Kaieteur News

Saturday Edition

Online readership yesterday 97,097

March 02, 2013 - Vol. 7 No. 09 - Price $80 kaieteurnews@yahoo.com Website:http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Commission of Inquiry recommends …

$3M each for Bouyea, Lewis, $1M for Somerset's relatives - Relatives dub compensation inadequate

Labour Minister could invoke arbitration Monday

GPL Countrywide strike continues ...

The GPL protest outside Labour Ministry

National Assembly wrong to gag Rohee - Chief Justice

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 02, 2013

Local aircraft must have tracking devices - Brazilian air show to highlight aviation’s 100 year in Guyana

By Leonard Gildarie Authorities have introduced new measures that have mandated local operators to equip their aircraft with special devices to better track them.

Yesterday, Transport Minister, Robeson Benn, said that he signed the order last week.

While some operators have already installed the necessary equipment, others will have to comply.

The Minister was discussing plans for the upcoming celebration of 100 years of aviation in Guyana.

In recent years, Government has been expending hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade its aging equipment in the Control Tower at Timehri.

Almost $1B has been spent to upgrade equipment and these are in line with the best around the world, the official said.

However, the current equipment is just not enough to track an aircraft to a specific point. Radars are very expensive and Guyana has

been depending on its neighbours, like Suriname for help.

The country is now moving to purchase a far less expensive set of equipment, called the Automatic Dependency Surveillance/ Broadcast (ADS-B). This is surveillance technology for tracking aircraft as part of the next generation air transportation system.

This $90M investment should be online by next year.

It is not unknown of planes disappearing without a trace into Guyana’s thick forest, never to be seen again.

At the press conference with Benn at the Kingston headquarters of the G u y a na Civil Aviations Authority (GCAA) were Director General, Zulficar Mohammed, and several senior members of that regulatory body.

Questioned about t h e c o u n t r y ’s s e a r c h a n d rescue capabilities, the Minister said that a special centre has been established with a network of aircraft belonging to the

Transport Minister, Robeson Benn (4th from r), and GCAA’s head, Zulficar Mohamed, and senior staffers army and civilians standing by.

Benn admitted that it is indeed a difficult task to track illegal aircrafts in the hinterlands. Last year, Government seized one small plane equipped with tanks for extra gas in an interior location.

In addition to Ogle Airport, Government is now moving to develop the airstrip in Lethem, Region Nine, an area that borders Guyana with neighbouring Brazil.

Meanwhile, on its plans to celebrate the 100 years of aviation in Guyana, the Director General announced

that the events will start on March 18 and run to March 30.

It will include an exciting air show by the Brazilian Smoke Squadron…some nine planes will be in Guyana for Sunday March 24.

Between March 18 and March 22, there will be several sports activities including 10/Ten cricket and Futsal.

From March 23, starting with a fitness walk, the activities will continue with the turning of the sod for a new Head Office for the GCAA, an aviation exhibition and a social for Guyanese

women in the industry.

There will also be a reenactment of the first flight in Guyana and key symposium on the future of aviation in Guyana.

According to Mohamed, on March 26, the Ogle Airport expanded project will be commissioned.

Two days later, local pilots will take to the skies in an aerial display for fallen aviators. On that same day, Wings Aviation will see its new hangar being opened at Ogle.

The curtain will come down on March 30 with a dinner and awards ceremony

and the launching of a magazine of “100 Years of Aviation.”

Minister Benn insisted yesterday that Guyana has much to celebrate this year in marking the milestone of 100 years of aviation and with the launching of the US$150M expansion project for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport which will see a new terminal and longer runways.

With its excellent safety record, the new airport will place Guyana in a better position to capitalize on its geographical location to tap into new markets including Asia and India.

DO YOU KNOW THAT JAGDEO’S BEST FRIEND IS THE ONLY PERSON IN GUYANA TO OWN THREE MEDIA HOUSES ...

Radio, Television and Newspaper?

Dr. Bobby Ramroop

1) Channel 28 now TVG 28 2) A radio station - 89.5FM 3) Guyana Times newspaper

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

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GPL Countrywide strike continues ...

Labour Minister could invoke arbitration Monday Communities across the coast are bracing for blackouts as workers of the state-owned Guyana Power and Light (GPL) company plan to continue their strike action.

Talks between GPL and the worker’s union, NAACIE, gained no ground yesterday.

Minister of Labour Dr Nanda Gopaul chaired those talks.

Both GPL and NAACIE held to their positions during the meeting and if no agreement is reached between the two parties this weekend, the Minister could be forced to invoke arbitration.

No meetings are expected to take place this weekend.

Mr Kenneth Joseph, the General Secretary of NAACIE,

said that the government is attempting to do what it did with public sector workers. For years, the government has been imposing salaries increases in the public sector, leaving the workers union GPSU in the cold.

Joseph said that NAACIE is not about to let itself be taken down that road. He said that if the unions cannot have a say in the affairs of their workers, then the workers would be left to accept whatever is offered to them.

NAACIE is contending that its 2001 agreement with GPL remains in force. That agreement called for negotiations for increase in salaries, outside of an automatic three percent increment on the salaries of workers annually, and a

performance-based incentive of between zero and 10 percent. GPL is claiming that its five percent increase offer covers the 2001 agreement.

For NAACIE, Joseph said the core issue is not about the percentage increase, but it is about getting GPL to honour its agreement.

GPL has claimed that it is unable to pay the increase, but Joseph said the unions have not been shown the company’s balance sheet.

On Thursday, company officials said that the high cost of fuel and losses are preventing it from paying workers.

The GPL management lamented the fact that last year alone, taxpayers fueled up the company with $6 billion to

“Rohee is the fly in the PPP’s soup”-AFC

- Parliament being made impotent by ignoring real issue

Executive Member Cathy Hughes

AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan

“Rohee is the fly in the PPP’s soup, and the PPP must understand that the soup it wants to share with the opposition includes flies! We are not going to eat that soup. When you are giving Rohee stewardship of the security sector and he is not performing and atrocities are occurring under his stewardship, what normal democratic Prime Ministers would do is to recall the Minister.

“Is he so all powerful and all commandeering behaving like a true lame duck that the President can’t remove him?”

These sentiments were expressed by Alliance For Change (AFC) leader Khemraj Ramjattan at the party’s press conference, yesterday, at Side Walk Café, Middle Street..

This was in response to questions pertaining to the final ruling from Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman to halt the impasse which the earlier “gag-Rohee” ruling had created in the National Assembly and in the High

Court.

Ramjattan said the decision is being taken collectively by the majority of the parliament that there is no confidence in Rohee.

Therefore, ignoring the majority decision makes parliament impotent.

Responding to questions that a statement issued recently that the leadership of the party respects the final ruling from Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman, Ramjattan said that it was issued by the party grudgingly.

“We will respect the ruling and move on.”

“In accordance with the constitutional convention of individual Ministerial responsibility, which never died when we were accorded a written constitutional status, it was imperative that Minister Rohee voluntarily resign, or either be dismissed or re-assigned by the President.

This did not happen. And, as has turned out to be so controversial and divisive, the

House then proceeded to gag the Minister in his capacity as a Minister. It was not as if the AFC did not know it was venturing into new frontiers.

But it will do so again in its quest to ensure accountable government and good governance.”

Ramjattan further reasoned that the PPP Government resisted the application of sound constitutional doctrine, and the constitutional conventions are binding on political actors because there can be sanctions following their violations, sanctions which have a political liability even if bereft of any legal liability. Such conventions are important because they provide a moral framework within which the Executive and individual Ministers should exercise nonjustifiable legal powers. “ I t i s l i k e t h e We s t Indies Cricketers put forward a batsman that made duck, one, duck and duck again and you still playing him and putting him to bat and open.

This is Rohee situation, which is illogical,” Ramjattan asserted.

Member of Parliament for the Alliance For Change (AFC) Catherine Hughes, explained that the issue is not about the gagging but about the way he has handled the most important sector of society.

Reading off many damning headlines from the local newspapers, Ms. Hughes said Rohee continues to head a sector that has failed to protect society without administering requisite changes in order to protect members of society.

keep it afloat, but even so the company says that it does not have money to meet workers demands. “The fact that we are offering a five per cent increase which has to be a part of the subsidies from Government, means that we are paying more than we really can afford, because we are not making the money,” Chairman of the power company, Winston Brassington, stated.

He said that the wage bill for NAACIE-represented employees is in fact substantial, with the average cost per member being about $1.7 million per annum.

Moreover, the increase represents an average cost to GPL of over $140,000 per month, which is in fact quite high, said the GPL Chairman who noted that “they may argue that they don’t see all of that…that some of it is NIS, some of it is allowances…but that is what it costs the company and that is our real cost for employing them… and it’s a significant number.”

NAACIE employees attached to GPL amount to about 700 individuals, thus the wage bill for this faction of workers translate to some $1.5 billion, Brassington said.

“I don’t think any other state-owned entity or any other entity with comparable employees that would have a higher average wage bill for employees,” added Brassington, who said that GPL has significant amounts of non-salary benefits that also cost the company, and which contribute to the total wage bill.

The GPL Chairman asserted that the offered increase should be taken against the background that in the last six years, substantial increases were paid to employees. He recalled that in 2007, a nine per cent allinclusive package was offered and in 2008, 2009 and 2010, a six per cent all-inclusive package was made available. In 2011, eight per cent was offered, Brassington added. “These are significant amounts for GPL to pay,” the GPL Chairman stated,

even as he reiterated that the finances of the company have not been doing well.

This was however not the first year that Government made available subsidies to the power company, as according to Brassington, subsidies were approved in 2008 and 2011.

In addition, Government has loaned GPL substantial sums for investment, all of which have to be repaid, thus, Brassington stressed, “GPL as an entity has not been generating the cash flow that it requires and is dependent on the treasury for subsidies for its operation and for its capital investment”.

This dilemma, he said, is coupled by the fact that oil prices have been rising, with increases being evident in 2007, 2008 and then in 2011 and 2012. As a result, GPL was forced to spend over $24 billion on fuel alone, representing 83 per cent of the company’s revenue, Brassington disclosed.

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Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

A price on Human life

The Linden Commission places a value on human life It cost Guyana at least $80 million for a group of jurists to confirm what most Guyanese knew all along—that the police shot and killed the three men during the Linden protest on July 18, last year. The protest was due to the government decision to hike the electricity rate by removing the subsidy.

Indeed, some people argued that Linden should not be taxed with any increase because it is a depressed community due to the absence of employment opportunities. But the government argued that Linden had enjoyed the best of the electricity system by virtue of the conditions they enjoyed when bauxite was king.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds lived and worked in Linden.

He spoke of the manner in which the people of Linden used electricity. Indeed they had their bulbs on round the clock, using electricity as though it were water. This would have promoted the decision by the government to hike the electricity rates. Yet there are those who would insist that the decision by the government to hike the electricity rates was because the parliamentary opposition slashed money projected for the Guyana Electricity Corporation.

And as if by coincidence, the slash in the subsidy to Linden was identical to the amount that the parliamentary opposition slashed from the budget for the electricity sector.

The end results were a series of demonstrations the most serious on July 18, 2012. By the end of the day three people lay dead and buildings were destroyed.

The toll on the people of Linden was even higher because nearly two dozen were wounded, some of them seriously. Passage through the mining community was halted for almost a month as the residents refused to allow anything to pass to or from the hinterland. Fuel could not get into the areas and in some cases even movement of food was denied.

As the matter attained national attention President Donald Ramotar ordered an independent commission.

Foreign jurists were brought into supplement two local judges. The final report is out and it is indeed revealing.

For example, the police denied shooting anyone but at the same time, there were no reports of any outside force aiming a gun at the protesters. The police argued that the pellets extracted from the bodies of the dead and wounded matched nothing that the police force would use. The commission found the argument to be untrue.

For their part the police contended that the ammunition used by the police had been removed from circulation. If that were indeed the case then there are rogue elements with access to the prohibited rounds and used these with telling effect. Testimonies from senior police officials were also found to contain many dishonest comments. One must now conclude whether the commission has exposed the level of trust the people could repose in the police, especially some senior ranks.

Now that the report has fingered dishonesty within the ranks of the police force one must now wait and see whether there would be any sanctions. For example, the person who issued the ammunition should be made to explain to the nation how he could have accessed decommissioned rounds.

The policeman who lied under oath must also be brought to book. The society cannot trust his presence in any issue of crowd control and those far removed from Linden must wonder whether they could trust this rank to deal fairly and accurately with issues they may raise.

On the issue of compensation, it would seem that the commission has put a value on human life with the highest price being $3 million. If that is what a life is worth then it is small wonder that people kill with little remorse.

However, one should recall that the police themselves had placed little value on human life. The force paid a mere one million dollars for the lives of those who died in the line of duty. Those injured could compute the cost of every single injury they received.

There is going to be a comprehensive analysis of the report but for sure the words of the leader of the Commission, Justice Lensley Wolfe could ring true. He said that the report would determine the relationship between Linden and the police, between Linden and the administration and between Linden and its neighbours.

Saturday March 02, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news Letters...

Guyana is deliberately being led down a path of poverty just to enrich a few DEAR EDITOR, I was pleased to see that a very large delegation of Brazilians were entertained by a similarly large delegation from Guyana to discuss the building of a deep water harbour, a hydroelectric dam, and the road from Brazil to the Guyana coast.

The hydropower dam will cost us nothing, since it will be built for Guyana and Brazil on our land and will be approximately 900-1500 megawatts as the Brazilians not only want hydropower to power Manaus, a city of 2.2 million people, they also want to smelt their Bauxite ore into aluminium, which means that Guyana will also benefit from this. It will mean that we will have enough cheap power to produce aluminium.

The dam they propose will have a catchment of nearly 900 square kilometres in the mountainous Mazaruni area which also has high rainfall and is therefore a very unique location on the planet, perfect for hydropower generation, and it is ours, we will never be able to develop it, but with the help of Brazil the fourth biggest economy in the world - we can. This country badly needs a deep

water harbour, everything we buy for our daily food and clothing needs or anything we export has to be transferred in Trinidad or Suriname to smaller vessels coming in and larger vessels going out since the large ocean-going Panamax vessels cannot cross the shallow silted-up 15-ft. deep Demerara bar, they need at least 30-ft. draft, as a result everything we buy from abroad costs an estimated 30% more in transportation costs and everything we export rice, sugar, bauxite also costs more, leaving less foreign exchange for the national purse.

The PPP doesn’t have time to address these important national projects, they are too busy building a Marriott hotel, a Hopeless Canal and a stadium, since it gives the Guyanese people a false sense of achievement, when in fact they are just ways to put money into corrupt pockets.

I however hold no delusions that this initiative by the Brazilians will bear fruit, and at the end of the process Guyana will be left out and the Brazilians, fed up of begging us for all of the 20 years the PPP has been in office to help

them get badly needed access to the Atlantic, will take their business and development to Suriname, and Guyana would have lost once more. We have been given an ultimatum, if by June we don’t agree to this path to certain development, the Brazilians will take their business to Suriname.

I have spoken and written about this before - these are very large development projects, the Brazilians are proposing to spend their dollars in partnership with Guyana for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Not like the Chinese who are lending us money to do non-productive national projects which are riddled with every conceivable sort of corruption.

After thinking on the matter for some time, I am convinced that the PPP government does not want these developments with Brazil since they will be partnerships, and clearly the Brazilians will not just give the Guyana gover n m e n t t h e money to do these projects, but they will want to do them themselves.

We, providing the land and they providing the money and the infrastructure as equal partners. The

Brazilians need this development badly, so we would have the upper hand in these negotiations.

If this were to happen, the PPP will make no money on corrupt contracts as they are doing with the money which is lent to us by China, with very little accountability.

Corrupt PPP officials are the only ones benefiting from this.

So we will continue without the Brazilians as usual since the PPP boys will not be getting the kickbacks from all of the construction the Brazilians will initiate and Guyanese will be left poor and backward as usual, whilst the Brazilians take their business to Suriname enriching that country and its people.

How long will we have to tolerate this unquenchable greed which is destroying our country?

How long will the Guyanese people look on, without protest, as the PPP sells us down the drain?

How long will the Guyana voters take to realise that Guyana is deliberately being led down a path of poverty just to enrich a few who are the political employees of the nation?

Tony Vieira

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

DEAR EDITOR, The vexing issue of the Speaker ’s ‘edict’ on the question of Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, being denied his constitutional right to address Parliament, has now descended into a “comedy of errors”.

After the ‘no confidence vote’ against Rohee, carried by a majority of the House, three avenues were laid down as the way to resolve the matter: 1) The findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Linden unrest; 2) The rulings of the Privileges Committee of the House, and 3) The judgement of the Chief Justice on the matter before him.

All and sundry have chosen to ignore this threeway path to unravelling the truth and have circumvented

and subverted the process.

Principally among the transgressors are the Speaker by his “preconceived edict”; the PPP/C by now adopting the position that the ruling of the Privileges Committee on the matter is now not necessary; the AFC by adopting the least contentious route by declaring that they will abide by the Speaker’s edict and finally by the APNU who continue to spit fire and brimstone against the Speaker on the issue.

Out of Guyana, has emerged in print the only sensible suggestion as to the way out of this impasse, from the pen of the letter writer Mr Beni Rayman who stated that the Speaker’s edict should first have been debated in the House and then voted on before the edict can be adopted as the official position.

Incidentally, a prominent

Do as you would be done by DEAR EDITOR, Let us lighten up a bit, and please forgive my perverse sense of humour.

When I read the woes of the chap and his car in Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, on Mash Day, I was reminded of my experience in Spain in the 1980s. The tour coach we were travelling in turned into a narrow street of cafés on either side, presumably as a shortcut, around lunchtime, and there was a car parked half on the pavement, half on the street, blocking the way.

After sounding the horn for some minutes, with no one appearing, the coach driver jumped out, went into two or three cafés and emerged with enough sturdy men to handle the situation. Three of them on each side, front, middle and back, lifted the car bodily and cheerfully moved it out of the way, allowing the coach to proceed on its journey. We tourists, mostly from Britain, were amazed and found these antics extremely funny.

People can be selfish - or perhaps thoughtless.

In a strange way, it brought to mind the daily

caper of fellow cruisers on the first transatlantic cruise I went on, roughly 10 years ago.

Throughout the holiday, every day a few people would visit the sun-deck before breakfast and put stuff on as many deck chairs as possible, to ‘reserve’ them for friends and family and then disappear, sometimes for the rest of the day. Groups took turns each day for this caper.

By mid-morning every chair on the sun-deck would be ‘reserved’ for absent people, to the exclusion of those coming later.

It was an American cruiser and the Brits all complained about this practice - Brits love sunshine and probably felt cheated. In fact, they normally take holidays to experience the sun and perhaps get a tan. The next year, there was a card in every cabin, letting guests know that patrols would remove stuff left on sun-deck seats for more than an hour and hold them in a room, from which they may be reclaimed between certain hours. That solved the problem. Do as you would be done by.

Geralda Dennison

member of APNU and Member of Parliament has also outlined a similar position, but in addition, he has stated that the Speaker is not empowered under the constitution of Guyana to issue such edicts.

Above all else, if this edict is allowed to stand then Guyana and Guyanese will become, if they are not so already, the laughing stock of the world. But worse, a most indecent precedent must not be allowed, by the Speaker.

Prior to this printed position by Mr Rayman, several learned professors here in New York had enunciated a similar solution.

Now the 64 million dollar question is “What is the solution to the problem?

My two cents on that is simple. Two wrongs don’t make a right. All and sundry must resort back to the three ways as outlined above in this letter and await the conclusion of all three steps and then adopt an informed

response to the vexing issue of Rohee being allowed or disallowed to speak in the House.

The Linden Commission Report is now presented. We can afford a little more time (after all nothing of substance will be uttered by Rohee in the interim) to allow for this matter to be properly ventilated and the truth arrived at for a correct solution to be wisely adopted among all the “Wise People” sitting in the House.

In the meantime, the PPP/

C will continue to have things their way by bullying, cajoling, skulduggery, shenanigans, innuendos, downright trickery, bribery and corruption etc. etc. While the nation is deciding to get set against the ruling PPP/CJagdeo Cabal, that clique is hell bent on trying to buy over opposition members to thwart the wishes of the people At the end of it all, let’s see the eventual outcome of all of this?

Lionel Peters

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 02, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

DEAR EDITOR, The piece by Mr. Lionel Peters (KN Feb 21) caught my attention. I agree that those who worked for government (government agencies included), as long as they meet the qualification requirements, are entitled to a pension and should be so remunerated. This would include people like Adam Harris who is now editor of KN. I previously wrote that neither the PNC nor the PPP government should have

denied Dr. Fenton Ramsahoye and Balram Singh Rai their much deserved and earned pensions.

Now about the writer, Mr. Lionel Peters. I hold no brief for him and in fact he has been a regular critic of mine. I can attest to frequent arrests and abuses at the hands of agents of the dictatorship. I admire and respect his contribution to political struggle in Guyana. I don’t think he served in any government agency (although I do recall he briefly worked with GEC) and as such will not be

entitled to any government pension. But he served the PPP and Mirror newspaper for many, many years, much longer than some who are earning huge benefits from government titles, and that has earned him the right to some form of compensation from that political party.

While many others served in government and as such are entitled to or are receiving government pension, Lio, as he was popularly called, does not have the good fortune to enjoy that benefit. If he qualifies for a pension

working at GEC, then he should also be awarded what is rightfully his.

I am aware of Lio’s activism on behalf of the PPP and people of Guyana during the struggle for freedom against the dictatorship. I used to travel to Guyana regularly between 1981 and 1992 during the struggle to restore democratic rule and joined forces with so many opposed to the dictatorship.

I met Lio at various locations including in Port Mourant, Whim, Albion, Black Bush and Georgetown.

He used to sell Mirror newspapers and I faintly recollect him also delivering GEC bills. He was also a reporter for Mirror and I recall him penning several investigative pieces. He was very committed and dedicated to the PPP. I also recall his party activism; organizing sporting activities to build support for the party and in organizing party cells in greater Georgetown. In short, he was indisputably a terrific worker and political organizer.

Sadly, Lio has become a fierce critic of the PPP ever since a fallout with the party around 1997, similar to the

fallout involving Moses Nagamootoo, Ralph Ramkarran, Prakash Ramjattan, etc., other stalwarts in the struggle for the restoration of democratic rule. And many seem to forget or negate Lio’s contributions to the freedom movement just because he is on the other political side. Those of us who were part of the struggle for free and fair elections will not forget the contributions of so many who have not been recognized.

As Lio says, give those who are entitled their due pensions!

Vishnu Bisram

There is a certain hypocrisy at play here DEAR EDITOR, The Kaieteur News and the Guyana Times have carried reports of an issue in Berbice in which alcohol was found on a student (or students) who was (or were) on a school tour to Georgetown. It seems as though some disciplinary action has been taken, including school suspension.

There is a certain hypocrisy at play here, though, in terms of alcohol and children. Any school child travelling around Guyana on a tour will be encouraged to drink not only by the social norms, but also by alcohol advertisements encouraging them to drink.

Beverage companies have used celebrities to sell liquor to the people viewing the billboards…and in the minibuses…the drivers play music and the DeeJays tout other alcohol products…all legally distributed in Guyana.

There are no celebrity role models telling the students

not to drink and sports and family events are fuelled by the ‘sponsorship’ of events, no Dee Jay in a minibus saying children don’t drink.

It is sad for a teacher who is well meaning on a school tour to have to battle a society and an industry which encourages drinking.

Children purchase liquor from licenced and unlicenced liquor stores around the country and no seller has been brought to the courts or had their licence revoked for selling liquor to children.

Many of us Guyanese started drinking long before the legal age, and some stopped while others continued. Punishing a student (and a teacher) for having alcohol without holding the society and industry accountable for the marketing of its products does no one any good. The other children will continue to get their liquor, and the industry will continue to get more profits.

Vidyaratha Kissoon

An injustice done to the PPP DEAR EDITOR,

A Reuters report quoted newly-appointed US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel as saying that the United States cannot dictate to the world, but rather should engage the world.

This is indeed an enlightened position since the United States has historically considered itself as the world’s policeman and has been intervening in the domestic affairs of several countries including Guyana in the 1960s, when it pressured Britain to withhold independence out of fear that a “communist regime” could be established in what it once considered as a US sphere of

interest.

The United States, through its one-time Presidential Advisor Arthur Schlesinger, later apologised to Dr. Jagan for a grave injustice done to him and to the people of Guyana, not only by denying the country independence status much earlier as agreed by Britain, but by aiding and abetting a process that led to the removal of the PPP from office in the 1964 elections - and this despite a pledge given by Dr. Jagan during a meeting with President Kennedy at the White House in 1961 that he would not allow Guyana to be a Soviet base.

Hydar Ally

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 02, 2013

GPL anticipates downward employment as modernisation takes effect With continuous moves being made towards the modernisation of its distribution network, the Guyana Power and Light Company Inc. (GPL) is likely to embrace a move to downgrade its staff.

This comment was made

by Chairman of the power company, Winston Brassington, during a press conference on Thursday at the entity’s Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown, Executive Secretariat.

Brassington’s remark came even as the company faced a second day of industrial action engaged by employees represented by the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE).

GPL has refused to pay an eight per cent uniondemanded across the board increase to workers on the basis that it is losing money and therefore cannot afford what it calls an “unreasonable” request.

The power company has instead offered the union a five per cent all inclusive pay hike which has been rejected.

According to Brassington, in order to pay even the five per cent GPL will either have to increase tariffs or seek a

subsidy from Government.

The latter approach has reportedly been embraced by Government.

As he considered the company’s financial state the GPL Chairman noted that a move towards retrenchment is always available to the company depending on the circumstances that it faces.

However, he said that such action is not immediately on the cards. “We have not done anything in recent years; not for the last two years, and nothing is immediately planned but the option is always available,” he insisted.

Even as he pointed to the fact that modernisation would not require as many people in generation, Brassington noted that GPL is modernising and investing in new transmission systems and new sub-stations.

The sub-stations themselves would require more people but, according to Brassington, “We are consolidating our generation in fewer locations where the remaining plants such as Versailles and Onverwagt would more or less (provide) back-up.”

He noted, too, that “as we have a more modernised interconnected network

between Berbice and Demerara with modern lines and as we have new investments in generation most of which is being operated by Wartsila we don’t need as many people in generation.”

Brassington said that a brand new customer information system was installed a few years ago with a view to integrating a number of disparate functions thereby allowing for easier operation.

With this development in place “we need to review the structure as we modernise,” said Brassington in light of the entity’s cash-strapped state.

Escalating fuel prices With a wage bill in the billions, which sees the 700=odd NAACIE represented workers alone claiming a massive chunk which amounts to about $1.5 billion, GPL’s financial state is compounded by a constantly mounting fuel cost, Brassington said.

Last year, the company consumed 83 per cent of its revenue which translated to $24 billion in fuel.

GPL has expressed publicly that the continued high oil prices have caused the company to suffer

significant financial losses, which amount to almost $5 billion last year. Losses are projected to continue this year even as endeavours are made to make major improvements in the quality of service offered to customers.

According to GPL officials it is common knowledge that the electricity industry is amongst the most capital intensive in the world, requiring billions of dollars of investments in generation, transmission and distribution assets among others.

As a result “high oil prices continue to beleaguer the company, depleting cash resources to the extent that the company has to resort to government for significant subsidies in order to sustain operations.”

In order to finance major investments over the past few years the company was forced to borrow huge sums all of which must be repaid with interest, Brassington revealed.

Monies borrowed over the span of six years (2007 - 2012) include just over $10 billion in Government subsidies and $21 billion in loans.

Expected impact of Amaila Although the 165 megawatts Amaila Falls

GPL Chairman, Winston Brassington Hydropower project is not expected to come on stream until 2017 it is believed that it will provide power reliability to meet Guyana’s future needs. With this facility in place, Guyana will be able to generate its own power from a clean and natural source.

It is anticipated that over time, the hydropower will lower average wholesale energy costs.

According to Brassington, the Amaila project is designed to provide power mostly as it relates to generation.

Currently most of the country’s electricity generation is done by Wartsila, and Brassington said that in the last four or five years “we have gone from

44 megawatts of Wartsila in Demerara to 80 megawatts. By later this year we will be at 106 megawatts with the Vreed-enHoop plant. All of this is being operated by Wartsila.”

“More and more of our generation is being done by Wartsila in addition to that we have got GuySuCo, which is operated by GuySuCo Skeldon on an IPP.” Brassington said that hydro will largely replace the capacity that is basically being supplied by Wartsila and Skeldon. However, he noted that there will be limitations with the hydro facility because when it comes on stream Essequibo will not be immediately connected; as such it will continue to be isolated.

“The hydro itself will not create a lot of changes there but between now and next year you will see the converting of the system from 50 to 60 hertz. We are connecting the 69kV line from Berbice to Demerara so we will have one interconnected system and that’s the transmission network,” Brassington added.

Even as the plans move earnestly ahead to modernise the distribution network, the GPL Chairman reminded that the direction of employment will trend downward over time but it will certainly not be immediate.

Saturday March 02, 2013

Someone unknown once said, “If you tell a lie big enough, repeat it often enough and embellish it each time you repeat it, your lie will take on the allure of an established fact, if not the echo of truth.”

A slightly altered version of the above quotation has been attributed to Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda chief. But even Goebbels could learn a thing or two about propaganda from the PNC regime.

Today the PNCR is still weaving its art of propaganda that was so well mastered when the PNC was in power.

And one of the main ploys used is to repeat an untruth long and often enough that eventually some believe end up believing it and getting very emotional too.

What has happened to Clement Rohee, the present Minister of Home Affairs also happened to another Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj. They were both the victims of Goebbels- styled propaganda by the opposition.

In the case of the former Minister of Home Affairs, the lie was spread that he was the director of a death squad. The basis of this lie was the concoction of a man who claimed that he was once an informer for the death squad and who once saw a man being killed by this squad while he was grazing his cows

Kaieteur News

at four o clock in the morning.

Anyone who has lived in Guyana know s t h a t n o matter what month of the year it is, it is always pitch dark at that hour of the morning. Anyone who knows a thing or two about the grazing of cattle will know that not even in the Rupununi Savannahs are cattle grazed at 4. a.m.

But here was a master storyteller, a “ gaff man as we would say, a man who one senior police official admitted was known to the police, spinning a story implicating a minister of the government simply because he felt that the death of his brother was not promptly investigated.

He went public with the allegation that on a night when four men were slaughtered in Robb Street, he was at the home of the minister when a call came through to the effect that the targets were identified to which the minister gave certain orders.

This tall tale ignited a political storm in Guyana and the government was forced to establish a commission of inquiry to probe whether this minister had any ties to death squads.

The commission of inquiry exonerated the minister. It found that the man who was grazing his cows at 4 a.m. was a discredited witness. The phone records were checked and no such call

Dem boys seh...

A jumbie lash waiting fuh Brazzy Fuh de first time people get a chance to measure wha Brazzy really do to dem. People in Wakenaam and Leguan and de Essequibo Coast find out that Brazzy mek dem get blackout. De GPL workers ask fuh a pay increase that had meaning. Dem ask fuh eight per cent but Brazzy do some magic and offer dem five per cent of which only one per cent was on dem salary.

De workers strike and fuh de first time people see Brazzy trying to service he generator. He use to get dem same GPL people fuh service de generator but dem strike and dem vex wid he. He get a Chinee man from de Marriott but de man tell he that de machine different from dem wha he accustom to.

Dem trying to get a police mechanic but de same police does got to send all dem wuk outside because dem mechanic always deh pun strike unless dem can ketch a raise.

Poor Donald, he done know that he live across from de power company suh he mightn’t get a real blackout but he deh pun standby. He vex that he got to pay out money to everybody. He got to pay out money to dem people in Linden and now dem want he pay de GPL employees.

And he vex because instead of trying fuh mek peace wid dem GPL workers he threatening dem wid knock off. Dem boys seh that de GPL people should ketch he and beat he because is he who affecting dem pay increase.

Is de same Brazzy who mek Dindyal resign because he did want tek over de company. He know that de government does plough money into GPL and when Brazzy see money he does go mad. He talk Dindyal name and Jagdeo was listening.

That is why de same Dindyal nearly put a pin in de chair but he was frighten de amount of gas that would come out of Brazzy woulda pollute de whole of Kingston.

Dem boys seh that he can rest assured, is a blackout coming but not from GPL. It might come from a jumbie lash fuh all dem wicked things that he doing.

Talk half and wait fuh Brazzy.

was received.

Despite the unambiguous verdict of this independent commission of inquiry, the lie continued to be pedaled that there was a link to death squads.

This lie has been repeated so consistently and in so many variations, that it has assumed the “allure of fact” and “the echo of truth.”

People have been brainwashed into believing that story and despite the fact that there was a commission of inquiry that found no such links, the truth is often repeated and embellished.

It therefore does not matter what the Commission of Inquiry into the events of

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July 18 last in Linden have pronounced.

Those who have used this incident to deflect from their own involvement will continue to peddle the lie that orders came from political circles for the action that led to the deaths of the three men.

Just like with the case of the former Minister of Home Affairs, the political opposition has in this instance boxed itself into a corner.

It resorted to a legislative lynching of the present Minister of Home Affairs, going so far as moving a motion of no- confidence in him and then attempting to silence him for an offence for

which it has not produced a shred of credible evidence.

The opposition stands today like the naked emperor believing that it has not just an invisible cloak but also an invincible right to hang the minister out to dry.

It tried him even before the commission of inquiry had been completed. It prejudged the commission of inquiry and used him as a scapegoat to save the political careers of some of their own.

It has now found itself disgraced but not without an exit strategy.

That exit strategy would be to do like what some did with the former minister of Home Affairs: continue to

repeat the unproven facts and hope that by constantly repeating and embellishing them, that somehow the unproven allegations will assume “ the allure of facts” and the echo of truth.”

After what the Linden Commission of Inquiry has revealed, it is time for the government to move a motion of no-confidence in the entire opposition. They should all resign.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 02, 2013

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

Immigration INFO Immigration News For Our Community Through this “Question & Answer” column, our goal is to answer your immigration questions. We appreciate your comments and questions. If you have a question that you would like answered in this column, please email: Gail@GailLaw.com.

Answer #2: If you file for your parents and they obtain a green card, they are required to be living in the U.S. (not Jamaica). If they return to Jamaica to work and live with the green card, they will most likely get the green card taken away at a port of entry into U.S.

Question #1: My mother is a US citizen; she applied for me and my family (I’m married). Our priority date is 6th Feb. 2011. Could you please say how long we have to wait?

Question #3: I sponsored my husband since February 8, 2011, can you tell me how much longer does he have to wait to get a visa.

Answer #1: I n response to your question, visas are being issued for petitions filed on or before July 2002 - so it is a 9-year wait.

Question #2: I am a naturalized US citizen, since March 2012; My parents are currently living and working in Jamaica; If I file for them via I-30 Petition for alien relative will they be required to file yearly taxes on income they are earning in Jamaica? My parents plan on working and living in Jamaica for at least five more years.

However, in the event that the desire to move to the states or need to seek medical attention, I would love for them to become US citizens.

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Muse or Amuse Is there conflict of interest with the private sector bodies?

Answer #4: I n response to your question, she can marry and remain in the U.S. and file for a green card in U.S. if her fiancé is a U.S. citizen. Procedures to get married depend on the state she will be living in.

Question #6: My son was born in the US. Is it possible I can file for citizenship without him sponsoring me or should I just continue to visit as normal and wait until he turns 18 to fully sponsor me?

Answer #6: Your U.S. citizen son has to wait until he is age 21 before he can sponsor you.

The Chamber of Commerce is usually the premier organization for private sectors across the world.

In Guyana there are many disparate bodies that represent private sector. Some of these bodies are seen as shadows of the Government while others are seen as independent.

The main opposition Party had refused to meet with one of the private sector bodies because of certain persons within that body whose activities, opinions and pronouncements always mirror that of the Government.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand, remained detached from politics and its current Chairman must be applauded for his independent position.

Across the world the various private sector bodies are seen as the premier engine of growth.

In Guyana, under President Jagdeo, the Guyana Government became the engine of growth and supplanted itself within the Private Sector bodies to ensure that state control was exercised within the Private Sector.

happening is that students find it confusing to “pay attention to two people” (the school teacher and extra lessons teacher) and thus, they “tune one person [the teacher in school] out and they are following the other person.

“Nine times out of ten, they (the students) prefer to follow the person mommy or daddy is paying, and they do that to their detriment”, he added, Sam stated that he does not have problems with lessons but the activity is supposed to support the school curriculum, “to give the students the opportunity to master the concepts they are learning in schools.

“However, you parents are spending your hardearned money but the lessons teachers are teaching things that are not aligned with the things being taught in school, so the students are becoming more confused than anything else” He cautioned parents to have a conversation with their children’s lessons teacher, to find out what the children are doing in school and work

along with the lessons teacher. “That’s when the lessons will be making sense in the system and helping our children. The way it’s going on right now, it’s not working,” he said.

The official stated that some schools have teachers giving voluntary service in the form of extra lessons to students in the afternoons and that the Ministry of Education is even working with some Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to “compensate” those teachers, through anonymous contributions of parents.

Sam said that lessons teac h e r s h a v e s t u d e n t s from different schools “and they are doing their own t h i n g . I t ’s t i m e t h e y streamline this and do it in a way that we are getting value for money”.

He urged lessons teachers to teach the same curriculum that the public schools use, “so you know where generally the children should be at any time in the [school] year in Mathematics and English”.

He bemoaned the need for cluster sessions for students

preparing to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Exams to boost results in Guyana.

The cluster sessions will begin very soon and will run into the Easter holidays in Berbice. But Sam was concerned about the trend of teachers making sacrifices to meet with students who hardly turn up for these sessions.

“We’ve organized these things in the past—the teachers come and make themselves available and the students don’t show up…three and four students show up.

It seems to us that when our teachers are making themselves available to us to give free instruction, our students don’t want that and poor parents are not supporting that. When they have to pay outside there, they go”.

He stated that the remedial sessions would happen during the school day, “because we cannot get the students to show up in the afternoons or weekends, and these reviews are for the current CSEC students.”

Answer #3: If you are a U.S. citizen then it takes about one year; if you are green card holder then it takes two to three years.

Question #4: My daughter’s fiancé is living in the U.S.A. She is having a valid visa for the U.S.A. I would like to know if she can go to the U.S.A and marry her fiancé right away and remain until she gets her permanent residence. I will also like to know the procedure to get her married in the U.S.A

Attorney Gail S. Seeram, Question #5: How long does it take when a permanent person files for the wife and kids?

Answer #5: For the spouse of a permanent resident, right now visas are being issued for petitions filed on or before July 2010 – so about a two to three-year wait.

Lessons have negative impact on children - Chief Education Officer

Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, has stated that extra lessons are having a negative impact on students, especially those preparing for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations.

Mr. Sam was speaking to parents on the Corentyne recently during a fan-out visit and interaction in the Berbice area.

Several issues were raised by the parents at the Corentyne Comprehensive High School and JC Chandisingh Secondary School. One issue was the poor examination results.

Extra lessons, he stated, are now becoming a deterrent to students progressing rather “than something contributing to their success”. Sam cited Maths.

“Most of our students writing CSEC Maths attend extra lessons, but…because they are going to extra lessons; they are not paying attention in school”.

Investigations, he said, have revealed that students are not paying attention in school and not even attending classes”. He added, too, that what is

There are a number of senior persons within the private sector bodies who hold positions within Boards and organizations while being at the helm of their private sector bodies. Some of these positions may be in direct conflict to the aims of the private sector as an organization and could be seen as a direct conflict of interest.

Some of these persons are seen as Government agents that occupy private sector posts. They have presided over the private sector while acting as Government agents.

Their roles as government appointees created a conflict with the overarching role of Private Sector.

Example 1: a person heads the private sector and is a board member of NICIL. From his position in NICIL he will vote against his peers in the private sector.

Let the minutes show how positions were taken against their peers, like Marriott Vs Pegasus, China Vs GT&T. Is there conflict of Interest?

Example 2: A person heads a private sector body and chairs a utility body which awards contracts to private sector members.

Is there conflict?

Example 3: A person heads a private sector body and is appointed by the

government to head the competition commission. He will never bring action against his own company but can take action against his peers.

Is there conflict?

Example 4: A person heads a private sector body and sits in many security boards while owning his own security firm, his own airline and screens and checks at some of the ports.

He may or may not know everything and is in a privileged position to decide when and how to do whatever he wants.

Example 5: A persons is head of a private sector body and heads the airport board while his best friend looks after the security contract at the same facility while his peers are awarded contracts for that facility.

Is there conflict?

Example 6: The coffer of one of the private sector bodies was stripped and its auditor fired unethically. Is there conflict?

There are many more examples for analysis.

Some of these people are very powerful. Their rewards may be justifiable in their minds as they sit in every powerful Board and take decisions that affect us all.

Over to the social scientists. Is there conflict of interest? You decide.

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Saturday March 02, 2013

Prince Charles-backed charity to plug dollars to help protect Guyana’s forests Other countries are following Wales in its bid to save the rainforests across the globe.

Britain (express.co.uk) From forest fires in Australia to logging in the Amazon, the area lost is always described as the size of Wales.

But a team of campaigners backed by royal greenie Prince Charles has turned this on its head. On St David’s Day, the Size of Wales charity was expected to announce that the principality has become the first country to protect an area of tropical forest equivalent to its own size.

That’s five million acres of trees in 20 projects from Kenya to Guyana in a £2million project.

Prince Charles says Size of Wales is “impressive handson action” to protect the world’s forests and climate.

He adds: “Helping to sustain an area of tropical forest equivalent in size to two million rugby pitches shows great leadership to other nations…”

Denmark is now considering doing the same, which would save 10 million

acres, and Ireland has launched a more modest Size of Phoenix Park campaign.

Safeguarding forests helps the locals and us.

Tropical rainforests absorb one-third of man’s carbon emissions, a benefit cancelled out by emissions from clearing forests.

Research shows that preventing deforestation is 875 times cheaper than cutting emissions through the EU’s labyrinthine Emission Trading Scheme.

Saving forests can also change lives. Roger Wasibi, of Uganda’s One Million Trees Project, said: “Uganda has suffered from devastating landslides as a result of deforestation and this tree planting project is helping to stabilise the soil to prevent further disasters and provide shade for better crops.”

The need for action is urgent. About 30 million acres of rainforest are cut down every year from Brazil to Indonesia. Maybe it’s time for England to follow Wales’ lead.

Charlestown residents fed up with banditry Fed up with bandits and robbery in the Charlestown area, residents are calling on the police to react promptly and seriously.

Their reaction was spurred by another attack on a storage bond on Broad Street, Charlestown which occurred Thursday night.

“Only when you have money in this country then you can get satisfaction. If someone had shot and killed one of the bandits you would see how quick they would have come to lock up somebody,” one irate resident said.

A report was made by residents to the Ruimveldt Police Station which is less than three minutes away,

however, police took more than 30 minutes to arrive at the scene after the thieves fled the scene.

“Imagine people know who the robbers are, and when reports are made to the police, the same men keep attacking the business bond over and over. Why must people have regards for any police?” residents questioned.

It was explained that the brazen act of the thieves combined with inaction by police will cause residents to take the law into their own hands.

“We need the police to be more serious about reports that are lodged at the Ruimveldt Police Station.”

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 13

Army says Camp Groomes Chief Justice says National victims will return to payroll Assembly wrong to gag Rohee The Guyana Defence Force (GDF), in a press statement yesterday, said that two ranks, who were injured in the 2000 Camp Groomes explosion and taken off the payroll wrongfully, last year, will be returned to the Force’s payroll and will receive salaries from the date they were taken off duty.

The matter had drawn the attention of the state defence agency after this newspaper broke the story that the men were receiving no compensation and had been discharged from the army without salaries.

According to the GDF, an initial decision was taken that “the persons injured in the Camp Groomes explosion would remain on strength and with pay until they attained the age of retirement.

“More recently, a decision was taken to have those ranks appear before a Medical Board and be discharged as ‘ceasing to fulfil medical standards’, so that they can begin to receive benefits without having to wait until

they were 40, provided that Defence Board agreed.”

The army claimed that investigations into the ranks complaints revealed that “a genuine error occurred where the two ranks that approached the newspaper were published in Force Orders as being struck off strength, ceasing to fulfill medical standards, and consequently, taken off the payroll when their documentation was not yet sent to the Defence Board.”

These ranks, the force said, should have remained on the payroll until the Defence Board’s approval was obtained. It expressed regret over the error.

The release said, “The Chief of Staff has assured the affected soldiers that the publication in Force Orders will be deleted and they will be returned to the payroll and receive salaries from the date they were taken off.”

The force concluded that it remains committed to the welfare of its ranks and assures that the correct

procedures regarding the processing of their benefits will be followed.

In last Sunday’s issue of the Kaieteur News, the ranks expressed dissatisfaction, regret and disappointment at the way the army had been treating them since the explosion occurred.

After relating a horror tale of life and death, the ranks said they were discharged from the army since last year without being informed that their salaries were ceased.

They said they have so far received no compensation and no follow up treatment for their injuries as today they are still plagued by illnesses; physical and mental, since the defence forces’ largest ammunition bond exploded in the early morning hours of December 18, with the men still asleep in the compound.

More recently, other Camp Groomes victims have come forward expressing “unfavourable treatment” being meted out to them and wishing to have their stories heard too.

A pork knocker who pleaded guilty to a drug possession charge changed his plea after he was informed that the penalty for the offence is imprisonment.

Curtis Lewis, 19, of Lot 122 Leopold and Breda Streets, Charlestown, Georgetown has been accused of having three grams of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking on February 22 last. The prosecution stated that the facts were as charged.

Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry fined him $3,000 along with six months of community service.

Lewis was also charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Sandra Park.

He pleaded not guilty to that charge.

Park told the Magistrate that she and the defendant were before her some two weeks prior to this incident.

Park stated that the defendant

continues to harass her despite being warned by the court.

Lewis’s Attorney Paul Fung-a-Fat in bid for bail told the court that his client has a fixed place of abode at lot 122 Leopold and Breda Streets Charlestown and that he is a pork knocker.

Lewis was however refused bail and remanded to prison on the latter charge.

The matter will be called again on March 4.

Pork knocker remanded after chopping woman

Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang, in handing down his decision yesterday, ruled that the National Assembly, not being Parliament, cannot through any Bill or Motion be empowered to negate the powers of any member of the National Assembly.

The CJ also ruled that whenever the Court’s jurisdiction is invoked on any issue, the Court’s decision is final and binding.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall had filed a Motion in the High Court on behalf of the Government of Guyana, to nullify the NoConfidence Motion moved in the National Assembly on July 25, 2012 by Opposition Leader David Granger and passed by the H o u s e o n July 30, 2012.

The No-Confidence Motion was brought against Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee after the death of three protestors in the mining town of Linden on July 18, 2012.

The protest took place when residents objected to the hike in electricity tariff in Region Ten. The events took

a turn for the worse when three men were killed and others injured.

Government had said it would not remove the Minister from office, until the findings and report of a Commission of Inquiry empanelled to investigate the events of that day.

That report was submitted to the Head of State on Thursday and its findings exonerate the Minister.

Ruling that the Motion filed by the Leader of the Opposition, was misconceived and unconstitutional, the Chief Justice stated that the convention which applies in England in relation to Ministerial responsibility and resignation when a NoConfidence Motion is passed against a Minister, has no place in Guyana’s political architecture.

He has ruled that the Motion which was passed to repose that Motion of NoConfidence in the Minister and the consequent sanctions which followed, that is, the imposition of that prohibition which prevents the Minister from speaking, is

wholly wrong, unconstitutional and outside the power of the National Assembly. The CJ also outlined the distinction between the role of Parliament to regulate its own procedure, and the role of the Court in relation to Parliament.

A Partnership for National Unity Member of Parliament and legal representative Basil Williams, while conceding that the CJ’s final ruling has endorsed the preliminary decision, said that some issues were clarified.

“He (the CJ) has also crystallised, the relationship between the power of the Parliament and the Court, and has reaffirmed that the Court is the only and final authority to determine issues of law and issues emanating from the Constitution, not the Speaker.

The Speaker cannot deal with matters of the Constitution or matters of law.

Even if he deals with it, he is not the final decision maker in this respect, that jurisdiction resides with the Court,” Williams declared. (GINA)

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 02, 2013

Man tries to flee country after stealing $16M from employer Hemrajh Singh Pahalad, 53, a father of four of 72A Woodley Park West Coast Berbice who fleeced his employer of more than $16M in cash and goods was on Friday remanded to jail by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo when he appeared before her at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s court.

He pleaded not guilty to a charge of embezzlement by clerk or servant.

Pahalad who was employed with the business entity for 12 years is accused of between February 2 and February 16, while employed as a clerk or servant at the Double R Enterprise owned

by Ramdut Ramoutar at Waterloo, Bath West Coast Berbice, fraudulently converted $16M to his own use.

The Double R Enterprise is a distributor of goods both on West and East Berbice.

Pahalad was entrusted by his employer to distribute flour throughout the county. He was given the responsibility to oversee the entire operation which included buying, selling retail and wholesale and collecting payment in advance. He was also requested to balance the books.

His boss will from time to time oversee the operation and make periodical checks.

Checks were made on February 2 and all seemed well. On February 16 a request was made by Ramoutar for a check and balance of his stocks. On the said day Pahalad disappeared and did not return to work.

After checks were made by Ramoutar it was discovered

that $16M in cash and stocks were missing. A report was made and police began looking for Pahalad who was on the run.

He was arrested on Wednesday at Rose Hall Town where he was hiding out.

In court police prosecutor Sergeant Phillip Sherriff who objected to bail described Pahalad as a flight risk and one who may not return for his trial.

Sheriff stated that after the accused committed the act he was on the run and was making plans to flee to Venezuela.

The accused is being represented by attorney at law Charlyn Artiga.

He was remanded to jail and his matter was transferred to the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court for March 6.

Before he was taken to prison he complained of feeling unwell and told the police that he had a heart condition. He was taken by the police to the New Amsterdam hospital where he was examined by a doctor who gave him a clean bill of health. He was subsequently remanded to jail.

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 15

Suspended sentence for causing death driver

The late Noland and Lynette Doliviera.

The man who struck down a popular Jehovah’s Witness couple in August 2010 was yesterday handed a two-year suspended sentence.

The driver Bahadoor Yogunauth, 27, was said to have been under the influence of alcohol when he

struck down the Grove, East Bank Demerara couple, Noland and Khairool “Lynette Doliviera.

The driver, of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, was on a charge of dangerous driving.

The

suspended

sentences means that he was set free but should he commit an offence within the next two years, he would have to serve the two years behind bars.

According to the sentence handed down today, Yogunauth would also be barred from driving for the next ten months.

Bahadoor Yagunauth hides his face after leaving court yesterday.

The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Leslie Sobers at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.

The couple had just completed a Bible Study and was returning to their Public

Road, Grove home when they were struck off their motorcycle.

Mrs. Doliviera, 63, died on the spot while her 70-year-old husband succumbed while undergoing treatment at the hospital a few hours after the

accident. The couple was married for 44 years. .

The children of the Dolivieras, Davis and Debbie, rejected the $500,000 compensation offered by the driver.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 02, 2013

Relatives of slain Lindeners dub compensation inadequate - $3M each for Bouyea, Lewis, $1M for Somerset’s relatives Orlando Lewis is now nineteen years old, out of school, and without a job. His dream was to attend the University of Guyana this year, but he cannot do so because of financial constraints.

Orlando, and his elder brother, Rodwell Lewis, lost their father, Allan Lewis on July 18, last year, on the first day of what was to be a fiveday protest against the proposed electricity hike for Linden.

Allan Lewis, Shemroy Bouyea and Ron Somerset were reportedly shot and killed by Police that afternoon at the Mackenzie end of the Mackenzie/Wismar bridge.

A commission of Inquiry (COI) was subsequently established to look into the matter, and to determine compensation, to families of the deceased, as well as several persons who were injured.

According to information coming out of the COI findings, which were handed over to President Donald Ramotar on Thursday, relatives of Allan Lewis and Shemroy Boyea will receive $3 million each in compensation, while Ron Somerset’s relatives will be given $1million.

Daphne Lewis, the mother of Allan Lewis, said, “It cannot compensate and its definitely not fair, I lost my son, and his children lost their father, who used to do his best for them- he did the best he could for everybody; that money is definitely inadequate.”

Mrs. Lewis, who is now 80, and who depended mostly on her son, Allan, for her upkeep, told Kaieteur News that things are now really

hard.

“Right now, with this rainy weather, the house leaking bad; it wetting all the bed I have to sleep on. Allan had a lot of plans; he was going to look after the roof and fix the house, if he was here it would have been done already” She added that when it rains really heavily, she has to lie on her bed and cover with plastic, so as not to get wet.

Her grandson, Orlando, said that life has been ‘tough’ since his father died. He has had to shelve his plans to attend the University of Guyana, for the time.

His brother, Rowell, attends the institution, but his aunt, Denise, said that it is really hard, because Rodwell has to depend on the family to assist him.

“I try my best, but I can only do so much, because I’m not working, I only having a little business selling phone cards- so we facing a lot of pressure.”

Both Denise and another sibling said that the money is inadequate.

Leonard Bouyea, said that his nephew Shemroy Bouyea, was 25 at the time of his death, and as such had his whole life ahead of him.

“His life gone, it was snuffed out, and no amount of compensation could bring him back. His life was worth more than that. Anyhow I’m at least thankful for his mother, who works as a security guard, and is a single parent.

This newspaper was unable to reach the relatives of Ron Somerset for a comment.

And Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes has deemed

the compensation for slain men’s families ‘outrageous, provocative’ He expressed outrage at the financial compensation that members of the Linden Commission have recommended for the families of the three men who were shot dead during the July 18, 2012 protests at Linden.

In the approximately 80page report, the Commission recommended $3M each for the families of slain Lindeners, Shemroy Bouyea and Allan Lewis, and $1M for Ron Somerset’s family.

In contrast, the Commission awarded $1.5M each to two of the civilians who were wounded by pellets on July 18. This is $500,000 more than the family of the slain Somerset will receive.

The Commission also noted that these are ex-gratia payments, meaning that the Government is under no legal obligation to pay.

Hughes, who had represented the relatives of the deceased during the Commission of Inquiry, said that while he has not received a copy of the report, he has read “what appears to be the report” on websites.

“It is absolutely appalling to the extent of being provocative. The fact that someone would think that the life of a citizen who was shot unjustifiably by the police is worth $1M is absolutely outrageous to the point of being provocative,” the attorney told Kaieteur News.

“The Commission awarded more money for property loss than for the life of a citizen where there was the unjustified use of lethal force,” he added. The attorney also vented his outrage on facebook.

“In circumstances where the police use unjustified lethal force on the citizens of Linden, the Commission of

President Donald Ramotar gives the report to the Opposition Inquiry finds that the life of a person (Ron Somerset) living in a depressed community is only worth $1 million. Some justice.”

But the attorney said out that the compensation suggested by the Commission is only a recommendation, and added that one would expect that the government would multiple “by eight to ten” the sum that has been awarded to the families of the slain men.

In its report, the Commission concluded that Members of the Guyana Police Force were responsible for the deaths of Shemroy Bouyea, Allan Lewis and Ron Somerset, as well as injury to other civilians on the day that protesters blocked the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge.

“We believe that the police were responsible for the shooting to death of the three persons as well as the injuries caused to several

other persons at Linden on July 18, 2012, as there is no evidence that anyone else had a firearm which was discharged,” the Commission concluded.

“It seems to us that ASP Todd was somewhat reckless when he discharged four rounds of ammunition in the direction of the MackenzieWismar Bridge when there were hundreds of persons on the Bridge and in the vicinity thereof.

A Brazilian man has been placed before the court on an allegation that he conspired with others to commit fraud.

Marico Rodrigo Brasil Alves, 32, allegedly between June 27, 2012 and November 8, 2012 at Georgetown with intent to defraud, conspired with persons or a person unknown to forge the signature on a Ministry Of Home Affairs document dated September 27, 2012 purporting to show that it was signed by the permanent

secretary of the said Ministry.

Yesterday Alves was asked to post bail in the sum of $125,000, when he made an appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Alves pleaded not guilty to the charge. His Attorney, Onassis Granville, in a bail application, told the court that her client posses no risk of flight since he has a permanent local address in Bel Air Park Georgetown.

Granville said that Alves is a hairdresser and he owns a salon. He has one child.

Counsel further advanced that Alves is willing to subject to any conditions the court requests.

Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick did not object to the accused being granted bail; he however asked that he lodge all travel documents with the court and report at the Brickdam Police Station.

His matter will be called again on March 4.

Brazilian before court for fraud

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No formal discussion was made to Prado, Hilux Surf seized ban calypso songs - Robeson Benn as GRA clamps down Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn said that there was no formal discussion in Cabinet to ban any of this year ’s anti- government calypso songs. According to him, after he made a personal objection about one of the calypsos, “the issue seemed to take on a life of its own.”

The Minister said that he was returning home from a function when he heard a calypso which was in his view, “abusive, and libelous or rather slanderous,” playing on the radio. At that time, Benn said, he was in the vicinity of the radio station.

It was then, he said, he went into the radio station and requested a copy of the tape, “because I felt it had to be discussed in the government at the highest levels.”

Benn said that he was told that he could not immediately get a copy of the song.

Sometime after his arrival at National Communication Network (NCN) acting Chief Executive Officer, Michael Gordon, arrived.

The Minister said that Gordon contended that “approval was given from the Director of Culture or somebody in respect to playing,” the music.

Benn said that he promised to further discuss the matter, “and maybe talk to some lawyers.” He said that

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn there was no uproar, “but I did make a personal opinion that I didn’t think it should be played through the government radio station.”

Minister Benn however continued that he had no idea who authorized the banning of the calypsos as his only interest was to get a copy of the song he heard on the radio.

Benn said he would have felt better if the songs were “played in other places which I am not associated with. I felt it should not have been played on the government radio station and I expressed that view and still hold that view.”

“Usually when there is commentary about things,

and it takes a certain life of its own it has to be based on some fact, and the persons who sing and promote these things have to have some right or reason which propels them to make those comments which reside in some basis or fact.

“If I had stood up in Parliament chambers and made some of those statements which were made, I might have been ruled out of order; I might have had to withdraw my statement on the grounds that they would have been non parliamentary, abusive.”

Benn said that there is no evidence to support the statements made in the calypsos; they do not have any real basis in fact that could be proven in a court. “I would think that if a public and government sponsored activity is undertaken and certain statements are made, not in a satirical way but in an abusive way, that it should be based in some fact that can be properly contested in a court.”

He further charged that if there is any good to come out of the matter, he would hope “that proper, appropriate vetting of calypsos would be done and at the standard of lyric and satire that one expects in calypsos and

Soca.”

The Minister emphasized his belief that he had the right as a citizen and a Minister to go down to the station and speak out against something that “Impacted me.”

The Calypso community has however condemned the decision to ban the calypso.

Veteran Calypsonian Geoffrey Phillips, aka ‘the Mighty Rebel’ and President of Calypso Association took offence over the recent banning of what was dubbed ‘anti- government’ calypso tunes.

Rebel and calypsonians charged that nothing was degrading, vulgar or disrespecting about the tunes as the information revealed in the songs come from information in the public domain. Many also charged that the purpose of the ban was to silence the reigning calypso king, Lester ‘De Professor’ Charles, but fear of retaliation from Linden, where he hails caused all the 2013 tunes to be barred.

The calypsonians said that the act is, “Damaging to Mashramani, and damaging to calypso and the entire fraternity.” As such the calypso president has called an urgent meeting scheduled for tomorrow. All patrons and entertainers were asked to make a special effort to attend.

Two sports utility vehicles (SUV) believed to have landed in Guyana without the necessary taxes being paid have been seized by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

According to the state’s tax collection agency, the seizures were made in January by its Law Enforcement and Investigation (LEID) arm.

Regarding the seizures, GRA said that it is continuing to work towards achieving its mandate of providing the necessary investigative and, enforcement programmes which are aimed at promoting compliance with the Value Added Tax, Excise Tax, and Income Tax Acts, and the Customs, Trade and Border Laws of Guyana.

Several exercises have been carried out resulting in the seizure of goods and articles and the imposition of fines. In January, the division seized brand name clothing and alcoholic beverages.

Also seized were a black Toyota Prado and a Toyota Hilux Surf. According to GRA, the exercises were conducted at a number of locations including Georgetown, Kumaka Landing, Port Kaituma, North West District, Montrose, East Coast Demerara, and the West Bank and West Coast Demerara.

“In most instances

investigations are completed and the offenders have agreed to make the payments of applicable Customs Duty, Taxes and Fines. However, for some of these cases investigations are ongoing and the necessary course of redress will be taken by the GRA in accordance with the applicable laws which may include actions in the court of law.” GRA said that the enforcement arm will also continue to target fuel smuggling and contraband in ensuring that these issues are effectively addressed.

“Additionally, the GRA will continue to put systems in place to ensure that its enforcement activities are enhanced. The effectiveness of this, however, is dependent on cooperation from the public as it relates to sharing information on incidents of corruption and illegal activities that are geared at depriving the state of revenue or results in unfair competition with the local manufacturing sector and legitimate importers.”

The agency is calling on citizens to provide information.

It is known that persons have been using Suriname and Brazil to bring vehicles illegally into the country. These are later reportedly outfitted with local number plates with GRA unearthing a number of cases.

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Brazil launches programme to build nuclear submarine in a decade BRASILIA, March 1 (Reuters) - Brazil advanced yesterday toward its target of joining the small club of nations that have nuclearpowered submarines with the opening of a naval shipyard installation that will build French-designed submarines.

President Dilma Rousseff inaugurated the factory that will make metal hull structures for four conventional dieselelectric Scorpene attack submarines and eventually a fifth submarine powered by a nuclear reactor developed entirely by Brazil.

She said Brazil, one of the BRICS group of leading emerging nations and Latin America’s largest nation, was a peaceful country but a defense industry was needed to deter and prevent violent conflict.

“This facility allows our country to affirm itself on the world stage and, above all, develop in an independent sovereign way,” Rousseff said.

The submarines will be made by French shipbuilder DCNS in a joint venture with Brazil’s Odebrecht at the Brazilian Navy base on Sepetiba Bay south of Rio de Janeiro.

The 7.8 billion reais ($3.95 billion) program will turn out the first conventional submarine in 2015 and the nuclear-powered submarine will be commissioned in 2023 and enter operation in 2025, the Brazilian Navy said in a statement.

The submarines are a key part of Brazil’s effort to build a modern navy that can defend its oil and trade

interests in the South Atlantic, a region long dominated by the British and U.S. navies. It is also a revival of nuclear development by the Brazilian military that was halted in 1990 with the end of the country’s nuclear bomb program.

If successful, Brazil will join the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China - the five members of the permanent U.N. Security Council, a club Brazil aspires to join - as a country with a home-grown nuclear submarine capability.

The Indian Navy has a nuclear-powered attack submarine, the INS Chakra, that was leased from Russia, and India is building a nuclear submarine with its own technology that is expected to be in service by 2015.

The commander of the Brazilian Navy, Admiral Julio Soares de Moura Neto, said the purpose of building a nuclear-powered submarine was “deterrence” and stressed that the nuclear propulsion system will be built with entirely home-grown technology that was not transferred by France.

The Brazilian-French submarine program was agreed to in 2008 by Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Nicolas Sarkozy and is Brazil’s most costly military project.

“Brazil needs to modernize its national defenses because we have not invested in this for years,” said congressman Leonardo Gadelha, of the Social Christian Party, a member of

CDA uncovers suspected human trafficking ring involving Jamaican children KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Child Development Agency (CDA) has uncovered a suspected ring involving the trafficking of Jamaican children to another Caribbean country.

The CDA, an executive agency of the Ministry of Youth and Culture, has turned over the case to the Police Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID).

So far the Jamaican police have taken one person, resident in a United Kingdom Overseas Territory in the region, into custody in connection with the case.

The Police are continuing investigations into the matter, which is now before the Court.

A child, who was the subject of a suspected human trafficking attempt, is now in the care of the CDA. Revelation of the ring arose out of investigations by the CDA since January this year, as part of what the Agency describes as its “ongoing due diligence to protect Jamaica’s children”.

Prosecution of the matter will flow from the investigations, in keeping with Jamaica being party to the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, the CDA said in a release yesterday.

the lower chamber’s International Relations and Defense Committee. “Brazil has one of the longest coastlines in the world and we need submarines to patrol and defend this coast,” he told Reuters.

The Brazilian Air Force is seeking to renew its fleet with the purchase of 36 fighter jets, a coveted defense contract worth $4 billion initially.

Boeing Co., France’s Dassault Aviation SA and Sweden’s Saab are in the running for the deal.

Brazil is also boosting its air defenses, with an eye to dispelling the risk of terrorist attacks when hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists visit the country for the 2014 soccer World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Brasilia recently

announced plans to buy antiaircraft batteries and midrange surface-to-air missiles from Russia, and drones from Israel that will be used to patrol its long frontiers. It eventually plans to build the weapons locally.

The Brazilian government has insisted on a maximum transfer of technology in such military deals to build up its emerging private defense

Dilma Rousseff industry that has become a major arms exporter.

“Brazil has fully (Continued on page 21)

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Venezuela decries “absurd” rumors over Chavez death CARACAS (Reuters) Senior aides and relatives of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez countered yesterday a crescendo of rumors that the socialist president may be dead from cancer, saying he was still battling for his life.

“There he is, continuing his fight, his battle, and we are sure of victory!” his brother Adan Chavez, the governor of Barinas state, told cheering supporters during an event.

Speculation about Chavez, 58, has reached fever pitch this week, fed in part by assertions from Panama’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Guillermo Cochez, that the Venezuelan leader had died.

“The launching of absurd and bizarre rumors by the right wing simply discredits them and isolates them further from the people,” Chavez’s son-in-law Jorge Arreaza, who is also Venezuela’s science minister, said via Twitter.

Apart from one set of photographs showing

Chavez in a hospital bed, he has not been seen or heard from in public since December 11 cancer surgery in Cuba, his fourth such operation. He returned to a military hospital in Caracas last week.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro, now Venezuela’s de facto leader and Chavez’s preferred successor, has also said several times during the week that the president was fighting for life and urged Venezuelans to be patient with the situation.

Opposition politicians accuse the government of being deceitful about the president’s condition, and compare the secrecy over his medical details with the transparency of other Latin American leaders who have suffered cancer.

Cochez, who said relatives had taken Chavez off life support several days ago after he had been in a vegetative state since the end of December, challenged the Venezuelan government to prove him wrong by showing the president in public.

Across the South American nation of 29 million people, Venezuelans are extremely anxious, speculating endlessly about Chavez’s condition and wondering what the potential end of his 14-year rule might mean for them.

Adding to the tension, several dozen students have chained themselves up in public, demanding to see the president.

Should Chavez die or step down, an election would be held within 30 days, probably pitting Maduro against opposition leader and state governor Henrique Capriles for leadership of the OPEC member nation with the world’s biggest oil reserves.

The stakes are high for the region, too, given Chavez’s role as Washington’s main irritant in Latin America and the aid his government gives leftist governments from Cuba to Bolivia.

Amid the flurry of rumors, Spain’s ABC newspaper said on Friday that Chavez had

been taken to a presidential retreat on La Orchila island in the Caribbean off Venezuela’s coast with his closest family to face the “final stages” of cancer.

Venezuelan officials have frequently lambasted ABC as being part of an “ultra-right” conspiracy spreading lies about Chavez.

“There’s a psychological operation underway to upset the Venezuelan people,” complained Information Minister Ernesto Villegas on Friday, condemning the “frightful” versions about Chavez’s state flying around the Internet.

“Leave the Venezuelan people in peace,” he added.

“President Chavez is in his process of recovery. His family is with him ... The revolution continues.”

In the latest of short updates on Chavez’s health,

Hugo Chavez the government said last week his breathing difficulties had grown worse, and he was using a tracheal tube.

The respiratory problem was a complication from a complicated, six-hour operation in December for a cancer first detected in Chavez’s pelvic region in June 2011.

Remarkably, two opinion polls this week showed that a majority of Venezuelans - 60 percent in one survey, 57 percent in another - believe Chavez will be cured.

“The prolonged absence

of the president and his critical situation have not turned into massive pessimism,” said one of the pollsters, Luis Vicente Leon.

Chavez’s millions of passionate supporters, who love his down-to-earth style and welfare policies, are struggling to imagine a Venezuela without him.

“Of course, he’s coming back, back to government,” said Jose Urbina, 47, buying photos of Chavez at a progovernment rally. “I want to remember him, I want to put them in my house.”

T&T Government moves to give soldiers powers of police PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago government has announced plans to give soldiers powers similar to that of the police as it moves to crack down on an escalation of crime in the country.

The coalition People’s Partnership government tabled legislation yesterday that will give members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) authority to function and perform the duties of a police officer.

A release from the Attorney General’s office late Thursday night said that Cabinet had earlier approved and confirmed a note brought

by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to give effect to the legislation.

It said the proposed bill will give legal protection to Defence Force personnel when they accompany police officers to assist in the detection, investigation and prosecution of criminal offences.

“They will enjoy the same rights, privileges and immunities as police officers.

They will have the same powers as police officers, including power to arrest, search, seize and to carry arms.”

It said that government will ensure Defence Force personnel would be trained in areas such as police practice and procedure, investigations, law and court

Anand Ramlogan

process to ensure they are properly equipped to undertake their duties along side police officers.

It said that the government has ensured that while members of the TTDF are to be placed on an equal legal footing and benefit from the same powers that police officers enjoy while actually engaging in operations with the police, they will not be permitted to embark on policing exercises on their own.

“In so doing members of the TTDF would be afforded the necessary protection in carrying out functions with the TTPS (Trinidad and Tobago Police Service),” the release said, noting that at present TTDF members enjoy no powers of arrest other than those possessed by ordinary citizens.

According to the release, the use of the Defence Force in the fight against crime is not new as soldiers have been accompanying police officers on raids and joint patrols during the last decade.

“Under the previous administration, soldiers were also drafted to assist the police in the detection and investigation of serious crimes,” the statement said, adding that the legislative measure will augment and increase the capacity of the Police Service and house such an initiative in a proper legislative footing.

“It can lead to an immediate boost and increase in the strength of the TTPS. It would also provide comfort and relief to members of the TTDF who have been involved in the fight against crime by ensuring that they are adequately protected in the performance of their duties.

“The TTDF will, no doubt, exercise these additional powers with the discipline, maturity and responsibility that has thus far characterised their involvement in the fight against crime by way of assisting and complementing the TTPS,” the release added.

So far this year, 76 people have been killed.

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Gonsalves wants answers from BBC Trust KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent - CMC - Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has written to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Trust seeking clarification on a story carried by a local website as the fall out continues from his alleged confrontation with two BBC journalists in Barbados last month.

In a letter to BBC Trust chairman, Lord Chris Patten, Prime Minister Gonsalves said he had become aware of the story by the website “IWitness News” in which Matthew Chapman, producer

of a BBC programme to be made about Harlequin Property, owners of Buccament Bay Resort, said he had written the prime minister.

“Please cause to be confirmed whether or not a letter to me dated February 26, 2013, purportedly from Matthew Chapman, a producer on the BBC’s Panorama programme, is in fact genuine,” Gonsalves wrote to Lord Patten, noting that his “first problem” was that the letter was unsigned.

“Secondly, although it is headlined in bold capital letter

‘STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONTINENTAL’, I have seen a news item on a blog, IWitness News emanating out of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, dated February 26, 2013, reporting Matthew Chapman as saying: ‘We will very shortly be sending a private letter to Mr. Gonsalves about our programme and it will be up to him to decide whether he wishes to share its’ contents with the nation’.

“Do I take it therefore that it is open for me to breach the ‘strict’ privacy and confidentiality of the

T&T: KAMLA DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF UNIT Kamla Persad Bissessar

Trinidad - CMC – Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar yesterday reiterated that she had no prior knowledge of the existence of an “illegal Flying Squad” in Trinidad and Tobago and said that a report submitted by her National Security Minister Austin “JacK” Warner on the issue had been passed on to the police for investigation.

“I also state unequivocally that as Prime Minister, any initiative considered by my Cabinet for combating crime will always be fully and completely within the laws and Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago and under the jurisdiction where appropriate of the Commissioner of Police.”

In a brief statement to Parliament, Prime Minister Persad Bissessar, who has been under mounting pressure to dismiss Warner over the issue, recalled that she had asked Warner to produce the report upon her return from attending the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Inter-Sessional summit in Haiti last week, following widespread stories in the media.

“It was incumbent of me to obtain a full report from the Ministry of National Security on all matters involving that ministry and the alleged re-

introduction of a flying squad”.

She said the National Security Council (NSC) met on Thursday and “amongst the several matters discussed was the issue of the alleged flying squad and the establishment of same.

“The Council had before it the report I requested from the Minister of National Security Honourable Jack Warner. He also had a report from Mr. Garvin Heerah former strategic advisor at the Ministry of National Security...and whom it was alleged had provided some interface with the persons who were desirous of reintroducing a flying squad to help in combating crime in Trinidad and Tobago”.

Prime Minister Persad Bissessar said that Warner has “consistently denied he was instrumental in establishing any new flying squad.

“His report to the National Security Council reflected this and so today I wish to report that after full discussions and careful deliberations, the National Security Council took the decision to refer the said report to the Commissioner of Police for an investigation into any alleged wrong doing, unlawful conduct and or action by any or all persons

purporting to be involved in this matter”.

Persad Bissessar said as NSC chairperson “I wish to emphasise that this course of action was taken at the very first meeting of the National Security Council upon receipt of the written report from the relevant officials and therefore I again repeat there has been no direct or implied approval every given by the National Security Council or by the Cabinet for the establishment of any such unit”. Prime Minister Persad Bissessar repeated earlier statements that she had “no knowledge of any such alleged activity” adding “I want to make it very clear these are allegations this is why the Security Council took the decision to refer to the Commissioner of Police for investigation”.

But earlier this week, both Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley and former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj called for Warner’s removal adding that there was enough evidence in the public domain to indicate that the prime minister knew of the existence of the squad that in the 197-’s and 80’s had made a significant dent inc riminal activities here.

“Is she really telling us that as head of the Security Council she knew nothing about it,” Maharaj said in a statement broadcast on radio, adding “this is a blatant untruth”.

The former attorney general said had Prime Minister Persad Bissessar truly wanted a report on the issue she could have received it “within hours” and not have to wait “days” given the fact that information about the squad had been in the public domain since July 2012.

unsigned letter purportedly sent by Mr. Chapman,” Gonsalves wrote attaching a copy of the website story.

In the letter, Prime Minister Gonsalves also complained that Chapman “went out of his way to belittle me” and asked “is that the way BBC journalists and/ or producers behave these days?

“Can the public have confidence that their reportage or production be fair and balanced particularly since their unseemly vanities seemingly prompt them to become the centre-piece of their journalism rather than the real subject matter itself?”

Gonsalves said that he had “full answers to the questions posed by the purported letter which will surely allay the concerned of any probing journalist of reasonable temper, and which will be happily supply once the above assurances and clarification are given”.

Lord Patten had responded to an earlier letter sent by Gonsalves outlining the “rude” and Unprofessional” attitude of the two journalists,whom he

said had accosted him in Barbados while on his way to attend a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Inter-Sessional summit in Haiti.

In his reponse Lord Patten said that he would ensure that the complaint “is properly pursued through the BBC complaints process”.

The journalists said they had asked Prime Minister Gonsalves to respond to an allegation that investor Daves Ames had gone to his office with a bag of money and left without it.

“It is plainly wrong for Mr. Kenyon to peddle a wholly unfounded allegation against me and in the process sully

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves my good name and that of my office. His allegation is false.

Further, the unprofessional manner in which he accosted me is surely improper,” Gonsalves said in the letter to the BBC chair.

Brazil launches...

From page 19 understood that national defense cannot be delegated to others and a country must have an autonomous capacity” that does not depend on foreign technology, Defense Minister Celso Amorim said at the naval base event.

On Wednesday, the defense unit of Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA won its first-ever U.S. military contract for the sale of 20 Super Tucano light attack planes for use in counterinsurgency in Afghanistan.

“It was a certificate of quality for our defense industry,” Amorim said.

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Canada expresses frustration over latest U.S. crisis OTTAWA (Reuters) Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty expressed rare public frustration with the United States yesterday, saying it was regrettable that Canada’s main trading partner kept lurching from crisis to crisis.

Political deadlock in Washington means the U.S. government is due to start imposing $85 billion worth of automatic federal spending cuts today. Canada sends 75 percent of all its exports to the

United States and is very reliant on the economic health of its southern neighbor.

Flaherty said he was confident Canada would not suffer too badly from the U.S. cuts, but lamented the looming crisis, which comes in the wake of earlier U.S. dog fights over raising the budget debt ceiling.

“It is regrettable, though, that the U.S. continues to move from crisis to crisis in fiscal terms,” he told reporters.

“So we hope - and we’ll certainly encourage our friends in the United States through the G20 and in other ways - to develop a solid medium-term economic plan, a sustainable fiscal plan for the United States, just as we have developed one here in Canada, and to stick with the plan,” he said.

Earlier yesterday another Canadian cabinet minister took a swipe at the United States, saying the country was up to its ears in debt

because it had followed bigspending policies similar to those advocated by a leftleaning Canadian party.

House Leader Peter Van Loan, a Conservative, made his comments while criticizing the left-leaning opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), which wants more government spending on social programs such as public housing.

“If they want to see an example of what happens when you adopt NDP

spending plans ... they can just look south of the border and see what happens when you’re in debt up to your ears,” Van Loan told the House of Commons.

Canada’s governing Conservatives are a right-ofcenter pro-business party more similar to the U.S. Republicans than President Barack Obama’s Democrats.

Obama has a somewhat distant relationship with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

A few minutes later Van Loan renewed his attack on the NDP’s spending plans, saying they would pile up huge government debts.

“If they want to know where you go when you hit that black hole of debt, just look south of the border and see real crisis,” he said.

Harper’s chief spokesman, Andrew MacDougall, did not

Jim Flaherty immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Conservatives are currently pressing Washington to approve TransCanada Corp’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to Texas.

Obama is under heavy pressure from environmentalists to veto the project.

Nigerian court rules President Jonathan can run again ABUJA (Reuters) - A Nigerian court ruled yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan can run for office again in 2015, rejecting his opponents’ complaints that he has already reached the constitutional limit of two terms.

An increasingly bitter battle is raging between Jonathan’s supporters and opponents over whether he should run for office in 2015, in what analysts say is a distraction from such urgent tasks as fixing the power sector and passing crucial oil legislation.The president has declined to say whether or not he wishes to rule Africa’s top oil and gas producer again, although most pundits expect him to run.

Jonathan first took power in May 2010, after the death of then president Umar Yar’Adua, ending a sixmonth political crisis that had dragged on while Yar’Adua was sick.

Opponents within his own party say since he has already been sworn into office twice, another term would break the constitutional two-term limit.

Cyriakus Njoku, a member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), brought the case.

But Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of the High Court in Abuja rejected that argument.

“After the death of Umar

Goodluck Jonathan Yar ’Adua, there was no election. President Jonathan was merely asked to assume the office ... in line with doctrine of necessity,” he said.

“He is therefore currently serving his first tenure of office and if he so wishes, he is eligible to further seek his party’s ticket ... to run for office in 2015.”

Njoku did not say whether he would appeal to the supreme court.

Jonathan has proved a divisive figure within the ruling party. Northern politicians say his decision to run last time tore up an unwritten “zoning” agreement that the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south should alternate power every two terms.

Hundreds were killed in riots in the north when Jonathan won the presidential vote two years ago. Jonathan has also been criticized for failing to quell an (Continued on page 25)

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Italy’s center-left leader rules out coalition with Berlusconi MILAN (Reuters) - Italian center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani yesterday ruled out forming a coalition with Silvio Berlusconi to solve an intractable crisis after this week’s inconclusive election.

In an interview with the daily La Repubblica, Bersani, whose group holds a majority in the lower house but not in the Senate, said center-right leader Berlusconi had “no concept of responsibility beyond his own interests”.

“I want to spell it out clearly: the idea of a grand coalition does not exist and will never exist,” he said.

His remark shuts off one of the two apparent options for a new government by closing the door on a formal alliance between the two biggest blocs in parliament, which both supported the technocrat government of

Pier Luigi Bersani outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti.

Beppe Grillo’s antiestablishment 5-Star Movement, which rode a huge protest vote to become Italy’s third force, has ruled out giving a vote of confidence to another party

but says it may back individual pieces of legislation.

Without majority support in both houses of parliament, a government cannot pass legislation or win a vote of confidence and there are deep concerns that a sustained stalemate in the euro zone’s third largest economy could reignite Europe’s debt crisis.

Bersani told La Repubblica he would present a program based around a limited number of points, many of which are in line with Grillo’s platform, and seek the support of parliament.

“You can call it what you want, a minority government, a government of limited purpose, I don’t care. For me, it’s a government of change,” he said.

He said he would seek to ease the austerity programs

China defense spending seen rising as territorial rows deepen (Reuters) - A series of territorial disputes with its neighbors will ensure China boosts defense spending when it reveals this year’s military budget ahead of the annual parliamentary sitting next week, security experts say.

After almost three decades of sharply increased military outlays, an increasingly assertive China now has the firepower to challenge rivals claiming strategically important and resource-rich territory in the East China and South China seas.

The Chinese navy, now second in size only to the U.S. fleet in terms of raw numbers, has become a genuine bluewater force and is conducting almost continuous patrols and exercises in these contested waters.

Over the past six months, China’s stand-off with Japan over a series of rocky islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China has become more acrimonious.

Beijing is also in dispute with the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia, over territory in the South China Sea. To pay for these deployments and new hardware in the pipeline, most analysts expect that this year’s budget will continue the long-term trend of doubledigit percentage increases in annual spending.

“Estimates are still for steady growth,” said Ni Lexiong, a military expert at

Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. “With China’s current attitude, it’s not going to let itself get bullied by anyone.”

Alongside missions to assert sovereignty over disputed territory, the Chinese navy is also deploying naval flotillas to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia as part of its contribution to UNauthorized anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean. Beijing last month announced the departure of the 14th of these missions since December 2008.

These high-tempo operations are a sharp departure for a military that was largely confined to exercises and training within China’s land borders and coastal waters until recent years.

But they impose a new burden on a budget that had largely been devoted to the rapid modernization of military hardware including big orders for new warships, submarines, strike aircraft and missiles.

Beijing last year announced a 11.2 per cent increase in military spending to $106 billion.

However foreign military analysts say much of China’s military spending is not

included in the published budget.

The Pentagon last year estimated that Beijing’s real outlays for 2012 would be between $120 billion and $180 billion.

China’s spending is now second only to the United States although the Pentagon is bracing for a sharp drop in outlays as part of government-wide budget cuts, known as a sequester, starting from March 1.

However, China has its own budget woes as senior political and military officials complain of rampant corruption and waste in its 2.3 billion-strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The PLA headquarters has issued new rules to tighten spending across a range of areas including construction, procurement, conferences and receptions in a bid to curb waste and corruption, the official Xinhua news agency reported this week.

The new rules, approved

by Xi Jinping, China’s Communist party leader and chairman of the Central Military Commission, were also intended to redirect spending toward combat readiness, high-technology weaponry and training, Xinhua said.

imposed by Monti with the approval of the European Union, saying he had consulted French Socialist President Francois Hollande.

He added: “Austerity on its own leads to disaster”.

“Everyone has to get it into their head that bringing down the debt and the deficit is an issue which has to be shifted to the medium term,” he said. “At the moment, there is another priority, which is jobs.”

Italy, with the second heaviest public debt burden in Europe behind Greece, has pledged to balance its budget in structural, or growthadjusted terms, this year but the austerity measures imposed by Monti to reach the goal have pushed it deeper into recession.

Data released on Friday showed unemployment at its highest in at least 20 years at 11.7 percent, with the youth rate at nearly 39 percent.

Bersani has refused to resign despite the center left throwing away a 10-point opinion poll lead with a weak campaign that let both Berlusconi and Grillo exploit

public anger over the economy to make huge strides in the weeks before the vote.

But he is under pressure and there is speculation he could be replaced, possibly

by Matteo Renzi, the dynamic young mayor of Florence whom he defeated in last year’s primary to select the leader of the center-left coalition.

Bersani said he would also present measures to strengthen the welfare system, cut the size of Italy’s bloated parliament and reduce the generous salaries and benefits of deputies, some of the best paid in Europe. In addition, he would propose a series of measures to fight corruption and limit conflicts of interest for politicians.

“I will present this program to all the political forces to see who is ready to assume their responsibilities,” he said.

How far Bersani will get with the proposals remains unclear, given the deep hostility and suspicion between the parties.

Grillo, whose Internetbased movement has shaken up Italian politics, has dismissed the 61-year-old former industry minister as a “dead man talking” and said the next government will not last more than a year.

On Thursday Grillo, a shaggy-haired stand-up comic, said if the center left and center right wanted a stable government, they should give their support to one led by his group, which won the biggest vote of any single party.

President Giorgio Napolitano has dismissed fears that Italy could be a destabilizing element in Europe and said formation of the new government could not be speeded up for constitutional reasons, which will delay his first attempts to appoint a prime minister until after March 15.

After an initial sell-off, financial markets have so far taken the instability largely in their stride, but the deadlock has raised fears the euro zone debt crisis, which brought Monti to power in 2011, could flare up again.

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Saturday March 02, 2013

Fiscal talks fail, U.S. stumbles toward tough budget cuts WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - The government stumbled headlong yesterday toward wide-ranging spending cuts that threaten to hinder the economic recovery, after President Barack Obama and congressional leaders failed to find an alternative budget plan.

Put in place during a bout of deficit-reduction fever in 2011, the automatic cuts can only be halted by agreement between Congress and the White House.

A deal proved elusive in talks at the White House yesterday, meaning that government agencies will now begin to hack a total of $85 billion from their budgets between today and October 1. Financial markets in New York shrugged off the stalemate in Washington.

Democrats predict the cuts, known as “sequestration,” could soon cause air traffic delays, furloughs for hundreds of

thousands of federal employees and disruption to education.

While the International Monetary Fund warned that the belt tightening could slow U.S. economic growth by at least 0.5 of a percentage point this year, that is not a huge drag on an economy that is picking up steam.

Obama was resigned to government budgets shrinking.

“Even with these cuts in place, folks all across this country will work hard to make sure that we keep the recovery going, but Washington sure isn’t making it easy,” he said after meeting Republican and Democratic congressional leaders.

At the heart of Washington’s persistent fiscal crises is disagreement over how to slash the budget deficit and the $16 trillion national debt, bloated over the years by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and government stimulus for the ailing

economy.

Obama wants to close the fiscal gap with spending cuts and tax hikes, but Republicans don’t want to concede again on taxes after doing so in negotiations over the “fiscal cliff” at the New Year.

“The discussion about revenue, in my view, is over.

It’s about taking on the spending problem,” House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on leaving the meeting.

The full brunt of the automatic cuts will be borne over seven months. Congress can stop them at any time if the two parties agree on how to do so.

But no matter how Obama and Congress resolve the 2013 battle, this round of automatic spending cuts is only one of a decade’s worth of annual cuts totaling $1.2 trillion mandated by the sequestration law.

Given the current absence of a deal, Obama is required

to issue an order to federal agencies by midnight to reduce their budgets. The White House budget office must send a report to Congress detailing the spending cuts.

The Justice Department has already sent notices of furloughs that will begin April 21 to some 115,000 workers, including at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Unlike previous fiscal dramas, the sequestration fight is not rattling Wall Street.

U.S. stocks rose yesterday as data showed manufacturing expanded at its fastest pace in 20 months in February. Despite being up more than 7 percent this year, and near a record high, the discord in Washington has not prompted traders to cash in gains.

“Most of us believe that sequestration is not something that will make us fall off the cliff, since the cuts will be worked in relatively slowly,” said Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management in Philadelphia.

One reason for the inaction in Washington is that both parties still hope the other will either be blamed by voters for the cuts or cave in before the worst effects predicted by Democrats come into effect.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday showed 28 percent of Americans blame congressional Republicans for the

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about the sequester after a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House in Washington yesterday. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque sequestration mess, 18 percent think Obama is responsible and four percent blame congressional Democrats. Thirty-seven percent blame them all, according the online poll.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicts 750,000 jobs could be lost in 2013, and federal employees throughout the country are looking to trim their own costs.

“The kids won’t go to the dentist, the kids might not go to the doctor, we won’t be spending money in local restaurants, local movie theaters,” said Paul O’Connor, president of the Metal Trades Council, which represents some 2,500 workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.

After weeks of White House warnings about the cuts causing air traffic chaos, threatening cancer research and keeping law enforcement officers off the streets, Obama acknowledged that it might be a while before effects fully

kick in.

“We will get through this.

This is not going to be an apocalypse,” he told journalists in the White House.

“Not everyone will feel the pain of these cuts right away. The pain though will be real. Beginning this week, many middle class families will have their lives disrupted in significant ways,” Obama said.

In the absence of any deal at all, the Pentagon will be forced to slice 13 percent of its budget between now and September 30. Most nondefense programs, from NASA space exploration to federally backed education and law enforcement, face a 9 percent reduction.

Moving to head off a new budget crisis later this month, Boehner said the Republicanled House would move a “continuing resolution” to fund government through the rest of the fiscal year, thus hopefully averting a government shutdown.

Ex-president Musharraf to return to Pakistan before election DUBAI (Reuters) - Pakistan’s former President Pervez Musharraf said yesterday he would return home this month after almost three years in Dubai and take part in a forthcoming parliamentary election.

Parliament is due to be dissolved by March 16, after which an interim administration will take over to oversee the run-up to the election to be held within 90 days.

Musharraf seized power in a 1999 coup and briefly imposed a state of emergency in Pakistan before resigning in 2008.

“I have decided to return to Pakistan within a week of the formation of the interim government,” he told reporters in Dubai, saying he believed this would take place on March 16.

Asked if he planned to run for president, Musharraf said: “The presidency will come at a later stage. Now I’m going back for the parliamentary elections and hope my party does well.”

Some media reports have said Musharraf, who faces the threat of arrest in Pakistan on charges that he failed to provide adequate

Pervez Musharraf security to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto before her assassination in 2007, will seek Saudi help in obtaining guarantees that he will not be detained.

“I don’t see any reason why I should be arrested,” Musharraf said. “We will see what will happen when I land in the airport and take action according to that.”

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Anti-EU party humiliates Cameron in vote (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party has been beaten into third place in a vote in southern England by a party that wants Britain to leave the European Union, prompting some lawmakers in his party to question his leadership credentials.

The UK Independence Party has no MPs and Cameron once described its members as “fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists”, but UKIP came second in Thursday’s election for the parliamentary seat in Eastleigh, winning its biggest share of the vote ever.

To compound Cameron’s misery, the Liberal Democrat party, the junior partner in his governing coalition, took first place despite being embroiled in high-profile sex and perjury scandals and floundering in national opinion polls.

The result has piled pressure on Cameron from disgruntled lawmakers within his own party who fret he may not be able to lead them to victory in a 2015 national election. Many feel he has

turned his back on the kind of traditional Conservatism espoused by former Tory leaders like Margaret Thatcher.

“He’s got a very limited amount of time to rekindle the love with the grassroots who will be crucial to win a general election,” Stewart Jackson, a Conservative MP, told Reuters.

“For too many of the people who consider themselves Tories, the leadership seems too liberal and elitist. Cameron has got some work to do.”

The Conservatives had hoped to win or at least come second in Eastleigh, which is in the county of Hampshire southwest of London, but Cameron played down the defeat. “This is a by-election, it’s mid-term, it’s a protest.

That’s what happens in byelections,” Cameron said.

“It’s disappointing for the Conservative Party but we must remain true to our principles, true to our course, and that way we can win people back. I don’t think we should tack this way, tack that way.”

However, Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, said the vote showed his party was on the verge of a “national political earthquake”.

“It’s a protest against an entire political class who are not willing to confront difficult issues like open-door immigration,” Farage told a news conference on Friday.

Education Secretary Michael Gove, a Conservative, said disillusionment with mainstream politics and anger at Britain’s economic woes had played a role in the defeat.

The result was an important win for the Liberal Democrats and Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister and party leader, whose leadership has come under pressure in recent weeks.

They polled 13,342 votes, UKIP 11,571, the Conservatives 10,559 and the Labour Party 4,088. That meant UKIP took almost 28 percent of the vote.

Since becoming leader, Cameron has sought to ground his party in the centre of British politics, but some

Florida man swallowed by sinkhole under bedroom SEFFNER, Fla. (AP) — A huge sinkhole about 30-feet across opened up under a man’s bedroom and swallowed him, taking all of the furniture too.

Jeff Bush was feared dead after the floor gave way Thursday night. As he screamed for help, his brother Jeremy Bush jumped into the hole to try to help, but couldn’t see him and had to be rescued himself. With the earth still crumbling, a sheriff’s deputy reached out his hand and pulled Jeremy Bush to safety.

“The floor was still giving in and the dirt was still going down, but I didn’t care. I wanted to save my brother,” Jeremy Bush said through tears yesterday as he stood in a neighbor’s yard. “But I just couldn’t do nothing.”

The only thing sticking out of the hole was a small corner of a bed’s box spring.

Cables from a television led down into the hole, but the TV set, along with a dresser, was nowhere to be seen.

Officials lowered equipment into the sinkhole but didn’t see any sign of life.

Jeremy Bush said it took him only seconds to get to his brother’s room about 11 p.m. Thursday. He had just knocked on his brother’s bedroom door, telling him they weren’t working

yesterday. The brothers were employed by the Transportation Department and picked up trash along interstates and roads.

“I went in my bedroom, heard a loud crash, ran in that direction,” he said. “I was getting ready to run into the room and I almost fell into the hole. I jumped into the hole and started digging for me. I started screaming for him.”

Engineers worked to determine the size of the sinkhole. At the surface, officials estimated it was about 30 feet across. Below the surface, officials believed it was 100 feet wide.

From the outside of the small, sky blue house, nothing appeared wrong. There wear no cracks and the only sign something was amiss was the yellow caution tape circling the house.

There were six people at

the home when it collapsed, including Jeremy Bush’s wife and his 2-year-old daughter.

“It was something you would see in a movie. You wouldn’t, in your wildest dreams, you wouldn’t think anything like that could happen, especially here,” he said.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy Douglas Duvall rescued Jeremy Bush.

“I reached down and was able to actually able to get him by his hand and pull him out of the hole. The hole was collapsing. At that time, we left the house,” Duvall said.

Sheriff ’s office spokesman Larry McKinnon said authorities asked sinkhole and engineering experts to help with the recovery effort, and they were using equipment to see if the ground can support the weight of heavy machinery that was needed.

Nigerian court rules...

From page 22 Islamist insurgency. A raft of corruption scandals, especially in the oil sector, have hurt his administration’s credibility, although they included periods when he was not in power.

Seeking to capitalize on discontent with the ruling PDP, Nigeria’s four main opposition parties merged last month, in the most significant effort to date to form a national opposition group in a country riven by regional rivalries.

Incumbent presidents tend to have a huge advantage in Nigeria because of their access to the state’s oil money.

Conservatives believe in doing so he has alienated traditional supporters over issues such as his support for gay marriage, which UKIP opposes.

“He took the base of his party for granted and just reached out with centrist messages. He sowed the seeds for the problem he now has, which is this growth of UKIP,” said Tim Montgomerie, editor of the i n f l u e n t i a l ConservativeHome website.

“I don’t suspect UKIP will take a single seat at the next general election. But if they win six, seven, eight percent of the vote which opinion polls and results like this are beginning to suggest they can, they will prevent us getting a majority.” A winnertakes-all constituency voting system makes it hard for small parties to gain seats in the London parliament.

Eastleigh does not directly reflect national sentiment - a YouGov poll in the Sun tabloid on Friday put the opposition Labour party on 42 percent, the Conservatives on 29 percent,

the Liberal Democrats 12 percent and UKIP 11 percent.

But heavy austerity measures, combined with an ailing economy heading for its third recession in four years, have sapped support for Cameron, who formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats in 2010.

Last week’s decision by Moody’s to strip Britain of its coveted top-notch triple-A credit rating was an embarrassment and again raised questions about Cameron’s leadership. Some Conservative MPs have begun to openly question it.

Farage’s party has siphoned off support from traditional Conservatives by denouncing EU bureaucracy and immigration from eastern Europe, tapping into what he says is a widespread feeling that voter concerns have been ignored. Under pressure from UKIP, Cameron has promised to hold an “in-out” referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU by the end of 2017 if he wins the next election, a move his supporters had hoped would steal UKIP’s thunder.

David Cameron Commentators said the election would help stabilise the coalition in the short term, as Clegg’s leadership of the Liberal Democrats, without whom the right-wing Conservatives cannot govern or pass legislation, had faced intense pressure. Irene Cook, 66, a retired shop assistant who voted UKIP, said the party’s policies on immigration had attracted her.

“We wanted Britain to stay Britain. We didn’t want any more immigration of other people coming in from other countries. It’s got to stop. We’re only a small island anyway. We voted for them, and I’m very, very pleased, they’ve done very well.”

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SAG completes study for modernization of Port Georgetown The Shipping Association of Guyana (SAG) is optimistic that the problem of a low draught at the mouth of the Demerara River which has been restricting the size of ships bringing in and taking out cargo will soon be

addressed.

A source at the Association said that the reason for optimism is that a Working Group which had been tasked with finding ways and means to upgrade Port Georgetown has

Guyanese deported from Barbados for second time Samantha Melaine Williams will soon be on her way back to Guyana from Barbados following a second deportation from that island within seven months.

Following an expulsion on July 18 last year, the 28year-old Guyanese was spotted by an immigration officer last Saturday, selling toys at Barbados’ national agricultural festival, Agrofest, and dragged before the courts where she was handed another deportation order Thursday.

She is currently in the hands of immigration officials awaiting a flight back.

Court proceedings revealed that she re-entered Barbados on January 23 with a false or forged passport bearing her photograph but the name of Elizabeth Benjamin, and a document number different to that declared on her previous

entry.

The incorrect information was not detected at the time, and she was granted a three- month stay on the island.

In court appearances following her arrest at the festival site last week, she was fined a total of BDS$2,500 (Bds$1 = US$.50), or serve nine months imprisonment.

All fines were paid and Williams now awaits deportation, the Weekend Nation newspaper reported Friday.

According to court records, Williams’s first arrival in Barbados was in September of 2007, and upon expiration her 30 days permitted time to remain, she successfully sought a one-month extension. She did not apply for further permissions to stay though she remained on the island. She was eventually arrested and deported on July 18, 2012.

Jail regular remanded for beating, kicking mother A man who was previously jailed for beating his mother has been remanded to jail for constantly repeating the act over and over again.

Balram Pooran, of Albion High Reef, Corentyne, Berbice was on Thursday remanded to jail by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo when he appeared before her at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on the charge of assault committee on his mother Regina Kellowan on Wednesday 27th February 2013.

The court was told that the accused came home under the influence of alcohol and met his mother lying in the hammock. He started to

abuse her by using a series of expletives. The woman ignored his volatile attack and continued to lie in the hammock.

He then grabbed on to her hair and dragged her out of the hammock and started to beat and kick her about her body.

A report was made and the accused was arrested and charged. In court he pleaded guilty and declined to offer a comment.

The court was told that the man is a regular beater of his mother.

He was previously jail on a similar matter.

He was remanded to jail until March 18, when he will have to return to court for sentencing.

Recently, Kaieteur News carried a story in which Dr Rishi Thakur was accused of seeing Berbice cricket through racist eyes.

Dr Thakur has denied any such contention.

He offered to make the minutes of the meeting available.

The report that appeared in the February 20, 2013,

featured statements purportedly made by Mr. Odinga Lumumba.

Subsequently, Dr Thakur said that it was unfair that the newspaper did not provide him with the opportunity to respond.

Kaieteur News would like to take the opportunity to apologise to Dr. Rishee Thakur.

completed its work and a report with recommendations is to be handed over to the Government through the Minister of Public Works and Tr a n s p o r t , M r.

Robeson Benn, within a week “if not before”.

The Working Group which had been initiated by the Private Sector Commission has been working since last November to come up with ideas for modernizing the port of Georgetown.

The Working Group was made up of officials of the SAG, the Ministry of Finance,

the Private Sector Commission and other stakeholders.

Their recommendations are expected to include ways and means of addressing such issues as security, lighting, navigational aids and other measures to improve the efficiency of the port.

The main recommendation, however, is expected to be the dredging of the channel at the mouth of the river so that larger ships can enter or even smaller ones can move larger quantities of import and export.

The source said: “You

know the harbour has not been dredged since the days of bauxite ships entering and leaving.

The channel has not been dredged for a number of years and so it is silted up.”

“What you find now is tha t s h i p s c a n n o t c o m e with the full cargo; they cannot bring a sufficient amount of containers which means they have to leave cargo behind and when they going out they have to leave cargo behind.”

The source said that once the Association and other

stakeholders get the blessings of the government, dredging will be the first step.”

He said: “We all know that Georgetown is the major port in Guyana which means the use of the Demerara River, so this dredging has to be a priority.”

The SAG Official added, “There is a lot that needs to be done to get the Port of Georgetown more efficient and effective. And now that the report will soon be out we are looking for some movement in this direction.”

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Saturday March 02, 2013

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

NCN CHANNEL 11 02:00 hrs – NCN Late Edition (R/B) 02:30 hrs – Late Night with GINA 03:00 hrs – Movie 05:00 hrs – Inspiration 05:30 hrs – Newtown Gospel 06:00 hrs – NCN Late Edition (R/B) 06:30 hrs – GINA presents 07:00 hrs – Ebezener Praise Time 07:30 hrs – The Truth 08:00 hrs – Weekly Digest 08:30 hrs – Pulse Beat 09:00 hrs – Children’s Mash (r/b) 10:00 hrs – Youth Expressions

11:00 hrs – Remembering the late Dr. Jagan 12:00 hrs – Revelation and Power 13:00 hrs – Epic Hype 13:30 hrs – Save the children 13:45 hrs – Feature 14:00 hrs – 1st T20 17:30 hrs – Choices 18:00 hrs – NCN News Magazine – Live 18:30 hrs – Pulse Beat 19:30 hrs – President’s Diary 20:00 hrs – 3d/daily millions/ play de dream/lotto draw 20:05 hrs – Video Hit list 21:00 hrs – Bollywood Hits 22:00 hrs – Caribbean Top Model 23.00 hrs – Movie

DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55 hrs. Sign On 09:00 hrs. Power Ranger Samurai 10:00 hrs. Supah Ninjas 11:00 hrs. The Cosby Show 11:30 hrs. Prime News 12:00 hrs. DTV’s Festival of Biblical Movies for the Lenten Season: “David” 17:00 hrs. The Baptist Hour 18:00 hrs. World News 18:30 hrs. Nightly News 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00 hrs. Alliance on the Move (Live) 21:00 hrs. Indian Movie 00:00 hrs. Sign Off

Guides are subjected to change without notice

Saturday March 02, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your normal weekend schedule is disrupted by the need to take care of pressing emotional issues today. You might feel that someone is imposing his or her will on you, since you prefer to stick with your usual routine.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) It doesn’t really matter how practical you think you are being today; your actions still may be harshly judged by a friend or partner.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) There may be a clash of wills today as someone attempts to pull you away from your previously scheduled activity and into a drama that is too intense for your taste.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) It doesn’t matter if you were planning on rest and relaxation for the day, it may not happen. There are unavoidable emotional forces seeping into your life now. You can get as angry as you want today, but losing your temper won’t resolve the complex dilemmas preventing you from taking it easy.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) It’s difficult to feel positive about your day when someone appears to be undermining your best efforts. You may have trouble with an authority figure in your life today as he or she covertly manipulates you into changing your mind about what you want.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may think that you are being pretty open with your agenda now. Although you’re not intentionally hiding anything, something strange is happening that can still be frustrating.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You really don’t want to talk about anything uncomfortable today. You prefer to walk an emotional tightrope and hope that everyone will be sensible enough to keep quiet, too.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) It’s an intense day, filled with unspoken emotional responsibilities. Fortunately, you know what you need to do and are prepared to do it.

The difficult part is that shifting conditions can temporarily put you at odds with someone close to you.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You may be unpleasantly surprised today when you realize that you can’t escape from an uncomfortable feeling that you’ve been trying to avoid. Fortunately, you can finally stop running now, even if facing the truth might not be fun at first.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You sure-footed Goats usually build relationships on the solid ground of practicality and logic. However, emotional issues are shaking the mountain that you have been climbing so cautiously.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Your fear of losing what you have already gained may be cause for concern now.

However, the more you try to keep your worries buried, the louder they become.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A conflict with a friend or family member may motivate you to attempt to fix a situation that is actually beyond your control. The real issue now is about how you hold on to patterns of behavior because of your fear of change.

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Saturday March 02, 2013

Linden, G/town clash in epic b/ball battle tonight

By Edison Jefford Two old basketball foes will enrich a pre-existing rivalry tonight at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in what is certainly a long-overdue contest among Guyana’s most formidable basketballplaying towns.

Linden play Georgetown at two levels tonight beginning at 7pm when the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) officially announces its 2013 Season. The subassociation had challenged Linden to the contest.

Linden’s Under-19 team will take on Georgetown in the opening game while the senior players collide in an epic battle in the feature showdown. Both sub-

associations are under new leadership and are looking to advance their respective programmes.

As a result, they pleaded for support to return interest in the sport when the event was launched a week ago at the New Palm Court, which along with Mackeson is the main sponsor of tonight’s game.

While the rift is ripe among the two top basketball-playing communities in Guyana, the effort is one to ensure that quality basketball is generated as well. It simply means that if you are a basketball enthusiast, tonight is the perfect opportunity to gauge the level of local basketball, giving more reason to offer support.

Georgetown has homecourt advantage, but Linden has signalled an intention to take the battle to Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Court in a return fixture.

But for that to happen, it must prove that it is worth engaging Georgetown again with a strong performance tonight. Both teams are noticeably in transition, which makes the game even more interesting. With lots of the older players out of contention for selection, both senior teams from Linden and Georgetown are boasting a unique blend of youth and experience, fundamental and flare.

For Linden, former national senior captain and shooting guard, Steve Neils Jr. will spearhead the

Junior Hockey tourney set for Gymnasium this weekend Over 100 junior hockey players are expected to descend on the National Gymnasium this weekend, today and tomorrow, (March 2nd & 3rd), when the Hikers Hockey Clubs hosts its third annual Junior Indoor Tournament. The event has become one of the most prestigious junior tournaments on the local hockey calendar, with its usual high standard of competition.

In addition to under-13, 16 and 21 age categories there will also be the Global Technology inter-schools competition.

Defending champions St. Stanislaus College should face stiff competition from national champions Queens College as well as the likes of Christ Church, Marian Academy, St. John’s College and North Ruimveldt Multilateral.

Marian Academy are defending champions

in the under-13 category and look strong favorites to retain their crown.

The dominant GCC girls will also be favoured to retain their under-16 and 21 titles although the fast improving Hikers may have other thoughts. Old Fort and GCC look like the front runners to dethrone Hikers in the under-16 category, although they will be hard pressed to match skills with the vaunted Hikers under-21 boys, who have had a strangle hold on local junior tournaments over the past three years.

The action begins this morning at 10:00am with the under-13 category, which will be followed by the under-16 categories, while tomorrow the schools competition kick off proceedings from 9:00am followed by the under-21 categories.

From page 33 against New Zealand late last year, he was merely a stand-in then. Now, he is officially the permanent captain of the team and that will bring different pressure. Du Plessis has already shown he has the maturity to deal with being one of the senior-most batsmen in the XI and leading it and with a young squad under his command, the need for him to continue in that vein will be even more pressing.

His opposite number Mohammed Hafeez will also be under the microscope but for individual reasons. Hafeez was dismal with bat in hand in the Test series but now returns to the format where he has enjoyed much success. He does not have a red ball or Dale Steyn to worry about and Pakistan will be looking

to him to kickstart some success for them on a tour that has so far brought only struggle.

TEAM NEWS: In yet another shift in roles for AB de Villiers, the former captain will now open the batting and keep wickets. That probably means no space for young Quinton de Kock who had gloves in hand for the matches against New Zealand and batted at No.3. New leader du Plessis will bat out of his preferred position (the top two), but will most likely come in at No.3.

Chris Morris will likely slot in the lower middle-order, which will leave Rory Kleinveldt, Kyle Abbott and Ryan McLaren to fight for two spots if Lonwabo Tsotsobe plays. Aaron Phangiso may miss out to Robin Peterson in the spinner’s role.

Teams start even in...

challenge. Neils has loads of experience. His senior support will come from Neil Marks, a lanky forward that takes a high percentage of shots and Marvin Hartman, another tall forward. Both players, along with Shane Webster, will give Linden the presence they will be looking for in the paint.

It would appear as though Linden is understaffed in the guard positions, but elevated former national junior guards, Marlon Pollydore and Chris Williams have proven that they can hold their own on the big stage.

Linden is noted for its high levels of camaraderie, team-spirit and fitness. The team works hard and their pride as a prominent sportsoriented community is always at its maximum, which often makes them very competitive.

Georgetown after facing Linden with mixed fortunes for so many years will be aware of all those facts. Forwards Royston Siland and Ryan Gullen and guards Stephon Gillis and Rodwell Fortune are among the senior nationals for Georgetown.

Ryan Gullen

Akeem Kanhai

Chris Williams

Marvin Hartman

Akeem Kanhai and his youthful counterparts, Shelroy Thomas and Marlon Chesney give a clear indication of a team aiming for

efficiency on both ends of the floor. There is no doubt that these players will be providing some entertaining basketball.

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

GCB hails ‘Reds’ Perreira on his St Lucia National Award

The President and Executive of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) have extended congratulations to Joseph Anthony ‘Reds’ Perreira on the National honour awarded to him by the Government of St. Lucia on that country’s Independence Anniversary, February22nd, 2013.

Pereira was awarded the St. Lucia Medal of Merit Silver for his outstanding contribution to Sport and Administration on that Island.

He was appointed Sports Organiser for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), but headquartered in St. Lucia.

The Guyanese was very active in the organising and development of various activities in the country.

The GCB said it shares the pride he obviously feels and hopes he will continue to have the strength, the energy and the interest to enhance sport in this part of the world.

Ali Six wins Muntaz ‘Baji’ Ali Dominoes Trophy Ali Six, led by Intikab ‘Cryout’ Ali took top honours on Monday last at the Everest Cricket Club Pavilion when overseas based International Six player Muntaz ‘Baji’ Ali sponsored his annual winner take all dominoes competition.

In what was considered a tight finish, the scores read in the penultimate sitting Ali Six (68 games), Jackson 6 (67 games) and Muntaz 6 (61 games). It took the experienced Edmund Sammy, Junior Ramchurgie and Trevor Bovell to bring home the bacon as they marked 14 games in the final sitting compared to 11 for Jackson 6 and 12 for Muntaz 6; the final scores read, 82 for the

winners, Jackson 6 - 78 and Muntaz 6 in the cellar with 73.

Junior Ramchurgie led for the winners with 17 games and was well supported by Claude Stewart and Edmund Sammy with 16 and 14 games respectively. Manniram ‘Packer’ Shew made the maximum 18 games with Dudharine Persaud and Ash Ali chipped in with 16 and 14 games respectively for the second placed team while Muntaz 6 top players were Muntaz Ali 15 and Ron Callender 14 games apiece.

Mr. Muntaz Ali has promised more tournaments and rather than doing it once will increase it to twice yearly, commencing this year.

Page 31

Guyana Celebrates World Tennis Day with juniors Monday March 4, 2013 is designated as World Tennis Day by the International Tennis Federation and will be celebrated by countries across the globe with a number of events.

The Guyana Tennis Association will host a Tennis Festival for young children, to celebrate this event tomorrow from 9:00 hrs12:00 hrs, at the National Racquet Centre on Camp St r e e t a n d Wo o l f o r d Avenue.

The event will feature juniors from programmes at active tennis clubs and primary schools and will also cater for other children interested in starting to play the game to learn more about tennis in Guyana and to sign up for club programmes.

The day’s activities will include tennis clinics for beginners, intermediate and advanced players as well as exhibition matches by Guyana’s top juniors.

In an effort to grow and promote the game of tennis around the world, the International Tennis Federation launched this day in partnership with StarGames, a multinational tennis partner, to showcase the sport.

Highlighting World Tennis Day in the Eastern Hemisphere will be the BNP Paribas Showdown in Hong Kong, which will feature Asia’s first grand slam

Young aspiring players seen going through a routine during a previous camp.

champion, Li Na; Carolina Wozniacki; Ivan Lendl; and John McEnroe.

Other exhibition events held across the globe will feature high profile players such as Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin Del Potro, Serena Williams, and Victoria Azarenka at NYC’s Madison Square Garden. It is also expected that 3,000 tennis clubs in the U.S. and tennis clubs in 15 other countries across the world will take part in the celebration this year by promoting 10 and Under

Tennis, a variation of the game which is geared towards young children.

“Guyana looks forward to World Tennis Day as a way to put a spotlight on tennis participation and encourage new interest” says GLTA

Vice-President, Grace McCalman. “It is an event that can be spread across Guyana in years to come to exhibit our young talent and grow tennis in a big way to help the sport to get the attention it deserves.”

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 02, 2013

GMR&SC International Drag Race Meet...

Dragsters promising day of excitement, daredevilry tomorrow Just one day remain for the staging of the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) International Drag Race Meet, at the South

Dakota Circuit.

According to a source close to the Club, the event which is expected to have dragsters from Suriname and

Spin strategies take...

From page 35 seasons - making only 138 at 17.25 in five matches but will be hoping to capture the form that brought him centuries in both Irani Cup (a first-class Indian domestic match, which pits the Ranji champions against a Rest of India side) games this season.

TEAMS NEWS After the Chennai victory, MS Dhoni had talked about India having found a ‘settled’ side, indicating that there aren’t likely to be too many changes.

The only decision the team management will have to make is whether to bring

in Ojha, and if so, at whose expense.

Unlike Chennai, where Australia confidently announced their XI well before the match, they have yet to name their team for Hyderabad. The batting is unlikely to change, unless David Warner fails to recover from his bout of gastro and keeper Matthew Wade (who was hit on the cheek during Friday’s practice session) is forced to sit out*. If Wade does miss out, Phillip Hughes is likely to take over wicketkeeping duties with batsman Usman Khawaja slotting in.

Trinidad and Tobago present is expected to provide exhilarating action throughout the day as the foreigners attempt to upstage the Guyanese racers who have promised to not only repel the efforts of their visiting counterparts, but smash existing records.

Anand Ramchand, who will be competing in four categories with a similar amount of cars boasted earlier this week of obliterating the current records in the respective categories, while Rondell Daby’s lightening fast Red Evolution, always a treat to watch is said to be in fantastic shape and rearing to get on the track.

The other big names expected to represent the ‘Land of Many Waters are Afraz Ally, Syed Ali, Danny Persaud and Sanjay Persaud.

The source further informed that the Superbikes

Two competitors’ line up for the start of one of the reaces at a previous Drag Race Meet, at the South Dakota Circuit. (Photo compliments of Rohindra Mahase of GTRidez.com) category though not much information could begarnered at this point is also expected to add to the excitement and Stephen Vieira, Carlos Rodrigues, Carey Griffith will be looking to not only outdo each other, but all the other

contenders as well.

Additionally, race fans for the first time have the opportunity to witness the Porta Tree Timing System which is equipped with specialized starting lights that allow quarter mile speeds to

be recorded.

Races commence at 12:00 hrs and admission for adults is $1000, while children under12 and vehicles are free.

The day’s activities also come with the compliments of Banks DIH Ltd.

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

West Indies clinch tight win Exciting action anticipated as Milo U-20 Schools Football resumes in low-scorer ESPNcricinfo - West Indies captain Merissa Aguilleira’s unbeaten 34 helped the team clinch a narrow two-wicket win off the last ball against Sri Lanka in the first of the three Twenty20s. In a match in which only four batsmen got into double-digits scores, Aguilleira’s innings turned out to be the difference.

Sri Lanka chose to bat, but were in trouble soon as they lost their top five with only 39 on the board. They struggled the most against Shakera Selman, who had figures of 2 for 14, and Shanel Daley, who didn’t get a wicket but gave away only 10 runs in her four overs. Only

two of Sri Lanka’s batsmen - Eshani Kaushalya and Dilani Manodara - got into double figures and helped the team crawl to 87.

West Indies’ innings followed the same pattern as Sri Lanka’s for the most part. They were reduced to 27 for 4 after Kaushalya picked three wickets in her first three overs. Stafanie Taylor scored a vital 25 and when she was out with 29 runs still needed, the match hung in balance. Aguilleira saw three more wickets go down at the other end, but held her end and hit a boundary off the last ball when they required two runs.

Scores: West Indies Women 90 for 8 (Aguilleira 34*, Kaushalya 3-18) beat Sri Lanka Women 87 for 7 (Kaushalya 25, Selman 2-14) by two wickets.

South Africa v Pakistan, 1st Twenty20, Durban...

Teams start even in new format ESPNcricinfo - South Africa’s summer of Test cricket is over but the sunshine and good times are not. Another three weeks of activity awaits and it is up to the limited-overs formats to turn what has been a onesided series into a competitive, two-way street.

The balance has definitely tipped. It is no longer a No.1 ranked team in conditions that suit them up against a side determined to prove something. Both South Africa and Pakistan hover in the middle of the Twenty20 rankings at the moment.

While South Africa have never tasted the success of a major trophy, Pakistan have and were responsible for dumping South Africa out of the 2009 World Twenty20 which they went on to win and beating them in both other meetings at a major tournament.

That fact sums up the difference between the two teams’ approaches to limitedovers cricket. Pakistan have won when it matters, South Africa have when it doesn’t.

Add that to the hosts’ current state of transition and Pakistan will see an opportunity to strike. They have with them a wealth of experience headed by Shahid Afridi while South Africa’s young squad includes only four Test regulars.

In essence, this is a clash between a team still experimenting with the format and one that has never had

the same urgency to master it because they thrive in unpredictability. Pakistan can be expected to bring every element of themselves that has made the world fall in love with cricket over and over again: the late batting-order revival, the surprise wickets, the picture-perfect catch. If all those elements combine perfectly, it will make for good viewing.

South Africa have promised to be more clinical, a suggestion that hints at no more floating batting line-up and miscalculations over who

will bowl at the death. Given their haphazard approach to the shortest format, that shows they are taking it more seriously. The key will be not to be too rigid.

It’s set up to be a contest of Pakistan’s ability to light flames versus South Africa’s new cool and supposedly inflammable nature. What a thrill it would be if the series sets on fire.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Although Faf du Plessis led the team with aplomb in their three-match series (Continued on page 30)

Part of this year’s competition which is being played at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

With the Georgetown segment of the Mashramani celebrations over, all systems are in place for today’s resumption of the exciting Milo / Petra Organisation Under-20 Schools Football Competition which is being played, at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

According to the Organisers, this is the final round of the round robin phase and at its conclusion eight teams will be eliminated, while the top two teams from each group along with the four best

third place finishers will proceed to the Round of 16.

In today’s fixtures, Lodge Secondary take on Dolphin at 12:00 hrs and that will be followed by the clash between Guyana Educational Trust College and David Rose from 13:50 hrs, while the final game of the day pits St. Winefride against Carmel Secondary at 15:45 hrs.

Tomorrow’s action will see Brickdam Secondary against North Ruimveldt at 12:00 hrs followed by the encounter between New Campbellville and Richard Ishmael from 13:50 hrs with Central High

taking on Sophia Special School at 15:45 hrs.

The top four schools will be rewarded with prizes ranging from $200,000 for the winners, runners-up$100,000, 3rdplace-$50,000 and 4thplace-$25,000 along with trophies and medals.

The prizes will come in the form of a project choice which is to benefit the school, while the most outstanding players will also receive prizes.

The tournament is also being run in collaboration with the Ministry of Health under its Gender-based Violence unit.

Windwards beat Guyana as Bajans also win BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Windward Islands and Barbados recorded victories on the third day of the third round of matches in the Regional FourDay Championship yesterday.

At Arnos Vale Complex: Windwards won by four wickets.

Scores: GUYANA 151 all out (Assad Fudadin 55, Rajindra Chandrika 25, Leon Johnson 23; Shane Shillingford 4-40, Liam Sebastien 3-21, Delorn Johnson 3-43) and 211 (Zaheer Mohammed 61, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 33, Leon Johnson 31; Shane Shillingford 7-64).

WINDWARD ISLANDS 276 (Keddy Lesporis 39, Devon Smith 38, Liam Sebastien 35, Lyndon James

31, Kenroy Peters 27, Dalton Polius 24; Devendra Bishoo 5-67, Leon Johnson 2-18) and 87 for six (Devon Smith 25, Dalton Polius 21; Devendra Bishoo 3-19, Steven Jacobs 3-40).

At 3W’s Oval: Barbados won by an innings and 185 runs.

Scores: COMBINED CAMPUSES & COLLEGES 109 (Kyle Corbin 26, Shacaya

Thomas 21; Chris Jordan 743, Ashley Nurse 2-30) and 78 (Akeem Dewar 22; Ashley Nurse 3-18, Jason Holder 322, Miguel Cummins 2-11, Chris Jordan 2-15).

BARBADOS 372 (Kirk Edwards 109, Kraigg Brathwaite 90, Shane Dowrich 56 not out, Rashidi Boucher 23, Jason Holder 20; Akeem Dewar 7-116).

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Saturday March 02, 2013

Scotiabank/Pepsi School Football...

40 Teachers complete football Coaching Course

New Amsterdam Teachers just befor a practical training session Forty (40) teachers from Georgetown, New Amsterdam and Linden schools recently completed their entry level football coaching course under the Scotiabank/Pepsi School Football Programme, being run by the Guyana Sports Development Foundation, Inc (GSDF), a non-profit organization based in Florida USA. The coaching facilitator was the programme’s Technical Director, Stanley Harmon, a New York based coaching instructor. Mr. Harmon is also a Founder Board member of the Central Brooklyn Youth Soccer Federation and the New York Representative of the National Soccer Coaches of America Black Coaches Committee.

The coaches will now use their newly gained knowledge to coach the boys and girls of the participating schools for the upcoming tournament phase of Scotiabank/Pepsi School programme which commences in late March with league playoff for the 48 male and female teams from the 24 participating schools.

The training course was approved by the Guyana Football Federation, and it is hoped that the coaches will further their coaching knowledge by doing other higher level coaching courses organized by the GFF. In an invited comment from Technical Director Stan Harmon, “As the Technical Director of the programme, I am very pleased with the attendance and participation of the schools’ coaches. The information was enthusiastically received and

I know that the students will benefit immensely from the knowledge imparted to the coaches.

The idea to complement soccer with school work is the only way football will get to the next level in Guyana. The schools have traditionally been the incubators for sports and The Scotiabank/Pepsi program will ensure that schools’ football retain its rightful role”.

The next phase of the programme will be a referees’ course for students of the participating schools during the week of March 4th. The student will learn the Laws of the game and can pursue becoming certified referees, but more importantly can use course material for their CXC exams.

The GSDF would like to extend thanks to course facilitators Mr. Harmon, Mr. Lawrence Griffith and Ms. Andrea Frederick; programme area coordinators Colin

Bowry – New Amsterdam and Rollin Tappin – Linden.

Programme Organising Committee, Ministry of Education Sports Complex, Thomas Lands, Wisburg Secondary School and New Amsterdam Prisons for hosting the coaching courses.

Special thanks also to the main sponsors Scotiabank and Demerara Distillers Limited (Pepsi) and the stakeholders Guyana Football Federation, Ministry of Education, Guyana Football Referees Council, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the Guyana Teachers Union.

For more information on the Scotiabank/Pepsi Football programme visit the GSDF’s website at http:// www.guysportsdevelopment.com/ schoolfootball.html or on Facebook at Scotiabank/ Pepsi School Football – Guyana.

Third Monthly Road Race in Berbice postponed Athletes in the ancient county of Berbice will have to wait a week longer to participate in the fourth edition of the monthly road race organised by the Rose Hall Town Athletics Club.

The event which was scheduled for this Sunday, 3rd March, has been postponed to Sunday 10th March due to the staging of the Cheddi Jagan Memorial Cycle Race which will be held along the same route and Carifta Games trials which is

scheduled for this week end at the Police Sports Club Ground Eve Leary, Georgetown.

The race which is open to all athletes residing in Berbice is set to move off from Ulverston Village to end at the Rose Hall Town Arch on the Corentyne. Cash incentives and other prizes are up for grabs. Race time is 09:00 hrs.

Interested athletes, teams can contact Godwyn Allicock on telephone numbers 3374774 or 660-9048 for further information.

Saturday March 02, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Silvertown All Stars assume lead as beach footballers continue preparation Silvertown All Stars turned in a spirited performance to triumph over Eagles 4-3 when action in the Guyana Beach Football Association/ Banks DIH Coca Cola Beach Football League continued at the Bayroc Ground Linden, Thursday evening last.

Marmarlaque Davidson netted a double for Silvertown and got support from Mario Batson and Tevin Davids, while Troydell Lamazon contributed a brace for Eagles along with Benney Neblet who added one to their losing cause.

In the other match played that day, Vasco and Wisroc battled to a tense 4-4 stalemate but Vasco retain the second place since they still have one more game to play.

Deshawn Joseph scored twice for Wisroc while Clarence Huggins and Orande Wills contributed one goal each. Michael Wilson and Ameer Allicock each netted a double for Vasco.

Alikyu had an easy night after being gifted a walkover from Winners.

The tournament continues next Wednesday March 6 when action in the penultimate round commences.

Meanwhile, the executive of the GBFA are currently

engaged in several fund raisers to field a team at the impending World Cup Qualifiers scheduled for Nassau Bahamas May 15-19 next. Subsequently, a team will be selected to participate in the 2013 World Cup slated for Tahiti in September.

Already a competent team has been selected and the names have been submitted to the executive of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for ratification. General Coordinator of activities, Rollin Tappin, explained that the sport has the potential of lifting Guyana on an international pedestal. He said that the current tournament will provide much needed practice for his players and the executive of the GBFA have organized several tournaments that will heighten their preparation in order to maximize their chances at the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.

He said that they have arranged an invitational tournament with players from Trinidad and Tobago scheduled for early April.

Otherwise, the organizing committee (GBFA) has managed to accrue approximately one million dollars to offset the required four million needed for

participation in Nassau Bahamas and consequently, Tahiti.

Further, Mr. Tappin disclosed that his executives have sent out letters to several corporate entities soliciting their assistance. A similar correspondence has also been sent to Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Frank Anthony. He said that he is optimistic of a positive response and has set the cut off point for final arrangements at the end of March. Subsequently, the local players and officials will depart Guyana on Tuesday May 14 next.

Ten countries out of the 35 members in the CONCACAF zone are playing beach football and Mr. Tappin is adamant that Guyana could attain world recognition after his men would have made their mark on the championships.

“The impending qualifiers would bring recognition to Guyana as a formidable beach football nation,” he stated.

The players selected are: Ryan Scott, Orin Steele and Colis Messiah (Timerhi); Michael Wilson, Lennox Allicock (Vasco); DeShawn Joseph, Colric Beckles (Wisroc); Denzil Warde, Darrell George (Blueberry

India v Australia, 2nd Test, Hyderabad...

Spin strategies take centre stage ESPNcricinfo - The clinical victory in Chennai marked a job well begun by India, but MS Dhoni’s side won’t be too thrilled yet, having lost the previous series against England despite taking a 1-0 lead.

England’s fortunes turned with the inclusion of the extra spinner in Monty Panesar for the second Test in Mumbai, and Australia’s team management have also been pondering whether to switch to a two-spinner policy, which has historically not worked too well for them in India.

What could prompt Australia to stick to their pace-heavy line-up will be that left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty’s Test credentials aren’t in the same league as Panesar ‘s, evidenced by an unflattering first-class average of 44.56.

India, too, have been wondering about an additional tweaker, though in their case it will expand their spin trio to a quartet. Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner, was perhaps India’s best bowler

in the series defeat to England but was surprisingly left out in the first Test. India’s quicks had little to do in Chennai, and Ojha could take one of their places.

Though Ojha is the latest in a long line of Hyderabad players to have played Tests for India, the city has not been a traditional venue for Test cricket, having only hosted three matches till 2009.

Tests returned to Hyderabad in 2010 at the new Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, and the Australia match will be the third in Hyderabad in three years. It is the only Indian stadium to get two Tests this season, benefitting after the Australians complained about the facilities in the original host city, Kanpur. Briefly there were concerns that the match might be moved out of Hyderabad as well, after powerful bomb blasts hit the city just over a week ago.

Security has been tightened before the match, with two units of an elite anti-terror squad deployed, and 60

CCTVs being used to monitor the stadium and surroundings.

Watch out for...

In Chennai, James Pattinson once again showed why he’s rated so highly by Australia’s team management, bowling with ferocious pace to fluster India’s batsmen and finishing comfortably the best of the Australia’s fast bowlers.

Pattinson has a tendency to break down, though, and was used only in two short bursts of three overs each early in the first innings. Can his body handle the intensity of back-to-back Tests?

Pattinson dismissed the opener M Vijay cheaply in both innings. The Chennai Test was Vijay’s first chance in more than 18 months, and failure in the second Test could relegate him to the sidelines again. With Gautam Gambhir out of the squad, runs in Hyderabad might open the way to a long run in the side for Vijay. He didn’t have the best of Ranji (Continued on page 33)

Some of the players that have been selected for national duty pose for a photo op moments after a practice match Hill); Devon Smith (Eagles); Colwyn Davids, Damion Williams (Shattas); Claude Dennis, Kevin Croal, and

Goalkeeper, Odel Allicock (Alikyu) and Charles Harvey (Winners Connection).

Several coaches will also

comprise the squad including Abdullah Hamid and his assistants, Gregory Louis and Felix Inniss.

t r o Sp

Sammy says World Champs will showcase style for home fans

Darren Sammy plays a big shot during West Indies training session.

WICB Media Photo Philip Spooner.

North Sound, Antigua – Darren Sammy has promised his West Indies team to play like true World Champions and entertain their home fans when they face Zimbabwe in the two-match T20 International Series this weekend (today and tomorrow). The World T20-winning captain was upbeat as he talked about his side’s chances of beating the visitors, in what promises to be an action-packed doubleheader at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.First ball on both days is 2 pm

(1 pm Jamaica Time).

“We are world champions and every time we go out to play we have to play like world champions. We have to let other teams know we mean business. This is a format we have done well in and we will look to always dominate,” Sammy said.

“We come here to play our brand of cricket – the brand which won us the World Cup for the people of the Caribbean.

This is the first T20 International in the Caribbean since we won the World Cup and this is a great opportunity for the fans to come out and watch their world champions play. We anticipate a good turn-out and we will look to win for our loyal supporters.”

The captain was speaking on Friday as he and teammates completed their preparations for the two matches.

The West Indies have been on a good run in this format.

After winning the ICC World T20 trophy last October they beat Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla in Dhaka in December in and also whipped Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane last month.

They dominated the recent three-match One-Day Series against Zimbabwe at the Grenada National Stadium –by 156 runs in the first match; by seven wickets in the second match and by five wickets in the third match.

Sammy noted: “I know we have not taken Zimbabwe lightly. We will come out and play good, competitive cricket.

Looking back at the One-Dayers, three disciplines fired. We have a good combination and we will look to improve our performances.”

West Indies selectors have called up fast bowler Shannon Gabriel for the first time in T20 cricket and recalled allrounder Christopher Barwnell. Both were outstanding performers in last month’s Caribbean T20. The stronglybuilt Gabriel bowled with pace to win the Player-of-theMatch award in the Grand Final. Barnwell, a powerful batting allrounder, played a superb match-winning knock against Jamaica in the Play-off. Sammy welcomed the inclusion of both and said he is quite impressed with their preparations for the series.

“They have been rewarded for a very good Caribbean T20 tournament. They both played really well for their teams and took them to the finals. They have both played at the international level before so this won’t be altogether new for them. We will try to give everybody an opportunity. I expect to see them both play, if not in both games, at least in one game,” Sammy said.

“We will look to provide opportunities and exposure to guys who have done well as we continue to look toward the T20 World Cup in 2014. We will look to win that tournament and defend our title. The T20 World Cup in 2012 was a perfect example of the players the selectors tried in the buildup and we saw how well that turned out for us.”

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