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Friday February 08, 2013
IMCs installed in 29 NDCs Almost half of the 65 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) across the country have Interim Management Committees (IMCs) installed, government revealed yesterday. According to Junior Minister of Local Government, Norman Whittaker, some 29 of these local democratic organs tasked with running their respective districts are IMCs. A total of three of the six townships also have the interim bodies installed. And these were all done in the last eleven years. The disclosures were made yesterday during a sitting of the National Assembly where government successfully moved a Bill to postpone local government elections, pending completion of a review by a Parliamentary team. Shortly before the vote, the combined opposition insisted that the postponement should instead be a deadline for holding elections, by November the latest. According to Local Government Minister, Ganga Persaud, the postponement is critical, as four Bills that will
...as local govt. elections postponed again see mandatory reforms are before a special select committee of the National Assembly. He said that the 1997 General Elections saw the establishment of a task force which was given the mandate to prepare legislative reforms. Opposition members who were part of that task force were blamed for the delays. Persaud said he is unaware where the unhappiness exists over the IMCs as procedures were followed in their installation. Making a case for the postponement of the elections, he said that the proposed legislation is almost completed and elections will be held. There has been increasing pressure both locally and internationally for the hosting of local government elections which were last held in 1994. NDCs and administrations of the towns started to experience problems as elected officials died, migrated or simply resigned. With poorly maintained infrastructure, problems
collecting rates and taxes and corruption, government in recent months have been installing an increasing number of IMCs. HANDPICKED LOYALISTS The opposition Alliance For Change and A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), yesterday accused government of handpicking members of the IMCs - persons who are government loyalists. Recently the US, Canadian and British embassies urged for local government elections to be held soonest, calling also for consensus to be found among the political parties. APNU’s Sh a d o w Minister of Local Government, Ronald Bulkan, argued that the Bill to postpone did not specify when elections will be held. In effect, it allowed government to continue to “dismember” and “dissolve” NDCs and townships and reeks of disrespect and disdain.
Bulkan said that the energies placed by government in recent months to install IMCs should have instead been used to ensure steps and mechanisms are in place for long overdue elections. He believed that the delays to hold elections are but part of the government’s agenda not have any. According to Bulkan, the special committee could be ready in as little as four weeks to complete its work to review the new legislation before it could be ready for debate and passage in the National Assembly. But Minister Whittaker was insistent that the IMCs were not created by his government but rather part of the country’s laws. In defending the government’s interventions to install IMCs, he said that when communities’ affairs are not managed properly, citizens can petition the Ministry for redress. The process for public consultations leading to the installation of IMCs followed
a strict process of being advertised, with the reports available for public scrutiny. The opposition denied that they have access to the reports of the public consultations. They said notices in the Guyana Chronicle are not enough, as “nobody reads that newspaper”. JOINT EFFORT Minister Whittaker said that government is not sitting idly waiting on the committee’s work to be completed...changes have started. The official also pointed out that the reforms are a joint activity between government and the opposition but it has been delayed. He urged the opposition to use the opportunity to collaborate. APNU’s Renis Morian said the Bill is an example of how Guyanese rights have been “raped” to decide who is in power, reiterating that instead of a postponement, there should be a deadline for the elections. He likened the IMCs to
the Biblical character, Nicodemus - installed in the stealth of the night. He asserted that Guyanese want to see the democratic process alive again. AFC’s Dr. Veersammy Ramayya opined that government is running scared of elections because of “more than likely losses”. “All the political parties heading to the new year had promised to pull out the stops for the hosting of elections. This year, 2013, should be a watershed moment for Guyana”. Meanwhile, APNU’s Basil Williams who is part of the special Parliamentary Committee, said that had government been serious about elections, it would have used its majority in the previous administration to push through reforms. He also argued for the special committee to be open for the media since government has been giving its side of the meetings. Speaker Raphael Trotman will now be examining the possibilities of allowing reporters to the committee’s sittings.
DO YOU KNOW THAT JAGDEO’S BEST FRIEND IS THE ONLY PERSON IN GUYANA TO OWN THREE MEDIA HOUSES ... Radio, Television and Newspaper?
Dr. Bobby Ramroop
1) Channel 28 now TVG 28 2) A radio station - 89.5FM 3) Guyana Times newspaper
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo
Friday February 08, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Questions surround licence for China Central Television The setting up of China Central TV (CCTV) was a direct government-togovernment agreement between Guyana and China. This is according to Michael Gordon, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the state TV, National Communications Network (NCN). The agreement was signed here, between NCN and the Chinese embassy, on December 30, 2011. Gordon said that NCN did not negotiate any of the arrangements for the setting up of the television station. He explained that all costs for the setting up of the station were borne by the Chinese government. He said the Chinese government constructed a building and installed its transmitter in the compound of NCN. Gordon said that the operation of CCTV does not need to be staffed; but that NCN workers would only be
utilised if absolutely needed. For example, he said that “if the floor needs cleaning, NCN staff would be used to clean it”. Gordon said that he could not comment on the licencing arrangements for CCTV, since that was a government arrangement. He revealed that the CCTV Guyana station (Channel 27/Cable78) would be commissioned in a matter of days. Veteran broadcaster Enrico Woolford has been pressing for the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) to reveal who has been allocated what frequencies in Guyana, but to no avail. “The government of Guyana gave China a 24-hour channel on Guyana’s ‘limited electro-magnetic spectrum’ ahead of its own and CARICOM Citizens under the CARICOM Single Market and
Economy mechanism,” Woolford recently stated. Former CEO of NCN Mohamed Sattaur had stated that the government was the one responsible for granting the licence. This is despite the government’s arguments that it cannot grant a licence to the town of Linden, but that it has to apply to the NFMU. Executive Member of the opposition coalition APNU, Lance Carberry, this week said that the government needs to clarify the arrangements under which CCTV is licenced to broadcast from Guyana. Cathy Hughes, Parliamentarian of the Alliance for Change, said she plans to ask the government for clarification on the issues today. Woolford has argued that aside from frequency allocation, the fact that Guyana has Chinese content TV on a frequency paid for
Pres. Ramotar challenges army to preserve, enhance image - as Annual Officer’s Conference begins President Donald Ramotar yesterday challenged members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to ensure that the image of the army is preserved and that ranks have a greater understanding of the challenges that they face. The Commander in Chief made these assertions while delivering the feature address at the Force’s Annual Officer’s Conference at Camp Ayanganna. “An officer of the GDF must have a deeper understanding of the problems and the challenges we are facing. It is therefore of great importance that we ensure that the image of the GDF as the premier security institution is not just preserved, but is enhanced.” The President also emphasized that the army’s resources must be carefully allocated and preserved. “I urge you to look at the Auditor General’s report on the military and see the great room you have for improving the use of our scarce resources. Many of the very expensive equipment, including boats, aircraft, and vehicles have too long downtime periods, and other equipment is not always being used at its best. “Our national resource sector is making an increasingly larger contribution to our economy and our welfare. It therefore demands heightened security attention. Every section of the force has an indispensible role to play. Air surveillance must be
President Donald Ramotar institutionalized and civil aviation must embrace fully security consciousness in its remit.” With global threats such as climate change and the unrest in areas such as Syria and Mali, and the scourge of narcotics and drug trafficking, the President warned that the nation’s forces must be prepared to deal with other national security issues. Commodore Gary Best in his brief address to the gathering, while not
commenting on the recent criminal allegations leveled against a group of alleged rogue soldiers, said that the army institutes “national justice procedures” that correct and mitigate “policy breaches.” He noted that polygraph testing is one of the mechanisms being embraced in the region to promote integrity among security personnel. An army officer and four other ranks were recently detained in relation to allegations that several soldiers from the army base at Eteringbang had carried out an unauthorised raid two Fridays ago. The accused ranks were reportedly positively identified and could eventuallyface court martial proceedings. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell and Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle were among those in attendance at the Officers’ Conference, the theme of which is “Consolidating and Modernising the GDF for Total Defence.”
and essentially operated by a foreign Government through a State to State mechanism, ought to raise eyebrows in any normal sovereign democratic nation. Yesterday, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon said that issuance of the television licence to China was an agreement in the making prior to former President Jagdeo placing an embargo on the issuing of television licences in 2001. Luncheon stated that the agreement between Government and China antidates Jagdeo’s 2001 to 2006 term in Office. According to Luncheon, the agreement took over 10 years to be implemented and Government is pleased with its conclusion and turning of the switch to put CCTV on air this year. He added that the Office of the President is responsible for telecommunication and is pleased that the agreement has been finalised. However, he is unaware of the reasons for the delay. Luncheon stated that as part of the agreement, China has to provide the resources to facilitate the broadcast of their national television, CCTV, on Guyana’s airwaves. He noted that a channel was
Enrico Woolford identified to be used for the transmission of signal from their CCTV. Moreover, the stateowned NCN and the Government Information Agency (GINA) assumed the role of management of the channel. He pointed out that nothing called for the physical presence of personnel. That responsibility will be undertaken by NCN and GINA. According to Luncheon, in 2001, Jagdeo and former Opposition Leader Desmond Hoyte established a Task Force to ascertain how media houses operate and the entire question of granting licences
for media houses. He related that the embargo was instituted following recommendations from the Task Force. According to Woolford, who was part of the Task Force, he is concerned that the State has given a foreign state, in fact an emerging superpower, access to a frequency without a fair, equitable and transparent public process, while not displaying the same alacrity to issue licences to Guyanese and CARICOM nationals. Woolford said, “Let us not confuse and conflate the issuance of licences to Guyanese and CARICOM nationals, as being the same to foreign countries or persons”. He pointed out that the giving of licences to a foreign country has to be done with full public knowledge, complete and transparent disclosure, since part of the country’s limited resources is being utilised. Woolford noted that is important that the public should know what the existing frequencies are and what is available. He made reference to the fact that prior to the embargo, requests were made for local television, and to date nothing has been done.
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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
Labour for Value As the Guyanese economy continues its upward (albeit not too steep) growth trajectory, there has inevitably been an increase in interest from foreign companies about doing business here. Much of the interest has been in the mining sector. But the recent announcement by the Chinese company Bin Shan Lin of the imminent launching of a multiproduct manufacturing facility signals a possible shift to the secondary and tertiary economic activities that facilitated so many other poor countries sustainably pulling themselves out of poverty. A key to our ability to attract more such firms will depend on the quality of our labour force. Unfortunately, from their recent pronouncements, labour leaders are focusing exclusively on the question of salary/wage rates without tying them to productivity – which implies being qualified and motivated. We seem determined to demand wages without taking into consideration the global realities. Our leaders should consider the object lesson of such a short-sighted approach in the crisis faced by Europe, Japan and the US. Those countries have over 20 million unemployed because they failed to fully appreciate the most fundamental economic development in this era of globalisation — the doubling of the global labour force. Up to 1980, Europe, Japan and the US produced the bulk of the more qualified workers that were combined with advanced capital to create manufactured goods beyond the capacity or capability of most competing countries. But the Far Eastern Tigers of Korea, Taiwan, Singapore etc., entered the fray and were soon joined by China, India and Russia and Brazil. But in the 1980s and 1990s, workers in these countries entered the global labour pool. It was not by magic. These workers had obviously existed before then. The difference, though, was that their economies suddenly joined the global system of production and consumption – because they were able to match investment in capital with a qualified workforce. By 2000, those countries contributed 1.47 billion workers to the global labour pool — effectively doubling the size of the world’s now-connected workforce. These new entrants to the global economy brought little capital with them, either because they were poor or because the capital they had was of little economic value. A decline in the global capital/labour ratio shifts the balance of power in markets away from wages paid to workers and toward capital, as more workers compete for working with that capital. It is estimated that the entry of China, India and the former Soviet bloc into the global economy cut the global capital/labour ratio by 55% to 60% of what it otherwise would have been. The capital/labour ratio is a critical determinant of the wages paid to workers and of the rewards to capital. The more capital each worker has, the higher will be their productivity and pay. Even considering the high savings rate in the new entrants — the World Bank estimates that China has a savings rate of 40% of GDP — it will take 30 or so years for the world to re-attain the capital/labour ratio among the countries that had previously made up the global economy. Having twice as many workers, and nearly the same amount of capital, places great pressure on labour markets throughout the world. This pressure will affect workers in developing countries like Guyana, as well as workers in advanced countries. We cannot compete with China in manufacturing, as long as Chinese wages are one-quarter or so of ours — especially since Chinese labour is roughly as productive as that of the developed countries. The traditional trade story, evidently still held as gospel by our trade unionists, was that most workers in advanced countries benefit from trade with developing countries because their workers are skilled, while developing-country workers are unskilled. This analysis has become increasingly obsolete due to the massive investments that the large developing countries are making in human capital. China and India are producing millions of college graduates capable of doing the same work as the college graduates of the United States, Japan or Europe — at much lower pay. If we want equal pay, we will have to produce equal output.
Friday February 08, 2013
Letters... Where your views make the news Letters...
DEAR EDITOR, The letter in the media written by Mr. Hubert Roberts, titled “Georgetown citizens should awake from their slumber” is timely. The citizens should not only awake from their slumber, but by now should be in revolt against Municipal and National Authorities to demonstrate their abhorrence about the present state of affairs, certainly unacceptable, but need not have been. He called upon the Ministers of Health, Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the Environmental Protection Agency to do something. I have pleaded for this kind of cooperation many times; pointing out that conditions within the city require not only those agencies, but all of us, including the President to find a modus vivendi to save
the city. It is no secret that set aside the lawlessness and indiscipline, which for some time has been eating away the fabric of our society. I have written to the President, past and present, pointing out that after all, Georgetown is our Capital and its integrity should certainly be above petty party politics, personalities and what appears to be a misreading of the essence of democracy and what is good for the nation and our youth. The writer of the letter must encourage others to speak up and demand much more than public relation ploys that have left us in this squalor we call a city. One example is this; the Inter American Development Bank when it finally agreed and funded the Solid Waste project, determined that a public education awareness programme
was vital. This should have either preceded, or be put in place at the same time as the construction of the Haags Bosch Landsite Facility. This is over seven years ago. When the Minister within the Ministry of Local Government announced last month that such a programme would commence, in response to a query of mine, the Minister could not say how much money was available for this public education programme. They say fact can be stranger than fiction. Why this delay? Wwas it deliberate? Were the funds misspent or misdirected? Or, is this a charade which parallels that statement of a previous Minister of Local Government that he would be glad for a health crisis in Georgetown? As before, let the public know that I stand ready and
able to work with the agencies named in Hubert Robert’s letter and others to save our city. Resources are available to government (the Environmental Fund and Lottery), I guarantee the writer and others that, in a few short months, we can transform Georgetown, but more particularly, not only transform but maintain, if we truly cooperate. What makes this situation painful is that we have the human and financial resources, this in addition to goodwill and concern among our citizens. Citizens must rise up, if once again the government ignores this and other pleadings. I said at a public forum that we also need divine intervention. All good is possible.
absolute or intended to be used in an unlawful, highhanded and arbitrary manner. I bought four mining permits from GGMC and caused to be invested a huge sum of money over the past 18 years. Using their indigenous cover and threats of violence, the Amerindians are unlawfully extracting gold from areas within my mining
permits. They are also unlawfully giving permission to other non Amerindian miners to extract gold from the lands. The Amerindians are receiving monies from these persons and they are destroying and polluting the environment. All of this is being done with the knowledge and approval of the directors of GGMC and the senior officers who refuse to take action to
prevent the illegalities. The law is very clear. The Amerindians have no entitlement to minerals. I trust that law abiding Amerindians, and other cheerleaders of the Amerindians will condemn the unlawful conduct of the Amerindians and non Amerindians who claim to be part of indigenous village councils. Wayne Vieira
Hamilton Green
The judge’s ruling is commendable DEAR EDITOR,
Based on the reports from the newspapers on the recent ruling by the Honourable Justice Diana Insanally, I wish to commend the Judge on her ruling. I saw a similar ruling by the Honorable Chief Justice since 2008. As far as I am aware, the Amerindians, like all peoples of Guyana, have rights, but none of these rights is
Friday February 08, 2013
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
The Attorney General is embarrassing DEAR EDITOR, Even as one who still spends time teaching, I find it hard to engage Mr. Anil Nandlall, Attorney General, not only because of his proclivity for misunderstandings and misrepresentations (on the Budget cuts, on the Lotto Funds), but also because his frequent pronouncements show extremely poor acquaintance, and at times no acquaintance, with the finer points of the Constitution. Then there is his chameleonic quality of rearranging facts to fit his circumstances. There was a convergence or, to use one of Mr. Nandlall’s big words, a concatenation, of these qualities in the recent news items in which he sought to arrogate assert for his office, authority over Bills passed by the National Assembly: cf. S/ N of February 3 and February 6. He told Stabroek News on February 3, 2013 that “The opposition Bills have not reached the Attorney General’s Chambers” “for [his]inputs”. Up comes the Clerk of the National Assembly saying not true: the Bill was there ever since. Cornered by facts, Nandlall’s story changes to “okay, but not on my desk” (February 6). Meanwhile, by letter of February 4 in the press I noted for the benefit of the public, and hopefully of Mr. Nandlall, that a Bill passed by the National Assembly is not an Opposition or Government Bill but that of the National Assembly. Contrary to his claim of jurisdiction over Bills passed by the National Assembly, the Constitution and the Standing Orders of the National Assembly vested certain powers and duties only on the Clerk of the National Assembly (custody and despatch to the President), the Speaker (to correct patent errors), and the President(to assent or explain). While it is evident that Mr. Nandlall was unaware of these finer points, Guyanese expect their Attorney General, whoever s/he might be, to appreciate the dangers of tampering, or of delaying tactics by a political appointee, thereby frustrating the constitutional requirement for the President to assent or explain within twenty-one days. But here again Mr. Nandlall’s elusive qualities come to the fore. Here are some of his unbelievable responses. He explains his loose nomenclature of Opposition Bills as
“descriptive labels … widely used in parliamentary Standing Orders the world over”. Mr. Nandlall is obviously less informed about Guyana than he is about the world over, since the “descriptive labels” are used in Guyana only when a Bill is “introduced” as a Private Member ’s Bill (Standing Order 51); or “presented” on behalf of the Government (Standing Order 53). Since Guyana by itself is proving to be so onerous to Mr. Nandlall, it is recommended that he leaves “the world over” to those who know a thing or two about it. Caught as a central violator of the provisions of the Standing Orders and the Constitution, Mr. Nandlall scurries for refuge in what he calls conventions “from the colonial days”. A little learning is truly a dangerous and damaging deficiency. In Mr. Nandlall’s “colonial days”, there was no 21 days limit and Bills were required to be assented to by the Governor who was not a member of either chamber, called the Senate and the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Nandlall might wish to refer to Dr. Shahabuddeen’s discussion on the role of the Governor under the 1961 Constitution on page 546 of his book Constitutional Development in Guyana 1621-1978. Under the 1980 Constitution there is a 21-day deadline for the President to assent or explain, while Article 51 of the Constitution makes the President an integral part of the Parliament. But more importantly, I hope for Mr. Nandlall’s sake that he would not argue, even in a corner shop, that a convention of limited historical validity can trump Standing Orders recognised in section 9 of the Constitution Act, or the Constitution itself which is the supreme law of Guyana. There are many learned articles, text books and treatises (Dicey, Wheare, Jennings, Phillips, Fiadjoe etc.) on the place of conventions in any constitutional environment, whether one having a formal written constitution or one governed by an uncodified constitutional regime.They are easily accessible and comprehensible to the average person. While asserting a convention violative of the Constitution and the Standing Orders as “having great utility”, Mr. Nandlall’s conscience suffered no discomfort in his recent
rejection of one of the most ancient parliamentary conventions, that resignation should follow a vote of noconfidence. And let me share with Mr. Nandlall another convention which his government has rejected out of hand: that while a Head of State can either assent or withhold assent, by convention, assent is always granted and not withheld. I now wait to see whether Mr. Nandlall will compare this with veto. He
just might… Shockingly, Mr. Nandlall does not seem to know the basic functions he is appointed to perform. In order to buttress his misconceived assertion of authority over Bills passed by the National Assembly, he claims that he is “the principal legal adviser of the state apparatus”. Mr. Nandlall, you are not. Please do not embarrass yourself further. In fact, you are the principal legal adviser to the Government [emphasis
mine] (Article 112 of the Constitution). Maybe the Interpretation and General Clauses Act does not provide a definition which could help Mr. Nandlall but surely Article 106 of the Constitution dealing with the resignation of the “Government” should have guided him. In management there is an axiom that if you do not know your job requirements, you cannot do it. It is hard to believe that anyone, let alone someone
with the exalted title of Attorney General, could by his own words, draw so much ridicule to himself in so short a time. But then as we have come to learn, Attorneys General are no longer made of the same intellectual mettle, possess the same badge of honour, or are blessed with the same judgment on the wisdom of silenceas those of yesteryear. Hopefully, Mr. Nandlall will learn as he goes. Christopher Ram
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Friday February 08, 2013
Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
DEAR EDITOR, M. Maxwell’s loaded letter, “The struggle for dominance will destroy this nation” (KN, 05-02-13) is helpful in the current racism discourse that has pervaded in the country, with the advent of Freddie Kissoon labelling the former President an “ideological racist”. (I echo Maxwell’s call for Mr. Kissoon’s ‘research’ that was presented to the court become available to the public – it certainly would become an eye opener!) Maxwell wrote, “Bhagwan and others love to point out the fact that the traditional public sector remains African dominated.
Indeed it is”. Certainly, one ought to copiously refer to this well known but hardly spoken fact; the likes of Freddie Kissoon and his angry ilk never mention this (ethnic) domination in their grouse and allegations about racial discrimination in the country. Maxwell continued, “…there is no mention from this group of a historical and endemic refusal of Indians to join the traditional public sector. The PPP has been in power for 20 years and Indians refuse to join the police and army. This Indian scorn of the public sector is never referenced by these commentators”. I am not sure where Maxwell lives, or who are his/
her friends and acquaintances. I have a feeling that Maxwell does not know where/how Indians tick. I don’t know where Maxwell got the idea that there has been a “refusal of Indians to join” the public sector. In the 1970’s, my Indian high school graduate friends and me were suitably qualified, and desperately tried to get a job in the civil service – but the political and racial doors were slammed. Those employed were few and far between; the only ones to have secured jobs quickly and easily were those who had a PNC party card, or who had given a bribe. Indians “scorn” to work in the public sector? Nah! Give dem
Kudos for a magistrate DEAR EDITOR, The Enmore Police Station Management Committee views with satisfaction the
recent conviction of a music cart vendor by Magistrate Zamilla Ally at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court. Residents of Enmore have
Tribute to Aubrey Bishop DEAR SIR, I hasten to pay tribute to the late Justice Aubrey Bishop, one of the most distinguished and outstanding Chancellors the Judiciary ever had. Aubrey Bishop distinguished himself in the legal field because he was not only a Judge; he was a learner, an historian, and he was a teacher. He was a judge who was easily understood and rarely misunderstood, but, above all that, his mannerism on the Bench was of such as made lawyers comfortable when they appeared before him. C.M. Llewellyn John
been complaining bitterly ad nauseam about music cart vendors traversing the Streets of Enmore in pairs with noise at unbelievable decibels. The situation is exacerbated because these carts move very slowly, thus the full effect of the noise is felt. Aged residents, p a r t i c u l a r l y, h a v e b e e n complaining and we are hopeful that Her Wo r s h i p ’s p o s t u r e o n noise nuisance will send a strong message to those few who wish to disturb the peace of the many. Credit must go to a leading resident of Enmore who pursued the matter to the end and to the ranks of the Enmore Police Station who were very supportive. Enmore thanks you, your Worship. Taajnauth Jadunauth
a chance, man – that’s it! For decades, the civil service had been opened virtually only to one race; this truth is plain as day. This discrepancy must be addressed candidly and thoroughly in working towards a fair and just system for all Guyanese. Regarding the police and army situation, it is true that Indians have refused to join these outfits. Maxwell appropriately pointed out in his letter that one ought to “venture beyond the effects to look at the causes”. The question begs - why have Indians refused to join these regiments? Malcolm Harripaul, former GDF Officer, and Ravi Dev, have given us some insights by citing why many Indians have not joined the GDF and Police Force. Mr. Dev pointed out that at the inception of the Police Force, Barbadians were brought in to “take on the local ex-slaves. When the locals showed that were not a threat, they were recruited to keep down the new ‘threats’: indentured Indians with cutlasses on the sugar plantation. This “divide and rule” policy was maintained by the PNC after independence because it served their purpose…”. Mr. Harripaul indicated that the vast number of Indians was automatically barred from recruitment because of the physical criteria requirements such as height and chest measurements; these criteria should have been lowered decades ago to make way for the largest ethnic group in the country, who often have felt unrepresented and unprotected. Mr. Harripaul also pointed out that no
provision was made for diet requirements of Indians. Indians generally abhor foods such as garlic pork, souse, and cow heel – an automatic turn off! I am sure if dal and rice, roti, alu and bigan chokha (and coconut chokha!) were a frequent feature in the menu, you’d have a whole lot more capable people flocking to the Forces. Mr. Harripaul also denoted that there are other factors impinging on Indians being part of the Force. These include racial insults, discrimination on training courses and sheer intimidation. The GDF and Police Force need wholesale changes in effecting the culture genre, food, and music - and to go the extra mile in encouraging Indians and other ethnic Guyanese to be part of these outfits. Maxwell laments that the PPP has been in power for 20 years and nothing (significantly) has been done to change the ethnic balance situation. Maxie, tell me; how do you think the likes of the Kissoons would react if they had single-handedly, efficaciously made wholesale changes to the Forces? Freddie would moan and groan, as the ‘standing colour’ of the Forces would upset the equilibrium in his workable ‘Plural’ model! His angst for any change in dark in the hue is well known – whether it is in the football team of the country, the staff in the neighbourhood post office or those persons who are in advertisements in the media! But Maxwell is on the right track; it is unfortunate that the PPP, who has been in power for decades, has done virtually nothing to make way
for others to be easily recruited for positions in the military and police forces. The letter writer circumspectly stated, “The public sector is highly inefficient and must be made efficient, which will naturally shrink it by about a third to a half of its current size. That shrinkage would reduce ethnic imbalance. Then you could go about balancing it when hiring new workers”. One cannot help but note Maxwell’s pivotal point in that last quote – to balance the ethnic composition of the civil service “when hiring new workers”! This is a reasonable and prudent move on any government’s part, and I assume that this is what the government in power is attempting to do. Care should be taken, however, in working towards this balance, so as to maintain integrity and justness for all. Mr. Maxwell in his letter underscored his discontentment of the “parallel public service” in the form of private contracted work. I hold absolutely no brief for the government or for the PPP, but suffice it to say that governments worldwide have been leaning that way. It is a universal truth that government workers “slack off the job” much more than those in the private sector. So there is nothing wrong with work going the contracted way; they (in the private sector) should be paid better because hopefully, it is a significantly more efficient and cost effective route. The contention, however, is why do Indians get more of those contracts? If it is by virtue of the fact that there are almost one-third more Indians than Africans in the country (43.5% compared to 30.2%), or if Indians happened to present the best contract offers for work to be done, then we need not cry foul; that is how the cookie ought to crumble. However, if Indians are hired more in contracted positions because of political or racial discrimination, then we should fight tooth and nail (without violence) against this position. I would be part of such a fight; why should my Guyanese brothers and sisters be discriminated against merely because of the pigmentation in their skin or the texture of their hair? However, we need to charter such waters with care and caution, and not paint every situation as ‘racist’ simply because we perceive every situation through racial eyes. Yours truly, Devanand Bhagwan 170 Karanpur Dehradun, India
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Friday February 08, 2013
Report on privatisation deals designed to confuse Report vaque, does not show how transactions were above board - Anand Goolsarran With a flurry of tables after tables, the recent document released by President Donald Ramotar on privatisation deals by the PPP/C government lacks clarity and is designed to confuse the reader. This is the view of former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran. “While some information contained in the document is useful, the average reader is left more confused and is unable to appreciate what to make of it,” Goolsarran told Kaieteur News. President Ramotar has been commended for taking the initiative to order the report, but what the Privatisation Unit has done is draw up a report that offers little clarity on major deals between 1993 and 2011. In early January, Ramotar released the publication after years of pressure on the ruling PPP/C to come clean on privatisation deals. Goolsarran says the document itself is not a report, but rather an extract from the Privatisation Unit’s database in the form of tables.
Former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran “What should have happened is for a comprehensive report to be prepared, with some of the information contained in the document presented in annexes or tables to the report.To lump all the information on privatisation in the form of tables is more confusing than helpful. It also clouds the more contentious privatisations that the government undertook.” Goolsarran is suggesting that the Privatisation Unit go back to the drawing board and
Winston Brassington prepare a “proper and comprehensive” report on the status of the Government’s privatisation programme and have it tabled in the National Assembly for discussion, debate and adoption. “The report should focus on the major entities that were privatised; the procedures that were followed to ensure transparency and to ensure that the State gets the best value for money, and the proper accountability for the proceeds,” Goolsarran emphasised. He said all the proceeds, net of expenses, should have been paid over
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo
to the Consolidated Fund, as required by Article 216 of the Constitution. Goolsarran said that while he appreciates that the Government is trying to be transparent about the privatisation deals it undertook since 1993, such an effort should have been ongoing over the years. In this regard, he said the National Assembly should have been provided with periodic reports on the status of the privatisation programme, preferably every three years. He pointed out that there is a Privatisation Policy Framework Paper that was
prepared some time in 1993, following criticisms of the previous Administration’s privatisation efforts. “I am not sure if this paper was tabled in the National Assembly and approved, but I would have liked something like that to happen. In addition, the proposed list of entities to be privatised should have been submitted to the National Assembly for its approval. All of this is in the nature of good governance practices,” Goolsarran stated. He said that the Government is aware of the public’s concerns of some of the privatisation “deals” that
it had entered into and that this is a glorious opportunity for it to demonstrate that these deals are above board. At the centre of the problems are the operations of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and its sister company, Privatisation Unit (PU). Both are state-owned agencies tasked with the management and privatisation of government assets. The manner in which NICIL had sold properties had seen Government again and again coming under fire. The release of the reports would clearly be seen as substantial and strategic move by President Ramotar to clean the image of his administration, and separate it from that of the Bharrat Jagdeo-led administration which has been tinged with corruption accusations. The documents list financial, commercial and manufacturing transactions, but state that “although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure accuracy, it is possible that errors or omissions may occur, given that the information presented has only recently been compiled, based on available historical information.”
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BLAME IT ON THE GOVERNMENT There is almost an instinctive propensity for persons to either blame or hold the government responsible for even the most trivial of problems. A schoolchild is attacked by another child and the government is blamed for this single act of violence within our schools. A mentally ill person attacks a schoolboy and suddenly there is concern that the government is not doing anything to take these mentally ill persons off the streets. The roads of Georgetown are in a poor state. The government is only responsible for public roads, yet the poor conditions of ordinary roads are often laid at the feet of the government. The garbage overflow in Georgetown is the responsibility of the local municipality which collects rates and taxes from citizens to aid in the collection of refuse. Yet whenever there is a debate about the awful conditions in Georgetown, the question is often asked as to what the government is doing. The government shoulders a great deal of blame for problems that do not concern the government. It is part of a process of political deflection. Instead of ascribing blame to those culpable, it is more politically expedient for blame to be placed at the feet of the
government. The situation gets more preposterous when it comes to crime. Two days ago, three men were shot by the police while allegedly committing a crime in the city. The reactions by the public have by and large been condemnatory of those killed, but in between there have been comments blaming the government for the fact that these young men entered into a life of crime. So the government is held responsible for the life choices of these men who met their end while purportedly attempting to rob an establishment. There is a clear political agenda at work. There are persons who are so traumatized by the fact that the party they support is not in power- and has been out of power for so long - that almost everything under the sun is blamed on the government. Even when it comes to the lifestyle choices of persons, political explanations are weaved into the fray. One day the government is going to be blamed for the sun rising in the east. One of the favorite arguments heard locally whenever there is a robbery is that the government is not doing anything for young people. This is followed by the view that the government needs to provide something for idle youths. But why should government provide
Dem boys seh...
Ah Kneel think he bigger than Donald Li’l children does crave nuff thing. Dem does crave Bar Bee doll, ice cream and some of dem does crave Bar Bee Rat. When dem get big, dem same people does crave wealth, publicity and fame. Ask Bar Bee, Brazzy, de Rat and de Bees. You can’t lef out Irfaat, Rob Earth and Shaatie. Dem craving publicity because all of dem done get filthy rich and Uncle Donald know, but he keeping he mouth shut fuh now. Ah Kneel Ganda Lall craving fuh power. De other day he claim how he got to tell Uncle Donald whether he can seh yes or no. He think he is Uncle Donald mouthpiece. He believe that when Uncle Donald was swearing in was he Ah Kneel was talking de words. Like he start smelling he sweat and everything else. When de Rat was in de high chair Rob Earth use to behave and act just like he. He think he was running de country. He get de siren fuh one day and he mek people cow run way. Nuff of dem animal jump in trench and dead. Dem boys know fuh sure that Uncle Donald ain’t gun mek that mistake wha de Rat mek. He would never give Ah Kneel even one hour wid de siren because people gun jump pun electric pole, jump in river, and others will jump in front of speeding vehicles. He is one of dem who crave power but in that same kettle of fish some of dem crave li’l boys. Dem boys does peep dem in some of de dark spots in de country. Ask Brazzy. Dem boys got some pictures and a lot of other things too. But when all is said and done some of dem who crave power end up mad. Thursday Rohee end up talking to heself in parliament. Ah Kneel was so sorry fuh de man that he prop sorrow. De rest of dem start fuh talk to one another. Dem boys seh that if that is wha power does do to people dem don’t want it. Talk half and wait to see who gun run mad.
opportunities for the idle? People are not idle because of the lack of things to do. They are idle because they choose not to do things. Why should hard-earned taxpayers’ monies be used to provide schemes for those who do not wish to work or make little attempt to seek employment? One such scheme is of course National Service. And this is the point that those who blame the government wish to introduce. Suggesting there is a need to revert to National Service provides justification for that initiative and thus provides credibility for the previous government which introduced this measure. The concern boils down to politics. There have been calls for
National Service to be reintroduced so as to prevent idle youths from engaging in criminal activities. Yet no empirical evidence has been produced to support the contention that placing persons in schemes such as National Service, as opposed to other forms of skills training programmes, will reduce crime. All governments need to make social interventions to help reduce crime. Amongst the interventions should be programmes aimed at youths and programmes aimed specifically at troubled youths. There have been such interventions. The present administration undertakes a number of skillstraining programmes, including providing industrial training for young people.
Thousands of youths are trained each year and this is a much wiser investment than a paramilitary scheme that is aimed at simply absorbing those who are said to be idle. If taxpayers’ monies are going to be deployed, they should be deployed in equipping young people with skills so that they can go out there and earn, not by placing them in an institution which is a drain on the resources of the State, resources which can be deployed more productively and efficiently. There are many young people in this country who refuse to be idle. There are many others who despite not having a job do not take to crime. This is a life choice that they make. They stay along the straight and narrow path,
despite things not being the best with them. It is not idleness that is the cause of crime. In fact, many of those who are caught engaging in crime do so not for the want of opportunities or the lack of skills, they make their own choice to engage in a life of crime, and therefore when they are caught, they must face the consequences. And for that the government should not be blamed.
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=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===
Three songs for my wife on our 34th anniversary On this date, 34 years ago, I married a Wortmanville girl. How and why she put up with me for three decades and four years I do not know. They say opposites attract and indeed that is so. Quiet, totally non-aggressive, and so soft spoken that it will strain her vocal cords if she tries to shout, she is the opposite of me. But there are things we need in each other. In Janet, I see someone that I can talk to without being deceived and someone who I know will honour her word to me and freely and dearly walk the extra mile for me. I met her in 1978 at the height of the WPA activities when she knew that forever my life would walk a political pathway. It has not been easy for her since 1978, but she has stood with me in the raging tsunamis that have drowned my life. In me, Janet sees someone with a willingness to offer protection and provide sincerity in a world of uncertainly, selfishness, fragility, deceit and deception. We do share a lot in common - a passion to help the poor, literature, poetry and music of course. Music
played a huge part in our courting days. In my vast music collection, I have so many songs that remind me of her. Whenever I listen to them, her image comes up in front of me. On this our anniversary I dedicate three songs to her. IL MONDO I first heard this Italian love sung by Engelbert Humperdinck when I was a 17-year-old youth in Wortmanville. The voice, lyrics and arrangement were a confluence of magical moments. I liked it since then. I would play it often for her when we studied together in Canada. In 2005, the Italian baritone, Patrizio Buanne, made a superb cover of it with lush orchestral accompaniment that was a huge international hit. I think he equaled Engelbert but I still cling to the version of the old master Lyrics Stay beside me, stay beside me Say you’ll never leave me How I love you, how I love you How I need you, please believe me
In your arms I found my heaven And your lips have done their parts Il mondo Your love is all I need in my world Let tender kisses plead in my world How could I ever live without you Il mondo My heart belongs to you, so take it And promise me, you’ll never break it Say you’ll stay here in my arms ALWAYS THERE I heard this song a few years back by the tumourstricken English tenor, Russell Watson and thought how vividly it applies to my life with Janet Kissoon. I suggest you listen to it and dedicate it to someone who has always there for you and on whom you know you can count. It is the perfect song about commitment that comes out of love and believing. Of course it is a lovely song that will be appreciated by anyone who loves music despite cultural differences. Lyrics
When I’m less than I should be When I just can’t face the day When darkness falls around me And I just can’t find my way When my eyes don’t clearly see And I stumble through it all You I lean upon You keep me strong And you raise me when I fall You are there when I most need you You are there so constantly You come shining through, you always do You are always there for me When life brings me to my knees When my back’s against the wall You are standing there right with me Just to keep me standing tall Though a burden I might be You don’t weary, you don’t rest You are reaching out to carry me
And I know that I am blest I WON’T LAST A DAY WITHOUT YOU When I met my wife, she was crazy about Karen Carpenter. She thought that Karen was the best female pop singer music produced. We spent countless days in Guyana listening to the Carpenters. The same in other countries in which we lived. I have every song that Karen Carpenter published. It was an uncanny situation because as I got older in my marriage and forever brought turmoil into our lives, I realized that the Carpenters actually sang two songs that were so applicable to me. Later these two songs turned out to be so popular that today they are among some of the most covered ballads in pop music recorded by internationally acclaimed singers and musicians in many genres. The other favourite Carpenter song is “A Song for You” but I’ll let that one pass. Lyrics Day after day, I must face a word of strangers Where I don’t belong I’m not that strong It’s nice to know there’s
Frederick Kissoon someone I can turn to Who will always care You’re always there When there’s no getting over that rainbow When my smallness of dreams won’t come true I can take all the madness the world has to give But I won’t last a day without you So many times When this city seems to be without a friendly face A lonely place It’s nice to know that you’ll be there if I need you And you’re always smile It’s all worthwhile If all my friends have forgotten half their promises They’re not unkind Just hard to find One look at you And I know I can learn to live without the rest I’ve found the best.
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Health Ministry engages stakeholders in quest to redefine malaria fight By Sharmain Grainger In an earnest attempt to redefine its malaria response, the Ministry of Health yesterday engaged a number of stakeholders even as it sought to expand the national conversation on the disease. This move comes even as the Ministry observes emerging challenges in what it describes as a “rapidly changing environment.” At a conference held at the Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara, Ministry officials were able to “engage longstanding and new partners in the national mobilization effort against malaria in order to better garner and synchronize their support as stakeholders.” Moreover, the forum will firmly position malaria on the front burner of the national agenda, according to Ministry officials. The conference was designed to address the Ministry of Health’s structure and systems in place to fight malaria; its achievements and new initiatives in the fight against malaria; new emerging challenges globally and locally in the fight against malaria; the economic impact of malaria and stakeholders’ participation, support and initiatives. Among those in yesterday were representatives of Pan American Health Organisation World Health Organisation, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Forest Producers Association, Guyana Women Miners Association, Ministry of Education, Guyana Defence Force, National Toshaos Council, Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Medical Council of Guyana, University of Guyana, Cyril Potter College of Education, Guyana Police Force and Media Practitioners. There were a number of school children in attendance too. The need for collaboration is essential, since according to Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, “malaria is a serious public health threat. We have been able to drive malaria back into the hinterland areas and to make the coast habitable...but still malaria remains a serious public health threat.” He explained that the Ministry has been working on this notion for some time now, hence the need to streamline
The malaria conference in progress yesterday
the conference to engage stakeholders’ support, and added that those involved in existing efforts have in fact done very well in helping to combat the disease over the years. Dr. Ramsaran insisted that the Government, through the ministry, has achieved significant gains in the fight against malaria, which was not without the support of international organisations such as the Pan American Health Organisation. He said too that Global Fund has in more recent times become a key international partner in the fight against AIDS with its technical and material assistance contributing significantly to the malaria prevention control campaign. This continued support, he said, will be critical to future control and prevention strategies. However, Minister Ramsaran noted that the Ministry of Health remains a major player in the national malaria prevention and control services campaign efforts. Moreover, the continuous contribution of respective international partners was slated to be presented and analysed at yesterday’s conference. According to Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, Guyana is one of the countries in the Americas that have been affected by malaria for many decades. He
recounted that in the early sixties, Guyana was able to push malaria back to a state where “we saw on the horizon the possibility of elimination. However with the changes in our global picture also the global economy, we saw a lot more exploring and a lot more people moving into hinterland areas, and as such, an upsurge again.” Dr Persaud disclosed that a number of regions, specifically Regions Two, Three, Six, Seven, Eight, parts of Nine and 10, are now considered highly endemic, with some amount of transmission taking place. He however noted that most of the coastal regions are free of malaria, a state that he insists the Ministry intends to retain. As such, he explained that over the past few years the Ministry in collaboration with its partners has been intensifying efforts and has even brought the fight to the community level. “The community is where it really matters because malaria is no easy disease, even though for many of us who live on the coast it might just be another infection...but for persons who live in the areas where malaria can be devastating they lose loved ones, they lose time, and sometimes they are even hindered in progressing to a healthy life because of the threat of malaria or even
malaria itself.” As such, Dr Persaud pointed to the fact that in high endemic areas and countries, the World Health Organisation has very specific recommendations which are embraced by the local Health Ministry through its National Malaria Programme. “We have accepted those
and have actually started to implement them over a number of years. We know of the effective use of longlasting insect-treated nets and how well those can help to protect us, our families, including children and pregnant mothers, and miners and loggers from malaria... and we must not forget too that in these communities
there are lots more than just miners and loggers, there are people who conduct lots of other businesses, too, that are also susceptible to malaria.” Dr Persaud added that the WHO recommends that prompt diagnosis and immediate treatment with the right type of anti-malarial drugs should be done as early as possible and as completely as is recommended. This could, however, be challenging, said Dr Persaud, thus the need for partnership with the communities. As such, he said that the recommendations coming out of the National Malaria Programme also complement the fight against malaria by the application of integrated vector management strategies, one of which is the interior residual spraying insecticide that can reduce the amount of mosquitoes that can attack those who are vulnerable. Other strategies to address the malaria situation, according to Dr Persaud, are expected to be realised through collaboration among stakeholders.
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Rohee speaks, Opposition walks out of Parliament After being restricted to his seat for months, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee was back on his feet again in the National Assembly yesterday despite the objections of the majoritycontrolled House. With that decision from Speaker Raphael Trotman, the Members of Parliament from the Opposition walked out. Minister Rohee was given his break to speak in the National Assembly when he requested to speak on the prevailing security situation in the country. Before walking out, the Opposition attempted to prevent Rohee from taking the floor. Opposition Leader David Granger pleaded with Speaker Raphael Trotman but to no avail. “If we can’t stand for something we will fall for anything,” Granger told the Speaker. Member of Parliament Basil Williams made a similar request with a similar result. When opposition frontbencher Deborah Backer attempted to add her voice, the Speaker said he would take no more, and his ruling was that Rohee be allowed to speak and that was final. The Opposition had moved a no confidence motion against Minister Rohee, saying he has failed
to preside in an acceptable manner over the security situation in the country. That no-confidence motion was passed on July 30, last. Based on that no confidence motion, the Opposition wanted Rohee blocked from speaking in the House. The Speaker had made a decision that since the matter of a member speaking in the House was one of Privilege, he would be referring the matter to the Privileges Committee. The Committee of Privileges has been set up to determine what, if any, are the powers of the National Assembly to sanction a Member of Parliament, who is a Minister appointed by the President, for failing to resign following the adoption of a Motion of No-Confidence in him. If the Committee does conclude that the National Assembly can sanction a member, it would then have to determine what sanctions, including preventing the Minister from speaking, are available to the National Assembly. The Government took the matter to court, and Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang recently ruled that the National Assembly has no right to prevent any member from speaking in the House, but Chang stayed clear of
Back on his feet, but speaking to whom? Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee (at right) in the National Assembly yesterday. ruling on whether Rohee could speak as Minister of the Government. With that ruling and the matter still before the courts, the Speaker had decided that he would still convene the Privileges Committee of Parliament. At that January 21st meeting, both the government
Former bank employee caught ‘moonlighting’ as bandit A former bank employee, who ‘moonlighted’ as a bandit, is to be charged along with three others in connection with a spate of armed robberies on the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara. Police said that the Eccles, East Bank Demerara resident is in his twenties and was employed at a Government entity having previously worked at a city bank. He was arrested at his workplace this week and has since identified two accomplices, who are also in their twenties. Several robbery victims have identified the trio, who are scheduled to appear in
- used dad’s vehicle as getaway car the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court today. Kaieteur News understands that detectives tracked down the former bank employee after getting the licence number of a vehicle that was used in a number of robberies which started sometime around December 2012. The vehicle belongs to the suspect’s father. The ex-bank employee told detectives that the gang would attack their victims in lonely areas while using his father’s car. One of the robbers would be armed with a handgun while the others
carried choppers. The group reportedly targeted residents of Montrose, Lusignan, Annandale, La Bonne Intention, on the East Coast of Demerara and Diamond, East Bank Demerara. Kaieteur News understands that the ex-bank employee told investigators that he turned to a life of crime because he was not making enough money. “He said that the money (salary) was too small,” a source said. None of the items stolen by the gang has been recovered.
and opposition agreed to abort the work of the Committee until the court proceedings are over. And so, yesterday, the Speaker said he would allow Rohee to speak, given the fact of the security situation at the time. Granger argued that with the number of crimes being committed every day, Minister Rohee should be speaking every day. Speaker Trotman rebuffed comments from the
opposition that his decision to allow Rohee to speak was an overnight one. Even in calling the privileges committee, the Speaker had said that he would not allow Rohee to introduce new Bills in the House, but would allow him to speak on security or any other matter he wishes to speak on. With the ruling, Rohee spoke to the Speaker, but mainly facing empty seats on the majority side of the
House. Once Rohee was done speaking, the Opposition Members of the House returned to their seats. The Opposition Leader is arguing that while the constitution allows any member of the Assembly to introduce laws or propose motions for debate, the constitution also provides for the National Assembly to regulate its own procedure and may make rules for that purpose.
PPP trying to undermine RDC’s role in Region Eight - AFC The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is obviously trying to undermine the role of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Eight, simply because they do not have control. This is the view of the Alliance For Change, which won the majority of votes in the region at the last General and Regional Elections in 2011 and has the Chairmanship of the Region. The party is basing its opinion on a recent episode in parliament when a question was directed to the Minister of Local Government, as to why there was no meeting of the Regional Democratic Council in Region Eight. According to the AFC, the Minister responded that he was not aware of the reason. But the party laid the blame squarely at the feet of the Regional Executive Officer (REO) and it is of the view that the PPP is “playing petty politics that is designed to discredit the AFC.” In a press release issued yesterday the AFC listed what it termed facts about
why the meetings were not held. “When the Council met on the 17th and 18th of October, the Council decided to hold the next RDC meeting on the 26th and 27th of November 2012.The Clerk of the Council, who is the Regional Executive Officer, did not summon the statutory meeting in November. The Chairman of the RDC wrote the REO a letter on the 29th of November asking him to explain why the meeting was not summoned. To date there has been no response to the Chairman’s letter.” According to the AFC, the Regional Chairman subsequently wrote the REO another letter on the 5th of December instructing him to summon a meeting of the RDC for the 17th and 18th of December 2012. The AFC said that the REO failed to summon the meeting and gave no reason why the meeting was not summoned.”Both letters to the REO were copied to the Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local
Government & Regional Development Mr Collin Croal; so for the Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud to claim he did not know the reason why there were no meetings of the RDC is either misleading or clearly points to a lack of communication between himself and the PS in his Ministry.” “The Minister of Local Government and indeed the PPPC administration must be aware of the antics of the REO of Region Eight since letters have been sent to the Minister and President Ramotar updating them of the shamefully non-cooperative attitude of the REO, yet no action is being taken by the Minister or the PPPC administration,” the AFC added. The AFC said that despite the non-cooperation of the REO, the Chairman and majority of Councilors of the Region Eight RDC are forging ahead with developmental plans for the Region and moreover, “the residents are fully aware of the efforts of the PPPC REO to stymie the works of the Council.”
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Cops perform porter duties at Diamond Hospital Driver trapped after car slams into sand truck
Residents try in vain to free the injured driver A young driver can thank several public-spirited citizens for coming to his rescue during the early hours of Wednesday morning after he slammed into a sand truck near Diamond, East Coast Demerara. The unidentified man was trapped for over an hour in his mangled vehicle
and passersby, using a metal pipe as a lever, toiled unsuccessfully to free the driver’s legs. It took two truck drivers using chains tied to each end of the wreck to free him. He is believed to have sustained severe injuries to his legs. Police who were at the
scene took the victim to the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital. On arrival, they were informed that there were no hospital attendants on duty. It was then left to the policemen to hoist the patient onto a stretcher and take him into the Accident and Emergency Unit.
Prashad Nagar shooting…
Third man identified as Meadow Brook resident The third man who was shot and killed during a confrontation with police on Wednesday in Prashad Nagar has been identified as 32year-old Quincy Alexander of 53 Meadow Brook, Georgetown. Reports are that the man was positively identified by relatives yesterday. Residents of the community described him as a ‘nuisance’ to the community ever since he took up residence there. Some say Alexander was responsible for preying on persons traversing the area late in the evening and robbing them. There are also reports of him
being involved in a chopping incident in December of last year where he seriously wounded another man. However it is not clear if Alexander was ever charged for that incident. Further background checks on Alexander showed that back in 2008 he was charged with unlawful assault and unlawful and malicious wounding. Meanwhile post mortem examinations are expected to be performed on the remains of the other two men who were shot and killed. Tony Ogle and Leon Gittens were positively identified on the day of the shooting, mere hours after
being pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital. At around 10:15 hours on Wednesday, Gittens, Ogle and Alexander were shot by police ranks in plain clothes during a confrontation. According to the police they received information that the three men were about to carry out a robbery at Platinum Mining which is located at Premnaranjan Place, Prashad Nagar. The police further stated that their ranks staked out the business place and when the men entered the compound there was a confrontation during which all three men were wounded.
Essequibo man gets 14 years for murder Thirty-one-year-old Suresh Persaud, formerly of Colombia Village on the Essequibo Coast, first requested leniency then expressed sympathy for what he referred to as “whatever” would have occurred on the 15th of October 2010, moments after Justice Franklin Holder had handed down a 14-year prison sentence for manslaughter, as the trial concluded Tuesday at the Suddie High Court. Persaud also promised the judge that he would change and told the court he has been converted to Christianity.
Persaud called ‘Guy’ and his reputed wife Nandranie Narine called ‘Hima’, were imbibing alcohol hours after she was discovered dead by one of her three sons, Talesh Narine, covered in blood, at her Colombia residence. Persaud, who was 29 years old at the time, was initially charged with murder and had made his first appearance before Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty, in 2010, at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court. He entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge of manslaughter, after a voir dire and the admission of a statement by Justice Holder.
Suresh Persaud
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Fatal stabbing of 4-year-old…
Sexually assaulted teen recounts horrific ordeal The 17-year-old female who was reportedly sexually assaulted on Wednesday by a man who subsequently knifed four-year-old Jamal Naranjan to death, is convinced that the man would have killed her as well, if he had caught up with her. The distraught woman, who ran out of the Wismar house, said in an emotionally charged interview with this newspaper that she instinctively felt that her attacker was going to kill her and “bag her off”, after he asked her for a “big rice bag” when he had finished raping her. Her attacker lives less than 50 yards away from his girlfriend, who happens to be the slain toddler’s mother and a relative of the female victim, while the Wismar Police Station is located about 100 yards from where the incident occurred. “He asked me for this rice bag to pack up some wares that he said he had, and I knew that he had no wares. So I thought to myself, he probably will kill me and put me in the bag and dump it somewhere.” The teenager disclosed that her female relative had ended a relationship with Samuels about five days before the incident. The mother of the now dead fouryear-old Jamal Naranjan, was too distraught to speak to Kaieteur News. The teen then recounted: “It was a little after twelve when he (suspect) came to the house, and said he came to collect some papers. At the time I was washing, so I told him he could go and collect the papers, but instead he go upstairs and collect some pictures, and when he come downstairs, he started to play some games on he laptop. So after I finish wash, I told him I got to go out, because I had to go on the highway.” She said she only told him that because she wanted him to go away, because she always felt scared around him. “He was always too quiet, and I never trust people when they are too quiet. Only Monday night when I was sleeping, I suddenly wake up, and I felt as if somebody was looking at me, and when I opened my eyes I see somebody run past.” The teenager said that she immediately told her mother that she suspected that the man had been watching her. She said that after telling him that she was going out, she went for a bath, and it was when she came out of the bathroom and was getting dressed that the man went upstairs behind her and
Jamal Naranjan barged into the room before she could lock the door. “So I seh ‘wha happen boy?’ and he seh ‘wha happen?’ And with dat, he bend down like if he going to pick up something from my shoe rack, then he turn round suddenly and scramble me from the back of me neck and lift me up. And he tell me not to scream or anything or he would kill me.” The victim said the man took her into the living room where he continued choking her. He then started to question her about her relative, asking if she was in a relationship. The woman said that even though she had no idea, she gave the man a fictitious name and address just to appease him, because she was afraid that if she said she didn’t know, he would harm her. After further interrogating her about the woman’s movements, the teen said that the man ordered her to undress. She said she did what she was told out of fear, but kept begging the man not to rape or kill her. She related that prior to raping her, the man disconnected the telephone, and donned a pair of green gloves. He then ordered her to lie on the bed. “He raped me twice,” she recounted. The teen said that all the while he kept telling her, how he loved her relative. According to the woman, the man then picked up a pillow and attempted to suffocate her with it but she managed to wrestle it from his hands and threw it on the ground. She said that he threatened to slit her throat if she told anybody what had happened and then would flee into the hinterland. The teen said she later managed to distract the man and started to “holler for murder”. She ran out of the house and went straight to the Wismar Police station. She said it was while she was on her way to the station that she looked back and saw the man scramble the little
boy and hoist him on his shoulder. After reporting the matter to the police, the teenager said that she looked across at her house and saw the man bending down over the little boy in the yard, and the child’s legs were kicking in the air. To her it appeared as though he was repeatedly cuffing the child. What she did not realise was that he was actually plunging a knife into his body. She said that she started
crying, and begged the police to go and save the boy, but they told her that she was hostile, “and that I shouldn’t be making noise in the station.” “Then a woman who had already gone to the station, and reported the matter, returned a second time to call the police, saying ‘buddy look y’all deh hey and a lil boy deh getting jook up, and dey tell she ‘look, you come out the station because you always inciting some police story, you always stirring up strife’.”
A few persons in the Buck Hill neighbourhood, said that earlier in the day the suspect had been walking around as if he was ‘creasing’ the place, or checking to see whether residents were at home. Residents of Linden expressed shock and outrage, at the child’s murder, and the sexual assault. They also condemned what they called the “lackadaisical” attitude of the police, at the Wismar Police Station, which is a stone’s throw away.
But persons who knew the suspect expressed astonishment that he would commit such a heinous crime. Most persons described him as an easy-going and quiet individual. Meanwhile, a group calling themselves the “Mothers of Linden”, yesterday staged a protest at the Mackenzie Police Station condemning what they called the negligent and unprofessional behaviour of the Police at the Wismar Station. (Enid Joaquin)
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GDF Coast Guard to benefit from more Brazilian expertise
Commodore Gary Best and Vice Admiral Ademir Sobrinho exchange signed agreements. In the background are members from both delegations. Commodore Gary Best and Vice Admiral Sobrinho of Brazil have inked an agreement that paves the way for the Brazilian Navy to provide technical, operational and administrative assistance to support the Coast Guard and in particular the GDF flagship, the GDFS Essequibo. The agreement, which in its current state is ready for
implementation, subject to the approval of the local Defence Board, was signed when military delegations from Guyana and Brazil met on Monday and Tuesday. Chief of Staff Best headed the GDF delegation which included a corps of Senior Officers, while the Brazilian naval contingent was headed by Commander of the 2nd Naval District of the Brazilian
Navy, Vice Admiral Ademir Sobrinho. A press release from the GDF stated that the two delegations were engaged in cordial discussions and the Brazilian team visited Base Camp Ayanganna where they were given a brief on the Guyana Defence Force. Thereafter they toured Coast Guard Ship, Hinds, at Ruimveldt.
The two delegations have also established points of contact. The Guyana Defence Force and the Brazilian Armed Forces have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship over the years. The Brazilians played an integral part in the refurbishing of the auxiliary engines of the GDF Essequibo three years ago.
95 GDF officers promoted
Chief-of-Staff Commodore Gary Best (left) with the assistance of Colonel Mark Phillips decorates Major Selwyn Austin with his new badge of rank. Guyana Defence Force Chief-of-Staff Gary Best announced that Commanderin-Chief President Donald Ramotar has approved the promotions of 95 officers, in accordance with Part III Section 16 of the Defence Act Chapter 15:01, of 1977. Acting Colonels, Enoch Gaskin and Frances Abraham, who were elevated to that rank on January 1, 2012, have been confirmed in the rank. Additionally, Acting Lieutenant Colonels Ramkarran Doodnauth, Gary Baird, Julius Skeete and Omar Khan have been confirmed in their rank. Acting Majors Sean
Harmon, Mohinder Ramjag, Jermain Cort, Dale Ann David, Anson Weekes, Andy Pompey, Charles Wickham, Dale de Mendonca, Kester Craig, Shen Fung, Sheldon Howell, Courtney Mendonca and Ron Caulder have all been confirmed in their rank and are now Substantive Majors. Also joining them in that rank are Substantive Captain Selwyn Austin and Substantive Lieutenant Miguel Benjamin, who were elevated in rank to Substantive Major. Meanwhile, six Substantive Captains have been elevated in rank to
Acting Major and seven Acting Captains have been confirmed in their rank. Local Captain Kevin Moore and 11 Substantive Lieutenants have been elevated in rank to Acting Captains, while 10 Acting Lieutenants have been confirmed in their rank. Of the latter, Acting Lieutenant Llewlyn Eastman has been confirmed in rank with effect from July 1, 2012. Eleven Second Lieutenants have been elevated in rank to Acting Lieutenant. Of this group, Second Lieutenant Yuvindra Rampersaud has been elevated in rank with effect
from July 1, 2012. In the Coast Guard, Acting Lieutenant Commander (CG), Vernon Burnett has been confirmed in his rank while Substantive Lieutenant (CG) Roger Nurse has been elevated in rank to Acting Lieutenant Commander (CG). Acting Lieutenants (CG) Rowel Rampersaud and Adrian Mclean have been confirmed in their rank while Substantive Sub-Lieutenant Wayne Richmond has been elevated in rank to Acting Lieutenant (CG). Meanwhile, three Acting Sub Lieutenants have been confirmed in their rank, and seven Midshipmen have been elevated in rank to Acting Sub Lieutenant. In the GDF Reserve, Acting Lieutenant Colonel Clifton Innis was confirmed in his rank and Acting Captain Sean Welcome was also confirmed in his rank. Substantive Lieutenant Deon Heyligar was elevated in rank to Acting Captain while 10 Second Lieutenants were elevated in rank to Acting Lieutenant. The newly-promoted Senior Officers received their new Badges of Rank at a simple yet significant Badging Ceremony, at the Officers Club at Base Camp Ayanganna yesterday morning.
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NOC Commission of Inquiry…
Final report to be presented this month end The final report stating the findings of the inquiry which was set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the violent escape of juveniles from the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) at Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast, is expected to be presented to the public sometime this month end. The document, which was put together by members of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) following two days of interviews of both the staffers and students of the juvenile detention facility, is currently being reviewed by Chairman of the COI, Justice Winston Moore. This is according to Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, as well as member of the Inquiry Commission, Alfred King. King explained Tuesday that the findings have been compiled into a document and that it has been recently handed over to Justice Moore who will conduct an extensive review of the document to ensure that there are no gaps. After being stalled for a while to facilitate the replacement of Justice Prem Persaud who was named the initial Chairman of the COI, the investigation “seems to be heading somewhere”. A few months ago, a number of youngsters, ages ranging from 14 to 16 went on a violent rampage, storming through several communities while being armed with cutlasses and other weapons, in a bid to escape from the Juvenile detention facility. After the incident which resulted in the destruction of
parts of the facility, including the female dormitory and a workshop which were set afire, inmates and staffers gave their statements. It was as a result of controversial and differing statements that a Commission of Inquiry was set up. Inmates had claimed that they were being abused by staffers, and that they had reached breaking point. A senior Ministry official had however stated that none of the juveniles made any such allegations to the team which visited the centre shortly before the escape. The Board of Inquiry comprises Alfred King; Senior Superintendent and Divisional Commander of ‘D’ Division, Christopher Griffith; Senior Probation Officer of Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Trenetta Scott and Mr. Maydha Persaud, a retired headmaster and member of the Teaching Service Commission. Of the 48 inmates who had appeared in court following the incident, eight were charged with arson, and 40 were arraigned for escaping from a training school. Thirtysix of them were male. Thirteen of the juveniles pleaded guilty to escaping from the NOC, while the remaining 35 entered not guilty pleas. Sixteen of the inmates were remanded to the juvenile facility in Georgetown, while the other 32 were returned to the NOC. Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony has assured that any staffer found guilty of abusing the children when the report is presented this month end, will be dealt with accordingly.
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67 candidates to contest general elections BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC – Sixtyseven candidates, including seven independents, have been nominated to contest the February 21 general elections, according to electoral officials. Both the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and the main opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) have nominated candidates to contest all 30 seats in the Barbados parliament. In a festive atmosphere and surrounded by party supporters, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart filed his papers at the Graydon Sealy Secondary School where he was warmly greeted by students. After completing the process, Stuart, the parliamentary representative for the St. Michael South constituency, warned that the DLP’s campaign would now move into high gear as it seeks another five year term in office. “The DLP’s case for re-
election will be put as of tonight with all the vigour, all the clarity, with all the enthusiasm at our command because we think that we have a record of which we are justly proud and we have a vision for the future that we feel strongly about and that we can with confidence put the people of Barbados.” Stuart also dismissed claims of a swing of support towards his opponent Noel Lynch of the BLP, who he defeated in the 2008 general election. “When I cease to be Prime Minister 10 years from now he will win the seat up here and I have no problem with that, “the Prime Minister said. But an upbeat Lynch told reporters he’s confident of unseating the country’s leader. “The people of St. Michael South have already made up their minds like most of the people of Barbados. We need to put an end to a failed government in this country and the people have spoken and they are going to
Freundel Stuart
speak loudly on February 21.” In the northern parish of St. Peter, BLP leader and former prime minister Owen Arthur, accompanied by family, supporters and his party colleagues, filed his papers to contest his ninth general election. He later told reporters he is ready for the poll and to represent the constituency of St. Peter as well as
My Govt. does not endorse Jack - Kamla
Jack Warner Trinidad Express - Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar Wednesday distanced her Government from statements made by National Security Minister Jack Warner. In a television interview on Tuesday, Warner, the United National Congress (UNC) chairman, said Independent senators should do “the honourable thing” and resign ahead of the election of a new president. The term of current President George Maxwell Richards comes to an end on March 17. He is set to be succeeded by Justice Anthony Carmona. “Mr Warner, when he made those statements, did not consult or speak with
Kamla Persad-Bissessar anyone else. Those were his personal opinions and not the opinion of the Government,” said the Prime Minister. “It is not the place of the Government to call upon, or to seek or to harass anybody to leave or resign. That will be totally within the purview and the jurisdiction of the P r e s i d e n t . . . h i s Excellency...and his office, and that will also be within the purview of those persons.” Speaking at the launch of Children’s Carnival in Boopsingh Park, Penal, Persad-Bissessar said it was inappropriate for any Government to seek to trespass on the purview of the President in calling for the resignation of Independent
senators. “I do not endorse that view, and that would have been the personal view of Mr Warner. They do not reflect the view of my Government,” she said. And Persad-Bissessar said she was unable to comment on the High Court judgment delivered on Tuesday that the revocation of the appointment of Nizam Mohammed as chairman of the Police Service Commission was illegal, null, void and of no effect. “I have not read the judgment, so I will not be able to pronounce on the specifics of the judgment. We will have to be guided by what is contained in the judgment,” she said.
Barbados. “I’m confident not only in
relation to my constituents in St. Peter but I am confident that this will be a victory for the Barbados Labour Party,” said Arthur, who in 2008 led the then ruling BLP into defeat. Arthur said that the election is a serious undertaking and he pledged to give Barbadians a clear programme on how his BLP intends to return the ailing economy to prosperity in its manifesto soon to be released. “Our manifesto went through four drafts and we have been using our public meetings, our focused group meetings, our town hall meetings to bounce things off the people. It’s been a
collaborative effort reflecting the whole cross section of the Barbados Labour Party family “What you will find in the manifesto is no wish listing from our party but peoples’ perspective as to what they want their government to do,” he added. Arthur’s opponent and relative Haynesley Benn of the DLP told reporters he will deliver the constituency to the DLP. “I have a big fish to fry not the biggest this time. He (Arthur) was the biggest last time. The fish has been reduced in size and is able to hold into my pan. I have this fish under control,” he added.
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PAHO/WHO concern over increased deaths due to breast and cervical cancer WASHINGTON - CMC – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) said they have brought together this week various stakeholders, including government representatives and academic institutions to develop a plan of action for reducing deaths caused by breast and cervical cancer. The two UN organizations said that the meeting, which will also be attended by the private sector, is to develop a plan of action for screening, early diagnosis, education and treatment for these cancers and for expanded vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV). They said an estimated 400,000 women are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer each year in the Americas, and at least 20,000 die from these diseases. Both types of cancer are preventable and treatable through screening, early diagnosis and proper treatment.
“For a public health problem of this magnitude, and given that we have the know-how and technology to save lives, we urgently need all sectors of society to work together to help ensure equitable access to cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care,” said newly appointed PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne. “That is why today, we are galvanizing the support of the international health community to jointly accelerate breast and cervical cancer prevention and control in the Americas,” the Domincan born PAHO official added. The announcement by the UN health organisations come as a controversy rages here following a recent decision by the Trinidad and Tobago government to cancel a HPV vaccination programme for schools. The government cancelled the programme following concerns from parents and the Roman Catholic Church that not
enough public education had been undertaken on the Gardasil vaccination programme. But other organisations including the Trinidad and Tobago United Teachers Association (TTUTA) and the Family Planning Association (FPA) backed the government initiative. In a statement issued on Wednesday, opposition legislator Dr. Amery Browne said cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer among women in Trinidad and Tobago and that the vaccine Gardasil was developed and approved by the US FDA during the last decade as “a safe and scientifically proven means of preventing infection with many of the dangerous strains of HPV which cause cervical cancer and some other genital cancers. “Gardasil vaccination has been widely implemented in a number of countries already, and its safety profile has been excellent compared to many other vaccines that are
routinely accepted. “Unfortunately there are several groups and websites that have been propagating misinformation about Gardasil, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The associated controversy should have informed any responsible government about the need for proper planning and comprehensive education of the population prior to initiating any Gardasil Programme in our nation’s schools.” Dr. Browne said he is in “full support of a voluntary HPV vaccination programme for our young women and young men” but urged the government to implement several measures including a
comprehensive public education campaign and take immediate steps toward increasing the number of women who access regular Pap smears in the primary health care system. PAHO and WHO said they were pleased to be teaming up with several international organisations including the Women’s Cancer Initiative in hosting the meeting. In addition to the Political Declaration of the U.N. High Level Meeting on NCDs in 2011, the recently adopted WHO Global Monitoring Framework for NCDs calls for a 25 per cent reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2025,’ said Dr. Etienne. “It has provided governments with tangible
targets and indicators for cancer incidence, cervical cancer screening, and HPV vaccination. It is up to those of us gathered here today to guide efforts and investments to support governments to achieve these targets and indicators.” The UN bodies said that the multi-year plan of action that will result from this week’s meeting will include advocacy and communications to mobilize women, communities and stakeholders; improvements in health service capacity for breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care; scaled up access to HPV vaccination; and expanded research.
My CVs are not 100% accurate - Dr Hafizool Ali Mohammed Trinidad Guardian - A defiant Dr Hafizool Ali Mohammed, one of the commissioners appointed to sit on the commission of enquiry into the 1990 coup attempt, has admitted his curriculum vitae (CV) is inaccurate but he is not stepping down. In fact, he is returning to the enquiry to resume duties as a commissioner. He made the announcement Wednesday, as he described the discrepancies on his CV as “errors” at a press conference at the Portof-Spain office of his attorney, Martin George. George said Mohammed, who called the press conference to clear the air on questions surrounding his qualifications, met with President George Maxwell Richards and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan on Monday, at which time he presented his certificates to both men. He said no objections were raised. But the explanations given by Mohammed for the discrepancies on his CV were puzzling. Among the explanations given was that for the acronym “MS.” On Mohammed’s CV, he claimed he received an MS, military science, from the US
Dr. Hafizool Ali Mohammed Army Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth. Many perceived this to mean he had a master of science degree in military studies, as the acronym is generally used to described such a degree.
Air Canada to trim flights to Bermuda HAMILTON, Bermuda CMC - Air Canada has announced that it plans to scale back flights from Toronto to Bermuda to three days a week, starting in the spring, because of weaker demand. “We reduced the schedule in response to the route performance and expected future demand,” an
Air Canada representative told media here. Canada’s largest airline is currently flying from Toronto to Bermuda five days a week but starting in May, it will fly only on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. However, the airline will add another flight on Tuesdays as of June 27 for the summer months and revert
to three times a week in September. The Royal Gazette newspaper reports that the cuts have disrupted the plans of many travellers, including an event organiser who had 62 people booked on a flight to come to the island to perform in early June. Starting on February 23, Air Canada will also resume its Bermuda to Halifax, Nova Scotia flight once a week until March 16 as a winter seasonal service. The Halifax service is popular with Bermudian students who attend university in Nova Scotia. Another Canadian airline, WestJet, flies to Bermuda three times a week.
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Jamaica gets the nod to train aviation professionals Jamaica Gleaner Jamaica has been given the green light to train aviation professionals for the global markets, which will need 350,000 pilots and 480,000 mechanics by 2026. The country officially received its ‘Trainair Plus’ full membership from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) during a joint Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCCA) regional symposium at the Hilton Rose Hall, Montego Bay, on Monday. The ICAO is a United Nations specialised agency and the only global aviation standards setting body in the world. The accreditation comes as aviation faces a number of critical challenges, including “a brain drain because of retirement of skilled workers and an increase of the global fleet”, said JCCA’s director general, Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Derby. Derby bolstered comments made by ICAO’s regional director, Loretta Martin, who outlined several
key challenges that must be addressed by the aviation industry locally, regionally and globally over the next few decades. Martin argued that Latin America and the Caribbean were below their training capacity. “Consequently, to remain sustainable, training institutions of this region must think internationally and globally, rather than nationally, otherwise they will not have enough trainees to remain in operation.” Martin’s observations have been welcomed by the JCCA, whose head, Derby, said the local organisation now has access to all the standard training packages in a wide range of aviation courses. In addition to the training of Air Traffic Controllers, which the JCCA has been doing since 1991, with Trainair Plus they are now equipped to train aviation professional in areas such as English language proficiency, flight dispatch, pilots up to a certain
level, airfield maintenance, technicians and telecommunication specialists. “With the global training capacity increasing to 350,000 pilots and 480,000 mechanics by 2026, there lies the opportunity to participate in delivery training to that group,” said Derby. Officially opened Underlining the importance of the JCCA’s role in the area of training, Minister of Transport and Works Dr Omar Davies, who officially opened the symposium, announced that Jamaica was seeking to expand its Air Traffic Controller training programme to the Caribbean and the rest of the world. Of note is the fact that International Aviation Authority forecasts that the 2.9 billion airlines passengers carried in 2012 will grow to over six billion by 2030, and that the 30 million flights they flew on will reach 60 million annually over the same period.
Caribbean faces higher trade costs WASHINGTON - CMC – A new database developed jointly by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the World Bank reveals that trade costs fall disproportionately on the Caribbean and other developing countries. The World Bank said this has taken place although the international economy has integrated considerably in recent decades. “Although developing countries are becoming more integrated into the world trading system in an absolute sense, they are starting from a higher baseline and their relative position is deteriorating because the rest of the world is moving more quickly,” the World Bank said. The new Trade Costs database uses an “innovative method” to estimate trade costs in agriculture and manufactured goods, “opening new analytical possibilities for policymakers and researchers interested in trade integration.” According to the research, trade costs are influenced to varying degrees by distance and transport costs, tariff and non-tariff measures, and logistics. The new which covers the period 1995-2010, outlines the importance of supply chains and connectivity constraints in explaining the higher costs and lower levels of trade
integration observed in the Caribbean and other developing countries. One of the key findings triggered by the database is that two areas amenable to policy interventions – maritime transport connectivity and logistics performance – are “very important determinants of bilateral trade costs, with an effect comparable to that of geographical distance.” The global database shows the pattern of trade costs across countries and through time by offering a comparison of countries and identifying high trade costs. The World Bank said that one telling trend is that for upper middle income countries, it is easier to trade
with high income countries than among themselves. “Neighboring countries in regions like the Middle East and North Africa often have higher trade costs with each other than with the more distant Southern European markets,” said Jean François Arvis, a senior economist at the World Bank’s International Trade Department and one of the database’s principal architects. “This disparity serves to hold back ongoing efforts at regional integration in such areas.” The Trade Costs database allows policymakers to highlight high trade costs at a bilateral level, identify the key determinants and focus their efforts on the reduction of those costs.
Minister of Transport and Works Dr Omar Davies (right) has the attention of regional director of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Loretta Martin, during the opening ceremony of the JCCA/ICAO Trainair Plus Regional Symposium at the Hilton Rose Hall in Montego Bay. To their left is Mayor of Montego Bay Glendon Harris. - PHOTO BY JANET SILVERA This is even more evidence that there is need for training facilities to
accommodate those who will work in the industry. Some 200 delegates,
representing 26 countries, were in attendance at the symposium.
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Khamenei rebuffs U.S. offer of direct talks DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s highest authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, yesterday slapped down an offer of direct talks made by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden this week, saying they would not solve the problem between them. “Some naive people like the idea of negotiating with America, however, negotiations will not solve the problem,” Khamenei said in a speech to officials and members of Iran’s air force carried on his official website. “If some people want American rule to be established again in Iran, the nation will rise up to face
them,” he said. “American policy in the Middle East has been destroyed and Americans now need to play a new card. That card is dragging Iran into negotiations.” Khamenei made his comments just days after Joe Biden said the United States was prepared to meet bilaterally with the Iranian leadership. “That offer stands but it must be real and tangible,” Biden said in a speech in Munich. With traditional fiery rhetoric, Khamenei lambasted Biden’s offer, saying that since the 1979 revolution the
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
United States had gravely insulted Iran and continued to do so with its threat of
Afghan corruption worth twice government revenue: report KABUL (Reuters) - A figure equal to twice the Afghan government’s domestic revenue - $3.9 billion - was gouged from the country by public sector corruption last year, a U.N. report said yesterday. This amount is also roughly equal to the annual aid pledged to Afghanistan until 2015 by the international community at last year’s Tokyo Conference. The report, by the U.N.’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), will lead to concerns about the mismanagement of those donor funds by Afghan officials in a country which has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s most corrupt. “While corruption is seen by Afghans as one of the most urgent challenges facing their country, it seems to be increasingly embedded in social practices, with patronage and bribery being an acceptable part of day-to-
day life,” the report said. Almost 7,000 Afghans were surveyed last year and they revealed that corruption in the country had risen by 40 per cent since 2009. Half the population had to pay at least one bribe to a public official in 2012, the report said. U.S.-backed Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly pledged to curb corruption in order to keep attracting aid from international donors as a planned transition from U.S.led NATO forces to Afghan leadership takes place by the end of 2014. But capital flight has continued, threatening Afghanistan’s fragile economy and stability. The Afghan central bank estimates that the total amount of cash leaving Afghanistan each year could be as much as $8 billion. The report found corruption was becoming a way of life in Afghanistan,
with 68 percent of those surveyed saying it was acceptable for a civil servant to top up their salary by taking bribes. However, it found that the percentage of people who paid a bribe had dropped from 59 in 2009 to 50 last year. In September Karzai sacked five provincial governors and made changes to almost a third of the country’s 34 provinces in a shakeout of corrupt and inept officials aimed at soothing foreign donors’ fears. At last year’s Tokyo Conference, delegates from 80 nations and international organizations pledged US$16 billion in aid to the country over four years. Afghanistan is plagued by corruption as a result of more than thirty years of war and nepotism. Last year it was ranked at the bottom of Transparency International’s annual corruption index, sharing the spot with North Korea and Somalia.
military action. “You take up arms against the nation of Iran and say: ‘negotiate or we fire’. But you should know that pressure and negotiations are not compatible and our nation will not be intimidated by these actions,” he added. Relations between Iran and the United States were severed in 1979 after the overthrow of Iran’s prowestern monarchy and
diplomatic meetings between officials have since been very rare. Currently U.S.-Iran contact is limited to talks between Tehran and a socalled P5+1 group of powers on Iran’s disputed nuclear program which are to resume on February 26 in Kazakhstan. Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor said he was skeptical the negotiations in Almaty could yield a result, telling Israel Radio that the United States needed to demonstrate to Iran that “all options were still on the table”. Israel, widely recognized to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East, has warned it could mount a preemptive strike on Iranian atomic sites. Israel sees its existence as directly threatened by the prospect of an nuclear-armed Iran, given Tehran’s refusal to recognize the existence of the Jewish state. “The final option, this is the phrasing we have used, should remain in place and be
serious,” said Meridor. “The fact that the Iranians have not yet come down from the path they are on means that talks ...are liable to bring about only a stalling for time,” he said. Iran maintains its nuclear program is entirely peaceful but Western powers are concerned it is intent on developing a weapons program. Many believe a deal on settling the nuclear issue is impossible without a U.S.Iranian thaw. But any rapprochement would require direct talks addressing many sources of mutual mistrust that have lingered since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent U.S. embassy hostage crisis in Tehran. Moreover, although his re-election last November may give President Barack Obama a freer hand to pursue direct negotiations, analysts say Iran’s own presidential election in June may prove an additional obstacle to progress being made.
China’s new leader urges ‘sharp’ party criticism BEIJING (AP) — China’s new leader said the ruling Communist Party should tolerate “sharp” outside criticism, in comments that are being viewed skeptically by a public accustomed to pervasive censorship. State media said newly installed party General Secretary Xi Jinping made the remarks at a gathering of nonCommunist Party groups. Members of the groups “should have the courage to speak the truth, give advice even if it is unpleasant, and accurately reflect the voice of the public,” the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Xi as saying. He also asked all party organizations to “actively accept” and “sincerely welcome” advice and criticism from outside the party. Xi, who is slated to become China’s next president this spring, has vowed to tackle endemic official corruption, which he says threatens the future of the Communist Party. Word of Xi’s public endorsement of “sharp criticism” quickly spread in China’s active social media, where a Xinhua posting of his comments was reposted more than 20,000 times within hours Thursday. Some responded with hope, but more expressed skepticism, if not downright cynicism. China has routinely detained and imprisoned people critical of the party
Xi Jinping and the government. It also tightly censors newspapers, other publications and the Internet. “Sharp criticism? We cannot even comment on news reports, let alone make sharp criticism,” Zhang Xing, a Beijing lawyer, wrote on his microblog account. “Will it be enticing the snake out of its cave?” The comment was a reference to China’s notorious Hundred Flowers campaign in the 1950s, when Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong encouraged people to openly express their opinions under a policy of “letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thoughts contend.” The policy was followed by a brutal crackdown against those who criticized the regime and its ideology, and Mao said he had enticed the snakes out of their caves. Zhao Chu, a Shanghaibased independent scholar, said Xi’s strategy is different
from Mao’s. Xi is attempting to make his administration appear more open while in reality it is tightening controls, said Zhao, whose microblog account was temporarily removed without explanation in January. Several other prominent journalists and scholars also have seen their online presence removed in recent months. When journalists from the Southern Weekly newspaper in southern China’s Guangdong protested overbearing censorship in January, many reporters were banned from posting comments on their microblog accounts. Some had their accounts deleted altogether. “Many people have been shushed online,” Zhao said. “And many people have been sent to prison for one article. Isn’t it hypocritical for the party to say it wants to hear sharp criticism after it has already tightened speech?” Willy Lam, an expert on party politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said Xi’s remarks did not depart from the party’s usual stance on speech. “What he says is ‘we are willing to listen to voices from different sectors on the condition that the party still holds power,’” Lam said. “I don’t see any indication or sign he might be adopting a more liberal or benevolent approach to handle dissidents.”
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Islamic summit urges dialogue on Syria transition CAIRO (Reuters) Leaders of Muslim nations called yesterday for a “serious dialogue” between Syria’s government and an opposition coalition on a political transition to put an end to nearly two years of devastating civil war. A two-day summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation backed an initiative by Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia to broker negotiations to stop the bloodshed in which at least 60,000 people have died. “We all agreed on the necessity to intensify work to put an end to the tragedies which the sisterly Syrian people are living through,” Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi told the closing ceremony. But in a sign of persistent differences, the summit ended without the release of the full final communiqué as diplomats were still wrangling over the wording. They were arguing over a text drafted by
foreign ministers on Tuesday, which pinned most of the blame for the bloodshed on the Syrian government. Syrian opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib made a surprise offer last weekend to open talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ceremonial deputy, Farouq alShara, on a transition that would guarantee Assad safe passage into exile. The presidents of Egypt, Turkey and Iran met on the margins of the summit to discuss ways to support this initiative but no details were disclosed. The secretary-general of the OIC, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, said the initiative “focuses on the unity of the Syrian lands, comprehensive dialogue between the Syrian factions and responding to any country that wants to join in this dialogue”. Syria was not represented at the summit after it was suspended from the OIC last August, nor was the Syrian opposition present.
Tehran is one of Assad’s last allies and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, making the first visit to Egypt by an Iranian leader since 1979, reveled in the opportunity to play mediator. There has been no official response from Damascus to Alkhatib’s offer, but fighting has intensified on the ground after a relative lull. It is unclear how much influence Alkhatib and his Cairo-based Syrian National Coalition, some members of which were surprised and angered by his offer, have on the rebels fighting inside Syria. The rebels battled army units for control of districts of Damascus for a second day on Thursday, part of a rebel offensive which aims to shake Assad’s hold on the capital, a rebel captain and opposition activists said. Units of Assad’s elite Republican Guard based on the imposing Qasioun Mountain overlooking the city fired artillery rounds and
Obama open to “big deal” on budget, but wants revenues
Barack Obama (Reuters) - President Barack Obama told congressional Democrats yesterday he is willing to agree to a “big deal” with Congress on spending cuts and tax reforms to end uncertainty over the U.S. budget deficit, but insisted that new revenues be part of the package. “I am prepared, eager and anxious to do a big deal, a big package, that ends this governance by crisis where every two weeks, or every two months, or every six months, we are threatening this hard-won recovery,” Obama told House of Representatives Democrats attending a three-day retreat. In a foreshadowing of more budget battles to come, Obama said he would insist that taxes be raised by closing loopholes that benefit the wealthy, as a way to raise money for spending projects. “The rest of the way moving forward, we can do
some additional reforms, and make our health care programs work better, and make them more efficient, and we can cut out programs that we don’t need,” he said. “But it also means that we’ve got to be able to close some tax loopholes that the average American cannot take advantage of, to raise the revenue to actually do the job in a way that allows us to continue to grow,” the president told House Democrats. The months following Obama’s re-election in November have been dominated by confrontations with congressional Republicans over budget and fiscal issues. While the two sides were able to avoid steep cuts and tax hikes from going into effect at year end and have for now put off the immediate risk of a U.S. debt default, Washington will again face the prospect of painful across-the-board spending cuts March 1 if it doesn’t act. Congress also must grapple with how to continue funding government operations after a stopgap funding measure expires March 27. Obama has asked Republicans for a short-term budget package to avoid the deepest of the automatic spending cuts, but has said it needs to “balanced,” that is, include some increases in revenue from closing tax loopholes. House Speaker
John Boehner has said he would block any delay in those cuts unless other spending cuts and reforms are agreed to. The White House has attacked congressional Republicans for suggesting they may be willing to let the harsh cuts - referred to as “sequestration” - go into effect automatically. Uncertainty over the yearend “fiscal cliff” led to steep reductions in defense spending, contributing to a contraction in the world’s largest economy’s output at the end of last year. At the retreat, Obama urged Democrats, who remain in the minority in the House, to take heart from his reelection and Democrats’ gains in both houses of Congress to press for an agenda in line with their political beliefs. “Even as it’s important not to read too much into any particular victory ... I think it’s also important for us to feel confident and bold about the values we care about and what we stand for,” he said. The president asked for lawmakers’ backing as he presses forward on programs he has identified as priorities for the early days of his second term: immigration reform and gun control. Obama said he would keep strengthening the modest economic recovery at the top of his agenda for his second term.
Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi (C) attends a meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after the opening of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Cairo. REUTERS/Egyptian Presidency/Handout rockets at the eastern neighborhood of Jobar and at the southern ring road, where rebels have overrun roadblocks and army positions, the sources said. Assad, has lost control of large parts of the country but his forces, backed by air power, have so far kept rebels
on the fringes of the capital. Many of the Islamic heads of state and government left Cairo on Wednesday after the first day of the summit, leaving their foreign ministers and diplomats to haggle over the communiqué. In an interview with the BBC Arabic service, Alkhatib
said the Syrian government had until Sunday to release all women detainees, otherwise he would regard his offer for dialogue as having been rejected by Assad. Alkhatib was quoted as saying that “the initiative would be broken” if the detainees were not released.
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Israel’s Netanyahu tackles tricky coalition-building JERUSALEM (Reuters) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met yesterday with Yair Lapid, the surprise runner-up in an election last month, to try to draw him into a broad government that could bridge Israel’s religious divide. In the January 22 ballot, centrist candidate Lapid’s rallying cry, “equal sharing of the burden”, touched a nerve among voters angered by military exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox students and state stipends for large, religious families. Lapid, a former TV anchorman who leads the new middle-of-the-road Yesh Atid, has been publicly sparring with Netanyahu, even suggesting that he could become Israel’s next leader within 18 months should Netanyahu fail to form a stable government. Netanyahu, looking to clear the air just days after the president asked him to form the next government, held a two-hour session with Lapid to lay out his vision for a coalition of center, rightist and religious parties. “The meeting ... was
conducted in a very good atmosphere. It was a agreed that another meeting between the two would be held soon,” Yisrael-Beitenu and Yesh Atid said in a brief joint statement. In a major political surprise, Yesh Atid captured 19 of parliament’s 120 seats, compared with 31 for Yisrael Beitenu, which had 42 legislators in the previous Knesset. Netanyahu needs at least 61 seats for a parliamentary majority and has 42 days to do it. He has several options, ranging from a narrow coalition with traditional right-wing and religious partners to broader alliances with centrist parties. A government with centrist partners could help Netanyahu project a more moderate image as he prepares for a visit to Israel this spring by U.S. President Barack Obama, with whom he has had a testy relationship. Two major international issues - frozen peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and possible Israeli military action against
Iran’s nuclear program - were eclipsed during much of the election campaign by domestic social and economic concerns. For Netanyahu, adding ultra-Orthodox parties traditionally focused on their religious constituencies rather than on foreign policy - to a governing coalition could make it easier to leave out far-right factions and move forward in peacemaking. “The voter wanted Netanyahu to be prime minister and Lapid to be the senior partner,” Vice Premier Silvan Shalom of LikudBeitenu told Army Radio before the two convened at the prime minister’s Jerusalem residence. “And the voter also wanted there to be a national unity government ... so we would like to see everyone inside,” Shalom said. “We are making every effort vis-a-vis the ultra-Orthodox, too. They also understand that times have changed, that something must be done.” Most Israeli men and women are called up for military service for up to three
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party embrace after the swearing-in ceremony of the 19th Knesset, the new Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun years when they turn 18. However, exceptions are made for most Arab citizens of Israel, as well as ultra-
Orthodox men and women. About 60 percent of ultraOrthodox men engage in fulltime Jewish religious studies,
keeping them out of the labor market and burdening the economy and state resources.
Canada eyes revoking citizenship of dual nationals tied to terror OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government is eyeing legislation that would let it revoke the citizenship of dual nationals involved in acts of terrorism following news that a CanadianLebanese man participated in an attack that killed Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year. The Conservative government said early this week that a Canadian dual national was one of three people who attacked a tourist bus in Bulgaria last summer, killing five Israelis. Canada is investigating a separate charge by Algeria that a Canadian coordinated last month’s attack on a gas plant there. “Canadian citizenship is predicated on loyalty to this country, and I cannot think of a more obvious act of renouncing one’s sense of loyalty than going and committing acts of terror,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney told reporters on Wednesday. Kenney said citizenship can now be revoked only if it was shown to have been gained fraudulently. That did not appear to be the case with the man implicated in the Bulgarian attack, who apparently came to Canada from Lebanon aged about 8, gained Canadian
citizenship three or four years later, and returned to Lebanon when he was 12. “I understand he may have been back to Canada a few times since then, but (he) has not been a habitual resident in Canada since the age of 12,” Kenney said. Kenney endorsed a bill introduced by Conservative legislator Devinder Shory that would enable the citizenship of dual nationals to be revoked if they engage in war against Canada. He suggested expanding the bill to include acts of terrorism, even if they were not targeted at Canada. Kenney noted that some had questioned if Canada should continue to allow dual citizenship, following its large-scale evacuation of Canadian-Lebanese dual nationals from Lebanon in 2006. But he said the government, and most Canadians, feel the idea of dual citizenship should stay. “The polls I’ve seen indicate pretty strong public support for it, which is interesting, because generally Canadians are really intolerant of those who would seek to abuse the country’s generosity,” Kenney said. “So this tells me they believe that the vast majority of dual
Jason Kenney citizens are bona fide and I agree. 0"I think where we might want to make a distinction is amongst those dual citizens who have completely rejected any sense of loyalty to Canada, gone out and committed terrorist crimes, (or) committed acts of war against Canada.” Opposition New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Peter Julian accused the government of taking high-profile examples to build legislation “that goes far beyond the due process and the checks and balances that most Canadians want to see respected”. His party does not have enough votes to block Conservative legislation.
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EU leaders seen shunning growth for subsidies in budget deal (Reuters) - European Union leaders began two days of high-pressure talks on a long-term budget yesterday, with efforts to refocus spending on growth likely to be thwarted by demands for farm subsidies. The negotiations on the 2014-2020 budget, which will assign nearly 1 trillion euros (856 billion pounds) of spending, pit the EU’s more fiscally conservative northern countries against those in the south and east that want money for infrastructure and agriculture. Arriving for the talks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the balancing act that EU leaders will have to make. “We have to be careful with the way we spend, but also show solidarity between net contributors and recipients,” she told reporters, referring to those who pay the most towards the budget and those who get the most back from it. Efforts to strike a deal at the last summit in November
failed, and diplomats say that if an agreement isn’t reached now, it may not be possible before late 2014 or even 2015. That is likely to focus minds and in the build-up to the summit consensus was forming around a spending framework worth around 950 billion euros over the seven years - equivalent to around 1 percent of the EU’s annual GDP, but lower than the longterm budget that is about to end. That would reflect the region’s gloomy economic backdrop and represent a victory for the likes of Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, which favour fiscal restraint. But the bulk of the spending, around 40 percent, would still go on agriculture and related farm subsidies. That is a frustration for many northern European states that want to see a shift towards research and investment to kickstart growth. Those ambitions will have to be put to one side if they are to at least get a deal
that reduces spending. Two of the biggest recipients of farm spending are France and Italy, both of which have hinted they could block the budget unless their appropriations are maintained. The budget needs to be unanimously agreed among all 27 countries. French President Francois Hollande said ahead of the talks that the push for savings must not be allowed to destabilise Europe’s economic recovery, and that he was only willing to negotiate “up to a certain point”. British Prime Minister David Cameron has also said he is willing to block an agreement unless there is a sufficient cut in spending, although he hasn’t specified to what level. “When we were last here in November, the numbers that were put forward were much too high. They need to come down and if they don’t come down there won’t be a deal,” he told reporters after a cost-cutting walk to the
summit venue in Brussels. Smaller countries such as Denmark, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria have also set out firm positions, making it almost inevitable that the negotiations will be drawn out and potentially divisive. Talks could even run into tomorrow. While November’s talks fell short, there was less of the public squabbling that normally accompanies negotiations. The chairman of the summit, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, will be hoping for a similar level of engagement as the negotiations formally begin at 1630 GMT. In recent weeks, Van Rompuy has been in touch with every EU leader to assess where the contours of an agreement may lie. He will present the 28 heads of state - all EU members and Croatia - with his compromise as they sit down, an effort to prevent the numbers leaking out and scuppering an agreement. In November, Van Rompuy began talks by
reducing the European Commission’s original budget proposal by 80 billion euros, cutting the headline figure to 972 billion. Thursday’s talks will resume from that figure, although it will not be a simple question trying to bring the number down by cutting, since the budget also involves delicate negotiations over rebates - amounts countries get reimbursed after they have made contributions. There is also a difference in how countries interpret the budget figures, with some focusing on commitments the maximum amount that could be spent on projects or programmes - and others concentrating on payments the sums actually spent. Payments are always less than commitments, and any deal may ultimately rest in the gap between the two. If there is to be a deal, the expectation among diplomats is that it will require a reduction in commitments in the region of 15-20 billion euros, pulling Van Rompuy’s
Angela Merkel headline figure down to around 950 billion. But in terms of payments, the figure could end up closer to 900 billion, an amount that negotiators hope will satisfy Cameron and others adamant about belt-tightening. The other major fight will be over rebates, with Britain the biggest recipient. Even opponents of its refund including France, Italy and Spain - have so far only put up token resistance, and there is little chance of it being cut. France and Italy, which in theory could qualify for a rebate, want payments to them for agriculture and regional aid maintained or boosted if they are to play ball on rebates.
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13:00 hrs - Village Talk 13:30 hrs - The Young and the Restless 14:30 hrs - Days of Our Lives 15:00 hrs - General Hospital 16:00 hrs - The Bold and the Beautiful 16:30 hrs - Cartoons 17:00 hrs - Birthdays and other greetings 17:15 hrs - Death Announcement/ In Memoriam 17:30 hrs - Sitcom 18:00 hrs - CNN News 18:30 hrs - Kingdom Voice 19:00 hrs - Soul Melodies 19:30 hrs - News Update 20:30 hrs - Clear Water Music Hour 21:30 hrs - Music request Hour 22:30 hrs - Sitcom 23:00 hrs - News Update
23:30 hrs - Movie: Bride of Chucky Sign off DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55 hrs. Sign On 09:00 hrs. GMA 10:00 hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 11:00 hrs. The Ricki Lake Show 12:00 hrs. The View 13:00 hrs. Prime News 13:30 hrs. The Young and the Restless 14:30 hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful 15:00 hrs. The Talk 16:00 hrs. Steve Harvey 17:00 hrs. The Ellen DeGeneres Show 18:00 hrs. World News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00 hrs. Channel 8 News 21:00 hrs. The Vampire
Friday February 08, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) It’s difficult to sit quietly in the back of the room because irrepressible Mars, your key planet, aligns with Mercury the Communicator. You know what you want to say and you think you can inspire others into action. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You might be the one in the group who stands up and speaks your mind today. Fortunately, you’re able to draw on poetic images and creative visions that are normally beyond your reach. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may be feeling upset at the way things have gone down at work, but there isn’t much you can do about it today, except talk about it. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You are inspired to fight for what you want today, and chances are that you may actually get it. If you ever considered writing a letter about a familiar gripe or going to your boss about a lingering issue, this is the day you’ve been waiting for.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Although it’s always a good idea to stick with the facts, how you deliver the message is just as important today as what you say. When you put the data you’ve been working on into the report or email, make certain you don’t overstate your position. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You have the sweet power of persuasion at the tip of your tongue now. Messenger Mercury aligns with your key planet Mars, adding the strength of conviction to your words. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) It may feel as if something isn’t quite right, but you can’t put your finger on the source of the problem. You might be afraid that you won’t get your needs met, even if satisfaction is within reach. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Quicksilver Mercury catches up with warrior Mars in your 3rd House of Communication today, making it difficult for you to hold your punches.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may feel lighter on your feet today because there’s less responsibility weighing on your shoulders. Nevertheless, you’re not in the mood to play games, and someone who gets in your way might be surprised with the speed and fury of your response
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may be more emotional than you prefer when the evocative Moon enters your sign today. Even if you try to avoid complicated feelings, you might be overwhelmed by your reactions now.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Sparks may fly if someone oversteps your boundaries today. It really doesn’t matter who you are with now; you might feel as if others are trying to get your goat.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You aren’t often this pushy, but you are ready to say what needs to be said now as chatty Mercury lines up with feisty Mars in your sign.
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Diaries (New Episode) 21:42 hrs. Beauty and the Beast (New Episode) 22:22 hrs. Supernatural (New Episode) 23:00 hrs. Sign Off
Guides are subjected to change without notice
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::: Letters to the Sports Editor :::
An Attempt to Fuel Confusion DEAR EDITOR, This letter is a response to the letter in the February 7, 2013 Kaieteur News titled, “Disgraceful-Dru Bahadur embarrasses Guyana Cricket”, by a group that call themselves the Guyana National Cricket Stakeholders. The letter stated that Bahadur threatened Guyana Times Sports Reporter, Rajiv Bisnauth, and used expletive language towards him. It also claimed that Bisnauth remained mute throughout the attack on him. However, such information is not accurate. Mr. Bisnauth was equally vocal during the exchanges which actually began in a jovial manner. On February 5, Bisnauth arrived at 12:30hes for a sending off party for the Guyana national team that was scheduled to start at 11:30. On his arrival, the team was boarding the bus. As such, Bahadur questioned the Reporter’s timing and also inquired about an article he misquoted him in the previous week.
Bisnauth did not take the questioning well as he responded in a hostile manner, and the discussion subsequently turned heated. But at no point in time did Bahudur threaten him or used expletive language. It should be noted that at the end of the argument Bisnauth openly told the GCB President that he will destroy him in the Guyana Times the next day. And in the evening of the incident, Guyana Times/ TVG’s Management condemned the attack on Bisnauth in their Evening Newscast. After which, the “Guyana National Cricket Stakeholders” sent out a Press Release to the various Media houses calling for action to be taken against Bahadur. Yes, I was present and tried to tell both individuals to calm down contrary to what the telepathic “stakeholders” reported in their letter to the Press. In fact, I had a very long unrelated conversation with Mr. Bisnauth and another Reporter, from the Kaieteur
News, after the incident. Editor, like the Executives of the GCB, Reporters have a professional conduct to live up to. Calls are made to have Bahadur answerable for his actions, but no one is calling for Bisnauth to be answerable for his unprofessional behavior. Furthermore, the group that wrote the letter did not bother to ask the GCB President about what actually took place or if the complaints are true; they just attacked and accused him. Editor, taking into consideration the problems surrounding the GCB and its elections, this letter is a deliberate attempt to fuel the confusion. Everyone has their opinions but they need to investigate incidents properly before attacking and slandering the Executives of an important organization like the Guyana Cricket Board which has since met with the management of the Guyana Times and considers this matter closed. Yours sincerely, Anand Sanasie
Culbard declines GCB position DEAR EDITOR, It was brought to my attention that Kaieteur News of Monday, February 4, 2013 carried a news item in which my name was also mentioned in connection with the CDC. The news item was under the caption “Rayon Griffith reappointed Chairman of GCB Senior Selection
panel”. In as much as I am willing to serve a game I love, the present legal issues facing the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) do not allow for me to do so at this time. I thank my friends who considered me worthy to serve again on the Cricket Development Committee (CDC) like I did in the past.
In such a circumstance, I would appreciate if my name is not included as being a member of the CDC for the reasons I stated earlier. Please be guided accordingly and I would appreciate you giving similar publicity to my position. Sincerely, Grantley L Culbard
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Jamaican joy as USA, Mexico suffer Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz pulled off a stunning result, drawing Mexico 0-0 at the fabled Estadio Azteca to open the final ‘Hexagonal’ round of FIFA World Cup™ qualifying in North, Central America and the Caribbean. Elsewhere, Jurgen Klinsmann got a rude introduction to the so-called ‘Hex’ as his USA were beaten 2-1 on the road by Honduras, while Panama blew a two-goal lead to draw with Costa Rica. FIFA.com wraps up an eventful evening in CONCACAF. Jamaica made history with a 0-0 draw against Mexico at their much-feared Estadio Azteca. The Mexicans, reigning Olympic and CONCACAF champions, looked out of sorts from the start, despite having such household names as Giovani Dos Santos, Javier Chicharito Hernandez and Andres Guardado in the side. And when they trudged off the pitch to a chorus of boos and clenched fists from their own fans, they will have breathed a sigh of relief. It was a game Mexico could well
have lost. Ryan Johnson started as lone striker for the Reggae Boyz, hitting the post once and missing two golden opportunities. One wonders what top scorer Luton Shelton, who missed the match through injury, might have done with similar chances. In the end, the point is a famous one for the Jamaicans. It is their first-ever at the Azteca, and fittingly it came on the birthday of late reggae star Bob Marley, who so loved his football. Costa Rica came back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 on the road against Panama. Los Canaleros were rewarded for their frenzied early pressure, opening the scoring after 16 minutes when Luis Henriquez cut inside and struck from just inside the area. Roman Torres doubled the lead eleven minutes later, volleying home from close range after brilliant approach work by young sensation Marcos Sanchez. But Costa Rica, recently crowned champions of Central America, rebounded in style. Top scorer Alvaro Saborio bagged his seventh
goal in qualifying to cut the deficit before the interval. Fulham schemer Bryan Ruiz, who had a fairly quiet game up to that point, then went on to steal a share of the spoils with an improvised overhead kick in the 84th minute. Klinsmann’s Americans wilted in the humidity of San Pedro Sula, suffering their first loss in a Hexagonal opener since the format was adopted in 1998. The German boss opted for an inexperienced, new-look rearguard, with Captain and veteran Carlos Bocanegra left on the bench. Even so, the Americans opened the scoring after 36 minutes, Clint Dempsey latching onto a brilliant chipped ball from Jermaine Jones to volley into the top corner. The dream didn’t last, however, and Honduras equalised via a Juan Carlos Garcia stunner five minutes before the interval. From there on, the visitors, who lacked a creative spark, lost their way, looking a decidedly uninspired lot. Honduras made certain of all three points when Jerry
Jamaica celebrate their goal Bengston, who plays his club football in the US with New England Revolution, took advantage of a defensive miscue with eleven minutes to
GFF Super league...
Western Tigers clawed their way to the top of the leader board following the latest round of action in the 2012/2013 Guyana Football Federation Super League which was contested at the Georgetown Football Club Ground, on Wednesday night. The Tigers, edged past Pele 2-1 in a close battle in the main attraction, the curtain raiser saw defending champions Alpha United hammering Amelia’s Ward United 4-0. Following a goalless first half in the Western Tigers / Pele game, four minutes into
play. CONCACAF fourth round ‘Hexagonal,’ match day one; Honduras 2-1 USA, Panama 2-2 Costa Rica,
Mexico 0-0 Jamaica Up next March 22, 2013 Honduras vs Mexico, Jamaica vs Panama, USA vs Costa Rica. (FIFA.com)
Western Tigers claw past Pele 2-1 -to take top spot; Alpha hammer Amelia’s Ward 4-0 the second half, Gavin Wilson handed the tiger’s pole position and his teammate Devon Millington doubled the advantage in the 61st minute. Soon after though, Pele was able to narrow the deficit on account of a Stellon David penalty in the 65th minute and the game was back to an interesting position. Unfortunately for Pele, they were reduced to 10 men when hero turn villain, Stellon David was shown a straight red card for ‘Violent Conduct’ in the 67th minute, a mere two minutes after scoring. Meanwhile, Alpha United, featuring a number of ex Pele players following the transfer window (January 1 – 31), made light work Upper Demerara’s Amelia’s Ward easing to a 40 win. They got their goals off the boots of Andrew Murray in the 10th minute, Gregory Richardson in the 25th minute from the penalty spot, Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams in
the 56th minute and Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant in the 79th minute. The Kashif & Shanghai 2012/13 runners-up Amelia’s Ward was weakened by the loss of about 16 players during the transfer window including former Captain Travis Waterton and K & S 2012/13 Most Outstanding Goalkeeper Odel Allicock. The battle for first round supremacy will continue this Sunday with three matches. The Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground, West Coast Demerara will host a double header. Den Amstel Porknockers engages Amelia’s Ward United from 14:00hrs and two hours later, home team Uitvlugt Warriors will lock horns with BV Triumph United. The lone encounter at the GFC Ground from 15:30hrs pits Alpha United and BCC Rosignol United; this match has been shifted from the Blairmont Ground due to its unavailability.
LATEST POINTS STANDINGS Teams Western Tigers Pele Buxton United Alpha United Uitvlugt Warriors Rosignol United Den Amstel Milerock Amelia’s Ward BVTU
P 7 7 8 5 7 7 7 8 5 7
W 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 2 1 1
D 2 3 2 1 1 4 4 1 3 3
L 1 1 3 1 3 2 2 5 1 3
GF 10 9 5 11 9 12 7 8 8 6
GA 7 4 10 3 10 11 9 14 8 11
GD +3 +5 -5 +8 -1 +1 -2 -6 0 -5
Points 14 12 11 10 10 7 7 7 6 6
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GFF mourns the loss of former GFA President Aubrey Bishop & Winston De Haarte The Guyanese football fraternity has been plunged into a state of mourning following the deaths of former Guyana Football Association (GFA) President Professor Aubrey Fitz Ronald Bishop O.R, C.C.H., B.Sc, L.L.M. and former British Guiana and Guyana National player, Winston De Harte. The 81 year-old Bishop who was also a former Chancellor of the Judiciary died on Wednesday night at 19:00hrs in hospital, where he had been a patient for the past three weeks. He was 81. De Harte {a left winger like Bishop} was a member of the Thomas YMCA before it became Thomas United FC. He represented Guyana against Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados during his career at the national level. President (ag) of the Guyana Football Federation Franklin Wilson expressed sincere condolences to the family and relatives of both Professor Bishop and De Harte noting that their services to the game during their respective times have laid the foundation for us all in the sport today. “I recall the GFF honoring Bishop and four other stalwarts for exceptional service to the sport at its annual presentation in February of 2011. I recall him delivering a rousing presentation that had the attention of all present.” Professor Aubrey Bishop, born in September, 1931 started his career as a player representing the Red Hammers F.C as a left winger and also represented Queens College and the BGCC. He played for Guyana against the British Fleet Air XI (England
Army) in 1955. A Barrister of Law by profession, in 1964 Bishop took over the Presidency of the then Guyana Football Association (GFA) from Campbell Adams after serving as Vice President. His ascendency to this position was significant since it marked the commencement of the period of fundamental structural changes throughout the GFA. The Constitution was immediately revamped. In those years Georgetown did not have a Sub Association, so he immediately instructed the seven (7) First Division clubs to form a Sub Association and join the other five (5) Sub Associations. The Georgetown Football League (GFL) was formed hence the bias which was distinctly in Georgetown’s favor was removed. The GFA’s monthly meetings were rotated around the Sub Associations. During his tenure as President, Guyana entered its First World Cup with the team being encamped for approximately six (6) months which entailed long periods away from home. The working players were given time off with pay and everyone received an allowance. Mr. Kenneth King the then Minister of Economic Affairs sent out an order to all Corporations telling them that they must cooperate with the GFA. Ms. Shirley Field Ridley was the Minister of Sports. The GFA had to borrow uniforms from clubs when the national team had matches and Bishop acquired the first set of uniforms when he attained the Presidency.
Sixteen Berbicians successful... From page 38 training because as higher as you go, then you get into the actual fighting and learn how to really defend yourself— this is when karate really starts…when you are heading towards Black Belt. It doesn’t end there. Karate is a lifetime—it’s a lifelong sport”, she posited. She loves the sport because, “…it’s fun…and it brings me out and expresses a part of me that I didn’t know I ever had and I am usually a very quiet person but karate is just ‘Wow!’ I am out there, doing my thing and it’s like a different person altogether and it helps you a
lot with bullying.” Fourth Degree Black Belt, Sensei Hazrat Ali, who trained the students, made a call for more students. He noted that there are classes on Mondays and Fridays from 4:306:00pm. He can be contacted at 322-3085. “Karate has done tremendously for the kids in this area and it [karate] limits violence and other things…so come and join and you will enjoy it,” he said. Classes are also held at Trinity Street, New Amsterdam. The next exam is scheduled for Georgetown at the YMCA, Thomas Lands.
As preparation for the World Cup match against Suriname which was scheduled for GCC continued, a series games were played against Bari FC of Brazil, Hull City and Bolton Wanderers of England, Trinidad & Tobago and French Guiana. A noteworthy achievement during his tenure was when he invited Dr. Joao Havelange, then President of FIFA to visit Guyana, however when he {Havelange} arrived in Guyana Bishop had to vacate the Presidency and Manny De Silva took over. The reason was that Bishop was sworn in as a Supreme High Court Judge the day before Havelange arrived in Guyana and he {Bishop}thought it best in the interest of both portfolios to vacate the GFA Office. Professor Aubrey Bishop, a Retired Chancellor of the Judiciary was married to Dr. Carole Bishop for 48 years and a father of three (3). After stepping down as President of the GFA, Bishop continued being a part of football through Refereeing. One of the most feared Referees of his time he achieved FIFA status becoming the second person after Deryck Whitehead to attain such status. Professor Bishop also played cricket, hockey and table tennis. He was such a versatile administrator; he
was approached to be the President of the Guyana Cricket Board before Major General Norman Mc Lean but did not accept. He was also an excellent cricketer but his career probably prevented him from representing Guyana and the West Indies. He was Chairman of the Competitions Committee of the GCB. Some of his football playmates were Stanley Moore (Snr.), Ronald Bacchus, Dr. W. I. ‘Bud’ Lee, Desmond Marks and G. I. G. Delph. Fitz Johnson and Col. Godwyn McPherson functioned as Secretaries during his tenure and he praised McPherson aka ‘Mac’ as an excellent Administrator. Some of the persons who played in his time were Compton Julian, ‘Squeeky’ Hinds, Winston de Harte and Renny Caleb. George Green and Lewis ‘Waterboat’ Weathers were the coaches of the national team. Professor Bishop was a Hockey Referee and was approached to referee Rugby but declined. He was also the first Secretary of the Veterans Football Association which was formed in the late 19602 s. He was President of the Guyana Football Referees Association and also functioned as Secretary of the Guyana Olympic Association under the Presidency of Justice P. A. Cummings for a
Aubrey Bishop
number of years. A few years ago when the Guyana Football Referees Council were restructuring its constitution, Justice Bishop attended the meeting and made some valuable contributions. On the recommendation of the Guyana Football Federation, Professor Bishop
was accepted to serve a two (2) year term as one of the Arbiters on the Court of Arbitration in Sport in Zurich, Switzerland. The GFF salutes the versatile, innovative and worthy statesman, Professor Aubrey Bishop and his colleague Winston De Harte. May their souls rest in Peace.
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Kaieteur News
Friday February 08, 2013
2013 New Building Society Second Division 40-Over Cricket Competition...
Centuries for Mahendra Mangra, Clavern Beresford - Martin Singh slams 92 and takes 5 for 13 for Police The 2013 New Building Society Second Division 40Over Cricket Competition commenced recently with first and second round matches with some outstanding performances. Mahendra Mangra slammed 117 for Kendall’s Union A against their B counterparts. His knock which included 13 fours and 6 sixes together with contribution of 67 (6 fours and 5 sixes) from Ravin Seecharran and 54 (5 fours and 3 sixes) from Daniel Baker, helped his team to 313 for 7 in 32 overs in their rain-affected match. When Kendall’s Union B replied, Vijay Narine made 64 (1 four and 5 sixes) but with the A team’s off-spinner, Steven Ramlochan, picking up 5 for 33 from 7 overs, they only managed to reach 178 allout in 26 overs. Clavern Beresford was the other centurion, hitting 104
which included 8 fours and 6 sixes and which helped his team Corriverton to 179 in 29.5 overs which however turned out not to be enough as No. 71 emerged victorious by 2 wickets with one ball left. Martin Singh blasted 92 in quick time to help Police amass 319 for 7 in 30 overs in their rain-affected match against East Canje. He hit 5 fours and 12 sixes and was supported by Elon Shultz who made 72 with 6 fours and 5 sixes. When East Canje replied, Singh came back with his offspinner and took 5 for 13 from 5.3 overs to help skittle out East Canje for just 89. Deonarine Rengasammy made 61 (6 fours and 2 sixes) and Komal Mangal 66 (3 fours and 4 sixes) for Tamarind Root, who totaled 246 in 35 overs and went to beat Fyrish Road by 87 runs. Other half centuries were
scored by Lakeram Latchman of No. 73 Young Warriors and Oliver Giddings of Courtland All Star, while left arm spinner, Parmanand Ramdhan of Blairmont Community Centre A and off spinner Chanderkumar Ramjass of No. 73 Young Warriors had 5wicket hauls. IN SCORES FROM THE MATCHES PLAYED: 1. At No.19, Kendall’s Union A beat Kendall’s Union B by 135 runs. Kendall’s Union A 313 for 7 in 32 overs, Mahendra Mangra 117, Ravin Seecharran 67, Daniel Baker 54, Vishal Sarabjit 3 for 49. Kendall’s Union B 178 in 26 overs with Vijay Narine 64, Devendra Mahadeo 27, Steven Ramlochan 5 for 33, Ravin Seecharran 2 for 31 and Mahendra Mangra 2 for 36. 2. At No. 71, No. 71 beat Corriverton by 2 wickets. Corriverton 179 in 28.5 overs with Clavern Beresford 107,
Clavern Beresford
Ravin Seecharran
Karamchand Roopraj 3 for 30, Deoprakash Ramdat 2 for 17, Ezam Ali 2 for 18 and Navin Vincent 2 for 39. No. 71 182 for 8 in 29.5 overs wth Nazim Mohamed 42, Somdat Singh 28, Imran Mohamed 27, Manouram Vincent 27, Tarick Ibrahim 3 for 27, Amzan Appalsamy 2 for 22 and Clavern Bereford 2 for 38. 3. At the Berbice High School Ground, Police beat East Canje by 230 runs. Police 319 for 7 in 30 overs with Martin Singh 92, Elon Shultz 72, Michael Rajkumar 30, Anthony Hidar 2 for 46 and Steve DeFreitas 2 for 51. East Canje 89 in 19 overs with Martin Singh 5 for 13 and Kwesi Mickle 3 for 13. 4. At No. 73, No. 73 Young Warriors beat No. 72 Cut and Load by 59 runs. No. 73 Young Warriors 240 for 7 in 35 overs with Lakeram Latchman 56, Chanderkumar Ramjass 41 not out, Odraj Singh 39 and Darshanand Jairam 3 for 48. No. 72 Cut and
Load 181 in 32.1 overs with Hemant Persaud 41, Darshanand Jairam 33, Chanderkumar Ramjass 5 for 33, Lakeram Latchman 2 for 21 and Hemant Jagdeo 2 for 32. 5. At Albion Front, Tamarind Root beat Fyrish Road by 87 runs. Tamarind Root 246 in 35 overs with Deonarine Rengasammy 61, Komal Mangal 66, Alvin Ramdass 44, Altaf Abrahim 25, Zamin Hamid 3 for 37 and Shameem Ahmad 2 for 67. Fyrish Road 159 in 29.3 overs with William Dass 31, Isaac Kamaludin 30, Adrian Singh 4 for 28 and Derick Rangasammy 2 for 4. 6. At Courtland, Courtland All Star beat Seawell by 5 wickets. Seawell 111 in 27.2 overs with Naitram Jainabi 26, Travis Williams 3 for 22 and John Percival 2 for 14. Courtland All Star 112 for 5 in 18.1 overs with Oliver Giddings 64, Totaram Deonarine 2 for 17 and Aslam Ally 2 for 27.
Martin Singh
Mahendra Mangra 7. At Blairmont, Blairmont Community Centre A beat Blairmont Community Centre B by 141 runs. Blairmont Community Centre A 213 for 7 in 40 overs with Ryan Sutherland 47, Avishkar Sewkarran 40, Shabbir Baksh 38, Gopaul Birdgelall 3 for 20. Blairmont Community Centre B 72 in 35 overs with Omesh Mangal 36, Parmanand Ramdhan 5 for 16, Abdul Subhan 2 for 13.
Caribbean Super 50 – Bonner slams century
- Guyana bt. Leewards; wins for Jamaica and Windwards Guyana defeated the Leeward Islands by 5 wickets in their opening game of the Caribbean Super 50 tournament last evening at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua. Leeward Islands batted first and were bowled out 162; Jahmar Hamilton top scored for the Islanders with 40 while Montcin Hodge supported with 33 and Wilden Cornwall 21, extras contributed 20. Christopher Barnwell grabbed 4-31; Devendra Bishoo claimed 3-35 and pacer Ronsford Beaton backed up with 2 wickets. The Guyanese in response reached 164-5 in 44 overs; Leon Johnson led with
30, Rajendra Chandrika 28, Barnwell 22 and Trevon Griffith 21. Assad Fudadin and Derwin Christian were unbeaten on 26 and 18 respectively when victory was achieved. At Kensington Oval in Barbados, Jamaica crushed the host by 70 runs. Nkrumah Bonner slammed the first century of the competition, 110, and received valuable support from Nikita Miller with 42 not out and Simon Jackson 27 as Jamaica posted 239-8 in 50 overs, batting first. Kevin Stout took 2-31 and Christopher Jordan 2-48. Barbados were bowled out for 169 in 43 overs in
reply; Shane Dowrich led with 26, Rashidi Boucher 24, Jonathan Carter and Kraigg Brathwaite 22 apiece; Captain Tamar Lambert snared 3-22. At the Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia, Windward Islands narrowly overcame CCC by 1 wicket in an exciting finish. CCC batted first and scored 207. Ramon Reifer stroked an unbeaten 60 while Chadwick Walton made 56 as Shane Shillingford captured 4-31. Windward Islands then responded with 209-9. Devon Smith scored 54 but it was Delorn Johnson who sealed the issue for the host by hitting a six to end the game.
Friday February 08, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 37
Hutson questions accuracy of news report - says story is “irresponsible”
Colin Boyce
Aubrey Hutson
President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson yesterday expressed his disappointment over comments attributed to him in
another section of the print media, stating the article threatens to derail his relationship with former President, Colin Boyce. Hutson told Kaieteur
Sport yesterday that he did say that the association is operating as if there is no money in their accounts because he does not know what the financial situation is. He said that nothing has been officially handed over to the new Executive yet. As such, he said the story captioned “AAG left cash strapped and in debt” is “irresponsible” to say the least because he does not know what is the financial position of the association. According to Hutson, he suggested that the members of the association use their personal funds to offset some of the expenses related to last weekend’s Cross Country, which he viewed as nothing unusual or newsworthy. “I am really disappointed with the way that article was
Guinness Futsal fever hits East Coast tonight
This is what it will look like tonight when the East Coast segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Tournament opens at the Buxton Playfield Tarmac. The exciting format of Futsal will be on show tonight when the East Coast segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Tournament kicks off with eight matches, at the Buxton Playfield Tramac, commencing at 18:30 hrs. In the opening game, Beterverwagting (BV) ‘B’ takes on Victoria Eagles and that will be followed by the clash between Ann’s Grove Young Warriors vs. Paradise; Ann’s Grove Punters vs. Mahaica; Golden Grove Superstars vs. Mahaicony; Nabaclis vs. Plaisance A’; Melanie vs. Church Yard United; Buxton ‘A’ vs.
Vryhied’s Lust and Buxton ‘B’ vs. BV ‘A’. According to a release from the Organisers, Plaisance ‘B’ has been replaced by Paradise who will play Ann’s Grove Young Warriors in the second game of the evening. Sixteen teams are battling for prize monies totaling in excess of $800,000 with the winner set to receive $400,000, runner-up $200,000 and 3rd place $150,000 along with trophies. Teams have been divided into groups of 4 with the top two in each group moving on to the knockout stage and the final set for February 16. Apart from Buxton, games will also
be played at the Haslington Market Square and play starts at 18:30 each night. The competition continues tomorrow and Sunday. In tomorrow’s fixtures: Nabaclis opposes Vryhied’s Lust; Melanie tackles Mahaica; Buxton ‘B’ engages Paradise; BV ’B’ clashes with Mahaicony; Ann’s Grove Young Warriors square off against BV ‘A’; Golden Grove Superstars go up against Victoria Eagles; Ann’s Grove Punters takes on Church Yard United and in the final game of the night Buxton ‘A’ clash with Plaisance ‘A’.
published. I never intended to insinuate as the article is attempting to do that Mr. Boyce misappropriated funds or anything. I have no facts or evidence to make such a claim. I told the writer that I do not know what our financial status is and it ended up in the press in another way,” Hutson said. According to the newly elected President, the new executive has not yet taken possession of the association’s bank account because that is a process. He said as a result, he could not have made the definitive comments he saw in another section of the print media. “I made it clear that I do not know what is our financial position yet. The last Treasurer died in 2011 and that is why we had no financial statement last year because things were hard to trace after he died. It is unfortunate that I have to be in the middle of this and I hope what I have said now puts an end to whoever is up to mischief,” Hutson noted. He told this newspaper that he will be seeking legal
advice on the comments in that article that he believes were misappropriated and misrepresented. He said that he spoke with the author and he attributed the misrepresentations to the Editor. Boyce had filed an injunction against the new association, calling the January 20 Elections null and void. The former President has since said that his aim of filing the injunction was to ensure that the illegitimate clubs that were allowed to vote “does not run the sport”, but rather will give way to those properly constituted clubs according to the AAG rules. Hutson and Boyce among other stakeholders met earlier this week where an amicable solution to the problem was discussed. Hutson said that the article in question threatens to disrupt what was discussed. “I feel as though I have stabbed Colin in his back. We sat and we had healthy discussions on how we could move the sport forward. Now to see this (referring to the questionable article) is not in
the best interest of the sport at all,” Hutson continued. Additionally, he said there are no question marks surrounding the President’s/ Jefford Track and Field Classic as the article stated. He said that he has repeatedly said that the positive programme of Boyce will be reinforced during his tenure as President. Hutson told Kaieteur Sport that he met with both Boyce and Edison Jefford immediately after the elections and told them that he would like the Meet to continue. He said that he suggested as Boyce and Jefford had also recommended that the name be changed. According to Hutson, the calendar of the AAG is done in January of each year and not retroactively. He said the Meet appears on the calendar this year because the AAG has endorsed it as a calendar event for athletics and athletes in Guyana. Hutson said that he wants to publicly apologise for the “unfortunate” publication in another section of the print media.
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Kaieteur News
Friday February 08, 2013
Sixteen Berbicians successful at karate exam; move on to new levels
Sensei Hazrat Ali with his new graduates at the Albion Sports Complex By Leon Suseran Sixteen Karate students graduated last Saturday and moved on to higher levels ranging from Yellow all the way to Last Brown. Among
them was one student who is now one step closer to Black Belt. The graduation took place at the Albion Sports Complex on the Corentyne. The graduation was as a result of the students being
successful in an examination which was held in November last year. Two students shared their thoughts about the graduation. Abzal Rahim was elated to have moved on to
another level. He is a First kyu Brown Belt and outlined the benefits of the sport. “It feels nice because my next exam will be First Dan”, he stated. The next level, he stated, will get more difficult “…more techniques, more combinations and more stamina will be needed”. He stated, too, that he loves karate for many reasons. “It helps you defend yourself— it’s a self- defence art and makes you a better person and it keeps your body very healthy.” He also encouraged others to come on board and join the classes to gain skills in the sport. “I would encourage others to come on board because it’s [karate] very good to the health and people who are health conscious would realize this…it is good for the body and it will help you defend yourself whenever a situation arises.” Another student, Rosalf Sookdeo, was also elated. She has moved up from Last Purple to Third Brown and “as usual, all of the students
Sensei Hazrat Ali presents one of the students with her certificate in the class have done pretty well and they have all moved up in ranks and the class has gotten bigger too and again, I want to encourage people to come and do karate. It’s a wonderful sport and it will fit well in your schedule and its fun.” Just two more Brown
Belts stand in her way to achieve the much- coveted Black Belt. “This is the time when, as the rank gets higher, you have to learn more techniques and you have to develop more stamina and be regular in (Continued on page 35)
CONCACAF’s Sonia Bien-Aime among 4 female nominees for FIFA Exco election Four women including the CONCACAF’s Sonia BienAime are candidates to be elected as the 25th member of the FIFA Executive Committee at the FIFA Congress to be held in Mauritius on May 30 & 31, 2013. The mandate will be for a period of four years. In the framework of the FIFA reform process, and following a proposal made by the FIFA President, Joseph S. Blatter, at the 2011 Congress
in Zurich, a revision of the FIFA Statutes was approved by a vote taken at the 2012 Congress in Budapest for an additional Executive Committee member, a woman, to be appointed. Each confederation had a deadline of January 31, 2013 to propose a female candidate. Four confederations have proposed a candidate for the election at this year’s FIFA Congress: AFC: Moya Dodd, CAF:
Lydia Nsekera, CONCACAF: Sonia Bien-Aime, OFC: Paula Kearns. Lydia Nsekera, the President of the Burundi Football Association and a member of the Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ and of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Football Tournaments, has been the co-opted member of the FIFA Executive Committee since the Congress in 2012.
Friday February 08, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 39
Scott’s Jewellery aboard Fruta Conquerors One Love Classic KO Leroy Brumell’s T10 Cricket -changes in fixtures but action continues today Sales Representative at Scott’s Jewellery, Savita Budhoo hands over their contribution to Police Sports Officer, Colin Boyce.
Scott’s Jewellery yesterday became the latest entity to offer sponsorship for the Commissioner of Police, Leroy Brumell’s Birth Anniversary T10 cricket competition and Final set for Sunday at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary. In the male competition, Headquarters will take on ‘D’ Division in one of the semifinals while ‘G’ Division battles ‘B’ Division in another
semi Sunday. The female competition started at the Eve Leary Ground last Wednesday. The final day, which is being is being held in a Fun Day setting, will also feature games between 4R Lioness and Trophy Stall Angels in a female showdown; Floodlight Masters take on Police Officers in a male grudge contest. The top three teams in the
cricket competition and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) will receive cash prizes. In addition, a dominoes contest is also set for the day and will be contested for cash prizes as well. To make things more interesting, two featured athletics events, namely male and female 100m and 800m will he contested. The top three finishers of the four races will be financially rewarded.
Sahadeo century in vain as Ogle Mandir beat Speed XI by 2 wkts
The victorious Ogle Mandir team display their prizes. Toolsie Sahadeo stroked a fine century but his team still went down to Ogle Mandir by 2 wickets in a feature 20 over softball match played recently at the Everest Cricket Club ground. Sahadeo hit fourteen sixes in scoring 103 as Speed XI rattled up 189-5 off their allotted overs batting first. Omesh Pooran, Dellon Sanichar and Ricky Ragbeer took 1 wicket each.
Ogle Mandir then responded with 190-8 in 19.2 overs with Devendra Pooran top scoring with 53, Shivraj Arjune supported with 32 and Andre Gomes 25. P. Khan and Sahadeo claimed 1 wicket apiece. Sahadeo received the most outstanding batsman trophy while Patrick Khan collected the best bowler prize; both teams received trophies. The game was
played as a fund raiser for Autistic children while the trophies were donated by Factory Price. Meanwhile, Ogle Mandir overcame Everest Masters by 8 wickets in a 15 over game which followed. Everest took first strike and made 142-6 with Richard Latiff scoring 58. Ogle Mandir replied with 1432 in 12 overs. Arjune 65 and Pooran 44 were their principal scorers.
When action in the Fruta Conquerors One Love Classic knock-out football tournament resumes at the Tucville Community Ground this evening, fans will be a mite disappointed to know that recently crowned K&S football champions, Buxton United Sports Club will not play against Western Tigers in the highly anticipated grudge match. Kaieteur News was informed that following an upset loss to Milerock FC in the GFF Super League, Buxton United have indicated to the Fruta Conquerors organizers that they will not be contesting the championships. The tournament suffered a further setback when Beacons FC also indicated that they are unable to play against Fruta Conquerors. They have been replaced by Houston Stars and BV Triumph United. Subsequently, the organizers will be lodging a complaint with the Executive of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) to have
the issue addressed with possible sanctions. Western Tigers will now oppose BV Triumph United in the feature attraction while Fruta Conquerors FC opposes Houston Stars FC in the night’s opening game. This apart, Coach of the Fruta Conquerors FC, Sampson Gilbert, said that this evening’s matches promises to be action packed. He vouched for his men saying that they are in ripping form. Conquerors will also enjoy home advantage and is favoured to win the match. Coach of the Houston Stars, Rawle Trim is equally confident of carting off the spoils. His team was recently
involved in the Banks DIH tournament and lost to eventual winners, Camptown FC. Trim said even though they are responding to a late call, his men are fit and rearing to go. Western Tigers will be fielding a competent unit and are in high spirits following their 2-1 win over Pele in the GFF Super League on Wednesday evening. They will have in their line up the likes of Gavin Wilson, Shawn ‘Bubbly’ Beveney and Devon Millington, Sherman David, Phillip Rowley and Jerome Richardson. Sixteen teams are competing for a first place prize of $1.2M while the runners up collect $600,000. The third and fourth place finishers receive $400,000 and $200,000 respectively. Players will also compete for two computer scholarships compliments of Global Technology while Junior’s Jewelry has donated one gold chain. Bayridge Taxi Service has donated cell phones as special prizes.
t r o Sp
Lifeguard Association to be formed
Participants complete the rescue act By Zaheer Mohamed Guyana is regarded as the Land of Many Waters and with the aim of ensuring safety in the pools, lakes, beaches and rivers a Lifeguard Association will soon be formed to educate the public on the importance
of mastering the skill of swimming. This was disclosed by Sports Minister Dr. Frank Anthony and Life Saving S o c i e t y o f C a n a d a ’s representative, Patrick D’Almada yesterday at the National Aquatic Centre
A Swimmer demonstrates how to rescue someone who is suffering from a heart attack.
(NAC), Lilliendaal. D’Almada is currently enlightening local personnel on the particulars of safe swimming at a Lifeguard Course, which is currently being conducted at the NAC. The course will conclude today with over a dozen
persons set to graduate. D’Almada, here as a representative of the International Commission of Life Saving Society of Canada, said he is pleased to be part of the Lifeguard Course noting that similar events were held in Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Trinidad and To b a g o , A n t i g u a , t h e Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. “We’ve been talking about swimming pool regulations because there are a number of pools in Guyana; we’ve talked about ‘swim to survive’. We believe that just like how we teach every child to ride a bike, we should be teaching them how to swim as well. Swimming is considered a life skill,” D’Almada, who has over 25 years experience as a lifeguard expert, said. He added that he will work along with the Ministry of Sport in Guyana to set up a Lifeguard Association, with the “aim of doing public education work in the schools, help to develop regulations for swimming
pools and help young people to understand how to swim to survive.” D’Almada stated that it is critical that systems be put in place, and according to him, t h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organisation estimates that one million people die every year from drowning, and that swimming is the third leading cause of unintentional death in children and youngsters. “So what it tells us is that drowning is preventable. We teach, we train so we should be able to prevent drowning,” D’Almada said, informing that he is impressed with the Olympic-size swimming pool located at the NAC. Minister Anthony said a Lifeguard Course was essential, but this is just the start, as graduates will be tasked with forming a Lifeguard Association, one that is independent of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA). “This programme is one we talked about for quite some time, and one of the things that would have
prevented us from optimizing the use of the Pool was the lack of lifeguards,” the Minister stated. Dr. Anthony affirmed that the course would be continuing, as it is important that persons be trained in this regard. “This will not be a oneoff arrangement. One of the mandates of the graduates is to form an association. We will also look to have continuous training, at least every year we want to put on the calendar a period for lifeguard training at the National Aquatic Centre. So we will be working out that arrangement and let people know about it early,” he noted. After the official aspects of Thursday’s programme, the Media was given a demonstration of Rescue and Recovery Operations. Also present at the activity were Director of Sport Neil Kumar, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sport, Alfred King, and members of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association.
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