together continue to fulfill our obligation to the nation both through the legislative process in the National Assembly and in the country at large.

We shall continue to work with the major sections of society – including other political parties; trade unions; private sector and civil society – to realise our common quest for consensus on a broad national programme to move the country forward. We shall continue to work to harness the talents of a broader constituency, to foster the conditions for social cooperation, to deepen the democratic process and to develop the economy,” he assured.

T h e P N C R Le a d er stressed that the party un-

derstands that the building blocks of ‘One Nation’ include not only new policies but also a continuous process of party reform.

“Our Party, therefore, is continually renewing itself within the Partnership as a movement to give a voice to people from every part of the country and every part of our great diaspora,” he concluded.

The end of Granger’s address was met with as much enthusiasm as was his entrance, where his

supporters cheered ‘Only one leader, David Granger’ among other slogans.

The Congress continues today through Sunday, July 27, 2014, and the issues to be addressed include: the General Secretary’s report from Mr. Oscar Clarke and the report on the Constitutional Review Committee. On Sunday, the much anticipated elections for key leadership posts will be held.

Among those in atten-

dance were representatives from the different regions, with a noticeably small turnout from the party’s stronghold in Region 10 (Upper Demerara/ Upper Berbice).

Contender for the PNCR Leadership, Mr. Aubrey Norton, was also absent.

Private sector and other stakeholders from civil society were also among those present for the opening session. Altogether, some 400 persons were in attendance.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Israel rejects ceasefire plan, source says as death toll nears 850 (Reuters) - ISRAEL rejected on Friday international proposals for a ceasefire in its fight against Islamist militants in Gaza, but is discussing changes to the truce plan with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, a government source said.

Mediators hope that a truce could come into force ahead of a Muslim festival that starts early next week, but they have struggled to resolve seemingly irreconcilable demands from Israel and Hamas-led fighters, locked in conflict since July 8.

Hamas, which wants an end to an Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza before agreeing to halt hostilities, has yet to respond to the ceasefire proposition, which has not been made public.

The Israeli source, who declined to be named, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet had turned down the plan because it did not let Israel carry on hunting down Hamas’s tunnel network that criss-crosses the Gaza border.

“Kerry’s proposal leans (too much) towards Hamas’s

demands,” said the source.

As diplomacy faltered, fighting raged.

Gaza officials said Israeli strikes killed 55 people on Friday, including the head of media operations for Hamas ally Islamic Jihad and his son. They put the number of Palestinian deaths in 18 days of conflict at 844, most of them civilians.

Militants fired a barrage of rockets out of Gaza, triggering sirens across much of southern and central Israel, including at the country’s main airport. No injuries were reported, with the Iron Dome interceptor system knocking out many of the missiles.

The Gaza turmoil stoked tensions in the nearby occupied West Bank, where U.S.backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas governs in uneasy coordination with Israel.

Medics said six Palestinians were killed in separate incidents near the cities of Nablus and Hebron, including one shooting that witnesses blamed on an apparent Jewish settler.

On Thursday night,

Palestinians walk past a fire following what witnesses said was an Israeli air strike on a building in Gaza City July 24, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

10,000 demonstrators marched in solidarity with Gaza near the Palestinian administrative capital Ramallah - a scale recalling mass revolts of the past. Protesters surged against an Israeli army checkpoint, throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, and Palestinian medics said one was shot dead and 200 wounded when troops opened fire.

Israel said three more of its soldiers were killed in Gaza on Friday, bringing the army death toll to 35, as

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troops battled militants in the north, east and south of Gaza -- a tiny Mediterranean enclave home to 1.8 million Palestinians.

It also announced that a soldier unaccounted for after an ambush in Gaza six days ago was definitely dead, although his body had not been recovered. Hamas said on Sunday it had captured the man, but did not release a photograph of him.

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Bad weather seen as probable cause of Air Algerie crash (Reuters) - POOR weather was the most likely cause of the crash of an Air Algerie flight i n t h e We s t A f r i c a n state of Mali that killed all 118 people on board, French officials said on Friday.

Investigators at the scene of the crash in northern Mali concluded the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft broke apart when it smashed into the ground early on Thursday morning, the officials said, suggesting this meant it was unlikely to have been the victim of an attack.

“French soldiers who are on the ground have started the first investigations,” French President Francois Hollande told reporters. “Sadly, there are no survivors.”

The death toll, initially announced as 116, was revised up to 118 after a final passenger manifest

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was issued. An earlier count of 51 French nationals among the dead was also raised to 54 by the French Foreign Ministry to include those with dual nationality.

French, Malian and Dutch soldiers from a U.N. peacekeeping force (MINUSMA) secured the crash site, which lies about 80 km (50 miles) south of the northern Malian town of Gossi near the Burkina Faso border.

France sent troops to Mali last year to halt an al Qaeda-backed insurgency and has about 1,600 soldiers based in Mali, mostly in the northern city of Gao. French officials said there were no signs of insurgent activity in the area of the crash.

Malian authorities said they were opening an international inquiry into flight AH5017, which crashed less than an hour after it left the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou en route for Algiers. Aviation authorities lost contact with the flight at around 0155 GMT on Thursday, shortly after the pilot requested to change course due to a storm.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Obama to meet Central Griffith on Bakr’s statement: Any coup will be crushed in hour American leaders on immigration (BBC News) PRESIDENT Barack Obama is to meet Central American leaders to discuss the plight of the undocumented migrant children flooding across the U.S. border.

The presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador will meet at the White House on Friday.

They are expected to explore a potential programme that would give refugee status to youth from Honduras.

More than 50,000 unaccompanied children have been detained trying to cross the southern U.S. border since October.

“The only thing he said was that he was scared” Rajini Vaidyanathan reports on America’s illegal child migrants.

“We expect that the solution to this problem also is equal for the three countries,” Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina said on Thursday of immigration discussions.

Mr Molina will be joined by Honduran President Juan Orlando Her-

(Trinidad Guardian) IF AN attempted coup, like the one which took place in July 1990 by the Jamaat al-Muslimeen, was to occur today it would be suppressed within an hour, claimed Minister of National Security, Gary Griffith yesterday after unveiling a new Emergency Dispatch Centre and Community Comfort Patrols (CCP) pilot programme at the St James Police Training Academy.

Earlier in the week, Abu Bakr had voiced statements in a media interview which were widely interpreted as a threat to Griffith, acting

President of Guatemala Otto Perez Molina (right) and President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez will discuss an immigration pilot programme with US President Barack Obama

nandez and El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren in the talks.

On the agenda is an initiative in Honduras, which may involve screening children there to determine if they are eligible for refugee status in the U.S. Depending on its success, the programme may expand to other Central American nations.

It is the latest immigration effort embarked upon

by the Obama administration, which requested $3.7bn (£2.2bn) in emergency spending earlier this month to combat the crisis.

The emergency funding request included money for the hiring of extra immigration judges, drone surveillance of the border, medical services and transportation costs, and expanding a border security task force in Central America.

Khan. He added that it was “their prerogative to decide if they are not going to respond if you ask silly questions.”

As one reporter was asking a question, Mc Comie said: “You all look like deers (sic) in headlights.” He then asked: “Are you all just celebrating the fact that you are getting 20 per cent off the price of your flour this weekend?” Nearing the end of the news conference, CNC3 journalist Khamal Georges

asked Mc Comie if it was not inappropriate for him to question the questions posed by journalists at the briefing.

After the question was repeated, Mc Comie said the questions “must be relevant to the context of the (minister’s) presentation.” After the news conference, Mc Comie told journalists, as they took the snacks provided for them, that if they did not behave, “we will stop giving you food.”

Journalists warned at post-Cabinet: Behave or no food (Trinidad Guardian) AS Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar left Thursday’s post-Cabinet press conference room, the director of information and communication in the Office of the Prime Minister, Dennis Mc Comie, who chairs the news conference, said there would be no questions to the PM and invited journalists to pose questions to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran and Health Minister Dr Fuad

Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams and Inspector Roger Alexander after 18 arrests were made after evening prayers at a Carapo mosque on Tuesday. “The statement made by Mr Bakr is one law enforcement agencies will look at,” said Griffith, “but I’m sure there is absolutely no need for alarm in any way whatsoever.”

He said security measures and intelligence gathering were “much better now than in 1990,” as the various agencies were working together and not “tripping over each other and competing for information.” He said information was now being

turned into “real-time intelligence.” These improvements, as well as a special operations group, “highly trained to deal with any situation of hostage negotiation, anti-terrorist drills or any type of insurrection,” Griffith suggested, meant there was no reason for the public to be concerned about Bakr’s statements.

“I wish to assure the nation that we are fully prepared,” he continued, “and what may have happened in 1990, which took five six days to quell, if any group decides to do the same thing, rest assured that this will be dealt with within an hour.”

Stop importing tamarind - Heaven (Jamaica Gleaner) NEWLY RETURNED president of the St Ann Chamber of Commerce, Oral Heaven, has called for a halt to the importation of tamarind into Jamaica.

His call comes after residents in Ocho Rios reported seeing boxes of tamarind, produce of Thailand, on a supermarket shelf in the resort town.

The box, weighing one pound, sells for $1,281.50.

In response to Gleaner queries, Heaven expressed surprise that tamarind was being imported, especially in light of the sliding dollar.

“I find it very surprising that we would have such a thing as imported tamarind pods on our shelves here in Jamaica, especially at this time. If this importation of tamarind is happening, it must cease, immediately,” Heaven told The Gleaner.

“We have a sliding dollar and a high import bill.

It is foolhardy to add tamarind to our imports when our people are finding it a challenge to get US dollars to pay for necessary imports.”

Tamarind is a popular ingredient in cuisines

in sections of Asia and South America. In Jamaica, however, tamarind season means that tamarind pods are aplenty and many often go to waste, even as tamarind balls are a favourite of many people.

But Heaven said there is absolutely no need to import it.

“I really wonder if our

people, merchants and some business people are serious about getting our Jamaica to a place for all of us to live, raise families, and carry out our business. In these difficult times, why would we be importing tamarind?

Why not (use the foreign currency) to create jobs for our people?” he asked.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

EDITORIAL

What message is the PNC sending to the youths of the nation?

EVERYTIME young criminals are caught and killed during their criminal forays, Opposition elements opportunistically rush to their defence; either blaming their environment, lack of opportunities; oh, and don’t forget the Government, which is the Opposition’s perennial whipping boy.

However, educational and empowerment opportunities are rife for those who want to use the legal route to self enhancement and the improvement in their fortunes.

The Thorne brothers, Kelvin and Alvin, emerged out of the bowels of Albouystown, but they used every opportunity provided by the Government for upward mobility; thus they achieved excellence in academia, won scholarships to Cuba, and today both of them are employed in high profile jobs in Government, both own their own homes, drive really nice vehicles, and their children are well provided for, with lifestyles that Kelvin and Alvin had no knowledge of during their growing

up years in one of the most depressed communities in Guyana: And the story of the Thorne brothers is replicated in every corner of Guyana, including the formerly badly-neglected hinterland communities.

There is absolutely no justification for youths to pursue a life of crime for ultimate wealth-creation, because Government has a multiplicity of assistance packages, especially through the Ministry of Human Services, free uniforms, free meals and/or other sustenances to ensure Guyana’s children do not starve: Also, even school dropouts and teenage parents are given a second chance with skills development and other empowerment programmes.

But do the PNC/AFC/ APNU and their satellite supporters in NGOs and the media ever point them in the right direction? The answer is a resounding “No!” They conversely send the wrong signals by defending criminals and subsuming the advantages and opportunities Government provides to the various social sectors under misleading protests

and encouragement to violent behaviour and criminal activity, even encouraging anarchy by letting them think that disregarding the laws of the land is the right thing to do: As a matter of fact, they lead by example in many instances on anti-national and anti-social, even criminal behaviour.

The National Youth Skills Training Programme was launched on Friday October 22, 2010, with a centre being opened in Eccles. In his New Year’s message, that year, former President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo set a target of 4,000 youths and women to be trained or empowered in the year 2010. The then President posited that it is essential to Guyana’s development that this country should have a trained and skilled workforce that can cater to the needs of industry and commerce.

Both public and private sectors suffer from the lack of skilled employees, even while many youths are either unemployed or unemployable. The efforts of Government to address this supply of skills issue has been lauded as being in keeping with

Private Sector needs.

The Board of Industrial Training was established with a mandate to provide for the promotion of Industrial Training, and the Chairman of that Board is Mr. Clinton Williams, who heads a private conglomerate.

The Board has been responsible for the training of thousands of young people through various projects in the years of its existence.

In 2010, it was expected to complete training of 2,304 persons from the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment alone. The latter project has been responsible for the training and certification at the semiskilled level of 2,922 youths up to the first quarter of 2010. Since then the numbers have multiplied significantly.

In August, Guyana became the latest country to join UNESCO’s International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, UNEVOC, which allows this country to receive much needed assistance in developing its Technical and Vocational Education systems. There has also been an

GUYANA

enhanced focus on making Guyana’s TVET systems more sustainable.

Technical and Vocational Education has been made available to those who were less than successful in more academic streams of education and has been of a more manual or practical nature, preparing trainees for a specific trade, occupation or vocation. This form of education, however, is vital to industry, since many companies depend on trained or trainable graduates to provide the skills that they need.

The Private Sector has also been supporting the efforts to provide early school leavers and other unskilled youths with the opportunity to upgrade their skills and become productive members of society by offering apprenticeship schemes to enhance the nation’s skills bank.

Instead of being sympathetic, empathetic and supportive to the youthful criminals and their family members, most of whom benefit greatly from the robberies committed by the young perpetrators, the Opposition should instead encourage their supporters – young and old, to take advantage of the many opportunities being afforded

by Government to the citizens – bar none, for upward mobility, because no one can be successful in life without hard work and sacrifice. It is important that the young people who will benefit from Government’s training programmes should apply themselves to the learning process. TVET programmes provide a second chance at acquiring skills that will make young people and other vulnerable, single parents, for instance, employable and it is incumbent on them to ensure that the opportunities are not wasted. There is no substitute for a good education and hard work is the key to success in any field of endeavour.

Unfortunate circumstances in life that took away opportunities in one’s development are currently being addressed by Government in a multiplicity of ways. The Opposition parties and their satellite supporters should partner with Government in encouraging their supporters to utilise these opportunities, instead of opting for the pathway of crime to achieving enhanced lives and lifestyles.

We need to return from the precipice of ‘no confidence’ THAT the political parties in Parliament have reached the precipice of a ‘no confidence’ vote is not the triumph or bragging rights of any one party but rather it is the failure of all of them to move this country forward.

The new dispensation after 2011 where none of the parties has a majority in Parliament makes it incumbent on them to find

some means of working together to further the development of this country.

From my early days I have always been hearing of our vast potential but it still remains a stored energy yet to flower.

The irony of all of this is that we made one of the most progressive changes to our constitution when we limited each President to two terms. This

gives each of our elected leaders a unique chance to influence the course of our history. Our system which is now comparable to United States on this score has seen some heavily underrated past Presidents of that country leaving an indelible mark on world events. Take for example President Harry Truman that became president on the death of

Franklyn Roosevelt. On his election campaign in 1948, everyone thought that he would have been defeated which led to one of the biggest gaffe in newspaper history when the Chicago Tribune prematurely printed the headline “Dewey defeats Truman”. Truman went on to rebuild Europe after WW2 through the Marshall Plan, create the United Nations and

NATO, gave aid to Turkey and Greece that gave birth to the Truman Doctrine , recommended Medicare and faced the momentous decision whether to use the atomic bomb. All of his actions have helped shaped the world we live in today whether positively or negatively.

In the same way I think our President is faced with the chance to bring us back

from the abyss of this ‘No Confidence’ vote and display the imaginative skills to bring all and sundry to the table and work out a solution to move the country forward based on equality, inclusiveness and fair play.

Over to you now Mr. President.

REGGIE BHAGWANDIN

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

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Congress will determine whether PNCR will make right turn-Williams

By Derwayne Wills AT the opening of the 18th Biennial Congress of the People’s National Congress Reform, Chairman Mr. Basil Williams relished in, what he called, the achievements made by the Party during the Tenth Parliament.

In what could only be described as a ‘feral blast’ to the track run of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, Williams pointed to the accomplishments of the Party in establishing its grounds in the legislature for the period 2012-2014 following the results of the 2011 General and Regional Elections.

Among these, Williams cited the Opposition’s nonsupport of the AML/CFT since “APNU refused to be railroaded into passing

the AML/CFT Bill without the APNU amendments being adopted by the Government.” Further he stated that this decision was compounded by the President’s refusal to assent to previous bills put forward and passed by the Opposition.

The Chairman lashed out and expressed his discontent with the position of the President in refusing to “assent to Bills passed by a majority of the House because they were Opposition initiated Bills.”

Williams similarly noted that the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) along with the Alliance For Change (AFC) have met challenges in reconfiguring the various committees to reflect the one-seat majority in the House, determined by the 2011 General Elections.

“APNU has been con-

fronting the challenges to assert the independence of the Parliament, and its authority and to prevent domination of it by the minority government,” Williams said.

And he noted that the APNU has managed to bring the Ministers of the Government into further accountability through questioning by members of the Opposition in the National Assembly. “APNU has forced the government to acknowledge the importance of transparency and accountability in the financial and other affairs of the state,” Williams contended.

He added: “APNU has been in the forefront of seeking a living wage for our workers and better conditions of work.”

He reckoned that the APNU provided legal rep-

resentation to the people of Linden during the Linden Commission of Inquiry into the deaths of three Lindeners and injuries to others by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on July 18, 2012.

The PNCR Chairman accused the current administration of engaging in “demagoguery” and fear mongering in attempting to distort the history of Founder Leader of the PNC, Mr. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

On that note, he called out the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the death of Dr. Walter Rodney, which resumes on Monday, as a “malevolent attack” against the former leader and “other functionaries who held the reins of Government 34 years ago in Guyana.”

Conclusively, Williams

Young people are not as gullible as Blue Caps seems to think BLUE Caps is certainly living up to expectations as mouthpiece of the political Opposition and wannabe politicians.

Its posturing on issues of national concern betrays an agenda that has more to do with Opposition politics and little if anything to do with promoting the interest and well-being of young people which it ostensibly sought to represent and promote.

How else can one interpret its pronouncements on the issue of local government elections which coincide fully with that of the Opposition parties and other vested interest? The same could be said for many of the other pronouncements

made by Blue Caps in its ten point demands which included among other things that policy makers put Guyana’s national interest above party’s interest, an end to racial politics, engaging and incorporating of civil society views in national decision-making, compromise and negotiation on important issues, respect for parliamentary procedures and decisions, equality and respect for young leaders, respect for the human rights of all citizens, and end to the cuss out culture and the establishment of institutions to increase transparency and accountability.

One is inclined to ig-

nore these demands on the grounds of political ignorance and an infantile understanding of Guyana’s political evolution and the role played by the PPP in support of those very principles espoused by that organization.

Indeed, it was the strong advocacy role of the PPP and the restless struggle waged by the PPP that resulted in the democratic changes that now obtained in Guyana.

The PPP has been at the helm of the struggle for democratic rule in Guyana both local and foreign and with the help of its women and youth arms, the WPO and PYO respectively have transformed the political

landscape in Guyana to one in which there is room for all Guyanese to participate in the political, social and cultural life of the country.

Blue Caps, apart from being presumptive and conceited ought to first take a lesson on our early political history and the role played by the PPP in the liberation struggles of the Guyanese people. Such knowledge of our past history would have saved them the embarrassment of making demands that have already been strongly embraced and actively pursued by the current PPP/C administration.

The concerns raised by

“Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform, Mr. Basil Williams” stated that since the Party became a major partner in APNU, eventually reducing the PPP/C to a minority Government at the 2011 General and Regional Elections, “we undertook transforming the way Guyana had been governed for the previous 20

years.”

“It is apposite to note that on the occasion of this 18th Biennial Delegates Congress, we have now reached the “turning point.”

It is up to this Congress to determine whether we will make the right turn.”

Blue Caps should instead be directed at the combined political Opposition which is doing everything possible to deny the Guyanese people opportunities to enjoy a better quality of life by cutting budgetary allocations earmarked for developmental projects and programmes which would have empowered and created employment opportunities for a countless number of young people which Blue Caps seemed so much concerned about.

But the biggest hoax perpetrated by Blue Caps came from the mouths of its prime mover who said that Blue Caps is politically neutral when it is clear to all Guyanese that the organisation is nothing but a front for the Opposition groups in Guyana.

It is not by coincidence that there is full congruence between the positions taken

by former U.S. Ambassador Brent Hardt and the political Opposition on the issue of local government elections.

Young people are not as gullible as Blue Caps seem to think. They are much more discerning and intelligent than what Blue Caps may want to give them credit for.

I am certain the PPP/C will continue to press on with its agenda to create a better society in which there is national unity and social cohesion and where there is opportunity for every Guyanese to grow and develop to the full limit of their potential.

And just to reiterate what the General Secretary had said, the PPP/C is ready for elections whenever they are called, be they national or local government.

DEXTER GLASGOW

Ansa McAl is dodging the issue I WOULD like to comment on the article ‘Ansa McAl questions exclusion from drug supply pre-qualification...says facilities not checked during evaluation process’. I am a Guyanese who spent some time in Trinidad and was employed in a Pharmacy, as I am now, that I am back in Guyana.

First, I would like to say that over in Trinidad, the bidding is controlled by the National Insurance Proper-

ty Development Company Limited (NIPDEC), with which all prospective suppliers have to register. Their registration form asks for the “nationality” of the company and every year, only Trinidadian forms are accepted to supply the pharmaceuticals for that country’s Health Ministry. This is the same for all of the countries in CARICOM. I hope that some of the Guyanese companies that I am sure placed bids for

supplying those countries’ pharmaceuticals would raise their voices now. What is sauce for the goose must be sauce for the gander. While I am all for CARICOM, I would give some priority to firms that employ Guyanese in the process or invest in the necessary infrastructure.

The second thing I want to say is that I wish the companies that lost out in the pre-qualification exercise would conduct themselves in a professional way. Ansa

McAl, for instance, claimed they have the “temperature controlled” warehousing for “some drugs”. It pointed out that it provides some internationally branded pharmaceuticals and they would not have gotten this prerogative if they couldn’t store the drugs.

But Ansa is dodging the issue. The pre-qualification is not for “some drugs” but for all the drugs in the country. Would Ansa McAl say whether they have the

temperature-controlled warehousing to have all the drugs before they are distributed to the Government?

As a person with some background in Pharmacy, proper temperature regulated storage of all pharmaceuticals, prolong their life and efficacy. The evaluators would have read in the application form the warehousing space that each company had in Guyana.

I wish that the “losing companies” would state

honestly where they fell short in each of the criteria which make the process easy to compare. After all, they still obtain a substantial of the pharmaceutical contracts through direct bidding.

Pharmaceuticals are literally a matter of life and death and I hope that our Government doesn’t hold on to its stated open criteria.

SURESH GANESH

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Local Government Ministry awards $62M in contracts under the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme

By Derwayne Wills

THE Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development on Thursday awarded in excess of $62M in contracts for de-silting and de-bushing operations through the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme.

In keeping with the Regional Solid Waste Management project which is still in its embryonic stage, Netcom Computer City has been awarded a contract for the procurement of laboratory equipment for the Haags Bosch Landfill for the

Canals for 2,200 yards and 3,500 yards, respectively to the sums of $6.520M and $7.1M respectively.

Additionally, contracts were awarded to Hemraj Gharbaran for the Princes Street canal with a scope length of the canal at 3,500 yards for the sum of $6.7M; the Irving Street canal with 800 yards, awarded to Narindra Latchman for the sum of $1.04M, and the Sussex Street canal contract awarded to Collin Talbot Contracting for $7.76M. Works to be completed include the de-weeding and de-silting of the canals, along with the man-

the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board.

LE REPENTIR PROJECT The Ministry also awarded $5.828 to contractor Ivor Allen as part of the first component of the Le Repentir restoration project.

The vigorous and expansive project will focus on the restoration of the cemetery in its entirety.

The cemetery is bordered by Princes Street to the North, Sussex Street to the South, St. Stephen

“From left to right, Representative from STP Investment; contractor Ivor Allen; contractor Hemraj Gharbaran; Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Ministry, Mr. Collin Croal; Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Norman Whittaker; Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Ministry, Ms. Abena Moore; Representative from Netcom Computer City; Representative of S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies & Construction Services; and Project Manager of the Clean Up Guyana project, Mr. Gordon Gilkes amount of US$112,910.

The laboratory equipment is designated to be used at the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill, Lusignan Landfill and Le Repentir Landfill, as well as other landfills in the administrative regions.

According to Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, the portable equipment will perform quick analyses of the environment by monitoring water and air quality. This is in keeping with standards stipulated in the Environmental Permit issued by the Environmental Protection Agency of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.

The minister said that the Haags Bosch Landfill project will be replicated in other regions. He assured that the ministry has already begun looking into this initiative.

SEVEN PRIORITY CANALS The Downer Street and Young Street contracts were awarded to STP Investment for 4,400 yards and 880 years respectively, to the tune of $3.6M and $1.688M respectively.

Similar contracts were awarded to S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies & Construction Services for Church Street and Lamaha Street

date of carting away extracted materials during weeding or de-silting within a given time as defined by the contract.

Speaking at the event, Whittaker urged the awardees of the contracts to ensure that quality work is delivered. Whittaker said that once the process is completed, “we must all be better off” in order to ensure that the systems which the Dutch had initially put in place are functioning effectively.

The minister gave the assurance that the ministry will be monitoring the works done by the contractors in order to ensure quality and support efforts wherever needed.

He further noted that despite negative comments from some that there has been tardiness in the implementation of the project, “planning is integral to the success of any project.” Whittaker recalled the setting up of the technical committee, in relation to the execution of the project, which included several Government agencies and technical staff.

The de-silting of the seven canals was advertised over time in the local press and a total of 16 bids were submitted. These bids were processed and recommendations were made to

Street to the West, and Cemetery Road to the East.

Also included in the project is the area of the cemetery east of Cemetery Road.

In olden days, the cemetery was easily accessible to the general public, and even facilitated a few school children who favoured the grounds for games of merriment but years of neglect has led into to become almost a marshland consumed with vegetation, flooding and silted drains.

The works to be conducted include de-bushing of the target zone, which will later be followed by de-silting of the internal drainage system, which at this point is not visible because of vegetation and silting.

The internal drainage system of the cemetery is integral since it flows directly into the Sussex Street Canal. A later aspect of the project will see the roads in the cemetery being made accessible to facilitate commuters.

The Local Government Minister had stressed that the completion of the project is only the first component of the beautification process. He stated that there ought to be effective and committed measures of ensuring the See page 9

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Old Kai: Chronicles of Guyana…

Did PNCR supporters reject Sharma Solomon in his leadership quest … after he announced that he will support the AFC no-confidence motion against the PPP/C Government?

IT IS NO SECRET that President Donald Ramotar is gaining in popularity among traditional Opposition supporters, and this has largely to do with the fact that they feel they can trust him, that he is genuine and he is committed to the development of all Guyanese.

Even his fiercest critics, including some daily columnists and professional Opposition letter writers, are grudgingly admitting that President Ramotar towers over his challengers in the joint Opposition.

This best explains the obvious loss of confidence PNCR members and supporters are now openly displaying against their leaders. The AFC, on the other hand, has found itself in a more dangerous position, as both their supporters and detractors are refusing to take them seriously, following one political blunder after another. Desperate to get into the limelight, they keep doing and saying the most outrageous things and their proposed no-confidence motion against the PPP/C Government should be seen in this context.

Individuals who have been known supporters of the AFC in the past are publicly encouraging them not to push the no-confidence motion ahead, but the party is telling the media that it is compelled to move ahead, based on the wishes of its supporters.

Yet, the AFC leadership wonders why supporters are losing trust in the party.

This brings me back to the PNCR which is facing its own leadership crisis, with current leader David Granger being accused of breaching the party’s constitution, dictatorial tactics, including side-lining members he sees as threats to his efforts of embedding his clique in positions of total control.

While Granger’s leadership remains on shaky ground, one of his challengers committed a political

blunder which has cost him his leadership aspirations. I am referring to no other than Sharma Solomon, who was so overwhelmed by the attention he received in the leadup to the Linden unrest, that rather than tempering the emotions of citizens, he was guilty of adding to it and we all know the end result. He was then laid bare in front of the Linden Commission of Inquiry and since then he has adopted a low key approach, obviously embarrassed at being exposed during the CoI. However, he reappeared suddenly a few days ago in a staged attempt to create some traction for his leadership ambition, as we are told he was nominated to challenge David Granger for the reins of the PNCR. Apparently, giddy again by seeing his name in the media, he then loudly proclaimed that he accepted the nomination and if elected leader, he would support the AFC’s no-confidence motion against the Donald RaSharma Solomon motar Government. One day later we are told that he mysteriously dropped out of the leadership race and he refused to speak to the media. Why this sudden u-turn from Solomon? There has been some speculation that it is to pave the way for Aubrey Norton to go up head to head against Granger, but this does not exactly add up.

Local Government Ministry awards $62M in contracts under the Georgetown ...

From page 8

If this was indeed the case, Solomon would not have accepted and then willingly dropped out in the space of 24 hours. If this was indeed the plan, he would have waited to generate some momentum and then side with Norton during Congress, as was the case between factions supporting Greenidge and Granger at the last congress. It would have given them the necessary traction with all the delegates present there.

Therefore, I am more inclined to believe that Solomon was shunned by PNCR members and even his own support base after he announced he would be supporting the AFC’s no-confidence motion against the PPP/C Government. The current PNCR -- APNU leadership has so far been hesitant to support this hare-brained scheme of the AFC, which is a clear indication that they are well aware that President Donald Ramotar is in the ascendancy and will prevail with a clear majority this time around.

Old Kai has even picked up word going around in Opposition circles that not only do they fear President Ramotar will bring back traditional supporters into the fold of the PPP, but he will also be attracting the votes of a significant percentage of Opposition supporters, who see him as the only solution to breaking the current political deadlock which has served to stagnate Guyana’s development on several fronts.

This is the reason; the die-hards from Congress Place do not want to risk going back to general elections and lose the combined one seat majority they currently hold in the National Assembly, as it would scuttle all their current plans to hamper the work programme of the PPP/C. Solomon shares the name of a very wise King, but clearly the apple fell very, very far from the tree.

sustainability of the works that would have been concluded.

He mentioned that the City Council of Georgetown will be tasked with ensuring that the works conducted are maintained.

Whittaker had noted, however, that the citizens of the communities ought to do their part to ensure that the projects are not only effective but sustainable.

The invitation to bid for contracting of the project was advertised in early July across print media, and was based on competitive bidding from interested entities. The Coor-

dinator said that the work will move progressively in the latter part of July. The target completion date for the project has been set for December 2014.

The ‘Cleanup Guyana’ Project is a joint initiative with the involvement of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Ministry of Finance, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Guyana Tourism Authority, and the City Hall administration.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Cutting GINA’s Budget Is An Assault on Freedom Of Expression IT has been the third consecutive national budget that has seen the State‘s premier media, the Government Information Agency(GINA), having been deprived of its annual subvention, by way of the combined Opposition- sponsored motions to that effect. Offering the spurious reason for such actions as biased reporting and propaganda, it has always been the OBSERVER’S contention that such acts are undemocratic, which constitute an assault on freedom of expression, and the right to be informed.

It is unbelievable, that such a brutality, behind such a baseless argument, could be advanced by the parliamentary opposition, on a media the likes of which had existed during the PNC government’s undemocratic years in Office. Of course, the Guyana Public Communications Agency (GPCA), the precursor of GINA, performed very much the same functions as the latter now does.

OBSERVER must compliment Peeping Tom for

reminding readers of this fact in his column “GINA and the right to freedom of expression.” He was very objective in underlying the fact that freedom of expression is sacrosanct.

Every government has the god-given right to disseminate information on its policies, whereby the public is informed as to matters that have to do with their daily lives. Both Barbados and Jamaica are two examples within CARICOM that announce their respective government policies through designated agencies. In Europe, the Netherlands is another example that employs such a methodology. And so, what is incorrect about any government that seeks to announce its programmes?

Is it offensive for any government, albeit that of the PPP/C to announce via its designated agency, GINA, that it will be commissioning a bridge; a water treatment plant; or a hospital? What is so unfair for GINA to be executing this mandated function via its outlet?

The Opposition must be reminded, that it cannot be vociferous in its call for government to be upholding the right of citizens to be informed of what is being done, and in the same breath, seeks to protest when it is done. And here again is a reminder – that funding is an absolute for any agency tasked with the responsibility of public information.

Surely, OBSERVER posits that had one of its Chairmen, the late Kester Alves, been alive he would have acknowledged that the GPCA had its budgetary allocation.

Therefore, to remove money meant for the daily operations of GINA is incontestably a murderous foray against its functions, since such an aim is directed towards an important human right of any citizen – the right to be informed.

GINA can proudly and honestly justify its proud record of communication performance, and existence. It has never reported on a development issue that did not exist!

2015 Budget preparations underway –Edghill

By Vanessa Narine PREPARATIONS for the 2015 National Budget, which will be tabled in the first quarter of the New Year, have started. This is according to Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Juan Edghill.

“The iterative process between the Ministry of Finance and Government agencies has started,” he said, in an invited comment.

According to him, a budget call circular was issued to various Government ministries and agencies requesting the commencement of compilation of their budget submissions.

The minister explained that when submissions are received they will be reviewed through several rounds of meetings, after which analyses will be done and then they will be consolidated into the national budget.

Submissions from ministries and agencies routinely include information on policy recommendations, detailed articulations of various programmes and projects the ministries would like to implement in 2015, and some articulation of the expected impacts and outcomes that would arise from the implementation of these programmes and projects.

Additionally, there was a meeting between the Director of Budget and all Permanent Secretaries to facilitate discussion of requirements articulated in the budget circular.

“There was a meeting where PSs (Permanent

Secretaries of the Ministries) and regional officers were given guidance,” Edghill said.

The Ministry’s Budget Office facilitates the preparation of the country’s annual revenues and expenditure estimates, effective and efficient management and monitoring of resource allocation and utilisation combined with the formulation of constructive and effective economic policy.

This year the cuts totalled a whopping $37.4B, reducing the $220B National Budget to $182.6B. Last year, the combined Opposition cut the Budget by $31B; and in 2012 by $21B. The implementation of many programmes and functioning of many entities, including the Office of the Juan Edghill President, has been affected by the budget cuts as evidenced where allocations in some areas have been reduced to zero.

Under the allocation for the Office of the President, the cuts include: $245M for the Presidential Guard services; $95M for the provision of developmental and

humanitarian aid, among other initiatives; $10M for the Office of the First Lady; $73.5M for the Guyana Energy Agency; $119M for the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest); $122M for the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST); $17M for the Integrity Commission; and $28.5M for the Office of the Commissioner of Information.

The other cuts include $18.5B for the LCDS initiatives; $450M for loans for University of Guyana students; $725M for the poverty alleviation programme; $7M for the different rights commissions; $795M for the Basic Needs Trust Fund; and $4M for support to non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

Also on the chopping block were: the Specialty Hospital – $910M; upgrading of Regional and District Hospitals, including Port Kaituma, Kwakwani, Linden, Bartica, Eye Surgery Operating Room at Linden etc. – $360M; ambulances, ATVs and Boats – $42M; surgical equipment and instruments – $32M; the Amerindian Development Fund – $1.1B; other Amerindian programmes, such as ATVs, tractors etc. – $40M; the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) modernisation project – $6.6B; Civil Aviation – $50M; and hinterland airstrips – $185M. In total the allocations’ cuts from the 2014 budget represented nine capital programme budgets and one current programme budget.

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, has since, tabled a financial paper, a Statement of Excess, which include $4.6B of some of the allocations cut this year. For this, he has been referred to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee, following a motion by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Shadow Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge, calling for Dr. Singh to be sanctioned.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Decomposed body of female ...

From page 2

of Ms. Goodman.

There were no relatives of the teacher present at the scene of the discovery as they were in Linden at the time. They had indicated that as they tried to take their mind off from the situation and erasing the thought that the remains might be that of the missing teacher, they were locked to the cricket game as a form of stress relief.

Yesterday the post-mortem was conducted under the watchful eyes of close to 15 investigators inclusive of persons from the police in “A” and “C” Divisions as well as under the distant lenses of journalists.

Reporters and cameramen were kept at bay as the investigators combed the area, picked up used condoms and condom rappers among other things which may help to provide clues with respect to the discovery of the woman.

The post-mortem was witnessed by some 15 police investigators and a dis-

tanced view under the lenses of several media personnel who showed up at the location.

Meanwhile, during the course of yesterday morning there were several persons who were traversing the area who claimed that they would pass the area daily but had no idea that a body was lying in the bushes because they got no strange smell when passing the area.

Also yesterday, several dogs were seen heading towards where the decomposed body was located, suggesting that they may have been feeding on the remains for some time now.

The teacher was reported missing two weeks ago after she visited a basketball game along with her students.

She sent her students ahead while informing them that she was going to be picked up by someone. No one reportedly saw the vehicle or person/s who picked up the teacher, who since then has been missing.

The dogs which were chased from the location by media personnel after they were heading to the remains

Government pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh (in white shirt jack) arrives at the location to carry out the PM

Police investigators look on as the PM is being conducted

WPO commends Finance Minister - refutes Opposition’s claims that Dr. Singh’s actions are unconstitutional

THE Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) has come out in defence of Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, refuting the claims of the Opposition that the minister’s actions are un-constitutional.

The WPO, in a statement, said it has taken note of the fact that the Alliance For Change (AFC) continues its personal attack on Dr. Singh with its recent unsubstantiated complaint to the Commissioner of Police of illegal Finance Minister spending by the minDr Ashni Singh ister and other senior government officials of some $4.5 B claimed not to have been approved by the National Assembly.

“This is yet another nefarious approach by the AFC to gain cheap political points by misleading and mis-informing the Guyanese populace,” the WPO said.

“Embarrassing to note, the AFC has in its armory a bench of lawyers, however, one will question the competencies and integrity of these individuals for mis-representing the constitution in a bid to justify their lust for power and signaling their intent by way of a ‘no confidence motion’ on the Government,” the WPO added.

It noted that after a barrage of personal attacks on Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee by the Opposition, in particular AFC, they have now launched a vicious campaign against the Finance Minister. “Fresh in our minds too, should be the Linden and Agricola protests orchestrated by the same party and only a few days ago their leaders using innocent rice farmers to execute their snide political agenda on the Essequibo Coast,” the WPO stated.

It said the AFC must come clean with Guyanese and let them know there is no real substance behind the allegations levelled at the minister and other officials, instead only cheap politicking. Guyanese are not fools! Our constitution is no secret as it states clearly in Article 218 3(b) that the minister is acting within his rights in the execution of his

duty to the Guyanese people.

“Further, the AFC must not only mention the amount ($4.5B) but also where it was spent and on whom. The answer is clear and straight forward, every cent was spent on developmental projects so that our people can continue to live prosperous and progressive lives. It was used to make the ordinary men and women lives better, the very men and women our friends in the AFC will seek support from come elections,” the WPO contended.

It said one must wonder too, why there were no formal complaints in 2012 and 2013 but in 2014 that coincides with their intent of a ‘no confidence motion’.

“Are we to believe that these are the people who want to govern this country when their policy is to deceive the electorate?” the WPO questioned.

In this regard, the Women’s Progressive Organisation refutes the claims of the Opposition that the Minister of Finance actions are un-constitutional.

On the other hand, WPO would like to commend the minister for releasing the budgetary (allocations) for developmental projects aimed at improving the conditions of living of our people, especially the women of this country.

12

Guyana on trajectory of steady improvement…

Sustained progress reflected in UNDP report – Finance Minister

By Vanessa Narine FINANCE Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, acknowledges that progress takes work, particularly since it is fragile, and he contends that sustaining progress is something the current administration is committed to – a commitment reflected in the 2014 Human Development Report (HDR) released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday.

“While it would be easy to say that Guyana’s HDI only improved or stayed at 121 in 2013, it would be useful to observe that during the 2000 to 2013 period, Guyana’s HDI actually improved by an average of 0.87 per cent, which is a stronger performance than many countries that have economies much stronger than ours, countries that are much more affluent than ours.”

–Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh The HDI is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living. According to the report, Guyana has been on a trajectory of steady improvement in the areas reviewed by the UNDP. Between 1980 and 2013, Guyana’s HDI val-

ue increased from 0.516 to 0.638, an increase of 23.6 per cent or an average annual increase of about 0.65 per cent.

Dr. Singh said: “First, the point (that progress is fragile) applies around the world. Secondly, it is a fact that today’s global environment is uncertain….the point about fragility is valid.

“However, it is to our collective credit that, notwithstanding the testing external circumstances, we have been able to record eight years of consecutive growth.”

Despite this success, Finance Minister he made it clear that the Dr. Ashni Singh progress Guyana has seen is not something to be taken for granted.

“It is not something to be taken for granted.

The (global) environment is still not helpful. We still face the risk of external shocks and domestic shocks…as policy makers we have to do all we can to preserve and sustain economic growth,” the Finance Minister said.

SUSTAINING GROWTH “We must have economic growth to generate wealth and more income for the country. We have to also address distribution now, so as to ensure that the most vulnerable are lifted out of poverty, which is something that is reflected in our policy mix. Every time we have a programme, whether it is a programme to ensure attendance at schools or a programme to improve

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014 access to healthcare, it is a programme aimed at the most vulnerable,” Dr. Singh added.

He noted that the bottom line of economic growth is the improvement of people’s lives and this has been the consistent focus of the current Administration.

Dr. Singh said: “Economic growth is not an end in its own right; ultimately you want people’s lives to improve… the main issues identified and the main priorities articulated in the report and the main recommendations (of the report) reflect closely our own policy objectives, this Government’s policy objectives.”

“First, the point (that progress is fragile) applies around the world.

Secondly, it is a fact that today’s global environment is uncertain….the point about fragility is valid, but it is to our collective credit that, notwithstanding the testing external circumstances, we have been able to record eight years of consecutive growth.”

–Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh The Minister referenced the report’s call for universal access to education and health, stronger social protection and improving opportunities for employment, as well as increased social cohesion, among others.

“I could spend a fairly long time speaking about some of the national initiatives that we are implementing in Guyana, which are closely aligned to

“The main issues identified and the main priorities articulated in the report and the main recommendations (of the report) reflect closely our own policy objectives, this Government’s policy objectives.” –Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh these objectives….if we look at the report we see the story that is being told…we see a steady trend of movement in the right direction on almost all of the key indicators,” he said.

Between 1980 and 2013, Guyana’s life expectancy at birth increased by 5.7 years; the mean years of schooling increased by 2.7 years and expected years of schooling increased by one year. Guyana’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita increased by about 173.9 per cent between 1980 and 2013.

The report which presented the HDI (values and ranks) for 187 countries and UN-recognised territories also includes the Inequality-adjusted HDI for 145 countries, the Gender Development Index for 148 countries, the Gender Inequality Index for 149 countries, and the Multidimensional Poverty Index for 91 countries.

It also revealed that Guyana is currently listed at 121 out of a total of 187 countries and territories. The position of this country is also shared

by Vietnam, and is considered a medium human development category on the international stage.

Guyana’s 2013 HDI of 0.638 is above the average of 0.614 for countries in the medium human development group.

“While it would be easy to say that Guyana’s HDI only improved or stayed at 121 in 2013, it would be useful to observe that during the 2000 to 2013 period, Guyana’s HDI actually improved by an average of 0.87 per cent, which is a stronger performance than many countries that have economies much stronger than ours, countries that are much more affluent than ours,” Dr. Singh said.

The report was presented under the theme ‘Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience.’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Failed turbo charger causes Bartica power woes

GPL assures it is working towards restoring power in the shortest possible time BARTICA

Gpl Head Offfice

THE Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) on Thursday night said that at 18:15 hrs a failed turbo charger caused the No. 9 Caterpillar Generating Engine to come offline.

Consequently, all of Bartica is without electricity at present, the power company said.

GPL stated that a team comprising of MACORP and GPL personnel are currently working to assess the damages, replace the damaged turbo charger and restore power in the shortest possible time.

GPL said it will be updating residents and the media as

developments occur.

In an earlier press release GPL said that efforts to make the full capacity of the No. 9 Caterpillar set at Bartica available for distribution did not materialise as envisioned.

Bartica has been experiencing power outages for days and the power company added that the tripping of the main switch at less than maximum rated load was experienced even after a replacement switch was installed earlier on Wednesday.

Further investigation to determine the cause of the tripping outs is required, but cannot be pursued until the

No. 8 comes online, GPL said.

A press release stated that the services of the local Caterpillar representative, MACORP, have been retained in an effort to identify and correct defects on the No. 8 as quickly as possible.

GPL said the establishment of a reliable supply from this unit will allow for taking the No. 9 offline to address the problem causing restriction to its available output.

It noted that given the restriction to full utilisation of the capacity of the unit in operation, GPL is constrained to institute load-shedding

during both day and night. A comprehensive load shedding guide, designed to minimise inconvenience to residents in all areas, was issued on July 24, 2014.

GPL is, however, appealing for patience and understanding from the residents of Bartica as every effort is being made to restore a reliable uninterrupted power supply.

Residents are also advised to check TARZIE television station for advisory notices.

For further information, customers are advised to contact the Public Relations Office on 225-1471 or 2261323.

GPL said the No. 8 and No. 9 Caterpillar generating

sets have over the last week experienced technical faults which caused these outages.

Recently, corrective repairs were performed on the No. 9 and that engine remains in service to date, although as of Monday last, “we were unable to utilise its full output because of a defective main switch.”

The power company added that a replacement switch was installed on Wednesday last, necessitating a total outage of approximately one hour. The No. 8 unit was placed in service for a short period on Wednesday night after repairs were effected to rectify mechanical faults identified and the completion

of checks on the alternator.

Unfortunately, the unit developed further mechanical problems, and repairs were expected to be completed yesterday(Friday).

In the interim, load shedding will be necessary during the peak hours of 17:30 hrs to 22:00 hrs.

These extended outages were unforeseen and GPL is reassuring residents that they remain committed to restoring reliable power and to continuously improve services. The latter half of this year will witness the commencement of preparatory works for a New 3 x 2 MW HFO fired power station at Bartica.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

GPF to place renewed focus on physical fitness of ranks

By Michel Outridge

IT was long observed that some ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are sporting a ‘potbelly’ and are clearly out of shape, taking into consideration physical fitness is a must for members of any law enforcement agency and with this in mind, Force Training Officer, Paul Williams yesterday told this publication that in the GPF Strategic Plan they are developing a policy

scheme to deal with the issue of physical fitness.

He said that ‘potbelly’ will be a thing of the past in the GPF and they are putting measures in place to ensure ranks take that interest to stay physically in shape.

The Senior Superintendent explained that it was long noted that some ranks are obviously not fit and they want to change that since many ranks have become complacent and fall into a routine and don’t

have the desire to stay physically fit.

He said: “While the onus is on you as a person to upkeep your physical appearance by way of exercise, sometimes people lack the urge but in the GPF we want to get rid of all the “big bellies.”

Williams added that since Acting Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud took office, a policy was reinstated for physical fitness which will become compulsory for ranks be-

tween 18 to 45 years old to be physically fit.

He pointed out that after they would have attained the age of over 45 they would have to take it upon themselves to remain physically fit.

The Force Training Officer explained that when a person is enlisted in the GPF as a constable he goes through physical fitness training almost immediately and he continues physical training thereon.

Williams stated that af-

ter the elementary level is completed in about six months, ranks remain in groups of threes in which physical training is done three times per week by a qualified physical fitness instructor at the Police College.

Meanwhile, during his address to the gathering at the GPF Awards and Incentives Ceremony held earlier this month, Acting Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud said in addressing welfare of ranks, the Force

is currently engaged with an insurance company in a Group Health Insurance.

The Top Cop added that this is linked to a programme that will see the annual medical checkup by each rank, annual physical assessment by each rank under the age of 45 years and an education/awareness package on healthy lifestyles and lifestyles diseases all working towards an objective of maintaining a healthy Force.

Barbados big anti-tax march –in Bridgetown

By Rickey Singh THE OPPOSITION Barbados Labour Party (BLP) succeeded in staging an impressive march on Thursday against a new controversial “land tax” with police confirming some 5,000 participants involved in a “protest walk” from Parliament Building to Government Headquarters.

Leading from the frontline for the estimated three-quarter mile distance through the capital, Bridgetown, was BLP’s leader, Mia Mottley, a lawyer by profession and a former

Prime Minister and party leader, Owen Arthur

Deputy Prime Minister.

Contrary to earlier expectations of internal

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley (third from right) speaking to her Party’s members at the reception area of Government Headquarters, before handing over the letter. Those members included Senator Wilfred Abrahams (left), St. James North M.P. Edmund Hinkson, St. George North M.P. Gline Clarke and others

dissent within the BLP affecting the march, an evidently pleased Mottley was beaming over the show of solidarity for what’s viewed as the first of a series to get Prime Minister Freundel Stuart’s administration to scuttle the officially tagged “Municipal Solid Waste Tax” (SWT).

Prior to Thursday’s march, varying conflicting views were expressed by some influential BLP parliamentarians prior to and during a public rally in Bridgetown on Sunday night (see last Thursday’s Chronicle), with some using derogatory language like “snakes in the grass” to lampoon unnamed colleagues.

However, for Thursday’s protest march— for which Mottley had declared her readiness to “walk alone” if necessary, there was a full turn out of the BLP’s parliamentary representatives with one notable absentee—former three-term Prime Minister and party leader,

Owen Arthur.

A respected economist and international consultant by profession, Arthur is one of the BLP’s team of 14 MPs in the 30-member elected.

House of Assembly Yesterday’s ‘Barbados Nation, reported, under the headline “Arthur may leave BLP” that the former Prime Minister said he was “not supportive” of what the party was proposing.

More startling was his hint of likely parting with the BLP as he had become “tired of being (perceived) as a source of discord in the party….”

LATE NEWS:Mr Owen Arthur officially informed the BLP late yesterday of his resignation from the party.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Copa announces accomplishments for first half of this year 2014, Copa Airlines added four new Boeing Next Generation 737-800 aircraft equipped with the innovative Split Scimitar Winglets to its fleet, bringing its total to 94 aircraft. FlightStats named Copa the airline with the best on-time record in South America, and Aviation Weekly magazine named Copa “2013 Airline of the Year” for its performance, efficiency and the effectiveness of its business model.

Copa Airlines continues to strengthen its contribution to Panama’s economic and social development, airline Copa Airlines, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, on Wednesday announced accomplishments for the first half of 2014 and growth plans for the second half, including the addition of two new direct flights, from Panama to Campinas, Brazil and Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba.

In a press statement the airline reflected on their continued leadership in the region, and offer passengers from the two new destinations the fastest and most convenient way to connect through the Hub of the Americas in Panama with the rest of the continent.

Campinas, Brazil: Copa Airlines will offer one daily flight to Campinas, its eighth destination in Brazil. Called the “Silicon Valley” of Brazil, Campinas is home to the second largest concentration

of research and development centers in the country. It also boasts Brazil’s fourth-largest financial sector. The new flight will begin operating in December 2014.

Cayo Santa María, Cuba: Copa Airlines will offer two weekly flights to its second destination in Cuba, increasing tourist access to beautiful beaches; hotel accommodations including many “all inclusive” hotels, approximately 12,500 rooms, 5-star hotels and the the Pedraplén de Caibarién, an impressive 48km road stretching across the sea to Cayo Santa Maria, awarded the international “Puente de Alcántara” prize for best Latin American civil works. This new flight will also begin operation in December 2014.

“Through the years, Copa Airlines has demonstrated its dedication to world-class ser-

vice, providing passengers the most efficient connectivity on travel to and from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean,” said Pedro Heilbron, Copa CEO. “These two new destinations will strengthen Copa’s extensive route network, fostering business growth in Campinas and increasing regional tourism in the spectacular Cayo Santa Maria.”

During the latter half of 2014, Copa will add four new high-tech Boeing 737800 Next Generation aircraft, bringing its fleet total to 98 aircraft and increasing the number of available seats by 10 percent over 2013.

In addition, the airline will inaugurate a fourth flight simulator and launch a new Aviation Maintenance Technicians internal development programme.

The first six months of

officials state, translating directly and indirectly to more than 38,000 jobs and an approximately 4.1 percent share of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to an International Air Transport Association (IATA) study on Economic Benefits of Panama Air Transport.

With the addition of these new destinations, by the end of 2014 Copa Airlines will offer flights to 69 destinations in 30 countries in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean from its Hub of the Americas at Tocumen In-

ternational Airport in Panama City, Panama. The Hub of the Americas continues to offer more international flights to destinations in Latin America than any other airline.

Copa Airlines on July 11 made its inaugural flight to Guyana from Panama via Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), making the Guyanese destination its 67th overall. Copa flight 423 will depart CJIA on Tuesdays and Fridays and passengers connecting to North America destinations will have a baggage allowance of two pieces at 23kg each.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Cummings Lodge man commits suicide by jumping off his 15-ft verandah

By Asif Hakim FORTY–EIGHT–YEAROLD Rick ‘Heads’ Persaud of Crown Dam, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara

yesterday committed suicide by jumping off the verandah of his home to land approximately 15 feet to the ground.

The man’s relatives told this publication that a crime

scene investigator told them not to speak with the media after the police have departed, but one family member who requested anonymity disclosed Turn to page 17

The man’s body lying on the spot where he fell

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Cummings Lodge man commits... that, at approximately 16:00hrs, she heard someone screaming, and when she looked out, she saw the man lying on the ground in a bloodied state.

“When I saw the man, I thought he was still alive, but when I went closer, I saw he was not breathing. His other family then come and see him dead; they could not believe

The home where he resides is where the incident happened

The body being taken away by undertakers (Photos by Asif Hakim)

what they saw,” the family member said.

A neighbour said she was having a light snack with her children on her verandah when she saw the man walking around his yard, before he went upstairs and jump off the verandah.

“I thought I was seeing a movie. I left cold cold. The

From page 16

man is a mad man, he does smoke and drink nuff. At one time he did cut his own belly, and (he does) normally throw down himself. He don’t have no kids, no wife; so I don’t know why he did this. I feel is because he must have smoke up and he did not know what he was doing,” the neighbour ventured.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Police encounter dead end in murder probes

By Michel Outridge

Following the April 12, 2013 murder of 89-yearold Millicent Cummings at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara, a DNA sample was taken to aid in the probe, and was supposed to be sent to Brazil for analysis since January this

year, but nothing further has since happened.

A few days after the octogenarian was killed, nine male suspects, some of whom were drug addicts (junkies), were held and later released, but DNA samples were taken from three of them, all from the Cove and John community.

The bloodied and seminude body of the bludgeoned Cummings was found on April 12, 2013 under a house at Cove and John. A post mortem performed on her corpse by pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh gave the cause of death as severe blunt trauma to the face, and the report indicated that the woman

was also sexually assaulted.

DOMINO FANATIC There has similarly yet been no arrest in the coldblooded late night murder of domino fanatic Orin Joseph at his home/business place at Lot 1222 Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt Park, on April 14, 2013.

Police have said there is nothing further on that investigation as well. A suspect who had been in custody was released, and police have since said they are looking for another person to question.

Joseph, 52, was the President of Blue Bird Domino Club. He was gunned down in a volley of bullets at about 23:40 hrs, just after a domino competition had ended in front of his home during an electricity outage. One of the shots hit him in his abdomen, but there were no eyewitnesses to the crime.

Moreover, the jewels he was

Millicent Cummings

Gunned down: Orin Joseph

wearing at the time were taken by two men on a motorcycle.

Joseph had briefly exited his yard and was about to park his car under his house when he was attacked by the men, who escaped under cover of darkness.

Persaud said the victim’s wife, Faye Joseph, had heard explosions, and when she went to enquire the cause,

she saw her husband lying on the road mortally wounded.

He revealed that Joseph had been relieved of a gold chain and a gold band, but no motive for the murder/ robbery had been determined. The well-known businessman was taken to the GPHC, where he succumbed while receiving medical treatment.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Landlady decapitated tenant even as woman begged for her life -US Prosecutor Murdered Brooklyn Guyanese

A Brooklyn woman decapitated her neighbour, a Guyanese mother of four, even as the victim begged for her life, and afterwards scattered the body parts across two Long Island counties, U.S. authorities have said on Thursday.

“No Lee! No Lee! What you doing? Oh no! Oh no!

I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” were the last words that Chinelle LaToya Thompson Browne cried out to Leah Cuevas, 42, during a July 5 fight over the rent, according to prosecutors.

The next thing their Brownsville neighbours heard were blood-curdling screams as Cuevas hacked off Browne’s head with “a sharp instrument,” prosecutors said.

Cuevas then dismembered Browne, a Guyanese immigrant, and spread her limbs and torso across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Cuevas was arrested on Wednesday and dragged before a judge on

Cuevas approached Browne in her apartment and tried to give her one last chance to pay up. When she refused, Cuevas attacked her, stabbing her repeatedly in the throat and chest until she decapitated Browne.

Browne’s dismembered torso was discovered in a

The woman and her children in happier times

Thursday at the First District Court in Central Islip, where her attorney entered a plea of not guilty.

Judge G. Ann Spelman ordered that Cuevas be remanded without bail, saying she was charged with “the worst conduct that humans can be capable of.”

Prosecutors believe Cuevas was “pretending to be the landlord” after the building’s real owner passed away last year — though she has not been charged with

defrauding any tenants. She collected rent even though the building lacked hot water and had scant electricity; and Browne finally got fed up and decided to stop paying.

Browne wanted to move out of the dilapidated Sumpter Street building, and Cuevas became furious.

Things got so bad that on the night before the slaying, the NYPD had to separate the two women.

The following night,

The Trinidad national who was charged with hacking the Guyanese mother of four to death

Dale Brown, the dead woman’s husband

wooded lot near the Fire Island ferry terminal in Bay Shore on July 9, authorities said. Her severed legs were found nearby. Days later, the woman’s arms were found in separate yards in Hempstead, about 25 miles west of Bay Shore, and her severed head was discovered at another home on July 17, the prosecutor said.

B r o w n e ’s h u s b a n d , Dale Browne, said his wife

moved to New York about a year ago, and worked in a Manhattan department store.

He planned to move from Guyana to New York with their four children after he got his paperwork completed.

“When the prosecutor described the words that she screamed out, I can hear those words,” Dale said. (Asif Hakim. Credits to NY Post)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

President Ramotar declares open Berbice Expo 2014

By Michael Khan

UNDER the theme: ‘ Exploiting Science and Technology for Economic Development,’ the 10th annual Berbice Exposition (Berbice Expo) and Trade Fair was declared open last evening by President Donald Ramotar at the Albion Sports Complex, Corentyne.

The four-day affair which runs until July 28 is being staged to showcase Berbice businesses and, creating partnerships with Georgetown based entities.

The annual event is a joint venture of the Central Corentyne Chambers of Commerce (CCCC) and, the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Tourism Industry and Commerce which attracted 80 companies this year.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, President Ramotar extended best wishes to the organisers and participants at the event. “It is my fervent desire to see

enthusiastic embrace of the business community to technological change and innovation.

He added: “I trust that this year’s Berbice Expo and Trade Fair will give greater impetus to this process ...

I hope that it will continue to grow and expand in the years ahead.”

Meanwhile, President of the CCCC, Tajpaul Adjodhea in his address, pointed out that a prevailing state of economic prosperity of the citizens of Guyana is a very important requirement in order to stimulate and enhance growth of business and commerce.

“We believe that science and technology can play an integral role in developing the various sectors in

agencies.

“We would like to thank the Government of Guyana, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, GUYSUCO, our sponsors and exhibitors, the hardworking members of the CCCC, and all those who assisted in making this event a reality in 2014,” he commended.

The Regional Democratic Council of East Berbice/ Corentyne (RDC - Region 6), GT&T, E-Networks Inc. , Edward B. Beharry Group of Companies, Ansa McAl, Republic Bank (Guyana) Ltd. , Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BCCI); Digicel, Demerara Bank Limited and Banks DIH Limited, are among the major sponsors of the event.

“The embracing of new and efficient technologies is one of the bedrocks of the economic transformation being pursued by my (PPP/C) administration; it is reflected in our plans to improve the spread of information technologies, modernise the productive sectors and, equip all of our people with the requisite skills to better utilise the technologies that are today - the driving innovation and growth, worldwide.” –President Ramotar

ongoing partnership between the government and the business community of Berbice strengthened and widened, so as to promote greater economic opportunities and benefits for the people of the Ancient County,” President Ramotar declared.

The Head of State was particularly pleased to note that this year’s event is being hosted under a strategic theme.

“The embracing of new and efficient technologies is one of the bedrocks of the economic transformation being pursued by my (PPP/C) administration; it is reflected in our plans to improve the spread of information technologies, modernise the productive sectors and, equip all of our people with the requisite skills to better utilise the technologies that are today - the driving innovation and growth, worldwide,” he alluded.

As the President continued his presentation, hundreds thronged the outfield and crowded the exhibition site to have a glimpse of the goods and services that were on display.

GREATER IMPETUS “The national Information Communication Technology (ICT) and other strategies are intended to deepen the involvement of all areas of Guyana, in the process of economic transformation and development,” the President explained.

Mr. Ramotar also related that he is pleased with the

The large gathering at the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the Guyana Tourism Authority booth last evening this region, which will lead to increased production and productivity, thereby creating additional income,” he explained.

Berbice Expo is now described by the CCCC as a household name that attracts local and international

The Region Six Vice-chairman - Bhupaul Jhagroo and Dr. Leslie Chin of Demerara Bank Limited, also addressed the gathering and commended the CCCC for executing the event, which was pioneered in 2005.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Oscar Clarke rebuffs Vanessa Kissoon at PNCR Congress opening -refuses her offer of a handshake

By Vanessa Narine

PEOPLE’S National Congress Reform (PNCR) member and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP), Ms. Vanessa Kissoon attended yesterday’s opening of the PNCR’s 18th Biennial Congress, despite not being accredited.

She was accompanied by a small group of about 20 party supporters from Region 10 (Upper Demerara/ Upper Berbice), who were holding placards with quotes from leaders and other influential members of the Party, which stressed the principles on which the Party was founded.

“I am still a strong PNCR supporter. We are PNCR members and we came. This is our Congress,” she said, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

Kissoon was suspended from the Party following an alleged altercation with the party’s General Secretary, Mr. Oscar Clarke.

When the two met at the Congress, she was rebuffed

by Clarke as she offered her hand to greet the General Secretary.

ADVISED NOT TO ATTEND A disciplinary committee is reviewing her case, however, but Kissoon did not attend the last meeting which was held on Thursday.

The PNCR groups in Linden on Monday in a statement noted that it advised Kissoon not to attend the meeting.

PNCR Linden detailed seven of its contentions, which were the base for its advice to Linden. The reasons ranged from: * The fact that all the explanations coming from the Leader have never justified that his action was consistent with Party rules. “Linden is clear and has taken a principled position on this issue since we recognise that it is the Rules of the Party that have to guide the business of the party. Mr. Granger has repeatedly said he is operating within the Rules/Constitution. In our perusal of the Party Rules we did not find any rule that authorises him to suspend Ms. Kissoon. Neither has Mr.

Granger sought to provide the evidence of the rule that authorises him to suspend Ms. Kissoon,” the Linden PNCR group said * To the fact that the five persons are not the constitutionally mandated Disciplinary Committee, but appointed specifically by Mr. Granger to make legitimate his act of suspending

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ACCREDIT KISSOON Additionally, Mr. Sharma Solomon, member PNCR’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) and Congress Committee, yesterday wrote to Mr. Clarke stressing Kissoon’s entitlement to be accredited with ‘delegate status.’

In his letter, seen by this newspaper, Solomon said: “Consistent with Rule 15 (2) (d) of the Party Constitution, Ms. Vanessa Kissoon is entitled to delegate status at the 18th Biennial Congress of the People’s National Congress Reform.

A delegation of PNCR supporters from Region 10 Ms. Kissoon. Those comprising the Committee are Mr. Allan Monroe (Chairman), Mr. Granger’s neighbour; Mr. Lance Carberry, political adviser to the Leader; Ms. Malika Ramsey , Mr. Christopher Jones and Ms. Cheryl Sampson, employees of Congress Place. All these persons are members of the CEC and have voted supporting the Leader’s decision to suspend Ms. Kissoon.

PNCR maintains its discomfiture with the suspension of the party stalwart and the composition of the Disciplinary Committee dealing with her suspension.

Kissoon indicated to the Guyana Chronicle that she is still unsure if she will persist and attend today’s session of the Congress.

“I will let tomorrow speak for itself,” she said.

“The members of PNCR Region 10 are advising that the General Secretary complies and provide her with the appropriate accreditation. Ms. Vanessa Kissoon is APNU Member of Parliament on the PNCR list.”

Rule 15 (2) (d) of the Constitution states that: “All members of the General Council, Party Nominees to the Parliament and National Congress of Local Democratic Organs shall be entitled to attend the Biennial Congress and participate in its deliberations, but of these only Party Members have the right to vote merely by virtue of office.”

“Your speedy address of this matter is anticipated,” Solomon said.

The Guyana Chronicle was informed yesterday that the disciplinary committee has concluded its deliberations on Kissoon’s matter, but will have to report to the CEC before its decision is made public.

GUYSUCO foreman fatally struck by speeding car

By June Bailey Van-Keric A Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) foreman was propelled as high as a utility post, after being struck by a speeding car along the Number11 Farm roadway, a short distance from his home, on Thursday morning.

He was pronounced dead, minutes after at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Vickram Ramlakhan, moments ago had related to his wife, Kavita, to whom he had married for five years, that he was leaving for work.

But, the distraught young woman, recalled that her 26-year-old husDead: Vickram band, was actually goRamlakhan ing to the Albion Estate dispensary, as he was on three days sick leave.

Recounting, she said: “He just left the house

when I heard screaming coming from the neighbours, and instantly I knew my husband was hurt.

After I heard the loud impact I just felt he was hit.

I knew I had lost him.”

“However, by the time I ran to the scene, they had already taken him to the hospital. At the hospital, he was already dead by the time I got there.

He looked as though he was asleep. He looked so much alive. I still believe that he is alive. ’ Reminiscing on their relationship, the young widow, who is childless and will be returning to her mother’s house, said her husband, who was an operator at the Albion Estate, had a quiet personality. “He was not a talker.”

Meanwhile, eyewitness Nankumar Baijnauth called Mangre, aged 52, said it was just after 06:30hrs when he was exiting a village shop having gone there to purchase kerosene, when he saw the motor car PRR 9655 hit Vickram Ramlakhan.

Ramlakhan, he said, had moments ago left his home and was standing on the northern road shoulder when he was hit, being propelled upwards and falling about three rods away.

The witness said the driver was speeding behind another vehicle, and was attempting to overtake it, but was unsuccessful after he saw a bus approaching from the opposite direction.

The car which fatally struck Vickram Ramlakhan Instead of remaining behind, the driver allegedly undertook the vehicle which was ahead of him. As a result of his decision, he swerved and collided with Ramlakhan who was standing on the parapet awaiting transportation.

“After the driver hit he, he collided with the lantern post before plunging into the trench. They had three person in the car. Dem hussle out with dem suitcase. I hear they were going to Springlands,” the witness recalled.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Ricardo Ramcharran Approo, the alleged driver, remains in police custody as investigations continue.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Project Management Unit of the EU-funded Agricultural Policy Programme launches website

By Clifford Stanley THE Project Management Unit (PMU) of the European Union-funded Agricultural Policy Programme for CARIFORUM countries has established a website which aims at updating visitors on the progress of the project.

The website for the project, which aims at promoting development of smallholder

agriculture in the Caribbean, is named www. appcariforum. net.

Manager of the Project Management Unit (PMU) for the Programme, Mr. Robert Best, said the new website reflects the project’s mandate to provide members of the public with easy access to information about the project.

The APP is funded under the 10th European Develop-

ment Fund (EDF), and is executed through a Contribution Agreement signed between the European Commission (EC) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)‚ with implementing partners being Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the CARICOM Secretariat.

The countries which will

benefit include Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda; the Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; the Commonwealth of Dominica; the Dominican Republic; Grenada; Haiti; Jamaica; St. Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; and Trinidad and Tobago.

The end beneficiaries at the grassroots level are, among others, small farmers; fish-

er-folk; small-scale processors and traders, including organised associations and networks; and women and youth.

Launched in Guyana in March last year, the project involves the expenditure of 8.6 million Euros over a period of four years.

The site explains and provides information on the three inter-related components of the project, designed to enhance capabilities of regional

agriculture to eradicate poverty.

The site boasts a contemporary design with easy navigation to content, including pictures of beneficiaries in action, a background and overview of the project, background on the implementing agencies and their responsibilities, and media releases and updates.

The PMU is based at the IICA Office in Trinidad.

Police seeking to identify July 14 accident victim

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) is seeking assistance from members of the public to identify a man who was struck down on Vlissengen Road on July 14, was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, and subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

According to police information, the man is yet to be identified, and a prevailing opinion is that he had probably

been a vagrant or a destitute; but traffic officers are seeking to ascertain whether he had been known by anyone, or if contact might be made with his family members.

The police are kindly asking persons familiar with the man to make contact with them on telephone numbers 227-1152, 225-6411, 226-0869, 227-2272, 911, or the nearest police station.

(Leroy Smith)

Power Watch LINE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE JULY 26 TO JULY 31, 2014 SATURDAY JULY 26, 2014 GEORGETOWN: New Garden Street between North Road & Croal Street, Upper North Road, Church Street, South Road & Robb Street 09:00 to 17:00 hrs EAST COAST DEMERARA: Melanie Damishana & Section C Enterprise.

08:00 to 18:00 hrs SUNDAY JULY 27, 2014 GEORGETOWN: Water Street to Cornhill Street Access Road & Robb Street Robbstown 08:00 to 16:00 hrs TUESDAY JULY 29, 2014 GEORGETOWN: Lamaha Springs 08:00 to 16:00 hrs EAST COAST DEMERARA: Earl’s Court, LBI 08:00 to 16:00 hrs WEDNESDAY JULY 30, 2014 EAST COAST DEMERARA: Happy Acres-North of the Public Road 08:00 to 16:00 hrs THURSDAY JULY 31, 2014 EAST COAST DEMERARA: Prince William Street Plaisance & Environs 08:00 to 16:00 hrs GEORGETOWN: Rosa Drive South R/Veldt Park 08:00 to 16:00hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

GFC staffers receive special training to implement LCDS objectives

By Clifford Stanley STAFF members of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) have received specialized training which enables them to ensure that Guyana will continue to receive financial rewards for maintaining a low rate of deforestation and forest degradation through its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

The GFC reported that its staffers had successfully completed a two-year programme, entitled “Strengthening of Guyana’s Technical Capacity to Implement a Monitoring Reporting and Verification System (MRVS)”, and other Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)activities.

The Commission made the disclosure during a Close-off Workshop last week. It said that the programme, funded by the European Union and the Government of the Netherlands through the Guyana Shield Facility, aimed at establishing, inter alia, the historic reference level in Guyana on REDD+ and developing the future projected approach for REDD+.

The programme had also aimed at building a twoway communication process to channel information to stakeholders on REDD +implementation; explore possible co-benefits to be incorporated into the national MRVS; and develop a set of national REDD+ Strategy options that would contribute towards maintenance of Guyana’s already low rate of deforestation and forest degradation.

The training components of the programme would contribute greatly to implementation of Guyana’s LCDS and REDD+ readiness activities, and the development of the MRVS, in keeping with the principles of efficiency, effectiveness and equity, the GFC said.

The programme is a follow on the previous phase, called the Guiana Shield Initiative, which saw the delivery of key technical assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Guyana.

It has been said by other sources that degrada-

tion and deforestation of the world’s tropical forests are cumulatively responsible for about 10% of net global carbon emissions, and hence global warming which triggers climate change. Therefore, tackling the destruction of tropical forests is core to any concerted effort to combat climate change.

The REDD+ initiative is a framework through which developing countries are rewarded financially for any emission reductions associated with a decrease in the conversion of forests to alternate land uses.

The Guiana Shield Facility through which the technical assistance program was done is a flexible delivery mechanism within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is designed to promote the conservation of biodiversity and to support sustainable development in the Guiana Shield eco region.

During the Close Off workshop, a spokesman for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNR&E) noted that the programme afforded Guyana the opportunity to examine natural resources within the broader context of the Guiana Shield eco region, and identify options for moving forward.

He said that with 90% of its area covered with intact rainforest, Guyana plays a critical role in mitigating climate change and in water regulation of the Amazon and Orinoco basins.

He stressed that Guyana has a vibrant extractive sector, and protecting the natural wealth of the eco region must be done whilst balancing the impacts of extractive activities.

Guyana has, through former President Bharat Jagdeo, been at the forefront of the move towards a REDD financing mechanism since 2006 In November 2009, Guyana and Norway signed an agreement that would see Norway handing over up to USD $250 million over five years to finance the national plan to reorient Guyana’s economy to a low–carbon path, the LCDS. The REDD+ finance is currently being used, inter alia, to foster local development of low-carbon industries. (END).

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

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PPP condemns Opposition attack on young Guyanese professionals?

THE People’s National Congress (PNC) is obviously living in a different world. It continues to behave as if it is in control of the state apparatus and refuses to come to terms with a new and changing reality, namely, that we now live in rules based, law governed society, one in which there is equality of opportunity for all regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and political affiliation.

This sentiment was expressed by the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in a statement to the media on Thursday.

“What the APNU seems not to understand is that in Guyana today there is the merit principle at work which informs employment practices and not the ownership of a PNC Party card as was the case under the PNC regime,” the PPP contended.

It said the same merit principle is applicable to those identified for training programmes locally and overseas. This merit principle is manifested in the countless number of young Guyanese from all ethnic groups and social backgrounds who today are doctors, engineers, agronomists, nurses, teachers and professionals, the majority of whom have benefited from scholarship programmes offered and paid for by the state.

For the PNC to selectively

single out persons who benefit from the Government’s training and employment practices is most disgusting and totally misleading, the most recent being an attack against the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Mr. Kurshid Sattaur

by APNU Member of Parliament Mr. Joseph Harmon who accused him of nepotism because his children were employed in the same organisation in which he worked.

The PPP said the fact that the children were recommended for employment by an independent interview panel based on qualification and suitability were of no consequence to APNU and Mr. Harmon who has now arrogated to himself the role of official spokesman for the PNC and APNU. The PPP recalled that similar accusations were made by the political Opposition against the wife of Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh despite the fact that she is eminently qualified for the position she holds in the Auditor General’s Office. The list against young professionals who did not escape the wrath of the PNC is long and included Mr. Winston Brassington and Mrs. Marcia Nadir-Sharma from the Privatisation Unit and Ms. Azeena Baksh, Registrar of the Deeds Registry who is the daughter

Saturday, July 26, 2014 - 05:30 Sunday, July 27, 2014 - 05:30 Monday, July 28, 2014 - 05:00

of Minister Ali Baksh.

These attacks are not only limited to professionals in the public sector but entrepreneurs who by virtue of their application and business acumen have done well in the field of business and commerce.

Among the more notable cases are, Dr. Bobby Ramroop who has successfully turned around the ailing GPC under the PNC into a dynamic and successful business enterprise.

His company, the New GPC is the holder of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League Cricket franchise which is providing cricket entertainment to tens of thousands of people not only in Guyana but the Caribbean and for that matter the entire cricketing world.

Instead of commending Dr. Ramroop for his success in the field of business and entertainment, the PPP said he is being greeted with a barrage of criticisms and all manner of unsavoury remarks thrown at him by the political Opposition.

Others who have been attacked included Mr. Vishok Persaud, son of the late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud who has made a name for himself in Guyana in the area of information and communication technology and Mr. Alexi Ramotar, the son of the our President Donald Ramotar who heads the Government’s ICT programme in the country.

The PPP said all of these are individuals whose qualification and experience along with their high competence levels allow them to contribute to the development of the country in a way that ought to be commended rather than being spurned upon as the Opposition is attempting to do.

“The Opposition parties should be ashamed of themselves for casting aspersions on our sons and daughters who are doing our country proud and whose only ‘fault’ seems to lie in their stars by virtue of birth or association.

It would seem that apart from political considerations there is also an ethnic bias since majority of those attacked are Indo-Guyanese,” the PPP stated.

The Opposition should immediately desist from such attacks, which is coming across as mean-spirited and small-minded. The PPP calls on APNU and the Opposition parties to apologise to these young and dynamic professionals and entrepreneurs for the remarks made against them.

The APNU and Opposition elements would do well to rise above such pettiness and meanness of spirit but that may be asking too much of them.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Aries - March 21 - April 19 Your recent interest in beautifying your home isn't an accident. You may have made some new friends, one of whom you find especially interesting. Whether you've admitted it to yourself or not yet, all that puttering means you're preparing to have them over and you want to make a good impression. Devote yourself to the project in earnest and start thinking of ways to phrase the invitation.

Taurus - April 20 - May 20 You're in the middle of a personal renaissance, but someone you love is calling for you, in need of advice that only you can give. You're as solid as a rock, and your advice is always firmly grounded in reality. That wonderfully soothing voice doesn't hurt, either.

You don't need anyone to tell you to do what you can -- it's a given that you will. You may, however, need to be reminded to save a bit of energy for yourself.

Gemini - May 21 - June 21 You've got a big decision to make, and you need to make it soon. It may have you thinking some uncharacteristically serious thoughts -- about what you think is really important, for starters. Family and long-term friendships undoubtedly emerge at the top of your list, and you likely base your choices on their feelings. While you're in this frame of mind, why not let them know what you're thinking? We all need to know that we matter to someone.

Cancer - June 22 - July 22 After days of mulling things over and shuffling around your house whenever time has allowed, you're ready to get your show back on the road -- you've been quiet for long enough! It's time for you to speak your mind and simply let all those feelings out. They're your specialty, so you have an edge when it comes to letting loose and letting others know how you really feel.

Leo - July 23 - August 22 You like to play with friends and strangers, and you make no apologies for your love of the good times. In the midst of all your recent fun, however, you may have made plans for tonight -- plans you can't (or don't want to) keep. It's a dilemma, since your reputation as a party animal may be on the line, but if you're just not up for it, you should bow out. Keeping them hungry for more is the best way to handle an audience.

Virgo - August 23 - September 22 You're in the mood to stay home all day, but weirdly, you also feel restless -- and you definitely don't want to turn in early! An impromptu party at your place might be the best of both worlds. Is there someone you'd like to get to know better -- someone you don't feel comfortable being completely alone with just yet? A group situation is the perfect icebreaker, so have the whole gang over for pizza.

Libra - September 23 - October 22 It's time for a day off. Talking your boss into giving it to you should take surprisingly little effort, too! While you've got their ear, you may also want to mention an item that's been on your professional wish list for a while: a better schedule. If it all works out, you may be able to find a way to work from home permanently. You can pull it off faster than you'd imagined.

Scorpio - October 23 - November 21 You're thinking big thoughts about big issues -- like politics, religion and education.

When you're in this kind of mood, you need to spend as much time as you can with those who share your feelings and opinions. If you can't get the whole crew together at your place immediately, you can certainly make plans with them. Besides, your mate might want to hear those ideas privately before you share them with the rest of the world.

Sagittarius - November 22 - December 20 To you, nothing exceeds like excess. If one is good, then two is better -- and a thousand or more would probably be just terrific! At the moment, this trait is making itself known in your personal relationships. If you're already involved, your lavish extravagance is quite flattering. If you're single, be sure not to endanger a friendship or a new relationship by pushing the envelope too far too fast.

Capricorn - December 21 - January 19 You've had quite a week, full of highs and lows -- and that's just not like you! You like to see yourself as an emotional rock, never letting anything as trivial as a passing feeling get between you and your objectives. Now that your emotions are surfacing, you're having quite a time getting used to them. Fortunately, your mate or best friend is most definitely in the mood for helping out.

Aquarius - January 20 - February 18 Someone who's introduced to you by either a family member or a coworker could end up being a part of your life for a very long time -- but you two might not be able to take your show on the road just yet. If you can't see each other publicly right now, it might be best to wait until you can. You know how you are about honesty and integrity. Why get this off to a bad start?

Pisces - February 19 - March 20 Ever since you told your people you were 'off duty' for a while, it's been spookily quiet around your place. The good news is that you're starting to relax. Take it a step further and plan some actual recreation? This could be a seriously romantic day -- but only if you decide to make it so. Call the one person you're sure wants to work on that project with you.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Waramadong edge ...

From Backpage Sunday’s final.

This was after Dion Rodrigues (19th) and Uriah King (72nd) had given WSS, who lost in back-to-back finals in 2012 and 2013 to twotime defending champions Christianburg Wismar Secondary, a 2-0 cushion that was nullified for BVSS with goals from Paul Kingston (75th) and Okemie Hoppie (83rd).

The contest started at

a fast pace, with BVSS Kurt Abrams making his way down the left flank, before sending a beautiful pass to Phillip Yearwood, who found it difficult to get off a shot despite being present in the box, as WSS defence that was marshalled by Myles Albert, dispossessed him of the ball.

At the other end of the field, Waramadong’s Ashton Ward sent a powerful shot to goal, following a botched clearance from BVSS custodian Shawn Bhramdeow, who had a miserable day between the uprights, only to see the ball hit the crossbar and rebounding back into Bhramdeow’s grasp.

As play progressed within the first 15 minutes, both teams looked to assert themselves, until Rodrigues latched onto a free kick from Albert, following a handled ball deep inside BVSS’ half and beat Bhramdeow, who had fumbled the kick in the 19th minute to give WSS a 1-0 lead.

Even though they realised Bhramdeow was having a terrible day between the uprights, WSS’ effort to double their lead was thwarted by the defensive work of the BVSS players, who did their best to shield their custodian from the attacking WSS lineup.

The scoreline read 1-0 in favour of WSS at lemon-time and on the resumption of play, the pattern which occurred for the first 15 minutes of the first half, repeated itself as both sides looked to control, even as BVSS were looking for the equalising goal.

They could not locate such and merely found themselves two goals down, when a flying header from King, off another well-directed Albert free kick, beat Bhramdeow on his first post in the 72nd minute to give WSS a 2-0 cushion.

Three minutes later, BVSS found the goal they were looking for, when

Kingston beat Isaacs with a well-directed indirect free-kick, after the WSS custodian was blown for a handled ball outside the box, a goal that brought life to his team.

BVSS took the opportunity and hunted their opponents’ goal area at will, forcing several turnovers in the midfield area, with Albert showing signs of tiring and it was during this period, that the equalising goal was scored, creating pandemonium on the field of play.

An unmarked Hoppie was in the right place at the right time, when Isaacs looked to clear a ball from his goal area, with the said ball landing squarely at the feet of Hoppie, whose first-time shot to goal found its target with Isaacs way off the line, sparking wild celebrations, as the vociferous throng of supporters halted play for a few seconds to celebrate with the BVSS players.

With no more goals materialising during regulation time and FIFA ruling out extra time in junior football, penalty kicks was the order of the day for a winner to be decided and in true leadership fashion, Isaacs took and scored WSS’ first kick.

Even though two other BVSS players scored, Isaacs was equal to the task when he stopped the third kick that was taken by a tired-looking Yearwood and sparked off celebrations with another splendid save from the fifth and final kick, this time from Kingston, to send WSS into their third successive final.

This will be played on Sunday, August 3 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, where they will face their nemesis CWSS, who also used penalty kicks to defeat another determined side in Bush Lot Secondary in their semifinal fixture at Burnham Park, New Amsterdam yesterday. The two losing semifinalists will meet in the third place playoff.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

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Guyana Under-15s win again KINGSTON, Jamaica Guyana remained the only unbeaten team in the Regional Under-15 Tournament after play here yesterday, but hundreds for local boys Dominic Samuels and Kirk McKenzie held sway.

The Guyanese defied a bout of stage fright in the middle of their innings to prevail over holders Trinidad & Tobago by four wickets to clinch their third straight victory in the top-of-the-table clash.

But Samuels and McKenzie set tongues wagging with their individual milestones that lifted hosts Jamaica to a comprehensive 163-run victory over Leewards.

In the other match, opener Nico Reifer narrowly missed out on making the third hundred of the day to help set Barbados up for a tense 16-run victory over Windward Islands.

At Mona: Opener Joshua Persaud led all scorers with 42 and Steve Deonarine made 35, as Guyana successfully chased 172 for victory with 26 balls remaining.

Persaud and Alphius Bookie with 25 put on 65 for the second wicket, but they were part of a slide that

Uri Smith led the way for Leewards with 44 and White, opening the batting, made 25, but no other batsman reached 20.

At Elletson Road: Reifer struck nine fours and one six in an unbeaten 95 from 143 balls to anchor Barbados to 235 for six from their 50 overs, after they chose to bat.

Reifer saved the Barbadians after they ran into early difficulty on 12 for two, and he gained support from Kilano Brathwaite with 45 in a stand of 53 for the third wicket.

After this, there was steady batting the rest of the way with Joshua Bishop, their captain, making 37 and

Marc Cyrus 22.

Johnnel Eugene hit an enterprising 60 off 67 balls that included four fours and four sixes that held the Windwards’ innings together, but they kept losing wickets every time it looked like they were building something promising.

The Tournament resumes on Monday after a weekend break with Guyana returning to UWI Mona to face Windwards, Jamaica hosting T&T at Elletson Road and Leewards clashing with Barbados at Melbourne Oval.

45, Joshua Bishop 37, Marc Cyrus 22; Simeon Gerson 2-32). Windwards Under-15s 219 for eight off 50 overs (Johnnel Eugene 60, Dane Edwards 33, Urnel Thomas 30 not out, Tahj Tavernier 24, Obadele Joseph 20, Johann Jeremiah 20; Camarie Boyce 2-30). (WICB)

stars of the Digicel Schools Football Championship from its inception, proved his worth and was a thorn in the feet of the Bush Lot defenders who certainly had no answers for him.

The lanky Linden striker tried everything in his power to carry his school to the final and played a part in the equalising goal which came off the boot of Anthony Layne in the 73rd minute.

Layne blasted home a rightfoot volley after the Bush Lot keeper had to clear a Luckie attempt.

It was Multi who kept possession of the ball for the remainder of the game, despite the referee’s whistle still not being blown in their favour

and at the end of regular time, the two schools were still deadlocked on a goal each.

In the penalty shootout, Bush Lot Secondary was first up to kick and their attempt was sent crashing into the crossbar.

Luckie scored his kick to put Christianburg/Wismar in the lead then Bush Lot missed again the target.

Hercules failed to put the game away for Linden, as his shot went over the crossbar, opening up the game for Bush Lot who scored next.

The scores remained at 2-1 and Multi would clash with Waramadong in the final which is set for Sunday August 3 at the Guyana National Stadium.

… two Jamaica batsmen hit centuries

Joshua Persaud left the Guyanese 89 for four.

Deonarine and Kevin Sinclair with 19 then came to the rescue of Guyana with a stand of 53 for the fifth wicket that put them back on course.

Nathaniel McDavid and Justin Gangoo grabbed two wickets apiece for T&T, who were restricted to 171 for nine in their allocation of 50 overs, after they were put in to bat.

Several batsmen got starts, but no one carried on. Brandon Singh’s 28 was the top score, Cephas Cooper added 27, McDavid 26, Leonardo Julien was not out 23, Kirstan Kallicharran got 22 and opener Navin Bedaisee 21.

Ashmead Nedd was the

Inclement weather forces postponement of ‘Cricket for Unity’ T20 contest DUE TO the inclement weather conditions that is currently prevailing over Guyana, organiser of tonight’s ‘Cricket for Unity’ T20 clash between two teams named Kaieteur Thunders and Roraima Strikers, Dexter ‘Bushman’ Garnette is forced to postpone the contest to a later date.

A number of prominent businessmen, politicians, former West Indies and national players, administrators, disciplined service members, singers and radio personalities have confirmed their desire to play in the match that was scheduled to be played under the lights installed at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground.

When the contest bowls off at a later date, Roraima Strikers will come from Neil Barry, Lloyd Harper, Travis Dowlin, Jumo Primo, Gordon Moseley, Clifton Hicken, Orin Forde, Anthony Rigby, Aaron Fraser, Jermaine Neblette, Kirk ‘Chow Pow’ Jardine, James Bond, Lennox Cush, Colin Stuart, Alfred King and Anand Sanasie.

Kaieteur Thunders will come from Raphael Trotman, Asif Khan, Khemraj Ramjattan, Carey Griffith, Rabindranauth Seeram, Sheik Mohamed, Clyde Butts, Tony Najab, Reon King, Esaun Crandon, David Harper, Alfred Mentore, Steve Ninvalle, Lakeram Mike Singh and Ramesh Sunich.

Meanwhile, several business entities such as Ansa McAl, Wartsila, Bakewell, Industrial Supplies and Services, Diamond Auto Show, Morgan Learning Centre, Colours Boutique and Trophy Stall of Bourda Market and Hadi’s City Mall Inc., have thrown their support into the contest. (Calvin Roberts)

pick of the Guyana bowlers with the flattering figures of 10-1-15-2.

At Kensington Park: Samuels continued his rich vein of form with an unbeaten 111 off 90 balls that included 14 fours and one six and McKenzie hit top form with the same score that contained 10 boundaries from 167 balls, as Jamaica, choosing to bat, amassed 307 for two from their 50 overs.

McKenzie, a left-hander opener, and Samuels, a rugged right-hander, added 235 unbroken for the third wicket after Zawandi White struck twice in quick succession to leave the Jamaicans 72 for two.

Ashmead Nedd Leewards were never able to make a serious challenge of the total and were dismissed in 41.1 overs with Raewin Senior grabbing 3-18 from 6.1 overs to lead Jamaica’s bowling.

Defending champions through ...

From Backpage up to take the kick and struck a beautiful right-footer that curled over the defending champions’ wall and went sailing into the back of the net after beating the keeper.

The intensity of the game immediately rose and with the Berbice crowd in jubilation after the opening goal which was in their favour, Bush Lot Secondary played

English Ascot 08:30 hrs Muhaarar 09:05 hrs Muraaqaba 09:40 hrs Billingsgate 10:15 hrs Horsted Keynes 10:50 hrs Taghrooda 11:25 hrs Desert Society 12:00 hrs Beakers N Num Nums York 09:50 hrs Kleo 09:20 hrs Short Squeeze 09:55 hrs Windhoek 10:30 hrs Muthmir 11:05 hrs Mercury 11:40 hrs Itlaaq 12:15 hrs Ventura Shadow Newmarket 09:10 hrs Belgrade 09:45 hrs Tryster 10:20 hrs Kosika 10:55 hrs Golden Steps 11:30 hrs Fanciful Angel 12:05 hrs Lawyer 12:35 hrs Morning Watch Irish Racing Tips

with a bit more purpose, but Multi, like true champs, withstood the pressure.

Dequan Hercules could have equalised for his team, but his wonderfully taken free kick was saved by the Bush Lot keeper.

The first half ended with Bush Lot Secondary enjoying a 1-0 lead thanks to Nicholson, but in the second stanza of the game, it was all Multi.

Shane Luckie, one of the

Wexford 09:15 hrs Celestial Fable 09:50 hrs Calorie 10:25 hrs Focas Mor 11:00 hrs Bwindi 11:35 hrs Table Forty Six 12:10 hrs Master Melody 12:40 hrs Winter Lion South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:50 hrs Bilateral 09:30 hrs Harry’s Son 10:20 hrs Gold Onyx 11:05 hrs Bezanova 11:45 hrs Jet Belle 12:25 hrs Schiffer 13:00 hrs Night Trip 13:35 hrs Qahal’s Applause American Racing Tips Saratoga Race 1 Rapid Repair Race 2 Blue Pigeon Race 3 Aldrin Race 4 Vecino Race 5 Rocket Time Race 6 Captain Futuro Race 7 The Big Beast Race 8 Rock Fall Race 9 Miz Owell

Grenville Felix Memorial cycle race set for today CYCLISTS will once again converge on East Canje, Berbice today to compete in the annual Grenville Felix Memorial 60-mile cycle road race. The event will pedal off from the engineer’s former residence at Canefield East Canje, proceed to Number 43 Village on the Corentyne then return to the starting point for finish.

The event is open to cyclists countrywide and is being organised by the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) of New Amsterdam.

Felix, a former employee of GUYSUCO died on January 5, 2014 and would have celebrated his 97th birthday

on July 16.

Meanwhile, coach of FACC, Randolph Roberts, told Chronicle Sport that the race promises to be one on the biggest in the Ancient County for 2014. He mentioned that a number of top riders in the country have already signalled their intention to participate in the competition.

Prizes will be awarded to the first eight finishers while the first three juniors and first three females will also receive prizes.

The Grenville Felix Memorial Trophy is a lien trophy and will be given to the first cyclist who gets his/her name on the trophy, three times. (Michael Khan)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Amla, de Villiers dig in for South Africa (REUTERS) - South Africa batted cautiously to reach 98 for three as they try to preserve their 1-0 lead in the series in the second Test and final against Sri Lanka yesterday.

The touring side, replying to the hosts’ 421 all out, trailed by 323 runs at the close on the second day with Hashim Amla unbeaten on 46 and AB de Villiers on 11.

Amla had two escapes on 10 and 34, edging a drive off Dilruwan Perera past Mahela Jayawardene’s outstretched hand at slip and then having his stumps shattered by Suranga Lakmal as he moved away from his crease when a crow flew across the pitch.

The bowler appealed to the umpire who signalled a dead ball.

Sri Lanka’s only success in the final session was the wicket of Faf du Plessis who was caught brilliantly down the leg side by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella off Lakmal for 36 to end a partnership of 58 with Amla.

“The wicket is pretty nice to bat on but they got a pretty

de Kock reacted quickly to throw the stumps down.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir picked up his first wicket after conceding over 100 runs when he had Perera caught

by Amla at mid-on for 12 attempting a big hit.

Jayawardene was run-out for 165 as Sri Lanka piled on the runs on the second morning.

South Africa’s only success was the wicket of Jayawardene, who had passed 150 for the 16th time in his career before he was run-out.

The elegant right-hander

variety of spinners who don’t give much; it’s tough to score against them because they put their fields to protect the boundary and got a few guys stopping the ones,” du Plessis told reporters.

“You have to take a risk to score against them but as myself and Hash (Hashim Amla) showed if you get through the pressure of the first couple of balls the runs will come.”

Sri Lanka’s spinners had taken two early wickets to reduce South Africa to 23 for two at tea.

RETURN CATCH Left-armer Rangana Herath, who opened the bowling, struck with his fifth ball when he forced Alviro Petersen to hit back a tame return catch with his score on two.

Perera had Dean Elgar, on one, caught off the inside edge off his third ball by Kaushal Silva at short leg to leave South Africa in trouble on a turning pitch at 13 for two.

Sri Lanka’s innings ended with Vernon Philander picking up the last two wickets of Ajantha Mendis (2) and Lakmal (4) to catches

Mahela Jayawardene congratulates Niroshan Dickwella on his maiden Test on the second day in Colombo. by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.

Debutant Dickwella, whose innings of 72 came

off 116 deliveries, was runout when he hesitated over a single to a ball that went off Herath’s shoulder and

SRI LANKA first innings (o/n 305-5) U. Tharanga c de Kock b Steyn 11 K. Silva c de Villiers b Duminy 44 K. Sangakkara c Tahir b Steyn 0 M. Jayawardene run-out 165 A. Mathews c de Kock b Duminy

63 K. Vithanage c de Villiers b Morkel 13 N. Dickwella run-out 72 D. Perera c Amla b Tahir 12 R. Herath not out 7 A. Mendis c de Kock b Philander

2 S. Lakmal c de Kock b Philander

4 Extras: (b-11, lb-14, nb-3) 28 Total: (all out, 121.4 overs) 421 Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-16, 3-115, 4-246, 5-285, 6-385, 7-404, 8-409,

swept JP Duminy to fine leg and Petersen’s direct throw at the stumps caught the diving batsman well short of his ground.

His 165 came off 284 balls and included one six and 17 fours.

“Disappointed in Galle that I wasn’t able to contribute in the first innings where we made quite a few mistakes,” Jayawardene said.

“We needed to make sure that we didn’t repeat the mistakes here.

The mind set was pretty positive to take control of the situation we were in.”

9-415.

Bowling: Steyn 22-5-69-2, Philander 21.4-7-52-2 (nb-1), Morkel 26-6-69-1 (nb-1), Tahir 334-121-1, Duminy 18-1-80-2 (nb-1), Elgar 1-0-5-0 SOUTH AFRICA first innings A. Petersen c and b Herath 2 D. Elgar c Silva b Perera 1 F. de Plessis c Dickwella b Lakmal 36 H. Amla not out 46 AB de Villiers not out 11 Extras: (lb-1, nb-1) 2 Total: (for three wickets, 52 overs) 98 Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-13, 3-71.

Bowling: Lakmal 11-4-13-1, Herath 13-5-16-1, Perera 15-6-24-1, Mendis 9-0-27-0 (nb-1), Vithanage 4-0-17-0.

Navardauskas delivers for Garmin as Nibali retains lead

By Julien Pretot BERGERAC, France (Reuters) - Ramunas Navardauskas finished off Garmin-Sharp’s plan to win the 19th stage of the Tour de France, a 208.5km ride from Maubourguet yesterday as Italian Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey.

Five days after team mate Jack Bauer was caught by the peloton a few metres from the line after a 222-km breakaway, the Lithuanian attacked on a short climb close to the finish and never looked back.

German John Degenkolb took second place seven seconds behind and Norway’s Alexander Kristoff finished third after the main bunch was split by a late crash on roads made slippery by torrential rain earlier in the day.

All the riders from the main pack were credited with the same time as the incident happened with

Garmin-Sharp team rider Ramunas Navardauskas of Lithuania celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 208.5km 19th stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Maubourguet and Bergerac, yesterday. (Credit: Reuters/Christian Hartmann)

less than three kilometres left.

“I was the first to crash, I did not know what happened,” said Slovakian Pe-

ter Sagan, who had been tipped as one of the stage favourites. Nibali still leads France’s Thibaut Pinot by 7:10 and another French-

man, Jean-Christophe Peraud, who crashed but said he was fine, by 7:23, ahead of today’s decisive time trial, a 54-km solo ride be-

tween Bergerac and Perigueux.

Garmin-Sharp, without team leader Andrew Talansky after the American pulled out due to lower back pain, only had a stage win in mind.

They had Tom-Jelte Slagter in the day’s breakaway and the Dutchman served as Navardauskas’s launchpad after the climb.

“The plan was to attack in the climb and to have one of our riders in the breakaway so he could take a strong relay to help me,” Navardauskas told a news conference.

“It’s almost amazing to keep the peloton at bay,” said Navardauskas, who had his team mate’s misfortune in mind.

“Until the last 10 metres I was afraid to turn back,” he added.

Navardauskas powered away from the pack on the fourth-category climb of the Cote de Monbazillac 13 kilometres from the finish.

Pinot’s FDJ.fr team led the peloton in the descent

and on the flat portion leading to the line, Cannondale and Tinkoff-Saxo chased the Garmin-Sharp rider who was 25 seconds ahead with five kilometres left.

With just under three kilometres remaining, Peter Sagan was involved in the crash as well as France’s Romain Bardet who is fifth in the overall standings and his AG2R-La Mondiale team mate Peraud.

“I was caught in the crash, I tried to avoid it but I couldn’t. Romain crashed in front of me,” Peraud told reporters.

“Obviously the rain did not help, especially in a finale with a lot of turns and nervous sprint in the end.

We crashed, it’s classic.”

Pinot, instead, was well placed by the front of the peloton and avoided the crash.

“We knew it would be a nervous stage, it was important to be near the front. I did not crash, it’s all good,” the 24-year-old Frenchman said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

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FIFA committed to 2018 World Cup in Russia

ZURICH, (Reuters) - FIFA remains committed to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and says a boycott would not be an effective way of reducing tensions in the region, football’s world governing body said yesterday.

The ongoing conflict between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukraine government came to a head last week with the downing of a Malaysian Airlines passenger plane, leading to the death of 298 people.

Moscow denies supporting the separatists, but following the disaster senior German lawmakers raised the possibility of stripping Russia of the hosting rights to the World Cup. The Dutch football association said it wanted to postpone discussion over

Russia President Vladimir Putin (R), Brazil President Dilma Rousseff (L) and FIFA president Sepp Blatter take part in the official handingover ceremony for the 2018 World Cup scheduled to take place in Russia. (Credit: Reuters/Alexey Nikolsky/RIA Novosti/Kremlin)

participation in the next World Cup until after a national day of mourning to remember the victims, twothirds of whom were from the Netherlands.

“As a world governing body of football FIFA takes its responsibility in governing football seriously and we support any peaceful and democratic debate,” the Zurich-based organisation said in a statement.

“FIFA deplores any form of violence and will continue to use its tournaments to promote dialogue, understanding and peace among peoples.

“History has shown so far that boycotting sport events or a policy of isolation or confrontation are not the most effective ways to solve problems.”

FIFA said the World Cup could be a “powerful catalyst

for constructive dialogue between people and governments,” uniting teams and nations.

“FIFA is convinced that, through football, particularly the FIFA World Cup and its international spotlight, we can achieve positive change in the world, but football cannot be seen as a solution for all issues, particularly those related to world politics,” the ruling body added.

“We have seen that the FIFA World Cup can be a force for good and FIFA believes this will be the case for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.”

The European Union has threatened to impose harsher economic sanctions on Russia after the crash near Donetsk, a stronghold of pro-Russian rebels.

Over $7M up for grabs at tomorrow’s Jadeja fined over Anderson altercation Port Mourant Turf Club horse race meet (REUTERS) - India’s Ravindra Jadeja has been fined half his match fee for his involvement in an altercation with England quick bowler James Anderson during the drawn first Test at Trent Bridge.

The clash, which occurred as the players left the field at lunch on the second day, saw Jadeja charged with a level two misconduct charge for allegedly approaching Anderson in a threatening manner.

Anderson was charged with a level three offence for having “abused and

Ravindra Jadeja

pushed” his opponent.

Match referee David Boon found left-arm spinner Jadeja, who was batting at the time, not guilty of the offence for which he had been charged but felt his conduct was contrary to the spirit of the game.

“While I was in no

CRICKETQUIZ CORNER

(Saturday July 26, 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 Thursday’s quiz: (1) Chris Gayle (47) (2) Nigel Duguid and Peter Nero Today’s Quiz: (1) Who has the distinction of facing the first ball of a LCPL game? Who has the honour of delivering it?

(2) Twenty-four games were played in LCPL 2013.

How many were won by the side batting first?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

doubt that confrontation did occur, and that such conduct was not in the spirit of the game and should not have taken place, I was not comfortably satisfied that this was a level 2 offence,” Boon, the former Australia batsman, said in a statement yesterday.

“Therefore, in exercising my discretion under Article 7.6.5 of the Code and having heard all the evidence, I was comfortably satisfied that Mr Jadeja had committed a level 1 offence under Article 2.1.8 of the Code.”

Sanjay Patel, honorary secretary of The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said in a statement that the governing body was not satisfied with the verdict and reserved the right to appeal.

“The BCCI believes that Mr Ravindra Jadeja was not at fault and supports him fully.”

Anderson’s hearing will be held on August 1, the day after the third Te s t a t S o u t h a m p t o n is scheduled to finish, where he faces a possible four-Test ban if found guilty.

India lead the fivematch series 1-0.

M I LWA U K E E B l i s s , Red and Lovely, Go to Go, Africanist, Do Nut Prince, Jack is My Style, and Young Elite are just some of the top horses that will be competing in this 7th meeting for this year, organised by the Port Mourant Turf Club which has attracted close to 80 horses.

Speaking with Chronicle Sport yesterday, representative of the meet, Mohamed Shari, mentioned that apart from the war over racing dates everything is in top shape for tomorrow’s meet another meet is scheduled for

No.66 Village as well.

The list of horses for the feature race, D and Lower event is almost full, and will see the winner pocket $1M. Tomorrow’s meet is being run under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA).

The race for three years and lower Guyana/West Indies-bred and maiden horses will go for 1500M with the winner taking home $500 000 and includes Unsettled, Release The Beast, Royal Empire, Today IS MY Day, Royal Empire, Time to Dance, Quiet Dance, and Settling

Get. $500 000 will go to the winner of the E3 and Lower event and includes Right to Rule, Fresh Again, Home Bush Baby, Princess Alisha, The Message, Captain Crook, with more horses expected to register for this event.

The Two-year-olds event for the Guyana and West Indies-bred horses will run for 1000 metres with the winner receiving $200 000.

Meanwhile outstanding individual performers, including top jockey, trainer, and stable will be awarded.

EBFA Stag Beer Senior and CULT U-17 Leagues to resume this weekend FOLLOWING weeks of inactivity due to rain, football action is set to resume on the East Bank this weekend with play in the East Bank Football Association (EBFA) Stag Beer senior league and CULT Under-17 competitions.

Players have been eagerly awaiting the re-start of action and fans are equally excited to see the teams in competition mode again.

Today the Under-17 players will take centre stage with two matches scheduled for the Grove ground.

Herstelling, led by national Under-17 goalkeeper Qauzim Yusuf, who is expected to be back from the Dominican Republic today, will take on Agricola in the day’s feature match from 15:30hrs.

In the opening match, at 13:30hrs, Kuru Kururu Warriors will come up against Timehri Panthers.

Tomorrow at the same venue, the senior boys will come into focus when two potentially exciting matches will be contested.

At 13:00hrs Timehri Panthers and Diamond United will open play with the main game at 15:00hrs bringing together Agricola and Grove Hi Tech.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

Tridents stumble to victory as Hawksbills slide continues B R I D G E TO W N , B a rbados (CMC) – Barbados Tridents managed to complicate a simple run chase before pulling off a one-wicket victory in the last over, to send Antigua Hawksbills crashing to their fifth straight defeat of the Caribbean Premier League here yesterday.

In pursuit of a moderate 130, the hosts lost wickets regularly to find themselves tentatively placed at 120 for eight at the start of the final over and requiring ten to win.

Akeal Hosein and Rayad Emrit (5) cheekily stole three runs off the first ball sent down by left-arm

Ravi Rampaul spinner Brad Hogg, before the right-handed Emrit improvised superbly on a switch-hit to gather a boundary to third man.

He was run-out off the third ball looking for a second run that never existed but Hosein punched the fourth ball to cover and sprinted two with Ravi Rampaul, to hand Tridents their second win in three days at Kensington Oval and their third overall in four outings.

Hawksbills, meanwhile, remained winless for the competition without a point, along with St Lucia Zouks who have played two games less.

For Tridents, left-handed Jonathan Carter topscored with 35 but was the only player to pass 20 as seamer Carlos Brathwaite, with two for 17 from his

four overs and left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell, with two for 20 from his quota, pegged the hosts back.

Captain Marlon Samuels had earlier carved out his second half-century of the tournament with an excellent 66 from 55 balls while David Hussey weighed in with 24.

But pacer Rampaul, voted Man-of-the-Match, snatched four for 15 from his four overs to cripple the Hawksbills innings and leave them with an inadequate 129 for eight off their allotted 20 overs.

What should have been a straightforward run chase turned difficult.

Dwayne Smith failed to recapture the heights reached on Wednesday with his century, falling without scoring in the very first over but Shoaib Malik and Shane Dowrich, who both struck 18, put on 36 for the second wicket to repair the damage.

Shoaib top-edged Brathwaite to Miguel Cummins at fine leg to fall in the sixth over before Dowrich drove seamer Ben Laughlin tamely to Danza Hyatt at short cover to perish in the ninth over.

Carter then fuelled the scoring in the middle overs, gathering five fours in 34 balls at the crease, as wick-

ets fell around him.

He was eventually runout in the 15th over at 103 for five when he failed to beat Cottrell’s throw to wicketkeeper Devon Thomas as he scampered a second run with Jeevan Mendis (6), and Tridents then stuttered and stumbled through the final overs to take full points.

Earlier, Samuels proved the mainstay of the Hawksbills’ innings, after it tottered at 24 for four in the sixth over.

The right-hander cracked four fours and four sweetly-timed sixes, in a fifth-wicket stand with Hussey that was worth 51.

Ramdin’s knock inspired us - Dwayne Bravo

TRINIDAD & Tobago Red Steel captain Dwayne Bravo has said his opponent Denesh Ramdin’s batting inspired his team in their four-wicket CPL win over Guyana Amazon Warriors on Thursday night.

Ramdin smashed 84 from 45 balls with six fours and six sixes for the Amazon Warriors, and Dwayne Bravo confessed to be taken aback by the bravado on display.

“Denesh’s batting really inspired me. He came out there when his team was down and really took it to us,” Dwayne Bravo said. “That got me thinking that once we could

go out there and bat 20 overs, with self-belief and fight, we could do the same.”

Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel 180 for 6 (Darren Bravo 69*, Dwayne Bravo, 67) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 179 for 5 (Ramdin 84, Badree 3-13) by four wickets.

Dwayne Bravo made a crucial impact in the match himself, scoring 67 off 42 balls, but it was his brother Darren Bravo who stole the show with an unbeaten 69, including a match-winning six off the last delivery.

“We tried to copy what Denesh and (Jimmy) Neesham did for Guyana. We

Dwayne Bravo and Darren Bravo added 131 runs for the fourth wicket ©

wanted to sit in the middle and build a big partnership like theirs. We knew that without Sunil Narine, on such a small ground, it was a gettable total once we batted through.”

Despite the win, Dwayne Bravo stated that his team needed to improve in the field after yet another disappointing performance.

“There were a few vital chances missed and there’s always room to improve,” he said. “Our batting clicked today but we still need to be better in the outfield.

Sometimes these things

do happen and you have days like today.”

Reflecting on the loss, Ramdin admitted to being disappointed with his team’s bowling, especially in the absence of Narine, though he expected the injured spinner to be available for the next match.

“We tried our best but the Red Steel batsmen did their job and the better team came out on top,” Ramdin said. “We didn’t have Sunil who’s out injured but he’ll be resting a couple days and hopefully, we’ll have him back for the next game.” (ESPN cricinfo)

Cedenio crowned champion in world-leading time EUGENE, Oregon (CMC) – Trinidadian Machel Cedenio crowned himself world champion when he captured the men’s 400 metres at the IAAF World Junior Championship here Thursday.

Running out of lane four, Cedenio raced to a junior world-leading 45.13 seconds, to win the event at Hayward Field.

“This win is especially good because I was injured earlier this season,” Cedenio said afterwards.

“Honestly, I did know I had a 45.13 in me because I trained for this. I didn’t realise the lead I had before the race ended. I just executed my own race.”

Cedenio, a CARIFTA champion, finished ahead of Nobuya Kato of Japan who was second in a season-best 46.17, with Abbas Abubakar third in 46.20.

The Caribbean also found a measure of success in the men’s sprint hurdles when Jamaican Tyler Mason grabbed silver in a time of 13.06 seconds.

The race was won by Frenchman Wilhem Belocian who clocked a world junior record 12.99 seconds, while Great Machel Cedenio wins the men’s 400m final.

Britain’s David Omoregie snatched bronze in 13.35 seconds.

Mason said he was not disappointed even though he missed out on gold.

“I feel like I came very close to first, but overall it was not a disappointment. Now I am looking to go pro, so you will see me more in the future,” Mason said.

Meanwhile, Anguilla’s Zharnel Hughes qualified for the final of the men’s 200 metres when he finished second in the first semi-final in a time of 20.38 seconds, behind winner Thomas Sommers of Great Britain who clocked a personal best 20.37.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Jonathan Farinha also qualified when he finished fourth in 20.74.

Hughes and Farinha were joined in the final by Jamaican Michael O’Hara who won semifinal two in a personal best 20.45.

In the women’s half-lap, Natalliah Whyte finished fourth in 23.74 to book her place in the final.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 26, 2014

39

Headquarters amass 501 points to win GPF Track and Field Championships WITH strong wins throughout the day Headquarters (HQ) had an easy time defending their title against ‘A’ Division, when the Guyana Police Force Inter-Di-

vision Track and Field Championships came to an end late last evening at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

HQ amassed 501 points

Best and Shoaib Malik hit with hefty fines BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Temperamental fast bowler Tino Best and batsman Shoaib Malik have been hit with hefty fines following an on-field altercation during Wednesday’s Caribbean Premier League match between Barbados Tridents and St Lucia Zouks at Kensington Oval.

Best was fined 60 per cent of his match fee while Shoaib has been fined half his match fee for the incident which occurred during the Tridents innings.

However, the CPL have downplayed an incident which took place at the team hotel between two players from the opposing sides. Though online social media was abuzz with reports of a scuffle, the CPL said Thursday the incident had been “minor”.

“There was a further incident which took place after the match at the players’ hotel. While this is being investigated currently, the CPL management can confirm that the incident was minor

and no one was injured,” the statement said.

The showdown between Best and Shoaib, however, came after Best was put the sword by Dwayne Smith, who made an unbeaten 110, and the Pakistani righthander who stroked 49.

Shoaib struck the Barbadian pacer for two successive boundaries in the 15th over of the innings before being bowled, leading to some physical contact between the two players and an exchange of words.

Best was subsequently charged 10 per cent of his match fee for bringing the game into the disrepute and conduct contrary to the spirit of the game, and hit with another 50 per cent for “using language or a gesture(s) that is seriously obscene, seriously offensive or of a seriously insulting nature to another player.”

Shoaib, meanwhile, was charged under a Level Two offence for “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players.”

Both players pleaded guilty to the charges.

Scotland’s Wallace delights home crowd, England take double gold

By Michael Hann GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) - Scotland’s Daniel Wallace delighted the host nation with a sensational victory in the 400 metres individual medley and England claimed their first gold medals in the pool at the Commonwealth Games yesterday.

The 21-year-old Wallace, who trained with multiple Olympic gold medal winner Ryan Lochte during his swimming scholarship at the University of Florida, burst through with 50 metres remaining.

Australia’s Thomas Fraser-Holmes took silver

with Sebastien Rousseau of South Africa third.

“I have never felt anything like this. I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity,” said Wallace, who echoed his namesake William Wallace in the film ‘Braveheart’ and screamed “freedom” after touching first, before smashing the water with both arms in delight.

“The Games really have brought out the Scottish side of me so I thought I’d soak up the moment,” he told reporters.

“At 200 metres to go, without a doubt, I had the best breaststroke leg in that field.

“Confidence is key. If I didn’t wake up thinking I could do it, it would not be worth it.”

to keep ‘A’ Division at bay and to walk away with the $150 000 top prize and trophy, as the two divisions battled for the top spot.

Without too many leading positions, and through participation in as many events as possible, ‘A’ Division managed to end in second place with 402.

Third place went to Country Division who ended with 206 points while ‘B’

Division took fourth with 191 points.

Meanwhile, in the international category which saw the participation of teams from Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent, Suriname, and Antigua vying against a Guyanese team, Guyana walked away with a massive 322 points lead ahead of the second place Trinidad team which stood with 150 points at the end of the competition.

Antigua placed third with 30 points, St Vincent finished fourth with 25 points and Suriname fifth with 11 points.

Headquarters entered the day with a reasonable 29 points lead, with 50 finals still to be contested and managed to build their way up to their 99 points, banking on the wins amassed by champion girl runner-up Leota Bobb who ran away with the

women’s 100m (12.2s) and 200m races (25.4s).

The champion girl title went to Country’s Jonella Jonas who amassed 30 points to edge out Bobb.

Champion boy was shared

by Marvin Tinnis and Grivon Grant, while in the international A Class category champion boy went to ‘A’ Division’s Shawn Semple. (Tamica Garnett)

Sport CHRONICLE

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

Guyana Under-15s win again

See Page 35

4TH DIGICEL INTER-SECONDARY SCHOOL FOOTBALL C’SHIPS

Waramadong edge past BVSS in penalty thriller … meet CWSS in final

By Calvin Roberts

Goooooooal! This flying header from Uriah King (airborne) was well caught by Chronicle Sport photographer Adrian Narine, who also trained his lens well to capture WSS custodian and skipper Gerald Isaacs pulling off one of his two penalty kick saves.

SPURRED on by some excellent custodial work from their skipper Gerald Isaacs, two-time national runners-up Waramadong Secondary School (WSS) edged past a game and determined Beterverwagting Secondary School (BVSS) in a thrilling semifinal encounter at the Beterverwagting Community Centre ground yesterday afternoon.

In a contest that was witnessed by president of the Guyana Football Federation Christopher Mat-

thias, Marketing Director of Digicel Jacqueline James and members of her staff including Sponsorship and Events Manager Gavin Hope, Managing Director of Ansa McAl, Beverley Harper and her Marketing Director Troy Cadogan, both teams played to a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation time.

It came down to penalty kicks, which saw WSS, who reigned supreme in Region 8 for four successive years, come away with a 4-3 victory to march into next

See Page 34

Digicel Schools Football Championship

Defending champions through to final after 2-1 penalty kicks over Bush Lot Secondary

By Rawle Toney TEARS of joy and sorrow flooded Burnham Park in New Amsterdam Berbice yesterday when Christiansburg/Wismar Secondary, more popularly known as ‘Multi’, defeated Bush Lot Secondary 2-1 on penalty kicks in the semifinals of the 2014 Digicel Schools Football Championship.

The Lindeners are the defending champions and have held on to the trophy for two consecutive years.

It was clear the Berbicians were bent on ensuring that this year a new winner is crowned but Multi thought otherwise.

With a highly vociferous

supporting cast on the sideline, Bush Lot Secondary came out being the more aggressive on the pitch while the Lindeners were their usual tactical selves.

Referee Dwayne Johnson seemed to have an agenda of his own since most of his calls were visibly slanted in favour of the school from West Coast, Berbice.

It was Johnson’s invisible foul call against Multi that resulted in a free kick being awarded to Bush Lot Secondary, just on the edge of the 18-yard box that saw the opening goal being scored in the 23rd minute.

Marlon Nicholson stepped

See Page 35

Defending champions Christianburg/Wismar Secondary after defeating Bush Lot Secondary 2-1 on penalty kicks in the semifinal.

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SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2014