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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
Why stop at Charles Taylor? In April, a UN–backed special tribunal in The Hague convicted Charles Taylor of “aiding and abetting” the rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone as they committed horrific abuses against civilians. The rebels’ crimes, which included their signature atrocity of cutting off victims’ arms and legs, as well as forcing children to execute their parents, were among the most heartless ever investigated. The verdict marked the first time since the post–World War II Nuremberg trials that a former head of state has been convicted by an international tribunal of war crimes and crimes against humanity. According to “The Nation”, however, what may be of more lasting significance, however, is that Taylor was not convicted for oppressing his own people— though he did that as well—but for his material support to abusive forces in another country. In that respect, the decision speaks not just to tin pot dictators but to leaders of countries who fight proxy wars by knowingly giving client states or rebel allies the means to commit atrocities. Following precedents from the Yugoslavia war crimes tribunal, the court—officially called the Special Court for Sierra Leone—said that “aiding and abetting” requires that the accused give “practical assistance, encouragement, or moral support which had a substantial effect on the perpetration of a crime.” The accused must have known that his acts “would assist the commission of the crime by the perpetrator” or be aware “of the substantial likelihood” that they would. In Taylor’s case, the court found that he knew of the atrocities being committed against civilians by his Sierra Leonean allies “and of their propensity to commit crimes.” Nevertheless, the court said, Taylor continued to ship arms to the rebels and provide them with political and moral support and encouragement. The principle is akin to giving more ammunition to an armed man on a killing spree. It’s striking that the very same legal reasoning could apply to those in Washington, Moscow or elsewhere who provide military assistance to abusive forces half a world away. Take, for example, the case of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and East Timor. Declassified documents reveal that after the Timorese declaration of independence from Portugal in 1975, Kissinger and President Gerald Ford, fearing that the new country would become a communist outpost, gave Indonesian President Suharto the green light to invade the island in a Jakarta meeting the day before the invasion. The US was then supplying Indonesia’s military with 90 percent of its arms, and Kissinger himself described their relationship as that of “donor-client.” As the civilian death toll from the invasion climbed into the tens of thousands and the reports of atrocities mounted, Kissinger ensured that US arms continued to flow to the invading forces despite Congressional strictures. Estimates of those who died from military action, starvation or disease range from 100,000 to 180,000. The reasoning might also apply to Russian leaders if it were found that they gave Syrian President Bashar al-Assad the means to massacre his people. Russia has long supplied Syria with the bulk of its weapons. But even during the latest crackdown, which has become increasingly brutal—including the shelling of Syrian cities with heavy artillery—Russian exports of arms and ammunition have continued. While Russian officials say the weapons are used for defensive purposes, others allege that the shipments include sniper rifles of the kind used by Syrian government forces against protesters. But it is hard to imagine a case against a Russian or American leader reaching an international court. Neither country has ratified the statute authorizing the International Criminal Court, and each can veto any Security Council referral to the ICC. Unfortunately, the most powerful, and those whom they protect, still appear to be beyond the reach of the developing architecture of international justice. Even so, the Taylor decision should give pause not only to leaders who kill their own people but also to those who would arm and support them. As such, it could be a major advance for human rights.
Sunday June 17, 2012
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Govt. is taking bread out of the chicken farmers’ mouths DEAR EDITOR, It is with shock that I read in the newspapers that government has granted 12 licences for the importation of chicken. What is even more alarming is that there were no notices, no indications whatsoever that government had been contemplating this act. It would appear at first glance a knee-jerk reaction to what has been reported as a chicken shortage in the country. I am a chicken farmer, although a small one at that. I have invested most of my little savings to build my backyard pen. It would be a source of income for this old
age of mine. It is no secret that the little pension is barely enough to pay the utilities. Over the past year or so there have been major problems with sourcing of baby chicks, the price of feed and high mortality. The previous Ministry of Agriculture had held meetings with chicken farmers to find solutions to the problems besieging this sector. The chicken egg importers were accused at one time of deliberately bringing limited eggs so as to drive prices upwards. We as farmers have to depend on these importers for the baby chicks. We have been limited in recent times to
the number of chicks that we order. Editor, the small chicken farmers contributed a significant percentage of chickens to the local market. That is a fact. Many of them live from sale to sale because of the price fluctuations and uncertainties that beset this business. Farmers have also been suffering seriously from high mortality and poor growth in recent times. Imagine a bag of feed for $5,600 and you have to rear the birds for six weeks, and at the end of that the chickens are three pounds each. Any wonder why the prices are high? Additionally, Editor, many
small farmers are already deep in debt, and have pulled out. It just does not make sense. Farmers have their own beliefs for the high mortality and poor growth. It is believed that chickens are not properly vaccinated and there might even be issues of a poor quality feed. There was much hullaballoo about the formation of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority last year. I don’t hear from them. We don’t even have inspectors paying visits to us. Today, I read a letter in the Stabroek News from Mr. David De Groot of Bounty Continued on page 5
Sunday June 17, 2012
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Caribbean governments should fully support the decision to play these two matches in Florida DEAR EDITOR, It is well known that the West Indies will play two of its 20/20 matches against New Zealand during the latter’s upcoming tour of the Caribbean in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There has been mixed reaction to the decision to play these two matches in America. We in the Diaspora, especially Florida, welcome the matches for several reasons, foremost because it demonstrates that Caribbean American communities have been expanding their influence in American society and that our diverse culture as well as our contributions to education, business, medicine and to the economies of the communities in which we live are finally being tangibly recognized. The struggle to have a cricket stadium built in Florida was a long and hard one but testimony to the hard work of many the likes of county Commissioner Dale Holeness and cricket administrator/ community activist Jeff Miller. Our Caribbean
governments which depend so much on remittances from the Diaspora to help ensure that their economies are stable and many of which at the political party level raise the bulk of their elections campaign financing from supporters in the Diaspora, should fully support the decision to play these two matches in Florida. I am no supporter of the West Indies Cricket Board. I think they are a bungling group of incompetents for the most part. However, I commend the Board for its decision to allocate the two matches to Florida especially against the backdrop of dwindling crowds at so many of the venues in the Caribbean. I understand the argument of President Donald Ramotar about the investment made by Caribbean governments in building new stadia and the need to have matches played in the Caribbean. Our Caribbean governments need to engage the WICB on a range of issues which affects West Indies cricket-the region’s most unifying influence and
foremost source of Caribbean pride. These discussions should include a formula for the equitable allocation of matches for upcoming tours. But such a formula must include a match or two in Florida and our regional governments must give this their support. Now for the real issue at hand. Caribbean governments, through their consular and other diplomatic representatives in the US were asked to sponsor a welcome reception for the West Indies team which would be attended by the NZ team, cricket officials, business and community leaders, media, elected official and others. The estimated cost of the reception is $20,000. I understand that consideration was given to the request and that just this past week the governments indicated that they did not have the funds to sponsor this reception. I can’t believe it. Most of our countries have budgets for the promotion of tourism and what a great opportunity this is to promote
DEAR EDITOR, I sincerely would like to bring to the attention of the Ministry of Education, as well as the Regional Education Officer of Region Number 8 of the actions of a senior Education Officer for Subregion Number One. The incident occurred during a pre-graduation exercise held on the 12th of June 2012 at Paramakatoi Secondary School. The incident occurred because a teacher who was supposed to chair the
programme was unable to do so due to a sore throat which was pretty obvious to the hearing public. This teacher had informed her senior mistress in absence of the Head teacher in the morning and also had chosen a replacement who agreed to chair the program. Keep in mind that this teacher was only told to be the chairperson the day before. This is what followed: the official stood up and loudly announced that there was a delay because of this
teacher’s refusal to chair the programme even when the replacement MC was already in her place. When the teacher stood up to explain her circumstances and introduce her replacement, the official continued on with her rant, and accused the teacher of being disrespectful and belligerently refused to stop until the teacher agrees to chair the programme. I believe her actions were totally uncalled for, seeing that the graduation ceremony was a school ceremony and she was a special guest. It was obvious that she had a personal grudge against this Continued on page 6
This rude Education official needs to be investigated
Govt. is taking bread... From page 4 Farms which is the country’s biggest producers of chicken. He wants to know how the 12 importers were selected. It is alarming that 12 persons could be selected without the biggest producer being even told that government wants to import. There were just no notices in the papers or announcements from the government. The Ministry of Agriculture has remained quiet throughout all time. There is no word from the Livestock Authority. Editor, my family is asking our government to tell us how we can continue to invest when we have no protection.
Which leads to my closing point: Was the entire granting of the licences to 12 importers done to benefit a few persons? Mr. Luncheon says that government is seeing a shortage and responded as a result to grant the licences and that there is an increase of demand in the hinterlands mining areas. Maybe we can also use this opportunity to allow our farmers to benefit. As Mr. De Groot says, it may not be too late now to help our farmers and even allow some of them to collaborate and import, if there is a shortage. T. Mohammed
the countries of the region. Is $2,000 per country asking too much of our regional governments to host this reception? Or is it that our governments feel that they should not be spending a penny on helping to have international cricket played in America? These are the same governments that wax poetic about the importance of the Diaspora and their commitment to our efforts to integrate into American society and help shape favorable US policy on the Caribbean. Our regional governments have a great opportunity to demonstrate that their expressed commitment to us in the Diaspora is not just lip service and that they mean what they say and say what they mean by sponsoring the welcome reception for the WI team. We in the Diaspora continue to give much to our countries without asking for anything in return. For once we are asking for your support and we expect it unconditionally. Perhaps our governments should take their cue from the people of the region some 5,000 of whom will travel to Florida for the two matches....2000 from Trinidad and Tobago alone. These people most likely would have preferred to have matches in their countries but nonetheless will support the West Indies where ever they play. Come on CARICOM governments. Will you not share our burden of promoting our culture/pride in the US to the tune of $20,000? . Wesley Kirton
Pick it up Guyana campaign needs to be supported by all DEAR EDITOR, I was extremely pleased when I made the turn at the head of Sheriff Street heading towards the East Coast of Demerara seeing the huge billboard saying “Pick it Up” and sending the message to keep Guyana clean. This has been long overdue and I think this move to promote this type of message and creating awareness of this nature will soon bear fruits. I usually focus on the various news on our local channels and over the past week I noticed various groups of persons, both local and international actually picking up garbage and putting it in garbage bags supporting this initiative – Pick it up. I am convinced that this level of awareness will create an impact and that the generation of the day will soon adopt the principle of taking care of their environment by being responsible for their garbage. Also, those civic minded Guyanese who have already supported this initiative should not wait on any individual to tell them to share the message and educate those who are not yet aware of the importance of their environment and how
garbage can destroy it in a very short time. The initiative should not be kept on billboards and short television ads; however, this need to be on the ground and should be a continuous programme. I therefore wish advice the implementers to move to the school network, religious groups, social groups, other governmental agencies, private sector business among the many other groups we have in our country today and let the message be broadcasted in every direction utilizing proactive needs assessment of the respective groups and working towards achieving these needs. I want to live to see the day when after the big sea wall lime on Sundays, which is now a Georgetown Culture, that on Monday morning all the garbage will be in the bins rather than all over the ground; that school children will look for the garbage bins instead of dropping it; that our streets in the city will be clean instead of coated with plastics and Styrofoam and I just wish to live to see a clean and beautiful Guyana as it used to be. Saleem Hamid
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Kaieteur M@ilbox This rude Education official needs... From page 5 teacher and proceeded to use her power as education officer to embarrass and humiliate the teacher in front of the public. Imagine the shock of the public at the unprofessional conduct of an official and more so the teacher who was clearly hurt, emotionally and professionally. As one of the member of the audience, I was absolutely embarrassed by this show of complete unprofessionalism. Unfortunately, this incident is not an isolated one. There are many other demonstrations of unprofessionalism by this officer. In many public meetings, I have heard that teachers were yelled at,
embarrassed without a chance to defend themselves. This is an officer who claims that she was given permission to work from home, even though her office is about five minutes away on foot. She complains about teachers’ tardiness, but she herself goes to her office after nine am and leaves well before the lunch hour. The same officer tells everybody in a meeting to imagine that her house and her office are ten miles away. Clearly, the public outburst at a pregraduation ceremony that was meant to celebrate the form five students’ achievements was a show of total unprofessionalism. Insulting a teacher’s integrity
in public, when she was not given a chance to defend herself – this is tyranny! I have also heard that this official was sent to the region because of disciplinary reasons. Is this fair to Region 8 to have to endure an official who is unprofessional, who refuses to take responsibilities of her action and who abuses her power? I wonder why this incident was taken out of proportions when a couple of weeks before, the dorms did not receive their food rations, and CSEC papers did not come in time. Obviously, the public didn’t hear much about that! I hope that the Ministry of Education and the Administration of Region 8 will look into this matter. The graduation incident, if I may, is the straw that broke the camel’s back, and we the people of Paramakatoi Village will not stand for this kind of conduct. Stan Marks
Sunday June 17, 2012
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Why do people falsify their academic status? DEAR EDITOR, Since I became an adult many moons ago I have always been fascinated about why people would inflate their importance by claiming false status be it academically or professionally. So while reviewing postings on the World Bank Institute Alumni Network I came across some interesting responses to the questions: What needs to be done when a leader’s academic record was misstated?; Is there a lack of integrity and honesty?; Does effective leadership require high standards, etiquette, moral values and ethics? The views of the contributors who located in Malawi; Nigeria; Ghana; South Africa; and the Philippines etc. variously argued that although we should not rule out the value of academic qualifications it is more important that we have leaders untainted by corruption and who can deliver on their mandate. One alumnus stated that the issue of comparative weight of qualifications should be a consideration in terms of the ranking of the academic institution. However the intentional misstating of qualifications to gain an advantage for selection to a position brings the factor of integrity into the equation since if someone is willing to intentionally claim undeserved academic status there is the nagging thought
of what would s/he not be ready to do to advance themselves in other matters. Another challenge relates to acceptance by one’s peers when they realise (and trust me they will find out) how the job was obtained. And therefore the importance of background checks and references cannot be understated. It is an established convention that anyone who is found to have deliberately misstated or falsified his qualification with the intention to deceive faces appropriate sanctions. Another comment said that if a leader has no high standard worthy of emulation, lacks etiquette, moral values and ethics, s/he is failing as a role model and will not command the respect of others. The argument concludes that that leader is more than likely to be a failure in family and business matters since it is the lack of integrity which brings don systems. It is not unknown that there are leaders possessed of a passion to achieve which drives them and who cannot be faulted for their effective and efficient leadership; these are the people who have made their mark and for whom qualifications are a plus. But let’s not restrict ourselves to leadership behaviour but take in the wider society. On the other hand if you look at some people who obtain the
highest qualifications but sadly they have nothing to show for all their knowledge. The argument that the end justifies the means will not wash in circumstances of falsification since there is no guarantee that such duplicity will not happen on a grander and more expensive scale in the future. Yahoo’s CEO Scott Thompson is alleged to have quietly allowed people to believe that he held degrees in accounting and computer science - a claim which was repeated in a conference speaker ’s biography; on the company’s website; and in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, when in fact he only had an accounting degree. Patti Hart, who led the search committee that picked Thompson, in her résumé filed with the SEC stated that she holds a bachelor ’s degree in marketing and economics when in fact her degree is in business administration with a specialty in marketing. Some people crave the recognition of having attended certain schools and possessing certain qualifications since this paves the way for acceptance in circles to which they would not normally be invited; and it is not unlikely that some such claims would be false. I don’t think that having attended Charlestown Government Secondary School - which was arguably among the top schools during the sixties and seventies that I would lay any false claims to Queens. Of course it has been argued that - like some associations in the post colonial West Indies, Queens College because of the contributions of its alumni, should share some of the blame for some of the conditions of post independence Guyana. Editor we are at the crossroads where for some strange reason we seem to accept daily media reports on ethical misconduct as being the norm and not an aberration suggestive of the loss of our moral compass. Patrick E. Mentore
Sunday June 17, 2012
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West Berbice first shopping mall aims at reviving commerce in Rosignol By Leon Suseran West Coast Berbice has been transformed with the permanent fixture of a brand new $50M shopping mall, the first of its kind in Region Five. Agape (Greek for ‘love’) Shopping Mall came into being as a result of the partnering of skills, finance and ideas of two brothers, Angad and Jaggernauth Persaud, the latter of whom has been residing in Canada for the past 16 years where he owns and operates an auto refurbishing business. The mall is situated at Lot 177 Burnham Avenue, Rosignol Village. The owner of the building, Angad, said that he spent a number of years overseas but desired to return home “to put up this little mall here”. Persaud said that the idea behind such a business venture in Rosignol is “to bring business opportunities into the community and offer something with a difference to boost the community in a sense that people recognise Rosignol as a place where they can do business”. The mall was constructed on an area which was once a swamp. The building can accommodate 18 stores, with units measuring 14ft x 25ft. Each is fitted with an independent lighting facility. Persaud said that all of the units have been occupied and the store owners are getting their stuff together, organising their display of items and just preparing to fully open by July 1. Stores, including boutiques, jewellery stores, a supermarket, electrical and computer stores, hair salon, dining cafe, game- shop, hardware store, and cell phone store, are among those present in the building, providing shoppers with a one- stop- shop experience. Persaud is hoping for a grand launch in August whereby the mall will be officially opened. Persaud feels “good with the reaction of the people...and it feels challenging. “One of the things that makes me feel good about it, too, is that it drives businesses and the
Co-proprietor of Agape Shopping Mall, Angad Persaud small businesses around— it boosts them”. He added that he has constructed a large parking lot alongside the building to accommodate up to 20 vehicles. He believes that the mall is already attracting the attention of corporate entities and organisations from further afield, like for example, in the city whereby “people are calling me to do promotions”. Over the past couple of years, business and commerce in the West Berbice area, especially in areas such as Rosignol and Cotton Tree Villages, have diminished. They suffered immensely
with the opening of the Berbice River Bridge. Numerous shops along the Carriage Roadway (Stelling Road) at Rosignol were forced to close. The New Amsterdam side of the locale also suffered because of the bridge as well since commuters no longer come out and have a chance to shop and patronise businesses; instead they travel instantly over the bridge, and are diverted away from central Rosignol. Now, with the presence of malls such as Agape Shopping Mall, there is a hope that business and commerce will once again ‘pick- up’ and bit by bit, some form of consumer confidence will be restored to this suffering area on the West Coast of Berbice.
The Agape Shopping Mall
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Rupununi businessman experiences embarrassing episode John Macedo, the Rupununi businessman who transported a schoolgirl to school and ended up being arrested for having sex with the girl, has described the episode as a case of character assassination. He said that he has been a member of the Rupununi Chamber for more than a decade and during that period he has attracted envy and hostility in some parts of the community. He was responsible for upgrading the Rupununi Rodeo to the international spectacle it now is.
…affects his domestic life The situation with the schoolgirl occurred last month during a rainy spell. As he tells it, the 17-yearold girl hailed Macedo for a ride to school about two miles away. He stopped and offered the girl a ride. Macedo said that the girl’s father reportedly saw when his daughter entered the vehicle and he reported to the police. The police records show that the father made a series of conflicting reports. When questioned the first time he emphatically stated that there was no sex between Macedo and his daughter. At the same time, the community was up in arms over the performance of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council. Some felt that Macedo was one of the people lobbying for the NDC to be
replaced by an interim management committee. This may have sparked the allegation that he had sex with the girl. Macedo said that some prominent people must have leaned on the father because the man returned to the police station one week later to say that his daughter had informed him that there was sex between her and Macedo. However, the confrontation between the police, the girl and Macedo highlighted the earlier report which said that there was no sex and the present report that ran contrary to what went on before. This time, when questioned, the girl said that there was no rape, that the sex was consensual. Macedo is insisting that there was no sex. Kaieteur News a p o l o g i s e s t o M r. J o h n Macedo for any embarrassment caused.
Sunday June 17, 2012
Former BOG Head of Security dies en route to CJIA On Thursday, Basil Mangal, the retired head of Security at the Bank of Guyana and of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, suffered what appeared to be a heart attack while on his way to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. He was 68. This newspaper has learnt that in the vicinity of Timehri while on his way to take his wife to the CJIA, he complained of feeling unwell. He reportedly stopped the car and vomited before collapsing.
Mangal’s wife then screamed for help and a few people came to her aid. However, none of them could have driven the man to the Hospital. A taxi was then summoned to take Mangal to a city Hospital where he was pronounced dead. As relatives of the deceased visited the location where Mangal collapsed, they discovered that a quantity of cash and Mangal’s licenced firearm which was left in the vehicle were missing.
Basil Mangal
DEPORTEES ON MURDER CHARGE Yugeshwar Dhanaram
The two deportees who were remanded to prison for the murder of a Corentyne teen made their second appearance at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court on Friday and were further remanded. The deportees Dharamraj Persaud aka Chris and Yugeshwar Dhanaram, called Sham, or Jojo, will make their next court appearance on June 29.
Sunday June 17, 2012
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NCN scandal…
Se ver al questioned, special audit underw ay Sev eral underwa
Embattled NCN Programme Manager, Martin Goolsarran
NCN’s CEO, Mohamed Sattaur
NCN’s Chairman, Prem Misir
A special audit has been ordered by the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) Board of Directors, following testimonies from several persons earlier this week. According to officials, a special auditor is focusing on several documentations as these relate to payments from the Guyana Telephone and Te l e g r a p h Company (GT&T) Jingle and Song Competition. The probe was triggered earlier this year b y c l a i m s f r o m N C N ’s Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Sattaur that the entity raked in more than
$500 M in revenues last year. The disclosures were made during debates in Parliament over an $80M subsidy to N C N b y Government. An upset opposition had accused NCN and the Government Information News Agency (GINA) of a reporting bias in favour of the government. The $80M subsidy was reduced to $1, leading to protests by both GINA and NCN. Along with this startling disclosure, there were also questions about the operations of NCN after a number of complaints reached the board that cameramen and other
production crew of that stateowned agency were not paid for work done in last year’s highly successful GT&T Jingle and Song Competition. The board had started an investigation into reports of suspicious payments and two Fridays ago sent home the Programme Manager, Martin Goolsaran. Goolsaran was required to submit a report of his involvement in the competition and he admitted received cheques totaling $3.9M which were paid to him personally. He also admitted depositing them into his personal bank account and making withdrawals to pay to HJTV. Goolsaran reportedly
Dem boys seh
Bharrat Ramroop learn three card unda Demico House
Dem gat an old saying, and Bharrat Ramroop tek it very serious. That saying is ‘No tricks, no living’ and he learn that under Demico House. He use to get away from school fuh play and dem boys use to rob he. School closing just now and dem gun have nuff fairs and merry go round. All dem fair gun have three card men. Some of dem use to deh under Demico House an holler whole day, “This you win; this you lose’ and dem show you one thing and then you see something else. It all got to do wid trickery. Bharrat Ramroop move from three card to chic chic. He teach Babbie, Rob Earth, Brazzy, Irfaat, Shaatie, and all dem Bees. Brazzy play three card wid de people money; Irfaat does play wid land; Shaatie does play wid de walldrobe, Rob Earth and Babbie still playing three card and chic chic. But people does peep dem card and anybody who peep and talk, dem does call cochore. That is how de Waterfalls paper get that name, “Cochore.’ It peep all dem card and dem know that
dem boys know all de bogus move. When Uncle Donald go in de office de other day he see a cabinet full wid books— how fuh play three card. He get bassody. He stand up staring at de Cabinet fuh hours. When dem boys ask he wha happen he tell dem that he barely know fuh play rap, roamee and patience. Dem boys like de name, Cochore, and dem plan to continue peeping all dem card. Dem boys also peeping fuh de marshal. De marshal come Wednesday afternoon fuh shut dem boys mouth. De next day he come wid one fuh shut dem eye. De next day dem boys start wait from two o’clock fuh see when de other one coming fuh shut dem ears. None nah come and weekend come. That is when dem boys seh de Waterfalls paper gun get de weekend special—two fuh one. That mean Saturday and Sunday dem gun get sue fuh $200 each day. That is de real weekend special—de real two fuh one. One fuh shut de front and one fuh shut de back. Is everything dem want
shut up and down. Dem done file lawsuit fuh shut up dem Parliamentarians. De amount of suit dem filing dem might shut down de court and all because de court gun run out of paper and dem might even run out of judges soon. One judge already complain how two three card player go fuh legalise dem relationship. Dem always deh hand in hand and not Brazzy insurance company. De judge seh he refuse but surprise when he hear dem two name—Babbie Jagdeo and Bharrat Ramroop. Dem boys couldn’t end this column knowing that today is Father’s Day. Dem want to wish all de fathers who tekking care of dem children, a Happy Father’s Day. And if you want join dem boys fuh a drink, come at de Cochore paper this afternoon. Fuh those who don’t look at dem pickney dem boys wish that de three card people tek everything dem got and lef dem mouth white. And fuh Bharrat Ramroop, de less said, de better, you filthy animal. Talk half and watch out fuh de chic chic board.
said that between September and December 2011, NCN committed to record and broadcast the show which was being held in various parts of the country. However, NCN later determined it could not handle the job and decided to hire Hits and Jams Television (HJTV) to do the production. Goolsaran claimed that the NCN’s CEO, Mohamed Sattaur, was fully aware of the deal and even approved it. Sattaur is still on the job despite calls for him to step aside. When it came time for p a y m e n t s t o H J T V, Goolsa rran claimed that GT&T issued cheques on two separate occasions in his name. These were deposited to his account and cash to the tune of $3,930,000 was withdrawn and paid over to HJTV on two separate occasions. Kaieteur News was told last week that GT&T has started its own checks to
determine how Goolsaran could have been paid personally since he never in the first place had the authority to encumber NCN without being the CEO. In short he created a debt for the company. There have been accusations of widespread wrongdoing and little accountability with even staffers claiming deliberate flouting of controls. There were questions over the purchase of a multimillion-dollar Outside Broadcast vehicle, which is presently lying unused in the compound following its acquisition several months ago. It is down for the want of several important components. According to one source, an independent investigation will also reveal that the company may have purchased reconditioned cameras instead of brand new ones as documented in their budgetary requests.
A few years ago Sattaur, who is also the administrator of a number of the ruling PPP’s entities including Red House and Heritage House, was suspended by the NCN board of directors headed by Dr. Prem Misir following claims of insubordination. However, he was reinstated by the then President Bharrat Jagdeo who had intervened in the matter. There have been reports of senior officials of NCN issuing invoices in their personal names to companies and individuals for payments. It is believed these moneys were stolen. Earlier last week, a senior official at the center of the investigations reportedly had to return a quantity of items (including a computer) belonging to NCN. According to an official close to the investigations, as of now, the probe by the board is focusing on the complaint of the GT&T payment but could be expanded.
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Sunday June 17, 2012
- $20M community playground, satellite internet services¸ water well amongst other investments By Rabindra Rooplall The village of Baramita, Region One, is set to benefit from a number of developmental and social enhancement initiatives being executed by a Russian Company, Consolidated Northwest Resources Incorporated (CNRI.) Yesterday, a sod turning was done for the construction of a $20M community playground. Some of the other plans that will be executed are the construction of a potable water well, the provision of satellite internet services in keeping with the national Information and Communication Technology programme, an empowerment programme through sewing classes for women of the community, medical assistance through the provision of medical supplies, enhancement of the primary school and construction of three new schools; and the construction of a community playground. The company will also employ a medex to operate in the community. All of these projects are expected to be
completed by the first quarter of 2014. Some projects will be undertaken or completed by the end of this year. Present at the event yesterday were, Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam; Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President, Franklin Wilson; Village Toshao Bradly Thomas and his councilors, Chief Financial Officer of CNRI, Fedor Stovsky, Primary school teachers amongst villagers. Guyana Football Federation (GFF) also donated footballs, and cricket gear as well as other items. Consolidated Northwest Resources Incorporated (CNRI) recently signed an agreement with the community of Baramita to embark on a massive exploration for gold deposits in approximately 50 thousand acres in the Northwest District, Region One (Barima/ Waini). The agreement sees the International geological exploration and mining company based in London undertaking exploration activity following wide consultations with the community of Baramita and its council, the Ministry of
Children from Baramita at the sod turning done by Toshao Bradly Thomas, GFF President, Franklin Wilson and Chief Financial Officer of CNRI, Fedor Stovsky for the construction of the $20M community playground. Also witnessing the ceremony is Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam. Natural Resources and Environment through the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency. According to Chief Financial Officer of CNRI, Fedor Stovsky, as is the norm in every area in which it operates, the company intends to give back to the community of Baramita with a number of developmental and social enhancement initiatives. He explained that it has been a year since the conception of the idea of his company’s interest in
exploration for mining at Baramita. He said, too, that it was after divine intervention that the decision was taken to hold direct dialogue with the people of the area and for them to determine with statutory regulatory oversight, whether Consolidated Northwest Resources Inc. would be an asset to the community as it embarks on exploration activity in the area. “It was before any agreement was reached that the people of Baramita who also sought divine intervention from the same source agreed that the
initiative was good for the community”. Maslovsky assured that because of his company’s presence at Baramita, “the children of the community will now have a better shot at life, a better shot at education and a better shot at seeing the broader scope of life and breaking out of the cycle of poverty”. The Chief Executive insisted that if exploration activities succeed then the people of Baramita succeed. He called on all stakeholders to be patient with each other since exploration, even though a significant step, could take considerable periods of time.
He said, “The real treasure is not the gold which is being sought after”. He told those gathered that “the real treasure is the people”, and if his company is connected to them, “then the real positive advancements will be achieved”. Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Karen Livan, commended the company for the time it took to ensure all procedures were followed, but also to facilitate the legal guidance needed by the other side of the negotiation table, the community. She said the GGMC on behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Government of Guyana looks forward to the company’s presence in the area and as such empowerment is indeed being experienced. She expressed the hope that accompanying the economic and social developments enshrined in the agreement, there will be consideration for cultural development (Continued on page 12)
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Auditor General slams NCN in latest report All is not well at the stateowned National Communications Network Inc (NCN) and based on the most recent audited reports for the company, all has not been well for a while now. Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, on Thursday last, laid in the National Assembly the company’s audited financial reports for 2007 and 2008. The 2008 report for the now embattled company, illustrates several glaring financial discrepancies uncovered by the Auditor General who provided a qualified opinion on NCN (a qualified audit opinion is not a good thing, it informs the reader of the report that the audit was either incomplete or
…Company books reflect more than $215M outstanding that questionable accounting method was used.) These include the overstating of the company’s profit, huge amounts of money outstanding and record keeping that disallows the efficient examination of the financial records wanting for authenticity. According to Auditor General (ag) Deodat Sharma’s, qualified opinion: “Included in the Balance Sheet is the amount of $733.753M which represents Fixed Assets.” Pointing to the absence of an asset register and noting that “NCN Inc. did not implement and maintain a master and sectional
inventory during the year of audit.” The Auditor General’s opinion means that the asset base of NCN Inc was baseless. This can have serious repercussions for viewers of the accounts since the company is showing an asset base that was not verified and may have budgeted moneys for repairs, maintenance and replacement of non-existent assets. During the past week, this publication reported on the purchase of a multi-milliondollar Outside Broadcast vehicle, which is currently lying unused in the compound following its
Brazilian Miner charged with possession of narcotics
Forty –eight- year- old Brazilian gold miner, Jose Azaury Maciel, of Sao Paulo , Brazil, appeared in the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on Thursday before Magistrate Haywant Ramdhani to answer to the charge of illegal possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. On Wednesday June 13, last, around 23:30 hours a party of policemen from the Bartica Police Station were on mobile patrol duties at the junction of Fifth Street and Second Avenue , when they observed the defendant acting in a suspicious
Jose Maciel manner . He was stopped and a search was conducted by
the Police who discovered eight pieces of a white rocklike substances suspected to be cocaine in his left trousers pocket. He was escorted to the Bartica Police Station, where he was processed. He appeared in Court the next day and entered a not guilty plea when the charge was read to him. The magistrate denied bail on the grounds that a fixed address cannot be furnished by the Defendant. Maciel was remanded to prison until July 20. (Edward A Persaud)
Father’s Day message ... FROM FIRST LADY DEOLATCHMEE RAMOTAR Each year, we devote a day to remembering the contributions of fathers. Today is commemorated as Fathers’ Day, and it is my great pleasure to extend warmest and heartfelt greetings to all the fathers of our dear country. I trust that on this special day we will all find time to reflect on the great gift of fatherhood. To be a father is a great honour which should be valued and revered. It also carries responsibilities. Fathers are important figures in any family. They help shape the character of the household through their example. On this Father’s Day, I pay homage to all the fathers of Guyana who have been wonderful dads and husbands. I recall my own father. Though a simple man of modest means, he was singlemindedly dedicated to his family. He ensured that we were nurtured in a caring and protective environment, and he was totally devoted to my
mom. Through personal example he underscored the importance of creating a loving environment in the home by being both a good father and husband. I am also very fortunate to be married to a most loving and generous man who has been a fine father to my children. I want to thank him for being such an exemplary father and a wonderful husband.
Today our country needs the example of good fathers because good fathers contribute to good families which remain the bedrock of our society. I therefore urge that as we honour the fathers of Guyana that we reflect profoundly on the institution of fatherhood and its important role in building stable and strong families. Happy Fathers’ Day!
acquisition several months ago. This newspaper was reliably informed that the vehicle which is to be used for outside radio broadcast is down for the want of several components. While this publication was unable to verify the cost and life of this vehicle, the state of the accounts, questionable asset base and the poor state of some of the assets point to gross mismanagement of the company. It is the efficient use of assets and other resources that contributes to a company’s success. Meanwhile, the old radio Outside Broadcast vehicle is gathering moss in another section of the NCN compound. “This is just a waste of money and then the management is protesting against the budget cuts,” one NCN source told this publication. Another bone of contention for the Auditor General (ag) during his audit of NCN in 2008, centered on some $215M reflected on the company’s balance sheet as ‘Accounts Receivable.’ ‘Accounts Receivable’ is defined to mean, “Money which is owed to a company by a customer for products and services provided on credit.” The AG’s report questions $86.7 as inactive. While there isn’t an ageanalysis to verify the age of these debts, the AG’s qualification leaves questions as to what percentage of this money owed to NCN is serviceable versus what percentage may be doubtful or bad debts – at the very least, the $86.7million may be doubtful. On the point of bad debt, the AG report also mentions the lack of a board policy
while pointing out 862 debtors owing a total of $24M. The revelation of more than $200M being reflected in the company’s books as moneys to be received has been flagged by some as a matter that needs further scrutiny. An economist asked to comment on the audited accounts for the company says that the poor state of its assets, the questionable asset base and large debt base reflect a company that would have been mismanaged while state subventions continued to pour into it. It was pointed out that only recently one of NCN’s senior officials, Martin Goolsaran admitted to depositing monies meant to be for the company in his personal account. Sources say that the CEO approved this transaction. NCN’s management therefore ensured that it allowed a system which kept revenues outside of its legal books, meaning that untold volumes of revenues and expenditure for NCN would have been transacted outside of the company’s accounting system.
The critical 2008 Auditor General report on the State owned NCN falls under the aegis of the now controversial National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) also pointed to the sum of $42M in the income statement as depreciation charges for the year. The Auditor General uncovered that the amount stated as depreciation is understated and “the amounts stated as fixed assets and net profit are overstated.” Accusation of overstatement of assets and profits coupled with high levels of debt can suggest a cash-strapped company that is constantly bailed out by the government. “One would need to reflect on the Income statement and cash flow to determine whether the company made good use of its asset base to compete with other stations in the sector…based on what we have seen, the company uses state funds to build asset base yet runs up large debts…A full review of NCN current performance is needed.”
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Kaieteur News
Sunday June 17, 2012
Burrowes recommends 18 charges for Town Clerk and City Treasurer
Chairman of the Implementation Committee, Mr. Keith Burrowes, has written to Mr. Ganga Persaud, Minister of Local Government and to Minister Mr. Norman Whittaker recommending that 18 charges be laid against the Mayor and City Council’s Town Clerk Yonette Pluck and the City Treasurer Andrew Meredith. The Ministry of Local Government made the disclosure that they had discovered that the Mayor and City Council owes various entities over $1B. This was disclosed at a press conference on Wednesday at the Ministry of Local Government. According to reports, the investigation was sparked by allegations against the Town Clerk and the Treasurer by the Auditor General’s office. The probe soon became more detailed. Burrowes is asking that the two be charged with
failing to pay the National Insurance Scheme in breach of N.I.S. Act; failing to remit P.A.Y.E. in breach of Tax Act, failure to provide annual statements of earnings to all employees in breach of Tax Act, failure to pay G.W.I. amounts lawfully due, and failing to pay G.P.L. amounts lawfully due. The two are also accused of failing to pay into the treasury of the M&CC, a Manager’s cheque for $500,000 received from Scrap Dealer, Ramchand Netram, for sale of scrap metal including an incinerator, in violation of Section 149 of the M & D. C. Act, Chapter 28.01. Burrowes also claims that the two officials failed to adequately deal with overtime abuse and to control payroll costs and to adequately control the issue of gasoline and dieseline from M&CC location at Princes Street. Further, the two allegedly failed to protect M&CC assets, especially expensive
Man freed of rape A man who was charged with rape committed on a girl under 15 at the time was on Friday freed of the charge following no case submission by his attorney, Charrandas Persaud. The man, Jemison Williams, 84 Sheet Anchor, East Canje Berbice, was charged with the offence which was allegedly committed between August 25, 2009 and the following month. He was on trial before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s
court. The case for the prosecution was that on and during the dates mentioned the man took the girl to his parents’ home and repeatedly had sex with her. It was mentioned that the man and the girl, who was a student at a secondary school at the time, became acquainted due to their attendance at the same church. He would then use opportune moments to invite (continued on page 53)
Garbage Trucks recently acquired. They further failed to establish a system of Internal Audit in violation of Section 200 of Municipal and District Councils Act Chapter 28.01 (M & D.C. Act). Burrowes is also contending that they failed to manage a temporary overdraft account of the Council, which according to Section 173, may only be operated “temporarily” “pend i n g receipt of revenues” in clear violation of Section 173, a council’s overdraft has remained at approximately $50 million for over two years. Moreover, the two
allegedly failed to submit to Minister of Local Government
not later than March 31, in every year, written reports of all moneys received, expended and applied during the preceding financial year in violation of Section 156 of M & D.C. Act, Chapter 28.01. Among the findings, was the existence of “dummy companies”, ridiculously high overtime claims, high debts, fuel fraud, abuse of company resources for personal use and unauthorized loans. The probe was executed by a special team headed by Keith Burrowes and the exposures, according to him, were “most shocking.” Burrowes said that over a
year ago, he and his team, after investigations, prepared a report of recommendations and handed it over to the City Council. He said that the Ministry of Local Government and the City Council then reached agreement for the 40 “key” recommendations to be implemented within the City Council system. Burrowes said that all equipment needed to implement the recommendations was handed over to the council, including a number of computers. “From the findings of this report, not one of the recommendations was implemented.”
correcting and forgiving our every mistake. Our daddy’s hand is the one on our shoulders, steering us in the right path, and backing us all the way. They are the ones in our lives with nothing but motivational words to say. He, who is a father, will go through the toughest of ordeals to ensure that his children are safe. My father, I try not to be biased, but I have to praise him, for all the life’s lessons, I have learnt from him. He has struggled along the way, but he always ensures we have food on our plates, and dreams in our heads about brighter days. Not only a provider of finances, my father is one who deserves life’s most wonderful praises. As important as a mother is, she cannot fill the void of a father. His role is as unique as she is. At work, there are many dads. There is Dale Andrews
who has five children. He is Kaieteur News’ “crime chief”. He knows everything about what’s happening in the world of crime, yet finds the time to take the best care of his children. They adore him, but not because he is the “great crime chief”, but because he is their hero. There is Leonard Gildarie. He has a boy and a girl. Everyone can recognize them, because he always has their photograph as his computer’s screensaver. His face lights up when he talks about them all
day. There is Michael Jordan who stays in the office at late nights just trying to find the right answers to his children’s social and academic questions. His face too lights up as he talks about them. Nigel McKenzie, a proud father. His love too reflects as he talks about his kids. These are just to name a few, but there are so many other daddies who do their best. To yours, to mine, to all the Dads, a Happy Daddy’s Day!
(From page 10) initiatives. CNR Inc. assures that it remains committed to the preservation of the cultures of the residents of communities in which it operates. Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, described the process that led to the agreement as close to perfect, but however asked that the Environmental Protection Agency’s role be increased in future deliberations by all stakeholders. “We intend to operate responsibly in the context of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy. The Strategy outlines Guyana’s approach to promoting economic development while at the same time practices place us neatly into the wider national agenda.
Consolidated Northwest Resources Incorporated intends to comply strictly with standards set by Guyana’s Mining, Forestry and Environmental Laws and the Low Carbon Development Strategy.” CNRI underscored. According to Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President, Franklin Wilson, he noticed football and volleyball were widely played in the community and as such the GFF has decided to donate the items in association with Food for the Poor to contribute to the development of recreational sports in the area. Wilson added that the GFF will be working in collaboration with CNRI to further enhance the development of sports in the region. Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, said CRNI is
adopting the primary school under its developmental programme which is part of fulfilling its corporate responsibilities. “With chasing higher profits there comes the responsibility and recognition of social development which is being done by CRNI.” He said it is notable that CRNI chose one of the avenues to develop the region through education combined with sports; and as such by educating the population, better individuals will evolve to contribute to the further development of the society. Toshao Bradly Thomas and his councilors thanked CRNI for contributing to the development of their village which is in dire need of assistance.
Town Clerk Yonette Pluck
More men should be Dads
By Rehana Ashley Ahamad Instead of honouring our fathers, we should honour our Dads. I have always believed that one Dad is more than 100 fathers. A father and a dad are not the same. One can be a dad and not a father. Or one can be a father and not bother, but it takes a dad, a daddy, to lift you when you have fallen, or to know what is in your heart before you could tell him. It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which turns a father into a dad. Maybe we are in a world today where there are too many fathers, but fewer dads. Thankfully for me, I not only have a Dad, but I also work among many. A Dad is someone we can look up to no matter how tall we’ve grown. Always
Russian mining firm to...
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
Immigration TALK: Obama Announced Deferred Action for Young Immigrants in U.S. On June 15, 2012, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and President Obama announced that certain young people who were brought to the United States as young children, who do not present a risk to national security or public safety, and meet several key criteria will be considered for relief from removal from the country or from entering into removal proceedings. Those who demonstrate that they meet the criteria will be eligible to receive deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and will be eligible to apply for work authorization. Under this directive, individuals who demonstrate that they meet the following criteria will be eligible for deferred action, on a case-bycase basis AND can apply for work authorization in the U.S. if they meet the following criteria: 1. Came to the United States under the age of sixteen; 2. Have continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum (June 15, 2012) and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum (June 15, 2012); 3. Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; 4. Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offence, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety; 5. Are not above the age of thirty. Only those individuals
who can prove through verifiable documentation that they meet these criteria will be eligible for deferred action and work authorization. Individuals will not be eligible if they are not currently in the United States and cannot prove that they have been physically present in the United States for a period of not less than five years immediately preceding June 15, 2012. Illegal immigrant children won’t be eligible to apply for this benefit of deferred action and work authorization until they turn 16, but the officials said younger children won’t be deported either. This policy will not lead toward citizenship but will remove the threat of deportation and grant the ability to work legally, leaving eligible immigrants able to remain in the United States for an extended period. The use of deferred action confers no substantive right, immigration status, or pathway to citizenship. Deferred action means DHS will temporarily halt any removal (deportation) proceedings against you for a certain period of time (a sort of temporary deportation waiver). For young adult immigrants, this new policy gives them an opportunity to further their education or work
skill since work authorization will grant them a social security number for enrollment in college and other certificate programs. Currently, undocumented young immigrants cannot attend college or certificate programmes since most do not have a social security number. The U.S. will benefit from this policy because college enrollment may increase, military enrollment may increase, and various revenue streams such as car sales and home sales may increase with young adults acquiring purchasing power through working and obtaining social security numbers. While this guidance takes effect immediately as of June 15, 2012, USCIS and ICE expect to begin implementation of the application processes within sixty days. So, right now there is no process set out where eligible applicants can apply for deferred action or work authorization, however, the application process will be forthcoming. Also, there has been no indication as to how long the process will take for an eligible immigrant to obtain work authorization. For individuals who are in removal proceedings and have already been identified as meeting the eligibility criteria and have been offered an exercise of discretion as part of Immigration and Custom Removal (ICE) ICE ongoing case-by-case review, ICE will immediately begin to offer them deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal. Though President Obama has been criticized for implementing this policy to gain political momentum among the Latino and immigrant voters, however, this initiative is the step in the right direction for our country to retain educated young adults in a time where we need skilled and educated workers.
Criminal charges are likely to be instituted against the woman who allegedly dumped her fetus in a hotel garbage bin Wednesday last. This is according to a senior police officer attached to the Brickdam police station. The officer said that the police will charge the woman based on the advice given by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Minister of Human services Dr Jennifer Webster today stated that probation officials have been closely following the case.
She said that in such cases the Ministry makes provision for the individuals involved to receive counseling. Early Wednesday morning police were called in to a city hotel after an employee who was about to empty the bin discovered the fetus. After the police arrived a man who had visited the woman at the hotel made claims that his reputed wife may have been responsible for the act. The man related to the investigators that the woman may have committed
the act following a misunderstanding they had when she threatened to abort their unborn child. He however noted that he did not believe that his reputed wife would have followed through on her threats. According to sources close to the case the woman’s reputed husband has since been arrested and released from police custody. The police are still seeking the woman whom they were told has fled to Bartica. Investigations are ongoing
By: Attorney Gail S. Seeram,
Gail S. Seeram
Woman to be charged for dumping fetus
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GEA successfully combats fuel smuggling As part of efforts to curb the fuel smuggling trade the Guyana Energy Agency has sought to engage in several new methods. This is according the GEA Head, Mahender Sharma. Alluding to figures Sharma said that over the past two years, sixteen persons have been successfully prosecuted and convicted for fuel smuggling out of a total eighteen cases. Further, as it relates to measures which have been put in place to deal with the issue, Sharma said the agency has been conducting continuous and thorough sampling exercises throughout Guyana. These exercises, he said, are aimed at monitoring, detecting and confiscating any marker and/ or fuel that may be have been used or marked in an unauthorized manner. In addition, these exercises led to the apprehension and prosecution of persons associated with any such illegal activity. “This forms the premise of the Fuel Marking Programme that commenced in 2003,” Sharma added. He further lamented that the GEA legislation was
amended last year to provide for the enforcement and prosecution of persons involved in the illegal trade. He however noted that GEA cannot further describe any technical measures implemented due to nondisclosure of such sensitive information, but stated that systems have been put in place to deal with the issue of illegal fuel marking. Sharma said that as it relates to penalties for persons found guilty of fuel smuggling, the fine provided for by legislation is $3 million. There is also a three-year jail sentence. Responding to questions of the penalties being a good enough deterrent, Sharma said, “To say that the penalty alone is a sufficient deterrent would be inapt”. He added that a combination of an effective marking system, thorough and stringent monitoring by GEA officials, sensitization of the public to the consequences of fuel smuggling and the penalties imposed in relation to fuel smuggling offences have and will continue to eradicate fuel smuggling. “Records will show that from 2006 to 2011, the
percentage of identified sites found with illegal fuel has progressively decreased from 34 per cent in 2006 to two per cent in 2011”. Only last week, Sharma said, an investigation was launched into an incident where a Venezuelan vessel exploded, seriously injuring four of its crew members, two of whom have since died. The men all received burns to most parts of their body and are receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Initial reports are that the men may have been carrying a large amount of fuel on their vessel and were encountering some problems with their fuel pump. In the process of trying to fix the problem there was an explosion and fire in the engine room of the boat. It is also believed that the men may have been smuggling fuel at the time of the incident. The GEA head said his agency is looking into the matter. Over the years, fuel smuggling has been a big issue for local authorities who have often complained about limited resources when it comes to manning the porous borders.
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
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UNCLE DONALD DOES NOT NEED BHARRAT President Donald Ramotar may have done irreparable harm to his public image by asking his predecessor, Bharrat Jagdeo, to assist him with preparing a report into the Budget cuts. The need for a report to be prepared about the Budget cuts was one of the explanations given for the former president’s presence at the Office of the President during a period when the incumbent was out of Guyana on official business. The other explanation is that the former president was there to prepare a report about some of the major projects. This is not necessarily a contradiction with the first explanation, since the report which was being prepared could have been about those major projects under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which was the focus of opposition blade in the 2012 Budgets. These cuts are now the subject of a court case and therefore not much can be said about their legality. It will be the court which will have to decide whether the constitution provides specific rules for the approval of Budget estimates and if those rules permit reduction or alterations. The government became concerned about the cuts not because of their severity, but
because of the nature of the cuts. Many of the major projects under the LCDS were not approved on dubious technical grounds - that the monies were not yet in the province. And since some preparatory planning would be required as part of the execution of these projects, it would have been necessary from a technical point of view for reports to be prepared detailing the effects of the cuts and what adjustments were needed in the context of the cuts. But why should a former president have been mandated to do this? Why reduce a former sitting Head of State to the position of a technician? Was it beyond the technical staff within the various projects’ units? Why was an outsider, and a former president at that, brought in to prepare a report which should be within the competency of some of the technical staff working within these projects? After all, those staffers are not being paid peanuts. They are being paid market rates and therefore should at the minimum have been able to prepare a report analyzing the effects of the Budget cuts on these projects and what
adjustments needed to be made. Is the government conceding that within these projects’ units there is a woeful lack of technical capacity? And if so, why are some persons being paid market rates of international consultants? There was no need for the former president to have been asked to assist in preparing any reports. In fact, the Ministry of Finance should have been able to produce the necessary reports, since they are normally required to do similar reports in relation to foreign-funded projects. The Donald Ramotar administration, therefore, has to be careful about involving the former president in official government work. He should restrict the role of the former president to an advisory capacity. Donald Ramotar needs to be his own man. He needs to avoid ruling in the shadow of his predecessor for a number of reasons. Firstly, he needs to make his own mark. When he leaves office, he must have his own legacy. He must not be accused of merely completing the policies of his predecessor. He already has his own
distinctive style that sets him apart from his predecessor. It is time for him to establish his own track record of policies and achievements without these being credited to his predecessor. Secondly, he needs to be distinct from his predecessor, because the tenure of the former president was riddled with so much controversy, especially in relation to some major projects. He can continue with those projects that he feels are vital for national development, but should revamp them to make them more acceptable to the nation. Thirdly, we are in a new
dispensation; the government is a minority government, therefore a new focus has to be brought to governance. The worst thing that the incumbent president can do is to rule in the shadow of his predecessor. Donald Ramotar does not need former President Jagdeo. It is not helpful to his image for him to be seen as having to ask his predecessor for assistance in preparing reports. It will only lend to a perception that the strings are being pulled from sources other than the presidency. This will do irreparable harm to the administration, and his entire presidency will
be tainted with this adverse perception, even though it may not be true. If President Ramotar wants to utilize the services of Mr. Jagdeo, he should make him a goodwill ambassador to promote Guyana’s tourism. That should keep him busy while the president makes his own mark.
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Kaieteur News
AFC’s Moses Nagamootoo (centre) and Vice President of Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC), Zhou Gang and his team on the way to the meeting in the Parliament Building. SUNDAY SPECIAL PARLIAMENT WILL INVESTIGATE US$150M CJIA SECRET DEAL — HOUSE SPEAKER A senior official and team representing the embattled Chinese company involved in the massive Timehri airport expansion project flew in last Saturday for a meeting with government and at least one opposition party, amidst rising concerns. China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and its parent company, Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC), have both come
under intense scrutiny in Guyana and Jamaica recently for revelations that the World Bank has debarred them until 2017 for bribery. Zhou Gang, a Vice President of CCCC, led a team that met with Prime Minister Sam Hinds. They later met with Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman and Parliamentarian for the Alliance For Change, Moses Nagamootoo, at the Parliament Buildings. While the team said it is officially here to explore the possibilities of bringing US$10B in investments to
Guyana in terms of infrastructure, the issue of its seriously dented credibility dominated the agenda. According to the Speaker, the Parliament will be investigating the US$150M deal to rebuild the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). He noted that Guyana has a long standing relationship with China, but from time to time issues of concerns and difficulties will arise. ******************** MONDAY EDITION INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION WILL
UNEARTH WHOPPING FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIESAT NCN- INSIDER As investigations continue into the financial and other malpractices at the National Communications Network (NCN) observers and concerned staff members are urging the removal of the entity’s Chief Executive Officer in order to facilitate an independent probe. Last week, NCN’s Production Manager Martin Goolsarran was sent on administrative leave following revelations of massive fraud which is pointing to the involvement of senior company officials. According to a reliable source, after the budget cuts the Board of Directors perused several financial documents which gave rise to several questions. Kaieteur News understands that the board questioned the amount of money NCN made on the recently held GT&T Song competition. There are reports that some of the revenues such as production costs cannot be accounted for. In fact while the NCN charged the telephone company production costs, somewhere in the vicinity of $7M, staff members who worked on the production are alleging that they were not paid. “There might be many other cases like this. It is not $10,000, its millions,” one NCN insider said. Then there is the purchase of a multi-million dollar Outside Broadcast vehicle, which is presently lying unused in the compound following its acquisition several months ago. This newspaper was reliably informed that the vehicle which is to be used for outside radio broadcast is down for the want of several important components. The old radio Outside Broadcast vehicle is presently gathering moss in another
Sunday June 17, 2012
section of compound.
the
NCN
HISTORIC N/A TOWN HALL TOWER DISMANTLED The dilapidated New Amsterdam Town Hall Tower was dismantled just after midday Sunday. The demolition began early in the day and a large crane lifted off the main section of the landmark later in the day. The structure was a landmark in the history of the town and was certainly one of the tallest structures in New Amsterdam. But it deteriorated over time and had posed a risk to the many persons who commute in the New Amsterdam Market and the busy Pitt Street and Strand areas. A committee comprising the New Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce, N/A Town Council, Region Six Administration and several private sector organisations, is now tasked to rebuild a new tower. That structure will be similar in design to the old one. GOVT. LOSSES TO ‘FIP’ MOTILALL STILL UNDETERMINED The government’s claim to 100 per cent of the US$1.5M Performance Bond that had been issued by Hand in Hand Mutual Fire Insurance Company is being looked at as an absurdity. Proficient officials in the field have pointed out that “the claimant would only claim what they actually lost; that way they preserve their market position.” The insurance official said that “If any claimant were crazy enough to claim the entire face value of a demand bond just because they can, they would hardly ever get another bond in this market or any international one….So, there is a lot of tallying up to do…If there was no loss, there is no real claim.” The claimant in this
instance is the Government of Guyana which had issued the US$15.4M contract to Synergy Holdings Inc headed by Makeswhar ‘Fip’ Motilall. The contract was pulled from Motilall in mid-January this year for failing to secure an extension to the Performance Bond that had been issued by Hand in Hand Mutual. The Government’s claim is still pending and further it is “still at the information stage.” Motilall’s Performance Bond expired in July 2011. ******************** TUESDAY EDITION BANDIT KILLED IN SHOOTOUT WITH POLICE A 22-year-old bandit with a long string of criminal offences was shot dead around 21:00hrs on Monday following a robbery at America Street. Odel Chase, called ‘Nines,’ of James Street, Albouystown, was wounded during a confrontation with police ranks in Sussex Street. He succumbed to his injuries before he could receive medical attention but not before he had named his accomplices in the robbery. Kaieteur News understands that before passing away, Chase confessed that he and three accomplices robbed an America Street moneychanger of $2M earlier in the evening. He identified his accomplices as ‘Omar’, ‘Cow’, and ‘Buck.’ TRAWLER OFF-LOADING FUEL EXPLODES Four Venezuelan seamen were badly burned on Sunday at Morawhanna, North West District, following an explosion aboard a trawler. The injured men were identified as Domingo Ruiz, Antonio Zabala, Gonzales Angol and Zaul Eli. They have been admitted to the (Continued on page 37)
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Ravi Dev Column
In this year when Dr Walter Rodney would have been 70 years old, we republish his 1970 thoughts on organising in Guyana. We referred to this in 1998 when questioned on our own organising principle. Our addendum to Dr Rodney’s thoughts was added in 2005. Dr. Rodney said, “Let us take the fact that, over the last decade, Indians and Africans, in Guyana, have been at one another’s throats, for a variety of reasons, internal and external, and that there is a tremendous amount of ill-will and suspicion, on both sides; let us take that fact. Now some people deny this and talk about racial harmony, but it is not so. It may be submerged, but it is there; it has to be there: the system ensures that. But what can we do about it? I feel that there are at least two levels at which one must try to organise against the prevailing condition of racial antagonism. One must organise within the African community, within the Indian community, too, to build different forms of consciousness, different types of social bases, which will ultimately be the form of a new State, and
Over the past few weeks there have been shootings. These were not random shootings. They were planned. This is the start of a programme to deal with those who rob people who have connections with the underworld. There is a financial pool to reward those who execute the recalcitrant and there are many takers for this money. In the coming days there are going to be more of the same and the country is going to go into defensive mode. **** The waters are
simultaneously, one must begin to find effective revolutionary integrative mechanisms, both organisational and ideological, in terms of people, purely and simply, people, you know, as contributors to the new concept of group consciousness, group power, as for example, like putting six persons. Three Africans, three Indians, not just in form of a symbolic show (they have, of course, to be ideologically consistent and so on), but putting them in a meaningful, nationally-powerful position of leadership, and as a unit. Now, you have at the second level, to begin to indicate what you would like the society to be like, what that unit should be about, because, if you organise separately, this may well be construed by each group as something exclusive and hostile. So, you have, at the same time, while doing that bringing together, which is historically necessary, to produce the integrative mechanisms, and act in the kind of fashion, and use the kind of language which makes it clear to the other group (let’s say the African and the Indian are the main groups) what the
national aims are, what the country’s Socialism wants to achieve, in spite of race. We have a number of other people, including the Amerindians, the original inhabitants of the country, who are the most neglected. Our integrative mechanisms must be organised to include that group….(A)s we move towards Socialism, we’ll also be, in the process, contributing to the total eradication of racism, in its most violent forms, a racism which has arisen through the slave trade, slavery, indenture, class and colonial oppression. What we must try to understand (and this is a point I’m always trying to make very clearly) is that there is no contradiction between saying that, at this particular point in time, a man needs to assert his given identity, so that, at another point in time, he won’t need to assert it. It would be taken for granted, the whole business of identity, because people will respect that fact, in the changed society, where race will have no marks of identification, whatsoever, on which anybody can lead for support, or for whatever. But
dangerous. Some marauding men will target a group of fishermen but that is not going to be the end of the story. There is going to be a tale of horror because two of the attackers would actually live near to some of the victims.
But there is going to be another side of the river story. A boating accident will occur on one of the hinterland rivers. Some inebriated people would be making their way home when this accident will occur. **** Fires are never far away. There is going to be another at a house when the occupants are out. The actual words will be that there is nothing to start a fire but the person would forget an electrical appliance that actually starts many fires— an electric iron.
it is a respect which no group has, at the moment, in the present system, in Guyana. And I think that within our community of Guyana, different ethnic groups need to assert their identity, need to put themselves together, to pull themselves together, and when they have and when they can operate on the basis of mutual respect, which they are not now doing, then I think the way will be clear for building a new society, a society of a mixed unit through Socialism. But, first, the various groups must be built up, made conscious of their own potential, their own dignity, their own power, as Guyanese.” How much has since changed, from 1970, 1988 or 1998?? Of course, the metanarrative of Marxism (and all one-shoe-fits-all approaches) have since been abandoned by most intellectuals (excepting the core of the PPP) and the question of the hegemonic constructions of identities has come to the fore. On the question of identity, we agreed with Dr. Rodney, who, unlike the vulgar Marxists, did not
reflexively dismiss race/ ethnicity as “false consciousness”. We disagreed with him, however, that Marxism was anymore free of racism than Liberalism. As products of the Enlightenment, both ideologies were complicit with the production of race and racism of the modern era - the racism arising with African slavery. These racist structures are deeply inscribed in most of the ideas and practices of the world view that surrounds us – and while they affect most non-white peoples negatively – they are most extreme to African peoples. The descendants of African slaves especially, and Africans generally - should be very wary about those who would still blithely treat “race” as just another stratification or segregation. We continue to be amazed by African leaders who, in their rush to be under the “onelove-banner” imposed by the dominant paradigm, refuse to accept that the African condition is qualitatively different from that of other groups in the society and demands different
Ravi Dev
programmes. Even more than any other group, Africans should refuse to accept that anyone who has not experienced what it is to be an African should speak for them. It is from that standpoint that ROAR at this time is honestly saying that it cannot speak for those whose experiences they have not lived. We have announced, however, from the moment we arrived in Guyana, that we are willing to work with anyone who could also state that they also work authentically within other communities. We are still so willing. We hope that there will be some dialogue on this most important issue - the approach to organising in present-day Guyana - as per the proposals put forward by Dr. Rodney and supported by ROAR.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday June 17, 2012
Alive or dead? A half-century old family mystery By Michael Jordan It has been almost three years to the day, in June 2009, that she contacted me; this woman that I’d never seen before, to help her solve a case that happened before I was born. The details she gave me were sketchy, but she believed, even after all this time, that I might be able to clear her grandfather’s name of an abominable crime for which she says he was wrongly accused. Old Evan Scott died with some still swearing that he had murdered his own flesh and blood, or sold his kith and kin to demons. It is a case that has divided family members to this day. Some have given me two, or even three sides to this strange story. So what are the facts? Back in 1958, Evan Scott had a daughter, Daphne Scott-Davis, known as ‘Baby’ Scott, who lived at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, with her two sons, three-year-old Sydney, and Lennox, who was just a baby. One Friday in that same year, Evan Scott invited his daughter to spend a week at his home at Supply, East Bank Demerara. According to a relative, Daphne Scott had intended to just take baby Lennox along, but, allegedly at her father’s urging, took Sydney on the trip. Back then, Supply was a desolate, bushy, and sparsely populated community. Evan Scott’s house was located near the Demerara River. It is alleged that on that fateful day, Mr. Scott left for work in Georgetown. About three of Mr. Scott’s small children, his wife from a second marriage, and Daphne and her two little boys remained at his home.
Back then, Supply was a desolate, bushy, and sparsely populated community While he was away, Mr. Scott’s wife asked Daphne to wash her hair. While they were thus occupied, four of Mr. Scott’s children, and his two grandchildren, played outside. The story is that as dusk approached, the children ceased their games and went inside. But the adults immediately realized that one of the children was missing. Three-year-old Sydney Garnett was not among them. After the other children were unable to account for Sydney’s whereabouts, the two women immediately went outside to search for him. He was nowhere to be found. The women raised an alarm and other residents joined in the search. Some searched nearby trenches, while others checked by the riverside without finding a trace of the child. A female relative of Daphne Scott says that the
following day, Mr. Scott came by her home in Betweverwagting, and announced that Sydney was missing. According to the woman, Scott was accompanied by a man who appeared to be a foreigner. The police were informed about the disappearance and they, along with relatives, resumed the search, scouring the Supply backlands and even diving in the Demerara River for signs of the missing child’s remains. Mr. Scott’s home was also reportedly searched. And still, there was no trace of little Sydney Garnett. Eventually, after a few more days, the search for three-year-old Sydney was called off. Some speculated that little Sydney had wandered off and drowned in the Demerara River. Others suggested that some wild animal from the jungle-like vegetation in the community had attacked and killed him.
But there were other suggestions of a more sinister nature. For some reason, a few family members were convinced that Evan Scott had something to do with his grandson’s disappearance, even though he was reportedly at work when the child vanished. Some of those who blamed him claimed he had ‘sold’ his grandson as a sacrifice to persons who practiced witchcraft. But there is another rumour, which persists to this day. Some relatives say they believe that Mr. Scott either sold, or gave his grandson to a childless couple from England. One of the relatives says she still recalls how Mr. Scott had insisted that his mother bring Sydney to see him. And this relative claims that Evan Scott came close to revealing the truth of Sydney’s fate several years later, just before he died. She said that while he was on his deathbed, Mr. Scott was visited by his first wife and a few other female relatives. According to the woman, the dying man declared: “Sydney is not dead, Sydney
is in England.” However, she claims that when the relatives pressed him to reveal the boy’s actual whereabouts, Scott fell silent. He died a few days later. But those who believe Evan Scott is innocent say that he was heartbroken at the loss of his grandson. One female relative said that the man had wept as he dived into canals to search for his missing grandson. Others said that the child’s disappearance took a toll on his health. These relatives, too, believe that Sydney Garnett was spirited away to England—but by persons other than Mr. Scott. According to the granddaughter who contacted me, Sydney was given an opportunity to travel to England, reportedly unaccompanied by his parents, but other family members had objected to this arrangement. But persons who wanted him to go came up with the scheme to have him spirited out of Guyana during the trip to his grandfather. Those who accuse Mr. Scott and those who don’t, all claim to have heard reports
that Sydney Garnett returned some years ago to Guyana in an unsuccessful attempt to find his mother, Daphne Scott-Davis, who went to America. “Sadly, my grandfather died before the truth came out,” the granddaughter had said in an email to me three years ago. “But God’s good. About two years ago, a family member started talking about Sydney and they were informed that Sydney was alive and well. He trades goods between England, Guyana and the U.S. All this time Sydney was alive. Can you believe it? Oh the things people do to travel overseas…just to get a break.” If you have any further information about the possible whereabouts of Sydney Garnett contact Kaieteur News at our Saffon Street office. You can reach us on telephone numbers 2258465, or 22-58491. You can also contact Michael Jordan through his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com.
SEEKING HELP TO LOCATE RELATIVES OF EIGHT CHILDREN KILLED BETWEEN 1969-1970 Michael Jordan is trying to contact relatives of eight children who were murdered between March 20, 1969 and June 1970, by Harrynauth Beharry, also known as Harry Rambarran, Charles Bissoon, Charles Pereira, Anant Persaud and Maka Anan. Some of the victims are Basmattie, an eight-year-old schoolgirl from Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara. David Bacchus, 15, of Tucville, 11-year-old Mohamed Fazil Nasir, of Number 78 Village, Corentyne, Mohamed Faizal, of Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Jagdeo Jagroop, Mohamed Nizam Ali; Paulton of Hogg Island, Essequibo; Orlando Guthrie, of Grove Village, East Bank Demerara. Please contact him via his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com., or on telephone numbers 22-58458, 22-58465, or 22-58491. HeI can also be contacted on 6452447.
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
I am a Prometheus still in chains I had a jolt to my psyche that almost destroyed my Sunday tranquility. It took some time to recover. It has been a long intermission in my research for a book I’m writing on contemporary politics in Guyana. Why I have not gone back to it has to do with my immersion in the election campaign last year and since then, I have not returned to it. One friend asked if I am ever going to finish it. I don’t know. If I don’t, then I maybe you can put it down to one of my failings. Last Sunday, I got back to work. I decided I needed to be optimistic. So I resumed my journey. And I saw something in my files that mentally lacerated me to the extent that I didn’t go back to the desk for another three hours. Going through the materials, I came across a newspaper photograph of the following men; Hugh Cholmondeley; UG Vice Chancellor, Dennis Irving; Jesuit priest Harold Wong; TUC General-Secretary, Joseph Pollydore; attorney Miles Fitzpatrick; attorney Llewellyn John; UG scientist, Harold Drayton; attorney Doodnauth Singh; and trade unionist George De Peana. The date was October 11, 1971. At that time these were colossal names in the Guyanese society. In terms of intellectual and social status, these were the crème de la crème of urban Guyana. These gentlemen were photographed walking up the stairs of the Eve Leary office of the Police Commissioner. Their intention was to express their shock and alarm at the attempt to kill UG trade
unionist, biologist and political activist in the Movement Against Oppression, Dr. Joshua Ramsammy. Ramsammy was shot on October 4 outside the Guyana National Cooperative Bank on Lombard Street. The talk that pervaded Guyana at that time was that it was politically motivated. These towering figures in Guyanese society were there to ask the Commissioner to pursue the criminals that wanted to murder Dr. Ramsammy As I looked at the photograph, I became intensely agitated. There was a strange sensation in my mind. It was like if windmills were tilting out of control inside my head. I left everything on the desk in my study and headed straight for the kitchen. My wife had just completed her cooking of ochro and salt-fish and dholl. I ate then went to bed to relax. I put on a CD by the sixties pianist, Peter Nero, and replayed and replayed Nero’s version of a popular soul classic, “A soulful strut.” I need to calm down psychologically. What happened the moment I saw that picture was the psychic longing for a
Guyana that I grew up in and that was long gone. And I couldn’t face that reality. There was this psychological torment on watching that picture that maybe me, yes me (and thousands of others) may have done President Burnham a grievous wrong in weakening his regime. I still don’t think I want to apologize for my activism against Burnham. I cling most inflexibly to the theory that he ran an egregiously authoritarian system and was an unconscionable bully in denying me and wife employment in our own country. Why bring activists’ families into your vindictive scheme. There is a Stabroek News reporter who wants me to talk about how my wife was pushed out of her job at GOInvest, just before the November 2011 election. I will deal with that after I get her permission to go public with the story. Of those names that I identified, three are dead; Irving, Wong and Pollydore. Ramsammy has passed on too. I wonder what goes on in the mind of those persons in that photograph when they reflect on how they protested human rights violations in the
days of Burnham’s rule but look at the monstrosity that the PPP created since 1992. Look at the frightening regime that Jagdeo unleashed on Guyana. His autocracy was more depraved than Burnham’s. How do these men feel today? I had lunch with Christopher Ram after my libel case and I mentioned to him that it would be so good for Guyanese history if Miles Fitzpatrick can write a book. He is a walking political encyclopedia. Ramsammy wasn’t killed
but Waddell was. And no big names in the society walked up to the office of the Police Commissioner to demand answers. The Ramsammy shooting was replicated near the same scene forty years after, with Maria Van Beek being the victim. But no big names in the society walked up to the office of the Commissioner of Police to demand answers and insist on the criminals being caught. Were we wrong to have weakened a thin dictatorship like the Burnham
Frederick Kissoon administration when you think of the horror show we live with today? Will many of us continue to be mentally tortured?
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Kaieteur News
Sunday June 17, 2012
The ‘Green Economy’ and Tertiary Education By Therese Ferguson, PhD A ‘green economy’ model is now prevalent on the global policy agenda, seen as a critical factor in achieving sustainable development, and the necessary counter paradigm to the traditional ‘brown economy.’ A brown economy, an economy reliant on fossil fuels, has previously prevailed but has been characterised by unsustainable growth and consumption patterns, attendant widespread environmental degradation, as well as a failure to address economic and social inequities. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines a green economy as one that results in “improved human wellbeing and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” (UNEP 2010). They state that “A green economy is low-carbon, resource efficient, and socially inclusive [with] growth in income and employment … driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.” It thus supports the social, economic and environmental tiers of sustainable development. A green economy is seen as significant for sustainable development within Guyana, as the development and expansion of green sectors opens up investment opportunities, stimulates growth and enhances job creation whilst supporting environmental and social sustainability. There are many enabling
conditions that must be in place to facilitate the transition to a green economy, including national regulations, policies, subsidies and incentives, international market and legal infrastructure, trade and technical assistance (UNEP 2011). Alongside these conditions, education too is critical in shaping a green economy, with tertiary level institutions in particular having a pivotal role to play, with respect to activities in the areas of teaching, research, knowledge transfer and community education and engagement, as well as by serving as exemplars of sustainability. Firstly, through their teaching and training activities, tertiary level educational institutions can train individuals for jobs in green sectors by equipping them with the requisite knowledge and skills. Additionally, they can enable their students, to understand the critical and complex connections which underpin a green economy, including linkages amongst the environment, energy, the economy and social wellbeing. Students can also be made aware of complex, scientific issues, climate change being one such example. The critical, analytical and systemic thinking that is needed to conceptualise, understand and address these linkages and issues are indeed the mandate of every higher education institute. Moreover, there is also the need for new attitudes towards sustainability and green issues, so that old ways of thinking, which perpetuate the status quo and unsustainable ways of living, do not prevail. Universities, then, can shape and inculcate
these new ways of thinking. Secondly, institutions of higher learning can facilitate research and development, and encourage innovation amongst its students. Research and development are mainstays of university education, as knowledge is produced, transformed into new ideas and disseminated. Innovation takes this a step further by transforming these new ideas into practice.
transition to a green economy. As an extension of their activities in research, development and innovation, universities can also play a part through knowledge transfer with entities and sectors such as science, trade unions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Knowledge transfer encompasses the dissemination of research, the exchange of ideas and the
management, waste reduction, water conservation and more. Through knowledge transfer, the efficacy of teaching, research and innovation are enhanced, as actual and potential users in various sectors apply the end products of these activities in both policy and practice. Universities also have a role to play with respect to education of and engagement with the wider communities
Research, development and innovation, with respect to the development and growth of ‘green’ and lowcarbon technologies and industries, underlie a green economy. Innovative thinking with respect to sectors such as energy, waste, water, transportation, housing, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and areas such as engineering, green design and architecture and product development, for instance, will be significant in the
sharing of experiences and skills between universities and other research bodies, business, government, the public sector and the wider community to support the development of new policies, services and products. It is a two-way process in which the capacities of universities and other entities are enhanced. Tertiary level institutions can partner with various sectors in finding and implementing solutions to problems in energy
within which they operate. Broad populace support is needed for a green economy to take root so that the rationale for a green economy can be understood and initiatives being developed can be supported. Additionally, tertiary education can partner with communities, catalyzing realistic change, through, for instance, various pilot projects in energy, water or smart design at schools, community organisations and local businesses.
Finally, by serving as exemplars of sustainability principles and microcosms of the green economy, higher learning institutions can highlight, in a visible and practical way, the possibilities of the green economy. By initiating green projects on campuses, institutions of higher education can become pilot sites for green technologies, green design and green services and products, and offer their students on-site opportunities for research and development, innovation and skills development. Moreover, pilot projects must be supported through university-wide policies that institutionalise green economic principles and sustainability within their management and operational procedures. Guyana’s premier tertiary institution, the University of Guyana, is involved in activities within the aforementioned areas. For instance, in the area of research, the Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry and Natural Sciences have been engaged in research surrounding the use of biochar in, for instance, the reclamation of mined-out areas in Mahdia. Students also carry out research in relevant areas, with final-year undergraduates in Faculties/ Schools such as the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES) undertaking studies in areas such as wastewater phytoremediation and renewable energy and biofuels. In the area of professional training, the University has been involved in the development of a Certificate Course in Bioenergy, run (Continued on page 36)
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 25
My column
When systems leak money a few do get rich There I was sitting at my desk trying to put the newspaper to bed when I heard that the parliamentary opposition had once more declined to pass the supplementary vote sought by the government. When the opposition voted down that supplementary the first time, I learnt that they cited a lack of information. Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman later ruled that the government could reintroduce the supplementary, and from all indications, the parliamentary opposition parties seemed inclined to pass the vote. This was not to be. Apparently there was still a lot wrong. The only reason the negative vote grabbed the headline was because it was most unusual. Generally the government would get its way. But there was never an opposition parliament in Guyana’s history. I am still to come to grips with the reasons for the rejection. One thing seems to make sense and that is the refusal to vote money for the Low Carbon Development Strategy. This was supposed to be funded by money from
Norway, money that President Bharrat Jagdeo secured. Two years have passed and not one cent has been released. The reason is that Guyana has to do certain things. For one, it had to detail the programmes for which the money would be used and these programmes all had to do with what is now called green energy. Some time back I said that if there is money coming for the programme and two years has elapsed without this money then it means that Guyana is not doing what it should, that there were people who were paid to do certain jobs but were obviously not doing what they were being paid to do. I cannot imagine that it would take two years for Guyana to prepare a programme. This money should not come from the national treasury. Money has already been borrowed and continued borrowing to fund the low carbon programme would only encourage the people to remain lazy. However, failure to pass that supplementary vote has implications. There were budgetary cuts. Dr Roger
Luncheon has said that these cuts have cost jobs. With direct reference to the people employed by the Ethnic Relations Commission. I had once argued that there was money to pay these people. The people at National Communications Network (NCN) certainly had a lot of money on the side. What the opposition parties have been saying is that there is a lot of theft, that money intended to help the workers was being siphoned off into private accounts. Needless to say, the government denied any such thing until this episode has popped up at NCN. There it was that money that should have gone into the NCN coffers ended up into the private account of senior staffer Martin Goolsarran. I did not want to believe such was the case until I saw a statement written by Goolsarran admitting that the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company actually made the cheques payable to him rather than to the company. Something needs investigating at GT&T. And according to the statement by Goolsarran, the Chief Executive Officer
Mohamed ‘Fuzzy’ Sattaur, was aware of this development. I noted these efforts and concluded that corruption was endemic. It was there at every turn. Just this past week, I learnt that even at City Hall, that more often than not cannot pay its staff, has people stealing millions of dollars. People who cannot solve the garbage crisis in the city were clever enough to set up dummy companies, to create situations so that they could siphon money to friends although the council had the capability to undertake the tasks. The police have not yet intervened in any of the cases, so the rest of the society would conclude that stealing
is not so bad a thing because you lose the job but you get to keep the money. When these things happen, the mindset of the political opposition is reinforced. It is this reinforcement that must have influenced the budget cuts. Then I heard about the sale of the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation. The manner in which this company went to Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop made me realize that some things may appear to be normal when they are not. I understood that the late Michael Shree Chand, just before he succumbed to cancer, went to the late President Cheddi Jagan and asked him to sell the company to Dr Ramroop. The story
Adam Harris goes that Dr Jagan was not so inclined and invited public bids. The rest of the story will be told, but word is that the former President Bharrat Jagdeo had something to do with the company going to Dr Ramroop. It would seem that President Jagdeo has been at the centre of the disposal of state assets even before he became the head of state.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday June 17, 2012
Does Guyana Need A Specialist Hospital? Health care is a global engagement, for which Guyana owes its contribution to the realization of the desired health status of the citizenry of the world. It is therefore incumbent of each nation to have a sound national policy, contextual to the extant and emergent needs of the people, and necessary for sustainable economic growth and development. As such health economic literatures are replete with the role of each stakeholder, necessary for a holistic approach to health status appreciation. In the pursuit of the aforementioned, four sets of primary health care reforms are identified in the WHO (2008) report, one of which is “service delivery reforms”, which addresses the reorganization of health services around people needs and expectations. In this regard, the Dartmouth study, according to Dr. Pho (2011), instructs us that specialist care though more aggressive and expensive, produces outcomes which on average are not better or is even worse than those achieved with primary health care physicians. Such a caveat, in the context of health and Guyana’s economic
outlook, therefore behooves the following questions: Ø Has any study been done on health expenditure and health outcomes in Guyana, which can instruct us on this critical national issue? Ø Would this national health care institution, be a means of care for only the rich? If no, Ø What percentage of the population, with depreciated health status, has need for such a care? Ø What percentage of this population subset, are from the working class or indigent, and what percentage is wealthy? Ø Would government subsidize the cost of specialized health care? If yes, what are the criteria for the granting of such subsidies? How would such subsidies be financed? Ø Does a rise in the level of citizenry, seeking health status appreciation at a specialized institution, reflect a failure at the primary health care level? If yes, has integrated health care management been effectively used? What are other reasonable explanations for such a failure? Answers to these questions would not only help decision-
makers, but all stakeholders, as to the judgment used by the political actors and thinkers, of the PPP/C government. It is therefore my hope that same would be provided with alacrity. James O Bunbury Jr. Pharmacist (RPh) MBA Finance (Health Care) ******************** While the PPP/C Government is adamantly pursuing a Speciality Hospital, the foundation for a good health care system is being forsaken. The AFC found a number of areas for serious concern at the nursing school: 1. There are unconfirmed reports that the Nursing School has not been accredited since 2003 2. With over 450 students enrolled, the school has only 4 fulltime lecturers and about six part-time lecturers. It must be noted here that the international standard is one lecturer to 25 students. 3. Student nurses are not receiving any clinical demonstrations and training. The training programme should provide for the student nurses to gain practical experience by matching
what they learn in the classroom with training on the floor. This is not happening, as there are no clinical lecturers to take the students through their paces on the floor or in the wards. 4. Student nurses are working at the hospital unsupervised. Third-year student nurses are sent to the wards, the High Dependency Unit, Emergency Room and other critical areas where they carry out the duties of a fullytrained nurse without any supervision. Very often, these student nurses are used to fill the gaps in nursing care created by a shortage of nurses at the hospital. 5. There have been serious deviations from the curriculum for the nursing programmes. The curriculum clearly set out the number of hours for each course but this is not being adhered to. Some 20-hour courses are being delivered in two hours. Obviously, this means that lecturers are not given enough time to teach the course so the quality and level of learning is compromised. 6. Only four toilets at the school are in working order and about 400 students have to use these four lavatories. This creates a
most unsanitary condition. 7. Overwhelmed by the number of students at each lecture session, lecturers have become frustrated because they cannot provide the quality of teaching they know is needed and necessary. Given this state of affairs, the AFC is urging the Minister of Health and the General Nursing Council of Guyana to immediately address what is happening with the nursing programmes. The Nursing Council especially, which is the body responsible for accrediting nurses, should seek an immediate intervention so that the quality of training required is guaranteed. Nurses are the backbone of any health care system and to have persons out there who may be certified but lack the required level of competence is a very dangerous situation and as we said last week, it is a crisis in the making. The AFC would like to know, who will be held responsible in the event that a life is lost due to inadequate nurse care? Can we blame a nurse who was not properly trained? Remember we are talking about human lives here.
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Labouring in the vineyard: The 2012 Dr Eric Williams Memorial Lecture By Sir Shridath Ramphal Today, 23 years after Grand Anse, it is interesting that among the 13 specific actions enumerated were: • Arrangements by January 1991 (21 years ago) for the free movement of skilled and professional personnel as well as for contract workers on a seasonal or project basis; and • immediate and continuing action to develop by 4 July 1992 (20 years ago) a regional system of air and sea transportation including the pooling of resources by existing air and sea carriers conscious that such a system is indispensable to the development of a Single Market and Community. How do we feel about these commitments now? Both their specific undertakings and their promises of fraternity, when in our time irritations and worse are the daily experience of West Indians at West Indian immigration counters, and affordable travel in their Caribbean homeland remains the dream of our one people? Can we just shrug off these commitments of two decades by simply saying: ‘well, that was then’? If that is so, what is now? Where are we going, and who is the pied piper calling the tune? I do not intend to traverse the ground covered by the West Indian Commission’s Report, Time for Action (also mandated by Grand Anse), save to recognise that when its recommendations came to be considered at the 1992 CARICOM Summit here in Port of Spain, Prime Minister Robinson was gone from office; and with him the light of Grand Anse seemed to
(Conclusion) have gone out of the Region. Later that year, Trinidad and Tobago’s new Prime Minister Patrick Manning, as CARICOM’s Chairman, wrote the West Indian Commission. It was a letter of encouragement. He assured us that it was the firm determination of CARICOM Heads to continue to give most serious consideration to all aspects of the Report. Suffice it to say that, over the last 20 years, such ‘serious consideration’ did not induce acceptance of the Commission’s crucial recommendation for a central executive authority to ensure implementation of the decisions taken together by CARICOM Heads in their collective sovereignty. They came close to doing so at Rose Hall in Jamaica on CARICOM’s 30th Anniversary in 2003 under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson; but qualified their conclusion to develop ‘a system of mature regionalism’, along the lines urged by the West Indian Commission, by calling it ’an agreement in principle’. Nothing more happened to that ‘Rose Hall Declaration’; it simply joined the already long list of forgotten CARICOM Declarations, Affirmations and Commitments. But what of Grand Anse and the specific decisions on the Caribbean Single Market and Economy? A year ago, the Institute of International Relations of the University of the West Indies here at St Augustine – as I recall, very much the creation of Eric Williams —
conducted a study of the region’s record by some of the most eminent scholars on the Caribbean. It is the most authoritative contemporary commentary on the state of Caribbean integration – the state of the vineyard. Entitled Caribbean Regional Integration, its Executive Summary said the following: “There was a real sense that the optimistic era of Caribbean integration may well have passed just at the time when it is most desperately needed. The difficulties facing the region are no longer simply about competing effectively in a globalising economy. Rather, they are ‘existential threats’ which bring into question the fundamental viability of Caribbean society itself. Climate change, transnational crime, the decline of regional industries, food security, governance challenges, international diplomacy and so on are problems which can only be effectively addressed by co-ordinated regional responses. Moreover, these problems are becoming increasingly acute in the immediate present; failure to act immediately, decisively and coherently at the regional level could quite conceivably herald the effective decline of Caribbean society as a ‘perfect storm’ of problems gathers on the horizon. The regional leadership is seen as critical to either the continued deterioration of the integration process, or its re-generation. ... This report is therefore timely in
terms of both its recommendations and the window of opportunity that has opened for the region – and especially the Heads of Government (HoG) – to seize the integration initiative. It cannot be stressed just how critical the present juncture is; this may well be the last chance to save the formal integration process in the Caribbean as we know it, and to set the region on a new development path. Another opportunity might not present itself in the future.” The study was available before last year’s CARICOM Summit in St. Kitts; but there is no indication that Caribbean Heads took notice of it. Certainly their decision to ‘pause’ the integration process; slow down the pace a bit, as the Chairman insisted, is at total variance with the Study’s call for the
Sir Shridath Ramphal
regeneration of the integration process. At the St. Kitts Summit, the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago – and a successor of Eric Williams - asserted that: “Trinidad and Tobago is for CARICOM and for regional integration”, So, in different words, did many other political leaders. Why then is ‘one West Indies’ an oxymoron to so many? We all need to ponder this as we celebrate 50 years of independence; not just
Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica this year; but everyone over the years to come. While we celebrate survival; we must not ignore our under-achievement and pretend that they were 50 glorious years. On the regional slate, which is ours collectively, the record is not good, and the trends beyond 50 are palpably worrying. Caribbean people know of these failures, they know the state of the regional vineyard. They are no longer moved by political (Continued on page 36)
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Sunday June 17, 2012
The versatile Dr Joseph Haynes is a ‘Special Person’ By Enid Joaquin Mesmeric, somehow seems the only apt word to describe my recent interview with Dr Joseph Haynes. Here is a man that candidly admits that he sometimes shed tears - an admission that many men would find totally emasculating, but not this week’s ‘special person’. Dr. Haynes knows just
how to hold an audience captive - whether talking about his life, his work, hobbies, or passionately weaving magic with his drum sticks. I stood transfixed as I watched him play the drums recently - in awe at his dexterity with those sticks. The pulsating rhythms captivated me to the point, where I almost forgot the
purpose of my visit. I just wanted to break into wild gyrations; but then perhaps, the good doctor might have recommended an immediate mental evaluation, and you would not be reading this. A cancer survivor, erstwhile boxer, qualified mechanical engineer, talented musician, poet, writer, businessman, doctor and one skilled in preparing many culinary delights, are I think, reasons enough to deem Dr Haynes a special person. It takes only a brief rapport with this distinguished son of the soil, for one to recognize that here is a man imminently blessed, not only with material appurtenances, but a wealth of knowledge, which he is always eager and happy to share, not necessarily for material gain, but because of
comes from a large family of thirteen; eight boys and five girls. “I come from a family of musicians,” he proudly asserts. Such was the family’s love for music, that they owned the renowned Cannon Balls Band. Today, the group is no longer playing, but Haynes, who still has the instruments, is determined to resuscitate the band. “All I need are some committed musicians and vocalists, and we’re good to go; we can have that band up and running again,” he stated enthusiastically. Haynes himself would be a part of the band, if time permitted, but as it is he will have to be content with just beating the drums, “to relieve stress” as is now his wont. EARLYYEARS
“I believe that the body heals itself, as long as you do what it takes to give the body the necessary things which it needs, you can overcome any condition. That is what I believe and that is what I teach people.” his love for humanity. It is this love for humanity, especially for his Guyanese brothers and sisters that has kept him in the country of his birth, despite the more lucrative beckoning of the developed world, Haynes acknowledges. He has vowed to remain here, to contribute to the further development of his hometown, Linden, using his diverse skills and resources, to ‘help make a change’. Haynes is convinced that Linden can return to its former glory days, but people have to first of all start preparing for such change, he reflects. He speaks of change continually - how as Guyanese we ought to change our mindset and attitudes - our behavioral patterns, the way we live, eat and even the way we think! He constantly admonishes men, to take their roles as fathers and leaders more seriously and to stop relegating the duties of parenting to women alone. Although Haynes credits his mother with helping him to become the successful person he is today, he asserts that his father was always there to help guide him along. This proud, but humble Lindener, was born October 8th 1956, to Elaine and Cecil Haynes. He lived in Industrial Area, and on Parsons Road, Mackenzie, as a child. He
Joseph Haynes attended the Mackenzie All-Age School and Hooper High Schools respectively. He later became a student of the Demba Trade School, presently the Linden Technical Institute, before migrating to the United States with his family. He earned his first degree through City and Guilds of London in Mechanical Engineering in 1975. While employed at I.B.M, he attended Auburn University in Montgomery Alabama. He resigned from I.B.M. Corporation in 1985 and sojourned to the faculty of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. Continuing his quest for more knowledge he also attended Clayton School of Natural Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama, Ohio State University, Ohio U.S.A. and Chapman’s College in California U.S.A. He has earned the following Diplomas and Degrees ,Doctor of Naturopathy – ND, Metaphysical Sciences – PhD, Certified Clinical Nutritionist – CCN Certified Colon Therapist – CT, Ultra Sound Technologist – UST Massage Therapist – MT. But he is more inclined to reminisce on his childhood days - when he helped his mother to ‘fetch’ boxes of haberdashery and shoes on his head to the market, where they operated their business
Dr. Joseph Haynes - than on his sojourn in America. “In those days, we used to stock the best shoes - my mother was very proud of that business,” Haynes declares with palpable nostalgia. Being in his teens when he migrated, afforded him the opportunity to enter the United States Navy. Haynes said he opted to enter the Navy because he “hated New York”. It was while in the Navy that he developed a flair for writing poetry. “Lots of my poems were penned, while I sat on deck, just gazing at the ocean - it was a way to occupy myself when there was nothing else to do. Haynes said that he was exposed to many disciplines in the Navy that he really wished a lot of the youths in Guyana could be exposed to. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Haynes went to work for IBM. It was while working there that he was struck with the most devastating blow. He was diagnosed with colon cancer. But while his battle with the disease proved to be one of the most challenging episodes of his life, it would also change his life forever. Haynes said he never took any of the medicines that were prescribed for his condition, as he was convinced that there had to be another way to beat the disease. He subsequently embarked on a programme, of ‘natural therapy”. “I did colon therapy and changed my dietary habits, cutting out all meat products and by-products, and within three to four months I went back for my biopsy, where it showed that there was no trace of cancer. My doctor at first, thought that it was the medicines that he had given me that had healed me, but I told him no, I hadn’t taken
any. Then I went to my car and got the whole bag of medicines, which I had saved as evidence that I hadn’t taken any of the pills that had been prescribed. I took them to him and showed him. He was blown away, he couldn’t believe it.” Haynes said that the physician was so ecstatic that he had beaten the disease, he told him, “Whatever you did to help yourself to overcome this condition, you need to go and learn that and master it and teach people what to do.” That was in 1981. Haynes later took the doctor’s advice, and resigned from his job at IBM and began his education in the field of medicine, by enrolling in quite a few universities and colleges. Today he is qualified not only in fixing engines and their components, but in helping people to heal from medical ailments. “I’m here because of my experience, teaching people that they can overcome cancer. Now everyone is not going to be as I strong as I was, but I tell you what… I believe that the body heals itself, as long as you do what it takes to give the body the necessary things which it needs, you can overcome any condition. That is what I believe and that is what I teach people. My main reason for switching careers, from engineering to medicine is because I believe that I can help more people in this field of endeavour.” Dr Haynes is the proprietor of the Health and Wellness Clinics in Georgetown and Linden, and the Linden School of Excellence. The Health and Wellness clinic in Linden, celebrates its third anniversary this year, and Haynes promises that there is more to come, including the establishment (Continued on page 36)
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Suriname justice under fire By Sarah Slater and Ellicott Dandy Research Associates at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs Last month, the judge overseeing the trial to determine the full extent of Surinamese President Dési Bouterse’s involvement in the 1982 December Murders put the proceedings on hold. In light of the National Assembly’s retroactive Amnesty Act granting immunity to Bouterse and his political henchmen, whether the Public Prosecutor’s office can legally carry on the trial is now uncertain. As Stabroek News of neighbouring Guyana reported last Wednesday, the government has pressured the trial’s judges to bury the case by threatening their safety. The act, an affront to justice, is part of a long pattern of abuses by Bouterse and his colleagues. Regrettably, the suspension of the trial likely means that the Public Prosecutor’s office will be unable to obtain a guilty verdict against Bouterse. Meanwhile, relatives of the December Murder victims and the Surinamese nation await the justice that has been delayed for the past 30 years. On December 8, 1982, military policemen snatched 15 men from their beds, most of them civilians, placed them on a bus and then murdered them after conspiracy charges were lodged against them. The victims were all members of the Suriname Association for Democracy, a vocal group critical of the growing relationship between the Surinamese military government and Cuba. The group, according to Bouterse and other officials, was plotting to overthrow the government on Christmas Day. While Bouterse and other government officials initially used this story in an attempt to justify the extrajudicial killings, the state later conceded that it acted without conducting adequate investigations. In the immediate aftermath of the murders, Bouterse utilized the high level of public confusion to announce that his military government would be imposing a curfew, closing down universities, restricting the freedom of assembly, and closing Suriname’s borders, effectively ushering in an era of conflict and military dictatorship in Suriname. Following the December Murders, the prime minister and cabinet resigned in protest, indicating discontent within the government regarding Bouterse’s abuse of power. An investigation
finally began in 2008, with Bouterse as the prime suspect. Though he eventually accepted “political responsibility” for the murders, he continues to deny any direct involvement. Unfortunately, this tragic and violent event is one of many in the political career of Dési Bouterse and the country’s short history. The often-overlooked South American country won independence from the Netherlands in 1975 and operated under a democratically elected government until February 25, 1980, when Bouterse led a military coup d’état. As a result, he assumed the post of chairman of the National Military Council (NMR), a group of eight noncommissioned officers who effectively functioned as the Surinamese government for the next six years. During its first year in power, the NMR implemented a law enabling the government to rule by decree, thereby suspending all existing laws as well as civil, political, and social rights of the small Surinamese populace. In the following years, extreme violence and political instability crippled the nation while power gradually became concentrated in the hands of Bouterse and the military leadership. From 1986 to 1992, civil war gripped the young nation. Bouterse and his forces engaged in continual combat with the Surinamese Liberation Army, a guerrilla group better known as the Jungle Commando. While Bouterse charged the guerrillas with plotting to undermine national stability and peace, he was, allegedly, simultaneously vying for control of the lucrative cocaine trade. Meanwhile, an ethnic group known as the Maroons comprised much of the opposition, who fought for return to democracy under the leadership of Bouterse’s former bodyguard and
Dési Bouterse
comrade in arms Ronnie Brunswijk. In what was perhaps the war’s most inexplicably violent act, the military government executed more than 40 people, mostly women and children, and burned the village of Moiwana, a Maroon stronghold, on November 29, 1986. Three years after the attack, demonstrative of the impunity under which the dictatorship freely operated, Bouterse issued a statement admitting that the murders had been committed by the military under his direct orders. Only after being targeted by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR), the Surinamese government finally made a public apology to the victims’ families in 2006, claiming responsibility for the deaths and paying compensation to the survivors. Neither Bouterse nor any other officer involved was ever punished for the horrific act of genocide. In 1988, the elected president, Ramsewak Shankar, signed a peace accord with the guerrillas. Bouterse, however, rejected the treaty, opting instead to continue the war. In 1989, the IACHR issued a human rights report on Suriname with numerous complaints regarding the administration’s violations of the right to life and freedom of speech, among other abuses. In 1990, Bouterse led yet another coup, ousting
President Shankar and further propagating instability and violence within Suriname. In 1997, the Dutch government issued a warrant for Bouterse’s arrest on drug smuggling charges. However, the Surinamese president at the time, Jules Wijdenbosch, was one of Bouterse’s allies and refused to extradite him. Having received no cooperation from the Surinamese government, the Dutch government convicted Bouterse of the drug smuggling charges in absentia two years later. In 2008, Bouterse and 25 others were finally indicted on charges of murder for their involvement in the 1982 December Murders. In spite of a violent past and his status as a murder suspect, Bouterse has enjoyed considerable political success. He formed the Mega Combination Coalition in the National Assembly, which propelled him to the presidency in 2010. By allying himself with former enemy Ronnie Brunswijk, Bouterse secured 23 out of 51 votes — just enough for a
victory. The current Bouterse administration, while not as violent as his infamous sixyear dictatorship, has been characterized by the same corruption and nepotism of the past. Following his election, Bouterse gave his wife a salary for her duties as first lady and appointed his son, convicted of drug and weapons trafficking in 2005, to a commanding position in a counterterrorism unit. Rather than downplay his problematic past, Bouterse continued his raffish lifestyle, celebrating his violent 1980 coup d’état by designating February 25, its anniversary, as a national holiday. At immediate issue is the Amnesty Act passed by the National Assembly, which applies to all crimes committed between 1980 and 1992. The amnesty it provides not only conveniently covers the December Murders, but also all the other human rights abuses that took place under Bouterse’s rule and throughout the civil war, including the Moiwana Massacre. Bouterse and several of the other defendants are requesting that the trial be suspended in light of this law,
and as a result, it has been adjourned until the law undergoes further review. This adjournment, however, creates a constitutional catch-22. Over the past four years, the fate of Bouterse and his partners has been held up in judicial proceedings. In order for the trial to reconvene, a constitutional court must decide whether a judge can grant amnesty ex post facto. Setting aside this painfully slow application of due process, the real challenge in bringing Bouterse to justice lies in the fact that the constitutional court that would conduct the hypothetical review does not yet exist, and its creation would inevitably be fraught with corruption. Bouterse, who as president is responsible for appointments, could easily stack the court with sympathizers who would most certainly approve the amnesty law, thereby exonerating him and his cohorts. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the IACHR, and the International Commission of Jurists have condemned this affront to justice. Likewise, the Council (continued on page 52)
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UNASUR advances defence transparency and energy integration By Dr. Odeen Ishmael
After an extraordinary session of UNASUR’s Foreign Ministers in Bogota, Colombia on June 11, the veteran Venezuelan politician and diplomat, Dr. Ali Rodriguez Araque, was officially installed as the new secretary general of the South American union. He will exercise this role for one year and succeeds Maria Emma Mejia of Colombia who served for the first year of the shared twoyear term. At their meeting, the Foreign Ministers adopted a number of new rules for the organisation and approved a US$19 million dollar budget for the next two years. They also confirmed that UNASUR’s electoral council will mount its first mission to observe the Venezuelan presidential elections on October 8. In preparation for his executive role in managing the continental body, Rodriguez on June 4, had earlier visited Asuncion, capital of Paraguay, where he met with Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, the current chairman of UNASUR. He later on the following day participated in the UNASUR Defence Council meeting in the Paraguayan capital. Speaking to the media after his meeting with President Lugo, Rodriguez said that the nations of the region have to protect and capitalise on the resources they possess, such as water, river energy, minerals and biodiversity.
These, he opined, will contribute to reduce the state of poverty for millions of South Americans. UNASUR itself, under the executive leadership of Maria Emma Mejia, continued during the first half of 2012 in executing its work programme in pushing towards the objective of South American integration. This programme included important meetings covering defence and energy issues which were convened during this period. DEFENCE COUNCIL MEETING As a main aspect of the work agenda, the South American Defence Council, (comprising the continent’s defence ministers) met in Quito, Ecuador, 10 May for the release of a report by UNASUR’s Centre of Strategic Defence Studies (CEED) detailing each country’s military spending for the period 2006-2010. The CEED supports the work of the South American Defence Council which encourages cooperation in regional security matters and transparency in military spending while providing assistance in peace missions and natural disasters. The report reveals that during 2006-2010 UNASUR countries spent US$126 billion on defence. Actually, spending increased sharply, from $17.6 billion in 2006 to $33.2 billion in 2010. Brazil, with the largest territorial space and population, headed the list,
accounting for 43 percent of South America’s spending total. Colombia was second, with 17 percent, and Venezuela third, accounting for 10.7 percent. They were followed by Chile (9), Argentina (8.3), Ecuador (4.5) and Peru (4). According to CEED, the overall expenditure on defence in the region as percentage of GDP remains stable averaging 0.91 percent, thus placing South America’s military spending well below other regions of the world. Significantly, the report points out: “The evolution of UNASUR defence budgets does not register significant variations in the period analysed and does not enable to establish an armament tendency or a militarisation of the region.” Taking military budgets individually in 2010, Ecuador was the country which most invested in defence, 2.74 percent of GDP; followed by Colombia (1.89), Surinam (1.49), Bolivia (1.47), Chile (1.4), Guyana (1.31) and Uruguay (1.06). The rest of the countries were below 1 percent. According to the Venezuelan news website, Venezuelanalysis.com, in 2009 Venezuela spent 1.4 percent of GDP on defence. Of the total expenditure, 58.7 percent of members’ military spending was to pay personnel, 23.5 for operations, 17.3 for investment, and 0.5 for research. In its analysis, the report shows that the average
regional expenditure per person between 2006 and 2010 was US$67.4 and the number of soldiers to the civilian population was 3 to every thousand. The act of sharing this military information was regarded as “historic” by secretary general Maria Emma Mejia, who posited that the report broke the myths of Latin American militarisation and that military spending is detrimental to social development. She declared: “This spending supports the security and safety of South American citizens…because we can attend to citizens with logistics and emergency services. It is a benefit for social peace.” Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño, who hosted the meeting, said it would always be important for member states share details of their defence spending in order to establish ties of mutual trust within the union. Significantly, at the conclusion of the meeting, the representative of the UN General Secretary for Disarmament, Angela Klein – a guest participant – stated that the sharing of military spending information by UNASUR was “an exercise in transparency unseen in any other region of the world and a fundamental step in the construction of regional trust.” During the discussions, the defence ministers and other diplomatic representatives highlighted
their intention to advance towards greater military integration through initiatives generating mutual trust, exchanging information and participating in joint military exercises. They also reiterated the objective of continuing military integration and proposed the establishment of a Citizen Security Council to coordinate the fight against transnational and organised crime. A follow-up meeting of the Defence Council, held on June 5 in Asuncion, Paraguay, formalised the report and presented an analysis of the CEED report widely regarded as a gesture of transparency and an expression of the new defence policy. In Asuncion, the Council also addressed the situation of UNASUR’s cooperation with Haiti. It regarded as positive the on-going aid but felt that UNASUR must draw up a timetable for its gradual military withdrawal from the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) without neglecting aid to the Caribbean nation. General Catalino Roy Ortiz, Defence Minister of Paraguay, stressed the terms for the final withdrawal from Haiti will be based on the existing safe environment and lauded UNASUR’s aid to the government and people of Haiti to guarantee safety and stability. THIRD UNASUR ENERGY COUNCIL MEETING The third UNASUR Energy Council meeting took place on May 18 at the headquarters of state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), in Caracas. The Council agreed to create an ad hoc group, made up of appointees by UNASUR member states, to draw up proposals for a South American Energy Treaty and protect energy resources of the region. This group will work in coordination with experts in the energy sector and will present joint reports to the South American Energy Council. The Energy Council agreed to ratify proposals by its group of energy experts to continue working in cooperation with the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE) in activities aimed at energy integration in the region. The group of experts will also analyse the possibility of creating an investigations’ institute of UNASUR, which is intended to boost participation of the best talents in matters of energy
Dr. Odeen Ishmael in the region, including student exchange, in order to enhance the region’s technological training and development. The same group will set up a committee to handle energy planning aimed at identifying structural energy projects in South America. The Energy Council also agreed to hold in Caracas a forum of state-run oil and gas companies before the next UNASUR summit. Additionally, there will be a meeting of state-run electricity companies in Bogota, Colombia, in order to exchange experiences and boost “complementariness,” as well as another of energy technology in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to boost technologyenergy exchange among the member states. The Energy Council reiterated the support and sovereign rights of member states to manage its natural resources, guaranteeing national energy security, as a public interest. Other UNASUR Councils are due to meet during the second half of this year while there will be follow-up actions as agreed to by those which have already met. The UNASUR summit in Paraguay and the South American-Arab summit in Peru, both scheduled for the last quarter of this year, will also present their own special challenges. The new secretary general, Ali Rodriguez, certainly will find his tasks in managing all these activities very pressing, but based on his wide experience in public policy administration, including energy management, UNASUR countries will definitely bank on his enormous talent to direct the union’s integration policies and programmes to the satisfaction all South American citizens. (Dr. Odeen Ishmael is Guyana’s ambassador to the State of Kuwait. He writes extensively on Latin American and Caribbean issues and is the author of several books including The Democracy Perspective in the Americas. The views expressed here are solely his own.)
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Hope fades for benefits from Rio+20 Earth Summit By Sir Ronald Sanders Weaknesses of small states in dealing with global environmental issues that mortally affect them have become very evident in the pre-Conference negotiations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development being held in Rio in Brazil from 20-23 June. Small states have few experts in this area and even fewer experts who are also capable negotiators. Consequently, many small states – including some in the Caribbean – have either been under-represented at the preConference negotiations, or they have not been represented at all. In the result, small states issues may be raised at the Conference and in its margins, but they will not get the attention that they urgently need now. Indeed, the preConference negotiations demonstrate that the Conference is likely to witness a backtracking by developed countries on firm commitments they gave in Rio, 20 years ago at the first Earth Summit especially financing. Small islands and countries with low-lying coastal areas are now at high risk from global warming and sea-level rise. This has been repeated so often that even the people of small states seem to have become immune to the catastrophic effects that they are facing. It seems that almost every government in the world is waiting for disaster before they act. It is almost as if, at secret meetings in closeted rooms, big decision-makers have taken the view that small countries are expendable, because their populations are tiny and their contribution to global trade, global finance, global technology are so small as not to matter, whereas addressing their problems – albeit caused by the polluters
of the globe – is too costly and not worth it. Small states may be swiftly becoming collateral damage even though the large polluting countries of the world dare not say so. This is worsened by conditions in the world economy that has given new rise to nationalism and protectionism by large countries even as they coerce smaller ones into opening up their economies. If we are to measure the commitment of large polluting countries by their deeds, the worrying signs are everywhere. They have already reneged on the delivery of financing for mitigating climate change, and in the pre-Rio+20 negotiations, they have backtracked on fundamental principles agreed 20 years ago. Yet, apart from rhetoric, no red flag is being raised by governments of small countries collectively. They have not moved their words into action. There appears to be a collective sitting on hands, waiting for the polluting countries to be driven, by their own consciences, into action. To be fair, however, it could also simply be the case that, overwhelmed by the lack of expertise and resources, the authorities in small island states are paralyzed. But, by taking no collective action, governments of small countries are in danger of being complicit with the polluting nations in neglecting their own plight. If they wait too late to wake up to the absolute necessity of defending their own existence, not even survival might be possible. This may all sound like hyperbole and exaggeration. But the facts debunk those likely assertions. We l l - p u b l i c i z e d , authoritative studies show that sea-level rise will not only erode coastal areas affecting beach tourism, it will also dislocate hundreds of thousands of people from their
homes, and it will also adversely affect food production. This reality strengthens the case for small states to fashion joint machinery to fight their corner in these negotiations. Many of the issues that confront them are sufficiently common for joint positions to be taken and a mandate given for joint negotiations. The first Earth Conference was held in 1992. In the 20 years that have elapsed groupings of small states, such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), have had time in which to develop joint machinery for research and bargaining on their collective behalf, especially as the global environmental situation worsened before their very eyes, hurting their countries. There has been a brave attempt by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) which is a group of representatives of small countries at the UN to forge and argue a collective position. That is good as far as it goes. But, lacking in resources, a firm mandate from governments and agreed machinery to bargain collectively, AOSIS is simply a moral force. And, it is a moral force that is reliant on non-governmental organizations to provide the small states with the studies and information on issues that affect them. Small states, should not expect transforming benefits from the Rio+20 Conference. The only representatives likely to leave Rio satisfied are those who are the major polluters, and who benefit from continuing business as usual. It is relatively easy to pick out which countries those are by the leaders who are not attending. Among the notable absentees will be leaders of countries that are among the world’s top ten polluting nations. They are David Cameron of Britain, Stephen Harper of Canada, Angela Merkel of Germany, and, at
the time of writing, Barack Obama of the US. While France’s new President, Francois Hollande, has said he would attend, he holds out no hope for any advance. He is right in his assessment that governments of the developed world are now preoccupied with the effects of the Eurozone debt crisis and the real risk of its knock-on effects in other major economies that are exposed to the banking system in Euro currency countries. The chances of them taking radical decisions and making progressive commitments that are necessary for global sustainable development are nil. None of this is to say that there have not been achievements since 1972 when
the environment first became an issue. More than 500 environmental agreements have been signed. If signed agreements show progress then progress has occurred, but which small state can monitor all those agreements, and how many of these agreements have addressed the problems of small countries meaningfully? The two big agreements, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change remain suppressed. Rio+20 will undoubtedly produce an “outcomes document”, but it will have little for small countries for whom sustainable development is most urgently required. They should move now to establish strong, joint
Sir Ronald Sanders negotiating machinery that cannot be ignored in any future forum on this issue so vital to their survival. CARICOM should lead the way. (The writer is a Consultant and former Caribbean diplomat) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sironaldsanders.com
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Kaieteur News
The versatile Dr Joseph Haynes is a ‘Special Person’ From page 28 of a business complex in Central Amelia’s Ward. The establishment of the clinic came as a surprise to many who thought that given the town’s economic climate, anyone investing that much, had to either be a perpetual optimist or a total fool. Haynes is a perpetual optimist, who believes in the community of his birth. “Now I could have built this clinic someplace else, but I wanted to do it here, my navel string is here, and so I had to come back here and do something. I love this community and I have faith in it, and this clinic is strategically placed, that people from all across Region 10 could have access to our services.” Haynes currently serves as the Vice President of the Guyana Association of Alternative Medical Practitioners; the Chairman of the Board of the Consumers Complex in Linden, and Guyana’s FIFA-appointed Physical Therapist for the Guyana Football Federation. Haynes admits that he would love to serve as mayor of the mining Town, if he had the time. ‘There is so much that I know that I could do
Displaying his dexterity with the drums
here - this place can become a model Town.” Dr Haynes is married to Esther Anne, and has been blessed with three sons Joseph, Jeremy and Joel. Today being Father’s Day,
Haynes said that he will most likely spend it with his youngest son (Joel). “We will most likely go fishing and do some cooking, because the rest of the family is overseas. It will be a quiet day for us.”
The ‘Green Economy’ and Tertiary... From page 24 earlier this year, aimed at building a ‘critical mass’ of bioenergy technicians, operators and demonstration Programmes. Additionally, University staff have had input into a pilot project in the Wowetta community, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), executed by the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) and University of Calgary, in collaboration with the Guyana Energy Agency. Amongst other things, the project equipped homes in the community with solar power
lighting and a village shop with a solar-powered freezer. This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list, but a few examples to illustrate the ways in which Guyana’s own institution of higher education can contribute to green economic sectors. Indeed, within the context of the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), and under the World Bank financed University of Guyana Science and Technology Support Project, which encompasses elements such as curricula reform, LCDS-related research and refurbishment of science laboratories, the nation’s
The Cardinal Tetra… (From page 18) aquarium fish it is less widespread than the neon tetra because until recently it was difficult to breed in captivity. The fish is also effectively an annual species, and has a lifespan of just a single year in nature, but lives for several years in captivity. Given the origins of the cardinal tetra, namely blackwater rivers whose chemistry is characterised by an acidic pH, low mineral content and the presence of humic acids, the species is adaptable to a wide range of conditions in captivity. The species will feed upon a wide range of aquarium foods, though again, conditioning fish of
this species for breeding will usually require the use of live foods. Aquarium furnishings should be planned with some care. Live aquatic plants, as well as providing an additional biological filtration component that assists with nitrate management in the aquarium, provide an environment that resembles at least part of the wild habitat, and fine-leaved plants such as Cabomba are usually the plants of choice. Other plants such as Amazon Swordplants and Vallisneria are equally suitable for an aquarium housing the cardinal tetra. (Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopedia)
University is well poised to improve the employability and skills set of graduates for new jobs in emerging and growing green sectors. Tertiary education has a critical role to play in establishing and developing professional skills for a green economy through initial and continuing training. It is institutions of higher learning that will play a key function in preparing the scientists, engineers, planners, architects and others who will lead the transition towards a green economy and create, transfer and apply knowledge in the various green sectors of the economy. Universities have to modify existing and develop new curricula to meet these new training needs, and drive research, development and innovation in order to serve as exemplars with respect to their operational principles and procedures. This will necessitate that tertiary institutions forge substantive partnerships with other academic bodies, science, business and industry, NGOs and funding agencies in order to enhance the effectiveness of their role. Through their teaching and research, knowledge transfer, community engagement and operational principles and practices, universities can occupy a pivotal role at the forefront of the green economy.
Sunday June 17, 2012
Labouring in the vineyard: The... From page 27 promises of its imminent improvement. Yet, political leaders over the years have sustained the pretence that regional integration is moving forward. The opposite is now so obvious that pretences are being abandoned. Within recent months, political leaders have been speaking out: Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, recalled Derek Walcott’s acceptance speech as he received the Nobel Prize for Literature and likened the Caribbean to a beautiful vase that had been shattered by its history into many pieces. The Prime Minister spoke of ‘fitting these broken pieces together’; but concluded: “To be quite frank, for the most part, the Community exists in the words of the Treaty only, rather than (as) a tangible entity that is seen by its people as a vital part of their lives. The force of historical necessity which might otherwise have driven the peoples together naturally are weak or non-existent. The Community at this time needs both unifying cultural symbols and an inspiring rallying call that ’all ah we got to be one’.” On the eve of the recent Inter-Sessional Meeting of Heads in Suriname the Prime Minister of St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, in an open letter to the Secretary General of CARICOM circulated to all Heads of Government asserted that: “CARICOM’s mode of marking time, at an historical moment of overwhelming awesome challenges for our region, which compellingly demands a more profound integration, is mistaken… The times demand that we move resolutely beyond minimalism (in the integration process) which inexorably leads to regression; ‘pausing’ is but a euphemism for standing still which, in a dynamic world, is sliding backward.” Even more recently, Owen Arthur, who, while he was Prime Minister of Barbados, had responsibility for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) in the quasi-Cabinet of CARICOM, citing the UWI St. Augustine Study, warned: “In a word, the region faces the spectre of becoming a ‘failed society’, we must build new strategic alliances within the region and with entities beyond the region to avert such a catastrophe. It is the challenge which makes it imperative that we strengthen every facet of our integration movement and move to a more perfect union. As we seek to move towards a more perfect union the most fundamental challenge which must be addressed in the years ahead is that of improving and securing the weak and inadequate foundations on which integration has hitherto been made to rest.” These are serious signals of concern sent by West Indians who care. They come from the weaker of our countries and from the stronger. You in Trinidad and Tobago are in some respects the strongest now. When Jamaica precipitated the fall of federalism 50 years ago they were the strongest in our Region. But they precipitated that fall on a lack of knowledge and false belief – deliberately fostered by those who opposed federation for their narrow political purposes. Federation is an octopus anxious to suck Jamaica dry, recorded John Mordecai as being a symbol used by the JLP to embroider their opposition campaign. You must not, in your present strength, do the same to Caribbean integration. Remaining out of the full appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice is one of those acts that, without meaning to, could precipitate a collapse of more than the Court. Continuing to squat on the door-step of the Privy Council 50 years after Independence; keeping the CCJ on ‘probation’ while clinging to its Headquarters, is not the integration model to which this country is legally bound. Fortunately, Prime Minister Persad-Bissesar has said enough to suggest that all is not lost for that model. Were it lost, we would all be the weaker.
You would lose not only a guaranteed market for your manufactured goods and for your services, but also allies – kith and kin – who would stand at your elbow and strengthen your arm in your bargaining with countries larger and stronger than you; and in resisting external forces that threaten the safety of your society; all those gains that eric Williams saw – after Independence – as the pillars on which rested the real case for unity of the Caribbean countries. But let me be more positive. The Caribbean Community needs Trinidad and Tobago not just as a player but as a leader – an intellectual leader most of all. It will not have escaped you how central – and, indeed, how indispensable - have been the roles that Trinidadian leaders and technocrats have played in the history of moulding our scattered archipelago into a West Indian Community, if not yet a West Indian nation. You are engaged at home in that necessary process of creating one people out of many; of resolving the challenge that Eric Williams recognised at Independence. At this time that marks both 50 years of national independence and 50 years of stagnating regionalism it is well to remember that in the Introduction to his History of the People of Trinidad and Tobago (which Williams published on Independence Day) he wrote of conjoined challenges. This first was: Division of the races was the policy of colonisation. Integration of the races must be the policy of Independence. Only in this way can the colony of Trinidad and Tobago be transformed into the Nation of Trinidad and Tobago. But he added with respect to the integration of the separated Caribbean Territories: Separation and fragmentation were the policy of colonialism and rival colonialisms. Association and integration must be the policy of Independence. As he saw it, (and who would challenge that vision?) you – the people and leaders of Trinidad and Tobago - need to continue to labour in the regional vineyard even as you pursue your destiny of unity at home. It is your vineyard; every bit as much as Trinidad and Tobago is your homeland. I suspect that every native of Trinidad and Tobago has been a West Indian from the first moment of rational awakening. These twin islands that nurture you command your devotion and your loyalty; but, in a further dimension of belonging, the West Indies is also your native land. I know that is true of me. So let me end this Memorial Lecture to a great West Indian with words I have used before here in Trinidad. In 1978, 34 years ago, I was privileged to receive an honorary LL.D degree from UWI at the St. Augustine Campus. I gave the Graduation Address, and ended it with these words which I believe are even more insistent in their message now: I end with an exhortation by one man for his country as the 20th Century began, and I invoke it as exhortation to you and as a prayer for our Region that is our country also. They are the immortal words of Tagore’s Gitanjali that have such a resonance for us now: Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever widening thought and action – Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. Into that realm of reason, I, too, pray – let the West Indies awake!
Sunday June 17, 2012
From page 20 Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. There are reports that the men were involved in an illegal fuel transaction when the mishap occurred. Three other crewmen were unhurt. According to reports, the crewmen were in the engine room pumping fuel onto their trawler last Sunday morning when the pump began to malfunction. They were reportedly attempting to rectify the problem when an explosion occurred in the engine room. ******************** WEDNESDAY EDITION REVIEW OF CJIA CONTRACT IS A NATIONAL DUTY – SPEAKER TROTMAN While the Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman, by himself, cannot launch a Parliamentary investigation into contracts issued for the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) he opines that such a review is a “national duty.” According to Trotman, while as Speaker he will not be able to initiate such action, he believes that elected representatives (the members of Parliament) should consider this. He said that Members of Parliament (MPs) have mechanisms available to them for such a review (speaking specifically of the Economic Services Committee), and added that the MPs can call for a Special Select Parliamentary Committee with a specific mandate. SLAIN BANDIT’S ALLEGEDACCOMPLICES DETAINED Police detained two of the men that mortally wounded bandit Odel Chase identified as his accomplices in Monday night’s brazen America Street heist. One of the men, said to the suspect known as ‘Cow,’ is the driver of the AT192 Toyota, which the gunmen had used as their getaway vehicle. He was taken into custody after turning up at the Ruimveldt Police Station at around 21:30hrs to claim that he was the victim of a carjacking. Kaieteur News understands that the 24-yearold suspect told police ranks that he was held at gunpoint by two men after stopping by a traffic light near Water Lily Street and Mandela Avenue. But he reportedly showed signs of nervousness after learning that Odel Chase had been slain and had named his accomplices, including one known as ‘Cow.’ He was then taken into custody.
Kaieteur News
BRAWLAT EAST BANK FISH COMPLEX LEAVES ONE DEAD An employee of a popular seafood company was stabbed to death Tuesday night in a bitter fight that left one of his assailants with an almost severed left foot. The dead man’s name was given as Mark Solomon called ‘Tantie’, 36, of 154 Non Pareil Street, Albouystown, who was pronounced dead on arrival at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Hospital around 19:30hrs. Details of the incident were sketchy, but according to the dead man’s co-workers it stemmed from an altercation earlier Tuesday. Kaieteur News understands that Solomon and his assailant worked together at the Pritipaul Singh Investments (PSI) at McDoom on the East Bank of Demerara. Solomon only began working at PSI about a month ago. AUDITOR GENERAL TO LAUNCHEMERGENCY NCN PROBE The State-owned National Communications Network (NCN), which has been rocked in recent days with allegations of financial impropriety, is more than one year overdue when it comes to the submission of its financial statements for 2010 to be audited. This was confirmed by Auditor General (ag) Deodat Sharma, who said that in the face of the current assertions, he is currently putting together a team and an emergency probe is imminent. ******************** THURSDAY EDITION NEW GPC BOSS SUES KAIETEUR NEWS FOR $100M Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, owner of the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (New GPC), has filed a libel suit against the Publisher of Kaieteur News, claiming that he was defamed in a “Dem boys seh” column. In his writ he said that he is the owner of Atlantic Pharmaceuticals, Queens Atlantic Investment Inc., New GPC and several companies. He wants the court to block Kaieteur News from further publishing a column, Dem boys seh, that appeared in the newspaper on Monday, June 11, 2012. Ramroop claims that he was the one referred to in the June 11, 2012 ‘Dem boys seh”. In his affidavit of support, Ramroop stated that the words in the article referred to him and that the words were false, malicious
and defamatory. He is claiming damages in excess of $100M. ******************** FRIDAY EDITION GRANGER CALLS FOR CORRUPTION PURGE David Granger, leader of the Parliamentary Oppositon, on Thursday night rebuked members of the House and the Prime Minister and called for an end to the annual ritual of a debate on the Integrity Commission. Granger told the House, “If we are looking for corruption, look at the mother of all scandals… we must look in the Executive Branch.” Granger charged that seeking to root out corruption at the level of the legislature is ill-conceived and that the energies should be focused on the Executive Branch. He spoke of seeking out corruption where it involves bogus pharmaceuticals, misuse of state resources, ministry letter heads and conflicts of interest among other instances. Granger said that a dulyconstituted commission must be empowered with investigative capability. UK PLEDGES MOREAID FOR GUYANA The United Kingdom has promised more aid for Guyana, including spending millions of dollars to boost exports and boost two-way trade. The announcement that the UK will set up a trade and investment office and take over the agriculture diversification project from the United States, came at an event Thursday evening to celebrate the Queen’s birthday and her 60th year on the throne.
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PORTER CRUSHED BY LOGAFTER TRUCK OVERTURNS A 30-year-old Linden man was crushed by a log, and several persons suffered various degrees of injuries, after a truck suffered a blowout and subsequently overturned on the Ituni trail at around 09:00hrs Thursday. The dead man, Allan Kishore Mendonza, of 42 Lower Kara Kara, Linden, who worked as a porter on the truck, was reportedly sitting in the trailer of the vehicle with a few other men when the accident occurred, in the vicinity of Goat Farm, Ituni. NEW GPC BOSS SUES K-NEWS TWICE IN TWO DAYS FOR $200M Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop has sued the publishers of Kaieteur News for another $100 million. Ramroop owns the government-friendly Guyana Times and Channel 28. But his major businesses are a string of pharmaceutical and several other companies. Opposition parties and at least one major pharmaceutical importer have stated that Ramroop is favoured in the award of contracts for the importation of medical drugs. This contention is the subject of the latest libel suit. On Wednesday, Ramroop filed a libel suit over a ‘Dem boys seh” column, seeking damages in excess of $100 million. In the action filed Thursday, Ramroop seeks to muzzle Kaieteur News from reporting on the importation contracts he gets from the government. He specifically asks the court to restrain Kaieteur News from publishing the
words contained in an article on June 8, 2012, which was headlined “Importers cry foul at US$6.5 secret pharmaceutical award to Ramroop’s New GPC.” In court documents, Ramroop said that the words were falsely and maliciously published and were defamatory. ******************** SATURDAY EDITION AMAILA FALLS HYDRO PROJECT BECOMES DISTANT REALITY Financial closure on the government’s US$840 Amaila Falls Hydro Project has been delayed by several months, the developer Sithe Global said Friday. It was anticipated that the project, which was touted to become the country’s largest infrastructure development, would have been approved by lenders to enable financial closure by this summer. “While that timing has slipped, our lenders remain supportive of the project. We have worked closely with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to address its concern about Guyana Power and Light (GPL)’s technical and financial capacity,” Sithe Global said Friday in a release by local public relations consultant, Cathy Hughes.
The company said that it is likely that financial closure may be by March 2013. NBS AIMS FOR $15M LOAN CEILING Mortgage lender New Building Society (NBS) is pushing for a $15M loan ceiling to cater for the middle income bracket. This was disclosed by Chairman of NBS Senior Counsel Moen Mc Doom, Friday, at the official opening of the new headquarters located at the Avenue of the Republic. Despite the commissioning, the final cost of the building was not declared. One official said that it is still being totaled. When the construction was announced, the NBS stated that the building would be constructed at a cost of some US$4 million. The contractor who won the bid was BK International. At the time the NBS Chairman was Nanda Kishore Gopaul. NBS has been in existence for 72 years, and its Loans Portfolio accounts for 51 per cent of its total assets. The society’s liquid assets at the end of 2011 stood at $17.6B as against $16B at the end of the previous year, representing an increase of 10 per cent.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday June 17, 2012
Wife of murder victim wants condemned killer to remain in jail By Dale Andrews
If the Gods continue to smile on convicted killer Lawrence Chan, he could be out of prison after 17 years on death row. But the relatives of the man he killed 21-years ago are not amused; they want him to remain incarcerated for the rest of his life. They plan to petition any Prerogative Board of Mercy to block any remote chance that Chan may have of returning to society, since they believe that justice will not be served if he is released. A few weeks ago, Chan along with three other condemned killers had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment by Chief Justice Ian Chang, who ruled that having the men on death row for so long was a violation of their human rights. There is a possibility that Chan might just be able to see
sunlight as a free man once again since he would have already served the equivalent of a life sentence. However the wife of Raphael Seecharran, the victim of Chan’s heinous crime on January 11, 1991 in the North West District, is crying out for justice. Although she has forgiven Chan for snatching away an integral of her life as well as those of her children, Elizabeth Seecharran believes that he has not paid the full penalty for his actions. She is also of the view that the system has failed her family as well as the countless other relatives of murder victims. “Did they stop to consider those who were left with the trauma of having lost their loved one? Did the government do anything to help anybody with the trauma that Chan left behind?” Seecharran stated in a recent interview with this
newspaper. She remembers the days after her husband’s death as if it were yesterday. Raphael Seecharran had left his wife and three children at home to ply his trade as a trader to and from Venezuela in his paddle boat. He would normally paddle through the Barima River up to Port Kaituma where he would sell his Morocut and other items which he brought from Venezuela. It was on one of these trips that his Good Samaritan nature cost him his life. As he was returning from Kaituma along with his colleague, Ramong, a Venezuelan, Raphael Seecharran was asked for a lift by one Johnny Knights, to which he agreed. As it turned out, Knights happened to be the only one who would survive the misfortune that would befall the trio.
While on their way they noticed Lawrence Chan, his brother and another man in another boat and they hailed them as they would normally do to fellow travellers. But Chan and his accomplice kept following them and Seecharran and his companions became suspicious. But as it was getting dark, Raphael Seecharran and his two passengers decided to throw camp for the night until the tide changed to facilitate the arduous travelling. Seecharran was known to walk with cooked food in the event that he had to spend some extra time conducting business, and on that day he had a pot of chowmein which he shared with Ramong and Knights. After eating, they retired to sleep but were soon aroused by the sound of an approaching paddle boat. It was Chan and his two accomplices. They claimed
that they were hunting bush hog and wanted to rest for the night. Seecharran and his companions offered them some chowmein that was left back and allowed them space in their camp. But Knights began to sense that something was amiss when he heard Lawrence Chan asking one of his accomplices if they had brought the ram rod (part for the improvised shotgun) from their boat. Knights began experiencing problems sleeping after hearing that. As the moon rose, he saw Chan get up and started to circle the camp and then he heard the sound of a gunshot. Chan had shot Ramong who died almost instantly. The commotion awoke Raphael Seecharran who enquired what it was. Chan then told him that the weapon accidentally went off. But Knights, who had seen what had happened, had run into the nearby bush when he heard another gunshot, and he correctly assumed that that was meant for Raphael Seecharran. As he hid, he saw a light approaching, but being an old soldier he was able to successfully conceal himself. The following morning, he made his way to an Amerindian location where he reported what had happened. He could not say where Chan and his accomplices had gone, neither could he say where Seecharran and Ramong were. He also did not know that Seecharran did not die immediately. However, he subsequently reported what he had seen the previous night to the police at Mabaruma. It was later learnt that Chan and his crew had taken the badly wounded Seecharran and the body of Ramong up river, where Seecharran was finally killed. Seecharran was shot in the back. He did not die immediately. He had pleaded with Chan not to kill him but to take the money and the gold chain he was wearing and go. He even asked him to take him back to Kaituma where his cousin would find him. But Chan refused to carry out the request and after relieving Seecharran of his chain and money, he chopped his head off. Chan managed to elude several police dragnets and made it to the city where he obtained a birth certificate under a different name. He was subsequently caught sleeping under a boat bow
after he had returned to the North West District. When confronted, Chan denied his true identity, producing the bogus birth certificate as proof. However, the police were convinced that he was Lawrence Chan and invited him to the station where they were able to confirm his true identity. Eleven months later, the skeletal remains of Raphael Seecharran were found. An Amerindian man had gone to a location in the North West to cut cabbage when his dog led him along a labba trail. Following his dog, the man stumbled upon the creek where Chan had sunk the boat bearing the remains of his victims. The man pulled up the boat and got the shock of his life when he saw the skeletal remains of two persons. Police were contacted and they were able to identify one of the skeletons as that of Raphael Seecharran from a national identification card and a national insurance card they found at the scene. With all the overwhelming evidence against him, Chan was convicted and sentenced to death. Although it was 21 years ago and Elizabeth Seecharran’s three children are all grown up now, the memory of what happened to her husband almost overwhelmed her as she recalled the incident. “I was left with three children and I had to cope to bring them up,” she said. Mrs. Seecharran, now an old age pensioner, is of the view that the delay in carrying out the sentence on her husband’s killer paved the way for him to even contemplate his freedom. “To me it’s a long time. He being out of jail would not bring my husband back, but I believe that when a sentence is given, they must carry it through. When he was caught I felt that justice was done,” she pointed out. While prison is supposed to reform offenders, she does not believe that Chan capitalized on this programme. She told this newspaper that from the evidence, Chan killed her husband and went his way until he was finally caught. She insisted that since then Chan has always been fighting to save his life or to avoid prison. “I believe that no reform was done to him, so why release him into the society.” Elizabeth Seecharran declared. Chan, she said, has (continued on page 53)
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Sunday June 17, 2012
Happy Father’s Day and Pneumonia, diarrhea are World Sickle Cell Day! top killers of kids: UNICEF By Krista Brooks Happy Father’s Day Guyana! I was telling Nursey how back home the neighbours and I would have a barbeque with our families to celebrate the day. Nursey said “That sounds nice. What do you do for World Sickle Cell Day?” I said “World Sickle Cell Day? Nursey what is that?” Nursey told me that World Sickle Cell Day is June 19, just two days after Father’s Day this year. The day is to let people know more about a health issue called Sickle Cell Anemia. I am not a nurse, so I had to ask Nursey more about the disease. She said that in normal blood, we have red blood cells that are round, or disc-shaped. These round, red blood cells have a special helper called hemoglobin. The hemoglobin on our red blood cells carries oxygen from the air we breathe to the different parts of our body. Our body needs this oxygen for our organs, such as the heart, lungs, and stomach to work. If you have Sickle Cell Anemia, your red blood cells have a bad version of hemoglobin called hemoglobin S. This hemoglobin S changes the shape of your blood cells to a crescent or curved shape so they can’t carry as much oxygen and they stick together in your blood. This can cause many health issues such as being tired all the time, bad feelings, pain in the legs, back, or chest that can cause you to go to the hospital. As you live longer with the disease, it causes infections or sickness of the lungs and bones and will
Krista Brooks cause you to not grow very big. People with the disease also do not live as long. There is no cure for the disease but with treatments such as blood transfusion, a person might live until 40 or 50, but many only live until 20 or 30. Nursey also told me that the disease is inherited or passed down through our genes. We get our genes from our parents, half from our father and half from our mother to get our complete set. For our hemoglobin, we have two genes, one to make hemoglobin from our mother and another from our father. If our hemoglobin is healthy, we have one good hemoglobin gene from our mother and one good hemoglobin gene from our father. If you have one unhealthy gene and one healthy one, you are called a carrier. This means that you have one gene that would make the bad hemoglobin, hemoglobin S and another that would make normal, good hemoglobin. You will not get sick, because the good hemoglobin gene wins or is dominant and will help make good, normal red blood cells. If you are a carrier, you can
pass the bad gene on to your children. If two people are carriers (each of them has one bad hemoglobin gene) and have children, there is a 1 in 4 chance that their child will get two bad hemoglobin genes. If you have two bad hemoglobin genes, you will have Sickle Cell Anemia. You are more likely to have the hemoglobin S gene if your family came from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, or the Mediterranean. Since there are many Guyanese who had family come to Guyana from Africa, there is a high chance (1 in 10) that an AfroGuyanese will have a copy of the bad hemoglobin S gene. I asked Nursey how we should celebrate World Sickle Cell Day. She said “to celebrate we need to spread awareness about Sickle Cell Anemia and if your family is of African origin, you can have a test to see if you have the hemoglobin S gene or not. If you do have the gene, you can learn if your children might get Sickle Cell Anemia and help treat the symptoms for the disease early.” If you want to do your part and celebrate World Sickle Cell Day as Nursey says, you can go get the test to see if you have the Sickle Cell gene. I will be back next week to tell you more interesting things that Nursey says. Until then! If you have any questions about Sickle Cell or other health issues please e-mail them to nurseysaysguyana@gmail.com. Krista Brooks is a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer working with the School of Nursing, which trains Nursing Assistants, Professional Nurses, and Midwifery Students.
(AFP) Pneumonia and diarrhea are among the top causes of childhood deaths around the world, particularly among the poor, said a report out Friday by the UN Children’s Fund. UNICEF said that while these two diseases kill more than two million children each year, making up 29 percent of child deaths under age five worldwide, some simple interventions could save lots of lives in the coming years. The report urges the 75 countries with the highest mortality rates to aim to treat poor children with diarrhea and pneumonia the same way they do those from the top 20 percent of households, a socalled “equity approach.” Key interventions include vaccinating against the major causes of pneumonia and diarrhea, encouraging infant breastfeeding, improving access to clean water and sanitation, offering antibiotics for pneumonia and
rehydration solutions for diarrhea. “Modeled estimates suggest that by 2015 more than two million child deaths due to pneumonia and diarrhea could be averted across the 75 countries with the highest mortality burden,” said the report. “If national coverage of key pneumonia and diarrhea interventions were raised to the level in the richest 20 percent of households in each country,” it added. About half of childhood deaths in the world due to diarrhea or pneumonia take place in five countries: India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and Ethiopia, said the report. There has been some progress in offering vaccines against Hemophilus influenza type b, as well as pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and rotavirus vaccines in the poorest countries, but more effort is
needed, it said. Water and sanitation is another key hurdle, with 783 million people globally not using an improved drinking water source, and 2.5 billion not using sanitation facilities. “Nearly 90 percent of deaths due to diarrhea worldwide have been attributed to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene,” said the report. “Hand washing with water and soap, in particular, is among the most costeffective health interventions to reduce the incidence of both childhood pneumonia and diarrhea.” Pneumonia is responsible for 18 percent of childhood deaths worldwide each year, and diarrhea is linked to 11 percent. In contrast, AIDS is responsible for two percent of global childhood deaths annually and malaria for seven percent, according to the report.
Drug-resistant gonorrhoea on the rise, warns WHO
(AFP Relax News) The World Health Organization has warned of a spreading resistance to drugs used to treat the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea. Millions of people with the condition may be at risk of running out of treatment options unless urgent action is taken, the United Nations agency said. Several countries, including Australia, Britain, France, Japan, Norway, and Sweden have reported cases of resistance to cephalosporin antibiotics — the last treatment option against gonorrhoea, which affects an estimated 106 million people. The WHO has called for greater vigilance on the correct use of antibiotics and more research into alternative treatments. Resistance can be caused by the overuse and poor quality of antibiotics. “We are very concerned,” said Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, from the WHO’s
reproductive health unit, “as there are no new therapeutic drugs in development.” “If gonococcal infections become untreatable, the health implications are significant.” Untreated gonorrhoea can cause infertility in both men and women.
Sunday June 17, 2012
How to make Homemade Hair Conditioner Hair conditioning treatments are great for dry, damaged and brittle hair. A homemade hair conditioning treatment helps to restore moisture and shine back in your hair. A weekly massage treatment followed by hair conditioning is crucial for repairing split ends and any kind of chemical damage done to the hair by using hair colour and heat treatments. Here are some time tested and effective recipes for conditioning that will give you beautiful, shiny and lustrous hair. TIPS TO MAKE HOMEMADE HAIR CONDITIONER Olive Oil And Honey Recipe Take some extra virgin or normal olive oil. Combine 3 tablespoons of olive oil with honey and heat this mixture, stirring continuously. Now apply this mixture all over your hair thoroughly. The olive oil will restore shine and the honey helps to repair damage. Wear a towel over your head or a shower cap such that the heat is retained into the hair. Wash your hair with shampoo. Hot Coconut Oil Treatment Another alternative to hair conditioning treatment is the use of coconut oil, which acts as a natural hair conditioner. Use only the purest coconut oil. Heat the coconut oil in a micro for 2-3 minutes until it is very hot. Now massage the hair liberally with this oil. Make sure you have an extra coating of coconut oil on the tips of your hair. This will help to condition and soften the hair. Wash and rinse your hair as usual. Treatment For Oily Hair If you are struggling with an oily mane and a greasy scalp, go in for jojoba oil with eggs. Jojoba oil is great for reducing itchiness, grease and dandruff all of which lead to excessive oiliness. Jojoba oil is natural with just the right amount of oils as needed by the body. It helps to nourish the hair cuticle from within without weighing the hair down. Mix the white of an egg with the jojoba oil and apply this evenly over your hair. Now wash off with shampoo. Castor Oil With Avocadoes Hair conditioning treatment with castor oil is good especially if your hair is oily, brittle and prone to breakage. Those suffering from hair loss can benefit immensely from castor oil and avocadoes. Mash two avocadoes and mix it in with the castor oil. Simply massage some of this oil mixture into your tresses and watch them look soft as silk. Sesame Oil Although this is not oft-recommended hair oil, it is great for restoring shine, bounce and volume to the hair. Historically this oil was used to curb hair thinning and reduce baldness. Avocado And Honey Avocado and honey is very good for severely dry, frizzy hair. Mash the avocado and mix it with two tablespoons of honey. Gently massage this paste into your hair. Follow it up with a good massage of egg whites for deep conditioning of the hair. Avocadoes are especially useful in restoring moisture balance to your hair. Regular use will prevent your hair from drying out and becoming coarse and brittle.
SOLUTION FOR LAST WEEK’S SEARCH & FIND
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Sunday June 17, 2012
Born Loser
LONG COLD WINTER It was October and the Indians on a remote reservation asked their new Chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a Chief in a modern society he had never been taught he old secrets. When he looked at the sky he couldn’t tell what the winter was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared. But being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, “Is the coming winter going to be cold?” “It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold,” the meteorologist at the weather service responded. So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again. “Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?” “Yes,” the man at National Weather Service again replied, “it’s going to be a very cold winter.” The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find. Two weeks later the Chief called the National Weather Service again. “Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?” “Absolutely,” the man replied. “It’s looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever.” “How can you be so sure?” the Chief asked. The weatherman replied, “We’re sure it’s going to be cold because the Indians are collecting firewood like crazy!” ************** THE NEXT STALL A man was traveling north to Alberta. He needed to use the bathroom and so at a rest stop he goes into a stall. He sits down and was surprised to hear someone in the next stall say, “So how ya doing?” The man gulps and thinks about what he should say and then decides to answer. So he clears his throat and says, “uh....I’m fine.” Then the stranger in the next stall says, “So where are you headed?” Again the man, a little nervous answers, “Uh...I’m headin north to Alberta.” Then the stranger asked, “So what have you been up to?” Again the man answers, “Not much, I’m actually on a business trip.” The man sat there waiting for another question when finally he heard the stranger in the next stall impatiently say, “Look, I’m going to have to call you back, some idiot in the next stall thinks I’m talking to him.” ************** STUTTERING DILEMMA A really huge muscular guy with a bad stutter goes to a counter in a department store and asks, “W-w-w-where’s the m-m-m-men’s dep-p-p-partment?” The clerk behind the counter just looks at him and says nothing. The man repeats himself: “W-w-w-where’s the m-m-mmen’s dep-p-p-partment?” Again, the clerk doesn’t answer him. The guy asks several more times: “W-w-w-where’s the m-m-m-men’s dep-p-p-partment?” And the clerk just seems to ignore him. Finally, the guy storms off in anger. The customer who was waiting in line behind the guy asks the clerk, “Why wouldn’t you answer that guy’s question?” The clerk answers, “D-d-d-do you th-th-th-think I ww-w-want to get b-b-b-beat up?!!” ************** SENILITY An elderly man went to his doctor and said, “Doc, I think I’m getting senile. Several times lately, I have forgotten to zip up.” “That’s not senility,” replied the doctor. “Senility is when you forget to zip down.”
Garfield
Non Sequitur
Peanuts
Shoe
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Country profile:
UZBEKISTAN
OVERVIEW In 1991 Uzbekistan emerged as a sovereign country after more than a century of Russian rule - first as part of the Russian empire and then as a component of the Soviet Union. Positioned on the ancient Great Silk Road between Europe and Asia, majestic cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand, famed for their architectural opulence, once flourished as trade and cultural centres. The country’s political system is highly authoritarian, and its human rights record widely decried. Uzbekistan is the most populous Central Asian country and has the largest armed forces. There is no legal political opposition and the media is tightly controlled by the state. A UN report has described the use of torture as “systematic”.
Sunday June 17, 2012
President Islam Karimov The country is one of the world’s biggest producers of cotton and is rich in natural resources, including oil, gas and gold. However, economic reform has been slow and poverty and unemployment are widespread. Following the 11 September attacks on the US, Uzbekistan won favour with Washington by allowing its
forces a base in Uzbekistan, affording ready access across the Afghan border. Human rights groups accused the international community of ignoring the many reported cases of abuse and torture. Since independence, the country has faced sporadic bombings and shootings, which the authorities have been quick to blame on Islamic extremists. In May 2005, troops in the eastern city of Andijan opened fire on protesters demonstrating against the imprisonment of people charged with Islamic extremism. Witnesses reported a bloodbath with several hundred civilian deaths. The Uzbek authorities say fewer than 190 died. Opponents of President Karimov blamed the authorities’ brutal determination to crush all dissent. The president
blamed fundamentalists seeking to overthrow the government and establish a Muslim caliphate in Central Asia. The government’s reaction to the Andijan unrest prompted strong criticism from the West, and relations cooled. In response, Uzbekistan expelled US forces from their base and moved closer to Russia, with Mr Karimov at one point describing it as Tashkent’s “most reliable partner and ally”. From 2008 onwards, ties with the West began improving again, spurred on by Europeans’ search for alternative energy sources in Central Asia and Uzbekistan’s strategic importance for the antiTaliban operation in Afghanistan. The EU eased sanctions imposed after the Andijan killings, and the World Bank
reversed a decision to suspend loans to Uzbekistan. In 2009 the EU lifted its arms embargo. At the same time, relations with Moscow became less warm, with Uzbekistan in 2009 criticising plans for a Russian base in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. President Karimov’s uncompromising policies have also at times created friction between Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries, and Uzbekistan has been wary of moves towards closer political integration. FACTS Population: 27.8 million (UN, 2010) Capital: Tashkent Area: 447,400 sq km (172,700 sq miles) Major language: Uzbek, Russian, Tajik Major religion: Islam Life expectancy: 66 years (men), 72 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 Uzbek som = 100 tiyins Main exports: Cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, motor vehicles GNI per capita: US $1,280 (World Bank, 2010) Internet domain: .uz International dialling code: +998 LEADERS President: Islam Karimov Islam Karimov has dominated the leadership since 1989 when he rose to be Communist Party leader in then Soviet Uzbekistan. The following year he became president and continued in the post after independence. A referendum held in 1995 extended his term until 2000 when he won the presidential elections unopposed. A further referendum in 2002 extended the presidential term from five to seven years, but the expiry of his term in January 2007 went largely unnoticed. He gained another term following elections in December 2007 which opponents dismissed as a sham. Mr Karimov takes a ruthlessly authoritarian approach to all forms of opposition. The few Western observers who monitored parliamentary elections in 2004 condemned them as
having failed to meet international standards and pointed out that all the candidates supported the president. Mr Karimov has been accused of using the threat of Islamic militancy to justify his style of leadership. Observers say the combination of ruthless repression and poor living standards provides fertile breeding ground for violent resistance in a volatile region. Mr Karimov was born in 1938 in the city of Samarkand and is an economist by profession. He held various senior posts in Soviet Uzbekistan, including finance minister and first secretary of the Uzbek Communist Party Central Committee. MEDIA The state maintains tight control of the media. Despite constitutional guarantees of press freedom, media rights body Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in 2010 that the law punishes journalists for “interference in internal affairs” and “insulting the dignity of citizens”. Foreign media have been “gradually expelled” since the 2005 Andijan uprising, RSF added. Pre-publication press censorship was abolished in 2002, but self-censorship is widespread. A law holds media bodies responsible for the objectivity of their output. The Committee to Protect Journalists says many Uzbeks rely on foreign sources - including Russian TV and the BBC - as a counterpoint to stifled domestic media. The government controls much of the printing and distribution infrastructure. TV is the most popular medium. Private TV and radio stations operate alongside state broadcasters. Foreign channels are carried via cable TV, which is widely available. Uzbekistan had around 7.5 million internet users by March 2011 (InternetWorldStats). Strict online censorship includes filtering at a central level. Targets include opposition and news websites. Uzbekistan is a Reporters Without Borders “Enemy of the Internet” (2010).
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Sunday June 17, 2012
From the Diaspora ...
NEW AMSTERDAM TOWN HALL, GOVERNMENT AND NASHVILLE TENNESSEE By Ralph Seeram I am sure you are wondering what these three have in common. I did not know if they had anything in common until this week when I saw that iconic picture in Kaieteur News this week. My heart sank and a feeling of sadness overwhelmed me when I saw that photograph. Many thoughts kept running through my mind, some going back to my boyhood days. Why is this happening? Why is this structure being dismantled instead of being preserved? As I continued to read the article my sadness turned to anger and resentment. I was now mad and still mad at the PPP Government for allowing the New Amsterdam Town Hall tower to deteriorate to the point that it had to be dismantled. By the time you read this article, that iconic tower erected around 1868 will have been pulled down, and so another part of New Amsterdam history has been torn to pieces and discarded. It followed the path of the old New Amsterdam Hospital, that architectural masterpiece designed by Ceasar Castellani and built in 1878. The PPP Government has shamelessly allowed the old New
Amsterdam Hospital do deteriorate, it grieved me when I saw that building a few years ago slowly being vandalized. That building should have been preserved as a national treasure for future generations. Do you know how many people would have liked to visit the hospital ward to see where they were born? It would seem to me that there is no sense of cultural awareness within the PPP Government; it just allows historic buildings to be destroyed except where it serves the political purposes. As I am writing this article I am reading that President Donald Ramotar cut the ribbon for the new Tipperary Hall in Buxton which reported costly $50M. Is there any doubt in anyone’s mind that there are political motives behind government’s effort to rebuild that historic structure? Preserving National treasures, be they buildings, arts, photographs or literature should rise above politics, the government should remove the Culture part from its ministry, I see very little evidence of it functioning in the real sense of the word. I would ask the Minister responsible for Culture if any effort has been made to identify and preserve historic
buildings, artworks, literature, photographs, for past and future generations. Does anybody know the house at Port Mourant where Dr. Cheddi Jagan grew up? Where Mr. LFS Burnham was born or grew up? What about Dr Walter Rodney, or Hubert Critchlow, poet Martin Carter, folklorist Wordsworth Mc Andrew? And the list can go on. Putting up a big party at the National Stadium is not culture. Let me give an idea of what preserving culture is. My late dear departed friend and cultural icon Wordsworth Mc Andrew taught me a great deal about culture. Many of the older Guyanese would recall that Mac had a cultural programme which was aired on the old Guyana Broadcasting Service. Mac did not sit in Georgetown, he went out to the rural areas in the town villages recording their songs and stories, their village histories and so forth. Here was a person who understood the importance of capturing and preserving the moment. I personally went about with Wordsworth to the most rural areas in Berbice. When he made these recordings, he would tell me, “Ralph every place has its own history and culture. We need to capture it before it’s gone”.
I would hope the successors to the old GBS still have those tapes, the former librarian Jean Singh may know of these tapes. So what does all this have to do with Nashville Tennessee? I am writing this article from the Mecca of Country Music, Nashville, more known as Music City USA. I am sitting not far from the Grand Ole Opry. The first thing that greets you at the hotel is literature on historic places you can visit; yes they preserve their historic buildings here. Naturally my first visit was to the Grand Ole Opry As expected they have preserved relics, clothes, photographs and instruments of country artistes, but the highlight was touring the grand stage where all the great country performers sang. In the centre of the stage is a circle about eight feet where the singers stood. The tour guide explained that the circle of wood was part of the original stage of the old Grand Ole Opry which became too small so they preserved that
stage and brought it to the new building. I cannot explain the feelings that overwhelmed me standing on that hallowed piece of stage that all the great country singers stood on going back to over 70yrs. Why did they preserve that piece of stage? The owners knew exactly how others like myself would feel standing on that circle of wood; it was experiencing history. On the lighter side, the tour guide asked me if I wanted to sing, so I can claim I sang at the Grand Ole Opry. I declined. In Nashville all the old Honky Tonks where most country stars got their start are still there, preserved. The buildings are old going back to hundreds of years, but the city leaders did not allow them to deteriorate into to derelicts as the government did to the New Amsterdam Town Hall and the New Amsterdam Hospital. There are some historic structures still standing in
New Amsterdam. Will they go the way of the hospital? I am talking about the present Mission Chapel church built in 1841 after the earlier one was torched by planters. Read up what that church and Rev John Wray had to do with emancipation of slavery. We have the All Saints Presbyterian Church at the Corner of Main and Vryheid Streets constructed around 1838 and the Ituni Lodge on Ferry Street. While I can only speak of New Amsterdam because I was born and grew up there I would invite my readers to list some of the buildings in their town and villages that they think need to be preserved. I will surely forward them to President Ramotar for his response. Money should be the least of the Government concern. If they have the will they can do it as they did with Tipperary Hall in Buxton. Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com
From page 29 on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) condemns the Amnesty Act and urges the Surinamese Judges and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to resume the trial. In order to achieve justice for victims of the December Murders and Bouterse’s other abuses, and for Suriname to move forward from its violent past, due process is of the utmost importance.
Increased pressure from the international community will prove essential in encouraging Suriname to honor justice and avoid setting a dangerous precedent that could allow for more violence from a leader with an already disgraceful human rights record. The Surinamese judicial system must recognize the significance of the decision for the victims’ families as well
as for all Surinamese citizens. COHA urges the Surinamese court to work to prevent further violence and erase the stain on democracy that is synonymous with the presidency of Dési Bouterse. (Caribbean News Now) The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, founded in 1975, is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, taxexempt research and information organization.
Suriname justice under fire
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Wife of murder victim ... Man freed From page 29 shown no remorse. “I was in court throughout the trial and Chan maintained his innocence even when he was asked by the judge what he had to say after he was found guilty. Imagine he did a crime and he was not even willing to accept responsibility,” Mrs. Seecharran added. What pains her even more is the fact that after killing her husband, Chan disposed of his body and even though some skeletal remains were found in the murdered man’s sunken boat, they were never handed over to his family because the police could not
verify its true identity. “That man gave him food and he did not even leave his body; he took that boat and sunk it. We had to wait days grieving until they found it. We could not even get the skeleton to bury. My children don’t even have a grave to say ‘this is where my father is buried’.” But despite this, Mrs. Seecharran, a born-again Christian, said that she has forgiven Chan since she believes that everyone deserves a second chance. “I cannot hold an unforgiving heart. I cannot hold a grudge for 19 years. But if he (Chan) gets a second chance he should make the
best of it.” In an invited comment, attorney at law Glenn Hanoman told this newspaper that he is not surprised by the Chief Justice’s decision, since there is an international movement away from the death penalty. “Maybe this was taken into consideration,” Hanoman opined. It is interesting to note also that Guyana’s Justice Sector Reform Programme depends on external financial assistance and there may be a lot of pressure being brought to bear on the administration’s application of the death penalty.
of rape
From page 12 the girl over to his residence where he would committed the acts. The girl subsequently became pregnant and the matter was reported to the police. She subsequently gave birth to the child. Williams was arrested, charged and placed before the courts. However he disappeared and was only rearrested in March 2012. In his no case submissions Attorney at law Charrandas Persaud stated that during the trial no original medical certificate was presented to the court to support the prosecution’s contention that the accused had committed the offence and that the girl had become pregnant. He added that during the trial, there was no evidence of a baby being born showing Williams as the father. He also submitted that during the trial his client denied having sex with the girl. After listening to submissions from both the Prosecution and Defence, the Magistrate dismissed the charge.
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1 big business place & 2 bedrooms new house Anna Catherina W.C.D Call:2760818
CAR RENTAL Progressive auto rental, cars from $4,000 per day. Call: 643-5122, 656-0087, www.progressiveautorental.com
FOR SALE Generac Generator/American made, 7000w, fully enclosed; low noise. Propane/gas cylinder, ATS available. Call: 612-1486, 646-8326 GPS system map 76 Brandgramin price$95,000 Call:6000036 Yamaha Riva Scooter car set (speakers & maps) infrared wireless security system two 18’’ speakers Call:231-1786/ 625-1874 28 KVA silent diesel generator ,needs fuel pump general overload $800,000 621-4000,690-6000 28 KVA SDMO diesel generator neds fuel pump, digital panel sold as is $1.2M 621-4000,690-6000 Generators 28 KVA SDMO ,works perfectly diesel silent $1.7M 621-4000,690-6000 28 KVA SDMO John Deere, diesel, silent needs fuel pump, digital panel sold as is $1.4M 621-4000 Generator Mitsubishi SDMO Diesel, silent 27KVA on 400 gallon fuel tank, keystart like new $1.7M neg.Call:690-6000
FOR SALE Toshiba Satellite Laptop 4GB Memory & 320GB Hard Drive, 15.6" LED HighDefinition Widescreen Display, Built-in Webcam & Microphone. BRAND NEW. SEALED. $120,000. TEL: 683-3161 OR 684-6007 1Caterpillar D7H bulldozer@ Jettoo’s Lumberyard & Sawmill @ Coverden Public Road, East Bank Demerara Call: 2615041, 261-5042 Lot 16 Lamaha Spring South Georgetown,Value price $22M ,negotiable price $17M Call: 662-5036 Spares for washer, microwaves, fridges, stovetimers, gear boxes, pumps, etc. Contact 225-9032, 647-2943 Enclosed 3 ton Mitsubishi canter & Stall at Stabroek Market Call: 619-2388 Pallet Wrap & Plastic Film. Tel: 231-8819 Pine lumber for sale @ River View Wood products Inc. Address: 164-165 Friendship EBD Call: 266-0296,639-2577
VEHICLES FOR SALE Just arrived: Allion and Premio, tel: 624-2000, 622-1610 Hilux Solid Axle Pick up excellent condition Call: 2222662,691-2077 International Tow Truck with flat aluminum bed; takes two vehicles. Call: 6393900, 619-5400 One Toyota Ceres,212,192, 1- Mitsubishi Lancer,1Suzuki Carry Pick up,1-EP71 Starlet Call: 644-5096,6971453 Toyota Camry-Left Hand Drive,No reasonable offer refused.For inspection Call: 226-1176,618-9512 (9am5pm) 1 New Modle 212 & 2-RZ Excellent condition & 1 3 Y Minibus Call: 678-0191,2201693 or 658-7034 2005 BMW 3201,2007-2005 Allions, 2004 Avensis L 1some with TV &backcam Tel: 615-4114,665-4480 Leading Auto- 2PMM Allion, PMM IST, PLL Nissan Bluebird Sylphy Call: 677-7666,610-7666
15" Celestion speakers 1600 watts, one complete stage, size 24ftx20ft Call: 644-3390 or 667-7511
Zoom Auto Sales: Allions:2006,2004, Toyota Belta 2006,TV back camera etc. Call: 685-7611
Roofing shingles Call Mr. Skepmire 227-5195 (8AMto5PM)
3 ton enclosed & open back canter, unregistered. 6172891
One 212 car, consisting of AC, alarm system, mags, back-up camera, full HID kit Call: 624-6471
Leading Auto, unregistered Allion, Premio, Runx, Fielder, Raum,212, Verossa Call: 6777666,610-7666
NARS lipgloss, eyeshadow & Clinique Chubby Stick. Tel: 669-8374.
2004 Mazda RX8, fully loaded, unregistered $2.9M 617-2891
Gold detectors, waki- takis for mining camps, laptop repairs Call: 609-7625,6693405 One 15HP Yamaha long foot Call: 689-5254,643-0332 1 8 foot off set satellite dish & 1 8 foot C Band satellite dish solid Call: 687-7167,2278873 Pure breed Doberman pups Call:226-9548,670-2653 15-15-15 Fertilizer Call: 2662711,609-4594 1-240 Massey Ferguson tractor Call: 687-6174 1 Ten RB dragline Call: 6876174 Air wick, 2 gadgets and 2 refills $5000 in large amount Call: 694-5371 Attention loggers & lumber exporters, now available anchor seal, wood wax end sealer Call: 265-3541,695-4785 Electrical main switches, cabinets/panels with automatic control with switches and beacon lights etc $75,000 Call:222-4158
One black Raum full flare,star rims,fog lamp,rev counter,wood finish etc $ 1,500,000 Call Shahab: 6135484 Toyota Runx, special edition, PNN $2.3M, New Model Nissan Wingroad Sports Wagon $2.3M unregistered Call: 6122522,645-5893 3 Ton freezer canter, unregistered Call: 617-2891 One Honda Titan CG, price $140,000 Neg. Call: 645-3782 One Allion for sale $7.1 million Call: 647-9470 1 Toyota Wish $3.750M,1 Toyota Noah Unregistered $2.3M Call: 648-6869 Toyota Corolla (NZE),fully loaded (rims etc),mint condition Call: 627-6317,691-5703 Thundra,4x4 Titan, all fully loaded with tray covers,magrims,GKK & GMM series going cheap Call: 227-2027,623-4045 (Continued on page 56)
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
The Abigail Column Woman must break silence DEARABIGAIL, I was molested for years by my step-brother and I never told anyone. It led to poor self-esteem, ruined the intimate side of my life and caused several other serious issues, including depression. I took the first chance I had to leave home and refuse to have contact with my brother. The problem is I have a younger sister who I’m
worried may now be in the same position. I need to talk to her, but I’m not sure how. What do I say? Should I tell her what happened to me so she knows she is not alone and to stay away from him? Scared Dear Scared, Talk to your sister about this as quickly as possible. Do it in person, and a way to start the conversation would be to
ask if he has ever touched her inappropriately. Explain that it happened to you, because it may make it easier for her to tell you if she, too, has been molested. It may set the wheels in motion to prevent your brother from continuing to prey on young women. You might find talking with others who have experienced what you have to be both comforting and helpful, since you don’t want to call in the police.
Sunday June 17, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): All of the enthusiastic people around you might be driving you a bit nuts today. You are simply not feeling the love like they are, and you are in no mood for the pep rally. ****************** TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Any type of communication will be entertaining today, from emails to short chats to hand signals and rolled eyes! Sharing the latest news, gossip and controversies with other people is a harmless yet very fun thing to do. ******************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Have you been suspicious of a person who is just outside of your social circle for a while? Their words have not always matched their actions, and their flighty behavior has been driving you nuts. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): When someone reaches out to you today, be as receptive to them as you have time to be. Stifle your urge to not get involved with someone you don't know very well -sometimes, getting involved is the right thing to do. ******************** LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): There are a lot of demanding people around you right now - stubborn folks who are going to try to tell you what to do and how to do it. Aren't they in for a surprise when you let them know that you have your own plan, and are going to follow it? ********************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): You won't be too interested in what the outside world has to offer right now -- you'd much rather explore the ideas in your own mind. Creativity is an important part of who you are, and it is controlling your thought process right now.
********************** LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): If you have to spend time with someone who you don't really respect today, try not to be unfriendly. Smile and treat them the way you would like them to treat you. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): Today, getting social in a big group of new people is not going to be as appealing to you as staying at home will be. It's not that you will be feeling shy or antisocial, it's just that right now your energy is low and the idea of making charming small talk just seems too difficult to comprehend. ********************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): You will do a wonderful time of entertaining yourself during lulls in the day, which is a good thing -- because there are going to be quite a few. This break in the action is not something you have been anticipating, but you are well-equipped to make the best use of all of your free time. ********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): Children need to be disciplined in order to grow up to be considerate, mature people -- but grownups need order in their lives to stay considerate and mature. *********************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): Have conviction in everything you do today -- no matter what it is. Today, you have to commit to what you are doing, even if it's just shopping, visiting a friend, or going to a movie. *************** PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): You will have a wonderful time just watching the world go by today -- there is so much beauty there that you had never noticed before!
Page 55
Shot Pest Control Plus... (From page 49) to give a description of the killer (s) since everyone took evasive action when the gunfire erupted. Baksh is said to be from Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara. The victim was carrying his licensed firearm when the gunmen attacked. An official of the Thomas Street restaurant told Kaieteur News that he was in the
kitchen when his waitress ran in and said that there were gunshots. He later saw Baksh lying motionless with a large head wound oozing blood and other matter. Kaieteur News understands that Baksh had only visited the restaurant once before. This has led to suggestions that he was trailed to the premises. On August 7, 2008, Baksh
was shot in the abdomen in the vicinity of Lamaha Street, North Cummingsburg. Paul James, 41, of 33 Barrack Street, Kingston, and Dexter Lynch of Lot 63 West La Penitence Housing Scheme, where charged with attempting to murder him. In court, Baksh had stated that James was his business partner and that the accused owed him $31 million.
NCN CHANNEL 11 05:00hrs – Inspiration 05:30hrs – Newtown Gospel 06:00hrs – NCN News (R/B) 06:30hrs – Tomorrow’s World 07:00hrs – Voice of Victory 07:30hrs – Voice of Islam 08:00hrs – Lifting Guyana to Greatness 08:30hrs – President’s Diary 09:00hrs – Ravi D Show 10:00hrs – Feature 10:30hrs – Weekly Digest 11:00hrs – Homestretch Magazine 11:30hrs – Feature 12:00hrs – Round Table 12:30hrs – GRA in FOCUS 13:00hrs – Dharma Vani 14:00hrs – Feature 14:30hrs – Catholic Magazine 15:00hrs – The Naked Truth 15:30hrs – Enmore Martyrs’ Remembrance 16:00hrs – Family Forum 16:30hrs – Shape 17:00hrs – Farmers’ Connection 18:00hrs – NCN Week in Review 18:30hrs – Guysuco Roundup 19:00hrs – Close up
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Page 56
FOR SALE 5 Acres fully developed farm Pearl, EBD,16000 chicken pens capacity, bearing fruit trees. Call: 6899991, 227-5362.
Kaieteur News
(From page 54)
Baby chicks Call: 225-3234 One PS3 160GB $90,000, one dryer 240 volts Call: 650-7719 2003 Kawasaki, Ninja 500 also 8 camera,DVR security system Call: 643-6468 Baby chicks available weekly,fully vaccinated Mr.D.Lallbharry 371 Craig Public Road E.C.D Call: 6269589 New: 5 Speed Drill Press,4 tow portable puller kit,Air brush kit Call: 641-1127 1 ship 67 metre in length selling as scrap Call: 2272027,623-4045,227-5500 Pantoon 200x50x12 as in,no reasonable offer refused Call: 227-2027,623-4045,227-5500 1 2007 R1 Candy Red at a reasonable price Call: 2272027,623-4045,227-5500 One Nissan Xtrail Call: 6272550 1 16ft fiber-glass boat on trailer with 25 Johnson engine $600,000 Call: 6664000 1 heavy duty Hilti jack hammer 110 volts,1700 watts with 2 bytes $470,000 & 1 I-Phone 4S $90,000 Call:666-4000 3 and 1 month supply proactive kits @ $20,000 and $ 3,000 Call: 629-3814,6450240 Plastic drums Call: 2335273-4 American Finest Brands Computers Desktop & Laptop $85,000,visit our store at Goed Fortuin Public Road Call:253-3426 1 Cabin Cruise Boat 43x8x5,1 in board boat Hull 50x13x6 at Soesdyke E.B.D Call: 6225500 Pitt Bulls Pups Call: 225-6137 Big yard sale at 29 Croal Street Enterprise Ladies sandals $150 Call: 664-2209 Pair weber racing car burettor $150,000 Canadian made toilet set cheap Call:222-4158 Clean garden earth and builders waste also bobcat rental, excavating, clearing and leveling Call: 6160617,663-3285 American Ladders/Scaffold, 30ft/10ft, adjustable/ platforms. 20 ft heavy duty scaffold, platform/locking wheels. Call: 612-1486, 6468326 Cheap earth delivery to spot ECD,EBD Tel: 627-9977,6980182
VEHICLE FOR SALE AT192 $600,000 Call: 6251499 1 long base Nissan canter JNN Call: 653-6098 Toyota Hilux pick,solid DEF,4X4 long base,diesel,excellent condition Call: 623-0243 JustArrived Pitbull, VVTI, 2 RZ, Minibuses, Allions, Corollas, Fielders, Spacious, Dump, Long & Short Canters Call: 2593178,650-5657 Unregistered Fielder Spacio (Dark Blue) Cami 4x4,45/150 DAF Truck Call: 641-1127 1 Dodge Ram Dually 3500 fully loaded ,good for interior $3M Call: 2272027,623-4045,227-5500
TOURS Suriname 4 days Caricom Holiday weekend return. Trip June29-July2 Call: 6392663,665-5171,644-0185,2278290 MANAUS-BRAZIL (4) Days Tour CARICOM Holiday Weekend Return trip June 29-July 2 2012 Call: 2267777,668-6501 Email: info@fvtoursgy.com PEN PAL Afro male 45 yrs seeking female friends between 25-40 yrs no blocked calls:625-1874 An African male seeking a female for a serious relationship Age 18-30 yrs Call:602-4742,648-6486
VEHICLE FOR SALE Mercedes Benz A140,fully powered sound system, PMM series $2.8M neg. 6214000,690-6000 Hummer H2 SUT model-22" rims, multiple TV, back-up camera, DVD/CD, sound system Call: 639-7700
1 AT 192 PJJ 6038 $1,050,000,One Mitsubishi Mirage PJJ 2096 $1.2M Call: 639-9528,694-4827 Quantum Auto-Allion with TV/ camera. Spacio & Fielders/rims, grey & silver Premio, excellent condition Call: 624-7684,617-2378 One AT212, immaculate condition, cost $1,100,050 Call: 654-7828,268-3105 Unregistered 2 Ton enclorsed Mitsubishi Canter Call: 6229123,679-8056 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, 6468326 Jags Auto: Spacio, Premio, Wagon. Cheapest. Call: 6167635 Clearance Sale!!! Unregistered Toyota Bb (Scion) Flair kits, mags, foglights, cd, alarm, coilovers Call:643-6565,226-9931 One red Allion PNN seriesfemale driver one year old $2.5M (cash) Call:618-3093 Mitsubishi Pajero GXL V8 engine 2972CC, 5 speed, fully powered, AC,DVD/TV/drop screen $7.5M Neg. 690-6000
1 Toyota AT 212 Carina automatic, fully powered, AC, alarm, CD player price $1.4M Rocky 225-1400,6215902 1 Honda CRV (new model) automatic fully powered AC CD ,mags price$ 4.8M Rocky 225-1400,621-5902 1 AT 170 Toyota Corona (full light) automatic, fully powered, CD Price $750,000 Rocky 225-1400,621-5902
Toyota NZE PNN series-mags, pioneer cd player, tv 42.6M (CASH) call:618-3093 Mercedes Benz S300,fully powered, armoured, DVD system $4.5M Call: 6214000,690-6000 Cherokee Laredo,4 doors, AC, powered locks & windows PHH series $1.8M Call: 6214000,690-6000
1 Toyota Hilux Surf (hardly used),automatic, fully powered alarm price $2.3M Rocky 225-1400,621-5902 1 Toyota Land Cruiser 2003 automatic, fully loaded, immaculate condition price $14.5M Rocky 225-1400,6215902 Mini car, PZ-9702 Call: 6812253,611-3469,697-1777
Stretch Limousine 160 inch, fully powered, DVD/TV sound system, see & make offer $10M 621-4000 Mercedes Benz 190E, needs repairs, view @ Sandy Babb Street & Railway Kitty ( Davo Lumber yard) $600,000 Call: 690-6000 GMC Tow truck, scrap 720 Nissan pick up, one industrial lathe Call:Richard 609-7675,2332414,610-2506 1 Toyota RZ longbase EFI BLL series ,manual, hardly used price$1.7M Rocky 2251400,621-5902 1 Toyota RAV 4,automatic,fully powered, A/C ,CD, mags price $2.3 M Rocky 225-1400,621-5902
EDUCATIONAL Learn to speak Spanish in 1 month. Call: 673-1232 Princeton College. CXC Adults/Students. Slow learner classes. Day & Evening. January/May June 2013. 690-5008, 6113793 Imperial College- CXC 2013. Forms (1-5)/ lessons/adults classes, flexible hours. Affordable fees Call: 2277627, 683-5742 Private Custom Brokerage Certificate Course for all importers/exporters and other learn how Call:6091824,681-7567 Summer computer classes, age 5-16, Micrographics Technology, Vreed-en-Hoop Call: 264-3057 Summer computer classes, age 5-16, Micrographics Technology, Parika (Bollywood) Call: 264-3057 Summer computer classes, age 5-16, Micrographics Technology, Grove Public Road Call: 266-3976 Practical Electrical Installation course $25,000 Call: 227-3091,622-7036,6610515
LAND FOR SALE Transported land for sale at Soesdyke Public Road, access to Demerara River Call: 626-8417 Land V/Hoop 3 acres: school, housing. Factory etc. Call: 658-0115 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 96’X 63’ G$82m, Eping Ave B.A.P 150’ X 100" US$500,000, 609 2302/645 2580/233 5711 Carmichael Street 100" X 62" US$500,000, Grove H/S 86’ X 50’ G$4.5m 609 2302/645 2580/233 5711 Ogle Railway Corner 200’ X 78’ US$750,000, Ogle Public Rd 140’ X 100’ G$45m, Sophia Public Road 130" X 86’ US$550,000, 609 2302/645 2580/233 5711 5 acres Enmore Public Rd. ideally suited for (mall, hospital, housing scheme etc) Richard 609-7675,233-2614 32 Acres for sale, Lot 5 Content, E.C.D, $256,000.00(USD) Call: 813319-4219 or rpooran@tampabay.rr.com
Sunday June 17, 2012
A tense A tense,, tied NB NBA ... Finals mo ves mov es... From page 58 the speed of OKC.’ I have no idea what the story lines will be after Game 2,’’ Miami forward Shane Battier said. ‘’We know every game is its own beast. You just have to play disciplined and tough to win a single game in the finals.’’ Battier has provided surprising offense with 17 points in each game while also taking his turns defending Durant. But it’s James who will likely have that role during the important stretches, such as the crucial moment of Game 2. Durant expects to score no matter who his guarding him. The problem, he said, is the Thunder aren’t paying enough attention to the other end of the floor. ‘’I’ve got to make shots for my team. But I think on the defensive end, we all have to be better, and we can’t really worry about the offensive end,’’ he said. ‘’We missed shots, but we can’t let it
SALON Make up courses, artist trained & certified in Trinidad: 6605257,647-1773 Qualify yourself in Cosmetology or nails, make up, Register, Limited spaces. Call Abby: 216-1950, 6197603, 666-5241 HEALTH HIV/AIDS Are you infected? Help is available, Results Guaranteed Call:6396054,691-7070 DATING SERVICE Immediate link-Singles 1880yrs. Confidential: Tel: 2238237,648-6098.(No-text)8:30am5:00pm Mon-Sun (Both phones same hours).
dictate our defense. But I’ve got to stay positive, keep working, and we’re looking forward to a Game 3.’’ The Heat’s last finals game on their home floor ended with Dallas celebrating a championship after Game 6 last year. They can be the ones partying this time if they take care of all three in Miami. For now, the Heat are only worried about the first one. ‘’We’ve got to figure out a way at home to protect home floor, especially in Game 3, and win it,’’ Wade said. ‘’If you go up there and lose Game 3, you’ve given them, in a sense, home court right back. We just want to continue to play well at home like we’ve done all season long.’’
Bell century sets up England... From back page But Bell, dropped from that series, took 16 runs off the sixth over from Andre Russell. First ball, he drove the seamer over his head for a straight six and next ball a fierce square-cut flew over point for four. Two balls later Bell pulled Russell for four and followed up by driving a him through mid-off. Bell was out when he topedged a slower ball from seamer Dwayne Bravo and wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin took his fourth catch of the innings to leave England 216 for five. The Warwickshire batsman's previous best as a one-day opener was the 77 he made against Australia in a 2007 World Cup match in Antigua. West Indies, after the early loss of Lendl Simmons, saw Smith drive fast bowler Steven Finn for four and next ball pull him for six. But his entertaining 44-ball innings came to an end when he edged an intended pull off seamer Bresnan to Kieswetter. Bresnan then made it two wickets for three runs in five balls when Ramdin, promoted because Darren Bravo was unable to bat at number three due to a groin strain, was lbw for 22. Dangerman Kieron Pollard then fell for just three, well caught by a diving Eoin Morgan at backward point following a fierce cut off Broad. After the rain break, Marlon Samuels holed out off Anderson and wickets continued to fall steadily as England completed a commanding victory. Scores: England 288 for 6 (Bell 126) beat West Indies 172 (Smith 56, Bresnan 4-34) by 114 runs (D/L method).
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
Page 57
“Respect, reality and Ramdin - West Indies are much better at ODI’s!” Colin E. H. Croft Right! Interests are massive for this One-Day Series, with the acknowledged fact that, with the re-advent of Christopher Henry Gayle to West Indies team sheet, all three games are, more or less, already sold out. That should surprise no-one. Gayle is a master crowd puller and obvious pleaser! Only 33, in September next – somehow he seems to have been in international cricket much longer than his debut back in 2000 – Gayle has already played 91 Tests, aggregate 6373 runs, avg. 41.65. How West Indies could have used him for batsmanship, maturity and leadership, in especially Tests Nos. 1 and 2! More particularly, before these ODI’s v England started, Gayle had 8087 runs from 228 ODI’s, avg. 39.06. Bowling, Gayle has been productive too; 156 wickets in ODI’s, economy rate a handy 4.03. What Gayle must bring immediately, this ODI series, along with obvious runs, is that afore-mentioned maturity that this team needs desperately. All West Indies’ batsmen should learn as much from him as they can, and as they also tried to do in the Tests, from Shiv Chanderpaul, that other “Father Figure!” Incidentally, Test No 3, England v West Indies, gave unexpected surprises and pleasures, answering important questions for both teams. Given the terrible weather, neither team could have won, but West Indies brought back pride to its cricket, even ahead when the game ended in the predicted draw! England now has definite thoughts on its modus operandi for Tests to come against South Africa. They must hope, pray even, dearly, that neither Stuart Broad nor James Anderson gets injured in the interim. Steve Finn and Graeme Onions bowled well, initially, but Tests last for five days, not just for five hours! That West Indies managed 426, having been 280-8 overnight, should have been personal embarrassment to England’s bowlers - Finn, Onions, Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann. By end of West Indies 1st innings, they looked ready to be rotated themselves. What has happened to Swann’s bowling? That garbage that Onions, Finn and especially Swann and Bresnan served up last Sunday was as much fodder
as West Indies had become, and produced, in the first two Tests. I like Onions’ bowling style, but if he and Finn are England’s 2nd tier, then Anderson and Broad must be put in golden, not cotton, wool! Denesh Ramdin’s 2nd Test hundred; only; in 45 Tests, was obviously due to him heeding Sir Vivian Richards’ well deserved rollicking. Before Test No. 3, Ramdin averaged a paltry 22.28 per innings! Knowing “Uncle Smokie” to be a very impatient man, I am not surprised that, at Trent Bridge, Sir Viv ‘had a few quiet words about Ramdin’s batsmanship.” Those words were obviously pertinent indeed! The wicket-keeperbatsman may have taken umbrage at that ‘conversation’, his upheld paper sign – “Yea Viv, talk nah!” – when he was at 100 no., showing how severely puffed he may have been! I really have no problem with Ramdin’s gesture at all, if, as he suggests, he was just “caught up in the moment!” Obviously, he did spoil his moment of achievement, but that could happen to anyone. Though I will dispute that respect that Ramdin and his captain, Darren Sammy, suggest that their team has for “former greats”, I would suggest that most critics have never played professional sport, so know very little of severe representative stress and adrenalin rushes. Professional sport is not for babies! I remember former West Indies cricketer, Joe Solomon, chairman of Guyana’s selectors; 1974-5; suggesting, on Joseph “Reds” Perriera’s radio programme, (I heard it myself!), that “Colin Croft does not even deserve to be called for trials for Guyana, much less to be selected to play for Guyana, and possibly play for West Indies!” The rest of that story is history! I also remember, after getting 8-29 in only my 2nd Test, v Pakistan, 1977, selected at insistences of West Indies captain Clive Lloyd and West Indies Chairman of Selectors, Michael “Joey” Carew, that the language I used to Solomon’s greeting at Timehri Airport could never have been printed anywhere! Anyway, calypsonians in Trinidad & Tobago would even now be penning compositions for Carnival 2013, probably to include Ramdin’s and Sir Viv’s tete-a-
Colin E. H. Croft tete. Whatever Sir Viv said, it changed Ramdin’s attitude to his game. Success, so work done! Tino Best’s batting was a revelation too. He proved that he could bat properly, as boasted to all, but also showed that England’s much vaunted “rotation policy”, and belief that they are so superior, would have to be severely tweaked again, for England’s own good! Sunil Narine’s Test debut was a damp squib,
courtesy of excellent footwork from Kevin Peitersen and, for me, England’s most accomplished “in-trouble” batsman, always the man for any crisis; Ian Bell; a player who always produces runs for England when chips are down! Narine also found out that, unlike T-20’s, batsmen in Test cricket would not try to slog his every delivery out of the ground. In the longer form, he would have to do much more than just high flight and slow turn. In Tests, increased speed of delivery is important, along with those named characteristics. Aggressive openers Lendl Simmons, who missed the Test series with a broken hand, and Johnson Charles, big-hitting Kieron Pollard, effervescent all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, always athletic and talented allrounders Dwayne Smith and Andre Russell, augment the remaining players already in England. So, much might not have been given to Gayle recently by West Indies
Cricket Board, but all concerned, from fans at Rose Bowl, Kia Oval, and Headingley, to cricket lovers world-wide, would certainly hope that Gayle lives up to expectations, and delivers fully. His massive frame could take on such pressures! West Indies is certainly a better balanced one-day team than for Tests. Sammy always merits his place here, even if Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, even Kieron Pollard, were also in the team, as each could bowl and bat, as situations demand, and field well too; a genuinely team of good all-rounders. Tino Best, Ravi Rampaul, who is also better in ODI’s than Tests, and, supposedly, a fully recuperated Fidel Edwards, front West Indies’s fast bowling efforts. Watch out for Russell, who could play Tests regularly, had it not been for previously heavilydiscussed captaincy appointment of Darren Sammy. Later this year, ICC World T-20 Championship
occurs in Sri Lanka. While there would be only one T-20 featuring England and West Indies this tour, at Trent Bridge, expect both teams to use these 50-over games to try to fine-tune their selections for that Lankan competition. Anything goes this ODI series! England’s premier bowlers Anderson and Broad are in England’s ODI squad. One, even both, might still be rested again this series. No Kevin Pieterson means Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan re-emerge, Morgan having cooled his heels in the recent IPL. Also, look out for England’s captain, Alastair Cook’s batting! West Indies would be trying to confirm that they are better at ODI’s and T-20’s, than Tests. With that recent tremendously exciting ODI series against Australia; 2-2 and a tie; and T-20 series also drawn, 1-1; along with Coach Ottis Gibson’s reconfirmation, West Indies would feel that they are ready! Enjoy!
Letter to the Sports Editor...
Najuma F letc her - T he stor y of Guy ana’ s Fletc letcher story Guyana’ ana’s most successful youth athlete Dear Editor, The year 1985 will always remain special to Najuma Fletcher because in August of that year she was selected to represent Guyana for the first time. The St. Margaret Primary School stand out departed Timehri International Airport for Curacao to participate in the first ever Central American and Caribbean Youth Athletics Championship and she did not disappoint in her Inaugural outing in national colours. Najuma won Gold in the 10 to 11 high jump. Her next international engagement was to Barbados 1986 for the Caribbean Teachers Union Athletics Championship. She won Gold in the broad and high jumps for Girls under 13 and won Silver in the relays. Nassau Bahamas was her next international stop 1987 for the second Central American and Caribbean Junior championship she won Gold’s in the 80 metres 1000 metres, Silver in the long jump and Bronze in the 60 metres hurdles, she was voted the best female on show. Please note she was only 13 years old. The following year 1988 Najuma won Silver in the under 17 high jump at the Carifta games in Jamaica, this
achievement was before her 14 birthday. At 15 years old she broke the Carifta games high jump record in the under 17 category when she leap 1:72 metres at the National Stadium in Bridgetown Barbados 1989 the following year 1990 she won the Carifta High Jump Gold again and Silver in the long jump this time in Kingston Jamaica the birth place of her father. She was not 16 years yet Najuma returned to the land of her father birth a few month’s later in 1990 and won in the high jump with a leap of 5ft 9 inches at the Gibson relays. Najuma’s last International meet in 1990 was the Prestigious Central American and Caribbean games in Mexico, the 16 year old placed a honorable fourth in the high jump, with a leap of 1:76 metres her personal best at the time. So it was shocking when Badminton player Koreen Thomas was named Sports woman of the year 1990. She missed the AAA International programme in 1991 because of CXC Exams Najuma returned to the International scene in 1992 by winning Gold at the Carifta games in Nassau Bahamas her winning jump was 5 feet 9 inches. She took the Texaco games by storm with a record
Najuma Fletcher breaking performance that culminated with two Gold Medals. On her way to winning the high jump Gold she broke Barbadian Nicola Springer record of 1988, 1:70 metres, when she leaped 1:74 metres. She also won Gold in the long jump with a distance of 5.59 metres. The time came for the 18year old biggest moment of her International Athletics career the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Competing against the likes of Jackie Joyner Kersey and Et al Najuma found the going tough in Barcelona although the 18 year old failed to medal she broke Guyana’s High Jump Record. In achieving a jump 1:79 metres she eclipsed the 1:78 metres recorded in the
Guyana Record Books by Ingrid Adams done in 1983. The following year 1993 she gained an athletic scholarship at Pittsburg University. She returned to the land of Birth in August 1993 and earned a Bronze medal for the Golden Arrowhead at the Junior Panama Games in Winnipeg Canada in the Heptathlon. In 1994 she won Bronze at the NCAA finals in the Heptathlon for the University of Pittsburg. She was also presented with the All American Award for placing in the top 10 in NCAA finals. She placed sixth out of 13 competitors in the Heptathlon at the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada August of 1994. Najuma was the youngest contestant on show at 20 years old. Najuma last outing in National colours was 1995 at the World Athletics Championship at 22 years old she was unceremoniously dumped by the Athletics Association for the 1996 Atlantic Olympics a decision that many felt denied the land of many waters of a second Olympics Medal. Nujuma is the sister of former National Basketball Player Don Fletcher. Charwayne Walker
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Kaieteur News
A tense A Finals tense,, tied NB NBA mo ves to Miami ffor or Game 3 mov
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kevin Durant had the ball in his hands and LeBron James in his face. With 10 seconds left in Game 2, the NBA Finals were providing all the theater anyone could ask. Two superstars going head-tohead, the Miami Heat trying to hold off another stirring rally by the Oklahoma City Thunder, television ratings reaching levels last seen when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal played together. James forced Durant to miss that tying attempt perhaps getting away with a foul - and the Heat held on for a 100-96 victory on Thursday night that evened the series at one game apiece. And as it shifts to Miami for the next three games, the only thing that seems certain is a tense series that looks to be lengthy. Game 3 is today night and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra thinks it will look similar to the first two. ‘’This is going to be probably like this every single game, and that’s the beauty of competition at this level, and embracing that competition and seeing what it brings out of you collectively,’’ Spoelstra said. It’s brought out the best of league MVP James and Durant, the NBA scoring champion. The series hype was built around them and they spent the first two games living up to every ounce of it. James has bounced back from his disappointing 2011 finals by scoring 30 and then 32 points, and even that was only good enough for a split because Durant has been just as good. He followed up his 36-point performance in Game
1 by scoring 32 on Thursday, 16 in the fourth quarter after he scored 17 in the final period of the opener. Yet that was wasted because the Thunder had fallen into a 17-point hole in the first half. The Thunder also spotted Miami a 13-point lead in the first half of Game 1 and have fallen into double-digit holes in three straight games. Coach Scott Brooks said after Game 2 he wasn’t considering a new starting lineup, even though the Thunder have been more
effective with a smaller group on the floor. Instead, he said the only change the Thunder needed was greater intensity from the start. ‘’We didn’t come out with the toughness that we need to come out with. We’re an aggressive team, we’re a physical team,’’ he said. ‘’Defensive mindset was not where it needs to be, and hopefully we change that going into Game 3.’’ The slow starts at home could mean trouble for the
Thunder in Miami, where they won’t have their raucous crowd to help rattle the Heat. But Oklahoma City has been good on the road in the postseason, winning twice in Dallas in the first round, taking a game in Los Angeles in the second round and pulling out a Game 5 victory in San Antonio in the Western Conference finals. ‘’These are the two best teams. They’re confident no matter what building they’re in,’’ James said. ‘’We’re happy now that it’s a 1-1 series and we’re going back to Miami and will take control of the home court. It doesn’t mean that the series has changed. Both teams can win on each other’s floor and both teams are confident.’’ Ratings through two games are up 11 percent from last year, when it seemed interest in the Heat couldn’t get higher, and Thursday drew the highest rating for a Game 2 since 2004, when the Lakers lost to Detroit in their last title run with O’Neal and Bryant. The latest game provided a look at the best of what both teams have: James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all making big plays in the fourth quarter; S i x t h M a n o f t h e Ye a r James Harden coming off the Thunder bench to keep them in it while Durant sat with foul trouble; Russell Westbrook turning from sloppy to sensational as the game went along. So what’s next? ‘’It’s a long series. After Game 1 there was the hyperbole of, ‘The Heat have no idea what to do with Continued on page 56
From page 62 Championship athlete of the Mercury Fast Laners (MFL) athletic club, Mariska Corbin, netting the first goal in the 48th minute for North Georgetown. Corbin's goal was netted from the 6 yards box when her team mate kicked in a corner from the right flank in her path. Lady Jaguars U-17 player, Althea Holligan closed the account in the 54th minute with her goal. Meanwhile, President of the GSDF, Colin Baker speaking at the presentation which was conducted shortly after the matches, stated the Scotiabank/ Pepsi Schools Football Academy Tournament is the only one that caters for
female and thanked the sponsors, teachers, parents and the four finalists for their participation in the tournament. Baker, who lamented on the players being disciplined and disclosed some of the challenges encountered during tournament, urged the parents to continue supporting their children and the tournament. Jenifer Cipriani and Alexis Langhorne, Representative of Scotiabank and Pepsi respectively stated that they were pleased with the talent they saw coming out of the tournament as representatives from Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and Ministry of Education were absent to give their remarks on the
tournament. Below are the results: Tournament Championship Award: Females: North Georgetown Secondary, Tucville Secondary (runnerup) Males: Lodge Secondary, Tucville Secondary (runnerup) League Championship Awards: Females: Tucville Secondary, North Georgetown Secondary (runner-up) Males: East Ruimveldt Secondary, Charlestown Secondary (runner-up) League All-star Awards: Males: Dennis Johnson, Okeni Codrington, Owen Europe, Shamar Wilson, Jamal Scott, Colin Waterman, Josiah
Charles, Keifer Brandt, Kevin Butter, Romel Legall and Shane Morris. Females: Keisha Gordon, Jennel Brown, Althea Holligan, Natifa Marville, Sasha Johnson, Aliyah Stanley, Treola Elliot, Felicia Mc Lean, Dacia Brandt, Oseyah Jones and Troyann Barton. Most goals: Females: Natifa Marville Males: Romel Legall Impact Player: Keifer Brandt MVP: Females: Janel Grant Males: Kevin Butters Coach of the year: Females: Celeste Mullin (North Georgetown) Males: Leon Bishop (Lodge Secondary)
Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant (L) goes up for a basket against Miami Heat's LeBron James during Game 2 of the NBA Finals
Lodge boys dethrone defending...
Sunday June 17, 2012
Phil J ac kson sa ys Jac ackson says ‘ther e might be’ ‘there a job he’ d tak e he’d take NEW YORK (AP) Phil Jackson says ‘’there might be’’ an NBA job that would lure him out of retirement. The 11-time NBA champion coach tells HBO’s ‘’Real Sports’’ that the Knicks
together.’’ Amare Stoudemire needs ‘’to play in a certain system and a way,’’ he said. ‘’Carmelo (Anthony) has to be a better passer. The ball can’t stop every time it hits his hands.’’
Phil Jackson and Magic openings this offseason were not the positions to bring him back to the bench. In an interview scheduled to air Tuesday night, Jackson confirms that New York, where he started his playing career, didn’t contact him before removing the interim tag from Mike Woodson’s title, but ‘’I wasn’t going to take the job, that’s for sure.’’ Jackson calls the Knicks’ roster ‘’clumsy’’ because their players ‘’don’t fit well
Asked whether that’s the sort of situation he’s successfully turned around in the past, Jackson says: ‘’Yeah. Well, it didn’t happen.’’ Jackson says he wasn’t interested in Orlando because it’s too far from his Montana home. The 66-year-old says he’s feeling better physically after knee replacement surgery in March. Jackson resigned from the Lakers for the second time after last season.
JAMAICA finally registered their first win in the 18th Centro basketball Women’s Championship at the José ‘Pepe’ Huyke Colosseum in Morovis, Puerto Rico Thursday when Shenneika Smith (17 points, four rebounds) and Sasha Dixon (11 points, 3 rebounds) engineered a 64-53 win over El Salvador in their last preliminary Group A match. The Simone Edwards coached Jamaica dominated the match, with El Salvador leading only once (2-3 at 8:05 in the first quarter). Jamaica led 18-4 in the first quarter with Smith contributing nine of those points. El Salvador fought back late during the second quarter but were outscored 21-14 as Jamaica maintained an 39-18 advantage at half-time. Angelee Latouche and Rhona McKenzie, meanwhile, were proving their worth for Jamaica who stayed ahead 4635 at the end of the third quarter.
Latouche finished with 10 points, six rebounds and McKenzie seven points, 12 rebounds for Jamaica to finish third in Group A and were scheduled to play Trinidad & Tobago in the battle for fifth to eight place yesterday which also included Virgin Islands and El Salvador. Jamaica’s shooting percentage was 42.6, compared to El Salvador’s 36.0, and had a total 49 rebounds with the Central Americans totalling 24 rebounds. The El Salvadoreans showed some desperation with 17 attempts at threepointers, making only six. Jamaica lost to Puerto Rico and Mexico in their earlier games. Cuba were to play Mexico while hosts Puerto Rico tackle Dominican Republic in the semi-finals. In previous Centro basketball Champs for Women, Jamaica were runners-up in 2010 and third in 2006.
Ja scor e ffir ir st win a score irst att et Champs Centr obask Centrobask obasket
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Pacquiao Eur o 2012: Uef a tak es action Euro Uefa takes ns to help eturns against Cr oa tia ffor or rracist acist c hanting retur Croa oatia chanting Uefa has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Croatian Football Federation following racist chanting during the Italy game. It was investigating reports a banana was thrown on to the pitch during the
Federation for the setting-off and throwing of fireworks, and the improper conduct of supporters (racist chants, racist symbols) at the Uefa Euro 2012 Group C match against Italy in Poznan on Thursday,” it said in a statement. The Uefa Control
fans who had shamed their country but urged Uefa to spare them further sanctions. In a statement it said: “The Croatian Football Federation distances itself from all deviant behaviour of the part of the fans during the final tournament of Uefa Euro 2012
Group C match with Italy on Thursday. A photographer reportedly saw a steward retrieving a banana and heard monkey chants directed at Mario Balotelli. The disciplinary proceedings are outlined for “racist chants, racist symbols” in the crowd. “Uefa has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Croatian Football
and Disciplinary Body will deal with the case on Tuesday, 19 June. FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) announced on Friday that their observers heard between 300 and 500 Croatia fans chanting monkey noises, which prompted Uefa to investigate the matter. The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has condemned the “deviant”
and strongly condemns it. “The HNS, its national team players and members of the technical staff support all Uefa activities aimed at identifying individuals whose behaviour damages the reputation of the competition, no matter which country they come from. “The HNS appeals to Uefa not to punish the Croatian national team, which is for a
number of years at the top of world football because of its performances and behaviour, both on and off the field of play, and not to associate it with the part of the fans who actually are not supporters, but hooligans which should be isolated from all sports events.” Croatia were fined £15,000 by Fifa just under four years ago after England striker Emile Heskey was subjected to monkey chants in a World Cup qualifier in Zagreb. They were also given a small fine during Euro 2008 for racist abuse from their fans during their game against Turkey. Alleged racist chanting in the Spain-Italy and RussiaCzech Republic games are already subject to investigations. A Spanish fans’ group has said some of its country’s supporters abused striker Balotelli in their game with Italy, while Czech Republic defender Theodor Gebre Selassie told reporters he “noticed” racist chants directed at him. Balotelli, who started the 1-1 draw against Croatia, said before Euro 2012 that he would “not accept racism at all” and would walk off the pitch if racially abused by fans. Netherlands players said they heard racist chanting during a pre-tournament open training session in Krakow.
BBC Sport - Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista took a shock pole position for the British MotoGP as home rider Cal Crutchlow missed the session through injury. San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Bautista clocked two minutes 03.303 seconds to earn the first pole of his career. Tech 3 Yamaha rider Crutchlow crashed in final practice and was taken to hospital to assess his injuries. Yamaha’s Ben Spies was second quickest ahead of Australian Casey Stoner and championship leader Jorge Lorenzo. Bautista, the 2006 125cc world champion who made his MotoGP debut in 2010, told BBC Sport: “I’m so excited. I never thought that I could get a pole position so early [in my career]. “I felt good on my bike all weekend, both in wet and dry conditions. Morning practice was difficult because rain fell sometimes and then it came again at the end of the qualifying session. “I’m so
happy because my team did a great job. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race.” Ducati’s Valentino Rossi will start 10th after crashing 20 minutes into the session. The nine-time world champion locked the front tyres at Vale corner and was thrown from his bike. BBC motorcycling commentator Steve Parrish said: “He banged his head pretty hard as the bike slapped him down. “That bike just folded. He was on the brakes and the front wheels just locked.” Later in the session, his Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden went off in exactly the same place when he was on a lap that would have put him on the front row, and will start seventh. Wet weather had played havoc on Friday but, despite dark clouds lingering over Silverstone on Saturday, the rain held off for the start of qualifying. Yamaha’s Lorenzo and
Honda’s Dani Pedrosa traded fastest laps early on with Pramac’s Hector Barbera impressing to run third quickest. Ben Spies, who finished third fastest in final practice, then eclipsed team-mate Lorenzo’s time by 0.3secs with 25 minutes remaining as he looked to put his big crash in last year’s race behind him. Stoner then closed to within 0.014 seconds of the American, before Bautista did what the Australian could and shocked the field with a lightning lap to grab top spot. Everyone headed back to the pits to prepare for one final run, but with 10 minutes remaining, the rain started to fall, meaning no-one could improve and ensuring Bautista got the first pole position of his career. Spies, who scored his first front-row start of the season, said: “It was a good session for us. I set my quickest time on the hard tyre which was
surprising. I put the soft tyre on but hit a kerb and wrecked my lap. “But I’m not complaining. Just being on the front row is good and I hope we can put in a good performance on Sunday.” Reigning world champion Stoner said: “I’m disappointed to be honest. The bike was a real handful. I couldn’t get around there quick at all. “We went in a different direction and the bike felt better so I came straight in for a new rear to go and get pole but the weather pushed it out of our grasp. “We were confident for pole, it didn’t happen, but tomorrow is the important day.” Crutchlow remained in hospital on Saturday afternoon. If the doctors give him the all-clear, he will be able to start Sunday’s race, albeit from the back of the grid. British riders Scott Redding and Bradley Smith qualified third and fourth in Moto2, while Spain’s Pol Espargaro took pole.
A banana was thrown on to the pitch during the Group C match with Italy on Thursday.
British MotoGP: Alv ar o Bautista Alvar aro tak es shoc k Silv er stone pole takes shock Silver erstone
flood victims
MANILA, Philippines (AP) Manny Pacquiao returned to the Philippines on Saturday to help flood victims in his home province, a week after his loss to Timothy Bradley. Pacquiao was showered with confetti Saturday, although his homecoming was much less festive than usual because of his splitdecision loss in the welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. He cut short a vacation with his family in the United States to help thousands of victims of floods that hit Sarangani province, the area he represents in congress. ‘’Let us forget what happened, let us accept it wholeheartedly for God has a plan for us,’’ Pacquiao said at a news conference where men dressed as gladiators lined up as his honour guards. Later, he told GMA television he had asked supporters to skip the traditional ‘’hero’s welcome’’ for him and instead focus on helping those affected by the floods. He said he has already sent relief supplies. Pacquiao went to the Roman Catholic church in Manila’s Quiapo district where he addressed worshippers, urging them to accept the judges’ decision and shun anger. Pacquiao’s controversial loss has prompted one of boxing’s major sanctioning bodies to review Bradley’s victory, the first step toward what promoter Bob Arum hopes will be ‘’clarity’’ in the judging of the fight. WBO President Francisco ‘’Paco’’ Valcarcel said in a statement this week that the WBO’s championship committee will review video of the fight with five
Manny Pacquiao ‘’recognized international judges’’ and make a recommendation. He said the WBO does not doubt the ability of the scoring judges. Most observers thought Pacquiao had easily defended his welterweight title against Bradley. Pacquiao interrupted his vacation with his family in the United States following the bout with Bradley to help thousands of victims of flash floods that hit his province. The civil defence office reported Saturday that flash floods from rain due to a low pressure over the main southern island of Mindanao earlier this week killed two people in Sarangani and displaced over 8,000. At least 37 villagers and fishermen are still missing and more than 200 homes were damaged or destroyed, the disaster agency said. At least eight other people have been killed and six others are still missing elsewhere in the country in the wake of the storm and the seasonal monsoon rains exacerbated by a typhoon passing northeast of the country. About 28,000 people also have been displaced.
Doctor s: Too ear Doctors: earlly to sa y if bo xer say box will walk again AT L A N TA (AP) Doctors say it is too early to tell if boxer Paul Williams will walk again even though he is able to move himself from his bed to a wheelchair after being paralyzed from the waist down in a May 27 motorcycle accident. Dr. Donald P. Leslie, the medical director at the Shepherd Center, said Wednesday that Williams’ spinal cord is not cut, but the
severity of damage to it remains undetermined. Leslie says there’s no evidence of any severing; Williams had a fracture of his spine. The doctor says the ‘’fracture is of the bone. The bone encircles the spinal cord. The spinal cord was injured.’’ The 30-year-old Williams had surgery Friday in Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital to stabilize his spine, and is in rehabilitation at the nearby Shepherd Center.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday June 17, 2012
Winf ield Br aithw aite - Guy ana’ s smooth, slic k Commonw ealth infield Braithw aithwaite Guyana’ ana’s slick Commonwealth gold medalist still belie ves punc hes ar e the same believ punches are By Michael Benjamin Life is replete with ironies; how else does one explain the anomaly where the cream of Guyana’s professional boxers practiced their trade during the early and mid seventies, yet it took this nation until 2001 to break the jinx that denied us of a world championship? Boxing buffs of that era would rattle off the names of those pugilists that punched their way to Commonwealth, Fecarbox and other lucrative accolades yet hit a stone wall whenever they stepped in the ring to challenge for a world title. There was Brian Muller, Vernon Lewis, Kenny Bristol, Lennox Blackmore, the late Patrick Ford and Mark Harris and a plethora of other pugilists that dominated the local, and to an extent, the Caribbean boxing scene, yet failed miserably whenever they challenged for world titles. If the truth be told, winning such lofty accolades in those days were extremely difficult since that was the era of unified titles where one top notched pugilist hung on to the three major belts (World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association and the International Boxing Federation). These days world titles are a dime a dozen and boxers with just a fraction of the skills of those of yesteryear chuck their chests in the air while boasting of
their world class propensities. The debate still rages when one attempts a comparative analysis pertaining to the local boxers of the seventies and early eighties (both amateur and professional) and contemporary pugilists. There is a myriad of choices that could be used as examples but any boxing buff worth his salt would easily remember a smooth southpaw named Winfield Braithwaite whose ‘glove slinging’ activities earned him many accolades as an amateur plus the distinction of an unbeaten professional record. Many will readily remember Braithwaite from his Commonwealth games gold medal feat in Edmonton Canada, August 1978. That event was marred by the absence of Nigeria who staged a boycott in protest of New Zealand’s sporting contacts with the then apartheid, South Africa. The Guyanese pugilist went on to win a gold medal at those games and returned home to a heroes’ welcome. Kaieteur Sport caught up with Braithwaite in his new home, the United States of America, where he works as a Peace Officer at the City University. At 58 years old, Braithwaite’s boxing days have long expired but he still retains a sharp mind that easily regurgitates the events of the mid seventies that defined him as one of the
Greece top Russia 1-0, make quarters at Euro WARSAW, Poland (AP) Greece surged into the European Championship quarterfinals, defeating Russia 1-0 Saturday on a goal by Giorgos Karagounis just before halftime. Karagounis, making his record-tying 120th international appearance, sent a low shot under goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev with the final touch of the first half.
The Greeks, the 2004 European champions, then did what they do best - defend. Even as the Greeks closed down at the back, Karagounis looked to have won a penalty kick when Sergei Ignashevich appeared to have brought him down in the area. But Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson instead booked the Greece captain for a dive, meaning he will miss the quarterfinals.
Czechs beat Poland 1-0 to reach quarterfinals WROCLAW, Poland (AP) Petr Jiracek scored a secondhalf winner to give the Czech Republic a 1-0 victory over Poland on Saturday and a place in the quarterfinals of the European Championship. Poland, the tournament co-host, was knocked out with its defeat in the team’s final Group A game. The Czechs won the group. Pushing forward in the
72nd minute, Jiracek collected a pass from Milan Baros in the box, cut right past Poland’s Marcin Wasilewski and slotted the ball inside the far post. Poland, which had to win to advance, immediately brought on two attacking players in the last 30 minutes to push for a goal, but struggled to create any serious threats.
better boxers that graced these shores. He experiences bouts of nostalgia when he remembers the exchange programmes with Cuba; when local boxers travelled to that country to engage their counterparts from several other Latin nations at the Cardin Games. He remembers winning gold medals at those games in 1976 and then again in 1977. Winfield also remembers competing in the world Championships with moderate successes. He remembers his historic bout against Hugo Rendifo, a Venezuelan he defeated in 1975 during an exchange programme with Guyana. “Those were good days when talent abounded,” reflected Braithwaite. Indeed good talent was aplenty and Braithwaite
remembers the powerful entourage that participated in the Cuba 1974 Cardin Games. “There were Reginald Ford, Mark Harris, Ramesh Best, Michael Reid and Keith Neil,” he informed. When Braithwaite returned to Guyana with the Commonwealth Gold medal, the late founder leader and executive President, LFS Burnham had arranged a motorcade around the city where the champion had worn his newly acquired accolade for all to see. “I felt like a hero and just wanted to continue winning major medals for my country,” Braithwaite intimated when asked about his reaction to such ploys. He was to compile more than 80 fights before calling it a day in the amateur sector. Braithwaite said that during his illustrious career as an
amateur he had defeated Derek ‘Teacher’ McKenzie, Michael Reid, Reginald Ford, Ramesh Best and Keith ‘Buckilo’ Bazilio among other notable pugilists. “Those days the competitive level was extremely high and each boxer had to train diligently and fight hard if he wanted to win,” said the former Commonwealth gold medalist. Winfield migrated to the USA in 1980 and later became a professional boxer. Under the stewardship of Panama Lewis, he compiled 13 fights; his only blemish being a drawn decision to countryman, Derek ‘Teacher’ McKenzie. Despite his unbeaten record he chose to call it quits and attributed his decision to the raging underhand schemes practiced in the sport. He found it extremely difficult to trust his trainer, Lewis, and felt exonerated after he (Lewis) was dragged before the New Jersey State Athletic Commission and eventually jailed for his role in the 1983 incident when he corroborated with his fighter, Luis Resto, in the bout against Billy Collins (jr) and removed the padding from his gloves. Collins received a terrible beating and suffered a torn iris and permanently blurred vision, ending his career. He died only months later when he drove his car into a culvert while intoxicated. Some commentators have speculated that the loss of his livelihood drove him into a downward spiral and Collins’ father had speculated that his
BBC - The International Olympic Committee has begun an investigation into claims that Olympics officials and agents breached rules on London 2012 ticket sales. The IOC has held an emergency meeting of its ruling executive board via conference call after claims by the Sunday Times. The IOC has referred the allegations to its independent ethics commission. The organisation could also review how Olympic tickets are distributed among member countries. Combat touts The Sunday Times submitted a dossier of evidence detailing claims that Olympic officials and agents had been caught selling thousands of tickets on the black market for up to 10 times their face value, says BBC Sports News correspondent James Pearce.
The newspaper alleges that its two-month investigation found corruption involving people representing 54 separate countries. More than one million London 2012 tickets were distributed abroad among all the nations taking part in the Games, but the IOC has strict rules to try to combat touts. National Olympic committees must ensure that their allocation is only sold within their own region. Undercover reporters from the Sunday Times posed as Middle Eastern ticket touts, and were offered deals from various countries. Last month a senior Ukrainian Olympic official resigned after being filmed by the BBC offering tickets for cash. ‘Strongest sanctions’ The IOC said in a statement: “The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has moved quickly to deal with allegations
that some National Olympic Committees (NOC) and Authorised Ticket Resellers (ATR) have broken rules relating to the sale of Olympic tickets. “The IOC takes these allegations very seriously and has immediately taken the first steps to investigate. “Should any irregularities be proven, the organisation will deal with those involved in an appropriate manner. “The NOCs are autonomous organisations, but if any of the cases are confirmed the IOC will not hesitate to impose the strongest sanctions. “The IOC has also determined that it will take on board any recommendations coming out of the inquiry to improve the way that tickets are allocated and sold internationally in the future.” London 2012 organising committee Locog said it would support the IOC in its investigation “in any way we
Winfield Braithwaite and his wife Robin.
son committed suicide. His career now over, Winfield still finds time for his countrymen and was recently elected to the executive committee of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), an entity formed in Brooklyn NY among former Guyanese boxing stalwarts with an aim of supporting contemporary amateur pugilists from Guyana. The organization, headed by Seon Bristol, had other stalwarts the likes of Kenny Bristol, the late Patrick Ford and a few other past local boxers. However, over the years the entity has become defunct but Braithwaite remains optimistic that a concerted effort could see its resuscitation. “Life is really good for me,” exclaimed Braithwaite when quizzed on his fortunes these days. He is married and lives with his beautiful wife Robin and 3 children, Winfield (jr), Melisa and Merisa. Despite the disbandment of the GBA, the former boxer is still anxious to give back to the country that has nurtured him during his early fistic years. “I would like to return home to contribute to the development of amateur boxers and would be in contact with the relevant authorities soon,” he said. Indeed, Braithwaite remains a stalwart who feels that a punch is a punch whether delivered twenty years ago or just yesterday. He is willing and able to demonstrate the art of his techniques to local Simon Pures in the very near future.
can”. “Rules and regulations for selling London 2012 tickets to international fans are clear and unambiguous,” it said. No tickets intended for the British market were involved, it added.
London 2012: IOC be gins begins vestig ation Ol ympics tic kets in Olympics tick inv estiga
Sunday June 17, 2012
Kaieteur News
Roger F eder er to Feder ederer y Haas a meet Tomm ommy att Ger Gerrr y Weber Open Roger Federer beat Mikhail Youzhny to reach the final of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle for the seventh time. Second seed Federer won 6-1 6-4 and plays wildcard Tommy Haas in Sunday’s showpiece after he overcame
defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber. Federer broke his 31st-ranked Russian opponent twice to seal the first set in just 21 minutes. The five-time champion dropped serve in the second set but wrapped up the match with his
Roger Federer
T hr ea alia hrea eatt of Austr ustralia pla yer s’ strik e play ers’ strike eases after talks The threat of a strike by Australia’s players has eased significantly after productive talks between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association over the past two days. Cricket Australia’s chairman Wally Edwards said the issues had been discussed at a board meeting in Melbourne on Friday and he was confident that the necessary breakthroughs had been made to ensure a resolution of the pay dispute before the June 30 deadline. Australia’s players flew out for England on Thursday, preparing for a one-day tour in the knowledge that they could reach the end of the month without a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on pay and contract issues. The possibility of strike action had been raised, but Edwards said the most recent negotiations between Cricket Australia and the ACA had brought an agreement much closer. “The two negotiating teams have made good progress in the last two or
three days,” Edwards said. “We’re all very confident that a successful MoU will be agreed before the end of the month. The board today has considered a lot of the issues and there’s just details now to be resolved. The big issues are pretty well understood now and agreed [upon]. We’re just down into detail. From a Cricket Australia perspective we’re confident there will be a successful outcome before the end of June.” The talks have dragged on longer than both sides hoped, with only two weeks before the existing MoU expires, and the situation has left a number of state players in limbo as the state associations have been banned from recruiting and contracting players until a resolution is reached. Despite the recent disagreements between the two parties, Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland said he was confident the relationship with the ACA would not be damaged in the long term.
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Sod tur ned for $20M Spor ts facility at Baramita The close to 3000 residents of Baramita, located in Region One (Barima/Waini) have found a partner in Consolidated Northwest Resources Inc. (CNRI) that has undertaken the task of seriously investing in the holistic development of the community and its most important resource, the people. The Russian based company, which has signed an agreement with the community of Baramita to embark on massive exploration of gold deposits in approximately 50,000 acres in the Northwest district, has also committed to massive infrastructural and other advancement of the community. Yesterday, CNRI further proved that obligation when the sod was turned for a 20 Million dollar sports facility that will see a full size football field being done along with a fully equipped pavilion and another multipurpose field
Consolidated Northwest Resources Inc. investing in community development that will accommodate volleyball among other sports. The construction of the field has already commenced and members of the media, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam and President (ag) of the Guyana Football Federation Franklin Wilson were yesterday given a firsthand tour of the very expansive facility by Chief Financial Officer Fedor Stovsky and other officials of the company. Stovsky in remarks at the function, which preceded the Historic Sod Turing, stated that his company was not just about exploration for gold but that they want to also invest seriously in the development of the community. To this end he said that sports, was one of the ways that can enhance the members of the community especially the youths by giving them hope for tomorrow.
He noted that it is the norm of CNRI to give back to every community that they operate in and they will be doing just that in Baramita. CNRI has already begun that process with the donation of two complete computers to the Village Council which is headed by Village Captain Bradley Thomas. The company will in the near future make provision for satellite internet services in keeping with the national information and communication technology programme. Thomas in remarks thanked CNRI for the seriousness with which they have undertaken developmental projects for the benefit of the community noting that he anticipates a much more positive community with regards to personal development, in the near future. He said that such
a turnaround has come at eh right time. While sports has not been a big part of the community up until now, the Village Council and community members anticipate a major boost in this regard with what is presently taking place. The Guyana Football Federation in association with Food for the Poor Guyana handed over 25 footballs to the community while from CNRI, a number of volleyballs, volleyball net, cricket bats and balls were also handed over. Wilson complimented CNRI for the investment they have undertaken in Baramita and pledged the federation’s support in increasing the popularity of the game in Baramita. Chief Education Officer Olato Sam also commended CNRI for taking the lead and setting the example from a corporate standpoint in development of the community. He pledged the continuous support of the Ministry of Education.
Perera bags hat-trick in Sri Lankan win
AFP – Thisara Perera bagged a hat-trick to bowl Sri Lanka to a dramatic 44-run victory over Pakistan in the fourth one-day international in Colombo on Saturday. Pakistan were strongly placed at 166-2 in the 38th over before they collapsed to 199 all out chasing a 244-run target in the day-night contest, with man-of-thematch Perera finishing with 442. Opener Azhar Ali carried his bat through the innings with an unbeaten 81, hitting one six and four boundaries. He added 113 for the third wicket with skipper Misbahul-Haq (57). Pakistan lost their last eight wickets for 33 runs, with six batsmen failing to open their account in the innings. Kumar Sangakkara earlier top-scored with a 130-ball 97 for Sri Lanka, who now lead 21 in the five-match series. Pakistan won the opening one-dayer by six wickets and Sri Lanka won the second game by 76 runs in Pallekele. The third match in Colombo was abandoned due to rain on Wednesday. Perera had Younis Khan caught behind and then had Shahid Afridi caught in the covers before completing the hat-trick with the wicket of Sarfraz Ahmed, caught by
Thisara Perera skipper Mahela Jayawardene in the slips. He also ran out Sohail Tanvir in the same over and then ended the innings with the wicket of Saeed Ajmal. Pakistan’s slide began with the dismissal of Misbah, with Nuwan Kulasekara taking a brilliant catch to his right at mid-off off paceman Lasith Malinga. Malinga also dismissed Mohammad Hafeez with his
fifth delivery and left-arm spinner Sajeewa Weerakoon trapped Asad Shafiq (25) legbefore for his maiden wicket in one-day internationals. Sangakkara, who had a lucky escape when he was dropped on 35 by Umar Gul off leg-spinner Afridi, cracked three sixes and seven fours in his impressive knock. He went for big shots after completing the half-century,
scoring his last 47 runs off just 31 balls. He looked set to reach his 14th one-day hundred before he was caught by Azhar Ali in the deep off spinner Ajmal. He added 110 for the fourth wicket with Jayawardene, who hit four boundaries in his 50-ball 40 before being bowled by paceman Tanvir. Pakistan had put in a disciplined bowling performance as they restricted Sri Lanka to 125 off 35 overs before Sangakkara and Jayawardene stepped up the run-rate and helped their team score 118 in the last 15 overs. Off-spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Ajmal, and Tanvir each took two wickets. Sangakkara also added 55 runs for the second wicket with Tillakaratne Dilshan (24) after opener Upul Tharanga (four) fell in the third over, caught by Younis at second slip off Gul. Hafeez broke the second-wicket stand when he trapped Dilshan leg-before with his first delivery and then bowled Dinesh Chandimal (18) just before the rain stopped play. Scores: Sri Lanka 243 for 8 (Sangakkara 97, Jayawardene 40, Hafeez 237, Tanvir 2-43) beat Pakistan 199 (Ali 81*, Misbah 57, Perera 4-42) by 44 runs.