Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2015

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Kaieteur News

My party will not concede defeat UK rejects election fraud claims - Ramotar U.S Embassy insists electoral process free, fair and credible Canada says no evidence of anomalies that would impact results

By Jarryl Bryan

T

he People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has criticized the elections process and results, alleging that it was cheated of victory by way of collusion between the Opposition and the Guyana Elections Commission's (GECOM).

Presidential candidate, Donald Ramotar refused to concede defeat and he made this known when the PPP/C's hastily summoned a press conference at Freedom House yesterday afternoon.

The President's decision is also in stark contrast to what observer teams from the United States, the Commonwealth and Caricom have reported.

The envoys of the United States, Britain and Canada, have already declared the elections as credible and free from interference.

United States Charge d'Affaires, Bryan Hunt, said that it was in receipt of complaints from the PPP/C. It added that nothing emerged from the ensuing investigation of these allegations that could change the initial

US Charge’ d' affaires Bryan Hunt

Presidential candidate Donald Ramotar, centre, with Zulkifar Mustapha and Ganga Persaud. assessment of the elections.

British High Commissioner Gregory Quinn also attested to receiving the PPP/C complaints, but stated that his team was unable to find any evidence to support the party's allegations, nor did the party provide them with any.

Canada's High Commissioner, Dr Nicole Giles, also confirmed that her group had investigated the PPP/C complaints, but

found no anomalies with the process that would have a material impact on the election results.

All three were part of the Electoral Assistance Bureau, Private Sector Commission observer group, as well as other missions such as CARICOM and the Commonwealth groups, called on the parties to abide by the code of conduct and accept the results.

But Ramotar refused to respect the GECOM results, stating that there were instances where known Peoples National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) operatives were observed as polling agents in certain polling stations.

“There were a huge number of people, sometimes 100% more, voting on a list although

Comment:

PEACE, UNITY AND RECONCILIATION

G

uyana deserves a peaceful, orderly and smooth transition to a new government. Such a transition is the balm that is needed after the bruising and fiercely contested elections campaigns of the past two months. As we now know, the elections have resulted in an extremely narrow victory for the APNU+AFC coalition which will now form the new government. We offer our congratulations to APNU+AFC. All Guyanese should be proud of the manner in which our general and regional elections were held. International observer missions have described them as free, fair and credible. Guyanese have

demonstrated exemplary discipline and patience in the hours and days following the elections, as they awaited the results.

The events in Sophia on Election Day, however, represented a dark and unwelcome blot on what was otherwise peaceful elections. This newspaper has roundly condemned the senseless violence in Sophia which was caused by a misleading rumour that lacked all credibility.

We empathize with those who suffered losses and damages as a result of the violence on election night in Sophia. We trust that one of the first acts of the new government would be to give effect to its pledge to national reconciliation. A fitting way to commence

this process would be to bring relief and comfort to those who suffered on that evening and to assure them of the winning coalition's rejection of violence.

We c o m m e n d t h e APNU+AFC coalition for urging calm at this time. But we trust that they would use this important period of reconciliation to also denounce those who are threatening innocent Guyanese.

Since the close of the polls, we have received a few reports of threats being made to persons who live in opposition strongholds and who are believed to be supporters of the PPPC. They have been threatened with retribution. This is not supposed to happen and should not happen.

Every individual has a right to his or her political views and to belong to a party of his or her choice. A smooth democratic transition requires that this right be respected and persons be allowed to carry out their political activities and indeed their daily activities free from molestation, fear and intimidation. This is a time for healing this nation, not settling personal scores.

The supporters of the new government deserve to celebrate their victory. But we urge against political triumphalism. Instead we urge peace, unity and reconciliation as we go forward into a new dispensation. Without these ingredients, Change, would be meaningless!

those areas were not blended with the disciplined services votes,” Ramotar said. He declared that this occurred in several areas, which was why the GECOM decision to not announce 490 ballot boxes at Wednesday night's press conference was significant.

He also attested to operatives who were associated with polling stations with high numbers of spoilt ballots in the last elections, were re-employed with GECOM at stations where the pattern repeated itself.

Ramotar called for a recount of every single vote, in an effort to assuage the PPP/C's mind that the elections were indeed free and fair. According to the incumbent President, a total recount should only take “eight” hours and should it be done, his party was confident of gaining more votes.

This is despite GECOM's declaration that a total recount would make little difference to the final count. When asked if he would be prepared to hand over power after the final declaration, Ramotar declared that he would first have to seek advice from his 'people'.

Meanwhile, PPP/C candidate Ganga Persaud declared that the party had significant evidence of irregularities during the voting process. These the party sent to GECOM but the

Canadian High Commissioner Dr. Nicole Giles

British High Commissioner Greg Quinn elections body refused to entertain the concerns.

Persaud also denied that GECOM had ever done a recount in Region One. He added that only a limited recount had been done in Region Two. This is in direct contrast to what was announced at the GECOM press conference, yesterday. When asked by the media whether they had even watched GECOM's press conference earlier in the day, both men seemed clueless.

“We are not bad losers, nor are we delaying the elections. We are winners, but were cheated out of victory,” Persaud declared.

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Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

Looking Forward Looking forward, it would be gratifying to observe the efforts by the newly-elected cadre of Coalition leaders trying consciously and genuinely to create a new direction for Guyana. This was one of several campaign promises made by the Coalition. This charting of a new direction is an unspoken admission that the outgoing administration has failed and is not worthy of emulation.

Indeed, when the period of 2000-2015 is carefully analyzed, among the questions that will be asked: Why was the government so pathetically ineffectual in responding to the needs of the people? Why was there no proper response to the hundreds of extra-judicial murders between 2001 and 2006? Why weren’t there government policies consciously tailored to end corruption?

Was the government so obsessed with power that it could not distinguish objectively the interest of the people?

Or was it so enamored with corrupt practices that after more than two decades it was unable to muster the courage to help the masses for fear of offending rich friends?

Whatever the explanation, it is significant that the newly-elected Coalition resolved to adopt a more active and genuine role as the people’s representatives and to give this task its highest priority. Commendable as this may be, it would be a grave mistake for the leaders of the new government to assume that their victory alone and their heightened assertiveness by itself are sufficient to reverse the damage inflicted upon the nation by a government which lacked the moral fortitude and political will to unite the races and develop the country in the interest of all.

We believe that much of the failure of the outgoing administration to respond effectively to the needs of the people might have been the lack of good governance which caused the leaders to act recklessly with the country’s finances and natural resources.

But there is nothing to suggest that the new crop of Coalition leaders is any more insulated from the same situation than their predecessors. While they have shown a willingness to cure the ills of the country and reject the overt power of Government, an important task in their emergence as genuine representatives of the people will be to overcome the weaknesses and greed embedded in the outgoing administration.

A critical but important point in this regard will be for the leaders of the Coalition not to become obsessed with power or to become masters of the people. This will further destroy the psyche of the people and stifle the development of the country. They cannot, like their predecessors, simply concede to dictatorial rule and admit that there is no other choice to govern effectively.

This is why the word “change” holds such significance in society today. The efforts and sacrifices of those who worked hard to build Guyana and those who stood up for justice and equality must not be relegated to the waste bin.

While it is fair to say that some of the people are much better off than their forefathers, there still remain a number of things to be done to bridge the widening poverty gap.

The past 15 years of PPP rule have been anything but good. It was a trying time for many, especially for workers, in that much of what the labour unions have fought for has been rescinded by the high-handed approach of the PPP government, which for the past ten years has imposed a five percent annual wage increase on all workers.

It was a take it or leave it proposal without the approval of the uncharacteristically passive unions. It has been a rough journey for the people. With the election of the Coalition government, they can breathe a little sigh of relief.

The reality is that the people were under severe pressure given the toll of the country’s poor economic performance which resulted in high unemployment, especially among the youth. But even in those difficult times, belt-tightening was required for survival. It should be duly noted that the prosperity of Guyana and the growth of its economy depend not only on selected sections, but the entire population. The

Friday May 15, 2015

Letters... Where your views make the news

Thanks to all who worked for this victory DEAR EDITOR, Fellow Guyanese, greetings! Great is Almighty G o d f o r t h i s v i c t o r y, Congratulations to all- those who worked on this campaign, in whatever form; those who voted and/or encouraged others to vote; and those who reside abroad and love for country still burns deep. Each and every

one of you, near and far, has made it possible.

Congratulations on a job well done, because if it were not for you, this destination would not have been possible. It was a hard fought campaign and this chapter is now closed.

Change has come to Guyana! It is time… It is long past time! We must now

message should be clear to all that the marginalization of a large section of the population will not lead to progress. As a people, we need to raise the level of productivity, earn more foreign exchange and reduce consumption of imported goods, especially food; and generally be able to pay for those things required by the people.

The Coalition government must move quickly to resolve these troubling issues that still negatively impact the economy and the people as a whole, reinforce good practices, and denounce and get rid of the existing bad ones. This is what our foreparents have fought for and stood up for. We cannot and must not flinch from our responsibilities.

buckle down to another phase of hard work. The results of Monday, May 11th said the voters of Region 10 have resoundingly reposed confidence in the APNU+AFC, by giving 16,787 of their votes to the movement of change as opposed to 2,780 for the PPPC. We have increased on the votes received in 2011 and there was measured reduction in votes received by the PPP. Others have also voted for the small parties.

What these numbers are saying to us, is that persons have expressed their will in the political group they think can best advance and protect their interests.

And this is a victory for all Guyana- the expression of the people’s collective will!

It also confirms the need for

us to work together and across the aisle in spite of our political differences. Region 10 will continue to set the tone where, though we may disagree at times, we can do so in an atmosphere of cordiality. We continue to hold true to the principle that in Region 10 we are One! We, as a people, must be able from today and henceforth to deepen and strengthen the creed of One People, One Nation, One Destiny. Together we must make real the desire for national unity, inclusionary d e m o c r a c y a n d accountability, the elevation of our politics to that of performance-driven, respecting the people and the laws of the land.

The results of May 11th (Continued on page 31)

Friday May 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

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

Arresting gun crime should be The PPP is behaving priority one for the new Govt. like this anecdotal kid DEAR EDITOR, The first task of the new government should be to ensure the security of our citizens by changing and enacting new laws that pertain to crimes involving firearms. The offence of robbery under arms has to be modified to include other charges.

Too many times we read of individuals charged with violent crimes are rearrested weeks later for similar offences.

This is an alarming trend that jeopardizes public safety, and the blame has to be placed squarely on magistrates who place felons on bail. I can only assume that magistrates live in some sort of bubble and are totally oblivious to the rampant crimes that are pervasive in o u r s o c i e t y. H a v e magistrates and judges ever entertained the thought that the persons appearing before them are there because they were caught and may have committed numerous other

offences for which they have not been charged? The judgment handed down by the courts should be a deterrent to others and not a slap on the wrist. It should be noted also that victims of gun crimes are left traumatized for life after staring down the barrel of a gun.

I therefore recommend the following be seriously considered by the new administration to ensure the safety of our citizens.

Illegal Possession of a weapon 1: Use of a legal or illegal firearm during the commission of a crime.

Penalty, 10 years. (a nonbailable offence) Illegal Possession of a weapon 2: Being found in the possession of an illegal firearm. Penalty, 5 years. (a non-bailable offense) Menacing in the first degree: The displaying of a legal or illegal firearm while threatening someone or during the commission of a crime.Penalty,2yearsin prison.

R e c k l e s s Endangerment count 1: The discharging of a firearm with the intent to harm someone. Penalty, 5 years.

R e c k l e s s Endangerment count 2: The discharging of a firearm.

Penalty, 2 years.

Robbery Underarms: (Automatic 5 year penalty) This offense, if involves the use of a firearm should include the following charges: ·Illegal Possession of a weapon 1 or 2 years. ·Menacing in the first degree, and if the weapon was discharged, R e c k l e s s Endangerment counts 1 or 2, times the number of times the weapon was discharged.

A felon could effectively be hit with five counts of Reckless Endangerment 1 or 2.

The authorities have to be serious in arresting gun crimes instead sending it on a jailhouse vacation.

Joe Owen

Ramotar should congratulate Granger and Nagamootoo DEAR EDITOR, President Ramotar must face the peoples’ verdict with maturity and offer congratulations to David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo for a hard fought campaign and let the healing begin.

The PPP must concede.

Don’t drag out a lost cause.

The people voted for change, and a lot of PPP supporters crossed the

political divide as my N A C TA p o l l s w e r e suggesting.

The PPP must be mature enough to accept the outcome. It is not the end of the world. The PPP must understand that there were a lot of angry former supporters (who the party alienated) and they voted with a vengeance for being disrespected by some very arrogant and uncouth party

officials.

Ramotar must do the honorable and the right thing - pick up the phone and congratulate Granger and Nagamootoo on their victory. And my personal congratulations to Granger, Moses and the campaign team for a hard fight.

The people made their decision and it must be respected by all.

Vishnu Bisram

DEAR EDITOR, If we journey in the lighter vein we can say that our election is hilarious. Like you mentioned in one of your pieces, recently some of us are like the kid who picks up his bat and ball when he gets out. The PPP are behaving like this anecdotal kid.

Going forward we need to put legislation and rules in place that speak to timely declaration of electoral results and corresponding orderly handling over of

business. It should be an offence in the law for anyone to shred and or destroy government documents. This should apply to all ministries, departments and corporations.

At the close of the polls the military should simply take possession of government sites and possessions. In the instant case, the incoming administration must hold a commission of enquiry into the workings of the previous

administration and the elections commission. The objective of the commission should be to find out the root causes of the problems mentioned earlier with a view to taking remedial action and to ensure a smooth flow of government business at all times for the future.

No nation must be held at ransom by any group or groups. We now have a strong case for proscribing future activity of the PPP. Cyril Ramotar

Congratulations to APNU/ AFC, PPP/C must concede Dear Editor, Congratulations to APNU/AFC on winning the 2015 election. This marks a major turning point in the history of Guyana.

The coalition has succeeded in demonstrating that it was possible to destroy the one historically powerful weapon of the PPP/C that has been at the core of its very existence - the ability to win general elections.

Coupled with this dramatic change in the direction of Guyanese politics are two telling images that signify the changing times - one, a picture captured in one of the dailies purportedly showing PPP ministerial workers clearing out their offices, and two, a statement by an APNU/AFC supporter in Bartica to the effect that the coalition, not the PPP, represents the true vision of Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

The PPP needs to concede it lost the general election so the incoming victors, David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo, can

get on with the business of governing the nation. The fact that a party in government can now accuse the opposition of electoral fraud and then demand a recount makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

It is expected that the coalition will govern effectively in the interest of all citizens and honor its promises of accountability, transparency and racial equality. The PPP/C, on the other hand, will not remain the same political entity.

The party will have to fall in line with the new political culture that will accompany the change. The PPP/C, if it is ever going to reemerge as a serious political entity in the future, will have to embark on meaningful ideological, organizational and leadership transformations. Politics in a future Guyana is linked to a familiar landscape - coalition politics is back in style.

Baytoram Ramharack

President Donald Ramotar should concede this FAIR and FREE election DEAR EDITOR As a PPP/C supporter I would like to take this opportunity to CONGRATULATE the Coalition of the PNC/APNU-AFC on winning the 2015 General Elections.

Current President Donald Ramotar should

concede this FAIR and FREE election.

I trust Donald Ramotar will congratulate David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo of the Coalition of the PNC/APNU-AFC on winning the Elections.

Sean Ori

Friday May 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Harsher penalties for people who hurt children in Jamaica

Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator Sandrea Falconer (left), speaking with the media at Wednesday’s post Cabinet press briefing. Looking on is Director of Legal Reform in the Ministry of Justice, Maurice Bailey. (Photo: JIS) KINGSTON, Jamaica – Government is moving to impose harsher penalties on people who either hurt children in Jamaica or fail to protect children placed in their care.

Against the background of an increase in the abuse and murder of children in “disturbing” circumstances, Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator Sandrea Falconer said, the administration would be amending the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA), and the Criminal Justice (Administration) Act (CJA) to get tougher on culprits.

Cabinet has already approved the changes.

“Cabinet has asked that

the necessary administrative steps be taken to impose stiffer penalties for persons who murder, rape or commit serious violent offences against children,” she said Wednesday at the post-Cabinet press briefing.

Senator Falconer explained that under the amended CJA Act a victim’s status as a child would be treated as an aggravating feature, resulting in a substantial increase in the sentence on conviction, while new offences would be created under the CCPA for allowing children to suffer abuse, including “parental neglect and failure of an adult to report suspected exposure of a child to sexual or other abuse”.

“Efforts are being made to ensure that cases relating to violence against children will be afforded priority scheduling, and disposal in the courts,” the minister added.

The Child Care and Protection of Act of 2004 imposes a fine of not more than J$500,000 (US$4,324) or imprisonment with hard labour, if an adult who has custody, charge or care of a child willfully assaults, physically and mentally ill-treats, neglects, or abandons a child.

The Act also penalizes people who sell or traffic children and imposes a fine of J$50,000 (US$432) or imprisonment with hard labour not exceeding three months.

Venezuela indicts 22 media executives for report on high official CARACAS, Venezuela, May 14 (UPI) — The Venezuelan government has prohibited 22 media executives from leaving the country for publishing a report accusing National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello of drug trafficking. Cabello accused the executives of continued aggravated defamation in a legal proceeding. The media representatives must report to authorities weekly.

Many of the media heads have not been notified or cited, but Manuel Antonio Puyana, a director of the Tal Cual outlet, has confirmed the case.

“As we are currently defendants I am constantly going to court, I found out the case was ratified May 5 so I went to present myself and I signed the acceptance form part of the accusation,” Puyana said.

Court documents originally presented on April 23 quote Cabello as stating the media organizations have affected his reputation and honor by echoing “unscrupulous” publications from the

Diosdado Cabello ABC daily newspaper in Spain.

“Everyone on the board of directors is accountable to me ... They’re not going to come to me to say that they wrote it only because a newspaper in Spain wrote it, the newspaper of Spain will also have to answer for that and show that what they said was true there. I’m just trying to defend myself as an ordinary citizen,” the document quotes Cabello.

The original article by ABC published in January reported that Leamsy Salazar,

Cabello’s former head of security, implicated Cabello as one of the alleged leaders of the drug trafficking group Cartel of the Suns.

There have been 21 legal claims against journalists by the Venezuelan government since April 2013, the start of President Nicolas Maduro’s term.

Marien Gracia Chirinos, coordinator of the Freedom of the Press and Society Institute, said Cabello’s actions are “contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and also the penalties for libel and slander are prohibited by international conventions protecting the right to freedom of expression.”

Gloria Salazar, coordinator of the Observatory for Freedom of Expression of the Public Space, said the cases against the media executives is “a threat; a kind of intimidation for the rest of the media in general and also for journalists.” Venezuela ranks 137th out of 180 countries listed in the 2015 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2015

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Kaieteur News

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NO REASON IS NEEDED FOR A RECOUNT REQUEST It could not have been a closer finish. The preliminary results of the general elections of 2015 indicated a tight race between the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) and the opposition coalition comprising A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC).

In the end, APNU+AFC squeezed home, that is according to the preliminary count, by a mere 5,360 votes in an election in which a little over 410,000 valid votes were cast. This has to be closest electoral race in the history of the Caribbean.

No wonder the People’s Progressive Party feels aggrieved that its request for a recount in District 4, the largest district in the country, was denied. This is the region that has the largest bloc of votes and the one where there was most likely to be a greater number of irregularities.

One reporter asked a Guyana Elections Commission official whether the Returning Officer of that District had given any reasons for the refusal to approve of the recount. The answer was a comment to the effect that the reporter was

asking if reasons were given for the denial, when in fact no reason was given in the first place for the request for the recount.

In other words, what was being said was that since the PPPC did not adduce any reasons for requesting the count, it should not expect any reason to be provided for the denial.

The law, however, does require that the PPPC give a reason for requesting a recount. The Returning Officer can refuse the request if he or she feels that it is unreasonable, but the fact that the request is unreasonable does not mean that a reason has to be given.

“Unreasonable” is not a euphemism for “no reason given”, in the same way as “legal” is not synonym for “fair”. But do not tell that to some legal luminaries in the APNU+AFC camp.

Many years ago, there was a close electoral race for the Presidency of the United

States. The race was so close that there had to be a recount of votes cast in a certain State. In fact, the person who had originally conceded that he lost turned out to be the winner in the recount. The American people bore up with the recount process, because they saw it as an essential part of the democratic process.

The PPPC therefore can justly feel aggrieved at not being afforded the opportunity to prove that they had in fact secured sufficient votes to win the elections. But the law is the law and the law is not always

fair. The law gives the discretion to the Returning Officers to determine whether a recount should take place.

So long as the Returning Officers feel that a request is unreasonable they can refuse the recount.

It is doubtful whether a recount would have reversed the 5,360-vote gap which APNU+AFC held over the PPPC. (This is based purely on the preliminary count). In such a close electoral race, however, a total recount of all the votes would have been beneficial to all concerned. It would have added further confidence to the electoral

process and would have served the wider interest of democracy. But such a luxury is apparently reserved for Americans and not for Guyanese.

APNU+AFC was however keen to avoid the recount in Region Four. It panicked when it heard that the PPPC wanted a recount of certain polling stations in that Region. It even said that reasons had to be provided for a recount, but did not provide any legal basis for this. Its mouthpieces in the media even went as far as arguing that there was even a time limitation. All of that is

now history. Guyana will have a new President, a new government, new ruling party and a new opposition party in the next parliament.

Guyana must move forward after very divisive elections, but it should preserve the lessons of this experience, including ensuring in the future that no recount is subject to the discretion of a Returning Officer.

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2015

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

The big God that failed his small Gods In Greek mythology there was a pantheon of gods. Each god had his jurisdiction.

There was the god of love, the sea, the moon, the sun, you name it; the Greeks had a god for it. But there was one big god in charge of all the gods.

His name was Zeus.

From the time Bharrat Jagdeo, from a position of total obscurity in 1999, became the President of Guyana, he assumed the role of Zeus. Here is just one small example of how the Guyanese Zeus commanded loyalty from his small gods.

The late, Fazal Khan, the late common-law husband of Gail Teixeira, told me that he went to visit his children in Pradoville and in a conversation with Teixeira, he

accused Jagdeo of corruption – Teixeira asked him to refrain from criticizing her president or leave.

Zeus won the 2006 elections because of the support he got from PPP constituencies, because of the harmful impact of the crime spree in Buxton. Zeus would have failed if there was no crime syndrome. Zeus, in 2011, put Donald Ramotar to hold the fort for him. It was the beginning of the end for Zeus and his little gods.

I could produce several of my columns that argued that Jagdeo and Ramotar were weak election strategies for the PPP in 2011 and would be for 2015. Non-PPP supporters hated Jagdeo. Indian PPP supporters were not

impressed with his leadership and they voted for the PPP as an institution, not for Jagdeo.

Zeus’ stardom was long gone, but amazingly, the PPP put him as the front man for their 2015 bandwagon.

Jagdeo knew he could have governed Guyana through the backdoor if Ramotar was handed the presidential nod in front of Ralph Ramkarran. The whole of Guyana knew that after 2011, Guyana had a legal president and a real president – Jagdeo was the latter.

Prodigious sums of money running into billions of dollars; plenty media houses at their disposal; mountains and oceans of state resources to give away, Jagdeo and Ramotar entered the 2015 race

hoping to remove the 2011 minority status. It didn’t happen. They lost.

Preliminary results for the 2015 results showed the PPP lost the general elections, it doesn’t matter by how close.

But there is a but. With such resources why did they not get a landslide? Why didn’t champion Jagdeo and an incumbent president create a voter tsunami for the PPP? Here is the answer. Zeus represented all that was bad and corrupt about politics and each of his subordinate gods were the depraved manifestation of sick, venal power.

It was a close race only because the little gods used state resources in colossal ways in Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9.

It is difficult to ask a community not to vote for an incumbent when that presiding leader is pouring tons of resources to benefit the village. This is human nature. It was a close race because Zeus and his ethnic

supremacists begged for votes using raw tribal instincts. Ethnic supremacists came out of the deep-blue sea and began to sermonize traditional PPP constituencies with demonization doctrines of the PNC and by extension, African Guyanese.

Ethnic supremacists sacrificed the respect they won from the Guyanese people through their artistic, intellectual and religious work and succumbed to raw, racist instincts.

It was the most terrible racist campaign ever witnessed in politics in the 21st century anywhere in the world. Not even in the recent elections in Israel was an ethnic community so vilified as in what the Guyanese Zeus preached. It will remain a nasty memory for many of us who lived through it.

The lowest point will always be remembered – Mr. Jagdeo told Indian constituencies that if Granger won, the army will invade their homes and perpetrate

Frederick Kissoon violence on them. Such pronouncements should never find their way in an election campaign in the 21st century.

The PPP lost the 2015 election (shall we bother to repeat how close again – a win is a win – the PPP ruled Guyana with an iron fist for three years and didn’t win the election) because the little gods behaved as if they owned the Guyanese people and the territory of Guyana.

What went on in Guyana from August 1999 to May 2015 was a Faustian journey into the pits of evil. It should never happen again anywhere else in the world.

Dem boys seh...

Death announcement Is a long time de Guyanese people of all race, colour and creed never see anything like wha dem see today. Whole week Georgetown was like a ghost town because of election.

People keep dem pickney home from school all because dem in GECOM skip school when dem was young. Dem still learning fuh count. Dem was really slow.

When de counting near done and people believe that GECOM gun announce de result, de Pee Pee Pee give dem more thing fuh count.

It tek li’l more long fuh get de final announcement.

Yesterday when dem tally up and tell de nation, people believe that some li’l boy push a stick in ants nest. People flock de streets; it was celebration from then into de night and dem boys predict this gun go on fuh de whole week.

Dem boys seh that it gun be ’92 all over again wid motorcade all over Guyana. This time is de coalition. People been going to dem prayer houses from de time Donald announce de elections.

De Creatah hear dem prayers and give Guyana wha dem ask for. He answer dem prayers. Donald and Jagdeo don’t like that.

Dem fight de Creatah decision. Now look wha happen; dem come to an end.

Dem boys see this death announcement when dem tun on Mitta Shaama TV last night.

The death is announced of de PPPC that been in power for 23 long years as de former government of Guyana. It fell in a coma on May 11 and was pronounced dead , yesterday, May 14 following a major defeat. De injury was caused by the apnu+afc coalition .

De leaders were Bald Head Jagdeo, Donald Duck and Madea Harper. It carried with it Blind Sam, and all de ministers including Beri Best, Ashley Singh, Analisa Nandalall, Dutty Beard Luncheon, Goat Mouth Rohee, Nightin Gail, Rob de Earth, Irfaat and others too corrupt to mention .

Friends of Babbie, Brassington, Boyah, Fip Motilall, Bai Shan Lin, Wong On, Bryanna Yong and others too corrupt to mention . Relatives of thieves, liars, grabbers ,abusers ,cheaters, scamps, contractahs, such as Bee Kay, Dax, and others too corrupt to mention.

The funeral of the late PPPC will take place on Sunday May 17. Burial will take place at de mansion of Bald Head Jagdeo, de man who resemble de devil, at Pradoville 2, East Coast Demerara.

No wreaths by request; too corrupt to have that. TODAY WE SAY GOODBYE PPPC. U CAN’T REST IN PEACE. From ashes to ashes, dust to dust may you forever remain dead.

Talk half and please note, wake is being held at Babu Jaan.

Friday May 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 11

GECOM’s systems must Mentally ill man gets be reviewed - Surujbally forty years for murder - current set-up an “embarrassment”

By Desilon Daniels As the results for the 2015 general and regional elections finally wind down, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally has indicated that the body’s systems must be reviewed as they are currently an “embarrassment”.

Surujbally made the statements not once but twice during the course of this week, while being grilled by reporters about the lengthy wait between the close of polls and the release of official results.

During his interactions with the media, Surujbally said that a number of areas in GECOM’s systems need to be looked over, particularly those which dealt with technology, before the body holds its next election. He opined that the current methodology employed “leads to confusion”.

“In this modern age of electronics, in this modern age of computers, we cannot continue to remain with Jurassic concepts,” Surujbally emphasised.

He explained that steps, including collaboration with an overseas company for the acquisition of scan tabulations, had previously been undertaken to modernize GECOM. In fact, he said, a simulation exercise was conducted during the University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS) election last year. This exercise, he said, “went off flawlessly” but the implementation of the devices for the general and regional elections did not come off.

“In the end we did not follow that methodology and

GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally during one of GECOM’s recent press conferences I’m saying that we cannot continue this way and we have to go high-tech,” he said.

He added that Guyanese are wary of technology, something he believes, comes from a deep distrust of the system.

He emphasised that he would not like for the same slothfulness in the revelation of this year’s results to occur at a later election.

“I do not expect this at the next elections – whether it’s local government or general and regional – but then again I did not expect this time around to have this embarrassment,” he said. He went on, “Our methodologies are so archaic because of the fundamental distrust that exists…Up to now in the law, the electronic aspects are not captured the way the manual aspects are, so the Parliament would have to change those.”

He further said that recommendations had been made by several of the

observer missions. One of these recommendations was to change the system within the commission. Surujbally opined that the change was indeed one that needed to be looked at “more seriously”.

However, he said, “People are comfortable and the people that matter – the people that sit in Parliament, the people that make the laws – they are pretty much comfortable with the system as is in the composition of our commission.”

He went on that he had previously spoken on the issue and though he was not necessarily convinced that a change in that aspect of the system is needed, he nonetheless said that it should be discussed. He further said that certain laws regarding the commission needed to be reviewed.

“This sort of serpentine way of getting results, definitely it has got to stop,” Surujbally maintained.

Gilbert Gill called ‘Bizen Bull’ was yesterday sentenced to forty years imprisonment by Justice Roxanne George, at the High Court in Georgetown, for the murder of West Bank Demerara Fisherman Khemraj Dass called ‘Lakeram Dass’ or ‘Lako.’

A psychiatric evaluation and probation report was ordered after Gill opted to plead guilty to the capital offence, last month.

Gill admitted to killing Dass between July 7 and 10, 2012 while they were working on a boat together. Gill confessed to brutally slashing the throat of the 42 year -old seaman before tossing his body overboard.

According to reports, the two men were on board a barge that was destined to carry lumber to a timber grant at Yaruni, Demerara River, when they were engaged in a confrontation.

The captain (Gill’s father) reported that he went to sleep leaving the two men awake.

The man said that when he arose from his sleep, he inquired from his son about Lako’s whereabouts and was told that he had been killed.

Gill reportedly told his father “What you asking me about ‘Lako?’ I give he two lash, cut he throat and shove he overboard.”

Based on his observation, Dr. Bhiro Harry, a psychiatrist attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), told the court last week that Gill suffers from mental retardation, organic brain syndrome and subliminal seizures.

The psychiatrist said none-the-less that Gill is fit to stand trial since he has a coherent recollection of the incident, and understands the charge and penalty

Gilbert Gill called ‘Bizen Bull’ attached.

Meanwhile, the probation report outlined that Gill has taken full responsibility for the crime and has since been remorseful about the incident.

The report also stated that Gill, who has a history of outburst due to his mental condition, was brought up in a home where violence was common.

In his plea of mitigation, attorney- at-Law Madan Kissoon spoke of the aforementioned factors and requested that the court imposes a sentence which will allow Gill access to treatment for mental and psychiatric reformation.

The lawyer also noted, that his client had no prior convictions and did not waste the court’s time; he pleaded guilty to the offence from the beginning.

Gill, on the other hand, told the court before the sentence was handed down that he is innocent of the charge. “Me aint really understand what you tell me the other day,” he said in reference to the charge which was read to him.

Taking all the factors into consideration, Justice George noted that it is her view that “the accused callously took the life of another.”

The judge also indicated that given his mental issues and prior outbursts, she considers Gill to be a danger to society.

Justice George initially sentenced the accused to 50 years imprisonment, but deducted five years for the guilty plea, two years for the other mitigating factors and three years for the time already spent in prison pending trial.

The judge also ruled that while serving his prison sentence, Gill should be allowed the necessary treatment for his mental illness. She said that he will be eligible for parole after serving a maximum of 25 years in prison.

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2015

Coalition secures narrow win in 2015 elections - David Granger set to become 8th Executive President

Guyana’s next President

By Abena Rockcliffe The opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) led by Brigadier David Arthur Granger, has secured a narrow win this year’s elections.

Mr. Granger is poised to become Guyana’s eighth Executive President. He is now to head a government

that comprises a number of smaller political parties and is said to be the representation of national unity in a country as racially diverse as Guyana.

The coalition, during its tenure, will have control over the executive and legislative arms of the government.

The results were announced yesterday by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections

Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield, when he presented the final preliminary results of the 2015 elections.

Those results revealed that the APNU+AFC accumulated 206,817 votes while the long-governing People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) accumulated 201,457 votes, a difference of 5,360 votes.

Loser must be invited to - British envoy the table The citizenry has witnessed on many occasions, that it is often impossible for politicians to engage in discussion much less reach a compromise on issues of national importance, even if it is for the greater good of the country.

Given this background, British High Commissioner, Gregory Quinn expressed that for the entire nation to be represented, the winning government must invite the “loser” to the table to talks.

He made this comment before the final preliminary results of the 2015 elections were announced by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday.

According to GECOM, the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has defeated the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) by 5,360 votes.

Quinn in giving his advice to the new government said that the way forward must be about reconciliation. He said that everyone expected it to be a close result and so the winner should bear in mind, that there is going to be a large minority who did not vote for it.

Quinn opined that it is vital for whoever forms a new government, to reach out to the losing party, consider how to talk to that minority, and figure out how constructive talks can benefit the entire country. The British envoy emphasized that it is important for the next opposition party to be duly considered.

Quinn said that ignoring a “huge chunk” of the population in his view, would not augur

British High Commissioner, Gregory Quinn well for any new government.

The British High Commissioner said that it is time for politicians to learn to listen to each other.

“I’m not saying they have to agree to everything the other party has to say, but listen and consider their concerns and on occasions, really learn how to compromise for the greater good of the country.” (Kiana Wilburg)

The coalition’s gain created a devastating loss for the incumbent PPP/C which held political power for over 23 years.

The PPP/C grip on political power was strong until the 2011 General and Regional Elections when it lost parliamentary control.

Over the last few years, incumbent President, Donald Ramotar, ruled Guyana in a minority government.

Based on the preliminary results, APNU+AFC has secured 33 seats in what will be the Eleventh Parliament of Guyana, while the PPP/C, which will form the new opposition, has the remaining 32 seats. There will be no third Party in the Eleventh Parliament as none of the other Parties that contested the General and Regional Elections managed to win enough votes that will reflect a seat in Parliament.

Yesterday, Lowenfield said that the final declaration of the results will be made today after Returning Officers across the country in the 10 districts would have declared their individual results.

This will pave the way for the swearing in of the President.

The CEO, during his announcement of the results, said that he had some concerns with some counterfeit statements of polls from districts across the country. Lowenfield said that some of the statements that were delivered to GECOM were not on the same quality of paper on which the original statements were printed and the ones that the Commission approved.

A few statements of poll were void of specific security

features that characterize GECOM’s official paper.

However, the Chief Elections Officer said that the votes contained on those statements are not enough to change the outcome of the elections. Subsequent to the press conference, Lowenfield assured media operatives that he would be carrying out extensive investigations into the origin of those statements.

He said that he wishes to track whether the SOPs would have originated from the Presiding Officers or whether they would have found their way to him through one of the various people that they had to pass through before reaching his desk.

Both Lowenfield and GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, said that the votes reflected on those statements cannot change the overall outcome of the elections.

Surujbally was keen to point out that there may be changes. “Even if there is a difference of one, it reflects a change” but none that can deprive APNU+AFC of a victory.

Further, Dr, Surujbally, obviously peeved about the incident, said that it reflects the “evil” in society. He said he has no apologies for using the word “evil”. The Chairman said that it is disturbing to know that one would go to such length to do such a thing.

Incumbent President, Donald Ramotar, who called early elections after proroguing and later dissolving Parliament to avoid a no-confidence vote, has refused to concede defeat.

Ramotar rejected the results and called for a full recount.

When asked if he would refuse to give up power, Ramotar told the media, “I cannot concede that I have lost these elections.”

However, on Monday Election Day-Ramotar, in an

interview just after he would have voted, told reporters, “Whoever loses should peacefully accept.”

So far, only two of the Returning Officers agreed to a recount and have since completed that process.

However, the figures have not changed.

Ramotar’s party has been in power since 1992. If it was successful in this election, this would have marked, a sixth consecutive term for the Party. In recent times the PPP/ C has been chided for corruption, nepotism, cronyism, thieving and a number of failed contracts.

Last evening, the Party sent out a statement repeating a slogan that was first used by the party in 1964, “Cheated not defeated”. Again, a coalition forced his party out of government.

The release further stated, “We call upon our supporters to be calm and to be prepared for the new phase of struggle that will open up with this new situation that has developed over the past four hours.”

This election has had close to 200 observers from credible observer missions including the Carter Center which the PPP/C had leaned on in 1992 to see free and fair elections.

The various observer missions, including the Organization of American States (OAS), said that allegations about irregularities were unfounded.

They certified the elections “free and fair.”

Yesterday, a number of diplomats refused to attend a meeting summoned by Donald Ramotar at the Office of the President. The diplomats said that they were told that the meeting was to discuss the PPP’s concerns regarding the election results.

However, they did not see such a meeting at the Office of the President as appropriate at such a time.

Friday May 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Ex-Minister Robert Persaud concedes defeat, calls for inclusive governance He was one of the main faces in the campaign of the 2011 General and Regional Elections for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Robert Persaud, 41, was appointed as the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, following those elections, commanding a powerful portfolio that included the mining and logging sectors and the emerging oil industry.

But his absence during the recent campaign for what has been described as a critical time for his party was more than glaring.

There were no speeches from him on the political platform.

An outspoken official who grew up honing his skills at public relations, it appeared to many that one of the most prominent faces of the party that stayed in power for 23 years, was on his way out. His ministry was under fire for logging concessions granted to Chinese investors, as well as the handling of the mining sector.

Yesterday, Persaud was among the first to concede that his party has lost

Concedes: Robert Persaud Monday’s elections, although an official declaration is still to come from the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM).

In a Facebook post, the former Minister said that the preliminary election results of 50.6%-49.4%, went in favor of the A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), confirm that an appropriate national inclusive governance mechanism must be brought to the front burner.

“I was asked what best can come out of the May 11 elections: a victory where all are winners, notwithstanding the showing of each party,

Guyanese, all Guyanese, (should) feel included in continuing to build a prosperous and cohesive society. It can be a grand, historical opportunity to change the paradigm, of how we govern and make everyone feel truly a part of the future as we march to 50 years of independence.”

According to the final preliminary results of GECOM yesterday, PPP received 201,457 votes while the coalition managed to rack up 206,817, a difference of 5,360.

According to GECOM, in total 342, 126 votes were counted from the ten administrative districts, one of the highest turnouts since 1992 when PPP/C first entered Government. Persaud’s party is refusing to accept the results, saying the elections were rigged by APNU+AFC, the coalition that won.

The elections were deemed free and fair by almost 200 observers who participated in monitoring Monday’s process.

The US and UK Governments have been especially harsh in calling on the PPP/C to accept the results.

“We will fight tooth and nail to ensure we are not cheated” - Jagdeo The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) will fight ‘tooth and nail’ to ensure it is not ‘cheated’.

This was the assertion of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who at a press conference at Freedom House, last evening, brought a sheet purporting to show the differences between his party’s statements of poll (SOPs) and those of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The sheet purported to show several SOPs given to the political parties with a specific number of votes, while GECOM’s SOPs had been altered to increase votes for A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC).

Though the sheet only purported to display seven such instances, Jagdeo was adamant that there were many more such cases.

“Many of the SOPs are fake. They do not match the SOPs given to the parties on election night” he said.

“There has been a systematic plot to change results in GECOM itself and tabulate it in APNU’s favor.”

Stating that these questions need to be answered, rather than brushed under the carpet, he called on the chairman of GECOM Dr. Steve Surujbally to provide the answers in a

Bharrat Jagdeo with PPP/C political candidate Pauline Sukhai serious manner.

However, Jagdeo also declared that he was not leaving anything to chance that GECOM would carry out the investigations, which was why he had chosen to highlight it to the media.

Alleging that GECOM had succumbed to pressure from APNU+AFC “threatening violence” if the results were not released, he reiterated that his party would not roll over and accept the results.

“We will ensure that we explore every avenue and pursue all the remedies we have.” Asked to elaborate further on what forms those remedies would take, he reiterated his earlier position, adding that his party had no intention of changing results through “hanky panky”

methods.

Jagdeo also repeated PPP/C’s Presidential candidate Donald Ramotar’s charge of corrupted presiding officers, stating that some of the presiding officers were known activists in APNU+AFC rallies.

Jagdeo also lashed out at international observers, who have declared that the electoral process was free and fair, with no irregularities that could change the final result.

“The credibility of the international community is at stake, if they could declare an election that utilized fake SOPs as free and fair,” the former head of state declared.

In response to rumours that he had left the country, Jagdeo declared, “I am here and I’m not going anywhere.

This is my country.”

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2015

Linden explode in unbridled joy

The massive motorcade Coalition supporters enjoying the moment after results were announced Yesterday, Linden exhaled, Linden exulted, Linden rejoiced!

Though the results of the National and Regional elections held on Monday last, were but preliminary, for Linden, it was enough.

Residents took to the streets shortly after lunch in celebration mode, as cars honked, people laughed and cried - and danced and sang.

Even the dogs barked.

“It is time!” many shouted, while unity songs blared from sound systems.

People converged around the market square, and alcoholic beverages flowed freely.

One man of God noted, “Well today is a day when people will express themselves in unique ways, some would laugh, others will cry, and some might even curse, but the day being such an historic one, they would be forgiven even if they

curse”.

Some women at Adams boat landing at Wismar, broke into song, “This is the day the lord has made!’ they sang lustily.

People on Wismar crossed over to Mackenzie, where a massive motorcade began, while others lined the streets waving the APNU flag. They held them high and waved them. They draped them around their bodies and caressed them. They draped their vehicles. It was a symbol of their victory- of a fight well fought and won.

A long line of vehicles from Mackenzie formed another motorcade and crossed the bridge to Wismar. As the vehicles moved through Wismar slowly, other residents joined - some with bicycles, motorcycles and just about anything that could move.

Others walked and gyrated to the music that

emanated from the vehicles.

APNU’s Rennis Morian, who joined the motorcade, declared, “Today I’ve seen a symphony of expression here in Linden today, I see people laughing, crying, rolling on the ground, shouting and screaming. It is as is they were just liberated from bondage… from slavery, depression, frustration and underdevelopment. Today means they have thrown off that yoke!

“Linden has been like the runner that is making Olympic time in the trials, but you’re never putting him to run in the Olympics. Region Ten has got this potential, but the PPP has kept us under the cover of a bushel. We were just waiting for the opportunity to breathe again. Today is like people took a fresh breath of Life.”

Morian said that he looks forward to a Government that will work with all the people,

all races and all religions.

“We need to build now in Guyana, and in Region Ten, a cohesive society, where respect is given to every person, irrespective of race, religion or anything.

What we need to do, is move now to maximise our potential, and put those potentials to work across religion, across race and even across political divide.”

Morian commended his fellow Lindeners ‘’for being peaceful’, despite all the challenges.

“We came together to fight one common enemy the PPP - so let’s celebrate in an atmosphere of peace and goodwill, and let’s remember to give God the praise and thanks, because region Ten has worked.”

He also commended all the other Regions for their hard work, and the leaders of the coalition.

AT LAST! “At last!” Those were the words that were echoed

yesterday as Lindeners reflected on two days of suspense, after voting resoundingly in favour of APNU. In an atmosphere that was quietly tense - one that was filled with both anticipation and trepidation - Lindeners waited and waited, until finally the news, “We’ve won” reverberated far and wide. “‘This is like awakening after a twenty-three-year nightmare. Thank God!”, one woman declared, “‘and about time”, her friend chimed in.

Meanwhile Chairman of Region 10 and APNU campaign manager Sharma Solomon, at a meeting held at the Harmony Secondary School on Burnham Drive, Wismar, on Wednesday evening had told supporters, “We done win the elections.

We know the victory is ours.

Nothing different would be said. Nobody could hijack or steal our democracy!”

Solomon reminded that both GECOM and

international observers had deemed the recently concluded elections as free, fair and transparent, and that there could be no dispute by anyone.

In alluding to the recount being requested by the PPPC, who claimed that some PPP polling day staff had been chased out of polling stations, Solomon called the claim ludicrous.

“What we came here to do tonight is to assure you that we have won the elections, and we want GECOM to know that we await the confirmation of that declaration. I will say this, in twenty-four hours, GECOM must confirm that declaration.”

The Regional Chairman congratulated APNU+AFC supporters who worked tirelessly on the campaign, in whatever form.

“Congratulations on a job well done, because if it were not for you, this destination would not have been possible!”

Friday May 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 27

Another Assistant Commissioner of Police implicated in MFK execution Another Assistant Commissioner has been added to the list of top police officials linked to the execution of popular businessman Mohamed F. Khan.

While he was not implicated by hit man Lennox Wayne called “Two Colours”, who admitted that he had been contracted to kill Khan, the Assistant Commissioner was fingered by a well-placed source who has intricate knowledge of the investigation.

This recent disclosure points to the level of compromise in the Guyana Police Force when rogue businessmen could solicit the help of corrupt officers for a price.

Reliable sources in the Force have named the Assistant Commissioner who is said to be a close friend of the businessman who wanted Khan dead.

Wayne had named the businessman who he stated had ordered the hit on Khan.

He had previously implicated another Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, who he said had been staking out a lawyer’s office on Hadfield Street, where Khan was conducting business shortly before he disappeared.

That retired Assistant Commissioner has been fingered in a number of extrajudicial activities.

Mohamed F. Khan’s dismembered body was discovered on a dam at Cummings Lodge on September 23, last, a month after he disappeared.

It’s been more than a week since investigators took a detailed statement from Wayne, who claimed to have intimate knowledge of the plot that led to the murder of Khan, last year.

To date, the police have not questioned the persons who are implicated in the murder of the businessman.

In fact the police have not even issued an official statement in response to several reports carried by this newspaper.

Wayne had fingered another Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and a Sergeant in Khan’s murder.

According to reliable sources, Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud is fully aware of the revelations made by the hit man, but has not yet initiated any intense action to deal with the matter, although investigators have been able to obtain telephone records that corroborate the informant’s story.

Kaieteur News understands that following the publication of an

Murdered businessman, Mohamed F. Khan explosive statement that hit man 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 Cosmetologist, Ashmini Harriram at Lusignan.

Crime Chief Leslie James told this newspaper yesterday that the police are investigating the matter with the same vigour that they would any other of that nature.

“This matter is a sensitive one. If we divulge too much information, persons who are of concern to us can be alerted and take necessary action. I am not trying to avoid the media, but we have to be professional in everything that we do,” the Crime Chief stated.

Wayne had identified the Police Sergeant as the person who had contracted him to kill Khan and who had given him the weapon to carry out the job.

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.

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.

Wayne claimed that on July 8, last year, he was contacted by the Sergeant who requested that they meet at the Tactical Services Unit Headquarters, Eve Leary.

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

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

“I positioned myself outside the man’s 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 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 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 calibre 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

Lennox Wayne called ‘Two Colours’ 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. 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 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 use 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.

Following preliminary elections results...

Guyanese need to identify themselves as Guyanese - UN Following yesterday’s release of the preliminary results from Guyana’s regional and general elections from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), which show that the A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition is on track to form the country’s new government, it is important for citizens to view themselves as Guyanese without divisive racial identities.

This is according to the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator, Khadija Musa, who in an interview with Kaieteur News, shortly after the results were revealed, emphasised the importance of a unified Guyana with one national identity as the country moves forward in forming its new government.

“It is very important for Guyanese to think of themselves as Guyanese and not Indo-Guyanese, AfroGuyanese, AmerindianGuyanese, PortugueseGuyanese or whatever their background is,” said the UN

official. She added that these elections present a huge opportunity for citizens to market a “full identity” as Guyanese.

Musa said that in moving forward, following the preliminary results, political stakeholders need to focus on unifying the country. “They (stakeholders) need to bring all the country’s people together, through political parties, and through an inclusive government,” Musa related.

GECOM’s preliminary results for this year’s elections had the APNU+AFC leading with 206,324 votes versus the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic’s (PPP/C) 201,457 in the general polls.

When declarations are made official

by GECOM’s Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally, this would mean that the newly formed Coalition party will form Guyana’s new government, with the party holding the majority of seats in the National Assembly.

In light of the soon to be formed government, Musa said that the UN is open to cooperating with the new

United Nations Resident Coordinator, Khadija Musa administration.

She explained that the officially declared government will set their plans and goals for the country, which the UN will then consider and see how best they can help in this regard.

“We can advise in governance and other development areas,” said Musa, as she highlighted areas in the country’s governance that could be improved, namely Local Government.

“As you know Guyana (Continued on page 28)

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2015

Coalition supporters Health Ministry still investigating worrying deaths celebrate throughout Guyana Although the doctor at the centre of a reported botched abortion in Berbice that resulted in a patient’s death is currently not allowed to practice in the Public Health sector, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud, yesterday expressed uncertainty about whether the doctor is still practicing privately.

“I really wouldn’t be able to say at this point,” said Dr Persaud of the doctor. “I didn’t see the Medical Council issue anything contrary but I know we have placed him on leave. He cannot work at this period of time in the public sector.”

According to Dr Persaud, the move by the Regional Health Authority to send the doctor off on administrative leave “is the limit of our jurisdiction. The Medical Council has to adjudicate on any other practice licence,”

Dead: Kamili Arjune he said. As CMO, Dr Persaud is a member of the Medical Council.

But while Dr Persaud is hoping that the doctor under investigation is not practising at his private clinic. He added that the offence under investigation is not one that was committed in a public institution but rather at the doctor’s private clinic.

Reuel Albert awaiting a medical evacuation before his death

“We still took the necessary action,” said Dr Persaud who noted that the doctor has since sent a response to the Ministry of Health regarding the accusation levelled against him through his lawyer.

“This process is taking time but I hope that it will be thorough and we can come up with the best action,” said Dr Persaud.

Twenty-two-year-old Kamili Arjune was the patient who died on Good Friday after being attended to at the Dr Rahaman’s Clinic in Port Mourant, Berbice.

According to Dr Persaud, among the breaches is the fact that the doctor in question was not licensed to perform the abortion. Neither was his private clinic certified to conduct the medical termination of pregnancy.

Another breach, he said, was the fact that the doctor had not reported the woman’s death within the stipulated 24 hours.

Dr Persaud had said that it is required by law that once a pregnancy related death occurs it should be reported to his office. “Any woman who dies during any stage of pregnancy or up to 42 days after delivery, must be reported to the relevant authority (the CMO’s office),” said Dr Persaud as he related, that it is expected that such deaths within Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten must be reported within 24 hours.

While those that occur in the hinterland regions must be reported within 72 hours.

According to Dr Persaud he first learnt of the matter after it was reported in this newspaper.

Commenting on the recent death of an 11-month-old boy in Port Kaituma, he said that (Continued on page 30)

Essequibians celebrating yesterday

Residents celebrate in Berbice

ESSEQUIBO Some residents on the Essequibo Coast were in full celebratory mode yesterday.

This development was one that followed on the heels of the Guyana Elections Commission’s announcement of the preliminary results of Monday’s National and Regional Elections, which suggested a win for the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition.

M o r e o v e r, the supporters of the Coalition took to the streets yesterday to start an early celebration.

They were evidently very jubilant.

In Darthmouth Village for

instance, youngsters took to the streets with green flags and some attired in APNU Tshirts as they gyrated to the very popular Edward Neblett ‘Love and Unity’ song.

However, this was not the official celebration as a male member of the group told this publication that celebrations will be amplified on Saturday.

This, he disclosed, is expected to see a group of people marching to Anna Regina then back to Darthmouth.

Darthmouth, which could be described as a depressed community, has produced former Prime Minister, Ptolomy Reid and Regional Chairman, Kenneth Hopkinson.

BERBICE While this publication was not able get a glimpse of all of the celebratory action in Berbice, there are reports that residents in some sections of the county were also in early celebration mode.

According to Kaieteur News’ Berbice correspondent Samuel Whyte, some residents opted to traverse sections of the county in their vehicles waving flags as part of their celebration.

There were sporadic celebrations with some people even toasting at bars and also at homes, to showcase their appreciation for the preliminary announcement of an APNU+AFC win.

Guyanese need to identify...

(From page 27) has a lot of areas of governance that are not fully implemented. The country needs to do Local Government (Elections), which needs a structure,” said Musa, “there’s a lot of training that will be required.

We (the UN) can help in capacity building, so it is a lot.”

Additionally, the UN

representative also commented on the view that the country needs to reform its electoral laws with relation to the transmission of results.

As observer missions disclose their various reports on the recent elections, a common observation made by them was the country’s need to amend electoral laws to hasten the transmission of election results.

“Every country needs to update (their electoral laws) because there is better technology available and things can be improved constantly,” related Musa.

She said that while the current laws are Guyana’s way of conducting elections, the country can look to other countries, like India, for recommendations on how best to amend them.

Friday May 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 29

Guyanese celebrate APNU+AFC triumph

By Kiana Wilburg “We knew the corrupt empire would crumble one day,” was the general mantra of thousands of Guyanese who flooded the city streets, yesterday, after they learnt that the coalition party—A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) has won the 2015 election with some 5,000 votes.

It was an emotional moment for many who felt as though they had been redeemed. Many citizens were on their knees in the streets, with arms outstretched to the heavens, screaming, “Freedom!”

The tense business community in and around Georgetown was also elated at the news. Some would be closed for “good reason” today. “I wanted to close up because business was slow but after hearing that the coalition is in the lead, I need to get home. I want to hug my three daughters because I know under this new government we will have a better chance at life.

“I know they will have

opportunities…I am so happy,” the 38-year-old said while hurrying to close his Regent Street business.

Richard Singh, a businessman said, “It’s been a long time coming and I think it was justifiable that the APNU/AFC coalition party won. Everyone saw what was happening with this country and voted on the actual issues.”

Abu Bascom, a 37-yearold businessman, said, “I think it’s great that they won the elections and I am looking forward to a better Guyana. I am hoping that we have unity.

“Guyana is a great country and once we work together we can make it one of the best places in the world.”

Outside the APNU+AFC’s headquarters in Queenstown was a miniMashramani parade.

Residents poured in by the hundreds in front of the headquarters, adorned in their green and yellow costumes screaming for the APNU+AFC Presidential Candidate, David Granger.

For several hours, the exuberant crowd sang and

A section of the crowd at APNU+AFC’s campaign office

danced in the rain, blocking traffic at Albert and Crown Streets and setting off many firecrackers.

One woman who could not tame her gyrating hips said, “Man, I am so happy, like the song seh, ‘Wuh we want is Granger and Nagamootoo.’ We are on the road to victory. We are on our way to having a better Guyana. It is our time and we need to celebrate. For 20 something years, we were enslaved by the PPP/C. Today is my emancipation day. I am free and I can breathe again.”

Another asserted, “I’m relishing the moment; I’m enjoying it…I’m happy that people came out and gave their support to the APNU+AFC coalition…The people have spoken today and this is a clear reflection of what they want and also what Guyana needs moving forward.”

There was much celebration in parts of Sophia, Kitty, Albouystown, East La Penitence and Campbellville, too. Many residents were purchasing several cases of alcoholic beverages, for

celebrations throughout the weekend.

One Kitty businessman said, “I am so happy, so excited. Is drinks for my entire neighbourhood.

Prices slashed. The people been suffering for too long. For years this government got the people just coming in and running us out of business.

“They make the market so unfair and hard for the average man to make a dollar.

Now we have the GrangerNagamootoo team and I will follow them wherever they going. They will take us out this hell.”

In several quarters of downtown Georgetown, the happiness had already taken over. Many were too happy to contain themselves.

One youth said, “I feel really good, I worked hard during the campaign and it has finally paid off.”

Sister Jackie, a vendor, said, “I’m happy in the Lord… we have been praying and asking God for the election. He has given it. God was looking at what his children were going through and he has said enough is enough.

President in waiting, David Granger “This reminds me of the story with Pharaoh, when he held the Israelites captive.

God grew an Israelite, Moses, to deliver his people. And God stepped in and said let my people go… Thank God, Mr. Granger and Mr. Nagamootoo have stepped in because our grandchildren would have suffered another five years of the PPP/C.” Other supporters who paraded along the streets were heard chanting, “It is time for freedom…”

There were those who returned to Guyana after many years and were also part

of yesterday’s early festivities.

On overseas-based Guyanese, Richard Smith, was overwhelmed that the APNU+AFC emerged victorious in the election. He recalled his days of working alongside Granger in the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) when he served as a Second Lieutenant.

But while the celebrations were going on, the coalition has called on all Guyanese to remain calm and respectful even as they await the official declaration of results of the 2015 elections and the swearing in of David Granger as the next President of Guyana.

The party said that the preliminary results as announced by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), demonstrate that “we have come together as Guyanese to elect a Unity Government that will represent the rights of all.”

“We call on Guyanese who are celebrating this victory to do so respectfully and within the ambits of the laws of the land,” the party added.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

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Trinidadian wanted for two murders captured in Guyana Ranks from the Guyana Police Force, aided by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), yesterday captured Trinidadian Ralph Ramdhan known as Vernon Rampersaud, who is wanted in Trinidad for a double homicide committed during 2014.

A police release stated that the 50-year-old fugitive, who is in Guyana illegally, was nabbed in a city hotel.

He is in custody awaiting deportation and escort back to Trinidad.

Ralph Ramdhan

Health Ministry still...

(From page 28) an investigation is ongoing to a point where it is at the level of a Child Health Committee.

However, he was not in a position, yesterday, to confirm if a report concerning the death of the child was sent to his office. “I don’t think we got any documents from Port Kaituma. So I can’t just say somebody say this and go ahead.

“I have to get from them (Port Kaituma Hospital) all the documents then we can do a comprehensive review and that is why these things take a little while and it isn’t always easy to get all of the relevant information,” disclosed Dr Persaud. He assured that the case is gaining keen attention and it is likely that within the next week or two that it is likely that documentation will

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be available to fast track the investigation.

He informed too that the parents of the child has not filed a complaint with is office to emphasise their concern about their son’s death. The cause of the child’s death has been recorded as pneumonia.

He said that in recent days “they weren’t able to convene too many meetings because a lot of the (medical personnel) are otherwise engaged.” Dr Persaud has however promised to consult with Head of the Ministry of Health’s Maternal and Child Health Unit, Dr Janice Woolford, on the case.

Robin Albert and Onica Atkinson, parents of the child are not taking their son’s death lightly. They are calling for a thorough investigation.

The child was initially diagnosed with a heavy cold.

He died while awaiting a medical evacuation to Georgetown.

Friday May 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Private Sector urges Thanks to all who worked for... PPP/C to accept election results Letters... Where your views make the news

From page 4 is not cause for triumphalism but opportunity to respect our diversity, and demonstrate our togetherness for the principle of rising above partisanship by cooperating to deepen the forging of this nation’s mighty soul, the continued construction of its frame, where freedom must remain our everlasting goal, coverage and truth our aim. We must remain unyielding in our quest for peace and justice, and courageous in our efforts to make real the principles upon which this great country is built.

We, the people of Region 10, must continue the work to realise our dream for economic upliftment, equal opportunities and fair play. And we know, having come this far on a journey paved with heroic struggles, our soil soaked with blood, sweat and tears, and our three fallen heroes though buried under, watching over us, we must continue this fight together to realise what is rightly ours.

Ours is the right to be treated as first class citizens in this land of our birth and have the laws respected for us too. Ours is the right to association with any organisation

of choice and to have that organisation respects us consistent with the rules it so outlined. Ours is the right, brothers and sisters, to ensure the 2012 Agreement with Central Government is honoured. And we must continue the fight to make this real.

Region 10, change has come to Guyana! But this change will mean nothing if we sit on our laurels, we waiver in making real what we have been promised and what we are entitled to. This change will be meaningless if we have not learnt from the past, and refuse to avoid the missteps of those who preceded us and those whom we seek to replace. Change will be meaningless if we seek to destroy rather than build on the successes of those who preceded us.

Change will be meaningless if we adopt attitude towards others that we ourselves despised when such was meted out to us. Change will be meaningless if we campaigned on commitments and refuse to honour them, or have the people understand why these cannot be honoured. Change will be meaningless if we allow our-

selves to accept the things we repulsed and condemned.

As a people we must make real the desire to hope again, to believe again, to dream again, and rise again! Fellow Guyanese, change must mean something and by this I mean, change must mean safeguarding, protecting and advancing the interests of the collective.

Change must mean restoration of good governance. Public service is a privilege not a right. Each and every one of us, given the opportunity to serve needs to recoginse that this means service to the people and not self.

We must learn from the past in order to do better. The development of this country has been humbug by executive lawlessness, nepotism, cronyism, friendism, familyism, discrimination, incompetence, non-performance, poor performance and corruption. These ugly features that have come to characterise our politics and governance must now be ruthlessly stamped out and put behind us!

We have a country to build that will be great and for all to see. It is a country of One People, One Nation, One

Let the healing begin, people DEAR EDITOR, I wish to caution overexuberance in victory to whichever party is declared the victor in the recent elections and it looks like that party is the Coalition.

Magnanimity in victory is the way to go. I have been receiving reports of pockets of triumphalism emanating from areas where the PPP/C has/had a stronghold on the residents. If so, let truth be told that it is the Guyanese people who have triumphed and not any political party.

These offenders and putative offenders must be told unequivocally - “cease

and desist”. Let not the spectre of ethnic triumphalism ever raise its ugly head again in this dear land of Guyana.

Mind you, I do not blame the leaders of the Coalition for failing to curb the overexuberance of small pockets of their supporters.

They must be exculpated by reason of lack of knowledge but theirs is a continuing teaching process.

I wish to urge that the education of our electorate as to proper civic and political decorum should not end when the vote is cast. The process of this aspect (and others) of political education

should be a continuing one.

Proper political and social etiquette should replace the culture of hate and malevolence and vulgar discourse.

The political spotlight shone on us for a while and its glare would have given the world the impression that we are a nation of cads and bounders in the highest reaches of the political kingdom.

The level of political discourse and other breaches of conduct so indicates. We most certainly are not.

Let the healing begin.

James A. Patterson

A monument in Guyana for Jimmy Carter DEAR EDITOR, James Earl Carter, Jr. known as Jimmy Carter, is the 39th President of the United States of America and he deserves a monument in Guyana to honour the invaluable role he has played over the last twenty five years in ensuring the evenhanded and credible counting of votes for general and regional elections in Guyana.

Just as important is President Carter’s substantial role in preventing a breakdown of law and order post elections, by demanding that results are declared as

soon as possible - in defiance of the Guyana Elections Commission or one political party or another.

Patriotic Guyanese are grateful for the contribution made by the evergreen President Carter for his nurturing of a democratic Guyana that has started the process of taking Guyana beyond tribal politics.

The following is a quote from the great Guyanese Benefactor President Jimmy Carter: “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something . . . I’m free to

choose what that something is, and the something I’ve chosen is my faith. Now, my faith goes beyond theology and religion and requires considerable work and effort.

My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”

Many Guyanese think you have made a positive difference to the growth of democracy and the political and social culture in Guyana.

Nigel Hinds

Destiny. May 11th has given us another opportunity and we must seize it. We must seize it by cooperating for Guyana and resolving to do right together. We are all in this together.

The strong must carry the weak and nothing, I say, nothing must stop us now! Brothers and sisters the change we worked for has come. We must continue the fight to make this change work for our collective good.

I urge every citizen to ensure a government that works for the common good and this does not only mean being associated with a political party and/or being part of the government structure; you can ensure this through involvement in non-governmental organisations. Government works best when it is kept honest and accountable to the people and you are being counted on to make this possible.

May God continue to richly bless you and this dear land!

Sharma Solomon Regional Chairman, Region 10 APNU+AFC Campaign Manager- Region 10

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Ramesh Persaud, has called on the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Donald Ramotar, to accept the results of the 2015 election.

According to the results emanating from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the coalition A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) is the victor by just over 5000 votes.

The PSC Chairman told this newspaper yesterday that a meeting at Office of the President, was intended for Ramotar to update the body on the party’s concerns regarding the election results.

While he did not expound on what those concerns were, he said that Ramotar was told to accept the results of the 2015 election.

Asked what his response was, Persaud said, “He did not concede. He just said ‘okay, thank you.”

Through a statement to the media, the Commission also said that it welcomes the

PSC Chairman, Ramesh Persaud release of the results and urged all parties to accept the results.

It said that it has every reason to believe that the results reflect the will of the people of Guyana. “We urge the leaders to move forward in a spirit of unity, trust and reconciliation as we continue to build our beloved Guyana,” it concluded.

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2015

President returns to Burundi after army says coup bid failed President Pierre Nkurunziza returned to Burundi yesterday, his office said, after the army chief declared that an attempted coup staged when the east African leader was abroad had failed.

But bursts of gunfire in the capital and fighting for control of the state radio during the day indicated there was still determined opposition to the president, who sparked protests and the coup attempt by his move to seek a third term.

Critics said his re-election bid violated the constitution and a peace deal that ended an ethnically fuelled civil war that ended in 2005, plunging the nation into a deep political crisis.

But before announcing his return, loyalists of the president said they were in control of the major strategic assets, such as the airport and presidential offices. They also said they still controlled the state broadcaster despite the heavy fighting.

“President Nkurunziza is back in Burundi after the attempted coup.

He congratulates the

army, the police and the Burundian people,” said a brief phone text message from the presidency.

A presidential official confirmed the statement, but would not say where Nkurunziza was in Burundi or how he had returned.

Nkurunziza was in Tanzania at a summit of African leaders on Wednesday when Major General Godefroid Niyombare, who the president sacked as intelligence chief in February, declared he was dismissing the president and his government.

A day later, Army Chief of Staff General Prime Niyongabo said the coup had failed. “Loyal forces are still controlling all strategic points,” he said in a state radio broadcast.

The announcement of Nkurunziza’s return suggested the government was now back in effective control, although periods of relative calm in Bujumbura on Thursday were broken by bouts of gunfire.

By evening, the city had a semblance of calm.

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza A Reuters witness saw one dead soldier lying near the Interior Ministry. Nearby troops said he was a coup supporter.

In an earlier broadcast, Nkurunziza offered amnesty to rebel troops. “I thank soldiers who are putting things in order, and I forgive any soldier who decides to surrender,” he said.

But he is coming home to a nation where thousands of people in the capital spent more than two weeks protesting against his third-term elec-

tion bid, often waging fierce street battles with police, and then cheered when his ouster was announced.

ARMY RIFTS Nkurunziza justifies his bid for another five years in office by pointing to a constitutional court ruling which said the president could run because his first term, when he was picked by parliament rather than by popular vote, did not count. Critics say the court is biased.

Burundi’s army is a symbol of national reconciliation

but it has displayed alarming rifts.

In the civil war, the army was commanded by minority Tutsis who fought rebel groups of the majority Hutus, including one led by Nkurunziza. Now the military is a mixed ethnic force and has absorbed rival factions.

But the coup attempt suggested divisions in the ranks remain just below the surface, threatening a return to ethnic blood-letting that has worried Burundi’s neighbours.

The United Nations says more than 70,000 Burundians have already crossed the borders for fear of an upsurge in violence, unsettling a region with a history of ethnic fighting.

African nations condemned the takeover attempt.

“East African leaders are determined to find a lasting solution to Burundi’s crisis,” Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe said in Dar es Salaam. “Africa does not want the leadership of any country to be assumed by the barrel of a gun.”

The African Union criticised any attempt to seize

“power through violence” and called for dialogue to resolve the crisis.

The 15-nation U.N. Security Council said it would “respond to violent acts in Burundi that threaten peace and security” and condemned “those who facilitate violence of any kind against civilians and those who seek to seize power by unlawful means.”

Western donors, which provide vital aid to finance Burundi’s budget and other institutions, have urged Nkurunziza not to run again and have criticised the police crackdown on protesters.

After Wednesday’s coup attempt, the United States, which helps train and equip the army, told all sides to end violence.

The European Union, Belgium and the Netherlands have all suspended some aid due to the unrest, particularly donations linked to the elections, which include parliamentary polls scheduled for May 26 and the presidential vote on June 26.

Train crash engineer lays low as scrutiny heats up Track workers and officials work at the site of a derailed Amtrak train in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (REUTERS/MIKE SEGAR)

(Reuters) A portrait of the engineer at the helm of a speeding Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia began to emerge yesterday as the man’s lawyer said his client could not remember the crash, and rescuers pulled an eighth body from the wreckage.

With the engineer facing intense scrutiny over his role in the accident, Philadelphia police said they launched a criminal investigation into Tuesday’s crash of the New York-bound train. The locomotive and all seven cars jumped the tracks while barreling into a curve at more than 100 miles per hour (160 km per hour), twice the speed limit. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the engineer, identified as

Brandon Bostian, 32, fully engaged the train’s emergency braking system seconds before the wreck.

But his attorney, Robert Goggin, said Bostian was unable to recall hitting the brakes or much else about the derailment, which left a trail of twisted metal and human carnage along the tracks, and injured more than 200 people.

NTSB member Robert Sumwalt, updating reporters on the board’s probe into the cause of the wreck, said the engineer has agreed to be interviewed by agency investigators, who were giving him a day or two to recuperate from his injuries first, and that he was entitled to be accompanied by his lawyer.

“We look very much forward to the opportunity to

interview him. We appreciate that opportunity. We feel that interview will provide us a lot of information,” Sumwalt said.

While Bostian recovered in seclusion, bits and pieces about his life started to surface. A University of Missouri graduate with a business degree, he has been an engineer for more than four years after working with Amtrak as a conductor, according to his LinkedIn page. While in college, he worked in a Target Corp store.

Bostian, who hails from Memphis, Tennessee, was described as quiet and unassuming by people who crossed his path in Forest Hills, a middle-class section of Queens where he resides.

Jose Quinones, 65, the superintendent of the large

brick building where Bostian makes his home, said he was an easy-going tenant who had lived there for two or three years. While polite, Bostian mostly kept to himself, Quinones said.

He said he was shocked to learn Bostian was involved in the derailment. “I didn’t know he had that kind of job,” he said.

Three workers at the nearby Gloria Pizza shop said Bostian was a regular customer.

“He comes in once or twice a week and orders a slice,” said a man named Tony, who did not want to give his last name. “He’s a nice guy, polite.” But Yochana Mashat, 58, who lives on the same floor as Bostian described his neighbor as standoffish.

He said he regularly rode the elevator with Bostian but never spoke to him. “He’s like a statue,” Mashat said.

Hours after the derailment, Bostian blacked out his Facebook Inc profile photo while dozens of his Facebook friends wrote comments, offering condolences and encouragement.

Efforts to reach Bostian’s relatives and social media connections were unsuccessful.

“REMEMBERS COMING INTO THE CURVE” Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said the engi-

neer spoke briefly with investigators in the hours after the crash but declined to be interviewed in depth.

At a news briefing, Police Chief Inspector Joe Sullivan said his department was working with Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams on an investigation.

Bostian was cooperating with authorities, according to Goggin, his lawyer, but had no memory of the crash and no explanation for what happened. “He remembers coming into the curve, he remembers attempting to reduce speed, but thereafter he was knocked out just like all the other passengers on the train,” Goggin said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” program.

Bostian, who suffered a concussion and gash to his head, does not recall deploying the emergency brakes, the lawyer said.

“We will have to wait for his memory to come back or for other facts to be ascertained by the NTSB,” the lawyer said.

Sumwalt said it was common for someone to suffer memory loss after a traumatic event. While many questions about Tuesday’s wreck remain unanswered, Sumwalt has said the derailment could have been avoided by an advanced safety system called “positive train control” (PTC),

which automatically slows or halts trains moving too fast or heading into a danger zone.

Amtrak said it aims to have the technology up and running between Washington and Boston by the end of the year, as required by law.

For now, the rail line only has intermittent PTC service, an Amtrak official said.

Authorities have accounted for all 243 people, including five crew, believed to have been on the train when it crashed, the mayor said. Yesterday morning, a cadaver dog found the body of a passenger in the twisted metal of the first car, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer said.

Litigation stemming from the wreck began on Thursday with the filing of a claim against Amtrak by an employee of the railway who said he was riding train No. 188 as a passenger and suffered a traumatic brain injury and other injuries. The lawsuit seeks more than $150,000 in damages.

The latest fatality to be identified was Robert Gildersleeve, 45, an executive of the environmental company Ecolab. Mayor Nutter said officials would release no information about the deceased, but seven of them, including Gildersleeve, have been identified by people who knew them.

Friday May 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

No outcome yet in emailgate Trinidad Express - No one has been cleared in the emailgate probe.

Deputy Director of Public Pro-secutions (DPP) Joan Honore-Paul Wednesday night took issue with statements made by Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar and Leader of Government Business Dr Roodal Moonilal that various authorities, including the US Justice Department, Google and the Integrity Commission, received evidence which had cleared them and other office-holders implicated in the emailgate affair.

In a release, Honore-Paul, sta-ted: While it is true that after receipt of the information from the US Department of Justice, the police team led

by Superintendent Baldeo Nanan did send a report to the Deputy Commissioner of Police Glen Hackett, it is not true that such report cleared Mr Anand Ramlogan and Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in respect of this investigation (into the e-mails).

This, she pointed out, was contrary to a report given by reporter Nalini Seelal in the Newsday of April 28, 2015.

The deputy DPP cited a number of newspaper reports, including those from the Express and the Guardian, quoting the Prime Minister and Moonilal stating a number of authorities had confirmed the e-mails, read into the parliamentary records by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley in May 2013, were fake and bogus and fabricated.

Honore-Paul stated the US Depart-ment of Justice’s response did not treat with all of the matters requested by the investigative team. And further, the US Department of Justice is yet to relay any information related to the hotmail accounts captaingarygriffith@hotmail.com’ a n d surujrambachan@hotmail.com’.

They have indicated that such information will be sent as soon as possible. Quite properly, there was absolutely no finding made by the US Department of Justice nor was any disclosed in written correspondence. The US Department of Justice was concerned only with relaying the data or information that was received by virtue of the above-mentioned warrant.

This is its legal remit.

She also stated at this time, the police investigation has not yet resulted in any finding, whether through the mutual legal assistance channels or otherwise, that the emails were or were not sent.

To give the impression that there has been some finality in this regard is misleading.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar The deputy DPP stated further, any parallel investigation by interes-ted parties and the public airing of the supposed results are palpably self-serving and bring to mind the need for the legal maxim, No man should be a judge in his own cause’. This is the bedrock principle of natural justice, the rule of law and due process. It exists to ensure impartiality by the disqualification of potentially biased or interested parties in the investigations?.

According to HonorePaul, notwithstanding the fact the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has the institutional strength and history to withstand pressure from whatever source, the publication of this information derived from private sources has the potential to interfere with the investigations being conducted by independent and impartial bodies such as the Integrity Commission and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. Morever, she said, it has the potential to interfere with the public perception of the soundness of these investigations.

The deputy DPP pointed out the investigations relate not only to whether the emails were in fact sent in September 2012 but also to whether they may have been acts by particular persons which amount to misconduct in public office.

The investigation necessarily includes an examination of events outside of the four corners of the purported email correspondence since these may have the potential to confirm or refute the dis-

puted e-mail communications, she said.

Honore-Paul said she felt compelled to indicate that given the status and standing of those persons whose names are raised in this investigation and the national attention it has obviously generated, ?it is my view that a comprehensive and speedy resolution is warranted. However, the investigation can only proceed as quickly as evidence is gathered, whether by way of mutual legal assistance or otherwise.

Accordingly, she concluded,? it is my view that the police investigative team requires additional time to conclude their investigation. I note with interest that it is reported in the media that the acting CoP and the Integrity Commission also share the view that more time is needed.

It is therefore with the interest of the Trinidad and Tobago public foremost in mind that I urge all concerned, whether directly or indirectly, to allow the police investigators the time and space to complete their investigations, without fear, favour, malice, ill-will or hindrance.

The deputy DPP is overseeing the investigations in the emailgate matter because the DPP who was featured in one of the e-mails recused himself.

It was on the basis of the vindication the Government claimed to have received from the authorities they cited that it moved a motion of censure against Rowley, which had as a resolution the suspension from Parliament of the Opposition Leader.

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Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2015

Brazil’s $3 billion World Cup stadiums are becoming white elephants a year later Brazil’s $3 billion World Cup stadiums are becoming white elephants a year later.

Nearly a year after the 2014 World Cup, many of the 12 stadiums Brazil built and renovated for the event have

fallen into disuse.

NPR’s Lourdes GarciaNavarro and the AP’s Tales Azzoni have each written sto-

ries about what has been going on with the stadiums in recent weeks, and they don’t paint a pretty picture.

Friday May 15, 2015 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You have a wonderful combination of optimism and spirituality, Aries. You believe in miracles as well as angels, Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) There's no other way to say this, Libra - you're in the mood for love. Tonight you may feel a strong urge to be with your partner.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Don't be afraid to ask for help today, Taurus. It may be that your friends and family help you with a task or you discover a mechanized solution that does the job for you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You have a generous spirit, Scorpio, which could get you into trouble if you aren't careful. When you get a gift of money or even a hint of one, your tendency is to buy presents for all your friends.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You can expect your love life to take a dramatic turn for the better, Gemini. This may be because you feel more selfconfident than you have in a long time.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You hardly even believe in love, much less love at first sight, but something that occurs today may turn you into a believer. You never know when it will happen.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You're looking good and feeling great, Cancer. Now if only your home environment reflected who you are. As you look around, you may realize that it isn't as elegant as it could be. Today you can begin to change it.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) It's likely a hidden talent of yours is revealed today, Capricorn. All those scraps of writing could turn into something more concrete, such as a novel. Maybe you begin to dabble with your children's paint set and realize how much you enjoy the creative process.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Sign up for a class or workshop today. Your career could greatly benefit from more training. A short computer course might be all you need to move your career a giant leap forward.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You've been working especially hard lately, Virgo, and today you may begin to reap the benefits of all your hard work. Some project that's dear to your heart may be nearing completion, and even you are impressed by the results!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You will feel especially close to family and friends today.

There's a lot of positive energy in the air, and people feel optimistic and congenial.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're likely feeling confident, optimistic, and enthusiastic today. You feel as though anything is possible, and indeed it is. If you feel a bit of wanderlust and are anxious to explore new places and meet new people, you may soon receive the chance.

Brazil spent more than $3 billion on the stadiums, some of which were built in farflung locations without popular local professional teams to sustain them after the tournament.

A year later, some sit empty and others are running at a loss, and even the stadiums that host regular domestic games have been plagued by disputes between the clubs and the stadium operators.

The country’s sports minister has even acknowledged the failed investment of the 2014 World Cup stadiums, telling Reuters of the 2016 Rio Olympics, “Differently from the World Cup, we are leaving a legacy.”

Here’s the rundown of the problems facing the stadiums: The Arena Amazonia in the jungle city of Manaus cost $300 million to build, even though there’s no top-flight team in the town and it’s hundreds of miles from the more populated areas of Brazil.

NPR reports that the stadium isn’t even hosting local league games because it’s too expensive.

In addition, the promised income from things like concerts isn’t coming in as expected.

Kiss even skipped the Amazonian city on its tour of Brazil. The stadium hosted just 11 events in the five months after the tournament.

The Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, the most expensive of the stadiums, is being used as a bus parking lot.

The stadium cost $550 million to build, NPR reports, but without a top-division team in the capital it has little use after hosting seven World Cup games.

Construction on the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo just finished, 10 months late.

During the tournament, a rickety temporary stand was used in place of the planned seating at one end of the stadium.

The stadium now hosts Corinthians games, but it hasn’t helped the club. According to the AP: “Attendance has significantly increased at the stadium owned by popular team Corinthians, but the club can’t keep any of the revenue because the money is still being used to pay for its construction.”

The club team Atlético Mineiro plays its games at the old Independencia stadium in Belo Horizonte — it can’t make money playing at the new Estádio Mineirão because of its contract with the stadium’s owners, the AP reports.

The 42,000-seat Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá was closed earlier this year because the roof was leaking.

In April, Globo reported that homeless people were living in the empty locker rooms.

The two professional teams in the city typically draw between 500 and 1,000 fans a game.

The stadium cost $215 million to build and is now, according to NPR, “draining city coffers” with maintenance costs.

The Arena das Dunas in Natal is “trying to make money by hosting weddings and kids’ parties — with little luck,” NPR reports.

Then there’s the Arena Pernambuco in Recife.

Here’s how the AP described it in December: The Arena Pernambuco in the northeastern city of Recife, where 236 people bought a ticket to watch a Brazilian Cup match just before the World Cup, is resorting to corporate events, conferences, fairs and wedding ceremonies.

In September, a 15-yearold boy celebrated his birthday at the stadium — he and his friends were allowed to play on the field and use the changing rooms and other facilities.

FIFA requires host nations to build just eight stadiums, but Brazil went beyond that.

Academics have long argued that building stadiums for one-off sporting events like the World Cup and Olympics isn’t a wise investment.

Across Brazil, taxpayers and local officials are finding that out the hard way.

(BusinessInsider)

Friday May 15, 2015

Kaieteur News

Page 35

Murray, Serena pull Phillip Hughes: Cricket out of Rome Masters Australia confirms independent review

Serena Williams Andy Murray and Serena Williams pulled out of the Italian Open yesterday ahead of their third-round matches.

Murray said he was tired, while Williams claimed she was suffering with an elbow injury. ”I practiced 40 minutes and felt pretty exhausted,” Murray told a news conference ahead of his match against Belgian David Goffin.

“It didn’t make sense for me

Andy Murray Reuters/Max Rossi

to keep going because when you feel like this it becomes a risk to play.”

Murray recently won back-to-back tournaments in Munich and Madrid, the first claycourt titles of his career.

“They’ve been three very long weeks for me,” Murray added. “The longest on clay in my career.”

Williams, who has won the tournament for the last two years, cited a right elbow

injury as the reason for her withdrawal. “I’ve been dealing with it since last week in Madrid,” Williams, who was due to play Christina McHale, told a news conference. ”It was a difficult decision but I should be ready for Paris.”

Both players will now rest in preparation for the French Open, which starts on May 24.

(Reuters)

Cricket Australia has confirmed it will commission an independent review into the death of batsman Phillip Hughes. Test player Hughes died in November aged 25, two days after being struck on the top of the neck by a delivery during a domestic match in Sydney.

A Cricket Australia statement read: “We have a responsibility and obligation to look into the events of that day.”

The statement added the review was not about blame but “preventing an accident of this nature happening again”.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland added: “When this tragedy happened, I said that it was a freak accident, but it was one freak accident too many.

“Never again do we want

to see something like that happen on a cricket field.”

The review will be held with the support of Hughes’s family and is expected to publish its findings later this year.

It will examine: • the causes and circumstances which led to Hughes’s death • what practices can be put in place to prevent a similar accident from occurring • the use of personal protective equipment in order to protect the head and heart • the medical screening of contracted players - especially those players with particular vulnerabilities • the medical support and coverage afforded to players and on-field support staff, including match officals, at matches and training Hughes, who also played for

Hampshire, Middlesex and Worcestershire, was hit by a delivery from bowler Sean Abbott.

His death stunned Australia and sparked thousands of tributes from around the world.

Around 5,000 people attended the funeral in Hughes’s home town of Macksville, New South Wales, with the service broadcast live to millions of people on Australian television.

After the incident, a British-based company designed a new helmet with a ‘stemguard’ - a device made of foam and a rubber-like compound that clips onto the back of a helmet, aimed at preventing another tragic death.

(BBCsport)

‘Almost perfect’ Nadal cruises past Isner into Rome quarters Rafa Nadal produced an “almost perfect” display as he booked a place in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over John Isner yesterday.

The fourth seed, who has struggled to find his best form this season in the wake of the wrist injury and appendicitis issues that undermined him last year, was imperious against the big-serving American.

He did not face a single break point and won 90 percent of his first-service points.

“I was almost perfect,” Nadal told Sky Sports Italia. “It was a good match, I’m satisfied.”

The Spaniard, who fell to seventh in the rankings after Sunday’s final defeat to Andy Murray in Madrid, looked to be back on the path to discovering his best claycourt form.

The warm weather made the court faster and Nadal’s top-spin forehand forced Isner on the defensive, some-

Giro d’Italia: Alberto Contador leads after Jan Polanc wins stage

Rafael Nadal thing the statuesque American does not do well. Nadal, a seven-time champion in Rome, will face the winner of Stanislas Wawrinka’s match against Dominic Thiem.

In the women’s event, the second seed Simona Halep

easily downed Venus Williams 6-2 6-1 in just over an hour while Eugenie Bouchard double faulted on match point, before losing a threehour battle to Carla Suarez Navarro 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-6(7).

(Reuters)

Race favourite Alberto Contador moved into the overall lead after stage five of the Giro d’Italia, which was won by Slovenia’s Jan Polanc. Spaniard Contador, who won the 2008 Giro, finished fourth on the first mountain finish of this year’s race.

The Tinkoff-Saxo rider leads the race by two seconds from Italian hope Fabio Aru, with Team Sky’s Australian Richie Porte in third, 20 seconds adrift.

“There’s still a long way to go. This was just an aperitivo,” said Contador. ”I didn’t expect the pink jersey, but to have it is always fantastic, although the one that counts is the pink jersey in Milan.’’

The 32-year-old, who is

aiming to become the first man since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year, finished alongside Aru and Porte, 91 seconds behind stage winner Polanc.

Lampre-Merida rider Polanc, 23, had been part of a five-man break and surged clear on his own with around 10km of Wednesday’s stage remaining to claim the first major win of his professional career.

France’s Sylvain Chavanel, who had also been part of the break, just held on for second as Aru, Contador and Porte followed him over the line. The 98th edition of the Giro ends on 31 May in Milan.

Stage six result: 1. Jan Polanc (Slo/Lampre) 4hrs 09mins 18secs 2. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra/ IAM Cycling) +1min 31secs 3. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana) 4. Alberto Contador (Spa/ Tinkoff - Saxo) 5. Richie Porte (Aus/Team Sky) General classification after stage six: 1. Alberto Contador (Spa/ Tinkoff - Saxo) 16hrs 05mins 54secs 2. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana) +2secs 3. Richie Porte (Aus/Team Sky) +20secs 4. Roman Kreuziger (Cze/ Tinkoff - Saxo) +22secs 5. Dario Cataldo (Ita/ Astana) +28secs (BBCsport)

Page 36

Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2015

Bat depth, players’ behaviour on ICC’s agenda

The ICC cricket committee will look to put in place more effective deterrents to avoid repeat of incidents like the one between Ravindra Jadeja and James Anderson © Getty Images ESPNcricinfo looks ahead to the important issues that are likely to be discussed by the ICC cricket committee, chaired by Anil Kumble, which will meet in Mumbai today and tomorrow.

The balance between bat and ball in all three formats With 300 eclipsed with startling frequency, the balance between bat and ball was a major point of debate during the recent World Cup. The last 18 months have seen the record for the fastest ODI hundred broken twice, the fastest ODI fifty record also broken, and the fastest Test hundred record equalled.

The cricket committee is likely to discuss imposing restrictions on the size of bats as a means of curbing the number of edged boundaries and mis-hit sixes.

There is a 10.16cm limit on the width of bats, but currently no limit on depth, giving bat manufacturers scope to increase the thickness of bats while improvements in technology help make bats lighter.

Past players, including Ian Chappell and Martin

Crowe, have begun to advocate for restrictions on bat depth, not least because the power with which balls are hit can represent safety risks for umpires, bowlers, fielders and the non-strikers.

The balance between bat and ball appears most pressing in limited-overs cricket, rather than in Tests, where the frequency of matches ending in results suggest bowlers are not unfairly disadvantaged.

The ICC had allowed bowlers two bouncers in an ODI over since 2012, and had cut one five-over Powerplay from its playing conditions, but perceived imbalances in the format remain.

ICC playing conditions, including a World Cup review The ICC has repeatedly reordered ODI cricket in attempts to check the prevalence of the “boring middle overs”, where the batting and fielding teams revert to a less-engaging holding pattern in between more exciting passages of play.

The current set of rules, however, seems only to have moved this holding period elsewhere in the innings.

Throughout the World Cup, teams largely sought to conserve wickets until the 30th over, after which they attempted to take advantage of stringent field restrictions to double their total. The two new-ball rule has in part been blamed for this.

Batsmen are wary of losing wickets to seam-movement early in their innings, but with neither ball becoming more than 25 overs old, they remain hard enough to travel quickly to the fence in the later overs.

The ICC’s decision to allow no more than four fielders outside the 30-yard circle has also been panned, as batsmen become difficult to contain at the death.

Much of the opposition to these two playing conditions have come from the subcontinent nations, which feel the new balls impede spinners’ influence on the match.

Reverse swing has also largely left the one-day game.

India’s representatives at the cricket committee - including ICC chairman N Srinivasan, current player representative L Sivaramakrishnan, and media representative Ravi Shastri are expected to support a revision of the playing conditions which may allow spin to play a greater role in games.

The use of technology in u m p i r i n g The BCCI’s stance on DRS has not softened, which means the system is unlikely

to be implemented across all international matches.

The status quo - where

boards mutually agree whether DRS will be implemented for a particular series or tournament, and which technologies will be available - is likely to persist, particularly as the ball-projection software was shown to have led to a wrong decision in November, during the second Test between New Zealand and Pakistan.

The ICC also trialled broadcasting the communication between the third umpire and on-field umpire during a decision review, and the merits of this move may be discussed in the meeting. The Official Review System (ORS), where the third umpire can request particular shots from a producer sitting in the same room, has now been tried for more than a year, and may also be reviewed.

Illegal bowling actions The ICC’s concerted effort to crack down on throwing has led to several high-profile bowlers being suspended and rehabilitated over the past year. In that time, several new testing facilities have also been accredited by the ICC. The cricket committee is likely to review the impact of the last 12 months’ suspen-

sions and reintroductions into cricket, while they remain largely committed to maintaining clean actions. The focus seems to now have shifted from the international game onto domestic cricket.

In April, the ICC board of directors approved powers to recognise a bowler’s suspension due to an illegal action in a domestic competition, provided the bowler is suspended after being tested by a member country at an ICCaccredited centre, using the governing body’s procedures.

Code of conduct, including player behaviour Two major altercations between players has brought player conduct into the limelight.

The incident between James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja in a Trent Bridge hallway between the dressing rooms gave cause for an official review last year, before David Warner was fined in January, after using the words “speak English” to Rohit Sharma during an ODI. More effective deterrents to bad behaviour are likely to be discussed by the cricket committee.

(ESPNcricinfo)

Dominican Republic top Cayman Islands in friendly Action from the international friendly between the host Dominican Republic and the Cayman Islands.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - The Dominican Republic scored three goals in each half to earn a 60 win over the visiting Cayman Islands in an international friendly on Wednesday at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez.

The Dominicans are preparing to face Belize next month in the second round of CONCACAF qualifying for the next FIFA World Cup. The Cayman Islands were eliminated from contention for a place at Russia 2018 by the Belizeans in March.

Since the match was

played outside of the FIFA calendar, Dominican head Jose Eugenio Hernandez used the opportunity to observe players from the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol Banco Popular.

The host took a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute, when Barcelona Atletico’s Kerbi Rodriguez struck off a long throw-in from Domingo Taveras.

Jean Carlos Lopez capitalized on indecision in the Caymanian defense four minutes later to double the advantage, while Derlin Batista – captaining the squad for the first time – made it 3-0 in the

45th minute.

After the break, Hernandez made multiple changes, but the level of offensive productivity was sustained.

Jose Oscar Valerio of Atletico Vega Real struck twice, putting away a rebound of an attempt that was initially saved by the Cayman goalkeeper and then finishing a splendid combination between Diego Ceara and Kevin Almosny.

Aneurys Feliz punctuated the scoreline in the first minute of stoppage time.

(CONCACAF)