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Kaieteur News
Friday April 26, 2013
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Budget passed minus $31.4B No Amerindian lands part - Ramotar agrees to Tripartite Budget Committee After almost a month of arguments, the National Assembly on Wednesday evening approved the 2013 National Budget, but $31.35 billion less than what was originally presented to the House. Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh had presented a $208.8 billion budget on March 25. After a series of amendments, the budget was reduced to $177.4 billion. The last budget cut occurred on Wednesday, when $19 billion was cut from the allocation for the Low Carbon Development Strategy. The opposition argued that the money has not yet been approved by the Inter-American Development Bank, but once it is approved, the government can return to the National Assembly and ask for approval. The second largest cut was $5.6 billion under the
Ministry of Public Works. The opposition had only intended to cut $5.3 billion for the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion plan, citing lack of transparency. However, owing to a mistake, the opposition had no choice but to cut funding for the airport expansion plan and other transport projects, including for hinterland airstrips, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ogle Airport. The third largest cut was $5.2 billion in subsidies for the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated. The other cuts were $1.25 billion for the Specialty Hospital on the grounds that there was a lack of transparency, and a total of $217.1 million from the Government Information Agency and the state-run TV and radio NCN, under the grounds that the entities were only pushing propaganda
and shutting out opposition voices. Despite the budget cuts, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh expressed satisfaction with the final budget. The opposition had argued that a budget that could have satisfied all could have been presented if the government was truly committed to consultation. With the controversy over the budget cuts, President Donald Ramotar met with the Parliamentary opposition, namely APNU and AFC, and committed to a tripartite budget process for next year’s budget. “We met President Donald Ramotar on two occasions in an attempt to ensure that this budgetary process would go more smoothly and at least one thing has come out of it, he has agreed that from the first of July 2013 he will initiate a process by which the opposition is more closely associated with the preparation of the budget,” Opposition Leader David Granger announced.
95 percent of LCDS budgetary allocations slashed By Abena Rockcliffe Just before the budget deliberations came to an end on Wednesday evening, the opposition made its last amendment to the estimates when it cut some $19B from what was provided for the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) under the Ministry of Finance. The government had provided for $20B to be allocated to the project, but the opposition, by virtue of its one-seat majority, made a 95 percent reduction to that sum; leaving only $1B for the project. The $19B cut represented the largest the opposition had made since t h e s t a r t o f t h i s y e a r ’s budget deliberations. The allocation fell under the Capital Funding for the Finance Ministry to which a total of $24.7B was allocated. A large percentage of the $20B allocation was set
aside to be utilized as Guyana’s stake in the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project and would have originated from the biodiversity agreement Guyana has with Norway. However, the joint parliamentary opposition, with the argument that InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) has not yet given its final approval of the hydropower project, decided not to approve funding. The Alliance for Change (AFC) suggested that funding be withheld until such time as the release and approval of the actual funds by the IDB, but committed that they were prepared to approve a supplementary allocation for the project once the IDB cleared it. Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh argued that the budget addresses projected income and expenditure for the year which includes the expected IDB funding. However, the combined opposition was once again
convinced that the best thing to do was to pull out the old axe and vote to slash the allocation. The allocation of $48.5B towards current expenditure for the Ministry of Finance was however approved, without amendments. While, even though there was detailed questioning with regards to vehicles allocated, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) managed to escape the proposed APNU reduction of the $93.5M allocation by $92.5M. The Basic Needs Trust Fund was allocated $1B to provide for the implementation of the programme in areas such as education, health, community roads, water supply and skills training. This financing came from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The provision of $450M for student loans for students attending the University of Guyana was also included in this allocation.
of mining lottery - GGMC
A map highlighting a portion of southern Guyana showing locations of lottery blocks. As Guyana readies for a much anticipated government lottery that will open up new lands for mining, the administration yesterday assured that no areas under the control of Amerindians are to be part of the exercises. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, all mining lands identified for the lottery within Region Nine are under the management of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and are not within titled lands or within proposed extension to titled lands. Following a standoff between illegal miners at Marudi Mountains earlier few weeks ago, government had
announced plans to hold the lottery. During the incident at Marudi Mountains, Region Nine, scores of miners were evicted by police and officials of the GGMC. The evictions gained even more notoriety after a woman and her son were allegedly beaten severely by a police rank with a whip. The incident was captured on video and uploaded on YouTube, drawing widespread condemnation. The policeman has since been charged. The Ministry has promised to make more mining lands available after miners claimed that they were forced into being illegal because of no lands. The
lotteries will be held today in the mining districts across the country. “Further, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission notes the efforts by a few individuals, who themselves were involved in illegal mining, to spread misinformation and misrepresent the efforts by the GGMC to regulate the mining sector and to provide more mining lands for legitimate miners.” There has been a rush for lands as demand grew in recent years for gold and traders banked on the precious metal as the dollar fell. There was a significant decline in gold prices this month.
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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
Art of the possible We have arrived at the end of another bruising battle over the budget. There were quite a number of firsts: an extra week for the Opposition to study the estimates, larger cuts ($31+billion) than last year’s, errors by the Opposition that made them cut programmes they actually support and even more pointed charges of nepotism, self-interest and cronyism that are now quite de rigeur. We believe it is past time that the politicians take a deep breath and engage in some soul-searching as to whether the type of politics they have chosen to engage in, is in the best interest of the country. In the Westminster system of governance - not just “government” - that we purport to practice, the adversarial posture of the competing parties in parliament is supposed to produce programmes and policies that are ‘best’ for the country. But like the workings of the judicial system that utilizes the same premise, there has to be a common understanding of what the system is supposed to deliver. In the case of the judiciary, it is justice for the wronged parties, and for the legislature, it is for the progress of the country. But unlike the judicial system, where the interpretation of the laws that define justice are constantly being refined through ‘stare decisis’ i.e. authoritative judicial decisions that must be followed, in the political realm, we have to depend on the politicians’ determination as to what is “best for the country”. This opens up a whole new can of worms as to the factors that influence the conclusions of the politicians. Even in the ‘model’ democracies of the US and Britain that we emulate, there are professional lobbyists who use a whole range of tactics, including money, to persuade lawmakers that the interests of their clients are the interests of the country. Even in the absence of professional lobbyists, campaign contributors invariably have the ears of the politicians they support. In the recent budget debate, there were persistent charges from both sides of the aisle that budget proposals or excisions were being made on behalf of friends and supporters. But even in the absence of external inducements, there is the more fundamental problem of politicians so convinced in the ‘rightness’ of their position that they refuse to budge, even if it can be shown that the action might not be in the best interest of the country. We believe that this was the case during the budget debate. What is the way out of his dilemma? Back in the nineteenth century, Bismarck, the man who unified Germany - no mean task in view of the hundreds of principalities with religious, linguistic, social, and cultural differences that he had to bring together - defined politics as the ‘art of the possible’. A half century later, with the experience of all the other changes necessary to create an effective modern state, the German sociologist Max Weber expanded on the concept. In his seminal “Politics as a Vocation”, he defined politics as the art of compromise. He emphasized that politicians must make decisions after weighing the social benefits versus the costs. Because of this, ‘political action cannot be rooted only in conviction, since one’s conviction can be another’s social anathema.’ But what we want to emphasize is that compromise does not mean only the expedient or the opportunistic but rather, a pragmatic acceptance of what is possible under the circumstances. In our specific circumstance in Guyana, there should be an acceptance by the Executive that the views of the Opposition must be taken into consideration when the budget is being formulated. While we accept that formulation of the budget falls in the bailiwick of the Executive, surely the latter can find items from the Opposition’s programmes to incorporate into the budget without doing irreparable damage to its own programme. With this in mind we welcome the formation of a Tripartite Committee to formulate the budget from next year. This mechanism should facilitate the search for principled compromise for the country’s progress.
Friday April 26, 2013
Letters... Where your views make the news
There were others before the TVG satellite uplink DEAR EDITOR, Having raised some pertinent questions with regard to CCTV, Frequency Assignments and transparency in recent months, I am moved once again to raise questions on the issue of Telecommunications Policy. Let me make it clear; it is not my intent to tarnish anyone or to limit economic growth in this country by these questions but to raise awareness of the importance of the Telecommunications sector to progress and development. The arrangement that the Ministry of Education (NCERD/The Learning Channel) has with the private entity TVG (owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop) for Satellite Uplink and Downlink Services has been described as “saving the day” for the Learning Channel. There may be those who will question my credentials with regard to Telecommunications Policy. It is not my wont to trot out degrees, training sessions and conferences attended to illustrate knowledge but I do believe that I know something about these matters. In the 1980s, in a paper I suggested that satellites can be used to distribute educational programming to remote areas in Guyana and the Caribbean. I referred to the project as “Communication for Educational Development
and Enlightenment (CEDE) based on models I saw being used among the Inuit populations in Alaska and what I researched about the “ANIK” Satellite System in Canada and the Indian Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) project in the 1970s and 80s. In fact, while not just for Education, CARICOM had a project on Satellite Space Segment Use that never really got off the ground. So it was never a harebrained idea. The US used Satellites in its rural educational services; Britain had its Open University, a combination of terrestrial and satellite use. Dr Roath ought to be complimented on the initiative, however it does not hurt the programme by questioning the procedure used to arrive at and procure certain services. What is not clear is how the administrators of this beneficial service could state publicly that GT&T and Digicel are assisting them on the one hand but GTT in particular, on the other hand, could not offer a quotation on providing “bundled “space segment service to the Learning Channel. Are we saying that GT&T does not have Satellite Uplink facilities in the country? Are we saying that GT&T is not licensed to uplink and downlink Voice and Data? If The Learning Channel received quotations from GT&T or Digicel, were the
costs too high for the bandwidth required or was the bandwidth not attainable by either Telecommunication provider? It would be presumptuous of me to state that TVG designed and procured a Satellite Uplink and Downlink facility in the country because it knew that for its own purposes it will be given frequencies across Guyana and would need to distribute audio and video to various remote sites then, now or in the future. It may be presumptuous to state, too, that TVG knew beforehand that a Learning Channel was being planned in the head of the qualified, patriotic, and passionate Dr. Seeta Shah Roath. Dr Roath, when she served as Communications Manager at Omai, and even before that in the Guyana Public Communications Agency, knew of the difficulty associated with information distribution in the hinterland areas. She knew, too, that a GT&T Telecommunications Tower at Arisaruvia microwave facilitated interior service and still does to areas like Omai and Mahdia. It is not quite accurate to indicate that Satellite Uplink and Downlink facilities were not possible. At a price anything is available. Al Jazeera did an uplink from the Kitty Foreshore within the last two years, Fox did a report from Parliament buildings compound, Guyana has done
the Cricket World Cup and the Caribbean Broadcasting Union provided at least one of its local affiliates with the facilities to uplink. I would not venture into the claim by the Ministry of Education officials that “in fact, except for CANA, and SportsMax, there was no other entity capable of uplinking video signals to satellites in the whole of the Caribbean” but I know that such a statement will upset some of my colleagues in the CTU and CANTO. Suffice it to say that Caribvision was done via Satellite from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao, and St. Lucia using a combination of private public entities. I recall too that an entity named I-Net Communications Inc. was fully authorized to provide Telecommunications services in Guyana about ten years ago. The Guyana Government licensed I-Net to operate microwave data telecommunication equipment in the 2.4 Ghz band to provide data communication service within Guyana only. I know because back then I questioned that too and was provided with the documents. I-Net wanted to provide uplink and downlink facilities but those responsible for that service are still around and can speak for themselves whether I-Net got that licence. The question with regard Continued on page 7
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Don’t take words out of context
DEAR EDITOR, Evidence is required to substantiate a viewpoint and opinions should not be taken out of context. No solid concrete proof was offered by those who claim that Adam Harris in his column (KN April 14) called on people to protest against the government. And even if he did it is his right of freedom of expression as well as freedom of assembly as has been institutionalized under the PPP administration. One should take the context into consideration when Adam wrote that he was surprised that there was no protest, is not the same as calling for protests. I enjoy reading Adam’s column. He substantiates his points and does not make outlandish statements or call people names like Freddie Kissoon. If people feel there is wrongdoing, they should speak out and protest. That is one’s right in a democracy and the PPP administration should be proud of its democratic track record allowing people to speak and write freely even when much of what is written is flawed and cannot be supported with evidence.
However, the right to protest does not give people the right to violate the rights of others or to rob or beat people as happened at Agricola or engage in violent destruction as happened in Linden. We should support those who engage in peaceful non-violent protests to right wrongs as Gandhi, Mandela, and King did. And I am in agreement with Adam (KN Apr 21) that he does not need to send a message to protesters or APNU or AFC to come out in the streets. If they want to, they will and as Adam penned, no protests means peace and stability and perhaps the non-beating of innocent people. On freedom of expression, former President Jagdeo has every right to say what he did at Pandit Reep’s funeral as long as there is evidence. The critics of Jagdeo’s comment were biased in condemning him for his claim of an anti-Indian resurgence (KN Apr 19). Pt. Reep’s funeral was appropriate to make a charge of an anti-Indian resurgence as long as it can be backed up with evidence – not the kind of unsubstantiated
claims made by Freddie Kissoon. It should be noted that Dr. King and Gandhi used every platform to speak out against injustice. I remember during the struggle against the dictatorship during the 1970s thru 1992 in New York, there were critiques about whether festivals and funerals were appropriate to raise matters pertaining to human rights violations. I had many negative experiences about the right place to protest. Arjune Karshan of the ACG, Vassan Ramracha, Baytoram Ramharack, Chuck Mohan, etc. would all confirm that we were thrown out of temples, Koran Shariefs, funerals, etc. when we raised the issues of rights abuses. But we persevered and continued these activities anyway because there were virtually nowhere else to address an audience. When we picketed Gowkarran Sharma at a Queens temple, some Hindus felt it was inappropriate. When we rallied against Desmond Hoyte, Ptolemy Reid and other PNC Ministers at the UN, catering halls, etc., Continued on page 7
DEAR EDITOR, When will the authorized official of this so called caring Government, rid the hard working staff of the Bartica Hospital of the turbulent, interfering and unqualified steward. This granny was foisted on this institution by a Minister. I have painfully and continuously lobbied for the revocation of her contract on numerous occasions. Her appointment is political and designed to marginalize and discriminate against qualified Barticians and any young
person qualified to fill that post. Almost every doctor sent to this hospital finds it difficult to function due to the interfering and bombastic behaviour of this pensioner. As I pen this missive I am sure some member of staff is experiencing the autocracy of this granny. It is unfair and unjustified for these young professionals after years of rigorous studies under adverse conditions in Cuba, to be subjected to such
unwarranted daily mental assaults and confrontation from an unqualified tormentor who undeservedly usurped such a position. These professionals must operate under an atmosphere of tranquility owing to the location, and the number of patients they see every day coming from the riverain and mining locations. The staff urgently need to be rescued from this tyrant who is in charge of this beleaguered hospital. Umar Saied
Problematic senior staff
Some protocols are needed to help fight TIP DEAR EDITOR, So the issue of Trafficking in Persons has finally caught the attention of the National Assembly! As reasonably regular readers of the daily newspapers, we are aware that the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) led by Simona Broomes has on at least four occasions before this week, been reported as rescuing young women and children or exposing trafficking- type situations in the interior. We do not recall any Member of Parliament using the occasion of these reports to express concern (is it the threat of violence or the outing of a police officer’s involvement that makes this Puruni report different?) On the government side we can only recall defensiveness and denials in the face of the US State Department reports on Trafficking in Persons (TIP). Yet for many years, not only the International Organisation on Migration but some of us here have been providing information about internal Trafficking in
Persons; indeed, the first public statement by Red Thread was carried in the Guyana Review, a very useful magazine in which Mr David Granger played a lead role. The Prime Minister’s recent expression of Government concern is welcome, but his statement about putting protocols in place raises alarms; the Trafficking in Persons Act was assented to in 2005, more than enough time for protocols to be consulted on and implemented, especially given Mr. Rohee’s attempt to celebrate the existence and work of the Ministerial Task Force on TIP. Now that the National Assembly is united in its concern about trafficking in persons, which is one kind of modern-day slavery (bonded labour, which we have also seen in Guyana, is another), we have the following expectations: • The protocols will include provisions to prosecute officials high and low who are found to be complicit in trafficking operations. • All government
offices/officers stationed in the interior will be formally assigned to be on the lookout for trafficking. • The government will establish secure transit housing in all the interior “launching communities” (Bartica, Mahdia, Matthews Ridge, Port Kaituma, and so on). • The Trafficking in Persons training to be conducted for all officials and “frontline workers” will make it clear that the trafficked person is a victim and not a criminal. This means that at every stage of the rescue and investigation the victim’s comfort, safety and wellbeing must be the first priority. The support given must also be ongoing and not one- off. • In recognition of their unique location in the interior, and their activism in this area, the GWMO will be resourced by the government to deepen their watchdog and rescue operations. This does not mean, however, that the work should be left to them. • Recognising that poverty makes girls and young women in particular, Continued on page 7
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Kaieteur News
Friday April 26, 2013
Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Opposition gambling away young peoples’ future DEAR EDITOR, Young people of Guyana, you are the future of this land, but if your future is being gambled away by those very ones who are supposed to lay the foundations of that future and who promised to secure your future, then what kind of a future can you look forward to? As if eliminating from the proposed national budget resources allocated for the construction of a premier medical facility in Guyana is not enough, has not put a large enough dent on your
future, the political opposition has now eliminated from the budget provisions for the financing of a new and modern airport. It is said that with age and experience comes wisdom, but the political opposition led by Mr. Granger, Mr. Greenidge, Mr. Ramjattan, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo and Mr. Roopnaraine, has just proved that saying wrong. Maybe the other saying, that is, grey hair is not a sign of wisdom but one of old age best describes them since this would imply the presence of all the
incapacities that come with age. Chief among them of course is impairment of cognitive functions. If this does not represent a rational explanation of their actions or if it is not true, which I think is the case, then the only explanation left is that they are deliberately acting in an irrational and vindictive way. An appropriate Guyanese proverb then would be “bull cow a fight a pasture, grass a trample.” How else can anyone make sense of the political
opposition assault of the national budget in the Parliament, wiping out major development projects? I am therefore calling on the young people of this dear land of ours, the future of this dear land, to wake-up! The political opposition, out of vindictiveness is gambling away your future. Men like Granger and Greenidge, under the PNC government have already gambled away the future of two generations of Guyanese and now they are gambling away your future and your
children’s future. It is your duty and obligation to stop them now. After destroying foundations laid by the PPP in the 1950s and their continuous destruction of the county for 28 years, forcing half the population of all races to flee this beautiful land, the PPP has once again struggled and rebuild it. Don’t let the PNC and AFC opposition destroy it again. You are intelligent enough to understand what the consequences will be. It is understandable that many of you mistake the colour of their hair as a sure sign of wisdom and that they would act wisely in your best interest and the best interest of the nation. I would also like to issue
a public challenge to those learned folks of the Institute of Developmental Studies at the University of Guyana, to make an objective and public pronouncement on whether the two projects eliminated from the budget by the political opposition are beneficial to Guyana and if in their opinion they were intelligently debated in Parliament and if the reasons given by the opposition for their elimination are valid. Young people of Guyana, secure your future and the future of your motherland – make your voice heard, safeguard your future. You now hold the key. The ball is firmly in your court; you either play it well and secure your future or live to regret it. Sundar Nauth
DEAR EDITOR, Recently on April 24, 2013, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) expressed its “(concern and unease) with the developments occurring in the National Assembly, in particular and with reference to amendments to the Budgetary Estimates, and the effects they will have on the sustenance of a stable and conducive economic and social environment.” Did I hear this same GCCI expressing a deep concern and uneasiness with the development around the nonestablishment of the Public Procurement Commission? Did I hear the GCCI expressing deep concern at the lost economic opportunities as a result of the billions lost from the economy as a result of the leakage from the economy into private pool houses and Palaces on Beach front properties? In today’s society we are plagued by people who use morality conveniently especially those in Civil Society. They use it at their whims and fancies and only
when it suits them. The moral high ground is used to suit a particular need, situation or purpose. If something was wrong yesterday, it cannot all of a sudden be right today because you are doing it. Until the leadership of the GCCI takes an active position on the radio licence fiasco, a living wage for the workers of Guyana (10% at minimum as demanded by Mr. Moses Nagamootoo) and the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission, it has no moral authority to recommend anything to the majority opposition. Morality should not be used as a tool, a benchmark to suit particular need or purpose. Instead, selfrespect, introspection, integrity should always be at the forefront when one uses morality. It is the leadership of the GCCI which is being petty by choosing the PPP’s side rather than the people’s side; but I am not surprised by the hypocrisy from the GCCI; after all Dookhoo and Gouveia are on the executive. Avinash Rampersaud
The hypocrisy of it all
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
Letters... Where your views make the news
AG’s budget pronouncements are lucid, mature DEAR EDITOR, I read with some surprise, a letter dated April 21, that appeared in the Sunday edition of the Kaieteur News, captioned “If the AG has a case to make on the Chief Justice’s ruling let him do so coherently.” I am no lawyer, just an ordinary person with an ordinary person’s concern about the future of my country, the budget, the Chief Justice’s ruling as it relates to the budget, and ultimately how it will affect me. In this political climate, I find that the citizens of this country are often bombarded by a veritable blitzkrieg of misinformation. Screaming sensational headlines alleging mass corruption, mayhem, nepotism etc. are encountered every day. But on a mature and reasonable filtering of the news being fed to the citizens of this country, I find that
rarely, are these allegations supported by fact or evidence. Decisions of the High Court are handed down, but often the impact and meaning are lost and buried beneath layers of grandiloquence and artifice. This is where I believe the AG stands apart from the frenzied and the confused, the dishonest and the absurd. I have watched with avid interest, the AG’s clear distillation of the Chief Justice’s ruling in Parliament. I have listened to him read passages from the decision, and in concise measured language, explain their purport and intent. And he has impressed me as one of the few politicians who is dignified and statesmanlike, seeking to clarify rather than to perplex. The author of the letter to which I have referred, speaks
rather condescendingly of the AG’s “ bastardization “ of the Chief Justice’s ruling and goes on to expound that the public is brainwashed in a manner reminiscent of the Nazis. The author makes sweeping statements without more. He does not explain how the ruling was “bastardized “, and assumes that the Guyanese public are like sheep, incapable of reading and discerning for themselves; that they are no more than hapless victims of conditioning. Maybe the syllogism that is his letter has eluded him. I applaud the AG for the good work that he has done, for his fearlessness, for his honour, and it is my sincere wish that he continues to speak in Parliament, bringing freshness and clarity to issues of which the public needs to be apprised. Kuldeep Persaud
From page 5 PNC supporters felt it was inappropriate. We were lambasted and cursed out as “coolie so and so …” for speaking out against injustices. ACG activist Chuck Mohan, brother-in-law of Dr. Joey, would attest that an Amerindian security guard pulled a gun on us in Brooklyn at a protest against Reid who spoke at a church. If we had to worry about the right place to protest, demonstrate, distribute literature and spoke out against evil, we would have never toppled the Guyanese dictatorship and restored democracy. I should note that Dr.
Jagan used every platform to speak out against injustice and human rights abuses in Guyana. At a GOPIO dinner banquet in celebration of achievements of Indians in July 1989 at the Sheraton Centre, Dr. Jagan spoke out against political religious discrimination in Guyana. A few days later at an afternoon cocktail reception, he appealed to P r e s i d e n t D r. T h o m a s Abraham, Sudha Acharya and other GOPIO organizers to condemn apartheid like rule in Guyana giving legitimacy to using any platform to speak out against abuses. Is there an anti-Indian
resurgence, if you talk to Indians some will tell you that have experienced a lot of problems in recent times. J a g d e o c i t e d K i s s o o n ’s claim in defense of a lawsuit about 38 Indians who were promoted or hired by the PPP in top tier positions. But how about other incidents like the spate of robberies, robberies and killings of Indians, the Agricola attacks, and Greenidge’s comment about sugar being a PPP problem? Kissoon, Jagdeo, Adam, etc. have every right to freely express their views provided they have evidence to substantiate their arguments. Vishnu Bisram
From page 5 vulnerable to trafficking and sexual exploitation, the government will provide the means for those rescued to acquire options for the future rather than simply return them to poverty.• Notwithstanding historic practices that are frequently ignored or dismissed as cultural, the several laws now in place which are aimed at protecting those who are vulnerable will be enforced, and the resources allocated to ensure this is done effectively. • The Ministry of Human Services’ TIP unit, which is so inadequate that as an attempt to address Trafficking in Persons it is a sad joke, will be properly resourced and trained. We want to make it clear
that what we are calling for is aimed at ending the exploitation of girls and women (the great majority of those trafficked), not at restricting the rights of girls and women, Guyanese and non-Guyanese. Respect due to the
Guyana Women Miners Organisation for the rescue and for forcing Guyana’s politicians to promise action. Let’s ensure that the action is taken. Karen de Souza, Andaiye For Red Thread
From page 4 to the TVG/TLC arrangement is how was TVG licensed by the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), when and for what other pu r p o s e than TLC services? Clearly for TVG there are other services using the Satellite Uplink/ Downlink operation. In addition to the possibility of future distribution of audio video in remote locations, TVG can
perhaps or whenever International News Networks come to Guyana the Guyana Government may require them to use that service. Hopefully the service will not encounter “technical problems” when these news outlets report matters from a future “Tahrir or Tiananmen Square”. No, we are a Democracy; that can’t happen here. Enrico Woolford
Don’t take words out of context
Some protocols are needed...
There wereofferothers... Call Centre services
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Perhaps the entire country should move to Region 10 There is a Procurement Act in place that obligates the government to tender for all goods and services required by the State. As such, regardless of whether the Ministry of Education felt that there was only one provider which could have offered satellite up-link services for the Learning Channel, it is necessary by law for tenders to have been advertized seeking bids for the supply of this service. It is not clear at this stage whether there was ever a public advertisement for the services which are presently being provided by TVG to up-link signals for the Channel. It is important that this information be ascertained since if and when that $3.8M per month contract comes up for renewal, there should be an insistence that the service be subject to competitive bidding. One of the benefits of public tendering is that the country gets the best price possible. As such, when the government needs to procure a service, it tenders. It then assesses the various bids that are received. It can in the process even negotiate a better price, and since in the case of the Learning Channel we are dealing with the possibility of a demand for an up-link well into the future,
then the prices surely should not be fixed, but should be reduced based on the sustainability of the demand and of course as technology allows for the up-link to be provided cheaper. It does seem a bit strange that Guyana is investing so much in the Learning Channel and yet has to pay such a significant sum for the satellite up-link. With such a price tag, one would anticipate that in any part of the country, a student should be able to connect their television set to a rabbit ears antenna and receive a signal to the Learning Channel. Is that possible right now? There are a lot of coincidences. It is interesting that at the same time that the Learning Channel was being contemplated, TVG was deploying a satellite up-link teleport. But what about NCN? How does it explain that it was not interested in providing the service? There is no doubt that the Learning Channel is needed. The Learning Channel is a powerful educational tool that can impact positively on the performance of children in the school system. It can eventually also help reduce the need for extra-lessons. Because of its educational benefits, there is likely to be a situation whereby persons in Guyana are likely to ignore
Dem boys seh...
Is now dem talking Mouth open story jump out. Dem boys watch wha dem do to de Cheddi Jagan International Airport and talk every time dem vote money fuh de airport. One time in parliament dem vote couple hundred million fuh do de viewing gallery and de opposition object. That was de time you could object all you want and nutten use to happen suh de very government go about and do de wuk. Next thing dem boys know was that de roof fall in. Dem put more money and build a new roof. Dem really spend money on de airport. Up to de other day dem spend couple hundred million dollar fuh mek four toilet. After de opposition cut de budget this de story come out. Rumesh talk bout bad design. He probably was not de chairman at de time but other people had to see de design and dem didn’t know that it was bad then or dem didn’t care because dem was sharing money like rain. Is some of that money help Barbie build de satellite uplink fuh mek more money. De man mek money when Guyana play international football de other day and now that Pakistan coming, he gun mek a killing. When people talk bout investment –that is investment. De Learning Channel is not even de icing pun de cake. De airport is just like that. Whenever dem want to give money to a contractor dem do wuk pun de airport. De opposition ketch on and decide to cut de new airport because dem wanted to cut de money flow. Is just that dem hand slip and dem cut too much. Is not everybody can tek de crookishness and dem boys gun talk bout that very soon. Some people does walk away from de using. Dem is de decent people and dem gun sleep when de night come. But dem got de set who believe that money never enough. Dem is de people who dem boys waiting fuh hear about. Dem is de ones who gun end up in dem pumpkin jumpsuit and other people watching dem funny. Talk half and wait fuh more story.
concerns as to the manner in which the service is being uplinked. They are, for example, not likely to be concerned as to what it is costing the government. After all, if it is being provided free of cost, why worry about how the supplier of the satellite up-link was decided on. But is the manner in which contracts are awarded not one of the main concerns about the procurement system of the government? For example, there are serious concerns over the supply of pharmaceuticals to the health sector? There have been criticisms in the past that the system favours certain businesses, especially as this relates to pre-qualification. The Opposition interestingly has once again passed the Budget for the
health sector, inclusive of the supply of medicines over which it had made so much noise. It made no cuts nor did it make any provisional approvals or subject its approval to any demand for greater transparency. Contrast this with the cuts that it instituted to the airport extension project even though last year it voted sums for this project. So it voted sums to start this project but has now effectively axed it after works have started. It has contrastingly not axed any funds for the Learning Channel, but has cut allocations to the transport sector which will now be cashstrapped to effect repairs to the Chinese ferries which were recently damaged by a tug. The Opposition has also instituted cuts to the Amaila
Falls Hydroelectric Project. Their own experience should have instructed them as to what delays can mean for projects of this nature. Private investors are not going to sit around and wait until this issue of cuts is sorted out. This is also one of the projects for which there were no complaints by the Opposition following a confidential briefing that was undertaken by the government. What we have now is a situation whereby the government, because of the cuts, is threatening to increase electricity tariffs by about 17%. This will mean that consumers throughout Guyana will be paying about $60 per kilowatt hour. However, the opposition has safeguarded the right of the
people of Region 10 to only pay between $5-$15 per kilowatt for electricity. For the rest of the population though, they still have to pay high rates with the possibility of an increase. One of the ways to reduce the high cost of electricity was through the hydroelectric project, but by chopping that out of the Budget, the opposition is effectively ensuring that there will be no relief for consumers ever. Perhaps the entire country should move to Region 10 so as to benefit from reduced electricity rates!
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Kaieteur News
Friday April 26, 2013
Freddie Kissoon Column
The funniest politicians in the world For me the funniest politicians in the world are from Guyana in the following order; Neil Kumar, Clement Rohee, Robeson Benn and Priya Manickchand. Jagdeo comes in at number five. I don’t consider a certain Minister funny at all when he blurted in front of the media; “I thought ya’ll talking about me because I is a Minister who like to do illegal things, so I thought is me ya’ll talking about when ya’ll say that a certain Minister is engaged in illegal conduct.” Now that is far from comical. That is extremely sickening. And to think the Minister who said that at the time had jurisdiction in
relation to the legal environment. We can skip Neil Kumar. I have dealt at length with his exclamation that a government just cannot open a public pool for all and sundry to come; people must understand that you have to bathe before you use a pool. Kumar didn’t know which were the ABC countries that have embassies in Guyana. He said they were Argentina, Brazil and Chile. Now that is hard to stop laughing at. I mean no insult, but whenever I am driving and I come across Neil Kumar in his car, I start laughing right away. I live near to the National Aquatic Centre and whenever
the pool is open to the public I will make sure I don’t forget to shower before I jump in. Clement Rohee has got to be the clown that is competing with Kumar. He told the media that he cannot see why he should not contest the presidency of Guyana because after all; “goat ain’t bite me.” What a crazy thing to say to a nation about your ability to run for president. But the joke is permanently on Rohee because he did not compete for the presidential slot of his party, which could be interpreted to mean that goat did bite him. Not satisfied with his caprine journey, he jumped onto the genetic road. Again, on wanting to be
president, he said he feels it in his DNA that the time has come. Rohee is indeed a person that makes you grin. Asked why in 2005 his nonimmigrant and diplomatic visas were suspended, he said that it had to do with an incident in 1970 when he picketed the US Embassy over the Vietnam War. Why this is hilarious is that in 1970, Rohee was nowhere near the PPP. In 1970, I knew Rohee as a “limer” around the Metropole cinema when I worked as a teenager in the Michael Forde Bookstore Secondly, most, if not all the leading figures in the WPA and the PPP picketed the US
Embassy and never had their visas suspended thirty-five years later. Rohee is indeed competing with Kumar. He wants the police to question APNU Parliamentarian, Desmond Trotman, over a remark made in the House during the budget debate to the effect that the PPP is a criminal cabal. Only a limited mind, as the one Rohee may have, does not know that addresses in the House are backed by legal privilege and that the speakers are immune from prosecution. Rohee has been in Parliament for over twenty years and did not know that. What does Rohee know? The satirical column, “Dem Boys Seh” refers to Robeson Benn as “Bruck Up Benn.” Quite a comical description! Benn is the third funniest man on the face of the earth. He walked into Kaieteur News offices and told the editor, “You didn’t ask for my comments.” That was in reference to the newspaper carrying a news item of his son being arrested by the police. What is funny about that is that Benn works for a government that controls three state media entities that never give the opposition the right to comment. The one I like about Benn
Frederick Kissoon was when he said he was driving, heard an antigovernment calypso playing over NCN, drove into the media compound and politely asked that the item be taken off the airwaves. Benn didn’t explain the semantic meaning of “polite.” It was the genius philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein who once wrote that language has no objective, definitive meaning. He’s right when you think of the way Benn uses language. Finally, Priya Manickchand, the lady from Pradoville 2. Two days ago, she called a press conference to tell Guyanese about the four-million-dollar monthly allocation that Bobby Ramroop’s television channel gets for transmitting the contents of the Learning Channel. She said it has nothing to do with favouring Ramroop. Surely, it is always better to say nothing than to say something that makes you look like a clown.
Cop charged with human trafficking
Police Lance Corporal Huford David appeared yesterday before Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where the charge of Trafficking in Persons was read to him. According to the Prosecution, within the period of January 1 to January 31, 2013, the 36-year-old David contacted the 14-yearold alleged victim and her sister and informed them of a business proposal. It is alleged that David told them that one would work in a bar whilst the other would handle the business aspect of his project. It is also alleged that the older sister refused, but David insisted that everything would be fine. The prosecution then stated that the 14-year-old was taken to a hotel where she spent the evening. David allegedly picked her up later and took her to Bartica then to Parika and finally to the Mazaruni District. The court heard that at their destination, he explained to the victim that she would work and collect money and gold, then give them to a shopkeeper named Rankin.
It is alleged that as a result of nine sexual encounters, the teen accumulated 12 pennyweight of gold and $160,000 which she gave to the said Rankin. When the victim asked the shopkeeper for her money, he informed her that he was not in possession of the gold and money. She then went to David, who showed her a book which revealed that she had only worked for 6 pennyweight of gold and $130,000 but then told her that he didn’t have it at the moment. It is alleged that the teen became annoyed and escaped. Members of the Women Miners Organisation were apprised of the incident and investigations into the matter were launched. David was subsequently apprehended and charged with the aforementioned offence. Attorney at law, Peter Hugh, in a bail application, stated that his client (David) has a fixed place of abode at Sisters Village and as such does not pose a flight risk. Bail was denied and David was remanded to custody at the Lusignan Police Station. He is scheduled to return to court on May 2.
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
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PSC highlights challenges to economy in wake of budget cuts A significant slash to the $208.8 billion national budget will in no way help to cushion the imminent economic threats the local economy currently faces. At least this has been the deduction of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) which sought yesterday to highlight the various challenges that have surfaced that could challenge the growth of the economy. The PSC’s disclosure comes in wake of the $31.35 billion slashed from the budget, compliments of the parliamentary opposition. At a press conference yesterday at the Camp Street, Georgetown Club, Chairman of the PSC, Ronald Webster, underscored that the Private Sector in any open-economy such as Guyana is known to drive the economy, create jobs and by extension create wealth for that economy. He was at the time sharing the spotlight with other executives of the PSC, including Ramesh Dookhoo, Chair of the Trade and Investment Sub-Committee; Ramesh Persaud, Finance Director; and Kit Nacimento, Chair of the Communications and Environmental SubCommittee. Webster in his deliberation noted that a very
From left: PSC’s Kit Nascimento, Ronald Webster, Ramesh Dookhoo and Ramesh Persaud. important role for the Government is to facilitate or put in place infrastructure, that is, the facilities, communication and otherwise to make the work of the private sector a reality and thereby help to create wealth. As such he noted that the private sector, the Government and the country’s Parliament have to work closely together to achieve these objectives. Webster sought to emphasise that economies are likely to collapse, “if everyone is going in a different direction. The whole story of a house divided falls
apart...” It was against this background and ahead of the budget cuts, Webster said, that the PSC had engaged lengthy discussions with President Donald Ramotar and the leaders of the parliamentary opposition parties. “In every instance those discussions provided new information, provided new concepts and insights that we can work with.” Webster said that the PSC was engaged in a lengthy meeting with a number of parliamentarians with a view of getting a better
understanding of the reasons for the decisions taken over the past week. He said the results were very interesting and enlightening, given the fact that there was roughly a 15 per cent adjustment to the national budget that was originally presented by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh. “One of our very serious concerns is Guyana’s overdependence on the export of commodity priced items such as gold, bauxite, sugar and rice and in the future possibly manganese if everything goes right,” Webster said. D R O P P I N G
COMMODITY PRICES Moreover, Webster said, the PSC through a trade/ commerce perspective cannot but highlight the position as it relates to the decline in the prices of the named commodities over the last three months. He pointed to the fact that aluminium on the world market has suffered a “fairly steep drop”, moving from US$2,050 per ton to under US$1,900 as at yesterday morning. This development, he said, has the potential to indirectly affect “our bauxite industry...and as you are aware bauxite is under very
many feet of overburden. We have a clearing cost or an overburden removing cost before we hit the ore, which is something that is not faced by West African countries or mines.” Turning his attention to sugar, Webster said that prices on the world market have seen a drop per pound from the October 2012 level of just under 20.5 cents down to 18 cents, even as he noted that production has declined steeply. Also he said that commodity prices for magnesium have dropped by nearly 50 per cent over the last 10 or 12 months. Another indicator, which has been gaining immense attention, is that of gold, the value of which has recently significantly plummeted, according to the PSC Chairman. It wasn’t too long ago he noted that gold was attracting what he described as “phenomenally high” prices even over US$1,800 an ounce, but a few days ago it dropped to under US$1,380 per ounce. “There are so many companies that are in the process of making investment or about to make investments and when you see a price drop like this, the ability to get equity and injection (Continued on page 16)
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Kaieteur News
Friday April 26, 2013
Plastic City teen murder…
Stepfather, 63, captured at Vreed-en-Hoop The hunt for the 63-yearold man who allegedly stabbed his 14-year-old stepdaughter to death in Plastic City, Vreed-en-Hoop on Wednesday night, ended dramatically at around 19:45 hrs yesterday, with residents capturing the suspect a few metres from the slain girl’s home. Randolph Josiah was captured after a brief chase that began on the Vreed-enHoop Public Road, near a roadway leading to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. A female resident told Kaieteur News that a group of boys who were walking along the public road spotted Josiah attempting to flag down passing vehicles, apparently with the intention of heading further up the West Coast of Demerara. They immediately raised an alarm, which caused the apparently panic-stricken suspect to begin running in the centre of the roadway with the boys and several other residents in hot pursuit. The woman said that she immediately went to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station to alert the ranks. By the time she returned with the policemen one of the residents had apprehended the alleged killer and had subdued him on the ground. Kaieteur News understands that some incensed residents inflicted a thrashing on the suspect before handing him over to the lawmen, who escorted him to the station. Earlier in the day, several Plastic City residents had
expressed apprehension that the alleged killer was still in the area. This fear had escalated after a female cousin of the slain teen revealed that Josiah used a stolen cell phone to issue death threats to her. Some relatives of the suspect had described the former Amelia’s Ward, Linden resident, as a dangerous individual who was charged for allegedly murdering another woman some years ago. Fenella Samuels, a student of Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary, was stabbed at least 15 times with a kitchen knife at around 20:00 hrs Wednesday, after the suspect cornered her in a room at her mother’s home. Her mother, Donna Rose, was slashed on the left arm when she attempted to intervene. The wound required 15 stitches. Police in a statement said that the teen was fatally stabbed by her stepfather during a family misunderstanding. Mildred Rose, the mother, said that the trouble started at around 17:00 hrs when Fenella came home and told her that a boy had snatched her phone from her nine-yearold brother. The woman said that she accompanied her daughter and small son to the Vreeden-Hoop Police Station. Ms. Rose said that when she returned home and she attempted to comfort her stillupset daughter. “I tell her ‘don’t fret, you will get back your phone,’ and he (the stepfather) start
Dead: Fenella Samuela arguing and calling her ‘whore and cross.’ The mother said that her daughter retorted by telling the suspect that he was a murderer. To this, Fenella’s stepfather reportedly said: ‘I gun show you what is murder.’ Kaieteur News was told that the suspect then threw a kerosene stove at his stepdaughter, but it missed her. He then used a stool to block one of the doors. The mother said that the teen then attempted to go through the front door but her stepfather slapped her. Kaieteur News was told that the schoolgirl then rushed into the bedroom and picked up a hammer, but her mother took it away. The woman said that her husband then picked up a long kitchen knife from a wall divider and rushed at his stepdaughter. “I put out my hand to block he and he slash my hand and then he go in the
The house where the teen was slain room and start to bore she,” the woman said. All I could do was pick up my son and run (from the house).” According to the mother, she ran onto a dam while screaming for help, but no one came. She then ran to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station. By the time she returned with police, her daughter had been taken to the hospital. A teenaged neighbour said that he and others heard the screams and ventured into the home. Fenella was lying on the bed and groaning. There was lots of blood. “I lift she up and we carry she through the back fence of the hospital.” The teen succumbed shortly after.
Mildred Rose, the injured mother
Rupununi Miners Association rejects GGMC lottery Members of the Rupununi Miners Association (RMA) and ot h e r p r o s p e c t i v e miners of Region Nine have rejected the lottery system proposed by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. The miners are objecting to the method being employed for the lottery, which they feel will undermine their chances of acquiring the prime lands released by the Romanex
Mining Company. The mining lottery was born out of a bitter struggle by the miners to secure their access to lands at Marudi, Region Nine that they have been mining for decades. This was after they were forcefully removed a few months ago by heavily armed police ranks and some other private security concerns two months ago. Their removal made the headlines when a video tape
and photographs emerged showing a policeman whipping a woman and her children, who were lying on the Marudi trail leading to the mining district. After the Marudi Incident, the Rupununi Miners Association met with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Minister Robert Persaud to discuss the issue. At that meeting, the Minister promised to give 25
Special Mining Lotteries to Miners from the Marudi district. This special lottery would have guaranteed that lands in the gold-rich Romanex concession go to miners from the Rupununi. However, according to the RMA, this agreement was subsequently reneged on. “At that meeting he (Minister) delegated Mr. Danny Singh to work out the mechanics of the special
lottery. Mr. Danny Singh even asked me to wait for four days to collect the special mining forms. I did collect the special miming forms for Marudi. Also at the meeting, the Honourable Minister said that he wants to see that the ordinary pork knocker and miners who do not have enough must elevate themselves and that they must be given a chance to do so, with the special and the other blocks in the Lottery,” President of the RMA Sugrim Singh explained. According to Sugrim Singh, it is now strange that following the review of the Romanex Licence, lands were given up and yet those lands are not in the lottery. “Why? Is it being kept for special persons? The miners in Region No 9 petitioned the Government and through their heroic struggle got the
government to review the Romanex licence and got them to release lands. Why this land cannot be given to Region 9 r e s i d e n t s a n d other Guyanese?” Singh asked. He said that the blocks that the GGMC are giving out are in the Amerindian villages and Deep South Rupununi. This, he said, will later create problems for miners with the Amerindian people. A meeting was held at Aishalton on Sunday last by officials of the GGMC, at which all the villages of Deep South Rupununi were represented. The meeting ended with the villagers and miners not being satisfied with the new arrangements, hence the rejection of the lottery system. They plan to picket the Regional Office in Lethem, the site for the hosting of the lottery.
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Friday April 26, 2013
Tourism’s $1.1B budget gets greenlight - But GuyExpo, ‘Main Big Lime’ queried Guyana’s major trade show, GuyExpo, makes enough money to pay for itself and does not need help from government. This opinion was expressed Tuesday by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce (ag), Irfaan Ali, as the National Assembly greenlighted a $1.1B budget for that ministry during considerations of the $208.8B National Budget. The Ministry is responsible for the hosting of slew of events including the annual GuyExpo event at the Sophia Exhibition Site; the Christmas Village, Main Big Lime and the Pakaraima Mountain Safari. It is also in charge of the International Conference Centre. According to Ali, GuyExpo has not been requiring startup capital and has been making monies from the many booths and tickets sold. The exposition, geared to showcase Guyanese products and services, is managed by a committee headed by the Minister, representatives of the tourism association and stakeholders from the private sector. Ali, the current Housing Minister, took over the Tourism Ministry following the November 2011 elections.
Questioned about financial statements, the Minister said he will be liaising closely with the Office of the Auditor General to bring the reports up-to-date. Meanwhile, there were also questions asked about the ‘Main Big Lime’ which last year was replaced by a two-week Christmas Village. The ‘Main Big Lime’ was a fixture on the annual calendar on December 26th (Boxing Day). The Minister also committed to have the statements of these events worked on. ‘Main Big Lime’ came into being under former Minister, Manniram Prashad. Meanwhile, the Ministry was also spared a possible $100M cut to the allocations of Competitiveness Programme. Some $259M had been allocated to this programme which is geared at improving the business climate in Guyana. AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan wanted to know how the money would be spent. The Minister promised to provide details. Money was spent on strengthening the institutional capacity to formulate and implement the National Competitiveness Strategy - $26.9M, enhancing
investment, and export promotion and production standards through the strengthening of Go-Invest$3.6M, supporting private enterprise competitiveness for export development, strengthening tourism regulations and facilitation, establishment of national testing facility - $16.3M, digitisation of property records and the Deeds Registry, supporting the separation of Deeds, Land, and Companies Registry$49.6M, tax reform - $8.1M, implementation of trade transaction study at GRA$1M, support to CPCC$2.2M, and consultancy to prepare a four-year action plan - $634, 848. Under the current expenditure, APNU Member of Parliament Joseph Harmon also questioned the sums budgeted for contracted employees, enquiring about the designations and salaries for the top five employees. According to Ali, the Permanent Secretary receives a salary of $500,980; Deputy Permanent Secretary $248,090; General Manager of the Guyana International Conference Center (GICC)$288, 181; Coordinator for National and other events- $ 332,927, and Administrator for
the National Exhibition Centre (NEC)- $315, 000. Regarding national and other events, some $34M has been budgeted for Mashramani, the Christmas Village, President’s Gold Tournament, Diwali Nagar, Bartica and Mainstay Regattas, Moruca and Mahdia expos, motor racing, Jamzone, Wakenaam Nite, and Rupununi Rodeo. Meanwhile, regarding the number of lodges and resorts that have been licenced by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Minister Ali disclosed that so far 100 such establishments have been registered, 19 are unregistered and 85 are being inspected. Ali was questioned in depth about whether Guyana was getting its money’s worth as far as tourism investments are concerned. He pointed out that tourism figures provided do not even include visitors from Suriname via Moleson Creek, Berbice, nor from the Lethem border crossing at Takutu, Region Nine. He also noted of the increasing interest of Guyana by tour operators with even a team from the Discovery Channel investing in “Gold Rush”, a popular reality series being filmed in the interior.
Bare Roots fire leaves nine homeless The completely destroyed house
A couple, along with their seven children, is now homeless after a fire of unknown origin completely destroyed their Bare Roots, East Coast Demerara home around 14:00 hours yesterday. Kaieteur News was told that no one was home at the time of the blaze. According to the matriarch of the home, Viburn Herbert, she was not at home when the fire started. The woman told Kaieteur News that she was at work when she received the message. When she arrived at the scene the
two-bedroom house was completely engulfed in flames. The family did not manage to save anything. Herbert said that she is puzzled as to what might have caused the fire. According to the woman her home did not have electricity neither did she use her stove for the day. “The house didn’t have any lights, plus I didn’t use the stove for the day, so I really don’t know what started the fire,” the distraught woman said. The woman said she is left between a rock and hard place since she does not
have anywhere to go. Hazel Harris, a neighbour, said that she was at home with her granddaughter, when the fire stated. Harris recalled sending the young girl to check to see what was burning after smelt something. “I send me granddaughter to check and see what was burning ….because I smell something,” Harris told Kaieteur News. She further related that the smell continued to bother her and for a second time she sent her granddaughter. On
that occasion, the child quickly alerted her grandmother that the neighbour’s house was on fire. An alarm was raised and residents quickly started to form a bucket brigade. The woman also told Kaieteur News that she started to remove articles from her home after fearing that the fire might spread to her home. There was no major damage to her home but the water tanks located in the backyard were scorched. Investigations are continuing.
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Airport project “in limbo” after budget cut By Latoya Giles The authorities at the country’s only international airport have been stumped by Wednesday’s decision of the National Assembly to cut funding for its expansion plan by $5.3 billion and are now uncertain about the status of the project. The opposition, in effecting the budget cut, argued that the government has been less than transparent on the expansion plan for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). The Opposition parties said that they only approved last year’s initial funding for the expansion plan without knowledge that the arrangements with the contractor China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) were tied up a full year before the financial arrangements with China Exim Bank were finalized. With the budget for the airport being cut, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CJIA, Ramesh Dookhoo, said that it would be very difficult to recover the Mobilization Advance of US$20.7M since the contractor had already commenced work on the project. Secondly, he noted that there would have to be possible compensation to the contractor if the design and build contract has to be cancelled as a result of the budget cuts. Further, he said that it is possible that there would have to be compensation to China Exim Bank for cancellation of the loan agreement. In addition, he spoke about the loss of potential airlines, since in some instances the decision to fly this route is predicated on the Airport Expansion Project. He said that this development may also impact the ability of Government of Guyana to secure future loans from banks in China. Dookhoo reminded that the CJIA is the main port of entry to Guyana. He said that the airport processes over 543,000 passengers annually and in recent years has been bursting at its seams due to capacity constraints. “The Airport plays a significant role in the economic growth of Guyana and it generates, facilitates such growth within the country by enabling the movement of goods and people, both locally and internationally and provides a range of services to the air transport sector,” Dookhoo stated. He explained that the existing CJIA terminal building is approximately 9,000 sq. metres, and is divided into three sections. According to Dookhoo, the current airport is faced with
CJIA Chairman Ramesh Dookhoo says that there would have to be possible compensation to the contractor if the design and build contract has to be cancelled as a result of the budget cuts. many challenges on a daily basis. For example, he noted in the ‘Departures’ lounge, there are several areas that leak due to expansion of the concrete roof drains as a direct result of the vibrations caused by landing aircraft. Secondly he said that there is inadequate ventilation in the roof where the airconditioning ducting is located, thus the buildup of heat causes condensation and damage to the ceiling tiles. Additionally, Dookhoo said that the sewer lines in the terminal are four inches wide, and this proves inadequate during the peak seasons; at times the frequent uses of the toilet facilities lead to blockages in the system. The same can also be said for the plumbing network which comprises many nonpressure pipes thus leading to frequent blowouts and leaks. Needless to say, Dookhoo said, these challenges can prove to be very embarrassing and “do not reflect well on the image of this international gateway to Guyana”. During the peak seasons, he said that there is an overflow of passengers in the Airport’s Terminal building, thus putting excessive strain on the current facility and its equipment. This affects the conveyor system, air conditioning, passengerprocessing booth – Immigration. Additionally, he said that there is inadequate space on the International Apron, forcing aircraft to park on the taxiway which is contrary to airport regulations. The current public car parking facilities are overrun; the public washrooms are inadequate. Apart from congestions, the environment during busy periods is conducive to chaos and this in turn leads to frustrated and exasperated passengers and airport users. According to the chairman, it is important to note that the length of the
primary runway is only 2,270 m (7,500ft) and therefore cannot accommodate larger (such as Boeing 747 and Airbus 330) aircraft used for longer range flights. He explained that Runway End Safety Area (RESA), a safety feature of runways that allows aircraft to slow safely in the event an aircraft overruns the runway end, does not exist at CJIA. In the area of tourism, Dookhoo noted that the industry has shown steady growth over the last decade. According to the chairman, visitor arrivals have grown from 105,000 in 2000 to 171,000 in 2012, growing at an annual average of 4%. Dookhoo explained that with the worldwide growth in adventure, cultural and ecotourism, Guyana’s appeal as an alternative to the standard Caribbean sun and sand destinations is underscored by its market niches such as bird watching, mountain climbing, hiking, sport fishing and yachting. Dookhoo posited that if Guyana is to become a more competitive destination, there must be the need to widen the country’s appeal. He said that it is necessary to improve transport infrastructure for greater connectivity and more airlifts, reduce travel time/ travel cost. Therefore the airport’s expansion is a step towards enhancing the potential of the tourism sector which provides for approximately 2,500 jobs. “The Government has already committed in excess of $1 billion in the past for modernization and enhancement of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) air navigation and communication equipment at the Timehri and Ogle Control Towers to ensure that adequate services are provided to the industry. It is, therefore, important to understand the modernization and expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport against this backdrop. The economic
developments, exportation of goods and services, and increase in passenger travel have created major opportunities for Guyana to benefit. These potential benefits will materialize through improvements to existing routes to North America and the creation of new air traffic routes to Europe while establishing linkages in Latin America and the Caribbean for carriers to operate locally and regionally thereby creating a hub for aviation operations. The expanded airport will
allow traffic to come directly from Europe instead of being routed via North America. Flight routes to South America, Latin America and Africa out of the English speaking Caribbean remains largely underdeveloped. The expansion of the Airport would therefore create a unique opportunity for Guyana to develop a hub to serve these unexplored markets both transit and direct traffic. Once this is realized, the proximity of northern Brazil to Guyana makes Guyana an
ideal transit point for the 4.0 million people living in this region of Brazil. The northern Brazilian population will save between 2 to 5 hours of travel time and benefit from lower fares as result of reduced airline operational costs. This will materialize if passengers travel through Guyana as opposed to travelling to southern Brazil (Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro) to reach their final destination. So, for these opportunities to (Continued on page 16)
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Kaieteur News
Friday April 26, 2013
Absence of vital commissions frustrate, disappoint
Private Sector By Keeran Danny The Private Sector Commission (PSC) is disappointed that vital Commissions that would essentially ensure accountability and transparency of Government and public officials are taking too long to be established. This sentiment was expressed yesterday by Ramesh Dookhoo, Executive Member of the PSC during a press conference focusing primarily on the Opposition cutting $31.35B from the $208.8B Budget proposed by Government. There, he drew the nexus between Guyana’s economic reality and governance in terms of domestic issues, and emphasized that governance cannot be divorced from investors’ confidence and
Ramesh Dookhoo economic stability. Dookhoo indicated that limited access to information, inability to communicate and Government not meeting the demands of an 11-point proposal crafted by the Opposition, might have been responsible for the cuts.
D’Urban St. murder accused faces court Yesterday, a 35-year-old Norton Street, Wortmanville resident appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where the indictable charge of murder was read to him. Presiding over the case was Magistrate Sueanna Lovell. It is alleged that on January 30, the defendant murdered Alan Lloyd Profit at D’Urban Street, Wortmanville. The facts of the incident were not read in open court, however the defendant’s lawyer, Peter Hugh, requested bail. The defendant was subsequently remanded and is expected to appear before the court today. Magistrate Lovell transferred the case to the Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry’s court.
PSC highlights challenges to... From page 13 from foreign investors is not good...” However, Webster insisted that the aim is not to paint a picture of doom and gloom as it relates to the commodity price market, since there is a possibility that the state of affairs that obtains could merely be a short-term drop as had happened in the past. He noted that the global situation is one which sees Europe in a mess, with the United States and the United Kingdom both seemingly approaching a triple type of depression. “The US is gradually pulling out of it, but other countries are also getting hit. Their rate of development is slowed somewhat and there are instances where countries are having to take deliberate steps to avoid their economies running out of control,” Webster said. As such, he pointed out that “we are in an interesting period of time, to say the least. Our economic situation is fragile at this point and we need, of critical importance,
for our parliamentarians to work together to ensure that we can get through this economic trough without creating a worsening situation and without driving away investors.” Webster yesterday sought to advocate for every step possible be taken to ensure that needful investments are realised so that the economic base can be broadened, and ensure that the country is not overly dependent on commodity price goods. Webster expressed optimism that within the next two months the private sector would be able to sponsor an economic summit targeting all stakeholders so that ideas can be solicited for national development. This, he said, must be done without removing in any way the responsibility for Government to manage the economy and ensure that there is accountability. “We need to build bridges. We need to build a solid knowledge base to get everybody involved in this
He related that He he the PSC had examined the proposal and found many of the points to be reasonable, while others should not have been included if Government had stayed within the law. The Executive Member said that all the outstanding Commissions to be established are a state of affairs that is frustrating the PSC. He lamented that this scenario has been ongoing for years. “You hear a story from one side and you hear another story from the other side. I think we need to wake up and we need to put Guyana first. We need to get these Commissions set up and have them functioning properly,” Dookhoo said. Only recently, the United States of America 2012 Human Rights Report highlighted Government’s apparent ineffectiveness in implementing laws that provide for criminal penalties for corruption by public officials. The report zeroed in on the fact that public officials are subject to financial disclosure laws and are required to submit
information about personal assets to the Integrity Commission. In addition, the absence of a Public Procurement Commission and the lax implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations were highlighted. In relation to that report, Dookhoo said that he is sure that it will push everyone in the right direction to have those Commissions being setup. However, there are some Commissions that are established but the Opposition is gravely concerned about their functioning and confidentiality. “You hear a story from one side and you hear another story from the other side. I think we need to wake up and we need put Guyana first, we need to get these Commissions set up and have them functioning properly,” he added. The Opposition parties have been advocating for the creation of the Public Procurement Commission to ensure taxpayers’ dollars are properly expended. It was expected to be created last year, but has not materialized to date.
According to Dookhoo, the Public Procurement Commission is a major issue for investors and a large part of the population. “I think all of Guyana wants to have the Public Procurement Commission set up, yet we seem to have no dialogue taking place. We are disappointed that these commissions are taking so long to set up…what we are hearing is this side to do this and this side to do that, but there is no real movement to benefit our citizenry. We need to have horses enter the room and have them sit on the best sofas in the house,” he said. Another PSC member, Kit Nascimento, during the press conference, added that the body has found no fundamental reason why the Public Procurement Commission is not appointed. “One side makes some excuse or the other. We get the impression that if both sides sit down and discuss, it would happen fairly quickly. And that is the type of pressure we want to bring to bear as a Commission.” Another Constitutional entity that begs appointment is the Ombudsman. For years
Guyana has been without an Ombudsman. According to Dookhoo, one of the points on the proposal made to Government was the appointment of the Ombudsman which would help with accountability and transparency. He stressed that citizens must feel they have a place to go to if they are wronged. He also commented on the fact that many tax tribunals are not functional and need resuscitation. Dookhoo said that taxpayers need to be assured that those tribunals are being setup. Moreover, the opposition approach to Government has to do with transparency and accountability more than the consideration to development benefits. He said that politicians need to stop paying lip service and solve the real problems of the country. He stressed that the PSC has a zero tolerance to corruption at the national level and at their own companies’ levels. As such, the body claims to be non-compromising when it comes to accountability and transparency.
Airport project “in limbo”... From page 15 be realized, improved airport facilities are needed.” AVIATION FUEL Moreover, Dookhoo noted that with Guyoil entering the aviation fuel market, it is anticipated that in the near future Guyana will be able to sell aviation fuel competitively to the airlines. According to the chairman, “this will make this particular market more attractive to airlines using the airport for direct and in-transit flights. He said that the proposed airport expansion will facilitate the following, easy access to the European and other tourist markets where there is great potential for tourists visiting Guyana to experience the irresistible combination of fascinating and breathtaking natural beauty; pristine Amazonian rainforests; immense waterfalls and amazing wildlife”. Secondly there would be an increase in travel from the Diaspora due to cheaper airfares. Further Dookhoo said that there will be an increase in tax revenue from new tourists and airlines. He pointed out that apart from the need to accommodate the projected growth in the aviation industry, Guyana is poised to benefit from additional traffic due to several other activities which are taking place at home and in the region. The increased travel to Guyana, according to the chairman, will allow tourists
and travellers to spend money in the local economy on hotels, restaurants, shopping, ground transportation, and entertainment. It would also create jobs for numerous persons in the various associated sectors. DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS “Growth in the air transport sector will complement other sectors such as mining and energy. The project will create new employment opportunities and provide training and development, and capacity building for existing and new employees. Other possible benefits include increases in the quality of goods and services available to consumers, and local and regional linkages for the import and export of commodities. Direct benefits include improvements in facilitation, efficiency in processing time for passenger travel, implementing improved safety and security systems, and the overall enhancement of airport operations at CJIA. An expanded airport operation will also attract other key businesses such as ground handling services, cargo handlers, security service providers, catering service, approved cafe, restaurants, franchise and so on; these will all create jobs,” Dookhoo said IMPACT OF THE AIRPORT EXPANSION
“The CJIA has a significant impact on the Guyana economy.” Dookhoo said that this arises from not only being a successful business entity, but more importantly, from playing a key role in the enabling and facilitating of a wide diversity of other business activities within the economy. “The CJIA creates employment for approximately 900 persons, not to mention the other employment opportunities associated with the inflow of tourists such as hotel employees, catering companies, taxi providers, travel agencies etc. At a national level, the largest share of impacts arises from the tourism sector. It is submitted that the movement and servicing of international and domestic travel will enable the generation of considerable revenue.” ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT Airport development generally brings a plethora of other significant benefits to the broad base of stakeholders by creating business opportunities, facilitating direct employment in aviation-related businesses and indirect employment in ancillary services. He said that it is estimated that in excess of 7,000 individuals are directly and indirectly employed as a result of CJIA and this is expected to grow significantly following the airport expansion.
Dookhoo said that the airport generally provides a range of important services to the local economies by serving the needs of the traveling public and the business sector that relies on air travel. It also facilitates tourism and visitors’ travelling and spending in the economy at large. SECURITY Also present yesterday were Head of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit James Singh and Deputy Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud. According to Persaud, the present airport structure was built long before organized crime became so prevalent in Guyana. He said that as this became more prominent in terms of security implications they had to operate in a physical environment that was already there. Persaud said that they had to implement scanners and other things to help counter this. He said that new, important facility will help introduce more security gadgets which would address those demands. He said that he still has hope that things will change. He added that the physical environment presently does not help to properly fight crime. Present also were a number of stakeholders from various groups related to the CIJA. They all expressed the need for some rethinking into the budget cut.
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Natural Resources estimates make it through uncut Government is planning to collaborate with local wildlife workers and zoos from other countries to increase the number of animals in the local facility at Vlissengen Road. These disclosures were made Wednesday by Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), Robert Persaud, as the National Assembly passed that Ministry’s $662M budget. The Ministry, which was created under the Donald Ramotar administration following the 2011 elections, has oversight over forestry, mining, oil exploration, the environment and land management. The Lands and Surveys Commission will be getting a subvention of $107M; Environmental Protection Agency $191M; National Parks Commission $165M and the newly established Protected Areas Commission $42M. Grilled about the allocations to the agencies under the Ministry, Persaud disclosed that a wider plan is currently being developed to transform the Botanical Gardens into a more userfriendly park. Contact has already been made with zoos in Asia and US for even a possible animal exchange
- Tax mulled for styrofoam boxes, more animals for zoo programme. And no monies are likely to be spent this year to procure these, he said. The Minister, also questioned over allocations made for security to his new offices located at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), said that this (security) was handled by Presidential Guards at the Office of the President when the Ministry was temporarily being housed there. It has since moved across to a new building in the compound of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Brickdam, where separate security arrangements have to be made, in addition to police and private personnel. The GGMC compound also houses the headquarters for the Guyana Gold Board. There have been questions over the Ministry being housed there. The Minister assured that GGMC workers are also being accommodated in the new building. He said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), another
agency under the Ministry, has expanded its capacity to monitor routine water testing and issuing sanctions. Regarding the issue of styrofoam boxes, Persaud said the administration is considering proposals of making it uncompetitive to import them, thus encouraging the use of local products. These items have been blamed for blocking canals and causing back-ups in critical waterways, leading to floods. The management of solid waste and recycling is also being actively tackled. Regarding the extractive industry, there are moves to build capacity to allow Guyana to monitor the growing oil exploration sector on the seas. Issues like training and a mining school are also being tackled. Regarding the Lands and Surveys Commission, more monies are being set aside to improve the efficiency of this critical management service. Soon, a business development unit is set to come into being that will focus on making the Commission self-sufficient.
Government says it will be using an exchange programme to increase the number of animals in the Zoo. Minister Persaud admitted that while the financial reports of the Lands and Surveys Commission are not fully up-to-date, efforts
are being made to rectify this and soon these will be presented to the National Assembly. The Ministry is also in
charge of the National Park, Kaieteur National Park and number of other protected areas, including Shell Beach and other designated areas.
Gov’t says New River Triangle still closed to mining In light of surfacing rumours that a piece of land in the New River Triangle, between Guyana and Suriname, has been granted to government-affiliated persons for mining purposes, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has said that the location in the Corentyne River, Berbice, is not open to mining activities. This publication was told that several affiliates of the administration had reportedly been granted permission to mine in the aforementioned area, but Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud made it very clear yesterday that the situation is not so. He told Kaieteur News via email that the issue of the New River Triangle area had been raised earlier this month by A Partnership for National
Unity’ s Rupert Roopnarine, and he too was informed that persons had not been granted permission to mine in the area. Advised by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Persaud informed that applications had been received prospecting permits for medium scale mining, but the GGMC is obligated to accept all mining applications under the nation’s Mining Act. These applications are however subjected to review, but would only be granted if the area of request is an open location. If the area requested is closed administratively or via gazette, then the applicant, who would have had to pay half of the area’s rental fee, would be refunded. In the case of the New River Triangle area, this
publication was told that no mining permits, mining claims, or concessions were granted or issued to an individual or company. GGMC officials further confirmed that no permission for any type of mining activity has been granted, but when that time comes, the relevant advertisement would be publicised. What has been granted in the New River Triangle area, Kaieteur News was told (and this is by the Natural Resource Ministry) is permission for a geological survey to be conducted. This permission can however be granted for mining purposes after relevant steps for authorisation would have been taken and after the mining ban would have been lifted from the area.
Two boat captains, Devon Thompson and Kavish Persaud, were yesterday charged with manslaughter, which stemmed from a January 22 collision in the Mazaruni River, in which nine occupants on board their boats lost their lives. The accused were brought before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where the charges were read to them. Attorney at law, Roger Yearwood who appeared for Devon Thompson stated that his
client is 29 years old and has a fixed place of abode - 104 Third Avenue, Bartica. He added that since the accident occurred, his client has always made himself available to the police, and has no previous charges or convictions. The lawyer said that it is important for the court to pay attention to the fact that it was an accident and that his client was even heroic, whereby he saved one of the passengers on board. Attorney James Bond, who represented 28-year-old Kavish Persaud, said that his
client has been faithful in his arrangement to report to the Bartica Police Station every Wednesday. It was upon this basis that the lawyer requested reasonable bail for Persaud who also has a fixed place of abode at Kartabu Point, Mazaruni River. Magistrate Sueanna Lovell transferred the matter to Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry. The defendants were placed on bail in the sum of $1M each. The men will make their next appearance at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on May 10.
Boat captains face manslaughter charges
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Change a coming - Energy minister says positive move to reduce electricity rates on the horizon Trinidad Gleaner - There appears to be a flicker of light emerging at the end of the proverbial tunnel that had for long been darkened by protracted uncertainty over the future of the energy sector. Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell disclosed Wednesday that the Government is now focusing on four companies to advance its 360-megawatt project to generate cheaper electricity rates. Making his contribution to the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, Paulwell identified three of the companies as Amorview/ Tank-Weld, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) and Azurest/Cambridge. He said a fourth emerged in the form of an unsolicited proposal from a Hong Kongbased company that owns liquefied natural gas (LNG) resources, after the Government had all but given up on such a source of energy. Paulwell gave an undertaking that the Government is likely to receive further recommendations after
effecting negotiations with the four companies. “After several stops and starts, I can speak with certainty that a positive change is about to come to the supply of electricity in Jamaica,” Paulwell told the House of Representatives as he made his presentation during the 2013-2014 Budget Debate. The delays, he conceded, were caused by the collapse of the LNG project. Paulwell said Amorview/ Tank-Weld presented a 232megawatt project proposed for Old Harbour, and a 122.4megawatt project for Caymanas, both located in St Catherine. The JPS, he said, submitted proposals for 323megawatt and a 350-megawatt combined-cycle plant, both proposed for Old Harbour. And Azurest/Cambridge, the minister divulged, presented a proposal for a 388-megawatt plant mounted on a barge. The minister told the House that all three propose the use of natural gas. Paulwell expressed urgency in kick-starting the project in the current financial year. “There
have been too many delays and we can no longer live with these high electricity costs.” Against this backdrop, he said the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) engaged the services of consultants Mott MacDonald in evaluating the proposals and considered a number of factors including: The firmness of the proposal; The overall price and expected impact on retail electricity rates; The timelines for implementation; The overall feasibility of the project. Paulwell said the evaluation report revealed that of 14 project proposals submitted, 10 were screened for detailed technical and comparative economic analysis. This was later slashed to three by the OUR. However, Paulwell reminded the House that the Government has since received a proposal from a Hong Kong-based company to construct a LNGreceiving terminal power plant to supply LNG from its own gas fields. He said Cabinet decided to embrace the firm in the negotiation programme based
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller listens as Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell makes his presentation during the Budget Debate Wednesday. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer. on its intention to build a combine-cycle gas-fired 360megawatt power plant adjacent to the LNG hub terminal. Accordingly, Paulwell said the Government is moving to enact legislation to accord powers to the OUR, similar to that it possesses over the telecommunications sector.
Venezuela: Tensions rise amid wait for vote audit CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Tensions are rising in Venezuela as opposition leader Henrique Capriles pressures the National Electoral Council to announce by day’s end that it will permit a complete audit of the April 14 presidential election. Capriles is demanding the council announce yesterday that it will allow his team to also examine registers containing voters’ signatures and fingerprints. “We are not going to allow you to make fools out of us,” said Capriles, directing
his statement at representatives of the electoral council during a news conference on Wednesday. “We are not going to accept a flawed audit.” The council said last week that it would allow an audit of 46 percent of the vote not already audited. It said it would announce this week when it would start comparing vote tallies from each machine with the individual vote receipts from that machine. As Capriles turns up pressure on the council, Maduro’s allies are
threatening to prosecute him over violence that erupted after the vote. Iris Varela, an official responsible for overseeing Venezuela’s penitentiary system, suggested that Capriles would soon be behind bars. “We are preparing a cell for you because you must pay for your crimes,” Varela said. Capriles vehemently denies responsibility for isolated acts of violence committed by some of his supporters. On numerous occasions following his
Henrique Capriles narrow election defeat, Capriles has said he’s leading “a peaceful struggle” to force the council to agree to a complete audit.
Opposition calls for talks with Caribbean Airlines KINGSTON, Jamaica Opposition Spokesman on Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has called on the government to have dialogue with Caribbean Airlines (CAL) about the reduction of flights to Jamaica. Bartlett, in his contribution to the 2013/2014 Budget Debate on Wednesday said he is worried about the implications for the country, as last year, CAL accounted for 50 per cent of flights to the Norman Manley International Airport and 10 Edmund Bartlett per cent at the Sangster International. “CAL is interested in reorganising itself. In fact they are going to appoint a new Board in short order; a Board that I’m sure we will have to have a representative on,” Bartlett said. “And they want to re-look at the routes and to determine how there can be collaboration between destinations and partners to ensure that some of these routes could come back.” The former Tourism Minister said that CAL’s decision to pull flights will also impact the status of over 300 Jamaican employees and the earnings of the airports. CAL had announced that as of April 16, it would be cutting back on the number of flights to Jamaica.
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Bribery probe to end in a week… Trinidad Express - The police investigation into bri-bery allegations against former national security minister Jack Warner is expected to come to a close in one week’s time. In a telephone interview with the Express Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mervyn Richardson said the file would be sent to Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, SC, within a week’s time. Warner on Sunday tendered his resignation following release of a report by the integrity committee of Concacaf, headed by former Barbados chief justice Sir David Simmons, which alleged he (Warner) was fraudulent in his management of the football body. On Monday, when asked about the status of the investigation concerning the bribery allegations, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said he would have to ascertain the stage of the investigation. Williams, who was a speaker at a two-day
Kaieteur News
Deputy CoP on investigation into Warner
Jack Warner international women police conference, said the matter was in the hands of his DCP and he would be making checks to see how far the matter had gotten. On May 10, 2011, Warner, then a FIFA vice-president, invited Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials to meet with FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam at the Hyatt Regency (Trinidad) hotel in
Port of Spain. At that meeting, several CFU officials reported that more than US$1 million was distributed to them in brown envelopes, with US$40,000 in each envelope. In June 2011, the Opposition P e o p l e ’s National Movement (PNM) wrote to former police commissioner Dwayne Gibbs, calling for an investigation into the possible breach of the laws of Trinidad and Tobago, including the Exchange Control Act, the Customs Act and, generally, the criminal law relating to bribery. On May 28 last year, the Police Service Commission (PSC) stated the matter was investigated by the police and Gaspard had advised that it could proceed no further. On May 29, Gaspard refuted the claims made by the PSC, saying he never advised the police to stop investigating the bribery allegations against Warner but, rather, he pointed them in the direction of the Customs Act.
Friday April 26, 2013
Venezuela detains American accused of fomenting violence CARACAS (Reuters) Venezuela has detained an American citizen it says was financing opposition student demonstrations after this month’s disputed presidential election, the latest in a flurry of accusations over last week’s post-vote violence. Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez said Timothy Hallet Tracy had been seeking to destabilize the country on behalf of an unnamed U.S. intelligence agency after President Nicolas Maduro’s narrow presidential victory. “We detected the presence of an American who began developing close relations with these (students),” said Rodriguez in a press conference. “His actions clearly show training as an intelligence agent, there can be no doubt about it. He knows how to work in clandestine operations.” Rodriguez said Tracy, 35, from Michigan, had received financing from a foreign nonprofit organization and had redirected those funds
toward student organizations. The ultimate aim was to provoke “civil war,” he said. A U.S. embassy official had no immediate comment. The government has given scant evidence for a flurry of headline-grabbing accusations ranging from an assassination plot against Maduro to alleged sabotage of the electricity grid. Political opponents dismiss the allegations as a smokescreen to distract Venezuelans from daily problems including high crime, frequent blackouts and one of the region’s highest rates of inflation. Opposition challenger Henrique Capriles refused to accept the result of the April 14 vote without a full recount, and the following day opposition sympathizers burned tires and threw rocks at security forces in protest. The government says nine people were killed and numerous government clinics were attacked, but the opposition calls the official account a politically
motivated smear campaign. Yesterday’s accusations come days after Maduro named a new acting head of Venezuela’s U.S. diplomatic mission and sent an offer of dialogue after attacking Washington for “interference” in the country’s affairs U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last week said Washington had not decided whether to recognize Maduro as president. Venezuela stepped up accusations that the United States was seeking to destabilize the country after the March 5 death of socialist leader Hugo Chavez, who was frequently at odds with Washington. Maduro in March said the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency were plotting to kill Capriles and trigger a coup ahead of the April vote. Maduro later said he himself was the target of mercenaries who entered the country from El Salvador. The United States routinely dismisses such charges.
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Kaieteur News
Cuban dissidents pick up EU prize, 8 years later
Brussels, Belgium (4/23.2013): (l-r) Belkis Cantillo Ramírez, Laura Labrado, and Spaniards Elena Larrinaga and Blanca Reyes Castañón, members of the Ladies in White, hold hands during the European Parliament session that awarded the group the Sakharov Prize. Julien Warnand / EFE BRUSSELS (AP) — Eight years after winning Europe’s top human rights prize, members of a Cuban opposition group on Tuesday finally picked it up after securing permission to travel abroad. Cuba’s Ladies in White won the European Union’s Sakharov Prize in 2005 for their fight for democracy and human rights, but they weren’t granted permission to leave the country at that time. “No dictatorship in the world will be able to stop democracy in the long run,” European Parliament President Martin Schulz said at the award ceremony in Brussels. “No people can be oppressed forever.” Berta Soler, a co-founder
of the group and one of several members at Tuesday’s ceremony, said the work in their country was far from over. “We need a Cuba where there is proper freedom and human rights,” she said, urging “real reforms, not just cosmetic change.” The Ladies in White formed in 2003 to demand freedom for their loved ones, 75 government opponents who had been jailed that spring in a crackdown on dissidents. Wives and mothers of those jailed began marching each Sunday in Havana, dressed in white and holding aloft white gladiolas. In a Communist country that brooks little dissent, the
weekly marches became a unique act of defiance. Cuba responded by ignoring the protests or sending pro-government crowds to shout the women down in a so-called “act of repudiation.” The women have sometimes been arrested, but have usually been released to their homes within hours. The government considers all dissidents to be mercenaries paid by Washington to stir up trouble. But the women’s protests ultimately worked: The last of the 75 political prisoners was freed in 2011. The majority of the prisoners accepted exile in Spain along with their families.
Thousands of jobs created for young Jamaicans in virtual economy WASHINGTON - CMC – The World Bank says a ground-breaking initiative has created thousands of jobs for young Jamaicans in the virtual global economy. On Wednesday, the Washington-based financial institution announced that Digital Jam 2.0 - a digital job and market fair- has created employment for over 4,000 young people on online platforms. It has also established funds to support start-ups in the app economy and the commercialisation of apps. In addition, the World Bank said Digital Jam 2.0 has created several internships with leading Caribbean telecom companies, ensured offers of scholarships for winners to a Master’s programme at Howard University in Washington, and
created mentorship programmes from national and international companies operating in the Information Technology sphere. The World Bank noted that Jamaica has about 800,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 35, about 34 per cent of the population. In the coming years, it said job creation will not come from traditional sectors, such as agriculture, tourism and manufacturing, due to competitiveness disadvantages vis-à-vis other countries due to issues of scale, the country’s insular nature, the high cost of energy and high levels of crime and violence, among other issues. The bank said previous approaches to solving the unemployment problem have concentrated on skills development, but vocational education training programmes
have reported limited success. The bank noted that due to Jamaica’s fragile economy, the country is forced to look at solutions outside of the box to handle the pressing problem of youth unemployment. “Digital Jam 2.0 promoted solutions to high youth unemployment in Jamaica with new opportunities in the global virtual economy, microwork and e-lancing, and the booming “app economy.” Digital Jam 2.0 was launched in June 2012 and saw the participation of 2,000 young Jamaicans in a series of competitions enabling young Jamaicans to showcase the capacity, talent and commitment necessary to be “game changers” for the economy and drivers of a knowledge-based society.
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Argentina’s congress limits judicial independence BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s congress passed new limits on judicial independence yesterday, key parts of a package of laws the government promises will “democratize” the country’s courts. Opponents say these new laws provide yet another reason not to invest in Argentina, because private property will be much more difficult to protect and President Cristina Fernandez and her appointees will have free reign to govern without court interference. After shouting at each other throughout the night, deputies approved strict limits on injunctions against government policies, with only a few exceptions for environmental and human rights cases and “socially vulnerable” plaintiffs. They also approved three new appellate courts. The key votes were 130 in favor — just one more than they needed — with the ruling Front for Victory party and most of its allies joining in.
Because the senate already approved these two measures, they’ll become law once officially published. Another key measure making it easier to discipline and fire judges now goes back to the senate for final approval, along with three other measures already approved in the House. Lawmakers who lacked the votes to block them in congress announced they would challenge them as unconstitutional, giving the supreme court the final word. Argentina’s judiciary system is plagued with problems, which the government often blames on rules made during the 19761983 dictatorship and judges who respond more to corporate interests than popular will. Civil conflicts can take many years to resolve, if ever. Criminals remain free pending longdelayed appeals. Judges impose injunctions that remain in place indefinitely while failing to address the merits of cases. “This is not a government
that restricts rights, but one that amplifies them,” Front for Victory Deputy Hector Recalde said. But the new limits on judicial independence have been resisted by many sectors of society, from press freedom and human rights groups to environmental organizations, unions and business chambers. Criticism also came from abroad, with Human Rights Watch Americas Director Jose Miguel Vivanco predicting that presidents will get automatic majorities on the council of magistrates, enabling them to fire judges at will. “Every one of us agrees with the need to reform the judiciary, but never at the cost of independence,” Peronist Front Deputy Alfredo Atanasof said as the debate stretched on. “We’re going to be in a much less secure Argentina from a legal standpoint,” Atanasof warned. “Nobody wants to come and invest in a country that is legally insecure.”
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South Korea demands talks with North Korea on closed factory …Warns of ‘grave measures’ if North rejects talks on shuttered factory SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — After weeks of threatening rhetoric from the North, South Korea yesterday promised its own unspecified “grave measures” if Pyongyang rejects talks on a jointly run factory park shuttered for nearly a month. The park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong is the most significant casualty so far in the recent deterioration of relations between the Koreas. Pyongyang barred South Korean managers and cargo from entering North Korea earlier this month, then recalled the 53,000 North Koreans who worked on the assembly lines. South Korea’s Unification Ministry yesterday proposed working-level talks on Kaesong and urged the North to respond by noon today, warning that Seoul will take “grave measures” if Pyongyang rebuffs the call for dialogue. In a televised news conference, spokesman Kim Hyung-suk refused to say what those measures might be. Some analysts said Seoul would likely pull out the roughly 175 South Korean managers who remain at the complex. Kim said South Korea set today deadline because the remaining workers at Kaesong are running short of food and medicine. He said
North Koreans work at a factory of South Korean apparel maker Shinwon company in the inter-Korean industrial park in Kaesong, North Korea. the companies there are suffering economically because of the shutdown. To resolve deadlocked operations at Kaesong, Kim said North Korea should first allow some South Koreans to cross the border to hand over food and medicine to the managers. North Korea didn’t immediately respond yesterday, according to the Unification Ministry. North Korean state television showed fighter jets screeching across the sky and goose-stepping soldiers parading in front of leader Kim Jong Un at a ceremony in
Pyongyang marking the 81st anniversary of the founding of the military. Tens of thousands of people visited Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace to celebrate the anniversary. The demand for talks follows a lull in what had been a period of rising hostility between the Koreas. Pyongyang has recently eased its threats of nuclear war and expressed some tentative signs of interest in dialogue. Its demands, including dismantling all U.S. nuclear weapons, go far beyond what its adversaries will accept, but Washington,
Seoul and Beijing have also pushed for an easing of animosity. The Kaesong complex is the last major symbol of cooperation remaining from an earlier era that saw the Koreas set up various projects to facilitate better ties. The factory park has operated with South Korean know-how and technology and with cheap labor from North Korea since 2004. It has weathered past cycles of hostility between the rivals, including two attacks blamed on North Korea in 2010 that killed 50 South Koreans.
Obama asks Supreme Court to review appointments ruling (Reuters) - Setting the stage for a constitutional showdown, the Obama administration yesterday urged the Supreme Court to rule that presidents have broad authority to make certain appointments without Senate approval. If the nine justices agree to hear the dispute over appointments President Barack Obama made to the National Labor Relations Board last year, it will be one of the biggest issues before the court in its next term, which will begin in October and end in June 2014. Barack Obama In January the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that three appointments to the panel, which normally has five members, were invalid. The appeals court agreed with Noel Canning, the bottling company that challenged Obama’s move, in finding that the president did not have the authority to make the NLRB appointments because the Senate was not technically in recess at the time. The U.S. Constitution allows the president to make appointments when the Senate is in recess. Such appointments expire at the end of the congressional session. Backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Noel Canning argued that an NLRB ruling against it was invalid because of the appointments, which meant the board lacked a quorum. Obama made his NLRB appointments on January 4, 2012, when the Senate was in session but not conducting business. The congressional session began on January 3, according to the Senate website. In the brief filed yesterday, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli defended the recess appointment powers of the president, disputing the court’s conclusion that it can only be used in the period between formal sessions of the Senate. Presidents from both parties have used their recess appointment authority to make appointments when the Senate is not conducting business. If the appeals court ruling was left to stand, it would “dramatically curtail” the president’s authority, Verrilli said. In addition to limiting presidential power, the ruling meant that the NLRB did not have the required quorum to make decisions, casting doubt on all its actions and rulings since Obama made the appointments. The ruling “threatens a significant disruption of the federal government’s operations,” Verrilli wrote. The high court will decide whether to hear the case after lawyers for Noel Canning file a response, which is due within 30 days.
South Africa passes secrecy bill JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s parliament has passed a bill designed to protect state secrets despite the concerns of some activists who fear it could undermine the country’s young democracy. Lawmakers in Cape Town passed the bill by a 189-74 vote, with one abstention, yesterday. The bill now goes to President Jacob Zuma to be signed into law. The bill provides for prison terms for those who
disseminate classified information as well as those convicted of espionage. The government describes the measure as a balance between openness and national security. Opponents worry that the bill could make whistleblowers, activists and journalists more vulnerable to prosecution if they expose cases of official corruption. The bill was revised after a public outcry over its provisions several years ago.
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Kaieteur News
House Republican offers few assurances on immigration bill WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - The push for comprehensive immigration legislation faces an uncertain fate in the Republicancontrolled U.S. House of Representatives even as Senate supporters voiced optimism on Thursday for overwhelming backing in that chamber. As the Democratic Partycontrolled Senate pushed ahead on an 844-page bill that aims to rewrite America’s immigration law, the Republican-controlled House was still undecided on how broad of a bill it might consider - or even if it would advance legislation this year. That was the message delivered yesterday by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, who told reporters that he would be introducing a series of individual bills, starting with legislation to help farmers get foreign workers and improving an electronic system to help businesses be sure they are hiring legal workers. “We have made no decisions about how to proceed,” Goodlatte said at a
John McCain news conference, adding he did not know whether his committee would try to advance “individual bills or whether it would pertain to a larger bill.” He did however say that he hoped some sort of legislation could pass in 2013. Goodlatte’s uncertainty is in contrast to senators who have advanced a comprehensive immigration bill that is expected to be debated next month by the Senate Judiciary Committee. That measure would put the 11 million people living
illegally in the United States on a 13-year path to citizenship. Two authors of that bipartisan bill said yesterday they are hopeful most Senate Democrats and Republicans will support their White House-backed measure. “It is very doable,” Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona said of the prospects of attracting wide bipartisan backing. Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York agreed. The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to debate, and most likely amend, the newly introduced bill as Democrats aim to get full Senate approval by late June. Goodlatte refused to set up any such timetable for House action. Referring to the November, 2014 congressional elections, the Virginia Republican said: “Election years are more difficult than non-election years” for passing major, controversial legislation. “But I’ll also say that it is far more important that we get this right this time...than live by any particular timetables.”
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Afghan police take first, faltering steps in fight against corruption (Reuters) - Afghanistan’s security forces are routinely accused of murder, rape and corruption on a grand scale, but a new anti-corruption police unit’s sole conviction last year was a junior policeman who forged some documents, the head of the unit told Reuters. Abuses by the 152,000strong Afghan police have pushed whole districts into the arms of the Taliban, officials say. Now international forces hope the Shafafiyat - Dari for transparency anticorruption unit will crack down on corrupt police. For most of President Hamid Karzai’s 11-year reign, there has been little interest in anti-corruption in the army or police. The country’s two most powerful institutions receive billions of dollars from donors annually but struggle just to recruit and maintain a force bled by high rates of desertion. Rampant graft in one of the world’s poorest and most corrupt nations has long been a major irritant for Western backers whose aid has propped up the Afghan economy for more than a
Hamid Karzai’s decade. At the U.S.-funded Dawood military hospital in Kabul, wounded soldiers and police suffered from gangrene and maggots, starved and died in filthy corridors. U.S. lawmakers said $43 million (27.8 million pounds) for medicine, food and equipment had gone missing. That’s the type of case the Afghan-run anti-corruption units should investigate. The police unit was set up a year ago, with the military planning to follow suit this spring. Since then, hundreds of police accused of abuse have been fired, transferred or
given punishments like cleaning toilets. But the Shafafiyat police unit was stumped when asked about successful prosecutions. “We have done good work but we are not satisfied. We need to do more,” said Major General Abdul Massoud Rageb, the burly, grey-bearded head of the unit. He said the unit by itself had secured one conviction resulting in a jail term. Records show Mohammed Daud was sentenced in February to a year in jail for forging vehicle documents in the northern city of Mazar-eSharif. Shafafiyat was also part of an investigation into the exgovernor of eastern Nuristan province and provincial police officials who stole half a million dollars earmarked for police salaries. The Taliban seized three districts from unpaid police who deserted their posts, said the Attorney General’s office. Last year, the provincial police officials were sentenced to between six and 10 years in jail. The governor, who stole the lion’s share of the cash, got two months in jail.
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Iraq fears rise as clashes spread to northern city BAGHDAD (AP) — Clashes spread to a key northern city and gunmen took over a town elsewhere in Iraq yesterday, raising the death toll from three days of violence to more than 150 people as a wave of Sunni unrest intensified. The turmoil is aggravating an already sour political situation between the Shiite-led government and Sunnis, who accuse Prime Minister Nouri alMaliki’s government of neglect and trying to disenfranchise their Muslim sect. Al-Maliki appeared on national television appealing for calm amid fears the country is facing a return to full-scale sectarian fighting more than a year after U.S. troops withdrew. The spreading violence came as Iraqi electoral officials announced preliminary results in local elections held Saturday — Iraq’s first since U.S. troops left in December 2011. With 87 percent of the ballots counted, al-Maliki’s
State of Law bloc was on track to win the most votes in eight of the 12 provinces participating in the vote, including Baghdad and the southern oil hub of Basra. Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc was ahead in the southern Shiite province of Maysan, while a provincial level coalition was leading in the Shiite province of Najaf. Local coalitions also were ahead in the largely Sunni province of Salahuddin and the mixed province of Diyala. The government last month delayed voting in two predominately Sunni provinces where antigovernment protests have raged for months, citing security concerns. The final results will offer a key measure of support for the country’s political blocs and could boost the victors’ chances heading into next year’s parliamentary elections. The election announcement was overshadowed, however, by the rising unrest. Gunmen and police clashed for hours in several
districts of the former Sunni insurgent stronghold of Mosul before security forces brought the situation under control yesterday afternoon. Police said 31 militants and 10 police were killed in the fighting in Mosul, which has been one of the hardest areas to tame since bloodshed erupted after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Many residents remained holed up in their homes out of fear, although the city was largely quiet by evening. Clashes also erupted late yesterday between gunmen and security forces in the former al-Qaeda stronghold of Baqouba, prompting authorities to impose a curfew there and in the surrounding province, according to police. The latest unrest began on Tuesday when fighting broke out in the northern town of Hawija during a security crackdown on a protest encampment. Three members of the Iraqi security force and at least 20 other people were killed. The government said
Civilians inspect the aftermath of a car bomb attack in the Husseiniyah area of northeastern Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday. (AP Photo/ Hadi Mizban) gunmen fired on the security forces as they entered the camp to make arrests related to an earlier incident. Iraqi Sunnis say they face discrimination, particularly in the application of a tough anti-terrorism law that they believe unfairly targets their sect, which formed the backbone of the insurgency but also was key to the downturn in violence after tribal leaders turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq. The government frequently carries out arrests in Sunni areas on charges of al-Qaeda or Baathist ties. Protests escalated in December after the arrest of bodyguards assigned to Finance Minister Rafia alIssawi, a Sunni, in late December. The Defense Ministry
said in a statement that gunmen had taken control of the Suleiman Beg police station and other governmental buildings, and were deployed in the streets of the town, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Baghdad. The ministry did not provide information on casualties. On Wednesday, police and hospital officials reported fierce clashes in the town that resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and 12 others, including some gunmen. The mayor of the city of Tuz Khormato, to which Suleiman Beg is administratively annexed, said security forces had laid siege to the small town and sporadic clashes were continuing. The official,
Shalal Abdool, said there were additional casualties among gunmen on Thursday, but he couldn’t provide numbers. In his first public comments since the Hawija killings, al-Maliki urged Iraqis to unite for the sake of the country and stand up against extremists. “We all have to shoulder responsibility after what happened in Hawija and what’s going on today in Suleiman Beg and other areas,” he said. “If (sectarian) conflict erupts, there will be no winner or loser. All will lose, whether in southern or northern or western or eastern Iraq.” The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information.
Iran says it’s ready to resume talks with world powers GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran is ready to resume talks with world powers on its disputed nuclear program and awaits word from the European Union on timing and details, Iran’s deputy nuclear negotiator said yesterday. Ali Bagheri, in an interview with Reuters in Geneva, said Iran needed 20 percent-enriched uranium for its Tehran research reactor and four others being built, and was continuing to convert some of its stockpile into reactor fuel. “We are waiting for Lady Ashton to call Dr. Jalili, and Dr. Jalili is obviously ready to take the call,” Bagheri said. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton oversees diplomatic contacts with Iran on behalf of the the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany. Saeed Jalili is Iran’s chief negotiator. “We are waiting to see whether Lady Ashton’s response is going to cover the
time and venue of another round of negotiations, or will she limit her response to just discussing the substantive side of things,” Bagheri said. In Brussels, a spokesman for Ashton said she had consulted with foreign ministers on how to move forward the process. “Arrangements for a phone call with Dr. Jalili have already been made in order to discuss next steps,” Michael Mann said. The six powers and Iran failed in talks in the Kazakh capital Almaty this month to end the deadlock in a decadeold dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program, prolonging a standoff that could yet spiral into a new Middle East war. At those talks, the six asked Iran to suspend its most sensitive uranium-enrichment work in return for modest relief from international sanctions, an offer Tehran did not accept. Iran’s presidential
Ali Bagheri election is set for June 14, leading to speculation on whether the next round of talks will take place before the poll. “We are ready to continue with the talks ... We have no limits as far as time is concerned,” Bagheri said. Israel, which has long hinted at possible air strikes to deny its arch-foe any means to make a nuclear bomb, suggested this week it would be patient before taking any military action.
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
Press freedom unregulated can lead to abuse - Nandlall “When you publish only one version of a story or you publish a story that is only favourable to your viewpoint that amounts to manipulation of the press,” said Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall as he alluded to the fact that the press wheels a tremendous amount of power in a democracy. The Attorney General who also doubles as the Minister of Legal Affairs from all indications was at the time seeking to lash out at two privately operated daily newspapers – Kaieteur News and Stabroek News. He however did not take into consideration at the time the fact that opposition had had cause to raise its concern about failure on the part of the National Communications Network to offer equitable coverage of the budget debates for instance. Nandlall was at the time assuming the spotlight at a press forum hosted by the People’s Progressive Party Civic. According to him the power that the press has in a democracy comes with a commensurate degree of responsibility. As such he pointed out that “oftentimes we hear the call for the maintenance of press freedom and we hear the call for no
Attorney General , Anil Nandlall form of interference with the press as they execute and discharge the functions of the press.” This allowance, he insisted, is an integral part of the democratic process and “we recognise that, but with equal force we would like to emphasise that freedom of the press and the power which the press wheels brings with it a responsibility to be impartial, to be independent and to ensure that both sides of a story is carried.” Placing precise focus on the two media houses, Nandlall asserted that although it is patently obvious that the two
newspapers may not always agree with views of the ruling party that is not a basis for non-publishing of that view. According to him, if it is that the press will decide to only publish views that they subscribe to, or views that they are supportive of, then they would be violating press freedom themselves. Nandlall disclosed further that it was during a recent meeting with the executive of the International Press Institute that he had cause to make what he described as the very ‘fundamental point’ that “we have press freedom in Guyana and we have so much press freedom...in my humble view, that there is now a problem of regulating the freedom we enjoy.” According to him, press freedom unregulated can lead to abuse, adding that when only one version of a story is published that is only favourable to one viewpoint that can in fact amount to violation of press freedom. This state of affairs, he insisted, is an abrogation to the high responsibility that attaches to press freedom. “Of course freedom of the press is guaranteed by our Constitution to all and sundry as a fundamental right and freedom enjoying the highest form of protection in our legal system,” Nandlall said.
‘Money-changer’ recalls near-death experience - Says attacker made “solid plan” to trap him The 62-year-old money changer who was stabbed several times about the body on Tuesday last, has said that his attacker had met with him the day prior to the incident, and had “fooled” him into walking with $1.6M in exchange for US $8,000. Orin Braithwaite who had been admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation said that he never expected that he would have been conned, and especially not by someone who had done business with him before. The 62-year-old East Ruimveldt resident explained that while he does not know his attacker personally, they did meet on at least four occasions to change money; that too in fairly large amounts (over US $2,000). “He met with me on America Street on Monday and told me that he has US $8,000 to change and that he will come back on Tuesday so I told him to come. On Tuesday now, he called me and I told him to meet me at the same place and he come and I went into his car,” Braithwaite said.
Injured ‘money-changer’ Orin Braithwaite He added that “after I went into his car, he start drive and when he pass Ashmin’s (High and Hadfield Streets), I know something was fishy, because you don’t go so far to transact money business.” According to Braithwaite, when his attacker turned into D’Urban Street, he drew a knife “and start jooking me up and I was trying to bar and he trying to bore me with one
hand and steering with the other hand.” “We continued to fight until I ended up with the knife and I hold onto the steering wheel then I jump out and he ended up in the ditch,” the injured man said while on his hospital bed. Meanwhile, Braithwaite said that he has been feeling a lot better, and hopes to be discharged soon.
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DTV CHANNEL 8 08:25 hrs. Sign On 08:30 hrs. This Morning 09:00 hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 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. Cold Case 17:00 hrs. Charmed 18:00 hrs. World News 18:30 hrs. Nightly News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 21:00 hrs. The Vampire Diaries (New Episode) 21:42 hrs. Beauty and the Beast (New Episode)
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Friday April 26, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): You might not bother to control your impulses today because you don’t want to take the time to consider the consequences of your actions. Luckily, you can still manifest your dreams since your key planet Mars aligns with visionary Neptune. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): Your coworkers and friends have a lot to tell you today, but you might wish you could ignore their advice and do it your way. However, you can benefit from the feedback you receive now while the Moon visits your 7th House of Partners. GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Responding confidently to a coworker’s inquiries today won’t prove that you actually know what you’re doing. CANCER (June 21–July 22): Your fears are quickly fading as your sense of certainty grows stronger now. However, make sure that your new-found confidence doesn’t arrive at the cost of avoiding the facts. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): A colleague might misinterpret something you say today, potentially tangling a web of intrigue and misunderstanding. The situation becomes doubly difficult if you don’t realize that there’s a problem before it’s too late. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): Although you normally require clean facts and clear communications, surrealistic Neptune in your 7th House of Partners is activated now by impulsive Mars to compromise the precision of your words and lure others into your dreams.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): You might feel less emotional now that the moody Moon has entered your 2nd House of Self-Worth, shifting the focus from who you are to what you have. Nevertheless, you still have unresolved stress to handle. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): You’re probably relieved by the lifting of the heavy energy now that the Moon is freed from yesterday’s chains of Saturn. Fortunately, whatever was impeding your progress begins to fade away, but don’t assume that you can reach your goals overnight. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): Everything at work continues to improve, yet you’re still unable to turn an opportunity into something that can make a real difference in your life. CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): It may be challenging to see any real purpose to idle daydreams, yet you can’t turn off the switch to your fantasies as easily as you wish. You might attempt to overcompensate for your active imagination by acting in an overly practical manner. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): Acknowledging everyone’s needs grows tiring now, so it’s wise to conserve your energy by establishing clear boundaries. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): You may feel as if you have reached a point of balance between concrete career objectives and your spiritual life path. These two divergent roads intersect now, creating a magical moment when your hopes and dreams have a more lasting impact on your world.
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Rising Sun Horse Race Meet... It is touted to be a once in a life time Horse Racing treat and over 80 of the country’s top horses will compete for more than 6.5M in cash, trophies and other prizes when the Rising Sun Turf Club in collaboration with Hard Runnings Promotion and Trucking Service stages their fund raising activity at the Rising Sun Turf Club, Arima Park, West Coast Berbice, this Sunday. The event which is the second hosted by the club for this year and will see several
Kaieteur News
Friday April 26, 2013
Day of hectic racing envisaged this Sunday top horses, the likes of Score’s Even, Sumer Classic and Cat Messiah participating in a sizzling encounter over 1400m. Once again, the event will benefit from the largesse of several corporate entities including Banks DIH Limited, Trophy Stall of the Bourda Market, Shariff Business Enterprise and the Jumbo Jet. Banks DIH takes charge of the feature event, the ‘C and Lower’ and has donated close to $1.5M while Trophy Stall picks up the tab for the top individual performers, the top stable, jockey, horses and trainer. Shariff and Jumbo Jet are major racing entities and their corporate input is well noted.
At sometime the truth... From page 35 that burden or completely eradicate it. Only the release of the true figures would serve to allay the suspicions of many who feel that something is amiss, and even though conclusions have already been drawn, the best bet is for the figures to be discharged. To take an excerpt from an article that appeared in the Stabroek News of April 24, 2013 under the caption- ‘FIFACONCACAF: Warner bites the dust’ “when we resist the necessity to clean our own houses, others, no doubt depending on how our dirt affects their own houses, will do it for us.” Are they going to wait on others to clean their house? That offer could very well come from the current executive. They must understand that at sometime the truth will be told.
U-12 male & female softball cricket rescheduled The Under-12 male and female softball cricket competitions which were scheduled to start today at the Helena Mahaica No. 2 Sports Club Ground have been re-scheduled for next Friday, May 3 at the same venue. Organiser Daniel Richmond told Kaieteur Sport that he was forced to push back the competition due to the inclement weather. He said that Director of Sports Neil Kumar will deliver the feature address before the action gets underway from 09:00hrs. According to Richmond schools from Unity to Cane Grove are expected to participate.
Shariff racing stable representative, Zahir Shariff (left), hands over the sponsorship cheque to RSTC Trainer Glendon Sooklall while Murtland Williams and Daniel Flores savors the moment. The latter entity fields 11 horses while the former has seven. Meanwhile, the winner of the ‘C & Lower’ event over a distance of 1400m will cart off a huge purse of $700,000 along with the Banks DIH Trophy. This race is expected to be highly competitive with such animals in the lineup as Grande Roja, Zelick, Diamond Dazzling, Who So Ever, Mission King, Renia Del Café, The Baliff, Traditional Man, Technology, Miss Karina, C.P Got Even, County Armagh, Fresh Again, Treacle, Red and Lovely, Captain Crook and Prado’s Gold. The pundits believe that each animal is in with a chance but with several new imports in the starting lineup, an upset can very well be in the forecast. The other events expected to be keenly contested is the race for three year Guyana and West Indies Bred animals over 1400m; the winner pockets $400,000. Additionally, there is the event for ‘E & D and Lower’
over 1100m for maiden animals with a winning take of $400,000. The race for horses in the ‘F and Lower’ category carries a top prize of $350,000 while the ‘G & Lower over 1400m nets the winner $340,000.
The day’s events will come to a delectable culmination with the Classified G3 & lower, ‘I’ and lower and J and lower. Horse owners desirous of participating may contact Fazal Habibulla (232 0232 or
657 7010), Inshanally Habibulla (623 4495 or 232 3295), Donald or Zaleena Lawrie (225 4530 or 225 4565). Activities will be conducted under the aegis of the Rising Sun Turf Club and race time is 12:30hrs.
President Cameron congratulates Gayle on record-breaking innings Port of Spain, Trinidad – President of the West Indies Cricket Board Dave Cameron has hailed Chris Gayle’s record-breaking hundred in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday. The West Indies opener left fans of the game in awe, smashing an incredible 175 off 66 balls to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore to a 130-run victory over Pune Warriors. “On behalf of the Board and the entire West Indies cricket fraternity I extend congratulations to Chris for his incredulous innings which has left the cricketing world in wonder,” said Cameron. “That Chris dedicated the innings to the fans in the West Indies makes it doubly special for all of us who love and support West Indies cricket through and through,” the WICB head noted. “This is an extraordinary achievement. It takes a great deal of talent, effort and
determination to play such an innings and it is most certainly inspiring to see Chris continue to blaze a trail in this format of the game,” Cameron added. “Best wishes to Chris and all the other West Indian players involved for the remainder of the tournament. The cricket world can hardly wait to see how he follows such a performance,” Cameron continued. “Indeed we should all be proud of his innings and we are proud that he continues to fly the West Indies cricket flag high and with pride around the globe,” Cameron noted. Gayle’s hundred was the fastest in any format of the game, off just 30 balls, and the highest-ever individual score in a T20 match, including 17 sixes and 13 boundaries, taking RCB 263 for five from their 20 overs, the highest-ever in any T20 game.
WICB Regional 4-Day Semis
CCC routed for 150; Jamaica close on 62-4 Jamaica closed the first day of their West Indies Cricket Board Regional 4-day semi final game against the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) yesterday at Sabina Park on 62-4 after 20 overs of batting. Andre Mc Carthy is on 2 while Jermain Blackwood is yet to score. CCC batted first and were bowled out for 150. The experienced Floyd Reifer led the scoring for College boys with 63 while Shacaya Thomas supported with 35 and Raymond Reifer, 21. Brain Buchanan was the pick of the bowlers with 3-36 from 11 overs while Sheldon Cotterell snared 3-52 from 13 overs, J. Merchant 2-5 from 4.3 overs and Nikita Miller 2-34 from 17 overs. Earlier, CCC found themselves in early trouble when Brain Buchanan removed Anthony Alleyne for 5 and Nekoli Parris without scoring in his third over with the score on 26-2 in 6 overs. The visitors then lost Nekoli Parris for
01and Shacaya Thomas who was bowled by Sheldon Cotterell for 35 to be at 47-4 in the 13th over. Floyd Reifer and Raymond Reifer then took their team to lunch at 85 after 26 overs with Floyd on 23 and Raymond on 16. After the interval, left arm spinner Nikita Miller had Raymond caught behind for 21 at 92-5. CCC then lost Chadwick Walton for 01 at 93 before Floyd Reifer and Akeem Dewar steadied the ship somewhat with a sixth wicket stand of 22. Cotterell then trapped Dewar leg before for 16; CCC continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out in 53.2 overs. Floyd Reifer was the last wicket to fall; his fifty came off 87 balls in 115 minutes. Parchment has so far top scored for the Jamaicans with 31 (5x4) before he was bowled by Raymond Reifer. Zeniffe Fowler 1, Buchanan 0, and Simon Jackson 15 are the batsmen back in the pavilion. The game continues today.
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GCB/GTM Inter County U- National and Developmental squads identified 19 tourney pushed back A section of the waterlogged Everest Cricket Club Ground outfield, yesterday.
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) was forced to postpone the Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Fire & Life Insurance Companies (GTM) Inter County three-day Under-19 competition for one week due to the current inclement weather. The tournament was scheduled to start on Wednesday but no play was possible at Everest Cricket Club Ground due to the continuous downpour which left the outfield water logged. Scheduled to compete were the GCB President’s XI and Berbice but not a ball was bowled as play was called off on the first two days. Over at the Wales Community Centre Ground, West Bank Demerara, play finally started at 15:05 hrs on
Wednesday between Demerara and Essequibo. Batting first, Demerara reached 363 at stumps; Chandrika Persaud made 11 while Essequibo fast bowler Kemo Paul took 2-19. However, no play was possible yesterday. As such, the organisers and sponsors have decided to push the tournament back with the hope that the weather will change. Play for the players will be crucial since it will be used to select the National Under-19 team; hence, the selectors and players would be at a disadvantage if it not contested. A release from the GCB indicated that it is still to be decided if the tournament will make a fresh start or continue.
Thunder respond to Houston rally, win 105-102
Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates after scoring against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Russell Westbrook relishes the moments when an opponent challenges him and his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates and it becomes time to respond.Rookie Patrick Beverley showed a willingness to go toe-to-toe with the Thunder’s All-Star point guard, and the Houston Rockets didn’t back down despite a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Then it was up to Westbrook and the Thunder to come up with an answer. Westbrook and Kevin Durant each scored 29 points, and Oklahoma City recovered after squandering its big lead to beat Houston 105102 on Wednesday night and take a 2-0 series lead. Durant hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:28 to play after the Rockets had turned a 15-point deficit into a four-point lead, and the Thunder
didn’t relinquish the lead. Durant missed a free throw with 1 second left, but Houston was out of timeouts and Carlos Delfino couldn’t connect on a desperation shot at the final buzzer. Game 3 is Saturday night in Houston. The Thunder’s big lead melted away with nine straight empty possessions as the Rockets mixed in a zone defense. James Harden spearheaded a 21-2 Houston comeback by getting into the lane to create his own opportunities, and he also kicked the ball out to set up two 3-pointers by Delfino. His second 3, from the right wing, provided a 95-91 lead with 3:27 to go. But the Rockets couldn’t keep it up. Oklahoma City came back to tie it before Harden knifed to the basket for a layup to give Houston its last lead at 97-95 with 2:42 to play. Durant answered right away with a deep 3 from the left wing at the opposite end, and the Thunder came up with back-to-back stops before Thabo Sefolosha’s 3 provided a little breathing room at 101-97. Serge Ibaka added a long jumper to make it 103-98 after Durant was forced to give up the ball. Durant and Kevin Martin, both in the top 5 in the league in free-throw percentage, both went 1 for 2 at the foul line in the final 12 seconds to give the Rockets one last chance. Harden ended up with 36 points and 11 rebounds, and Beverley had 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for Houston. The Rockets made up for a 40 percent shooting mark with a 57-40 advantage on the boards and a 50-30 scoring edge in the paint, engineering a massive turnaround after getting blown out 120-91 in Game 1. And they did it without starting point guard Jeremy Lin, who didn’t play in the second half because of a muscle contusion in his chest.
The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) has shortlisted a national training squad comprising 21 junior players to prepare for the Caribbean Area Squash Association’s (CASA) Junior Caribbean Championships which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago July 21-29. The squad includes reigning and two-time Caribbean champion Nyron Joseph who won the Toucan Industries Easter Junior Skill Level tournament last month and fourtime Caribbean champion Victoria Arjoon, who plays squash at St George’s high school in the USA. Apart from those two players, the squad also includes former Caribbean champions Akeila Wiltshire, Benjamin Mekdeci and Jean Claude Jeffrey. Eighteen-year old junior star Jason Ray Khali,l who won the Ansa McAl Senior Easter tournament last weekend, has not been named in the side. Khalil, a former Caribbean Under-17 champion, will be celebrating his 19th birthday just days before the commencement of the tournament and will therefore be ineligible to compete in this Under-19 competition. According to GSA officials, the final team to compete at the Caribbean championships will be named at the tournament in Trinidad to facilitate the inclusion of overseas Guyanese players. The final team for the team tournament will comprise seven boys and seven girls. Guyana has won the last eight editions of the Junior CASA overall team titles. The squad has already begun training six days a week with hopes of extending Guyana’s
unprecedented Junior CASA winning streak. The regimen includes three mile runs every Monday and Wednesday around the National Park’s Inner Circuit, and fitness training with Top End Performance System’s training instructor Kezqweyah Yisrael on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Additionally, members of the squad are required to attended racquet work and training sessions at the Georgetown Club on Fridays and Saturdays. GSA has also introduced a new component of the developmental process to nurture its junior players. Fourteen players were also identified by the GSA to work along with the training squads. According to GSA officials, the developmental squad comprise the players that the selection panel felt had the potential to train alongside the national prospects for the holistic development of the juniors. Girls - Makeda Harding, Maya Collins, J’anay Nedd, Rebecca Low, Savannah Mendes, Sarah Lewis, Taylor Fernandes, Larissa Wiltshire, Akeila Wiltshire, Gabrielle Fraser, Victoria Arjoon. Boys - Shomari Wiltshire, Daniel Islam, Anthony Islam, Alexander Cheeks, Ben Mekdeci, Alec Melville, Nyron Joseph, JeanClaude Jeffrey, Steven Xavier, Matthew Phang. 2013 Developmental Squad - Dominic Collins, Zachary Persaud, Lucas Jonas, Ethan Jonas, Demetrius DeAbreu, Madison Fernandes, Gareth DaSilva, Gianni Carpenter, Sasha Ng-See-Quan, Rajiv Lee, Daniel Lowe, Michael Alphonso, Nathan Rahaman, John Phang.
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UEFA Europa League semifinal... David Luiz’s last-gasp free-kick earned Chelsea a narrow victory over Basel in the UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg at St. Jakob Park. Last season’s UEFA Champions League winners went in front when Branislav Ivanovic won a header which went in off Victor Moses, who claimed his third goal in as many Europa League games. The visitors should have scored again prior to Fernando Torres striking the post before Cesar Azpilicueta was adjudged to have fouled Valentin Stocker and Fabian Schar converted an 87thminute penalty. However, Chelsea responded and Luiz’s late intervention earned the advantage ahead of next week’s return at Stamford
Kaieteur News
Friday April 26, 2013
David Luiz snatches Chelsea win 40 for Young ‘Chanders’
Chelsea’s Victor Moses and David Luiz celebrates Bridge. Basel seemed determined to enjoy their maiden European semi-final - in contrast, the tie is Chelsea’s seventh in ten years - and the visitors were met with a raucous reception and energetic opponents.
Scotiabank/Pepsi Academy football competition
School of the Nations, Campbellville Sec. leads point standings Rivalry continued in the Scotiabank/Pepsi Academy Football competition on Wednesday afternoon last with a solitary game at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue. In that encounter, Tutorial High defeated Central High 3-1. Mario Padmore scored in the 55th and 60th minute, the last being a penalty while Steve Stunton scored in the 57th for the winners. Emmanuel Williams pulled one back for Central High in the 65th minute from the penalty spot. Four more games are scheduled for Sunday. Meantime, School of the Nations has amassed 6 points with a positive goal average of 11 to lead the point’s standings in Group A. Christ Church Secondary has totaled 6 points and a positive goal average of 6 and are at the helm of the standings in Group B while in the female category New Campbellville Secondary has 6 points and a positive goal difference of 6 to lead in that category. Matches are being played in Georgetown, Berbice and Linden.
Chelsea had to be patient as Basel started well before Azpilicueta raced down the right and crossed to the near post, where Lampard’s prod towards goal was turned away for a corner by Sommer. Lampard’s set-piece was met by Ivanovic, whose header deflected off Moses and bounced inside the far post. The Nigerian international forward, who scored in each leg against Rubin Kazan in the last round, knew little about the goal, yet cart wheeled away in delight. Petr Cech tipped over a serving shot from Schar before the impressive Ivanovic had to be careful to avoid conceding a penalty as Stocker nipped in front of him. Basel were lively, with 6ft 6in captain Marco Streller the focal point up front. Streller appeared keen to celebrate his contract extension in style, but Ivanovic and Terry, supported by a retreating Luiz, dealt with the physical threat as Stocker buzzed around his strike partner. Eden Hazard, playing
centrally behind Torres, was doing his utmost to find openings in the Basel defence, but all too frequently Chelsea gave the ball away. Torres twice had halfchances before Lampard found Ramires and the Brazilian’s dipping shot from the right was saved well by Sommer. WOODWORK RATTLED Benitez, who has a mind for statistics, will have been aware that 11 of Basel’s 16 prior Europa League goals had come in the second half, and his Chelsea side were almost made to pay for their profligacy three minutes after the restart when Streller and Stocker combined and the latter hit the base of the post with Cech beaten. Chelsea soon had another chance as Hazard rode the challenge of Philipp Degen and rolled the ball back for Torres to smash a left-footed shot off the inside of the post. Much of the second half was disjointed and punctuated by mistakes as Chelsea were forced to repel repeated Basel attacks. Fabian Frei shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box and Cole received a yellow card for time wasting at a throw-in before Aleksandar Dragovic was booked for a sliding challenge on Torres, meaning the defender will now miss the second leg. In a frantic final ten minutes Basel found themselves level when Azpilicueta was ruled to have hauled down Stocker in the area and Schar sent the ball down the middle of Cech’s goal. Oscar shot narrowly wide and Terry’s header was somehow stopped by Sommer before Luiz took his chance from 25 yards to belatedly give Chelsea the advantage in the tie.
on English debut
Tagenarine Chanderpaul (C) WICB Media
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - After a glimpse of summer on Saturday, the cold weather returned for Stainsby Hall’s encounter with Nottingham Badshahs CC on Sunday. Captain Scott Parkin won the toss and elected to bat. Openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Joshua Torr got off to a steady start until Torr was bowled for 15. Simon Torr fell soon after, bowled for one. This brought James Gregson to the crease and together with Chanderpaul, moved the score to 71 before the latter was adjudged LBW for a respectable 40. Then followed a minor collapse. In between, Gregson took on the role of chief run scorer before he was out caught behind for 25. The
tail contributed a further ten runs, finishing the innings on 115 all out. In reply, Scott Parkin and Dale Humphreys soon had Badshahs on the back foot claiming a wicket apiece. A commanding third-wicket stand looked ominous but a run out by Middleton-Jones proved the game changer and was followed a hat-trick from Steve Cresswell and three from Chanderpaul, ending the innings on 90. All in all this was a fantastic team effort in the field. Every member of the squad can be proud of their contribution. Next week the Sunday army go marching on in their first away fixture of the campaign vs Notts & Arnold Amateurs CC, with the match commencing at 14:00hrs.
Pepsi Sonics Hoop Fest set for tomorrow Pepsi Sonics Basketball Club will host its 2013 Hoop Fest, which is the culmination of the just- concluded Schools’ Easter Basketball Clinic tomorrow between 10am-6pm at the National Gymnasium. This Hoop Fest will involve participants from the Easter Clinic as well as male and female teams from Kwakwani, Plaisance and Georgetown. President of the Pepsi Sonics Club, Merle Jordan has revealed in a press release. Plaisance Under-14 male team will play against Kwakwani Under-14 male
team, while Bobby’s After School Programme Under-14 males will battle Pepsi Sonics. In the Under-17 males, Kwakwani comes up against host Pepsi Sonics while in the female games Kwakwani will face off against Pepsi Sonics.
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Parker leads Spurs to Coomacka residents coming 102-91 win over Lakers for T.L.C Russians showdown Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Futsal Competition
Flashback! Part of the action earlier in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Futsal competition currently being played in Linden
It has already been billed as a virtual final and judging from reports emanating out of the Linden community, supporters of Coomacka United and T.L.C. Russians are treating the encounter as such and have vowed to come out in their numbers to support their respective teams in tomorrow night’s quarter final clash in the Guinness ‘Greeatest of the Streets’ Futsal Competition, at the Wisroc / Amelia’s Ward Bus Park. According to information received Coomacka United’s performance so far in the competition has aroused curiosity among residents of the village and many have expressed elation about the team’s display. Coomacka United’s talented strikers Dorwin Daw
and Ateba Edmonson, who’re the architects of their attacking style of play, are expected to spearhead the search for a place in the semifinals, but will first have to penetrate the usually resilient defensive structure of T.L.C. Russians led by Travis Waterton and Odel Allicock. On the other hand, the Russians pursuit for victory will be led by Shaun ‘DASH’ Daniels and Terrence Aaron. Locals recently watched the changing of the guard in the UEFA Champions League where Spanish powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid lost to Germany’s Bayern Munich and Borrusia Dortmund respectively and while the Russians have been the most consistent team in this format in the community, many are wondering if the
current trend of upsets will infiltrate the Guyana landscape. In just over 24 hours that question will be answered. Meanwhile, the fixtures are as follows: SilverBullets takes on Star Boys in the opening encounter and that will be followed by the clash between Unique Entertainment Unknowns and the Silent Assassins, before 1/2 Mile / 1 Mile square off against Wisroc. T.L.C. Shipping Russians then tackles Coomacka United in the final game of the night. Three exhibition games are also planned with L.U.C.S.L tackling Bosai; Brooklyn All-Stars oppose Team Greatness and Coomacka Female takes on their countreparts from Speightland.
At sometime the truth will be told By Rawle Welch The continued unwillingness of the former executive of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to fully disclose the extent of the proceeds of the switching of the Mexico/Guyana World Cup 2014 qualifier continues to defy logic and appears to be a deliberate attempt to hide from the football fraternity the truth surrounding the deal. It obviously leaves the new administration no other choice, but to vigorously pursue the truth via a forensic investigation that could put to rest all suspicions borne out of the prior management’s fixed reluctance to disregard the pleas of all and sundry for full accountability. The officials involved must be reminded of the work of the Integrity Committee
which was headed by former Barbados Chief Justice Sir David Simmons, whose critical 113-page Report to the CONCACAF Ordinary Congress in Panama, last week, explicitly implicated the ex-President of CONCACAF, Jack Warner, in financial misconduct. Those who are privy to the information that the fraternity is seeking, must realise that in a globalised world where information could be obtained from sources inside or outside our jurisdiction, the suppression of information could only last for a short time. The current executive, too, must understand that among its most important responsibilities is the investigation of all previous transactions by the past administration in an effort to
ascertain the accuracy of the financial records, while the GOAL Project, Mexico game switch and the annual Financial Assistance Programme (FAP) monies must be accounted for. The Federation, according to former acting President Franklin Wilson, is saddled with a huge debt incurred during the World Cup campaign, hence the need to play the game in the USA to garner much needed funds. However, it has been close to five months on, and no word on what was gained has emanated from those who were responsible for the switching of the game. And if what is being peddled around is accurate, then who knows, we may have made enough to either significantly reduce (Continued on page 32)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) The San Antonio Spurs kept insisting the playoffs were a new season and that their woeful finish to the regular season was not as grave as it appeared. After 16 straight postseason appearances, San Antonio should know what it’s talking about. Tony Parker had 28 points and seven assists and the Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers 102-91 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference firstround playoff series. Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard had 16 points each, Manu Ginobili added 13 points and Matt Bonner had 10 for San Antonio, which had lost three straight entering the series. Dwight Howard and Steve Blake had 16 points each to lead Los Angeles. Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol added 13 points each, but no other player had more than nine as the Lakers shot 45 percent from the field. Game 3 is Friday night (tonight) in Los Angeles. Los Angeles said a key to
Tony Parker
winning was shooting better, and they did - but so did San Antonio. The Spurs shot 51 percent from the field after shooting 38 percent in Game 1. San Antonio was 7 for 14 on 3pointers, including 5 for 7 in the first half. Parker had 15 points in the third quarter after going 1 for 6 in the first half. He scored 12 straight points on a series of layups and floating jumpers against Blake. Parker’s run gave the Spurs a
75-65 lead with 3 minutes left in the third. The Lakers shot 37 percent (9 for 24) in the first quarter, a slight improvement over their 7-for-20 performance (35 percent) in the opening quarter of Game 1. Gasol posted early, tipping in a miss by Howard for the game’s opening basket and missing a 5-footer before Duncan blocked his 5-foot hook. Gasol was 5 for 14 overall, including 1 for 6 in the second half.
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Kaieteur News
Trophy Stall / EBFA U-23 tourney...
Champions, Grove Hi Tec, collect winnings Grove Hi Tech emerged victorious against Kuru Kururu Warriors 7-0 and in the process lifted the championship trophy when activities in the Trophy Stall sponsored East Bank Demerara Football Association (EBFA) Under-23 knockout championships concluded at the Grove Playfield April 7, last. Yesterday afternoon, that team was rewarded when they convened at the business place of the sponsor, Trophy Stall in the Bourda Market, to collect the winning prize. Diamond United had clinched the third place prize after defeating Mocha Champs 3-2 and representatives of that team were also present to collect their winnings. Managing Director of Trophy Stall, Ramesh Sunich, was on hand to compliment the winners while one of his employees, Leroy Jack presented the prizes to the winner of the competition, the runners-up and other prize winners. Captain of the winning team, Shermon Doris, collected the trophy on behalf of his
men ‘while several other players received special prizes after similar performances. Among them were Trevor Jones who was adjudged the Most Valuable Player, Delroy Dodson (Highest Goal Scorer) and Micheal Matthews (Best Goalie). Shortly after the conclusion of the prize giving ceremony, Mr. Jack congratulated the winners while saying that his organization was extremely delighted to have sponsored the tournament. He said that Mr. Sunich understood the benefits that can be derived by youths that participate in sports and could not possibly refuse to sponsor the tournament. The Trophy Stall representative further disclosed that his organization plans to continue with the sponsorship deal on a yearly basis and said that he hopes it develops into a huge spectacle on the local sports calendar. “While congratulating the winners, I wish to urge those teams unable to ascend to the podium that all is not lost; go home, restrategize and return next year with a resolve to win,” urged Mr. Jack. President of the EBDFA, Wayne Francois extended gratitude to Mr. Sunich and assured him that such benevolence has impacted positively on the success of the tournament and by extension, the development of the players.
Grove Hi Tec’s Shermon Doris receives the winning accolade on behalf of his team from Leroy Jack in the presence of Secretary, Danielle Angoy
Most Valuable Player Trevor Jones receives his trophy from Leroy Jack.
Friday April 26, 2013
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
Dhoni takes stumbling Chennai home MS Dhoni hits a four in the final over.
You can be hero and villain on the same night. Ask Amit Mishra and Ashish Reddy. Reddy scored a whirlwind 36 off 16 balls to help Sunrisers Hyderabad get 59 off the last four overs and give them something to bowl at. Mishra kept them alive with the wickets of Michael Hussey, M. Vijay and Suresh Raina. However, Mishra, promoted with the bat, wasted 21 balls for just 15 runs, and dropped MS Dhoni even before he had opened the account. Reddy was given the last over to bowl with 14 to defend, and a now-rampaging Dhoni to face. Reddy completely froze, and bowled the most predictable slower balls imaginable for Dhoni to win it easily. Spared villainy was Dwayne Bravo who bowled length in the final overs to allow Reddy those runs, but more crucially batted like a rabbit in the headlights, manufacturing - as the IPL’s wont has been - a thriller out of nowhere. He played out a maiden
from Karan Sharma - who registered this IPL’s most economical four-over figures of 0 for 8 - in the 16th over. Then he holed out on the bowling of Ishant Sharma for a near game-changing 7 off 16. The man who well and truly snatched heroism from villainy was Dhoni. He too began dozily, playing six dots before he top-edged Dale Steyn to long leg where Mishra missed him. How Dhoni made Sunrisers pay for it. Firstly, after Bravo’s maiden left Super Kings needing 42 off last four, Dhoni hit two sensational and consecutive pulled sixes off Steyn, who at times bowled at close to 150kmph. One over midwicket, and the other dragged from wide outside off to clear long-on. This was brutal hitting against the best bowler in the world. Bravo, though, turned it around again, and Sunrisers went to Steyn to bowl the 19th over with 27 runs to play with. Dhoni played another calculated over. Steyn bowled with third man and fine leg up to defend areas down the
ground. Dhoni dabbed the first past short fine leg for two, and square-drove the second over point for four. The third one he slogged over deep midwicket. This was the first time Steyn was hit for three sixes in an IPL innings, and only the second time in any Twenty20 game. Steyn came back, though, with Jadeja’s wicket, and left Chennai needing 15 to win off the last over. Darren Sammy, the IPL debutant, was the only man who had bowled earlier on the night and had an over to go. Cameron White, though, went to Reddy. Perhaps he was thinking if this was Reddy’s evening, it might be his night too. It wasn’t. Reddy began with a backof-the-hand slower ball that was almost off the pitch. He ran up again, and tried the same slower ball again. Dhoni missed, but it was not as though he had not picked it. Reddy had got lucky Dhoni didn’t connect. Reddy, though, tried it again, and Dhoni smacked it clean out of the ground. Eight off four now. Reddy was clearly nervous. He tried the normal yorker now, and missed his line by feet. Five wides. Hang on. Dhoni admits to having touched it. So three off four now becomes four off three. Dhoni pulled the next slower ball to beat long-on and bring the win that put Super Kings level with Royal Challengers Bangalore at the top of the table. Watching all this, Shikhar Dhawan would be wondering whatever happened to what should have been a special Sunrisers debut for him. He came out from a month in the cold storage, braved a blow in the unmentionables, scored a fifty to give Sunrisers to bowl at, but ended as a footnote on a night Dhoni went from 0 for 6 to 67 off 37.
DVA 2nd Div. Inter-Club Challenge League
Goed Fortuin starts on a positive note The Demerara Volleyball Association (DVA) inaugural 2nd Division Inter Club Challenge League got off to an exciting start with Goed Fortuin squeezing past the Guyana Defence Force 30-28 in a hard fought contest, at the University of Guyana Hardcourt. The DVA 2nd Division Club Challenge League is a combination of 2nd Division oneday tournaments which will be hosted by all the participating teams in the league in which mini tournaments are being played each fortnight. The tournament will consist of 8 legs and at the end of each, points will be awarded for the top two teams, with the winner being awarded four points and the runner up two. Each round will be played in a round-robin format with the top four teams advancing to the knock out (semi-final) stage with the two winners set to meet in the final.
The next leg of the tournament will be contested on Saturday 28th and it will be hosted by the Park Rangers Volleyball Club, at the National Park. Teams expected to participate are the Guyana Defence Force, Goed Fortuin, Young Achievers, Lusignan, The University of Guyana, The Guyana School of Agriculture and Enterprise. Activities are scheduled to start at 10:00 hrs. The top three teams will receive prizes for their achievement. The DVA will be using this leg as a preparation for the Guyana Volleyball Federation’s National 2nd Division Tournament to be held on the 11th May, 2013. A selection process for this tournament will come by way of a playoff on the 10th May with the top four teams receiving automatic entry to the GVF tournament.
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George leads Pacers past Hawks 113-98 for 2-0 lead INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana had everything covered Wednesday night. When Atlanta tried to get tough, the Pacers buckled down and got even tougher. When the Hawks tried to run, the Pacers simply slowed them down. And when the Hawks tried to rally, well, the Pacers punched back with Paul George, George Hill or any other open shooter. The result was the same. George scored 27 points, his second straight playoff career high, Hill finished with 22 and the Pacers pulled away from the reeling Hawks 113-98 to take their first 2-0 lead in a playoff series since the 2004 Eastern Conference semifinals. They matched Atlanta’s intensity step for step, and when they had a chance to put things away, they didn’t hesitate. Three days after George posted the second tripledouble in the franchise’s NBA postseason history, he put on another brilliant show. The league’s Most Improved Player rebounded from a 3for-13 shooting effort to go
Paul George #24 of the Indiana Pacers goes to the basket against Mike Scott #32 of the Atlanta Hawks
11 of 21. He finished with eight rebounds, three assists, four steals and turned in another sterling defensive performance as the Pacers won their fourth straight at home over Atlanta. After a slow start, Hill knocked down four 3-pointers before hitting his right elbow hard on the court late in the game. He said he expects to play in Game 3 on Saturday. Roy Hibbert wound up with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Gerald Green
came off the bench, made his first three 3s and finished with 15 points. Indiana, which relied primarily on defense to win its first Central Division crown in nine years, has topped the 100-point mark in consecutive playoff games. And the 113 points was the highest postseason total for the Pacers since a 120-87 rout over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000 NBA Finals. Harris led the Hawks with 17 points and Jeff Teague added 16.
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Kaieteur News
Friday April 26, 2013
Zimbabwe strikes, Bangladesh fight On a day of nerves from both sets of players, Zimbabwe walked out happier after they picked up enough wickets to justify their decision to bowl. At stumps, Bangladesh were 300 for 6, and it was hard to say whether they, too, would be pleased with the outcome. The error-ridden day was not pretty to watch at times. The home side almost gave away a good start by their bowlers in the afternoon but fought back through two wickets in the final session. They have the advantage of sitting on a 1-0 lead, which would help them to assess the Test later on. Keegan Meth continued to bowl with the same discipline as he had in the first Test, keeping the batsmen on a tight leash with his line, length and sudden bursts of big movement. Kyle Jarvis had quite a disappointing day as the team’s best quick bowler in the first Test. He bowled too full, and at times too wide. He, however, picked up a wicket late in the day. Elton Chigumbura took two wickets, both gifted
through absurd shots by Mominul Haque and Shakib Al Hasan. Shingi Masakadza also took one wicket, that of Mohammad Ashraful and that, too, off a poor shot. The visitors had three almost similar sessions, losing two wickets in each. Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim helped the side to respectability through their 123-run fifth wicket stand after Bangladesh had slipped to 125 for 4 after lunch. Shakib started off smoothly with three boundaries in his first 15 balls, but soon calmed down and supported Mushfiqur’s recovery act. He reached his fifty off 84 balls, before launching into a bit of a fourhitting spree. But he fell in that trap, running out to Chigumbura late in the day to fall for 81 off 118 balls. He has now given away three opportunities to score Test hundreds in his last four Tests. Mushfiqur, too, batted well, but just when he needed to see off the day, he fell legbefore to Jarvis around 20 minutes before stumps were drawn. He made 60 off 165
balls, an innings which was exactly what many before him could have done. Tamim Iqbal’s return to the line-up was important to the top-order but he was among the six batsmen to succumb to impatience rather than the bowling. He started off nervously before settling down and looking confident as he struck six boundaries. After spending some minutes on 49, the imminence of the landmark got the better of him. He rushed towards the non-striker’s end, only to see Masakadza’s direct hit catching him short. Mominul, too, looked committed to a proper innings. But he, too, joined the soft-dismissal parade. In an attempt to keep a rising ball down, he chipped the ball down the throat of extra cover. It was yet another promising innings that was nipped in the bud. It all started with Jahurul Islam at the stroke of the first drinks break. Jahurul and Tamim added 44 for the first wicket before the former holed out in the covers where Malcolm Waller ran back to complete the catch. Jahurul’s restlessness
Mushfiqur Rahim fought hard © Associated Press
was noticeable throughout his stay in the first hour, but here was a batsman who was again setting himself up for a big innings after blunting out the bowler’s attempts. Zimbabwe’s fielding was frustrating, but they will remain positive because of the conditions in Harare. Late in the second session and throughout the final session, leg spinner Cremer found turn and bounce to his liking which would add to the general sense of advantage which the fast bowlers have felt on this wicket. They could still bank on Bangladesh’s impatience in their bid to gain control.
Mushfiqur Rahim fought hard after the top-order struggled © Associated Press
Friday April 26, 2013
Kaieteur News
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t r o Sp
GCB/GTM Inter-County U-19 tourney pushed back Gayle dedicates feat to Caribbean
Tagenarine Chanderpaul
40 for Young ‘Chanders’ on English debut
David Luiz snatches Chelsea win
Chris Gayle
DVA 2nd Div. Inter-Club Challenge League...
Goed Fortuin start on a positive note Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Futsal Competition...
Coomacka residents coming for T.L.C Russians showdown
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