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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: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
A language that is not our own The following involves what was the mood in India. It is not dissimilar from the mood in Guyana especially when it comes to the English language. Without it, we are doomed. NEW DELHI - A BOATMAN I met in Varanasi last year, while covering the general election that made Narendra Modi prime minister of India, said, “When Modi comes to power, we will send this government of the English packing.” The government of the English! The boatman naturally did not mean the British Raj; that had ended nearly 70 years before. What he meant was its extension through the English-speaking classes in India. He meant me, and he could tell at a glance - these things have almost the force of racial differences in India - that I was not just a member of that class, but a beneficiary of the tremendous power it exerted over Indian life. “English is not a language in India,” a friend once told me. “It is a class.” This friend, an aspiring Bollywood actor, knew firsthand what it meant to be from the wrong class. Absurd as it must sound, he was frequently denied work in the Hindi film industry for not knowing English. “They want you to walk in the door speaking English. Then if you switch to Hindi, they like it. Otherwise they say, ‘the look doesn’t fit.’ “ My friend, who comes from a small town in the Hindi-speaking north, knew very well why his look didn’t fit. He knew, too, from the example of dozens of upper-middle class, English-speaking actors, that the industry would rather teach someone with no Hindi the language from scratch than hire someone like him. India has had languages of the elite in the past - Sanskrit was one, Persian another. They were needed to unite an entity more linguistically diverse than Europe. But there was perhaps never one that bore such an uneasy relationship to the languages operating beneath it, a relationship the Sanskrit scholar Sheldon Pollock has described as “a scorched-earth policy,” as English. India, if it is to speak to itself, will always need a lingua franca. But English, which re-enacts the colonial relationship, placing certain Indians in a position the British once occupied, does more than that. It has created a linguistic line as unbreachable as the color line once was in the United States. Two students I met in Varanasi encapsulated India’s tortured relationship with English. Both attended Benares Hindu University, which was founded in the early 20th century to unite traditional Indian learning with modern education from the West. Both students were symbols of the failure of this enterprise. One of them, Vishal Singh, was a popular basketball player, devoted to Michael Jordan and Enfield motorbikes. He was two-thirds of the way through a degree in social sciences - some mixture of psychology, sociology and history. All of his classes were in English, but, over the course of a six-week friendship, I discovered to my horror that he couldn’t string together a sentence in the language. He was the first to admit that his education was a sham, but English was power. And if, in three years, he learned no more than a handful of basic sentences in English, he was still in a better position than the other student I came to know. That student, Sheshamuni Shukla, studied classical grammar in the Sanskrit department. He had spent over a decade mastering rules of grammar set down by the ancient Indian grammarians some 2,000 years before. He spoke pure and beautiful Hindi; in another country, a number of careers might have been open to him. But in India, without English, he was powerless. Middle-class parents started sending their children in ever greater numbers to convent and private schools, where they lost the deep bilingualism of their parents, and came away with English alone. The Indian languages never recovered. Taken from the New York Times
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
Doctor breaks silence on death of Cheddi Jagan DEAR EDITOR, I visited Mrs Janet Jagan at her home just a few days before she died. I saw only the exterior, the stairs, the living room and the tiny study. I did not see the bedrooms or the kitchen, but I feel that I saw enough to offer my opinion that it was indeed a modest home. Also, judging from its size, appearance and layout, it compares to the modest village home I was raised in at Palmyra Village, East
Coast Berbice in the 1950s and 1960s. It simply is not comparable to any of the large homes recently constructed in Georgetown and environs. I can attest too that President Cheddi Jagan p o s t p o n e d u rg e n t a n d critically needed cardiac surgery by two months. He died before it was done. I was one of three doctors who met with him and Mrs Jagan on Sunday, February 9, 1997. The other two doctors
were Dr Hughley Hanoman and Dr Roger Luncheon. The five of us met at State House for the specific purpose of addressing Dr Jagan’s medical condition and to establish a plan of treatment. I still have my copies of his medical records and test results and some of his notes to me. Without revealing any confidential patient-doctor aspects of his medical condition, I can address those issues already in the
public domain. He was in congestive heart failure as we spoke. He had already been on medications for that but with only partial success and his heart failure was getting worse. He needed to have the underlying cause of his heart failure treated. That was blocked coronary arteries and the treatment for that was coronary bypass surgery. And the quicker the better. Before arriving in (Continued on page 6)
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
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The APNU/AFC Coalition must understand that they are facing a desperate PPP Government DEAR EDITOR, I do not believe that the May 11, 2015 polls in Guyana will result in any change of Government. In fact this conviction grows weekly when I see the level of desperation, deceit, violence, intolerance and low-life politics emanating from verbal attacks by Minsters, Government officials and persons close to the PPP Government. I hold firm the conviction that the PPP does not want elections but understands it must deceive the populace by grudgingly facilitating the hosting of National and Regional Elections; the ABC countries,
international watchdog groups and many others are on their backs as well. If one listens carefully to the language used by the PPP operatives in the media, at meetings and rallies the bottom line is that the PPP Government seeks no alternative for itself other than a Parliamentary majority, in other words they would like to do as their wish with virtually unlimited and unchecked power. Now for a Government to state this as the objective of their election campaign speaks volumes about its selfperceived limitations as well as its unwillingness to
practice in inclusive and participatory governance via constitutional reform which this country so badly desires and needs. If the Government were listening to the country it would have embraced and taken steps to reform the constitution since it came to power in 1992, some 22 plus years ago. Editor, I offer a few examples of recent examples to highlight my conviction: (a) the PPP through its youth arm the PYO and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport continues attack the youth of Guyana by attacking the GECOM and GYNC on their
Youth Voter Education Campaign. Now why would anyone not want young people to be aware of their voting rights, the voting process and to vote on issues on race? (b) The recent baseless attempt by our very own CHATREE AttorneyGeneral to say the APNC and AFC Coalition is illegal because the provisions made for Vice Presidents, etc. in the Cummmingsburg Accord are unconstitutional. This is as weak an argument as one can make. (c) The killing of political activist and national hero Courtney Crum-Ewing (d) The PPP Government all of a sudden
has countless complaints to make against GECOM, the continuous registration effort and most notable the Preliminary List of Electors. Keep in mind until Gocool Boodhoo’s contract was not
extended by GECOM the PPP Government always praised GECOM. (e) Unwillingness to respect the people’s demand and constitutional requirement to host Local (Continued on page 6)
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Cheddi Jagan had two possessions that Doctor breaks... dwarfed Jagdeo’s luxurious lifestyle DEAR EDITOR, If the recent execution of Courtney Crum Ewing, the brazen comments made by controversial former President Jagdeo of his luxurious lifestyle being comparable to that of the late Dr Jagan and the denigration of Nadira Bracier, the Jagan’s daughter, in the Guyana Times, for defending her parents integrity, fails to galvanize the outrage needed to oust these sybarites from political office, it is difficult to see what will.
There seems to be no limits to which Mr. Jagdeo will not descend to sanctify and rationalize his ill-gotten gains. In so doing, every time he opens his mouth he plants his foot squarely in it. Mr. Jagdeo is no stranger to controversy but at this time the respectful and decent thing to do would have been to keep a still tongue and reminisce on all the positive achievements attributed to this great man as against his own abject failures. In the short time Dr. Jagan was
President he engendered hope of healing old wounds and creating a brighter future for all Guyanese contrary to what obtains presently. The only items Dr. Jagan possessed that dwarfed Mr. Jagdeo’s mansion and luxurious lifestyle were a heart large enough to encompass the struggles of the working class poor and disadvantaged and boots too large for Mr. Jagdeo to fill. Consequently, the psychological impact of his continued miserable failures
and shortcomings took its toll and paranoia has now set in. The Peoples Progressive Party Civic leadership should distance themselves from Mr. J a g d e o ’s c o m m e n t s , d e m a n d an immediate apology and sideline Mr. Jagdeo from further participation in their election campaign, it is clear that he has made a mockery of Dr Jagan’s legacy and will continue his uncontrollable outburst if he is not reined in. I AM COURTNEY Cleveland Graham
Too little, too late for North West Region DEAR EDITOR, The Minister of Local Government did quite a good job in preparing the Report Card on all the works completed in Region 1. According to Whittaker (Stab. News 18/01), fifty seven villages benefited from $189M on development projects including Health facilities ‘for the first time’. Not so fast Mr. Whittaker. Pre 1992, villages had Health Huts with Community Health Workers well trained by GAHEF at Liliendaal on the East Coast Demerara. A n d , f o r M i n i s t e r ’s information, with the claimed infrastructure, millions are still spent to medivac patients to the city. Whittaker then goes on to mention some of the projects – aquaculture project, timber project, poultry project. Incidentally, many of these ‘projects’ are tucked away in communities which are far away from the eyes of the observers and the auditors e.g. Manawarin - Moruca
River, Waikarebi - Barama River, Three Brothers - Waini River, Hobodeia - Aruka River. No one would travel the distances to check so they would have to accept. Are we expected to vote on projects which (according to Minister) our tax dollars were spent on and not even some pictorial evidence? This is the digital age. Are the aquaculture projects the same as the one in Tobago Hill? Even the hassars did not approve of that project and they migrated. While the Report Card stops at these outlying villages, the Minister failed to say what is the status of the Kumaka Waterfront project (Mabaruma) on which millions have been purportedly expended and the area remains a slush creek after years. Whatever happened to the material to fence the Neighbourhood Office in Mabaruma? Who pays for the rental of a vehicle being used by an Education
Official to drive around campaigning for the PPP? Minister turned up as Santa Claus, handing out mini buses to small communities where the roads have not been maintained and so there is the appearance of little creeks to drive through. Could these vehicles stand up to this? No Minister Whittaker. Even the heavy duty trucks get stuck and relatively submerged. The team comprising the madam who runs the NDC for the PPP was gallantly strutting around talking about the many developments just to fool those poor people. Our people have grown to expect the usual set of gifts every five years after which there comes a lull in attention. Why not do the roads then give buses? How do you expect Region 1 to vote after 22 years and not even a regular North West Steamer service (which was promised, as a matter two boats) has been put in place
to alleviate the suffering of the same voters and their families on the MV Kimbia. You expect these people to love the PPP more than themselves and vote for some buses to come in five years time? A last bit on the eyepass for the Amerindians – why institute Community Development Councils parallel to the Village Councils thereby removing the authority of the Village Leaders? We are sorry to inform you Minister Whittaker, we have cross checked your claims and are hereby giving you a Grade ZZZ on development in the North West Region. We want to move forward and your Government cannot take us there. You had twenty odd years and all we see if the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Tired of the trying to see the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ that you are showing to us. Cedric Jones
From page 4 Guyana, based on test results Dr Jagan had sent me a few days earlier, I had made arrangements for him to have his entire cardiac care including tests, imaging, cardiac evaluations, coronary bypass surgery, recuperation and rehabilitation, hospital charges, surgeons fees and all other fees waived by the hospital and the professionals involved, as a courtesy to the people of Guyana. Dr Jagan had visited me in Midland, Texas in December, 1994, and had met nearly all of the people involved, at a social level. And he had charmed them off, uncontrollably! So that when I asked them for their help on his behalf, in February 1997, they were the easiest chips to call in! The cardiac surgeon, after review of the records, had recommended urgent surgery. After I arrived in Guyana, Dr Jagan invited me to stay at State House. We spent much time talking about his deteriorating medical condition. He was determined to keep that quiet. He had first told me about his health in July 1996 when we met for three days in Houston, Texas. At first, I wondered if he wanted to be treated at the world famous Texas Heart Center but soon discovered that he had no such intention. His notes to me afterwards indicated serial worsening of his condition. He had another physician friend in Ohio. He too had recommended surgery and advised him to have his surgery done at the highly-rated Cleveland Clinic. At the meeting at State House in February 1997, Dr Jagan listened to the pros and cons of the various options.
The APNU/AFC Coalition must understand... From page 5 Government Elections. The aforementioned examples are all connected incidents, only let us not be mislead nor deceived. Just as we can see the writing on the wall for the PPP Government, so can the Government. These attempts serve two main purposes, either to discredit the electioneering process and mechanism (GECOM) thereby casting
serious doubt on the integrity of the process, mechanism and election results AND destabilize the country to a point where a State of Emergency or some other mechanism can be invoked which will delay or force us to cancel elections. The Government sees the writing on the wall, they hear the dissatisfaction of the people so they will continue to discredit and disrupt not only the election process, the APNU and AFC Coalition and any other meaningful positive effort that could result in a change of Government come May 11, 2015. The following are five core reasons I believe there will be no change of Government and/or elections come May 11, 2015: 1. The PPP is desperate and the connections can be made that efforts (violence, cyber-attacks, etc.) to
destabilize the election process inclusive of the validity of the Official List of Electors are being hatched. 2. The prospects of oil, the need to protect ill-gotten assets by PPP government minsters and close friends of the PPP and to remove all evidence of corruption means they PPP will not release its hold on the reign of Government; if they do it will be a vicious power struggle, inclusive of violence and all manner of attempts to destabilize the electioneering process and election results. 3. The PPP Government is at its weakest point during its 22 year old reign in Government; it has not attracted significant youth support, it is uninspiring, it keeps practicing racial divisiveness and politics to its own detriment and an overwhelming majority of
Guyanese both in and outside of Guyana desire change and a new direction. 4. The PPP Government knows and understands that an overwhelming majority of Guyanese both at home and abroad are totally upset and fed up with their lies, false promises, political vendettas, etc. 5. Many benefactors of illegal activities, especially major players in the local drug trade, facilitated knowingly or unknowingly by members and agencies of PPP Government, also understand a change in Government could curtail their ill-gotten gains and further highlight their alleged connections to Government officials therefore they too do not desire a change in Government. This means they are prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure the
corrupt PPP Government remains in power, constitutionally or extralegally. The Coalition, Guyanese Diaspora and those who desire transparent, accountable and inclusive governance must not be caught off guard by this massive deception to host National and Regional Elections in Guyana. The APNU and AFC Coalition in particular must understand that they are facing a desperate PPP Government, one that has shown historically and most recently that is willing to facilitate or directly carry out acts of violence, provoke racial hostility and exploit constitutional and legal technicalities to preserve its power and privilege so as to avoid the consequence of losing the reins of Government. Mike Archer
There was the usual difference of opinions when doctors meet. No plan for definitive surgery was confirmed. Later that night, Dr Jagan told me that he would “sleep on it” and let me know in the morning. I was leaving the next morning for Texas and since I was leaving his home at about 3 am for that early morning flight, I said my farewells right then. To my surprise, he was waiting for me when I came out the next morning. He said that he had considered all the advice and opinions but based mostly on how he was feeling over the previous two weeks, he had decided on having coronary bypass surgery. I was elated and asked if he wanted to travel with me on my flights to Midland, Texas. He said that he couldn’t do that. He wanted to wait two months. He did not tell me why. It occurred to me that he might be looking for a way out, to have the surgery done at the Cleveland Clinic and did not want to hurt my feelings. I was aware that other persons had suggested to him that he should go to a world-renowned centre instead of “a never heard of place” if he decided on surgery. So I brought it up and assured him that my feelings would not be hurt. He stopped me immediately. “I want you to do it,” he said, meaning of course, that he wanted the team I had put together to do it. (I am not a surgeon. At the time, I was Chairman of our hospital board of directors and so had a little extra standing in the medical community.) He reminded me that the other two Guyanese we had operated on at his request, one public knowledge, one private, had only the best things to say about their care here in Texas. After reading Ralph Ramkarran’s article which indicates that Dr Jagan deferred the surgery to make it fit with a previously planned trip abroad, I am heartbroken. I wish Dr Jagan had told me that. I wish I had thought of that. That was the kind of person he was. So I should have thought of it. But I didn’t. He had a heart attack five days later. It was bound to happen. Just a matter of when. We could have saved him. He opted to save – taxpayers dollars or not – at the risk of his life. It was just the air fare. As it turned out, he never recovered. Guyana lost a man of honour and integrity, prematurely. I admired him immensely as a servant of the people. And as a fighter for what he thought was right. Tulsi Dyal Singh
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
Al Qaeda driven out of Yemen city after killing 20 soldiers (Reuters) - Al Qaeda fighters captured the capital of a province in southern Yemen, killing about 20 soldiers, before they were driven out by the army late on Friday, local officials and residents said. The fighting came hours after suicide bombers killed 137 people in the national capital Sanaa, in coordinated attacks claimed by Islamic State, an offshoot of al Qaeda that controls swathes of Syria and Iraq. Clashes also took place in the country’s north on Friday between local tribes and the Houthi militia, which controls Sanaa, illustrating the wideranging nature of Yemen’s security crisis. Yemen has been hurtling towards civil war since last year when the Houthis - who belong to a sect derived from Shi’ite Islam - advanced from their northern heartland, further undermining the country’s tenuous internal
security and creating more space in which Sunni group al Qaeda can operate. Western countries and Yemen’s Gulf neighbours see Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) as the most dangerous al Qaeda branch after its efforts to bomb international airliners and launch cross-border raids into top oil exporter Saudi Arabia. Washington has been waging a drone air war against the militants. AQAP fighters captured al-Houta, capital of the southern Lahj Province, on Friday but were forced to withdraw after holding it for several hours, the officials and residents said. Two army brigades then entered the city. There were no reports of any militant casualties. Houta is only 30 km (20 miles) from the Indian Ocean port of Aden, where President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has temporarily based the government since he escaped
from weeks of house arrest in Sanaa by Houthi militia. In the past two days, unidentified warplanes have bombed the palace in Aden that Hadi has been using. The clashes in the north on Friday took place on the borders of Marib and alBaydha provinces, a government official said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Meanwhile in Taiz, a mainly Sunni city in southern Yemen, Houthi forces on Saturday fired on hundreds of people protesting against their advance across the country, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. The Interior Ministry, which is dominated by Houthis, denied it had sent security forces to Taiz to help quell unrest. Some political analysts say the Houthi advance could drive Yemeni Sunnis to align with al Qaeda and Islamic State.
Ahead of U.S. visit, Afghan leader warns of Islamic State threat (Reuters) - President Ashraf Ghani publicly acknowledged for the first time on Saturday that Islamic State was gaining influence in Afghanistan, as he prepared to leave for the United States to seek to slow the withdrawal of American troops. Reports have been growing that some commanders of the Islamist Taliban forces fighting the Afghan government are swearing allegiance to the radical Islamist network that controls swathes of Syria and Iraq, sometimes called “Daesh”. “Daesh’s characteristic is that it is maneating. It swallows its competitors,” Ghani told reporters in a briefing. “Here, it is not physical presence of people from Syria or Iraq. It is the network effect.” The United Nations mission to Afghanistan said recently there was no indication of widespread or systematic direct support for Afghan fighters from IS leaders in the Middle East. However, Ghani, who is due to meet President Barack Obama on Tuesday and to address Congress on Wednesday, said the danger should not be underestimated. Record numbers of Afghan security forces and civilians died last year in the fight against the Taliban, and Ghani said the impending
spring fighting season would be tough and could quickly become even tougher with the rise of Islamic State. Ghani also said neighboring Pakistan’s military offensives on its northwestern frontier were driving “global terrorist networks” such as al Qaeda into Afghan territory. The prospect of Islamic State gaining a foothold in Afghanistan is expected to be a factor in Obama’s decision on whether to slow the planned withdrawal of the 10,000 or so American troops still on the ground in the United States’ longest war. Most of these are now training the Afghan army and police, and their numbers are due to drop by nearly half by the end of 2015. Ghani has said that timeline should be re-examined. Ghani has not yet managed to nominate a full cabinet, despite being in office for six months, but he said he would nominate new ministers before leaving for Washington - a bid to show that his efforts to reform the corrupt and inefficient government are progressing. He also said he was “cautiously optimistic” about efforts to open peace negotiations with the Taliban, but that any progress would be slow, and that there had been no face-to-face meetings yet.
Economist gives positive outlook, but airs concerns
Daily Nation - A leading Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) economist says Barbados is definitely on a recovery path and, with the right steps, the growth Barbadians were accustomed to will return. The positive outlook has come from CDB’s deputy director of economics
Ian Durant, as he addressed the 71st annual general conference of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) at its Dalkeith, St Michael headquarters. According to the economist, he was “optimistic” about Barbados’ economic outlook but there were a number of
issues facing the local economy that also needed to be fixed. Addressing some of the policy challenges facing the current administration, Durant said for growth to be sustained, the island’s economic base had to be spread wider than just tourism.
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Sunday March 22, 2015
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
Don’t stop if you don’t see a marked police vehicle at roadblock - Top Cop
Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, has announced that unless it is absolutely necessary all police roadblocks should be conducted in close proximity to police stations or should be done by uniformed ranks in clearly marked police vehicles. The announcement came in response to queries following repeated cases of men in police uniforms robbing persons at illegal roadblocks. Yesterday, the Police Commissioner advised that should someone notice a roadblock that is set up in an area that is far from a police station, especially at nights, that person should try to call the police on 911 or the nearest police station. “They should try to contact us as quickly as possible, once they see a suspicious looking roadblock,” Persaud said. Many questions are being asked about police roadblocks, in the wake of last week’s robbery of a chicken delivery truck at Mahaicony. “What do we do when we come upon a “police” roadblock in an isolated area in the middle of the night? Should we stop and risk getting robbed or do we drive through and risked being riddled with bullets?” These were some of the questions being asked. For almost a year, the Guyana Police Force has issued instructions to its ranks that all roadblocks must be conducted with at least a Sergeant in uniform and must be authorized, with the marked police vehicle bearing the station where it originated from. The Divisional Commander must be aware, so too should the operations room in the division. This is to ensure that they know the number of ranks on the operation, where they are operating and the time the roadblock is to be conducted. There have been specific
An example of a properly organized roadblock. complaints about the roadblock conducted routinely at Houston in the nights. “You cannot even see the ranks’ faces how the place is so dark,” said a motorist who frequently uses the East Bank Demerara thoroughfare to get to and from his home. Another senior police officer explained that even if ranks have to be in plainclothes and in unmarked vehicles, they must carry out their operations in front of a police station where visibility is clear. “And they must be in possession of proper identification cards,” the officer said. But while some might argue that routinely placed roadblocks could be counterproductive, since criminals will find a way to circumvent them by waiting them out. According to a frequent overseas traveler, the local police should try to emulate the posture of their counterparts in neighbouring Suriname, when it comes to the manning of roadblocks. The traveler explained
that in Suriname, ranks are positioned sometimes a mile away from the actual roadblock to ensure that lawbreakers could not avoid apprehension. “If you are driving above the speed limit, you will be clocked long before you reach the roadblock, so that when you actually reached the roadblock, the ranks there already know about your infraction. And you pay the fine right there,” the traveler explained. But there are questions surrounding the operations of ranks in unmarked police vehicles, who might receive intelligence of a crime and have to act quickly by setting up snap roadblocks. “Even with those, the divisional operations room, the Commander and the divisional detective officer must be informed,” the officer stated. The officer emphatically stated that if a roadblock is held outside of the conditions mentioned then “it is one with other intentions than law enforcement”. “And it represents a failure or neglect of duty of
the officer in charge of the district.” M e a n w h i l e , Commissioner Persaud reiterated, recently, that police traffic ranks should not stop a vehicle unless he or she has observed that an offence has been committed. “We’re trying to prevent what is referred to as harassment- these routine traffic stops. Ranks are instructed, do not make a traffic stop unless they would have seen an offence being committed. So no more routine stops for traffic. In relation to crime, it’s based on reasonable suspicion. But traffic, they must see an offence committed before they stop and probe further,” the Police Commissioner explained. He said that there is a range of Standard Operational Procedures in place as far as he is aware and these need to be adhered to. Among them is, “No one should be held in police custody for minor offences.” These persons should be granted bail at the station level.
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Dem boys seh...
A lot of screwing put Jagdeo to de top A lawyer seh that he only want to be president fuh three or four days and that is because he can get that pension wha Jagdeo put in place fuh heself. Ramotar was one who seh that de pension too big and he call pun some people to fight it. He swear when he tun president that he gun change it. But he never seh when and he never seh that he gun change it up or down. Right now he love it more than he life. He was de man who promise to review VAT. He drop to sleep and now he in a coma on de VAT issue. During de protest when Jagdeo give way dem radio frequencies to he friends and family Donald seh that dem boys should give he three weeks, that he gun regularize dem. Dem boys seh that without he nah do nutten all dem station running regular. But in real life ting nah regular. Jagdeo was not a regular President because he do nuff irregular things. That is why irregular things does happen to him. He sit down wid a woman de other day having dinner. He did know she since school days. He reach across de table, tek she hand in he own and seh, “Soon we will be married, and there’s something I have to know. In all of these years, have you ever been unfaithful to me?” She replied, “Why now, Jagdeo? Let it go.” He continued “I think I need to know”. “Well Jagdeo,” she goes, “I have to be honest with you.”Yes, I’ve been unfaithful to you three times, give and take, during these years. But it always was for a good reason.” Jagdeo was hurt by de woman’s confession. “To think about it now hurts, especially since I never suspected.” Explain what you mean by ‘good reasons’? She replied, “The first time was shortly after you get de scholarship and you didn’t have money fuh de ticket. “You remember de owner fuh de travel agency? I been out wid he de night that’s how you get de ticket fuh travel de next day.” Jagdeo scratch he head and remember. He feel li’l better so he said, “I can forgive you for that but what about the second time?” “Can you remember when you were so sick with that wuk belly? And we didn’t have the money to pay for the surgery? Well, I went to see your surgeon one night and if you recall, he did the surgery fuh free.” Jagdeo shake he head. “Yes, I recall that,” he goes. “You did what you did to save my life, so of course I can forgive you for that. “But I know you said ‘three times, give and take’. I think I know what the ‘give’ was. And I have a little idea of the take. So, what was the third time about?” She looked him dead straight in de eye and goes “do you remember when you had to get de party nomination to become presidential candidate. Jagdeo responded, “Yes, I remember that time. I was the underdog candidate. Ralph had more support than me.” De woman continued “Underdog! You needed 73 votes to beat Ralph.” Talk half and ask Gail. She remember de story.
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Sunday March 22, 2015
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
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APNU+AFC has plans for Bobby Ramroop…
Sole sourcing of drugs will come to an end Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, recently asserted that once the coalition, APNU+AFC assumes office, the sole sourcing of drugs in Guyana will come to an end. His comments follow a series of concerns over the years about the Health Ministry’s continued sourcing of drugs from the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (NGPC) without competitive bidding, despite frequently promising to cease this practice. New GPC is owned by former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop. That company has been supplying the bulk of the
AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan
Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop
drugs to Government for the past 15 years, ever since it was acquired by Ramroop in 1999.
The political opposition has even linked this practice to the cause of the extreme
to admit that our road culture is still poor; we have to admit that there are significant improvements we have to make in respect to this area. We have to admit that this situation cannot go on in the way that it is going at the moment.”
Benn further said that relevant mechanisms for proper use of the road have to be put in place. He added that significant attention needed to be placed on enforcement in road use. “Because the very people who would have to benefit
shortage of pharmaceuticals existing in the local market. Ramjattan said that APNU + AFC feels that there must be some supervisory role over this process through the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission which will be the body to ensure that all the rules are adhered to in order to secure value for money. The AFC Leader said that it will be up to the body to decide when sole sourcing is “absolutely” necessary. The lawyer said, “Sole sourcing will be used where applicable as in the case if the country requires a particular machine and only one company at that time can provide it. But it must not be
Road culture must change to reduce carnage – Public Works Minister Though billions of dollars are spent annually on improving road networks across Guyana, Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn is of the view that a change in the road culture is necessary for the reduction of road deaths. During the commencement of a US$47M road project on West Coast of Demerara on Thursday, Minister Benn said that Guyana still faces a “significant issue” with respect to the proper and efficient use of the roads. He opined that though infrastructures were being provided, it was up to the road users to effectively use the roadways. “When we put the infrastructure in place, we have the responsibility to ensure the intended use for the road is met. We have to ensure that the parameters in respect to travel time, in respect to road accidents and the associated fatalities and injuries would be met,” Benn said. He continued, “We need to see a change in the culture of use of the roads. We have
from the use of the road and who would have to pay too for the roads out of taxes and duties and all of those things, would not see the optimal benefits for the use of the road if the road and other infrastructure are not properly (continued on page 64)
misconstrued that we are going to politicize the body because that is just totally out of the question. Sole sourcing
is not intended to be used as an instrument to enrich one person at the expense of the (continued on page 61)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
Amaila Falls Hydro Project unnecessary By Nicholas Peters A Brazil-backed Lethem/ Linden road is essential to the development of Guyana, thus fulfilling the goals of the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA) developmental plan. This road would also lead to the development of hydroelectric facilities, which would benefit the entire Guyana and regions of Brazil. This is according to former Member of Parliament, Stanley Ming, in a conceptual proposal entitled “An Overview of Options and Opportunities (O3) for National Development”. The proposal was presented to members of the media fraternity on Friday at the New Thriving Restaurant, Main Street Georgetown. “The road to Brazil is eventual if Guyana is to become a transshipment port,” said Ming in his detailed presentation to the media. He explained that the premiere reason for Brazil’s interest in backing a road from Lethem to Linden is linked to the North Amazonian city of Manaus. According to the local entrepreneur, Manaus is a significant manufacturing facility in Brazil where international companies have set up production factories. Ming explained that the manufactured goods from these companies are not exclusive to Brazil but are meant for export to the foreign market. The biggest challenge Manaus faces is transporting the manufactured goods to the Atlantic Ocean for export. “To get from (Manaus) to (the Atlantic), there is only one way. There is no road, no railway— there is only one way and that is the Amazon River… The only way to get those goods is by barge and that takes nine days,” said the businessman. “The reason they have been behind Guyana for decades to get a road through Guyana to an Atlantic Port is because if they could build a
modern highway… they will be able to gain access from Manaus to a port in the Atlantic whether it’s Georgetown, Essequibo or Berbice – whichever is most suitable – to the advantage of 24 hours,” explained Ming. Currently, travel by barge through the Amazon River from Manaus to the port city of Belem takes nine days, and incurs substantial financial costs for the Brazilians and manufacturing companies. Ming said that the reduced travel from nine days to 24 hours is the main reason for Brazil’s interest in creating a Lethem to Linden road as it would mean a significant decrease in financial charges for the country’s export sector. Moreover, a developed road connecting Brazil to Linden, and subsequently Georgetown, was one of the infrastructures, cited in a recent feasibility study that Guyana needed to implement in order for the Marriott Hotel to receive 11 percent returns. Due to Guyana’s “procrastination” in building such a road, Ming explained that Brazil eventually went ahead with constructing a road to an Atlantic port through Venezuela. However, this road has been met with its own difficulties as it also required the construction of a bridge to cross the Orinoco River. While this has reduced transportation costs for Brazil, Ming said that “due to the traffic when you come to the Orinoco crossing, the travel (from Brazil to the Atlantic Port) is increased to 48 hours. So that is why they are still interested in Guyana providing an access road.” Ming stressed that Guyana’s geographic location and relatively accessible terrain, is the reason for Brazil’s continued interest in becoming investors in an updated Lethem/Linden roadway. Talks of building a LethemLinden road can be traced as far back as 2009 at the opening of the Takutu River Bridge, connecting Guyana
Lethem/Linden road can lead to hydroelectric plant
Stanley Ming presenting “An Overview of Options and Opportunities (O3) for National Development”, Friday last and Brazil. “Apart from offering to build and finance the road from Lethem to Georgetown… the Brazilians have also offered to build since 2009, hydro-power in Guyana,” continued Ming. He said that the intentions the hydroelectric plant would be to provide both countries the
power each needs. At the presentation, Ming explained that due to the state of Roraima’s remoteness from the rest of Brazil, many of the cities in that region are susceptible to frequent blackouts on current powergrid. Guyana is closer to the state’s cities without any obstacles, like the Amazon
River, impending development. It for this reason Ming cited Brazil still has interest in developing not one but two electrical power plants in Guyana. In 2009, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the Government of Guyana had entered talks for a hydropower project in the Middle Mazaruni with support from the Brazilian government. At the time Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds said that the electricity from hydropower stations here (Guyana) could be also used in Roraima State. Ming further detailed that the hyrdo-power stations in Guyana would collectively be able to generate 2700 megawatts. According to his estimates, Guyana needs 300 megawatts of power. He said that Brazil would be willing to invest in hydroelectric stations, while relying on the excess power to supply Roraima State. “Brazil is still willing to fund and build hydropower so that they can get the 2400 megawatts of power. By so
doing Guyana will not be indebted because Brazil will find financing and they will repay the loan by the power purchase agreement they have signed with Guyana.” said the businessman. He added that this renders local investments into the multimillion-dollar Amaila Falls Hydro Project unnecessary. The Amaila Falls Hydro Project was initially proposed by the Guyana Government, in collaboration with the Sithe Global Company with additional funding from the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Caribbean Development Bank. Sithe Global has since pulled out from the project, citing the lack of consensus among the Guyanese as their reason. However, late last year, President Donald Ramotar expressed interest in reviving the Amaila Falls Hydro Project. When asked whether he was surprised at this move by the Head of State Ming replied, “I am not surprised that the government would invest and put the country in debt to build a plant.”
E’bo gears to produce rice cereal While Essequibo rice farmers have concluded that rice is at the crossroads, the government and the Institute of Applied Science and Technology on Saturday, at Anna Regina launched a Cereal factory to be operated in Region Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam) before the year is through. The launching of the project which is geared to produce and export rice cereals also intends to facilitate some 105 employment for Essequibians. As the Company grows, another one hundred persons would be employed.”Anybody can make a thing but it would take tremendous effort to make that
thing work.” Professor Suresh Naraine, who would be the Director of the Operations, in Essequibo, explained that the building to house the factory is currently being constructed. He is in advanced talks with Business personnel in Jamaica, which he hopes will be one of his largest Caribbean markets. Dr Naraine said that within the next two weeks he intends to commence advertising for employees to fill the various posts, and to begin training them in the following month. He said that it is important that Essequibians be consulted first and this he has been doing. He said that it is necessary for them to adapt
President Donald Ramotar to the initiative of having an investment pegged at $100M. The product would be touted as a breakfast cereal.
Dr Narine added that some packaging of the products would be done in the Region. President Donald Ramotar said that while the intended cereal would be a value added product, the breakfast commodity would be produced from broken rice. It would be another pilot product, he said and that it should motivate the Private Sector to capitalize on similar initiatives. “We are fundamentally price takers.” Ramotar was accompanied by structure Minister Nanda Gopaul of the Labour Ministry; Junior Agriculture Minister, Alli Baksh; and Minister of Tourism and Water, Irfaan Ali.
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 21
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Basics with Dr. Zulfikar Bux By Dr. Zulfikar Bux WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE IS UNRESPONSIVE As Doctors we are trained to do CPR and would know what to do in the event of coming across someone who is unresponsive. Unfortunately there aren’t doctors everywhere and there are instances when a person collapses and a Good Samaritan has to deliver CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a procedure to support and maintain breathing and circulation for a person who has stopped breathing (respiratory arrest) and/ or whose heart has stopped (cardiac arrest). Without maintained circulation, our brain and heart would not receive oxygen that it needs to survive and will lead to death faster. CPR gives the
unconscious person a chance at surviving until more definitive medical care can arrive. WHO NEEDS CPR? CPR should never be performed on a healthy person, because it can cause serious injury to a beating heart by interfering with normal heartbeats. It is reserved for patients who have recently become unresponsive and are not breathing and do not have a pulse beat. A person can become unresponsive because of various causes. Common reversible causes include a heart attack, drowning, electrical shock, choking, allergic reaction etc. We will now discuss the basic steps of CPR to improve your understanding of the process if the need may arise. I must highlight that it is better to have formal CPR training over reading articles including
The Baccoo Speaks Fear is something that makes people do things they would normally not contemplate. The police are going to respond to a call that would suggest that some criminals are in the neighbourhood. The reality is that they would be responding to a group campaign for a political party. But the community would not be satisfied, because the situation would almost escalate since some angry and violent people would come out to do harm to the campaigners. Fortunately the police would be there to prevent any untoward incident. ** There would be another murder, this time because one man became angry when a neighbour says something. The killer would
flee and this would give rise to a search by relatives of the victim. Suriname is always an escape route. ** Another robbery would occur when a businessman, as is the custom, transports a large sum of cash to conduct a business. The bandits would strike but they would be tracked down. The police are reluctant to be executioners, but this time they would be left with no choice.
this one. But if ever the need arises for the delivery of CPR, then this article should give you an understanding of the basic and important steps. BASIC CPR STEPS Check for responsiveness The first step is to ensure the unresponsive patient is really unresponsive. Giving them a hard tap on the shoulder a few times and inquiring if they are okay is usually sufficient. If the person responds, then CPR is not needed. Call for help Once the person is unresponsive then yell out that there is an unresponsive patient and you need help. If an experienced CPR provider arrives then let them take over the CPR, otherwise you will have to start it and guide your help along the way. You should also let someone call for an ambulance or some form of transport to take the patient to the nearest Hospital as soon as possible. Check for a Pulse It may be a bit difficult to locate a pulse if you’re not trained to do so. Your best bet is to locate the individual’s Adams apple on their neck and run your fingers 2-4 cm lateral of it. You should be able to locate a pulse if there is one. If a pulse is present then chest compression is not required and you need to keep rechecking while transporting the patient to the nearest medical facility. Chest compressions This is the main part of CPR. By compressing the chest you are squeezing the heart and allowing it to push blood out to your vital organs. Place the palms of your hands directly on the centre of the chest, lock your fingers together, lock your elbows to keep your arms straight, press straight down on the chest doing at least 100 compressions per-minute,
going at least two inches down with each compression. Allow the chest to fully recoil before pressing down back on it. This allows the heart to refill and be ready for the next compression. Always minimize time between compressions. Imagine that every time you’re not compressing the person’s heart is not beating. Their heart depends on you to beat, so keep compressing. Remember you will get tired after a few minutes of effective compressions. It’s best to get help to do compressions if available. What about mouth to mouth? A person that collapses and becomes unresponsive will generally still have oxygen in their blood. Delivering it via chest compression is the best option. Interrupting chest compression to give mouth to mouth breathing is now not recommended initially. Babies and children are an exception to this rule and should get mouth to mouth breathing (2 breaths for every 15 compressions) from the beginning. Transport the patient Try to not delay a patient transport, even for CPR. CPR can be given en route to the
Hospital. Medical personnel have more specialized training in CPR and will be able to deliver more effective CPR. Ensure you give them a debrief of what occurred on scene before you leave. *** My hope is that you remember these basic steps and will be able to utilize your CPR knowledge if called upon. Learning to take a life is easy; learning to save a life is a bit more complicated. I suggest you invest your knowledge in the latter, for saving humanity will always bring us better recompense. (Dr Zulfikar Bux is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Vanderbilt University and Medical Center and holds the position of Head of the
Dr. Zulfikar Bux Georgetown Public Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department.)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
A shot of rum stirred with a dose of death “The higher the dose, the better,’’ James told the hired killer. “My targets are so easy. They sleep in the street, right on the pavement…” By Michael Jordan In June 1999, Hardeo Sewnanan was drinking in a Chinese restaurant in Berbice with a friend when he suddenly collapsed. He was taken to a hospital where he died shortly after. There appeared to be nothing strange about this death. If one wanted to put it decently, one would merely say that Sewnanan was a hard-drinking man. But the real truth was that Sewnanan was a straight-out alcoholic, and the initial verdict was that he had died from an overdose of liquor. But the pathologist who performed the autopsy found something disturbing. Examining Sewnanan’s stomach, he came to the
conclusion that the alcoholic had been poisoned. His drink had apparently been laced with ammonia. The man with whom Sewnanan had taken his last drink was the victim’s uncle, 53-year-old Ronald Mallay, a postal employee. But for some reason, foul play was not suspected. Perhaps the local police believed that the down-andout victim had taken his own life. And most certainly the ‘suicide’ appeared to have nothing to do with the death of Alfred Gobin. Two years earlier, Gobin was shot dead in his Berbice home, apparently the victim of bandits. He was the father of Ronald Mallay’s girlfriend. And it seemed as if
The schemer: Richard James
The killer: Ronald Mallay
misfortune was following persons who were close to Mr. Mallay. On July 28, 1993, Mallay’s brother-in-law, 43-year-old Vernon ‘Dilly Peters was walking to work near the Woodside Houses in New York when a group of men accosted him, while demanding his wallet and jewellery. One of the robbers then shot him in the head. Like many Guyanese, Ronald Mallay eventually migrated to the United States of America, along with a close friend and fellow Guyanese, insurance agent Richard James. The men took up residence in the Queens, New York area with its high population of West Indians. James was also one of MetLife insurance company’s most successful agents, while also hosting a cable television
show featuring Guyanese music and dance. But, like his friend Ronald Mallay, death seemed to always follow those who were close to Richard James. In 1998, 42-year-old Basdeo Somaipersaud, an alcoholic and Guyanese by birth, was found dead on a park bench in New York City. The first assumption was that Somaipersaud had cracked his head while under the influence. But then the autopsy revealed that the man had died from intoxication from alcohol and chlorpormazine, a sedative sometimes used to treat schizophrenia. A pathologist also observed that there were small punctures on the victim’s torso. Investigators suspected that someone injected Somaipersaud with lethal
doses of the sedative while he was in a defenceless, drunken stupor, and then tried to cash in on the man’s life insurance policy. The person who had taken out an insurance policy on the unemployed man was none other than insurance agent Richard James. And James’ employers, MetLife, were also becoming suspicious of him. They discovered that 21 death claims had been filed from policies written by James within a few years. The rate of deaths was approximately 318 percent higher than expected, and a large number of his clients had died violently or under unusual circumstances. They discovered that $300,000 was collected from the death of Mallay’s nephew in Guyana, where he was killed with alcohol and ammonia. That policy had been written up by Mallay. In the case of Somaipersaud, the alcoholic who had died on a park bench, MetLife paid out US$84,000 in proceeds. MetLife suspected that most of the money was secretly funneled back to James, who had also prepared that policy. And Mallay had also prepared a MetLife policy for his brother-in-law, Vernon Peters, who was gunned down on his way to work. In July 2000, MetLife fired James and notified the authorities, who put him under surveillance. In 2002, investigators caught James on audiotape trying to pay an informant US$25,000 to kill another victim with a mix of alcohol and drugs to collect insurance, court papers said. “The higher the dose, the better,’’ he allegedly told the informant. “My targets are so easy. They sleep in the street, right on the pavement.” Before the plot could be carried out, agents arrested
James trying to flee to Guyana with a large amount of cash. Another informant also told investigators that in 1998 he turned down US$5,000 from Mallay to kill a “drunk’’ who hung out at Smokey Oval Park in the US. The investigators believed that James wrote out the false policies for the murder-for-profit scheme, which mainly targeted downand-out alcoholics. They believed that his friend, Robert Mallay, carried out some of the killings. In May 2007, the two men were tied in connection with the four murders, although investigators suspected that they had murdered several others in a multi-million-dollar scheme. The men’s attorneys attempted to prove that Sewnanan and Somaipersaud had died from natural causes, brought on by alcoholism. In the case of Sewnanan, who had collapsed and died in Guyana, the defence suggested that only the most ‘rudimentary’ and ‘primitive’ medical examinations had been conducted in Guyana. However, the Guyanese pathologist who had conducted the autopsy testified that the man had indeed been poisoned. Eventually, in July 2007, James and Mallay were found guilty of murder conspiracy and other charges by a federal jury in Brooklyn. The gruesome insurance murder scheme that was hatched in Guyana and the US was over. If you have any information on any other unusual case, please contact us at our lot 24 Saffon Street office. You can also contact us by phone on telephone numbers 22-58452, 2258458, 22-58465, 22-58491, or 22-58473. You can also reach Michael Jordan by email on mjdragon@hotmail.com
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 23
== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
Dresden makes Guyana look like a prehistoric site Several times in these columns, I have made reference to Dresden in Germany. The rebuilding of the city of Dresden is the most compelling evidence in social science analysis that something must be genetically wrong with the PPP as a collective body of people. Dresden is the worst example in the history of warfare of intense bombing. The city was reduced to rubble by aerial bombing in 1945. Twenty years after the Second World War, Dresden was rebuilt. In 2015, Dresden is one of the world’s most post-modern cities. Here is a city that was almost completely destroyed by war, yet was rebuilt in less than twenty years. Compare Dresden to Guyana. The comparison makes for extremely depressing reading. In 1992, the PPP came to power. At that time I was a lecturer at the University of Guyana. At that time there were still a functioning library, a bookstore, a maintenance division, buildings in proper
condition. In 1992, UG had a section named the Caribbean Reference Library (CRL). Look at UG in 2015. The CRL is closed. The bookstore died ages ago. The maintenance division has less than ten staff. The buildings are falling down. In twenty years, Dresden was rebuilt. In twenty years UG was destroyed. In 1992, the PPP inherited a wonderful Botanical Garden on Vlissengen Road. The zoo wasn’t top class but it was acceptable. I jogged in the Botanical Garden everyday during the late eighties. I took my baby daughter to the zoo every day after she was born in 1989. After twenty-three years of PPP rule the zoo is in horrible condition. The Botanical Garden is a virtual mess. Today when you look at Guyana, you see the failure of political power and in contrast, the resilience of private money. The juxtaposition tells a story of power that has destroyed this sad, pessimistic nation. I went into Starr Computer
on Brickdam and I see a store that is comparable with any you find in the developed world. I go to Bakewell pastry shop and it resembles any of its kind in Europe. I was a patient at Balwant Singh Hospital and the physical environment was comparable to any hospital I have seen in Canada. There are top class shopping malls that have gone up all over Guyana that are quite impressive as the types you see in rich Trinidad. The supermarkets in Georgetown can hold their own against those we see in the Caribbean. The physical interior of the commercial banks are top class. None of these developments had governmental input. They came about through the ideas of private entrepreneurs. Juxtapose this with the public building and public service. I was in the High Court weeks ago for the Jagdeo libel case and I showed the Kaieteur News reporter the condition of the courtroom we were in. The High Court looks like a dilapidated building with
falling windows, hanging gutters, leaking roofs and overflowing sewage, that is older than half of the population of Guyana. Go and stand up outside the Ministry of Social Services next to the abandoned Coop Bank and you will see the dirtiest surroundings in the entire world. Drive or ride around this city just for five minutes and you will see traffic signals that don’t work and streets without lights. Go to any public school and you will see the most abominable washrooms your eyes will not see in any school anywhere in the world. Most of the Ministries in this country look like rundown buildings when you enter them. As a Guyanese you have to ask yourself what the PPP Government has done with twenty-three years of control. There are several theories about the PPP administration that if posited in polemical exchanges, scholars would find too harsh to accept. But they should be discussed, because they have explanatory power. One of these theories of mine is that I think the given the nature of the people that
inherited power after the PNC lost the election in 1992, they were anti-state, they didn’t see the state in nationalist terms and set about trying to minimize and weaken it. The person who rejects this argument would ask why then if these people hate the state they would want to stay in power and exert control of a place they don’t like? Space will not allow for an extension of my theory, but the reply is that they see the
Frederick Kissoon state as a way of patronizing their friends, relatives and families, but essentially they hate it and will not inject ideas and money to save it. This I think explains the twentythree years of public decline.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
The People’s Progressive Party is exhausted This article was first published in 2013 and is reprinted with slight changes) The People’s Progressive Party, after nearly 23 years in office, is exhausted. Taken together with its seven-year tenure from 1957 to 1964, the Party has wielded executive power over the people of this country for 30 years. Its
energy has been expended. Its ideas have expired. The PPP, in the euphoria of the elections of 5th of October 1992, used to publish reams of articles and booklets praising its supposed performance. It still likes to tell its supporters that its victory in the 1992 elections ushered in a period of uninterrupted progress. It cites the five
consecutive PPP administrations – of Cheddi Jagan; Samuel Hinds; Janet Jagan; Bharrat Jagdeo and, now, Donald Ramotar – as milestones of advancement. The milestones have become millstones. They have become increasingly burdensome to bear. The PPP’s one-party domination of the country has damaged both democracy and
development. It was Bharrat Jagdeo’s 19th March 2001 victory, perhaps, which exposed the PPP’s ‘project’ for Guyana. A plethora of problems arose out of Jagdeo’s tenure which ended in 2011. The Party, during that period, persistently failed to address the basic needs of civil society, the labour movement and the masses in general.
This is evident in the perpetual restlessness of the workers’ unions, the poverty of the working people and, particularly, the degradation of the Guyana Trades Union Congress. The PPP, in the post-2001 period, made government the domain of an oligarchy – persons who felt free to pursue subjective interests of their own to the prejudice of the public good and in defiance of the public will. This inexorably led to the criminalisation of the state and, in turn, precipitated the gravest and longest public security crisis this country ever witnessed. The PPP’s problems sprang largely from the bizarre policies it adopted to deal with the security crisis. Those policies exposed the political contradictions within the party itself and widened the gap between the Party and the people. The PPP then set out to reinforce state authoritarianism by the debilitation and deformation of important institutions. It tried to subordinate the National Assembly to the Executive branch of government. It undermined the independence or impartiality of the Public Service, the Security Services, and the constitutional commissions which had been established to safeguard the integrity of those very institutions. It obstructed the installation of important constitutional organs - such as the Public Service Appellate Tribunal - which were created to provide protection to the public from executive lawlessness. It impaired regulatory and law-enforcement agencies – such as the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit; the Environmental Protection Agency and the Guyana Energy Agency – by depriving them of adequate assets, equipment and financing to such an extent as to diminish their capability to function effectively. It cultivated the stateowned communications media – the Government Information Agency, Guyana National Newspapers Limited (publishers of the Guyana Chronicle) and the National Communications Network – as Party organs to systematically excluded dissenting opinions. The PPP’s main failure has been the loss of trust and confidence, even among its staunch supporters. The Party spectacularly failed to
advance local democracy by destroying neighbourhood democratic councils and delaying local government elections. It failed to maintain educational standards which are now characterised by poor performance from the primary schools to the 50-year-old University of Guyana. The PPP has failed most seriously to address the country’s most pressing problem – the public security crisis. The Party simply does not accept its responsibility for the high rate of armed robberies, the murderous maritime piracy, the rampant gun-running and contraband smuggling and other violent crimes that rage along the coastland. The PPP, strangely, does not seem to understand why it is failing, and so has no idea about what to do to avoid the logical outcome of the loss of political confidence by the public. The Party finds itself being rejected by society because it has repudiated the very institutions, structures and culture of society itself. It imposed a form of social authoritarianism in which it perceived society as a collective which it could manipulate. Its dominant legacy has not been the creation of a balanced society in which individuality and communality merge into a group identity that reflects and represents both individual needs and national unity. Its political philosophy, instead, has been founded on an urge to transform society into something it can control. That is the reason why its leaders and policy-makers so easily and frequently abuse the political opposition and criticise civil society – especially the Amerindian People’s Association, Guyana Bar Association, Guyana Human Rights Association and the Guyana Trades Union Congress. It has failed to accept its obligations to recognise the claims and needs of the diverse elements of the Guyanese nation. It has failed to move beyond sectional interest and self-interest towards a shared identity. The PPP has failed to transform Guyana into a united, modern, democratic state. That Party seems to be incapable of embracing the common good but, instead, adheres to the authoritarian style of government that has so badly weakened our national institutions.
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 25
My column
We expect much better from the police The headline screamed, “Police arrest two for CrumEwing’s murder.” In days this would have been a sensational story because the society would have recognized that the arrest came after painstaking investigation. Way back then, the police never sought to deprive people of their liberty in a willy-nilly fashion. In the newsroom, a reporter said that this was the way of the police to pacify the nation, to make people believe that they are working hard. The reporter then predicted that the two people in custody would be released. So said, so done. The police released them because they had nothing to keep holding the two. A few days later, two more were arrested and this time a silver-grey vehicle was impounded. Having been a profound soothsayer, the reporter made the same pronouncement. I have to await the outcome. What I do know is that the police are trying, but it is counterproductive to announce arrests when there is nothing to support the arrests. As I said last week, there are people who know what happened, but they are not talking out of fear for their lives. We know that the police can be confidential but there were times when the people lost confidence in the force because there were ranks who blabbed out of control. I follow the international news out of habit and a curiosity to know what is happening in other parts of the world, and I always see the foreign police arresting someone for a crime that seemed to have been executed when no one was looking. This is done because the police walk the streets and canvas people house to house. There was the shooting of an Iraqi who happened to be outside his house enjoying his first snow. He had escaped his country to be safe in the United States. Within a few days the police were able to apprehend the shooter, a young man, who had no reason to shoot the Iraqi. Indeed, the training of the foreign police is better than ours but since, as they say, the world of technology exposes everyone to what the other does, then there must be someone in the local police force who can make our law enforcers copy what the others do successfully. And this does not mean that they do not make mistakes. Just the other day I read about a man who spent 39 years in jail and narrowly missed the gallows for a crime
he never committed. That arrest came some 40 years ago, but the use of technology and a review of the evidence led to the man’s freedom. So mistakes are made. The police shot and killed some unarmed young men these past few months. Again they made mistakes. In our case, gone are the days when people were shot out of hand. Full credit to former Police Commissioner Winston Felix for curbing that trend, but it is a pity that he could not emphasise proper detective work. There is the issue of the roadblocks. These go up all over the country at nights, sometimes for no other reason than to net some cash for the ranks. These roadblocks have become so ubiquitous that criminals dress as policemen and mount them to rob people. This was the case the other day at Mahaicony and caused people to wonder what would happen to them if they refuse to stop at a roadblock they consider suspicious. Innocent people could be killed. One expects the Police Commissioner and his commanders to act. The ranks are saying that it is
impossible for them to determine genuine police roadblocks from fake ones. This speaks to the level of communication within the force. Another limiting factor is the politicization of the police. It is common knowledge that someone who enjoys political support can avoid arrest. All too often people would come to me to complain that someone with political connections appears to be getting away with a crime or with some misdemeanor. This is responsible for the continued allegation of corruption and fraud. I know of cases that merited investigation but none was done because the parties involved were linked to a political party. There were reports of a regional official using state funds allotted to the region to purchase a piece of heavy duty machinery. Of course the officer went outside the required specification and so rendered the piece of equipment useless. This was because the money he must have collected on the side was too great to pass up. When the news was reported this regional official went to the courts to sue for
libel. As fate would have it I had the documentation so through his lawyer he walked away from the case. The authorities transferred him to the party office. But he had been transferred from another region because of the same irregularity. He was never prosecuted. Things like this cause the wider society to proclaim that the government embraces corrupt practices. And so it is that local newspapers pounce of what happens to people involved in corruption in other parts of the world. The former president of Sri Lanka was found to have salted away US$2 billion in a bank in Dubai. I cannot seem to contemplate such a sum. For one it is as large as the debt this country owes its lenders. Second, it is larger than the national budget and certainly larger than Guyana’s foreign reserves. The people who monitored the Sri Lanka economy had to see this money being siphoned off but then again, they were relatives of the president and they too were doing the same. The big question is how much money does an individual need? Bill Gates
knows how much he needs and he is giving the rest away. Nigeria, another country to accommodate corrupt governments, recently got a foreign country to return some US$300 million that the leader had salted away. It would be interesting if our government could hire investigators to find some of the money that was definitely salted away in foreign banks, or even in local banks. The government may also wish to take a look at some of the unused bank accounts fashioned from money allocated to the various Ministries. Who knows what would be found? It was heartening to hear that the newly formed SOCU—Special Organised Crime Unit—headed by the Police Commissioner has
Adam Harris already seized tons of money believed to be from suspicious transactions. But what happens after that? Perhaps the people could move to the courts to challenge the seizure. It would be interesting to know if high level officials were caught up in this.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
OUTRAGEOUS ABUSE OF TREASURY, CONSTITUTION BY PPP/C WILL STOP! The APNU/AFC Coalition from the first day in government will implement stringent measures to ensure that our people’s monies are protected and used only for their benefit. No more will there be wasteful spending on projects that make no sense nor benefit any Guyanese. No more will valuable time and money be wasted on frivolous court cases that put an unnecessary strain on the judiciary. The PPP/C has abused the National Treasury for more than two decades, spending billions of the people’s dollars as if it were its own. Its leaders continue to twist the Constitution for their own selfish gain, including trying to hog-tie the judiciary to make it answerable to them. The Constitution of Guyana clearly defines the three arms of the state as: 1. The Executive 2. The Legislature (parliament) 3. The Judiciary Each arm is
constitutionally independent of the other, so the PPP/C’s outrageous attempts to subjugate the judiciary and the parliament could only be seen as a thinly veiled move to institute a dictatorship in this Land of the Free. The mishandling of every single aspect of the political, economic and social affairs of Guyana has gone on for too long and it will come to a halt on 12th May. The PPP has raped and pillaged the treasury and abused the Constitution at the expense of we the people. Party Chairman, Nigel Hughes, pointed this out in a recent televised interview. He said that the Judiciary showed its independence when the Chief Justice ruled that the government had illegally spent $4.5B which the National Assembly had recently disapproved. “Since the ruling the nation has not received so much as an apology from the
Finance Minister who illegally spent billions of taxpayers’ dollars. We did not see the resignation of Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, who it is strongly believed, provided the flawed legal interpretation that gave the Minister permission to spend the monies. What we got after the ruling was arrogance and stubbornness from Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, who actually stated that (Minister Singh) was right to spend the funds. It is clear that government is no longer interested in or bothered by the parameters of the Constitution,” the Attorney-at-Law said. Just recently the party’s leadership had to address another product of the PPP’s propaganda mill that insinuated that the creation and signing of the historic Cummingsburg Accord was the work of a certain “gang of five” in the AFC. They could
not be more wrong! Members were properly consulted and they gave the green light for the Coalition agreement after examining all other options and taking into consideration the overall impact of the alliance. After the consultations, Party Leader Khemraj Ramjattan pointed out that there were three weeks of very tough negotiations with APNU. The resulting Accord was a product of compromise for the good of every Guyanese. During the television interview, Party Leader Ramjattan, Chairman Hughes and Executive Member Cathy Hughes, all pointed out how the PPP/C is bent on dragging Guyana into a “dangerous place”. These infractions include:· Discrimination in employment on the bases of race and party affiliation · Granting of contracts for infrastructure, repairs and
maintenance of community structures to unqualified contractors who are connected to the party, while ignoring qualified and experienced engineers · Extremely high levels of bribery and kick-backs in government departments and ministries · Poor management of the country’s resources by granting tax-free and other concessions to certain foreign investors when local business owners have to pay excessive taxes and exorbitant fees for importing raw materials and for extending their businesses. · Careless distribution of the nation’s natural resources without concern for the fact that these resources are not finite and should be sustained (e.g. trees replanted) for the benefit of our children’s children · The Guyanese people are not benefitting from the nation’s resources, not
thorough jobs or access to the end products. The raw products – timber, stone, gold, bauxite, diamonds and other precious gems, rice and sugar are shipped overseas. In the first year of government, the Alliance will: · Change the Constitution to re-arrange the responsibilities of both the President and the Prime Minister, · Hold Local Government Elections. · Ensure that the country’s resources (wealth) is evenly distributed · Ensure that there is transparency and accountability in the conduct of government’s business · Establish close relations with social groups including religious groups, unions, Non-Governmental Organizations, business owners and their support organizations in an effort to create a realistic government of national unity.
Sunday March 15, 2015
Kaieteur News
SUNDAY SPECIAL
into the circumstances surrounding Hernandez’s death. Kaieteur News was told that the four suspects in custody worked with Hernandez. It is unclear as to what led investigators to make the arrests. Monday, the dead man’s brother, Phillip Hernandez, said that his sibling had worked on the farm for the past four weeks as a Manager.
MARRIOTT’S CONSTRUCTION…ONLY A FOOL WOULD SAY THAT NICIL’S MONEY ISN’T TAXPAYERS’ DOLLARS – GREENIDGE With regard to the claim that funds used for the construction of the Marriott Hotel are not taxpayers’ monies, Former Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge says, “NICIL head, Winston Brassington has to be either an idiot or an international conman. I am sure that he is not an idiot, except in the contempt he has for the public.” NICIL was actually created during Greenidge’s tenure as Finance Minister. The politician went as far as to state that only a fool would say that NICIL’s monies do not belong to the citizenry. At a press conference held at the unfinished US$58M Hotel, Brassington told reporters that NICIL, as the principal owner of Atlantic Hotel Inc., built the Marriott “from its own resources earned directly from the sale of investments owned by NICIL, and from dividend returns from its investments, and not from taxpayers’ money. ”It provided (a further) US$16M for the completion of the hotel.” He claimed that some of the proceeds from the sale of the 20 percent interest in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company were invested into the project. He said, too, that dividends from different investments in state-owned entities and others in which NICIL has a minority interest were also used. Greenidge found Brassington’s statements to be “absolute nonsense.”
WEDNESDAYEDITION
Former PPP stalwart, Ralph Ramkarran
Former President, the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan
Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo
News had spoken to President Ramotar on the issue, Granger had alluded to those very debates. He had said that the debates were organized and all three parties— the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the Alliance For Change (AFC) and APNU—agreed to go through with it.” ”But by the second round, President Ramotar disappeared and it was only me and (AFC Leader and 2011 Presidential Candidate) Mr. (Khemraj) Ramjattan,” said Granger. Subsequently, President Ramotar said that his no show at that debate was due to the fact that it was horribly organized. He explained that the fact that he could not hear himself during the debates. There were other glitches and these caused him to abort the schedule. But even with that said, Ramotar noted that he is not remotely opposed to having debates. However, he sought to make it clear that the final decision has to be made by his campaign team.
However, that company, included in its projections that for the success of the Marriott Hotel, “we have assumed” that a portion of the nation’s ‘economic development initiatives’ need to be realized. The report says, “These include, but are not limited to the cultivation of a portion of Guyana’s crude oil.” This would mean that included in the factors that would make the Marriott Hotel feasible for the country, is the need for Guyana to find oil. This is yet to happen and Venezuela has recently made threats against the ExxonMobil Offshore rig currently in the Stabroek Block, a move that follows that country’s navy seizing the research vessel of a previous operation which again stymied Guyana’s search for oil. The nation’s economic development initiatives are outlined in the Feasibility Report’s Market Area Analysis Chapter. This, however, was not released to the media or the public.
sembling that of Dr. Jagan is totally unforgivable. When questioned last Tuesday about his mansion at Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara and whether he thinks Dr. Jagan would have been proud of his massive accumulation of wealth, Jagdeo said that Jagan also lived in a large house and in a neighbourhood that was considered posh in those days. This is what Ramkarran is objecting to. Ramkarran said that Jagdeo should not have made the comparison, neither should he have been allowed to try to justify his living in an opulent mansion by the sea by saying Dr. Jagan did something similar.
MONDAYEDITION IAM READY TO DEBATE RAMOTAR UNDERANY CIRCUMSTANCES – GRANGER Brigadier (Rtd.) David Granger has committed to debating President Donald Ramotar under any circumstances. Granger said this last week Friday in response to the President’s utterances as to why he aborted debates during the 2011 elections. The President has also made a declaration that he will not engage in another debate unless it is organized by his campaign team. This, Ramotar said, is because he has a bad taste left in his mouth from the last debate held during the 2011 elections. That debate was held at the University of Guyana. Even before Kaieteur
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BRASSINGTON BANKS MARRIOTT SUCCESS ON JAGDEO’S DEVIOUS SCHEMES - FEASIBILITY STUDY POINTS TO NEED FOR CRUDE OIL, DEEP WATER HARBOUR, BRAZIL/GUYANA ROAD, AMAILA FIRST Chairman of Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI), Winston Brassington has announced that the Marriott Hotel will be opened come next month and that the projections for a successful rate of return on the multi-billion dollar investment will be realized, as projected in the Feasibility Study. That study was conducted by HVS Consulting and Valuation out of Miami, Florida in the USA. Only a portion of it was released to the media.
A SIN FOR JAGDEO TO USE DR. JAGAN TO JUSTIFY HIS CADILLAC LIFESTYLE – RALPH RAMKARRAN Former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) stalwart, Ralph Ramkarran says that it is “a sin” for Former President Bharrat Jagdeo to compare the “Cadillac lifestyle” he secured for himself during his presidency, with the modest lifestyle of Dr. Cheddi Jagan. Ramkarran registered this dissatisfaction in his most recent publication on his website conversationtree.gy. The former Speaker, who is considered a Jaganite, dedicated a significant portion of his column to defend the legacy of former President, Dr. Cheddi Jagan. He threw out “facts” to prove that Jagdeo’s decision to paint a picture that would show his lifestyle as one re-
TUESDAYEDITION MANAGER FOUND MURDEREDAT YARROWKABRAFARM - FOUR CO-WORKERS IN POLICE CUSTODY The body of a 62-year-old man was found on Sunday with multiple stab wounds in a shack on a farm at Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway where he worked. The discovery was made around 07:00 hrs by his coworkers. The dead man was identified as Errol Clement Gregory Hernandez, of Sandy Babb Street, Kitty and formerly of Hosororo Hill in the North West Region. According to reports, Hernandez’s body was found in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds to various parts of his body at the entrance of the shack in which he had been living. No one reported hearing any screams. This newspaper understands that there are four shacks on the farm but they are at a “good” distance from each other. Police in a release said that four men have been arrested and are in police custody assisting with the investigations
CRIME CHIEF ON POLITICALACTIVIST’S ASSASSINATION…”WE WILL GO WHEREVER THIS INVESTIGATION LEADS” Crime Chief Leslie James said Monday that the Guyana Police Force will go “wherever this investigation leads” in its effort to find the killers of political activist Courtney CrumEwing. But it is unclear whether investigators questioned two individuals who had allegedly issued threats to the slain exarmy officer, a process some homicide experts stressed should be a key aspect of the investigation. The Crime Chief reassured that no stone is being left unturned to find the killers, after being asked to respond to concerns by the slain man’s relatives and others that his shocking murder might be politically motivated and may go unsolved. ”These are the persons’ opinions. They are free to express their views,” the Crime Chief said. ”We have an open mind. Wherever it (the investigation) leads we are going. That’s why we are pleading with anyone with information to come forward. This is a murder investigation. What we need is evidence. Let them make contact with us or send information to us anonymously.” James’s response came even as he confirmed that police had released two men that they had detained and had no one in custody. STUNTED GROWTH, STOLEN REVENUES PREVAILIN OUR NATION – GRANGER TELLS BUSINESS COMMUNITY …WHILE OUTLINING BLUEPRINT FOR IMPROVED INVESTMENT The perception that Guyana is currently in a state where stunted growth, stifled initiatives and stolen revenues prevail was communicated to the business community on Wednesday by Opposition Leader, David Granger. The politician was the fea-
ture presenter at a luncheon hosted by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) at the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel. The function was in keeping with GMSA’s annual initiative to listen to and query the plans of the politicians for the business community. The two-part series will see President Donald Ramotar relaying his plan in late April. GMSA President, Clinton Williams, said that the primary objective of this idea is to provide a platform for the production industry to obtain firsthand information on business-related issues. The fora are also intended to enable manufacturers, service providers, importers, exporters and distributors to question each candidate for the upcoming elections on matters that directly affect the conduct of their business, and to assess each party’s economic blueprint going forward. The event was one which saw distinguished guests such as Sir Shridath Ramphal and Canadian High Commissioner, Dr. Nicole Giles. THURSDAY EDITION THOUSANDS BID FAREWELL TO COURTNEY CRUM-EWING The rains threatened and then the sun came out with a vengeance but nothing deterred the thousands who descended Wednesday on Independence Park to say farewell to assassinated activist Courtney Crum-Ewing. Pandemonium erupted when the casket was opened and it was some time before order was restored as relatives, friends and scores, angered by the killing, fought to view the remains of the person they now consider the fallen hero. Libation was poured in remembrance of the slaves who were executed at that very ground in the now famous 1823 rebellion. It was fitting that Courtney Crum-Ewing visited there for the last time. As the water fell, chants of “Ashay! Ashay! Ashay!” filled the air. In Yoruba, it means “farewell”. Several public speakers then took to the podium, lambasting the Government and police for what they perceived as a stalled investigation into the fallen activist’s death. The message was clear… Guyanese must vote on May 11 with Courtney Crum-Ewing in their heart. Notably absent, at both Independence Park and at the church, were any representatives from the Government or (Continued on page 45)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 29
The Police Role in National Elections (cont’d) By Dale Andrews There have been troubling claims of political influence and interference in the affairs of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) which if they are to be addressed require a marked cultural shift at all levels, one that emphasises the independence and professionalism of a police service vis-à -vis one identified it as an instrument of the current government of the day. Be that as it may, it is the right of every citizen to demand that all officers and other ranks remain impartial when dealing with candidates, and campaigners for political parties, regardless of any perceived personal loyalty and/or feelings of gratitude for promotion or security of tenure or any other similar factor. This requirement also effectively forbids any police officer from attempting to influence the vote of ranks under his/her control, and minimizes exposure to
criticisms of favouring one party over another. It goes without saying that the GPF administration and individual members are prohibited from issuing press releases, brochures, leaflets, adverts, newsletters, use of the Force’s website and its
social media networks or stage any event which may be interpreted as designed to affect public support for a political party. With public trust at an alltime low, the police administration needs to do all it can to restore public
confidence and trust in the police role during this elections period. Failure to act decisively in this regard may be taken as a deliberate and accurate reflection of the true intent of the police force. The police should, however, be in attendance at
the briefing for candidates and agents to be thoroughly in the loop as it relates to a joint approach in reinforcing expectations of conduct by those standing for election and their agents. On the other hand, political party representatives should caution prospective voters that it is illegal conduct to engage in transactions including the selling of their national identification cards or acceptance of inappropriate hospitality or other inducement for the immoral purpose of votebuying. Having said that, it is incumbent on the police to demonstrate by their very presence that expected standards of conduct must be adhered to and respected. Sadly, although citizens can make demands with the reasonable assumption that they will at least be heard and some effort (no matter how minimal) might be made to address expressed concerns, the same cannot be said for
the responsiveness (or lack thereof) of the political parties. It has been shown that parties in power will use the advantage of incumbency to be re-elected. Guyanese are not oblivious to the timing of announcements of proposed major projects in this preelection period, nor are they ignorant of the abuse of state resources for electioneering purposes by public officials which in some places are prohibited by law. The GPF is in a unique situation of being accountable not simply to civilian authority, but to the laws of Guyana. Paradoxically, although that is as it should be, the police have very little latitude or capacity in initiating investigations into electoral malpractices of senior public officials, or in dealing with elections-related investigations. This situation collides with the police role in the electoral process which is to ensure that the elections are (Continued on page 30)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
The Police Role in National Elections (cont’d) From page 29 conducted lawfully in a safe and secure environment, free of intimidation for people exercising their constitutional and democratic rights. A few of the lessons
learned from the experiences in other countries might be applicable in the Guyana context namely: (1) the senior command structure must be actively engaged in discussing issues of police
concern in the planning process; (2)educate the police about their responsibilities during an election with due consideration to the officer level, specific responsibilities and the complexity of the situation; (3) draft educational material with reference to elements at (2) above, and consistent with the need to know; (4) utilize the train-thetrainer approach which develops and tests possible election-based scenarios of what might happen; (5) keep training material simple, short, focused and applicable to the rank level for which it is intended. A pocket-book format with pertinent instructions for frontline ranks has been found useful. But this does not invalidate face-to-face briefings; (6) the police administration must actively demonstrate support for the role of the police in a democratic society; (7) members of the police command hierarchy must fully understood their role under the electoral laws and their
responsibilities to address strategic issues and conduct risk assessments; (8) review electoral and other laws as they relate to rights of assembly and demonstrations which must be maintained during elections. Subordinate ranks are for the most part posted to polling stations or perform polling day duties without being under the watchful eye of their supervisors at all material times. It is therefore an imperative that these ranks should be guided as to the appropriate police behaviour. Although not all circumstances can be foreseen, guidance should be provided using a highly responsive form of information dissemination such as electronic bulletins or website, where practicable with respect to potential voting day issues. It is therefore incumbent on the force administration to give directions with regard to: (i) circumstances under which a police officer should enter a polling station if not posted there; (ii) If a police officer participates in the inspection of a polling station whether invited by the electoral official or not; (iii) the duties a police officer is
expected to perform at or near the entrance to a polling station; (iv) if the normal traffic rules will apply in polling station areas, or if they will be relaxed to permit easy access and a smooth voting process; (v)if a police officer should be involved in removing political posters from near or in the polling station; (vi) should a police officer tell a citizen how to vote; (vi) the actions a police officer should do if he or she sees an observer or political party representative interfering with a citizen voting; (vii) what an elections official should do when he or she sees a police officer acting in an inappropriate manner; (viii) if it is mandatory for a police officer to be present when ballots are being counted; (ix) if it is not mandatory can a superior officer can order a police officer to oversee the counting of ballots; (x) the escorting responsibility of police in the delivery of ballots to stations or depositories; and (xi) should police vehicles be used for ballot delivery apart from escort duties. In the final analysis if it is to recover from its current low standing, the Guyana Police Force must seize the moment and conduct its elections operations in a manner which demonstrates that its officers and other ranks are alert to their responsibilities. Those members who are tasked with elections duties
must be approachable and accessible to voters who may be in need for assistance. Ranks properly identified by name tags must be professional in their demeanour and personal appearance while maintaining impartiality if they are not to be the subject of lasting unfavourable opinions which are sometimes lasting. Because of the politically charged atmosphere and high sensitivities, the police will have to exhibit fairness if their actions are to avoid being labelled as excessive, including the use of force which can lead to possible conflict situations. At times like the current period, unscrupulous groups and individuals will seize any and every opportunity to incite problems for the police, and therefore no opportunity should provide anyone with an excuse to generate hostilities and cause a breakdown of the polls. Of course the commissioner of police has assured that the police are prepared for the worst case scenario, whatever that means. Next week I will be dealing with corruption in the Guyana Police Force, especially since that is one area that much emphasis was placed on at the recently concluded Police Officers Conference. (Dale Andrews is a Senior Crime Reporter who has been covering the police beat for almost two decades)
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
Page 31
ARE YOU AT A Healthy Weight? (From the desk of the Vector Control Director, Dr. Reyaud Rahman) Being overweight or obese means that you have an excessive amount of fat that has accumulated in your body and it may affect your health. In fact, obesity is fast becoming a huge health problem globally, as it has doubled worldwide since the 1980s. However obesity remains a preventable challenge. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 2.8 million people die from being overweight or obese. This occurs because an individual will be at increased risk of cholesterol, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer, kidney disease, gallstones, and heart disease. To determine if a patient is overweight and at risk for these diseases mentioned, a Body Mass Index (BMI) test can be done. This is a simple measure of an individual’s weight for height. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilogrammes divided by the square of his height in metres (kg/m2). It is important for an individual to be able to read a
Dr. Reyaud Rahman BMI scale. A BMI scale is used mainly to determine if an individual is underweight, overweight, has a healthy weight or is clinically obese. By knowing your BMI you can make certain interventions like changing your diet and preventing certain threatening diseases which may potentially affect an individual in the near future. A patient is considered at optimum weight if they are between 21 to 23 Kg/m2. Individuals are advised to maintain a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2. Some common health
problems associated with overweight and obesity are heart disease and stroke, osteoarthritis, endometrial cancer, colon cancer and breast cancer according to 2012 world health organization statistics. To prevent obesity and overweight it is important for an individual to make
healthy food choices and exercise regularly. Supportive environments and communities are important for shaping choices. Individuals should focus on eating less fatty or fried food. Adults should exercise for more than 150 minutes per week and 60 minutes a day for
children. A BMI scale remains the most useful population level measure for obesity and overweight as it is the same for men and women as well as for all ages of adults. BMI should be considered a rough guide as it may not be very accurate in
all individuals. To read a BMI scale an individual will need to know their height and weight and plot it on the graph provided. You will have a number which will tell you if you are underweight, overweight, at optimum (healthy weight), obese or very obese.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Education Ministry continues teachers’ duty free offering ...but silence on debunching payment worries GTU The Ministry of Education has resumed its offering of duty free concessions to public school teachers after what is believed to have been a multi-year freeze on the process. According to President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Mark Lyte, based on information reaching his office, a large number of teachers have recently been summoned by the Ministry regarding their duty free concessions. This move, according to him, was subsequent to several reports in the media that alluded to a fracas between the Ministry and the Union in relation to the duty free issue. Lyte, at a press conference earlier this year had told reporters that between the period of 2009-2013 there was a backlog in terms of the number of teachers able to access the duty free privilege. “There are some teachers who were eligible since in 2009
and are actually coming off without receiving their duty free concessions so we are fighting that battle,” the GTU President said then, as he pointed out that part of the requirement is that teachers must have at least five years remaining in order to be eligible. “Our case is that when they were entitled they had their requisite five years...that goes to show how slow the Ministry has been acting, and it has not been because of a lack of effort on our (GTU) part. We can only do so much and try to work along with the Ministry to get it expedited, but the process is very long and painful,” asserted Lyte. But Minister of Education Priya Manickchand at a press conference she subsequently convened categorically debunked the claims of the GTU. Nevertheless, the two sides met amicably and according to Lyte, “the
Guyana Teachers’ Union is pleased and very grateful that the Ministry is acting on this concern of ours.” He disclosed that based on the GTU records, approval has been granted by the Ministry for the duty free concessions of some 52 teachers. These teachers, most of whom became eligible for duty free concessions during the period 2013 and 2014, have also been contacted by the Guyana Revenue Authority in order to finalise the process. Meanwhile, teachers who were denied their concessions previously, some dating as far back as 2009, are also likely to soon be afforded this privilege. Lyte in an invited comment spoke of a special arrangement being put in place to ensure that these teachers will benefit although their timeframe of eligibility would have passed. “A special list was put together, with those
outstanding names, and so that is being looked at right now...they have not been called yet but the Ministry and the GTU sat down and came up with that list of outstanding names, and so we expect that to be addressed shortly,” said Lyte. Meanwhile, Lyte informed that the GTU remains concerned about the silence with regards to the debunching payment for teachers. The debunching payment is intended to cater to the salaries of teachers, whereby those with the same status will be paid based on their years of experience. This would ensure that a senior teacher who was trained 10 years ago will not be placed on the same salary scale as a senior master or mistress that was subsequently trained. But according to Lyte, “our teachers have not benefited one dollar from that debunching.” According to
him, a task force that was set up to address this issue had completed its work since in September in terms of categorising teachers and how they will benefit from the debunching. While the GTU has blamed the Ministry for this delayed payment, Minister Manickchand had in fact turned the blame on the Union. Lyte however noted that although the Ministry has since made efforts to address the duty free concessions, there seems to be immense reluctance to address the latter issue which would benefit a greater amount of teachers. “As a matter of fact it would bring satisfaction to the entire teaching population, because everybody is going to get something,” said Lyte as he lamented that the Ministry continues to be silent on this matter.
GTU President, Mark Lyte “We have spoken to several senior education officials, but they are still silent on the debunching payment, so GTU would like the Ministry to engage us and say something about the debunching...at least by now they should have done something about it,” the GTU President added.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
Sunday March 15, 2015
Kaieteur News
that in recent months, CrumEwing had reported receiving threats from members of the ruling party and filed two complaints with the police. It further noted that after his killing, his mother stated that those reports had not been adequately dealt with. FRIDAYEDITION OUTRAGE CONTINUES TO GROW…JANET JAGAN’S CONFIDANTE SLAMS JAGDEO’S MANSION STATEMENTS
Political Activist, Courtney Crum-Ewing (From page 27) the ruling party. However, there were several Opposition officials, including former Members of Parliament Joe Harmon, Jaipaul Sharma and Vanessa Kissoon. Crum-Ewing, a former student of Queen’s College who excelled in sports, and a former soldier, was killed on the evening of March 10 in the upscale section of New Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara. ANTI-GOV’T PROTESTOR’S ASSASSINATION…AMNESTY INT’L CALLS FOR THOROUGH, INDEPENDENT, IMPARTIALAND TIMELY INVESTIGATION International human rights group, Amnesty International, is calling for a thorough, independent, impartial and timely probe into the assassination of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing, to bring those responsible to justice. The international watchdog also called on the Guyanese authorities to guarantee a favourable context and peaceful atmosphere for the exercise of freedom of expression, association and assembly and other civil and political rights. In a document headlined “Guyana: Political activist killed ahead of elections: Courtney Crum-Ewing,” the group also urged the authorities to provide adequate protection to political activists, journalists and human rights defenders who might be at risk as a result of the exercise of their right to freedom of expression. The human rights body has noted that the killing of a political activist during the pre-electoralperiod fuels fear that further violence and limitations to freedom of expression may occur. The international body said
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s attempts to justify his multi-million-dollar mansion in Pradoville 2, by comparing it to the home of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, is fast spiraling out of control and proving a public relations nightmare for the ruling party. Joining the list of critics condemning Jagdeo is Sadie Amin, a former personal assistant and close confidante of Janet Jagan - who with her husband, Dr. Jagan, were both former Presidents. Amin, in a letter to the editor published in Kaieteur News Thursday, wrote that the couple was legendary when it came to their frugality. She had a simple message to Jagdeo: “Former President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, should stick to the old adage: If you don’t have anything good to say – SHUT UP!” During an unusual press conference last week to defend his statements at Babu Jaan, Berbice, during a forum to honour Dr. Jagan, Jagdeo when asked to justify his mansion said that Government Ministers do not have to live in logies to prove that they are honest. He said that Dr. Jagan lived in the upscale Bel Air area, but there were no questions about whether he was corrupt. He said that Jagan’s abode was not typical of all Guyanese and insisted that the area was a prime one. Immediately, the comments sparked condemnation from former Executive Member of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Ralph Ramkarran, and later on, the Jagans’ daughter, Nadira Jagan-Brancier. Amin, a lawyer, who said she worked by Mrs. Jagan for 10 years, said that whether the comments of Jagdeo were well intended as justification for the new dispensation of lifestyles for some of the ruling class, he should not have invoked Dr. Jagan’s way of life. FEASIBILITY STUDY UNDERWAYFOR DEEP WATER HARBOUR - FACILITY AMONG REQUIREMENTS FOR MARRIOTT’S SUCCESS
As the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration seeks to forge ahead with the idea of a Deep Water Harbour—which was listed as a key requirement for the success of the Marriott Hotel — it has announced that a feasibility study for the project is underway. This study, according to incumbent Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, will be done at no cost to the Government of Guyana. Prime Minister Hinds released a statement Thursday to the media that served to make this information public. By that means, Hinds disclosed that the Chief Representative of the Overseas Operations of China State Construction Engineering Company Ltd (CSCECL), in the Latin American and Caribbean Region, Zhile (David) Zhang, will be in Guyana next week to follow up on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) it entered into with the Government of Guyana. Hinds did not say when this MOU was signed. However, he noted that it allows for CSCECL to carry out a Preliminary (Pre-pre-feasibility) study of a Deep Water Harbour in Guyana in the area of the mouth of the Berbice River and with an associated Development Park/Export Processing Zone. Hinds disclosed that Zhang will be followed by a technical team from his company which will carry out the Preliminary Study, “at the company’s expense and without any obligations on the part of the Government.” As to the other measures that
were agreed to in the MOU, Hinds did not elaborate. SATURDAY EDITION BANDITS IN POLICE UNIFORMSAT ROADBLOCKS…BOGUS COPS WOULD CONFUSE EVEN REAL POLICE – OFFICIAL Police appear to have no plan in place to catch bandits who dress as cops to rob travellers at bogus roadblocks, and one official acknowledged that even real policemen would be unable to tell the real from the fake at night. The official gave this response after bandits dressed as policemen made off with $900,000 last Wednesday after holding three poultry business employees at gunpoint at Grove, Mahaicony. The victims, who were left tied up in their truck, said that two of the bandits were clad in the black police anti-crime uniforms, while the other was wearing the normal blue shirt and black trousers. Commenting on the robbery and what could be done to prevent other similar attacks, an official said that most routine roadblocks near stations are set up by senior ranks. There are others that are set up away from police stations if a robbery or other felony is committed. The source said that if the roadblock is in a dark area, it would be difficult, even for police ranks, to know if those manning the ‘roadblock’ are indeed policemen. “As a policeman you may slow down and you will see
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how they operate and say, ‘no, it’s not police, but by then it’s too late,” the source said. “I may see men with a flashlight, and I would have no way of knowing. At a dark turn away from a station, what evidence do I have that they are not police if they have uniforms?” CARICOM BACKS GUYANAOVER VENEZUELA’S TERRITORIAL CLAIM The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Friday noted its concerns over several assertions contained in a Communiqué from the Venezuela Government concerning its claims on territory belonging to Guyana. “The Caribbean Community reiterates its firm, longstanding and continued support for the maintenance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana and for the unhindered economic and social development of all of Guyana,” CARICOM said in a statement. “In this regard, the Community, once again, expresses its hope for an early resolution of the controversy which has arisen as a result of Venezuela’s contention that the Arbitral award of 1899, which definitively settled the boundary between the two countries, is null and void.:
CARICOM also noted that it has taken note that Guyana has commenced a review of the options available under Article 33 of the United Nations Charter, as provided by the 1966 Geneva Agreement, including the judicial option, that could serve to bring an end to the controversy and ensure stability in the relations between the two countries - relations that in recent years have seen positive progress through highlevel political consultations and mutually beneficial programmes of functional cooperation. Recently, Venezuela in a strongly worded statement in Kaieteur News warned that it is prepared to take action following the recent start of oil drilling activities by a US exploration firm, in what it considers disputed territory. But the Government of Guyana stood firm, calling on its neighbour to be respectful of the age-old boundary award which gives this country right to explore its economic potential. Venezuela had warned USowned ExxonMobil, one of the world’s biggest oil companies, not to drill for oil in what it considers its waters, offshore Georgetown. However, ExxonMobil insisted that it has an agreement with Guyana and not Venezuela. A drilling ship is in the concession and last week reportedly started its activities.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
Sunday March 15, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Oprah Winfrey to auction Should patients remind health workers to wash their hands? contents from Chicago apartment
Most patients are willing to remind health care workers to wash their hands while in the hospital, suggests a new study from South Korea. But many doctors and nurses don’t like the idea of patients telling them to clean up, the authors say. “Hand hygiene is regarded as the most effective measure for preventing the spread of infection in health-care settings,” the authors write in the American Journal of Infection Control. “It is of primary importance to build a better understanding and to promote a facilitating
environment for patient participation among patients and health care workers.” Healthcare authorities already recommend patient participation to improve h a n d h y g i e n e , b u t t he authors said it’s unclear whether the idea is acceptable to either patients or health workers. Dr. Min-Kyung Kim of the Seoul National University College of Medicine and colleagues surveyed 334 patients or family members, as well as 152 doctors and 387 nurses at one hospital in Seoul. They asked patients and families if they were
aware of the importance of hand washing, if they wanted to or planned on asking health care workers about hand hygiene and why they wouldn’t want to ask about it. The researchers also asked doctors and nurses for their perceptions of the importance of hand hygiene, how often they washed their hands and reasons they didn’t, and how they felt about patient participation. Seventy-five percent of patients and 84 percent of their families wished to ask health care workers to wash their hands if they had not already washed them. (Reuters Health)
Coping style may contribute to stress in parents of preemies Preemies often have lasting health issues and their parents often feel stressed, but a new study suggests parents might stay calmer if they had support in figuring out ways to deal with the behavioral challenges of these youngsters. Parents of seven-year-olds who were born very preterm – seven or more weeks early felt much more stressed than those with fullterm children when the kids were acting out. But parents who used more constructive problem-solving for outbursts stayed calmer than their counterparts who used avoidance to cope. “The full-term parents were better at using this form of coping than preterm parents,” said Mark Linden, the study’s first author and a lecturer in Health Sciences at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK. “This may have been one of the things which lead to parents of full-term children experiencing less stress.” Mothers of children who act out already have higher stress levels and may play and interact with their children less than mothers whose kids behave, the researchers write in Archives of Disease in Childhood. Having a preemie with medical complications may just make those interactions worse. Linden noted that while survival rates for preemies have increased in recent years, preterm youngsters can have more disabilities. “For parents of children who are born premature or with other medical complications, the joy of a new baby is tempered with worry,” Linden told Reuters Health in an email. “The medicalized environment in which the baby is placed in the days and weeks following delivery is unfamiliar and at times frightening for parents.” To see what factors might predict whether parents of preterm babies would feel overly stressed even years later, the researchers looked at data from a larger long-term study of children in Vancouver, Canada. They studied two groups, one with 50 boys and 50 girls born very preterm between 2001 and 2004, and the other with 20 boys and 30 girls born full-term during the same period. Researchers used various questionnaires to gauge parental stress and coping levels, as well as tools to measure children’s behavior and IQ, when the children were seven years
old. The full-term children had higher IQs at age seven than the preterm children, but patterns of misbehavior in both groups were similar. After accounting for child behavioral problems, IQ, gender and the parents’ coping styles, the study found that parents were more likely to be stressed if their child acted out, if they avoided dealing with their child’s behavioral problems and if the youngster was a girl. Though parents reported more acting out by boys, mothers tended to avoid behavioral problems in their daughters more than in their sons. The authors say they can’t know whether the parents’ stress is a result of the children’s behavior problems, or a cause. “Their finding that there is a little bit more stress in the group of parents who had preterm infants was not such a surprise,” said Marsha Gerdes, a psychologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, “but I thought their addition of looking at coping strategies was a helpful thing.” “The findings of this article really did ring true with me,” said Gerdes, who also co-directs her hospital’s Neonatal Follow-up Program and was not involved in the study. Dr. Martha G. Welch, a psychiatrist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, said her own research had also shown that preemies’ problems can “weigh heavily on families.” (Reuters Health)
Actress and media magnate Oprah Winfrey is selling antique furniture, paintings, prints, ceramics and memorabilia from her Chicago apartment next month to benefit her education foundation, the auction house running the sale said on Tuesday. The 571 lots in the Chicago sale on April 25 are mostly from her downtown condominium. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers said proceeds from the auction will go to The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, which supports her education academy for girls in South Africa. “She is an excellent collector, very well educated,” Hindman said about Oprah. “She has lots of different interests and over the years she has collected all sorts of different things.” The top lot in the sale is expected to a painting by American Impressionist artist Richard Miller called “Nude in Red Robe,” which has a pre-sale estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. Various other paintings are expected to sell in the $20,000 to $40,000 range. Estimates for the total one-day sale and the com-
plete catalog were not immediately available. In addition to the in-house auction, potential buyers can also place bids online. Lots from the sale, which will also include china, porcelain, fixtures, clothing and accessories, will be exhibited ahead of the auction from April 16 to 24. Winfrey, 61, is one of the richest and most powerful celebrities in the United States. Forbes magazine estimates her net worth at $3 bil-
lion. Earlier this month the former talk show host and philanthropist announced she would be closing Harpo Studios, where she filmed “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in Chicago. She said she will be carrying on the legacy of the studios with programing for her cable television network (OWN), which was created in a joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc., from California
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
Man allegedly drowns at work site Family suspects foul play
Timothy Simon’s soaked paraphernalia. Investigations are ongoing into the death of an employee of the H. Nauth and Sons Civil Engineering Contractors Company. The man was found dead in a trench at the work site at Black Bush Polder where the company is undertaking road construction works in the No. 43 Village/ Yakusari area. . According to family members, Timothy Simon, called ‘Pakaloo’, 23, of Adelphi, East Canje, Berbice, has been working with the company for more than five years. According to his sister, Theresa Cadogan, her brother lives with her mother, Debbie Simon, a weeder at the Rose Hall Estate, in their modest home. She said that her mother who was too distraught to speak, told them that she had just returned from work around 14:30 hrs when she was visited by personnel from the company who broke the news to her. Theresa stated that the family was told that her brother died by drowning. However they do not believe what they were told. She said that they were informed that Timothy and about seven others were working at a site at Black Bush. Timothy was asleep and the others were swimming. She said that they were told that Timothy suddenly awoke and told the others that they cannot do what he could do and jumped into the trench. Reports revealed that the workers told them that the man swam to the one end and was on his way to the other side when he suddenly disappeared. His colleagues said that after not seeing Timothy, they dived and retrieved him. He was not moving and had mud in his nose. The men said that they tried CPR, but it did not work. He was taken to the Skeldon Hospital
where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Relatives said they were told that when Timothy was found he had on his underwear only. Further, the family is disputing the account of the company and that of his work mates. They said that they are not satisfied with the work of the police. Family friend, Allison Bess, told the media that after her relative broke the news to her they travelled to the area. They were given Timothy’s work bag which contained his belongings. The bag and everything inside was soaked and “dinged up.” However, his green jersey he was wearing when he left home was missing and no one could give an account for it. The family is asking a number of searching questions which nobody is answering. Would he go swimming with all of his clothes on? If not, how come his clothes got soaked? How come he was found with his underwear alone? Where is his missing green jersey? They said what was more shocking is that when they saw Timothy at the Skeldon Hospital his one hand was holding on to his underwear and he had mud in his nose. If they had done CPR, how come mud was still in his nose? Relatives are also claiming that he had some strange marks on his neck. They family stated that they are not satisfied with the information they were fed by the company so far and with the investigation done by the police. They say that something does not seem right and they are prepared to go the full length to get justice. According to information, some of the man’s workmates were arrested and released. Investigations are continuing.
Woman dies two weeks after burns Two weeks after she was treated for first degree burns at the Georgetown Public Hospital, 60-year-old Tarwattie Ronie,a/k” Auntie Data” died early yesterday morning. Almost two weeks ago, the domestic worker was hospitalized and was treated for severe burns she sustained either at her own hands or her lover or unknown persons who she claimed had invaded her Pomona Housing Scheme home and threw something on her before setting her alight. One of Ronie’s immediate neighbours accompanied her to the Suddie Public Hospital moments after she would have related to them what had happened to her. The
Tarwattie Ronie neighbour recalled that on the day in question, around 20:00 hours, Ronie came over at her house and told her that two masked men invaded her
house and threw something on her before setting her alight. The neighbour who was never convinced about Ronie’s story, said that the woman is capable enough to have hurt herself and implicate other people since she had done something similar before. The woman said that at one time, Ronie had inflicted wounds on her body with a cutlass and had implicated one of her neighbors. Ronie’s paramour, 64year-old Allan Allicock, a/ k”Ballie” has since been implicated in attempting to murder the woman and has been remanded to prison on an attempted murder charge.
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Renowned author, historian Margery... (From page 58) outstanding contribution and charitable work in Guyana. McTurk recalls her mother working tirelessly not only to understand how the commodity was used but also pass on her knowledge. Kirkpatrick, her daughter fondly recalls, championed the return of wheat-flour to Guyana. According to her, it was the writer’s arguments to then President Desmond Hoyte that helped to lift the ban. In recent years, Mrs. Kirkpatrick was a prominent member of the Chinese Association of Guyana for her dream was to reinvigorate the association and to build a bridge between Chinese immigrants and those who had long since made Guyana their homeland. “She was a patriotic woman who loved her country deeply. Mommy even went out for Mashramani this year.” Mrs. Kirkpatrick dedicated herself to the preservation of the Guyanese-Chinese culture and had many publications documenting the Chinese in Guyana. Mrs. Kirkpatrick wrote
and published two books on the history of Chinese, chronicling the early experience of Chinese women and then her own memoir. By skillfully putting the memories of her past on paper, Kirkpatrick in her second publication, ‘The Way We Were: Memories of a British Guiana Childhood’ transported her readers into the days where neighbours lived like the true meaning of the word, where, only school, church and family mattered in a young one’s life. Apart from her excellent humanitarian skills and her contribution to society, Mrs. Kirkpatrick was also among six outstanding women who were honoured at the 2002 Woman of Distinction Awards. Remembered as one with a melodious voice, Kirkpatrick was one of the original members of the Woodshire Choir. She was also a former member of the BHS Old Girls’ choir and the Royal Bank Singers and prior to her death, a soprano singer in St. Saviour’s Church choir. Members of the St. Saviour’s Anglican Church and the Anglican community
across Guyana will also remember the outstanding works and charitable efforts of Mrs. Kirkpatrick. “Even though my mother was Anglican, she was highly regarded even in the Roman Catholic church. While she was sick, a church service was held for her.” McTurk said that her mother dedicated her life to the service of others, especially women and children. “She was a creative, majestic and dynamic person. Despite her diminutive size, she was a powerhouse of a personality,” McTurk recalled warmheartedly. “She was the sort of person people just loved. My mother believed that you could never run out of love, that the more people you share your life with and the more people you gave your love to, the more you would have to share.” “With all the projects and people she adopted in her life, there was never a moment you ever felt there wasn’t enough love around,” McTurk said. Mrs. Kirkpatrick was also remembered for being a champion ballroom dancer.
President honours Berbice healthcare... (From page 15) Robin Leitch, Kamlawattie Sookwah and Heathcliff Peters, while they honoured organisations such as Banks DIH, Crabwood Creek Health Centre, DTV-8, Blairmont Estate and National Psychiatric Hospital (NPH) for hosting blood drives. Sponsors such as Roger Greenidge, Republic Bank, and J’s Printery were also recognized. Nurses who received the Nightingale Award were Veronica Dowlahan, Rhonda Simon, and Phelena Hamilton. Doctors who received their Hippocratic Oath awards included Dr. Kester Persaud and Dr. Iva Sinclair. The People’s Choice Awards went to Llana Lewis who received a hamper worth $25,000, while Muneshwar Bera received a cash prize of $50,000. The Second- Best Health Centre award of $25,000 went to Bohemia while Crabwood Creek Health Centre won Best Health Centre, with $50,000 prize. Certificates of Appreciation were presented to three prisoners of the N/A Prisons, including Bishnu Persaud, Dinesh Seepersaud and Sean Pestano, also Regional Education Officer, Region Six, Ms. Volika Jaikishun. Several outstanding health care workers received Best Workers’Awards, including Harriet Reynolds, Staff Nurse; Yonette Yaw, Rehab Assistant; Sharon Simon, Midwife; Denise Ally, Nurse; Simone Downer, Midwife. They all won overnight trips
for two to Lake Mainstay Resort. Appreciations were also shown to Dr. Vineshri Khirodar; Michael Itwaru; Camille Semple and Dinesh Gopaul of the Region Six Regional Democratic Council (RDC). The CEO’s Award went to Dr. Tameshwar Algu of N/A Hospital. He won a trip for two to Kaieteur Falls, while the Champion Worker’s Award went to Percy Phillips. He and someone else will be spending a weekend in Jamaica, compliments of Fly Jamaica. Remarks were also made by Region Six Chairman, Mr. David Armogan and Local
Rep of Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), Dr. Adu- Krow. The gala event was punctuated by singing and dancing renditions from ‘SecondComing’ singers from Georgetown as well as the Ashara Dance Group. Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the BRHA, Mr. Michael Itwaru, was the Master of Ceremoinies for the evening’s proceedings. Also in attendance at the function were First Daughter, Lisa Ramotar and Former MP, Faizal M. Jaffarally, as well as CEO of Inspire Inc, Dr. Yog Mahadeo and several other businessmen.
Sole sourcing of... From page 11 taxpayers.” “But sole sourcing of pharmaceuticals is out of the question and that will be buried, because there are other companies that can provide the same services here and at a far better rate for the Guyanese people.” Ramjattan emphasized that sole sourcing is being used as a “corrupt instrument” and the establishment of the Procurement Commission under an APNU+AFC government will ensure that the playing field is evened out. The advantage being taken on the nation will come to an end, he said. The opposition had also spoken to the pre qualification requirements for the supply of drugs which it said were changed to such an “unreasonable” extent that it forces only one person or company to qualify for the supply of pharmaceuticals. That company is the New GPC. According to the revised prequalification criteria, maximum points will also be awarded in the evaluation process to the applicants who have been supplying Government for more than seven years without any negative reports. New GPC has been a feature in the Auditor General’s report over the years with several instances focused on multimillion-dollar deficiencies in the procurement and supply of drugs to Government.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
JAGDEO IS PPP NIGHTMARE By Ralph Seeram I may have related this story before, but will repeat it again, in view of recent comments by Bharrat Jagdeo in relation to the late President Cheddi Jagan’s lifestyle. Some years ago at a Guyanese Association function in Orlando, Florida, there was a Guyanese who was then the General Manager of a prominent hotel in Kingston, the Jamaican capital. He related that when Dr. Jagan was in opposition he always tried to get the cheapest room and tried to live as frugal as ever. When Dr. Jagan became President of Guyana and stayed at the hotel he still
wanted his stay to be as frugal as ever. He never wanted to incur too many expenses on the Guyanese taxpayers. The Manager said that he explained to Dr. Jagan that he is now the President of Guyana and that he has to show some “standards’. Dr. Jagan still insisted on staying in a “cheap room”, the Manager said. In a diplomatic way, he upgraded Jagan’s room to suites, befitting the President of a country, without Dr Jagan realizing it. In recent days you must have been reading all about Dr. Jagan’s “frugal lifestyle”. None other than former President Bharrat Jagdeo compared his mansion to Dr. Jagan’s living accommodations.
Bharrat Jagdeo is PPP’s ticket to be voted out of office. Every time he opens his mouth he put the PPP in a deeper hole. The man just won’t go away. Shortly before the last election in 2011, I wrote if Jagdeo continued cussing down, the PPP will lose the election. We know what happened. He opened his mouth about “coolie” and set off negativity for the PPP. He talked about Cheddi’s life style and gave the opposition ammunition. Look PPP, Jagdeo is not going to get you votes. The few Indians he is going to stir up will vote for you anyways; you need the swing voters, young and multi-ethnic votes to get 50%. Jagdeo is turning away those undecided votes. The Americans have a saying about celebrities and films. They used the term
“jump the shark”. It basically means your popularity and success have already peaked and it is downhill from there. Bharrat Jagdeo “jumped the shark” midway through his last term. Some people feel he is a millstone around President Ramotar’s neck. Bharrat Jagdeo needs to take a vacation in Alaska, until the elections are over. He is the PPP’s nightmare, Ramotar’s ticket to retirement. Jagdeo may be popular within the PPP, but popularity within the PPP is not going to win elections; popularity with the Guyanese voters is what counts. To think that Jagdeo is going to bring undecided voters to PPP is as fallacious as thinking Moses Nagamootoo is going to deliver those Indian votes he got at the last elections. It’s not going to happen
Alleged drug trafficker walks free Deochand Khan, of Patentia Squatting Area, West Bank Demerara, walked out t h e Wa l e s M a g i s t r a t e ’s Court a free man on Friday after a charge of Possession of Narcotics for the purpose of Trafficking was dismissed against him by Magistrate Clive Nurse. Members of the Police Narcotics Branch, Eve Leary, had carried out a raid at Khan’s home on March 5, 2013 and a search of a b a t h r o o m i n the yard unearthed 102 grams of marijuana which was in the
zinc walls of the bathroom and in two black plastic bags. During the trial, three members of the search party testified against the Defendant and the Magistrate overruled a No Case Submission made on behalf of Khan. In his ruling, the Magistrate noted that there was conflict and discrepancies in the evidence of the two main witnesses, Corporal Gary McPherson and Constable Haynes and observed that even though both Policemen were present
when the search unearthed the marijuana only Corporal McPherson heard the Defendant say, “Offica geh me one chance, me wife pregnant”. The place where the drug was discovered also differed in the officers’ testimony. The Magistrate further noted that the Police had arrested both Deochand Khan and his then pregnant wife, but later released the wife without laying any Charges against her. However, no reason was given by the Ranks for releasing the wife and they
provided no evidence to show that she had not put the marijuana in the bathroom. As such the Magistrate ruled that the Prosecution had failed to negate the possibility that it was not Khan but someone else who had put the drug in the bathroom, thus making the evidence doubtful as to his guilt. The Magistrate therefore dismissed the charge against Khan. Deochand Khan was represented by Attorney-atLaw, Lyndon Amsterdam.
folks. The PPP needs to run on its record, good or bad depends who is looking, not on the PNC record, even though the voters have a right to know the (PNC) record as government. The PNC past must not be “brushed under the rug”. Last week I predicted that the opposition will use the murder of Courtney CrumEwing as a political football, and did they exploit it. Just listen to those speeches at his funeral, they all but condemned and implied the PPP government was responsible for his murder. Trouble is, as far as I know, none in the opposition has forwarded information to the police of their certainty of who murdered Crum-Ewing. Its election season and it makes good propaganda for the PNC-led APNU/AFC. I sure Mr. Crum-Ewing never knew he had so many “loyal friends” as those who made speeches over his coffin. Mr. Crum-Ewing was a one-man protestor who spent many days in the hot sweltering sun, protesting. As far as I know all his new found friends never supported or joined him in his protest. I did not see David Granger in the line with him, did not see Moses Nagamootoo with him, did not see politician Hamilton Green in the sweltering heat with him. In fact I did not see any of those who are now exploiting his death joining him in life during his protest. Remember he was alone protesting and calling on voters to support the opposition when he met his demise. None of his “friends
in death” had the guts to be with him. None of those who made those fancy speeches over his dead body were there to support him in life. I can go further to say I doubt any of them gave him a bottle of water much less a dollar when he was carrying out his protest. Maybe Mark Benschop might have assisted him as he, Benschop, can relate with Crum-Ewing. He is one of the very few people that will go out with a placard and protest alone. I am sure many of those who hypocritically praised him in death probably passed in their cars and laughed at him standing out there alone protesting for what he believed in. I see the opposition said if they get in power they will get to the bottom of his murder as well those of former PPP Minister Sawh who was murdered along with some family members a few years ago. When Hamilton Green made a speech at the funeral, it reminded me of another murder committed when Green and the PNC were in power —the murder of Vincent Teekah who was PNC Cabinet Minister. I hope they go all the way to investigate who murdered Vincent Teekah also. There are some who feel that his murderer is still around. It would be interesting to see where the chip falls in his murder. I don’t envy the Guyana Police Force. Crum-Ewing’s murder is one the police can’t allow to go into the cold case files. The public needs to know who was behind this murder, especially before the elections. Life has become so cheap in Guyana these days that people kill for the simplest of reasons, so it’s not too farfetched to say that his death may have nothing to do with his political convictions, but it all speculations, no facts. Personally I think in an effort to reinforce the perception of impartiality the Guyana Police should have sought the assistance of external investigators in this politically charged case. Not that the local law enforcement may not be capable, but to satisfy the doubters that all efforts are being made to find the assassins of Crum-Ewing. Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: ralph365@hotmail.com and on Facebook.
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
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LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. American Made, Aluminum ladder 24ft -$38,000 & 32ft $52,000 –Tel: 602-5794; 6097257 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc -Call: 225-9032, 647-2943 Business man leaving country have a fishing boat, 32 feet, 15HP, Yamaha engine, catguts seine 4½ & 5" seine – Contact:668-9077
DRESSMAKING Jean offers courses in Dressmaking, curtains, floral, cake decoration @ 153 Barr Street Kitty- Tel:6181706; 670-2653 Designing & Sewing classes, ladies wear, curtains etc. (Canadian Trained Tutor), Schoon-Ord, W.B.D- Tel: 626-2629, 676-6312
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Advertisements; Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 6626045 Mahadeo Construction for all construction, carpentry, masonry, pluming, painting etc. Free estimates and plan Contact # 669-7376 Accounting & Taxation Services: tax returns, compliances, financial statements. Avinash Persaud Tax Consultancy, 163 Parika, EBE - Call: 260-4762. Exchange your empty HP & Canon printer ink cartridges for a full one & pay only $2,000 & $2,500- Call:6507699 Eagle’s fridge re-gas - $8,000 & washing machine repairs. Phone: 697-2969, 646-0966 Your Dream Yard Today! Stunning designs, Assortment, colourful plant choices, Professional Landscapers Tel: 218-0468/ 648-1821 Staying in your own home…. We assist seniors with meal preparation, personal hygiene, grooming etc – Call: 609-1981 BrianMoe@642-3543; Computer Technician; FB:Brian.Moe.165; Home and office visits at your comfort!!
WANTED Senior Accounts Clerk, 5yrs experienced, CAT or equivalent. Email: snow198390@hotmail.com Business/Economics Writer, email application to snow198390@hotmail.com Day Time Alert, Security guard; age 40-60yrs, don’t drink & smoke – Call: 6233231 or 225-3198 Office clerk: CXC English, mathematics. Live in, live out babysitter/domestic - Call: 219-5354 Need worker to work in Trinidad, 1 office clerk, 1 domestic between age 35-25, text or call: 1868-755-1990; 1868-683-1528 Salesgirls & porters, apply with written application @ Best Buy Food Supplies, Dennis & Middleton Street, Campbellville. Diesel mechanic and apprentices apply in person to Truck masters Auto Sales 60-62 Industrial Site EcclesTel: 233-3358. One maid and salesgirl – Contact: 683-7936; 668-3985 1 OFFICE ASSISTANT: Must have motorcycle, car/ van license, able to work flexible hours, from E.B.D. Email: snow198390@hotmail.com One experienced hair dresser @ Magic Touch Beauty Salon - Tel: 225-6492 1 Live in maid to work in Georgetown - Tel: 691-6260 1 Cook for home in the interior – Tel: 691-6260 Land to buy in Parfaite Harmonie, Eccles, Leonora, Uitvlught, Herstelling -Tel: 689-3339; 675-7292 One live in maid - Tel: 675-5256 Experienced land dredge workers Tel # 675-9157 Live in domestic must know to cook Indian dishes; 3050yrs -$60,000 monthly - Tel: 610-3974 Live in experienced waitress 18-30yrs - $60,000 monthly – Tel: 610-5043 Snackette Attendant must be able to cook; also general cleaner, industry area – Tel: 226-2829 Urgently needed live-in waitress - Tel: 693-4154 Full Time internet service operator, apply in person @ U-link, Courtyard Mall, 76-77 Robb St. Lacytown/demcar1 @sky.com
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CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 -DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL. COM Aidan’s Car & Pickup rental, cheap rate, low security - Tel: 698-7807 PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 2193900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM
One canter in immaculate condition at reasonable price. Call: 676-0706 One Slate Pool Table – Price: $300,000 (three hundred thousand) - Tel:228-2098; 628-5796. Stamp Collection, selling out, rare stamps, coins, documents, comic books, Lp records, etc – Contact: 2276817; 624-7341
WANTED Can you work as a real estate agent, make instant commission from $50,000$100,000 – Tel: 675-7292 Handyman / gardener $25,000 weekly – Tel: 220-4031 Assistant salesgirl @ E.C.D – Tel:603-5416; 644-9802 Experienced dispatchers, taxi & bus driver @ Princess Hotel Providence. One live in domestic, must know to cook Indian dishes; 25-50years – Tel: 625-1514 Domestic Cleaner -$20,000 weekly – Tel: 220-4031 One puri maker – Tel: 226-9561 Attractive live in waitress Call: 228-5129 or 604-8277 Experienced bartender, apply at Millenium Manour Hotel @ 43 Hadfield Street Georgetown – Tel: 223-0541 Country Applicant; domestic (live in duties), driver, high rates, light duties – Call: 227-1830
Get your cooked and smoothly grind split peas, for all your daily cooking needs. Contact Dr. Sharma’s : 6708212; 225-9701 1 Toyota Forklift -$1.4M, 1 Clarke Forklift -$1.1M, excellent condition – Tel:6225770; 416-880-5044 Imported pure breed German Shepherd pups, ARC Pedigree, 8 weeks old, serious inquiries only – Tel:693-1404; 615-5454 Great Deals on video games and all gaming consoles – Call: 672-2566; 265-3232 1 Honda XR 125 Excellent condition, for inspection/ price - Call: 225-8066 PS2 $15,000, Nintendo DS $12,000, PSP $15,000, XBox360 $30,000, PS3 $50,000, plastic barrel $6,000 - Call: 603-8643, 621-7497 Enduro Yamaha 40 engine short foot (like new) $650,000- Call:645-2427 SPECIAL DEALS ON YAMAHA OUTBOARD ENGINES: 90HP 4 STROKE, 75 HP 2 STROKE, 50 HP 4 STROKE – CALL: 683-6721
PEN PAL
1-16FT BOW RIDER FIBERGLASS BOAT, 85HP OUTBOARD ENGINE WITH 25 GAL BUILT IN FUEL TANK, SEATS, 9 TRAILER INCLUDED CALL: 683-6721
Indian male seeking female; reply with picture & phone # to M.D 7475 Gorewau Drive #47 Mississauga on – L4T3T3 Canada
240 V 4 Burner Stove & dryer, 1,000 DVD movies with 7 Disc Burner, washing machine, alarm system - Call: 683-5234
Urgently, 1 general domestic maid, ages 25-35, must have police clearance, 2 references from previous jobs - Tel: 6651029
FOR SALE Fluffy pups. Call: 642-6664. 2 Long foot Yamaha 25HP, 1 with warrantee, another 1½yr old; 25 Tohatso, 2 complete foot, power head parts – Tel: 611-2729 Bunn office maker, with 3 draw flasks, Hamilton Beach 3 head, Swizzler, 6 Burner Stove, donut machine – Call: 683-5234 Cheap! Cheap! CCTV Security Surveillance Kit, 8 Channels DVR with built in Hard Drive, 8 bullet cameras. Tel: 621-4740. Triple head cone machine with 46 CTNS vanilla powder, 23 CTNS flavoured toppings & 9 CTNS chocolate power mix – Call: 683-5234 Gents 18 Carat gold Movado watch, like new - $90,000 – Tel: 621-4000
VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota Prado, Price$4.7M Neg. Call: 643-2403 One Toyota Tacoma SR5 4WD pickup, left hand drive and manual transmission, only 22000 miles – Contact: 623-1202 Toyota Voxy to be registered in “G” - $1.7M – Tel:6172891 Smart Choice Auto: Premio, Allion, Bluebird, Spacio, Fielder, Carina 212, Sienta, IST – Call: 652-3820/6654529 Allion PRR, DVD deck, reverse camera, alarm, HID, hardly used (40,000KM) $2.1M- Call:616-3566 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma - Call: 680-3154
3 Clarke Forklifts, 2000lb,3000lb, 4000lb lifting capacity. All $325,000Phone: 621-4000
AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154
Generators SDMO, Diesel, electrical – $750,000 - Phone: 621-4000
One Hino Canter- Tel:2282098; 628-5796. Price $1.3M
Glass case: 8FTX2FTX2FT 10pcs, $60,000 each; 6FTX3FTX10" -10pcs$55,000 each, motorized glass case -$25,000 –Tel: 621-4000
Just Arrived! 09 & O6 Tacoma, manual & auto, new model Allion, Bluebird, Belta, Fielder - Tel: 621-4190, bestcarautosales@ facebook.com
Invertertec Automatic back up power home/businesses batteries included & remote alarm systems that will call owner. Call: 226-2646
Nissan Titan for sale, immaculate – Call: 647-3924
Lot 1, 2 bathtubs, bathroom fittings & fixtures & toilet set, shower fittings -$150,000 & 1 Dell Desktop, computer & HP Scanner - $25,000 – Call: 6015285
First Class Auto: Allion, Premio, Bluebird, Sienta, Runx, Axio, Verossa, Mark 2-Call : 609-8188; 638-3045 Unregistered Toyota Spacio with body kit, spoiler, rims, fog lamp -$2M - Tel: 6172891
45 KVA Generator, 45 PSI Boiler with water tank, Ingersoll Rand T30 Compressor – Tel:688-3925; 695-8113
Honda CRV 2001; excellent condition -$2,150,000 negotiable – Tel: 624-6099 One RZ Bus, in Good condition – Contact: 6773177 or 678-5887
Sale! Dell Computers from $50,000, Iphone 3GS - $22,000, HTC Touch screen phones $29,000 @ FutureTech – Tel: 231-2206
2006 BMW 320i PRR Series, 2008 Toyota Premio & 2007 Mazda Axela unregistered – Tel: 615-4114
One V6 Toyota Four Runner, left hand drive, good condition, price negotiable – Call:623-3231; 259-0953 AMERICAN BULLY PUPS GOTTILINE REMYLINE – CALL: 220-7933; 6674845; 610-0068 HEALTH For Doctoring: Stroke, Fits, ERD problems & cleaning faces – Tel:231-0774; Cell: 671-9450 “Bush Doc” LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
2005/6 Premio, Spacio and 2007 Belta, never registered. Call: 269-0432; 686-0323 1 RZ minibus GHH Series Tel: 604-9400; 667-4178 One Lexus RX300 SUV, fully loaded, One Toyota Hilux, excellent condition – Phone: 227-4357 Unregistered 2003 Toyota Spacio front & back camera, TV/ navi / CD player 52000 KM - $2.250M – Contact: 682-5117 Unregistered Toyota IST fully Loaded - $2.1M – Call: 657-1796 Continued on page 64
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
Road culture must change... (From page 63)
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Bond Space for rent with drive way at Eccles E.B.D; just off the Public Road – Tel:644-7529; 603-4637 1 Bedroom apartment for rent @ Soesdyke E.B.DPhone: 604-7022 GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, , JACK HAMMER, CONCRETE SAW & MORE - CALL: 675-0767, 627-5098 Church to rent @180 Charlotte Street - Contact Number: 226-5183; 227-6817; 624-7341 Concrete 3 bedrooms upper flat house fully grilled, parking available @ Agricultural road Mon Repos, E.C.D- Call:687-1050 Rooms for rent - Call: 638-5335 Spot in Alexander Village @ 68 Cross & Second Street, near to masjid, overseas investor preferably – Contact Winston: 666-3168 1-Two bedroom semi furnished apartment self contained - $45,000 per month @ Henry StreetContact Simone: 227-0501; 626-5317 Sophia new 2 bedrooms $40,000 @ Diamond, South house, Parfaite, Campbellville – Tel:231-2200; 618-7483; 2317805 Lodge Apartments (Vlissengen/Durban) unfurnished - $50,000 $60,000 P/M; furnished (for visitors) $500USD-$1000US P/M – Tel:677-9638; 629-1093 Lodge (Vlissengen/Durban): Professional/Office/ Business space (no food retailing) –Tel: 677-9638; 6291093 One bottom flat in Enmore $40,000 monthly – Call: 6003035 Bottom flat with all conveniences – Clon Brook East Coast Demerara – Call Sam: 259-0338 TO LET Commercial building @ Cumming & Middle, Alberttown, Upper Flat US$800; lower flat US$1500, yard – US700; back house US$1200- Tel:621-4000.
VACANCY International Cruiseline AB Sailors, waitresses, waiters, cooks, receptionists, storekeepers, cleaners, electricians, carpenters, welders, costmetologist, etc – Tel: 231-6296, 650-9880 Work from home: Earn $5,000 - $20,000 daily, 9am 5pm, Monday to Saturday Call: 233-6517/ 638-0595 or www.jobfairworldwide.com Experienced hauler driver, porters, rip saw & plane operator @ Eccles Industrial Site E.B.D - Call Richard: 6097675; 674-1705; 233-2614 FAST GROWING IMPORTERS SEEKING NIGHTSECURITYGUARDS. MUSTHAVEPOLICECALL FOR INTERVIEW: 2318344; 231-8529 Exists for: Chef & Assistant Cook- to work & live- in with new business in TuschenContact:660-6099, 644-3338
VEHICLE FOR SALE 3000GT sports car, 3000cc 5 speed, 18 mag wheel & alarm. All $1.2M cash- Call:6214000 Toyota BB 2007, 40,000km only, auto start, 18" rims, triple TV system, back-up camera $2.2M- Call:621-4000 Nissan maxima, needs some repairs but selling “as is” with documents $140,000Call: 621-4000 Mercedes Benz S300, fully armored, fully powered, leather, 19"rims & more $1.5M- Call: 621-4000
Two storey, 3 bedrooms house with furnished kitchen, 36X40 & yard space @ Land of Canaan New Scheme- Call:690-6570, 6859994
Road side 10 acres of land at Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke Linden Highway - Call: 6013369 40x110ft at 10th street Cummings Lodge near UG $12M- Call:674-5019
One Honda CRV and one Spacio, both in excellent condition – Tel:259-0117 or 628-1971
2369.664 Sq/ft of land @ Victoria village, E.C.D$750,000 Call: 255-3437; 6983678
Blow Out Sale!!! Unregistered Toyota IST $2,150,000- Bodykit, TV, Spoiler, Fogs, Alloy Wheels, Crystal Lights & Alarm – Call: 643-6565, 226-9931
Parfaite Harmonie -$1.5M (80ftX50ft); $1.3M (80ftX45ft), Grove Public Road -$23M, Enterprise $18M –Tel:675-7292
Hilux Surf – Tel:695-8113 or 688-3925
One driver/salesman to work on water truck, must be living around W.B.D, attractive salary - Tel: 6184257
Lowest prices @ best quality: Premio, Allion, Bluebird, Axela, new model Fielder wagon- Call:616-3413,6267478 City Motors
(1)Live-in caretaker/ family to work @ Coverden, E.B.D. Send application to 31-33 Austin Street, Campbellville, G/Town- Call:225-7493
One AT192 Carina Fully Automatic- Price $850,000 neg. Ph# 668-8431
SECURITY GUARDS, CANTER DRIVERS, SALESMEN, MARKETING ASSISTANT with Drivers Licence. Accommodation Available. Tel. 266 4427
Lots 189 & 190 Block XXIX Parcle Garden of Eden Fariah Dreams- $2M each – Contact: 225-9839 Canaan semi-gated 42x80 $3.6M, 54x90 $4.3M, Charity Housing Scheme $2.8M, Kuru Kuru residential 100x200 $2.6M Call: 6234790,222-5116 Vacant high income house lot @ Diamond New Scheme, 2nd Avenue - $6.8M negotiable – Tel:697-4659; 629-5300; 684-6536
Space for commercial /office purposes @ Avinash, Ravina’s Water Street, Devina’s Berbice Park – Tel:226-3361; 227-7828
Alpha is registering now for cosmetology, body massage, dressmaking, cake decoration, cakes & pastries & more- Call: 264-1052; 663-7930 Accounting is easy! Sign up now for CSEC P.O.A classes for a guaranteed excellent grade. Call: 654-1723
Space for commercial purposes Avishkar @ Regent Street, Avinash @ La- Penitence, Garment Factory @ Plaisance E.C.D – Tel:226-3361; 227-7828 Eccles: Large two storey concrete building with all conveniences – Call: 6412939 One self contained, one bedroom apartment – Tel:644-2644; 687-1966 & 222-0618
Business property located @ Supply public road, E.B.D. Entering either by river/ public road- Call: 698-8100 Flat concrete house for sale in Grove with land spaceCall: 679-3913 Houses & land available for sale in Non- Pariel, Enmore, Providence & Diamond Contact: Pacific Development Inc # 223-6035; 231-8480 Parfaite Harmonie, West Minister, Onderneeming, Cornela Ida, Tushcen, etc Contact: Pacific Development Inc # 223-6035; 231-8480 2 Storied building; 5 years old, 9,600 sq ft suitable for apartment complex / recreational facility & bar – serious calls only, Tel: 6538754 House for sale located in Eccles- Contact: 622-7473 24X58 Seafield Leonora water pump street - Call: 6425799 Haslington, E.C.D: Building ‘A’, concrete/ timber modern 2 storeys, 7 bedrooms, grilled & fenced. Building ‘B’, 3 apartments, fenced- $18M negotiable - Call: 255-3437; 698-3678. Business property located at Mc Doom Public Road, newly renovated, huge bond for restaurant, spare parts etc – Tel: 622-5721 If your property is in a good location, good condition, good price. Then we buy – Tel: 675-7292
EDUCATIONAL
TO LET
Saturdays & Sundays after lunch @ Inner Retreat Hotel Parika: Bar-B-Que & games: pools, darts, table tennis etc. Phone: 260-4504.
50 Acres titled farm land @ The Belle, Upper Dem, River Front - $100M Negotiable, serious enquiries only! Tel: 669-8152 Blankenburg, 3 lots 75X76 each, $15M, all 3 lots, Parika, Peter Street, lot size 38’X150' - $7.9M-Contact # 650-0402/ 260-4988
Houselot: Parcel No: 100, Block XV, Granville Housing Scheme, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. Call: 227-1907
2006 Toyota Tacoma, crash bar / megrim, extra cab – Tel:216-2465; 687-6083; 6785438
Inner Retreat Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Retreat Road Parika. Indoor / Outdoor bar in Picturesque setting - Phone: 260-4504
PROPERTY FOR SALE
Dodge stealth sports car, 3000cc, automatic, fully powered $1M neg. Call: 6214000
Vacancy exists at Confidential Cabs for experienced dispatcherCall:231-4000, 231-8601
ACCOMODATION
LAND FOR SALE
SERVICES REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS- CALL:6294946 OR 225-4822
House and land at Prospect E.B.D, close to secondary school - $11,000,000 – Call: 689-2696; 693-4956 Prime commercial property @ Cummings & Middle Streets, Alberttown, Georgetown, 3 lots, 2 buildings - $105M negotiable – Tel: 621-4000 Located opposite the Wales Police Station, ideal for business –$20M negotiableContact: 690-9126 Two properties at Lot 10 Camp Street- Call Andrew: 611-9297 between 6pm -7pm 3 Bedrooms property @ Good Hope E.C.D – Contact: 6211722 Double Lot Zeelught E.B.E with concrete house -$8M negotiable – Tel: 621-4000 2 Lots with house @ Pigeon Island, large land, $6 Million Negotiable – Tel: 621-4000
From page 11 used,” the minister added. Benn further said that the government of Guyana has been working on upgrading a number of roads. However, he said, traffic safety was the most critical component up for consideration. The minister said, too, that it was important to engage in public safety awareness campaigns with citizens across the country. Benn also said He it was important for information on road safety to be passed along. Benn said, “If we do not change these behaviours we will continue to have the tremendous risks that we face. We will continue to have the tremendous grief that we face on our roads from time to time, as recently as we saw on the Burma Road where we have problems in respect to the proper use of the roads.” He went on, “We keep hearing about the carnage on our roads and the unacceptable levels of deaths, injuries and accidents.” Furthermore, Benn said that loss of life led to “hidden costs” including the loss of working time and the loss of “hard dollars”. “We don’t get the best and optimal use out of the investments we want to put in,” Benn added. Currently, a number of road works are underway — the East Coast Demerara road project, West Bank Road, Canals #1 and #2 roads, and the East Bank Essequibo Road.
Country drifting away... From page 59 said that the political system is in fact making changes of its own and that is in the form of coalition politics. “And a national coalition is the direction in which the country has to go,” he added. In terms of economic security, Mr Ramphal said that Guyana has to transition into a climate of development through foreign investment and local entrepreneurship and rise out of its present condition to one of prosperity. He asserted that Guyana’s natural resources are enormous but there is a serious need to have an economic and political environment where the nation can rise to that level of success for all. The academic sought to add, “We don’t have that right now.” Sir Shridath concluded that while there are a whole range of things to be done by the next government to achieve the points raised, he said that if it is one thing Guyana seriously needs now, “is a larger voice for the people.”
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 22, 2015
Islamic State calls on backers to kill 100 U.S. military personnel (Reuters) - Islamic State has posted online what it says are the names, U.S. addresses and photos of 100 American military service members, and called upon its “brothers residing in America” to kill them. The Pentagon said after the information was posted on the Internet that it was investigating the matter. “I can’t confirm the validity of the information, but we are looking into it,” a U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Saturday. “We always encourage our personnel to exercise appropriate OPSEC (operations security) and
force protection procedures,” the official added. In the posting, a group referring to itself as the “Islamic State Hacking Division” wrote in English that it had hacked several military servers, databases and emails and made public the information on 100 members of the U.S. military so that “lone wolf” attackers can kill them. The New York Times reported that it did not look like the information had been hacked from U.S. government servers and quoted an unnamed Defense Department official as saying most of the information could be found in public records,
residential address search sites and social media. The Times quoted officials as saying the list appeared to have been drawn from personnel mentioned in news articles about air strikes on Islamic State. The group’s forces control parts of Syria and Iraq and have been targeted in U.S.-led air strikes. The posting, addressed to disbelievers, Christians and “crusaders” in America, included what the group said were the names, military service branch, photos and street addresses of the individuals. The posting includes the military rank of some but not all of those named.
KENNER, La. (AP) — A machete-wielding man who was shot during a bizarre rampage at New Orleans’ international airport died Saturday afternoon, shortly after authorities revealed that he had also been carrying a bag of Molotov cocktails when the melee began. Richard White, 63, had been shot Friday night as he chased an unarmed Transportation Security Administration agent through a concourse full of frightened travelers — and in the direction of a sheriff’s deputy, who drew her gun and fired three times. He died at 4:02 p.m. Saturday. Earlier, Sheriff Newell Normand said investigators discovered after the shooting that White had been carrying a bag loaded with Molotov cocktails: six Mason jars with cloth wicks soaked in gasoline. There was also a barbeque lighter and a letter opener in the bag, Normand said at a news conference at
the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Residue from smoke bombs was also found near White’s body. White had dropped the bag during the attack. The sheriff said White had a history of mental health problems but investigators were trying to determine the nature and extent of those problems. His family has been cooperating with the investigation. White was a Jehovah’s Witness and had refused “certain types of medical care,” Normand said. “Fortunately, he didn’t seriously injure anybody,” Normand said. Authorities also found smoke bombs and tanks of acetylene, Freon and oxygen in the trunk of his car, Normand said, but investigators didn’t know what, if anything, White intended to do with the materials. Normand said White is believed to be a former taxi driver, but added that investigators are still
examining a variety of sources and databases to obtain his employment and criminal history. Normand said White sprayed the unarmed Transportation Security Administration agents and several passengers in line at the checkpoint with wasp killer. He then drew a large machete from the waistband of his pants. A male TSA agent blocked the machete with a piece of luggage as White ran through a metal detector. White chased TSA agent Carroll Richel while swinging the machete. They were heading toward Lt. Heather Slyve of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, who drew her weapon and fired three times as White quickly gained ground on Richel, Normand said. One bullet is believed to have gone through Richel’s right upper arm and hit White. Richel credited Slyve with saving her life. “Officer Slyve is my hero,” Richel said. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said a review of security procedures will follow, adding that such is standard after any emergency. Normand, Landrieu and TSA Acting Administrator Mel Carraway addressed reporters during a news conference at the airport, which is owned by the city of New Orleans but located in the city of Kenner in neighboring Jefferson Parish. They praised the work of TSA officials who helped usher passengers away from the unfolding danger, as well as the law enforcement officials providing security and investigating the incident.
Suspect shot at New Orleans airport has died
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
Brazil antitrust regulator inks first Petrobras leniency deal SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil’s antitrust regulator has secured the cooperation of some engineering firms and executives in the first leniency agreement arising from a bribery scandal at state-run Petrobras, the agency said on Friday. The firms, Setal Engenharia e Construções and Setal Óleo e Gás (SOG), agreed on Thursday to admit to price-fixing contracts with state-run Petroleo Brasileoro SA (Petrobras) and provide information to investigators, the regulator said in a statement. In exchange for their collaboration, the companies and executives will have potential fines reduced by between one and two thirds of the usual amount, regulator Cade said. The engineering firms and executives are accused of forming a cartel. Normally, fines for that offense would be up to 20 percent of a company’s gross revenue. The dozens of companies investigated by various agencies in the multibillion-dollar Petrobras scandal have urged Brazil’s government to strike a grand bargain to minimize fallout and prevent possible lay-offs and bankruptcies that would further damage Brazil’s fragile economy. SOG Oleo and Gas is also one of 24 companies being investigated by Brazil’s
Comptroller, the CGU, and would have to negotiate a separate agreement with that agency to get a reduced sentence for corruption. Federal prosecutors have opposed leniency deals with the CGU on the grounds they could hurt the investigation, but prosecutors said on Friday they supported the Cade deal. A spokeswoman for prosecutors said they understand that the Cade agreement will bring to light new facts while the CGU agreements could lessen punishments without revealing anything. Uncovering Brazil’s largest-ever corruption scheme, where engineering companies are accused of funneling bribes from state-run oil company Petrobras to enrich themselves, political parties and politicians, has relied heavily on plea bargains. Prosecutors have signed plea bargains with 12 people to date over the course of the year-long investigation. The investigation has so far led to 20 indictments of 103 people on racketeering, bribery and money laundering charges, including three former Petrobras senior managers and executives from Brazil’s leading construction and engineering firms.
CARDI hosts small ruminants regional workshop in Trinidad PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Small ruminants have been identified by Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states as important for the maintenance of acceptable levels of food and nutrition security. The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) serves as the lead in developing this commodity as a contribution to improved food security. Presently, most of the demand for small ruminant meat is met by imports, which account for approximately 80-90 percent of what is consumed in the region. To improve local (Caribbean) supply, greater collaboration among the key actors in the sector is mandatory, allowing for joint planning and implementation of strategies, programmes and projects. In his welcome remarks at a regional workshop on small ruminants, held last week in Trinidad, Bruce Lauckner, acting executive director of CARDI, stated, “The reason for this [workshop] is that we really need to coordinate and work together.” The regional stakeholders’ meeting facilitated information sharing and discussion on the harmonisation of strategies, programmes and projects for the small ruminants industry. Karime Carey, the Small
Ruminants Association president in St Kitts, noted that, with a “high importation bill on goat meat and mutton”, he believes that by producing and using our own, costs can be reduced. “Collaboration is a great help, and with a lot of issues and constraints” this workshop provides the opportunity to access critical information for St Kitts’ success in this industry. Newjohn Bernard of Grenada’s ministry of agriculture stated that the small ruminants industry in Grenada is “very important” and with a heavy rural population, the “small ruminants industry can greatly assist the socioeconomic status of persons in those communities”. He noted that the workshop, by “putting our different resources together, this will strengthen our efforts to supply the need for small ruminants in the Caribbean”. Presentations were made on the status of the small ruminants industry in various countries. The session was led by the commodity leader for small ruminants at CARDI, Norman Gibson, who noted, “Today is the beginning of a process that will allow us to collaborate more deeply and derive important synergies that will help us to improve production and productivity in this critical sector.” (Caribbean News)
Participants at the regional small ruminants workshop
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Sri Lanka requests India’s help in tracing former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s $2 billion NEW DELHI:Sri Lanka has sought India’s assistance in tracing $2 billion, allegedly stashed away in three accounts in Dubai by family members and aides of former president Sri Lankan Mahinda Rajapaksa. Investigators who began an investigation into financial deals sealed by the Rajapaksa government traced $2 billion in Dubai banks, an official source from Colombo said. Of this, one account of a Rajapaksa family member allegedly has $1.064 billion,
other two by two different persons have $500 million each in two separate accounts, the source said. India along with the US have been approached to assist in the investigation to trace this huge amount. Both New Delhi and Washington are assisting with the probe, an Indian official source added. The Dubai money is estimated to account for 20% of the total amount Lankan authorities allege has been illicitly stashed abroad by the
former president and his family. The family, however, has denied any wrongdoings and described the allegations as baseless. Sirisena had during his visit to New Delhi last month shared details of the amount allegedly stashed away by Rajapaksa family in St Martin Islands, Hong Kong, Macau, Seychelles. He had also shared details about the huge investments allegedly made in real estate projects in Dubai, Uganda and Kenya.
Sunday March 22, 2015
Antigua-Barbuda Govt. questions US money laundering report ST JOHN’S, Antigua — The government of Antigua and Barbuda has questioned a report by the US Department of State that categorises Antigua and Barbuda and six other Caribbean countries as “jurisdictions of primary concern for money laundering”. The report is the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) for 2015. Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who is also minister of finance, said, “It is cold comfort to Antigua and Barbuda that the US State Department has also placed the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the People’s Republic of China in the same category.” “Categorisation of this kind by a US government department does reputational damage to a jurisdiction that is difficult to repair,
particularly in the case of small countries,” the prime minister said. Browne continued, “In the cases of the United Kingdom, Germany and France, these countries can confront the US in their own organisations such as the G7 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, but small states such as Antigua and Barbuda and the other six Caribbean countries that have been targeted on the US list have little means to challenge the categorisation.” The Antigua and Barbuda leader, who last month at a summit meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government drew attention to the US labelling of the entire Caribbean as ‘high risk area for financial services’, pointed out that while seven Caribbean countries were on the first list,
all other independent CARICOM countries were branded as ‘jurisdictions of concern’. “These categorisations by the US State Department are arbitrary; they are compiled by unseen hands; and the criteria by which they are reached is a mystery,” he said. Since July 2014, when the current government came to office, new anti-money laundering legislation has been adopted and more resources given to the regulatory and enforcement bodies. The Antigua and Barbuda prime minister said that he would be writing to the US government to ask for evidence to support the claims that have been made in the INCSR document, since Antigua and Barbuda is constantly updating its money laundering laws and its regulatory and enforcement machinery in accordance with requirements by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
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All Roads lead to PMTC for “Clash ... Jason Ray Khalil preparing for Pan... (From page 73) the exercise jockey having a hard time during workouts. Top Jockey Randolph Richmond had to be sent for to help out. If what was seen during workouts during the week is anything to go by then the Elcock stable could ride away with the top two positions. Not to be outdone are the other horses listed including Lady Budapest which ran second to Score’s Even, one week ago, and Bridal Stone Corner. The three year old event for West Indies Bred horses over 1200M for a winner’s take of $400,000 and trophy will see a renewed rivalry among the likes of Strom Bird, It’s My Choice, Settling Star, Silver Bell, Loch Song and Country Girl. A large field of horses have been lined up for the event for animals classified D3 maidens and four year old horses and non-earners in the last six months over 1400 meters among them are Country Armagh, Storm Mark, Dulahan, Goodwill Boy, Jack
In My Style, Tia A Holiday, Bridal Stone Corner, Monsoon, No Question Ask, Unsettled and Swing Easy. The winning purse is worth $300,000 and trophy. The G1 and lower 1200M race fetches the winner $320,000 and trophy with the likes of Appealing Harvest, War Craft, Quiet Dancer, Cassie, Sent From Above, Monsoon, Joyful Victory, Shooting Star, Marathon man, Red Cloud and Super Bowl in the lineup. The G 3 Maiden and H and lower 1200M race has a winning pocket of $300,000 will have the likes of Cat Messiah, Brazilian Gold, She So Special Chelsea, Sweet Return, Anfield, Super Bowl, Today is MY Lucky Day, Miss Lewinsky and Shantall Baby, Book Rules, Royal Champion and Million Dollar baby. Lady Secret, It’s My Time, Miss Messiah, Savion, Black Stallion, Royal Cash, Miss Felicia and Affinity are among those set to competed in the event for the three year old Guyana
bred and I and lower horses over 1200M for a top money of $300,000 and trophy. The ‘J1’ and lower 1100M will see the likes of Speed Vision, De Gump, Black Stallion, Red Jet, Royal Intention, Secret Escape, Turn About, Regina, Miss Felicia, Quincy and Sunny Silence racing for the top prize of $240,000 and trophy. Most of the animals in the JI Event are also booked to compete in the J3 and lower 1100M event racing for a first prize of $200,000 and trophy. The top Jockey along with the runner up, the top stable and champion trainer will all be presented with trophies and other incentives compliments of the Trophy Stall and the organizers. The event will be held under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. Music will be supplied by the might Crown Vibes International Sound Company. The next promotion organised by the group is fixed for August 2nd 2015 at the same venue. Race time will be 12:30hrs.
Sunday March 22th 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) All the success and good fortune you've enjoyed over the past several months may have freed you from the grind enough to concentrate on spiritual or artistic interests. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) The company of good friends, perhaps at a group activity or festival of some kind, contributes to a powerful feeling of good health, good fortune, and happiness, Taurus. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Continued success and good fortune regarding finances could have you flying high right now, Gemini.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Recent successes haven't made you feel you can rest on your laurels, Libra. Rather, you're more likely to work harder. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) This is likely a day when you want to reflect on your successes. As your professional success continues to skyrocket, your sense of self-confidence follows suit. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Surprising developments in your life might bring a lot of visitors and much happiness to your home. You could host a party or other sort of gathering.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Now that you've earned your place in the world after all your hard work, Cancer, you might take some time to pursue your own interests.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Some wonderful new developments could take place in your community, Capricorn.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Money that has come your way unexpectedly might have you thinking in terms of expanding your personal interests and holdings, Leo.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) A high level of selfconfidence and optimism should stay with you throughout the day, Aquarius.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may feel so confident that you could be thinking in terms of starting a new enterprise, Virgo.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Happiness is the mood of the day, Pisces, as you enjoy the fruits of all your hard work over the past few years.
(From page 74) Guyana’s Squash is on the rise locally especially at the junior level. Ten times defending junior team Caribbean Champions Guyana has dominated the sport at the Caribbean Junior level. Jason has helped the team to capture the boys and overall team title when he played as a junior in the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Championships which was first played in 1981. “I believe the standard of Squash in the Caribbean is improving. Caribbean players are gaining valuable exposure by attending more Interna-
tional tournaments. They are also players who attend Squash Schools,” explained Jason. When asked who are some of players to watch? He said with a grin ‘me of course’ but quickly added “Nyron Joseph, who has three CASA titles, one at U-15 (2011) and two U-17 (2012 & ’13) is surly one for the future while Shomari Wiltshire, Alex Arjune and Ashley DeGroot are all outstanding players” Jason opined. At present, Caribbean Women’s Squash Champion Nicolette Fernandes is the most recognized Guyanese on
the professional Circuit. Sunil Seth, Richard Chin, Max Weithers and Alex Arjune are the other Guyanese players who have played on the Professional Circuit. Jason, who will intensify training for the Pan Am Games later this month when he returns from a short vacation, informed that his favorite Squash player is retired professional Jonathon Power and former Caribbean Men’s Champion Richard Chin. Jason Ray Khalil has the ability to help team Guyana win a Pan Am Games Squash Medal in July in Canada.
St. Lucians prepared and focused... (From page 70) incorporated a couple of new players and we are looking to see how we can build on what we started last year and give the public a good show tomorrow (today).” Coach Lastic said that his equal in the Guyana team, Jamaal Shabazz is well aware of the quality of some of his players the likes of midfielder Sheldon Emanuel and forward Tremain Shayne Paul, both starters in his team. He noted his satisfaction at the level of progress he has
Expect a positive... (From page 71) teams with Powerade and Coca Cola. Banks DIH Brand Manager Mr. Colin King handed over some of the items to the Golden Jaguars yesterday prior to their final session at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. Kick off time is 19:30hrs. Guyana squad: Goalkeepers: Derrick Carter, Akel Clarke Defenders: Colin Nelson, Jamaal Smith, King Solomon Austin, Joshua Brown, Kris Cama c h o , L e s C h a r l e s Critchlow, Daniel White Midfielders: Christopher Nurse, Kanata Mannings, Brandon Beresford, Clive Nobrega, Eon Alleyne, Vurlon Mills, Jermaine Junor, Dawin Jacobs, Calvin Sheph e r d Forwards: Daniel Wilson, Sheldon Holder, Emery Welshman, Dwayne Lawrence, Manesseh Primo Technical Staff: Jamaal Shabazz (Head Coach), Wayne Dover (Coach), Andrew Hazel (Goalkeeper Coach), Faizal Khan (Commercial Manager), Mark Xavier (Operations Manager), Trevor Burnett (Equipment Manager), Beverly Nelson (Physiotherapist)
been seeing from the young and senior players in the national programme who have been taking up the challenge and have been gelling admirably. ”The senior players have been molding the younger players and I think that augurs well for our football and national team where the younger players coming in can gel and rub shoulders with senior players.” Coach Lastic also noted the need for associations in the CFU to ensure that funds
are garnered to encourage and bring back overseas based players who can come back and enhance their respective programmes. Team St. Lucia: Randy Poleon, Alton Robert, Sabbatus Hunte, Sheldon Emmanuel, Erick Gabriel, Everton Lambert, Romiel Felix, Levi Francis, Nyhime Gilbert, Eden Charles, Troy Greenidge, Emmery Edward, John P. Joseph, Tremain Shayne Paul, Jamil Joseph, Zaeehaeus Polius, Malik St. Prix, Lester Joseph.
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Sunday March 22, 2015
“Semi-final stars for ICC CWC 2015!” Colin E. Croft DALE STEYN (South Africa) Dale Steyn had been struggling for bowling rhythm. Being the consummate professional, he has fought through missing parts of his normally smooth style to produce well, especially against Sri Lanka in quarter-final No. 1. There are three things that really matter to fast bowlers; (a) full fitness, (b) knowledge of opposing batsmen, and (c) bowling rhythm. That third aspect is crucial. Steyn has tried to correct that, running in stronger and faster, but lack of cohesion between his usually fluid run-up and explosive delivery had caused loss of pace and shortness of lengths.
Wickets had also dried up. 1-40, 3-30, 2-39, 1-24, 1-55, 164, before 1-18 against SL, show how underwhelming he has been, not the accustomed three or four wicket hauls. Steyn expects to get more success and to overpower batsmen with rhythm, pace, bounce and movements, in the air and off the pitch, so this has been a new phenomenon for him. While not in crisis, Steyn has tried so hard to correct aspects of his bowling, perhaps making things even worse. With that effort against SL, though, situations have changed positively! After that fiery opening spell v SL, SA would be much more worried now about Steyn’s slight back injury, as they wait to face New Zealand.
MOHAMMED SHAMI (India) Mohammed Shami is India’s, perhaps the world’s, most improved fast bowler, and has taken on that massive mantle of being India’s arrowhead with great alacrity. He has even developed good “yorkers”, allowing him to get more wickets. Shami gallops in with intent, using his lengthy approach to gain proper momentum, then transfers that acceleration to his deliveries, keeping his balance well throughout the bowling process. His low crouch in approach might inhibit his full tilt, but, conversely, that posture helps him cut into opposing wind that retards his approach when bowling into a head-wind; a good compro-
Everest beat TSC to book final berth in Banks Malta Supreme U-13 tourney Everest CC defeated Transport Sport Club (TSC) by 60 runs to book their place in the final of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/ Banks Malta Supreme U-13 tournament. Everest batted first and managed 258-2 off their allotted 25 overs at Malteenoes Sports Club yesterday. Yeudistir Persaud top scored with 12 while extras contributed 51. Tony Ajodha and Joel Protsea claimed one wicket each. TSC threatened, but lost a few quick wickets in the lat-
ter stages of their innings which resulted in them scoring 198 and suffered 13 dismissals in 25 overs, in reply. Adrian Hinds scored 29 and Jaden Chancellor nine. Extras assisted with 50; Brandon Ramnarine grabbed 4-13, Laksmana Ramroop 4-21, Andrea Boyce 2-7 and Joshua Gardner 2-8. Everest will take on Gandhi Youth Organisation in the final at the said venue starting at 11:00hrs today. According to the compe-
tition regulations, the batting side shall be divided into five pairs and each pair shall bat for five overs. Batsmen shall have unlimited “lives” but each dismissal shall result in 10 runs being deducted from the team’s total. Each team shall commence its innings with a score of two hundred runs. The winning team shall be the side scoring the higher number of runs after deduction for dismissals has been made. (Zaheer Mohamed)
mise. Shami then transitions well into his upright, straightarmed deliveries, pin-pointing the exact spot where he hopes that each ball would land, a feature that takes much practice and tremendous concentration. He also does what should be done by all smart fast bowlers, extending that most important part of fast bowling – the follow-through – so that thrust gained in the run-up could dissipate slowly and uniformly, after delivery, so as not to put added stresses on his back area, alleviating the possibilities of injuries. Defending champions India will continue to look to Shami to lead the attack against Australia! DANIEL VETTORI (New Zealand) New Zealand have played so brilliantly, they are now elevated to joint-favorites. For Daniel Vettori, their wily left-arm spinning veteran, who is 36, this must be his last chance to hold that winner’s trophy aloft, so he is giving one last big effort, contributing excellently to his team’s ambitions. With big-hitting batsmen and faster bowlers dominating, Vettori’s slowness of delivery has been the antidote for massive run-scoring, holding his own very creditably so far. He was the highest wickettaker for spinners in the preliminary stages; 13 wickets from six games, 13.69 runs per
wicket; fourth highest wickettaker overall; while conceding just 3.21 runs per over, from 55.2 frugal overs; by far the best economy rate of any bowler before the quarter-finals. With guile, bounce and turn, Vettori has caused many teams to struggle. Also, what about that cool catch to dismiss Marlon Samuels in Q-F # 4? He might look like an accountant, but steely determination has given him and New Zealand their best chance ever at winning CWC 2015. SHANE WATSON (Australia) Shane Watson is a tough Aussie boy who has been through the wars this World Cup. Batting at No. 3 initially, he failed; 00, DNB, 23; enough to be dropped when Australia played Afghanistan. When he came back for that important game against Sri Lanka, he was demoted, in a sense, but positively so, batting at No. 6 this time, with less stresses, making a useful 67. Watson’s bowling too had suffered; 0-13 (3) v England, DNB, DNB, before being expensive against Sri Lanka; 171 (7). Against Scotland, Watson was again batting at No. 3, getting 24, and bowling better too; 1-18 (3). Then came that testy and highly abrasive quarter-final against Pakistan. Watson, batting this time at No. 5, was given a thorough working over by exciting pace
and aggression of Wahab Riaz, ducking and avoiding bouncers, with mishits and edges, but he soldiered on. Then he was given a “life”, unbelievably badly dropped by Rahat Ali at fine leg from Wahab’s bowling, a topedged miss that changed the game for Australia, especially Pakistan, and for Watson. He took that opportunity to recoup confidence, thence playing delightful strokes around the park, driving on the off-side and pulling well, as he, and Australia, destroyed any fight left in Pakistan. Wa t s o n s e e m s better suited for No. 5 or No. 6 these days, when the balls are older and the pace easier to negotiate, but he will be needed if Australia are to beat India in that first semi-final. Two players of teams represented here would present excitement for that big final. Enjoy! E-mail c.e.h.croft@gmail.com
Sunday March 22, 2015
Kaieteur News
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Briggs and Danns kick-start Golden Jags revolution By Santokie Nagulendran On Monday night it was publically confirmed that UKbased players Matthew Briggs and Neil Danns have committed to play for the Guyanese National team for the International friendly against Grenada next Sunday. Both players have substantial experience of playing top-level football and their decisions to represent Guyana could turn out to be the greatest move in the history of Guyanese football. In what was a first for Guyanese football, the news made headlines in England’s National newspaper the Daily Mail and featured on British National TV Channel Sky Sports News, such is the high level of regard for both players in England. Social media was also
abuzz with the news, with many journalists and fans tweeting the news around the globe. Such a high level of interest in the Guyanese team has not been seen since the match Guyana played against Mexico in 2012. Matthew Briggs holds the record for being the youngest ever English Premier League player; in May 2007 he was aged just 16 years old and 65 days when he played for Fulham FC against Middlesbrough. In January 2010, after a successful period at Fulham, he was subject to a £10 million (around $15m USD) bid from Manchester United, which was rejected by Fulham as they felt he was too valuable to the team. Aged just 24, Briggs is young enough to play for the Golden Jaguars for the next ten years and help the team achieve the
long-term vision of making a FIFA World Cup. He is now playing for Colchester United in England and has electrifying pace that will scare any team in the region. As a Left-back, he will be competing with veteran Walter Moore for a permanent place in the side, and this is what Guyana needs: competition for starting spots to collectively raise the quality of the team. Neil Danns, a physical midfielder, plays at Bolton Wanderers in England’s Championship, the second division of football, and has previously played in the Premier League for Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City. Danns brings vital experience of top-level football to the Golden Jaguars, which had previously been brought to the team by the now-retired Cort brothers,
Leon and Carl. Danns will play alongside captain Christopher Nurse in central midfield, and if the two combine well, then Guyana will have arguably the most talented midfield in the Caribbean. Speaking of his decision to represent Guyana, Danns said: “What attracted me to the set-up was seeing the progress of the National team and ambition shown to me for the future. It is also a great opportunity to represent the country of my heritage and will allow me to gain further knowledge of my heritage and culture, which I know myself and my family will be proud of. It’s a new experience going to play at an international level and obviously a different tempo and different styles of matches and one I look forward to being involved in. When I first got the call I was
Expect a positive approach – Shabazz Golden Jaguars match skills with St. Lucia today By Franklin Wilson
Fans are urged to wear yellow as roads lead to the Guyana National Stadium, Providence this evening when international football makes a welcome return to these shores after a two year hiatus. Guyana’s Golden Jaguars are set to face their counterparts from St. Lucia in what is anticipated to be an exciting duel. While the Guyanese will be seeking to even the score following a 2-0 loss to the St.
Lucians last year in that nation in the CFU Cup, both nations are more focused on putting together the right combination ahead of the Round Two CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying for Russia 2018. Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz explained that they would be adapting a positive approach to the game and will use it to test the work they have done whilst trying to keep the team compact. Emery Welshman who scored on debut for Guyana against Barbados on Febru-
ary 1 last in that drawn encounter is back, while set to make their international debuts is 20 year-old Canadian based defender, Daniel White and local based midfielder, 21 year-old Jermaine Junor of Fruta Conquerors. ”Today we see one of two new faces in the lineup and measure how they cope in the real international game. Also the second game as a team and an opportunity is there for us to see how we have improved since our last game against Barbados.”
Leading the charge on the field would be Christopher Nurse who is Guyana’s most successful captain. Shabazz also commented on the importance of the game: “This is a critical moment in the stabilizing of Guyana’s football and the fans have a chance to play their part in therevival.” Meanwhile, as part of their sponsorship of the St. Lucia and Grenada games, Banks DIH, presented the Golden Jaguars and the St. Lucia (Continued on page 69)
actually really excited.” Importantly, both players will raise the profile of Guyana, and may even convince more overseas-based players of Guyanese origin to join the National set-up. Their experience of playing in Europe will also be of a massive benefit to the local Guyanese players in the squad who will be able to develop their own game by playing alongside Briggs and Danns. It is not known whether either player will feature in the game against St Lucia tonight, but they are both confirmed to face Grenada next Sunday, in what is sure to be an excellent week for the nation as International games return to Guyana after a near-three year hiatus. Since the appointment of the Normalisation Committee in November, the recovery of football in Guyana has moved at a rapid rate and that is a credit to the committee led by
Santokie Nagulendran Clinton Urling. With regular friendly matches being scheduled so far this year, the appointment of Jamaal Shabazz as Head Coach working alongside Wayne Dover, and the recruitment of Matthew Briggs and Neil Danns, the future of football looks bright. The World Cup dream edges slightly nearer for the Golden Jaguars.
WICB First-Class Cricket Franchise
Barnwell, Chanderpaul lead Jaguars At stumps on day two of their final round West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Four-Day FirstClass Cricket Franchise in Dominica y e s t e r d a y, Guyana Jaguars were 289-5 in reply to 282 made by the Windward Islands Volcanoes. The Jaguars resumed the second day on their
overnight two without loss and Rajendra Chandrika (35) fell at 70-4 before Vishaul Singh (22) departed at 111-5. Chris Barnwell (104*) and Shiv Chanderpaul (83*) added 178 in an unfinished stand to see the Jaguars to a seven-run lead at the half way stage of the game.
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Sunday March 22, 2015
Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Competition Guptill record sets up crushing Melanie ‘A’, Plaisance ‘A’ continue to impress New Zealand victory WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand opener Martin Guptill sent the ball soaring and the records tumbling by striking a cricket World Cup record of 237 not out yesterday to set up his team’s crushing 143-run victory over West Indies in the final quarter-final. New Zealand scored 206 off the closing 15 overs to reach 393 for six then dismissed West Indies for 250 from 30.3 overs. Their reward was a seventh World Cup semi-final appearance, this time against South Africa in Auckland on Tuesday, and another opportunity to reach a final for the first time. Australia play India in the second semi-final in Sydney two days later. After captain Brendon McCullum had won a rare toss and opted to bat on a sunny afternoon at the Wellington Regional Stadium Guptill struck the ball cleanly from the outset. He became the first New Zealander to score consecutive World Cup centuries, bettered his own national record of 189 not out then overtook Chris Gayle’s World Cup record of 215 set against Zimbabwe at the current tournament. His innings took 163 balls and included 24 boundaries and 11 sixes. West Indies were left ruing a dropped chance in the opening over from Jerome Taylor when Guptill, on four, hit the ball straight to Marlon Samuels who was slow to react and dropped the ball at square-leg. Gayle, who had been in doubt for the match because of a painful back complaint, set off as if he were determined to reclaim his record after Trent Boult had bowled Jonathan Charles for three with his second ball. He swung Southee for a six and four to leg before turning his attention to the customarily frugal Daniel Vettori whose
economy rate took a battering when Gayle heaved three consecutive sixes over midwicket. Boult continued to take wickets at the other end and Vettori took a stunning catch on the third-man boundary, leaping high to haul down the ball with his left hand to dismiss Marlon Samuels (27). Gayle, now in obvious pain, was on borrowed time and the fun ended when fast bowler Adam Milne, returning to the side after missing the final group match against Bangladesh through a shoulder injury, dismissed the left-hander for 61 with eight sixes. The remaining West Indies’ batsmen peppered the boundary but capitulating swiftly. Boult finished with four for 44, overtaking Australia’s Mitchell Starc as the tournament’s leading wicket taker with 19 victims. McCullum started the day-night match by whipping a four through square-leg followed by a six, the 400th of the tournament, which was caught in the crowd. He departed soon afterwards skying an ambitious lofted drive which was well held by West Indies’s captain Jason Holder running away from the pitch at deep cover. Ross Taylor, who had been short of runs and uncertain of technique during the group stage, played with increasing assurance after a slow start. He ran a series of quick singles and the score mounted steadily against steady but unthreatening bowling. Guptill brought up his half-century with seven fours and his century from 111 balls. He took 16 from a Taylor over and a huge six off Benn before Taylor ran himself out for 42. The West Indies’ bowling and fielding disintegrated and Guptill took full advantage, hitting the first ball by Andre Russell in the final over 110 meters into the stands. Another six went over
long-off, a four followed and the 30,000-strong crowd rose to Guptill as the teams left the field. Summary Scores: New Zealand Innings: 393/6 (50 Overs). Martin Guptill 237*, Ross Taylor 42, Kane Williamson 33, Grant Elliot 27; Jerome Taylor 7-0-71-3, Andre Russell 10-0-96-2, Darren Sammy 8-0-38-0, Sulieman Benn 10-1-66-0. West Indies Innings: 250 All Out (30.3 Overs). Chris Gayle 61, Jason Holder 42, Jonathan Carter 32, Marlon Samuels 27; Trent Boult 103-44-4, Daniel Vettori 6.3-058-2, Tim Southee 8-1-82-2, Adam Milne 4-0-42-1. Result: New Zealand won by 143 runs.
A packed Haslington Tarmac witnessed some exciting matches as play in the East Coast segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Competition continued on Friday evening. Undoubtedly the game of the night was the final one that featured defending champions Melanie ‘A’ and last year’s beaten finalist BV ‘B’ which took a 22nd minute effort from former national striker Dwight Peters to separate the two teams after they slugged it out for the duration of the game. In the night’s full results: Game 1 Victoria Church Yard United 0 v/s Melanie ‘B’ 0 Melanie ‘B’ won on penalty
kicks 4- 3 Game 2 BV ‘A’ 2 v/s Plaisance ‘B’ 0 Goal Scorers BV AP DelroyDeen 13th& 14th min Game 3 Ann’s Grove Punters o v/s Mahaica 0 Ann’s Grove Punters won by walkover Game 4 Paradise 1 v/s Golden Grove 0 Goal Scorers Paradise Carlus Adams 14th min Game 5 Plaisance ‘A’ 2 v/sNabaclis 0 Goal Scorers Plaisance Kester Green 6th min Warren Gilkes7th min
Game 6 Victoria Eagles 2 v/ sMahaicony 1 Goal Scorers Victoria Eagles Kirt Warren 9th& 19thmin Mahaicony David Belgrave 7thmin Game 7 Buxton 0 v/s Haslington Boss 0 Buxton won on penalty kicks Game 8 Melanie ‘A’ 1 v/sBV ‘B’ 0 Goal Scorers Melanie ‘A’ Dwight Peters 22nd min The competition resumes on Tuesday with eight more preliminary games at the same venue, starting at 19:00 hrs.
Nestle Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition
Champs Lodge scrape past stubborn St. Mary’s -Chase Academy impress against Queenstown By Rawle Welch Many regard him as being a bright prospect for the future, while opposing defenders view him as a potent threat and the latter description held true as defending champion Lodge talisman Ryan Hackett produced a moment of magic to send his team into the semifinals of this year’s Nestle Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition at the expense of St. Mary’s as play continued yesterday, at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue. The talented mid-fielder blessed with skill and calmness picked up a ball in the first half of extra time calmly marched past one defender, before running wide on the left flank, a move that was deliberate for him to get the ball on to his sweet foot to unleash a curling leftfooter past a scrambling St. Mary’s goalkeeper’s outstretched hands into the far corner. It came in the 91st minute of play and was enough to eliminate a game St. Mary’s team who must have felt disappointed by the narrow loss.
It was another goal that underlined the young Hackett’s football intelligence and one that the remaining teams in the tournament will have to construct a strategy to nullify. The goal came after Str. Mary’s had pushed the defending champions to the limit in a matchup that clearly established the potential this country possesses in football. In another exciting encounter, hot favourites Chase Academy proved too strong for a good, but clearly outclassed Queenstown. Chase Academy, loaded with a cadre of youth talent, put it on display as early as the 7th Minute when the speedy Marlon Nedd dispossessed a defender raced past two more, before firing past the advancing goalkeeper. Five minutes later, Jeremy Garrett stretched their advantage when he hit a screaming free kick from about 25 yards out past a transfixed Queenstown custodian for a 2-0 lead. Queenstown responded just before the break through their leading marksman
Ryan Kackett. Kelsey Benjamin, who hit a piledriver past the Academy keeper and the scores remained 2-1 at the break. In the second period, both teams squandered chances to add to the scoreline, but it was Chase’s Shemar Barrow, who beat the keeper with a well directed left-footer from the left side, before Simeon Moore added another in the 67th. Benjamin then made it a little interesting when he doubled, but that was as far as they got before the final whistle sounded. In the day’s full results: Game-1 St. Joseph High-1 vs Morgan Learning Centre-5 Morgan Scorers Wayne Murray-68th and 78th Ronaldo Dover-16th Travis Biardis-21st
Toquan Clarke-35th St. Joseph Scorer Dwight Ferguson-24th Game-2 Dolphin Secondary-2 vs North Ruimveldt-0 Leon Richardson-24th Joshua Brown-70th Game-3 Lodge Secondary-1 vs St. Mary’s High-0 Ryan Hackett-91st Game-4 Chase Academy-4 vs Queenstown Secondary-2 Chase Academy Scorers Marlon Nedd-7th Jeremy Garrett-12th Shemar Barrow-44th Simeon Moore-66th Queenstown Scorer Kelsey Benjamin-24th and 67th The semi-finals will be played next Thursday, at the same venue.