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December 22, 2012 - Vol. 6 No. 48 - Price $80 kaieteurnews@yahoo.com Website:http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

US$200M Skeldon plant...

Factory 65% operational, - Dr Leslie but only produces 20% Ramsammy CJIA brings Christmas cheer to Timehri children

Guyana approved Guyanese, John Agard, for US$45M in awarded Queen's Norway funds Gold Medal for Poetry

Kaieteur News

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Saturday December 22, 2012

Amputees seek Guyanese, John Agard, awarded balance for Christmas Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry

Eight members from the William France Differentlyabled Athletics Club (six of them amputees, and two confined to wheelchairs), with the assistance of four able-bodied persons, were busy yesterday in the vicinity of the Demerara Harbor Bridge, Schoon-Ord Public Road, soliciting from commuters to make their Christmas memorable.

Their efforts are also to

prepare for participation in t h e d i ff e r e n t l y a b l e d marathon scheduled for Boston, USA, in April.

William France, Dennis Burns and Anil Persaud are the expected competitors.

Frances has 21 marathons under his belt.

The others have much less even when theirs are added together.

Monday will be the club’s Christmas party in

Mocha but today they are scheduled for a Fitness and Health Walk in Essequibo, starting at 7:30am from Anna Regina and ending at Queenstown.

The club which started in 1988 has a membership of 27 persons.

It is made up of amputees, the visually impaired and wheel chaired who all have families to take care of.

Guyanese poet joins a host of distinguished names including WH Auden, Ted Hughes and Philip Larkin.

Britain - Buckingham Palace has announced that the poet John Agard is to be awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry 2012. The decision was made by the Poetry Medal Committee headed by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. It was based on Agard's most recently published works, Alternative Anthem: Selected Poems (Bloodaxe Books, 2009) and his collection of poems for children, Goldilocks on CCTV (Frances Lincoln, 2011).

The Guyana-born poet is the only second black writer to receive the award, after the Trinidadian Derek Walcott who won in 1988.

The award was founded by King George V in 1933 at the suggestion of the then Poet Laureate John Masefield. The scope of the award was extended to include writers from the Commonwealth in 1985.

Agard joins other distinguished recipients of the award including WH Auden, John Betjeman, Robert Graves, Ted Hughes, Philip Larkin, Les Murray, Siegfried Sassoon, Stephen Spender and RS Thomas. Last year it was awarded to Jo Shapcott. Carol Ann Duffy said of the decision: “John Agard has always made people sit up and listen. He has done this with intelligence, humour and generosity.

“He has the ability to temper anger with wit and difficult truths with kindness. He levels the ground beneath all our feet, whether he is presenting Dante to children or introducing his own (Guyanan) culture to someone who hasn't encountered it before.”

John Agard One of Agard's most popular poems, HalfCaste, featured on the GCSE syllabus for many years. It is a wry analysis of racial prejudices and misconceptions.

Agard commented: “When told the news out of the blues on the phone by the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, I couldn't believe my ears and it took a little time to sink in. I am delighted as well as touched to be in the company of such names as Charles Causley, Norman MacCaig, Gilian Clarke, Stevie Smith and Derek Walcott.”

Agard grew up in 1950s Georgetown, Guyana. In 1977 he moved to the UK, and he has lived in Lewes, East Sussex, since 1978.

He is a poet, performer and anthologist and has published many books of poetry both for adults and children.

The medal will be presented to Agard by the Queen in 2013. (telegraph.co.uk)

Saturday December 22, 2012

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Kaieteur News

Guyana approved for US$45M in Norway funds Guyana has been approved to receive an additional US$45M from the Government of Norway for its climate services in maintaining extremely low levels of deforestation while advancing the nation's landmark Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

This now brings all three contributions from the Norway-Guyana climate and forest partnership to a total of US$115M since the programme was announced in 2009, the Office of the President announced yesterday.

Guyana and Norway, in November 2009, signed the historic deal that will see the Scandinavian country invest $250m (£150m) to preserve the rainforests of Guyana.

According to Office of the President yesterday, there are now clear signs that the monies are beginning to flow to important climate change and poverty alleviation investments that will improve the overall e c o n o m y, s u p p o r t Amerindian peoples' development and land rights while keeping carbon pollution well below the rates of leading developed

Guyana has been approved for another tranche of Norway funds

countries.

Money from the allotted US$115 million, which is facilitated through the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF), is now beginning to flow to investments identified in Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy, including the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project.

The hydro project is Guyana's most expensive investment and will cost upwards of US$840M, coming from loans and some

of the Norway money.

Government insisted that the project is beneficial despite being marred by delays of the access roads and still ongoing negotiations with IDB and funding agencies for a large part of the cash.

“This project will deliver a steady source of renewable energy that is affordable, reliable and is envisioned to meet Guyana's domestic energy needs while removing dependency on fossil fuels. The Government of Guyana

projects that Amaila will save consumers and businesses approximately $3.5B over the next 20 years, while at the same time reduce carbon emissions and creating jobs.”

Part of the Norway funds is also being used for the Amerindian Development Fund which will enable almost 200 Amerindian villages to advance their Community Development Plans. According to Office of the President, in 2013, some two dozen Community

Development Plans will start implementation.

In addition, funds for micro and small enterprise development are coming on line in order to provide vulnerable groups with access to capital and business support.

“Yet another project to receive Government funding from the GRIF will be the Cunha Canal Rehabilitation Project, a climate adaptation effort to reduce the risks of the embankment overtopping and flooding of areas along the East Bank of the Demerara.

This will help to reduce threats to life and livelihoods from changing weather patterns, such as the floods that occurred in 2005 and caused damage equivalent to 60 percent of Guyana's economy.”

Office of the President stressed that the projects are being funded by the Government of Guyana based on contributions from Norway and will join a suite of LCDS investments being funded directly by the Government, including the installation of 11,000 solar panels in Amerindian households across the country.

“This latest contribution from our partnership with Norway will help achieve the vision that we laid out through our Low Carbon Development Strategy more than three years ago. Our vision is to create a strong and vibrant low-carbon economy that benefits our people, reduces pressures on our forests and provides valuable climate services to the world,” President Donald Ramotar said in the statement.

“With this payment, Guyana can continue on this important path while showing that economic growth is compatible with sustainability.”

The contribution from Norway to the GRIF is part of an agreement between the two nations, which was announced when former President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo and former Minister of Environment of Norway, Erik Solheim signed an agreement in Fairview in November 2009. The partnership's progress is governed by terms set out in a Joint Concept Note (JCN).

The JCN seeks to create a (continued on page 13)

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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

Policing and the society When one hears that the police are investigating crimes one immediately gets the impression that the information about the investigation is merely something to pacify the inquiring person. And this view is often reinforced when the police say that they have run into a dead end as far as investigations go.

There are numerous unsolved murders, unsolved robberies and even unsolved rapes. But before one gets the impression that the police are not working one should realize that more often than not, it is a case of the police not getting the necessary information to aid them in their work.

There is a bright bunch of detectives who not only have good interpersonal skills but who also know how to get the relevant information. This was highlighted more recently in a spate of arrests for some serious crimes.

Recently, they were able to solve a series of murders when it seemed as if there were no witnesses.

There is a policeman before the courts on a charge of murder. He was one of the men who admitted to firing his weapon in Agricola at the time a young man died. The police conducted their investigation amidst national skepticism at the fact that the police were investigating themselves.

They have their work cut out for them to find the driver who killed a young man on the streets two nights ago and drove away. They did a great job in finding one such killer in Berbice. They have also been able to find almost every vehicle involved in a hit and run accident. That is good policing.

Solving crimes necessitates extensive legwork, a keen mind to listen to what is being said and sometimes, to being able to induce people to talk at a time when people are still reluctant to talk to the police unless it is in their own interest.

However, all is still not well with the investigative capability of the police and the wider society must accept some responsibility. For one, none can say that the force gets the best possible candidate out of the schools.

In fact, no organization can boast of getting the cream of the crop because these more often than not, head overseas on completing school.

The second reason for the difficulty the police face is that it is often the last place a school leaver would seek employment. The force is not seen as the prestigious organization it once was and many factors have contributed to this. For one, there were the goons who some people say were the necessary evils.

Then there are always the detectives who probe cases.

These are the people who are now helping the force to get a new face. The arrest rate has gone up because these new breed of policemen have developed a profile of the criminal and people are saying that the criminals do fit the profiles.

But they do not always offer the desired result to the public. The nation needs to take heart from what operates in the developed world. Just last week the police there solved a fifty-year-old crime.

This sends a message. It tells people that no matter how long it takes, the police would always catch the criminal. They keep meticulous records and specimens.

They are also not afraid to use technology. So meticulous are they that when there is prosecution they can get a conviction. In Guyana we are deficient in this area. For one, the police do not use the support systems.

They do not use the scientists in the society to help analyse scientific data and most of all, the investigating ranks are not the best when it comes to writing their reports.

Many cases have fallen through the floor because of what the judge or magistrate would later describe as bad police work. Since they are not the best, academically, they would appear to be incapable of properly stating the very facts that they wish to present.

It is here that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the legal department of the Guyana Police Force must be included in the presentation of cases.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

Bisram’s polling and relationship with NACTA explained DEAR EDITOR, This is in response to letters from Mr. Freddie Kissoon and Mr. Jerrick Rutherford (KN Dec 15) querying the integrity and competence of Mr. Bisram to conduct polls, his relationship with NACTA, employment and his credentials.

Mr. Bisram is a professional of uncompromised integrity and has been employed as an educator for three decades.

For over two decades, he has been conducting authentic polls with myself and others.

I have known Mr. Vishnu Bisram since 1977, the same for Dr. Baytoram Ramharack, when they were Freshmen students at CCNY. They were outstanding freedom fighters in Guyana’s liberation struggle against the PNC dictatorship. Bisram studied Bio-Chemistry for his undergraduate degree and subsequently also completed a second major in Political Science. He then did graduate studies (MA) in International Relations (I also studied IR) and graduate degrees in other Social Science disciplines and Educational Administration.

Mr. Bisram studied at CCNY, NYU Grad School, and CUNY Doctoral School. We used to poke fun at Bisram for his countless number of degrees and teaching licenses. We assisted each other in our studies and in our teaching jobs. Mr. Bisram obtained teaching licenses in the

natural sciences, social studies, and Maths and even thought at one time of acquiring a license in English.

In addition, he has been licensed as a school administrator, district administrator, and Principal.

Like Ramharack, Bisram worked as a tutor, college aide and an assistant to the librarian at CCNY. Later, he worked as an Assistant to the Director of International Studies and Director of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and a Research Assistant to the Departments of Economics and History.

Bisram, Ramharack, myself and several others who were involved in polling and the political struggle served or are serving as educators and as pollsters.

Bisram and Ramharack were unique in their commitment to various causes to fellow students, the Guyanese nation and the Diaspora. They were deeply involved in the struggle against the PNC dictatorship and the campaign for free and fair elections in Guyana and against suppression of rights of ethnic groups in the Caribbean region and elsewhere.

Together we were instrumental in the founding of several student and community organizations (including the IndoCaribbean federation with MessrsVishnu Bandhu, Kali, etc.) and in organizing celebrations on various IndoCaribbean cultural festivals

when few were involved in such activities. In addition, Mr. Bisram, like myself, was elected to undergraduate and graduate student governments and became involved in political campaigns for American politicians. After IndoCaribbeans were unwelcome in the Caribbean Students Association of CCNY, we became deeply involved in the I n d i a C l u b a n d subsequently founded the Indo (Caribbean) Club as well as other groups.

Among our many activities, besides first and foremost political and human rights struggles, was polling, charitable giving, and educational studies. And this was how NACTA came into being.

Dr. Ramharack was the pioneer of polling and founded TRPI. Messrs.

Bisram, Ravi Dev, Rennie Ramracha, myself and others joined Ramharack in polling missions in Guyana. We used our own funds for our annual polling. We took paid ads in SN to recruit interviewers.

The meeting place to recruit and train interviewers was the UG library. Mr. Freddie Kissoon showed up twice on two different years, responding to the ads, and made snickering comments of our poll and delirious gesticulations. We ignored him for it was not the time or the place to take on irrational behaviour. Kissoon also made it clear at the site and subsequently in writing (with

very obnoxious remarks against Indians living in the Bronx) that the poll findings would be invalid because he “was not consulted”.

In other words, the acceptance of poll findings would be based on whether Kissoon was a consultant to the poll. Messrs. Bisram, Ramharack and Rennie witnessed Kissoon’s behaviour and can attest to the truthfulness of this incident. After Dr. Ramharack became indisposed to polling around 1994, Mr. Bisram took up the mantle first individually and subsequently through NACTA. Our organization encouraged, supported and gave him permit to use the name.

NACTA was the creation of myself and Dr. Latchman Narain. Bisram, as well as several other educators, made financial contributions for the launching of the organizations. We hosted lectures at various locations in NY, including at the Shree Lakshmi Narayan Mandir (Pandit Shri Jadonath can attest to this fact) and distributed educational supplies and cash to schools, organizations and individuals in Guyana, Trinidad, and other places. The SVN at CI, among other schools, was a recipient of our supplies and donations.

Mr. Bisram became Director of Polling of NACTA. I accompanied him for polls in Trinidad as well (Continued on page 6)

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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

TIGI should address flaws rather than seek political leverage at the expense of our nation DEAR EDITOR, The Progressive Youth Organization (PYO) is glad that Transparency International Guyana Inc. (TIGI) has responded to our review of their index. There are many issues that render the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) as null and void on measuring corruption.

In our previous statement we explained the issues facing an index that is subjective and that has been roundly criticized by Mahathir Mohamad (former PM of Malaysia), World Bank, Fredrik Galtung (founding member and Head of Research at Transparency International), OECD, Global Integrity, The Economist, etc.

The PYO has examined the CPI produced by Transparency International (TI). We have concluded that our original view, based on the World Bank critiques, are correct and have actually been reinforced.

The CPI has constantly been changing their methodology. A major change occurred in 2009 when Prof.

Johann Lambsdroff, inventor of the CPI, quit publishing the CPI. In his letter to Mr. Cobus de Swardt, Managing Director of TI, Prof. Lambsdroff stated that there are cases where “data failed to match with the reality”. He concluded that “TI-S will try to continue somehow with a substitute for the CPI. Even though most of them are rather new to the debate, they will try to make the new product look like the old one. This is time for me to let them go their way....I won’t be out there to provide academic credibility.”

Since then, the CPI has gone through several iterations in the methodology used. The 2012 CPI has had a major modification to its methodology from the 2011.

This means that no one can use TI data to claim that Guyana is worse off, better off or the same as previous years.

The constant tweaking of the methodology would normally make such a task difficult.

With the major changes implemented for the 2012 CPI this task becomes impossible.

These modifications completely dismiss the argument that there has been no progress in Guyana fighting corruption. Simply stated, TI’s constant methodology tweaking does not allow for this argument to even enter the realm of discussion. Let us now examine the methodology itself. TI uses the average of a standardized score of different surveys performed by various organizations. The

scores can be 0 (highest level of perceived corruption) to 100 (lowest level of perceived corruption). The terms ‘highest and lowest levels of perceived corruption’ are also very ambiguous and incredibly subjective.

Unfortunately, semantics aren’t the only flaws in the system. For example when the scores in Global Index Country Risk Rating are “standardized” we see many countries sharing the same score. Israel and Eritrea share a standardized score of 52. Yet when averaged with other surveys’ standardized scores, these two countries are separated by 111 places.

Another example is the standardized score of the World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey (WEF) which gives a score of 43 for Iran and 34 to the Czech Republic. Yet, Iran is ranked 79 places lower than the Czech Republic. The standardized scores of the Political Risk Services International Country Risk Guide gave Bangladesh and Qatar an equal score of 50.

Yet, Bangladesh is ranked 117 spaces behind Qatar. These are just a few examples. There is obviously something wrong here. How can two countries share the same score on one survey but be separated by such huge margins when scores across several surveys are averaged? It is apparent that the individual surveys have major differences between each other, although they all claim to be measuring corruption. This would therefore make the averaging of scores between them an exercise in absurdity.

The average scores are meaningless as each corruption survey undoubtedly uses different criteria to interpret and measure corruption.

The individual surveys themselves have a flawed methodology. The PYO has previously stated that the World Economic Forum (WEF) scores cannot be trusted, if the WEF “country experts” assess Guyana to have a better railway network than Serbia. An error the WEF has kept making for several consecutive years.

The Guyana “country experts” have a different idea from the “country experts” of Serbia, Brazil, and Argentina when it comes to interpreting the meaning of “railroad infrastructure”. These vastly different interpretations have caused Guyana to rank above Serbia, Brazil and Argentina in railroad infrastructure development.

These countries have thousands of

kilometres of railway lines, yet Guyana is ranked above them. This is exactly the weakness that exists in perception surveys; different people have different perceptions about a situation.

The divergence in view becomes even starker when the people live and work in different countries and therefore have different experiences. The WEF question in the Ethics and Corruption section, “To what extent does the threat of terrorism impose costs on

businesses in your country?

[1 = to a great extent; 7 = not at all]” will have very different interpretations in Guyana than in Syria. To illustrate this, the latter is ranked third (score = 6.6) while in the midst of a civil war. These examples show that personal bias, political or otherwise, play a major role in ranking. We can be fairly certain that the “country experts” in Syria are politically motivated; can we rule this out for Guyana?

The PYO urges TIGI to become more critical of the

surveys and the effect the TI surveys have on Guyana.

Instead of making outlandish politically biased statements based on data that is known to be of little real value, TIGI should be advising TI on how to improve their work. The sensationalism that surrounds TI reports can have very damaging effect on foreign investors, ignorant of the true situation on the ground. Basing their assessment on faulty data and faulty methodology may prevent foreign investment

and job creation. The fact that TI’s own Bribe Payers Index varies significantly from its CPI should alert TIGI that a problem exists. The issues highlighted above, together with the fact that TIGI is heavily staffed with Opposition political activists, do not give much credence to the CPI. The PYO urges TIGI to become a truly non-partisan organization by fixing their obvious in-house biases.

Progressive Youth Organization

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 22, 2012

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

Bisram’s polling and... The age of consumerism From page 4 as in Tobago. Mr. Mahadeo Persaud, and others attested that they accompanied Bisram on polling missions in Guyana. Mr. Navin Bhagwat was in Trinidad when Bisram conducted polls there in May 2010. I know of Bisram’s polling activities in Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, India,etc.

He worked with teachers in several societies. Messrs Kamal Persad, the historian, Samaroo Siewah, the biographer, Devanand Sukhnandan, Ashram Maharaj, a writer, Rennie, etc. have helped him with polls in Trinidad.

Mr. Bisram is among the most traveled individuals I have known, making trips on every school break and on several weekends. Contrary to what Mr. Kissoon thinks, the school calendar allows for several breaks that facilitate travel. The extended Thanksgiving weekend in last month for example, Mr. Bisram was in Jamaica and the Diwali weekend he was in Trinidad. And prior to that he was at so many other

islands (like Turks and Caicos, Antigua, Barbados, Aruba, St. Martin doing surveys) in recent weeks. Last week, he was in Tobago. Like most organizations, NACTA did not have a formal office. Like other organizations, we operated on a shoe string budget based on voluntary contributions. Like other Guyanese organizations, we did not have paid officers. We used a post office box (Woodhaven, Bronx, etc.) as well as our own individual homes for communication purposes. Our organization is not as active as we were during the early 1990s. But Bisram remains very active in community activities and polling, perhaps most active among those of us who were involved in the political struggle since the 1970s. We are grateful for his work and for the enormous amount of personal funds he spent to the benefit of the Guyanese, Caribbean and Indian Diasporas.

Very few have expended the kind of energy and expenses like Bisram to

benefit Guyanese. He continues to conduct polls under NACTA just like how Prof. Selwyn Ryan conducts polls under SARA and does not have an office. Not having an office does not render a poll less accurate than a polling outfit with an office. There are hundreds of pollsters in America. Only a few of them actually have an office. For example, Frank Luntz and Dick Morris, the pollsters who conducted polls for the AFC, don’t have offices and a staff. Kissoon did not question the validity of their polls.

Kissoon was consulted on the AFC polls and found them credible because they stated the PPP would lose the 2006 elections. But he was not consulted on the NACTA polls and therefore he pronounced them unacceptable. For the edification of Kissoon and other critics, Bisram is authorized to conduct polls and serving as Director of NACTA. Vassan Ramracha One of NACTA’s Founders

DEAR EDITOR, There are some people who are so blinded by prejudice that they simply cannot come to terms with the reality of a new and changing Guyana, one in which there is greater prosperity and a better quality of life. One only has to look at the large number of business places and supermarkets that are springing up all over the country to get a sense of the spending power of the Guyanese people. There can be no doubt that Guyana economy is heating up and with it the purchasing power of the average Guyanese people.

Business is booming in Guyana. The commercial sector is expanding as could be seen from the changing skyline in Sheriff Street and some parts of the city. Huge multi-storey buildings are going up, indicative of growing confidence in the economy. The same is true of the commercial banks which are opening up new branches in all parts of the country, including some of the hinterland regions where none existed before. The balance sheets of the banks and commercial enterprises are showing solid growth in business and sales turnover, which is indicative of a strong and robust economy.

The mad rush to spend on goods and consumer items is very much in evidence this Christmas, thanks to greater disposable income for the consuming public. The wide range of consumer goods on display at stores and supermarkets is quite remarkable. This obviously puts enormous pressure on consumers who sometimes have to make hard choices on how to spend their limited income.

We live today in what

could be described as the age of consumerism where people spend sometimes way above their means. This is facilitated to a large extent by the banking system which provides for generous overdrafts and credits. In addition to these, the big supermarkets also promote and facilitate hire purchase arrangements which means that persons can shop for expensive consumer items that have to be paid for on deferred income. This is quite risky and there are instances when payments are in default leading to embarrassing situations and financial stress.

This brings me to the core values and concepts of Christmas which essentially has to do with the birth of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. How the festival which was born out of humility became so ‘glamourized’ is the subject of much debate, but it is widely believed that the festival has now become a booster for the capitalist system by promoting a culture of consumerism and reckless spending. It is amazing how people part with their hard-earned income just to keep up with neighbours and friends only to find that after the festivities are over they are broke to the last cent.

This to my mind speaks to a degree of arrogance and irresponsibility which has nothing to do with the core values and principles of Christmas. Christmas is all about humility and reflecting on the birth of Jesus Christ who, according to the Bible, was born in a stable in the most humble of circumstances. Today, the celebration is far removed from the concept of humility and care for the needy, into one of ostentatious lifestyles and pure vanity.

As mentioned before, we

live in an age of consumerism which is lavishly promoted by the media. Millions, nay billions of dollars are spent advertising consumer items, with all kinds of incentives to lure consumers into spending their money. One established supermarket in the city is giving away over a dozen cars over the holiday period in order to whip customers into a shopping frenzy. I often wonder how much better off we would have been if these expenditures were put to lower the cost of the consumer items, if only to the extent of the millions spent on advertising and incentives to a few “lucky” customers.

All of this I know is wishful thinking and far removed from the corporate business world where competition is the name of the game. But we live in an imperfect world and the market especially under capitalism is highly imperfect.

Consumer ignorance is exploited to the maximum, especially when there are incentives to shop, for which one is hardly likely to benefit.

There are so many instances when I go to the supermarket and purchase an item only to find that the same or a better quality of the said item could be found at another supermarket at a much lower price.

When all is said and done, the true test of character is humility. There is tremendous strength in being humble and down-to-earth, traits that are universally adored. If there is one lesson that could be learnt from the work and teachings of Christ, it is the power of humility. Too many people of power and influence fall prey to the trappings of this material world to such extent that they virtually lose their souls.

Hydar Ally

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 7

Motion to stop Marriot funding illegal - Teixeira The government yesterday remained defiant that it would not halt public funding of the Marriott Resort and Casino that is going up at the Kingston mudflats next to the country’s premier hotel, the Guyana Pegasus.

The government is insisting that a Parliamentary motion by the seven-seat Alliance for Change (AFC) to halt public funding for the project was only taken to the National Assembly as a sort of “payback” to the owner of the Pegasus who supported the party in the November 28, 2011 polls.

The National Assembly, on Tuesday evening, voted that taxpayers’ money should stop going into the Marriott Hotel project unless first approved by the National Assembly.

But, not surprisingly, the government yesterday said that no motion is legally binding, indicating that it will ignore the decision of the majority of Parliamentarians.

“We are clear…no motion is legally binding on any government,” Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira stated yesterday.

The AFC has signaled its intention to argue its case before the courts.

While defending the need of the project, the government is refusing to make public the studies which show that the project would succeed.

Teixeira sought to explain that because of the nature of the private/public partnership that the hotel project is, access to certain information cannot be had at this time.

“There are certain areas we would not be able to answer at this point,” she stated.

Looking back at Cricket World Cup 2007, Teixeira said that the country had to do an enormous amount of work to host officials, teams and others for the games, and it was found that there was need for high end rooms. She said that the shortage of hotel rooms was such that the option of bringing cruise ships was also explored.

Regarding the Pegasus Hotel, she said that “it was considered up to the standard required” for hosting “top ranking people.”

She said that with the country’s growth come an increasing number of visitors and consultants. So a hotel such as the Marriott is needed to open the country to tourism and investment.

She said that Guyana would not be the first country in which taxpayers’ money is

being used to fund a hotel project, pointing out that this has happened in Caribbean countries such as Barbados, Jamaica and St Lucia.

In the motion passed in the National Assembly, a call was also made for all revenues in the account of the government’s investment arm, NICIL, be deposited into the Consolidated Fund, from which any spending would first have to get the approval of the House.

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh had argued that the economic, feasibility and environmental impact assessments would be made known to the opposition parties if they accept an invitation to meet at the Office of the President.

But the opposition argued that the information should not be provided behind a closed door. Rather, it should be made public in the National Assembly.

The money to build the Marriott is coming from the government’s investment arm, NICIL, which itself is a private company. The Minister of Finance contended that it was given the status of a public corporation by order of the President.

He argued that NICIL has

Gail Teixeira the right to retain its revenues, much the same way that other public corporations like the Guyana Sugar Corporation and the Guyana Oil Company.

But Ramjattan maintained that being a public corporation, NICIL is required to put its money into the Consolidated Fund.

Ramjattan argued that while assets from one public corporation can be transferred to another public corporation, assets of NICIL cannot be transferred to Atlantic Hotels Incorporated – the private company that was set up to build the Marriott Hotel.

However, Minister Singh countered that the provisions

governing public corporations can, by notification, be applied to any company that is not a corporation owned by the government.

Ramjattan pointed out that US$21 million of taxpayers’ money is being put into the Marriott. The other funding is coming from an additional sum of US$27 million, rated as a senior debt coming from so far unknown private investors through by Republic Bank, which opposition Parliamentarian Carl Greenidge argued would only mean that taxpayers’ money would be the last to be recovered if the project fails.

Ramjattan insisted that the opposition was not blocking any development, but seeking to ensure that monies from public purse be spent properly and are properly accounted for.

In the arrangement with Republic Bank (Trinidad), taxpayers’ rights rank last among investors.

The syndicated loan, as is the arrangement with Republic Bank, is one that is provided by a group of lenders and is structured, arranged and administered by one or several commercial

banks or investment banks.

In this case, the loan is being administered by the Republic Bank but the government has not named the other lenders.

By agreeing to this type of loan arrangement, the government is agreeing for the investors who are part of the syndicate, to get back their investment first ahead of any other investor in the project.

So, if in a scenario where the project fails and the value of the property depreciates to a value below what the investors have plugged, then the investors will get back their money, and there would be nothing to return to NICIL, meaning that taxpayers’ dollars would go down the drain.

Parliamentarian Joe Harmon argued that there are other Marriott branded hotel projects, but not of the standard that the government is building here.

He said that Caribbean countries with established tourism and hospitality industries, unlike Guyana, have introduced Marriott Courtyard, which is below the five-star resort Marriott brand that is being put down on the mudflats at Kingston, Georgetown.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 22, 2012

Saturday December 22, 2012

US$200M Skeldon plant...

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, on Thursday said that the Skeldon Sugar Factory is operating just over 50 per cent of its capacity, and that millions of dollars being spent to modify the factory will still not bring it to its full operational capacity.

The Skeldon estate was designed to produce 110,000 tonnes of sugar per annum. In 2010, production was 33,237 tonnes and in 2011, production was 29,410 tonnes.

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo had vowed to see the factory up to its full capacity.

Responding to questions from People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, and Ramsammy said that the factory is “operating at an average 60 to 65 percent capacity.”

He said that redesign works by South African firm, Bosch, will start after the current crop.

However, Ramsammy

Kaieteur News

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Factory 65% operational, but only produces 20% - Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy pointed out that critical works such as modification to the punt dumper design and replacement of the structure is not catered for in the Bosch contract.

The defects which will be fixed due to the Bosch redesign works are those related to the bagasse feeding system and the cane

Dem boys seh ...

Dem boys got black tongue Is Christmas and dem boys plan to visit de wine bar owned by de one and only, de famous Brazzy. Nuff big ones does go deh, including de Donald. But dem boys hear that de Donald stop.

He seh that is like crab dance and when people go to crab dance dem must get mud. And all of dem people who does go deh dutty.

Donald hear that dem plan fuh throw something in he glass suh he stop going. But dem boys plan to pay a visit and dem don’t intent to buy any shot or glass. Dem plan fuh buy a sealed bottle. And dem gun point out which bottle dem want on de shelf. Suh dem mustn’t think that dem could plan and got one waiting fuh dem boys.

Dem boys know that de Bees and dem kavakamites planning fuh do dem something suh dem boys got to be very cautious and careful how dem drinking and wheh dem drinking.

And how dem boys know? Dem did watching dem all de time and dem see dem carry through some of dem stinking, dutty and nasty plans fuh de nation. That is how some of dem own mansion and fancy car wha dem hide away.

Dem also got fat bank account all over de world except Uncle Sam. Dem boys praying that one day Uncle Sam gun put hand pun dem one by one and dem fancy three-piece suit and things wha dem does wear gun come off fuh de pumpkin and some khaki jumpsuit, just like wha de EZjet boss wearing now.

Dem boys mouth ketching. People should see how much people dem boys talk about and all of dem wearing de pumpkin jumpsuit.

Talk half and watch out fuh dem boys black tongue

conveyor system. Installing a condensate tank and obtaining a clean water supply to the factory are also on the cards.

Dr. Ramsammy said that the Skeldon factory has been providing power to the national grid.

“In terms of the supply to the national grid electricity, the answer is yes. We are supplying to the national grid. Power is supplied continuously to the grid on an hourly basis averaging 5.5 to 6 megawatts,” he related.

In addition, he said that during peak periods as much

as eight to 10 megawatts are supplied to the national grid.

This is done using the turbo generators that use bio fuel or “bagasse.”

Ramsammy said that a comprehensive continuous maintenance programme is in place at Skeldon.

The Agriculture Minister said that an inadequate supply of sugar cane is one of the reasons why the factory is not operating at its full potential.

He said that an estimated 2,600 hectares remained to be brought into operation. Of this, 782 hectares are located

within the estate property and 1,845 hectares belong to private farmers.

Bosch is being paid US$130,000 to design the modifications that are needed at the Skeldon plant.

The estate was commissioned at a cost of US$181 million in August 2009, and was hailed as the boon to the survival of the sugar industry.

However, the factory has been plagued by numerous problems and has not been able to function as was intended. The establishment of the factory was part of a

modernisation plan by GuySuCo that was not achieved.

The project involves expanded cane cultivations, the establishment of a refinery, and the co-generation of electricity for the national grid.

The factory was constructed with a combination of self-generated funds and loans from the Caribbean Development Bank, the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Guyana. The Project Engineer was Booker Tate, UK Ltd and the Contractor was CNTIC Ltd.

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Kaieteur News

Importers, Customs brokers can now check online for declaration status The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has launched its online feature for monitoring Customs Declarations status by importers and brokers.

The feature has been accessible since December 17. According to GRA, it will save importers from taking unnecessary trips to Customs House. All that is needed is internet access.

Commissioner-General of the GRA, Khurshid Sattaur, explained that the feature will enable importers to better manage their time and to plan around the three-day maximum processing period.

Persons can access the information from home, their laptops or smart phones. He said it will also enable them to respond quickly in instances where documents are queried or consignment is flagged for enforcement check.

Similar to the Kiosk system (Customs Ticker) at Customs House and the wharves, importers, exporters or their brokers

would be required to select the regime, the year, enter the declaration number and the Ta x p a y e r ’s Identification Number (TIN) and they will be able to view the current status after hitting the search button.

The system would be updated on a regular basis covering a period of fourteen days, GRA said yesterday.

For declarations lodged more than fourteen days ago, taxpayers would be required to use the Kiosk System at Customs House on Main Street or the wharves, which have an archive. “The GRA is urging importers and their brokers to take advantage of this new feature by visiting our website www.gra.gov.gy and clicking on the link under the heading “New” in the Newsflash box, which will take you to the “lookup Customs Declaration Status” page.”

G R A s aid it is also working to introduce a number of other services soon.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Home Affairs Minister commissions new Police Outpost in Agricola The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police Force yesterday commissioned the first temporary Police Outpost in Agricola.

During a simple ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday, the building was handed over to the police by the Home Affairs Minister. The outpost is located in the top flat of the Agricola Post office building.

Commander of ‘A’ Division, George Vyphuis, told members of the media that the outpost will have a full complement of police ranks including Criminal Investigation ranks, traffic ranks and a mobile quick response patrol.

Vyphuis said this initiative was long in the making given the first attempt at having a mobile outpost in the community.

Only a few days ago the mobile unit was removed out of the community as plans for the commissioning of the outpost were finalized. The ‘A’ Division Commander added that the building was secured by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“It will serve the community well, this is the main corridor on the East Bank and from time to time we have incidents, the police presence is needed, it will help us to work more closely with the

At left Commissioner of Police (Ag) Leroy Brumell and Commander ‘A’ Division, George Vyphuis.

community as we have already begun,” The Commander said that he feels the outpost was brought into existence at the right time. However, when asked about the cost attached to renting the building and cost for any additional works, the Commander said all questions would have to be directed to the Home Affairs Minister.

Meanwhile, from all indications the initiative was welcomed by residents of the community. Pastor Ivan John,

of Bible Way Church said he feels the outpost comes at a time when it is most needed following the event that followed the Shaquille Grant killing.

“Agricola is a quiet village we have been stigmatized for one thing or the other. I have been here for 65 years, other citizens should give us a fair chance. Our young people should be interviewed for jobs based on merit and not on the reputation of the community,” Pastor John lamented.

He added that men of good

standing came out of that c o m m u n i t y, i n c l u d i n g Mayors and members of Parliament. John said that the police have been doing a great job rebuilding bridges with the community since the Shaquille Grant incident.

“They have been trying to rebuild the bridges that have been destroyed on both sides; they have been making donations to our youths. They recently held a Christmas party and several other programmes which I think will foster better relations.”

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

Guyana cashes in on more dollars for value-added wood products

Value-added wood products have helped Guyana earn more Guyana’s forest sector continues to practice sustainable forest management and value-added production geared towards sustainable development in the context of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

According to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, sustainable forest management has resulted in an increase in the value of exports for 2012 when compared to 2011 owing to more value-added timber and timber products to traditional and non-traditional markets.

Despite the increase in the value generated and the heightened interest in other activities within the forest, which also require the disturbance of the flora and the forest, Guyana’s current rate of deforestation is 0.0545 per cent of forested area, he explained.

As a result, Guyana has

been commended internationally for its low rate of deforestation, the Minister stated. This, he added, is due to the Guyana Forestry Commission’s established guidelines for Sustainable Forest Management, inclusive of a Code of Practice for harvesting and stakeholders’ compliance.

This low rate of deforestation is maintained by allowing concessionaires to only fell trees in accordance with a maximum allowable annual harvest; also logging is very selective and low impact techniques are used. All concessions above 20,000 acres utilize a felling cycle rotational basis for their harvest; this ranges from 25 to 60 years.

Guyana’s sustainable annual harvest is approximately 1.2M cubic meter in actuality, the harvest is only at 40 per cent of this allowable total. A very robust

system of monitoring is done, and the GFC has 32 strategically located stations, and about 30 mobile ones that check for compliance with procedures, Minister Persaud highlighted.

Notwithstanding the set guidelines and heightened monitoring, the forest can also be disturbed by effects of climate change which could cause extreme flooding or extreme drought with possible negative impacts on the forest, he added.

In addition, conversion of forest to agriculture, or homesteads, whilst not a problem now, could be a potential one in the future. Infrastructure development could also introduce some challenges due to the expansion of the hinterland road programme.

Among the value-added products are plywood and furniture.

Muse or Amuse The business that is Christmas has evidently swept across Guyana. Even though businessmen moan and groan about how business is “not as good”, everyday they deposit bigger takings into their bank accounts. The taxis are everywhere, buzzing in and out, one behind my car, another in front, yet another at the side, motioning me to allow him to come in front of me. They are everywhere! In traffic, on the pavement, in the trenches, on the curbs, everywhere!

The minibuses are also doing their thing, zigzanging between other traffic on the road as they, together with the taxis, ensure that other drivers are kept in line.

People, lots of people – everywhere! The census has to be wrong. I swear I have seen more than a million people in Georgetown this week!

With the super growth in vehicle ownership (we are currently rrrrroaring along with the RR series), the large number of people on the roadways, the

money flowing to the business people and the goods flying off their shelves, surely there is enough of everything.

But, wait, it does seem like temper is the one thing that is short. Suck-teeth and curses are hurled at random as people get on each other’s nerves – and of course, the rains have made it better.

So, I have had my fill of it all, taxis brushing me, minibus nearly hitting me down and cussing me on top of it. People swearing at me and beggars, don’t forget them; even they cussed me because I gave one of them a twenty. I thought it was bad until I crashed a few staff parties.

Chris Brown didn’t make it down, but the parties are ongoing. And yes, some stingy employers ensured that staff members were restricted to “one spoon of rice” per person. But the music played on. We grumbled but neither boss-man nor bosslady cared.

A tough decision time for the CEOs and business owners! They have to build

their lists of who’s who for their Christmas “Gift” – usually a bottle of Rum. Officials and officers, managers and Ministers all will get their bottle. And on top, to reward the deserving staff, well at least some of them.

I must spare a thought for those sleeping on the streets.

Even their cardboard mattress is now soaked with the rain.

But they will survive, many with a toke to make everything feel alright.

The big men and women will be as delighted as their kids to receive gifts. I cannot help but wonder what David, Donald, and Khemraj will get. Nothing can top the gift that Guyanese gave them during the last elections!

So with all that has been good or bad, I will be amused over the Christmas, forgiving everyone who deserves to be forgotten, of course, forgiving them just for the day.

Definitely this Christmas I will not say Bah Humbug as some will. I will be amused with the thought of the exciting times ahead in 2013.

Merry Christmas y’all.

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Saturday December 22, 2012

Employees get millions in Labour Ministry redress actions ...as entity looks to become a Sub-Accounting Agency More than $25.6M was recovered by the Ministry of Labour during the past year in response to various complaints levelled by employees during the past year. This disclosure was made by Minister of Labour, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, during a press briefing at his Cornhill Street, Stabroek, Georgetown office where he reflected on the Ministry’s performance.

The Minister yesterday shared the spotlight with Permanent Secretary, Ms. Lorene Baird; Chief Labour Officer, Mr. Charles Ogle; Chief Cooperatives Development Officer, Mr. Kareem Abdul-Jabar; and Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Industrial Training, Mr. Roderick Nurse.

Dr. Gopaul said, yesterday, that 16 collective labour agreements were countersigned by the Ministry and lodged during the course of this year arising out of complaints by employees at various entities.

There were 953 complaints of varying kinds brought to the attention of the Ministry.

Among them were wrongful dismissals, dismissals without compensation, failure to

Labour Minister, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, makes a point during yesterday’s press briefing

observe the one-week notice, and failure to pay leave allowance and overtime.

Dr. Gopaul said, “We recovered $25,688,445 and paid employees, whose rights under several aspects of our labour laws, had been violated.” According to him a total of 34 charges were filed in the courts against 14 defaulting employers.

Turning his attention to labour inspections, Dr. Gopaul said that earlier this year he had highlighted the need to visit a number of workplaces to ensure strict compliance of existing labour laws.

He said, “I am happy to report that we have been able

to complete 1,311 inspections of business properties.”

The Labour Minister said, too, that almost all were in compliance to occupational health and safety observance and rules governing the labour laws.

Emphasising his conviction that this year yielded many satisfactory results, Dr. Gopaul said that in terms of industrial action there was a drastic reduction in strike activities in the country, especially in the sugar industry.

This sector, according to him, saw a total of 131 strikes this year compared to 221 the previous years. Six additional

strike actions of small durations were carried out at the Demerara Timbers Limited, the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown and the University of Guyana. One state entity, the Bureau of Statistics, was this year involved in such actions, according to Dr. Gopaul.

At the Statistical Bureau, he said, there was a periodic sit-in exercise. “All of these activities were of very short duration so I believe as we move forward we are going to see a reduction in industrial activities because we are

working to curb them and to resolve industrial disputes more and more before they reach the stage where protest action have to be taken.”

However, the past year was not without its challenges, Dr. Gopaul admitted, even as he disclosed that the Ministry was faced with the shortage of staff in the Labour Department. This, he said, saw a request being made for a number of vacancies to be filled and these are currently being actively considered.

As part of its mandate the

Labour Ministry had this year represented issues at various levels in Government with a view of having it become a Sub-Accounting Agency.

This move, according to Dr. Gopaul, is premised on the fact that there were enormous delays within the Ministry as it relates to accessing funds in order to carry out its duties.

“So we have made representation and we have been given the green light that very shortly we will see our Ministry becoming selfaccounting,” related the Minister.

Shaquille Grant PI for decision on Monday The Preliminary Inquiry into the shooting death of 17year-old Agricola Shaquille Grant closed yesterday.

Ruling is however deferred to Monday because the prosecution is yet to reply to defense submissions.

Grant, of 12 BB Eccles, East Bank Demerara, was killed on September 11 when ranks on a mobile police patrol swooped down on a group of young men in a yard at Caesar Street, Agricola.

Heavily-armed police

ranks reportedly arrived at the Third Street, Agricola, location after receiving word of a suspected robbery in motion.

The ranks allegedly swarmed over the back fence, surprising a group of young men gathered in a yard, under a shed while other policemen in a pickup at the same time converged at the front of the yard, effectively locking the group in.

Police in a press release on the day of the shooting had

said that the ranks came under fire and they returned fire, fatally wounding Grant, while Romel Bollers, 20, of Brutus Street, Agricola, was also shot.

Police also said that a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver was recovered at the scene.

According to the police, they had received information that a gang in Agricola was planning a robbery on a business entity located near the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

Construction begins on Arya Samaj benevolent home Persons laying the first blocks around the fence.

By Leon Suseran Construction has begun on the US$400,000 Benevolent Home at Ankerville, Port Mourant Corentyne. A simple block- laying ceremony was recently held at the site. The fence has started to take shape around the complex.

The New Jersey Arya Samaj and its Guyana chapter, the Guyana Central Arya Samaj Humanitarian Mission, turned the sod for the construction of the complex in March of this year.

The home will provide accommodation for street children, abused persons, the aged without family, as well as provide a skills training centre meant to train and empower not only the residents of the village, but also single parents, teenage mothers, and school dropouts, amongst others.

According to a representative of the NJASHM, Pandit Kamaldeo Dhanessar, Phase One of the massive project has begun and is scheduled to be completed by January 2013.

Upon completion, Phase Two, the construction of an empowerment centre, will begin.

“The empowerment centre

will be a centre for skills training. One of our objectives is to reach out to the community where we have single parents and school dropouts, so that by having this centre ready, we can begin the skills training of all these people who are not empowered”.

The aim of the mission is to empower people for social and economic well- being.

“We are hoping that this whole project, upon completion by March 2014, will become a hub of activities, and will be of great social and economic benefit for the Region 6 community”, he added.

“Of course, we may have instances where people outside of Region Six will be accommodated in the dormitories that we will be setting up later on. We hope that we will have the cooperation of all stakeholders”.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Region Six Councilor, Mr Crawford, who also laid a block at the ceremony, said that he has been paying very close ‘attention to the benevolent home project.

“I feel very much

honoured to participate in such an activity, because, for the time that this organization has been established in Guyana, I have been very impressed by the number of projects they have done in schools.

“They will have our fullest support.”

Imran Ally, Deputy Regional Executive Officer, who represented the Government of Guyana, also laid a block. He was pleased about the start of the actual construction. “We are pleased to be here at this cornerstone laying and for his initiative happening right here in Berbice and we just want to say hats- off and kudos to the mission.”

Ally noted, too, that the government knows that it cannot fulfill all the needs of the people by itself, “and here is where we have an organization partnering with the government to bring relief to the less- fortunate”.

He applauded the government’s commitment to support the project, and provide technical assistance “to continue to see this project to its completion stage and it comes to fruition”.

Guyana approved for US$45M ...

From page 3 replicable model that can lead to a global framework for action on forest climate issues. Under this model, Guyana is paid for delivering results against a set of key carbon and other metrics, which are verified by independent auditors.

For the latest payment, two independent verification audits were conducted by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), which reviewed deforestation rates; and the Rainforest Alliance (RA), which reviewed 10 different “indicators of enabling activities” related to responsible governance of the investment program, along with the protection of the rights of

Amerindian peoples and communities.

During the period from October 1, 2010 through December 31, 2011, (a period of 15 months), DNV verified that Guyana had a deforestation rate of 0.054 percent – one of the lowest, if not the lowest, in the world. .

The RA report found several areas of positive performance, and also pointed out several areas related to the governance of the partnership that should be improved, including the fact that the expected financing was delayed.

“When reviewed as a whole, the Guyana-Norway

partnership represents the leading edge of efforts to protect forests while also supporting developing countries by offering economically attractive alternatives to deforestation and forest degradation.”

Guyana and Norway had asked the World Bank to act as a trustee of the GRIF, utilising the bank's treasury function to generate further investment income for the LCDS. But while the monies have been sitting in the accounts, there have been delays in drawing down as Guyana will have to produce projects, under strict external monitoring, to have access.

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Saturday December 22, 2012

Dr. Roger Luncheon hospitalized twice in one month A number of tests are being performed on Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, by medical practitioners at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to determine the nature of his illness, according to Presidential Advisor, Gail Teixeira.

Teixeira made this announcement during one of the weekly media briefings at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown. She said that Dr. Luncheon was hospitalized early yesterday.

“He is in a stable condition and he is

Dr. Roger Luncheon undergoing further tests. He is also conscious…We hope that he will be able to rest and

to have all the medical attention required to get to the bottom of some of the medical problems he has been encountering over the last few weeks,” Teixeira added.

Kaieteur News understands that the Cabinet Secretary was rushed to the hospital around 05:30 am yesterday after experiencing difficulty in breathing. He is admitted at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Scans are being done on various parts of his body especially his heart and lungs.

The politician was hospitalized on December 2, last for injuries he sustained after a fall.

Two constables arrested with ganja Berbice Police moving swiftly and acting on information were able to nab two market constables with a bag full of ganja. Police acting on information and after conducting surveillance was able to arrest two market constables, a man and a woman, attached to the New Amsterdam Municipality with a quantity of marijuana (ganja) in a bag which they claimed they were given to deliver to someone.

According to information the police were informed that marijuana would usually be transported from the riverain areas and be offloaded at the New Amsterdam market in the early morning hours or in the evening.

According to information the police got word that a shipment was arriving and

…lead police to ‘Rasta man’ after conducting surveillance secreted themselves.

Early Friday morning the two constables were apprehended by the police as soon as they walked out of the market compound.

Realizing they were nabbed the constables told police that they were asked by someone to deliver the bag to a ‘Rasta Man’ in New Amsterdam. The two then led police to a house in the town where the man allegedly lived.

Secreting themselves the police asked one of the constables to knock at the door.

A ‘Rasta man’ came out and was arrested by the police after he was identified as the man to whom the marijuana was to have been delivered.

According to information the drug came in a boat from the Berbice River and arrived at the market wharf. It was handed to the constables who were operating for a fee.

The names of the constables were not released, but it is understood that the female was a former member of the Guyana Police Force who was jailed after being convicted for aiding a man in custody to escape. She enrolled in the constabulary after serving her sentence.

According to information the two constables were part of a gang doing private courier work for a fee.

Investigations are continuing and charges are likely soon.

Preliminary inquiry into Berbice Fireman murder continues The Preliminary inquiry into the murder of fireman Delon Collins, who was 22 at the time of his death, is continuing before Magistrate Fabio Nigel Azore at the Whim Magistrate’s Court in Berbice.

Collins lived at Lot 84 Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam, Berbice.

On trial for murder are Shan Budget, 23, of Impair Village, Corentyne; and Hallman Hunte of Alness, Corentyne, Berbice.

They are accused of murdering Collins on Saturday December 24, 2011.

So far five persons, including four police officers have testified.

One of the policemen, Detective constable Emanuel Ragnauth, stated that he witnessed the Post Mortem examination conducted on Collins’ body by Dr. Vivekananda Brijmohan at the New Amsterdam hospital.

Detective Corporal Andrew Ward testified to conducting the Identification

Parade with regards to Hunte who was positively identified

by Nadine Crawford.

Detective Sergeant Gilbert Ross in his testimony spoke of conducting the identification parade of Sohan Busgith who was positively identified by Crawford.

The final witness Detective Constable Cummings testified to putting the allegations of murder to Hunt in which he remained silent.

Attorney at law Ramesh Rajkumar who is representing Hunte cross examined all of the witnesses so far.

The case for the prosecution as being presented by Corporal Shurland King is that on the day in question, about 23:15 Collins and his fiancée, Probation and Welfare Officer Nadine Crawford, 32, and her three children had just returned from a Christmas evening shopping spree in Rose Hall Town.

Collins was driving the woman’s car, PMM 6332 at the time. They had just entered the

woman’s yard at Alness, Corentyne, Berbice, when they were confronted by four men armed with firearms.

It is understood that the men opened fire at close range hitting Collins in his chest before escaping with a quantity of jewelry and $62,000.00.

He was pronounced DOA at the Port Mourant Hospital. The police had issued a wanted bulletin for Busgith who was later captured in Suriname.

Hunte who says he is a cattle farmer was himself injured when he was allegedly shot on Christmas morning.

The man had told the media that he was shot by three men who were dressed in “black clothing”. He was subsequently hospitalized as a patient of the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Hunte was arrested sometime after and taken to the police station where an ID parade was held and he was picked out.

The case will continue on December 31st at the Whim Magistrate’s court.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 22, 2012

Immigration INFO: Immigration News For Our Community

Gail S. Seeram

By Attorney Gail S. Seeram Through this “Question & Answer” column, our goal is to answer your immigration questions. We appreciate your comments and questions. If you have a question that you would like answered in this column, please email: Gail@GailLaw.com.

Question #1: My fiancé lives in the U.S. He has been there for three years and working ever since, I have two kids that are not his, aged 13 and three. Is it possible when we get married next year that he can file for all three of us?

Answer #1: Yes, he can file for you (as his wife) and the two kids once you and him marry before the kids turn age eighteen. Note, he has to file three separate petitions – one for each of you and pay three separate filing fees.

Question #2: My wife had filed a petition for me and

I got through with my immigrant visa. However, we thought that my son would have been included on my petition but we were told it’s not possible because I am considered as an immediate relative.

Answer #2: If your son was under age 21 when the visa was available at the Embassy and had a separate Form I-130 filed for him then he would have been eligible as an immediate relative of your wife. If he is over age 21 and unmarried then he is considered a Family First preference.

Question #3: I am gathering all forms needed to petition for my wife to immigrate to USA. Sadly, I am a registered sex offender whose crime was over 10 years ago. How can this impact my petition?

Answer #3: Under the Adam Walsh Act, if a petitioner commits certain sex crimes then he cannot petition for a wife or child. However, if an attorney can prove that the petitioner is rehabilitated and does not pose harm or safety threat to beneficiary then the family-based petition MAY be approved by U.S. immigration authorities.

Question #4: First let me start out by saying I am follower of your weekend articles in Kaieteur News from which I have gained a lot of knowledge. Please keep up the good work. I will be filling for my U.S Citizenship in February 2013. I have been a lawful permanent resident for almost 20 years now. I have had three passports from Guyana but these are expired including the most current one. In the N400 form I have noticed that they said to list all trips since becoming a LPR. My first passport which was in my childhood days was misplaced. It has my entry dates into the USA. The other two passports I still have. Can you please advice me what to do since I don’t have it any longer, and how to fill the form up.

Answer #4: Yes, it is required to list all your trips on the citizenship application.

Although you don’t have the passport to reference the exact departure and returns, you are still required to list the trips to the best of your knowledge.

So, just list at least the year and country visited and explain to the interviewing officer you don’t remember the exact dates.

Multi-million $$ Yakusari Market washroom a white elephant Market vendors of the Yakusari Market in Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, are furious at the fact that the recently built multi-million-dollar toilet facility has been locked up for months. According to the vendors, the facility was only used for two weeks then shut down and padlocked by the relevant authorities.

The facility is rendered useless. When asked why the facility was closed down, the

The multi- million dollar washroom facilities for the Yakusari Market, now a white elephant

vendors stated that it was felt that the toilets were being “misused”.

“This toilet only open for two weeks then they close it and we can’t get to use it; when we want to go washrooms, we have to hold it in—where will the women go?” questioned one irate vendor.

The vendors were airing their views and concerns to a team of executives from the Alliance for Change that

included Chairman Nigel Hughes. The team visited the flood- prone farming area on Sunday.

The vendors are also questioning the cost of the structure and it becoming the proverbial white- elephant, thus more wastage of taxpayers’ monies.

Several efforts to contact the Black Bush Polder NDC and Region Six Administration proved futile.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 22, 2012

Miners’ body aims to surpass 2001 industry- 416,000 ounces and climbing high gold declarations The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miner’s Association (GGDMA) has announced plans to set a new national record for gold declaration in 2013, surpassing the 455,918 ounces declared in 2001.

In that year, large producer, Omai Gold Mines, was around and together with small and medium scale miners managed to reach that amount.

Speaking at the GGDMA’s annual dinner earlier this week, President of the association, Patrick Harding, announced that “in 2013, this industry will set another record by surpassing 2001 gold declaration of 455,918 ounces of gold sold to the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) by Omai and the small and medium gold and diamond miners.”

This target will be the largest ever set by the small and medium scale miners and comes fresh on the current 416,000 ounces declared so far for the year, a figure which is expected to increase before the close of 2012.

According to Harding, for the past 30 years, the GGMDA has successfully

In 2013, miners are gearing to surpass the 455,000 ounces of gold declarations record set since 2001. guided the gold and diamond mining industry from gold declaration of 10,000 ounces to the over 400,000 ounces of gold recorded this year.

“Thi s i n d u s t r y h a s grown through the hard work, pioneering spirit and strength of commitment by you the miners, mainly Guyanese, from every region of Guyana, and every race and peoples.

The small and medium scale gold and diamond mining industry is the fastest growing mining sector in Guyana.

“It plays a very important role to the economy of Guyana and is critical to the development of our hinterland communities such as Bartica, Linden, Mahdia, Port Kaituma, Charity, and Matthews Ridge.”

The infrastructure development of the interior including roads, bridges, airstrips, landings, electrical facilities, radio and telecommunication services are mainly due to the mining industry, he said.

As part of the 30-year celebration, the association presented a gift of recognition to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds for his

contribution to the industry, and a plaque to Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud.

Also recognized were Harding, David Bacchus, Edward Shields, Victor Daniels, Cyrilda DeJesus, Stanislaus Jardine and Malcolm Sears.

Posthumous awards went to Louis Roberts, Ignatius Jhinjoree, Eugene Adams,

Dicky DeFreitas and Joeseph DeAgrella.

Last week, Government announced that the industry has marched past the 400,000 mark for the first time since Omai pulled out a few years ago, all thanks to the small and medium scale miners.

A number of large mining outfits have signaled intentions to start operations by 2014.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Saturday December 22, 2012

GT&T’s Magical Night of New Amsterdam prisons Christmas escalates into disaster fete over 1000 children The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company on Wednesday evening last, held its fourth annual “Magical Night of Christmas”.

It started off as a magical night indeed…but then, it ended in chaos.

There were performances by the participants of the GT&T’s Jingle and Song Competition. They did an amazing job in bringing out that true Christmas feeling in everyone present at the Promenade Gardens that evening. After a few acts of dancing, singing, and storytelling, the crowd became unruly.

When two Santas decked out in the not so traditional blue and white Santa suit arrived on a “horse sleigh” a crowd formed in front of the stage. And as both started to share gifts to the children in the crowd, persons began to push and pull each other.

Those who were not pushed down and trampled were either lost in the crowd, or lost someone in the crowd.

The gifts were for the children, but it was the parents who started fighting for them. This was despite the fact that Mistress of Ceremony for the night, Wanita Huburn, insisted that there were enough gifts for every child who attended the GT&T’s Magical Night of Christmas.

In order to receive a gift from Santa, each child had to produce the chit that each would have received at the gate.

As Santa began his sharing exercise, parents started to push their children up in front of the stage. There were several hundreds, if not thousands, who attended this “magical” event. And they all started pushing and pulling each other.

The situation escalated to

Just a section of the crowd at the Promenade Gardens last Wednesday evening

a point where GT&T officials were forced to discontinue the gift sharing exercise. The rest of the programme was spent trying to control the crowd.

A woman tried to hit a rank of the Guyana Police Force; one of the many who were deployed on the grounds to restrain the crowd.

The Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, left as the crowd began to build up all around where she had been sitting in front of the stage.

Even the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Joe Singh managed to leave before the misery started. It was not until minutes to midnight that the situation became calm, and by this time persons started to leave the premises. GT&T should once again be applauded for this event, as it started off as a well-planned night of sheer family oriented fun.

The large gathering at the ceremony

By Samuel Whyte When officials of the New Amsterdam prisons decided that the New Amsterdam Prison Service would fete over 1000 children from among the less privileged in and around New Amsterdam for the festive season, little did they think that the turnout would surpass the target with ease.

As Assistance Superintendent of Prisons, Fitzroy Pilgrim, stated, last year the prisons catered for 300 children but more than 500 turned up. This year the prisons decided to cater for 500 and that figure was easily surpassed.

The New Amsterdam Prison Service took time out recently to host the Annual Christmas tree light up and children’s concert. This activity is part of the Prison Service way of bringing joy to the less privileged in the society.

The programme which began at 17:30 hrs was held in two parts. The official

… Hosts open air concert

opening ceremony and Christmas tree light up were held at the corner of Main and Vryheid Road. Regional Chairman David Armogan and Deputy Mayor Harold Dabydeen among other dignitaries addressed the gathering. A short cultural programme was also held.

The main activity, the Concert, was held at Vryheid Road and Penitentiary Walk and began at 18:00 hrs. Not only were the children given free gifts and food but they were also entertained by Santa Claus.

The thousands gathered were also treated to a number of cultural items including songs, dances, skits, poems, acrostics, melody dance, and physical displays among other variety of items.

The Republican Steep band provided musical accompaniment. Among the performers were the Republican cultural and drama group, the Drop In Centre, Tucber Culture Group, The

Howell Home, All Saints Primary School and a number of individuals. Meals, refreshments, gifts and other goodies were also presented to those in attendance.

Although the Prison Service did not want to give an estimated cost of the activity, millions were estimated to have been spent on the activity which saw the children coming out with their siblings and parents.

Hundreds had gathered from early afternoon earnestly awaiting the start of the event and their chance to get some joy for the festive season.

Those in attendance told the media that they appreciated the initiative by the prison Service to bring joy and smiles on the faces of the unfortunate children, the opportunity to see Santa Claus and receive free gifts.

The children, who were very excited, expressed their gratitude to the Guyana Prison Service for the goodly gesture.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Saturday December 22, 2012

PM says letter to President on Section 34 is confidential P O RT- O F - S PA I N , Trinidad - CMC - Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar says she has no intention of disclosing the contents of her letter to President George Maxwell Richards who had written to her on the events leading up to the early proclamation of Section 34 of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act that critics say was intended to ensure the freedom of two financiers of the coalition

People’s Partnership government.

In addition, the Office of the President has also denied leaking the contents of the response, as fired justice minister Hubert Volney makes a desperate plea for his reinstatement over his role in the controversy.

President Richards had written to Prime Minister Persad Bissessar on December 7 under section 81 of the Trinidad and Tobago Constitution.

The letter follows a request by Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley and other members of the so-called “Roundtable” comprising political, civil and n o n g o v e r n m e n t organisations, calling on Richards to act in the matter.

Officials from the Roundtable met with President Richards on November 20 requesting that he launch an investigation into the controversy surrounding the early

proclamation of Section 34.

Prime Minister Persad Bissessar said she had replied to the head of state under confidential cover on the Section 34 matter, and she had responded to him.

“I confirm that I did respond to him. I responded to him since sometime last week. We have confirmation on receipt of my response to His Excellency from his Office. Since that time I have had no further communication or

correspondence from him,” she said.She said the matter between herself and the President was under confidential cover and it would be inappropriate of her to breach that confidential cover at this time.

“Should it become so necessary we will deal with it.

I have not heard from His Excellency since then and I would prefer not to breach the confidentiality of a Head of State and a head of g o v e r n m e n t correspondence,” she added.

In September, Parliament repealed the controversial section that that had the effect of allowing people, whose trial has not started after a 10year period to walk free and a verdict of not guilty entered against their names.

Critics said that the clause was aimed at supporting businessmen Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson, who have been described as financiers of the ruling United National Congress (UNC), the biggest partner in the four-member coalition People’s Partnership government.

The two are facing fraud and laundering charges relating to the re-development of the Piarco International Airport in 2001. They are also wanted in the United States on a number of related charges.

Their attorneys have petitioned the local court to have the charges against them dismissed citing Section 34 of the Act. Prime Minister Persad Bissessar dismissed Vo l n e y, a f o r m e r H i g h Court judge, on the grounds that he misled Cabinet into believing that the Chief Justice Ivor Archie and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Roger Gaspard, had supported the idea of the early proclamation of Section 34.

Volney told a news conference Thursday that Prime Persad-Bissessar acted “in good faith on a material misrepresentation” when he was fired. “Given that I was elected by the people of St Joseph and I was part of a partnership that was elected on a common platform which included criminal justice transformation, I move at this time to do everything to reengage with the government and to make way for the Prime Minister to reconsider the position that she had taken as regards me in order to be able to deliver on the campaign promise of criminal justice transformation,” Volney said.

“I have been unjustly dismissed from my office and

PM: Kamla Persad Bissessar I would like the country to support me,” he said, adding that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Roger Gaspard “clearly needs to be removed from office (because) this DPP has no idea about doing his job the way the population expects of him and is entitled to have of him”.

Rowley is suggesting that Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar should be referred to the courts if she fails to provide him with further information on the Section 34 controversy.

“If we want to attract investors into our country against the background of how we have behaved in recent times we don’t want to tell the world that in Trinidad and Tobago we operate our business where the Prime Minister can tell the President to go to hell,” he said.

He told a news conference that the prime minister was not above the law and, like any public officer, was subject to the judiciary.

“And, if it is that it can be confirmed that the Prime Minister is taking the position that she has nothing to say to the President because the matter has been dealt with, then it is the position of the Opposition that the President has no choice but to go the whole way with this office holder...and that the actions of this office holder be taken to the courts of Trinidad and Tobago for an order mandamus where the judiciary will examine the situation and would determine whether the office holder has satisfied the requirements of her office and might discharge her duty,” he said. Meanwhile, the Office of the President has denied claims it “leaked” information to the media regarding Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s letter.

“The Office of the President states categorically that no letter from His Excellency the President to the Honourable Prime Minister, or its contents, was leaked to the media from this Office,” a release stated yesterday.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

Government not surprised at latest Moody’s ratings BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC - The Barbados government says it is not surprised at the decision of the US-based Moody’s Investors Service to downgrade the island’s credit rating to Ba1, into junk territory.

Finance Minister Chris Sinckler said that it was generally expected that since Standard and Poor’s had made their adjustment to the country’s credit rating some months ago, it was altogether likely that Moody’s would align their rating accordingly.

“Naturally, the continued weak global economic recovery, particularly among our largest trading partners in the USA, UK and most of CARICOM (Caribbean Community), has worked to compound the negativity of an already difficult economic situation, which heavily undermined Barbados’ prospects for a speedy recovery in growth.

“And, inspite of what we have heard, and will continue to hear, the knock-on effects of this environment on our fiscal and economic situation remain clear and unmistakable” he added.

Moody’s rating also carries a negative outlook, with the agency saying that

Barbados’ economic prospects remain weak.

“Moody’s believes that the country’s growth prospects remain very limited due to its deteriorating competitiveness and declining productivity coupled with heavy dependence on tourism, particularly from the United Kingdom and the United States,” Moody’s said in a statement Sinckler said that while Barbados would reflect on Moody’s overall ratings opinion, he said there were several positives that could be gleaned from the report.

“The worst of the economy and fiscal deterioration is behind Barbados; Barbados’

prospects for short term high growth levels will remain challenged because of the weaknesses in our major trading partner economies (and) these challenges are likely to affect our capacity for faster fiscal consolidation, notwithstanding the fact that efforts to strengthen our fiscal position have been successful thus far,” he said.

Sinclker said that the government must stay the course on its fiscal consolidation programme, strengthening it wherever possible, rather abandoning it and that “to attempt to introduce pro-cyclical fiscal measures (tax eases) to stimulate domestically driven growth will reverse the gains made so far by the country to turn around the situation and make matters much worse fiscally and economically”.

He said the foreign reserves levels remain adequate to satisfy current and immediate future needs and reiterated the need for Barbados to “continue to stay the course on our fiscal consolidation programme, seek to improve our levels of productivity, and move ahead hastily with our programme for restructuring the Barbados economy”.

now since we made the proposal for changing the name from Carib Territory to Kalinago Territory. I am hoping that in the not too distant future our request for the name change is met,” he told the Dominica New Online website.

“The reasons we gave for changing the name of the Territory is even more justified than the names recommended by the committee to change the name of the mountains in this country. We are dealing with people and I think that is more important,” he added.

The government says Morne Diablotin will be renamed Morne Santé (Mountain of Health) while Morne aux Diable’s new name is Morne Lapé (Mountain of Peace).

Principle advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister, Eddie Lambert, said the changes reflect a quest to develop a national identity.

Lambert said something is not right when Dominica was named after the Lord and two of the island’s prominent peaks were named after the devil.

“We felt really this was not a bright and positive signal being sent out,” he said. Joseph said that he too supports the change adding “I am happy to note that at least something is happening and changes are taking place.

Eventually our communities, our streets and important places in this country will have the appropriate names.”

The 1978 Carib Act designated the lands of the Territory as the “Carib Reserve,” and provided for the governance of these lands by an elected “Carib Chief” and “Carib Council.”

Chris Sinckler

Indigenous people want territory re-named

ROSEAU, Dominica CMC - The head of the indigenous people in Dominica, Garnet Joseph, says he is disappointed that after two years, the government has not agreed to a proposal to change the name of the Carib Territory to Kaliango Territory.

He said while he supports a decision by the Roosevelt Skerrit government to change the names of two of island’s biggest mountains, the authorities should also look into the the Kalinago Council’s proposal.

“This is about two years

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Saturday December 22, 2012

Colombia peace talks said advancing, many challenges ahead HAVANA (Reuters) Talks to end Colombia’s bloody, half-century-long conflict with Marxist-led FARC rebels have made progress, but many challenges lie ahead, the government’s top negotiator said yesterday.

Former vice president Humberto de la Calle, speaking after the two sides finished their second round of meetings and broke until January 14, said they had agreed on some “ u n p r e c e d e n t e d mechanisms” for civic input into the peace process.

“Since November 19 when we formally began, we’ve had 21 sessions and more than 100 hours of intense work, and concrete advances, all as expected,” said de la Calle, who read a statement but did not take questions.

“The challenge is great.

We have five more points (on the agenda), all sensitive and vital,” he said. “We hope to be able to advance with greater celerity and in an expedited way.”

The two sides are trying to end a war that dates back

Colombia’s Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) lead negotiator Ivan Marquez arrives for talks in Havana. REUTERS/Enrique De La Osa to 1964 when the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, was formed as a communist agrarian movement to fight the country’s long history of social inequality.

Tens of thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced in South America’s last Marxist-led armed rebellion, a vestige of the Cold War.

Three previous peace attempts have failed, but Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos hopes a decade-long, U.S.-backed offensive has weakened the rebels enough that they will w a n t t o e n d t h e f i g h t i n g o n the best possible terms.

If peace is not achieved, the FARC still has 9,000 troops that can keep inflicting

damage on the continent’s fourth-largest economy.

The negotiations, which

are being held in a Havana convention center in the ritziest part of the Cuban capital, have begun with the topic of rural development, the first of six points to be addressed.

Others range from the rebels’ involvement in the illicit drug trade to their future political participation.

De la Calle said so far Colombians, whose opinions are being sought online and in public forums, had provided nearly 3,000 suggestions to aid the peace process, some of which were being closely studied.

He said the negotiators also were receiving ideas from development experts and from peasants about how to improve life for the rural poor in Colombia.

In a joint communiqué issued yesterday, the two

sides said the conversations have been held “in an atmosphere of respect and constructive spirit.”

The FARC declared a twomonth unilateral ceasefire when the talks began in November in Havana and complained this week that the government had not joined it in laying down arms.

Instead, the government has kept up its offensive, killing at least 20 FARC guerrillas in one attack this month.

Santos has vowed to maintain military pressure instead of allowing the rebels to regroup as they did during previous failed peace talks a decade ago.

He wants to peace process wrapped up by November, 2013, although the rebels said it could take much longer.

Court strikes down Costa Rica in-vitro ban SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — A Costa Rican ban on in-vitro fertilization has been struck down by the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights in a decision that reproductive health groups said could lead to greater access to abortion and some contraception in other Latin American countries.

The court said in a ruling late Thursday that a longstanding Costa Rican guarantee of protection for every human embryo violated the reproductive freedom of infertile couples because it prohibited them from using invitro fertilization, which often involves the disposal of embryos not implanted in a patient’s uterus.

The court said that governments cannot give embryos and fetuses absolute protection under the American Convention on Human Rights. The Costa Rican government said it will comply with the court’s decision and move to allow in-vitro fertilization.

The advocacy groups said they believed they now would be able to successfully challenge bans such as the total prohibition of abortion in El Salvador, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Chile, which are based in part on the assertion of total protection of life for embryos and fetuses.

“This is a wonderful day for reproductive rights,” said Alejandra Cardenas, a lawyer for the U.S.-based Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed briefs in the case.

Oriester Rojas said he was

forced to travel outside Costa Rica with his wife to get invitro treatment and told reporters, “I hope that from now on everyone who’s been affected by this can have the opportunity to turn their dreams of being fathers and mothers into reality.”

Advocacy groups said most important was language about a guarantee of the right to life included in the American Convention on Human Rights, a binding treaty ratified by most countries in the Western Hemisphere and overseen by the Costa Rica-based rights court.

The article declares that the right to life “shall be protected by law and, in general, from the moment of conception.” The six-judge panel said in its ruling that “it is possible to conclude from the words ‘in general’ that the law’s protection of life under said provision is not absolute, but rather gradual and incremental according to the development of life.”

Cardenas said that a new case challenging, for example, a total ban on abortion would have to follow the standard that protections for fetuses are not absolute.

“They are always subjected to exceptions and must be proportional and incremental,” she said.

Costa Rican Attorney General Ana Lorena Brenes told reporters, “We don’t agree with it, but that doesn’t mean that the country won’t respect the judges’ decision.”

In-vitro fertilization was

introduced to Costa Rica in 1996 by a doctor who helped couples give birth to 15 babies over four years. It provoked strong opposition from conservative groups and the Roman Catholic Church, which campaigned against the technique because it led to the disposal of fertilized eggs.

In 2001, 18 people brought a complaint before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights after Costa Rica became the only Latin American country to bar in-vitro fertilization. Costa Rican couples with enough money traveled to clinics in Panama, where hundreds of Costa Rican babies were born with the technique.

One of the arguments the plaintiffs made before the Inter-American commission was that the ban was a form of discrimination against poorer families.

The human-rights commission ruled against Costa Rica and in 2010, after the failure of a congressional reform, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights took up the case, hearing testimony from both sides before issuing its binding ruling.

The regional court not only struck down the ban Thursday but said it was requiring Costa Rica to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation to the complainants and pay for invitro fertilization for lowincome couples through its social security system.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Former exec takes Premier Cannonier’s new cabinet agrees to take 10 per cent pay cut Caribbean Airlines to court HAMILTON, Bermuda CMC - The new cabinet of Premier Craig Cannonier has pledged to take a 10 per cent cut in salaries.

Cannonier’s 12-member cabinet, which includes two women, was sworn in on Thursday night by Governor George Fergusson. But there was no place for a member of the opposition Progressive Labour Party (PLP), whose 14-year reign ended in a dramatic 19-17 defeat on Monday.

After being sworn in on Tuesday as Premier, Cannonier kept a pre-election promise by offering a place in his cabinet to a member of the PLP, but it declined the offer, citing party policy.

“I am proud to be standing here today with the first cabinet of Bermuda’s first OBA government. A team of working men and women, fresh faces, experienced hands, all dedicated to making this island work better for the people of this country,” said Cannonier.

“A team that has come together from all backgrounds, all walks of life, to be a public service government, getting things done, putting people first.

“I have spent the past two and a half days talking with each new minister and I can say that they are fired up and ready to get down to the people’s business.

Outgoing premier Paula Cox and one of her predecessors, Dame Jennifer Smith were among the PLP’s major election casualties. The PLP will hold a special delegates’ meeting on Friday to select a new leader.

As expected Bob Richards, the son of former premier Sir Edward Richards,

Craig Cannonier is the new Finance Minister, while the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) deputy leader, Michael Dunkley, has been handed the key ministerial post of Public Safety.

Lawyer Mark Pettingill, who thrashed close friend and former PLP cabinet minister Dale Butler, is the island’s new Attorney General.

Two members of the cabinet - Minister for Home Affairs Michael Fahy and Education Minister Nalton Brangman — will sit as Snators in the Upper House, leaving Cannonier still to appoint three other members of his Senate team.

Cannonier said the primary focus of his new government “is to get our economy growing again, creating the conditions for new jobs and opportunity ... creating conditions to help people meet their daily needs; to ease the pressures they face. “The work ahead will not be easy, but we will get the job done. One of my government’s goals is to change the way we conduct

politics, to bring forward a new emphasis on cooperation and collaboration.

“In keeping with this plan, I extended an invitation to a PLP MP to join the cabinet but they declined, citing a party position to not accept such an offer at this time. We will continue to push forward with plans to grow co-operation and collaboration amongst the elected leaders of the country.”

He said another important goal for the government is to close the gap that has grown between government and the people.

“In keeping with this plan, our cabinet ministers will take a 10 per cent pay cut effective immediately.

“The people of this country are going through very tough times, and it is essential they know that their elected representatives are with them. We cannot expect Bermudians to tighten their belts without their leaders doing the same. Sacrifice must be shared,” he said.

The Bermuda Employers Council has congratulated the new OBA government.

“We support the new government’s intention to form a Tripartite Economic Advisory Council. Involving the union and employer representatives to come to grips with our prolonged economic problems, declining real income while carving a road to recovery can only benefit the island,” the private sector groups aid.

Jamaica Observer Caribbean Airlines is now being prosecuted in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court for failure to comply with an Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) ruling to reinstate a former vice-president.

The action has been brought against the regional airline by Nerine Small, former vice-president of legal affairs and corporate secretary, in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court where the parties are expected to reappear on February 7, 2013.

Caribbean Airlines faces a fine of $500,000 should a ruling be made against it and a further $20,000 for each day that the breach of the IDT’s ruling has occurred.

According to court documents, Caribbean Airlines “has failed to carry out an order of the Industrial Disputes Tribunal on July 31, 2012...that Ms Nerine Small be reinstated in her job effective July 1, 2011 with payment of full normal wages”.

Small started working with Air Jamaica from 2002 as associate general counsel. She was made general counsel in 2006. In April 2010, Caribbean Airlines took over Air Jamaica and in May of that year she was made vicepresident of legal affairs and corporate secretary.

She was let go the following year, according to her statement filed in the magistrate’s court.

Small, who is represented

by Georgia Gibson-Henlin of the law firm Henlin Gibson Henlin, took the matter to the IDT, which made its reinstatement order in July 2012.

According to Small’s statement, her attorney wrote to Caribbean Airlines on August 10 about the ruling.

The airline, she said, responded three days later, saying that it would comply with the order.

However, Small said on August 15 she was informed via letter from Caribbean Airlines that her position had been made redundant.

Regarding this development, Small is contending that Caribbean Airlines did not follow the pro

Barbados government denies workers detained in Miami BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – CMC – The Barbados government has sought to clarify media reports that claimed several nationals had been detained in Miami while on their way to taking up employment with Norwegian Cruise lines.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security said that four Barbadian workers left the island for Miami over the weekend “to assume employment as crew members” with the Norwegian Cruise Lines.

It said that new crew members assigned to cruise ships enter Miami on a transit

visa and not on a United States non-immigrant visa.

“As a consequence, the holders of the transit visa must be thoroughly processed before they are released from the Immigration area. This process has, in the past, lasted between three and four hours,” the statement said.

It said that crew members from several cruise lines enter Miami at the same time and they are directed to a particular area where they are interviewed and requested to provide fingerprints, by Customs and Border Patrol agents. The Ministry said that

officials from the Barbados Liaison Service in Miami who work with the External Employment Programme are not permitted entry into the Customs and Immigration areas in Miami.

But it said the workers in questions were screened and dealt with by the US authorities and that Barbadian authorities had been assured that “that there were no issues with our Barbadian workers”.

It said that the workers are now “safely on board ships of the Norwegian Cruise Lines”.

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Obama to announce Kerry nomination for secretary of state WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama yesterday nominated U.S. Senator John Kerry to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, marking his first major step in the overhaul of his national security team on the cusp of his second term.

Obama settled on Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, after U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew from consideration last week. The Massachusetts Democrat is expected to win easy confirmation from his Senate colleagues.

Kerry, 69, a stalwart Obama supporter known to have long coveted the job of America’s top diplomat, will take over from Clinton, who has been consistently rated as the most popular member of the president’s cabinet.

But he will also have to pick up the pieces after a scathing official inquiry found serious security lapses by the State Department in the deadly September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya - a report that has tarnished the final days of Clinton’s tenure.

Kerry’s nomination follows a political firestorm that engulfed Rice, seen as the early favorite for the State job, spearheaded by Republicans fiercely critical of her role in the administration’s early explanations for the Benghazi assault.

Rice, defended by Obama, said last Thursday she was withdrawing her name from consideration to avoid a potentially lengthy and disruptive confirmation process.

John Kerry and Barack Obama Kerry, known nationally through his presidential run and for his role as a Democratic power broker in the Senate, offers no such challenges.

The selection of Kerry sets a pragmatic tone as Obama begins reshaping his national security team, which will include a new CIA director.

Kerry will be the leading Cabinet member charged with tackling a range of thorny global challenges, including Middle East upheaval, Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West and winding down the war in Afghanistan - all at a time of fiscal austerity at home.

Kerry has forged close ties with Obama, and gave him the keynote speech assignment at the 2004 Democratic convention that boosted him to the national stage and opened the way for his meteoric rise.

After losing narrowly to Republican George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election, Kerry forged a new

identity as a congressional leader on foreign policy. He often served as a low-profile emissary and diplomatic troubleshooter for the Obama White House in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria.

But White House aides acknowledge that Kerry could be handicapped somewhat for lacking the close personal bond that Rice has with Obama.

On top of that, Kerry’s departure from the Senate forces Democrats to defend his seat. Just-defeated but still-popular Massachusetts Republican Senator Scott Brown, who took office in early 2010 after winning the last special election for a Massachusetts seat, is widely expected to run.

Obama had originally weighed rolling out his top national security appointments in a single package this week. But the controversy over Hagel apparently led the White House to take a more piecemeal approach.

The administration on Thursday joined allies rallying to support Hagel against an onslaught over his record on Israel and Iran led by some pro-Israel groups and neo-conservatives, but also including some former colleagues on Capitol Hill.

It was the second time since Obama’s re-election last month that the White House has found itself forced to defend a Cabinet candidate who has yet to be nominated for anything, a source of frustration for the president’s advisers The drumbeat of criticism against Hagel could prompt Obama to reconsider whether it would be worth the likely Senate confirmation battle.

But the White House has given no sign of dropping him the president’s short list.

Further complicating decisions on the remaining appointments, Obama’s attention has been dominated in recent by the “fiscal cliff” standoff and the fallout from last week’s deadly shooting rampage at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Also in the mix for the Pentagon job are Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense for policy, and Ashton Carter, the current deputy defense secretary.

The top candidates for CIA director, to replace David Petraeus who stepped down over an e x t r a m a r i t a l a ff a i r, a r e believed to be Michael Morell, currently acting C I A d i r e c t o r, a n d J o h n Brennan, a top counterterrorism adviser to Obama and former CIA official.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Turkey names sites for NATO Patriot missiles near Syria ISTANBUL (Reuters) Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday Patriot missiles being sent by NATO members to bolster Turkey’s defenses against a possible missile attack from Syria will be deployed near the southeastern cities of Adana, Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras.

NATO approved Turkey’s request for the air defense system earlier this month, in a move meant to calm Ankara’s fears of being hit by Syrian missiles, possibly with chemical weapons.

Turkey, a NATO member, has repeatedly scrambled jets along the countries’ joint frontier and has responded in kind when shells from Syria came down inside its borders, fanning fears that the civil war could spread to destabilize the region.

“We made our application to NATO and they gave us six batteries and they will be deployed in Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras and Adana,” Erdogan told broadcaster NTV in a live interview.

The United States, the Netherlands and Germany have agreed to send two missile batteries each to Turkey along with around 400 troops from each country to operate the systems which are designed to intercept missiles or aircraft.

While the batteries were expected to be deployed near the Syrian border, Erdogan’s comments were the first confirmation of their location.

NATO sent a reconnaissance team to Turkey last month to determine the best sites to

Tayyip Erdogan deploy the batteries.

Adana, Turkey’s fourthlargest city, is located around 100 km (60 miles) from the Syrian border. The joint Turkish-American Incirlik Air Base is also just outside the city. Gaziantep, a city of around 1.5 million people, is further to the east, some 60 km (35 miles) from the Syrian border. Kahramanmaras, to the north of Gaziantep, has around half a million inhabitants and is some 150 km (95 miles) from Syria.

While some foreign troops have already started arriving in Turkey with some equipment, the Patriot batteries will not arrive until early next month, with the missiles expected to be fully functional by the end of January.

Each truck-mounted Patriot battery consists of a command post, a radar to track incoming missiles, and up to eight launchers with up to eight Patriot missiles each.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 27

Syrian rebels step up attacks on strategic sites BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s rebels stepped up attacks on strategic sites including a sprawling military complex in the country’s north yesterday, while reports emerged that President Bashar Assad’s forces continued to fire Scud missiles at rebel areas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told European leaders that Russia does not seek to protect Assad but that only a negotiated solution can end the conflict — an outcome that looks unlikely as rebels make gains across the country.

While few observers expect Syria’s 21-month-old conflict to end soon, most say steady rebel advances appear to be tipping the balance in favor of those fighting to topple Assad’s regime.

Anti-regime activists reported rebel attacks on strategic government sites in northern Syria on Friday, showing rebel efforts to cut government supply lines, free up roads and seize arms from government bases.

Near the northern city of Aleppo, rebels clashed with government forces at a sprawling military complex by the town of Al-Safira, activists said.

An activist in the town said the complex contains military factories, a scientific research center that produces chemical weapons as well as an air defense and an artillery base.

Rebels seized the artillery base earlier this week and have been trying to seize the air defense base, said Hussein, who gave only his first name for fear of retribution.

The town’s proximity to the facilities has cost it dearly, he said. Government airstrikes often target civilian areas, and more than two-thirds of the town’s residents have fled,

Syrian rebels clean an anti-aircraft gun, while commanders Ahmed Abdel Kader Samia, second right, and Rami Bitar, center, talk at their headquarters in Maaret Ikhwan. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) fearing the regime will use chemical weapons.

“We are scared that they will be blown up or that the regime will use them in revenge on the town,” he added.

Bilal Saab, head of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, confirmed that the Al-Safira complex houses a chemical weapons production facility but said it is unclear if such weapons have been stored there ready for use, or if rebels would even be able to use such weapons.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven rebels were killed in clashes in the area yesterday. It said nearly two dozen more died in a government airstrike earlier this week after they captured a military warehouse.

Activists also said rebels had launched attacks on a number of military targets near the central city of Hama.

Activist Mousab Alhamadee said rebels had seized five army posts in the last two days near the town of Morek, which straddles the country’s primary north-

south highway north of Hama. Only one army tank battalion remains in the town’s immediate area, he said, giving the area’s rebels much more freedom to move.

“The regime is losing a complete geographic area,” he said.

Syria’s conflict started with political protests in March 2011 and has since evolved into a full-scale civil war, with rebel brigades across the country fighting Assad’s troops.

The government says the rebels are terrorists backed by foreign powers that seek to destroy the country. It does not give death tolls, although anti-regime activists say more than 40,000 have been killed.

International diplomacy has failed to slow the conflict.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country does not seek to preserve Assad’s rule but wants a “democratic regime in Syria based on the expression of people’s will” — an outcome he said can only come through negotiations.

“We aren’t a defender of the current Syrian leadership,” Putin told

European leaders in Brussels.

Throughout the conflict, Russia has been one of Assad’s greatest backers, selling him arms and, along with China, protecting Syria from censure by the U.N. Security Council.

But Russian officials have recently distanced themselves from Assad’s regime, suggesting they are resigned to his potential

ouster.

Also Friday, NATO’s top official said that Syria has continued to target rebel areas with Scud-type missiles.

Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmusen called the attacks “acts of a desperate regime approaching collapse.”

U.S. and NATO officials first reported Syria’s use of Scud missiles one week ago, prompting a swift denial from the Syrian government.

NATO agreed earlier this month to deploy Patriot antimissile systems along Syria’s northern border with Turkey — a move Fogh Rasmussen said was justified by the new attacks.

One of the Scuds apparently hit the rebel town of Marea, near Aleppo.

An activist in the town who goes by the name Abu al-Hassan said Friday he was awoken the day before by the largest explosion he’d ever heard in the town, a frequent target of regime airstrikes.

“It shook the house and my kids came running in saying, ‘Daddy, daddy!’” he said. “They were terrified.”

Al-Hassan said the missile fell in a field, causing no casualties.

Videos purporting to show the impact site showed a crater some six meters (yards) deep in a green field.

They appeared genuine and corresponded with other AP reporting on the incident.

Also Friday, a prominent news anchor from Syrian state TV said he had defected after being repeatedly interrogated by the country’s intelligence services.

Speaking from an undisclosed location outside of Syria, Ahmad Fakhouri told Al-Arabiya TV that he’d fled the country eight months ago with rebel help.

“I look forward for the day when Syria will be free and I can return to my country to do my job,” he said.

Syrian TV’s head office in Damascus told The Associated Press that Fakhouri had left the station to work for state-run radio.

An official at the radio station said Fakhouri was on vacation.

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Saturday December 22, 2012

Russia clashes over energy with Belarus, Ukraine, EU MINSK/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia plunged back into the disputes over energy with Ukraine and Belarus that have repeatedly disrupted oil and gas supplies to European Union countries, and it also termed EU energy policy as “uncivilized”.

Russia yesterday denied remarks by Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko that it had agreed to increase its crude oil supplies to Minsk, vital for the Belarus economy, and said that it still intended to cut them next year.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Ukraine for failing to agree on a deal, in return for cheaper gas, under which it would lease its pipeline network to Moscow and the European Union.

Russia, the world’s top energy producer, supplies over a quarter of Europe’s gas and oil needs. Ukraine ships around two thirds of Europe’s imports of Siberian gas through pipelines across its territory, while Belarus is mainly responsible for oil deliveries Clashes over energy

pricing and pipeline transit with Ukraine and Belarus have led over the past decade to cuts or halts in Russian oil and gas supplies to Central and Western Europe. These have most often happened over the New Year, when Russia failed to agree on energy supply terms with the two countries.

The European Union has accused the Kremlin of using its energy might as a political tool, while Moscow has argued it wants its neighbors to pay fair prices promptly for energy.

Yesterday, Belarussian state news agency BelTA quoted Lukashenko as saying Russia had agreed to increase oil supplies next year to 23 million tonnes (460,000 barrels per day) from 21.5 million this year.

“We have really agreed on the supply ... We will get the oil without any issues,” he said.

Moscow was quick to deny the report, insisting it was offering 18.5 million tonnes, an effective cut in supplies.

“As of today, an agreement on supplies to Belarus in 2013 has not been signed,” Russia’s Energy

Russian President Vladimir Putin (front) and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko arrive for an official photo of the Summit of Head of States of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS) ministry said in a statement.

“The Russian side’s offer is supplying 18.5 million tonnes of oil. Supplies in the first quarter of 2013 will be based on the suggested volume.”

Russian oil is crucial for the economy of Belarus and is supplied free of Russia’s normally hefty export duties

as Moscow seeks to keep the country within its political orbit.

Belarus has two large oil refineries that process Russian crude and export gasoline and diesel to the West.

The refining business earns vital hard currency, but Moscow has occasionally

bridled over supply terms, part of a complex arrangement that also covers pipeline supplies of Russian oil and gas to Europe via Belarussian pipelines.

Belarus, which suffered from a balance-of-payments crisis in 2011, faces a foreign debt repayment crunch next year when about $3 billion of its liabilities fall due.

The stand-off with Belarus comes as Moscow is struggling to reach a deal with Ukraine over gas deliveries.

Ukraine’s reluctance to strike a deal on its gas transit system led to the last-minute cancellation of a visit to Moscow by its President Viktor Yanukovich this week.

Although Moscow has regularly been at odds with both neighbors, it has never faced a situation of simultaneous cuts through both countries to Europe.

At the same time tensions between Moscow and the European Union have risen over economic, political and human rights issues.

Putin, in Brussels on Friday for a Russian-EU summit, said it was unacceptable that EU rules

were applied retroactively. He was particularly referring to the Third Energy Package of EU legislation to create a single energy market and prevent those that dominate supply from also dominating distribution.

An EU antitrust case against Russia’s gas export monopoly Gazprom as well as EU attempts to diversify its energy suppliers away from Russia and legislation to encourage competition have angered Moscow.

“Of course the EU has the right to take any decisions, but ... we are stunned by the fact that this decision is given retroactive force,” Putin told reporters in Brussels.

“It is an absolutely uncivilized decision.”

Russia presented the European Commission with new proposals on the legal status of its gas pipeline infrastructure to accommodate its export projects in Europe, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters.

Russia has been seeking exemptions from EU regulation that would allow it to make full use of pipelines bringing gas to Europe by routes that skirt around Ukraine.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Italy PM Monti resigns, elections likely in February ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti tendered his resignation to the president yesterday after 13 months in office, opening the way to a highly uncertain national election in February.

The former European commissioner, appointed to lead an unelected government to save Italy from financial crisis a year ago, has kept his own political plans a closely guarded secret but he has faced growing pressure to seek a second term.

President Giorgio Napolitano is expected to dissolve parliament in the next few days and has already indicated that the most likely date for the election is February 24.

In an unexpected move, Napolitano said he would

hold consultations with political leaders from all the main parties on Saturday to discuss the next steps. In the meantime Monti will continue in a caretaker capacity.

European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso have called for Monti’s economic reform agenda to continue but Italy’s two main parties have said he should stay out of the race.

Monti, who handed in his resignation during a brief meeting at the presidential palace shortly after parliament approved his government’s 2013 budget, will hold a news conference on Sunday at which he is expected clarify his intentions.

Ordinary Italians are

Mario Monti weary of repeated tax hikes and spending cuts and opinion polls offer little evidence that they are ready to give Monti a second term.

A survey this week showed

Clashes at Islamist rally on eve of Egyptian vote

Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi shout slogans against him and members of the Muslim Brotherhood at Tahrir Square in Cairo yesterday. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) Supporters of President Mohamed Mursi and his opponents hurled rocks at each other in Egypt’s second city on the eve of a final vote on an Islamist-influenced constitution that has divided the country.

Police fired tear gas to separate scores of opponents of the constitution and thousands of Islamists who clashed in the rain near a mosque in Alexandria yesterday. Health officials said 32 people were injured.

“God is great,” Islamists chanted as the clashes began. The Islamists had gathered in support of an Islamic vision of Egypt’s future a day before a second round of voting in a referendum on the basic law. Opposition supporters had also turned out as worshippers assembled for yesterday prayers.

Mursi and his Islamist allies back the draft constitution as a vital step in Egypt’s transition to democracy almost two years after the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

The opposition says the draft, drawn up by an Islamist-dominated assembly, is a recipe for deeper divisions and more violence.

The Muslim Brotherhood called for the rally in Alexandria to protest after a violent

confrontation between Islamists and the liberal, secular opposition last week ended with a Muslim preacher besieged inside his mosque for 14 hours.

Rival factions had used clubs, knives and swords last week, but this time police kept the feuding sides apart, although witnesses saw several protesters and one police officer being helped away. Some protesters had head wounds.

The run-up to the final round of voting on the new constitution on Saturday has been marked by often violent protests that have cost at least eight lives. The first round on December 15 produced a “yes” vote that is expected to be repeated in the second round.

Lines of riot police cordoned off Alexandria’s al-Qaid Ibrahim mosque, scene of last week’s violence. Islamists chanted proIslamic slogans while a smaller group of opponents gathered nearby, chanting against Mursi, propelled to power in a June election by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Two city buses were set on fire outside Alexandria University’s medical faculty, sending up a big plume of black smoke amid further sporadic street clashes.

61 percent saying he should not stand.

Whether he runs or not, his legacy will loom over an election which will be fought out over the painful measures he has introduced to try to rein in Italy’s huge public debt and revive its stagnant economy.

His resignation came a couple of months before the end of his term, after his technocrat government lost the support of Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party in parliament earlier this month.

Speculation is swirling over Monti’s next moves.

These could include outlining policy recommendations, endorsing a centrist alliance committed to his reform agenda or even standing as a candidate in the election himself.

The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) has held a strong lead in the polls for months but a centrist alliance led by Monti could gain enough support in the Senate to force the PD to seek a coalition deal which could help shape the economic agenda. Senior figures from

the alliance, including both the UDC party, which is close to the Roman Catholic Church, and a new group founded by Ferrari sports car chairman Luca di Montezemolo, have been hoping to gain Monti’s backing.

He has not said clearly whether he intends to run, but he has dropped heavy hints he will continue to push a reform agenda that has the backing of both Italy’s business community and its European partners.

The PD has promised to stick to the deficit reduction targets Monti has agreed with the European Union and says it will maintain the broad course he has set while putting more emphasis on reviving growth.

Berlusconi’s return to the political arena has added to the already considerable uncertainty about the centreright’s intentions and increased the likelihood of a messy and potentially bitter election campaign.

The billionaire media tycoon has fluctuated between attacking the

government’s “Germanocentric” austerity policies and promising to stand aside if Monti agrees to lead the centre right, but now appears to have settled on an antiMonti line.

He has pledged to cut taxes and scrap a hated housing tax which Monti imposed. He has also sounded a stridently antiGerman line which has at times echoed the tone of the populist 5-Star Movement headed by maverick comic Beppe Grillo.

The PD and the PDL, both of which supported M o n t i ’s technocrat government in parliament, have made it clear they would not be happy if he ran against them and there have been foretastes of the kind of attacks he can expect.

Former centre-left prime minister Massimo D’Alema said in an interview last week that it would be “morally questionable” for Monti to run against the PD, which backed all of his reforms and which has pledged to maintain his pledges to European partners.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 22, 2012

Saturday December 22, 2012

NCN CHANNEL 11 05:00 hrs - Inspiration 05:30 hrs - Newtown Gospel 06:00 hrs - NCN Late Edition 06:30 hrs - Feature 07:00 hrs - Ebenezer Praise Time

Kaieteur News

07:30 hrs - Truth 08:00 hrs - Pulse Beat 08:30 hrs - Weekly Digest 09:00 hrs - Cartoons 10:00 hrs - Youth Expression 11:00 hrs - Cartoons

12:00 hrs - CNN 12:30 hrs - Close Up 13:00 hrs - Epic Hype 13:30 hrs - Stacy and John Shopping Time 14:00 hrs - Save the Children

Saturday December 22, 2012 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Living up to other people’s expectations may be a source of stress over these next few weeks. You mean well and you want to perform the duties properly, but obligations can stand in the way of your personal expression. Sometimes you think that life would be so much better if you didn’t have to work.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You Bulls are practical and willing to work hard for what you want. The Sun’s entry today into sensible Capricorn, another Earth sign, bodes well for you as new ideas and inspirations impact your life. Although you feel energized, you’re not scattered.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) The month ahead marks a time when even you normally lighthearted Twins need to be more serious about your life. You can successfully use this period to delve into psychological issues that you wish to better understand.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) For the next few weeks the Sun hangs out in your 7th House of Others. Get ahead of the game and focus on the one-to-one relationships in your life. Use this time to learn about yourself through others.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) The Sun’s visit to dutiful Capricorn can be challenging, unless you figure out ways to entertain yourself without being on center stage. The weeks ahead are best spent doing hard work, but you may not receive the appreciation for what you do now, even if you deserve it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You feel at home now as the Sun moves through Capricorn — another pragmatic Earth sign. There are many things you need to accomplish in your life, and, thankfully, you’re ready to do them. You feel quite confident today, especially if you have been preparing for what’s ahead.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) The Sun is moving through your 4th House of Inner Security, emphasizing family activities, your private emotional life and your childhood memories. This sentimental journey can be stressful at times, since you need to keep up appearances at work.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your thoughts set you on solid intellectual ground for the next few weeks as the Sun travels through responsible Capricorn and your 3rd House of Communication.

You won’t be writing lighthearted advertising jingles or singing silly love songs because this is a rather ponderous time.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You may be drawn into the world of things now that the Sun is journeying through your 2nd House of Possessions during these next few weeks. You won’t necessarily turn into a material girl or boy overnight, but you’ll probably want to accumulate some specific items that can be quite valuable to you.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) If you feel more active than usual, remember that the Sun’s return to your sign is both physically and mentally energizing. This is your astrological birthday month and you get an extra cosmic boost today as the Sun turns to shine its light on you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Your personal astrological year of development is moving into its final stage as the Sun now shifts into your 12th House of Hidden Destiny. It’s time to shine the radiant light of the Sun into the shadowy areas of your life that have slipped out of focus.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You watery Fish like it now that the Sun is visiting traditional Capricorn and your 11th House of Networking because it brings an emotional stability that feels good. Your friends give you enough support during the weeks ahead, to keep you on a relatively straight and narrow path.

14:30 hrs - Feature 15:00 hrs - Revelation & Power 16:00 hrs - Bollywood 60 mins 17:00 hrs - Feature 17:30 hrs - Choices 18:00 hrs - NCN News Magazine – Live 18:30 hrs - Feature 19:00 hrs - Let’s Talk Tax 19:30 hrs - President’s Diary 20:00 hrs - 3d/daily millions/ play de dream/lotto draw 20:05 hrs - Video Hit List 21:00 hrs - Bollywood Hits 22:00 hrs - Feature 23:00 hrs - Movie

Guides are subjected to change without notice

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 22, 2012

Sterling ends speculation by signing new long-term contract with Liverpool Daily Mail (Sportsmail) England whizzkid Raheem Sterling has signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool. The 18-year-old winger has been in negotiations with the Anfield club for weeks over a new deal. But, as revealed by Sportsmail this week, both parties have shaken hands on a deal for Sterling to stay with the Merseysiders for the foreseeable future.

‘It’s every 18-year-old’s dream. I’m just really grateful to be at such a big club like this,’ Sterling said. ‘There’s a lot more to be done. I haven’t begun yet, as the manager has said. Hopefully I can kick on after the New Year and try to do my best for the team and the football club.’

Manager Brendan Rodgers believes Liverpool provide the ideal environment in which Sterling can flourish.

There was a slight hold up to the deal being finalised as negotiations had to be thrashed out over the scale

of his pay rise - from a reported £2,000-a-week to nearer £40,000.

But Rodgers insisted extended discussions were also about football as well as financial decisions.

‘It was just making sure that we take care in terms of the financial - but also the football - plan for the player,’ said the Reds boss. ‘This was about a young player who has rocketed from playing in the youth teams and the reserves into becoming a full England international.

‘A lot has happened in his young life and it was just about making sure that there was that protection for him going forward - both in his financial situation and his football plan.

‘I have always been confident that this was going to be the best place for him and thankfully the kid is very focused and devoted to Liverpool.’ Jamaican-born Sterling had just 18 months left to run on his existing

contract and ensuring the teenage sensation penned an extension was a top priority for the club. And after several meetings between managing director Ian Ayre and Sterling’s representatives the England international can now concentrate on establishing himself as a key member of Brendan Rodgers’ plans.

A number of the Premier League’s elite were lining up to take advantage of the uncertainty regarding Sterling’s future next month.

Both Manchester clubs, Arsenal and Chelsea have watched Sterling extensively with a view to swooping for the forward in January.

Sterling, who started his career at Queens Park Rangers, has made rapid progress for Liverpool since breaking into the first team under Kenny Dalglish last season. And his impressive breakthrough culminated in his first England cap, as he started in the defeat against

Signed, sealed, delivered: Raheem Sterling agreeing his new contract with Brendan Rodgers. (Liverpool via Getty Images) Sweden last month.

However, he is still eligible to play for his native Jamaica given he has not played for the Three Lions in a competitive fixture yet. Ayre said: ‘This is another positive step forward for the football club in securing the long-term future of one of the country’s

brightest young talents.

‘The negotiations were very positive and both parties acted in a very responsible way to reach an outcome that benefits both Raheem and Liverpool FC. ‘Since the summer, Luis Suarez, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Jonjo Shelvey and Suso have all

signed new long-term contracts and it’s a clear indication of our intent to keep the players we believe are crucial to bringing success on the pitch. ‘It also shows the belief the players have in the vision and leadership of Brendan Rodgers and everyone at this football club.’

Three-time U.S. Olympian reveals she worked as an escort Suzy Favor-Hamilton of the U.S. sits on the track after a DNF in her heat of the 1500 meter semifinal at the World Championships in Athletics, in Edmonton August 5, 2001.

REUTERS/Gary Hershorn

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) Former Olympic middledistance runner Suzy Favor Hamilton has confirmed that she worked as an high-end escort and issued an apology after an exposé about her double life was published on a tabloid Web site.

The three-time Olympian from Stevens Point, Wisconsin tweeted that she became a prostitute because it provided coping mechanisms to deal with struggles in her marriage and her life.

“I realize I have made highly irrational choices and I take full responsibility for them,” she tweeted on T h u r s d a y, f o l l o w i n g a report o n T h e S m o k i n g Gun web site. “I am not a victim here and knew what I was doing.”

The Smoking Gun broke the news with a story that described the 44-year-old earning $600 an hour while working for a Las Vegas escort service during the past year.

Using the alias “Kelly

Lundy,” she traveled to cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston with dates, the site said.

“As crazy as I know it seems, I never thought I would be exposed, therefore never hurting anybody,” she tweeted.

She lives in Madison, Wisconsin where she runs a real estate firm with her husband and does motivational speaking and promotional work for the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association and the Disney running series. On her Twitter feed, she cited depression as one of the causes for her actions and that she was seeking help from a psychologist for the past few weeks.

Favor Hamilton disclosed to the Smoking Gun that her husband, a lawyer and her college sweetheart, knew that she worked as a prostitute and that he tried to stop her. “He wasn’t supportive of this at all,” she said to the site.

Favor Hamilton ran in the

1992, 1996 and the 2000 Summer Olympics. She also won nine NCAA titles and 14 All-American awards during her illustrious career as a middle-distance runner.

During the 2000 games, Favor Hamilton ran into controversy when a Nike commercial depicting her attempting to outrun an attacker was pulled after the shoe company received complaints that the spot downplayed violence against women. Favor Hamilton is also remembered for the 2000 games in Sydney for falling during the 1,500-meter final.

She revealed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in July that she purposely fell after realizing she was not going to win the race.

In addition to Nike, she has also been endorsed by Reebok, Oakley and Clairol, according to her site. “I cannot emphasize enough how sorry I am to anyone I have hurt as a result of my actions and greatly appreciate the support from family,” she tweeted.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 33

South Africa hammer woeful New Zealand

Robin Peterson produced South Africa's most economical T20 figures (Gallo Images) ESPNCricinfo - It is early days for New Zealand in South Africa, but in the opening Twenty20 at Kingsmead there was a gulf between the teams that does not bode well for the tour.

New Zealand crumbled for 86, only just avoiding a new record low in the format, before the home side cantered to their target with more than seven overs to spare.

A callow batting order, with much resting on new captain Brendon McCullum, was always likely to struggle, especially after just one warm-up match to prepare but it was still a hugely disappointing effort. South Africa, though, under a new captain and coach, looked primed for the home season with their only sour note when debutant Chris Morris picked up a leg injury.

It was obvious that Ross Taylor’s absence would leave a vast hole and Martin Guptill was also ruled out of this match with a stomach bug, but the top order did not give itself much of a chance on a slightly two-paced surface.

The batsmen paid the price for too much aggression too early, perhaps in an eagerness to exploit the Powerplay. Doug Bracewell, at No. 9, made an unbeaten 21 to at least lift them over the 80 they made against Pakistan in 2010.

Rory Kleinveldt struck with his first ball with one that bounced a touch more against Rob Nicol to give Quinton de Kock, the debutant wicketkeeper, his first catch. De Kock, who turned 20 earlier this week, was one of seven new caps (three for South Africa, four for New Zealand) handed out

between the teams for this match as the sides looked to start afresh after a poor World Twenty20.

Dale Steyn had Peter Fulton caught at mid-on before Kleinveldt claimed the key wicket of McCullum who top-edged a hook and was well caught by Steyn running backwards from short fineleg. After the six-over Powerplay, New Zealand were already tottering at 27 for 3 and it didn’t get better although James Franklin may have received a harsh decision with suggestions the ball brushed his arm when attempting to hook.

Morris, another of the debutants, claimed his first international scalp when Corey Anderson, also in his first match, clubbed to midoff and later added Colin Munro who at least had shown some decent shotselection before slogging across the line.

However, Morris could not complete his allocation after suffering what appeared to be a muscle strain with two balls remaining. Last week he was ruled out of the domestic one-day final with a quad injury so questions will be asked about whether he was ready for this match.

Between Morris’s two wickets spin also made a mark as Robin Peterson gained from the slightly tricky nature

of the surface. However, it was nowhere near as tough as the scoreline suggested. With New Zealand left to try and bat out the overs - which they failed to do - Peterson was able to collect South Africa’s most economical figures in Twenty20 (2 for 8).

South Africa’s chase did not start smoothly when the under-pressure Richard Levi edged Mitchell McClenaghan, a left-arm seamer to add to the plethora of that style New Zealand can call on, to first slip but captain Faf du Plessis and Henry Davids, making his debut at the age of 32, were soon into their stride.

Davids was off the mark with a ungainly hack which he edged past leg stump but also sliced a six over deep point while du Plessis drove beautifully through the off side. De Kock, who has come into the international amid much hype, began in eyecatching style by lofting his third ball straight down the ground and showed a touch of class through the off side.

To compound New Zealand’s problems some of their ground fielding would have shamed a club side. It really was a horrid evening for them. Twenty20 was meant to be a format where they might, just, have pushed South Africa but on this evidence that theory appears

Joseph and Barnwell Dominoes set for Boxing Day Faye Joseph and Charlyn Barnwell dominoes competition is set for Boxing Day at Orin Joseph residence, 1223 Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt.

Entrance fee is $9,000 while there will be trophies and other incentives up for grab. Eighteen teams are expected to take part and starting time is 14:00 hrs.

far-fetched.

Scores: South Africa 87 for 2 (du Plessis 38*) beat New Zealand 86 (Kleinveldt 3-18, Peterson 2-8) by eight wickets.

Captain Faf du Plessis guided the run chase (AFP)

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 22, 2012

Ferrari prefers Vettel to Hamilton (Reuters) - Triple Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel would be Ferrari’s first choice should they ever need to replace Fernando Alonso, president Luca di Montezemolo has said.

The Red Bull driver has been repeatedly linked to Ferrari this season, with talk of a pre-contract for 2014, although the 25-year-old German and his team have tried to put the speculation to rest.

Speaking at Ferrari’s Maranello factory before the Christmas break, Montezemolo left no doubt about the Italian team’s admiration for Vettel.

“If for whatever reason Fernando Alonso were to leave one day, maybe because he wants to retire in Hawaii with his girlfriend, then I want Vettel,” the Gazzetta dello Sport quoted him as telling German media.

“Sebastian is a potential Ferrari driver for the future.”

Whether Vettel and Alonso ever pair up at Ferrari

remains to be seen, however, with Montezemolo previously saying he did not want to have “two roosters in the same hen house” but rather two drivers “who race for Ferrari and not for themselves.”

Montezemolo said Alonso, Vettel and Lewis Hamilton were clearly a cut above the rest in Formula One and he preferred the Red Bull driver to the Briton “because he’s younger and hasn’t been around so many teams”.

Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, will be racing for Mercedes next year after six years with McLaren - the team who have backed him since he was in go-karts. He will be 28 in January.

Vettel is now on his third F1 team, having made his debut for BMW-Sauber and then raced for Toro Rosso before joining sister team Red Bull.

In a separate interview with Britain’s Sky Sports television, Montezemolo sounded more positive about Hamilton. “Alonso is in

Red Bull three-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany drives his racing car during a promotional event in the Austrian city of Graz December 1, 2012. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Ferrari. If tomorrow, and I would be very unhappy with this, he will decide to go to live in the moon then for sure Hamilton is a driver that I like very much,” he said.

Double world champion Alonso, 31, has a contract with Ferrari until at least the end of 2016. He won his two

titles with Renault, after starting out with Minardi, and was Hamilton’s team mate at McLaren in 2007.

“I’m immensely pleased with Alonso. He’s more than a driver, he’s a key figure. He fits into the way

the team work perfectly,” said Montezemolo of the Spaniard who finished runner-up to Vettel this year.

Malaga have been banned from European competition for at least one season because of unpaid bills. The suspension will not affect the Spanish club this campaign, as they aim for the Champions League last eight, but any time in the next four seasons should they again qualify for Europe.

The ban has been issued by football governing body Uefa, which is seeking to stop clubs spending beyond their means through Financial Fair Play. Malaga lie fourth in La Liga.

A Uefa statement said: “Uefa’s club financial control body has taken its first decision due to the presence of significant overdue payables.

“Malaga is excluded from participating in the next Uefa club competition for which it would otherwise qualify for in the next four seasons.”

The club responded by claiming they have been made a “scapegoat” by Uefa.

“Malaga wishes to express its total disagreement at the decision issued today

by Uefa, and considers the intended actions against the club to be completely unjustified,” said a statement.

“The club believes they are being made a ‘scapegoat’ and an ‘example of’ by Uefa by this unfair treatment.”

Malaga were also fined 300,000 euros (£244,000) and face a further season’s ban unless they can prove by the end of March that they have settled outstanding

payments to other teams, staff and tax authorities.

The fortunes of Martiricos, who face Porto in the last 16 of the Champions League, looked to have changed for the better when Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani of the Qatari Royal Family was named owner in June 2010.

Argentine defender Martin Demichelis, Brazil’s Julio Baptista, Frenchman Jeremy Toulalan and Chile’s Manuel Iturra have all been brought in by manager Manuel Pellegrini over the last two years as the club qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history.

However, Malaga sold key players Santi Cazorla, who is now at Arsenal, and Joris Mathijsen, to Feyenoord, last

summer. And there was internal trouble with former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cazorla among a handful of players to threaten legal action over unpaid wages last season.

The LFP (Liga de Futbol Profesional) had imposed a transfer ban in January after the club missed a payment to Osasuna for Spain full-back Nacho Monreal. Meanwhile, five other clubs face similar one-year bans during any of the next three seasons unless they can convince the governing body they have cleared stipulated debts.

They are Hadjuk Split and Osijek from Croatia, Rapid Bucharest and Dinamo Bucharest from Romania, and Partizan Belgrade from Serbia.

Malaga given European ban for unpaid bills

Bangladesh agree to tour Pakistan next month - PCB KARACHI (Reuters) Bangladesh will tour Pakistan next month in the first tour by any country since armed militants attacked the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in March, 2009, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Friday.

“The Bangladesh board has conveyed to us their team’s visit is confirmed and they have also got approval from their board members.

They have also sent us the time frame for the tour,” PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf told the Geo News Channel on Friday.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Is the horseracing controversy over?

While it seems like all is well and the situation has been amicably sorted out concerning the racing dates between the Rising Sun Turf Club of Arima Park West Berbice and the Port Mourant Turf Club of Corentyne, some questions still linger.

Following a meeting between the Director of Sports, the two clubs, chairman of the Horse Racing IMC retired Chancellor of the

judiciary Justice Cecil Kennard and representative of the horse owners and trainers Dennis DeRoop, it was announced that the situation was defused and the parties have decided on different dates, with the PMTC being given December 3 0 t h a n d t h e RSTC asked to move back to January 6th.

However the principals of the RSTC is indicating that they are not happy with the

situation as the 30th was their original date and the solution if any should be the other way round.

They have decided that they will go ahead with their date or cancel their race altogether, a decision to be made shortly.

President of the RSTC, veteran horseracing entrepreneur Inshanally Habibulla, stated that they cannot accept being asked to give up their traditional date

CONCACAF forms Finance Committee

New group will ensure strong governance and transparency throughout Confederation

Members of the CONCACAF Finance Committee New York - CONCACAF announced the formation of its Finance Committee, which will focus on monitoring and giving oversight to the Confederation’s financial management. The work of this committee will add to the growing list of governance reforms being implemented by the organization as it works to ensure accountability in all operations.

The Committee will be Chaired by Captain Horace Burrell, President of the Jamaica Football Federation, with Rafael Salguero, FIFA Executive Committee Member from Central America, serving as Vice Chairman.

“Solid oversight is necessary to ensure that CONCACAF is able to focus its resources and energy on developing the game of football in our region and supporting our great teams,” said CONCACAF President, Jeffrey Webb.

“The Finance Committee forms a crucial backbone in our system of checks and balances and will ensure that the organization and its individuals are operating in a financially sound environment as we continue to expand our reach through outstanding tournaments like the upcoming Gold Cup.” The new Finance Committee will monitor the financial management of CONCACAF and will advise the Executive Committee on financial matters and asset management. It will also analyze CONCACAF’s budget as well as the financial statements prepared by the General Secretary prior to submitting them to the Executive Committee for approval.

“The Finance Committee will play a vital role in continuing to ensure our Confederation operates responsibly, with integrity and within its resources,” said

Captain Horace Burrell, Chair of the new committee.

“CONCACAF has made tangible progress in reforming itself over the past few months in an effort to build the necessary foundation to raise our region to the highest levels. I look forward to leading this group as part of the shared goal of bettering our organization.”

The Finance Committee consists of Captain Horace Burrell (Jamaica), Chairman; Rafael Salguero (Guatemala), Vice Chairman; Anwer Sumderji (Bahamas); Canover Watson (Cayman Islands); Eduardo Li (Costa Rica); Samuel Pereau (Martinique); Luis Palma (Mexico); Eric Labrador (Puerto Rico); Eric Gleason (United States).

Already this year CONCACAF has announced the formation of first-ever Integrity, Gold Cup and Audits & Compliance Committees.

to somebody else and use another date, It just can’t work he stated. He is also disappointed with the Government and the IMC for allowing the sport to degenerate.

He reasoned how sensible and logical it will be in that there will be a race on the 26th and another one four days later on the 30th and then on the 6th January. What would be left? He asked.

Both clubs had organised multimillion dollars nine-race events for the 30th of December. A mere three days after the Kennard Memorial Turf Club multimillion dollar

Boxing Day meet on the 26th of December.

The RSTC usually holds their end of season meet either on Old years or New Year’s Day or the Sunday closest, while PMTC will usually have a date on the First or Second Sunday of December. Both clubs were casting blame on each other.

Spokesman for the horse owners and trainers Colin Elcock had threatened to keep their horses away from the two meets if the situation was not resolve.

The horseracing fraternity is calling on government to act with haste

in passing the necessary legislation which was drafted

by Senior Council and eminent horse racing personality Marcel Crawford and handed to the Minister of Sports more than a decade ago.

Both Senior Council Marcel Crawford, Retired Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard and representative of the Horse Owners and trainers in Guyana Colin Elcock had laid some responsibility on problems in the sport on government’s sloth in tabling the necessary legislation to rectify the issues.

(Samuel Whyte)

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Saturday December 22, 2012

Caribbean United Medec peeved over decision to debar Barbadian player - GFA officials adamant that information was disseminated Medical official of the visiting Barbados-based Caribbean United team Sandra St. Kitts in an interview with Kaieteur Sport yesterday expressed her disappointment about the decision taken by the

Organisers of this year’s Banks Beer / GFA Knockout Cup to debar Barbadian Romel Haynes from playing in Wednesday’s fixture against Blueberry Hill which they lost 2-3.

St. Kitts, a Guyanese

residing on the island informed this newspaper that at no time did the Organisers, who had invited the team to play in this year’s competition, convey in their invitation any reservation or ruling that prohibited other natives beside those born in Guyana from taking the field and it was not until they arrived in Guyana that that information was related to them.

“We travelled on Tuesday to play Wednesday and it was not until we arrived

in Guyana were we told of this development and I’m extremely disappointed with this decision, especially since the player took time off and spent his last money to come and play for the team,” St. Kitts said.

She added that the Organisers on inviting them should have stated the criteria for eligibility for players to play in the tournament, insisting that at no time was this information received by any member of the touring party.

Christopher Matthias

Vernon Burnett

“Every team looks for the strongest players to make their team to give them the best chance of winning and Romel happens to be one of our best players and to hear that he cannot play after making all those sacrifices is really painful and disappointing to him and the team.

They invited us we accepted and came down at a huge cost individually, paying our own money in advance and to come here and be treated in this manner will surely affect us going forward,” she stated.

Meanwhile, when contacted by this newspaper both the General Secretary and President of the Georgetown Football Association Christopher

Matthias and Vernon Burnett respectively refuted the claim made by St. Kitts.

Both officials said that it was made crystal clear to all participating teams that only players born in Guyana will be allowed to play in the tournament.

This they said was established to all Managers of teams at a briefing which was held last week Tuesday, adding that even the teams that had expressed a desire to invite guest players were told that only those born in Guyana would be eligible.

“They (Caribbean United) knew about that decision even before they came here so to now say t h a t t h e y k n e w nothing about the decision is far from accurate,” Burnett stated.

Cristiano Ronaldo will not celebrate goals

Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex Ferguson. (Getty Images) BBC Sport - Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo says he will not celebrate if he scores against Manchester United.

United will face Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League at the Bernabeu on 13 February and then at Old Trafford on 5 March following Thursday’s draw.

“I won’t celebrate if I score,” Ronaldo, who spent six years with the Reds, told Spanish newspaper AS. “It is thanks to Manchester United that I play for Real Madrid. Without them, I wouldn’t be the player I am today.”

The draw means Ronaldo, 27, will visit Old Trafford for the first time since his £80m move to Spain in June 2009.

Ronaldo joined United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 and went on to win three Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two League Cups during his spell in England.

“I still speak with [United manager] Sir Alex Ferguson.

I miss him a lot, and I miss Manchester United,” added Ronaldo.

“I felt very good there, it was like a family. I had six great years there and am still friends with my team-mates.”

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Starc lifted by ‘heart and soul’ Siddle ESPNCricinfo - Peter Siddle is taking on the mantle of leadership and example among Australia’s bowlers that - until recently - Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey held for the batsmen.

Mitchell Starc attributed his much improved display on the final day of the Hobart Test against Sri Lanka to being lifted by Siddle’s efforts, which matched his Herculean display against South Africa in Adelaide.

A prodigious talent, Starc is pleasing Australia’s selectors, coaches and the captain Michael Clarke by gathering in consistency and nous each time he bowls in a Test, and also by staying fit when so many around him are falling prey to injury. His fiendish burst of reverse swing on an uneven final day surface at Bellerive Oval was arguably Starc’s best display to for his country to date, and he put much of it down to watching Siddle give his all in the spell that preceded it.

“Sidds was outstanding again in Hobart and was pretty much the heart and soul of the attack,” Starc said.

“For me just to follow on from

him, I played pretty much a supporting role with Sidds there probably deserving 10 wickets. Not just the bowlers [are lifted by Siddle], the whole team is.

“Having him around the squad he’s full of energy and he’s always giving 100% whether it be in the nets or in the field and that drags the whole squad along. As he’s shown in Adelaide, though unfortunately not getting over the line there, but again in Hobart pretty similar performances where he’s given absolutely everything he’s had. He’s sat down and had nothing left after the game. It was great for him we got that result after what happened in Adelaide.

“When you have guys like Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey in the squad they bring so much energy and a different feel to the group. I think Sidds is well on the way to being someone like that, who just lifts everyone up.

When he’s on bowling you know something most likely is going to happen.”

Starc’s progress has been helped greatly by his developing durability, which

has allowed him to be fit for selection whenever Australia’s selectors have come calling over the past 12 months. By avoiding the treatment table, Starc is gathering in knowledge about his bowling, aided by advice from the likes of Wasim Akram, Jason Gillespie and the Australian bowling coaches past and present, Craig McDermott and Ali de Winter.

“That consistency is coming. I’ve got to find that balance between being over aggressive and containing one end. That will come, I’m still learning, I’m only 22,” Starc said. “I’m taking it all in my stride and learning from each game. That’s something we did from the game in Perth - I went for a few runs there.

“In Hobart we had 450 runs on the board so you can afford to be a bit aggressive there. As you saw I went for a couple of runs but we got the win in the end so we can take some confidence from that and being able to get that result even with a bowler down as well.

“Injuries are unfortunate, they seem to go hand in hand with fast bowling. I’m looking

‘I made a lot of mistakes’ - says Atkinson Jamaica Observer - SITTING almost atop the world in the short course 50m and 100m breaststrokes, Alia Atkinson hungers for more glory. And winning two silver medals at the 11th FINA World Swimming (Short Course) Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, last week has only whetted her appetite for more.

“I was going into the championships with the sole purpose to do something no Jamaican swimmer has done before,” said 24-year-old Atkinson, a three-time Olympian. “To be the first to win a medal meant that I had to push myself beyond just the fourth at the Olympics and now I can say ‘silver world medallist as well’,” added the Immaculate Conception High past student.

Buoyed by a fourth-place finish in the 100m breaststroke final at last Summer’s London Olympic Games, Atkinson has grown in confidence.

Her coach Christopher Anderson set the bar high in Istanbul, instilling in her the belief that she could even break the world record.

He was sure that Atkinson would have won medals, becoming the first Jamaican to do so, but Anderson was not sure of the number of silverware the Jamaican swimming ace would be returning home with.

Atkinson believed, too, if only she could keep it together on race day. “I made a lot of mistakes. The dive was too shallow. I couldn’t get into the stroke quick enough for the 50 breast, and in the 100 IM my arms started cramping up and I couldn’t go any faster, and thus fourth.

“The 100 breast is probably where it all came together, a silver, but I swam the race how I envisioned it; increasing on the third 25 and pushing it on the fourth. “I swam the race with no regrets, so that was my best race for the meet,” explained Atkinson.

Alia Atkinson Despite not getting into the “stroke quick enough” Atkinson — born at Roehampton Road, Kingston 19 before attending Vaz Prep — was also a silver medallist in the 50m breaststroke, her first event of the championships. She clocked personal bests and national records in all four events of the five-day meet. Her times in the 50m and 100m breaststrokes were number five and six of all time while in the 100 individual medley she was number 13 of all time.

With Atkinson competing until the next Olympic Games, does she believe that she can be number one in any of her events, or even break a world record?

“I am not going to give up. I can get faster and more determined than ever. I have made significant improvements since the last Worlds in Dubai. “I know I can move up and it will take more discipline and work but the reward is worth it,” she pointed out.

Peter Siddle is congratulated by his teammates for his five-wicket haul (Getty Images) after myself doing all I can to stay on the park and make sure I’m recovering well and playing well. You can’t worry too much about what the other guys are doing. Can’t worry too much about what the others are doing but we’re all preparing the way we can and stay on the park.”

Despite his strong lastday form in Hobart, Starc may

yet find himself carrying the drinks on Boxing Day in order to ensure he maintains his run of games without injury, the better to be fit for his home Test at the SCG from January 3. Mitchell Johnson and Jackson Bird are both a chance of being called into the Test side for the final match of 2012. However Starc is eager to bowl at the MCG,

having also run the drinks in the corresponding match last year.

“It’s always a big occasion the Boxing Day Test. If I get the nod to play for Australia again it’s going to be a nice one to run out in front of a big crowd,” Starc said. “Hopefully I can contribute again if I get the chance in Melbourne.”

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Saturday December 22, 2012

Lebron shines brightest on every stage (Reuters) - LeBron James finally captured an elusive National Basketball Association title to cap a year where he silenced his critics and shared the spotlight with some unlikely players.

“Linsanity” became one of the new buzzwords in the NBA while a collegiate player took a sledgehammer to the record books and the Los Angeles Lakers made a blockbuster trade that rekindled memories of the team’s “Showtime” era.

James, long considered the NBA’s heir apparent to Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, finally delivered a performance worthy of that status with a championship in his ninth season, followed by a gold medal with the United States at the London Olympics.

A dominant force on the court, James had already earned the NBA’s scoring title, Most Valuable Player honors and All-Star nods, but it took an elusive title, MVP honors for the regular season and NBA Finals to prove his detractors wrong.

The self proclaimed ‘King James’ became a player many NBA fans love to hate after going on national television in 2010 to announce his much-publicized move to Miami, but there is no denying his status as one of the game’s greatest players.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done as a basketball player,” James said after winning the NBA title in June, beating Oklahoma City in the finals. “You just put a lot of hard work into it and you hope that one day it will pay off for you.”

‘LINSANITY’ CRAZE Basketball’s marquee names were forced to share the limelight with undrafted Taiwanese-American Jeremy Lin, who went from an unknown to an overnight sensation after being thrust into the New York Knicks’ starting lineup in February.

Lin burst onto the public consciousness after a masterful series of dynamic displays, scoring at least 20 points in nine of 10 games during a season-high sevengame win streak for the

Knicks that sparked the “Linsanity” craze around the globe.

Crowds at New York’s Madison Square Garden held an array of pun signs declaring “To Lin-finity and Beyond,” “The Sky’s the LINit” and “LINCREDIBLE,” while a mid-February game in Toronto had one spectator holding a “By my VaLINtine” sign.

Lin’s incredible run was undone by a late-season injury but that did not stop Time Magazine from naming him as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. He was the only basketball player on a list that included President Barack Obama and billionaire investor Warren Buffet.

At the London Games, a star-studded American team led by James were one of the hottest favorites but were tested by an inspired Spain team before prevailing 107-100 in the gold-medal game to retain their Olympic title.

The victory capped a remarkable run for James, who was named Sports

Miami Heat’s LeBron James dunks against the Washington Wizards in the first half of their NBA basketball game in Miami, Florida December 15, 2012.

REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity

Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, an award whose previous winners include boxer Muhammad Ali, golfer Jack Nicklaus and swimmer Michael Phelps.

GOLD MEDAL It also put the finishing touches on an American sweep of basketball gold as the U.S. women collected their fifth consecutive Olympic gold, solidifying the country’s dominance in a sport that has become much more competitive since active NBA players first participated in the Olympics in 1992.

The Lakers were the biggest story during the NBA’s offseason after landing Dwight Howard in a 12-player trade that rekindled memories of the team’s “Showtime” era from 1979-

1989 with Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Howard, a three-time defensive player of the year, joined a Lakers team that was already bursting with talent in the form of Kobe Bryant and Spain’s Pau Gasol and still revelling in the acquisition of two-time league MVP Steve Nash a month earlier.

The massive trade immediately bolstered the Lakers championship credentials, a welcome development for a franchise that has suffered two straight early playoff exits since winning a 16th NBA title in 2010.

But despite the formidable Lakers lineup, the team stumbled out of the gate and their head coach was

fired after a 1-4 start to the 2012-13 NBA as players were unable to grasp his new offensive system.

Some of the year’s top stories even came from outside the professional ranks as Jack Taylor, a sophomore guard at Iowa’s Grinnell College, shattered the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scoring record with a 138-point performance in a Division III game. The 22-year-old guard from Iowa’s Grinnell College, drew national attention for his performance, which shattered the previous record of 113 points set in 1954.

“That’s crazy,” said fivetime NBA champion Kobe Bryant, “I don’t care what level you’re at, you score 138 points, it’s pretty insane.”

Raul Meireles: Ex-Liverpool & Chelsea player banned Former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Raul Meireles has been banned for 11 games after being accused of spitting at a referee.

The 29-year-old Fenerbahce player, who was also sent off in the 2-1 derby loss at Galatasaray, denies the claim. However, the Turkish Football Federation backed referee Halis Ozkahya’s claims and issued the ban.

Meireles said: “I will be taking legal action against him to prove my innocence.”

He also denies Ozkahya’s claims that he made a homophobic gesture at the official. “I don’t know what the hand gesture for calling somebody gay is in Turkey but what I did was entirely based around the referee being a coward and bowing to the pressure,” the Portugal international added.

“Look at my hairstyle, what I wear, I’m not a prejudicial person, my hand gesture was in no way, shape or form a homophobic one.

“The referee’s accusations are outrageous and defamatory. I have an eight-year-old child, can you imagine if kids start saying your father spat at a referee?”

Meireles spent two seasons in the Premier

Raul Meireles League, joining Liverpool from Porto following the 2010 World Cup, before handing in a transfer request and signing for Chelsea in August 2011.

He left Stamford Bridge in September to join Fenerbahce in an £8m deal.

Sunday’s defeat to Galatasaray was only the second time that Meireles had lost in 14 appearances for Fenerbahce.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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BCB, Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association donate first aid kits clubs

Carl Moore of the BCB presents a first aid kit to Vemen Walter of Albion Cricket clubs in the ancient county of Berbice continue to benefit from the hard work of the Special Events Committee of the Berbice Cricket Board. Eleven cricket clubs along with the Berbice Cricket Umpires Association received a first aid kit from the Berbice Cricket Board and the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and

Development Association.

The Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association donated the sum of $50,000 that was used to purchase the kits.

Receiving the first aid kits were Bath, Cotton Tree, West Berbice, Blairmont, Edinburgh, Police, Young Warriors, Albion, Bermine, Port Mourant and Chesney.

Chairman of the Special Events Committee Hilbert Foster stated that the Berbice Cricket Board has observed that most cricket clubs in Berbice were without a first aid kit and were unable to treat any type of injury on the cricket field.

The Berbice Cricket Board approached the President of the Berbice Chamber of

Representatives of clubs with their first aid kits Commerce and Development Association Imran Saccoor who readily agreed to sponsor the first aid kits.

Foster also stated that the Berbice Cricket Board in early 2013 would be hosting a first aid training seminar for all clubs in Berbice.

President of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association,

Imran Saccoor, stated that his organisation was pleased to assist Berbice Cricket as the Board was doing a remarkable job of organising the game, while he praised the excellent working relationship between the BCCDA and the BCB. Saccoor expressed his gratitude to the Berbice Cricket Board for its

assistance in fund raising activities. Carl Moore of the Bermine Cricket Club expressed gratitude to the BCB and BCCDA for the donation of the first aid kit.

Clubs in Berbice are fortunate, Moore said as the BCB during the year had presented them with a range of items to assist them to function properly.

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Saturday December 22, 2012

Berbice Cricket Board hosts massive Christmas Outreach Programme Representatives of clubs with toys received

Toys presented for the Eden Children of Promise home The Berbice Cricket Board as part of its mandate as a progressive Non Governmental Organisation continues to make positive differences in the lives of children and the less fortunate.

The Berbice Cricket Board with the support from the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club hosted a series of presentations for the

festive season.

The Special Events Committee of the Berbice Cricket Board on Wednesday during its 30th press conference for 2012 handed over fifteen food hampers to the Umpires who served Berbice Cricket during the year. Each Umpire also received a personal mug that they would use during matches for refreshment.

The Berbice Cricket Board also handed over food hampers and dozens of toys to the Chesney, Whim, Kildonan, Mount Sinai, Mental Hospital, Blairmont, Young Warriors, Tucber Park, West Berbice and Bath Cricket Clubs for distribution to less fortunate families in their areas. Children footwear was also donated to ten clubs including Port

Mourant, Edinburgh, Bath, West Berbice, Police and Young Warriors.

The Berbice Cricket Board also donated blankets and food items to the Mental Hospital at Fort Canje, while the Eden Children of Promise Home received a collection of Christmas toys and footwear for the orphans under their care. On Thursday the Berbice Cricket Board also cosponsored a massive Xmas party for hundreds of less fortunate children with the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club and the Radio Needy Children Fund at the J.C. Chandisingh

Secondary School.

Journalists of the DTV-8 and LRTVS-CH 10 were also honoured by the Berbice Cricket Board for their contribution to the development of Berbice Cricket. Executives of the Berbice Cricket Board would also visit the children’s ward of the New Amsterdam Hospital to distribute toys and goodies to children on Christmas Day. Chairman of the Special Events committee Hilbert Foster stated that the Berbice Cricket Board has transformed itself from being a mere cricketing body into a highly successful NGO over

the last five years and has committed itself to making positive difference in the lives of those in need. He cautioned the clubs to make sure that the donated items are used for their intended purpose.

Foster committed the Berbice Cricket Board to host an even bigger Charity Programme in 2013. Foster expressed gratitude to the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports club, who has spearheaded the programmes for Christmas, Sterling Products Ltd, Ansa Mcal, Food for the Poor, Guyana Beverage Company, Demerara Distillers Ltd and Banks D.I.H Ltd.

Caribbean United Medec peeved over decision to debar Barbadian player -GFA officials adamant that information was disseminated Medical official of the visiting Barbados-based Caribbean United team Sandra St. Kitts in an interview with Kaieteur Sport yesterday expressed her disappointment about the decision taken by the Organisers of this year’s Banks Beer / GFA Knockout Cup to debar Barbadian Romel Haynes from playing in Wednesday’s fixture against Blueberry Hill which they lost 2-3.

St. Kitts, a Guyanese residing on the island informed this newspaper that at no time did the Organisers, who had invited the team to play in this year’s competition, convey in their invitation any reservation or ruling that prohibited other natives beside those born in Guyana from taking the field and it was not until they arrived in Guyana that that information was related to them.

“We travelled on Tuesday to play Wednesday and it was not until we arrived

in Guyana were we told of this development and I’m extremely disappointed with this decision, especially since the player took time off and spent his last money to come and play for the team,” St. Kitts said.

She added that the Organisers on inviting them should have stated the criteria for eligibility for players to play in the tournament, insisting that at no time was this information received by any member of the touring party.

“Every team looks for the strongest players to make their team to give them the best chance of winning and Romel happens to be one of our best players and to hear that he cannot play after making all those sacrifices is really painful and disappointing to him and the team. They invited us we accepted and came down at a huge cost individually, paying our own money in advance and to come here and be treated in this manner will

surely affect us going forward,” she stated.

Meanwhile, when contacted by this newspaper both the General Secretary and President of the Georgetown Football Association Christopher Matthias and Vernon Burnett respectively refuted the claim made by St. Kitts.

Both officials said that it was made crystal clear to all participating teams that only players born in Guyana will be allowed to play in the tournament.

This they said was established to all Managers of teams at a briefing which was held last week Tuesday, adding that even the teams that had expressed a desire to invite guest players were told that only those born in Guyana would be eligible.

“They (Caribbean United) knew about that decision even before they came here so to now say that they knew nothing about the decision is far from accurate,” Burnett stated.

Saturday December 22, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Guyana Boxing Association DDL U16 Cream of the crop on show as ‘Hurry tourney set for today at ‘Six Head’ Gym Up’ presents fistic holiday action A number of the country’s leading Under-16 boxers will be on show from 10:00 this morning as the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) stage the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) sponsored Under-16 Boxing competition at the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown.

This is the third competition being sponsored

by DDL for this year among the young boxers, with programmes in Georgetown and Berbice previously.

This morning’s action will see 12 bouts being contested and the best amateur boxers from around the country will

be on show. Gyms from all the various Regions are scheduled to be represented.

Among some of the leading young pugilists that will be on show today are: Quincy Wright, Jamie Kellman, John Moore, Jakeel Cadogan, Odeen Moore, Tyrone Lashley, Quincy

Boyce, Shaka Moore, Elijah Insanally, Odenny Moore, Shamar Bumbury and Malrick Walcott.

This has been a very active year for the GBA, more so the latter half. GBA President Steve Ninvalle expressed heartfelt gratitude to DDL and the principals there for their assistance and the desire to see the relationship continue next year as the association seek to forge ahead with its plans.

Officials of DDL and the GBA headed by Ninvalle will be on hand to witness the proceedings and do the presentations at the conclusion.

Mancini ready to give Balotelli another chance

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says he is willing to give Mario Balotelli LONDON (Reuters) Manchester City will give volatile Italian striker Mario Balotelli another chance, manager Roberto Mancini said on Friday.

The relationship between the 22-year-old and the Premier League champions appeared to be at breaking point this week after he took the club to a tribunal over their decision to dock him 340,000 pounds in wages for misdemeanours last season.

Balotelli, who missed 11 games last season due to suspensions, has since accepted the fine and withdrawn his appeal.

“When someone does a mistake he should take responsibility and he has,” said Mancini. “First of all, it’s important he respects himself not me.”

Mancini has shown plenty of patience with a player others have written off as unmanageable and the Italian said he was not about to give up now, although Balotelli would not be available for Saturday’s match against relegation-threatened Reading due to illness.

“Sure, I’m his manager so like other players if he deserves another chance I will give him another chance,” he told reporters.

“This week he is unlucky.

Unfortunately he is ill...he came in this morning but can do nothing,” he added.

Balotelli has scored one

league goal this season and was dropped for last Saturday’s game at Newcastle United, which City won 3-1, with Mancini saying afterwards that the Italian needed to work harder. “He needs to train and when he starts to play like his quality he will play again,” he said then.

Springer is Director of Shotokan He is well known for his referee skills but Sensei Lex Springer, 6th Dan is an expert on Japanese martial art of Shotokan Karate and has been training for over forty years. Last November the Directing Committee of the Trinidad and Tobago Karate Federation (TTKF-DC) appointed Sensei Springer Director as of Shotokan Karate for the organization.

He will be working with TTKF shotokan karate instructors and Black Belts to improve standards in keeping with the international karate community. All TTKF and non-TTKF shotokan karate

Lex Springer instructors are asked to contact Sensei Springer at 683-2130 or email him at lexspringer @yahoo.com

President of the GBBC, Peter Abdool (extreme left), oversees the signing ceremony at his office yesterday afternoon.

When multiple champion, Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore last entered the ring locally he had to pull out all the stops against a determined Venezuelan pugilist, Breilor Teran, and barely scraped home with a controversial points decision. Five months later he faced off with Felipe Almanza at the Aviator Sports Complex, Brooklyn, New York, USA and won the 6 rounder unanimously.

Now, a little over a year since he last stepped into the ring, the former local bantamweight and PABA Super/bantamweight champion is ready to resume fistic duties on a card he copromotes with Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) Bantamweight Champion, Elton ‘Coolie Bully’ Dharry, in collaboration with Pearl Vodka, a business entity out of the United States of America.

The card will also comprise several top local boxers with Moore matching gloves with Barbadian, Shurwyne Marshall.

Local lightweight champion, Revlon Lake, will put his title on the line as he

attempts to reverse a 5th round knockout loss to CABOFE Lightweight Champion, Clive Atwell over 12 rounds while Dharry will oppose Barbadian, Ricardo Blackman in a warm up fight to a later defence of his CABOFE belt. Unbeaten welterweight pugilist, Gladwin Dorway will look to continue his unblemished performance when he opposes Shawn Pile in a 6 rounds welterweight bout shortly after James Walcott matches gloves with Berbician, Kelsey George in a 6 rounds catchweight affair.

The boxers convened at the Abdool and Abdools Insurance Brokers offices, Avenue of the Republic, to consummate the deal with the contract signing rituals. The last time Lake stepped into the ring, it was against Atwell and he exited 5 rounds later, the victim of a vicious combination that poleaxed him. He is still to arrive from his Barbados base but that did not stop Atwell from dispatching a missive to him that he (Lake) would suffer a similar fate. The last time we fought, Lake said that he was

not properly prepared for the bout and literally begged for a return.

Yesterday, Atwell, who has since changed his sobriquet to ‘The Punisher,’ boldly proclaimed that this time will be no different than the last. “The last time he said that he was not properly prepared, let’s hear what his excuse will be this time around,” said Atwell. “To be honest, Lake had no right being in the same ring with me,” he declared.

Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC), Peter Abdool, complimented the promoters for their bold initiative. He said that it has been sometime since the traditional Boxing Day card was staged and he feels that the composition of the card suggests it will be action packed and he urged the public to support the venture.

The foreign boxers will be in Guyana this weekend while the locals have already opened camp at their respective gyms. Patrons are asked to pay $3,000 for a ringside seat, while the stands are $1,500. Bell time is 20:00hrs.

Guyana overcome Berbice XI by 36 runs in feature warm up game

Assad Fudadin drives through the offside during his brief knock.

Veerasammy Permaul

T

t r o Sp

he national Twenty\20 team defeated a Berbice XI by 36 runs in a feature warm up game Thursday evening at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. Opener Trevon Griffith top scored with 22(2x4) and got support from Narsingh Deonarine 18 (1x6), Derwin Christian 15 (2x4), Jonathan Foo and Royston Crandon with 12 each and Stephen Jacobs 11 as the National team posted 127-8 off their allotted overs, batting first. Clinton Pestano was the pick of the bowlers for the Berbice team with 4-22, while Eugene La Fleur picked up 2-16.

The Berbicians in reply were bowled out for 91 in 19.5 overs. Sewnarine Chattergoon led with 22 (2x4), while Delbert Hincks made 12 (1x4), Assad Fudadin and La Fleur 10 apiece. Off-spinner Stephen Jacobs bowled economically picking up 4-14 off 4 overs; Crandon and Devendra Bishoo claimed 2 wickets each for 11 and 12 runs respectively.

The Guyana team are currently preparing for the Caribbean Twenty\20 tournament and will break camp today before they regroup on the 27th.

Meanwhile, speaking with Kaieteur Sport after the game, vice captain of the team Christopher Barnwell said he is confident Guyana can win the competition. “We will take every game at a time. We won two titles before and the guys are in good shape, Guyana always do well in this version of the game.

The Guys are training hard and the energy

level is good”, he stated. The all-rounder said T\20 is a funny game. “Which ever team plays better cricket on the day will be successful, we are looking to pay positive cricket,” added Barnwell.

Captain Veerasammy Permaul like Barnwell thinks Guyana stands a very good chance of winning the championship. “Once we play good allround cricket we can win the competition, our strength is our batting, it is coming on more than previous years, most of the batsmen are in good shape but there is still some work left to be done. We also have capable bowlers who can restrict the opposition.”

Permaul feels the presence of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in team will have a positive impact on the other guys.

“Those are two experienced players and we will benefit from their knowledge of the game.” He said the fielding looks good as well. Permaul informed that it is a pleasure to captain Guyana. “The senior players are helping me a lot and I am open for advice at any time.”

The left arm spinner acknowledged Guyana will not have any home advantage but said they will give 110% and we are looking forward to support from the Guyanese public. He stated that Trinidad and Tobago will be their main threat but once they can get past them they will go all the way. “I am not saying that the other teams will not be competitive but Trinidad is stronger”, he added.

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