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Corentyne pensioner found dead in house - Murder suspected The bound and gagged body of 70-year-old pensioner, Jasmatty Puran, was found around 11:00 hrs yesterday in her Guava Bush, Albion, Corentyne home.

Police said that the gruesome discovery was made by the woman’s great nephew, Jagdeo Ganesh, who is currently assisting with investigations.

Puran, known as ‘Mai’, had lived alone for more than 50 years after the death of her mother.

According to Puran’s sister, Deowatty Ramphal, 64, of Sand Reef Albion, she and her sister returned from the United States three days before Christmas but ‘Mai’ preferred to be by herself so they would normally telephone her to find out how she was doing.

However, after their routine call went unanswered early yesterday morning the woman said she sent Ganesh, called ‘Tony’, to check on the

woman.

Ganesh told relatives that when he arrived at ‘Mai’s’ home he noticed the gate and the door were open and he went into the yard calling out for her but he got no answer.

According to Ganesh, as he was leaving the kitchen he noticed her feet protruding from an area near the fireside. He went closer and saw Puran lying on the ground with her face covered with a piece of cloth and her hands bound. The woman’s body also bore bruises. An alarm was raised and other relatives raced to the scene.

The woman’s dentures were a little distance away from her body and the roti mixture was still in a bowl on the fire side. A kerosene lamp was still lit.

Relatives told this publication that the police arrived some 20 minutes later and they confirmed that

Dead 70 year-old Jasmatty Puran Puran’s home was ransacked.

However relatives could not say what was missing from the home.

Puran spent most of her life working as a weeder at Guysuco Albion Estate until she became a pensioner. She also spent her life raising nieces and nephews since she has no children of her own.

This publication was told that another man who worked as a caretaker for Puran’s home has been taken into police custody.

Berbice estates fall short of sugar targets ...Skeldon misses by 40,000 tonnes

By Leon Suseran

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) estates in the East Berbice area—Albion, Rose Hall and Skeldon —all fell miserably short of their targets in 2012.

This information was recently revealed by the Region 6 Chairman David Armogan. The estates, combined, produced a staggering 56 per cent in the overall national production of the industry.

Skeldon produced 33,307 tonnes of its target of 44,491 tonnes, while Albion made 54,022 tonnes from its target of 63,775 tonnes. Rose Hall made 34,429 tonnes out of a target of 37,089 tonnes.

“Of a total target in the Region Six area of 135,355 tonnes, we made 121,758 tonnes—90 per cent of the production target and this translates to 56 per cent of total GuySuCo production for the year—218,054 tonnes”.

The Skeldon Sugar Factory on the Upper Corentyne has been making lots of headlines during last year after the effectiveness of its operations came under heavy scrutiny. This resulted in a visit and inspection of the ‘modern’ sugar processing facility by Minister of Agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, who

lashed out at critics about the state of the sugar facility.

“It’s the same factory almost after commission; some innovations were added to the factory, and these innovations have led to some significant impacts in production.”( Dr. Ramsammy said that last October no extra money had to be spent on improving the Skeldon Factory.( “No capital investment was necessary. Whatever monies had to be spent on improving the factory was done within the normal stipulated budget.” He did not commit to a financial figure.( One of the innovations, he said, had to do with the cleanliness of the cane. The washing of the canes, he said, is now being done with water provided by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and is being done by professionals.

Another surprise was that in December 2012, Ramsammy announced to the Guyana Parliament that the Skeldon Sugar Factory was not 100 per cent operational; rather it was producing just over 50 per cent of its capacity.

This statement contradicted what Ramsammy said during the visit and inspection of the factory in October.

“I don’t know, then, what is a white elephant, because

this seems like a factory that is meeting its potential and indeed, we are certain that our next milestone will be reached,” the Minister said in October.

The Skeldon estate was designed to produce 110,000 tonnes of sugar per annum.

In 2010, production was 33,237 tonnes and in 2011, production was 29,410 tonnes.

The US$200M facility is currently undergoing modifications and redesigning works by South African- based Bosch Engineering. The defects being fixed by Bosch are those related to the bagasse feeding system and the cane conveyor system. Installing a condensate tank and obtaining a clean water supply to the factory were also slated for the factory.

The Agriculture Minister said, in December, that an inadequate supply of sugar cane is one of the reasons why the factory is not operating at its full potential.( He said that an estimated 2,600 hectares remained to be brought into operation. Of this, 782 hectares are located within the estate property and 1,845 hectares belong to private farmers.( Bosch is being paid US$130,000 to design the modifications that are needed at the Skeldon plant.(

The fireside where the woman was using shortly before she was attacked

One of the bedrooms which was ransacked by Puran’s attackers.

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210

Editorial

Drama in the House Our system of governance seems to be slowing, unravelling under the pressure of the ‘new dispensation’ in our National Assembly. Faced with the unique situation (for Guyana) where the government did not have a majority in the House, rather than fostering consultation and cooperation between the government and the Opposition as most citizens had hoped, chaos appears to have been unleashed. This does not bode well for the future of our country.

The present contretemps appear to have been precipitated by calls from the combined Opposition for Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, to be dismissed in the wake of the Linden shootings. It was claimed by the Opposition that Rohee was directly involved in giving orders for the police to open fire on protestors.

While the appointed Commission of Inquiry has yet to pronounce definitively on the issue, it became evident during the testimonies that Minister Rohee did not actually give such orders and that the police might not have even fired the fatal shots.

Using its majority, the Opposition by that time had passed a no-confidence motion against Minister Rohee in the Legislature. But they took a different tact when the courts pointed out that only the President could dismiss a Minister: they broadened the rationale for censuring the Minister by claiming that his entire stewardship of his Ministry had been abysmal. They then prevented him from speaking as the Minister in the National Assembly by making so much noise that he could not be heard.

The drama then bifurcated. In the House, the Speaker ruled that the question of whether Mr. Rohee could speak as a Minister would be determined by the Committee of Privileges, of which he was Chairman.

In and of itself, this was a remarkable turn of events since firstly, legal advice sought by the Speaker had declared unequivocally that the Minister could not be ‘gagged’.

Additionally the Speaker himself had declared that Minister Rohee had violated no privilege offered to him in the Assembly.

Out of the House, the Attorney General sought refuge under the Constitution by resorting to the Courts to pronounce on the question of the Minister’s right to speak in the House. It has been accepted by all that while the Assembly can regulate its own behaviour and that of its members through the Speaker’s interpretation of its Standing Orders, it cannot interpret such Orders in a manner that violates the strictures of the Constitution. The Courts, it is also accepted, are the arbiters of the Constitution.

Matters have now come to a head since the Chief Justice ruled that Minister Rohee has an absolute right to speak in the House since he was elected as a Representative of the people who voted for him to do just that. The Opposition, however, has countered that while Mr. Rohee might speak as a ‘representative’ i.e. as an ordinary member of the House, he cannot speak as a Minister. This however, appears to be a distinction in search of a difference.

On one hand, if Mr. Rohee must be allowed to speak in the House, it is not clear how he loses that right because he is a Minister. All the Chief Justice did was to show where Mr. Rohee’s right to speak emanated: from existentially being a ‘representative of the people’. The right was not in any way limited to that role.

On the other hand, if the Opposition accepts that only the President can fire his Ministers, it is also not clear how the same end can be allowed through this manoeuvre.

This latest twist has been the resignation of Mr. Rohee from the Committee of Privileges – but not to remove himself from being in the anomalous position where he would have been sitting in judgement of himself.

The Attorney General wrote the Clerk of the House that the meeting of the Committee of Privileges scheduled for tomorrow be “either aborted permanently or adjourned indefinitely” since it would be acting in contravention of a ‘pronouncements’ of the Courts.

Let good sense prevail.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

Will the promise of 10,000 jobs be yet another bitter pill for Guyana?

DEAR EDITOR, The promises of 10,000 jobs by China’s Bai Shan Lai could turn out to be a misnomer and yet another bitter pill for Guyana to swallow (SN, Jan 18, 2013) .

The Government has failed to complete the Amelia Falls project at a huge loss to its hard-press citizens. The Project will now be partly funded by China and with imported Chinese work force.

The long list of failures continues, while the government remains unable to provide full and proper accountability concerning illegal mining, gold smuggling, cocaine shipment, logging, deforestation and environmental degradation.

Meaningless investigations are promised but never made public as the country heads

steeply into an abyss of corruption.

Labour Minister, Dr. Nanda Kishore Gopaul told the meeting that. ‘the labor laws were unbiased and not stringent and should be welcomed by the Chinese.

(SN, Jan 13, 2013}.

This was to welcome China’s Bai Shan Lin enterprise, and to let China proceed with deforestation on an unprecedented scale in Guyana. At government expense the ‘labour laws have now been translated into Chinese and the government hopes that this step will pave the way for fewer complaints about alleged labour violations’.

The Guyana government has always exploited the laws robustly to keep grip on power and, at vast expense

to the country, but this does NOT happen when it comes to protecting the country valuable natural resources for the benefit of citizens. It has prompted the eminent Dr Janet Bulkan to state, ‘The Rule of Law? Not in the Forest Sector of Guyana’. (SN, Jan 16, 2012).

Due to lack of transparency and accountability the government has failed to tell the public how it will allow deforestation in accordance with the MOU signed with Norway in 2009.

The MOU require that timber production does not exceed annually the average for 2003-2008 level. And if the percentage of timber production, which is illegal, exceeds 15% then penalties will be triggered.

China is committed to ensure the strong growth of its economy over recent decades.

But in fuelling its rapid growth, China has become far more dependent on its own home-grown managers and skilled work force, which are deployed in various countries and, where it is involved in sourcing and extraction of raw materials.

This has caused much resentment in some African countries as, imported Chinese work ethics clashes with the local work ethics.

Also Chinese workers often take up citizenry in the host country and becoming part of the country’s manpower statistics. This effectively masks the true employment levels to the host country.

Mac Mahase

Sunday January 20, 2013

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JUDICIARY DECISION ON ROHEE CREATES DOMINO EFFECT TO UPHOLD HIS RIGHTS DEAR EDITOR, “Chief Justice Ian Chang found that Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee as an elected member has a right to speak in the National Assembly” but according to the report of SN of 1/12/12 headlined “Rohee can speak in Parliament but…”, some doubt is now created that the Chief Justice decision “ does not appear to be enforceable by the court”.

What is in so doubtful or vague about the Honourable Chief Justice’s ruling?

Assertions or doubts that the Chief Justice has only validated a Guyanese Minister with half of his rights and denied him the other half could bring into question whether he is half human being.

Could it be because he is of mixed race?. So to which half is the PNC’s shadow Attorney General Mr Basil Williams denying or affording legitimacy to the Home Minister?

So much putrid hogwash surrounds assertions that

Minister Rohee can speak as a member of parliament but not comply with his other duties as Home Affairs Minister.

The Minister derives his authority as a Minister of Guyana by legal appointment from the constitutionally elected President of Guyana and not by that of his fellow parliamentarians.

The Opposition cannot deprive the Minister of that which the electorate and not parliamentarians have originally empowered in free and fair elections.

In seeking to “take away” the rights of a lawful Minister the opposition would be guilty of mugging a parliamentarian and stealing that what is his ie causing him injury combined with naked corruption in broad daylight.

Minister Rohee is also of mixed race, male, a loyal, respected and popular outstanding PPP member, a father, a husband, with a home to maintain as well as

being a natural born citizen of his country.

Does such aforementioned acquired concomitant duties become nullified similar to the spurious claims that he has lost the right to comply with his Home Affairs Minister responsibilities?

Such is the Opposi t i o n absurdity which would limit the Minister to be one but not the other(s), and have no foundation just as they are palably baseless.

Recall PNC triumphalism in 1997 when Chief Justice Desiree Bernard issued an Order nisi of certiorai challenging the decision of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Mr Doodnauth Singh, to declare Mrs Janet Jagan the President of Guyana without the consent of the members of the Guyana Elections Commission and to quash the Chairman’s decision on constitutional grounds?

Mrs Janet Jagan had already been sworn in as President of Guyana in a

secret ceremony held on Friday 19 December 1997.

Chief Justice Bernard also issued an Order nisi of prohibition ( as compared to certiorai) prohibiting the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Mr Cecil Kennard, from swearing in Mrs Jagan as President and an Order nisi of prohibition, prohibiting her from assuming the office of President at the State House function with invited guests.

President Jagan was served with the court order at her residence long after the earlier secret ceremony and in disgust tossed the papers over her shoulders.

What did it matter; President Jagan’s swearing in at State House was only a ceremonial public formality as she had already been privately sworn in earlier by Chancellor Kennard. Chief Justice Bernard’s ruling was nevertheless still legally binding even though made after the fact.

Now Chief Justice Chang’s decision has in effect created a domino effect

guaranteeing all Minister Rohee’s constitutional rights.

There is a separation of powers all right between the legislative, executive and the judiciary, but its a counterbalance to each other’s excesses not to be a hindrance.

For anyone to argue that Chief Justice Chang ruling on the executive violates the separation of powers would nullify that it is the legislature which constitutionally instructs the executive, and like the above two cases the judiciary can impact the executive.

Chief Justice Chang correctly also affirmed that the judiciary has authority to decide whenever the Guyana constitution is violated by whomever.

The judiciary interprets the law , enforces and protects it. The constitution is the highest authority of the land and cannot be violated even by parliamentarians.

Which in this case validates his authority to judge the Minister of Home Affairs Mr

Clement Rohee with all legal rights to speak in the legislature since the constitution of Guyana as the highest law of the land so empowers both men by its prescriptive unambiguous guarantees.

Only the Speaker can legally censure a member of parliament but Minister Rohee has done nothing wrong requiring punishment.

The Privileges Committee is only a deliberative and recommending committee with the PNC/AFC in majority.

By being both the prosecutor and a judge the Opposition would be again infringing on Minister Rohee’s right to a free and fair trial in committee without any charges of wrongdoing.

With the Minister also being a member of the committee he in effect is both the accused and a judge compliments of Guyana’s opposition comical madness!

No experienced lawyer like Speaker Raphael Trotman, would attempt to execute a Continued on page 6

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PHANTASMAGORIA OF FICTIONAL FEAR

DEAR EDITOR, I refer to Mr. Ralph Ramkarran’s column, “The PPP’s Enduring Fears.” The fundamental premise of Mr. Ramkarran’s polemic is that since the birth of the PNC in the mid fifties, the PPP as a government and as a political organization has had to live in fear of the PNC’s relentless pursuit to weaken it.

Ramkarran did trace that fear further back as early as when the PPP Government under Jagan and Burnham was removed by the colonial office in London. But since ninety eight percent of his thesis deals with the permanent staking of the PPP by the PNC I will bypass that earlier period Mr. Ramkarran has boldly proclaimed in his essay that to understand the nature of the PPP and its behaviour in government you have to comprehend what the PNC has done to the PPP for over fifty years right up to 2013.

This is too simplistic an argument on the nature of the PPP and is really too much of a black and white picture that calls into question Mr. Ramkarran’s intellectual fibre.

But let us say that Mr. Ramkarran is right (though he is almost 90 percent wrong in his treatment of the nature of the PPP), all readers whether educated or not are bound to ask a question which I doubt Mr. Ramkarran will even attempt to answer – how did they cope with the stalking.

Any psychologist would tell you that there are only two ways to deal with fear. If you don’t want help then the fear will inevitably destroy you. If you want to survive then confront it.

The textbook has only one approach to help a person with fear – strive most sincerely to overcome it. Mr. Ramkarran does not delineate a description of how the PPP has tried to do that. On the contrary, he gives up by saying the PPP just lives in trepidation of the PNC. Mr. Ramkarran has argued that once the PNC is around then all you can expect from the PPP is fear of its competitor. Not good news for those who live in Guyana.

How can such an organization bring stability to a country? Is Mr. Ramkarran telling us that once the PNC

remains in existence then the PPP will not try to overcome the trepidation but run Guyana with perpetual anxiety?

Based on his polemic then, all Guyanese who are not supporters of the PPP should want it out of office because it is an entity being destroyed by permanent fright. If I was a voter why would I give a ballot to the PPP which is burdened with fear?

Let us move away from the inherent weakness of Mr. Ramkarran’s dissertation and ask the question of how did the PPP and how does the PPP deal with this phantasmagoria of fear that started over sixty years ago.

One of the commonsensical methods used in battling fear is to find courage in another person (persons), an organization, group etc. In other words, seek a relationship that provides comfort and protection out of which strength develops. A crucial statement in Mr. Ramkarran’s outline of the PPP’s historical paranoia about the PNC was that the WPA fought the PNC

Government too Mr. Ramkarran left out other organizations that the PPP had fraternal relations with apart from the WPA. A brief list includes the academics at UG, other political parties like Paul Tennassee’s DLM, the trade union movement, Guyana Human Rights Association, outstanding individuals like Yesu Persaud, Father Malcolm Rodrigues etc.

What is the relationship between the PPP the PPP and its Government since the PNC lot power in 1992? The answer is there is none, with the WPA merging for electoral purpose with the PNC. How can one accept Mr. Ramkarran’s claim when this fearful PPP has alienated all its fraternal allies while being afraid of the big, bad PNC? It is either that Mr. Ramkarran is wrong and no

such paranoia existed and exists at the moment that he boldly talks about or that the PPP is indeed afraid of the PNC but is so obsessed with power that it is prepared to run the risk of being hunted down by the PNC rather than keeping friends that provide protection.

But more importantly, Mr. Ramkarran’s political career itself is a contradiction of his argument. A frightened, scared, paranoid PPP has continued to alienate its own stalwarts that it needs for its continued life. How can the PPP be scared of the PNC yet is prepared to mistreat priceless leaders like Ramkarran himself, Moses Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan, Boyo Ramsaroop etc.

Finally, Mr. Ramkarran asserted that the PPP has been saved from this

perennial fear because it had a transformational figure in Dr. Jagan and only another transformational personality can bring mental calm to the PPP. I don’t know if Mr. Ramkaran understands what a transformational leader is.

Briefly, it is someone with the capacity and rare talent to fundamentally reshape an entire nation which accepts the wisdom, sincerity and greatness of that person.

Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan were not transformative leaders. Half of the nation of Guyana never accepted them. Dr. Jagan contested four elections (57, 61, 64, 92) and did not secure African Guyanese support. His four governments were racked by internecine political and industrial confrontations.

Frederick Kissoon

I think one could always help one’s country and its people from arm’s length DEAR EDITOR, Service, in whatever shape or form, is one of the distinguishing characteristics of humankind”, according to the letter of 19th January.

Quite so. Insightful. But, since we cannot please all the people all the time, sooner or later it all ends in tears.

In the meantime, think of the cost not only to ourselves but to our families, when we set out, idealistically, as politicians or other dogooder singlehandedly “to make the world a better place”.

Names mentioned in the letter include Mandela, Ghandi, Luther King and Cheddi Jagan. They indeed “sacrificed their entire life for the cause of humanity”. To what purpose, some may ask? It pains me to see Lady Thatcher, once so vibrant, enthusiastic and hardworking, now so frail, unable to walk unaided, often confused and not as close to her offspring as she would perhaps like to be. In Guyana’s case, Cheddi Jagan’s successors are still grappling with how to ‘get it

right’, his ideals ditched almost overnight.

When I remember my late best friend - who was never keen on her husband entering politics - and the toll ‘a life of (political) service’ took on the family, I s h u d d e r. I t h i n k o n e could always help one’s country and its people from arm’s length, in Andrew Carnegie fashion, finances permitting.

And, to quote John Milton, “They also serve who only stand and wait.”

Geralda Dennison

Judiciary decision on...

From page 5 flawed decision from the Committee of Privileges which already stinks, since it would be prejudicial and flawed on many counts to the “ non-accused” i.e. Minister Rohee.

Guyana’s constitution still guarantees a free and fair trail to all.

No crime was committed simply because the Home Minister was not culpable in issuing any direct orders to shoot lawless marauding Lindeners.

What then is the legitimate basis by which Minister Rohee can be automatically punished by an opposition no confidence motion?

Can any morality or defense uphold the

lawlessness of AFC inspired protestors at Linden, Agricola included, who were unfairly bullying for continued entitlement to pay substantially less for electricity whiles all Guyanese nationwide were paying considerably more?

The PNC can only have commendable good reasons in distancing itself from the AFC’s Nigel Hughes in preventing him from speaking at a Linden rally last weekend. Little by little Guyanese may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. This can only be good for refreshing stability and harmony in Guyana.

Sultan Mohamed

Sunday January 20, 2013

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Suspected murder weapon tendered in Cotton Tree murder trial

A knife with a black handle, the suspected murder weapon used in the Cotton Tree murder was tendered and accepted into evidence when the main trial began. This was after more than two and half days of a voir dire in the Berbice High Court in the murder trial of Nazrudeen Jahoot, called “Buddy”, of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice.

Jahoot is indicted for the murder of one time neighbour, Ramlall Mangal, called “Ochro” and “Dereck” who was 43 years old at the time.

The trial is being conducted before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a mixed jury.

The main trial got underway on Wednesday at 13: 30 hrs with the prosecution calling five witnesses.

Before the matter began, prosecutor Attorney at Law

Nazrudeen Jahoot, called “Buddy” Prithina Kissoon presented her opening statement in which she stated that the accused had a relationship with Leila Mangal, the daughter of the deceased who was 14 years old at the time.

The girl’s parents did not approve of the relationship and made their disapproval known, because they felt that she was too young and

wanted her to take in her education. The parents got wind of the relationship because the accused began calling the mother’s cell phone which was also used by the girl.

The mother subsequently confronted the accused in front of his parents and told him to desist from calling her phone.

Ms. Kissoon stated that after the incident on August 25, 2008 the accused who is being represented by Attorney at Law Charrandass Persaud, was arrested at Lethem, Region Nine on December 30, 2009 where he was found living with the daughter.

The accused, who was 18, at the time of the crime, was arrested and brought to the coast where he was questioned. He gave a statement telling the officers how he killed “Ochro.”

Man torches wife’s home, in custody

Minutes after 30-yearold Matthew Johnson, a labourer who periodically resides at Queenstown, Essequibo Coast with the mother of his child, Nelly Sookra, set the woman’s two- bedroom Food for the Poor house ablaze, police apprehended him at a cook shop in the Village.

Arson charges will be soon instituted against Johnson, police said.

Nelly Sookra said that Johnson, after setting her house alight, went on the road and was overheard boasting about what he had done.

Ms. Sookra said that Johnson attempted on several occasions before to destroy the house in which she and her daughter, Monella Johnson, lived for the past eight years.

The woman said that they barely made it out alive before Johnson set the house ablaze

sometime around 6:30pm, Friday night.

Ms. Sookra, who is currently staying at her sister Mala Sookra, said that she is unsure how long her sister would be able to accommodate her and her daughter.

She said that the house belonged to her mother, Raywattie Sookra. Ms. Sookra explained that Johnson came to her house Friday evening and greeted her and daughter with hugs and kisses.

“He asked me if I love him and I asked him the same,” Sookra related.

She added that Johnson then proceeded to offer her two hundred dollars which she refused.

I m m e d i a t e l y a f t e r, h e started to misbehave.

The homeless woman recalled that her reputed husband, who appeared to be partially drunk, began

cursing her and her i m m e d i a t e n e i g h b o u r, pensioner Curtis Austin, before he was seen kicking down the door.

A u s t i n ’s h o u s e w a s scorched.

Johnson later took a lighted kerosene oil lamp and threw it on Ms. Sookra’s bed, which went up in flames.

Austin, who was forced to call the police on at least four occasions, said that if members of the force had arrived earlier after he had made the first call, Ms. Sookra might have saved a few valuables.

Ms. Sookra said she recently came back after spending some time with her two other children and had cleaned her entire house earlier in the day.

The homeless mother is willing to accept any form of assistance the public is willing to offer during her period of loss.

First on the witness stand was the wife of the deceased for over 25 years, Ivorene Dukhia. She stated that she and her daughter, Lisa, had travelled to Georgetown. When they returned around 1:45 pm, she saw a crowd in front of her home.

When she got closer, she observed her husband in a sitting position with bloodcovered clothing and he appeared to be dead. She inquired what was wrong and learnt that he had been involved in a fight with the teen. She later learnt that her husband, a father of two daughters, had warned the attacker to keep away from his daughter. She stated that her husband was supposed to

have accompanied them to Georgetown, but stayed back.

Also on the witness stand was Ramdeo Sookra, a nephew of the deceased who told the court that he witnessed the post mortem conducted by Dr. Vivekananda Brijmohan at the New Amsterdam hospital.

Another witness was detective police corporal Michael Peters who detailed the part he played in the investigation. He stated that after receiving certain information he and a party of policemen journeyed to the scene where they saw Mangal’s body in a sitting position and that he appeared to be dead.

After receiving certain information, he entered into a

nearby trench and after searching for a while he found a ‘black-handle’ knife.

Detective Sergeant Gilbert Ross, Detective Corporal Juke Jacques and Detective Constable Mark Fraser also gave evidence and highlighted the parts they played in the investigation.

Mangal was allegedly stabbed to death around midday during a fight, which ended in a trench. The man allegedly crawled out and sat on a bench outside his home where he allegedly bled to death.

A ‘black handle’ Knife and a Post Mortem report were presented as exhibits A and B. The matter is continuing.

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Sunday January 20, 2013

“Coolie, coolie come for roti, all de roti done.”

BY TONY DEYAL In the elementary schools I attended in the fifties, this racist chant was common.

Now, fifty years after Independence, making, buying, selling or eating roti is not limited to any one race.

It is not the speed with which the roti “done” but the question, “Where de roti gone?” As we say in Trinidad, it “gone for higher”.

Now you can buy all the different variations of roti in Toronto, New York, Miami and wherever Trinidadians and other West Indians live, lime and labour.

In 1962, the roti best known outside of the home was the “dhal puri”. There is no such commodity in India, where a puri is either a flat, flaky bread cooked in ghee (clarified butter), or a dish made by mashing or grinding peas, vegetables or meat and cooking it in hot water.

The purists say that what we call a “dhal puri” is really a dhal paratha which is a stuffed roti but in Trinidad what is called a “paratha” is not stuffed and is known as a “buss-up-shut”, taking its name because of its likeness to a tattered shirt.

The version of roti that is the breakfast and dinner staple, is “saada” which means “homely”, “simple” or “rustic” in Hindi but, in South India, would be a “chappati”.

However, the Trinidad “roti” is made using baking powder as a leavening agent and not yeast which is used to make “nan”, the generic Hindi word for

“bread”. The first time I heard the name Kofi Annan I thought it was an Indian breakfast.

It is not surprising that the Indian indentured immigrants to Trinidad, coming in contact with the British and mingling with the other races and cultures that comprised the most cosmopolitan of countries of the Caribbean, should come up with some culinary innovations. Although barra (or bara, a fried flatbread originally made from ground peas and flour) exists in India and in other places where curried channa (chick peas) is a staple, it is Trinidad that invented the “doubles”, a sandwich made by putting curried channa between two barras.

Now you can get doubles almost anywhere in the Caribbean, North America and Britain. The “pulao” or mixed rice dish of India became “pelau” and was popular long before roti made the hit parade. Even in music technology, the country that gave the world the steel pan also reputedly invented the “dhantal”, a percussion instrument that was fashioned out of the iron “bows” that yoked the oxen that pulled the cane-carts.

The dhantal and “chutney” music, another Trinidadian invention, go together like a roti with a Red Solo soft-drink or “curry duck” and a river “lime”. In politics, the combination of “rum” and roti characterized a unique form of garnering votes for elections that was not

limited to race.

When Trinidad became Independent in 1962, we did not understand what was happening or appreciate what we had. Boys and girls of East Indian descent leaving their rural villages to go to the city High Schools and Colleges had an especially rough time. We studied by rote and by roti. There was a lot of stuff to memorise but what has stayed in our memories longest was the shame that we were made to feel for taking our saada roti to school.

Saada roti was not well known outside the household. Civilised people bought bread from the bakery or had enough money for sandwiches from the school’s “tuck” shop or the “parlours” or cake shops outside. We carried our food in oily, currysoaked paper (one bag per week) bags or wrapped in brown paper and we huddled together, rotis held close to our mouths, hurriedly gulping down our food, sometimes with mouthfuls of paper, so ashamed were we.

It was “doubles” that served as the wedge that opened the floodgates for Indian food.

Doubles vendors were always around but increasingly there were more of them and their customers were not limited to Indians. Paratha was next to taste the limelight. It might be because of the name by which this roti is best known.

“Buss-up-shut” captured the Trini imagination.

Paratha, which is also a misnomer in the classic Indian sense since it is not stuffed

with anything, is made to separate into smaller, bitesized pieces. Unlike the dhal puri, it cannot be used as a wrap but has to be served separately from the curry.

This requires a container.

Interestingly the paratha went mainstream when containers became commonplace. In a way it demonstrated that there is a link between food and technology – the barra and dhal puri needed only pieces of brown wrapping paper and paper bags which were common.

The paratha needed a container and became popular when these were available in Styrofoam, cardboard and plastic.

What about the saada roti as the breakfast food of choice of so many Trinidadians? Its present popularity has as much to do with health and changing lifestyles as with taste. In rural homes, the husbands worked and the wives, even if they laboured in the canefields, were still responsible for the home and the food.

Work started from before four a.m. and the bread vans came much later so that roti was the fastest, easiest and, for most Indians, the only palatable solution.

However, with the new generation where both men and women work but despite the increased income still have to hustle early in the morning to avoid the traffic, it is easier to buy breakfast than wake up and cook.

The rationale for continuing to want Indian food is that the last thing people give up is their food.

They are willing to change their language, their clothing and their external lifestyles but are very reluctant to part with their food which, for them, is the most important of comfort zones. In fact, under stress most people revert to their comfort foods.

The health fad also helped. The “chokhas” or pulped or mashed vegetables (“aloo” or potato, tomato, “baigan” or eggplant) that accompany the saada are healthier than bacon and eggs. Health-conscious Trinis eventually hopped onto the bandwagon. Now, saada roti has become the breakfast dish of many people in both rural and metropolitan areas.

For lunch, you can also buy dhal (split-pea soup), rice and any of the curries or chokhas in the food courts of the many malls throughout the country.

In the intervening years between 1962 and today, there were two other phenomena that helped to take roti and other Trinidadian East-Indian products outside the country. One was the migration of many skilled workers to other parts of the world. Because of Trinidad’s long established petroleum industry, there are Trinidadians working in every oil-producing country in the world.

Also, during the past fifty years many Trinidadians have migrated to the US and Canada. These people, many of whom were of East Indian descent, missed their “home” food and eventually, some found a living making and

selling “local” food to the others.

The other event is the rise of “chutney”, a hot and spicy music mix associated with Trinidadian Indian culture. It is a unique combination of Hindi and Trinidadian English, calypso, soca and Indian melodies. Increasingly it carved its own niche in the music world. While the song that took it over the national and global threshold was Sonny Mann’s “Lotala”, the indications were always clear that chutney would emerge as one of the country’s global cultural exports.

Today roti has come out of the closet or the safe, the brown paper bag and the dirt fireside or “chulha”.

You can get any variation in the supermarkets, not just in Trinidad but throughout the diaspora.

At the same time, there are signs that the tossed salad that Trinidad is, has been quietly fusing into the melting pot that it should be.

The emergence of roti is one of the contributors to a growing national unity of taste and culture – not what we put on the stage but our way of life and our values. It is only under the pressure of politics that we tend to become tribal.

Hopefully, we can learn from the humblest and most homely of rotis and evolve beyond that – saada but wiser.

(This article first appeared in the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s CONTACT Magazine)

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

ImmigrationINFOTM Immigration News For Our Community Frequent Travel Abroad and Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status The most frequent question I receive as an immigration lawyer is, “Can my travel and length of stay abroad impact my green card?” The treatment of lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who leave the United States for long periods of time, yet return once every six months, has been a popular issue with my clients. As such, I will offer valuable information on this important topic.

There is a common misunderstanding that simply returning to the United States once every six months will preclude a finding that one has abandoned his or her lawful permanent residency.

Whether an LPR has abandoned permanent residency, however, is not based solely upon the length of time spent outside of the U.S. In fact, U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) representatives have confirmed that “CBP officers are less focused on the length of time abroad and more on where does the person actually live.”

According to CBP officers, they will look at the totality of the circumstances, including “how many years the person has lived in the

U.S.; whether the person is employed in the U.S. or abroad; where family members live; and whether U.S. taxes have been paid.”

The CBP Inspector’s Field Manual (“IFM”) similarly explains that the length of time spent abroad is not the sole indicator of abandonment.

The IFM notes that other indicators of possible abandonment are “employment abroad, immediate family members who are not permanent residents, arrival on a charter flight where most passengers are nonresidents with return passage, lack of a fixed address in the U.S., or frequent prolonged absences from the U.S.” See IFM § 13.1.

In questionable cases, the IFM advises officers “to ask for other documentation to substantiate residence, such as a driver’s license and employer identification cards.”

If the U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) Officer finds the lawful permanent resident inadmissible under section 212 of the INA, then the Officer will confiscate the lawful permanent resident card (green card) and issue a

parole document, temporarily allowing the lawful permanent resident into the U.S. with the condition of him/her reporting to a U.S. Custom and Border Protection Office for further inspection or appear in Immigration Court for removal or deportation proceedings.

My officer has represented many residents and visitors placed in these types of proceedings.

Therefore, we encourage our clients and readers to review thoroughly all the facts of the situation and not focus solely on the length of time abroad. This is especially important due to the considerable risk that travel abroad entails.

Rice production in Berbice increased in 2012, reaching 97,797 acres of crops that yielded 2.6 million bags of paddy at a yield of 4.3 tonnes per hectare. This is an improvement on the 93,900 acres at a yield of 4.2 tonnes per hectare, according to Region 6 Chairman, David Armogan.

“Rice cultivation is picking up in our region— every available land is being looked at for rice cultivation. Farmers are looking around to see

where lands are available and they are making sure that all those lands are being utilized.

“We are trying to provide all necessary services to the farmers to ensure [good] drainage and irrigation...once they have water and proper drainage, (they) the farmers will do the rest and hopefully we can increase production again this year.”

Armogan added that cash crop production, too, has also increased as a result of more people “utilizing the front

lands and housing areas in Black Bush Polder”.

The Region Six Administration spent $127M in the agriculture sector in the capital works programme in 2012, most of which were spent in drainage and irrigation, building of agricultural bridges, digging of canals and repairs to drainage and irrigation structures.

In Agriculture, $428.1M was allocated and $422.2M or 98.8 per cent was used up, Armogan stated.

Gail Seeram

Rice and cash crop surge

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

Parliamentarian, humanitarian and preacher…

Philip Duncan is a ‘Special Person’

By Abena Rockcliffe Philip Duncan is undoubtedly an individual who can afford to lift his head high and claim to have positively impacted on other people’s lives. Many persons who do this tend to perpetually praise themselves, but this week’s ‘Special Person’ is the epitome of modesty.

Even though his claim to fame at first seemed to have been the fact that he served G u y a n a ’s N a t i o n a l Assembly for 15 consecutive years in different capacities, including that of Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Duncan wasted no time, notwithstanding his humility, in highlighting that there was so much more to his existence.

Born on January 4, 1943, to Lily John and Duncan (his father’s only name). Philip spent his early years being raised in Aishalton. As he narrated experiences over many purposeful years, one of his repeated expressions provided ample perspective.

“We grew up in poverty, but we didn’t know it. It was a normal thing for us; we didn’t see it as hard. My family thought we were alright, because we didn’t know about rich or poor…we just lived in love.”

He said that growing up, his parents were humble and they lived happily in their community, but at that time he “wasn’t aware” his family was less fortunate. That realization, he reflected, “came only at the point when

talents with his considered “gifted” hands as he explored balata bleeding and carpentry.

S i m u l t a n e o u s l y, h e served as an assistant teacher at four different Roman Catholic Schools “for the younger ones, in those days, there wasn’t any nursery school, but primary started sort of early.”

He subsequently honed his skills at the Government Technical Institute (GTI) in 1963 and his career path

“Love your enemies, it’s a hard thing to do but you have to, and when you love even down to your enemies you will find that when you smile, you smile from within.”

I was introduced to life in other parts of the country and when politicians told us so.”

Duncan attended Aishalton Primary and after completion at that level, took a break from schooling.

During the period where he wasn’t academically achieving, Duncan developed his God-given

quickly began to become clearer, as in 1966 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary Amerindian Affairs. This opportunity, he explained, became available to him as he was versed in speaking the English Language while maintaining his Amerindian dialect to which he referred to as his

first Language.

“Back then very few Amerindians knew English, so I used to translate.”

That year, 1966 was indeed a memorable one for Duncan as he tied the knot with his soul mate Edith Roberts. The two have enjoyed 47 years of a fruitful marriage becoming the proud parents of six - five girls and a boy – Valarie, Karen, Berlinda, Immaculata, Bacabina and Philip Jr. To date he has 16 grandchildren.

Duncan described his wife as a woman of extreme strength who stuck with him through thick and thin. “She has always been supportive and for that I am grateful.”

It was merely a couple of years into his marriage that his maturity and responsible nature brought him to the fore as something of a community representative.

“In 1969, after the Rupununi Uprising, I was honoured to have gone to the United Nations as a delegate.

I regarded myself as a ‘bush man’ but that was one of the events in my life that

Philip Duncan

generated a different kind of feeling.

The Rupununi Uprising was an act of insurrection that historically represented the single most serious threat to our national security and territorial integrity. It was an early test of statehood.

Remember we became independent in 1966. The police station in Lethem was attacked by ranchers, who were armed with bazookas

and automatic weapons.

Lethem Police Station was completely wrecked and policemen were riddled by bullets as they tried to escape. Stations were seized and the personnel held captive along with other Government officials and civilians in the abbatoir at Lethem.

Five policemen and one civilian were killed, the (Continued on page 11)

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Parliamentarian, humanitarian and...

(From page 10) government dispenser was shot and wounded, and a number of persons, including the District Commissioner and his wife, were herded into the abattoir and held hostage.”

The following year, 1970, Duncan was appointed Commissioner of Oaths and he remembered this as “another honourable moment.”

After doing a commendable job in his portfolio as Parliamentary Secretary, and following the 1973 election, Duncan was appointed Regional Minister.

In 1977, he became the o ff i c i a l p a r l i a m e n t a r y representative for Amerindian Guyanese as Minister of Amerindian Affairs.

Duncan said that aside the fact that he was proud of the designation, he felt, “onto this day”, a sense of fulfillment, as he was able to acquire titles for Amerindian lands.

“Well we thought we owned Guyana”, he said in a comical tone, “but when reality hit, and foreigners started to move in on us it was a terrible time for Amerindians, but thanks to (Forbes) Burnham I was able to sort things out; I got titles to the land. It was very important to me. Thank God both parties back then supported it.”

“When I went to parliament I did not know anything about politics and being in parliament was not something that I applied for, but because of my groundwork I was elected and I never one day backed down from any challenge and from always trying to do my best, I realized that it became easy to do.”

“I kept my mind open and I learned a lot and up to today I am grateful for what I know. I have the satisfaction that I have served my

country and after me I see we now have a few Amerindians in parliament.”

After leaving Parliament in 1980, Duncan moved to Awaruwaunau- another Amerindian settlement- and took up life as a farmer.

With time on his hands, he also became a student of a Christian University and spent two years of studying he became a preacher of the Church of Christ in Lethem.

“Preaching is the best job I ever had; it gives you a reason to stay true to yourself. Many people fool themselves and don’t even realize it. But, you can’t fool God. In Parliament you tell some lies, not much, and you fool some people, but as a preacher you can’t do that at all… you have to be straight with God and his people.”

“I would have preferred to do this (preaching) my entire life but the more I think about it I realize that even when I didn’t know about this life, God knew it was waiting for me. Perhaps I needed this experience so that I could appreciate purity more and so that I can share my past with others.”

“I am at Lethem now, where I can’t farm, but the source of life is God, and he has been providing for me. I am not rich, but at least I am not starving. You never know in life, sometimes things happen for the best, God closed a window to open a door. Probably if I tried to exist without God, my life would have gone in a different way. I might have had wealth, but not peace within the soul. One thing I know is that God is the source of knowledge, so I have that, he gave the air we breathe. Without him we can’t live.

His wife, Edith, endorsed these sentiments, adding that she has been richly blessed with an extremely helpful and understanding husband.

“He treats me nice, very nice, and always tries his

best in anything he puts his hand to do.”

Edith said that Duncan was her first and last love.

“We are together 49 years now; he was the first gentleman in my life and I love the moments I spend with him.”

Karen, his second daughter, recalled that because of work, her dad sacrificed a lot. She said that the weekend was dubbed family time, “we use to go out on the highway and have fun.” She too described him as hard working.

His only son, Philip Jr., characterized his father as “a simple open guy…we were able to speak to him about anything.”

“As a child, I didn’t spend much time with him because of his job, but he did what he had to do. I love him, he is a good man. He has a principle that when you do things for people it comes back in different ways.”

Mr Duncan summed up his philosophy perfectly: “Love your enemies, it’s a hard thing to do, but you have to, and when you love even down to your enemies you will find that when you smile, you smile from within. Remember God is love and he is the only true source of happiness.”

Our ‘Special Person’ and his wife Edith

Parliamentary Secretary, Philip Duncan, M.P., (third from left) with a Guyana delegation at the U.N. General Assembly

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

Unfair rum subsidies…

CARICOM, US in critical talks amidst worries

Rum-producing countries in the Caribbean are meeting with the US in an escalating row over unfair subsidies that could threaten the future of the producing member states.

In the latest development, Barbados’ Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, has disclosed that his Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has been communicating with the US Government on the matter.

“And, of course, very recent discussions have taken place between CARICOM countries, the Dominican Republic and the United States Trade Representative with a view to addressing the more pressing concerns of rum producers, not only here in Barbados, but in other parts of the Caribbean, and, of course, in the Dominican Republic.”

Guyana is one of the main rum-producers in the Caribbean with its El Dorado brands among one of the most recognized in the world.

Through CARICOM, Guyana too is lobbying against the unfair subsidies

which in effect make rum produced by a number of US overseas territories cheaper.

The PM was speaking at the opening ceremony and unveiled a commemorative plaque for Mount Gay Distilleries’ New Aging Bond in St. Lucy, on Thursday.

Stuart noted that the discussions were necessary since, within recent times, subsidies had been given to rum producers in the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, much to the disadvantage of Caribbean rum producers, including Barbados.

And, he stressed that so serious was the matter that this country was prepared to take its case to the World Trade Organisation if a solution was not forthcoming.

VIGILANCE He said that CARICOM was not going to “relapse its vigilance” on the issue. “We are not about to relax our persistence on this issue... We do not intend to allow rum producers in the Caribbean to be so severely disadvantaged

by this market distortion which has resulted from these overwhelming, if I may use that word, subsidies being extended to producers in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.”

The Guyana Government has remained largely silent on the issue.

However, the Prime Minister cautioned that the future would not be smooth sailing because of the high local production costs which, he said, were likely “to present obstacles to the progress of Mount Gay” as well as the fact that some of its competitors were benefitting from special treatment through subsidies.

Stuart told his audience that rum “has steadily become a serious foreign exchange earner for Barbados, and you really cannot run a country like Barbados, a small open economy, unless you have reliable sources of foreign exchange. The rum industry has been making its own contribution to Barbados’s gathering of foreign

Regime change at West Dem. Hospital fostering improvement – Health Minister In an attempt to improve the operations of the West Demerara Regional Hospital which has been the centre of a number of alarming developments in recent times, strategic measures have been put in place, said Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran.

He told media operatives at a recent press conference that among the strategic moves has been a regime change.

“We have ensured that there has been a regime change...the leadership of the hospital has been changed and it is now under a young vibrant doctor by the name of Dr Vivikenand Brijmohan.”

Dr Brijmohan, the Minister said, is required to report to him directly “sometimes three, four, five times a day on what’s happening not only at the West Demerara Hospital but at Leonora which is another little hospital we have to put in order.”

The Minister said that over the past few weeks the process of rectification and improving of services and the image of the health facility has intensified.

However the recent death of 15-year-old Shemar Miggins at the hospital under questionable circumstances has since threatened to hamper progress.

Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran According to the Minister, “I am particularly distressed at this time that the hospital has experienced this very, very unfortunate and distressful event.”

Despite its shortcomings, Dr Ramsaran said that since last year and particularly since the commencement of this year, the Region Three hospital has been able to relieve some pressure from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by performing a number of caesarean sections.

A report on this development, according to the Minister, will be made available to reflect the impact of the support.

Evidently impressed by the developments that has occurred at the West Demerara Hospital, Minister

Ramsaran said, “We wanted to bring the hospital to the media but now we have to be looking at this incident first.”

He was at the time alluding to the recent death of the teenage boy at the hospital.

However, the Minister said there are plans to have the media interact with the officials of the hospital with a view to having them give an update of some of the things “they have been doing; some of the services that they have been extending even the extending of hours of service....” CIn its ongoing quest to improve the West Demerara Hospital, the Minister said that efforts must be made on the part of the Health Ministry to work very closely with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

“When we are dealing with the regional hospitals especially in terms of infrastructure we are going to be having a review of the functioning of the hospital more intensely involving the administrator of the hospital and his medical and nursing staff,” said the Minister.

With this in mind, the Minister said that recent efforts were made to have discussions with the heads of the health sector within Regions Three, Four and Five which in fact characterised a partial Regional Health Officers Meeting.

exchange needs to make life more tolerable and more abundant for the people of our island.

“We cannot afford to ignore threats to the industry.

Threats to the industry are not for us a luxury, we have to take these threats seriously and spring into action to protect the industry wherever these threats occur.”

In December, CARICOM called on the United States to engage early with Caribbean rum-producing countries with a view to achieving an outcome that will support the continued competitive access for Caribbean rum to the US market.

CRITICAL RUM The issue has to do with US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, two US territories, being allowed to “unfairly” use a tax rebate from the US Federal Government to provide

benefits to companies to produce and market rum for the US market.

The matter has also been engaging the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association Inc. (WIRSPA) and there were reports that the matter would have been taken to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

According to CARICOM, its trade arm was clear that rum production and export are critical to the social and economic well-being of the region. Guyana’s two rum makers are the Demerara Distillers Limited and Banks DIH Limited.

The issue had deeply worried rum officials here, with DDL saying that WIRSPA was pursuing it at a number of levels.

In the case of Guyana, while in 2011 its total rum exports were 3.8 per cent of

total exports, rum is significant because of the number of people employed by the industry (4.6 per cent of the country’s work force), according to Sir Ronald Sanders in a recently published column.

The subsidy issue would ultimately affect WIRSPA’s members market in the European Union.

According to Sir Ronald, when losses from the US market – that are now very real because of the actions of the USVI and Puerto Rico – are added to the potential losses from the EU market, on the strength of 2011 figures, the Dominican Republic remains the biggest loser per annum in money terms (US$88.2 m), Bahamas second (US$34.9 m), followed by Jamaica (US$25.4 m), Barbados (US$25.3 m) and Guyana (US$16.08 m).

Dem boys seh...

Sonny been thiefing since he small When dog accustom to suck egg it can’t stop. Sonny, de man who start Easy Come Easy Go was like that. Dem boys know he from small when he use to live in Brooklyn near de border with Queens. He was bout ten when he go to school and start to carry home things every day. By de time he was 13 he mother use to ask he wha he bringing home tomorrow.

De boy was thiefing every day, picking up people things from de pave. He use to get in trouble too. From then he was a gangster. One day he go to school wid a plastic gun. He did planning to rob somebody suh is not when he get big that he start

robbing. Health Care hospital dem come late in Sonny life.

De teacher tek way Sonny plastic gun and call he mother.

De woman was working suh she send a friend. De woman lef de school shame.

This is de same Sonny who brother did follow Sonny and pickup a gun. He get off.

Dem boys seh that Sonny meet Bar Bee and learn more about de thing that get he in trouble. He seh that dem big boys was always he friends because he can learn from dem. De only thing he ain’t learn is how to avoid arrest.

Bar Bee and Bar Rat use pick up things every day.

When dem was boys dem use to pick up golden apple, mango and even coconut.

One day de Rat pick up something that he thought was a valuable. Was a man toilet that did back up and de man wrap up everything in a black plastic bag and put it at de side of de road. Dem boys seh that people mustn’t ask wha happen.

Dem boys now notice that people get accustom to wha happening that dem don’t even see when dem things get pick up. That is wha dem Americans don’t do. Dem don’t get accustom to dem things and that is why Sonny in pickle. He Ass getting Thin.

That, by de way, is why dem calling he Sonny Ass Tin Ramdeo.

Talk half and don’t pick up de other half.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 13

Agreement reached for global mercury ban by 2020 A key meeting in Switzerland yesterday saw the adoption of a new convention that will see a total ban on mercury by 2020.

The decision will allow local small and medium miners in Guyana, who are heavily dependent on mercury in the processing, to breathe easier.

The 147 countries participating in the end of the fifth and final round of negotiations, taking four years in total, agreed to ban mercury in thermometers, batteries and energy-saving light bulbs by 2020. For the moment, the treaty excludes vaccines using mercury as preservative. Dental fillings using mercury amalgam will be phased down, according to the UN Environment Programme.

Countries will have to install filters and scrubbers on coal-fired power stations and make sure no mercury is released during copper and gold mining. Gold mining, where mercury is used to extract gold from ore, will be largely affected.

The opening of new mercury mines will be prohibited, and existing ones would have to be closed over time, Franz Perrez, head of the Swiss delegation told the state’s news agency.

In addition to mining, mercury, a toxic metal, is also

used in computers.

There have been several meetings in Guyana and a delegation comprising representatives from the Natural Resources Ministry; the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association reportedly represented Guyana, in Switzerland.

With gold being the biggest earner for Guyana amidst high prices worldwide, local miners were extremely worried that a total ban on mercury now would force them out of business as it would cost them enormous sums to introduce new mining practices, as an alternative.

The convention adopted yesterday addresses the mining, processing and storing of the heavy metal, which is highly toxic to living organisms. Mercury is dispersed worldwide after being released into the air or washed into rivers and oceans.

Humans are poisoned by inhaling the vapours or eating contaminated fish.

“After complex and often all-night sessions here in Geneva, nations have today laid the foundations for a global response to a pollutant whose notoriety has been recognized for well over a century,” Achim Steiner, UN

A decision was reached yesterday in Switzerland for a total ban on mercury use by 2020.

Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, said at the close of the meeting.

Perrez told Swissinfo that he expects the convention, which was concluded thanks to Switzerland’s persistent efforts, to come into force in three to five years, once the individual countries have ratified the treaty. A signing ceremony will be held later this year.

Banned by 2020 Every year, 2,000 tonnes of mercury arising from human activities such as coalfired power plants and gold mining are emitted into the

atmosphere, according to the Swiss department of the environment.

The heavy metal is found at the site of contamination but because of its extreme volatility also at locations far from its original source.

The ban will particularly affect artisanal gold mining, which – triggered by booming gold prices – has become a lucrative source of income in countries such as Thailand, Peru and Senegal over recent years. At the same time it poses large risks to the miners, their families and surrounding communities, who often are not aware of the health effects.

“Everyone in the world stands to benefit from the decisions taken this week in Geneva – in particular the workers and families of smallscale gold miners, the peoples of the Arctic and this generation of mothers and babies and the generations to come,” Steiner stated.

Mercury poisoning When mercury accumulates in the bodies of living organisms, it can cause disorders of the nervous, immune and reproductive systems. In a worst case, severe mercury poisoning can lead to insanity, paralysis, coma and death within weeks.

According to a study by UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), smallscale gold mining is responsible for about a third of mercury emissions.

Nations with small-scale mining will have to reduce and eliminate the use of mercury, raise public awareness and support mercury-free alternatives.

But it will not be impossible, Perrez said, for countries to develop alternatives as there will support from the Global Environment Facility and additional programmes.

Initial funding to fast track action until the new treaty comes into force has been pledged by Japan,

Norway and Switzerland.

Certified gold The country was particularly keen to adopt a convention as Switzerland plays a major role in gold refining and trading. Most of the gold produced in the world physically transits Swiss refineries. In 2011, over 2,600 metric tons of raw gold were imported into the country.

“This treaty will not bring immediate reductions of mercury emissions. It will need to be improved and strengthened, to make all fish safe to eat,” said David Lennett from the Natural Resources Defense Council representing the Zero Mercury Working Group, a global coalition of environmental NGOs. “Still, the treaty will phase out mercury in many products and we welcome it as a starting point.”

The convention will be formally adopted in Minimata in October 2013 as a tribute to the inhabitants of the Japanese city.

Between 1932 and 1968 a chemical company had discharged contaminated wastewater, poisoning fish and sea sediments and causing a neurological syndrome called Minamata disease, which killed more than 3,000 people.

Page 14

One year later…

By Rehana Ashley Ahamad Thursday marked one year since 33-year-old Rushell Rodney was murdered by her husband who later fled to neighbouring Suriname, and has not been heard from since. At least that is what his relatives say. While he remains at large and has been living his life for the past year, his late wife’s children and her relatives are still unable to find any form of closure.

And adding to their worries are the operations of the police on the matter. Apart from an officer calling the dead woman’s mother to find out where she had been buried several months ago, her relatives said that they have never heard of an ongoing investigation.

Yesterday, the girl’s mother, Evette Thomas, said that ever since the killing her entire family has fallen apart.

The dead woman’s son, 12-year-old Kevin, who was the first to stumble upon his mother’s body, remains more distraught than the others. He is still unable to come to grips that he has lost his mother.

It had been just after midday and the boy was making his usual stop for

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

Blankenburg wife killer still at large lunch at his parents’ Blankenburg Executive Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara home. His stepfather, Shawn Rodney, had earlier in the day, sent money for him to buy lunch and not return home until after school. But upon collecting the money, the boy said that he began to get an uneasy feeling and just decided to go home as he usually would.

Nothing could have prepared this young boy for what he was about to witness.

Calling out to his mother and hoping to see her preparing his lunch, the child bolted into the kitchen only to find her lifeless body on the floor.

There was blood everywhere.

Her throat was slit and her body bore multiple stab wounds.

He hysterically ran out of the house and started to scream. A neighbour rushed to him then summoned the police. The dead woman’s mother related that prior to the call that she received from her daughter’s neighbours, she was talking to her son-in-law on the phone.

She explained that earlier in the day, she got a telephone call from her daughter who said that she was leaving her

husband because she was fed up of his accusations of infidelity.

She added that just as she was going to advise her daughter on what to do, her son-in-law came on the line and said that two women in the village (whose name he mentioned) told him that his wife has another man who visits her at her camp in the interior.

Kaieteur News understands that after Shawn Rodney was laid off from his job in Cayenne, French Guiana, he had agreed for his wife to take up a work in her mother’s shop in the interior.

Thomas said that her other daughter was also interlinked to the call and opted to explain to her brother-in-law that what he heard was untrue and that he should not believe what people had been saying. But before she could finish, Shawn Rodney abruptly disconnected the phone.

This caused some amount of unease to her family who pondered over the matter for a while before they received another call.

Thomas said that it was her son-in-law. The man had called to inform her that her daughter had walked out on

Dead: Rushell Rodney

Shawn Rodney

him, and that he was on his way to Enmore to return his wife’s nephew home, and would drop by to speak with his father-in-law.

But that was not the case.

Shawn Rodney abandoned his car, bearing licence plate number PNN 9420, on the Carlton Hall, Mahaicony Public Road.

He then took the child, boarded a minibus, and proceeded to Skeldon. There he put the boy in a taxi for him to be returned home, and then boarded a vessel to neighbouring Suriname.

Suspecting that something was amiss, the woman’s sister said that she tried to contact her brotherin-law but he kept avoiding them.

“We call he back and he answer the phone but all he say is that he driving and police on the road and he can’t really talk.”

By that time, his in-laws were already at the scene of their daughter’s murder and could no longer make contact with him.

When he arrived home the young child explained that he was watching television when he heard his aunt and uncle arguing bitterly. This child was in the house when he killing occurred.

“The boy say that Rushell locked Shawn out of the house but he still manage to get back inside. When he come in back, the lil boy said that he hear he aunty telling Shawn that she love he and he say that no, that she don’t love anybody.” While the dead woman’s mother yesterday said that the accused had never made any contact with her or any other relative, a Stabroek News article dated January 19, 2012 stated that the man made contact with a relative and admitted to murdering his wife. Rushell Rodney’s daughter described Shawn Rodney as a good man whom she never saw ill-treat her mother prior to her murder.

She said that he never illtreated his step children. The man’s mother-in-law also attested to this.

The woman’s relatives explained that they are at a loss to understand how the Shawn Rodney they knew could kill his wife.

The incident has left the woman’s children orphaned.

They are being taken care of by their grandmother, and their mother’s only sister.

The lad who was described as being very bright could not manage to perform well at the recent National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations.

Thomas said that her grandson would usually sit in a corner by himself as though he was oblivious to the world.

“Everybody stressed out and still can’t get over this, but her children are the ones who truly suffering, especially her son. He does be lost all the time. We does got to go and like try to get his attention to something.”

The woman explained that while her six-year-old grandson bore witness to the attack, he is still at a tender age and is not being affected as much as Rodney’s son who even refuses to be alone.

The home where his mother was murdered is now being occupied by some of her relatives. Her children cannot bear to live at the home anymore.

Meanwhile, one of the murdered woman’s cousins is calling on authorities to provide counseling for not only her cousin’s children, but to everyone who has ever gone through such a trauma.

Illegal Brazilian-operated river dredges ordered to cease operations

This Brazilian-operated river dredge was one of three ordered to cease operations by government yesterday.

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) yesterday issued cease work orders to three dredges (draga) operating without the requisite documentation in the Essequibo River near Itaballi, Region Seven.

The immediate cease work orders were issued following a surprise visit by Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, and a team of senior officers from the GGMC. The dredges were being operated

by Brazilians.

According to a GGMC

official, recognizing the breach of operating the river dredges without a licence, the Commission was mandated

by Minister Persaud to take necessary action in accordance with the Mining Act and Regulations, such as the issuance of the cease work orders. Further investigations will be conducted to identify additional breaches and instituting the prescribed penalties.

Kaieteur News also understands that the Minister has instructed the

GGMC to conduct a series of monitoring and surveillance within the various mining districts to ensure all mining operations comply with set guidelines for sustainable and environmentally friendly mining practices.

Government has tightened its monitoring of illegal mining with restrictions on the level of river mining activities.

High gold prices have seen a rush into the hinterlands by both local and foreign operations, putting GGMC under strain, in terms of monitoring.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Translated labour laws commendable, willingness to prosecute vital- GTUC head President of the Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC), Norris Witter has applauded the government for its continued initiative of making available translated local labour legislation to foreigners living here. He however believes that the administration needs to show greater willingness to prosecute those who breach the law, as it is the most vital of the approach.

Witter is of the view that more needs to be done, now that the translated laws have been handed over to ensure that breaches are reduced or prevented. He opined that the Labour Ministry should seek to strengthen its inspectorate department to secure full compliance. “The translation of the law and its provision would be useless,” Witter asserted, “If there is no guarantee that they would follow, and more importantly, no guarantee that those guilty would be prosecuted.”

Wi t t e r s a i d t h a t h e makes the remarks against the back drop of past incidents where foreign business nationals would have breached the law and because of “political and state affiliation,” slipped through the cracks. One notable incident, he pointed out, was one several years ago where passports missing from the Central Immigration Office were found in the possession of some foreigners.

“Nothing has come out of that story. You haven’t heard

Norris Witter anything more about that,” Witter said. “So while, they (Government) are translating the law and issuing it, there must be the will and the willingness to prosecute these persons.”

Witter indicated that as the country develops, more foreign nationals are finding themselves living here.

During the 2007 Cricket World Cup, he said that many foreigners traveled to the country, with some opting to remain and startup small businesses. When doing such a thing, Witter said, it is the duty of the foreigners to acquaint themselves with the law.

When complaints are made against some of these business owners, “They say they were not aware of the law. Fact is,” Witter charged, “one has the obligation to at least try to know and understand the legislation.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” he continued. He

added, “The same way we see in the media the handing over, it is the same way we should see people being prosecuted for breaking the laws.”

Members of the Chinese community received earlier this week a translated version of the country’s labour laws.

Labour Minister Nanda Gopaul handed over the translated copies to President of the Chinese Association Mr. Shilong Chow, last week.

The government said that it is hoped that the distribution of the laws would pave the way for fewer complaints about labour violations. The compendium of translated laws containLeave with Pay Act, Restaurants Act, Shops Act, Licensed Premises and Conditions of Employment Act. Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle, said that the translation was needed as many Chinese nationals had been making queries and this mechanism was crafted to give clarity to both employers and employees on their rights.

Towards the end of last year, the Government also made available the Portuguese version of the country’s labour laws.

With the growing number of Brazilians living and operating businesses in the country, it was noticed the Government said, the relevance to have the laws available in light of alleged legislation breaches.

Lethem security guard killed, three nabbed with $4M ...millions stolen from Region Nine RDC

John Friday aka Chris, of Culvert City, Lethem, was believed to have screamed his way to death.

The 43-year-old security guard was attached to the Strategic Action Service Limited which provided a service for the Region Nine Administration.

He who would have celebrated his birthday yesterday but one day earlier he met his demise while on the job, guarding the Region Nine Democratic Council (RDC) Office in Lethem.

This newspaper understands that shortly after 20:00hrs on Friday, two unidentified men entered the RDC compound and attacked Friday and his colleague identified as Rudolph Bernard. The perpetrators assaulted the two defenceless men and quickly turned them into hostages.

Both victims’ limbs were tied and they were gagged with

pieces of cloth. They were placed in separate rooms within the RDC building.

The perpetrators reportedly broke into the RDC Building and the Post Office. A cutting torch was used to cut open five safes from which an undisclosed sum of money was stolen, the police later reported.

The men then returned to the hostages, before making their escape.

At daybreak, rescue came but by then it was too late for Friday.

However, his colleague was rushed to the Lethem Hospital where he was admitted and remains a patient nursing several head wounds. And though traumatized, Bernard is listed in a stable condition.

From his hospital bed yesterday, Bernard recalled the incident. He told Kaieteur News that he believes Friday screamed until his last breath.

According to the

survivor, when he was initially tied up he screamed but soon stopped when he realized that it was of no use.

However, he recalled hearing Friday’s screams for help for an extensive period.

Bernard said that after a while, the bandits revisited him and lit a match by his face, “but I close my eyes and didn’t move so they thought I was dead and they left.” Police visited the scene and took necessary statements.

A statement yesterday noted that “All police divisions were alerted.”

Around 08:15h yesterday, ranks at the Mabura Checkpoint stopped and searched a motor car. During the search over $4M was found hidden under the rear seat.

Two men and a woman who were in the vehicle have been arrested and are in police custody assisting with the investigations.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

INSECURE GUYANESE MEN, INCOMPETENT TROTMAN AND GRAMOXONE She was a beautiful young school teacher, fair with long flowing hair, always pleasant, always smiling, never passed you without a greeting. She was making her way home from school on this very sunny afternoon around 4pm, when suddenly her ex lover scrambled out from behind the black sage bush, cutlass in hand.

He viciously began chopping away at her, inflicting fatal chops. She screamed for help; passersby attempted to come to her rescue but were held at bay by the young cutlass wielding spurned lover. With blooding gushing all over she was out of her pain quickly.

Having murdered his former girlfriend, the enraged youngster pulled out a bottle and quickly ingested a fatal dose of Malathion.

That incident took place in front of my home in Smythfield, New Amsterdam in the 70s. Today some 35 years later, nothing has changed in terms of domestic battery in Guyana, except

today the poison of choice is Gramoxone. Today Guyanese women are under brutal assault by insecure men.

Guyanese women are being viewed by some men as animals that can be chopped up like meat in a butcher shop.

Some Guyanese men are still in the caveman’s mentality.

The butchering of these women is not a crime of passion, but a wanton disregard for women and life.

The mindset is that women are chattel and can be chopped and sliced anytime the men feel they “get out of line” The truth is there is not enough being done to stem this tide of domestic violence in Guyana. I am not laying this only on Government, but on the courts, law enforcement and NGO’S. Here in the United States, West Indian men are finding out that there is no tolerance for domestic violence. Many have been deported, and quite a number are in the process of being deported for assaulting their wife or

girlfriends. In Florida there is absolutely a zero tolerance for this type of criminal behaviour.

The police here respond faster on a call about domestic violence than some other offences. On arrival they would order the party they assume to be guilty to leave the home immediately, to prevent any escalation of violence. He or she may not return to the home until a judge says so; this could take weeks or months.

Only this week a newlywed young lady from the Caribbean was telling me about the most horrible and humiliating night of her life. In the U S for less than a year she assaulted her husband because he was in communication with his ex-wife and child. He kept his cool and called the police who hauled the young lady off to jail. He did not go for his cutlass or gun. The young lady was shocked at the swiftness with which she was hauled off to jail.

When I read of the surge of violence against Guyanese women I am reminded of the movie “A Few Good Men” where the Jack Nicholson character tells Tom Cruise

“you can’t handle the truth”.

That is exactly the problem with some Guyanese; they can’t handle the truth, as Guyanese would say “deh can’t tek lef”. The old saying that “there are many fishes in the sea” doesn’t carry much meaning to these insecure men. They catch one” fish” and think that it is the only “fish” in the sea.

“Most of these murders were committed by abusive men who could not stand women leaving them because of their abuse. It always boils down to power and control.

Reading about the latest murder suicide in Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, we find that the man’s wife left him for an 18 year-old, and then made the fatal mistake of returning to him. Why women keep returning to an abusive relationship, has always puzzled me. Women listen up and take warning, if a man is a ‘wife beater” chances are he will remain a “wife beater”.

Men seldom change.

One of the problems of course is economic dependence. Women need to empower themselves to make themselves less dependent on men.

As mentioned some men feel they need to control all aspects of their women’s life.

Next we read of the man who allegedly found his wife and her sister in an “uncompromising” position, according to his version. The women have refuted this. He went into a rage and chopped them. But let’s assume his version is true. This would be a sexual fantasy fulfilled for most men. He could have turned it into a positive situation, and join the party, a “ménage a trios” if you may.

I knew of many situations in which two sisters lived with one husband. In fact one of my neighbours way back then had two wives, and I may add, they lived happily. It’s not unheard of.

While we are on the subject of insecurity, is Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman insecure? It would seem as if he has to appease the opposition at every turn.

I already said in a previous article that he is incompetent; I mean look at the mess Parliament is in right now. I am not going to get into the “back and forth” of the issues in the High Court, but when the speaker talks about Parliamentary Democracy being threatened, Raphael Trotman needs to look into his mirror to see who is the threat to Parliamentary Democracy.

This mess was created by Trotman in his effort to appease the opposition. Mr. Trotman wore two coats made from the same cloth, the

PNC and AFC. He should discard any pretence at impartiality. I mean Clement Rohee has been silenced by Trotman for no credible reason. So if the opposition parliamentarians say they don’t have confidence in a Minister, can’t he speak?

Only the President can hire and fire a Minister not the opposition.

Putting aside all the “legal mumbo jumbo” that is the bottom line. So if the Government says they don’t have confidence in the Speaker, would he resign?

In a strange way it all boils down to insecurity and power and control. So a word of advice for those insecure Guyanese men, if you find your woman with her sister in an “uncompromising position” or your wife watching x- rated movies, please don’t reach for gramoxone or the cutlass, instead show them that “man ah man” and if you have any inadequacies reach for the “blue pill”.

Ralph Seeram can be reached by email: ralph365@hotmail.com

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 17

Drugs purchases scandal…

Billion $$$ paid to New GPC upfront As the National Assembly continues to assess disclosures that one pharmaceutical company deliberately lied about millions of dollars for the rental of a storage bond, there are questions now whether Government may have broken the laws.

Ministry of Health officials, testifying before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament about its 2010 deals, last week disclosed that it paid hundreds of millions of dollars in full and in advance to New GPC for deliveries.

They even continued the same arrangement in 2011.

This was despite the fact that New GPC may not have delivered $222M in drugs ordered in 2010.

Now, both Members of Parliament (MPs) of the Opposition and at least one drug importer are calling for investigations.

Businessman Lloyd Singh, proprietor of International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA), who is fighting what he said is an unfair playing field for importers of pharmaceuticals, claimed that his company and others were consistently sidelined.

As a matter of fact, government’s admission that it may have paid New GPC fully while not yet collecting all the drugs ordered is indeed strange.

NO PERFORMANCE BOND He pointed that other companies have to lodge a performance bond of up to 10 per cent of the total contract sum so that in case of nonperformance or non-delivery,

New GPC boss, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop the Ministry of Health would be able to have some level of recouping its monies.

In the case of New GPC, there is no immediate evidence of the performance bond being demanded as part of the requirements.

Singh, who said that he is not scared of being sued as he is and has been speaking what has turned out to be the truth of the drug purchases, wondered whether by paying New GPC in full, the government was not in reality financing the company.

The businessman also said that it is also strange that almost 10 years since it introduced and passed the Procurement Act, Government has failed to have a functioning Public Procurement Commission.

“The Act is not complete without the Procurement Commission.

If the Commission was there, you would not have to go to the media to complain. We don’t have the time as businessmen

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo to be dancing around the place. We would be going to the Commission.”

LEVELPLAYINGFIELD Singh said that he has no problem with New GPC. The IPA official even said that when he was a manager at Geddes Grant, he would advise New GPC owner, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, who was studying in India, what drugs to order.

“If New GPC was a full manufacturing business involved in drugs, creating jobs, we would not even have problems with the price being 10-20 per cent higher than normal. But New GPC is an importer like us. This is not right.”

The IPA official was not afraid of any lawsuit.

“Everything I have said to the press is now becoming a reality…there are no lawsuits coming…we are talking facts here.”

Earlier this week, it was revealed that New GPC which was controversially selected to supply Government with billions of dollars in drugs may have deliberately

IPA’s owner, Lloyd Singh attempted to hide the fact that it collected almost $100M for renting storage space to the Ministry of Health.

As a matter of fact, the company which has admitted to close ties with former President Bharrat Jagdeo, last year insisted that it was providing warehousing services for free.

Health officials testified before the PAC that between late 2007 and December 2012, New GPC was paid more than $90M to store drugs for Government.

The monies would have mainly come from USAID, a donor agency working with the Health Ministry.

This arrangement ended in mid-2012 but the government continued paying the $1.5M monthly until December. The bond facility is in the compound of the former Sanata Textiles in Ruimveldt, now owned by Queens Atlantic.

The payments were in addition to the billions of

dollars in contracts that New GPC would have had from government over the years.

Opposition Members of Parliament were angry and suspicious of the arrangements especially as there are questions now that New GPC may have also not delivered hundreds of millions in drugs in 2010.

L a s t y e a r, s p e a k i n g about the storage services i t w a s p r o v i d i n g , D r.

Ramroop in the Guyana Times newspaper of June 22, last, while attempting to argue that it was doing Government a favour as a good corporate citizen, said that it was incurring enormous cost to provide the free warehousing facility to government.

COVER-UP “Presently, the NEW GPC incurs costs of more than Gy$150 million annually to provide free warehousing for the Ministry. Proper storage of medicines is critical. The truth is that the Health Ministry and GPHC do not and have never had the warehouse capacity to store all the medicines they have in stock,” the Guyana Times report said.

New GPC went even further to hide the payments.

“We must recall that the NEW GPC, as one of the requirements for prequalification, demonstrated that it had the capacity to store greater than 90 per cent of the annual supply that the public sector requires. As a supplier, the NEW GPC agreed to provide the warehousing need as a non-fee service.”

On Thursday, in his newspaper…the Guyana Times… New GPC’s principal, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, again said that it was free storage that his company was providing to Government.

Government has since said it built a bond in Diamond.

Government has been fighting a battle to defend how New GPC managed to become the main supplier of drugs.

In early 2010, the Cabinet under the Jagdeo administration decided that New GPC would be the sole supplier of drugs.

In 2011, in controversial circumstances also, a number of companies were prequalified to become suppliers, including New GPC. Drug purchases have accounted for a large chunk of the Ministry of Health with New GPC in 2011 being awarded almost 80 per cent of the $13B expended.

The Opposition parties in the National Assembly have expressed alarm over the developments with members of its Public Accounts Committee arm clashing last week during examinations of the 2010 Auditor General’s report.

Hotly debated also was how the Ministry did not follow competitive bidding processes and as such allowed $1.252B in contracts to be granted to New GPC to deliver drugs in 2010.

In recent days, there have been increasing calls for the drugs purchases to be investigated fully.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 19

Ravi Dev Column

FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO WORK There is a great hue and cry for local government elections in our country.

Even the western embassies have put in their two cents worth. Maybe it’s part of their recent exportation of ‘democracy’ initiative.

Everyone insists that local government will return power to the people – which is where our Constitution locates that precious commodity.

But we repeat once again that unless local government is embedded within a constitutionally defined decentralised state i.e. a federal state, it will fail.

Federalism specifically looks at the distribution of power from a bottom up perspective rather than from top down. From a political standpoint, (i.e. from the standpoint of the allocation of state power under a standard of justice) federalism achieves its ends of freedom and autonomy for the people themselves, by diffusing state

power amongst a central common government and several region/state/province governments, with each entity having constitutionally defined authority or competencies.

The distinguishing feature of the federal structure is that the powers of each unit is constitutionally defined and those powers cannot be altered unless all of the parties agree to the change.

This shifts the balance of power towards the people – who therefore are not “bottom” anymore.

The functioning of both the central and regional governments is based on bargaining and compact – the principle of federal comity.

The regional governments’ powers are not “delegated” but rather the central government functions in such a manner so as not to infringe on the integrity formers’ authority.

Most writers focus on this

juridical understanding of Federalism, which stresses rigid divisions of power.

Three fundamental rights characterize the legal configuration of the states/ provinces/regions: the right to existence, the right to act in specific areas (competencies) and the right to participate in federal/central government.

After surveying the development of the nationstate in the modern era, one can appreciate the insistence that all diffusion of power must be seen as “devolution” of power from a centre. It is a reaction against the premises of most practitioners and analysts of politics, especially Marxists, who conceived of “integration” as making a centralized state even stronger. Thus, even when, for whatever reason, a Federal structure was introduced in a country, many viewed Federalism as a form of decentralisation from a centre that remained strong.

THE BACCOO SPEAKS The hatred that stalks the land is so intense that one must wonder how it is that a people could live with so much distrust. The fact that men hate their spouses defies logic, especially when it is the woman who has the wherewithal to harm the man. She cooks.

And this fact is going to demonstrate how a woman would escape the violence meted out to her. Indeed, the society would be sympathetic, but the law does not use sympathy, except in extreme cases. **** An East Coast Demerara businessman is going to come under attack by a

group of youngsters who want but do not expect to do something productive to get.

And being young and illiterate they are going to be ruthless.

However, this illiteracy is going to lead to their apprehension. But something interesting is going to happen. A man of the cloth is

going to come forward and swear that one of these is a good lad who may have been misguided. **** A major fraud is going to be reported in a government establishment.

The perpetrator would be someone who was recently employed because of a certain political connection.

This fraud would be so simple to execute that many would wonder how it is uncovered.

The employee who would be in the payroll division, would falsify employees, get someone to collect the money, and demand the lion’s share.

But the very fact that power must be “decentralised” (or located from “bottom up”) should alert us to the reality that in most instances of such initiatives, the power still has a centre and since the centre can centralise or decentralise at will; there is always the potential for abuse.

The power structure would still retain a hierarchical pattern with the Federal centre poised on top of increasingly larger layers of first state, and then local authorities. The Federalist approach is to go beyond a mere division of powers and to propose a model where politics functions from many distributed centres.

Federalism, as applied to our Guyanese needs, therefore proposes a matrix of power centres in which there is no hierarchy, since the centres are “non-centralised” rather than “decentralised”. It seeks to diffuse power to such an extent that it cannot be legitimately re-centralised without violating the letter and spirit of the constitution.

In the words of Daniel Elazar, “The measure of political integration is not the strength of the centre as

opposed to peripheries – it is in the strength of the framework: both the whole and the parts can gain in strength simultaneously.”

This vision originated with the US experience that turned the traditional allocation of power on its head, when it located power in the people themselves.

The US Constitution delegated powers from bottom up – necessitating that the states, which were closer to the people, were the original recipients of the delegated powers.

This is particularly unlike the experience of the British ex-colonies (even federated ones), in that the regions/ provinces/ states are not creatures of the central government, to be made and unmade at will.

The Federalist allocation of powers span a broad spectrum of governmental arrangements and the precise mix of competencies between central and regional governments are determined by the people themselves as to which level of government could best take care of the task at hand. The principle of subsidiarity, declares that the task should be delegated to the

Ravi Dev

lowest layer that can handle it.

Substantively, Federalism is centred on the values of liberty and freedom – which, because of our history of slavery and indentureship, should be core values for our society.

It seeks to give life to those values by integrating diverse groups within societies through accommodation, and not obliteration, of their differences.

In the post-modern, postcolonial world there is not only an acceptance, but a celebration of diversities.

Federalism thus seeks to achieve and maintain unity and diversity: it addresses the innate need of people (and politics) to unite for common goals and yet to remain separate and preserve their respective integrities.

Let us not give local government “basket to fetch water”: make it real under federalist principles.

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Kaieteur News

From left is the dead teen’s aunt Patricia Morrison, his uncle and his mother and three siblings. Inset: Shemar Miggins SUNDAY SPECIAL SALE OF GUYSUCO LANDS NETS $1.1B FROM 2003; GOV’T MINISTERSAMONG BUYERS The Government-owned Privatisation Unit (PU) conducted 159 transactions since 1993, collecting over $17B in proceeds, according to a report released by President Donald Ramotar.

Of these, there were 27 sales of shares or trade sales; 67 real estate sales; 34 real estate leases and 31 restructuring.

The release of the details is contained in the “Privatisation In Tables, Phase 11-1993-2011”, prepared by Winston Brassington, Head of the Privatisation Unit.

The report was released to the media on Friday, January 11, during President Ramotar ’s first press conference of the year.

The government has been under pressure for a number of years to release details of the privatisation transactions, with the Opposition parties leveling accusations of secrecy and corruption involved in the deals.

Ramotar, as part of his campaign promises, has committed to making public the deals, some of which were contained in the 2008 report.

This new report has given a more thorough analysis, although it has not yet been presented to the Opposition in the National Assembly.

MONDAY EDITION FAMILY CLAIMS “WRONG INJECTION” CAUSED TEEN’S DEATH Relatives of 15-year-old Shemar Miggins of Lot 7 Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, remain convinced that he died as a result of receiving the wrong injection, even as officials of the West Demerara Regional Hospital continued to probe the circumstances that led to his death. The teenager died on

Saturday January 12,, hours after he received an injection from a nurse at the medical institution where he had gone for treatment for an infection in his foot.

There have been numerous reports of how the teenaged Vreed-en-Hoop Community student met his demise. Miggins’ aunt, Patricia Morrison, who is also a nurse at the said hospital, claimed that she was told too many stories surrounding her nephew’s death.

One is that the nurse at the centre of the investigation told the police and the hospital’s Medical Superintendent as well as a relative of Miggins, that the teen complained of having ‘burn stomach’ when she gave him a syringe filled with antacid (a substance which neutralizes stomach acidity) to hold.

She then went to another patient and, upon returning, she saw Miggins injecting himself with the medication.

After observing what was happening, the nurse reportedly told investigators that she ran to the washroom.

Morrison said that she was given another version of events which claimed that the nurse gave the lad the medication and asked him to drink it, while she went to the washroom.

ELECTRICAL WIRE MISHAP… VICTIM LOSES ARM The family of Asgar Mohamed is upset that no Guyana Power and Light Corporation (GPL) official has contacted them regarding the horrific injury he suffered after coming into contact with a severed GPL wire on Friday, January 11.

The 39-year-old South Better Hope, East Coast Demerara resident suffered severe burns to his left arm and doctors were forced to amputate the limb the day after the incident. He is recuperating in the Georgetown Public Hospital’s High Dependency Unit (HDU).

TUESDAY EDITION US COURT DEEMS JAILED EZJET BOSS A MAJOR FLIGHT RISK

Sonny Austin Ramdeo

Asgar Mohamed shortly after his surgery

Embattled owner of the failed EZJet Airlines, Sonny Austin Ramdeo, has been unable to convince United States authorities that he would be available for trial should he be granted bail.

Ramdeo is being held without bond after the Court specifically found that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the “Defendant’s appearance in court as required.” Several factors were put forward to support the court’s position not to allow Ramdeo his pre-trial freedom.

The Defendant is charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud and if convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison on each count and, up to three years of supervised release.

He also faces, as to each count of conviction, a fine of $250,000 or twice the value of any gross gain to him or victim loss, whichever amount is greater.

Another factor staring Ramdeo in the face is the strong weight of the evidence against him.

By his own admission, Ramdeo, through the testimony of an FBl agent, claimed that he “knew he was in trouble and that much money was missing.” “…Approximately $24 million USD in funds intended for the payment of wage payroll taxes for over 3,500 hospital employees was unlawfully diverted through a Defendant-owned payroll service to the bank accounts of EZ Jet Airways, a Defendant-owned airline company. The fraud occurred over the span of approximately two years.”

According to the court, during a subsequent corporate audit, Ramdeo attempted to disguise his unlawful activity by creating a fictitious email account and fraudulent email correspondence.

Sunday January 20, 2013

HIGH TIDE FLOODS EAST COAST CARRIAGEWAY Unusually high tides lashed coastal Guyana on Monday. The tides caused panic and confusion with commuters who used the East Coast Demerara public road that evening.

Water overtopped several sections of the seawall leaving commuters in amazement and shock. The roadways were flooded, causing police to cordon off from the Celina resort and rerouting traffic from the public road to the Railway Embankment.

That caused traffic to stretch for miles. The flooding affected both the northern and southern carriageways of the East Coast Highway, with the former being rendered impassable to traffic.

On one occasion the southern carriageway used to enter the city was made into a two-way while police tried desperately to control the heavy traffic.

After a while that too was closed to traffic.

At approximately 17:00hrs violently high waves slammed into the sea defence as authorities say the high tide was 3.15 metres, thus the Liliendaal pumping station was subsequently put into operation to dry out the roadways.

Gas stations along the East Coast were forced to close along with other businesses.

WEDNESDAY EDITION SPEAKER TO APPEAL CJ’S RULING ON ROHEE GAG ORDER With his highlighted intention to act in the interest of parliamentary democracy, Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman on Tuesday announced that lawyers representing the House will be moving to the Court of Appeal to clarify whether the High Court has

any authority over the National Assembly.

Stressing that his move to court on behalf of the National Assembly will be done “only” to seek clarity on issue of the powers and authority of the High Court over the National Assembly, Trotman said the Chief Justice (CJ)’s ruling didn’t shed much light on that which needs to be made clear.

Chief Justice Ian Chang, in a 33-page ruling, stated that the Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has a constitutional right as an elected member of the National Assembly to speak on any matter, and that his constituents have a reciprocating right to have their representative in the Parliament speak on their behalf. The issue at hand stemmed from leader of A Partnership for National Unity, David Granger, filing a no confidence motion in the National Assembly against Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, which was subsequently committed to the Privileges Committee by Speaker Trotman.

ANY QUESTION ASKED IN PARLIAMENT WILL BE ANSWERED”- FINANCE MINISTER “There were hundreds of questions asked formally by members of parliament, but by the end of ninth parliament there was no question asked by a member of parliament, opposition or otherwise that remain unanswered. That fact is verifiable with parliamentary record. At the parliamentary library a list of questions asked by opposition MP’s could be found and there was none unanswered.”

These assertions were made at a press conference on Tuesday hosted by Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh at the National Communications Network (NCN) studios. Head (Continued on page 21)

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 21

General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall.

The Speaker’s justification as to why he deferred consideration of the amendments was that he hadn’t enough time to review the document, but had recognised contents that need further attention. Earlier this week, at a press briefing, Trotman dubbed the amendments “scandalous” and told media operatives that if matters pertaining to those amendments had gone ahead, “Guyana could have gotten a civil war.” He had also opined that some of the material in the amendments ought not to have been published.

From page 20 of the Privatisation Unit Winston Brassington was also present.

The press conference was called to underscore that the details contained in the “Privatisation In Tables, Phase 11-1993-2011”, prepared by Brassington and released the previous week during President Ramotar’s first press conference of the year, are the complete transactions of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), and are deals that are transparent.

The government has been under pressure for a number of years now to release details of privatisation transactions, with the Opposition parties leveling accusations of secrecy and corruption involved in the deals. The Finance Minister said that the tender reports contain details of every transaction and various analyses presenting not only the description of the transactions but “the values, and methodology used, etc.”

THURSDAY EDITION MURDER/SUICIDE ROCKS NEW AMSTERDAM Undertakers early Wednesday removed the body of 29-year-old Patricia Bacchus from her Patrick Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam Berbice, home.

According to reports the woman and her reputed husband, Narindra Thakoor, were heard arguing earlier in the morning.

During the argument, neighbours said the woman threatened to leave Thakoor.

Shortly after the woman was heard screaming.

Persons told this publication that the man was seen armed with a cutlass and chopping the woman.

The woman tried escaping but collapsed in the yard where she died. Her reputed husband then fled the house with a bottle of

insecticide.

Later that evening Thakoor died in police custody. A source said that when he was arrested he was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where doctors said that there was nothing wrong with him. However, around 17:00 hours, the man reportedly complained of feeling unwell. Soon after, he began to soil himself. The police ranks rushed him to hospital where he reportedly died an hour later.

GOV’T NOW MULLS APPEALAGAINST CHANG’S RULING Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, on Wednesday said that Government welcomes the announcement that Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, will file an appeal against the ruling of the Chief Justice (CJ), Ian Chang.

Chang ruled that the Opposition measure of preventing Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, from speaking in the National Assembly was unconstitutional.

Nandlall has revealed that Government is also mulling the decision to file its own appeal since many of the reliefs applied for in the Court case were not granted by the CJ. However, the Speaker, Raphael Trotman, is not appealing the Chief Justice’s decision. He does not have the right of appeal, a judicial source said.

Trotman has since said that he is moving to the courts to seek an explanation of the ruling. The judicial source said that Trotman would have to move via a clarification order.

Speaking to the state media on the several responses made by the Parliamentary Opposition and the Speaker, Minister Nandlall said that “a court of law has pronounced on the law and that is what is important.”

FRIDAY EDITION

GT&T WANTS STRICT MONITORING IN POSTMONOPOLY PERIOD The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) is insistent that a level playing field remains one of its highest concerns as negotiations continue with government on the looming liberalisation of the telecoms sector. The National Assembly, as early as March month end, is set to consider new legislation that will allow new players to fight for a foothold in what is considered one of the most lucrative markets in Guyana.

However, several attempts to have the matter discussed in the National Assembly have been delayed, with government deferring it amidst continuing negotiations with GT&T and mobile carrier, Digicel Guyana.

Not only does GT&T have a monopoly on international calls, but it has the sole licence for operations of landlines.

Digicel, having to route its international calls through GT&T, has been fighting tooth and nail for the monopoly to be broken.

Government, wary of the legal implications, especially with the fact that GT&T’s parent company, Atlantic Tele Network (ATN) is US-owned and a foreign investor, has been having meetings with the two on the possibilities of reaching an agreement.

Questioned Thursday on the talks, GT&T’s outgoing Chief Financial Officer (ag), Sonita Jagan, was at pains to express that GT&T was not opposed to liberalisation…rather, the company wants a level playing field.

A large part of GT&T’s revenue over the years has been from international calls and this was used to subsidise the cost of landlines to customers.

The official explained that talks included the system of

strict monitoring and established systems, complete with qualified personnel, to ensure that players are not given unfair advantage. “It is not just about having an agreement,” Jagan stressed.

SPEAKER RULES AGAINST GOV’TPROPOSED AMENDMENTS The Governmentproposed amendments to a Motion tabled by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) leader David Granger, which called for an investigation into incidents of criminal violence from 2004 to 2010, were Thursday ruled against by Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman.

Trotman stated that the proposals are not admissible as they violate Standing Orders of the National Assembly.

The last Parliamentary sitting saw the Speaker’s refusal to allow consideration of the amendments offered by the Government side and presented by Attorney

SATURDAY EDITION BOND RENTAL TO HEALTH MINISTRY… NEW GPC LIED ABOUT SECRET $90M PAYMENTS New GPC, which was controversially selected to supply Government with billions of dollars in drugs, may have deliberately attempted to hide the fact that it collected almost $100M for renting storage space to the Ministry of Health.

As a matter of fact, the company which has admitted to close ties with former President Bharrat Jagdeo, last year insisted that it was providing warehousing services for free.

Last week, in shocking revelations, health officials testified before a special accounts committee of the National Assembly that between late 2007 and December 2012, New GPC was paid more than $90M to store drugs for Government.

The monies would have mainly come from USAID, a donor agency working with the Health Ministry.

This arrangement ended in mid-2012 but the

government continued paying the $1.5M monthly until December.

The bond facility is in the compound of the former Sanata Textiles in Ruimveldt, now owned by Queens Atlantic.

The payments were in addition to the billions of dollars in contracts that New GPC would have had from government over the years.

Members of Parliament from the Opposition were perplexed and suspicious of the arrangements especially as there are questions now that New GPC may have also not delivered hundreds of millions in drugs in 2010.

Last year, speaking about the storage services it was providing, New GPC in the Guyana Times newspaper of June 22, while attempting to argue that it was doing Government a favour as a good corporate citizen, said that it was incurring enormous cost to provide the free warehousing facility to government.

“Presently, the New GPC incurs cost of more than Gy$150 million annually to provide free warehousing for the Ministry. Proper storage of medicines is critical. The truth is that the Health Ministry and GPHC do not and have never had the warehouse capacity to store all the medicines they have in stock,” the Guyana Times report said.

New GPC went even further to hide the payments.

“We must recall that the New GPC, as one of the requirements for prequalification, demonstrated that it had the capacity to store greater than 90 per cent of the annual supply that the public sector requires. As a supplier, the New GPC agreed to provide the warehousing need as a non-fee service.”

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

A tragic death…an invisible, crying child…two terrified women…

House of spiders

By Michael Jordan Lot - Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara isn’t your typical ‘haunted’ house. The doors don’t creak open on rusty hinges. It has no imposing, gothic towers. It isn’t over-run with vines or built over a Dutch burial ground.

In fact, it’s quite an ordinary-looking, threebedroom concrete house. It’s painted in pink and surrounded by the thick vegetation that seems to thrive in that tranquil section of Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara.

But Shemika and her cousin, D—-, weren’t happy about stopping at that ordinary-looking house when we drove there last Friday.

They had lived there once.

They had fled after four months. They say that something inside that house had made them feel unwelcome.

Shemika was three months pregnant when she took up residence at Lot—-Inner Stanleytown back in January 2010. Because her husband was overseas and due to Shemika’s condition, D—-, the cousin, stayed with her, along with D—-’s two-yearold son.

One of the things that Shemika remembers was that she was sick most of the time.

She couldn’t keep her meals down, and became so listless that she was barely able to speak, and mostly communicated with her cousin through notes she wrote on bits of paper. At first, she put her listlessness down to the early stages of motherhood.

The other thing she remembers was being unable to fully unpack her

belongings when she moved in. “The minute I moved in I would have dreams of moving out, but I could never finish unpacking.”

And there were the spiders. Every evening, at around 6:00pm, huge black spiders would suddenly appear in the house. They would crawl around in the kitchen. They would swing and skitter in the toilet. The two cousins sprayed the house with insecticide. The spiders always returned.

There were also huge frogs; the largest they had ever seen. Where the creatures were coming from, and how they were entering the house with its meshcovered windows was a mystery to them.

Shemika says she also found it strange that, try as they might, the house never stayed clean. They would wipe the inner walls one day and the following day they would be grimy again.

Then the women said that they began to hear things. At odd hours, they would swear

that they heard a baby crying.

They would peer outside, thinking that perhaps someone had abandoned a newborn at their doorstep.

But there would be no abandoned babe outside.

By then, both women were beginning to wonder if some unwelcome presence inhabited the house. But, according to Shemika, it appeared that this ‘presence’ didn’t want them to leave.

“Whenever I would talk about leaving the lights would go out,” Shemika claims. But finding a house to rent was no easy task, so she stayed.

And she continued to feel ill. Eventually, her husband, who was still overseas, suggested that she take a vacation. Leaving her cousin and the woman’s two-yearold son in the house, Shemika spent four days at a highway resort.

She says that immediately, her illness ceased. “I was able to eat, I went kayaking.”

But the moment she got home to Stanleytown, the

sickness consumed her.

“The minute I entered the house I called for a bucket and I vomited in it.”

And D—, the cousin, said that she also had an uneasy time while Shemika was away, since her infant son was constantly crying for no reason that she could discern.

They eventually confided in D—-’s boyfriend. The boyfriend scoffed at their fears.

One night, though, while sleeping in the Stanleytown house, the skeptical man reportedly felt ‘something’ sitting on his chest.

According to the women, he sprang up and ‘saw’ a woman sitting in a chair near his bed.

He began to curse and the ‘woman’ vanished.

By then, the cousins were convinced that some malevolent presence inhabited their home.

Shemika began to wonder whether their Stanleytown residence had a ‘history.’ She questioned her landlady.

Reluctantly, the landlady revealed that someone had died there.

They say it had rained heavily one night, some 20 years ago, and the heavy winds caused an electric wire near the property to snap.

That live wire fell in the front yard of the Stanleytown property.

Back then, there was another house on that land.

The tenant at that time was Nancy Williams, who was reportedly pregnant at the time (another woman who looks after the house denies that she was). The following day, Nancy Williams was walking out of her yard when she somehow came into contact with the wire.

According to what I was told, some of the woman’s small children were present when the volts of electricity hit her. She screamed to them to keep away, thus saving their lives at the expense of

her own. Shemika says she was told that the old house was torn down and a new one erected with some material from the old structure. She believes that this tragedy is somehow connected to her own unsettling experiences in the house.

By April 2010, Shemika had had enough. One evening, she contacted her husband who was still overseas. After the call, she told her cousin that they were moving.

Shemika said that though there was no power failure in the area, all the lights in her house immediately went out.

The two cousins immediately began packing, frantically “throwing stuff in barrels.”

Shortly after, a truck driver they had summoned arrived.

He beamed his headlights on the house and began to load the truck. As the women were leaving, the downstairs light flickered on, then went off again.

Shemika said she returned the following day for the rest of her belongings. A week later she learned that another family had moved in. She was intrigued to find out whether Lot—Stanleytown was still ‘misbehaving’, but was always too scared to check.

But after contacting me late last year and telling her story, the two cousins and I travelled to their old home.

We called at the gate. Two dogs bounded towards us and began barking furiously.

Shortly after, a pleasantlooking woman peeped out one of the windows and came to us.

Shemika explained that she was a former tenant, and we enquired whether the woman had any ‘trouble’ with the house.

Yes, the woman said; the foundation was weak; the house shook whenever

heavy vehicles passed.

Had any strange things happened in the building?

No, the tenant said.

After understanding what we meant by ‘trouble’, the woman agreed to our request to enter the house. Once inside, Shemika questioned her further. No, the woman said. She had never heard a baby crying and she had been living there for two years. But yes, she would often find black spiders in the house; along with large frogs. And somehow, the house never stayed clean, no matter how much she tried to keep it that way. And she did sometimes hear ‘things’ in the roof. I suspected that there might be bats in the ceiling.

She had heard that a woman had died on the property but she wasn’t afraid.

“Once I put my head down and pray. I expect to sleep comfortably,” she said.

But she did have one troubling experience.

One morning she had awoken and gone into her yard and stopped dead in her tracks.

The overhead GPL wire strung in the same place as the one that had killed Nancy Williams so many years ago had snapped. It lay there, like a coiled, waiting serpent, in her front yard…

If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown offices. Our numbers are 22-58465, 2258473 and 22-58458. You need not disclose your identity.

You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address mjdragon @hotmail.com.

SEEKING HELP TO LOCATE RELATIVES OF EIGHT CHILDREN KILLED BETWEEN 1969-1970 Michael Jordan is trying to contact relatives of eight children who were murdered between March 20, 1969 and June 1970, by Harrynauth Beharry, also known as Harry Rambarran, Charles Bissoon, Charles Pereira, Anant Persaud and Maka Anan.

Some of the victims are Basmattie, an eight-year-old schoolgirl from Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara. David Bacchus, 15, of Tucville, 11-year-old Mohamed Fazil Nasir, of Number 78 Village, Corentyne, Mohamed Faizal, of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Jagdeo Jagroop, Mohamed Nizam Ali; Paulton of Hogg Island, Essequibo; Orlando Guthrie, of Grove Village, East Bank Demerara.

Please contact him via his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com., or on telephone numbers 22-58458, 2258465, or 22-58491. HeI can also be contacted on 645-2447.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 23

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

The good guy versus bad guy theory is sickening nonsense Mr. Ralph Ramkarran has written a Stabroek News column entitled, “The PPP’s enduring fears” in which every paragraph, from start to end, is a narrative on Guyanese history from 1950 to 2013.

Guyana’s history is painted in a zero sum drama of the good guy, the PPP, haunted and hunted down by the bad guy, the PNC. This is a simple, written article in which the writer takes the unashamed position that from the fifties onwards, the PPP has been enduring the wrath of the PNC. It is one of the most shameless, disgraceful, propagandistic, unpolished and senseless essays ever written on this country’s history. No Guyanese citizen with a proper education should let this crude description of this country’s contemporary history go unanswered.

Mr. Ramkarran traces the post 1950 evolution of the PPP and tells us that PPP since then has been locked in a battle to survive because of the relentless pursuit of a terrible, evil party that wants power, the PNC. Before I reply, let me offer you his periodization schema of the PPP’s will to survive the repression of the PNC. Phase 1 – the suspension of the PPP Government in the early fifties and the Jagan – Burnham split.

Phase 2 – the violent harassment of the Jagan Government from 1957 onwards.

Phase 3 – the PNC’s partnership with imperialism (Ramkarran’s word) to destroy the PPP. Phase 4 – the PNC’s 28 years of rigged elections and oppression of the PPP. Phase 5 – PNC’s use of violence after each election from 1992 onwards to bring down the PPP Government.

Phase 6 – the present alignment of the PNC with imperialism (again, Ramkarran’s word) which drives continual fear in PPP leaders.

Here is my point by point rebuttal of this abominable distortion of sixty years of Guyanese history.

1- The PNC and the PPP took opposing sides in the

Cold War. Why not use the word Americans versus Soviets instead of imperialism.

In 1950, twelve years before his government encountered difficulties with the Americans, Cheddi Jagan gave an interview to a QC magazine (Lictor) in which he praised the government and politics of the second most diabolical, evil human that history created, Joseph Stalin.

For Ramkarran, the Americans were imperialist.

But the world knew that Stalin was far worse than any American president.

2 - In the sixties, Premier Jagan faced a popular uprising led by the urban working class, the business community and middle class East Indians.

Their grievances were directed against a government they claimed was racist, anti-working class and hostile to private entrepreneurship. To dismiss the popular struggle against Premier Jagan in the sixties as the machination of imperialism is not worth the paper it is written on.

3- The period of PNC rigged elections was derived from the same fear of oppression and domination that Ramkarran sees in the PPP. PNC leaders told the world that a free poll would result in an Indian domination of administration, state power and the economy, thus virtually reducing African Guyanese to nobodies in their own homeland.

Look at the PPP record since 1992 and we can clearly see, as David Hinds puts it – both groups were afraid of being dissolved by the other.

4- Post-election violence was not a simple act of PNC wickedness as Mr. Ramkarran wants us to believe. As early as 1994, PNC leaders were alarmed at widespread illegal purges of the public service and the wider state realm.

Genuine ethnic fears fuelled the fire of postelection violence since 1992.

While President Jagan earned the sympathy of the nation after he came to power in 1992, early warning signs of what PNC leaders in the fifties and sixties dreaded most terrifyingly were beginning to show all over Guyana. Look

where we’re at in 2013. Were these PNC leaders right?

5- The PNC is not and has not been the demonic monster that Mr. Ramkarran makes this organization out to be. The PNC has produced the best president of this country, far outstripping the achievements of all PPP presidents.

It was a PNC leader that accepted free and fair elections that brought the PPP

to power.

6- The PPP is the political party that has been at the receiving end of imperialism’s (Ramkaran’s word) generosity.

In 1992, the Americans facilitated the PPP into power and since then the PPP has faithfully adhered to the American-shaped economic programme carried out by the IMF known as structural adjustment.

7 – It may be possible that

more PPP leaders have children and family connections with “imperialist” countries than the PNC’s.

Space does not permit further rebuttal of Mr. Ramkarran’s good guy versus bad guy nonsense. Suffice it to say, it is sickening and obnoxious, because it is such a barefacedly twisted account of our country’s history.

One last point – in my

Frederick Kissoon experience in living with both PNC and PPP Governments, the PPP has produced more corrupt, more immoral and less patriotic leaders. We need to the deconstruct word “evil.”

Page 24

Book Review...

By Dr Glenville Ashby Injecting religious rhetoric into a culture steeped in unbridled machismo is tantamount to adding fuel to an already waging fire.

In sociological terms, a poisonous and intolerant scenario has bedeviled the gay and lesbian community in the Caribbean. That some island turfs are notorious for gay bashing, verbally and physically, is no secret.

The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association has sharply criticized policies and attitudes in the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, in particular.

Our Caribbean: A gathering of Lesbian and Gay Writing from the Antilles addresses this human rights issue with clarity and salience. It is an unapologetic study of a contentious social problem through the prism of some of the region’s finest thinkers.

Overwhelmingly academic and annotated, it examines the social forces that have contributed to the virulent attitude toward selected individuals, so

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

STRUGGLE FOR GAY RIGHTS IN THE CARIBBEAN HEATS UP Our Caribbean: A Gathering of Lesbian and Gay Writing from the Antilles marked because of their sexuality. Old customs die hard, and social spasm will increase as the “gay question” moves to the front burner, if ever.

Our Caribbean is an eclectic compendium of abstract poetry, artistic tales and academic commentaries.

Each story is instructive, poignant and pedagogical in depth and scope. These literary activists bang against walls that have imprisoned them from the rest of the community.

The contribution of Wesley Chrichlow is near faultless. In his “Charting a Buller Man’s Trinidadian Past,” he chronicles his life as a young man nurtured in an anti-gay climate.

He employs the sociocultural theories of notable luminaries – W.E.B Dubois, Henry Louis Gates and Marlon Riggs; and notable gay writer, Audre Lorde.

In many ways, Chrichlow’s work is the anchor of this seminal undertaking. It encapsulates

the writers’ resentments and frustration in a hostile world.

He offers a disturbing portrait – a psychological and sociological overview of life as a gay youth. It is a binary existence – one of near paranoia which he calls, “double consciousness,” or looking at one self through the eyes of others.

Chrichlow’s pain is piercing and palpable. In a struggle so grave, he questions the role of the clownish homosexual - the queer - the village fool, known for gossip and comedic flair.

He recalls ‘playing his cards right,’ if only to mask his true feelings. “During my teenage life, in an effort to temporarily secure my masculinity…I participated in events such as stealing ( sugar cane, cocoa, mangoes…) breaking bottles with slingshots or stones…, engaging in physical fights, and “hanging out on the block” with the boys late at night.” He even cavorted with women to probe his sexuality.

Chrichlow, like so many of

these writers is confronting societies draped in homophobia, where anti-gay sentiments are promulgated by every institution and sanctioned by religious bodies.

Unfortunately, the Caribbean’s colonial trauma has created an identity crisis and a cultural zeitgeist based on political strongmen and masculine sexuality.

And while the region has combated racism, sexism and classism, it has failed to dismantle heterosexist views.

As Chrichlow ingeniously argues, the Black Power movement – while effecting positive change has also reinforced a pernicious climate for gays and lesbians.

In revolutionary Cuba, as Mabel Cuesta articulates in “Other islanders on Lesbos: A Retrospective Look at History of Lesbians in Cuba,” garzonismo (lesbianism) remains a ghostly subject, absent from in any discourse on the role of women in the Revolution. Throughout, there is an acute sense of pessimism and distrust of the so-called heterosexist establishment. Heterosexuals are scrutinised, even subjected to reverse

‘discrimination.’ This is best exemplified in Cuesta’s work where she describes male attentiveness as suspicious.

She writes of her experience building a small house with her partner: “Young men blossomed from every corner, handsome, very strong…..macho, probably promiscuous, probably abusers too.” Maybe, they fantasized about girl on girl sex, she surmised. Admittedly, her tone is far less crestfallen at the end. At one point, Our Caribbean breaks from academic overload with gripping tales of uninhibited libido, courtesy Pedro Jesus.

His “The Portrait,” is a hauntingly provocative exhibit of raw sex pouring from the imagination of the protagonist onto her canvas, and into her bed.

It is a sexual contagion that destroys friendships, sadly playing into the stereotypical view of the prurient, lascivious homosexual. Arguably, it goes against the overall thematic grain, although it provides the most cinematographic and artistic impact.

Cultural change in the Caribbean and Latin America is unforeseeable.

Unquestionable, though, is the global thrust for human rights.

As the writers posit, “gay rights are human rights.” No longer can a state uphold or ignore gross violation of its citizenry without repercussions.

Our Caribbean proves a quintessential resource that will ignite debates on creation and the nature of man.

Ultimately, it begs a question of conscience: Upon whose authority is violence against gays and lesbians based?

For sure, a theological response is a throwback to the Dark Ages, brutally jarring the very sanctity of religious lore.

E m a i l : glenvilleashby@gmail.com.

Follow me on Twitter @glenvilleashby Our Caribbean: A Gathering of Lesbian and Gay Writing from the Antilles Edited with an Introduction by Thomas Glave Duke University Press Durham and London Available: Amazon.com Ratings: Highly Recommendedour caribbean

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 25

MY COLUMN

The village raises a child Guyanese pride themselves as the friendliest people in the region, but they are not alone. I happened to visit some other Caribbean countries and I hear the same boast.

Of course there are the Barbadians who make a similar claim but when put to the test, this is not the case.

One Barbadian man said to me that Barbadians would appear to be very friendly on the streets but the last thing he would do, would be to take you to his home. The man said that while Barbadians are friendly, they are not too trusting.

The Jamaicans are like the Guyanese. They like a drink and they would chat with anyone at the drop of a hat.

Not too strange to understand is the fact that they like the Barbadians less than anyone else.

The Shanique Myrie case and the placement of Guyanese on the ‘bench’ may explain a lot. However, that is not the essence of this story.

During the Christmas holidays when my overseasbased relatives visited, I took them to the place where they

spent their formative years— Beterverwagting.

I did mention some aspects of that visit, but what I did not share was the fact that they all recognized that a village raises a child.

As we walked the streets of Beterverwagting my relatives found it refreshing to find that every child they passed by would greet them with a ‘Good day’ or a ‘Good afternoon.’

That for the children was as natural as drinking water.

This was also the case with adults; no one walked past someone without a greeting.

A few years ago I was at Bartica and the same thing operated. There was always the smile and the greeting.

This may be the reason why the crime rate in those communities is so low. Everyone looks the other in the eye and smile.

It goes without saying that such a simple feat makes one’s day. One is relaxed and one goes about his or her business safe in the knowledge that someone is always there with a smile. The relationship goes beyond that. If you ask someone for

direction that person, if time permits, would take you to your destination.

I grew up in those communities and the old habits are still with me. I doubt that there is anyone who could say that I walked past without a greeting.

Sometimes the greeting is not reciprocated. One morning as I was walking out from Tucville, I passed a man and a boy. I said ‘Good morning’ to the pair and I heard the man say something to the effect that back in the States people couldn’t waste time with a greeting.

Of course it was rude and so un-Guyanese, but I suppose it comes with the territory. This man had been deported from the same society where people could pay no heed to another on the streets. People would tell you that if you need direction look for the nearest policeman.

Back in Guyana, therefore, we have two distinct sets of people—one set extremely courteous and gracious and the other piggish. The latter abounds in the urban areas and this should explain why the crime rate in the urban areas is so much higher than

anywhere else. The criminals come from the city and they invade the rural areas.

As a boy growing up in Beterverwagting, there was the time my mother had a royal cuss-out with the fish lady.

The woman had come to collect her money and my mother did not have it.

At first she tried to convey the impression that she was not at home, but in a small house that is all but impossible. So there was the confrontation.

I was angry at the woman for cussing-out my mother so later the same day I happened to walk past this woman without so much as a ‘Good afternoon.’ The woman immediately remarked that I was playing a big man. And she immediately reached my house.

I was just about there when the woman called out, “Mavis. Me and you got story. I didn’t know that me and you son got story too.”

A primal scream escaped my mother’s lips. “Adam.

Come.” I began to shudder and I had every good reason to. The wrath of God, at least so it felt, descended on me.

There were others in parts of

Guyana who must have had similar experiences.

Just the other day in my native Beterverwagting, an off-duty policeman happened to be walking in the village.

He was not a villager but he came under attack from a man of unsound mind. The village came to his assistance.

The close nature of village folk is such that people celebrate with the child who does so well at external examinations.

The child’s success is everybody’s. How some of us who moved away to the urban areas lost these wonderful attributes is anybody’s guess. It could be that we wanted to be like the people around us without recognizing that we were shedding our lofty virtues for rubbish.

In Jamaica, Queens, New York, where my in-laws live, there has been a remarkable change. When they moved into a new housing scheme there they were surrounded by drug dealers and the like.

Other foreigners, among them more Guyanese, Trinidadians, Jamaicans and the like, moved in there too.

They all went with their

Adam Harris values.

They did not want their children to go the way of the damned because they all came to give their children a break. The result is that the drug dealers have all moved out and the area is as clean as a whistle.

It is the same in parts of New Jersey where Guyanese settle. The visitors made their impact, but this has not always been the case in the city. I brought my values to the city and my children are proud testimonies to my early village life. That is why I still reconnect with the villages in which I lived—Den Amstel, La Jalousie and Bartica included. I wish others would do the same and let us change this country back.

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

Absolute corruption empowers absolutely

By Khemraj Ramjattan It is not often that you come across a passage which captures exactly what you think of a subject, in this case why so rampant corruption in the Police Force, but you are unable to articulate it in such a manner.

I came across just such a striking articulation and analysis recently in a wonderful book “Why Bad Behaviour is Almost Always Good Politics” by De Mesquita and Alistair Smith (2010 Public Affairs).

Their chapter on “Absolute Corruption Empowers Absolutely” was just brilliant. With minor modifications and abridgement, I wish to convey why so much corruption in our Police Force continues, and why it is allowed to continue.

With all the Recommendations from a variety of Commissions and Reports, political grandstanding by PPP politicos of this and that Strategy document, there is something obscenely

deliberate about permitting the occurrences and reoccurrences which have forced the Government to most ridiculously want to just change the name to Police Service.

Here is the reason so brilliantly captured in that passage I read over the holidays.

“Low salaries for police are a common feature of corrupt regimes and Russia is no exception. At first blush this might seem surprising.

The police are crucial to a regime’s survival. Police officers are charged with maintaining civil order - which often boils down to crushing anti-government protests and bashing the heads of antigovernment activists.

Surely inducing such behavior requires either great commitment to the regime or good compensation. But as elsewhere, the logic of corruption takes a more complex turn.

Though private rewards can be provided directly out of the Government’s treasury, the easiest way to compensate the police for

their loyalty - including their willingness to oppress their fellow citizens - is to give them free rein to be corrupt. Pay them so little that they can’t help but realize it is not only acceptable but necessary for them to be corrupt.

Then they will be doubly beholden to the regime; first, they will be grateful for the wealth the regime lets them accumulate; second, they will understand that if they waver in loyalty, they are at risk of losing their privileges and being prosecuted.

Remember Mikhail Khodorkovsky? He used to be the richest man in Russia.

We do not know whether he was corrupt or not, but we do know that he was not loyal to the Putin government and duly found himself prosecuted for corruption.

Police face the same threat.

Consider former police major and whistleblower, Alexei Dymovsky. Mr. Dymovsky, by his own admission, was a corrupt policeman in Novorossiysk, a city of 225,000 people.

He noted that on a new recruit’s salary of $413 US a

month (12,000 rubles) he could not make ends meet a n d so had to turn to corruption.

Dymovsky claims he personally only took very small amounts of money.

Whether that is true or not, we cannot know. What we do know is what happened next.

In a video he made and sent to Vladimir Putin before it became famous on YouTube, Mr. Dymovsky also described a practice that is considered common in Russia.

When officers end their shifts, they have to turn over a portion of their bribes to the so-called cashier, a senior member of the department.

Typically, $25 to $100 a day.

If officers do not pay up, they are disciplined.”

According to his own account, Mr, Dymovsky eventually grew tired of being corrupt. As the New York Times reported, he inquired of Vladimir Putin, “ How can a police officer accept bribes? …. Do you understand where our society is heading? …

You talk about reducing

corruption,” he said. “You say that it should not be just a crime, that it should be immoral.

But it is not like that. I told my boss that the police are corrupt. And he told me that it cannot be done away with.”

Dymovsky became something of a folk hero in Russia. It seems his whistleblowing was much appreciated among many ordinary Russians. The official response, however, was quite different.

He was shunned, fired, persecuted, prosecuted, and imprisoned.

The public uproar that followed led eventually to his release. No longer a police officer, he established a business guiding tours of the luxurious homes of some of his police colleagues.

Most notable among these is the home of Chief Chernositov.

The Chief ’s salary is about $25,000 a year. Yet he owns a beachfront home on land estimated to be worth $800,000 US. The chief offers no

account of how he could afford his home and, it should be noted, he remains in his position as chief. He certainly has not faced imprisonment for his apparent corruption, but then, unlike Mikhail Khodorkovsky or Aleksei Dymovsky, Novorossiyk’s police chief has remained loyal to the g o v e r n i n g regime.

As for Dymovsky’s whistle-blowing, it did prompt a response from the Kremlin. Russia’s central government passed a law imposing tough penalties on police officers who criticize their superiors.

As the Times notes, the law has come to be known as “Dymovsky law” Corruption is a private good of choice for exactly the reasons captured by the Dymovsky Affair.

It provides the means to ensure regime loyalty without having to pay good salaries, and it guarantees the prosecutorial means to ferret out any beneficiaries who fail to remain loyal. What could be better from a leader’s perspective?”

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 27

The GSPCA - A welcoming home for abandoned and uncared for animals

By Jenelle Willabus Like human beings animals need care and proper environments, even though they are known to survive harsh conditions. For the past 60 years, a unique entity has been making provisions for abandoned and uncared for animals.

This organisation, the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA), located at 65 Robb Street and Orange Walk, Bourda, has been making such contributions with the support of many kind-hearted among us.

According to records, it was founded in 1903 and was named the British Guiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Started by a group of expatriate volunteers who had visited Guyana and had firsthand experiences of ill treatment being meted out to animals every day in the streets of Georgetown, initially there was no building for the organization to operate from, so their functions were carried out from the individual homes of members of the group.

It was in 1953, mainly through the efforts of Mrs. Jean Wilson, assisted by her husband who was the architect, the first building to house the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (British Guiana) clinic was erected. As the c o u n t r y g a i n e d independence in 1966, the organisation’s name was changed to the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as it is now known as today.

Mrs. Wilson’s motivation to establish an animal clinic was fuelled by her passionate, caring nature for animals and most importantly, the many instances of neglect of animals she witnessed. In an article written on the GSPCA, for a foreign magazine, Mrs. Wilson said it “pained my heart to see the suffering horses went through which included trotting through the streets of Georgetown in the heat of the day overloaded while being whipped with roperein”.

She also recalled “…seeing monkeys to be sold, kept in dirty cages, chained with leather belts which sometimes rubbed them raw and birds being sold, packed into small cages without freedom to move

A totally new ‘Yappie’ after perfect care

Yappie before treatment.

around”.

Over the years, Mrs. Wi l s o n w a s a b l e t o encourage those joining the GSPCA to diligently care for animals that ended up in their care. The organization was set up as a clinic which offers

treatment to, in many cases, gravely ill animals.

At the onset, the responsibilities of the clinic were carried out by a Resident Superintendent assisted by a Chief Inspector, a Veterinary Officer and a

A rejuvenated ‘Shortie’ after the procedure

panel of volunteers under the charge of a Management Committee. The Clinic and Society continued to operate effectively until the mid-80s mainly, but suffered setbacks primarily due to increasing financial problems and the

lack of volunteers to do the required work.

The society nonetheless continued to function under the stewardship of Mrs. Elsie Taylor, despite the fact that t h e c l i n i c ’s p h y s i c a l environment had gone

beyond suitability.

Mrs. Taylor steadfast and dedicated work again brought back life to the Society, as she was able to once again recruit volunteers. Her determination and optimism paid off, and in 1992, a group of individuals possessing similar desire to see animals protected, accepted positions to serve as volunteers and eventually Committee Members.

In 2000, the old, deteriorating clinic building was replaced with a spanking new and modern edifice.

The newly constructed clinic is equipped with Boarding facilities, a Surgical room, (2) treatment rooms, a recovery room, Shelter facilities where animals awaiting adoption are housed, a waiting area and an office. It also has a fairly large yard area for exercise purposes for the animals.

T h e c l i n i c ’ s administrator is Stacey Gomes.

Notably since its revival, the GSPCA has once again become a vibrant and active part of the community, championing the rights of animals in many forms. This is done on a daily basis with the help of its many volunteers who continue to contribute in various ways to saving the lives, in some cases, of helpless animals.

As it stands today, the Organization “remains committed towards providing quality health care to unwanted animals and in many cases providing new homes for some all at a low cost”.

In addition to this, its stakeholders remain strong advocates for spaying and neutering to control the pet (continued on page 28)

Shortie’s damaged eye before treatment

Page 28

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

Men caught with guns on ganja farm walk free Once again poor investigation has been cited for the freeing of two West Bank Demerara men who were facing narcotics and ammunition charges.

The two men, Khomal Persaud-Ramdhanny and Puran Singh, on Thursday walked out the Wales Magistrate’s Court as free men after Senior Magistrate Ann Mc Lennon upheld a ‘No Case Submission’ made by the Attorney-at-Law, Lyndon Amsterdam.

The Attorney had appeared for Ramdhanny, who resides at Canal No. 2 Polder, West Bank Demerara.

The case centered on a raid carried out by Customs Anti Narcotics Unit officers Andrew Yarde, Ivor Burnett and Navendra Ewing-Chow at a Farm at Kamuni, Potasi, West Bank Demerara on August 31, 2011. There they claimed they found three men at a Camp whose names they later learnt to be Khomal Persaud-Ramdhanny, Puran Singh and Chris Baptiste, who claimed to be working with Ramdhanny.

The CANU Officers alleged that in the camp, they found plants suspected to be marijuana, three shotguns along with a six 12-gauge shotgun cartridges.

They also claimed that there was a cultivation of marijuana plants on the land adjoining the camp which

they destroyed.

When the allegation of possession of firearm and ammunition without being a holder of a licence was put to Ramdhanny, he indicated that he was a licenced firearm holder.

It was pointed out to the court that at his home, Ramdhanny showed the officers his firearm and ammunition Licence.

On September 2, 2011 the CANU officers escorted the men along with the ammunition to CID Headquarters, Eve Leary and handed them over to one Corporal Sarrabo.

Eventually CANU charged Khomal PersaudRamdhanny and Puran Singh with possession of narcotics, while the police charged them with possession of guns and ammunition, whilst not being the holders of Firearm Licences.

In his arguments, defence counsel Amsterdam pointed out that there were several evidential deficiencies in the investigations carried out by the CANU Officers and the Police at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary.

This led to CANU Prosecutor, Oswald Massiah, acting on the advice of the Director Public Prosecution, withdrawing the Charges of possession of Narcotics and cultivation of Marijuana against the men in March last

year.

But the police persisted with their arms and ammunition charges, and through Prosecutor Anand Sookhoo, the trial proceeded until the Prosecution was ordered to close its case on January 4, last by Magistrate Mc Lennon.

Amsterdam immediately made No Case Submission and contended the Elements of the Offence were not established and that there was insufficient evidence to establish a Prima Facie case against the Defendants.

He contended that because of the evidential deficiencies, the Prosecution was unable to have the guns and ammunition tendered into evidence as Exhibits and so Sergeant Eon Jackson was unable to link his ballistics test with the alleged guns and ammunition found at the Camp.

Additionally, Amsterdam contended that the Prosecution did not show that the guns and ammunition found in possession of Ramdhanny in particular were not that for which he was licenced to carry.

That Magistrate agreed with these submissions and therefore upheld the No Case Submission and did not call on the Defendants to lead a Defence.

The charges were subsequently dismissed.

The GSPCA - A welcoming home for ...

From page 27 population and reduce instances of unwanted animals being strayed.

The GSPCA receives a yearly subvention from the Government of Guyana and additional funding is received through numerous fundraising activities, sales from pet supplies, and mainly donations.

The organization is managed (all honorary) by President, Oliver Insanally; Vice President, Jennifer Falconer; Treasurer, Dominique Ahmad; Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, Laleta Sivanand and Secretary, Shiromanie Isaacs.

The board is given tangible support by its hard working Committee Members Dr. Steve Surujbally, Dr. Nicholas Waldron and Robin Sivanand.

‘SHORTIE AND YAPPIE’ A sweet, lively dog was taken several years ago to the GSPCA slightly malnourished but still full of energy. She was given the name ‘Shortie’.

After weeks of working to increase her weight and treating her for a vaginal infection, she was finally healthy enough that she was vacci-

nated, spayed and given a new home. However in January 2011, the GSPCA received a call about a dog that appeared to be blind and was hiding under a house. The animal was taken back to the GSPCA and though barely recognizable, the volunteers there knew it was ‘Shortie’.

As is required before treating any animal, enquires were made and it was found that during the New Year’s holiday, squibs had been thrown into the yard where ‘Shortie’ lived causing her to run out of the yard and under a car. While under the car more squibs were thrown and one struck her in the eye.

GSPCA quickly made the arrangements with an optician to have her eyes checked and treated, though hope of her regaining her sight fully was very slim. Today, thanks to the help of the GSPCA, ‘Shortie’ lives a comfortable and active life and has regained her sight fully.

And then there was ‘Yappie’. Several years ago, ‘Yappie’ was taken to the GSPCA by a ‘junkie’ with both her back legs broken after she had been severely beaten.

Given the extent of her inju-

ries, surgeries were required, but these could not have been performed by the GSPCA. However, with the support of a sponsor and a local veterinarian, it was arranged to have her undergo the requisite treatment.

After months of surgeries, physical therapy and medication, she was finally given a new home and family. The volunteers determined that Yappie’s new home was suitable.

In September 2010, a severely malnourished, mangy and emaciated dog was brought into the GSPCA, barely able to walk. One of the staff recognized ‘Yappie’ from years before and a decision was made to rehabilitate her once again.

After several months of treatment she was healthy enough to be given another new home, this time one that was carefully monitored. Because of cases like ‘Shortie’ and ‘Yappie’, the GSPCA was forced to change its policy to require detailed home checks, before and after adoption, despite frustration shown by some members of the public at having to undergo this process.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 29

WINDOW-DRESSING There is a modest home in the village, unpainted and having had better days. On the outer wall there is a slot into which was fitted a window that looks out onto the roadway. The facing of window is rotten.

Yet if you passed by this window during the Christmas holiday, you would never know that it is into an extended age of decay. It was garlanded with green Christmas ivy, decorated with colorful balls and fairy lights. It looked pretty impressive and created the illusion of well-being.

Last week, the government of Guyana released its privatisation dossier. This too was impressive. In fact it seemed to have fooled everyone. The opposition’s fierce criticism of NICIL and the privatisation process seemed to have been muted by the release of the dossier.

In other circles, including this newspaper, there was nothing but praise for the Donald Ramotar administration. In fact, the praises went so far as to suggesting that the release represented tangible evidence of Uncle Donald’s break with the policies of Bharrat Jagdeo.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The release of the dossier has all the trappings of the old administration. It is the type

of response that one could have anticipated from the Jagdeo regime in the face of severe criticisms of its privatisation process and the role of a holding company NICIL as a depository for funds accrued from the sale or lease of state assets.

There is nothing creative, innovative, special or new about this dossier. It is window-dressing to give effect to the notion that the regime is transparent when it comes to its privatisation process.

While it was released under Uncle Donald, it has nothing to do with his policies, since there has been no privatisation since he came to office.

While the dossier offers an account of what was sold, for how much it was sold, and provides other details of these sales, this very information could have been obtained with diligent research.

What the dossier omits to address are some of the substantive criticisms of the privatisation process, particularly those that occurred between 2006 and 2011. Firstly, it fails to deal with the criticism that the privatisation process had moved away from the original policy framework paper which was developed under Cheddi Jagan to guide privatisation decisions.

Secondly, it fails to address some of the controversial deals that were made, including the Sanata Complex deal, in which the government has admitted that one thing was advertised and another thing sold. It has also failed to provide a copy of the terms of that privatisation.

Thirdly, there was a case in which a piece of the reserve was given to someone at the Industrial Estate in Ruimveldt.

There were no invitations for bids before this was done.

Also large tracts of state lands, including lands that adjoined burial grounds and would

have been needed for extensions to those grounds, were sold to private developers. Were these lands allocated through a competitive process?

Fourthly, there was a controversial incident in which monies were spent to renovate a property before it was put up for sale. Why was this necessary? The dossier is also silent on this.

Fifthly, the adjoining property was also tendered and bidders ranked. The property was awarded to the first-ranked bidder who subsequently declined to go

ahead with the purchase. The property should rightly then have been offered to the second-ranked bidder, but it was offered instead to the third-ranked bidder.

What is needed therefore is not a dossier listing the privatisations undertaken by the government. What is needed is an audit of the privatisation processes to ensure that they were consistent with the law, fair and transparent. Such an audit should also ensure that the government got value for money, that credible valuations were done before

the properties were put up for sale, and that the proceeds of these privatisations were put to good use.

Until such time as Uncle Donald undertakes such an audit, he cannot be said to have effectively broken with the controversial policies of the Jagdeo administration and his dossier will have to be treated as mere windowdressing.

Page 30

Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall rushed into the National Assembly last week with a raft of proposed amendments to the Motion by Leader of Opposition David Granger calling for a Commission of Inquiry into criminal violence. Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman, however, was obliged to rule that many of Nandlall’s proposed

Kaieteur News

amendments in their original form offended the National Assembly’s Standing Orders.

Trotman described some as ‘scandalous’ and suggested several changes.

Granger was to have moved the Motion seeking to have the government appoint a Commission of Inquiry to investigate criminal violence - ranging from the assassination of Agriculture

Minister Satyadeow Sawh to the massacres at Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek. He declined to proceed with it, however, on the grounds that the People’s Progressive Party had poisoned the atmosphere for rational debate. The PPP was bent on twisting the Motion that sought the promotion of reconciliation with relatives of the victims of violence and

the advancement of national unity into a weapon of hostility and disunity.

Ralph Ramkarran, former Speaker of the National Assembly and long-standing member of the PPP’s Central Committee then tried to explain what he called the PPP’s ‘psyche.’ He rushed to publish an article, “PPP’s enduring fears” only last week, which rationalised “the

Sunday January 20, 2013

deeper realities” that motivate the PPP’s approaches to governance.

Ramkarran attempted to separate the consequences of the PPP’s own criminal behaviour from its causes. In referring to the “restriction and imprisonment of its leaders and members” in 1954, for example, he blindly ignores the several acts of terror which the PPP perpetrated in that very year.

Official reports stated plainly, “There were several attempts at sabotage by a gang connected with the extremist element of the People’s Progressive Party. They involved the use of dynamite in various localities, culminating with the blowing up of the statue of Queen Victoria in the grounds of the Law Courts at Georgetown.”

Ramkarran, blandly, refers to the ethnic and political violence of the 1962-1964 period and to the imprisonment of its leaders, but again omits any reference to causation.

The imprisonment of PPP leaders to which he refers occurred 24 hours after several members of the Abraham family were burnt to death when a ‘channa’ bomb was thrown into their home on Hadfield Street in June 1964.

He surely must know that the Progressive Youth Organisation - the PPP’s youth arm - was largely responsible for the violence.

The British Guiana Trades Union Congress published a report which stated, “In 1962 alone, at least 110 members of the PYO were sent off to Communist countries for training, mainly to Cuba.

More than 200 are known to have gone to Cuba altogether.

Training schools have been established in British Guiana, the instructors being Cubans, in some cases, and Cubantrained or Soviet-trained PYOs members”.

Ramkarran must be aware, also, that Clem Seecharan, a well-known Guyanese historian wrote of Cheddi Jagan’s premiership that “…in an obvious attempt to prevent the holding of elections under the proportional representation (PR) system in 1964, the PPP-backed GAWU [Guiana Agricultural Workers’ Union] called a strike in which sugar workers were the “backbone” in the campaign of violence on the estates, in an “orgy of arson, bombing and personal attacks on people who refused to strike.”

Ramkarran must be aware, too, that some defectors confessed that the PPP had

sent them for military training in Cuba. This included sabotage tactics and the making of different types of bombs with the objective of fomenting violence. They expressed concern that such a campaign could only have resulted in racial warfare among the two major race groups in the country.

Akbar Alli, a PPP activist, publicly stated, in December 1965 that he had been trained in Cuba, especially in military tactics, the making of bombs and the carrying-out of sabotage.

Alli’s public betrayal of the PPP’s strategy of violence led to his own violent assassination within three months of his public disclosures.

The PPP, despite its own bloody record of violence, persists up to today in distorting history. The PPP peddles tales that are being handed down from generation to generation to persons who do not know the truth, that it was the PNC that was the aggressor.

Ramkarran, in fact, is admitting that the PPP is the author of its own problems. It is the PPP’s paranoia that has precipitated a crisis in confidence - in its government, the lawenforcement agencies, the criminal justice system, the regulatory agencies, and in the political process.

The crisis arose out of the collapse of the PPP’s electoral majority at the 2011 general and regional elections. The crisis of governance exists at the national level in the National Assembly and at the local level in the systematic debilitation of the municipalities and local government organs and the imposition of undemocratic interim management committees.

Ramkarran and Nandlall are both aware that the PPP’s focus is on power for its own sake rather than for the achievement of the specific goal of national unity and national development. Its problems have arisen primarily because of a particular culture that exists at senior levels in the PPP. That culture holds that the PPP must never share or lose total executive power. Its astonishment at losing control over the National Assembly after the general elections of November 2011 is the main factor inhibiting its openness to change and inspiring Nandlall’s Supreme Court challenges to the Leader of the Opposition and the Speaker of the National Assembly.

The PPP has called for a ‘Truth Commission.’ It ought to be careful, because it might just get what it is asking for.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Save the Commonwealth brand:

Tell Sri Lanka “Enough”

By Sir Ronald Sanders It is time for the Commonwealth of Nations to suspend Sri Lanka from its councils.

In doing so, the Commonwealth would restore confidence in its 2.1 billion people that it is not a hypocritical association that claims to stand for values, including democracy, human rights and the rule of law but fails to act to discipline governments that violate these values.

The Sri Lanka government has now seriously and persistently violated the principles to which every Commonwealth country has declared itself to be committed, and, according to the Commonwealth’s rules this is ground for suspension from its councils as a first step.

Well-thinking people across the Commonwealth, and those who are concerned about the credibility of the 54nation grouping, expect the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) to be convened swiftly to suspend Sri Lanka from the Council of the Commonwealth and to set an agenda and time table for the government to implement measures to restore respect for the rule of law.

CMAG is a rotating group of foreign ministers from nine Commonwealth countries that is charged with overseeing that Commonwealth values, as set out in many declarations, are respected.

The urgency for CMAG action on Sri Lanka has been triggered by the decision of Sri Lanka President, Mahinda Rajapaksa to dismiss the country’s Chief Justice, Shirani Bandaranayake, after a widely condemned impeachment process.

Rajapaska ignored warnings from Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Commonwealth Lawyers

Association, the Commonwealth Judges and Magistrates Association and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, not to proceed with impeachment that followed a decision by the Chief Justice that found a controversial Bill tabled in the Parliament unconstitutional. The Bill had sought to grant disproportionate powers to the Minister of Economic Development, one of the President’s brothers.

Slapping the Commonwealth SecretaryGeneral and other Commonwealth legal bodies in the face, President Rajapaska proceeded to dismiss the Chief Justice and to appoint his former Attorney-General to the post.

Worse yet, he did so after the Supreme Court ruled that the impeachment proceedings conducted by the Rajapaksadominated parliament were illegal. The Rajapaksa family holds other senior government positions, including head of the defence ministry and the Speaker of Parliament. One of Mr Rajapaksa’s sons also sits as a member of parliament.

This latest violation flagrantly scorns Commonwealth values as set out in the Latimer House Principles which state: ”Judiciaries and parliaments should fulfill their respective but critical roles in the promotion of the rule of law in a complementary and constructive manner; Interaction, if any, between the executive and the judiciary should not compromise judicial independence; and Judges should be subject to suspension or removal only for reasons of incapacity or misbehaviour that clearly renders them unfit to discharge their duties.”

Sri Lanka is an even bigger problem for the Commonwealth because it is scheduled to host the

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November. No time can now be wasted in deciding to shift the venue to another Commonwealth country.

If Commonwealth Heads of Government turn-up in Sri Lanka, they would be sending an unacceptable signal to the world community that governments that violate human rights and the rule of law can do so without fear of censure. If Heads go to Sri Lanka, the Commonwealth can discard its brand as a ‘values based association” and start looking for something else to justify its existence. But, whoever remains in it, it would cease to be respected by the people of its own countries and the international community.

That would be a sad loss for the 32 small states that are a significant number of the 54nation Commonwealth. They need a vibrant, respected Commonwealth as an advocate and interlocutor on their behalf in the international community. A straw organisation existing on the margins of global regard can do absolutely nothing for them.

In this connection, the government of Canada should be complemented for trying for over a year to restrain the government of Sri Lanka from its excesses and to hold it to account for human rights abuses arising from a war with the Tamil Tigers that ended in 2009. The Sri Lanka government has refused to allow an independent inquiry into the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians during the conflict between government forces and the Tamil Tigers as well as a worsening human rights situation.

Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has now indicated that his government wants Sri Lanka to be discussed at the next meeting of CMAG. Both opposition parties in Canada

have gone further calling on Harper to declare that he would boycott the CHOGM if it is held in Sri Lanka.

A debate in both the Houses of Parliament in Britain and a subsequent statement by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office also indicate “deep concern” and called on the Sri Lanka government to “respect democratic principles”.

However, while Canada and Britain have spoken-up, many developing Commonwealth countries have so far remained silent. Their voices also need to be heard, particularly as many of them place great store in democracy and the rule of law both as a system of governance and as an imperative for attracting investment. Judicial independence is fundamental to the rule of law and essential for any democratic and accountable government.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has announced that he will be visiting Sri Lanka in February. It is his job to try

to resolve the impasse with an obdurate Sri Lanka government that has so far ignored his advice and warnings of others. It is also his job to tell the Sri Lanka President that he has violated Commonwealth rules and that, unless the action on the Chief Justice is reversed and a credible, enforceable plan is presented, Sri Lanka will be placed immediately on the agenda for CMAG with a view to suspending it from the Councils of the Commonwealth.

In any event, the Sri Lanka government has now done enough to warrant moving the venue for November’s CHOGM to another country. The Government cannot spurn the advice of the Secretary-General, Commonwealth legal organisation and other international groupings and yet demand to be privileged to host CHOGM. After all, the location for hosting a Heads of Government meeting must be in the interest of the Commonwealth as a whole.

Sir Ronald Sanders The foreign ministers of two Caribbean countries – Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago – are members of CMAG. In this connection, they have an important role to play in upholding the values that their own countries honour and respect – those values are what differentiates the Commonwealth in the world and makes it special.

(The writer was a member of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group 2010-2011) Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronald sanders.com

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More focus on deaf population needed, says ardent advocate

By Sharmain Grainger

W

i t h t h e passage of the Disability Act in 2010, discrimination of persons with varying forms of disability has been outlawed. However, there has still been evidence of discrimination, particularly among the deaf community.

Well at least this is the opinion of some deaf persons associated with the Guyana Deaf Mission.

Speaking through her sign language teacher, Pastor Lawrence Hallahan, Corine Hunte, a product of his teaching, who also today teaches sign language, indicated that “there is not much being done for deaf people...the new law applies more to the blind than it does to the deaf two years on. The Government doesn’t seem to like us.”

In fact, Hallahan related that Hunte’s sentiments have been mirrored by a number of other deaf individuals who are convinced that they are being neglected.

Moreover, he amplified the need for continued training of interpreters so that if for instance important officials are making public speeches there would be an interpreter for the deaf.

“This would allow the deaf population to

understand what the Government is about and what they are doing...They (deaf) feel they are left out of the political arena. They feel they are neglected education-wise, health-wise and even security-wise.”

This neglect, he added, extends to the fact that the deaf are not permitted to have licences to drive. He explained that a number of studies done in developed countries show that deaf persons are in fact safer drivers than people who can hear since they are known to pay more attention to what is happening on the road.

“We (hearing people) have learnt to turn off the sirens, so even when it goes some of us can hardly hear it.

With deaf people there are few accidents because they drive slower and safer. There is no reason why a deaf person cannot have a licence to drive.”

According to Hallahan, deaf persons are being refused licences based on their deafness and not their driving ability “...and that the law says is forbidden.

This new law says that they (issuing authorities) can’t do that...they (deaf people) can’t be discriminated against based on their disability.”

In this regard, Hallahan, through the Guyana Deaf

The Guyana Deaf Mission building

Mission which he spearheads along with his wife Mary, is working on a plan to advocate for deaf persons to be granted licences to drive.

“We have a group of about four (deaf) guys who want to be licenced and two of them have already been refused,” said Hallahan.

He is however heartened by the fact that efforts to raise awareness about the needs of deaf persons has allowed for a change in the area of education, whereby the Ministry of Education has become aware of the need to do something more for deaf students.

Added to this, he said that there is a gradual move towards the realisation that sign language is in fact a language by itself, therefore efforts must be made to embrace this.

Further still, he observed that even the church has been embracing the fact that the deaf population needs to understand the gospel just as any other member, thus a number of officers of the church have been learning sign language themselves.

According to Hallahan, his primary focus as it relates to the deaf population has been premised on bringing them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Born and raised in the

Pastor Lawrence Hallahan interacts with Corine Hunte who is deaf

United States, Hallahan grew up without his current religious convictions. As a young adult he opted to embrace the Christian faith and commenced attending bible school. It was at this point that he made the decision to start learning sign language as an elective course.

“I took it just to fill up some credits that I needed, but it turned out to really be a wonderful experience.”

Having learned sign language, Hallahan said that he started to meet some deaf

persons, an exposure which was intensified as he started to collaborate with one of his classmates whom he started working with to open a deaf exclusive church.

“He (classmate) was a hearing person, but he wanted to do this and he asked me to join him. This was back in 1974 and so I worked with him for 10 years...” The church, as he recalled, was independent from other churches, but it was a hearing church that had provided the building.

As part of the deaf church, Hallahan said that he initially started teaching Sunday School classes before he too began engaging in some preaching and teaching of bible studies classes himself, all the while using sign language to communicate with the deaf audience.

Although he was travelling to Guyana on occasions since 1991 on religious missions, Hallahan, about 10 years ago, made the life-altering decision to take up residence here.

He reflected that initially he was reluctant to move to Guyana, as he did not merely want to come as a preacher, given the existing Christian population. This saw him starting to eye a specific area of Ministry in which he could help to make a notable impact. Given his signing skills, Hallahan said that he started considering the deaf population.

He and his wife, who is also skilled in teaching sign language, made their voyage to Guyana in 2002.

“We came here under the

authority of the Full Gospel Fellowship and I asked them if they would loan us a building for a while to get started and we started right away.”

This move heralded the introduction of the Guyana Deaf Mission which was officially launched in 2003.

However it was not all smooth sailing at first, since another church building was being used for bible study and other church services were held at a gym in Kitty.

This way of operation would continue for about four years, when Hallahan recognised that there was a dire need to consolidate the Ministry. And so in 2006, he, along with his wife, started looking for a conducive building to accommodate all the activities.

They were able to find one at Lot 8 Vlissengen Road and D’Andrade Street, Newtown, Georgetown, where it remains to date, offering church services to the deaf population and classes to those desirous of learning sign language. In fact a sign language class is set to commence tomorrow for beginners. An advanced class is already ongoing.

“Since we have come here it has really become a deaf centre and many of the deaf come here...even if they don’t come to church, they come for the other things that we do.”

The Guyana Deaf Mission has even been collaborating with the One Laptop Per Family programme, and has opened its doors to offer computer classes to deaf individuals who were recipients of laptops.

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Who Sleeps Better at Night?

A Sleep Battle of the Sexes Obstructive sleep apnea/ snoring. Stay off your back, sleep specialists say. This potentially dangerous sleep disorder results in breathing interruptions caused by a blockage or narrowing of the airway, often resulting from the tongue or tissue in the throat collapsing.

It’s often accompanied by snoring. Roughly 10% of sleep apnea patients can be cured by changing their sleep position, said Eric Olson, codirector of the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minn.

While there are many sleep products designed to keep people off their backs, Dr. Olson and other experts recommend sewing a tennis ball onto the back of your night shirt to avoid rolling on to your back. And for people who want to stay on their back, he suggests elevating the head by at least 30 degrees or using a wedge pillow.

Acid Reflux- Sleeping on your side can help this condition, commonly known as heartburn. Back sleeping can pose problems because the head isn’t elevated relative to the stomach so gastric contents can bubble up to the esophagus or back of the throat.

Another solution is to prop up your head with pillows or to raise the head of the bed by two to four inches by placing bricks or large books under the front legs, sleep experts say. Some

studies suggest that sleeping on your left side is better than the right in terms of alleviating reflux, but experts say the evidence isn’t conclusive.

Back pain- The rule of thumb for many back problems is that sleeping on the back is the most comfortable. Keep a neutral position, with your spine aligned as if standing straight.

Avoid flexing forward, for instance, by sinking into a mattress that is too soft, or bending backward, said Nick Shamie, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at University of California, Los Angeles and spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

For people suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis, in which nerves are pinched in the lower back, lying in any position can create significant pain except, perhaps, when the knees are bent.

“When these people are sleeping, whether on the back or side, they like to bend their

knees because that brings their legs up and opens up the back of their spine,” said Dr. Shamie.

Spinal stenosis patients often place a pillow under their knees when sleeping on their back or between their legs if sleeping on their side.

Adopting a fetal position while sleeping also helps ease pain for many patients, he said.

Shoulder pain. Avoid sleeping on the side with the painful shoulder. Sleep on your back with a small pillow to support the bad shoulder.

Or, if you sleep on the other side, hug a pillow.

Neck pain- Avoid sleeping on your stomach, experts advise people with this condition. Turning the neck to the side compresses the joints. “Sleep on your side or back,” Ms. Brill said.

Also, use a pillow that is as thick as the space between your neck and shoulder, and position it above the shoulders so they don’t become hunched, she said.

What is Influenza?

Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. The virus attacks cells in the upper respiratory tract, including those in the nose, throat, bronchi, and lungs.

The flu typically comes on hard and fast, and is characterized by high fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, and a dry cough. These symptoms can be similar to the common cold, but the flu is caused by a different family of viruses, and symptoms are typically much more severe.

An infection with the flu virus generally runs its course in one to two weeks, but the flu sometimes leads to secondary infections or other complications, generally in certain high-risk groups including the very old and the very young. These secondary effects can cause serious illness or even death.

Flu virus can spread quickly through communities and areas where people work or live close together, leading to epidemics.

Schools, nursing homes, and workplaces are at particular risk of outbreaks. Now and then an especially virulent form of influenza will infect people around the world in what is called a pandemic.

The H1N1 virus in the 2009 to 2010 flu season was a pandemic. Flu epidemics and pandemics are most effectively prevented by widespread vaccination via an annual flu

shot.\ TYPES OF INFLUENZA There are three main types of influenza virus that cause illness in human beings: Type A, Type B, and Type C. Type A influenza virus is the form of influenza that causes the most severe illness, and is typically what people mean when they refer to the “flu virus.”

Sunday January 20, 2013

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Algerian assault ends crisis, 19 hostages dead AIN AMENAS, Algeria (AP) — In a bloody finale, Algerian special forces stormed a natural gas complex in the Sahara desert yesterday to end a standoff with Islamist extremists that left at least 19 hostages and 29 militants dead. Dozens of foreign workers remain unaccounted for, leading to fears the death toll could rise.

With few details emerging from the remote site in eastern Algeria, it was unclear whether anyone was rescued in the final operation.

The siege at Ain Amenas transfixed the world after radical Islamists linked to alQaeda stormed the complex, which contained hundreds of plant workers from all over the world, and then held them hostage surrounded by the Algerian military and its attack helicopters for four tense days that were punctuated with gunbattles and dramatic tales of escape.

Algeria’s response to the crisis was typical of the country’s history in confronting terrorists, favoring military action over negotiation, which caused an international outcry from countries worried about their citizens. Algerian military forces twice assaulted the two areas where the hostages were being held with minimal apparent mediation — first on Thursday and then yesterday.

In the final assault, the remaining band of militants killed seven hostages before special forces killed 11 of the attackers, the state news agency said. It wasn’t immediately possible to verify who killed the hostages. The military launched its assault to prevent a fire started by the extremists from engulfing the complex, the report said.

The seven hostages and 11 militants adds to the previous toll of 12 captives and 18 kidnappers, according to the government, but there are fears that the number of hostages killed is much higher and dozens of foreign workers from the Ain Amenas

site remain unaccounted for.

Sonatrach, the Algerian state oil company running the site along with BP and Norway’s Statoil, said the entire refinery had been mined with explosives, and the process of clearing it out had begun, indicating the militants planned to blow up the complex — one of the largest in oil and gas-rich Algeria.

Algeria has fought its own Islamist rebellion since the 1990s, elements of which later declared allegiance to alQaeda and then set up new groups in the poorly patrolled wastes of the Sahara along the borders of Niger, Mali, Algeria and Libya, where they flourished.

The standoff has put the spotlight on al-Qaeda-linked groups that roam these remote areas, threatening vital infrastructure and energy interests. The militants initially said their operation was intended to stop a French attack on Islamist militants in neighboring Mali — though they later said it was two months in the planning, long before the French intervention.

The militants, who came from a Mali-based group run by an Algerian, attacked the plant Wednesday morning.

Armed with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers in four-wheel drive vehicles and fell on a pair of buses taking foreign workers to the airport.

The buses’ military escort drove off the attackers in a blaze of gunfire that sent bullets zinging over the heads of crouching workers. A Briton and an Algerian — probably a security guard — were killed.

Frustrated, the militants turned to the vast gas complex, divided between the workers’ living quarters and the refinery itself, and seized hostages, the Algerian government said. The gas flowing to the site was cut off.

The Algerian government said the militants crept across the border from Libya, 60 miles (100 kilometers) away, while the militants later said

Unidentified rescued hostages. (AP Photo/Canal Algerie) they came from Niger, hundreds of miles to the south.

On Thursday, Algerian helicopters kicked off the military’s first assault on the complex by opening fire on a convoy carrying both kidnappers and their hostages, resulting in many deaths, according to witnesses. The accounts of hostages who escaped the standoff showed they faced dangers from both the kidnappers and the military.

Ruben Andrada, 49, a Filipino civil engineer who works as one of the project management staff for the Japanese company JGC Corp., described how he and his colleagues were used as human shields by the kidnappers, which did little to deter the Algerian military.

On Thursday, about 35 hostages guarded by 15 militants were loaded into seven SUVs in a convoy to move them from the housing complex to the refinery, Andrada said. The militants placed “an explosive cord” around their necks and were told it would detonate if they tried to run away, he said.

“When we left the compound, there was shooting all around,” Andrada said, as

Algerian helicopters attacked with guns and missiles. “I closed my eyes. We were going around in the desert. To me, I left it all to fate.”

Andrada’s vehicle overturned allowing him and a few others to escape. He sustained cuts and bruises and was grazed by a bullet on his right elbow. He later saw the blasted remains of other vehicles, and the severed leg of one of the gunmen.

The site of the gas plant spreads out over several hectares (acres) and includes a housing complex and the processing site, about a mile apart, making it especially complicated for the Algerians to secure the site and likely contributed to the lengthy standoff.

“It’s a big and complex site.

It’s a huge place with a lot of people there and a lot of hiding places for hostages and terrorists,” said Col. Richard Kemp, a retired commander of British forces who had dealt with hostage rescues in Iraq and Afghanistan. “These are experienced terrorists holding the hostages.”

Casualty figures varied widely. While the Algerian government has only admitted to 19 hostages dead

so far, the militants claimed through the Mauritanian news website ANI that the helicopter attack alone killed 35 hostages.

One American, from Texas, is among the dead and least one Briton, a Frenchman and Algerians have also died in the standoff. Escaped Algerian workers describe seeing people of many nationalities, including Japanese, shot down.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Saturday that the Frenchman killed, Yann Desjeux, was a former member of the French special forces and part of the security team. The remaining three French nationals who were at the plant are now free, the Foreign Ministry said.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed that as of Saturday, there were “fewer than 10” British nationals still at risk or unaccounted for and “the majority of” Britons at the plant were now safe, he said.

Statoil CEO Helge Lund said yesterday that there were only six Norwegians unaccounted for, from the 17 at the plant at the time of the attack. BP said four of its 18 employees were still

unaccounted for.

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Saturday one Romanian hostage was killed in the course of the siege, while four escaped unharmed.

The attack by the Malibased Masked Brigade, founded by Algerian militant Moktar Belmoktar, had been in the works for two months, a member of the brigade told the ANI news outlet. He said militants targeted Algeria because they expected the country to support the international effort to root out extremists in neighboring Mali and it was carried out by a special commando unit, “Those Who Signed in Blood,” tasked with attacking nations supporting intervention in Mali.

The kidnappers focused on the foreign workers, largely leaving alone the hundreds of Algerian workers who were briefly held hostage before being released or escaping.

Several of them arrived haggard-looking on a latenight flight into Algiers on Friday and described how the militants stormed the living quarters and immediately separated out the foreigners.

Mohamed, a 37-year-old nurse who like the others wouldn’t allow his last names to be used for fear of trouble for himself or his family, said at least five people were shot to death, their bodies still in front of the infirmary when he left Thursday night.

Chabane, who worked in food services, said he bolted out the window and was hiding when he heard the militants speaking among themselves with Libyan, Egyptian and Tunisian accents. At one point, he said, they caught a Briton.

“They threatened him until he called out in English to his friends, telling them, ‘Come out, come out. They’re not going to kill you. They’re looking for the Americans,’” habane said. “A few minutes later, they blew him away.”

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Sunday January 20, 2013

Israeli PM faces tough choice if re-elected JERUSALEM(AP)—After a lackluster three-month campaign, few doubt that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on his way to re-election. But the makeup of Netanyahu’s next government remains a mystery.

If re-elected on Tuesday, Netanyahu will face a critical decision that will define his term.

He can form a majority coalition with the hard-line and religious parties he often calls his natural partners — or reach across the aisle and try to bring centrist parties into a broader-based government that might be more amenable to pursuing peace and ending, at least partly, the occupation of the West Bank and other territories.

His decision will have deep implications.

A narrow coalition of parties that oppose concessions to the Palestinians, while the easier option, would mean continued deadlock in Mideast peace efforts and increased confrontation with the international community, including Israel’s key ally, the United States.

A broad coalition could force Netanyahu to give powerful Cabinet posts to more moderate figures as the price of their support, and would likely draw fierce opposition from within his own Likud Party.

In either case, the odds for a breakthrough in peace talks appear faint at best, because no Netanyahu-led coalition is likely to offer the Palestinians better peace terms than those they already have received and either rejected or ignored under previous governments.

Netanyahu’s own positions fall far short of anything acceptable to the Palestinians.

Likud officials refuse to say which way they are leaning.

Netanyahu’s campaign chairman, Cabinet Minister Gideon Saar, said Thursday that the party hasn’t even started thinking about building the coalition.

“This would send the wrong message that we’ve already won,” Saar told an interviewer on Channel 2 TV. He said the party is focused on capturing as many seats in Israel’s fragmented Knesset, or parliament, as possible.

Under Israel’s system, parties win a number of seats based on the percentage of votes they receive. No party has ever won an outright majority in the 120-seat parliament. The leader of the party with the best chance of cobbling together a majority is tapped as prime minister and gets the first chance to form a coalition.

All the polls show that Netanyahu’s Likud Party — in alliance with the more nationalist Israel Beitenu party — will win more than a quarter of the seats, and together with other rightist and religious parties should command at least a narrow overall majority. Although that can still change, the operating assumption in Israel is that Netanyahu will indeed emerge with a majority.

In part, this is because the opposition center-left bloc of parties has failed to rally behind a single dominant leader.

The conflict with the Palestinians and the fate of occupied territories, hotly debated in Israel for decades, has barely registered as a campaign issue.

Benjamin Netanyahu Many left-leaning parties — including the Labor Party, which traditionally has led the bloc — have focused on internal economic issues or stressed the personalities of their leaders.

This reflects the sense that Israelis have given up hopes of reaching a peace deal with the Palestinians, and stressing other issues is the best way of attracting support.

It has proven difficult, because among the current crop of party leaders Netanyahu is widely seen — even by some opponents — as the most plausible prime minister.

The 63-year-old prime minister has cultivated an image as a tough leader who protects Israelis’ security in a fast-changing region, helping draw world attention to Iran’s suspect nuclear program and responding forcefully to rocket fire from the Hamascontrolled Gaza Strip.

A Smith Research poll published in the Jerusalem Post Friday showed the Likud-Yisrael Beitenu alliance would win 33 seats compared

to 14 to his hawkish rival the Jewish Home party and 17 to the Labor party. The bloc of religious and nationalist parties was poised to win 66 seats, according to Smith Research, which surveyed 800 people and had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. Other polls showed similar results.

A hard-line alliance would be the easy choice for Netanyahu. But it could also have negative consequences for his country’s international image.

While Netanyahu has professed to favor the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a peace agreement, Likud is now dominated by hard-liners who oppose territorial concessions to the Palestinians. The leader of a likely coalition partner, the prosettler Jewish Home, has gone even further, saying Israel should annex large swaths of the West Bank, the heartland of any future Palestinian state.

During a tumultuous fouryear term, Netanyahu has drawn fierce criticism internationally for his handling of the Palestinian issue and his refusal to stop building Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. More than 500,000 Israelis now live in these areas, which were captured by Israel during the 1967 war and are claimed by Palestinians along with Gaza for their state.

The Palestinians refuse to negotiate while settlements continue to be built, saying the construction is a sign of bad faith.

Netanyahu says talks should begin without any

preconditions. He also says a partial settlement freeze he imposed in 2009 and 2010 failed to bring about negotiations, and says the real obstacle to peace is Palestinian intransigence.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l l y, Netanyahu has found little sympathy. His allies in Washington and Europe have condemned recent settlement plans in unusually harsh language, and European countries have begun to hint of punitive measures against Israel.

In a sign of displeasure with Netanyahu, the U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in November to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem.

Netanyahu rejects a pullback to Israel’s 1967 lines.

This week, President Barack Obama was quoted as saying that Netanyahu’s unwillingness to make concessions to the Palestinians is plunging Israel into diplomatic isolation. “Israel doesn’t know what its own best interests are,” Obama was quoted by columnist Jeffrey Goldberg, who is known to have good contacts in the White House, as saying.

Some Israelis have made similar arguments, concluding that the country’s very existence could be in question if it does not reach a peace accord with the Palestinians. The continued occupation of millions of disenfranchised Palestinians will turn Israel into an apartheid-like country with a Jewish minority ruling over what will ultimately be an Arab majority, they say.

Pro-gun rallies across U.S. attack Obama’s curbs on firearms (Reuters) - Pro-gun activists plan rallied in 49 states at “high noon” yesterday to support the right to own firearms they say is under attack from President Barack Obama’s proposals to reduce gun violence.

The rallies, to be held mostly at state capitals, were being organized by a group called Guns Across America that was launched by Texas airline pilot Eric Reed.

The U.S. debate over gun control flared in midDecember when a man killed 20 first graders and six adults in a matter of minutes at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, using an assault rifle.

In the wake of the mass killing, Obama and gun control advocates have begun a push to ban assault weapons. A number of other states have taken up gun

legislation and New York, which had among the strictest gun control laws in the country, broadened its ban on assault weapons on Tuesday.

Obama also called for a ban on high-capacity magazines and more stringent background checks for gun purchasers.

Gun control advocates say American civilians have no justifiable need for assault weapons or high-capacity magazines, and they say more background checks will help keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

The reaction has been fierce from gun supporters such as the National Rifle Association, who have long argued that their right to bear arms is enshrined in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Reed, 38, has said after he

heard Obama talk about gun control on the day of the Sandy Hook massacre in December that he thought gun owners should send a strong message to lawmakers in Washington.

As of Friday afternoon, the Facebook page for Guns Across America listed more than 18,000 people who say they plan to attend events, and Reed said Alaska was the only state with no organizer for a rally.

Meanwhile, gun-control advocates on Sunday plan to hold a National Gun Prevention Sabbath, where they say 150 houses of worship will call on the faithful to advocate for an “actionable plan to prevent gun violence.” People who have lost loved ones to gun violence will display their photographs, organizers said.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Syrian opposition in new search for transitional government ISTANBUL (Reuters) Syria’s opposition leaders yesterday launched their second bid to form a transitional government, with their credibility at stake as the country slides deeper into civil war.

Agreement among the National Coalition, an umbrella group for the Syrian opposition, could help address international concern about the risk of Syria disintegrating along ethnic and sectarian lines if President Bashar al-Assad falls.

Failure at the talks, being held in an Istanbul hotel, would highlight divisions in the coalition, formed with Western and Gulf backing in Qatar two months ago, and undermine that support.

Leading opposition campaigner Kamal alLabwani, a member of the coalition, said the group needed at least to name a prime minister to maintain credibility as a democratic alternative to four decades of family rule by Assad and his late father, President Hafez alAssad.

“The coalition is a

A fire burns after what activists said were missiles fired by a Syrian Air Force fighter jet loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in Daraya. REUTERS/ Kenan Al-Derani/Shaam News Network/Handout legislature and we need an executive. There have been lots of mistakes and the people we are supposed to represent inside feel marginalized,” said Labwani, one of a minority of liberal figures in the Islamistdominated coalition.

The United Nations says 60,000 people have been killed in Syria’s 22-month conflict. A collapse of the country could draw in rival

powers in a region where the Sunni-Shi’ite faultline has been deepening since the Arab Spring revolts began in Tunisia two years ago, toppling dictators in four Arab countries and ushering in Islamist political ascendancy.

The rise of jihadist rebels in the last few months as a dominant force in the armed opposition, and the possibility of a massive

backlash by the Sunni majority against Assad’s Alawite minority, has made international powers hold back from supporting the increasingly radicalized, mostly Sunni rebels.

Assad’s forces massacred over 100 Sunni men, women and children when they overran an opposition-held district in the central city of Homs on Tuesday, according to opposition campaigners.

The killing occurred around the same time a disputed attack killed and wounded dozens of people at Aleppo University, a hotbed of peaceful demonstrations at the start of the revolt.

With diminishing prospects for a deal to remove Assad, any prime minister named by the coalition would have to be acceptable to rebels who have been making incremental gains on the ground despite massive air and artillery bombardment.

Naming a transitional government was part of the original agreement under which the coalition was formed last year.

But some in the

opposition have grown wary since, fearing that Western powers were influencing the process to come up with a government that would negotiate with Assad and keep the minority-ruled police state intact, according to various opposition sources.

The powerful Muslim Brotherhood, the only organized political force in the opposition, is largely against forming a government at present, although Arab and Western-backed members of the coalition want one, the sources said.

The 70-member coalition was formed with Western and Gulf backing in Qatar at the beginning of December.

Power struggles swiftly emerged among its members, contributing to failed efforts to agree on a transitional government.

Labwani, a respected former political prisoner, said a transitional government would not negotiate any deal that kept Assad in power. He said he would nominate former Prime Minister Riad Hijab, the highest-ranking official to defect since the revolt, to be the next

transitional premier.

Labwani dismissed concerns among the opposition that Hijab had served Assad.

“I am not sure what the problem is. Hijab is qualified and is now serving the revolution. We have already hundreds of defectors in the Free Syrian army,” he said.

Another possible contender is Asaad Mustafa, who left Syria after a stint as agriculture minister under Hafez al-Assad.

But coalition member Abdul Ahad Astephoa, one of three Christians in the group, said there were larger issues to be resolved first.

“We have already received many promises that once we unite we will get international support. Very little came and the international community, sadly, is not ready to end the Assad regime,” Astephoa said.

“If we form a government we have to make sure first it will receive international recognition, have enough financing and be able to operate in the liberated areas of Syria,” he added.

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Sunday January 20, 2013

Barbados union, LIME reach agreement over dismissals BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) - The Barbados Workers Union (BWU) has welcomed the agreement reached during the early hours of yesterday with the telecommunications company, Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited, and averting a nationwide strike over the dismissal of nearly 100 workers earlier this month.

BWU general secretary, Sir Roy Trotman, speaking to reporters at the end of a marathon round of talks under the guidance of Prime

Minister Freundel Stuart, said that while he was pleased with the outcome there is still some work to do.

“So if you think it is a victory for the labour movement, I share that view.

I certainly would believe that most workers share that view,” Sir Roy said.

Earlier this month, the telecommunication company operating under the brand name, LIME, blamed “substantial losses” and said that it would be outsourcing its retail operations in a bid to

improve its financial position.

LIME managing director Alex McDonald said while the company would be sending home 97 employees 48 new positions would be created.

The Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) has already denounced plans to stage the industrial action.

The BWU had been planning a nationwide strike in a bid to get the company to reverse its decision and following the talks which began on Friday both Prime Minister Stuart and

McDonald agreed that Sir Roy would inform the media on the outcome.

Sir Roy said that the meeting had arrived at some important decisions, including an anticipated apology from LIME. “Not like the one on Tuesday which was an apology to the process and an apology to the Minister (of Labour) for disrespecting her office. But this one will be, indeed has to be, an apology, to those workers who have worked for Cable and

Wireless and whose characters can be said to have been maligned.

Some statements were made to suggest that the workers were so indifferent on their job, that the company has had to get rid of them and bring in other people,” he said.

He said those present at the meeting have reached a level of understanding that accepts that the industrial relations process “cannot be treated like a football game in somebody’s backyard.

“I have no doubt that the Prime Minister will need to speak to the country about improved and stabilised labour management relations and what they will mean for the welfare of the country. I will have to speak to my own executive and to the membership of Cable Wireless, much more fully, before I can give much more to the press,” he said.

Sir Roy Trotman Sir Roy also said that the union would be holding talks with the telecommunications company regarding the future of 35 other employees.

“We still have to have talks and it depends on the company, where those talks will go, so the placards are still there,” he warned.

Belize PM defends decision to speak with gang leaders BELMOPAN, Belize CMC – Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow has insisted that his administration did not negotiate with known gang leaders following last week’s murder of four people whose bodies were found in an apartment building.

Barrow has also distanced his administration from reports that the gang members were paid BD$40,000 (One Belize Dollar = (US$0.50 cents) to keep the peace and not involve in any retaliation for the murders.

“There was no negotiation on this occasion.

Getting these people to Belmopan and securing from them a commitment that there will be no effort at retaliation against the state by going after innocent civilians. I don’t think that constitutes a negotiation,” he said.

Last week, Prime Minister Barrow told reporters that he led a delegation that included National Security Minister John Saldivar for talks with the leaders of the George Street Gang and that an arrangement had been reached for them to leave the area and not seek to retaliate against people they believe committed the murders.

“I said they went under an arrangement with the government, they went completely of their own free will as a consequence of the discussion we had,” Barrow said, adding that the

delegation made it clear during the talks “that it would be absolutely unthinkable for there to be any attempt at retaliation against innocent citizens”.

Barrow said that he was surprised at the “wild statements” about the State paying the gang leaders, adding “you know as well as I do that that money would have to come from somewhere within the public service out of the Ministry of Finance and there are so many watchdogs there that the paper trail would have been disclosed and certainly people would have tipped off the media and the public”.

The prime minister added that it was critical when he faced the public last week in the aftermath of the slayings that he was able to assure them that the authorities had the situation under control.

“The engagement with the gang leaders and the securing of their commitment that they will not try to target innocent civilians backed up with the presence along with me of the Minister of National Security...backed up therefore by the implicit and unspoken ...position that look the State is absolutely determined and resolved not to make this happen,” he said.

Prime Minister Barrow also said that if he had to do it again “I would do absolutely the same thing”.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 45

Senior UN official calls for Bermuda Chief Justice slams delayed Haitian elections ‘disgracefully inadequate’ court facilities to be held within the year Bermuda Sun - Chief Justice Ian Kawaley said the physical accommodations for criminal trials in Bermuda are “disgracefully inadequate”.

A special sitting of the Supreme Court was held this afternoon to formerly open the legal year. Mr Kawaley spoke of the challenges in the island’s judicial system. He listed the legal aid system, the court buildings and the cost of civil justice as some of the challenges.

“Bermuda’s legal aid system is indispensable to ensuring that accused persons are able to enjoy their constitutionally protected fair hearing rights.

“The financial cost of this system threatens its long-tem existence.

“Some of these costs can be curtailed if the criminal trial process is modernized to reduce the length of criminal trials where this can be justly achieved.

“With the support of the new Parliament, it is hoped that new criminal procedure rules will be brought into force in the first quarter of this year.”

Mr Kawaley said legislation is required to make changes such as permitting overseas witnesses to give

evidence via video link.

He continued: “The physical accommodations for criminal jury trials in Bermuda are disgracefully inadequate.

“The safety of court staff is compromised in many cases by the lack of modern, secure court architecture.

“The integrity of the trial process is constantly at risk because of inadequate segregation of jurors and witnesses.”

The Chief Justice added he hoped meeting every year would improve the “quality of the administration of justice”.

Also speaking at the event was Attorney General Marc Pettingil who spoke about modernizing the system.

“Just because we walk around in 17th century period robes doesn’t mean we have to act like this. “We want to stick with the traditions of the bar, but the rest of the world moves on and we want to move on with it.”

Mr Pettingil also said he had heard the concerns about the judiciary.

“Some of the things you have raised are things that we should consider.

“Not only consider, but also act on. They are sensible and it’s the right way to go.”

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said his court is “very busy” with its various roles and listed various areas where it needed improvement. He said a management services review is needed for the courts.

“Overall, we do a good job but it’s clear that the public we serve demands more.”

Mr Warner also said despite the challenges, Magistrates’ Court is one of the most efficient in the commonwealth.

Director of Public Prosecutions Rory Field also spoke of challenges in his department including providing “first rate prosecution services” for the island. He spoke of some of thedifference between when he first became a prosecutor in the 1980s to now.

“When I started, there were no cyber crimes, laptops, cell phones, if you can remember, no DNA, blood spatter or gunshot residue.”

Mr Field said those advancements have made the job more challenging but also more interesting.

He also said he hopes to develop a code for prosecutors, which will be available of the DP’s website once it is finalized.

T&T intensifies drive to deport illegal immigrants

Trinidad Guardian - Over the last two years T&T has intensified its deportation of illegal immigrants and criminals as some 750 people were sent back to their respective countries in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Statistics from the Immigration Department also revealed the US deported 630 criminals to T&T between 2011 and 2012 after serving sentences for offences including drug trafficking, robbery, gun possession and rape.

National Security Minister Jack Warner revealed the statistics at a media appreciation function held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port-of-Spain Friday.

“We have gone on an aggressive deportation policy to deport illegal immigrants and criminals from this country...If the US can deport our people to deal with crime we would deport other people including the US people when they commit crime,” he said.

In 2011, 272 illegal immigrants were deported to their various countries with

Jack Warner Guyana topping the list with 121. “Among those deported in 2011 were 19 nationals from China, 27 nationals from the Dominican Republic, 16 Jamaicans, 14 Colombians, 11 from Ghana, 11 Indian nationals, seven Venezuelans, six Indonesians, five from St Vincent, four from Bangladesh and four Nigerians,” Warner said.

In 2012, a total of 482 were deported from T&T of which 283 were Guyanese nationals.

Jamaica was the second highest country with 60, China 43, Dominican Republic 16, Columbia nine and St Vincent ten.

The National Security Minister said illegal immigrants from Cuba, Czech Republic, Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syria, Switzerland, the UK, USA and Vietnam were also sent back to their native countries.

In 2012, 129 females from Guyana were deported while 78 were sent back in 2011.

Saying Government’s aggressive policy was going full speed ahead, Warner said this could only be successfully achieved with the help of the Police Service.

On the issue of soldiers being precepted with full powers as that of police officers, Warner said soldiers and police officers could work together based on the proposed legislation.

“It is my function to bring a sense of safety to this country and anything that can be done to enhance this it shall be done,” Warner said.

Chief Justice Ian Kawaley Bermuda Bar AssociationPresident Delroy Duncan also spoke at the event and said echoed the Chief Justice’s comments on legal aid.

“Access to justice if the hallmark of a society.

“The absence of a funded legal aid will not benefit society.” The event was held annually some years ago and Mr Kawaley plans to make it annual.

The top United Nations official in Haiti called on the Government of the beleaguered Caribbean country to carry out free and fair elections, which have been delayed for over a year, as soon as possible within 2013.

Mariano Fernandez Amunátegui, Special Representative of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for Haiti, welcomed, in that context, work begun by the country’s President and the President of the National Assembly to organize local, municipal and mid-term legislative elections by the end of the year.

“We hope that the three branches of the State power work together diligently toward that goal,” he said in a statement released by the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, or MINUSTAH, which Mr. Fernandez heads.

According to that release, the most urgent task now is to put in place an Electoral Council.

In that context, he said that a 25 December agreement between the executive and legislative branches, on the formation of a Transitional College of the Permanent Electoral Council was an important first step and he urged its work be carried out without delay, in an independent and transparent manner.

The Special Representative reiterated that MINUSTAH and the international community are ready to support the organization of inclusive elections in Haiti.

The Security Council established MINUSTAH in June 2004 to restore a secure and stable environment, to promote the political process, to strengthen Haiti’s Government institutions and rule-of-law-structures, as well as to promote and to protect human rights.

It has also helped support Haiti’s authorities with recovery efforts in the wake of the massive earthquake which struck in January 2010, as well as supporting preparations for presidential elections held in 2011.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

CARICOM rum producers in talks with US officials BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICCOM) rum producing countries are holding high-level talks with the United States on resolving issues surrounding the rum industry in the region, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has announced.

A government statement said that Prime Minister Stuart made the announcement as he addressed a ceremony unveiling a commemorative plaque for Mount Gay Distilleries’ New Aging Bond earlier this week.

Prime Minister Stuart said the discussions, which are also being attended by officials from the Dominican Republic, were necessary since, within recent time, subsidies had been given to rum producers in the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, much to the disadvantage of Caribbean rum producers, including Barbados.

He said the situation is so serious that Barbados is prepared to take its case to the World Trade

Organization (WTO) if a solution is not forthcoming.

“The Government of Barbados has had to take a stand on this issue, and under my instructions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade communicated with the US Government on this issue.

And, of course, very recent discussions have taken place between CARICOM countries, the Dominican Republic and the United States Trade Representative with a view to addressing the more pressing concerns of rum producers, not only here in Barbados, but in other parts of the Caribbean, and, of course, in the Dominican Republic,” he said.

Prime Minister Stuart said that CARICOM was not going to “relapse its vigilance” on the issue.

“We are not about to relax our persistence on this issue… We do not intend to allow rum producers in the Caribbean to be so severely disadvantaged by this market distortion which has resulted from these overwhelming, if I may use that word, subsidies

Freundel Stuart being extended to producers in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.”

Last month, the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) said the region continues to have “serious concerns” regarding the competitiveness of Caribbean rum in the United States.

“In addition to being the largest agriculture-based export industry in CARICOM, the rum industry is a substantial employer and

a major contributor to foreign exchange earnings and government revenues,” COTED said.

CARICOM Secretary General Irwin LaRocque said that the rum issue, involving Diageo, the global rum producer, continues to “threaten Caribbean rum into the US market, and the leaders agreed that strong and urgent political intervention was needed to address that issue.

“There is a concern with regards to some subsidy that is being provided for Diageo, the multilateral and one of the largest rum producers which is currently located in St Croix in the US Virgin Islands,” said LaRocque.

“Last August, the UKbased Diageo reportedly warned that should CARICOM mount a complaint to the WTO over the alleged subsidies it would “re-evaluate” its Caribbean interests.

Diageo has denied ‘flooding’ the US market and has defended the US governments 100-year-old ‘cover over’ programme,

which it said granted the USVI and Puerto Rico muchneeded revenues to promote economic stability and fiscal autonomy.

Prime Minister Stuart has assured rum producers in Barbados that his administration “is alert to your concerns on this issue, and that CARICOM and the Dominican Republic are working collaboratively to ensure that we reach some kind of resolution on this matter”.

Stuart said rum “has steadily become a serious foreign exchange earner for Barbados” adding “you really cannot run a country

like Barbados, a small open economy, unless you have reliable sources of foreign exchange.

“And, the rum industry has been making its own contribution to Barbados’ gathering of foreign exchange needs to make life more tolerable and more abundant for the people of our island.

“So, we cannot afford to ignore threats to the industry.

Threats to the industry are not for us a luxury, but we have to take these threats seriously and spring into action to protect the industry wherever these threats occur,” he added.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 47

The Abigail Column If ex-husband doesn’t leave, you leave DEARABIGAIL, When my husband and I divorced more than two years ago, I gave him nine months to move out of my house. He’s still here. He has no money.

He gambled it all away after our divorce. My ex-husband belittles me and trashes me.

He is manic-depressive. He wakes me at 3 a.m. to berate me about my shortcomings. I tell him daily to move out.

Oddly, I feel guilty about getting a legal order to remove him. I worry that he will be homeless.

I have been to three therapists about this issue.

The amount of guilt that I feel is amazing. How I can shake this guilt and just get him out?

Feeling Helpless Dear Feeling Helpless, You’ve probably heard it all before — that your husband is an abuser, and he won’t stop as long as he has access to you. Part of this

abuse cycle is the crushing guilt you feel.

Obviously, you could marshal your legal resources to get this person out of your home, but you won’t. It might help to break the cycle if you leave — temporarily.

Sever all contact long enough to get yourself together and confront the challenge of what you need to do. Find your strongest advocate — either a professional, friend or family member — and let this person assist you and keep you strong.

Sunday January 20, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your friends probably mean well by encouraging you to spend money on yourself today, but your current financial condition might not warrant an unplanned outlay of cash.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Members of your family or community may expect you to participate in social events now, but you have your own ideas about w h a t ’s important.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Withholding any feelings of anger may backfire today, for your unspoken negativity might still leak out. Selfrestraint sounds like an intelligent strategy, but could actually make things worse now.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You might not want to tell your friends what you are feeling today because you are afraid of rejection. But if they are true friends, they’ll hear you out regardless of what you have to say.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Eccentric friends and family members might place unreasonable demands on you today. However, some of the problem could stem from your misinterpretation of their requests.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Don’t stress out if you can’t decide what you should be doing or where you should be going today. Instead of having to change directions midday because you impulsively started too soon, relax until you really know what should be next.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You may have already overcome the biggest obstacles that were holding you back, but this doesn’t mean that it’s all clear sailing yet.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You might think that someone is being stubborn today just to annoy you. It feels as if everyone knows which buttons to push in order to agitate you.

However, keep in mind that it’s not about anyone else; the only thing that’s important now is how you react.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) A bit of hard work doesn’t scare you off today because you’re eager to tackle some chores that you have been avoiding for a while. Just keep in mind that there’s a slight need for caution now, since you can easily underestimate the size of the job.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may overreact to your temporary lack of ambition today by relentlessly pushing even harder toward your goals. Although this overcompensation can lead to heightened productivity, you might take things too far.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Your emotional attachment to the past may motivate you to express a deeply rooted fear to someone you can trust. reach your goals. Letting go PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You want to have time today to explore your vivid imagination, but previous commitments require you to act in a practical manner.

DTV CHANNEL 8 09:25 hrs. Sign On 09:30 hrs. Touching Lives 10:00 hrs. Pair of Kings 10:30 hrs. Crash and Bernstein 10:50 hrs. Movie: The Secret World of Arrietty 12:35 hrs. Movie: Spy Kids 3: Game Over 14:00 hrs. Movie: Tron Legacy 16:10 hrs. Movie: Soccer Dog: The Movie 18:00 hrs. Catholic Magazine (Faith in Action) 18:30 hrs. Know Your Bible 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 21:00 hrs. Once Upon a Time (New Episode) 22:00 hrs. Law & Order: Criminal Intent

23:00 hrs. Hawaii Five-0 (Special Night - New

Episode) 00:00 hrs. Sign Off

Guides are subjected to change without notice

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Big Bash: Brisbane Heat beat Perth Scorchers in final

Brisbane Heat, champions of the Big Bash League (Getty Images) Brisbane Heat beat Perth Scorchers by 34 runs to win the Australian Big Bash Twenty20 competition at the Waca.

Needing 168 to win, the Scorchers never go to grips with the chase, falling short on 133-9, with West Indies paceman Kemar Roach taking 3-18. Earlier, the Heat had posted 167-5, with Joe Burns smashing 43 from 26 balls and Dan Christian a 21-ball 37.

The final defeat is the second in as many years for the

Scorchers, who were beaten

by Sydney Sixers in 2012.

Perth had reached the final in dramatic style, as Mike Hussey hit the winning runs from the final ball of their semi-final against M e l b o u r n e Stars. But Hussey, batting at number six, did not arrive at the crease in the final until the 14th over, at which point the hosts needed 71 from 37 deliveries.

It was too big an ask and, when Hussey fell in the 17th

over, it began a collapse that saw the Scorchers lose five wickets for five runs.

Brisbane had only made the semi-finals on net run-rate and then hammered league winners Melbourne Renegades to reach the final. By reaching the final, both Brisbane and Perth have qualified for the Champions League T20.

Scores: Brisbane Heat 5 for 167 (Burns 43) beat Perth Scorchers 9 for 133 (Voges 49, Roach 3-18) by 34 runs.

Page 49

Preparations underway for Bush Lot United Turf Club Horserace Meet on February 3 With horses having just over a month rest things are quickly getting into place for the start of the new season.

The 2013 horseracing season will get galloping on Sunday 3rd February when the Bush Lot United Turf Club holds their season opening one day horserace meet at the Club’s entity Sea View Park, Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice.

Nine races are listed for the day with over over $8.5M in cash and trophies up for grabs in the day’s proceedings.

A number of feature races are listed on the day’s card with races for B, D,F G, and the three year old events being the top billings.

The Feature race will once again be for horses classified ‘B’ and lower with the animals set to cover a distance of 1400M. The winner is set to take home a whopping $1.2M and trophy.

The event for three year o l d G u y a n a a n d We s t Indies Bred horses will see the winner running away with $500,000 and trophy over 1400M. The horses classified D and lower will be racing for a top prize of $450,000 and trophy over 1400M. There is an event for animals classified F and lower for a first prize of $400,000 and trophy over 1200M. The G class race will be a 1200M affair with the animals running for a winning purse of $350,000 and trophy.

There is also $350,000 and trophy available for the winner of the Guyana Bred three year old event which will be a 1400M affair.

The race for I class horses has a pole position taking of $200,000 and trophy over 1200M. The J class event will see the animals racing for a winner’s money of the $150,000 and trophy in

another 1200M contest. The K class match up will see the winner pocketing $120,000 and trophy over 1200M. Among the sponsors on board so far are Banks DIH, Eron Lall Civil Engineering and Construction Company, Mohammed Shariff of the Shariff racing stable, Rommel Jagroop, Trophy Stall, Bourda Market, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, Inshan Bacchus, and Phagoo General Store of Bush Lot West Coast Berbice.

The individual performers including top jockey, stable and trainer will be presented with trophies compliments of The Trophy Stall, Bourda Market.

Interested persons can make enquiries with Coordinator and Treasurer Lakeram B. Sukhdeo on Number 232-0558 or 672-0810 or President R. Jagit (tel 2320231). Race time is 12:30hrs.

(Samuel Whyte)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

Durant lands 52 points as Thunder down Dallas in overtime (Reuters) - Kevin Durant scored a career-high 52 points as the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder prevailed 117-114 in an overtime thriller against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

Durant landed a perfect

21 from 21 at the free-throw line, with Russell Westbrook adding 31 points for the visitors as the Thunder (328) won their sixth straight to continue their dominance in the league. “I knew (about closing in on a career-high haul) but I was just trying to focus on

Scotia Bank renews...

From page 55 Scotia and its Management especially Marketing Manager Ms. Jennifer Cipriani for their continued support. He disclosed that in 2013, special emphasis would be placed on education.

Sixty (60) of the Club’s 170 programmes/activities planned for the year would be promoting the value of education among youths.

The Annual Awards Ceremony would be held in April with 40 members receiving over $2M in trophies and prizes while the 13th Annual 48-page Review Magazine would be

published in late April.

The Annual Scotia Bank Tribute to Teachers Programme would be held next month with ten teachers from the Lower Corentyne area being honoured. All of the programmes sponsored by the Bank would be organised by the various teams of the club under their Personal Development Programmes. Meanwhile, the Club also received $50,000 from John Fernandes Ltd. and $20,000 from Dr. Jose DaSilva of Modern Optical Service. The donations would be used to purchase balls for the 2013 cricket seasons.

the game and get us this win,” Durant told reporters. “Going into that fourth quarter I had missed like eight shots in a row and my team mates kept telling me to be aggressive and they were giving me confidence every time.”

Durant’s fourth quarter misses allowed Dallas (17-24) to make up a nine point deficit and force overtime when O.J. Majo nailed a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds left.

But Durant found his form again, landing nine of the Thunder’s 12 points in overtime to grab the victory after Mike James failed with a late threepoint attempt. “They’ve got the heart of a champion,” Durant said of Dallas. “Everybody is going to bring their best against us.

Dallas is a championship level team, no matter what their record is.

“I’m glad we gutted this one out.” Vince Carter scored 29 from the bench to lead Dallas, who had their four game win streak snapped, while Dirk Nowitzki and Mayo contributed 18 each.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (L) dribbles as Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion defends during the first half of their NBA basketball game in Dallas, Texas January 18, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Stone

Mayor Green 7-a-side Inter Ward Football finals set for Thursday’s Youman Nabi holiday Mayor Hamilton Green 78th Birth Anniversary 7-aside Inter Ward knock out Football finals will be contested on Thursday, Youman Nabi day, at Den Amstel ground on the West Coast of Demerara starting from 18:00 hrs.

Two exhibition games will be played before the Quarterfinals with Sarah Lodge coming up against Pouderoyen at 18:00 hrs and Wales taking on Bagotville from 18:30 hrs.

Stewartville will battle Alberttown from 19:00 hrs in the first Quarterfinal, while Goed Fortune will clash with Newtown Kitty in the second game which is set for 19:30 hrs.

At 20:00 hrs Uitvlugt and Grove will clash for a place in the final four and Den Amstel will entertain Kingston at 20:30 hrs.

The winner of Quarterfinal one will play the winner of Quarterfinal 3 in the first semifinal match which will get

Owen McGarrell

Ashley Harding

Andre Hector

Jamaal Harvey will take on the winner of Quarterfinal four in the second semi at 21:30 hrs. Crane and Jetty will come up against each other in another exhibition game before the final which is expected to get cracking from 23:00 hrs.

The first place team will take home $200,000 and the runner up will receive $100,000. Among some of the key players representing the respective teams that will be on show are Ashley Harding, Jahal Harvey, Owen McGarrell and Andre Hector.

underway from 21:00 hrs, and the winner of Quarterfinal two

Khan 5-wkt haul...

From page 53 Chattergoon brilliantly caught at cover by Norman Federicks for 53. His innings included three fours and one six. After the interval Hicks and Jason Sinclair survived some nervous moments to see their team home as they finished on 142-5 after battling for 48 overs. Hicks ended undefeated on 40

(1x4,1x6) and Sinclair on 09 not out. Tyrell captured two wickets while Paul and Royan Federicks took one each for Essequibo who would have ruined their miss chance of Chattergoon. The competition continues today with Essequibo playing the President’s XI at Wales and GT&T Berbice facing Demerara at Everest.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 51

Burnett returns to the helm of GFA - President Ramotar congratulates new executive

His Excellency President Donald Ramotar congratulates GFA President Vernon Burnett in the presence of officials yesterday.

Lieutenant Commander Vernon Burnett retained the Presidency of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) when the entity held its Electoral Congress, at the Sleep In Hotel on Brickdam yesterday.

Burnett defeated University of Guyana Sports Co-ordinator Lavern FraserThomas by two votes after the voting ended 9-7 in his favour.

Fraser- Thomas, however, came back to win the VicePresident of Administration position after securing a wide margin of victory over her two opponents and in the process replaced Ivor Thompson, who did not seek re-election.

Mark Phillips like his President returned as VicePresident of Competitions unopposed, while Rawle Adams was voted VicePresident of Technical and Tactical Development.

Christopher Matthias remained as the General Secretary after defeating Steve Ninvalle 9-5; incumbent Treasurer Dexter Schultz retained his post after beating Andre Dazzell 10-6 and Charmine Wade was a convincing winner over

Daniel Thomas and Fiona Hamilton as she too retained her position as Assistant Secretary / Treasurer.

Meanwhile, the General Council of the GFA endorsed and congratulated the new executive and promised their full support providing that they continue along the same path that they took over the past 24 months.

The members urged that the executive continue to engage them on the way forward, adding that what was exhibited yesterday mirrored a professional tone that they hope will persist over the next two years.

They all agreed that the resolution that ended the impasse had worked and commended FIFA/ CONCACAF for their timely visit.

The three teams that had chosen to walk out of the Association and subsequently reinstated were welcomed back and urged to give the new executive their full support.

Burnett in his acceptance speech thanked the Body for re-electing him to the Presidency which according to him provides the

opportunity for continued progress and the completion of work that had started under his stewardship. He said his re-election and the cordial atmosphere in which the Congress was conducted demonstrated how prepared all the parties involved in the sport are willing to work together for the good of the game.

He called on them for their continued support not only in tackling the problems that plague the development of the game, but also to eliminate the administrative problems that stymied advancement for so long.

Meanwhile, Acting President of the Guyana Football Federation Franklin Wilson in his remarks first extended congratulations on behalf of the entity to the new executive informing that the day marked the best day that he has experienced since his tenure began over one year ago.

He added that the challenge now is to consolidate the gains made and pointed to what can be achieved when all parties work together. “There is no doubt that

Trophy Stall / WDFA U-17 League...

EAGLES NEEDLE BAGOTSVILLE/NISMES The 2nd edition of the Trophy Stall sponsored West Demerara Football Association ( W D FA ) Under-17 League kicked off yesterday at the Dem Amstel Community Centre Ground with one match.

Eagles Football Club based at Sara Lodge, Stewartville took full points from Bagotsville / Nismes

compliments of a Stephan Griffith goal in the final 10 minutes of the 90 minutes encounter.

The official opening of the tournament is set for Sunday next at the same venue from 13:00hrs where the participating teams will be involved in t h e c e r e m o n i a l MarchPast. Following the

opening, two matches will be contested.

Defending champions Den Amstel Pork Knockers will be featured in the main attraction against Seawall FC of Pouderoyen with the first game at 13:30hrs bringing together Uitvlugt Wa r r i o r s a n d Yo u n g Achievers, another Pouderoyen based team.

President of the GFA Vernon Burnett (second left) and Acting President of the GFF Franklin Wilson (next to him) pose with members of the new executive yesterday at Sleep Inn Hotel. what occurred today will resonate around all the other associations because it is an

ideal model that can be marketed to all the other affiliates,� Wilson reasoned.

He called on all parties to be open-minded and objective in going forward.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

Gayle breaks six-hitting record as Jamaica reach Play-off Port-of-Spain, Trinidad – Chris Gayle gave a six-hitting exhibition on Friday as he led Jamaica to victory over CCC and a spot in Saturday night’s Caribbean T20 Play-off match.

T h e g a m e ’s m o s t powerful batsman blasted the ball to all parts of the field and into the stands as he made 85 off just 44 balls – his highest score for Jamaica in this format.

Gayle’s nine sixes – the

most in a single innings in the four-year history of the Caribbean T20 tournament – gave the colourful crowd at Beausejour Cricket Ground a lot of entertainment.

In the end Jamaica won comfortably by 7 wickets as they reached the target at 1513 at a rate of 9.06 runs per over.

Gayle has now hit a world record 324 sixes in 126 Twenty20 matches. “[It] felt good to be back here in the Caribbean playing

cricket. It was a tough challenge for me out there to get 85 runs.

The first over was, I don’t really know how to describe it, but I was just happy I got through it and was able to take it from there,” Gayle said.

“I got an eye-opener to start with and I really loved that...it was a sharp one from Jason (Holder) and it opened my eyes and put me back in the right frame of mind.

It’s a good wicket to bat

on and chasing 150 on this kind of surface, once you get a good start, you should win, and we did.”

Asked where his power comes from, Gayle explained: “You need good balance. I was in the gym so I feel strong as well and that helped as well.

You have to set the foundation when you’re batting...the balance is key.

The bat that you use is key as well, you need a good

Chris Gayle in action (WICB)

bat in your hand and once you have that right, the ball can travel a long way.”

The Jamaicans ended the preliminaries on 17 points with four wins behind Trinidad & Tobago, who topped the table with 21 points to earn automatic qualification to their third consecutive final.

Gayle, the towering lefthander, says he was looking forward to yesterday’s Playoff against Guyana.

“I’m ready for whoever they bring, to be honest with you...As a team we are ready.

I feel like I’m playing really

well and I just want to stay focused on doing the job here for Jamaica.

“I was relaxing a bit on the beach and I did not have any gear so it was a bit hectic, but I wanted to come and play for Jamaica.

I’m a professional cricketer so once you prepare yourself for these kind of things – the unexpected – you will do well.

I know everyone in the team and I have come back and fitted in well so it’s just a matter for us to go out and get things done,” Gayle added.

Franklin steers New Zealand to unexpected...

From page 57 the skipper a review when he was adjudged lbw in the 18th over off Rory Kleinveldt.

Wickets continued to tumble during the black-out and when the power was finally restored, Zealand still required a further 69 runs for victory.

But Franklin, who had survived an umpire review for a catch in the 32nd over, and Mills frustrated the home side. Mills was bowled by McLaren in the 44th over with

22 runs still needed, but Franklin continued to keep the South Africans at bay and a cover-drive for four guided his team over the line with 26 balls to spare.

The second game of the three-match series takes place in Kimberley on Tuesday.

Scores: New Zealand 209 for 9 (Franklin 47*, Watling 45, McLaren 4-46) beat South Africa 208 (du Plessis 57, McClenaghan 4-20, Williamson 4-22) by one wicket.

Sunday January 20, 2013

GCB Senior 4-day Inter County tourney Rd 2

Kaieteur News

Page 53

Khan 5-wkt haul gives Demerara 1st innings honours, GT&T B’ice rebound to beat E’bo

Sookdeo, Chattergoon slam half centuries

Sewnarine Chattergoon plays through the off side

By Zaheer Mohamed Leg spinner Amir Khan bagged 5 wickets for 44 but Jeetendra Sookdeo slammed an unbeaten half century to help the President’s XI secured a draw against Demerara who gained first innings honours, while GT&T Berbice rebounded after losing first innings points to beat a spirited Essequibo team by 5 wickets when the second round of the Guyana Cricket Board Senior 4-day Inter County

tournament concluded on Friday.

The President XI in reply to Demerara first innings total of 365 began the final day at DCC on of 62-2 with Sookdeo on 03 and Steven Latcha on 01, they progressed to 76 before Latcha was run out for 02. Pacer Paul Wintz then trapped Elton Baker leg before without scoring and Khan sent Anthony Bramble packing for 12 to leave the President’s XI tottering at 985. Sookdeo and Eugene La Fleur took them to lunch at

Dottin propels Windies women to T20 win over South Africa West Indies Women defeated South Africa Women by eight wickets in the opening Twenty20 International at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.

Deandra Dottin led their chase of 114 with a well played 48 not out to earn the playerof-the-match award. She would certainly remember this game, her 50th, and was given a special award by WICB President Julian Hunte.

Scores: SOUTH AFRICA 113-7 off 20 overs (Mignon du Preez 39 not out, Crizelda Brits 36; Shanel Daley 2-14, Shaquana Quintyne 218, Stafanie Taylor 2-24)

Deandra Dottin WEST INDIES 114-2 off 18.2 overs (Deandra Dottin 48 not out, Kycia Knight 33 not out; Sunette Loubser 1-19).

GCA\Hadi’s 1st division cricket...

Blyden hits ton for GDF Travis Blyden slammed an attractive century as Guyana Defence Force declared their first innings on 351-7 in 73.4 overs against GYO when play in the Georgetown Cricket Association\ Hadi’s first division 2 day tournament continued yesterday.

Blyden slammed eleven

fours and one six in a top score of 101 and got valuable support from Paul Castello 66(8x4), Trevon Garraway 55(6x4,2x6) not out and Marcus Watkins 44(7x4).

Richard Hoyte grabbed 2-81 for GYO who ended the day on 29-1 in 11 overs. The game continues today.

President’s XI top scorer Jeetendra Sookdeo cuts a delivery through point.

Delbert Hicks innings was crucial in his team’s success.

133 with Sookdeo on 39 and La Fleur on 18.

The pair continued to bat beautifully after the break with Sookdeo reaching his fifty off 188 balls. La Fleur was then caught and bowled by Khan for 42 who then accounted for Collis Butts for 01 to leave the score at 165-7.

Kellon Carmichael soon trapped Brandon Bess (01) in front before Zaheer Mohamed removed Seon Daniels (02) at 196 but Gilford Moore (02) and Sookdeo carried their team past the follow on target of 199 before Moore was bowled by Mohamed as the President’s XI fell for 202 in 95.5 overs.

Sookdeo ended unbeaten on 70; his innings came off 229 balls and contained seven fours and two sixes.

Mohamed 2-26, Carmichael 129, Wintz 1-49 supported Khan.

Demerara began their second innings with a lead of 163 and reached 54 with out loss at stumps with Rajendra Chandrika on 29 (3x4) and Robin Bacchus on 13(1x4).

At Wales, GT&T Berbice recovered from their first innings deficit to register a 5 wicket victory over a young but energetic Essequibo side.

Leading by 50 runs Essequibo found themselves in trouble when they started their second innings at the commencement of play on the final day when their skipper Royan Federicks was caught behind off Clinton Pestano for 12 with the score on 16. Keon Joseph then had Norman Federicks caught for 04 at 25 before Wayne Osborne and Ricardo added 19 for the third wicket stand.

Adams was then stumped off Eon Hooper for 15, while Gudakesh Motie Kanhai

accounted for Herrell Green (00) as Essequibo slipped to 45-4. Osborne soon departed, caught off Kanhai for 10 before Hooper removed Anthony Adams (01) and Vijay Surajpaul (11) in quick succession to leave Essequibo on 68-7.

They never recovered despite the efforts of Kemo Paul who top scored with 16 and Mark Gonsalves 10 and were bowled out 48 minutes before lunch for 91.

Hooper 4-23 and Kanhai 4-33 were the pick of the bowlers, while Pestano and Joseph supported with 1 each. Set 142 for victory with just over two sessions remaining, GT&T Berbice lost opener Richard Ramdeen who was caught by Ricardo Adams off Kemo Paul for 03 with the score at 11.

Sewnarine Chattergoon and Gajanand Singh saw

them to lunch with out further hiccups at 33-1 with Chattergoon who was put down at deep mid wicket when at 07 off Paul on 18 and Singh on 10.

After the break Mark Tyrell, who took six wickets in the first innings, had Singh caught and bowled for 17 at 51. Assad Fudadin joined Chattergoon and added 25 for the 3rd wicket before Fudadin was leg before to Royan Federicks for 10.

Anthony D’Andrade (00) was then run out as Essequibo fought back.

Chattergoon and Delbert Hicks put together 36 for the 5th wicket with Chattergoon reaching his half century which came off 104 deliveries by cutting Herry Green through backward point for two. Mark Tyrell, bowling the last over before tea had (Continued on page 50)

Page 54

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

“West Indies on the up - CT-20 2013 has been the bomb!”

By Colin E. H. Croft I do not know who will win Caribbean T-20 2013 today, but I am, whole-heartedly, among those who accept that Caribbean T-20 2013 has been a bigger, better, excellently run, tremendous success! It has been a wild cacophony of noises and color!

Nothing like this, as regards fans actually planning their lives; personal, professional, family, school; around going to the arenas concerned, to see cricket and to party, has happened for years, decades even, not since our halcyon days between 1965 and 1995.

This experiment was well worth it!

Not since Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards led teams that pulverized the cricket world, or, later, the advent of spectacular individual cricketers like Brian Lara, has the populace been so enthusiastic, entertained, enthralled, by our cricket,

Colin E. H. Croft

The Trini Posse in St Lucia (WICB) even if only for T-20 games; about three hours!

In especially the earlier two decades of that 30 year period, very likely armed with enough various victuals and strong drink, not to mention massive shoulders to carry Philips and Grundig radios as big as 20-inch televisions, folks from all parts lined up by the tens of thousands to see their heroes!

From as early as midnight

the previous day before games, all, including actual active cricketers back then, noisily squatted to get into Bourda, Kensington Oval, Sabina Park or Queen’s Park Oval, to see the likes of (Sir) Gary Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Michael Holding and others, even yours truly too!

I made my Test attendance debut in 1965, aged 12, to see Australia being

Guyanese fans enjoy the cricket (WICB) lampooned by the likes of Lance Gibbs, Wes Hall and Conrad Hunte, courtesy of accessing that confluence point of fences, at Georgetown Football Club and Georgetown Cricket Club - “Bourda” - on Regent Street in Georgetown.

I also remember, most vividly, even after being selected for Guyana’s Youth team in 1970, aged 17, that, as a final year student of Central High School in 1971, my very first time in that paying attendance quagmire, laden with everything “Old Sylvia” could conjure, and fit into a massive bag, travelling from Unity-Lancaster, to join the waiting throngs even before midnight, to see India v West Indies at Bourda.

What a thrill that was!

Having seen, travelled to and covered cricket these last two decades, from 1993, nothing in my lifetime of cricket could replace that wonderful, extremely informative experience!

To be honest, I did not even know if there was such a thing, back then, as complementary tickets!

Everyone were treated the same; badly!

Even Ministers of Government had to join those queues sometimes, if they wanted to see cricket. Oh, of course, they also tried diligently to garner votes!

Hey, especially Michael Manley, then Prime Minister of Jamaica, and (Sir) Errol Barrow, then Prime Minister of Barbados, both absolutely mad cricket supporters, had to get special passes and authorization from either West Indies or even touring team captains and managers!

Also, in passing, I wonder if our politicians these days really understand their nonimportance. Note that when Ramnaresh Sarwan was reselected to West Indies colors last week, to be addressed here next week,

Guyanese, West Indians and cricket supporters world-wide knew that it had occurred, so massive, in some terms, were the news.

Conversely, I would wager monies I do not have that many Guyanese now living in Guyana even, do not actually know the name of the c o u n t r y ’s present president!

Anyway, now, with all of the technology around, when you can stay at home or go to the mall, and still have blanket coverage on I-phone, television, or even that most ancient invention; radio; it was indeed a great pleasure to see patrons enjoying the ambiance, if we can call it that, of even louder cacophonies!

Additionally, in St. Lucia, attendees even have the excellent added bonus of seeing our girls play against South Africa in T-20-I’s. What a fortnight this last one has been!

The warmth of seeing patrons with Guyanese, Jamaican, Trinidad & Tobago, every other flag, even ill-placed USA, British and Canadian flags, enjoying themselves at the T-20 games, behaving, supporting,

abusing even, as if there was no tomorrow, was as real and exhilarating as some of the cricket itself.

Indeed, in my recent travels in USA and Canada, there seemed to have been even more association to West Indies cricket by former natives than ever before.

Even bad economies, shootings and natural disasters took back seats in discussions and enjoyment of this T-20 tournament; very refreshing indeed!

Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board, Queen’s Park Cricket Club, St. Lucia Cricket Association, Beausejour Stadium Management and Windward Islands Cricket Association, in cahoots with West Indies Cricket Board’s Events Management teams, should be extremely proud of this effort and experiences.

Yes, there has been the odd incident, but where in the world would there not be scalpers and touts operating when thousands want to attend some important event?

For President Barack Obama’s initial inauguration in 2009, scalped tickets, initially given out for free, were sold for US$40,000. Take that!

So, Caribbean T-20 2013 was a great show of West Indian enjoyment; perfect preamble to carnival. Enjoy!

Virat Kohli inspires hosts...

From page 56 Dernbach with three successive boundaries and some delightfully wristy strokes in his 22nd ODI half century, also passing 4,000 ODI runs.

Dependable spinner James Tredwell had Gautam Gambhir caught at mid-on but it merely delayed the inevitable as Yuvraj Singh fired 30 in 21 balls. Dernbach went for 14 runs in an over and 45 from his five before Yuvraj was bowled by a sharply turning delivery from Tredwell, his seventh wicket of the series.

The wicket was greeted with great excitement by the fervent 40,000 crowd as it

brought their hero Dhoni to the crease, and he soon crashed a straight drive into the stumps at the non-striker’s end with such ferocity that the ball still went for four.

Fittingly, it was Dhoni who ended proceedings with a pull to the mid-wicket fence, joining Sourav Ganguly on 76 ODI wins as India captain behind only Mohammad Azharuddin’s 90, and leaving England with much to ponder before the penultimate match of the series on Wednesday.

Scores: India 157 for 3 (Kohli 77*, Tredwell 2-29) beat England 155 (Root 39, Jadeja 3-19) by seven wickets.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 55

GHRA releases tentative race dates for the 2013/2014 Horserace season

Scotia Bank renews RHTY&SC sponsorship

Following a meeting held by those in the horseracing fraternity where Former Chancellor, Justice Cecil Kennard was elected as President of The Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA). Racing dates have been set for the respective clubs.

The year’s activity will get underway on Sunday 3rd February with a one day meet at the Bush Lot United Turf Club (BLUTC) at Sea View Park, Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. They have been allocated three race dates with the dates being Sunday 3rd February, 14th April and the 29th September.

The Rising Sun Turf Club (RSTC) has been allocated six dates and will have their first meet on Sunday 24th February to be followed by meets on Sunday 28th April, Sunday 26th May, Sunday 12th August, Sunday 10th November and Sunday 5th January 2014.

The Ryan Crawford Turf Club and Sports Facilities (RCMTC&SF) have only three race dates and those are set for July 7th, September 22nd and November 24th.

The Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) at Bush

Lot Farm Corentyne has four dates with the dates being March 24th, May 19th, August 4th And December 26th.

The Port Mourant Turf Club at Port Mourant Corentyne Berbice will see action on three days, with March 31st being their first race date with the others being August 25th which will be the date for the Guyana Cup and December 15th.

The Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club at NO 6 West Coast Berbice has four dates with May 5th or 6th being their first date with July 21st and October 20th being the others.

The Anjue and Hamlet Park race track at Mahaicony has not been allocated any dates.

The full list below is as follows: DATES OF RACE - NAME OF RACETRACK February 03rd - Bush Lot United Turf Club February 24th - Rising Sun Turf Club March 24th- Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club March 31st- Port Mourant Turf Club April 14th- Bush Lot United Turf Club April 28th - Rising Sun Turf

Club May 5th or 6th - (tentative) Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club May 19th - Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club May 26th - Rising Sun Turf Club July 7th - Ryan Crawford Turf Club (Alness) July 21st - Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club August 4th - Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club August 18th - Rising Sun Turf Club August 25th - (Guyana Cup 2013) Port Mourant Turf Club September 22nd - Ryan Crawford Turf Club (Alness) September 29th - Bush Lot United Turf Club October 20th - Norman Singh Memorial Turf Club November 10th - Rising Sun Turf Club November 24th - Ryan Crawford Turf Club (Alness) December 15th - Port Mourant Turf Club December 26th - Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club January 5th 2014 - Rising Sun Turf Club (Samuel Whyte)

Berbice Cricket Board/Bobcat of Guyana 20/20 Finals...

Archrivals Bermine and Young Warriors to clash in Finals today History would be created today when the Berbice Cricket Board hosts the finals of the first ever Bobcat of Guyana 20/20 New Amsterdam/Canje Tournament.

The Tournament is the first of its kind to be organised by the Berbice Cricket Board for teams in the New Amsterdam/Canje area as part of the Berbice Cricket Board’s effort to renew the interest of clubs and the general public.

Archrivals Young Warriors and Bermine would clash for championship honour at the Cumberland Ground from 13.30 hours while Kendall’s Union No. 19 and Kortheberaadt from the East Bank Berbice would clash from 09.30 hours in the 3rd place playoff.

Young Warriors would be led by veteran allrounder Hubern Evans and he would receive support from Shimron Hetmyer, Mortimer George, Sanjay Khan, Rudolph Baker, Jerome Henry and Kawal Mangal.

Bermine would be

spearheaded by former Guyana Under-19 player Joemal La Fleur, Hakeem Hinds, Nial Smith, Jamally Odle, Charles Shepherd and Zaheer Moakan.

Teams: - Young Warriors - Shimron Hetmyer, Hubern Evans, Mortimer Fraser, Sanjay Khan, Rudolph Baker, Kawal Mangal, Kassim Khan, Karamchand Ramnarine, Sudesh Dhanai, Cledwin Cort, Kristoff Bahadur, Ray

Ally. Manager - Sahadeo Singh, Coach - Anil Beharry.

Bermine - Joemal La Fleur, Hakeem Hinds, Nial Smith, Kevin Pellew, Chris Sulker, Jamally Odle, Gavin Moriah Jnr, Daniel Tuesday, Gary Millington, Orlando Tanner, Jaleel Jaffar, Charles Shepherd, Zaheer Moakan and Ameer Seecharran.

Manager - Carl Moore, Coach - Julian Moore.

John Fernandes Ltd. & Modern Optical also chips in Scotia Bank Marketing Manager Jennifer Ciprani hands over cheque to Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster

The Bank of Nova Scotia on Thursday last handed over a cheque to the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC), confirming the Bank’s renewal of sponsorship of the Club’s

Pro-Education Programmes.

Valued at $155,000, it covers the Bank’s contribution to the club’s 13th Annual Review Magazine, 23rd Annual Awards Ceremony scheduled for April

and the 5th Annual Scotia Bank Tribute to Teachers Programme.

Long serving Secretary/ CEO Hilbert Foster expressed gratitude to the Bank of Nova (Continued on page --)

Page 56

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 20, 2013

NBS 2nd div. 40 overs starts today Virat Kohli inspires hosts to 2-1 lead The New Building Society (NBS) sponsored 2nd Division 40 overs cricket competition organised by the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is set to bowl off today with twenty eight (28) first round matches.

A total of one hundred (100) teams will be participating with the County divided up into sixteen (16) geographical zones spanning from Seafield in West Berbice to Crabwood Creek on the Corentyne including the Berbice River, Canje Creek and Black Bush Polder.

The preliminary stage will consist of round-robin fixtures in each zone. The team ending with most wins advances to the knock-out, last 16 playoffs stage. Play in seven zones will commence today while the other eight will get cracking, next Sunday.

TODAY’S FIXTURES Zone K

-100 teams participating 1. Tain Block Four vs Guysuco Training Centre at Tain.

2. Letterkenny Young Star vs Alness at Letterkenny.

3. Port Mourant vs Big Star at Port Mourant.

Zone L 1. No. 43 Scorpion vs Young Adventurers at No. 43.

2. Mibicuri Strikers vs Johanna Bush Rangers at Mibicuri 3. Kennard’s Memorial vs Kildonan at Bush Lot Farm.

4. Yakusari Caribs vs Mibicuri at Yakusari Zone M 1. No. 47 Pioneer vs No. 45 at No. 47 2. No. 48 Challengers vs No. 51/Leeds Young Star at

No. 48 3. No. 55 Mayflower vs No. 52 Survival at No. 55.

No. 59 drew the bye Zone N 1. No. 64 Fighting Marines vs No. 65 at No. 64.

2. No. 69 Red Rose vs No. 68 Turn Team at No. 69 Red Rose 3. No. 69 Vikings vs No. 70 M.Y.O at No. 69 Vikings No. 70 Young Blood drew the bye Zone O 1. No. 70 Young Star vs Springlands at No. 70 2. No. 73 Young Warriors vs No. 72 Cut and Load at No. 73 3. No. 71 vs Corriverton at No. 71 Progressive Youth drew the bye Zone P 1. Skeldon Community Centre vs Young Royals at Skeldon 2. Strykers vs Crabwood Creek Bible Church at Scottsburg 3. Crabwood Creek vs Unity at Crabwood Creek Crabwood Creek Uprising drew the bye Play starts at 11:00 hours.

Virat Kohli struck three fours in a row in the sixth over of the Indian innings (BCCI)

BBC Sport - England succumbed to another batting collapse as India took a 2-1 lead in the five-match one-day series with a seven-wicket victory in Ranchi.

In the first international staged in the home town of India skipper Mahendra Dhoni, England were all out for 155. Kevin Pietersen (17) and Ian Bell (25) fell within three balls and three more wickets went for one run in nine balls. Virat Kohli struck a sparkling unbeaten 77 and Dhoni hit the winning boundary as his team won with 21.5 overs left. It was England’s lowest score batting first in a completed one-day international since they made 146 against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy in Johannesburg in 2009, some 68 matches ago.

Their 155 is only three less than they mustered in the previous match on Tuesday chasing under the lights, and a second successive defeat sends England down another place to number three in the

ODI rankings.

The latest collapse could not attributed to the Ranchi surface however, which produced pace, bounce, spin and a smooth outfield offering reward for positive strokeplay.

But a hesitant start rather set the tone for the problems that were to follow for the tourists, Alastair Cook (17) making a rare low score when given out shuffling across his stumps in the eighth over to persistent seamer Shami Ahmed.

Bell looked uncharacteristically sketchy and took 15 balls to get off the mark, but he and Pietersen looked to be building a platform when their partnership of 44 was brought to an abrupt halt by an unfortunate umpiring decision.

Pietersen hit successive boundaries, a delightful drive down the ground and an authoritative pull shot through mid-wicket, before umpire S Ravi deemed that a fine delivery from Ishant Sharma clipped the edge of the bat, rather than clothing as replays suggested, as it zipped away off the seam.

Bell departed three balls later to a smart catch by Dhoni at the stumps and it was left to Joe Root in only his third one-day international to shore up the innings.

He soon lost Eoin Morgan, who has frequently invigorated England with innovative shot selections, but a reverse sweep at a ball rising sharply spooned high off the bat to short third man.

Further calamity ensued in the next over when the seemingly innocuous slow left-armer Ravi Jadeja collected two wickets in five deliveries. Craig Kieswetter, who has now failed to reach fifty in his last 12 ODI innings, left an alarming gap between bat and pad as he pushed forward and was bowled for a duck, while Samit Patel was lbw, also without troubling the scorers. With wickets falling so frequently powerplays were of little relevance, but Root, having shown admirable calm during the deluge of departures, fell in the first of the five overs of batting powerplay.

Striving to accelerate the scoring, Root drove at a wide one and was expertly caught low by Dhoni diving to his right to end 47 runs of Yorkshire resistance in combination with Tim Bresnan.

The burly all-rounder fell in the next over for 25 as Ravichandran Ashwin found some appreciable turn to bowl him through the gate and the final three wickets were quickly taken for the addition of only 10 runs.

Steven Finn would have preferred a larger total to defend but he gave England some faint hope in the third over when a fast, full delivery uprooted Ajinkya Rahane’s off stump.

But Kohli seized on some short deliveries from Jade (Continued on page 54)

World beaters floored in Kenyan cross country meetings NAIROBI (Reuters) World marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, Olympic silver medalist Vivian Cheruiyot and former Olympic champions Asbel Kiprop and Nancy Jebet Lagat, were beaten in Kenya’s Defence Forces and Police cross country championships on Saturday.

Lucy Kabuu, the runnerup at last year ’s Dubai Marathon, snatched victory in the women’s 8km race at the police championships in 27:16.9, ahead of Kiplagat, who timed 27:17.3.

World junior cross country champion Geoffrey Kipsang won the men’s 12km race in 35 minutes, while the

world’s fastest marathon runner Geoffrey Mutai followed in 35:53.7. Kiprop was ninth in 36:53.

Cheruiyot finished outside the top 10 but told reporters she has no interest in the World Cross Country Championships and instead had used the event to prepare for her 5,000m and 10,000m title defences at August’s World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

The races are preparing athletes for the national championships next month, when the team for the world championships in Poland in March will be selected.

African double champion

Gladys Cherono won the women’s 8km at the Defence Forces meeting in Thika, some 45km north of the capital, in 27:40.

Leonard Oleitiptip, who won the race in the last African championships, beat a talent-studded field to take the men’s 12km title in 36:07.

Among his casualties was 2010 world cross country champion Joseph Ebuya, who finished fourth in 36:18.

Cherono beat world indoors 3,000m champion Hellen Obiri, 2008 Olympic 1,500m champion Jebet Lagat and former world 10,000m champion Sally Barsosio.

Sunday January 20, 2013

Kaieteur News

Federer slaps down Tomic after Del Potro upset Serena Williams returns (Getty Images)

Roger Federer serves during his third-round match against Bernard Tomic (EPA)

MELBOURNE (Reuters) Roger Federer was in no mood to let a trend develop after the first real upsets of the week at the Australian Open tennis on Saturday and slapped down local upstart Bernard Tomic with authority to reach the fourth round.

Juan Martin del Potro stunned Federer to win the U.S. Open in 2009 but the Argentine sixth seed was on the receiving end of the shock on Saturday when an inspired Jeremy Chardy led a fourstrong French charge into the last 16.

Serena Williams and Andy Murray never looked like losing sometimes challenging contests earlier in the day but defending champion and world number one Victoria Azarenka had a closer call and was forced to dig deep for her victory.

All eyes were on the evening match in Rod Laver Arena, however, where Tomic had been talking up his chances of translating his good early-season form into a victory over a player rated by many as the best to ever pick up a racket.

Tomic gave his best and came within two points of winning a thrilling second-set tiebreak but the 17-times grand-slam champion simply upped the gears, pulled out a couple of extraordinary winners, and raced away to a 6-4 7-6 6-1 victory.

“I had to be able to bring the whole repertoire to the court today, defense and offence, which I enjoy,” said the second seed, who next faces Milos Raonic, before offering some advice to Tomic.

“I think it’s important to be confident but obviously you respect the game and you respect the other players. I think he has a lot of respect for me.”

Del Potro battled back from two sets down to level his third-round contest but the mercurial Chardy grabbed a break in the decider and held his nerve to serve out for a 63 6-3 6-7 3-6 6-3 win.

“I had nothing to lose today so it was easy to play,” said the world number 36. “It’s a big win for me, maybe the best of my career.”

After five days without any upsets of note at the year’s first grand slam, two came along within minutes.

As Chardy was packing up his rackets on Hisense Arena, Italian Andreas Seppi was securing his place as the Frenchman’s next opponent by wrapping up a 6-7 6-3 2-6 6-4 6-2 win over Croatian 12th seed Marin Cilic, a semi-finalist in 2010.

Azarenka had to come back from a break down in the deciding set to avoid the same fate against injury-hampered American Jamie Hampton and her relief at her 6-4 4-6 6-2 win

was clear.

“She took a medical timeout but she rips winners all over the place,” said Azarenka. “I was like: ‘Can I have a back problem? I’m feeling great but I’m missing every shot’.”

Williams, seeking a sixth title at Melbourne Park, also wobbled a bit at 3-0 down in the second set against world number 72 Ayumi Morita after losing her serve for the first time in the tournament.

ANKLE STRAIN The third seed showed no discomfort from the ankle strain she sustained in the opening round, however, and stormed back to win the next six games and dismiss the Japanese 6-1 6-3.

“I feel good,” the 31-yearold American said. “I feel today was actually a really good match for me. I was involved in a lot of longer points, something I definitely wanted.”

U.S. Open champion Murray berated himself for playing “nonsense” tennis at times but eventually broke down his Lithuanian practice partner Ricardas Berankis 6-3 6-4 7-5 after a tricky 132 minutes in the Melbourne sun.

“Sometimes when you are struggling, you get very frustrated,” said the British third seed. “I need to strike the ball better. My timing was off and I was leaving a lot of balls very short and allowing him to dictate some of the points.”

Murray was able to put his feet up and watch his next opponent Gilles Simon beat compatriot Gael Monfils 6-4 64 4-6 1-6 8-6 in a four-hour, 43minute marathon that ensured four Frenchman would be in the fourth round for the first time since 1998.

Ninth seed Richard Gasquet’s progress was by no means smooth and he was a set and a break down before he charged back to beat Croatian Ivan Dodig 4-6 6-3 7-6 6-0.

His seventh-seeded compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had an easier day, hammering Blaz Kavcic 6-2 6-1 6-4 as the Slovenian paid the price for the nearly five hours he spent in the sweltering heat on Thursday in his secondround tie.

“We have a lot of good players,” said Chardy. “I think everybody starts to play well this year. I don’t know what is the thing. We just play good.”

Japan has also had a good tournament but Kimiko DateKrumm’s fairytale run came to an end with a 6-2 7-6 defeat to Serbian Bojana Jovanovski, who was born two years after her 42year-old opponent made her debut at Melbourne Park.

Page 57

Franklin steers New Zealand to unexpected win PAARL (Reuters) - A superb rear-guard knock of 47 not out from James Franklin helped New Zealand pull off an improbable one-wicket victory against South Africa in the first one-day international on Saturday.

New Zealand, who elected to field first, bowled out South Africa for 208 on a slow pitch after debutant Mitchell McClenaghan and off-spinner Kane Williamson stifled the hosts by taking four wickets apiece. Faf Du Plessis (57) was the only South African to reach the half-century mark.

South African-born BJ Watling (45) kept New Zealand above the required rate but the visitors lost their way and stumbled to 140 for eight in the 33rd over.

However, Franklin and lower-order batsman Kyle Mills (26), produced some dogged batting to guide New Zealand to an unlikely onewicket victory. The result handed New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The Proteas came into the game on top of the ICC ODI rankings but had not played 50-over cricket since September and the top order struggled to cope with the difficult pitch. Hashim Amla (13), Graeme Smith (7) and AB De Villiers (7) were all trapped in front of their stumps to reduce the home side to 37 for three in the 12th over. Colin Ingram (29) and debutant Quinton de Kock (18) offered du Plessis some support, but both were well caught by Nathan McCullum to end useful partnerships and leave the home side 119 for five in the 30th over.

Du Plessis remained steadfast, and, with the help of a quick-fire 33 from 39 balls by all-rounder Ryan McLaren, was able to give the innings some much-needed momentum.

BIG SIXES The right-handed Du Plessis brought up his fifth ODI fifty with a boundary to fine leg off Kyle Mills in the 39th over, and by that stage

South Africa were 171 for five.

McLaren fell soon after, beginning a procession of wickets, including that of Du Plessis, which were shared between Williamson and McClenaghan.

Rory Kleinveldt (26) struck three big sixes to get the score past the 200 mark in the 46th over, and was the last to be dismissed with 22 deliveries still remaining in the innings.

New Zealand’s reply got off to a poor start as opener Martin Guptill was run out without facing a ball and fellow opener Rob Nicol (4) fell soon after to Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

When Williamson became Tsotsobe’s second victim in the eighth over, New Zealand were in trouble at 21 for three.

Captain Brendon McCullum (26) joined Watling and the pair began to steady the innings. However, their 52-run partnership ended amid farcical scenes as a power failure at Boland Park denied (Continued on page 52)

t r o Sp MILO U-20 SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOOTBALL COMPETITION...

Charlestown, Christ Church and Tucville victorious on first day

Tucville (in green bibs) on the attack in their clash against St. John’s College yesterday.

C

harlestown, Christ Church and Tucville opened the inaugural Milo Under-20 Secondary Schools Football competition in emphatic style after registering lop-sided victories yesterday, at the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue.

Christ Church inflicted a crushing 6-0 triumph over Ascension, while Charlestown and Tucville completed identical 4-0 wins over North Georgetown and St John’s College respectively.

The lads from Christ Church were led to victory by doubles from Andre Trotz (7th and 58th minutes) and Nyron Joseph (19th and 28th), while Kadeem Blackman (52nd) and Jovontat Best (59th) supported with a single strike each. In the opening game of the day, Barron Dick slotted home a double, scoring in the 13th and 56th minutes, to inspire Charlestown to victory over North Georgetown.

Dick’s effort was backed up by Aroudy Bransford and Ravin Naughton, who netted in the 43rd and 50th minutes respectively.

The final game of the day saw Hubern Blair piercing the defence of the goalkeeper three times to power Tucville to a 4-0 win over St John’s College.

Blair was on target in the 10th, 20th and 53rd minutes, while Denzel Green added a consolation strike in the 15th minute.

The competition is set to continue today with another three games at the same venue. From noon, St George’s will trade skills with Tutorial High; Cummings Lodge will come up against Bishop’s High at 13:50 hours, while South Ruimveldt will tackle Queen’s College at 15:45 hours.

Meanwhile, prior to the start of the matches on Saturday, one of the directors of the Petra Organisation, Marlan Cole, said he’s confident the tournament will be a success.

Petra Organisation has teamed up with Beepat’s Trading to stage the tournament.

Cole also called on the students to be disciplined at all times, but also play keenly in order to come out victorious.

Nestle Brand Manager at Beepat’s Trading, Selwyn Bobb, said his entity is pleased to partner with Petra in the development of football in schools. He wished the teams well, while urging them to exhibit fair play.

Meanwhile, the top four schools will receive cash awards which will go towards the creation of a project of their choice.

The champion school will cart off $200,000; runner-up $100,000; third $50,000 and fourth $25,000. All four institutions will also receive medals and trophies, while the Most Valuable Player, Highest Goalscorer, Best Goalkeeper, Best Coach and Most Supportive Parent will be recognised for their achievements.

All games will be played at the Ministry of Education ground.

The secondary schools that will be hunting the top prize are Charlestown, North Georgetown, Christ Church, Ascension, Tucville, St John’s College, St George’s, Tutorial High, Cummings Lodge, Bishop’s High, South Ruimveldt, Queen’s College, Lodge, David Rose, Dolphin Secondary, Guyana Education Trust College, St Winifred, North Ruimveldt, Carmel, Brickdam, New Campbellville, Sophia Special School, Richard Ishmael and Central High.

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