Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Of arrogance and disrespect A tale of disrespect, complacency and arrogance has emerged out of the National Communications Network. The result is that the government is paying another television station for a service that should have been provided by the Government-owned media entity that has attracted millions of dollars in subvention each year.

To add to the situation, the National Communications Network, in response to a question to the National Assembly, reported that it grossed $500 million in 2011. That same year it got an $80 million subvention from the government.

All this would have passed unnoticed but for the expose that a rival entity—at least the second entity should have been a competitor—is providing a service to the government even as the government has the wherewithal to create conditions that would have allowed for its own media house to provide the service. That entity is TVG. The entire country is aware of the relationship between the owner of TVG and former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Because of this relationship everything that passes between the two is seen as incestuous at worse or conflict of interest at best. The owner of TVG, Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop, has long appeared to be the beneficiary of Government largesse in many areas. He acquired the assets of Sanata Textiles Limited although he did not satisfy all the stipulations in keeping with the agreement entered into with the government. For example, Dr. Ramroop, through his umbrella organization, Queens Atlantic Investments Inc., was required to employ at least 1,200 people before qualifying to buy the complex. The employment qualification was not satisfied.

Sanata Textiles assets apart, Dr. Ramroop enjoyed billions of dollars in contracts to provide pharmaceuticals for the Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Public Hospital. Some of these contracts were awarded on the basis of sole sourcing and to the exclusion of other suppliers who had the capacity to supply the pharmaceuticals at a cheaper price. It is ironic that the justification by the current Minister of Health is that the government is not prepared to sacrifice quality for price. The inference is that other suppliers would have been providing pharmaceuticals of inferior quality.

Never the less, the nation has been looking at these developments and forming their own conclusions, rightly or wrongly. Most people contended that Dr. Ramroop was a beneficiary of his relationship with President Jagdeo and stood to enjoy even more.

So when the news came that TVG, owned by Dr. Ramroop was enjoying this US$15,000 monthly rental for transmission of a government service, immediately antennae went up. Dr. Ramroop was once again the recipient of Government sponsorship.

Now the truth has come out. NCN is a law unto itself and despite the presence of President Jagdeo as the Information Minister this arrogance was allowed to become manifest.

We hear of the out of hand rejection of a discussion for a satellite uplink. The people at NCN said that cost was a factor. But we know that Government has an almost unending supply of money. If it wanted to establish a satellite uplink it could have in the same way that it recognised the need for a hotel and an expanded airport and set about putting these in place. There is also the view that the situation at NCN might have been contrived.

Cabinet examined this issue and declined to attract the skills because the government claimed that it did not see the need for any satellite uplink. Of course in the entire Caribbean there were only two entities with this facility—Sportsmax and the Caribbean News Agency.

Guyana now has the third, and while we are not aware of the things that it uplinks, we do know that it uses the facility to transmit information from the Learning Channel. We also hear that the Ministry of Education is enjoying an extremely favourable rate.

The question of any sanction against NCN for being disrespectful to a potential client has not been addressed by the owners. It would be interesting to have an investigation mounted but then again, the findings of investigations into NCN are never made public.

Thursday April 25, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

An open letter to the Prime Minister Hon. Member Samuel Hinds Leader of the Government Business in the National Assembly Tuesday, 23 rd April, 2013 HON. MEMBER: The National Budget is soon to be approved by the National Assembly. And while this nation has followed, with keen interest, the debates and the areas the opposition said they would amend, the nation even moreso has an abiding interest in good governance.

For those who require good governance, that is accountability, rights and the rule of law, this budget for them is not singularly about the excision of unwarranted or unjustified spending, it is about ensuring government is put on a path where it governs in the interest of all, plays by the same rules as the masses, and is held to the same standards. It is about creating a level playing field in the corridors of government and on the streets.

And if the government members of the National Assembly and the Executive - expects the ordinary man and woman to be held accountable for their actions under the laws, then the ordinary man and woman are correct in their expectations that the politicians, whom they have elected to represent their interests, are so equally held accountable. It is opportune to note that the Executive during the 2013 debates, made known that

while the 2012 Budget denied spending in some areas, it nonetheless withdrew from the Consolidated Fund. This is a flagrant violation of the laws and contempt for the National Assembly.

Now, if the ordinary man and woman had taken what’s not ours, such is considered a criminal offence and liable to be placed before the courts. And because we know such accountability factor exists, most of us will not yield to wrongdoing. In fact, the laws become the deterrence.

Normally, a government would be happy to prove that it is committed to governing in the interest of the people through leadership by example. But as this society strives to secure such government, the people are demanding their elected representatives do the right thing.

Let us not forget the government that governs best is a government that respects the people and takes on board their legitimate interests and desires. Good governance strives to ensure accountability to the people, whose interests they serve, by putting systems in place to operate in an honest and open manner.

The Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Bill passed by this National Assembly and sent to President Ramotar for assent seeks to hold government officials accountable, equally as the Criminal Law (Offences) Act seeks to hold the ordinary man and woman accountable.

The Bill not only seeks to ensure appropriate punishment should there be violations, it also serves as a guide to what constitutes inappropriate behaviour and is therefore critical to good governance.

There are expressed views that seeking to use this opportunity to put systems in place to effect good governance, hinged to the approval of the budget, will lead to the government falling or public servants not being paid. Labour wants neither and neither can happen if our politicians on either or both sides of the House can stand up and give leadership to matters of national import.

This was done before and it can be done again. A few cases are cited below for easy reference: · In 1971 the desire by the Forbes Burnham government to nationalize Demerara Bauxite (Demba) required the PPP’s support to remove the word “prompt” before the word “payment” as outlined in Article 8 of the then Constitution. This constitutional amendment required two-third majority, and to have the PPP’s support the government agreed to honou rCheddi Jagan’s five demands, among them being: 1) the recognition of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU); 2) the employment of PPP members who studied in then USSR and Soviet bloc countries; 3) the released of PPP supporter, Baichan Persaud, who was remanded on a murder charge. These agreements were sealed in

one night and prior to the PPP’s support (vote) for constitutional amendment. · On another matter of national import, Jagan’s support for Burnham’s policy was premised on the government granting duty free concession to GAWU for the purchase of motor bikes for its field secretaries. This too was honoured prior to support.

Some will call the above quid pro quo. In the trade union community we call it Collective Bargaining.

However, what is most striking is that both parties benefitted. And to this end it should be said regardless of what society may think about Burnham and Jagan, both men recognised the need for working together to deliver for their respective constituencies.

With precedents set, the same can happen today. And should there be an absence of any concession between the groups it indicates that either the National Assembly and Executive do not understand negotiation and real politics, or they do not care that they have a responsibility to society/ their constituents.

The growing concern among the masses is that while the Executive seems to be intractable, the opposition is not leveraging the people’s power for the benefit of the people and society. For while the ordinary man and woman are subjected to laws, regulating our behaviours and sanctioning those who violate the tenet of these behaviours, our elected Continued on page 6

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

Not so fast, Barama DEAR EDITOR: Perhaps the FAO Country Representative, Dr Lystra Paul, could clarify her remarks reported in ‘Pact signed for US$65,000 forest law enforcement programme’ (SN, 24 April 2013)? - ‘She alluded to the fact that at least two companies in Guyana, Barama Company Ltd being one of them, has been certified by the EU according to these criteria and are now able to trade with the EU’.

The Tropical Forest Trust worked with Barama to enable that company to be audited against a standard for Verification of Legal Origin (VLO) by the Rainforest Alliance. The requirements of the standard have not been published by the Tropical Forest Trust, nor has the audit report of July 2012 been published by either Barama or the Rainforest Alliance.

Long before this audit, the Rainforest Alliance was phasing out VLO and concentrating on its Verification of Legal Compliance (VLC) standard, so the relevance of the VLO is questionable. In any case, the European Union’s Timber Regulation (EUTR, number

995/2010 dated 20 October 2010) does not allow for such private certification to bypass its own requirements.

An operator – that is, the organization which is the importer of the specified wood products into the European Union – must demonstrate risk assessment as part of due diligence to prevent illegally harvested wood products from entering the EU. Specifically, the EUTR requires evidence per shipment or per operator, in Article 6 (1) (a) – · description, including the trade name and type of product as well as the common name of tree species and, where applicable, its full scientific name, · country of harvest, and where applicable: · (i) sub-national region where the timber was harvested; and (ii) concession of harvest, · quantity (expressed in volume, weight or number of units), name and address of the supplier to the operator, · name and address of the trader to whom the timber and timber products have been supplied,

· documents or other information indicating compliance of those timber and timber products with the applicable legislation.

In other words, it is not enough to say that some months or years ago a supplier in Guyana received a VLO certificate from an independent auditor. Instead, the supplier must provide the operator-importer with verifiable evidence that each particular shipment has been compliant.

The only certificates acceptable at the EU border in place of the evidence listed in the bullet points above are timber legality assurance certificates issued under a bilateral Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) in the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) programme and conservation status certificates issued under CITES – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.

Guyana is beginning the long process of negotiating a VPA; some of the documents are on the website of the Guyana Forestry Commission

(GFC). CITES certificates are not presently relevant to Guyana; the GFC opposed a CITES listing for greenheart several years ago with the astonishing argument that not enough was known about the conservation status of greenheart trees.

So Barama and Variety Woods (the other holder of the Rainforest Alliance VLO certificate) are no different from any other Guyana-based supplier of wood products to the EU, including digger mats to The Netherlands. Their operator-importers in the EU have needed since 01 March 2013, the information listed by the EU Timber Regulation, or they risk heavy penalties if shipments are found to be non-compliant.

Is this another paper threat from the EU? I suggest not. A complaint was registered about a timber shipment from Liberia and immediately the EUTR came into force. And the discovery of 800 pounds of cocaine hidden in digger mats manufactured in Soesdyke will have alerted EU Customs to the unreliability of GFC preexport checks.

Janette Bulkan

Health issues and those tower sites DEAR EDITOR: Two recent news items drew attention to a situation which seems to cause a great deal of concern to very many people. One centred on, among other things, “the glaring disparity in and discriminatory manner of distribution of radio licences”, the other on the siting of a “contentious telecommunication tower”.

Residents elsewhere already seem to be unhappy about 55 towers being erected in 7 Regions, and some of the possible sites for the erection of the proposed towers along the East Coast and the running of cables seem to involve premises accommodating buildings which serve social and educational purposes, e.g. a community centre and the University of Guyana, places where people regularly

congregate. This should also be cause for concern.

Some years ago a medical report showed that a great proportion of people who were exposed for long periods to high levels of electric energy tended to develop cancer of one type or another in the long term.

I personally know of a family who lived in a house where several electrical wires ran from a pole across the street to one outside their house.

As adults, almost all the family ended up having cancer of some kind. I always wondered why - until I read about the link between exposure to high levels of electricity and the disease. It might be worth considering health issues before a site for the proposed tower is finally selected.

Geralda Dennison

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Kaieteur News

Thursday April 25, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

Christopher Ram should know that sometimes he would be confronted and exposed DEAR EDITOR, GPL would like to respond to the letter from Christopher Ram in the Stabroek News issue of April 24th titled “Only $1,000M was requested for GPL’s operations and the National Assembly approved that; the warning of a tariff increase is nothing but scare tactics”.

The letter from Christopher Ram evidences even greater ignorance of GPL than the AFC column in last

Sunday’s Kaieteur News.

At our Press Conference last Monday we set out to explain that: 1) While the joint Opposition was strong in their condemnation of our high losses and the fact that Consumers were paying for this, they cut the allocation for investments that were intended to address the same losses. We were wondering whether they understood that for the first time in the

history of GEC and GPL that money was secured from the Exim Bank of China, IADB and from PetroCaribe resources to fund technical loss reduction and many of the major projects are well advanced and now are threatened with suspension when completion is within sight.

2) The AFC column in last Sunday’s issue of the Kaieteur News exposed how little is known about the realities of GPL. In the column,

the AFC claims that 30% of the power we generate is lost in the lines before it gets to our consumers. When this level of misunderstanding exists and it is the basis on which a major decision is made then one has to seriously wonder.

3) Many of the major projects to reduce technical losses are slated for completion this year while some were completed in December last year. This

includes: a. New substations at Sophia, North Ruimveldt, Good Hope, Golden Grove, Vreed-en-Hoop, Edinburgh and Columbia and modification to substations at Sophia, Kingston and Onverwagt. b. Transmission links between Kingston and Vreeden-Hoop, Vreed-en-Hoop and Edinburgh, Sophia and North Ruimveldt, and Sophia and Onverwagt.

All these interventions are being made to reduce line losses and improve efficiencies, which Hon. Prime Minister spoke about in Parliament.

We would like to respond to each point raised by Christopher Ram.

1) Mr. Dindyal was reckless to accuse the Opposition of a poor understanding of the Company’s Operations – When the AFC is saying that GPL’s line losses are 30% (it’s actually 14.65%) and that this is a burden to the tariff and needs to be reduced then turn around and cut allocations, which are available for the first time to reduce the same losses, and most of the major projects are well advanced, one has to seriously question if they know what GPL is doing.

2) The $6B approved in 2012 has not been accounted for to date – GPL has always accounted fully for all sums provided by Government.

Continued on page 7

Two significant milestones for Guyana DEAR EDITOR: This year marked two significant milestones for Guyana – the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the University of Guyana and also the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Bank of Guyana.

Both of these institutions have impacted positively on the country’s development, especially following the attainment of political independence in 1966 when the country was forced to rely on its own resources, both financial and human, to advance its development agenda.

Significantly, both institutions were established by the PPP Government in the early 1960s despite dire resource limitations. Today both the University and the Bank of Guyana are what is

referred to as “flagship” institutions that continue to blaze the trail in the quest for a modern and prosperous Guyana.

It is this vision and perspicacity that defined the PPP from the other political parties in Guyana. The PPP managed to solve some of the most fundamental issues confronting the country at that time without incurring or waiting for large handouts of money.

Today, similar negative sentiments are being expressed by the opposition parties with regard to the construction of the Amaila Falls hydroelectric project and the modernization and expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. Time, however is the best judge.

Hydar Ally

From page 4 officials and their agents seem not to want to so hold themselves so accountable, under any law, for misappropriating our money (tax dollars) or acting in bad faith.

Failing to do this will be sending a message to this nation that the debates were pure showmanship, a waste of time, and errant officials are being enabled by this very Assembly who make the laws to break the laws.

One also needs to be mindful of the growing sentiments that the masses are being exposed to lies, deceit, laziness, intolerance and dominance by their elected representatives.

As a citizen, leader,

taxpayer and stakeholder, I call on you to use the power vested in you by the people, to do what is right and honourable for the people.

The outstanding issues tabled before the Executive must be agreed upon prior to the budget’s approval since they give the budget the needed foundational strength not only to spending appropriateness but also serve to buttress good governance and accountability.

As leader of Leader of the Government Business, as the nation watches the House with gimlet eyes, yours is the premier responsibility to ensure it does right by the people.

Lincoln Lewis General Secretary

An open letter to the Prime...

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

Christopher Ram should...

From page 6 Our 2012 audit is completed and would be issued by the end of this month. The clean audit opinion would act as testimony to our accountability.

3) They comingle money so they do not even realize that only $1,000M was requested for GPL’s operations, which was approved in full. It is nothing but scare tactics for Mr. Brassington to warn about a potential tariff increase – The insinuation that since the $1B was approved, GPL cannot increase its tariff to fund its capital programme is a demonstration of gross ignorance of GPL’s Licence.

Ram should know that GPL has foregone revenues of over $27B to the end of this year. GPL can increase its tariff to recover all $27B and can utilize the money for operations or capital works, if it so wishes.

The statements by Ram are shocking, as Ram & McRae audited GPL’s financial statements for six years and he should have therefore been very knowledgeable of GPL’s Licence.

4) GPL owes Government $10,626 at the end of 2010 and this would have increased over 2011 and 2012 – Prime Minister mentioned on numerous occasions in Parliament that GPL’s tariffs are being intentionally suppressed even as fuel prices have skyrocketed since 2008, in Government’s efforts not to pass the burden directly to consumers.

Gov’t therefore has to provide loans to fund capital investment. Any Accountant would know that in the absence of internally generated funds, companies generally utilize long term loans to fund long term capital programmes and would seek the cheapest possible source of funding.

The Government secures these loans on highly concessional terms and onlend them to GPL. This is where the allocations in the 2013 capital budget were coming from.

5) Over the approximately six years of the Brassington– Dindyal partnership at the helm of GPL, line losses have remain stuck 32% when they should be no more than 15 – 18%.

This he attributes to inept management. We are seeing the same gross ignorance with respect to losses

displayed here by Ram. Our total losses in 2006 were 37.6% (12-months rolling average) and were 31.7% at the end of 2012.

So much for lack of progress. We would like to reiterate that line losses were 14.65% at the end of 2012 and non-technical losses were 17.05%.

More importantly, Ram thinks reducing losses has everything to do with management. Reduction of line losses is capital intensive and the IADB has approved US$3.7M for a pilot project in GPL to address maybe 7% of our problem. Unfortunately G$500M of this has been cut now.

He should speak to the IADB and ask what the over US$300M that are being spent in the Dominican Republic now on loss reduction is being used for.

He should also ask the IADB why they continue to make loans available to Government for GPL’s loss reduction programs. Ram seems to know more about the challenges of loss reduction in GPL than the experts at the IADB. 6) GPL has failed to table its 2011 Annual Report in the National Assembly – In all the years after Ram & McRae’s tenure of auditing GPL’s financial statements, subsequent Audit Firms have completed their audits long before the Company’s Final Return Certificate is due for filing. Moreover, since 2004 GPL has always had and continues to have clean audit opinions. The 2011 Annual Report is complete and awaiting the Shareholder’s approval.

7) The cost of fuel in 2013 is projected to be lower than in 2012 - It’s hard to imagine how Ram has discerned that the projected cost for fuel in 2013 is lower than in 2012 when the 2012 expenditure was $24.2B and 2013 is projected at $24.7B. 8) Management is not only incompetent but overpaid. In 2010, 29 management staffers were paid a total of $271 plus perks – With Ram being so ignorant of GPL, one would wonder what yardstick he used to gauge management’s competence. This sounds like plain old-school politics.

In terms of remuneration for management, it would be useful if he can compare their remuneration to those of similar positions within CARILEC (Sister Caribbean

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. - Jim Rohn

Utilities). If the GPL management is so overpaid, why it is that the high turnover at this level mirrors that of other large companies in the Country?

9) GPL does not have the ability to increase rates but only the PUC – GPL has never said that it does not need the PUC’s approval. We are saying we have the provision in our Licence and the justification to increase tariffs. We have always followed due process and will continue to do so.

GENERAL COMMENTS The investments which are finally being made in GPL now, some of which should have been done over 38 years ago, are critical to the future of the Company and a reliable and efficient supply to all our Consumers.

Between 1993 and 1997, all the investments in GEC addressed some generation capacity. From 2004 to 2008, all the investments were directed at extending networks to accommodate potentially 50,000 new customers. 2009 to 2011 saw further investments to increase mainly generation capacity as unprecedented accelerated growth in demand had threatened to outstrip supply.

Since last year the investments are targeting loss reduction and further generation capacity as demand maintained its growth trajectory.

Between 1993 and present our peak demand has almost tripled and continues to grow.

Commercial and industrial demand is now approaching our domestic peak showing that our stable tariffs, in spite of high fuel prices, are encouraging these users to expand.

Ram should know that for the first time in the history of GEC and GPL, resources are being made available to reduce technical losses, but unfortunately the joint Opposition has seen it fit to cut the allocation.

This is perhaps due to poor advice from “Experts” like Ram or ignorance.

Ignorance takes the dictionary meaning “lack of knowledge”, not “stupidity” as suggested by Ram. GPL has the utmost respect for all members of the National Assembly, indeed all Guyanese.

Christopher Ram, who wants to portray himself as an expert on all matters under the sun should know that sometimes he would be confronted and exposed. A little knowledge could be a dangerous thing.

Public Relations Officer, Guyana Power and Light

What about my constitutional rights?

DEAR EDITOR: I am using this medium to highlight the total disdain this government and its representatives demonstrate when it comes to the constitutional rights of the populace.

I have sent an application since December 2011 to the Guyana High Commission, London, to officially inform them of my desire to renounce my Guyanese citizenship. I paid the required £100 and as of today I am still awaiting a reply. I called the High Commission on multiple occasions including today (April 24) and I spoke to a Mrs. Singh. I was advised that the reason for the delay is because it is a requirement that I state why I wish to renounce my citizenship.

As far as I am aware, renunciation of Guyanese citizenship is recognized under the Guyana Citizenship Act, provided that the individual who is renouncing Guyanese citizenship “is or is about to become” a citizen of another country, and that Guyana is

not engaged in war at the time of renunciation (Guyana 17 Dec. 1998, Para. 10(1) (a)-(b)).

Clearly this is another attempt by those in authority to disregard my constitutional rights since I had sent both my British and Guyanese passports to the High Commission when I made my application.

I was following the recent fiasco of Rohee being upset because of his denial to speak in parliament. Arguments that the minister used were that it is his constitutional rights as an elected representative to speak in parliament. What about my constitutional rights?

What about the constitutional rights of the many Guyanese who suffer and are suffering under this elected dictatorship?

I have also been following the recent budget debates and the lots of moaning by the government about the Guyana Constitution and their right to prepare and present the budget. How convenient it was to speak of the Constitution when it was

in their interest, but disregard it otherwise?

What about the tax payers’ rights to determine how and where their monies are spent?

What about the right to free speech? Isn’t the allocation of radio licences to government friends and families an attempt to breach the right of Guyanese as a whole to free speech? Who are these inept people who run this land and from whence did they come?

It is because of this disrespect for my rights and the blatant disregard shown by this government towards the constitutional rights of the citizens that I choose to renounce my citizenship. To me, this is just symbolic, since I will get no material gains or any advantage to my professional or personal life by renouncing my citizenship.

May they read this letter and be forewarned that I will not be going away. I will be on their metaphorical backs like a rash.

Dr. Mark Devonish

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Thursday April 25, 2013

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

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GPL AND THE BUDGET CUTS The issue of GPL and the subsidy that it wants from the government must be delinked from the issue of the Opposition deciding on the level of the subsidy through what is being termed as “budget cuts.”

Those cuts are unconstitutional and will be so deemed by the courts. The Opposition is not responsible for managing the affairs of Guyana. The government is.

The constitution allows for a party that wins a minority of the total votes cast to form the Executive. So why would it then restrain that Executive by subjecting its Budget to amendment by the legislative arm? This would be another way of allowing the legislature to both determine and approve the Budget.

The Constitution of Guyana also allows for members of the National Assembly, including Opposition members to table Bills before the House. But these Bills do not become policy or law unless they are sanctioned by the President thereby preserving the right of the Executive to be in charge of the governance of the country.

Further, the very Constitution that grants to

private members the right to lay Bills before the National Assembly also places certain limitations on the types of Bills that can be tabled without the consent of Cabinet.

Article 171 (2) makes it clear that no Bill that imposes or increases any tax or which imposes any charge on Consolidated or any other public fund, may be proceeded with unless with the approval of Cabinet.

The expressed purpose of this limitation is to grant sovereign autonomy to the government to administer the financial affairs of the country.

The role of the Opposition when it comes to the Budget is strictly to exercise scrutiny. As with all Bills, the Appropriation Bill requires approval and the Opposition may use their powers not to approve but they surely have no power to amend, cut or reduce the estimates.

The separation of powers goes to the very heart of constitutional government.

But this is not understood or is being conveniently ignored by the Opposition. As such Guyana has been placed in a most uncomfortable position, one in which now there is a discommodious relationship between the arms of the State.

Dem boys seh ...

Rohee spreading he wings again Rohee barely get a chance fuh talk in Parliament but he got nuff spite and he still vex that people actually mek he a laughing stock. Suh when one MP tell he that people believe that all he party colleagues is criminals he decide to tell de police fuh question de MP. Well he had to show that he got power but dem boys know that he mekking heself a fool because Brumell ain’t suh stupid fuh send a policeman to question any MP. Before Brumell de one that dead didn’t have de guts to question Killa Lall after he shoot at a boy. Even when Killa knock down a policeman Henry de Yellow didn’t send a policeman to question Killa.

Perhaps Rohee believe that Brumell got testicular fortitude than Henry. But in truth, dem don’t have to question de MP. Just ask anybody who live in Guyana. Dem same people gun talk how some of dem Minister move from rags to riches.

But de MP only had nuff talk. Dem boys seh that he decide to sleep in another house because he believe that de police woulda tun up at he house and arrest he because Rohee seh suh.

De Speaker did done tell Rohee that de MP had privilege and can seh certain things, including what people tell he bout de criminals in de Pee Pee Pee. Is just like when dem boys hear that dem gun get more blackout. Dem hear that de opposition cut de budget suh dem wonder wha more de opposition gun cut. People tell dem how de opposition cut de airport; how dem mek de runway more short and how dem cut de building. Dem claim how dem read it in de Hard Times papers.

One man seh that he expect de government to do that to prevent people from leffing de country, that he never expect de opposition to do that. But if de Beacon of Truth seh suh then it got to be a like because that is one paper that when it seh walk, people got to run.

However, wid all de cutting and de nonsense he do, dem boys seh that Rohee should get a cut-tail Talk half and wait fuh more cutting.

Guyana should never have reached this stage after twenty-eight years of democratic and constitutional rule.

But this relationship will hopefully be remedied by the judiciary in due course. In the process it is hoped that the Judiciary will impress on the Opposition that it is the courts that are intended to adjudicate on constitutional disputes.

The right is granted by the constitution itself and for the decisions of the courts to be ignored in the name of parliamentary sovereignty is an affront to constitutional rule and must be made right.

We have had in our past a situation where the flag of the ruling party flew over the Court of Appeal. We must not

ever end up in a situation where the mace of Parliament hangs over our Supreme Court. The judiciary must be subject to and subject only to the Constitution.

Once the principles of constitutionalism are preserved, the GPL issue can be better considered on its economic merits.

The Opposition does not have the power to cut the subsidies to the GPL, but their decision to do must be seen not as an act of uncaring Opposition that is out to deprive citizens of electricity, but of an Opposition that has serious concerns as to why the GPL should be receiving such a massive subsidy each year from the government.

Four billion dollars a few years ago was high subsidy indeed. But to ask now for eleven billion dollars is really asking too much.

GPL has to be put on a sound financial footing. It has to show cause why it deserves these subsidies.

If it is made to feel that it will each year ask the government to bail it out of its losses and it will be granted these subsidies without any conditions attached, then the GPL may not become highly motivated to become a profitable venture.

The Opposition has not cut off funding for GPL. It is simply doing what it did last year, approve a provisional sum and then if GPL runs short it can come back later in

the year via a supplementary provision for more funds. Is this not what happened last year?

The problem is that the Opposition is exercising this influence by employing a means that the courts have deemed unconstitutional. It is doing so by exercising what it says is its right to amend the Budget.

It is respectfully submitted again that no such right exists under the Constitution.

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Thursday April 25, 2013

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

God only helps those who help themselves Do you know that Zimbabwe has a power sharing government in which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change is in the Cabinet in a shared governance and shared government formula with PM Mugabe’s ZAPU? Forget about the nonsense Prime Minister Sam Hinds makes about the distinction between the two in Guyana. Once there is shared government there is shared governance; once there is shared governance

then the process of government is shared because government is a very broad concept.

Do you know that Aung San Suu, the repressed, suppressed victim of cruel Burmese dictatorship just three years ago, won a seat last year in Parliament and is likely to become the next president in general elections in a few years time?

When you look back at the worse case scenarios in Zimbabwe and Burma you would never believe that in

Teens charged with raping 13-year-old Three teens who took advantage of a 13-year-old and raped her almost a year ago were on Monday charged with the crime.

The teens, two of them aged 17 and one of them aged 16, all of New Amsterdam reportedly sexually penetrated a 13-year-old girl on June 24, last year at Tucber Park.

They appeared before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s

court on Monday and were placed on $100,000 bail each.

According to information, one of the teens befriended the girl and subsequently went out on a swimming expedition with her. It was there that the teen and his friends reportedly took turns and had sex with the girl. The matter was reported and after lengthy investigations the youths were arrested and subsequently charged.

They will have to return to court on Tuesday June 4.

three years time, Zimbabwe would have had the opposition in the Cabinet and Burma would make the transition from dictatorship to semi-democratic forms. It is simply incredible when you look at the levels of dictatorship in those two countries.

For thousands and thousands of Guyanese hope and optimism would have sprung up like a billion roses if after the 2011 elections, there was shared governance and shared government.

This columnist knows deep in his heart that if there was shared governance there is no way, the leaders in APNU and the AFC that I know personally would have allowed the UG Council to terminate my contract. I say this most boldly without hesitation.

There is no way, if there was shared governance in this country after 2011 elections, Region Three officials would have seized the goods and stalls of vendors, take them to the ocean front and burn them all to cinders. There is no way if there was shared governance in Guyana after the 2011 elections, only PPP family members and friends would have received radio licenses

and frequencies.

I could go on but I believe readers understand the point I am making.

It is not only Zimbabwe and Burma that have gone beyond Guyana, the transitions are too numerous to mention. In Pakistan, momentous things are happening.

Imagine, strongman, Musharraf, former president, is in jail after arriving back in Pakistan last week.

There is a possibility that the superstar cricketer of yesteryear, Imran Khan, may become Pakistan’s Prime Minister in near future elections. Over in Venezuela, we have a fifty-one percent president, meaning he barely scraped home and for this columnist the Elections Council is not thoroughly professional.

During his presidency, Chavez damaged the professionalism of public institutions.

Guyana remains a near fifty-year old tragedy. It has to pierce the inner soul of every Guyanese that while the world changes (my God, even Pakistan, Burma and Zimbabwe), there is talk of political instability in the near

future because our political culture remains hardened, nurtured and perpetuated by those in power the past fifty years.

But surely the election results last year should have seen some shifting ground.

This was not to be. It is simply incredible to listen to what comes out of the mouths of the parliamentarians from the ruling party during the budget debate.

Most of the Ministers have made a plea to the opposition not to cut this or that item.

Each one of these Ministers, in their pleas, has expressly acknowledged that their respective estimates could be chopped down by the opposition so why were there not patriotic negotiations a year ago? Why must I wait until January 1 of the year to beg you not to reject my dog licence when for the entire previous year I could have sat down and reasoned things out with you?

Last Monday and last Wednesday, budget talks between the President and the Opposition flopped because authoritarian power is not prepared and has not been disposed for a long time now to accede to any request of the two opposition parties.

Frederick Kissoon The increase in electricity rates in Linden was halted and the whole of Guyana knows why.

The e-governance tower was removed from the Plaisance community ground and the whole of Guyana knows why.

In both situations, authoritarian power was confronted in zero sums ways. For the communities in Linden and Plaisance there was no backing down. Burma, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Venezuela are going to leave Guyana by billons (not millions) of miles in the coming years.

While they have their future, Guyanese will secure theirs by lining up for an American visa. If there is a God, he better start helping this nation. But then again, God only helps those who help themselves.

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MP’s have parliamentary privileges, Speaker … as Minister asks police to question tells Rohee MP over 'criminal cabal' statement A recent statement in the National Assembly suggesting that the ruling party is a criminal cabal has led to one Parliamentarian being asked last Saturday to report to the police or face the possibility of ranks visiting him.

The incident has been one of the many characterizing the considerations of the 2013 National Budget which has been riddled by reductions of the estimates, numerous press statements and conferences, and back and forth accusations.

Yesterday, Desmond Trotman, a backbencher for A

Partnership for National Unity (APNU), said that he refuses to be intimidated

by Home Affairs Minister for making the statement during his contribution to the debates.

House Speaker, Raphael Trotman, based on the complaint of “intimidation”, made it clear that Members of Parliament (MPs) are protected under the privileges of the National Assembly, especially as Trotman seems to be merely reporting what he heard.

Trotman, during his remarks, last week said: “Let me take this opportunity to offer some advice to the Hon.

Finance Ministry of this minority government-you should get out of your ivory tower and go on the streets.

You will be surprised when you hear what the people are saying.

You will hear them saying to the majority that in the PPP/ C we have a criminal cabal and a dictatorship to dismantle and dismantle it we must.”

Following those words last week about his party, the Minister attempted to have the words withdrawn or struck from the records.

The Speaker had ruled, then, that the statements did not trespass beyond the

Four murder accused charged with beating fellow inmate

On Tuesday, four men who are currently remanded on a charge of murder appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court.

According to Police reports, Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt said that on April 16, the prisoners Kurleigh

Goodluck, 30; Ryan Adams, 20; Sherwin McDonald, 23; and Sherwin Nero, 26, were engaged in an argument with the victim, Dilon Kyenhoff at the Georgetown Prisons.

As a result of the disagreement, there was a fight among the inmates. In the end

the complainant sustained several lacerations to the scalp and hands.

Magistrate Judy Latchman subsequently transferred the matter to Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry who further transferred the matter to another court for fixtures on April 29.

boundaries of Parliamentary privileges as Trotman was only reporting what people were saying.

In his complaint yesterday, Trotman said that following his presentation, on Saturday he received a letter from the Minister indicating that the Commissioner of Police has been written to on the matter.

“In that regard, I now write to you requesting that you provide the Guyana Police Force with any concrete information you may have about this PPP criminal cabal. After all, the Ministry of Home Affairs is committed to dismantling of any criminal cabal, wherever they might be.”

The Minister went f u r t h e r. “ F a i l i n g y o u r submission of any such information to the police, the Commissioner has been requested to dispatch ranks to question you on the said matter.”

Yesterday, Trotman said the letter raised the “spectre of the abuse of power and threatens the fundamental rights of Guyanese including the

Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee

APNU’s MP, Desmond Trotman political opponents of the government.”

He believed that the letter was clearly intended to intimidate him.

Trotman had a message to the Minister: “I wish to use this opportunity to place on the record the following response to the Hon. Minister: Under no circumstances will I be cooperating with the police in this charade.”

The MP urged the Minister to institute charges and place him before the court if he felt so strongly about the statements. “But I assure the Hon. Minister that I will not be intimidated into silence.”

Both APNU and the Alliance For Change (AFC) c o n t r o l 33 seats in the National Assembly following the 2011 General and Regional Elections— a slim one-seat majority.

The House has been divided following cuts to the National Budget last year and again this year.

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Essequibo rice farmers insist on meeting with Ramotar During a peaceful picketing exercise outside of the Parliament Building yesterday, rice farmers from the Essequibo Coast insisted that President Donald Ramotar meet with them and listen to their plights.

According to these farmers, in addition to being underpaid for their paddy by mill operators, the costs of fuel and fertilizers have risen to the extent where they are unable to effectively provide for their families.

“We can’t afford this.

Rice farmers work hard; we toil day and sometimes throughout the night, so it is unfair for us to be underpaid,” one man said.

Ano t h e r farmer lamented that although they wanted to, many of his colleagues did not have the transportation fare to come to Georgetown for the picketing exercise.

“This is just about a dozen or more ah awe here, but you would not imagine how many more people did want to come out here today, but didn’t have the money to pay them own passage to come,” Taje Persaud said.

The farmers demand meeting with President Ramotar The protestors sought to make the point that their protest was not about politics, but rather, about bread and butter, and the survival of the families of farmers.

In addition, the farmers are also calling on the Pesticide Board to examine the types of drugs and chemicals that are being imported and distributed

countrywide.

“These things need to be examined.

Th e y are expensive and sometimes when you buy them, they aren’t worth it, especially the ones them that coming from China. This is unfair.

The people who importing these things need to make sure that is proper things,” a farmer named “Naithram” said.

Unintended budget cuts were avoidable - APNU The major Parliamentary Opposition bloc, APNU, yesterday suggested that the so-called “slip rule” could have been applied at midnight Tuesday and avoid budget cuts which were not intended.

The Opposition had only intended to cut the $5.3 billion for the airport expansion project, but a technicality forced a reduction of the entire Transport budget.

Government Chief Whip Gail Teixeira had pointed out that both proposals from the Opposition Parliamentary parties APNU and AFC had errors; the proposed cuts were above what was actually budgeted.

The actual budgeted amount was $5, 35 billion.

However, APNU wanted to cut by $5.352, 999, 000. AFC

proposed $5,353,000,000.

Speaker Raphael Trotman adjourned for a few minutes to settle the matter with the Clerk and key members on both sides of the House. The Opposition argued that it was a “slip” that caused the error.

The Speaker returned to say that the motions to cut the funding for the airport expansion could not stand in the form in which it was tabled.

With the Opposition having no way out to only cut funding for the expansion of the airport, they had to cut all funding on the Transport budget in order to take their hard-line position on the airport expansion.

And so the funding that was also cut from the budget was $175 million for

hinterland roads, $80 million for the civil aviation and $26 million for the expansion of the Ogle Aerodrome.

The Opposition contended that correcting errors is normally a straightforward matter using the ‘slip rule’.

Although the Government lost the vote, the APNU said that it has no intention of opposing the Ogle Aerodrome assistance, CJIA cooperation, Civil Aviation equipment and Hinterland/ Coastal Airstrips projects.

APNU spokesmen have invited the Government to bring the funding for these projects back to the National Assembly for consideration, as soon as it is possible, by way of a Supplementary provision.

The farmers are also of the opinion that the sugar industry is being given more preference than rice.

While it did not last very long, the farmers did manage to get the sympathy of passersby.

Before the protest began, the Alliance For Change (AFC) released a press statement which backed the plight of rice farmers, not only on the Essequibo, but across the country as well.

The statement read that “for far too long rice farmers

and millers have complained about the unreasonably high cost of fuel and fertilizers, inadequate drainage and irrigation, shortage of high quality seedlings, and unenforced regulations which cause massive amounts of defective pesticides and weedicides to be imported into the country, each and all of which impact the cost of production”.

The AFC statement added that “these demands are greeted by deaf ears from a Government bent on over-

taxing fuel and other inputs and taking a piecemeal and short-term solution to longterm problems.

Government needs to reduce the taxes it takes on fuel, implement regional aerial pest control measures and provide incentives for investment in value added, along with conceptualizing new export marketing strategies.”

The party maintained that rice farmers and the rice industry on the whole, must be treated with more respect.

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GuySuCo workers injured after bridge collapses Repairs underway by GuySuCo workers

A number of sugar workers from the Wales Sugar Estate had to be rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital yesterday after an access bridge at Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara, collapsed early yesterday.

According to an official of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), nine

workers fell into the canal which separates the main road from the cane fields. The walkway bridge has been there for years and it is believed that the supports collapsed sending the workers into the waters below.

None were seriously injured.

Kaieteur News was told

that 175 workers, from two gangs, were scheduled to work at the fields south of Canal Number Two. Some 175 of them had already crossed when the structure collapsed.

Yesterday, workers from the Wales Estate were at the scene making repairs. The incident is said to have occurred before 06:00 hrs.

City officials discuss the restoration of City Hall with experts

By Rehanna Ramsay City Officials yesterday met with Grenadian building consultant experts, of TVA architecture and design, Nigel Renwick and Ihosvany De Oca Morales to map out suitable techniques to commence a programme to rehabilitate and restore City Hall.

Earlier this year the council came to a decision to proceed with the restoration of City Hall, noting its historical value and attraction in the Capital City and the Caribbean.

Speaking to the reporters yesterday, Georgetown Mayor, Hamilton Green said that the council has since met with public figures from the private and public sector, who agreed to the project.

Stakeholders were therefore, invited to help.

“One firm came on board immediately but has asked to remain anonymous at this point.

It is now funding an exercise in which these two experts are involved, I therefore hope that this beginning will be auspicious and other agencies including the Central Government would come on board as we seek to restore this building,” Mayor Green said that complexity and expenditure attached to the exercise,”

Green charged.

Mayor Green appealed to the current Administration, and to individuals locally and abroad inviting them to preserve the city’s treasure.

“We cannot afford to lose this treasure, in fact, buildings like this make Georgetown charming and significant.

I therefore hope that all concerned persons, the government the opposition, churches council will recognize that this exercise transcends political, religion, race or prejudice; this is something that all Guyanese should be anxious to contribute to irrespective of our beliefs.”

The building‘s architectural and historical value, Green says is what makes the city beautiful.

He recommended that there be a sense of imperativeness to remedy the current state of City Hall.

“What happened, this morning suggests that there is certain urgency about it.

While we were looking at the building we had certain sounds and sparks we had to summon the fire service and GPL and as a result we have to reinstate an electrician... I say that to note that this is urgent.”

Managing Director of TVA, Nigel Renwick, endorsed the Mayor’s

account. He described the City Hall as being in a state of “cardiac arrest.”

“We have quite a bit of work to be done here. There are some pressing issues, climactic issues that should be addressed and there are aspects which, if not dealt with fairly urgently, can be irreversible” The building experts are expected to produce a report on the estimated cost of the project.

A special committee will be established “outside of City Hall’s bureaucracy to deal with the mobilization expenditure and modality of the project.”

Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Greene reiterated the importance of having the City Hall preserved as a historical landmark.

She called on the patriots to show appreciation for the positive outcome of City Hall.

City Hall is a nineteenth century gothic revival building that was designed by Architect, Reverend Ignatius Scoles in the late 1800s.

The building houses the offices of Mayor, the City Council and the City Engineers. City Hall is often described as “the most picturesque structure” and “the most handsome building in Georgetown”, as well as “one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture

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Former councillor Girl, 17, Predicted economic growth for 2013 is achievable says PM Douglas charged with perverting stabs course of public justice 31-year-old

Dansam Dhansook PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – Dansam Dhansook, the former People’s National Movement (PNM) councillor, whose accusations led to the removal of two government ministers from the cabinet of then prime minister Patrick Manning in 2005, has been charged with 13 offences of perverting the course of public justice.

Dhansook, who will reappear in court in July, had

alleged that he paid former works and transport minister Franklin Khan and former energy minister Eric Williams for securing contracts from a Canadian company for his business.

The charges against Dhansook are that between April 30, 2005, and May 20, 2010, he gave false evidence at the San Fernando and Port of Spain Magistrates’ Courts against Khan, who is now the PNM chairman and Williams, who now works in Africa.

Dhansook is charged with committing a series of acts which had a tendency to pervert the course of justice when he gave false statements and false evidence in which he alleged he paid Khan and Williams as a reward for securing contracts for him with Terra Sais International of Canada.

Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan in January 2008 dismissed the charges against Williams after she ruled Dhansook’s evidence was “unbe-lie-vable, tenuous, and vague”.

lover to death

ST ANN, Jamaica A 31-year-old man is dead and his 17-year-old girlfriend in police custody after she allegedly stabbed him in the back last Tuesday night.

Reports are that about 8:30 pm, Shawn Magnus and his girlfriend who lived together in Parry Town, Ocho Rios had a dispute over a cell phone. During the dispute, a struggle ensued when the teen stabbed Magnus once in the back.

The teen was reportedly among those who rushed him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

She has since been taken into custody, but is not yet charged in relation to the incident.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (CUOPM) — St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas continues to be optimistic that the twin-island federation will achieve a near two percent economic growth this year.

Responding to a caller during his weekly radio programme “Ask the Prime Minister,” told listeners that the predicted 1.9% growth “is reasonable based on what we have seen from the performance of the local economy, having undergone

a number of structural adjustments in changes generally and the importance revenue that is being provided especially to the leading productive sector in the economy. So 1.9% growth, I see nothing wrong with that. It has been something that was identified by the IMF working closely with us and we believe that we can achieve this particular target.”

“We have had a debt restructuring exercise which means that there is much less money to be used to service our internal and external debt. And

that naturally we would continue to have surpluses in the economy, if we continue to plan in the way that we have been planning, especially over the last 18 to 24 months,” the Prime Minister explained.

Dr. Douglas said even if an election maybe pending and there are surpluses, there will still be restraint in expenditure. “We have been very much restrained as a responsible government. We don’t go over board by spending a lot of money because an election is coming up that is not what we do,” he said.

Former government minister guilty of causing grievous body harm SCARBROUGH, Tobago - CMC – Former government minister Rennie Dumas will reappear in court on May 2 for sentencing after he was found guilty yesterday of common assault and grievous body harm arising from an incident in 2011.

Magistrate Nanette Forde-John in handing down her ruling said that she believed Dumas, who served as a government minister until

2010, not only assaulted the victim, Roger Simon, but also used a firearm in committing the crime.

Simon, who is also the owner of a landscaping company, claimed that on June 1, 2011, Dumas slapped him across his face with a gun and accused him of trespassing and stealing materials from the lands belonging to the former minister.

Simon said he was given a job to clean the lands, but when he tried to explain this to Dumas, he was instead verbally abused, then beaten.

Simon told the court he was beaten and lost two of his front teeth.

Dumas was represented by former attorney general John Jeremie and attorney Keith Scotland. His lawyers are expected to address the court on May 2.

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Venezuela’s parliament launches probe into Capriles CARACAS (Reuters) Venezuela’s governmentcontrolled parliament yesterday set up an inquiry into violence over its disputed election that authorities blame on opposition leader Henrique Capriles.

Nine people died and dozens were injured after opposition protests against Nicolas Maduro’s narrow April 14 presidential poll win turned violent around the South American nation.

The government asserted that the unrest was evidence the opposition was planning a coup. Capriles’ camp has rejected that, saying officials have exaggerated the violence and have tried to use deaths from common crimes to bolster the toll discredit the opposition.

“The government is desperately sowing lies,” said Capriles, who called supporters onto the streets after the disputed election results, but has since urged only peaceful protests.

The National Assembly said on Twitter that a special committee would begin meeting on Monday to investigate the violence. “The commission will determine responsibility for violent actions directed by Capriles,” it said.

Government legislator Pedro Carreno, who will head the committee that does not include any opposition parliamentarians, called Capriles a “murderer” during yesterday’s announcement.

“Sooner rather than later,

he will have to pay for those crimes,” Carreno said, describing the death of an 11year-old girl as the result of “fascism.”

Inside Ve n e z u e l a , reports of the violence have varied, with state media painting an image of pro-opposition mobs burning government offices and health facilities.

The opposition media quoted family members of victims saying that some of the deaths had nothing to do with the political tensions.

In a sustained assault against Capriles from numerous senior officials, National Assembly head Diosdado Cabello called him a “fascist murderer,” while Prisons Minister Iris Varela said a jail cell and rehabilitation therapies awaited him.

Capriles, a 40-year-old state governor who promises Brazilian-style pro-business policies mixed with strong social protections, confounded opinion polls to run a close finish against Maduro in the election to succeed late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.

Despite an initial large gap in the polls, emotion around the death of Chavez who had endorsed him as successor as well as a powerful state apparatus behind his election campaign, Maduro won by less than 2 percentage points.

Capriles said the ballot was marred by thousands of irregularities, including intimidation of voters at poll centers, and demanded a

Government moving to liberalise electricity sector ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA - GIS - Public Utilities Minister Gregory Bowen, has given an assurance that no effort will be spared in moving forward the process of liberalising the electricity sector in Grenada.

The initiative is one that will also be undertaken by other OECS Member States.

Mr. Bowen was making his contribution to the 2013 Budget last week.

He said, 1.4 million dollars is earmarked from the World Bank to facilitate the liberalization of the electricity sector.

“I want to assure the Nation that a steering committee will be formulated and become active in ensuring we work with the other countries for the

liberalization of the electricity sector” Bowen said.

The Public Utilities Minister added, that initial indications are, that once the system remains the same, a reduction in electricity rates will not be realized.

Minister Bowen said, the wind turbine project in Carriacou will be pushed with representation from the MP of that Constituency, Hon. Elvin Nimrod.

“This is over 3 million Euros grant to Grenada, though the Grenada Electricity Services Company is putting some funding into it, but we want to ensure that the lease does not go to the detriment of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.”Bowen said.

recount.

The election board is carrying out a partial audit but has said that will not change the result.

Both Maduro and Capriles have called on supporters to march again on May 1 in another potential flashpoint for the OPEC nation of 29 million people.

“The government

spokesmen don’t understand that threatening Capriles, the leader of half the country, means threatening the trust of more than 7.5 million Venezuelans,” said opposition leader Antonio Ledezma.

“They’ll have to turn all the football and baseball stadiums into concentration camps because they’ll have

to jail millions of Venezuelans who are going to stand with Capriles.”

In 2004, Capriles was jailed for four months after being accused of stirring up violence during a protest at the Cuban embassy two years earlier. He denied the accusation, saying he was mediating there. The case was set aside.

Henrique Capriles

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Italy president names centerleft’s Letta as new PM ROME (Reuters) - Italian President Giorgio Napolitano yesterday asked center-left politician Enrico Letta to form a new government, signaling the end of a damaging twomonth stalemate since elections in the euro zone’s third largest economy in February.

Letta, from the Democratic Party (PD), said he would start talks to form a broad-based coalition today.

It is likely to go to parliament for a vote of confidence by early next week.

The prime minister designate is expected to select a group of ministers, likely to be a mixture of politicians and technocrats, under the guidance of

Napolitano, whose own unprecedented re-election last weekend opened the way for an end to the crisis.

The new government will be backed primarily by Letta’s center-left and the centerright People of Freedom party (PDL) led by Silvio Berlusconi, which had previously failed to reach a deal following inconclusive elections two months ago.

Rivalries between the parties as well as rifts within the PD, which fell short of a viable parliamentary majority in February’s vote, could still block an accord. But formation of a government after such a long impasse would signal that Italy is finally ready to make a start

on much-needed reforms.

Accepting his mandate, Letta said he would not form a government “at all costs”, warning that the warring parties must make compromises or he would withdraw.

He said Italy faced an untenable situation and the government must provide answers on jobs, poverty and the crisis facing small businesses in a recession that now matches the longest since World War II. European Union economic policies had been too focused on austerity instead of growth, he said, and Italy’s parliamentary system must be reformed together with the widely

criticized electoral law that has virtually guaranteed stalemate.

The bespectacled and balding Letta is an urbane moderate who speaks fluent English and at 46 would be one of Italy’s youngest prime ministers, representing a generational change from the era of Berlusconi and outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti.

A staunch pro-European and a member of the nowdefunct Christian Democrat party in his youth, he is likely to be welcomed by foreign governments and markets and can also work with the center-right.

He is the nephew of Berlusconi’s longtime chief of

Bangladesh factory building collapse kills nearly 100 DHAKA (Reuters) - A block housing garment factories and shops collapsed in Bangladesh yesterday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring more than a thousand, officials said.

Firefighters and troops dug frantically through the rubble at the eight-storey Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30 km (20 miles) outside Dhaka. Television showed young women workers, some apparently semi-conscious, being pulled out.

One fireman told Reuters about 2,000 people were in the building when the upper floors slammed down onto those below.

Bangladesh’s booming garments industry has been plagued by fires and other accidents for years, despite a drive to improve safety standards. In November 112 workers died in a blaze at the Tazreen factory in a nearby suburb, putting a spotlight on global retailers which source clothes from Bangladesh.

“It looks like an earthquake has struck here,”

said one resident as he looked on at the chaotic scene of smashed concrete and ambulances making their way through the crowds of workers and wailing relatives.

“I was at work on the third floor, and then suddenly I heard a deafening sound, but couldn’t understand what was happening. I ran and was hit by something on my head,” said factory worker Zohra Begum.

An official at a control room set up to provide information said 96 people were confirmed dead and more than 1,000 injured.

Doctors at local hospitals said they were unable to cope with the number of victims brought in. Mohammad Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area’s police station, said factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block on Tuesday.

Five garment factories employing mostly women were housed in the building,

including Ether Tex Ltd., whose chairman said he was unaware of any warnings not to open the workshops.

“There was some crack at the second floor, but my factory was on the fifth floor,” Muhammad Anisur Rahman told Reuters. “The owner of the building told our floor manager that it is not a problem and so you can open the factory.”

He initially said that his firm had been sub-contracted to supply Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world’s largest retailer, and Europe’s C&A. In a subsequent interview he said he had been referring to an order in the past, not current work.

Wal-Mart did not immediately respond to requests for comment. C&A said that, based on its best information, it had no contractual relationship with any of the production units in the building that collapsed.

The website of a company called New Wave, which had two factories in the building, listed 27 main buyers,

including firms from Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Canada and the United States.

“It is dreadful that leading brands and governments continue to allow garment workers to die or suffer terrible disabling injuries in unsafe factories making clothes for Western nations’ shoppers,” Laia Blanch of the U.K. antipoverty charity War on Want said in a statement.

November’s factory fire raised questions about how much control Western brands have over their supply chains for clothes sourced from Bangladesh. Wages as low as $38.50 a month have helped propel the country to no. 2 in the ranks of apparel exporters.

It emerged later that a Wal-Mart supplier had subcontracted work to the Tazreen factory without authorization.

Buildings in the crowded city of Dhaka are sometimes erected without permission and many do not comply with construction regulations.

New Prime Minister Enrico Letta staff, Gianni Letta, and has numerous political friends on all sides of parliament, which could help ease the fractious climate since the election.

As Letta met close aides, the names being circulated as likely future ministers suggested a government broadly in line with Monti’s outgoing technocrat administration but including senior politicians such as PDL party secretary Angelino Alfano.

Bank of Italy director general Fabrizio Saccomanni was seen as a possible economy minister and Enrico Giovannini, head of statistics agency ISTAT, may take over the industry ministry. Monti himself could return as foreign minister, helping to maintain the international contacts he cultivated as premier.

Investors had already reacted with relief to the prospect of an end to the intractable crisis, with Italy’s two-year borrowing costs yesterday tumbling to their lowest level since the start of European monetary union in 1999.

However, the country’s problems are not over, with significant differences remaining between left and right over economic policy and the center-left in disarray after letting slip an election it had once seemed sure to win.

These difficulties were put into sharp focus even before Letta was chosen,

when Renato Brunetta, a senior member of Berlusconi’s PDL party, said they would only support a government committed to repealing, and refunding, a housing tax introduced by Monti.

The center-left agrees only to a partial reduction of the tax and many economists say cuts in the levy would leave a gaping hole in Italy’s public accounts.

Letta will also have to make sure he has his own party behind him. Factional infighting forced Pier Luigi Bersani to resign as party leader last week and there is significant internal opposition to any accord with Berlusconi.

Matteo Renzi, the ambitious young mayor of Florence seen as a potential leader of the center-left, could also prove a difficult partner to integrate.

Berlusconi gave a firm promise to Napolitano that he would support a coalition government in which his party shared power with the PD but favorable opinion polls may tempt him at some point to seek new elections.

Napolitano, who reluctantly agreed to serve another term as president, has made clear, however, that he will not accept endless squabbling between the parties and has threatened to resign if they do not unite behind economic and constitutional reforms.

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

Egypt pushes ahead with controversial law CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s Islamist-led parliament yesterday pushed ahead with a controversial judicial law in a heated session, despite a rising uproar among judges and the opposition who fear Islamists’ control over courts.

The judiciary, with mostly secular-minded professional judges, is seen by many Egyptians as the one of the only remaining buffers against Islamists’ monopoly of power following the ouster of authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Since then, Islamist parties have swept most polls and dominated legislative councils and the presidency.

The opposition vowed to escalate a campaign against the bill and judges called an emergency meeting.

Activists who helped topple Mubarak have demanded that President Mohammed Mursi reform the judiciary and support its independence.

Presidential spokesman Ihab Fahmy told reporters yesterday that the Islamist president respects the judges and has assured them that he won’t accept an assault on the judiciary.

“The president is keen on containing the judiciary crisis,” he said. He added: “The president firmly stressed that it’s unacceptable to hurt or encroach on the judiciary.”

The crisis over the judiciary is a reflection of the deep-polarization that split the country into proponents and opponents of Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood party backers.

Dispute over the controversial law is the latest in a power tussle between Mursi and the judiciary since his June election.

Last year, courts disbanded the parliament, dominated by Islamists, over

Mohammed Mursi unconstitutionality of the election law.

Last month, the courts challenged a new law governing parliamentary elections that were slated to begin this month, delaying the vote indefinitely. The president’s Muslim Brotherhood party was pushing for early elections.

Mursi alleges that some in the judiciary are plotting conspiracies against his administration. His party says some judges want to b r i n g b a c k M u b a r a k ’s regime.

At the same time as F a h m y ’s r e m a r k s , t h e legislative committee of the upper house of parliament, which is seated as a transitional legislature, voted in favor of three draft laws on the judiciary proposed by Islamist groups. It opened the floor for further debate.

One proposed by M u r s i ’s F r e e d o m a n d Justice party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood group, drops the retirement age for judges from 70 to 60, which would affect nearly a quarter of Egypt’s 13,000 j u d g e s a n d prosecution officials. The draft also would bar the courts from reviewing

Press watchdog urges Kuwait to rethink media laws KUWAIT CITY (AP) — An international press freedom group is urging Kuwait to abandon proposals to tighten media laws that could bring fines of nearly $1 million for insulting the Gulf nation’s ruler and allow further clampdowns on blogs and websites.

The measures reflect wider efforts across the Western-backed Gulf states to expand media controls following the Arab Spring.

Dozens of online activists across the region have been

jailed. Kuwait’s proposed codes could bring some of the harshest penalties.

A report Wednesday by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said the steep fines could bankrupt media outlets and bring jail time for journalists unable to pay.

Kuwait has the most politically open system among the Gulf Arab nations, but the ruling family is now locked in escalating showdowns with opposition groups.

or overturning presidential decrees issued by Mursi late last year, including his unilateral appointment of a new top prosecutor.

The same proposal mandates that judges oversee polling stations and punish those who refuse to carry out their duties — a job that used to be voluntary. Last year, during the vote over a controversial draft of the country’s new constitution that was written by Mursi’s allies many judges boycotted the vote to protest a decree that temporarily granted Mursi’s decisions immunity from judicial review.

During the parliamentary session, independent lawmaker Tharwat Nafaa ripped up a letter sent by the Judges’ Union. The letter demanded the parliament stop debating the law because it said the constitutionality of the body was in dispute. Upset by the union’s challenge, Nafaa, in front of cameras, screamed: “This is humiliation!”

At the Judges’ Union headquarters where thousands of judges gathered to discuss their next move if the parliament passes the bill, Ahmed el-Zind, the head of the union, questioned Nafaa’s political affiliation.

“Are you really independent?” he shouted in his lengthy speech.

The crisis over the judiciary also has prompted the resignations of top Mursi’s aides and advisers.

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More legal trouble for Pakistan’s Musharraf

A supporter of Pakistan’s former President and military ruler Pervez Musharraf hurls a stone towards the lawyers outside an anti-terrorism court, where Musharraf appeared in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani court yesterday rejected bail for ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf in a case connected to the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007, a government prosecutor said.

It was the latest setback for Musharraf, who returned to Pakistan last month from four years in self-imposed exile to make a political comeback but is currently under house arrest in connection with a different case.

Musharraf returned to run in the parliamentary election scheduled for May 11, but was disqualified because of his actions while in power and is spending most of his time battling legal cases.

He seized power in a

military coup in 1999 when he was army chief. He was serving as president when Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack in December 2007, shortly after she returned from exile to contest the elections.

Musharraf blamed the Pakistani Taliban for Bhutto’s slaying, but government investigators later said there was evidence of his involvement. A U.N. report faulted Musharraf’s government for failing to provide Bhutto with adequate security.

Musharraf has denied the allegations against him.

The former military ruler had arranged a pre-arrest bail in the Bhutto case and several others before returning to Pakistan, meaning he could not be immediately arrested on arrival. On Wednesday,

the Islamabad High Court rejected Musharraf’s bail after his lawyer failed to appear to argue for an extension in the Bhutto case, said government prosecutor Zulfikar Chaudhry.

Musharraf could now be arrested and tried in connection with the Bhutto case as well, said Chaudhry.

Musharraf was placed under house arrest over the weekend in connection with a case involving his decision to fire senior judges, including the chief justice of the Supreme Court, while in power. His arrest followed a dramatic escape from court in which he fled in a speeding vehicle to avoid detention. He was eventually placed under arrest at his heavily guarded house on the outskirts of Islamabad.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday April 25, 2013

U.S. seeks to ease Afghan-Pakistan tensions in Brussels talks BRUSSELS (Reuters) Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan’s army chief and a foreign ministry official held “productive” talks yesterday on easing tensions between the neighboring states, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who hosted the meeting, said.

Kerry cautioned, however, that any results of the Brussels talks would have to be measured in improving relations as NATO winds down its Afghanistan mission.

“We had a very extensive and ... a very productive and constructive dialogue ... But we have all agreed that results are what will tell the story, not statements at a press conference,” Kerry told reporters, without disclosing any details of what was discussed.

Afghanistan has grown increasingly frustrated with Pakistan over efforts to pursue a peace process involving the Taliban, suggesting that Islamabad is intent on keeping Afghanistan unstable until foreign combat forces leave at the end of 2014.

Kerry hosted the meeting between Karzai and Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and senior Foreign Ministry bureaucrat Jalil Jilani, with the aim of calming tensions over border disputes and the stalled peace process.

“I think that everybody here agreed today that we will continue a very specific dialogue on both the political track as well as the security track,” Kerry, flanked by Karzai and Kayani, said after more than three hours of talks.

“We have a commitment to do that in the interests of Afghanistan, Pakistan and peace in the region.”

After talks over lunch, Kerry, Kayani and Karzai strolled together in the sprawling garden of the residence of the U.S. ambassador to NATO on the outskirts of the Belgian capital.

Kerry told reporters at the start of the meeting that Afghanistan was in “a critical transformational period”.

Karzai called it an important meeting and said he was glad Kayani and Jilani had found the time to travel

a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels at which alliance Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen

said Pakistan must crack down on militants who use the country as a sanctuary to launch attacks in

Afghanistan.

The meeting follows weeks of tension with Pakistan over their 2,600-km (1,600-mile) border and stalled peace efforts.

Afghan officials say Pakistan has a long history of supporting Afghanistan’s Taliban and other insurgent factions. Pakistan in turn has accused Afghanistan of giving safe haven to militants on the Afghan side of the border.

NATO-led forces are expected to cede the lead role for security in Afghanistan this spring to Afghan soldiers, 12 years after the United States invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban government harboring Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader.

The White House has yet to decide how many U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan after 2014. Much depends on progress in negotiations with Karzai on a Bilateral Security Agreement to define the future legal status of U.S. forces.

(Reuters) - Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar alAssad seized a strategic town east of Damascus yesterday, breaking a critical weapons supply route for the rebels, activists and fighters said.

Rebels have held several suburbs ringing the southern and eastern parts Damascus for months, but they have been struggling to maintain their positions against a ground offensive backed by fierce army shelling and air strikes in recent weeks.

“The disaster has struck, the army entered Otaiba. The regime has managed to turn off the weapons tap,” a fighter from the town told Reuters via Skype.

“The price of a bullet will go from 50 Syrian pounds to 1,000 Syrian pounds (6.5 pounds) now, but we must pay and retake it. It’s the main if not the only route.”

Rebels said they pulled out of Otaiba, a gateway to the eastern rural suburbs of Damascus known as alGhouta, in the early hours after more than 37 days of fighting in which they accused the government of using chemical weapons against them twice.

The government has denied using chemical weapons and accused rebels in turn of firing them in Aleppo.

Rebels used Otaiba for

eight months as their main supply route to Damascus for weapons brought in from the Jordanian border, where Saudi Arabia and other private donors are believed to be sending in arms.

Government forces pushed in with tanks and soldiers.

“Now all the villages will start falling one after another, the battle in Eastern Ghouta will be a war of attrition,” another fighter in the area said, speaking by Skype.

More than two years into their struggle to end four decades of Assad family rule, the rebels remain divided by struggles over ideology and fighting for power.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (C) escorts Afghan President Hamid Karzai (2nd L) to a meeting in Brussels yesterday. REUTERS/Evan Vucci/Pool to Brussels.

“Let’s hope...for the best,” he told reporters.

Neither Karzai nor the Pakistan officials made any comment at the end of the meeting.

The talks come a day after

Syrian army seizes strategic town near capital

Swiss bring back quotas to control EU immigration (Reuters) - Switzerland said it will reintroduce quotas for European Union workers, bowing to growing unease about immigration from poorer neighbours, in a decision Brussels says violates an accord.

Prosperous, landlocked Switzerland has seen the net influx of workers rise to up to 80,0000 a year, contributing to a house price bubble and prompting criticism from right-wing parties.

The Swiss Federal Council said yesterday the quotas, effective for 12 months, will apply to eight central and eastern European countries including Hungary,

Poland and Slovakia.

They will likely be extended to a further 17 countries in western and southern Europe in June, it added.

Under the terms of the 1999 Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, nonEU Switzerland may invoke a “safeguard clause” which allows temporary caps on work permits if the annual influx exceeds a certain number. “came to the conclusion that the safeguard clause is one of several measures which can help to make immigration more acceptable to society and compatible with

its needs,” it said in a statement.

The EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she regretted the Swiss action, adding that it was contrary to the 1999 treaty since the quotas differentiate between countries.

“These measures disregard the great benefits that the free movement of persons brings to the citizens of both Switzerland and the EU,” she said in an emailed statement.

Last April, Switzerland temporarily imposed quotas on workers from the same eight eastern European countries.

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Thursday April 25, 2013

Tumatumari Hydro electric plant on the cards The Hydro plant at Tumatumari is very much on the cards. Managing Director of Dynamic Engineering Mr.Lloyd Rose, said last week that arrangements are being finalized for the commencement of the project in the second half of this year.

He promised to release more details on the arrangeme nts for the construction of the hydroelectric facility on his return from Honduras, but stressed,”Dynamic Engineering i s in the final stages of

preparation for the reconstruction of the hydro at Tumatumari. The hydro is definitely coming up.”

Mr. Rose said that Mahdia will be one of the beneficiaries of electricity provided by the reconstructed hydroelectric

facility.

Mark Crawford, Region Eight Chairman, recently stated that the provision of electricity via the Tumatumari hydro plant is the most feasible solution for Mahdia and neighbouring communities.

He made the comment in relation to rationing of electricity by Mahdia Power and Light Company which many residents were finding to be extremely inconveniencing.

Crawford said that with hydro power from Tumatumari, some expected benefits are reduced electricity costs, reduced greenhouse gases (emission), saved foreign exchange on over 180 barrels of fuel monthly that is needed for the large generator at the

The rapids at Tumatumari and remains of the historic Tumatumari Hydro plant which supplied electricity from the late 1950s to the 1980s.

Mahdia power company, and a more reliable supply of electricity.

“I believe that no effort should be spared by the government to assist the developers of the Tumatumari hydroelectricity since it will benefit the interior tremendously,” he said.

The hydro power plant at Tumatumari was constructed utilizing the rapids of the Potaro River near Tumatumari in the late 1950s by the British Guiana Consolidated Gold Fields and the Potaro Electric

Company.

The plant was used to provide electricity for the gold mining operations of that company. The Tumatumari hydro plant provided

electricity up to as late as the 1980s but was then allowed to fall into disrepair.

Dynamic Engineering recently took up the challenge to reconstruct the

plant and to provide electricity for improved quality of life and economic and developmental activities in the Siparuni Sub-Region of Region Eight.

Scrap metal dealers create woes for East Canje Scrap metal operators are causing millions of dollars in damage to newly constructed roads and the residents of Fort Ordnance Housing scheme say authorities are turning a blind eye.

The residents of Fort Ordnance Housing Scheme in East Canje want something to be done to these scrap metal operators who they say are damaging the infrastructure.

The perpetrators have been storing piles of scrap materials on the recently constructed road in the newly opened housing scheme, causing damage to the streets, yards, drains, parapets, pipelines and other infrastructures which were

recently constructed in the Scheme.

The residents say that the operators of the scrap yard at Fort Ordnance Housing, East Canje Berbice have been defying orders to cease operating.

According to residents the scrap metal dealers have been operating without permission and the necessary licence. Ever since they started to dump the scrap material on the road their actions have been damaging the road surface.

They want to know who gave the perpetrators permission and despite their many complaints to the NDC, the Regional Administration, the police and even officials

of the Ministry of Housing, nothing is being done and the infrastructure is being laid to waste.

Two of the many trucks GKK 5503 and GNN 3304 were being loaded yesterday.

The piles of scrap metal do not bode well for a housing scheme and the heavy trucks that traverse the area with tons of waste materials, are damaging the infrastructure with impunity.

The residents also pointed to a street a few meters away, which was repaired a few weeks ago.

Yesterday it was flooded with water from a burst pipe below, caused by the heavy scrap iron trucks traversing the area.

Scrap yard in operation on the Road

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

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IMC ‘injustice’ causes strike in Bartica Truck and sandpit operators in Bartica are currently on strike to demonstrate their frustration against the injustice that is being meted out to residents of the community by the Interim Management Committee (IMC).

On Monday, residents staged a protest in front of the District Office, to vent their annoyance over what is being described as discrimination against the neighbourhood commercial enterprise.

The sandpit operators claim that they have been forced out of work by the recently installed IMC. The workers have been replaced by a private operator. This negates their legal rights to

have access to the sandpits.

The residents are now crying foul at the IMC, calling their practices “corrupt” and lacking transparency.

“We have been operating backhoe loaders in the sandpits for more than 10 years, but after the Government dissolved the Neighbourhood Democratic Council and installed the IMC, under the new management every Bartica resident was stopped from working in the pits, preventing us from earning an honest living,” one operator stated.

According to the businessmen, after the takeover, the IMC purchased a backhoe loader but the machine was dysfunctional thus it required the back up

of another loader.

“The arrangement did work well with the operator, since is only when the backhoe loader not functioning well then they does send fuh this man cause he ain’t got a permanent job and he got another man working wid he and he can’t afford to pay he so….

However the IMC allows a private frontend loader operator and completely stopped we, the people of Bartica from working in the sandpit.” Truck and sandpit workers are currently on strike alluding to the “blatant bullyism,” portrayed by the IMC authorities.

This Stephen Belle is a bully; he been oppressing the people of Bartica long now

Truckers parked in front of IMC District Office during Monday’s protest

and if we allow this to continue what will happen to our children? It’s greed and covetousness on the IMC’s side.

The residents of Bartica

Several injured after Number 19 Road collision

The vehicles after the smash- up Several persons sustained injuries when two vehicles collided on the Number 19 Public Road yesterday morning, in the vicinity of Borlam Turn. It was raining heavily at the time.

The accident occurred shortly after 07:00 hrs.

According to reports, a Demerara Distillers Limited distributor truck (GJJ 6) registered to ‘Bhagjai Distributor’ of Berbice was heading towards the Corentyne when it attempted to negotiate a turn along the roadway.

At the same time it attempted to overtake hire car HB 6569 and slammed into the car.

The driver of the car was badly injured and had to be rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital along with the other passengers,

while the driver of the truck was said to have escaped with cuts and scrapes.

More than an hour after the accident, the police had not arrived on the scene although the police station was not more than 15 minutes away.

want an explanation to the occurrence. “How can the IMC allow another private operator to work and prevent Barticians from doing so and why should they be given exclusive rights to that which belongs to the people of Bartica?” another resident asked.

The community is calling upon the Local Government authorities to install an acceptable system that will allow a free market for all goods and services.

Meanwhile, vice chairman of the Bartica IMC, Stephen Belle said that the decision

was made by a 15-member committee.

“The decision was made based on votes. The sand pit is Government-owned and the council decided not to have it opened to public use.

The committee has a mining permit to operate in the sandpit from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and it pays royalty to (GGMC)” He noted that when the IMC took over from the NDC, the latter left a debt of $2.6 million owing to the GGMC resulting in the current outcome.

Page 28

Puruni trafficking in persons…

Kaieteur News

14-year-old was lured to interior by older sister

One of the teenagers rescued from a shop in the interior last sunday was lured there by her older sister.

This is according to sources at the Ministry of Human Services which has provided them with temporary shelter.

A policeman who allegedly was the first person to take the girl into the interior has been detained, while investigators are still trying to locate others involved in the dramatic Trafficking in Persons case.

Investigators are also seeking the operators of the Puruni Backdam shop where the girls were found.

There are reports that the shop owners were to turn themselves in to police with their attorney.

Kaieteur News was told

that the girl, 14, who hails from the Northwest District, was recruited while spending time with an aunt in the city.

She told investigators that her older sister had met with the policeman at a popular city restaurant and bar where she was offered a job in the interior.

The sister agreed and also got the 14-year-old to agree to take up the ‘job’ offer.

They both travelled to the interior shop with the policeman but before long, the 14-year-old’s sister returned to the city, leaving her behind.

This newspaper was told that although the policeman has been positively identified by the teenager, he continues to deny that he knew her.

The source could not say if the girl’s parents have been

· A very dangerous message has been delivered to the people of Guyana.

If the independent media can be so spitefully cast aside for selfish pleasures, then the ordinary citizen man, woman or child – has absolutely no chance.

contacted.

Members of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) rescued the four teenagers from alleged sexual slavery at Tiger Creek, Puruni in Region Seven last Sunday even enduring a confrontation with the shop owner in the process.

GWMO President, Simona Broomes, told this publication that rescuing the girls was not an easy task; members of her organization had to put up a fight.

Without police security, they had to depend on their lone personal security to help fight off the perpetrators who followed them to Itaballi.

Broomes also said that she was shocked to see that the Mines Officer in the area and the perpetrators are friends. She said that a physical altercation occurred at the Mines Officer ’s dwelling place, during which she was assaulted and forced to defend herself.

The Mines Officer has since been suspended.

The girls, aged 14, 15, 17, and 18 years old were reportedly being held in a shop, popularly called ‘Kaimoo’ by porkknockers.

According Broomes, the crying teens, after being rescued, spent Sunday night on a bench in the Bartica Police Station.

The police there had reportedly refused to provide security at the private residence where the GWMO wanted to keep the girls.

Broomes had stated that a representative of the Human Services Ministry in Bartica was unable to provide any immediate assistance to the young girls.

Head of the Child Protection Agency, Ann Greene, when contacted yesterday said the teens are still in her agency’s care and they are still being interviewed to see what their immediate needs are.

However, she was not able to say what the status of the police investigation was as it relates to the arrest of the persons against whom the allegations were made.

She however noted that t h e M i n istry’s Counter Trafficking Unit is conducting investigations as well and once the facts support the allegations, then charges are likely to be laid.

Thursday April 25, 2013

Gold Board faces huge losses as a result of sudden drop in gold prices The Guyana Gold Board is reportedly facing losses amounting to millions of dollars as a result of being caught with more than 60,000 ounces of gold which it had bought when prices were high.

“Apparently they bought the gold and held on to it with the hope that the prices would continue to rise.

Then they would sell at the right time and make a good profit. But the reverse happened and now they are stuck with this large amount of gold.” The gold was bought when prices were over US$1700 per ounce.

Prices have since dropped to under US$1400 an ounce.

“The Gold Board will lose a lot of money if it sells at the current prices,” the source said.

The source disclosed that the Board has to decide whether to accept the losses and quickly sell off the stocks at the current relatively low prices; or keep holding on to it; in effect waiting out the slump, in the hope that the prices will rebound. But this

would be a gamble because world market prices may continue to drop.

“They have to decide what to do. Somebody will have to make a decision soon or their loss situation could get worse,” the source said.

The source disclosed that the GGB has over the past week, been turning away miners who want to sell gold and directing them to other licensed buyers.

Another source said that people within the industry were keeping their fingers crossed in hopes that the price of the metal would climb again from the low of US$1378 an ounce, it hit less than two weeks ago.

That source said that there were some hopes in this regard since the price had climbed from the price of US$1378 an ounce on April 13th to US$1428 an ounce, a four per cent gain, on the London Daily Fix yesterday. The price of gold has however been described as being completely unpredictable.

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Thursday April 25, 2013

Attempts being made to undermine electricity upgrade - PM Hinds A transmission upgrade complete with seven new substations catering to the national electricity grid is expected to be completed by this yearend or at the latest at the beginning of next year.

At least this is according to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who during a recent press briefing disclosed that these developmental works will address one of the problems linked to technical losses faced by the Guyana Power and Light

Incorporated (GPL).

And according to the Prime Minister too, there is still the distribution network which probably needs a doubling-up to reduce technical losses.

His comments were forthcoming in wake of accusations from the Alliance For Change (AFC) which recently amplified the losses of the power company and suggested that this has been one of the reasons the company is a liability to the

nation. But according to a very vocal Hinds, losses are currently about 31 per cent even as he pointed out that there was a time when these were over 40 per cent.

He underscored that there will always be some technical losses for current to flow.

At the moment he noted that “our system is highly overloaded and the technical losses are expected to be high because our transmission/ distribution network needs to be doubled-up...”

Man who claims to be God, jailed for 3 years A 40-year-old man who proclaimed to be God who has been living on the earth for 18,000 years, yesterday pleaded guilty to the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court. Presiding over the case was Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry.

According to Prosecutor Seon Blackman, on April 4 , about 17:00 hours, police from the Narcotics Branch who were acting on information, visited the home of Colin

Wishart in North Ruimveldt.

The defendant was seen with a pair of pants on his head.

Police ranks observed him and noticed that he threw the pants on to a pile of grass.

They then searched the discarded pants and there discovered the leaves, seeds and stems which they suspected to be cannabis.

The suspected cannabis was weighed in Wishart’s presence and amounted to 164 grams. He was later charged with drug possession.

Attorney at law, Paul A

Fung A Fat, who appeared for Wishart, stated that his client is not mentally competent to even enter a plea.

The lawyer then presented the court some medical reports to prove that his client was mentally unstable but the documents did not hold much weight in court for they were dated since 1958.

The defendant, who continuously reiterated that he is God, was subsequently fined $30,000 and ordered to serve a three-year jail term.

But according to the Prime Minister “we have not had the investment that we should have had to keep it going. It is not just a one way thing...it takes a lot of money to do these investments...the net effect may not be that much but it does compromise quality.”

As part of the proposed upgrade of the transmission network, Hinds said that there are plans to end the 50 cycle operations in the Georgetown area. At the moment there exists dual cycle systems in the city, which according to the Prime Minister, creates its own sets of losses which sometimes estimate at about two or three per cent of the total losses.

However, he noted that the first quarter of this year has seen the power company well along the way to end the 50 cycle system and the transmission upgrade, two projects that have been the source of some of the increased scheduled outages over the last few months.

As owner of the power company, Hinds said, Government through the national budget had allocated $10.2 billion to aid the upgrade of the electricity system, a sum which was

slashed by just over half by the parliamentary opposition during considerations of the estimates in the National Assembly.

According to Hinds, this year Government has plans to put in place a 26-megawatt generating station at Vreeden-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, to replace an older plant at Versailles, West Bank Demerara.

He insisted, too, that all monies directed to the power company are utilised properly.

“We are trying to stay ahead of the growing demands and also making some gains in improving the quality of service.”

The Prime Minister has made an earnest call to the Parliamentary Opposition to reconsider the cuts imposed against the GPL budgetary allocation.

Speaking of the cuts to the allocation, Hinds noted that “it leaves me and the Government perturbed, disturbed and bewildered as to what to do...Money is required,” asserted the Prime Minister as he lamented the budgetary cut insisting that “oil in these days run about 70 per cent of the costs and maybe most of the costs of producing

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds electricity.”

Foreign sourced items including oil, insulator, transformers and conductors are known to drive up the costs of providing electricity to about 85 to 90 per cent, disclosed Hinds even as he insisted that Government has been seeking to lower the price of electricity nationwide.

In the short term though, he noted, that there are programmes coming mainly out of the Guyana Energy Agency to more thoughtfully and carefully use electricity so that “we can try to get by within our budgets and not lose much quality o f l i f e i n d o i n g so...but for the longer run we are working to develop the Amaila (Falls hydro project),” said the Prime Minister.

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MTV CHANNEL 14/CABLE 65 05:30hrs - Dharma kai AwazThe Voice of Dharma 06:00hrs - Islamic Perspective 06:30hrs - Phagwah Scenes 07:00hrs - Day Break 08:00hrs - Dabi’s Musical Hour 08:30hrs - Avon DVD Club music hour 09:15hrs - Top Notch Music Break 09:30hrs - Caribbean Temptation Music Mix 10:00hrs - Amanda’s

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Costume Jewellery Music break 10:30hrs - Future Vision.

Music hour 11:00hrs - Comfort Sleep musical 11:30hrs - The View 12:00hrs - Village Talk 12:30hrs - The Young and The Restless 13:30hrs - Days of Our Lives 14:00hrs - General Hospital 15:00hrs - Hanuman Jayanti Service with Pt. Jagmohan 16:00hrs - The Bold and the Beautiful 16:30hrs - Cartoons

17:00hrs - Birthdays and other greetings 17:15hrs - Death Announcements/ In Memoriam 17:50hrs - CNN News 18:00hrs - El Dorado Shines 18:30hrs - Jai Santoshi Ma 19:00hrs - Soul Melodies with Trans Globe 19:30hrs - News Update 20:30hrs - Winners Row Quiz 21:30hrs - Let’s Talk Tax: Submission of Property Tax Returns 22:00hrs - English Movie: Broken Arrow 23:00hrs - News update 22:30hrs - English Movie: Broken Arrow continues

Thursday April 25, 2013

NCN CHANNEL 11 05:00hrs - Inspiration 05:30 hrs - Newtown Gospel 06:00hrs - Late Edition (R/B) 06:00hrs - BBC 07:00hrs - Guyana Today 08:00hrs - Close Up 08:30hrs - Feature 09:00hrs - Stop the Suffering 10:00hrs - Feature 10:15hrs - IPL – Chennai Super Kings vs. Sunrises Hyderabad 14:00hrs - NCN Newsbreak 14:05hrs - Movie 16:00hrs - NCN Newsbreak 16:30hrs - Farming Today 17:00hrs - Anderson 18:00hrs - NCN News

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10:00 hrs. Roseanne 11:00 hrs. The View 12:00 hrs. Prime News 12:30 hrs. The Young and the Restless 13:30 hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 14:00 hrs. The Talk 15:00 hrs. Without a Trace 17:00 hrs. Charmed 18:00 hrs. World News 18:30 hrs. Nightly News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 21:00 hrs. Person of Interest (New Episode) 22:00 hrs. Elementary (New Episode) 23:00 hrs. Sign Off

Guides are subjected to change without notice

Thursday April 25, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): In theory, it’s all very simple with three planets in steady Taurus, but in practice, relationships are more complicated than you prefer.

Today’s Full Moon Eclipse falls in your 8th House of Deep Sharing, requiring you to acknowledge facts and feelings that you previously missed.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): You may feel as if someone is testing you today as the Scorpio Lunar Eclipse stresses your 7th House of Partners.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): If new responsibilities are piling up, you might reach a breaking point today. Perhaps your routine has become too unpredictable to manage and you’re not willing to put up with the chaos any longer.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): Nostalgically longing for the past won’t help your current problems now.

Although your life may seem too complicated these days, changing your schedule won’t help. Instead, show up with integrity in the present moment.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): You might feel as if you’re being stretched as far as you can go now. Unfortunately, there probably isn’t a quick resolution to the stress in your life if professional and personal needs are pulling from different directions.

Thankfully, things are about to change.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): You realize that change is in the air, but you cannot tell how your current plans will be affected — and this makes you slightly uncomfortable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): Although Libras are sometimes known for their ability to be wishy-washy, you won’t have a lot of trouble making up your mind today.

You can’t afford to buy into this weak generalization about the ambivalence of the Scales.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): The Full Moon Eclipse is in your sign, making you more sensitive to the pushing and pulling of cosmic forces now.

Your smartest strategy is to practice being your own witness.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): Although you might not understand what’s happening, something wonderful may be unfolding in your life.

However, growth is often painful, especially with the Full Moon eclipsing your 12th House of Destiny.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): So many things seem up in the air and there doesn’t appear to be much you can do to bring them back down to earth. You want to take responsibility for your future dreams with today’s Lunar Eclipse activating your 11th House of Long-Term Goals.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): Others are depending upon you now, even if you don’t fully accept that you can depend on yourself. It isn’t that you lack confidence ... it’s just that you feel as if you’re in over your head today.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): Sometimes your imagination helps you see things more clearly than others, yet this can be a burden because it isn’t always easy to explain.

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

Lewandowski runs riot on Real with FOURsome display - Spanish Wembley dreams shredded

Page 33

NBS 40 Over 2nd Division Tournament officially launched

Robert Lewandowski scored all four goals as Dortmund crushed Real Madrid in their semi-final first leg (AFP Getty Images)

BBC Sport - Robert Lewandowski produced a striker’s masterclass as he scored four goals against Real Madrid in a commanding Champions League semi-final first leg victory for Borussia Dortmund.

The Polish striker volleyed in Mario Gotze’s cross at the back post early on before Cristiano Ronaldo tapped in.

Lewandowski collected Marco Reus’s shot to poke in past Diego Lopez and crashed home a 12-yard strike for a hattrick. The 24-year-old converted his fourth from the spot, after Reus was fouled.

The forward has been a

reported summer target for Manchester United and Bayern Munich, and following this display his value will increase no end after he became the first player to score four times in a Champions League semifinal. His ruthless display of finishing continued Dortmund’s 100% European home record this season and leaves Real Madrid with a mountainous task to reach the final at Wembley in May. It also showed more evidence of a shift towards German dominance of Europe, just 24 hours after Bayern beat Barcelona 4-0 in the other semi-final first leg.

Scotia Bank hosts Charity Golf Tourney The stakes will be high and several charities will have much to smile about when Scotia Bank stages its Annual Charity Golf tournament on Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Club. The cream of the country’s golfers will be in action in the one-day tournament which has at stake several attractive prizes and the winners will determine the charity of their choice to receive the cash donation.

The winner will receive $150,000 with the second place finisher securing $100,000 while third place will capture $75,000.

The charities earmarked for donations are St. Ann’s Orphanage, Joshua House, Step by Step Foundation, Red Cross, Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre and Cheshire home.

Jorge Medina, Managing Director of MACORP won last year’s tournament and donated his purse to Cheshire Home.

Scotia Bank, one of the Corporate members of the Lusignan Golf Club, will also

be fielding a team which will include banking executive Brian Hackett.

Medina is expected to be back in contention as well as the inform Mohanlall ”Santo” Dinnanauth, last weekend’s winner Kalyan Tiwari, Jerome Khan, Kishan Bacchus, Alfred Mentore, Mark Lashley, Troy Cadogan, Chatterpaul Deo, Roy Cummings, Colin Ming, Patrick Prashad, David Harry, William Walker, Haresh Tewari, Maurice Solomon, David Mohamed, Munaff Arjune, Muntaz Haniff, Fazil Deo, Christine Sukhram, Kassim Khan, Imran Khan, Mike Guyadin, John Tracey, Gavin Todd, Carlos Adams, Dr. Ramsingh, Robert Hanoman, Clifford Reis and Albert Semple. Scotia Bank Country Manager Amanda St. Aubyn is expected to be on hand to present the cheques and other prizes to the outstanding players.

Marketing Manager Jennifer Cipriani and other senior managers will also be on hand to witness the tournament.

Tee off is at 12:30 hours.

NBS’s CEO Ahmad Khan hands over the sponsorship cheque to GCA’s Treasurer Dennis Wilson in the presence of the Bank’s Board of Directors, and other GCA officials The New Building Society (NBS) has once again supported the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) by sponsoring their Second Division 40-over competition for the second straight year.

Yesterday morning at the company’s new location on North Road and Avenue of the Republic CEO Ahmad Khan handed over the sponsorship cheque to the tune of almost one million dollars to the GCA Treasurer Dennis Wilson.

The tournament, which targets 14 teams and commenced last weekend, is being played on a league basis with special emphasis being placed on fast bowlers.

Teams will be given bonus points for every 25 runs

scored after one hundred and they will also collect a bonus point for every two wickets taken by a fast bowler.

The teams have being divided into two zones with Georgetown Cricket Club, GNIC, Transport Cricket Club, Sophia Cricket Club, University of Guyana, Police and Malteenoes Sports Club in zone ‘A’, while zone ‘B’ consists of Demerara Cricket Club, Guyana Defence Force, Muslim Youth Organization, Diplomats, Everest Cricket Club, Third Class and Gandhi Youth Organization.

At the simple Ceremony Khan indicated that they are delighted to continue sponsoring the tournament.

“From the time Guyanese are

born, they are born into cricket, and as good corporate citizens the NBS saw it fit to take the competition into its second year,” stated Khan.

NBS Chairman, Moen Mc Doom said that the NBS is happy to go ahead with the sponsorship.

“We have decided to once again to do what it takes for the growth of the game.

Cricket is the game of the Caribbean, it is part of Guyanese culture and we are happy to join hands once again with the GCA,” the Chairman said.

GCA President Roger Harper was grateful for the support and assured the tournament will be played with the same diligence as last

year.

At the final of last year’s tournament the Georgetown Cricket Club were awarded winners after the Demerara Cricket Club left the ground in protest of a decision.

The tournament began last weekend with Transport Sports Club beating newcomers Sophia Cricket Club handsomely, while the Muslim Youth Organization prevailed over Gandhi Youth Organization, the University of Guyana beat the Guyana National Industrial Corporation and the Demerara Cricket Club recorded victory over Everest. If good weather prevails the competition will continue on Saturday.

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Luis Suarez 10-game ban: FA punishes Liverpool striker for bite Luis Suarez (right) during the biting incident with Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic (Getty Images)

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been banned for 10 games by the Football Association for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

The incident happened during Sunday’s 2-2 draw between the sides.

The 26-year-old later apologised for biting the

Chelsea defender and was fined by Liverpool on Monday.

The club, who have until Friday at 12:00 BST to appeal, said they were “shocked and disappointed” at the length of the suspension.

Uruguay international Suarez had accepted the FA charge of violent conduct but

claimed his ban should be three games, the standard punishment for violent conduct.

The ban covers their final four games of this season and the first six games of 2013-14 - which could mean Suarez not playing again until late September or even October.

An FA statement read: “A

three-person independent regulatory commission today upheld the FA’s claim that a suspension of three matches was clearly insufficient and the player will serve a further seven first-team matches in addition to the standard three.

The suspension begins with immediate effect.

“The Liverpool forward had accepted a charge of violent conduct but had denied the FA’s claim that the standard three-match sanction was insufficient for the offence.

“The incident was not seen by the match officials and has therefore been retrospectively reviewed.

“Suarez has until midday on Friday 26 April to appeal [against] the additional suspension, above the standard three matches.”

Reds managing director Ian Ayre said: “Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of today’s independent regulatory commission decision.

“We await the written reasons tomorrow before making any further comment.”

It is not the first time Suarez has been charged with such an offence. He was banned for seven games when he was at Ajax after biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal’s shoulder during a match in November 2010. During his time at Liverpool, he has also received an eight-match ban and £40,000 fine by the FA for racially abusing Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra in December 2011.

Suarez is on the six-man shortlist for the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year award and PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor earlier said: “It would be embarrassing if he is named player of the year. Liverpool Supporters Club chairman Richard Pedder said: “I don’t think it’s a shock, I think he deserves everything he gets.

“It’s down to the club to tell him ‘this is your last chance’.

He won’t leave the club [this summer]. They shouldn’t have said anything and just accepted the ban.

“With them releasing a statement, it’s going to go on and on again and we want it closed. We haven’t had enough but we’re concerned.

Nobody is bigger than the club.” Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge said: “It’s a massive, massive hit for both the player and the club.

“But he has to control it, for the sake of himself and Liverpool Football Club, he cannot let anything go wrong on the pitch again.”

Thursday April 25, 2013

THE TASK IS AN ENORMOUS ONE

By Rawle Welch The enormity of the task that has to be undertaken by the new President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Christopher Matthias i s definitely not a simple one.

This piece is not meant to incessantly take apart the numerous misgivings of the previous a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , b u t to merely highlight how underdeveloped our football is.

Just for emphasis, Guyanese footballers have not been a part of the Digicel Kickstart Clinic for the past two years, a travesty when one considers the consistent participation of countries such as Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname.

Since Andrew Murray Jnr impressed none other than former Liverpool and England international John Barnes, who was Head of the Coaching team, winning himself selection to attend a further clinic at Sunderland in the process, we have not been able to have another representative at those high level clinics since.

Our last attendance at the Clinic was in 2011 when Jermaine Fletcher, Troy Lewis, Mark Wronge, Jason Cromwell, Romario We l c o m e a n d M c C u r d Cramer travelled to Suriname for the initial 3day sessions, but none of them managed to impose their skills sufficiently to gain selection for the elite clinic that followed in Trinidad and Tobago.

Despite our outstanding performance during the World Cup campaign where we reached our farthest in our history, the locally-based players have not been able to make a significant impact in the national setup and this is due to the lack of a

c o m p r e h e n s i v e developmental programme and qualified coaches.

Apart from being saddled with the responsibility of alleviating the heavy debt burden that it adopted after assuming office, the current administration will have to somehow manufacture and implement systems that could pave the way for local players to develop to a level where they could compete for places on the national team and possibly secure contracts overseas.

With a mere two years to show the kind of progress that all stakeholders are looking for at almost every level of governance, the Matthias-led team have no choice, but to embrace the expertise of serious stakeholders.

Time is of the essence and while the promised assistance of FIFA/CONCACAF is crucial, so too are those of the Government, Ministry of Sport and the corporate community.

At every step, these parties input are critical towards stimulating growth, confidence and transparency in an institution that previously ignored those important tenets.

What the new GFF does in terms of opening the door for the wind of inclusivity to blow in will definitively determine whether or not there is a new dispensation.

Digicel, Milo (Nestle) and Scotia Bank have all supported the development of the sport at the junior level and it is now up to the new administration to augment the efforts of those entities.

We must begin the arduous journey to reposition Guyana’s football to meet the standards needed to compete, first, in the Caribbean and ultimately in the world.

New Kings of the Ranges, Goodluck & Ramalho...

From page 39 conditions in comparison to what the Timehri Ranges used to be in years gone by.

“We really can’t account for what would have given rise to this change, it is really difficult to predict and a lot of times all of us got caught up with switching winds, so it definitely wasn’t easy. But what it really does is cause you to lift your

game; we go to a place like the Paragon Ranges in Barbados where you have winds coming in from one direction, slow, fast or it would stop.

So it is a lot easier in comparison where you have winds that are switching from right to left like we have, so it puts us in good stead mentally to deal with the challenges ahead of us.”

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

CONCACAF man: Good opportunity for TTFF CONCACAF director of development Hugo Salcedo believes that the timing could be right for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation to embrace change and work towards good governance for the benefit of the local game.

Salcedo was speaking at the conclusion of the 28th CONCACAF Congress at the Westin Playa Hotel in Panama on the weekend.

He spoke on various issues, explaining that the TTFF could now work towards recovering from some of the matters that have stymied its growth for maybe a decade or more.

He said it was important that all TTFF members and stakeholders work collectively towards a common vision.

“Basically the impact (findings of the CONCACAF Integrity Committee) is very strong and very sad for all of us. But we all said it here that we have to put it aside and concentrate more on the future.

I think that president Jeff Webb, our general secretary Enrique Sanz and all of us are committed to the game and that’s the most important thing,” Salcedo told TTFF Media.

“We have already started the development programmes and we are looking forward to it... I personally have been involved for so many years, and I’m so happy that we have the opportunity to restart the new movement of this new era of CONCACAF.”

Salcedo added that he was saddened by the revelations made by the CONCACAF Integrity Committee on matters involving former CONCACAF bosses Jack Warner and Chuck Blazer.

“We hope that this will be the end. The only thing we can get out of it is for it to never happen again.”

He went on to add that the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation under president Raymond Tim Kee would have the support of the Confederation in moving forward, referring to the senior team’s qualification for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the impressive showing of the Under-17 men’s team at the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers as promising signs.

“Absolutely the support will be there for you. Again the commitment is from all of us and not only from us in CONCACAF but if you saw today we have members of UEFA and FIFA and now this movement with Africa.

There is tremendous support. We will not only like to give support to Trinidad and Tobago but also all of our 40 member associations and they will not walk alone.

We are going to be working together hand in hand,” added Salcedo who has over 30 years’ experience in executive positions with FIFA, CONCACAF, US Soccer and Major League Soccer. (Trinidad Express)

Teenager Solozano earns T&T call-up Teenage schoolboy batsman Jeremy Solozano has been named in a 13-man squad for T&T’s semifinal match against Jamaica in the four-day series from May 2-5, in Jamaica.

Solozano has scored heavily in the youth interzone competitions, hitting back-to-back centuries for East. He has also been a heavy scorer for Hillview College in the Secondary Schools competitions.

Justin Guillen, who played without success in the Super 50 tournament, and Adrian Barath have been left out of the team which lost to the Combined Campuses and Colleges, with off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth and wicketkeeper batsman Steven Katwaroo also earning call-ups.

The squad — Jeremy Solozano, Lendl Simmons, Steven Katwaroo, Jason Mohammed, Akeal Hosein, Denesh Ramdin (captain), Imran Khan, Rayad Emrit, Amit Jaggernauth, Yannic Carriah, Shannon Gabriel, Marlon Richards, Kjorn Ottley.

(Trinidad Guardian)

Page 35

Nat. Fullbore Captain Persaud pleased Guyana to host British with 2013 C/ships Team - April 30, May 1 & 2

Competitors of the second detail at the 2013 Nationals enjoying the recently relayed bank at 1000 Yards.

(Franklin Wilson photo)

By Franklin Wilson National Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud summed up the final day of this year’s National championships noting that it was a challenging day and the shooter that handled conditions the best was Ryan Sampson who won the 600 Yards (48 Points 3Vs), 1000 Yards (46 Points 2Vs) and the Day Aggregate (128 Points 6Vs).

“But basically, it was a challenging day for all the shooters but Sampson handled it best,” Persaud was dethroned as the King of the X-Class by long time buddy Ransford Goodluck (341 Points 27 Vs) who won a close championship beating off by single point in the Grand Aggregate, Lennox Braithwaite (340 Points 24Vs) with Persaud finishing 3rd on 338 Points 20Vs. The Captain, while admitting that he is not yet in the best of shape ahead of the Caribbean Championships set for the Land of the Flying Fish, Barbados, next month, said that Guyana has always done well as a unit and this year will be no different.

But in a strategic move, Team Guyana will be welcoming a team of British shooters to these shores from April 29 to compete in individual and team competitions which will provide vital preparations for the Caribbean championships.

Persaud informed that the British team is the best in the world and have always been tough but worthy opponents for the Guyanese.

“The British have the strongest shooting team in the world. USA, South Africa, Canada, Australia you name them, the British are the best.

However, Guyana was able to defeat them in 1996 in Jamaica when we competed for the International trophy over 900 and 1000 Yards. At that time also, Guyana won the Singer trophy having defeated all the Caribbean territories.”

Persaud believes that that performance would have been one of Guyana’s greatest achievements and while acknowledging that to beat them {British} again would be tough, “It is not impossible.”

Competition against the British team would be held at the Timehri Rifle Ranges (TRR) on Tuesday April 30,

May 1st and 2nd. There will be two individual and one team shoot.

Team Guyana will have their first practice shoot this Sunday at the same venue at the 300, 600 and 900 Yards Ranges.

UPGRADING OF RANGES In an effort to ensure that the Timehri Rifle Ranges is in pristine shape, Persaud said that they have invested in some upgrading work. New numbers would be installed to mark the various targets while works to strengthen and raise some of the banks have been completed.

The Captain said that the Ranges will be further transformed for the competition against the British, next week.

Mahendra Persaud – National Fullbore Captain

Page 36

DT/CHOW POW T10 – Finals Wolf ’s Warriors and Regal Champs carted off the male and female categories respectively when phase one of the DT\Chow Pow Ten10 softball cricket competition concluded recently. The third place play off was won by Speedboat XI (male) and 4R (female).

Kaieteur News

Thursday April 25, 2013

Wolf’s Warriors & Regal Champs dazzle fans to win; Azeez hits ton, Nichols 50 In the male final, Wolf’s Warriors hammered Superstars of Mahaica by 117 runs. Wolf’s Warriors batted first and piled up 201-4 in 10 overs. Azad Azeez blasted 100 off 29 balls which included eight towering sixes and six fours while Amit Rae supported with 38 off 11 balls spiced up with five maximums and a solitary boundary.

Marvin Babb took 2-40 off 2

overs.

With an asking rate of over 20 runs per over, Super Stars could only manage 84-1 in their ten overs. Narine Bailey, Vishnu Tannechandra, Devenand and Diaram Persaud bowled well for Wolf’s Warriors who took away the top prize of $500,000 along with bragging rights as the Digital Technology / CHOW POW male Ten10

champions.

In the female final, Regal Champs got the better of Trophy Stall Angels by 6 wickets.

Trophy Stall won the toss, elected to bat and scored a challenging 108-6 in their 10 overs. Skipper June Ogle led with 45 (3x4 1x6) off 25 balls, while Roxanne Demonich made 27 (1x6 2x4) from 9 balls. Skipper Nalini

Dawn Nichols

Azad Azeez

Sumintra with 3-18 from 2 overs was the pick of the bowlers for Regal who replied with 109-4 in 9.3 overs.

Dawn Nichols slammed 2 sixes and 5 fours in a top score of 50 off 18 balls. She was supported by opener Natasha Daniels with a run a ball 21. Regal Champs pocketed the top prize of $150,000 dollars.

In the first match which was the third place play off, Speedboat XI overcame Recharge by 89 runs.

Speedboat XI won the toss, elected to take first strike and rattled up 118-3 in their ten overs.

The consistent and talented Safraz Esau scored 40 (2x4 3x6) off 18 balls while Shazim Hussain chipped in with 39 (1x4 4x6) from 20 balls.

Recharge, who overcame a number of the powerful teams earlier in the tournament seemed overwhelmed by the supporters of speedboat XI and succumbed meekly

limping to 29-8 in their ten overs.

The bowling of speedboat was too quick for Recharge, Greg Singh and Shazim Hussain grabbed two wickets each for three runs respectively while Imran Hamid had 2-6.

4R took the third place in the female category by virtue of their superior run rate in the preliminary stage after the game failed to take place due to the soggy conditions.

The tournament was played in collaboration with the Guyana Softball League and sponsored by Tech Giant Digital Technology, Jailing, Giftland office Max, Elegant Jewellery and pawnshop, NTN 89.1 Radio, Banks DIH, and Precise Printing among others.

The second phase is set to commence in May on the East Coast of Demerara with more incentives and a bigger entertainment package planned.

Trophy Stall / MSC host monthly Darts Tournament

Sudesh Fitzgerald

The leading exponents of Darts are expected to participate in the Trophy Stall and Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) monthly Tournament which will be held tomorrow, at the Malteenoes Sports Club, commencing at 19:30hrs.

According to a release from the Guyana Darts Association, the games to be contested are the Draw Doubles and the Men’s and Women Singles. The Singles winners will receive a trophy each, while cash prizes for first to third places are up for grabs.

The winning teams in the Draw Doubles will collect cash prizes.

The defending singles champions of this monthly tournament are Sudesh Persaud Fitzgerald (men) and Jaswantie Hiralall (women).

Registration fee is G$1000 for affiliated members and the draw will be done just before the start of the tournament.

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 37

Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ looms -‘Your skill, your style, your five...’

By Edison Jefford The Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ Street Football tournament was yesterday launched at the Ansa McAl Headquarters under the theme: “Your skill, your style, your five, your stout” with the aim of continuing to unearth hidden talent within communities.

The competition is in its third year and will feature 48 teams from Georgetown with participation being

encouraged from teams from the East Coast and East Bank.

It will be a knockout contest at several venues with the surviving team pocketing $300,000 and trophy. The second place team is to take home $150,000 and trophy.

This is according to Coordinator, Kevin Adonis, who informed the media yesterday at the launch of ongoing arrangements to host the event. He explained that the concept was

Smith leads Mumbai...

From page 40 expensive. Pollard was missed by substitute Brendon McCullum, and he had brought the target down to 10 by the time he eventually got out. Narine, though, had his last say before retiring for the night, taking Rohit with the last ball he bowled, leaving Mumbai 28 to get off three overs.

Pollard looked assured for two overs, but was done in by an extremely slow delivery at the start of the last over, bowled

by Rajat Bhatia. It was clear the trick had lost all its novelty when Harbhajan waited deep in the crease, and smacked a slow dolly over midwicket. Three off three was easy to get after that.

Scores: Mumbai Indians 162 for 5 (Smith 62, Rohit 34, Narine 3-17) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 159 for 6 (Kallis 37, Ojha 2-21) by 5 wickets.

designed to test the skill and fitness levels of players with a strong focus on endurance.

“This is about keeping your five alive throughout the competition, meaning that the team, which stays on its feet the longest, will ultimately, win. It encourages each community to select the best five players to have a serious chance of winning,” Adonis said. The Mackeson Real Smooth ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ football competition will be held from May 1-25 at venues such as the tarmac of the National Cultural Centre tarmac, Sophia C Field Market Square, California Square, East Ruimveldt, and Punt Trench and School Street, Albouystown for a total of eight playing days.

The Coordinator asked that eight names be submitted for each team since only then replacements will be allowed from the registration list. Each game will last for 15 minutes; 7½ minute per half with no extra time allowed in the preliminary rounds if the game

From left; Mackeson Brand Coordinator, Jamaal Douglas, Ansa McAl’s Public Relations Officer, Darshnie Yussuf and Coordinator of the event, Kevin Adonis, usher in the third edition of the ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ Football tournament. is drawn after regulation time; a penalty shootout will decide the team that moves forward to the next round.

However, extra time will be allowed in the final game; six minutes and three minutes for each of the teams. Teams, and players, were reminded that there will be a zero-tolerance attitude towards issues of indiscipline as the tournament is aimed at development.

Mackeson Brand

Coordinator, Jamaal Douglas told the media that Mackeson is happy to have its brand associated with communitybased sports, in this instance, football. He believes that it is the grassroots projects that unearth future stars in sport.

“We decided to pick up this tournament so we could embrace communities through football. It is a way of us being there from the beginning of the creation of

maybe the next big football star and we want to be there,” Douglas said, adding it shows corporate responsibility.

Public Relations Officer at Ansa McAl, Darshnie Yussuf encouraged players to put out their best performance. She said that the tournament is structured to be a challenge, therefore, only the best teams will advance to become the last five alive for the top prize.

Page 38

Kaieteur News

Thursday April 25, 2013

HAYNES FOUNDATION Reece cops silver in T&T Cycling DONATES GEAR TO YBG Grand Prix

YBG Coordinators, Chris Bowman (left) and Rayad Boyce take a photo opportunity with the gear Haynes Foundation contributed to their annual programme.

The United States of America-based, Haynes Foundation continued its support for the National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF) with a recent donation of equipment and gears to the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) programme.

The Organisation have supported the YBG Elite Programme with equipment and outfitted Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) male and female teams in previous years. Their latest donation included 40 pieces of reversible training tops, jump ropes, bandages and cones.

It also included 30 internationally approved basketballs for varying levels of competition and one portable game clock and a manual scoreboard, which will certainly add a professional look to the YBG Regional Conference this year.

The Director of YBG, Chris Bowman expressed gratitude to the organisation for their generosity and ongoing support for the programme. The 2013 NSBF was officially launched Tuesday at the Sports Room of Marion Academy, Carifesta Avenue.

Berbice’s Flying Ace Cycle Club captain, Neil Reece, recently returned from Trinidad and Tobago where he copped 2 silver medals in the Twin Island Republic Easter Grand Prix which was held from the 29th to the 31st of March at Arima and Skinner Park, San Fernando.

Reece participated in four races but placed fourth and fifth in the final two.

The following weekend he took the third podium spot in a Road Race held at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

Reece then went on to compete in the Njisane 3-day Cycling Festival from the 19th to the 21st of March. He ended three times in fourth place and twice in fifth but suffered a puncture in the final race. According to Reece the event included a number of Olympians from Russia, Spain, Venezuela, Barbados, Germany, Colombia, New Zeeland and the host nation.

He told Kaieteur Sport that this was the first time he participated in a senior tournament overseas after graduating from the junior

Neil Reece (right) and coach Randolph Roberts. ranks. “The tournaments were very competitive; the facilities in Trinidad are very good,” added Reece.

Reece stated that the trip was beneficial. “I gained a lot of experience competing with the guys over there; I am happy to represent Guyana and hope to make it to the Olympics. I would like to encourage other cyclist to take the sport seriously,” he said. The 20 year old stated he will commence training for the Annual Independence three stage event set for the 18th and 19th of May. “I usually train five times a week but we need better facilities in Guyana so that we can improve our strengths and

weaknesses,” informed Reece.

He expressed many thanks to his coach Randolph Roberts and sponsors which included the Berbice River Bridge, Ganesh Service Station, A. Ally and Sons, Furniture World, Mangru Supermarket, Lloyd and Kim’s Fashion, Ganesh and Sons and Paul Akrouim of Berbice, the President of Guyana Cycling Federation Cheryl Thompson and President of Flying Ace Cycling Club John Lewis.

Meanwhile, in an invited comment coach Roberts said he would like to see better facilities in Guyana so that the country can produce better athletes.

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 39

New Kings of the Ranges, Goodluck & Top Int’l athletes line-up Ramalho, ready for upcoming action for Jamaica Invitational Following the conclusion of the 2013 National Fullbore Rifle Shooting Championships at the Timehri Rifle Ranges, two new champions emerged in the respective X and O classes.

Veteran Ransford Goodluck took the X-Class in the clash of the giants while Leo Ramalho, returning after an extended absence of 11years, won the O-Class.

Goodluck (341 Points 27Vs) fought off valiant challenges from Lennox Braithwaite (340 Points 24Vs) and Mahendra Persaud - 2012 winner (338 Points 20Vs); Ramalho had to stave off the challenge of 2012 winner Lt. Col. Terrance Stuart whom he was trailing going into the final day.

Ramalho (315 Points 16Vs) eventually prevailed by one point from Stuart (314 Points 9Vs).

Speaking with Kaieteur Sport after winning on Sunday last, Ramalho, who was in the X-Class before his exit 11 years ago, said that his performance was somewhat unbelievable and he was grateful for the outcome.

Leo Ramalho

Ransford Goodluck

“Winning is always a good feeling and I’m happy to be back. Actually, I was a part of the Guyana team that defeated the British back in 1996 and I am elated that they will be here shortly to compete against us.

I’ve recently acquired a new rifle and this is the fourth time I am using it so it is still in the breaking in process.

Generally though, I am confident that Guyana will continue to do good so I am looking forward to the visit of the British team and subsequent to their visit to the Caribbean championships.”

Goodluck, who is also a multiple Caribbean champion,

in his comment stated that winning is always a good feeling but more importantly, the championships is geared towards preparing the Guyana team for the Caribbean competition next month.

“While I won, I still have to get even sharper for the Caribbean championships so this was good competition and practice for me and the team at the same time. The second phase of preparation is going to be against the British then we move on to Barbados.”

Goodluck shared that this year’s competition was contested in challenging (Continued on page 34)

Master Wharton recognised by Japanese Karate Organization

Junior Wharton

Master Junior Wharton of Trinidad and Tobago, founder and Chief Instructor for the Tiger System Karate International (TSK-I) was officially recognised by the International Seishinkai Karate Federation (ISKF) of Hokkaido, Japan as a bonafide martial arts body.

The Tiger System was founded by Wharton in 1973 and is a combination of karate, judo, wrestling, boxing and Ju-Jitsu.

It is the only indigenous martial arts officially recorded in major organization in Japan.

Grand Master Wharton has been technical adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Karate

Federation (TTKF) since 2010. Anthony Parris, Stephen Parris and Junior Wharton are among the ‘father’s of T&T Martial Arts.

Tiger System has branches in the USA, Canada England and the Caribbean.

In Trinidad and Tobago its representatives are Claudius Hannibal and Herbert Lara. Membership in ISKF will allow the organization to establish roots in that part of the World and ISKF will have an affiliate in this region.

Grand Master Wharton will be in his homeland soon to conduct workshops. TSKI is a member of the TTKF.

Myanmar cancels Davis Cup events over security concerns (Reuters) - Myanmar has decided to opt out of hosting two Davis Cup events due to security concerns following last month’s antiMuslim riots, the head of the country’s tennis association said on Tuesday. Myanmar was to host the 2013 Asia/Oceania Zone Group III and IV events from April 22-May 5 in Yangon where 19 nations were set to take part.

Sectarian violence in Buddhist-majority Myanmar killed 43 people last month.

Thousands, mostly Muslims, were driven from their homes and businesses as bloodshed spread across the Southeast Asian country.

“The government informed us on April 13

that we will need to postpone the events due to security reasons,” Aung Maw Thein, president of the Tennis Federation of Myanmar, told Reuters.

“While the sports ministry did not divulge the details, I think it was because of last month’s problems.”

Players from a number of Muslim countries like Malaysia, Bahrain and Iraq were scheduled to play in the event and the International Tennis Federation has not yet decided on alternative dates and a venue.

The world governing body could not be reached for comment.

ST JAMES, Jamaica (CMC)-World and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Melanie Walker has been confirmed for the 100m hurdles at the Jamaica International Invitational (JII) Meet set for May 4.

Walker will be running the sprint hurdle in a competitive event for the first time since 2006 when she was a student at the University of Texas.

She is expected to face off with London Olympic Games 100m hurdles silver medallist Dawn Harper of the USA, and Jamaica’s Olympic Games semi-finalist Shermaine Williams One of the most anticipated events is the women’s 100m highlighting a clash between Veronica Campbell Brown and American Allyson Felix and includes double Olympic sprint finalist Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast, and Trinidad’s Kelly Ann Baptiste, who was sixth in London.

World record holder and World and Olympic champion

Melanie Walker

Usain Bolt will run the 200m, along with Olympic bronze medallist Warren Weir, IAAF Diamond League winner Nickel Ashmeade and American Wallace Spearmon.

Jamaica’s Olympic silver medallist Shelly-Ann FraserPryce will race against Olympic silver medallist Kerron Stewart and American Bianca Knight in the 200m.

Donald Quarrie, athletes’ liaison for the meet, says world 100m champion Yohan Blake, who is nursing an injury, will be missed.

“It’s unfortunate about Yohan, as we really were

looking forward to seeing him, but the men’s 100m will still be strong as well as the entire line-ups in the others events,” Quarrie said.

“So far we have the likes of Ryan Bailey, Nesta Carter, Darvis Patton, Lerone Clarke, Richard Thompson, and Kemar Bailey-Cole, all of whom have run under 10.00 seconds.”

Twenty (20) Olympic individual finalists from London have confirmed their entries in the meet that will see the addition of the men’s and women’s discus, a requirement from the IAAF.

Page 40

Kaieteur News

Thursday April 25, 2013

Smith leads Mumbai come-from-behind win Dwayne Smith launches into a shot (BCCI)

Sachin Tendulkar gets a beautiful birthday present from Sunil Narine, his middle stump uprooted with a beauty. (BCCI)

Sunil Narine exults after picking up a wicket (BCCI) ESPNcricinfo - Harbhajan Singh went for 26 runs in a horror first over of the match, but he hit a six in the last over that broke the hearts of a packed Eden Gardens to top off Mumbai Indian’s comeback in the match. From

46 for 1 after three overs of the match, Mumbai clawed their way back through Mitchell Johnson, Lasith Malinga and Pragyan Ojha who went for 72 runs in their 12 overs and took six wickets, including just three runs in

the special last over bowled

by Malinga. Dwayne Smith then led the chase with batting more hit than miss, followed by handy contributions from Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard before Harbhajan redeemed

himself for the night.

There was a measure of redemption for Rohit too, who was leading in the absence of Ricky Ponting who had sat himself out. Rohit went against the common knowledge that Yusuf Pathan has been going through a wretched time against pace, and instead provided him spin at the start. Yusuf tucked into Harbhajan who seemed to lose fresh chunks of confidence every ball.

Immediately partial redemption arrived for Harbhajan when Yusuf edged to him at slip the first legitimate delivery of pace he faced. Mumbai had got a toe in the door there, and little by little they shoved their foot

in. Johnson got Yusuf, Ojha frustrated and got the other big two, Gautam Gambhir and Jacques Kallis, the latter once again for a pedestrian strikerate, which often gets masked

by Kallis’ all-round ability and stylish stroke-play. Kallis wasn’t available to bowl today, and the man substituting for him was involved in a crucial and unfortunate incident.

Coming together at 92 for 3 in the 12th over, Eoin Morgan and Manoj Tiwary tried to force the pace, but Johnson and Malinga proved to be too good towards the end. Morgan hit Johnson straight to midwicket, and Malinga’s last over was a reminder of how impossible it

GCA\Hadi’s 1st division

POLICE AND MSC PLAY TO A DRAW Police and Malteenoes Sports Club(MSC) played to an exciting draw when the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)\ Hadi’s World Inc first division 2 day competition continued last weekend with one match.

At Malteenoes, Police batted first and were bowled out for 121 in 37.3 overs.

Edwin Burnette grabbed 5-19 and Steven Jacobs 3-42.

Malteenoes in reply made 207 all out. Jacobs top scored with 95 and Arvin Seepersaud chipped in with 50 as Jermin Reynolds bagged 7-50 and Jason Heyliger 3-55.

Batting a second time, Police managed 200 before they were bowled out.

Shameer Fazal led with 53 while Royan Federicks made

Steven Jacobs 27; Shaquille Williams snared 8-39. In their second innings, MSC were shakily placed at 53-7 at stumps on the final day. Reynolds claimed 3-20 to end with match figures of 8-70 while Carols La Rose had 3-21.

was to hit him was when he was at his best. A mix of yorkers and slower balls had two sets of stumps demolished.

In the chase, it seemed like Mumbai were playing against one man, Sunil Narine, who took three wickets for 17, and turned the game around every time he was called upon, but the batsmen were smart and batted well against the others.

Narine dismissed the birthday boy Sachin Tendulkar through the gate pretty early, but by then the scratchy Smith was beginning to time a few.

And Smith is a dangerous batsman that way. He can look scratchy before hitting a brief purple patch and taking the slightly relaxed opposition by surprise. As he did in this game, even with wickets falling at the other end. By the time he got out - in Narine’s second over, in his second spell - he had clobbered 62 of Mumbai’s 82 runs, and had left them 78 to get in nine overs.

Captain Rohit now targeted Sachithra Senanayake, who registered his most expensive Twenty20 figures: 1 for 50 in four overs.

Two sixes in one over brought the target down to 56 off seven overs, an asking rate consistent with the one at the start of the innings.

Normally, you would back the chasing side, but Narine still had two overs remaining, but even before Narine was called back a slice of luck awaited Mumbai.

For the second time this season, a Knight Riders fielder at long-off lost a catch in the lights, and this one proved to be mighty (Continued on page 37)

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 41

Wakenaam Community constructing Sports and Academic Facilities The residents of Wakenaam are currently constructing a playfield and a pavilion in the village of Belle Plaine.

According to residents the facilities will be used to enhance the development of sports and education.

The pavilion which is a three storied building is measured 35 feet in width by 60 feet in length and will house a Library and an Internet Café on the third floor which will also be used to play indoor games.

The second floor will include a Club House and a number of guest rooms, while the ground floor will be used as a Conference

Hall. Residents told Kaieteur Sports that access to the Internet Café and Library will be free of charge.

The playfield, 300 feet in width by 475 feet in length will be used for cricket, football and volleyball among other sports.

According to the Islanders, fishing and boating will also take place but the entrances to the venue needs to be upgraded and they are calling on the Ministry of Public Works for assistance in this regard.

The projects are being funded by some of the residents of the 18 square mile Island and are expected to be completed in June.

Pressure on Anthony to carry team to playoff success

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony reacts after hitting a three-point shot against the Boston Celtics April 20, 2013. REUTERS/Adam Hunger NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gifted scorer, Carmelo Anthony has always had the talent to put the ball in the basket but rarely has he been able to put his team deep into the playoffs.

The pressure is on the Knicks forward with the bruising inside moves and delicate outside touch to prove himself in the postseason and help erase more than a decade of playoff failures for New York.

“It seems like we’re starting off with a clean plate right now,” Anthony, hungry for a taste of playoff success, told reporters before the opening of second-seeded New York’s first-round series against seventh seed Boston Celtics.

Anthony is off to a great start, scoring 36 points in the opener and 34 points in New York’s 87-71 Game Two win that gave the Knicks a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

But that is just a start, and despite sporting a new Olympic gold medal and his

first NBA scoring title (28.7 points average) on his resume, Anthony is challenged to show he can lift his team and alter a reputation as a high-scoring playoff bust.

Coming into this postseason, Anthony’s playoff record with the Knicks was 1-8 after two postseason trips with New York, following a 16-30 postseason mark with the Denver Nuggets.

The Knicks, who have not won a title in 40 years, have not moved past the first round in 13 years. Anthony has advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs only once in nine tries.

“He’s had this breakout year, but when the playoffs come, he’s going to have to raise his level,” Walt Frazier, point guard for New York’s last NBA title team in 1973, told the Daily News.

“He’ll have new expectations he’s going to have to meet. Can he handle the pressure?”

OLYMPIC DIFFERENCE Second-year guard Iman Shumpert said this is a new Anthony, and that a summer pursuing Olympic gold in London had changed him.

“He’s definitely our leader,” Shumpert told Reuters in the Knicks locker room before Game Two against Boston. “I think he’s done a ton more talking this year ... in the locker room, on the court and especially on defence.

“I think he’s just done a great job, an incredible job lifting us and make sure we play the same way all year.

“Definitely a difference between last year and this year,” added Shumpert, saying Anthony seemed more confident.

“Any time we find ourselves about to get rattled he sort of just calms everybody down. I think a lot of that comes from him just putting the work in this summer and coming in after that gold medal on a roll already.”

Following a rousing Olympics in which Anthony committed to playing tough defense alongside LeBron James against taller opponents on an undersized U.S. team, the Knicks forward came to the new NBA campaign in great shape and with a fierce attitude.

“Whatever we need him to do,” Shumpert said. “This year he’s been asked to guard a lot of five-men (centers) because sometimes we play small. He hasn’t complained.

Whatever he has to do he just goes and do it.

“He’s watching a ton of film. He’s been a flat-out leader. I think it’s contagious,” he added, pointing to J.R. Smith, who on Tuesday was presented the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

“J.R. has been a bigger leader. The focus in the locker room from last year to this year has been night and day.”

The pavilion and play field currently under construction in Belle Plaine

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Kaieteur News

Thursday April 25, 2013

CADET, JUNIOR TT TEAM PAY COURTESY CALL ON MINISTER Guyana’s Cadet and Junior Table Tennis team that recently returned from the Caribbean Cadet and Junior Championships in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday paid a courtesy call to the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony.

The local team returned with a total of seven bronze medals and placed fourth overall, which was one place up from last year. General Secretary of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), Linden Johnson, gave the minister a brief overview.

Johnson lamented the team’s lack of preparation time owed to players attending school and exam as a factor that hindered their performance. However, Anthony recognised their effort, stating it’s time players begin to manage both sport and education.

“We’re extremely pleased with those performances, I have seen some of you grow, and you have really made us proud. When you go out there to represent Guyana, you’re going as Ambassadors and you have us behind you,” Anthony indicated.

“We want you to manage academics and your sport, but If you want a holistic approach you have to do both and we need that balance back because some people just do the books and no sport but you can be role models and demonstrate that you can do both,” he added.

Guyana has been a consistent performer at the Caribbean Championships that usually feature the regional powerhouses, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. The local phenom, Chelsea Edghill thanked the Ministry for accommodating them and for their support.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony (centre) pose for a photo opportunity with the National Cadet and Junior Table Tennis Team while parents also share the moment yesterday.

GCB\GTM Inter County U-19 3 day tourney

Paul early burst gives E’bo upper hand before rain stops play - First day abandoned at Everest Despite rain, Pacer Kemo Paul grabbed 2 quick wickets to put Essequibo in a comfortable position against Demerara at Wales when the first round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)\ GTM U19 Inter County tournament got underway yesterday.

When play finally started at 15:05 hrs, Paul justified Essequibo’s decision to field by removing opener Brain Sattaur (02) in the first over with the score on 02. Andrew Gibson and Chandrika Persaud then took the score

to 28 before Paul uprooted the stumps of Andrew Gibson for 11. Demerara slipped into further trouble when left arm spinner Herry Green had Chandrika Persaud caught for 15 to leave the score at 30-3.

However rain put an end to the proceedings at 16:05hrs with Kamesh Yadram on 04 and Kemol Savory on 03.

Paul has so far taken 2-19 from 6 overs and Green 1-8 from 4.

Play continues today whether permitting.

Meanwhile, the first day’s play between Berbice and the

Kemo Paul President’s XI at Everest was called off due to heavy overnight and early morning showers.

Chart-topper Smith eyeing 800 runs in Regional 4 Day Bridgetown, Barbados –Fresh off his brilliant batting in the Regional Super 50 tournament, Windward Islands batsman Devon Smith is targeting the 800-run mark in the longer format of the game.

The experienced left-hander was the leading batsman in the one-day format with 348 runs at an impressive average of 58 runs per innings. His match-winning innings of 67 not out on Sunday night earned him the Manof-the-Match Award as Windwards beat Combined Campuses and Colleges by nine wickets at Kensington Oval in the Grand Final.

Smith is now preparing for the semi-finals of the Regional 4-Day Tournament and his team is slated to play against Barbados from May 2-5.

He has also been the leading run-scorer in this tournament with 682 runs at an average of 85.25 runs per innings. He has made three centuries, including a top score of 150 not out against Barbados at Kensington Oval. Earlier this season he surpassed 9,000 runs in firstclass cricket and has now scored 22 centuries.

“I’m trying to make up for last year when I got a hundred in the first match and didn’t score over 200 runs. That was disappointing.

I set my goal – I put it at 800 runs in the fourday tournament and I’m looking for five centuries, so I would say I’m on my way there,” the 31-year-old told WICB Media.

“There is still a lot to be done. We want to win the four-day tournament (Regional 4 Day) to add to the one-day tournament (Regional

Super 50). I am playing really well this year, and that’s mainly because I decided to buckle down and spend more time at the crease. The key is always to get yourself ‘in’ first and then let you natural game flow after that.”

Smith added: “I have been doing that all season and the scores have been coming so that is quite satisfying for me. I have been around at this level for a while now and I’m expected to be a team-leader and lead from the front. I try to bat as long as possible and let the others bat around me. When I look at my team-mates, they are the ones who encourage me and keep me going.

“It’s very important when you’re batting at the top of the order that you always look to give the team a solid base.

You won’t get going every day, but when you get in you have to look to capitalise and I’m happy I have been able to do that this season in both the one-day matches and the four-day matches.”

Smith was a member of the team when the Windwards won the regional limited-overs tournament 13 years ago under the captaincy of allrounder Rawl Lewis. He said that win, as well as Sunday night’s triumph, was “wonderful” for Windward Islands cricket.

“Back then I was a junior member of the team and I remember how wonderful it was to win the Cup. This is also wonderful for us. As a youngster back then I really enjoyed it and I could see the youngsters coming in here really enjoyed it,” Smith said.

Thursday April 25, 2013

Kaieteur News

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t r o Sp

Guyana to host British Team April 30 - May 2 Nat. Fullbore Captain Persaud pleased with 2013 C/ships

Chart-topper Smith eyeing 800 runs in Regional 4-Day

Nat. Fullbore Captain Persaud pleased with 2013 C/ships Guyana to host British Team - April 30, May 1 & 2

By Franklin Wilson National Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud summed up the final day of this year’s National championships noting that it was a challenging day and the shooter that handled conditions the best was Ryan Sampson who won the 600 Yards (48 Points 3Vs), 1000 Yards (46 Points 2Vs) and the Day Aggregate (128 Points 6Vs).

“But basically, it was a challenging day for all the shooters but Sampson handled it best,” Persaud was dethroned as the King of the X-Class by long time buddy Ransford Goodluck (341 Points 27 Vs) who won a close championship beating off by single point in the Grand Aggregate, Lennox Braithwaite (340 Points 24Vs) with Persaud finishing 3rd on 338 Points 20Vs. The Captain, while admitting that he is not yet in the best of shape ahead of the Caribbean Championships set for the Land of the Flying Fish, Barbados, next month, said that Guyana has always done well as a unit and

Devon Smith (WICB)

Competitors of the second detail at the 2013 Nationals enjoying the recently relayed bank at 1000 Yards. (Franklin Wilson photo)

Lewandowski runs riot on Real with FOURsome display

nd

NBS 40-Over 2 Division Tournament officially launched *** Dwayne Smith leads Mumbai come -from-behind win

Street Football: Mackeson ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ looms Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210