Kaieteur News

Saturday Edition

Online readership yesterday 95,714

February 09, 2013 - Vol. 7 No. 06 - Price $80 kaieteurnews@yahoo.com Website:http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Guyana’s total debt remains high despite write-offs - stands at US$1.7B in March 2012 Accident aftermath The car ploughs into a fence at Bartica

Rapist remanded Berbice woman's Joint police/CANU for killing 4-yr-old death attracts raid nabs 36.3kg stepson Opposition's attention cocaine

Cop missing after leaving stolen car with friend

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Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

China TV launched in Guyana - questions remain on acquisition of licence The government last evening cemented its agreement to have China Central TV (CCTV) broadcast in Guyana on a 24/7 basis.

China TV was launched on Channel 27/Cable 78 last evening, but officials of neither Guyana nor China addressed questions surrounding the granting of the licence to the station.

China TV was granted its broadcast licence through a government arrangement, but the government has been telling the town of Linden that it cannot get a licence through a government arrangement but would have to apply through the National Frequency Management Unit. (NFMU).

There is a definitive date when the promise was made to the Chinese to have the station here. Yesterday, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Limin said that the project was going on for many years.

The Chinese Ambassador and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Robeson Benn switched on the station.

The facilities have been built in the compound of state TV National Communications

Network. The transmitter for the channel is hooked up to the NCN transmitter.

The acting Chief Executive Officer of NCN, Michael Gordon, explained that the technical process began on September 23, 2010 with the arrival of Chinese engineers. NCN facilitated the Chinese and at any one time there were up to 10 technical personnel from China in Guyana.

Both Minister Benn and the Chinese Ambassador hailed the setting up of the station in Guyana as a sign of the friendly relations between Guyana and China.

The Chinese Ambassador said that CCTV broadcasts would help Guyana to understand Chinese culture and history.

Veteran broadcaster Enrico Woolford has been pressing for the 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.

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.

Woolford has argued that aside from frequency allocation, the fact that Guyana has Chinese content TV on a frequency paid for and essentially operated by a foreign Government through a State to State mechanism ought to raise eyebrows in any normal sovereign democratic nation.

Thursday, 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 ante dates Jagdeo’s 2001 to 2006 term in Office.

Minister Robeson Benn and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Limin after signing the agreement.

According to Luncheon, the agreement took over 10 years to be consolidated and Government is pleased with

its conclusion and turning of the switch to put CCTV on air this year.

He added that Office of

the President is responsible for telecommunication and is pleased that the agreement has been finalised.

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

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Cop disappears after Man remanded for killing 4-yr-old stepson being fingered in car theft The man responsible for cold bloodedly knifing to death his four-year-old stepson has been remanded to prison.

The defendant, Rawle Samuels, 25, of Wisroc Linden appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court yesterday.

He arrived in court in shackles on both his hands and feet. Samuels wore blank facial expression at the reading of the charge.

On February 6, last, at Buck Hill, Wisroc, Linden, Samuels knifed Jamal Narajan to death. He was not required to plead to the murder charge.

At this stage the prosecution was not ready to present facts thus Samuels requested to go to the washroom.

He was allowed to leave the court under escort of police ranks. After returning to the courtroom to await the continuation of yesterday’s court proceedings, Samuels appeared to be uneasy. He constantly rubbed the palms of his hands as he sat in the dock.

He later kept his head bowed throughout the reading of short facts provided by Police Prosecutor Burgette Grant.

Grant told the court that the child was the foster son

The stolen vehicle Murder accused Rawle Samuels

Deceased Jamal Narajan

of the accused. She related to the court that on Wednesday February 6, around 13:00 hrs, Jamal Narajan was returning home from school, when he witnessed his 17 year old aunt racing out of the house and screaming rape.

The dead boy’s mother Neesha Narajan was not at home at the time of the incident.

The accused who was in hot pursuit of the teenager turned his attention on his stepson and brutally stabbed him several times in the region of his chest. The boy was picked up and rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex. He

was pronounced dead on arrival of the institution. A post mortem examination was subsequently conducted.

Police reported that the boy’s aunt managed to escape but the suspect reportedly held the four-yearold hostage at knife point and threatened to kill him if the female relative did not return.

She refused and the suspect stabbed Narajan several times about the body and escaped.

Police also said that the murder weapon was still lodged in the child’s body when it was taken to the Linden Hospital Complex.

Missing Corentyne man turns up dead

The badly decomposed body of a Corentyne man, who was reported missing for nearly a week, turned up dead along the banks of the Rose Hall Town beach, early yesterday.

Mangaldeo Sukrah, 56, an overseas- based Guyanese who was residing with a friend at Lot 6, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, left the home on Sunday last and vanished. He had returned to Guyana last November.

His wife and children reside overseas. The only relatives here in Guyana are his brother of Number 56 Village, Corentyne and a nephew, Mario Sukrah, who began a frantic search for him.

Dead: Mangaldeo Sukrah They also placed a missing person’s report on the television stations in Berbice.

It was early yesterday morning that the man’s body was spotted along the Rose Hall Town beach, along the JC Chandisingh School Access Road, after people received a tip from a few fishermen in the area. The body bore no marks of violence.

The police recovered the body and transported it to the Port Mourant Hospital where a post- mortem was performed. Dr. Vivekanad Brijmohan concluded that the man died of coronary occlusion which led to a heart attack.

Funeral arrangements quickly followed the postmortem examination.

A police constable has gone missing after being fingered in the brazen theft of a car from Kenrick’s Auto Sales in Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

The red Toyota Belta was stolen in broad daylight from in front of the East Bank Demerara dealership last Monday.

The prime suspect is said to be a police rank from the Force’s Dragon Alpha Squad.

However, the policeman has since disappeared and has reportedly switched off his mobile phone.

Kaieteur News understands that a security camera recorded the thief entering the vehicle and heading towards Georgetown. However, the image was not clear enough for the culprit to be positively identified.

Police said that acting on information, detectives visited a Norton Street location yesterday where they found the car among several other vehicles. They also arrested an occupant of the premises.

The detained man

reportedly told detectives that a police constable, who is his friend, had given him the vehicle to keep. He said that he was unaware that the Toyota Belta was a stolen vehicle until the ranks visited his home. The man reportedly managed to contact the policeman before he was taken into custody.

On learning that the vehicle had been found, the policeman reportedly panicked and immediately handed in his firearm and reported that he was unwell.

He has not been seen since.

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Kaieteur News

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

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

The perils of faulty investigation There was a time when it took ages for anything to be reported. The system that operated was tedious by any standards but of course, when they are all that people knew then they were taken for granted. The advent of the internet and the plethora of smart phones make just about everything a heartbeat from the media.

In the not too distant past, perhaps about fifteen years ago, a situation would have warranted a photographer with a roll of film. This film would then have to be sent to a special laboratory to be developed and eventually made available to the newspapers or to the entity that required the information.

This was time consuming to the point that if something happened in a location along coastal Guyana, it was sometime before there could be photographic evidence because the photographer had to return to a location where a laboratory existed.

If the incident occurred in a remote area it could be weeks before the photographic evidence could be provided.

Today, man has evolved to the point where almost instantaneously he can transmit his photographs just about any part of the country. He no longer needs a laboratory. In fact, just about anyone with a phone is a cameraman.

When Saddam Hussein was executed although the execution was supposed to be a private event, images were circulated to just about every corner of the world to the extent that some children emulated what they saw with disastrous consequences.

The police have made arrests because someone with a camera phone recorded activities that highlighted something that certain people would have wanted to hide.

In fact, some of the best photographs were those taken and rushed across the world in the blink of an eye.

Today, many people are often reluctant to do some things in public because of the ready cameras. And so we come to a situation that must be providing nightmares for the local police. There was a crash on the roadways involving a large sports utility vehicle and a minibus. Two people died. A young man has been charged but someone has come up with photographic evidence that the wrong person may be facing the courts.

From early reports, a 17-year-old who was under the influence of alcohol was piloting the sports utility vehicle at the time of the collision. He was taken to hospital and tested for blood alcohol. The tests concluded that he had exceeded the legal drinking limit. But this also raises other questions. The legal drinking age is eighteen. This meant that the police had two offences on their hands. It is illegal to sell alcohol to a minor.

Strange as this may seem, the police never sought to ascertain the source of the alcohol, thus reinforcing that view that they are often not too interested in enforcing the laws. Perhaps the investigating rank was consumed by the death of two people and therefore concluded that the sale of alcohol to a minor was indeed a minor episode.

There were charges against the person whom the police concluded was driving the vehicle.

Now we are hearing otherwise. And this is due to the technology that abounds.

Someone at the scene of the accident appears to have taken photographs that reveal that someone else was the driver. The photographs appear to have been taken almost immediately after the accident and they show a person even younger than the one charged.

A number of things immediately spring to mind. There were media reports which stated that a seventeen-year-old was the driver at the time of the accident. One can assume that the person who took the photographs might have concluded that the driver might have been seventeen.

Then came the photograph of the person who has been charged and suddenly there are photographs to suggest that the wrong person is facing the courts.

If this is the case then there should be other criminal charges against the person charged. Further, one must wonder at the quality of the police investigation at the scene of the accident.

Suffice it to say that the charge against the teen may not stick but then again, if he confesses to a crime that he did not commit he is one very brave schoolboy.

Saturday February 09, 2013

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

Ignorance is indeed blissful DEAR EDITOR, I erred when I did not allow Mr. Christopher Ram to remain intoxicated in his own bewilderment. I chose to reply.

My desire was to educate.

That my effort was futile is evident in Mr. Ram’s latest fulmination published in both the Stabroek News and the Kaieteur News of 8th February 2013.

The letter is as virulently toxic as it is facetious and philistine.

The confirmation of both the Clerk of the National Assembly, and a former Clerk of the National Assembly, whose combined tenure in the

Parliament spanned nearly six decades, of the indisputable and pivotal role of the Attorney General in respect of Bills passed by the National Assembly, failed to have any impact whatsoever.

For the record, the intervention by the Attorney General in this process neither contravenes any standing order or constitutional provision, nor derogates from either their letter or spirit.

Indeed, this practice has been hallowed in time and has never been the subject of a challenge in the Parliamentary history of Guyana.

Notwithstanding, with canine impudence, the author continues to, inscrutably, question the historical and axiomatic role of the Attorney General in this process.

In his scholastic pretence, Mr. Ram glibly and irrationally cites standing orders, constitutional provisions and a few academic writers to support his bizarre suppositions, as if to flaunt his acquaintance with academia.

Only the uninitiated will fall prey to this charade. Even if those publications were consulted, having regard to the content of the letter, it is

manifestly plain that comprehension is as difficult as it is illusory. I have neither time nor the inclination to further engage Mr. Ram in his intellectually sterile and vituperative utterances.

Ignorance is indeed blissful.

I will no longer disturb such tranquility.

My final word, venom usually self-contaminates when it reaches overwhelming proportions.

That eventuality is upon us.

Hon. Mohabir Anil Nandlall MP Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs

DEAR EDITOR, Indeed, let us all “eagerly look forward to the Joe Singh Initiative” in taking Guyana forward to a better future, as advised in Mr. Mervin’s recent letter.

I strongly believe that desired results could only emerge from positive action by courageous, dedicated people on the spot. Our UK contacts who attempted to resettle and help Guyana in the 1990s all eventually had to give up and return, most of them with tails tucked.

I can speak of my personal experiences between 1994 and 1999 (at age 60+), and the frustration caused in trying to get along on my own without a domestic telephone, hoping

nothing ghastly happened to me during the night. Friends from other Caribbean islands later told me that, as returnees, they got home-phones within a week, to help them resettle quickly, as their cash was needed to boost the economy.

Then, as an ‘innocent’, the gross overcharging for services, e.g. G$64,000 for a dental job that should have cost no more than G$5,000; G$100,000 to repair a leak in the (new) roof that should have cost between G$2,000/ G$3,000; charged a commission of G$2 twice by a commercial bank for the same transaction, through an oversight on their part. A greedy and unprincipled

culture.

I sent the receipts for the dental and roof repair bills to the GRA and closed my savings account with the bank.

The worst experience, however, was voluntarily lending a young qualified, experienced electrician G$200,000 to help him start an electrical business.

He dithered about repaying the loan and, through an attorney, I eventually got back the equivalent of about G$10,000.

As a would-be entrepreneur, overnight he acquired ‘the look’ and, no doubt, lifestyle - long black trousers, long-sleeved white shirt, mobile phone, etc., and

he was able to send the mother of his children on a cake decorating course. At least she should be able to help the family in the long term. I am glad about that.

Well-intentioned, capable people, used to an ordered way of life, hearing of such experiences, are unlikely to uproot themselves and return to help clear up a mess of at least four decades.

So, until the locals come up with a solution among themselves, the most that we outsiders may be able - and prepared - to do would be to confine ourselves to “ideas and mere clichés”.”Once bitten...............”

Sorry about that.

Geralda Dennison

Desired results could only emerge from positive action by courageous, dedicated people on the spot

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

The PPP is threatening a dangerous precedent in blanket use of the presidential veto DEAR EDITOR, The use of the veto in presidential democracies is rare. It is even rarer in Westminster democracies.

The world’s most famous presidential system, the United States of America, has used the presidential veto only 2,564 times in its entire 237-year history since 1776.

This is a country that passed over 219 bills in its last congress from 2011-2012, one of the slowest legislative periods.

The USA has passed more than 50,000 bills in its entire 237-year history. It has used the presidential veto around 5% or less of all the bills it has passed. If the greatest ever presidential democracy has sparingly used the veto when the president of that country (the USA) is directly elected by the people and typically wins a majority of the votes, why does this PPP government think it has the right to use a blanket veto to block everything passed by a National Assembly elected by the people?

In fact, there have been 15

out of 43 times that a US president won less than a majority. Since 1901, the USA has had 57 Congresses (each Congress is elected every 2 years except in times of war).

In 25 of those Congresses, there were minority governments, meaning no party controlled the Congress (legislature) and the Presidency (executive) together, a situation that is similar to Guyana since the November 2011 election.

Out of a total of 114 years of American electoral history, some 50 years (44% of all years) since 1901 have been minority government for the party holding the presidency.

Eleven of the nineteen US Presidents since 1901 have faced minority governments.

How have those Presidents used their veto power? There have been 1,688 vetoes from US presidents since 1901. The minority presidents have used their vetoes a total of 796 times since 1901, but some of these presidents only had minority governments for one Congress (just two years).

As such, I divided the total use of vetoes by the

actual number of congresses the President faced a minority government in.

My calculation puts the use of the veto at 499, but considering the veto would have been used more during minority governments, I use 650 vetoes used during the times US presidents held minority governments. 650 vetoes from minority presidents equal 38.5% of all vetoes used by all US presidents since 1901.

Considering that 44% of the time US governments were elected they were minority governments, the use of vetoes is lower than the number of times minority governments were elected.

Based on available Congressional statistics from 1947, the divided governments (minority governments) in the USA since 1947 passed 1,346 pieces of legislation between 1947 to 1949; 3,165 between 1955 to 1961; 2,762 between 1969 to 1977; 3,923 from 1981 to 1993; 2,839 from 1995 to 2003; 585 from 2007 to 2009 and 151 from 2011 to 2013 (to date).

From 1947 (the presidency

of Harry Truman) to 2012 (presidency of Obama), there have been 14,771 bills passed by the US Congress of which the US presidential veto has been used roughly 468 times.

That is 3.16% of all bills passed by Congress.

So when this arrogant government stands before this country with brazen pomposity and utters it will issue a blanket veto to every single piece of opposition legislation, it is a frightening descent into dictatorship, despotism and totalitarianism that threatens to engulf this country.

If that paragon of democracy known as the United States of America, which has had a presidency for 237 years has not made this reckless use of the presidential veto, what entitles the PPP to think it has the right to use the presidential veto in a democratic world of Arab Springs in this despotic fashion?

What gives this band of brigands the right to use this fraudulently obtained constitution and its powers,

secured by thievery, in this fashion that is an affront to every presidential system and to even basic standards of democratic governance?

When one looks at the times the US president has used the veto, one understands that this power was used not for aggrandizement of filthy power-drunkenness or for selfish pursuit of power while the country burns and turns into a cesspool. The veto has been used fearlessly for the good of America.

One of the biggest users of the veto was US President Harry Truman who fought a Republican-dominated Congress to prevent laws restricting unions, civil rights, national healthcare and tax increases on the rich. The PPP is threatening to use the veto for the good of those who have hijacked the PPP and believe they have to right to steal this country from under its people.

The PPP will lose power sometime in the future and it must be aware that its acts of misconduct offer those who replace it an opportunity to

claim it as precedent and they are bound to follow them.

Only a party that is positively suicidal, knowing it is in terminal decline, would ever apply a blanket veto to very law passed by an oppositioncontrolled legislature.

It is no coincidence that the Americans have called on the PPP to call local government elections. This nation (the USA), which is intimately familiar with minority governments, will recognize PPP’s use of the blanket veto to all bills passed by the National Assembly as nothing more than dictatorship and an attempt by a callous minority government to destroy the legislature, expression of the electorate, and democracy and separation of powers.

The West knows there is a thin line between use of the veto and dictatorship by use of the veto. It is for this reason that in the USA, since 1947, the veto has been used only on 3.16% of all bills passed during minority governments and these were some of the most fractious periods (Continued on page 6)

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Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

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

Enhanced public transportation DEAR EDITOR, Guyana has made significant strides in every facet of life.

This fact is acknowledged by most Guyanese, but there are some people who are so blinded by prejudice that they simply cannot accept and come to terms with this reality even though it is staring them straight in the face.

This reality dawned upon me during a recent visit to the Essequibo Coast.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the number

of passengers and vehicles that boarded the Chinesemade roll-on roll-off vessels which are not only much more convenient compared to private vessels, but also much safer.

The Government of Guyana must be commended for putting such excellent services at the disposal of the commuting public, in particular those travelling from Parika to Supenaam and the islands of Leguan and Wakenaam.

I never seem able to get accustomed to the rough waters on the way to Supenaam, especially during high tides, which I thought is not without some amount of risk to passengers travelling on speed boats.

In this regard, the measures taken by the authorities to ensure passenger safety are commendable, especially in light of recent river tragedies.

River transportation, and for that matter transportation in general, has come a long

way over the past two decades, which has considerably enhanced economic activities and social ties between the coast and the riverain communities. Parika is no longer the sleepy community it was a decade ago, but a hub of economic and social life.

This is one of several indicators of economic growth and social progress which some people conveniently choose to ignore.

Hydar Ally

Please reinstate music royalties to local artistes DEAR EDITOR, I am respectfully asking the President and Finance Minister to kindly reinstate music royalties to the Guyanese recording artistes which is our legal rights and which was the annual norm by our only radio station up to 1992. This international practice which was shared by Guyana up until 1992, ceased when Guyana silently and mysteriously broke ranks with this legal principle in 1993.

Guyana now stands as perhaps the only state with the least number of radio stations and an unhealthy refusal to pay royalties on the music it plays, in accordance with the international

copyright laws it has signed.

This matter should be resolved before any additional radio licence should be allocated.

This matter of music copyright royalty was raised in the local press several times over the past 20 years and again during the first quarter of 2012. Reinstatement and compensation for loss was discussed. Letters dealing with this issue were delivered in April of 2012, to the offices of the Attorney General, leader of APNU and Chairman of AFC. Kindly correct this situation.

Berkeley Houston Recording Artiste

The PPP is threatening..

From page 5 in American political history.

If the PPP thinks it will use the veto to utterly silence Parliament and deny it its inherent right to pass laws on the people of Guyana’s behalf, it will face the wrath of the Guyanese people and of the USA and other democratic heavyweights.

It is an affront to the dignity of the state, the rights of the people, democratic governance and to the constitution, for any government to use a blanket veto, particularly when that government’s president has no problem signing bills approved by the National Assembly giving it money to spend.

The PPP must be reminded that gone are the Cold War days when America supported dictatorships for geopolitical reasons.

Nowadays, America is backing democracy and good governance. An old Stalinist party with a politburo that has killed democracy within its own party may be tolerated, but a government from those pretentious communists that uses its executive power in draconian veto fashion to block and deny the expression of the electorate will not be tolerated in this new age of democracy. The PPP is on thin ice. Walking carefully is not even an option anymore. It should stand still. And think.

M. Maxwell

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Blackouts, poor roads anger Fyrish residents Residents and hire car operators at Fyrish Village, Corentyne, have expressed their disgust with the present state of the two major access roads to the village— the Kilcoy “Long” Dam and Fyrish Road. Along the two roadways are huge craters, sometimes extending across the width of the road.

The Kilcoy Dam road was rehabilitated just over a year ago but has returned to an impassable state. A villager who operates a block-making business stated, “The road extra bad man. Right now I am doing my business here and you cannot come in here with sand; school children cannot come…the car bottom grazing.

“If someone gets sick, cars cannot come in here. I reported this [road] to the Regional Chairman already and he said that they will look into it,” stated businessman Imtiaz Ally. Another resident, Zameena Keshwar, said that since President Jagdeo was ruling the country, “so many

years, the country was going very good, but now we have a new President, he is not doing anything good in the

country.” A hire car operator, Mr. Chandradeo, stated that “this Kilcoy Dam road [is in a] very critical condition.

Every day, your exhausts breaking, your tires bending— one tire for $8,000—we can’t

compensate with what [is] going on with this road.

Nobody coming to see what’s happening with this road.

“This is 5 years I [am] living at the back here; there is nobody coming to see this road to fix. The only time they coming is when PPP get meeting and then somebody come and they tell us that they will fix the road. There is nobody fixing the road.

Another resident, Shoaib Mohamed, a resident of Fyrish back dam, said that he uses the road five times per day. “I used to carry out school children. My car bottom grazing in and out.

The road ain’t proper and school children struggling to go out in the morning. They promised us since last elections to make this road and elections coming again and if the road ain’t make, they would have no votes from us! No road, no vote!”

“I understand that since last year a contract was given out to do this road, but they ain’t doing anything. The rain

falling and the school children messing up their skin. If the villagers get sick, I don’t know how they will get out of the village.

“If you are pregnant and you want to get out to the hospital, you can make your baby on the road. We need something to do about this.”

The residents also bemoaned the numerous power outages and lowvoltage experienced in the area. “Every time, the current in and out. The current blowing up all of our fridges, TVs. Right now, my fridge blowing up! And who you think will give me back a fridge?! Government won’t give me back a fridge.

The residents stated that they reported the matter to GPL. “They said let us go in for claim forms. I don’t know what claim forms they will give and what they will do about it!”

Efforts to contact the Region 6 Chairman, Mr. David Armogan on Thursday proved futile.

ECD expansion works ...

Encumbrances impeding construction works

Construction works ongoing in Montrose

Stalled works in Better Hope The presence of some properties on the southern reserves of the East Coast Demerara Public Road and utilities are impeding the progress of works between Montrose and Golden Grove, says a representative of Dipcon Engineering Services.

Dipcon Engineering Services is contracted by Government to construct that section of the thoroughfare to a tune of $671,623,054. The contract for the project was signed on September 6, 2011 and is expected to come to an end in September.

The representative said that works on the southern section of the roadway, mainly in the village of Success, have stalled because of encumbrances. He assured that Government is working to have the encumbrances removed.

The Public Works Ministry and a property

owner whose entity is encumbering the reserves are currently in Court.

Nonetheless, works are progressing in certain sections to widen the northern carriageway. The representative said that those works will be completed within three months since there are seven subcontractors working on the project. He said that Dipcon would have completed the stretch sooner but the Ministry recently presented a new design resulting in modifications to works done. The contractor was tasked with widening the road more to the north, thus shifting the drain.

The representative noted that constructing in that area is challenging because blocking the flow of water in the drain could flood neighbouring communities since there is no alternative

drainage.

According to the representative, the presence of utilities is also affecting construction. Pipelines and conduits belonging to Guyana Water Incorporated would be relocated shortly but poles belonging to Guyana Power and Light and Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) are yet to be removed.

These poles are in the centre and on the edges of the drains already constructed.

An engineer attached to the Public Works Ministry related that GT&T has submitted quotations for the removal of the poles.

It was noted that the contractor has the responsibility to liaise with utility companies in this regard and the Ministry only helps to hasten the process.

Meanwhile, Dipcon Engineering Services has

signed the addendum to construct the section between Better Hope and Montrose.

This section was

originally awarded to Falcon Transportation and Construction Services.

However, owing to poor quality works the Ministry

terminated the contract and works had stalled for several months. The project was subsequently awarded to Dipcon Engineering Services.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

GWI starts sewage system upgrades

By Latoya Giles The main sewage system in central Georgetown which caters for about 50,000 residents is being upgraded.

The project, has been dubbed the Georgetown Sanitation Improvement Programme, and is valued at US$10M, will be funded by a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Guyana.

The project is also aimed at helping to eliminate the transmission of neglected tropical diseases around the city as well. The loan will be applicable for a five-year period and will help to fund four components of the project, the first being the rehabilitation of the Georgetown sewer ring main.

The present upgrades will spread over 30 months, with an 18-month execution and a 12-month defect liability period. The contract was awarded to S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Contracting Services in collaboration with Nabi Construction Inc. as the Contracting Firms.

According to Mr. Arshad

Yacoub- GWI’s Senior Engineer, rehabilitation works at Pump Station Z in Sussex

and Saffon Street, and Pump Station V at Princes and Smyth Street have

There are no plans to reduce the tolls for the Berbice River Bridge this year, Government has said.

Responding to questions posed Thursday in the National Assembly, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, said that affected school children have the options to use a ferry service that Government operates between Rosignol and New Amsterdam.

Benn was at the time responding to questions by Member of Parliament, Jennifer Wade, who wanted to know if there are plans to reduce the tolls.

According to Wade, it costs one student $800 daily to cross the bridge.

The Minister, in his

written response, said that the bridge company charges toll for the different classes of vehicles and not for passengers.

“At present the fare to cross the bridge is $2,200 for minibuses and cars,” Benn said.

Government at present has no plans to reduce the toll for 2013.

“However, Transport and Harbours Department of the Ministry of Public Works operates a ferry service across the Berbice River between Rosignol and New Amsterdam. The fare for school children using the ferry is $60 per return trip if they pay daily or $200 monthly if they purchase a contract.”

The bridge has been a

long-awaited project by the government and after years in the making, opened to traffic in December 2008.

It is a public/private partnership with investors including the New Building Society, National Insurance Scheme and Demerara Distillers Limited, among others.

The bridge management has never officially released how well it is doing.

Government, as a shareholder, reportedly has not collected its annual dividends for at least one year.

The then President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that this was to keep the toll charges low.

An estimated 160,000

Some of the engineers conducting works at Pump Station Z, Sussex and Saffon Streets

commenced. Installation works of delivery mains at Forshaw and Peter Rose

Streets to Light and Fifth Streets have also commenced.

Mr. Yacoub also stated that ‘rehabilitation works and installation of delivery mains to the following areas listed will be ongoing for the next three months— Pump Station S – Hadfield and Smyth Streets, Pump Station B – Fort and Barrack Streets, Pump Station J – Light and Forshaw Streets, Pump Station G – New Market and Camp Streets, Quamina and Camp Streets to Quamina and Waterloo Streets, New Market and Main Streets to New Market Street and Waterloo Street Junction and Princes Street and Louisa Row. GWI is appealing to residents for their patience and assures all beneficiaries that the Georgetown sewage rehabilitation project will significantly improve the operations of the sanitation system which serves the communities and alleviate sewage overflows.

They further stated that the project will benefit residents tremendously.

Some of the issues faced in the past will be corrected.

Project Manager, Orin Browne, had stated that the country has an old system which has been in existence since 1929. That system has clogged up so much that in certain parts of the city it overflows. He added that the total length of pipes to be laid is 12 kilometers; Browne said that at present, 24 different pump stations assist in pumping the sewage into the ocean.

He had noted that works on the project will be done at nights to avoid congestion.

Safety will be paramount.

GWI will be working in collaboration with the municipality, the police and other stakeholders to ensure that there is minimum disruption. Browne said that included in the entire sewer upgrade is the purchase of a $72 Million Hi-Vac Truck Mounted Aquatech Vacuum Cleaner which is a “Supersucker” vacuum bought to enhance the cleaning system.

The truck was bought by the Government through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

No plans to reduce toll on Berbice Bridge this year - Transport Minister The Berbice River Bridge

vehicles traversed the Berbice Bridge between December 24, 2008 and July 2009, according to preliminary figures that had been released by the bridge

authorities.

Cars (sedan-sized) had accounted for almost 55 per cent of the traffic while about 40,000 minibus crossings

were made during the same period.

Almost US$40M was spent to construct the linkage.

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 9

NO NEED TO CHANGE THE LAW There is nothing wrong with the Amerindian Act in so far as mining rights are concerned. The Act itself is quite explicit regarding mining on lands designated as Amerindian land.

It is therefore misplaced for the Amerindian Act to be deemed defective simply because the Courts have ruled in favour of an individual who it is said acquired rights to land and a permit to mine on lands within an Amerindian community prior to the passage of the Amerindian Act. Where there is a dispute and a ruling by the Courts on the dispute, those who wish to challenge the ruling of the Courts have to prosecute their case in the Courts and not seek amendments to the law in order to overcome an unfavourable decision.

There is no political remedy.

Amen d i n g the Amerindian Act will not help. Any amendment which has the objective of depriving individuals of property rights is more than likely to be struck down by our Courts.

Guyana comes from a common law tradition and the common law is vigorous in defending property rights. In fact, it can be argued that the very development of the common law was allied to the need to defend the right to private property.

If there is a conflict between public rights and private property rights, it is not difficult to predict where the common law will stand.

For all its nonjusticiable principles, the Constitution of Guyana s trongly defends private property to the extent of saying that no one can be deprived of his property without compensation.

Once someone had property rights prior to the passage of the Amerindian Act, that person cannot be deprived of such rights even if the law is subsequently changed.

Any change that tramples upon the property rights of an individual whether by law or administrative edict is challengeable on the grounds that it is in violation of the Constitution of Guyana.

The passage of the Amerindian Act cannot take away property rights without compensation unless it explicitly states so and if it so states it would be in defiance of the Constitution and therefore likely to be vitiated.

Further, an Act of parliament cannot be applied retroactively unless this is made explicitly clear in the legislation.

But as argued before, even if the Amerindian Act had explicitly provided for retroactivity, such a provision could not be used to deprive an individual of property rights unless compensation

Dem boys seh...

Brazzy confuse de nation When de country hear that a man get vex because a girl that he rape run away and kill a li’l boy everybody get vex.

Some people seh that he shouldn’t get try in court, that dem should kill he right away. And de man like any coward try fuh hide. He get ketch.

Now he go to court and he want lawyer fuh defend he.

Dem boys want to know who gun defend a man like that. De first lawyer he relatives go to tell dem straight that he can’t tek de case. The second lawyer was more blunt. He tell dem over he dead body.

De third lawyer watch dem full in dem face and tell dem that he not like de Bees, that he got a conscience. De lawyer also tell dem that it might be true that de man only rape one woman and that de Bees rape de whole country but that don’t mek he crime any less.

Well de man get remand and dem boys know that de people inside de Big House gun deal wid he properly. Of course dem got people who gun claim that people should got a heart and forgive but this man didn’t have a heart when he go and stab a li’l child who ain’t do he nutten.

Brazzy ain’t got a heart too. He is a man who claim that he does go to church every day. It got to be that he praying that de jail don’t pick he. Donald tell he to release all dem privatization deal. De man suh smart that he release a document that confuse de nation. Even Donald confuse but he shame fuh admit.

Everybody who read de document believe that dem dunce.

Accountant try wid it, Economists try wid it, lawyer try, nuff doctors try and only two of dem claim that dem understand.

Dem boys seh that people don’t have to guess which two.

One of dem is a real doctor who don’t wuk in hospital no more. Talk half and let your conscience guide you.

was offered.

This problem over mining rights could have been avoided and all the protests rendered unnecessary if the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) had not hastily jumped to criticize a ruling of the Courts.

Of course, the GHRA is free to criticize a decision of the Courts as long as it does not impute sinister and nefarious motives to the courts.

But if there is a problem

with a court ruling that ruling decision should be challenged. So long as there are interested parties who feel that there are grounds for appeal, they should pursue recourse using the appellate process.

I n s t e a d , h o w e v e r, i t seems as if there is an attempt to ask the government to circumvent the ruling of the Courts by passing legislation that would nullify the general effect of that ruling.

It would be setting a bad precedent for any government to be doing this.

To change the law because of a ruling in the High Court would be both premature and unnecessary.

Persons who acquired property rights prior to the passage of a law cannot be retroactively deprived of such rights unless this expressly stated in the law, and any such provision would collide with the supreme law of the land.

As such even if the government is disposed towards changing the laws, any changes cannot deprive individuals of their property rights, unless of course compensation is offered.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Magistrate scolds pregnant female drug accused A woman in an advanced stage of her pregnancy, and was caught when she attempted to smuggle ganja into the New Amsterdam prison to her incarcerate husband, was Thursday further remanded. Her sentence has been deferred for the third time.

Verna McDonald, 25, of Mai Mai Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, and the mother of a one-year old however received a scolding from Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo when she reappeared before her at the New Amsterdam magistrate court recently. She had pleaded guilty when she first appeared before the magistrate on the charge of introducing narcotics to the prison.

Magistrate Nagamootoo told the woman that she does not appreciate being lied to.

This was after the woman had stated that she has one child.

Earlier, she had told the magistrate that she had two and that her children are hungry and did not have any one to take care of them.

The woman also told the

magistrate that she does not know when she is expected to deliver her baby. She said that since she has been incarcerated no one has visited her in prison and that her clinic card is at home.

The magistrate told the pregnant woman that she should have considered the consequences when she decided to take the drugs to her imprisoned husband.

“You should have thought about your unborn child as you sewed every stitch in the pants to conceal the drugs that you took to your husband.

What you have done is to endanger the life of that unborn child. You did not think about the welfare of your baby..”

The woman had told the court that she was laid off from work by her employer after they learnt that she was pregnant.

She was desperate and did not know what went into her head to commit such an act, she added.

Prosecuting Sergeant Godfrey Playter had told the court that on Monday

January 28, McDonald visited her husband, Lamont Leacock, who is incarcerated on a charge of break and enter and larceny committed on national boxing champion and former world rated boxer, Howard Eastman.

The woman, during her visit, took some clothing and other items to the inmate.

The clothes were checked by prison officials and what looked like leaves, seeds and stems of the marijuana plant were found sewn in the flap of a pair of cargo pants that was in the bundle.

The woman was arrested and the substance was tested and weighted and found to be 13.9 grams of marijuana.

She was subsequently charged, and pleaded guilty.

She told the court that she knew that the offence carries a term of imprisonment and begged the court for a chance. “I made a mistake”.

The magistrate deferred sentence to Tuesday and ordered that the woman be taken to a medical institution to be examined to ascertain the state of her pregnancy.

The retrial of murder accused, Ramesh Sahadeo, called “Bado” of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, who is accused of murdering 17year-old Darshanan Ramanan, called “Tato”, of Bush Lot Housing Scheme on September 20, 2009 at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, continued on Thursday in the Berbice High Court before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a mixed jury.

The 45-year-old accused, a former tractor operator of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, is accused of murdering the teenager following a misunderstanding.

The court heard that Sahadeo reportedly slashed Ramanan’s neck, killing him.

When the trial continued on Thursday, prosecutor, attorney at law Dionne Mc Cammon made her opening address, before leading the three witnesses in their testimony. Those testifying were the mother of the deceased, Ceelena Ramanan, the deceased’s brother-in-law Daneshwar Persaud and police Detective Corporal, Dwayne Harvey.

Ceelena Ramanan testified to receiving information about her son.

She said that she raced to the scene and saw him lying on the ground with a wound to his neck and with what appeared to be blood around him.

Daneshwar Persaud, who is a relative of the deceased, testified to identifying the body on the day of the Post Mortem. He witnessed the autopsy which was conducted by Dr. Vivekananda Brijmohan at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Detective Corporal, Dwayne Harvey, in his testimony had stated that on the day in question, he went to the scene and saw the accused in a pool of blood with a chop on his neck. He subsequently investigated the matter. He also witnessed the Post Mortem Examination.

Reports are that Ramanan was at the corner of the street while the defendant was passing and an argument ensued. It is alleged that Sahadeo dealt Ramanan a single chop to his neck and calmly walked away.

Ramanan was reportedly seen running frantically up and down the street a few times before collapsing to the ground, bleeding profusely.

He died before receiving medical attention. The police subsequently arrived at the scene. The defendant was later arrested and charged.

The trial will continue next Tuesday.

Three witnesses testify in Bush Lot murder retrial

Page 11

Berbicians not satisfied with healthcare delivery, Health ... seniors to Minister hears ‘face the fire’ Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, has stated that it is evident there is a general dissatisfaction among Berbicians about health services being provided in that region.

Therefore, health care officials, especially the seniors in the system will be made to ‘face the music’ more often and to account to the public for their actions.

He said this after an allday interaction and meeting with numerous Berbicians from various communities this past week. Additionally, several complaints were raised with the Minister on a Live call-in TV programme.

They ranged from poor services at the various hospitals in Regions Five and Six; bossy attitudes of security guards at the hospitals and the attitudes of nurses.

“It is coming out more and more that there is clientele dissatisfaction with the services being offered.” He held numerous meetings across Berbice on Monday, visiting Angoy’s Avenue and several areas on the Corentyne and West Berbice.

“We have to face it. I am thinking of incorporating a more popular element so that the regular, ordinary, rank and file resident can benefit.”

Time and time again, numerous Berbicians have been stepping forward with their criticisms and complaints about poor services being provided by the various health care facilities in the region. Now, the Minister of Health himself is admitting the fact.

The Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) is the umbrella body tasked with overseeing the efficient delivery of healthcare services in the two regions. A new board was installed last July, but Dr. Ramsaran stated that no reports have ever been submitted to the Ministry of Health. “We came in after six months…and we have been following the Berbice scenario for some time”.

“There have been continuous complaints from the Berbice clientele,” he noted. The Minister stated, too, that during a visit to the region last year, he brought with him some bed pans for the New Amsterdam Hospital.

“I delivered them to Mr. [Alan] Johnson (CEO of the N/A Hospital) on the steps of the hospital, because I have been having frequent complaints by patients who visit the hospital that there are no bed pans—and don’t

let them tell me I am lying!”

Dr. Ramsaran went on to say that he was informed by patients at the facility whom he knew at the time, that several days after he brought the bed pans to Berbice, they were not deployed…”so we need to have some ‘peep- in’ from the clientele and by the regular patients and Berbicians into the hospital’s affairs”.

To remedy this problem, Dr. Ramsaran has proposed “quality” town- hall styled meetings . “We will have public meetings on the television where the team will come and line-up here and face the music and have reports including the nursing staff, because they are perennially rude—I have those complaints all the time from people who are genuine…They don’t have any reason to lie”.

The public meetings, he stated, will also be held at the town hall, hospital boardrooms and Regional Democratic Council (RDC) boardrooms “so people can go and express these things”.

The Minister said, “It is very sad that many of the complaints are about the ethics and rudeness, illmanners of the nurses…The number of complaints against the nursing staff is too much”.

He is urging the senior staff to effect more visits to the proverbial ‘shop floor’ or the hospitals and health centres themselves since the junior staff “seems to be having a field day”.

The management

problem, he opined, exists at the level of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Regional Health Authority, and the CEO of the N/A Hospital- there needs to be more communication—this is your major facility…There are not many health facilities in East Berbice, so they can be visited practically every day, he said.

The administration, he reiterated, is doling out more and more resources to the health sector in the Region but that it seems that these resources are being underutilized or not utilized at all.

The path that the Ministry of Health is taking in this regard is what he termed ‘regime change’, as was the case in Region Two recently.

“Regime change in that personnel have been changed, and we are getting better results—More surgeries are being done, more services are being offered and fewer patients are going to the Georgetown hospital,” he posited.

He is deeply concerned about reports of security guards at the various hospitals determining who has access to healthcare.

“This is horrendous! It used to be so at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC)…

They have solved that problem; it was emerging at the Diamond Hospital and we have almost solved that problem there. It’s shocking that this is happening here, and it shows the lack of management.”

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 13

Guyana’s total debt remains APNU insists that Rohee cannot speak as Minister of Home Affairs high despite write-offs …stands at US$1.7B in March 2012 Guyana’s total public debt at March last year was a whopping US$1.7B, slightly less than the US$2.1B at 1992 when the government assumed office.

Over the years, the government, through lobbying efforts and other economic measures, had secured several debt write offs to the tune of nearly 75 per cent of the total debt which had grown significantly because of the unpaid interest charges.

Based on questions from Member of Parliament, Moses Nagamootoo of the Alliance For Change, the smaller of the two parties in the Opposition, Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh on Thursday released figures on Guyana’s debts.

Nagamootoo had asked a question seeking the total public debt- both local and foreign- in the US and Guyana dollars equivalent, as at September 30, 1992.

According to the Minister, at September 30, 1992, it was US$2,087.99 M (US$2.09B). At that time the exchange rate for the US dollar was G$126. The debt was equivalent to G$263,086M. This contrasted to March 31, 2012 when total public debt stood at US$1.743B at an exchange rate of G$204 to US$1. This was equivalent to G$355,580M. Since assuming power in 1992, the People’s

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh

AFC’s MP, Moses Nagamootoo

Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) has succeeded in getting some of its biggest debts written off by the US, Russia, Europe, Canada China and Libya.

This was to the tune of hundreds of millions of US dollars.

The figures would suggest that Guyana has been borrowing more. In addition to several roads and sea defence projects, government is also paying back for the Skeldon Factory and a host of other initiatives.

According to Minister Singh, the total public debt stock at December 31, 2010 stood at $312,180.26M at an exchange rate of $203.50 for US$1.

“The amount of $338,432.786M cited in the question, is sourced from the

central government statement of the public debt as included in the report of the Auditor General for the year ended December 31, 2010.”

The Minister said that because the statement relates to the Central Government, the amount shown would have included debts owed by the Central Government to other public sector agencies, principally debentures issued by the central government to the Bank of Guyana.

It would have excluded debts owed by the Bank of Guyana and other parastatal agencies.

As at December 31, 2010, the total public debt stock stood at $350,574.81M…at an exchange rate of $203 to US$1.

Dead fish at Paradise blamed on jelly fish poisoning

A number of dead fish found at Paradise, Essequibo A number of dead fish found at Paradise, Lower Pomeroon, are more than likely a result of jelly fish poisoning.

There have been recurring reports since Monday of dead fish found floating in that Essequibo area.

Fisheries officials reportedly took samples.

Yesterday, the Ministry

of Natural Resources and the E n v i r o n m e n t ’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that it is working jointly with the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture in investigating a report of fishes dying at Paradise.

The Ministry said that it is not likely that mining or other activities are involved.

“Several inspections were conducted and water and specimen samples were taken. Initial reports indicate that the fish died as a result of jelly fish poisoning and not as a result of any synthetic chemicals.”

The EPA is slated to conduct follow-up investigations, the Ministry said.

-party astonished by Speaker’s decision

Frontbencher for the APNU Deborah Backer yesterday said that the party was left in astonishment on Thursday after the decision

by Mr. Raphael Trotman, Speaker of the National Assembly, to allow the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee, to address the National Assembly on matters of public security.

Backer was at the time addressing members of the media at the party’s weekly press briefing.

According to Backer, the Speaker rejected objections by the Leader of the Opposition, David Granger, MP, and the Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Basil Williams, MP, and allowed the Minister to speak.

Backer said that the statement Rohee made was on so-called reforms that his Ministry has proposed.

Backer stated that her colleagues argued on a point of order that Mr. Rohee should not be permitted to speak on the grounds that over the past six months a Resolution of the National Assembly had been passed to that effect.

According to Backer it

was the Speaker himself that had earlier ruled to give further effect to that resolution and that the matter had been referred to the Committee of Privilege. It had also been the subject of a Motion brought by the Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nandlall, in the High Court.

Backer said that her party has demanded that the Capita-Symonds Report, which was handed over to Mr. Rohee nearly two years ago, in February-March 2011, and now forms the basis of the new ‘plan’ be laid before the National Assembly.

She said that the party also demanded that the report should be published in the media so that the public could read its contents and assess its relevance to crime and the improvement of the Guyana

Police Force today.

Backer added that the Speaker, despite the government’s refusal to present the ‘plan’ to the National Assembly, allowed Mr. Rohee to speak.

Backer noted that her party will support the implementation of a serious security reform programme that can enhance human safety.

The Partnership will not comment on the contents of the Capita-Symonds report until it has received and studied it.

She said that APNU iterates its resolve to maintain its opposition to Mr. Rohee being permitted to address the National Assembly as long as he purports to perform the functions of Minister of Home Affairs.

Page 14

Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

Woman gives birth Local Government Selections despite heart condition Muse or Amuse

There is an obscene silence about the absence of Local Government Elections.

Across the country, municipalities are crumbling and infrastructure is in dire need of repairs. At the same time, the construction and other codes are being breached by everyone who can find a way to beat the system.

The problem we have is far greater than local government elections. Unless the PPP sees that it can control the composition of the municipalities, it will not head to the polls.

And, the desire for control is killing the system, killing the people and the country. Of course the Government does not see the long term neglect and destruction since, in their mind, they only see the opportunities to step in and save the day when things fall apart.

It is the government, however, that should be the biggest agitator for local government elections. The Government should be happy to have municipalities run by technocrats and other people who are not political but capable in both business and statute.

The longest serving Mayor in the world is the Mayor of Georgetown, compliments of the PPP. There has to be a way that

the united opposition can demand local government elections – unless, of course, they too do not see the need to change the system!

Maybe the politicians are now seeing any possible Local Government Elections as an indicator of their support and power-base. So their fear of any real or perceived loss of support will not allow them to speedily move ahead with something that will benefit the populace!

Throughout Guyana’s independent history, the desire for control and power took precedence over any factor that was good for the people and the country.

Water, Electricity, Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , Regional Administration and other areas are badly in need of independent decisionmaking by people who have a national aim (as contrasted with political aim).

So, will the politicians ever change? Obviously not!

Meanwhile, every “heavy” downpour of rain will mean a cleansing of the sewage system in Georgetown.

The miasma beneath the surface gets washed and diluted, rises to the top and becomes accepted by all. And this happens across the country, in many municipalities.

Because of the years of

neglect and poor governance, we have grown to accept these things.

Floods, garbage, poor infrastructure, muck from our taps, blackout etc – it is all a norm to us. We have accepted these things as part of our lives. What is worse, we have accepted paying 33%+16% taxes just so that the Government can take our money and build a hotel for its boys.

We have grown to accept crappy things as a norm. As we have grown to accept the filthy city of Georgetown as a contrast to the Garden city of Georgetown.

This is why the government cannot change and the Local Government Elections will remain Local Government Selections.

Or, maybe I am wrong and we are all wrong!

Maybe the government and the opposition do not want to speed up the process for local government elections because the current system has one good outcome.

You see, we have no system to flush the city gutters. It is only because of the constant rainfall and flooding of our gutters that we have a chance to get a “washout” of the gullies and gutters.

I hope you are amused because I am not!

Sherrie Persaud, 35-yearold mother said, “I am counting my blessings and thanking the Almighty One for the team of doctors for me being alive with a healthy baby boy.”

It was last November that Sherrie Persaud came to the attention of the medical team. She was suffering from severe Mitral Stenosis and Severe Pulmonary Hypertension.

The combination of these two conditions, usually have a 40 per cent to 50 per cent mortality rate.

The team comprising Dr. Mahendra Carpen (Cardiologist), Dr. Ruth

Derkenne (Consultant Gynaecologist) and Dr. Vivienne Mitchell-Amata (Consultant, Anaesthesist) decided that they would constantly monitor Sherrie’s condition, even though it was rather delicate, and see her through to term.

They planned her delivery

by Caesarean Section and this was successfully done on January 31, 2013.

Sherrie was overcome with joy. She says that she cannot thank the doctors enough. She will still have to do heart surgery in the near future but both she and baby are fine.

Mitral Stenosis is a

situation where the valve in the heart cannot open enough. As a result, less blood flows to the body. The upper heart chamber swells as pressure builds up.

In Pulmonary Hypertension the right side of the heart pumps blood through the lungs, where it picks up oxygen.

Then, the blood returns to the left side of the heart, where it is pumped to the whole body.

When the small arteries (blood vessels) of the lung become narrowed, they cannot carry as much blood.

When this happens, pressure builds up.

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 15

Berbice woman’s death attracts Opposition’s attention

By Abena Rockcliffe Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, was questioned during the last sitting of the National Assembly about the circumstances surrounding the death of 47-year-old Tirtawattie Shoandeo whose demise was associated with a 17-minute power outage.

Initial questions were raised by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Annette Ferguson, but the matter attracted supplementary questions raised by other members of the Opposition.

Recently, Shoandeo, of Whim, Corentyne, reportedly died during a blackout in the operating room at that facility.

The woman’s relatives stated that they searched for the porter to start-up the hospital generator, but to no avail. They also claimed that the doctors turned to torchlights and cell phones as light sources. Power was restored some time later but that Shoandeo was

Tirtawattie Shoandeo pronounced dead.

A post mortem done on her remains revealed that the woman died of septicemia and perforated duodenal ulcer. The family arrived at the conclusion that the doctors’ inability to see properly during the blackout caused their loved one to die.

Just last week, Dr. Ramsaran pronounced that it was totally unacceptable that the generator at the New Amsterdam Hospital did not kick-in immediately after a blackout during a crucial

APNU Member of Parliament: Annette Ferguson surgery, even though the hospital management may have very well known that the generator switch was nonfunctional.

However, yesterday, before answering questions, Dr. Ramsaran sought to inform the National Assembly that the woman did not die during surgery but some time later.

The Minister told the National Assembly that

Death at West Demerara Hospital Due process observed as probe into teen’s death continues - CMO As investigations into the death of Shemar Miggins at the West Demerara Regional Hospital continues, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, is insisting that there is no delay in the process.

Rather the idea is to allow for due process to prevail.

This, he said, is essential to ensure that all of the relevant facts are collected about the circumstances surrounding the death of the 15-year-old boy at the Region Three medical institution.

Speaking to the status of a Guyana Nursing Council investigation, Dr Persaud related that efforts have been made to address the matter which is now at the level of its Disciplinary Committee.

The Chief Medical Officer is an ex officio member of the Council.

Although he is not a part of the Disciplinary Committee, he did say, “I u n d e r s t a n d t h a t they discussed the matter and I think they are seeking some additional information from the nursing perspective such as procedures and so on...

“They are in the process of collecting additional information now.”

Dr Persaud said, too, that additional samples from Miggins’s remains are still with the Government Pathologist who has been working in collaboration with the police since the death has been classified as a police matter.

He said that following a post mortem, which this newspaper understand revealed that the lad died as a result of asphyxiation caused by food in his lungs, additional samples were taken to facilitate furthering tests.

“I am not sure what is the status of that aspect of the investigation right now,” confessed Dr Persaud. “I am sure that there are things that they would want to look at...things like the lung tissue, tissues from the stomach, and tissues from the blood vessel; there might be changes there.”

According to Dr Persaud, who as Chief Medical Officer was mandated to spearhead an investigation almost instantaneously following word of the teenagers demise, “In our review of the signs and symptoms and a review of high doses of magnesium, many of the signs and symptoms that were recorded during the resuscitation were in agreement with some of the kinds of things that you would see when you are exposed to high levels of magnesium which was in this substance.”

There are reports that while Miggins was admitted a patient at the West Demerara Hospital because of an injury to his foot, he had on the day of his death, complained about a burnt stomach.

It was to this complaint that a Nursing Assistant was

attempting to attend to when Miggins was allegedly administered oral medication via an intravenous line.

The teen, Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran explained, was at the time on intravenous medication even as he revealed that “according to the nurse (Nursing Assistant) she gave him the oral suspension and he instead of drinking it, when she turned her back to deal with other patients, administered it via the IV line.”

“This is a very strange explanation and that is why it prompted an extremely quick response from the Ministry of Health,” said an evidently concerned Minister Ramsaran of the attending Nursing Assistance’s account of what transpired ahead of Miggins’s death.

According to him there are reports that desperate efforts were made to resurrect the teenager but all such attempts failed.

The Nursing Assistant, who is required to operate under the supervision of a nurse, has since been sent on administrative leave pending the outcome of ongoing investigations into the matter, said Dr Persaud.

According to him “the nurse is still on administrative leave and will remain there until investigations are completed; we will not have her back before it is completed,” he insisted.

Minister of Health: Bheri Ramsaran Shoandeo was admitted to the hospital with a very “serious” condition.

Despite the fact that she died, Dr. Ramsaran told Members of the National Assembly that his doctors did “good work.”

The Minister was asked

by Ferguson to inform the National Assembly about the

reasons surrounding the malfunction of the generators.

He responded that an investigation has been launched.

He also said that it is a “fairly” new generator but the Ministry, even after addressing whatever may have caused the malfunction, will put a system in place whereas human resources will be used to manually turn on the switch if need be.

Another question was also raised as to what disciplinary action may be taken against the porter/ attendant who couldn’t have been found. To that, the minister responded that the attendant is at the lowest level in the line of command and shouldn’t be penalized or blamed before a thorough investigation is conducted into the matter.

Dr. George Norton, APNU Member of Parliament, on the call of a supplementary question questioned the

Minister about how long he would have known that there were serious shortcomings at the Hospital.

D r.

Ramsaran eventually said, “It doesn’t matter how long; point is that that should have been the case and now I know about it and it is being dealt with.”

APNU Member of Parliament, Desmond Trotman, also queried, “To what extent did the 17-minute blackout affect the patient?

When will an independent investigation be carried out as opposed to investigations that are carried out by the Minister himself?”

However, Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman said that the standing orders only permit two supplementary questions without notice.

He also opined that if “we carry on at this rate the investigation will be done this afternoon, instead.”

Joint police/CANU raid nabs 36.3 kg cocaine A raid by units of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit supported by ranks of the Guyana Police Force uncovered 36.3 kilograms of cocaine in a house at Ogle, East Coast Demerara. The drug has a street value of hundreds of millions of dollars.

CANU Head, James Singh, said that his men had

placed the house under surveillance for some time.

Yesterday, just before the raid the men saw no movement in the house. The occupants had left so when the raid was conducted the building was empty.

Mr. Singh said that in addition to the drugs, the team found a magazine with .223 rounds, the type used in

the M-16 rifle and another magazine containing nine millimeter rounds used in the Beretta sub-machine pistol.

There have been a number of subsequent arrests since the police and the CANU ranks had earlier identified some of the people who frequented the house. Up to late last night they remained in police custody.

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Guyana plugs loopholes in appeals laws …Greene’s rape case, Dataram’s extradition cited

By Abena Rockcliffe The last parliamentary sitting of the National Assembly saw the unanimous passing of the Supreme Court of Judicature (Appeal) (Amendment) Bill which seeks t o a l l o w appeals of decisions on particular criminal matters coming out of the Full Court or handed down by a High Court judge.

The Bill was piloted by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, who told the National Assembly that the Bill is intended to correct deficiencies in the legal system as it relates to appeals.

The Attorney General noted that anomaly is one that had been inherited from England. Nandlall explained that the Bill seeks to amend the Court of Appeal Act and the High Court Act saying that the two provisions in the law combined, denies a right of appeal in a category of cases.”

“In a nutshell these two provisions in the law combined together to deny a right of appeal in a whole category of cases. This exists

in a system like ours with the hierarchical structure our court system has—several tiers of appeal—the Full Court, the Court of Appeal and of course the Caribbean Court of Justice,” said the Attorney General.

He dubbed the provisions “unpalatable” as he traced the history of t h e l a w s b a c k t o 1 9 th century Britain.

Nandlall told the National Assembly, “We are given an opportunity here tonight to correct these deficiencies that have been with us for nearly 100 years.”

Referring to it as a hurdle, Nandlall said that the laws combined make the decision of a “single judge almost invincible in a host of cases.”

He said that “this state of affairs simply does not sit well in a legal system which guarantees several opportunities to appeal decisions in every other type of case.”

To aid in the illustration of the effects of the law, the cases of Barry Dataram and the late former Commissioner of Police Henry Greene were cited by Nandlall.

Most will remember the

case involving the now dead former Commissioner of Police Henry Greene. In December of 2011, a 34-yearold woman alleged that the Top Cop had raped her in a city hotel.

Greene submitted a statement to investigators on January 13, 2012, denying that he had unlawful sexual intercourse with the woman.

The Director of Public Prosecutions recommended that Greene be charged with rape, but the Top Cop was successful in getting the High Court to block the charge, a decision the government couldn’t have appealed.

Another famous case referred to by Nandlall was that of an alleged drug trafficker Barry Dataram whom the US government had asked the Guyana government to extradite to face charges but the proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court were quashed by the Full Court. A subsequent appeal by the then Attorney General Doodnauth Singh was unsuccessful with the appellate judge pointing out the provision in the Court of Appeal Act that barred a challenge.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs: Anil Nandlall

Barry Dataram

Late Former Commissioner of Police, Henry Green

In supporting the Bill, A Partnership for National Unity ( APNU)’s Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, opined that the piece of legislation is about “20 years too late.”

Commenting on the opposition’s call for continuous reviews of the justice system, Williams said, “Any practitioner of the Bar would support this application but there are other things that we need to rectify

in the criminal justice system.”

He said that there are still many anomalies that exist in the law that need to be rectified and referenced to recommendations from former justices to have the law remedied since 1990.

One of the issues, he said, needed to be reviewed was the state’s ability to challenge the findings of a properly constituted jury.

Alliance for Change

(AFC) Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that the amendments “go quite clearly to plug a loophole that created lots of injustice in relation to matters criminal and in relation to orders made that could not be appealed against.” Other speakers to the Bill included People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) Members of Parliament, Bibi Shadick, Manzoor Nadir and APNU’s Attorney at Law James Bond.

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

Question #1: I live in Guyana.

My mother’s petition for us was upgraded in 2009 when she became a U.S. Citizen resulting in one of my brothers who chose not to get married at the time being able to migrate in mid 2010.

My other brother and I choose to get married.

To date we are still awaiting an appointment.

Please advise.

Answer #1: Generally an unmarried child of a U.S. Citizen has a shorter wait time than a married child of a U.S. Citizen. According to the March 2012 visa bulletin, visas are being issued for petitions for an unmarried child of a U.S. citizen that was filed on or before February 1, 2005 and for petitions for a married child of a U.S. citizen that was filed on or before January 1, 2002.

So, right now there is a three-year difference in wait time if you are married verses being unmarried. In the long run, it’s better to marry and wait the extra three years so your entire family can

immigrate with you to the United States.

Question #2: If you are a U.S. Citizen, how long can you stay outside the U.S.?

Answer #2: A U.S. citizen does not have travel limitations and can remain outside the U.S. for any amount of time without risk of losing their U.S. citizen status.

Question #3: C a n someone who obtained their U.S. citizenship via asylum be penalized (have their citizenship revoked) for going back to the country of persecution even though they are now a citizen of the U.S.? I have a friend who is in this situation and her mother is very sick. She wants to go back to the country she claimed asylum from so she can visit her mother.

Answer #3: I do not recommend that your friend (even though she is a U.S. Citizen) to return to the country she sought asylum from. When you seek asylum in the U.S., you are claiming fear of persecution in your native country.

To now return to the same country shows that you no longer have a fear to return.

Remember that a naturalized U.S. Citizen can have their citizenship revoked for fraud.

So, returning to the country you claimed asylum from can lead to a re-examination of an

Gail Seeram asylum application and a reexamination of citizenship if fraud is suspected.

Question #4: Please give me an idea of what happens when a child sponsors his/her parent, pays all the fees and then the child dies. Is everything finished there or can someone else can take up the petition?

Answer #4: Generally, when a petitioner dies the pending petition is void.

However, a request for reinstatement can be made based on humanitarian grounds. This is not an automatic process – Immigration has the discretion to reinstate the petition with a substitute sponsor or to void the petition based on the petitioner’s death. Call or email our office for more information on reinstatement.

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Berbicians not satisfied with healthcare delivery, Health Minister hears ....seniors to ‘face the fire’ Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, has stated that it is evident there is a general dissatisfaction among Berbicians about health services being provided in that region.

Therefore, health care officials, especially the seniors in the system will be made to ‘face the music’ more often and to account to the public for their actions.

He said this after an allday interaction and meeting with numerous Berbicians from various communities this past week. Additionally,

several complaints were raised with the Minister on a Live call-in TV programme.

They ranged from poor services at the various hospitals in Regions Five and Six; bossy attitudes of security guards at the hospitals and the attitudes of nurses.

“It is coming out more and more that there is clientele dissatisfaction with the services being offered.” He held numerous meetings across Berbice on Monday, visiting Angoy’s Avenue and several areas on the

Corentyne and West Berbice.

“We have to face it. I am thinking of incorporating a more popular element so that the regular, ordinary, rank and file resident can benefit.”

Time and time again, numerous Berbicians have been stepping forward with their criticisms and complaints about poor services being provided by the various health care facilities in the region. Now, the Minister of Health himself is admitting the fact.

The Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) is the umbrella body tasked with overseeing the efficient delivery of healthcare services in the two regions. A new board was installed last July, but Dr. Ramsaran stated that no reports have ever been submitted to the Ministry of Health. “We came in after six months…and we have been following the Berbice scenario for some time”.

“There have been continuous complaints from the Berbice clientele,” he noted.

The Minister stated, too, that during a visit to the region last year, he brought

with him some bed pans for the New Amsterdam Hospital.

“I delivered them to Mr. [Alan] Johnson (CEO of the N/A Hospital) on the steps of the hospital, because I have been having frequent complaints by patients who visit the hospital that there are no bed pans—and don’t let them tell me I am lying!”

Dr. Ramsaran went on to say that he was informed by patients at the facility whom he knew at the time, that several days after he brought the bed pans to Berbice, they were not deployed…”so we need to have some ‘peep- in’ from the clientele and by the regular patients and Berbicians into the hospital’s affairs”.

To remedy this problem, Dr. Ramsaran has proposed “quality” town- hall styled meetings.

“We will have public meetings on the television where the team will come and line-up here and face the music and have reports including the nursing staff, because they are perennially rude—I have those complaints all the time from people who are

genuine…They don’t have any reason to lie”.

The public meetings, he stated, will also be held at the town hall, hospital boardrooms and Regional Democratic Council (RDC) boardrooms “so people can go and express these things”.

The Minister said, “It is very sad that many of the complaints are about the ethics and rudeness, illmanners of the nurses…The number of complaints against the nursing staff is too much”.

He is urging the senior staff to effect more visits to the proverbial ‘shop floor’ or the hospitals and health centres themselves since the junior staff “seems to be having a field day”.

The management problem, he opined, exists at the level of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Regional Health Authority, and the CEO of the N/A Hospital- there needs to be more communication—this is your major facility…There are not many health facilities in East Berbice, so they can be visited practically every day, he said.

The administration, he

reiterated, is doling out more and more resources to the health sector in the Region but that it seems that these resources are being underutilized or not utilized at all.

The path that the Ministry of Health is taking in this regard is what he termed ‘regime change’, as was the case in Region Two recently.

“Regime change in that personnel have been changed, and we are getting better results—More surgeries are being done, more services are being offered and fewer patients are going to the Georgetown hospital,” he posited.

He is deeply concerned about reports of security guards at the various hospitals determining who has access to healthcare.

“This is horrendous! It used to be so at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC)…They have solved that problem; it was emerging at the Diamond Hospital and we have almost solved that problem there. It’s shocking that this is happening here, and it shows the lack of management.”

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Exporters face threats, opportunities in Canadian market Jamaica Observer Jamaican manufacturers of some key items are likely to have their profit margins squeezed by higher duties in the Canadian export market, if CARICOM fails to reach a new trade agreement with the North American country before year end.

Pepper sauce and rum exports top the list of goods that would potentially be under threat if negotiations are not completed in time to avert a World Trade Organisation (WTO) challenge of the existing Caribbean-Canada Trade Agreement (CARIBCAN), a preferential arrangement under which most regional items enjoy duty-free access to the Canadian market, but which the WTO has ruled as unfair.

Canada is the second biggest market for Jamaica’s food exports, behind the United States. Jamaican exports to the country stood at Cdn$274.1 million ($25.9 billion) in 2011. But if a new trade agreement doesn’t come into effect for January 1, 2014, and Canada is forced to charge duties, it could be harmful to some of the nation’s most valuable export products to that market, says Lincoln Price, private sector liaison at the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) of the CARICOM Secretariat.

“The current trade negotiations are designed to ensure that exporters that depend on the CARIBCAN for duty preferences into Canada, such as Jamaican rum companies, aerated beverages and pepper sauce companies, have stable dutyfree market access into Canada,” Price told Caribbean Business Report.

Jamaican rum exports generated US$11 million ($1 billion) in export sales in 2011, while pepper sauces earned US$1.5 million.

Without a trade agreement, if Canada is forced to charge duties, it would add another 25c/litre to market access costs for rum and 9.5 per cent to the market access cost for Jamaican pepper sauces, said the OTN technocrat.

Canada is among GraceKennedy Limited’s top five markets for exports from Jamaica, and hot sauces represent 25 per cent of the conglomerate’s sales from Jamaica to the North American country, according to GraceKennedy group CEO Don Wehby.

Additionally, he said Grace is planning to expand its revenue through new markets in Canada such as the west coast.

“It is therefore very

important that an agreement is reached,” declared Wehby.

“We need to ensure that the timelines are met as any delay would put our products in a disadvantageous position,” he said.

The Canadian market is an extremely important one for rum-maker J Wray & Nephew (JWN), producer of the Appleton Estate and Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum brands.

“Our products are exported to 68 countries, and our Appleton Estate brand is the number one gold rum sold in Canada. Sales to this country represent our single largest export market, which is larger than Jamaica and we believe there is significant room for further market penetration in Canada,” said Greta Bogues, general manager of JWN’s Corporate Affairs Division.

“We therefore consider a successful resolution to the negotiations critical and anticipate that the final decisions will redound to the benefit of all Jamaican manufacturers and exporters to Canada, including J Wray & Nephew Limited, its subsidiaries, and associated companies,” she added.

On the flip side, a new trading arrangement with Canada could open valuable opportunities for Jamaican exporters, including those behind products that currently attract tariffs.

“The negotiations objective is to target those tariffs and remove them so that exporting is cheaper for those sectors,” said Price.

Among the local products that could benefit are nonalcoholic beverages, which despite being charged 128 per cent duties, generated almost US$900,000 in export sales in 2011, and communion wafers which earned US$1 million in the face of 4.4 per cent duties.

Jamaican manufacturer Wisynco, a leader in the nonalcoholic beverage industry, has embarked on an aggressive export thrust for brands such as Wata, Cran Wata and Boom.

The company does not have a huge presence in Canada but has targeted the country as a potential growth area, said Wisynco Export Manager, Stephen Dawkins.

“Canada has a fair size diaspora and it is a market that we certainly can make some inroads in,” said Dawkins.

Other local exports to Canada under tariffs include sweet biscuits (2.7 per cent tariffs); processed or tin cheese (245.5 per cent tariffsplus a dairy licence requirement); other food preparations, including powdered mixes, vegetable

preparations and flavoured extracts/essences (96 per cent tariffs); malt extract with less than 10 per cent cocoa (106 per cent); and knitted t-shirts of cotton (18 per cent).

CARICOM have completed four rounds of negotiations with Canada and are now at the stage where lists of goods, services and investment interests are being negotiated.

For JWN, the inclusion of services in the negotiations can provide for the improvement of market access.

“JWN is particularly interested in improving the access of agribusiness sector and tourism services, which should enable us to further enhance our capacity to produce and export,” said Bogues.

The WTO has ruled that preferential agreements such as CARIBCAN are unfair, stipulating that trading arrangements must have an element of reciprocity that provide for the duty preference. A waiver allowing CARIBCAN to continue unchallenged expires at the end of the year.

Canada is one of the few countries with which Jamaica has maintained a trade surplus with over the years.

Canada’s exports to Jamaica in 2011 was Cdn$112.1 million and were mostly meats, electrical and other machinery, fish, pharmaceutical products, cereals, paper and paper board and plastics, according to data from the Canadian High Commission in Jamaica. But in the new trade

Containers are unloaded from cargo ships at a port in North America. (AP)

arrangement, the Canadians are seeking a significant amount of reciprocity, said Dr Andre Gordon, past president of the Jamaica Exporters’ Association.

“They now want access to our market; under CARIBCAN it has been

mainly one way,” he said.

What’s more, Gordon said the Canadians are looking at a lot of specifics in certain areas, including compliance with their own food safety regulations.

However, Gordon expressed concern that

members of the private sector are not as involved as they should in the consultations.

“The truth is that I am not sure that the private sector is as engaged as it should be in these discussions,” said Gordon.

(Continued on page 21)

Suriname parliament approves drastic anti-smoking legislation The National Assembly has passed legislation outlawing smoking in public.

“This is truly a historic moment for Suriname. With the approval of the tobacco law parliament is handing government a tool to further improve the health of our community,” said Theo Vishnudatt who chaired the Parliamentary committee that

spearheaded the new legislation.

The Anti-Tobacco Law passed by a 39-13 margin on Thursday, allows people to smoke at home, in their cars or other private places.

Anyone violating the law could be jailed and the law also bans the advertising of cigarettes, which must now be packaged with graphic

warnings that smoking kills.

“We have been preparing this legislation for years.

What we want is a law that works and achieves the goal we’re after, which is a smokefree Suriname,” Health Minister Michael Blokland said. Blokland said that that once smoking in public is banned, people might get encouraged to quit. (CMC)

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St. Lucia hosts Moroccan delegation Saint Lucia will on Friday, February 8, 2013 play host to a 10-member delegation from the Kingdom of Morocco led

by His Excellency Mr. Nasser Bourita, Ambassador/General Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The visit comes on the heels of a recent encounter between Honourable Alva Baptiste, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation and His

Excellency Dr. Saad Dine El Otmani, Minister for External Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco.The two met during the CARICOM-Morocco consultation held in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco last December, where a number of issues were discussed, focusing primarily on the mutual development of both countries.

A key agenda item was the need to augment Saint Lucia’s skilled human resource capacity. In this context, the

Government of the Kingdom of Morocco has mentioned that a number of scholarship awards could be made available to Saint Lucia nationals desirous of pursuing undergraduate studies – details of which will be negotiated during the forthcoming visit. Practical measures to increase the island’s production in the agricultural sector will also be explored.

It is also expected that in general the visit will provide

Alva Baptiste

the opportunity to further enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries and to establish a roadmap for future cooperation.

This will be the first highlevel visit in years by a Moroccan delegation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1988.

Representatives from various government agencies including the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), the Office of Vocational Training

and Employment Promotion (OFPPT), the National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA) and the Office Cherifien for Phosphates (OCP) [the world’s largest exporter of rock and phosphoric acid and one of the most important producers of fertilizers] will form part of the delegation who will effectuate this short visit.

During the visit, the contingent will pay a courtesy call on Honourable Alva Baptiste, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation. Members of the delegation will also

meet with counterparts from various government ministries.

Moreover, it is expected that this visit will provide an opportunity to finalize arrangements for the establishment of a Moroccan Embassy in Saint Lucia.

As the writhes and tides of diplomacy call for renewed commitment from members of the international community, the visit is testament of the promise by Saint Lucia and Morocco to reevaluate their international relations as the countries draw closer to fulfilling their development objectives. (St Lucia News)

Former TCI premier Misick released from prison on bail PROVIDENCIALS, Turks and Caicos - CMC – Former premier Michael Misick has been released from a prison in Brazil after he was granted bail by the Brazilian Supreme Court, a senior Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) government official said yesterday.

Neil Smith, the spokesman for Governor Damian “Ric” Todd, said that the release of Misick on bail “does not mean that the legal process is exhausted”.

Last month, the TCI government said it had formally requested the extradition of Misick from Brazil, where he has been in prison since his arrest on December 7 last year.

Government officials said “the formal request” had been lodged with the authorities in Brazil and Smith said the documents had been submitted “within the 60 day time limit”.

Misick was arrested in Brazil as a result of an international arrest warrant issued by INTERPOL and a further warrant issued by the Brazilian Supreme Court.

The TCI said that his

Michael Misick arrest had been sought in relation to an ongoing investigation by local authorities into issues arising from Sir Robin Auld’s 200809 Commission of Inquiry, relating to alleged corruption and maladministration.

Misick was implicated in large-scale corruption in Turks and Caicos that led to the suspension of the democratic government in the TCI by the United Kingdom.

He faces several “serious charges” relating to corruption and maladministration in TCI, according to a statement issued last month by the special investigation and

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Venezuela announces currency devaluation CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s government announced yesterday that it is devaluing the country’s currency, a long-anticipated change expected to push up prices in the heavily import-reliant economy.

Officials said the fixed exchange rate is changing from 4.30 bolivars to the dollar to 6.30 bolivars to the dollar.

The devaluation had been widely expected by analysts in recent months, though experts had been unsure about whether the government would act while President Hugo Chavez remained out of sight in Cuba recovering from cancer surgery.

It was the first devaluation to be announced

by Chavez’s government since 2010, and it brought down the official value of the bolivar by 46.5 percent against the dollar. By boosting the bolivar value of Venezuela’s dollardenominated oil sales, the

change is expected to help alleviate a difficult budget outlook for the government, which has turned increasingly to borrowing to meet its spending obligations.

Planning and Finance Minister Jorge Giordani said the new rate will take effect Wednesday, after a two-day banking holiday. He said the old rate would still be allowed for some transactions that already were approved by the state currency agency.

Venezuela’s government has had strict currency exchange controls since 2003 and maintains a fixed, government-set exchange rate. Under the controls, people and businesses must apply to a government currency agency to receive dollars at the official rate to import goods, pay for travel or cover other obligations.

While those controls have restricted the amounts of dollars available at the official rate, an illegal black market has flourished and the

value of the bolivar has recently been eroding. In black market street trading, dollars have recently been selling for more than four times the official exchange rate of 4.30 bolivars to the dollar. The announcement came after the country’s Central Bank said annual inflation rose to 22.2 percent in January, up from 20.1 percent at the end of 2012.

The oil-exporting country, a member of OPEC, has consistently had Latin America’s highest officially acknowledged inflation rates in recent years. Spiraling prices have come amid worsening shortages of some staple foods, such as cornmeal, chicken and sugar.

Seeking to confront such shortages, the government last week announced plans to have the state oil company turn over more of its earnings in dollars to the Central Bank while reducing the amount injected into a fund used for various government

Exporters face threats...

From page 19 “A lot of the negotiations are taking place between Government people and Canadians; the private sector that stands to benefit is really not very engaged,” he said.

While admitting that there have been constraints on the national level, Price said the CARICOM office has pushed hard to incorporate the private sector in the negotiations. He said 100 business interests across the region were flown to Canada to get a first-hand view of the industry there and engage in round-table discussions, from which they made a set of recommendations that have

been taken into consideration during the negotiations.

Furthermore, he said the organization has a cloudbased platform available for regional firms at Team Lab, where they can play a more interactive role in the process.

“What we want the private sector to do is use the platform that we have created because it gives them direct access,” said Price.

“The OTN is available to provide further information, however the first contact should be either their private sector advocate, or the trade ministry.”

He said the OTN office in

Kingston is prepared to engage firms on a one and one basis through boardroom presentations.

Both Grace and JWN said they are well informed on the process. But JWN’s Bogues expressed concerns over the pace at which the negotiations are proceeding.

“After numerous rounds of negotiations and a twoyear extension which will expire December 31, 2013, we are not yet close to completion and the Agreement requires ratification ahead of the deadline. The alternative would be an erosion of the benefits achieved so far,” she said.

programs and public works projects.

Giordani said the government had also decided to do away with a second-tier rate that has hovered around 5.30 bolivars to the dollar,

through a bond market administered by the Central Bank. That rate had been granted to some businesses that hadn’t been able to obtain dollars at the official rate.

It was the fifth time that Chavez’s government has devalued the currency since establishing the currency exchange controls a decade ago in an attempt to combat capital flight.

Bleak outlook for regional economies in 2013 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC - The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) yesterday cautioned that great uncertainty looms for regional economies and called on Caribbean governments to redouble their efforts to reduce spiralling debt.

The region’s premier financial institution said Caribbean economies for the most part failed to find their economic footing in 2012 and not much is expected to change this year.

But it predicted that growth in the region is expected to be positive for the most part with Guyana leading the way with real gross domestic product

(GDP) projected at around five per cent.

“Much of this activity is expected to be generated from stepped up public sector investment and from gains in the agriculture sector. Haiti is also expected to register strong growth on account of reconstruction efforts, together with improvements from gains in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors.”

But the region’s premier financial institution said that growth in most of the ninemember Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is “projected at a modest -moderate 1-2 percent, reflecting ongoing efforts at fiscal consolidation.

“Marginal growth of less than one per cent is projected for Barbados on the basis of an uptick in tourism based on anticipated growth in major markets,” the CDEB said, noting that in Jamaica, output could be boosted by the outcome of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Stand

By Agreement “which has the potential to release resources from other multilaterals in support of a transformative capital investment programme. I “In the Overseas Territories growth is also expected to be positive based on the projected sustained recovery in offshore business activity with a pickup in leisure activity in 2013,” the bank said.

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China, Japan engage in new invective over disputed isles BEIJING (Reuters) China and Japan engaged yesterday in a fresh round of invective over military movements near a disputed group of uninhabited islands, fuelling tension that for months has bedeviled relations between the Asian powers.

An increasingly muscular China has been repeatedly at odds with others in the region over rival claims to small clusters of islands, most recently with fellow economic giant Japan which accused a Chinese navy vessel of locking radar normally used to aim weapons on a Japanese naval ship in the East China Sea. China’s Defence Ministry

rejected Japan’s complaint about the radar, its first comment on the January 30 incident.

It said Japan’s intrusive tracking of Chinese vessels was the “root cause” of the renewed tension.

A Japanese official dismissed the Chinese explanation for incident saying China’s actions could be dangerous in the waters around the islets, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, believed to be rich in oil and gas.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe led his conservative party to a landslide election victory in December, promising to beef up the military and stand

tough in territorial disputes.

On Thursday, another border problem was brought into focus when Japan said two Russian fighter jets briefly entered its air space near long-disputed northern islands, prompting Japan to scramble combat fighters.

Russia denied the accusation.

The commander of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific said the squabble between Japan and China underlined the pressing need for rules to prevent such incidents turning into serious conflict.

“What we need in the South China Sea is a mechanism that prevents us turning our diplomacy over to

young majors and young (naval) commanders ... to make decisions at sea that cause a problem (that escalates) into a military conflict that we might not be able to control,” Admiral Samuel Locklear told a conference in the Indonesian capital.

China is in dispute with several Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines and Vietnam over parts of the South China Sea, which is potentially rich in natural resources.

Locklear said governments and their leaders had to understand the potential for things to get out of hand.

“In this case, I think that point has been made pretty clear,” he said in reference to international reaction to the dispute between China and Japan.

China’s Defence Ministry, in a faxed statement late on Thursday, said Japan’s complaints did not “match the facts”. The Chinese ship’s radar, it said, had maintained

regular alerting operations and the ship “did not use fire control radar”.

The ministry said the Chinese ship was tracked by a Japanese destroyer during routine training exercises. Fire control radar pinpoints the location of a target for missiles or shells and its use can be considered a step short of actual firing.

Japan, the ministry said, had “made irresponsible remarks that hyped up a socalled China threat, recklessly created tension and misled international public opinion”.

“Japanese warships and airplanes have often conducted long periods of close-range tracking and surveillance of China’s naval ships and airplanes,” the Chinese Defence Ministry said.

“This is the root cause of air and maritime security issues between China and Japan.”

In Tokyo, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference

Japan could not accept China’s explanation and Japan’s accusation came after careful analysis.

“We urge China to take sincere measures to prevent dangerous actions which could cause a contingency situation,” Suga said.

Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said this week that the radar incident could have become very dangerous very quickly, and it could have been seen as a threat of military force under U.N. rules.

Hopes had been rising recently for an easing of the tension, which was sparked, in part, by Japan’s nationalization of three of the privately owned islets last September.

Fears that encounters between aircraft and ships could bring an unintended clash have given impetus to efforts to improve links, including a possible summit between Abe and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who takes over as head of state in March.

Cameron savours EU budget win as battles loom (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron won praise from his party’s anti-EU camp with a successful fight to cut the European Union budget, but tougher battles lie ahead when he seeks to win back powers from Brussels before a vote on Britain’s EU membership.

Supporters hailed the outcome as an “historic victory” for Cameron, comparing it to former Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher ’s winning of concessions from Europe at fiercely contested summits in the 1980s.

Cameron, trailing in the polls and threatened by antiEU rivals before a 2015 election, needed a win in Brussels to restore his authority on Europe and within his fractious party.

The opposition Labour Party said his January pledge to claw back powers from the EU and give British voters a referendum on leaving the bloc had left him “weak and isolated” in the EU. After leaders secured a deal for a long-term EU budget worth close to 1 trillion euros ($1.34 trillion), Cameron stressed his success in forging alliances with the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and, to a lesser extent, Germany.

“That is not isolation.

That is Britain actually with

David Cameron allies, getting things done in Europe and coming with good results,” he told a news conference.

Crucially for a domestic audience, Cameron protected Britain’s rebate, a prized refund from the EU to London secured by Thatcher worth 3 billion pounds ($4.75 billion) a year.

One leading Eurosceptic Conservative lawmaker, Douglas Carswell, said Cameron deserved “three hearty cheers”.

Taking the gloss off the deal was the news that Britain’s net contribution to EU funds will still rise to help pay for new members of the bloc.

While Cameron won this round of the EU debate, it came at the expense of again upsetting France and some other European neighbours.

French President Francois Hollande vehemently opposed Cameron, warning that cuts would damage the recovery.

British officials said Hollande failed to turn up for a scheduled meeting with Cameron at the talks — an assertion promptly dismissed by the French. The denial did not stop British newspapers talking about “Le Snub”.

More trouble for the budget lies ahead at the European Parliament, which must approve the plan. Its Deputy President Othmar Karas said it would stifle growth and must be blocked.

Despite offering some support to Britain on the budget, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be a far more formidable obstacle on the repatriation of powers to London in areas like employment law, crime and social welfare. One of her senior ministers has said Cameron will not be allowed to “cherry pick”.

“Merkel thrives on her role as a broker,” said Raoul Ruparel, of the eurosceptic think tank Open Europe. “The lesson for the UK is that win enough support for your position among like-minded member states and Germany will back you.” ($1 = 0.7474 euros) ($1 = 0.6315 British pounds)

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White House warns of damaging “sequestration” spending cuts WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - The White House said yesterday that government spending cuts due to take effect March 1 would have harsh consequences on ordinary Americans and the economy, seeking to turn up pressure on Congress to come up with a plan to avoid what Washington calls “sequestration.”

In its strongest warnings yet, the White House gave examples of that it said program cuts would mean: 1,000 fewer FBI officers, mass layoffs of government meat and food inspectors, and aid benefits slashed for hundreds of thousands of low-income women and children.

“Sequester is a blunt and indiscriminate instrument that poses a serious threat to our national security, domestic priorities and the economy,” Danny Werfel, a senior official at the White House budget office, told reporters at a briefing.

“It does not represent a responsible way to achieve deficit reduction,” he said.

The administration repeated its plea to Congress to put off the planned reductions, which the White House said would slash nondefense programs by 9

percent across the board and defense programs by 13 percent in the current fiscal year, resulting in “furloughs,” or temporary layoffs, for hundreds of thousands of government workers.

White House economic aide Jason Furman said it was up to Congress to work out the details of how to raise revenues and cut spending so both sides have time to agree on how replace the sequester with a more acceptable fiscal belttightening program.

“What we’re trying to do now is make sure Congress can buy the time it needs in order to do this entitlement reform, tax reform, that’s a much better solution to our problems than letting the sequester hit,” Furman said.

Republicans said that while they agree sequestration could be devastating, the president must propose spending cuts if he wants to see the deep automatic cuts replaced with something more palatable.

“Spending is still the problem,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner. “It’s time to finally make the cuts and reforms we all know are needed to save and strengthen our safety net

programs.”

Sequestration is a legacy of the 2011 impasse between Obama and congressional Republicans over raising the nation’s debt limit.

Republicans, unhappy about the nation’s deficit, wanted to match any increases in the borrowing cap with cuts to government spending.

The president balked at cutting social safety net programs, and the nation came close to defaulting on its debt as a deal eluded negotiators.

The two sides finally agreed to raise the debt ceiling but vowed to continue negotiating to cut the deficit, setting up a deadline for the painful automatic sequestration cuts as an incentive to come to terms.

The automatic cuts were reportedly suggested by the White House but were agreed to by both sides. The spending reductions are divided equally among nondefense and defense programs in an effort to make politicians at both ends of the political spectrum feel the pressure to compromise.

The long period of fiscal skirmishing between Obama and congressional Republicans has been blamed by economists for creating a drag on the sluggish U.S.

New high-profile bipartisan group on immigration

Condoleezza Rice WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is part of a new bipartisan group that will push for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws and a path to citizenship for estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

The other co-chairs of the new effort are former Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell; former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros, a Democrat;

and former Republican Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, several people involved told The Associated Press yesterday.

The high-profile group, brought together by the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, will aim to keep up momentum behind overhauling immigration and serve as a sounding board for policy makers, Rendell said.

The effort is also meant to underscore that there is a bipartisan consensus behind passing immigration legislation. Bipartisan Senate negotiators are aiming to finalize a bill by March and get it through the Senate by summer, although success is far from certain. Even if legislation gets through the

Senate the Republican-led House would still have to approve it. President Barack Obama is also pushing on the issue.

“I hope it makes plain that there is bipartisan support for pro-growth solutions that would result from immigration reform,” Barbour said in an interview.

Rendell said that, “there are a lot of issues that are yet to be resolved and it’s going to take a lot of goodwill and a lot of patience, and anyone who thinks we’re going to have an immigration bill by the end of March is probably a cockeyed optimist.”

“Obviously this cannot wait,” Cisneros said. “If we’re going to be helpful we need to weigh in immediately.”

economic recovery because it leaves businesses and consumers uncertain about tax rates and government spending plans.

Defense spending fell sharply at the end of last year, in part because of fiscal uncertainty, contributing to a contraction of the overall economy in the quarter.

Obama’s November reelection and gains by Democrats in both houses of Congress have strengthened the president’s hand in fiscal negotiations.

The two sides were able to avoid an initial year-end deadline for spending cuts with a deal that raised taxes on the wealthy while leaving lower rates in place for most Americans. The deal to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff” postponed automatic cuts off for two months.

Cutting government spending remains a high priority for Republicans, who still control the House of Representatives. However, the White House pushed

back on Friday by painting a dire picture of what would happen if the automatic cuts were allowed to go into effect.

Obama wants Republicans to agree to 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.

Boehner has said he would block any delay in those cuts unless other spending cuts and reforms are agreed to.

Key Democratic U.S. senators are discussing a plan that could be introduced next week to turn off the sequester for 10 months, through December 31, and pay for it half with new revenues and half with spending cuts, a Democratic Senate aide said.

While no elements have been decided upon yet, provisions under discussion include ideas Democrats have raised before, such as raising taxes on carried

Danny Werfel interest, a provision aimed at wealthy investors who profit from hedge funds and private equity partnerships.

Tax breaks for corporate jets and large oil companies could also be targeted, along with higher payroll taxes on smaller private firms organized as S-corporations.

The senators are also considering reductions in farm subsidies, which they consider a spending cut.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid discussed the plan on Thursday with Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray, Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Appropriations Committee Chairman Barbara Mikulski.

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EU LEADERS AGREE TO PUSH FOR U.S. TRADE DEAL BRUSSELS (Reuters) European leaders agreed yesterday to push for a freetrade pact with the United States, putting the onus on the White House to decide whether to try for a deal that would encompass half the world’s economic output.

Major exporters Germany and Britain won support from the rest of the European Union at a summit in Brussels to reach a deal with Washington that many leaders hope will help Europe pull out of its banking and debt crises.

In their final statement, leaders said the European Union gave “its support for a comprehensive trade agreement” with the United States.

“We need to move forward,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said at the end of the summit, referring to the United States. “The Commission will push ahead to realize the full potential of an integrated transatlantic trade agreement,” said Barroso, who heads the EU executive responsible for negotiating the European

Union’s trade agreements.

The EU leaders’ statement raises expectations that U.S. President Barack Obama may endorse the initiative next Tuesday in his annual State of the Union speech, which presidents traditionally use to lay out their priorities for the year.

A U.S. trade official in Washington said EU leaders’ unity was “helpful in building confidence that the EU has the political will to do what is necessary for an agreement.”

Europe’s main business lobby, Business Europe, urged Obama to embrace the momentum in a letter released yesterday on behalf of 41 business federations, calling on him to give “a strong signal” and “political support” for the talks.

With economic growth elusive on both sides of the Atlantic, Obama and EU leaders tasked their trade chiefs in 2011 to look at whether it was feasible to agree a deal to further integrate the two blocs that already have low tariffs.

A U.S.-EU draft proposal drawn up by EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht

and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk is essentially ready. De Gucht, who went to Washington this week, has given strong signals that there is enough common ground to go ahead with negotiations.

Talks could start in months, and while De Gucht was warned of difficult negotiations, both sides appear to want to agree on an accord quickly, possibly by the end of 2014.

Following the collapse of global trade talks in 2008, both the United States and Europe have sought to tie up as many free-trade agreements as possible, and Brussels alone is negotiating with more than 80 countries.

Efforts to agree a U.S.-EU pact could spur the rest of the world to revive global talks for fear of being sidelined in the emerging shape of global commerce, Indonesia’s candidate to head the World Trade Organisation told Reuters.

But U.S. officials, wary of getting bogged down in endless talks, have said they need a strong political commitment from the 27-

Pascal Lamy (R) Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO), EU Trade Commission Karel De Gucht (C) and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann nation European Union that Brussels is serious about opening up its markets before they can go ahead with talks.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with support from free-trade advocate Britain, has been eager for a deal for months.

“I wish for nothing more than a free-trade agreement with the United States,” Merkel said on January 29 in Berlin.

Diplomats say the time is right for a deal that was first

talked about three decades ago but was considered too difficult because of worries from protectionists on both sides of the Atlantic, especially in the farming sector.

The European Union dropped its ban on some U.S. meat imports this week in a gesture aimed at starting talks, but countries such as France, and U.S. states such as Georgia, are reluctant to fully open up to foreign competition.

Still, a deal could increase Europe’s economic output by 65 billion euros ($88 billion) a year, according to the European Commission, benefiting industries from chemicals to automakers.

The United States too is dissatisfied with its meager economic growth since the global financial crisis of 2008/ 2009 and sees removing barriers to trade with the European Union as a way to unleash billions of dollars in transatlantic business.

Saturday February 09, 2013

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Protests turn to street clashes across Egypt CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian security forces backed by water cannons fired tear gas at rock-throwing protesters outside the presidential palace in Cairo yesterday while demonstrators clashed with riot police in cities across the country in marches against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The protests are part of a wave of opposition-led demonstrations over the past two weeks that have frequently devolved into street clashes.

The violence has left more than 70 people dead and hundreds wounded, and plunged the country into a fresh cycle of bloodshed and political turmoil.

Egypt’s opposition is demanding Morsi form a new coalition government, open an investigation into the killings of protesters over the past months and give guarantees that upcoming parliamentary elections will be fair and free. They also want him to form a commission to amend the country’s newly adopted constitution, which was drafted by an Islamist-led panel and approved last December in a contentious referendum.

Some of the protesters go even further, demanding Morsi be removed from office. They also accuse the Muslim Brotherhood, the fundamentalist group from which Morsi hails, of monopolizing power and failing to deal with the country’s mounting woes.

Thousands took their demands to the streets in cities across the country on Friday, carrying Egyptian

flags and pictures of slain protesters and chanting “down with the rule of the Guide,” referring to Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie, who critics allege is calling the shots for Morsi from behind the scenes.

At the presidential palace in Cairo, the scene of repeated violent clashes since late last year, protesters tried to remove the barbed wire at the front gate of the palace and fired flares at its perimeters.

Riot police swiftly responded with water cannons and tear gas while protesters hurled stones.

Violence also broke out in Kafr el-Sheik, some 180 kilometers (110 miles) north of Cairo, where riot police clashed with protesters in front of the office of governor Saad el-Husseini, who is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, protesters tore down a Brotherhood sign and burned it in front of the group’s office while security forces used tear gas to disperse demonstrators in front of the governor ’s office.

Morsi and his allies accuse the opposition of trying to incite street violence to seize power after failing at the ballot box.

In a statement on Friday, Murad Ali, a spokesman for the Freedom and Justice party — the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm — warned the opposition that it would be responsible for any acts of violence that occur during protests. He also called them “losers.”

The clashes over the past

Egyptian protesters throw stones while security police open water canons on them from inside the grounds of the presidential palace during a demonstration in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

two weeks have fueled a sense that Egypt is coming unglued, while also raising concerns that the country could be hit by more — and greater — political violence.

Those worries sharpened after the assassination of a prominent anti-Islamist opposition leader in Tunisia on Wednesday, a killing that touched off a new wave of unrest there.

Tunisia was the birthplace of the region’s so-called Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 that brought an end to the rule of several autocrats including Egypt’s own Hosni Mubarak, clearing the way for Morsi’s election last summer.

Egyptians have warily watched the events unfolding in Tunis, which many here look to as a bellwether for their own country.

Much of the public

Big powers ready to respond if Iran addresses nuclear concerns: Kerry WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - Major powers are ready to respond if Iran comes to February 26 nuclear talks ready to address questions about its nuclear program, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday.

The powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - are scheduled to meet Iranian negotiators in Almaty, Kazakhstan, later this month to see if there is a way to address Western concerns a b o u t I r a n ’s n u c l e a r program.

The United States, and its allies, suspect Iran is using its civilian program as a cover to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran denies this, saying its program is for peaceful purposes such as generating

John Kerry electricity and producing medical isotopes.

“The international community is ready to respond if Iran comes prepared to talk real substance and to address the concerns, which could not be more clear, about their nuclear

program,” Kerry said in an opening statement at a news conference with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird.

Kerry, who replaced Hillary Clinton as secretary of state on February 1, voiced concern about Iran’s recent announcement of plans to install and operate advanced uranium enrichment machines, a technological leap that would allow it to significantly speed up activity the West fears could be put to developing a nuclear weapon.

“It’s disturbing,” Kerry said. “And so my plea to the Iranians - or my statement - is a clear statement. We are prepared to let diplomacy be the victor in this confrontation over their nuclear program.”

anxiety in Egypt following the killing in Tunis stems from religious edicts, known as fatwas, recently issued by extremist clerics calling for the killing of Morsi’s political opponents.

Egypt’s leading democracy advocate and opposition leader Mohamed

ElBaradei sounded the alarm this week about the edicts.

The opposition says it will continue protests despite the fatwas, which the presidency and the government condemned as “terrorism.” Morsi called the rhetoric “hate speech cloaked by religion.”

Hamdeen Sabahi, a leader of the opposition National Salvation Front, said in a message posted on his Twitter account: “We will continue our peaceful struggle with the Egyptian people and revolutionary youth to continue our revolution.”

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Saturday February 09, 2013

The country’s third engineering conference, an annual feature of the Public Works Ministry, was held Thursday to target new technologies and to discuss major concerns.

According to Prime Minister, Sam Hinds, himself an engineer, the time is ripe for taking stock of the execution of engineering works.

At the gathering at the Guyana International Convention Centre were several consultants and some of the country’s top engineers.

He drew reference to the changing face of engineers working for the government and the Ministry over the years. In the 1960s, there was a great body of experience and engineers of caliber, but this changed during the 1980s and to about 1992, when there was a lot of outsourcing for experienced persons.

The Prime Minister said that there is now a new era of development and that the time has come for the Ministry to adapt a new comprehensive policy that it will execute using its own engineers.

Kaieteur News

The Prime Minister proposed that this new sufficiently comprehensive policy also entails “recognition of the cost that the Ministry would have to incur in being a prime place for training, accumulating experience, for testing and developing new experience.”

Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, noted that the theme of the conference, “Improving Guyana’s Infrastructure for Future Generations”, was apt as the work the engineers does in “building and developing Guyana can only assure a good future for coming generation.”

Minister Benn said that the annual conference itself is crucial to developing the skills of the new crop of engineers in the country.

He said that it his hope that the conference will become a two-day annual event featuring central presentations, with poster sessions ”where we have peer review of the work that we do, where we have public scrutiny, where we have open discussions and criticisms and criticisms of how do we

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Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn do our work.” Minister Benn also outlined some issues of concern that the engineers must adhere to when building infrastructure around the country including safety, efficiency, quality, planning and the question of money.

“We have to continue to take vigorous steps with respect to ensuring safety in all the things we do and in relation with the national infrastructure building industry and particularly to point out where we have still problem in terms of the

Engineers at the Public Works Third Engineering Conference culture when we build,” he said.

“We still see high buildings going up and there is no harness, no safety signs and so on,” he said.

He urged that quality be assured in everything and said that poor planning or

rush jobs and uncertainty as to the specific technical and administrative roles that are inherent in the functions of each person responsible for the project will lead to a wellplanned project falling into confusion and doubt.

With regards to the issue

of money and funding for the project, Minister Benn said that the engineers also have the responsibility that the public money given out for projects is utilised for the public good and the public get what it wants with this money.

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13-month-old baby burnt to death - “Meh get so bassody and meh run out and forget about meh baby,” mother.

By Romila Boodram A 13-month-old baby was burnt into ashes after his parents ran out of their burning house to save themselves last Thursday at Grant Everette-Regina, Lower Pomeroon River Dead is little Neyo Blunt.

The fire is believed to have started some time before 10:00pm.

According to reports, the couple was sleeping with the child when they were awoken

by “the heat.”

At the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday, the child’s mother, Zelina Henry, said, “I was sleeping. When me wake up the entire house was on fire so all me coulda think about was getting out. Me get so bassody that me forget me baby on the bed and run out.”

Henry, who hails from Hauraruni said that she left two of her older children with her mother at her birth place

and went to Pomeroon River with her husband, Brian Blunt, who got a job there.

The couple stayed at a lodge provided by the older Blunt’s employer.

Brian Blunt said that he picks water coconut for a living. He explained that three months ago he was offered the job and took it.

“We went to bed about 7:00pm and I wake up at 10:00pm with fire all over the place and all I could have

think about was getting out of there as soon as possible so we both run out,” Blunt recalled. He added that it was his first child.

Although the couple said that when they woke up their house was in flames, there were no visually injuries on their bodies.

The child’s father said that by the time he remembered that the child was trapped inside the flaming building, it was impossible to save him.

“When we go inside the house, everything burn up, the bed fall down and me baby

Brian Blunt

Zelina Henry

burn up and fall on the ground. Only he foot bone showing, everything burn up,” Henry said.

The couple travelled to the city with the child’s remains in a black plastic bag.

They made a report at the Timehri Police Station and the child’s remains were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary.

Meanwhile, Police in a press release said that an

investigation has been launched into the fire of so far unknown origin that occurred at about 22:00hrs on Thursday at Grant EveretteRegina, Lower Pomeroon River.

The release further stated that the infant’s parents were aroused by a loud sound and saw the building on fire.

They ran out of the building which was completely destroyed.

Eccles man charged with $32M gold theft An Eccles East Bank Demerara resident has been arraigned on a charge of stealing $32 million worth of raw gold.

Desmond Singh faced Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court. He pleaded not guilty to an allegation that he stole 110 ounces of raw gold from Carl David of Carl David and Clarence David Mining Consultancy.

The defendant was admitted to bail after his attorney made an application for his pretrial liberty.

The lawyer argued that the defendant is currently unemployed and that no evidence of the raw gold was found on his person. The

lawyer listed the defendant’s address as Ermsville Apartments, Eccles East Bank Demerara.

While addressing the court in a bid for bail, the lawyer also pointed out that Singh was placed $100,000 station bail but continued to assist the police with investigation until he was summoned to court.

The prosecution did not object to bail. Hence Singh was released on $250,000 bail.

However the condition of Singh’s bail is that he lodges his travel documents and reports to Constable Seeram at the Brickdam Police Station once weekly.

The defendant’s next court date is scheduled for March 1.

Former bank employee, alleged accomplices charged for spate of armed robberies A former bank employee and two other men were remanded yesterday after being charged in connection with a spate of robberies on the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara.

Shad Baksh, 28, of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, Damien Sardinha, 26, of Shell Road Kitty and Yoel Musa, 25, were slapped with 12 counts of armed robbery when they appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

Baksh is a former bank employee but was working at

a government entity at the time of his arrest.

Police alleged that the trio, while armed with a handgun and a chopper, attacked and robbed residents in Montrose, Lusignan, Annandale, La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara, and Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

They reportedly used a car belonging to Baksh’s father while carrying out the attacks. It is alleged that the detectives tracked down the former bank employee after getting the licence number of the vehicle.

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City Hall looks to restore credibility, appoints top officials In an attempt to restore some level of confidence in the operations of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown, efforts have been engaged to recruit suitably qualified persons to replace recently terminated top officials.

An advertisement published in the Wednesday edition of Kaieteur News invited applicants to apply for the positions of Town Clerk, City Treasurer, Solid Waste Director and City Engineer.

The positions were previously held by Mrs Yonette Pluck-Cort, Mr Andrew Meredith, Mr Hubert Urlin and Gregory Erskine respectively all of whom were terminated following an investigation by the Office of the Auditor General, which recommended that the senior officials as well as a few others be relieved of their

duties in light of glaring financial discrepancies and other irregularities at the municipal institution.

While officers of the municipality are usually appointed by the Council and then approved by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, under whose purview it operates, the Town Clerk’s appointment can be made solely by the Minister.

This was the case with Pluck-Cort whose appointment was made by former Local Government Minister, Kellawan Lall, who has since been relieved of his position as Minister and from a subsequent appointment as Ambassador to Brazil.

As Minister with responsibility for the Local Government Ministry, Lall had defied an injunction granted by Justice Diana

Suspect in grocer’s execution style killing captured

After almost two years, police say that they have finally captured the man who gunned down Industry, East Coast Demerara grocer, Mark Kandhai in his store.

Police said, that the suspect was arrested this week at a South Ruimveldt residence. Investigators had identified him from images of the fleeing killer that were recorded on a surveillance camera.

According to reports, Kandhai, 32, was in his Industry Railway Line grocery store on May 21, 2011, when a man disembarked from a white car and entered the shop.

The ‘customer’ then asked the grocer for an item, but when Kandhai was about to serve him the man drew a gun and shot his victim in the head and stomach.

“Is when he (Kandhai) turn around to hand he de thing….de man start fuh shoot he….De first bullet miss and de second one went straight to the head and the other to the belly,” a relative

Mark Kandhai had recalled.

Relatives rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police had disclosed at the time that Kandhai was suspected of being involved in drug trafficking and that they had searched his home shortly before his death.

The grocer was also suspected of being involved in the theft of some $6M from an interior resident.

Insanally in April 2011 to have Pluck-Cort vacate the office of Town Clerk, a position in which she was acting at the time.

Lall’s move to install Pluck-Cort had, according to him, made “null and void all other applicants” for the position. At the time the Municipal’s Public Relations Officer, Royston King, was also vying for the position and was selected at the level of Council to fill the position.

It was following startling revelations from the Keith Burrowes-led Implementation Committee that not only the Kellawan Lall-appointed

Town Clerk was found culpable for a number of irregularities, but also a number of other officers were fingered as well.

This state of affairs was corroborated by the Economist Ramon Gaskin who was also tasked with scrutinising the operations of the Council at the behest of Burrowes. It was this latter undertaking that forced the intervention of the Office of the Auditor General and subsequently led to the dismissal of the officers.

Ahead of their dismissals the officers were sent on administrative leave with the

Ministry of Local Government seeking to place the municipal’s legal officer, Carol Sooba, as the acting Town Clerk.

Currently acting in the capacity of City Treasurer is Mr Ron McAlmont, while Mr Lloyd Alleyne acts as City Engineer and Mr Ron Eastman performs the duties of Director of Solid Waste.

This newspaper was informed that, while the Ministry of Local Government had advertised the vacant positions, it is in fact the mandate of the municipality to do so hence the recent published advertisement by

the entity.

Once the suitably qualified persons are selected they are interviewed by an interviewing panel consisting of members of the municipal personnel and training committee.

After a decision is made by the panel it is then taken to full Council for approval following which, a letter is written to the Local Government Minister to allow the ultimate approval.

The current Minister of Local Government is Mr Ganga Persaud while Mr Norman Whittaker is the Minister within the Ministry.

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Lumber dealer is Bartica’s first road fatality Bartica lumber dealer, 51year-old Lancelot Douglas, called Jerry Thunder, of 32 Second Avenue , Bartica, died yesterday after he tried to avoid a collision between a red All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) CG 1426 and a silver-coloured car PMM 9343.

Douglas was riding the ATV and the car was being driven by his nephew Leon Khan.

The pillion rider on the ATV was 26-year-old Rupesh Bhola of Hubu , Parika , East Bank Essequibo.

The accident occurred at

the junction of Third Street and Fifth Avenue, Bartica around 14:45 hours.

Reports indicated that the ATV was travelling north along Fifth Avenue towards the Third Street junction while the car was travelling east along Third Street.

Both vehicles slammed into the concrete fence of the nearby residence of Lloyd Garraway.

Lancelot Douglas’ body landed on a concrete parapet with blood streaming from his head. They were both taken to the Bartica Public

Police action; Motorcyclists beware

The Guyana Police Service is on a motorcycle campaign. Get your documents in order if you are a motorcyclist in order to avoid what we seehere.

Hospital where Douglas was pronounced dead on arrival.

Bhola sustained a broken left leg and injuries to his head , left shoulder and left elbow. He was later referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Bhola stated that he and Douglas had just cleared the

said corner when he observed the car speeding towards them. “Jerry swerved the ATV and crashed into the concrete fence.” Bhola said that it happened quickly.

This is the first road fatality for the mining town for the year. ( Edward A Persaud )

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Saturday February 09, 2013

MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 Sign on 06:00 hrs - Living Word presentation 06:30 hrs - Peace Love & Harmony (live) 07:00 hrs - Dabi’s bhajan Hour 07:30 hrs - Times of Refreshing (live) 08:00 hrs - Full Life Broadcast with Pastor Findlay 08:30 hrs - News Update 09:30 hrs - Living the Life 10:00 hrs - Camille’s Institute Presentation 10:30 hrs - Children Movie: Wreck it Ralph 12:30 hrs - Cartoon 13:00 hrs - Youth excel…with Ms. Diva 13:30 hrs - MTV School Quiz with Ms. Diva 14:00 hrs - National

Kaieteur News

Geographic: Dangerous Works 15:00 hrs - National Geographic: Unexpected Leopard 16:00 hrs - Sitcom 16:30 hrs - Alabama Trading Music break 17:00 hrs - Birthdays & other Greetings 17:15 hrs - Death Announcements/ In Memoriam 17:30 hrs - Sitcom 18:00 hrs - Searching the Scriptures 18:30 hrs - Cabinet Briefing 19:00 hrs - Apex Forum (Live) 20:15 hrs - MTV music break 20:30 hrs - Indian Movie: The Other End of the Line 22:00 hrs - English Movie: Silent Hill

Sign off NCN CHANNEL 11 06:00 hrs – NCN Late Edition (R/B) 06:30 hrs – GINA Presents 07:00 hrs – Ebezener Praise Time 07:30 hrs – The Truth 08:00 hrs – Weekly Digest 08:30 hrs – Pulse Beat 09:00 hrs – Cartoons 10:00 hrs – Youth Expression 12:00 hrs – CNN 12:30 hrs – Close Up 13:00 hrs – Epic Hype 13:30 hrs – The Insider 14:00 hrs – Save the Children 14:25 hrs – Children’s Mash 15:00 hrs – Revelation & Power 16:00 hrs – Feature 17:00 hrs – Feature 17:30 hrs – Choices 18:00 hrs – NCN News

Saturday February 09, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Although you may be restless today as you wait for the opening to make your move, you intuitively know that the time isn’t quite right yet. Sit back and let your anticipation build until you just can’t bear it any longer, and then take action.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You may be receiving the green light from everyone else today, but you’re not certain you can handle the extra workload. Even if you’re determined to reach your goals, you might be afraid of taking on more than you can deliver.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Although you can see the potential of your current efforts today, you might also be setting yourself up for a fall.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your imagination is running rampant today and you believe that you can dream your way out of a difficult situation. However, your desires may play tricks on you now, so be careful not to lose touch with reality.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) It’s difficult to take anyone at face value today. In fact, you might be deceiving yourself about your current social life. Even if you are attempting to be rational, someone could be purposefully misleading you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) It’s easy to miss an important fact when talking with a close friend or partner because you may be blinded by your own optimism now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your runaway imagination may bring on strange physical symptoms now. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean that you’re ill, but it’s still smart to get any serious complaints checked by a health professional in order to put your mind at ease.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Even if you have a lot of work to do today, there’s an inner child waiting for its chance to come out and play.

It’s challenging to suppress your desire for fun because you believe that you have waited long enough as it is.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You might be riding a wave of optimism that is based upon your expectations and fueled by the encouragement of your friends.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Philosophical Jupiter is receiving a valuable lesson from cerebral Mercury now, but it may not be what you think. Paradoxically, this is exactly what you need to learn — that what you see isn’t necessarily what you get.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may overestimate your bank balance today and spend more money than you should. However, your intentions are good and you could even believe that you are making a wise choice.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your current self-confidence may be an overreaction to what you don’t know.

Unfortunately, you could draw others into your plan without realizing that you might be jeopardizing a larger strategy.

Magazine – Live 18:30 hrs – Law Enforcement & You 19:30 hrs – President’s Diary 20:00 hrs – 3d/daily millions/ play de dream/lotto draw 20:05 hrs – Video Hitlist 21:05 hrs – Bollywood Hits 22:00 hrs – Movie DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55 hrs. Sign On 09:00 hrs. Power Ranger Samurai 10:00 hrs. Supah Ninjas

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11:00 hrs. Saved by the Bell 11:30 hrs. Prime News 13:00 hrs. Movie: Deadly Relations 15:00 hrs. Movie: Don’t Cry Now 17:00 hrs. The Baptist Hour 18:00 hrs. World News 18:30 hrs. Nightly News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00 hrs. Alliance on the Move (Live) 21:00 hrs. Indian Movie 00:00 hrs. Sign Off

Guides are subjected to change without notice

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Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

Georgetown Softball League...

Rafeek ton propels Frontline Masters to victory A fine century by Mohamed Rafeek guided Frontline Masters to a comfortable 87 run victory over Success XI when play in the Georgetown Softball League (GSL) competition commenced last Sunday at the Everest Cricket Club Ground.

Playing in the Over-35 category, Frontline Masters batted first and posted 189-6 off their allotted 20 overs.

Rafeek slammed 109 with support from L. McKoy 25; R. Karim snared 2-44. Success XI replied with 102-8 in 20 overs; V. Baljit scored 21 and R. Khan 18; R. Dalip picked up 5-11 for the winners.

In another Over-35 encounter, Regal Masters defeated Success XI by 72 runs.

Regal took first strike and rattled up 157-7 in 20 overs; T. Kippins 39, K. Haslim 33 and L. Lyght 32 being the principal scorers.

Success XI in their turn at the crease were bundled out for 85 in 16.2 overs led by V. Baljit 17 and R. Gomes 15. M. Arjune grabbed 4-12 and T. Kippins 2-11.

In the female category, Regal Divas overcame 4 R Lioness by 38 runs. Regal

Divas scored 136-3 in 12 overs, batting first. D. Nicolas led with 41 while P. Wilson supported with 37 and N. Sewmindar 28; T. Wilson took 2-12. 4 R Lioness mustered 98-8 in 12 overs in reply. R. George scored 28 and A. Scott 21; H. Benn captured 37 and S. Thomas 3-15.

Regal Divas got the better of Lady Jags by 9 wickets in another fixture. Lady Jags batted first and were limited to 65-5 off their allocation of 12 overs. L. Edwards was the only batter that offered any resistance with 29; S. Thomas claimed 2-3 for Regal who responded with 69-1 in 6 overs with P. Wilson slammed 32; S. Fraser took the lone wicket for 18.

Wellwoman went down to Trophy StallAngels by 7 wickets.

Wellwoman scored 95-4 in 12 overs. Zola Telford stroked 45 and Katana Newton 10; Anisa Persaud and Kavita Yadram captured 2 wickets each.

Trophy Stall Angels then reached their target in 8.2 overs for the loss of 3 wickets ending on 96-3. Monica Seals made 29, Odessa O’Neil 26 and Yadram 18.

Zola Telford bagged 2-12 and Akaze Thompson 1-13.

When the competition

Mohamed Rafeek continues tomorrow, LBI Top Guns will face off with Success Warriors at 09:30 hrs, Challengers XI battles Trade Men at 11:30 hrs (Open) and Success Masters will clash with Savage Masters (Over35) at GNIC. Accomplishment will take on Farm XI (pitch #2 at 09:30hrs), Trophy Stall B will entertain Vipers XI (pitch #1 at 01:30hrs), Trophy Stall A will play Speed Boat XI (pitch #2 at 11:30hrs), Farm XI will come up against Princess XI (pitch #2 at 01:30hrs, Male Open) and Frontline Masters will challenge Park Rangers (pitch #1 at 09:30, Over-35) at Everest.

Regal Stationery, Mike’s Copy Center, and Star Party Rentals are the sponsors.

Pollard catch a YouTube hit!

Sydney, Australia – Kieron Pollard’s regarded as one of the most devastating hitters in world cricket. But it was in the field where the athletic West Indian pulled out a play that will go down as one of the all-time greats seen in the history of the game.

Pollard’s amazing mid-air, one-handed catch to get rid of Glenn Maxwell on the Manuka Oval boundary, while somehow keeping his feet from touching the rope, had to be seen to be believed.

It has become a YouTube sensation and less than two days after the match the magical moments had received over 225,000 views.

Just as Australia was looking to push the accelerator to the floor, million-dollar man Maxwell – who had recently commanded a seven-figure fee in the Indian Premier League auction – hoisted a lofted shot to the mid-wicket boundary.

At no stage did Pollard look any chance of catching it. Not when the white ball was sailing in the air, seemingly heading for the fans on the hill. What they didn’t realise was that Pollard would use his lengthy 1.96metre frame to its maximum reach, stretching with one hand to pluck the pill into his big mit and hang on to it once

he hit the ground.

Having the foresight to ensure he didn’t roll over the rope capped off a catch to rival Glenn McGrath’s famous catch in the Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval in 2002.

Maxwell walked off in bemusement, struggling to comprehend how a man of that size could be that agile.

Pollard had earlier demonstrated his quick reflexes with a sharp caught and bowled to get rid of Michael Clarke.

A third and final catch, this one a leaping effort on the boundary to dismiss George Bailey, looked simple compared to his earlier

Paradise Invaders Football Club host two days fund raising Inter Block football The Recently reorganized Paradise Invaders Football Club of Upper West Coast Berbice has organised a two day fund raising Inter Block 11 a side football extravaganza set for today and tomorrow at the Paradise Sports Ground, Paradise Village, West Coast Berbice.

The competition will see

the players represent their respective villages in the catchment area with four villages expected to participate, namely El Dorado, Belladrum, Paradise and Golden Fleece.

Starting time is 14:00hrs each day with the top teams and outstanding individual performers receiving

trophies and other incentives.

The Paradise Invaders Football Club was once one of the top teams in Berbice, but had stopped playing for a number of reasons.

The competition is being played to rekindle interest in the sport and raise funds to help finance the team.

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Synthetic Track will add up to $1.4 billion - Road contractor faces the axe Construction of the Synthetic Track at Leonora, West Coast Demerara will add up to $1.4 billion, officials said yesterday, indicating that they intend to get contractors to stick to deadlines and could end up axing one for being way behind schedule.

Yesterday, BK International was handed a contract for $176 million to build the northern stands, which would accommodate some 3, 000 spectators. The other stands would be built to accommodate at least 8, 000 persons, Dr Frank Anthony, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport said yesterday.

Before yesterday’s contract award to BK International, contracts which were awarded before for various aspects of the project add up to $651 million, Dr Anthony said in the National Assembly Thursday.

So with a total of $827 million already awarded the contracts, the Minister would be looking to get approved a further $573 in this year’s budget to complete the entire

project. Dr Anthony said that the entire project should be completed in the next two years.

Thursday, Dr Anthony said that payment made on all contracts to date is $374 million.

Besides the contract awarded to BK yesterday, there are five active contracts at the site. The contract that is way behind schedule is the contract for the construction of internal roads.

The $157 million road contract was awarded to Pioneer Construction of Linden. More than half of the projected time for the contract has passed, but the contractor has only completed 10% of his contract. He was given 15 percent of the contract cost.

With three months remaining on the contract time, Dr Anthony said that if the contractor cannot complete the job, “alternative measures” would have to be taken. The Ministry has already terminated one contract at the site, and there

Rare overall win for Britain’s Cavendish in Qatar DOHA (Reuters) - Former road race world champion Mark Cavendish won his fourth straight stage of the Tour of Qatar on Friday to wrap up a rare overall victory in his second race for Belgian outfit Omega Pharma-Quick Step.

The 2011 world champion, who has 23 Tour de France stage wins to his name, clinched another sprint finish in the sixth and final stage in the Qatar capital to show he is enjoying life with his new team, having left Britain’s Team Sky last year.

Cavendish, who has few overall triumphs given that he is an out-and-out sprinter, started his Omega Pharma

career at the Tour of San Luis in Argentina with one stage victory and he has been showering his team mates with praise all week in Qatar.

“Sat behind @opqscyclingteam from start to end & the sense of pride I felt, as they rode & rode, can’t be described. Another win.

Thanks guys,” Cavendish said on his Twitter account after Thursday’s stage win.

Cavendish, 27, was little more than a domestique in 2012 at Sky, who put all their efforts into securing a first British win at the Tour de France when Bradley Wiggins topped the podium ahead of compatriot Chris Froome.

Milo U-20 Schools Football resumes today The Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition continues today and tomorrow with three matches set for each day, at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

In today’s round of matches: Lodge Secondary take on Guyana Educational Trust College from 12:00 hrs and that will be followed by the clash between Dolphin Secondary against David Rose at 13:50hrs, before St.

Winefride and Brickdam Secondary engagement bring the curtains down, starting from 15:45 hrs.

In tomorrow’s fixtures: Carmel go up against North Ruimveldt at 12:00 hrs and that will be followed by the clash between New Campbellville Secondary versus Central High at 13:50 hrs, before Richard Ishmael take on Sophia Special School from 15:45 hrs.

is every indication that Pioneer Construction could suffer the same fate if they do not come up to scratch.

The Leonora Project was divided into three phases.

Phase One was completed by Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd. His contract entailed building the foundation for the track. The surface was excavated and compacted with some fivefeet of materials, said Alfred King, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. With that sort of height, it is unlikely that the track would be flooded in cases of excessive rainfall.

Phase Two of the project was awarded in several lots.

Lot One is the laying of the synthetic surface - this component was awarded to German firm Regupol. This is incomplete because the track foundation must be laid before this done.

The track is currently laid with crusher run. The next stage is for it to be asphalted.

Once this is done, the German company can then lay the tract. But that would only happen once the fencing is completed.

Dr Anthony said that the site has to be fully secured before the track is laid.

BK Construction is expecting to complete asphalting by the end of this month, taking care of Lot Two of this phase.

Lot Three is the construction of the inner field and drainage system. This is being done by Eagle’s Transportation and General Construction and is about 90% complete. The inner field is being designed to hold local and international football matches.

Lot Four is the construction of the boundary fence and ticket booths. This was awarded to JPM’s General Construction, but this firm was terminated for non-

Construction work on going at the Leonora athletics track yesterday.

performance. The remaining work was subdivided into 4 sub-lots and retendered, two new companies Bhola Nauth Ramraj & Andre Howard Construction Services were awarded these contracts.

Works are about 26% complete.

Lot Five of the project is the construction of internal roads and associated structures. This is the

contractor facing termination if he does not improve the pace of his works.

Lot Six of this phase was awarded yesterday for the construction of the northern stands. BK should commence works next month and complete his contract in nine months.

Phase 3 of the works would be tendered once there

is budget approval. These projects would entail construction of the southern stands, construction of sanitary facilities, construction of Club House and Pavilion and construction of Eastern Parking lot.

Dr Anthony said that the construction of the Leonora facility is a flagship project for sports in Guyana.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Clive Atwell to fight Venezuelan in WBC tournament eliminator Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) super/ lightweight champion, Clive Atwell’s recent victories over Revlon Lake for that title as well as the local lightweight title, coupled with a devastating victory over Rudolph Fraser have earned him a reputation and he has managed to attract the attention of the sport’s bigwigs. The triple champion has amassed an enviable record of 10 wins of his 11 professional fights.

Considered to be among the cream of the local crop of fighters, Atwell may have the toughest fight of his career if negotiations between the handlers of Venezuelan pugilists, Rafael Hernandez and officials of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) fructify.

A release from the GBBC informs that following the loss suffered by Mexican, Salvador Sanchez, initially set to compete in the WBC 50th anniversary tournament, to Jayson Velez in Madison Square Garden late December, the door is now open for Atwell to be drafted into the tournament.

The Guyanese pugilist is scheduled to oppose Hernandez, and negotiations are underway between officials of the Guyana Boxing

Board of Control (GBBC) and Hernandez’ handlers for the fight to be held in Guyana on March 30 next.

Atwell has compiled 10 wins of his 11 professional fights, with a 50% knockout ratio (5 KOs). He fought Mark Austin to a draw in a fight that left the pundits divided with many saying that Atwell had done enough to win.

Among his victims were Rudolph Fraser and Revlon Lake; the former in the 2nd round and the latter twice, in round 4 and 3 respectively.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abdool informed that the WBC anniversary tournament had suffered two postponements but is now scheduled to start in June this year. He said that the WBC has finalized television arrangements and the tournament will be broadcast worldwide.

The GBBC President further said that participants were to have competed in 8 divisions but that number has since been reduced to four.

These include: featherweight (126 lbs), Lightweight (132 lbs), welterweight (147 lbs) and heavyweight (200 lbs and over).

Local welterweight champion, Simeon ‘Candy Man’ Hardy is the other Guyanese to qualify for the tournament. He has an

Clive Atwell

Peter Abdool impeccable record of 10 wins from as many fights with 7 ending inside the distance.

The ‘Chin Checker,’ as Hardy has been dubbed, has recently travelled to the USA and has clinched a managerial contract with U.S. Promoter, Cameron Dunkin.

(Michael Benjamin)

Milo Tournament good build up for ours - Hope In an effort to better understand the impact and importance the current Nestle Milo / Petra Organisation Under-20 Schools Football Tournament is having on the sport’s landscape, Kaieteur Sport recently posed a few questions to Digicel’s Events & Sponsorship Manager Gavin Hope for his own thoughts about the competition.

Digicel as many would know usually stages the biggest Annual Football Tournament which involves schools throughout the length and breadth of the country and has become the most popular football event at the junior level where over 140 academic institutions battle for supremacy.

Here are the questions posed and Hope’s responses below: KS - What are your general thoughts on the Milo tournament?

GH - This is a good build up to our tournament. It is giving the children the opportunity to play more together and to build team spirit. In the six games that I

saw, the standard exhibited was reasonably high and seemed to be improving.

KS - Digicel has its own tournament scheduled to start later this year. What impact do you think this tournament will have on yours?

GH - Due to the additional competitions, this will definitely benefit the schools and players since they now have the opportunity to improve their game both on and off the field, especially those in the North Georgetown area. They are gaining confidence and a better understanding of the game all the while and this will positively impact our tournament.

KS - Do you believe it will improve the standard of play by the time your tournament is ready for kick off?

GH - Yes, definitely, I have seen some former national players assisting schools with their preparation which is commendable.

KS - Judging from what you’ve witnessed to date, have you seen ways in which you could improve your

Gavin Hope tournament?

GH - Yes, I commend Milo for not just having the boys play football, but pushing a positive message simultaneously. This is an area that we have to pay keen attention to. They are many social ills that we can highlight, especially in the area of drugs use.

KS - Have you thought about ways in which you could improve the standard of play among some of the schools?

GH - First, the schools administration needs to support games and sports in general. Corporate Guyana cannot assist without the support of the schools administration and parents.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

BCB launches NCN inter zone U-15 and B’ce River Bridge 1st Div. tournaments

By Zaheer Mohamed There is no doubt that the Ancient county of Berbice is enjoying the best period of development where cricket is concerned in Guyana since the formation of the Berbice Cricket Board in1939. Since 2008 the BCB has completed over 500 programmes\activities with

170 in 2012 while over 40 tournaments have also been played at all levels during the same period.

The county continues to produce players for the West Indies at all levels (males and females) while new talents continue to emerge every day due to structural coaching programmes.

Yesterday at the board

room of the National Communications Network the BCB once again joined hands with the entity to host their inter zone U-15 competition for the 5th consecutive year.

The tournament which features the best U-15 players in the county has been sponsored at a cost of $210,000. CEO of the BCB

Hilbert Foster informed that Players taking part in this tournament must be born on or after the 1st of September 1998. He also said that four teams will battle for championship honours, with West Berbice taking on New Amsterdam\ Canje at the Cumberland ground, and Lower Corentyne facing Upper Corentyne at Skeldon

Community Centre.

Foster stated that the winners of both matches will clash in the final at the Albion Community Centre ground, while the area H ground will be the venue for the 3rd place playoff game. Matches will be played on a one day two innings basis with a first innings quota of 60 overs.

The champion team will take home $40,000 and a trophy and the runner up $30,000, prizes will also be given to the third and fourth place teams along with the man of the match in the final.

Foster indicated the BCB will use this tournament to select the Berbice U-15 inter county team while an elite squad of 30 will also be named for further training. He thanked the Management and staff of NCN for their continued support especially the CEO (ag), Mr. Michael Gordon.

The BCB also launched another 50 over tournament for its 1st division teams which is being sponsored by the Berbice River Bridge at a cost of $282,000.

The competition will involve West Berbice, Bush Lot United, Blairmont, Police, Bermine, Young Warriors, Edinburgh, Albion, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, Port Mourant, Upper Corentyne and Skeldon, and will be played on a knock out basis.

Foster said Ramcharitar Construction and Tenelec Inc are the other sponsors of their 50 over tournaments.

“The BCB expects this tournament to be of the

highest standard since several West Indies and National players will be involved including Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Brandon Bess and Sewnarine Chattergoon.

The Board welcomes the new sponsor on board and wishes to assure them that every effort will be made to ensure that the tournament will be highly successful, and the sponsor receive its mileage”, added Foster.

He also informed that the Berbice River Bridge will assist the Board with trophies and for its Annual Awards ceremony which will be held on the 16th of March 2013 as well as the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club. He also indicated that the BCB is totally committed to the development of cricket not only in the county but also at the national level, adding that the board will unveil some exiting programmes. He indicated the Board will also try to broadcast all 1st division final on radio as long as there is sponsorship.

Meanwhile, Acting CEO of the NCN Michael Gordon said the entity is happy to partner with the BCB and is looking to extend their sponsorship with a national U-15 tournament.

“NCN is impressed and heartened with the level of the sport in Berbice and the progress they have made and sees it fit to ensure there is development for the youths,” stated Gordon.

GAPF AGM on tomorrow at Tropical View Hotel The Annual General Meeting of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) is set to take place tomorrow, Sunday February 10, 2013 at Tropical View Hotel located at Campbell Avenue and Delph Street, Campbellville.

Topping then agenda at the AGM which will commence at 11:30hrs will be the election of new office bearers. Other items will be the minutes of the previous AGM, President’s Address,

Secretary and Treasurer Reports, Proposals for Upgrading the GAPF’s Constitution, New Five Year Development Plan as well as National and International Championships among others.

Registration of Athletes, National Referees and Coaches will also be done. All Clubs and individual lifters are invited to attend, as matters pertaining to the future direction of the sport will be addressed.

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 39

Several teams register wins as beach football select possible Olympic Qualifier team Beach football, though introduced at the Olympics years ago, is still to be wholeheartedly integrated into the local sports mix.

Despite strong challenges and a paucity of resources, the executive of the Guyana Beach Football Association (GBFA) has been putting the necessary modalities in place to formalize the sport even as they set sights on participation at the impending World Cup Qualifiers scheduled for Nassau Bahamas May 15-19 next.

Towards this end, the executives of the GBFA have shortlisted a team and dispatched the list to the executives of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for perusal and possible ratification.

General Coordinator (GBFA), Rollin Tappin told Kaieteur Sport that his

association is currently running off a tournament at the Bayroc Sand Reserve Ground, Linden. He said that selectors are paying keen interest in the development of the players even as they await word from the GFF. The players selected are: Ryan Scott, Orin Steele and Collis Messiah (Timehri); Michael Wilson, Lennox Allicock (Vasco); DeShawn Joseph, Colric Beckles (Wisroc); Denzil Warde, Darrell George (Blueberry Hill); Devon Smith (Eagles); Colwyn Davids, Damion Williams (Shattas); Claude Dennis, Kevin Croal, and Goalkeeper, Odel Allicock (Alikyu) and Charles Harvey (Winners Connection).

Several coaches will also comprise the squad including Abdullah Hamid and his assistants, Gregory Louis and Felix Inniss. Meanwhile, the

players were in action Thursday evening last when four matches were played at the Bayroc Sand Reserve Ground, Linden. Alikyu inflicted a 7-2 drubbing on Cool Runnings in what was considered an upset. Claude Dennis scored 5 of those goals and justified his selection to the national squad and was supported by Kevin Croal and Kevin Prowell. Ralph Alexander and Kennard Simon narrowed the score for Cool Runnings in what was merely an inconsequential feat.

Eagles also booked their place in the quarter finals when they benefited from a walkover from Wisroc before returning to dispose of Vasco 7-2. Vowayne Hamilton and Benney Neblett scored 2 each for the winners with support from Kevin Macalmont, Dellon Alberts and Reynold

...Letter to the Sport Editor...

Boyce sets the records straight DEAR EDITOR, I read with total dismay an article captioned “AAG left cash strapped and in debt” in the Thursday edition of the Stabroek News, and despite not being moved by its negatives, I am forced to respond to set the records straight.

It was only Tuesday evening that I met with the newly-elected President, the Vice-President and Treasurer, which was well-received. The sole aim of the meeting was to discuss the way forward for the AAG (Athletics Association of Guyana) and athletics where I indicated my position as a non-contender for the Presidency even if fresh elections were to be called and the possibility of a withdrawal of the writ.

It was the perfect forum for healthy discussions (or at least so I thought), so I decided to inform the representatives of the AAG of the financial position of the association and other issues.

Surprisingly, Mr. Hutson twisted the information he received for whatever reasons and spoke to the press.

For the records, the AAG receives a grant from the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) for the running of its affairs and its attendance at IAAF sanctioned Meets, which is paid in three instalments of US$5,000 if all the requirements are met after the

submission of an annual report, which has a deadline of March 31.

With little or no finance, the first quarter of the AAG’s calendar year is usually tough given the IAAF disbursements structure. It means that acquiring trophies, airline tickets for competitions, athletes and officials etc. through a credit system becomes necessary at times. An understanding we have with respective organisations.

The AAG, like other national associations, is indebted to the GOA (Guyana Olympic Association), which is the parent body for all Olympic Sports since the 2010 CAC (Central American and Caribbean) Games.

It is quite true that the AAG is indebted to Connections Travel Service to the tune of $248, 938. It was understood that this money would have been paid after the AAG receives a $US2000 reimbursement from the IAAF for a ticket for Stephon James.

Mr. Hutson claimed he spent $50,000 trying to establish a Coaching Structure because the IAAF has been deducting from the money that were received by the AAG for all these years since it did not have a Coaching Structure. This I find very strange and misleading. In fact, the AAG only have to submit a Coaching Structure, at no cost, to the IAAF based on a

required format.

It was Mr. Hutson’s choice to host a meeting with the Coaches at the Hilton Restaurant rather than the usual venue, Olympic House.

So if indeed he spent $50,000 that is a personal and private matter that should not be mentioned in the context of the AAG financial position, or to make any point thereof. I find that to be very unprofessional.

Mr. Hutson also needs to be guided since the AAG cannot be sanctioned for not participating in the South American Youth Championships, having participated in the South American Youth Under-23 Championships. If indeed Mr. Hutson said what he said about the then President’s/ Jefford Track and Field Classic (now Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic) as the article purports, then he is portraying a different picture of himself publicly. He would have met privately with the hosts and endorsed this event to continue on the AAG calendar. It is my sincere hope that Mr. Hutson does not transfer the kind of leadership he showed at the helm of the East Demerara Football Association and at the helm of Running Braves Athletics Club to the AAG, which was given a new life over the last four years.

I refuse to comment on the other issues in the article since they are simply a distortion of the facts.

Colin Boyce

TRIUMPHANT BIRDS: Eagles marksmen Vowayne Hamilton (2nd L) and Benney Neblett (3rd L standing) pose with other teammates after registering a win over Wisroc. Kevin McCalmont and Reynold Arthur are L & R front row, respectively Arthur who all netted once.

Lennox Allicock and Odida Briggs netted one each for the losers. Shattas had earlier qualified for the quarter finals but was matched against Winners. The latter team proved its worth, inflicting a 6-2 drubbing on the former.

Andre Phillips and Errol Davids both registered doubles while Steve Brewley and Stanford Bovell completed the tally with one each.

The action continues on this evening when the competition enters its 5th round while there will also be

4 quarter final matches on Thursday February 15; Timehri compete against Shattas while Eagles will match skills with Blueberry.

Winners play Silvertown All Stars while Wisroc will face off with Alikyu. (Michael Benjamin)

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Kaieteur News

Saturday February 09, 2013

Roger Harper, Bissoondyal Singh write WICB on GCB issue Former West Indies allrounder and current President of the Georgetown Cricket Association, Roger Harper, along with President of the East Coast Cricket Board Bissoondyal Singh has written to President of the West Indies Cricket Board, Dr, Julian Hunte, raising questions about the recently held Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) elections in the face of ongoing High Court matters.

The pair questioned several aspects of the elections in the face of an existing court case following injunctions filed previously which matter has not been completed seeking explanations from the regional parent body on several related issues. Here is the full text of the letter: Dear Dr. Hunte We learnt from recent media reports that the injuncted Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) held elections on 27 January, 7013.

As you are aware, The GCB is made up of three (3) constituent members: The Demerara Cricket Board

Roger Harper

Bissoondyal Singh (DCB), the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) and the Essequibo Cricket Board

(ECB). As the DCB is also injuncted and the BCB did not attend, there could not possibly have been any legal elections of the GCB. Remarkably however, it was reported that the injuncted DCB took part in those elections.

We were informed that the WICB was represented at the purported GCB elections by Mr. Imran Khan, Mr. Paul Slowe, and Mr. Conde Riley who reportedly pronounced favourably on those elections.

As the two (2) major constituent members of the four (4)-member DCB, we respectfully request your assistance in providing us with the names of those persons who purportedly represented the DCB at the illegal GCB elections.

This vital information has not been made public and it appears to be a closelyguarded secret.

We look forward to an urgent response to our request since this information will largely influence the decisions we would have to make towards a resolution of the cricket crisis in Guyana.

Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal switches to Haslington Market Square The highly anticipated East Coast segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets; Futsal Tournament switches tonight and tomorrow night to the Haslington Market Square where eight more matches will be played, commencing from 18:00 hrs.

In tonight’s fixtures: Nabaclis oppose Vryhied’s Lust; Melanie tackle Mahaica; Buxton ‘B’ engage Paradise; BV’B’ clash with Mahaicony; Ann’s Grove Young Warriors square off against BV ‘A’; Golden Grove Superstars go up against Victoria Eagles; Ann’s Grove

Punters take on Church Yard United and in the final game of the night Buxton ‘A’ clash with Plaisance ‘A’.

Tomorrow’s round of matches will see Ann’s Grove Punters take on Melanie; Church Yard United tackle Mahaica; BV ‘A’ oppose Paradise; BV ‘B’ engage Golden Grove Superstars; Buxton ‘A’ go up against Nabaclis; Plaisance ‘A’ square off against Vryhied’s Lust; Mahaicony battle Victoria Eagles and Ann’s Grove Young Warriors collide with Buxton ‘B’.

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 are also being played at the Haslington Market Square and play starts at 18:00 each night.

Tomorrow night’s matches will be the final round of the preliminary phase, before the knockout segment begins.

West Berbice stages Softball cricket competition for Mashramani As part of this year’s Mashramani celebrations, the Regional Democratic Council of Region Five has organised a one day softball cricket competition and family fun day, billed for today at the Bath Community Centre ground.

The event will be celebrated under the theme “Reflecting Creativity,

Embracing Diversity”.

A release from the region’s National Events Committee stated that the competition is open to both male and female teams. It further stated that teams interested in being part of the competition will need to pay an entrance fee of $4,000.

According to the release, winner in the male category

will receive $40,000 and the winning trophy, while there is also a trophy and $15,000 for the losing finalist.

On the distaff side the winner will be the recipient of $15,000 and a trophy.

Interested teams can make contact with Anson Barrington on telephone numbers 628-8291 and 6675199.

Saturday February 09, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 41

SEVERAL LOCALS SUCCESSFUL AT LIFEGUARD COURSE

Participants (standing) display their awards after the ceremony yesterday.

Trainer Patrick D’Almada is setting (centre) next to Director of Sport Neil Kumar. PS of the Ministry of Sport Alfred King is on D’Almada’s left.

The first Lifeguard course ever to be held in Guyana concluded yesterday at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal on the East Coast of Demerara. Fourteen locals successfully undertook the programme which lasted for seven days, during which

they were thought about First Aid Skills, CPR, Life Saving Skills, Water Rescue, Life Guarding Skills, how to swim to survive and how to prevent accidents and injuries in the water, both theoretically and practically.

A sport was also

introduced called Life Saving.

Speaking at the closing ceremony trainer from the Canadian Life Saving Association Patrick D’Almada said the hard work put in by the participants paid off because everyone improved their Life Saving

Skills. He stated the training was challenging for everyone but they were able to move to a higher level and the idea of having Life Savers should be looked at by the Ministry of Tourism.

Director of Sport Neil Kumar congratulated the participants on their efforts.

“You are the first set of people to get certified in Guyana, and you are also certified at two different levels,” added Kumar.

He informed that they will be forming the Life Guard Association of Guyana. “We are proud of what we have but we must also make use of our water facilities, this is a step forward,” he said.

Assistant trainer Neil Goberdhan thanked all those who assisted with the programme including Kumar, the Guyana Olympic Association, national swimming coach Stephney Fraser, Dr. Karen Pilgrim, the pool attendant and D’Almada. He also urged the participants to take the programme seriously.

Ms. Fraser thanked the Government of Guyana for their permission to use the

pool while Dr. Pilgrim thanked the Caribbean Airlines and said she looks forward to the continuation of the programme and the forming of the Life Saving Association.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Life Saving Association donated a number of items to the Guyanese, these include head pack, straps, shirts, waist bag, mass, gloves and whistle.

Norman Singh Memorial T20 KO starts tomorrow - 19 West Berbice teams to compete The Berbice Cricket Board’s (BCB) ongoing efforts to assist the development of cricket in West Berbice will go a step further with the staging of the Norman Singh T20 Memorial cricket tournament which starts tomorrow. Some nineteen (19) teams will be competing in the tournament which will be contested on a knockout basis. The two top teams would clash in the final at the Bath Community Centre Ground. Competing teams would be allowed one First Division player per game. All games bowl off at 13:00 hours.

Round One Fixture Saturday February 9 1) Cotton Tree Die Hard

vs No. 3 at Cotton Tree 2) Woodley Park Young Strikers vs Sundown at Woodley Park 3) D’Edward vs Bush Lot Challengers at D’Edward 4) Rainbow Generation vs Exhowa at Seafield 5) Rosignol United vs Achievers at Rosignol 6) Bush Lot United New Generation vs D’Edward Warriors at Bush Lot 7) Blairmont Community Centre A vs No. 28 Warriors Boss at Blairmont 8) Bath vs Blairmont Community Centre B at Bath 9) Shieldstown vs No. 7 Silver Park at Shieldstown Hopetown United drew the bye.

t r o Sp

Windies stay winless despite Pollard ton

Kieron Pollard single-handedly pulled West Indies out of a hole (AFP).

E

SPNcricinfo Shane Watson’s life without bowling is so far turning out to be a life without worries - for him, and for Australia. Another fluent innings from Watson set the hosts on the path to a leisurely five-wicket victory over the West Indies at the SCG, thus extending the series ledger to 4-0 in favour of Michael Clarke’s team as they begin to be fragmented by departures for the imminent tour of India.

Forming important early stands with Aaron Finch and Phillip Hughes, Watson showed there was little bowling joy to be found in a pitch on which the visitors

earlier slipped to 6 for 55.

Kieron Pollard’s admirable rearguard had dragged the visitors’ tally to 220 and at least ensured the lights would be required before 18,161 spectators watched Australia strolling home with 31 balls to spare.

Wa t s o n p l a y e d handsome strokes all around the ground, while also absorbing a teasing spell from Sunil Narine, but was given a major helping of good fortune on 32 when wicketkeeper Devon Thomas dropped the sort of chance any gloveman would have been embarrassed to turf. The West Indies were again their own worst enemies when Narsingh

Shane Watson top scored for Australia (Getty Images).

Deonarine spurned a chance to run out Hughes, taking the ball but disturbing the stumps with his arm as he did so.

P o l l a r d ’s c e n t u r y notwithstanding, Australia’s target had been kept well within reach by Mitchell Johnson, who had done his best impression of the rested Mitchell Starc to zip through the visitors’ batting. None of the West Indian top four reached double figures, leaving Pollard attempting to cobble some kind of total together in a match rendered d e a d b y A u s t r a l i a ’s completion of an unassailable 3-0 margin on We d n e s d a y n i g h t i n Canberra. Supported by Ben Cutting, Clint McKay and a

tidy Glenn Maxwell, Johnson grabbed three early wickets to turn the West Indies innings into a salvage operation for Pollard after their captain Darren Sammy had little hesitation batting first on a dry, hard surface that offered bounce.

Finch and Watson began the chase with good sense, striding to a second halfcentury opening stand in as many innings before Finch was pinned lbw by Narine.

Reviewing the decision, Finch discovered the ball was straight enough and clipping the top of the stumps, sending him on his way for another total that indicated more promise than substance.

Hughes was soon p l a y i n g i n Wa t s o n ’s s l i p s t r e a m , t h e t a rg e t steadily reduced, but he did not exploit the missed run out, gloving an attempted paddle sweep to slip after struggling to deal with

Mitchell Johnson destroyed West Indies' top order (Getty Images).

Narine’s spin, which from the outset of the innings had seemed West Indies’ lone hope of inducing a rush of wickets.

Watson prevented this however, and had left the middle order a task far from taxing by the time Thomas did hang onto a chance, a swift delivery from Tino Best taking bat handle or glove. The remainder of the chase was more comfortable than memorable, though Matthew Wade roused the crowd by hoicking his first ball - a free-hit from Andrew Russell - into the Members Stand, and the win was momentarily delayed when Clarke gloved Best behind with only one run required.

It had seemed a useful toss for Sammy to win on a pristine afternoon, but Johnson found enough new ball swing to bring back the tourists’ repressed memories of being shot down for 70 at the WACA ground.

In the fourth over Johnson Charles was utterly defeated by a delivery bending back late to pluck out his off stump. McKay was giving nothing away at the other end, allowing Johnson to attack, and Kieran Powell fell victim to another swinging ball before Darren Bravo failed to ride the bounce. Dwayne Bravo was given lbw on referral when Maxwell straightened an off break into him, then Cutting extracted useful bounce on his arrival to the bowling crease that accounted for Deonarine and Thomas, the latter sent on his way after the third umpire reviewed Finch’s low catch.

At that point another predinner finish beckoned, but Pollard provided a reminder of the batting skill that drove him to a century against the same opponents in St Lucia last year. He did so with greater restraint than has usually been characteristic in forming stands of 35 with Andre Russell and 64 with Narine.

Pollard waited until his 115th delivery to swing for the fences, crashing James Faulkner’s slower ball over wide long-on, and he added another off McKay before jumping for joy upon reaching three figures. Well as he played, the final tally was never likely to be enough. Watson’s authority made that certain.

Scores: Australia 5 for 221 (Watson 76) beat West Indies 220 (Pollard 109*, Johnson 3-36, Cutting 3-45) by five wickets.

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