Kaieteur News

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March 24, 2013

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Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Sod turned for CJIA’s US$150M expansion - current terminal building to remain - Chinese contractor insists capability

Respected humanitarian, Dr. Veerasammy Ramayya, is a 'Special Person’

Trans Guyana and Mining rights…

UN backs Tropical Aviation launch Corporate Amerindians' Jet service control of lands

Miners say, Minister “sleeping” too long on

Marudi mining resolution

Christel Mittelholzer

President Donald Ramotar, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Limin, and others at yesterday’s sod turning of the US$150M CJIA expansion.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 23, 2013

Mining rights…

UN backs Amerindians’ control of lands A United Nations agency is urging Guyana to review the practice of granting mining permits and concessions in indigenous communities before obtaining consent from Amerindians who live there.

The letter was issued this week by the U.N.’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD), according to an Associated Press (AP) report yesterday.

It comes after the Amerindian People’s Association wrote the U.N. to complain that although Amerindians received land titles from the government, they have no power to prevent miners from working in or near their villages.

Spokeswoman Jean LaRose said Saturday that the group has repeatedly sought permission from the government to prevent miners from exploiting indigenous people’s lands.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall has said the government will not consider the group’s request.

In February, Kaieteur News reported that Amerindians from the Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven,

have taken their case of land rights violations to the United Nations, hoping that the Special Rapporteurs could help force the government to revise the Amerindian Act. The Amerindian People’s Association (APA) teamed up with international NGO Forest People’s Programme to write the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; the Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation; the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food; the Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights; United Nations Independent Expert on Human Rights Obligations relating to the Enjoyment of a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment; Special Rapporteur on to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health; and the Special Rapporteur on Environmentally Sound Management and Disposal of Hazardous Wastes and Substances. The NGOs claim that the threats faced by the Akawaio communities of Isseneru and Kako due to mining on their lands are

Dissatisfied villagers protestingin front of the Amerindian Affairs Ministry earlier this year. grave, imminent and substantial.

“They are faced with irreparable harm to their social, cultural and environmental integrity if mining is allowed to continue and increase in their lands,” the NGOs had stated.

Late last year, and again in January, the court held that in the case of Isseneru, the Village Council has no jurisdiction over the activities of miners on the basis of when the state granted title

to its lands. “Isseneru’s title is presently almost completely engulfed in mining concessions that, by law, it can do nothing about, and about which it was not consulted and did not consent,” the APA and FPP stated. In the case of Kako, the judiciary held that its Village Council has no authority to prevent miners entering its titled lands on the basis of the provisions of the 2006 Amerindian Act, nor any right to prevent mining in its traditionally owned lands outside of this titled area.

In April 2006, the UNCERD found that the Amerindian Act discriminates against indigenous peoples in many respects.

The APA and FPP stated that Kako’s traditional lands

are also covered by numerous mining. The Amerindians of the Upper Mazaruni wanted the government to amend the Amerindian Act of 2006 in line with its concluding observations of 2006 and in particular, that it ensures that indigenous peoples are able to consent to and control mining on their lands and territories (titled or otherwise), including bodies of water therein, without regard to when title may have been issued and without regard for the date the Amerindian Act of 2006 entered into force.

They also wanted the government to instruct the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) not to issue mining permits or

concessions within indigenous lands and territories, titled or otherwise, without first obtaining the consent of the affected community and/or indigenous peoples in accordance with their customs and traditions and through their freely chosen representatives or institutions, and that it amends Section 53 of the Amerindian Act accordingly.

The NGOs also demanded that the government immediately suspends and, where necessary, revoke all mining concessions not consented to by Isseneru and Kako and which affect their traditionally owned lands whether titled in accordance with the Amerindian Act or not.

Golden Grove accident victim discharged

- father not satisfied with healthcare Pedal cyclist, Trevon Adams, 20, who was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation following an accident on the Golden Grove Public Road on Tuesday evening, has been discharged.

However, the lad’s father, Charles Adams, has said that he is dissatisfied with the move by the hospital to discharge his son, since he is still experiencing pains. The young man was prescribed some pain killers, and sent home on Friday, three nights and two days after the accident.

The younger Adams, after being hit by a speeding Canter truck, fractured his left foot, lost two of his teeth and broke his jaw.

Meanwhile, Dwarka ‘Dave’ Gangadin, the grass track champion rider who was freed of his wife’s murder charges two years earlier, was identified as the driver of the errant Canter truck.

A breathalyzer test revealed that Gangadin’s alcohol consumption was above the prescribed limit. He was also said to have been speeding. The man was charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI), and later released on bail.

Charles Adams said that since his son continues to experience severe pains, his only option is to have him see a private medical practitioner.

Reports are that Adams was riding his bicycle on the Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara Public Road when he was hit by the speeding canter truck driven by Gangadin.

The young man had left his mother’s home in Golden Grove, and was reportedly heading to see his father’s place in neighbouring Nabaclis when the incident occurred.

The elder Adams, shortly after the accident, told Kaieteur News that he was

also heading to see his son in Golden Grove when a yellow canter truck sped past him. He said that he recalled thinking to himself that the truck was going at a much too fast rate.

However, it was only after turning at the “bend” of the road (between Golden Grove and Nabaclis) that he heard someone saying that the Canter had hit someone.

“After I hear that, I just ride up li’l fuh see is what…but is then I see me son lying with he bicycle in the middle of the road.”

After hitting Trevon Adams, the vehicle also slammed into the back of a parked minibus on the opposite lane of the road before ending up in a nearby barbershop.

Police arrived at the scene shortly after and prevented the driver of the truck from being further roughed up by eyewitnesses and other villagers of Golden Grove.

Saturday March 23, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Sod turned for CJIA’s US$150M expansion

By Leonard Gildarie Government yesterday turned the sod for a US$150M expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with officials signaling intentions to no longer pursue plans to demolish the current terminal building.

The building was constructed almost 12 years ago during a US$30M major reform of the Timehri International Airport, as it was known then. It was renamed CJIA then.

The terminal building, which airline officials have been saying has become too small amidst significant passengers’ growth, will be used for cargo handling, storage and a host of other services.

Under the 2011 contract with the Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) under the Bharrat Jagdeo administration, the terminal building was set to be demolished by CJIA, at its own cost. But the building has remained in excellent condition and a decision was taken not to raze it.

An entire new terminal building, immediately south of the current one will now be built to the tune of US$47M, said Transport Minister, Robeson Benn yesterday during a sod turning ceremony at CJIA. Another US$58M will be spent to extend the main runway.

With preliminary works underway, construction is expected to start as early as May. The event is part of the ongoing celebrations of 100 years of aviation in Guyana.

Also there were President Donald Ramotar; CJIA’s Chief Chief Executive Officer; Ramesh Ghir, and Chairman, Ramesh Dookhoo; CHEC’s General Manager, Zhong Dong Tang; Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Zhang Li Min, along with several airport officials and Government Ministers. $1B Also commissioned yesterday were new navigational and communication equipment at the airport’s Control Tower, which within recent years saw almost $1.1B spent to replace and upgrade aging systems critical to landing and take-off of aircrafts.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, since first flights back in 1913, the airport has grown in leaps and bounds, handling 4,000 international flights and 600,000 passengers, annually.

The Control Tower last year would have been regulating 61,000 flights with 10,000 persons directly and indirectly depending on the facilities for a living.

In the next 20 years,

current growth rates are suggesting passengers could very well double in numbers.

The indications also are that aircraft makers will have to increase its production as more persons start flying.

The expansion will see a new terminal building that will include eight jet bridges and an extension of the current runway by another 1,000 meters. It will boast a bigger apron for planes, bigger parking lot, enhanced security features and concessions space for businesses.

New airlines are reluctant to come with their bigger wide-body Boeing 747 planes because of the short runway, said Ghir.

While CJIA was making a loss 10 years ago, expansions and reforms have seen income tripling its expenditure in recent years.

Experience CHEC’s General Manager, Zhong Dong Tang, whose company initially had come in for criticisms, insisted that the company has successfully undertaken major infrastructural projects in Hong Kong and in Macau, China, and has been engaged in major contracts globally and in the Caribbean and South America.

In making his case for CHEC’s capacity, he listed contracts in Mexico and even in neighbouring Brazil.

Tang made it clear that CHEC is looking for more projects in Guyana.

Minister Benn, in making his case for a new airport, admitted that the criticisms have been many but the fact remains that several CARICOM countries have recognized the importance of an airport expansion.

Barbados and The Bahamas are classical examples.

Compared to the rest, and with Guyana’s strategic geographical position at northern tip of the Southern America continent, the investments are “modest”, he said.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Li Min in plugging Guyana and China’s growing relations, assured that CHEC will be delivering quality work.

He promised that the standard set by CHEC will be one to be followed by other Chinese companies coming to Guyana.

According to President Ramotar, the financial crisis in North America and Europe has seen the development of the “south-south” relationship with ties being born with the emerging power countries including Brazil, China and India.

Plugging the US$840M Amaila Falls hydro power project, another Chinese contracted project, the official stressed that it will move Guyana from an agro-

- current terminal building to remain - Chinese contractor insists it is capable

President Donald Ramotar yesterday commissioned new equipment for the CJIA’s control tower for which $1.1B has been spent.

A model of what the new airport will look like when completed. producing nation to being one of agro-processors.

The time will come when Guyanese abroad will be clamoring to come back.

Noting the contributions of the Chinese in Guyana, the President acknowledged the emerging sectors of the economy which also include tourism.

He too was convinced that Guyana’s strategic location in South America makes it an ideal spot to attract flights from China (Asia) and Africa.

Earlier yesterday, President Ramotar also inspected a recently installed, new body scanner at the Departure area of the airport.

CHEC’s US$138M contract will see it building the new terminal and lengthening the runway.

Government has signed an agreement for financing with China for a loan to the tune of US$130M. Government has since said it will be plugging another US$20M or so for the expansion.

The project had generated controversy in 2011 when a Jamaica newspaper broke the news that the Guyana Government signed a deal with CHEC. CHEC has an office in Jamaica.

Government later said that it was about to announce the signing when the news was prematurely leaked.

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

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

Budget Rumbles Tomorrow the Minister of Finance will present the budget for 2013. Even though promised some time ago that it was going to be unveiled much earlier, and this was accomplished on a number of occasions, we seem to have reverted to slipping the proposals for the annual national income and expenditures just in time before its March 31 deadline. By the time the debate winds up in mid April, almost one-thirds of the year would have expired.

Maybe this year, the delay was occasioned by consultations between the Budget Office and various ‘stakeholders’. However, one subset of that grouping, possibly the most critical subset - the Opposition, appears to have missed another opportunity to engage in what the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) labelled as ‘meaningful’ consultations.

There was a particularly acrimonious and unfortunate public exchange between the Finance Minister and his ‘shadow’ from the Opposition benches, Mr Carl Greenidge as to why a scheduled consultative meeting never transpired.

In light of the events surrounding last year’s budget in the National Assembly, this lack of substantive discussion between the Executive Branch and the Opposition that controls the Legislature, is very ominous. As all Guyanese are aware, last year, the Opposition excised $21billion from the $192billion budget some 11 per cent - which led to the government taking the matter to the Courts.

In a rather gnomic interim ruling, the Chief Justice evidently decided that while the Opposition might comment on the Budget and suggest changes in the line items, they cannot actually make cuts. The Executive, the court ruled, was not only mandated to make estimates for expenditures but to also not have them altered.

The Opposition, not surprisingly, were nonplussed: was the Legislature to be simply a “house of recommendations” which the Executive could or could not accept at its own discretion? The leader of the Opposition, Retd. Brigadier David Granger, had signalled that his coalition grouping, APNU, intends to appeal the ruling.

But in the meantime it is hoped that the Chief Justice would issue the final ruling, that would clear up some apparent ambiguities in the preliminary ruling and also offer concrete grounds for the intended appeal.

On Monday, then, we can expect the Minister of Finance to present another record budget as far as dollar spending is concerned. No new taxes are expected but no significant reduction of present mechanisms of revenue collection, such as the VAT, is also expected. The government is adamant that its spending regime in infrastructure and social services has been the driving force of growth over the last decade and these cannot be reduced, as will be necessary, if governmental income is reduced.

On the matter of taxes, in 2011, non-commercial companies benefitted from a five per cent reduction in their tax rates from 35 per cent to 30 per cent of their profits, on the expectation that they would funnel the extra funds retained into expansion programmes that would generate jobs.

It would be interesting to learn whether any such expansion was engendered or whether the profits were merely pocketed.

This newspaper has persistently pointed out that the banks routinely pocket billions of dollars in profits while keeping their lending rates sky-high. The government via the Bank of Guyana should control more stringently the safety net provided to banks through Treasury Bills. If lending rates to businesses are reduced to the low single digits that are common in the developed economies, job-creating investments will certainly ensue.

With the constraints on the Opposition making substantive inputs to the budget, their only recourse would be to make proposals on spending and income collection that makes more sense to the voting public. With this in mind we suggest that rather than becoming frustrated, the Opposition craft a budget of their own to which the one presented by the Minister of Finance can be compared.

This would remove the not unreasonable suspicion in some voters’ minds that the Opposition may just be grandstanding by throwing out ‘populist’ numbers.

The country will not gain by having another ‘rumble in the (urban) jungle’ in the Stabroek area.

Sunday March 24, 2013

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

Mr. Ramotar is the dog being wagged by his own tail DEAR EDITOR, Having read the President’s response to distributing of licenses and frequencies issue, other than being privy to the Minister of Information’s complete and utter ignorance on the basic issues surrounding this travesty, what we are observing is that Mr. Ramotar is the dog being wagged by his own tail.

On issue after issue, whether it has to do with the procurement of textbooks or the Marriott or the

liberalization of the airwaves, the pattern has emerged wherein some Presidential ‘Advisor’ – Gail Teixeira, Anil Nandlall, or Roger Luncheon – breaks the government’s silence with the public presentation of an absurd and ludicrous policy position, which the President then repeats almost verbatim, only to be placed in the hopefully embarrassing position of being completely wrong.

The textbooks have had to be procured legally, the Marriott has had to begin the

process of hiring local workers and, if the forces of fairmindedness and decency prevail, every single license that has been distributed by Mr. Jagdeo’s ‘discretion’ will have to be rescinded, with the favoured applicants resubmitting along with everybody else under a radically amended broadcast legislation.

Now I, as I attempted six months ago, could go into some detailed analysis of precisely what is wrong and what the opposition and civil

society need to do the correct this grave injustice, but the problem really exists at a more fundamental level – the disrespect, impunity, ignorance and arrogance with which the PPP conducts government in Guyana. But I am tired, and this it isn’t anything historically new, and I really can say nothing original about that. Instead, I’ll let Walter Rodney speak again, using the words of a 1979 speech about the Burnham regime, excerpted, Continued on page 7

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox Babu John has become the PPP’s cuss-down centre DEAR EDITOR, For 365 days of the year, Cheddi Jagan’s values are bashed and trampled upon by the leaders of the Jagdeo / Ramotar cabal.

They are the main architects of squander-mania, unchecked corruption, procurement of medical supplies by their special friends at six times the real market value with little care for the real bread and butter issues of the people. With the Jagdeo / Ramotar cabal, hypocrisy prevails!

These hypocrites take time off from their ALI BABISM and run up to Babu John like contemptible charlatans and snake oil salesmen to preach the virtues of Cde. Cheddi. Who do they think they are fooling?

What they are not telling the people is that they are the ones who continue to bury Jagan legacy and the principles on which the PPP were founded into the dustbins of history.

Today, it is clear for everyone to see that all Cde. Cheddi stood for have been completely destroyed by the nouveau riche Freedom House gang. This heartless and greedy gang’s only concern is how to use the state resources to benefit themselves, relatives and business buddies and not about improving the lives of

the people or about the development of Guyana.

What we continue to observe is that evil, greed, selfishness and the cussdown behavior continue to invade these people brains every March at Babu John Holy Shrine where they distort the facts about the Burnham regime and spew more empty and hypocritical rhetoric.

If anyone knows the General Secretary of the PPP, he was not like his predecessor, whose lack of pedigree facilitates the “mud march” every time his intellect abandons him. So it was somewhat of a surprise to many to see the General Secretary of the PPP engaging in the “Jagdeo” mud march at Babu John so much so that it was even repulsive to the former PPP stalwart Ralph Ramkarran.

Ramotar’s cuss-down of Moses Nagamootoo and Maxwell clearly shows that he did not learn anything from the Guyanese people in 2011?

In 2011, the voters penalized that party for the mass corruption in Government and the yard fowl behavior of the former Presidential Candidate of the PPP. Never again will political and racist rhetoric work with the voters since too many people of them ”belly ah bun.” As a classic reminder

TO THE EDITOR OF THE KAIETEUR NEWS: On March 21, 2013, the Kaieteur News carried an article, within which it “quoted” the former Norwegian Minister of the Environment and International Development, Erik Solheim. The Kaieteur News said: “Solheim said,”Guyana is among the most corrupt countries in the world. Jagdeo was steering it like his own farm. They don’t even have a law for public procurements!””’

This is a lie.

Former Minister Solheim never said those words.

The Kaieteur News deliberately fabricated this quote.

Can the Editor of the Kaieteur News please: - Confirm that this is a lie, and that the quote from Former Minister Solheim was deliberately fabricated by the Kaieteur News - Explain why the Kaieteur News thinks it is permissible to deliberately spread lies about a foreign Government Minister and our own Head of State - Apologise to Former

Minister Erik Solheim and Former President Bharrat Jagdeo for slandering them both by deliberately telling this lie This letter is being copied to the media.

Thank you Roger Luncheon Head of the Presidential Secretariat

Former Minister Solheim never said those words

Editor’s note: The first article, published on March 19, 2013, was taken from the news website reddmonitor.org. and was written

by Chris Lang. It was carried without amendment, and quoted an unnamed source as saying “Guyana is among the most corrupt countries in the world.

Jagdeo was steering it like his own farm. They don’t even have a law for public procurements!”’

However, in the following article ( published on March 21, 2013) our reporter inadvertently attributed this quote to former Norwegian Minister of the Environment and International Development, Erik Solheim.

We will pen the necessary apology to Mr. Solheim.

of this political reality, while the PPP General Secretary was quacking at Babu John; the sugar workers were on the picket line with their leader Mr. Moses Nagamootoo fighting for their rights to have decent wages and better working conditions.

If the PPP General Secretary wants to attack the critics of the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal he can pull the rug from under their feet by bringing an end to the wholesale theft in the Government, be it in the Police Force, in the NDIA, in the awarding of contracts, in

the procurement of medical supplies in the Ministry of Health and so on.

The best form of attack on the critics of the Jagdeo / Ramotar cabal is to establish the Procurement Commission. Jumping up and down on the stage at Babu John like a political DUCK and spewing empty rhetoric will not work anymore with the voters or prevent the critics from attacking the regime. But we have realized that the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal continues to fool themselves to the point that propaganda,

untruths and distortions which have become their modus operandi would over power their critics and lead them to victory in the next elections.

We want the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal to know that these attacks have stemmed from their ingrained failure to lower VAT, increase the old pension, reduce the toll on the Berbice Bridge, arrest and charge those involved in corrupt practices and improve the lives of the people.

For the record, the Alliance for Change (AFC)

with a Presidential Candidate like Moses Nagamootoo would never be against the principles of Cheddi Jagan. Rather, the Guyanese people are slowly realizing that the AFC is the only political force that respects and practices the politics of principle that embraces a lean, clean and mean and transparent governance; advocating day in day out for the people, fighting to the end to ensure that the economic divided between the BEES and Continued on page 7

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Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Lincoln, talk only makes sense when the autocracy is still redeemable DEAR EDITOR, In two consecutive letters in the KN (Thursday and Friday), my friend (friends must be prepared to disagree) asked me to explain what I meant by the following statement; “Engagement with your enemy is a strategic concept – more strategic than conceptual.” For readers who don’t know the background, the opinion was coined in support of Elton Mc Rae’s criticism of the TUC’s recent dialogue with the PPP regime’s second level leadership. I supported Elton’s position then. I still do.

In his two letters on me, Lincoln, even in a paragraph, didn’t tell the labour movement, Guyanese stakeholders and the Guyanese people what the TUC hoped to achieve by engaging in talks with the second tier leadership of the PPP Government (Sam Hinds and Brassington etc).

I can answer that. Absolutely nothing!

In both letters, he went on to repeat himself in his assertion that enemies must talk. Before I explain what he wants me to, let me say there is no book, statement or anything in history that says enemies must talk. Enemies talk not because there is a concept called dialogue. They engage each other out of a strategic thinking. For this reason I say that dialogue is more of a strategic position than a rule to be adhered

to. Now what do I mean by “more strategic than conceptual”? I would like to think that in his long union career, Lincoln must have read the works of one of the most brilliant minds to come out of philosophy – the Italian thinker, Antonio Gramsci. People who fight against tyrannical governments owe a lifelong debt to Gramsci. Whereas Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Hegel, Nietzsche, Marx, Sartre and other active philosophers wrote about the need for change, Gramsci remains the only first class philosopher who drafted a strategy for confronting and removing fascist regimes. I would not include Machiavelli in this category because he wrote in support of tyrants A paramount method in Gramsci’s ensemble of strategies is the War of Manoeuvre and the War of Position. The two are dialectically connected. It is outside a short letter to expand.

War of Manoeuvre is the stage where the regime reaches the point of fascism and there is no alternative but to organize for its removal. But according to Gramsci, the situation has to be analyzed by sympathetic intellectuals who must help in building the War of Position.

This is the organization of civil society to produce a cultural counter-hegemony. Essentially, the War of Position rejected

recognition of the regime, ignores engagement with them and prepares civil society for the War of Manoeuvre For me, Guyana has reached the stage of the War of Manoeuvre. The role of people like Lincoln is to move towards the War of Position, not the battle of wits around a table. Now how do we know that we have reached the War of Manoeuvre? There is no greater authority than Lincoln Lewis himself who in his two consecutive missives on me have documented the irredeemable behaviour of a twenty one year old regime, which, if you used the arguments of the great Gramsci, has reached a level where dialogue will not produce changes. May I remind Lewis that in 2005 January, I first used the term “fascistization” to describe the deterioration of the PPP Government Lincoln is my friend. We share many memories of struggle together but I hope he reads what he writes. Here is a trade unionist that goes way back to twenty years ago and describes the depravities of a government which ten years ago he accused of committing economic genocide against its own citizens.

But in 2013 is sitting around the table talking not to autocrats themselves who have the power but to their underlings. This same Lincoln Lewis then tells me and Elton McRae that there is a

concept called talking and even enemies talk. Lincoln, please read the history books and you will see talks only make sense when the autocracy is still redeemable.

You have Gramsci to guide you I don’t want to make this letter too long since Lincoln will come back and I will reply.

Suffice it to say that I am glad he finds that Raymond Gaskin has a fine mind. But sometimes we can put a fine mind to terrible use. Gaskin’s fine mind is also a convenient mind. He takes a consultancy from the government to audit the books of City Council and he finds financial skullduggery. African bureaucrats will be charged. But the same Gaskin didn’t ask why the City Council and not NICIL or the Ministry of Human Services where Christopher Ram is contending that the amount of persons receiving old age does not gel with the census.

In Lincoln’s presence Ram repeated that in April last year at the TUC symposium on the 2012 budget. Is a fine mind being used to persecute and prosecute African Guyanese bureaucrats?

Finally, why should I ask Jagdeo or Corbin about their relationship.

I am asking you, Lincoln Lewis.

Don’t you have an opinion on what goes on in your country, Lincoln? Ask me anything Lincoln and I will not back down in answering Frederick Kissoon

Jagdeo’s house is likely worth more than the $360M the PPP promises Amerindian Development Fund DEAREDITOR, The PPP and its Amerindian lackeys and window dressers must thinkAmerindians are fools, idiots and jokers. $360 million for an Amerindian Development Fund over a prolonged period is a cruel joke. Bharrat Jagdeo’s house and land at Pradoville is worth more than $360 million.Yes, the same Jagdeo who got arguably the most expensive real estate in Guyana at $5 million an acre when remigrants are being sold less than a quarter acre for $7 million. How could these PPP vagabonds give $360 million to the poorest and most marginalized ethnic group in Guyana, the overwhelming majority of whom are living in dire poverty and think this is okay when some within the PPP have profited by ripping off this country for far more than $360 million? What is a miserly $360 million going to do to correct hundreds of years of economic sterilization, marginalization, exclusion and denial of the Amerindian people? Only an uncaring no-good government gives an insulting $360 million to an ethnic group that is furthest in the economic hole in an already bitterly poor country. Even worse, this is an ethnic group that supported the PPP. This is how they repay them, by insulting them. Even after the fallout of the Isseneru land case, these PPP charlatans have the gumption to pull this contempt

and mockery of the proud Amerindian people. It tells of the derisive mentality within the PPP. The crooks will collect up to US$250 million from Norway with the rainforest agreement. Yet they are giving Amerindians a pathetic and measly $360 million (US$1.8 million)?

They are spending US$50 million on a Marriott hotel in the hope it fattens a few investors but refuse to treat Amerindians who comprise 9.2% of the population with any decency. $360 million to over 75,000 Amerindians is a rudely insulting $4800 per person.

The PPP has already mistreated Amerindians over that land dispute at Isseneru. It further demeans them with this slap in the face of an Amerindian Fund.

The PPP wants to call a snap election or local government elections and it decides it will do just like Columbus, Cortes and Pizarro by tricking and insulting Amerindians into taking their votes. This is why they launched this nauseous adventure called the Amerindian Development Fund. It is nothing but an attempt to hoodwink Guyanese and Amerindian people. The PPP continues its economic prostitution of the Amerindian people with this farce. And it wonders why Amerindians have completely left the PPP. Amerindians, run from these rogues, run as fast as you could.

M. Maxwell

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Barticians are being shortchanged

Mahdia Police woefully short of crime-fighting resources

DEAR EDITOR, Barticians are being shortchanged beginning with the continued employment of an unqualified and oppressive steward at the Bartica Hospital to the installation of an illegal IMC comprising a selected clique of opportunistic PPP cronies.

Mr. Editor, the legitimate elected officers of the NDC were unceremoniously forced from office amid allegations of fraud and corruption which has to be proven in a court of law. Whether these allegations are true or false, they must be prepared to face the consequences.

Corruption is rife, a social epidemic that has affected the lives of every Guyanese both directly and indirectly.

It is a fact that Bartica and Barticians are frustrated and plagued by the never ending garbage pile up in the community. There were supposed to have some relief of this health hazard through the signing of an

agreement between Regional Democratic Council and Cevons Waste Management.

This agreement includes the managing, transportation and disposal of solid waste. The agreement was signed on December 5th 2012 and would be for fifteen years, with the commencement date being 2nd January 2013.

To date Cevons, has not been able to commence work due to the shoddy work done by the contractor. Mr. Editor, the contractor was paid to construct a roadway 1000 ft by 50 ft and build a site with a certain amount of sand for the dumping of the waste. The government now saw it fit to inject $1.7M to have the road and site erected. This contract was not tendered but was given to a selected crony from the clique of PPP cronies. For years, the legitimate elected councillors yearned for such financial assistance from central government but never received same.

The substandard work by this contractor has caused the delay and further suffering for residents Mr. Editor, the REO must be held responsible and answer the following questions,(1) What is the cost for the contract (2) Who is this contractor that has pocketed tax payers monies for substandard work.

(3) Why was the works committee not involved in the process(4) Has the contractor been paid in full.

It is this said REO who recently appeared before the Public Accounts Committee and could not account for the retrieval of monies paid to NIS and GRA Mr. Editor, the IMC which claims that they are going to correct the wrongs done by the NDC have not done anything noteworthy to date.

I would also request the Ministry of Education check on the shoddy work done at the Two Miles Primary School.

Umar Saied

From page 4 but otherwise unedited.

“In one sense, we can dismiss this as nonsensical. In another sense, however, it is a reminder to all of us how much contempt the government of this country has heaped upon the people of this country. You have to be absolutely contemptuous of the people whom you are addressing to tell them such foolishness and expect them to believe. It is a total insult to anyone’s intelligence to be given such an interpretation…

It is ultimately, as I said, apart from comedy, an insult to the Guyanese people, and we have to say that we will put an end to those in power who have such a low estimation of our abilities. Not only are they insulting us, but in the real sense, it seems as if they have taken leave of all sanity.

Whoever accumulated power to themselves in such a way that they want to make every single decision in the state a personal decision, is being taken over by insanity, and it is not surprising, because no one man or handful of men even in their own interests should conduct the affairs of state as their personal business.

So that is why this ruling class is being plagued now by symptoms of lunacy — losing touch with reality — they haven’t a clue what is going on. They’re living in a world of their own and they’re trying to reduce the rest of us to the same condition of losing touch with reality.

Think about the story of the palace that they were about to build. In the midst of

the most desperate economic crisis that has ever hit this nation… any sane government would not think about building a palace. But you see King Kong had decided he wanted to build a palace to his ego, and a monument to his own stupidity — so that he could sit inside and be a monument inside a monument.

If you notice in the media… the Chronicle, one of the things they’re very hurt about is the so-called attacks on their leader. They have seriously promoted him as the ultimate in wisdom, allknowing, all powerful, next to God… as though all intelligence in Guyana was concentrated in one man and no intelligence was outside.

All virtue, all political acumen, all commitment was concentrated in one man.

What we find in Guyana today is that the conditions which prevail make it impossible for professionals to conduct their professional life was they would like. You are not allowed to do the job you want to do.

For too long our nature has been overcome by fear; a justified fear. It is true that there is a fear of losing jobs; the fear of not getting promotion; the fear that your children might be victimised and so on. But there must be a point at which people realize, that even that fear has to be overcome.

It has to be overcome by a new resolution because in the long run it is not simply that you and I are fighting in individual battles. Far more important is the sense in which we can fight in a

collective battle. They can’t fire everybody, they can’t victimise everybody; on the contrary, they have given us the vast majority whom they have treated with contempt, whom they have insulted everyday for 14 or 15 years.

When we act together, we will make this little paltry gang of petty dictators go on their way. And we will bring them to task. Because it is obvious that in the end they depend upon the power of the people.”

Ruel Johnson (On behalf of Walter Rodney)

Mr. Ramotar is the dog...

DEAREDITOR, I am responding to your Tuesday March 19, 2013 story “Rohee throws down gauntlet to Police”, regarding the Home Affairs Minister’s address to officers at the just concluded annual Police Officers’ Conference. The article stated that Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has read the riot act to the police, expressing dismay over the long list of unsolved serious crimes. The article went on to state that Rohee was particularly concerned about the growing number of unsolved execution types murders. He even mentioned “we have reached a stage where some members of the public and the press have tended to insinuate that the Force lacks ability or will to solve these high profile cases.

While I agree with Mr. Rohee for being concerned about the growing number of unsolved execution-style murders, I strongly disagree with him for deeming some members of the public and the press as having a tendency to insinuate that the Force lacks the ability or will to

solve these high profile cases.

There is nothing to insinuate.

That is a fact; the Force lacks the ability or will to solve these high profile cases. He even mentioned that the Force would have to review its current investigative capacity and take corrective action.

What I found is that over the years, the force most of the time was given very limited resources to do its job. Take for example, the Police in Mahdia who are tasked with providing security for Mining District #2 (Potaro) and all the residents and the business persons need far more resources to function effectively. The ranks are handicapped when it comes to traversing several areas which fall under their jurisdiction. These areas have many escape routes and the Police are limited in terms of mobility. The Police at Mahdia only have one ATV which is inadequate for them to do the work they are expected to do.

They are actually given “basket to fetch water. They need a new 4x4 Land Cruiser, along with a boat and an outboard engine.

Most of the time when a crime is

committed, the perpetrator/s would be long gone by the time the Police acquire transportation to go to the scene.

It must be noted that over the years the interior becomes a safe haven for criminals and due to the rising gold prices criminal activity has increased.

Government cannot claim they don’t have money to provide these vehicles. In 2012, Government collected about 80,000 ounces of gold in revenue from Mining District #2.

In the 70s and 80s, although the Government of the day was collecting far less revenue from Mining District #2 and there were fewer crimes, the Police were equipped with proper transportation.

It is important to check the records to find out how much revenue from gold was collected in 1991 so we can compare it with how much was collected in 2012.

I would hope that these vehicles for this Police Station are in the 2013 Budget.

Mark Crawford Regional Chairman Region #8

From page 5 the poor can be reduced so that they and others who are at the bottom of economic ladder can enjoy more of the fruits from their sweat in the fields, factories and offices.

So wake up Mr. President! It is clear that many on the stage at Babu John on March 3th, 2013 were experiencing deep spates of mental delusion.

The AFC is not anti-Jagan at all; it is anti-politics without

principles, it is pro-working class, it is pro-respect for the human rights of all Guyanese, it is for pro- Guyanese workers right to work anywhere in Guyana. In the final analysis, the AFC is unlike the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal.

It is for change, equality, justice and freedom for all Guyanese irrespective of their ethnicity or their political persuasion.

So be your own man Mr. President with your own policies

and stop being a side kick to your immediate mud marching predecessor.

This is not the time for propaganda; this is the time to lead the nation. It is time for you to show Guyanese what you are really capable of and if you really are any better than the mud marcher of the past. It is time for you to move Guyana forward.

Dr .Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

Babu John has become the PPP’s...

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Saturday March 23, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Venezuela is a lucrative market for Guyana’s rice The Governments of Guyana and Venezuela are currently wrapping up the 2013 agreement for the sale of Guyanese paddy and rice to the Spanish state.

Apparently, a deal has been finalized but not on paper, says Jagnarine Singh, General Manager of Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB).

Singh said that the agreement includes the quantity of rice that would be sold to Venezuela for this year; the selling price for rice and paddy; terms of sales; and shipping conditions.

Venezuela is one of Guyana’s most lucrative rice markets, which was made possible under the PetroCaribe Energy Cooperation Agreement. It sees Guyana buying fuel from and selling rice to Venezuela.

According to Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, President Hugo Chavez crafted the PetroCaribe initiative to provide an important source of balance of payments support to Caribbean countries at a time when they were struggling to meet the spiraling cost of their fuel import bills.

“In Guyana’s case we purchase gasoline and diesel under a financing arrangement that allow us to pay for those fuel products over a deferred period. Essentially, part of the

As part of its mandate to promote transparency, accountability and eradicating corruption the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc. (TIGI) – national contact of Transparency International – in collaboration with the Linden Chamber of Commerce held a public education outreach in Linden on Thursday March 21, last, in the boardroom of the Linden Chamber.

To a packed boardroom which included members of the Linden Chamber, representatives from the regional executive office, civil society and youth groups, the President of TIGI,

Jagnarine Singh

Mahendra Sharma

value of our oil imports from Venezuela we were provided as a loan, which meant we did not have to pay for some of that fuel immediately,” Dr. Singh said at a commemoration function held at Red House for the passing of Chavez.

The Finance Minister said that during discussions on the crafting of this agreement, oil prices were skyrocketing from US$40 per barrel to more than US$140 per barrel.

“Many of our countries were struggling to meet their import bill…struggling to mobilize financing for their budgets,” he added. GRDB’s General Manager, Singh, said that the agreement between the two countries came into being in 2009. Explaining how the agreement works, he said that

Guyana buys fuel from Venezuela and pays a percentage; Government then sells the fuel in Guyana.

The amount paid to Venezuela is deducted from the amount earned from the sale of the fuel. The difference is used to fund developmental projects such as electricity infrastructure and buying local products.

Government purchases rice from local millers to sell to Venezuela. He noted that the rice receipts are checked off against the fuel bills and the debt is netted off.

Singh added that the amount of rice sold to Venezuela is dependent on the amount of fuel purchased. “…But, we never sit and consider that because there is always excess money,” he added.

Guyana Energy Agency’s Chief Executive Officer, Mahendra Sharma, was hostile to any question about the PetroCaribe deal.

However, it is important to note that since Guyana has commenced signing these annual agreements, farmers have been receiving better prices for their produce. In fact, farmers have been receiving an additional $1,000 on a bag of rice.

GRDB has been in the forefront negotiating the price for Government. These negotiations result in farmers being paid US$520 per metric ton, up from US$330 per metric ton at the start of the agreement. Last year, Guyana produced 422,000 tons of rice.

Two-thirds of that amount was exported to Venezuela under this agreement. The GRDB expects rice production for this year to surpass the 2012 figure.

Singh is confident that Guyana will continue to export rice to Venezuela under the PetroCaribe arrangement despite the passing of Chavez.

Attorney-at-Law, Gino Persaud, introduced TIGI and its Executive to the Linden community and delivered a presentation on corruption, the effects of corruption and the role of citizens in tackling corruption. TIGI also presented its own concrete recommendations on steps that can be taken to reduce corruption and sought the support of those present in supporting those recommendations.

In the ensuing interactive discussion, the TIGI Panel which included its President, Gino Persaud, Vice President Anand Goolsarran and Father

Compton Meerabeaux, answered questions on the operation of TIGI, the methodology behind the generation of the Corruption Perception Index, possible discrimination and victimization, and entertained suggestions from the audience regarding TIGI’s implementation of its mandate; the latter included possible linkages between TIGI and other civil society organisations and calls for TIGI to lobby for reform of the taxation system which it was viewed could help to prevent corruption in Guyana.

Established in 2010, TIGI

is a new civil body which promotes transparency and accountability and is an advocate for eradicating corruption in Guyana.

Thursday’s public outreach aimed at empowering Guyanese to get involved in the fight against corruption.

During the outreach session, the audience was provided with brochures, handouts and bookmarks which provided information both on TIGI and ways in which citizens could tackle corruption. The public outreach was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.

Dr. Ashni Singh

TIGI takes anti-corruption to Region Ten

Dem boys seh...

Dem Minister like prison warden Nuff contract getting cheap. De Marriott contract price come down, de airport expansion contract get cheap and dem boys waiting fuh see what more gun get cheap. It got to be that somebody find out that sometimes dem contractor does put on an extra piece fuh pay off de very people who awarding de contract.

Dem boys want to know if de Waterfalls paper wasn’t peeping into everything if things woulda get cheaper. Fuh sure, nuff things woulda been more expensive because dem boys notice that that was de trend in de past. A road use to cost $10 this month and next month same road cost $100.

That is how de money use to come out de treasury.

Anyhow, dem got a project that gun mek people eye open.

Instead of de Demerara Harbour Bridge Guyana gun get de Demerara Harbour tunnel. De authorities plan fuh dig underground. Now imagine dem gun got to put in things fuh clear out de fumes in de tunnel and if a car break down is hell. But some people gun vex. Dem have people who like de bridge because dem can commit suicide. Dem can’t do that in de tunnel.

Dem have another thing that dem boys notice. Quietly dem planning another road fuh run alongside de one that going to Timehri. Now that gun be a blessing in disguise because already dem using a helicopter fuh see if dem got a trail. De road as it is got too much car and big truck and horse cart. When all of dem deh pun de road is traffic jam.

But it good fuh de police because is more road that dem got under dem control. More road mean more money.

That mean that de government ain’t got to worry about giving de police increase pay. Dem done know that de prison wardens does feed demself from de prisoners food.

Dem does go wid dem two long hand and come out wid black plastic bag. Dem boys seh that dem like some government minister who does go in de wuk wid nutten and come out wid de hand full. Plastic bag too small.

Talk half and try to be a government minister.

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Saturday March 23, 2013

Govt. should review duty for electronic security-Tech Giant Security firms and services gathered recently with Local tech giant, STARR Computers Inc. to underscore new technologies available to enhance security measures for clientele and society at large. At the same time they underscored the need for a review by the legislative of the taxation systems for electronic security.

The event was held at the Boardroom at STARR Computers of 59 Brickdam, Stabroek office.

Michael Mohan, the President of STARR Computers, said “We have seen the floodgates opened for growth, development and employment opportunities in the computer industry over the past two decades by simply passing legislation in Parliament for duty free exemption to computers.

“And, it is our belief that if the same privilege is offered by government to the people of Guyana for a few years on importation of security electronics, this will give the industry a major booster. This will ultimately create new employment, generate Government Revenue from earned income, reduce crime and support economic growth.” Adding that Video Surveillance Solutions will deter and monitor criminal

STARR computer representatives (standing) explaining to security company officials, the various technologies available to enhance the sector. activities, increase employee’s productivity and provide law enforcement with critical information from site incidents, Mohan noted that at a time when Guyana is experiencing an emerging economy through international Investors, criminal elements from

everywhere will also seek their fortunes through crooked means. The time has come when all local Security Agencies and private employers need to start talking, review and upgrade their security response methodologies.

Underscoring that the

profitability stakes are so high, that if the locals do not join forces and recognize this new market demand, they stand to lose their opportunity to International Security Companies, President of STARR computers said. With a joint partnership between the

Public and Private stakeholders along with modern technologies, the security profession can rise to its true place in society, and new gateway to employment will be generated.

Mohan said that if the local security services lapse in stepping up in their role,

the international security agencies would eventually have a major piece of the market shares. He added that earlier in the week there was also a seminar for students of the technical institute which gave an insight on a career opportunity within electronic security, which will make it easier for companies to recruit persons within the specified field to bolster the security sectors’ development.

Other ideas discussed were the low cost smart home devices which will protect, monitor and control homes and businesses.

“It remotely turns on/off any appliance and lighting, and, helps conserve energy consumption. In the event of motion, fire, flood and contact interference, this wireless and portable device sends alert text and email automatically to multiple users of any smart phone, tablet and computer.”

Mohan explained.

STARR COMPUTERS Inc (STARR) has taken up the challenge in Guyana to promote Alternative Energy and has partnered with international manufacturers and engineers to provide quality service for consumers in the field of renewable energy, electronic security and computers amongst other features.

Saturday March 23, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Trans Guyana and Tropical Aviation launch Corporate Jet service In celebration of the Ogle International Airport’s Regional Class Carrier Certification and the 100th Anniversary of Aviation in Guyana, Trans Guyana Airways in collaboration with the Cessna Aircraft Company through its distributor “Tropical Aviation” yesterday launched the corporate jet service in Guyana.

The expansion and certification of the airport has now made it possible for corporate or private executive jet travel easily accessible from Georgetown at the Ogle International Airport.

According to officials, the “Cessna XLS” which would be operating out of Guyana, is the newest chapter in one of the business aviation’s most phenomenal success stories. Kaieteur News was told that the very successful Cessna XLS provides clients with speed, comfort, safety and class.

John Price, the Vice President of the company, said that Cessna and Guyanese aviation have enjoyed a good friendship throughout the years. He said that the rapid growth in aviation signals a growing economy.

Prince said that the certification of the airport brings in a new era of convenience and greater options. With this, he said, they have introduced the new Cessna Jet line, the XLS plus. He explained that it’s an eight passenger jet, with a stand up cabin. It could reach most Caribbean destinations in one stop. The Jet comes with on cabin internet access, satellite phones, televisions and most of the modern facilities. He noted that it could reach most North American destinations with one stop. Price said that one

The Cessna XLS Jet can travel to Ogle airport, hop on the jet make his/her rounds around the Caribbean and then return the same day just in time for dinner. He explained that service cuts the cost for hotels and airline fees in half.

Chris Correia, a Trans Guyana Executive, explained that although no feasibility study was done, it’s not the company’s intention to sell a plane today; it’s more like planting a seed in the minds of businessmen and major organizations that this is not a toy, but a tool.

The business community needs to start thinking that this tool can enhance their businesses and organizations. If someone wants to go to Miami, the aircraft can go there nonstop, with about four passengers, but with the full seating there will be a need to stop for fuel. The owners also noted that timing compares favourably with a commercial flight. Price further stated that if one were to take the jet to go to Kaieteur Falls it would take about 15 minutes to get there compared to 50 minutes by the normal planes.

Officials yesterday at the service launch

New York-based Guyanese launches charity for sick children

Mrs. Ghaness, staff and children of Georgetown Hospital Paediatric Ward

“It does not take a lot to put a smile on a child’s face; a hug, a nod or any kind gesture can impact a child’s life in positive ways.”

This is the sentiment of New York-based Guyanese entrepreneur, Nadi Ghaness, as she embarked on her most recent charitable work at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Paediatric ward last Monday.

The children at Georgetown Hospital are no different, she says, thus she opted to lift the spirits of the little patients.

It was on one of her visits to the facility that it dawned upon Mrs. Ghaness said that she could do something special to reach to these sick children.

“As I was on a visit over the weekend I decided to visit the children’s ward. I met with the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Mr. Khan and I expressed my desire. He was

very welcoming as told I him of my plans … so together with the help my husband, Harry Ghaness, and my twin sons Ajay and Vijay, who were also born at Georgetown Public Hospital, decided to form an organization called Huggable on behalf of H&N Insurances and Financial services our business in New York.”

“Every month each child will receive a Huggable stuffed animal whether it be a teddy bear or so along with bag of goodies including crayons, colorings books and other stationery items as well sweets and so on,” Mrs. Ghaness said.

The one time school teacher who says that she enjoys working with children hopes that this new project will bring much joy and comfort to those who are unwell.

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Saturday March 23, 2013

Saturday March 23, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 13

Overseas based University Improving the quallooking to link with UG ity of lives of ... of...

With the distinct potential of boosting the international academic image of the University of Guyana, talks are currently ongoing with the University of Central Lancashire of England with a view to forging a linkage between the tertiary institutions.

Spearheading the discussions is Pro Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr. Prem Misir, who currently holds a Professorship appointment in Public Health at the University of Central Lancashire. He assumed this three-year appointment in September 2011 when he was confronted with a request to help foster the collaboration.

The area identified for the alliance is that of Biodiversity and Conservation Management and according to Dr. Misir there are currently three key players engaging him in the strategic talks.

Among the key players is the Central Lancashire University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor David Phoenix, who Dr. Misir said, is very interested in the idea of this linkage and “hopefully he and two others would be here in April.”

Dean of the School of Built and Natural Environment, Professor Akintola Akintoye, and Professor of Physiology in the School of Forensic and Investigative Sciences, Dr. Jaipaul Singh, are the other

two key players in the ongoing discussions. The latter Professor was a shortlisted candidate for the position of Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana and has been assisting the Faculty of Health Sciences with a number of research projects.

“The levels of these professors show that the interest is significant...and I am like the go-between because I have my feet on both sides of the fence,” noted Dr. Misir.

Even as the discussions continue, he revealed that he has been interacting with Coordinator of the University of Guyana’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Shanomae Rose.

“She said that she has discussed it with her Faculty and they are very interested and excited about it

happening, so there is going to be support for it...But obviously we have got to have the conversation more,” related the Pro Chancellor.

He disclosed that it is expected that the proposed linkage could be created at the soonest possible time which will pave the way for the University of Central Lancashire to facilitate the implementation of a Field Station on biodiversity and conservation management.

According to him, “they are interested in having faculty here and also have our faculty go there to try to develop international experience and have exchange between the two programmes...There can also be an exchange of students where students from that University can come here and our students can get some international experience over there.”

Moreover, Dr. Misir disclosed that through the linkage, graduate students can come to the University of Guyana to secure data for their Masters dissertation and even visit in order to enhance their resume or obtain extra credit. “Students can come here for different reasons depending on whether they are undergraduates or postgraduates....” asserted Dr. Misir who insisted that such collaboration will show that the University of Guyana has credibility from an international point of view.

Controversy surrounds the death of a 17-year-old boy who was laid to rest last Friday following a funeral ceremony at his Lot 428 Grove Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara home.

Shaquille Wright passed away last Sunday at a private hospital. His death was ruled as due to unknown causes.

On Friday, during the funeral ceremony, friends of the deceased angrily walked out of the yard.

A close family member of

the dead teen told his publication that he was not at home on Sunday but when he went home, he was informed that Wright was rushed to the hospital.

“I don’t know what happened; I heard his big sister and his mother took him to the hospital and on Monday I heard he passed away.”

A few friends of the dead teen who live nearby told this publication that on Sunday, the teen was involved in a

scuffle with three of his close family members.

“They were beating him and he left and he went upstairs and a little after they go to wake him, he wasn’t responding so they called a taxi and rush him to the hospital and the next day we heard he died,” Wright’s friend noted.

The friends are calling on the police to launch an investigation into what they described as the “slaying of their good friend.”

UG Pro Chancellor, Dr. Prem Misir

Controversy surrounds teen’s death

(From page 38) economic power of not only young ladies, some of whom were not able to complete the formal learning at secondary institutions, but also to a surprisingly wide cross section of young men who are eagerly trying to develop themselves in the hospitality industry in Guyana and the rest of the world.

Today sitting at the helm of this facility is Mrs. Penelope Harris, the Principal, who has held this post since January 2007. She started as an associate lecturer at the institution in 1994. Ironically Mrs. Harris’s mother, Mrs. Agatha Hinds, dedicated many years and made significant contributions to the Carnegie School of Home Economics.

Now after eight decades of being in existence not much has changed, as a matter of fact there has been significant development of which the current Head now boasts.

According to Mrs. Harris, the school today caters for the needs of learners of a number of age ranges. It provides certification on the level of diplomas and certificates that are accredited by the Ministry of Education’s Accreditation Council. “The staff of Carnegie School of Home Economics aspires to increase the school’s standards by continuously seeking to upgrade our facilities and programmes to regional and international standards,” Mrs. Harris

asserts.

One such major upgrade [to the institution] is the transformation of its programmes into Competency Based Programmes that offer the student certification based on their proficiency within a variety of skill areas.

This form of training is a relatively new one to the Caribbean and offers to students learning or acquisition of skills according to their own mental or intellectual pace.

The required end result of the acquisition of skills is certification. Another area of focus for the near future includes the development of skills training at the University of Guyana Tain, Berbice Campus, as well as skills training in the Region Two and Region Nine (Lethem) communities. The Prinicpal’s vision for the Lethem community is one she would like to see off the ground in the very near future, as she emphasized that the community is rapidly growing and has a lot of potential, given its proximity to Brazil. Speaking of what the school still offers 80 years later, Mrs. Harris said it does not differ from when it first began. Currently, Carnegie offers full-time programmes in Catering and Hospitality, Commercial Food Preparation, Visual Arts, General Cosmetology, Garment Construction and Interior Decoration. The duration of all full-time programmes ranges between one and two

years.

The Catering and Hospitality Programme is designed to cater for adult learners in two major areas; Food and Beverage Service and Food Preparation. The Food Preparation unit is subdivided into BakeShop/ Garde Manager and the Hot Meat section. Students complete each area within a six-month period, after which they move on to a new area of study.

Successful completion of the three semesters gives way to attachment within the industry. Students are sent to major hospitality businesses in Guyana to acquire firsthand knowledge and experience in the field. This allows the students to develop a hands-on approach to their work. The successful completion of both in-class training and industry training leads to certification with a Diploma in Catering and Hospitality.

Very soon with the growing demands in the hospitality sector, the school will be placing a lot of emphasis in this area.

So, if you’re thinking of a way to improve the general quality of life or that of your loved one, being a part of the Carnegie School of Home Economics is an option you should consider as it not only equips you with a trade that will see you earning a little extra income, but it can also be a trade that will see brighter smiles on the faces of your loved one at meal time.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 23, 2013

New Amsterdam Rotary Club Creates history, inaugurates two women Samuel Whyte History was created last week when the New Amsterdam Rotary Club inducted two women into its fold, thus breaking a 27-year barrier. The two women inducted into the organisation are Attorney at Law and social and community activist Charlyn Artiga, and Businesswoman and community worker Angilla Satar. The induction ceremony which was held at the Rose Estate Training Building was attended by fellow Rotarians, family members and other well wishers. Speaking at the club meeting and induction ceremony President Rabindranauth Sookraj said that he and the members of the club are extremely happy to be a part of history. He stated that he is even more pleased to be the President when the feat was being achieved.

Ms Artiga, who hails from Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje, Berbice, had her early education at the All Saints Primary School before continuing to the New Amsterdam Multilateral

Secondary School and then proceeding to President College.

She then proceeded to the University Of Guyana where she graduated in Accountancy and with her Bachelor in Legal laws. She subsequently graduated with the Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School in 2010 and has been practising since. Mrs. Satar, who is a married mother of one, currently resides at Cumberland Village East Canje, Berbice. She holds the position of Manager of Jim Bacchus Travel Service for the past 13 years. Her early life saw her attending both the Port Mourant and Bohemia Primary schools before moving to Berbice High School where she passed several CXC subjects. She then became a teacher at the same school.

She subsequently qualified with a Certificate in Tourism and Hospitality from the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education and a Diploma in Management from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and a Diploma Public Communication from the

University of Guyana.

She currently holds the position of Assistant Secretary /Treasurer with the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association (BCCDA).

Both women expressed their delight at being a part of history and being accepted into such a prestigious organisation like the Rotary.

They both feel privileged to be making history and breaking the barrier after 27 years. The women stated that it was always their desire to give back and serve the community and the rotary club will give them such an opportunity. They are both comfortable being in the organisation since their orientation period was very fruitful and encouraging.

They are also members of other organisations which are also male dominated.

Ms Artiga stated that she is one of two females in the Guyana Association of Legal Practitioners (GALP) formally the Berbice Bar Association in the ancient county.

They are both looking forward to a long a fruitful association with the august body and are aspiring to become the first female

The two inducted women Mrs. Angilla Satar (left) and Attorney at Law, Ms. Charlyn Artiga presidents in the future. They are also hoping that other females will follow the path they are setting set in their quest to serve and make the community a better place.

Artiga was presented and introduced by President elect

Attorney at Law Charrandass Persaud while Ms Satar had her introduction and presentation dome by Immediate Past President Tajpaul Adjodhea.

The new members were inducted and charged by

Regional Chairman and Past President of the Club David Armogan who congratulated them for being a part of history.

He encouraged them to make full use of their skills and their expertise to help enhance the work and image of the Rotary. He wished them well and a long a fruitful stay in the organisation.

The women were also congratulated by members President Sookraj, Magistrate Chandra Sohan and Drs Narine Dut Sooknanan, Ganesh Shivkumar and Rishi Ramharack among others.

The rotary club of New Amsterdam is the last of the clubs in Guyana to induct women in their fold. It was also one of 11 clubs worldwide to have held that status.There are at present 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide in over 32,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 200 countries.

Rotary began in 1905 with the formation of “the Rotary Club of Chicago” in February 23. The name Rotary was come upon from the early practice of rotating meetings among members.

There are 18 per cent women memberships among the clubs in the world. The first woman was inducted as a member of the rotary club worldwide in 1987.

Immigration INFO Immigration News For Our Community

What you need to know about Visa Revocation Many visa holders seem surprised when their visas are revoked at the U.S. port of entry or upon a visit to the U.S. Embassy for renewal.

However, the officers have the right to revoke ANY visa and their decision is not subject to appeal or review by an immigration judge.

After the issuance of a visa or other documentation, the consular officer or the U.S. Secretary of State may at any time, in his discretion, revoke such visa or other documentation. Notice of such revocation shall be communicated to the Attorney General, and such revocation shall invalidate the visa or other documentation from the date of issuance.

There shall be no means of judicial review of a revocation under except in the context of a removal proceeding if such revocation provides the sole ground for removal. Once the revocation has been entered into the Department’s Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS), the visa is no longer to be considered valid for travel to the United States.

The date of the revocation

shall be indicated in CLASS and on any notice sent to the alien to whom the visa was issued.

An immigration officer is authorized to revoke a valid visa by physically canceling it on any of the following grounds: (1) The alien obtains an immigrant visa or an adjustment of status to that of permanent resident; (2) The alien is ordered excluded from the United States or removed from the United States; (3) The alien is notified by an immigration officer at a port of entry that the alien appears to be inadmissible to the United States, and the alien requests and is granted permission to withdraw the application for admission; (4) A final order of deportation or removal or a final order granting voluntary departure with an alternate order of deportation or removal is entered against the alien; (5) The visa is presented in connection with an application for admission to the United States by a person other than the alien to whom the visa was issued;

Attorney Gail S. Seeram, and (6) The visa has been physically removed from the passport in which it was issued. The most common grounds our office see visas (B-1/B-2) revoked is the alien appearing to be inadmissible to the United States for various reasons such as working in the U.S. with a B1/B-2, lying (fraudulent misrepresentation) to the Embassy on visa application when apply for visa, extended stay or travel to the U.S. where it appears the B-1/B-2 visa holder is “living in the U.S.” or B-1/B-2 visa holder is attending school in the U.S.

Saturday March 23, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 15

ROTTEN ONIONS, PPP, RADIO AND TV LICENCES

By Ralph Seeram I was helping to cook some meals earlier this week.

As the “assistant cook” my chores are relegated to washing the dishes and pots, cleaning the chicken, preparing the seasoning which includes peeling onions.

As I was peeling an onion which had started to rot, I thought of the PPP and former President Bharrat Jagdeo for some reason. Fresh in my mind was the news of the latest scandal involving the Jagdeo regime and the PPP, the latest evidence of the corrupt practices of the Jagdeo administration, the latest proof that Jagdeo shared out Guyana’s resources to his friends and cronies, I am talking about the latest disclosure on how the Radio, Television and Cable licences were parceled out to his friends and PPP family.

This was nepotism at its worst. I mean how much lower Jagdeo can sink? Are there no depths to this man’s depravity? I can now

understand why he has not shown his face in public; in fact he should not show his face in view of his “barefaced action” in sharing out those licences. The onions I use are large, about six to eight ounces each. As I peeled away the rotten layers, I was reminded of the layers of corrupt persons surrounding President Donald Ramotar, after peeling away about six layers, I reached the core of the onion which was perfectly good for cooking, and I am thinking to myself, what if the current President gets rid of the rotten layers of corrupt persons surrounding him, layers that are holdovers from the Jagdeo regime. How much credibility will be restored to his administration?

Right now, the PPP and the administration of President Ramotar is tarnished and that is putting it mildly. The present administration has no credibility with voters; even the strongest of PPP supporters have lost confidence in the

government. Like an onion the PPP is rotting away slowly, like an onion left unchecked the entire onion will be rotted down to its core; left unchecked if President Ramotar does not remove the layers of corrupt persons around him, he too will be consumed by the rotten odour. The PPP is dying. Left unchecked it will be out of power come next election.

Forget about snap elections, holding a snap election now will not give the party the Parliamentary majority the PPP will hope for. Naturally I don’t want to paint everyone around Ramotar with a broad brush, there are some like Prime Minister Sam Hinds who no one can point an accusing finger at.

Jagdeo and the present administration made fools of the Guyanese public, going through this charade of the Broadcast Authority, how the applicants have to present all sorts of documents and plans, all sorts of hoops to jump through, while the bulk of the Radio and Televisions licences were already awarded clandestinely by Jagdeo to his friends and PPP family. This will come back to haunt the PPP at the next elections unless Ramotar takes corrective actions.

The way these licences

were shared out, demonstrates a blatant attempt to control the media in Guyana, resting it in the hands of a few friends of the PPP. There is no question that this is going to be another form of censorship, another effort to control the media, to stifle voices like Kaieteur News which is in the forefront of exposing the corrupt practices of the PPP government. To put it into a little perspective; imagine all your radio, television and cable news and programmes coming from only the government-controlled Chronicle, the “Hard Times newspaper and the government-owned television station.

This kind of monopoly will not be condoned by the Guyanese public; they will make their voices heard at the next elections. I thought it was ironic in the March 16 edition of this newspaper where a headline caption read “Jagdeo shares out airwaves to friends” followed by another caption below “Zambia strips ex-president of immunity from prosecution”.

The latter should concern ex-president Jagdeo and his cronies, after all the government could change come next elections, who

knows what an incoming government will investigate.

President Ramotar now has the opportunity to demonstrate to the voters that he is his “own man” and shake off the perception that he is Jagdeo’s puppet; that is if he wants to bring some sort of integrity and credibility to his administration.

He can start by REVOKING ALL THOSE LICENCES NOW and let the process start over in a transparent and legal way, giving everyone a level playing field to bid for the licences.

To his credit the President has been disclosing the” backroom” deals he has inherited. We don’t know how many more “skeletons are in the closet”, to be disclosed.

This is the time for the President to step up and demonstrate that he is the President of ALL Guyanese, that all Guyanese will be given equal opportunities be they for contracts, jobs opportunities (think Marriott) or Radio, Televisions and Cable licences.

Unlike some of the “Johnny come lately” ministers that surround him, the President is a grass root party member. As such he should ask himself if this is the party of Cheddi Jagan; if

Cheddi Jagan would have condoned the level of corruption that permeates the government today.

The President needs to start now to demonstrate that he seriously wants to weed out corruption and show transparency and accountability. REVOKE those licences now and start a new chapter in governance; shake off the odor of Jagdeo from your administration; the stench might be a bit difficult to get rid of but you have to start somewhere and some time. The time is NOW. The Guyanese public has been patient with you but the “honeymoon” is over. They expected bold actions from you, but you have disappointed them. Your party has been dying since the last election; you have failed to take measures to revive it.

Guyana’s image as a corrupt country has sunk lower. You, President, have the power to reverse all the above. The question is,’ do you have the courage?’ The onion is rotting its way to the core of the PPP, it will envelop you, and come next election you and the PPP will be history.

Ralph Seeram can be reached at: ralph365@hotmail.com

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 23, 2013

Miners say, Minister “sleeping” too long on Marudi mining resolution Gold miners in the controversial Marudi mining district in Region Nine have expressed disappointment with the law pace in which their concerns are being dealt with.

Almost a month after their plight was publicly highlighted in a video recording of a beating by police ranks, the miners are still awaiting a decision on several recommendations and requests put to Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Robert Persaud.

The miners had met with Persaud on March 14, last, at his Ministry, where it was agreed that lands within the concession owned by Romanex Guyana Explorations Limited, would have been released to them through a lottery process.

This process is expected to take several weeks to be finalized.

The miners suggested that in the interim, all unfinished pits be worked until completion, so that their significant investments could be covered.

“The Minister agreed to ‘sleep on it (think about it)’ and get back to us within 24 hours.

He has not communicated with us since

then,” the Marudi Miners’ Association said.

The miners, most of whom were operating in Marudi for several years, were booted from the mining district by police backed by heavily armed private security personnel, operating under the umbrella of a foreign mining company.

According to the miners, Minister Persaud has agreed that there is a possibility that the alluvial mining by the small miners will be permitted, while bed-rock mining will be done by the larger Romanex Mining Company.

However, reliable sources have informed that this proposal has not gone down well with the foreign mining company.

Kaieteur News understands that heavily armed guards remain in the area and are blocking the main access trail to the mining sites.

The miners have expressed fear for their physical well-being as well as their claims, which are left unattended as a result of their forced eviction from their mining sites.

Romanex Local authorities had announced earlier this month that they are reviewing the

Minister Robert Persaud (right) meeting with members of the Marudi Miners’ Association on March 14.

licence of Romanex Guyana Explorations Limited, after investigations revealed that the company has failed to carry out exploratory works in keeping with its requirements.

According to a release from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Romanex was granted a licence to mine at Marudi Mountains, Region Nine, since April 17, 2009.

A site visit by officials of

the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), an arm of the Ministry, found no activities.

“A site visit revealed no mining or exploration on behalf of the company was ongoing, while the company had earlier committed to carrying out exploration activities within the early part of 2013. However, it is evident that no work is expected to commence on the property in the near future as no mining plan has been submitted.”

The Marudi Mountain Mining Licence was granted to Romanex Guyana Exploration Ltd. on April 17, 2009, after the company had held a Prospecting Licence (large scale) from 1990 to 2009. It is reportedly over 55 square kilometres.

Miners of that Region Nine area have been locked in a battle with Romanex for a number of years now, with the matter even engaging the attention of the court.

“Their (Romanex) guards are preventing us from accessing our equipment,” the Marudi miners lamented.

The miners are also awaiting the outcome of an investigation that was ordered by Minister Persaud,

into claims that they paid royalties and sold gold to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission had threatened that several miners will face charges for failing to declare the gold mined from the area.

“Overall, the bigger issue is regularisation and at the end of the day, they have all committed to doing so. No form of any illegal act will be tolerated and the GGMC and the Guyana Gold Board have been mandated to undertake a comprehensive investigation into these claims.”

Several miners from the Marudi area have claimed that, until recently, they were selling gold mined from the disputed area to GGMC and Gold Board officials. Several receipts have been reportedly produced to back up these claims.

For the Marudi miners, the current stalemate situation is frustrating since they cannot generate the necessary finances to first offset their expenses and secondly maintain their families.

“We have to lay off

workers for up to a month or even more until the lottery.

The Minister is still ‘sleeping’,” one of the miners told Kaieteur News.

“All we are asking for is permission to finish our pits.

This will give us the finances to enable us to move out,” another miner explained.

The miners had enlisted the services of prominent attorney at law, Nigel Hughes, to engage the relevant authorities on the matter.

However, Hughes suffered a heart attack while on a fact finding visit to the Marudi area two weekends ago, and is presently undergoing corrective heart treatment in Trinidad.

The miners are concerned that advantage could be taken of the situation now that their legal representative is temporarily out of the way.

“We wish Mr. Hughes a speedy recovery. It was unfortunate that while in the pursuit of evidence and information for the purpose of proving our legality, he fell ill.

We are grateful for his efforts so far and hope to see him back to full health as early as possible,” a statement from the Marudi Miners’ Association said.

Saturday March 23, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 17

Page 18

Kaieteur News

Drunken mini bus driver knocks 16 year old unconscious A drunken minibus driver proceeding at a terrific rate eventually lost control of the vehicle he was driving and crashed into a 16-year-old, knocking him unconscious.

According to information around 21:30 hrs on Thursday minibus BNN 7615 driven by Cory Isaacs, 30, of Hopetown, West Coast Berbice, was proceeding west on the roadway at a fast rate of speed. In the vicinity of Number 30 Village, West Coast Berbice, he lost control on struck down 16-year-old Royden Prince. The lad was walking west along the corner of the road. Prince who was struck from behind was picked up and rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital in an unconscious condition.

He was subsequently referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was

Bell 412 back in operation

admitted a patient in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) in a semi conscious state. Up to press time he was still slipping in an out of consciousness.

The driver, Isaacs, was arrested and taken to the Fort Wellington Police Station where his alcohol level was tested and found to be way above the limit.

He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and appeared in the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court where he pleaded guilty and was fined $7,500.

He told investigators that whilst he was driving he was blinded by the light of an oncoming vehicle. He heard an impact and upon checking he noticed the injured youth on the ground. He still remains in custody pending further investigations. More charges are likely.

Rapist strikes on Essequibo Coast

The police have so far been unable to apprehend the suspect who raped a woman yesterday because the woman was unable to give a visible description about the person who invaded her Bush Lot home.

This is the second attack by an unknown person on the woman.

The traumatized woman was accompanied to the Suddie Public Hospital by a female rank from the Anna Regina Police station, yesterday morning, after she had lodged a complaint.

According to reports, the woman, who is in her midforties and lives alone, was attacked sometime around

Saturday March 23, 2013

4:00 hours yesterday.

Reports are that the suspected rapist entered the woman’s home through one of her front windows.

It was reported that the man who carried a knife and torchlight shone the light into the woman’s face before raping her.

The man also cut the woman’s face with his knife before fleeing.

The same person who attacked and raped the woman attempted to enter another woman’s house in the area not long after but escaped after the woman raised an alarm.

Police are continuing their investigations.

Like new: The repaired army chopper at CJIA yesterday shortly after conducting a ceremonial flight.

Guyana’s largest helicopter, the army’s Bell 412, is back up and running after years of being parked.

Millions of dollars have been spent by government to bring back the chopper.

Yesterday, Government said that the helicopter was recently used to conduct aerial surveys for an alternative roadway for the East Bank Demerara linkage to the Timehri airport. It was also recently used for overhead flights of the Amaila Falls hydro project access roads.

According to Transport Minister, Robeson Benn, the

chopper which has been at least three decades in the hands of the Guyana Defence Force, will continue to be used in search and rescue operations.

Its long time pilot, army Captain Michael Charles, has been recalled to handle it.

Back in the days of former President Forbes Burnham, the yellow chopper, which carries the registration mark, 8R-GFP, was a fixture in the Guyana skies.

However, because of financial and other issues, the army was forced to park it.

There were even attempts to sell it.

The calls to bring back the chopper grew and in 2010, after much consultation, repairs started. Prior to that, Government had toyed with the idea of buying a similar one.

Captain Charles, who is said to know the aircraft “inside out”, was brought back also from his retirement.

There are now moves to equip it with some of the latest search and rescue equipment including powerful night lights. It has already been deemed airworthy by the regulators, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.

With Guyana’s mostly

The fact that there are ongoing discussions about an intended increase in tuition fees at the University of Guyana (UG) in the media and among interest groups, that is enough at the moment.

“There is no concrete decision regarding the fees increase”, says Vice Chancellor Professor Jacob Opadeyi.

Several weeks ago, Dr. Opadeyi spoke of the proposed plans to increase the University’s tuition fees as part of moves to improve the quality of the institution.

For years, Guyana’s main tertiary institution has been challenged financially with repeated talks of increasing fees.

However, there are those who strongly disapprove of an increase since not many persons could afford the current tuition fees. In fact, had it not been for the loan facility, many students would

not be able to attend UG, hence being not part of the skilled labour force.

In a recent interview, the Vice Chancellor said that he was exploring other means such as seeking assistance from the private sector to help reduce the expenditure of the University; and possibly offering scholarships to avoid a high increase in tuition fees.

He noted that everybody is looking at it as a mere increase but there are several ways to have the increase and this includes other sectors picking up the tabs. The University is looking at various formulae and considering recurrent expenditures.

Opadeyi, who was appointed last December, said that assistance from the private sector would not compromise the University’s principles. Assistance from businesses are called endowment funds which are

part of their corporate responsibilities, he lamented.

He pointed out that Guyanese are supporting these big companies by purchasing their products and as such they should give back. Therefore, they are supposed to give without expecting any favours in return.

Opadeyi opined if big companies come on board to assist the University, the fee increase may not be high because the institution is able to offset its expenses.

Corporations have numerous means of assisting the University and it does not necessarily require monetary gifts. He added that they could maintain a building; equip a sporting facility, and even sponsor a lecturer- for example, Demerara Distillers Limited could sponsor someone lecturing about alcohol because the students benefiting from those lessons

forested terrain one of the roughest in the world, the Bell 412 has been praised for its ability to conduct flights in tough conditions.

The army also has two Bell 206 helicopters, but these have been criticised as not being even close to the capabilities of the yellow bird.

Yesterday, the chopper made its majestic landing at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, minutes before officials, including President Donald Ramotar turned the sod for a US$150M airport expansion project.

(Leonard Gildarie)

UG to engage private sector for endowment assistance

Professor Jacob Opadeyi could be employed with the company.

In addition, a company or private individual could have a building named after him or her or a relative and pay a fee to upkeep the brand.

He said that Government does this to upkeep the CBJ (Cheddi Beret Jagan) Building on Campus.

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 19

Study outlines sports, national service scheme among strategies to deal with crime Trinidad Express - More resources should be deployed for fighting corruption, money laundering and embezzlement, and checks and balances instituted to keep highranking officials, including politicians, in line. The report also recommended National Service Scheme (involving vocational institutions, youth camps and correctional institutions).

This is one of the recommendations of the report No Time to Quit— Engaging Youth at Risk, which was prepared by Prof Selwyn Ryan, Dr Marjorie Thorpe and Dr Lennox Bernard, which was tabled in the House of Representatives Friday at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain.

Among the recommendations for dealing with the drug crisis and crime in the report are: 1) the Ministry of National Security “diligently” pursue white-

collar criminals and that laws should be instituted to deal with campaign financing, “whereby there should be limits to financing; transparency in recording financing, thus holding political parties to greater accountability”.

The report also recommended national and regional policies which facilitate in-depth financial investigations and asset seizures to seize profits from corruption rings, drug traffickers and organised crime groups. It recommends employment creation should be considered to compensate for job losses in Central Trinidad due to the closure of Caroni (1975) Ltd, recreational facilities and education and training to alleviate a growing alcohol abuse and domestic violence problem in Central Trinidad.

The report also suggests the use of advanced technology to intercept air and sea drug traffickers, more

T E G U C I G A L PA , Honduras (AP) — The U.S. State Department, which spends millions of taxpayer dollars a year on the Honduran National Police, has assured Congress that money only goes to specially vetted and trained units that don’t operate under the direct supervision of a police chief once accused of extrajudicial killings and “social cleansing.”

But The Associated Press has found that all police units are under the control of Director General Juan Carlos Bonilla, nicknamed the “Tiger,” who in 2002 was accused of three extrajudicial killings and links to 11 more deaths and disappearances.

He was tried on one killing and acquitted. The rest of the cases were never fully investigated.

Honduran law prohibits any police unit from operating outside the command of the director general, according to a top Honduran government security official, who would only speak on condition of anonymity. He said that is true in practice as well as on paper.

Celso Alvarado, a criminal law professor and consultant to the Honduran Commission for Security and Justice Sector Reform, said the same.

“Every police officer in Honduras, regardless of their specific functions, is under the hierarchy and obedience

of the director general,” he said.

The official line from Honduras, however, is that the money does not go to Bonilla.

“The security programs that Honduras is implementing with the United States are under control of the ministers of security and defense,” said Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales, who negotiates the programs with the State Department.

But the security official attributed the contradiction to the politics necessary in a country in the grip of a security emergency.

With 91 murders per 100,000 people, the small Central American nation is often called the most violent in the world.

An estimated 40 percent of the cocaine headed to the U.S. — and 87 percent of cocaine smuggling flights from South America — pass through Honduras, according to the State Department.

The allegations against Bonilla, along with other concerns about police and military killings, prompted the U.S. Congress to freeze an estimated $30 million in Honduran aid last August.

Most has been restored under agreements with the U.S. Department of State over the monitoring of Honduran operations receiving U.S. money.

US aids Honduran police despite death squad fears

integration and co-operation among stakeholder agencies (religious, non-governmental organisations, security agencies, etc) and more indepth research to identify the at-risk communities and their causes and consequences.

The report also suggest the institution of a parole system, Government increase in subventions to young offenders’ institutions, establish an institution for young female offenders and family courts in all communities, In its general findings, the report found while African men are insecure economically, Indian men have an “identity crisis”. Both groups are also at risk.

It found while black women are doing less well than women of Indian and other ethnic minorities, they generally are doing better than black boys. It also found that the data across the Caribbean showed economic insecurities of many black males had given rise to certain kinds of hypermasculine behaviours, such as the use of violent and coarse language, having many women, with monogamy being seen as a sign of weakness.

Looking at the emergence of criminal gangs, the report found the gangs were fuelled by drugs but most young boys joined the gangs for “benign reasons”.

“Some...did so because they valued the reputations, respect and...believe they had

Prof Selwyn Ryan acquired the power and esteem which they longed and hoped for, in order to gain access to women’s bodies....

The prizes (of gang membership) were flashy clothes, souped-up cars, hot women, a reputation for meanness and, most important, ownership of one of the many brand-name guns that are popular in the ghetto,” Ryan said.

He added, however, some were persuaded to join gangs out of fear of the consequences for not doing so, and some were known to have been killed because they refused to join the gang or wanted to get out since the fear is that those who gave up membership might become “snitchers” to the police.

“Many also claim the gangs provided them with the homes and sodalities (brotherhood) which they did not get at home or in the mainstream community,” Ryan said.

Focusing on the East Port of Spain areas, a hotbed of crime, Ryan said the general approach of all political parties has been to “throw money” at the problem of poverty and dispossession. He also noted that as allocations to the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) increased, so did the homicides.The recommendations included the endorsing of the plan to regenerate East Port of Spain.

But Rampersad said the perception that young black males alone were at risk was an erroneous one. She noted the East Indian home was a natural environment for drinking.

“Indian children are exposed to alcohol from quite early as their elders often send them, sometimes from age five, for a “pint or nip of puncheon” in the village shops. Rampersad added that alcohol consumption among East Indian males also seemed to have stemmed from the “young Indian men in Central Trinidad...facing a selfemasculating identity crisis” of “finding themselves in a diverse society traditionally dominated by the more assertive and aggressive Afro-Trinidadian, who typifies what has traditionally been promoted as males”.

She said in recent times, this emasculation has been compounded by the now highly educated population of independent, IndoTrinidadian women who threaten the stability of the traditional Indian home where women were predominantly

housewives.

Rampersad said the contention is this has resulted in higher rates of domestic violence and divorce as the men resort to “rum”. “The woman, and at times even the children, naturally become helpless victims of domestic abuse, which sometimes ends in suicide and homicide,” she noted.

She also said some social scientists believed there was a link between chutney lyrics and violence. She said the crisis among East Indians then was generally one of alcohol abuse and domestic violence.

However, Ryan said the Indian family remained more resilient and risk-resistant than its Afro-Trinidadian counterpart and had so far been better able to address the issues that afflict the creole (black) family.

“The evidence, such as it is, points to the conclusion that the Indian family, extended and nuclear, is still viable and support their young members while the single parent is still prevalent in ‘hotspot’ type communities....While they were at risk for several social pathologies, Indo-Trinidadian youths are not as seriously at risk as a group.

“What the figures show is that Indo-Trinidadians were less likely to live in ‘hot-spot’ neighbourhoods where handguns and drugs were easily available than AfroTrinidadians and would be less likely to be affected negatively by these facts.”

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

Suppliers disappointed with latest EU ruling on sugar BRUSSELS – CMC Sugar suppliers in the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) region say they are disappointed that the proposal by the European Union’s Agricultural Council to extend the Single Common Market Organisation for sugar by only two years to 2017 rather than 2020 as agreed by the European Parliament.

The suppliers say they were joining European Sugar Manufacturers Association (CEFS) and the European Beet

Growers Federation (CIBE) in condemning the decision.

“The Council proposal ignores representations made by the ACP/LDC sugar suppliers to emphasise to key member states and the European Commission the crucial importance of the sugar industry to their economies and social fabric.

“The Council compromise overlooks the impact of its domestic CAP proposals on the trade and developmental interests of its developing country partners and the

specific commitment in the Lisbon Treaty to ensure EU Policy Coherence.

“In this context the ACP / LDC countries feel obliged to remind Council of the principles underpinned by Cotonou, the Economic Partnership Agreements and the Everything but Arms Initiative which were intended to protect the EU’s small and vulnerable trading partners.

“The Council’s mandate is tantamount to treating the ACP/LDC as residual players to be considered solely as

collateral damage in a political compromise,” the suppliers said.

Earlier this month, Chairman of the ACP Sugar Group, Ambassador P.I, Gomes, says while he welcomes the recent decision to continue the current beet sugar quota until 2020, the ruling would need to be supported by European Union when it considers the sugar regime.

The European Parliament had earlier voted in support of Comagri’s proposal for the

continuation of the current beet sugar quota provisions until 30 September 2020.

“The vote by the European Parliament is an important step in avoiding a premature destabilisation of the EU sugar market. However this welcome action will need to be supported by EU member states when Ministers consider the Sugar Regime in Council.

“We are therefore making a plea once again to the member states to demonstrate coherence in EU’s trade and development policies and thus to fully support the European parliament in avoiding any further ACP/LDC preference erosion and hence in providing the basis for our industries to complete our plans for meeting the challenges of future market liberalisation,” said Gomes, the Guyanese diplomat.

Under an agreement reached in 2006, EU sugar production quotas are scheduled to end in 2015. Set up in 1968, quotas guarantee a minimum price for beet producers. The European Commission wants to get rid of the quotas as part of its plans to reform the CommonAgricultural Policy (CAP) for 2014-20.

The suppliers said they are seeking the extension of the EU sugar regime until 2020 to allow its sugar industries to complete the Action Plans agreed with the EU for the modernization, diversification and efficiency improvements on which ACP/

LDC countries have already committed considerable funds.

“This programme to prepare the ACP/LDC suppliers for greater market liberalisation is already jeopardised by the slower than anticipated disbursement of the EU’s Accompanying Measures Sugar support programme and now risks irreparable damage unless more time is allowed.”

The ACP Sugar Group said it would continue with its representational efforts with likeminded stakeholders to convince the decision makers in the forthcoming interinstitutional discussions for the prolongation of the sugar provisions at least to 30thSeptember 2020.

Jamaica Gleaner - The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) estimates that more than 16,000 children across the island are engaging in child labour.

This is among the findings of a youth activity survey conducted by STATIN. The disclosure comes as Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller yesterday expressed full support for Jamaica’s participation in the global campaign dubbed ‘Give the Red Card to Child Labour.’

The campaign, which is being spearheaded by the International Labour Organisation, the ILO, and the

International Football Federation, seeks to build awareness and mobilise action against child labour.

In endorsing the campaign, Simpson Miller said the wholesome childhood experience should not be burdened with hazardous and unhealthy work that denies children the opportunity of an education.

The ILO’s 2010 Global Report on Child Labour estimates that there are over 215 million children engaging in hazardous work and illicit activities such as drug trafficking, prostitution and armed conflict.

Jamaica Gleaner - Striking civil servants in St Lucia say they are prepared to intensify their industrial action.

The warning comes even as the government says it has received a letter indicating that the workers are prepared to return to the negotiating table to discuss their wage dispute.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Public

Service, Phillip Dalson says the Kenny Anthony government wants striking civil servants to return to their jobs before any talks could begin.

He says the government’s negotiating team is available to meet with the disgruntled workers on Monday and is awaiting a response from the Civil Service Association, the CSA.

P.I, Gomes

More than 16,000 minors engaged in child labour – STATIN

Civil servants threaten to bump up industrial actions

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Jamaican woman gangster sentenced to life in US Jamaica Observer - A 43year-old Jamaican woman was Friday sentenced to life in the United States for murder, kidnapping and racketeering.

Jean Brown, who has been labelled a drug kingpin, was handed the sentence in a Baltimore court. She was convicted of the crimes last month. The US authorities identified Brown as one of the leaders of the Brown Organisation — a criminal organisation whose members distributed narcotics primarily in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Arizona, California, and Jamaica.

The investigation was conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Baltimore County Police Department and the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

“Today’s life sentence of Jean Brown for her drug conspiracy, kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering is a victory for HSI special agents who, since 2009, have

been investigating the Jean Brown drug trafficking organisation, which spanned five states a n d t w o countries. HSI special agents have seized approximately 100 pounds of marijuana, $853,000 in cash and bank accounts, and six firearms from these co-conspirators, who used intimidation and violence to further their criminal activities,” said William Winter, special agent in charge of HSI Baltimore. “HSI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and ultimately dismantle criminal organisations that are wreaking violence in our communities through the illicit drug trade.”

Meanwhile, Rod J Rosenstein, US attorney for the District of Maryland, said “Brown ran a lucrative drug organisation that committed wanton and brutal acts of violence”.

“In 2009, after authorities seized $250,000 in drug proceeds from courier

Michael Knight, Brown and her associates kidnapped Knight, dismembered him in a bathtub and threw his remains in the trash,” he said.

According to evidence presented at their sevenday trial, Jean Brown and Carl Smith — who was killed by one of Brown’s co-conspirators — led a drug organisation that obtained marijuana in Arizona and California and used trucking companies, that Brown owned and operated, to transport the marijuana to Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York on a monthly basis.

The conspirators transported as much as 1,000 pounds of marijuana per month from 2000 until Brown’s arrest in 2010.

Brown employed the truck drivers, arranged for the distribution of the marijuana on the East Coast — principally in Baltimore and Pittsburgh — used couriers to smuggle the drug proceeds to Jamaica and sent cash back to the Southwest to pay for the

next load.

In addition to the murder of Knight, the evidence showed that, after threatening Smith on several occasions, in April 2010, Brown offered to pay co-conspirators to murder Smith in Tijuana, Mexico.

Witnesses testified that one of the co-conspirators killed Smith, shooting him in the head.

Thirty-nine-year-old Dean Myrie, aka “Journey” of Jamaica, pleaded guilty to kidnapping in aid of racketeering and was sentenced to 108 months in prison. Meanwhile, Hubert Downer, aka “Doc”, 51-yearold “Michael Reid”, and Peter Blake, 55 — who all hail from Jamaica — have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.

This Organised Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Stefan D Cassella and Peter M Nothstein of the District of Maryland.

Trinidad bank fails to acquire shares in oldest bank in Suriname PA R A M A R I B O , Suriname - CMC – The Trinidad-based Republic Bank says it is not deterred by its failure to acquire shares in the state-owned Hakrin Bank, one of the oldest financial institutions in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

The Suriname-based DevSur website said that President Desi Bouterse had earlier this week indicated that his administration had taken the advice of the Central bank Governor Gilmore Hoefdraad’s not to sell to its shares to the Trinidad-based bank.

“We had an intense discussion about this matter, but in the end it is he who has the expertise, so we followed his recommendations,” Bouterse added.

In a statement, Republic said “over the years, we have built up a close working relationship with the business community in Suriname and we welcome all opportunities to expand our reach in the region where it is

Desi Bouterse accretive to our shareholders and beneficial to our customers”.

But it said it would not comment on any other transactions or statements which might have been made on the issue.

Republic Bank, which has operations in Grenada, Guyana, Barbados and the Cayman Islands, had been discussing the possibility of acquiring the shares n Hakrin Bank and up to August last year the talks were described as “progressing smoothly” and at “an advanced stage”.

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Sunday March 24, 2013

U.S. Senate narrowly passes Italy Berlusconi says primed for first budget in four years snap vote if no deal clinched

WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - The Senate yesterday narrowly passed its first federal budget in four years, a move that will usher in a relative lull in Washington’s fiscal wars until an anticipated summer showdown over raising the debt ceiling.

The budget plan passed 50-49 at about 5 a.m. after a marathon voting session in the Democratic-controlled chamber. Four Democratic senators facing tough reelection campaigns in 2014 joined all the Senate Republicans in opposing the measure, which seeks to raise nearly $1 trillion in new tax revenues by closing some tax breaks for the wealthy.

The Senate budget, which reflects Democratic priorities of boosting near-term job growth and preserving social safety net programs, will square off in coming months against a Republican-focused budget passed by the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.

Neither of the non-binding blueprints has a chance of passage in the opposing

chamber, leaving Congress no closer to resolving deep differences over how to shrink U.S. deficits and grow the economy. But they give each party a platform from which to tout their respective fiscal visions.

The Democrats’ plan from Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray aims to reduce deficits by $1.85 trillion over 10 years through an equal mix of tax increases and spending cuts.

The Republican plan from House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan seeks $4.6 trillion in savings over the same period without raising new taxes. It aims to reach a small surplus by 2023 through deep cuts to healthcare and social programs that aid the elderly and poor.

Murray said after the vote that she would try to work with Ryan on a path toward compromise.

“While it is clear that the policies, values, and priorities of the Senate budget are very different than those articulated in the House budget, I know the American people are expecting us to

work together to end the gridlock and find common ground, and I plan to continue doing exactly that.”

The White House welcomed the Senate move.

“Today, the Senate passed a budget plan that will create jobs and cut the deficit in a balanced way,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

“Now it is time for our leaders to come together to find common ground. The president has put a plan on the table that reflects compromise, and he will continue to work with both sides to see if there is an opportunity to reach a solution to our budget challenges,” he said in a statement.

Passage of a stop-gap government funding measure on Thursday lowered the temperature in the budget debate by eliminating the threat of a government shutdown next week.

“We’re going to get a breather here. Congress will let things cool off a bit and there’ll be other issues that come to the forefront in the Continued on page 23

ROME (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi, the 76-year-old leader of Italy’s center-right bloc, told thousands of supporters gathered in central Rome he was ready for a snap vote as his rival began talks to try to form a government.

“We are all ready for another election campaign and this time we will win big!” the former prime minister shouted from a stage at the start of an hour-long speech.

The flag-waving crowd responded with a roar.

The national election held a month ago gave no single group a working majority in parliament, leaving the euro zone’s third-largest economy in limbo as the bank crisis in Cyprus renews fears of an outbreak of market turmoil in the currency bloc.

President Giorgio Napolitano on Friday asked center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani to see whether he can win backing in parliament to form a government and end the political impasse.

The media tycoon’s show of force yesterday will put pressure on Bersani, who has so far ruled out another center-right and center-left government like the one led

by Mario Monti, an option Berlusconi said was “the only solution that the election result makes possible”.

It also suggests seasoned politician Berlusconi, who has already served four times as prime minister, is already in

Silvio Berlusconi campaign mode and sees elections on the horizon, either in the summer or the fall.

The center-left won control of the lower house in the February 24-25 vote, but not the Senate, and both are needed to govern. The centerright came in second place and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement came in third.

Beppe Grillo, leader of the 5-Star Movement, has repeatedly refused Bersani’s attempts to woo him for support, saying the movement will not vote confidence in any government that includes traditional political parties.

Most members of Bersani’s Democratic Party (PD) want him to avoid any sort of alliance with Berlusconi because they feel their voters would abandon the party in droves - for Grillo.

Bersani yesterday admitted his efforts to form a

government would be “difficult” but “nothing is impossible”. Bersani begins talks with political leaders on Monday.

By ruling out a right-left agreement, Bersani was “playing with fire,” Berlusconi said.

“They don’t understand that even for a great country like ours there are grave risks and maybe even very dangerous scenarios for the private savings of families, like in Cyprus.”

Bank of Italy deputy director general, Fabio Panetta, said yesterday the political stalemate and renewed financial market turbulence could undermine the country’s recovery from its longest recession in two decades.

Berlusconi is facing three ongoing trials, including one for paying for sex with a minor, and a definitive conviction would preclude him from holding political office. He denies any wrongdoing.

During the election campaign, Berlusconi staged an extraordinary comeback, winning more than 29 percent of the vote. Polls published this week showed his coalition leading the centerleft and the 5-Star Movement.

On Saturday, the former lounge singer showed he had not lost his common touch with the crowd, which repeatedly chanted “Silvio, Silvio!” during his speech.

In Moscow, new Chinese leader Xi warns against meddling

MOSCOW (Reuters) Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against foreign interference in the affairs of other nations during a speech in Moscow yesterday, sending a signal to the West and echoing a message often repeated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Permanent U.N. Security Council members with veto power, Russia and China have frequently teamed up diplomatically to blunt the influence of the United States and its NATO allies and have blocked three draft resolutions on Syria.

“We must respect the right of each country in the world to independently choose its path of development and oppose interference in the internal affairs of other countries,” Xi told students at an international relations school.

He spoke a day after meeting Putin on his first foreign trip since becoming president, a choice both said underscored a “strategic

Xi Jinping partnership” between Russia and China. In the Kremlin, he told Putin: “you and I are good friends.”

Xi told Russian students on Saturday: “Strong ChineseRussian relations ... not only answer to our interests but also serve as an important, reliable guarantee of an international strategic balance and peace.”

Putin, who began a six-year term last May, has often criticized foreign interference in sovereign states.

Russia and China have

resisted Western calls to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the two-year-old civil conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people.

They both criticized the NATO bombing that helped rebels overthrow Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and stood together in the Security Council in votes on the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs.

Both China and Russia have bristled at U.S. and European criticism of their human rights records.

Putin said in a foreign policy decree issued at the start of his new term that Russia would counter attempts to use human rights as a pretext for interference, and his government has cracked down on foreign-funded nongovernmental organizations.

Xi told Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev his visit had “surpassed my expectations” and said he had chosen Russia as his first foreign destination as president to “show the special importance of our relations.”

Sunday March 24, 2013

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Pakistan Taliban threaten to send Pakistani cricket star Musharraf to “hell” when he returns rallies tens of thousands

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) Pakistan’s Taliban have threatened to dispatch suicide bombers and snipers to kill former President Pervez Musharraf when he returns home from exile today to contest elections.

In a Taliban video obtained by Reuters, Adnan Rasheed, who took part in a previous attempt to assassinate Musharraf, warned: “The mujahideen of Islam have prepared a special squad to send Musharraf to hell. There are suicide bombers, snipers, a special assault unit and a close combat team.”

Musharraf angered the Taliban and other groups by joining the U.S. war on terror following the September 11 attacks and by later launching a major crackdown on militancy in Pakistan.

He is due to return home today after nearly four years of self-imposed exile in Dubai and London, in time to take part in parliamentary elections on May 11.

Musharraf seized power in a 1999 coup and resigned in 2008 when his allies lost a vote and a new government threatened him with impeachment. He left the country a year later.

The former army general faces the possibility of arrest on charges that he failed to provide adequate security for former prime minister Benazir Bhutto before her assassination in 2007, and in

relation to other cases.

But his most immediate concern may be the Taliban, who are seeking revenge for his crackdown on militants fighting to topple the U.S.backed government and impose their austere version of Islam.

“When the jackal’s death is near he heads to the town,” said Rasheed, who was among 400 prisoners who were broken out of a jail by militants in 2012.

Militants were especially enraged when Musharraf’s security forces launched a fullscale attack on Islamabad’s sprawling Red Mosque in 2007 after followers of radical clerics running a Taliban-style movement from there refused to surrender.

The government said 102 people were killed in fighting when the complex was stormed.

“The Pakistani Taliban is fully prepared to deal with this pharoah. If God is willing, we will give this devil what he deserves and give satisfaction to the victims of the Red Mosque,” said Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan in the video.

In the footage, hooded militants in combat gear clutching AK-47 assault rifles conduct training exercises along hills. Some practice making a roadside bomb, which later explodes.

“Pervez Musharraf you see the death squad around me,” said a bearded man who appears to be their trainer, in English. “We urge you to surrender yourself to us, otherwise we will hit you from where you will never reckon.”

It’s not clear whether Musharraf will manage to regain influence in Pakistan, where strong contenders for the election include Nawaz Sharif, the man he ousted in a military coup, and cricketerturned-politician Imran Khan.

But he remains ambitious. Musharraf has invested in his political party and has been apparently seeking support from influential Saudi Arabia.

But Musharraf has been far removed from Pakistan’s stormy politics and its streets, where demands have been rising for an end to corruption, poverty and crippling power cuts.

In Dubai, he lives in a luxurious part of the emirate.

From page 22 spring,” said Greg Valliere, chief political strategist at Potomac Research Group, a firm that advises institutional investors on Washington politics.

These issues include legislation on gun control, immigration reform and initial work on simplifying the tax code, which is particularly important to Republicans.

Joining Republicans in opposing the Democratic budget were Democratic senators from conservativeleaning states: Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mark Pryor of Arkansas. Voting for a budget that raises tax revenues could increase their vulnerability in congressional elections next year and put Democrats’ thin majority at risk.

In the lead-up to the Senate vote early on Saturday morning, the body considered more than 100 largely symbolic, non-binding amendments to the budget aimed at scoring political points and staking out

positions. Among notable amendments, the Senate signaled strong support for allowing states more authority to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases, for approval of the controversial Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline and for repealing a tax on medical devices imposed by President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law.

The Senate also voted 990 to end policies that subsidized large banks considered “too big to fail,” but came out against imposing taxes on industrial carbon emissions.

Ryan’s plan aims to reach a small surplus with no tax increases by 2023 through deep cuts to social safety net programs. This enables Republicans to claim that they are more responsible by balancing the budget.

“The House budget changes our debt course, while the Senate budget does not,” said Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee.

In a taste of the ideological debates to come, Murray claimed that the Senate budget was more “balanced” because it emphasized job growth and offered an equal amount of revenue increases and spending cuts.

The Senate had not passed a budget resolution since 2009 because of fiscal policy disputes with House Republicans that forced Congress to turn to numerous stop-gap spending measures to avoid government shutdowns.

To protect their thin Senate majority, Democrats avoided exposing their members to potentially damaging votes to raise taxes ahead of 2012 elections, arguing that a 2011 budget deal set spending levels for several years and made the non-binding budget legislation unnecessary.

But this year, under the February debt limit increase law, members of both the House and Senate faced pay suspensions if their chamber had failed to pass a budget by April 15.

Pervez Musharraf

U.S. Senate narrowly passes ...

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani cricket legendturned politician Imran Khan rallied around 100,000 flagwaving supporters in the eastern city of Lahore yesterday ahead of a historic national election later this spring.

The 60-year-old Khan is shaping up to be the biggest wildcard in the May 11 parliamentary election — the first transition between democratically elected governments in a country that has experienced three military coups.

After over a decade of trying to gain a foothold in Pakistani politics, he has finally elbowed his way into the big league. Casting himself as a populist anticorruption crusader challenging the traditional political elites, he is seen as a threat to the two parties that have long dominated elections.

Khan has almost mythical status in cricket-crazy Pakistan as the captain of the national team that won the 1992 World Cup — the only time the country has claimed

Imran Khan the sport’s highest prize — and polls as the nation’s most popular politician by a wide margin.

But it’s uncertain how effective he will be in converting his personal appeal into votes for his party.

Much of Khan’s support has come from young, middle class Pakistanis in the country’s major cities, a potentially influential group.

Almost half of Pakistan’s more than 80 million registered voters are under the age of 35, but the key question is

whether Khan can get his young supporters to show up at the polling booth on election day.

“This is going to swing the election,” Khan told The Associated Press in an interview before the rally.

“The youth is standing with us and change.”

Khan, one of the few Pakistani politicians with a squeaky-clean image, broke into the political mainstream in the last 18 months with a message that capitalizes on widespread discontent with the country’s traditional politicians. They are seen as more interested in lining their pockets than dealing with pressing problems facing Pakistan, such as stuttering economic growth, pervasive energy shortages and deadly attacks by Islamist militants.

On foreign policy, he has also struck a chord by criticizing Pakistan’s unpopular alliance with the United States and controversial American drone attacks targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the country’s tribal region that borders Afghanistan.

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Suspected Islamists kill 25 in northeast Nigeria: police KADUNA/KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist gunmen have launched a series of gun and bomb attacks in a remote town along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, killing at least 25 people, police said yesterday.

The gunmen carried out four simultaneous assaults on Ganye in Adamawa state on Friday, opening fire on a bar, a bank, a prisoner warder and separately attacking a prison, Mohammed Ibrahim, police spokesman for the western Adamawa state said.

“Twenty five people were killed in total in four different simultaneous attacks by gunmen in Ganye,” Ibrahim said.

Members of insurgent group Boko Haram were the prime suspects, he said.

Violence by Islamist insurgents in northern Nigeria is on the rise again after a brief lull.

Three bombs exploded in the north’s main city of Kano on Saturday, Kano state police spokesman Magaji Majiya said by telephone.

One of the bombings was a suicide attack, but did not claim any lives apart from those of the bombers.

However, a remote control bomb targeting a joint military and police checkpoint wounded several police, he said.

A separate gun attack in the city’s Dakata area killed one person yesterday, he said.

Majiya said four people had been arrested in connection with the attacks.

Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram, factional offshoots of it and related criminal gangs have overtaken militancy in the oilproducing southeastern Niger Delta region as the main threat to the stability of Africa’s top energy producer.

On Monday, a bomb blast targeting a bus park in an area of Kano mostly inhabited by southern Christians killed at least 25 people and wounded 65.

Boko Haram, which wants an Islamic state in religiously mixed Nigeria, has killed many hundreds in gun and bomb

attacks since it intensified its insurgency two years ago, including 186 people in a strike on Kano in January 2012, its worst single attack.

Its fighters operate across northern Nigeria and in neighboring states Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

On Monday, an audio tape emerged of a man saying he was the father of a family of seven French tourists kidnapped by Boko Haram militants. He read out a threat by them to increase kidnappings and suicide bombings in Cameroon, if authorities there detained more of the group’s followers.

The French family was kidnapped from north Cameroon last month but is believed to be being held in Nigeria.

Increased kidnappings of Westerners has raised alarm that Nigerian Islamists - under the influence of other groups in the region like al Qaeda’s north African wing - are turning their sights towards Western targets.

Sunday March 24, 2013

Clashes in Lebanon as PM Mikati resignation accepted BEIRUT (Reuters) Clashes were reported in Lebanon yesterday as outgoing prime minister Najib Mikati called for a “salvation” caretaker government to take over, a day after he resigned due to a political standoff with the Hezbollah movement.

Local media reported that President Michel Suleiman accepted Mikati’s resignation, a move which could plunge Lebanon into further turmoil and uncertainty three months before a planned parliamentary election.

The politically volatile country is struggling to cope with a spillover of violence and a wave of refugees from the two-year-old civil war in Syria, the country’s larger neighbor which has close ties to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

Sporadic clashes erupted for a third day in Lebanon’s northern port city of Tripoli.

Sniper fire killed one man and wounded two others, residents said.

Mikati’s resignation on Friday came after a ministerial meeting was deadlocked by a dispute with Hezbollah.

The Shi’ite militant and political movement has dominated Lebanese politics in recent years and helped put Mikati into office after toppling the previous government.

“Now it is important for dialogue to begin and for a

Najib Mikati salvation government to be established during this difficult period,” Mikati wrote on his official Twitter page after handing in his resignation to the president.

“I thank God that I left office the same way I came in, with integrity.”

Hezbollah opposed extending the term of a senior security official, Major General Ashraf Rifi, and the creation of an oversight body for the planned June election, which may now be delayed after the collapse of Mikati’s government.

Rifi, head of Lebanon’s internal security forces, is due to retire early next month. He, like Mikati, is a Sunni Muslim from Tripoli, and is distrusted

by Hezbollah.

Putting together a caretaker government could

take months. It took Mikati five months to put together his government after he became prime minister in 2011 when Hezbollah and its partners brought down the unity government of Saad al-Hariri.

But tensions over Syria have put him at odds with the group that brought him to power and which strongly backs President Bashar alAssad in the Syrian civil war.

Under Lebanon’s division of power, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim, the president a Maronite Christian and the speaker of parliament a Shi’ite Muslim.

Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a close political ally of Hariri who had frequently called for Mikati to step down, said the resignation “opens the possibility of fresh dialogue” between Lebanon’s political camps.

Mikati had sought to distance his country - which fought its own 15-year-long civil war - from Syria’s strife.

But in the ex-prime minister’s home city of Tripoli, two people died in clashes on Friday between militants supporting opposing sides of the Syria conflict.

The influx of Syrian refugees, as well as Lebanon’s own political divisions, have caused a sharp slowdown in Lebanon’s economy and a 67 percent surge in its budget deficit last year.

EU divided over approach to Syria conflict (Reuters) - The European Union was left divided over how to increase its help to the Syrian opposition yesterday after talks between foreign ministers failed to bridge differences on whether to exempt the rebels from an EU arms embargo.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, sceptical of a French and British drive to lift the arms ban on the rebels, said it was very difficult to detect any enthusiasm among EU foreign ministers meeting in Dublin “for further arming of a conflict that is already much too armed”.

After a two-year civil war that has killed 70,000 people, Paris and London say they want to raise pressure on Syrian President Bashar alAssad and try to force him to the negotiating table by allowing the supply of arms to the rebels.

EU countries such as Germany, Austria and Sweden oppose the move, fearing it could lead to weapons falling into the hands of Islamist militants, fuel regional conflict and encourage Assad’s

backers, Iran and Russia, to step up arms supplies to him.

Diplomats said France and Britain garnered little support at the two-day EU foreign ministers’ meeting that ended yesterday, but discussions on how or whether to amend EU sanctions on Syria will continue among diplomats in Brussels over the next two months.

Changing the arms ban, which must be renewed or amended by June 1, needs backing from all 27 EU states.

Britain and France have said they could act alone if they do not get their way.

In an apparent warning to Britain and France not to break with the rest of the EU, Bildt, an international mediator in the conflicts of the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s, said international divisions could prolong the Syrian war as it did the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

“Were you to have the different actors going off in different directions ... then we’d get a prolongation of the Syrian conflict as well,” Bildt said.

Britain and France did find support from former Belgian

prime minister Guy Verhofstadt who accused the foreign ministers of wasting an opportunity to stop Assad’s “killing machine”.

“Britain and France have shown courage and leadership in their call to give the (rebel) Free Syrian Army a fighting chance in the Syria conflict. While the EU talk shop continues, people are being slaughtered by the thousands...,” Verhofstadt, Liberal leader in the European Parliament, said in a statement.

Despite the threat by London and Paris to go their own way, EU diplomats think they will seek an EU-wide consensus because failure to agree would lead to the collapse of all EU sanctions against Syria, including asset freezes and travel bans.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague and French counterpart Laurent Fabius signalled in a letter to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton that there could be room for a compromise, saying that they would accept “some very serious amendment” of the EU arms embargo, short of its full lifting.

Saturday March 23, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Region Six Chairman stalling development to Whim ground - AFC A war of words is brewing between Alliance for Change Parliamentarian, Dr. Veerasammy Ramayya, and Region Six Chairman, David Armogan, over the Whim Community Centre Ground on the Corentyne. Dr. Ramayya is accusing the Chairman and the government of stalling developmental works on the ground because he [Ramayya] is a resident of Whim.

He said that a few months ago, he “was told in good faith” by Director of Sport, Neil Kumar and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, that monies will be allocated to develop the ground. He added that a Hymac came in “sent by Mr. Armogan and we got some work done”. The following Saturday, some workers removed part of the fence “and Mr. Armogan called and told Rohan Jageshwar, an AFC Region 6 Councillor, that we must cease all work because he had several complaints that we were destroying the zinc and fence. This was a total lie.”

Dr. Ramayya claimed that Armogan promised to visit the ground a few days later for an inspection, “but [he] never did.

“If you look at the deplorable condition of the ground at this stage, it is a

shame. People can see that the Whim ground is infested with bush. The youths are wondering, what next—for such a long time, no cricket has been played here “.

He also accused Mr. Kumar and Dr. Anthony of “failing miserably” in their promises”. Ramayya is accusing the government officials in the region and the Minister of playing political games; ‘this is where they want political mileage—I don’t want political mileage— I want the message to go out very clear”. “This is for the enhancement of sport and development of the community”, he stated.

President of the Whim National Cricket Club, Rohan Jageshwar, has complained that for over three years, no kind of cricket has been played on the ground due to its condition.

Second Division cricket, he stated, which is very popular in the village, has to be played elsewhere, “which his unfair”.

“Most of the young people in this community are playing softball”, he stated.

He said that Mr. Armogan “gave me the go- ahead to take off the zinc and fence and the very next day….he called me and stopped the project”.

“This thing is very

political now”, he noted.

But the Regional Chairman has denounced Dr. Ramayya’s assertions. Mr. Armogan said that he stopped the works because he does not want to rip off

the entire fence and leave the ground exposed for a long time, especially since there are no funds (until the 2013 budget) to fix the ground in a major way.

“It does not have

anything to do with politics; it’s strictly a question of economics; we don’t have any money to expend on the ground right now. It makes no sense pulling out the whole fence and get machinery

doing work there and [we] can’t pay”. Mr. Armogan is charging Dr. Ramayya, a parliamentarian, to ensure that there is money in this year’s budget for the Whim ground.

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Saturday March 23, 2013

Saturday March 23, 2013

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Mega-stage in the making for Indian arrival commemoration After a 112-day voyage, 244 immigrants arrived in Guyana on May 5, 1838, marking the official entry of Indians to Guyana, which was then known as British Guiana.

Efforts to import the immigrants from the extreme southern central section of Asia by the European Sugar Planters, were in fact a means to boost the labour force on the sugar plantations on which enslaved Africans were forced to work.

As indentured servants, the Indian immigrants were required to be engaged in a five-year labour period on the plantation. Although it was clear that several of the indentured labourers did not acclimatise well and even died due to the hot South American weather, by the end of 1843 a few had adopted and even decided to make Guyana their home.

Over the years the role of Indians in Guyana has considerably evolved with a significant cross-section endeavouring to embrace thriving entrepreneurial commitments.

Today East Indians account for the majority of the population and even comprise a sizeable quota of the influential in the Guyanese society.

The arrival of Indians to Guyana has certainly not been forgotten and has remained etched in the minds and hearts of many. It was perhaps against this very background that the Indian Commemoration Trust (ICT) Foundation, chaired by popular business mogul, Dr. Yesu Persaud, was introduced several years ago.

According to Dr. Persaud it was in 1987 that earnest efforts were engaged to bring into being a Monuments Garden as a commemorative site for the Indians who arrived in Guyana.

“We were looking for a spot and by 1989 we finally found that spot...” Situated at Camp and Church Streets, Georgetown, was what Persaud described as a “derelict site. It was overgrown with trees, bushes, brambles and thorns.” This discovery had in fact followed on the heels of discussions and a subsequent agreement with the Government of the day as well as the Indian Government to introduce a Monuments Garden in honour of the first arrival of Indians here.

With an idea for the location, Persaud recalled that moves were immediately made to engage the then Mayor of Georgetown, Compton Young, and according to the ICT Chairman “he was most kind and generous. He said ‘if you can take it over, clean it up and convert it into a garden it would transform the city and it will help with the

preservation of that part of the city too’.”

The whole process of implementation of the Gardens commenced around 1989 but the concept of the arrival celebration had been introduced in 1987.

Bringing the Garden idea to life required the clearing of what appeared to be a jungled swamp and then having it filled with some 2000 trucks of sand and earth.

As part of its commemoration mandate, the ICT, last year commenced intensified efforts to revamp the Monuments Garden location as part of preparatory work for the observance of the 175 th anniversary of the arrival of East Indians to Guyana this year.

Indian Monuments Garden is home to a replica of the ‘Whitby’ one of the vessels in which the immigrants were brought to British Guiana.

It was during the 150 th anniversary celebration, in 1988, that a request was made to the Government of India, through the Vice President, for a monument to be erected in the Gardens as a symbol of the indentureship era in Guyana. The Government of India acceded to the request in 1991 by presenting Guyana with a replica of the ship ‘Whitby’ which stands very visibly in the Gardens.

It is one of the exquisite monuments expected to line the space of the Garden in order to give it a museum setting telling of history of the arrival. In March 1993 the structural works and the landscaping of the gardens commenced and in August 1996, the bronze sculpture of the Whitby designed by Mr. B. K. Guru arrived in Guyana.

Mr. Yesu Persaud unveiled this work of art on May 5, 1997. Currently, preparation for the commemoration this year does not only include the sprucing-up of the Gardens but a significant aspect is the construction of a huge stage which will be inaugurated on April 24 ahead of the May 5 anniversary.

During the past week members of the ICT, led by their Chairman, Yesu Persaud, converged at the location to scrutinise the ongoing works which is estimated to cost some $20 million. Among the members there were Messrs Pradeep Samtani, Sasenarine Sankar and Kelly Khalawan, Ms. Nadira Naraine, Mrs. Radica Sankar and Dr. Seeta Shah Roath. They disclosed that financing for the megastage, was donated by friends of the Foundation and that there were also several fundraising activities that were undertaken. The stage, according to Samtani, when completed, will be outfitted

Works are progressing on the mega-stage

ICT members in discussion at the Monuments Garden with two green rooms and washrooms and will be used for many purposes. He disclosed during an invited comment that once completely renovated, the Gardens will be rented to host exhibitions, drama events and even weddings and other formal and semi formal functions. “It will be very nice and posh; the space is there to seat almost 1,200 people and basically what we have in mind is that it will be used for cultural events.” Plans are being streamlined for it to accommodate a food exhibition on May 1, as part of the Indian Food Festival where people will be able to learn to make some dishes and enjoy some at the same time. As part of the commemoration activity the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) will host a seminar at the Guyana International Conference Centre on May 4 and the following morning celebratory activities will be at Highbury, Berbice, and the Monument Gardens in the evening.

The replica of the ‘Whitby’ which was unveiled on May 5, 1997

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Kaieteur News

Saturday March 23, 2013

THAT EMPTY FEELING OF BEING LEFT BEHIND It’s that time of the year and here we go again!

A report on Friday last confirmed that tomorrow and the following day, some 17,000 candidates will be sitting this year’s National Grade Six Assessment. Good luck and best wishes to all.

The aforementioned figure is similar to the numbers of the past two years – 17,392 in 2011 and 17,138 in 2012. In 2010, it was a little under 15,000.

But enough about those figures, it’s more important that a few core issues are examined.

Guyana has consistently produced some of the top

performers in the region in the CSEC and CAPE examinations. Our top students have kept the Golden Arrowhead flying.

The results demonstrate that Guyana is still producing quality graduates from within the school system, students who can match the best in the world. But below the crème de la crème lies the real problem.

Below that top layer, there are serious problems within most of the regions. Most of the top performers are coming from too limited a geographic span.

This in part is attributable to the distribution of the population. With the bulk of

the population residing in Regions Three and Four, one expects that schools in those regions would dominate national and regional examinations.

But something is seriously wrong when a region like Region Six, as was the case last year, was not represented in the list of top performers in the National Grade Six Assessment, and when for many years prior it has only managed a few within the bracket of elite performers.

It represents a serious crisis within the educational system and one that shows a failure of policy. The cry now

must be for a revamping of the system.

The situation in education mirrors national development. Guyana has since 1989 been pursuing a neo-liberal model of development. This model has brought progress to all regions of Guyana. It has sustained growth and led to the rising of all economic classes. It has however to a much less extent been able to reduce the inequality gap.

The inequality in performance with the educational system needs to be addressed urgently because education is for the poor and the escape route out

of their deprivations.

There is no doubt that the system has improved. But when it comes to the performance of students, the out-of- town regions continue to lag behind.

Policy changes have to be driven by data and this is perhaps the one area where greater attention needs to be paid. If only limited data is available about school attendance, performance and teacher qualifications, then the policy makers are hamstrung and forced to act on intuition rather than verifiable facts.

The government can boast about the improvements in education.

In so doing it can also point to producing the top performers in the Caribbean consistently. But below that glitter, there is a serious issue of the inequitable performance across regions and the government needs to address why this is happening.

The problem is not just limited to the primary schools.

A similar trend manifested itself at the secondary level and forced the Education Ministry to launch a special initiative to deal with schools whose performance need improving.

Now it should also be clear that there is a serious crisis within the educational system. All the national strategies that have been developed have not reduced the problems associated with inequitable performance across the regions. A new strategy is needed; one that addresses how to reduce performance gaps nationwide.

The problem may be with the quality of teachers. Many of the top performers at both the primary and secondary levels have related that they went to extra lessons. So the problem may be in the quality of the teaching that is available.

There may be sufficient teachers but are there sufficient good teachers?

What incentives are available to retain good teachers and motivate them to help the poor performers?

Even if the incentives can be found to retain good teachers, there is still a problem of how can the system be turned around?

How can this be turned around? What can be done?

It is simply not fair to the children outside of the urban centres to be so disadvantaged that each year when the results of national or regional examinations appear, they do not make the cut. Since they do not make the cut they are likely to experience that empty feeling of being left behind.

And when large numbers of students from one area are left behind, there is an even greater risk that the area will be economically left behind because the skills for development will simply not be there.

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Interesting Creatures...

Jaguarundi

(Puma yagouaroundi)

T

he Jaguarundi ( P u m a yagouaroundi) is a small-sized wild cat native to Central and South America. In 2002, the IUCN classified the jaguarundi as Least Concern as it is likely that no conservation units, with the probable exception of the mega-reserves of the Amazon basin could sustain long-term viable populations.

In terms of physical appearance, the jaguarundi is perhaps the least cat-like of all the cats. It has a total length of 53 to 77 cm (21 to 30 in), not including the 31 to 60 cm (12 to 24 in) tail, and weighs 3.5 to 9.1 kg (7.7 to 20 lb). It has short legs, an elongated body and a long tail, giving it an appearance somewhat like an otter or marten.

For this reason, these animals are sometimes referred to as "otter cats."

The ears are short and rounded. The coat is unspotted and uniform in colour, with, at most, a few faint markings on the face and underside. The coat can be either blackish to brownish grey (grey phase) or foxy red to chestnut (red phase); individuals of both phases can be born in the same litter.

Its habitat is lowland brush areas close to a source of running water, and may include anything from dry thorn forest to wet grassland.

While commonly found in the lowlands, they have been reported at elevations as high as 3,200 metres (10,500 ft).

Jaguarundis also occasionally inhabit dense tropical areas. They are comfortable in trees, but prefer to hunt on the ground.

They will eat almost any small animal that they can catch, typically catching a mixture of rodents, small reptiles, and ground-feeding birds. They have also been observed to kill larger prey, such as rabbits, and opossums; relatively unusual prey includes fish and even marmosets. Like many other cats they also include a small amount of vegetation and arthropods in their diet.

Although they seem to be somewhat more gregarious than many other cats, willing to tolerate the close presence of other members of their species, in the wild they are generally encountered alone, suggesting a solitary lifestyle. Their home range is widely variable, depending

on the local environment; individuals have been reported as ranging over territories of anything from 6.8 to 100 square kilometres (2.6 to 39 sq mi).

Like other cats, they scent mark their territory by scratching the ground or nearby branches, headrubbing, urination, and leaving their faeces uncovered. They are shy and reclusive, and evidently very cautious of man-made traps.

Jaguarundis make an unusually wide range of vocalisations, including purrs, whistles, yaps, chattering sounds, and even a bird-like chirp. The timing of the breeding season among jaguarundis is unclear; it may be that they breed all year round. Oestrus lasts three to five days, and is marked by the female regularly rolling onto her back and spraying urine.

After a gestation period of 70 to 75 days, the female gives birth to a litter of one to four kittens in a den constructed in a dense thicket, hollow tree, or similar cover.

The kittens are born with spots on their underside, which disappear as they age.

They are capable of taking solid food at around six weeks, although they begin to play with their mother's food as early as three weeks.

Jaguarundis become sexually mature at approximately two years of age, and have lived for up to 10 years in captivity.

This cat is closely related to the much larger and heavier cougar as evident by its similar genetic structure and chromosome count; both species are in the genus Puma although it is sometimes classified under a separate genus, Herpailurus and until recently, both cats were classified under the genus Felis.

According to a 2006 genomic study of Felidae, an ancestor of today's Leopardus, Lynx, Puma, Prionailurus, and Felis lineages migrated across the Bering land bridge into the Americas approximately 8 to 8.5 million years ago. The lineages subsequently diverged in that order.

Studies have indicated that the cougar and jaguarundi are next most closely related to the modern cheetah of Africa and western Asia, but the relationship is unresolved. It has been suggested that ancestors of the cheetah diverged from the Puma

lineage in the Americas and migrated back to Asia and Africa, while other research suggests the cheetah diverged in the Old World itself.

This cat is not particularly sought after for its fur, but it is suffering decline due to loss of habitat.

The jaguarundi has been sighted around the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. (Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopedia)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

Respected humanitarian, Dr. Veerasammy Ramayya, is a 'Special Person’

By Leon Suseran You will not find a more caring and thoughtful person t h a n D r. Ve e r a s a m m y Ramayya. His name resounds positively across numerous circles in Guyana and overseas. His humanitarian work, care and concern for people and their welfare and his staunch love for children has found favour in the hearts of many. His fiery, tell-it-like-it-is attitude and the fact that he is now representing people's interests on a national stage has renewed his vigour for his quest for social justice amidst the many issues that he is bothered by on a daily basis, issues regarding humanity that he so

passionately takes up every so often. For this, even the United States Government has recognized this good man. The White House, recently, gave a commendation to the good doctor for his service.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS B o r n t o Ve n k a y a Ramayya and fish vendor,

with his mother. He idolised his grandmother, “so I actually was adopted by her and she cherished me like a little prince”.

He attended Auchlyne Scots School up to age 16.

He subsequently went to Corentyne Comprehensive High School.

“Quite honestly, I devoted so much time to cricket than my books and

“I am not only thinking about just what is happening in my yard.”

Sitama Venkaya, the Whimborn boy spent most of his childhood with his grandmother, Rangama Kistama, in the same home

did not see the importance of a good education then, but after high school, I used to attend Whim Magistrate's Court.” He related that he

Dr. Ramayya with his lovely wife, Seerojinie, who recently passed away

used to sit and watch his idol, Attorney-at-Law Marcel Crawford 'fighting' cases “and I thought that one day I would like to be like him”.

Ramayya stated that it was his grandmother's wish that he never work in the sugar industry or on the high seas “…so she made a lot of sacrifices and sent me to school and she always believed that I can be a person different from the family”. The dream of young Veerasammy then was one whereby he could have migrated overseas to further his education and that the doors of the US, not for him alone but for others, would open for the many uneducated people in Guyana.

QUEST FOR EDUCATION His grandmother borrowed money and sent him off to the U.S. But before he left, she insisted that he get married here first.

Subsequently, a match wedding ensued, joining Dr. Ramayya with Seerojinie Ramayya. “I saw my wife on Sunday night and Monday morning, I went to the marriage office, in less than 24 hours in 1969”. “That marriage became something to hold me down—anchored in that sense”. They were married for 44 years, before the passing of Mrs. Ramayya on Friday last.

He left these shores in 1969 for the U.S with a student visa. In 1970, his daughter, Anita, was born in New York, a daughter he would lose a few years later, and this would take a great

toll on

Dr. Veerasammy Ramayya him. In 1972, he, as a NonMatriculated student, decided to pursue his High School Diploma at Manhattan Community College. Within 18 months, he obtained an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts.

“My thirst was always there for higher learning and I decided I will not stop…I remembered Mr. Crawford…I wanted to become a lawyer, so I pursued my studies at the City University of New York Hunter College and graduated”.

He simultaneously obtained two Bachelor's Degrees in Sociology and Political Science in 1977. He minored in Economics and Psychology, prerequisites to go and study Law. He later applied to the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados to purse Law studies, but applying as a Guyanese, and that campus being subsidised by the then Guyana government, he was told that he had to enlist in the National Service for two years and one year studies at University of Guyana.

“I said to myself that this three years would be a wasted period—I could have gone in any direction, because I had one year PreMed during my Bachelor Degree, and I could have gone and studied medicine,” This situation discouraged him with his dream to become a lawyer and he felt that he let down his protégé, Mr. Crawford “so I was actually distracted”.

But when one door closes, another opens. He attended evening classes at the New School of Social Research in New York where he spent two years. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Degree in 1986. But he was not finished. He obtained his Doctorate Degree in Psychology from Pacific Western University in 1987 and yet another Doctorate Degree in Sociology later, using the Guyanese population in New York as his thesis. It involved social problems there.

“I found myself within that community because if (continued on page 33)

Our 'Special Person' and his wife hosted 1,500 persons at a yajna at their home in 1986

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Export-led growth? Who will lead in the Caribbean?

By Sir Ronald Sanders A huge burden is presently placed on the private sector in the Caribbean. In the midst of steady economic decline of many Caribbean countries, governments have turned to the private sector to continue to earn foreign exchange, to keep down prices for goods and services, to maintain and expand employment, and to pay taxes.

It is in this reality that the Caribbean Export Development Agency held a Colloquium that gathered Ministers of the governments of the Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica with representatives of large and small companies from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St Lucia and Antigua. They were joined by Academics and trade negotiators.

The outcome of two days of practical and realistic discussion reflected: widespread alarm about the Caribbean's current woeful economic condition; the recognition that growing the economies of the region is absolutely urgent; deepening and widening markets for Caribbean goods and services must be a top priority; the private sector across the region has to raise its profile and its voice; and governments have to engage the private sector as a genuine partner in growing their economies to provide employment and improve the quality of life of people.

I will return next week to the outcomes of the Colloquium.

This commentary contains the remarks I made at it on the urgency for action.

No one needs reminding that the Caribbean is facing its most challenging economic times in recent years. Indeed, the parlous state of some economies border on collapse, burdened as they are with high debt, alarming budget shortfalls and disquieting balance of trade deficits.

Some governments are unable to provide the goods and services that their communities require, and they have borrowed their way into calamity. Some are already in the clutch of the International Monetary Fund as a lender of last resort, complete with its iron-hard conditionalities; conditionalities that in Jamaica have impacted severely on domestic creditors who have been

required to endure greater sacrifices than foreign creditors.

It is this same private sector who are also being asked to maintain employment, keep down prices, and to maintain and expand exports that would lead to increased economic growth.

Throughout the region, there is a steady breakdown in the institutions that are vital to the region's wellbeing and progress. The consequences are higher unemployment levels, increasing crime, crumbling infrastructure including roads, ports and tourism plants, education - including the University of the West Indies - and restricted access to capital markets, and even then at higher rates of interest.

Altogether this is a troubling scenario that makes the private sector in the Caribbean less competitive in the global marketplace.

At the same time, in a region where some of its member states produce enough food to feed the entire area several times over, there is food insecurity and a US$4 billion bill for imported food that is unsustainable. In a region where there is no energy security beyond dependence on the generosity of an external government, there is no regional plan to pool regional resources in joint action to develop access to energy that would include oil and gas, but also renewable sources of energy.

This is the scenario in which the private sector is expected to lead growth through exports.

It is the private sector, not governments, that exports or achieves export earnings from services. Yet, except in Trinidad and Tobago, where there is a governmentappointed Standing C o m m i t t e e o n Tr a d e consisting of private sector and government bodies, the private sector is notably absent from the table of national policy-making and implementation in the region.

In Canada, the United States and the European Union – and now in China and India – governments consult widely and fully with their private sectors who are affected by trade rules and trade agreements.

The negotiators for these governments negotiate for their national private sectors

to expand and deepen their market penetration, to put them in the best competitive position.

However, this is not happening in the Caribbean where the distance between governments and the private sector is huge and the level of mistrust is high.

Private sector organisations are as much to blame for this damaging state of affairs as are governments. For instance, in which Caribbean country

has the private sector said to governments that the fiscal situation is unsustainable, and asked for a plan in which they could play a meaningful role?

And at the regional level, where is the Caribbean-wide private sector organisation that commands the attention of governments by layingout its own plan for overall economic growth and development?

Two private sector organisations presently

stand-out in this otherwise barren field – the first is the Caribbean Hotels Association in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, and the second is the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association. Both organisations are vital to the region's foreign exchange earnings and to employment, and they, at least, have put forward proposals for the survival of their industries.

Regrettably, governments

Sir Ronald Sanders have not reacted rapidly to these serious concerns.

And in any thinking that might be occurring about export-led markets, what private sector plans have been made for China which now enjoys a huge balance (continued on page 33)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

A contractor on a mission - The Rajnauth Persaud Story

By Sharmain Grainger

T

he notion of being a f ig h ter an d refusing to be a quitter resonates well with the life of Rajnauth Persaud.

Even in his profession as a contractor Persaud, who is popularly known as Brother Rudolph, has proven himself to be one of the better skilled tradesman in these parts.

In fact, his skills are sought after by some in the Caribbean and even North America, however patriotism and love for family has caused him to remain faithful to the land of his birth.

However, he did not earn his skills at an institution but rather it was mere practice and close attention to the accomplished professionals over the years that has today allowed for him to be bestowed the title of “master contractor”. From the age of 12, he recalls, being as busy as the next workman on any worksite. His willingness to work was recognised early on by his stepfather who was a contractor himself back in the day.

Although such involvement is today recognised and condemned as child labour, Persaud had no choice but to contribute to the family purse if he was to have a daily meal. Moreover, he was only able to attend school about thrice per

month. There was not playing and fun time for the young Persaud, because “from the age of six” he was forced to seek employment.

Raised in Wakenaam, an island of about 17.5 square miles situated at the mouth of t h e E s s e q u i b o R i v e r, Persaud was the second of four children born to his mother. His parents were a young couple when his biological father died. He was just two years old at the time. This forced his mother to find another companion and move to Hampton Court, Essequibo.

Their living conditions certainly did not improve, thus Persaud was required to work. “I had to work with my stepfather and I worked in rice fields, I grazed cows and hardly ever attended school...We really couldn't afford for me to go to school because times were hard,” he recounted.

T h e f a m i l y ' s predicament would dip further when his mother's companion passed away.

This would force Persaud to find even more work to help support his mother and other siblings. He even remembers that a stepbrother made the heartless decision of “putting us out. So with little money we had to find a house to rent and the time was so rough.”

Having gained employment at the Kayman

Sankar Rice Factory at Hampton Court, the income was not nearly enough to support a family of five. He recalls his mother opting to buy and sell small items to make an extra dollar.

“I too had to go and start walking around with things on my head like fruits and ground provisions to sell...the amount of things I tried to do for money I can't even list them all right not,” he mused.

His mother eventually found another companion and moved to Peter's Hall, East Bank Demerara.

However, Persaud, at the age of 10, was sent to his maternal grandmother, at Liberty Island, Essequibo Islands, to take up residence.

There he was introduced to farming and was also exposed to work at a timber grant.

With his grandmother as his sole support, life was becoming a bit manageable for the young Persaud.

However, things would take another devastating turn when his grandmother suddenly passed away. He had no choice but to turn to his mother and her new companion at Peter's Hall.

The day after his arrival there he was required to commence work with his new stepfather. But being the hard worker he was, it all came naturally to him to take his place as a labourer on a

construction site.

He was also a very fast learner and would effortlessly absorb every constructing technique he saw. His ability to emulate did not go unnoticed by his stepfather who insisted that he travel with him to Trinidad to undertake a job there.

It was during this period of his life he recognised that of all the jobs he was engaged in over the years, construction was the one that was the most captivating.

However when he returned to Guyana work was not immediately available and he commenced working at the then Indra Maha cinema at Peter's Hall.

This would not go on for long as he would soon find a woman who captured his heart. The two would make the decision to co-habit at a house in Kitty, Georgetown.

That union would produce two daughters. And in order to adequately provide for his family, Persaud became a fruit vendor at the junction of Irving and Crown Streets, Georgetown. Like his other work there was nothing but dedication for what he did so much so that he became one of the most sought after fruit vendors.

But his union would not last and before long he struck up another relationship with a young woman by the name of Ann, who according to

Applying the finishing touches

'Brother' Rudolph Persaud

him, helped to channel a much needed change in his life.

CURTAILING A HABIT Perhaps due to his experiences, Persaud had developed a drinking habit.

Currently a resident of Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, complete with Ann as his wife and two other children, Persaud recalled how for most of his life he was seen by most as nothing more than a drunkard.

“I used to drink a lot...in fact I was drinking for most of my life; an everyday drinker that's what I was,” he recounted.

Although his drinking habit had simmered during a period of his life, at no point did he ever consider quitting altogether. At least this was not up until he was forced into ultimate submission where he was unable to even attempt satisfying his alcoholic craving.

At the time drinking was a routine part of his life, so he had no suspicion that something was amiss when he began feeling somewhat unwell. In fact, a year earlier he had been drawn to Christianity by his wife who herself was encouraged to attend church by a neighbour.

Soon after becoming a full-fledged Christian too “I just know I started getting very, very sick...I remember just lying on the bed and can't do nothing for myself...The truth is, I is a man who don't like going to doctor, so I say I probably gonna recover,” Persaud reflected.

Recovery was nowhere near and weeks went by with him becoming weaker and laden with unbearable pains.

“I couldn't work, I started losing weight rapidly and my wife say 'look you have to go

to the doctor'.”

His deteriorating condition saw him visiting a number of private doctors and eventually the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was diagnosed with cancer of the throat.

Treatment started almost immediately, but that was certainly not working and it is believed that the lack of costly therapy was a crucial factor which prevented him from recovering. So debilitating was his condition that even the doctors had given up hope on Persaud, who three months later was but a fraction of his former self.

With the overwhelming thought that nothing could be done medically to save his life, Persaud was taken home and quietly prepared to embrace what appeared to be his fate. However, the members of the church he attended did not give up on him.

“The pastor and a whole group of brothers and sisters came every single day and prayed and sing hymns around my bed...I will never forget that,” reminisced Persaud as a heartening smile formed on his face.

He has no doubt that the regular prayers coupled with his belief in God somehow channelled healing his way.

Healing, he explained with complete certainty, came to him in an absolutely miraculous way.

“One night I was lying on my bed...I wasn't sleeping so I know it wasn't a dream, I know it was reality...I just see this person appear over me and said 'don't worry I will cure you'.”

Sleep would soon come to him, but by morning he was revitalised and his attempt to rise on his own was effortless. It would be (continued on page 34)

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

Respected humanitarian, Dr. Veerasammy ...

From page 30 they had a religious work I was there…I used to be all over the place singing, helping, begging money—people go illegal in that country—and they post their bodies back to their Guyanese relatives and friends.”

His grandmother passed away in 1982 and he thought that his world was crashing down. Soon after that, he started to get sick, “the stress was building up very rapidly and sometimes at night, I sat and cried for my grandmother”. It was about to get worse when he started to battle health problems, prompting bypass surgery and stents in his heart. Then his daughter fell sick in 1983.

It was a difficult period.

Through his association with a Swedish Doctor, Dr. Sebastian in Florida, he was able to take up studies in Ayurvedic Medicine. It was t h r o u g h t h i s t h a t D r.

Ramayya became involved in herbal medicine. “I started to look at alternative forms [of medicine] for my ailments—and with so many sicknesses today, the herbs are working and I took a lot of crash courses, and Diplomas in Physical Therapy”.

A RESPECTED COMMUNITY LEADER During the 1970s, Dr. Ramayya was very instrumental in getting funeral homes in New York to allow Hindus to practice their religious culture, whereas this was not previously allowed.

“I expounded what my culture is all about—how we were supposed to come in the funeral home, and do our 'hawan' and 'aarti' but because of the fire codes, they never allowed it, and the singing”.

After explaining the dynamics of Hinduism, the funeral homes were moved

and they started to allow those things in those homes.

“That was my first mission I embarked on…to retain our culture.”

He was President of the Hindu Sanatan Mandir as well and became involved in P h ag w ah , D iw ali, etc celebrations and expanded the culture there.

Dr. Ramayya grew in popularity in the U.S., particularly New York and Florida, “and was well respected for my honesty”.

He also ran in one of the local state elections, too, in Florida.

ACCOLADES AND APPRECIATION Our 'Special Person' received the Meritorious Accomplishment Agent of the Year (Insurance) in 1982; Licensed State Agent in Insurance and Accident in 1983; Licensed Real Estate Agent in 1975; Academic Accomplishment and Community Service Award from Corentyne Comprehensive High School Alumni Association in 1987; Corentyne Lions Club award in 1898. He was also inducted as a member of the American Botanical Council as a Member of the Board in 2012; received a Certificate of Achievement in aerology in 2008; Award Quality Award in Insurance from John Hancock Insurance Company in 1983; and a Certificate of Appreciation from Dave's Television Station Channel 8 in New Amsterdam in 1998, for his work in hosting important health programmes in Berbice on that TV station.

He also became a Member of Parliament in the N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y, representing Berbice in the Alliance for Change (AFC) after the November 2011 General elections.

Additionally, he was given a

Export-led growth? ...

From page 31 of trade surplus with the Caribbean?

China is the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has over US$3.3 trillion in foreign reserves.

What is the Caribbean plan for penetrating the Chinese market with goods and services, apart from the extractive industries that China wants?

In the best of times, there should be in the region a standing structure of regular and meaningful dialogue and consultation between governments and the private

sector. In the worst of times – such as the times in which we now live – the urgent necessity for such a standing structure is a vital necessity.

The creation of that structure of governmentprivate sector consultation ought not to be a waiting game.

The Caribbean's economic well-being is teetering at the brink.

(The writer is a Consultant, former Caribbean diplomat and now Visiting Fellow, London University) Responses and previous commentaries:www.sirronal dsanders.com

Hundreds of children being treated for Christmas at Dr Ramayya's residence last year Presidential Commendation from U.S. President Barack Obama himself, signed and all, and copped the P r e s i d e n t ' s Vo l u n t e e r Service Award for his good works in that country over the past years, on December 2 “It's the people—I don't know who they are—who sent my name to the President of the U.S Barack Obama for the Commendation for my involvement”.

C o r e n t y n e Comprehensive High School honoured him recently in New York with a Certificate, “for academic achievement”, while the Lions Club at Hampshire, Corentyne, made him an honorary member for the work he has done with them.

RETURN TO GUYANA Dr. Ramayya recalled returning to Guyana in 1994 and starting his mission.

“I started to feed old people—every holiday—I used to bring them here and kill 15, 16 sheep and give them money and clothes and drinks, ever since I came back.” This became an annual feature.

“I love to give and I started that project—every September I would do three days religious work and invite 500- 600 people, each session costing more than $3M.” He started to move across all the mandirs “from Crabwood Creek to East Bank Berbice, I used to go and sing at every 'wake' – I didn't have to know you—people never used to pay [me] and they miss me

for that in Berbice today, because since I moved to Georgetown….and that is an insult to our culture—I used to go and do it free. I find time up to today, so this gives me a little magnet that people are attracted to me.

“People don't want money from you—some do—but people want a good word”.

In 1994, Dr. Ramayya started a programme on Berbice TV stations 'Health Issues' (still airing today) whereby week after week, he educated the population about health problems and remedies. Shortly after, in 1996, he started a live call-in programme 'Issues of the People' (still airing today) speaking out on social issues.

Year after year, Dr. Ramayya invites hundreds of children to his home around Christmastime and treats them with goodies,

gifts and money.

Regularly, too, he also visits the Dharm Shala as well as Camal Home for Abused and homeless children at Albion, Corentyne and distributes clothing and money.

“I am not only thinking about just what is happening in my yard”. For Easter, he is planning to distribute kites and hampers in Georgetown, too.

“Let our life be the message and just like how M r. C r a w f o r d w a s instrumental—the way he conducted himself in court—he stood up there and he argued—and I always believe in standing up and speaking out for the truth and that is exactly that I am doing”.

Dr. Ramayya is praying to do more for humanity.

“When the concrete is soft, it is then you have to put

your footprint as it will be there forever. The truth will always prevail and that is my message, that the role I am playing today in all dimensions…my words and my presence are being felt and it makes a difference.”

Dr. Ramayya is known to be very outspoken, especially through his TV programmes and sayings.

When asked whether he becomes scared, he responded, “Yes, but I don't look over my shoulder when I travel, because I am 66 years…and I know that I am being protected and that will continue, because God is looking down; because I am not hurting anyone...I am speaking out the truth. If anyone out there… if they want to quiet me, well...they can do it, but it will not go down very quietly if something like that should happen.”

Proudly displaying the Commendation and Award from the U.S. State Department and President Obama

Page 34

Kaieteur News

A contractor on a ...

From page 32 the first time in months he would successfully make such a move unaided by his wife.

It came as a surprise to even the faithful church members when they visited that day, Persaud said, even as he recounted that “I was sitting outside when they came and I just wanted to tell them all about my experience.”

A subsequent visit to the doctor would confirm what he already knew – he was cancer-free. A thorough examination revealed that there was no trace of cancer

in his entire anatomy. Eight years later he still remains cancer-free and insists that he has no doubt that his healing was strategically orchestrated by God so that his life could be a living testimony to others.

BUILDING ON BONUS TIME Convinced that he has been blessed with a second chance, Persaud said that he has been told time and again that he is now living on bonus time. With blooming health on his side, he has been able to fully resume a construction profession

Sunday March 24, 2013 Just the man for the job

which he learned well from his stepfather.

Although he started out a labourer, he recalled how his stepfather taught him every aspect of the trade, so much so that he developed the ability to not only build a physical structure from the ground up, but almost every requirement within is attended to.

“With the exception of electrical works I do everything myself...I do the tiling, the painting and plumbing...I can build a house to any specifications,” informed Persaud, whom I witnessed in action recently.

Although he was building for many years it was only in 2005 he was truly able to express his handiwork at a full-scale level when he completed his own home at Cornelia Ida. He has since completed a number of other remarkable buildings, added extensions and other works that have not gone unnoticed.

Some may even dare to speculate that his building capabilities have evolved to a more refined level since his recovery and there is no doubt that he performs at the best of his God-given ability when he puts his hand to his craft.

“I never really tell people about myself...it's just that people would go around and see my work and somebody would tell them who did it and that is how the word about me got around,” Persaud calmly explained.

Moreover, he takes the many construction offers

that come his way as an opportunity to tell of his experience in the hope that it would help in some small way to bring about a change in even one person's life.

“If people listen to my experience I don't think they will do anything else but believe...if people were to consider my life story they would be shocked to know that I turned from this big drinker to a Christian and almost died too.”

Contemplating his actions over the years, the father of four said that even as he travels about the country to undertake various tasks, he is always inclined to advise youths to stay away from drugs and alcohol, factors he is convinced have the propensity to destroy any life. However, he noted that even if one becomes so trapped there is yet hope, even as he asserted that “I didn't have anything but God to help me.”

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

MY COLUMN

We have been flying for 100 years in Guyana We are preparing to observe the one hundredth anniversary of aviation in Guyana. The first flight in the world occurred a mere eight years before Guyanese, in 1913, saw the first manned flight. The venue was D’Urban Park where the racecourse was.

The pilot, George Schmidt (Smith) was hopping around the world demonstrating this newfound experience. The reports are that he flew over the city to become the first person to get an aerial view of Georgetown as it existed then.

Schmidt was to crash and die in the United States about eight months later, but the deed had already been done.

Flying had come to Guyana. It was still some time before the first aircraft was to come. The engineers were still improving on their designs.

But the importance of that flight today is reflected in what we see and take for granted. Long after that first flight, when people needed to visit another country they had to go by sea.

There are numerous jokes about people stowing away in banana boats by painting

themselves green only to find that the banana had turned yellow around them.

Forty years later, people were still travelling by sea to go to England, taking weeks but enjoying the sights of other islands.

The jets had not arrived in this part of the world, but when they did, Guyanese boarded them as though they were taking a trip to Leguan or Wakenaam.

I saw some of the early planes in the 1960s. I would lie in the backyard and gaze at the skies often wondering if I would ever get a chance to go up in the skies and look down on earth.

The common airplane then was the Grumman, an aircraft that had the ability to land on land and water. I would see their skates. For me that was the aircraft to be in.

I remember Forbes Burnham coming to Bartica in one of those. He landed in the river and a boat had to go out and get him.

Years later I made my first flight and all I could do was stare out of the window at the ground below and be amazed at how orderly things appear.

I saw the canal polder and

could not understand how ordinary labourers, slaves, could dig something like that for miles and so straight. That was the first time I appreciated what my ancestors had to go through.

More and more planes came and with each flight people should have remembered George Schmidt.

Jets were not as ubiquitous as they are today.

I remember the day when the news came that Kit Nascimento’s brother had gone down in an aircraft in Guyana’s interior. At the time there was a political meeting in the run-up to the 1973 elections.

I remember the search parties, but they all came up empty. There were other crashes in Guyana’s hinterland. There was old Grandsoult who seemed to always be flying. He too disappeared.

He would have been an old man today, but he would have remarked at the a d v a n c e s i n t h e aircraft industry.

I saw the development of what is now the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. It was the Timehri Airport back then.

The new terminal building was constructed and the jets began to arrive in increasing numbers.

There was the Ogle airstrip too. On this anniversary that facility would be commissioned to perform as a regional airport.

But Ogle for me was more than what it was then.

It was the jump-off point for me to numerous interior locations. I remember coming from Bartica to fly to Kamarang. I marveled that the trip took me less than two hours.

Without aircraft, that trip would have taken days—one day to travel to Bartica, another day to Mahdia and days of walking and boating to get to Kurupung.

Then more walking and mountain climbing and boating to get to Kamarang.

It would have taken more than a week.

Pilots were mainly men, because back then people like me had little regard for women undertaking such tasks.

What I did not know was there was a woman pilot way back then. I hope that she would be around for this anniversary.

But this anniversary is

more than people and planes; it is about reducing travel time. The first flight in the world was less than two hundred feet.

Today there are planes that can fly around the world.

I remember travelling to Japan.

On the way back I slept. I remember leaving Tokyo at five in the afternoon. When I arrived in New York it was three the same afternoon.

I did not see a single aircraft in the skies and I thought that the skies were empty.

What I did not know was that aircraft were flying at different altitudes. And this brings me to the people who keep those planes safe.

Guyana has a corps of flight controllers who are often ignored. They are the people who see the planes and must separate them without visual contact.

Two years back, one of them with whom I spoke couldn’t bring himself to go back to work.

Two planes nearly collided on his watch.

President Bharrat Jagdeo was on one of those planes. What I did not know was that the planes can also see for themselves, although I knew

Adam Harris about radar.

On this occasion an aircraft recognized an approaching plane ten miles away. That sounds like a long way off, but in reality it was a matter of less than a minute.

The two aircraft would have reached each other in less than a minute.

Their approaching speed would have been about twenty miles a minute. The aircraft that was alerted to the other craft immediately banked away.

In the 100 years, we have lost a few aircraft in the bush, but we have never had a major crash at any of our airports barring the Caribbean Airlines flight in July 2011. I am glad I am part of the celebrations.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IS EMPOWERED TO REDUCE OR AMEND THE ESTIMATES In the Guyana Chronicle dated 18th March, 2013, Attorney General Anil Nandlall declared that “any attempts to cut the Budget this year, by the combined Opposition, will again bring it in conflict with the Constitution”.

He further stated, “…such action by the Opposition would, essentially, be trying to prepare the nation’s Budget by the combined opposition”.

We wonder why the Constitution of this country would create a situation where taxpayers’ money must be spent to facilitate over a week of debate in the National Assembly when, according to the AG, this august body has no power to reduce anything. It is well nigh ridiculous that the Constitution would command such a waste of money and man days!

The AG’s position is that the National Assembly can only approve the Estimates without any amendment.

He concedes that Parliament can disapprove it totally. So it is either Yea or Nay and nothing else.

The Nay vote would mean a no confidence in the Government, forcing new elections. We can only conclude that we doubt that the authors of the constitution could have been so silly as to offer no other options for the Opposition or for that matter, the Government, to influence the running of the country’s financial affairs except by forcing new elections.

Though our Chief Justice, Chang, has

adopted this position, his (as even he admits), is only provisional. It is not final. Well that being so, we posit that the Assembly ought not to be bound by a provisional decision. And every effort should be made to get it final.

The AG uses Article 218 to argue that the Opposition can reduce a hundred million dollar budget to zero, but cannot reduce it to let’s say 90 million. Not a very rational construction to article 218. Quite frankly it is downright dumb!

We think a deeper understanding of the role of the Assembly in control of the public purse is needed by both these lawyers. Both would have then appreciated why article 171 is in existence.

This article, among other things, gives the sole right to a Cabinet-signified Minister to proceed upon any Motion or Bill, (or any amendment thereto), for imposing any charge on the Consolidated Fund. But it gives the right to any other member than a Minister to proceed upon a Motion or Bill to reduce that charge. If it is not so, then the AG and the CJ ought to explain the words “other than by reducing it” in subarticle (2) a ii of that article.

An appreciation of our Standing Orders further supports the right of the National Assembly to reduce or amend or cut the Estimates. The AG says nothing about these Standing Orders. The CJ says they are not law!

The relevant Standing Orders applicable which speak directly to reducing or amending

include Standing Order (SO) 71 (b) which provides that “The motion for the approval of the Estimates shall be amended if necessary, and put, without further debate, as moved or as amended, as the case may be. (Underlined and italicised for emphasis).

Here again the AG needs to explain what the words “amend if necessary” and “as moved or as amended” mean. The CJ never did make reference to these Standing Orders.

Another relevant Standing Order ought to have been utilized here to give a complete picture. SO 75 which deals with the Procedures in Committee of Supply (1) says that when every head of Estimates has been decided, the “Chairperson shall put the question to the Committee that the Estimates (or the Estimates as amended) be reported to the Assembly. The Minister in charge of the Estimates shall report it to the Assembly”.

These words must mean something!

SO 76, points to the power the National Assembly and is subtitled, “Amendments to Heads of Estimates of Committee of Supply”.

It provides (1) “An amendment to any Head of Expenditure to reduce the sum allotted thereto in respect of any item therein may be moved by any Member, and shall take the form of a motion …”

Here again the position is clear as to the powers of the Assembly with regards to its powers to reduce/cut the Estimates.

Constitutional articles and Standing Orders which make provisions for debate and amendment by the Committee of Supply before members decide and vote on the Estimates, could never have meant that the National Assembly has to approve or disapprove of those Estimates as presented by the Minister. These provisions must mean it could be amended or reduced or cut at the Committee of Supply stage.

The Finance Minister must report to the duly constituted National Assembly after deliberation in the Committee of Supply stage.

In the case of 2012 Budget, the Hansard will reveal that Dr. Singh, Finance Minister, uttered these words: “Mr. Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply considered the Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 2012 and approved of them as amended”.

This was not a case of the Committee of Supply proposing or preparing the Estimates as the Attorney General argues. It is still the Minister proposing amended Estimates for approval.

The Minister then proceeded upon an Appropriation Bill and did this as a representative of the Executive Branch. He said in Budget 2012 and I quote “Cabinet has indicated its consent that the National Assembly proceeds with consideration of this Bill… with amended Schedule, of course.” This was after the cut of some $20B by the Opposition (Continued on page 38)

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 37

One thousand, seven hundred and one murders Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, desperate to deflect disapproval of his stewardship of public security over the past six years, embarked on some criticism of his own.

He told the recent Police Officers’ Annual Conference, “I have noted, with dismay, the long list of ‘unsolved’ serious crimes, particularly ‘execution-type’ murders, that remain on the records of the Guyana Police Force.”

The Police Force employs an informal classification of murders – disorderly, domestic, execution, felony and undetermined.

‘Execution’ murders are usually assumed to be “drugrelated” and Rohee must know the reasons why they remain ‘unsolved.’

Blame for Guyana’s high murder rate and the number of unsolved crimes lies squarely with the 20-year long People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration which has failed consistently to implement a comprehensive counternarcotics strategy. The 12-

year Bharrat Jagdeo presidency, more particularly, will be remembered in this country’s history for the extraordinary number of murders which occurred.

There were 1,432 deaths arising from gruesome massacres, gory executions and other assorted murders – an average of about 143 per annum – during Jagdeo’s first decade: (See Table).

More murders were to come. There were 139 in 2010 and 130 in 2011 – bringing the total number to 1,701 under Jagdeo. The worst aspect of the murders was the incidence of ‘massacres’ – defined as “…the murder of four or more victims at one location, within one event.”

There were at least thirteen massacres during the Jagdeo era – a record for any presidency.

Massacres and murders

escalated as a result of the surge in narco-trafficking and gun-running between 2000 and about 2010.

This illicit trade spawned a plethora of armed, drugdriven gangs, death squads, bounty killers and bandits who carried out the slew of murders during the Troubles.

The ‘Kitty massacre’ occurred at Natoo’s Bar where four persons were shot dead and eight others, including the then Director of Public Prosecutions and two senior police officers, were injured, in September 2002.

The ‘Lamaha Gardens massacre’ occurred the next month, October 2002, in the wake of a certain businessman’s escape from his kidnappers when seven persons were shot dead in various places, reportedly related to the same incident.

The ‘Bourda massacre’

took place in what might have been the sequel to the ‘Lamaha Gardens’ incident when five more persons were slaughtered the following week on Diwali night in November 2002.

The ‘Friendship massacre’ and the ‘Prashad Nagar massacre’ occurred during joint Defence ForcePolice Force law-enforcement operations in June 2003.

Nine persons, all said to be ‘wanted’ men, were slain by the Police.

The ‘Agricola-Eccles massacre’ took place in February 2006 when a gang of bandits besieged the villages and slew eight persons.

The ‘La Bonne Intention massacre’ took place in April 2006 when a gang slaughtered a government minister and his siblings and security guard.

The ‘Bagotstown-Eccles massacre’ in which eight were killed took place in August 2006. The security forces, in another lethal lawenforcement operation in the Black Bush Polder in August 2006, took no prisoners, slaughtering seven ‘suspects.’

The ‘Lusignan massacre’ claimed 11 lives in January, the ‘Bartica massacre’ claimed 12 lives in February and the ‘Lindo Creek massacre’ claimed seven lives in June all in 2008.

The last mass murder, the ‘Cummings Lodge massacre’ of five members of one family, took place in September 2010.

The PPPC administration has refused to establish a commission of inquiry into the massacres and murders that occurred during the Jagdeo presidency.

The administration

seemed determined not to allow independent investigations or to offer explanations for the large number of executions and other murders during this period.

Public outrage usually greets every gruesome murder, but there has been no trace of political will to do what is necessary to bring this type of crime to an end. There has not even been an independent inquiry to investigate the causes of this extreme form of violent criminal conduct which became so frequent, claimed so many victims and persisted for so many years under Bharrat Jagdeo.

Guyana is bleeding. The administration has failed to enforce laws which protect life or even to ensure that the killings are investigated. It (Continued on page 39)

Page 38

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

Book Review: “The City of Devi” Love and Hate Collide in Indian Odyssey

By Dr. Glenville Ashby In “The City of Devi,” award winning author Manil Suri presents an imaginatively hypnotic drama that captures the full gamut of human emotions. It is provocatively existential, pricking our very conscience.

It invites reflection and debate on the human potential for altruism and depravity - powerful forces that compete, incessantly in this wrenching work, a work where art imitates life.

Suri’s drama unfolds in post 9/11 era. Mumbai, too, is still searing from its own terror attack. Soon, the quiet unease and false sense of tolerance and accommodation, surrender to chaos, pitch battles and open war.

Suri, a writer of enviable range, explores the power of love amid a city in ruins, a city threatened with annihilation by a war with blaring religious and sectarian overtones. Its narration is compelling, holding court from its opening salvo.

As if waving a wand, he uses his literary canvas like the consummate artist,

beckoning readers to enter into a world where emotions are pulsating, raw, authentic, and frightening. Death looms, the constant companion in a tit for tat murderous campaign of genocidal lust.

That Indians turn on each other with internecine fury didn’t happen overnight. The city of Devi - Bombayemerged as India’s Silicon Valley, priding itself in its secular appeal, its pluralism and emerging modernity.

But looming in the background are right wing Hindu nationalists that threaten to cleanse cities of moral decay and reinstate a virulent strain Hinduism with little tolerance for unbelievers. They are referred to as the Khakis - thugs that do the bidding of Bhim, the leader of the feared nationalist group: The Hindu Rashtriya Manch (HRM).

Rhetoric gives way to violence, massacres, in response to Muslim terrorists and a war with Pakistan.

Threatened with annihilation by Pakistan, and stretched thin by a diversionary invasion by

Chinese troops, India is on edge. Battles erupt, not only in traditional theaters of war.

No one is safe, not even in bomb shelters.

Anyone suspected of being Muslim is savagely trounced, murdered. In one painfully graphic scene the page bleeds. “The beating has stopped for the moment.

The victim lies crumbled in a corner of the basement…The Khakis stand around, discussing what more to do with him…a few children advance cautiously to the victim. One of them spits at him, another bounces a rock off his back…Someone finds a rope. The man protests unintelligibly as the Khakis drag him from the corner…his face seems to have cave in – only a mass of red remains where one might have seen a nose, a mouth…”

In one massacre, “Bhim’s army beheaded men as they prayed, dragged women out and raped them in the court yard, impaled babies on sharpened sticks driven into the rocky beach.’

With communications cut, the City of Devi plunges into despair, driven by rumors,

duplicity and insecurity.

Muslims aren’t the only victims.

Hindus are hunted down by marauding gangs of Muslim extremists - the Limbus - who fan out their enclaves searching for the enemy with unbridled fury....Theirs is also a separatist campaign. Mahim is the Muslim bastion financed, supported and protected by Pakistan’s Intelligence Services, the ISI. The Limbus is tolerated only because their ruthlessness brings a warped sense of security. Sharia takes precedence. Women are forced to wear burqas, and its citizenry are under the gun for the slightest infraction.

When Sarita, who is Hindu is escorted through a Muslim strongholds, she must remove her bindi and cover up. “Actually, your whole body,” she is told. “We will look for some cloth to use as a burka – to conceal your sari as well.” Muslims band together as a ground swell of Islamophobia grips nations.

The world is unable to respond to the saber rattling that has beset South Asia, for it too is shaken by spasms of terrorism. This is Suri’s world unpredictable and frighteningly dark. As the author rifles through this riveting tale, the question arises: Will light ever pierce this suffocating veil?

Amid the mayhem, there is a sense that religion is in Suri’s cross hairs, rife for a closer look.

Devi Ma is the patron of the city, so revered that many believe that she should be part of the trimurti. That Sarita must ask of Devi Ma’s whereabouts as the city burns, is telling. But the defenders of the Goddess are in the millions, assured of her divine protection.

Subtly, Suri begs the questions: Is blind faith in the gods, a delusion, the result of some kind of hysteria? On one occasion, she questions one of Devi’s devotes: “And you do believe that she’ll protect us from the Pakistanis? That she’ll open her heavenly parasol to block their bombs on the nineteenth?” (The October date of Pakistan’s purported nuclear assault on India.)

Will religious fervor be

humankind’s undoing? On some levels, Suri’s work is prophetic, foreboding, but remains equally hopeful. This is the crux of his ontological inquiry.

Suri deftly creates a rich tapestry of characters that complement each other.

Scenes of homo-erotic love are depicted with a driving lust, but never distasteful.

Sure, there is enough eroticism, homophobia and psychological projection to go around.

The tepid sexual affair between Sarita and her husband, Karun, captures all the color and tone of unrequited love. Nonetheless, Sarita is smitten. She’s the diffident bride, yearning for her missing husband.

She embarks on a perilous journey punctuated with buzzing warplanes and the rattat-tat of gunfire. Her devotion is unwavering despite Karun’s temerity and disinterest in engaging his wife’s sexual fantasies.

How could she know that he is gay? His first love, Ijaz, is Muslim. He is dominant, cocky, with an unfathomable libidinous drive.

His joie de vivre is stark, but his licentious leanings give way to caring and love for Sarita’s husband.

He proves fiercely loyal and protective of Sarita, as Fate brings them together in a bomb shelter, and later in

The National...

From page 36 after the fifth and final day of debate.

Reducing the Estimates ought never to be interpreted to be an intrusion of the National Assembly into the domain of the Executive, as this is allowable and the Assembly is empowered by the Constitution and the Standing Orders to so do. Only in this way can there be checks and balances, where one arm of the government can hold the other accountable.

their journey to find a troubled Karun - both vying for his attention, his love although the grieving bride is unaware of Ijaz’s motives.

What follows is a roller coaster of a narrative, with enough twists and turns to enthrall readers.

The confrontation with the formidable Bhim; Devi Ma’s long awaited appearance; the choreographed religious fanfare; the specter of a nuclear holocaust; and the tortuous and tragic reunion with Karun, make for a dizzying crescendo and alarming end.

Unquestionably, Suri proves his salt. His invariable ability to fluidly weave two distinct plots - love and hate - under a single existentialist banner is impressive.

The City of Devi dabbles with the question of identity in all its manifestations personal, ethnic, religious and national. Who are we? What does violence say about us?

How do we perceive and react to impending doom? And more importantly, are we our brother’s keeper?

This is a work where love and hate jockey to the center - neither outstripping each other. They are in lock step through this drama of boundless passion. This is a seminal undertaking instructive, inspirational and timely; a tour de force that speaks volumes of mankind’s imminent fate. glenvilleashby@gmail.com Twitter@glenvilleashby The City of Devi by Mani Suri, 2013 W.W. Norton & Norton Company, Inc. www.wwnorton.com Available: amazom.com Rating: Highly recommended ISBN 978-0-393-08875-5

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 39

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

Inside the mind of Donald Ramotar The 2012 budget resulted in a tempestuous confrontation between the combined opposition and the Government. Unless Mr. Ramotar is dishonest or psychologically irrational, then he must know that the fight was about one thing only – the opposition did not support all the contents of the budget. This was a year ago.

What was Mr. Ramotar doing the past twelve months to observe on Friday last that the government “remains prepared” to talk with the opposition?

If one wants to be harsh with Mr. Ramotar one can say this is utterly foolish. The budget is to be tabled tomorrow. It meant that on Friday when Mr. Ramotar made his observation, the budget was a done deal.

What can the opposition parties do at this stage to get the Finance Ministry to include their requests?

Which citizen can be so stupid to think for one year, it was impossible to arrange an intensive discussion between the two sides? Now that the budget is complete, Mr. Ramotar hopes there can be a meeting of minds.

Now if you think that Mr.

Ramotar was just politicking, here is the frightening part. It is at the heart of the tragedy of Guyana. Mr. Ramotar on Friday went on to say that the budget is a good one and he hopes the opposition supports it. It is good for whom? It is good in the eyes of whom? The PPP of course.

This is where the minds of PPP leaders converge in a phantasmagoria of epistemological madness.

The PPP neatly separates Guyana into good and evil.

The good people are the PPP. The bad people are those who oppose the PPP. If the PPP imprisons a citizen he had a right to be jailed; he was doing bad things. If the PPP dismisses a public sector worker, he had a right to lose his job; he was not a good person. If the PPP criticizes a newspaper, it is not worth to be published because it prints terrible things. No greater example of this philosophical insanity is the example of Roger Luncheon announcing that the “hostile media is misrepresenting the radio licence issue.”

The licence allocation has been so sickening in the way it has been done that no decent person will accept it.

One thousand, seven...

From page 37 has failed to introduce measures which could prevent recurrences.

The Police Force at Eve Leary, the townsfolk of Bartica and the villagers of Buxton-Friendship have constructed monuments to honour their residents who were murdered during the troubles.

The PPPC might choose to ignore the country’s massacres and the high murder rate.

The general public and the relatives of the victims, however, will always remember the Jagdeo presidency for its one thousand, seven hundred and one murders.

But Luncheon says the “hostile media” is into mischief.

One has to understand that Luncheon’s conceptualization of politics will lead him and other PPP leaders to see misrepresentation on the part of those who disagree with the action, plans and policies of the Government.

This is exactly the road that President Ramotar will travel from Monday when citizens and national stakeholders disagree that the 2013 budget is not a good one.

President Ramotar will behave exactly the way

Luncheon did on the radio licence depravity. He will criticize you if you criticize his good budget, because you should not find fault with his good budget. This columnist will judge for himself if it is a good budget based on what it contains for the poor and powerless.

One definite expectation about the 2013 budget has to be the acceptance by the budget drafters of one of the most morally righteous requests by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to the Minister of Finance - the abolition of

property tax for certain people.

One of those certain people is me. I pay property tax. Don’t be misled. Property tax is not on your property. It is on your assets, meaning house, bankbook, car etc.

Here is a description of one of the horrible things in life. I worked for twenty-six years in the public sector, my wife for twenty-three. After we collected our salaries that were taxed, we put it in the bank. With that money we bought a house and a car.

That taxed money that we put in the bank, that house and

Frederick Kissoon that car, we have to pay another set of taxes on them called property tax. This is in addition to paying rates and taxes to the City Council every year on the house we own.

Page 40

SUNDAY SPECIAL MINERS’CLAIM THAT THEY SOLD ILLEGAL GOLD OFFICIALLY BEING PROBED An investigation has been by ordered by Natural Resources and the Environment Minister, Robert Persaud, into claims by several miners from the disputed Marudi Mountains on the Romanex concessions that they paid royalties and sold gold to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

Speaking with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Persaud said that his Ministry will not sanction any illegalities by either miners or GGMC officials.

“Overall, the bigger issue is regularisation and at the end of the day, they have all committed to doing so. No form of any illegal act will be tolerated and the GGMC and the Guyana Gold Board have been mandated to undertake a comprehensive investigation into these claims.”

Several miners from the Marudi area have claimed that, until recently, they were selling gold mined from the disputed area to GGMC and Gold Board officials. Several receipts have been reportedly produced to back up these claims.

Ministry officials met with miners and among general concerns raised were efforts to end illegal mining in the Marudi Mountain and access to mining properties by small miners in the location.

According to GINA, it was agreed that through representatives of the Rupununi Miners’ Association, GGMC’s efforts to curb illegal mining will be through special planning and land management.

INADEQUATE SAFETY FEATURES, LAX ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST EBD ROAD FATALITIES – TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANT The absence of adequate safety features, primarily for

Kaieteur News

pedestrians on the East Bank Demerara thoroughfare, and lax enforcement of road laws contribute to numerous road fatalities, giving the corridor the reputation of being the deadliest, says a Transportation Consultant.

Safety features are usually installed on roadways when they are being erected as a result of studies conducted on the volume of traffic expected to traverse the stretch. This is the case of the ongoing East Bank Demerara Public Road fourlane expansion from Providence to Diamond project that caters for pavements and parking.

However, the existing stretch, including areas with four lanes, lacks adequate safety features and Government should have aggressively worked to reverse this scenario that has taken too many lives, including those of children, the consultant noted.

He opined that whenever accidents occur, more so fatal accidents investigations should be launched to identify if flaws in the road infrastructure contributed.

Appropriate adjustments should be made to facilitate the smooth flow of vehicular traffic and pedestrians, depending on the findings.

MONDAY EDITION JAGDEO ORCHESTRATED PLOT TO TAKE OVER AIRWAVES Apart from shocking disclosures that President Bharrat Jagdeo handed his friends and associates and political party multiple radio and TV licences, the granting of cable licences has shed light on a plot to snap up the entire telecommunications sector. He granted cable licences to Vishok Persaud, the son of PPP stalwart Reepu Daman Persaud and to Brian Yong, a very close confidante.

The granting of cable licences allows the licencees to offer what in the United States and other countries is called triple play—internet, television/radio and

telephone services.

The cable by itself monopolises the interactive flow of information and that is what Jagdeo has given to his two buddies. Searches reveal that Jagdeo handed out the cable licences to control the electronic media.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, in the National Assembly, recently disclosed that the former President granted the two persons cable licences on the in December 2010. These were E-Networks, under Vishok Persaud, and Brian Yong, who Jagdeo invited to mount the PPP platform in the 2006 elections.

U.S. ARMY DOCTOR SHOT DEAD IN C’TYNE BACKLANDS The body of an overseasbased Guyanese U.S Army Service member, Cpt. Dr. Max Kungel, 42, was discovered last Sunday morning inside a vehicle in the Number 71 Village, Corentyne rice backlands. The body bore two gunshot wounds.

When the discovery was made, all the doors of his rented white Toyota Tundra were sprawled open.

From all indications Kungel was robbed since his iPhone as well as two other cell phones and three pieces of jewellery were missing; his wallet was empty, save for a few U.S coins and a US$20.

Dr. Kungel, a medical doctor in the U.S. Military, arrived in Guyana on March 7 last to attend a religious function to commemorate his grandmother’s ‘one- year’ death anniversary and was staying at his sister’s Anjanie’s residence at Lot 202, Number 72 Village, Corentyne. He was scheduled to leave Guyana on Monday for North Carolina where he resided. He was not married nor did he have any children.

His only next of kin in Guyana is his sister, Anjalie, who was at the Springland’s Police Station much of last Sunday giving statements.

TUESDAY EDITION US$35M CABLE FROM

BRAZILACONVENIENCE FOR JAGDEO’S FRIENDS The recent exposure of the way in which broadcast licences were issued shows how former President Bharrat Jagdeo may have created a special clique of his friends and associates to benefit from massive projects being funded by the Guyanese taxpayers.

More questions are now being raised about why Jagdeo secretly rushed to sign a US$35 million deal with Chinese company Huawei to bring a wireless cable from Brazil. Now it seems that the cable deal was brought into the picture to make it nice and easy for Jagdeo’s friends to control the national spectrum.

Jagdeo granted two persons cable licences - Vishok Persaud and Brian Yong - in December 2010 The services offered by the two men, such as 4G, require both the availability of licenced airwaves – also called spectrum – from the government, and considerable private investment in infrastructure.

LINDEN UPS PRESSURE FOR TV LICENCE The people of Linden remain adamant that they will have their television station soon. Their determination was prompted by the recent revelation from Parliament by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds that nine television and radio licences were granted to Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, Bharrat Jagdeo’s best friend; five to Robert Persaud’s Deputy Permanent Secretary; and five to the Mirror newspaper.

According to former Parliamentarian of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, Lindeners have toed

Sunday March 24, 2013

the line and submitted the required information as requested by government.

The issue of a TV licence for that Region Ten area was a critical one following a massive protest last July in Linden over a proposed hike in electricity rates. Three people were shot dead during the protest.

An agreement to bring normality was hammered out between government and leaders of that mining town.

One of the issues that Lindeners stuck to was the issuing of a television licence to the town. They said that it was a fundamental breach of the arrangement with the then President Bharrat Jagdeo that they would get a television licence. They now say that the government must be bound by its obligations.

WEDNESDAY EDITION TEACHER MOUNTS ROOFTOP PROTEST OVER SALARY Usually in Guyana when one hears of protest action, other than in prison, it is normally associated with taking to the streets; but frustrated to the point where he thought he had no other alternative, Sherwin Williams on Tuesday took to the roof of Richard Ishmael Secondary School for his demonstration.

Williams, a technical drawing teacher at the institution, was protesting after being told that he would not be paid until June.

The man, while on the roof, told Kaieteur News via a phone conversation that he is married with three children, and disclosed that he hadn’t been paid by the government for the year. According to him, in January, he contracted malaria and as a result he

initially applied for 14 days leave. However, Williams said that since the ailment still had the better of him after the first 14 days, he then applied for another two weeks.

The obviously upset teacher told this publication that during his absence, he kept contact with the school’s head mistress, keeping her abreast with his health situation. Williams further informed that he resumed duties on February 12 but was told by the head teacher that an order had been made to stop his salary.

MP WANTS US$25M FROM GT&T PLACED IN CONSOLIDATED FUND Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang will on April 12 begin hearing arguments in the case filed by Parliamentarian Desmond Trotman to force the government to hand over monies from its investment arm, NICIL, into the Consolidated Fund.

On Tuesday, Justice Chang granted leave to the Attorney General Anil Nandlall and NICIL along with its chief executive Winston Brassington, to respond to the case filed by the Member of Parliament.

Trotman, through a team of high profile attorneys, on February 8, filed a motion in the High Court seeking to compel NICIL and Brassington to pay over into the Consolidated Fund, the US$25 million received from the sale of shares in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, GT&T. The government had announced that the US$25 million has been paid into the accounts of NICIL. But in the said motion, Trotman is (Continued on page 49)

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 47

Ravi Dev Column

Changing people or the system?

A very good friend of mine recently asked me that, having a column in the Kaieteur News, how come I haven’t been writing polemically on several issues the paper has been highlighting for some time now. Since most of the issues have to do with the government, he suggested that it must be because I am aligned with them.

Especially since, he pointed out, I was such a strident critic of the government while I was directly involved in politics between 2000 and 2006.

But his comment exposed the polarised nature of our local situation and its default presumption of the ‘excluded middle’: you’re either ‘against them’ or ‘with

Like the rest of the country, a group of people is at a loss about the spate of road accidents. Most are so needless that one must now wonder whether people leave their homes with the intention of getting into an accident.

There is going to be this case of a motorist who will try the impossible. He will try to overtake even though the vehicle that he wants to overtake would be overtaking another. The driver is then going to justify his action by contending that a vehicle cut into his lane.

In local parlance, thing

them’. There’s no middle ground that accepts we might want to work for an ‘us’ that includes every ‘side’. So I hastened to assure him that in no way, shape or form have I been ‘working’ with or for the government.

In fact I told him they had never even approached me.

Not that I would have come out of retirement, but I thought it signalled the confidence of the PPP about its Indian base - or conversely, fears that my presence might drive away all the non-Indians who were clamouring to join the party.

But to return directly to his question, I confessed it had to do with my fundamental position on how to effectuate social change especially in a society such

as ours. While all actions - for good or bad - are performed by individuals, we are overwhelmingly influenced by the institutions and structures in which we are enmeshed.

Of course we can change individuals - we all have the potential for change - but in my experience, I have found that we stand a better chance if we focus on the institutions and structures that encourage or facilitate the behaviour with which we may disagree.

When I was in electoral politics, as I’ve written before, I had a long-running battle with my colleagues about the wisdom of ‘negative politicking”.

I hadn’t met many individuals who had changed

fuh cry you a laugh. ** We see the fires and we wonder at their frequency.

The truth is that many do not pay attention to the garbage piles developing around them. These are fire hazards but the failure of the authorities to insist on clean

surroundings will continue to prove costly.

The next fire will occur in a squatting area. The cause would have already been stated. ** There is a new trend.

People may not have noticed but their bank accounts are hopping all over the place. Cyber theft is here.

The banks are aware but they are helpless. Although many have insurance they are banking on the fact that people at no time know how much they have so those accounts will be diminished by small amounts.

their minds through debate and absolutely none who did so through ‘cuss downs’.

After going along with the majority for the duration, I found nothing to change my mind.

In fact I discovered that going after people or groups personally made them harden their position and just as crucially, harden their view as to who you were: an opponent or enemy who was totally against them.

This will not do for a nation as small as ours, where everyone knows everyone or should be in a position to do so. We have to begin to work together.

In my estimation, everyone has the capacity to do good or bad or even nothing at all - but each tendency can be facilitated or hindered by the environment.

Take the life or death struggle we have waged for over half century in Guyana as to which group should control the state. I’ve proposed that it was institutional factors - the majoritorian system and control of the disciplined forces - that created ‘Ethnic Security Dilemmas’ in our

people. Unless we change the system we’ll always have ‘ethnic entrepreneurs’ who will exploit the fears for seizing power. It’s no use just ‘cussin’ out’ the particular individuals.

Now take the latest raison d’être for our ‘cuss downs’: distribution of the national patrimony.

We can cry until ‘thy kingdom come’ (as Burnham did) that any perceived anomaly is on account of ‘political’ and not ‘racial’ reasons - but it will not go far in our polarised society.

We have to change the system that allows facially neutral criteria to be bypassed. It’s not going to be easy. I don’t get too het up because I became an adult in the USA - my post-high school twenty years- and I saw how even that system can be manipulated.

Witness the top 1% in the US owning over 35% of its wealth.

I’ve identified over the last two decades the unfortunate acceptance by all of our political parties of the neoliberalism dogma that the market should control distribution of wealth and

Ravi Dev

income. In my estimation, it doesn’t matter which party gets its hand on power, we’re going to have the same skewed results out of the Ayn Rand’s ‘greed is good’ ethos of market fundamentalism.

“The question,’ she had proposed about accumulating wealth, “isn’t who’s going to let me; the question is who’s going to stop me.”

What I’ve proposed is that if the system cannot stop ‘them’, the exploiters, at least it must make it difficult. I’ve heard a lot about ‘constitutional change’ to alter the political rules of the game. You don’t have to be a Marxist to accept that politics can be trumped by economics.

As for changing people, I’ll stick with the youths.

They’re not completely morally ossified yet.

Page 48

Kaieteur News

Knowing About Malaria Can Save Your Life

By Krista Brooks Nursey has been hearing a lot of people talking nice things about this column.

Both Nursey and I just wanted to take the time to say thank you so much for reading! Keep learning as much as you can about health and other issues because knowledge is a tool you really can use. Remember, if you have any topics you would like to discuss, you can always e-mail us.

Last week Nursey talked about dengue fever and how it is different from malaria. She thought it might be a good idea to talk a little about malaria this week because a lot of people here get sick with the disease.

Malaria is also passed from mosquitos to humans.

Mosquitos really aren’t nice at all! What happens is that the mosquitos that can spread malaria have something inside of them called a parasite.

A parasite is a tiny living thing, almost like a small bug that lives inside another living thing, in this case mosquitos and humans.

When a mosquito infected with malaria bites you, it puts that parasite inside your body.

The parasite likes to “lime” in an organ called the liver that helps to make blood cells. The parasite likes to use the cells in your blood to reproduce or make more of themselves.

It is a problem because once they grow inside your blood cells, they get too big and burst open the blood cells. This can make them infect even more blood cells.

If a woman is pregnant and has malaria, it is possible to spread the parasite to the baby through blood if she is not treated.

Some symptoms to watch out for are fever, headache, chills, body aches, and vomiting. You would notice these about 10 to 15 days after an infected mosquito bites you. If you work out in the interior and are always at risk for mosquito bites, it can be hard to know when exactly you were bit.

Also, I asked Nursey, “how would you know if you have malaria or something like the flu?”

Fevers and headaches seem pretty common for a lot of illnesses right?” Nursey said that with malaria you can get a fever every two or three days.

This fever has different stages, a cold phase where you feel really cold, a hot phase where your fever is high, and a sweating stage where your body goes back to its normal temperature.

The best way to diagnose malaria is by doing a malaria swab at your local hospital or health centre. They will take a small sample of your blood and look at it for the malaria parasite.

Malaria is curable if your health professional recognizes it early. They will give you tablets for malaria and you will be back to normal after you take them.

Some types of malaria can live in your liver even after treatment and not cause problems for you for many years. After that time it can come back and you can take tablets again. There is a new medicine that can cure even

Jon Bon Jovi Selling NYC Penthouse for $42 Million

Krista Brooks those types of malaria so they don’t come back and bother you. If you do not recognize malaria it can become complicated.

Your body needs its blood cells to work properly. If malaria continues to burst those cells, it can cause problems in other parts of your body and make you sick bad.

If you are out working in an area where malaria is common, try to wear long clothing, sleep under a net, and wear repellent to avoid mosquito bites.

If you do catch a fever and work in a high malaria area, let your health professional know so he/she can test you for malaria.

As Nursey says, knowing more about malaria and its symptoms can help save your life and save you from being badly ill. I will be back next week to tell you more interesting things that Nursey says. Until then! *** Once again, if you have any questions about malaria or any other health issues please e-mail nurseysaysguyana@gmail.com.

Krista Brooks is a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer working with the School of Nursing, which trains Nursing Assistants, Professional Nurses, and Midwifery Students.

When removing the uterus, leave the ovaries: study Though it’s been common practice during hysterectomy to remove a woman’s ovaries, a new study suggests there may be benefits in leaving them intact.

Researchers found that women’s risk of ovarian cancer diminished when their ovaries were removed, but their risks of dying from other, more common causes rose.

Based on the results, “it looks like, if given a choice, you should keep your ovaries,” said Leslie Bernstein, a professor at City of Hope cancer center, who was not involved in the study.

Tens of thousands of women each year have their ovaries taken out during a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus.

The idea is to prevent ovarian cancer, and the rationale has been that if the woman is finished having children, her ovaries are of no use and might as well come out while the

Sunday March 24, 2013

surgeon is in there.

“If you ask women what they are afraid of, after breast cancer it is ovarian cancer,” said Bernstein. “We do well with (treating) breast cancer; we do not with ovarian cancer.”

About 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the U.S. and 14,000 die from the disease annually.

Women with certain gene mutations or a strong family history of ovarian cancer are at heightened risk for the disease.

But about 98 percent of the women getting their ovaries removed during hysterectomy are not in that high-risk category, according to Dr. William Parker, the lead author of the new study.

And there might be some utility to the ovaries, even past the childbearing years, said Parker, a gynecologist and clinical professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. (Reuters Health)

He may be a Jersey guy, but he’s been living a Manhattan lifestyle.

Rocker Jon Bon Jovi has put his Manhattan penthouse on the market, and a peek inside shows 7,452 square feet of pure luxury.

And it better be luxurious and then some, considering he just put the place on the market for $42 million, a mindblowing price even for New York real estate.

According to the listing, the duplex includes a lowerlevel foyer, giant great room, five bedrooms with their own separate bathrooms, a screening room, woodburning fireplace, 11-foot

ceilings, and multiple landscaped terraces. Some of those terraces, states the listing, have a “Zen quality,” while the largest one is meant for entertaining. All have views of the surrounding city.

Oh, and the apartment, located in SoHo’s New Museum Building, comes fully furnished.

The 51-year-old – who is married with four kids and also has a mega-mansion in Middletown, New Jersey – paid a mere $24 million for the pad in 2007, and reportedly put millions into renovating the place, but it’s probably fair to say that if he gets his asking price, he’ll still be

making a killing.

We reached out to the listing agent, The Corcoran Group’s Deborah Grubman, to find out a little more about the home, namely what warrants the $42 million price tag (especially when other seemingly just-as-amazing celeb-owned NYC apartments are currently listed in the $20million range even after being redone). Is it the views? The swanky building? The fancy finishes? But a spokesperson for the agency told us the listing is “a no comment situation.”

We get it. When a guy from Jersey tells you to keep quiet, you do it.

Rock band My Chemical Romance break up after 12 years Alternative rock group My Chemical Romance announced on their website on Friday that they were calling it quits after 12 years.

The punk-popsters from New Jersey had played together since 2001, recording four studio albums and notching up an international hit with “Welcome to the Black Parade” in 2006.

In a statement, they said being in the band

“has been a true blessing” that allowed them “to see and experience things we never imagined possible”. “We’ve shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end.”

The group thanked fans for their support and “for being part of the adventure”.

Sunday March 24, 2013

From page 40 asking the court to recognize that under Article 217 of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, no money shall be withdrawn from any public fund other than the Consolidated Fund, unless the issuance of those funds has been authorized by or under an Act of Parliament.

THURSDAY EDITION COURT BLOCKS JAGDEO RADIO LICENCEE TELECOR FROM SETTING UP Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang has issued an order blocking one of the controversial new radio licencees, Telecor and Cultural Broadcasting, from setting up its broadcasting tower and offices.

The company was one of three given five radio frequencies each by former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The others who were given five radio frequencies each were Jagdeo’s best friend Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop and the Mirror newspaper, owned by the ruling People’s Progressive Party.

Telecor was moving to build its offices and set up its broadcasting tower on the southern half of 119 Peter Rose and Laluni Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown The Chief Justice made absolute an order quashing the approval given by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) for Telecor to construct its facilities on the said property.

Telecor is registered by its Secretary, Omkar Lochan, who is the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, headed by Robert Persaud, who already has connections to a television station. Telecor was blocked from setting up after residents of the area complained.

BRIAN YONGADMITS HE GOT MORE THAN HE BARGAINED FOR Brian Yong, one of the persons favoured by former President Bharrat Jagdeo to receive a cable licence to operate his digital TV and satellite communications business, has now admitted that he got more than he asked for.

In 1999, Yong applied for licences to establish a radio and television station. He never got a response on his application, but when he was ready to get into his digital business, he needed a licence.

In a newspaper report Wednesday, Yong said that he applied for radio and TV licences, but did not commit himself to saying that he did the same for a cable licence to operate his digital

Kaieteur News

communications business.

However, once he was ready to switch on, he was presented a licence by Jagdeo. That happened in December 2010. He was given frequencies on the 2.5 Gigahertz (GHz) band. In radio communications, Gigahertz (GHz) is used to define bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, with different bands assigned different uses. S-Band, for example, is a band of spectrum between 2 and 4 GHz. Common technologies such as television, Bluetooth, wireless internet, and cordless telephones operate in the S-Band.

FRIDAY EDITION PRIVATE MEDIA PROTEST UNFAIR DISTRIBUTION OF RADIO LICENCE Premised on the notion of “if you don’t stand up for something you will fall for anything,” staffers of this publication Thursday took to the streets in protesting mode to further express concerns about the recently publicised unfair distribution of radio licences. Led by Publisher, Mr Glenn Lall, the peaceful demonstration which commenced shortly after 10:00 hours, and lasted approximately two hours, attracted the support of several passersby and equally concerned citizens.

Strategically positioned in front of the 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown offices, the KN staffers were soon joined by several other representatives from private media entities including Editor-In-Chief of Capitol News, Mr Enrico Woolford, and Mr Charles Griffith of HBTV Channel Nine.

Private individuals were also in solidarity and did not fail to voice their concerns as well during the activity which soon attracted the attention of the Guyana Police Force who sought to ensure that the flow of traffic was not impeded. The vibrant exercise saw protesters expressing disgust over former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s unfair manner of distributing radio licences.

REFUNDS READY FOR STRANDED EZJET PASSENGERS FROM MONDAY More than three months after the sudden suspension of low-cost carrier, EZjet, passengers stranded in Guyana are set to start collecting their refunds from Monday. However, according to the Ministry of Public Works, because of the large number of claims, passengers will only be receiving 64% of their ticket costs.

The monies will be taken from a US$200,000 cash bond

that government has been holding at Scotiabank.

Only those who have satisfied the established criteria, following completion of the verification process, will be receiving the refunds the Ministry said. Payment will commence on Monday between 09:00hrs to 11:00hrs and 13:00hrs to 15:00hrs at the Ministry’s Central Accounting Unit, Fort Street, Kingston.

Hundreds of passengers were left stranded after US authorities suspended EZjet’s licence last November following a complaint from the company that leased planes to EZjet that it was owed hundreds of thousands of US dollars. Government took over the refunding process after angry passengers descended on numerous occasions on EZjet’s Brickdam offices. The administration had warned that the US$200,000 bond would not have been enough to refund passengers fully.

SATURDAY EDITION CIVIL SOCIETY JOINS PRIVATE MEDIATO PROTEST RADIO/CABLE LICENCE GIVEAWAY With intensified vibrancy, staffers of the National Media and Publishing Company backed by concerned supporters and members of civil society, on Friday continued protest action to amplify disgust about the recent unbiased granting of radio licences by former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

So intense was the protest action that some participants including Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall and Columnist Frederick Kissoon, were hoisted above the crowd that had assembled outside the Kaieteur News’ offices.

Also in attendance and voicing his displeasure was Leader of the Alliance for Change Khemraj Ramjattan.

Armed with placards, the protestors traversed the busy thoroughfare outside of the 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown offices of the daily publication.

The activity again attracted the attention of the Guyana Police Force whose officers were forced to closely monitor and ensure that the flow of traffic was not obstructed. And as was the case the previous day, Lall did not fail to express his frustration. “We have continued this action because we are being insulted further when Dr. (Roger) Luncheon is trying to defend this injustice that Jagdeo perpetrated, when he gave Radio, TV and cable licences to his friends’ family and party comrades.”

RAMOTAR CLAIMS

Page 49

JAGDEO WAS FULFILLING COMMITMENT President Donald Ramotar on Friday defended the granting of broadcast licences by his predecessor, Bharrat Jagdeo. Mr. Ramotar during a press conference said that the process was not irregular or unfair.

He added that Mr. Jagdeo was simply fulfilling a commitment he had made early in his second term of

office. The very month he left office, Jagdeo gave five radio frequencies each to his best friend Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop; The Mirror newspaper, which is owned by the ruling PPP; and Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting, which is linked to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud. Mr. Ramotar said that early in his second term of office, which began in 2006, Jagdeo had promised to end

the state control of radio and liberalise the sector.

“So I suspect he was fulfilling a commitment that was made very early in his second term. From that point of view I don’t see anything irregular with it,” Ramotar asserted. The President said that in the case of Ramroop, the Mirror and Telcor, one licence but five frequencies each were given to them to facilitate the reach of those stations.

Page 50

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 51

The Abigail Column Some revelations are better left unsaid

DEARABIGAIL, A friend revealed to me that she is having an affair with a good friend’s husband.

I wish she had not told me, because it puts me in a very awkward position of keeping this secret from her husband and the wife whose husband she is smugly sleeping with.

I am sensitive to this because some time ago I discovered my own husband’s infidelity with

another smug woman. As painful as the discovery was for me, we eventually worked things out. A few people eventually told me they were suspicious but afraid to say anything. I wish they had spoken up. I was totally blind.

Now I feel compelled to inform these parties despite the fact that it is “none of my business.”

Anonymous Dear Anonymous, You can take a hard look at your biases before you act on any compulsions. Is the good friend’s husband “smug,” too?

Maybe how you view infidelity helped you make peace with your husband’s actions. Both parties in your husband’s affair and both parties in your friend’s affair are accountable for their choices.

Plus, you can let your non-disclosing friends off the hook; they had suspicions, not a confession, and so whether to tell you was an even tougher call than the one you’re struggling with now.

Bias doesn’t put you in a position that’s any less awful; it just means you need to take extra care to screen your decision for self-serving motives.

Sunday March 24, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): Your love antennae are particularly receptive now that sweet Venus is back in your sign until mid-April.

Nevertheless, you may grow worried about all the things that could go wrong in a relationship.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): Your key planet, Venus, is dressed up in a new outfit today for her thrilling trip through Aries. She’s hot and ready to go for it. But you steady Bulls might not want to show all your stuff right away.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Your big ideas can get you into trouble of a pleasant nature as you tell someone exactly what you want today.

It may not be a smart idea to over-personalize what you say.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): Your life may be running smoother these days, even if you have a lot on your mind.

People are seeing in you a new light. Even things in your family and the community are changing for the better.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): Love is a grand journey for you Lions now that Venus is skipping through your 9th House of Travel. You may be drawn toward new adventures and might even get to take that trip you’ve been dreaming of.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): A subtle shift pulls you into the fantasy of having to get what you want, yet this might not be as innocent as it appears.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): You Libras tend to be people-oriented, but your expression of love and affection is strongly emphasized through April 15.

Your key planet, Venus, is traveling through your 7th House of Partnerships, inviting you to smooth over whatever problems that have developed with others.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): You are usually attracted to experiences that enrich and deepen your life. Now, however, Venus is encouraging you to act on your impulsive desires.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): It is said that you Archers are always ready for a good time, but this isn’t totally true.

For example, you are moving into a phase when creative self-expression does lead to fun and games.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): It’s difficult for you to escape your sense of duty.

Even your need for love can be tied to certain practical considerations.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): You may be caught between your need to be responsible and your desire to cut loose and do something exciting.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): Your senses are more highly tuned today, attracting you to do something very specific rather than idly dream about possibilities. The time for action is now, but you may be more concerned with financial matters, which could cause some doubt.

MTV CHANNEL 14/ CABLE 65 06:30 hrs - Prayag Vanie 07:00 hrs - Toolsie Persaud Ltd. Bhajan Hour 07:30 hrs - CNN News 08:00 hrs - Christ for the Nation 08:30 hrs - Puran Brothers: Shiva Bhajans 09:00 hrs - Muslim Melodies with Al Madina Exclusive 09:30 hrs - Teleview Kutbah 10:00 hrs - DJ Stress Indian Movie 13:00 hrs - Garam Geet 14:00 hrs - The Variety Show with WR Reaz 15:00 hrs - International Day of Forest and Trees 15:37 hrs - CNN News 16:00 hrs - Bollywood Sensation with Kavita 17:00 hrs - Birthdays & Other greetings 17:15 hrs - Death Announcements/ In memoriam 17:30 hrs - CNN News 18:00 hrs - Sitcom 18:30 hrs - DNA TV Show 19:00 hrs - JKS TV Show 19:30 hrs - BBC World News 20:00 hrs - Sangeet Mehfil 21:00 hrs - Indian movie: Silsila NTN CHANNEL 18/ CABLE 69 4TH TEST DAY 3 INDIA vs AUSTRALIA 0730h - 5TH ODI SOUTH AFRICA vs PAKISTAN 1100h - Guyana’s Entertainers Platform 1145h - 5TH ODI SOUTH AFRICA vs PAKISTAN

1530h - Hinduism in a changing world presented

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Page 52

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

Wilson’s FIFA mission pays off big Acting President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Franklin Wilson’s mission to FIFA’s Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, last week, paid off big when the world governing body for football approving a US$500,000 grant for Guyana.

FIFA approved the grant under the Less Privileged Members Association, following a high-level meeting with football Executives from across the

- US$500,000 grant for Guyana globe. Wilson had lobbied for the assistance as Guyana is in need of much needed aid for development Wilson is a member of FIFA Development Committee, and represented Guyana at the March 18 meeting. He said that the money will go toward the completion of the Gold Project, which is one of the GFF marquee projects for

completion.

“As you know when I started acting as President, the Gold Project was something I did say that we would zoom in on with a view of getting it up and running and of course completed,” Wilson said at the GFF Head Office in Dadanawa Street, Campbellville.

The GFF Gold Project includes the completion of a

football field, accommodation, locker rooms and lecture theatres at Orgenstein on the East Bank of Essequibo. Wilson said the money will go toward completing those varying phases of the project.

According to Wilson, the local football authority was dissatisfied with the works of the previous contracting firm, which was suspended from working on the project. He said that re-tendering for works on the facility will be

done this week.

Wilson informed the media that yesterday, GFF Executives met with the Consulting Architect to continue discussions on the way forward. He mentioned that monies remaining from all the work already done will be merged with this new sum to complete the project.

“From the initial US$400,000 that was allocated for the Project, I think we have US$270,000 remaining and of course that will be merged with the US$500,000 based on discussions we had with FIFA in Zurich,” Wilson said yesterday.

He noted that plans will have to be altered since it was agreed, following discussions with FIFA, that an artificial surface is best suited for Guyana as opposed the natural turf. Wilson said that

Franklin Wilson the recommendation is as a result of Guyana’s weather conditions.

According to the acting GFF President, the GFF has applied for two FIFA projects, with Linden and the East Coast of Demerara being the areas identified.

Wilson said that development remains one of the key focuses of the GFF under his tenure as acting President.

Mayor’s KO Football moves to quarterfinal stage Tuesday at GFC The annual Mayor’s knock out football tournament continues Tuesday when it reached the quarterfinal stages starting with a double header at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda.

Alpha United will take on home team GFC at 18:30hrs, while Slingerz of the West side tackle Camptown in the second match at 20:30 hrs.

Thursday, the quarterfinals continue at the same venue and times with Santos opposing Den Amstel, while Fruta Conquerors battle GDF. Keen competition is

anticipated in the quarterfinal action. The respective semis will be contested on Sunday March 31 with the final and third place playoff set for April 7.

The winner in this tournament will cart off $1,000,000, while the runner up will take home $500,000; the third and fourth place finishers will receive $300,000 and $200,000 respectively.

The sponsors on board so far are 2 Brothers gas station, Mohamed’s Enterprise, General Equipment Guyana Ltd, Bakewell, Guyana Beverage Inc and MaCorp.

Round-up of matches in the WICB Regional 4-Day Championship Barbados, replying to Windward Islands’ 184 all out, were 33 for five at the close on the opening day of their fifth round match at Kensington Oval.

WINDWARDS 184 all out (Devon Smith 40, Andre Fletcher 38, Kenroy Peters 25 not out; Sulieman Benn 4-50, Ashley Nurse 4-63) BARBADOS 33 for five (Nelon Pascal 3-15) Leeward Islands, replying to Jamaica’s 209 all out, were 38 for three at the close on the opening day of their fifth round game at Sabina Park.

JAMAICA 209 all out (Jermaine Blackwood 42, Nkrumah Bonner 39, Odean Brown 30 not out; Justin Athanaze 4-76, Quinton Boatswain 3-21) LEEWARDS 38 for three (Nikita Miller 2-3) Trinidad and Tobago, sent in by Combined Campuses and Colleges, reached 285 for five at the close on the opening day of their fifth round match at Queen’s Park Oval.

T&T 285 for five (Jason Mohammed 119 not out, Dwayne Bravo 60, Kieron Pollard 45, Stephen Katwaroo 28 not out; Keswick Williams 2-38, Raymon Reifer 2-47) vs CCC.

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 53

Mitchell aspires to improves Tournament marred after Uitvlugt fail unbeaten streak as CS&TC to show up for engagement with Alpha stages two 10K race walks Mayor’s Cup Football championships...

Football fans turned out in their numbers to witness two matches; Santos FC against Seawall and Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United versus Uitvlugt and though the former match started off the proceedings, many were eager to see the duel between the latter teams when action in the Mayor ’s Cup Football championships continued at the Georgetown football Club (GFC) Ground, Friday evening last.

Fans were, however, disappointed when the Santos FC/ Seawall FC duel failed to produce the anticipated fireworks, compounded by the cancellation of the second match after the Uitvlugt players, apparently in awe of their foes, experienced cold feet and opted to concede a walk over. The situation has raised the ire of organizer, Lennox Arthur, who has since said that he will approach the executive of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) for redress.

The Santos FC/ Seawall FC match lacked the fireworks as neither of the teams were penetrative enough. On too many occasions opportunities were lost due to poor handling of the ball or in some cases laxity on the part

of the footballers from both sides.

There were spurts of aggression but neither team were able to fully capitalize with the Santos goalkeeper standing a notch above the rest with some spectacular saves. Heated exchanges failed to break the nil all deadlock and the game appeared to be headed for extra time. It was around that time, with merely 4 minutes to the final whistle that Dorway Bennett latched onto a pass, in the 86th minute, and breached the opposition’s goalie to send Santos ahead.

Four minutes were not enough for the Seawall team to equalize thus Santos have qualified for the quarterfinals stage which commences on Tuesday March 26 next. They will oppose Slingerz FC while Alpha will play the Guyana Defence Force.

Meanwhile, Mr. Arthur has indicated that he will dispatch a correspondence to the GFF regarding the Uitvlugt issue.

The players are competing for a first prize of one million dollars with the runners up carting off half that amount. The third and fourth place finishers receive $300,000 and $200,000 respectively.

Carib Beer First Division T/20 Cricket Competition semi and quarterfinal on in Berbice The Albion Community Centre Ground today would be the venue when the Berbice Cricket Board hosts the lone semifinals and last quarterfinals of the 2012 Carib Beer 20/20 tournament. Albion Community Centre and Bermine would clash in the quarterfinals with the winner drawing a bye to the finals, while Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets would play in the lone semifinals to decide the other finalists.

Starting at 09:30 hours, Albion Community Centre led by Devendra Bishoo would face off with a youthful Bermine team. Albion’s efforts would be led by Bishoo, Sewnarine Chattergoon,

Sharaz Ramcharran, Balchan Baldeo, Gudakesh MotieKanhai and Veerapen Permaul. Bermine like Albion would be missing several of their senior players but would be spearheaded by national player Steve Latcha, Damon Vantull, Julian Moore, Hakeem Hinds, Keion De Jesus, Romario Shepherd and Joemal La Fleur. West Indies female cricketer Tremayne Smartt would also play for Bermine.

Rose Hall Town Gizmos & Gadgets would seek to extend their winning streak against an improving West Berbice team who surprised Young Warriors in the playoff round to advance. Rose Hall Town

Gismos & Gadgets would be led by Delbert Hicks with support from Assad Fudadin, Rajiv Ivan, Clinton Pestano, Dominique Rikhi, Khemraj Mahadeo, Jason Sinclair, Shawn Pereira and Renwick Batson who have all played for either the senior Berbice or Guyana team.

West Berbice would depend heavily on the services of all rounder Keith Fraser, Kawsie Mentore, national pacer Keon Joseph and Troy Halley. Bowl off time is 09:30 hours.

The Final would be played at the Albion Community Centre on a date to be decided on by the Berbice Cricket Board.

Anthony pleads for partnership...

From page 58 to build on the good things that happened with the 2012 Council; we must look back, we must retrospect to ensure that we get better.

We are here to improve and see the athletes run fast, Cassey George is an example of that,” he said.

“We plan to invest heavily in these athletes and we will ensure that the athletes get the necessary exposure they need. We will put our best foot forward, so that come 2016 we can see medals for Guyana,” he added during his remarks. The Awardees included: Coach of the Year, Julian Edmonds (Running Braves Athletics Club); Male Athlete of the Year, Cleveland Forde (Unattached); Runnerup Male Athlete of the Year, Cleveland Thomas (Running Braves Athletics Club); Female Athlete of the Year, Alika Morgan (Rising

Stars), Runner-up Female Athletes of the Year, Natasha Alder (Police Progressive Youth Club) and Alicia Fortune (tied) (Running Braves Athletics Club); Junior Male Athlete of the Year, Stephan James (Running Braves Athletics Club), Runner-up Junior Male Athlete of the Year, Nathaniel Giddings; Junior Female Athlete of the Year, Jevina Straker (Running Braves Athletics Club); Junior Runner-up Female Athlete of the Year, Alita Moore (Police Progressive), Youth Male Athlete of the Year, Tevin Garraway (Police Progressive); Runner-up Youth Male Athlete of the Year, Ornesto Thomas, Youth Female Athlete of the Year, Andrea Foster (Running Braves Athletics Club); Runner-up Youth Female Athlete of the Year, Cassey George; Official of the Year, Cheryl Sam; Most Promising Athlete of the Year, Shaquille Smart.

The cream of the country’s race walkers will take to the streets this morning in fierce competitiveness when the Cavalier’s Sports and Tour Club (CS&TC) presents activities to commemorate the death of late President, Cheddi Jagan, this morning.

Activities get underway at 06:00hrs when participants convene at Hill Foot, Linden/ Soesdyke Highway to the CPG office at the Soesdyke junction for the 10K event.

Later in the day, at 17:00hrs, the walkers will convene at the Five Door Koker Dam, Land of Canaan, ECD for an event of a similar distance.

Several of the country’s top walkers are expected to participate in the events and the man to beat is National Race walk Champion, Rudolph Mitchell whose dominance has seen him register more than 118 unbeaten races. The Lindener would be going all out to extend his winning streak but he will know that there are quite a few aspirants that are working assiduously to dethrone him.

Those desirous of participating in the race are asked to grace the starting line at 06:00hrs on race day for a prompt start at 06:30hrs.

Trophies and other prizes are donated by the Guyana Revenue Authority and attorney-at-Law, Melvyn Duke.

Meanwhile, Mitchell continued his winning ways when he defeated a competent field when the CS&TC, in collaboration with the Soesdyke Community Policing Group (SCPG) staged

Mitchell receives his winnings from coordinator of CS&TC, Cecil Harry shortly after the culmination of the race the Olga Harry Memorial Race Walk recently. The prolific race walker romped home ahead of Jeremy Cornelius and Donna Ramkissoon. The winners received trophies and medals

donated by the GRA and Caribbean Containers Inc, while Chairman of the SCPG and coordinator of CS&TC, Cecil Harry, presented the prizes to the respective winners.

Haniff files injunction...

From page 59 elated when the GCB announced that international cricket returned to Guyana but we may have to wait even longer. The West Indies Cricket Board may very well decide that it is no longer possible to fix any cricket for Guyana.

Judge Diane Inshanally and Angela Haniff may very well decide who wins the WICB elections.

Page 54

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

Rookie Sean Semple the leading shot blocker Charwayne Walker continues his series of highlight on former outstanding basketball players. Today we look at Sean Semple.

When Sean Semple Aka Mr. Silk deplaned Norman Manley International Airport, July of 1991, the only International experience the 20 year had was being named in a Guyana 17 man squad December 4, 1989 for three Goodwill matches against Barbados so the hundred million question being asked

by Basketball enthusiast b e f o r e M i k e B r u s c h e ’s Men depart, Timehri International, is whether Mr (Cool) could withstand the pressure from former NBA Pros ,Jamaicans Wayne, Sappleton, Andrew Kennedy, Bahamian Vincent Knowles, Bajans Andrew Alleyne Dwight Rouse and Trinidad’s Bertram Brisbane.

But the eagles Pivot had other ideas at the end of the 1991 tournament, Mr. Cool created history he became the first rookie to received the trophy for the top shot blocker he also came third in

the rebound category and as a scorer he had one of tournament’s biggest games, 21 points and 13 rebounds and three block shots against the Cayman Islands.

So, Sean Semple whose critics had label as a baby, returned from Reggae Country as the (silent assassin).

His next International overseas assignment was Suriname for a Goodwill Series against SNL the Suriname army team then that country’s National Champs Runner UPS Yellowbirds and the grand finale against the Suriname National Team which narrowly defeated Guyana a month earlier at the Caricom championship in Jamaica 84 to 86.

The following year 1992 August he contested is toughest series, the German Professional Club TTL Bomery visited the land of the mighty Kaieteur Falls, this tour was the first by a European Pro Club the Germans arsenal included two players who had just represented Germany at the

1992 Barcelona Olympics, two former NBA players and a 7 foot 4 inch centre. They won all three matches by wide margins.

Guyana’s next Internationals was against Barbados July 1993 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall the National Team led by Eion (Wico) Leitch won game one through Semple’s top score of 12 points.

The Bajan’s inspired by London based Pro, Nigel Lloyd 32 points rebound from the opening encounter with an emphatic victory which evened the three match series.

Although Semple top scored with 14 points for the Land of many Waters in the series decider, his effort was in vain as the Bajans won handsomely to take the Series 2 games to one.

He had a below par performance in his first International Triangular series the next month against Suriname and Wa s h i n g t o n b a s e d D C Jammers.

INTERNATIONALJULY

(1994) First visit to Barbados ended in controversy as coach Rashaad withdrew is charges because of bias officiating in the Goodwill series which was arranged as both the host and Guyana were preparing for the upcoming Caricom championship in Georgetown 1994.

Strange tactics by overseas coach Erik Rashaad limited Semple’s minutes when Guyana hosted the 1994 Caricom championship demonstrating a concept of team and country before personal accomplishment.

Semple’s limited court time prove invaluable as Guyana progress to the championship finals for the first time since the Inaugural event which was also hosted by the land of the mighty Kaieteur Falls – 1981.

The same year he along with Compatriot Edgar Bol Thomas left for the United States to honour a Basketball

Scholarship at Dillard University; both players were stand outs on and off the courts.

Both players returned the following year July 1995 to represent the land of the Mighty Kaieteur Falls at the Caricom championship in the Bahamas, but it was Semple who was the talk of Nassau the Bahamas Capitol, although Guyana lost all its preliminary games for the first time, Semple was one of the tournament most outstanding ‘Big Men’, his 22 points against Belize remains his career high, unfortunately this was Semple’s last International tournament for the land of many waters, he was only 24.

His biggest disappointment was when Guyana qualified for the 1995 Centro basketball Championship by placing second at the 1994 Caricom Championship but failed to attend the prestigious Central American Championship for

the 4th time.

INTERNATIONAL CAREER Debut - 1989 Cliff Anderson Sports Hall against Barbados Goodwill series.

Caricom Championship Debut 1991 vs Barbados, National Arena Kingston Jamaica Career High 22 points vs Belize Nassau Bahamas 1995 International matches played (33) Caricom championship played 1991, Jamaica 1994, Guyana, 1995, Bahamas International Tours 1991 Jamaica and Suriname, 1994, Barbados 1995, Bahamas.

Caricom championship matches played (14).

Most memorable international game for Guyana - 1991 vs Cayman Islands at National Arena Kingston Jamaica, Caricom Championship 21 points 13 Rebounds 3 blocks.

(Charwayne Walker)

Floodlight upstage Brazilians in shared Football series - lose 6-5 then win 3-1 penalty shootout

Brazilian skipper Abley Jeferson Reis Receives winning trophy from Vanie Narine Popular softball cricket team, Floodlights, downed their softball bats and balls to take on the Brazilian miners at two games of football last Friday evening at the DCC Ground.

The first match, which was held in honour of Ramchand Ragbeer who celebrated his 59th birthday, was a bruising encounter which saw the Brazilian edging Floodlights in the last two minutes to win 6-5.

Floodlight drew blood early in the first 10 minutes, by half time it was 2-2. By the end of the game it was 5-5 until the Brazilian scored their sixth goal in the last two minutes. Ramchand Ragbeer, Rohan Boojraj, Jailall Deodass, Steve Narine, Ricky Deonarain and Surendra Nauth all came close in scoring their first goal.

But it was Kurt Alli, Floodlight player of the match who scored two goals with

Ronnie Sanmogan, Ronald Donald Francis and Arjune Badal scoring one each.

Diego Souza, the Brazilian player of the match scored three goals, with Abley Jefersen Reis, Anderson and Earnesto scored one each.

In the second encounter, which was a penalty shootout, Floodlights defeated the Brazilian 3-1.

On Friday April 12th, Floodlights will take on the Brazilian in softball cricket.

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 55

King speaks with Michael Benjamin and exudes confidence of becoming GFF President Controversy reigns in the Berbice Football Association following the election of office bearers for that entity just under one week ago.

Several clubs in that region are accusing the incumbency of unfair tactics and have sought the intervention of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to mediate on the issue.

But even before the Berbice controversy, executives of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA), had experienced similar turmoil and had sought the intervention of FIFA executives in the restoration of their own voting rights among other issues.

As a matter of fact, trouble seems to be brewing and the pundits are adamant that the situation will reach an unpleasant culmination on April 12, the day of voting for a President and other executives of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

Amidst such controversy and confusion, several football affiliates are priming up to contest those and several ambitious administrators spoken to thus far have all presented plans and objectives to grapple with such anomalies while offering grandiose manifestoes towards the elevation of the sport to its rightful place as the most attractive spectacle worldwide.

Amidst the hustle and bustle to ascend to the prestigious seat of the GFF Presidency, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Alfred R King believes that he possesses the requisite skill and competency to secure the prestigious prize and guide local footballers to the pinnacle of the sport.

A rangy individual, Alfred is bursting with enthusiasm and set out his plans and projections in an exclusive interview with Kaieteur Sport recently. He said he has a foolproof manifesto and he is confident that after the voters would have perused his résumé, they would feel

compelled to support his bid for the top football post locally.

A former Commissioned Officer of the Guyana Defence Force, Alfred comes with a wealth of academic qualifications supported by administrative and leadership experience. He has procured a Bachelor of Education (Distinction) from the University of Guyana even as he boasts of a stint at the Georgia State University, USA. But academic achievement may not necessarily translate into the administrative skills towards the advancement of the sport.

Mr. Alfred agrees while pointing out that his involvement in football administration along with other accomplishments is meritorious and would stand him in good stead.

He said that he is a trained referee since 1996 after completing the course under the tutelage of FIFA Instructor, Lawrence ‘Sparrow’ Griffith.

His love for the sport was also encouraged him to seek an executive position on the Guyana Football Referee’s Council (GFRC) and in 2001; he managed to clinch the position of 1st Vice President.

“In those days, the referees’ council was basically a one man show with Lawrence Griffith serving a quintessential role as organizers, mobilize, coordinator…….as a matter of fact Griffith was the referee’s council,” Alfred chuckled.

Two years later, Alfred campaigned for and was successful in clinching the top post in the GFRC. Just one week prior to this interview he managed to secure reelection of that entity, an act he feels is fitting testimony of his administrative skills and one which has boosted his morale and strengthened his resolve to win the GFF presidential seat.

Mr. Alfred said that he is not one to bury his head in

the sand; he is cognizant of the volume of work that is needed to restore some pride to the football fraternity and admits that it will take some time to get the situation on an even keel.

That apart, he believes that there are poignant issues that have contributed to the sad state of affairs and he plans to grapple them from his first day in the Presidential seat.

“I believe that there ought to be restrictions on timelines of GFF Presidents,” he emphatically stated. He believes that two terms, an equivalent of 4 years, is sufficient for anyone filling the post to impact on the forward thrust of the sport.

“The current situation where one individual is allowed to occupy the seat cause them to become too smug and could hamper the developmental process,” exhorted Alfred.

As such he promises to initiate a process where the statutes will be accordingly adjusted from the first day of his ascendency.

The aspiring President next turned his attention to the issue of governance. He said that he would have felt a little more comfortable if he was given a unanimous mandate to push the sport forward.

“On too many occasions we are faced with an executive group with fragmented ideas that compromise the developmental flow,” asserted Alfred. He said that he would feel comfortable if he is given a unanimous mandate where all of the players support a common track of development.

The adequate, equitable and honest distribution of the Federation’s finances have been a sore point with many of the affiliates hinting at malfeasance on one hand and misuse of funds on the other.

Mr. Alfred said that he is aware of the accusations and posits that while past presidents may not have been involved in skullduggery, the lack of openness pertaining

to financial transactions might be responsible for such epithets.

“That is why among my first tasks I will attempt to restore some credibility to this department,” promised Alfred. He said that the restoration of such trust and confidence can improve relations with the corporate community which would translate to more funding for local football development.

He is also adamant that the sport is limping because of a solid vision for football development based on Guyana’s reality. “Football in Guyana is in the doldrums and is nowhere close to what is required for World Cup (football) qualifications,” he opines. He further feels that the structures and facilities are in great need of enhancement as this department is very weak.

However, Mr. King feels that the time has come for football executives to find ways of attracting persons of high credibility to serve at the executive level. “Over the

years competent professionals have volunteered their services but eventually retracted because of the adverse publicity surrounding the administrative department.”

He feels that the time has arrived for executives to revive the interest of professionals of such ilk.

“And I intend to create the atmosphere to facilitate this,” vowed King.

The word out on the streets is that King’s political appointment may be a major setback since FIFA officials frown on Government interference in football affairs.

Mr. King scoffs at such sentiments while pointing out that FIFA statutes for qualification into their administrative ranks are clear cut and does not necessarily preclude appointment of government officials.

“Furthermore, history is replete with football officials that are or were Government officials; the problem can only arise when politics seep into football administration and I

Alfred King have absolutely no intention of mixing the two variables,” assured King.

King’s nurtures lofty ambitions of securing the prestigious post and he is cognizant of the volume of work necessary to change the flagging fortunes of local footballers.

He is also aware of the quality of the other aspirants.

Notwithstanding, he believes that his projections coupled with the will to implement the right strategies for the development of the sport will stand him in good stead and when the smoke is cleared he will be the last man standing.

Page 56

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

:: :: :: Letters to the Sports Editor :: :: ::

Elcock responds to letter DCB corrects the GCA & ECCB once and for all DEAR SIR, Kindly allow me to respond to one Mr. Anil Bhola to his article dated March, 22nd.

Mr. Bhola could you please explain what happened to the Brighton Turf Club finances for the last major race meeting held a few years ago, do you have any immoveable valuable property that in event you make any decision on behalf of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority that is not in favour with rules governing races that I may challenge in court and could collect on, seeing that you are not residing in Guyana anymore.

I do not want to waste valuable space in the

Newspaper but whoever cannot understand what I was trying to say could simply come to classes at 09:00hrs on any Sunday mornings, it’s simple all countries with a racing body works through the Ministry of Agriculture.

Shortly we will have a certified laboratory and quarantine station, the animal act of Guyana already covers over 50 percent of the laws with regards to Horses Movement, Export, and Import etc you figure it out.

Seeing that Mr. Bhola resides outside of Guyana does it make sense for him to invest in a 30 million dollars property here which he will only use for 5-7 days in a year? The reason is clear why I cannot sit and waste my

precious time with people like Mr. Bhola. In short the Guyana Horse Racing Authority is a legal nonentity they cannot be sued but the people making decisions on its behalf could be sued.

They need to get themselves regularized.

Why should each club own a starting gate and a photo finish camera when clubs in the Corentyne could have access to one gate while on the West Coast of Berbice same could apply; the same with the camera.

One could be acquired and controlled by the so called Stewards of the Racing Authority and the clubs pay a fee to cover acquisition cost and maintenance, Colin Elcock

DEAR MR. EDITOR, Please allow me space in your newspaper for me to write this sports letter.

Reading yesterday (Friday) newspaper I see the President of the Demerara Cricket Board Raj Singh indicated that following invitations from the DCB to all Area Associations to prepare and present their squads for the Inter Association U15 competition, only the squads from East Bank Demerara Cricket Association and the West Demerara Cricket Association were received by the original cutoff date March 11.

Upper Demerara Cricket Association were never sent a letter nor invited to take part in the competition so we can submit a team. The release forwarded, stated that after very careful deliberations, the

DCB then decided to extend the deadline for the teams’ submission by a further one week until March 18th and this information was subsequently communicated to those delinquent Associations.

The DCB do not count Upper Demerara as part of Demerara so the Cricketers in Upper Demerara (Region 10) are wondering if they have to play in teams in town to make the DCB teams.

The release go on to say It is important to note that players who do not participate in the officially sanctioned cricket of the Area Associations and their respective Boards would not be eligible to be selected to represent the county nor the national team. For this simple reason, the DCB has been

reaching out to all and sundry to ensure that the politics does not interfere with the cricket and the youths and their future.

The DCB only Focus on Four parts of Demerara which are, East Bank Demerara, West Demerara, East Coast Demerara and Georgetown, once again there is no place in the DCB tournament for Upper Demerara Cricketers who have a lot of talent and are being left on the sideline.

Sherwin Graham President of Upper Demerara Cricket Umpire and Scorer Association Vice President of Upper Demerara Cricket Association Manger of Young stars Cricket Club Cricket Organizer

DCB U-15 Competition without Upper Demerara

Dear Editor, Reference is made to a most insolent letter appearing in the KN & GT on 3/22/13 purportedly penned by the heads of the GCA & ECCB. It has now reached a stage where DCB is compelled to respond to these repeated inaccuracies being peddled by these individuals and defend its cricket-oriented position for the records, once and for all.

The Demerara Cricket Board duly planned for its 2013 Under-15 Inter Association competition and invited the 4 Area Associations to name their respective squads.

The GCA & ECCB, in their usual boisterous style, blatantly refused to comply with the invitation for their squads’ submission and they are now proudly disassociating themselves from the teams selected from their own areas.

Actually they should be ashamed to be adopting such reckless and ill-advised actions which are clearly very myopic and shortsighted and are only designed to hurt the youths in their respective areas. How can they justify refusing to allow these youths from pursuing their cricket careers? Even if they have issues with the administrative authority in Demerara, they need to fight those matters in the appropriate forum and not use the youths of our country as their political football. This competition has just concluded and the DCB will continue with its mandate to promote and develop the youths in the county of Demerara and, in this regard, will very shortly be organizing the Inter Association Under-19 competition and would like to encourage all Area Associations to let good sense prevail and continue to execute the mandate from their respective constituents by selecting their squads for these tournaments in a timely manner.

If we are to follow the skewed logic of these guys, no cricket should be played in Guyana once it is not administered by certain individuals. Christopher Barnwell would not have represented Guyana at the T20s thus denying him the chance to be at this year’s IPL; Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Ricardo Adams and Shemroy Hetemeyer all would have been at home playing marbles instead of being at the current WICB Under-19 encampment in preparation for the Under-19 World Cup. I am actually relieved that the focus has now shifted towards the DCB, the epicenter of this entire manufactured cricket crisis spearheaded by this same group, as this is where it has to be solved. Lest these goodly gentlemen succeed further in misleading the public, I would like to gently remind them how we all got here in the first place.

It all started even before Mr. Chetram Singh, former President of the GCB, formally announced his decision in 2009 not to seek re-election in 2011. The fight for that poisoned chalice position has seen no end in sight so far. Three persons announced their intentions to vie for this position since then including the ubiquitous Mr. Bissoondyal Singh (then the President of the DCB). Hereunder, I would quickly outline for the benefit of the general public the devious and dishonest maneuvers at the DCB level that led us to this sorry state of affairs: -Which 3 out of 4 (75%) Area Associations filed a no confidence motion against Mr. Bissoondyal Singh as President of the DCB in December 2009.

-Which attorney represented (or was it misrepresented?) Mr. Bissoondyal in our Supreme Courts using an incorrect constitution to secure an Order to stop this no confidence motion from proceeding? The

Honourable Judge was misled by the constitution filed in this matter which stated the tenure of Office to be 1 year to expire in January 2010 when the tenure of Office was changed a few years prior to 2 years. This seems to be a clear case of perjury.

-Why did Mr. Bissoondyal approach the Court, once again in November 2010, seeking to throw out 6 of his Executives of the DCB (perceived to be against him), for failing to attend “meetings”, that were not actually meetings since they were never convened for lack of a quorum, in his preparation for the DCB’s AGM that was fast approaching in January 2011? He failed in the Court this time as he was duly challenged by the 6 Execs of the DCB and the Judge was not misled.

- Why did Mr. Bissoondyal Singh again dictatorially tried to throw out 3 Execs out of the full complement of 13 (under the perception that he had support for his decisions by 5 other Execs there present) from participating in the court appointed Executive Committee Meeting of January 18th 2011 ordered by the Chief Justice to fix the date, venue, etc for the AGM later in that said month? There is video evidence of this entire meeting which has been aired a few times already on some channels and is still available for scrutiny.

These are the chronological sequence of events that the media needs to thoroughly investigate so that the public can be properly informed of the true facts of our manufactured cricket crisis and the adopted pathway to power at the GCB. It is public knowledge that Mr. Bissoondyal Singh defied the democratic process and decisions taken through a resolution read and passed at the said court ordered DCB Exec Meeting and proceeded to hold another AGM throwing the DCB into total chaos, and subsequently, the entire cricketing fraternity. Resulting from this deplorable behavior and the confusion that reined afterwards, Mr. Krishnchand Mangal approached the Court in February 2011and was duly granted an injunction against Mr. Bissoondyal Singh and 12 others from pretending to be the Execs of the DCB. These Orders are attached for your scrutiny and evidence against the Defendants: Bissoondyal Singh, Roger Harper, Pretipaul Jaigobin, Davteerth Anandjit, Samaroo Jailall, Edward Richmond, Nigel Bissu, Neil Barry, Shawn Massiah, Manoj Narayan, Claude Raphael & Ronald Williams.

Mr. Bissoondyal Singh then reapproached the Courts in April 2011, obviously unhappy with their verdict, but only succeeded in having the Injunctive Order made interlocutory and with the applicant in the matter, Mr. Mangal giving an undertaking that he would not act as the DCB. Later in 2011, Mr. Harper approached the Court to find that the DCB was in contempt of court but hastily withdrew that matter. Perhaps he can shed some light on that situation rather than co-authoring contradictory statements.

These are the clear and unbridled facts and the DCB has been the collateral damage in the quest for power by this individual who is trying to make himself out to be some paragon of virtue and righteousness. History will be the judge of these persons.

I would urge the Select Committee of the 10th Parliament to carefully examine the facts presented herein before making judgments or decisions regarding the DCB and as stated in my written submissions on behalf of the DCB, the Select Committee should await the outcome of these court matters before proceeding with the proposed legislation regarding the administration of cricket in Guyana.

Raj Singh, President-DCB

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 57

2013 New Building Society Second Division 40-Over Cricket Competition ...

Khan’s 105 and 5 for 7 sees Springlands to big 260 run victory - Progressive Youth bowled out for 18 The 2013 New Building Society Second Division 40Over Cricket Competition in Berbice continued with some outstanding performances with Springlands opening batsman Jamal Khan leading the way with 105.

His knock which included 10 fours and 3 sixes, together with half centuries from Ackram Razack (60) and Errol Byass (50) paced Springlands to 278 for 4 in their 35 overs against Progressive Youth.

Khan then came back with his medium pacer and took 5 for 7 from 4 overs which together with medium pacer Nasrudeen Persaud taking 4 for 11 from 4 overs, skittled out Progressive Youth for a paltry 18, the lowest score in the competition this year so far giving Springlands a 260 run victory.

Michael Kendall slammed 74 (9 fours and 4 sixes) and Charles Franco 54 (7 fours and 1 six) to steer No. 52 Survival to

295 in 32.4 overs against Leeds/ No. 51 Young Star. Pacer Wayne Garnett then took 4 for 29 from 7 overs to see Leeds bowled out for 80 in reply.

Led by 63 (6 fours and 1 six) from Lakeram Latchman and 53 from Gobin Roopram, No. 73 Young Warriors did well to make 214 for 3 from 35 overs against Corriverton who nevertheless made light work of the target and replied with 215 for 4 in 30.5 overs with Amzad Appalsammy scoring 57 N.O and Rasheed Pirkhan 53.

Also scoring half centuries were Delon Hinds of Young Adventures, Kumar Mathura of No. 69 Red Rose and Romesh Joseph of No. 64 Fighting Marines.

In scores from the matches played: At No. 71, Springlands beat Progressive Youth by 260 runs. Springlands 278 for 4 in 35 overs with Jamal Khan 105, Ackram Razack 60, Errol Byass 50, Trishan Ramdass

Michael Khan

Jamal Khan

Lakeram Latchman

Amzan Appalsammy

29, Umdat Ramdial 2 for 35, Progressive Youth 18, Jamal Khan 5 for 7, Nasrudeen Persaud 4 for 11.

At No. 52, No. 52 Survival beat Leeds/No. 51 Young Star by 215 runs. No. 52 Survival 295 in 32.4 overs with Michael Kendall 74, Charles France 54, Wayne Garnett 35,Marcel Harvey 28, Raymond Lowenfield 3 for 38, Alvan Jeffrey 3 for 41, Antonio Morgan 2 for 45.

Leeds/No. 51 Young Star 80 in 13.1 overs with Wayne Garnett 4 for 29, Clinton Johnson 2 for 8, Amit Ramrup 2 for 40.

At No. 73, Corriverton beat No. 73 Young Warriors by 6 wickets. No. 73 Young Warriors 214 for 3 in 35 overs with Lakeram Latchman 63, Gobin Roopram 53, Odrat Singh 29 N.O, Kawal Jainarine 26; Jermaine Reid 2 for 31.

Corriverton 215 for 4 in 30.5 Amzad Appalsammy 57 N.O, Rasheed Pirkhan 53, Jermaine Reid 32 N.O; Sewnarine Dallu 2 for 36.

At Mibicuri, Young Adventurers beat Mibicuri by 1 wicket. Mibicuri 165 in 29 overs with Khemraj Paltu 49, Seecharran Sukhu 42,

Bisnauth Jhappan 3 for 16, Delon Hinds 3 for 29, Brentnol Bourne 2 for 21.

Young Adventurers 166 for 9 in 33 overs with Delon Hinds 62, Vaughn Dean 43, Darris Watson 3 for 32, Lakeram Paltu 2 for 25, Seecharran Sukhu 2 for 29.

At No. 69, No. 69 Red Rose beat No. 64 Fighting Marines by 33 runs. No. 69 Red Rose 193 for 9 in 40 overs with Kumar Mathura 50, Parasram Chaitram 38, Vishwanauth Lallbeharry 29, Devendra Budhu 3 for 24; Sean Persaud 2 for 29.

No. 64 Fighting Marines 160 in 36 overs with Ramesh Joseph 60, Trevor Thomas 27, Radesh Bisnauth 4 for 34 Azad Mohamed 4 for 29.

At No. 70, No. 70 Young Star beat No. 71 by 30 runs.

No. 70 Young Star 171 for 9 in 30 overs with Rayon Yacoob 36, Chris Bollers 33, Deoprakash Ramdat 2 for 26, Navin Vincent 2 for 33.

No. 71 – 141 in 29.4 overs with Somdat Singh 41, Imran Mohamed 25, Naeem Yacoob 3 for 18, Rayan Yacoob 2 for 12, Thameshwar Ramoutar 2 for 13.

Page 58

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kayode McKinnon calls for more focus on players ahead of GFF Presidency vote National footballer Kayode McKinnon, in a letter to the media, has called for the new president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to be more minded of the welfare of players. McKinnon, who is the past had expressed some frustration with the way business has been done in the local administration of the sport, even quitting the national team, has thrown support for Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major as the fittest of the three candidates contesting the elections for the job of running the game here for the next two years.

He stated, “The president of the Guyana Football Federation has to be someone who first and foremost interest must be to serve players, coaches and the beautiful game of football.

The president has to be able to build bridges, not burn them in spite of criticism, disagreements and always have tolerance for other views unlike dictatorship which has

Kayode Mc Kinnon

Aubrey Major

messed-up the game for decades.”

“I strongly believe that given the overwhelming support more times than not Mr. Major has given to players and the national team since I was there from 1997 to date he would be a great fit for the top job. I must be honest to say in spite of his imperfection and unpopular ways in dealing with many situations one might think what will be different, but as we reflect on a man’s bad, let’s also address his good which

makes him suited for president of the GFF,” McKinnon opined.

He continued, “On many occasions that I can remember the true passion and concern for the betterment of players was genuinely displayed by Mr. Major, this is a plus going forward! Mr Major has been diligent and hard working in trying to lift the level and standard of the game in Guyana, something most people cannot deny.”

“With his many trips with

the national team you always know that whatever was negative around the team, he would find a way to bring a solution. Sometimes in life you need people who came from nothing to something to understand and relate to those who are working hard to get there, this is a representation of Major who told his famous story in many camps about his wheelbarrow and coals patrolling Blueberry Hill and other parts of Linden to earn a few bucks, but I believe he has done pretty well for himself and family, something most players in Guyana are trying to emulate.”

“Little things he did with no perceivable benefits and to some degree personal loss to himself he tried to make

players comfortable, with international phone calls to family members from his personal phone free of charge, monetary rewards for outstanding performances, this showed what he was willing to do in order to motivate or get the best out of players. This move was surprising but I believe it is a renewed hope for a semi professional to a professional domestic league in Guyana, so players can earn and players having opportunities to play abroad like he had done for most of us in the past.” McKinnon further stated, “With Mr. Major at the helm and the team of successful businessmen with him I can see Guyana getting to at least the Gold Cup that

has evaded us through the lack of vision by the present administrators who fail to match the passion of the players. I sincerely wish him and his team every success and urge all stakeholders, supporters and voting associations to put aside all sentiments and think about the future of the game and vote Mr. Major and his team to manage the beautiful game of football in Guyana.”

“Let our players and coaches earn a decent living from the sport they have been giving so much to with so little returns in the past. The time for change is now, let us rally around this team and hold them accountable. For the game; For the world,” McKinnon concluded.

Anthony pleads for partnership at AAG Award Ceremony - Running Braves Athletics Club dominate Awards

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony (seated, centre) along with Charles Corbin and AAG President, Aubrey Hutson join the various awardees following the Presentation Ceremony Friday night.

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony renewed his pleas for a partnership with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Friday night when the local association hosted its Award Ceremony at the YMCA, Thomas Lands.

Anthony delivered the featured address at the occasion and urged the association to work closely with the ministry to move the sport forward. He said that administrators need to be reminded that they are in place to serve the athletes and the sport.

“We will like to see a greater partnership between ourselves and the athletics

association, I think that administrators of sport right or wrongly don’t work together in the interest of athletes but we must understand that people we are here to serve,” Anthony said.

“Sports today is not something you do by accident; it is a lot of science and if our Coaches don’t embrace science, we will not be able to compete; our Coaches are not there, which is something that need we need to address,” he continued.

Anthony congratulated the awardees after indicating that the asphalting of the surface for laying the synthetic track has been

completed. He said that the reason for the construction of the track is because Government believes athletics will bring glory to Guyana.

A few track and field enthusiasts came out to witness the occasion that got underway with AAG President, Aubrey Hutson delivering his remarks.

Hutson stated that while the AAG will work to ensure athletes get what they deserve, the current new administration is here to build on what the previous administration had put in place.

“The 2013 Council is here (Continued on page 53)

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Reece, Dick for Trinidad Easter cycle race meet Leading Guyana up and coming cyclists, Berbicians Neal Reece and Marica Dick of the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) will wing out of the country shortly to represent their club at the International Easter Grande Pre Cycling Track event in the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Reece, who has recently entered the ranks of a senior rider, was once Guyana’s national junior champion, while Dick who is a sixth form student of the New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary school where she is into her final year of her CAPE studies, is the national Junior champion female rider and one of the top female rider in the country.

The meet which will be held from the 29th to the 31st of March will be staged at two venues namely Arima Park and Skinner Park cycling arenas in the twin island republic.

Both cyclists have represented their clubs overseas before but, the meet will be the first time for Dick who will also be riding on a banked track for the first time, while Reece has experience in

banked track riding before.

They will be accompanied by experienced coach and founder of the FACC Randolph Roberts.

During the week the club received a sizable donation from The Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) which will go a far way in assisting with offsetting expenses for the trip and the cyclist stay overseas. Doing the honours on behalf of the BBCI was Operations Manager Jainarine Koosial who made the donation to Reece in the presence of Dick and Roberts.

A number of other companies and individuals also pitched in with their assistance; among them A. Ally and Sons, Furniture World, Banks DIH Limited, Paul Arokium, Lloyd and Kim’s Fashion, John Lewis president of FACC, Pawan Taxi Service, Dr. and Mrs Sooknanan, Mr. Elwin Jones, Mangru’s Enterprise Sudesh plumbing and Geddes Grant Na Branch. The cyclist on behalf of their club executives and coach expressed their heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the wonderful gestures of all those who assisted.

(Samuel Whyte)

Haniff files injunction to stop GCB from voting at WICB elections The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) election has taken a new mode of campaign as the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has filed yet another court action against their parent body, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

This time, secretary of the BCB Angela Haniff is seeking to debar the Guyana Cricket Board from sending representatives to the West Indies Cricket Board.

Kaieteur Sport understands that this new action is intended to render the GCB ineligible to vote at the WICB Annual General Meeting so that their perceived support of incumbent president Julian Hunte can be thwarted. This new development may create more problems for the WICB and more so for their local member and shareholder, the GCB. The Guyana Cricket Board held its elections since 27th January 2013, yet the court documents filed seem to be questioning the legality of those elections on the basis of the GCB not being able to appoint representatives to

the West Indies Cricket Board. Many in the cricketing fraternity are of the opinion that the current WICB Vice President Dave Cameron may have something to do with this new development as his visit to Guyana did not convince the GCB that he is the man for the job.

Barbados and the Leeward Islands have already pledged support for Hunte, while the Windward Islands will likely vote for him as he is a St. Lucian and the incumbent. Trinidad and Guyana have not yet publicly declared who they are supporting.

The action lists, as plaintiffs, Keith Foster, Anil Beharry, Hubern Evans, Julian Cambridge, Angela Haniff, Raymond Haniff, Romash Munna and Shabeer Baksh. The defendants are the Executive Members of the Guyana Cricket Board.

Kaieteur Sport was told that the matter filed exparte will be heard on Monday 25th March 2013 by Justice Diane Inshanally.

The Guyanese public felt (Continued on page 53)

Page 59

WBACABOFE/ WBAFEDCAR titles on the line as Eastman opposes Mullings in heated ‘Firestorm’ card

By Michael Benjamin When Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman last entered the ring against Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy, just under a year ago, many of his fans had written him off saying that he was getting up in age and down in talent; they opined that he stood no chance against the younger, more energetic and skillful Hardy.

Eastman defied his critics and not only lasted the distance but was so convincing that the pundits believed that he was ‘done in.’

Now, some 11 months later, the ‘Battersea Bomber’ is ready to reenter the ring, this time against Jamaican, Sakima Mullings, in a 12 rounds welterweight bout that nets the winner the World Boxing Council Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBACABOFE) and the World Boxing Association Fede Caribe (WBAFEDCAR) welterweight belts.

This fight will be the main attraction of a boxing card at the Princess Hotel International, Providence EBD, dubbed ‘Fire Storm,’ and promoted by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC).

The card also features Clive Atwell against Venezuelan, Raphael Hernandez for the vacant

WBCCABOFE featherweight title.

Mark Austin and Gladwin Dorway will finally face off after their initial clash was aborted after Dorway was diagnosed with a heart ailment. He has since been given an all clear by heart specialists and the two will clash for the local welterweight belt.

Syrian boxer, Mahmood ‘The Extractor’ Loul will also attempt to add another scalp to his dossier after disposing of Patrick Boston in the first round in his debut bout just over one month ago. He matches gloves with Berbician, Derick Richmond in a 4 round super/ middleweight bout. ‘The Dentist’ is a former kick boxer and has demonstrated his versatility with a smooth transition to the fistic sport.

Mullings, a Jamaican, was originally matched against Barbadian, Miguel Antoine for the WBCCABOFE welterweight belt but the Bajan fighter has failed to meet the requirements for the bout thus the change.

The Jamaican has made quite a name for himself and would best be remembered for a crushing knockout inflicted on local pugilist, Winston Pompey when they fought in Jamaica in ‘The Contender’ series, the Jamaican version of the Guyana Fight night

Howard Eastman

Sakima Mullings

card, last year.

Mullings has also won the Commonwealth Boxing Council Zonal Middleweight Championship late last year shortly before returning to live in Jamaica after pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from the State University of New York in 2008.

He is fast becoming one of Jamaica’s top-rated professional boxers and would be a good test for Eastman who, despite the view of many that he should hang up his gloves, continues to be a thorn in the sides of many of his younger counterparts.

Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry will also be in action against Hewley Robinson for the local bantamweight title.

Dharry recently disposed of Barbadian, Ricardo

Blackman and subsequently, Jamaican, Rudolph Hedge and is expected to be at the top of his game. His opponent would want to make amends for his last performance when he and his opponent, Prince Slowe; were disqualified for not trying hard enough.

He is currently under the tutelage of coach, George Oprecht and has vowed to turn in an improved performance.

Fans will also be treated to another thrilling bout, this time in the amateur ranks when the exciting Republican lightweight, Nankumar Singh appears in the ring after a long hiatus. His opponent will be named later.

There will also be a bout between two female amateur boxers. Admission price and other pertinent details will follow.

Page 60

8th DMW 11 Race Cycle Meet...

Team Coco’s (Guyana) cyclist Raynauth Jeffrey narrowly missed the record time for the 35-lap School Boys and Invitational race yesterday, comfortably winning the feature race of the 8th annual Diamond Mineral Water (DMW) 11-Race Meet sponsored by Demerara Distillers Limited.

Competing at Guyana’s

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 24, 2013

Jeffrey wins feature 35-lap contest in style premier cycling venue, the inner circuit of the National Park, the teenager led a solo effort from lap 15, maintaining a sizeable lead from a pack of riders for the remaining 20 laps.

When the East Coast Demerara based cyclist crossed the finish line way ahead of his challengers, Chief race official Joseph Britton stopped the clock at One Hour 15 Minutes 01 Second; 55 seconds over the record time, which is held by

Alonzo Greaves (01h 14m 06s).

Such was Jeffrey’s dominance that he carted off five of the available eight prime prizes, with third place finisher Wazim Gafoor collecting the remaining three.

Gafoor and Paul Choo-WeeNam were involved in an exciting sprint to the finish line but it was Choo-WeeNam who pulled away from his opponent in the end.

Mario King finished fourth, while Team Coco’s

(Guyana) pair Paul DeNobrega and Raul Leal ended in fifth and sixth positions respectively.

In the other races, Jeremiah Harrison won the BMX 6-9 ahead of brothers Ethan Conway in second and Kaden Conway in third, while Jamal John defeated Adrian Sharma in a two-man showdown in the BMX event.

Shamar Grannum, Ronaldo D’Andrade and Thuran Garbarran finished 12-3 in the BMX Boys 9-12;

Jhonnick La Rose got the better of Bryton John and Rawle Small in the BMX Boys 9-12, while Alfie Soonaram, Romelo Crawford and Andrew Hicks were the top three finishers in that order in the Boys and Girls 12-14 clash.

Junior Niles was the top Veterans Under-50 rider, ahead of Wazim Gafoor and Kennard Lovell in that order, while Kenneth Merje obliterated the field in the Veterans Over50. Krishendat Singh prevailed over Maurice Fagundes in the Veterans Over-60 category; with Ozia Mcaully outperforming Julio Melville and Keon Thomas in the Mountain Bike race.

Raul Leal topped the Juveniles event, Mario King settled for second and Hamza Eastman third.

Speaking at the post-race presentation, National Coach and organiser of the activity, Hassan Mohamed, thanked DDL and Diamond Mineral Water for their support for yet another year.

Representing the company were Marketing Assistants Larry Wills and Trishwantie Doodnauth.

Meanwhile, the riders will journey to Essequibo today to compete in the sixth annual

Cheddi Jagan memorial 50mile road race, set to pedal off at 09:00 hours.

The event, which is the third and final race for the month in memory of the late President of Guyana, will start at Supernaam, proceed to Charity and return to Anna Regina for the finish.

The female, veteran and mountain bike riders will start at Anna Regina, proceed to Charity and return to the point of origin for the finish, covering a distance of 30 miles.

Robin Persaud is the defending champion of the Open category, having won the 2012 edition in a time of two hours, nine minutes, 32 seconds (02h: 09m: 32s). The first six finishers in the Open division, the first three in the junior, veteran and mountain bike and the top Over-60 rider will be rewarded.

Eight prime prizes will be up for grabs. Transportation for cyclists and officials to Parika will depart the Ministry of Sport building of 91 Middle Street at 05:00 hours.

The race is being sponsored by El Dorado Trading and S. Jagmohan Hardware Supply and Construction Services for the sixth year in succession.

GCA\Hadi’s World Inc 1st division 2 day cricket

Barnwell, Griffith give DCC upper hand against MSC

Christopher Barnwell and Trevon Griffith Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) were in control against Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) at the close of day one when action in the Georgetown Cricket Association\ Hadi’s World Inc 1st division 2 day competition continued yesterday with one match.

MSC won the toss and inserted home team DCC. Christopher Barnwell stroked 86 (12x4) and got valuable support from Travis Dowlin

47 and Andrew Lyght 37 as they posted 264 before they were bowled out in 49 overs.

Corel Mars, Steven Sankar, Shaquille Williams and Nikosie Barker claimed 2 wickets each.

MSC in reply were 199-8 in 40 overs at stumps. Steven Jacobs led with 46 while Williams supported with 32.

Trevon Griffith has so far taken 4-51 and Barnwell 2-32.

The game continues today.

Sunday March 24, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 61

“Zimbabwe done and dusted - Now on to greater things for West Indies” Colin E. H. Croft Right! That is Zimbabwe done and dusted. West Indies should be pleased to have won every game of this tour. However, captain Darren Sammy, coach Ottis Gibson and players would know that life will become much more difficult when they meet better prepared opponents!

Zimbabwe was never in any of the games of this short but fact-finding tour, one which told them that they, like cricket teams around the world, have good talent and much potential, but that they also need to play much more regularly to realize that potential these next years.

International Cricket Council must now be massively pro-active, making things happen for Zimbabwe!

While West Indies has Champions Trophy 2013 in England, a similar short tour to the Caribbean by Pakistan, a triangular One-Day International series featuring India and Sri Lanka, and a late

year tour to New Zealand, to look forward to, Zimbabwe will immediately go back to the cricket wilderness!

But what did West Indies learn themselves from this Zimbabwe tour? Much, if they are really critical!

For one, West Indies fast bowling is in relatively bad shape.

New blood is very badly needed.

Yes, there has been the reemergence of Shannon Gabriel, after injury immediately after his first game last year against England at Lords, and lengthy rehabilitation, kept him out of competitive cricket for nearly a year. At least, quite positively, he has youth, style and potential too, to be of further use.

But, as noted previously, Gabriel needs to slim down and become more “loose”. He is way too bulky and much less mobile, on bowling approach and in the field, than he should be. Those can be worked on while playing for Trinidad & Tobago, but his attitude to hard work will tell how far he really will go!

Kemar Roach was a tremendous disappointment overall. No longer does he look like that force present a few years ago. He was way down on pace for the two Tests and had no zip whatsoever from his deliveries. Gibson must make a special effort to retool Roach’s efforts and attitudes and especially pace!

Tino Best has probably run his race. Energy and enthusiasm are great assets, but fast bowling, especially Test fast bowling, requires much more than those. To be fully successful at international level, any fast bowler must be able to use the older ball much more, and severely better, that he could the new one!

Ravi Rampaul has been doing a good job for Trinidad & Tobago, so it is likely he will be recalled for Champion Trophy in June.

That seems to be it. No other fast bowler has lit up the recent horizon either with real pace, steady, effective swing

and movement, or persistent accuracy and consistent guile.

Shane Shillingford, with his nineteen cheap wickets against Zimbabwe with offspin, will have to; deserves; a long, regular run in the team.

His great height, if not his ability to extract such bounce and sharp turn, reminds of Chairman of Selectors Clyde Butts! Overall, Shillingford has improved so much!

It is quite plausible that mystery spinner, Sunil Narine, whose Test record is not as impressive as his ODI and T20 records, could be twinned with Shillingford to provide an unlikely spin combination.

That can even be enhanced with the interesting additional skills of another offspinner, Marlon Samuels.

Samuels did not get a century v Zimbabwe, but his last year of re-involvement in West Indies cricket, including “Man of the Match” in ICC World T-20 Final, and poise and oozing class at the crease, should see him continue to show that rare talent that has

always been present. West Indies needs him badly!

Old heads Shiv Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle showed why they are so revered in world cricket!

They displayed continuing tenacity, still great hunger for runs, getting West Indies only centuries in three innings v Zimbabwe. Younger batsmen could do well to simply observe, trying to emulate them!

While Gayle’s opening partner Kieran Powell showed glimpses of things that could be garnered from his potential, the obvious hear-apparent to Gayle, Powell’s batting inconsistency, and sometimes curse of youth lack of patience - held him back.

He seems blessed with latent ability. It is time to realize same.

Darren Bravo is similar to Powell. He too is the future of West Indies batsmanship, but must be much more mature and patient than he has been. Like Roach in fast bowling, Bravo looked so ordinary that one has also wonder what has happened here.

Darren Bravo needs much

Colin E. H. Croft remedial work; extra pronto!

Denesh Ramdin, returning as wicket-keeper, looked competent without being spectacular. At times, he looked uncomfortable when ‘keeping to Shillingford, extra bounce giving him fits.

While his batting will continue to prove useful in the future, Ramdin still has to work diligently on his overall wicketkeeping. Sammy, as leader, has grown into his role well.

Obviously knitting the team together, his all-round skills, especially his late order batting, could continue to be useful.

West Indies was easily better than Zimbabwe. Much harder trials are just on the horizon. Enjoy!

t r o Sp Banks DIH/ Linden ‘Guinness Linden segment launched - top two to compete Greatest of the Streets’... on Friday in national playoffs

all things being equal, it spreads to the spectators,” said Baptiste, whose audience included tournament coordinator Caeron Sealey, Banks DIH Linden Branch Manager Shaundell Easton and Outdoor Events Manager Mortimer Stewart.

While in the past players were allowed to represent their respective teams on the night of the competition not properly attired, Baptiste stressed that the same would not be tolerated this time around.

“We are using a brand that is known across the world to promote this tournament. I am sure you the players won’t find it difficult to locate football trunks to play with and certainly it would not be good enough for us to have players compete in jeans, so I want you to bear that in mind, we will be very stringent when it comes to the players’ attire and punctuality.

The police have granted us the permission to host this tournament on the dates specified, up to midnight, so if you are early for your game, then we can complete the matches within the specified time, even if it rains.”

Sealey outlined the playing conditions for the tournament the rules and regulations for the tournament From left, Tournament Co-ordinator Careon Sealey, Banks DIH’s Troy Peters, Shaundell Easton and which has over G$1.150M up for Mortimer Stewart pose with several trophies in the presence of Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste grabs, with the second, third and (3rd from right), who hands over the winner’s trophy to Goal Getters’ player/coach Sean Henry. fourth placed finishers taking home $300,000, $150,000 and $100,000 efending champions Amelia’s respectively.

Ward TLC Russians will have “As you are aware, the best set of small more than one year’s bragging goal footballers are from Linden and while rights and the $600,000 top prize to play for, we have missed out on representing Guyana when action in the third annual Banks DIH in the Caribbean championships last year, be sponsored Linden ‘Guinness Greatest of the assured we will take this opportunity to stake Streets’ Futsal competition kicks off today a claim to represent Guyana in St. Vincent” from 18:00hrs, at the Wisroc/Amelia’s Ward he boasted.

Bus Park.

Thirty-two (32) teams will be doing battle Banks DIH’s Guinness Brand Manager for supremacy out of eight groups in the Lee Baptiste and Communications Officer preliminary round, three points being Troy Peters, who addressed those gathered awarded for a win and one for a draw, the top for the tournament’s launching at the Egbert two teams from each group will advance to Benjamin Hall last Friday, informed that the the knock out phase of the tournament. top two finishers in the competition will have Preliminary round matches will be the opportunity to compete in the national contested for a period of 20 minutes playoffs.

(2x10mins half) where the results remains “First of all, I wish to say thanks to the the same at the end of regulation time, while Linden community for inviting us back to matches in the knockout phase will be played their community to carry out this tournament for 30 minutes (2x15), with penalty kicks once again, which is one of five tournaments being used to declare a winner, if there is a being held this year, from which the top two stalemate at the end of regulation time. finishers will be competing in the national Unlimited substitutions will be allowed playoffs, from which the winner will go onto during the tournament which will culminate represent Guyana in the second edition of the on May 1st with the playing of exhibition Caribbean Greatest of the Streets matches, third and fourth place and the finals. tournament,” stated Baptiste.

Lindeners will be treated to an exhibition According to Baptiste, the Caribbean game starting at 17:30hrs, featuring TLC championships which was first held in Shippings Russians doing battle against an Guyana last year and saw Team Back Circle All-star team from Linden, before the of Guyana losing out in the finals, will be competition gets underway with eight hosted by St. Vincent and the Grenadines in matches. late June this year, hence Guyana’s national Tonight’s matches will see Pokerburg playoffs will be held earlier in the month. facing Cherokee Park, South Stars engaging However, while highlighting some of the Speightland United, Exodus clashing with factors in this year’s tournament, one of five Coomacka United and Top Class going head which is being sponsored by the beverage to head with Mini Bus Park before the giants under the Guinness brand, he Guinness break. reminded the teams and organizers, that After the break, Team 25 and Barsenal discipline should be employed at all times will do battle and that will be followed by throughout the tournament. three other matches which will see Wisroc, “In everything we do, there are rules and Eagles and Street Vybz taking on Goal discipline and we have to set the example as Getters, last year’s runner-up Hard Knocks players, sponsors and even referees and with and Star Boys respectively.

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