Page 2
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 3
Govt. is fully committed to improving forestry sector The need for reforms to improve the local forestry sector was stressed on Wednesday when the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) met with forestry concessionaires in
Kingstown, Georgetown. Addressing the meeting, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud said that stakeholders and Government have a shared
- Minister Persaud and common objective in moving the sector forward through reforms, enhanced productivity, more value
Govt. pushes to secure First Federation building
Government says it has plans for the First Federation building Attorney General Anil Nandlall says that government is pushing forward in trying to gain full ownership of the First Federation building at Croal Street, Stabroek, which he says would be used to improve facilities for the justice system. Nandlall, who spoke to this publication, said that his ministry has filed proceedings against the occupants of the building. He said those proceedings were filed in the
Magistrates’ Court since those persons are tenants. Nandlall said that they had earlier filed a notice to quit and to give possession, but that did not deter them. According to the Minister, hopefully the process is not delayed and they would have possession of the building. He said that the edifice would first have to be renovated. Nandlall further disclosed that it will be used to house important offices for the judiciary.
The First Federation Building for decades has served as offices for a number of prominent Attorneys-atLaw. Occupants of the building also include a private school, and everyone has been issued notices. Lawyers who operate out of the building have challenged the move. Kaieteur News understands that several of the Attorneys, with offices in the building, have already commenced filing injunctions to stay the eviction notices.
A Cumberland East Canje resident was remanded to jail by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo after she entered a not guilty plea for him. This was after the accused had pleaded guilty with explanation. Twenty-four year-old Sylvester Joseph called ‘Squeaky’ of Victoria Street, Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice, was before the magistrate on a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. The court was told by Prosecutor Sergeant Godfrey Playter that around 01:05 hrs on Saturday December 29, 2012, a police mobile patrol was in the vicinity of Main and Pitt Streets,
New Amsterdam, when they noticed Joseph, who was carrying a bag, acting in a suspicious manner. He was stopped and searched, and in a camouflage bag he was carrying over his shoulder, nine Ziploc transparent plastic bags containing leaves, seeds and stems of what was suspected to be parts of the marijuana plant was found. He was told of the suspicion, arrested and taken to the Central Police Station where the contents were tested and weighed and found to be 43 grams of marijuana. Joseph was subsequently charged. He told investigators that someone sent him to buy the drugs, but he could give no plausible
description of the person. In court Joseph pleaded guilty, but told the magistrate that he does not know about the drugs. He said that he went to a popular bar in New Amsterdam and became drunk. He said he was standing by Pitt Street waiting to see how he could get home, when the police came up and started to beat him and brought a bag and put it over his shoulder and told him he has drugs on him. The magistrate, after listening to his story, changed his plea and entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Prosecutor Playter argued that there were no special reasons for bail to be granted. The Magistrate refused bail and fixed the matter for February 10.
Berbician remanded on ganja possession charge
added products and better marketing practices. “The issue here is how we can help without compromising our core functions,” he noted. Minister Persaud said that only stakeholders are best able to determine their own realities, not letter writers who reside in their own domain. He pointed out that short-term solutions to addressing challenges facing the sector will not work. The meeting, which attracted representatives of major companies and from the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association and the Forest Producers Association, was not intended to sanction anyone, Persaud further stressed. The issue of a revolving financial fund will be examined closely to see how it could be adapted to suit the forestry sector. This will be done with assistance from the banking sector and stakeholders in the near future, according to the Minister. It will help those in the sector to expand their investments. He further called on stakeholders to understand
what their customers want, particularly within the local sector. There is much more room for expansion, he observed, and emphasised however, that this can only be done with input and cooperation from all stakeholders. GFC’s Commissioner James Singh raised several concerns facing the agency which include the high volume of export of key wood species, low productivity, poor planning, high local prices, a lack of investing in training of local employees, low levels of retooling equipment and poor marketing. Commissioner Singh said that after consultations with the GFC’s board of directors, a comprehensive list of recommendations has been made. Some of these include the harvesting of more species to offset what has been described as the “creaming” of the forest. This refers to the harvesting of more well known trees versus lesser used species. Computerised monitoring of the sector to ensure better compliance, including timely submission of inventory data by forestry concessionaires will be implemented. There will
also be meetings with the GFC and individual concessionaires every two months and collective meetings with their senior representatives every three months. The GFC will also engage stakeholders in skills training for their various levels of employees through its Forestry Training Centre in Kingston, Georgetown. Currently, average production of allocated forestry blocks is around 33%, way below the GFC’s mandated 60% and this has to change, Commissioner Singh said if the sector is to increase to meet growing demands. Administrative policies will be instituted for undue delays in implementing the various recommendations he noted. Failure to do so can result in the suspension, or partial or complete repossession of concessions. A review of the Log Export policy is being done to ensure an adequate supply for the local market, he further added. Several concerns by forestry concessionaires were also raised and more meetings are planned to arrive at consensus to move the industry forward. (GINA)
Page 4
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Culture and Development The proposition that a local population’s viewpoints, values, and dispositions might have some bearing on local economic performance would hardly seem to be controversial. Decades ago, the great development economist Peter Bauer wrote that “economic achievement depends upon a people’s attributes, attitudes, mores and political arrangements.” But in Guyana, discussion of “culture”—much less its relationship to such things as work, thrift, savings, entrepreneurship, innovation, educational attainment, and other qualities that influence prospects for material advance—has always been off limits. To be sure, the record of historical efforts to predict and explain economic performance on the basis of cultural attributes is admittedly chequered. Up through the 1950s and even into the early 1960s, for example, researchers and self-styled experts were offering confident and detailed explanations of why “Confucian values” constituted a serious obstacle to economic development in East Asia. A decade or so later—after the huge boom all around the East Asian rim was well underway—the profession was still united in the consensus that the Confucian ethos mattered greatly in economic performance, but they had quietly shifted their estimate of that impact from negative to positive. With China’s success, the issue of Confucian values has continued to muddle the earlier smug assumptions. But we cannot throw out the baby with the bathwater: while the exact contents of the cultural apparatus may be arguable, it would be foolish to assert that our reactions to the imperatives of economic development, conditioned by our cultural repertoire, are irrelevant. It is possible that some values and habits necessary for development may be common to several civilizational cultures, and it would be necessary to identify and reinforce these if a country wants to join in the virtuous cycle of growth and development. Slavery and indentureship have left legacies that still linger powerfully in our culture and indeed in our psyches. Take for instance our attitudes towards savings. The rate of national savings is a crucial variable in the early stages of efforts to pull a nation on the path of sustainable development. The higher the rate of savings, the greater the amount of funds available for the banking system to intermediate into investments in the economy. Among Confucian values, thrift looms rather large, and we saw this playing out in the astronomical savings rates in the Far East and China during their development surge. In Guyana, we can appreciate the effects of culture on this variable by considering the differential imperatives promulgated by the regimes of slavery and indentureship. During slavery, there was little incentive for slaves to save since, in the absence of legal family relationships, the inheritance of property was not secured. During indentureship, on the other hand, the labourers could own and pass down property which encouraged them to save and invest in the future. But our own history also shows that there are other factors at work in inculcating and transmitting values. Even after the ravages of slavery, some ‘apprenticed’ freed slaves were able to save huge sums of monies, between 1834-1838, which they used to purchase land that formed the basis of the ‘village movement’. It was the policies of the government of the day that stymied that fledgling spirit of thrift and entrepreneurship. This gets us to the crucial issue of governance—which is shaped by, and in turn independently shapes, local attitudes, expectations, and motivations. There are, then, two aspects of culture to consider from this perspective: the effects of governmental policies to encourage values likely to further developmental goals and secondly the specific initiatives of the government to foster the same. With Mashramani around the corner, we ask once again, what values exactly do the activities sponsored by the government foster? Our experience between 1976-1992 illustrates the second imperative. Violent political instability and predatory, arbitrary, or plainly destructive state practices have shaken, or sometimes altogether destroyed, the institutions and legal rules upon which purposeful individual and collective efforts for economic betterment depend.
Friday January 25, 2013
Letters... Where your views make the news
Appeals to gag Rohee raises spectre of plans for Guyana DEAR EDITOR, Seemingly offended, he rips the Guyana constitution for its inadequacies. Yet unaware of his reliance on judicial empowerment through the same constitution so that “the courts have to start the constitutional reconstruction process” all over Mr. M Maxwell writes in the KN of 21-1-13, that “I read the Chief Justice’s ruling and while I am no attorney, I found the analysis and reasoning questionable and out of touch with the reality that obtains in Guyana.” His displeasure registered, Mr. Maxwell then dismisses and diminishes the Honourable Chief Justice as just “a single judge, in the first instance ruling on an issue that goes to the very heart of the nation’s constitutional future and the vitality of separation of powers (which) is not good enough, not when there are Appeal Courts with panels of judges with similar or greater experience to review the same matter.” Why is Mr. Maxwell none too pleased that Guyana’s Chief Justice Ian Chang has affirmed the constitutional rights - the highest law of the land - of Home Affairs Minister Mr. Clement Rohee to speak in parliament?. Can anyone but wish any effort well to fortify the PNC/ APNU’s legacy of crushing democratic freedom all over again by such appeals? Better still could it not give a better signal indication of what the future holds when that party inevitably regains
political power with the WPA and AFC as their shields? Nothing could be more tangential than inserting all one’s quarrels with the Burnham 1980 constitution as valid reasons why the Chief Justice should have constitutionally prevented the Home Minister from fulfilling his democratic and sworn legal responsibilities in parliament when he has not done anything wrong. So what else bugs Mr. Maxwell? Finding the Chief Justice decision so inadequate in addressing the constitution’s inherent flaws it made him very appalled to know that this ruling could “say Guyana has no separation of powers and that the Executive dominates every arm of government, including the Legislature, (which) is a grand euphemism” anyway as far as he is concerned. There is more which informs Mr. Maxwell’s ire. In completely rejecting the Honourable Chief Justice’s decision, and only now that the PPP/C is in power, Mr. Maxwell becomes confused why “some call our Guyana constitutional debacle a hybrid system when any basic student of politics knows it is a constitutional dictatorship. “We have a President who is not elected on his own in a separate election like the US or Mexico or South Africa. We have a President who essentially cheats his way to power by bypassing a direct election for the Presidency and by piggybacking onto a parliamentary election for members of the National
Assembly. “It matters not that this individual would have lost the Presidency to a better candidate if the President was separately elected”. By such passionate irrelevant, arguments, many conjectures included, can anyone still be in doubt why Mr. Maxwell still sincerely believes his disagreement ought to be taken seriously to invalidate the Home Minister’s constitutional right of free speech in parliament? Especially even if he has not done anything wrong? How much more should we go past the boundary line of reality into fantasy? In a matter before the court, Mr. Maxwell actually wants the Honourable Chief Justice to dismiss all the presented evidence from both sides all because our Maxwells really believe otherwise and instead condemn the Guyana constitution as itself flawed, irrelevant to Guyana and bereft of judicial relief from that which is the highest law of the land. Mr. Maxwell apparently is oblivious how much he has revealed of himself. Obviously he is unaware that it is the constitution which governs and brings into being the executive, legislature and judiciary. All the magnificence of Mexico, South Africa and of course the US in which Mr. Maxwell has become elevated in competence just by admiration has failed to correspondingly also instruct him about their individual and peculiar judicial firmaments. The US Supreme Court only
selects those cases which it wants to adjudicate. They alone decide what requires judicial relief or what, if any clarifications are of such importance to be of significance. More appeals are certainly available in all Guyana’s cases. Therefore Mr. Maxwell is himself quite free to achieve or encourage Speaker Raphael Trotman, to pursue every “right to appeal this ruling to higher courts who engage in grand societal analysis. A higher court may for instance, consider enforcing the National Assembly’s right to gag Ministers to improve the separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislature, and in doing so, to improve democracy and governance. “A simple decision like this from the Guyana Court ofAppeal or the CCJ effectively reconfigures the Guyanese political landscape for the better”. Asking the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to interpret Guyana’s constitution and determine its destiny cannot be more reminiscent of you know who’s proclivities to empower other than Guyanese to chart their future or decide what is “better”. In seeking any overturning of the Chief Justice constitutional unambiguous ruling let’s see if Mr. Maxwell can ensure or avert the AFC from being conjoined with excellent company for a cruise down Kaieteur Falls. Sultan Mohamed
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 5
Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
The PPP has done nothing to fix its fear of the PNC DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me to respond to Sultan Mohamed’s piece titled “Maxwell’s analysis of Ramkarran flawed” (KN, Jan 22, 2013). Mohamed was replying to my letter titled “Ramkarran fails to acknowledge that the PPP has become the PNC it so enduringly fears”. I found Ramkarran’s piece outstandingly written but otherwise lacking. Ramkarran is capable of eminent analysis as his recent piece on the problems facing the PPP avail. Mohamed has a problem with this statement “Ramkarran states that fear of the PNC has predominantly shaped the PPP’s psyche. If Ramkarran asserts this is the case, it very likely is how the PPP hierarchy thinks in Freedom House.” Is Mohamed trying to deny that Ramkarran who has been in the PPP for more than 30 years and who has been a PPP leader for decades and who has interacted with the current leadership of the PPP for a long time and who had undisputed access to the inner sanctum of the PPP for decades does not know the mindset, psyche, mentality
and tendencies of the PPP leadership, estrangement or not? I do not intend to address Mohamed’s many ramblings, which lack logical continuity and often passing relevance to the primary issues in my article. I stand by my statement that any party or group that lives in perpetual fear of another cannot rationalize or make informed decisions and will seriously expose and undermine itself as a result. The PPP and many of its supporters are trapped in an unhealthy paranoia and a cultural mental illness of fear of the PNC and what the PNC represents to them. It is time we as a nation address this problem for the PPP will never do so. We cannot have a major group of leaders who hold the reins of power in this country governed by trepidation just like we cannot have an entire ethnic group largely dominated by fear. Fear always produces failed leadership. It is time that the leadership of the largest ethnic group stop shrivelling and cowering in fear of a failed party that is supported
primarily by a smaller ethnic group. It is unhealthy, psychically destructive and miasmic for any group to be confined in absolute fear. It is even more despicable that that group and its leaders do virtually nothing to confront and fix that fear. Mohamed could dance and prance all over this fact as much as he wants but we have a serious problem in this country where an ethnic plurality psychologically behaves like an ethnic minority under siege and yet does nothing about it. For the sake of this country’s future, the PPP must graduate from being held hostage by effete political pansies to real leaders willing to break the psyche of fear. If in 20 years the PPP leadership cannot overcome its ridiculous fear even when it held the reins of power, what good will it serve its supporters and its primary Indian constituency who are declining in numbers with every passing year and will lose power at some point in the future? Mr. Mohamed must know that I do not care about the WPA and its betraying
dinosaurs joining forces with the PNC/APNU just like I do not care about the PPP, PNC/ APNU or the AFC. I care about Guyana. How does the gutlessness of the WPA leadership joining the PNC/ APNU minimize the gutlessness of the PPP, a party that has actually held power and retains a presidency that gives incredible power? What kind of fallacious reasoning is this when the much smaller WPA has given more blood and pain to the struggles against the PNC dictatorship than the PPP’s
leadership (few exceptions like Moses Nagamootoo) barking behind fences? Isn’t the PPP more cowardly to have that kind of power and do nothing to insulate its crippling fear? What has the PPP done with this incredible presidential power to fix its fear? Nothing, absolutely nothing. If you pursue and glorify racialized fear like the PPP did on the last election campaign, it signals cowardice to others. Mohamed does not want to accept that a minority of Indians are less fearful of the PNC today than before. But
this is fact and the election result confirmed it. I do not care for Mohamed’s selective pot shots at my article while refusing the address the bulk of its substance. I am taking this opportunity to start a debate on what Ramkarran has said about the PPP’s paralysis into catatonic fear of the PNC and its implications for not just Indians but all Guyanese. Has the PPP made its constituency and Guyanese in general better prepared to resist those things they fear if they ever materialize? M. Maxwell
Page 6
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Guyana should follow UK Referendum for Falklands DEAR EDITOR, The Falklands is in the midst of a political campaign to decide its political future – continued association with Britain as a dependent territory or full independence. The British government has decided to allow the people in the Falkland territories, located in the Southern hemisphere, to vote in a referendum – yes or no on the issue of independence. The vote is a response to
political pressure from the UNASUR (of which Guyana is a member) countries and the UN for England to address the status of the disputed territories. Argentina claims the territories and fought a war with Britain over them. The islands have been under British control since 1833 and there are reports that they are energy rich. Argentina has ratcheted its claim over the territories in recent years and has called
for negotiations over them. It is felt that a vote on what the population desires via a referendum would settle the matter with Argentina. The referendum will be free and fair and free from fear unlike the one that was conducted in 1980 in Guyana by the PNC dictatorship to replace the 1966 British imposed constitution. The political forces in Guyana (AFC, APNU, PNC and PPP) should follow the British
example and give our people the vote on whether they want to continue to be governed by the Burnham constitution of 1980 or return to the independence constitution which was abrogated without approval from voters. Or better yet, a referendum will allow Guyanese to decide whether they want to remain independent or return under the control of England as a
colony. Most Guyanese feel Guyana would be better off as an appendage to England or Canada or America and as such would not want to take chance with a vote that would put the politicians out of work. The older folks say they were far better off under British rule than during the last 46 years and they long for the return of “the White man”. In looking at photos being posted of gatherings discussing the vote and the waving of British flags, it is very clear which way the people will vote. I would be very surprised if less than 90 per cent vote against independence. Throughout the world, in recent years, when given the vote to break from the imperial country, the people of dependency territories vote to continue the status quo. They don’t want freedom. The Dutch recently allowed people of their islands in the Caribbean to vote on their status. They all rejected full independence. The same was done by the French in the Caribbean and French Polynesia and they said “nay”. Anguilla, Cayman, Turks, Caicos, Bermuda, Virgin Islands, etc. are all against independence. Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent, Jamaica, St. Lucia, etc. don’t want to
jettison the Queen as their Head of State. Worse, they don’t want to break from the Privy Council, except for Barbados. If Barbados had held a vote on breaking with the PC, it would have been rejected by over 90 per cent of the population. In NACTA polls I conducted year after year, over 90 per cent said they want to return to British rule or become a state or territory of America or Canada. Over 90 per cent of Guyanese prefer the Privy Council over the CCJ. The Falklands referendum is being held towards the end of the summer on March 10 and March 11 which is the opposite of the climate in the Northern Hemisphere. As a press statement notes, “The result will demonstrate in a clear, democratic and incontestable way how the people of the Falkland Islands wish to live their lives”. The same would be true if the politicians of the AFC, APNU, PNC and PPP allow a vote for Guyanese to decide their future. In the event that Falklanders reject UK rule, a second referendum on possible alternatives would be organized. But there won’t be a need for a follow up referendum. And if a vote is held in Guyana, almost every Guyanese would want to return to British rule. Vishnu Bisram
DEAR EDITOR, As I was reading this newspaper the caption caught my eye. It is strange that the nurse who was administering drugs in the ward on that fateful day was seen by the child’s mother and was spoken to because it was after visiting time when she arrived for her midday visit to her son, who was admitted for a simple puncture wound. She was given permission by the nurse to take his lunch to him, not knowing it would have been the last time both of them would interact with each other. Based on my understanding, I strongly feel that it was not any suspension in the syringe, but injection fluid. It has to be strange for someone to tell me I don’t have a cup so I am going to put your medication (liquid) in a syringe, when I am not on oral but injectable (intravenous). It shows here that the nurse is unprofessional doing things her lazy way. How could she gave a
wrong medication to a child and turn her back? When the G.M.O arrived they were only fooling the relatives who rushed in immediately after the doctor, they were trying to resuscitate a dead child. The minister should send home the matron and her seniors because they are responsible for not putting little things in place. The nursing association should have the nurse’s licence revoked if she is a qualified nurse because that institution has a lot of nurse aides working in place of qualified nurses. I feel the nurse needs to face the court and set example to others. There is a lot of malpractice at the hospital. They listen to no one. If all the deaths including maternal deaths are investigated at the institution, the jail cells that we have in Guyana cannot hold the culprits. Justice must be served J. Persaud
Explanation of teenager’s death at WDRH, “very strange”
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Letters... Where your views make the news...
The PPP does not fear the PNC DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me to make a comment on a piece published in the Stabroek News on January 20, entitled “Does the PPP really have fear of the PNC”. I submit that the PPP is afraid of the Bullish tactics of the PNC. For years the PNC has used bullies to carry out its political agenda. During the PNC’s time in Government many PPP leaders lived in fear of the PNC regime. Some were routinely arrested and placed in jail for absolutely no other reason than being a member or supporter of the PPP. Many were beaten up by thugs closely aligned to the PNC. The beatings did not stop when that sorrow of a party was booted out of office in 1992. As a matter of fact, the target was broadened to include business owners and other citizens mainly because of the ethnic background. All Guyanese have witnessed it, time and time again, the Bullish tactics that it used to keep Guyanese, especially those of Indian decent, in fear of the PNC. From the streets of Georgetown the endless buildings destroyed by fire after the late Leader Hugh
Desmond Hoyte made his statement of “Mo Fire, Slow Fire”, to the streets of Linden where we see yet another set of infrastructure damaged by thugs closely aligned to the PNC., again many business people were subject to robberies and to paying bribes to those same thugs who created havoc in that small community for weeks. Now their leaders are trying to use bullyism to once again put the PPP government on the back foot, by inserting the issue of a television licence into the agreement after that agreement was signed. So yes once again the PPP government is in fear of another flare up in Linden for the simple reason that the PPP want our entire population to live in peace and believe that none of our citizens should return to those dark, fearful days of PNC rule. The PPP is afraid of the PNC because it knows that at anytime the leaders can make an irresponsible statement that can obstruct our progress and interrupt our peace, like the ultimatum given to the PPP Government by the AFC, a protege of the PNC as it relates to Agricola in 2012. But the PPP is not afraid
of the PNC in terms of strength; the PPP still remains the most popular party in this country. The PPP has won every single election in Guyana since independence against the bullies who took many of those victories away from the PPP thus depriving Guyana of its democratically elected government. That all changed in 1992 albeit with the intervention of International organisations like the Carter Centre. No, the PPP is not afraid to contest any election against the PNC, or it’s subset the AFC, whether as one group or as two separate entities. History has shown that the PPP will always be connected to grassroot and would continue to advance the welfare of people. Because of its developmental agenda, this party remains strong and connected to the pulse of the people. So to sum it all up, the PPP is not afraid of the PNC as a contesting party but as an agent for disruption, who many times over seeks to destroy our country by inciting race, and using the criminal elements in our society to create confusion. Ossie Rodgers
DEAR EDITOR, Exposure to violence is a traumatic and frightening experience for children. It affects their growth and development with lifelong consequences. For many children, there is also physical abuse which goes hand in hand with the domestic violence that their mothers experience. Not only are some children harmed by being beaten, but witnessing domestic violence can be harmful as well. In some societies, child abuse is five times more likely to occur in families where there is domestic violence. Women who are victims of domestic violence may also be unable to provide proper nurturing and physical care for the children, resulting in them being neglected. Unfortunately, the impact on children unless it is visible, goes largely ignored. There is scientific evidence to show that children’s brains are affected from a very early age when they are exposed to domestic violence. Some of the other effects of exposure to domestic violence are- 1) difficulties in education, in that they have trouble with concentration and learning. 2) Difficulties socializing with others. 3) Sadness and depression. 4) State of anxiety and other
psychological problems. During teenage years, children are at a greater risk for drug abuse, early pregnancy, and criminal activities. As they grow, children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to be abusers themselves, or victims. There tends to be more aggressive behaviour like bullying by some. Because every child is different and experience the violence in different ways, the consequences manifest in varying ways. In fact, some children are more resilient than some and do not show negative consequences. It would be
naïve to think that any only child being exposed to violence against a parent would not have some reaction which would be temporary and long lasting. The bottom line is that domestic violence is harmful to any parent and their child. Efforts to eradicate this serious problem need to continue. No adult or child should experience any form of violence. P.S. Although I refer to the mother as the victim and the father as the perpetrator, I am sure that in the minority of cases, the father is the victim. N. Sookraj
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Page 7
Page 8
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Power protection failure Tickets for eye care prog. in Upper C’tyne causing Berbice blackouts - GPL The Corriverton Lions Club has issued tickets to religious organizations and prominent people in the Corriverton, Corentyne area for distribution to persons who can benefit from their eye care programme, scheduled to be held early February. The exercise will commence on February 11, shortly after the arrival of 17 Optometrists from the Kemsville Lions Club of Canada , Public Relations Officer Linden Murray disclosed. The programme will last for five days, concluding on February 15, and the doctors
plan to attend to at least two hundred persons daily. The venue will be the Masjid at #79 Village. The Corriverton Lions Club is providing meals, accommodation as well as looking after other logistics for the visiting team which had held a successful exercise at Bath Settlement, West Coast of Berbice, last year. The team will travel to Orealla on the Corentyne River on February 16 to conduct clinics there on the following day (Feb 17). Murray said that religious organizations and prominent individuals have been given
the task of issuing tickets to persons to prevent misuse of access to the doctors. “These organizations and prominent individuals know who the needy persons are and so can identify genuine ones,” he said. Murray disclosed that the programme is being held in the upper Corentyne, but will accommodate persons from outside of this geographic area. Persons desirous of benefitting from examinations and treatment can contact the Corriverton Lions Club on telephone number 339-2765.
The Guyana Power & Light Inc (GPL) Berbice generation capacity has been affected since the new year began. Berbicians have entered 2013 with rolling blackouts almost on a daily basis. The power company’s Area Manager, Ayube Bacchus, has stated that the reason for the frequent outages is that the schematic protective mechanism on the 5-Megawatt Number Four Mirlees Blackstone Unit at the Canefield Power Station has been damaged. “It’s a technical problem that lies within a couple of our engine protections. It could be over-speed or a number of reasons behind those protections,” he explained. “Those protections are there for safety, and the fact that we are so cautious about it is because that’s our safety net and we don’t want to compromise the safety of the engine, so we need to approach this with maximum precaution, and that takes time, because we want to ensure that the engine protections are functioning properly.” The aggravating outages last from one to four hours, two to three times daily. “We have narrowed the problem down to Canefield and we have been collecting data from that generating facility and analyzing those data to come up with appropriate action plans, whereby we can resolve the technical difficulties that we
have been faced with. We are at a position now where the problem has been identified. It’s a question of time…when to take the unit out and to address it. We have to maintain generation and the window for doing this corrective work is very limited.” Bacchus stated that the other main generating set at the station, the Number 3 Mirlees Engine is currently being overhauled. “This is on major overhaul and is not due back until the end of February. This generator provides another 5 megawatts to the Berbice Interconnected System. The unit is usually taken out of operation after 12,000 hours of operation, opened and
inspected. As a result, the Number Four Unit along with a few Caterpillar sets at Canefield, have to feed the brunt of electricity from that station to the grid. We rely on Onverwagt Power Station as a voltage stability station and they have one base-load engine there which we are depending on.” “GPL is sincerely apologizing for the inconvenience and frustration that our customers are facing, but I assure them that we are making every possible effort to correct the situation. Our staff is working numerous hours to fix this and we are on very high alert to monitor our units during this period.” Currently in the system, 24 megawatts are available, with a peak demand of 18 megawatts and 14 during the daytime. Bacchus blamed the highest number of blackouts in 2012—247—on the increased maintenance schedules within the system. “We also did a lot of engine maintenance and the 247 is a combination of planned work in those outages and some of it also was due to unscheduled maintenance that affected the system—but yes, the 247 is high, but we are working to address that and hope to cut that back down this year significantly, even though we started the year badly, we can still pull it back and minimize as best as we can.”
and Jamaica. The flight will operate four times weekly from Kingston and services will include two checked bags, free meals on all flights and service in all cabins. Fly Jamaica had been working 14 months to get itself in order according to aviation rules. The airliner received its air operating certificate in September 2012 from the J a m a i c a C i v i l Av i a t i o n Authority (JCAA). The certificate gives authorization to operate as an airline. In December 2011, Fly Jamaica received clearance from authorities in the United States, which meant that the airline has the capital to operate, with operating schedules out of JFK being recently finalized. Fly Jamaica operates a
single Boeing 757-200 aircraft that accommodates approximately 200 passengers, and is manned by 80 employees. Apart from Ronald R e e c e , t h e a i r c r a f t ’s partners include the company’s Chief Executive Officer, and three Jamaican shareholders. Fly Jamaica is entering the market at a time when airlines such as REDjet, the Caribbean’s first low-cost carrier, early last year announced indefinite suspension of its flights, claiming its inability to compete with airlines in the region that are subsidized by governments. It is also coming at a time when chartered carrier, EZjet, ceased its extremely low fare flights after its owner was arrested in the US and charged for fraud.
GPL Berbice Manager, Ayube Bacchus
Fly Jamaica takes off today
After making serious strides to fulfill rigorous regulatory aviation requirements, Jamaican air carrier, Fly Jamaica, which is partly owned by Aircraft Owners’ Association of Guyana executive, Ronald Reece, will officially take to the skies today. The aircraft’s inaugural flight is scheduled to depart the John F. Kennedy airport in New York. Moves are already being made for the airliner to service Guyana. The airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Captain Lloyd Tai had said to reporters that “Initially, we will fly to New York; however, plans are in the pipeline to also fly to Toronto and also Guyana. Full service will also be offered, especially on our long flights when passengers will get a full meal. We are also competitive in terms of our prices,” Tai advertised. It was further mentioned that the venture would significantly reduce the challenges posed when travelling between Guyana
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 9
BEAUTIFUL, BUT NO LONGER IMPOSING A building to behold need not be imposing. Way up on the Corentyne, there is a small, delightful Baptist Church that shows that small can be beautiful. The grand churches of Georgetown are of course falling apart and being pulled down. Last year, the old St Barnabas Church was demolished. It had been sold by the Anglican Church to a private concern who will no doubt be erecting a huge structure on the site. The St. Barnabas Church had to come down because it was too costly to maintain. For years, it was an eyesore, had begun to tilt, and was in a state of such disrepair that vagrants used it as public toilet. With a dwindling congregation and the state of ruin to which it had descended, the Anglican Church had little choice but to place it on the auction block. Not far away from that structure is the St. George’s Cathedral, which some insane person or persons actually attempted to torch during the disturbances that followed the 1997 elections. The St. George’s Cathedral is at no risk of being torn down, but it is not in the best of shape also, and could do with some financial help from all those
who are concerned about the fate of Guyana’s historic buildings. The St. George’s Cathedral is an example of a beautiful building that was imposing. For decades it stood out in the heart of the capital, since it towered above all other buildings. Size is always relative, and while St George’s Cathedral would be like a matchbox against some of the buildings in Manhattan, for example, in Georgetown, it was the giant in a small city of a small country. So imposing was the Cathedral that for years Guyanese deluded themselves into believing that it was actually the tallest wooden building in the world. For years, we were busy filling our children’s brains with the false idea that somehow Guyana was in the record books when it came to the St. George’s Cathedral. It may have been the tallest wooden church in the world, but it is not the tallest wooden building on the planet. We mislead ourselves about a great many things in Guyana. At one time, we even boasted about having the longest floating bridge in the world. When it was pointed out that there were much longer floating structures in
Dem boys seh...
De clique frighten bad Snake does strike out when it frighten; tame dog does bite when it get corner and don’t talk ‘bout cat. When a cat ain’t got nowhere to run is trouble. It does tun back pun de people who attacking it. Well some people like de cat. Dem boys notice that de hard Times paper lashing out at people who talk ‘bout de wholesale scampishness that going on, especially when it concern drugs. De drugs racket been going on fuh a long time, but people never know because dem always use to believe that wha de government do is right. Is when dem people eyes open that dem realize how easy dem money was disappearing. Bar Bee is a tame cat but he friend, de Rat, is de one that lashing out. Everything that appear in de Hard Times paper is he write. De other day he write suh till he couldn’t even mek sense. That happening because he scared. He shame with the things dem boys exposing about dem. He is de richest man in de region and he worried that de people gun tek back all de money. But he done spend nuff. He spend pun property; he invest in assets and he try fuh hide most in India and China.
All ah dem friends and families getting to know dem dutty, nasty and thieving stories, and dem boys ain’t dun wid dem yet, is now we start fuh expose dem. So dem gat fuh tek a lot more shame If is one thing is that nutten don’t happen and de Feds don’t know. Dem does follow de money to de last and that is how dem ketch Sonny Ass-tin. Is de people money that use to fly Easy Come Easy Go. Sonny was talking to Brazzy and Rosy when de Feds ketch he hiding in de li’l basement in Queens. Dem hear when he tell de Rat and Brazzy that dem got to help he because he help dem. Brazzy cut good card. He shut he mouth, but de Rat tell he that he deh pun he own. Bar Bee is de one who tremble because de Easy Come Easy Go plane was to bring in some drugs to mek up fuh wha disappear and wha dem was trying fuh put back. Is when de plane get stick up, because de owners owe people, that de auditor find out that $222 million worth of drugs never come to Guyana. De pumpkin jumpsuits waiting and dey got dem in all size. De clique frighten bad. Talk half and watch how dem scamp man trembling.
other parts of the world, we took comfort in saying that it was the longest floating “socialist” bridge in the world. Norway is constructing a huge wooden building that is going to make the St. George’s Cathedral look like a picket fence. But it is not so much the competition from outside of Guyana that is the main source of worry for those heritage lovers of the Cathedral. The main source of worry is that the Cathedral is now dwarfed in size by a neighbouring building. Just
across the road from the Cathedral, a huge bank has been built. That is a sign of the continuing progress in Guyana. But it has reduced the imposing presence of the Cathedral, because if you go to the top floor of that building, you are basically at the same level as the roof of the cathedral. A building is only imposing relative to those around it. The Cathedral had long been imposing because most of the nearby structures were smaller in size. It therefore stood out from the crowd. It is no longer as
imposing. This beautiful wooden building is now boxed into a number of huge concrete structures which are taking shape around the city. A few years ago, a mural of what Georgetown would look like in the future was unveiled at GuyExpo. It showed a modern city with high-rise buildings. That plan is taking shape not only in Georgetown, but throughout Guyana. And with that, all the old buildings of Georgetown, including structures like the Stabroek Market, on which billions were spent over the
years in maintaining, are simply going to be hardly noticeable. That unfortunately is the price that is often paid for modernity.
Page 10
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===
I challenge President Ramotar, Dr. Paloma Mohamed and Vincent Alexander
I am aware of the threats of libel that hangs over my head as a commentator. The threats come from the corridors of power. I am aware of the trouble I can cause the newspaper I write for and the price I can pay if the newspaper is annoyed. Years ago, I received a libel from Dr. Hughley Hanoman as a columnist with the Stabroek News. I will never ever forget the thought that went through my mind as I stepped onto the Robb Street pavement outside the Stabroek News. I couldn’t believe what Mr. David de Caires told me when
I was in his office to discuss the libel. I looked to the skies and I wondered to the stars where in my life did I go wrong. The issue was the milk controversy surrounding Dr Hughley Hanoman. All the private media, including the Stabroek News, wrote what I penned in my column but only I got sued. Mr. de Caires informed me that I have to secure my own attorney because the paper’s lawyer, Mr. Miles Fitzpatrick would defend the paper only and not me. A good lawyer came to my rescue. In my memoirs which I hope to
complete before I die, there will be a lengthy discussion on the venom and dislike Mr. Fitzpatrick has directed to me. He is one of the persons I resent in this life because of the things he has done to me. But I learned from that incident that when you write, be careful, because if you get the newspaper into trouble you can end up in boiling water. So I am about to pen a statement here that I am fully prepared to back by calling on the Registrar of the University of Guyana to deny what is written below. I know Mr. Vincent Alexander very
well. I believe he is a person of integrity. We were born a corner from each other in Wortmanville. Here is my challenge to Mr. Alexander. In December, the Faculty of Social Sciences held a retreat in Essequibo and it was financed by the Office of the President. I call on Mr. Alexander to deny that. I call upon the two independent dailies, KN and SN to ask Mr. Alexander, President Ramotar and the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Dr. Paloma Mohamed, to deny that. How can the University safeguard its independence when the Office of the President finances a retreat of lecturers from a section of the University to discuss internal business? Dr. Mohamed invited the President to attend; he did so and gave a partisan speech. A retreat is a very important strategy meeting for brainstorming to which outsiders are not invited. Any management specialist would tell you that. I was told by five lecturers that they were not informed that the President would be coming. That, of course, doesn’t mean that
lecturers were not notified. Dr. Paloma Mohamed heads a committee to plan the 50th anniversary of the University. Dr. Mohamed nominated President Ramotar to be honoured on the occasion. Nothing can be more curious than this decision. I may be wrong and I am subject to correction, but before he became President in December 2011, Mr. Ramotar never worked in the public sector. As a young man he was employed at GIMPEX, the PPP’s commercial arm. Then at GAWU, then left for eight years for Czechoslovakia, then at Freedom House then became the General Secretary of the PPP. After the PPP came to power, he lived in a Stateowned house in Castellani compound by the swimming pool. I wrote about that and the Government replied to say that Mr. Ramotar was entitled to live in a government home because he was a director at GuySuCo. At the time I did not and still do not recognize that as a public service job. A director of GuySuCo, the Post
Frederick Kissoon Office, Forestry Commission, UG Council etc., is not engaged in public service in the mainstream sense of the word. That is my opinion. Dr. Mohamed has to explain on what basis Donald Ramotar, only one year into his presidency, is being honoured on the 50th anniversary of UG. What are the criteria used? It cannot be his contribution to academia. He has never been a practicing academic. He has no outstanding record as a UG student. He did not graduate with distinction (by the way; he was a student of mine). He never lectured at UG. Donald Ramotar has no record of substantial contribution to UG. Can this anniversary committee please explain? Jagan started UG. Burnham made it come to life. Jagdeo created its Berbice arm. Why Ramotar?
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 11
Page 12
Kaieteur News
Appeal Court rules in favour of Toucan Suites owner
The Toucan Suites Guest House in February 2000, shortly after it was destroyed by the Joint Services during their gun battle with Linden ‘Blackie’ London After 13 years, the case of N&R Company Limited, owners of the Toucan Suites Guest House, versus the Guyana government, seems to have come to an end, with the Appeal Court awarding judgment in favour of N&R. The matter involving Norman Trotz, owner of Toucan Suites Guest House, which was located in Eccles, East Bank Demerara, the Attorney-General of Guyana, the Commissioner of Police and the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, was heard by Chancellor Justice Carl Singh, Justice B.S. Roy and Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards. The court ordered “It is by consent ordered that the Terms of Settlement dated the 7th day of January, 2013, by and between the parties herein be and is hereby deemed an order of this court.” Back in 2008, Justice Jainarayan Singh Jr. presiding in the High Court, awarded judgment in the sum of $125M with six percent interest to Norman Trotz, the owner of the Toucan Suites Guest House, which was destroyed by the Joint Services during the final hours of a confrontation between the army, the police and Linden London called ‘Blackie’ in February 2000.
The judgment was handed down in October 2008 following lengthy submissions by the then Attorney General Doodnauth Singh representing the state, and attorney at law Andrew Pollard, counsel for N&R Co. Limited, owned by Norman Trotz. The Government appealed that decision, but a ruling has now been made in favour of Trotz. But even before the appeal, Attorney General Doodnauth Singh had consented to judgment in favour of Trotz. He so advised the Bharrat Jagdeo government. On February 8, 2000, members of the Joint Services went to the property to apprehend notorious fugitive Linden ‘Blackie’ London who was hiding there in one of the apartments. A fierce gun battle ensued for almost 11 hours during which the Joint Services comprising the Target Special Squad and ranks from the Guyana Defence Force doused the premises with gasoline and proceeded to ignite it to force London out. The Joint Services also used five anti-tank missiles which created huge craters in the walls of the building. In the end, the building was completely destroyed. The property owner,
Friday January 25, 2013
Stewartville fatal fire…
Blaze caused by child playing with matches A source at the Guyana Fire Service has confirmed that Wednesday evening’s fire which claimed the life of three-week-old, Alisha Boodram, was as a result of a young child playing with matches. This publication was told that during an interview with officials from the Fire Service, the six-year-old boy who was left with the infant, reportedly told the authorities that he was playing with matches and it fell on the bed on which the baby was sleeping. The child further related that after the mattress caught fire he ran out of the house.
The Lot 116 Second Street, Stewartville, West Coast Demerara property was occupied by two families and also housed a furniture workshop. Reports are that
around 20:30hrs, the mother of the 23-day-old infant, 18year-old Samantha Boodram, left the baby under the supervision of the six-yearold boy to go to the shop. Upon returning, she saw the entire house engulfed in flames. The young mother claimed that it was the first time she had left her baby alone. There were reports that persons had seen someone throwing something into the house and shortly after the blaze was seen. However all this has been dispelled as fire officials have concluded their preliminary investigation.
The Ministry of Legal Affairs, through the Attorney General Anil Nandlall on Wednesday last launched the online version of the Official Gazette. According to Nandlall, this new development is another example of the government displaying its commitment to strengthening the judiciary. He emphasised that this is the first time something of this nature has been done. Nandlall explained that making the information which will be contained within the Official Gazette available to the entire world is of utmost importance, as scores of Guyanese residing overseas are becoming more interested in owning land and in the affairs of the country. The AG further explained that the relevant Bill seeks to
establish for the first time, a statutory footing for the Official Gazette and make that document more accessible to Guyanese and others by placing it online on a government website. “When one looks and reflects upon the number of important notices and functions which are by law required to be published by the Official Gazette, it is a great travesty that it does not reach the ordinary citizen in a timely manner, or at all. This bill, in its second component, seeks to correct that omission. The other aspect that the bill seeks to address is a common problem known to all of us, as we receive regularly the complaint that the Official Gazette is not published on time, not available, or as easily accessible as it should be to the ordinary people,” Nandlall said.
He added: “There is a need to tread the technological path, as it is an accepted fact that the world is going in that direction; as such, unless Guyana implements policies, changes the structures and promulgates structures that ensure it is a part of that global trend, then it is likely that we will be left behind as a country. “In putting this Official Gazette online, not only are we taking our development up a notch on the technological ladder, but we are resorting to a course that we are almost certain will improve the situation of nonaccessibility.” Stressing the importance of the document, Nandlall explained that one only has to examine the interpretation and general clauses of Act Chapter 2:01, to glean the various pivotal functions which the Official Gazette performs.
Dead: Alisha Boodram
Online version of Official Gazette launched
Norman Trotz, the owner of Toucan Suites Norman Trotz, initially engaged the government with a view to being compensated, but was unsuccessful. The government reportedly claimed that the building was being used to house a wanted person. Two years later, on February 15, 2002, a frustrated Trotz initiated proceedings in the High Court. The action was finally heard by Justice Jainarayan Singh Jr. who subsequently granted judgement. The court found that Trotz’s fundamental right was violated - that he was deprived of his property as guaranteed by Article 40 and Article 142 of the Constitution of Guyana. That right had been violated by the security forces.
Mazaruni River crash…
Five bodies recovered to date Search and rescue officials have to date recovered the remains of five of the persons involved in the horrific accident in the Mazaruni River on Tuesday last. According to a statement from the Police, the remains of Jermaine Calistro, 27, of Boodhoo Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE); Ulric Grimes, 39, of Salem, EBE; Christopher Narine, 21, of Parika, EBE; and Zahir Baksh, 34, of Kaneville, EBD, were recovered as of midafternoon yesterday. The fifth body, that of 52year-old Jewan Seeram, was recovered near the scene of the mishap yesterday afternoon. The search for the other
missing persons is continuing with the involvement of the Joint Services, Maritime Administration (MARAD), miners and public-spirited individuals of the community, among others. Those still listed as missing are Keanu Amsterdam and his brother Ricky Bobb of Barr Street, Kitty, Devon Moses, Frances Oliviero Alves, Christopher Narine and another male who has only been identified as ‘Tall man’. Initial reports are that one boat carrying passengers was coming out of one location while another laden with fuel was heading in the opposite direction. The incident
occurred at a ‘blind turn’ in the vicinity of Crab Falls. Transport Minister Robeson Benn had reported that the two boats, one with 12 passengers and another with nine, collided at around 12:30 hours on Tuesday. Several other persons were treated at the Bartica Regional Hospital for injuries. These included 40-year-old Francisca Helena Rodrigues, a Brazilian of Bartica; Marion Ferreira, 19, of Parika; Aubrey Bowen, 29, of Parika; Donita Daniels, 22, of Parika, and Devon Thomas, one of the boat captains. The other boat captain has been identified as Kobesh Persaud.
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 13
GDF supports Health Ministry’s malaria outreach
Members of the response team just prior to boarding t he GDF’s Skyvan for departure to Kamarang. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) recently provided logistical support to the Ministry
of Health, in the m i n i s t r y ’s o u t r e a c h i n the community of Waramadong, following
a reported outbreak of malaria there. T h e G D F, a t t h e request of the Minister
Corporal Odwin Bouyea of the GDF Medical Corps helps to load supplies of Health, made available its Skyvan to transport the members of the response team and their
equipment into Kamarang and back to the city. The response team
comprised two members of the GDF’s Medical Corps and nine staffers from the Ministry of Health.
Page 14
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Businessman gunned down in hotel yard - cameras record victim’s attempt to flee from killer A gunman dressed in a white tee-shirt and black pants chased 37 year old businessman Intaz Roopnarine to the back of the Cool Square Hotel in Marigold Street, West Ruimveldt, at around 05:30 hrs yesterday, and then shot him dead. Roopnarine, called ‘Bobby’, of 169 Mandela Avenue, collapsed and died near a septic tank. There was a bullet wound on the dead man’s head. The attack occurred just as Roopnarine was leaving the hotel. Police sources said that surveillance footage shows Roopnarine, with his licenced firearm in hand, and a security guard, fleeing for their lives, with the alleged killer, gun in hand, in full pursuit. Roopnarine was reportedly wearing several pieces of expensive jewellery at the time and Kaieteur News understands that one of the slain man’s gold bands and a gold chain were missing. A police release stated that the perpetrator is believed to have fled with the victim’s personal jewellery, which
seemed to confirm reports by family members that robbery was the motive. Police recovered the businessman’s firearm near his body. A female friend who was with Roopnarine escaped unhurt. She has been questioned by the police. Despite viewing footage of the attack, police said that they were yet to make an arrest. Kaieteur News was told that Roopnarine had booked a room at the hotel on Wednesday night. While he was in the room, a hotel security guard observed a man fitting the description of the gunman lurking near the hotel, but the man’s presence apparently did not arouse any suspicion. This newspaper understands that at around 05:30 hrs, Roopnarine and a female emerged from the hotel. The woman was entering a car which was parked nearby and Roopnarine was just walking through the hotel gate when the gunman attacked. According to reports, Roopnarine and the security
Intaz Roopnarine guard saw the gunman and retreated to the compound. Roopnarine, with his gun drawn, then ran to the back of the compound with the gunman in pursuit. One resident alleged that the businessman was attempting to scale the hotel fence but slipped and fell near a septic tank. He was then shot. Kaieteur News understands that the
Undertakers removing the body of Intaz Roopnarine (inset) from the scene shooting was not captured on the surveillance cameras. However, the footage showed the killer, dressed in white teeshirt, black pants and white cap fleeing on foot.
One resident claimed that two gunmen attacked Roopnarine and that they escaped on motorcycles. A relative told Kaieteur News that they learned about
the tragedy after receiving a telephone call. Roopnarine’s wife identified her slain spouse at the scene. The victim is also survived by two children, aged seven and two.
Freedom and justice are priceless and must be safeguarded
- President Ramotar stresses at Youman Nabi celebration
President Donald Ramotar addressing the gathering at the Peter’s Hall Masjid on the occasion of Youman Nabi (GINA photo) President Donald Ramotar paid a special visit to the Peter’s Hall Jamaat as Muslim brothers and sisters gathered yesterday to celebrate the birth of their prophet, Muhammad. According to the Government Information Agency (GINA, in his address to the gathering at the Youman Nabi celebration, the President said that unlike many others, Guyanese enjoy freedom. He posited that, “freedom and justice are priceless things,” and that, “we must guard our freedom as Government continues to fight to protect the rights of Guyanese”. He added that to make concession for injustice is wrong, irrespective of who
that person may be. President Ramotar encouraged the gathering to dedicate themselves to the development of the country; to raising the quality of life for people. A significant portion of the National Budget is allocated to social sectors with the aim of benefitting citizens; empowering them through education and things that will give them security. The President drew attention to the current situation in some parts of the world. He said that, “we should give our solidarity to those people who are fighting for their freedom” and implored that people should let their voices be heard. “We must see our world as one. We must also
understand now, too, that what happens in one part of the world can have effects on us…in one way or the other. Such issues as food security, climate change, poverty and environmental degradation, are concerns for everyone.” Secretary to the Peter’s Hall Jamaat, Skeik Salim, lauded the President for his commitment to the people of Guyana. Salim said that the Peter ’s Hall Jamaat appreciates the President’s focus on building meaningful relationships in the religious community and the international arena. He welcomed Mr. Ramotar’s encouragement to consider the people of other nations who are still fighting for their freedom and human rights.
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 15
Guyana partners with int’l body to protect its jaguars Guyana is working with an international partner to protect one of its most prized animals…the jaguar. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, it is signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Panthera Corporation (Panthera), aimed at conserving Guyana’s national animal, the Jaguar. Guyana is the latest country to partner with Panthera on a regional effort to conserve the species, and facilitate genetic flow between important Jaguar habitats. “The MOU provides a framework for research and surveys on the Jaguar, public education on the behaviours of these large cats, and the examination of economic opportunities associated with Jaguar conservation,” the Ministry said yesterday. Under the MOU, Panthera will be providing technical and scientific expertise on conservation priorities, Jaguar movement models and other resources aimed at facilitating long term benefits to local stakeholders, and the country as a whole. “The MOU will also provide a solid foundation for new initiatives to understand
and mitigate conflicts between humans and jaguars. These initiatives may include grants for local researchers and research institutions and the development of a conflict response mechanism to deal with problem animals.” Panthera, which is the world’s leading wildcat conservation group, is currently spearheading the International Jaguar Corridor Initiative - an ambitious plan to conserve jaguars and work with both protected and nonprotected areas to ensure that people and wildlife can coexist. With the signing of the MOU, Guyana will now be in a better position to benefit from this regional project. The Ministry said it has identified the newly created Protected Areas Commission (PAC) as the focal agency for this important initiative. The PAC will shortly be moving the MOU forward with the development of subagreements and project documents for on-theground implementation. Much of the initial work under the MOU will focus on research, education, and identifying opportunities for Jaguar conservation and related tourism initiatives. The jaguar, which Guyanese locals call the big
cat ‘tiger’, which outside of its girth (after the lion and tiger, the jaguar (Panthera onca) is the third-largest feline in the world, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere), and can be identified by its tawny yellow coat and beautiful markings of black spots, or rosettes, forming broken circles around a small central spot. The only Panthera species found in the Americas, jaguars can also be differentiated from other big cats in the region by their large head, short, stocky legs, and sturdy body. Jaguars are built more for stealth and sudden capture than long-distance running. They are considered uncommon throughout their entire range. They are listed as CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix I (threatened with extinction), and on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, the jaguar is Near Threatened. In Guyana, the solitary creatures are often spotted along trails or gaps along the forest edge where roads or rivers run. Sightings are most common in the Iwokrama Forest, especially along the main roadway.
Regional merchants face new US withholding tax Under new rules added to the US Tax Code in January 2012, credit card processing companies must now collect and verify the tax identification number (TIN) and legal name associated with that number for each merchant customer. Section 6050W of the US Internal Revenue Code now requires merchant-acquiring entities in the US such as American Express to document the status of any US or foreign business they settle transactions with. Although section 6050W is aimed at American taxpayers, who have to provide their taxpayer identification number, foreign merchants using the payment services are subject to the regulation if their establishment has a physical address or bank account in the US, or if it processes transactions in US dollars, as it is the case with credit cards. All transactions using US-based credit cards are subject to an automatic 28 percent withholding tax unless the merchant is compliant with new regulations. So far, American Express appears to be the only company enforcing this
law, although it should eventually apply to all USbased cards. To comply with the regulation, regional businesses that accept US credit cards have to complete US tax form W-8BEN to certify their status as a non-US merchant and submit it to their payment processing provider. Kevin Teslyk, managing director of Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited, expressed concern that no financial institution will be spared. He said that American Express is getting “huge feedback” from clients globally, both from cardholders and merchants carrying out transactions. “The larger customers have dealt with this and completed the form. So I think it is broadly reaching a number of others that are feeling the impact right now,” he explained. “We are proactively working with clients. It hit us on Monday of this week and we are now assisting clients.” Fortunately, he noted that only American Express customers have been hit thus far, which represents a relatively small portion of the market. Visa and MasterCard appear to be giving clients
more time to transition. “The industry was surprised by the effective date. This is an IRS withholding that American Express is making on behalf of them in the settlement of payment. This is not financial institutions withholding the amount,” he added. If there is a discrepancy between the merchant’s TIN and associated legal name in the credit card processing company records and IRS records, or if the merchant does not provide a TIN, the IRS now requires the processing company to withhold 28 percent of the merchant’s future payment credit card transactions until the issue is resolved. The ‘back up withholding’ provision of the law went into effect for transactions on and after January 1, 2013, according to a recent warning by the Bahamas Hotel and To u r i s m Association (BHTA). The new law represents another effort by the US government to boost transparency and possible tax collection for Americans overseas. (Caribbean News Now)
GPHC’s mortuary to be modernised Plans are in the pipeline to improve the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Mortuary, according to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Michael Khan. The CEO made this disclosure last week during a donation/presentation at the hospital’s Maternity Unit. Khan said that the hospital recently received some new equipment which will be used to update the mortuary and according to him, “the incidence of the rats, will be a thing of the past.” In October last, family members of 20-year-old Sule Brian Assanah, were greeted with a disturbing sight when
they appeared at the GPHC’s Mortuary for their dead relative’s post mortem Examination. The 20-year-old died after his neck slashed by a knifewielding assailant, in the presence of a policeman. According to information, the unarmed police officer had approached the suspect who was wanted for another offence. Assanah reportedly interjected, asking the suspect why he was giving the police a hard time. The man who was seated on a bicycle reportedly got off, slit the 20-year-old’s throat and rode away. The 20-year-old was pronounced dead at the
GPHC and on the day of the post mortem, family members noticed that the left side of Assanah’s face had been nibbled at, while his nose had been completely eaten. An investigation was launched into the incident and it was confirmed that rats had eaten part of the dead man’s face. Since then, maintenance work was being done at the facility to improve its services. Last week, Michael Khan also explained that the hospital tries to improve its services on a daily basis. He added that another plan for this year is to do more training with the staffers at the facility.
Page 16
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Local Govt. Ministry targets delinquent Environmental Health Officers In an effort to tackle the issue of the non-performance of Environmental Health Officers (EHO) across the country, the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry on Wednesday hosted a workshop. This was held at the International Convention Centre at Liliendaal on the East Coast of Demerara, and was attended by approximately 95 Environmental Health Officers from the 10 administrative regions. Among the EHOs, are the Environmental Health Assistants (EHAs) and the Senior Environmental Health Officers (SEHOs) stationed at Local Government organs including the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), and Municipalities. Present at the head table were Minister within the Ministry of Local Government, Norman Whittaker; Permanent Secretary to the said Ministry, Collin Croal, and Director of the Central Board of Health, and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud. The workshop was held under the theme ‘Enhancing the practice of Environmental Public Health in the Local Government System’, and aimed at educating EHOs about their roles and responsibilities to their respective communities. According to Whittaker, it was during the Ministry’s recently concluded annual retreat that a review was done into the performances of Local Government staff in the various sectors and programs. This evaluation revealed that Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) were underperforming; being paid to do little or nothing. It was as a result of this that the workshop was put together. Whittaker said that the
from poultry farms in residential areas, street side vending and others. Chief Medical Officer, Dr.
Shamdeo Persaud, in his presentation, highlighted the legal components attached to the office of the EHO. The last
act tabled in the National Assembly, he said, focused on public health practitioners. The Allied Health Professionals Act requires that all public health officers be registered and annually licenced by the medical council in order to execute their duties. In addition to this, EHOs are also mandated to attend at least four medical education programmes. The credits for these must be attained before being licenced to practice in Guyana. Dr. Persaud also emphasised that this aspect aids in advancing the officer’s education and capabilities. He pointed out that public health in Guyana goes back to the colonial past when the Public Health Ordinance was created in 1934. Since then, many countries have evolved, nevertheless Guyana’s old ordinance remains. He said however, that the ordinance is expected to be upgraded sometime in the future.
The nursing curriculum is set to be redefined, whereby nursing trainees are more exposed to training in mental health intervention. At least this is according to Parliamentary Secretary Joseph Hamilton who revealed during an interview with this publication that if nurses are trained at the primary health care level then they would be able to easily detect cases of mental illness. He explained that part of the regime of treatment, among other things, is the need to intervene so that persons who are potential mental cases could be treated in a timely manner. Such a move, according to Hamilton could effectively prevent persons from becoming mentally ill to an extent that they are uncontrollable. “If they are trained to detect these cases, persons don’t have to reach on the streets...and so we have instructed that the curriculum has to be retooled to bring into play training of nurses in a general way as regards dealing with health,” said Hamilton. He further observed that because mental illness is stigmatised, people often shy away from wanting to be associated with a person with such a d i s o r d e r. M o r e o v e r, h e noted that the onus is on the Ministry of Health
more than ever to address this dilemma. According to Hamilton, “I believe what we can do and what we are attempting to do in our New Strategic Plan, is to have interventions at the primary health care level, because as I understand it from the technical people, as it relates specifically to females, a lot of them...if the nurses are trained to intervene, primarily among those who suffer from post partum depression, we can prevent some of these cases from escalating.” This move comes even as the Ministry of Health is seeking to have the legislation governing mental health refined. The existing legislation, Hamilton told this publication, is simply obsolete and therefore does not offer much clout to the Health Ministry to deal with the very prevailing challenge of mental health. He explained recently that the existing Mental Health Legislation currently requires that a relative of a suspected mentally challenged individual appear before a magistrate or judge in a court of law and swear to their mental condition before that individual could be committed to psychiatric care. “This is a legal procedure and so the Ministries of Health and Human Services
together can’t go on the road and pick up these people...the police can however intervene if the person is violent.” According to Hamilton not even the Chief Medical Officer, who is considered the uppermost medical professional of the country, hasn’t the authority to assemble and commit persons of unsound mind without legal action being taken. Moreover, he emphasised that legislation is a primary problem that must be dealt with urgently. He disclosed that discussions in this regard have been engaged within the Health Ministry, which has since made moves, in collaboration with the Human Services Ministry, to create a Task Force to monitor the challenge, even as efforts are made to refine the existing legislation. A draft legislation has since been crafted and it is currently at the stage of consultation, Hamilton disclosed. “We are reviewing at the level of the Health Ministry the Mental Health legislation and we hope that in the consultations we will find a way, as a nation, how we could deal with that specific matter.” In the interim, though, he said that the Ministry will be addressing closely the training of nurses to effectively handle mental illness at a very early stage.
Minister within the Ministry of Local Development and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker addressing the Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) Ministry realized that something needed to be done to address the issue of the delivery of services, timeliness, and quality of works being carried out. The Minister also pointed out the importance that EHOs play within their respective communities. He said it is the duty of EHOs to educate, inform, and create awareness of the consequences and repercussions of acts like improper garbage disposal, road side vending, as well as noise and other nuisances. Minister Whittaker emphasised that the Ministry’s intention is to develop a competent work force, however, such cannot be achieved unless the personnel apply themselves. While he advised the EHOs to familiarize themselves with Local Government Act 28:02 and Chapter 1:45 of the Public Health Act, Whittaker also asked that the EHOs not allow themselves to be confined by just quoting legislation conveniently. In addition, Whittaker
pointed out that the Ministry has received a number of complaints from residents of the various communities across the country, against EHOs. These complaints included the untimely response to approval of plans and some officers accepting money before doing the work for which they are being paid by the Ministry. He added that some EHOs do not even report to the NDCs which have jurisdiction over the areas in which they were expected to be operating. Senior Environmental Health Officers, he said, do not even attend the RDC meetings as they are supposed to. Whittaker also pointed out that some persons are not even sure as to whom they are being employed by. He therefore advised firmly that the EHOs who are not sure who they are working for, should find out who pays them. Whittaker reflected on the 1960s and 70s era when the streets were cleaned and drains were unclogged. He attributed this to the fact that Environmental Health Inspectors were prompt in carrying out their duties, and because each community took responsibility for its environment. The Minister also advised the EHOs to familiarize themselves with their environs and the people living within. He added that EHOs must be active with members of the community in ensuring that they succeed in the important work that they do in ensuring environmental safety. Issues targeted included abattoirs operating in unsanitary conditions, unbearable stench emanating
Nursing curriculum being tailored to enhance detection of mental illness
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 17
$14.5M overpaid for Region 10 contracts By Leonard Gildarie Overpayments on government contracts have remained a major problem, especially at the regional administration level. Policy makers are now working on a number of measures which will include the publication of errant contractors’ names in the newspapers, the hiring of lawyers and engineers, and stricter monitoring of regional accounts to ensure compliance. These were among some of the disclosures made Monday during Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC)’s examinations of the 2010 report of the Auditor General. Being grilled by the PAC, which comprises Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the House, were officials from the Ministry of Local Government and regional representatives of Region 10, including Regional
Executive Officer (REO), Yolanda Hilliman. Problems with overpayments were among the most debated issues, with MPs wanting to know how monies were doled out for jobs completed, yet later, checks revealed outstanding works. In the Region 10 area, state auditors in the 2010 report found several problems with the systems that led to $14.5M being overpaid to contractors overpaid meaning simply that jobs were not completed yet final payments were made. According to the Region, in explaining some of the problems, in one case a contractor died. In yet another, the contractor, instead of working with a particular wooden design for drains, decided to use concrete. MPs were told that the Region decided to accept that explanation and pay the
Local Govt. to hire in-house lawyers, introduce internal auditors contractor the equivalent. While corrective works were done in subsequent years, last week the regional officials revisited some of the contract sites in order to get an update, prompting MPs to wonder whether enough efforts were being made to ensure the state’s funds are being well spent. In one case, an official of the region accompanying state auditors to the reconstruction of a bridge at Victory Valley, in Linden, took them to the wrong one. The explanation was that he was new. At West Watooka, a contract was awarded in 2010 for the upgrading of drains. State auditors were unable to verify whether works were done and as such declared the $7.2M issued to the
Muslims reminded of Youman Nabi’s significance “When tribalism, political turmoil, moral and social chaos were rampant, a child was born into poverty and deprivation. He rose up to become a man who, by example, pioneered a new way of life that heralded into a worldwide admiration of principles that changed the course of civilization. Over 1400 years ago was born the Greatest Benefactor to Mankind, Hazrat Muhammad, (SAS) the Prophet of Islam, fulfilling a prophecy of the finality of prophethood on earth to guide mankind towards good.” These and other noteworthy historical facts were highlighted yesterday by President of the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman, Hakeem Khan, as Muslims celebrated Youman Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. Khan emphasised that Prophet Muhammad changed mankind’s way of thinking towards the recognition of God and his commandments. “He influenced people’s behaviour and altered their evil inclinations. He came as a Mercy unto Mankind and was emulated in his character and disposition that helped transform brutal men into sacred personalities. His life was a means in which rulers and subjects alike, copied the art of leadership, nation building, family orientation, political stability, economic reforms and last but not least, spiritual elevation. He, the Best of All Creation (Ussawatul Hassanat), provided
President of the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman, Hakeem Khan civilization on earth with the direction of great success in this life and the life hereafter.” Adding that Eid Miladun-Nabi or Youman Nabi, is observed worldwide, Khan opined that the solutions for many of the present problems will lie in looking at the life of this great personality and how he solved the problems in that age. He stressed that the simple fact about the Prophet Muhammad is that his contribution spans every age and every period of civilization on earth. “Prophet Muhammad as the final messenger of God to mankind brought a message of total inoculation against
the evil of society. He liberated women and provided a system to maintain stability in the home, society and the world. He taught mankind how to preserve their honour and property, and infused in them the understanding of respect, compassion, love and concern for each other. In fact, with the highest form of credibility, Prophet Muhammad translated for them in his life these qualities in the most impeccable manner.” Khan further called on all Muslims to observe special prayers for the solidarity, prosperity and integrity of the Muslim community, local and worldwide.
contractor as an overpayment. The explanation by the Region 10 administration failed to answer who authorized the full payments. This is what was written: “Contractor has reportedly revisited the project site and carried out corrective work. These were however not done to specifications; the contractor has failed to complete these despite several commitments to do so.” At another location, at Fox Road Hill Foot, auditors found that there was an overpayment of $220,590 - the contractor has not responded to the region, despite being written to. According to Manzoor Nadir, who represents the government on the PAC, the incidents are alarming. Both Nadir and Odinga Lumumba raised the issue of contractors not being given more contracts when they have outstanding ones. There are no laws,
specifically, which allow government to reject a contractor from a new contract while there are outstanding works for another. However, it was acknowledged that at the administrative level, there are assessments that could be done to reduce the incidences of poor performance. Issues like performance bonds and due diligence on the contractors were also raised. Nadir pointed out that it is no secret that collecting monies overpaid to contractors is a major issue. He urged for more personnel within the region to improve monitoring. Gail Teixeira, of the government side, said that the introduction of an internal auditing department should be priority. In response, Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Local Government, Collin Croal, disclosed that an internal audit department is indeed being mulled at the
Ministry, along with an engineer and two lawyers. In one case of a drain being built, the region overpaid after the contractor built it several feet short of the specified length…he compensated by building it wider. Yet the regional officials in charge of works passed it. Asked to explain, PAC was told that the region may have calculated on the square feet built instead of the exact specifications, something that PAC’s chairman, Carl Greenidge found unacceptable. According to the Permanent Secretary, among the most pressing problems that the regions are encountering is the fact that contractors would bid for works in a particular region and then win even more in other regions, stretching them to the limit. The absence of a central database to determine how much work contractors are involved in is also a setback, he said. Moves are underway to correct this. The Region 10 officials have two weeks to update PAC on details of the outstanding projects of 2010.
Page 18
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Absent but omnipresent, Chavez a powerful symbol CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Evita Peron. Che Guevara ... and now, Hugo Chavez? While Venezuela’s sick president recuperates from surgery in Cuba, in Venezuela he is alive and well — at least in spirit. There he is gazing from huge murals lining the streets of Caracas, on T-shirts sported by his followers, on television booming “I am a nation!” The cult of personality that Chavez long nurtured has been flourishing like never before as he confronts an increasingly difficult struggle against the mysterious cancer that afflicts him. Leftover campaign posters from his last election in October still hang from windows and above doorways in the slums, while his supporters’ devotion has intensified into a fervor that borders on deification. One woman at a progovernment demonstration on Wednesday held a portrait
Hugo Chavez photo of Chavez next to an image of Jesus. New murals showing only the president’s eyes have appeared on city walls along with a new slogan, “I am Chavez.” The iconic eyes-only design sends a message that he is always watching and still with his adoring constituents. Many credit him with easing their poverty and expanding public services. To them, it does not matter that
Venezuela suffers from 20 percent inflation, that the oilproducing nation is often short on cooking oil and sugar, that it has one of the world’s highest murder rates, that the president will not divulge the details of his cancer. “I am Chavez!” his supporters yell at the rallies in his honor. “We’re all Chavez!” the crowds shout in unison. Filling the void of Chavez’s 6-week absence following a fourth surgery in Cuba, the government has been churning out a steady stream of emotional images, slogans and Chavez sound bites that appear poised to solidify Chavez’s legacy as a messianic savior of the poor. In newspapers, the government has been running one ad showing a photo of the president superimposed on a mosaic of smiling faces of Venezuelans: Chavez men, Chavez women and Chavez children of all ages. Juan Pablo Lupi, a Latin American literature scholar, sees parallels with the way Evita Peron became an enduring
political symbol in Argentina, and the way “Che” became a revolutionary icon after his death. In the case of Chavez, he said, “this has been very wellstaged, all this process of mythmaking and appealing to the feelings and religious sentiment of the people. This is something that is quasi-religious.” Lupi, a Venezuelan associate professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, said he expects Chavismo to go on without Chavez. “The myth is already there, and all this has been very, very well-crafted.” The connections between Chavez and Jesus are surfacing more often, having begun with Chavez himself praying to God on television for more time, and repeatedly kissing a crucifix. In one television spot, a beaming Chavez hugs children while a singer croons: “Chavez is pure and noble love.” And for block after block in downtown Caracas, lampposts are festooned with new banners showing a smiling, healthy Chavez with the words “We love you!”
Page 19
Government could pursue asset divestment via stock market Jamaica Gleaner Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Peter Phillips said the government is willing to explore using the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) as a vehicle for privatization of assets currently on the list of state-owned enterprises to be divested. “There is no general policy that would preclude this. In fact, it is something that we would like to look at especially in the current circumstances,” Dr. Phillips said while addressing the eighth annual JSE conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston Wednesday. “In fact it is something that we like to do in the current circumstance and where there are adequate appetite and where we can secure appropriate return for the assets being divested,” he added. Although the Minister did not elaborate of what he meant by the current circumstances, the government is seeking to put in place adequate measures to reduce the high public debt. It is also seeking to seal an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, partly to unlock much needed funds from other multilateral agencies. It is also seeking to
Dr. Peter Phillips reduce the country’s high unemployment rate and return to economic growth. Among government entities slated for divestment are the Wallenford Coffee Company, the Norman Manley International Airport, hotels and commercial properties controlled by the Urban Development Corporation, resort assets owned by the National Insurance Fund, Caymanas Track Limited and its operations, as well as its 45 per cent stake in Jamalco alumina operations, which it owns through its whole-owned company, Clarendon Alumina Partners.
Page 20
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Duprey wants out of CLICO enquiry Trinidad Guardian Former CLICO business magnate Lawrence Duprey has written to the commission of enquiry into the collapse of CLICO to say he is unwilling to appear before it to give evidence. Commission sources said the commissions’ secretary Judith Gonzalez, received the letter Wednesday morning. Duprey initially said he was willing to testify at the enquiry which is being chaired by British QC Sir Anthony Colman. But
sources told the T&T Guardian that when he consulted his legal team, he was advised not to take part in it since the police had begun an official probe into the collapse of CLICO. Duprey subsequently wrote to say he was withdrawing his legal team from the proceedings. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon, as calls to his cellphone went unanswered. In a previous interview with the T&T Guardian, Duprey,
79, who now lives in Florida, said he was broke and was focusing on philanthropy. He also said his health was failing. The Government has so far spent some $20 billion to bail out CLICO which collapsed in 2009. The 11th hearing of the enquiry is scheduled for February 26 to March 8 at the Winsure Building, Port-of-Spain. Sources said it would proceed despite Duprey’s absence. Testimony given at the enquiry so far has alleged
hundreds of millions of dollars were squandered and millions of dollars transferred during suspicious transactions. On November 8, Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, in a media release, said the police had started a criminal investigation into the conduct of individuals and corporate entities involved in the collapse of CLICO and related companies. The announcement came as Gaspard warned the media “should not publish or
broadcast anything which might jeopardise, hinder or otherwise prejudice the investigation or any possible proceedings which might result from it.” He also wrote to Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and Colman over the public hearing of the enquiry. Gaspard said if the enquiry went on, it was likely to delay a prosecution and jeopardise the police investigation. Gaspard’s initial letter to Ramlogan expressed concern over the enquiry but the AG refused to advise the President to suspend it immediately, or at least vary its terms of reference. Colman also refused Gaspard’s request, saying it was ultimately up to the Government to decide whether the enquiry should continue in light of a police probe. During the last hearing, former CLICO Investment Bank (CIB) president Richard Trotman said he wished to invoke his right against selfincrimination. He declined to testify further after previously giving evidence that hundreds of millions of dollars had been handed out in loans to former CL Financial executives, including $121
million in unverified “loans” paid to a senior CLICO official. Trotman also testified about transactions which saw millions of dollars being used to buy land in Grenada and also money being “loaned” to other senior officials within the CLICO conglomerate. After Gaspard’s warning, Colman ruled that Duprey would not have to respond to requests to attend the hearing on the basis of the police probe and the right to not incriminate himself. Trotman was also warned of his right to not incriminate himself. Representing Duprey at the enquiry are Andrew Mitchell, QC, and attorney Lionel Luckhoo.
KINGSTON, Jamaica The scrap metal trade will resume on Monday, the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Anthony Hylton has announced. To avoid the theft and vandalism that was rampant during the height of the industry in 2006, Hylton said yesterday that the trade will be reopened but under very strict regulations. New regulations include: *All exporters, excepting exporters who generate metal waste in their manufacturing operations, must post a $7 million dollar bond with the Factories Corporation of Jamaica. *Convicted exporters will pay a fine of up to $2 million and lose his or her licence to operate. *All general scrap metal exporters will have to export from one of only three central multi-user sites *All exporters, dealers,
carriers must be in possession of a licence or permit from the Trade Board *All exporters are required to submit a police recommendation from a superintendent or an officer of greater rank. The Minister may also request a police report. *Customs and the police will be posted permanently at the sites and there will be 100 per cent inspection of all containers. *Material will be on display at sites for five days to facilitate public viewing before loading can commence. Additionally, there’s a collaborative effort with the National Security Ministry to get rid of derelict vehicles through the scrap metal trade, Hylton said. The move is expected to earn foreign exchange for the ministry, and remove the possible health hazards.
Lawrence Duprey
Scrap metal trade resumes Monday with new rules
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Warner: ‘Tribal’ votes
Trinidad Express - United National Congress (UNC) chairman and National Security Minister Jack Warner has said the people of Tobago voted on the basis of “tribal instincts” and the fear that a “Calcutta” ship was coming. In a statement issued Wednesday in his capacity as UNC chairman, Warner said: “The results of the THA (Tobago House of Assembly) election reflect how palpable the notion of fear among the African population can be. With very little to show from a party they have supported; a party that has neglected and overlooked them, Tobagonians still chose to remain with their political abusers.” Warner said all the People’s National Movement (PNM) had to do was “resort to their age-old tactic of instilling fear that some other group would take away the little they had, and the tribal instincts did the rest”. Noting that there was
nothing to show for the $22 billion spent by the PNM THA, Warner said the PNM did not seek nor did not have to seek to show Tobagonainss how much they gave to Tobago. He said the PNM did not have to sell any vision of a better life for Tobagonians. “Their theme was simply that ‘a Calcutta ship’ was coming for them and so they needed to stand in defence of Tobago. That was it. Fear trumped a better future,” Warner stated. “It is the same reason why Laventille, with so little given by past PNM administrations, would yet support the party regardless. The tribe is all they have been convinced is needed to be protected,” he said. Warner said the task of “emancipation from mental slavery” is large. “How can we get them to understand that the appeal to tribal instincts alone with nothing else in the offing is not in their best interest? How can we encourage them to look for more from their leaders? How can we inspire their selfdetermination?” he said. He said the time had come for introspection on “how we are perceived”. He said there was a need to unite people against those “who do not represent them, but imprison them by using fear and tribalism even in this day and age when a black man, with the name Barack Hussein Obama, has just been inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States... “It is time for us to revisit how we achieve the liberation
ST GEORGE’S, Grenada - CMC – The Ministry of Education in Grenada has expressed concern about reports that known sex offenders can be found teaching in schools across the island. Education Minister Franka Bernardine made the disclosure on Wednesday, during a leadership workshop for female candidates contesting the upcoming general election. “From speaking with a former Chief Education Officer he said there is at least one in every school.” She added that the problem is not only a case of male teachers and female students but there are reports of female teachers violating male students. “The records will show that both sexes are involved and both male and female students are affected,” she
said. According to the education minister, structures are in place to deal with the situation. “Once it’s reported to us, once it’s drawn to our attention the matter is dealt with very speedily, we deal with it a matter within ten days” In commenting on the issue, former education minister Claris Charles said the issue should be of concern to parents. “Based on this statement, parents will tremble when they send their children to school each day.” She however, felt that this was “a broad brush to paint the teaching profession.” In a recent incident, a former primary school male teacher was slapped with a two-year prison sentence on a charge of sexually violating a student.
Jack Warner
Grenada education ministry concerned about sex offenders in schools
of our people from the insularity they have been captive to, for far too long. We are all in this together. Good luck Tobago and congratulations to all the winners,” he said. Congress of the People chairman Carolyn SeepersadBachan, speaking in a telephone interview last night, said she did not think Tobagonians voted on the basis of race.
Page 21
Over 60,000 registered to vote in upcoming Grenada elections ST GEORGE’S, Grenada - CMC - More than 60,000 Grenadians have registered to vote in next month’s general election. According to Supervisor of Elections, Judy Benoit the list which was updated and published on Monday has 62,152 names She reminded voters to carefully examine the list and
alert the Parliamentary Elections Office if irregularities are spotted as no changes will be made after January 29. Grenadians will head to the polls on February 19th to elect a new government. The main contenders are the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Opposition New National
Party (NNP). Nomination day will be on January 31. The NDC will be seeking a second term while the NNP which was voted out of office in 2008, hopes to retake the reins of Government. A delegation from the Organization of American States (OAS) will be observing the election.
Page 22
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Obama taps former federal prosecutor to head SEC
U.S. President Barack Obama (R) stands next to Mary Jo White, a former United States attorney, after he announces her to be the next chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, yesterday. EUTERS/Larry Downing WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - President Barack Obama yesterday nominated former federal prosecutor Mary Jo White to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, picking a tough enforcement hand who more recently has defended Wall Street figures. White, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York known for prosecuting terrorists and mob bosses, would become the third consecutive woman to hold the post. “We need to keep going after irresponsible behavior in the financial industry so that taxpayers don’t pay the price. I am absolutely confident that Mary Jo has the experience and the resolve to tackle these complex issues and to protect the American people in a way that is smart and in a way that is fair,” Obama said in announcing the nomination. The pick quickly drew praise from both Wall Street and reform advocates who say White would ably steer the powerful agency that plays a key role in overseeing U.S. financial markets. However, White does not
have a deep securities policy background, and in her recent private practice work she represented major players in the financial crisis, including former Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Ken Lewis. The president also renominated Richard Cordray to continue as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the U.S. watchdog for consumer products such as mortgages and student loans. New York’s Charles Schumer, a Democrat who is part of the Senate leadership and sits on the powerful Senate Banking Committee, praised White’s reputation as a tough-as-nails prosecutor and predicted she will “easily be confirmed.” A swift confirmation for White could help the SEC speed up its implementation of the dozens of unfinished rules required by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law. White would succeed current SEC Chairman Elisse Walter, a Democratic commissioner who took over in December after predecessor Mary Schapiro stepped down.
Schapiro’s departure left the commission divided between two Democrats and two Republicans, and observers said the split could make it nearly impossible to complete controversial rules, such as the Volcker Rule, which bans banks from proprietary trading. White, now a respected white-collar defense attorney with the law firm Debevoise and Plimpton, was the only woman in the 200-year history of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to serve in the top spot there. She was in office from 1993 through to 2002, during a tumultuous time starting with the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and then later, the infamous September 11 attacks of 2001. Under her watch, the U.S. Attorney’s office won about 35 convictions of militant Muslims charged with plotting against Americans. “I view her as an incredibly well-regarded
lawyer who has spent a significant amount of time as a partner at Debevoise representing companies and individuals in high-profile securities related matters,” said Cheryl Scarboro, the former head of the SEC’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act unit and now a partner with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. As a defense attorney, White has been involved in high-profile SEC and Justice Department cases. She conducted an internal investigation into corruption at Siemens AG that resulted in a record settlement for the German engineering conglomerate. She also represented healthcare provider HCA Holdings Inc in an insider-trading investigation, according to her online biography. She has also represented JPMorgan Chase & Co in major matters related to the financial crisis, as well as former Bank of America CEO Lewis over a civil lawsuit in connection with Bank of
America’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch. It is unclear whether her defense of Wall Street clients could prove troublesome for her during the U.S. Senate confirmation process. But Wall Street champions and critics both had positive takes on White. “I have met Mary Jo White, and anyone who knows her at all - extremely capable, competent, bright, tough, and a perfect choice,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in an interview on Thursday with Fox Business News from Davos. Neil Barofsky, who was hired as an assistant U.S. attorney by White in 2000 and went on to become the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, called Obama’s pick an “inspired choice.” “I expect that she will be unfazed by the intimidation tactics of the usual suspects in Washington - be they antagonistic members of Congress, captured officials
from other parts of government or those who so relentlessly push the agendas of the largest banks,” Barofsky said. Like Schapiro, White has previously been identified as a political independent. Unlike Schapiro, White has not worked as a Wall Street regulator. However, White’s husband, John White, served as the director of the SEC’s Corporation Finance division, which oversees public company disclosures, from 2006 to 2008. Known for a legendary work ethic and a fondness for beer and baseball, White also developed a reputation as a ferocious basketball player when in the U.S. Attorney’s office, even though she stands around 5 feet tall. Former SEC enforcement director William McLucas said it was an “excellent sign” that the White House could get someone of her caliber to take the position. “There is no one I know that works harder,” McLucas said.
(Reuters) Manufacturing in China and the United States grew this month at the fastest pace in about two years while data suggesting German growth picked up boosted hopes for a swifter euro zone recovery. The business surveys released yesterday provided tentative signs that the world economy may be gaining traction after a sluggish 2012. Crucially, there were hopeful signals coming from the United States and China, the world’s top economies. World stock markets rose, with the S&P 500 index moving above 1,500 for the first time since late 2007. The benchmark U.S. index was on track for its seventh straight daily advance. China’s vast factory
sector grew at its fastest clip in two years this month, according to HSBC’s flash China PMI. Exports were surprisingly strong in December, while analysts said an increase in domestic activity should also help drive recovery. “The consumer is coming back,” said Tim Condon, an ING economist in Singapore. “Manufacturers are seeing the pick-up in spending growth as reason to expand production.” Economists said that suggested the world’s second largest economy was on the mend after some two years of slowing growth. “Probably the biggest thing that will affect markets this year is one’s belief in the sustainability of the Chinese recovery,” said Colin Moore,
chief investment officer at Columbia Management in Boston, which oversees $340 billion. U.S. manufacturing started the year strongly as well, as a surge in domestic demand led to the fastest rate of growth since March, 2011, according to financial information firm Markit’s “flash” manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index. Improved economic conditions in China and some parts of Europe also helped boost orders from abroad, the survey showed. “However, it is the domestic market that is clearly providing the main impetus to the upturn,” said Markit chief economist Chris Williamson. Briklin Dwyer, an economist at BNP Paribas in
New York, said both manufacturing and housing “need to show bigger improvement for quite some time to affect the broader economy.” A separate report showed the number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance fell to its lowest level since the early days of the 2007-2009 recession. The 17-country euro zone continues to lag Asia and North America, though surveys in January showed conditions may be improving there as well. Markit’s “flash” Composite Eurozone Purchasing Managers’ Index, which surveys around 5,000 firms and is viewed as a good growth indicator, jumped by more than expected to 48.2 from December’s 47.2.
China, U.S. manufacturing jumps, Europe nearer recovery
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
North Korea warns of nuke test, more rocket launches
Kim Jong Un SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s top governing body warned yesterday that the regime will conduct its third nuclear test in defiance of U.N. punishment, and made clear that its long-range rockets are designed to carry not only satellites but also warheads aimed at striking the United States. The National Defense Commission, headed by the country’s young leader, Kim Jong Un, denounced Tuesday’s U.N. Security Council resolution condemning North Korea’s long-range rocket launch in December as a banned missile activity and expanding sanctions against the regime. The commission reaffirmed in its declaration that the launch
was a peaceful bid to send a satellite into space, but also clearly indicated the country’s rocket launches have a military purpose: to strike and attack the United States. While experts say North Korea doesn’t have the capability to hit the U.S. with its missiles, recent tests and rhetoric indicate the country is feverishly working toward that goal. The commission pledged to keep launching satellites and rockets and to conduct a nuclear test as part of a “new phase” of combat with the United States, which it blames for leading the U.N. bid to punish Pyongyang. It said a nuclear test was part of “upcoming” action but did not say exactly when or where it would take place. “We do not hide that a variety of satellites and longrange rockets which will be launched by the DPRK one after another and a nuclear test of higher level which will be carried out by it in the upcoming all-out action, a new phase of the anti-U.S. struggle that has lasted century after century, will target against the U.S., the sworn enemy of the Korean people,” the commission said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic
U.S. man who aided Mumbai plotters sentenced to 35 years in prison
David Headley CHICAGO (Reuters) David Headley, an American who admitted scouting targets for the 2008 Islamic militant raid on Mumbai and later agreed to testify against the plotters to avoid the death penalty, was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in prison. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber, was the maximum sought by federal prosecutors. The attacks killed more than 160 people, including six Americans. Headley, a 52year-old U.S. citizen of Pakistani descent, admitted videotaping sites that were targeted by the Mumbai
attackers. He was arrested in 2009 and pleaded guilty to 12 charges, including conspiracy to bomb places of public use and commit murder and plotting an attack on a Danish newspaper. After entering his plea in 2010, Headley cooperated with U.S. investigators and foreign intelligence agencies to avoid the death penalty and extradition to India, Pakistan or Denmark, agreeing to testify in foreign judicial proceedings, the government said. In a memorandum filed with Judge Leinenweber earlier this week, the government said “there is little question that life imprisonment would be an appropriate punishment for Headley’s incredibly serious crimes but for the significant value provided by his immediate and extensive cooperation.” Last week, Judge Leinenweber sentenced Pakistani-born businessman Tahawwur Rana to 14 years in federal prison for providing support to the Lashkar-eTaiba, the group blamed for the Mumbai attacks.
of Korea. “Settling accounts with the U.S. needs to be done with force, not with words, as it regards jungle law as the rule of its survival,” the commission said. It was a rare declaration by the powerful commission once led by late leader Kim Jong Il and now commanded by his son. The statement made clear Kim Jong Un’s commitment to continue developing the country’s nuclear and missile programs in defiance of the Security Council, even at risk of further international isolation. North Korea’s allusion to a “higher level” nuclear test most likely refers to a device made from highly enriched uranium, which is easier to miniaturize than the plutonium bombs it tested in 2006 and 2009, said Cheong Seong-chang, an analyst at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea. Experts say the North Koreans must conduct further tests of its atomic devices and master the technique for making them smaller before they can be mounted as nuclear warheads onto long-range missiles. Shortly before the commission issued its declaration, U.S. envoy on North Korea Glyn Davies urged Pyongyang not to explode an atomic device. “Whether North Korea tests or not, it’s up to North Korea. We hope they don’t do it. We call on them not to do it,” he told reporters in Seoul after meeting with South Korean officials. “It will be a mistake and a missed opportunity if they were to do it.”
Page 23
Kerry: ‘Do what we must’ to stop Iran on nukes WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John Kerry, President Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of state, said yesterday that the United States will “do what we must” to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon even as he signaled that diplomacy remains a viable option with Tehran. Testifying at his confirmation hearing, and with Senate approval a foregone conclusion, Kerry addressed a range of concerns raised by members of the Foreign Relations Committee, from his past outreach to Syrian President Bashar Assad to GOP concerns about the nomination of Republican former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary. “The president has made it definitive — we will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” Kerry said in his opening statement. “I repeat here today: Our policy is not containment. It is prevention, and the clock is ticking on our efforts to secure responsible compliance.” Pressed on Iran and its nuclear ambitions, Kerry said he was hopeful that the U.S. and other nations could make progress on the diplomatic front, but that Tehran needs to understand it must prove that its program is for peaceful purposes. “It is not hard to prove,” he said, stressing that “intrusive inspections” are
John Kerry required. In an unexpected exchange, Kerry found himself defending Obama’s controversial pick of Hagel to be the next defense secretary against GOP criticism. Sen. Bob Corker, the senior Republican on the panel, expressed concerns about Hagel’s support for an 80 percent reduction of U.S. nuclear weapons, a major issue for the Tennessee lawmaker and his home state. The Y-12 nuclear facility is located near Oak Ridge, Tenn., and any cuts would have an impact on local jobs. “I know Chuck Hagel. I think he is a strong patriotic former senator, and he will be a strong secretary of defense,” Kerry said of Hagel, who like Kerry served in Vietnam. The Massachusetts senator urged lawmakers to be realistic, arguing that an 80 percent cut is an aspiration
that would be unlikely in the current climate. On Syria, Kerry was asked about his outreach to Assad, now an international pariah after months of civil war and unending violence against his citizens. Kerry said there was a moment where Syria reached out to the West but that the moment has long passed. “History caught up to us. That never happened. And it’s now moot, because he (Assad) has made a set of judgments that are inexcusable, that are reprehensible, and I think is not long for remaining as the head of state in Syria,” the senator said. “I think the time is ticking.” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a fierce critic of Obama’s policy on Syria, said the status quo is unacceptable with the United Nations estimating that 60,000 have been killed and the heavy influx of refugees in Jordan and Turkey. After a recent visit to the refugee camps, McCain warned that Syrians frustrated with the U.S. response will be a recruitment target for extremists. “We can do a lot more without putting American boots on the ground,” McCain said. “Otherwise, we will be judged harshly by history.” Kerry said it was imperative to continue discussions with Russia and others in dealing with Syria, but he was realistic.
Page 24
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Europe urges citizens to Panetta: Women are integral to military’s success leave Libya’s Benghazi TRIPOLI/LONDON (Reuters) - European countries urged their nationals to leave the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday, with Britain citing a “specific and imminent” threat to Westerners days after a deadly attack by Islamist militants in neighboring Algeria. Officials declined to give details, but Britain has warned of a growing militant threat in North Africa, which Prime Minister David Cameron has called a “magnet for jihadists”. The call to leave Libya’s second largest city irked Libyans keen to win foreign investment to rebuild a fractured infrastructure and boost the oil industry after the revolution which toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. “We are now aware of a specific and imminent threat to Westerners in Benghazi, and urge any British nationals who remain there against our advice to leave immediately,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. Similar warnings came
from Germany and the Netherlands. They followed the deaths of at least 38 hostages in an attack on Algeria’s In Amenas gas complex near the Libyan border, and the start of French military operations in Mali. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle described the situation in Benghazi, cradle of the uprising against Gaddafi, as “serious and delicate”. “The warning was made because of a series of bits of information. We have our reasons, but I would not like to speak of details. Security is the most important thing,” he told reporters during a visit to Lisbon. Few Westerners are believed to be in Benghazi, which has experienced a wave of violence against diplomats as well as military and police officers, including an attack in September that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. A British embassy spokeswoman in Tripoli said the number of Britons in Benghazi was small, without
specifying further. Libyan deputy Interior Minister Omar al-Khadrawi said there were no more than 20 British nationals in Benghazi and most worked at international schools. The principal of the British School Benghazi said he was told to close the school after a personal call from the British ambassador in Tripoli. “He called each of the British nationals and said to get out now,” Randy Robinson, 53, told Reuters. “He sounded urgent. He just said there are threats of attacks on foreign institutions run by foreigners and that schools and hospitals are on the list.” Robinson, a Canadian, said the ambassador did not say who the threats were from because “that would jeopardize their source”. The school has six British nationals, four of whom, he said, were trying to leave Libya. “I am going to stay for a while. We will try to get the school going with the staff we have left, but it is a day-byday situation,” he said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, in lifting a ban on women serving in combat, said women have become integral to the military’s success and have shown they are willing to fight and die alongside their male counterparts. “The time has come for our policies to recognize that reality,” Panetta said yesterday at a Pentagon news conference with Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Panetta said that not all women will be able to meet the qualifications to be a combat soldier. “But everyone is entitled to a chance,” he said. He said the qualifications will not be lowered, and with
women playing a broader role, the military will be strengthened. Panetta said that his visits to Afghanistan and Iraq to see U.S. forces in action demonstrated to him that
women should have a chance to perform combat duties if they wish, and if they can meet the qualifications. “Our military is more capable, and our force is more powerful, when we use all of the great diverse strengths of the American people,” Panetta said earlier Thursday at a Pentagon ceremony in remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. Panetta is expected to step down as Pentagon chief sometime in February. Republican Former Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska has been nominated as his successor, and his Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31. “Every person in today’s military has made a solemn commitment to fight, and if
(Reuters) - Canadian native leaders vowed yesterday to carry on the fight for better living conditions as a chief at the center of a simmering aboriginal protest movement was hospitalized after ending her six-week hunger strike. Chief Theresa Spence, from a remote northern Ontario reserve, ended the strike after holding negotiations with other aboriginal leaders and opposition lawmakers in the Canadian Parliament. “There was an awakening here,” Danny Metatawabin, a spokesman for Spence, told a news conference in Ottawa. “Now we have to move forward.” “The fight does not end because the hunger strike ends.” Spence, who survived on a liquid diet while living in
a tepee, was hospitalized for observation and released late yesterday or today, Metatawabin said. Spence traveled to Ottawa from her remote northern Canadian reserve in December and set up camp on an island in the Ottawa River in view of Parliament to raise awareness about poor living conditions for natives across Canada. She was a flashpoint in a boisterous Canadian aboriginal protest movement called “Idle No More.” It began with four women in the province of Saskatchewan turning to Twitter and other social networks in a bid to rally North American natives. They were protesting legislation by Canada’s Conservative government that they say promotes resource development while
reducing environmental protection for lakes and rivers on their lands. “These acts, these bills, they will kill us,” said Raymond Robinson, an aboriginal elder from Manitoba who also ended a six-week hunger strike yesterday. “We just need our equal opportunities.” Ottawa spends about C$11 billion ($11.1 billion) a year on its aboriginal population of 1.2 million. But living conditions for many are poor, and some reserves have high rates of poverty, addiction, joblessness and suicide. Canadian native groups staged a day of action earlier this month with protests that included blocking a rail line and slowing traffic across an Ontario-to-Michigan bridge crucial to U.S.-Canadian trade.
Leon Panetta
Canadian natives vow to battle on as chief hospitalized
Cameron takes aim at corporate tax avoiders (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday attacked multinational corporations that avoid paying their fair share of tax, promising action against such aggressive strategies after a public backlash in Britain. The issue of tax avoidance by big business has turned toxic in recent years as millions of Britons struggle with low pay rises and austerity measures introduced to reduce the budget deficit. Firms that are viewed as paying too little tax, such as coffee chain Starbucks, have been targeted by demonstrators and boycotts. “I am a low-tax
Conservative but I’m not a companies-should-pay-notax Conservative,” Cameron told business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “Individuals and businesses must pay their fair share,” he said, adding that he would use his presidency of the Group of Eight industrialised nations to press the point. Cameron did not mention any companies by name. At the height of the uproar last year, British MPs singled out Google, Amazon and Starbucks as companies that pay very little tax in Britain on profit from sales there. The firms say they comply with British tax law,
but under a tide of public outrage and demonstrations at its stores, Starbucks last year said it would pay around 20 million pounds ($32 million) in corporation tax in Britain over the next two years. “Any businesses who think that they can carry on dodging that fair share ... need to wake up and smell the coffee,” Cameron said, adding that he was not antibusiness but wanted to keep tax rates low for everyone else. Cameron’s Conservative party has long been criticised for being close to big business, but the prime minister’s speech indicated a change of tone towards companies avoiding tax.
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 25
Page 26
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 27
Page 28
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 29
Page 30
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 Sign on 06:00 hrs - Islamic perspective 06:30 hrs - CNN News 07:00 hrs - DAYBREAK – (live) 08:00 hrs - Dabi’s Variety music break 08:30 hrs - Avon Video & DVD 09:00 hrs - BBC World News 09:15 hrs - Top Notch music Break 09:30 hrs - Caribbean temptation Music Mix 10:00 hrs - Amanda’s Costume jewellery Musical 10:30 hrs - Clairan’s Ent.
Music hour 11:00 hrs - National Geographic 12:00 hrs - The View 13:00 hrs - Village Talk 13:30 hrs - The Young and the Restless 14:30 hrs - Days of Our Lives 15:00 hrs - General Hospital 16:00 hrs - The Bold and the Beautiful 16:30 hrs - Cartoons 17:00 hrs - Birthdays and other greetings 17:15 hrs - Death Announcement/ In Memoriam 17:30 hrs - Sitcom 18:00 hrs - Charran’s Radiator Video Hits
18:30 hrs - Kingdom Voice 19:00 hrs - Soul Melodies 19:30 hrs - News Update 20:30 hrs - Clear Water Music Hour 21:30 hrs - Music request Hour 22:30 hrs - Sitcom 23:00 hrs - News Update 23:30 hrs - Movie: MY Girl Sign off NCN CHANNEL 11 03:00 hrs - Movie 05:00 hrs - Inspiration 05:30 hrs - Newtown Gospel 06:00 hrs - NCN Late Edition News(r/b) 06:30 hrs - BBC 07:00 hrs - Guyana Today
Friday January 25, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You already made your choice to ride the incoming waves by maintaining a positive attitude, yet you might have underestimated the power of the tides now. Don’t be afraid to retreat and re-evaluate your plans before pushing against the currents. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Your common sense reminds you to think before you speak, because it’s better to get your message right the first time rather than having to start all over. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Although your key planet Mercury is impeded by austere Saturn today, communication will improve later in the day. Your good idea is close to paying off if you remain persistent in your efforts. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your emotional reactions are strong today, yet you won’t gain any advantage by giving up at the first sign of conflict. Neither do you need to battle against an immoveable stone wall. Your most sensible strategy is based upon consistent behavior without aggression. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) This is a significant day for relationships and you may end up quite pleased with the outcome. However, you might need to demonstrate a bit of self-restraint or someone else could rain on your parade. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) A flood of brilliant ideas opens many possibilities at work today, yet you may grow frustrated because you cannot turn this magic moment into something more. If you meet resistance now, pushing harder won’t bring success.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You have a lot of work you hope to accomplish today and you really don’t want to modify your schedule. Unfortunately, too much rigidity only stirs up more conflict. You stand to gain the most by meeting others halfway and being as spontaneous as possible. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Some of your current conflict stems from how you reacted to recent events. If you pursued an opportunity without overplaying your hand, you won’t likely run into any problems at all. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Although you may be worried that your best-kept secret isn’t safe now, you still could enjoy yourself while managing the situation. Today’s high level of action is what you wanted, so don’t waste your energy wishing that everything was less hectic. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) If you have been handling the details of a project and living up to your end of the bargain, then rewards may be just around the next corner. But the clouds might not clear until later in the day, just in time for a great weekend. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) It’s hard to keep your thoughts in line today, but you’re up for the challenge. Although you might not have much fun at first, don’t waste energy berating yourself if something isn’t working out as desired. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) If your fantasies have hijacked your attention, someone may shock you with their criticism today, refocusing your attention back on reality.
Page 31
08:00 hrs - Bollywood Hits (R/B) 09:00 hrs - Stop the Suffering 10:00 hrs - CCTV 11:00 hrs - History 12:00 hrs - CNN 12:30 hrs - NCN Newsbreak 12:35 hrs - Oral Tradition r/b 13:00 hrs - Movie 15:30 hrs - Feature 16:00 hrs - Cartoons 17:00 hrs - Anderson 18:00 hrs - NCN News Magazine – Live 18:30 hrs - Pulse Beat 19:00 hrs - Al Jazeera 19:30 hrs - Feature 20:00 hrs - 3d/daily millions/ play de dream/lotto draw 20:05 hrs - NCN Newsbreak 20:10 hrs - Grow With IPED 20:40 hrs - GINA Presents 21:00 hrs - Between the Sticks with the GCA 22:05 hrs - NCN News Late Edition 22:35 hrs - Caribbean
Newsline 23:00 hrs - Movie DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55 hrs. Sign On 09:00 hrs. GMA 10:00 hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 11:00 hrs. The Ricki Lake Show 12:00 hrs. The View 13:00 hrs. Prime News 13:30 hrs. The Young and the Restless 14:30 hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful
15:00 hrs. The Talk 16:00 hrs. Steve Harvey 17:00 hrs. The Ellen DeGeneres Show 18:00 hrs. World News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00 hrs. Channel 8 News 21:00 hrs. The Vampire Diaries (New Episode) 21:42 hrs. Beauty and the Beast (New Episode) 22:22 hrs. Supernatural (New Episode) 23:00 hrs. Sign Off
Guides are subjected to change without notice
Page 32
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Wade, James carry Heat past Raptors in OT, 123-116 Miami (AP) - After sitting around for nearly a week, the Miami Heat expected to be a little less than razor-sharp. It took an extra session, but the reigning NBA champions eventually found their groove. Dwyane Wade scored 35 points, LeBron James got his 34th career triple-double and the Heat rallied from a 15point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 123-116 in overtime on Wednesday. ‘’It was typical for a team to come off a long road trip, have days off and try to get back in a groove, especially versus a team that offensively is one of the top 10 in the league in offense and scoring the ball,’’ Wade said. ‘’It took us time to get our legs into it and get our rotations down, but as the game went on we were able to do that.’’ James finished with 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for Miami, getting the last board on Toronto’s final shot of the night. Wade added seven assists, including the one that set up Ray Allen for the 3-
pointer that clinched the win with 59.3 seconds left in overtime. Allen scored 18, Mario Chalmers scored 14 and Chris Bosh had a 12-point, 12rebound night for Miami. The Heat finished overtime on a 13-2 run, erasing a four-point hole in their first game in six nights. Alan Anderson scored 20 points for Toronto, leading seven Raptors in double figures. Jose Calderon scored 17, Terrence Ross had 16, and Amir Johnson finished with 15 points. Miami outrebounded Toronto 53-28, with Udonis Haslem also grabbing 10 rebounds for the Heat. Wade and Allen each had six points in overtime for Miami, which outscored Toronto 14-7 in the extra session. James had five rebounds in the final 5 minutes - after getting five in all of regulation. The path to overtime was frantic, with neither team leading by more than three in the final 6:51 of the fourth quarter. Calderon made a 3-pointer
with 1:51 left to give Toronto a 105-103 lead; Bosh answered with a jumper to tie it. So Calderon connected on another 3, only to have that one rebutted by a 3-pointer by James, knotting the game once again. And for good measure, after DeMar DeRozan went 1 for 2 from the line to put the Raptors up by one, Bosh followed with a 1 for 2 from the stripe to tie the game for the 13th time. DeRozan missed a wild layup with 19 seconds left, and James’ 20-footer at the buzzer bounced off the back iron - sending it to overtime. Toronto led 54-39 late in the second after a 19-9 run. Kyle Lowry had seven points during the burst, Anderson added six - and both made four-point plays during the stretch. But Miami closed to 5750 by intermission, after a heads-up final few seconds from Shane Battier. He made a 3-pointer late in the half, then stole Toronto’s inbounds pass to give Miami a possession that
LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat rises for a dunk against the Toronto Raptors
led to a free throw by Bosh. Battier then contested Lowry’s layup at the buzzer, forcing a miss before the break.
Toronto led by as many as 10 in the third, before the Heat got hot. Miami scored 30 points in the final 7:55 of the quarter - with Wade going
6 for 7 in the period, and the Heat outrebounding Toronto 13-3. Still, it only added up to an 88-84 Heat lead entering the fourth.
WICB Board of Directors decisions from January 18 meeting Gros Islet, St Lucia –The Board of Directors of the West Indies Cricket Board met in St Lucia at the weekend. Following are synopsis of the more critical decisions taken and reports presented at the meeting. 1. The Board received a report from the Cricket Committee with regard to a review of the WICB Selection Criteria. The Board discussed the report and agreed to have a fuller discussion on the recommendation at the next meeting of the Board. 2. The Board approved Anand Sanasie and Anand Kalladeen as Directors of the WICB. Sanasie and Kalladeen were nominated by the Guyana Cricket Board. Sanasie was previously a Director of the WICB before resigning in 2012. This is Kalladeen’s first appointment as Director. 3. The Board approved the recommendation to offer a renewal of contract to Team Manager Richie Richardson and Head Coach Ottis Gibson, pending completion of negotiations
which are expected to be concluded shortly. (Both Richardson and Gibson continue in their respective roles on the tour to Australia.) 4. The Board approved a recommendation for the West Indies v Pakistan Series in July to be comprised of two Test matches and that the limited overs matches be deferred to a later date in the Future Tours Programmes cycle. 5. Subject to the announcement of the date for elections in Grenada, the Board received a risk assessment report from the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre (RIFC) which has assessed the threat level as ‘low’ and which notes that law enforcement in Grenada will be in a position to provide adequate security, not only for the national elections but also for the teams, match officials, visitors and citizens. The Board also received a written commitment from the Commissioner of Police in Grenada guaranteeing adequate levels of security for the three One Day Internationals slated for the
Grenada National Stadium on February 22nd, 24th and 26th. The Board approved for the matches to proceed as scheduled. 6. The Board received a report on the latest developments on the situation in Guyana and is pleased with the progress being made and the movement towards the normalization of the situation in Guyana. 7. The Board approved a recommendation to tentatively schedule one of the West Indies v Pakistan Test matches and two rounds of Super50 and Regional 4 Day matches for the Guyana National Stadium pending the normalization of the situation in Guyana. The Test match is slated for July and the Super50 and 4 Day matches will be after the break in the season which is scheduled for March 12th to 20th. 8. The Board received an update on the status of Marlon Samuels’ injury and wished him a speedy and complete recovery.
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 33
A HOME RUN FOR CUBAN FOOTBALL
While the Caribbean island nation of Cuba is renowned for a great many things - vibrant beaches, music and baseball among them - the quality of its football doesn’t often warrant remark. However, when the Leones del Caribe hoisted their first Caribbean Cup aloft late last year in neighbouring Antigua and Barbuda they sparked hopes for a revival of footballing fortunes in the not-so-distant future. Jamaica’s appearance at the FIFA World Cup™ in France in 1998 captured the imagination of footie fans around the world, but it was not, as is often wrongly assumed, the first appearance by a Caribbean side on the game’s grandest stage. That honour goes to Cuba, a nation known more for its devotion to boxing and baseball than football. In May of 1938, an intrepid Cuban team, comprised of players who had never set foot outside of their beloved island, boarded a ship for France, and the third football world finals. They were an invited team, and without having
played a single qualifier, little was expected of the islanders. They beat Romania before losing out to Sweden 8-0 on a water-logged pitch. “We weren’t used to conditions like that and we kept slipping over,” the 1938 team’s topscorer, Juan Tunas, told FIFA.com in a 2010 interview. The striker, who was the last surviving member of that groundbreaking side, died in 2011 at the age of 98, thus bringing down the curtain on the most famous moment in Cuban football history. The intervening 75 years have been far more bust than boom for Cuba. The club system has remained largely amateur under the Socialist regime that came to power in 1959, affording promising young players no opportunity to hone their skills abroad. The national team failed to make any headway in FIFA World Cup qualifying, and in the most recent preliminary campaign, for Brazil 2014, they were bumped at the semi-final hurdle, failing to win any of their six games. They finished dead last in their section, scoring only one goal and conceding ten.
On three occasions, in 1996, 1999 and 2005, Cuba finished runners-up in the CFU Caribbean Cup. Until very recently, this was the sum total of the country’s football success on the international scene. A CROWN FOR CUBA Until, that is, the Leones roared at the 2012 Caribbean finals in the Antiguan capital of St John’s. Coached by new boss Walter Benitez, who took over the side that failed to shine in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Cuba started poorly, losing their first game to Martinique on 8 December. They rebounded, though, with a 2-1 win over French Guyana and a shock 1-0 win over Jamaica, widely considered the best Caribbean side at present and five-time Caribbean champions. Led by the panache of Ariel Martinez, who scored three goals in the tournament, the Cubans went on to beat 2007 champions Haiti 1-0 after extra time in the semi-final. They then took the laurels with the same result, also in extra time, against 2006 FIFA World Cup participants Trinidad and Tobago, who’ve won the Caribbean Cup no
Cuba – The triumphant Cuba team lifting the CFU Cup
fewer than eight times. “Our style of playing is a kind of flowing, fast-moving football, where we create chances for our strikers and trust each other totally,” said Cuban coach Benitez, who must be applauded for turning the side around so completely in such short order. The result is a milestone and it sends Cuba rocketing up the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, climbing a worldwidebest twelve places in the global pecking order, up to
88th in the January release. The boost also puts them 11th in the CONCACAF zone, still a way off the pace set by near neighbours USA, Costa Rica and Mexico, but much improved. In addition to bragging rights and a bump up the rankings, the title they picked up in St John’s sees Cuba through to the CONCACAF Gold Cup (the region’s biannual cup of nations) later this year in the USA. The Cubans’ best Gold Cup finish
to date at came back in 2003, when they overachieved to reach the quarter-finals. As surprise champions of the Caribbean, Cuba will head into these regional finals in July with, for once, a sense of legitimate confidence and hope of hitting the headlines for all the right reasons. “We are moving ahead in our football and we must keep up this progress,” said coach Benitez, who believes there are big things to come for the rising islanders. (FIFA.com)
Page 34
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
Novices & Junior C’ships to set tone; AGM fixed for Feb. 10 - GAPF to lift off Season on March 10 in NA Following a gratifying 2012, the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) is aiming to better last year in ever regard. The GAPF under Peter Green who has been at the helm since 2008 has made
significant strides in making the sport more popular and at the same time its athletes have taken on all and sundry successfully, the world over. And it is with these achievements in mind and a undying hunger for even
more success that the local governing body will muscle off their 2013 season, competition wise, on March 10 in the Ancient County of Berbice. The Berbice competition will be divided into two segments, Novices and the National Junior Championships. According to Green, the Novices segment is for first time lifters who will be allowed to compete equipped or unequipped in the Juniors and Open categories for male and female athletes. Commenting on the National Junior Championships, Green noted that it is open to Lifters who would have competed at both the Novice and Intermediate levels. They would be allowed to compete equipped with both male and female athletes eligible.
Meanwhile, March 10 will see the GAPF adopting a multi faceted approach in that athletes who have not been able to compete at the 2012 seniors due to injury can appear in Berbice as Guest Lifters. Competing in Berbice will afford the athletes the opportunity of qualifying for the Preliminary Nomination list for participation to the Caribbean, North American and Pan American Championships scheduled to be held simultaneously from July 1 – 7, 2013 in Orlando Florida, USA. This preliminary list is due to be submitted on May 1st. All clubs and individual lifters participating are reminded that they must register with the Organizing Secretary, Mr. Denroy Livan who can be reached on tel. # 226 1553 (between 08:00 – 16:00hrs) for data processing
Peter Green and other details. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The GAPF’s Annual General Meeting is set for Sunday February 10 at the Tropical View Hotel, Campbell Avenue, Campbelville commencing at 11:00hrs. Minutes, President, Secretary and Treasurer’s reports, Introduction of
Proposals for the upgrading of the Current Constitution and Elections will form the agenda. Nominations for positions of Officials from registered Clubs and members are open. These Nominations should be registered with the General Secretary Ms. Dawn Barker who can be reached on Tel. # 642 8322.
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 35
Grizzlies win 106-93, Lakers lose 4th straight Memphis, Tenn. (AP) - A team meeting didn’t help stop the losing, and this season just keeps spinning away from the Lakers. Darrell Arthur scored a season-high 20 points and Mike Conley added 19 as the Memphis Grizzlies beat Los Angeles 106-93 Wednesday night, handing the Lakers their fourth straight loss and 10th in 12 games. Kobe Bryant said he felt comfortable with what he said in a team meeting before the morning shootaround. He said he doesn’t know if his message to Dwight Howard got across. When asked if he hoped it did, Bryant simply answered with a seemingly sarcastic ‘’No.’’ And Bryant said this season certainly is getting up there when asked if it was his toughest in the NBA. That was 2004-05, when the Lakers last missed the playoffs when Tomjanovich was coach part of a 34-48 season. These Lakers are 17-25 after losing their seventh consecutive road game. D’Antoni had talked before the game about having an AllStar team with players not having learned their pecking order. Then Howard missed the second half after
aggravating his sore shoulder just before halftime. D’Antoni said the center will be reevaluated in Los Angeles. Memphis got to celebrate a big win, a day after trading three reserves to Cleveland. That meant, even with the signing of D-League player Chris Johnson, Memphis only dressed 10 players before clinching the season series over the Lakers with one game left in Los Angeles on April 5. Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen added 12 points apiece as Memphis improved to 12-0 when scoring at least 100 points. Randolph also grabbed 10 rebounds. The Grizzlies scored a season-high 60 points in the paint, compared to 34 for the Lakers with Howard out the second half. Bryant scored 29 points for the Lakers, Metta World Peace added 15, Pau Gasol 13 and Earl Clark 11. Los Angeles came in as the NBA’s fifth-best scoring team, averaging 102.6 points. But it was the Grizzlies topping 100 points for the first time since Jan. 11 against the Spurs, and they scored their most points since getting 113 against Sacramento on Jan. 7. Pau Gasol, coming off the bench again, believes
defense remains the Lakers’ biggest problem. The Grizzlies had a short bench after trading three players to the Cavaliers on Tuesday, only getting Jon Leuer back in a move freeing up Memphis from the luxury tax. But the paperwork hadn’t cleared on the physicals of the trio going to Cleveland in time to have Leuer available against the Lakers. Then Marc Gasol, Randolph, Hamed Haddadi and Jerryd Bayless all picked up two fouls each in the first quarter. That forced Hollins to rotate his Grizzlies to keep them fresh, and rookie Tony Wroten, who has gotten most of his playing time in the DLeague in Reno this season, had a career-best nine points by halftime. The Lakers started quickly, scoring the first six points of the game and forced four turnovers. They looked like they had listened to D’Antoni’s plea for better defense. But they last led 3028 on a 15-footer by Pau Gasol with 9 minutes left in the second quarter. Conley answered with a 9-foot runner to tie it up, and that started a 22-5 run as the Grizzlies took the lead for good. Conley capped the spurt with a fastbreak layup with 4:25 left in
Super50 semi finals and final live on ESPN - 15 matches to be played under lights
John’s, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board has announced that the semi finals and final of the Super50 Tournament will be broadcast live ESPN Caribbean in similar fashion to the just concluded Caribbean Twenty20. The semi finals and final will be played as day/night matches at the Kensington Oval on April 18th, 19th and 21st respectively. In addition to these matches, 12 preliminary round matches will also be played as day/ nighters during the 2013 season. The Super50 bowls off on February 7th with three matches under lights in Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia. Defending champions
Jamaica will face Barbados at the Kensington Oval, Leeward Islands will host Guyana at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds and Windward Islands will lock horns with Combined Campuses and Colleges at the Beausejour Cricket Ground. Trinidad and Tobago drew the bye for the first round. The semi finals and final of the Super50 2011 were also broadcast live on ESPN. That entire tournament was played in Guyana. In a new arrangement the Super50 will be played alongside the Regional 4 Day Tournament in the upcoming season with the WICB covering up to three changes per squad for each round. The seven teams will be competing for the Clive Lloyd Trophy while there will be several individual trophies on offer for the most outstanding performances. The Super50 will be played over seven rounds and will comprise 24 matches. All
day/night matches will commence at 2pm local time. The WICB will provide live video streaming and score updates via windiescricket.com for all preliminary matches of the Super50 and all Regional 4 Day matches including the semi finals and final. Local radio stations in the host territory will be offered the rights to produce live ballby-ball radio commentary for all preliminary round matches. The WICB will produce live ball-by-ball radio commentary for the semi final and final of both the Super50 and Regional 4 Day t o u r n a m e n t s . The radio commentary will be offered to local stations at no charge so that fans across the region can keep track of all the action live. Participating teams: Barbados, Combined Campuses and Colleges, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and Windward Islands.
Tony Allen #9, Zach Randolph #50 and Tony Wroten #1 of the Memphis Grizzlies celebrate a play against the Los Angeles Lakers the first half for a 50-35 lead. Both teams shot better than 50 percent in the first half, but the Grizzlies led 59-
50 at halftime. They led by as much as 21 in the second half and finished with a 27-3 edge on second-chance points.
They out rebounded the Lakers 52-34, including 16 offensive rebounds. (Yahoo Sports)
Page 36
Kaieteur News
Lewis Hamilton expecting a tough first season with Mercedes Lewis Hamilton says he expects to have a “tough” time in his first season with Mercedes this year. The 28year-old has moved from McLaren and admits it is asking a lot to expect Mercedes to catch the top teams after a difficult 2012 season. “It’s going to be a tough season, without a doubt,” Hamilton said. He added: “You’ve got to be very
understanding that (it) is going to be difficult for them in three months to gain two seconds or whatever it is.” Hamilton, who has signed a three-year contract , said Mercedes’ attempts to catch top teams Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren would be “a marathon not a sprint”. “It’s the long haul,” he added. “I hope this year we can be competitive. If we
arrive at the first race and we are in front it’s going to be spectacular but if we are not we just have to keep working at it. “We might get to the first race and do outstandingly well but Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari will also have been developing their cars. It’s about building for the future.” The British driver said he expects to be able to deal with
Friday January 25, 2013
New leaf: Hamilton insists he isn’t joining a team in turmoil
whatever competitive level the car was at without becoming downcast. “You have got to remember that I had a couple of half dodgy cars (at McLaren), one particular year, 2009,” he said. “But it did get better so perseverance is going to be key for all of us. “I hope to have quite a big impact in those first days of driving the car (at the pre-
season tests next month) because I’ll be able to compare one car to the other and say what we do and don’t have and what the car is and how it could be better. “But it’s going to take some time to get up to speed with the controls and the different settings, characteristics, aero balance. So I don’t know how long it will take but I’m on top of it, I’m ready.” Hamilton was talking at a media call on his second day at the Mercedes factory in Oxfordshire. It took place against the backdrop of BBC Sport’s revelation that Mercedes plan to bring in McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe as part of a major restructure that could result in Ross Brawn being replaced as team principal. Brawn won seven world titles with German Michael
Schumacher at Benetton and Ferrari and the 2009 championships with his own team and Brit Jenson Button. Brawn said on Thursday that he “planned” to stay on and “hoped” he was in Mercedes’ plans. Hamilton said he knew nothing of the planned restructure. He dismissed a suggestion that the team was in “turmoil” and said he did not feel unsettled by the situation. “It doesn’t (distract me),” he said. “It’s easy to be distracted, but I’m glad things are moving. They want to make changes because they want to win. I look at that as a positive not a negative.” Hamilton drove the 2013 car in the team’s simulator on Wednesday and admitted Mercedes’ device was not yet at the same level as McLaren’s.
LABA AGM now set for Tuesday at MSC Lounge The Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) Annual General Meeting and Biennial Elections is now set for Tuesday and not Monday as previously advertised, at the Mackenzie Sports Club Lounge from 18:00hrs. All of the seven affiliated clubs, Amelia’s Ward Jets, Kashif and Shanghai Kings, Victory Valley Royals, Half Mile Bulls, Retrieve Raiders, Block 22 Flames and Wismar Pistons have been invited to send four bona-fide representatives to attend. The association has also indicated that the representatives must be among those registered as Club Officials or players for the 2013 season, to be recognised at the AGM. Clubs were issued with the relevant forms for affiliation
and player registration and are expected to send in these forms by tomorrow (Saturday) to the association to indicate their willingness and readiness to attend Tuesday’s meeting. As a reminder, the Club Affiliation fee is One Thousand Dollars ($1000) and for each player 19 years and older while the registration fee is One Hundred ($100). Clubs must ensure that they register all players so that the LABA can accurately plan for the playing of competitions at all levels; first, second and third divisions, Under-17, 19, 21, 23 and open divisions. The Business Agenda for the meeting will see the minutes from the previous meeting, reports from the President, Secretary, Treasurer, Elections and Amendments.
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 37
NOVAK DJOKOVIC INTO AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL AFTER THRASHING FERRER Novak Djokovic
Defending champion Novak Djokovic thrashed David Ferrer to reach the Australian Open final and stay on course for a hat-trick of Melbourne titles. Djokovic had too much pace on the
ground and off his strings for the Spaniard, winning 6-2 6-2 6-1 in one hour and 29 minutes. “I played incredible tennis,” he said. “I felt very confident and comfortable
High Praise for... From page 41 supportive technical work force. It is in the best interest for the future of quite a promising group of players for there to be a united Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), encapsulating the ideas and dreams of the three counties that should form a solid strategic framework for the future development of the game in Guyana. In fact I have noted with great pleasure the elevation of young Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Ricardo Adams to the senior team; two of the finest talent, the former undisputedly gifted
while the latter is as exciting as Kieron Pollard. Such vast reservoir of promise is indicative of a country preserving and reinforcing the legacy of our heroes such as Clive Lloyd, Rohan Kanhai, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Alvin Kallicharran among others. The T20 team has given much hope for the future and they would have no doubt inspired many young cricketers to live their dreams of one day proudly representing Guyana. Yours Faithfully, Elroy Stephney
from the start. It was definitely one of the best performances I ever had in my career.” It was in marked contrast to last year’s semi-final, when the Serbian had needed nearly five hours to see off Andy Murray. Djokovic went on to win his third Australian title in 2012, and this year is trying to become the first man since the Open era began in 1968 to win it three times in a row. He can now enjoy a 48hour rest until Sunday’s final, awaiting the outcome of Friday’s (today) second semi-final between Murray and Roger Federer. Ferrer had matched his seeding of fourth by making the semi-finals, and had five wins over Djokovic to draw hope from, but he never threatened an upset. A more telling statistic was that in 14 meetings between the two, Ferrer had never won a match on outdoor hard courts. Djokovic, 25, has become the man to beat at Melbourne Park in recent years and, after
a quiet start, he made his move in game five. A forehand ripped down the line and a volley into a gaping space he had created brought him break point, and a Ferrer error handed it over. The top seed moved 5-2 clear thanks to some typically athletic defence and a deep return, and closed out the set after 29 minutes. Things got no better for Ferrer in the second and within 20 minutes he was again down a double-break, this time throwing in a
double-fault to fall 4-1 behind. Ferrer, 30, was as game as ever, muscling the ball back but without being able to hurt the world number one, who broke for the fifth time at the start of the third set. Ferrer trooped back to his chair disconsolately, and moments later a rare winner for the Spaniard drew a huge cheer from 15,000 spectators craving a contest. They had to settle instead for a champion in full flow, Djokovic breaking yet again this time to love - with a couple
of screaming winners for 3-0. The beaten Ferrer admitted of the demolition job: “He play very, very good. I didn’t have any chance to win tonight. All can I say is Novak was better in every moment than me.” Djokovic added: “It can only do positive things to my confidence. Definitely at this stage of a tournament, playing semi-finals against the world number four, somebody that I have respect for, great competitor, and being able to perform as well as I did, it’s incredible. (BBC Sport)
Page 38
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
::: Letters to the Sports Editor :::
Profound Gratitude for FIFA/CONCACAF Intervention in Local Football DEAR EDITOR, The historical one day visit by representatives of FIFA and CONCACAF, on Thursday, January 10, 2013 primarily to resolve the previous dispute between the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Georgetown Football (GFA), which led to a standoff, that lasted for almost 1 ½ years, In my estimation remains the most important and joyous moment, for the administration of local football in Guyana. That the delegation could have met with both factions separately, then jointly, interact with various stakeholders (GFF General Council); senior national team coaching staff & players; and subsequently the media. In addition to brokering a truce, along with providing a menu of measures towards reconciling the differences. Three of which not surprisingly includes restoration of voting rights to both the GFA and UDFA; withdrawal of the injunction filed by the GFA against the GFF; and the convening of
the GFA and the GFF’s Annual General Meetings. Not surprisingly, and definitely not surprised, since during the course of December, last year, I had penned a letter that listed the three of the afore-mentioned among my recommendations/suggestions. Editor, I had also suggested that “no sanctions be imposed against the GFF Executive; club (s), officials or players that supported the filing of the injunction. This comment had also caused some degree of concern among a few stakeholders in the sport‘s administration. But with the pronouncement from FIFA, hardly an eyebrow was raised! However, what remains in the best interest of the decision making by FIFA, is the high level of efficiency and professionalism the relevant issues were dealt with. All of which was concluded within a day at the Le Meridien Pegasus. Meanwhile with both the GFF and GFA holding their respective positions for almost 1 ½ years, there was
absolutely no end to the battle in sight; since neither party was prepared to flinch from it uncompromising position! Not even was there was an attempt for arbitration, involving the Guyana Olympic Association, which would have been more prudent, with football being an Olympic sport. Had the battle continue the loser would have dropped dead immediately, and the winner taking two steps and also dropping dead, and the sport continuing to suffer. In the final analysis while the intervention of FIFA and CONCACAF, was most welcome, ushering in the dawn of a new day in the sport’s administration, it is indeed joyful, that the GFF’s General Council, seriously deliberated on one of my recommendations/suggestions. “A motion in accordance to parliamentary procedure be submitted to the General Secretary, debarring the former President from ever acceding to any position in the sport again”, which
BCB must be applauded for their stance on Chattergoon’s omission DEAR EDITOR, I applaud the Berbice Cricket Board for their outright stance in representing Sewnarine Chattergoon on the latter’s omission from the Guyana Four-Day and Oneday regional teams. Pity that the Demerara Cricket Board (DCC) could not find the gumption to stand up for some of their players who have been sidelined too. One would have thought that the recent tournament
was intended to look keenly at performance levels etc, but it seems that the selectors were not in attendance at the various matches played. I have no problem with the way young Chanderpaul plays but, is he really ripe enough for the big field? Or has he been selected because his dad is Shiv? Maybe, he needs to get more flesh behind the ears. There are also other players who did not perform with bat,
ball or in the field, yet they are in the team. Chattergoon and other cricketers played well in the tournament but were overlooked. What then is the criteria for selection? Non performance? Low scores? Or, is the criteria sounded out ‘in camera’? Mr. Editor, I suggest we set up a selection panel to select the Selectors. Musical isn’t it? A Cricket Lover
should tabled by the GFA! Since it was within Georgetown, where he started, and the largest association should be given the privilege of performing the “coupe de grace”! This comes against the backdrop that the blessing in disguise from FIFA/CONCACAF, mandating that the GFF Ordinary Congress, including Elections of Office bearers must be held no later than April, 2013. And with Klass’ suspension ending in October, of this year, shouldn’t even allow him the privilege of receiving a nomination for any position thereafter. The individual over the years of his reign became exceedingly self-centered and egotistical! His rapid rise within sub-committees of CFU and CONCACAF, thanks to revered loyalty to the region’s former head Mr. Austin “Jack” Warner, was never equated to our country’s development of the sport. A typical example was while Klass had previously served as Chairman of CFU’s Futsal Committee, Guyana
never benefited as a host of a Regional Futsal tournament! However, Trinidad and Tobago, with Warner as a former advisor to the TTFF, ensured they hosted numerous finals within CFU, at both the junior and senior levels for males and females; in addition to a Youth World Cup. But yet still, Klass would have attended more than one Futsal World Championship. Was anything ever learnt, was the knowledge acquired ever imparted for Futsal development in Guyana? Absolutely not! In the final analysis Klass ruled autocratically, becoming revered as a “demigod” by his lackeys and cohorts! Everything about football administration locally was engulfed and surrounded by the image of Klass, which must also include the following: i. A 50 odd seater bus purchased from maybe a scrap yard in England, without a spare wheel, which made three trips the most! And was probably sold off as scrap eventually. ii. A 9 seater bus purchased for transporting
the Technical Staff of the GFF, of which my comment at a General Council Meeting entailed. “The idea is good, but the purchase is extremely poor, since traversing the extensive terrain beyond Linden would entail a four wheel drive vehicle. And definitely not the 9 seater which I doubt would climb the first hill on the Linden Highway! (Seek clarification from former Treasurer, Aubrey Henry). iii. The “Goalless” Goal Project/FIFA funded Training Facility! With the negatives outweighing the positives, it’s most sad for the sport that Klass never had anyone as an understudy, who would step up as a President, from among the GFF affiliates and command the respect of all and sundry. Does football still need Klass? Empathically no! What even remains most sad is for an individual outside the ambits of football, to throw his hat in the ring as a potential presidential candidate. Once again thank you FIFA/CONCACAF. Respectfully Yours, Lester Sealey
Roberts banned for 6 years -threatened LABA official to ‘Crush’ association while on suspension The Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) has imposed a six year ban on the Retrieve Raiders’ National power forward Dwayne ‘Brown Sugar’ Roberts after he failed to appear before its Executive Committee on Saturday January 5, 2013, to answer the charges of threatening an official of the LABA and to ‘Crush’ the association in public view. In a release yesterday (Thursday) the Association stated it had increased the previous suspension for Roberts from all basketball related activities, after reviewing the recent incidents which involved Roberts, who had previous ‘brushes’ with the association. In the letter sent to Roberts it informed “the LABA Executive Committee has decided that you now be suspended for six years, dating back to when you were first given a six months suspension and fined Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000) for throwing the ball at Referee Lloyd Ross causing him injury on November 13, 2012 during a sanctioned
Dwayne Roberts BOSAI Minerals Group Open Challenge game between your club Retrieve Raiders and the Kashif and Shanghai Kings.” It continued: “This decision to impose a longer ban, takes into consideration that you have been a repeated offender in openly berating association officials in public. The fact that the most recent action by you, was in the presence of all to see, including another association executive, has placed this association with no other choice than to impose a more severe penalty for your emotional outburst, and to maintain the initial fine of
Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000). The association trusts that you will use the period dating from November 13, 2012 to November 12, 2018 to reflect on your past as a player who has played at the junior and senior National levels.” Roberts according to one association official, in fact, had shown no remorse for his actions as he dared the governing body to bar him from attending activities sanctioned by it. This was clear the official said when the former junior national player turned up to watch at least two such basketball games while he is on suspension. In the letter sent to Roberts and copied to the President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation and the Secretary of the Retrieve Raiders Basketball Club for which Roberts is a member, it added “you are further advised that you should not attend any activity sanctioned by the LABA, failing which other measures will have to be taken to enforce our aforementioned penalties.”
Friday January 25, 2013
Kaieteur News
Page 39
Guyana Fight Night activities resume
Mark Austin/Gladwin Dorway bout should be a scorcher Tonight’s boxing card that pits the skills of several local pugilists might not appear glittering on paper but the Mark Austin/Gladwin Dorway 12 rounds encounter for the local Jnr./ Middleweight belt, should be enticing enough to prompt local boxing buffs to flock the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) when the Guyana Boxing Board of Control presents Guyana Fight Night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) this evening. It will be remembered the Austin had had a glorious start to his career, defeating all comers until he faced former lightweight champion, Revlon Lake and suffered a humiliating knockout. He also lost to Barbadian, Miguel Antoine and the pundits felt that he should pack it in. Displaying grit and determination after a self imposed hiatus from combat, Austin returned and earned a convincing victory over Troy Lewis and afterward signaled that he was back to reclaim his place as one of the
leading local contenders. In the meantime, Dorway had chalked up four convincing wins, and while one admits that his opponents were not among the highly rated locally, one cannot dispute that the victory was incisive and definitive; none of his opponents survived to the final bell. It means much to the youngster from the Ancient County that he has managed to break into the local ratings with a lucrative spot and one cannot help but note his high level of confidence which has prompted him to issue a challenge to those pugilists at the top echelons of his division. Austin has answered the call and Dorway could not have asked for a better opponent to test his skills. However, one wonders if he is indeed ready for such a stern challenge. Other than his losses to Lake and Antoine, Austin had had a grueling encounter with local featherweight and lightweight champion, Clive
Atwell and managed to hold him to a draw. Dorway is still to register five rounds in any one fight after all of his bouts were abbreviated; he will find that the psychological impact of entering the second phase of a championship bout ( 5 rounds and upwards), can be somewhat challenging and can tamper with the confidence of any inexperienced pugilist. Austin, on the other hand, has battled against the best in the division and has chalked up dozens of rounds in the process. He will obviously feel that his experience could win out. The fight is shaping up to be one of youth and enthusiasm, as in the case of Dorway, against experience and wit, as in the case of Austin. One tends to believe that Austin holds the edge but boxing has had some strange twists that have defied conventional wisdom. One just has to be there to witness the punches to appreciate what is in store. Delon Allicock and
CEO says the fight with WIPA is over Kingston, Jamaica Recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Michael Muirhead has declared an end to the once turbulent relationship between WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). Muirhead, who replaced Dr Ernest Hilaire late last year, says the strained relationship is now history since then there has been improvement between the two bodies. In an interview with the Jamaica Observer the CEO expressed confidence that WICB and WIPA can now work together in the interest of regional cricket. “I have heard about this thing with WIPA, but I have an excellent relationship with them,” said Muirhead. “And I think they are definitely changing, as the whole dispensation of the tug-of-wars and always at each others’ throat is now history”. Ex WIPA CEO Dinanath Ramnarine and WICB former CEO, Dr Ernest Hilaire, have been at loggerheads throughout the St Lucian’s three year tenure with several matters having to be settled in court. Relations between Hilaire and Ramnarine had become a cause of major concern with reports that a meeting
Michael Muirhead between the two threatened to erupt into a physical
showdown. Muirhead was recently invited as guest speaker at WIPA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), triggering speculation that the relationship which has been marred by controversy may now be mellowing. “That speaks volumes, because it has not been done in a long time,” said Muirhead. “It serves no purpose to keep going at each others’ throat... we must come together and look for settlements in areas that need to be settled and compromise where we have to compromise”.
Oprah’s Lance Armstrong... From page 40 in its short lifetime to date. Winfrey quit her daytime U.S. TV show in 2011 after 25 years to launch the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), a femaleoriented lifestyle channel aimed at young women that has struggled to find its
footing. The Armstrong interview generated huge publicity for Winfrey and high demand for advertising that e x e c u t i v e s hope will translate into more regular viewers for OWN. (Yahoo Sports)
Charlton Skeete had quite a lot to say at the pre-fight press conference and the time has arrived to put up or shut up. Relatively new in the professional ranks, both fighters still possesses the amateur approaches where punches are thrown in bunches so the bout seems to be heading for a slugfest with the fitter boxer coming out triumphant. Berbician, Richard Williamson and his former coach, Orlan Rogers go after each other over 6 rounds in a super/bantamweight affair. Rogers had once trained Williamson, yet the latter boxer is confident that he could take his teacher to school. Rogers told Williamson that while he (Rogers) had taught him a lot, he has retained some of his knowledge. He said that he will be employing those techniques tonight and will ‘teach the youth a thing or two about the sport.’ Williamson, on the other hand, is adamant that he had
learned enough to take out his former coach. In what has developed into ‘the student versus the teacher’ scenario, Williamson is spouting confidence and has threatened that after tonight his former coach will return to his coaching duties as he (Williamson) will end his career in the ring. Fans had had to swallow a bitter pill when it was revealed that Barbadian, Shawn ‘The Sniper’ Cox will no longer be coming to keep his ring date with Kwesi ‘Lightening Struck Assassin’ Jones. However, boxing officials are adamant that the remaining bouts should provide boxing buffs with an evening of solid entertainment. The welterweight bout between Anson Green and Berbician, Dereck Richmond has replaced the Jones/Cox bout and the two will battle over 4 rounds in the night’s opener. Otherwise, the executive of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) in its bid
to enhance the fortunes of its charges have identified eight pugilists to participate on the card. Jaimi Kellman of the Young Achievers (YA) will oppose Kevon Mullings of the Harpy Eagles in the 5559lbs category while John Moore of the Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) will battle Shaquille Simon of the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym (PRBG). Their bout will be in the 70-74lbs class. Cordel Walcott of the Essequibo Boxing Gym (EBG) will then oppose Tyron Lashley of the Rosehall Jammers (RHJ) in the 90-94lbs class while Quincy Boyce (GDF) and David Moore (RHJ) will bring the amateur segment to a close in the 119-124lbs. Patrons will be required to pay an entrance fee of $1000 and $500 for adults and children respectively while the first bell sounds at 20:00hrs sharp. There will be no live televised broadcast but patrons will be afforded an opportunity to see the action on a later broadcast.
Page 40
Kaieteur News
Friday January 25, 2013
AZARENKA BEATS STEPHENS WHILE NA STUNS SHARAPOVA TO REACH FINAL Defending champion Victoria Azarenka overcame injury problems to end Sloane Stephens’ Australian Open run and set up a final with China’s Li Na. Azarenka left the court for almost 10 minutes to have treatment for what appeared to be stress after the American had saved five match points. But the Belarusian, who hurt her left ankle earlier in the set, broke in the next game to win 6-1 6-4. Sixth seed Li thrashed Maria Sharapova 62 6-2 in the first semi-final. Azarenka admitted that nerves had got the better of her on a swelteringly hot day when the on-court temperature soared past 40C. “I almost did the choke of the year right now,” said Azarenka. “At 5-3 having so many chances, couldn’t close it out but I’m glad I could close it out. Nerves got into me for sure.” But she downplayed the controversial timeout, saying she needed medical treatment for a breathing problem. The
top seed secured the first set in 28 minutes against the 19year-old, who had caused the biggest upset of the tournament by beating an injury-hit Serena Williams on Wednesday. But the world number one hurt her ankle in the third game of the second set, allowing Stephens the chance to get back into the match. The champion seemed to have overcome the injury but mistakes crept into her game and she struggled to contain her frustration. However, Azarenka served for the match at 5-3 only for Stephens to save five match points and break serve. Azarenka then called for the trainer and went off for treatment, but came back to break the American straight away to clinch her place in Saturday’s final. Stephens said: “It’s happened before. I mean, I’ve had it in the last match, the match before, medical breaks, go to the bathroom, the whole showdown. “It was just something else, but it
didn’t affect anything, I don’t think.” Second seed Sharapova had only dropped nine games in her previous five matches but struggled with her serve throughout her semi-final against 2011 runner-up Li. Li, 30, broke Sharapova three times to take the opening set, including in the first game, and then broke again in the fifth game of the second. The sixth seed, the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam crown, maintained her form to seal victory in only 93 minutes. “Every time I’m back in Australia, I always feel something here,” said the 2011 French Open winner. “I always play well here. Everyone can be nervous in a final, so I have to enjoy it. I’m looking forward to it.” Li, who appointed Argentine Carlos Rodriguez as her new coach last August, said her success was down to projecting a calmer face on court. “Maybe before I was
Li Na
angry or something. Start of this year, I try to cool down on the court,” she said. “You
don’t have to show opponent what are you thinking. A little bit like Hollywood, but not real.” Sharapova, a four-time
Grand Slam winner, hit six double faults and made 32 errors in a poor display but was quick to praise Li. (BBC Sport)
Toronto, Canada Canada’s national cricket team is due to visit Trinidad and Tobago next weekend for a nine day tour. The Canadians will arrive in Port of Spain next Friday to play a two-day game and a pair of one-day and Twenty/20 matches against the Twin-Island Republic’s national side. Canada is using the short tour as part of its preparation for two International tournaments later this year. Trinidad and Tobago has also integrated the series in their preparations for next month’s West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Super50 and four-day tournaments. “It will help us with our
preparation for upcoming World Cricket League (WCL) and Intercontinental Cup matches in Dubai in March,” said Gus Logie, who is with the Canadian team for a second stint after coaching them at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. “It will also assist the Trinidadians to get ready for the West Indies Cricket Board’s four-day and Super 50 tournaments starting in the next three weeks and boost the relationship between the two countries.” Canada’s place as a top flight Associate has been on shaky ground over the past two years. They finished sixth out of seven teams in Group
A at the 2011 World Cup, beating only Kenya. The Canadians now sit at the bottom of both the Intercontinental Cup and the World Cricket League (WCL) Championship standings. “The guys have been doing a lot of conditioning work, but they need to get outside and get match fit and ready before we head to Dubai,” said Logie, a former West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago middle order batsman. “We also a have a few players outside the Greater Toronto Area that we need to get into the fold, see where they are at and get everybody on the same page.”
Victoria Azarenka
Canada cricket team to visit Trinidad
Oprah’s Lance Armstrong interview viewed by 28 million worldwide Los Angeles (Reuters) Some 28 million viewers worldwide watched Oprah Winfrey’s two-part interview last week in which cyclist Lance Armstrong finally admitted he had been taking performance-enhancing substances for years, Winfrey’s OWN cable TV channel said on Tuesday. OWN said that 12.2 million Americans and 15 million people overseas watched the encounter over two nights and various airings on OWN, with another 800,000 watching online on Oprah.com. The two-part
exclusive interview - totaling 2.5 hours - was seen in more than 190 nations in 30 languages, said the cable channel, a joint venture with Discovery Communications. In the United States however, audiences shrunk dramatically after the first broadcast, in which Armstrong admitted in the first five minutes that he had been doping for all seven of his Tour de France victories. Some 3.2 million Americans watched Thursday night’s first broadcast, rising to 4.3 million including repeats. On Friday,
just 1.8 million came back for part two, rising to 2.4 million including a later repeat. Thursday’s first interview failed to bring in record numbers for OWN despite days of advance publicity and interest from the cycling world. The most-watched telecast in OWN history was Winfrey’s interview with the family of the late Whitney Houston in March 2012 that drew 3.5 million viewers. Nevertheless, OWN said that Friday’s broadcast marked the cable channel’s highest-rated Friday telecast (Continued on page 39)
Friday January 25, 2013
Milo U-20 Schools Football Competition After two exciting days of action in the Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition, three more matches are scheduled to be played tomorrow at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue, starting from 12:00hrs. In the opening encounter, Lodge goes up against David Rose and that will be followed by a clash between Dolphin and Guyana Educational Trust College at 13:50hrs, while the final game of the day pits St. Winefride against North Ruimveldt from 15:45hrs. Then on Sunday, another three games will be played at the same venue. In the first game, Carmel will engage Brickdam from 12:00hrs; New Campbellville takes on Spohia
Kaieteur News
MATCHES FIXED FOR TOMORROW & SUNDAY Special School at 13:50hrs and Richard Ishmael tackles Central High at 15:45hrs. 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 receive $200,000, runner-up $100,000, third place $50,000 and fourth $25,000. All four institutions will also be given medals and trophies, while the Most Valuable Player, Highest Goal Scorer, Best Goalkeeper, Best Coach and Most Supportive Parent will be recognised for their achievements. The schools hunting the top prizes are: Charlestown, North Georgetown, Christ Church, Ascension, Tucville, St John’s College, St George’s,
Part of the action in a recent match in the Milo U-20 Schools Football Competition Tutorial High, Cummings Lodge, Bishop’s High, South Ruimveldt, Queen’s College, Lodge, David Rose, Dolphin
::: Letter to the Sports Editor :::
High Praise for Guyana’s T20 Performance DEAR EDITOR, From the inception I was pleased with the selection of the Guyana team even though it was done without the Inter County playoffs that would have given the selectors a more favorable insight into the eventual composition of the team. Notwithstanding, the Amazon Conquerors would have done Guyana proud despite their failure to win the finals against Trinidad & Tobago in the just concluded Caribbean T20 tournament in St. Lucia. Perhaps the team was overwhelmed by the occasion or even the early evening moisture of the pitch which I thought made an immediate impression on the game for Trinidad, a team that majorly consisted of players that would have represented the West Indies. Also Guyana having played four consecutive matches may have been a contributing factor in their passive display in the final. I listened to the radio commentary for the duration of the tournament since the local television did not provide coverage and indeed the praises for the Guyanese were gratifying to the ear as one commentator after another extolled the achievements of the players. In fact the radio commentary was amazingly exciting especially for
Page 41
Guyana’s nail-biting victories against Combined Campuses and the Windward Islands. The commentaries also tested my composure and resolve to remain loyal to the existence of my radio! It was an unforgettable tournament especially to see our local talent rise to the occasion as the Caribbean was stunned and had to duly salute Christopher Barnwell instead of Christopher Gayle (rare upstage) in the semifinals against Jamaica, despite the indomitable Jamaican’s savage century. Then to proudly listen to the legendary Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop’s expert acknowledgement of the fast bowling prowess of Ronsford Beaton was a magnanimous gesture as he won brief duels against Gayle and Pollard. I had my initial thoughts of fear from the duo but given Beaton’s amazing pace and variation I am confident of his rapid rise to international stardom in the near future. While Barnwell and Beaton were exceptional, I was also encouraged by the mental strength and belief of the team as Steven Jacobs stood out when it mattered against Barbados and so was the seemingly ignored Leon Johnson against the Winward Islands. Nothing will erase the supreme skill of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his
versatility was evident in his few innings before his disappointing injury; the same can be said of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Narsingh Deonarine, their collective talent though short of expectation in the tournament will evolve as matured professionals, no doubt for Guyana and the West Indies very soon. Collectively the team must be credited given the continued impasse between the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) which did not provide an ideal environment for the preparation of the team. I believe also that there was not sufficient Public Relations regarding the team’s progress during training whereby the public could have been more interested and even morally attached to the team. This scenario has to change very quickly since the unprecedented feat by Trinidad & Tobago is not a coincidence but a combination of thorough practice and training over a long period of time, professional guidance from experts in different fields, mutual understanding between the Administrative Board and the Government, public interest in the welfare of the team and effectively having a competent and (Continued on page 37)
Secondary, Guyana Education Trust College, St Winefride, North Ruimveldt, Carmel, Brickdam, New Campbellville, Sophia Special School, Richard Ishmael and Central High. Co-ordinator of the tournament Marlan Cole speaking with this newspaper said that the Organisers are pleased with the turnout of
the schools so far and the discipline that has been exhibited to this stage, while imploring that what has been witnessed so far in terms of the smooth running of the competition be duplicated by the other schools going forward. He also spoke of how receptive the students are to the counseling that has been
done so far as it relates to educating them about the scourge of gender based violence and its effects, an item which has become a topical issue in the society. At every match to date, the respective captains have been mandated to recite lines that discourage violence among women and their peers.
t r o Sp
Leon Belony leads from the front as GASP Scrabble Scramble concludes P
resident of the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players (GASP), Leon Belony celebrated his new portfolio with a resounding victory when the GASP staged the Scrabble Scramble at the Maltenoes Sports Club Thomas Lands, yesterday afternoon. In a display on par with his leadership position, Belony defeated all of his opponents to amass a flawless 6 points and a positive spread of 614 while James Krakowsky rebounded from an earlier loss to the eventual champion to register 5 points and a positive spread of 672. Moen Gafoor completed the podium spots with 4 points and a positive spread of 226. Enterprise Scrabble Club fielded a qualitative field and one of their players, Anand Mohabir carted off 2 prizes after finishing in the 4th place slot. He was also adjudged the best player outside of the top ten ranked players. He finished with 4 points and a positive spread of 62. Robert Williams carries the name of the former Deputy Mayor and while he is not that person, cleaned up
several of his opponents and was adjudged the second best player outside of the top ten players. He amassed 3 points with a positive spread of 81. Belony started the session on a positive note, defeating Orlando Michael (199) and by the end of the pre-lunch session had added the scalps of Mohabir (124) and Krakowsky (57) to his list. He resumed the afternoon session with victories over Colin Chichester (77), Gafoor (110) and Williams (47). Meanwhile, the tournament witnessed the largest turnout in recent times and Mr. Belony was extremely delighted. Notable also, was that most of the players were on time for the registration period, allowing the organizers to start the tournament on time. The newly elected President was delighted and urged the players to continue in the same vein even as he hinted on several initiatives being discussed to enhance the fortunes of the players. The date for the next tournament will be released soon but in the meantime the players will meet at the Maltenoes Sports Club for practice sessions on Thursday evenings‘.
Leon Belony (right) is all concentration on his way to a victory over James Krakowsky
Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210