Sunday July 29, 2012
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Linden killings…
AFC to share ‘significant evidence’ with international agencies By Michael Jordan Executive member of the Alliance For Change, Nigel Hughes, says that the AFC has gathered ‘significant evidence’ relating to the fatal shootings at Linden. But to protect eyewitnesses who have expressed ‘extreme fear’ of the police, the party will first release this information to international agencies before handing it over to local investigators. The attorney explained that the release of this information will be done once the party receives confirmation from ballistics tests that are to be carried out on bullet fragments that were retrieved from the bodies of two of the slain men. “A lot of witnesses have expressed grave reservation about their identities being released to the police,” Hughes said. “We plan to share this information with a number of international agencies to protect the witnesses so we don’t have another ‘George Bacchus’ situation. The evidence we have is pretty significant. “We are working out an arrangement where the information can be released to the police.” Hughes was referring to alleged ‘killing squad’ member, George Bacchus, who was shot dead in his Princes Street, Lodge home in June 2004, shortly after
- in effort to protect eyewitnesses disclosing that he had provided information to a senior Government official that a squad of gunmen was eliminating criminal elements during the crime wave. Kaieteur News was told that the survivors of the July
and two weapons that were used to fire tear gas canisters. Hughes said that there were also officers in Khaki uniforms who had side-arms. “Two of the persons shot were north of the police line. One was shot in the chest, so
“We plan to share this information to protect the witnesses so we don’t have another ‘George Bacchus’ situation…”- Nigel Hughes 18 Linden shootings have refused to give police written statements. The attorney declined to say whether the evidence in his possession includes video footage of the shooting of the protesters. At the centre of the tragedy is the mystery of who fired the fatal shots and what type of firearm was used. Trinidad-based Pathologist, Professor Hubert Daisley, who was hired by the AFC to view the postmortem, stated that two of the three slain Linden protesters appeared to have been shot with bronze-tipped rounds. According to information Hughes has received, ranks in the standard firing line were equipped with two Ak47 assault rifles, two shotguns
those guns had to be turned north…he was not in the crowd. “We believe that the policemen of integrity should
disclose the type of weapons, including sidearms that the other policemen had on them. There is also information about an officer who had a sidearm wrapped in newspaper.” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement) Seelall Persaud has said that only four shotgun cartridges were unaccounted for from the ammunition that police ranks had in their possession during the Linden protest. Hughes disclosed on Friday that United Kingdom ballistics expert Dr. David Robinson is willing to examine the bullet fragments that were extracted from two of the Linden victims. The attorney said that the AFC has written to Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell requesting permission for Dr. Robinson to view the fragments.
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KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
Passing the baton Today, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) will be electing a new leader at its 17th Biennial Congress. In the lead-up to the Congress there has been a vigorous campaign waged in the press and social media between the supporters of the two major candidates for the office. While some have bemoaned the sharpness of some of the interventions, it is our considered view that the exchanges reflect the crossroad at which the party has found itself at this time. The PNC is a national institution that has been around for over fifty years. During that time, it has been a major agent of change in our country – but inevitably, has also been affected by those changes. This is healthy: an institution, like an individual, that does not adapt to its environment soon becomes a fossil. Right now the debate by the members of the PNCR, while couched in the rhetoric of support of one or the other candidate, is actually a debate about the principles that should now guide the party. At its formation - out of a fission in the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) - the PNC reflected both the angst and concerns of the ‘founder-leader’ LFS Burnham and that of the people he sought to lead. Perhaps inevitably, it defined itself in opposition to the PPP. A recent interlocutor reminded us of an early (1962) departure from the PNC – that of the then Mr. Sydney King. That exit was occasioned by fears that are still the driving force in our politics: ethnic insecurities. The writer also alluded to the PNC’s ‘battle song’; specifically to the lines that exhorted members to “hold the line of battle comrades link your arms in unity, organize and charge the forces of the haughty enemy...” In a sense, exactly fifty years after King’s departure (he soon changed his name to Eusi Kwayana) the PNC is now debating whether the sentiments implicit in those words of the party song should still guide the party’s actions. It is not coincidental that the PNC ‘battle song’ was also written by Sydney King/Eusi Kwayana. He also wrote the party songs for the PPP (while he was a member of that party) and of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA). The lyrics of the three songs not only reflected the philosophy of Mr. Kwayana at the time, but obviously since they found acceptance by the parties in question, also found resonance in the views of the wider memberships in changing times and circumstances. One can compare the words of the PNC song quoted above to that from the earlier PPP’s at a time of national unity: ‘Give us the sign Oh fighting men!/Now is our call for bravery/We’ll break the bonds of slavery./The mighty land Guyana we/Shall make a land of liberty.’ And that of the WPA, at a later time of disillusion with the PNC’s experiment: ‘Let’s join our hands and say,/Together come what may/Together Portuguese, Chinese and Indian/Together African And Amerindian/ Take the fight for freedom into everyplace./Struggle for the freedom/Of the human race.’ It is rather unfortunate that there are elements within the PNC who still view other competitors for office in our political space as ‘enemies’, against whom ‘war’ must be waged. At the opening of the Congress, the departing leader – the first one of the PNC to do so voluntarily – Mr. Robert Corbin warned the general membership as well as his successor, to beware of ‘wild men’ who would plunge the party and the nation into internecine warfare. We cannot afford to define our political opponents as ‘enemies’ at this juncture of our history; whatever might have been the exigencies in the past. It is to the credit of Mr. Corbin, who needs no lectures in the old-time rough and tumble politics, to have resisted the pressures for such an orientation in the last few years. His moderation acknowledged the changing demographics, as well as domestic and international political dynamics and as importantly, has borne fruit. May peace, moderation and justice be the watchwords today at the PNC Congress.
Sunday July 29, 2012
Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
How can President Ramotar be so careless and insensitive? DEAR EDITOR, It was at the end of the rally last Friday evening when we learned that President Ramotar was scheduled to come the next morning. None of us at that time saw the Government press statement on the visit. After a stop at the LEAP office, we were heading back to Georgetown when the press release was read out to us. Everyone present there including me, Dr. David Hinds, Nigel Hughes, Fitz Ralph and Lincoln Lewis could not believe what we were hearing It was clear to all of us that President Ramotar is not in control of his presidency or does not know anything at all
about politics. First, when the rally was about to conclude, the chairman brought back Sharma Solomon to announced to the attendees (I would put that rally at fifteen thousand) that President Ramotar nor his aides directly communicated with him and that he was not the one to issue the invitation for Saturday morning That generated enormous anger among the people. You had to be there to see it. This was messy protocol that hardly obtains in the rest of the world. The commonsensical thing to do is to inform Solomon about the visit and inquire if that would be a suitable time. This
is what governments do. Sharma Solomon has emerged as the charismatic leader of the Linden protest movement and if he told the crowd he didn’t know about the visit it will obviously be difficult for the visit to be smooth Secondly and most disastrously, the press release was written in command language that was most foolish, insensitive and bordered on stupidity. Part of it said that Mr. Solomon is expected to cooperate. Even a school boy would have penned it to say that the Government would wish or hope that it receives the cooperation of Mr. Solomon.
Thirdly, and this is the section that demonstrates the bankruptcy of the politics of the PPP. The end of the press release stated that the joint forces have been instructed to remove all blockades using all the necessary means. The people of Linden are grieving at the cold blooded murder of three protestors and the injury to more than 20 of their colleagues. They have set up roads blocks to vent their anger and President Ramotar, without informing their leader issues a command for the blockades to be cleared forthwith. The stupid thing about that edict is the humiliation it Continued on page 6
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The PPP’s salaries to its top employees is shameless enrichment on the backs of Guyanese
Digicel, GT&T and the Olympics
DEAR EDITOR, Trinidad and Tobago is an oil-rich Caribbean country. Its GDP per capita is US $17,158. Guyana is a downtrodden poor country with a GDP per capita of US $2869, almost six times less than Trinidad. Over a hundred thousand Guyanese have fled from Guyana to Trinidad for a better life. There are many starving themselves in Guyana by rationing what they can eat to make ends meet every day in this country. These people are the forgotten working class poor, discarded by t h e P P P. S o , w h a t i s Trinidad with its GDP per capita six times Guyana paying its top civil servants compared to destitute Guyana? The 89th Report of the Salary Review Commission o f Tr i n i d a d & To b a g o noted that the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister and Head of the Public Service, a position similar to that held by Roger Luncheon as Head of OP, was paid TT $29,300 or $922,007 Guyana dollars per month. Roger Luncheon who is head of OP in a failed state created by the PPP gets paid $895,326 Guyana dollars. The Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, a country with a GDP per capita six times that of Guyana and a nation that is a developed nation compared to the filth and w r e c k a g e o f t h e P P P ’s Guyana is paid just $26,681 more than Roger Luncheon, the very man who reportedly said under
oath there were no qualified Africans in Guyana to hold key ambassadorial postings. Well, what qualifies Roger Luncheon to obtain a salary on par with his counterpart in wealthy Trinidad and Tobago? Presidential Advisor, Gail Teixeira, reportedly earns $967,985, which is shockingly more than the Head of the Presidential Secretariat and more than the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago earns. Hydar Ally as Deputy Head of the Office of the President collects $550,064, which is more than the Clerk of the Trinidad and Tobago Senate and Deputy Secretary to the T&T Cabinet. Major General (ret’d) Joseph G Singh who serves in the OP as a Special Assistant to the President is paid some $667,440, which is more than the monthly salaries of the Head of T&T’s Elections and Boundaries Commission and all of all the Chairmen of the various Service Commissions in Trinidad. When Kwame McKoy, that incredible danger to decency and mocker of competency, can earn more than a Junior Legal Officer, State Counsel, Parliamentary Counsel and State Solicitor in an advanced country like Trinidad & Tobago, it confirms the medieval degeneracy Guyana practices. The same applies to the Attorney-at-Law from OP with less than two years since graduation commanding a salary of $489,666 per month. We have a situation of barefaced entitlement where
those holding onto power see nothing wrong in fleecing this country by paying themselves handsomely while pensioners earn a measly $10,000 per month. If these figures do not represent a brazenly debauched act of enrichment from the public purse of an economically crippled country, what does? Has the opposition verified these salaries? Have they asked for proof that these salaries are as stated by the PPP? Because I don’t trust the PPP and who knows whether they have reduced these numbers to minimize the outrageousness of their enrichment. Furthermore, are these salaries before any gratuities, vacation pay and other perks? With Ashni Singh admitting that over 180 OP staff now out of work because of the budget cuts, who cares when this kind of money is being paid to people to be grossly incompetent? We are now witness to political patronage gone wild. The PPP has created a welfare system to benefit freeloading party members, friends and cronies. Did the PPP impose a crippling 16% VAT on poor people in this country to transfer this astounding kind of wealth to a few party elites? This is a downright travesty that the people of Guyana must condemn. They did not hand their taxes over for this kind of fattening while they suffer. M. Maxwell
DEAR EDITOR, I read your article (SN July 24, 2012) captioned, “Digicel announces up to 88 percent reduction on international rates –GT&T says appealing judge’s ruling, stay granted,” and thought this was a good opportunity to link this situation with the Olympics, the usefulness of effective oversight by a vibrant Utilities Commission, and the benefits consumers enjoy from competition. Without fair, transparent and accountable competition, there can be no celebration of excellence. The Olympics is one such experience which encapsulates excellence and we wait at least four years to see what the world’s best have done for extending the reach of the human spirit. Competition not only brings to the fore the fastest and the best in the Olympics; but competition extends to other areas of life, including how we organize business to ensure efficiency and to satisfy the choices of consumers. Consumers of the Olympics satisfy their choices by the various events they watch and when not satisfied they switch to other events. Consumers of goods and services make the same choice by switching to other goods and services and they support their preference by choosing to pay for those goods and services they prefer. In contrast, business owners have to either adjust to the demands of consumers or they go out of business or they switch to something else.
GT& T has the choice to compete on price by cutting their price or doing something else. In contrast, Digicel should go to the Utilities Commission with their positive story of cutting rates, given that the oversight function is the first level of control and not the Courts of Guyana. In the absence of competition we have a monopoly which implies no choice for consumers, with the result that there is no need for excellence, but poor standards and higher prices as inefficiency is pervasive. In other words, the monopolist is supreme and the consumer is crushed. How to correct for this deformity? We break the monopoly and encourage competition by extending the choice of consumers. For example, we encourage private and public schools; we encourage private and public hospitals;
more than one international airline; more than one local airline; more than one private and public radio and TV station in any location (Linden). Like the International Olympic Committee that manages and ensures competition, we need effective Public Utilities and Broadcast Commissions that are staffed with professionally trained experts with no conflicts of interest. While I agree with the GT&T statement that the development of telecommunication policy should not be accomplished through piecemeal court decisions (not the remit of the Court, anyway), I am disappointed that GT&T are relying on the Court of Appeal, instead of making their arguments to the Public Utilities Commission. The Courts should defer to the Utilities Commission. C. Kenrick Hunte
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More attention ought to be paid to the people’s business DEAR EDITOR, As Dr Walter Rodney has taught us we must “discover ourselves in order to understand our historic mission in our own selfemancipation”. In this regard we want to be on record as saluting Mr. Sharma Solomon, the Regional Chairman of Region 10, Ms. Vanessa Kissoon (MP), Mr. Nigel Hughes (the people’s Senior Counsel) and all the others on the front lines providing effective representation to the youth, poor and the powerless as they pursue their mission of “emancipating themselves from mental slavery” under this uncaring Jagdeo/Ramotar PPP Government. There are thousands both inside and outside of Guyana who are working beyond the call of duty in this struggle for working class freedom. There work will not go in vain. A Luta Continua! That said, we remain deeply concerned, like thousands of other Guyanese, as to why the Parliament postponed the debate on the no confidence motion against Rohee. We considered the slaying and wounding of peaceful protesters as well as the decade of mal-administration by the Jagdeo/Ramotar PPP regime as economic genocide against the working class.
This is a very serious issue and we condemned the action of the combined parliamentary opposition as they joined with the PPP in postponing the debate. What was the opposition thinking? It is regrettable that the combined opposition could not have influenced three consecutive days of debate on this no confidence motion. We are dealing with people’s lives and their survival and to delay the debate can be described as extremely unsympathetic to the cause of the people. When the question was asked as to who authorized such a long delay the responses we got was “The conduct of the debate is left to the Chief Whips”, who we understand comes from the PPP and APNU. But when an APNU MP was asked what is the deal, the rhetorical answer was ”Is yuh Speakah, like he wan fuh go home an sleep, but we bin plan fuh guh troo with the debate….” So we were left with the choice of doing the research in order to get to the truth on how the decision to hold a session of Parliament is made. According to the Standing Order of the Parliament, Chapter II Paragraph (2), “If, during an adjournment of the Assembly, it is represented to the Speaker by the Government, or the
Speaker is of the opinion, that the public interest requires that the Assembly should meet on a day earlier than that to which it stands adjourned, the Speaker may give notice accordingly and the Assembly shall meet at the time stated in such notice.” The rules are clear; the instrument of authority over the sitting of Parliament resides in the Leadership of the National Assembly. So who is playing to the PPP tune of helping the filibustering and delaying of this no-confidence motion? Thousands of Guyanese all over the world are putting their shoulder to this struggle only to have a few selected elites abuse their position in the interest of the continuation of the naked opportunism and exploitation of the poor and the working class by the PPP. Only on Thursday night the people in New York held a candle light vigil in Richmond Hill, Queens (a former PPP stronghold) to show solidarity with the people in Linden. From the conversations we had with the over 20 persons and the scores of “thumb-up” pedestrians, it is obvious that a growing number of people are prepared to stand with the working class in their struggle with the hope that they would soon be politically, economically and socially free from the shackles of the corrupt PPP regime. Thus what is happening in Parliament is wrong. The revolutionaries know who is aiding and abetting the oppressors and when freedom reign in the land, the people will remember the petty bourgeois class that facilitated this oppression. As Guyanese, we demand
greater transparency, consistency and timeliness in the functions of Parliament. To support this demand we provide the following evidence to justify our position. The 10th Parliament has been constituted for 120 working days as at July 27th but sat for ONLY 26 of those opportunity days and if you discount the Budget debate; the Assembly sat for 12 days. That is 10% of the opportunity days and even if we include the budget debate it is 22%. So what happens on 78% of the opportunity days? Is the national Assembly a Country Club or a Recreational Vocation? The people have voted for strong, consistent and transparent leadership in the National Assembly but they continue to be let them down at this juncture of our history when the window of opportunity to make tangible changes in the way we govern ourselves is almost being cast aside. Based on our dialogue with others, more and more people are arriving at the conclusion that there are clear acts of opportunism and abuse in the operation of the 10th Parliament since the people’s agenda is being neglected at
the expense of personal agendas. Such narrow and partisan actions are expected from the PPP, but not from APNU or the AFC. Very soon, opportunities will present themselves for freedom loving people to work together regardless of race, class, gender, political persuasion, religion or age to chart a new course for the nation. Timid and immature leaders who relish in the thought of running to the Office of the President at all hour for all kinds of reasons will have to make way for the courageous and mature politicians like Moses V. Nagamootoo, Nigel Hughes who will be joined by the youths of Guyana like Gerhard Ramsaroop, Vanessa Kissoon and Solomon Sharma and others of their mindset. This people’s struggle will not wait for no one and their politics of back room deals; neither from the AFC nor APNU. The people will support and move along with those who are grounded solidly and ideologically with them. All others will be excluded. In this new political dispensation, the people demand that the opposition used Parliament to correct the
wrongs, abuses and oppression imposed on them by the wicked, dishonest and unkind Jagdeo/Ramotar PPP regime. This is a mandate that must be implemented by the majority Parliamentary opposition. Failing to deliver is tantamount to failing the youth, the poor and the working class. And there are political consequences for such political mistakes at the altar of self-service as practiced by some politicians in the majority opposition. As Linden and the sugar belt is revealing, the people will not just roll over and take this oppression lightly for long just because a politician says so. No way, people will start to chart their own destiny outside of the traditional political mindset and should we give them wrong when the alternative dominated by self-serving politicians. Shame on those who use the instrument of authority vested in them by the electorate to treat the people’s issues with such insensitivity. This is not a game; people’s lives and survival are at stake. Today is Linden, tomorrow it can be Berbice! Dr Asquith Rose and Sasenarine Singh
How can President Ramotar... From page 4 contains for the people of Linden and they would not accept it. There is a complication. Even if the leadership had agreed to the security forces clearing the roads, the people manning the barricades would have had to agree and I doubt they would have. If anyone in the LEAP building that night had any contact with the government we would have logically inform Ramotar not to go to Linden because he had been rejected because of his dictatorial press release. The ignorance of the PPP led to a huge embarrassment for Ramotar. Force was used to cart off the blocking items, and protest- anger split out of control. The bulldozer was surrounded and what were removed were immediately put back
Why did this happen? Two reasons explain it. First, the PPP intends to fight the Guyanese people because they felt that the November elections result was a rejection by the PPP and they will not accept an opposition parliamentary opposition. It means opposition requests and agendas will be vigorously opposed. The second reason is that so intoxicated with power, the PPP, especially a certain former resident who is advising Ramotar, is not going to accept that they have to listen to other stakeholders. There was not even a shred of reflection of what is taking place in Guyana and Linden when the decision of the removal of the blockades was taken. It was dictators saying to reach other. “Get the army and police to remove the blockades; who these
Lindeners think they are.” Well, the Lindeners showed them what they, the Lindeners are made of. My advice to Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar is that you have to negotiate with the people of Linden with respect due from the side of the Government. If you go in with Luncheon’s motto (comrade you know who you are talking to, we are the ruling party), you will be defeated as you were on Saturday morning. My second piece of advice as someone who knows what the Linden people want is that there must be two immediate policies – the electricity hike must be abrogated and Mr. Clement Rohee must face a criminal investigation. I may be wrong but that is the way I see it as someone who has been on the ground in Linden Frederick Kissoon
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The PNCR will Not Be Blinded By the Machinations of the Misguided DEAR EDITOR, As one who served the Founder Leader of the PNCR, as a senior personal Staff Officer, in a professional and confidential capacity, during the last four years of his life, I can confidently assure all of the PNCR delegates to the imminent biennial congress of one thing. If the founder leader, L. F. S Burnham could cast a vote from the grave, it will unquestionably go to David Arthur Granger, to be the next leader of the PNCR. Mr. Editor, It has been quite amusing to me, how some desperate detractor s of David Granger, have either misconstrued, or recklessly misrepresented, his public pronouncements, in order to sow the seeds of discord among the PNCR party faithful, most of whom are clearly impressed with, and/ or inspired by, his leadership. Those detractors, driven by personal ambition, and a rather transparent narcissistic clamor for attention, often miss the big picture, as they selfishly seek to derail the movement, started by the PNCR when they chose David Granger as their presidential candidate to remove the PPP/C from
government. ( As the saying goes “a drowning rat will catch at straws”. Those, to whom I refer, will no doubt recognize themselves and will come after me in a vicious manner, and we will all know at that time that “the cap did fit…so they pulled the string”. ) Clearly, like all the rest of Guyana, even these selfserving critics, recognize the ’aura’ of respectability that emanates only from the impeccable integrity, and sterling quality of responsible leadership that David Granger brings to the table. They become ever more desperate in their vain attempt to call attention to themselves, as David Granger’s stature as a leader grows among the party membership. In their own little world, these detractors, attempt to tell the members of the party to ignore the proven leadership of the man who has stood with them since they elected him their presidential candidate. Even as they seek to confuse the membership of the PNCR, the GYSM demonstrated clarity and independence of thought as they endorsed
the leadership of David Granger. The Youths of the PNCR always had the vision and the courage to boldly step forward and support the person best suited to lead their party. The founder Leader understood the value of this movement and always respected and trusted their judgment. David Granger who in many ways epitomizes the thinking of the founder Leader, has already demonstrated in tangible ways, that he too will always stand with the GYSM. Without a doubt, those who first attempted to sow dissention between the GYSM and other youth organizations in the struggle to liberate Guyana, have become frustrated and confused and have now launched a misguided attack on the Youth Coalition for Transformation (YCT), a credible independent, Guyanese youth, movement. In a strange way these detractors have exposed their innate respect for David Granger, by attributing the emergence of the YCT, to his leadership. In their folly, they have denied those youths, the ability to envision and launch,
on their own accord, a movement such as the YCT. In their rush to judgment, they did not get the facts straight...or was it just another of their futile attempts to beguile the gullible, when they falsely reported that PNCR overseas chapters are now being called APNU –NA groups. Nothing can be further from the truth. These are all blatant acts of deception by the drowning narcissistic rats who seek cover, to advance their own selfish agendas while masquerading as independent thinkers with no “dog in the fight”. Mr. Editor, allow me to remind our party and the Guyanese public that the founder leader of the PNCR recognized David Arthur Granger as that ‘dark horse’ in his party with the leadership skills and preparedness to take the reins of the party at a time such as this. While other members of the party come with abundant professional knowledge of their chosen vocation, in-depth, institutional knowledge of the PNCR does not come with a two years membership exposure. We the delegates
at the next PNCR Congress must not make a mockery of the carefully cultivated bench strength and succession planning of the founder leader and the other leaders of our party thus far. The PNCR has always had the ability to find the best technocrats to get certain technical matters of state done and the best prepared stalwarts of our party to lead the peoples’ struggle and the party into government. Our founder Leader recognized the leadership qualities of David Granger as a future leader of our party by the many party assignments he gave him as if to prepare him for this day. On the other hand, our founder leader, identified and tasked others with other assignments aligned with the training and competence outside of the party. As commander in chief, our founder leader recognized David Arthur Granger, as a leader with the mettle to make a difference when he appointed him Commander of the Guyana Defence Force . Our Founder Leader, and Commander in chief, was completely satisfied and pleased with David Granger’s record of
performance and achievements as a responsible and competent national leader, when he awarded him one of the nation’s highest national awards the Military Service Star (MSS). The second leader of the PNCR, Mr. Desmond Hoyte, demonstrated confidence in the competence of David Granger when he appointed him, his national Security Advisor. It is clear whether of our self-centered myopic friends want to accept it or not, that David Arthur Granger, is a national leader of tremendous stature , a credible and recognized historian, investigative journalist, military commander and national leader, who is now prepared and ready to take the PNCR to the next level and complete what he has already begun , the removal of the PPP from office. I am confident that the members of the PNCR will not be blinded by the machinations of the misguided. They will not allow those who do not have a vote to tell them how to vote. They will vote David Granger. Derrick Lawrence
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Privy Council rules against CLICO No big environmental problems with oil policyholders ...now liable to pay State legal costs Trinidad Guardian - The Privy Council last weekday refused to grant CLICO policyholder Percy Farrell and others special leave to file an appeal against a ruling of T&T’s Court of Appeal that they had no right to an interim cost order, which would have meant that their legal costs would have been covered by the State. The Privy Council also set
aside an earlier decision that the claimants should be treated as “financially assisted persons.” The ruling of T&T’s highest court means that Farrell and others “shall now be liable to pay the State its legal costs at several levels of litigation,” according to a statement issued Friday by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan. The Privy Council
stated that permission to appeal was refused “because the application does not raise an arguable point of law.” In the statement, Ramlogan noted that Farrell and others have lost at every stage of the judicial ladder. The Attorney General stated: “As a consequence of the decision, issues are likely to arise amongst the policyholders as to how the mounting legal bill for costs would be met. The State has the benefit of the option of using the legal process to enforce the orders of costs including making a deduction from monies in the assets held
by Farrell and others.” Ramlogan said the Privy Council had last week granted an order treating Farrell as a person in forma pauperis (a poor person in need of financial assistance). If successful, the order meant that Farrell would have avoided liability for legal costs in the event that he was unsuccessful in the application. The statement from the Attorney General’s office said that Ramlogan “strenuously objected to this order and complained to the Privy Council that the Order had been made without the benefit of the State being heard on this issue.”
search - adviser says
Paramaribo - The search for oil reserves in Suriname’s offshore area need not cause environmental problems, concludes John Thompson, marine biologist with CSA International, the bureau that conducted the environmental impact study for Murphy Oil. The oil company commissioned this study in order to determine the effects its planned sesimic surveys on marine life. “If the right precautionary measures are taken, the project need not have significant effects on the
biological environment,” says Thompson, who has been hired as an independent researcher and sees no significant consequences for marine life. “There are four points of concern, and the effects of underwater noise on sea mammals and sea turtles is the biggest,” Thompson admits.
PM: Country at crossroads Barbados Nation - Prime Minister Freundel Stuart says Barbados is at the crossroads and wants all Barbadians to pull out the stops and be more productive. He made the call last week in Independence Square at a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the 1937 disturbances and the role of National Hero Clement Osbourne Payne. Stuart said every nation at some stage in its history had to decide whether it would die on its feet “or live on its knees”. “In 2012, Barbadians are once again at the crossroads,” he said. “This is the time for us to pull out all the stops, to increase our levels of productivity, to exercise prudence in the management of our finances and to pursue excellence in order to weather this economic storm.” he added.
Venezuela to aid Dominica control Black Sigatoka outbreak Jamaica Gleaner Dominica is to receive assistance from the Government of Venezuela to help deal with the outbreak of the deadly Black Sigatoka disease. A statement released by the Office of the Prime Minister in Caracas says Venezuela will provide US$64,000 worth of fungicide as well as three experts to help deal with the outbreak. The Black Sigatoka disease, which kills plantain and banana plants, has been confirmed in the Dominican Republic leaving agriculture officials concerned. During a recent press conference, Agriculture Minister Mathew Walter announced that vigorous steps were being taken to deal with the problem.
Sunday July 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
Guyana Watch wraps up mission …sees 3456 patients in one week
A job well done and the Guyana Watch team celebrates. The Guyana Watch medical team wrapped up its 20th mission yesterday at the Belle West Primary School West Bank Demerara with eight clinics around the country and the medical team attended to more than 3,000 patients. The visiting medical team has 10 medical doctors, 15 support staff, three dentists and one pharmacist. Even though the team has been in the field for one week, the members were no less energetic and involved in their work yesterday, than they were on their first day here. The response from the public this year has been excellent. Thanks to a diligent team of medical doctors and volunteers, they were more than able to meet the demands. Mr.Tony Yassin said that the team attended to 3456
patients, 791 of whom had dental issues. He said that this year was the best and the team worked really hard to assist patients. In just one week, the team offered its support and medical advice to Guyanese around the country. The doctors and the support staff visited eight orphanages, Patentia Secondary School, Timehri Primary School and St. Cuthbert’s Mission Secondary School, Tain Primary School, Bath Settlement Primary School, Leonora Primary School and the Bella West Primary School. According to the doctors, they saw the largest crowd at the Leonora Primary School, while the least was seen at St. Cuthbert’s Mission. At Leonora Primary School, 598 patients including
135 children saw the doctors. Out of that, 106 visited the dentist. St. Cuthbert’s Mission attracted a total of 411 patients, 118 of whom visited the dentist and 116 saw the paediatrician while 116 were registered as adults. Dr. Kevin McCabe, a general doctor said that the people in St. Cuthbert’s Mission are the healthiest set of people as compared to those closer to the city. “The people there are healthy and that is because they don’t have cars and so, they just walk if they need to go somewhere and they grow their own food which is a healthy life style. “And because of that you don’t find people with a lot of pains or cholesterol or the other sickness as compared to people closer to Georgetown. You would only find a few
persons with high-blood pressure or with the flu,” McCabe said. Yesterday, after experiencing the services offered by the Guyana Watch team, persons were requesting that the team visits Guyana twice per year. Mr. Yassin said that attempts could be made to bring the doctors here twice a year but it will be a difficult and demanding task. He is advising patients to visit their health centres and do regular check-ups to ensure a healthy life style since many persons who visited the clinic during the week are “careless” with their health. According to a patient, Sulchan Bacchus, the only time he visits the doctor is when Guyana Watch is in the country. When asked for a reason, Continued on page 51
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Dem boys seh
Uncle Donald frighten kidnapping Uncle Donald didn’t go to Linden because de people didn’t move de blockages. He did give de army and Benn send a big bulldozer. Dem shove some of de wood overboard into de creek but was nuff wood, enough to operate a small sawmill. When dem ask Uncle Donald why he change he mind he seh that he get frighten that when he enter Linden de people woulda put back de blockage and he woulda get trap inside. That mean that he didn’t trust de helicopter that woulda lift he outa there. Then again, he car wid de siren woulda lef in Linden and de regional chairman woulda drive it round de place blaring de siren like wha Rohee did do when Bharrat did lend he de car fuh a while. De people cry when dem hear Uncle Donald change he mind about going to Linden. Dem boys seh that when de people block off de road dem didn’t realize that people woulda still cross de barricade and disappear. All de Chinee doctor at de Linden Hospital move out and dem Cubans moving out too. Is only two doctor gun lef and dem is wha come back pun scholarship. De people who use to wuk at de call centre out of a wuk because de man seh that eh lose money and he shutting down But is dem Brazilian who gun dig de hardest lash. De road from Brazil was to pass through Linden. Dem Brazilian now seh that dem ain’t able wid de blocking and thing when dem want dem vehicle fuh come out. Dem gun mek de road somewhere else. It mean that all who had plans fuh open shop fuh get Brazilian money gun lef wid de bird. Is sad that dem protesting electricity hike and now it look like Linden gun lose corn and husk. Talk half and wonder bout de other half.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 29, 2012
Linden unrest continues...
Joint Services, protestors clash again - roads, bridges blocked, Pres. Ramotar cancels visit By Leonard Gildarie Lindeners, ahead of a Presidential visit, yesterday defied security forces, blocking a key entrance leading to that bauxite mining town and forcing Head of State, Donald Ramotar, to cancel a key visit. On Friday, Office of the President through the Government Information Agency announced that President Ramotar was heading to Linden. The President was set to arrive early and GINA announced transportation arrangements for the media. A statement later said that the President decided to cancel the visit based on advice from his security heads. The meeting was to bring an end to the situation that has had far-reaching effects for especially the interior locations. Linden has been protesting almost for two weeks now, the hiking of electricity tariffs from July 1. Three protestors were shot dead on the first day of the protest, July 18. Several persons were also hospitalized and treated for gunshots wounds. This raised tensions. Yesterday morning, as President Ramotar prepared to travel to the town, a small crowd of around 50 persons quickly swelled to around 500 at the Kara Kara Bridge which was blocked with logs. Government workers, backed by police and soldiers, used a bulldozer to remove those large logs that had been placed across the bridge. The logs have been there a week now. There was anger after one of the rails of the bridge was badly damaged during the
exercise to remove the logs. However, the Lindeners, defiant, despite the Joint Forces presence, blocked the bulldozer with some persons lying on the ground and even lining the bridge. The tension was high. Lindeners are insisting that the President’s visit at this time is not needed as he was not there following the shootings which drew widespread condemnation. Opposition parties have accused Government of spite with the rates hike saying that a heavy elections loss in November in that Region 10 area was the reason. Lindeners have been enjoying government subsidies for electricity for the past decades. NOT PAYING They are claiming that many families are unable to pay because of high unemployment rates in the area. The rates increase has since been placed on hold by government pending a review of the situation. Linden is a key gateway to interior mining and logging communities and to neighbouring Brazil. The Office of the President in a statement explaining the decision to cancel the President’s visit, said that the Joint Services Heads in their briefings to the President noted that there were difficulties controlling protestors. “The Office of the President regrets to inform the Linden community and the public that President Donald Ramotar, acting on the advice of the Heads of the Joint Services, has today (yesterday) postponed his planned… visit to Linden.” Office of the President explained that earlier in the
The protestors used their bodies to block the bulldozer.
day, the Joint Services Heads had informed the President of their difficulties controlling protesters obstructing the Kara Kara access bridge to Linden. “Later at 2:30 p.m., the Heads of the Joint Services further informed the President of their failure to remove the obstructions by the protesters at the Kara Kara bridge at which time the President decided to postpone the visit.” The President and his team were set to meet with the town leaders at Watooka House. “The Office of the President expresses regrets at the cancellation of the planned visit, particularly to those stakeholders who had assembled at Watooka House for the planned public meeting and consultations
with the President and his delegation.” DOCTORS REMOVED Government officials said that the Chinese doctors have been pulled from the town’s hospital and the Cuban medical personnel are set to leave too. A private sector team was reportedly unable to meet with the town leaders on Friday, after travelling up there. A senior government official said yesterday that Brazilians have expressed fears about passing a planned highway through Linden. Several mining and logging companies have complained of difficulties getting critical supplies of fuel and food to camps. On Friday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment yesterday met with representatives of the
Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and the Forest Producers Association (FPA), to look at ways in which the Ministry can lend support to ensure that items are taken into logging and mining camps. Since the commencement of the protest by Lindeners, miners, forestry producers and workers within the bauxite industry have been suffering because transportation of fuel and food into the area and to the mining camps is almost at a standstill. Alternative mechanisms to ensure that produce enters mining camps in a low cost way and the establishment of a hotline number so that forestry and mining operators can make contact and the development of alternative routes if there is a recurrence of the issue, were some of the mechanisms the Ministry is currently implementing. Companies like Barama and furniture companies are badly affected with a number
of them being forced to fly supplies in. The closure of banks in Linden has also affected cash flow to many operations. Prices of basic foodstuff like chicken have skyrocketed with one supplier saying that it is being sold for between $1000 and $1200 per pound in some locations. Government reported on Friday that operators are forced to pay $75,000 per barrel for fuel. Barama has reported that there is currently little fuel supplies left in Kwakwani, Region Ten where a significant amount of logging is being done. In one case, a wood operation at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara had to send home 25 workers because of short supplies. Government has said that businesses are now claiming that buyers are also threatening legal actions against suppliers for breach of their contractual arrangements to supply on time.
Sunday July 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
FAT CATS UNMASKED ‘Disgraceful’ OP operating ‘Dharm Shala’ for friends, cronies
Page 11
…super salaries being paid to do little or nothing, “mostly nothing”- Moses Nagamotoo Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon
Presidential Advisor, Gail Teixeira Attorney-at-law Moses Nagamootoo, who made headlines on Nomination Day when he defected from the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) and campaigned for the Alliance for Change, says that the latest revelation coming out of Office of the President has vindicated his position during the recent Budget Cuts. Nagamootoo coined the phrase ‘fat cats’ in reference to persons at Government agencies being paid huge amounts and while he was unable during the budgetary process to unveil them, he says that the information which has been now made public demonstrates that “Office of the President is running a Dharm Shala for friends and cronies.” Nagamootoo said that it is clear as day to see that there are persons being paid by Office of the President “to do little or nothing, mostly nothing.” Nagamootoo, during an interview yesterday, said that it is clear as day to see that there are ‘Sinecure appointments’ (persons past political prime)” being paid by Office of the President as well as numerous Freedom House operatives. He said that it is unfair of the government to be asking sections of the population such as Linden to take on additional hardships while others are being rewarded for next to nothing with super salaries. Nagamootoo reminded of a proposal recently to pay cane cutters $800 per punt of cane when others were being paid more than 800 per cent above the average worker. He said that “it is disgraceful that Office of the President would be running a Dharm Shala for friends and cronies.” Nagamootoo was adamant that it is equally “disgraceful that this is happening under the watch of a government that
President’s Information Liaison Officer, Kwame McCoy
Technical Legal Director, Charles Ramson Jr.
champions the working class.” The AFC Member of Parliament pointed to what he called persons being paid by Office of the President to be ‘ghost writers.” He identified a David DeGroot and asks, “What else could this man be paid for? What else does he do at Office of the President?” asked Nagamootoo. He was adamant that this has nothing to do with personal attacks against individuals, but he queried how the Freedom House S e c r e t a r y, C h i t r a y k h a Dass, could be earning more than $250,000 payable from Office of the President. As the House prepared to debate a motion of no confidence against Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee this past We d n e s d a y, the i n f o rmation was made available as a result of a request by A Partnership for National Unity’s Joseph Harmon. The APNU Executive Member had requested the names and designations of persons terminated as a result of the 2012 Budgetary Cuts. The question was posed to Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, where it was revealed that another Freedom House operative is paid almost $400,000. According to the information which was presented by Dr. Singh in the House on Wednesday, Mahendra Roopnarine, earns $395,000 per month and the salary is paid by Office of the
President. His designation is listed as “Press Undersecretary, OPL” whose salary payable at the end of last month was $395,000. Roopnarine currently hosts the weekly programme “Getting it Right,” which was previously undertaken by the then Junior Health Minister Bheri Ramsaran. Roopnarine was also a staple on pro-government television channels during the 2011 Election Campaign. Controversial Office of the President figure, in the person of the President’s Information Liaison Officer, Kwame McCoy is being paid $334,850 per month. McCoy’s designation is listed as a ‘Communications Coordinator.’ It was also revealed that Government Information Agency (GINA) which had its Budget reduced to $1, pays its Director Neaz Subhan $295,530, while GINA’s Editor-in-Chief Shanta Goberdhan earns $295,460 per month. Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon, is listed as being paid by Office of the President, a salary of $895,326 while his Deputy, Hydar Ally is paid $550,064. Office of the President also pays the son of Former Attorney General, Charles Ramson, $430,196 for the position of Technical Legal Director. Major General (ret’d) Joseph G Singh who has been retained by Office of the President as a Special Assistant to the President is
GINA Director, Neaz Subhan
Reepu Daman Persaud
paid some $667,440 for his services while OP’s Protocol Advisor Eshwar Persaud is paid $268,000. A Cabinet Monitor Officer named Leroy Cort also earns from Office of the President some $155,628. “Presidential Pol. Liaison Officer” Chitraykha Dass earns $255,000 for his services while Parliamentarian Reverend Kwame Gilbert also receives $294, 585 for his services as a ‘Community Develop. (Social Policy Officer).’ Cheddi Jagan 11, the
Attorney-at-Law earns from Office of the President $489,666. Desmond Kissoon, the Presidential Political Liaison Officer Region Nine, earns some $280,000 while Clive Lloyd, the President’s Advisor on Sports earns $721,000 in this capacity. Reepu Daman Persaud the ailing Pandit is listed on the June payroll for Office of the President to receive $412,320 for his services as an Advisor to the President while former Regional Chairman for Region Six,
Deputy, Hydar Ally Zulfikar Mustapha earns for himself as Head, Community Relations Liaison Officer some $307,600. Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira, earns for herself $967,985 from Office of the President in that capacity, a salary greater than her boss Dr. Luncheon.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 29, 2012
Linden residents block bulldozer … as joint services at Kara Kara Bridge destroy camp An anticipated visit by President Donald Ramotar that never happened yesterday saw police ranks bulldozing several logs off the Kara Kara Bridge into the creek and breaking down one of the protective rails on the bridge, in the process. This move saw irate residents jumping into the path of the machine and forcing the driver to stop rolling all the logs into the creek. Some persons even stood directly under the blade of the bulldozer, and at least two persons clambered unto to the blade, forcing the police to call a halt to the exercise However this was not before the tent that had been erected at the bridge was torn down, and pots and food stuff thrown into the creek, by the police. There was pandemonium. One young man was thrown into the creek by the police. A reporter was not spared. She was hit by one of the logs being rolled from the barricade. This provoked the people even more and they
The bulldozer partially clears the blockage at Kara Kara
surrounded the bulldozer, refusing to budge until the police eventually retreated from the bridge. Police ranks then stood a little distance away and later observed the people as they gathered up the logs,
retrieving some from the creek and from the shoulders of the road and replacing them, effectively blocking the bridge once more. No v e h i c u l a r t r a f f i c could traverse the Kara Kara Bridge. Many residents condemned the actions of the police. Some blamed President Ramotar. Throughout the day people were agitated as there was talk of the water
cannon coming to the mining town A t o ne point persons even insisted that the cannon had arrived but it was only four vehicles with military personnel who came up to the first barricade and turned back, after realizing that they could go no further The consensus was that the President displayed arrogance towards the people of Linden. Even the religious leaders
within the community condemned the President’s cancellation claiming that by not visiting the community before, especially after the killing of the three Lindeners by police, Ramotar was guilty of ‘provoking the people to anger ‘. Member of Parliament, Vanessa Kissoon, said that the people were irritated even more by the failure of Government officials to visit the mining Town and engaging the people in discussions. “People are still hurting and they are very angry. Nobody came to tell them anything. So many days have passed and nobody has come to Linden. It is people’s livelihood that they’re playing with here. All the residents were seeking for was to engage in talks with this Government, and they were ignored.”
In reference to the Kara Kara Bridge that was damaged by the police, Kissoon said, “They’re not bringing anything for us, they’re not creating employment, but now it’s okay to destroy what we have” Pastor Rennison Morian said that he was very disturbed that the President would send a bulldozer to remove human beings off the road. “This is against United Nations Charter that talks about peaceful picket, and I’m saying to all the policemen and soldiers who received such an order, they can’t go to a tribunal and say that they received an order. “The United Nations Charter says that once you get an order that is inhuman and in conflict with the United Nations they would be held guilty. “So all the policemen and their leaders around here in the military who feel that they gon blame the President, they got to respond. “But the President should have come himself; not today or yesterday, but ever since this thing started. But now for him to send police with bulldozer to bulldoze people, this is a declaration of hostility.” Several persons had assembled at the Watooka complex in Linden to meet with President Ramotar, after receiving word that he would have been in the mining town yesterday. Lindeners have vowed not to retreat or surrender until the increase is withdrawn. Yesterday marked the eleventh day of protest. An interfaith Service is expected to be held today on the Watooka Farmers’ tarmac.
Sunday July 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 13
Billion$$$ trust fund for protected areas established ...
President raps int’l community for more help A $1.7B trust fund to help manage Guyana’s protected areas was on Friday launched with Government officials signaling their intention to raise that amount to US$30M within the next decade. President Donald Ramotar, noting the significance of the event, admitted that it is a strain to maintain the protected areas and called on the international community to play its part. Alluding to the Iwokrama Rainforest project which ran into financial problems after donor funds dried up, the official said that the Guyana government was forced to plug precious money…money that was scarce…to keep the project alive. The US$8.5M Conservation Trust Fund is the first of its kind for the country and is geared to provide long-term financing for the management of Guyana’s intact protected areas system (PAS) and will support efforts by the government, along with local
communities, to manage the system. Financing for the trust comes from the German government through its development bank, KfW, which provided US$5M. Another US$3.5M came from Conservation International’s (CI) Global Conservation Fund, made possible by a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. According to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, “The creation of the Conservation Trust Fund, and the commitments made by Germany and CI’s Global Conservation Fund...offer a valid option for the long-term, sustainable financing of Guyana’s Protected Areas.” The trust fund will enhance Guyana’s conservation efforts by supporting the on-theground efforts for the country’s protected areas, including the implementation of management and monitoring plans and funding for park rangers and scientific
Rohee’s appointment should be revoked Leader of the Opposition Brigadier David Granger led - Granger the debate on a motion of noconfidence in Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee in the National Assembly on Wednesday night. Granger’s motion arose out of the killing of three unarmed persons – Shemroy Bouyea of Wismar Housing Scheme, Ivan Lewis of Wismar Housing Scheme and Ron Somerset of Amelia’s Ward – who were killed by the police at Mackenzie, Linden during a peaceful protest on Wednesday July 18, last. Granger stated that the National Assembly, in accordance with the doctrine of ministerial responsibility, requires that every Minister be held accountable and be made to accept responsibility for the performance and behaviour of his or her Ministry. He argued, therefore, that if the Police Force performs in a manner so egregiously incompetent that the Administration is likely to be brought into ridicule or contempt, the Minister must resign if his conduct undermines public confidence in his ability to hold high office with competence. Granger pointed out that the Minister of Home Affairs himself said: “tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons could have been used to restore order; however, live rounds is a deadly response that is not catered for
nowhere [sic] in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), in a situation such as this...” This statement was an admission that the police acted in contravention of police training doctrine, with particular reference to the control of crowds, Granger said. The Minister of Home Affairs decided to use his authority only after the shooting. This was clear from a Ministry statement which read, inter alia:”…the Minister of Home Affairs has, within the meaning of the Police Act Ch 16:01, issued general and specific directions to the Commissioner of Police (ag) to effect immediate changes at the command level at E & F Police Division of which Linden is an integral part.” Granger therefore called on the National Assembly to condemn the killing of three persons and the injury to several others by the Guyana Police Force in Linden and to express its complete lack of confidence in the ability of the Minister of Home Affairs to discharge his responsibility for public security. He called for the immediate revocation of Rohee’s appointment as a Minister of the government and his dismissal from office.
President Donald Ramotar during the launching of the $1.7B protected areas trust fund last evening at the Umana Yana. research. Guyana established its national protected areas with the passing of the national Protected Areas Act in July 2011. This was quickly followed by the November 2011 creation of two new protected areas: the Kanuku Mountain Protected Area located in southwestern Guyana, and the Shell Beach Protected Area, which is located along the country’s northwest coast. These two areas now join the existing Kaieteur National Park, Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve, and the Community Owned Conservation Area at Konashen, collectively protecting almost nine percent of Guyana’s landmass. Following the appointment of the Board of
Directors of the Protected Areas Commission last February, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment began moving to establish the Protected Areas Commission, and to recruit key officers within the Commission. The Ministry is also implementing Phase II of the KfW-funded Guyana Protected Areas System Project, which provides US$1.5M for the establishment of the Protected Areas Commission offices, the development of a Shell Beach Protected Area management plan, and additional support for community livelihood projects. President of the worldrenowned, Conservation
International, Dr. Russell Mittermeier, noted that it was a major achievement for Guyana. “Guyana is one of the very few places in the world where one can still find such huge areas of intact wilderness, which r e p r e s e n t t h e c o u n t r y ’s renewable natural capital and will enable Guyana to develop a model green economy for the future. The Conservation Trust Fund will help to provide the financial support necessary to ensure the protection of critical ecosystems and to ensure that they continue to provide the wide range of ecosystem services necessary for the long-term well-being of Guyana’s people.”
More than 90 percent of Guyana’s natural wealth remains intact including tropical forests, wetlands, rivers, shrub and grassland savannahs. Stefan Schlueter, the Trinidad-based German Ambassador, who is accredited to Guyana, in explaining the significance of the process of setting up the Trust Fund stated, “The recent achievements in the establishment of the Guyana Protected Areas System represent a compelling example of joint collaboration between national governments, international non-governmental organizations and official development assistance under the umbrella of a comprehensive national policy. The German government is looking forward to further support this process.” By December, the trust fund will be rolled into the statutory National Protected Areas Trust Fund under Guyana’s Protected Areas Act. Meanwhile, the next several months will be spent convening stakeholder consultations to develop the strategic and operational plan, which will guide the operation and grant-making portfolio of the trust fund for the years ahead. This effort will include development of a fundraising strategy in order to attract more national and international donors to jointly support the conservation of Guyana’s abundant biodiversity and nature.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 29, 2012
Human barricade thwarts bulldozer Linden protestors clashed with security forces yesterday as attempts were made to clear a main link to that mining town. The clash came even as President Donald Ramotar was scheduled to make an appearance in that town to address residents on the issue of the recently put forward hike in electricity tariffs. Electricity rates increases were to be instituted on July 1 but Government in light of the uproar, has since suspended the action. The mining town for a number of years has been enjoying a subsidy that saw residents paying extremely low rates for electricity. Government had indicated the rise in electricity fares, but Lindeners have been adamant that they are not in a position to pay the new electricity rates and they will not be doing so since no improved conditions in the community have been set up to raise the standard of living. Despite efforts by the police force to have the residents disperse so that the road could be cleared, the ranks had to eventually abandon their task as the protestors formed a human barricade and grouped around an excavator that was clearing the road; rendering the machine inactive. Around 9:30 yesterday morning, several persons were detained by the police in their advance to the Kara Kara Bridge to commence their clearing exercise to facilitate the P r e s i d e n t ’s visit. Although a few persons had originally converged at the Bridge, within minutes of the police commencing their clearing exercise, hundreds of persons started to present themselves on the scene. It took the Guyana
Defence Force (GDF) to provide a measure of control between the police and the angry residents. While few of the police officers had shields but no guns, the army ranks were well equipped in riot gear and AK rifles. Large logs, planks and other items used to halt the flow of traffic were scattered on the bridge and residents had set up a makeshift tent that shaded persons who kept guard. That was however destroyed along with the bridge railings when police officers using the excavator pushed away the material lodged in between the rail spaces, thus ripping up the safety bars with the large logs. Police ranks were not spared their share of verbal abuse when they manhandled residents who flooded the street. As the police held on to one individual, others approached arguing their right to protest and their right to condemn what was taking place. The residents further condemned the use of force towards one individual who was recording the proceedings. That man’s camera was slapped out of his hand by a police rank. Prior to the police taking up their position on the bridge, they could be heard informing each other that the media was around and that they must watch what they did. The residents even complained about the police ranks not wearing their name tags as they worked and also stripping their uniforms of the badges of rank. The Lindeners became even more enraged when during the bridge clearing process, a log fell on the leg of a young woman. The residents advanced to the
excavator and it was not long before the police abandoned their task. The residents became very emotional as they stood under a log that was raised by the heavy machinery. Many yelled that they were not moving and declaring that ‘they will die today, if it means the log should fall on them.” The excavator within seconds was swarmed by the residents who formed a ring. Men, women, young and old grouped together and it was almost impossible to see a dry eye. They embraced each other and broke into tears. Several senior ranks advanced to speak to the crowd asking them to remove from around the excavator and the risen log. That proved fruitless. For a moment it seemed as if residents had forgotten that they were focusing on the road being cleared as they took time out to “boo” and point out who they said was the first policeman to open fire on one of the three men who were shot and killed on the first day of the planned fiveday protest that has now been prolonging for 12 days. “You killed my brother; I saw you, I mark your face,” one man shouted as the particular officer traversed the scene videotaping what was happening. For almost half an hour the man had to endure taunts and jeers from the crowd before they again focused their attention on the heavy equipment. It took almost two hours before the bulldozing equipment could have moved from where it was. The operator had to abandon his task when the residents were no longer threatened by the police and stood firm for the excavator to go no further. All this time a GDF helicopter circled the skies overlooking what was taking place on the ground.
The bulldozer is going no where!
ImmigrationTALK
Immigration Bonds By Attorney Gail S. Seeram Detention has become more prevalent for undocumented individuals in the United States. If an undocumented individual is detained by Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE), then applying for a bond is an option. Getting a person released from an immigration detention facility is a complicated matter. At the very least, it is more difficult and timeconsuming than getting a person released from a state jail after arrest on criminal charges. Nevertheless, if your loved one is in ICE detention, do not assume he or she will be deported, and do not lose hope. Of course, because every detainee’s case is different, it is advised that
you consult with an experienced immigration attorney. Who is not qualified for an immigration bond and is thereby subject to mandatory detention? The Immigration and Nationality Act lists specific categories of criminals who are subject to “mandatory detention.” The categories include: persons not lawfully admitted who have committed an offense covered in Section 212(a)(2) of the Act, which includes crimes involving moral turpitude, controlled substance violations, drug trafficking, prostitution, trafficking in persons, and money laundering. Also, persons lawfully admitted who have been convicted of multiple crimes involving moral turpitude, an aggravated felony, a drug crime (except for simple possession of small amounts of marijuana), and certain firearms offences. Who grants the immigration bond and who determines the dollar amount? Immigration bonds are granted either by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or by an immigration judge. Either party sets the bond to ensure the immigrant’s appearance at future court proceedings. So, for example, if ICE sets a bond of $5000, and the detainee’s family posts that amount at an ICE field office, then the person will be released. ICE will return the $5000 if the ex-detainee shows up for all his court hearings. If he misses a court hearing, then the $5000 will be forfeited. In any case, the immigrant or his attorney can also
Gail S. Seeram request a bond from an immigration judge. Depending on the region of the country where the person is detained, requesting a bond hearing may be the fastest way to get a person released from immigration detention. Once a formal request for a bond is made, the immigration court will calendar a bond hearing. At the bond hearing, the judge will set a bond amount after making a determination of whether the detainee is a flight risk or danger to persons or property. The immigration judge considers many factors, on which evidence may be presented by either party. These include the immigrant’s family and community ties to the United States, length and seriousness of criminal history, financial stability, history of immigration violations, length of residence in the United States, and history of appearances before courts. Even at bond hearings, you or your attorney may be able to negotiate a bond amount with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. When an agreement as to the bond amount is reached, the immigration judge will often accept this number.
Sunday July 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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SHOULD THE HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER GO? The motion tabled and presently being debated before the National Assembly, calling for no-confidence in the Minister of Home Affairs, is ill-conceived and misguided. The opposition parties that put forward this motion should have it withdrawn immediately before they hold themselves and the parliament up to further ridicule. The motion follows closely on the heels of calls by the Alliance for Change (AFC) for the resignation of the Minister of Home Affairs. When the Minister sought to explain that he did not give any instructions that led to the shooting of the Linden protesters, it was said by the AFC that the Minister did not have an understanding of the concept of ministerial responsibility. As will be explained here, it is the AFC and APNU who need to enlighten themselves on this concept, so as to avoid them continuing to delude themselves into believing that through a motion in parliament they can force the minister to resign. They further need to disabuse themselves of the idea that the concept of ministerial responsibility is a democratic concept intended to promote greater accountability of public officials and ministers to parliament. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ministerial responsibility has two parts. The first is collective responsibility, which aims at having the government speaking with one, unified voice. Thus, a minister is required to support decisions of his government, even if he is not in agreement. If the minister disagrees, he is required to stifle his disagreement. If the decision is of such that it affects his conscience, the minister may resign as an act of conscience, but once he is part of the government he is obligated to uphold the principle of collective
responsibility. The concept of collective responsibility also holds that if parliament expresses a motion of no-confidence in the government, then the government has to resign. This is a parliamentary convention which has now been enshrined in our own written constitutional provisions. The government has to resign en bloc if there is a no-confidence motion against the government. When it comes to individual ministerial responsibility - which is the second part of ministerial responsibility - a minister cannot be compelled to resign because of a motion of no-confidence by parliament. If that were the case, then parliament would hold a Sword of Damocles over the entire executive, in that it could virtually cause the entire Cabinet to resign, one by one, because of criticisms and no- confidence motions. The concept of individual responsibility in theory holds that ministers may resign because of the policies and actions of their departments. In practice, however, this is a myth, because the minister cannot be held responsible for the operational and administrative actions of his subordinates, especially these days when government departments are complex organizations comprising hundreds of individuals. Surely by no stretch of the imagination can the Minister of Home Affairs be expected to be held culpable for the actions of every person in his department. If this were the case, it would mean that every time the police make a mistake or omit to do something, the minister has to resign. There have been cases where ministers have resigned due to policy failures, but it is hard to find a single case in Westminster jurisdictions where a minister resigned because of operational or administrative mistakes. Lord Carrington, the head
of Britain’s Foreign Office, resigned in 1982 because he failed to predict the Argentinean invasion of the Falklands. This was a failure of policy prediction, and Lord Carrington resigned. When it comes to the mistakes of persons within his departments, the minister cannot be held culpable. As was noted in ‘Constitutional and Administrative Law, 4th Edition’ by David Pollard, Neil Parpworth and David Hughes, it is impossible to argue that a minister is completely responsible, in the sense of culpability, for everything done by every official within the departments that fall under him. Quoting Brazier, the authors noted that “ the further the minister was geographically or hierarchically, from the people or events complained of, the less he will be generally be expected to take blame for mistakes and resign.” Patrick Weller, writing in Cabinet Government in Australia 1901-2006, noted that in practice the convention of individual responsibility never meant that ministers should resign if departments fail in some respect or the other. Ministerial responsibility means the minister answers questions (to parliament) about his department and take remedial action to correct any deficiencies. Weller also pointed to a former Attorney General of New Zealand who addressed this issue of cases where the minister is not personally involved. He argues that the minister is: “Responsible yes, in the sense that he may have to answer and explain to parliament, but not absolutely responsible for (that is liable to censure) everything done under his administration… There is no absolute vicarious liability on the part of the minister for the ‘sins’ of his subordinates. If the Minister is free of personal, fault and could not by reasonable diligence in
controlling his department have prevented the mistake, there is no compulsion to resign.” Stuart Weir and David Beetham in Political Power and Democratic Control in Britain pointed out that in Britain no minister in that country was forced to resign because of mistakes and misconduct of their officials. Parliament cannot compel a minister to go. In their book ‘Parliament, Policy and Representation’, Harold Clarke, Colin Campbell and Arthur Goddard, argue that a minister goes because of the judgment of the prime minister who has to weigh the cost of letting the minister go as against the cost of keeping him.
Hilaire Barnett writing in ‘Constitutional and Administrative Law 8th Edition’ goes much further. He argues that the acceptance of responsibility does not lead to the resignation of a minister for failures of his department. He contends that there are no hard and fast rules as to whether and when a minister should resign, and accordingly it cannot be said that resignations form part of the convention of individual ministerial responsibility itself. He further says that the decision on resignation depends on the minister, his Prime Minister and his party. APNU and the AFC are therefore engaged in an
exercise in futility and as they continue it will bring our parliament into disrespect, because the present motion before the House is based on a false understanding of the concept of ministerial responsibility. The real debate as to whether the Minister of Home Affairs should resign should really be taking place within the conscience of the Minister, at Robb Street or in New Garden Street. Not in parliament.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 29, 2012
DEAD: Suraj ‘Ajai’ Beharry
SUNDAY SPECIAL GRANGER MEETS DIPLOMATS OVER POLICE KILLINGS IN LINDEN Leader of the Opposition, Brigadier David Granger, met Western diplomats on Friday to brief them on the killing of three protesters in Linden. The diplomats – US Ambassador D. Brent Hardt, EU Ambassador Robert Kopecky, Canadian High Commissioner David Devine and British High Commissioner (acting) – were told that A Partnership for National Unity condemned the killing of three men and the shooting of more than two dozen others. The other APNU representatives, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, Ms. Deborah Backer, Mr. Winston Felix and Mr. Joseph Harmon, told the diplomats that both pellets and live ammunition had been used indiscriminately on the victims of the police shooting. The APNU team expressed its concern at the obvious lack of preparation, or lack of intention, by the police to use minimum force by employing batons, shields and the water cannon. LOCAL CONTRACTOR APOLOGIZES TO CHEC AFTER NOT PAYING WORKERS China Harbour Engineering Company Limited has stated that the company has received a letter of apology from Guyanese foreman, Mahendra Sugrim, after he admitted that he was the person who did not pay the workers. CHEC in a statement said that “the person contracted to build a road to facilitate survey exercises for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion project issued a letter of apology on Saturday for the nonpayment of workers after it was disclosed that the contractor had the sole responsibility of paying the
workers”. The press release further stated that the contractor, Mahendra Sugrim, in a letter to Wei Jiang, CHEC’s Business Development Manager in Guyana, said, “I apologise for the trouble I brought to you and China Harbour and the misinformation I shared with the media…You have made all the payments, as agreed to me and you have even gone beyond that, and made additional payments and that was my responsibility to pay my workers.” Jiang indicated that CHEC had agreed to pay Sugrim an advance of 22.85 per cent of the cost which was done. The balance is due on completion of the road. However, after repeated requests from Sugrim for more money, although the work was incomplete, additional sums were paid amounting to 82.86 per cent of the total cost. Sugrim, in his letter, acknowledged his inability to get the work done in the stipulated time. MONDAY EDITION ROHEE DISMISSES CALL FOR HIS RESIGNATION Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, has admitted to having a strategy/briefing session with the Commissioner of Police (ag) Leroy Brumell and then Commander of the E&F Division, Clifton Hicken, among others, on the day before the shooting in Linden. He explained that he wanted a briefing on what the Police would have been gearing for, on the day of the protest and their approach in dealing with the day’s activities. The Minister with oversight for the Guyana Police Force said that he was given “all assurances” that no live rounds would have been be used on the day of the planned protest. The Minister was at the time giving a ‘Situation Update’ which was televised
live on the National Communications Network (NCN) last Sunday night. Rohee vehemently denied making any contact with the Commander during the lead up to the fracas, which has since left three dead and dozens injured. He was adamant that his communications on the day of the protest and subsequent shooting was with the Commissioner. Rohee sought to explain that it would have been impossible for him to even connect with Hicken via radio, as the equipment simply could not do this. He spoke of the different frequencies used by the Guyana Police Force’s radio network and said that it was impossible for him to connect with Hicken “on the radio.” Rohee said that as Minister, he cannot remove Hicken as he is a Gazzetted Officer and his removal from the Force has to be dealt with at the level of the Police Service Commission Responding to calls for his resignation as Home Affairs Minister, Rohee said that he will stand by the words of the President. “I stand by what the President said…I wasn’t there, I didn’t given any instructions oral or otherwise.” TEENAGER’S SKULL CRUSHED BY FALLING CONCRETE STAIRWAY An Enterprise, East Coast Demerara family was plunged into a state of shock when a concrete stairway fell, crushing the skull of a 17year-old boy last Sunday morning. Travis Mangal, a former student of the Golden Grove Secondary School was standing under the solid internal concrete stairway of his cousin’s unfinished house at Coldingen when it came crashing down killing him almost instantly. It took relatives who were at the scene several minutes
The body being transported to the Funeral Home. to pull his lifeless body from under the thick concrete slabs. Relatives blamed the poor work of a contractor for the mishap since there is evidence that the stairway was not properly supported. According to reports, Mangal was standing under the recently constructed stairway awaiting the arrival of the contractor when it crashed down on him. TUESDAY EDITION GOVT TO RE-EXAMINE LINDEN TARIFFS – PRESIDENT RAMOTAR Head of State Donald Ramotar on Monday night announced, during an eightminute address to the nation, that the method used to increase electricity tariffs in Linden will be re-examined. “I am willing to examine all options. I will establish a technical team to review all available and practicable options and attendant implications, financial and otherwise, to move the process along. But I emphasise that we cannot make progress in an environment of strife and disruption.” Ramotar’s statement came
after days of intense discussions with various stakeholders, which he also mentioned in his address. T&T PATHOLOGIST FOR PROTEST DEATHS The Alliance For Change (AFC) in a statement Monday indicated that it has arranged for a pathologist from Trinidad & Tobago to come to Guyana to witness the post mortem examinations of the three victims of the July 18 police shooting in Linden. According to the AFC, “The relatives of the deceased have requested that the post mortem examinations be delayed until the pathologist arrives in Guyana,” the AFC said in its statement. CHAOS AS HARBOUR BRIDGE COLLAPSES Chaos ensued shortly before the rush hour Monday morning, when a section of the Demerara Harbour Bridge collapsed, after two temporary pontoons located at the western end of the bridge sank, leaving thousands of commuters and vehicles stranded on both sides of the river. The pontoons were facilitating maintenance and
rehabilitative works. The 34-year-old structure (commissioned July 2, 1978) is the main link between Regions Three and Four, or more directly the capital city Georgetown and West Demerara, as well as the nation’s largest county, Essequibo. While no one was reportedly injured in the frightening mishap, minibus driver Clyde Clarke barely managed to prevent his vehicle from disappearing into the murky waters that enveloped the section linking the two affected spans. The other 14 passengers on the bus had already frantically jumped from the vehicle. This occurred around 06:45 hrs when the structure collapsed driving fear into the occupants of the lone minibus that was stranded on the sinking section. The bridge was immediately closed. WEDNESDAY EDITION DIGICEL SLASHES INTERNATIONALRATES Two Fridays ago, Justice Rishi Persaud ruled that “the licence granting an exclusive right or monopoly to provide (Continued on page 37)
Sunday July 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 21
Ravi Dev Column
(In the light of calls for Minister Rohee’s resignation when the government has accepted the need for an independent Commission of Inquiry, I submit the following comments I made at the ‘Rule of Law march’ at the Square of the Revolution when similar calls were made about Minister Gajraj.) ‘Tonight I would like to speak about three (3) matters: firstly, the one immediately in front of us, the Gajraj Affair. Secondly, where we are as a nation and where we would like to be and thirdly, how we can get from here to there. So first we talk about the Gajraj Affair. Well, one of the reasons ROAR has not focused on Gajraj - not even called for his resignation - but to say he must simply recuse himself, is that he should take
Guyana must be full of mad people. It is either that or they simply ignore me when I speak. The result is that they died on the roads and a young man died by drowning while on an outing. There is going to be another road accident with another fatality. The cause, as usual, would be stupidity. There is going to be another case of road rage where one motorist would actually seek to take the law into his hands. ** Another case of domestic violence would send the police racing to the
the moral position to say: “I shall step aside (from the inquiry); I shall build firewalls between me and my job to see that justice being done.” We did not call him a ‘murderer’ - as I heard in the litany that was repeated when this meeting began - for this simple reason. That if we talk about justice; if we talk about the Rule of Law, then the cardinal principle of the rule of law is that we presume your innocence until you are proven guilty. We may have the facts; we may have the knowledge, but there is a procedure that has to be followed. So we say, and I say to you this evening, that it is for this reason that the proper procedure be followed - that we must have a Commission of Inquiry that is fair, independent and impartial, to pass judgment on
Gajraj. The PPP cannot have it both ways. It cannot say on one hand, that Gajraj is innocent and on the other hand not set up a proper inquiry. But we also cannot, on one hand, say that he’s guilty and then in the same breath say that we need a Commission of Inquiry. We cannot have such contradictions or we well shall be pointed out as speaking with forked tongues… And it is for this reason that ROAR, my fellow citizens of Guyana, is interested in having a Commission of Inquiry that is properly constituted, that is so comprised that all of us can accept its verdict - that there can be no doubts. My fellow citizens, I said I would also like to speak about where we are as a country and where we want
scene. A man would become very angry with his spouse who is a prominent person through being a media worker. This type of behaviour between the two is nothing unusual but it becomes strange when the woman decides that she has had enough. Neighbours would
intervene initially but it would be the police who would bring an end to the madness. ** A fraud would be uncovered in another government department. The new man had changed the system of payment, from cheques to cash. This allowed for money to be siphoned off. The auditors would have a field day. This discovery would lead the people to conclude that there is really widespread corruption in Government circles. Needless to say, this is not going to help President Ramotar.
to go. The second part is easier to answer: where we want to go? All of us - it does not matter of what race or of what religion we belong each of us want two things, at a minimum. We want to live in dignity and we want to live in respect with those who are around us. To be able to live in dignity, we must be able to create a life as we see it. We cannot have the lives of our sisters and brothers snuffled out with impunity. And I would like to say that when I listened to the litany of deaths when this meeting began, I was saddened because – and again I speak my truth to you - not only those who were gunned down by the arms of the state we should mourn, but we should also mourn every individual, every innocent individual, who were killed by others. So it means that, that litany should include the Indians also who were killed by bandits, the Africans who were killed by bandits, the Chinese or whoever were killed by bandits. They also...they also suffered the ultimate denial of their human rights - the right to life.
So when I speak to you and I look at this crowd in front of me, we have to accept where we are today - almost forty years after we have been granted Independence - that we are still a people divided politically on ethnic lines. That’s the truth and we cannot shy away from that. You know there are many of us who have a great weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth when we talk about the fact that we see each other different ethnically. When I spoke out against Indians being beaten in the streets of Georgetown on January 12th 1998, I said this country has to deal with why African Guyanese could beat those Indians. It was because, my friends, we have to inquire (I called for a Commission of Inquiry then) that there must be reasons why these things happened. And we cannot keep sweeping them under the rug. I have come amongst you to tell you my truth. You may disagree with me, but we must speak our truth openly and not “mamaguy” each other, as the Trinidadians would say. I support Tacuma Ogunseye to say that each
Ravi Dev
one of us has a right to defend ourselves by any means necessary. All of us. This is an inalienable right - no one can take that away from us. But I want to say to you that in the context of Guyana, if we want to move forward, we have to reject violence as a political instrument for effectuating change. I am not saying that I reject violence at all times and at all places. Even Gandhi, the apostle of non-violence said that he would prefer violence to cowardice. I too would hold that line. But as a political instrument, my brothers and sisters, for us to move forward to some kind of place where we can have that dignity and live with respect, there cannot be a place for violence as a political tool in Guyana. We are too small, we are too fractured, and it will lead to hurt that will never be healed.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 29, 2012
Where is alleged wife-killer ‘Frenchie’? - It’s been four years and counting By Michael Jordan Savitri Arjune stepped out of her home at 382 Herstelling, East Bank Demerara at around six-fifteen that morning of January 27, 2008. She then headed east along Rum Shop Street, deserted at that early hour, with the intention of catching a minibus that would take her to her workplace in Georgetown. What the 34-year-old mother of two didn’t know was that death was literally waiting for her around the corner. Perhaps she was too focused on reaching to work on time to notice the green-andwhite bus parked on the East Bank Demerara Public Road. Just as Savitri neared the end of Rum Shop Street, a slim, fair-complexioned, middle-aged man emerged from behind the bus. A knife gleamed in one of his hands. Before the terrified woman could flee, the man grabbed her and plunged his knife repeatedly into her body. One of the wounds pierced her heart. Mortally wounded, Savitri Arjune collapsed on the dusty roadway. Her killer then calmly boarded the parked minibus and drove to Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara, where he abandoned the vehicle. The killer had made no attempts to conceal his identity. He was 54-year-old Charles Chapman, called ‘Frenchie’. He was a former soldier and former seaman who now drive a minibus. He was also the murdered woman’s reputed husband. Their eight-yearrelationship had been a turbulent one. Arjune’s relatives claimed that ‘Frenchie’ was obsessive, and physically abusive, and repeatedly threatened to kill her. In fact, he had nearly
Dead: Savitri Arjune carried out his threat just a week before when he slashed her with a knife. All reports indicated that Chapman regularly accused his spouse of being unfaithful and of squandering his money. Chapman had also threatened to kill Savitri’s close family members and torch their home. Both partners had filed several complaints at the Providence Police Station. Chapman was charged at least once for assaulting Arjune, while Arjune was charged for damage to property after she smashed the windscreen of a minibus that Chapman had owned. But the warring couple would always settle the matters out of court. However, matters reportedly came to a head when Savitri announced that she was severing the relationship. That, and suspicions of infidelity triggered ‘Frenchie’s’ killing frenzy. Most of this was told to me by Savitri’s grieving family. They gave me something else: The number for the killer’s mobile phone. I dialed the number almost as soon as I had returned to the office. It had been about two hours since Savitri Arjune’s murder. Maybe the killer had switched off his phone. Maybe he wouldn’t answer.
Have you seen this man? A photo of Charles Chapman, alias ‘Frenchie’ taken four years ago Maybe— A man answered. “Frenchie?” I asked. “Yes,” the man said. “What happened to you and the woman?” “Ah kill she,” he replied. I gave him a false name and told him that I knew him from the army. This seemed to reassure him and he began spewing out his version of the events that led to Savitri’s death. The man who identified himself as ‘Frenchie’ said that he befriended Arjune in 2000. At the time, he was a seaman and was making a lot of money. He was residing in Berbice with his wife and family. But ‘Frenchie’ left his wife and began to live with Arjune at Herstelling. According to the alleged killer, he splurged large sums of cash on his lover, but claimed that he eventually discovered that she was unfaithful to him, and was also physically and verbally abusive. ‘Frenchie’ claimed that they broke up in 2004 and he decided to return to his wife’s home. “Meh wife accept me back and I carry me things to Berbice.” But then ‘Frenchie’ allegedly rekindled his
relationship with Arjune after she contacted him. “Frenchie’ told his wife that he had landed a job on a ship. Instead, he rented a house in Herstelling “and put her (Arjune) in it”. But he told me that her infidelity continued and he also ran into financial trouble to the extent that he was unable to pay his rent and his phone was disconnected. He said that three weeks before the murder, Arjune walked out on him and returned to her mother’s place. ‘Frenchie’ confessed that he had harboured thoughts of killing Arjune and her family. He said he finally “tripped out” when he looked over from his home to the house where Savitri was staying and observed that she was laughing at him. “The family laugh at me and I just trip, and I decide to do it,” he claimed. On that morning of January 27, 2008, ‘Frenchie,’ accompanied by the owner of the bus he drove, parked the vehicle on the Herstelling road, since he knew that Arjune would pass at that time on her way to work. He was armed with his ‘blade.’ According to ‘Frenchie’, he indicated to the bus owner that he intended to make Arjune “an example.” The fugitive alleged that he eventually spotted the woman approaching and emerged from the vehicle with the intention of merely holding her. But he said that everything changed when his ex-lover began to scream. He stabbed her. “I try to hold she and she start screaming. “When I pull the ‘blade’ he (the owner and conductor) start run. When I give she de juck, (stab) I tell he (the conductor) reverse and I gun put she in and carry to the hospital.” Instead, ‘Frenchie’ himself jumped in the vehicle and drove away. Afterwards, ‘Frenchie’ said that he informed his wife and other relatives that he
had killed Arjune. They reportedly told him “is you life and you done f— it up.” I asked him if he would turn himself in. He said no. “I will not to go to jail and punish. I ain’t going to jail to sit down three, four years (for my case start). I too old fuh that.” The man had admitted to being a killer and of harbouring thoughts of killing others. I decided to try to arrange his capture. After contacting the police and letting them listen in on part of our conversation, I told ‘Frenchie’ that I, an exarmy man like himself, would provide him with funds to assist him in leaving the country. We arranged to meet at a popular location in the Stabroek area. He warned me that he had grenades on him, just in case he was being double-crossed. Ignoring his bluff, I caught a taxi and headed to the location. Meanwhile, he remained in touch to ensure that I was still coming. I had a photograph of the suspect, so I was sure I would recognise him.
Eventually, I reached the location. There was no sign of ‘Frenchie.’ He called back shortly after to say that he had gotten suspicious after seeing a policeman he knew and had cancelled the meeting. Later that day, ‘Frenchie’ also reportedly made several threatening calls to Savitri Arjune’s family. When I tried to contact him again he had switched the phone off. Word is that ‘Frenchie’ has fled to Suriname. It’s unclear whether the local cops have tried to track him down. Only time will tell whether he will be captured….or if he will kill again… If you have any information about this unusual case, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street office or by telephone. We can be reached on telephone numbers 2258465, 22-58491, or 2258458. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com.
SEEKING HELP TO LOCATE RELATIVES OF EIGHT CHILDREN KILLED BETWEEN 1969-1970 Michael Jordan is trying to contact relatives of eight children who were murdered between March 20, 1969 and June 1970, by Harrynauth Beharry, also known as Harry Rambarran, Charles Bissoon, Charles Pereira, Anant Persaud and Maka Anan. Some of the victims are Basmattie, an eight-year-old schoolgirl from Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara. David Bacchus, 15, of Tucville, 11-year-old Mohamed Fazil Nasir, of Number 78 Village, Corentyne, Mohamed Faizal, of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Jagdeo Jagroop, Mohamed Nizam Ali; Paulton of Hogg Island, Essequibo; Orlando Guthrie, of Grove Village, East Bank Demerara. Please contact him via his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com., or on telephone numbers 22-58458, 22-58465, or 22-58491. HeI can also be contacted on 6452447.
Charles ‘Frenchie’ Chapman fled in this bus after allegedly killing Savitri Arjune
Sunday July 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 23
== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
Ralph Ramkarran finally makes peace with me. Thanks, Ralph! The outbreak of any form of protest, whether over the dismissal of a State employee, the charging of antigovernment critics, condemnation of corruption, cries of discrimination, State media abuse or as we see the gunning down of protesters, the eventual form of the demonstration is the call for the replacement of the Government. If there is no change in governance in the coming months, this pattern will continue, and for one fundamental reason. The people of Guyana, whether they voted for the PPP or whether they belong to the PPP-affiliated union, GAWU, believe that the Government is wrong-headed, corrupt, above the law, insensitive, bullying and does not care about what the population says about its unpopular rule. I have been to every major outbreak of protest in Guyana since the November 28 elections, including all the strikes on the sugar estates (except Albion last week) and the consensus among every person you spoke to is that the PPP leaders do not listen, are not prepared to meet demands and remain hardened in their positions. From the most recent member of the PPP hierarchy to the most diehard monarchs, the attitude is always one of arrogance and pompousness and non-response to calls for better governance, less use or arrogant power and the need for a conciliatory face. And it gets worse every day. Perhaps the defining moment for Guyanese on how they feel about the PPP came with the humiliation of the PPP stalwart, Ralph Ramkarran, at an internal meeting.
We do not know exactly what happened, but it would appear that when Mr. Ramkarran defended his demand for action against corruption he was met by abuse. Any sane mind had to be frightened at what Mr. Ramkarran endured. You would think, given his standing in the contemporary history of the PPP, there would be a subdued voice when responding to him. It reminds me of how people feel about Eusi Kwayana in the wide opposition circles. There is no one in this country who would dare raise their voice in an insulting way to Kwayana, no matter how inelegant and wrong are his statements. It would appear that Ramkarran was so incensed at the hubris and hauteur of his colleagues who have lost all contacts with the objective, real word in Guyana, that he made the final judgement to leave a political organization that he has given his whole life to. I was caught by extreme surprise by Mr. Ramkarran last Thursday in the picket line outside Minister Rohee’s office at Eve Leary on Camp Street. I was next to Michael Carrington of the AFC and David Hinds of APNU when this car drove up and stopped at the traffic signal. I heard shouts of “Freddie, Freddie” and the tone was friendly. When I looked it was Mr. Ramkarran and he began to talk to me in a nice and friendly tone asking me with an oceanic smile on his face when I am going to write about him in my column. Before the light turned in his favour, he folded his hand and made the rebellious cuff that is associated with protesters and
urged us to continue. Yes, Ralph Ramkarran said that, and all the picketers saw and heard. All Guyanese must have asked themselves if Ramkarran can be shouted at and be abused, think of what the opposition will get. I will surmise that at that fateful meeting, Ramkarran was told that if he continues to publicly criticize the PPP Government he will weaken it. But this is where the humongous
weakness of the PPP lies and this is where and how it will lose power. No doubt Ramkarran must have raised the monster of corruption at endless meetings and when he saw the continuing coverup he blew his lid. It never occurred to those people in the PPP leadership that their rule would be dissolved, not by the public castigation of their own dissenting colleagues, but the continuation of their
shameless abuse of power. In his own way, Ramkarran was trying to save his colleagues by commonsensically telling them to mend their ways, to stop corruption and the abuse of power. The Ramkarran debacle occurred more than a month before the Linden killings. The authoritarian train is out of control. Ramkarran knew it is heading for a destructive direction. He is gone and the train continues on its mindless
Frederick Kissoon journey. It is anyone’s guess on WHERE it will end up. What the entire country knows is HOW it will end up. It is easy to predict how dictatorship ends up.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 29, 2012
Engineer, counsellor, spiritual leader…
By Leon Suseran Engineer, counsellor, husband, father, spiritual leader, role model, marriage officer, mediator and respected New Amsterdamer , Mohamed Haniff is our ‘Special Person’ this week. He is nationallyknown, especially in the religious circle, being a prominent member of the Islamic community. However, his contributions and ‘specialness’ have transcended religious boundaries and Brother Moses as he is popularly called, has become integrally involved in almost every sphere of community life in the Berbice area, particularly in his hometown and place of birth, New Amsterdam. His life is quite an interesting one, having spent a number of years in the field of engineering, his former passion, until he gave it all up to become the Imam of the New Amsterdam Central Jama Masjid, taking over from his deceased father. This year marks 25 years since he is serving in this capacity. And he has earned a wealth of experience and trust from many, many persons, of all
Bro. Moses and his wife Bibi Haseena
religious persuasions, especially among his own Muslim brothers and sisters. Born to Imam Mohamed Haniff and housewife, Bibi Afroze Haniff, he attended Vryman’s Erven Primary School from 1962-1969 and subsequently the Berbice Educational Institute from 19691974, where he wrote the GCE ‘O’ Level Examinations, gaining passes in seven subjects. Bro Haniff related that his childhood days were confined to being mostly
closely around the homecircle and Masjid as well as school, he related, “I never had too much exposure to go on adventures and expeditions. Sometimes I did feel bad about it, knowing I had a lot of friends, going swimming, going out, but we all would go out and have fun, but under the supervision of elder brothers, and my father loved catching fish and we would go and have our own little fun with guardians and parents”.
“Sometimes I set too high standards for myself and it takes a lot of sacrifices to maintain such high standards.” involved in religious work and supervision under his parents, much of which moulded him to become what he has become today. “My life as a youngster was very reserved. My father was the Imam for the N/A Masjid up to the time of his death, so we came up under very strict Islamic manners and we were not allowed too much freedom.” Being confined to being
After high school, he taught for a year at the privately- owned National High School and thereafter, in 1976, he became employed with the Ministry of Public Works as an engineering technician for a number of years. He began to attend the University of Guyana on a part- time basis studying for his Diploma in Civil Engineering. He worked in an
engineering lab, doing soiltesting, material- testing “and going out on field trips doing soil investigation, material investigation, etc “leading up to construction work”. He continued along those lines from 1976- 1984 after which he became employed with Guyana Mining Enterprises (GuyMine) in its engineering arm called ‘GuyConstruct’ where he worked for four years as an Assistant Engineer. During his initial days in engineering, Bro. Moses served under several notable projects that were performed in the Berbice area, including the construction of the Canje River Bridge; worked as a Site Supervisor during the construction of the East Bank Berbice Road as well as the same position and an Office Engineer during the construction of the Black Bush Polder Road, in addition to the Barge ‘Slipaway’ in BerMine and “a number of other projects throughout the country, including the FourLane Highway on the East Coast of Demerara, and I have developed immense experience in road- construction and in lab testing”. He was known to be a very competent lab technician “because I went through a variety of in- house training by USAID in Guyana and over the years, I have developed skills in lab testing”. SUPERVISING MAJOR PROJECTS “The Canje River Bridge was a very special project, because it was engineering design and quality control at its very highest”. The contractor was the Americanbased Raymond Corporation, and I was seconded by the Ministry to work with Consultant Frederick Harris International, where I was in charge for supervision of all aspects of the job. It was exposure to real high standards of engineering.” Spending three years overseeing the works on the popular East Bank Berbice Road, handed over to the government in 1983, was also a joy. “That also was a very difficult task, because many portions of the road passed through virgin land, so it was a lot of clearing— a massive project— it entailed the construction of eight- double barrel sluices, because in East Bank Berbice there was always a problem with drainage together with 21 miles of facade canals and 19 miles of all- weather road. Additionally, there were about ten heavy- duty timber
Mohamed Haniff
bridges along the facade canal. The project lasted for 3 years,” he recalled. GuyConstruct, he said, built the road to last 10 years, the same of which is in a deplorable state up to today, causing much tension and unrest among residents and hire car operators. The road was built to very high standards, he vividly remembers, “so the road has lasted its life....my view is that maintenance of the road has been a total neglect, if the administration had maintained it properly, they might have gotten another 10-15 years…whoever was in charge from then to now”. “It was a road that was built with high quality asphaltic surface, a nice driving, smooth road...and it was a quality project.” Speaking about his years working in Black Bush on the road, he noted that the contractor again was GuyConstruct. “A good section of Mibicuri has been redone (today) but, again, my personal belief is that the type of designs of roads they are building in agricultural areas, is completely irrelevant to such types of communities, especially with heavy equipment traversing those roads. “In Guyana with the type of wet and dry patterns we are having, the best type of road foundation we can build is the stone foundation or crusherrun, a graded stone— the best”, he stated. Without being too critical, he related that, “we don’t have any engineering standards in particular; no properly quality control measures and that has been costing the administration quite a lot. We are not having proper standards, especially in the engineering field and roadconstruction. ” EMBRACING THE RELIGIOUS LIFE Upon his resignation from GuyMine as an Assistant Engineer, Bro. Moses made a tough decision, to take over
from his deceased father. After being urged by members of his religious community to take over the leadership of the N/A Masjid, he respectfully obliged in 1988. “I came up in an Islamic environment..was trained by my father at a very early age and he died as a serving Imam of the Masjid, and there was a huge call from everyone that I should be replacing him, and after careful consideration and serious thought I took up the position – somewhat reluctantly - because I truly had a great liking for engineering…It’s one of the most challenging fields, but I decided to make the bold decision— 25 years ago— with some amount of reluctance.” Looking back today though, he believes that he made the best decision of his life, “being a Muslim before we make decisions, we turn to the Creator for guidance and this has been the best part of my life; and I have been getting all the satisfaction from this, enjoyed the best of relations with everybody— Muslims and Non- Muslims in the community and I think I am well- known throughout Berbice and in Islamic circles, throughout the country, because I have served in many capacities in many organizations.” Bro Moses has been hosting Islamic programme ‘Islam- the Natural Way’ for over 20 years on television in Berbice on Sunday nights. He has had many ‘high points’ during his 25 years as a religious and upstanding leader in the New Amsterdam community. Apart from the regular Islamic Masjid work he has cut out for him on a daily basis, Bro. Moses is a family counselor - an area in which he has excelled. He has dealt in a wide array of matters of dispute such as those pertaining to the family, husband and wife problems, parent- child problems, children and children, matters of inheritance and wills and disputes, accidents, problems (continued on page 27)
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My column
The Linden protest can end, if only‌ On occasions too numerous to count, protests change their form and outlook. That is the case of Linden. The protest started on July 18, last, over the announced removal of the electricity tariffs and the absence of economic activities in the mining communities. Toward the end of the day things got ugly when someone among the police used live rounds on the protesters who had blocked the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge. Three men died. The protest that was intended to last five days changed its form and its end is now indefinite. The people have taken to protesting the three deaths, especially when the post mortem revealed that they were shot and killed with live rounds when the police were supposed to have effected crowd control. In recent times the police have been concentrating on their crowd control measures. They acquired rubber bullets, a water cannon, and shields in the event that the protesters would have been hurling missiles. Something was amiss in Linden. The police had no shields, and the water cannon was conspicuously absent. One was left with the impression that the police were there like Alice in Wonderland, with no plan in action. The result is that they worsened the situation in Linden to the extent that they are reluctant to even control the protest action in any way. It is as if they are now awaiting the fallout from their
action, the action by the administration in the face of the public reaction to the shooting. The protest underwent another change as the people appeared to tire. The crowds on the streets became smaller and smaller but the people allowed the material they used to block the thoroughfares to make their statement. I was worried about food and fuel, given that the community is economically depressed. However, it would seem that victuals are not a problem, because no one seems to be going hungry. But there was one thing that demonstrated that the people were not prepared to allow criminal elements to take control of the situation. Early in the protest a group decided to loot. They broke into the post office and into a Digicel outlet. The people signaled that they would have none of the disorder. They simply arrested and handed over the culprits to the law enforcers. That action should have sent a message to the people against whom the protest is directed, that the people were serious about their cause and nothing else. Yet it took almost a week for President Donald Ramotar to indicate that he was going to visit the community. And when he did he set preconditions; he ordered that all the blockages be removed. Well after noon the blockages removed and President Ramotar refused to budge from his Georgetown office. Things like these do not help anyone. Mahdia is now
in dire straits because there is no fuel to power the electricity plant; the people in the mining camps are running out of food and fuel. The timber camps are in trouble because they cannot supply their international markets and Guyana is slowly grinding to a standstill. People are now recognizing how important the interior is to the welfare of the nation. The various private sector agencies are initially appealing to the protesters to let good sense prevail, but this is not going to last for long. As the people in the interior begin to really feel the pinch they may seek to take their own action. They do not have too many options. They could seek fuel supplies from the neighbouring countries, but that is such a tall order. I have seen many protests in my time and many turned ugly after they had been in effect for a few days. This is not heading in that direction. This just seems to be a case of the people demanding the removal of the hike. I would have announced the removal and would have gone back to the table to work out a position. The people of Linden say that they are not averse to paying an
increased rate. I really believe that the manner in which the announcement came sparked the protest. I have always said that the more modern we become the less we talk to each other. The government said that it did reach an agreement with the political opposition party that won the parliamentary seats in Linden. David Granger, the leader of that party later said that he did not. There have been a lot of meetings over the situation in Linden and it is surprising that nothing has come of
them. I would have expected a resolution by now, but then again, some people say that the government is not comfortable retreating from a stated position. Further, there is the view that the government is not keen to grant concessions to the political opposition. That may be the case, but Donald Ramotar has a reputation of cutting deals with even the devil. I expect him to cut a deal now and let life return to normal. If he announces a halt to the tariff there is nothing to stop him
Adam Harris from reintroducing it. He could talk about a graduated scale, but at a slower pace. He really needs advisors now. And he is paying a lot for advice.
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From Fr. Darke to Somerset, Lewis and Bouyea … all is murder They say history has a way of repeating itself. This is never truer than what we are witnessing today. Take a walk back in time to 1979, to the day of July 14, it was a Tuesday. A peaceful crowd demonstrating against the government was making its way down Brickdam when they were descended upon by bayonet-wielding thugs publicly known to be allied to the government of the day. At the end of the assault, Senior Jesuit Priest Fr. Bernard Darke of the Catholic Church lay bloodied. He died later that day. Fast forward to 2012, July 18th, almost 33 years to the day of Fr. Darke’s murder. Substitute Brickdam for Linden. A peaceful crowd of people demonstrating against the government is descended upon by agents of the state. At the end of the assault three men lay dead. Their autopsies reveal - all three were shot through the heart. The question we now ask, thirty-three years after the murder of Fr. Darke what has changed? Back in 1979 the PPP were at the forefront condemning the killing of the Jesuit priest and blaming the government at that time. They were up in arms, calling it murder and demanding justice. Today, they are the government. Where are their cries for justice?
We are yet to hear them condemn the killing of Ron Somerset, Ivan Lewis and Shemroy Bouyea. We are yet to hear them call it for what it is – Murder. In the Mirror newspaper of September 10, 2011, a column by Mohamed Sattaur quoted then Mirror journalist now Minister under the PPP/C Government, Robert Persaud as stating “the Catholic Standard’s pho-tographer Fr. Bernard Darke was murdered in broad daylight by armed thugs of the then PNCR regime.” When the PPP came in to government in 1992, they hailed their ascension to office as ‘a return to democracy’. For all governments claiming to run a democratic state there are a few binding checkpoints against which they are measured, one of these is the protection of Human Rights. The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials that was adopted by the UN in 1990, set up a series of human rights standards regarding the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials. They function as the global standards for police agencies worldwide. Article 3 of Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials provides that “law enforcement officials may use force only when strictly necessary and to the extent required for the performance of their duty.”
Can the Minister of Home Affairs state what necessitated the use of deadly force on the evening of July 18th? In the general provision of the Code of Conduct it is stated that, “Governments and law enforcement agencies should develop a range of means as broad as possible and equip law enforcement officials with various types of weapons and ammunition that would allow for a differentiated use of force and firearms. These should include the development of non-lethal incapacitating weapons for use in appropriate situations, with a view to increasingly restraining the application of means capable of causing death or injury to persons. For the same purpose, it should also be possible for law enforcement officials to be equipped with self-defensive equipment such as shields, helmets, bullet-proof vests and bullet-proof means of transportation, in order to decrease the need to use weapons of any kind.” Can the Minister of Home Affairs say why the police on duty at Linden that fateful evening were not wearing the protective gear bought with millions of tax dollars for just such an eventuality. Can the Minister also say why, when the Police knew days in advance that there would be a protest, that the water cannon was not sent to Linden to be on stand-by. The same document states, “Law enforcement officials, in carrying out their duty, shall, as far as possible, apply nonviolent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms. They may use force and firearms only if other means remain ineffective or without any promise of achieving the intended result.”
Can the Minister of Home Affairs say why the police resorted to the use of deadly force that evening on July 18, 2012? The basic principle also states that “when lawful use of force and forearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials shall minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life” Can the Minister explain how shooting someone in the heart is intended to minimize injury? “Law enforcement officers also have the responsibility to ensure that assistance and medical aid are rendered to any injured or affected persons at the earliest possible moment.” Can the Minister of Home Affairs explain why the police refused to cease fire when a white flag was waved and why they refused to render assistance to the injured when it was brought to their attention that persons were shot? The basic principles states that, “Governments shall ensure that arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offence under their law.” Can this government say why it is that up to now they have not condemned these murders as a criminal offence and why up to now they have not insisted that the persons responsible be charged? It must be noted that internal political stability is not an excuse to justify departure from these basic principles. We ask, from 1979 to 2012, what has changed? From 1992 to 2012 where is our democracy?
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Bro. Mohamed Haniff is a ‘Special ... From page 18 with neighbours, land disputes and land and property matters, domestic violence, disputes in a number of Masjids in Berbice in which matters went to the court and for which he was appointed by judges as a mediator. “I was able to bring some amount of settlement to many contentious issues,” he recounted. He also revealed that he deals with an average of 120130 cases per year; “settlements, sometimes cannot be achieved in one session, so we spend a lot of time and we have a very high degree of success in mediating in these matters… involving not only Muslims. I have dealt with many matters with Non- Muslims also.” This is purely a voluntary service, so the time and effort put into these matters by our ‘Special Person’ must be highly lauded. He is also a Justice of the Peace (JP) Commissioner of Oaths to Affidavits, and a Licenced Marriage Officer. He has performed over 1,200 legal marriages to date as well as 1,500 Islamic Marriages or ‘Nikka’ and “we do a lot of Notarial Services at the Masjid, signing of passports, preparing testimonials— free of charge” He is a trained courtrelated Mediator, having completed training under the USAID project. MAKING SACRIFICES How does he find time for all this work? “It’s extremely difficult and finding the time— I make sacrifices and the family at home understands that, because I am away from the home most of the time and am here at the office, and based on our prayer schedules, you don’t reach home until after 8 o’clock (at night)....but then being here at the mosque and to do that type of work, that’s a standard I have set myself— sometimes I set too high standards for myself and it takes a lot of sacrifices to maintain such high standards”.
He has enjoyed every moment of the time; “I meet new people every day; I have discussions with people of other religious faiths daily. We discuss commonalities, so it’s very challenging and interesting being in such an atmosphere where you come into contact with different people”. Bro. Moses also officiates in the five-time a-day prayers at the Masjid, regular Friday congregational prayers, classes, local religious sessions, etc. “We are opened to a wide array of services to the public”. He has served on numerous committees in the past in the Berbice area committees from which he has resigned to focus more on his voluntary and religious work in the community. These include the Regional Education Committee, Regional AIDS Committee; Regional Committee on Ethnic Relations, Committee on Municipal Development, Chairman of the Visiting Committee of the N/A Prisons, a constitutional position “but because of other pressing duties, I have given them up”. He is currently one of the Directors of the Berbice Islamic School. He also does numerous Islamic lectures at schools and other public places. Bro. Moses has been married for over 30 years to Bibi Haseena and has three children: Naseema, Waheeda, and Naseef. LOOKING BACK AND FINAL THOUGHTS “I am 100 per cent extremely satisfied with my present situation. Spending 25 years at the mosque, I have realised a lot of things, especially that the reluctance I initially had to leave engineering was meaningless. Coming to the mosque here— I have been blessed to mould an entire community of Muslims; I have been the longest- serving Imam at the mosque, and my father has served 20 years, so we can say that for the last 45 years, the leadership of the mosque
A 2006 family portrait
has remained under the leadership of the Haniff family, something that we are proud of.” He reflects: “One of the hallmarks of a person’s life ought to be his character and integrity. Everyone should strive to enhance these, because this is what counts, what makes you a man, what
makes you the real human being and living in the world today— in Guyana— we can see, from top to bottom, there is a vacuum when we talk about standards of life, about character, about conduct, integrity. I personally believe that this is absent to a great degree. “It is not only scholastic
and academic achievements that count, a man can reach the highest levels of academic learning, but what’s the
purpose of reaching such high standards, but your moral values and behaviour are not acceptable.”
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Rum parting the ways between US and the Caribbean By Sir Ronald Sanders The rum industry in the non-US countries in the Caribbean is now under serious threat. At risk are the jobs of 15,000 workers directly employed in the industry and another 60,000 jobs that benefit from it. Apart from employment, non-US Caribbean countries face the loss, annually, of US$700 million in foreign exchange and over US$250 million in tax revenues at a time they can ill afford it. There is evidence that Barbados is already being adversely affected and the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago are under immediate threat. As I pointed out in a commentary in May this year, the problem has not arisen out of direct action by the US government. It has originated in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (USVI), both of which have been long-time rum producers in competition with other Caribbean manufacturers. Now, these two US affiliates are taking advantage of US government refunds to them of excise taxes on rum to subsidize rum production and marketing for huge multinational companies. The vast increase in rum exports to the US mainland, at a subsidized cost, will squeeze-out other Caribbean rums; and subsidized marketing will make it virtually impossible to compete. The scale of the subsidies is huge, making it impossible for other countries to compete. In 2011, US$452 million and US$133.5 million were provided to Puerto Rico and the USVI respectively. The USVI subsidies alone will result in the addition of 28 million proof-gallons of new rum capacity which is about 80% of current U.S. consumption. This new production for sale into the U.S. market will be at little or no cost. Legal opinion suggests that these subsidies violate the US government’s international obligations as a member of the World Trade O r g a n i z a t i o n (WTO). Indeed, at a meeting between officials of Caribbean governments and the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) on June 14, there was no indication that the US disagreed with the legal analysis. However, they gave no indication that they could resolve the issue. They offered only to consult within the government and report in due course. But, time is not on the side of the Caribbean rum industry. While the US government officials consult amongst themselves and no
action is taken to halt subsidized production and marketing from the USVI and Puerto Rico, non-US Caribbean rum sales in the US market are beginning to suffer and, as the multinationals ramp up their activities over the next few months, they will effectively establish themselves unfairly, squeezing out other Caribbean rums. Already, Caribbean producers have had supply contracts cancelled because they cannot match or beat the price of subsidized competition coming from Puerto Rico and the USVI. These contract cancellations have started in the price sensitive bulk rum market which is central to the economics and financial wellbeing of Caribbean rum industry. The industry in much of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries is structured in such a way that exports are vital to its survival given the small size of most domestic markets. Over time, the USVI and Puerto Rico effect will spread to suppliers of bottled products as well. Unless these unjustifiable subsidies are stopped, they will force the closure of many Caribbean distilleries and create serious injury to the fragile economies of the region. The Caribbean countries have no problem with the rebate of the rum taxes to Puerto Rico and the USVI which have been in place for some time and were being used for infrastructural and other development projects. The Caribbean
Sir Ronald Sanders concern is with the use of the rebate to subsidise rum production and marketing and so distort trade to the detriment of non-US Caribbean rum producers. What is to be done? Caribbean governments have agreed to write from a high level to various officials of the US government including President Barack Obama. The letters are necessary, but are unlikely to yield positive action. Elections for the US Presidency are around the corner. No one should realistically expect the US administration to touch this issue before
February of next year unless it is compelled to do so. More needs to be done, and this should include sensitizing the media in the US to the problem, and, crucially, submitting it to the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO. The longer that Caribbean governments wait to lodge this issue with the WTO, the longer will be the process of reaching a resolution. The settlement procedures at the WTO require a period of consultation that is itself drawn out, after which an Arbitration Panel has to be agreed by disputing parties, or appointed by the DirectorGeneral if they fail to reach agreement on the panellists. All of this is passing time during which the multinationals in the USVI and Puerto Rico will have cornered the market with subsidized rum and marketing. Therefore, the quicker the process starts the better, and the longer action is delayed the worse it is for non-US Caribbean producers. It should be clear that the only thing that will compel the US government to focus on this issue is the matter being taken
to the WTO. The Dominican Republic (DR) government is showing the way. While its representatives are talking with the US government, reports indicate that it has also contacted the Advisory Centre on WTO Law for an opinion. The DR government has not been shy to seek redress at the WTO on other trade violations, and it will undoubtedly move to safeguard its rum production. Other Caribbean governments would do well to join the DR in WTO action now, for only those countries that are party to the Dispute
Settlement process can expect any kind of compensation should they successfully take the matter to arbitration. Delaying urgent action now would consign non-US Caribbean rum production to collapse in the face of what are clearly unfair and patently trade-distorting subsidies to Puerto Rican and USVI rum production and marketing. Both jobs and revenues are at stake. (The writer is a Consultant and former Caribbean diplomat) Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com
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The dangers of the hemisphere operating without the IACHR’s guidance By Catie Duckworth Research Associate at Council on Hemispheric Affairs In recent months, members of the Organization of American States (OAS) have intensified their criticisms of the Inter-America Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The IACHR is an independent body established in 1959 by the OAS to create a PanAmerican framework for dealing with human rights violations. Heavily based upon the 1948 American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, it was the Americas’ first universal human rights document, which was adopted at the same meeting that the region chartered the OAS. However, strong opposition from OAS members throughout the years has heavily compromised the independent nature of the IACHR. Critics of the organization, such as Bolivian President Evo Morales, have called for its elimination. The 42nd OAS General Assembly that convened from June 3 to 5 in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where it found fault with the IACHR’s proceedings and rulings, claiming that the
Commission has acted as a tool for modern US imperialism and thereby further fueling Morales’ discontent. Calls to terminate the organization were problematic before the IACHR had even been effective in holding past administrations accountable for human rights violations and setting a higher standard for the treatment of people by the state in Latin America. There is a possibility that OAS-proposed reforms will cause concern, because the OAS will most likely put limitations on the Commission’s independence. However, this was not the first time a member state has expressed discontent with the organization. In April, President Hugo Chavez announced that Venezuela would withdraw from the IACHR. This announcement was initially dismissed at the time when OAS Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza pointed out that in order for Venezuela to remove itself from Commission jurisdiction, Chavez must withdraw from the OAS all together. Claiming the Commission acts as a US contrivance, recalcitrant leaders from Ecuador and Nicaragua have joined Evo Morales and Hugo Chavez in their calls for reform in order to decisively bring an end to US imperialism in the region. All four of these nations’ leaders have threatened to withdraw from the IACHR if reforms are not set. Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa asserted, “We cannot accept the double morals and inconsistencies. We need to focus on the priorities of our America — neocolonialism is over.” Although all 34 countries
Evo Morales
Hugo Chavez
Rafael Correa
José Miguel Insulza
represented at the Assembly have expressed their concern regarding recent proceedings carried out by the IACHR, most only call for reform, not dissolution like their more emphatic ideological neighbors. As a result, the Assembly decided to draft a reform plan and meet again in six months to approve the changes. If sanctioned, the reform will mark the first jurisdictional changes initiated outside the Commission since its founding over fifty years ago. At the June assembly of the OAS, IACHR Chair José de Jesús Orozco defended the organization and argued that the Commission is among the world’s most successful supranational organizations working to protect human rights. Stressing the necessity of the IACHR, he asserted, “This is about regional guarantees and effective mechanisms to ensure that nobody in the Americas feels defenseless when it comes to
his or her most basic rights, and that the States — through their current and future governments — see themselves as bound to respect those values that… they embraced and made an international commitment to safeguard.” The Commission, like all supranational organizations, requires that member nations sacrifice some measure of their sovereignty. By deeming, on some occasion, policies of member states unlawful through a Westerncentric lens, critics allege that the Commission has taken on too progressive of a role in terms of a radical agenda. However, the public ought to scrutinize the motivations of Latin American leaders for advocating the dissolution of the commission. One initiative of this was a letter written some time ago by José Miguel Vivanco, director of Human Rights Watch’s Americas Division, who wrote a letter that found
itself to the OAS General Assembly, which stated, “If this organization has been so successful, why then has a campaign against it been launched? Very simple: Because it has touched the interests of important governments that possess clear autocratic tendencies or are sufficiently powerful as to believe that they are entitled to not render accounts to a supervisory regional body.” In other words, many leaders advocate reform because the supranational organization has prevented them from fulfilling their political agenda. For example, in April 2011 the IACHR provoked Brazilian authorities after ordering them to halt the construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam project in order to ensure the livelihood of multiple indigenous tribes on the Xingu River, who faced the threat of displacement as a result of the project. Unhappy with the decision, Brazil recalled its delegate to the organization, suspended payment of dues to the Commission, and withheld its ambassador to the OAS in protest. Yet Brasilia quickly reembraced the Commission when it proposed to set up a Truth Commission to investigate the human rights transgressions during the Brazilian military dictatorship of 1964-1985, demonstrating how Brazil’s loyalty to the IACHR at times has been based on political expediency. The Commission has lost popularity among a number of its members by refusing to yield to governments with unsatisfactory human rights standards. Leaders of this bloc cite historic acts of US imperialism in the region as a basis for disregarding IACHR rulings that do not work in their favor. From the perspective of these critics of the Commission, the IACHR continues to kneel to US regional foreign policy interests while overlooking cases that are contrary to US national interests. Tensions tend to arise when the Commission is bold enough to condemn an administration for violating the human rights of its own citizens. As Manuela Picq, a recent visiting professor and research fellow at Amherst College, said, “These cases demonstrate that the Commission’s decisions are supported when they are aligned with governmental agendas and attacked and discredited when the Commission’s actions are perceived as inconvenient. The challenge is not as much
to reform the Commission’s proceedings as to appease the wrath of states when rulings interfere with their political agendas.” Many Latin American countries may want to see the end of the IACHR just to conceal their own self-serving and at times compromised human rights practices. In order to draw attention away from their own corrupt institutions they passionately insist that the United States at times is using the organization as a mechanism for imperial calculations. To put to rest any claims that Washington is using the organization to further its interests, Washington has decided to take a neutral role at the June OAS gathering, stating that member nations ought to work together in harmony with the Commission. As one of the most economically stable and democratically open states in the OAS, the US delegation should not take a neutral stance, but rather support the Commission. However, the United States to this day still has not signed the 1969 American Convention on Human Rights Pact of San Jose, which means that the Inter-American Court in Costa Rica does not have any jurisdiction in the United States. To avoid further allegations of imperialistic intentions, the United States should thus lead by example and must give some thought to allowing the Inter-America Court some jurisdiction to operate within its borders and offer more assertive support for human rights activism while steering clear of antihuman rights advocacy. Washington has a duty to not turn a blind eye to its southern neighbors’ human rights violations, it should, as a would-be promoter of democracy in the region, be consistent and careful not to set double standards based on its own narrow intentions. The IACHR is a necessary body, and must be actively protected to ensure the UN Declaration of Human Rights is upheld in the region. There are few doubts that some reforms need to be made to the IACHR, which will include limits on the Commission’s independence. However, it is this independent nature of that body that makes the IACHR effective. If the Commission’s independence is taken away, it will have to conform to the narrow partisan political agendas of some of its member states, and that would mean at times acting contrary to its entirely noble purpose.
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The woman’s body being removed from the premises
From page 20 telecommunication service or to control or regulate voice and data transmission on the internet is unlawful and void.” The judge also found that “the existence of monopolies can infringe constitutionally guaranteed rights” Following the High Court’s ruling on GT&T’s monopoly, Digicel Guyana announced up to 88 percent reduction on international calling rates from 18:00 hrs Tuesday. Digicel Chief Executive Officer, Gregory Dean, on Monday said, “Digicel is elated to finally provide Guyanese consumers with fair international calling rates after decades of exploitation by GT&T.” Calls to the Caribbean, USA and Canada were reduced by up to 62 per cent, while China and Brazil saw reductions by over 80 per cent. BOY, 6, CRUSHED BY FATHER’S CAR The August holidays took a deadly turn for 6-year-old Overwinning Primary School student, Suraj Ajay Beharry, of Sixth Street, Islington, East Bank Berbice, after he was crushed to death by his father’s car, reportedly while a tyre was being changed. The incident occurred around 10:45 hrs yesterday at the boy’s home. Detectives and their photographer arrived at the bloody scene shortly after the incident and began to interview the boy’s 30-yearold stepfather, Maheshwar Sookram called Suraj, and had him re-enact what exactly he was doing with his vehicle, a Nissan Sentra, at the time. SOPHIA WOMAN KILLED A 24-year-old woman was killed by her lover shortly before lunch Tuesday. Dead is Sheurma Mentore of 13 Dennis Street, ‘D’ Field,
Mahendra Roopnarine, earns $395,000 per month. And the salary is paid by Office of the President. Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh, on Wednesday presented a list to the National Assembly representing the list of persons unable to access their salaries.
Dead: Sheurma Mentore Sophia. According to reports, the victim was chopped to the neck, stomach and hand. The woman’s lifeless body was discovered lying in a pool of blood at the back of her yard, by her three-year-old brother. The victim’s cousin Selma Cordis told this newspaper that Mentore became involved with the suspect almost a year ago. Cordis said that her cousin endured several months of abuse at the hands of the assailant. The woman told Kaieteur News that she was told that her cousin and the suspect, who hails from Essequibo, were seen arguing. The suspect, with whom the deceased shared a common-law relationship, was later found by the police at the GPHC where he is receiving medical attention for injuries to his throat, chest and abdomen THURSDAY EDITION OP PAYS $300K PER MONTH TO FREEDOM HOUSE OPERATIVE A request by A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Joseph Harmon, as it relates to the names and designations of persons terminated as a result of the 2012 Budgetary Cuts, has revealed that at least one Freedom House operative,
BULLETS STRUCK TWO PROTESTERS IN THE HEART, ONE IN THE BACK – T&T PATHOLOGIST Trinidad-based Pathologist, Professor Hubert Daisley, has revealed that preliminary results have shown two of the three slain Linden protesters were shot to the region of their hearts with “bronze-tipped metal fragment” rounds. The third was shot in the back. The Alliance for Change had made the request for Prof. Daisley to witness the post mortem examinations which were done by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh. According to Prof. Daisley, the metal fragments were found in two of the victims, which might suggest that the same weapon was used. Ballistic tests would determine what calibre weapon was used, but they looked similar, Daisley stated. “It wasn’t from an assault rifle; there was no exit wound …it could be a handgun, but the ballistics experts would be in a better position to answer that question.” The professor explained that there was no tampering of the body since the clothing which the victims were wearing corresponded with the entry wounds. FRIDAY EDITION PUC ORDERS DIGICEL TO CANCEL RATE ADJUSTMENT The Public Utilities Commission dealt a severe blow to the expanses of
Digicel. By way of a letter dated July 26, 2012, the commission ordered and directed that Digicel “forthwith withdraw the notices which your company caused to be published” advertising drastically reduced rates for international calls. The order from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) came on the heels of an injunction granted to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) restraining Digicel’s actions. That injunction prevents Digicel from “advertising, commencing, running or operating an international call service other than through interconnection with GT&T or without first obtaining a licence to do as required by the provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1990.” The interim injunction further restrains Digicel from fixing, advertising, charging or collecting other rates in respect of such services without first obtaining the approval of the PUC, after the Commission has had a public hearing as required by the PUC Act. Digicel’s actions followed a ruling by Justice Rishi Persaud in the High Court that found the monopoly held by GT&T to provide telecommunications service or to regulate voice and data transmission over the internet, is unlawful and void. PREGNANT WOMAN AMONG THREE KILLED A pregnant woman was among three persons killed at around 06:30hrs Thursday, after the car in which they were travelling ended up in a canal after veering off the Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD) Public Road.
Dead are Tameka Brumell, 25, who was seven months pregnant, her brother, Jason Brumell, 28, their 40-year-old cousin-in-law, Police Sergeant, Shurland Thomas. The victims all resided at Supply, EBD. Kaieteur News understands that the car, bearing registration number PNN 6791, was driven by Thomas. According to eyewitnesses, the car was heading north along the East Bank Public Road to Georgetown, when the driver lost control while negotiating a turn and ended up skidding and overturning in a koker at Friendship. By the time public-spirited persons arrived to offer assistance, the vehicle was already submerged in deep mud and the occupants had perished. SATURDAY EDITION PNCR’S 17TH BIENNIAL CONGRESS GETS UNDERWAY The People’s National Congress Reform on Friday opened its 17th Biennial Congress at its Headquarters Congress Place. The highlight of this year’s Congress is expected to be the race for party leadership. Brigadier (ret.) David Granger’s challenge for the post of leader of the party is not a foregone conclusion. Chairman of the party, Bishwaishwar ‘Cammie’ Ramsaroop whose post is also being contested was greeted with a resounding applause as he welcomed the delegates, Members of Parliament and special invitees to the opening and delivered the charge. He immediately reminded those gathered of the events
in Linden on July 18 and said that it is a sad irony that the event took place on the birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela. A large portrait of Party Leader, Robert Corbin is unveiled for the Congress Place Hall of Heroes The Chairman used the opportunity to thank and single out Robert Corbin who closes his reign as leader of the party. MAN, 74, SURRENDERS AFTER KILLING STEPSON A 74-year-old man has already surrendered his fate having admitted to fatally stabbing of his 34-year-old stepson. The man waited patiently for the police to arrive, 30 minutes after stabbing his stepson, Lakeram Persaud called ‘Boja’, 34, twice in his chest during an early morning argument on Friday at the two-storey house they shared with the dead man’s mother, Ramkumarie Manbahal at Lincoln Street, Enterprise, East Coast Demerara. According to police, initial investigations revealed that Persaud was involved in an argument with his stepfather during which it is alleged that he was fatally stabbed to his chest with a knife. The elderly suspect in his defence, said that he could no longer take the physical abuse to both his reputed wife and himself from his stepson so he decided to “put a stop to it.” But his story differs significantly from the version given by his reputed wife, who claimed that he was always the aggressor in the several confrontations that he had with the deceased.
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Interesting creatures…
The Frigatebird Frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds. There are five species in the single genus Fregata. They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Since they are related to the pelicans, the term “frigate pelican” is also a name applied to them. They have long wings, tails and bills and the males have a red gular pouch that is inflated during the breeding season to attract a mate. Frigatebirds are pelagic piscivores which obtain most of their food on the wing. A small amount of their diet is obtained by robbing other seabirds, a behavior that has given the family its name, and by snatching seabird chicks.
Frigatebirds are seasonally monogamous, and nest colonially. A rough nest is constructed in low trees or on the ground on remote islands. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird. Frigatebirds are large, with iridescent black feathers (the females have a white underbelly), with long wings (male wingspan can reach 2.3 metres) and deeply-forked tails. The males have inflatable red-coloured throat pouches called “gular pouches”, which they inflate to attract females during the mating season.
Frigatebirds are found over tropical oceans and ride warm updrafts. Therefore, they can often be spotted riding weather fronts and can signal changing weather patterns. These birds do not swim and cannot walk well, and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan to body weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week, landing only to roost or breed on trees or cliffs. As members of Pelecaniformes, frigatebirds have the key characteristics of all four toes being connected by the web, a gular sac (also called gular skin), and a furcula that is fused to the breastbone. Although there is definitely a web on the frigatebird foot, the webbing is reduced and part of each toe is free. Frigatebirds produce very little oil and therefore do not land in the ocean. The gular sac is used as part of a courtship display and is, perhaps, the most striking frigatebird feature. They lay one or two white eggs. Both parents take turns feeding for the first three months but then only the mother feeds the young for another eight months. It takes so long to rear a chick that
frigatebirds cannot breed every year. It is typical to see juveniles as big as their parents waiting to be fed. When they sit waiting for endless hours in the hot sun, they assume an energy-
efficient posture in which their head hangs down, and they sit so still that they seem dead. But when the parent returns, they will wake up, bob their head, and scream until the parent opens its mouth. The hungry juvenile plunges its head down the parent’s throat and feeds at last. Distribution and identifying characteristics differ among frigatebird species, and thus are
addressed in species-specific articles. Frigatebirds’ feeding habits are pelagic. Lacking the ability to take off from water, they snatch prey from the ocean surface or beach using their long, hooked bills. They catch fish, baby turtles and similar items in this way. Frigatebirds will rob other seabirds such as boobies, tropicbirds, and shearwaters of their catch, using their speed and manoeuvrability to outrun and harass their victims until they regurgitate their stomach contents. Although frigatebirds are renowned for their kleptoparasitic feeding behavior, kleptoparasitism is not thought to play a significant part of the diet of any species, and is instead a supplement to food obtained by hunting. A study of Great Frigatebirds stealing from Masked Boobies estimated that the frigatebirds could at most obtain 40 percent of the food they needed, and on average obtained only five percent. (Source: Wikipedia – the Free Online Encyclopedia)
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A lesson in female anatomy By Krista Brooks Nursey was going over male and female reproductive parts with her students she was amazed how many of them did not know about their own bodies. When we know about the parts of our bodies, we know how they work and when something might be wrong. Nursey already told us how to get ready to talk about reproductive health to our children and the ages we should talk about it. Now she will give us a little lesson in how we develop and reproductive anatomy so we can tell our children and learn something ourselves. Today we will start with females and next week we will look at males. Girls start to develop at 8 to 10 years old. This can start off with the formation of breasts, followed by the development of pubic hair, rounding of the hips, and a quick growth in height. Additionally, a girl will start her menstruation within this time. Girls experience a high level of this growth around the age of 12 and then it begins to slow down around the age of 16. The key to remember is that every girl is different, so one girl might develop breasts before her friends or another girl might start menstruation later than everyone else. This difference can cause girls to feel bad about themselves, such as if the girls around them are developed and they are not. Also, if a girl develops earlier than others, she might have to deal with more attention for having a woman’s body. It is important to be as supportive as possible during this time. In order to describe what happens during menstruation, it is good to know the structures in a woman’s body. Women will have two ovaries, one on each side of her body below her belly and in between her hips. These ovaries have all the eggs a woman will have in her lifetime. Attached to each
Health Tip:
Krista Brooks ovary is something called a fallopian tube. This is where the egg travels from the ovary to the uterus. The uterus is a pear shaped structure that has a thick lining. The uterus is held up by the cervix, which is a ring of tissue. Below the cervix is the vaginal canal that leads out to the vagina. The opening of the vaginal canal is protected by thick tissue called labia. At the top part of the vagina is a small structure called the clitoris, which can cause sexual arousal. The vaginal canal also contains a small fold of skin called the hymen which can burst during extreme exercise or sexual activity. During ovulation (a part of the menstrual cycle), a hormone or chemical in our body decides that an egg is ready to be released from the ovaries. It travels down the fallopian tube and then into the uterus. The uterus has a lining which also thickens, creating a good place for the egg to implant if it should meet a sperm (look for male reproductive anatomy next week!). If the egg does not meet a sperm, the lining and the egg come out of the body through the vaginal canal. This is called menstruation. Menstruation usually lasts around 2 to 7 days and can be heavy or light. It really depends on the person. If menstruation is really heavy
If you’ve broken a toe
(HealthDay News) — Almost a quarter of your body’s bones are in your feet. So it makes sense that the feet and toes have their fair share of broken bones. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions for treating a broken toe: · If you suspect a fracture, see your doctor as soon as possible. · Try to keep weight off the foot. · Refrain from the activity that caused the injury. · Apply ice, wrapped in a towel and applied for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time, to the fracture to help reduce swelling. · Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. · Wear wide shoes with stiff soles.
and lasts more than 7 days, it might be a good idea to see your health care provider. Also if a girl does not menstruate by the age of 15, she also might want to go get checked out. There are many reasons for a missed menstruation, but if someone has been sexually active and misses their period, they should go to their health care provider to see if they might be pregnant. As Nursey says, talking to your child about reproductive anatomy is really helpful. It helps us know what is changing and how to know if something might be wrong. I hope you learned a little more about female anatomy and development and I will be back next week to tell you more things Nursey says about male reproductive health. Until then! If you have any questions about reproductive health or any other health issues please e-mail nurseysaysguyana@gmail.com. Krista Brooks is a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer working with the School of Nursing, which trains Nursing Assistants, Professional Nurses, and Midwifery Students.
Sunday July 29, 2012
HIV Undetectable in Two Men After Bone Marrow Transplants: Study (HealthDay News) — Following bone marrow transplants, two men infected with HIV no longer have any traces of the AIDS-causing virus in their lymphocytes, researchers report. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell and are a key part of the immune system. The U.S. researchers suspect that bone marrow transplantation along with continuation of antiretroviral therapy resulted in the dramatic effects evident eight months post-transplant. They are scheduled to present these preliminary findings Thursday at the International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy often achieve “undetectable viral loads,” meaning there are no virus particles in their blood. But they still have latent HIV in their lymphocytes, and if antiretroviral therapy were discontinued, the latent HIV could reactivate. But having no traces of HIV in these white blood cells is an indication that this “reservoir” of latent HIV may have been eliminated, the researchers believe. At this point, they are far from saying these patients are cured. But the findings are “exciting,” said Dr. Savita Pahwa, director of
the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who was not involved with the study. “Every hint you get that it’s possible to wipe out the reservoir needs to be investigated,” she said. “Eliminating the reservoir is the key to the cure,” said Pahwa. She also stressed that it would only be possible to say these patients were “functionally cured” if the virus did not rebound when the patients went off antiretroviral therapy. The two men whose cases are described in the paper underwent chemotherapy for blood cancers before receiving stem cell transplants. One had his transplant two years ago; the other, four years ago. Both also developed graft-versus-host disease (when transplanted cells attack the host cells) and continued with their antiretroviral medications throughout and after the transplant procedures. Any of these factors could theoretically explain their HIV-free status, but the bone marrow transplantation combined with antiretroviral therapy seems the most likely explanation, said the study authors. “We believe the transplanted cells killed off and replaced all of the patients’ own lymphocytes, including the infected cells, and
the donor cells were protected from becoming infected themselves by the antiretroviral therapy they were taking throughout the transplant period,” said study senior author Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Graft-versus-host disease also probably played a role, he said. “The replacement of host cells by donor cells is itself a form of graft-versus-host reaction,” Kuritzkes explained. But the only way to verify that the transplant plus antiretroviral therapy can eradicate HIV is to take the patients off their medication regimens. That would be the “next logical step,” said Kuritzkes, adding that this would require patient consent and adherence to ethics protocols. But even if the transplant procedure were found to eliminate the reservoir of latent HIV cells, bone marrow transplantation is a very risky procedure. Kuritzkes said he does not “foresee bone marrow transplantation being performed on otherwise healthy HIV-infected patients who are doing well on [antiretroviral therapy].”
High-carb diet tied to breast cancer risk for some (Reuters) - Older women who eat a lot of starchy and sweet carbohydrates may be at increased risk of a less common but deadlier form of breast cancer, according to a European study. The findings from a study of nearly 335,000 European women, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, do not prove that sweets, French fries and white bread contribute to breast cancer - but they do hint at a potential factor in a little understood form of breast cancer. Specifically, the study found a link between high “glycemic load” and breast cancers that lack receptors for the female sex hormone estrogen, so-called “ERnegative” breast cancers. A high glycemic load essentially means a diet heavy in foods that cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, such as processed foods made from white flour, potatoes and sweets. The study, conducted by Isabelle Romieu of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, looked at
nearly 335,000 women who took part in a long-running European study on nutrition factors and cancer risk. Of these, 11,576 developed breast cancer over a dozen years. Overall, there was no link between breast cancer risk and glycemic load, as estimated from diet questionnaires the women completed at the study’s start. But the picture changed when the researchers focused on postmenopausal women with ER-negative cancer. Among women in the top 20 percent for glycemic load, there were 158 cases of breast cancer, versus 11 cases in the bottom 20 percent - a 36 percent higher risk. ER-negative tumors account for about onequarter of breast cancers. They typically have a poorer prognosis than ERpositive cancers because they tend to grow faster and are not sensitive to hormone-based therapies. Christina Clarke, a research scientist at the Cancer Prevention Institute
of California in Fremont, and a consulting assistant professor at Stanford University, said the results are interesting because so little is known about what cases ER-negative breast cancers. Most breast tumors have their growth fueled by estrogen. “This study gives us a really important clue for future research,” said Clarke, who was not involved in the study. Diets with a high glycemic load are associated with a bigger secretion of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. High insulin levels, in turn, have been linked to certain cancers,
possibly because insulin helps tumors grow. The current findings hint at a role for “insulin pathways” in ER-negative breast cancer, Clarke said, adding that more research definitely needs to be done. She noted that while there is no single factor in any woman’s risk of breast cancer, the findings offer more incentive to eat a balanced diet that limits refined carbohydrates in favor of healthier fare - like lean protein, vegetables, “good” fats and high-fiber grains. “Really, you want to avoid these (high glycemic load) diets anyway,” she added.
Sunday July 29, 2012
How To Treat Dry Skin Is your dry skin giving you sleepless nights? Are you interested in knowing how to treat dry skin? Read the article to find a solution to your problem. HOW TO TREAT DRY SKIN Soak Yourself in Lukewarm Water for Few Minutes You may be losing water through sweating or urinating. To make up for this water loss, you can soak yourself in lukewarm water for few minutes. You can also add jojoba, almond, olive or hazelnut oil to your bath water. You will be surprised to see the results after using these oils. These oils can have a magical effect on your skin if used properly. USE MOISTURIZER The most important thing for you to remember is to apply body lotion all over your body after taking a bath. This will prevent your skin from dehydration. You can use petroleum jelly, baby oil or mineral oil to moisturize your skin. GET SUFFICIENT SLEEP Get sufficient sleep if you want to make your skin healthy. Without enough sleep, your skin will not be able to rebuild dead cells. EATA BALANCED DIET Include lots of fruits, whole grains and vegetables in your diet. Foods rich in vitamin A and B are good for your skin. Include foods like eggs, fish, rice, legumes, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, oranges, sprouts, almond, soybeans and peas in your diet. Stop the intake of caffeinated beverages as caffeine can dry your skin. QUITALCOHOLAND SMOKING Avoid drinking alcohol as it is a diuretic and can dry your skin. Smoking is also bad for you and has a detrimental effect on your skin so quit it as soon as possible. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER Drink at least eight to ten glasses of water a day and protect your skin from excess heat, wind or cold. If you are in favor of treating your dry skin with the help of home remedies then you can try various home remedies for dry skin which are as follows. APPLY PAPAYA PASTE ON YOUR FACE Make a paste of papaya, banana and avocado and apply it on your face for few minutes and then wash it off. APPLY CUCUMBER PASTE ON YOUR FACE Applying cucumber face pack on your face will keep your skin moisturized, supple and soft. APPLY HONEY ON YOUR FACE Mix a half tablespoon of honey with two tablespoons of rose water and apply on your dry skin areas. Honey gives you a beautiful and glowing skin. APPLY GRATED APPLES ON YOUR FACE Grate three apples and apply on your face and other dry skin areas. Leave the face pack for few minutes and then wash it off. Apples are known to do wonders for your skin and make your skin flawless. HOW CAN YOU PREVENT YOUR SKIN FROM DRYING? Never apply makeup on dry skin as it will make your skin even drier. Make a habit of applying moisturizer before hitting the bed. If possible, avoid using chemical soaps while taking a bath. Use a mild face wash for cleaning your face. You should cover as much of your body as possible before going out in the sun.
SOLUTION FOR LAST WEEK’S SEARCH & FIND
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Born Loser
KANSAS TRAFFIC STOP Seems a Kansan makes a rolling stop at a stop sign, and gets pulled over by a Lenexa policeman. Guy hands the lawman his driver’s license, insurance verification, plus his concealed carry permit. “Okay, Mr. Smith,” the policeman says, “I see your CCW permit. Are you carrying today?” “Yes, I am.” “Well then, better tell me what you got.” Smith says, “Well, I got a .357 revolver in my inside coat pocket. There’s a 9mm semi-auto in the glove box. And, I’ve got a .22 magnum derringer in my right boot.” “Okay,” the officer says. “Anything else?” “Yeah, back in the trunk, there’s an AR-15 and a shotgun. That’s about it.” “Mr. Smith, are you on your way to or from a gun range...?” “Nope.” “Well then, what are you afraid of....?” “Not one damn thing!” *************** SMART A$$ PROFESSOR Annoyed by the professor of anatomy who liked to tell “naughty” stories during class, a group of female students decided that the next time he started to tell one, they would all rise and leave the room in protest. The professor, however, got wind of their scheme just before class the following day, so he bided his time. Then, halfway through the lecture, he began.”They say there is quite a shortage of prostitutes in France.” The girls looked at one another, arose and started for the door. “Young ladies,” said the professor with a broad smile, “the next plane doesn’t leave till tomorrow afternoon.” *************** The Wong Family Su Wong marries Lee Wong. The next year, the Wong’s have a new baby. The nurse brings over a lovely, healthy, bouncy, but definitely Caucasian,white baby boy. “Congratulations,” says the nurse to the new parents. “Well Mr.Wong, what will you and Mrs. Wong name the baby?” The puzzled father looks at his new baby boy and says, “well, two Wong’s don’t make a white, so I tink we name him Sum Ting Wong. *************** NAMING THE TWINS A man was taking his wife, who was pregnant with twins, to the hospital when his car went out of control and crashed. Regaining consciousness, he saw his brother, a relentless practical joker, sitting at his bed side. He asked his brother how his wife was doing and his brother said, “Don’t worry, everybody is fine and you have a son and a daughter. But the hospital was in a real hurry to get the birth certificates filed and since both you and your wife were unconscious, I named them for you.” The husband was thinking to himself, “Oh no, what has he done now?” and asked with some trepidation, “Well, bro, what did you name them?” Whereupon, his brother replied, “I named the little girl Denise.” The husband, relieved, said, “That’s a lovely name! And what did you come up with for my son?” The brother winked and replied, “Denephew.”
Garfield
Non Sequitur
Peanuts
Shoe
Sunday July 29, 2012
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Country profile: OVERVIEW
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LUXEMBOURG
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg - a small country landlocked by Belgium, France and Germany - is a prominent financial centre. With roots stretching back to the 10th century, Luxembourg’s history is closely intertwined with that of its more powerful neighbours, especially Germany. Many of its inhabitants are trilingual in French, German and Luxembourgish a dialect of German.
Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker
Despite declaring its neutrality, Luxembourg was occupied by Germany during both World Wars. Attempts to escape German influence initially led to an economic union with Belgium in 1921. After renewed occupation in World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its neutrality and became a front-rank enthusiast for international co-operation. Luxembourg became a founder member of a customs union with Belgium and the Netherlands in 1948, and of the European Economic
Community, a forerunner of the European Union, in 1957. Around one-third of Luxembourg’s population are foreigners. Luxembourg’s prosperity was formerly based on steel manufacturing. With the decline of that industry, Luxembourg diversified and is now best known for its status as Europe’s most powerful investment management centre. But the country’s strict laws on banking secrecy produced a system that was open to exploitation for the
purposes of tax evasion and fraud. Concern over Luxembourg’s reputation as a tax haven - especially in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis - prompted the G20 group of countries to add it to a “grey list” of nations with questionable banking arrangements in April 2009. Luxembourg responded by taking steps to improve the transparency of its financial arrangements. By July 2009 it had signed agreements on the exchange of tax information with a dozen countries, and was commended by the OECD for its prompt efforts to implement the internationally agreed standard. Constitutional reform Luxembourg’s politics are characterised by stability and long-serving administrations. This tranquillity was interrupted in 2008, when Grand Duke Henri said his conscience would not allow him to sign into law a bill approving euthanasia. The crisis was resolved by a constitutional reform which removed the need for laws to be approved by the monarch, reducing the post to a largely ceremonial role. FACTS Full name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Population: 516,000 (UN, 2011) Capital: Luxembourg Area: 2,586 sq km (999 sq miles) Major languages: French, German, Luxembourgish Major religion: Christianity Life expectancy: 78 years (men), 83 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 Euro = 100 cents Main exports: Steel products, chemicals, rubber products GNI per capita: US $77,160 (World Bank, 2010) Internet domain: .lu International dialling code: +352 LEADERS Head of State: Grand Duke Henri
Luxembourg premier JeanClaude Juncker Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker is a lawyer by training Prime Minister: JeanClaude Juncker Jean-Claude Juncker, of the conservative Christian Social Party, has been prime minister since 1995 when his predecessor, Jacques Santer, became president of the European Commission. He carries on as premier in coalition with the Socialist Workers Party following general elections in June 2004. For the five years before that his party had formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party. Jean-Claude Juncker was born in 1954 and is a lawyer by training. MEDIA RTL website The media group RTL is active across Europe Luxembourg exerts immense media clout and has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services for pan-European audiences, including those in France, Germany and the UK. Media group RTL is behind much of this activity. Its outlets have been a part of the broadcasting landscape in France and Germany for decades. Generations of British listeners grew up with Radio Luxembourg, which beamed pop music programmes into the UK. “The Great 208” is no more, but RTL is still a key player in media markets across Europe. Luxembourg’s media empire extends to the skies. It is home to Europe’s largest satellite operator, Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES), which operates the Astra fleet. RTL and other privatelyowned radios and TVs cater for domestic audiences. The constitution guarantees freedom of speech and of the press. Print media are privately owned and reflect diverse viewpoints. aBy June 2010, there were 424,500 internet users (Internetworldstats).
God grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change, the COURAGE to change the things I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference.
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Ramotar’s demand created tense atmosphere - Solomon Sharma By Gary Eleazar Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, speaking to this publication from a Linden location yesterday, reported that it was an “inflammatory statement” from Office of the President that triggered a negative reaction yesterday in the mining town. The Regional Chairman did emphasise that it is the inflammatory statements by Office of the President which created the “tension in the air,” making it not a conducive environment for a visit by Ramotar yesterday. He was speaking to the instruction issued, that the roads in Linden have to be cleared before Head of State Ramotar could visit the community. This led to another violent clash between Lindeners and the police, this time at the blocked Kara Kara Bridge. Sharma reiterated that the “genesis” of that conflict was the Office of the President statement. According to the Regional Chairman, the people were open to having the President visit and to explain to them for himself what is his position on Linden. Sharma himself lamented the fact that Office of the President did not officially inform him of the planned visit. He said that the only official word he had was on Friday evening when he met with a high level police and army delegation. The Regional Chairman added that following the initial meeting with Ramotar at Office of the President where there was some level of agreement on the electricity issue, they have never been able to meet again. This meeting he said, sought to facilitate some clearance and he indicated to the Joint Services officials, inclusive of an Army Major and an Assistant Police Commissioner, that while he could not give the assurance that every obstacle would be removed, he would facilitate the process with whatever clout he has. “They were there when I said to the people that ‘I can’t tell ya’ll to move from here.’” He said that he sought to
implore facilitating dialogue. The people of Linden, he said, responded by resisting a move to have the Kara Kara Bridge cleared before any demands were met. Sharma said that he wants it to be understood, that the “struggle is not mine…it is the people’s.” “When that thing (statement) came out on the ground and when you listen to people there was the impression among Lindeners that the President without even saying what is being offered, done ready to kick down and bulldoze.” According to Sharma, “I would have thought that it was a reasonable person we dealing with and that you can sit down and talk and describe the difficulties and on how to move forward and we can still find common ground.” Up to last evening Sharma had still not been officially informed by Office of the President, but he did indicate on Friday evening that he had received some missed calls from a senior Government official while he was addressing a meeting. “What they did was anticipate me responding in the affirmative,” said Sharma as he was then informed that the visit had already been planned. Asked to comment on what some have been calling an affront to the elected representative in the person of the Regional Chairman by the Executive, he said that he never saw it as a personal
struggle but rather one with the people. “It is the people in general and the way they are being treated.” said Sharma. According to the Regional Chairman the level of resistance being demonstrated by the Lindeners is a “reflection of how they feel they are being treated.” Sharma said that while he and the President have not been able to talk “man to man” about the Minister of Home Affairs, he is willing to see the Parliamentary process take its course. “I can’t remove the Minister either,” said Sharma in response to the Government’s dismissal of the Motion of No Confidence against Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee. He did say that he does not want this to be a SharmaRamotar thing as he wants to get a better understanding of the reluctance on the part of the Administration. Sharma said that before Ramotar acceded to Office as Head of State, he was of the firm belief that at least he presented himself as a man that is “reasonable and listens.” The ‘Ramotar’ Sharma said that he has experienced, is a far cry from the “reasonable person” that is willing to listen to the people. He is said to be a man that can sit down and listen and take into consideration the problem that is before him, “but I am seeing quite the contrary,” said Sharma.
Guyana Watch wraps... From page 9 he said that whenever he visits the local health centres or the hospitals, he is being forced to wait for hours, while he only waited for 10 minutes to see a doctor from the visiting team. Another patient, Sabina Bulchan said that every year she visits the doctors that come with the team because they offer good medications that help her ailments. Patients were highly grateful to the team for the medical advice, treatment and medication they received. Some of the doctors told Kaieteur News that they realized that people in Guyana are not taking their health seriously. Many of the diabetic patients visited the clinic and when the doctors questioned them on when last they took their medicine, many of them responded in the negative because they forgot. The medical team would be leaving the country today and will be back next year. Last night the visiting medical mission was feted at a dinner hosted by New Thriving Restaurant.
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Kaieteur News
From the Diaspora ... By Ralph Seeram I really wanted to keep away from writing about the Linden tragedy. It was bad enough that three young men lost their lives. It’s even worse that politicians and to a lesser extent some sections of the media are using the tragic
Sunday July 29, 2012
DOES THE OPPOSITION WANT TO TAKE GUYANA BACK TO THE SIXTIES?
shooting deaths to further their own agenda. As I watch how the events unfold, I am reminded of that dark period of Guyanese history which took place during the early sixties. Then, the PPP was in power, the PNC in opposition along with the United Force. The object of these two
parties, then, was to bring down the democratically elected PPP Government at any cost. They encouraged their supporters to foment unrest, strikes and violence which eventually led to a full scale race war. Eventually British troops had to come to Guyana. The period 1962/1963 is
not a time many Guyanese who experienced that era would want to relive, and I personally would not like to go into details of that period. Suffice to say that the opposition created a monster then which they could not control, and we are looking at a similar situation at Linden. It brings me to the current action of the opposition. The people of Linden had a grievance— the electricity rate, which justifiable or not, was an issue which the government did address and did engage APNU in the process. The agreement did not sit well with APNU supporters. APNU backed out of the agreement, and instead urged its supporters to oppose the gradual increase in the electricity rates. Today, the opposition APNU and the AFC are blaming the Government, the Police and the Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee for the tragedy, while absolving themselves from any responsibility for the situation. Their rationale? Rohee did not pull the trigger but he is responsible. Using the same argument, my contention is
that APNU and the AFC bear the greater responsibility for this unfortunate incident. As I said last week they were the ones that were inciting the residents of Linden leading up to the tragedy. The AFC leaders, in particular, are wetting their pants with excitement over this tragedy, running around the country urging people to continue subsidizing electricity rates in Linden. Does the AFC think Guyanese are so stupid that they are going to support one section of the community to pay less electricity rates than they are paying? Do they really think they can get solidarity on that issue? The next best thing is to exploit the death of the three young men. By the way, what has the AFC to show for its new found political power, what have they achieved in concrete terms. I am sure some of their supporters must be regretting their votes now. I mentioned earlier the PNC creating “a monster they could not control”. The aftermath of this tragedy has been complete lawlessness in the area. The silence is deafening, when it comes to
condemning the actions of these “peaceful protesters” buildings have been burnt and looted, vehicles destroyed, innocent people robbed, and now they have resorted to highway banditry extorting money from vehicle owners passing through the main roads in Linden from the interior. Most of you may have seen the “peaceful protester” on the internet with the heap of money extorted from vehicle owners. By not condemning this lawlessness by “peaceful protesters” one can only assume that APNU and AFC see no wrongdoing here. Then we have the socalled political activists, who saw this as an opportunity to enhance their agenda against the Government. There is David Hinds who sees race in every action of the Government and whose inflammatory statements border on racism, some may even construe them as racism. Then we have the other person who writes a column in this newspaper who is yet to condemn the actions of those “peaceful protesters”. If the Government does not take steps to restore law (continued on page 53)
Sunday July 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 53
Teenager raped in Brazil St Francis project obtains Teenager raped in Brazil A young woman raped by three men had to undergo reconstructive surgery at the Maternal and Child Hospital, Boa Vista, Brazil. The rape occurred early Thursday morning at the headquarters of the Municipality of Alto Alegre, Boa Vista, Roraima, Brasil and shocked the population of that city as well as police and medical staff who assisted the victim. The victim is 17. Three men, one a minor, are assisting with investigations. * The case came to the attention of the Folha Newspaper, Boa Vista, Brasil on Thursday morning last and they immediately contacted the director of the Criminal Police Department of the Interior (DPJI). Delegate John Luciano de Rezende in Boa
Vista, Roraima, Brasil, by phone, who claimed that he spoke with the chief of Alto Alegre, Boa Vista, Douglas Gabriel Cruz. “The Investigating Sheriff stated that the delegation began its efforts with the support of servers on duty to locate the accused and to identify possible witnesses who could contribute to the elucidation of the crime. According to John Luciano, three influential men in the locality where the crime occurred, one a minor, were already in the hands of police, suspected of committing the crime. “We can only disclose this after the victim makes the photographic identification. Now she is under medical care.” The victim’s mother, a labourer, 44, said, “My daughter left home around 17:30 [on the said day] in the company of a
friend, also a minor, without saying where they were going. I spent part of the morning waiting for her return. “At 4 that day, a young man in an ambulance was at our house and said that my daughter was in serious condition, but, did not say why, only that I should go to the local hospital.” The lady also related on arrival, she almost fainted at seeing her daughter in that state. “She seemed very drunk, could not open her eyes, crying a lot and was also very pale. The doctor there said she had lost much blood and had probably been raped, “she added. The maternity ward told the girl’s mother that the damage done to her daughter was like that as a woman who has vaginal delivery without the needed surgical incision.
Football player remanded for armed robbery A 19-year-old football player from East La Penitence was on Friday remanded to jail after he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer two charges of armed robbery. Sean Robinson, on July 20 at Georgetown, while armed with an ice pick, allegedly robbed Clint Callendar of a Blackberry cell phone and one gold bangle totaling $222,000. On the same day, at the said location, Robinson allegedly robbed Elka Dean of one MP3 player valued at $16,000. This time, the man was alleged to have used a knife. To both charges Robinson pleaded not guilty. Prosecutor Simeon Payne said that on the day of the incident around 8:30 hours, the
defendant and others walked up to victims and relieved them of their articles. The information said a report was made to the police and the defendant was later apprehended and charged. Robinson however sought to defend himself by saying that he and someone else had been arrested for the offence. He said that the other person has since been released. Robinson further claimed that last Wednesday night, he was released in relation to the matter and re arrested on Friday, but on that same day, he said he was released again. Robinson said prior to him being arrested, he was heading to a football match when two cars with men inside pulled up next to him. He said one of the men shouted “don’t move,” but he
said he was fearful and thus took off running. Robinson continued that the men and ranks of the Community Policing Agency (CPA) later caught up with him. The prosecutor denied the defendant’s story and told the court that the defendant was positively identified by the virtual complainants. The victims also told the court that after the incident, some of them conducted a search of the area for the suspect. They said they saw the defendant and pointed him out as the culprit before he was arrested. The prosecutor requested that Robinson be remanded to jail based on the prevalence and seriousness of the offence. The matter was transferred to Court Two.
$6M through German Embassy funding scheme
The St. Francis Community Developers Project has for the past two years been working to construct a grassroots training complex at Port Mourant, Berbice. The organization which commenced its operation 25 years ago, on Friday received a cheque for $6 M from the German Embassy to complete the building project. President of the St Francis Developers programme, Alex Foster, stated that the organization is an umbrella body for the 25 different Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) in Berbice. “We are completing the complex to assist in professionalizing community development and we have a lot of grassroot donors to help us to do so since they have acquired numerous skills we will now be using for the purpose of developing the complex”. The leader of the NGO stated that trainees will receive instruction in Food and Nutrition, Clothing and Textiles, electrical trade and other life skills that will aid in further community empowerment. Foster said that there is need for a place to accommodate those who wish to obtain training through the association as there is anticipation that persons from
across the Country as well as the Caribbean will approach the group to acquire training skills. He also noted that the body is working to get hold of international accreditation. “We had a problem with accommodation so we decided to construct a building to house the trainees for the period of their schooling.” According to Foster, the guest house will have two flats; the upper flat will house the tutors and the lower flat will have more than 30 beds for both male and female students who wish to lodge there. Foster added that Food for the Poor (Guyana)
Incorporated will also partner in the effort by providing furniture for the new structure. Both the Honorary German Consul to Guyana Ben J.H Ter Welle and German Ambassador Stefan Schulter were present at the handing over ceremony. The honorary German Consul to Guyana stated that after careful consideration the German Embassy decided to contribute money towards the St Francis project. The Consul expressed confidence in the project while stating that the German Government has through its grant scheme sponsored such projects all over the Caribbean for more than 10 years.
DOES THE OPPOSITION WANT TO TAKE GUYANA ... From page 52 and order in Linden, the situation can escalate and lead to more tragedy. They do have a right to protest peacefully, the untimely deaths of three of their brothers and demand an impartial inquiry into the circumstances of their deaths. What the people of Linden do not need are politicians and so called activists exploiting them to further their own political agenda. One can see where the
opposition is going with this issue. It is not about the deaths of the three men. The opposition sees this as an opening to bring down the government. They feel that by bringing down the government, they can then unify into one force to contest the next election, hoping they can maintain their majority status to form the next government. Ralph Seeram can be reached at email” ralph365@hotmail.com
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 29, 2012
DRESS MAKING
WANTED Urgently, 4 men to work on 4" Dredge. Call: 684-7516 1 Bartender to work in Kitty area Call: 226-7054
CAKES & PASTRIES Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery, tel: 670-0798. Also Wedding dresses for sale.
Land to buy Diamond Scheme E.B.D. Call: 611-1196 Wanted, One domestic. Call: 648- 5397
Driver/ Salesman, Lorry Licence, Clean Driving Record. Call: 266- 4427 One general domestic to clean Call: 227-5500 Wanted, one nanny. Call: 648-5397 Jus’ Cakes wants two Cake Decorators. Contact Mohni or Ashley: 225-8352 or 6416601 Baby sitter Diamond/ Grove, call:668-4910, 216-2167
SALON Make up courses, artist trained & certified in Trinidad: 660-5257,647-1773 Summer special from July 16-August 31 in C o s m e t o l o g y, N a i l s & Make-up Call Abby 2161950,666-5241,619-7603 DATING SERVICE Immediate link-Singles 18-80 yrs.Confidential: Tel: 2238237,648-6098. 8:30am-5:00pm Mon-Sun (Both phones same hours) NO TEXTING
Experience Graphic Artist. Call: 225- 1443 Live in security guard, good rates. Call: 227-1830 Family to live and work on farm, free house, near Main Road Craig/Grove area. Call Gabby 265-6802 One female Warehouse Clerk (18-25 yrs) please call:225-8889/225-7909 One live in Domestic must know to cook age 30-50 yrs. $50,000 monthly. Call: 6103974 East Coast GUYOIL (day & night) pump attendants, sales girls, Managers, house keepers, Office assistants call: 684-2838, 647-9313 2 scrap metal cutters, 6 men to work on land dredge, one general mechanic, call: 6675717/650-4761 One dispatcher to work day, one driver to work day Call: 227-6567 1 washer, apply in person Dian’s Deli Barr Street Kitty opposite Market. Refrigeration A/C, Washer trainee Call: 231-0655, 683-8734 1 Supervisor Xenon Night Club, Accomodation will be provided Call:223-5273-4 One live in maid 40- 55 years to work in the West Coast Berbice area. Call: 623- 4495, 232- 3295 One live in maid wanted Call:622-8520
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
One business property Brickery Public Road, East Bank Demerara call:660-8128
1 225 KVA Generator, 1 Hiace Canter, Premio, 3 light towers, car batteries Call:6242000
1 Pool Table, call: 669-9927
Kitty corner property $45M, East Bank $12M, Charlestown $12M, Albertown $30M Diana 2272256, 626-9382 Atlantic Garden $35M, Robb Street $40M - $55M, Lamaha Garden $$55M - $65M Diana 227-2256, 626-9382 3 BEDROOM HOUSE IN ESSEQUIBO, $3.5M. CALL:679-5593
1 Lumber yard labourer Call: 226-3736 Security/Watchman, call 225-6070,225-0188
PROPERTY FOR SALE
Well finished 2 storey Property second bridge Diamond, E.B.D. Call: 6177113 Resort Hararuni Linden Highway $30M, Church Street 4 storey US$600,000, Agricola 3 house 1 lot $19M Steve 699-5490 Mon Repos 2 storey $25M, Shell Road 3 storey $55M, Diamond $14M Steve 6995490 Anna Catherina W.C.D Business Property School/ Office,Diamond $5.5M, McDoom Public Road $ 40M Steve 699-5490 At Tuschen East Bank Essequibo, contact Rayman at 645-9105, 650-2982, transport will obtain FOR SALE/RENT
LAND FOR SALE 1 ½ acre, 48ftx1300ft V/Hoop Call: 627-9351 Agriculture Road $21M, Samantha Point $3.5M Steve 699-5490 32 Acres for sale, lot 5 Content E.C.D $256,000.00 (USD),call:813-319-4219 or rpooran@tampabay.rr.com Large land Bagotville, WBD. 37’’x 732’’ great Poultry/ Green house farming $6.5M, call; 223-1719 Looking for land to setup gold and diamond mining operations? Then call: 2231719
WANTED 2 Ranch hands, to work in the Abary Creek roping on horse back. Call: 232- 3295, 623- 4495 Male wanted to work in an interior lacation, age 2230.Salary $70,000 Call: 6228520 Looking for Bartender, cooks, sales representative, security/drivers, register now IKS services Recruitment Company. Call: 223-1719 One nail technician. Contact: 602-7481
2 bedroom house 97 Pearl East Bank Demerara call:2239362
Anchorseal Call:BR&T Paint Store 265-3541,695-4785 5 Speed drill press,4 ton portable puller,energy sver bulbs Call: 641-1127 John Dickinson Exercise Books (Large Quantity) wholesale only Call:6191105,622-3766 V8 Titan 2005 4 wheel drive automatic $3.5M Call Gary :275-0028 Dell computers complete with 17 & 19 inch LCD from $50,000 Future Tech 2312206 1 Bobcat & trailor Call:6460101 1 5 ton feed mixer $1.6M, 1 pelletising machine $1.3M, 1 plucking machine $900,000, 71 automatic waterer, 106 feed can Call:642-2359 Brandnew American made Crosely 10.5 cu ft Refridgerator for sale $75,000.697-5677 Custom printed paper cups Call:231-8819,613-5645 Large bobcat skid steer 3000 lbs capacity $3.8M Call Gary 275-0028 Spares for washer, microwaves, fridges, stovetimers, gear boxes, pumps , etc. contact 225-9032, 6472943 Kia sportage 2002 cow milage $2M, Call Gary :2750028 Doberman pups Call:6666714, 226-9548
TOUR Suriname summer vacation return trip 02-05 August, book seats early. Call:6392663,644-0185,665-5171,2278290
MASSAGE American style massage service Call: 609-4036 For Professional Massages Call Nicole 612-7209 Relaxing massage in and out, call: 622- 6256
2 English 4 cylinder, Perkins,’35’ tractor Eng, 1 fully rebuilt, 1 needs repair, price : Both Engs $650,000 Call: 624-9149, 671-4707 PROSPECTING GOLD DETECTOR $125,000. COMPUTER REPAIRS IN HOMES CALL: 220-2776, 609-7625 New shipment 2.5 ton pallet jacks Call:614-8564 Blowout Sale on all 2700 & 3100 PSI Honda Powered Pressure Washers Call:6148564 Toyota Starlet EP71 Call:6482075 2004 RAV4L PLL 8310, Excellent condition Call: 6666714, 226-9548
LEARN TO DRIVE
Dewalt Pressure washer 4200 PSI, John Deere Pressure washer 3800 PSI Call:639-1423
Soman & Sons Driving School, First Federation Building Call: 225- 4858, 6445166, 622- 2872, 615-0964
250A Breaker, castic soda, basketball, ring accessories, magnetic lifting arm Call: 6277835
AB Dick Printing, MachineCutter, Paper Drill, Sticher, Paper and Cardboard. Call: 233-2725 One 15 HP Yamaha (long foot), Call: 689-5254, 643-0332 Pure Breed Pitbull pups, vaccinated & dewormed, 9 weeks old, $35,000, call: 6429753, 622-1217 Rotor- NZE, IST, Runx, $6,000, Sterring end- IST, 170, $2,000, Liner- NZE, IST, Allion $3,500. Call: 654-6394 Pure Breed Labador pups, parents imported, black & yellow. Call: 627- 1360
Enids’ Dress making classes, designs & sew from elementary 66 six street Albertown . call: 223- 9106 6-weeks course in designing/ dressmaking. Call Sharmela: 225- 2598, 641- 0784 FOR SALE/RENT American pool table 2770578 FOR SALE SAMSUNG CHRONOS 7 LAPTOP: INTEL CORE i5, 8GB MEMORY, 750GB HDD, 14'’ LED HIGH DEFINITION, WINDOWS 7. NEW / SEALED $180,000. TEL: 683-3161 Going cheap…used clutch & pressure plates, compressors and hydraulic pumps. Call:661-3043 Caterpiller backhoe model 426c. Call: 651- 8870, 233- 6161
Earth delivery to spot also bobcat & excavator rentals 626-7127
100 Honda scrambler bike, Electric wheel chair, call: 2336161, 651- 8870
Used laptop computer $40,000 to $65,000 Call:2270095
2005 Tacoma 4 cylinder, call: 651-8870, 233-6161
Diving Suit, call: 613- 5158, 265- 3449 Sale! Sale! Big Blow out Sale at East Coast Enterprise for more information, call: 6642209 Foreign use engines 55-332 Cummings, 6 Bt call Anil:615-3023 Technics Receiver, stereo integrated amplifier, AM & FM, Cd player, tape deck, one pair speaker boxes ( New) 216- 0671, 622- 0267 Tiberian Terrier puppies, by pair and singles, call Jem: 6168005/223-6463 5 acres transported Land, water, phone, electricityNEG, call: 612-5398/673-8165 One 3 ton freezer Canter GJJ9256. 4D 35 Engine, call: 2209325/220-3133 D6M, LGP Caterpillar Bulldozer High Track Wide Track 0 hour on moto. Call: 339-4876/676-2521 MAC STUDIO FIX POWDERS $7,900, SACHA 2in1 $2,000 MAKE UP – top Brands, BLACK OPAL $2,700 Tel :647 -1773 1 10RB Dragline, 1 240 Massy Ferguson tractor Call: 687-6174 1 stainless steel meat saw, meat grinder, display freezer cold storage room, call: 6518870 Neo Sport Diving Suit Call: 227-0702, 681-8292 XBOX 360 elite 120GB, Price $45,000 Call: 639-7114, 6745625 Compact 5x4 Sharp Electronic Dictionary & Thesaurus. (Oxford) 90,000 words features include. Calculator, translator & more. Price $9,500. Call: 234- 1724
2009 Seadoo Jetski, 18ft x 7ft fiberglass speed boat 175 YAMAHA, call: 233- 6161, 651- 8870 Air refreshner $60, wiper blades ( all sizes), used wood working machines. Call: 2203175, 616- 4403, 652- 2008 Granite counter tops $40,000, Tarpaulins: 50" x 30" $10,000, Concrete 36" x 24" $ 2,000 per gal. Call: 616- 4403, 652- 2008 Complete music system box, speakers, amplifier & all equipment. Best offer taken, owner leaving country, call: 687- 6695, 681- 3095 Clean garden earth and Bobcat rental, excavating, clearing and leveling, call; 616- 0617, 663- 3285 Baby chicks available weekly fully vaccinated, Mr. D. Lallbeharry 371 Craig Public Road E.B.D. Call: 626- 9589 Prime residential land Atlantic Gardens 114ft by 74ft. $23M negotiable, call: 600- 3732, 600- 4536 4 18" RCF speakers with four base boxes, 2 low- mids boxes, 2 solar panels, 1 electric stove. Call: 623- 9679 Mix Breed puppies for sale. Call: 253- 3114, 692- 0126 One burgundy Carina 192, low mileage $1.2M Call:2234281, 678-4072, 216-2324 1 Ford 8730 modle tractor, 4 wheel drive, immaculate working condition, ideal for logging and rice industries Call:684-5868 GSP system map 76 Brandgramin $95,000. call: 600-0036 Used play station, 2 games (x) box, 1 remote $30,000 each, call: 652-6894 One wooden boat, just cork, sand & paint, 53-9-5 ½, excellent condition, $500,000 Call: 262- 0316 (Continued on page 56)
Sunday July 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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The Abigail Column Longtime boyfriend needs a nudge DEARABIGAIL, I have been in an onagain/off-again relationship with a man for 10 years - more on than off. We have two children together. He recently moved
back in, and things are going well. We’re in our late 20s. I’d like to ask this man to marry me, but I’m not sure if a woman should ever propose marriage to a man. Should I go ahead and do it, or just be patient? Altar
Dear Altar, By all means, ask him to formalise your relationship. After 10 years and two children, you deserve to know where the relationship is going. And when you do, mention that you’d like him to go to the altar - before the children are too big.
Sunday July 29, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): You are getting busier and busier, and there simply won't be time to do everything you need to do right now. You need to sort things out and prioritize. Take stock of your activities in order to figure out what responsibilities you can toss. ****************** TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): You are intelligent enough to know that all that glitters is not gold, but today it will be easier than ever to see the truth behind people's false fronts. Some of the smokescreens people are putting up might be little more than white lies -- silly attempts to make themselves look better in your eyes. ******************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): You have come to your opinions through your own life experiences, and you have every right to stand firmly behind them. However, you also have to realize that other people have come to their conclusions through their own legitimate ways -- you can't disqualify an opinion just because it doesn't match yours. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): You will have to do your darndest to keep a private life problem from spilling out into a public forum today. The only thing worse than airing dirty laundry in public is having to listen to every Tom, Dick and ******************** LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Prioritizing having fun over taking on a new responsibility may seem like a big no-no right now, but -- well, according to who? You need balance in your life. ********************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): You will want to get out and go today, but you should be mindful of how other people feel about that idea. There is a lot of stress going on for the people you usually go on your adventures with, and they are having a hard time stepping out
of their tense situations in order to join you in all the fun. not to let your feelings get hurt. ********************** LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): There is a balance due to you, and it has been due to you for a while. Polite requests haven't worked, and now you might be getting a bit antsy. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): Taking a chance today will yield some interesting results -- risk is not something you should be at all wary of. In fact, adding a dash of insecurity to your life will also add a bit more excitement. ********************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): In order to be happy and healthy right now, you need to get a little more discipline going in your life. Letting yourself do whatever you want to do, have whatever you want to have and say whatever you feel like saying is holding you back. You!***************** CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): The rat race isn't very much fun right now -- so why do you choose to participate? Free yourself from The Joneses' expectations and step out of the mainstream. *********************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): You need to treat the new members of your group or team with extra respect today, because they need to know that they are joining a positive culture, not a negative one. Hazing, intimidating or initiating people who are new to your group is a waste of energy -- and counterproductive. *************** PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): Unexpected eruptions from annoying people could cause some stress in your day, but if you prepare yourself physically and mentally, you will avoid the brunt of the drama.
DTV CHANNEL 8 09:25hrs. Sign On 09:30hrs. Turning Point 10:00hrs. Kickin’ It 10:30hrs. Lab Rats 11:00hrs. The Ultimate SpiderMan 12:00hrs. Movie: The Perfect Husband 14:10hrs. Movie: Jack and Jill 16:00hrs. Mr. Young 18:00hrs. Faith in Action 18:30hrs. Know Your Bible 19:00hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:30hrs. DTV’s Summer Movie Fest 23:00hrs. Sign Off NTN CHANNEL 18 /CABLE 69 05:00hrs - Sign on with the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra 05:00hrs - Timehri Maha Kali Shakti Devi Mandir Presents Krishna Bhajans 05:15hrs - Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc Presents 05:30hrs - Queenstown Masjid Presents Quran This Morning 06:00hrs - R. Gossai General Store Presents Krishna Bhajans 06:15hrs - Jettoo’s Lumber Yard Presents Krishna Bhajans 06:30hrs - Muneshwar Limited Presents Krishna Bhajans 06:45hrs - Double Standard Taxi Presents Krishna Bhajans 07:00hrs - Ramroop’s Furniture Store Presents Religious Teachings 07:30hrs - The Family of The Late Leila & David Persaud Presents Krishna Bhajans 07:45hrs - Sankar Auto Works Presents Krishna Bhajans 08:05hrs - Sa Re Ga Ma (Musical Notes) A Live CallIn Program 09:30hrs - L’il Masters 11:30hrs Guyana’s Entertainers Platform 12:00hrs - Hinduism in a changing world presented by Pt. Ravi 12:30hrs - LET’S TALK with LAKSHMEE 13:00hrs - DVD Movie-: LAILA MAJNU (Eng: Sub:) *ing Rishi Kapor & Ranjeeta 16:00hrs - Teaching of Islam 16:30hrs - Lil Masters 17:30hrs - Ganesh Parts Presents - BHAGAVAD GITA ( Discourses in English) Serial 17:45hrs - Birthday Greetings/ Death Announcement & In
Memoriam 18:00hrs - Lil Masters 19:00hrs - Geet Gaata Chal Live with Joel 20:00hrs - Indian Soap - Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke 20:30hrs - Indian Soap - Rab Se Sohna Isshq 21:00hrs - Indian Soap - Pavitra Rishta 21:30hrs - Indian Soap:- Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuyien 22:00hrs - Indian Soap:- Punar Viivaah 22:30hrs - Sign Off with the GAYATRI MANTRA NCN CHANNEL 11 01:00hrs – Summer Olympics 2012 – Table Tennis Opening Round 02:30hrs – Summer Olympics 2012 – Badminton (M&W) 03:30hrs – Summer Olympics 2012 – Swimming 05:30hrs – Newtown Gospel 06:00hrs – NCN News (R/B)
06:30hrs – CIOG Ramadan Prog. 07:00hrs – Voice of Victory 07:30hrs – Voice of Islam 08:00hrs – Lifting Guyana to Greatness 08:30hrs – President’s Diary 09:00hrs – Ravi D Show 10:00hrs – 1ST Test MatchWest Indies VS New ZealandDAY 5 12:00hrs – Cricket Info & Quiz 12:40hrs – Cricket Resumes 14:40hrs – Feature 15:00hrs – Cricket Resumes 17:00hrs – Farmers’ Connection 18:00hrs – NCN Week in Review 18:30hrs – Guysuco Roundup 19:00hrs – Inside the Government 19:30hrs – Round Table 20:30hrs – Summer Olympics 2012 – Diving (W) 3M Finals 22:00hrs – Summer Olympics 2012 – Hockey
Guides are subjected to change without notice
Page 56
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 29, 2012
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TO LET Unfurnished lower flat independent one bedroom apartment with en suite, kitchen and full amenities. Call: 227-1218 Fully furnished short term apartments, Eccles. Call:6797139 40x30 space in Greater Georgetown call:613-0448 Wash bay and canteen 15 Good Hope, East Bank Essequibo. Call: 680-4990, 277-3033 Campbellville US$600 – US$1,250, Alberttown US$625, Nandy Park US$1,800, Regent Street US$2000 Diana 227-2256, 626-9382 Furnished 2 bedrooms house Crane Housing Scheme W.C.D Call: 613-5715 Apartments Call :667-1549 Business apartment 78 Hadfield Street , behind Brickdam Police Station, Boutique/store. Call Simone 227-0501
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Hungarian GP: Lewis Hamilton takes dominant pole position McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton was in a league of his own as he took pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Englishman set two laps fast enough for pole, an early benchmark that proved out of reach of his rivals and then an even faster lap to take pole by 0.413 seconds. Lotus driver Romain Grosjean was second ahead of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull. Jenson Button was fourth, Kimi Raikkonen fifth, Fernando Alonso sixth and Mark Webber only 11th. The top 10 was rounded out by Alonso’s Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa, the Williams of Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna, and Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India. Red Bull’s Webber, second in the championship behind Ferrari driver Alonso, was knocked out in the second session. The Australian could manage only 11th fastest time, despite being only 0.308 secs slower than Vettel, who was second fastest in that session behind Hamilton. Hamilton said: “It is great to finally see the upgrades working and I have been able to put the car where I want to this weekend. We are not saying we are relaxed. “We know we have a lot of work to do, starting this weekend.” It was a hugely impressive performance by Hamilton, who has looked the man to beat all weekend, and Grosjean lived up to the potential Lotus had appeared to have. The Frenchman and his team-mate Raikkonen are expected to be a serious threat in the race, where their impressive tyre preservation ensures they are nearly always a factor. Grosjean said of his second place: “It is good to FOR RENT Top flat 2 bedroom at Herstelling, call: 265- 2171, 698- 3231 39 West Ruimveildt 5 minute to school also its 4 bedroom upstairs,master bedroom second wash room $70,000 Call: 694-5371 Nandy Park 3 storey furnished US$2,000, Campbellville $60,000, Church Street 4 storey US$4,500 Steve $699-5490 One newly built 2 bedrooms bottom flat Section A Diamond $50,000 Call:2234281, 216-2324, 678-4072
be back at the front. We had a difficult race in Germany but I am glad we have been able to improve here and I think tomorrow is going to be interesting.” Alonso’s performance, meanwhile, proved Ferrari’s point that they do not have the fastest car in terms of outright pace in the dry, and that the Spaniard’s 34-point championship lead has been caused largely by his impressive consistency. Although Alonso has been on pole for the last two races, both those qualifying sessions were in the wet. Red Bull’s performance, on a track on which they have dominated for the last two seasons in terms of pure pace, will confirm in many minds that they have been knocked backwards by a rule change before this race restricting the manner in which they were altering engine settings for improved cornering performance and tyre wear. But Red Bull’s Vettel said: “It has been more a case of it being difficult getting everything to work properly. The speed is there but it has been a struggle to get the balance. I think with the progress we have made we should be in a good position tomorrow.” It was a terrible day for Mercedes, the challenging layout of endless corners at the Hungaroring exposing the weakness in their car that has been apparent for some time. Nico Rosberg was only 13th fastest and Michael Schumacher was down in 17th, nearly a second slower than his team-mate after aborting his second flying lap because it was not going to be fast enough to get him into the top 10. At Toro Rosso, Jean-Eric Vergne out-qualified teammate Daniel Ricciardo for only the third time this season and the first time since the Spanish Grand Prix in May. The Frenchman lines up 16th, with Ricciardo knocked out in the first session and 18th.
Sunday July 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 57
“Fast or flat pitches have nothing to do with great bowling!” Colin E. H. Croft I do not subscribe to that feeling that pitches should help bowlers. Whatever conditions of strips prepared for games, the simple fact is that to win any cricket game, a team has to take twenty wickets! What especially international bowlers should now do is grow up, do their jobs, and stop complaining! There is that strange but true saying – “If you believe in hype, you will produce sh..te”, highlighting a spelling variant of excrement. England’s bowlers were exactly that against South Africa in Test No. 1! West Indies bowlers were better, v New Zealand, with Sunil Narine getting his first fivewicket Test haul. WI’s bowlers, though, especially Narine, were used poorly by captain Darren Sammy, who, at times, seemed lost in the piece of Test 1 v NZ, when NZ batted first. WI’s batting, admirably led by Chris Gayle and especially first-time centurion Kieran Powell, made up for that failing and was quite good.
How could Sammy delay taking that 2nd new ball in NZ’s 1st innings for so long? The pitch may not have been conducive to fast bowling, but that is what fast and slow bowlers were there for, to bowl; actually! “The race is not for the fastest, but for those who will survive the longest!” In Olympics terms, Tests are like 3000-metres steeplechase, or even marathon; really hard, thoughtful races. It is not that difficult to be rated No. 1 in Test cricket. England is finding out, though, that keeping that rating is more difficult! West Indies, then Australia, has, for the last 40 or so years, from 1972, justifiably ruled Test roost for almost all that period. England’s reign of only one year is already waning, coming soon after India were there for just two years. Usain Bold could inform that keeping a crown is much harder than winning it! England’s Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad are fine fast bowlers; West Indies’ Kemar Roach too; bringing great skill and determination to their game. At Kia Oval, England’s
bowlers were damp squibs. They looked flat, perhaps allowing themselves that idiotic feeling that “the pitch did not help us!” Easily the worse comment from England’s camp, after being beaten by an innings, was that of Bowling Coach David Saker. “I would not say that it was bad bowling! The pitch was not what we would prefer to bowl on; it was way too flat; and the ball did not move laterally, one of our strengths!” What? The opposition makes over 600 runs, losing only 2 wickets, and the bowling manager comes up with that bilge, blaming SA’s batsmen for doing their jobs? Since when do bowlers have to have help from pitches? How did England’s only spinner, Graeme Swann, bowled 52 overs, 151 runs, without a wicket? The Sir Vivian Richards’ pitch was also flat and slow. Yet, West Indies did a relatively good job there! Pitches are not supposed to help world-class bowlers, fast or slow. Simply, they are supposed to deliver success anywhere. Did anyone notice that South Africa’s bowling attack, to a man, worked well,
Women ruggers gaining fitness for NACRA 2014 WCQ
Female ruggers seen going through their fitness routine, yesterday afternoon at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence during a practice session. Trainer/Physiotherapist of the females National Rugby team, Barry Browne, disclosed that the team is currently not to the standard of which he presumed after conducting a beep test to gauge their preparations for the upcoming North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) 2014 World Cup Qualifiers, which is slated for Canada in August. It was revealed that the average score from the test was nine. With only 26 days left for preparation the trainer stated that he was looking for
11 or 12 for the women. The team, however, experienced more disadvantages than advantages on their road to World Cup Qualifiers, “The girls have not been able to put in much physical work because of the weather and unavailability of grounds,” Browne said. He continued that the team should have been in their high ten’s for this test to peak in the next two weeks for the Qualifiers. Asking what will be improvised to take the ruggers to the level they need to be, the Trainer said that interval
training will be done. The interval training which will be conducted by the trainer to improve their anaerobic fitness and to an extent their speed will be sprint work, 150 meters, 120 meters, 80 meters and 60 meters. Sunday morning training will also be added to their programme to assist with their preparation for the games which will last for two days, August 25-26th. Another beep test will be conducted in two weeks once they have good practice surface to play. (Juanita Hooper)
Colin E. H. Croft getting 20 wickets on a pitch that England’s got only two? England was simply shameful; justifiably destroyed! Contrastingly, with only two really world-class bowlers in the team, Sunil Narine and Kemar Roach, West Indies still managed to keep New Zealand to a reasonable score, while doing their bowling job well! As Shaun Pollock suggested, “Being rated No. 1 does not necessarily really mean that you are No. 1!” England did beat up on lowly rated West Indies in the winter of early summer 2012. Now that the sun is out, it is England that is wilting. So far, West Indies have shown team character by not yet wilting too! South Africa’s fast bowlers Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Vilander, with tremendous assistance from all-rounder supreme Jacques Kallis, got 16 English wickets on that same supposedly unhelpful pitch for faster bowlers. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir also augmented that bowling attack admirably! Cricket has become something like present-day boxing, with varying acknowledgements of superiority. Gone are the days when one knew who or which
team, was actually the best. It is now too subjective! The world- heavyweight boxing champion had to beat everyone in the world’s top ten. When Joe Frazier beat MuhammadAli in 1971, Madison Square Garden, Frazier was acknowledged as “king!” Between 1976 and 1995, West Indies beat every Test team, with a blip of only that contentious series against New Zealand, in 1979/80, a series and result that was soon overturned. During that period, West Indies, with mostly fast bowlers, won at home and away, on varying pitches. We were kings anywhere, on bouncy or flat pitches. Pitches do not matter; you just bowl! In a perverse way, West Indies tour of Pakistan in 1980/81 was the best series for our fast bowlers. Nowhere before, probably since, has any fast-bowling attack been so really successful, especially on severely unhelpful pitches! On dust bowls that were pitches back then, especially at Karachi, Multan and Faisalabad, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Colin Croft, Joel Garner and Sylvester Clarke won that series for West Indies, despite Pakistan’s tremendously talented batsmen, with noted world-class all-rounder Imran Khan batting at No. 7. “Immy” even got Pakistan’s lone century of that series; Sir Viv also, for West Indies. There have been so many comparisons of mainly fast bowling rated attacks. Seeing Gary Sobers, Wesley Hall and Charlie Griffith, along with Australians Neil Hawke and Graeme McKenzie, in 1965, was my start of a love affair of the art; a real special treat. All bowled superbly fast! Dennis Lillee, Jeffrey Thompson, Gary Gilmour and Max Walker provided the Australians with a bowling
attack that allowed them to beat the world, anywhere, for most of 1970’s, until reemergence of West Indian fast bowlers. The variance in Australia’s fast attack was the key; pace, bounce and movements! That preceded that plethora of fast bowlers that the world drooled for; Holding, Andy Roberts, Wayne Daniel, Croft, Garner, Marshall and Clarke; all capable of destroying batting teams any day. That Clive Lloyd, then Viv Richards, had that range and varying styles at their disposal was simply synchronicity; attitudes, abilities, policies, attributes and politics coming together at the right time! Jason Gillespie, Craig Mc Dermott, Glen Mc Grath, Merv Hughes and Brett Lee later provided great fast bowling input for Australia, plus that incomparable spinner, Shane Warne. What an attack that was! Pakistan’s Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, along with Imran Khan, gave fast bowling excitement that had had not seen for many a year anywhere, left-handed Wasim being the best fast bowler I have ever seen. Noone, in my lifetime, has made balls ‘wobble, move, swing and talk” like he did! Courtney Walsh, Curtley Ambrose, Ian Bishop, and two Benjamins, Kenny and Winston, also provided West Indies with continuing ascendency. Once they were gone, though, so was West Indies’ strength! England has two additional fast bowers that they could consider, fitness being fine, for remaining Tests against South Africa; Steve Finn and Graeme Onions. Whatever the pitches, SA’s faster bowlers looked tops. West Indies’ Tino Best might even get his chance later too, even on these pitches! Enjoy!
Regan Rodrigues memorial cycle race set for August 5 National Cycling Coach, Hassan Mohamed MS has organized the 8th Annual Memorial Regan Rodrigues 50 Miles Cycle Road Race on Sunday, August 05. The race will commence from Wales Police Station at 09:00hrs; proceed to Bushy Park on the East Bank of Essequibo before returning to Demerara Harbour Bridge for the finish. The veteran, upright and under 14 boys and girls will turn back at Uitvlugt Community Centre and finish at the Harbour Bridge.
The first (6) finishers will receive prizes, the first (3) juniors, (3) veteran, (3) upright, (2) female under – 14 boys mixed category, 1st over – 60 yrs veteran, will all receive prizes. (8) Prime Prizes to be won during the course of the race. At the time of his death on August 4, 2004, he was the president of the Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club and he was also a former President of the Guyana Cycle Federation, former motor racing driver and sport enthusiast.
Last year’s Winners were – Seniors - Robin Persaud (2Hrs/00.48Secs.) Juniors - Raynauth Jeffrey Veteran - Rayman Newton Upright - Richard Charles Veteran O- 60 yrs - Walter Isaacs Female - Hazina Barrett The race is sponsored by Ricks and Sari Argo Industries Limited, a company Rodrigues built. His family and staff of Ricks and Sari will distribute the prizes to the winning participants.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 29, 2012
NEW ZEALAND TOP ORDER BRIDGE GAP After playing catch-up for two days, New Zealand finally showed more control over a sustained period to entertain thoughts of saving the game, after West Indies held the initiative with a 171run first-innings lead. Half-centuries by Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum helped redress the balance as New Zealand comfortably erased the deficit and ended the day 28 ahead with seven wickets in hand, including that of Ross Taylor. West Indies began the day trying to muster as much as they could with their four remaining wickets to try and bat New Zealand out of the game. Narsingh Deonarine and Darren Sammy helped themselves to half-centuries
on a fourth-day pitch which didn’t hold too many demons. West Indies batted out the entire first session, went past 500 and secured a 150-plus first-innings lead for the first time since the Multan Test of 2006. With five sessions left in the Test, West Indies had enough time to extend their domination and push for a win. However, their seamers weren’t able to sneak in the early breakthroughs and New Zealand’s opening pair batted positively. The plan seemed to adopt a wait and watch approach and not give the West Indies bowlers an early advantage, considering the scoreboard pressure. New Zealand had the
GCA to hold clinics The Georgetown Cricket Association will be holding clinics for Fast Bowlers, Spin Bowlers, Batsmen and Wicketkeepers from its member clubs during the period, August 2 to 7 at the Muslim Youth Organization ground, Woolford Avenue. Clubs are asked to submit the names of the participating cricketers and their specialty to Shaun Massiah at telephone no. 616-7240, not later than tomorrow, Monday, 30th July.
entire lunch break to regroup before they came out to bat, having bowled out the hosts at the stroke of lunch. Martin Guptill began with a sweetly timed punch off the back foot which beat the bowler to get the innings going. The seamers at times bowled too full and on the pads to Guptill, who easily flicked them away to the leg side. There was a silly mid-on in place for the checked drive and Guptill nearly chipped it to that fielder. Kemar Roach ran in hard to work up pace and beat the bat on occasion, but couldn’t sustain the pressure long enough. Daniel Flynn was strong on the front foot, punching a half volley down the ground and opening the face of the bat to steer it past the slips. Darren Sammy brought on Sunil Narine after eight overs, when New Zealand had added a brisk 34. Narine had a shout in his opening over when the ball struck Guptill’s pads as he tried to flick it. It turned out to be a wasted review by West Indies as replays showed the
ball possibly missing the leg stump. Narine had better luck against Flynn in his following over, trapping him on the back foot plumb in front of the stumps. Flynn’s departure slackened the run-rate, as Sammy in particular kept things tight with a stump-tostump line. The pair of Guptill and Brendon McCullum were also watchful against Narine, who got a few to shoot off the rough outside the off stump. West Indies had an opportunity to get rid of the well-set Guptill after tea, but they had only Roach to blame. Roach’s no-ball problem has persisted through his career, and his foot fault no doubt must have been annoying for the team and fans. Guptill tamely chipped the ball to midwicket on 42, but the umpires wisely decided to take another look at the legality of the delivery. Roach had indeed overstepped and Guptill had a life. He rubbed it in by chipping the same bowler over midwicket and went on to raise his fifty. He had
another close shave when a Narine delivery sprung up off the rough, lobbed off his glove and landed in front of gully. McCullum showed more responsibility than he did in the first innings, where he threw his wicket away after making a start. His off-side play was more decisive. He tore into the parttime off spin of Marlon Samuels, slamming him for three fours in an over wide of backward point. The pair negated Narine by playing the ball late. McCullum was happy to get on the backfoot and shuffle across to play the off breaks. The pair had put on a crucial 123 before Guptill’s luck ran out. Narine’s roundthe-wicket angle worked as he got one to turn and bounce, catching Guptill’s glove on the way to Assad Fudadin, who took a sharp catch in front of his face at forward short leg. Roach’s no-ball had cost West Indies 25 runs, as Guptill walked back for 67, his second fifty for the match. McCullum continued to
look positive, putting away deliveries square of the wicket on the off side. Ironically, it was the square cut that led to his dismissal. Roach bowled it short and McCullum went for the cut but ended up dragging it onto his stumps. He was 16 away from a century, and the frustration was palpable, considering the timing of his dismissal. Ross Taylor, who had warmed up with a couple of boundaries off Narine through the off side, had the nightwatchman Neil Wagner for company. New Zealand may have emerged the better side on the context of the fourth day alone, but the pressure will be on them to consolidate this position going into the final day. Much will depend on Taylor to play a role similar to Guptill’s as the innings anchor. West Indies have the opportunity to prove that they have the maturity to close out a Test match. Scores: New Zealand 351 and 199 for 3 (Guptill 67, McCullum 84) lead West Indies 522 (Sammy 50, Deonarine 79) by 28 runs.
Sunday July 29, 2012
25th edition of Friday Night fights... Revlon Lake predicted the fourth round but it was Clive Atwell who turned in a clinical display to dispose of the Barbados based Guyanese one round later when action in the 25th edition of Friday Night fights concluded at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), Friday evening last. Gladwin Dorway also turned in a determined performance and disposed of Anson Green in 2:34secs of the 3rd round to take their catchweight bout while Richard Williamson survived a spirited attack from fellow debutant, Dilan Allicock to take a lopsided unanimous verdict. One fight later, Patrick Boston snatched a majority win from Kishawn Simon in a dull 4 rounds catchweight affair. The Lake/Atwell affair started sedately with each fighter gauging the other and looking for the opening. The cat and mouse game continued well into the opening stanza though each fighter enjoyed brief successes. The second round started identical to the first but shortly after the bell Atwell employed superb boxing tactics and kept Lake at bay with long jabs and occasional right crosses. Lake shuffled in and tried to trap Atwell but the latter pugilist created difficult angles thus nullifying his opponent’s advances. Lake relentlessly pursued his man but Atwell remained elusive even as he landed the occasional combination to stay in front. Lake bounded out in the third round with blazing fists but Atwell stuck to his game plan of jabbing and moving while pausing momentarily to
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Clive Atwell turns back Revlon Lake’s challenge with clinical knockout victory execute pin point combinations. Atwell then changed his mode and attacked Lake, scoring with several telling right crosses. Lake shrugged off the blows and piled on the pressure but the elusive featherweight champion strategically backed off and countered with stinging shots of his own. Atwell began to distinguish himself as the better boxer at the start of the fourth stanza with wily moves and sharp right crosses that snapped his opponent’s head backwards even as Atwell smoothly danced out of range from Lake’s retaliatory punches. Midway into the round, Atwell pounced and a straight right connected to Lake’s jaw and sent his mouthpiece sailing through the air. Lake responded with some wild swings as he looked to land the haymaker. Most of those punches either fell short of the mark or sailed harmlessly over Atwell’s head. In the meantime Atwell continued to build up points with head and body blows. Lake started round five aggressively, lashing out at Atwell’s body and head with wayward punches. It was around this time that Atwell shifted gears and an especially wicked straight right wrenched Lake’s mouthpiece and sent it flying through the air. Cognizant that Atwell was on top of the situation and in an attacking mood, the referee temporarily ignored the mouth guard and allowed the fight to continue but shortly afterwards, inexplicably so, stopped the bout to allow Lake’s handlers to replace the equipment even though
THE BEGINNING AND THE END: Atwell rocks Lake with a vicious left hook and the local lightweight champion crumbles under the pressure. Atwell was clearly on the attack. The move gave Lake well needed respite but on resumption it proved to be inconsequential as Atwell unleashed several salvoes that rocked the Barbados based Guyanese’s head backwards and deposited him on the canvass. He bravely rose as the referee tolled away the count and though he shook his head in affirmation when asked if he was able to continue, his handlers decided that it was enough punishment for one night and advised the ‘third man’ to wave it off. The time was 2:55secs of the fifth stanza. The Williamson/Allicock fight was a gem with both fighters going after each other from the first gong. The former boxer was first to score with a two fisted salvo while Allicock danced around to get his bearings. By mid round, the southpaw Allicock had worked himself
into a nice rhythm and pushed Williamson back with several salvoes. The Berbician refused to relent and both pugilists ended the round pounding it out in mid ring. The battle continued into the second frame but at a more sedate pace as both fighters remained cagey. As if on cue, both launched attacks and once again the crowd was entertained as they remained locked in combat. Williamson surged ahead at the beginning of the third round as Allicock began to show signs of tiredness. The Berbician unleashed a double right cross that sent Allicock drifting but he recovered enough to end the round in an aggressive mood. The exchanges continued into the final round but only this time it was Williamson who was getting the better of them. His determination was apparent as he landed three punches to each one delivered by his opponent. The two were locked in a
vicious exchange when the final bell sounded. It was indeed a pity that one of them had to lose. In the end it was Williamson who earned the judges’ nod. Bernard DeSantos saw the fight 40-36 while Andrew Thorne scored 38-37, both in favour of Williamson. Rawle Aaron concurred with a score of 3837 in favour of the eventual winner. Anson Green entered the ring to the tune ‘Me nah fraid of nobody,’ but by the end of the first frame ‘changed his tune’ and literally sprinted around the ring to escape Dorway’s two fisted assault. A stiff straight right deposited him on port canvass very early in the second round but he bravely rose and retaliated with stiff replies that temporarily postponed off his demise. Dorway attempted to end the bout as soon as the third round started but his approaches were ragged as Green fought back. Dorway
then asserted himself and landed a thunderous right hand on Green’s jaw. Befuddled, the latter fighter backed off to save his skin but Dorway relentlessly pursued him and unleashed a wicked combination that floored Green. Try as he might, he failed to beat the referee’s count and Green was handed the knockout victory at 2:34secs of the third round. Boston succeeded in breaking the jinx that has left him with a plethora of losses but the bout lacked any real action as Simon failed to employ strategic counteracting responses. When the decision was announced, a clearly angry Simon vented his anger at the judges, the referee and everyone else but himself. It was the kind of aggression that if employed, might have seen a reversal in the decision. Sadly it was directed in the wrong direction and he was forced to contend with a blotch on his career at the very start.
Flex Night Inc. makes presentation Miller blasts way to Doubles title On course for double against Downes, to Berbice Chamber of Commerce with Andrews Humphrey plays Gentle for Ladies Title
Flex Night Incorporated, as part of its national outreach to regions all over Guyana, on Wednesday afternoon made a Guest presentation to the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association (BCCDA). The Presentation was a special item on the Agenda of the 1st Statutory Meeting of the Chamber which was held at the Chamber’s headquarters in Chapel Street New Amsterdam. President of the Berbice Chamber, Mr. Imran Saccoor, called the Meeting to order and invited the Managing Director of Flex Night Inc., Mr. Donald Sinclair, to
deliver the powerpoint presentation. Mr. Sinclair described the background, mission, publications and special projects and initiatives of Flex Night Inc., highlighting the upcoming Flex Night Berbice competition, scheduled for September 29 in New Amsterdam. The presentation also placed a special focus upon National Fitness Week, to be observed in Guyana from December 2 to 9, and upon the special role that the Chamber can play in the area of physical improvement of the community through its leadership in a project to
establish a community fitness park in the Berbice region, similar to that which will be established in Georgetown. Mr. Saccoor thanked Flex Night Inc. for involving Berbice in such a very important health and fitness initiative and committed to exploring, at the level of the Chamber, the modalities through which the Community Fitness Park could be established in New Amsterdam. He noted that there was currently, a Rotary Club initiative to enhance the Esplanade and that the Fitness Park would blend smoothly into that initiative.
Jeremy Miller blasted some of the hardest serves seen in recent memory on the local circuit when he teamed up with Jason Andrews to capture the GBTI Men’s Doubles title on Friday evening. Miller who in 2011 was the runner-up in three tournaments where he lost to Downes, Squires and Ezra Sue Ho seems determined to make the next step this year as he abandoned caution on his serves by going for outright winners against Leacock and Barckoy in what was his final match before the Men’s Singles which will be played today at 5:30 pm. The Men’s Singles Final between Miller and Anthony Downes will follow the Ladies Singles finals which will feature Shawna Gentle vs Berbician Carol Humphrey. The first set went to Miller/Andrews 6-3 as they complemented each other’s play, Miller ’s heavy groundstrokes and def
volleying by Andrews. In the second set Leacock/Barckoy battled hard and after going evenly up to 6-5 were able to break Andrews serve to take the set. Miller/Andrews then put on a show in the final set with Miller blasting first serves which their opponents had little chance of returning. The match ended 6-3 5-7 6-0 to Miller/Andrews. Miller’s path to the finals included wins over Seanden David-Longe, Andre Lopes (w/ o) and Gavin Lewis whilst Downes got past Khalif Gobin, Sandeep Chand and Leyland Leacock. Downes also will feature in two finals as he teams up with Rebecca Mitchell to play Carol Humphrey/Godfrey Lowden in the Mixed Doubles on Saturday night. The presentation ceremony for the tournament will follow the two individual finals today.
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Jin Jong-Oh wins Olympic 10m air pistol gold for South Korea South Korea’s Jin JongOh took gold in the Olympic men’s 10m air pistol event at the Royal Artillery Barracks. Carrying over a four-point lead from the qualification round, Jin rarely looked in danger of being caught. He won with a score of 688.2 - 6.9 points shy of the world record. Italy’s Luca Tesconi’s excellent form in the 10-shot final saw him recover from fifth place to snatch silver on 685.8 points, while Serbia’s Andrija Zlatic took bronze with 685.2. China’s defending Olympic champion, Pang Wei, had a disappointing final, and dropped from second to fourth. Jin, who won silver in the event at the Beijing Games four years ago in addition to gold in the 50m pistol discipline, came to London as one of the favourites, having won the Asian Championship earlier this year.
Jin Jong-Oh The 32-year-old, known as the ‘Undaunted Man’, held a 4.4-point lead at the halfway stage of the final but that was gradually cut to 1.3 as Tesconi, an Italian police officer, produced some fantastic shooting under pressure. But with his last effort, a fantastically composed Jin - who will seek to retain his 50m title on 5 August - scored a nearperfect 10.8 points to wrap up victory. He said: “I am very happy because it is a first gold medal
for Korea, and personally it is very meaningful. “I think getting off to a good start is important, and I hope this medal will be a spur and inspire Team Korea to more success at these Games.” The man expected to push Jin all the way, China’s Tan Zongliang, earlier failed narrowly to qualify for the final. After only finishing third in Beijing, Tan publicly apologised on Chinese television for his performance. “I have let my country down,” he said.
Priyanna Ramdhani advances to Pan Am Badminton singles final The XXI Pan American Junior Badminton Championships which is being held in Alberta, Canada continued Friday with Priyanna Ramdhani reaching the Semi-Finals in the Girls Doubles and Finals in the Singles Consolation Round. The Girls Doubles saw Priyanna Ramdhani playing with Canadian Valeena Van Heukelon defeated Jessica Cheng and Jeslyn Chow: 2111, 21-15 to reach the SemiFinals. The Girls Singles saw Priyanna Ramdhani defeating her doubles partner Canadian Valeena Van Heukelon: 21-15, 21-5 to reach the Finals. Her matches were to continue yesterday in the Singles Finals, Girls Doubles and Mixed Doubles in games scheduled for various times during the day. Her achievement has increased this year, standing up in a tournament with such magnitude especially against the Canadian and American players.
Priyanna Ramdhani
Sunday July 29, 2012
Bolt, Powell face language interpretation LONDON, England — Operating in a multi-lingual environment can often cause misunderstandings as persons try to communicate with each other. Given Jamaica’s high profile in track and field here at the Games of the XXX Olympiad, members of the Jamaican media have been inundated with interview requests and questions form journalists from all over the globe trying to get information on the Jamaican sprinters. Nowhere was the language divide more obvious than at the JOA/ Puma press conference held in East London on Thursday. An innocent mistake by a female journalist form Chile sent waves of laughter through the press conference that was attendant by at least 300 journalists when she commented on the life style
Powell explained he has roomed with fellow MVP sprinter Michael Frater for the past 10 years while Bolt shared that he was rooming with decathlete Maurice Smith, the same person he roomed with four years ago in Beijing, China. A relaxed looking Asafa also had the press conference in stitches when after fielding questions form persons from at least eight or nine difference accents, he was asked a question by the Gleaner’s Andre Lowe. Powell paused for a while, then asked the journalist to repeat the question, then dead panned, “I just did not understand the accent.”
Olympic shooting: China’s Yi Siling wins first Games gold Yi Siling of China won the first gold medal of the London 2012 Olympics with victory in the women’s 10m air rifle at the Royal Artillery Barracks. The 23-year-old world number one and title favourite beat Poland’s Sylwia Bogacka into second, with Yu Dan of China taking bronze. Bogacka was leading until the eighth attempt of the 10shot final when a wayward effort handed Yi first place. Great Britain’s Jennifer McIntosh was knocked out in the qualifying round. McIntosh, who finished 36th out of 56 competitors in her first Olympics, said: “I’d have liked to be in the final, but performance-wise I felt
Yi Siling
like I handled it really well. You live and learn.” Yi and Bogacka reached the final with near-perfect scores of 399 out of 400, but Yi took the gold with an overall score of 502.9 to the Polish competitor’s 502.2. “It’s very exciting,”
said Yi. “I have been up since five this morning. There was a lot of pressure on me. I’m very grateful to China and to my mother and father, who I love very much.” Defending champion Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic was fourth.
Mighty South Korea knocked out by U.S. in archery (Reuters) - Defending champions South Korea were knocked out of the Olympic men’s team archery competition by the United States 224-219 in the semi-finals on Saturday. Americans Brady Ellison, Jacob Wukie and Jake Kaminski will play Italy in the gold medal match later. South Korea won the men’s team gold medal in the last three Olympics.
Cycling Federation to Roger Federer & Serena hold AGM August 11 Williams win Olympic openers The Guyana Cycling Federation will hold its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, August 11, at 2 p.m. at the Guyana Olympic Association headquarters. Clubs are asked to note that all those clubs who have not submitted their reports
of double World Record holder Usain Bolt and commented that since he “was gay” how does he relax off the track. Here was a pause as Bolt, looked to team mate Asafa Powell who was on the stage with him as if he was not sure what he heard. Powell was of no help however as by the he was doubled over in laughter, barely able to contain himself. Smoothly Colin Jackson, the former Great Britain athlete of Jamaican parentage stepped in to clarify. “The word is happy Usain, she meant happy.” Translated the question was “given your happy go lucky life style how do you behave off the track.?” Minutes later another question caused the athletes to seek help again from Jackson. “Who were their partners in the Athletes Village?”
are asked to do so before the date of the meeting. Also all motions and resolutions are to be submitted by Thursday, August 9. Members are asked to make a special effort to attend this meeting as important issues will be discussed.
Roger Federer and Serena Williams both started their Olympic singles campaigns with victories, although Federer was made to work harder than expected. The Swiss world number one was given a stern test by Columbian Alejandro Falla - who almost stunned
him at Wimbledon in 2010 before winning 6-3 5-7 6-3. American fourth seed Williams beat Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-3 6-1. Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, set to retire at the end of the season, overcame Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-1 6-4.
U.S. coach Lee Ki-sik celebrated with his team as if they had won the gold medal. Lee, who coached the Korean national team to multiple gold medals and Australia’s Simon Fairweather to gold in 2000, said they were overjoyed to have beaten the mighty South Koreans. “It was a great feeling, but there is one more match to go,” he told Reuters. “We treat every match like a gold medal match. One at a time, when it’s over it’s gone, finished, on to the next one.”
Serena Williams
Sunday July 29, 2012
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Ryan Lochte wins medley gold as Kazakh cyclist smashes British hopes on Day 1 Michael Phelps finishes fourth Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte thrashed his American compatriot and double Olympic champion Michael Phelps to take 400m individual medley gold with a dominant performance. Phelps, gold medallist in both Athens and Beijing and the greatest all-round swimmer his sport has seen, was left without even a bronze as Brazil’s Thiago Periera took silver and Japan’s Kosuke Hagino third. But this was all about Lochte, the brash rising star, seizing ascendancy in buccaneering fashion. “That was a fantastic race. Lochte went for it from the beginning and dominated all the strokes. To have Lochte take 0.2secs off Phelps on the fly then it was only going to go one way on the backstroke.” Lochte said: “I’m in shock right now, but I knew I could win so I’m happy I could do that. I heard the fans throughout and having them and my family right there
really helped.” And referring to Phelps he said: “I know he gave everything he had, so I’ll have to have a chat with him and see how he is after that.” A disappointed Phelps said: “I felt great for the first 200m, but after that it just didn’t happen. I was lucky to get in [the final]. I had the chance to get off on a good note but didn’t do it.” Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman added: “He trained really well coming in here - I’m surprised. We just have to put it behind us and move on.” At the US trials this summer, Lochte had won his duel with Phelps by less than a second, but here in London his four minutes 05.18 seconds saw him almost four seconds clear of Phelps’s 4:09.28. He went off hard and turned off the butterfly leg, supposedly Phelps’s strongest, 0.2 seconds in front, and extended that advantage to 2.55 seconds
after the backstroke as Hagino came past the struggling champion. Phelps was isolated out in lane eight after only scraping into the final as last qualifier from the morning’s heats and could make no impression as Lochte turned at 300m with Pereira two bodylengths adrift in second and Hagino in third. With 50m to go, Lochte was inside Phelps’s own world-record pace but despite that goal slipping away from him he added Olympic gold to his World Championship crown as the American contingent in the crowd roared him home. Phelps had been marginally second favourite going into the first round of the pair’s eagerly anticipated duel. But his display here left him stunned and raises questions about his form in his other events as he seeks to add to his record-breaking 14 Olympic golds.
Olympic judo: Sarah Menezes wins women’s -48kg gold
Sarah Menezes became the first Brazilian woman to win an individual judo gold at an Olympic Games with victory in the under-48kg final. The second-seeded Menezes dethroned reigning Olympic champion Alina Dumitru of Romania in the final. Menezes had been frustrated but landed the winning throw in the final minute. Earlier, Hungarian fighter Eva Csernoviczki recovered from being strangled unconscious to claim an unlikely bronze medal. Csernoviczki was rendered unconscious as she tried to resist a strangle in her quarter-
final loss to Belgium’s Charline van Snick. Having lost in the quarter-final she was given a second medal chance in the repechage. She then defeated China’s Wu Shugen and then stunned world number one Tomoko Fukumi with a foot sweep in a sudden-death golden score period to earn a podium finish. Van Snick later won the other bronze medal, defeating Argentina’s Paula Pareto. Meanwhile, Guyana’s Raul Lall was beaten by Saudi Arabia’s Eisa Majrashi in the men’s Judo 60kg last 32 at the 2012 London Games yesterday.
(Reuters) - Kazakhstan’s Alexandre Vinokourov sprinted to victory in the men’s cycling road race on Saturday, dashing British hopes of gold on the first full day of competition at the London Olympic Games. Vinokourov surged past Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran on the final stretch near Buckingham Palace after a star-studded British team had failed in a frantic attempt to bridge a gap of nearly a minute behind the leading pack and set up a win for world champion Mark Cavendish. In the wave-roofed swimming pool, 2008 Olympic champion Park Tae-hwan of South Korea was disqualified for a false start in the 400 meters freestyle, but reinstated to the final after an appeal. U.S. star Michael Phelps just squeezed into the final of the 400 individual medley with a lunge on the last stroke of his heat, and was due to square off on Saturday evening with compatriot Ryan Lochte in one of the most keenly anticipated rivalries of the Games. China’s Yi Siling became the first gold medalist of the Games when she won the 10metre air rifle shooting despite confessing to reporters: “For the first round and the last round I was very nervous and didn’t know what I was doing.” And her compatriot Wang Mingjuan gave China an early lead in the medal table, extending a 10-year unbeaten international record to win gold in the first women’s weightlifting event of the London Games, the 48-kg weight division. On a day of mixed fortunes for the South Koreans, Jin Jong-oh won the men’s 10metre air pistol shooting. But their men’s archery team, who won gold at the last three Olympics and set new individual and team world records in an earlier round, were knocked out by the topranked United States. Brazil’s Sarah Menezes took judo gold in the women’s -48kg category by defeating reigning Olympic champion Romania’s Alina Dumitru, while Russia’s Arsen Galstyan won the men’s -60kg. FEDERER SCARE At Wimbledon, where Roger Federer won his 17th grand slam earlier this month, the world number one survived a scare in his opening singles match against Colombia’s Alejandro Falla before prevailing 6-3 5-7 63 to book a second-round place. Seeking his first singles gold, Federer made extra work for himself by missing three
match points when leading 63 5-3. In the women’s event, Serena Williams breezed past Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic, with U.S. first lady Michelle Obama cheering her on. After Friday night’s opening ceremony, where Britain laid on a quirky and fun-filled extravaganza for the world, local hopes were running high that world road racing champion Cavendish could win the host nation’s first gold of the Games. But despite controlling much of the race, the home team, including Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, failed to rein in a 32-man group on the way back to the center of the city after nine ascents of Box Hill in rural Surrey. The tearful victor, Vinokourov, was banned for two years in 2007 for blood doping. He announced he was quitting professional cycling after crashing out of the Tour de France last year, but could not resist the urge to get back on the bike. Norway’s Alexander Kristoff took bronze. “It’s bitterly disappointing,” said Cavendish, who trailed the winner by 40 seconds at the end of the 250-km (156mile) slog. U.S. DUEL More than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries will compete in 26 sports over 17 days of competition in London, the only city to have staged the modern Summer Games three times. Albanian weightlifter Hysen Pulaku became the first to be ejected after testing positive for an anabolic steroid. “Of course it is always a sad day when a cheating athlete is caught,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. “I hope there will not be more. The evening highlight promises to be in the pool, where Phelps defends his 400 meters individual medley title
Alexandre Vinokourov
against Lochte, the reigning world champion and favorite. Phelps has 16 Olympic medals, 14 of them gold, and is bidding to become the most prolific medalist of all time by overhauling the record of 18 held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. If he wins the 400 medley, he will become the first man to capture three consecutive Olympic swimming titles in the same discipline. But he was just millimeters away from making a shock early exit on the opening morning. A desperate final stretch was enough to edge out Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh by 0.07 seconds and give Phelps the eighth and last spot in the final. “I didn’t expect those guys to go that fast in the heats,” said Phelps. “I think the only thing that matters is getting a spot. You can’t get the gold medal from the morning.” Lochte, who has exuded confidence this week, was third fastest overall, after Japan’s Kosuke Hagino set the quickest time. “It didn’t feel so good, but that was my first race, and my first race is always the worst one,” he said. Competition got under way after a dizzying opening ceremony on Friday night that celebrated Britain’s history and its humor, lurching from the Industrial Revolution to the Beatles. It extended into the early hours and wowed the crowd of 60,000 in the stadium and a probable billion television viewers around the globe. “A gigantic spectacle. What a show!” raved the German mass-circulation paper Bild
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Sevens teams intensifying preparations By Rawle Welch Head Coach of the national Men’s Sevens team Theodore Henry speaking with Kaieteur Sport during a training session yesterday at the National Stadium informed preparations were intensifying ahead of their departure for the Rugby World Cup Regional Qualifier scheduled to be staged from August 25-26 in Ottawa, Canada. Henry, who has been spearheading Guyana’s preparations for the past year was seen taking the players through a Walking Touch routine where they utilize the full complement of the team in ball handling situations and working on game patterns. According to the Coach, they are currently in the fitness and tactical phase of their preparations and he is hoping to conclude the bulk of the fitness regimen over the next week so that they could then focus fully on the tactical
The national men’s rugby team seen going through a ball handling routine yesterday at the National Stadium. aspect of their training. Henry said that they were forced to move away from the National Park because it is in an unplayable state following the heavy rains, adding that they are extremely grateful for the opportunity to have the usage of the Stadium which he referred to as ideal to enhancing their preparations. He pointed out that the
turnout has been encouraging and showered praise on the players for their steadfast commitment despite the adverse conditions that they continue to face day to day as they prepare to go up against some of the best teams in North America in the USA and Canada. Henry told this newspaper
that the team’s preparations this time is far more intense that previous and this he said is because of the quality of the competition which is at a higher level that the NAWIRA Championships. Commenting on the Beep Test, Henry said the team is currently averaging around 12, but he is hoping that they reach a minimum of 13 before
they depart stating that at the international level an average of 14 is the desired level. He, however, stated that he is comfortable with the current level of fitness and intensity shown by the players and is confident that they will meet the required level before they leave. Guyana’s National Men’s Rugby Sevens Team (The
Rugby Jaguars) are seeded to lead Pool C with Cayman Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados, while the USA will lead Pool A with Jamaica and St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Canada head Pool B with Mexico, Bermuda and Bahamas. Guyana’s National Women’s Rugby Sevens Team (The Lady Rugby Jaguars) will contest a roundrobin draw against Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Cayman Islands, Mexico and Jamaica. The USA Women’s team has already qualified for the World Cup Finals The World Cup Finals are to take place in Moscow next year. The Men’s team will also be defending its Caribbean Sevens Championships which it has held for the past six years in succession and the Women’s team currently number 2 in the Caribbean, challenging for the Championship which they held for the 3 years previous to 2011.
GTTA rewards successful Pre-Cadet team - We are on the way up- says Greene By Edison Jefford The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) continued its upward mobility and aptitude of rewarding success yesterday when it financially recognised the efforts of the Pre-Cadets team that recently won overall at the Caribbean Championships in Jamaica. The GTTA held a press conference yesterday to formally recognise the precadet squad at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. GTTA President, Henry Greene lauded the performance the players, coaches and parents, stating that table tennis continue to move upward.
GTTA President, Henry Greene (seated, centre) along with association Executives and coaches pose with the players, who proudly display their envelopes containing their rewards. “I think our purpose here today should be to congratulate the contingent on a sterling performance in Jamaica. It tells me that our
players were motivated; table tennis is played in the mind apart from just skill and ability,” Greene said, adding “I don’t think that we were
Drayton assumes lead as action in Red Cherry Ladder Chess tournament continues Seasoned junior chess player Anthony Drayton accumulated 30 ladder points to compile 30 points and assume the lead when action in the resumed at the Kei-Shar’s Sports Club, Thursday afternoon last. Former national champion, Kriskal Persaud, who had assumed the lead earlier in the tournament, was relegated to the second place slot with one point less than Drayton. Reigning national champion, Taffin Khan, has amassed 27 points while Saeed Ali has compiled 25 to occupy the third and fourth positions, respectively. Drayton was rewarded for his outstanding efforts with a cash prize, a trophy and a Red Cherry voucher.
Khan defeated Persaud and avenged a first round defeat to Ali to remain in contention for the top prize. Activities resume today with another six matches at the same venue. Players will be allowed 15 minutes each on the clock and will once again battle to assume the lead on the chess ladder. At the end of the tournament, the player at the top of the chess ladder will cart off $50,000 and a Red Cherry voucher of the same value. The inaugural tournament is the brainchild of Loris Nathoo, a leading national player, and offers more than half a million dollars in cash and other prizes.
ever able to bring back so many medals. We are on the way up where table tennis is concerned”. Guyana won overall at the seventh Pre-Cadet Caribbean Table Tennis Championships in Jamaica over the last weekend after picking up a total of five gold, five silver and eight bronze medals to topple the usually strong Dominican Republic. Guyana secured a total of 48 points to win overall ahead the Dominican Republic (46 points) and Barbados respectively. Greene said that the fundraising efforts of parents to ensure that players compete at the highest level cannot be overstated. He said it was clear that parents had believed in the fund-raising drive of the association and
committed to assisting in the efforts. “I believe that when we have parents supporting us, mentally the child will be with us. I’m happy that parents took this step to ensure players compete. If we did not raise the necessary funds then this performance would not have been possible,” he continued. On that note, he mentioned that the association will be engaged in several efforts to raise funds to ensure that they are able to develop and improve players. According to Greene, a team will leave shortly for New Jersey where they will undergo rigorous training with top players. Earlier, the effervescent General Secretary of the
GTTA, Godfrey Munroe had mentioned that it was Greene’s idea to reward the players because of their outstanding showing. Munroe said that the Executive met and decide that that was indeed a way to go. The Most Outstanding Female from the tour, Priscilla Greaves collected $100,000 for her efforts while the Most Outstanding Male; Elishaba Johnson collected a similar amount. The gold medal winning team got $100,000; silver $75, 000 and bronze $50,000; individuals who won gold were awarded $50,000; silver $25,000 and bronze $15,000. In addition, each of the four coaches that accompanied the team to Jamaica collected $50,000 at the simple ceremony.
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New Zealand top order bridge gap P. 58
Narsingh Deonarine steers one through the off side. Brendon McCullum
Darren Sammy cuts on his way to 50.
Ryan Lochte P. wins 61 medley gold as Michael Phelps finishes fourth
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