Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

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NBS enjoys windfall from Berbice Bridge The New Building Society is one of the largest beneficiaries of the Berbice River Bridge. Minister of Labour Dr. Nanda Gopaul told Kaieteur News that NBS invested $1.8B in the Bridge and so far has collected $532M in returns Private investors in the Berbice Bridge currently enjoy a secure rate of return between nine and 11 percent.

Until recently, the names of the investors have always been withheld.

This publication has

learnt that apart from Government one of the significant investors is Queens Atlantic Investment Inv (QAII), owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop. Another is the National Insurance Scheme.

The other private investors include Hand in Hand Insurance Company, New Building Society, Demerara Distillers Limited and Beharry Group of Companies, Automotive.

Dr. Nanda Gopaul had also said that all of the

commercial banks have invested in the Berbice Bridge as did some insurance companies.

According to Gopaul, who spoke on behalf of NBS, the investment was a good one and he is happy that the company went ahead. He told Kaieteur News that investors are enjoying a hearty rate of return which is guaranteed.

The minister said that if traffic increases to Suriname the bridge would be a “milking cow”, to investors.

Gopaul said that there should

be nothing hidden in this investment because investors saw it as a lucrative deal which would benefit the community.

Gopaul said that the cost of crossing was reduced after the bridge was built. He said that all the business documents were produced and that convinced the companies to invest into the bridge. The minister also noted that government, in an effort to ensure that investors got back their shares, is prepared to increase the toll.

Education system in Crisis - Region Six taking lead...

Teacher cusses out grade five students Every day there are grave reports of happenings in the school system in Guyana. As the days go by, the situation seems to be getting worse and of late Region Six has been having a fair share of the limelight.

The Education system in the region must be in crisis when a teacher puts aside everything including morals, respect and discipline and proceeded to cuss out students of a school, more so Grade Five pupils of a primary school. What is even more reprehensible is that the relevant authorities have been informed and nothing has been done, despite over a month having elapsed.

The incident took place at the Sheet Anchor Primary School in Number Two, East Canje on April 25. Parents are upset that a month has passed and nothing has been done. This is despite them making a formal complaint of the incident to the

Department of Education in Region Six by way of a letter and copying the missive to the Minister of Education and The Teaching Service Commission.

According to the letter dated May 3, 2012 and seen

by Kaieteur News and addressed to the Region Six Education Officer, “We, the parents residing in the East Canje and Corentyne districts and whose children are attending the Sheet Anchor Primary School, respectively wish to bring to your attention a matter of great concern to us which occurred on April 25, at the abovementioned Primary school.”

The letter continued that “on the date mentioned, our children came home from school and apprised us of a derogatory and abusive incident at took at the school, where a teacher used indecent and threatening language to them.”

According to the parents,

“Our children explained to us that they were traumatized and expressed their fear resulting from the behavior of the teacher. We as parents strongly disapprove of such behavior being meted out to our children”.

In the letter, the parents expressed their disappointment and hope for a speedy resolution. They stated that “it has always been our expectation that teachers would inculcate in our children decent, respectable and appropriate moral values, but the teacher in question behavior towards our children, is to say the least very disappointing.”

“We are now calling upon you to take appropriate action so as to prevent any further occurrence of this nature in the interest of our and by extension, all school going children. For our children well being we are looking forward for a speedy investigation and resolution

of this incident.”

The letter was copied to the Minister of Education and The Teaching Service Commission. Kaieteur News understands that the genesis of the problem was a misunderstanding between some teachers at the school.

It was understood that the head teacher at the school (now retired) and the Education department were apprised of the incident on the same day, but failed to respond.

Kaieteur News was informed that during a follow up incident at the school a student of grade five, after being abused by the said teacher, reportedly returned the favour to the teacher.

Parents also complained of the fact that the Regional Education Officer of the Region has long passed the age of retirement and is unable to properly supervise the region, thus the breakdown in discipline.

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Kaieteur News

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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

US Human Rights: A Chinese Take

We have all become accustomed to the US Government issuing “Human Rights Reports” on other countries, including Guyana. It is perhaps a sign of the increasingly important role that the report on Human Rights in the US by the second biggest economy after the US – China – is being given serious space in the western media.

We include some highlights from the report, in the hope that when it is compared with the US report, a more nuanced picture of Human Rights may be gleaned.

“The State Department of the United States released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 on May 24, 2012. As in previous years, the reports are full of overcritical remarks on the human rights situation in nearly 200 countries and regions as well as distortions and accusations concerning the human rights cause in China.

“However, the United States turned a blind eye to its own woeful human rights situation and kept silent about it. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011 is hereby prepared to reveal the true human rights situation of the United States to people across the world and urge the United States to face up to its own doings.

On life, property and personal security : “A report published by the US Department of Justice on Sept 15, 2011, revealed that in 2010 the US residents aged 12 and above experienced 3.8 million violent victimizations, 1.4 million serious violent victimizations, 14.8 million property victimizations and 138,000 personal thefts.

The violent victimization rate was 15 victimizations per 1,000 residents. The United States is the leader among the world’s developed countries in gun violence and gun deaths.

According to a report of the Foreign Policy on January 9, 2011, over 30,000 Americans die every year from gun violence and another 200,000 Americans are estimated to be injured each year due to guns.

On civil and political rights: “In the United States, the violation of citizens’ civil and political rights is severe. It is lying to itself when the United States calls itself the land of the free (The Washington Post, 1/14/12).

“Claiming to defend 99 percent of the US population against the wealthiest, the Occupy Wall Street protest movement tested the US political, economic and social systems. Ignited by severe social and economic inequality, uneven distribution of wealth and high unemployment, the movement expanded to sweep the United States after its inception in September 2011.

Whatever the deep reasons for the movement are, the single fact that thousands of protesters were treated in a rude and violent way, with many of them being arrested - the act of wilfully trampling on people’s freedom of assembly, demonstration and speech - could provide a glimpse to the truth of the so-called US freedom and democracy.

“Almost 1,000 people were reportedly arrested in first two weeks of the movement, according to British and Australian media.

“While advocating press freedom, the US in fact imposes fairly strict censoring and control over the press and “press freedom” is just a political tool used to beautify itself and attack other nations. The US Congress failed to pass laws on protecting rights of reporters’ news sources, according to media reports.

“While forcibly evacuating the Zuccotti Park, the original Occupy Wall Street encampment, the NY police blocked journalists from covering the police actions. They set cordon lines to prevent reporters from getting close to the park and closed airspace to make aerial photography impossible. In addition to using pepper spray against reporters, the police also arrested around 200 journalists, including reporters from NPR and the NYT. “The US Patriot Act and Homeland Security Act both have clauses about monitoring the Internet, giving the government or law enforcement organizations power to monitor and block any Internet content “harmful to national security.” Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010 stipulates that the federal government has “absolute power” to shut down the Internet under a declared national emergency.” (To be contd.)

Sunday June 03, 2012

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

How was this barge stolen if the Observation Post in the Demerara River is still functioning?

DEAR EDITOR, I write in connection with the barge which was said to have ‘disappeared’ from the Demerara Harbor Bridge recently, and the dismay expressed in several quarters as to how this could have occurred without persons who traverse the bridge day and night noticing what is taking place, or more importantly, without the knowledge of the relevant authorities.

In the first instance, motorists who traverse the bridge, whether by day or night, even if they had seen the pontoon being towed away would not have thought that anything unauthorized was going on; they would

therefore have paid little or no attention. What is important and should be of grave concern to the relevant authorities is how this non propelled barge, which had to be towed to its nearest destination by a tug left Port Georgetown without their knowledge.

This is only one of several cases where quite a few vessels routinely leave/ enter port without obtaining clearance outwards/inwards from customs officials, without paying harbour dues, and going their merry way.

What is of more concern to me as a former Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard, referred to at the time as the Maritime

Command of the Guyana Defence Force, is what has happened to the operational capability of the Observation Post (OP), which was set up by that Unit at the mouth of the Demerara River. This Outpost was outfitted with radar, high frequency communication sets (HF) and Very High Frequency Communication sets (VHF) Land line communication with all Departments that make up port authority officials, the police force including the Marine Police, Fisheries Division Ministry of Agriculture, and any other official or entity that was considered important to the effective conduct of its operations.

This observation post was responsible for communicating with all vessels entering of leaving Post Georgetown, 24 hours a day, seven days a week year round. Also visually and electronically monitoring their movements, recording their names, Port of registry, agent or owner as applicable, destination, or if necessary their cargo and time of passing.

It would appear that this important Sub-Division of the Coast Guard is defunct. If this is the case then it is strongly recommended that this Observation Post be reactivated in the interest of National Security.

Capt. R.E W. Adams

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox Many children of that dangerously criminalized period have not yet been healed emotionally DEAR EDITOR, Neil Adams in his letter captioned “Training today has taken a whole new meaning” and published in Stabroek News dated 05/30/ 2012 forcefully charged that comments made in my letter published in SN two days prior, were in direct reference to a letter he penned in the Chronicle.

While I would have loved to read Mr. Adams’ letter I must admit that I know not what the gentlemen is referring to, I simply did not have the good fortune of reading the particular missive of which he made reference.

It is true that I did not mention the author of the Chronicle article I referred to; however, for the purpose of Mr. Adams I will now state that my earlier reference was to an article written by one Mr. Ronald Hudson, former self-identified candidate for Mayor of Georgetown.

In 2008, while I was at a function at the Grand Coastal Hotel, Mr. Hudson proudly presented me with a copy of his article in which he seems to conclude that singleparent families in Guyana are responsible for the crimes in the society. Having scanned through the article I quickly rejected Hudson’s notion and asked what kind of research he had done to draw such a bizarre conclusion. I also bemoaned the fact that such a negative and highly stereotypical article could have had attracted almost a complete, middle page section of the government owned newspaper. What was worse was that the article had no evidence of scientific research but yet seems to relegate a sizeable section of Guyanese families as nothing but ‘breeding grounds’ for criminals.

Too often the single parent-family receive the wrath of criticism from people who, clearly, did not bother to take the time to research this type of family which has come to occupy most of the English Speaking Caribbean.

It is true that many single parent families experience many challenges which may affect the children, but to claim that they are the ‘crime birthers’ of the Guyanese society is abominable, to say the least. I hope that those charged with the nation’s business, do not share this outrageous view.

Mr. Adams, if you did write an article similar to that of Mr. Hudson’s, I missed it but my sentiments towards it

would not be different.

Conversely, I am grateful that you have decided to pen your views on the important subject of teen violence. It has underscored that point that there is need for a national debate on the subject. I will, however, add that it is views like yours which make it imperative that careful research be conducted on this phenomenon.

Your letter did exactly what I spoke of, it sought to proffer all kinds of ‘selfrighteous’ reasons why young people engage in violence, and seems to support a view which says research on this serious issue is useless. Your decision to take us down the lane of nostalgia will not help if we continue to sit and simply talk about what worked in the ‘good old days’ and fail to take action that is relevant to address the problem today.

My intent is not to delve into a sociological discussion on single parent families, as I believe that the issue of youth violence in Guyana is not limited to this type of family, even though more children from such households may become victims of this dangerous phenomenon.

It is therefore necessary that those of us who understand the impact of single parent families on children challenge ourselves to do more for our children.

Further, any society which truly prides itself in the development of its people, and one which hopes to give full meaning to the obligation of its judicial system to protect the welfare of its children, owes it to those children to do everything in its power to protect and safeguard their well being and ultimately our own.

Conducting scientific Continued on page 6

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No conflict of interest in the Brassington transaction?

DEAR EDITOR, I read with disbelief the lengthy outpourings of two regular contributors to the newspapers of this country, Emile Mervyn, an incessant letter writer and Ralph Seeram, a weekly columnist of the Kaieteur News, on the Brassington Brothers alleged conflict of interest issue in respect of NICIL and Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation transaction.

These two gentlemen, both of whom I believe are overseas-based, lambasted the government and in particular, the Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nandlall, in lengthy pieces in the Kaieteur News.

They both made specific references to statements made by the Attorney General which were published in Kaieteur News to the effect that there was no conflict of interest in that transaction.

I also observed in utter amazement the news of Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, the leader of the Alliance for Change and an attorney-at-law. “Massive illegality” and “substantial conflict of interest” were his cries.

I read the same article to which these gentlemen referred and after reading their contributions, I read the said article again. I concluded that the problem is either the inability to comprehend or plain wickedness.

The Attorney General in that article stated that NICIL

sold the government-owned shares in GNCB Trust to Hand-in-Hand Insurance Company in 2002.

James Brassington (the correct name is Jonathan) in 2009, that is, seven years after, bought some shares from Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation (the name was apparently changed).

At the time of the sale, Winston Brassington had nothing to do with Hand-inHand Trust Corporation.

Neither he, nor any representative of NICIL, or the Government of Guyana, was a director of Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation.

As I understand it, in that context, the Attorney General concluded, and in my view correctly, that there is no conflict of interest.

Messers Mervyn, Seeram and Ramjattan all failed, either deliberately or out of ignorance, to mention that seven years had elapsed between the sale by NICIL to Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation and the sale by Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation to James Brassington.

Where is the “conflict of interest in this situation?”

The term “conflict of interest” requires no expansive definition. It means what it says.

Firstly, there must be a commonality of interest, and then there must be a conflict of those common interests.

Only then can a conflict arise.

None of the three wise

men explained or can explain the common interest in the first place and consequently the conflict. That is, because none existed.

Perhaps, we have to impose some measures to ensure that persons who reside either comfortably or uncomfortably outside of Guyana do not contaminate our media with their overwhelming foolishness.

Let them keep it for their newfound homeland and the media there.

As for Mr. Ramjattan, the Guyanese public, I believe, has become accustomed to his constant decline. His utterances depreciate intellectually and in substance with every passing day.

The Government and the Attorney General would be best advised to ignore unadulterated absurdities and get on with the nation’s business.

Balram Heeralall EDITOR’S NOTE: In 2002, NICIL, headed by Winston Brassington, privatized Guyana National Cooperative Bank (GNCB) Trust and kept 250,000 shares in the new company, Hand in Hand Trust Corporation.

Seven years later, in

2009, based on the financial information available to NICIL, headed by the same Winston Brassington, a shareholder, and based on the returns paid as dividends to shareholders, Brassington purchased an additional 50, 000 shares for NICIL. At the same time, Winston Brassington, purchased 2.25 million shares for his brother, Jonathan Brassington.

As a shareholder Winston Brassington had the first option to buy. As a representative of the government and with public assets, he should have bought the shares for NICIL. Instead he bought 2.25 million shares for his brother and only 50,000 for NICIL. If this does not constitute a conflict of interest, what does? Or is it a case of the letter writer deliberately attempting to mislead the Guyanese people or plain wickedness on his part?

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Should corporal punishment be re-implemented?

DEAR EDITOR, I make reference to the letter captioned ‘The schools and corporal punishment’ dated May 29, 2012 in the Kaieteur News which seemed to have given the views of the public as it relates to the administering of corporal punishment. Most parents seem not to have a problem with it, but rather with the act of cruelty or abuse.

The truth is that the whole issue about corporal punishment has grown so old that I am even too tired to administer it if it were to be re-implemented. The answer to the problem of misdemeanors is not corporal punishment.

The answer lies in the ability of teachers, parents and the government working together to help the nation’s children. It really bothers me that when policies are already implemented, consultations are made after the damage is done.

Why do we have so many difficulties in getting children under control? I believe that the blame lies in the exposure of our children to so much violence through the electronic media, streets, in the homes and even in the songs which they listen to on a daily basis.

The disrespect children pay to their colleagues as well as others is just a Xerox of what is meted out to them by their colleagues, parents, siblings, teachers, etc. “Children learn what they live and live what they learn.” Children therefore need to be taught the importance of demonstrating acts of kindness to everyone they come in contact with.

They need to be reminded to respect themselves, their properties and the properties of others. Children are very precious to us and every so often we need to let them know this. Children need to be reminded of their expectations and should be helped to make positive decisions.

It is unfortunate that children are left to take care of their siblings so that their parent(s) can be able to work for long hours to make an extra dollar. Many parents lose their children to pedophiles in the form of stepparents, and other relatives.

They also lose them to drugs, idleness and other inappropriate behaviour. By the time parents realize their loss it is too late. Then what do they say to the teachers? “Miss, beat am, must beat am man.”

Parents need to be held accountable for their children’s behaviour. Teachers should be held accountable for the behaviour of the children in the classroom. If each teacher takes up this responsibility with consistency, children will behave better. The Government should also be held accountable for encouraging the lawlessness which is being nurtured in society.

The songs aired on 98.1 FM, Channel 72 and other channels which videos which are filled with massive gyrations and immoral yet nonsensical lessons in their songs for our children. Some form of intervention should be made with regards to the types of songs and movies aired on television and radio stations.

Is it that the financial benefits derived from these activities are of greater gain to us than children of proper moral standing?

I wonder. Corporal punishment will not help, however, what will make a difference is a firm partnership with the needs of our children as priority.

Tired and frustrated teacher

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur M@ilbox

PPP did fight for Democracy in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to Mr. Lionel Lowe’s “Guyana is no more a democracy today than it was when the PPP took power in 1992” (KN May 27) – a revisionist letter seeking to rehabilitate the PNC. It is dishonest for Mr. Lowe to pen it “is a fiction to say PPP fought for the restoration of democracy in Guyana”.

That is not a fiction. It is a well documented and accepted fact that the PPP was in the forefront of the struggle for freedom in Guyana pre as well as postindependence.

Even the most virulent anti-communist or harshest critic of the PPP will admit that that the PPP fought for universal adult suffrage and the restoration of democracy after the rise of the PNC dictatorship. Lowe needs to remove his head from the sand and recognize the historic role played by the PPP and others (WPA, UF, DLM, URP, etc.) in restoring democracy.

It is disingenuous to say “free and fair elections were arranged by the PNC”. Sure and Hitler arranged to stop WW II. No Sir. That is not correct! No hard core PNCite would ever make such a bold claim. The arrangement for free and fair election came from a long sustained struggle by heroes like Kwayana, Nanda Gopaul, Rupert Roopnaraine, Cheddi Jagan, Vassan Ramracha, Baytoram Ramharack, David deCaires, Moses Nagamootoo, Chuck Mohan, Nigel Westmaas, Father Rodrigues, etc. – none of whom were PNCites. Had it not been for Jimmy Carter and US intervention, democracy would not have been restored to the country.

The regime prior to 1992 was illegal and undemocratic.

No matter what kind of lipstick one tries to dress up a pig, it remains a pig – it was a dictatorship till its end. The PNC was adamantly opposed to democratic reforms in Guyana and did everything

to stifle the restoration of democratic governance. It was the pressure from the US, Britain, Canada and other western powers, made possible by lobbying from diaspora groups that forced the PNC to give in to free and fair elections and that laid the basis for the current electoral system.

Because the threat from the Russian Bear had crumbled, the US had no interest in not calling a pig a pig – PNC was a rigger and a dictatorship up to its end in office and the US decided it was time to end it. The PNC tried to rig the election on voting day itself in 1992. Has Lowe forgotten what took place on election day (violence, fires, etc.) – when attempts were made to derail the ballot?

It is also disingenuous to say PPP championed that ballot because of its racial usefulness.

Everyone benefited from it and it was the right thing for the nation.

Lowe states PPP has not

added anything to democracy since 1992. No one has been killed for freedom of speech since 1992.

The parliament had been democratised with management and sectoral committees to include the Opposition. The PPP is now at the receiving end of the largess of the opposition that now controls parliament.

Surely, Lowe will give the PPP credit for not killing political opponents as happened under the PNC – remember Rodney, Darke, Dublin, Ohene, etc.

We no longer have fraudulent elections or attempts to derail the ballot and people are free to choose their government or switch allegiances. A party card is not required to get a job as was the case prior to 1992.

One final note — voters in former communist alternated among different competing parties in Nicaragua, Czech, Slovakia, Ukraine, Georgia, etc.

Vishnu Bisram

Many children of that dangerously criminalized...

From page 5 research into the spate of youth violence is not only a modern day reality; it is a sensible, practical and enlightened way of starting to combat a grave societal problem from its base. Like I said before, while we can reminisce and indulge in those pleasurable nostalgic moments on what was and what should be, it should not provide a comfort for us to ignore the state of the current situation but rather it should propel us to act.

In my letter I specifically challenged all of us to play our part, and for those of us who seem to think that we are immune from the consequences of teen violence I say let us rethink our position. Let us not continue to take the easy way out by simply attributing blame and concluding that the problem is that of the parents, only. We with our ‘good old time training’ seem to think that we should not be concerned because our children are already acting right, a fact which you and your children should be commended for. However, I

believe that it should be us who should be less reluctant to reach out and help, or support initiatives to help struggling teens. It was Herman Melville who posits that; “we cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results”. So whether or not we like it, the actions of our youth will undoubtedly affects us, Hillary Clinton, in her book ‘It takes a Village’ said: “whether or not you are a parent, what happens to America’s children affects your present and your future”. I only wish to borrow her words and substitute “Guyana’s” for “America’s”.

The onus is, therefore, on all of us to make that effort to reach out. Parents are of course critical to this process so unlike, what Mr. Adams have decided to pedal, I have not hinted nor intimated that the family is not critical to aiding moral and spiritual development of the child. It is my recognition of this fact that I challenge us to execute for our children whose parents might be failing, for whatever reason, to provide this critical support. We as members of society also have a moral responsibility to help in this regard.

Mr. Adams seems to suggest that something is wrong with me calling on the government, religious society and members of the community to come to the rescue of our children. His

posture appears to be one which says; ‘let their family try with them’.

The fact is that his position has been operating for the longest while and the consequences of it have been yielding negative results. I say time for us to find solution to a problem eating away at the core of our nation; ‘guesstimation’ period is over, time to do research. Further, I glean from the attitude of some that the issue of teen violence seems to be akin to a certain group and therefore, those of us who are not part of that group reason that this issue should not be of concern to us. I say this is a sad position to adopt, especially since we occupy the same geopolitical space.

The consequences of teen violence know no boundary, racial group, social class or other characteristic which may distinguish us one from the other. I wrote previously, of a woman who believed that her family, particularly her son, was immune from the horrors of the death squad era of 2000-2006.

Unfortunately, the hard reality came home to her when her own son’s bullet-ridden body turned up on a public highway. Since her personal loss I cannot remember her being absent one day from the protest line, when we marched day and night against former Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj and the death squad.

So let us not wait until our house is on fire to throw water, it might be too late we

have to recognize that we are part of the ‘sporting arena’ and cannot be mere spectators. I am aware that there are many people in our society who go the extra mile to help a child in need, but I am sure that more of us can help. There are also those young people who are making the effort daily to beat their challenges and stay on the right course. But there are too many more who for various reasons, are falling prey to teen violence, it is time for collective effort to combat this broad social problem.

Let us understand that providing counseling services to a teen in need is not a luxurious modern day theory of the modernist but a necessity perquisite in aiding stability in a teen’s life. There are many children all over Guyana who have had the unfortunate experience of seeing a loved one gunned down whether by the phantom gang, the massacre gang or the vicious criminals, and to date we have not given them the kind of counseling they need, but yet expect them to just get over their trauma and pain.

The fact is that many of these children of that dangerously criminalized period are now teenagers or young adults, who have not yet been healed emotionally, but we expect them to do everything right. Let us approach this issue of teen violence with a broader perspective, with a view of arriving at real solutions. Time for research!

Lurlene Nestor

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Former Egyptian President gets life imprisonment CAIRO (Reuters) - Hosni Mubarak, toppled by an uprising last year after 30 years ruling Egypt, was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for his role in killing protesters after a trial that sets a precedent for holding Middle East autocrats to account.

But it was not enough for thousands of Egyptians who poured onto the streets after the verdict. Some wanted Mubarak executed, others feared the judge’s ruling exposed weaknesses in the case that could let the former military strongman off on appeal.

Protesters gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, focus for the uprising that drove Mubarak, now 84, from office on February 11, 2011. Others in the second city of Alexandria chanted: “We are done with talk, we want an execution!”

Mubarak was wheeled into a courtroom cage on a hospital stretcher to join co-defendants including his two sons Alaa and Gamal, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adli and six security officials.

“The court has ordered a punishment for Hosni Mubarak of life in prison based on charges of participating in crimes of killing and attempted killing,” Judge Ahmed Refaat told the hushed courtroom.

Propped up on the hospital stretcher and wearing sunglasses, Mubarak heard the verdict stony-faced. He was acquitted on a separate corruption charge.

Refaat sentenced Adli to life in prison but acquitted the senior security officials for lack of evidence.

He quashed charges against Mubarak’s sons, relating to abuse of power and graft, but a new case brought against them this week for stock market fraud will keep them behind bars for now.

Businessman and Mubarak ally Hussein Salem, being tried in absentia, was acquitted of corruption charges.

After a silence during sentencing, scuffles broke out inside the court between security officers and people chanting “Void, void” and “The people want the cleansing of the judiciary”.

Islamists and others called for protests yesterday.

But some Egyptians said Mubarak’s sentencing was enough, even if they were

Thousands of Egyptians, who poured onto the streets after the verdict, want him executed

Egypt’s ex-President Hosni Mubarak lays on a gurney inside a barred cage in the police academy courthouse, yesterday. (AP Photo) unhappy that security officials were off the hook.

The Muslim Brotherhood demanded a re-trial for Mubarak, who made Egypt into a staunch Arab ally of the United States.

About 850 people were killed in the 18-day revolt that toppled Mubarak.

State television said Mubarak, suffered a “health crisis” when he was taken by helicopter from the court to Cairo’s Tora prison, where he was admitted to a hospital facility. Mubarak had been held at a luxurious military-run hospital during the 10-month trial.

One medical source said Mubarak had argued with those around him when he had landed at Tora, refusing to leave the aircraft.

Mubarak routinely appeared in court on a stretcher, but it is not clear what ailed him. He had occupied a large hospital suite and was free to see relatives, walk in the garden

and exercise, news reports and a hospital source said this week.

Al Jazeera reported that Mubarak would lodge an appeal. His lawyers could not be reached immediately for comment on the report.

Despite Mubarak’s life sentence, lawyers acting for the families of victims in the uprising said the acquittal of the six security officials showed the weakness of the prosecution case and suggested the jailed president could win an appeal.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said the ruling “sends a powerful message to Egypt’s future leaders that they are not above the law”.

The lawyers for the victims’ families said the verdicts against Mubarak and Adli were designed to appease public anger while leaving room for them to be overturned on appeal.

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Peacemaker Annan talks tough to Syria’s Assad DOHA (Reuters) International envoy Kofi Annan yesterday criticised President Bashar al-Assad for failing to comply with a peace plan to end the Syria conflict and said his forces were carrying out atrocities, arbitrary arrests and other abuses regardless of the world outcry against him.

At a meeting with members of the Arab League, Annan gave a bleak assessment of the situation in Syria 15 months on from the start of the anti-Assad uprising. He conceded that efforts by the United Nations and the Arab League to make a ceasefire take hold had failed and said the prospect of an all-out war was growing by the day, risking drawing in the whole region.

Annan, a former Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is acting as Syria envoy for the United Nations and the Arab League, said he told Assad in “very direct and frank terms” when they met in Damascus last Tuesday that he must act to implement all points of the peace plan.

“He must make bold and visible steps immediately to radically change his military posture and honor his commitment to withdraw heavy weapons and cease all violence. “What is important is not the words he uses but the action he takes - now.”

The uprising against Assad - who succeed his late father Hafez in 2000 to perpetuate the family dynasty - broke out last March and has grown from peaceful protests to armed insurgency.

The ferocity of the crackdown on the opposition by government forces has appalled the international community.

But Annan’s peace plan appears to be the only option on

Kofi Annan (left) and Bashar al-Assad the table, even if it looks increasingly forlorn, as foreign governments are reluctant to intervene militarily and Russia is defending Assad on the diplomatic front.

The massacre last week of more than 100 men, women and children in eastern Houla region, believed by U.N. monitors to have been the work proAssad militias and soldiers, caused renewed outrage.

Annan said the Houla massacre was a terrible crime.

“Worst of all, it is one of many atrocities to have taken place.

“Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are internally displaced.

Meanwhile, arbitrary detentions continue, and alongside that, widespread allegations of human rights abuses of all kinds,” he said.

In Syria, opposition

activists reported more violence yesterday. Rebels killed six soldiers in the southern province of Deraa and at least eight others in clashes on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, the Britishbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Observatory also said two civilians were killed yesterday, one during army raids in Damascus and one by gunfire in the city of Homs, the target of a brutal siege in February and March.

Since the conflict started, Assad’s forces have killed 7,500 people, according to a U.N. toll. The government, which portrays the unrest as the work of foreign-backed terrorists, says more than 2,600 soldiers or security agents have been killed.

Page 8

Kaieteur News

52 graduate with Life Skills through Citizen Security Programme The Ministry of Home Affairs through its Citizen Security Programme and The St. Francis Community Developers recently hosted a graduation ceremony for young people in the Rose Hall Town/ Williamsburg area who successfully participated in a six-month Youth Life Skills/ Vocational Training Programme under the theme – ‘Breaking down Walls, Building Bridges’.

Funded by the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), the goal is to give young people who may not have had the opportunity to

obtain a full secondary education, a second chance in life to empower themselves.

The young people numbering 52, received certificates after successfully completing training in a number of courses including cosmetology, information technology, food preparation and service, welding and fabrication, joinery and construction, auto mechanics, carpentry and refrigeration among others areas.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony which was held at the St. Francis Community Developers

Annex Restaurant at Side Line dam, Region Six Chairman, David Armogan, congratulated the graduands for choosing this path in their lives.

He noted that in most developing countries the important resource is young people.

He said unless society developed and empowered our young people, Guyana will continue to remain in poverty and backwardness.

“The only way to arrive out of poverty is through education and training so that young people can begin to take their places in society and ensure that you have growth and development. Very often young people drop out of school because they do not h a v e a p r e ference for academics.”

He added that Government has recognized the need to empower young people making them economically dependent; as a result our communities become safer once our young people have opportunities to develop themselves.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee also congratulated the gradaunds

for reaching the milestone. He told the gathering that there are some young persons who want to make a contribution to Guyana’s development.

“P e o p l e w h o h a v e criminal minds would not participate in a programme like this because they have their own agenda.

Those who participate in the citizen’s development programme are those who want to make their lives productive and contribute to the economic development of Guyana in their own way.”

He stated that people would want to question why the Ministry of Home Affairs would want to get involved in a programme such as this.

“Irrespective of race, creed or beliefs, gender or age the security of the country is in the hands of all its people.”

“The Minister noted that the police force has the mandate to deal with law enforcement and therefore it is us the citizens who have to make a contribution to the safety and security of our country.

Minister Rohee noted t h a t c i t i z e n ’s s e c u r i t y means that the government must create employment opportunities for its citizens, but it makes no sense if you do not have the people who are skilled to take advantage of these opportunities.

Also speaking at the ceremony was Alex Foster, President of the St. Francis Community Developers and Chairman of the Rose Hall To w n / Wi l l i a m s b u rg Community action council among others.

Sunday June 03, 2012

Two freed of murdering Guyanese T&T (Trinidad Express) Two men were yesterday freed by an Arima magistrate of murdering a 24-year-old Guyanese national two years ago. In upholding a no-case submission made on behalf of Adriel Stafford, 18, and Alazard Abdool Ghany, 24, Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan said the evidence led by the State was found to be manifestly unreliable.

Cardenas-Ragoonanan said the State’s main witness, under cross-examination by Senior Counsel Israel Khan, contradicted the evidence she gave in her witness statements. The witness, she said, even admitted she lied in the witness statements.

Appearing with Khan was attorney Celeste St Louis.

Ramsamai Muthusami

was chopped to death at a house in Arima by a group of men armed with cutlasses on August 13, 2010.

He and three other occupants of the house were playing cards when the men entered.

The men questioned Muthusami about the whereabouts of a television set and jewelry. He was beaten and chopped repeatedly, following which the men escaped.

In an interview shortly after his death, Muthusami’s relatives said that he came to this country in 2006 to find a better life. His sister Shivani Singh said she was of the opinion her family will not get justice in the matter.

Muthusami lived and worked at a sawmill along Cleaver Road in Arima.

Regional governments urged to put an end to criminal defamation laws VIENNA, Austria - CMC The Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI), which holds its annual World Congress in Trinidad and Tobago later this month, says it will mount a mission to several Caribbean countries to discuss the issue of criminal defamation.

IPI said that the mission will visit Barbados, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago from June 9 -20, and will meet with government and other stakeholders to discuss an end to criminal defamation in the region. The IPI said that in conjunction with its strategic partner, the Association of Caribbean Workers (ACM) it is

continuing its campaign to change existing laws in the Caribbean to address allegations of slander, libel or insult to honour as civil matters, rather than criminal offences.

“To effect these changes, the IPI – ACM delegation will meet with government representatives from each nation, journalists, local and regional press freedom organizations, universities that teach law and journalism, and interested civil society groups.

“These meetings will have one goal: to promote positive change in the existing laws, and to create practical mechanisms to monitor their implementation,” it added.

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Iran threatens to target U.S. bases if attacked DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has warned the United States not to resort to military action against it, saying U.S. bases in the region were vulnerable to the Islamic Republic’s missiles, state media reported yesterday.

The comments by a senior Iranian military commander were an apparent response to U.S. officials who have said Washington was ready to use military force to stop what it suspects is Iran’s goal to develop a nuclear weapons capability.

World powers held talks with Iran in Baghdad on May 23-24 in an attempt to find a diplomatic solution to their concerns over its nuclear program, which Tehran maintains is entirely peaceful.

Another round was set for

June 18-19 in Moscow.

“The politicians and the military men of the United States are well aware of the fact that all of their bases (in the region) are within the range of Iran’s missiles and in any case ... are highly vulnerable,” Press TV reported Brigadier-General Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying.

He also warned that Iranian missiles could reach all parts of Israel but played down any possibility of military action against his country as “faint” because of the current economic condition of the United States.

Analysts say Iranian military officials use such fiery rhetoric as a way of keeping the West on edge over the possible disruption to global oil supplies in the event of U.S. or Israeli military action.

Trinidad newspapers’ blogs could hurt Muslim leader’s trial – Attorneys The editors-in-chief of two Trinidadian daily newspapers have been summoned to court amid concerns by attorneys that public comments may affect the trial of Muslim leader Yasin Abu Bakr.

Bakr is charged with promoting a terrorist act following comments he made during a sermon in 2005.

Bakr’s attorney Wayne Sturge said he was concerned about comments made by the public on the blogs of the Trinidad Express and Trinidad Guardian internet sites as they relate to the trial.

Subpoenas have been issued for the editors-in-chief of the two newspapers to appear before Justice Mark Mohammed tomorrow.

Yasin Abu Bakr Bakr is facing two counts of inciting a riot, demanding money by menace and inciting others to breach the peace. (Trinidad)

Female decomposed body found in home Late last night, the residents of Vergenoegen discovered the decomposed body of a woman in a house. The woman had not been seen since Wednesday but the people did not attach any importance to the situation.

The woman, so far unnamed, is reported to have been living with a physically challenged sister who has reportedly told the police that the woman was raped and murdered.

She reportedly spoke of witnessing a man stripping her sister and engaging in sex with her before killing her. She is also reported to have told neighbours that this man killed her.

This could not be confirmed. Details in tomorrow’s issue.

Regional governments urged to put an end to criminal defamation laws VIENNA, Austria - CMC The Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI), which holds its annual World Congress in Trinidad and Tobago later this month, says it will mount a mission to several Caribbean countries to discuss the issue of criminal defamation.

IPI said that the mission will visit Barbados, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago from June 9 -20, and will meet with government and other stakeholders to discuss an end to criminal defamation in the region.

The IPI said that in conjunction with its strategic partner, the Association of Caribbean Workers (ACM) it is continuing its campaign to change existing laws in the Caribbean to address allegations of slander, libel or

insult to honour as civil matters, rather than criminal offences.

“To effect these changes, the IPI – ACM delegation will meet with government representatives from each nation, journalists, local and regional press freedom organizations, universities that teach law and journalism, and interested civil society groups. “These meetings will have one goal: to promote positive change in the existing laws, and to create practical mechanisms to monitor their implementation,” it added.

The delegation will include IPI executive director Alison Bethel McKenzie, IPI press freedom adviser, Latin America and the Caribbean Mariela Hoyer Guerrero and the ACM president Wesley Gibbings.

Nudge the balance (From page 3) also teaches us a lesson.

The woman's curiosity deepened. The Creator, once again began to explain: "When someone loves us, it teaches us love, kindness, charity, honesty, humility, forgiveness, acceptance, and all of these can counteract all the evil in the world. For every good deed, there is one evil deed. Man alone has the power to control the balance between good and evil, but because the lessons of love are not taught often enough, the power is too often abused.

When you enter someone's life, whether by plan, chance or coincidence, consider what your lesson will be. Will you teach love or a harsh lesson of reality?

When you die, will your life have resulted in more loving or more hurting? More comfort or more pain? More joy or more sadness? Each one of us has the power over the balance of the love in the world. Use it wisely!"

MORAL: Don't miss an opportunity to nudge the world's scale in the right direction!

Page 9

Dem boys seh

Jagdeo and he kavakamites must suffer You know dem boys always have a old saying and today own is ‘De evil that men do lives after dem.’ That come from a book. Dem boys have dem own saying, ‘De evil that men do live within dem.’

Gadaffi was a dirty and stinking leader in Libya. De evil that he did still living after he offspring –he wife, all he pickney, he buddy and he sissy. Dem might suffer de same fate wid gunshots all over dem head.

Mubarrak was a wicked and nasty leader in Egypt. He get life imprisonment, Friday, so de evil that he did got to live within him, he offspring, he wife, and all he buddy and sissy dem.

Charles Taylor, another wicked and cruel leader in Liberia, get life. He and he family got fuh live wid he evil too. Next we have Bashir al Assad of Syria. He gun suffer de same fate like Gadaffi—shots in he head, very soon.

Dem boys talk bout all of dem and dem forget fuh peep in dem own CCH. De CC stand fuh caca. Dem boys seh Jagdeo more bad that all of dem other leaders. He mek greedy look like ice cream or cake wha li’l children does fight for. He wuss than dem other leaders. He thief fuh himself and share out to de tune of three quarter of Guyana to he buddies.

He ain’t got family but he got he kavakamites—Bobby, Brazzy, Brian, Boyah, —all dem Bees plus Irfaat, Rob Bert, Shaatie and Mannie. Dem is de richest in Guyana and dem gun remain de richest fuh a very long time.

Dem boys wish that Jagdeo suffer de same fate as dem scampish leaders. He kavakamites must suffer just like how he children woulda suffer if he had any or if he can get any. Dem boys praying fuh see that day. Dem want see all of dem in bangle, and not gold bangle or silver although it shine.

Dem boys seh that Jagdeo suh rich that dem have none in de region to match he wealth. Dem boys seh suh and dem can prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Talk half and pray fuh keep de quarter wha lef.

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

Pandits graduate after completing Dharmic Sabha training course

Several Pandits who have successfully completed a training course conducted by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha on Wednesday received their certificates at a special ceremony held at the Sanskritik Kendra, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown.

Dr. Vindya Persaud, Assistant General Secretary of the Dharmic Sabha, explained that after the Kendra (Prashad Nagar) was constructed some time in 1991, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud was the first to begin training for those who were interested in becoming Pandits.

However; due to some difficulties such as poor turn out and class sizes the sessions were not as successful as the Organisation had hoped for.

Still, the Dharmic Sabha remained committed to such a venture and about five to six years ago it attempted to restart the classes.

The persons in charge of these classes were not all Pandits but the team also consisted of persons who were versed in the Sanskritik language and more.

Dr. Persaud explained that the Dharmic Sabha has been training and providing facilities for their Pandits to improve their standard of education.

These activities have been made possible by collaborative efforts between the organisation and the Indian High Commission.

Purshotam Shivraj, the person who is said to have “spearheaded” the training programme, explained that these Pandits have written the Sanskritik and Gita Examinations in 2011/2012 of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mumbai, India.

Kaieteur News understands that there were two batches prior to

Most of the Pandits who graduated yesterday at the Dharmic Sabha’s Kendra, Prashad Nagar, flanked by President Donald Ramotar, First lady Deolatchmee Ramotar, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, Member of Parliament, Dr. Vindya Persaud, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud and officials from the Indian High Commission.

Wednesday’s graduates who sat the examinations in 2006 and 2008.

The latter year saw participants and graduates from both the Kendra and from Berbice.

He stated that the results showed maximum passes.

Five pandits wrote level threePravesha of Sanskritik examination; three wrote level four- Pariachaya.

Nine Pandits wrote Parambha- first level of the Gita Examination; five wrote Pravesha – second level, three Pandits wrote the third and fourth levels Pariachaya and Kovida.

All students were successful at the examinations which were set and marked in India.

President Donald Ramotar, who was present at the graduation ceremony with his wife, First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar, told

We are life savers, you should be one too!Donate blood today!!!

the gathering that such initiatives are gladly welcomed by the Government of Guyana as it seeks to ensure that persons are well grounded in their roots.

He stated that languages play a big role in society and Hinduism should not remain a theory or a concept but it should be put into practice.

While the country and the world at large continue to evolve in areas such as science and technology, it is imperative that individuals be firm in their religious beliefs and cultures since they both attribute to someone’s personality, the President acknowledged.

It was noted that in today’s society youths may have a more difficult time adjusting and meeting demands in comparison to what was expected many years ago.

Therefore religion and culture are both necessary in the lives of both youths and adults.

Guyanese live in a multiethnic and multi-cultural society and this allows persons to make tremendous contributions to the country.

“Pandits have a big role to play in educating

youngsters and we need to ensure that the Hindu culture makes big contributions to the national culture on the whole. This initiative should be seen as a stepping stone and enriches our way of life,” added President Ramotar.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, stated that it is important to ensure that Pandits receive training since some of the cultures and practices brought to Guyana from India have lost some of their elements.

Therefore, training should be done on a regular basis to ensure that these Pandits and others are aware of each step that they must upkeep and conduct their prayers and duties correctly.

“Training them makes them aware of how rituals should be done and the manner in which they should be taught to do these makes a big difference. When you know the language, it is even better because sometimes when you get translations, these lose the essence.

“By knowing another language you would be able to detect additional things which you can absorb in the original form,” said Dr.

Anthony.

He added that the Dharmic Sabha and the Indian High Commission should also aim to create linkages so as to allow the possibility of “virtual classrooms” where Guyanese Pandits and

persons undergoing training for the Sanskritik language can converse with persons from India.

This will allow for the students to improve their language skills.

(Kristen Macklingam)

President Donald Ramotar presents a certificate to one of the Pandits of the Dharmic Sabha who successfully passed all examinations

Sunday June 03, 2012

Housing boom…

Amidst rising prices, Government has called for contractors to explore the possibilities of constructing homes differently by using alternative building materials.

President Donald Ramotar also disclosed, Friday, that more than 2,000 applications have been received by the Ministry of Housing from overseasbased Guyanese for house lots.

The launch of the country’s Third Annual International Building Exposition, at the Princess Hotel in Providence, is an initiative which is a partnership between the Ministry of Housing and Water, Central Housing and Planning Authority and the Private Sector.

With several new housing schemes built in recent years across the country, the demand for lumber, cement and other critical materials has seen an entire spin-off sector emerging benefitting transportation, banking, and creating a host of employment opportunities.

But it has also seen prices rising on key building materials like cement and lumber.

According to President Ramotar, his party has managed to make it far easier for people to acquire land.

“Many working people would not have had their own homes had it not been for a change in government…many working and ordinary people all longed to own their own homes rather than rent…now, we have a totally different situation where it is no longer a dream for people to own homes,” the Head of State said.

Development of the building sector has many positive effects, with big impacts on the country’s economy, saving the unemployment situation and driving home ownership, the President is quoted as saying in a government release.

Government, in recognition of the need for skills for the building sector, has also invested in constructing seven large technical institutes countrywide which will offer access to the requisite training to the average man to become a skilled professional.

CHEAPENERGY He also tagged cheaper energy as a boost to the housing sector.

“The building industry has to be supported by other infrastructural works…one such is the Amaila Falls Hydropower, which will see the country accessing cheaper energy.”

Kaieteur News

Page 11

President urges contractors to consider using alternative materials Regarding lands that were made available in Providence for the development of house lots for remigrants, the President noted the interest was high.

“I was in the United States recently and many persons told me that they are coming home to purchase land…more than 1000 lots were made available to the overseas Diaspora but the Ministry received more than 2000 applications…this indicates that we are turning the tide.”

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Ramesh Dookhoo, bemoaned the fact that the construction industry has significantly reduced its operations in recent years, owing to the availability of building material on the local market.

Dookhoo explained that whilst the exposition has significantly grown to attract the participation of international firms, local contractors must examine new alternative material that can be produced locally, so to save the building industry from growing industries such as gold and mining.

6,500 HOUSELOTS The event which will see participation from regional and international exhibitors,

President Donald Ramotar addressing attendees at the launch of the 3rd International Building Exposition at Princess Hotel on Friday. among others, will provide investment opportunities, and create opportunities for networking between and among local, regional and international businesses, as it offers exhibitors the opportunity to showcase products and services; exchange ideas/disseminate technical information; promote construction methods and techniques; introduce new building materials and explore investment opportunities.

Last year ’s event attracted over 50,000 people, and promoted and advanced linkages among local and international stakeholders in the construction sector.

The 2012 National Budget has allocated $3.6B to further increase access to affordable housing, improve the quality of infrastructure of housing schemes and regularise squatter settlements.

Government is working to have a further 30,000 new

Government is urging home owners and contractors to explore the use of alternative building materials.

house lots distributed by 2015; increase access to low cost financing for home construction, and examine additional ways for improving occupancy in new housing

areas.

This year, the Housing and Water Ministry has targeted a further 6, 500 houselots and 4,000 land titles to be distributed.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

Is the hike in minibus fares justified?

By Rehana Ashley Ahamad Just recently, the United Minibus Union announced that it will be standing firm on its decision to have minibus fares raised by $20. But is it really justified?

Most of the commuters and not minibus operators, feel that increases are justified. They believe that the hike should only be applied to the “line buses”, and that the short drop fares should be fixed with much consideration.

“What they should do is add the $20 only to them fellers who does wait in the lines. I know for a fact that sometimes even hours does pass them there. It’s not a wise thing to raise the short drop fares though”.

AFFORDABILITY As there are those who agree with the hike, there are also those who believe that the hike in fares is just unreasonable. Before thinking about raising the fare, we have to consider poor commuters, those who can hardly afford the price as it is at present.

“I can’t afford the hike. I working with the Ministry of Public Works and I don’t get paid a whole lot, plus I am a single mother. I could hardly afford transportation for my two children,” a route 45 commuter said.

“I’m a poor woman, and I understand that everybody trying to make a living, and we can’t be unreasonable.

I know a friend, he get a bus, sometimes he does barely reach a $3000, it might seem like that and all is a lot, but we got to ask we self, when we get that same $3000, wah it could do. I know for a fact he family struggling. He got to pay installments, buy goods, clothes, things for school assignments, plus cater for damaged spare parts and all that. So I mean at least for

those who can pay the extra $20, have a heart,” one Ms. Singh lamented.

FARES SHOULD INCLUDE MORE THAN GASOLINE Minibus operators are saying that the increase in fares is not because of the rise in gasoline price alone, since the cost of spare parts has all gone up considerably.

Trisha Persaud, a route 42 conductress pointed out that there is also unnecessary harassment by the police.

“They does want pull we in for too smooth tyres, but that is the only kind you get.

Police does want play strict and pull you over, and you does got to cater for a small piece for them too,” Persaud said. She also lamented that “the traffic on the East Bank Demerara public road call for a lot of gasoline money”.

Commenting on government’s latest initiative to have the gas price remain stable, Persaud said that while that is a good venture, it only applies to the Guyoil gas stations, and that a vehicle may not always be in the vicinity of those stations, resulting in them having to still pay the increased price.

GuyOil has been out of fuel for several days now.

HOTPLATE BUSES Nonetheless, as for the hot plate minibuses, they seem to be the ones who are thriving in the business.

A friend of mine who was once the conductor of a hotplate bus noted that he used to take home sometimes $7000 or more per day.

He revealed to me that the first thing one has to do before “officially” becoming a hotplate bus, is become friends with as many police officers as possible “so if you get pull over, you know you still safe. And is not nothing much, you just give them a li’l $2000; that don’t hut yuh

pocket so much,” he said.

“I know how fuh hustle, so sometimes I does get more money than the driver. We does just give de owner of de buss he “legal” share and de overload money is we own. But only certain people we does pick up though. We used to park by them containers, nah far from de Ministry place deh, and go look fuh we passengers. We does get regulars, them lil pickney,” he added.

Hotplate minibus operators are basically those who choose to disobey the law and just drive by at these parks, and quickly tout an overloaded bus of passengers.

“Them is the ones that the police does take bribes from.

They get them own parks. Like the scattered minibuses on the 45 park, and the hotplate park at de side of the fire station,” a “line bus” driver said.

SCHOOL CHILDRENAND TRANSPORTATION Meanwhile, it is no secret that school children are the ones finding it the hardest to be transported. This is because of the reduced fares for uniformed students.

“A load of adults don’t give you much profit, so why would you pick up school children who have to pay half the price, police counting heads, they won’t flex with you,” a route 32 minibus conductor said.

A few commuters suggested that the government provide special transportation for school children, even if they have to pay the same reduced price.

“If the government provides special vehicles for school children it will be a good thing. It will be many, and only school children so that driver ought to make a profit. And plus my daughter don’t have to get late for school everyday,” one route 32 commuter said.

Many are of the opinion that it will cease the

lawlessness that goes on with school children in the hotplate minibuses.

TREATMENTTO PASSENGERS As it relates to the treatment of passengers, many commuters are of the opinion that the passengers themselves are to be blamed, since they are the ones who allow minibus drivers and conductors to treat them with utter disrespect and incongruity.

“If I go in a bus and I say that nobody ain’t sitting on my lap, it simply means nobody ain’t sitting on my lap. Some people doesn’t talk, they like it like that. I does threaten them that I gon make the Police stop them on the road.

And another thing we have to keep in mind is that is they bus, but is we money,” one Ms. Jameson of Grove, East Bank Demerara pointed out.

She noted that while there

are some who are decent, there are those who would “cuss out passengers out of their buses, just because you tell them about the speeding and the loud music. These however, are usually the hotplate buses.”

MINIBUS UNION Eon Andrews, President of the United Minibus Association, told this publication that the union is working to have the various minibus parks uniformed and trained, in an effort to have the work they do, be respected.

He posited that the only way that this can be done, is to have more persons become members. Just recently, the Union rejected the Ministry of Tourism’s proposal to have the entity be placed under the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), stating that the union is an independent body, capable of enough to upkeep itself with no interference from

the Government.

The Union’s call to have the minibus fares increased was refused by the said Ministry, who later sent out a statement advising commuters not to pay any increase in fares.

HOW COMMUTERS CAN BENEFIT FROM THE INCREASE Nonetheless, the minibus operators are calling upon the Ministry to reconsider its decision, since the increase in fares will also prove beneficial to commuters.

Reference was made to route 42 commuters who are usually stranded on the route 42 minibus park, on a regular basis during the peak hours.

One driver noted that if the fares are raised, minibus operators will not be forced to operate the Diamond New Scheme route in order to make a profit, and will commence working the normal “short to Grove” route.

Human Services Minister commits support to Mangrove Reserve Producers

Minister Webster with mangrove producers Minister of Human Services, Jennifer Webster, has reiterated Government’s support for the East Coast Mangrove Reserve Women Producers (MRWP) who market their agricultural products through the Mangrove Centre at Cove and John.

Speaking at the opening of a workshop to create a business plan for the group, Webster noted that the wide cross-section of society was represented by the participants who came from Buxton to Berbice and who generate agricultural products in the mangrove-forested coastal communities.

The development of a business plan for the MRWP is being sponsored by Digicel.

The telecommunication company had earlier provided support for this alternative livelihood initiative by underwriting the cost of the introductory Farmers’ Market in October 2011. A consequence of that event was the birth of the

Mangrove Reserve Women Producers group two months later.

The MRWP’s products are on sale at the Mangrove Centre at Cove and John. The centre is housed in the Women Leadership Institute.

This component is part of the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) which is being funded by the European Union and the Government of Guyana.

Since its opening in July 2011, more than 4,500 students have visited the Centre; it draws over 200 visitors per month for the three-hour tour of the Mangrove Reserve seawall site.

Webster noted that in addition to promoting mangrove conservation, the mangrove producers’ initiative was also building bridges between communities.

An example of this is the Litchfield Group, which already possesses a processing facility, deciding to twin with the Trafalgar

Union Group which has a 25acre farm which could produce the relevant crops for the various agro-products.

The Minister lauded the achievements of the agroproducers on their varied line of products and commended them for winning the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s prestigious Biodiversity Conservation Award for 2012.

The space occupied by the visitor centre was made possible initially through the support of the Ministry of Social Services, under the former Minister, Priya Manickchand. That saw the provision of the Cove and John site during the early stage of the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project.

In her remarks at the workshop, Webster signaled her continued support and further committed to having the women producers displaying their products at public events being staged by her Ministry.

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 13

U.S- based organisation commissions modern IT Lab at Felix Austin Police College

By Leon Suseran The police recruits stationed at the Felix Austin Police College (FAPC) ‘B’ Division at Adventure, Corentyne, now have the luxury of having their very own computer centre on the college campus.

They had to depend on the use of the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) laboratory at Tain for Information Technology (IT) education and training.

Yesterday, the state-ofthe-art Guyana Police Force/ Zara Computer Centre was officially commissioned by the Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee and Police Commissioner (Ag), Leroy Brumell.

The ceremony was held at the college and saw the attendance of several highlevel and senior security officials within the GPF. The initiative which began several months ago, is a collaborative effort of the Government of Guyana and the Zara- The Dream makers, a U.S.- based organisation headed by Mr Nardeo Singh of New York.

A decision to construct an

IT Lab in Guyana was made by the organisation a few months ago, and the GPF decided that Berbice was the best location since Eve Leary FAPC already has an IT Lab. George Sobhraj, Head of the Zara organization, noted that the gesture of building such a facility on the college grounds was not a charitable act, but rather “an opportunity...for the human race and we want you to make the best use of it”.

He added that the organisation has done similar work both in New York and in Guyana, with the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) and the Cove and John Ashram as well. Soon, it will pay for a scholarship for a student at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC).

“What we want is for this centre to be utilised seven days per week...as much as you can and have communitybased programmes as well as programmes with the police force. You do that and you will make us all happy”. He warned those in charge to maintain and upkeep the facility and to make maximum use of it.

Mr Nardeo Singh, a U.S-

Commissioner (ag) Brumell is appreciated for his laudable efforts by the FAPC Committee

based IT Computer Consultant, who planned the project, thanked Commissioner Brumell “for having the confidence in us.”

“Many people talk, but delivering is a different story.

When he invited me to do a presentation with all the divisional commanders and the management of the GPF, I knew I had to deliver a convincing presentation for him to take the risk in having us work with the force, because if I fail, he fails”.

Crime Chief and DeputyCommissioner of Police (Law Enforcement) Seelall Persaud, DSM, who worked closely with Zara, said that the centre is one of the best in the country.

He praised the Zara organisation whom he described as “professionals, with very clear objectives on what they want. They have very clear road maps to achieve the objectives”.

In contemporary times, he said, organisations decide that in order to be successful and competitive, they need to make quick decisions, “and they need access to information.”

“All the paper databases were converted to digital databases and that feeds right to the desk of the senior executives and other layers in the organisation”.

The world, he said, has become digital and “we have seen, over time, that operatives of transnational organised crime, have exploited every means in society to make money”.

Persaud added that criminals have infiltrated the air, sea and almost every sphere of commercial activity to conduct criminal activities.

The world wide web is no exception “to their advantage and to the disadvantage to the development of the ordinary people and government institutions, society, etc”.

The intention, he added, is to train and sustain IT platforms that the force has “so that our ranks will be able to input data, access data, in order to make decisions

Senior ranks of the FAPC, Minister Rohee and Zara members collaboratively unveil the plaque to the new IT centre at the investigative levels, at levels that do analysis for deployment as well as to make policy- decisions, and at all levels, this lab will contribute to skill- building”.

The lab, too, will also deliver community programmes, such as Youth Clubs which will train school children; adult education programme which will be free of cost and to meet the cost to operate the centre for the community, Persaud said that he has contacted Food For the Poor, “and they have indicated an interest to support at least that adult education programme”.

“We have also extended the use of the lab to the neighbouring schools and spoke to the Department of

Education and agreed to, in the design of our day-to-day schedules, to fit all those programmes in”.

The Police Youth Club Programme and Recruit Training Programme, he stated, will begin on Monday.

“We see this centre as a process, not a project. We will not allow you to come and cut the ribbon and walk away, so the engagement has started”.

Police Commissioner (Ag) Brumell stated how important it is for members of the force to be acquainted with the use of the computer “which brings along a new trend of crime in the world today”.

“This can only be achieved with each member of the force being computer literate. As such, I am sure

that the Zara computer centre will enhance the skills in our division”.

He praised the Minister of Home Affairs for being the “driving force behind IT in this organisation”. “He is the agent of the government that is responsible for the institutional modernisation of this force”.

The College Committee, chaired by Mr Alex Foster, made tangible presentations to the Zara members, Minister Rohee, Commissioner Brumell, and Deputy Commissioner Persaud.

Shortly after, the plaque was unveiled by the senior police officials and minister and the ribbon was cut, followed by a tour of the computer centre.

Page 14

Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

ImmigrationTALK West Indies cricketer, Miss India Worldwide Certain waivers now among Digicel Brand Ambassadors

filed in U.S. and not at U.S. Embassy

By Attorney Gail S. Seeram

The Digicel Brand Ambassadors and Officials.

Digicel Guyana officially introduced ten individuals and two groups as the company’s Brand Ambassadors at a cocktail ceremony held at the Pegasus on Thursday evening.

Among them are West Indies cricketer, Devendra Bishoo; reigning Miss India Worldwide, Alana Seebarran; star cyclist, Alanzo Greaves and radio presenter, Curtis

Armstrong.

The Guyana Squash Association and the Slingerz Entertainment Company were also introduced as Brand Ambassadors.

According to Digicel Head of Marketing, Jacqueline James, “Digicel is pleased to welcome these outstanding individuals to its family.”

“Some of these persons have been with us over the

years but we never officially introduced them to the public as Digicel assets. However, Seebaran, Greaves and Bishoo are new to the team.

These persons have been selected based on their continuous growth in their specific fields as well as their individual contribution to the development of the country.”

The other brand ambassadors include former Miss Guyana Universe,

Tamika Henry, former Miss Guyana India Worldwide, Roshini Bodhoo, television and radio presenters: Cleon Newark, Rondell Millington, Paul Carew, Nigel Worrel, Kester Dean and Ras Garwin Hinds.

Speaking at the cocktail ceremony, Miss India Worldwide, Alana Seebarran, said it is a pleasure to join the Digicel team.

“I have always admired Digicel’s effort to develop G u y a n a ’ s telecommunications industry. I see Digicel as a corporate leader and I am very excited about joining such an outstanding company.”

Cy c l i s t , Alanzo Greaves, said he is very excited about being a l i g n e d w i t h G u y a n a ’s Bigger, Better Network while cricketer, Devendra Bishoo said he is committed to working with Digicel to enhance cricket in Guyana.

“We look forward to working with our brand ambassadors over the next year; Guyana can certainly expect a number of exciting partnerships between Digicel and the company’s ambassadors especially in the areas of community and youth development,” James concluded.

Previously, applicants for immigrant visas outside the United States filed Form I-601 or Form I-212 with supporting evidence at a U.S. Embassy or consulate if a consular officer found the individual inadmissible for a reason that may be waived.

Beginning June 4, 2012, individuals abroad who have applied for certain visas and have been found ineligible by a U.S. Consular Officer or U.S. Embassy, will be able to mail requests to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility directly to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Lockbox facility (in the U.S.).

This change affects where individuals abroad, who have been found inadmissible for an immigrant visa or a nonimmigrant K or V visa, must send their waiver applications.

Currently, applicants experience processing times from one-month to more than a year depending on which Embassy or Consulate accepted their waiver. This centralization of filing the waivers with USCIS in the U.S. will provide customers with faster and more efficient application processing and consistent adjudication.

It is part of a broader agency effort to transition to domestic filing and adjudication; it does not reflect a change in policy or the standards by which the applications are adjudicated. Individuals filing waiver applications with a USCIS Lockbox will now be able to track the status of their case online.

The change affects filings for Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility; Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or

Gail S. Seeram Removal; and Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, (if filed after a denial of a Form I-601 or Form I-212).

The advantages of using a USCIS lockbox are (a) the applicant can avoid a second trip to the consulate/embassy to file the waiver after the consular interview takes place, (b) consulate-byconsulate variations in filing requirements are eliminated, (c) delays in forwarding cases from the consulate to USCIS are eliminated, (d) the applicant will get a receipt notice and can take advantage of online case status updates and instant email notification when there is a change in case status, such as an approval, and (e) there will be an expected increase in consistency in the standard for approval.

In practice, once you attend your interview and you are found inadmissible to the U.S. and your pending petition is denied, then the applicable waiver, supporting evidence and filing fees are sent to the USCIS lockbox in the U.S. (not to the U.S. Embassy).

The Nebraska Service Center (NSC) will now be adjudicating or making a decision on these waivers.

If USCIS/NSC approves the waiver, then USCIS has to notify the consulate and the consulate has to get the immigrant visa into the applicant’s passport. The whole process from filing the application to getting the visa in the passport (if approved) is more likely to be six to nine months.

Note, this is a new process and until it is fully implemented, we cannot be convinced that the processing times are better than those previously given at the U.S. Embassy.

Again, this new process is only available to visa applicants OUTSIDE the United States seeking a waiver for a denied petition based on a ground of inadmissibility.

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 19

A THREAT TO ALL CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) is a constitutional commission. It is created by the Constitution of Guyana and therefore it is not a creature of the executive but rather an offspring of the highest statute in the land.

The said constitution provides for the appointment of Commissioners and the Chairperson of that body.

Even if the opposition feels that the manner in which the ERC is constituted and the extension of its life are unconstitutional, the ERC as a legal body cannot be delegitimized by withholding funding from it.

A parallel can be drawn with any public agency in the United States which because of gridlock cannot continue its work because Congress cannot agree to funds for the government as a whole. One such public embassy can be the US Embassy in Guyana.

There have been times when financing for the work of all government departments in the United States was threatened because agreement was not being reached at the level of Congress. Eventually at the last hour, and in order to avoid a total shutdown of the government, an agreement was scrambled.

But even if no agreement was reached, the lack of funding would not have dissolved these agencies.

They would have existed in legal form, but would have had problems paying their bills and staff.

The fact, therefore, that the ERC does not have any money to pay its staff or undertake certain work does not mean that it is dissolved.

Dissolution has come by constitutional amendment or through court action.

The life of the Commissioners can come to an end and when this happens, it will be for the necessary constitutional provisions to be invoked to determine how the new commissioners are appointed.

Withholding funding does not vitiate the life of the commission, it merely cripples its ability to carry on its functions.

The ERC therefore still exists.

The existing Commissioners are not legally forestalled from functioning.

They can still meet and make

decisions, as well as announce those decisions.

They will have to do that, however, without any compensation, and would have to meet any expenses out of their own pockets.

They are not vitiated by the decision of the combined opposition to vote a solitary dollar for the ERC. From 1968 to 1985 general elections were rigged in Guyana. The fact that we had then a government that did not enjoy the will of the people, as determined by free and fair elections, did not delegitimize the actions of the governments during that period. The actions of those administrations, while being deemed as actions of an undemocratic government, were not for all intents and purposes recognized as coming from the government of the country.

The ERC therefore still exists until such time as its life runs its course, after which constitutional provisions have to be activated to appoint a new commission.

The present commission had its life extended by the government, something that is contested by the opposition.

The budget cuts by the opposition are seen as an attempt to signal its nonrecognition of the extension of the life of the commission.

But here the opposition failed to make a distinction between the constitutional body proper and its officers. The institution continues until it is dissolved via a constitutional amendment.

On the question of reform, it is worrying to hear explanations that the opposition may have been attempting reforms by withholding funding.

The ERC is a constitutional body that should be independent of such influence. The very suggestion that the opposition may have been attempting to influence reforms by withholding funding can be interpreted as being in contempt of the independence of a constitutional commission.

If the opposition on the other hand wanted to signal its disapproval of the extension of the life of the commission because it feels this was unlawful, a better

recourse would have been to challenge this extension in court. But to cripple a constitutional commission simply because of concerns about the manner in which it was reconstituted sends a dangerous precedent, because it opens the possibility that all constitutional offices, including the Office of the Auditor General, could feel

threatened by the possibility of future cuts, and therefore may become beholden to the concerns of the opposition because of the fear of being axed out of existence.

The budget cuts to the ERC therefore constitute a threat towards the independence of all constitutional offices and commissions, because these bodies may now feel that their

future is now dependent on how the opposition parties feel about them.

All of this makes a mockery of the motion that the opposition recently passed calling for the independence of the judiciary. But because of the powers that the opposition now has in withholding funding for constitutional commissions and other agencies, this

power can be viewed as having the potential of compromising the independence of constitutional offices and commissions.

Page 20

SUNDAY SPECIAL MAN CHOPS POLICE, SHOT DEAD Investigations are continuing into a fatal shooting last week Saturday afternoon during which one man was shot dead by a female police rank at Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo. Dead is 42-yearold Shawn Watkins of 25 Vergenoegen.

His death came one day before his mother was to have been buried - the woman had collapsed and died earlier in that week.

According to police reports, Watkins was killed after he attacked and chopped two of three ranks who were responding to a 911 call made by a relative against the man.

Kaieteur News was told that after the ranks arrived at the house, Watkins was allegedly armed with two cutlasses.

This newspaper was told Watkins attacked the officers.

The injured policemen were identified as Jomo Williams, 29, and Alex Solomon, 20.

FIRE STRIKES MFK

Kaieteur News

BUILDING, $$M IN DAMAGE Fire fighters had their work cut out last week Saturday night before they finally contained a fire of unknown origin which had engulfed the G. Bacchus Enterprise building (formerly MFK) on Hadfield Street.

The blaze which started around 20:00 hours destroyed millions of dollars in stocks which were contained in the ground floor, which houses a supermarket and the first floor that stored household appliances.

The other floors of the four-storey building along with the items that were stored there suffered significant water damage as firefighters, using a state-of-the-art crane used to fight fires in high-rise buildings, battled desperately to prevent the blaze from spreading throughout the building.

Their aim was also to contain it to that premises since another major enterprise adjoined it. That business, Ashmin’s Trading, is owned

by Lennox John When the fire started the

entire building was shut tight and the firemen were forced to break open the heavy metal shutters as well as glass windows to effectively fight the blaze.

Kaieteur News learnt that the entire building was secured since the previous day as Saturday was a public holiday.

The owner was reportedly in Berbice and no one else had the keys.

After about 30 minutes of trying to break the locks, the firefighters were then able to access the inside of the building which by then was completely dark as a result of the electricity supply to the building being cut off.

The firemen, using flashlights, eventually managed to locate where the fire was and began controlling it, before it could threaten the nearby Ashmin’s Trading.

Fortunately there was no shortage of water, as the nearby hydrants were in working order.

THREE STAFFERS IN CUSTODY, AS PONTOON DISAPPEARS FROM

HARBOUR BRIDGE A pontoon mysteriously disappeared from the Demerara Harbour Bridge two Thursdays ago and investigators continue to question a number of staff members.

The pontoon which was to be used by staffers in the major emergency works that started last week Saturday was discovered missing the day before. Reports were made to Ministry of Public Works and to the police.

Officials of Public Works Ministry said that the army helicopter, the Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration Department have been requested to help in the search for the multimillion-dollar pontoon.

It is a case that is puzzling the bridge authorities as the Harbour Bridge is an extremely busy area that is very traversed by traffic all day and night long. With the fact that the pontoon is by no means small, authorities are suspecting that there may be some collusion by staff members.

It is believed that pontoon may have been sold. It is equipped with four large winches which could also fetch a substantial amount of money.

According to officials, police held three staffers last week Friday. It is now being reported that a sum of $1.5M was paid over by persons so far unknown for the pontoon.

Searchers are scouring several waterways up the Demerara River especially but authorities are also widening the net across the country. ************** MONDAY EDITION CONTRACTOR KILLED IN CARIFESTAAVENUE SMASH-UP A horrific smash-up involving a Toyota Allion and

Sunday June 03, 2012

The body of Keith Bowen lying in the Le Repentir Cemetery. a Canter Truck on Carifesta Avenue last week Saturday night claimed the life of a 45year-old contractor.

Mohamed Zaheed Ibrahim, called ‘Z-Man’ of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Hospital just before midnight.

Ibrahim, the lone passenger of the car, which was driven by a member of a prominent East Coast Demerara business family, suffered the brunt of the impact and remained trapped in the mangled car for more than 45 minutes.

It took ranks from the Guyana Fire Service, who were summoned to the scene, almost 30 minutes to pull Ibrahim from the twisted wreck.

Such was the state of the vehicle that the firefighters were forced to cut open the top to get to Ibrahim.

By the time they pulled him out, he appeared dead already. He was nevertheless rushed to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the GPHC but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver of the car fled the scene immediately after the accident WOMAN STABBED, BEATEN IN HEAD WITH HAMMER - LOVER

DRINKS POISON A 40-year-old man on Sunday, last, battered his 38year-old lover in her head with a hammer then stabbed her in the chest, mouth and twice in the abdomen before ingesting a dose of poisonous liquid in an attempt to take his own life.

The woman, Sharon Goodridge also called Sharon Howell of 81 East La Penitence, Georgetown, was left clinging on to life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The mother of 10 underwent emergency operation which lasted several hours.

Doctors said that she sustained a fractured skull and significant damage to her brain and gave her a 50/50 chance of survival.

Her lover, Colbert Rodney was placed under police guard in the GPHC’s Male Medical Ward.

NORTON STREET MAN BEATEN TO DEATH Investigations are continuing into the murder of a 36-year-old man, whose body was found dumped aback of the old Georgetown Incinerator. Dead is Keith Bowen of 51 Norton Street, Lodge. Police sources said that the body was found (Continued on page 37)

Driver Ryan Rampaul (left) and Manfred Parks being taken to the GPHC

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Ravi Dev Column

(President Ramotar recently committed to the revitalisation of our villages.

The late Mr Philip Moore had always offered prophetic affirmation of this path. Some years ago, the late Mr Clarence Ellis and I had a dialogue on the importance of villages in our developmental thrust.)

DEV: In our proposals on Federalism, from the organisational standpoint, we have stressed the principle of subsidiarity, which declares that governmental tasks should be delegated to the lowest layer that can handle them. Ultimately, this is the village.

When the PNC removed authority and responsibility from this level of our society we really shot ourselves in the foot. The Village movement was a uniquely Guyanese phenomenon – a product of our history and an innovation of the African Guyanese people.

We have stressed elsewhere that each society must select its own mix of the

Suicides are indicators that people are of unstable minds. These are people with so much anger and depression that they are prepared to hurt themselves in order to hurt someone else.

Already a very young child set about killing himself. He succeeded despite the best efforts of those who rushed to help him. This would be just a start of child suicides.

The nation would be saddened when one case would actually result from an abusive situation. Again the police would be asked to act precipitately.

three institutions – the state, the market or the communities for coordinating the activities its members.

This is one of the reasons that we support Mr. Ellis’ stress on the third level of decentralisation down to the village level: village means “community.”

Unlike the state (which uses coercion) and the market (which uses money), communities structure the activities of citizens through voluntary cooperation engendered by close personal ties and relationships.

Communities work through trust. The role of communities has been a most neglected aspect in the development efforts of third world countries such as Guyana.

Let’s take the rice industry. A crucial feature of rice cultivation is the control and allocation of water.

In Asia where there has been intensive cultivation for centuries, the communities have evolved intricate local, non-government sanctions

and rewards that ensure the most efficient use of water.

Compare this today with our situation in Guyana where farmers downstream are never willing to wait for water in their turn, and they either surreptitiously open regulators or “talk” to their friends in authority.

Everyone ends up frustrated and costs go up when they have to pump water. China’s and Vietnam’s ability to produce rice at one quarter of our costs is not just due to low labour costs. We have to return responsibility, authority and ultimately, trust to the villages.

MR ELLIS: It is true that when the PNC removed the village councils, “we really shot ourselves in the foot.”

The restoration of those councils requires a constitutional change.

Maximum advantage from any such constitutional change requires that community councils are established in the East Indian communities as well. That is a massive task.

**** A small and inexperienced criminal gang is going to target a series of households.

Using the fear tactic they would cause one household to become subjugated. But the community as a whole is another matter.

This community is going to respond decisively and it would take the police to save the perpetrators from a life threatening assault.

Where? In the Sophia area. ** Accidents, according to the statistics are fewer, but this is not because of any action by the law enforcers.

Another inexperienced and inebriated driver is going to wreak havoc along the eastern corridor.

People are going to be rushed to the hospital in such numbers that the facility would be overwhelmed.

There is a report on local government reform which does not recommend the complete return of those village councils, which does not conceive of the formation of community councils for the East Indian communities, and which recommends political party rivalry for the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) into which the villages and the East Indian communities are merged. Political party rivalry will bring the bitter outside rivalry into the villages and communities and destroy the trust with which communities work, which Mr Dev observes.

There are two fundamental weaknesses of that local government report.

The first is that it does not conceive of a transformed rural economy. In the villages, this can be achieved by cooperatives pursuing the cultivation of crops other than sugar and rice.

If the East Indian communities should turn to alternative crops, the zemindar (large landowner) relationship of tenants will change. Large landlords will have a single vote in the community council, and the class domination that presently prevails in those communities will be reduced.

That lack of vision in the local government report is its first major weakness.

The second major weakness is that it will be necessary to draw East Indian community council boundaries. This will be a massive task. But I always point to the ridiculous boundaries of the Town of Anna Regina which stretches from Three Friends to Walton Hall, a distance of about nine miles. Of the nine miles, seven miles at least are cultivated rice fields. What sort of town

is that?

The organising principle here is the radical transformation of village economies and East Indian communities to compete in the modern world...This might not appear as a national revolution but, if pushed through, will allow racial communities to pursue their development in accord with their cultural distinctiveness.

If they are successful in their separate communities, they can collaborate later out of mutual respect, thereby demonstrating that there is an “organic” solution in the rural areas to racial integration.

The principle of subsidiarity need not be assessed in the formal federal terms that Mr. Dev is inclined to use, even though relations with the centre should be comprehensively conceptualised. In the first place, there is the need to follow through with the independence of the public services that I recommended last week.

This should mean that all executive authority should revert to the Regional Executive Officer (REO) who should report, in her or his executive acts, to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry that has responsibility for the Regions. The REO should, however, be guided in her or his programme by the decisions taken by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

The second change is much more difficult. Village and community councils should be responsible for managing the drainage and irrigation infrastructure in their villages and their communities.

Village councils undertook this task before and can do so again. Councillors may wish a stipend because of the more mercenary outlook in these

Ravi Dev

days, but it should not be difficult to persuade village and community councillors to work for free.

The difficult task that the councils will have to undertake in developing their village and community economies is the transformation process that has been earlier outlined.

That is a lot more difficult.

Councillors should be exposed to the data gathering and planning approaches by which land should be allocated, seeds distributed and planting harmonised in the manner Mr. Dev described as obtains in Asia.

These approaches can be taught in a faculty such as I suggested for public sector management.

The third and most demanding operation will be the developing of the Regional Chairman and the Regional politicians into catalysts and not directors of development.

Their role should be that of providing ideas to the village and community councils in their efforts at transforming the agricultural economies in the villages and the communities.

Each Regional councillor and each Regional Chairman should have attended a course at the faculty for public sector management.

Regional Councillors should know what to look for in the village and community programmes, and to be capable of suggesting changes.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

A knife, a metal pipe and a stick of dynamite - St. Lucian George Antoine left a trail of death from Mahdia to Georgetown

By Michael Jordan It was at around ten o’clock on August 31, 1971, that a deafening explosion shook Khan’s Guest House near Radio Demerara in High Street.

Inside the room from which the explosion had come stood two trembling, blood-spattered little boys.

Policemen who ventured into the smoke-filled room almost gagged on the stench of blood and burning flesh.

And something that seemed not quite human lay near a gaping hole in the floor…

But let’s start this dark tale of murder and obsession at the point where it really began; around 1966, some five years earlier, at a dance at 73 Miles, Potaro. It was here that a young St. Lucian man named George Antoine, known to friends as ‘Lightning’, met a young Guyanese woman named Jean Ann Andries.

George had migrated to Guyana to seek his fortune as a diamond miner. He was a quiet man with an easy smile.

At the time, Jean was just 18, and she already had a son, named Tony, from a previous relationship. But that didn’t deter George Antoine.

He struck up a friendship with Jean and eventually, the two began to live together.

Jean bore George two sons; Leslie and Brian.

Jean Ann’s little sister, Rhonda, also moved in with them. The couple first settled at Kaieteur Top, but frequented Mahdia.

Jean Ann would sometimes accompany her spouse on his porkknocking escapades, sometimes even panning for gold side by side

Brian and Leslie Andries

with her man.

On the outside, they seemed like a happy young couple. But then close relatives began to hear whispers that all was not well.

People who knew the couple told Jean’s relatives that George was ill-treating his young reputed wife. In fact, some even claimed that he was forcing her into prostitution.

It was also rumoured that George was into illegal activities, which included cattle-rustling near the border.

But when she met with the relatives, Jean Ann always appeared to be happy and would tell them that the rumours about George were untrue.

The couple eventually moved to Mahdia. They also travelled frequently to Bartica, where Jean had relatives. Then, at around 1968, Jean Ann’s 10-year-old sister, Rhonda, who had been living with the couple, died suddenly.

Disturbing rumours began to circulate that the child had been murdered.

However, both Jean Ann and George insisted that Rhonda had succumbed to gastroenteritis. They said they were forced to bury the body at Kaieteur Top without a post mortem.

Since gastroenteritis was prevalent at the time, the relatives eventually accepted the story.

But around 1969, a female cousin who lived in Bartica received a letter from Jean Ann. In the letter, Jean stated that she wanted to break off her relationship with George.

According to her, she had repeatedly tried to leave him, but George would always track her down.

In 1971, Jean Ann visited the cousin at Bartica, and after bursting into tears, told the cousin a very terrifying story.

She revealed that George was indeed involved in cattle rustling and would barter stolen cattle for guns.

She claimed he had three firearms, and had shot and wounded a man at Mahdia.

And the rumours about George forcing her into prostitution were also true, Jean said.

“You see that pants and shirt that he got on? Is my body pay for them, “Jean Ann lamented. “I so frustrated that I could push a knife in myself.”

Then Jean revealed to her shocked cousin that little Rhonda hadn’t died from gastroenteritis after all.

According to her, George had resented having to take care of ‘somebody else child’, and often ill-treated the tenyear-old. She claimed that while she was out, George struck the child to the head with a piece of metal pipe.

When Jean returned home, Rhonda was lying listlessly in a hammock and complaining of headaches.

On being questioned further, she revealed that George had struck her.

According to Jean, the family retired to bed, and next day she found Rhonda dead in the hammock. Jean explained that because Mahdia was three days’ journey from their location, they buried the child’s body in a shallow grave.

She claimed that George then travelled to Mahdia to report to the police that Rhonda had succumbed to ‘gastro’. However, the police had somehow already received word of the child’s death, and told George to accompany them to the spot where the body was buried.

But cunning George Antoine took the cops to another area near a stream.

At the time, the stream was swollen by heavy rain, and rather than cross the stream, the cops abandoned the search.

Rhonda Andries’ grave has never been found.

After relating her story, Jean Ann asked the cousin to borrow a suitcase, since she wanted to travel to Georgetown. But before she

could leave, George turned up at the cousin’s home. The couple began to quarrel and in her anger Jean blurted out: “The day I leave you is the day you would live in jail.”

According to the cousin, George’s countenance changed and she is convinced that had she not been present, George would have killed Jean at that same moment. The worried cousin expressed her fears for Jean’s safety, but Jean replied that she didn’t care if George killed her.

A few days later, George returned to the cousin’s home.

He told the woman that Jean had left him. The cousin consoled George that he would eventually find someone to take Jean’s place.

George responded that he missed Jean and the children.

Before leaving, he promised that he would return to Mahdia and send money for them.

Meanwhile, Jean Ann, along with her three children, had traveled to Georgetown.

She booked in at Khan’s Guest House near to Radio Demerara in High Street.

At the time, she was accompanied by a young man known as ‘Dougie.’ But as he had done before, George Antoine tracked her down, since the couple had often stayed at the same guest house.

He booked a room at the top floor.

On Monday, August 31, at around ten o’clock, George confronted Jean Ann in the hotel. He stabbed her in the hand. Jean Ann went to a nearby police station and reported the assault. She then returned to the hotel.

According to reports, Jean Ann and her new boyfriend, ‘Dougie’ were heading back to the police

station when George attacked her again. ‘Dougie’ managed to escape. Jean Ann was not that lucky. George cornered her and stabbed her in the stomach. Jean cried out “‘Lightning’ stab me.” The 25year-old woman then collapsed and died on D’Urban Street.

Pursued by a policeman, George Antoine fled to Khan’s Guest House. He then entered the room that Jean had booked.

Two-year-old Brian and Leslie, aged four, were still in the room. Minutes later, a deafening explosion shook the hotel.

When police finally forced open the bedroom door, they found George’s headless and burned body on the floor.

Also in the room were the two children. They were bloodsoaked, but unharmed.

From all reports, after killing his estranged spouse, George Antoine had entered the hotel room, placed a stick of dynamite in his mouth, and set it alight.

Today, landmarks such as Khan’s Guest Hose and Radio Demerara are gone. But oldtimes still remember crazy George Antoine, who killed two sisters and then literally lost his head over the elder one.

If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown offices. Our numbers are 22-58491, 2258473 and 22-58458. You need not disclose your identity.

You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s 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.

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 23

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

The land of Dostoyevskian agony I have a friend who returned to Guyana for a holiday. He found himself among prostitutes in a bar in the interior. He couldn’t believe that a particular prostitute was making fun of him for being generous and nice to her. He couldn’t comprehend why she didn’t appreciate a gentleman’s hand.

Psychologically, she couldn’t because she was conditioned to respond to one type of value only. That is the only value, only standard by which she judged men who wanted to buy sex from her.

Any psychologist would tell you that a conditioned mind cannot think outside of the box. The behavioural standard prostitutes use to judge their clients, is male chauvinism. If you go into a bar and give her a rose, she may find you either to be living in another world or a foolish guy who doesn’t understand the world.

It does not mean the woman is inherently incapable of higher thoughts, but unless you remove her from her occupation, she will tend to judge men by their macho deportment.

It is the same with entire

societies. When a country loses its humanity, it ekes out a living as a matter of routine, its people are poor and treated cruelly, therefore violence and cruelty are not negative values that shock the average citizen.

The sociologist would argue that in such an atrociously Hobbesian condition, people become numb to violence. Violence against and mistreatment of citizens does not engender feelings of indignation, angst and pain.

I read in this newspaper that literally feet away from where patrons were dining in a popular spot in Werk-enRust not far from the Camp Street jail, two brothers were attacked by bandits for their jewellery. One of the men put up a fight and was shot. The sound of gunfire did not disrupt the enjoyment of the fried fish and beer. Patrons saw what happened and just immersed themselves in their enjoyment.

To these diners who were looking at the attack, it was just another violent incident. This was life in Guyana they figured.

No one from the legal community or the human rights organizations ever

comment on the way poor people are treated in the magistrates’ courts in this country. I have no respect for a majority of our magistrates, who I think are intellectual failures. I read in last Monday’s KN that a man was sentenced to three years for possession of a single, I repeat, a single bullet.

The Kaieteur News headline read; “Rupununi man gets three years for one bullet.” Should any society accept this kind of crassly inhuman sentence? In which other country an accused will be jailed for three years for possession of a mere bullet?

That is unacceptable. You just don’t take away people’s freedom like that.

I am saying most unambiguously that Magistrate Hazel OctiveHamilton was wrong to impose such a harsh sentence. Did the man understand the implication when he pleaded guilty? But what was going through that magistrate’s head when she sentenced that man so harshly? Where is the society’s condemnation of this mistreatment?

While in the High Court last Wednesday, I ran into

Moses Nagamootoo, who told me about a case he won for a sugar worker against Guysuco. The same day I read Moses’s affidavit. It made me sick. The next day I saw the case was carried in this newspaper.

At fifteen years, the litigant worked in the cane fields for Guysuco carrying bundles of canes on his head.

One day, after years of service, he slipped, hurt his back and medical examination revealed he couldn’t work again for the rest of his life.

This young man had to take Guysuco to court to get his compensation. He was awarded $6.4M, which Guysuco no doubt will appeal.

If anything should remind the people born in this country after Independence in 1966 that the white colonial in his khaki outfit has been replaced by an arrogant local in shirt-jac more sadistic, more inhuman and more depraved, it is the state-owned company named Guysuco.

It is this writer’s view that

Sir Jock Campbell as the head of Bookers would have treated this young man in a more civilized manner than the very people his parents no doubt voted for over the years.

If any country proves that colonialism may have had a more humane face than the post-colonial governments, it is Guyana. It has to be an act of madness that our postcolonial leaders appealed a court decision that granted a 15-year-old youth $3M for the brutal torture he endured by

Frederick Kissoon the police. To understand Guyana, read Anthony Burgess’s great work, “A Clockwork Orange.”

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Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

We can end the cycle of violence!

We must end the cycle of violence!!!

By Dawn Stewart, Bsc, MPA, PHD We must take action for victims and survivors of domestic abuse in addition, to the prevention of abuse in our communities! We can end the cycle of violence!! We must end the cycle of violence!!!

The darkness of abuse that hovers over the women, girls and children of Guyana is implausible. The question is, do we as a nation understand the culture of abuse and if so, are we prepared to stop the circle of violence?

I was driven to write this narrative by many factors, I sat back and read the newspapers, coached, counseled, interviewed and worked with abuse in various areas in Guyana, but nothing has made me angrier than the abuse dealt on the 16-year-old female, who it has been alleged was caught in a compromising position with a male worker.

I truly believe after my visit to this young lady that every woman, every mother, every sister, every brother, every father should be angry.

Angry about the treatment, disrespect, and abuse that our women often experience in silence.

Until we are angry enough to stop the cycle of violence we will see more of our daughters suffering the fate of so many women we read about in the news and the others we never see or hear from. Today it’s them - the other family, but remember tomorrow it could be you or your family!!!

I had an opportunity to read some blogs on this particular story in the news and to my surprise and disgust, many persons mainly women sought to blame the victim for the horrific abuse she received at the hands of her alleged lover. For this I am compelled to attempt to educate my sisters and brothers on abuse.

WHY DO PEOPLE STAY IN VIOLENT RELATIONSHIPS? Although there is a myth that people, especially women, stay indefinitely in abusive relationships, the truth is that most people do eventually leave. Leaving is a process, though, and for some people it involves going back to the abusive partner and then leaving again.

There are many reasons why people stay in an abusive relationship for a while, a few include: · They fear the abuser, who may have threatened to kill them, or someone they love if they leave. · The abuser has succeeded in isolating them, personally and economically, to the point that they feel they have nowhere to go. · Their partner has succeeded in systematically dismantling their self-esteem so that they feel they are at fault or deserve the abuse and do not have the right to leave.

MYTH OR FACT Persons who are abused look for abuse, they like it, abusers are usually totally strangers, in many cases alcohol/drugs does play a role in abuse, CYCLE OF VIOLENCE

They are usually four phases of abuse: 1. Tension Building (tension increases, Breakdown of communication, victim becomes fearful and feels the need to placate the abuser) 2. Incident (verbal, emotional, physical abuse, anger, blaming, arguing, threats and Intimidation) 3. Reconciliation (Abuser apologies, give excuses, blames the victim, denies abuse occurred, or says it wasn’t as bad as the victim claims.

4. Calm (Incident is “forgotten”, no abuse is taking place.

The “Honeymoon” Phase.

STEPS IN ABUSE Abuse — The abuser lashes out with aggressive or violent behaviour. The abuse is a power play designed to show the victim “who is boss.”

Guilt — After the abusive episode, the abuser feels guilt, but not over what he’s done to the victim. The guilt is over the possibility of being caught and facing consequences.

Rationalization or excuses — The abuser rationalizes what he’s done. He may come up with a string of excuses or blame the victim for his own abusive behavior—anything to shift responsibility from himself.

“Normal” behaviour — The abuser does everything he can to regain control and keep the victim in the relationship. He may act as if nothing has happened, or he may turn on the charm. This peaceful honeymoon phase

may give the victim hope that the abuser has really changed this time.

Fantasy and planning — The abuser begins to fantasize about abusing his victim again, spending a lot of time thinking about what she’s done wrong and how he’ll make her pay. Then he makes a plan for turning the fantasy of abuse into reality.

Set-up — The abuser sets up the victim and puts his plan in motion, creating a situation where he can justify abusing her.

SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP Your Inner Thoughts and Feelings…Your Partner’s Belittling Behavior Do you: Feel afraid of your partner much of the time?

Avoid certain topics out of fear of angering your partner?

Feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?

Believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?

Wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?

Feel emotionally numb or helpless?

DOES YOUR PARTNER: Humiliate, criticize, or yell at you?

Treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?

Ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?

Blame you for his own abusive behaviour?

See you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?

Your Partner’s Violent

Behaviour or Threats…Your Partner’s Controlling Behaviour Does your partner: Have a bad and unpredictable temper?

Hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?

Threaten to take your children away or harm them?

Threaten to commit suicide if you leave?

Force you to have sex?

Destroy your belongings?

Does your partner: Act excessively jealous and possessive?

Control where you go or what you do?

Keep you from seeing your friends or family?

Limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?

Constantly check up on you?

TYPES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCEANDABUSE There are different types of domestic abuse, including emotional, physical, sexual, and economic abuse. Many abusers behave in ways that include more than one type of domestic abuse, and the boundaries between some of these behaviors may overlap.

EMOTIONAL OR PSYCHOLOGICALABUSE Emotional or psychological abuse can be verbal or nonverbal. Its aim is to chip away at your feelings of self-worth and independence. If you’re the victim of emotional abuse, you may feel that there is no way out of the relationship, or that without your abusive partner you have nothing.

Emotional abuse includes verbal abuse such as yelling, name-calling, blaming, and

Dr Dawn Stewart shaming.

Isolation, intimidation, and controlling behavior also fall under emotional abuse.

Additionally, abusers who use emotional or psychological abuse often throw in threats of physical violence.

You may think that physical abuse is far worse than emotional abuse, since physical violence can send you to the hospital and leave you with scars. But, the scars of emotional abuse are very real, and they run deep.

In fact, emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse—sometimes even more so. Furthermore, emotional abuse usually worsens over time, often escalating to physical battery.

PHYSICALABUSE When people talk about domestic violence, they are often referring to the physical abuse of a spouse or intimate partner. Physical abuse is the use of physical force against someone in a way that injures or endangers that person.

There’s a broad range of behaviors that come under the heading of physical abuse, including hitting, grabbing, choking, throwing things, and assault with a weapon.

Physical assault or battering is a crime, whether it occurs inside or outside of the family. The police have the power and authority to protect you from physical attack.

Sexual abuse Sexual abuse is common in abusive relationships.

According to the US National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, between one-third and one-half of all battered women are raped by their partners at least once during their relationship.

Remember any situation in which you are forced to participate in unwanted, unsafe, or degrading sexual activity is sexual abuse.

Forced sex, even by a spouse or intimate partner with whom you also have consensual sex, is an act of aggression and violence.

Furthermore, women whose partners abuse them physically and sexually are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed.

ECONOMIC OR FINANCIALABUSE Remember, an abuser’s goal (Continued on page 53)

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

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My column

Guyana is wasting the people’s resources There is a saying, willful waste makes woeful want.

Guyana seems to be willfully wasting its resources, including its financial resources. The Guyana Sugar Corporation is just one case in point. I remember when the word came that the European Union was going to cut the amount of money it was paying for sugar from Guyana and the rest of the African Caribbean and Pacific countries.

I watched St Kitts and Jamaica get out of sugar. I heard the British High Commissioner say that he thought that Guyana should get out of sugar. My thoughts went back to Desmond Hoyte. He thought that Guyana should get out of sugar and he was prepared to close some of the sugar estates.

Of course this became a political issue. The now ruling party accused Hoyte and his People’s National Congress of targeting supporters of the People’s Progressive Party.

The bulk of the sugar workers were supporters of the ruling party.

The then President Cheddi Jagan announced that he was not going to close any sugar estate. Indeed, he never did, but his successors did close some of the estates, the most recent being the one at La Bonne Intention.

Then President Bharrat Jagdeo came up with what

was expected to be a trump card—the new Skeldon Sugar Factory. That became the country’s largest investment.

The nation waited for the miracle but it is still to happen.

Skeldon is under producing, it is subjected to numerous breakdowns a mere three years into its existence and it is using more cane to produce a ton of sugar, much more than any of the other sugar factories that were considered inefficient.

It was made with Chinese technology and China is being seen as the emerging world power. Then about two weeks ago I began to read that the United States was being plagued with breakdowns attributed to Chinese equipment. Now we know that Guyana wasted money on Chinese equipment and Chinese technology.

The waste does not end there. Despite the comments by the government that it is only time before the factory begins operating at its maximum, the reality is that there is no hope of the factory ever delivering.

Last week I learnt that Guyana has already begun to repay the money it borrowed to construct this modern factory. GuySuCo does not have money because it cannot pay its workers. The money is therefore being repaid by me and the people of this country.

The nation is not being

told this because it is a slap in the face of the government.

There is still the message to the nation that Skeldon is going to be Guyana’s salvation. But the factory is merely the beginning of Guyana’s relationship with China. We are going to have the Chinese extend the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the terminal building; they are going to build the Marriott Hotel; they are running a communication cable that would help Guyana Power and Light monitor its operation; and they are the producers of the laptop computers that form the basis of the One Laptop per Family project.

It must be that the Chinese have bought the leaders of the country and are now earning the fruits of the payment.

But the government is silent. Kaieteur News, cognizant of the fact that this is a poor country and needs value for every dollar it

spends, has been looking at these projects. However, whenever it asks hard questions it is accused of being anti-government.

Kaieteur News was one of the critics of the Skeldon Sugar Factory. It pushed the government to penalize the contractor when it seemed that he was taking forever to construct the factory. But sometimes, the saviour stands alone; his voice a single strident note that soon becomes lost in the wind.

There are those who believe that someone has actually collected money on the side from the Chinese and it came as a pleasant surprise when President Donald Ramotar announced that he was going to ask his members of parliament, in fact, all members of parliament, to declare their income and assets at the end of every year.

Perhaps he suspects that some of his own people have unexplained wealth but he

cannot touch them. They are protected by constitutional provisions. It would be interesting to ascertain whether they have been paying their due taxes.

Another case of wasted resources can be seen in the payment of people who have little or nothing to do for the good of the country. These are labeled advisors, but some of them are mere political workers. The country needs to protect its assets.

Just recently I had cause to look at the operations of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). I noticed that instead of holding onto the people’s money, this entity was actually wasting the money.

This has not come out as yet, but NICIL has money in the Berbice River Bridge.

However it is not getting any returns on its investment in that bridge. President Jagdeo did announce that Government was going to

Adam Harris forego its dividends in a move to keep the toll down.

NICIL has money in Hand in Hand Trust, but again it is getting no dividends. I learnt this from Winston Brassington who said that his brother for his $225 million investment is getting nothing.

Now it is going to put US$19 million into the Marriott and I am going to bet that it will not get any money either, at least not in the foreseeable future.

With such waste of resources, I cannot understand why the government is making such a fuss over the budget cuts.

Page 26

On June 1 we observed International Children’s Day. This is a fitting time to take a critical look at the state of our nation’s children and the systems and conditions provided for their growth and development.

UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2012 Report focuses on children in an urban world. According to the Report, many children in urban areas are at high risk of exploitation and trafficking, as well as becoming victims of violence.

The Report notes that “the hardships endured by children in poor urban communities are often concealed – and thus perpetuated – by the statistical averages on which decisions about resource allocation are based. Because averages lump everyone together, the poverty of some is obscured by the wealth of others. One consequence of this is that children already deprived remain excluded from essential services.”

The Report goes on to state that “children living in urban poverty experience levels of depression and distress that are higher than the urban average.

One factor often cited by children and observers as a cause of mental distress is the stigma that comes with being seen as a child of the underprivileged”.

While we may be tempted to dismiss such causes as due to children not being brought up to appreciate what they have and of being too preoccupied with the fashion and glamour presented through television, it highlights the

Kaieteur News

impact poverty is having on society, especially on young people.

Recently, we read of an incident where an argument over ‘brand name’ clothing resulted in one teen stabbing another to death. In an earlier incident in February, a teen was stabbed to death allegedly by another teen, and this week yet another teen was assaulted by his peer.

Taking these three incidents into consideration, what is abundantly clear is that those involved do not live in what would be considered the more ‘well-to-do’ neighbourhoods.

Studies show that underprivileged children with depressed parents, especially mothers, are most likely to suffer from aggression, problems forging relationships with other children, trust issues, and future vulnerability to substance abuse.

We know that children living in deprived areas have worse housing conditions and they worry more about crime and unsafe neighbourhoods. Some children experience the stress of a more violent local culture within their community or at school and for them, the stigma associated with poverty is the cause for their isolation.

When parent(s) are low-income earners, their children often face bullying, domestic violence, mal-treatment and dysfunctional relationships. Poverty makes all the other challenges of daily living all the more difficult and, it has been found that children of poor

families, especially the boys, show a high level of behaviour problems, and this is exacerbated by overcrowded or poor housing.

It is clear that we must ‘up our game’ and do more to save our children. How often have we heard, “our children are our future.” For these words to have any real meaning, we must do more than shout the platitudes.

The responsibility for ensuring every child is protected and allowed to enjoy the freedom of childhood falls on the shoulders of all adults. But, in many instances, instead of protecting our children, adults are the ones who abuse, discriminate and victimise our children.

In most instances when we hear of a child being abused, we find out that the abuser is an adult and more than that, it is an adult who was in a position of trust.

Legislation alone cannot protect our children. Despite all the legislation we have passed and there have been quite a few, too many of our children still suffer from violent verbal and physical abuses both in and out of their homes.

Many of them are forced into child labour due to poverty and worse still many are forced, coerced or tricked into the child sex trade. This is a disgusting state of affairs and must be arrested.

Collective approaches must be found to tackle the problems affecting our children.

This is not a problem for only the government, the opposition or any single political party or

Sunday June 03, 2012

group. The problems affecting our children are national problems and demand a comprehensive national approach where all of society, our politicians, religious leaders, the business community, women and youth groups, educators and all of civil society will be engaged.

Given what we have seen as a developing trend of teen violence in our city, we must adopt the action points set out in the UNICEF State of the World’s Children Report 2012.

These include: • Better understand the scale and nature of poverty and exclusion affecting children in urban areas.

• Identify and remove the barriers to inclusion.

• Ensure that urban planning, infrastructure development, service delivery and broader efforts to reduce poverty and inequality meet the particular needs and priorities of children.

• Promote partnership between all levels of government and the urban poor – especially children and young people.

• Pool the resources and energies of international, national, municipal and community actors in support of efforts to ensure that marginalized and impoverished children enjoy their full rights.

As the Report states, “These actions are not goals but means to an end: fairer, more nurturing cities and societies for all people – starting with children.”

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 27

Enhancing CPG relations with the community (Part 2) A few weeks ago, the Community Policing Organization of Guyana celebrated the 36th year of its existence.

To mark the occasion, a number of events were held.

These included public discourses and seminars, highlighting the work of CPGs and demonstrating its significance and benefits to the society.

At one such seminar, Taajnauth Jadunauth, one of Guyana’s leading CPG advocates delivered a presentation entitled “enhancing CPG relations with the community”.

Jadunauth is an executive member of the Enmore Community Policing group and chairman of the Enmore Station Management Committee.

Recently the village of Enmore has come under scrutiny with two highly publicized murders and several break- ins committed on business places.

The village’s community policing group is considered one of the most vibrant in the country and the recent events have been a cause for concern in a community that was once considered impregnable.

Jadunath’s presentation at the CPG anniversary forum is timely and it was felt that it is worth publishing for the general public to digest, especially with the criticism surrounding community policing.

Below is the conclusion of Jadunauth’s presentation. ******** (Continued from last week) It bears repetition that Community Policing is voluntary work. The active membership is already stretched to the limit just to patrol, and even that is very stressful.

On top of that, members have to come out of their pockets to put gas into the vehicles and to repair the vehicles, etc. But it does not have to be like that.

If my experience in the Concerned Citizens of Enmore Policing Group is anything to go by, please permit me to tell you what we did to engage our community.

1) The leadership of our Group is made up of persons with integrity and includes influential businessmen, factory workers and even cane-cutters.

This sends a message of inclusivity. We do not have an elite group of people lording it over the community.

We talk to persons one-onone and we encourage them into the leadership structure.

This gives us credibility.

2) We raise funds by coopting influential persons in the community in our fundraising drives: to sell tickets;

to donate prizes; to donate furniture; etc. I would guess that 85% of Enmore supports our fund-raising efforts.

3) We divide the community into wards and put sub-executives to head each ward. We hold meetings in each ward, thus we are able to bring out the women folk to meetings.

We let them know of their vulnerability and the need for their involvement. This improves communication and feedback. In effect, we take the Group to the people.

4) Operationally, we confine patrols to within wards so that members do not have to go outside of their wards or any distance away from their homes. We have a roving patrol which traverses the wider community.

5) We use interlinked hand-held sets patched into a base radio which is operational between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thus, an alarm raised over the radio by one ward is heard by all other wards at the same time, thereby making response faster and more strategic.

6) After a fund-raiser, we prepare 100 statements and distribute them. It becomes a public document.

7) We address certain community issues. If we cannot resolve them, we involve appropriate agencies.

8) We opened a library so that we can bring young people to our Community Policing Group base.

9) We have games which kids can play and a gym which young people can use.

10) We sent some of our members into the Army Reserve for training.

And there are a few other initiatives in place.

With the exception of an initial $200,000: given by then Minister Gajraj to assist in building our base, we constructed a building and put facilities in place with funds generated from and by the community and from wellwishers outside of the community.

So, we had gone beyond the ordinary to involve the community and they had responded positively. While not all Groups may be able to go it like we did, it is worth the try if we want to improve relations between CPGs and communities.

Do we get cussed out?

Sure! But we can go to the same persons who cuss us out and get them to buy our Bar-B-Que tickets. It is a love/ hate situation, and we understand and live with that reality.

What is the new reality?

I have just recounted the success story. But we also have our share of problems, most of recent origin.

Our Group can still raise $300,000: in two weeks from our community. But we have lost membership to migration, new housing schemes, deaths, attrition, and we have not been able to replace them fast enough.

The average age of a CPG member is about 50. If the age range of current active CPG membership is anything to go by, the major challenge is to get our youths to be involved in Community Policing and to be ready for leadership succession.

In all of this, however, there needs to be a recognition that the sociopolitical dynamics which gave birth to vigilante groups, now CPGs, have altered considerably. We have moved from communityoriented threats to attacks against singled-out persons/ residences/businesses.

The raison d’être for the community to have banded together, i.e., the earlier threats and vulnerabilities of the community as a whole, have diminished.

Simultaneously, being our brother’s keeper is giving way to the tragic emphasis on individualism, the me, myself and I syndrome.

Individualism is rapidly replacing communitymindedness. For example, robberies are occurring

almost daily in communities and are witnessed by residents, but hardly anyone will lift a finger to offer help.

Nobody is even prepared to give a statement to the Police of what he/she had seen.

The bottom line of this individualistic existence is that residents are standing in line to get attacked, to be robbed—one at a time.

While the criminal community is getting stronger and more aggressive, the regular community is getting more and more fragmented and individualistic.

The community library has been replaced by personal computers. Table tennis, cricket, squash,

dominoes, gym, etc., have given way to computer games and the electronic age.

I n t e r p e r s o n a l relationships, born of playing together, working together and achieving together, which developed and nurtured community relationship, cohesiveness and responsiveness, is under serious threat. The Internet and Facebook are the new communal meeting places.

We are losing our “road sense”. Have you ever seen someone on the cell phone texting away? Or someone on the cell phone crossing the road in the middle of heavy traffic? He is totally oblivious to anything around him, let alone being security

conscious.

In effect, our communities are losing an entire generation. And I daresay that, left unaddressed, community organizations, including CPGs, will be a thing of the past in another decade, if not sooner.

Nobody is going to be in an organization. And it is outside of the scope and capability of CPGs to remedy this.

Therefore, to ask or to expect existing Community Policing Groups to go beyond patrols in the community setting into the realm of developmental programmes might be overshooting it.

CONCLUSION Crime will continue to grow in Guyana, simply because there are those who display growing affluence, but moreso because there are those who display a growing reluctance to want to work to earn an honest living.

As age catches up with existing members of CPGs, as bringing young people on board becomes more and more remote, as the Police Force experiences ongoing difficulty to recruit suitable persons into the Force, as voluntarism in community (as in CPGs) fades, the increasing threat to community security, as indeed national security, seems very probable.

Greater reliance is being placed on electronic surveillance, cameras at homes and at business places (Continued on page 38)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

‘The people’s doctor’, Ramesh Sugrim, is a ‘Special Person’

By Leon Suseran He embodies the care and deep concern that a doctor has for his patients. Running a private clinic, he opines that in the grand scheme of things, money is not really important, as in some cases he willingly treats persons free of charge.

Maybe that’s why his Williamsburg, Corentyne clinic is abuzz with activity from early in the day, and remains that way till late in the afternoon.

People trust him; some persons have expressed to me their immense confidence in him. He says he has had a lifelong love for medicine. For decades, that mindset has smoothly worked its way into the day-to-day dealings with his patients, and that is possibly why they call him “The people’s doctor.”

His name is Ramesh Nauth Persaud Sugrim. He was born to Sugrim Surujnauth and Kawal Surujnauth on August 9, 1954, at Skeldon, Corentyne.

His education began at Skeldon Scots School where he attained a Bookers Scholarship – his eligibility being through the fact that his father was employed as a truck driver at the estate. He attended Skeldon Lutheran High School with the scholarship from 1965-1970, the only member of his family of eight who actually got to the high school level.

Sugrim recalled tirelessly walking the streets on weekends selling sweets “penny for one...to raise funds to pay for my exams”.

He later attended Queen’s College for a “short while” after being encouraged by several cousins who were at the prestigious city institution. Boarding and lodging provided a constant

Sharing a light moment with a young patient

reality check, and consequently he decided to leave after two years since “they (his relatives) were finding it hard to maintain me”.

A newspaper advertisement then attracted him - training for a two-year Certificate Course in Medical Technology, with a stipend.

He successfully applied and attended the University of Guyana for that course in

and I think that was one of the reasons why I went with a full head of hair and I when I came back I was half bald....stress... the stress of being away from my wife and children for so long.”

Whenever given the chance to return for a short visit to home, he readily accepted. Unfortunately, during a home-visit on the fourth year of his studies, his father died the same day he

“People would come whether they have money or not. My first aim is to help them.

I don’t ask them how much money they have...and anybody can tell you, my clinic is always filled with people from all over.”

1972.

Interestingly, he met a young lady, who was doing the same course, and they got married three years later, on January 19, 1975. They both worked together at the Central Medical Laboratory in the city for a few years, and were transferred to Skeldon Hospital to open a lab there.

Both technologists worked there for about two years and were transferred to Georgetown Hospital.

Afterwards, he and his wife applied for Government scholarships to study medicine in Cuba. He recounted that they were not accepting married couples to study, thus the decision was reached that he would go. He went to the Spanish-speaking territory in 1979, where he studied for six years.

“Those were the six longest years of my life,” he reflected with a smile.

A six-month Spanish course was done right here in Guyana prior to his departure.

“It (studying in Cuba) was tough, but we made out.

Actually every night I cried

arrived.

“When I arrived that Saturday in Georgetown, I telephoned him and told him I was coming the next day. He was so anxious to see me.

Perhaps the anxiety was too much for him. That was a great shock for me at the time, but I had to go back and continue finish off [studies].”

And finish he did. Upon returning as a graduate doctor in 1985, he worked at the Georgetown Hospital and was later transferred to the hospital in Black Bush Polder.

Health care delivery was essentially brought to life in the tiny farming community.

“It was a new hospital and it was underutilized, so we opened the lab and theatre and x-ray department and there is where I built my reputation, because many people used to come in from all over the country for treatment.”

He worked three years at Black Bush and was called to work at the Port Mourant Hospital. Sugrim said that the people of Black Bush actually held protests to express their

need to have him stay there.

Their actions touched him deeply.

Upon completion of his five-year contract with the government and feeling frustrated with the system, he said that the then Minister of Health, Hamilton Green, had called him up and said that the repeated protests had become political “…so the best thing was for me to go back to Georgetown Hospital”.

Sugrim declined to do so, and he and his wife, a Senior Medical Technologist, both left the public system and he started a new chapter in his life.

He opened his private clinic in 1992 after working with a private doctor two years prior. Dr Sugrim deeply wanted to remain in the public health system “because “I never had the intention of doing this (starting a private clinic)...through there (the public system) I could have helped a lot more people. My aim was not to make money…as long as my family lived comfortably that would have been okay. But maybe it was a blessing in disguise.”

A blessing indeed! He has since been able to tangibly impact on quite a few lives.

“People would come whether they have money or not. My first aim is to help them. I don’t ask them how much money they have...and anybody can tell you, my clinic is always filled with people from all over— Guyana, Suriname…people even come from United States.”

Sugrim’s two sons are specialised doctors.

Shilendra, is an Eye Specialist at the Georgetown Hospital and his younger brother, Surendra, a Family Medicine specialist, has a private clinic in the States.

Dr Sugrim was once the President (for six years) of the Arya Samaj Humanitarian Mission in Guyana.

His packed schedule does not afford him to do much outside the medical field, but Dr Sugrim sings and performs at wakes and other religious functions, something he loves to do. He even has his own recording studio at home where he propagates Indian and religious music, does his own recordings, and assists other like-minded individuals and organisations with recording and publishing their music. He is also a licenced marriage officer.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM In assessing the health system as it relates to care of the general public, Dr Sugrim opined that it “seems to be improved, with the newly-trained doctors...even

Dr Ramesh Sugrim with the health centres.”

The only criticism I have is that the government is only now emphasising training for specialists. If this was planned and done a long time ago, they would not have had to depend on foreign specialists. They were not previously interested in training specialists. When I came back from Cuba, I asked to go back and specialise (in Gynecology) and they (the then administration) did not allow me.They permitted who they wanted to.”

“Even though they have state-of-the-art facilities now and there is lots of improvement, many persons are apprehensive about the public health system— they are afraid. For instance, some tell me they afraid to go to the New Amsterdam Hospital because if they go there, they will die. It is a false perception they have, but then again the public hospitals need to dispel those fears. It begins with competence and a professional attitude.”

Sugrim said that he gained his experience from Dr Deen Sharma, with whom he

performed many surgeries in Georgetown. “He trained me a lot. It was priceless.”

To the critics of the Cuban training that many doctors have today, Sugrim asserted “the training in Cuba is excellent. Medicine is actually the same worldwide; in my opinion there is not much difference”.

DOCTOR’S ORDERS Our ‘Special Person’ then offered some advice. “I normally see a lot of patients with diabetes and hypertension. The basic thing is people don’t eat right and keep a proper diet. Diet alone can help with a lot of illnesses...so it is basically the lifestyle that people live that determines their health.”

He added that very few people do care.

“The growing obesity rate in Guyana is fueled by the killer, meat…the worst enemy is chicken. A lot of people depend on chicken and chicken has a lot of oil and fat. To be frank, the majority of people who are vegetarians, they suffer less.”

“Another thing, people (Continued on page 38)

Dr Sugrim, his wife, two sons and a young female relative

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

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LABOURING IN THE VINEYARD: The 2012 Dr Eric Williams Memorial Lecture (Part 1 of 3)

By Sir Shridath Ramphal

I hope the advent of electronic ‘readers’ does not mean that there will no longer be books for authors to inscribe to their friends on publication.

Some of my most treasured books are of that kind; among them, none more treasured than the copy of From Columbus to Castro: The History of the Caribbean 1492 – 1969, inscribed as follows: My dear Sonny We are both labourers in the vineyard.

It is in this spirit that I send you this book.

Bill That was 1970. “Bill”, of course, was Prime Minister Eric Williams. The vineyard was economic integration.

West Indians were nurturing Caribbean unity from the CARIFTA seedling to the sapling of Caribbean Community.

The blossoms of CARICOM and the Treaty of Chaguaramas had actually sprouted. In this lecture, I want to follow that inscription through the decades that have passed, asking what has come of our labours – what is the state of the vineyard?

The Eric Williams Memorial Lecture has a distinguished vintage; I am honoured and humbled to have been invited to join the list of those who have given it over the years.

I thank the organisers and all those responsible for the invitation, and the Governor of the Central Bank, in particular, Mr Ewart Williams.

And I am twice honoured, in giving the Lecture in this special year of the 50th Anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago’s Independence.

With Jamaica, you mark this year the first 50 years of

West Indian freedom in its larger sense; and you have much of which to be proud.

Today (May 26th) also marks 46 years of the independence of Guyana whose initial Constitution I had a hand in drafting as its Attorney-General, But there are ironies which I must share with you – and questions which I hope you will allow me to ask.

Fifty years ago, in 1962, I lived among you, here in my West Indian Capital, in Portof-Spain; in Maraval. I was a younger labourer then; and the vineyard was of course ‘federation’.

The West Indies’, with a capital T, the Federation for which West Indian leaders had struggled, intellectually and politically, for 40 years — none more so than Trinidadians like Captain Arthur Andrew Cipriani and Uriah ‘Buzz’ Butler — and for which its people had yearned, (the Federation) was about to become Independent on the 31st May 1962 – 50 years ago.

We should have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Independence of the West Indian nation next week. That is how close we came to reaching the ‘holy grail’.

Instead, on that same day (31 May 1962), the Federation was dissolved.

The immediate cause of the dissolution was, of course, Jamaica’s referendum and Dr Williams’ inventive, and now notorious, arithmetic that “1 from 10 leaves nought”. But these were only the proximate causes. Federation’s failure had many fathers.

As Assistant Attorney

General of the Federation, I had been drafting the Federal Constitution. My vision, my mission, was regional – an independent West Indies.

I left Port-of-Spain on 30th August 1992 for Harvard, where I would be reassured by the example of other federal founding fathers who had overcome their trials trials much greater and more traumatic than our own through sustained vision and leadership. I have never lost faith in real Caribbean unity as our regional destiny.

Nor, I believe, did Eric Williams. In the last pages of From Columbus to Castro he wrote this: “The real case for unity in Commonwealth Caribbean countries rests on the creation of a more unified front in dealing with the outside world – diplomacy, foreign trade, foreign investment and similar matters. Without such a unified front the territories will continue to be playthings of outside Governments and outside investors. To increase the ‘countervailing power’ of the small individual units vis-avis the strong outside Governments and outside companies requires that they should aim at nothing less than a single centre of decision-making vis-a-vis the outside world. [A SINGLE CENTRE OF DECISIONMAKING!].”

He had earlier written in those same pages: “Increasingly, the Commonwealth Caribbean countries such as Trinidad and Tobago will become aware that the goals of greater economic independence and the

development of a cultural identity will involve them in even closer ties one with another – at economic and other levels. For the present disgraceful state of fragmentation of the Commonwealth Caribbean countries makes it extremely difficult (although not impossible) for a single country to adopt a more independent and less ‘open’ strategy of development.”

You see why, within months of writing this, he could be addressing me as a ‘fellow labourer in the vineyard’ – the vineyard of economic integration: the new variety of unity, after ‘federation’ had withered.

It was his hope that those efforts - the drive from CARIFTA to Community and the fulfilment of the dream of Chaguararmas could ameliorate the present disgraceful state of fragmentation of the Commonwealth Caribbean countries – a state of disunity he so palpably deplored.

From all this two questions seem to invite answers from us, one speculative; the other more definitive.

The first is whether West Indians (all of us) would be better off were we celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of The West Indies?

The second, given that we abandoned federation, is whether we have rectified what Eric Williams called (in 1969) our disgraceful state of fragmentation.

In this special year, the first question is uniquely appropriate; the second, I suggest, is imperative.

So let us look at the first.

Would we have been better off had the Federation not been dissolved?

Any answer to this must

Sunday June 03, 2012

Sir Shridath Ramphal

make some assumptions; but there are good clues. The first is that the patch-work Lancaster House Constitution agreed to in 1961 would have been the basis of Independence – i.e. a very weak central government; but with a constitutional review in 5 years time.

But another assumption is more positive. Norman Manley had pledged that if he won the referendum, he would offer himself for election to the Federal Parliament.

His actual words were: “As simply as I can, and with a full heart, I must state that when the first election for a new West Indies comes, I shall offer myself as a candidate.” In other words, Norman Manley might be the Prime Minister of the independent Federation.

The new Federal Government would have minimal, indeed miniscule, powers. The Economics of Nationhood, by which Eric Williams placed such store; but whose strong central government so frightened Jamaica, would be in cold storage.

The Government would be essentially a vehicle for mobilising the people of the West Indies to nationhood — and with Manley at the helm inspiring in them and in the international community confidence in the maturity of the new Caribbean state.

Five years later, constitutional review, against the backdrop of those first

years of nation-building, would give confidence to a process of endowing the Federal Government with more substantive but still limited powers.

Perhaps, most important of all, would be the gains in the deepening of our West Indian identity and the enlargement of a West Indian patriotism.

And they would be years of the West Indian people getting to know each other as never before.

The Federal Palm and The Federal Maple – Canada’s thoughtful gift to the Federation - would carry them where only their West Indian spirit had been before in their inter-island travels.

Independence for all of the islands would be achieved within the framework of the federation, and each of the Island States would be autonomous within their substantial powers.

On the international stage, The West Indies, though still small in world terms, would have become a sizable player, not least because of the quality and spread of our human resources.

And would Guyana, which had inexcusably abstained from the federal project, not have been inexorably drawn in? It would, I believe, have become its unavoidable pathway to independence.

Today, on the eve of its 50th Anniversary our national (Continued on page 38)

Sunday June 03, 2012

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Republics maybe, but no quarrel with the Queen

By Sir Ronald Sanders The streets were festooned with flags and multi-coloured banners, large crowds of people thronged the road sides, British soldiers marched to the commanding sounds of bagpipes and drums.

Local police, boy scouts, girl guides and even the fire brigade joined in the parade.

There was everywhere a feeling of cheerfulness. In the evening, a fireworks display was held and the mood of joy continued.

It was June 2, 1953, the day that the young Elizabeth was crowned Queen, one year and four months after she came to the British Throne following her father’s death.

The event that I witnessed as a child - and the fragment of memory that I just recalled – did not occur in London. Celebrations on a much grander scale with great pomp and pageantry were held in London that day.

The event I saw was in Georgetown, the capital of British Guiana – Britain’s distant colony in South America. It was a celebration replicated in every part of the British Empire, then still spread around the globe, and, as yet, an Empire on which the sun did not set.

As Elizabeth marks her Diamond Jubilee – 60 years since that unique June day in 1953 — the British Empire no longer bestrides the globe and she is no longer queen of many countries in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

The grand celebrations are taking place in her British homeland, with London very much the centre of jubilation.

Unlike 60 years ago, there are no striking public celebrations in her 15 other remaining realms of which 9 are in the Caribbean.

To mark the occasion, members of the Royal family were dispatched, as representatives of the Queen, to the 15 realms ahead of the June 2 celebrations in London. They carried

greetings from Her Majesty and participated in events experiencing varying degrees of reciprocal warmth.

By far, the most successful and engaging of the royal visitors was the charming and internationallyrecognizable Prince Harry, one of the Queen’s grandsons who visited Belize, The Bahamas and Jamaica.

His visit to Jamaica was particularly significant because, only weeks before, the newly-elected Prime Minister, Portia SimpsonMiller, had announced her government’s intention to relinquish ties to the Queen in favour of republican status.

The fact that the marking of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in her other 15 realms did not match the festivities of her coronation in 1953 is an indication of how independence from Britain has considerably reduced the links with her.

Although the GovernorsGeneral in these realms are technically her representatives, they are local persons appointed by the government. The links to the Queen are a formality and they are seen as such.

Indeed, the magnificent celebrations in London, including the gathering of Royals from all over the world demonstrate that Elizabeth is essentially Britain’s Queen, and while she has been determined throughout her reign in her admirable efforts to visit as many of her realms as possible, visiting is not the same as being there.

This portends that, in the near future, many of the Queen’s remaining 15 realms will choose to become republics. And, while large numbers of the populations – especially the older generations – will retain great affection and admiration for this great lady, they will regard the Crown as a British institution, located in Britain and distant from their pressing affairs.

Already on the cards are intentions made public by the governments of Australia and

Jamaica to become Republics.

The only one of her realms, outside of Britain, that has strengthened its ties to the Crown is Canada whose government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, recently re-named the military forces “Royal”.

Nonetheless, the Queen deserves the adulation and regard that she has been given on her Diamond Jubilee by the British people.

During her reign she has worked with 156 prime ministers in her realms. She has carried out her duties with dedication and devotion, even through misfortunes and tragedies in her own family.

Her worldwide renown and the pomp and pageantry associated with her official tasks, have been of considerable benefit to the British economy and to British standing internationally.

Millions of people throughout the 53-nation Commonwealth of which she is Head as a “symbol of their voluntary association” also have a rightful regard for her.

She has been an ardent champion and advocate of the Commonwealth relationship, even defying at one point the advice of her British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, not to attend a Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in Zambia at the height of the struggle to wrest Southern Rhodesia from a white

supremacist regime.

She took the time to meet every Commonwealth Head of State and government personally, and all of them – including Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe – have said that they enjoyed their conversations with her, and were impressed by the breadth of her knowledge and understanding.

At her coronation, after the Homage in Westminster Abbey ended and the drums beat out and the trumpets sounded, the assembled congregation not only cried out: “God save Queen Elizabeth, Long live Queen Elizabeth”, they also shouted, “May the Queen live forever”.

Their final exclamation may not be fulfilled, but so far Britain and the rest of the Commonwealth have had 60 years of devoted service from a remarkable woman.

As the Jamaica prime minister said in explaining her desire for a republic, “I love the Queen, she is a beautiful lady, and apart from being a beautiful lady she is a wise lady and a wonderful lady, but time come”.

So, while undoubtedly more of her realms, including those in the Caribbean, will opt to become republics and sever their ties with her, the decision will be taken as a matter of practicality; it will not be a rejection of the Queen personally, and she will continue her relationship with them, as she has done with all Commonwealth countries, as the symbol of their voluntary association and their collective champion.

(The writer is a Consultant and former Caribbean diplomat)

Sir Ronald Sanders Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s at: www.sirronaldsanders.com

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Sunday June 03, 2012

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

From page 20 shortly after midday last Sunday, and from all appearances Bowen was badly beaten.

Sylvia Kishore, the dead man’s mother told Kaieteur News that she received the news of his death sometime around lunch.

“Someone called me and said they find my son body in de burial ground…so I rushed to see,” Kishore said.

She was accompanied by her daughter and they made the positive identification.

Relatives admitted that Bowen was a habitual drug user. They said that there are reports that Bowen was beaten after he was accused of stealing several pieces of scrap metal from a Norton Street scrap metal shop. ************** TUESDAY EDITION FOURTEEN INJURED IN COVERDEN MINIBUS CRASH A 74-year-old man and a 16-year-old schoolgirl were among 14 people injured around 16:30 hrs Monday near Coverden, East Bank Demerara, after a speeding, Timehri-bound minibus slammed their vehicle from behind.

All the injured were travelling in a Kuru-Kurubound bus, BLL 9312, which reportedly toppled over before ending up in a roadside trench. The driver of the Timehri-bound bus, BNN 4262, was reportedly the only occupant of his vehicle.

Passengers said that this driver goes by the nickname ‘Mad Sick’, and they claimed he was consuming alcohol some hours before the mishap.

The injured included Vijay Persaud, 25, of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara; Manfred Parks, 74; Suelan Daniels, 16; Crystel Samaroo, 21; Cecline Mentis; the driver of BLL 9312, Ryan Rampaul, 35, all of Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke/Linden, and Rampaul’s conductor.

They were all treated at the Diamond Regional Hospital.

Parks, who sustained a broken right arm, and the driver, Ryan Rampaul, were taken by ambulance to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where Parks was admitted. All the others were treated and discharged. $30M MISSING PONTOON FOUND ‘STASHED’UPMAHAICA CREEK Searchers on Monday found a multi-million-dollar pontoon stashed miles up the Mahaica Creek, days after it was mysteriously removed from the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

A search team, working on

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target was 101,800 tonnes and to date only 71,000 tonnes have been produced.

information, had gone there on Sunday but saw no sign of it. According to the bridge’s General Manager, Rawlston Adams, the pontoon, which is believed to worth some $30M, was found “abandoned” miles up the creek. It was tied up.

Four winches, worth over $2M, and a scow-end were missing. ************** WEDNESDAY EDITION STOLEN WINCHES DUMPEDAT MAHAICA Authorities of the Demerara Harbour Bridge on Tuesday recovered four winches that were stolen with a pontoon from the facility a little over one week ago. The recovery of the winches occurred one day after searchers found the multimillion-dollar pontoon stashed miles up the Mahaica Creek.

The winches were discovered dumped on a deserted section of the Mahaica Old Road, near Bygeval, early Tuesday morning, several kilometres from where the pontoon was found.

Using torches, the thieves cut off the winches and from all indications, they abandoned them to avoid capture while they were transporting it to a safe location.

This newspaper had received a call from a Mahaica resident who informed that the winches were dumped in the village. The resident said that he was forced to stop persons from removing the equipment worth $2M from where it was dumped.

When this newspaper arrived the equipment was found wrapped in a piece of tarpaulin.

The police were subsequently informed, and they in turn contacted the Harbour Bridge officials.

ENMORE FACTORY WORKERS DOWN TOOLS Factory workers at the Enmore Estate commenced a three-day strike Tuesday to protest the job evaluation done by the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and its refusal to pay the agreed upon “holiday-with-pay”. The workers were in consensus to down tools immediately after their representative concluded a meeting with the company’s Personnel Manager at which an amicable agreement was not reached.

Factory workers’ representative, Sukhram, told the media that the issues were raised with the Personnel Manager but the response was not satisfactory. He explained that the company had written to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) informing of its cash flow problem and its inability to pay the workers.

“They (GuySuCo) ain’t say when they gon pay and the workers are very dissatisfied over the situation,” Sukhram said.

The sugar corporation reported a significant shortfall in its projected production for its first crop of 30,000 tonnes of sugar.

Guysuco’s projected

************** THURSDAY EDITION AFC BATS FOR RAM, GOOLSARRAN ON PUBLIC PROCUREMENT COMMISSION The Alliance For Change (AFC) has signaled intentions to name accountants, Christopher Ram and Dr. Anand Goolsarran, to be members of the long-awaited Public Procurement Commission (PPC).

With accusations of corruption, opposition parties have long been clamouring for that constitutional body which will have oversight to probe Government contracts.

There have been several delays in the appointment of that five-member commission with the opposition parties accusing the former Bharrat Jagdeo-led PPP/C government of foot-dragging.

Responding to questions over plans by his party to tackle longstanding issues over Government contracts, AFC’s Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, on Wednesday, defended the choice of Ram and Goolsarran.

“AFC is proposing two very top notch names, Christopher Ram and Anand Goolsarran, to be members of that five-man commission.”

Ramjattan said that it is a requirement that members of the Commission be qualified in law, business, economics and management. ************** FRIDAY EDITION NO FINANCIAL CLOSURE ONAMAILA PROJECT, ROAD DEADLINE EXTENDED Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon on Thursday announced that Cabinet has approved a contract for the final stretch of the Amaila Falls road.

“Public Works: For the construction of the Amaila

Falls access road section seven, that’s the Kuribrong River bank to Amaila Falls approach,” he said. This contract, he confirmed, was for $832.8M. He explained that the contractor is only responsible for this section of road given that other sections have been allocated to different contractors.

Dr. Luncheon, when asked about the obvious extension of the deadline set for the completion of the entire road, said that there is now no “drop dead date”. He did seek to explain that in terms of the deadlines for the completion of the road, the financial closure with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the substantive Hydro Power Project is the “real drop dead date.”

According to Luncheon, the financing for the Hydroelectric Project for which the road is paving the way, “has not been brought to financial closure.”

He explained that as the financial closure kept being pushed back it made for time to be available for the completion of the entire stretch of road required from Linden to the Amaila Falls approach. ************** SATURDAY EDITION GOVT. WANTS MPS TO DECLAREANNUAL INCOME, ASSETS Government has tabled a motion that will force Parliamentarians to declare their annual earnings and assets.

According to Notice Paper # 55, released by the Parliament Office on Friday, the motion will be tabled by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds during the next sitting scheduled for June 13 and June 14.

Hinds, the Minister responsible for Parliamentary Affairs, is asking that defaulting Members of Parliament be sanctioned by the House, according to established norms of ethics.

The striking workers outside the Enmore Estate factory

“They should also be brought before the Committee of Privileges,” the motion proposed.

Should the government have its way on this motion; Parliament will have the powers to conduct an annual voluntary monitoring exercise to ensure compliance

by Members of Parliament.

The motion will also ask the House to have the President disclose to the Speaker annually the names of those Members of Parliament in default.

BRUMELL TO ACT AS TOP COP, SEELALL DEPUTY President Donald Ramotar, accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon and Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, met with Opposition Leader David Granger and Member of Parliament Joseph Harmon on the issue of senior promotions in the Guyana Police Force, on Friday.

At the meeting, President Ramotar reportedly informed the opposition that he proposes to promote Assistant Commissioners Leroy Brumell and Seelall Persaud to Deputy Commissioners.

Further, a source said, the Head of State announced that he would appoint Brumell to act as Commissioner of Police and Seelall Persaud as Deputy Commissioner of Police with responsibility for Law Enforcement.

Brumell has been performing the duties of Police Commissioner ever since Commissioner Henry Greene demitted office amidst a scandal of rape and a court battle that found that the Director of Public Prosecutions was irrational when she recommended that Greene be charged with rape.

Greene’s departure was unceremonious. He became the first Commissioner to demit office without a ceremonial parade at which he would have transmitted that baton to his successor.

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‘The people’s doctor’, Ramesh...

From page 29 should take regular checkups and not wait until they develop complications. You should take special note of family history, especially if your family has a history of chronic diseases.

“Leading busy lives and not having time for their health is no excuse…What’s the use? Lead busy lives, earn the money, and then you’re going to have to spend it all to cure yourself. It does not make sense.”

NO REGRETS Dr Sugrim is proud of his journey through life. “No regrets whatsoever”. A typical day for him begins at 6:00 am .

“I open up and do minor things then come down to work, most times at 8. Some days we go up to 6:00pm.”

He loves singing and has made a number of CDs. “I have a little studio where I do recording for other people, for free...just for the fun of it, and to put on record, especially older folks.”

A 93- year- old woman at #19 Village Corentyne ,was one person he encouraged to do some recordings when she was 86, “now she could

Two of the CDs our ‘Special Person’ has produced over the years hardly walk and is on her death bed, but she actually left something, so I love doing this, keeping the culture going”.

The recent Bollywood Segment winner of the GT&T Jingle and Song Competition, Gail-Ann Singh was also nurtured in this regard by Dr Sugrim. “She started with me from small and I nurtured her talent”.

Weekends, he related, is time for home and family life and the Mandir is on Sunday.

Dr Sugrim has served in

numerous high ranking positions in the Hindu community, including as President of the Berbice Central Arya Samaj from 19871992. He has since been made Honorary President. He also served as President of the Guyana Central Arya Samaj from 1990-2009 and is currently serving as President of the Port Mourant Central Arya Samaj, a position he has held for the past ten years.

He conducts Hindi and religious rituals classes once per week at the #78 Vedic

Enhancing CPG relations with...

From page 27 and on paid security, and less reliance on traditional security mechanisms.

I see also that breaches of the law will be committed more by the young within the community, simply because they lack appreciation or respect for law and order, and the local response will be inadequate, for the following reasons: a) Because of the age gap and the inherent, differing philosophies; b) Because CPG personnel are not being regarded as “Law Officers”; c) Because young offenders have young law enforcement friends in the Force and because they can buy their way out of prosecution; and d) Because it is difficult, if not impossible, to get young people into the fold of law enforcement/crime fighting at the local level.

For Community Policing to continue to be on the local landscape, therefore, it would take more than the community to support its existence and effectiveness. In other words, I see a greater reliance by

CPGs on higher and wider levels of relationships over and above the immediate relationship with their communities, if they are to have any relevance.

It would require identified groups working together and centrally influenced to ensure some semblance of continuity in the institution we know as Community Policing.

1) The subject Ministry (of Home Affairs) 2) The Guyana Police Force 3) Community leadership – Churches, NGOs 4) Elected Civic Officials NDCs 5) The Business Community 6) Ministry of Educationthrough the school system 7) Other interest Groups 8) The Media For now, those who serve within the Community Policing fraternity should be encouraged, supported and guided in our efforts to perpetuate the Community Policing movement, and all stakeholders, particularly at the central levels of the Ministry of Home Affairs and

the Guyana Police Force, should be aggressive in aiding the environment to identify and develop leadership at the community level, current challenges notwithstanding.

Simultaneously, I wish to petition the leadership of Community Policing Groups to embrace the task to bridge any existing gap between Groups and their communities, for not doing so will discount the very rationale for the existence of Community Policing.

Too much has already been put into the cause to let it go to waste. Therefore, let us persevere!

Mandir on the Corentyne and has been doing his bit to share his faith, Hinduism, with a local TV programme that has been on the air in Berbice for over ten years, ‘Vedo ki Vaanie’.

So in concluding, I asked him what in his opinion makes a good doctor and how much longer he would be practicing.

“Honesty is crucial in the doctor-patient relationship.

You also have to be humble.

And I think in many respects the personal upbringing of a doctor has a lot to do with it.”

“With respect to how long I’ll go on. I’m not really fixed on that. Normally doctors would work until either they die or fall sick.

Time will tell, I guess. My younger son keeps telling me to close shop and go to live in the States, but I don’t think that will happen permanently.

I do need to go there from time to time...I had a massive heart attack eight years ago, and I had to be flown there for treatment.”

At 58, Dr Sugrim continues his heavy workload daily. Five-minute lunches are a regular feature.

“People come as early as 5 o’clock in the morning and lineup out there. It’s a challenge, but I love it. I always will.”

Sunday June 03, 2012

LABOURING IN THE VINEYARD: The 2012...

From page 30 Federal State (with Guyana and Suriname in it) would have comprised more than 6 million people; it would have had vast resources of oil, gas, gold, diamonds, bauxite, forestry, uranium, manganese, tourism, and financial services; importantly, it would have had an educated and talented people who have shown by their global accomplishments, and the demand for their expertise, that they could compete with any in the world community.

It would have been a State that commanded our national pride – and respect of the international community – while keeping alive our several island cultures and values.

Against what might have been, we have to place what has been. Independence on an Island basis (and I regard Belize and Guyana as islands for this purpose) with our one West Indies formally fragmented into 13 separate states, with as many flags and anthems and seats in the United Nations.

But, most of all, Independence in the context of very small communities without the checks and balances that larger size brings.

In his frank Epilogue to Sir John Mordecai’s invaluable record, The West Indies: The Federal Negotiations, Sir Arthur Lewis, after asserting that (t)he case for a West Indian federation is as a strong as ever, concluded his reasoning with the following: “Lastly, Federation is needed to preserve political freedom. A small island falls easily under the domination of a boss, who crudely or subtly intimidates the police, the newspapers, the magistrates and private employers. The road is thus open to persecution and

corruption. If the Island is part of a federation the aggrieved citizen can appeal to influences outside: to Federal Courts, to the Federal police, to the Federal auditors, the Federal Civil service Commission, the newspapers of other islands, and so on. If the Government creates disorder, or is menaced by violence beyond its control, the Federal Government will step in to uphold the law.

These protections do not exist when the small island is independent on its own. So far West Indian governments have a fine tradition for respecting law and order, but in these turbulent days traditions are easily set aside. The West Indies needs a federation as the ultimate guardian of political freedom in each island.”

That was 1968. We have had up to 44 years of experience of separate independence to say whether he was right - not only here and in Jamaica, but in all the independences that followed, in Barbados and then in the smaller OECS islands – and, of course, in Guyana and Belize.

Judgement will not be uniform; but I believe that many West Indians, in many parts of our Region, will say that Sir Arthur was right - and is; and that the answer to my speculative question is ‘Yes’, we would be better off as West Indians, were we celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of the Federated West Indies.” (to be continued) (Sir Shridath ‘Sonny’ Ramphal QC served as Commonwealth SecretaryGeneral for 15 years, from 1975 to 1990. He previously served as the Attorney General and Foreign Minister of Guyana)

The Red-eyed Tree Frog (Litoria...

(From page 18) highest, males of the red-eyed tree frog call (“chack”) to get the attention of the female, who then carries him around on her back for up to several hours during the opposition process.

The female chooses a leaf above a pond and lays her eggs, called a clutch. The eggs develop into small tadpoles, which hatch after several days and fall into the water below. Dragonflies, fish, and water beetles prey on the tadpoles. They remain in the water anywhere from three weeks to several months, until they metamorphose, or develop into frogs.

After full metamorphosis weeks later, the juveniles that

survive the first few weeks crawl back into the undergrowth and security of plants in the vicinity of these pools, often in the hollows of tubular plants like bromeliads.

Juvenile specimens prey on very small flies and insects during the first months of their lives. The young mature after two years and begin mating at the age of three– four years. These tree-frogs are known to live as long as five–10 years (data from captive breeding programs), depending on the health and conditions of their habitat (i.e. abundant plant growth, plenty of fresh water and abundance of small and larger insects to prey on).

They are sometimes

successfully bred in captivity if kept under adequate conditions in high-humidity vivaria (e.g. by using misting equipment), tropical plants like bromelia and other epiphyte plants, together with well-aerated water pools.

Their captive habitat should have an 11-12-hour light cycle and an average day temperature of 26 to 28 degrees Celsius (with nighttime averages of approximately 22 to 24 degrees Celsius).

Snakes, spiders, bats, and birds of the rainforest are predators of this frog species which is said to have three eyelids and sticky pads on their toes. In fact tree frogs are arboreal animals, meaning

they spend a majority of their life in trees, which also makes them great jumpers.

These frogs are however not poisonous and rely on camouflage to protect themselves. During the day, they remain motionless, cover their blue sides with their back legs, tuck their bright feet under their belly, and shut their red eyes. Thus, they appear almost completely green, and well hidden among the foliage.

They eat crickets, moths, flies, and other insects, but have also been known to eat other small frogs. Their meals of choice are froglets, fruit flies and pinhead crickets.

(Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopedia)

Sunday June 03, 2012

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Sunday June 03, 2012

Study: Hormone pill slows Chagas the New AIDS? prostate cancer’s growth Experts Disagree CHICAGO (AP) — A hormone-blocking pill approved last year for some men with advanced prostate cancer now also seems to help a wider group of men who were given it sooner in the course of treating their disease.

In a study of nearly 1,100 such men, Johnson & Johnson’s Zytiga doubled the time patients lived without their cancer getting worse.

The drug also seems to be improving survival, but it will take longer follow-up to know for sure. Independent monitors stopped the study once it was clear the drug was helping and let men who had been getting dummy pills to switch to Zytiga. At that point — after a median treatment time of two years — 34 percent of men on dummy pills had died versus 27 percent of those taking Zytiga.

Study leader Dr. Charles Ryan of the University of California, San Francisco gave results yesterday at a meeting in Chicago of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. In the United States alone, more than 240,000 new cases and 28,000 deaths from the disease are expected this year. Many cases don’t need treatment because the cancer grows so slowly it isn’t a threat. For men who choose treatment when the disease is

Health Tip:

still confined to the prostate, surgery and radiation are common options.

Once it spreads, though, it often is treated with drugs that curb testosterone. They block about 90 percent of the hormone, “but that remaining 10 percent can still stimulate the cancer and cause death from the disease,” Ryan said.

Zytiga blocks virtually all of it — “it’s really complete chemical castration,” said

Comforting Baby’s Pain

(HealthDay News) — When your baby is in pain — be it from things like a circumcision, vaccine or incoming tooth — parents can take steps to soothe, comfort and ease the pain as much as possible.

The University of Michigan Health System offers these suggestions: · Cuddle your baby, and try to have skin-to-skin contact. · Distract your baby by singing, cuddling, talking or moving. · Nurse your baby if you are breast-feeding. · If you aren’t nursing, dip a pacifier in a sugar/ water solution, but never honey. · Ask your doctor about administering a painrelieving medication designed for infants.

another study leader, Duke University’s Dr. Daniel George.

The drug won federal approval last year for men with advanced prostate cancer whose disease had worsened despite treatment with standard hormones and chemotherapy. The new study tested it earlier in the course of illness — in men with advanced prostate cancer who have not yet received chemotherapy.

(ABC News) Chagas disease, a parasitic infection spread to humans by insects, is not the new HIV/AIDS of the Americas, according to infectious disease experts who called the comparison “unrealistic” and “unfortunate.”

Responding to an editorial posted Monday in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases and the media attention that followed, Rick Tarleton, president of the Chagas Disease Foundation, said the diseases have little in common beyond disproportionately affecting poor people.

“I think it’s an unfortunate comparison,” said Tarleton, a distinguished research professor at the University of Georgia studying Chagas disease. “There are stigmas attached to HIV/AIDS that themselves are inappropriate, but it would be even more inappropriate to apply them to something like Chagas disease.”

About 300,000 people in the U.S. have Chagas disease, an infection transmitted to humans by blood-sucking insects. But almost all of them became infected before coming to the U.S. from Mexico, Central America and South America, where roughly 10 million people have the disease.

“It’s difficult to say whether the type of attention this is generating is going to be good or bad for people with the disease,” said Tarleton, describing how many people

with Chagas disease face obstacles in getting care. “I don’t think the comparison to HIV/AIDS is a realistic one, and I don’t expect it to serve the situation terribly well.”

But Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine, said he penned the provocative editorial to rally resources for people with Chagas disease.

“I wanted to call attention to the disease; make people aware of it,” said Hotez, adding he had no intention to diminish the impact of HIV/ AIDS. “I believe that Chagas disease is every bit as important as theAIDS problem, but no one’s ever heard of the disease.”

When asked whether drawing a connection to HIV would stigmatize people with

Chagas disease, Hotez replied “I don’t think it can get any worse for them.”

“They already lack access to medical care and many governments are ignoring the problem,” he said. “They’re already treated as outcasts.”

The insects that transmit Chagas disease, nicknamed “kissing bugs” for their tendency to bite people’s lips, infest low-income housing in countries where the disease is endemic. They bite at night, allowing parasites from their feces to infect the itchy wound. Insecticide can kill them, but few can afford it.

“For most of the people affected, it’s not an avoidable infection,” said Tarleton. “It is totally preventable, but largely unavoidable in certain regions.”

Dark Chocolate Lowers Heart Attack, Stroke Risk (Health Day News) Eating dark chocolate every day may lower the risk of having a heart attack or stroke for some people at higher risk of these conditions, a new study from Australia found.

Researchers gathered data on 2,013 people who had metabolic syndrome — which is a cluster of medical issues that includes high blood pressure, a large waist and low levels of “good” cholesterol — and used mathematical equations to predict how eating dark chocolate daily could affect the number of strokes and heart attacks the group would be expected to have.

Based on their results, the researchers calculated that for every 10,000 people with metabolic syndrome who ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate every day for 10 years, 70 non-fatal and 15 fatal cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes,

could be prevented.

Studies have shown that the risk of cardiovascular disease can be lowered over the short-term by eating compounds called flavonoids, which are abundant in dark chocolate.

Flavonoids are known to have antihypertensive and antiinflammatory effects, which

relieve pressures on the heart, the researchers said.

The new study suggests that eating dark chocolate is a cost-efficient way to reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes in this study population over a longer term, the researchers said.

The researchers noted

that the study only looked at strokes and heart attacks, so how dark chocolate might affect the risks of other cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, must still be assessed.

The study was published Thursday in the British Medical Journal, and was funded by the Australian Research Council and the drug company Sanofi-Aventis Australia.

Sunday June 03, 2012

How to choose Designer Gowns according to Body Shape A designer gown is a sophisticated item in your wardrobe which you would love to flaunt for various exclusive events like a formal or semi-formal wedding, evening parties and red carpet events or even for a prom or a ball invitation.

Debutante dresses and bridal gowns all fall under the category of designer gowns. In short designer gowns are meant for very special events when you must look elegant and decent. Various well known designers and brands give a plethora of choices in designer gowns meant for any exclusive event. A guide to designer gowns can open up the vistas more clearly to make a perfect selection.

HOW TO CHOOSE DESIGNER GOWNS ACCORDING TO BODY SHAPE When you have decided that you are going to have a designer gown then you are not going to be disappointed as there is a perfect and well tailored designer gown for every possible body shape and figure.

Whether you are slender or you are plus size it doesn’t matter as there will be a designer gown befitting your own feminine shape. Designer gowns are to make you look most elegant and feminine therefore feel free to accentuate the best parts of your body yet remaining coy and decent.

The pear shaped gowns are for those who have a larger back which can be given a proper shape with a top that is well fitting as the gown goes down with an A-line shape.

Slender women can pick those designer gowns which will accentuate your curves by remaining close to your body.

Wrap dresses can be a good choice for you.

Dresses that have a deeper neckline and flows out from the waist to create a wider hem are meant for women with a busty figure.

For women with a petite body frame the advice is to select dresses that have asymmetrical hemlines and ones that are delicately feminine. Try to avoid floor length gowns as your little body frame may get overwhelmed.

For ladies with an apple shaped figure you can choose gowns that have a high waist line like that of an empire waist. If you are pregnant this is the right type of designer gown for you!

An hour-glass shaped figure is the well-proportioned shape that is an envy of every woman. Ladies with such body shape can feel free to try any style and type of designer gowns.

CONSIDERATIONS WHILE BUYING DESIGNER GOWNS It’s very important to check the size as improper fitting will spoil the whole look. You must be aware that online stores have sizing charts which may not be uniform and therefore it is more important that you personally buy your designer gown from stores where you can try them out yourself. Designer gowns are prized possessions and you won’t like to make any compromises while buying one for yourself.

It is recommended that when you are going to buy a designer gown you should invest in the right material and product. Don’t settle down for cheaper products that come from unreliable brands. Try to save up a little more so that you can get the best and therefore look the best.

SOLUTION FOR LAST WEEK’S SEARCH & FIND

Kaieteur News

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Sunday June 03, 2012

Born Loser

JUAN THE SMUGGLER Juan comes up to the Mexican border on his bicycle.

He has two large bags over his shoulders. A guard stops him and says, “What’s in the bags?”

“Sand,” answered Juan.

The guard says, “We’ll just see about that. Get off the bike.”

The guard takes the bags and rips them apart; he empties them out and finds nothing in them but sand. He detains Juan overnight and has the sand analyzed, only to discover that there is nothing but pure sand in the bags.

The guard releases Juan, puts the sand into new bags, lifts them onto the man’s shoulders and lets him cross the border.

A week later, the same thing happens. The guard asks, “What have you got?”

“Sand,” says Juan.

The guard does his thorough examination and discovers that the bags contain nothing but sand. He gives the sand back to Juan, and Juan crosses the border on his bicycle.

This sequence of events repeats every day for three years. Then one day, Juan doesn’t show up. The guard meets up with him in a cantina in Mexico.

“Hey, buddy,” the guard says, “I know you’re smuggling something. It’s driving me crazy. It’s all I think about. I can’t sleep. Just between you and me, what are you smuggling?”

“Bicycles,” Juan says. ************* POLICEMEN IN HEAVEN St Peter is standing at heaven’s gate when a man walks up.

“Welcome to heaven my son. What did you do with your life?”

“I was a policeman,” he responded.

“What kind of policeman?” St Peter asked.

“I was a vice officer. I kept dangerous narcotics out of the hands of kids.”

“Wonderful my son, welcome to heaven. Pass through the gates.”

A few moments later a second man walks up.

“Welcome to heaven my son. What did you do with your life?”

“I was a policeman,” he responded.

“What kind of policeman?” St Peter asked.

“I was a traffic officer. I kept the roads and highways safe for travelers.”

“Well done. Pass through the gates into paradise.”

A few moments later a third man walks up.

“Welcome to heaven my son. What did you do with your life?”

“I was a policeman,” he responded.

“What kind of policeman?” St Peter asked.

“I was a Military Policeman, Sir.” “Excellent my son, I have to leave for a bit, watch the gate will you?”

Garfield

Non Sequitur

Peanuts

Shoe

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Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

Country profile:

SAN MARINO

Landlocked San Marino is one of the world’s smallest countries. Surrounded by Italy, it is an echo from an era when city-states proliferated across Europe.

Mount Titano, part of the Appennine range, dominates San Marino’s landscape.

Three defensive fortresses perch on Titano’s slopes, looking out to the Adriatic coast.

OVERVIEW San Marino is said to be the world’s oldest surviving republic.

Tradition has it that the country was founded in the fourth century AD by a devout Christian stonemason called Marinus, who took refuge there and set up a small community. Its rugged isolation helped the enclave to develop and keep its independence.

An 1862 friendship and cooperation treaty with Italy, which has since been revised and expanded, reinforced San Marino’s independence.

Tourism dominates the economy of the 61 square kilometre (23.6 square miles) republic, which plays host to more than three million visitors every year. Postage stamps and coins - keenly sought by collectors - are important sources of revenue.

As one of Europe’s tax havens, San Marino has traditionally attracted a large inflow of cash from nonresidents, but in the wake of

the global financial crisis of 2008-9 this status has come increasingly under threat, and the republic has pledged to make its banking system more transparent.

FACTS Full name: Republic of San Marino Population: 31,500 (UN, 2011) Capital: San Marino Area: 61.2 sq km (23.6 sq miles) Major language: Italian Major religions: Christianity Life expectancy: 77 years (men), 84 years (women) Monetary unit: euro Main exports: Wine, ceramics, furniture, craft goods Internet domain: .sm GNI per capita: $50, 670 (World Bank 2009) International dialling code: +378 LEADERS San Marino’s constitution provides for a parliamentary style of government. The 60-member Great and General Council is elected every five years. It is headed by two captainsregent, who are elected by the council every six months and act as heads of state for that period.

The 10-member Congress of State is elected by the Great and General Council and exercises executive power.

The oldest of three forts, La Guaita, overlooks the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mount Titano. The fortification towers date back to the founding of the republic as a city-state in the 13th century.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

Did Dr. Leslie Ramsammy mislead Parliament?

By Gary Eleazar Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who is no stranger to controversy, could this time find himself before a “Parliamentary Firing Squad’ if the opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has its way.

This was confirmed by APNU’s Executive Member and Shadow Parliamentarian with responsibility for the Sugar Industry, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine. Dr. Ramsammy has parliamentary responsibility for the sugar industry.

Dr. Roopnaraine drew reference to a specific case recently reported by this publication and said that should it be established that the Agriculture Minister did in fact mislead the Parliament of Guyana, then there are

mechanisms available to deal with him.

He says that APNU is currently preparing an indepth dossier of the concerns, related directly to the sugar industry and its officials.

Dr. Roopnaraine said that the party has zeroed in on what appears to be misleading statements to the Parliament.

He was speaking to the lamentations of Dr. Ramsammy, during the recent Budget Debates where he spoke of the end of the European Union’s Sugar Protocol of preferential pricing for countries such as Guyana.

Dr. Ramsammy had intimated to the National Assembly, which is often times referred to as the ‘Hallowed Chambers’ and the ‘Highest Forum in the Land,”

that Guyana had been taken by surprise by the cuts.

This, he said, lent in part to the need for the $4B bailout of the Sugar Industry.

This however was a far cry from the utterances of his predecessor, Robert Persaud, when he had appeared before the Parliamentary Economic Services Committee, and was grilled on the sugar industry and the EU dilemma.

Persaud on February 4, 2010 appeared before the Parliamentary Committee, which was at the time being chaired by Gail Teixeira, Dharamkumar Seeraj and included opposition members such as the late Winston Murray and the Alliance for Change Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan.

Robert Persaud told the Committee, “We all know that when the discussions had

… APNU zeroes in on Minister’s ‘misleading statements’ in House started with the end to the EU Sugar Protocol, the government had submitted a Guyana National Action Plan of which a subset was the Sugar Action Plan.”

Dr. Ramsammy told the Parliament during the 2012 budget debates that there had been an “intention” signaled on the part of the EU, to effect the sugar cuts but there was no clear “indication” of the timing.

This, he said, led to unanticipated lost revenue from sugar exports and as a result, Government would have needed to plug the $4B to cushion the impacts.

But according to Persaud, inherent in the Sugar Action

Beaten and robbed Essequibo businessman scared to reopen business Although police have questioned several suspects who allegedly beat and robbed former teacher and businessman, Arnold Granville, of Lot 22 East Richmond Public Road, no arrests have been made.

Granville, who said that he is fearful of another attack, said persons have spotted both of the suspects, days after the incident in the Village.

He has also indicated that he obtained additional information on the persons.

Granville is maintaining that he would never feel safe until he has been entrusted with a gun. He said that his

application was rejected five times.

On Tuesday May 28, last, around 19:00 hours, two men, one armed with a gun and masked, turned up at Granville’s home and, after beating him, stole one gold chain, along with three gold rings, worth some $200,000 from his person.

In Granville’s former report, he said he was engrossed in viewing a version of the local news when he heard someone calling.

He said a few seconds later, a man who presented himself as a customer showed up at his door and subsequently made a request

for some phone cards.

Granville said that he told the man, whom he did not recognize, that he was looking at the news and was not selling phone cards at that moment.

The former teacher said that before he fully realised what was transpiring, another masked man with a small revolver came from behind of one of the pillars on his building.

Granville said the men proceeded to push him further in his house. There was a scuffle between him and both men. “I kept hollering for thief, thief, help, murder,” Granville recalled.

Granville said that during the scuffle, the masked gunman lashed him in his head with the gun.

He also received cuffs to his face and his feet were stomped on. He said that the men wore huge boots.

The traumatized Granville said he has since received treatment at the Suddie Public Hospital in the form of stitches to his head. He added that he needs the police to act on information they have in their possession with immediacy.

The police have also acknowledged that all information is being processed.

Plan was “that, there were some strategic decisions taken so that we can rescue, save, sustain and make viable the Guyana Sugar Industry.”

According to Persaud, “We also recognise that when this announcement (price cuts) came, many of the countries within the Region, and elsewhere in fact, decided that they would leave sugar, and close down their industries…But, recognising the potential socio-economic difficulties this can pose and also recognising too that sugar itself can be part of our overall National Development Plan going forward, given the work and the feasibility done as well as the potential that exists, the Government took that conscious decision that we will be staying with sugar and in so doing we had to make changes.”

Dr. Roopnaraine says that at present the party has not yet settled on a particular course of action as it relates to censuring Dr. Ramsammy but said that there are a number of actions available and drew reference to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges.

The APNU second in command in Parliament reminded that the various Committees are gearing to be constituted and begin to get down to work under the new dispensation as against that of the 9th Parliament.

During the 9th Parliament of Guyana the Minister of Housing and Water was committed to appear before

the Committee of Privileges by the then House Speaker Ralph Ramkarran.

The 9th Parliament was however dissolved and that Minister was never censured or a determination of innocence or guilt arrived at.

Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine reminded that over the course of the past few weeks a number of questions have been submitted to the Minister which he is obligated to answer.

Speaking about the questions directed to Dr. Ramsammy and the impact of the price cuts Dr. Roopnaraine said that he has also requested answers on the billions of dollars flowing in Guyana’s direction from the EU. This money, he reminded, was to compensate for the sugar cuts and designed to cushion the impact and assist affected countries such as Guyana to cope with and readjust as a result of the lost direct revenue from sugar sales.

He did confirm that he is in receipt of a number of answers from the Minister and all are being utilized to compile the APNU Dossier on the sugar industry.

Persaud in 2010 told the Committee, unlike what had been intimated by Dr. Ramsammy in 2012, that, “in terms of fulfilling those strategic and broad objectives, the new Board was tasked with coming up with a blueprint which we call a Strategic Blueprint for Success, commonly referred to as the Turnaround Plan…”

This roadmap is also yet to yield the desired results.

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

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From the Diaspora ...

DO MEN PAY ATTENTION TO WOMEN’S AGE OR LOOKS?

By Ralph Seeram She came into the store with a melancholy look and all teary eyed, so I inquired what’s wrong. I was thinking maybe she had a death in the family or perhaps one of her children had fallen ill. Then she replied, “Today is my birthday”.

“Your birthday”? I asked.

“Then you should be celebrating, why the tears” She replied “I am getting old” and burst into a fresh round of tears and sobbing.

I was confused for a moment. She was attractive, had a great personality and was only in her early thirties, a single mother of two, and she was a regular customer of the store I then owned. I was wondering why it bothered her so much about getting older.

However for the moment, in an effort to comfort her I told her that no one knows whether she is twenty-four years old or thirty-four years old. Besides, you look like twenty-four anyway”. I gave her a dozen roses and that lifted her spirits; she left in a much better mood than when she came in.

I have met several women who get depressed on their birthdays, worried about getting old, and it got me thinking.

Why are they worried? Do they feel men would not be attracted to them because of their age? Do they feel they are losing their attractiveness or does it contribute to their loss of self confidence and esteem?

Most women are twentynine years old until they are thirty-nine. Then they are

thirty-nine until they are forty nine. I think it is a very good system that the women came up with. We men hardly noticed; we are more focused on one thing.

If one is to be guided by the sales of women’s beauty products one could understand the enormity of this problem with women.

Women’s beauty product is a multi-billion-dollar industry.

You go to the cosmetic section of the store for men and you will find not more than ten items in a very small section.

For men it is just functional stuff—shaving items before and after, deodorant, soap, body cream and cologne. That’s it.

However you will find rows and rows of aisles of cosmetics products for the ladies.

We can end the cycle of violence!

We must end the cycle of violence!!!

From page 24 is to control you, and he will frequently hurt you to do that.

In addition to hurting you emotionally and physically, an abusive partner may also hurt you in the purse.

Economic of financial abuse includes: * Controlling the finances. * Withholding money or credit cards. * Giving you an allowance. * Making you account for every penny you spend. * Stealing from you or taking your money. * Exploiting your assets for personal gain. * Withholding basic necessities (food, clothes, medications, shelter). * Preventing you from working or choosing your own career. * Sabotaging your job (making you miss work, calling constantly) Domestic violence has warning signs so take precautions Call the police; Human services hotline and or supporting NGO’S in your community if you suspect a case of domestic violence.

It’s impossible to know with certainty what goes on behind closed doors, but there are some telltale signs and symptoms of domestic violence and abuse. If you witness a number of warning signs in a friend, family member, or co-worker, you can reasonably suspect domestic abuse. * Frequent injuries, with the excuse of “accidents” * Frequent and sudden absences from work or school * Frequent, harassing phone calls from the partner * Fear of the partner, references to the partner’s

anger * Personality changes (e.g. an outgoing woman becomes withdrawn) * Excessive fear of conflict * Submissive behavior, lack of assertiveness * Isolation from friends and family * Insufficient resources to live (money, credit cards, car) * Depression, crying, low self-esteem Reporting suspected domestic abuse is important.

If you’re afraid of getting involved, remember that the report should be confidential

and everything possible should be done to protect your privacy. You should not have to give your name, and your suspicions should be investigated before anyone is taken into custody. Most important, you can protect the victim from further harm by calling for help.

We must demand and make our police force and others agencies responsible for our safety accountable.

In the same vein we must assist the relevant authorities with the investigation and be our sisters’ keepers. Lastly we must advocate and lobby our parliamentarians

Women are at a disadvantage, because they are judged harshly by men.

Recently, criticism was levied against U S Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, for not wearing makeup.

Guess who made the criticism? Of course, men.

Recently in Trinidad and Tobago there was some criticism of the Prime Minister, a female, for having a personal assistant to take care of among other things, her make up and appearance.

One lawmaker had to rebuke her critics by pointing out that men have it easy; they just have to wear a shirt and pants. Indeed, the old saying about men needing only the three SSS still stands, a shave a shower and readers can figure out the next S. Movies are a typical example of the discrimination women faced. Have you ever noticed that male actors can be in their sixties but still have leading actress in their twenties and thirties as their romantic interest, have you ever seen a leading actress in her sixties with a young actor as the male star?

In Hollywood when a woman reaches forty years she is past her peak, when the male actors reach forty he is just maturing. Media also help define women’s beauty, which by large measure is unrealistic. Have you ever noticed the criticism women celebrities face if they put on a few realistic pounds?

Closer to home, I sometimes get annoyed on waiting on female relatives to go out. It would seem that most women need at least a two-hour preparation time to

get ready for an occasion, make up, hair etc., Problem is, do men really pay attention? I have a relative, who when she travels, one suitcase is all cosmetics. She was a mobile beauty salon.

It comes back to what men want in a women and what women perceive men want. Do men really pay attention to color of women’s lipstick or their eye shadows?

I doubt it very much.

Are men only attractive to only beautiful and young women? Not really. Now beauty is a very relative thing; it means different things to different people. Regardless of their age or appearances most women do find a partner.

So what about men?

When is a man considered old? I will have to rely on a definition given to me over

thirty years ago by an old departed friend, the late Barrister Rupert Trim, a ladies man in his own right (as most New Amsterdamers would know).

The last time I spoke to Rupert some years before he died I asked him how the young ladies were going. He retorted, “One just got a child for me”. So what was Rupert definition of an old man? Here it is; wisdom from an expert.

“As long as man can ‘function’ he young,” the day he can’t “function” he old.

Recently I was flirting with a young lady half my age. I found myself giving my age, fifteen years less of course.

And you thought it was only a women thing. True story.

Ralph Seeram can be reached at email” ralph365@hotmail.com

Page 54

WANTED Urgently wanted. 1 House lot to buy at Pharfait Harmony. Call: 672-3017.

Wanted to buy, Washiba Squares & Logs. Call Jettoo’s Lumberyard & Sawmill @ 261-5041 or 2615042

Kaieteur News

LEARN TO DRIVE Soman & Sons Driving School; First Federation Building Call: 225-4858,6445166, 622-2872, 615-0964 Prudential learning “ Training to Pass” automatic also stick/ manual 642-4827. We’re #1

Office Clerk, CXC English/ mathematics. 225-0188, 2256070 1 cleaner, must know to cook. 1 cook must know Indian and English dishes.

Preferably from Georgetown. Call: 223-5798.

WANTED

Experience Interior drivers Call Paul : 592-646-6730,592225-1939

Garden maintenance crew, no education needed. Neatness & hardworking is a must,1830 years Tel: 648-1821

Mill/Saw Doctors, Moulder Operators to work @ Jettoo’s Sawmill @ Coverden Public Road, E.B.D. Call – 261-5041, 2615042, 226-2756

7:45am -5pm Salesperson + plant maintenance staff for #1 Plant Shop,70 Sheriff Street. Secondary education a must. Tel: 648-1821

One female to do domestic work in interior, age 40-45.

Interested persons contact Donna on 688-9597.

Live-in attractive waitress.

Tel# 228-5129 East Coast Guyoil pump attendants wanted (day and night), wash man, office assistant & sales girls. 6842838, 602-5031 Taxi drivers (yellow) Tel: 2253234 Tailors @ B. Paul Tailoring Establishment, 14 Lombard St. Tel: 223-8266, 680-8046 Porters; male & female, to work in Grocery Shop, Stabroek Market. Call: 2269800 Contract cars. Must be in Hire & Yellow. Base free. $3500 weekly. Call 660-9977 1- Male cleaner. Apply Technical Services Inc., Eccles 18-23 Industrial Site EBDem. (2) Attractive waitresses.

Call: 233-5481, 5450 Urgently needed, live-in waitresses to work in Bar. Attractive salary offer. Tel# 259-0574 1 – Experienced General Domestic. Must know to cook & iron. $10,000 per week – 227-0557 Diesel mechanic, excavator operators, attractive salary offered Call: 223-5273-4 Male tool room clerk, computer literate. Apply Technical Services Inc. 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site EBDem Call: 614-4358

Live-in/Live-out babysitter/ clerk/domestic. 225-0188/ 225-6070 Domestic help. Call 225-2598 Two (2) experience block makers, Super concrete blocks, Eccles Industrial Estate Tel: 233-5517 1 mechanic to work in the interior. 688-4905 Skilled Lathe Operator.

Excellent rates. Tel: 22-71830 1 kitchen assistant/cook to cook for family in the interior.

688-4905 Dredge workers Tel: 6232728,618-1967,667-5717 Cashiers, porters, drivers and salesman. Lot10 Vlissengen Rd. Survival Wholesale Bond.

1 Carnegie trained cook 2035yrs Call: 614-4358 1- Small engine mechanic,1handyman Call: 2332408,233-2631 General domestic age 2535yrs Call: 233-5450 Live in domestic Mon-Sat, no cooking, no washing Call: 639-7700 Carpenter with own tools.

Apply at Guyana Variety Store, 68 Robb Street Tel: 2254631 One experienced driver.

Apply Hack’s Halaal Restaurant, 5 Commerce St. One experienced hire car driver Contact Mrs. Z.Marques at 11 Thomas St. Kitty Tel: 226-7948, 646-6000 Sales girls. 10 Bent and Camp Streets. Apply in person with written application. 227-7182.

SERVICES Permanent &Visitors Visa Applications Professional Immigration Consultant Sabita, Room E-4 Maraj Building 225-6496/ 223-8115/662-6045.

US & Canada VISA application services. Call 643-6630. Family discounts available.

We refill HP cartridges for $1,800. Call:650-7699 Visa and Immigration forms prepared for Canada, USA and UK. Also Passport forms. Call 626-9857 Repairs, sales & spares, air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & Stoves.

Ultra Cool: 225-9032, 6472943 ONLINE SHOPPING NO COMMISSION, WEEKLY S H I P M E N T S , AFFORDABLE RATES, FREE PRIVATE MAILBOX. TEL: 231-5789.

FREIGHTLINKEXPRESS@ GMAIL.COM

PROPERTY FOR SALE 1 three bedroom house Prashad Nagar, asking price $29M neg. Call: 227-2563, 684-2115 East Bank $12M. Newtown $30M. Queenstown $35M. East Coast $16M. Diana 2272256, 626-9382 House & land, Diamond, E.B.D. Tel: 677-3472 Property for sale at EnmoreFoulis. Contact 2550584 or 696-3186 Business spot 3 lots, Cummings& Middle Street,2 buildings including store with glass cases Call: 6214000.690-6000 DATING SERVICE Immediate link-Singles 1880yrs. Confidential: Tel: 2238237,648-6098. (No -text) 8:30am-5:00pm Mon-Sun (Both phones same hours).

WE FILL OUT PASSPORT & VISA FORMS: USA, UK & CANADA. TEL: 231-5789 Electrical installation domestic & commercial maintenance & repairs also AC installation , estimates , call Marlon Tel: 2160934,626-6298 or 669-8992 Do you need a female bahir (cook) or bartender to work in interior? Call Andrea 6921798, 652-7355 Service and repairs to gasstoves, deep fryers, washing machines, electrical stoves Call: 686-6209 We repair fridge, freezer, AC ,washer, dryer Call: 231-0655, 683-8734 Omar.

Bulah Enterprise Inc. seeks interior charter Call: 592-6466730,5692-225-1939 Get your VISA or get refunded. Call: 645-0975 Hello, the doctor is back!!

Have your gas stove repaired and serviced. Tel: 601-0595, 220-4073, 220-5785 Blackberry unlock $2000, also PC games starting from $1500 call Vickram at: 652-7560 Mining exploration, professional recruitment and business support services www.iksservices.com Tel: 223-1719 Do you need? Excavator operator, project manager, security officer, driver Call IKS Services 223-1719 Mahadeo’sConstruction , reliable services for your renovations, contact Tony Tel 618-3523,669-7376. For free estimates and plans.

Corporate Advocates, we buy,sell& rent properties, for sale :6 bedrooms ,for rent :1&2 bedroom apartments Tel: 650-6231

FOR SALE Large Land in Bagotville, WB. Great for Greenhouse farming. 600-0036 or 223-1719 NARS lipgloss, eyeshadow & Clinique Chubby Stick. Tel: 669-8374.

Pitbull pups Tel:225-6137 Electric threadmill, no reasonable offer refused Tel: 662-7398,621-2453 Yamaha Crankshaft outboard 150HP-200HP, fine & fat top, Piston Kits, Crankshaft Bearings. Call Terry 665-9405 Cricket bowling machine with automatic feeder and balls. Priced at $1.2Million for quick sale Call: 689-0305 Cheap earth delivery to spot ECD,EBD Tel: 627-9977,6980182 Clean garden earth and builders waste also bobcat rental, excavating, clearing and leveling Call: 616-0617, 663-3285 Dell Computers, complete with LCD monitor, $59,000. Tel: 225-3709, 691-2077, 641-0537 Generac Generator/Americn made, 7000w, fully enclosed; low noise. Propane/gas cylinder, ATS available. Call: 612-1486, 646-8326 American Ladders/Scaffold, 30ft/10ft, adjustable/ platforms. 20 ft heavy duty scaffold, platform/locking wheels. Call: 612-1486, 6468326 Generator Mitsubishi SDMO Diesel, silent,27KVA on 400 gallon fuel tank, keystart $1.8M neg. Call: 621-4000

Sunday June 03, 2012

FOR SALE 6 brand new in box IPod touch. 8GB $60,000, 32GB $75,000. Price neg. Contact: 686-5004 GPS Map 76, Garmin System.

600-0036 or 223-1719 Brand new American made Crosely 10.5 cu ft Refrigerator for sale $75,000.

626-4452/697-5677 Going cheap, foreign used Perkins Engines, pressure & clutch plates, hydraulic pumps. 661-3043

VEHICLES FOR SALE Just arrived: Allion and Premio, tel: 624-2000, 622-1610 1 White Toyota Runx/Allex $2.1M neg. Fully loaded. Tel: 227-0568, 691-4897 Corolla Wagon, excellent condition Tel: 677-7666,6107666 International Tow Truck with flat aluminum bed; takes two vehicles. Call: 639-3900, 619-5400

1 Super-custom minibus. $1.4M negotiable. Contact #693-6630, 231-8051

1 2004 Honda Civic AT, music, excellent condition.

PMM series. One year in taxi, $1,750,000. Contact 6505567

(2)60-180 Leyland DAF I working condition Call: 6281756,228-5655

PPP series Alteza, fully loaded. Tel: 677-7666, 6107666

1 Tundra, 1 Perkins engine & Welder 400 amps. Call: 6605462, 611-5114 Spares for washer, microwaves, fridges, stovetimers, gear boxes, pumps, etc. Contact 225-9032, 647-2943

Two (2) Nissan Titan; year 2004. LE and SE model; new tires $3.5M and $3.7M, price neg. Contact 681-3300.

Games for PSP $900, PS2 $900, XBox 360 $2600, PS3 $2600, XBox, Wii. Junior 6722566, 265-3231

Late GKK 2 Ton long base canter Tel: 677-7666,6107666

Corrugated Zinc sheet @ 40% off. Local Lumber @ 25% off. Pine Lumber @ 10% off. Zack’s Lumber. Tel# 2267054.

Toyota Camry-left hand drive. No reasonable refused. For inspection Call: 226-1176,618-9512 (9am-5pm) One ERF hauler and 45FT trailer in contact Call: 6534455 Pallet Wrap & Plastic Film.

Tel: 231-8819 Big blow out sale at Lot 29 Croal Street Enterprise, kids shoes $200 and lots more.

Call:664-2209 Exercise Bike, brand new.

Electric Schwinn 131, Digital Heat Rate monitor; $75,000.

Call Terry: 665-9405

Toyota RAUM, black, fully loaded, never register year 2000 Call: 269-0432,686-0323

First Class Auto. Allion, Premio, NZE, Fielder, AT212, Carina & Raum. Tel# 6098188, 602-6307 Two door Jeep with Toyota engine open/ closed back manual, cheap Call: 2690432,686-0323 Leading Auto. Unregistered Allion, Premio, Runx, Spacio, Avensis, Verossa, 212. Tele: 677-7666, 610-7666.

1 RZ minibus in excellent condition Call: 675-3093 2002 Toyota RAV 4 $3.7 Neg., fully loaded,2000 Toyota VITZ $1.9 Neg. ,PNN series Tel: 276-0229,641-0909 3 ton enclosed & open back canter, unregistered. 6172891

1 House lot for sale, Canal No.2 WBD,1/4 Pal $6M Neg. Call: 619-5307,650-2391

One New Model Caldino Wagon, 41,000km. Excellent condition. Price negotiable $1.4M. Call: 629-1451, 6776003

Complete floristry equipment & supplies, variety of paints, office chairs, one electric stove (GE) Call: 623-1575

Toyota Prado, 2004 Prado, 2005 Mark II GX110, 2005 Tundra. All fully loaded.

Excellent condition. Call: 600-5759

Brand new Blackberry Torch 9800, under $100,000. Call: 676-7443 New Blackberry Torch (Slider) $80,000. Accessories included. Buy 2 or more & receive a discount. 680-1722 Household items for sale.

Call 225-3079, 656-7864 Massage Leather Table, brand new in box, perfect for massage business, heavy duty; $65,000. Call Terry: 6659405

1 Toyota 4x4, V6.Tele: 642-4779 1-1998 Honda CIVIC, manual transmission, PKK series $950,000 Contact: 650-5567 Unregistered 2 Ton enclorsed Mitsubishi Canter Call: 622-9123,679-8056 Clearance sale!!!

Unregistered Toyota BB (Scion) &Sienta. Lowest prices ever!!! Tel: 643-6565, 226-9931 (Continued on page 56)

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

The Abigail Column How old is too old?

DEARABIGAIL, For some reason I’m only attracted men who are 10 years and older than I am (currently 21). I drive my poor mother crazy, but whenever I try to date someone my own age I end up finding them naive, too eager, and/or boring.

My last boyfriend and I were together for a little under 2 years and he’s 15 years older. My boyfriend now is ten years older. It feels

natural for me to be with someone older. Am I just a pervert, or should my mother be more understanding?

Baffled Dear Baffled, There seem to be two main issues here. First, you’re questioning why you tend to prefer older men and if this makes you a pervert. It probably doesn’t, but you could choose to look a little deeper at your reasons for dating only older men, if you want to.

About your preference for older guys… one important

point to remember is that people mature and develop at different rates (you’ve heard the idea of late bloomers and early bloomers). It’s possible you are mature for your age and relate better to older folks.

It’s also possible that older men, who have inevitably had more time for life experiences than the younger men, offer insights, perspectives, or status that you find appealing.

If you want to explore your attractions and the reasons for them, a counselor may be a great way to delve deeper.

Page 55

Mabaruma security guard beaten on worksite A security guard attached to the Institute of Applied Science Technology (IAST) sustained a fractured skull, three broken ribs and a broken arm after he was severely beaten by four men on his worksite.

The incident occurred on May 23, last in Wauna, in the North West District. The man said he is not pleased with the way the matter is being dealt with by the police.

The injured man, Ronald Romascindo said that he had just reported for duty at the IAST compound when he heard a strange noise coming from the Manager’s quarters.

Romascindo said he took his torchlight and went to the area from where heard the noise and was confronted by four men all of whom were armed

with pieces of wood.

“Right away they run to me and start beating me. Even when I fall to the ground they still continue beating me until like I go unconscious and then between time I hear like them breaking in the building but I was on de ground tie up.”

Romascindo said that about an hour later one of his work colleagues arrived but after he heard groaning he became afraid and ran away.

“De man run away and I try shouting but he couldn’t hear me. A li’l while later he come back with another man and he wife but by da time I de done loose out me foot and start dragging going towards the gate and I call out fuh them when I see the light,”.

Romascindo was

eventually taken to the Mabaruma Hospital where he was treated and it was only then he discovered that he had a large open wound to his head, a fractured skull, a broken arm and three broken ribs.

To add to his misery Romascindo said that he is upset with the sloth of the police. The man said that as far as he is aware the police never visited the site of the robbery and it was only Monday last after visiting the police station, he was able to give a statement on the incident.

The man said that he is hopeful that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the incident and his attackers be brought to justice.

NTN CHANNEL 18/ CABLE 69 05:00h - Sign on with the Mahamrtunjaya Mantra 05:00h - Timehri Maha Kali Shakti Devi Mandir Presents Krishna Bhajans 05:15h - Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc Presents 05:30h - Queenstown Masjid Presents Quran This Morning 06:00h - R. Gossai General Store Presents Krishna Bhajans 06:15h - Jettoo’s Lumber Yard Presents Krishna Bhajans 06:30h - Muneshwar Limited Presents Krishna Bhajans 06:45h - Double Standard Taxi Presents Krishna Bhajans 07:00h - Ramroop’s Furniture Store Presents Religious Teachings 07:30h - The Family of The Late Leila & David Persaud Presents Krishna Bhajans 07:45h - Sankar Auto Works Presents Krishna Bhajans 08:05h - Sa Re Ga Ma (Musical Notes) A Live Call-In Program 09:00h - Cricket:- 2ND T20 PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA 13:00h - Guyana’s Entertainers Platform 13:30h - Hinduism in a changing world presented by Pt. Ravi 14:00h - LET’S TALK with LAKSHMEE 14:30h - DVD Classic Indian Movie-: 16:00h - Teaching of Islam

16:30h - Lil Masters 17:30h - Ganesh Parts Presents - BHAGAVAD GITA ( Discourses in English) Serial 17:45h - Birthday Greetings / Death Announcement & In Memoriam 18:00h - Lil Masters 19:00h - Geet Gaata Chal Live with Joel 20:00h - Indian Soap - Mrs.

Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuyien 20:30h - Indian Soap - Yahaan Mein 21:00h - Indian Soap - Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke 21:30h - DVD Movie:BHINDI BAAZAAR INC. (Eng: Sub:) *ing Kay Kay Menon, Prashant Narayanan & Pawan Malhotra 23:00h - Sign Off with the GAYATRI MANTRA

Sunday June 03, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): You might be feeling a little bit slow today, although your emotions will be quick to act up. Look around, and it might seem as though everyone is miles ahead of you in terms of progress or career recognition. ****************** TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Stick to the facts today -emotions and passionate criticism are not the best way to go. Some smart folks have been telling you that you must put a piece of yourself into everything you do, but today you need to remove your emotions from the equation. ******************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): It's time to be a little bit more calculating about where you're going in your life. Just going with the flow is fine and all, but right now you need to form a strategy and plan things out a bit more. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Things are going quite well for you now, but it wouldn't be wise to get too comfortable where you are. There are still a few potential pitfalls out there, and you need to stay on your toes in order to avoid them. ******************** LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): Listen to the most controversial speakers with special care today, because there is more to what they are saying than you may at first think. ********************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept.

22): There's a restless confidence deep inside you, waiting for a bright spark to bring it out into the world. You are just itching to show everybody what you are made of! ********************** LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): You will know when you need to step back today -- so listen

to your gut when it tells you to run and hide. It's important for you to always be able to find a place where you can be by yourself when people aren't on your wavelength. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): Right now you're positively radiating power -- just in time to make some longawaited changes. This will be a very rewarding day; you will be able to take something you don't like and turn it into something you'll cherish forever. ********************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): Have you been experiencing some bizarre dreams lately? Don't worry -they aren't predictions of your future. They are simply signs that you have an extremely active subconscious right now. ********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): It's time for you to organize the different elements of your life and get things on a coherent schedule. Your work or school obligations, your friendships and your romantic relationships are all pulling you in different directions, and the problem will only get bigger if you put off getting things in line. *********************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): When you think about where one of your relationships is going today, you need to look away from logic and tune in to your deep feelings about who this person is and what they bring to your life. *************** PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): You'll be full of an endless supply of warm and fuzzy feelings today, and it would be wise for you to share them with the world.

Guides are subjected to change without notice

Page 56

CAKES & PASTRIES Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery, tel: 670-0798. Wedding dresses for sale & rental.

Kaieteur News

Eastman averts knockout, but Hardy...

(From page 54)

LAND FOR SALE

TO LET Business place to rent, very spacious. Call: 226-2674/6846360,223-1301,682-6822 Furnished 2 bedroom apartment with hot & cold water & internet in Amelia’s Ward Linden Call: 6144415,444-4704 Diamond “AA” Prime location. Newly built apartment 2 & 3 bedrooms with parking, $75,000 – negotiable. 682-3483 One apartment to rent, Friendship E.B.D. Phone# 643-2934-266-2494 East Street $55,000. South $100,000.

Albertown $150,000. Nandy Park US$1700. Diana 227-2256, 626-9382.

Short term apartments, Eccles. Call: 679-7139 Apartments. Tel: 667-1549 Prime business spot at 14 Peter’s Hall EBDTel: 668-0309 Busy 4 corner business spot, Cummings &Middle Street .

Presently Brazillian Saloon, immediate possession $850US neg. Call: 690-6000

Sunday June 03, 2012

Land V/Hoop 2 acre: school, housing, factory, etc. call: 658-0115 95 acres, transported land, W.B.D, Maria Lodge, fully drainage and aggregation. $40 million. Contact 266-5447 1½ acre V/Hoop 48ft x 1300ft, housing, parking lot, work shop, lumber yard, etc.

Call: 627-9351 32 Acres for sale, Lot 5 Content, E.C.D, $256,000.00(USD) Call: 813319-4219 or rpooran@tampabay.rr.com Grove H/S 86’ X 50’ G$4.5m, Land of Canaan Wharf 140’ X 50’ on lot 11.88 acres US$2.5m, Adventure Linden highway 150 acres G$40m 609 2302/645 2580/233 5711 Brickdam 96’X 63’ G$82m, Forshaw Street 118’ X 62’ G$72m, Eping Ave B.A.P 150’ X 100" US$500,000, Carmichael Street 100" X 62" US$500,000 609 2302/645 2580/233 5711 Ogle Seawall Rd 140’ X 100’ G$45m, Sophia Seawall Road 130" X 86’ US$550,000, Ogle Railway Corner 200’ X 78’ US$750,000, 609 2302/645 2580/233 5711

VEHICLES FOR SALE Blue Mitsubishi Lancer, complete with press start alarm and music set $1.2 Neg. Call: 651-9983 Lexus LS400/Luxury, BMW 740IL/Luxury, BMW 635CSI/ Sports. Bring mechanic, make offer. Call: 612-1486, 646-8326 Hilux Solid Axle Pick-up. Just arrived. Tel: 222-2662, 6912077 Jags Auto: Spacio, Premio, Wagon. Cheapest. Call: 6167635 Hummer H2 Sut Model 22" rims, DVD sound system Call: 639-7700 Stretch Limousine 160 inch fully powered, DVD/TV. Best offer accepted, call for appointment Call: 6214000,690-6000 Mercedes Benz 190E, needs minor repairs view @ Sandy Babb & Railway Line, Kitty (Dawo Lumber yard) $600,000 Call: 621-4000 Mitsubishi Pajero GXL V8 engine 25972CC,5 speed, fully powered, AC,DVD/TV/ dropscreen $8M Call: 6214000.

Mercedes Benz S300, fully powered, armored, DVD system $4.5 million Call: 6214000, 690-6000 Cherokee Laredo,4 doors, AC windows, power locks PHH series $1.850,000 Call: 6214000,690-6000 Mercedes Benz A140 fully powered, sound system, PMM series $2.8M neg. Call: 621-4000,690-6000 One EP 71 Starlet Auto, 1 Toyota Ceres, 212, 192, RZ minibus. 1- 2 seater Go Cart.

Tel: 644-5096, 697-1453.

From back page into the second frame when Hardy continued to push his man backwards with Eastman content to land a left jab and an occasional right cross.

Hardy came out with blazing fists at the beginning of the third frame and did launch a few salvoes but Eastman continued to deny him, electing to jab and move while firing the right cross which either fell short of the mark or sailed over Hardy’s head.

Hardy registered the first significant blow, a one two combination that forced Eastman to seek refuge in a clinch, in round four.

Referee, Franklyn Brisport tore them apart but Eastman lashed out, forcing the ‘third man’ to deduct one point from his score for the illegal blow.

Hardy pressed on and before

TOUR June special. Santa Mission, $4,500 per person. Joy 2181285, 649-9059, 692-3114.

DRESSMAKING Working uniforms and more.

Made within 48 hours. Call Sharmela 225-2598, 641-0784.

ACCOMMODATION VACANCY Male Sales Clerk. Hand written application. Perfume Dazzle, 137 Regent St., Lacytown, G/Town.

Pump Attendants. Apply @ Shell Service Station, Ramsburg, Providence, East Bank Dem. Tel# 265-7305 One female clerk. Call: 2315171 One live-in nanny/maid.

Location Kuru Kururu, long term employment Tel: 6561284 One refrigeration, washing machine technician Call: 2310655, 683-8734 Vacancy is available for salesperson, qualifications a preference. Apply to POBox10229 Georgetown Attractive salary for bright, well spoken sales assistant with 5 CXC. Write to P.O. Box 101599 Georgetown.

Signature Inn Luxury Suites & Apartments 83 Laluni Street, Queenstown.

Call for reservations 2262145, 227-5037

MASSAGE American Style Massage Service. Call 609-4036

PEN PAL Afro Guyanese seeks decent female for companion. Age 45-50yrs. Call: 639-2397 Female seeks single male from countryside, age 1923yrs Text: 644-1047

SALON Make up courses, artist trained & certified in Trinidad: 660-5257,647-

EDUCATIONAL Imperial College – CXC Jan/ June 2013 exam. Day/ Evening classes, flexible hours. Contact 227-7627, 683-5742

Qualify yourself in Cosmetology or nails, make up, Register, Limited spaces.

Call Abby: 216-1950, 6197603, 666-5241

Learn to speak Spanish in 1 month. Call: 673-1232

Seeta & Soma Salon.

Specialists in perming, relaxing, styling, manicure, pedicure, etc. Tel: 618-6346/ 644-7142

Princeton College. CXC Adults/Students. Slow learner classes. Day & Evening. January/May June 2013. 690-5008, 611-3793

CAR RENTAL Progressive auto rental, cars from $4,000 per day. Call: 6435122, 656-0087, www.progressiveautorental.com Al’s Car & Pick-up Rental.

Call: 698-7807 Premio, 110 Corolla. Call: 679-7139

the round ended, had connected with several salvoes that had Eastman reeling.

The fifth round saw Hardy, in a resurged effort, pushing his man backwards but Eastman called on his experience and matched his opponent’s every blow.

Hardy still managed to take the round by dint of a sustained attack that lasted until the bell. Eastman responded in the sixth round with several ramrod punches that kept Hardy at bay and from all indications was Eastman’s best effort.

Hardy sported a little mouse under his right eye at the start of the seventh round and Eastman attempted to capitalize.

He threw piston jabs and right crosses but Hardy refused to be daunted, coming back into the fray with some right crosses.

For the first time in the fight also, Hardy attacked Eastman’s body forcing the ‘Battersea Bomber’ to cover up and then retreat. The latter boxer attempted to make amends in the eighth round and used his experience to tie up his man.

It was also clear that Hardy still nurtured ambitions of putting his man away.

Eastman continued to frustrate those efforts forcing Hardy to relinquish those ambitions. He commenced the ninth stanza with a different resolve, utilizing combinations and seemed resigned to the fact that Eastman was determined to finish the fight in an upright position.

Nevertheless, Hardy’s ambitions of a knockout seemed to be revitalized when the bell sounded for the final round.

He started the session with several vicious right crosses but Eastman nullified his power by stepping backwards and at times tying him up.

This ploy failed to deter Hardy who pursued his man and scored with wicked right crosses right up to the final bell.

The margin of defeat was decisive as evidenced by the scorecards.

Carlton Hopkinson scored the bout 96-94, while Clairmont DeSouza and Lionel B. Sullivan saw it 98-91 and 9594 respectively, all in favour of Hardy.

Walcott, intent on making good on his pre-fight boasts, rushed out and dealt George two wallops to his temple.

The Berbician apparently felt the weight of his opponent’s hands and

elected to box around while looking for the openings.

When the bell for the second round sounded, Walcott continued where he had left off in the first stanza and shortly after the bell, connected with a wicked left hook to George’s head that sent the Berbician tumbling to the canvass.

He returned to the fray and defied the odds with an aggressive approach which surprised Walcott and kept him at bay.

George demonstrated some grit when he entered the third round with flailing fists but Walcott, the taller of the two, utilized his jabs and right crosses to end the round as the aggressor.

At the start of the fourth round it was evident that the activity of the preceding round had an effect on Walcott.

He flicked out a jab while attempting to gain some respite. Luckily for him, George was also spent and became easy pickings for Walcott’s right crosses.

The three judges, Andrew Thorne, Trevor Arno and Bernard DeSantos scored the bout 39-36, 35-30 and 35-30 respectively in favour of Walcott.

Azore experienced little or no problems with Lewis and romped home to an easy unanimous verdict. It was indeed commendable to see Azore, usually irrational and hot headed, applying himself to the task.

He demonstrated patience which resulted in a far more structured approach and was more focused than in the two previous matches.

He was eventually rewarded with a well deserved majority verdict. While judge Sullivan registered an even score (57-57), his colleagues, Francis Abraham and DeSouza saw it 58-56 and 6054 respectively.

The Fraser/Matthews bout ended in a draw after both men enjoyed moments in the limelight.

Matthews proved to be a puzzling proposition for Fraser who just could not find the right combinations to keep his man at bay.

Matthews, not one to take unnecessary chances, spent the night dancing out of range and at times clinching right up to the final bell.

Rawle Aaron scored the both 39-37 for Matthews while Hopkinson gave the nod to Fraser by a similar margin. DeSantos failed to break the stalemate with a score of 38-38.

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 57

The DRS, umpires and cricket’s future!

Colin E. H. Croft Being involved with technology – aviation – for 40 years, I like and appreciate the operation of Decision Review System (DRS), and its technological outputs – “Hot-spot”, “Sniko” etc – as being used in present-day cricket, but only if it is used for what International Cricket Council had originally suggested that it would be used for. As of right now, that is not the case at all!

Nowadays, technology in cricket is more the star of the games than either umpires or players!

International umpires are using technology for very wrong reasons. Indeed, it seems that they are getting so very lazy, since it now looks like they are depending on technology to make any proper decisions at all for them, even if there is no wicket or controversy involved!

Picture this, as occurred a few times in the two Tests already played between England and West Indies.

A batsman edges a delivery to either one of the slips, or to wicket-keeper.

There is no doubt that the ball has been edged. Even the

batsman knows that. But what does the batsman do?

Instead of trooping off as he should, he hesitates, and asks, by his body language, if not in voice, if perhaps the ball was indeed a “no ball!”

The time is now when a batsman is caught out in the deep, mid-wicket or extra-cover boundary, even bowled, and, somehow, indicates to the umpire that a check must be made as to if the bowler has ‘no-balled!”

That is not as ludicrous as it sounds, but it is stupid!

There is something seriously wrong with this equation! Where exactly is this taking us in this game?

Umpires are being made into robots. They are now depending more than ever on a machine to even tell them if even a “no-ball” has been bowled. If so, what are they out there for, except to simply count six deliveries?

When, exactly, do they make decisions on their own?

I have no problem with a situation in which the umpire really does not know, genuinely, if a batsman has nicked it to the wicket-keeper.

Once that is referred to the Television Umpire, by umpire or either captain, the whole spiel – review test for legal delivery, “sniko’ for that edge,

etc. – is fully acceptable.

No problem there. This is exactly why these systems were designed in the first place, to help umpires make proper decisions, not make those decisions for them!

However, if a catch is taken, and the umpire makes his decision in favor of the bowler, or not, then that decision should stand, regardless of if it was a “no ball”, or not. If an umpire makes a mistake by not calling a “no-ball” when that ball gets a wicket, so be it.

A mistake was made. The world sees that a mistake was made. That is no tragedy at all. No-one died! ICC boasts that umpires achieve more than 95% correctness. How and where? The machines do!

In football, if a ball hits a player’s hand, not the goalkeeper’s, but is not whistled by the referee, then the ball can be played down to the opposing end, to score a goal, even as the queries continue.

In sport, mistakes will be made. Being humans, we all make them!

To this day, no-one is sure if England’s 3rd goal in 1966 Football World Cup Final against (West) Germany was in or out. It does not matter.

England won the game. That

Barath, Bravo 50 on Day 1 vs...

From back page and Nathan Buck were rested.

Barath and Kieran Powell opened for West Indies and both batsmen drove a boundary in the opening exchanges.

Malik bowled very well in his first spell from the Bennett End and took two wickets in an over as Powell nicked a seaming ball behind and captain Kirk Edwards was trapped right in front.

Bravo got off the mark with a tickle off his pads for four and a great stroke through point also raced across the turf. There was a double change as young seam duo Thakor and Taylor entered the attack and Bravo drove for three and four in consecutive overs.

Barath then played two fine strokes through cover to register further boundaries and it was a tough assignment for the young duo. They stuck to their task and beat the bat on a few occasions. The batsmen took their stand to 50 and slow left armer Sykes then entered the attack for his maiden bowl in the first team and West Indies moved to 82-2 at lunch.

New-ball pair Malik and Joseph resumed after the break and Bravo moved into the thirties alongside Barath with a drive through mid-

wicket. The tourists’ 100 came up through a superb cover drive by Bravo but the players were soon off for a rain delay.

Tea was taken at 3.40pm and play resumed at 4pm. Bravo hit the first two balls through the off-side for four and then moved to an 83ball 50 that contained eight fours. The stylish left-hander then hit another lovely stroke through extra before smashing a straight six and sweeping powerfully for four.

The stand was now into three figures but the impressive Taylor (11-3-23-1) ended Bravo’s knock with a well pitched-up delivery. The batsman attempted to drive but the ball nipped back between bat and pad to remove the bails.

Barath hit over the top for four in the 43rd over as he moved to a nicely compiled halfcentury from 136 deliveries. Assad Fudadin survived an early scare as he edged Sykes but Kadeer couldn’t quite hold onto a sharp chance at second slip.

The spinner looked the part on his debut and completed eight overs before bad light brought a halt to proceedings. The players were not able to return to the field.

Scores: West Indians 150 for 3 (Bravo 66, Barath 53*) v Leicestershire.

was that!

There must be more trust in umpires. When I started playing Tests in 1976/77, umpires were generally respected and revered for decision making; trust that cricketers had in them, and they, too, in turn, had in the cricketers. Some batsmen, like Alvin Kallicharran, always ‘walked’ when he nicked one!

That trust is gone! Now, both umpires and players alike are putting their full faith in a machine that, simply, obviously, cannot be 100% right. No machine, whatever it is used for, can be 100% correct!

I once told Cyril Mitchley, now retired international umpire from South Africa, that if men could use machines and computers to land other men on the moon, nearly 200,000 miles away, to within 200 meters of the exact planned landing point, then it should not be very difficult at all, to remove all umpires from cricket, to allow machines to determine decisions from about 20 meters.

That time, embarrassingly, is almost upon us now, caused by the umpires themselves.

I became an Air Traffic Controller in 1973, which I did for eight years, while also playing cricket for West Indies, before becoming a Commercial Pilot in 1981, and worked as an Airline Pilot from 1995 to 2005.

I even worked, for six years, 1988 – 1993, after Mechanical Engineering studies, designing elements for substantial airplane engines that presently power massive passenger airliners and fighters around the world.

Even with this background, I say that automation is not always the right thing to use or rely on!

If you doubt me, think about “cruise control” in your car. It is almost exactly used like “autopilot” in an airplane.

Both are used to take stresses from the users, so that they can relax for the more difficult parts of driving, or flying, in rainy conditions, or when landing and taking off, when real, full control is absolutely necessary.

No pilot that I know lands on “auto-pilot”, even when both airport and aircraft are thusly equipped, unless for

demonstration or training purposes. They prefer to make positive decisions, adjustments and references themselves, as to speeds, heights and configurations, for safe handling of their airplanes.

No-one that I know continues to speed along highways on “cruise control” when rain falls, for that would soon be a real tragedy, even death!

But, because of the reliance on technology so much these days, international umpires are losing control!

ICC made a terrible decision when suggesting “Neutral umpires” for international Tests.

What about “Best umpires”, period, regardless of their nationality?

Few international umpires, back when I played and even now, are simply incompetent, but most were, and are, extremely good, regardless of nationality.

Umpires like England’s Harold “Dick’ Bird, West Indies’ Douglas Sang Hue and Steve Buckner, and Australia’s Tony Crafter did not get their reputations as being good umpires by using technology. They did that by doing what they were put out there to do; make difficult and sensible decisions.

Tests No. 1 and 2 – England

Colin E. H. Croft v West Indies – there were at least four absolutely atrocious decisions made; all, correctly, overturned by technology. That was not good umpiring, but simply inability to cope. That inability to know right from wrong comes from lack of practice, not lack of real knowledge.

Instead of us leaning for DRS and the rest to eventually take over eventually, as foretold earlier, why does ICC and respective Cricket Boards around the world not recruit youths – 18 to 25 year olds – who may not be able to play cricket that well, but who might be interested in being taught the game, to be made, by genuine continuity and progression, into competent regional and international umpires.

If that does not happen, machines will take over fully; soon! Enjoy!

New US citizen Lepchenko...

From page 58 government has pressed to improve its human rights record. Lepchenko’s mother didn’t join the rest of the family until four years later.

Lepchenko, who became a U.S. citizen in September, trains in New York with U.S. Tennis Association coaches at the site of the U.S. Open.

Another unseeded American, 20-year-old Christina McHale of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., almost pulled off another upset Saturday, taking the first set against defending champion Li Na, before the only Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title turned things around and eliminated McHale 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Two bouncers an over likely...

From page 58 chaired by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, were that the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method of calculating scores in rain-affected matches should remain. An Indian mathematician, V Jayadevan, had proposed his system the VJD method - replace D/L but the committee unanimously agreed there was no evidence of any significant flaws in the D/L

method nor that any improvements could be offered by the VJD method.

In addition, to improve over-rates, it was recommended that drinks should not be brought onto the field other than at official drinks breaks and players should always assume a notout decision following a review and be ready to immediately resume play after the decision is made.

Page 58

Kaieteur News

Guyana crush TT’s aspirations...

Mexico’s Ambassador to Guyana Francisco Olguin meets Head Coach / player Theodore Henry in the presence of Claudius Buts (right), Captain Ryan Gonsalves (second left) and Ryan Hinckson yesterday.

From back page impenetrable.

In the opening period, even though Guyana dominated possession, they made uncharacteristic mistakes on offence, but were ferocious on the defensive end, making some important stops, preventing the visitors from entering the score-sheet.

The Trinidadians had two opportunities to take the lead, but two failed attempts at penalties kept the match on even keel, before the hosts opened their account just before the half after a vicious drive in the Trinidad half.

The dreadlocked Theodore Henry took full advantage of some poor defending in the 36th minute and collected a pass off a scrimmage, before finishing the drive over the try-line unimpeded.

Captain Ryan Gonsalves closed the play by making the conversion which gave Guyana a 7-0 lead just before the half time whistle sounded.

On the resumption, with the Trinidadians looking progressively weary, the Guyanese ruggers piled on the pressure with some relentless drives that eventually took its toll on the visitors backline and that allowed Guyana to score its second try in the 53rd minute after a lazy attempt by the

Trinidadians to collect a missed penalty resulted in the experienced Claudius Butts bustling into the back zone and snatching the ball out of an opposing player’s hands to score a try.

It was a clear example of a team that was physically worn down and feeling the effects mentally.

Gonsalves once again strode up and buried the conversion to make it a handy 14-0 lead.

Guyana by then were completely in control with the Trinidadians scrambling all over the place trying to defend the calculated onslaught by the Guyanese, but were guilty of several infringements and were penalised on one occasion which saw Guyana being awarded a penalty.

Gonsalves was equal to the task, burying his attempt in the 64th minute much to the delight of the sprinkling of fans that watched the game.

Gonsalves, who by this time was having a sterling game, was there again to score another penalty off another infraction committed in the 78th minute by the Trinidadians and that effectively sealed their fate and evidently condemned another TT team to defeat against Guyana.

The Guyanese now await

the outcome of the Bermuda versus Bahamas clash on June 9 to know whether they will play Bermuda or the Cayman Islands.

Meanwhile, Coach Henry speaking with Kaieteur Sport shortly after the game said he doesn’t think the team could make a bigger statement, referring to the earlier boast made by the Trinidadians.

“They are really a good side in the forward department, but we managed to outplay them today (yesterday) and it took a total team effort in addition to the side that wanted it most,” Henry stated.

He added that hard work and an undying will not to give up anything coupled with sturdy defence were the keys to victory.

“We came out with the intention to shut them out totally and I feel that we managed to achieve that goal today (yesterday) and I must mention players such as Richard Staglon and Claudius Butts, whose experience and maturity played a major part in our win,” Henry said.

He added that it makes a difference when you have players who could read the game and make certain decisions because it takes a lot of pressure off the Coach and Captain.

Two bouncers an over likely in ODIs ESPNcricinfo - The ICC’s cricket committee has recommended the number of bouncers permitted in an ODI over be increased to two.

They also concluded the bowling powerplay be removed and the number of fielders permitted outside the 30-yard circle reduced from five to four.

The committee’s recommendations will be ratified by the ICC Board in in Kuala Lumpur later this month, if they are incorporated into ODI playing conditions the mandatory Powerplay of 10 overs at the start of each innings will remain but only one period of five overs will now be nominated as a Powerplay, to be taken by the batting side and completed by the 40th over.

The changes are designed to “improve the balance between bat and ball and to create an identity for ODIs distinct from the Test and Twenty20 formats”, an ICC release stated.

The committee decided there had been little impact from two five-over Powerplays being taken between the 16th and 40th overs, but did think using two new balls from each end had proven successful - both measures were recommended at last year’s meeting.

“The changes will help enhance what is still an exceptionally popular form of the game,” David Richardson, ICC General Manager of Cricket, said. “The committee was mindful of the need to avoid continual changes but was determined to complete the process initiated last year to enhance the format. It is now confident that these recommendations for ODI cricket, which showed its popularity during the 2011 World Cup will help create an even more attractive spectacle as we approach the World Cup in 2015.”

Other recommendations of the committee, (Continued on page 57)

Sunday June 03, 2012

Rafael Nadal eases into French Open fourth round Defending champion Rafael Nadal cruised into the fourth round of the French Open with a straight sets victory over Eduardo Schwank.

Second seed Nadal, who celebrates his 26th birthday on Sunday, won 6-1 6-3 6-4 against Schwank, who is ranked 192nd in the world.

The Spaniard will face Juan Monaco in the last 16.

Sixth seed David Ferrer is also through after beating Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-0 6-2 6-2.

Nadal, aiming for a record seventh French Open title, was rarely troubled as he recorded a 48th career victory at Roland Garros, a venue where he has only ever suffered one defeat.

His forehand was far too good for Schwank, particularly in the first set, but the Argentine did make a contest of it in the second and third.

However, Nadal will face a sterner test in the fourth round against Monaco, who came through in five sets against Milos Raonic, 6-7 (57) 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4. Sixth seed Ferrer’s victory sets up a last-16 meeting with Marcel Granollers , who beat France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 6-4 1-6 4-6 6-1. Ferrer’s strength on the clay suggests he could be a real contender to go far at Roland Garros, but the 30-year-old is not looking any further than the next round.

“I don’t want to think about if I will win Roland Garros,” he said. “I will have to play semi-final, quarter-

Rafael Nadal final. For me, the most important is the next match.”

After Ferrer won the first set in 20 minutes Youzhny wrote “sorry” in the clay, and the Spaniard wrapped up victory in an hour and 41 minutes.

“There was a lot of people.

That’s why I write ‘sorry’.

Because I can’t show them a nice game,” Youzhny explained. “The way we played in the beginning, it was not really interesting for people.”

Nicolas Almagro, seeded 12th, ensured there will be a strong Spanish presence in the last 16 after he beat Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 6-4 6-1 6-2. He will play eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic after he overcame Julien Benneteau 6-3 7-5 6-4. The Serb took two hours and 35 minutes to see off Benneteau, who had gone into the tournament suffering from ankle and elbow injuries.

In other French Open results – Men’s Third Round: Andy Murray (4) vs.

Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 final Nicolas Almagro (12) vs.

Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 final Richard Gasquet (17) vs.

Tommy Haas 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 final Janko Tipsarevic (8) vs.

Julien Benneteau (29) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 final Juan Monaco (13) vs.

Milos Raonic (19) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4 In the Women’s Third Round draw: Julia Goerges (25) vs.

Arantxa Rus 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 2-6 final Petra Kvitova (4) vs.

Nina Bratchikova 6-2, 4-6, 61 final Na Li (7) vs. Christina McHale 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 final Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Yaroslava Shvedova 4-6, 5-7 final Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (22) vs. Klara Zakopalova 3-6, 5-7 final Francesca Schiavone (14) vs. Varvara Lepchenko 6-3, 3-6, 6-8 final Maria Sharapova (2) vs.

Shuai Peng (28) 6-2, 6-1 final Caroline Wozniacki (9) vs. Kaia Kanepi (23) 1-6, 76 (7-3), 3-6 final

New US citizen Lepchenko ousts Schiavone at French PARIS (AP) Varvara Lepchenko’s tennis odyssey carried her from the ex-Soviet nation of Uzbekistan to an apartment in Allentown, Pa., and U.S. citizenship last year.

On Saturday, she arrived somewhere she’s never been before - the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, thanks to a surprising 3-6, 63, 8-6 victory at the French Open over 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy.

Unseeded and ranked only 63rd, Lepchenko gutted out a 3-hour, 2-minute win over the 12th-seeded Schiavone, who also was last year’s runner-up at Roland Garros. Lepchenko joined 19year-old Sloane Stephens, who won Friday, to give the United States two unseeded women in the round of 16 at a major tournament for the first

Varvara Lepchenko time since Wimbledon in 2002. ‘’Unexpected,’’ said the 26-year-old Lepchenko, never before past a Grand Slam’s second round, let alone third. ‘’I mean, I didn’t even expect it. I mean, I just worked hard and tried to believe in myself.

I’m a fighter ... in real life and on the tennis court.’’

She was born in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, then moved with her father and sister to Florida more than a decade ago, granted political asylum so she could leave the Central Asian country to the north of Afghanistan that the U.S. (Continued on page 57)

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

Ross backs ‘Golden Jaguars’ to advance in FIFA WCQ With the ‘Golden Jaguars’ winding down preparations ahead of their all important Third-Round FIFA World Cup Qualifying Brazil 2014 matches starting with Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Friday, International Body Building King Hugh Ross is backing the Guyanese to qualify as one of the two teams from this group which also has Costa Rica and El Salvador.

Under the astute leadership of Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz, the Guyanese are on their final camp in Columbia and will travel to Mexico from there to take on Mexico on Friday June the 8th before heading back to Guyana to entertain Costa Rica four days later.

Ross’ full statement is as follows: “I would also like to take this opportunity to extend best of wishes to members of a team from another Sport Discipline, “The Golden

Jaguars.” They have my full support in their quest for World Cup glory.

They are perfectly poised and have an excellent opportunity so I am asking not only all fellow athletes from other sport disciplines but our nation as a whole to rally around our team as they continue with their training and preparations for the World Cup.”

Corriverton Links FC host successful raffle The Corriverton Links Football Club (CLFC) of Berbice held a successful fund raising raffle on May 26. Following are the results of the event.

1st Prize: Gas stove/food hamper/20 lb gas with fittings Ticket # 0001754 2nd Prize 21" Flat Screen Television Ticket # 0001381 3rd Prize Mini CD Stereo System Ticket # 0000632 Consolation Prizes 4th Prize: Food Hamper Ticket # 0000794 5th Prize: Electric Fan

Ticket # 0001158 6th Prize: Food Hamper Ticket # 0001947 7th Prize: Food Hamper Ticket # 0000357 Winners are encouraged to make contact with the Club on telephone # 658 7086 (Mike) or 339 2606 (Vona).

CLFC is extending gratitude to all those persons and entities that contributed to make the event a success.

The funds garnered will be used to run off the Club’s 7th Anniversary Under-15 competition - The LYNXS CHALLENGE CUP - from June 9 to July 1.

Forde and US-based...

From page 62 (Masters Women’s).

Meanwhile, Neil Kumar, Director of Sports, at the presentation ceremony at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Headquarters, Main and Quamina Streets, lauded the organisers for putting together the event.

Kumar revealed that the event which has been on pause for the past years will be an annual event on Independence Day each year.

“It will be an annual event on Independence Day every year. There are some areas that will be looked at to improve the event.”

President of Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG), Colin Boyce who was extremely happy to be part of the historical event under the theme ‘Fitness for Life’, urged persons to get involved and look at the importance of fitness. The President also agreed with Minister’s proposal for monthly 5ks; all in an effort to unearth talent.

In closing Permanent Secretary, Alfred King in his remarks commended the athletes for participating and thanked the overseas athletes for competing in the event as he hopes the numbers of participants double for next year.

Page 59

Celtics beat Heat to pull to 2-1 in East finals BOSTON (AP) Doc Rivers knew there was little to say to Rajon Rondo after the Celtics point guard scored a careerbest 44 points in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.

After Boston lost that one, Rivers couldn’t resist offering one piece of advice: It starts with Kevin Garnett. ‘’Throw it up in the air, Kevin will go get it,’’ the Celtics coach said he told Rondo. ‘’The only thing we told him offensively was we had to get Kevin involved.

Other than that, just go play.’’

Garnett did get involved, scoring 24 points - many of his baskets off lobs into the paint - and grabbing 11 rebounds to lead Boston to a 101-91 win over the Heat on Friday night that cut Miami’s lead in the best-of-seven series to 2-1.

Paul Pierce added 23 points and Rondo followed his Game 2 performance with 21 points and 10 assists to help the Celtics avoid falling into a 3-0 hole after dropping the first two games in Miami.

Game 4 is tonight in Boston.

LeBron James scored 34 points, but the NBA MVP and the rest of the Heat went cold during a 7-minute stretch at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second, when Boston went on a 15-0 run to turn a six-point deficit into a nine-point lead.

The Celtics extended it to 24 early in the fourth quarter before Miami cut it to 95-87 with help from three 3pointers by Mike Miller. But James had a turnover and missed a 3-point attempt in the last 2 minutes to squelch the Heat’s hope of a

Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo (9) looks to shoot past Miami Heat center Joel Anthony (50) comeback. ‘’You’re trying to fight back the whole time,’’said James, who scored 16 points in the first quarter but just four with one rebound and one assist in the fourth. ‘’We made a run, but it was too much.’’

Miami still trailed by eight points with the ball when Dwyane Wade missed and Ray Allen grabbed the rebound, sending Rondo on a fast break that made it a 9989 with 1:39 to play. James threw the ball away underneath, then missed a 3point attempt the next time down - one of only four shots he took in the fourth quarter.

Pierce found Garnett for a long jumper at the other end, and the teams began emptying their benches.

Coming off his 44-point effort in Game 2, in which he played every second of regulation and overtime, Rondo was 9 for 16 from the field and grabbed six rebounds. Rivers said there was little he wanted his point guard to change. ‘’I’m like a pitcher throwing a no-hitter: you stay away from that joker,’’Rivers said. ‘’The guy scored 44 points, what can I possibly tell him?’’ Mostly: Get the ball to Garnett.

With Garnett posting up underneath the rim, Boston outscored Miami 58-46 on points in the paint. ‘’He (Rivers) kept preaching to just throw it up to him,’’ Rondo said. ‘’They went small, and no one can jump as high as Kevin. He stood

up to the rim, and he went up and got most of them.’’

Marquis Daniels led Boston’s reserves with nine points and five rebounds in 18 minutes.

Wade scored 18 points and Mario Chalmers had 14 points and six assists for Miami. Shane Battier was scoreless, missing all six shots, and Ronny Turiaf had three points while tangling with Garnett under the basket for much of the game.

The Celtics center, appearing rejuvenated during these playoffs at the age of 36, got called for another technical foul for a violent elbow but otherwise seemed to be enjoying himself. While waiting to inbound the ball in the second quarter, he highfived a young child sitting courtside in a No. 5 Celtics jersey.

At the other end, after behind slammed hard to the court by Udonis Haslem, Garnett gingerly rolled over onto his stomach before extending his arms to ease himself off the court.

Down and up he went, pushing off the floor on his knuckles eight times for some postseason pushups.

Wade was 9 for 20 from the field and did not shoot a free throw in the game. James, who shot 24 free throws in Game 2, making 18, was 1 for 5 from the line.

James hit seven of his first nine shots, before making one of the next six. That helped Boston score the last eight points of the first quarter and the first seven of the second to turn a six-point deficit into a nine-point lead. Much of it came with Keyon Dooling and Daniels on the court for Boston.

MotoGP: Casey Stoner takes pole from Jorge Lorenzo in Catalunya Casey Stoner stormed to pole position for the Catalunya Grand Prix as Cal Crutchlow qualified third.

Austalian Stoner had been off the pace during Friday’s second practice but was back to his best as he put his Repsol Honda ahead of Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo.

Briton Crutchlow equalled his best-ever qualifying performance to round out the front row and will be in the mix for a maiden podium finish on Sunday.

American Ben Spies was fourth, with Italy’s Valentino Rossi down in ninth. Stoner’s team-mate, Dani Pedrosa of Spain, was a disappointing fifth.

Crutchlow, who currently rides for Tech 3 Yamaha, told the BBC this week that he has held initial talks about moving to a factory MotoGP team for next

Casey Stoner year after his superb start to the season, and he was again impressive.

The 26-year-old has consistently been the top nonfactory rider this season and has twice finished fourth as he looks to become the first Briton on the MotoGP podium for 12 years.

Crutchlow said: “I am really happy to be back on the front row again and it feels

great considering this is only the second time I have been to this track. I expected to be up there challenging but wasn’t sure where.

“It proves again that I’ve got the raw speed and consistency and now I am really looking forward to the race. “It will be really tough if the conditions are the same with the temperature so hot but I am ready for it. This

morning I only used an old soft rear tyre and I was still really fast, so I knew when I put in a new soft rear this afternoon that I could be much quicker.

“Today is a great result and hopefully I can do the same job tomorrow when it really counts.”

Maverick Vinales took pole in the Moto3 class, with Marc Marquez on top spot in Moto2.

MotoGP standings Jorge Lorenzo: 90 points Casey Stoner: 82 points Dani Pedrosa: 65 points Cal Crutchlow: 45 points Andrea Dovizioso: 44 points Valentino Rossi: 42 points Stefan Bradl: 35 points Alvaro Bautista: 35 points Nicky Hayden: 33 points Hector Barbera: 26 points

Page 60

Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

Permaul, Thomas lead Windies Australian cricketers ‘A’ fight back against Indians threaten to go on strike Twenty-two year old Guyanese West Indies ‘A’ team skipper Veerasammy Permaul scored his maiden First Class fifty and shared in a valuable eighth wicket stand with Devon Thomas to stage a recovery for the regional side after they had slumped to 126-7 against India ‘A’ at Kensington Oval in Barbados yesterday on the opening day of their four-day unofficial Test match.

Permaul who bettered his previous best of 48 at this level was last out when he charged down the track and missed a mighty swing as the Caribbean side fell for 252 off 87.3 overs when stumps were drawn.

Permaul played plenty of shots in his 66 after Thomas (57) was bowled by Rahul as he played over a full length ball after the home team had revived to 220-8 on a good track for batting.

Test leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo (3) then was quickly dismissed before Permaul’s demise ended a good day for the tourists despite the partnership

Skipper Veerasammy Permaul gathers off-side runs during his top score of 66 for the West Indies ‘A’ team against their Indian counterparts in Barbados yesterday. between Permaul and Thomas.

Jonathon Carter (35) and Nkruma Bonner (25) offered some fight in the top order after Guyana’s Leon Johnson

failed to carry after reached double figures. India A’s bowlers were good all day and spinner Rahul Sharma and pacer Shami Ahmed each got three wickets.

Preparatory t10 softball cricket tournament resumes today Play in the Moonlite Trading, Regal Stationery & Computer Centre, Elegance Jewellery & Pawnshop and Mike Copy Centre sponsored and organized by the Guyana Softball League Preparatory T10 tournament is set to resume today with several matches in the male open and the over 35 category.

The tournament was halted to facilitate the GT&T 10/10 tournament. This tournament which has 139 teams competing in the various categories and is geared to ensure softball cricket has continuity. The male open category has only Georgetown to complete their matches which will be done today at Cyril Potter College Ground starting at 9:00am.

In scheduled matches: Pitch #3: Trophy Stall XI versus Herstelling Raiders 12:30 PM: Winner of this match versus Regal XI OVER 35 CATEGORY 20/ 20 Round Robin: Cyril Potter College Ground: Pitch #1: 11:30 am: Better Hope XI vs Young Guns 1:30 pm: Better Hope XI

vs Marshon XI Pitch #2: 11.00 am: Regal Masters XI vs Chavic XI 2:00 pm: East Bank Masters XI vs Chavic XI Helena #2 SC Ground: 9:00 am: Dundee XI vs Farmers XI 1:00 pm: Dundee XI vs Mahaica Sports Club XI Meanwhile, the teams that have already qualified for the quarterfinals in the male open are: Affiance Storm (Essequibo); Invaders XI (West Coast Demerara); South Star XI (Linden); Zalata XI (Lower East Coast Demerara); Memorex XI (East Berbice); Helena #1&2 SC (Upper East Coast); D’ Edward SC(West Berbice).

In the female category those through for the semifinals are: All Star Conquerors (Linden); Rising Stars XI (West Coast Demerara); Mahaica Queens (Upper East Coast); Fazal Kayume Females (Lower East Coast Demerara).

Additionally the prizes are as follows: Male open – winners – $100,000 and a trophy - runners up – $40,000 and

a trophy - man of the match (final) – $10,000 and a trophy Female open- winners – $50,000 and a trophy - runners up – $20,000 and a trophy - woman of the match (final) – $5,000 and a trophy - Over 35 - winners – $75,000 - runners up – $30,000 Man of the match (final) – $5,000 and a trophy.

Australia's cricketers may go on strike ahead of next month's one-day tour of England over performance-related pay issues A F P – A u s t r a l i a ’s cricketers may go on strike ahead of next month’s oneday tour of England over performance-related pay issues, reports said on Saturday.

Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) head Paul Marsh said there were contingency plans should a resolution not be agreed with Cricket Australia before July 1. The Australian newspaper said players have examined a boycott of next month’s oneday tour of England or the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September-October.

“Relationships between players and management are heated and threatening to become as ugly as the standoff surrounding the first player contract negotiations during Mark Taylor’s captaincy (1994-1999),” the newspaper said. “Cricket Australia is playing hardball in negotiations and has frozen all state and Big Bash

(domestic T20) contract talks under the threat of a Aus$50,000 ($48,400) fine until the new agreement is in place.”

The newspaper said players and state administrators have both raised the possibility of a boycott of next month’s tour to England.

Marsh told the newspaper his members were preparing for the possibility of an industrial stand-off if there was no contract in place before the current one ends.

“There’s only 29 days of negotiations left to run, so of course we are preparing for the eventuality of not having a deal in place before the end of July,” Marsh told The Australian. “We are looking at all of our different options.”

The players and Cricket Australia were progressing towards an agreement on a controversial shift to performance-based pay when

CA tabled a demand to change the definition of cricket revenue, it said.

“The association considers that a Aus$30 million cash grab and there is frustration that the bid was tabled late in negotiations,” The Australian said. “The players argue they are not asking for more money, but want to ensure they do not receive less at a time when the game is in reasonable financial health.”

The main sticking point in the negotiations has been the move to adjust the players’ revenue share according to performance, it said. “At the moment the players receive 26 percent of all cricket income but that would move to a sliding scale under a new deal,” the newspaper said.

“The pot from which the percentage is taken would shrink under the proposals.”

Australia are scheduled to play England in five ODIs from June 29-July 10.

Entries close today for Kennard Memorial Turf Club Pre-Independence meet on June 10 Entries for the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) Pre-Independence horse race meeting, which was rescheduled from May 20 to June 10 at the entity’s Bush Lot Farm Corentyne facility, will close today.

Persistent rainfall over the past weeks forced the postponement of the event and the organisers met over last weekend and decided on June 10.

When activities eventually get underway, turfites are assured of the action packed events that characterize these meets. The country’s top horses,

straddled by the top jockeys, would be competing for honours.

The feature attraction pits animals in the ‘D’ and Lower Class over a distance of 7 furlongs with a first place prize of $500,000. The second place will cart $250,000, while the third and fourth place finishers receive $125,000 and $63,000 respectively.

Several other events are slated for the day starting with the G and Lower Class over a distance of 7 furlongs. The winner will cart off $250,000.

Then there is the I2 and lower Class event, also over a distance of 6 furlongs where

the winner claims $180,000.

Several other races are expected to whet the appetites of lovers of the sport including the race among the 3 years old animals, the H and Lower division and the K&L category.

The organizers wish to remind horse owners that the event is being conducted under the aegis of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA) and that all of the rules would be applicable.

Horse owners may also register their animals with Justice Cecil Kennard (2261399, 225-4818, or 623-7609) or Roopnarine Matadial aka Shine (325-3192), Ivan Dipnarine (331-

0316) or Isabella Beaton (3253007, 693-7812).

Horse owners must also present their animals for examination by the vet by 11:00hrs on race day.

Sponsors of the event are Mohamed’s Enterprise, DDL, General Equipment and Farm Suppliers, Yunas Contracting Service, Anirude Ramcharitar, Pomeroon Oil Mills, h Nauth & Sons Civil Engineers Contractors and Chatterpaul Deo and Ariel Enterprise. The other dates projected for meets by the KMTC are Sunday August 12, Sunday October 14 and Wednesday December 26.

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

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England ponder resting Anderson Hugh Ross aims to conqueror It is a measure of England’s pace-bowling resources that speculation surrounding the naming of their squad for the third Test against West Indies centres on the possibility of both senior quicks being rested.

The prospect may not please either James Anderson or Stuart Broad but with England 2-0 up and the series already won, Andy Flower and the selectors are already looking at challenges to come.

Such is the unrelenting nature of the international schedule these days.

Anderson is reportedly set to miss out on the squad altogether, while a decision on Broad is expected to be made before the start of the Edgbaston Test on Thursday.

Steven Finn, who has deputised for both in the last 12 months, is favourite to step in but Graham Onions could also win a recall for the first time since 2010, to form an intriguing but inexperienced attack with Tim Bresnan.

All three are likely to be included in a 12-man party, to be named on Sunday.

England’s new-ball pair of Anderson and Broad are currently ranked No. 3 and No. 6 in Tests respectively and, with both keen to play against a West Indies side that has been tormented by seam and swing in the first two Tests, the management will have to use all their powers of persuasion to promote the benefits of rest.

Leaving out both would be an uncharacteristic gamble - and may also provoke accusations of cheapening Test cricket - but with the upcoming visit of Australia for a one-day series, followed by the much-anticipated Test face-off against South Africa and then the defence of their World Twenty20 title later in the year, England are having to seriously address the vexed issue of rotation.

While Broad has suffered with minor injuries over the last year or two and, as England’s T20 captain, may have the heavier workload to come, Anderson is the bowling unit’s prize asset.

He has been almost everpresent in England’s rise to the top of the Test rankings, though he was granted a series off for the tour of Bangladesh in early 2010.

Since then, Anderson has taken 111 wickets at 23.36 and missed just one Test, against Sri Lanka at Lord’s last summer - a game in which the bowlers seemed to struggle without his leadership as the tourists scored nearly 500 in their first innings and then comfortably batted out a draw on the final day.

England will want him in

James Anderson peak condition when Dale Steyn - his main rival for fastbowling supremacy in Tests and his South Africa teammates arrive next month.

In the wake of England’s victory at Trent Bridge, Andrew Strauss, the captain, addressed the possibility of changes to the side. “We’ve always viewed resting and rotating as something you have to do on a case-by-case basis so we’ll speak to the seamers, see how they’re feeling and see how we’re looking for the rest of the summer,” he said.

Elsewhere, the line-up looks relatively settled, despite some disquiet about Jonny Bairstow’s shaky

response to a bombardment from Kemar Roach in the second Test. The No. 6 spot is really the only area about which England may feel any uncertainty but it would go against the grain of their selection policy in recent times to discard Bairstow after just three innings (one of them 0 not out).

Ravi Bopara has only played second-XI cricket since suffering a thigh injury that cost him his chance at the start of the series and, while Nick Compton, James Taylor and even Ben Stokes have played attention-grabbing innings in the last week, it seems probable that Bairstow will get another opportunity to prove himself.

Should Flower and Strauss wish to indulge themselves with further experimentation at Edgbaston, however, they could consider returning Matt Prior to the No. 6 spot he recently occupied in Sri Lanka and ask Tim Bresnan currently making a statistical case as good as any England allrounder of recent times - to also move up the order.

Having won their last seven Test series in a row at home, England are a formidable side with plenty of options but, with South Africa the last side to outdo them on their own patch, they will take every opportunity to fine tune before July 23 at The Oval.

Possible squad Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, Graham Onions

all at World C/ships in Ireland With the atmosphere in Gyms charged with excitement as local bodybuilders pump up their training as they focus more intently on preparations for the Hugh Ross Classic Body Building & Fitness Show, main event slated for July 28 at the NCC, Chairman of the Committee, Hugh Ross is himself blazing the competitive trail in pursuit of further glory.

Ross is in full contest preparation mode in his quest to raise the Golden Arrowhead at the NABBA World’s Bodybuilding Championships set for June 16th at the Grand Canal Theater in Dublin, Ireland.

Speaking with the Media, Ross indicated that the latter stages of his current preparations were the most difficult he has had to endure as a competitive bodybuilder.

In addition to a hectic travel schedule, a full work schedule, coordinating & administering HRC’s events, Guyana’s leading International body builder informed that he came down with influenza at a time when his immunity was low as a result of extreme dieting.

According to him, the influenza not only resulted in a loss of valuable training time but also nine pounds of hard earned muscle over a five day period.

Ross commented: “With a background as an Ex-GDF Special Forces Officer and a Paratrooper, I am used to adversities, hence I reminded myself that it is better to attempt and fail as opposed to failing to attempt.

To that effect, I re-evaluated my diet during my down time and implemented a new strategy which entailed me testing how my body responded to different carbohydrates by switching them on a day to day basis.

The results were, not only did I discover which one would serve me best when it was time to carb load for my event; I also replenished my glycogen stores in the process which helped me to regain half of the weight that I had lost, in a very short period. That was an indication that I was ready to do battle in the gym again.”

A former successful powerlifter also, Ross further informed that at the moment he is still a bit behind with his preparations as a result

Hugh Ross

of the time that was lost due to illness but noted that his latest challenge has served to fuel his efforts in the gym to an even greater level of ferocity.

“To that effect and with God’s Blessings, I will be ready comes June 16th. I would like to extend sincere gratitude to my family, friends, fellow athletes and fans for their continued support.”

National Judo Championships slated for today The Guyana Judo Association will be hosting their National Championships today at the Marian Academy auditorium from 10:00am with the view of selecting a national team to participate in various international outings scheduled for this year.

A release from the association indicated that all affiliated associations will be taking part in the event in both the senior and junior categories. The association also extended an invitation to sport enthusiasts to be part of the occasion.

Rural boxers beginning to come into Day of Interaction set their own through Friday Night Fights for Essequibo today

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/ National Sports Commission will launch the Days of Interaction for 2012 at the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground today.

On Sunday, all roads lead to the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground where an anticipated one thousand (1000) athletes and officials will be involved in a number of sports disciplines including Softball Cricket, Football, Volleyball, Circle Tennis, Domino, Table Tennis, Basketball among others.

The Opening Ceremony will include remarks by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, Director of Sport, Mr. Neil Kumar, Regional Chairman, Mr. Parmanand Persaud and other Regional

and Political functionaries.

The Day of Interaction is expected to be non – alcoholic.

Hence, there will be no selling nor consumption of alcohol during the activities at the venue.

At the completion of the activities, there will be presentation of trophies to the winning communities and individuals.

There will also be donations of sports gears and equipment to the region to assist with the development of sports in the various communities.

Minister Anthony will also take the opportunity to visit several Community Centres and playing areas so as to make more playing space available to the people in Essequibo especially the youth.

Shaka Moore of the Essequibo Boxing Gym (EBG) turned in a credible performance to take the honours over Tyron Lashley of the Pocket Rocket Boxing gym (PRBG) in the 85-89lbs class when action in the amateur segment of the 24th edition of Guyana Fight Night concluded at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) Friday evening last.

Another PRBG representative, Michael April, repaired the damage somewhat when he earned a 3-0 verdict over Orin Bancroft of the Harpy Eagles Boxing Gym (HEBG), also in the 85-89lbs division while another HEBG representative, Anthon Branch, proved too good for Matthew Allensworth of the Five Star Boxing Gym (FSBG) in their 110-114lbs bout. Travis Fraser then distinguished himself among his peers when he forced the referee to halt his jnr/welterweight bout against Kevin McKenzie in 1:18secs of the second frame.

This segment consisted largely of boxers from the rural communities as officials of the Guyana Amateur boxing Association (GABA) continue to place emphasis on pugilists from this part of the country. As such most of the boxers were drawn from gyms in along the East Coast corridor, Berbice and Essequibo with a sprinkling from the Georgetown

institutions.

Moore, who hails from Essequibo, immediately distinguished himself with a classical display that raised the hopes of administrators and boxing buffs alike of the untapped talent in outlying areas. Indeed Moore, who belongs to a boxing clan of the seventies and eighties, the likes of Colin Moore and Clayton Adams among others, regurgitated fond memories when he employed shrewd techniques and superb aptitude to overcome Lashley. Really, it was not just simply the victory but how it was orchestrated. Enjoying a height advantage, Moore used his jabs to good effect even as he countered with straight rights.

One also cannot ignore the efforts of Matthew Allensworth of the (FSBG) who, despite suffering a loss has shown the type of aptitude necessary for the transition to higher order. Boxers out of the PRBG also displayed that special quality that, given time, could provide the type of material for administrators to work with.

The ProAm initiative is truly beginning to unveil the results yearned for by administrators even if, arguably, at a slow pace.

Page 62

Kaieteur News

Sunday June 03, 2012

POWERADE 11-RACE CYCLE MEET...

Robin Persaud claims feature race; Mario King is top juvenile Robin Persaud worked his way back to winning ways when he powered his way to the top of the podium in the feature school boys and invitational 35-lap contest at the Banks DIH Powerade sponsored 11-race Cycle Meet held yesterday at the Inner Circuit of the National Park.

Persaud won the event in One Hour 17 Minutes 56 Seconds and was followed to the line by Albert Philander, Alonzo Greaves, Raul Leal, Michael Anthony and Raynauth Jeffrey to close put the top six spots.

The junior riders continue to show admirable consistency as they claimed the 4th, 5th and 6th positions, Leal, Anthony and Jeffery.

Ruling the roost in the juvenile 10-lap race was Marion King who beat Michael Anthony and Kurt La Rose in that order.

Following are the results

Banks DIH Outdoor Events Manager Mortimer Stewart (3rd right) and Hassan Mohamed (right) pose with the race winners and top performers after yesterday’s Race Meet at the National Park. of the other races, 1st to 3rd: Boys and girls 12-14 Hazina Barrett, Naomi Singh, Alfie Sonoram

Upright - Keon Thomas, Hamza Eastman, Michael De Roche BMX 6-9 – Isaiah

INDEPENDENCE HALF MARATHON…

Forde and US-based Josiah-Tanner ignite streets Guyana’s Little Kenyan, Cleveland Forde of the Guyana Defence Force and US-based Euleen JosiahTanner yesterday morning ignited the streets as expected as the sun rose when the Independence Half Marathon (21km), compliments of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) got under way from Paradise on the East Coast of Demerara to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Headquarters on main street.

The race which attracted thirty-seven athletes saw Forde, who previously informed this publication that he was just competing for endurance and not for timings, clocking 01:14:52 seconds ahead of Trinidad and Tobago-based Kelvin Johnson, Running Brave Athletic Club, Cleveland Thomas, Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC), Kevin Bayley and GDF, Tyshon Bentick in the Men’s Open category. Johnson, who finished closely behind Forde, turned in a time of 01:14:53 seconds. Thomas, President’s/ Jefford Classic III 1500m winner was third in 01:17:22 seconds; Kevin Bayley and Tyshon Bentick finished fourth and fifth respectively in 01:20:40 seconds and 1:23:53 seconds.

The Women’s Open

Sahadeo, Christopher Goring, Ken Sahadeo BMX 9-12 – Kapildev Bishram, Jamal Arthur,

Thuran Garbarran BMX 12-14 – Jason Jordan, Adrian Sharma, Chris Griffith

BMX Open – Makel Dias, Julio Melville, Cleveland King Veteran Under-50 – Junior Niles, Shameer Baksh, Kennard Lovell Veteran Over-50 – Virgil Jones, Wilfred Thom, Leon Javier of Peru Veteran Over-60 – Maurice Fagundes, Harry Lall Outdoor Events Manager of Banks DIH Mortimer Stewart, himself a former National footballer and lethal forward, stated his company’s pleasure in being association with the development of youths and the consolidating of talent at the high end.

Stewart commended the organizer, National Coach Hassan Mohamed for continuing to bring off events of this nature which keeps the sport alive and offers competition for the cyclists.

He pledged his company’s continued support for the sport and the athletes.

Banks Aqua Water Cycle Road race set for Sunday June 10 in Berbice The 4th Annual Banks DIH Aqua Water sponsored 40-mile cycle road race in the Ancient County of Berbice will be staged on Sunday June 10.

Organised by the Flying Ace Cycling Club (FACC), Banks recently handed over the sponsorship cheque to coordinator and coach of the Club Randolph Roberts. The event will be open to cyclists of the Flying Ace Cycle Club only.

Sales Manager Joshua Torrezao acknowledged the contribution the club has been making to the development of young cyclist’s in Berbice and pledged the company’s continued support for the event.

“Sports is one thing that will help to develop our country. If our youths develop themselves then our county will develop. We are happy to be doing this for the past ten years.”

He promised that this year the event will be bigger and the company has decided to increase the sponsorship package.

Roberts, in thanking Banks DIH, stated

that the company is one for all seasons. “You have over the years showed how truly committed you are in sports, youth, community, and education development.”

“This sponsorship offers us a chance of having competition which is essential if the cyclists in Berbice are to be able to compete and win against others. This race allows us to compete against ourselves and we are very grateful to Banks for that.”

Also at the presentation ceremony was Banks DIH Berbice Regional Manager, Reggie Matthews.

The race will pedal off at 09:00hrs outside Banks DIH New Amsterdam Branch, proceed to Adventure on the Corentyne and then back to the place of origin for the finish.

The defending champion is Neil Reece while Marica Dick is the defending female champion. Prizes will be awarded to the first six finishers as well as outstanding riders in the veteran, junior, juvenile, female and 12-14 categories. (Samuel Whyte)

Guyana’s Little Kenyan, Cleveland Forde collects his trophy from the Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports yesterday morning shortly after the Independence Half Marathon. category which had four competitors saw US-based, Josiah- Tanner doing what she normally does in all of her competitions. The US-based athlete dominated the race in a dazzling 01:29:47 seconds ahead of GDF, Ashanti Scott (01:42:04 seconds). The two other athletes, Eva Harry (02:07:45 seconds) and Donna April (02:15: 24 seconds), both of PPYC where unable conclude the race under 2 hours.

The Masters (men)

Category saw veteran, Llewellyn Gardner in the spotlight against Silas Brummell and Joseph Jardine.

Gardner completed the race in 01:36:10 seconds as Brummell and Jardine finished, second and third respectively in 01:42:03 seconds and 01:47:56 seconds.

Guyana’s sprint queen, Alicia Fortune, pedaled to a cool 02:05:40 seconds without a challenger in her category (Continued on page 59)

Banks DIH Berbice Sales Manager Joshua Torrezao (left) presents the cheque to Coach Randolph Roberts. Regional Manager Reggie Matthews is at centre.

Sunday June 03, 2012

Kaieteur News

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t r o Sp

24th edition Guyana Fight Night...

Barath, Bravo 50 on Day 1 Eastman averts knockout, but vs Leicesteshire Hardy prevails in tactical affair

A

drian Barath compiled an unbeaten halfcentury as West Indies posted 150-3 on a reduced first day of the tourist match at Grace Road.

Nadeem Malik (11-235-2) reduced the Windies to 25-2 before Trinidad and Tobago teammates Barath (53*) and Darren Bravo (66), who played against County in the Nokia Champions League T20 last year, shared 111 for the third wicket.

West Indies earlier won the toss and elected to bat and the game got underway at 11.30am after some overnight rain and morning drizzle.

Josh Cobb was named captain of the Leicestershire team, which included Michael Thornely after his brilliant debut at Glamorgan.

Kadeer Ali, Shiv Thakor, Rob Taylor, Nadeem Malik and James Sykes also came into the side while Ramnaresh Sarwan, Claude Henderson, Wayne White (Continued on page 57)

C

Darren Bravo made his third half-century of the tour against Leicestershire © Getty Images

aribbean Boxing Federation welterweight champion, Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy delivered a few ‘chin checkers’ but failed to put away a resilient Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman, but nevertheless withstood a severe test to carve out a lopsided unanimous verdict when the two pugilists faced off in the 24th edition of Guyana Fight Night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), Friday evening last.

Iwan ‘Pure Gold’ Azore was also in winners’ row and earned a hard fought unanimous verdict over his nemesis, Troy Lewis, in their 6 rounds welterweight scrap, while Rudolph Fraser and Cassius Matthews battled to a stalemate in their 4 rounds super/featherweight bout.

James Walcott promised to teach Kelsey George a lesson in the fundamentals of the sport and did just that, waltzing off with a one-sided unanimous verdict in their 4 rounds, light/heavyweight

Simeon Hardy

scrap.

When the bell sounded for the first round, Hardy shuffled out and immediately attempted to make a statement with a few of his infamous ‘chin checkers.’ He soon found out that Eastman was not one to

be deluded by his ploys and Hardy was forced to bide his time. Eastman, for his part chose to be defensive, stepping backwards while flicking an occasional jab in Hardy’s general direction.

The pattern continued (Continued on page 56)

Guyana crush TT’s aspirations once again -set up clash against Cayman Islands or Bermuda

By Rawle Welch With shouts of ‘we are Guyanese, we are Guyanese’ inspirational leader Richard Staglon, who led the chorus along with his supporting cast of champions, the Guyana national rugby team inflicted another crushing blow to Trinidad and Tobago’s aspirations after defeating the visitors 20-0 yesterday in the Southern Zone final of the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Regional Qualifiers for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, at the National Stadium.

The venue has become a sorrowful one for teams from the ‘Land of the Hummingbird’, starting with the ‘Soca Warriors’ who crashed out of the FIFA 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign after losing to the Guyana ‘Golden Jaguars’ last year.

The Trinidadians who promised revenge for their narrow loss to the Guyanese last year failed to replicate the performance they produced against Barbados in the earlier round and found the Caribbean champions defence (Continued on page 58)

The champions take a Lap of Honour to congratulate the fans after defeating Trinidad and Tobago yesterday at the National Stadium.

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