Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

“More needs to be done for us”

- Camp Groomes victims

...two more soldiers come forward Zena Henry The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) seems genuinely committed to assisting victims of that mysterious explosion at Camp Groomes.

But is enough being done for those who suffered lost toes and damaged ear drums, and sustained severe injuries in that deadly mishap several years ago at one time the Force’s largest ammunition site?

“No,” says the ranks that had the near-death experience 13 years ago and survived.

Samuel Archer, 35, and Wendell Cort, 33, in an earlier report expressed dissatisfaction with the army’s treatment. They charged that 13 years after the incident, they had received no compensation; only a $35,000 salary that ceased in September of last year.

They were released from the army with no salaries after being deemed medically unfit.

The men however highlighted that they still suffer mentally and physically from the events of Camp Groomes, and to add

insult to injury, the army had without notification, discharged them and stopped their salaries.

Chief of Staff Commodore Gary Best however declared in a press statement Saturday that the men will be returned to the GDF payroll and admitted that their initial release was a genuine mistake. He assured that the Camp Groomes victims will receive their pay until they attain their respective pension ages.

Two more injured soldiers have however come forward to tell their tale and to ask the question, “Why have they (GDF) forsaken us?” They too are saying that enough is not being done for them, since, after Camp Groomes, none of their lives have been normal.

Calvin Lewis, 31, said he was only 18-years-old when he joined the army; a few months before the life changing event that still haunts him today. Lewis is now a horse cart operator and he trades in small appliances.

He said he receives a sick pension of about $18,000 and a NIS sum of about $12,000 monthly, but this is quite

inadequate.

Before relating the horrible events of Camp Groomes, Lewis broke into tears.

“Why something like this should happen to me? I was so young,” he stated.

He lost three toes, and is disfigured from the knees down. To this day, the lad is unable to walk long distances and stand for long periods, since both of his feet suffered third degree burns.

They ooze on a regular basis and have to be permanently strapped.

According to him, “My feet never get better. It does ooze all the time and de liquid does get thick, thick like cold and stink. It does scratch so much but no matter what I do, I never get relief. “ “The army is not doing enough for me. No one has ever visited me; asked how I am doing… nothing. I had to work so hard to buy this land that I live on. They withheld my salary for two years and then they give me about $300,000 lump sum, but that ain’t no compensation, cause dat ain’t even de amount of my two years pay.”

Four of those injured at Camp Groomes: Lewis, Archer, Cort and Samuels Lewis remembered waking up on the morning of December 18, 2000 and recalled the horror of that terrible day.

“De whole place was on fire, real fire. I hold on pon de iron rail and de palm of yah hand leffing on de iron. I duck and my head touch de bed frame, de hair go like if it frying on yah head.”

Lewis continued, “I didn’t

even know what to do and start run out de camp. I run to one end and turn back; I run to another end and turn back again because there was a fence. We was trap and the only exit was through the fire.”

“My foot bottom de done burn. I finally mek up my mind that I running through dis fire, cause it was de only way I see I coulda get out.” Lewis said

he crawled some distance until he fainted at a creek about two miles away. He remembered awaking some time later at the hospital.

“De army wanted me to cut off my foot. Dem de drilling me to do it, but de doctor overseas de tell me dat I had to get follow up treatment and de army said they didn’t have the money.

(Continued on page 26)

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Beating of civilians at Marudi…

Police Commissioner orders ‘immediate investigation’, vows action Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell has ordered an immediate investigation into the beating of civilians by policemen at Marudi and vowed that action will be taken against the ranks who have already been identified.

“I have ordered the Commander of F Division conduct an inquiry. I want a proper investigation. I can’t let that go down the drain,” a clearly upset Brumell told Kaieteur News yesterday.

“We know who the ranks are. They are coming out tomorrow (today). I told the

About 300 local miners have been operating about 22 dredges in the area for the past 10 years when the Canadian firm appeared to have neglected it.

Reports out of the area stated that a police unit arrived at Lethem from the c i t y l a s t T h u r sday to accompany a local representative of the Canadian company along with GGMC officials to enforce the removal of the local miners.

When the police along with the officials were

“We know who the ranks are. I told the Commander that I want an investigation and that we will take action. I can’t let this go down the drain…” - Commissioner Brumell Commander that I want an investigation and that we will take action, I can assure you.”

Brumell was particularly concerned about reports that a child was among those assaulted.

The incident occurred on Saturday when police ranks accompanied officials from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to clear several illegal miners from the Marudi mining district.

A photograph published in the Sunday Kaieteur News edition showed a police corporal inflicting blows on civilians who were lying on the trail to protest their removal. A woman and her sons were reportedly among those beaten.

An even more graphic video, posted on YouTube, shows the cursing policemen clubbing and dragging the civilians, while some of their colleagues, and other men in plainclothes, stood with guns at the ready.

Most of the blows were inflicted by a police corporal, who repeatedly shouted “get off the f—ing road” while raining blows on the civilians.

One rank is seen going into the bushes to cut and strip a branch and then using it to whip civilians. It also shows a woman and boy lying on the trail. Civilians who used their bodies to cover the boy were dragged and beaten.

The civilians are part of a group of miners who are protesting what they are calling their unlawful removal from a mining claim that is registered to a Canadian mining concern, Romanex Guyana Explorations Limited.

heading to the main mining district, they were met by protestors who stood their ground preventing them from proceeding.

Verona Prince, whose husband is one of the miners, then sat in the trail along with her 11-year old son in protest to the intended actions of the police and other mining officials.

A police rank who appeared to be the team leader then proceeded to beat them to get them to remove, although the woman explained that she was a peaceful protestor.

Eyewitnesses said that when the policeman continued his beating, the woman’s 22-year old son jumped in to protect his mother and he received similar treatment and was also punched and kicked.

The beating was so severe that the woman and her two sons had to be treated at the Aishalton Hospital for injuries.

The police eventually escorted the team to the mining district where they warned miners to pack up and leave.

However, the miners remain adamant that they are awaiting word from President Donald Ramotar who had met with them on February 9 last and had promised to look into the matter with a view to settling it amicably.

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.

However, most of the miners have admitted that they have been operating

illegally on some of the lands under the Romanex licence.

According to one spokesman for operators in the area, Sugreem Singh, of the Rupununi Miners’ Association, President Donald Ramotar met with miners about two weeks ago to discuss the Marudi Mountain issue.

“Yes, the persons are raiding. Some of them have been living in Marudi for 20 to 30 years. We have been asking for land. Romanex has lands and since the ‘90s has been doing nothing with them. We are asking for lands and help. There were supposed to, under the exploration licence, give up sections of the land back to the state regularly. This has not been done.”

Already, a petition with more than 200 names affixed has been sent to the government over the Romanex situation.

Both the local representative of Romanex and the senior GGMC official who were in the area yesterday declined to speak to a correspondent from this newspaper who had traveled to the contentious district to observe what was taking place.

Only last week the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued a statement indicating that it was reviewing the licence of Romanex Guyana Explorations Limited, after investigations revealed that the company failed to carry out exploratory works in keeping with its requirements.

According to a release from the Ministry, 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 activity.

“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.”

GGMC said that an investigation of illegal mining in the Marudi area was as a result of the recent Operation El Dorado.

The Marudi Mountain Mining Licence was granted

Miners and police ranks confront each other before the beating. to Romanex Guyana Exploration Ltd. on April 17,

2009, after the company had held a Prospecting Licence

(large scale) from 1990 to 2009 over 55 square kilometres.

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Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

Editorial

Jagan’s Legacy This Wednesday will be fifteen years since Dr Cheddi Jagan, the founder of the PPP and the independence movement died. For one who studied in the US and spent most of his adult life fighting against what his generation called ‘American Imperialism”, it was rather ironic that he died in the US. He had been rushed to the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Washington DC, after suffering a heart attack here. Walter Reed would have housed wounded or sick army personnel who had fought in wars against which Jagan would have railed.

With his passing, following that of LFS Burnham, the other political leader whose political shadow loomed as large over Guyana, a new era had begun. Most observers assumed that Jagan’s post-independent era successors would have worked to consolidate his legacy. After fifteen years and three separate presidencies (one a double term and one truncated) it might be as good a time as any to critically examine that assumption.

What was Jagan’s legacy? First and foremost there was his Marxist ideology. Marxism for Jagan was not just an epistemological tool but an ontological reality. Jagan was one of the true believers in Marxism as a total world view.

What is the status of this position in the PPP today?

Basically shunted aside or jettisoned. What might have been Jagan’s pragmatic acceptance of the US-directed economic programme via the IMF/World Bank in 1992 became within five years of his death a root and branch acceptance of the neo-liberal orthodoxy.

We can see this in the PPP’s dealings with the bedrock of Jagan’s Marxist social stratum that was to inherit the earth - the working class.

Against all the empirical evidence Jagan had insisted that working-class unity had been forged in Guyana during the struggle for ‘free and fair’ elections. He therefore expected that the PPP’s development programme following his accession to office in 1992 would have been widely supported by that class. It was not to be.

While he blamed the PNC for polarising the situation ethnically, that orientation had already been evident in the very election that brought him into office. The PNC had received the exact percentage from the same ethnic constituency that had traditionally supported it. The neoliberal economic plans deepened by Jagan’s successors further widened the divide in the working class because in the market becoming the arbiter in determining economic development, the historic ethnic specialisation of the workforce became exacerbated.

For instance, ‘small government’ - a mantra of the neoliberals - in Guyana meant reducing the number of public workers who were generally from the African Guyanese segment of the population.

But the acceptance of the profit motive as the driving force behind business, which was defined as ‘the engine of growth”, meant that Jagan’s legacy of the ‘working class’ as the centre of development had to be abandoned in toto.

The new model determined that the poor - which in Guyana was just another label for the working class - were to benefit from what ‘trickled down’ from the top.

The focus was now on encouraging and facilitating the business class - they were not called ‘capitalists’ any longer - through a slew of ‘incentives, to generate even greater levels of profits. Tax holidays, duty free inputs, concessions on resources etc became the norm. Unfortunately, there were no measures to ensure that the ‘trickle’ to the poor working class increased in tandem with the increased profits.

Inevitably the gap between the top 1% and the remaining 99% became ever larger- as it has in the model being followed - the USA. The present crop of leaders who succeeded Jagan still genuflect to his ‘working class’ orientation but it seldom goes beyond mouthing the words. In the Opposition ranks, while they have no reason to be loyal to Jagan, it should not be forgotten that Burnham also defined himself as a ‘socialist’ dedicated to uplifting the ‘working class. They also have shifted their locus of development elsewhere. It would appear then, that within fifteen years of the passing of Jagan, his legacy is dead.

Monday March 04, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

An open letter to the people of Linden DEAR EDITOR, Now that the Report of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) has been made available to the parliamentary parties, there have been various interpretations and analysis of the report and of the events which led to the 18th July 2012.

Firstly it is my hope that you will in the near future receive a copy of the report so that you can come to your own independent conclusions of the COI report.

Perhaps it is useful for us to examine what led to the events of the 18th July 2012.

We all recall that without any consultation with you, the Government of the day decided to arbitrarily increase your electricity rates by some 400%.

In what we thought was a new political dispensation in the country and particularly in parliament, the people of Region 10 found themselves in a place where they had no voice in parliament to articulate their position on the proposed rate increase.

Your several public notices to the Government of the day that such a steep imposition of increased rates without any discussion about the capacity of the community to sustain such an increase, were consistently ignored. On the 18th day of July you gathered to register your protest against further economic hardship on an already abandoned community.

The answer to your cries from the State was to turn its weapons on you and deploy the use of lethal force.

Your tragedy was compounded by the fact that the State’s priority at the time immediately after the shooting was to fly the dead out of

Linden and leave the injured suffering in a hospital with limited supplies and capacity.

You will recall that no one claimed responsibility for the shooting and there was much talk of phantom shooters even from official sources.

A month expired before your condition warranted a visit from the Head of State.

In the meantime instead of the Guyana Police Force conducting an investigation into the events, it was you the citizens who started to gather evidence and conduct an investigation.

The Commission of Inquiry commenced its sitting in late September and all the evidence which ultimately implicated the police in the shooting to death of your innocent brothers came solely from the experts you retained and the witnesses who were brave enough to come forward in difficult circumstances to testify.

Were it not for your brave efforts of standing up on the 18th July and subsequently there would have been no investigation, no Commission of Inquiry and ultimately not even the prospect of any inquiry in the events on the day. As with several other tragedies including Luisgnan, Bartica, Buxton etc, you would have been ignored, only to be resurrected for political purposes at some future convenient time.

The COI is now over and your wounds are still raw and perhaps even more so.

The question is where do you go from here.

That is a matter only you the people of Linden can determine after you have deliberated on the contents of the report.

The awards for damage for the loss of the lives of three of your citizens are appallingly low and the report

has attributed fault for their deaths to the Guyana Police Force.

I urge you to remember in your deliberations that the National Assembly was impotent to protect you at your hour of greatest need and with their demonstrated incapacity since the events of last July, you are unlikely to find much comfort there.

At the end of the day, it was your sense of purpose , unity and strength which brought you this far.

You have achieved what no other region has done in the modern history of Guyana, you have caused the Police to account for their actions.

I salute you and will remain forever available to assist you in your just struggles for a better day, a day of equal rights, equal opportunity and justice.

Peace and Justice.

C. A. Nigel Hughes

Slingshots used to injure wildlife DEAR EDITOR, It was just after 8 am on January 12th 2013; I was driving along Vlissengen Road, just before passing the Zoo gate. I saw a small bicycle on the parapet at the side of the road anda neatly dressed young man looking up into one of the beautiful trees full of parrots. He slowly removedan item from his pocket. I got the feeling something was not right and stopped my car to investigate.

As soon as the young man saw me approaching he hid his hand behind his back (he knew he was doing something wrong). I asked him what he was doing; he said nothing then showed me a slingshot and said he was going to try

to shoot down a parrot. I asked him what he was going to do with an injured parrot; he said “mine” it.

I asked him if he thought the bird would be happier in a cage or chattering free with his friends in the trees. He thought about it and said they would not like to be in a cage. He then picked up his bike and was about to ride off.

I asked him for the sling shot, but he declined to give it to me. I asked what school he was going and he said a trade school in Sophia.

Others have told me of seeing groups of young men walking around the city armed with slingshots trying tocapture birds. These young menseem to have too

much idle timeon their hands and when told to stop shooting birds sometimes become very abusive.

Some people say: “Boys will be boys”. I think that all good citizens should be on the lookout and take actions to protect our feathered friends.

These young men need words of wisdom from teachers, police officers, firemen, school students and other animal lovers. The right words spoken at the right time can go a long ways in improving life for Guyana’s wildlife.

“We never miss the music until the sweet voiced bird has flown away”….O. Henry Syeada Manbodh

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

Bisram and Ramkarran only now call for removal of the presidency when the PPP faces loss of power DEAR EDITOR, I genuinely believe Vishnu Bisram’s and Ralph Ramkarran’s recent appeals for constitutional reform along a return to some form of Westminster-styled parliamentary democracy are not rooted in a genuine desire for this country to find a path to a better nation.

They are rooted in a desire for the PPP, when it loses power, to not suffer the same pain, angst and despair it heaped upon its political opponents and this country for the past 20 years using this constitutional monster of the 1980 Constitution and the rabid powers of the presidency that come with it.

They are afraid of the retaliatory capacity of the PPP’s political opponents.

They are afraid of the prosecutorial rage that will be unleashed upon the PPP by its successor. They are afraid that the PPP will be extinguished as a political force once it loses power because once its leadership flees Guyana, those ordinary members they have locked out will be incapable of rescuing the organization.

I strongly believe these calls for constitutional change from these men and others of PPP lineage are rooted not in an inalienable nationalism for the goodness of the nation but but largely in a partisan PPP patriotism for the goodness of the PPP first which will tangentially benefit the nation at large.

Ramkarran was one of the foremost figures in the PPP’s hollow constitutional reform process from 1999-2000, a process that is being exposed by today’s constitutional frustrations as nothing but cheap constitutional imitation of a sordid nighttime Lombard Street experience.

Masquerading around this country for two years in a frivolous pretence while the PPP held the Parliamentary and electoral majorities to pass a referendum bill on its own and to secure a voter majority on any referendum in 1999 only emphasizes the sinfully shamelessness of that lurid window dressing exercise.

Now that the PPP is collapsing into its own hubris and is faced with political exile in the near future, Ramkarran and Bisram are beating a drum of constitutional change not for sake of country but to save the PPP from the battering it will take after it loses power.

Bisram and Ramkarran suffer from the same disease that afflict PPP supporters and members who are silent while the PPP is hijacked and a General Congress

constitutionally due now for two years is yet to be held. It is a disease called hypocrisy.

That is not to say that what they men are seeking is inherently right. It is.

Constitutional change is a necessity, an absolute for this country to advance.

However, the motives behind these big changes today are suspect.

We did not hear these proposals in 1992 or in the years up to 2011 when the PPP was riding high on intoxicating absolute power.

We are hearing it now because the demographic, electoral and psychic reality has changed for the PPP and it is a fading political entity.

It is hypocritical that these men have not boldly fixated on the dictatorship within the PPP that has refused to hold a PPP general elections or local government elections but they want constitutional change to protect a despotic political entity from its abominations.

It seems it is only now after 20 years of heinous politics, constitutional decimation, pillage of the rule of law and executive lawlessness these men have suddenly found their constitutional conscience when the PPP in is inexorable decline. Too late may very well be the cry.

While I will condemn the Ramkarrans and Bisrams for their motives, I endorse their underlying premise of the need for constitutional reform. There is no doubt constitutional change must come. The problem is the PPP may have lost that moment, forever. It no longer commands a majority and based on demographic and other evidence, will not in the future.

That evidence points to the PPP losing power in the next two election cycles.

Thus, even when it knows it will fall from power, the PPP’s lack of a majority means it cannot even pass a referendum bill to trigger constitutional change to protect itself or the country after it loses power.

With the majority in Parliament, only the opposition can now determine whether, when and if a constitutional referendum can occur. The PPP has made itself into a sitting duck. At least the PNC dictatorship had the power to rig another referendum and change the constitution before it lost power but inexplicably failed to do so.

The PPP cannot do so.

Even if it risks rigging the election to secure a majority to push such constitutional change, such action could

push this country into civil war or force the armed forces to move against it in defense of democracy and the PPP will be the painful loser in that scenario.

To make matters worse, the PPP passed the recall legislation that blocks MPs from voting their conscience and crossing over to other parties. Thus, it cannot even obtain crossover votes from MPs willing to support its referendum bill.

The PPP has blocked every initiative and

foundational attempt to build a better democracy in Guyana. It has rejected attempts to reform and make independent the Election Commissions and other entities. It has failed to create ethnic balance in the country’s civil and armed services.

It has failed to hold local government elections which would help to decentralize power, something that insulates it when it loses power. It has palpably failed to fix race relations in Guyana

at a time when race politics will destroy it electorally and will generate serious racialized political backlash when it loses power.

These arrogant and foolish missteps will, when it loses power, trap the PPP in the same mud of despotism it played in. The PPP has effectively checkmated itself and its political future.

Dictatorship does not know when the noose is around its neck.

The PPP is destroying its future by behaving like

political goons in the present.

Every step the PPP takes to weaken democracy from the illegitimacy of a minority government perch will return to haunt it when it loses power.

We are going to hear constant cries of constitutional change with shrill urgency as the beating drums get closer as the walls of the PPP crumble. Where they are crying from and who they are really crying for is another matter.

M. Maxwell

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

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

The PPP and the Majority parliamentary Opposition have transformed a Minority Executive into an Absolute Dictatorship DEAR EDITOR, I endorse the spirit of Nigel Hughes’ letter (Guyanese may now be willing to urge their political representatives to talk about urgent constitutional reform before the next elections, Stabroek News, March 2).

One opposition entity already has that mandate— all twenty six of them. The central thrust of the platform that ensured their selection to parliament was—An End to One-Party Government. I was on that platform, so I

know.

We, the APNU, asked the Guyanese people to vote for us to do three major things— Replace the One-Party-PPP government with a Government of National Unity; Reform the constitution to reflect the democratic letter and spirit; and Bring immediate economic relief to the working and unemployed poor. After gaining control of the parliament, one other promise was added to that list—Oversight of the

Executive.

Alas, without consulting their voters and without thorough debate among the partners, the first three Platform Promises have been silenced—Vanished. Only the latter has been pursued.

When, a few months ago, I complained about this apparent retreat from the Campaign-Electoral platform, I was deemed a non-resident, alien, dirty-linen washer, and trouble-maker.

Even the party to which I belong, by its ambivalence

and silence, seemed to have been offended by my truth telling.

The major accomplishment of the Majority Joint Parliamentary Opposition has been the gagging of Minister Rohee, which has been undermined by the rulings of the Chief Justice and the Speaker.

They were correct to gag the Minister, but I am sure their supporters would prefer them to use their majority to gag the government, or at least attempt to do so.

Instead, they have been enablers of One-Party Minority dictatorship. We have abandoned the people.

To our collective detriment, we have scorned the streets and embraced the parliament as the only forum of struggle. But under the oversight of the opposition Parliamentary Majority strange things have happened.

APNU marchers shat at in Georgetown.

Three slaughtered in Linden. One murdered in Agricola.

Another gunned down at the Fish Shop. Freddie Kissoon assaulted in public. The Linden Agreements scuttled.

The Chinese-Marriot Labor scandal. The Chronicle spouts Anti-African Racism, even from its editorial page.

Calypsos banned from the public airwaves. The 1823 African Liberation Monument erected at a place against the will of Africans.

These ills were not committed by the Parliamentary Majority. But

they have done little, if anything, to stop them. We are militant against Rohee, but accommodating to Rohee’s government. We walk out on Rohee in parliament but walk in to talkdialogue with Rohee’s boss at the Office of the President.

We agree with the PPP to raise the electricity rates for Linden but have not demanded a similar agreement with the PPP to withdraw the unwritten police license to shoot innocent Africans. We hound Rohee but remain silent when Rohee’s Commissioner of Police publicly threatens political activists.

The PPP and the Majority parliamentary Opposition, have in one short year, transformed a Majority Parliament into farce and a Minority Executive into an Absolute Dictatorship. They say a people gets the government it deserves. I say our opposition in Guyana gets the government it nurtured.

David Hinds

We parents are between a rock and a hard place, Mr. Olato Sam DEAR EDITOR, I must say ‘Hats Off’ to Mr. Olato Sam, Chief Education Officer for his comments and advice to us parents on the matter of extra lessons.

Mr. Sam mentioned that we as parents go into overkill with sending our children to extra lessons and this could lead to some measure of confusion on the respective syllabuses in subject areas.

I agree but the CEO must also understand the plight that we are faced with, hence our decision to bring extra lessons on board in an effort for our children to be successful at their exams especially CXC. We are faced with some problems which the Ministry of Education MUST address.

There are many teachers who are responsible for

preparing students for exams especially CXC, who are (1) attending UG (hence they have to be away from the classroom); (2) pregnant and must have their maternity leave; (3) leave other students to teach and read out notes to classes; (4) promote cliquism in the classes and only choose their favourites for attendance and participation in activities that are school related; (5) give out notes on Maths and then leave the class.

Also, many of the teachers conduct extra lessons at their homes etc.

We are therefore placed between a rock and a hard place. Should we speak out, out children are ostracised and victimized. What do we do then, Mr. Sam? A really concerned parent

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

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

Guyana’s $150M Airport upgrade and no International carriers DEAR EDITOR, Guyana, a Developing Country with a vast interior doesn’t have a national carrier and is spending about 200 million dollar to modernize and extend the runway of its international airport.

And without a realistic master plan, the country hopes to become an aviation hub in Northern South America. Interestingly, Guyana is struggling to attract reputable international carriers.

Adding to the woes of Guyana’s aviation industry which is non existent, was the decision to award Caribbean Airlines (CAL) flag carrier status which caught everyone by surprise. It was a hasty decision shrouded in secrecy and lacked transparency. So where is the justification to modernize and expand Guyana’s international airport, CJIA and naming CAL Guyana’s national carrier?

This could be the moment for the government of Guyana to get back into the airline business through a joint venture with Surinam Airways (SLM) or Liat but this may never happen because CAL is now Guyana’s national carrier.

Guyana granting CAL flag carrier status and Trinidad’s fuel subsidy to CAL is now unfolding and has caught the PPP Regime by surprise.

There are all sorts of speculations as to why Delta Airline is leaving Guyana. The government of Guyana denies

that it’s the flag carrier status granted to CAL. Delta claims that it is low passenger load and CAL’s subsidized fuel that led to its decision to end its service to Guyana.

At the same time, Minister Irfan Ally said to the press that Guyana is keen to take up the subsidy issue.

Strangely, why would that be an issue for Guyana? It’s the fuel subsidy that CAL receives that keep fares low for Guyanese. However, that will lead to other carriers such as Delta and Surinam Airways leaving the Guyana market soon.

Caribbean Airlines operates 39 weekly Boeing 737-800s flights from Georgetown, including 36 flights to Port of Spain and three flights to Barbados, five Boeing 767-300 non –stop flights to New York and 3 Non-Stop to Toronto, taking about 75% of the Guyana market since the demise of Red Jet. CAL is poised to take about 80% of the market when Delta pulls out of Guyana in May. Considering this and the large fuel subsidy that CAL receives from the Government of Trinidad, it’s hard for small airlines such as Fly Jamaica, Red Jet or Surinam Airways to survive the Guyana market.

CAL is accused of driving airlines out of the Caribbean.

Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly Orville London speaking on the issue of Tobago’s tourism industry this week said he was not comfortable with the

role Caribbean Airlines (CAL) was playing. He said that “CAL was using its subsidies from the central government to introduce predatory pricing on routes into T&T, deterring foreign airlines from bringing people to Tobago.”

This could very well be the reason why Delta is leaving Guyana and SLM maybe next.

In my previous letter to Stabroek News, dated December 25, 2012, I asked the following: “CAL may very well do as it pleases because the Government of Guyana will now protect the North American routes and the POS-GT Bridge.

What agreement did the two parties sign? How does this affect Delta and Surinam Airways, and future carriers plying the North American routes? What recourse does the government have if CAL disappoints the Guyanese people?” Well one thing is for sure, Delta is terminating its service to Guyana and CAL is yet to station aircrafts at CJIA connecting Guyana to Brazil and Lethem.

A Developing Country like Guyana with a vast interior needs a national carrier even if that means servicing domestic and regional routes only. The PPP Regime rants about their growing tourism industry.

One wonders how many local Guyanese can afford to fly domestically.

However, CAL had promised the PPP Regime that they would service at

NO garbage collected in Middle Road after four weeks DEAR EDITOR, I am writing this letter with frustration after 4 weeks of waiting of the council or contractor trucks to pass through Middle road and collect our garbage; it is the most ridiculous situation even I could remember.

What is most frustrating, is, I have written a letter on the 6th November, 2012 which was publish and Mr. Royston K i n g , P u b l i c Relations Officer, Mayor and City Council, replied and started how the truck come around every two weeks and I should call his office if I have any concerns in the future. At present I am sick and tired of calling this office and talking to a representative, asking when?

When? And to this day as I pen this letter, NO garbage trucks came around.

It is amazing, all the letters from Keith Borrow, Royston King and Government official about the garbage and what they want or plan to do and I have not seen any

improvement.

It is sad to know what Guyana/Georgetown is going to, as they will say “it gone to the dogs”, why is it so difficult for the council to have trucks working daily, weekly picking garbage around the various areas?, if the council cannot afford, then the Government MUST take the bull by the horn and do something, we cannot continue like this, this situation is affecting people daily life and visitors are disgust of the state of the City, my kids that visited from oversea was shocked in December, 2012.

If anyone drive through Hunter Street, you will see a Hugh pile of garbage on the street if causing a traffic concern for many, this part of Hunter Street is a two way, one can get hurt, an accident is waiting to happen, as people are driving away from the Garbage, unto the oncoming traffic and the smell.

The rainy season will come soon, and, many streets

will flood because of the pile of garbage all over the city and then the health of people will be at risk.

Please why, can we not hire (contract) more contractors or give them more areas to clean, zone 7, 8 & 9 etc and pay the money, we cannot allow this to continue.

We need to keep the city and residential areas clean all the time, until the council and Government solve their internal issues, the citizen should not be suffering because of the political issues.

On the 3rd January, 2013, I paid my rates and taxes for the entire year and I am not even getting the services I have paid for.

We as resident of Middle Road, need our garbage to be collected on a week-end base, how hard is this to be done, why can’t a truck comes by every Thursday for example, this mean 52 times per year to keep the area clean, tidy and reduction of a health risk.

E. Whyte

least Lethem from what information was shared with the media.

This hasn’t happened yet. And locals can’t afford to fly with private domestic carriers unless their families who are visiting from North America pay for them. Thus, it’s an empty promise that the PPP Regime at Freedom House is serious about opening the country’s frontiers.

I had asked, “Were SLM and Delta consulted before this agreement with CAL was made? The PPP/C regime begged SLM to return to Guyana. How does this affect SLM’s plans to expand into Northern Brazil, New York and Toronto from Guyana?”

It is very clear now that Freedom House kept SLM, Delta and LIAT in the dark about granting CAL flag carrier status.

Now how embarrassing it is that the PPP Regime approached SLM to service the New York route that Delta will drop. Really, does this administration consult or think before it acts?

Suriname according to

some economists and the agencies, Moody and Finch, is poised for a serious economic take off and this could have been an opportunity for the Guyanas to forge an alliance with SLM. Surinam Airways already exist and it’s more reliable than the fly by night’s carriers that often fly the skies of Guyana. SLM has three equipments, two Boeings 737 and an Airbus 340.

SLM does not have an aircraft to service New York non- stop from Guyana and is looking to get rid of its Airbus 340 and add two Boeing 757, but that’s not possible right now since the lease on the airbus terminates in 2015.

SLM is having difficulty plying one aircraft on the trans-Atlantic route to Amsterdam. As well, there are frequent delays on SLM’s flights from Guyana to Miami, Cayenne, Belem and Paramaribo because the government often charter one of the Boeings 737-300 for overseas trips.

According to information out of Suriname, they are

looking to acquire an additional Boeing to fly regional routes and future expansion into Northern Brazil. Paramaribo will definitely need some sort of incentives from Guyana if they are to connect Guyana to New York. What did President Ramotar promised SLM in Haiti?

In addition, the future of Fly Jamaica, the new upstart airline that plans to fly to Guyana is very uncertain.

Guyana is and will not be a tourist destination in the near future. Further, there are no migrant workers who travel back and forth between Guyana, Toronto, Miami and New York, thus, reputable air carriers such as JetBlue may not fly to Guyana.

The Guyana load is seasonal and the country has little tourist infrastructure to be marketed as a tourist destination. Further, and above all, because of high crime rate, violence and constant political turmoil in Guyana, tourism is unlikely to take off. Guyanese going back home are not tourists.

Ray Chickrie

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Monday March 04, 2013

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 9

The COI is an important democratic mechanism The just concluded Commission of Inquiry into the events of July 18 last may have done enough to overcome the aversion that the PPPC held towards such inquiries.

I may be wrong but during the entire twelve years of the presidency of Bharrat Jagdeo, there may have been only one major Commission of Inquiry launched. That Inquiry came after a great deal of pressure from the opposition and the Americans.

There was of course a Commission of Inquiry into the affairs of the Georgetown Municipality but this was by no means a major COI. So many things during the past decade, so many disputes could have been avoided and settled had there been the wisdom to launch Commissions of Inquiry into those developments. Imagine that despite the terror of the crime wave and the massacres of Lusignan, Bartica, Agricola and Lindo Creek, no Commission of Inquiry was launched into any of these atrocities.

The Jagdeo administration was extremely insecure about having such inquiries. Much of the speculation that still exists on a number of issues, speculation that have become engrained in many persons’ minds as fact, could

have been dispensed with had the issues they related to been investigated by a Commission of Inquiry.

In this context, the decision and earnestness of President Donald Ramotar in ordering a Commission of Inquiry into the events of July 18, 2012 in Linden represented a welcome change.

The outcome of that COI demonstrates that the PPP should not fear such investigations because more often than not, these COIs end up vindicating the ruling administration.

These investigations can decisively put to rest certain controversies and avoid them festering and becoming political sores. By allowing the chips to fall wherever they have to fall, the PPPC will win a great deal of support. It should therefore continue to have more commissions of inquiries.

There are a number of comments which can be made about the just concluded exercise, the first of which was the prohibitive cost which can serve as a disincentive to any such future exercise.

In fact, some observers have pointed to the fact that the payments made to the Commissioners for their services would end up exceeding the “awards” that

Dem boys seh

Dem gun get ketch Guyana is a strange place. Everything wrang does happen in Guyana. Is de only country wheh de big ones crookish and can lie. Every time dem open dem mouth is a lie and when dem get ketch dem does tell another lie.

Tek de case of de Marriott. Ganda Paul join wid Gail and Brazzy fuh tell people how he didn’t know that no Guyanese couldn’t get wuk.

Ganda Paul is de Labour Minister and Gail is de one who does always find fault wid everything anybody seh bout de government.

Now all of dem claim how Guyana ain’t got workers suh de Chinee contractor had to bring in all de workers. Well dem boys want to know how come people still building houses and dem tall building although de country ain’t got workers? Imagine that dem is de same people who claim that Guyana got a high rate of unemployment.

But that ain’t de story.

When dem start fuh talk bout de hotel, Jagdeo claim how all dem project gun bring in employment. He right. He did not seh fuh who.

De same Jagdeo tell de people of Guyana how when dem expand de airstrip more

plane gun be coming to Guyana. Well de wuk just start and dem airline pulling out.

Delta going.

How people can believe that by de time de project done more plane gun come?

That is why dem boys ain’t believe nutten bout people coming in Guyana and gun full de Marriott wha dem building.

Of course de plan was to build de airport and then advertise de hotel. Now dem boys sure that de hotel gun be a white elephant wid mostly Guyanese coming and going. Is de money dey tiefin and all of dem gun get ketch.

An ex policeman who tun miner return home from de bush unexpectedly and find his policewoman wife in bed with another policeman! De wife jump out a window and run for she life. She mek Usain Bolt look like stupidness.

The miner tell dem boys that when he see another red man in he bed he thought was his reflection but he wake up the policeman with a cutlass broadside pun he back. The policeman jump out he sleep and seh Red Man nah kill me. He still alive.

Talk half and wait till Jagdeo dem get ketch.

the Commissioners would have made.

That unfortunately is the price that the State will have to pay and the people of Guyana will have to accept until we learn to trust more of our eminent citizens to undertake such exercises.

We are so divided as a nation that we had to bring persons at great expense from outside of Guyana to tell us what could have been told to us by a panel of eminent persons drawn exclusively from within our borders.

We therefore need more COI’s so that the requisite comfort level can be achieved

to allow for great confidence in local personnel undertaking such investigations.

The COI is an important democratic mechanism. It is also useful tool of conflict resolution that can help resolve political and social conflict and contribute to greater political stability.

However, unless our political leaders begin to have greater confidence in the ability of locals to overcome their political and other biases in the course of such inquiries, this mechanism will continue to be

underutilized.

An important hurdle may have been conquered by the just concluded COI. There will be some reservations about some of the findings but this is not unusual. There will always be differences over the findings of COIs. The findings could never have been expected to please everyone.

Commissions of Inquiry do allow for an independent and impartial probe of events and processes. This is important in a society as fractured as Guyana.

What is also important is that Guyana gains the

experience of how to undertake and conduct such exercises because it was clear that during the process of determining the terms of reference and during the inquiry itself, many were at sea as to what to do and how to proceed.

The experience of participating in the recent COI can but only help them be better prepared for whenever any subsequent inquiry is undertaken.

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Historical Review of the Mining Town - Part 3

By Enid Joaquin During its heyday, Mackenzie prospered, and no one would have envisaged the tumultuous times that lay ahead as the stability of the community was fractured by the volcanic political climate of the early 1960’s, that eventually exploded with two debacles that would remain etched in the memories of residents for decades to come.

MAYHEM IN MAY! The first catastrophe to mar the hitherto peaceful community was the 1964 disturbance at Wismar, where mayhem broke loose on May 24th as rioting, looting, rape, murder and arson reduced the area to a war zone.

In its aftermath, several Indo-Guyanese lay dead, while dozens of houses and business places were destroyed.

This led to the mass evacuation of others, who were fortunate to escape, to areas outside of Mackenzie

by British troops who had been deployed to the district.

But even as the carnage was taking place a few AfroGuyanese families would risk their own lives as they rescued and hid several East

Indians.

A few Indo-Guyanese would later return to the community, after normalcy was restored. But several homes, which had escaped the arsonists, were appropriated by other people, who took up residence in them.

Some would later apply for prescriptive rights to the properties.

MORE REVENGE KILLINGS? Afterwards, there was an apprehensive calm, like the proverbial calm before the storm; but then, a few months later, all hell broke loose again!

The Son Chapman, a private vessel, which was owned by erstwhile businessman, Norman Chapman, was blown up in the Demerara River, in the vicinity of Horadia, about 18 miles from Mackenzie. The launch was on a routine return trip to Mackenzie, with less than its full complement of passengers, as a result of the rumours circulating, that it would be blown up.

Forty three people, of mostly African descent died that day. This second carnage would send shockwaves throughout Mackenzie, as dismembered bodies littered

A ship at the dock in Linden, waiting to be loaded with bauxite.

the water top. Two East Indians, who had returned to Mackenzie after the disturbances, were subsequently killed in retaliation.

The Owner of the launch, in an interview with this newspaper a few years ago, said he was not surprised, as

he had received several threats that the launch would be “wasted”.

According to Chapman, his launch was blown up because it was the fastest and most popular vessel plying the Demerara River in those days.

But other people saw it

differently; they were convinced that the ‘bombing’ of the Son Chapman was a vengeful act by those who had retaliated for their uprooting from the area mere months before.

It was widely accepted that the volatile climate of the early 1960s was reportedly

orchestrated by politically motivated architects of destruction, both within and outside of the country, who fanned the flames of ethnic hatred, until it ignited and exploded, resulting in murders, and other atrocities that fragmented lives and (Continued on page 17)

Monday March 04, 2013

If you speak English you are likely to save less for your old age, smoke more and get less exercise than if you speak a language like Mandarin, Yoruba or Malay. This is what Yale University Professor, Keith Chen, has found from his extensive research into language and behaviour. In essence, Professor Chen’s research validates the truth of the saying attributed to Thomas Jefferson, “Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today.”

In other words, your future can end up tense if you have a future tense. For example if instead of saying, “I will save money for the future” you say, “I save money” you are more likely to save instead of spend.

Professor Chen has opened up a new avenue in the highways and byways of the English Language that we should explore. Are all our other aphorisms accurate?

Are the sayings well said?

On that basis, instead of procrastinating I follow the Professor and I write now right now.

Let’s start with “pie in the sky”. It means a future reward after death for something you did not receive here on earth.

It can also be sacrificing excessively in the hope that it will all be worth it at some time. All too often, pie in the sky is replaced in real time by pie in the face – an embarrassing ending like the light at the end of the tunnel which is more likely to be a train coming straight at you instead of the bright future you hoped for.

The same thing happens when like the West Indies Cricket Team you “turn the corner” time and time again.

You get whitewashed. I had a pie in the sky incident last Sunday when I flew Caribbean Airlines (CAL) from Port-of-Spain to my home in Antigua. One of my suitcases full of Trini goodies to share with my family contained a batch of “dhal puris” (a.k.a. roti “blanks” or “skins”).

Essentially the puri is a split-peas pie. Everybody else on the flight got their luggage. I did not get mine.

A very friendly and efficient CAL employee, Junior Angus, took charge and tried to get the handlers to check the hold but he was tersely told that the cargo hatch was

Kaieteur News

already shut. The plane took off with my pie in the sky.

Even though I believe that Junior deserves promotion for his efforts on my behalf, that would be pie in the sky.

Even more, thinking that CAL would improve its performance or deal with the baggage handlers is more pie in the sky.

Let’s take “paying through the nose”. Nobody knows for sure how it started.

One suggestion is that when the tax on snuff was raised (as we do now for tobacco), people complained about having to pay through the nose. Cocaine addicts have the same experience.

Another explanation is that the Greek word for “nose” is “rhinos” while “rhino” is British slang for money so you pay through your rhinos. Last week in Trinidad, I went to the doctor to whom I had paid US$2,000 for a CPAP machine and mask to help me deal with my sleep apnea. After just a few months the tube and the mask had parted company and I felt this was truly shoddy work for something that had literally caused me to pay through the nose.

Perhaps my nose is broader and bigger than it looks for the doctor tried to charge me US$150 for a replacement mask which turned out to be a “sample” for display and not for use.

The explanation conveyed to me was that the Doctor’s supplier charged him for the mask so I should pay too.

When I went to return the mask his attendants demanded the damaged plastic bag in which the mask came claiming that the Doctor had “done me a favour” by trying to sell me the display mask.

The problem is that my hope of doing anything about the Doctor and seeing him get his just desserts is pure pie in the sky.

The saying that seems most timely right now is “By hook or by crook.”

WIKIPEDIA says, “By hook or by crook is an English phrase meaning ‘by any means necessary’, suggesting that one need not be concerned with morality or other considerations when accomplishing some goal.”

The battle for the Presidency of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has given rise to the accusation that some

people are intent on winning by hook or by crook – “hook” being the curved blade or sickle used to cut grass and “crook” the curved stick that shepherds use to immobilize errant sheep.

The talk is that Julian Hunte, the present President, had given the impression to other Board Members that he would not seek a fourth twoyear term. Now, they say, he seems “hooked” on the job.

Former West Indies Captain, Clive Lloyd, did not get any of the Territorial Boards (the owners of the WICB) to second his nomination and his goose is cooked.

Incredibly, the Windward

Page 13

Islands Cricket Board of Control (WICBC) is not with Hunte this time around but is supporting its President, Emmanuel Nanthan, as VicePresident in the WICB elections.

Hunte is credited with master-minding the coup of having three St Lucians simultaneously President, CEO and Captain of the WICB team. Mr. Cameron, whose name was mentioned in the Justice Lucky Report on the WICB’s first Digicel Contract, is expected to win.

To expect any change in the way the WICB conducts its affairs is pure pie in the sky. There will be no changes

in the composition of the Board or forensic audit of the use of its credit cards to see whether they have been used for personal business including “television services” and “non-food” Room Service at hotels, the awards of contracts especially where no tendering process is involved, Directors not disclosing their interest in matters that come before the Board or their roles in awarding contracts even though no Director, including the President, has executive

authority, or the use of the players’ pension funds for recurrent expenditure. In other words, whoever wins, whether by hook or by crook, it will be business as usual. *Tony Deyal was last seen saying that at Barbadians have slightly changed an old adage to, “A friend in need is a Freundel indeed.” It also sent a message to the Barbados Labour Party not to count their chickens before they are hatched and how to eat humble pie.

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Monday March 04, 2013

Historical Review of the Mining...

(From page 10) caused upheavals in several communities across British Guiana.

DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES Despite the pervasive turmoil that marred the tranquility of Mackenzie in the early 1960s, development continued at a steady pace.

A few businesses, such as Hamilton’s Store, Chapman’s Enterprise, Barrington’s Esso Service Station and the Royal Bank of Canada would be established on Arvida Road (Republic Avenue), between the years 1962-1967.

However, development would be more prolific between 1964-1966 with the commencement of the New Kara-Kara Housing Scheme, the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge, the Atkinson/ Mackenzie Highway and the construction of the New Wismar Market.

A project was also launched to erect a hospital at Wismar to serve residents on the West Bank of the Demerara River.

Dubbed the Upper Demerara Hospital project, it was launched with the Jaycees of Mackenzie making the first contribution of $30,000.

Bauxite workers would also contribute significantly towards the building of the Hospital. In addition to the contributions that they would make towards the establishment of that hospital, a sum of money which they had e a r l i e r agreed to would be taken out of their salaries, by their employers and put towards the upkeep and maintenance of the power plant, which supplied electricity to the community.

The opening up of the Atkinson/Mackenzie Highway (Linden/ Soesdyke Highway) in 1968, would take Mackenzie by storm, as the journey to Georgetown, which had hitherto taken almost eight hours by the vessel RH Carr, was reduced to a mere two hours. The RH Carr subsequently pulled the steamer service, the following year.

People at Mackenzie were ecstatic with this new development, and as can be expected, trips to Georgetown for both business and pleasure became more frequent.

Meanwhile, the AME Church at Christianburg was built in the year 1969.

St. Aidans, which, like the community is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, was rebuilt that same year.

“MACKENZIE’ DECLARED ATOWN. The communities of Wismar, Christianburg and Mackenzie (Mackenzie), were amalgamated in the year 1970, and the area was declared a town. Its first name Macmerberg was an acronym of the three words. The name would later be changed to Linden, after the then Prime Minister, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

1970 would be an important year for the town in more ways than one, as the first ever Mashramani was held that year on February 23rd.

The idea behind Mashramani was conceptualized by the JACEES of Mackenzie, to celebrate the country’s newly achieved Republican status.

It later became a national event and remains so to this day.

Brezina Housing Scheme at Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie was opened that very year. A year later, DEMBA was finally nationalized following repeated calls for its nationalization after the country gained independence in 1966.

Wisroc Housing Scheme at Wismar was established four years later, as well as the LICHAS Hall at Mackenzie and the Wismar/ Christianburg Secondary School on Blueberry Hill, Wismar.

Popularly known as “Multi”, the Mackenzie Multilateral School, like several others that were built across the country, was constructed to take care of both the academic and vocational needs of students, But several years earlier in

The 13,000 walking dragline which was used in the 1970s.

1951, the Echols High School was established on Arvida Road and Wismar Street. The school was later moved to its present location and renamed the Mackenzie High School.

It has remained the premier secondary School in Mackenzie, Linden throughout the years.

Another school, the Mackenzie All Age School, had also been established on Arvida road, a decade earlier.

The first public free Library was erected in close proximity (on the grounds). After the school was removed, the Linden Shopping Plaza was erected on the site. Courts Guyana, Digicel and other smaller business entities currently occupy the building.

This was followed by the opening of the first and only cinema, in those days- the Crescent Cinema on Coop Crescent, at Mackenzie.

Another cinema-the “Palm Tree’ was built years later on Burnham Drive, Wismar.

NAME CHANGES After Demba was nationalized, the bauxite company became known as GUYBAU (Guyana Bauxite Company). The company was later merged with its Berbice

counterpart, which was then known as BERMINE (Berbice Mining Enterprise) and renamed GUYMINE (Guyana Mining Enterprise) in 1977.

Guyconstruct, a subsidiary was also established, and served as the building arm of the company.

A year earlier, the Bauxite Industry Development Company (BIDCO) had been established as the parent Company for the Bauxite industry in Guyana.

This was the beginning of several name changes that would take place, as the company would ‘change hands’ over the years. During all this time, just as how the bauxite sector was constantly ‘changing hands’, so it was that the economic landscape was changing; and it was definitely not for the better!

There would be retrenchments and redundancies, until the workforce was reduced to almost a quarter of what it had originally been.

Green Construction Company, an overseas-based entity was later contracted to the industry to do the stripping (removing overburden etc) as the

company was experiencing problems in that area, and had been losing markets as a result.

The new company, which worked in a collaborative arrangement with the bauxite industry, encamped at the old Arrowcane mine, but conducted their operations at the East Montgomery mine(the largest mine).

Although Green brought in some of their own managers, they also employed persons ‘exclusively’, while the bauxite industry assigned a few of their managers to them.

But then Green closed up shop and left.

Some of their workers were absorbed by the bauxite industry in Linden, and later others gained employment with RUSAL at Aroaima.

The rest joined the long line of the unemployed.

GUYMINE DISSOLVED Guymine was dissolved in 1977, and an Australian mining company by the name of MINPROC assumed management of the industry.

Several years later, the Australians would hand over management to LINMINE (Linden Mining Enterprise).

Meanwhile the ‘colossal’ Alumina Plant operations ground to a halt in the early eighties, which resulted in even more persons joining the ranks of the unemployed.

This was the beginning of the decline of the mining Town.

More than two decades later in 2004, the OMAI Bauxite Company, which had initially been engaged in gold mining, took over the management of the industry from LINMINE. There were high hopes that things would turn around greatly with their intervention.

But OMAI would move on after only three years, which saw BOSAI Minerals Group (Guyana), which is presently still in charge, taking over the reins of the industry in April 2007.

LEAP (Linden Economic Advancement Programme), had in the meanwhile been established.

With this intervention, Lindeners of course had envisaged a ‘leap’ start (or restart) and advancement in the Town’s economic standing; un f o r t u n a t e l y they were sorely disappointed!

(Continued next week)

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

All students should master reading by Grade 3 Chief Education Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Education (MoE), Olato Sam, believes that all students in the Primary school system should be able to master reading by Grade 3.

“There is no reason...everything in the system is structured to ensure that that happens; that is the mandate of this system and parents need to understand that if they have primary children in Grades One, Two, Three or Four, your children should have mastered basic literacy and pick up the newspapers any day and read fluently, and if by the end of Grade 3 this isn’t happening, you need to go into the school and speak to our teachers and discuss what needs to be done and how we can ensure that this is happening across the board.”

Mastering reading concepts at a very early age in the primary school, he added, is the key to having children do better in Math, Science, English and Social Studies.

“We are trying very hard at the lower levels to ensure that our children master these basic competencies”.

He underscored the importance of the National Grade Four Assessment and expressed the hope for better performances this year.

“And what we are hoping is that in time, the secondary schools will perform better because they are getting better quality primary students coming forward.”

The CEO was addressing parents at the JC Chandinsingh Secondary School in Port Mourant last Wednesday during a face-

- Chief Education Officer

CEO of the MoE Olato Sam the-community meeting, where several issues were raised. Other issues such as the need for better school fences, security guards, more textbooks, better- functioning laboratories, poor examination results, etc were raised with the CEO. At the meeting, concerns were also expressed about parents being afraid to highlight problems to education officials at facethe-community meetings for fear of their children being victimized. This sentiment was expressed by the President of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the JC Chandinsingh Secondary School.

“Sometimes when you ask the hard questions, people feel that you are getting personal and they are offended, and that is one of

the reasons why lots of parents say that they don’t come to the meetings because when you say this, people will carry back and say that.”

The PTA President urged parents to make time to visit their respective schools to monitor the progress of their children, and not only visit when their children are in problems with other students or teachers. He added, too, that businesspersons would like to help schools, “but they have lost confidence in the schools. I hope that we make some study and see how we can get it back to where it was.”

Also in attendance was the Acting Minister of Education, Dr. Frank Anthony; Region 6 Chairman, Mr. David Armogan; and Region 6 Education Officer, Mrs. Shafiran Bhajan.

Police still investigating...

(From page 12) agency is responsible.

It was stated at the PAC meeting that the Regional Administration has since assigned a clerk to ensure that cheque orders are cleared within the stipulated time.

This move has since resulted in a reduction of the number of outstanding cheque orders being cleared as the present outstanding amount of missing cheque orders stands at 738 ,which still amounts to a whopping $274.8M. However, it was stated that as of May 2012, the outstanding cheque orders for the year 2011 fluctuated after consideration was given to roll over cheques that were uplifted from the Sub- Treasury, Region 6, in the month of May last year.

“Further, all GUYOIL cheque orders under query for

the years 2007 and 2008 respectively were taken to the Auditor General's Office by the then State Auditor in charge of Region 6 sub-office for the purpose of perusing and aiding the investigation of fuel theft at Whim.

These vouchers were never returned to the Regional Administration's Sub Treasury's Department and as such could not have been of-

ficially retired, hence the large outstanding sums.”

A Regional representative also added that a flood last year resulted in some cheques being destroyed.

He emphasized that internal controls have been introduced to strengthen the system and ensure that the process of handling cheque orders are in accordance with the procurement act of 2003.

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Monday March 04, 2013

Guyana’s corruption an attractive opportunity for foreign mining firms - COHA A major international think tank is claiming that Canadian mining companies not only exploit “large stock of natural resources” in Guyana but they also bring “waves of unwelcomed corruption.”

The heavy interest of foreign multinationals in Guyana’s natural resources is not surprising, as the unstable and corrupt political environment presents an attractive opportunity for foreign firms looking to take advantage of the country’s rotting political and economic institutions,” said the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) in a statement.

“The majority of this corruption is the product of decades-long dependence on foreign capital and restrictive macroeconomic policies, as well as governmental inefficiencies and an ethnically-divided society,” it added. COHA claimed that alleged corruption in the mining industry is not simply restricted to Guyana’s borders but is also present on Canadian soil.

It pointed to “multiple obstacles foreigners face” in the Canadian legal system, “where it is nearly impossible for foreign citizens to bring lawsuits involving egregious environmental and human rights violations in Canadian courts.

COHA said the majority of foreign allegations brought against Canadian companies

have been assigned to the host country’s criminal justice system, “where they are often prosecuted under much more lenient regulatory standards.”

It pointed to a 1997 lawsuit filed by Guyanese villagers against Cambior Corporation regarding the Canadian corporation’s alleged negligence surrounding a dam break disaster along the Omai River.

The think tank said “this catastrophe resulted in mass contamination and fatalities.”

It said the Quebec court refused to hear the case, claiming it did not have jurisdiction, subsequently passing the lawsuit on to the

The residents from the East La Penitence ‘Back Circle Community’ have initiated a self help group that is cultivating a healthier environment.

When Kaieteur News visited the area yesterday, about 10 persons were seen cleaning the drains and parapets.

Spearheading the operation is Lancelot Wills.

Wills is one of the earliest inhabitants of the community. He said that it is the deep-rooted concern of members of Back Circle that causes them to ensure that the environment is clean and healthy.

“We started this group because we saw the need to maintain our environment cause is we living here and we got to take care of where we live… we pay rates and taxes but City Council doesn’t really do anything here but we do it for the benefit of having a healthy neighbourhood” With a population of almost 700, at least 15

individuals at a time volunteer on weekends to clean the parapets, drains and remove piles of garbage.

“Some persons cook while others clean. We cooperate so that more work can be done. We would appreciate donation like gloves and wheelbarrows and so to help we, but we not letting having those stuff bother we; we are continuing our work.”

Another member of the group, Ruddy Smartt said that the group has been in operation for a number of years.

“We doing this thing years now since City Council stop clean here and about 15 of we does come out on weekend and holiday and clean up. We ain’t getting help from nowhere. We does just do everything by we self; everybody does come together and put in they part.”

Smartt said that the ongoing issue of flooding has also played a major part in prompting them to act.

Gold mining in Guyana

Guyanese judiciary.

COHA said child labour is also a “widespread problem” within the Guyanese mining industry.

Most recently, it said an eight-year-old child was found labouring in a gold mine in the Puruni region, near the Venezuelan border.

COHA pointed to a 2011 US Department of Labour report, which claimed that “commercial exploitation is a problem in Guyana, including instances of forced prostitution.”

COHA said during the last week of January, indigenous groups lost a “crucial court case” filed against mining companies,

when Guyanese High Court decided that it does not have the right to expel miners from their lands.

The Council pointed out that in July 2012, Guyana’s Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment announced the suspension of all new mining permits, but did not revoke the old permits.

“This is a clear violation of the 1978 Amerindian Act, which was supposed to return land titles to indigenous groups,” it said.

COHA has called on the Guyanese government to “seriously increase the management oversight of its mining and public sectors.

(CMC)

Self help efforts enhance East La Penitence Back Circle

Members of the community group cleaning a drain “See when de rain fall, this whole place does flood cause we ain’t get no proper

drainage we does got to ensure de drains dem and so clean”

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

Mother of two goes missing after leaving home drunk A 31-year old mother of two from Better Hope, East Coast Demerara has gone missing from her home for the past two weeks. Shanti Seegobin also known as Anita was last seen at a neighbourhood “rum shop” in her village on the day after Mashramani.

She was clad in a white jersey with blue denim jeans.

Seegobin is slim and brown in complexion; two of her upper incisors are missing and she has a speech impediment.

Her Sister Devi Seegobin became aware of Shanti’s disappearance after she telephoned her brother-in-law (Shanti’s husband) on February 25 last.

Seegobin was informed by a relative that her sister had not returned home since she left just after midday on Sunday. Devi Seegobin further learnt that her sister had been drinking before she left the house and ended up

at the ‘rum shop’.

“When me call, they say she de drinking she lil wine and so and she tell them she going to the rum shop, and duh was around one in the afternoon and after that nobody never hear back from she . She husband search all ova but up to now we can’t find she.”

Seegobin‘s mother Parbattie Seegobin, told this newspaper that her daughter normally stays away from the house but returns after two days.

However the concerned mother knew that something was amiss after her daughter had not returned home. She and her daughter Devi went to the Sparendam Police Station where they filed a missing person report.

To make contact with the Seegobin’s family regarding the whereabouts of Shanti Seegobin, persons can call the following numbers: 6733704 and 693-5075.

Guyana, T&T sign MOU to increase bilateral Energy cooperation

Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud, and the Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs of the Trinidad & Tobago, Kevin C. Ramnarine after the signing.

Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, and the Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs of Trinidad & Tobago, Kevin Ramnarine signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries to foster greater Cooperation in Energy and Energy-Related matters.

The signing was finalized after the official opening of the 41st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) Energy Meeting which was held recently in Port of Spain.

The Memorandum of Understanding establishes a process through which the two countries agree to cooperate with each other in the development of the energy and energyrelated sectors of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

As such, the two respective Ministers noted that this facilitation will allow for enhanced development of the energy sector in the two countries and to a greater extent, the Caribbean Community.

Meanwhile, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago will be working at both the technical and policy levels to allow for the enhancement of effective and efficient energy pillars for both economies.

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Guyana-Mexico celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations

President Donald Ramotar and Mexico’s Ambassador to Guyana His Excellency Francisco Olguin toast at the observance of Mexico’s 202nd Independence Anniversary.

President Donald Ramotar said that there is much that Guyana and Mexico can accomplish at the regional level within the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Nations to improve the standard of living of their peoples and to deepen the integration amongst the two countries.

This was mentioned in his message to the President of the Republic of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn RodriguesBirkett and Mexican Ambassador Fernando Sandoval (in 2011) signed the Memorandum of Understanding to set up a consultative mechanism.

President Ramotar said that the foundation of Guyana’s relations with Mexico is firmly built on the principles of solidarity, strategic partnership and a steadfast dedication towards the improvement of the lives of the peoples of both nations.

He expressed gratitude to

Mexico for the assistance and areas of cooperation that Guyana has benefitted from over the last four decades.

“It is my hope that we can continue to work together to preserve and strengthen these bonds for the mutual benefit of our countries and peoples. I look forward to working with you in this regional mechanism to promote the interests and welfare of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole,” he said.

Guyana and Mexico established bilateral relations in March 1973. However, these relations have since been significantly strengthened with the establishment of a Mexican Embassy in 2009.

Since then several agreements have materialised including a technical and scientific cooperation agreement and another which caters for the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic and service passports.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn RodriguesBirkett in her message on this important milestone, pointed to the areas of technical and economic cooperation between the two countries

within the international and regional community.

In September 2011, Guyana and Mexico inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), for the establishment of a consultative mechanism that focused on all aspects of bilateral relations the two countries share, including political, economic, scientific, technical and cultural.

In February 2009, the Government of Mexico began to issue unilateral long-term visas for up to 10 years multiple entries for Guyana nationals for the purpose of tourism and business and two years for trans-migrants.

This initiative was reciprocated by Guyana when the Government took the decision to grant similar visa entries for Mexican nationals.

Mexican Ambassador Francisco Olguin recalled that in the 1970s Guyana and Mexico participated actively in the movement for a New International Economic Order and sought to maintain an independent position from the capitalist and communist blocks.

He said that despite all the challenges of the 70s and 80s,

the two countries maintained their objectives of ensuring respect for their national sovereignty, the promotion of economic and social development as well as advancing regional integration.

Ambassador Olguin also spoke highly of Guyana’s efforts at the level of the United Nations for a New Global Human Order, which he said Mexico fully endorses.

“We look forward to a more intense relationship with Guyana and the countries of this region, joining forces in partnership to promote our ideals of integration, solidarity and development,” he said.

The Government of Guyana values the influence that the Caricom/Mexico forum can engender with the challenges facing today’s world. Both countries share common concerns of peace and security in the Caribbean region and are also active partners on numerous issues in the international forum including climate change.

A significant number of Guyanese students received scholarships under the Bicentennial Scholarships for Professional Technicians offered to the Caricom by the Mexican Government.

These students benefitted from the full package that entailed waived enrollment fees, a monthly allowance of US $400, a fourmonth Spanish course prior to the beginning of the studies, full medical insurance coverage from the Mexican Social Security Institute, and international air transportation at the beginning and end of the scholarship.

The Mexico scholarships were initiated in commemoration of 200 years of Independence and 100 years of the Mexican Revolution. (GINA)

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Chavez critics protest at secrecy over Venezuelan leader CARACAS (Reuters) Hundreds of pro-opposition students and other critics of Hugo Chavez’s government marched in Caracas yesterday to demand proof that the cancer-stricken Venezuelan leader is still alive and governing.

The crowd, including various leaders at the more militant end of the Democratic Unity opposition coalition, sang protest songs and waved banners as they rallied in a central neighborhood on a sweltering morning.

“Give us the truth!” and “Stop lying!” read banners.

Underlining the deep

political polarization of the South American nation of 29 million people during Chavez’s 14-year rule, hundreds of pro-government students also held a rally in support of the president and his ministers.

With Chavez unseen, apart from one set of photos, since a December 11 cancer operation in December, Venezuelans are on edge waiting for developments amid a sea of rumors.

Officials say Chavez is in a Caracas military hospital after returning from Cuba two weeks ago, battling for his life.

Though he is breathing via a

tracheal tube, unable to speak, and undergoing chemotherapy, the president continues to rule via written and other communications, they say.

Opponents, though, accuse Vice President Nicolas Maduro and others of lying about Chavez’s condition.

And there have been media and Internet accounts that Chavez may have died - all emphatically denied by the government.

“They are violating the constitution. Venezuela has no authorities right now.

President Chavez is sick, he hasn’t said a word in two

Jamaica owes int’l bodies $794m Jamaica Observer Jamaica has lost voting rights and access to technical assistance from several international and regional organisations as the island remains saddled with the heavy burden of close to $800 million in outstanding arrears to these organisations.

A report submitted to Parliament on the arrears shows the contributions to the CARICOM Secretariat are some $350 million behind, costing Jamaica its voting rights.

Debts to the United Nations and its agencies and projects amount to over $300 million, and have cost the country technical assistance and voting rights, as well.

These include debts owed to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the creation of which Jamaica pioneered to administer the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and which still has its headquarters in downtown Kingston.

Chairman of Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC), Ed Bartlett, told the Jamaica Observer, following last Wednesday’s meeting, that he was concerned that the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Ambassador Paul Robotham, suggested that a $96-million allocation in the 2012/13 supplementary estimates could relieve the pressures.

“The committee is concerned about the level of budgetary applications to deal with these outstanding payments, as this amount will still leave us at risk, especially in dealing with key multilateral organisations like the UNDP,” Bartlett said.

Robotham suggested that the $96-million budgeted, which was originally

- loses vote and technical assistance intended to reduce the debt to CARICOM, could be spread around the creditors and reduce the pressure from other organisations, lowering the debt to $726.5 million by March 31.

“It will not clear off the balance of arrears, and it will still leave us with arrears of over $700 million at the end of March, but it will put us in a position where some of the dangers we identified in another paper about the loss of technical assistance will be averted, and if we receive an allocation from 2013/14 which is reasonable, we will be able to maintain that position and to service, in a reasonable way, our obligations,” Robotham said.

However, he admitted that the allocation in the recent Estimates of Expenditure has not yet been sent to his ministry and, therefore, no payment has yet been made on the outstanding amounts.

He said that his ministry would provide the Ministry of Finance and Planning with a schedule of the sums owing for each financial year, “so that a payment plan could be implemented beginning in financial year 2013/14”.

The list he presented to the PAAC dealt with 31 organisations to which Jamaica is affiliated, 10 of which Jamaica has lost voting rights and six cases of loss of technical assistance due to non-payment over two years.

Robotham’s submissions to the PAAC showed that Jamaica has arrears of $793 million to the international organisations, the bulk of which it owes to CARICOM and the United Nations.

In a footnote, the submission said that the $204 million owed to the UNDP “may result in the diversion

of funds for technical assistance to cover operational costs”.

It showed debt of over $400 million owed to CARICOM and its agencies, which has cost the country its voting rights. But Ambassador Robotham told the Sunday Observer that there are virtually no voting rights under the CARICOM agreement. The country owes $375 million directly to the CARICOM Secretariat, which operates the community mechanism.

In addition to the $204 million owed to the UNDP office in Jamaica, it owes approximately $70 million to UN missions, including those to Haiti, Rwanda, Darfur, the Central African Republic, Chad, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Yugoslavia, Cyprus, and Somalia.

Voting rights have been lost in terms of the UN regular budget, Caricom Secretariat, Office of Trade Negotiations, UN support to the African Union Mission in Somalia, Organisation for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America, and Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the International Seabed Authority, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation, and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The country has suffered loss of technical assistance from the Association of Caribbean States; the InterAmerican Council for Integral D e v e l o p m e n t ; Commonwealth Secretariat; the Commonwealth Foundation; the African, Caribbean and Pacific group (ACP); and the UN Development Programme office in Jamaica.

months. He cannot govern,” said protester Maria Montero, a 56-year-old teacher.

“We want impartial spokesmen to give us information about Chavez, real doctors, not politicians,” added Maria Mendoza, 54, who works for state oil company PDVSA, at the opposition march.

At the pro-government rally, in a downtown square near Chavez’s presidential palace, red-shirted supporters of the socialist leader danced and sang.

“Chavez is here, in the street! We are Chavez!” one student told state TV, waving a photo of the president.

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

The stakes are also high for the region. Chavez has been the most strident Latin American critic of the United States and financed hefty aid

programs for leftist governments from Cuba to Bolivia.

Capriles, who lost to Chavez in last year’s presidential election, was on a private visit to the United States during the weekend, prompting accusations from the government that he was plotting and taking money from “fascist” factions there.

Calling him the “decadent prince of the parasitical bourgeoisie,” Maduro said late on Saturday that Capriles had met with conservative U.S. political figures Otto Reich and Roger Noriega, and was also planning to meet a U.S. State Department official.

“We know very well about the conspiracies of these people. Let nobody be mistaken about Venezuela. Be careful, those who go abroad to conspire against our people,” he said in one of a series of live addresses to the nation.

The opposition leader, a centrist politician who admires Brazil’s model, retorted with a Tweet showing a photo of him with

Hugo Chavez two young boys he said were his nephews.

“Here I am with two big conspirators,” Capriles joked.

Sunday’s opposition demonstration was called to support several dozen students who have chained themselves up in a Caracas street for nearly a week to protest against secrecy over Chavez.

The government has warned protesters against trying to approach the hospital where Chavez is being treated on a closely guarded ninth floor.

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Concern over region’s US$9b fuel import bill Trinidad Guardian - The biggest energy challenge in the Caribbean is overdependence on imported petroleum and petroleum products. In remarks at the opening ceremony of a Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (Coted) at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain Saturday, CARICOM’s Office-inCharge, Trade and Economic Integration, Desiree FieldRidley said the region’s annual fuel import bill is about US$9 billion a year “with the tendency to be rising”.

“This continues to have a deleterious effect on the economic and social development of the net energy importing countries of CARICOM,” she said. “It is also the reason why the region continues to search for ways to mitigate the impact of the high price of oil, especially with respect to food and other commodities.

Field-Ridley said

achieving energy security through the diversification of energy supplies is a major focus of the Revised Draft Regional Energy Policy. In that regard, she noted, it was only rational that countries in the region without proven hydrocarbon resources aggressively pursue harnessing of abundant renewable energy resources such as solar energy, wind power, hydropower, biomassm or marine energy.

She emphasised: “Renewable energy and energy efficiency are no longer peripheral issues.

These are now the business of every CARICOM member state.”

Field-Ridley commended the T&T government for demonstrating leadership in that area despite petroleum and gas resources and lower energy costs.

On the issue of regional energy security, Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine said T&T’s refineries sustained the Caribbean for

decades with 20 per cent of output from the Petrotrin refinery going to the regional market. He said Venezuela’s introduction of PetroCaribe in 2003 added to regional energy security. “To date all CARICOM countries continue to purchase from Petrotrin in order to guarantee security of supply. In fact the volumes supplied to the Eastern Caribbean CARICOM market accounts for 55 per cent of their demand,” he said.

“Apart from Petrotrin, Phoenix Gas Processors Limited supplies countries in the region with LPG which is removed from natural gas.”

Ramnarine said there is an emerging market in the Caribbean for natural gas and two companies, Centrica and Gasfin, are in different stages of preparation for a CNG export project and small scale LNG export project. The minister said Block 21 on Trinidad’s north coast and the adjoining Grenadian acreage could be explored jointly by T&T and Grenada.

Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs Kevin Ramnarine, second from right, shakes hands with Jamaica’s Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell after a press conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel yesterday. Also in the photo is Belize Minister of Energy, Science & Technology and Public Utilities Joy Grant, left, and Minister of Public Works, Energy and Ports in Dominica, Rayburn Blackmoore. PHOTO: MARCUS GONZALES

Monday March 04, 2013

Trinidad Express - A whopping TT$638,844,310 in alleged “dirty money” transactions have reportedly passed through the country’s financial system over the past year, the 2012 Report of the Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (FIUTT) has stated.

For the period October 2011 to September 2012, 258 Suspicious Transfer Reports (STRs) and Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) were flagged by “supervised entities” and “banking institutions” which reported the highest alleged money laundering activity for the period under review, with 154 reports.

The report also noted the highest suspicious activities took place between April and June 2012 when the highest amount of suspicious money totalling TT$2,393,548 entered the system.

There was also an increase in suspicious reports from 2010 and 2011, through co-operative societies, motor vehicle sales, security dealers and insurance companies, according to the report.

In 2010, there were 111 suspicious activity while in 2011 there were 303 as reported by the financial sector. And in terms of money value, in 2010, TT$263 million was red-flagged to the FIUTT while in 2011 that figure rose to TT$569 million.

But despite the high presence of questionable activity reported to the FIUTT of people misusing the financial systems to launder money, only one person has been arrested and charged for engaging in fraudulent behaviour over the past year, according to expert in the

Kaieteur News

field of extradition and money laundering laws, attorney David West.

West, who is based at El Dorado Chambers, Port of Spain, told the Sunday Express that except for the case of travel agent Vicki Boodram of Boodram’s Travel and Ship Ahoy Cruises Ltd, who was arrested and now faces multiple fraud charges, white collar crime is continuing unchecked in Trinidad and Tobago.

Pointing to a correlation between street crime and white-collar crime, West believes money laundering is fuelling the increase in crime and that the battle against the escalating violence on the streets and in communities must also include prosecutions of white-collar crime.

He urged: “The increase in criminality must be looked at from the perspectives of white-collar crime as well. It is not just about the poor man in Laventille with a gun but about the money laundering which is taking place.

“It is as simple as this … whenever a gun is bought the money from that sale is then sent to the financial institutions to be cleaned up and legitimised.”

West, a former interim head of the FIUTT and former head of the Central Authority for Extradition and Mutual Assistance at the Office of the Attorney General, was particularly critical of the Financial Investigations Bureau (FIB)—the body responsible for charging and prosecuting white-collar crimes.

He said the FIB has been unusually dormant in the fight against white-collar crime.

West said: “The FIB’s number of prosecutions has diminished; the only case is Vicky Boodram’s.”

He questioned if the Bureau headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Mervyn Richardson had sufficient manpower and was sufficiently trained to handle the extent of the “dirty money” circulating in the country.

“They need to do a better job. They need to be more vigilant and effective in addressing this issue,” West said. From October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012, 25 intelligence reports were sent to the law enforcement agencies by the FIUTT, 14 of which were sent to the FIB, eight to the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR), two to Customs and Excise and one to the Immigration Division.

Those sent to Deputy Commissioner Richardson to investigate and prosecute involved suspicious activities around drugs and narco trafficking as well as fraudrelated offences, while those sent to the BIR involved taxrelated offences.

West, who is one of the few certified anti money laundering specialists in the country, said currently there are 31 matters submitted to the FIB for investigation, which include suspicious activity from 2010 and 2011 that are still awaiting investigation and prosecution.

Contacted yesterday, DCP Richardson said: “We do not comment on those reports, those are highly confidential matters and we cannot discuss in the media.”

He also refused to respond to West’s criticisms

Page 23

of his Bureau’s effectiveness.

West is concerned that with no prosecution to show the country’s effectiveness in dealing with white-collar crime, money laundering and terrorist financing activities, it is uncertain whether Trinidad and Tobago will pass its fourth round of evaluation by the Paris-based Financial Task Force (FATF) in 2014.

“The FATF has changed the way it evaluates countries … it has now completed three rounds of mutual evaluations and the fourth round is set to begin mid to late 2014. This time Commonwealth countries will be expected to have implemented the latest version of the 40 recommendations approved in February last year,” West told the Sunday Express.

He said the 40 recommendations were not merely concerned with passing legislation but also with prosecutions.

“It does not appear we understand what the risks are, for instance, casinos are not regulated and therefore their

David West financial activity is not monitored.

FATF is concerned with showing enforcement of legislations and prosecutions,” he said.

West believes that Trinidad and Tobago could find itself back on the grey list. He also criticised what he described as the “unacceptably high rate” of STRs/SARs that have not been fully analysed by the FIUTT. “When you think of how easy it is to move money across the world in a matter

of seconds with just the click of a mouse, “dirty money” can disappear and with it, the chance of confiscation,” he said.

West was of the view that the government was wrong to set up an administrative-type FIU in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Although this type of FIU is preferred by the banking sector to be a “buffer” between the financial institutions and law enforcement sectors there are several disadvantages that we are seeing. For example, there is the delay in applying law enforcement measures, like freezing a suspicious transaction or arresting a suspect on adequate financial disclosure.”

He supported a law enforcement-type of FIU which also had the authority to investigate and prosecute matters. President of the Bankers Association, David Dulal-Whiteway, could not be reached for comment yesterday with regard to the increase in money laundering activities.

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

DTV CHANNEL 8 08:55 hrs. Sign On 09:00 hrs. This Morning 10:00 hrs. Live! With Kelly and Michael 11:00 hrs. Roseanne 12:00 hrs. The View 13:00 hrs. World News 13:30 hrs. The Young and the Restless 14:30 hrs. The Bold and the Beautiful

15:00 hrs. The Talk 16:00 hrs. Chain Reaction 17:00 hrs. Family Feud 18:00 hrs. GYSM – One Pulse (LIVE) 19:00 hrs. Greetings and Announcements 20:00 hrs. Channel 8 News 20:30 hrs. DTV’s Festival of Biblical Movies for the Lenten Season: “David & Bathsheba”

00:00 hrs. Sign Off NCN CHANNEL 11 02:00 – NCN Late Edition (R/ B) 02:30 – Late Night with GINA 03:00 – Movie 05:00 – Inspiration 05:30 – Newtown Gospel 06:00 – NCN News (R/B) 06:30 – BBC 07:00 – Guyana Today

Monday March 04, 2013 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): If boosting your career isn't on the top of your 'to do' list right now, then it should be -- especially today, when your deep yearning for something more challenging goes from a whisper to a deafening din. It's getting tired of being ignored! ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Your finances are getting to be a bigger issue in your life right now, so conservation should be a high priority starting today. There's no need to drastically change your lifestyle, but a few nips and tucks here and there might be a good idea. ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): There are many emotions zooming around just underneath the surface today -- and that goes for all the people you're dealing with. It's time to utilize a high degree of sensitivity with whomever you encounter. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Why hire someone to do something for you when you can do it yourself? Sure, it may be more convenient to send your laundry out, have a restaurant chef cook your meal, let a maid service clean your home, or pay someone to walk your dog -- but is it necessary? ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): If you are contemplating any major travel this year, today is the day to put things into motion. Nail down the dates and try to look into affordable transportation options. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept.

22): With all that's been on your mind lately, today you could use an emotionally significant conversation. Talk things out to someone you trust. Be careful not to step past the boundary you've put between work and private life, but it's okay to let down the wall a little bit. ********************* LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct.

22): Sometimes, it's the unexpected outbursts that inspire the best ideas, so try not to edit yourself today. Say what you feel, as soon as you feel it! It's time to liberate your mind and free your tongue to say whatever comes to mind. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): Responsibilities can be a double-edged sword, but when you're given a few extra responsibilities today, focus on the positive aspects of them.

They may take up more of your time, but what would you have done with all the free time anyway? ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): Sharing your life with someone is a choice -friends and partners in your past have always provided you with the support you need, but right now someone could be morphing from a supporter to a controller. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): If your ego has been feeling a bit battered lately, get ready for that all to change today. But don't look to outside forces to do the changing -- it will all come from inside of you. Suddenly, you see how you compare to other people in an accurate way, and you will realize that you possess remarkable abilities that other people do not. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18): You might want to go out and buy a bigger address book, because you are going to be meeting a lot of new people today.

New names and faces will be flooding your day, filling it with excitement and possibility. ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): The nicest things in life -- food, music, friendship, love -- take time. Today, keep in mind the fact that there's a direct correlation between the time you spend on a project and the quality of the outcome.

Page 25

08:00 – Weekly Digest 08:30 – Feature 09:00 – Stop the Suffering 09:30 – Cartoons 10:00 – Documentary 11:00 – History 12:00 – CNN 12:30 –Newsbreak 12:35 – Movie 16:00 –NCN Newsbreak 16:05 – Cartoons 17:00 – Anderson 18:00 – NCN News Magazine – Live 18:30 – Insight 19:00 – Al Jazeera 19:30 – Pulse Beat 20:00 – 3d/daily millions/play de dream/lotto draw 20:05 – NCN Newsbreak 20:15 – NCLO Presents 21:05 – We Linkin 21:35 – Excellence Dazzell Show 22:05 – NCN Late Edition News 22:35 – Caribbean Newsline 23:00 – Movie

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Residents urged to utilize services at E.B.D. Regional Hospital The East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital at Diamond has one of the best eye surgeons in the country.

This is the view of the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mana who declared that the facility offers a wide range of services comparable to those which are offered at the country’s main health care establishment the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

However, many residents of Diamond Housing Scheme and the adjoining communities are unaware of the wide range of medical services offered there.

As a result, many of them travel to Georgetown for services such as ultrasound, General outpatients, Gynaecology, Internal medicine, Orthopaedic, Ophthalmology, Dental services, Emergency delivery, X-rays and Acupuncture.

But according to Mana,

all of these services are available to them just a few minutes away from their homes. Residents who frequently visit the hospital said that they were unaware of most of the services offered, claiming that they thou ght the facility only dealt with minor issues.

“I does go there to test my pressure and they does give me some tablets and that is all. Is now I know they does do all these things,” a woman who identified herself as Salma Singh said.

A pregnant woman, Alisa English from Diamond New Scheme said she was unaware that there was a Gynaecologist at the hospital.

During an interview with this newspaper, Mana said one of the services that he is proud of is the Ophthalmology Department.

Currently, persons are being examined by the hospital’s eye surgeon and if surgery is required they are

The hospital’s CEO, Kevin Mana being transferred to Berbice for treatment.

He also revealed that the hospital performs emergency deliveries. There is also an Orthopaedic Department and acupuncture treatment is conducted at the facility.

“More needs to be...

(From page 2) As long as there is hope that my legs can get better, I will never cut it off,” Lewis declared.

Curtis Samuel said he too was asleep when the incident occurred. When he awoke, he said he saw the “whole place on fire.”

Fortunately for him, his physical injuries have healed but the physiological and internal effects have lasted, he said.

He too is unable to work as normal since his body cannot take heavy pressure.

The 31-year-old said he lives with his parents who play a major role in his life, but the twist to his story is that after receiving no compensation, it appears that someone had been collecting his NIS money. The lad said he was out of the country for some time and on his return, staffers at NIS said his file could not be found, while it

was shown that someone had been collecting his money.

The men however want to be properly compensated for their injuries. “We deserve better. They can at least promote us to Sergeant Rank and give us a Sergeant’s salary, along with our compensation and our deserved benefits.”

“We are still affected, one of our squadies run mad because of this ting and we need better dan this.”

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Opposition leader visits north Syria as rebels seize army post AMMAN (Reuters) Opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib visited rebel-held towns in north Syria for the first time yesterday as rebel fighters seized an army outpost from President Bashar al-Assad’s forces outside the contested northern city of Aleppo, activists said.

The capture of the police academy at Khan al-Asal, used by Assad’s forces as an artillery base to support troops still holding around 40 percent of the northern city, came after days of fighting in which rebels killed 150 soldiers, while sustaining heavy casualties, they said.

In an attempt to consolidate those gains on the ground and strengthen links between Assad’s military and civilian foes, Alkhatib crossed into northern Syria from neighboring Turkey and toured the towns of Jarablus and Minbij.

Earlier he attended a meeting of 220 rebel commanders and opposition campaigners in the Turkish city of Gaziantep to elect an administration for Aleppo province, home to 6 million

people.

Alkhatib, a 52-year-old former preacher at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, was chosen in November to head the coalition of political opposition to Assad. He won modest pledges of support for the rebels from Western and Arab ministers in Rome last week.

He has also said he is ready for talks with representatives of Assad’s government to help find a political solution to a conflict which erupted nearly two years ago and has descended into a civil war in which around 70,000 people have been killed.

Assad, in an interview with British newspaper The Sunday Times, said his government was prepared to talk to fighters who lay down their weapons but insisted he would not leave the country or step aside under foreign pressure.

“We are ready to negotiate with anyone, including militants who surrender their arms,” he said according to a transcript released by state media.

However there would be no

talks with “terrorists who are determined to carry weapons,” he added.

“We have to be clear about this. We have opposition that are political entities and we have armed terrorists. We can engage in dialogue with the opposition but we cannot engage in dialogue with terrorists. We fight terrorists.”

Alkhatib’s opposition coalition says that any talks must focus on Assad’s departure — the objective of the 23-month uprising — while rebel leaders have set even tougher conditions, insisting he depart before they start talks.

But Assad, who inherited power from his father in 2000, said he was not going anywhere. “No patriotic person will think about living outside his country. I am like any other patriotic Syrian,” he told the newspaper.

In response to calls from some Western and Arab governments for him to go, Assad replied: “Only (the) Syrian people can tell the president: stay or leave, come or go.”

Opposition activists say

Moaz Alkhatib the capture of Khan al-Asal base, 7 km (5 miles) southwest of Aleppo, comes as a boost to a joint opposition military command set up last year with Western and Arab backing to try to counter the growing military prowess of the al Qaeda-linked Jabhat alNusra.

“It is a locally made victory achieved by a myriad of brigades from the rural west of Aleppo. It shows that you don’t have to have a foreign name to achieve victory,” activist Abu Mujahed told Reuters from

the area.

He said the brigades who took the site were mostly Islamist but did not subscribe to al Qaeda ideology. He added that an army academy on the western edge of the city is the last major barrier between the rebels and Assad’s forces inside Aleppo.

Video footage showed Colonel Abdelbasset Tawil of the joint command of the Free Syrian army reading a statement declaring the seizure of the site among a group of commander of various brigades. “These honorable forces will continue to fight until the downfall of the Assad gang,” Tawil said.

The walled complex at Khan al-Asal was turned into an army barrack from where artillery and rocket launchers gave cover for Assad’s forces holding around 40 percent of Aleppo, the opposition sources said.

Video footage released by the rebel Farouq Brigade showed a rebel-driven tank firing at the base before its capture.

Other videos showed fighters touring the site after

it fell, stamping on a large picture of Assad and shouting: “We will get to you.”

Further east, Iraqi military sources said Iraq shut a border crossing with Syria on Sunday after rebels seized the Syrian side of the frontier post close to the Syrian town of Yaarabiya.

“Iraqi authorities were ordered to shut off Rabia border crossing until further notice because of the Syrian government’s lack of control over the other side of the post,” police said.

Military sources said blast walls now blocked off the border crossing and employees had been evacuated, though both sides of the crossing were calm and there was no sign of Syrian troops or the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces across the border.

In Amman, Jordan’s national carrier Royal Jordanian said it had stopped flying over Syrian air space for security reasons. The airline stopped its regular flights to Damascus last year along with some other carriers.

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Kerry says US releasing millions in aid to Egypt CAIRO (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday rewarded Egypt for President Mohammed Morsi’s pledges of political and economic reforms by releasing $250 million in American aid to support the country’s “future as a democracy.”

Yet Kerry also served notice that the Obama administration will keep close watch on how Morsi, who came to power in June as Egypt’s first freely elected president, honors his commitment.

“The path to that future has clearly been difficult and much work remains,” Kerry said in a statement after wrapping up two days of meetings in Egypt, a deeply divided country in the wake of the revolution that ousted longtime President Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt is trying to meet conditions to close on a $4.8 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund. An agreement would unlock more of the $1 billion in U.S. assistance promised

by President Barack Obama last year and set to begin

flowing with Kerry’s announcement.

“The United States can and wants to do more,” Kerry said. “Reaching an agreement with the IMF will require further effort on the part of the Egyptian government and broad support for reform by all Egyptians. When Egypt takes the difficult steps to strengthen its economy and build political unity and justice, we will work with our Congress at home on additional support.”

Kerry cited Egypt’s “extreme needs” and Morsi’s “assurances that he plans to complete the IMF process” when he told the president that the U.S. would provide $190 million of a long-term $450 million pledge “in a good-faith effort to spur reform and help the Egyptian people at this difficult time.”

Separately, the top U.S. diplomat announced $60 million for a new fund for “direct support of key engines of democratic change,” including Egypt’s entrepreneurs and its young people. Kerry held out the prospect of U.S. assistance to this fund climbing to $300

million over time.

Recapping his meetings with political figures, business leaders and representatives of outside groups, Kerry said he heard of their “deep concern about the political course of their country, the need to strengthen human rights protections, justice and the rule of law, and their fundamental anxiety about the economic future of Egypt.”

Those issues came up in “a very candid and constructive manner” during Kerry’s talks with Morsi.

“It is clear that more hard work and compromise will be required to restore unity, political stability and economic health to Egypt,” Kerry said.

Syria and Iran also came up, according to officials.

With parliamentary elections in April approaching and liberal and secular opponents of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood saying they will boycott, Kerry called the vote “a particularly critical step” in Egypt’s democratic transition.

Violent clashes between

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, shakes hands with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt yesterday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool) protesters and security forces have created an environment of insecurity, complicating Egyptian efforts to secure vital international aid.

Officials in the Egyptian presidency said Kerry stressed the need for consensus with the opposition in order to restore confidence in Egypt that it can ride out the crisis. Morsi was reported to have expressed the importance of Egypt’s relationship with United States, which is based on “mutual respect,” and focused on the importance of the democratic process in building a strong and stable nation.

Kerry made clear that in all his meetings, he conveyed the message that Egyptians who rose up and overthrew Mubarak “did not risk their lives to see that opportunity for a brighter future squandered.”

He also told the country’s bickering politicians that they must overcome differences to

get Egypt’s faltering economy back on track and maintain its leadership role in the volatile Middle East.

The U.S. is deeply concerned that continued instability in Egypt will have broader consequences in a region already rocked by unrest.

U.S. officials said Kerry had planned to stress the importance of upholding Egypt’s peace agreement with Israel, cracking down on weapons smuggling to extremists in the Gaza Strip and policing the increasingly lawless Sinai Peninsula while continuing to play a positive role in Syria’s civil war.

The impact of his message of unity to the opposition coalition seemingly was blunted when only six of the 11 guests invited by the U.S. Embassy turned up for the Saturday session and three of those six said they still intended to boycott the April parliamentary election, according to participants.

Kerry said that the U.S. would not pick sides in Egypt, and he appealed to all sides to come together around human rights, freedom and speech and religious tolerance.

In an apparent nod to the current stalemate in Washington over the U.S. federal budget, Kerry acknowledged after meeting Foreign Minister Kamel Amr that compromise is difficult yet imperative.

“I say with both humility and with a great deal of respect that getting there requires a genuine give-andtake among Egypt’s political leaders and civil society groups just as we are continuing to struggle with that in our own country,” he said. ‘There must be a willingness on all sides to make meaningful compromises on the issues that matter most to all of the Egyptian people.”

The opposition accuses Morsi and the Brotherhood of following in the footsteps of Mubarak, failing to carry out reforms and trying to install a more religiously conservative system.

Morsi’s administration and the Brotherhood say their foes, who have trailed significantly behind Islamists in all elections since the uprising against Mubarak, are running away from the challenge of the ballot box and are trying to overturn democratic gains.

From Egypt, Kerry headed to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, with later stops in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, where his focus is expected to be the crisis in Syria Kerry is set to return to Washington on Wednesday.

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

Iran says building 3,000 advanced centrifuges DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran is building about 3,000 advanced uraniumenrichment centrifuges, Iranian media reported yesterday, in a development likely to add to Western concerns about the Islamic state’s disputed nuclear program.

Iran said earlier this year that it would install the newgeneration centrifuges at its Natanz uranium enrichment plant in central Iran, but yesterday’s reports in Iranian agencies appeared to be the first time a specific figure had been given.

The announcement, which comes after talks between Iran and world powers in Kazakhstan about its nuclear work ended with an agreement to meet again, underlines Iran’s continued refusal to bow to Western pressure to curb its nuclear program.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in February 180 so-called IR-2m centrifuges and empty centrifuge casings had been put in place at the facility near the town of Natanz in central Iran. They were not yet operating.

Iranian media yesterday paraphrased Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, as saying Iran was producing 3,000 newgeneration centrifuges.

“The final production line of these centrifuges has reached an end and soon the early generations of these centrifuges with low efficiency will be set aside,” Abbasi-Davani said in statements in the Iranian city of Isfahan yesterday, according to the Fars news agency.

An IAEA note informing member states in January about Iran’s plans implied Iran could install up to 3,000 or so of the new centrifuges.

Natanz is designed for tens of thousands of the machines.

If launched successfully, such machines could enable Iran to speed up significantly its accumulation of material that the West fears could be used in a nuclear weapon.

Iran says it is refining uranium only for peaceful purposes.

Iran has for years been trying to develop centrifuges more efficient than the erratic

Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani 1970s IR-1 model it now uses, but their introduction for fullscale production has been dogged by delays and technical hurdles, experts and diplomats say.

In his statements yesterday Abbasi-Davani also addressed problems at the nuclear power plant near the Gulf city of Bushehr. The plant is not considered a major weapons proliferation risk but recent shutdowns there have raised concerns about its safety.

In its latest report on Iran, the IAEA said it had visited the Bushehr plant in midFebruary and that Iran then told it the reactor was shut down. No reason was given.

The plant had previously been shut down in October 2012 and fuel had to be unloaded. A Russian nuclear industry source told Reuters in November the shutdown was due to the discovery of stray bolts beneath the fuel cells.

The 1,000-megawatt plant was originally started in 1975

by German company Siemens, and Russian engineers took over the project in the 1990s.

“In the last year and a half it (the Bushehr plant) has faced problems because of old equipment and hybrid technology from Russia and Germany,” Abbasi-Davani was quoted as saying by Fars.

“In the last year we have had no problem in the nuclear portion of the reactors and the outages have been linked to the generators, because of problems in their Russian design and resulting energy leakage.”

Iran has repeatedly said the delays at Bushehr were in part due to the need to ensure safety.

Recreation does for you what it says literally.

It creates you again. It refreshes the mind, renews the spirit, and motivates the body. Constant working towards some objective can do the opposite, unless we control it by rest and relaxation.

Page 29

British cardinal apologizes over sexual conduct: statement LONDON (Reuters) - A Roman Catholic cardinal who resigned as head of the church in Scotland apologized yesterday for sexual conduct which he said had “fallen below the standards expected of me”.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who was Britain’s most senior Catholic cleric, resigned on February 25 as archbishop and said he would not take part in the conclave to elect a new pope after newspaper allegations of inappropriate behavior with priests.

“I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen

below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal,” he said in a statement posted on the Scottish Catholic media office website yesterday.

“To those I have offended, I apologies and ask forgiveness. To the Catholic Church and people of Scotland, I also apologies. I will now spend the rest of my life in retirement. I will play no further part in the public life of the Catholic Church in Scotland.”

O’Brien’s resignation as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh was announced a day after the Observer newspaper reported

that three priests and one former priest from a Scottish diocese had complained over incidents dating back to the 1980s. The Observer said O’Brien, an outspoken opponent of moves in Britain to legalize gay marriage, had been reported to the Vatican over the unspecified incidents.

The cardinal initially rejected the allegations and said he was seeking legal advice. He said he would not take part in the conclave to avoid focusing media attention on himself. Last year, O’Brien’s comments labeling gay marriage “a grotesque subversion”

Keith O’Brien landed him with a “Bigot of the Year” award from gay rights group Stonewall.

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Bomb at Shi’ite mosque kills 45 in Pakistan Bomb blast kills dozens in Pakistan yesterday.

KARACHI (Reuters) - A suspected suicide bomber attacked Shi’ite Muslims as they were leaving a mosque in Pakistan’s commercial capital yesterday, killing at least 45 people, in another signal Sunni militants are escalating sectarian attacks.

“It’s like doomsday to me.

I was watching television when I heard an explosion and my flat was badly shaken,” said Mariam Bibi.

“I saw people burning to death and crying with pain. I saw children lying in pools of their own blood and women running around shouting for their children and loved

ones.”

Senior city official Hashim Raza said at least 45 people had been killed and 149 wounded in the blast in Pakistan’s biggest city.

Military offensives and U.S. drone strikes against the Taliban in Pakistan have reduced the number of

suicide attacks on government and military targets over the past year.

But Sunni groups, most prominently the al Qaedalinked Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), have escalated attacks against Shi’ites, who they believe are non-Muslims.

With a few hundred hardcore cadres, the LeJ aims to trigger sectarian violence that would pave the way for a Sunni theocracy in U.S.-allied Pakistan, say Pakistan intelligence officials.

Its immediate goal, they say, is to stoke the intense Sunni-Shi’ite violence that has pushed countries like Iraq close to civil war.

Bombings targeting Shi’ites have killed nearly 200 people in Quetta alone since the start of the year, and residents of the city say they are under siege by LeJ death squads who seem to act with impunity.

The bloodshed has prompted human rights group to accuse the Pakistani government, which receives billions of dollars in American aid, of turning a blind eye to the bombings.

While the military have

launched major offensives against Taliban fighters they have not taken similar action against Sunni sectarian groups.

In 2012, sectarian attacks and clashes climbed by 47 percent to 208, according to the Pak Institute For Peace Studies, a prominent Pakistani think tank.

While the Quetta carnage grabbed world attention, a Reuters inquiry into a lesser known spate of murders in Karachi suggests the violence is taking on a volatile new dimension as a small number of Shi’ites fight back.

Pakistan’s Western allies have traditionally been fixated on the challenge posed to the nuclear-armed state by Taliban militants battling the army in the highlands on the Afghan frontier.

But a cycle of tit-for-tat killings on the streets of Karachi points to a new type of threat: a campaign by LeJ and allied Pakistani antiShi’ite groups to rip open sectarian fault-lines in the city of 18 million people.

Pakistani intelligence agents say the LeJ has

become a major security threat in Pakistan, which is also struggling with a fragile economy, dilapidated infrastructure and widespread poverty. Shi’ites make up to 20 percent of Pakistan’s 180 million people so they are a big target.

“I heard an ear-splitting explosion and reached the spot and saw blood, burned and dead bodies. Fire and smoke everywhere. I felt like I was standing in Beirut,” said Nasir Ali, referring to the Lebanese capital, which was gripped by a civil war.

Shi’ite frustrations are rising with each blast.

Shi’ites fired weapons in the air on Sunday night in Karachi, a bustling metropolis plagued by ethnic and political violence and crime.

“The explosion was so massive it jolted the entire area,” said witness Ali Reza.

“Two flats and nearby shops caught fire after the explosion and balconies of various buildings collapsed.”

Another witness, Muhammad Kazim, said women and children who were shopping nearby were wounded.

India opposition talks up divisive nationalist Modi for PM candidate NEW DELHI (Reuters) India’s main opposition party rallied behind businessfriendly leader Narendra Modi on the weekend, giving the clearest sign yet the Hindu nationalist party will make the politician tainted by religious riots its candidate for prime minister.

Leader after leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), at a three-day national executive meeting, showered praise on Modi, who is chief minister of the western state of Gujarat. They draped him with rose garlands in a sign of respect.

A senior party leader said there was a groundswell of support for Modi as a candidate in elections in Asia’s third largest economy

due within a year, when he is likely to face Rahul Gandhi, heir to India’s oldest political dynasty.

“There’s a growing interest in Modi as the PM candidate,” Arun Jaitley, the leader of the opposition in the upper house of parliament said in an interview with the a television network. “And it’s just not because of a media buzz.”

“I think Modi has made a huge mark on the India polity.”

Supporters chanted “Hail Modi” and “Bring Modi” during speeches at the meeting. Party chief Rajnath Singh embraced Modi and heaped praise on his achievements in Gujarat, where the economy has

grown at an average of more than 10 percent for several years.

Modi’s reputation for clean governance and clear rules make him popular with the middle class and a favorite of Indian and foreign corporations doing business in his state.

But his political ambitions were dented by 2002 riots that killed more than 1,000 people, according to official figures, most of them Muslim.

Detractors accuse Modi of turning a blind eye to the violence. He denies the accusation but many Indians view him with suspicion and even some allies of the BJP oppose his rise.

The riots made him a political pariah, shunned by

most Western diplomats and denied a visa to travel to the United States. That is changing, with ambassadorlevel officials first from Britain, then the European Union meeting him this year for the first time in more than a decade.

His growing popularity among Indians fed up with corruption scandals and a weak economy under the Congress party-led government, along with his new acceptance overseas, seem to have given the BJP confidence to back him.

“Gujarat has become a symbol of pride for BJP,” said party president Singh in his speech on Saturday.

In December, Modi won a third term in state elections

and he since been praised even by an influential conservative Muslim leader, who said Muslims were better off in Gujarat than in some other states.

Under India’s parliamentary system, parties do not always formally announce a candidate before an election but usually project one figure as the likely person to form the government if the party wins.

The Congress party has not announced a candidate, but Gandhi, whose mother is party president, is a clear favorite. “The time has come for a comparison between the BJP and the Congress,” Modi said during a speech on Sunday.

He criticized the ruling

Narendra Modi party’s dynastic tendencies and accused the government of being too interested in under-the-table pay-offs.

“BJP is with a mission, Congress is for commission,” he said to loud applause.

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kenyan police on alert for election day attacks NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Five years after more than 1,000 people were killed in election-related violence, Kenyans today will begin casting votes in a nationwide election seen as the country’s most important — and complicated — in its 50-year history.

Clerics across Kenya gave sermons dedicated to peace on Sunday, and urged the country to prove wrong the “prophets of doom” who predict violence.

A barrier to a peaceful vote is that the country faces so many potential triggers of violence. The police issued an alert late yesterday that criminals were planning to dress in police uniforms and disrupt voting in some locations.

In addition, intelligence on the Somali-Kenya border indicated Somali militants planned to launch attacks on the polls; a secessionist group on the coast is threatening attacks; the tribes of the top two presidential candidates have a long history of tense relations; and 47 new governor races are being held, increasing the chances of electoral problems at the local level.

Perhaps most importantly, Uhuru Kenyatta, one of two top candidates for president, faces charges at the International Criminal Court for orchestrating the 2007-08 postelection violence. If he wins, the U.S. and Europe could scale back relations with Kenya, and Kenyatta may have to spend a significant portion of his presidency at The Hague.

Kenyatta’s running mate, William Ruto, also faces charges at the ICC. Kenyatta, a Kikuyu who is the son of Kenya’s founding president, faces Raila Odinga, a Luo whose father was the country’s first vice president. Polls show the two in a close race, with support for each in the mid40-percent range. Eight candidates are running for president, making it likely Odinga and Kenyatta will be matched up in an April runoff, when tensions could be even higher.

Near the Somali border, Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Ahmed Maalim said Sunday that officials intercepted communications that indicated terror attacks were planned, including explosive attacks and kidnappings.

“They are planning to interrupt the elections, but we will not allow them do so,” he said.

Maalim said soldiers are patrolling the region to prevent attacks from al-

Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked Somali militant group. He said 300 specialized troops known as GSU are patrolling the Dadaab refugee camp, where more than 400,000 Somalis live.

At the Nairobi Chapel, an evangelical church in the capital, three pastors took turns Sunday praising the attributes of some tribes, drawing cheers from the congregation. The Kikuyus were praised for being entrepreneurial, the Luos for valuing education, and the Kalenjins — Ruto’s tribe — for their loyalty.

“Tomorrow we celebrate our cultural diversity as a nation,” Nick Korir said in his sermon. “We ask you to shame all prophets of doom,” a cleric at an evangelical church in Nairobi called Mavuno told a packed congregation. “This is a country we are all proud of despite the divisions that people talk about. There is a Kenya after tomorrow.”

In the weeks leading up to Monday’s vote, described by Odinga as the most consequential since independence from the British in 1963, peace activists and clerics have been praying that this time the election is peaceful despite lingering tensions.

Odinga’s acrimonious loss to President Mwai Kibaki in 2007 triggered violence that ended only after the international community stepped in. Odinga was named prime minister in a coalition government led by Kibaki, with Kenyatta named deputy prime minister.The candidates held their final rallies Saturday, a day of political attacks and denials following published comments in the Financial Times attributed to Odinga that election violence could be worse than 2007-08 if the vote is rigged.

The Financial Times on Sunday said that its story, because of an editing error, “may have left the incorrect impression” that Odinga “would not respect the result of a free and fair presidential election. We are happy to be able to clarify this point.”

Some 99,000 police officers will be on duty during an election in which some 14 million people are expected to vote. Kenyans will also be electing new lawmakers, governors and other officials.

Kenyatta, 51, the son of Jomo Kenyatta, the country’s founding president, is one of the country’s wealthiest men.

He studied at Amherst College in the U.S. before returning home to become a businessman and later his father’s political heir.

In 2011 Forbes magazine

listed him as the wealthiest Kenyan, worth at least $500 million, although he was dropped from a subsequent list because his personal wealth was hard to separate from that of his close relatives. The Kenyattas are said to own hundreds of thousands of acres of prime land across the country, a controversial point in a nation where millions do not own even a small plot of land.

Gladwell Otieno, a Kenyan who runs a think tank called The Africa Center for

Open Governance, said it would “be difficult for (Kenyatta) to claim that he can do much” to tackle Kenya’s historical land problem. But despite the baggage of wealth and the ICC charges, Kenyatta’s team has done a good job of marketing him as “a youthful candidate” of hope, Otieno said.

“Our main concern has been the fact that he is indicted at the ICC,” Otieno said. “A government led by him would immediately be paralyzed.”

Odinga, 68, who has been prime minister since 2008, believes he was cheated out of victory in the last election.

Odinga’s refusal to accept the results in 2007 helped fuel tribal tensions, with many here seeing Kibaki’s win as another example of the Kikuyus’ overly broad influence.

A win by Odinga would make him the country’s first Luo president, a feat never accomplished by his father, Oginga Odinga, who was Kenya’s first vice president and himself a hero of the anti-

colonial movement. The elder Odinga fell out with Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first president, straining KikuyuLuo relations for decades.

In a rally Friday in Kisumu, Odinga’s hometown and the biggest Luo-dominated city, Odinga repeatedly used words like “freedom” and “change” to emphasize the epochal moment it would be for his people if he wins.

“Be prepared for freedom,” he said. “This country is at the verge of total liberation.”

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Mentore wins Mings products and Services Stableford Golf tourney

Alfred Mentore (third right) with other winners and Director of Mings Products and Services John Chin (extreme right) and LGC President Jerome Khan (extreme left) after the presentation.

Alfred Mentore squeezed past reigning Guyana Open ladies champion Christine Sukhram to capture the Ming Product and Services Stableford ¾ Handicap Golf tournament at the Lusignan Golf Club Saturday.

Mentore (9 handicap) shot 36/18 to beat Sukhram (10 handicap) – 36/17.

The results were determined after it was declared that Mentore played

better on the back nine.

Mohanlall “Santo” Dinnanauth placed third with 34, while Patrick Prashad captured the fourth position with 33. Fazil Haniff was Nearest to the Pin. Managing Director of Ming Products and Services Colin Ming was among 36 players that participated in the one-day tournament.

Stanley Ming, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of

the company was on hand to witness the presentation of prizes. Director John Chin said that it was the second time that his Company was sponsoring the tournament and pledged commitment to sponsoring once again next year.

“Mings Product and Services is pleased to be associated with this world class sport, we sell Yamaha Products which are also

renowned worldwide,” he added.

President of the Lusignan Golf Club, Jerome Khan said the Club was extremely pleased to have Mings Products and Services as a sponsor for a second year.

He said the company is closely associated with motor racing and water sport but was pleased that golf has been added to its list of sports for sponsorship.

GCA\Noble House Sea Foods 2nd division cricket

GCC, GDF play to exiting draw Georgetown Cricket Club and Guyana Defence Force played to an exciting draw as action in the Georgetown Cricket Association\ Noble House Sea Foods second division 2 day competition continued last weekend at MYO. GDF were bowled out for 123 in 29.1 overs in their first innings with Francis Mendonca top scoring with 46(4x4) while Terry Fraser made 17. Left arm spinner Devon Lord captured 4-42, Kevin Plants 2-14 and Cleon Critchlow 2-27.

Both teams were tied on first innings as GCC fell for

Paul Castello

Gavin Singh

123 in 33.1 overs in reply.

Lord returned to score 30 while Cleon Critchlow assisted with 17 not out. Paul

Castello grabbed 5-39 and Raja Aaron 4-21.

GDF in their second turn at the crease mustered 198 all

out in 54 overs. Marcus Watkins led with 64(9x4,2x6) while Isaiah Brijadar supported with 36, Dennis Ross 23 and Terry Fraser 21.

Plants was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets, while there were two each for Critchlow and Treon Forde.

GCC in pursuit of 199 for victory ended 192-9 in 38 overs .

Gavin Singh slammed 82 (9x4,1x6) while Martin Pestano Bell made 52(7x4); Castello grabbed 6-56 to end with match figures of 11-95 for GDF who missed a few run out opportunities and dropped a number of catches.

A n d r e M c Farlane also claimed 2-39.

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

Retrieve Unknowns upset New Era Russians to win Mackeson Super16 ‘Street Football’ title Retrieve Unknowns upset one of Linden’s top street football teams, New Era Russians, Saturday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard-court to win the Mackeson Super16 Championship trophy and a first prize of $250,000 in the process.

After a nil-all deadlock in regulation time, and that same score-line after two periods of extra time, eventual Most Valuable Player of the tournament from Retrieve Unknowns, Ryan Noel ensured his penalties delivered the fatal blow to Russians.

It was a surprise that penalty kicks had to decide a game in which the Russians were completely out-played after their impressive semifinal win. Retrieve Unknowns’ Darrel George tormented New Era Russians’ defence all night with superior skill and control.

George brushed the ‘small goal’ post twice in the game and sent open chances wide as the young Retrieve team played with tremendous pace.

They simply ran the tiring Russians into the ground and should have ended the game in regular time, but

squandered the chances.

The Amelia’s Ward-based New Era Russians will pocket $150,000 and trophy, while third place will get $100,000 and fourth place $40,000 with trophies. Topp Class defeated We Are The Boss 41 to secure the third prize in the competition.

Rawle Gittens had a brace while Shawn Eastman and Ashton Angel scored one each for Topp Class in their third place game. Charley Henry was the lone goal scorer for We Are The Boss.

New Era Russian had dismissed We Are The Boss 2-0 in the first semi-final, while the eventual champs, Retrieve Unknowns won on penalty kicks against Topp Class. A simple presentation ceremony will be scheduled for the prize winners.

Mackeson Brand Manager, Jamaal Douglas said that he was happy with the impressive response the tournament received in Linden and committed to a continued effort.

“It is good to see so many people supporting this event under this brand and I hope to build on this for the future as we continue to grow this

Mackeson Brand Manager, Jamaal Douglas joins Retrieve Unknowns in celebration after they won the Mackeson Super16 Street Football Competition. tournament,” Douglas said briefly at the closing ceremony Saturday night in

Linden. The tournament began a week ago in Amelia’s Ward and had three playing

nights. Amelia’s Ward FC Vice-President, Patrick Dey coordinated the event, which

was hailed a definite success for Mining Town communities.

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Georgetown seniors blow out Linden in basketball clash Local basketball is back!

Large crowds turned out Saturday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to witness Georgetown inflict its first lopsided win against the usually strong Linden in the senior game of a doubleheader season opening clash.

Georgetown blew out Linden 66-45 when the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association held its first event under new management. After a low scoring first quarter that ended 10-8 in favour of Linden, an intense battle for supremacy ensued.

In the second quarter, Georgetown took control on the offensive end, increasing their intensity among the guards and pounding the ball inside. Linden struggled to shoot the ball as Georgetown’s defence made it even harder for them.

Georgetown took a 23-19 lead at half time and never gave up that control. Prolific scoring point guard, Travis Burnett came alive in the third quarter, scoring six straight points to further extend Georgetown’s lead on an offensive run.

Forward, Tyrone Hamid

came off the bench for the City side and as usual ignited the crowd with his explosiveness, knocking down consecutive three-point jump shots from the same spot at the top of the arc to close out the third 49-29 in favour of Georgetown.

Linden went on an 11point run in the fourth quarter, but Georgetown upped their defensive pressure that resulted in critical steals that pulled Linden back. Akeem Kanhai scored 12 points for Georgetown while Burnett and Hamid added 10 points apiece.

Harold Adams was the only player from Linden in double figures, scoring 12 points for the Mining Town, which seemed on a roll after overhauling a 15-point deficit to win the junior game 71-69 against Georgetown.

Like their senior counterparts, Linden attacked with a formidable middle.

Georgetown’s defence was intense, but they let Linden out the noose they had tied earlier in the game; their mid-range shooting was great, resulting in a 41-29 point lead at halftime.

Linden’s point guard,

- Mining Town comes from behind to win junior game

UNGUARDED! Georgetown’s Guard/Forward, Akeem Kanhai is unguarded as he goes up for a jumper against Linden Saturday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Parish Cadogan took the game in his hands and like a true leader; he pointed the Mining Town in the right direction with important plays. Cadogan single-

handedly demolished the Georgetown defence to give Linden a one-point 51-50 points’ lead at the end of the third quarter.

Nikkoloi Smith put on a

fourth quarter show, bringing Georgetown to within one point with two clutch free throws with 38 seconds left in the game, Smith then stole the ball and was fouled but

he could not put away the game with the free-throws.

Smith finished with 27 points for the City while Cadogan had 19 points for Georgetown.

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Milo / Petra Organisation Under-20 Schools Football Competition

Chase Academy, Richard Ishmael, Central High in winners’ row Chase A c a d e m y, Richard Ishmael and Central High all recorded wins on the final day of the preliminary phase in the Milo / Petra Organisation Under-20 Schools Football Competition which continued yesterday, at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

In the opening game, Chase Academy inflicted a 51 drubbing on North Ruimveldt w i t h Ry a n Wa t s o n ( 3 r d & 2 6 t h ) netting a brace. He was supported by single goals from Carl Semple (21st), Isaiah Reddy (62nd) and Steve Sankar (78th).

North Ruimveldt’s solitary strike came off the boots of Keron Johnson (59th).

Richard Ishmael then squeezed past New Campbellville 3-2 thanks to Kristoff Watts (41st, 52nd & 68th), who netted a hattrick, while Shamar Barrow’s (11th & 15th) minutes efforts, before he was red carded for indecent language had

given them the lead initially.

The final game between Central High and Sophia Special School did not play due to the non arrival of the latter.

In the day’s full results: Game 1 Chase Academy 5 v/s North Ruimveldt Secondary 1 Chase Academy Ryan Watson 3rd & 26th min Carl Semple 21st min Isaiah Reddy 62nd min Steven Sankar 78th min North Ruimveldt Secondary Keron Johnson 59th min Game 2 Richard Ishmael v/s New Campbellville Secondary 3-2 Richard Ishmael Secondary Krisstoff Watts 41st, 52nd & 68th min New Campbellville Shamar Barrow 11th & 15th min Game 3 Central High School v/s Sophia Special School.

Central high school won by walk over.

National Sports Commission...

From page 37 Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Shreweda Tewari: 21-2 Under-15 Boys Singles Quarter-Finals: Hemraj Beharry defeated Joshua Singh: 21-18, 12-21, 21-12 Ajave Singh defeated Armand Ramdhani: 21-14, 21-11 Under-15 Boys Singles Semi-Finals: Omari Joseph defeated Hemraj Beharry: 21-14, 21-8 Under-15 Girls Singles Semi-Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Cindy Sookwah: 21-2, 21-2 Ambika Ramraj defeated Kara Abrams: 21-11, 21-11 Under-15 Girls Singles Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Ambika Ramraj: 21-6, 21-11 Under-17 Boys Singles Quarter-Finals: Cecil Abrams defeated Armand Ramdhani: 21-4, 21-3 Omari Joseph defeated Jonathan Persaud: 21-15, 21-12 Jonathan Mangra defeated Ajave Singh: 21-16, 21-15 Under-17 Girls Singles Quarter-Finals: Nadine Jairam defeated Crystal Dey: 21-12, 21-13 Arian Kayume defeated Kara Abrams: 21-17, 15-21, 15-21 Ambika Ramraj defeated Jea Ramsammy: 21-13, 21-11 Under-19 Boys Singles Semi-Finals: Narayan ramdhani defeated Anthony Murray: 21-5, 21-8 Cecil Abrams defeated JonathanMangra: 21-13, 21-12 Under-19 Boys Singles Finals: Narayan Ramdhani defeated Cecil Abrams: 21-12, 21-3 Under-21 Boys singles Quarter Finals: Narayan Ramdhani defeated Omari Joseph: 21-5, 21-6 Avinash Odit defeated Jonathan Persaud: 21-13, 21-14 Nicholas Ali defeated Anthony Murray: 21-5, 21-5 The Tournament continues today at 5:00pm.

Action in yesterday’s clash between Richard Ishmael and New Campbellville Secondary.

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013

Raynauth Jeffery works magic to take top spot in Cheddi Jagan cycle road race

The lead bunch powers through during the Cheddi Jagan Memorial cycle race yesterday.

By Samuel Whyte Top rider Raynauth “Obeah man” Jeffery don his riding gear, mounted his bike to successfully defend his title to take the 16th edition of the annual 50-mile Cheddi Jagan cycle road race which was held yesterday in the ancient county of Berbice.

Jeffery in his pursuit rode home in a time of 2hrs: 13 minutes and 26 seconds, eclipsing his last year time of 2: 23minutes and 29 seconds by more than 10 minutes to

hold off a top class field to take top honours to take his second hold on the trophy which will go to the first rider to win the event three consecutive times.

Some 60 riders including four females took to the starting line, the largest field to have assembled for the race since it began. The riders were sent on their way from in front of the PPP Office at Main and Charlotte Street, New Amsterdam.

The event was off to a

fast start and not too long after seven cyclists made their move in a break away at Palmyra. The lead group was further reduced to five and two were dropped.

Jeffery, Enzo Matthews, Geron Williams, John Charles and Berbician Wasim Gafoor made an early break as the cyclists hit the long No19 straight road. The pace was intense and as the picked up the chasing bunch was being separated into smaller packs.

The chasing pack of Paul

Choo-We-nam, Raul Leal, Paul DeNobrega, Orville Hinds, Alonzo Greaves and Robin Persaud connected with the front riders at Aucklyne. Charles was then dropped at NO36 and the cyclists continued their battle with rider after rider attempting to breakaway.

At Eversham, Jeffery, Hinds and DeNobrega made a successful break from the lead bunch and opened a sizable gap which they maintained throughout the

upward journey to No 55 village.

The three men continued their battle on the downward journey and looked unchallenged up to a point.

However the chasing pack closed in. They eventually caught up with the trio around Whim. But as soon as the pack caught up with the front riders Jeffery decided to make a go for it and was not caught after that, riding away to win by about 500 meters.

There was a ding don battle for the other places with Enzo Mathews riding home second, Alonzo Greaves third, Robin Persaud fourth, Geron Williams Fifth and Paul DeNobrega sixth.

The top three juniors were Ray Leal, Montel Anthony and Andrea Abdul.

The veteran segment was taken by Kenneth Lovell ahead of Wilbert Benjamin and Robin Williams.

Lindener Hazina Barret beat off the challenge of Naomi Singh to win the female segment of the race as Marica Dick got into a tangle early and was forced out of contention.

The top upright cyclists were McCaulay who won from Ulio Melville and Stephen Husbands. The juniors’ upright, veteran and females turned back at Hogstyle on the Corentyne Coast.

The sprint point prizes were shared by Jeffery and DeNobrega with two each, while Leal, Charles, Williams and Hinds rode away with one apiece.

Two more events are also expected to be held later in the month in observance of Dr Jagan’s life.

Monday March 04, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 37

Fazia’s Collection / WDFA U-17 Girls Inter School Final

MVP, Abioce Heywood, leads Leonora to inaugural title On a breezy and sunny Saturday afternoon in the village of Den Amstel on the West Coast of Demerara, the inaugural Fazia’s Collection / West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) final was contested and before the evening broke, Leonora Secondary emerged champions by a 4-0 margin over Zeeburg Secondary.

The tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Highest Goal Scorer Abioce Heywood scored all the goals for her team as they turned back the challenge of the previously unbeaten Zeeburg side to win this historical competition, the first of its kind on the West Side.

Going into the game, both sides were unbeaten and with a packed house on hand, including many of the girls’ mothers along with many

diehard supporters of the game, the air was one of anticipation for an intriguing final.

But even before the final, Uitvlugt Secondary ran away with the third place trophy and bronze medals also by a 4-0 margin over St. John’s Secondary, Keshanna Hunte netted the hat-trick (3rd, 17th, 63rd) with the other goal coming off the boot of Uan Wilson in the 35th minute.

And it was now time for the championship match; all and sundry bided their time and it was now time for the two schools to showcase who was the hungrier of the two for this initial title. The atmosphere was just right with the colourful crowd completing the setting for what was going to be on offer.

As they had displayed in previous games, Leonora did

not waste any time in establishing their presence and the fact that they meant business. Their main striker and Captain Abioce Heywood, who ended the tournament with a whopping 13 goals to her name, again led from the front.

Heywood, who has undoubtedly announced that she has arrived and will be one to watch at the national level, scored her first goal in the 3rd minute. From that moment it was clear that Zeeburg, which came into the match on a high, was not going to have their way.

Leonora used their strength and inspirational player, the athletic Heywood, who along with some solid defenders, never allowed the Zeeburg girls to get close, virtually stifling their opponents.

National Sports Commission age group badminton tournament 2013 underway U-11 Girls Finalist Rebecca Ramlal & Leianna Chung

The NSC age group badminton tournament started on Saturday at the Queens College Badminton Courts with a vast amount of players who came out to participate.

The Singles Tournament saw many new talents along with improving ones. The Guyana Badminton Association was pleased to see a large amount of under11 players which augurs well

for the future development of Badminton.

Continuing her performance was 2011 Junior Sportswoman and 2012 Runner-Up Junior Sportswoman, 11 year old Priyanna Ramdhani who won the Under-13 & 15 events and is in the semi-finals for the Under-17 to be played today.

Other winners included National Junior & Senior Champion Narayan

Ramdhani who won the Under-19 and is in the SemiFinals for both the Under-17 & Under-21. Most Improve Player Omari Joseph reached the Finals for the Under-15 event and Semis in the Under-17. Leianna Chung displayed good form to win the Under-11 Girls Singles.

The Results of the Matches Played were: Under-11 Boys Singles Finals: Elan Rahaman defeated Omar Samad: 21-3 Under-11 Girls Singles Round 1: Reena Ramdhani defeated Amelia Balram: 21-7 (they were both the youngest at 7 years old) Rebecca Ramlal defeated Rema Ramlall: 21-11 Under-11 Girls Singles Quarter-Finals: Angelie Balram defeated Rachael Ramlal: 21-12 Leianna Chung defeated Lesha Singh: 21-15 Rebecca Ramlal defeated Reena Ramdhani: 21-6 Sarah Samad defeated Raquel Choo-Shee-Nam: 2119 Under-11 Girls Singles Semi-Finals: Leianna Chung defeated Angelie Balram: 21-15 Rebecca Ramlal deeated Sarah Samad: 21-19 Under-11 Girls Singles Finals: Leianna Chung defeated Rebecca Ramlal: 21-17 Under-13 Girls Singles Semi-Finals: Shreweda Tewari defeated Aliyah Hassan: 21-9 Under-13 Girls Singles Finals: Continued on page 35

Heywood was again on target in the 20th minute. The third goal was a ripper of a shot that was taken on the right side of Zeeburg’s area.

The power of the shot took it past five Zeeburg players and the goalkeeper as it curled and twirled into the left side of goal, many were left in awe that a little player possessed such power.

By the end of the first half, Leonora were large and in charge leading 3-0 so the break was welcomed by Zeeburg which gave them time to refocus for the final half.

They did play a better second half to the extent that they not only kept Leonora at bay but also came close to scoring on a few occasions.

The deal was sealed beyond Zeeburg’s reach in the 60th minute when Leonora were rewarded with a penalty, and it was the captain herself who took on the responsibility.

As was expected, her shot was another powerful one that sailed past the goalkeeper and settled at the back of the nets.

The win was resounding

MVP Abioce Heywood collects her trophy from WDFA President Jevon Rodrigues. and well deserved by the inaugural champions, led by Heywood. St. John’s Winette Small was named the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament.

Copping the Best Coach

award was Uitvlugt Secondary School Teacher Keith Sampson. West Demerara Secondary was adjudged the Fair Play Team and received a trophy.

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Kaieteur News

Monday March 04, 2013