Kaieteur News

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A former Ferry Captain employed with the Transport & Harbours Department (T&HD) has complained about the high tolls commuters are being made to pay for using the Berbice River Bridge (BRB).

Maheshwar Sugrim retired from T&HD as Captain of the MV Makouria and Torani several years ago and knows a lot about the inner workings of the company, even its financial position and how the financial targets were being surpassed each month.

In an interview with this newspaper Sugrim revealed that prior to the opening of

Kaieteur News

the Berbice River Bridge, millions of dollars were being made each month by the T&HD and the new bridge has put a dent into the coffers of the entity.

Today, he is quite disturbed about the huge sums of money that Berbicians and the rest of Guyana are being asked to pay for tolls to cross the BRB. Sugrim joined T&HD in 1991 as a Captain.

The fare for a car crossing the New Amsterdam to Rosignol Ferry was $200 and $20 per passenger. When fuel prices started to get higher, the company was forced to

raise the fees to $500 per car and $40 per passenger.

“Transport used to give us a target to make at $19M a month, and the rest, we does get an incentive-a bonus.”

Sugrim revealed that T&HD’s operations at the N/ A- Rosignol ferry routes used to make an average of $24M per month and workers benefitted from monthly bonuses.

The bonus went on for several years. “We used to get a reasonable bonus and it used to divide among the ferry and stelling workers”.

“Eventually, they cut out the bonus because the

Marine Office wanted to come in for a share of the bonus and we who used to feel the pressure in the nights— it wasn’t easy, so the offer was just stopped.”

He explained that as the fuel prices continued to skyrocket, “it forced T&HD to raise the fares to $700 per car and $60 per passenger”.

“The amount of money they (T&HD) were making at that time on the ferries when the fare was $500, equivalent to $24M per month...the fares went up to $700 per car and the amount of men Transport had to pay, was 50 men and you had the stelling workers

Monday November 12, 2012

and then they had to buy fuel, so I’d like to explain to the public and ask how much fuel they buy for the bridge— none— and how many maintenance men they have on the bridge.”

“I don’t know how many workers they have on the bridge; I am sure it is not a lot of workers like T&HD had.”

“They (BRB) exploiting money from the poorer classes of people. My recommended price for crossing the Bridge should be $500 with a car,” he stated.

Sugrim believes that things might have been better if the ferry service was still in operation. Currently, only the Pontoon operates between N/ A and Rosignol to facilitate workers and schoolchildren, and the vessel makes two trips per day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

Even this service leaves much to be desired, since commuters frequently report that the pontoon “breaks down”, leaving hundreds stranded and having to resort to using the BRB and pay over $400 to cross with a minibus.

With the introduction of the BRB, a number of employees with T&HD were laid- off and sent home from both the New Amsterdam and Rosignol ferry stellings. The pontoon only needs five or six workers to operate.

Sugrim stated that the ferry service could have continued to serve the public

well and in a more costfriendly manner if they had better systems in place, “like do more maintenance on the ferry boats and not cause any breakdowns and those kinds of things like that.”

The BRB, he related, is “easy” but “the price is too much”. This newspaper made contact with BRB CEO, Mr. Omadatt Samaroo, who promised to send figures requested to show the number of employees employed by the entity and the total number of vehicles using the facility, He also promised to supply data on monies acquired from vehicles traversing the bridge for the year 2011. Kaieteur News has not received this information to date.

In the past, there was public outcry against the high tolls being forced upon commuters and drivers using the structure.

The son of a government Minister is currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) nursing two stab wounds, one to his chest and another to his abdomen.

The Minister’s son, who has a history of violent behaviour, was stabbed late Saturday night at the Georgetown sea wall. Up to press time yesterday he was a patient of the hospital’s High Dependency Unit (HDU) after undergoing surgery on Saturday night.

This newspaper understands that he was scheduled to be transferred to a private hospital.

There are reports that he had an altercation with a female friend at the sea wall during which the woman stabbed him.

It is suspected that the same female posted a comment of her facebook page yesterday, condemning violence against women.

The comment stated “Violence against women should be stopped, i’m not the first u’ve severely beaten over n over and i may not be the last but i hope and pray no other innocent person falls in your hands and u do the same again. i stayed in this relationship hoping u’d change but that’s not possible and being afraid of justice because of your affiliations made it worst but the time has come to speak out and for me to be brave and stand up for myself and my fellow women who are your victims and who would unknowingly be. To the extent of frequent hospitalization; CT Scans, ultrasounds are not worth it.Stop Violence Against Women.”

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand was also tagged in the comment.

Kaieteur News tried to contact the stab victim’s father but his phone was turned off.

Ret’d Captain Maheshwar Sugrim

Stabbing leaves Minister’s son hospitalised

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

Freddie Kissoon featured for International Day to End Impunity On this year ’s “International Day to End Impunity,” prominent columnist and former University of Guyana lecturer Frederick Kissoon will be a main feature at the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX).

He will be highlighted for his continued contributions in the area of human rights and political activism and for the many attacks that he has overcome in a bid to express himself freely.

In light of the numerous attacks launched against Kissoon due to his work, the international body has called on the Government to, “investigate the threats made against Kissoon, and to look into why he and his wife were fired from their jobs without reason; with a view to reinstating them if there are no grounds for the dismissals.”

IFEX is an alliance of 16 members in Latin America and the Caribbean. Their mission is to promote and defend the right to freedom of expression through collaboration between organizations that carry out such work in the region. Kissoon’s experience as an activist is one of the cases to be highlighted at this year’s celebration to be held on November 23.

Kissoon, a fierce government critic who served as a Lecturer at the state-run University of Guyana for 26 years, had his employment contract terminated in January of this year without reasonable cause. His wife, who served at Guyana Office for Investment, a semiautonomous body directed by the Office of the President was also dismissed from her place of work without suitable explanation.

The organization has thus labeled the Kissoons’ terminations as malicious and unjust. They have posited to the Government the need for protection and activation of international rights and obligations to protect freedom of expression.

“As we highlight the culture of impunity surrounding attacks on journalists and those who dare to speak out against those in power, I call on the

Former UG lecturer, Kaieteur News columnist and political activist Frederick Kissoon government of Guyana to uphold its international rights and obligations to protect freedom of expression,” said IFEX Campaign and Advocacy Specialist Heather Orrange.

“International Day to End Impunity” is orbited by two major factors; the culture of impunity and its impact.

According to IFEX, “A culture of impunity exists when those who seek to control the freedom of expression of others do so knowing that it is unlikely that they will be held accountable for their actions.”

The impact of this culture is that, “Impunity creates a climate of injustice and insecurity for those practicing their right to freedom of expression.”

“This leads to a world where people are afraid to speak out. Where criticism is stifled, where the hard questions don’t get asked, where the powerful don’t get challenged. The result is a world where free expression is silenced.”

According to IFEX, Kissoon is however viewed as being defiant, for despite the numerous alleged Government orchestrated attacks, he is said to be a fighter.

The body quoted Kissoon as saying, “I am a critic of the government like so many others. I am a human rights activist like so many others. I will continue to do what I’m doing … until I die.”

In 2004 Kissoon was assaulted and had his car stolen. In 2010 he was attacked again when a man dumped a bucket of human waste on him, an incident that some believe was hatched by Government officials.

In January of this year, Kissoon was dismissed from his position as a lecturer at the University of Guyana. In August Kissoon was again assaulted, days after he had written about being a victim “of state oppression”.

Apart from that, the former UG lec t u r e r i s currently before the courts having being sued for US$40,000 along with the Kaieteur News Publisher and Editor by Former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who said that an article written by Kissoon in 2010 was libelous. It is alleged that Kissoon accused Jagdeo’s administration of practicing “ideological racism”.

Kissoon believes that there is a governmentsponsored campaign to silence him. The IFEX has backed the columnist after citing that, “The fact that none of the incidents involving Kissoon have been investigated or solved seems to support his theory.”

IFEX said it wrote a letter to President Ramotar, demanding a halt to the harassment of Freddie Kissoon, who was attacked, threatened and dismissed from his job for his reporting.

“The crimes,” the organization said, “have gone unpunished, but it is the right of all citizens to stand up for the right to free expression.”

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37 cops murdered in the last 17 years The Guyana Police Force has given an account for 255 persons shot by its ranks over the past 15 years, while highlighting that 37 of its ranks were murdered by criminals during the same period.

The Force in a release which sought to respond to an article published in another section of the print media, sought to justify these killings, linking most of them to a period when Guyana was in the throes of a mighty crime wave (2002-2006) The article that sparked the response was captioned “Granger: Police have killed 288 in 17 years”, in which the leader of the People’s National Congress/Reform, Brigadier David Granger condemned the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police for the deaths of over 288 persons in the past 17 years.

According to Guyana Police Force records, between January 1997 to October 18, 2012, 255 persons were fatally shot by the police under different circumstances.

These circumstances range from: Gang members exchanging gun fire with the police (Buxton/Agricola, drug trafficking and firearm g a n g ) d u r i n g w h i c h 43 persons were killed, and 49 persons were shot dead by the police during the commission of a serious crime.

The force stated that 73 persons were killed by police

- 255 civilians killed by police during the same period in gun fire exchange with ranks in pursuit after the commissioning of a serious crime while eight Berbice bank robbers were also victims of police killings.

The police statement did not account for the other 82 persons killed by the police during the period in question.

The Force however pointed out that additionally, there were 103 incidents where the police shot persons and firearms were recovered.

But these shootings are not a norm, as according to the police, the environment in which they were operating was a hostile one, particularly between 2002 and 2004.

“Nevertheless, as a result of the shootings by the police, 10 officers were charged for murder and three for manslaughter,” the police statement said.

The police referred to the 2002 jail break period which saw armed gangs killing persons wantonly, so much so that the Guyana Defence Force had to be called out to assist in quelling the hostile situation that existed.

The police said that during this period, not only civilians were killed; police were also killed in exchanges with armed bandits, and like the soldiers, police were injured too.

“Over the 17 year period referred to by the PNC/ Reform leader which taking

the current year into account would have commenced in 1995, more than 37 police officers were killed by criminals. Notably, 24 of these were between the period 2002 to 2004 when there was that hostile environment.”

The force explained that the procedure to deal with all unnatural deaths that occurs within police premises or in police operations is that the police investigates and a file with all the evidence is then forwarded to the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority who will make his comments.

The file with those comments will then be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The DPP then peruses the file to ascertain if sufficient evidence exists to institute criminal charges or not.

In the case of the former, the police will be so advised and charges will be laid accordingly.

In the latter case, the DPP will automatically advise that an inquest be held, and thereafter an inquest will be conducted to ascertain if anyone was responsible for the death of the deceased.

“The policy of the police is to save life, and deadly force should only be used as a matter of last resort.

However, if a life is lost there is an investigation and where necessary those culpable are sanctioned.”

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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

Regulating Higher Education

Monday November 12, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

Why the PPP bears the biggest blame for what happened at Agricola DEAR EDITOR, The blame game is afoot.

While all the political parties can be blamed there are some miscreants who refuse to admit certain compelling truths. They affix blame only on one group or only on the political opposition without being decent enough to provide a fulsome analysis of the truth.

If the police coldbloodedly kill a young man in a community, should the people not protest? The PPP had no problems with people ‘rumbling’ when the ballot box martyrs were killed in 1973 at No. 63 Village. It is a sickening double standard that is being practiced when it comes to legitimate protest against police violence, the kind of senseless violence that cripples all Guyanese.

At the end of the day, the police have guns and cannot kill unarmed

President Donald Ramotar, himself a graduate of the University of Guyana (UG) delivered a trenchant critique of the institution when he addressed its 46th convocation last Saturday night. He touched on a gamut of issues that have been well ventilated in the public sphere over the last few years.

These include funding challenges for the public institution; political posturing on salaries; opportunity for selling services and the need for private sector scholarships.

But his strongest call was for an improvement in standards.

Handing out some verbal bouquets to lecturers who harked to high standards, the President warned: “The university cannot, however, approach and must not tolerate lecturers who fail to prepare properly for their classes, fail to show up for their lectures, fail to submit examination grades on time and fail to maintain required standards.” It is very possible that the President was even speaking from his own experience.

In reference to improving standards, the President noted that the Caribbean Development Bank has already embarked on a project to reformulate the regulatory and operational framework of UG so as to raise its standards to acceptable international levels.

The recommendations are supposed to be presented by month end. But this raises the issue as to whether there will be benchmarks established to ensure that there is DEAR EDITOR, accountability by the administration and staff. The following Barrington Braithwaite’s is one approach to introducing this end.

There has been a global move towards new letter in KN of November 11th accountability regimes in higher education in recent years, discusses the role of PNC in promoted by American or European actors as well as by Guyana’s history. Barrington International organizations like the World Bank or UNESCO. was prompted to pick up his External Quality Assurance (QA) policies of universities, pen in defence of PNC by like accreditations and audits, reflect a paradigmatic shift of Maxwell who wrote: “The PNC is the only main Party in regulatory policies in the higher education sector.

This process is not undisputed, and those promoting Guyana’s history formed QA partly face strong opposition, as traditional and collegial entirely and completely as a forms of ‘assuring quality’ in higher education are race party.” Later Barrington fundamentally called into question by QA as a new public also blamed the colonial management tool. However, not withstanding these policy of “ethnic divide and contestations, new accountability regimes have become a rule”.

The Guyanese people widely accepted governance mechanism in higher education have been totally consumed in very different contexts.

QA gained momentum because of its ‘adaptivity’: QA is by ethnic politics and ethnic a concept to which a variety of meanings can be attached, voting for the last 60-years.

Maxwell blames PNC, and thus very different, partly contradictory interests can Barrington blames PPP, Rohee be accommodated by implementing these reforms.

Thus, these new accountability regimes can be linked to blames the “white man”. very different ideas such as re-establishing public (Recall Rohee’s personal governance, strengthening market governance, contributing attack on departing British to national competitiveness, internationalization of higher Ambassador Wheeler).

I didn’t have to read education, positioning universities in the (global) education Guyana’s history from the market and contributing to democratic transformation.

1950’s to present from With reference to the case of Chile, we can identify very different ways of translation and appropriation. Chile was among the ‘first movers’ in terms of adopting QA for higher education and introduced these reforms in a process of transition to democracy since the early 1990s. This process, of course, was initiated after the excesses of the Pinochet regime – authoritarian like ours in Guyana in the eighties but firmly on the right.

The Chilean case of introducing QA in higher education can be seen as a struggle between the idea to re-regulate a higher education sector liberalized and privatized under dictatorial rule and the dominant ideology of market governance. In Guyana, tertiary education was partially liberalised with the introduction of fees on the insistence of the IMF. Due to the broadly accepted belief in market-forces and a prevailing discourse about the benefits of market governance, QA as a policy of public re-regulation was heavily opposed.

Hopefully we should not face too much resistance here, excepting from lecturers who do not want to perform to standards.

Of interest to Guyana is that some promoters of QA ‘jumped scales’ and shifted the forums of struggles by inviting the World Bank to support Chile with a program introducing new accountability regimes in higher education. On the other hand, QA was simultaneously discursively framed as facilitating market transparency in the liberalized sector and as strengthening Chile’s position in the globalised education sector via establishing globally recognized ‘quality standards’.

The bottom line is that we must have accountability.

citizens even when they are suspects without due process.

If a rambling geriatric calls on a grieving community incensed at the PPP’s lack of punishment and unwillingness to attach culpability to ‘rumble’ in a provocative manner, what do the one-sided charlatans expect? People will tend to ‘rumble’ to protest the nastiness of the provocative statement. Could the PPP agent provocateurs who are playing the fool on this issue tell us what is the purpose of the opposition when these acts occur? When the PPP organized protests during the PNC reign for far less, did these one-eyed miscreants condemn the PPP for doing what they were supposed to do – protest wrongdoing by the PNC government?

This claim that the PNC/ APNU and AFC organized the

violence at Agricola has to be one of the most egregiously ignorant, foolish and brazenly inciting assertions in recent history. I am no fan of the PNC/APNU as readers know but if anything, the PNC/ APNU and moreso the AFC have called loudly for restraint from protesters. They have plainly told protesters to behave as the PPP is desperately trying to paint legitimate protest action in sick terms to advance fearpolitics. It has failed as the PPP support continues to decline even after Linden and Agricola.

The fact that protests will get out of control cannot be raised to remove the right of opposition and government to protest. The opposition could not deny the PPP’s budget cuts protests.

The right to protest wrongdoing is fundamental to democracy.

The PPP fought for that right during the PNC reign. If some groups refuse to protest wrongdoing for whatever reasons, it is their right but those groups cannot categorically condemn other groups exercising their right to protest in a country where there is no rule of law and protest is often the only outlet left to pursue to get government to act like human beings. Words and actions do contribute to protesters acting violently but killing a youth in cold blood in the first place and then foot dragging on reprimanding the policemen and further, making inciting ‘rumbling’ statements led to the protest, regardless of what the opposition said or did.

Let’s not forget that the police failed to protect commuters despite the fact (Continued on page 5)

Burnham and Jagan bequeathed to us ethnic parties and ethnic voting textbooks to know it. I lived it. And, I will tell you that we should lay the blame on two individuals who institutionalized ethnic politics in Guyana – Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham.

Jagan’s PPP and Burnham’s PNC were nothing but ethnic institutions whose central policy was to teach and cultivate racial politics.

Both were founder-leaders until death. Both became deified and worshiped as ethnic gods by their respective ethnic groups.

Let me pose this question: Why didn’t Jagan pass the leadership over to one of the several qualified, loyal and dedicated Africans

in the PPP – Brindley Benn, Cedric Nunes, E.M.G. Wilson, Ashton Chase – after one or two terms?

Does it take a rocket scientist to figure out that with Jagan serving as leader until death (50-years), the perception that PPP is an ethnic party would become concretized in the consciousness of the people?

And, after both Cheddi and Janet Jagan passed on, was it not palpable to the public that only an Indian can be leader of the PPP, and the Africans serve only as window-dressers?

When president Jagdeo came to the end of his term, he didn’t move-on without

first making sure that he anointed another Indian to head the party. This party was shamelessly practicing blatant ethnic party politics in a multi-racial country. And, it did it with impunity. Almost no criticism from the ABC or EU countries.

And, on the African side, didn’t Burnham replicate what Jagan did, make himself the African deity and serve as the head of the party until death?

And, after he passed on, the party demonstrated clearly that only Africans will be accepted as leader, with the Indians – Cammie Ramsaroop, Winston Murray, (Continued on page 6)

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news Why the PPP bears...

Who will save us from this monster called GPL?

Dear Editor, I am a fifty-seven year old female remigrant residing on the Upper Corentyne. Kindly permit me to share with your readers the horrible experience I have had since returning to Guyana two months ago, thanks to GPL. Ever since I arrived, my area has been plagued with blackouts. In the past two weeks or so, the situation has significantly deteriorated, to the point where we would have periods of blackout lasting more than 10 hours at a t i m e . L a s t F r i d a y, f o r instance, we had blackout for more than 10 hours, and the same was t r u e yesterday, where we had blackout from around 8:30 in the morning until after 6:00 in the evening.

Additionally, I found it extremely difficult to contact GPL’s hotline at 333-2186, as the number w a s c o n s t a n t l y b u s y.

Editor, to make matters

worse, on both days, the worker an s w e r i n g t h i s number lied bare-faced to me and told me the power would be restored in an hour or so, when that certainly was not the case.

When that hour passed and I called back, the worker said to wait another two hours. And so the pattern went on for both days.

Editor, that is frankly deplorable customer service, and is frustrating for customers who, quite honestly, are justified in the disgust felt towards GPL. I spoke with a friend of mine who is a remigrant physician in the area and he too had the same experiences as I did with GPL’s hotline personnel. He expressed his disgust, frustration, and also shame at the mockery that GPL has made of our country.

Editor, what is wrong with GPL? This is clearly a company that is not ready for the demands and

challenges of the 21st century!

They operate as though blackouts are just minor inconveniences for customers, and show total disdain and disregard for the hardworking people of the Upper Corentyne who just want to earn a decent living and get ahead in life.

All GPL does is disrupt life for these people, disrupt their work, and create unnecessary stress and financial expenses for individuals.

E d i t o r, 1 0 h o u r s o f blackout per day is simply unacceptable. It is a disaster and will destroy t h e economy of the Upper Corentyne if it is not urgently fixed.

H o w i s i t t h a t M r.

Bharat Dindiyal and Mr. Ayube Bacchus have not already been fired for their incompetence?!

You cannot imagine the anger and frustration I, my neighbours and friends feel right now at this situation.

I came back to Guyana

based on representations made in the media that things are looking brighter and developments are going on.

But here in the Upper Corentyne, our nights are darker and darker, and our days filled with misery and frustration as we contemplate how to cope with the troubles caused by GPL. I am calling on the PPP/C and other political parties to come down to this area to understand how severe this problem is and how it is negatively impacting us, and undermining all our hard work, and impeding the flow of business in this area. I am calling on President Ramotar to also visit us and to intervene and fix this situation before things turn ugly and residents start protesting in disgust.

Who will help us and who will save us from this monster called GPL? Seema Chatterdeo

From Page 4 they were present on the East Bank corridor when commuters were attacked.

The police were manhandled by a small bunch of people. I hear no vilification of the incompetence of the police force, controlled by the PPP. I hear no scathing outrage over the PPP’s continued mismanagement and ineptitude of the police force and its inability to protect Guyanese and those attacked, including Indians who likely voted for the PPP. One would think that after Linden the GPF would be better prepared and equipped to deal with citizens and to handle protest. Again, it was exposed at Agricola for its senseless actions and its frailties in dealing with protest stemming from its senselessness. The mooks will keep blaming the PNC/ APNU and the AFC while refusing to point the blame gun squarely at the PPP which is the real culprit here. The PPP’s failure to reform the police even after the Linden debacle continues to expose Guyanese and its own Indian constituency. The PPP again failed to control a protest and to protect Guyanese.

The PPP started this fire by failing to fix the police force after the Linden killings by the police. The PPP’s arrogance continues to draw blood with its own citizenry.

Its heartlessness and barbarian tendencies lead to these painful repercussions.

I have maintained the PPP is a threat to Guyanese and more particularly for the PPP to Indian security and safety. It is somehow right for the PPP to protest every action of the opposition by running to the courts and other strong-arm tactics but the people whom they oppress must stay silent.

This vast blasting of the Guyanese people’s right to protest is the PPP’s way to destroy resistance to its wrongs whether in Linden or in the sugar belt where sugar workers are locked in a serious struggle against the PPP which has destroyed their industry while fattening a few at the top.

F i n a l l y, while I unequivocally condemn the attacks on citizens at Agricola, I wonder why did some citizens ventured into villages knowing there was risk of being attacked there and knowing the police was incapable of protecting them?

M. Maxwell

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

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

Burnham and Jagan bequeathed to...

From Page 4 Speaker Sase Narine, Steve Narine – serving as window-dressers.

So why Barrington or Maxwell argue this question ad infinitum, always seeking to place the blame on the other guy or on the white man’s divide and rule policy.

The reality today is that the Guyanese people are totally consumed in ethnic politics – voting for ethnic parties almost down to the last man.

Ethnic politics has brought paralysis inside and outside of parliament – and our country abundant in

natural resources remain underdeveloped. Per capita income remains a stagnant USD 2,500.

We need to talk about how to establish a genuine multiracial democracy – one in which the baton of power passes from one party to another every two or three election cycles.

We should be talking about how to attract USD1015 billion foreign investment to open factories using local resources to make things to sell to the world.

And, if this proves impossible, let us start considering a union with Canada or USA – this way we’ll attract unlimited

investment and the problem of our intractable ethnic politics will disappear; this way we’ll raise our per capita income to USD 12,000 within 6-10-years (Puerto Rico just voted for full Statehood with the United States; Canada needs a tropical province to add to its Union).

In the meantime we should not be afraid to place the blame for our nation’s ethnic politics squarely on the shoulders of Jagan and Burnham – the same two men we like to revere as our ethnic gods - but who in fact bequeathed to us ethnic parties and ethnic voting.

Mike Persaud

A disappointing response from Government

DEAR EDITOR, I have communicated with Government for over a nine month period, in an effort to help Guyanese through the Human Service Ministry, at the humanitarian level. All I wanted is to volunteer. The need for a Psychologist is evident at the Ministry. I felt that this would have been an easy feat for two reasons: Firstly, since this Ministry needs Psychologists, as is a well known fact and secondly, since my work was freely offered to the people of Guyana who are in need.

The response from Government has been very disappointing. Contacts were made to several Government officials, including the Human Service Ministry and the Office of the President. Their lack of response suggests that they do not care about the Guyanese people. They seem to care only of the power they are wielding and in securing their own jobs.

I am a Psychologist at the PhD level with several other Biology and Psychology Degrees. Psychology and

Biology are highly integrated fields. These two fields bridge together explanations of the human mind, cognitive processes in an array of human behavior such as domestic violence, child abuse, mental health issues and all forms of emotions to say the least.

Further to the best of my knowledge, no one at the Human Service Ministry has these qualifications. They do not even have staffs with a Bachelor Degree in Psychology. The University of Guyana does not train Psychologists.

To make matters worse, the top ranking highly paid officials, at the Ministry have degrees in unrelated fields and cannot contribute anything to the Ministry. The interpretation is that there is a severe shortage of skills at the Ministry. Collectively this lack of essential skills at the Ministry makes it totally ineffective.

The end result is human suffering. As we all know many are dying daily in Guyana due to some form of abuse. It is an insult to Guyanese and a total

disregard for the lives of innocent Guyanese when Government places low emphasis on staffing this agency and other agencies in Guyana.

Government needs to correct its actions immediately. It does not cost the Government a penny to engage someone like me for the benefit of its people.

Government needs to put proper staffing in place at the Human Service Ministry and other Ministries immediately.

Government needs to be transparent regarding any vacancies and it needs to be pragmatic.

This problem permeates the Guyanese Government and is heart breaking for the people.

Government’s behavior is causing Guyana to deteriorate, as evident by the ineffectiveness of every agency in Guyana.

Government has failed its people. Government has been wielding power for over 20 years and needs to take full responsibility for the state of the country.

Annie Baliram (PhD)

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

Woman arrested for squid throwing No security guard to secure incident at La Penitence Market multi-million-dollar well A woman is currently in police custody assisting with investigation, while a man is being sought in connecting with a squib throwing incident that occurred yesterday at the La Penitence Market.

During the mishap, one woman, Pamela July, who was shopping in the market, sustained injuries to her arm and abdomen. July told this publication that she was doing her routine shopping when she noticed a man selling squibs nearby. The woman said her attention suddenly shifted to two persons known to her who were buying the squibs and throwing them in an open area as they exploded.

The woman related that a short while later, she saw when a woman lit a squib which was being held by the vendor who in turn threw it in her direction. The woman said she heard a loud explosion and then she felt a burning sensation to her abdomen.

“I know the squib went off but when I feel the burning then I realize that I get burn and the squib tear up my clothes.” July said her two teenage sons, who were with her, having seen what was going on, quickly ran to the Ruimveldt Police Station.

“A little while after I see my sons coming back with the

Pamela July showing the burns she received and her torn garments. police and the man who was selling the squibs ride away on his bicycle and the lady who light the squib was arrested.”

July was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was treated for the burns she sustained.

Squibs are usually prevalent around this time of the year in keeping with Diwali and the upcoming

Christmas celebrations.

Meanwhile, residents of Alexander Village have been given the assurance of heavy police presence to ensure peaceful Diwali celebrations.

According to the Government Information Agency, Home Affairs Clement Rohee on Sunday evening met with residents o f t h a t c o m m unity and assured them of full support from the Guyana Police Force during their celebrations of the Festival of Lights tomorrow. Minister Rohee advised that the police officers will be in different locations of the village to ensure that order is maintained.

Also on the same note, in an invited comment Fire Chief Marlon Gentle encourage persons to desist from any illegal activities during this period. He pointed out that persons should stop selling the prohibited items that can cause damage to life, limbs and property.

“The careless lighting of squibs and other explosives can cause a lot of damages if they are found in the wrong hands. We have known of incidents where persons throw these items in persons’ houses and they can cause fires. So we urge persons to exercise caution during their celebrations,” the Fire Chief said.

- residents

Residents are lamenting the lack of security at this $57M Parfait Harmonie water well Since it was commissioned last year, there have been increasing complaints about the safety and security of the $57M water well stationed at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.

The well, which has a depth of 572 feet and the capacity to produce 144 cubic meters of potable water, is expected to serve residents in La Parfaite Harmonie, La Grange and Westminster.

Responding to growing complaints made by residents about the well’s security, this publication visited the area and was shocked to see the multi-million dollar well was protected by two pieces of planks, which were used to

avoid the gate from opening by itself.

Some residents talked about the quality of water they have been getting for several months and some spoke about the lack of proper security measures to safeguard the water facility.

“Water is the main source of life and that well is providing water to three villages. If thieves go in that place and break off and thief something, what will happen to us?” Shazam Azeem queried. He also added that “they looking at $50,000 per month and left the well like that. Now if that well break, they will have to spend millions to repair it.”

Residents are calling on

the government to employ a security guard to protect the facility. “Look at that well, one big fence, no padlock, no security and the cost is $57M. Who would believe that?” a resident questioned.

According to the villagers, another depressing issue is the fact that the water they have been receiving for the past several months is of poor quality. “You can’t wash your white clothes with that water at all. I don’t know how poor families making out because that water is terrible,” said Sham Doonaught.

Kaieteur News tried to get a comment from the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) but was put on hold several times, for several minutes.

OP and 11 Govt. Ministries fail to spend over $20 billion Spending on the part of 11 Government Ministries together with the Office of the President saw a massive shortfall of more than $20 billion last year. This is according to the most recently tabled Auditor General Report, which states that the entities failed to achieve their anticipated levels of capital expenditure activities during 2011 by exactly $23.691 billion. In fact, similar observations were made in previous reports which had affected the 11 ministries.

The Ministries under scrutiny are Finance, Public Works and Communication, Agriculture, Home Affairs, Legal Affairs, Housing and Water, Health, Local Government, Culture, Youth and Sports, Education as well as Tourism, Commerce and Industry.

Following the reading of the 2011 budget, a total sum

- AG Report of $59.716 billion was made available to the governmental entities to facilitate capital expenditure activities.

Based on the audit details, $17.430 billion was directed to the Finance Ministry, $14.038 billion went to the Public Works Ministry; $6.959 billion was channelled to Agriculture, $2.530 billion to Home Affairs, while Legal Affairs got $1.015 billion and $5.532 was granted to the Housing and Water Ministry.

The Health Ministry received a sum of $994 million, Local Government got $1.657, Culture, Youth and Sport was the recipient of $823 million while Education gained $3.305 and Tourism, Commerce and Industry got $464 million.

However the actual expenditure amounted to $36.025 billion reflecting a shortfall of $23.691 billion,

according to the audit details.

In light of its findings, the Audit Office has recommended that the Ministry of Finance seek to encourage Heads of Budget Agencies to undertake projects and capital works during the earlier part of the year.

Adopting such a practice, the Audit Office notes, would alleviate any problem or issues encountered which can be detected within a timely manner so as to avoid delays and ensure amounts are expended as budgeted.

The Ministry of Finance has concurred with the recommendation made by the Auditor General and as such, all Budget Agencies have been advised to commence preparatory work on bid documents so as to facilitate tendering with respect to the execution of capital works during the first quarter of each year.

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 9

BIG BUSES ARE NEEDED BEFORE CHRISTMAS The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has made an important observation. They have noted the distress that many workers face in accessing public transportation.

This is an extremely frustrating experience that workers face each afternoon.

It means that by the time they reach home, they are not only tired but also in a bad mood.

And all because the private transportation system has not been able to provide the sort of service that is required.

It is however not all the fault of private transport operators. It takes a long time, for example, for mini buses to pick up a busload of passengers, transport them to their destination and then get back to the park. The reason why it is taking so long for a round trip is because of the heavy vehicular traffic on our roadways. So that, for example, a mini bus which is traversing the Harbour Bridge not only has to contend with heavy traffic along the East Bank but also congestion on the bridge itself.

Also, when you consider that most villages are thinly populated and lie along our main public roads, it means that for every busload of passengers that a minibus for example picks up, there has to be about fifteen stops along the way, not counting the slow snaking traffic and

the woes of crossing over the river.

As such, what happens is that if a bus picks up a load at 4.30 pm, that bus is not likely to return to the park until around 6pm. So while there may be more buses working, because the turnaround time is so long, it means that the buses make fewer trips. To add to this problem is the fact that many of the drivers and conductors want their leisure time each afternoon and therefore they are not willing to work very late. In some instances, they stop working after 5.00pm.

Making the situation worse is the fact that there are so many persons now who are driving their own cars.

Sometimes you can have a line of cars crossing the bridge, and without car pooling, it means that these lines can end up being very long.

The government had announced that it was willing to consider incentives for the Private Sector if they would venture into bigger buses, targeting the large housing areas. At least this is what was stated at one of the press conferences hosted by the Head of the Presidential Secretariat.

It does not seem as if the Private Sector has taken up this offer because there are no big buses running into some o the major housing schemes such as Diamond, Parfaite

Dem Boys Seh

Sonny got to head fuh gool When people eye big, marabunta does fly inside. That is wha old people always seh and dem old people know bout marabunta. Some people got money and dem eye suh big that dem see more money. Not that it is a bad thing because people wid money does build big shopping complex instead of small shop.

These big eye people decide that dem gun go for airplane. Was a good decision because people get a chance fuh travel, even if was to Trinidad. De plane would wuk but once you eye big, it don’t get small. Somebody decide fuh chase more money. Now dem boys seh that de Feds chasing he.

Guyana is gool and if he got sense he would come home.

Of course he got to travel backtrack but once he get here, dem Feds can’t touch he. But he might got to hide some more because dem have some people who must have put money in de plane and now dem lose that money.

But dem boys sorry fuh de people who was earning a living. Now dem out of a job. Hen See hen and Geenah did holler how de opposition put dem pun de breadline. Wonder wha dem gun seh bout dem boys who now got people pun de same breadline.

And talking bout breadline, dem boys seh that Christmas coming and people does get bonus. De Hard Times newspaper didn’t sell whole year suh dem boys want to know how de staff gun get any bonus. Dem mightn’t even get a salary but again, nobody ain’t talking.

Everybody know dat de Chronicle ain’t pay bonus fuh more than ten years. Of course, last year de management tek shame out of dem eye and pay de staff $2,000 fuh good behaviour. Fuh sure, Bobby can afford that. Only thing he can’t call it bonus.

He trying fuh sell paper by putting Uncle Adam and Uncle Glenn photo in he paper every day. It might wuk if he change de photos. That is wha dem boys seh.

Talk half and pray fuh Sonny.

Harmonie and the Mon Repos Housing Scheme.

As such, it is now up to the government to jump in and fill the void. The Private Sector should not complain about this but they will.

They have failed to take up the challenge to solve the transportation woes on our roadways and therefore the government should not hesitate in bringing in some big buses, perhaps capable of carrying sixty persons at one trip to ease this problem.

In order not to stifle private transportation operators, these buses should only operate at peak hours. This means that they

should only operate early in the mornings and after work so as to avoid the long delays that workers face.

The buses should ideally be of an express service in that they should be no stops along the route. They should pick up the passengers at designated stop and take them directly into the middle of each of the aforesaid housing schemes. The workers will have to decide how they get from the drop off point to their individuals home.

The government can be sure that such a service will be welcome. There are many persons who live in housing

schemes and are willing to pay a $40 extra just to get home.

Another thing that can be encouraged is for safe parking so that persons can park their vehicles near to bus terminals and then join a big bus to their destination. This will allow for fewer vehicles on the roadway.

Carpooling can also be encouraged but Guyanese will not be keen on this because of privacy and security consideration.

It is now certain that big buses will have to be imported by the government in order to ease the transportation woes of the public. It is hoped

that the parliament will pass the necessary financing so that this can happen because right now workers are really upset at the long time they have to wait to get to and from their place of employment.

This situation needs to be addressed urgently because with Christmas around the corner, the traffic situation will not get any better.

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

Ramotar pledges $1M in support to Guyana Legion The Guyana Legion yesterday morning hosted at its headquarters at Coghlan House, Carifesta Avenue its annual observance to mark Remembrance Day and to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the World wars and conflicts after the Great Wars and those who continue to do so today.

At the reception, the umbrella body of World War veterans and other exservicemen was able to raise more than $2.2M in support of its cause and this included a pledge of $1M made by President Donald Ramotar who attended the reception.

Also in attendance were Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn, President of the Guyana Legion, retired Colonel Carl Morgan, Chiefof-Staff, Guyana Defence Force, Commodore Gary Best and British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre.

“I have a very good idea of the destruction that wars cause on human beings and on human society, and these are the things that we have to continue to fight against in our lifetime” the President declared.

He said, “…we cannot therefore, ever say enough thanks and gratitude to those who participated, those who

survived…to pay homage to them for the tremendous sacrifices that they must have made in real terrible conflict and terrible times.”

The President stated that one of the positives that emerged from such terrible time was ‘hope’ that led to the establishment of institutions like the United Nations, which is 67 years old and vindication of its existence is the fact that during this period, there has been ‘no total world war.’

There has however, been local wars and conflict, he said, and he called on everyone to play a part in bringing these to an end. “As part of the war on community, we have a job to try to contribute to keeping peace in the world,’ the President said.

He noted that keeping the peace is important because the world, and moreso Guyana, will not be able to “realise our aspiration to build a strong, healthy economy, a strong social service where all our people can be equal and all our people can enjoy the fruits of their labour.”

He warned that the world is so interconnected today that it is impossible to think about development in

President Donald Ramotar addressing attendees at the reception at the Guyana Legion headquarters, Coghlan House, Carifesta Avenue

isolation. “All our prosperity, our aspirations are linked with each other,’ he said.

President Ramotar said that for a small developing country, Guyana needs to have a big interest in having peace throughout the world, and it is for this reason that Guyana has been orienting its foreign policy and promoting its diplomacy towards peace and to preserve peace and safeguard its democracy.

The Chief-of-Staff,

Commodore Gary Best in his brief remarks stated, that “as serving and former members, military men and women, we understand the risk of war.

We feel however, that the pride and distinction of service to one’s country outweigh those very risks.”

Commodore Best said that most have not had the experience of war or the emotional damage that it inflicts on loved ones or the greater grief of separation made permanent.

He stated that Remembrance Day should therefore be a time for persons to “develop a deeper understanding of vital

contributions veterans make and continue to make to the development of Guyana.”

He called therefore for citizens to provide and maintain services to all veterans.

The British High Commissioner said that the fallen heroes had his deepest respect and gratitude for the contributions they would have made in making the world a better place.

He paid particular tribute to the Guyanese soldiers who fought alongside the armed forces of the United Kingdom in the two World Wars.

“Without the support and partnership of Guyana and

other Commonwealth countries, the world we live in would be very different and our shared values of democracy, accountability, tolerance, human dignity, respect and the value of service might have been lost forever,” Mr. Ayre stated.

In addition to the pledge made by the president, Commodore Best pledged $500,000 on behalf of the GDF, and also made a personal pledge of $150,000. Dr Jose Da Silva of Modern Optical Services pledged $100,000 and there were other individuals who made smaller contributions to the total.

(GINA)

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 11

President rededicated Guyana’s commitment to peace at Remembrance Day ceremony

Heads of Mission of the Diplomatic Corps with their wreaths.

By Abena Rockcliffe Military ranks braved the scattered showers yesterday morning as politicians, members of the diplomatic corps, veteran soldiers and Guyanese patriots gathered at the Cenotaph to pay homage to the fallen Guyanese soldiers who died during World Wars One and Two. The Cenotaph, situated in the vicinity of the Bank of

Guyana and the National Library, stands as a monument to the fallen soldiers. The symbolic wreath laying is annual, however, yesterday’s procession marked the first for President Donald Ramotar in his capacity as Commanderin-Chief of the armed forces.

In his brief statements to pay homage, the president said, “We (Guyanese) are forever indebted to them (fallen soldiers) for their

supreme sacrifice in the cause of peace and freedom.”

He said also acknowledged “those who, throughout the years, made similar sacrifices in the continuing struggle for humanity, social justice and freedom from all forms of oppression, wherever these exist.” The Guyanese leader asserted that “these men and women immensely aided to strengthen the resolve to maintain efforts for “a world

at peace, with justice and prosperity for all peoples.”

Very significantly, the Commander-in-Chief rededicated Guyana’s commitment to the search for peace, as well as the development and wellbeing of the country.

Wreaths were laid by the President, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; Chief-of-Staff Guyana Defence Force, Commodore Gary Best; Commissioner of Police

(Acting) Leroy Brumell; Leader of the Opposition, retired Brigadier David Granger; Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green; President of the Guyana Legions, retired Colonel Carl Morgan; Heads of Mission of the Diplomatic Corps and a representative of the Guyana Ex-Soldiers’ Benevolent Association and Ex-Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Association, in that order. The wreath-laying was

followed by two minutes of silence; with gun calls indicating the beginning and end. Guyana’s three main religious groups were acknowledged through prayers done by respective leaders.

Remembrance Day is observed worldwide with wreath-laying ceremonies.

The day is also formally observed by the wearing of poppies. The red symbolizes bloodshed in warfare.

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

Secrecy surrounding Amaila Falls a major worry - AFC The Alliance For Change (AFC) has demanded that the government “come clean” on the “secretive affairs” relating to the Amaila Falls project. Party leader, Khemraj Ramjattan noted that government’s boast of transparency and accountability would demand that it would, ever so often, make releases about the status of major projects that “affect all citizens of this country.”

Ramjattan was responding to questions relating to this newspaper’s recently published article; headlined “Amaila Falls Hydro Project…

Construction unlikely before 2015.”

Kaieteur News had quoted a senior engineer connected to the project.

Ramjattan’s position, on behalf of his party, is that the government should have been the source of information for “such a major and valuable project to society.”

The party leader stated emphatically that the government needs to find it necessary to be accountable to the Guyanese public; “…that has not been happening,” he noted.

Further, he expressed that “We understand that the delay has to do with the fact that the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) hasn’t finalized its US$100M into the deal. We understand too that there might be problems in relation to issues dealing with the back-up electricity generating plants.”

Ramjattan noted that,

assuming the dry weather comes “as suggested by the President”, the government hasn’t put any mechanism in place for electricity to still be generated in the absence of water force.

Asked if his party has any trust in the Guyana Power & Light Inc. (GPL) as it relates to its technical capacity to accommodate the project, Ramjattan stated that GPL has presented the AFC with a detailed plan of improvements needed to be implemented so that the project could be accommodated. However, Ramjattan said that “if it will come through is another matter.”

Kaieteur News reported that the Amaila Falls Hydro Project will be facing major setbacks and is unlikely to start anytime soon.

This newspaper learnt

that delays in road construction and the completion of a feasibility study of the project coupled with due diligence by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will contribute to the hold up. However, the IDB has already signed a mandate letter, paving the way for due diligence to begin.

The Bank is being sought after for US$175M to complete the consortium of investors in the project which has an announced price tag of US$840M. The senior engineer explained that the feasibility study is important as the project has to show that it can generate enough revenue to service its debt, grow the economy and not become another Government “’sinkhole’ like the Skeldon Factory”.

Among other things, the bank will want to examine GPL management’s technical capacity and its ability to reduce electricity losses from thefts and system inefficiencies. Further, it was noted, that the IDB would have conditions to its loan, including improvements to GPL’s systems.

In September, government announced that Sithe Global had signed a US$506M Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreement with China Railway First Group (CRFG) for the project.

The 165-megawatt project is to be built in Region Eight with funding coming from a number of sources including US$100M in equity from the Guyana government.

Students of the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) will be benefitting from a $7.8M three-component project that is aimed at improving skills training offered to young persons who are housed at the juvenile rehabilitation institute.

The donation was made possible by a number of German students who donated the whole of their salaries to the NOC after a period of work.

With the money a number of tools and machinery were handed over to the Administrator of NOC, Samwar Jagnarine at a small ceremony held at the Ministry of Culture on Monday last.

A German funding agency, Eerepami, through the German Development Bank has made the project possible by providing materials and funding for the institute’s improvement. Robert Spitzer the Chief Executive Officer of the German organization Eerepami said that he is pleased to be making the contributions. The CEO said that the three-component project provides new tools and machinery for the joinery,

carpentry and metal working workshops.

The organization has provided funding to introduce new skills training such as catering, food handling and home economics.An expert from Germany has also been provided to NOC to conduct an intensive eight-week training programme with NOC staffers on handling and maintaining the new equipment.

Spitzer was delighted to note that the project’s funding came from 21,000 German youths who had worked for a day and donated their salaries to the development activities for young people such as themselves.

“Most of the $7.8M was raised from youths in Germany,” Spitzer said. “Twenty-one thousand youths from the youth foundation went and work for a day and all their salaries they donated so that projects like this one at NOC that benefits youths in Developing countries, can be supported.”

Spitzer said the focus of the project, “Is on straight forward years of training that will give youths an

opportunity to get a job in the future.” He noted that Guyana is on the verge of development and persons with the varying skills are necessary for the country’s growth.

The CEO also mentioned that the Home Economics programme is greatly focused on assisting young girls who would be able to earn a living in that particular field or may be beneficial to them in their home life.

The NOC Administrator told Kaieteur News that the donation would take the entity to a new level. Eerepami, he said, has been focusing immensely on the area of joinery and welding, while providing assistance for the catering classes after it was noticed a need for the “softer type skills training”.

Culture Minister, Frank Anthony expressed gratitude to the Eerepami CEO and commended the organization for their keen interest in assisting Guyanese youths.

The Minister had noted that training in certain skill areas was lacking, especially in the area of Home Economics.

AFC leader: Khemraj Ramjattan

NOC benefits from German donations

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 13

$10M demanded for return of “Kidnapped” seven-year-old An unknown caller who claimed to have possession of missing eight year old Roxanne McLean has demanded a whopping $10M for her return. The child’s mother Tova Patterson told this newspaper that she received the chilling telephone call around 20:45 hours yesterday.

It has been over a week since seven-year-old Roxanne was “kidnapped” from her school. Police had apprehended a suspect who is very well known to the

child’s family. However, police sources claimed that not enough was found on the suspect to detain him for more than 72 hours.

As Kaieteur news kept in contact with Patterson yesterday, she informed that she was in receipt of numerous calls from an unknown number yesterday.

However, nothing was said by the caller until last night when the caller demanded the large sum.

A distraught Patterson said that the person on the

Carjackers shoot Corentyne taxi driver A Corentyne taxi driver is nursing a gunshot wound at the New Amsterdam Hospital after he was attacked by bandits who stole his car.

The man, whose call name rover was the only identification available to this newspaper last night, is listed as being in a serious condition.

The incident occurred around 20:00 hours in the vicinity of Moleson Creek.

Details of the incident

were sketchy last night but according to reports, the man had reportedly left a gas station at Corriverton shortly before he was shot.

He was first taken to the Skeldon Hospital before being transferred to New Amsterdam because of his condition.

Up to late last night his car HB 3172 had not been recovered by police who had launched a campaign to catch the perpetrators.

line did not disclose much information. However, she said that the caller indicated that Roxanne is “okay” and is being held in Nikerie Suriname.

The caller indicated to Patterson that he will call her back today to tell her where she will find her daughter, providing that she comes up with the ransom.

Crying loudly over the phone, Patterson explained to this newspaper that one of her ex spouses, who resides in Suriname had expressed concern over the child’s disappearance.

The man related to her that the suspect who was previously detained by police had contacted him via facebook. She said that the man claimed that the suspect told him “de whole story and say how I lock he up.”

Patterson noted that she had spoken to her Suriname friend minutes before the “kidnapper” called.

Earlier in the day, the mother told this newspaper that she has hopes that her daughter is alive but she is worried about the conditions she may be under.

The saddened mother

said that she had “mix up” dreams about her daughter and woke up in tears. She also disclosed that her three other children are mourning the disappearance of their sister.

“Every time I go out and come back, all they keep asking is if I find Roxy yet or have a clue where she is.”

Meanwhile, the missing child’s father, Walter Mclean said that he went around to a number of places in search of his daughter, “just hoping that someone may have seen her.” The man said that he is growing more and more worried since so much time has elapsed without anyone being able to gather a simple clue as to “why all this.”

The St Agnes Primary School child went missing from her school on Monday last. A teacher noted that a man was at the school twice inquiring about the child.

A description given fitted the physical of the son of Patterson’s companion.

Patterson received several cellular phone calls on the day of the child’s disappearance from someone who informed her that her daughter was kidnapped and warned her that any police

Roxanne McLean involvement may result in her death.

Last evening, Patterson said that the caller who demanded the money sounded like the voice from the first day. Well placed police sources stated that “we are pulling out all the plugs on this one.”

The Officer said that a team of investigators is “working on this case as there is an innocent child involved.”

He indicated that the police have been following several leads but keep arriving at dead ends.

Further, and most interestingly, the source said that “there seems a lot more than what is being presented in this case and we have reason to believe that this child is caught up in a serious triangle that may cause her to be hurt by the ones who are supposed to protect her.”

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

National Psychiatric Hospital remembers oldest living mental health worker

NPH Officials making the presentation to the elderly citizen.

His daughter, Mrs La Rose is at extreme right.

Mental Health month concluded on Wednesday with the National Psychiatric Hospital (NPH) honouring and remembering the oldest mental health worker in the country, 97- year- old Percy La Rose, of St Magdalene Street, New Amsterdam.

Several mental health practitioners turned up at the senior citizen’s residence to donate two hampers, one from the Mental Hospital and the other from the Anamayah’s Memorial Hospital on the Corentyne.

Ms Meena Yassin, Acting Food Supervisor of the NPH, stated that they always visit the shut-ins on the last day of mental health month and have chosen Mr. La Rose this year.

His daughter, Marylin La Rose related that her father is not as agile as he wants to be these days and cannot hear well nor can he speak well, but he is well aware of his surroundings and those

around him. “About three years ago, he stopped seeing completely due to glaucoma.

Because of these defects, he cannot communicate but he is very sensitive and has a very good appetite since he eats anything and everything.”

She added that being a member of the local Anglican Church in the town, he is regularly visited by the priest who administers the Holy Communion at his home.

She added that her father worked for 30 years at the NPH as a mental attendant, equivalent today to a Psychiatric Nurse-Aide, and retired in 1973.

“And at that time, he worked in the Stores and he said in those days the hospital had 800-900 patients because at that time, the kind of treatment was not as it is now…more confinement and subduing of the patients, but now, the treatment is better.”

La Rose mentioned, too,

that her father was a very strict person. “If we came home from school after he came home, we had to give him a very good reason as to why we were late from school and he inflicted corporal punishment on us, and it hasn’t killed us.”

La Rose herself was a Midwife and Nurse back in her days. Mr. La Rose also did other odd jobs to take care of his family, including being an upholsterer as well as teaching the patients the art.

“Especially around this time, at Christmastime, he had a lot of work.”

Mr La Rose also worked with his father as a painter on very important projects, including painting Atkinson Field (now Cheddie Jagan Airport), after which he worked as an Office Assistant at Dr Oscar Davis, a dentist, in 1943 in New Amsterdam. La Rose fathered nine children, three of whom are deceased.

Page 15

CAL to display Guyanese Craft in Duty Free shops Caribbean Airline (CAL) Executives have agreed to include a lineup of Guyanese craft items in their duty free shops.

This accord was reached on Saturday, following discussions held at State House between President Donald Ramotar, Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali and Transport and Hydraulics Minister Robeson Benn and Caribbean Airlines Executives.

The Trinidadian team travelled to Guyana to engage in discussions subsequent to the Government’s decision last Friday, to suspend EZjet’s license to operate flights in and out of Guyana following the United States Department of Transportation revocation of the carrier’s license to operate.

According to Minister Ali, the discussions and decisions taken at the meeting with representatives from the regional carrier were aimed at strengthening ties that will lead to stronger regional integration.

In addition, he expounded on the importance of the continued support for the

Craft Industry in Guyana through the Guyana Arts and Craft producers Association (GAPCA), as this forms part of an historic market.

“We are seeking to collaborate with CAL in several areas, including the advancement of small business development as we continue to create economic opportunities.

These are all measures to ensure that the local craft producers and businesses are able connect with the appropriate markets,” Minister Ali explained.

The Tourism Minister maintained that there will continue to be support for young entrepreneurs to allow the formation of new businesses and allow the empowerment of young people, which will in turn create wealth.

Meanwhile, CAL’s Chairman, Mr. Rabindra Moonan, CEO Mr. Robert Corbie and other officials from the airline assured that the airline is committed to working with the Guyana Government and will facilitate the introduction of a Guyanese line of products in their duty free section.

The CAL officials also

agreed to assist with the transportation of passengers who have booked flights with Ezjet and are affected by the suspension of its service in Guyana and New York.

It is estimated that between 20,000 to 35,000 passengers would have made reservations to travel with EZjet between November and December 2012.

Other issues raised at the high-level discussion included additional direct flights to NY and Toronto and the possibility of making Guyana a sub-base for Caribbean Airline, they also discussed the issue of cargo and air freight and airlift linking South America.

“MINTIC will collaborate with our existing partner Caribbean Airline Limited to facilitate practical and sustainable solutions to meet the impact anticipated as a result of the challenges presented by EZjet’s closure during this undoubtedly difficult time.

The Ministry will also collaborate with the Ministry of Public Works to ensure that stern action is taken against EZjet in protecting the interest of the consumer,” the release stated.

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

Monday November 12, 2012

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

BBC must reform or die, says Trust chairman LONDON (Reuters) Britain’s BBC could be doomed unless it makes radical changes, the head of its governing trust said yesterday, after its director general quit to take the blame for the airing of false child sex abuse allegations against a former politician.

Chris Patten, chairman of the BBC Trust, said confidence had to be restored if the publicly funded corporation was to withstand pressure from rivals, especially Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, which would try to take advantage of the turmoil.

“If you’re saying, ‘Does the BBC need a thorough structural radical overhaul?’, then absolutely it does, and that is what we will have to do,” Patten, a one-time senior figure in Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party and the last British governor of Hong Kong, told BBC television.

“The basis for the BBC’s position in this country is the trust that people have in it,” Patten said. “If the BBC loses that, it’s over.”

George Entwistle

resigned as director general on Saturday, just two months into the job, to take responsibility for the child sex allegation on the flagship news program Newsnight.

The witness in the report, who says he suffered sexual abuse at a care home in the late 1970s, said on Friday he had misidentified the politician, Alistair McAlpine.

Newsnight admitted it had not shown the witness a picture of McAlpine, or approached McAlpine for comment before going to air.

Already under pressure after revelations that a longtime star presenter, the late Jimmy Savile, was a pedophile, Entwistle conceded on the BBC morning news that he had not known - or asked - who the alleged abuser was until the name appeared in social media.

The BBC, celebrating its 90th anniversary, is affectionately known in Britain as “Auntie”, and respected around much of the world.

But with 22,000 staff working at eight national TV channels, 50 radio stations

and an extensive Internet operation, critics say it is hampered by a complex and overly bureaucratic and hierarchical management structure.

Journalists said this had become worse under Entwistle’s predecessor Mark Thompson, who took over in the wake of the last major crisis to hit the corporation and is set to become chief executive of the New York Times Co on Monday.

In that instance, both director general and chairman were forced out after the BBC was castigated by a public inquiry over a report alleging government impropriety in the fevered build up to war in Iraq, leading to major organizational changes.

One of the BBC’s most prominent figures, Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman, said since the Iraq report furor, management had become bloated while cash had been cut from program budgets.

“He (Entwistle) has been brought low by cowards and incompetents,” Paxman said in a statement, echoing a widely-held view that Entwistle was a good man who had been let down by his senior staff.

Prime Minister Cameron appeared ready to give the BBC the benefit of the doubt, believing that “one of the great institutions of this country” could reform and deal with its failings, according to sources in his office.

Patten, who must find a new director general to sort out the mess, agreed that management structures had proved inadequate.

“Apparently decisions about the program went up through every damned layer of BBC management, bureaucracy, legal checks and still emerged,” he said.

Chris Patten “One of the jokes I made, and actually it wasn’t all that funny, when I came to the BBC ... was that there were more senior leaders in the BBC than there were in the Chinese Communist Party.”

Patten ruled out resigning himself but other senior jobs are expected to be on the line, while BBC supporters fear investigative journalism will be scaled back. He said he expected to name Entwistle’s successor in weeks, not months.

Among the immediate challenges are threats of litigation.

McAlpine, a close ally of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, has indicated he will sue for damages.

Claims for compensation

are also likely from victims who say Savile, one of the most recognizable personalities on British television in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, sexually abused them as children, sometimes on BBC premises.

Tw o i n q u i r i e s a r e already under way, looking at failures at Newsnight and allegations relating to Savile, both of which could make uncomfortable reading for senior figures.

Police have also launched a major inquiry into Savile’s crimes and victims’ allegations of a high-profile pedophile ring. Detectives said they had arrested their third suspect on Sunday, a man in his 70s from Cambridgeshire in central England.

Funded by an annual license fee levied on all TV viewers, the BBC has long been resented by its commercial rivals, who argue it has an unfair advantage and distorts the market.

Murdoch’s Sun tabloid gleefully reported Entwistle’s departure with the headline “Bye Bye Chump” and Patten said News Corp and others would put the boot in, happy to deflect attention after a phone-hacking scandal put the newspaper industry under intense and painful scrutiny.

He said that “one or two newspapers, Mr. Murdoch’s papers” would love to see the BBC lose its national status, “but I think the great British public doesn’t want to see that happen”.

Murdoch himself was watching from afar.

“BBC getting into deeper mess. After Savile scandal, now prominent news program falsely names senior pol as pedophile,” he wrote on h i s Tw i t t e r w e b s i t e o n Saturday. It is not just the BBC and the likes of Entwistle and Patten who are in the spotlight.

Thompson, whom Entwistle succeeded in mid-September, has also faced questions from staff at the New York Times over whether he is still the right person to take one of the biggest jobs in American newspaper publishing.

B r i t a i n ’s M u r d o c h owned Sunday Times queried how Thompson could have been unaware of claims about Savile during his tenure at the BBC as he had told British lawmakers, sa y i n g h i s lawyers had written to the paper addressing the allegations in early September, while he was still director general.

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 19

Thousands of Kuwaitis Activist preacher voted head protest against voting changes of Syria opposition group KUWAIT (Reuters) Tens of thousands of Kuwaitis packed into a square opposite parliament yesterday in a peaceful opposition-led rally against new voting rules.

Recent demonstrations against the electoral changes, ordered by Kuwait’s ruler last month ahead of a poll on December 1, have led to clashes between protesters and police as marches spread out of the areas usually designated for rallies.

Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the 83-year-old emir whose family has ruled Kuwait for more than 250 years, has said the new rules are aimed at preserving national unity. He warned last week there will be no leniency for threats to national security.

Hundreds of Kuwaiti men wearing white traditional robes streamed into the square where opposition leaders gave speeches from a stage to protesters, many sitting on carpets drinking tea as others sang Kuwaiti songs.

Hundreds of women dressed in black traditional

robes sat in a separate area of the audience. Helicopters circled overhead and police lined the streets around the square which were clogged with traffic.

“The government just wants a parliament that does everything they want,” said computer security manager Abu Abdullah. “They are playing with our constitution.”

Fatima al-Badah, an educational supervisor, said: “The decision (to change voting rules) came from the emir. It is more accurate if this issue is discussed in parliament. Under the new system it is easier to buy votes.”

In a conscious echo of Arab Spring slogans used in other parts of the Arab world, some protesters chanted “The people want to bring down the decree (on voting).”

Protests have toppled four Arab leaders since last year. Although Kuwait, an OPEC member and United States ally, allows more dissent than most other Gulf states, in recent weeks it has begun to emphasise the limits of its tolerance and has

arrested small groups of people at the protests.

Made up of Islamist, tribal and liberal lawmakers, as well as youth groups, the opposition says the new voting rules are an attempt to skew the parliamentary election in favor of progovernment candidates.

Opposition politicians held a majority in the last parliament which was fraught with legislative deadlock and dissolved by a court ruling in June. Under the new rules, each voter chooses only one candidate instead of four, a move the opposition says will prevent its candidates winning the majority they had in the last vote.

They say the four-vote system better enabled candidates to form political allegiances during the election campaign by recommending supporters cast additional ballots for their allies.

Tensions over the proposed changes have been building. Police used teargas and smoke bombs to disperse thousands of Kuwaitis protesting beside a motorway on November 4.

DOHA (Reuters) - Activist preacher Moaz al-Khatib was elected as the first leader of a new Syrian opposition umbrella group that hopes to win international recognition and prepare for a post-Assad Syria, in a poll counted before reporters yesterday.

Veteran opposition figure Riad Seif, who proposed the U.S.-backed initiative to set up an umbrella group of opposition groups inside and outside Syria, was elected as deputy president along with Suhair al-Atassi, a well-known female activist.

Opposition figures had struggled for days in Doha to find unity, under heavy pressure from U.S. diplomats and officials from Qatar, which has bankrolled much Syrian opposition activity since an uprising began last year.

Khatib, a former imam at the famous Umayyad mosque in Damascus, was imprisoned several times for criticising Assad’s rule before he left Syria for Cairo this year.

Delegates said he had been the only candidate for the post of president.

“He is from Damascus and

Moaz al-Khatib is a famous man from there. I think this is a serious step against the regime, and a serious step towards freedom,” Syrian National Council leader George Sabra said. He also praised the choices of Seif and Atassi.

“They are very good representatives of this project. They are activists in our revolution. Most of them have made large sacrifices for the people inside the country.”

Businessman Mustafa Sabbagh was voted as general secretary, and delegates said a Kurd could be chosen as a third deputy president in coming days.

Opposition backers had lost faith in the SNC, the group that has led efforts to organise opposition to Assad outside Syria, accusing it of being ineffective against Assad, disconnected from events on the ground and riven by personal disputes.

The new group has said it will be more inclusive, encompassing rebels on the ground as well as minorities and women.

Islamists, mainly from the Muslim Brotherhood, were seen as the most dominant group in the SNC and are expected to be a strong voice in the new group too.

The coalition hopes to win international recognition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people and form a government-in-waiting like the Transitional National Council that took over in Libya after Muammar Gaddafi’s fall last year.

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Middle East nuclear talks said doubtful despite Iran VIENNA (Reuters) - Plans for an international conference in December to discuss banning weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East look in doubt even though Iran has said it would attend, Western diplomats say.

Any decision to postpone or cancel next month’s proposed talks in Helsinki would probably anger Arab states which have pushed for them to be held.

But it may be a relief for Israel, which is assumed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state and has yet to say whether it will go to the Finnish capital. The Jewish state and its ally the United States fear a meeting would descend into a forum for bashing Israel.

Jaakko Laajava, the senior Finnish official tasked with organising the conference, said in an emailed comment that it was vital for all Middle Eastern countries to take part.

“Many issues regarding the meeting remain open. One essential target is to get every country in the region to participate in the conference,” Laajava said.

Iran and Arab states often say Israel’s presumed nuclear arsenal poses a threat to Middle East peace and security.

Israel and Western powers see Iran as the main nuclear proliferation threat.

A European diplomat said the conference had not been

canceled but that a “critical stage” had been reached in deciding whether to go ahead with it or not.

Other envoys made it clear they remained doubtful about the chances that it could take place next month, but did not rule out holding it later. The likelihood that Israel would take part before its January election was probably slim, they said.

A nuclear expert who declined to be named said he believed the meeting may be postponed but not “killed”.

U.S. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said she had no comment on the issue yesterday. Other Western officials said there may be an announcement regarding the meeting this week.

Even if the conference were to be organised eventually, Western diplomats and others expect little progress any time soon due to the deep-rooted animosities in the region.

“The political circumstances that characterize the Middle East render a WMDFZ (Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone) unlikely in the foreseeable future,” Pierre Goldschmidt, a former chief U.N. nuclear inspector, said.

An Egyptian plan for an international meeting to lay the groundwork for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction was agreed at a review conference on the nuclear Non-Proliferation

Treaty (NPT) in 2010.

Iran used a seminar in Brussels attended also by officials from Israel last Tuesday to announce it would go to the proposed meeting, adding it would “participate actively.

The Islamic state has been embroiled in a long stand-off with world powers over allegations, which it denies, that it is seeking to develop the means to produce nuclear weapons.

Israel, the only regional state not to belong to the nuclear NPT, has said it would sign the treaty and renounce atomic arms only as part of a broader peace deal with Arab states and Iran that guaranteed its security.

Israel has never confirmed or denied having nuclear weapons under a policy of ambiguity aimed at deterrence and, like the United States, has not ruled out military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Goldschmidt, now at the Carnegie Endowment thinktank, predicted that it could take decades to achieve the objective of a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction.

In view of the civil war in Syria, Iran’s progress towards a nuclear breakout capability and other factors, “the timing for discussing the establishment of a WMDFZ in the Middle East could hardly be worse,” Goldschmidt said in a paper.

Monday November 12, 2012

Momentum builds for U.S. immigration reform plan (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators launched a fresh move to put together a bipartisan immigration reform plan yesterday, restarting talks on a proposal that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country.

Since President Barack Obama was re-elected last week with overwhelming support from Hispanic voters, many Republicans have expressed a new willingness to work with Democrats to pass immigration reform after years of legislative inaction.

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said he and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham have agreed to resume talks on immigration reform that broke off two years ago.

“And I think we have a darned good chance using this blueprint to get something done this year.

The Republican Party has learned that being ... antiimmigrant doesn’t work for them politically. And they know it,” Schumer said.

Obama in 2010 called the proposal backed by Graham and Schumer a “promising framework,” but it made no headway.

There are an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, most of them Hispanics. Speaking on the CBS programme “Face the Nation,” Graham said the tone and rhetoric used by members of his party on immigration “built a wall between the Republican Party and the Hispanic community.”

He noted that Republican presidential candidates have been steadily losing the

Charles Schumer support of Hispanic voters since 2004.

“This is an odd formula for a party to adopt: the fastest-growing demographic in the country, and we’re losing votes every election cycle. And it has to stop. It’s one thing to shoot yourself in the foot. Just don’t reload the gun. ... I intend to tear this wall down and pass an immigration reform bill that’s an American solution to an American problem,” Graham said.

The Graham and Schumer plan has four components: requiring high-tech, fraudproof Social Security cards to ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs; strengthening border security and enforcement of immigration laws; creating a process for admitting temporary workers; and implementing a path to legal status for immigrants already in the country.

Schumer said the plan embraces “a path to citizenship that’s fair, which says you have to learn English, you have to go to the back of the line, you’ve got to have a job, and you can’t commit crimes.”

Graham added, “Sixty-five percent of the people in the exit poll of this election supported a pathway to citizenship.”

Many Republican leaders have taken a hard position against illegal immigrants.

Obama’s unsuccessful Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, during the campaign advocated “self-deportation” of illegal immigrants.

Republicans in Arizona and other states have passed tough laws cracking down on illegal immigrants.

Since the election, some influential conservative voices, including television commentator Sean Hannity, have announced support for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants with no criminal record.

“We have nobody to blame but ourselves when it comes to losing Hispanics, and we can get them back with some effort on our part,” Graham said.

House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, said on Friday the U.S. immigration system is broken.

He has expressed confidence Republicans could find common ground with Obama.

The Obama administration announced in June it would relax U.S. deportation rules so that many young illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children can stay and work. The change would allow illegal immigrants who, among other criteria, are younger than 30 years old and have not been convicted of a felony to apply for work permits.

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 21

No need for banana importation, says Govt.

State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Ian Hayles (centre) and members of the St James RADA team in dialogue with a farmer in Amity Hall, St James. (Photo: Philip Lemonte)

AMITY HALL, St James — The importation of bananas for local consumption will not be necessary to offset an expected shortfal in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, says Ian Hayles.

Sandy has wiped out most of the crop in the banana producing parishes of eastern Jamaica, particularly Portland, St Mary and St Thomas. But Hayles, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, noted that the western parish of St James, which saw minimal damage from the passage of the category one hurricane, will be called upon to provide bananas to bridge the gap from the expected shortage in the east.

“ There is an argument that is been banded about that we might have to import bananas. I am here to say we will not have to import banana here in Jamaica.

We will have enough bananas for the consumers of this country and there is no need for any panic in terms of Jamaicans finding bananas to consume,” Hayles said.

He added: “St James plays an integral role in terms of the production of banana. One would know that it is Portland which produces the majority bananas, then St Mary, then St James.

I am here today to conduct an assessment to see in terms of creating

synergies how St James can fill up the slot in terms of any shortfall we might have,” Hayles said, adding that last year St James produced nearly 55,000 tonnes of banana.

He was speaking to the media on Thursday during a tour of some southern St James communities renown for banana production.

Hayles used the opportunity to appeal to the banana farmers to avoid price gouging.

“I am appealing to the vendors, the farmers, to the middle man — ensure that whatever price point that one goes to the market with, the consumer can leave that marketplace,” he urged.

(Jamaica Observer)

UN chief highlights challenges, lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy UNITED NATIONS CMC - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon has highlighted the world body’s challenges, responses and lessons learned from the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy in the Caribbean and along the eastern seaboard of the United States.

“Storms and emergencies pose great tests and challenge. They may bring out the best in people who work beyond the call of duty in trying and even heroic circumstances,” Ban said.

“But emergency situations can also lay bare where we may have been operating on flawed assumptions and must do better.

“Such was the case over the past two weeks. The United Nations continued to provide its vital global services despite major disruptions,” he added. “At the same time, where there were mistakes – there must be lessons. We are determined to

work with all of you to learn and move forward.”

The General Assembly’s informal meeting was convened by UN President, Vuk Jeremic, to address issues that arose in the wake of the storm.

In addition to expressing condolences on behalf of the General Assembly to all those who lost loved ones due to the storm, Jeremic also called for a minute of silence to pay respect to its victims.

Beginning in late October, Hurricane Sandy grew into what has been described as a “once in a generation” storm, causing death and destruction across the Caribbean region and the eastern seaboard of the United States.

In the Caribbean, five million people were affected and 72 people died, the UN said. In Haiti, 54 people died, and hundreds of thousands of people were hit by floods and heavy winds.

In Cuba, 20 per cent of the

country’s population was affected while Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas also suffered significantly.

Along the US eastern coastline and the New York metropolitan area, more than 100 people lost their lives and many families are still without power.

In the aftermath of the hurricane, the UN chief spoke with the Presidents of Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as well as the Prime Minister of Jamaica.

“I expressed my solidarity to each, and pledged the full support of the United Nations for the recovery effort,” he told the Assembly.

Immediately after the storm, the world body allocated US$5 million to Cuba and US$4 million for Haiti from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.

Managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and funded by voluntary

contributions from Member States, non-governmental organizations and others, CERF enables the fast delivery of life-saving assistance to people affected by natural disasters and other crises worldwide.

In addition, the UN said Jamaica is to receive an emergency grant for health and food security support.

“The United Nations is working closely with national authorities, donors and emergency organizations to ensure the strongest possible support for national efforts to see to their needs today and to strengthen disaster risk reduction for the future,” Ban said.

The Secretary-General said he has written a condolence letter to US President Barack Obama and spoken with the Governors of the US states of New Jersey and New York, Chris Christie and Andrew Cuomo, respectively, as well as the Mayor of New York City,

Michael Bloomberg, and the chairperson of the American Red Cross, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter.

Hurricane Sandy’s arrival, and its effects, in New York City, where the United Nations is headquartered, led to the world body’s offices being closed for an unprecedented three days straight, with most meetings cancelled, before reopening on T h u r s d a y , November 1.

The issue of climate change was also addressed by both the Secretary-General and the General Assembly President.

“Extreme weather events caused by global warming are but one manifestation of the reality of climate change. This is a very serious issue that requires us to work much

more closely together in order for it to be adequately addressed,” Jeremic said, The Secretary-General, in his speech, acknowledged the difficulties in attributing any single storm to climate change, adding, “But we also know this: extreme weather due to climate change is the new normal.”

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

Cuba to try letting workers Jamaica elected first vice chair run state restaurants of UNWTO Executive Council

HAVANA, Cuba — Cuba’s government will begin renting state-owned restaurants to workers who want to run them independently, authorities announced Friday in the latest step of President Raul Castro’s economic overhaul.

Interior Commerce ViceMinister Ada Chavez Oviedo said a pilot programme will begin December 1 at restaurants with up to five employees, according to an article in the Communist Party newspaper Granma.

“A new system of economic management with the renting of state-run locales for independent work in food services will take place gradually,” Chavez was quoted as saying.

She said the programme initially will be tried in three of Cuba’s 15 provinces — Artemisa, Villa Clara and Ciego de Avila.

The measure is similar to management models already under way at beauty salons and barber shops. The workers will assume

Raul Castro responsibility for maintenance, repairs and utilities and must enrol in the country’s nascent tax system, Chavez said.

The independent restaurants will still have access to tobacco products at wholesale prices for resale to customers.

State-run restaurants are often bland affairs that suffer from poor quality, listless service and pilferage by employees for their own consumption or for sale to the black market.

The idea behind the new

measure appears to be that turning workers into stakeholders can solve those problems.

“This new model attempts to stimulate the quality of food services,” Granma wrote.

Initiated in 2010, Castro’s economic changes have allowed greater space for private enterprise that was stigmatised for decades after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, when the state ran practically all aspects of the economy.

In “updating” its model, as officials call it, Cuba has also legalised home and car sales, increased private and cooperative farming, and announced the end of the exit visa that all islanders must apply for to travel abroad.

Future plans call for cooperative mid-size businesses, extensive layoffs of public sector workers and the progressive elimination of government subsidies.

Still, Castro insists Cuba will remain socialist and says key sectors will be kept under state control. (Jamaica Observer)

Jamaica Gleaner Jamaica has been elected first vice-chairman of the U n i t e d N a t i o n s Wo r l d To u r i s m O r g a n i z a t i o n (UNWTO) Executive Council (EC) for 2013.

It is the first time that the country will hold the position, after it previously served as second v i c e - c h a i r.

Jamaica was elevated following a successful bid during the elections at the 94th meeting of the UNWTO EC held in

Dr Wykeham McNeill

Campeche, Mexico, recently.

The meeting was attended by Minister of To u r i s m , D r Wy k e h a m McNeill.

The UNWTO EC deliberates on policies and strategies that affect tourism worldwide before making recommendations to the General Assembly for action. As a member of the EC, Jamaica represents the interests of the Americas.

Nurses to get picks Barbados Nation - The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) will be appointing more than 100 nurses by e a r l y n e x t y e a r, s a y s Minister of Health Donville Inniss.

“I am reliably advised that the QEH is about to appoint, as early as next month, 121 nurses to the offices. I wish

to apologize for the delay, but I have tasked the board of the QEH to ensure that all nurses are appointed to the offices by the first quarter of next year,” he said.

Inniss was speaking Saturday at the renaming ceremony for the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, formerly the Warrens Polyclinic, after

the founder of the then Barbados Registered Nurses’ Association (BRNA), now the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA).

He said the renaming ceremony was part of the commitment to recognize nurses for their “outstanding” work in Barbados.

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

Duprey says he’s flat broke Trinidad Guardian - After building a billion-dollar insurance empire with tentacles throughout the region, former CL Financial chairman Lawrence Duprey claims he is now flat broke. “I am no billionaire. That is a lie.

I don’t have a damn cent,” said Duprey during a telephone interview on Wednesday at his Florida, USA, home.

After the collapse in 2009 of CL Financial — which Government recently spent $20 billion to bail out — Duprey, 79, the man at the centre of the controversy, is now focusing on philanthropy, and seeks to enhance the wellbeing of the less fortunate in countries around the world.

The philanthropy, which takes Duprey to Uganda and the Far East, involves meeting well-placed individuals and planning leadership training to help the less fortunate. The programme is supported by some of the richest businessmen in the world including Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, Duprey said.

When CL Financial went belly up, the globetrotting entrepreneur turned his energy to quietly working with several humanitarian groups from around the world to alleviate poverty, a job

which he insists began in Trinidad before the crumbling of the mega-insurance firm he managed.

Providing proper housing, jobs, roads, water, skills training, electricity and a smooth transport system, Duprey said, is vital in increasing productivity and improving one’s standard of living. Duprey stayed clear of the Commission of Inquiry into CL Financial and Hindu Credit Union, except to question what good the money being spent by the Government on legal fees would do.

“What value is it going to bring?” he asked, saying that only time will clear the untruths being spread about him. In the last three years, Duprey said, “Reporters would call me to say I thief this and that.” Stating that people could say what they wanted, Duprey maintained that he has worked hard and continues to labour to improve the quality of life for citizens who can’t help themselves.

“Look how much value I have built! Look at how many rapes I have stopped! Look at how much incest we have stopped and provided training to young guys who have been able to come aboard and get a better

education.” The media in T&T never saw fit to write about this, he added.

Duprey believes a very negative characteristic of people in T&T is that “We always look for something bad and find the wrong things to say.”

Duprey argued that the media were not doing enough to highlight threats made to the lives of business people, many of whom have fled T&T owing to soaring crime levels.

Despite being a wealthy country, Duprey said, T&T has been faced with one problem—poor management.

Asked if he planned to return to Trinidad for business or to live, Duprey replied: “Right now I want to go out in the Far East...then I go to Uganda.” Duprey said he will return to Trinidad but that decision has not been made or considered as yet.

If Government approaches him to manage CL Financial, will he accept?

“I cannot answer that, it depends on what is involved.

I have to make a judgment call. “You could imagine me coming down there and how they would react?” Just back from a poverty-eradication programme in Taiwan, Duprey said he has assisted several countries, among them Vietnam, in the Far East.

Page 23

Prominent Cuban dissidents face charges HAVANA, Cuba - CMC Two prominent Cuban dissidents who were arrested in Havana, along with more than 20 opposition figures, might be charged with “contempt and dispersion of false news,” opposition sources say.

Of the 27 dissidents arrested between Wednesday and Thursday, two remain in custody: Antonio González Rodiles, director of the project “State of SATS,” and the independent lawyer Yaremis Flores, who advises human rights groups and peaceful oppositionists.Rodiles and Flores face prison and the possibility of being tried without judicial guarantees, said former political prisoner Angel Moya, who was detained on Thursday and released hours later, after being threatened.

“These repressive acts are one more example of the moral decay of the Cuban government,” Moya told reporters here.

He said the mass arrests began on Wednesday afternoon, when a group of activists gathered outside the State Security offices known as Section 21, in the Havana

municipality of Marianao.

Moya said the group was there to inquire about Flores’ condition and to demand his immediate release.

Flores had been intercepted by surprise by agents of the political police, Moya said. She was taken to the police center known as “100 and Aldabó,” because it is at the intersection of those two streets.

Moya said on Wednesday, at least 11 activists were detained; and on the following day, 16 other activists and bloggers, among them Yoani Sánchez, were arrested when they gathered outside a police precinct house in Havana to inquire about their colleagues’ status.

The wave of detentions has provoked criticism inside and outside the Spanishspeaking Caribbean island.

In Havana, Elizardo Sánchez Santa Cruz, spokesman for the Cuban Commission of Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN), called on the Raul Castro administration to abandon the policy of zero tolerance and harassment allegedly used to silence the voices of opposition.

“The Cuban government must put an end to these actions and revert the negative tendency to increase the political repression that has been manifested in recent years through short-term detention and jail sentences,” Sánchez said.

In Miami, Florida, Cuban exile groups, such as the Cuban Democratic Directorate, strongly condemned what they described as the abuse.

Guillermo Fariñas, winner of the Sakharov Prize of the European Parliament in 2010, described the arrests as political vengeance.

He said that Rodiles and Flores face the possibility of a summary trial because of their role in the issuance of a letter on individual freedoms.

The letter asks the government of Raúl Castro to ratify the United Nations accords of 2008 on political and civil rights.

“We must continue to fight this battle,” Fariñas said.

“That is why I call on all the international organizations to understand that Rodiles and Flores are prisoners of conscience. As such, we have to denounce this situation.”

Page 24

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Monday November 12, 2012

Monday November 12, 2012 ARIES (March 21 - April 19): It is never too late to get started on a different path in life. If there's something that interests you -- a new hobby, a new career, or a new weight goal -- you should pursue it. ******************* TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Whether you realize it or not, you have created a very unique culture thanks to the lifestyle you live. You have found a style of dressing and ways of entertaining yourself that suit you well -- but you are not quite done yet! ****************** GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): A lot of energy will be coming at you today, and it will push you in many different directions at once. All of this gusty force is coming from people who may not have your best interests at heart. ******************** CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Your priorities should be easy to establish today -there is a lot of clarity to your thinking, and no shortage of motivation. You are ready to roll up your sleeves and get things going, because there are vivid concepts about birth, growth and nurturing fulminating within you. ********************* LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): This is a time of greater openness in your life -- emotionally and practically. Get ready to have a lot more free time in your schedule for fun and friendships. ******************* VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept.

22): Get ready for an unexpected event to clear a lot of stress from your life. A particularly loud and abrasive

personality has been making more frequent appearances in your life, much to your annoyance. ********************* LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22): Broaden what 'normal' means to you today. Push beyond some of your comfort barriers and try some new things. Skip past your favorite radio station and listen to something from the opposite end of the spectrum. ********************* SCORPIO (Oct. 23 Nov. 21): This is a mixed results day -- meaning that although you will probably get a lot achieved, you might not be happy with the quality of what you have created. ******************** SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 Dec. 21): Wherever you go today, you will be able to effortlessly put your special mark on things. All you have to do is speak your mind in your usual clever way. .********************* CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 Jan. 19): Just because your life might feel like a roller coaster right now doesn't mean that you are being taken for a ride. ******************** AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 Feb. 18): You have an incredible amount of energy welling up inside of you, and it might explode today (in a very happy way). ********************* PISCE S ( F e b . 1 9 March 20): Every day offers its choices, but today is more than just a series of small decisions. Today is a fork in the road in one of your relationships.

Monday November 12, 2012

“I must confess that my imagination, in spite even of spurring, refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea.”

This was the opinion of H.G. Wells, author of The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds and A Trip to the Moon. Here is a man who imagined a machine that could take us through time, flying saucers that could bring aliens to earth at speeds faster than light, a vehicle that could get from the earth to the moon, but doubted that a submarine could do anything but cause people to suffocate. It is enough to make you gasp.

In 1903 the idea of flight was not plane sailing for the New York Times. On December 10th of that year, it attacked one of the pioneers of flight, Professor Samuel Langley: “We hope that Professor Langley will not put his substantial greatness as a scientist in further peril by continuing to waste his time, and the money involved, in further airship experiments.

Life is short, and he is capable of services to humanity incomparably greater than can be expected to result from trying to fly…For students and

Kaieteur News

investigators of the Langley type there are more useful employments.” A week later the Wright brothers made the first successful flight.

Harper’s Weekly, another US publication, did not think highly of the impact of the motor car. In August 2, 1902 it stated, “The actual building of roads devoted to motor cars is not for the near future, in spite of the many rumours to that effect.” Four years later the Bronx River Parkway was conceived and when completed was the first auto express highway in the US. Just prior to the launch of the Apollo spacecraft in July 1969, the New York Times had to eat its words and retract its attack made almost fifty years earlier on Professor Robert Goddard, the man who built the first liquidfuelled rocket. Although Goddard’s work was revolutionary, in June 1920 the Times did not see it that way and in an article entitled “A Severe Strain on Credulity” wrote that Goddard, who was backed by the Smithsonian and Clark College, did not know the relation of action to reaction, and of the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react – to say that would be

absurd. Of course he only seems to lack the knowledge ladled out daily in high schools.”

There have been many other predictions by the US media and experts that have all proven wrong. Remember weapons of mass destruction that were fabricated for mass distraction? On July 26, 1990, The Times of London predicted that there was a minimal risk of conflict between Iraq and Kuwait.

Five days later Iraq invaded Kuwait and this led to the first Gulf War. At an April 2001 meeting on terrorism, Paul Wolfowitz, US Deputy Secretary of Defense asked, “Who cares about a little terrorist in Afghanistan?” Guess who he was talking about? Newt Gingrich, one of the candidates in the Republican presidential primaries, seemed to have wanted the Cold War to continue. He said in 1984, “We must expect the Soviet system to survive in its present brutish form for a very long time. There will be Soviet labour camps and Soviet torture chambers well into our great-grandchildren’s lives.” Who would guess that the Gulag would become Guantanamo?

This brings us to George

Will, conservative, columnist for the Washington Post and a Pulitzer Prize winner. On November 9, 1989, the day the Berlin Wall fell, Will wrote, “Liberalization is a ploy…The Wall will remain.” So what did Will do in 2012 for an encore?

He predicted that Romney would get 321 Electoral College votes and Obama would only get 217.

Will explained, “I guess the wild card in what I’ve projected is I’m projecting Minnesota to go for Romney.” Was this wishful thinking or a Will-full attempt to mislead?

Will was not the only “pundit” to go down in flaming exaggerations about Romney’s “victory” at the polls.

Karl Rove, the Republican Strategist, who reputedly contributed US$100 million to Romney’s campaign, said confidently,

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“Romney 279, Obama 259…It comes down to numbers. And in the final days of this presidential race, from polling data to early voting, they favor Mitt Romney.”

Those people who, like me, had to stay up the extra two hours or so waiting for Romney’s concession speech, the villain of the piece is Rove who tried to get the Republican mouthpiece, Fox Television, to retract its announcement that Ohio had given Obama the 270-plus votes he needed to win the Presidency.

Not that Fox News needed any urging. Dick Morris of Fox predicted “Romney 325, Obama 213”.

He enthusiastically explained, “It will rekindle the whole

question on why the media played this race as a nailbiter where in fact Romney’s going to win by quite a bit.” Dick proved to be appropriately named and his prediction proved to be a myth and not a Mitt. If there is a moral to this article it is predictably that if you have a vested interest in a particular result where there’s a Will, there’s a way.

Additionally, even if you lose by one vote, a Mitt is as good as a mile. *Tony Deyal was last seen saying that the sales of red or blue 7-Eleven coffee cups were better at predicting the Presidential elections than the highly paid political pundits who work for star bucks. Maybe they don’t like it black.

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition ...

Defending champions Back Circle start on positive note The Georgetown leg of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition got started on Saturday at the Albouystown Tarmac with Sport Minister Dr. Frank Anthony declaring the championship open with the ceremonial kick off of the ball, before a large crowd of spectators.

The competition started with defending champions Back Circle showing clear intentions that they are the team to beat. Despite stiff competition from Cross Road, Back Circle were able to score goals off the boots of Andy Duke, Devon Harris and Dellon Frazer in the 4th, 9th and 18th minutes respectively. Cross Road’s lone response was scored by Desmond Cottam in the 6th minute.

In the second match of the night between Queen Street Tiger Bay and Berlin, Queen Street brought down the Berlin wall with each of the five goals scored. Unable to maintain a strong defence or penetrate the defence of Queen Street frustration got

the better of the boys from Berlin which saw them making a number of mistakes that worked to the benefit of Queen Street.

Deon Alfred scored four of the five goals in the 5th, 8th, 17th and 19th minutes, while Godfrey Downel scored in the 10th minute.

Globe Yard defeated Laing Avenue by a 2-1 margin in the third match. Both teams fought equally hard for the win, but it was the former with goals from Lionel Grimes and Dwayne Anthony in the 15th and 19th minutes that decided the outcome. Laing Avenue’s lone goal was scored by Denzil Kistoo in the 25th minute.

Game four saw Leopold Street secure a 3-2 victory over Island All Star 2. Omallo Williams and Okenny Fraser scored for Leopold Street in the 2nd, 10th and 15th minutes respectively. Fraser scored the final two goals.

Devon Hayman and Jermain Herson scored for Island All Star in the 5th and 14th minutes respectively.

Game five saw thefirst

Part of the action on opening night of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets Futsal Competition. draw of the night between Albouystown ‘B’ and Hope Street of Tiger Bay 1. That match ended in a one all draw.

Barunch Anthony in the 17th minute scored for Albouystown ‘B’, while Solomon Austin scored in the 9th minute for Hope Street, Tiger Bay.

West Front Road defeated Bent Street 2-0 in the sixth match of the night. Michael Pedro in the 3rd minute and Randolph Wagner in the 17th minute were the scorers for West Front Road.

Broad Street ACharlestown lost to East Front Road. East Front Road scored 2 goals as it was successful in keeping Broad Street goalless. Vashile Cantzlar and Dillon Killy scored for East Front Road in the 14th and 15th minutes respectively.

The final match of the night between Princes’ Street and Albouystown A ended in a one all draw. The scorers were Leon Grumble in the 1st minute for Princes’ Street and Devon Dooker in the 10th minute for Albouystown.

Earlier, Minister Anthony in his address said that Banks DIH has been very supportive of sports with a number of initiatives with the Guinness in the Street being one of

those initiatives.

“So that’s why we in the ministry are very pleased to support the various initiatives that Banks would do in terms of sports. We want to see community sport develop and we know that street football is one of those community sports that can bring our communities out to enjoy a good game”.

Dr. Anthony said while it is a competition it is good for the community “We have seen that in just a few short years ago this tournament was started here in Guyana and it was a unique tournament because at the time Guinness did not think that such a tournament would have evolved around the Caribbean and being something that was home grown has now taken hold around the Caribbean and just this year you would have seen Caribbean coming to Guyana to play in the first every Caribbean Street football

tournament”. That Minister Anthony said is something that Guyanese should be proud of.

Minister Anthony told the gathering that as they compete he would he looking on for the best team to represent Guyana at the Caribbean Championship again given the number of teams in the different parts of the country that are now a part of the championship.

Guinness Brand Manager, Lee Baptiste the company has heeded the call for a national championship.

“As we know Guyana were runners up to St. Vincent.

This year through your encouragement we will be adding two more legs to this tournament, we will be in Bartica and Berbice and then we will be having our national championship to choose the team to represent us at the Caribbean Championship”.

Baptise said it is important that teams maintain the highest level of discipline as they compete in the championship.

“I hope that as you play hard you will respect the referee’s decision which is always final”.

The competition continues tonight at the Cultural Centre Tarmac with another eight matches: Durban Street playing Sophia B, West Back Road tackles South Ruimveldt, Festival City engages California Square, Stevedore Housing Scheme go up against Norton Street West, East La Penitence faces Kingstown, Alexander Village plays Norton Street East, Broad Street B collides with Sophia A followed by Lodge Housing Scheme and North-La Penitence.

Kickoff is 18:00 hrs.

Candy Shop Softball 7-a-side cricket set for tomorrow in Berbice A big one day 7-a-side, knockout five overs Softball cricket extravaganza organised by the Candy Shop at Strand and Pitt Street in collaboration with a number of other business entities in Berbice is fixed for tomorrow, Diwali Day at the Scott Church Ground at Princess Elizabeth and Vryheid Road New Amsterdam, Berbice, beginning at 09:00hrs.

Over $600US plus a number of other attractive prizes are up for grabs. The winning team will take away US$300 and a trophy, the runner will collect US$150 while, there will be awards for the other outstanding teams.

Attractive incentives will also be awarded for spectacular plays and individual outstanding players during the day.

Among awards also expected to be up for grabs are- most runs, man-of-the-match in the finals, player of the competition, highest individual score, most runs

by Individual, Most runs by team, most outstanding b a t t e r, b o w l e r, f i e l d e r, among a number of others.

Among the entities on board are Banks DIH Limited, Candy Shop, Stretch D Dollar Super Markets, D. Sookraj and Sons Establishment, Rajesh Grocery, Desire Clothing, Triple S taxi

Service, Kool Ride Taxi S e r v i c e , Bu s i n e s s m a n To n y A m e r a l l y, S u e Brothers Restaurant and Future Vision DVD. According to organiser Tito Sancho of the Candy Shop, they have decided to organise the activity for the holiday, because not much happens in the town during holidays.

The popular businessman stated that his entity is always in the habit of giving back to society.

He said that this time they decided to organise something themselves and do it differently, where as many teams as possible can participate at a minimal cost.

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

Mayor’s birthday Inter Ward football kickoff tomorrow at Den Amstel

Anthony Harding

Jahal Harvey

Kotom Tyrell

Kelvin Roberts

The Mayor Hamilton Green Birthday 7-a-side Inter Ward football tournament starts tomorrow, November 13, Diwali Night, at the Den Amstel ground at 5:00pm.

The event, which will now run for three days, will continue on Friday and conclude on Sunday at the Georgetown Football Club ground with the playoff games, quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

Tomorrow’s action will see: Bourda vs Lima Dam, Kuru Kururu vs East Ruimveldt, Wales vs Eve Leary, Werk-en-Rust vs West Ruimveldt, Bagotville vs Thomas Lands, Tucville vs Mocha Champs, Goed Fortuin (Beavers) vs North East La Penitence, Sara Lodge (Eagles) vs Tiger Bay, West Ruimveldt Estate vs North Ruimveldt, Plastic City (Jetty) vs Mocha, Crane (Seawall) vs Kingston, Pouderoyen (Young Achievers) vs Kitty, Stewartville vs Alberttown, Uitvlugt vs Sophia and Den Amstel vs Newtown Kitty.

Action on Friday the final playing day Sunday commences from 7:00pm at the GFC. Attractive cash prizes are on offer. The winner collects $200,000, runner-up $100,000.

The games are 20 minutes duration, 10 minute halves, and there will be no offside in this format.

Three substitutions will be allowed

during the match. If a match is tied after fulltime then sudden death penalties will be used to determine the winner.

These are some of the rules governing this mode of the game ensuring entertainment for the fans.

This tournament is in observance of Mayor Hamilton Green birthday, which is today November 9, he is 78 years today. The Mayor’s birthday football tournament started in 1981 by a gathering of friends headed

by Former National player and Coach Lennox Arthur for the then Prime Minister. The event was a success and evolved into the Mayor’s Cup Tournament in 1995 after he became Mayor of Georgetown.

The winners over the years included Thomas United, Victoria Kings, Pele, Conquerors, GDF, Camptown, Western Tigers and Alpha United.

Representative Mayor All Star teams have toured Suriname, Barbados and Cuba over the years.

Among the sponsors lending assistance to the tournament this year are: MACORP, New Thriving, Busta, Nazar Mohamed, Eddie Grant, Chris Fernandes, Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton, Dr. Colin Watson, Col. Larry London, Tent City, Courtney Benn, BK International, General Equipment and Muneshwar’s.

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Local Amateur Boxing get big boost Local Amateur boxing is set to receive a s h o t i n the arm when four Trinidadian fighters arrive here later this month to challenge p u g i l i s t f r o m these shores. President of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle yesterday disclosed that, the Trinidadians are coming to fight on the November 30th ProAm card scheduled for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

“We successfully held talks with the Trinidad Amateur Boxing Association and that institution has agreed to send a six-man team comprising four boxers,”

Ninvalle said.

“It is a shot in the arm for amateur boxing as we have not had international amateur fights for some time in Guyana.

It is my hope that we can continue on this path even though it is a costly exercise,” Ninvalle added.

ALBA Games Bronze medalist, bantamweight Imran ‘Magic’ Khan will lead the team of Guyanese fighters selected to halt the invasion of the Trinidadians.

Lightweight Steffon Gouveia, welterweight `Lightning’ Laured Stewart and middleweight Eon Bancroft will join with Khan in an attempt to keep the

Golden Arrowhead flying high.

The Trinidadians (bantamweight Aaron Cumberbatch, lightweight Michael A l e x a n d e r, We l t e r w e i g h t Leon Nottingham and Middleweight Declan Calliste) are expected in Guyana one day before the ProAm card. According to Ninvalle, it is the first time in the two-year history of the ProAm collaboration among GABA, the Guyana Boxing Board, the Ministry of Sport and National Communication Network that the amateur segment has included international participants.

“We have noted that international exposure is

one of the main ingredients in the development of our fighters.

It is with this in mind that we have started and hope to c o n t i n u e, bringing international opponents here for our boxers.

It will be costly but the development of our f i g h t e r s i s a p r i o r i t y, ” Ninvalle added.

“We will be talking to Barbados and Jamaica soon.” The GABA boss applauded the efforts of president of the Trinidad association Cecil Forde and Trinidad boxing adviser Boxu Potts for making the Twin Island t e a m ’s participation possible.

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

Local Martial Artists excel in Pan Caribbean International Games in Twin Island Republic Guyanese Martial Artists turned in credible performances when a 21 member squad from th e Black Hawks Martial Arts Management Network Association participated in the Pan Caribbean International Martial Arts Games V111 at the Cascadia Hotel, St Ann, Trinidad and Tobago, on November 2 and 3.

Under the stewardship of Chief Instructor, Sensei Garfield Newton, making the third defence of his title in the 18-34 category, and Instructor, Roland Eudoxie, the squad carted off 9 world title belts, 6 silver and 11 bronze medals.

The achievement is even more commendable when it is noted that the local practitioners competed against those from the United States of America, India, Barbados, St Lucia and Grenada.

Several notable individuals also graced the tournament as special guests

including popular American movie stars, Michael Jai White of Blood and Bone fame and Imani Lee of ‘Never Back Down’ and Undisputed 2 .’

Sensei Newton is very pleased with the returns and explained that the tournament also served as the qualifier for the Arnold Martial Arts Festival to be staged in Columbus Ohio from February 28 - March 4 next year.

He said that now the individuals eligible for participation are known, his organization will now embark on a robust campaign to acquire the requisite funds to offset the team’s participation. He is appealing to the government, members of the corporate community and other well wishers for support to facilitate the team’s trip. Consequently, Mr. Newton would like to express deep gratitude to those business entities that contributed and made

the recent trip to the Twin Island Republic a possibility.

They included MTV, Star Party Rentals, Giftland Office Max, Edward B Beharry Group of Companies, Payless Variety Store, EZ Jet, along with family members and friends.

The local achievements are: Sensei 3rd Dan, Garfield Newton: sparring (1st), weapon kata (2nd), Roland Eudoxie 1st (open kata and traditional kata), Shivanshi, Bertram Williams (2nd sparring, 3rd open kata), Shivanshi Nicholas Braithwaite 3rd (traditional kata), Shivanshi Roshan Samsundar (1st grappling, 3rd sparring, 3rd open kata).

Intermediate 18-34: 1st kyu blue Colwyn Benn (1st sparring, 2nd grappling), 1st kyu purple Dowene Griffith (3rd sparring); 5th kyu purple, Portia (1st self defense, 2nd kata, 2nd

The successful martial artists pose with their accolades. weapon, 3rd sparring).

Novice: 15-17:1st kyu yellow King Cameron (3rd sparring). Novice 11-14: 1st kyu y e l l o w, Shiloh Cameron (1st kata), 1st kyu yellow, Isaiah Morris (3rd k a t a ) , 2 n d k y u y e l l o w,

Ibraheem Forde (3rd katatrid) Novice 11-14: 1st kyu yellow Shiloh Cameron (1st kata), 1st kyu yellow Isaiah Morris (3rd kata), 2nd kyu yellow Ibraheem Forde (3rd kata trid)

Novice 7-10: 1st kyu orange Shaakirah Hopkinson (3rd sparring), 2nd kyu orange Sulaymaan Hopkinson (2nd CSW), 1st kyu yellow Floyd Morris (1st kata).

Monday November 12, 2012

Kaieteur News

Lotto’s Cricket Info and Quiz set for 15:30hrs on playing days during WI Test As the West Indies and Bangladesh set to contest the first Test match this evening at 23:30hrs (Guyana time), the National Communications Network Inc. (NCN) will not only be broadcasting the game and the remainder of the series live via television, but will also air the popular Lotto’s Cricket Info and Quiz programme on each day’s play.

According to host of the programme, Edwin Seeraj, due to the late start of the matches the schedule has been changed from during the lunch

interval to 15:30hrs starting today.

There’s a lot in store for viewers particularly those who answer correctly since in addition to winning regular prizes, their names would automatically be entered in a bonus draw.

The draw will take place on December 10 - the final day of the series - and several special prizes could be won.

The main sponsors of the 16 thirty-minute programmes are the Guyana Lottery Company, Digicel, R and S Enterprise and Washbay, and Guyana Beverages Inc. under the Busta brand.

Rampaul feels fast bowlers ...

From back page feel it can do the job for us.

“We are not underestimating any of their batsmen. We plan to take all 20 wickets in each Test and try to come out on top as a bowling unit. “Last year, we came here and came out on top.

This year, we are planning to do the same thing. We have to keep believing in ourselves and doing the basics right and

we will come out on top again.”

West Indies on Sunday continued their preparations for the first Test with a full practice session that included match simulations under the guidance of head coach Ottis Gibson.

This is West Indies' third full tour of Bangladesh, following trips in 2002 and last year.

Guyanese drivers sweep CMRC Group 4 category From back page the lead from pole sitter Jamaican Peter Rae as early as the second lap with Kevin Jeffrey in hot pursuit, while points leader Summerbell was making up ground rapidly after starting next to last on the grid.

Vieira then Jeffrey and finally King managed to pass Rae and even though Summerbell made a desperate bid to split the Guyanese trio, laps ran out on him and he had to settle for fourth.

It, however, set him up nicely for the next race as he started fourth this time and that was a perfect position for the much respected Jamaican.

With Vieira on pole this time, Jeffrey, who sat right next to him on the grid produced a blistering start to pass him on the first turn, while the crafty Summerbell gradually gained ground, before making a pass as they approached the second corner heading into the back straights to lock horns with Jeffrey.

The two fought tooth and nail, but Jeffrey held his position until they headed down the straight for the finish line, which saw a determined Summerbell searching for points to wrap up the title,

accelerated past Jeffrey to pass the line first, but unfortunately had done too much and could not make it out of the first turn instead crashed into the sand and stuck there.

According to race officials, the rule states that a driver must negotiate the turn successfully to win the race and they subsequently awarded the race to Jeffrey with Vieira second and King third in another clean sweep and Guyana mounting up the points table.

Vieira easily won the final race with Rae second and Summerbell third which enabled him to regain the title after amassing a total of 61 points, while Rae closed on 46 and Barbados' Roger Mayers, who missed the Meet came third with 30.

Vieira ended fourth with 28 points.

Jamaica won the country title with 137 points and they were followed by a resurgent Guyana that placed second with 88 followed by Barbados on 74 and Cayman Islands 37.

The full results will be given in Tuesday's issue.

The presentation of prizes to the respective winners will be conducted tonight at the GMR&SC.

Page 29

Trophy Stall sponsors National Intermediate Boxing Championship Trophy Stall will be part sponsoring the National Intermediate Boxing competition scheduled for this Friday and Saturday at the National Gymnasium tarmac.

Ramesh Sunich, owner of the Trophy Stall of Bourda Market recently handed over some of the trophies that will be up for grabs to officials of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association headed by Steve Ninvalle along with Terrence Poole and Dexter Patterson.

Sunich and his business place have been very proactive over the years in assisting sports.

Ninvalle and team have been doing their best to lift local amateur boxing, with success, and it is expected they will be returned at their Annual General meeting on November 25 at Olympic House.

GABA recently presented their detailed plan on the way forward as they aim for medals at the next Olympic Games in Brazil to Minister of Sport Frank Anthony, being the only association to respond to governments call to come with a strategy to have athletes better prepared for

Ramesh Sunich, owner of the Trophy Stall hands over some of the trophies that will be up for grabs to Steve Ninvalle (centre left), while Terrence Poole (right) and Dexter Patterson (left) look on. top level sport.

The four year programme will cost around $50M and it is hoped that government responds promptly.

However, frequent local

tournaments and the aid of businesses the likes of Trophy Stall, will aid immensely in the growth of the young boxers and GABA will continue to covet such support.

Ninvalle expressed gratitude to Sunich for his help and expressed the desire to see continued support from him and other businesses as they move forward.

Patrick Prashad wins Citizens Bank Players Championship Golf tourney Patrick Prashad emerged winner of the third Players Championship golf tournament sponsored by Citizens Bank last Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Club.

Prashad shot net 64 from 72 gross playing off eight handicap to secure the win.

Mark Lashley placed second with net 67 net from gross 88 playing off 21 handicap. Fazil Haniff placed third with 68 net from gross 78 and 10 handicap.

Nearest to the Pin was LGC President Jerome Khan, while Christine Sukhram copped the women’s trophy being the lone female player in action.

Thirty five players took part in the tournament which coincided with Citizens Bank Guyana Inc. 18th Anniversary.

Legal Officer of the Bank, Natasha Vieira, presented the winning prize to Prashad, while Nasiah Hadmon, Customer Service representative spoke on behalf of the sponsor.

Hadmon congratulated the players who took part in

Winners Patrick Prashad (seated right) and Christine Sukhram (seated left) along with other prize winners and sponsors officials at the presentation. the tournament and lauded the executives of the Lusignan Golf Club for their continued promotion of the Club locally.

Khan thanked Citizens Bank for its foresight in organizing the Players Championship, one of the

leading tournaments on the local golf calendar.

Chairman of the Bank, Clifford Reis who competed in the tournament was also on hand to witness the presentation of prizes.

The two previous w i n n e r s o f t h e P layers

Championship were Mohanlall “Santo” Dinnanauth who won the inaugural tournament and Andre Cummings, the 2011 winner.

Laila Farley, the Banks Credit Officer also assisted in the presentation of prizes.

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Kaieteur News

Monday November 12, 2012

Several star batsmen to compete as GCC presents Double Wicket Cricket competition West Indies middle order batsman, Ramnaresh Sarwan will join several other batting stars vying for honours on different teams when the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) presents a Double Wicket Cricket tournament at the GCC Ground Bourda, November 17 next.

There will be 8 preliminary

matches and each team will bowl 3 overs. Four of those teams will then advance to the quarterfinals which will be further reduced to 2 matches in the semifinals with the respective winners competing in the finals.

Double wicket cricket is relatively new and adopt different rules than the

conventional format of the sport. Nine pairs would compete including Ramnaresh Sarwan/Leon Johnson, Robin Bacchus/Raj Nanan (GCC), Chris Barnwell/ Derwin Christian, Dennis Squires/Andre Stoll (DCC), Orin Forde/Deon Ferrier, Kellon Carmichael/Shaquil Williams (Malteenoes), Tony

Gonsalves/Zaheer Mohamed, Amir Khan/ Chanderpaul Hemraj (Everest), Gajanand Singh/ Richard Ramdeen, Seon Hetmyer/Shimron Hetmyer (Young Warriors), Sewnarine Chattergoon/Jonathon Foo/ Kandasammy, Surujnarine/D Motie (Albion),Royston Crandon/Clinton Pestano ,

Eon Hooper/Rajiv Ivan (Rose Hall), A Baker/R DeSouza (GNIC) and Shaheed Gittens/ Wasim Haslim (MYO).

The winning teams carts off $100,000 and a trophy, while each player is given a medallion. The runners up receive $50,000 while one of the semifinals team receives $25,000. Cash prizes will also be given to the best batsman, best fielder, the player taking the most spectacular catch and the player of the day in the finals.

Secretary of the GCC, Jameel Baksh, is the coordinator of activities and he intimated that each team will be asked to pay a registration fee of $3,000.

Meals and drinks would be

Jameel Baksh provided by the organizers.

South Africa corner Australia in Brisbane BRISBANE (Reuters) Centuries from Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla put Australia on the ropes b e f o r e S o u t h A f r i c a ’s bowlers landed some early blows of their own to leave the hosts struggling at 111 for three after the third day of the first test on Sunday.

The tourists were reduced to 10 fit batsmen after an injury to JP Duminy on Friday but 147 from the evergreen Kallis and 104 from the in-form Amla helped them to an imposing first innings tally of 450.

Their much vaunted pace attack took over just after tea and, finding movement on the Gabba track that had evaded the Australians, removed opener David Warner (4), debutant Rob Quiney (9) and Ricky Ponting (0) in quick succession.

Ed Cowan, who finished the day 49 not out, and captain Michael Clarke, unbeaten on 34, restored some stability to the Australia innings with a stand of 71 before stumps were drawn but South Africa still have high hopes of a win.

Morne Morkel took 2-25 but Dale Steyn perhaps had the bigger impact, tempting Warner into an outside edge that Kallis caught in the slips and then, fielding at fine leg, flicking a Quiney hook shot back inside the boundary rope and catching it infield.

Ponting exited after he

had faced just five balls when he went for a Morkel delivery well outside his off stump and Kallis again took the catch in the slips to leave Australia on 40-3.

Morkel had yet to concede a run and memories of last year ’s C a p e To w n t e s t , w h e r e South Africa bowled Australia out for 47, were surely flashing through the minds of both teams.

The tourists had resumed on 255 for two after the second day had been washed away by rain and Amla soon had the 10 runs he needed for his 17th test hundred, a third in his last four tests.

The 29-year-old cut James Pattinson for the seventh four of his innings to reach the mark, continuing the purple patch that included a century against England at Lord’s and an unbeaten 311 at the Oval.

Amla had added just one more run to his tally when a Peter Siddle ball caught him high on the pad and umpire Asad Rauf sent him back to the pavilion.

TV replays confirmed the ball would have gone over the stumps but Amla decided not to appeal after consulting Kallis and their 165-run partnership was over.

Scores: Australia 3 for 111 (Cowan 49*, Morkel 2-25) trail South Africa 450 (Kallis 147, Amla 104, Pattinson 3-93) by 339 runs.

Monday November 12, 2012

Page 31

Kaieteur News

13th DMW 55 Mile Road Race ...

Junior riders dominate as DeNobrega tops field juniors with Julio Melville the lone upright competitor.

Alfie Sonoram was the first to cross the line in the boy's race followed by Jason Jordon.

Leading the veteran class yet again was Junior Niles who proved to be a better sprinter than Kennard Lovell.

In another sprint to the

Paul DeNobrega all alone in victory yesterday.

(Franklin Wilson photo) The year 2012, while it was the best year ever for local cycling in terms of races, did not end on the high note main organizer Hassan Mohamed had envisaged, but none-the-less it ended accident free with the 13th annual Diamond Mineral Water 55-Mile Road Race on t h e We s t D e m e r a r a yesterday.

In overcast conditions and intermittent rain at times, Guyana junior's riders capped a fine year by talking the top three spots in the senior category apart from dominating the top six

positions in a race that attracted just 18 starters, the lowest for this year.

The low turnout did not affect the positive spirit of the year's final event which ended in Two Hours 2 Minutes 18 Seconds; Team Coco's Paul DeNobrega crossing the line unchallenged, a few minutes later his teammate Raul Leal touched down followed by Akeem Wilkinson, Christopher Hochan, Raynauth Jeffrey and Robin Persaud closing out the top six. DeNobrega, Leal and Wilkinson were the top three

line for the third place, Esau O'Selmo outdueled Walter Isaacs. Isaacs did not leave empty handed since he was the best Over-60 participant and received a trophy.

Demerara Distillers Limited Sales Manager, Alexis Langhorne and Marketing Assistant, Trishwantie Doodnauth, were on hand to assist with the presentation

of prizes. Langhorne in brief remarks thanked the organizer, Hassan Mohamed and the cyclists for making the event another success in its 13th year “ We a t D D L w i l l continue to make our contribution towards the development of sports in Guyana and in this case, cycling. We've been doing

this particular race for the past 13 years and we know that it has helped to sustain the sport in Guyana over the years.�

Mohamed also thanked all for competing and for making the year 2012 historic for the sport since he was able to bring off a total of 37-Meets around Guyana, seven (7) more than 2011.

t r o Sp

Rampaul feels fast bowlers can add pressure

Guyanese drivers sweep CMRC Group 4 category - Summerbell Jnr, Stephen Vieira and Mark Thompson win individual titles

Ravi Rampaul prepares to bowl (WICB Media)

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Ravi Rampaul said there was still a role for the fast bowlers in the West Indies team to play, when they face hosts Bangladesh in their two-Test series.

The West Indies fast bowler said he and the rest of the pace attack may find the pitches typically unforgiving during the series, but it just meant they had to adjust their tactics to reap the rewards.

“From past experiences, the pitches have always been slow for the fast bowlers, but the spinners get a little turn,” he told reporters on Sunday ahead of the first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium here. “It's basically a pitch on which you have to exercise patience. Use your variations and attack the wicket more.”

He added: “The pitches have been slower in some parts of the World, so we try to keep things as simple as possible and try to execute the basics properly. “We believe in our ability and try to build as much pressure on the batsmen as possible when we are bowling.”

Reports indicated that the pitch at the Sher-eBangla, where the first Test starts on Tuesday [Monday night – East Caribbean Time], has been much kinder to the fast bowlers in two domestic first-class matches

this year.

Rampaul said West Indies could exploit any type of conditions, since they had a balanced attack.

“It's too early to tell how the pitch will play,” he said.

“We won't know until the first ball how much bounce we will be able to generate.

“We have some fast bowlers that can clock around 90 miles an hour, so if the pitch gives us purchase and we put the ball in the right areas we can attack them. “As a bowling unit, we tend to examine the batsmen and examine their weaknesses. If the short ball is one of their weaknesses, we will exploit it as far as possible to get them out.”

West Indies suffered a setback before the tour started, when fast bowler Kemar Roach was sidelined with a knee injury just prior to the side's departure for the trip.

Roach has been the team's most successful bowler in Tests this year with 39 wickets, but Rampaul said he felt the attack could manage without him.

“This year, Kemar has taken the most wickets for us,” he said. “It is a huge gap to fill, but Fidel Edwards is in the squad and he is a very experienced campaigner in Tests. We have a fairly allround bowling unit and we (continued on page 29)

Guyana's Mark Vieira takes the chequered flag ahead of Jamaicans Peter Rae and David Summerbell yesterday.

The new Caribbean Motor Racing champion David Summerbell Jnr talks to the media.

Led by cousins Mark and Stephen Vieira and capably supported by Kevin Jeffrey and Andrew King, host Guyana swept the Group 4 and Superbike categories when the curtains came down before what many agreed was the biggest crowd to witness motor racing in many years.

Yesterday, at the South Dakota Circuit in front of thousands of motor racing

Guyana's Stephen Vieira who won the CMRC Superbike title leads Canadian Kevin Graham yesterday. fans from across the Diaspora and perhaps further afield Guyanese racers gave their home support much to shout about as Mark Vieira and Jeffrey ensured that the 'Land of Many Waters' made a clean sweep of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC), winning all three races with

the former claiming two firsts and a second, while the latter had one first, one second and a DNF. With President Donald Ramotar in attendance not even some intermittent showers could put a damper on a day that saw some thrilling races and breathtaking display of skills

as the locals dominated their counterparts from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the Cayman Islands and the USA. The first of the eagerly anticipated CMRC races was an exhilarating precursor for what was in store in the second stanza as Vieira took (continued on page 29)

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