Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210

Editorial

Working against spousal abuse Guyana has become a society in which the murder of female spouses and domestic violence against women in general are common place and the Government seems unduly relaxed and unperturbed by the bloody record.

The alarming rate of spousal murders affecting the country should demand the full and immediate attention of the government but this is not the case in Guyana. Worse, it has not even been a topic of discussion by either political party in the election.

This is ample reason for the populace to distrust politicians. How many more women will have to be murdered by their spouses before the government will present a plan to address what is clearly a national crisis?

Action is needed and must be taken now by all to avoid these senseless murders.

Meanwhile, the Opposition is always poised to denounce such actions. Vulgar and crude behaviour by Ministers who threaten to slap and strip women, and other elected officials who show disregard for women expose the reality of a society in which women hold no pride of place.

Words of condemnation have flowed. But recent comments by President Ramotar suggest that the President is either incompetent or does not care about the unethical or immoral behaviour of his ministers and other senior PPP public officials. However, some may want to believe that the strident condemnation by the opposition is motivated by self-interest that if overused, becomes too melodramatic to be taken seriously.

Except for the mindless supporters who tend to believe anything their respective party says, the public has always reacted with disgust and increasing cynicism whenever a woman is murdered by her husband or boyfriend.

The statistics of murdered women in Guyana is alarming. In the first four months of 2015, there have been an unfortunate cluster of spousal murders of which six of the 11 women who have been killed been by their spouse were victims of domestic violence.

It is regrettable to point out that the murderers of women have demonstrated that they have no feelings, compassion or love for their spouses or another human being.

These are truly challenging times for Guyana. The country is at a stalemate in so many ways that it will take a very long time before anyone could see a reduction in domestic violence. In reality, Guyana is a small but troubled country scoring very low on most confidence indicators in a global environment. There is a tremendous obligation on behalf of the political leaders to find a way to help women avoid the dangers that society has placed them in, and also for all of us to work towards a culture of peace, love and reverence for life. As for murder and crime in general, the people are facing an uphill task of trying to cope with the brutality and the waste of life and to haul the society back from the precipice.

There are reasons too numerous to mention for much of this disregard for life which some believe has been influenced by an indecent, uncaring and unloving society.

It seems as though history has collided with the severe socioeconomic and political challenges, including demographic shifts; senseless murders, high unemployment among youths, massive poverty, prevalence and misuse of the state resources; and the adoption of norms that are out of sync with our realities.

Solutions to this malaise cannot come from speeches, sermons, promises, and press releases alone, nor will it come from politicizing murder and mayhem in the country.

Not one or two individuals but everyone including the independent media is responsible to pressure the government to act to end such disorder and lawlessness in society and they must be held responsible for their actions or inactions.

If ever there was a time for a bipartisan approach to problem-solving to crime, especially domestic violence and the murder of women, it is now.

Sunday May 10, 2015

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

Whoever wins must govern more responsibly than they have campaigned DEAR EDITOR, After 12 weeks of campaigning, the Guyanese electorate is more than happy it is coming to an end, because it is not only a waste of good money, but it was a season of much aggravation and half truths.

This campaign really lacked seriousness, especially from the PPP side where we continue get silly statements like “they will militarize the government.� and some statements too ideologically racist to even repeat like that

much-publicized Babu Jaan speech.

From both teams, their manifestos were released too late. They have failed to answer the big questions early enough and even at this stage the answers lack details. We still do not know the intimate details on how they will create the new jobs and how will they help the thousands that need to pass their exams in the right subject areas to accelerate the nation-building process.

At least APNU+AFC has

committed to a 100-day plan which will immediately change the way we govern ourselves, but from the PPP/C, all we got was a regurgitation and rehashing of old and failed plans from yesteryear.

Up to now, I have not seen anyone talking about how we will reduce the fiscal deficit of G$30 billion that continues to drive greater borrowing.

Jobs is the number one issue among voters, but after 22 years, the PPP/C cannot provide

adequate evidence that they have been able to create enough well-paying jobs for the young people of Guyana.

Yet they have the audacity to ask the people for one more term and to take people back to the Burnham era.

It is clear that the PPP/C is ashamed of their own track record, since it is laced with years of policy failures.

Actually if one looks at the last four years under Hoyte/Greenidge from 1988-1992, it had a (Continued on page 5)

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox Why a PNC apology and not one from the PPP too?

DEAR EDITOR, This is my fourth reply to the fourth letter of Aksharananda (SN May 10, 2005 - “Did Mr. Ramjattan not see that it is possible to demand an apology from the PNC and at the same time work for the removal of the PPP?”) What is morally offensive in this latest letter

by Aksharananda is that he commits the very moral lapses that he accuses Khemraj Ramjattan of. His letter is laced with examples of that. I will enumerate them but first a slight digression.

The PPP fears the loss of the election never anticipating that there would not be a three way race.

The PPP felt the three party contest would have returned the plurality vote to them. The AFC-APNU coalition literally numbed the collective mind of the PPP. The election strategy

then was to invoke the ghost of race to deny the coalition Indian votes.

I honestly believe armed with this strategy and with desperation setting in each day, different sections of the PPP leadership approached known Indian personalities, who are not associated with political activism, for their exigent public support.

It is clear to all Guyanese that Varshni Singh and Nadira Jagan were solicited.

I honestly believe Ravi Dev, the full-time consultant to the Guyana Times sought out his colleagues who initially were in ROAR and GIHA, thus the letters of Ryhaan Shah and Asksharananda I r e t u r n t o Aksharananda’s letter. I can cite hundreds of people, all of whom are AfricanGuyanese who would like to see an apology from the PNC as an organization that once

ruled Guyana but they have contextualized their call to the PNC. They want a simultaneous intonation of sorry by the PPP too. This is what Aksharananda would never concede, because of his philosophical approach to race relations in Guyana N o w f o r m y enumeration.

Quote 1 - “For the wrongs done to Indians, we were first urged to forget and now we are asked to forgive, and unconditionally at that.” (end of quote). It was Eusi Kwayana who brilliantly argued that in Guyanese history there is no guilty race. Aksharananda does not a r g u e p o l e m i c a l l y, employing a theoretical framework. Almost all social scientists who have studied the use of state power in Guyana have concluded that power has been used to reward and punish ethnic

groups. For Aksharananda, no wrongs have been done to Afro-Guyanese the past twenty two years Quote 2 – “Yet, it is Mr. Ramjattan who now accuses me for “generating present day hatreds,” simply because I have rejected his call for historical amnesia on behalf of the PNC.” (end of quote) But what about Aksharananda’s amnesia of PPP’s atrocities? Applying the concept of PPP atrocities, we can go back to PPP instigated violence during the Burnham regime. The Corentyne toll gate policemen were attacked.

One died. Cane fields were burned.

Quote 3 – “I also pleaded for reconciliation and restoration which I stated would be impossible without the truth, the very truth which Mr. Ramjattan wants us to suppress in the name of

Whoever wins must govern more...

From page 4 materially more significant impact on the lives of the working poor than all 15 years of the Jagdeo/ Ramotar/ Rohee troika.

The PPP/C approach in 2015 is to spend more billions on mega projects without leveling with the people as to where the money will come from to pay back all the debts that they are incurring to fund these projects. What is even more disheartening is the inability of the PPP/C to account to the people as to how much potential value is being earned by the country for these billion-dollar expenditures?

What we continue to get from the

PPP/C is more promises to build the Road to Brazil and a Deep Water Harbour, but after a decade they cannot convert this promise to reality.

This is what the APNU+AFC Coalition o ff e r s ; a n a l t e r n a t i v e narrative led by people with better credibility to convert some of their promises to reality. So the Coalition will reform the Constitution, they will establish and empower the Procurement Commission, the Integrity Commission and the Ethnic Relations Commission to do their jobs. They will engage in police reform to ensure that the police force actually protects and serves the

people of Guyana. But most importantly, the APNU+AFC has committed to pay all classes of workers 10 percent wages increase across the board within 100 days and then enter into collective bargaining agreement with the unions on a way forward to achieve a living wage for the working poor.

Guyanese relationships with each other have been diminished by this campaign, especially in villages where the majority are East Indians.

Increasingly, a number of former PPP/C supporters have openly express support for the Coalition to the displeasure of some of their

fellow villages.

Those relationships will have to be repaired. The best way to repair them is to ensure that the incoming Government becomes the grandfather of Guyana and is all-embracing to all of our people, irrespective of whom they supported on May 11, 2015.

There is no place for vindictive politics in Guyana.

Whoever wins on May 11th, 2015, must know that there will have to have some level of fiscal prudence and austerity to protect the long term future of the nation; we cannot get fiscally wild.

Whoever wins, must govern more responsibly than they have campaigned.

Sase Singh

political expediency.” (end of quote) Aksharananda’s truths are not objective truths. Aksharananda’s truths do not include the terror of fifteen years in the reign of Jagdeo and R a m o t a r. I f a n y o n e suppresses the truth it is Aksharananda Quote 4 – “Instead he (Ramjattan) resorted to a sanctification of those collective historical misdeeds by simply leaving it up to the whim of the PNC to decide whether to apologise or not.” (end of quote). This is where Aksharananda is mischievous and divisive.

He refuses to look at historical misdeeds in the context of power and race. I guess we must not leave it up to the PNC to apologize, we must demand that they do while we give the PPP a blank cheque.

Quote 5 – “It is not so much a question of PNC’s apology anymore, but Mr. Ramjattan’s think process that intrigues me.” (end of quote) The thought process of Aksharananda is on display for all Guyanese to see. Certainly for a man who uses the status of a swami and writes such race-based statements, his thought process must intrigue every

Guyanese who wants to see political and ethnic reconciliation.

Quote 6 - “There have been extremely vociferous and passionate calls, and rightly so, for accountability from the PPP.” (end of quote) Aksharananda doesn’t tell us who make such calls and why he isn’t among the callers. Note must be taken of Aksharananda’s use of words. Like Ryhaan Shah, harsh words are avoided in describing PPP mistakes.

Shah uses “arrogance.”

Aksharannda uses, “accountability.” Both avoid terms like, “violent,” “depraved,” “dictatorial,” “authoritarian,” etc Quote 7 – “But the PNC has admitted to doing no wrong. Does it not therefore smack of supreme arrogance and condescension?” (end of quote) Has the PPP admitted to any form of wrong-doing?

And its record is far more atrocious than the PNC. In a previous letter, Aksharananda remembers the murder of Rodney but conveniently forgets the murder of Waddell and Crum-Ewing.

But such is the nature of the man whose thought process is now laid bare for all to see.

Frederick Kissoon

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

$60M stolen, $35M recovered…

CLUPRIT NABBED IN UAE

Trinidad Guardian - The National Energy Company (NEC) Friday confirmed the Fraud Squad, Financial Intelligence Unit and Ministry of Energy were currently investigating three fraudulent wire transfers to Boston, Antigua and Dubai to the tune of $60 million in September 2011.

In a release, the NEC said an independent internal investigation had found that the wire transfers were “fraudulently prepared outside National Energy’s internal processing system and processed using procedure which was not standard for the confirmation and validation of our wire transfers.

“It was recommended that the matter be referred for criminal investigation, which was already initiated by National Energy,” the release said.

“To date, 58 per cent of the money has been recovered from the recipient banks in Boston and Antigua, and we are assiduously pursuing the recovery of the outstanding 42 per cent which is being held by the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, where the courts have convicted the recipient.”

Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi are cities in the United Arab Emirates.

The matter was first raised

by People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Dr Keith Rowley during a political meeting in Malabar on Thursday.

Forgoing Parliamentary protection, Rowley revealed the details of an Interpol-led investigation into how some $60 million had been siphoned from the NEC through an account at First Citizens.

In a telephone interview Friday, Rowley said the money was siphoned in three tranches over a period of days in September 2011, when current Finance Minister Larry Howai sat at the helm of both organisations. At the time of the transfers, Howai sat as chief executive officer at First Citizens and chairman at NEC. Rowley said the documents from Interpol were emailed to him on May 5 from a whistleblower and he refused to keep it quiet despite being suspended from Parliament for revealing the contents of previous emails.

“This is about the taxpayers’ money,” Rowley said.

He said the three tranches ended up in Boston, Antigua and Dubai and while some of the money had been recovered, there was still a portion of the $60 million in a

Dr. Keith Rowley bank account in Dubai unaccounted for.

“Where was Howai when this happened and why didn’t he raise it when he was praising himself in Parliament, justifying why he deserved that $10 million payment he got when he left?” Rowley asked.

The illegal wire transfers, according to the letters, were made daily between September 19 and 21 back in 2011 and were discovered by the NEC’s Financing and Accounting Department on September 26, 2011.

The letter states that although an investigation was launched then, to date there has been no update on the matter.

The T&T Guardian has since learned that Howai was aware of the wire transfer.

“As soon as it became apparent that the transactions were fraudulent as CEO of First Citizens, apart from taking steps to address the recovery of the funds, he called in the TTPS who in turn contacted Interpol for assistance in their investigations,” Howai stated in an e-mail response through his communications specialist Cheryl Lala.

CARICOM to commit US$65 million to CDF

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Ambassador Lorne McDonnough, chief executive officer of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF), has confirmed that CARICOM member states will provide US$65 840 931 in new funding for the CDF in its second funding cycle which commences on July 1, 2015.

Speaking following the 26th Regular Meeting of the Board of the CDF, he noted that this amount will be supplemented by US$10.2 million of carry-over funds, which will bring to the table US$76.0 for the second funding cycle.

McDonnough, who led the CDF team that negotiated with the Member States Technical Working Group (TWG) made recommendations on the ‘replenishment of the CDF for the second funding cycle’, which were accepted by the CARICOM Conference of Heads in February. Trinidad and Tobago,

the largest contributor, used the opportunity of the recently concluded 40th Ministerial Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) to confirm its commitment to provide US$40.0 million to the CDF. At that meeting McDonnough thanked CDF member states for their support and also noted that both the Governments of Haiti and Montserrat have also expressed their desire to become members of the CDF in the second funding cycle. At the time of accession their contribution will enhance the level of new funding available.

The COTED Ministerial Meeting took the opportunity to thank McDonnough for his “pioneering work” as the first CEO of the CDF and wished him well in his future endeavours.

Ambassador McDonnough, will demit office on June 30, 2015.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 10, 2015

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

Dem boys seh...

People might got to spin coin fuh this Election Is a very hard thing to please a society like Guyana own.

Is even more bad when you got a newspaper or a media house. You does pour you heart out and try you best to be balanced and even square but always cuss you.

Dem boys seh that de Waterfalls paper does get cuss every single day from every single party and race. Even people wid no race and colour cussing de paper.

This election dem boys get nuff cuss although dem try dem best to give fair coverage both in de news and in de pictures.

When dem put de Pee Pee Pee picture over Hapnew all dem Hapnew people cuss de Waterfalls paper. Dem asking why dem got to be at de bottom of de Pee Pee Pee. When dem boys put Hapnew at de top de Pee Pee Pee people call and cuss. Dem want know why dem got to deh at de bottom.

When dem boys put dem side by side, dem still cuss, dem want know why dem deh pun de right hand or pun de left hand. Dem does even seh why dem got to deh next to one another.

After all de cussing dem boys decide last night fuh spin a coin. Today is de last day fuh carry political picture pun de front page. Dem boys know was de last day fuh de political campaign suh dem had to carry campaign photos.

Before de coin spin dem boys decide that heads gun be Pee Pee Pee and tails gun be Hapnew Hay Heff See. Benschop seh that he got to get involve because he too does cuss dem boys because dem don’t seh nutten bout he paaty.

Saphier Husain who got he paaty had to get he name involve. Benschop spin and Husain call head. De front page photo tell people who win.

Jimmy de Carter staying at de Pegasus. When dem boys hear that, dem want to know if he spin a coin to decide whether he gun stay at de Barriott or at de Pegasus.

Dem boys hear that he is a man who don’t want nutten to do wid anything that suggest, or even hint that it built in de midst of corruption. He is always a man of good standing and recognized for honesty and decency all over.

Dem boys want to believe that he smell something rotten.

Talk half and hope Steve don’t have to spin a coin fuh tell Guyana who win de election.

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MFK execution…..

Cops obtain phone records that implicate killers - as hit man gives detailed statement to Crime Chief

Mohamed F. khan Investigators have taken a detailed statement from a ‘Hit Man’ who claimed to have intimate knowledge of the plot that led to the murder of businessman, Mohamed F Khan, last year.

They have also been able to obtain telephone records that corroborate the informant’s story.

The ‘Hit Man’ Lennox Wayne has already implicated a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and a serving Sergeant attached to the Tactical Services Unit.

Kaieteur News understands that following the publication of an explosive statement that Wayne had given, detailing the whole plan surrounding Khan’s death, investigators escorted him from his cell in the Georgetown Prison to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department where they obtained a further

statement. Wayne is currently on remand having been charged for the murder of Lusignan Cosmetologist, Ashmini Harriram.

Giving dates and locations which are consistent with information provided by Khan before his death, Wayne admitted to being part of the plot to kill Khan, but denied that he actually committed the murder.

Apart from the two policemen, Wayne has named a businessman who he claimed ordered the hit on Khan.

The businessman is said to be a former associate of Mohamed F khan with whom he had conducted a multimillion-dollar business.

Investigators have however not yet pulled in the persons he implicated for questioning and Wayne is now expressing concern for his safety.

A senior police official told this newspaper that the information provided by Wayne has added new life to the investigations which at one time appeared to have reached a dead end.

Wayne, who admitted that he was once an informant for the police, is convinced that he is being framed for Harriram’s murder by the persons who orchestrated Mohamed F Khan’s death in an apparent effort to prevent him from exposing the

scheme. He decided to speak out since he claimed that he was short changed by the persons who orchestrated the hit as well as to ensure that Khan’s family gets justice.

Wayne said he was promised $500,000 to kill Khan but the Police Sergeant and his accomplices who had contracted him, refused to pay after the initial attempt failed. Mohamed F Khan’s dismembered body was subsequently discovered on a dam at Cummings Lodge on September 23, last, a month after he disappeared.

The businessman had returned to Guyana to finalise a business arrangement with his lawyers after fleeing to neighbouring Venezuela following the earlier execution attempt.

In a three-page statement that this newspaper was able to obtain, Wayne claimed that on July 8, last year, he was contacted by the sergeant (name given) who requested that he “report to base”, base being the compound of the Tactical Services Unit.

When he got there he was told that there was job for him…that someone wanted him to kill Mohamed Khan.

Wayne said that the Sergeant took him to the West Bank of Demerara and

Lennox Wayne called ‘Two Colours’ showed him where Khan was staying. At the time Khan was not at home so they waited several hours until he arrived for Wayne to get a good look at his target.

They left and Wayne alone returned the next day around 06:30 hours to carry out the hit. He positioned himself on his motorcycle and waited for the opportunity which took a while.

“I positioned myself outside the man home on my motorcycle and I start to trail him from when he left his house around lunch time until he reach in Georgetown,” Wayne wrote in his statement.

He claimed that he trailed Khan to a house on Barr Street, Kitty where he stayed for a while until it became dark. A few weeks before he disappeared, Khan himself had told this newspaper about a visit to a friend in (Continued on page 12)

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Sunday May 10, 2015

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PPP/C announcement of oil find deceptive - Bulkan A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) political candidate, Ronald Bulkan, has condemned the government’s use of the Exxon’s hydrocarbon discovery in its political ads, stating that it is a deliberate attempt by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/ C) to mislead the public.

This is on the heels of the Ministry of Natural Resources announcement that the Deepwater Champion, approximately 120 miles offshore Guyana, has encountered hydrocarbons, organic compounds found in many places, including crude oil and natural gas.

Though Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud, had initially warned that it was too early to confirm whether these trace elements

APNU+AFC Candidate Ronald Bulkan were in commercial quantities, specifically light crude, a subsequent PPP/C full page ad also emerged declaring as its headline “Breaking news.

U.S oil giant Exxon strikes oil in Guyana.”

The ad also went on to say, “This breaking news of oil discovery in Guyana is another timely reminder why your support is best placed with the PPP/C.” Bulkan, who served as an APNU parliamentarian, has described it as a “quantum leap, to say that oil has been discovered, when all that has been found are traces of hydro carbon.”

“It is part of a pattern of deception, born of desperation. It is a quantum leap when the company is talking of hydrocarbon and the PPP is announcing oil.”

He alluded to the impending General and Regional elections on Monday as the motivating factor for the play with words.

At an earlier press

conference, APNU+AFC had welcomed the discovery, but had remained cautious, stating that should there turn out to be crude oil in commercial quantities, such a development would take years before tangible extraction efforts could be made. The Liza 1 well on the Stabroek block is being drilled

by Deepwater Champion, which is hired by Esso Exploration and production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL), an affiliate of Exxon Mobil, which holds 45 percent interest.

Hess Guyana Exploration Limited holds 30 percent and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent interest in the venture.

In an official statement from the Ministry of Natural resources, they said “the Natural Resources and Environment Minister,

remains optimistic of a hydrocarbon discovery of commercial quantities which will transform Guyana’s economy for the benefit of all Guyanese.”

News reports said that Exxon Mobile country manager, Jeff Simons, also confirmed that a bore hole in the Atlantic Ocean in an area claimed by Venezuela has produced positive results, though he declined to discuss specifics about what had been found.

Minister Persaud is set to meet with company officials and discuss the find.

Decades of exploration in Guyana have yet to locate a viable source of oil or gas despite the proximity of energy rich Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.

Venezuela has long claimed about two-thirds of

Guyana’s territory as well as the offshore area where Exxon Mobil began drilling in March. In October 2013, the Venezuelan navy detained an oil research vessel operating under contract for the U.S based Anadarko Petroleum Corp. Guyana foreign affairs Minister Carolyn RodriguesBirkett said in March that the country would push ahead with exploration in the area despite protests from the Venezuelan Government.

In May 2012, CGX Energy, which has concessions, announced that it had failed in its bid to find oil during a drill in its Corentyne concessions.

That same year, another well being drilled in the Georgetown offshore concession by Spanish owned Repsol also failed in its attempt.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 10, 2015

Cops obtain phone records that implicate...

From page 9 Kitty that very day where he watched a World Cup football game.

According to Wayne, he and the Sergeant followed Khan back over to the West

Bank of Demerara and when the businessman made a stop at La Grange he decided to grab his opportunity.

“When we reached La Grange, I collected the equipment (weapon) from

(name of policeman) and I end up rolling and I shot the man.

After I shot him, he did not fall and die, he end up running and jump in a car. I left and ride away and (name of policemen) left and go behind

him (Khan) at the station,” Wayne wrote in his statement.

Khan had described his shooter as a tall man who he recalled had police connections, a description that perfectly fits Wayne.

“When I look at him, I’m seeing a policeman…he looked like an old police that I knew. I said, ‘Tall Man wha wrong with you? Why you shooting at me man?’” Khan had related back in July when he was interviewed by this newspaper after the shooting.

Khan then left Guyana and according to Wayne, that move delayed his death.

“He was to return to the station the next day but he left and went away. If he had returned to the station, I would have finished the job when he walking out of La Grange Station because I was to collect a higher caliber weapon to do it, but Khan never showed up,” Wayne said.

But in August, Khan did return to Guyana and Wayne was contacted again.

He was told by the Sergeant that Khan was seen at his lawyer ’s office on Hadfield Street. Wayne said that he was told to stake out

the lawyer’s office to see when Khan was leaving. It was around 14:00 hours that Wayne spotted the target and informed the police Sergeant.

It was on this day that he saw the Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police who was also staking out the lawyer’s office for Khan.

According to Wayne, the police Sergeant subsequently pulled up with some other persons in a heavily tinted vehicle and they too waited for Khan to emerge.

When the businessman eventually left the lawyer’s office and boarded a taxi, the Police Sergeant and the Retired Assistant Commissioner followed him in their respective vehicles.

Wayne said that he was told to back off. “They told me they would take care of things from here.”

He said that after Khan vanished a second time and weeks passed, he decided to ask the policeman, who had contracted him, about his payment.

“They tell me that they can’t get into trouble and I don’t have no money to get,” Wayne said in his statement.

But now that the statement is out in the public domain, Wayne has said that he is being extra careful with his dealings in the Camp Street Prison.

“The most they would try to do, to be honest, is try and get rid of me,” he added.

Wayne explained that when he first went to prison for the Harriram murder, his visits were being properly monitored with a prison officer screening all visitors.

“But now, the prison wardens does get lackadaisical and I feel they

should put better measures in place,” Wayne stated.

He said that he is not worried about admitting that he did shoot Khan at La Grange.

“I never get any money for the shooting over the river, not even twenty dollar.

Although Khan did not die when I shot him, I still supposed to get something.

Is not me fault that he did not die. The main thing was that the man get hit, I did my part,” Wayne stated.

“All they keep telling me was, ‘man you f@#k up, you f@#k up.’ When I call them, the most they would do is to send a $300 top up for my phone,” he added.

He said that he is terribly upset by the way he was treated especially since he had helped the policemen in their normal legal duties in the past.

“I was on the operation when they killed the three youth man outside K&VC, even the set at Diamond. I does be on a set of operations because I am a man of the streets,” said Wayne, who explained that he became known to the police after serving a 10-year sentence for armed robbery.

“I used to thief and after helping the police a couple of times, they promised me they will clear my background because every time I go for a job I getting turn down. But all they did was used me and tried to make me a gunman,” Wayne stated.

“When they charged me with the Lusignan murder, they are trying to make me look like a criminal and they don’t know me when in fact I was police intelligence,” he added.

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

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Carter pays courtesy call on President Ramotar

President Donald Ramotar (left) meeting with former US President Jimmy Carter who is leading an observers’ team for tomorrow’s polls.

Former United States (US) President Jimmy Carter and other officials from the Carter Centre observer mission yesterday paid a courtesy call on Head of State, Donald Ramotar.

Carter and his team met with President Ramotar at the Office of the President. Other members of the local delegation were Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and Natural Resources and the Environment Minister, Robert Persaud.

According to President Ramotar, the meeting in itself was fruitful. Discussions were held on elections preparedness and other issues related to tomorrow’s General and Regional Elections.

“I am very happy to have them here. This is the team’s

100th election observation mission.”

The President said that it is an historical event especially in context of former US President’s role in bringing back democracy to Guyana.

Meanwhile, among the issues of concern raised by President Ramotar was that some parties do not yet have a list of polling day staff.

The former US President arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Friday.

He is co-leading the Carter Center’s Observer Mission to monitor Guyana’s electoral process along with Dame Audrey Glover of the United Kingdom, and former Foreign Affairs Minister of Barbados, Billie Miller.

The Centre had deployed a team to Guyana since April

including five experts and six medium-term observers, who were stationed at locations throughout the country.

This medium-term observation team was joined this week by more than 50 short-term observers from 24 countries.

They will be witnessing the electoral process, including voting, counting, polling and tabulation, and will release a preliminary statement of key findings on May 13, which will be available at http:// www.cartercenter.org.

This is the Carter Center’s fourth election observer mission in Guyana.

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

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Mother’s Day Thank you God for a mom like mine

by Chris Lall With your powers that were divine Mom, you’ve helped me through rough times In the darkness of night, you’re the one that shines You’re here on the good and bad days I wouldn’t want it any other way Thank you mom for all you’ve done This journey is really fun You play with me when I’m alone You take care of me when I break my bones I love you with all my heart In my life, you’re a big part You are completely great When I was impatient, you taught me to wait It is a long ride You are always by my side You’re my mom, you are you Why you put up with me, I have no clue I wouldn’t trade you for another Because I love you and you’re my mother

JUST A MOM????...

I can’t stand it when people say, “You’re JUST a mom?”

Yes, I am a Mom! That makes me an alarm clock, cook, maid, waitress, teacher, nurse, referee, handyman, security officer, photographer, counselor, chauffeur, event planner, hairdresser, personal assistant, ATM & I scare away the boogie man.

I don’t get paid holidays, sick pay or days off. I work DAY & NIGHT. I am on call 24/7 for the rest of my life.

That’s just BEING A MOM!!! I may not be anything to you, but I am everything to someone!!

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 10, 2015

East Bank lands gobbled up by ‘private developers’ There are shocking details emerging of Government’s handling and distribution of lands on East Bank Demerara.

A significant portion of the front part of the former cane fields, stretching from Eccles to Diamond, has ended up mainly in the hands of close friends of the national leaders and party officials.

The situation has now left Government scrambling to find lands for almost 10,000 applicants for house lots that are reportedly pending.

Some persons have been waiting for years on a positive response from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

Government has been saying that few areas remain available on the East Bank Demerara for development.

New lands are being opened up on the Soesdyke/ Linden highway and attempts are being made to purchase cane field between Eccles and Ogle, on East Coast Demerara.

However, it is unclear how much of those cane field lands will be earmarked for actual

- two Chinese companies, Ramroop benefit

New GPC’s Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop

Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali

house lots for citizens and how much for private developers.

According to documents in possession of this newspaper, 11 private developers have been given hundreds of acres of lands stretching from behind Peter’s Hall to Providence as early as 2011. Two more were allowed swaths of land in the Diamond and Golden Grove areas.

Still another 11companies, as of July last year, were set to receive lands from CH&PA for especially areas in the Little Diamond and Great Diamond areas. It is unclear what has been allocated.

One company, Luxury

Reality Inc., which has lands in Providence, has listed as its Director/Secretary, Roopnarine Ramcharitar, a right hand man for Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop. Ramroop is the owner of New GPC, a company that was investigated by the Opposition for a number of questionable deals. He is the best friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

CHINESE Two other companies that received lands were Hi Tech Construction Inc. and Sunset Lakes Inc. Both companies are under the control of the Chinese.

Hi Tech has Su Zhi Rong

listed as its Director while the Secretaries are Zhang Ling Ling and Ming Chen.

Sunset Lakes Inc was controlled by Brian Tiwarie but that company is now reportedly owned by BaiShanLin, which has started building homes that range from $50M to more than $100M. It is unclear how BaiShanLin ended up with the lands from Tiwarie because the lands cannot just be sold.

The CH&PA agreement is very specific about what a developer can and cannot do with it.

BaiShanLin is a company that is under investigations for its vast logging and mining acquisitions in recent years under controversial circumstances. It was given concessions on almost 200 vehicles and other pieces of heavy equipment.

The other companies that were allocated lands between Eccles and Mocha were Queensway Dax Contracting Service, Nabi Construction Incorporated, Buddy’s Housing Development, Cumberland Developers Inc., Vikab Engineering Consultants, Kishan Bacchus Construction, Caricom General Insurance, Navigant Continued on page 71

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 27

Fibromyalgia: Is more common than we think?

Dr Zulfikar Bux There are patients out there who have generalized body pains which do not respond to regular pain killers and are often confused and even become depressed about their painful situation.

It is becoming a frequent occurrence and some patients are left without obvious answers.

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep,

There seems to be no end to the gun crimes. It is as though some young men are anxious to discharge their firearm at people as though that is a rite of passage.

A group would invade yet another home with no other intention than to get spending money.

These days the quantum is not a big thing; just enough to buy some footwear and party a bit. How-

memory and mood issues.

Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals. Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event. Women are much more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men.

The presentation is variable and therefore makes it a bit more difficult to diagnose.

Understanding the symptoms of Fibromyalgia may help you to help your Physician diagnose this syndrome.

SYMPTOMS · Widespread pain.

This is the most common and consistent finding associated with fibromyalgia. The pain associated with fibromyalgia often is described as a constant dull ache that has lasted for at least three months. To be considered widespread, the pain must occur on both sides of your body and above and below your waist. · Fatigue. People with fibromyalgia often awaken tired, even though they report sleeping for long periods of

time. Sleep is often disrupted by pain, and many patients with fibromyalgia have other sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea. · Cognitive difficulties. A symptom commonly referred to as “fibro fog” impairs the ability to focus, pay attention and concentrate on mental tasks. · Other problems. Many people who have fibromyalgia also may experience anxiety, depression, headaches, and pain or cramping in the lower abdomen.

WHY DOES IT HURT? Researchers believe repeated nerve stimulation causes the brains of people with fibromyalgia to change.

This change involves an abnormal increase in levels of certain chemicals in the brain that signal pain (neurotransmitters). In addition, the brain’s pain receptors seem to develop a sort of memory of the pain and become more sensitive, meaning they can overreact to pain signals.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? If you suspect that you may be suffering from fibromyalgia, you should let your physician know. Your Doctor should be able to di-

ever the police have a fair idea of where to look. ** The waterways are going to claim another life, this time in the northern part of the country.

River is the only way of travel and young children have adapted.

One such trip is going to end in disaster. ** Rumours are never far away. One rumour is going to create panic among the people to the extent that the authorities will be rushed to put out a statement.

This is not going to be anything new, especially at this time.

agnose it by questioning and examining you and ruling out other causes for your pain.

Making the following adjustments in your life should also help to reduce your pain levels: · Reduce stress. Develop a plan to avoid or limit overexertion and emotional stress. Allow yourself time each day to relax. That may mean learning how to say no without guilt. · Get enough sleep.

Because fatigue is one of the main characteristics of fibromyalgia, getting sufficient sleep is essential. In addition to allotting enough time for sleep, practice good sleep habits, such as going to bed and getting up at the

same time each day and limiting daytime napping. · Exercise regularly.

At first, exercise may increase your pain.

But doing it gradually and regularly often decreases symptoms. Appropriate exercises may include walking, swimming, biking and water aerobics. · Pace yourself. Keep your activity on an even level.

If you do too much on your good days, you may have more bad days. Moderation means not overdoing it on your good days, but likewise it means not self-limiting or doing too little on the days when symptoms flare. · Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eat healthy foods.

Limit your caffeine intake. Do something that you find enjoyable and fulfilling every day.

IS THERE TREATMENT? Patients with fibromyalgia most often do not respond to conventional pain medications.

There are effective alternative medications which when appropriately dosed, can assist with your pain. The reality is that there is no cure for fibromyalgia.

Consistent visits to your doctor to gradually achieve a target treatment to meet your needs is the best option.

This will take time and patience but once you invest your time the rewards are generally fruitful.

Page 28

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 10, 2015

TRADE FACILITATION VS TRADE IN WEAPONS If you walk along Regent Street, you will observe that some vendors who sell on the pavements store their stocks in cardboard barrels, the ones that Guyanese overseas use to send gifts for their families back home. This suggests that goods being pedaled on the pavements are shipped to Guyana in these barrels, and could have been smuggled into the country in this way.

A few weeks ago, I stood in front of a business which was being established in the city. Internal works to the building were being done for what is likely to be a small store. A hire car pulled up with

a barrel in the back seat. This was rolled into the store. Later another barrel was brought.

I do not know what was in the barrels, but I asked myself why would the owner have stored whatever it was in that type of container. If he had bought these items locally, he would have not had to bring them in barrels. I presumed - I cannot be sure - that the items that were being used in the construction for the internal works were shipped to Guyana in those barrels.

I have also seen barrels within some business stores.

Again, I have had to ask myself why would businesses

have to transport and store items in barrels. The only conclusion that I could reach - and this may be pure speculation - is that some businesses are using barrels to bring their goods into the country.

It is well known that many private citizens are recipients of barrels each year from their relatives in the United States.

Some of them also receive boxes and crates in which is packed all manner of items, most of which are readily available in Guyana. Yet persons overseas opt to send these items as a form of remittance to assist their relatives.

They should ideally send

the money via the money transfer agencies. But many of them prefer to send items, because they are of the mistaken view that it is cheaper for their family to get the foodstuff and clothes in the barrels than it would if they had to buy these in the local stores.

Secondly, some persons overseas prefer to send the physical items rather than the cash, because they are not certain that their relations in Guyana are going to use the cash for the upkeep of their homes. They are fearful that their Guyanese relations are going to splurge on the cash.

Thus they prefer to send the food and the clothing.

This is understandable, since we have a lot of slackers in Guyana who prefer to stay home all day, rather than go and look for work. They prefer to stay at home and depend on their relatives overseas. The overseas relatives are not stupid and instead of sending cash, they prefer to send things that can be used in the house.

This preference has led to the sustaining of the trade in remittance goods such as barrels and boxes, and now we are told, crates, with food and

clothing items. The danger, of course, is that other things can be transported in these containers, as was evident on Friday last, when weapons and ammunition were discovered in a crate at a city wharf.

And of course, as mentioned above, there is some suspicion that vendors and businesses may be bringing goods into the country using the very containers that are used in the main for remittance items.

One would have assumed that with the liberalization of trade and with almost every conceivable item now available in Guyana, that there would have been a fall-off in the number of barrels being sent. It does not seem so. In fact, it looks as if Guyanese overseas are sending more items via barrels and boxes, and crates than ever before.

In fact, a new form of trade has developed. It is called etrade. This allows persons to but their own items online and have these items shipped in small packages to their homes.

This development will further increase the number of small packages that are being sent to Guyana and thus place pressure on the authorities to balance the need to guard

against illegal items coming into the country, with the need to facilitate the clearance of these goods.

Trade facilitation is now an economic mantra. The theory argues that one of the ways to spur business growth is to reduce bottlenecks to trade, including speeding up the clearance of goods. The removal of bottlenecks, it is argued, will slash business costs and allow for a higher velocity in business transactions and dollar turnover.

This translates to higher business and economic performance. The removal of bottlenecks also reduces corruption in trade. The downside, of course, is that trade facilitation can open the door to increased smuggling of illegal items such as weapons.

Obtaining the right balance between trade facilitation and guarding against smuggling is a challenge that still bedevils most countries. But it is of acute concern to those countries such as Guyana, in which there are high levels of remittances. It is not a challenge that is easy resolvable.

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 29

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark During the November 2011 election, my column before election day was captioned, “I’ve gotta be me,” title of the famous Sammy Davis Jr. song.

In that column, I anticipated more victimization by a triumphalist PPP and I predicted my removal from UG should the PPP win. My UG contract was terminated days after the swearing of Donald Ramotar as president.

I added that whatever the PPP did with Guyana after November 2011, I would not dilute my independence of mind. I could not even if I wanted to, because it is who and what I am. I have embarked on a journey a long time ago to prevent what took place in my father’s life happening to me.

My dad was a mere semiliterate groundsman at the Georgetown Cricket Club, at a time when European domination of the Third World was the zeitgeist that enveloped the non-white world. My dad was a foolish man who let rum ruin his dignity. That was not going to happen to me. Rum was not for me. Being a groundsman was not for me.

The PPP won the election in 2011 and I lost my job at UG, faced a contempt of court charge brought by Minster Juan Edghill, suffered two brutal physical attacks, received the special attention of Khurshid Sattaur and endured a long libel trial brought

by Bharrat Jagdeo. At the end of it all, I remained who I am. Here are the words of that wonderful, philosophical reflection by Sammy Davis Jr. Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong Whether I find a place in this world or never belong I’ve gotta be me, I’ve gotta be me What else can I be but what I am?

I want to live, not merely survive And I won’t give up this dream of life that keeps me alive I’ve gotta be me, I’ve gotta be me The dream that I see makes me what I am That far away prize, a world of success Is waiting for me if I heed the call I won’t settle down, won’t

settle for less As long as there’s a chance that I can have it all I’ll do it alone, that’s how it must be I can’t be right for somebody else if I’m not right for me I’ve gotta be free, I’ve gotta be free Daring to try, to do it or die, I’ve gotta be me The year 2011 is gone. We are into another election, the most important in the entire history of this country. Its outcome has far-reaching implications for me, my family, the newspaper I write for, some of my dear friends and my country.

The question asked in that 2011 column must be returned to. What do I do with my life after the elections if there is continuation of the old ways? As I did in that 2011 column, I believe if the PPP wins, old habits, old venalities, will continue. But there must be personal reflections because each year we get older, and uncertainties clog both the mind and imagination.

I can’t lose my job this time if the PPP wins. There is no job to lose; I don’t have one. But I fear for the newspaper I write for. I believe the Kaieteur News has played a priceless role in stopping dictatorship from murderous paths.

I leave you with a song that has been important in my life many, many moons ago.

It was surprising to know that the girl that was to become my wife also loved it and the mutual love of that song helped to cement our

togetherness But that song is important to me in a very philosophical way. It helped me to discover the essence of who I am. It is an international hit covered by countless artists and even though I believe the disco queen Donna Summer has the best performance, my preference is for a version that I couldn’t understand my liking for.

I chose the 1972 version by an obscure British rock band, Beggars Opera. I always wondered to myself why I loved the version of Beggars Opera which at the time my friends in Wortmanville would say was typical white people music.

And it was. Then one day I found out why I liked the rendition by Beggars Opera.

Perhaps the Indian, African, Guyanese, Caribbean in me is less important than the me in me (as the existentialist would say).

MacArthur Park is about the longing for a time in one’s past when that moment was the happiest in your life. For me that moment was my time as a student at UG, and with the WPA, when Guyana was worth fighting for. After voting, I suspect most Guyanese will stay off the roads. While at home you can go to YouTube and watch Donna Summer or Beggars Opera perform MacArthur Park. I have substituted Guyana for the woman as the object of love. Here are the words: Spring was never waiting for us, girl It ran one step ahead As we followed in the

dance Between the parted pages and were pressed In love’s hot, fevered iron Like a striped pair of pants MacArthur’s Park is melting in the dark All the sweet green icing flowing down Someone left the cake out in the rain I don’t think that I can take it ’Cause it took so long to bake it And I’ll never have that recipe again Oh, no I recall the yellow cotton dress Foaming like a wave On the ground around your

knees The birds, like tender babies in your hands And the old men playing checkers By the trees There will be another song for me For I will sing it There will be another dream for me Someone will bring it I will drink the wine while it is warm And never let you catch me looking at the sun And after all the loves of my life After all the loves of my life You’ll still be the one I will take my life into my hands And I will use it I will win the worship in

Frederick Kissoon their eyes And I will lose it I will have the things that I desire And my passion flow like rivers through the sky And after all the loves of my life After all the loves of my life I’ll be thinking of you And wondering why..

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 10, 2015

The decline and fall of the People’s Progressive Party The People’s Progressive Party is sliding towards a fall from power in the 2015 general and regional elections. It has been in decline for several years as its ‘core’ supporters deserted the Party in disgust.

Its leaders are exhausted.

Its energy has been expended. Its ideas have expired. Its electoral support is evaporating.

The PPP’s performance in general and regional elections has been declining over the past eighteen years. The trend is clear to see.

The PPP claimed 220, 667 votes in the controversial 1997 general and regional elections. Its tally fell to 210,013 in 2001. It then fell to 182,156 in 2006.

It finally crashed to 166, 340 in 2011 when it lost its majority in the National Assembly to A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change.

The PPP, when its sevenyear tenure from 1957 to 1964 is added to its nearly 23 years in office since 1992, has wielded executive power over the people of this country for

30 years. Through its five consecutive presidencies – of Cheddi Jagan; Samuel Hinds; Janet Jagan; Bharrat Jagdeo and, now, Donald Ramotar – PPP rule has become increasingly unbearable. Its oneparty domination of the country has damaged democracy, divided the population and impaired development.

The exact date that the decline started was 11th August 1999 when Bharrat Jagdeo replaced Janet Jagan as President after a constitutional fandango. Jagdeo, despite his boastful behaviour and swaggering style, was the author of the PPP’s problems, losing over 54, 000 votes from Janet Jagan’s assumed tally in 1997.

His tenure ended in 2011 after the failure of ineffective manoeuvres to seek a new term of office.

The PPP during the Jagdeo era persistently failed to address the people’s basic needs for public services and embarked instead on a series of expensive but misconceived mega-projects such as the Fibre Optic Cable Project, the Specialty Surgical Hospi-

tal and the Amaila Falls Hydro-power Project road.

Jagdeo’s successor, President Donald Ramotar, was obliged to cancel contracts for all of these projects after the loss of billions of dollars.

The PPP tried to subordinate the National Assembly to the Executive branch of government. It undermined the independence and impartiality of the Public Service and the Security Services. It impaired regulatory and lawenforcement agencies – such as the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit; the Environmental Protection Agency and the Guyana Energy Agency – by depriving them of adequate assets, equipment and finance to such an extent as to diminish their capability to function effectively. It cultivated the state-owned communications media – the Government Information Agency, Guyana National Newspapers Limited (publishers of the Guyana Chronicle) and the National Communications Network – as Party org a n s t o s y s tematically exclude dissenting opinions.

The PPP, now in its 30th

year in office, failed to address the country’s most pressing problem – the public security crisis. The Party never accepted its responsibility for the high rate of armed robberies, the murderous maritime piracy, the rampant gun-running and contraband smuggling and other violent crimes that rage along the coastland.

The entire nation is alarmed at the rising homicide rate. There have been more than 2,100 murders over the past 15 years during the two deadly Jagdeo and Ramotar presidencies. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime lists Guyana’s 2010 homicide rate as the fourth highest murder rate in South America. Guyana’s murder rate is three times higher than that of the United States.

The PPP failed to advance local democracy by destroying neighbourhood democratic councils and delaying local government elections. It failed to maintain educational standards which are now characterised by poor performance from the level of primary schools to the univer-

sity. The Party has lost the trust and confidence, even of its staunch supporters.

Ramotar’s personal unpopularity and political underperformance has now outpaced all previous presidents. The Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) confirmed widelyheld perceptions about Guyana’s President. The Report determined that there had been a decline in Ramotar’s approval rating and an increase in the number of those who think the economy worsened in 2014[Stabroek News 19th November 2014].

Ramotar’s prorogation of parliament on 10th November 2014 enraged the nation and international community. His ‘Proclamation’ effectively paralysed the parliamentary process and smothered the voices of the people’s legitimate representatives in the National Assembly – an affront to the Guyanese electorate who, in November 2011, voted for A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change to have the majority of seats in the National Assembly.

He had earlier displayed gross disrespect for the National Assembly by refusing to assent to several bills which the Assembly had approved.

Ramotar’s brief presidency has been plagued by a wave of angry public protests.

These occurred on the coastland from paddy farmers, public servants, university lecturers, human rights activists and other groups.

There were also protests in hinterland communities from the Indigenous people living there and in Bartica, Mabaruma, Mahdia, Lethem and Port Kaituma. The result is that the PPP is now facing a ‘tsunami’ of troubles which grows more threatening by the day.

The PPP does not seem to understand that it has failed.

It has failed to transform Guyana into a united, modern, democratic state. It has failed to embrace the common good.

It cannot escape the inevitable fall from power when general and regional elections are held tomorrow, 11th May 2015.

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 31

My column

The tension is as high as the stakes Tomorrow is a big day in the life of the country. It is the day when the nation goes to the polls, not that Guyanese have never voted or that there has never been election fever.

It is not that both the government and the opposition have never been hyped up. But this one is different. There is something about these elections that have people all over the country muttering something.

The tension is high and for good reason. Never since 1992 have I seen a nation so bent on voting the government out of office. But today is also the day when we go wild, trying to make our mothers queen, some merely queen for a day.

I will be placing a long distance call to mine whom the Man above has allowed me to keep for all these years.

Some of us will shed tears because we have lost ours but for the greater part, we will open our hearts to the woman who brought us here and who helped us along, sometimes going without things she needed and did not complain.

There are those mothers who would be visiting the jails to make a connection with their errant children and some to give cheer to those mothers who are incarcerated.

But whether we noticed it or not, there was not much talk about Mother’s Day this time around. The day has been superseded by something much bigger—the elections. Perhaps, because of this, Mother’s Day will come later.

I remember the 1992 elec-

tions very well. The People’s National Congress was in power and had been there for nearly three decades. The opposition campaign was like none other. In fact, so intense was the opposition campaign that the leaders of the People’s Progressive Party went so far as to agree to the postponement of the 1990 elections.

The elections commission was not what it was today; it was controlled by the government, its Chairman handpicked by the then president.

Talk of a rigged election was never more strident, so that when the PPP got President Jimmy Carter to come, one of the things they impressed on him was that the structure of the elections commission be changed.

They also got Carter to agree that all votes be counted at the place of poll.

I remember that day, October 5, 1992. The people campaigning for the government worked hard as usual, but they ran into many of their supporters who simply told them that they were not going to vote. Desmond Hoyte had turned things around and had been able to get many of the disillusioned supporters to come back into the fold, but the deed had already been done.

I still believe that those elections were closer than the

final result showed, but across the country there were problems with the voters’ list.

People’s names were on the list outside the polling stations but when they got to the polling agents, their names were not there. Confusion was rife.

I remember people turning up at the headquarters of the elections commission demanding to vote and in the end being allowed to vote. I also remember the late Dr Ptolemy Reid going to them and telling them to go home; that the vote at the elections commission was useless.

There are no such problems this time around. In fact, there are more people on the list than should be, but that is another matter. What have added to the tension are reports coming out of areas that once strongly supported the government of the day.

Entrenched governments have a way of taking people for granted. Leaders often ignore the communities that supported them, in a way, actually displaying arrogance.

The Essequibo Coast, a stronghold of the PPP, seems to have swung dramatically, largely because the government did not pay the kind of attention it should have to the rice farmers.

There are the sugar farm-

ers on the Corentyne who also feel neglected. In some places these people are reportedly telling their leaders that it might be a bit too late. That comment has been directed to the overwhelming presence of the leaders of the PPP. There is another angle to all this. It has to do with honesty. People across the country have sat in the face of irregular practices. They have seen contracts awarded to those who then lord it over the less fortunate. These contractors have often dealt harshly with the people who worked for them and these people are supporters of the government.

There is one man who is confined to a wheel chair on the Essequibo Coast. He was a staunch supporter of the PPP, but he is convinced that the party ignored him in his time of need. He is blaming that party for his present state.

His story was told in the

press.

I remember a case like that soon after the 1992 elections.

A woman needed a kidney and although she was a strong supporter of the government, the help did not come. People who were not known supporters of the government displayed that human touch and the woman got her life back. But that changed her allegiance and she remains firmly a supporter of the political opposition.

I looked at some of the advertisements and saw some shocking revelations. I saw tales of people growing from rags to billionaires because of Government largesse. I saw Government people, some of them relatively poor, becoming multi-millionaires literally overnight. The voters saw these things and simply said to themselves, enough is enough.

How can one explain how the churches, to a man, are offering prayers for the opposi-

Adam Harris tion? These are people who place God above all else, but they have turned their attention to national issues because they too saw what everyone else saw.

People are hyped up, but that too has its problems. At another level that could be considered trivial, people were hyped up about the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. I saw their disappointment when some of them lost. These elections are more than a fight between two rich boxers.

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 10, 2015

V-DAY IS HERE! VOTE TOMORROW TO REBUILD THE GUYANA YOU DESERVE

Tomorrow when you cast your ballot for the APNU+AFC Coalition, you – Guyanese citizen, business owner, academic or professional - will be starting the long overdue process to take back what is YOURS. This is the opportunity you have been waiting for to take back your right to decide what works best for you, your family, your community.

You have an inalienable right to choose the people who will form your Neighbourhood and Regional Councils and who will manage the affairs of your communities. You have the right to work at your chosen trade or profession without being pushed aside and trampled upon at every turn by others who enjoy unbelievable concessions from the PPP/C. You have the right to receive similar concessions so you could operate in a fair, even business environment, and with a system that does

not require you to pay excessive charges to process documents or wait for hours to receive a public service.

You have the right to be properly educated from nursery to university in an education system that provides all that is necessary to ensure that you graduate with a high degree of knowledge to make you employable and fully functional in your own homeland.

You have the right to receive sufficient pension after you have given so many years of service to your country, and medical financial aid from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) when you need it. The NIS which you contribute to every month was created to help you in difficult circumstances. It certainly was not envisaged that the Scheme would run bankrupt because billions of YOUR dollars were taken away from it and given to the Berbice

Bridge Company and other government projects. The Coalition government will reclaim your money through any legitimate means.

You have the constitutional right to work and earn decent wages in your country, not to stand helplessly aside while projects are farmed out to foreign investors who have been allowed to import the labour they need. That the PPP/C government agreed to this, perhaps even demanded it, for the construction of the Marriott-branded Hotel and the GPL expansion project, is tantamount to discrediting the value of Guyanese people.

Despite all the tall buildings in the city, the new school buildings (no furniture or teaching aids), despite an improved service from the national electricity grid, and despite the availability of imported products, the average citizen still lives in poverty with little hope for betterment.

The 16% value added tax on

every product and service has put them out of reach of many of us.

We have faced open discrimination daily and the socalled PPP/C administration had no problem trampling on our rights to live, to grow and prosper. Crime has become an industry in Guyana, and our citizens lose their lives, their children, their property, peace of mind as well as their willingness to remain in the country of their birth. But the PPP/C does not care, so long as their pockets are full.

NO MORE! Guyana has had enough of this greedy ‘administration’. It is time for Guyanese to finally reap the benefits of OUR OWN resources. Our LAND, gold, diamonds, forests and everything they contain, and our AIRWAVES do not belong to the PPP/C to give away to friends, family and foreign companies. THEY BELONG TO US! It was our tax dollars that paid for that fibre-optic cable from Brazil which the government has just given away for free on very questionable terms and conditions. At the beginning they touted this project as a means of opening up (liberalizing) the Telecommunication Sector. Later we were told that the cable was to enhance government’s activities and programmes throughout Guyana’s 83,000 square miles (e-governance) while providing connectivity to people living in inland areas and the hinterland who benefitted from the deceptive One-Laptop-Per-Family giveaway.

Five years on, today, the Government is singing a dif-

ferent tune with discordant notes as they try to justify this latest kick in our collective teeth, this new contract with a saw miller and civil works contractor who clearly does not understand why he was hand-picked for this dirty ‘deal’. He does not understand the terms of the contract he signed.

Fellow Citizens, we are now standing on a threshold.

At the backside are rampant thievery, pettiness, spite and squandering of our resources.

Ahead of us lies a green Guyana, full of prospects for every Guyanese man, woman and child to live as equals in a productive society.

This objective is the main reason why the seven parties that make up the Coalition decided to merge our many resources to finally unify Guyana and all that is in it.

Just like you, we want to see our natural resources and the genuine drive of our people work for the benefit of this nation.

Unlike the PPP/C, we will not break down and discard the roads and bridges that have been built. The coalition is not against the development of Hydro Power. We firmly believe that we have a responsibility to this nation to utilize the water resources that Guyana is blessed with and join the rest of world in providing renewable energy sources at a cost that is much cheaper than US$800 Million. The Coalition prefers to see the feasibility study on the Amaila Falls with an assessment of the consequences for a hydro station in the months when the falls runs dry. We would also commission a

study on possibilities for hydro-powered stations in other sections of the Potaro Basin and Mazaruni Rivers.

The Coalition is not at all against a new international airport, despite what you’ve been told. We objected to the plan to construct the new airport with only Chinese labour and at unbelievable prices e.g. G$424,000 for one toilet set. Highly qualified Civil Engineers have estimated a modern airport building at approximately US$40 Million which is US$110 Million LESS than the PPP intended to spend. The Coalition will not approve the construction of a national edifice without the input of Guyanese skills and products, especially not at this time when the unemployment rate is so high.

In the same vein, we will undertake an intensive audit to determine why the construction of the one-storeyed No. 51 Village Magistrate’s Courthouse cost the Guyanese tax payer G$46 Million. In any estimation, this building including furniture, plumbing and electrical facilities should not have cost more than G$12 Million. The same goes for the Marriottbranded hotel that the Government claimed cost US$60 Million.

Citizens, do not be fooled by the PPP/C’s rank propaganda. They have been making the same election time promises to you for 20 years and you could count the number of those promises that came to life and made your lives better.

THE TIME IS NOW TO CHANGE YOUR FORTUNE. The APNU+AFC Coalition will make it happen!

Sunday May 10, 2015

SUNDAY SPECIAL US$100M SPENT ON ICT PROJECTS…JAGDEO’S CRONIES BEGIN TAKEOVER OF TELECOMS SECTOR Two years ago, Kaieteur News which has been reporting and raising questions over the spending of taxpayers’ monies, predicted that moves were afoot to take over the telecommunication industry.

The aim of the takeover was to enrich family and friends of Bharrat Jagdeo.

This was after evidence emerged that a number of companies with close links to the Jagdeo government were mandated to receive telecommunication licences to conduct operations in this multi-billion-dollar industry. The telecommunication industry is described as one of the most lucrative businesses in the world. Under the direction of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, draft telecommunications laws named E-Networks Inc., Quark Communications and Global Technology as companies that will be granted telecommunications Operator Licences when the market is liberalized.

Heading E-Network is Vishok Persaud, whose sister is Dr. Vindhya Persaud. Both are children of the late PPP executive, Dr. Reepu Persaud.

Rakesh Puri of Continental Industries and Keith Evelyn, of Hand in Hand, are also included.

Quark Communications has as its directors, Winston Brassington, Jagdeo’s niece Sabrina Singh, and Brian Yong, a close friend of the former President. A director on Global Technology’s Board is Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, Jagdeo’s best friend.

Kaieteur News

It was made clear, based also on complaints by the two current licenced telecommunication companies, Digicel and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), that plans were afoot also to delay the liberalization and expansion of the market to facilitate these companies, which included E-Networks and Quark Communications. Among the nine cable operators in Guyana, seven were prevented from expanding while E-Networks and Quark Communications were allowed to expand countrywide.

It is now the stark truth that the scheme has started to become a reality, as is evident by news over a week ago that Government has handed control of the Brazil-linked fibre optic cable to a local sawmiller turned contractor, Faisal Mohamed, owner of Dax Contracting Services.

In one fell swoop, the administration allowed Dax Contracting Services access to the Brazilian fibre optic cable and structure equipment including road access, access to poles, access to repeater stations and “others” countrywide.

The entire investments by Guyana, exceed US$100M, and will allow Dax and his partners to compete with GT&T and Digicel and give Faisal Mohamed exclusive rights to the communication cable.

TEN YEARS LATER, BAISHANLIN STILL TO ESTABLISH WOOD PROCESSING PLANT – BLAMED GO-INVEST IN AUGUST 2014 FOR DELAYS, NOW ACCUSING MEDIA After ten years of mainly extracting logs and benefit-

ting from billions of dollars worth in tax concessions, remissions and tax holidays, Chinese company, BaiShanLin is still to honour its commitment to establish a Wood Processing Plant.

Last year, it blamed the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) for delaying its application for this factory.

Now, it is blaming the “hostile” media reports in 2014 for dispiriting financiers.

In a statement last week, the Chinese company said that it is concerned about the apparent “misrepresentations and false reports” being carried by some sections of the media on its operations in Guyana.

It identified Kaieteur News (KN) as the leader of the “hostile” campaign. It claimed that the newspaper had no evidence to support many of its claims. It cited a recent KN article with the headline: ‘BaiShanLin delays US$70M wood processing factory for gold, housing, logging.’

Quoting the article, “BaiShanLin was “reportedly” approved US$70M to invest in a wood processing plant just off the Linden area.

Instead it diverted the money to logging, gold and housing activities.”

BaiShanLin, in its statement, insisted that it is a privately owned company and does not receive capital from the Government of Guyana.

Kaieteur News at no time contended in that article or any article for that matter, that BaiShanLin receives funding from the Government of Guyana.

The Chinese company also took offence to the word “reportedly”. It is of the belief that such a word lends more to sensationalism and less towards keeping the public informed.

MONDAY EDITION BRAZILTO GUYANA FIBRE OPTIC CABLE… DAX CONTRACT IS BORN OUT OF CORRUPT INTENTIONS – LAWYERS –AGREEMENT IGNORES TERMINATIONAND PENALTY CLAUSES, TIME FRAME FOR COMPLETION Most, if not all contracts between Government and any contractor for any national project are supposed to have certain central conditions.

The contract must have, at least, the timeframe within which that project must be completed, a termination clause, a penalty clause and comments regarding insurance.

But these very fundamental conditions are absent from the recent two-page agreement signed between

the current administration and Dax Contracting Services Ltd. on the rehabilitation of the Brazil to Guyana fibre optic cable project.

In fact, the contract between the two sees Faisal ‘Dax’ Mohamed receiving billions of dollars worth in concessions with Government even making a commitment to provide a financial contribution to the local contractor.

It is against this background that lawyers are of the firm opinion that the ‘Dax agreement’ lacks the makings of a legal contract. They went further to state that it is “nothing but another give away, a sweetheart deal and another move in Government’s plans to grab and control the telecommunications sector.”

The termination clause describes what will happen if the contract is ended early or defaulted on.

It can make the contractor that is responsible for the default or termination pay damages to the other party.

PRESIDENT RAMOTAR SAYS…GUYANA HAS LOWEST CORRUPTION RATE IN ENTIRE CARIBBEAN AND MOST OF THE WORLD – PPP/C RESTORED ACCOUNTABILITY Despite his government being accused almost daily of condoning corruption, President Donald Ramotar has come out and said that not only are the claims against his government mostly untrue but also that Guyana has the lowest corruption rate in the entire Caribbean and among other countries.

During last Sunday’s broadcast of the radio programme Hard Talk, Ramotar added that his government had been the one to restore accountability in Guyana.

In an interview that lasted more than an hour, Ramotar said that although corruption in Guyana is present, the extent of it is inflated. He said that the extent of corruption that exists in Guyana is nothing near to what is being propagandized for political purposes.

Pointing to a series of corruption debates held during his tenure, Ramotar said that the Opposition was unable to prove any instance of major corruption. Nonetheless, he said, the opposition continues to “push the line” to gain political mileage.

He further said that reports of corruption are not necessarily based on a great amount of facts.

Instead, he said, “a lot of distortion has taken place”.

Ramotar opined that in the

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early days, his administration made a mistake in not immediately responding to accusations of corruption. ”We probably thought that they were talking nonsense and people would see through them but in fact it does takes on traction,” Ramotar said. He continued, “But, if you go to real corruption, I suspect that we probably have the lowest corruption rate in the whole Caribbean and most other countries.” He said that the question of corruption is linked to the question of accountability.

TUESDAY EDITION BHENA’S FOOTWEAR EMPLOYEEABDUCTED, RELEASED HOURS LATER A 27-year old staff of the popular Bhena’s Footwear on Regent Street was released Monday afternoon after being held captive by abductors who hours earlier had grabbed him outside the store.

Xanier Waaldjik turned up at the Brickdam Police Station just after 15:00 hours in good health, even as police were questioning two of the suspects.

Waaldjik was snatched just before 08:00 hours as he was about to report for work.

The incident occurred in the full view of members of the public, a few minutes before the store opened its doors for business.

From all indications the abduction stemmed from a family issue that originated over the weekend.

According to reports, Waaldjik was accused of being involved in the disappearance of a quantity of raw gold from a house he had visited a few days ago.

Kaieteur News understands that the owner of the gold solicited the help of the abductors who made moves to recover it. Camera footage showed the abductors waiting near a parked car outside the store for their victim to arrive for work. They then pounced on him as he was crossing Regent Street and forced him into the bronzecoloured Toyota Corolla PLL 9811, before driving away, leaving onlookers, including other staff members shocked.

FORMER BOXING CHAMP, ‘SIX HEAD’, KILLED INACCIDENT – DECLARED DEAD TWICE The local boxing world was thrown into grief Monday after news that former Guyanese and World Boxing Association (WBA) Welter-

weight champion, Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis, was killed in an accident along the East Bank Demerara Public Road.

Lewis, 44, whose career peaked in February 2001 after defeating James Page and becoming world champion at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, was declared dead twice by doctors Monday.

There was confusion and a brawl at the hospital with grieving relatives forcibly removing his body from the Diamond Hospital, believing that he was still alive.

Doctors at Woodlands Hospital, in the city, where he was later taken, declared him dead also.

According to the reports, Lewis, a father of six, left his Hutsonville home, Hope, East Bank Demerara and was riding a bicycle south towards Friendship, a neighbouring village, when he was struck by a car. It was around midday.

His only sister, Loren, who lives with him, was inconsolable at the Diamond Hospital. Several shocked family members, including two daughters and his siblings and friends were seen openly weeping.

Loren, who has been living with Lewis for the past 15 years at Hutsonville, said she was called by a neighbour who told her to come quick. ”I saw my brother lying down on the roadway.”

An ambulance from the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital rushed the badly injured man to the Diamond Hospital. He was later declared dead there.

WEDNESDAY EDITION GOVT. LIESABOUT FREE FIBRE OPTIC CABLE REPAIRS Government’s claim that Dax Contracting Services would be repairing the Brazil fibre optic cable at no cost to taxpayers, is false and misleading.

The government has granted Faisal ‘Dax’ Mohamed hundreds of millions of dollars in duty free concessions on luxury vehicles. In the agreement signed March 16, Dax is allowed to import two SUVs and three 4-door pickups every three years for the life of the 25-year agreement. This contract has a 15-year extension clause that is attached to the 25-year contract.

Two high-end SUVs (Mercedes or Lexus 570, or BMW) and three 4-door pickups attract some $250M in duty and taxes. This represents a hefty payment to Dax Contracting Services, according to one contractor.

Dax, if he desires, could sell (Continued on page 47)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 10, 2015

A bullet for the playboy

By Michael Jordan Had we followed this case more intensely, we surely would have tracked down Trevor Johnson’s secret lover, and the man whom they said killed him back in February 2002.

But that was around the same time that the ‘crime wave’ gunmen were on their rampage, so I guess we were too busy following their blood trail to wonder too much about a dead playboy.

And Trevor Johnson was a ‘player’. He had sired at least 14 children with different women. At the time this story begins, he was living with a slim, attractive woman named Paula Abdulla and the couple’s two children, aged eight and two. When I met her, Paula smiled and said, without a trace of bitterness that her reputed husband liked ‘plenty women’.

But Johnson appeared to have been playing a very dangerous game.

At around 9.00 a.m. on Thurs-

Trevor Johnson: Did a jealous rival end his life? day, February 21, 2002, Johnson, a 40-year-old shipping company employee, left his Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge home on his bicycle, after telling his reputed wife that he was going to buy bottled water and see a friend.

It was approximately 4.00 p.m., when Johnson called Paula and told her that he was at the Stabroek Market with a friend, and that he would return home with the water.

Paula Abdulla wasn’t too worried when her man failed to

come home that night. She assumed that he had slept at the friend, who lived “over the river.” But when the following day came and Johnson failed to turn up, she called the friend. He revealed that the two had parted company by the Stabroek Market and that Johnson had said that he was heading home.

Still, Paula Abdulla wasn’t worried enough to make a missing person’s report. Later that day, though, she had her television set tuned to CNS Channel 6, when an announcer reported that the body of an unidentified man, with a gunshot wound to the head, had been found near the Kitty seawall, a short distance from the Russian Embassy.

Then the station showed footage of the victim, who looked disturbingly similar to her missing spouse. And although the victim’s face wasn’t visible, Ms. Abdulla observed that he was even wearing a black jersey with white stripes, and a pair of green Clarks shoes. Those were the same type of clothing and shoes Johnson had worn when he left home.

Still, Paula Abdulla clung to hope that her reputed husband would turn up alive.

Eventually, on Sunday, February 24, Ms. Abdulla mustered the courage to visit the Lyken Funeral Parlour, where she positively identified the seawall victim as her spouse, Trevor Johnson.

Initial reports suggested that Johnson was shot while coming to the aid of a woman who was being robbed. But from the outset, Paula Abdulla suspected otherwise. The

Trevor Johnson she knew was not likely to get involved in an altercation. What she knew for sure was that he was a ‘ladies’ man’. She was certain that a woman had caused his death.

What she had observed of the body was that Johnson’s pants were unzipped; his jersey was rolled up to his chest, and his vest was found a few feet away from the corpse.

But who could the ‘mystery woman’ be? Some of Johnson’s close relatives decided to do their own investigating. According to reports, a male relative eventually contacted a woman, who claimed that she was in the vicinity of the seawall when Johnson was slain. ”They got in contact with an eyewitness, and she told them that he (Johnson) was walking on the seawall and she heard a gunshot, and that this girl start screaming over the body,” Ms. Abdulla said.

She alleged that the ‘eyewitness’ drove to the Kitty Station and made a report, but by the time the police arrived at the scene “a lot of army personnel” were already there.

Johnson’s relatives were reportedly also given the identity of his secret lover. Ms. Abdulla claimed that this woman resided in Kitty and was having a relationship with an individual with military connections.

Acting on this information, police reportedly invited

the ‘lover’ to the Kitty Station.

Ms. Abdulla said that the woman denied knowing Johnson, and she was released within minutes.

To this day, Trevor Johnson’s relatives believe that, for reasons unknown to them, no thorough investigation was conducted into his death. According to one relative, Johnson’s father felt that pressing with an investigation could bring trouble to the family. ”I was looking into this thing, but the father said to leave it alone, it might bring all kinds of things (trouble) and that God knows best.” ”The girl he (Johnson) was going around with had a boyfriend who was an ex-soldier.

Police had all the information they needed, but we never had full cooperation. After we got the lead, they took her in for questioning, but what questions did they ask?”

Paula Abdulla holds out little hope of Johnson’s killer ever being brought to justice.

If you have any information about this unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location.

We can be reached on telephone numbers 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or 2258473. You need not disclose your identity.

You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : mjdragon@hotmail.com

Sunday May 10, 2015

(From page 33) them and rake in a very tidy profit.

This is just one of the many concessions that Government allowed Dax Contracting Services in the agreement that it says comes at no cost to taxpayers. A fortnight ago, Dr Roger Luncheon, the chief Government spokesman, announced that he signed an agreement with Dax Contracting Services Limited of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, to repair the damaged Brazilian fibre optic cable.

He said that the repairs would come at no cost to Government.

The deal with Dax Contracting has raised anger as Government is on record for spending at least US$100M on what it calls the Information Communication Technology (ICT) project.

GOVT.’S PROCESS OF GRANTING TAX CONCESSIONS LACKS TRANSPARENCY –APNU+AFC The Financial point man of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Carl Greenidge, is outraged at the recent “sweetheart deal” between government and a local contractor.

The deal sees Dax Contracting Services receiving billions of dollars worth in tax concessions, holidays, remissions and waivers for the rehabilitation of the Brazil to Guyana fibre optic cable. This is not the only contract of this nature between government and certain persons who are closely linked to it.

Greenidge said that this “illegal” arrangement” is the “last straw” for the electorate.

In fact, he said that the “Dax Deal” is just another prime example of the “ad hoc” manner in which government grants tax concessions. He said that such behaviour strays far from what the tax laws stipulate.

According to the Fiscal Incentives Institutional Framework for investment incentives are supposed to be granted in such a manner that it fosters and promotes a suitable investment climate for both local and foreign investors.

The document says that Government’s commitment to investment is also set out in the Investment Act (No. 1 of 2004), which was crafted ”….to stimulate the socioeconomic development of Guyana, and to attract and facilitate investment.” In his interview with Kaieteur News Tuesday, the APNU Executive Member expressed, that tax concessions are supposed to be granted in a transparent

Kaieteur News

manner and one that promotes the adherence to international best practices regarding investment. He stressed that based on how government operates, as is evident in the case with its recent “Dax Deal”, favoritism plays out when giving out tax breaks and holidays to entrepreneurs.

THURSDAY EDITION GOV’T. GRANTS TAX CONCESSIONS IN THREE PACKAGES: GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE APNU+AFC A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has been highlighting the “ad hoc” manner in which Government seems to be handing out tax concessions and tax holidays to foreign investors and local businessmen.

These criticisms were made before but are on the frontburner again given the recent deal struck between Government and a local contractor. That contract signed

by Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon and Faisal Mohamed of Dax Contracting Services sees the latter party receiving billions of dollars worth in concessions.

Apart from the magnitude of the tax concessions granted, what is a serious matter of concern to the opposition is the fact that the contract says nothing about penalties to be effected if Dax does not follow through with the obligations of the arrangement to repair and maintain the Brazil to Guyana fibre optic cable. The contract lacks a termination clause and even a time for completion.

The opposition has also highlighted the controversial Marriott Hotel which has been the recipient of extravagant tax holidays and tax breaks similar to Dax. Given the aforementioned “concession-trend”, the party has concluded that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) grants concessions in three packages: Gold, Silver and Bronze.

One of APNU+AFC’s financial advisors, Jaipaul Sharma, said, “The gold package is the first-class tax concessions that Government grants through the finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh to its family and best friends.

LUNCHEON DENIES BEING CABINET SECRETARYAFTER MARCH – COURT HEARS Facing a court battle over the legality of him being a candidate for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/

Civic (PPP/C) while being the Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon has made public that he has since resigned from the latter post weeks a g o .

As the matter was called before Chief Justice (Ag), Ian Chang in the Georgetown High Court Wednesday, Attorney-at-Law Adrian Smith, who represents Dr. Luncheon’s interest, stated that Dr. Luncheon had sent him a letter to say that he resigned from his office as Secretary to the Cabinet and Secretary to the Defence Board on March 18, last.

Dr. Luncheon’s reported resignation is sure to bring questions on the gifting, by Cabinet, of multi-million dollar projects and drug contracts, recently, as well as the authorization of $2.6M for a PPP/C delegation to reach out to members of the Diaspora. Of note, the said date Dr. Luncheon claims he resigned is also that on which he signed the Fibre Optic Cable project over to Dax Contracting Services, headed by Faisal Mohamed.

Just last week, Dr. Luncheon held a press conference at which he was introduced as Cabinet Secretary seeking to brief media operatives on discussions at Cabinet.

Saphier Husain-Subedar, a lawyer known for taking on complex constitutional matters, last month moved to court over the issue. He had challenged the legality of the ruling party to hold meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers and making decisions even though Parliament has been dissolved.

FRIDAY EDITION CJ QUASHES GGMC’S $3B LOAN TO HOUSING MINISTRY… SAYSAGREEMENT NULLAND VOID The Chief Justice (ag.)

Ian Chang in a written decision handed down Thursday afternoon, ruled that the decision by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to make a loan of three billion dollars from its funds and resources to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) was “both irrational and ultra vires.”

The action brought by WPA Member of Parliament Desmond Trotman arose out of a joint statement by the GGMC and the CHPA of a $3B loan agreement. The deal was further exposed by Mr. Ranwell Jordan, a member of the CHPA. Trotman and Jordan filed the court action to challenge the purported approval of a loan of $3B by the GGMC to the CH&PA. The action against the two state-controlled entities sought to quash the agreement for the loan which the plaintiffs argued were fictitious and unlawful. GGMC and the CHPA had signed a Loan Agreement following the submission of an investment Proposal by the CHPA last January.

According to the Statement, the money was to be used for the development of the housing sector.

GGMC had touted a five percent interest rate being offered by CH&PA, which according to the GGMC, was 3.2 percent more than what was currently being earned via the commercial banks and other investment options available to the Commission.

RAMROOP PROVIDES TELECOMS SERVICES TO GOVT. WITHOUT LICENCE Seven weeks after Government handed control of its multi-billion-dollar Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) network to a local contractor for next to nothing, there is evidence that close friends of the administration are rapidly tightening their stranglehold of the industry.

Thursday, iNet Communications, a company with close links to Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, said that it has deployed broadband satellite internet connections capable of speeds of up to 10 megabytes per second (Mbps).

The company is also claiming that it is a licenced telecommunications provider in Guyana.

But the only two licenced telecoms providers currently allowed to operate are Digicel and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T).

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iNet said that it has already deployed the Internet Protocol (IP) Easy Satellite solution for several key users, including Government and army, mining, small businesses and residential consumers.

In addition to the army, iNet is already boasting big clients including the Guyana Forestry Commission, Ministry of Education, Bank of Guyana, Guyana Sugar Corporation, Guyana National Industrial Company, National Insurance Scheme, Ministry of Finance and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

SATURDAY EDITION GOVT SHOVELS US$12.8M DRUG CONTRACT TO NEW GPC …VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION, EXPOSES DR. LUNCHEON AS A LIAR The Cabinet of Government Ministers last month blessed contracts for the procurement of drugs worth some US$12.8 million (G$2,677,864,510). The contracts were awarded to New GPC, a company controlled by Dr. Ranjisinghi (Bobby) Ramroop, a friend with business connections to former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Three Cabinet Minutes have been leaked and reproduced in the electronic media.

The Minutes of the Cabinet meeting approving the most expensive contract for $6,730,526 dated April 23, 2015 was signed by Dr. Roger Luncheon in his capacity as Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Presidential Secretariat. Drug purchases for the past several years have been done on the sole sourcing principle, rather than the more competitive tender process required under the Procurement Commission Act. It is estimated that over the past seven years more than US$200 million were spent on drug procurement, with the lion’s share going to New GPC. The transactions raised several questions ranging from the authority of the Cabinet to create contracts for the payment of such large sums, to whether Dr. Luncheon has been guilty of perjury in connection with a statement he gave to the Court on Wednesday, through an Attorney-atLaw. Under the Constitution of Guyana and the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, during the first four months of any year and before the passing of any budget, the Government is only authorised to spend in

each month, one-twelfth of the amount spent in the preceding year.

The 2014 Budget shows expenditure of $5,138,857,000 which means that for the four months, the amount which could lawfully be spent was about $1.3 billion.

This would mean that in one fortnight in April alone, the Government spent twice as much as it was allowed to spend in four months.

ASSAULT RIFLES, PISTOLS FOUND IN CRATE AT GNIC WHARF – WEAPONS SHIPPED FROM MIAMI; MAN WHO TRIED TO CLEAR ITEMS DETAINED Customs officials unearthed a massive arms cache of high-powered rifles, pistols and ammunition at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) yesterday.

Police and Customs sources said that two Ak-47 assault rifles, some 15 pistols and several rounds of ammunition were found during a routine examination of a crate that had been shipped from Miami.

The shipping agent was identified as Trans Caribbean Cargo International (TCCI), while the weapons were reportedly acquired from Springfield Armory, USA. According to reports, a female customs officer decided to check the crate after observing that it was somewhat larger than other shipment crates. After removing some food items, the official saw two AK-47 rifles in a military-style haversack. On checking further, customs ranks found fifteen pistols in the same crate as well as matching ammunition for the weaponry.

Kaieteur News understands that an East Coast Demerara resident who turned up to clear the container was taken into custody.

There are reports that Guyana Police Force’s top brass have already notified their US counterparts, who have reportedly arrested an individual who is allegedly connected to the shipment.

A police statement said that about 11:30hrs yesterday, during the clearing of a cargo consignment at the GNIC Wharf by GRA Officials, a cache of arms and ammunition was found comprising two (2) AK 47 Rifles, four (4) 40 pistols, eleven (11) 9mm. pistols, fifteen (15) extra magazines for the firearms, 489 various caliber rounds for the firearms and a body protection vest.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 10, 2015

Promoting democratic rights in Guyana and beyond…

Lawyer Marcia JohnsonBlanco is a ‘Special Person’

By Desilon Daniels At the age of 10, Lindenborn Marcia Johnson entered the Georgetown school of St. Rose’s High. For the young girl who had spent her childhood growing up in Amelia’s Ward, this was an adventure outside of the humdrum of her life.

However, a new adventure again came her way less than two years later when her family migrated to the United States. Since then, Marcia has grown from a wide-eyed young girl to a confident and successful woman.

And though many Guyanese would never set foot again in the land that gave them birth, Marcia does not only visit, but is determined to help her country in any way that she can.

As a highly successful voters’ rights lawyer in the US, Marcia is able to help thousands of persons, particularly minorities, through her work and hopes to replicate her successes in Guyana.

Now 46 years old, Marcia lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and two daughters. Though she has lived in America for more than three decades, Marcia said that she had never forgotten her roots. In fact, she said, her Guyanese childhood laid the foundation for a successful adulthood. “I really enjoyed

my time as a Guyanese child and I think it really helped me when I moved to the States.

In Guyana when I was growing up, we had a really strong education system; we had a strong sense of self and community, so when you move to a country where you apparently learn that maybe being black has a negative connotation and that there’s racism in the US, having had that foundation growing up in Guyana really helped me,” Marcia said.

She added that when she moved to the US in 1980 she had already attended almost two years of high school in Guyana. However, she was

my parents said, ‘OK, you need to become a doctor or a lawyer,’” Marcia said with a laugh. She continued, “Studying to be a doctor was too long, so I decided to be a lawyer.”

UNEXPECTED JOURNEY It is ironic that a career path that Marcia admitted that she did not initially like turned out to be the one that motivates her each morning to head out into the world to help others.

She said that after she became a lawyer, she had a number of different jobs in the legal field: she tried her hand at litigation, policy and lobbying.

“I really enjoy my work; it’s very creative. I have a lot of latitude in figuring out how I am going to solve a particular problem and I’m fortunate to have a lot of tools at my disposal to solve a problem.” placed in the sixth grade in the US due to her age.

“I just sat there learning things I already knew, so basically for about four years I sat in class reading novels then taking the tests,” she said. Fortunately, Marcia said, the situation changed and she was fortunate enough to attend university.

“As an immigrant child who’s successful in school

Marcia’s job has enabled her to impact thousands of people, particularly minorities who are at a disadvantage due to the electoral process

Finally, something stuck: Marcia got the opportunity to be a part of the first Election Protection program, the US’s largest non-partisan voter protection program.

The position was meant to be a temporary assignment but, a decade later, Marcia is still working on the program.

Through her work, Marcia has been able to help countless persons who experience problems in the elections administration in the United States. Marcia’s particular interests are minorities who are disadvantaged during the electoral process and youths.

“Essentially, my voting rights work involves doing litigation where necessary, enforcing the Voting Rights Act in the US which require minorities to be able to vote freely and programs such as the Election Protection program to empower voters,” she explained. She went on, “In 2004, 10,000 attorneys went to the polling places to be there to answer questions and if there were problems, help resolve them.”

Over the years, Marcia has risen in the ranks and is now the Co-Director of the Voting Rights Project of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.

With her high-ranking job, Marcia is able to play an integral role in the establishment of election laws. In 2005 when the Voting Rights Act came up for renewal, Marcia was tasked with having hearings across

Marcia Johnson-Blanco

the country to get a record of whether there is still discrimination in voting. She put together a national commission of prominent people and travelled around the country hearing from voting attorneys, citizens, and advocates about their experiences with discrimination in voting.

“We were able to amass an extensive record – over 3,000 pages – showing that discrimination still existed in the US and that the Voting Rights Act should be reviewed,” she said.

From there, the record was taken to Congress where the act was successfully renewed. Marcia was even able to attend the signing at the White House. “It was great,” she emphatically said.

However, Marcia’s career has not only been smooth sailing; she explained that in America, elections are decentralized so, instead of a national elections body that governs elections for the country, each state along with the District of Columbia has its own elections laws.

She said that these different laws pose a problem in truly tackling the discrimination present in the electoral process.

“If you wanted to change a law in a state, you have to go to that state’s legislature (Continued on page 49)

Family comes first for Marcia Johnson-Blanco; here, she is seen with her mother and her two daughters, aged 13 and 9

As a voters’ rights lawyer, protecting the democratic rights of citizens are high on Marcia’s agenda

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Lawyer Marcia Johnson-Blanco is a ‘Special Person’

Maria Johnson-Blanco is a happily married mother of two. Here, she is pictured with her husband From page 48 to get it changed,” Marcia said. She also recalled one occasion when the renewed Voting Rights Act was challenged by a jurisdiction in Texas. Though Marcia and her team managed to successfully protect the law, they were not as fortunate a second time around; the law was challenged again and the US Supreme Court struck down the provisions of the Voting Rights Act. “So now, I’m at the start again. We’re trying to get a new law passed and the way things are in the US, when the law is passed it’s going to get challenged and challenged again before the Supreme Court,” Marcia said. “It seems that whenever you think you have a problem licked, those who are trying to create barriers come up with something else.”

Nonetheless, she is adamant that her work must continue, especially when states across the US continue to pass laws that are burdensome to minority voters.

HERO-SIZED MOTIVATIONS Though Marcia has been able to impact and motivate thousands of persons through her work, she said that her clients motivate her just as much as she motivates them.

She has managed to travel all across the world for her work and met many persons over time. She fondly remembers an engagement she had with young persons

from the US organisation, Black Youth Vote. She was invited by the organisation to share her wisdom and talk to the young people about the work she was doing.

“I ended up scrapping my talk and we ended up having a brainstorming exercise…The thing is that these young people were willing to challenge assumptions and engage me and work with me to help me grow in how I do my work,” Marcia said. She continued, “I’ve been doing this for over 10 years now and I felt like, ‘Ok, I got this down’ and you can become complacent so that really helped me. I was touched by these young people challenging and engaging me to do my work.”

She said too that many persons take risks in bringing the issues that affect their lives to light. She noted in particular the ID law in Texas, which she said keeps hundreds of thousands of registered minorities from being able to vote. Marcia said that persons have bravely stepped forward to indicate their willingness to be the faces of the litigation.

“That has an impact on their daily lives when they put

themselves out there. All of these persons, I think, are heroes; I live in Washington D.C. but they are the ones who live in their communities and they’re the ones that have to face the adverse consequences of being in litigation. I’m so very proud of their ability to step out,” she emphasised.

“I really enjoy my work; it’s very creative. I have a lot of latitude in figuring out how I am going to solve a particular problem and I’m fortunate to have a lot of tools at my disposal to solve a problem,” Marcia said. She added that no day on her job is the same, something that keeps her exhilarated and excited about her job.

RETURN TO ROOTS More than 30 years after Marcia left Guyana as a child, she is adamant that she can make a difference in the lives of her countrymen and countrywomen as she did for those in her adopted country.

Marcia said that her work on the US nationwide program has enabled her to return to Guyana to talk about her work, her lessons learnt in working with legislature and people, and how voter education practices taught in the US could possibly translate to the Guyanese situation.

As recently as last week, Marcia, who is also an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Centre, was in Guyana as a guest speaker for a civic fundraiser hosted by the Guyanese Women Roundtable (GWR).

“I’m hoping that I can share my experiences, lessons learnt and best practices from my work that I’ve been doing,” Marcia said.

She went on, “Here in Guyana, we don’t necessarily have the infrastructure and resources that we do in the States, but with technology there is a lot you can do and there are the different ways that we’ve learnt to affect various communities in the US that we can bring here to Guyana.”

Marcia also noted that the US is an over 200-year-old democracy, but it nonetheless faces challenges in ensuring that everyone can vote free from barriers.

“So I say, let’s give Guyana a chance; it’s going to be 50-years-old next year so it’s a very young democracy,” Marcia said.

“From my work, I’ve seen that

democracies have growing pains; no gain is permanent: you have to keep working to ensure that the gain is protected and that you have the infrastructure and a support that can continuously be there to ensure that gains are maintained and that you can fight against attempts to push back against those gains.”

Furthermore, Marcia opined that civic education, just like in America, is important in Guyana. “These are not just issues in emerging democracies but also in established democracies,” she added.

She said too that voter apathy and cynicism were issues facing both nations. “If you don’t go out and vote and engage the people you’re electing then your voice will be silenced,” she advised.

She also believes that listening and working with communities was important.

“We need to stop having this thing where people go to the communities and say that we have this problem and here are the solutions. We need to identify the problems and discuss how we can fix those problems,” she said. “By this approach, you empower people and you’re not just doing something for them but helping them to work out issues and problems for themselves.”

Meanwhile, though Marcia’s job is indeed an important one, her personal life is not much different from that of most people. She is married to an Argentine and from their union came two girls – one 13-years-old and the other 9-years-old.

Marcia also enjoys

travelling in her “downtime” and loves learning about new cultures. She said too that she has been trying to learn multiple languages.

“But it seems like I’m stuck; I can only speak two languages at the same time so right now it’s English and Spanish so that I can talk to my relatives,” she said.

Marcia also expressed her love for Zumba dancing. “I’m a Zumba fanatic!” she laughingly said before adding, “That’s how I destress and enjoy myself.”

Though most of this stress probably is a result of her job, Marcia maintained that there is nothing else she would prefer to be doing.

“Knowing that I’m doing something to improve the country on behalf of minority voters makes me feel very lucky and privileged to do so.”

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Sunday May 10, 2015

COUNTRYMAN - Stories about life, in and out of Guyana, from a Guyanese perspective

Our children’s questioning minds!

By Dennis Nichols I wonder what our children make of the current bout of shenanigans defining the election season so far.

What passes through their minds when they see greying men, matronly women, and young Turks ranting and wild-eyed, or cunningly slick, jabbing their venomous daggers at each other’s throats, and dreams?

And if they ask, what do you tell them about adults who can’t seem to find anything to agree on, even as they rave about their wonderful plans for the wonderful country they love so much?

As parents and caregivers, we are supposed to be strong, nurturing, and intelligent, with the ability and the adroitness to somehow answer the tough and the unanswerable questions children ask. Helping to raise seven children (six rambunctious boys and a girl)

has taught me the value of tempering truth with discretion, and sometimes with the unflattering honesty of being able to simply say “I don’t know”.

Children can embarrass you with the irritating forthrightness of their

questions and observations, like the time my five-year-old daughter ran to the door and kissed me as I left for work one morning. She then enquired, or rather enquiringly shouted within earshot of our neighbours, “Daddy you brush your

teeth?” I’ve been blessed with a measure of imperturbability and the great ability to laugh at myself. So I did, and loved her just a little more for her artlessness.

Occasionally we are stumped, not so much by the difficulty of a child’s question as by the utter directness and honesty of it.

Obviously the one about where babies come from is the biggest baffler. Attempts to bluff and forestall are usually met with more questions and more bafflement.

The innocence of the child overwhelms the artifice of the adult so that more often than not an intelligent response is postponed or answered with subtle hints and oblique references to the fatal danger a certain curious cat placed herself in.

We Guyanese, and indeed West Indians, are famous (or notorious) for disciplining our children when they get mannish or womanish, ‘out of hand’ or like the Jamaicans say ‘out’a arder’ and quite rightly so, but sometimes we use it as a cover for our own ignorance and insecurity.

How many of us grew up with the admonition to only ‘speak when you’re spoken to; answer when you’re called? Or ‘children should be seen and not heard!’ Some of us learnt to obey these decrees, but some of us were too precocious as children, and had to take our licks and tongue-lashings whenever our parents felt they were merited.

Things have changed.

Children, mostly in the socalled developed world, are allowed much more latitude now in expressing themselves and in questioning the authority of adults. While teaching in The Bahamas and for a short time in the United States, I got a taste of that.

I was asked (with straight faces) about my love life. I found out from students that although I was a ‘fun’ teacher I could be boring at times, particularly when they were still in fun mode.

They accused me of favouring the girls over the boys, and felt that I liked my red ink pen way too much. I did a lot of smiling and headnodding.

Some of the most

poignant inquiries come from sensitive and introverted children, and concern things that adults tend to take for granted – like the killing and eating of animals. Two years ago a video of a young Brazilian boy, Luiz, about to eat his dinner, went viral on the internet and brought some adults to tears. His mother had placed a meal of octopus gnocchi (octopus legs with rice, dumplings and gravy) before him. But the child hesitated, then asked his mother what was it he was about to eat.

When his mother tells him what it is, he launches into a series of questions that she can answer only halfheartedly.

The conversation, in Portuguese with English subtitles, goes something like this. Boy: “This octopus isn’t real, right? He doesn’t speak and he doesn’t have a head, right?” Mom: “He doesn’t have a head; these are only the chopped little legs.” Boy: “But – is his head in the sea?”

Mom: “It is at the fish market.”

Boy: (evidently puzzled) “The man chopped it? …Like this?” He makes cutting movements with his hands.

Mom: “Yes, he did.” Boy: “Why?” The mother goes on to explain how octopi, like cows and chickens, are killed for human consumption. The child disagrees. With childlike logic, he argues that no one eats chickens because they are animals, and that he wouldn’t eat the octopus. His mother seems to agree.

The boy reels off a list of creatures that are animals including octopus, fish, chickens, cows and pigs, and asks if they have to die in order to be eaten.

He adds, “I don’t like that they die; I like that they stay standing up … these animals, you gotta take care of them … and not eat them.” He emphasizes his point with hand and head gestures.

His mother starts to choke up, and agrees that he will eat the potatoes and rice only. He asks, “Why are you crying …

I’m doing something beautiful?” She manages a stifled laugh as Luiz begins to eat.

As we approach the culmination of this year’s

Dennis Nichols elections season, I can imagine a young child asking a parent or a teacher a couple of question as to why the adults who want to govern our country seem to dislike each other, and each other’s ideas, so much. It may go something like this.

Child: “Why are the PPPC people and the APNU people always quarreling and shouting about each other?”

Adult: “They are supposed to. That’s the way it has always been. You see, they both love Guyana and want to see our country grow and prosper, but they think that each of them knows the best way to do this, and that the other may destroy the country, even though they both say they love it. You see?” Child: No, it is very confusing. If they have love in their heart for Guyana, why are they always so angry?

And why do they call themselves a party?

Shouldn’t a party be something happy?”

At this point the parent may choose to attempt an explanation of the inexplicable, or engage the time–honoured ploy of concealing his/her ineptness with subterfuge by resorting to the authority bluff.

Either way, the child will be left with a big gap in his/ her effort to grasp even a very basic understanding of politics and government.

But not to worry; other adults and maybe some peers will bridge the gap later with street-smart ideas about how to play the politics game and who really ‘running t’ings’.

Obviously, politics is not only, and always, about ‘politics’. It’s also has a lot to do with human nature, individual biases, greed, control, etc … Actual governance may simply have to fit a preconceived mould shaped by human effort, arrogance and incompetence.

What else would account for the humongous mess so many countries find themselves in? Guyana is far from unique in this regard.

And as the globe shrinks, people and countries are closer than ever, yet more unsettled than ever.

Explain that to a child! And let’s have a confusion-free Election Day tomorrow.

Sunday May 10, 2015

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Book review…Guyanese poet stakes claim to legendary status Book: God’s Spider Author: Cyril Dabydeen Reviewer: Dr Glenville Ashby In this poetic masterpiece, acclaimed Guyanese poet and writer, Cyril Dabydeen, underscores the diverse talents rooted in this South American nation. Dabydeen is prolific having produced many worthy pieces in the past, but God’s Spider has cemented his place as a literary tour de force with enviable range and depth.

His is an eclectic style with a fair use of free verse, metaphors and symbols.

Themes run the spectrum from the mundane to the philosophical and spiritual.

Dabydeen can be literal, but flourishes in the abstract. His activism is loud, yet subtle.

His work can require multiple readings; messages must be unearthed. His work, too, may elicit several interpretations.

But this reflects the complexity that is Dabydeen.

He forces us to think, to travel with him through life’s tortuous experiences.

Dabydeen reminds us that we are never immune from existential struggles. And in a transpersonal way, God’s Spider is sobering.

Dabydeen traverses politics, colonialism, identity, race and Diasporic concerns with an inimitable, unique insight. And many poems are soaked in his inner turmoil and pain.

Imagery is deftly employed in ‘Canecutter’s Mandolin.’

A musician’s crafty use of

his instrument is juxtaposed with that of a canecutter. The mandolin and the cutlass are extensions of their owners, ensuring life, survival. But this is where the comparison ends, abruptly.

The canecutter can maim and kill the one he supposedly loves with his instrument, as done so many times.

Of the canecutter, Dabydeen pens, “Imagining him a classical guitarist, Flamenco style, but hearing now a villager’s pain, as he holds the mandarin closer to his chest. Then everyone applauds, a sound, not unlike tropical rain, but his wife thinks he’s only sotted with rum - nothing more. Later he will pick a fight with her, plucking the guitar strings, harder chopping, canesounds in his ear, all the while...”

This is Dabydeen protesting domestic killing fields; it is his address to fractured psyches and relationships on the edge of extinction.

In ‘Annals of Time,’ the atmospheric stench of a colonial past shrouds an afflicted nation; its bruised cultural archetype and battered identities are laid bare. The poet inexorably intones, “I keep looking up at thunder and lightning, a storm breaking loose because of government paralysis; or facing up again to what’s our common ancestry, as Jung would have it - a mere racial pride -as we keep being who we are - in fearful symmetry.”

Dabydeen then shifts

gears and explores the unique challenges of Caribbean nationals in a distant land; and the push and pull forces that leave them socially disfigured, misfits, at times.

In ‘The Border,’ Dabydeen offers, “It’s not where I want to be, adrift, facing barbed wire fences, palings, tunnels and border guards, yet being here with you makes me more than a disturbance of the spirit.

Anonymous in my new skin, false clothes, glancing over my shoulder and moving sideways, always in a hurry...”

‘Cold in Canada’ follows in the same vein.

But there is also a yearning that transcends nationality. Many look to Jerusalem, Africa, and other cultural fountains. Here, India finds a revered place in this poet’s psyche. There is neither ambivalence nor dissection. He is guided by India’s spiritual and moral compass. He must also give abundantly to the place that gave birth to his soul. It is a lesson he conveys in ‘Sarojini Naidu: Letter to Daughter Leilmani.’

This spiritual rhythm weaves through ‘Holy Men,’ with a verse that bears similarity to the Bible’s “throwing pearls to swine.”

Dabydeen is equally metaphorical: Wisdom cannot be taught to the unprepared.

He offers, “It would be like trying to make water flow through layers of mud.”

Only a few understand India’s spiritual grandeur.

And it follows that the

Eastern doctrines of reincarnation and Samadhi are raised in ‘Swami Nikhilanandaks Post Modernism.’

Later, Dabydeen forays into the mysteries of entomology and its indelible lessons. There is so much to interpret here, so much to glean. We have lost our way, disconnected from the rhythm of life, unlike insects. In ‘Ants,’ he writes, “True work horses - George Orwell, beware! They teach us real work ethic and other social values wending their antlered way. Now being who we are, we move around with our festered geopolitics, leave ants less and less terrain...but ants keep being ants...”

In the profoundly cryptic ‘God’s Spider,’ Dabydeen portrays the life force, the energy of the First Principle as intricately embedded in every crevice of existence. It is a classical undertaking bearing his signature seal.

And pricking our conscience, he evokes the ubiquitous pangs of slavery in ‘Bicentenary.’ “Who says there are no ghosts here, no tremors of the heart, windows

rattling, doors shaking from long ago, oceans coming closer?”

God’s Spider is instructive, laden with unforgettable gems. It soars with a passion that beckons us to read, deliberate and reflect; and repeat the process. It may take some time to unravel Dabydeen 101, but

it’s worth our every effort.

Feedback: glenvilleashby@ gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby God’s Spider by Cyril Dabydeen, 2015 Publisher: Peepal Tree, UK ISBN 13:9781845232443 Available: amazon.com Ratings: Essential

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Sunday May 10, 2015

Fixed or floating exchange rates: which serves the Caribbean better?

By Sir Ronald Sanders Is the fixed currency exchange rate between the US and some Caribbean countries affecting the latter ’s international competitiveness? This is a question that deserves review as Caribbean countries struggle with difficult economic conditions caused, in part, by the rapid change in their terms of trade and the value of currencies in which such trade occurs.

Nine of the 14 independent Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have currencies whose values are tied to a fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. These countries are: The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados and the member states of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St KittsNevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

There is no evidence to suggest that these nine countries are performing more competitively than other countries in CARICOM that have a floating exchange rate. Indeed, based on

economic performance over the last decade, particularly as guaranteed markets for exports have disappeared and trade rules have changed significantly, the economies whose currencies are not fixed to the US dollar, have done better.

Small states face real difficulty in competing with other countries across the world in the free trade environment that has developed since the 1960’s.

While it was possible in previous decades to prop-up economies through import substitution protected by high tariff walls, those days are over. Businesses now have to stand on their own, competing with foreign businesses in their own market and for a place in export markets. The issue of competitiveness is now central to the success of any small state in finding work for its people, including its annual school leavers.

The ability to compete is determined by many factors such as natural resources, available capital, skill levels, cost of production, and productivity. Additionally, good communications,

transport infrastructure, and efficient, proportionate and cost effective bureaucracies are all necessary for international competition. It goes without saying that a stable and peaceful environment is also vital.

The list may seem long and complex. That is because it is. There is no silver bullet that determines economic success and full employment. The recipe is multifaceted and made up of fast-changing ingredients.

An important element in the list is the exchange rate of local currency in international trade, particularly for countries whose economies are as open as those in CARICOM and which are reliant on tourism as export earnings.

Until recently, a system of international trade dominated by the US dollar has existed. Created since 1947, the system represented a degree of hegemony never previously seen. In this context, the decision taken in the 1960’s to link Caribbean currencies to the US dollar was a compelling policy step, especially in the light of the then existing world trading pattern and geographical factors in the region. Among those factors were: dominant trade with the US in goods and services, including tourism; and significant aid and investment from the US. However times have changed. Aid and investment from the US has dwindled.

Businesses in the region now have to be competitive on world markets and in their domestic markets against

imports from which there can no longer be import duty protection.

The rules of the World Trade Organisation, which give no special or differential treatment to small states, have put an end to protection of local businesses. The unequal reciprocal arrangements of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the entire European Union as a bloc and individual Caribbean states also put a detrimental nail in that coffin.

For its own domestic purposes, the US Government has adopted policies designed to keep its dollar strong against other currencies. Therefore, for those countries whose currencies are fixed to the US dollar, the cost of their exports to, and tourism from, other major markets is expensive and uncompetitive. Local manufacturers, farmers and service providers also face severe competition in their own domestic market from non-US countries.

To re-enforce the point, tourists to CARICOM countries as a whole are mainly non-US. Therefore Caribbean countries, whose currencies are tied to the high value US dollar, are prohibitively expensive for non-US tourists. Further, the US is no longer the principal source of Caribbean imports.

Consequently, the cost of imports from non-US sources is high and raises the cost of living.

The currency link to the US dollar brings no benefit other than for exports and

imports to and from the US. In essence the only market where the region operates on a level playing field is the US. World trade is increasingly no longer dominated by the US or by the US dollar. The Chinese yuan, the Japanese yen, the European Union Euro, the British sterling and even the Hong Kong dollar are assuming growing importance. China trade rivals the US globally. Indeed, for many countries in the world, China is now their main trading partner. In the Caribbean, imports of Chinese products are so high that China enjoys a large trade surplus with the entire region (including those countries with which it does not have diplomatic relations).

While there are many challenges that governments and the private sectors in CARICOM countries need to address so as to deal effectively with the problem of a lack of economic competitiveness, a fixed exchange rate tied to the US is one policy that should be scientifically reviewed.

Setting their exchange rates against a basket of currencies, particularly the currencies of countries with whom their trade is increasing such as China, and those from which the majority of their tourists come, would seem to be considerably more advantageous.

By continuing to tie their currencies to the US dollar, the countries that do so also seem to be linking their fortunes to the policies of the US alone – policies that are made rightly

Sir Ronald Sanders in the interest of the US alone.

In a world dominated by free trade, a fixed exchange rate appears to be an anachronism and inimical to the international competiveness of Caribbean countries. The fixed exchange rate between the US dollar and the currencies of the nine CARICOM countries named earlier, may be contributing to a weakening of their international competitiveness.

It would be useful if the governments were to commission an independent study by leading Caribbean economists – and there are many capable of doing the job – to provide objective advice on the exchange rate.

If the nine can’t do it together, the governments of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union should consider it.

(The writer is concurrently a Senior Fellow at Massey College, Toronto and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

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Local company adds Brazil Trend Auto Sales and visit to tourism package Car Rental a fraud?

One of the country’s leading aviation companies, Air Services Limited (ASL), has added to its options for interior travel by introducing two new tours - a one-day Georgetown/Lethem tour catering for Guyanese and visitors in Georgetown, and a one-day Lethem/Kaieteur tour designed for Guyanese as well as visiting Brazilians.

According to ASL’s Marketing Manager, Annette Arjoon-Martins, the initiative will only lend to Guyana’s growing tourism product in especially the hinterlands.

The tours start on Saturday May 30 with the offer for the last Saturday of each month.

For the Lethem day tour, ASL aircraft will depart Ogle airport at 7:00am for a 90minute flight over rivers, forests, mountains and savannah before arriving at Lethem at 8:30am.

A bus will then take visitors on a tour of the Lethem Township before crossing over the Takutu Bridge to a shopping centre in the Brazilian border town

of Bom Fim. Upon returning to Lethem, the bus will then take visitors on a scenic trip taking in the Amerindian villages of St Ignatius and Kumu, and through the scenic savannahs before reaching the base of the Kanuku Mountains, one of Guyana’s protected areas.

The Kumu stop includes a shady five-minute walk along a nature trail through the forest leading to the picturesque Kumu Falls, right below one of the peaks of the mighty Kanuku mountains.

Visitors can take a rest on the large granite rocks strewn around the waterfall, stand under the cascading water for a stimulating water massage, or take a refreshing dip in the pool below the falls, an excited Arjoon-Martins said.

The tour bus then returns patrons to the airstrip at Lethem for a 1:00pm departure, arriving at Ogle Airport at 2:30pm. This tour costs $48,000 per person.

The Lethem/Kaieteur day tour is designed for Guyanese

Strength does not come from winning.

Your struggles develop your strengths.

When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

- Mahatma Gandhi

as well as Brazilian visitors from Boa Vista and beyond.

It will depart Lethem at 9:00am for a one-hour flight to Kaieteur Falls which at 741feet is the longest singledrop waterfall in the world and five times the height of Niagara Falls.

On arrival at Kaieteur, tourists will be taken on a 90minute guided tour of the area, including the opportunity to see the unique “golden frog” which spends its entire life in the abundant large tank bromeliads, and to observe the distinctive flora of this ancient landscape which is over 500 million years old.

The falls tour encompasses three points for the best views of Kaieteur including “Boy Scouts View” which affords a view of the full drop of the falls. The second stop is at “Rainbow View” so named for the rainbow vistas frequently seen from this vantage on sunny days.

The final stop is “Falls Top” where visitors are on the brink of the falls with the Potaro River water cascading into the spectacular Kaieteur gorge below. The tour ends with a short walk back to the airstrip at Lethem for an 11:30 departure arriving at Ogle at 1:00pm. This tour costs $29,000 per person.

The alleged auto dealer and the evidence of his transactions between the two persons.

Is this Auto Sales and Car Rental the advocate of fraud? According to Aslaam Alley and Yvette Branche “the company is”. It has been alleged that the owner of Trend Auto Sales and Car rental, Handel Lynch, has been committing a number of fraudulent activities for the past few months concerning the purchasing of vehicles. Thus far two persons have come forward stating they never got their

vehicles since last December.

According to Aslaam Alley and Yvette Branche who met through a mutual friend, they made payments on vehicles which they never received and contact with the assailant has proven futile after a period of time.

Some time in October and December last, Yvette Branche, who wanted to purchase a Continued on page 71

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Sunday May 10, 2015

By Ralph Seeram There is this old saying “if you want to see what funeral you will have, play dead”.

You see the true character of people, their meanness, hostility and their racial prejudices, moreso during this election seasons.

The last few weeks taught me that objectivity is very relative to one’s political persuasion, moreso in Guyana. But I must say it was fun during the last few weeks reading comments from my critics. I have been called a racist, transformative, Indian supremacist by people who want so called change and national unity.

I learnt if you criticized the PPP for their misdeeds you are an objective and impartial, but criticize the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition and you suddenly are a racialist, you have transformed, you are an Indian supremacist, underwent an “attitudinal departure”.

During this election campaign it has been open season on Indians, especially those in Berbice. Leading the charge against Indians is the egotist Freddie Kissoon, who writes a column and tries to pass it off as serious analysis.

This self styled intellectual has written four columns in the last four days attacking Indians and Indian writers.

He tries to be subtle by drawing my name in through a letter writer Ronald Bulkan who thinks objectivity is a one-way street.

Kissoon has suggested that when “push comes to shove” the Guyanese Indians will vote for an Indian party because they reject “black leadership”. Now I wonder if someone wrote that Black Guyanese do not want an Indian party if they will be termed a racialist.

Kaieteur News

Kissoon actually went on to suggest in his slick way to imply that even the GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally will revert to his race if “push come to shove” Here is what he said, “So which way will Surujbally go? I don’t know, but I know he is INDIAN. I know too that tribal desperados are at the gate.”

So we come to tomorrow’s election. Tomorrow, the Guyanese will be making a choice to pick the lesser of two evils to run the country for the next five years. The PNCled coalition APNU plus AFC has been desperately trying to forget its past. It wants the Guyanese voters to give it an opportunity to run the country again. The theme has been change, whatever that means.

What record does the voter have of the Coalition?

They have been in control of Parliament, for the past three years. Could anybody point out to any meaningful legislation they passed? (The president would not assent to any Bill passed by the Opposition).

Now they are talking

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We will see who can handle the truth after tomorrow’s election

about increased pay and lowering Berbice tolls, increase old age pension and a host of other promises. Did they even introduce any legislation to that effect considering they controlled Parliament?

The young may have heard but will not know much of the PNC past in Government. There are so many people in denial of the PNC past. To the coalition advantage the young voters may not care about that, since they grew up under the PPP. From that point of view the PPP will have to run on its records as the youth have no reference point to gauge the progress the country has made.

For the PPP the problem is if their corruption outweighs the tremendous progress made since 1992. I have written extensively on the corrupt practices of the PPP especially under Bharrat Jagdeo. We all know too well the secret contracts on the Marriott, the Hydro Project, the airport project, radio and TV licenses and the award of

drug contracts.

If the PPP loses the election it is precisely those contracts that will cause their downfall. Not that the projects are not in the best interest of the country, but the lack of transparency on the part of the PPP was the defining factor.

Against that voters will have to look to the tremendous progress Guyana has made under the PPP. I go to Guyana and see the progress in housing, with over 100,000 house lots distributed. I fear the roads of Guyana when I visit, too many cars and young owners/ drivers. When a small country like Guyana is registering about 10,000 cars a year, it says a lot for progress. Many young people own their homes these days, The economy has been very stable, with consistent growth rates and excellent reserves compared to when the Government took over from the PNC. Look if you compared the

28 years of the PNC rule and compared it to the 23 years of PPP only then you can appreciate the progress Guyana has made under the PPP government.

So to answer those who want to know why I have been critical of the PNC led coalition recently, it is simple, and it has nothing to do with being Indian. If I were a voter in Guyana, I would not have voted for the APNU/AFC. I lived under the PNC dictatorship; I see what they are capable of, and if you think the PNC has changed their rigging ways, just look at their last two congresses, especially the last one, where very senior PNC officials question the election process.

They cannot even be honest to themselves and admit their faults.

Both major political parties have been appealing to race at election time; it is their base. Some say this election may change that. If by that they mean the Coalition

winning the election by getting the magical 50%, then they are wrong, that is not an indication that race voting has been broken.

The facts are that no party can win the election without getting cross over votes, and the PPP has been doing that, it is indisputable.

This election is a referendum on the PPP tenure and corruption. Despite their behavior I will “go on a limb” and say the PPP will barely win the elections. If that turns out to be true the self styled intellect will have to keep his long delayed appointment with his psychiatrist. The Coalition has all but crowned David Granger President, so confident they are.

My concern is can the opposition handle the truth if they lose the election. Will either party concede gracefully if they lose and urge calm among their supporters?

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

Page 70

Kaieteur News

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 3 Storied building, bottom flat business, first & top floors 15 rooms HotelCall:225-5639-40 Bagotstown Public Road: 2 Storied Commercial property next to Rays Auto) 3,500 sq.ft –Tel: 233-2546; 233-5859 GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, JACK HAMMER, CONCRETE SAW & MORE- CALL: 6750767, 627-5098 2 Bedrooms executive apartment in exclusive residential area, security cameras, AC, good parking, etc. Call: 653-2920 or 664-1070 Five bedrooms house @ 107 Lamaha Gardens & large parking, AC rooms, hot & cold, purified water system – Call: 661-8908; 335-3590 3 Bedrooms apartment, fully furnished with A/C in KittyContact: 645-6498 Three bedrooms house $120,000 monthly, one bedroom apartment -$35,000 monthly at Dennis Street Sophia –Call: 638-4348 Concrete compound 175X350 @ Soesdyke Public Road, access to Demerara River, ideal for sawmill/fisheries, dockyard. Contact 682-4128; 693-5281 One two bedroom bottom flat at 55 A Station Street Kitty – Contact: 227-6662; 643-3061; 654-0382 CHARLOTTE ST, TWO STORIED, 3-BEDROOM, 3BA, GARAGE, BUSINESS DOWNSTAIRS, NO AGENTS PLEASE $3200USD/MONTH – CALL: 650-1031 1 Bedroom apartment, semifurnished in Bel-Air Park – Contact: 645-6498 Comfortable 2 bedroom furnished apartment for short or long term –Tel: 6786690 4 Bedroom house in Nandy Park –Contact: 645-6498 LEARN TO DRIVE Shalom Enterprise @ Lot 2 Croal Street, enquire about an international drivers permit “join us on facebook” Tel: 622-8162; 227-3869

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Advertisements; Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535.

Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 BrianMoe@642-3543; Computer Technician; FB:Brian.Moe.165; Home and office visits at your comfort!!

Your Dream Yard Today!

Stunning designs, Assortment, colourful plant choices, Professional Landscapers Tel: 219-0468/ 648-1821 Balloon decorating for birthdays, weddings, anniversary etc, make your event extra special! Tel Maya: 642-6664

WANTED

SALON

FOR SALE

Experienced rock driller, must know about Furukawa, Tamrock or Atlas Copco Hydraulics Machines – Call: 665-3959 or matiasorellana@exploservice. com.ar 1 Maid, 40years and older to work in Suriname- Contact: (+597)322-5442;(+597)651-6666

Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal and Sacha cosmetics. Call: 647-1773/660-5257

LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

Male Enhancement; 4 in each pack -$500 - Tel: 638-1627 Imported pups Rottweiler, German shepherds, Huskys, malamute Dogo argentino, pugs and British bulldog-Tel: 664-5401; 615-5343 JUST ARRIVED!! 18" BRUSH CUTTER BLADES WHOLESALE & RETAIL QUANTITIES - FREE DELIVERY CALL: 6148564/ 639-3675 D4H CAT bulldozer, Leyland DAF 55 Tipper truck, lengths- plastic sheet piles, 17FT Truck Tray – Contact: 275-0538; 693-7105 Pile driving hammers, weight 3 and 4 tons, 6 cylinder Leyland engine, 10 tons double steel wheeled roller – Call: 275-0538; 693-7105 Pneumatic roller – 9 wheels, 2,500 GLS, steel tank, 2,000 GLS, steel tank , 428 CAT Back-Hoe Call: 275-0538; 693-7105

One Pastry maker- please email application to jobvacanciesg1@gmail.com Driver for contract with minibus license –Tel: 6878728 Wash bay attendants – Tel:646-8748 1 Gas acetylene welder without equipment, 1 diesel mechanic for Bedford lorry (live in) –Tel: 2285655; 628-1756 Top soil from Mahaica Area, please Call: 219-0468 Business/Economics Writer, email application to snow198390@hotmail.com Senior Accounts Clerk, 5yrs experienced, CAT or equivalent.

Email: snow198390@hotmail.com 1 OFFICE ASSISTANT: Must have motorcycle, car/ van license, able to work flexible hours, from E.B.D. Email: snow198390@hotmail.com Taxi & Bus drivers, dispatchers at Princess Hotel, Providence –Tel: 616-5419

REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS - CALL: 6294946 OR 225-4822

Live- in waitress $60,000 monthly. Live- in domestic $70,000 monthly (must know to cook)-Call:610-3974

Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building visadocumentsgy@yahoo.comCall: 225-6496, 662-6045

One pick up to hire for farm on contract – Contact Mr. Henriques, Bio – Green Farms Inc: 693-4777; 692-8635.

Experienced cashier, apply Hacks Halaal Restaurant, 5 Commerce Street.

One female 30-45yrs to live in and care for an elderly woman at SchoonOrd, W.B.D –Tel: 625-1514 Taxi drivers/dispatchers – Tel:231-3709;694-6609;652-4575 Landscape maintenance team seeks Hardworking, reliable workers 17-35 ages; on the job training -Contact: 219-0468 Supervisor for plant shop on East Bank Demerara, Training in Georgetown Plant knowledge an advantage Tel: 648-1821 Two General Managers for a hinterland location.

Contact:223-5180. Attractive salary One tractor operator must know about rice work in Mahaicony River –Tel: 2256571; 644-6905 1 Experienced driver for route #32 mini bus –Call:629-2302

Services and repairs to gas stoves washing machine, electronic stoves, deep fryers- Call: 688-0183 City Printery Rubber stamp and signs, offset printing self ink, stamps @ 58 Robb & Oronoque St –Tel:225-4968; 621-3345 K. Lakeram, building contractor: carpentry, masonry, drawings of plans, general maintenance – Call:216-0671, 622-0267, 6 9 2 - 8 4 6 4 / klakeram.construction@ gmail.com LOST/STOLEN 1 black Dell laptop,belonging to a staff member,of Muneshwer’s travel. The laptop contains important, information on he travel agency. A reward is offered.

Contact 227-6992, or 6713332

Sunday May 10, 2015

Female general workers for shift system -Tel: 218-1400

VACANCY Live in house keeper to care for infant 35-50yrs-Tel: 6978797 One manager to work @ Hotel Purple Heart on the Essequibo Coast, accommodation provided, attractive salary – Contact: 226-9768; 642-7963 1 Experienced female Accounts clerk, apply with hand written application @ Alabama Trading.

Work from home, earn $5,000-$20,000 daily Call Monday-Friday 9am-5pm #233-6517, 638-0595 www.jobfairworldwide.com RA Soda Factory: vacancy for male & female workers and bond clerk @ Good Hope Bond/ Melanie. Tel: 623-5920; 330-2399 International Cruiselines, receptionists, cooks, waitresses, carpenters, cleaners, storekeepers, electricians, Contact Recruitment Agency - 2316296, 650-9880, www.plzrecruitme.com Checkers, Accountants & Drivers @ Rosignol Branch –Tel: 330-2399; 623-5920 Live in caretaker, cook, pastry chef, male receptionist –Tel: 225-9211; 231-1908; 223-6284 Security officers wanted at Security Company -Tel: 6721920

Attention Loggers!!! Anchor seal wood wax 18000 5-G, N.C sanding sealer $4500 1-G, nail plates, metal straps – Tel: 2653541; 695-4785 One female Rottweiler pup, 7 weeks old, vaccinated and dewormed –Tel: 627-1360 Tibetan pups, white-brown & whiter – Call: 652-8369 Over 12,000 rare & expensive stamps, old documents/ old coins & money etc –Tel: 2276817; 226-5183; 624-7341

Harmony Inn: Furnished Air conditioned apartment, free Wi-Fi, 24 hours coffee/tea, price $5,000, $6,000 –Tel: 6680306; 218-1400 & 694-7817 Saturdays & Sundays after lunch @ Inner Retreat Hotel Parika: Bar-B-Que & games: pools, darts, table tennis etc – Phone: 260-4504.

Inner Retreat Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Retreat Road Parika. Indoor /Outdoor bar in Picturesque setting – Phone: 260-4504

Rims 15" Alloy 5 Holes 40,000, 15" Chrome -45,000 Benz Rims – 35,000, 3- 23" Chrome -50,000 –Tel: 6214000 Clarke Forklift, 2000lb lifting capacity -$175,000, 3000 lb $225,000 and 4000 lb $300,000 –Tel: 621-4000 Apple I-pod 3 -$65,000 and 16 Gig I-pod 2, 32 gig with sim -$65,000- Tel: 621-4000 Ice Maker 800lb (working) $180,000 and 100 LB -$95,000 – Tel: 621-4000 SIGMA GENERATOR 30KVA, BRAND NEW, AUTO TRANSFER SWITCH, DIESEL, SUPER SILENT, SINGLE PHASE, FROM USA -$3M –CALL: 650-1031 Invertertec Automatic back up power home/businesses batteries included & remote alarm systems that will call owner. Call: 226-2646

TOURS Suriname Tour Trip Return, Independence Weekend (May 23-May26) Book Early Call: 644-0185; 639-2663; 665-5171

20 LB empty Tex & Shell Gas Cylinder –Tel:228-5655; 6281756 Great Deals on video games and all gaming consoles, PC games, phone games & applications – Call: 672-2566; 265-3232 Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc call:225-9032,647-2943

ACCOMMODATION

FOR SALE Salon adjustable chair, male/ female mannequin, DVR with camera – Contact Simone: 626-5317; 227-0501 Fluffy, loving puppies – Tel:645-0240 or 629-3814

Rottweiler pure breed – Contact: 227-2958 for further information.

One Mitsubishi Canter, good condition, 2.5 ton, has dumper-$2.2M-Tel: 612-1848

WANTED We buy land in Eccles, Herstelling, Parfait Harmonie, Uitvlught & in West Berbice –Tel: 675-7292; 611-7223 Relief Driver with minibus license –Tel:687-8728

3 Bedrooms house in 3rd Avenue Diamond- Contact: 645-6498 WOOD- USED T-SHORE AND 3/8 PLYWOOD, TO CAST DECKING, ONLY USED ONCE, HALF PRICE. CALL: 650-1031 2 Midea Air condition 5 Ton200,000, 2 – 36,000 BTU Cassette AC -200,000 –Tel: 621-4000

EDUCATIONAL Having students and looking for a place to keep lessons? Contact: 226-0066 or 666-3085 Continued on page 71

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 71

East Bank lands gobbled up...

From page 14 Builders and Windsor Gardens. Queensway has been allowed several acres in Golden Grove.

As of July last year, those that had applications at CH&PA for lands were Buddy Housing Development, Queensville Housing Development, A&R Jiwanram Printery, Raydan Housing Enterprise, Lakeview Executive Homes, Gentle P. Elias and Brian Chase, Chung’s Global Enterprise, Prembury

Consultants T&T Limited and Romell Jagroop Construction.

The Chinese owned Hi Tech Construction has also applied for lands in the Little Diamond/Great Diamond area.

SCRAPS OF MEAT The Opposition has been investigating the land deals. In 2013, CH&PA said that it had advertised for proposals from private developers. The idea was to have a mix of homes.

Back then, Minister of Housing, Irfaan Ali, said that

Trend Auto Sales and...

From page 67 Toyota IST, and Aslaam Alley, who wished to purchase a Toyota Premio, contacted the said auto dealer to conclude the deals. They have not received any vehicle to date.

Yvette stated that at some time Mr. Lynch contacted her stating that a friend owes him money and if she is willing to take a different type of vehicle from the friend’s dealership.

“He took me to Raymond Auto Sales to see the other vehicle but to my understanding it seemed as though he told the guy that I came to buy the vehicle…Afterwards he keep promising I gonna get my vehicle but I told him I don’t want the vehicle, that I want my money “, said Yvette.

He eventually made contact with Yvette and Aslaam and told them that his lawyer, Dexter Todd, is dealing with the matter and that he will give him the money to give back to them.

This seemed a definite arrangement but wasn’t.

Ms. Branche who paid $425,000 for her car, got back $200,000 from Dexter Todd, while Mr. Aslaam who paid $675,000 towards his car has not received back his money or vehicle.

For some time Mr. Lynch and the two kept making contact concerning the vehicles.

Subsequently the vindications became more than he can handle so the businessman decided to change his contact numbers.

According to Alley and Branche the most shocking part was the actions of the police officers involved.

Ms. Branche and Mr. Alley stated that they both made a formal police report to the Criminal Investigation Unit Headquarters (C.I.D) to Detectives Cornelius and Bridgelall but were very surprised at their response.

“While we were making a report at the CID to the detectives he call we and said I hear y’all making a report against me,” said Aslaam.

“I made several attempts to contact Mr Lynch at his home and I called the detectives in charge of the case and they never showed up. They keep saying ‘I coming just now’…even though I assured them that he was at home. I stayed there until midnight and they never show up”.

At the Police Complaints Authority a report was made to Mr. Mackenlall by the duo and they were sent to the Brickdam Police Station where another statement was issued. To date no contact was made with them.

“I saw the officer that took the statement on Monday I ask he what happen you never called and he said yea I gon call and up to now he ain’t call…is like the guy working with the police cause they ain’t doing their job and like he paying them,” said Mr. Alley.

The duo insisted that “Handel Lynch has to be known by the police because of the various futile attempts for justice”. They are now pleading with authorities to take the matter seriously.

400 acres were allocated for private development between Eccles to Providence.

However, statements and other details coming out from advertisements by even some of the private developers indicate that much more lands were allocated, including areas between Herstelling and Diamond.

Minister Ali had defended the mainly front lands that were placed in the hands on private developers saying that it is not true that these were prime lands. He said that a planned highway at the back of the housing schemes from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and other interlinking roads have made the backlands almost as valuable, an explanation the Opposition is not swallowing.

Last week, former Parliamentarian and Leader of the Alliance For Change, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that he is repeating what he said in 2013 regarding the ad-hoc distribution of lands, especially on the East Bank of Demerara.

“It is a giveaway. It is simple as that. I said that the housing policy is designed to enrich a few. And then scraps of meat that are left over are being thrown to a few people

who are eligible and then some who are not. Big pieces of lands have been given away and we don’t know how much was paid and what systems were used to allocate these friends of the PPP. “Now they asking people to vote them in again. It is 10,000 families who want a home and can’t get. There are some illegalities here.”

Back in 2013, a leaked map indicated 1,000 house lots (roughly 250 acres) have been made available at Eccles for house lots and just over 400 acres behind Providence for more.

Recently, an attempt to buy cane lands located behind Eccles and Ogle reached a hurdle after the Opposition went to court claiming that the transaction was illegal. The opposition argued successfully in court that a $3B loan from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to the CH&PA was illegal and should not be allowed. The court ruled last week that the loan agreement was “null and void” and should not go through.

(From page 70)

VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota Prado, Price$4.7M Neg. Call: 643-2403 Smart Choice Auto Sale: Premio, Allion, Spacio, Fielder, Bluebird, Carina 212, IST - Call: 652-3820; 6654529 First Class Auto: 09 Allion, 05 Premio, 06 Allion, Bluebird, Rush, Spacio, Runx, IST, Carina 212, Verossa, Mark 2, Axio –Tel: 609-8188; 638-3045 D. Persuad Auto Deal: New model Spacio and PremioTel: 227-5950; 681-7117

Mercedes Benz S300, fully armored, fully powered, leather, 19"rims & more $1.1M- Call: 621-4000 Nissan Maxima, need some repairs but selling “as is” with documents $130,000- Call: 621-4000 Dodge stealth sports car, 3000cc, automatic, fully powered $975,000- Call: 6214000 One Toyota Allion 2004 Model, excellent condition Tel:649-0956

Two FUSO canter truck with three ton crane GPP & GTT series, price $5.5M & $4.5M – Call Ward: 622-6746

DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 2193900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM Aidan’s Car & Pickup rental, cheap rate, low security – Tel: 698-7807

Parfaite Harmonie : $1.3M, $1.4M, Herstelling: $5M, Uitvlugt – $2.5M, Bath Settlement, West Berbice $1.2M –Call: 675-7292; 6117223 Professional Realty: we buy/ sell/rent/value your real estate –Call:694-3875; 6490535; 654-6198

PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported two flat concrete property Block “8” Mon Repos E.C.D - $20M Tel: 625-1514 House and land for sale @ Leonora New Scheme –Tel: 679-9851

3 Ford F350 2006 model, extended cab 4X4, 6" lift kit, 35" tyres, diesel, auto, excellent condition – Tel:610-5370

Prime commercial property @ Cummings & Middle Sts, Alberttown, Georgetown, 3 Lots, 2 Buildings - $105M negotiable – Phone: 6214000.

AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154

Double Lot, 2 Zeelught E.B.E with concrete house -$8M Cash– Tel: 621-4000

We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 Nissan X-Trail, Doctor’s Car, immaculate condition -$3M negotiable. Phone: 328-7832, 641-3001, 232-0628 One Toyota Starlet Glanza PJJ Series- Call: 662-2052; 629-6579. Price negotiable.

CAR RENTAL

50 Acres titled farm land @ The Belle, Upper Dem, River Front -reasonable offer accepted, serious enquiries only! – Tel: 669-8152

Prado Land Cruiser TZ, Automatic Diesel, PHH Series -$5.2M, fully loaded Tel: 233-2546; 688-5554 1 L-Touring Wagon, flair kit, remote start- $1.450,000, 1 Honda CRV, $1.850, 000, 1 AT192 - $850, 000. All in good condition, price negotiable –Tel: 626-2884

VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota BB 2007, 40,000km only, auto start, 18" rims, triple TV system, back-up camera $2.2M- Call:621-4000

LAND FOR SALE

1 Toyota Hilux mint condition –Tel: 601-0053; 691-8075.

New model Allion: TV reverse camera, low mileage $3,300,000 negotiable –Tel: 655-3400 Blow Out Sale!!! Unregistered Toyota IST - $2,100,000Bodykit, TV, Spoiler, Fogs, Alloy Wheels, Crystal Lights & Alarm – Call: 643-6565, 2269931 3000GT sports car, 3000cc 5 speed, 18 mag wheel & alarm. All $1.1M cashCall:621-4000

One concrete and wooden house and land in Pigeon Island- $3.5M –Tel: 621-4000 2 Lots with house @ Pigeon Island, large land, $6 Million Negotiable – Tel: 621-4000 House 20X30 in Pigeon Island with chicken pen and shop - $5M –Tel:621-4000 Measuring 60FTX120FY in Pigeon Island E.C.D – $15M –Tel: 621-4000 CHARLOTTE ST, TWO STORIED, 3-BEDROOM, 3BA, GARAGE, BUSINESS DOWNSTAIRS, NO AGENTS PLEASE, $80M NON- NEGOTIABLE – CALL: 650-1031 TO LET One church @ 180 Charlotte Streets Bourda for rent $150,000 monthly negotiable –Tel: 624-7341; 227-6817 Newly built 2 bedroom apartment in a safe and healthy environment –Call: 698-6496

Page 72

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 10, 2015

Corruption scandal ousts Guatemalan vice president GUATEMALACITY(AP) — Guatemala’s oncepowerful vice president has resigned amid a customs corruption scandal that implicated her former private secretary and opened her up to an investigation.

Roxana Baldetti said in a resignation letter late Friday that the move means she is giving up her immunity from prosecution and promised “to collaborate with all investigations” into the graft scheme.

President Oscar Perez Molina said called the decision “brave” and said it was a personal decision.

Baldetti, 52, is the first Guatemalan vice president to step down due to a corruption case, although prosecutors have not implicated her in the scandal and she denies involvement.

The resignation shows the continuing impact of a U.N. commission that has been investigating criminal networks and fighting impunity in Guatemala since 2007. It worked with prosecutors who brought charges in the customs case.

Baldetti’s former aide, Juan Carlos Monzon Rojas, is alleged to have been the ringleader of a scheme to defraud the state of millions of dollars by taking bribes in exchange for lower customs duties. Monzon’s last known whereabouts were overseas, and he is currently being sought by authorities.

Recent days had seen rising calls for Baldetti’s resignation by protesters and influential business leaders.

The country’s Constitutional Court has ruled that congress would have the power to strip her of the immunity from prosecution that came with her office.

After the announcement, hundreds of people celebrated in the streets of the capital, shooting off

Roxana Baldetti

firecrackers and honking horns.

“Roxana’s resignation is a victory for the people!” jubilant protesters chanted in central Constitution Square.

A former journalist and businesswoman, Baldetti was one of the founders of Perez Molina’s conservative Patriotic Party in 2001, served as head of its congressional delegation and was its secretary-general until earlier this year.

Her resignation adds to disarray for the governing party ahead of the Sept. 6 elections. Its presidential candidate, Alejandro Sinibaldi, quit the party last month, complaining of corruption and of feuds with Baldetti. Perez Molina’s

approval ratings have been plummeting.

Perez Molina said he would send congress a list of three names from which a new vice president can be selected.

At least 50 private citizens and public officials, including Guatemala’s current and former tax chiefs, are suspects in the customs scandal.

Prosecutors said 27 are in custody.

Earlier Friday, authorities arrested five lawyers who allegedly bribed a judge to free suspects jailed in connection with the case.

Prosecutors and a U.N. investigative commission said the attorneys paid Judge Marta Sierra Stalling to release the three suspects on bail.

Cuba says in advanced talks with China’s Huawei over telecoms RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico (Reuters) - Cuba is in advanced talks with Chinese telecoms equipment company Huawei to do more business on the Communist island, Cuban finance minister Lina

Pedraza said on Friday.

“A lot of companies are in negotiations. Just Friday I was with a businessman who is operating with us and he spoke with us for a long time.

He’s Chinese by the way,” Pedraza said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.

“He is very advanced in negotiations with a Cuban company,” Pedraza added.

Asked if the Chinese businessman worked for Huawei, which already operates in Cuba, Pedraza said: “Yes.” A spokesman for Huawei did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment. Pedraza added that the Cuban telecoms sector would be open to all foreign companies but also noted that the country wanted to avoid the “negative parts of the internet”.

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

Grenada consulate opening in Miami provokes reaction in New York

Head of Protocol Adrian Joseph (L) and Grenada’s US Ambassador Angus Friday converse before the start of the ceremony for opening of the new Miami consulate last week. Photo: PM’s Communication Unit NEW YORK, USA — Last week’s opening by the Grenada government of a new consulate in Miami Beach, Florida, has provoked a reaction from New York-based Grenadians, who have already been voicing frustration and dismay over the closure of the country’s consulate in New York.

Grenada’s ambassador to the United States in Washington, DC, Dr Angus Friday, is expected to address the issue at a town hall meeting in New York on June 7, when it is likely he will be pressed vigorously on the matter. The current situation and the fight to reopen the New York consulate has been highlighted in recent weeks in the media by outspoken Grenadian activist, Helen Grenade, apparently with little or no responsive action by the Grenada government in this regard.Meanwhile, a group of Grenadians in New York, using the name ‘Grenadians for Change’, is also campaigning for the reopening of the consulate in that region. The group met for the second time on Saturday, May 2, 2015, to express their frustration at what they describe as the continuing neglect of Grenadian nationals in New York and the surrounding area.

The group issued a statement on Friday in which they claimed the closure of the consulate is unacceptable since Grenadians in the affected areas are being deprived of their fundamental right to have adequate protection and emergency consular services in a timely manner. They are urging the government to reopen the consulate office to ensure that adequate attention, protection, and consular services are provided to their nationals in New York.

The group noted that the Grenadian government had closed the consulate in New York after being informed by the US State Department that Derrick James, the former consul general, holds US citizenship and therefore cannot represent another country in that post. Since its closure, consular services have been offered by the Grenada embassy in Washington DC to Grenadians residing in New York and the states that fall within that jurisdiction.

In an earlier response to a Caribbean News Now report on the same issue, the ministry of foreign affairs stated, “It is necessary to have adequate representation (as far as possible) to facilitate government’s obligation to its citizens... For this reason, Mr Derrick James

was appointed as ambassador of Diaspora and humanitarian affairs in New York.”

However, the group claims that James’ appointment as “ambassador” is bogus and unacceptable, since this position limits him to political activism and participation in activities at the United Nations. They argue that James is not in a position to attend to the consular needs of Grenadians in New York. Further, they noted that the Grenada embassy in Washington is hard to reach and the staff may lack empathetic understanding of the unique needs and circumstances of Grenadians living in New York.

The recent opening of the consular office in Miami Beach, Florida, where approximately 5,000 Grenadian expatriates reside, has only served to exacerbate the concerns of Grenadians in New York that, with an expatriate community of over 100,000, their needs are being ignored.

In particular, published comments made by some of those attending last week’s opening in Miami Beach were seized on by the group.

Ambassador Friday, who is due to address the controversial absence of a consular office in New York next month, remarked that the opening of the new consulate “gives Grenada a warm feeling,” with New York Grenadians responding that they would also like to enjoy such a “warm feeling”.

According to John Munroe, a Grenadian activist in Orlando, Florida, the new consulate in Miami Beach was timely and long in coming.

0"We now have a place we can go and get our consular needs met,” he said, prompting Grenadians in New York to ask why their similar needs are being ignored.

The newly appointed consul in South Florida, South African-born Warren Newfield, stated, “There is a very large expatriate Grenadian community in Florida and the government wanted to ensure that their consular need is catered for.”

The New York group pointed out in response that the Grenadian community there is 20 times larger than that in South Florida.

The groups’ members noted that Grenadian nationals in New York and the nearby states deserve to be able to access consular services in a similar manner to those in Florida. Their hope is that within the coming months, the government will agree to reopen the consulate in New York with a fully-fledged consul general. (Caribbean News)

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GABF shortlists training... GFF inks 30-year lease...

Royston Siland

Chris Williams

Shane Webster

(From page 82) Andrew Hercules (Assistant Manager).

Practice sessions continue at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Sundays from 8am – 12 noon and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8pm – 11pm.

Two of the five overseasbased players named in the squad have confirmed their

a v a i l a b i l i t y, Kerron McKenzie, shooting guard and Delroy James, the 6’8" power forward; they are expected in Guyana on June 1 to commence training with the National Squad, the GABF said in a press release yesterday.

“After sweeping Bermuda in March this year in a three-game series,

Guyana played in Suriname in a three game challenge series earlier this month, May 1-3; winning one of the games against a fullstrength Suriname CBC team that included Surinamese ove r s e a s - b a s e d p l a y ers,” the GABF noted while thanking all, including the media, for their support.

Sunday May 10, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Try not to do everything all at once today, Aries. Your social life is heating up and you may be in a frenzy preparing for all the gatherings you've been invited to.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A visit to a local museum or art gallery may move you to tears, Libra. Suddenly, you're aware of all the beauty around you and inspired to create some original works of your own.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) It looks like your ship is about to come in, Taurus. The planetary configuration indicates that you can expect additional financial resources, perhaps a raise.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) There are no half measures today, Scorpio. You feel every emotion to the nth degree.

This could make for an intense day. Make an effort to calm down.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Take extra care with your appearance today, and clean the house a bit this morning.

You may have some visitors, Gemini. Invite them in and make them comfortable.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You're likely feeling a desire to do something different and a little crazy. Today you may fulfill that desire by attending a group event, perhaps a concert.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You may feel wanderlust and crave something new and different in your life. You just can't help but be a bit bored by the dullness of the routine.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You have many talents, Capricorn. Today's astral energy indicates that your abilities will be rewarded.

Congratulations!

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Keep your eyes and ears open today, Leo. You may receive some important information on specific ways to increase your income.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You're looking gorgeous today, Aquarius, and have likely noticed the admiring glances you've received.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may be privy to some important knowledge, Virgo.

Perhaps an article gives you the impetus you need to invest in a promising stock.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) This could be your lucky day, Pisces, especially in matters of the heart. You may feel particularly close to your special someone, as well as others in your immediate circle of friends.

(From page 81) the lease would be followed by the sod turning ceremony in the near future Urling indicated. ”We’ve been speaking with FIFA to start the Goal Project here, we’ve also been speaking to them about the Challenger Project and under Challenger we’ll be able to build an artificial pitch at this facility which will run us to somewhere close to US$500,000, it’s a major investment.”

Urling, a businessman by profession, stated that the overall plan is to ensure that the GFF become a self sustaining organization that does not solely rely on FIFA through the Financial Assistance Programme (FAP), Government and Corporate support only. ”We can be able to host our own games and activities here and we can also rent the facility to other disciplines. In fact we are looking to put maybe a futsal pitch here, we’ll also look to put a beach soccer pitch here, some mini football courts and we’ll also look to establish a cricket pitch and if there’s space maybe a basketball court.”

The building that currently exists at the facility would be transformed into a Technical Theoretical Training Centre for the federation.

Talks have already commenced with local architects with a view to designing a state of the art facility. Urling also indicated that Guyana is eligible for two Challenger Projects as well as two Goal Projects. ”We’ll start work on this facility as soon as next week so within a year or two we should have a fully functioning facility here.”

NC Member Rabin Chandrapal came in for high praise by Urling for being the person who reached out to Director of Sport Neil Kumar who recommended that the NC take a look at the Providence ground.

A subsequent meeting was held with NDC Chairman Khan; a FIFA team also met with Khan and his executive who were always supportive of the initiative from the inception. Khan in brief remarks stated that every single councilor was in favor of the project as well as members of the community. Khan reminisced on his days as a youth using the facility which he said was beautiful and also had a track for cycling. ”Every afternoon from school we would just throw down our books and come to the Providence ground which was very busy in those days

as a young man. We played cricket, football, we had a table tennis, weightlifting where Mr. Hunt a former national cyclist was very much involved.”

Khan noted that when one looks back at what used to be and now, it is very sad to him. ”We formed a committee which was given a mandate to do what they had to do and they were not doing. When this initiative came up, our council said this is where we will go. It’s a bright future in front of us and I must thank the GFF for considering us and making this project a possibility.”

Urling noted that the minimum years for a lease arrangement which would see FIFA putting down capital investment is 20 years. ”This would not be the only Goal Project in terms of how we expend funds from it; we’re still pursuing the lease at Leonora to get that facility.

That MoU should be signed pretty soon with the MCYS, we still have the facility at

Essequibo.”

The NC Chairman hinted that the possibility exists that the GFF Headquarters could be relocated from the City but will first have to meet with its members to discuss the way forward. Meanwhile, on March 18, 2013 Guyana was approved for a US$500,000 under FIFA’s Less Privileged Member Association’s initiative through then President (ag) Franklin Wilson who was a Member of the FIFA Development Committee.

Guyana was approved for its Goal Project on 2006-12-03.

The project was to have been in the form of a Technical Centre and football pitch inclusive of spectator stands, changing rooms and dormitories at Orgenstein on the East Bank of Essequibo. The Goal Project amount at that time was US$400,000. Of this amount, only 89,725 was expended, the full details are available on the FIFA website.

The new figure for Goal Projects is now US$500,000.

Sunday May 10, 2015

Kaieteur News

Participants graduate from lifeguard training Close to two-dozen persons received Lifeguard One Certification at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal on Friday. This follows a oneweek Lifeguard Training and Certification Programme, which was coordinated by the Sport Ministry and the National Sports Commission, and conducted by Patrick D’Almada of Canada and Stuart Fraser of Jamaica.

Addressing graduates at the closing ceremony on Friday afternoon, Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony said with the administration’s continued investment in swimming, there is a dire need for more trained lifeguards to ensure safety in the pools and waterways in the country.

He said the ministry will continue to intensify its efforts to have more persons trained in the future to ensure a cadre of lifeguards is always at their disposal. Dr Anthony said the administration is grateful for the support and expertise provided by D’Almada and Fraser.

D’Almada conducted a similar course at the same venue in February 2013, while Fraser was working with the prospective lifeguards in Guyana for the first time.

At that event two years ago, Dr Anthony’s had spoken of his desire to have a national governing body being set up to administer the affairs of lifeguards in terms of training and certification, and that came to fruition with Ewin Enmore, a certified lifeguard, heading a group of six persons, who will seek to plot the way forward.

Enmore has been appointed Chairman of the Guyana National Lifeguard Association, with Damian Pilgrim being the Vice-Chairman.

The other personnel who have been tasked with responsibilities on the association are Stephanie Fraser (Secretary), Karen Pilgrim (Treasurer), Andrea Smith (Public Awareness) and Sherry Van Lange (Training and Competition).

D’Almada, a Provincial Trainer at the Canadian LifeSaving Society, commended the persons for forming themselves into a structured body, noting that there is an enormous level of leadership within the current group of graduates.

Fraser, a Life-Saving Society Instructor/Trainer, told the graduates they should feel a sense of pride and

achievement, as they are part of a small group of 33 million lifeguards spread across the globe.

He made specific reference to the involvement of officers of the Guyana Defence Force during the oneweek programme, noting that the Guyana National Lifeguard Association members should seek to recruit persons attached to the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Fire Service, as they are the first to be called upon in cases of natural disasters.

Fraser also highlighted the great teamwork displayed by the graduates during the programme.

The programme was part of the Sport Ministry/National Sports Commission’s efforts to address the issue of water safety in Guyana.

After the first programme in 2013, six persons were certified as National Level Life Guards, which means they were recognised by all Commonwealth nations and the International Life Saving Society, while others attained lower levels of certification.

Over 20 received certification on Friday. The certificates were presented by Dr Anthony.

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Fitness a major challenge as male Olympic Squad commence weekend camp

Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz (standing) overseeing the warm down session being led by Physical Trainer Anson Austin.

With about 80% of the squad unfit, the Technical staff of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Men’s Olympic Squad face an uphill task of whipping the team into competitive shape ahead of next month end’s Olympic Qualifiers.

Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz shared these sentiments yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence when the squad commenced the first in a series of weekend camps being sponsored by friends and well wishers.

Four intense sessions would be held according to Shabazz who said that the players would then return home to vote. ”Next weekend we come and do the same. We are hoping because of resources that these weekend camps could start building up the players.

Luckily for us there are a group of players like Daniel Wilson, Joshua Brown, Jermaine Junior who‘ve been in the senior

squad and they have a decent level so all is not doom and gloom.”

The likes of overseas based Pernel Schultz, Trayon Bobb, Domini Garnett along with the White brothers from Canada would all come into the squad at a decent level of fitness Shabazz noted.

Efforts are in train to play against a Brazilian Club team at the end of this month in a warm up game, while matches would also be played against the senior National team which would also be training for their World Cup Qualifying away and home matches against St. Vincent & the Grenadines early next month.

Slingerz FC is also on the radar for a warm up game.

Meantime, Shabazz is not happy with the lack of competitive football at the level of the associations. ”For me the associations are more concerned about the constitutions and who are in charge and less concerned with having football played in

their associations, How Could this be?”

He noted that the players from Linden are very talented but totally unfit. “Across the board, we need to have football playing because the national team is not the place to get players fit. When you have eight to ten days to prepare a team for international tournament it is just to organize them tactically.”

The plain spoken Shabazz stated that now they have got to place a lot of emphasis on getting the players up to fitness standard which means somebody has not done their job. ”And if somebody not doing their job, then we need to get people who will do the job for them. If I’m not doing my job they have to get somebody to do my job and same way if administrators not doing their job we’ve got to get administrators who will do the business of organizing football.”

(F. Wilson)

Rose buzzer-beater Clippers rout Rockets lifts Bulls over Cavs The successful Life Guards display their certificates following the presentation Friday.

to win Game Three (The Sports Xchange) The Los Angeles Clippers coasted to a 124-99 rout of the Houston Rockets in Game Three of their Western Conference semi-final on Friday.

Austin Rivers scored 25 points and sparked a pivotal second-half run, while J.J. Redick led all scorers with 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field as the Clippers took a 2-1 lead in the best-ofseven series.

Clippers point guard Chris Paul returned after missing the opening two games of the series with a strained left hamstring, finishing with 12 points and seven assists and only one turnover in 23 minutes.

Blake Griffin had 22 points and 14 rebounds but committed seven of the Clippers’ 18 turnovers. Houston had 15.

All five Rockets starters scored in double fig-

ures, with MVP runner-up James Harden leading the way with 25 points and 11 assists. Dwight Howard had 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Rivers finished 10-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-6 from three-point range.

Houston guard Jason Terry was ejected with eight minutes left after a brief altercation with Griffin.

Game Four is today in Los Angeles.

(The Sports Xchange) Derrick Rose banked in a threepointer as time expired to lift the Chicago Bulls to a 99-96 win over Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Three of their Eastern Conference semi-final playoff series on Friday night.

Rose finished with 30 points and seven assists to pace the Bulls, who seized a 21 lead in the best-of-seven series. Guard Jimmy Butler contributed 20 points and eight assists.

The score was tied up with three seconds remaining when the Bulls lined up for an

inbounds pass. Forward Mike Dunleavy found Rose, who dribbled to his right and drilled a deep 3-pointer off the glass.

LeBron James compiled 27 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds for Cleveland.

Guard J.R. Smith returned from a two-game suspension and added 14 points off the bench, and forward Tristan Thompson had 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Bulls forward Taj Gibson had given the Bulls a 96-93 lead by making two free throws with 23.5 seconds remaining but Smith evened the

score with 10.8 seconds remaining on his fourth 3pointer of the game.

Chicago had gone into the fourth quarter with a 74-73 lead. Rose scored six of the Bulls’ first eight points to open the third quarter.

Guard Jimmy Butler added back-to-back shots to spark a 7-0 run midway through the quarter.

The Bulls took the opening game of the series in Cleveland before the Cavs rallied with a big win to even the matchup. Game Four is on Sunday in Chicago.

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“West Indies was never mediocre!”

Colin E. H. Croft If you were at Kensington Oval two Saturdays ago, second afternoon, Test No. 3, as West Indies got five English wickets in a splendid late afternoon burst, to start the tourists’ 2nd innings misery, and you were un-imbibed enough to enjoy the batting collapse and WI celebrations, I envy you.

Yes, I was absent from that wild unexpected Day 2 which changed the game to WI’s favor!

But, in the euphoria, and if you are old enough, you might have recalled that in March, 1994, similar situations obtained against England; Day 4; at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad & Tobago.

Many would claim to having been at K-O when underdogs WI, noted in big letters as being supposedly ‘mediocre’ – so said ECB Chairman Colin Graves anyway - beat so-called ‘masters’ England in Test No. 3 to draw that series 1-1. What a fillip for present West Indies cricket!

Similarly, since 1994, many who were not there insisted afterwards that they

Sir Curtly Ambrose (Flickr.com) were indeed at QPO. Therefore, after such a superb effort by coach Phil Simmons, captain Denesh Ramdin and their charges, here is a short history of goings-on back in 1994, my first

sojourn as a Sports Journalist and Summarizer, when shoes were on the other team’s feet.

So, batsmen Brian Lara, man-of-match Jimmy Adams

and Keith Arthurton’s 126, and fast bowler Kenny Benjamin, whose eight wickets in the 1st Test in Kingston, Jamaica out-bowled Courtney Walsh, (Sir) Curtly Ambrose and Winston Benjamin, put WI 1-0 ahead for the teams’ arrival in Guyana for Test No. 2.

At Bourda, England’s Mike Atherton; 144; WI’s man-of-match Lara; 167; and Adams; 137; scored centuries. 1,078 glorious runs were made in that 2nd Test, but WI still won by an innings and 44 runs, courtesy of the fast bowlers’ determined efforts on a batting paradise; 2-0.

Many may also recall that that game at Bourda in 1994 signaled the debut of the extraordinary twenty-plus year career of Shivnarine “Tiger” Chanderpaul, who got 62 first up.

Nothing in the previous two Tests prepared anyone for the classic in T&T for No. 3, which England badly needed to win to come back into that 5-Tests series.

Dismissing WI for only 252 in 1st innings, then leading by 76 after making 328, England seemed well on its

Melanie Patriots down West Side Jammers -Pacesetters clip Eagles wings

By Edison Jefford Melanie Patriots’ forward, Sherlon Legall continued his dominance in the paint that led to his prolific scoring Friday night at the Burnham Basketball Court in the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) ‘King of the Hard Court’ Competition.

Legall scored 29 points to ensure the East Coast-based Patriots down West Side Jam-

mers 70-65 in the Division I category of the competition.

Floyd Arthur supported with 17 points with Ashton Adams and Dennis Corbin adding seven points each.

For the West Demerarabased team, Devon Murray dropped 33 points with Ralph Browne adding 12 points.

Throughout the game, none of the Jammers showed in likelihood of stopping Legall, who scored at will in the paint off several offensive re-

bounds.

In the other Division I contest, Trinity Grid Holdings (TGH) Pacesetters clipped Eagles wings with a 97-39 blowout win. Pacesetters shot the ball at a very high percentage, landing 13 three-point jumpers that lit up the venue.

Forward, Travis Williams scored 19 points while Joslyn Crawford added 13 points in the huge victory for Pacesetters. Keith Tute and Kwesi Roberts supported

DOMINANCE! Melanie Patriots’ Sherlon Legall (#6) splits two defenders in the paint to release a floater in the lane Friday night on Burnham Basketball Court.

with 12 points apiece as Horace Hodges added 10 and Stephan Gillis nine points.

Eagles forward, Louis James had 13 points while Japheth Hackett chipped in with 10 points. The opening period gave an early impression of the outcome of the game, with Pacesetters racing to a 22-4 lead in what became a lopsided contest.

Gillis was on fire early with consecutive three-pointers while Hodges was a beast in the paint for most of the opening period. Pacesetters went deep into its bench in the second period sensing the game may very well be a no-contest, and rightly so as Pacesetters went into the halftime leading 4315. Williams and Hodges shouldered the offensive burden in the third period with only James for the Eagles looking ominous. The unbeaten Pacesetters, who are also the current National Champs, in an offensive blitz, literally ran Eagles off their home court.

Hodges and the lanky Crawford combined to establish a formidable presence in the paint while the guards, including Tute were difficult to defend on transition. The result was a 28-10 rush in the last quarter that completed the mammoth victory.

way to winning at QPO; hopefully, for them, to a closer 2-1.

WI fared just better in 2nd innings; 269; Chanderpaul’s top-score 50 helping WI to recover from 167-6.

Needing just 194 to win, in a day and a session of batting, with a world-class batting line-up of captain Atherton, Alex Stewart, Guyanese-born Mark Ramprakash, South Africanborn Robin Smith, Rhodesia/ Zimbabwe-born Graeme Hick and England’s best batsman then, Graham Thorpe, England seemed set to “walk” that Test with time to spare.

But, as is well known, nothing is ever set in cricket in these parts!

After early rains, patrons were leaving QPO in droves that Tuesday, 29 March, 1994 afternoon, standard fickle WI fans already having given up.

Those who had planned to attend cricket after work headed home or to bars instead.

Upset and disappointed, expecting WI to lose easily, some caught early flights to Barbados, Guyana and rest of the Caribbean, to Miami and New York, a day ahead of planned departures.

When England started its quest for success, there were less than seven thousand hardy supporters, and a sprinkling of desperate English travelers, on hand to witness that afternoon’s carnage.

With a magnificent display of focused fast bowling, (Sir) Curtly Ambrose, ironically the man who engineered England’s demise two weekends ago, as WI’s bowling consultant, caused airplanes to leave late, ‘maxi-taxis/minibusses’ to heave to, so that drivers could not kill anyone; grid-lock.

Other drivers pulled into any available parking spaces to enjoy the extremely high tension and excitement as they listened to us on their radios.

By the time Day No. 4 ended, England was in an impossible state to believe or retrieve; 40-8!

Suddenly, as if by magic,

QPO was full to overflowing; 30,000 people in a 25,000 arena; with more still coming in – “Wha bhoy, dis is history; ah comin down dey too”.

Entrance gates still had lines of hopefuls when umpires Steve Bucknor of Jamaica and Srinivas Venkataraghavan of India finally called a halt to the destruction caused by WI’s bowlers!

(Sir) Curtly’s bowling that March afternoon in 1994 was as sublime against England as was Argentinian Lionel Messi’s “masterclass” of footballing skills against Bayern Munich last week in Champion League 2015 semifinal first leg.

“Ambi” cleaned up Atherton first ball; LBW for zero. Ramprakash was run out for one, then Smith was bowled by (Sir) Curtly for noscore before any breath was taken.

The best delivery, though, fast and straight, from “Ambi” was one that breached the normally solid defense of Thorpe; bowled for 03.

By close of Day 4, England 40-8, was doomed, eventually ending at 46, its second lowest Test score ever. “Ambi” ended with 101-24-6!

(Sir) Curtly in 1994, Messi last week, and WI two weeks ago showed creativity and excellence, not mediocrity.

With that kind of perseverance, yes, WI could be good again. Enjoy!

E-mail address = c.e.h.croft@gmail.com

Two day trial match to...

(From page 79) had to be content with watching the IPL t20 matches on Television at the venue.

There was an issue with the Demerara Coach Gavin Nedd, the former Guyana First-Class off-spinner and the Board, resulting in Clive Grimond being appointed Head Coach of the Demerara team and Berbician Michael Hyles Franco, one the GCB

Academy Coaches, being asked to assist him.

The second trial match is now fixed for Tuesday and Wednesday at the DCC ground in the City.

All players are asked to be at DCC by 09:00hrs. Tomorrow has been designated a National Holiday to accommodate General Elections in Guyana.

(Sean Devers)

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