Kaieteur News

Thursday Edition November 15, 2012 - Vol. 5 No. 45

Online readership yesterday 99,095

Price $80 (VAT Inclusive)

Online: http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com

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

Irate EZjet customers storm Georgetown office

New York bank account empty

…demand immediate refund - Ezjet employee Angry passengers at the Ezjet Georgetown office

Caribbean Airlines lowers fares for stranded EZjet passengers

Mabaruma schoolgirl clings to life with slit throat

Pressure mounts for

NIS Board to resign

Page 2

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Pressure mounts for NIS Board to resign News that billion-dollar National Insurance Scheme (NIS) fund is in serious trouble continues to raise concerns with calls yesterday for its board to be dissolved and a broad-based body of qualified persons established to oversee investments.

The 2011 actuarial report reviewed the NIS financial viability through actuarial examination of the years 20072011 was released by government last week.

The report predicts a gloomy outlook. Benefits could be exhausted in nine years unless drastic measures are taken, the actuary said.

The actuaries made a number of recommendations including putting of the pensionable retirement age to 65 and the raising of the wage

…private sector warns of more burden for workers ceiling to $200,000 monthly.

Currently, pension is paid when the contributor attains age 60. The report also called for the NIS management and government to examine the possibility of introducing measures that will see Government agencies and issuance of licences and permits to be linked to NIS. The report also blasts a special NIS reform body for failing to implement critical recommendations from the 2007 review. NIS would not have been in this dire position if its management had taken action on the previous report.

There would be grave concerns for the future for the fund which was established in 1969 and which was geared

to be self-sufficient.

There has been public condemnation of the poor management of the NIS fund which, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, heads. It is believed that some companies are protected while owing millions of dollars in contributions.

It is also believed that a wide network of employers and employees escape the NIS statutory net.

These include minibus drivers, rice farmers, vendors and hinterland workers. Non compliance is one of the biggest concerns for the fund along with poor investment decisions.

Yesterday, former Auditor

General, Anand Goolsarran, and the Alliance For Change, stepped up calls for NIS to be de-politicized and for a new board to be installed.

PRIVATE SECTOR ALARMED The private-sector, Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GM&SA) expressed concern. In a statement to Kaieteur News, GM&SA said that the body is deeply concerned about the sustainability of the national social support system of NIS. “While we are not preview to the Actuarial Review, as concerned stakeholders we believe that all parties should come together sooner than later to examine the immediate, medium and longer measures that should be put in place to ensure the financial stability of the system.

“We are placing our confidence in the fact that the Government as the custodial agent of the fund will act responsibly in addressing this issue.”

According to GM&SA, while it does not have an immediate position on the issue of increases in the contribution rates and ceiling, its “hardworking workforce” is already carrying significant financial obligations through income tax and the Value Added Tax (VAT) requirements.

“This particular issue requires public consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

What is of immediate concern is the regular complaints of discrepancies in the system with missing contributions made by workers and the wanton evasion of NIS contribution by certain employers.”

The private sector body

Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran said it believed these are also major contributing factors to the financial challenges of NIS. “NIS needs to develop more reliable systems of accountability and become more proactive in enforcing the statutory requirements on all types of employment status. We intend to review this matter further at our November board meeting to decide how we are going to address the concerns raised.”

UNFORGIVABLE According to the former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran, it is unforgivable that the NIS Board, led by Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, did not act on the recommendations of the 2007 Actuarial Report of NIS. “Now it has to bite the bullet and implement recommendations to avoid NIS going under. My recommendation is that the entire board should be dissolved, and a new Board, comprising professional and experienced persons appointed.”

The accountant also said that NIS should also immediately move to establish a proper investments’ committee, comprising independent

experts, to advise the Board on the type of investments that NIS should be involved in. This special committee will also monitor the investments.

He urged for a shorter review period. “Also, given the precarious financial position that the NIS is in, the Minister should arrange for shorter periods of actuarial reviews, perhaps every three years instead of the current five year period.”

Goolsarran also believed that Dr. Luncheon is not the appropriate person to head the Board of NIS since he is a medical doctor and has no experience in social security matters.

Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change (AFC) yesterday expressed alarm at the “devastating” report which was prepared by the independent, Derek Osborne, Chief Actuary of Horizonow Consultants Ltd, who was in Guyana back in June for the review.

During the party’s weekly press conference, its leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that had it been a minister, there would have been moves to have him resign via the Parliamentary route.

Mabaruma schoolgirl clings to life with slit throat Police at Mabaruma last night launched a manhunt for a young man who slashed open a teenager’s stomach and slit her throat leaving her battling for her life at the Mabaruma Hospital.

The teenager, Bibi Zaleena Shadeek, 15, a fifth form student of the Mabaruma Secondary School, was rushed to the hospital in her community around 20:00 hours.

But there was no doctor on duty and the lone medical officer there desperately tried to stabilize her in preparation for an emergency medi-vac to the city for better medical attention.

Reports reaching this newspaper stated that sometime last night the teenager was at her home when the young man jumped the fence of her yard and attacked her with a knife.

Her father, Feroze Shadeek, told this newspaper in a telephone interview last night that the young man, who is a minibus conductor, was trying to maintain a relationship with the girl but she constantly

spurned him. From all indications, he became obsessed and made a desperate attempt to end her life. According to Feroze Shadeek his daughter was in the bottom flat of their house at Kumaka, when the suspect who had apparently jumped their fence lured her outside. He said that her two young cousins, who were also in the bottom flat, later saw her coming back into the house holding her stomach and throat, and they raised an alarm.

Feroze said that he ran downstairs and saw his daughter sitting in a chair.

“She was holding her belly and blood was pouring from her neck,” said Feroze, adding that both he and his wife panicked and began screaming to alert neighbours.

By the time the neighbours responded, the attacker had made good his escape.

They however grabbed the badly wounded teenager and rushed her to the hospital.

Up to press time they were awaiting word on a medivac.

Her condition is however very critical.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 3

Irate EZjet customers storm Georgetown office

By Abena Rockcliffe The EZJet saga continues with the company making conflicting releases over the weekend while its officers have continued to blame everyone except themselves for their current problems.

Commentators have pointed out the obvious problems of the airline which were ignored by the local authorities and even defended by the Government of Guyana.

While the company is clearly at fault for mismanagement and possible fraudulent operations, the Government is also culpable for not ensuring that the distress signals were heeded.

Meanwhile irate customers continue to be severely affected by the company’s collapse.

Police were once again summoned to the EZjet office on Brickdam as angry customers yesterday converged at the location demanding immediate refunds.

A woman produced her ticket that she purchased on Friday claiming that she wasn’t aware that the airline was “closed down” and was still sold a ticket to Trinidad.

Immediately the already incensed passengers accused the airline of perpetrating fraud. Some of

them immediately went to Eve Leary to seek criminal charges against the airline for fraud.

On Thursday, the United States Department of Transportation suspended the operating licence for EZjet. This effectively barred the airline from landing or operating out of a United States territory.

The Guyana Government did the same the following day, Friday. Works Minister said that the action by his government was intended to prevent the sale of tickets.

Having had its operating licences suspended by the United States Department of Transportation and the Guyana Government, EZjet is unable to fulfill its obligation to its customers who have already booked their tickets.

In that regard, passengers have, since last week Friday, been calling for the return of their monies, but were told to return on Monday for refunds.

However, up to yesterday no refund has been forthcoming.

Instead, angered customers were told that no money could be refunded until November 30.

Some claimed that EZjet told them that the government had seized its funds.

Even more confusing was the fact that although

customers were told to return for their monies on the abovementioned date, the document given to some stated that reimbursement will not start before December 3.

Passengers who remain stranded said that they were previously told that Caribbean Airline would have transported them to their respective destinations.

A customer, who only identified herself as Shenella,

Caribbean Airlines lowers fares for stranded EZjet passengers Late yesterday afternoon Caribbean Airline significantly dropped its airfare to accommodate passengers who were stranded by the closure of Ezjet. It has also added a new flight schedule to its Georgetown operations to aid these stranded passengers.

Caribbean Airline yesterday said that it was giving these passengers a most reasonable direct flight to New York for US$225, all taxes, included. Kaieteur News was told that the flight

will leave Timehri around 17:10hrs.

Kaieteur News was further told that Caribbean Airline has also switched its aircraft type to a Boeing 767, which is a 220-seater, and would be available Fridays and Saturdays.

This, according to sources, will help passengers who aren’t able to travel today. Prices for the weekend flight are as low as US$305.

Last week top executives of CAL met with President Donald Ramotar and

Government officials at State House during an emergency session to find solutions.

According to a government statement, CAL agreed to provide short-term accommodation for the stranded EZjet New Yorkbound passengers at the same fare structure.

Caribbean Airline Chairman, Rabindra Moonan, in an invited comment said that the accrued benefits from the latter plan will be passed on to the travelling public.

said that she went to Caribbean Airline and representatives there told her that the airline has “no dealings” with EZjet, but that victims of the situation can get tickets at a fair price. “What is fair for us who already paid our money?”

“One time EZjet tell us that Caribbean Airline would have carried us back for free and they will repay, then they told us that it was a mistake and that Caribbean Airline will now take us at the same price we paid them. But where are we finding the money from?” asked one passenger.

Yesterday, Caribbean Airline announced a US$225 ticket for people who would leave today.

A passenger, Wayne Vieira, said that he was supposed to have left the shores of Guyana since Friday. “They call me and say my flight was cancelled till Sunday (last); Sunday come and gone and I still here.”

The businessman said that when he returned to the EZjet office on Monday, he was told that government had seized the airline’s financial assets; hence a refund was not possible.

Vieira said that he spoke

to the then acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rosalinda Rasul, who had informed him of a meeting slated between the airline and Guyana Civil Aviation authority in connection with “getting us out the country.”

Vieira recounted that Rasul gave him all assurance that he would have been able to return to his business in the US. The man said that he was of the misguided opinion that “she has things under control, but no, now they telling us we have to purchase a new ticket from one of the other airlines and we will be refunded in due time.”

“I am aware of the system;

by November they will declare bankruptcy and everybody money gone down the drain. I want my money and I want to leave this place.”

The businessman explained that he is staying at an apartment and using a rented car. He said that he knows reimbursement is out of the question “but I ain’t even want that; all I want is for them to give me back my money so that I could return to the States. I pleading with these people; I have my

business in the states and it is closed down because of them.”

Vieira explained that even before he left the USA he was encountering problems with the airline.

“It is all fraud and all they doing is calling the police when we come for our money.

We are not being violent. If they feel they want to put we out, that is a job for internal security, not the police.”

Another passenger, Debra Benn, said that she bought five tickets to go to Trinidad and Tobago and she is not willing to wait “until whenever they decide to refund me; I didn’t had a lay-away plan with them, I had to give them all the money.”

An elderly passenger explained that he is a permanent resident of the USA and usually spends six months in and out the country.

According to the unidentified passenger, he booked his ticket to return to the USA three days before the six months would have ended. “Now I stranded with no money to purchase a new ticket. If I had de money I would have gone and left them fraudsters fuh time catch up with them, but I don’t have it, so they have to find a way.”

Reports are that Swift Air, owner of the aircraft leased to the charter company, has withdrawn its service from EZjet because of a massive debt. The company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder, Sonny Ramdeo, has been at the centre of a financial scandal which reportedly raised a number of questions about the airline’s operation.

Swift Air filed a complaint against EZjet with the US Department of Transport.

By way of a statement, EZjet announced that Ramdeo was once more at the head of the operations. He had “stepped aside” in the wake of the civil action brought by Promise Healthcare to recover US$5.4 M that Ramdeo allegedly siphoned off and paid into an EZjet account.

Page 4

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

The EZjet saga The grounding of EZjet has raised more questions than answers. One major question is whether the deposit demanded by the Guyana government is enough to compensate passengers affected by any situation that may force the airline to be grounded.

The deposit demanded by the Guyana Government is US$200,000, a sum that is meaningless when one considers that airlines sell tickets in advance of flights. Sometimes, as in the case of EZjet, tickets are sold months in advance.

This is because airlines announce cheaper rates. They all claim that the further ahead one buys a ticket the cheaper is that ticket.

More recently, EZjet announced a promotion that appeared to be more stupid than sound. It was selling tickets for less than US$1,000 that would allow the passenger repeated travel to destinations in the United States, Trinidad and Tobago and Canada. Given Guyana’s population, assuming that everyone would have travelled then many people might have been stranded.

Each flight would have taken out two hundred people.

So if two thousand people had jumped at the offer the airline would have had to make ten flights to move them to a destination. It would then have had to make ten flights to return them. Each would have flown once but many would not have been able to secure a seat on future flights to capitalize on the virtually free travel.

This was a smart promotion since it would have guaranteed full flights in and out of Guyana for the month.

In reality there would have been no free travel.

Assuming that the airline had sold two tickets on the promotion then with the collapse the deposit would not have been enough to cover the cost of refund. A mere two hundred passengers would have been refunded. And this is the plight of many who recently booked to travel on EZjet.

Money is a scarce commodity and people who would have forked out their money would have descended on the ticket offices for their refund. And this is what is happening now. However, the airline seems not to have money to effect the refund. Needless to say, this is angering those affected by the collapse.

Those who are most angered are those who were sold tickets by the airline even after the airline had its licence suspended by the United States Department of Transportation and the Guyana Government. Minister of Works, Robeson Benn, when he announced the Guyana position, said that this step was intended to ensure that no more tickets were sold. This was definitely not the case.

The Minister also said that his government has long been seeking low cost carriers to operate out of Guyana.

However, every attempt has failed; none of those that came as low cost carriers survived for longer than a year.

The question is whether Guyana does adequate feasibility study.

We know that operating out of New York or any North American port would entail a due diligence by the United States Department of Transportation.

Minister Benn said that Guyana simply accepted the findings of the US authorities.

What we saw was that all the airlines that came simply did not have a large reservoir of funds hence they were operating on a shoe string. Any ripple would lead to their collapse and there have always been ripples sparked by their indebtedness to the leasing carrier.

The big question, then, is whether there could ever be a low cost carrier operating between Georgetown and North America. We do know that the money charged by the other operators is excessively high. Indeed, the government has had to call in these carriers to discuss the fares and from time to time and actually got lower fares but such drop has been temporary.

In one case, Guyanese travelling through Trinidad to New York found that half of the ticket cost was for the leg to Trinidad. This could not be the case; Guyanese are fleeced but this will always be the case until there is a national airline.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

N.Y Guyanese applauded for mainstreaming Diwali celebration DEAR EDITOR, Guyanese and other Hindus had a most joyous Diwali celebration in the New York environs (Upstate, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania) over the weekend thru Tuesday.

Over the last week, celebrations were held at several locations in the area at mandirs and at parks as far away as Central and South Florida and in Schenectady, where large numbers of Guyanese and Trinis are settled. Elaborate preparation was made to celebrate the festival similar as in Guyana.

Several Queens neighborhoods have all the wonderful ambiance and decorations of a holiday – fancy, colourful lights that one sees at Christmas. Mandirs hosted extravagant celebrations indoors with lavish dinners. Foods were unlimited.

Celebrants everywhere had a most wonderful time feasting on goodies and enlightening their lives with the message behind the festival.

Celebrants were well dressed in traditional Indian attire – Sherwani, Shalwar Kameez, saris, lahenga, and kurtas. It was a magnificent celebration among Guyanese and other nationalities. I applaud the many community leaders and organizers who helped to make the public celebration a success and the mainstream of Diwali in the communities (like greater Richmond Hill, Jamaica, Hollis, Cypress Hills, Parkchester, etc.) where Guyanese are settled in large numbers. The celebration was

brought to this country by Guyanese and others and now incorporated into the social, spiritual and moral milieu of vast parts of American society. For this achievement, I salute and applaud my fellow Guyanese.

Unlike in Guyana, Diwali is not a holiday but the festival is recognized and parking rule is suspended for the day. In addition, students are given an excused absence and city workers can take the day off without submitting a medical excuse. Businesses gave heir Hindu workers excused time to prepare for the festival. Many workers took the day off to prepare for the evening ceremony and preparing meals for families and guests. Many, including this writer, hosted nonHindus for dinner after the lighting of deyas, serving a traditional meal (a variety of snacks, delicacies, curries and dhal puri) as it is served in Guyana. Almost everyone (regardless of ethnicity) in Guyanese neighbourhoods is familiar with Diwali and Phagwah. My non-Indian students (Hispanics, Blacks), for example, in Brooklyn, took me by surprise when they asked me how was my “Diwali”? “Where are our snacks”, they asked?

In N.Y, the interior and exterior of businesses, stores, homes and temples were magnificently festooned with holiday paraphernalia and beautifully lit with deyas and electronic lights on Tuesday night. Even trees were well decorated. Liberty Avenue

was a spectacle to behold for the nights leading up to the celebration, with deyas in front of stores on the evenings of Monday and Tuesday. The avenue was teeming with shoppers over the last two weekends. And on Tuesday night, temples held special poojas and concerts to mark the occasion. Although it was a cold evening and it rained throughout the morning with dark clouds in the afternoon, the rain held up to allow for the lighting of deyas outdoors. Diwali has slowly become a mainstream event, with large swaths of the country being given recognition by politicians who are courting the Hindu/ Indian community that has been providing hefty donations to political campaigns. Politicians don’t want to be on the wrong side of the growing community, fearing a backlash. As such, they join the Guyanese and other Hindu communities to celebrate the festival, particularly in Queens.

Around New York, politicians (of all stripes and levels), issued Diwali messages to celebrants. The Governors of several states also issued messages extolling the virtues of Diwali. Some politicians even hosted Diwali dinners and or attended celebrations.

President Barack Obama also issued a Diwali message. He hosted dinner and has lit deyas at the White House annually since he became President – the first President to do so. Under Bush, Diwali

was celebrated at the White House but the President was never present for the festivities. Obama will host a celebration before leaving for Asia for the APEC summit in Cambodia as the celebration culminates this weekend. At the Diwali celebration on Liberty Avenue on Saturday, there was unbridled enthusiasm. Deyas lit up the Cheddi Jagan Square.

Homes, businesses, streets, and neighborhoods, were spectacularly decorated and politicians recognized the importance of the festival to so many Americans, especially New Yorkers, and Jerseyans and Floridians.

This was unimaginable just a decade ago thanks to the work of Guyanese individuals (Vishnu Mahadeo, Gyanda Shivnarain, Ramesh Kalicharran, Pandits Ramlall Upadhyaya, and Satish, Vishnu Bisram, Lutchman Budhai, Dr. Ramharack, Vassan Ramracha, etc.) and organizations (Indian Seva Sangh, mandirs,) as well as other groups to publicly showcase Diwali and Indian culture.

Nationals from India have done fantastic work among politicians to increase awareness of the festival in America as well as to lobby politicians to recognize the festival. Without their contacts, Presidents Bush and Obama would never have accorded official recognition of Diwali and hosted celebrations at the (Continued on page 5)

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 5

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

Bauxite resources should be used strategically for the attraction of investments DEAR EDITOR, I refer to the report, in your 13 November 2012 edition, under the headline, “Billions Being Invested In Bauxite Mining”, which appears to be a response to the comments I made with particular reference to the allocation of Block 37 at L i n d e n . Yo u r report accurately captured what I said. However, my basic point was that the Bauxite resources of Guyana represent a significant segment of the national patrimony of the people of Guyana. Therefore, it should be used strategically for the attraction of investments which further the economic development and well being of the people of Guyana.

It is no longer acceptable, in the world of the 21st century, to have companies holding on to mineral reserves way beyond their capability or capacity to develop over some realistic development period which would allow them to profitably recover their investment.

In the context of the APNU Press Conference, on Friday 9 November 2012, which dealt with developments within Regions 4, 7 and 10, I was responding to the concerns expressed by the Regional Chairman of

Region 10 for the development of that Region.

It is apposite to remind the Guyanese public of the commitment made in the 6 May 2003 Communiqué as follows: “2.6. Bauxite Industry and Communities Resuscitation President Bharrat Jagdeo and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Corbin, agreed that, in view of the problems facing important parts of Region 10, urgent action is necessary to reverse the situation. They reviewed the government plans for the area, e.g. the privitisation programme, LEAP, and investments in electricity, water and the social service and expressed concern at the pace of implementation of those projects and programmes.

They agreed that, such efforts together with any new ideas would be urgently compiled into a single comprehensive development programme for Region 10 with the full involvement of the elected bodies. The programme should address such matters as the creation of new employment opportunities, the rehabilitation and satisfactory functioning of the public utilities; the enhancement of incentives regimes for the attraction of

inward-investments to the Region, and the creation of a fully supportive institutional environment for small and medium-scale business development by the inhabitants of Region 10.”

I am happy that, as a consequence of my comments, the Minister with responsibility for Natural Resources found it possible to provide the Guyanese public with an insight into the various proposals for investments in the Bauxite resources of the people of Guyana.

Perhaps, the Minister would like to respond to the following: 1. State clearly what were the facilities or production capabilities, in the RUSAL and BOSAI concessions respectively, which benefitted specifically from the US$300 million investment.

2. The known Bauxite reserves which have been granted to RUSAL and BOSAI, respectively, and their development plans for the utilisation of those reserves over the next 30 years.

3. Since the acquisition of the Berbice and Ituni deposits

by RUSAL, what has been the annual production tonnage and exports?

4. Has RUSAL developed or opened any new mines

Let us reach out with open hands rather than clenched fists DEAR EDITOR, Every year the head of state, government, the opposition, political parties, and trade unions, business houses etc., send out Dipavali messages to the Hindu community and the nation as a whole.

Dipavali is a national holiday, for better or worse. So it is encouraging to see this level of participation and respect for this very sacred Hindu festival.

However, I have a humble request of all concerned.

Please do not use this occasion, or any other religious occasion for that matter, to attack one another.

If Dipavali represents the goodwill and sharing that all speak about then our messages should show more generosity and charity of attitudes.

Yes, we cannot separate religion and politics.

The Hindu notion of Dharma encompasses politics, government, economy, ethics, law and spirituality among other vital values and dimensions of human life. But there is no need to use Dipavali to take

swipes at one another. Let us reach out with open hands rather than clenched fists.

We have all witnessed the conclusion of the US presidential elections and the magnanimity shown both by the incumbent President Obama and his challenger Governor Mitt Romney.

In spite of all the harsh and ugly things, sometimes verging on open racist remarks, expressed in the campaigns, both men showed remarkable maturity and extended the hand to each other. This is a useful lesson for our leaders. All ethnic, religious and political groups in our country have a vested interest in our progress and stability, and no one should consider it their sole monopoly, to the exclusion of others.

We may have different visions for Guyana and espouse different paths to get to the goal, but our country’s ultimate good is what we should not lose sight of. We may be opponents but not enemies. In this regard I have a special word for our nation’s youngest political party – the AFC, and

especially its three young and brilliant leaders. You are the next generation of political leaders and someday this country may entrust the responsibilities of government in your hands.

Of recent you have shown an uncompromising intransigence, the very thing you accuse others of.

You seem to believe in a scorched earth policy, leaving no room for the other side to extend any sign of conciliation. Let us use this occasion of Dipavali to search our conscience, remembering that our country’s future is at stake.

We must believe that each person is inherently endowed with a well of goodness. Strange as it may seem, when some people are calling for conflict and encouraging and precipitating crisis, the challenge is for us to so open ourselves in such a way that even our opponent will not fail to find the good that is present in us.

Swami Aksharananda

since they took over the Berbice assets?

5. Has BOSAI developed or opened any new mines since they took over the Linden assets? 6. What has been the annual production tonnage and exports since BOSAI took over the Linden assets? 7. How many Guyanese are currently employed by RUSAL? 8.

How many Guyanese are currently employed by BOSAI? 9. What specific production facilities would benefit from the proposed US$150 million investment?

10. What are the “value added” products which RUSAL and BOSAI, respectively, plan to produce in the next five (5) years?

11. Is RUSAL still committed to building an Alumina refinery and Aluminium smelter?

12. Since BOSAI has stated that the feasibility study they commissioned found that an Alumina refinery, using the Block 37 reserves, is not feasible, would the Government seek an alternative investor for Block 37?

E. Lance Carberry

N.Y Guyanese applauded for...

From page 4 N.Y Guyanese applauded for mainstreaming Diwali celebration White House. When I came to New York as a student in 1977, Diwali was not even a blip on the calendar of celebration.

Myself, Vassan and D r.

Baytoram Ramharack organized Diwali celebrations at CCNY campus over several years, preparing meals and snacks for large numbers of students, including many from India, Africa and the Caribbean.

To d a y, D i w a l i h a s become somewhat mainstreamed on several campuses and communities. More and more Americans are familiar with the festival and it is covered in the mainstream media. Several of us lobbied politicians to recognize the significance of the festival to the over two million Hindus (among the over three million Indians or South Asians, including IndoCaribbeans) in the US. Many of us contribute to

p o l i t i c a l campaigns and work to get politicians elected.

They reward us with recognition of our festivals issuing proclamation.

Incidentally, a Hindu was elected to the House of Representatives last Tuesday from Hawaii. Americans are learning that Diwali is infused with significance for Hindus and that it even transcends religion and race, as is the case in Guyana.

Even the casual nonHindu observer is amazed by the scenes of lights and fireworks in Richmond Hill— bedecked with colorful lights hanging from rooftops and rows of small earthen lamps around yards.

None of this would have been possible without the significant role played by so many Guyanese especially those conscientious Hindus like P a n d i t s O u m a d a t t , Jadonath, and Tiwari who began the tradition in the 1970s in Manhattan (and then the Bronx), Far Rockaway and Flatbush respectively.

Vishnu Bisram

Page 6

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

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

The Guyanese people will just have to learn to live and let live DEAR EDITOR, I read about the Government’s sale of its GT&T shares. One sentence struck me, i.e. “Initially, when the shares were placed on the market almost three years ago, employees had offered to buy them but this was rejected by Government who wanted them to be purchased en bloc”.

(In the 1990s, when privatisation of GT&T was being discussed, I wondered often why no one suggested sale of

shares to employees).

I find the ‘en bloc’ view ironic. One of the most successful companies in the UK, started in 1864, is now owned by its employees. It is a chain of department stores and operates as a partnership, covering not only the department stores, but supermarkets and some other services.

‘The company is owned by a trust on behalf of all its employees - known as partners - who have a say in

the running of the business and receive a share of annual profits, which is usually a significant addition to their salary’.

This company has consistently declared healthy profits year after year, which suggests that when employees own shares in the company they work for, they feel personally committed to its success and dedicate themselves totally to make that happen.

The company’s success is thus guaranteed and

everyone benefits. It is a business philosophy worth thinking about elsewhere.

Next, I read a letter about the late Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan “bequeathing ethnic parties and ethnic voting”.

I find it difficult to believe that these men were racists; I would concede clannish maybe – we all tend to identify closely and associate with people we can relate to.

But both leaders happened to attract and

retain a large following according to their race, and eventually, unfortunately, this manifested itself in a very unpleasant way, with very strong feelings sur f a c i n g a t e l e c t i o n time.

Let us not forget the 1953 general elections, held under universal adult suffrage, when the two major races voted as one and the PPP won the

elections handsomely, and those two men were top of the heap.

Then they drifted apart.

The Guyanese people now live with the consequences, and it would be difficult to break the mould. They will just have to learn to live and let live and hope their children learn from past mistakes.

Geralda Dennison

A printing error and special arrangements DEAR EDITOR, A printing error has allowed for an incorrect date to be printed on some Old Age payment vouchers for the month of November 2012.

Instead of November 5, 2012, being described as the date for payment, December 5, 2012 is recorded.

These vouchers are encashable at all National

Insurance Offices and special arrangements have been made for pensioners residing at Lethem, Rupununi and Kwakwani where Officers of the Scheme will facilitate encashment of the vouchers.

The inconvenience caused is regretted.

Nicola Seepaul-Petrie Publicity and Public Relations Officer (ag)

Croatia’s deputy PM quits after jail sentence BUDAPEST/ZAGREB (Reuters) - Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Radimir Cacic resigned yesterday after a Hungarian court sentenced him to 22-months in prison for causing a fatal car crash in Hungary in 2010.

Cacic was also economy minister and Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic’s closest ally in the centre-left coalition cabinet which has tried to consolidate public finances and kickstart the economy before joining the European Union next July.

“Aware of my responsibilities to the state, the government and Croatian citizens, I am resigning from the government,” Cacic told a news conference after returning from an investment trip in Qatar.

Cacic was driving on Hungary’s main motorway in 2010 when he collided with a car in front of him. The impact injured two passengers, who later died in hospital.

He was given a suspended sentence in a previous ruling in June.

Yesterday’s ruling overturned that sentence.

Attila Vadocz, a court spokesman in the Hungarian town of Kaposvar, said the sentence was not open to appeal, adding Cacic could be released on parole after spending half of the 22 months in prison.

“He will be sorely missed in the government,” Milanovic told the news conference, adding his

successor will “probably be decided by the end of this week”. Milanovic’s Social Democrats are in coalition with Cacic’s Croatian People’s Party, its junior partner.

“It might cause some problems because of his replacement, how long it might take, the balance of power,” said a Western financial official, but added: “He was a strong man but investment is not a oneperson game, so it is not necessarily a huge blow to investment policies.”

Cacic had been tasked with kick-starting a major public sector investment programme in energy and infrastructure which the yearold government hopes will help economic recovery after four years without growth.

“This is all the more sensitive because he was in charge of the segment necessary for economic growth. I am somewhat worried about the government’s future capacity,” said Zagreb-based political analyst Davor Gjenero.

It was not immediately clear when Cacic will start his prison term but Vadocz said those convicted must generally start their sentences within one or two months of the ruling.

Cacic had acknowledged guilt but said he was briefly disoriented by fog on the road. He said the other car was driving too slowly and the passengers had not fastened their seat belts.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 7

President echoes need to confront corruption ...as measures to help manage natural resources are amplified “Corruption must be confronted in every area,” said President Donald Ramotar yesterday as he delivered the feature discourse at the opening of a two-day sustainable management seminar at the Guyana International Conference Centre.

The Head of State dubbed the event a “timely gettogether” adding that while confronting corruption in every area it is particularly important in areas where returns could be very high.

He was at the time referring to activities that fall within the purview of the Natural Resources Sector.

The President said, “We have to organise a management system that will be strong enough to fight against all kinds of corruption in the society and particularly in this area (mining sector).”

He referred to the nature of the extractive activities as “very, very tempting to bribe people to turn a (blind) eye to damage the economy...It is very tempting to make some more money by doing other things in that area.”

The Head of State warned that the management system must have some level of

transparency that will discourage negative activities as far as possible. “I know that some people don’t like transparency because sometimes it is being used in a more slanderous way but it is important for us to continuously use it as a tool to fight against any corruption...”

The President touted a move which could see Guyana working with other countries with similar natural resources with a view of formulating a standardised tax regime for the sale of such resources. This strategic move, the President said, could be undertaken through the Foreign Affairs Ministry since according to him rumour has it that “a lot of our gold is smuggled out to where there is a lower royalty rate...I am not suggesting that we lower our loyalty rate because I strongly believe that we should try to maximise what we get to invest in our people generally and to make our country better.”

He alluded to the fact that the natural resources, and mining sector in particular play a major role in the economy adding that the revenue that is secured from

that sector has been growing in importance as well as in size.

The President said that it is important that “we maximise the benefits that exist in this area and at the same time minimise the negatives that can also happen as we have seen in many other parts of the world.”

NEEDFUL DIVERSIFICATION However, he noted that Guyana is fortunate to be developing its natural resources at a time when “our body of knowledge in the world is grown to some extent that would allow us to learn from those experiences and to take the best and the positives...”

Referring to natural resources as “wasting assets” since they do not grow like rice and sugar, the President warned that it is very important to plug some of the revenue garnered from such activities into areas that would be important to sustain a good standard of living for all Guyanese.

He vocalised his desire to see the introduction of the proposed Hydro project which would allow for persons to benefit from cheap

President Donald Ramotar makes his remarks energy adding that “resources that we acquire from the mining sector should go into developing our real economy.”

He also spoke of the need to bolster the manufacturing and processing sectors since these areas could help sustain the economy. He further alluded to the importance of improving the education sector.

“We generally see countries where you have a

high level of education. Those have a very high standard of living. This is another area (to which) we can divert some of these resources that we accrue from the mining industry in order to build our human capital.”

Although there is currently not much that can be plugged into research for education at the moment, the President said that Guyana has a lot of raw materials including pristine forests to

facilitate such undertakings.

He said that extractive activities must be undertaken in a cautious and ecologically friendly way.

“We have other things that we can take a lead in the world and the resources that we accrue can go towards developing our education system; broadening it so that it can continue to benefit long after they (natural resources) would have been exhausted,” said President Ramotar.

Page 8

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Motion being crafted to remove Rohee as Minister -AFC - Rohee incompetent, not serving the interest of society The Alliance For Change (AFC) in its quest to ensure a no confidence motion against Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, says that conventions across the Commonwealth states stipulate that once there is a no confidence motion against a Government Minister, that Minister takes the honourable decision to resign in face of incompetence and lack of support.

“Our fight is not against Rohee as a Minister of the Government, but given the

principle of passing a motion of no confidence as a majority in the opposition it would seem that all would have no meaning, and that is something the AFC wants to change as part of a majority opposition.”

He said the United Kingdom House of Commons, allows the House to sanction a Minister and call upon the Minister, having been sanctioned, to resign.

Noting that a motion has already been crafted and approved by the AFC and the

A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), the AFC said the parties are not seeking to have Rohee removed from parliament but to relieve him of his Ministerial responsibilities. This can be done by a dismissal from the President or by demanding his resignation.

“We are made to understand that he is not resigning or that the president is not dismissing him, so we will take the relevant action that is needed.”

Underscoring that a

matter is before the court and some may say let due process take its course, Ramjattan said the sub judice rule does not apply to parliament. “Because if they start bringing litigations in the court on any issue they feel they are not going to get the support of the opposition it will stultify what transpires in the national assembly and so we cannot go into a scenario every time saying that there is a court matter pending.”

AFC Parliamentarian, Cathy Hughes, said during

Minister Rohee’s tenure there have been hundreds of killings, and several instances of weak leadership from the Minister that shows that he is incapable of being in charge of the country’s security sectors.

“How much longer should we accept Mr. Rohee, despite whatever he may think are his best intentions; despite the fact that the government thinks that he is their best Minister. At the end of the day, as a nation we cannot continue to have individuals that abuse their

position and clearly cannot function in perpetuity.”

Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, had noted that based on the advice he received, the Home Affairs Minister cannot be prevented from addressing the National Assembly.

The advice the Speaker obtained, mirrors that which was offered by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, when the motion was initially brought to the National Assembly.

Diabetic patients receive food hampers Some 45 diabetic patients from across Region Two were the recipients of food hampers from the foot clinic in observance of World Diabetes Day. Matron attached at the Suddie Public Hospital, Merona Pearson, informed that the foot clinic was established in 2011, funded by a Canadian Project in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

The foot clinic is staffed

by Dr. Sonia Gray and a number of nurses, who were also trained in foot care for diabetic patients.

Matron Pearson said that the new implementation of the foot clinic at Suddie Public Hospital has brought about a lot of changes. There has been a decrease in amputation when compared to previous years and more persons are able to access the numerous services offered.

Patients were afforded health talks on diet and medication and the proper use

of their medication. Pearson said that many more Essequibians continue to save money since the services are being offered on the Coast and diabetic patients don’t have to travel to Georgetown to access foot care treatment.

Edmund Richards, a diabetic patient, who has been living with diabetes for the past 30-years, said that he continues to access health care from the clinic at Suddie.

Another patient, Harricharan Christeneram, of Anna Regina, said that he has been suffering from diabetes for the past 36 years and is currently accessing treatment at the clinic.

Christeneram however added that while the service is good, the coordination of treatment needs some improvement.

Christenram said that he is only receiving treatment for his foot.

World Diabetic Day was observed under the theme “Education and Prevention.”

Man remanded for spousal abuse Naresh Narine, a Construction worker from Leopold Street Charlestown was yesterday remanded to prison for physically abusing his spouse.

The man reportedly assaulted his reputed wife, Natalie Basdeo, with the intent to cause her actual bodily harm. Narine allegedly beat Basdeo in the head and about the body causing her serious concussions. He pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution asked that the man be denied bail since he shares the same home with Basdeo and there is the likelihood that the defendant will interfere with the complainant if given his pre-trial liberty.

Remanded: Naresh Narine After hearing of the extent of the injuries that the woman received and the circumstances of the case, the Magistrate ordered that Narine be refused bail until November 20 when the matter will be called in another court for trial.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 9

SANCTIONING A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY We have in our short parliamentary history a great deal of histrionics in parliament. These dramatic actions were not limited to the period when the parliament was considered as unrepresentative because of rigged elections.

We have had the case of Dr. Jagan protesting what he saw as unfair rulings by the Chair by throwing down the Speakers Mace to the floor and scattering the law books off the table on his side of the House.

For his failure to apologize for these actions, he was prevented from speaking in the National Assembly, a sanction that continued until the end of his parliamentary career, if memory serves me right.

In the case of Dr. Jagan, it was the Chair that took the decision to silence him because the offense was committed against the authority of the Speaker.

If memory also serves me right, someone also was expelled from the National Assembly for pelting the Speaker for refusing to allow Dr. Jagan to speak.

Then there was the case of the member who in protesting the ban on flour sprinkled flour within the Assembly.

There was also cause for the Speaker in a previous parliament, after democratic elections had been restored, to upbraid certain members for barging into the Assembly with pickets. This was seen as being disrespectful to the House.

The Speaker could have exercised the option of sending this matter to the

Committee of Privileges which is empowered to address issues relating to a breach of privilege by members which can occur if a member is guilty of an offense in the House or in Committee.

The Committee of Privileges also has the power to report its findings thereon to the Assembly, following which a member or members may be subject to sanction.

Apart from direct sanction by the Chair, as was the case with Dr. Jagan, a member can only be sanctioned for a breach of privilege and only after the matter has been referred to and deliberated on in the Committee of Privileges.

In previous parliaments, allegations against members, including allegations for misleading the House and for other alleged infractions, have been sent to the Committee of Privileges where they languished until the end of the lives of those parliaments.

Recently there was an incident in the National Assembly where order could not have been restored following the ruling of the Speaker that he had no power to prevent the Minister of Home Affairs from speaking.

It has been suggested that a member can be sanctioned if there is a resolution passed by the House against that member.

This is not so at all.

A member cannot be sanctioned by resolution; he or she can only be sanctioned by a motion brought under the Standing Orders and any such offense has to be related to a breach of privilege and has to be referred to the

Dem boys seh...

SONNY SWIMMING TO GUYANA De wuss thing that can happen is fuh got people dunning you fuh money. Dem market people know wha fuh do when people owe dem. At de top of dem voice dem does cuss de people who owe dem. Well nuff people learn from dem market woman. When de Easy Come Easy Go airplane couldn’t fly, nuff people demand back dem money.

Is one thing though. De company didn’t got money fuh pay back de people. Dem boys did ask Sonny when he start how he gun operate de airplane when he couldn’t pay he own mortgage. De man claim how he get money and if push come to shove he got friends who got deep pockets.

Well dem same friends pocket either got a hole or de pocket never had money because Sonny want and he can’t get. Is now dem boys know why he never pay off fuh he house. If anybody tek de house he gun still manage to get away wid not paying. But if he did pay he woulda lose more. Meanwhile, dem boys seh that dem man coming to Guyana. One man see he when he jump off de Brooklyn Bridge fuh swim because he can’t pass through de airport. De people who get lef waiting fuh welcome he wid open arms.

Talk half and wait fuh Sonny.

Dem boys seh...

Committee of Privilege after the Speaker would have been convinced that a prima facie case has been made out for a breach of privilege.

A member cannot be prevented from speaking if he or she has not committed any wrong in the House.

If upon a motion being moved for a specified breach of privilege, the Speaker finds that a prima facie case has been made out against the member, the matter still has to be referred to the Committee of Privileges.

If the opposition therefore feels that through a resolution it can bully its way into gagging the Minister of Home Affairs it is mistaken.

Any such attempt is going to

be resisted by the ruling party and government. It is hard to see how such a resolution can be entertained and even if it is put to the House and approved how it is going to be enforced.

The opposition therefore will be misguided into believing that having failed to have the Speaker prevent the Minister from speaking, it can now bully its way through a Resolution.

The opposition should reconsider any attempt at gagging the Minister because they will lose face in the eyes of the public who will see this as plain “bullyism”.

The government is going to challenge in the Courts any attempt to silence the Minister

of Home Affairs through resolution and the opposition is going to once again face ignominious failure in the Courts.

In the case of Sabaroche vs The Speaker of the House of Assembly (Commonwealth of Dominica), the Court of Appeal addressed the issue as to whether it had jurisdiction into the affairs of the House of Assembly.

Specifically, the Court was being asked to address a submission as to if a member is suspended for an alleged breach of privilege which does not exist in law and in complete disregard of the Standing Orders of the House, whether the Court is obligated to act and afford

the aggrieved member appropriate relief.

The Court held that the House of Assembly ( Commonwealth of Dominica) gets its authority from the Constitution; and the Court being the sentinel of the Constitution must act and has a duty to act when any authority acts in nonconformity with any rules and laws which it derives from the very Constitution.

The o p p o s i t i o n ’s histrionic therefore seems headed for the Courts of Guyana where the opposition is likely to be humiliated once again.

The Auditor General’s Report 2011 corroborated claims that numerous case dockets of the Georgetown, West Demerara and East Demerara Magisterial Districts are being misplaced or filed at different locations.

According to the report, the filing of affiliation, criminal and civil case dockets continued to be disorganized. In addition, the register of case dockets did not contain information on the movements of the case dockets.

The report disclosed that for last year, there were 219 criminal case dockets; 12 civil case dockets; and 22 affiliation case dockets outstanding at the East Demerara Magisterial District.

Those figures represent increases from 2010 where 133 criminal case dockets; eight civil case dockets; and 15 affiliation case dockets were outstanding.

Meanwhile, the amount of case dockets outstanding in West Demerara Magisterial District for criminal matters was alarming. In 2010, there were only 14 criminal matter case dockets outstanding but in 2011 that figure jumped to a whopping 678.

At the Georgetown Magisterial District there were 398 criminal case dockets outstanding of the 13,456 cases for that year. Meanwhile, in 2010 there were 265 criminal case dockets outstanding of the 14,402 cases for that period.

According to the Head of Budget Agency, the Department has instituted Transfer and Movement Registers to monitor all case dockets. It was noted that this is an ongoing exercise being updated on a regular basis.

The Head said that at the

time of the audit examination, case dockets were before the Magistrates for hearing but they will be presented subsequently for audit examination upon

determination of the matters.

In response, the Auditor General recommended that the Department institutes corrective measures that

would account for case dockets during every financial period, while doing what is necessary to locate the outstanding case dockets.

Case dockets continue to be misplaced- AG Report 2011

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===

The US Embassy in Guyana is not doing its work Under Ambassador Ronald Bullen, a number of well known Guyanese of dubious character lost their American visa.

The most high profile of these were Minister Clement Rohee and then Police Commissioner Henry Greene.

Many believed that the “Bullen Initiative,” was part of US policy of sanction against corrupt politicians in the Third World whose politics were a violations of international law and

global morality.

Strangely, the “Bullen Initiative,” seems to have died a natural death. Take drug trafficking. One would assume that even though there isn’t a DEA office in Guyana, there must be inside the US Embassy, a drug liaison office with specific purpose of studying the cocaine business in Guyana and reporting back to its US head office.

In the absence of a DEA office, anti-narcotics agents

based in the US Embassy would not have interrogatory access to drug accused.

It is doubtful that the Guyana Police Force would agree to DEA agents interviewing convicted traffickers. But this policy cries out for change.

Here is a situation that is so simple that a moron can understand it. A big company in Guyana is into trafficking.

One of its low level employees gets arrested at the airport.

The company says we know nothing about what this guy was doing. The company is not involved. But surely, the US Embassy should not be satisfied with this explanation.

What if the employee was doing what he was always doing but now that he is caught, he agrees to jail time to save his company? He knows his employer will either kill him when he gets out because he sang or will take care of his family and treat him nicely when he comes out.

The police in Guyana are the main obstacles in the American drug war. Low level carriers doing dirty drug work for well know entities are

pleading guilty and taking their four-year sentence. The police are satisfied with a guilty plea and the trafficking continues because a replacement is quickly found.

There is nothing to tie the convict to the big company because the police are not interested in interrogation (not even as a matter routine) either because the police are on the take or high political authorities want no investigation.

This writer is contending that if these low-level carriers were to be questioned by DEA personnel they might give up these eminent business places that are involved. This columnist refuses to believe that the drug agents in the US Embassy do not know that there are well known business houses that are into cocaine shipments.

It is my considered opinion that if these mules were to be professionally interrogated, they will sing loudly. Since Bullen left we have seen no visa restriction from the Embassy except in the C.N. Sharma child molestation charge.

Take corruption in the police force. The Embassy

needs to apply visa restrictions on police officers whose illegal activities are openly known.

The connection between senior officers and the lower ranks that shake down gold miners, Brazilians and business people is no secret.

Only a fool would believe that a rogue cop that was once charged for accepting booty that came from a robbery in which the victims from the mining industry were brutally murdered would be reintegrated into the force and assigned to gold mining areas in the interior after the courts freed him. Something is deadly wrong here.

I am saying that the senior ranks responsible for this cop’s posting in the interior could not have been that foolish to put him in charge of policing in gold mining areas.

Proof or no proof I believe this is a depravity that calls for investigation and the US Embassy should press the government on these senior rogue officers.

I repeat for emphasis; I do not believe that a policeman who was charged for receiving items that came

Frederick Kissoon from a violent robbery on three gold miners who were killed in the process was assigned to the interior to police gold mining areas as a matter of routine posting.

This is my opinion and I strongly hold to it.

When Ambassador Bullen was around and visas were being cancelled, the society thought it would have helped to check corruption because visa denial was a nightmare for the offenders.

But Bullen is gone, visa annulment is gone and corrupt politicians are more numerous than flies in a bucket filled with sticky sugar.

Last week, Malcolm Harripaul showed me and in turn I showed Lincoln Lewis, a mansion with swimming pool on West Coast Demerara for which the owner’s visa should be revoked.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Page 12

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Corporate social responsibility highlighted at Natural Resources seminar The role of the extractive industry in the national economy and the wider social development of the country has been increasing, according to Minister with responsibility for the Natural Resources sector, Robert Persaud.

He was at the time addressing a ‘Sustainable management of the extractive sector’ seminar at the Guyana International Conference Centre yesterday.

The event, which was spearheaded by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the United Nations Development Programme, saw the attendance of a number of natural resources stakeholders.

Minister Persaud noted that with increased competition and more players, both local and international, there are outlined roles and responsibilities that must be followed.

Coming from a standpoint of legal obligations as well as the standpoint of voluntary obligations, these stakeholders’ input in supporting social and economic development of the country is crucial, Persaud

Minister Robert Persaud makes a point at yesterday’s forum added.

Against this background he noted that “...we have thought it best that in working with the UNDP and in developing the strategic framework for the entire natural resources and environment sector that we pay keen attention to the role of corporate social responsibility.”

In pointing to the importance of adherence to the principles of corporate social responsibility, the Natural Resources Minister noted that failure to do so could in fact affect companies’ profitability.

“It affects those who are trading on the stock exchange be it in New York, Hong Kong or Canada; we also know that there is a heavy premium of these companies adhering to sound corporate social responsibility,” Persaud added.

Moreover, he underscored that corporate social responsibility is not only good for business but also for Government’s management of the sector and “that is why we want to ensure that all stakeholders are on board, and that the Government work with

different players and different stakeholders in this regard.”

“We want to make sure that we strike that harmonious balance in terms of achieving what we consider that enabling framework for the sustainable development and management of the natural resources sector, Persaud said.

This approach, according to him has in recent times been a very important tenet of companies as well as Governments.

He disclosed that how the extractive industry is

managed, efforts must be made to learn not only from the experiences of other countries and institutions but that strategy must be complemented by a team of experts.

Dealing with the issue of ‘resource curse’ is also of paramount importance, since according to the Natural Resources Minister there is a need to determine “how do we strike that balance and how do we, working together, overcome these...even the roles and responsibilities of companies, other players as well as Government are

maintained.”

Against this background, he noted that over the next two day efforts will be directed towards a review of what has been done in Guyana and how it is that stakeholders have been operating in terms of sustainable development and management as well as utilisation of natural resources.

The seminar, according to Persaud, will also seek to highlight shortcomings with a view to improving how it is that “we can have these addressed.”

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

EZjet’s New York bank account empty- employee The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has authorized the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council (RHEDC) to publish its complaint form so that troubled passengers can log their problems.

Executive Director of the RHEDC, Vishnu Mahadeo said, “We are authorized to publish the DOT’s complaint form so that the magnitude of the problem and the volume of customers can be established.”

Meanwhile, suspended lowcost charter, EZjet, has run into another hurdle with news yesterday that its bank accounts in the US were empty.

According to staff members of its New York office yesterday, several cheques had been prepared for refund to stranded passengers but calls to EZjet’s bank revealed that the balance was below what was expected.

Staffers later discovered that a number of travel agencies had cancelled their

cheques for tickets sold upon learning that EZjet was suspended last Thursday by the US Department of Transportation.

This latest development would spell even more trouble for EZjet. Almost 30,000 people were set to fly the charter between November and December but the US suspended flights in a sudden move last Thursday after Swift Air, which conducts the flights for EZjet, filed complaints that it was not being paid.

The Guyana and Canadian authorities followed suit with over the weekend government here meeting with Caribbean Airline representatives to find solutions for the stranded passengers.

Ramdeo was sued last month for allegedly stealing US$5.4M from a hospital chain, Promise Healthcare and passing some of the money through EZjet.

Both the opposition and Kaieteur News have come under fire from Government

and EZjet for raising questions whether the venture was a feasible one especially in light of its unbelievably low fares.

Guyanese had welcomed the low fares but the questions continued.

While the Government of Guyana has continuously defended EZjet’s operations, saying it was above board and the necessary due diligence was carried, the entire operation, investment structure and financial support of EZJet remain questionable given the airline’s collapse.

Over the weekend, EZjet confirmed that Ramdeo, who stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer after being sued by the hospital chain, was a “person of interest” to the FBI. Conflicting statements have been issued by the company, claiming that Ramdeo is back in charge while officers of the airline have said that Ramdeo is unavailable and therefore remains to be seen in public.

Narco-Detective execution…

File sent to DPP for advice as two remain in custody The police are currently seeking advice on the way forward into the executionstyle killing of one of their own, Detective Jirbahan Dianand. Sources close to the investigation told this publication that police are seeking at least two other persons while two remain in police custody.

This publication was told that the man who confessed to the being present when Dianand was killed and another man at whose home the alleged murder weapon was found were still in custody up to press time yesterday.

Over the weekend police in Berbice made a breakthrough while investigating a hijacking in the Corentyne area.

Reports are that following last Saturday’s night carjacking and shooting of taxi driver, Jermaine Rover, 21, of No. 78 Village, Corentyne, police at Fort Wellington Station on a routine road block recovered the car on Sunday.

The Corolla AT 192, HB 3172, was found at Plantation Foulis, West Coast Berbice.

The two occupants of the car were arrested and taken to New Amsterdam Central Police Station for questioning.

Police in Berbice told this newspaper that they had

received information about the licence number of the car that the suspects were travelling in and this was relayed to all stations along the path that the vehicle was expected to travel.

According to the source, ranks of a police mobile patrol spotted the car and managed to stop it in the vicinity of Foulis, West Coast Berbice.

Inside were two Crabwood Creek men who claimed that they were on their way to Georgetown.

“They looked very simple,” the source stated.

Under interrogation about the carjacking and possible involvement in other crimes in the Corentyne, one of the men reportedly broke and made some startling revelations. A source told this publication that he confessed to being in the company of others - whose names were given to the police - signaling their involvement in the brutal execution of Detective Dianand.

The man reportedly told investigators that on the night of September 13, he was in the company of another man who was making arrangements to meet the Detective Dianand to hand over some money. Sources say that man related that once the detective arrived at the

Jackson Creek Public Road he stayed in his car while the other suspect walked up to his car with a bag, supposedly containing a large amount of cash.

The man reportedly told the police that as Dianand wound his window down and stretched out his hand to collect the bag the suspect never released the bag to Dianand but instead drew a gun and shot the Detective twice in his head before fleeing the scene.

The man also reportedly told investigators that he asked his accomplice for a ‘cut’ of the money but he was denied his request. The man claimed that his accomplice threatened to kill him if he told anyone what he knew.

The suspect also claimed that his accomplice went to a location and hid the murder weapon and then dropped him home.

A source said that the man then related that he returned to the location where the murder weapon was hidden and stole it with the intention of eliminating Dianand’s killer, but he ‘didn’t have the guts to do it’. The man also related that he eventually took the weapon to a relative to ‘stash it’. Reports are that the man has since led investigators to the murder weapon.

Page 13

Page 14

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Trio on $9 million bail Region Eight pays for no for vehicular theft AG Report 2011...

work, overpays on others Millions of dollars in overpayments to contractors for buildings, roads and bridges construction and poor documentation of projects by Region Eight Administration were highlighted in the Auditor General’s Report 2011.

In the report substantial overpayments, nonexecution of projects and poor monitoring were revealed with the Regional Administration blaming poor documentation for the overpayments.

The report stated, “A contract for the repairs to Mahdia Roadway was awarded to the sole bidder in the sum of $4.9M. The works were certified by the Regional Officials as having been satisfactorily completed and the full contract sum was paid to the contractor.

“However, a physical verification of the project revealed that no works were done and as such, the amount of $4.9M paid to the contractor should be recovered in full.”

The Head of Budget Agency responding to Auditor General merely acknowledged the acceptance of the never commenced project as completed as “a lapse, which is regretted and indicated that the works are presently ongoing by the contractor”.

Meanwhile, the Audit Office recommended that the Regional Administration ensures that works are verified as satisfactorily completed before any payments are made.

According to the report, of the $134.040M expended by the Region on maintenance works a contract valuing $2.295M was awarded to repair Kanapang teacher’s quarters. The report said that the full provisional sum was paid to the contractor but no details of the payment were provided.

In addition, a physical verification of the project revealed that the works were completed and overpayments totaling $1.618M were made to the contractor.

Meanwhile, a contract for the repairs to revetment at Mahdia Dorms was awarded to a tune of $2.657M. As at 31 December 2011, the full contract sum was paid to the contractor. A verification of the project revealed that the works were completed and overpayments totaling $1.626M were made to the contractor.

The sum of $616,600 was also overpaid to the contractor contracted to repair Kato Cottage Hospital fence.

The full contract sum totaling $2.460M was paid to the contractor as at December 31, 2011. And, verifications of the project revealed that works were completed but the contractor was overpaid.

The Head of the Budget Agency acknowledged the overpayments and indicated that efforts are being made to recover the amounts overpaid.

Consequently, the Auditor General stressed that the Regional Administration must put systems in place to avoid recurrence.

Three persons were yesterday granted bail in a sum totaling $9 million after they were jointly charged with allegedly committing several counts of larceny.

Conrad Wrights, of Lot 13 Public Road Friendship, East Bank Demerara his son, Clairmont Randy Wrights, of Lot 269 Osama Street, North Ruimveldt, and their accomplice, Robert Underwood, called George, all appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry for the indictable offense.

According to the facts of the case, the men went to Affordable Car Rentals, Corentyne, Berbice, and rented four vehicles using three fraudulent New York City (NYC) driver’s permits.

The vehicles which belonged to Vinod Pillay, altogether valued $10.1 million.

They were driven to Safari Inn on the East Bank of Demerara where the accused allegedly sold them off.

Police reports were made some time after.

Investigations later revealed

that a false licence plate number was affixed to one of vehicles which was recovered by law enforcement officers.

The other vehicles are yet to be accounted for as the investigations continue.

Although the three accused were not allowed to plead, their attorneys Mark Waldron and Lennox Hanoman, asked that the men be admitted to bail at a reasonable sum.

Waldron, who appeared on behalf of the Wrights, told the court that his clients were kept in police custody for in excess of 72 hours.

Waldron vouched that his clients are not flight risks since they are both accomplished property owners.

Hanoman endorsed the call for bail and reiterated that his client, Underwood, poses no risk of flight and has an unblemished record.

However Police Prosecutors Eon Blackman and Kerry Bostwick, countered the lawyers’ bail submission on the grounds that the accused had been on the run for six months after

the matter was reported to the police. The men also have several other matters pending before the courts, the Prosecutors noted.

Bostwick asked that if the men should be admitted to bail it would be on condition that they render and lodge their travel documents as well as report to Criminal Investigations Department (CID) once per week.

The Magistrate had the ruling deferred to verify whether the accused were attending the other trials to answer charges.

Her query later revealed that one of the accused Wrights had reported sick throughout his trial in another court.

His Attorney in that matter Lennox Hanoman explained that the elder Wrights suffers from hypertension and Type 2 diabetes which have been plaguing him throughout the hearings.

The Magistrate took the various factors into consideration and ordered that the accused be released on $3 million dollars bail each.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 15

Consultation for National Teaching Council commences

GTU President Colin Bynoe addresses the gathering at the consultation

T

he need for an autonomous N a t i o n a l Teaching Council was emphasised yesterday when the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) collaborated to host a consultation at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

This is the first move towards the realisation of the body which, once established, will cater to the licensing and continuous education of local teachers.

According to GTU President, Colin Bynoe, plan for an introduction of a local National Teaching Council was premised on a CARICOM spearheaded meeting which was held in St Lucia in June of 2010.

That meeting, which was designed to establish standards for teachers in the Caribbean, attracted education officers, heads of educational institutions, teachers and trade union representatives of respective territories, according to Bynoe.

The objective of that forum was to utilise a participative approach to enable open dialogue and region-wide contribution towards the creation of a draft document entitled ‘Guidelines for establishing teaching Councils in the Caribbean Community’.

Its creation was premised on the fact that the teaching profession is at the core of socio-economic changes. As such it has been highlighted that the move towards establishing teaching councils will give

the profession leadership and sustained quality.

A preface to the draft document states that “already CARICOM in a partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat is leading the process for harmonisation of teacher qualifications among Caribbean countries. As Caribbean leaders move towards strengthening the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME), nationals must prepare themselves to take advantage of freedom of movement within the Region hence quality teaching and learning must be assured.”

Having heard of the CARICOM initiative at the April 2012 GTU teachers’ conference Minister of Education Priya Manickchand was elated enough to encourage the teachers’ union to work towards establishing a national council, according to Bynoe.

“She asked that we have our own consultation because it is important that if any country is going to establish teaching councils that you have wide consultations,” the GTU President added.

It was against this background, he said, that the GTU sought to not only involve its members with the Education Ministry but also teachers as well as students t o b r i n g y e s t e r d a y ’s consultation to fruition.

The event was also graced by educators from Caricom territories and had representation from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). An

overview of the rationale for establishing a national teaching council was presented at the forum yesterday which was backed by deliberations on the importance of advancing the teaching profession through teacher empowerment.

According to the draft CARICOM guidelines, establishment of a Teaching Council is less about finding additional resources and more about maximising the

use of existing resources to sustain a quality teaching profession.

However, implications are that in the process of establishing a Council, the respective member state would first assemble all its units/departments that deal with teachers, review them, and to the extent necessary, reorient them and expand their mandates to incorporate regulatory services and professional development.

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 17

Page 18

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Whistleblower legislation necessary - Ramjattan to tackle corruption The leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, is optimistic that by early 2013, a Bill will be presented to Parliament in support of laws promoting whistleblower legislation.

This, he said, is part of his party’s legislative agenda and one of the important matters his party intends to address.

Whistleblower legislation is set to protect a person who informs the public or those in authority about dishonest or illegal activities /misconduct occurring in a government department or private company or organization.

That misconduct may be violation of laws, regulations,

direct threat to public interest; fraud and corruption.

This legislation, Ramjattan said, will however have to be tabled in the form of a “private members Bill” since the ruling Administration is refusing to assist in the drafting of the whistleblower legislation. The “private members” Bill is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature who is not acting on behalf of the government.

Since Bills are proposed by the government, Ramjattan noted that the government’s assistance would have been relevant in putting the measure in place.

He added, “We are now on our own in relation to finding the precedent legislation in the Commonwealth.”

Ramjattan said, “I had indicated as part of the legislative agenda for the Alliance for Change that we would like to get the government to help with the drafting of the legislation but the government does not want to give us any assistance in this regard.”

The AFC leader noted that he had received the Commonwealth legislation in relation to whistleblower laws, but extra effort is needed to make the legislation more particular to

Guyana. He added that he is further tasked with ensuring that the measure does not breach any other law, clash with existing legislation or violate the constitution.

Ramjattan fired that the Government’s failure to act on corruption has a “damning effect.” He noted that the Administration’s slothfulness in bringing corrupt individuals to justice can worsen the existing corrupt state of affairs, while saying to those corrupt persons that they are immune to investigations and prosecution.

“Government’s failure to act on corruption has a

consequence that can worsen the state of affairs in Guyana. People who are corrupt will feel immunized against investigation and prosecution, and those who are of the view that they ought to say something will become silenced and stifled into not saying anything when they see persons doing wrong.”

Ramjattan attributed his comment to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) officer who was sent on leave after exposing alleged corrupt practices at that entity.

The current legislation, Ramjattan posited, “Is not

Khemraj Ramjattan perfect but what we have are the laws not being enforced.

There are many charges that can be instituted against corrupt practitioners in our land by the existing regime of laws, but the government does not because favourites, family and friends are there.”

(Zena Henry)

Opposition and Government at odds over Public Accounts Committee Shadow Finance Minister for A Partnership for National Unity, Carl Greenidge, yesterday at a press conference said that the government has taken offence to a letter which was sent to local, regional and international oversight bodies for Chartered Accountants, alleging the possible conflict of interest

between the Finance Minister and his wife’s appointment at the Audit Office.

Greenidge yesterday said that during the 10th Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting on November 5, last, Government’s Chief Whip Gail Teixeira complained about the inclusion of the name of the wife of Dr. Ashni Singh in a letter. The letter was sent by

Greenidge, who is the Chairman of the PAC. According to Greenidge the letter requested guidance from the Guyana, Caribbean and international institutes regarding their codes of ethics and possible conflict of interest arising from the appointment of Mrs. Singh to the post of Director in the Audit Office given that her

husband is the Minister of Finance. APNU is contending that the material she would be required to audit directly or through colleagues pertain to agencies for which her husband has policy responsibility.

In this view Greenidge, said that a strong conflict of interest would be involved in Mrs. Singh operating at such a senior level in auditing the accounts of bodies for which her husband has Ministerial and policy responsibility.

He said that apparently, the PPP/C did not want the source of the conflict mentioned in the letter and also claimed that there were inaccuracies in the letter.

The shadow minister added that it was clear that without the specific names being provided to the oversight bodies, they are unlikely to be in a position to offer advice on this very special and controversial case at a time when the Government is embroiled in accusations about corruption and there are calls for special

audits for entities such as NICIL and AHL. He said that these entities have failed to account for billions of dollars which have been in their keeping.

“Mrs. Singh’s promotion to the number two position in the Office of the Auditor General was sought by the acting Auditor General, Mr’.

Deodat Sharma, and was facilitated by on the unexpected and temporary PPP/C majority on the body resulting from the sudden and unannounced absence of the AFC representative Mr. Trevor Williams, Greenidge stated yesterday.

He added that the decisions of the PAC are by tradition based on a consensus among the parties especially in the face of politically sensitive matters such as appointments where the parties need to have confidence in the impartiality and professionalism of the officers. Greenidge said that the National Assembly can be expected to look at the matter in a few weeks’ time when a

full report of the PAC deliberations as well as the views of the Standing Order committee should be considered. In the interim staff members have been appointed by the AG who has since been confirmed by the PPP regime, he said. He said that APNU continues to view with concern and to resist attempts by the PPP/C regime to make sweetheart appointments.

Where the PPPC is not sure of the loyalty or is concerned that officers might be too independent, it uses the device of having them act interminably or kept to short contracts.

Greenidge said that this is a means of keeping those officers in line and the PPP/C is currently on a drive to protect itself from investigation of fraudulent behaviour and possible prosecution for corruption.

Guyana is currently ranked as the most corrupt regime in the Caribbean and the second most corrupt in the entire Latin America and Caribbean region.

Poorly maintained records found at WDRH drugs bond- AG Report Poorly kept stock ledgers, congestion and obsolete items were found to be the order of operations at the West Demerara Regional Hospital’s Drugs Bond for the period 2011 by the Auditor General’s Office.

According to the Auditor General’s Report 2011, an examination of the records maintained at the hospital’s Drugs Bond showed that stock ledgers were not maintained for the entire for the period under audit.

“A physical count of a sample of thirty items was done at the Drugs Bond.

However, at the time of the

audit at 18 January 2012, the ISR’s (Internal Store Requisitions) were only posted up to 31 December 2011, hence; correct balances could not be obtained,” the report stated.

The report also revealed that the physical condition of the facility is very congested and needs to be cleared of old boxes, unserviceable and obsolete items. “A few hundred forceps of different sizes, chisels, dental items and steel and plastic kidney dishes were not recorded in any record,” the report stated. A gift register was not maintained for the year

2011 although several items including stool containers, folding beds with IV stands, wheel chairs, and knee immobilizers were donated for the period under review.

According to the Head of the Budget Agency, all gifts received are now sorted, packed and properly accounted for and the gift register has been updated accordingly.

T h e A u d i t O ff i c e recommends that the Regional Administration should ensure that the gift register is properly maintained and updated at all times.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

UN warns of further hardships for Haitians

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti CMC - The United Nations food relief agency is warning that more than 1.5 million Haitians could remain at risk of food insecurity well into 2013 if they do not receive adequate assistance to recover from a series of natural disasters that have hit the country over the past six months, including a drought, Tropical Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy.

“At the moment, one of our biggest worries is in areas that are still isolated after

Hurricane Sandy, where women and children face worsening nutrition,” said Myrta Kaulard, the director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) based here.

“At the same time, it is crucial to help Haitian farmers so that they can plant crops for the small December season and for the main agricultural season in the spring.”

Hurricane Sandy, which has been described as a “once in a generation” storm,

caused death and widespread destruction as it moved across the Caribbean and the eastern seaboard of the United States. In Haiti alone, 54 people died, and hundreds of thousands of people were hit by floods and heavy winds.

The WFP which responded by distributing food to some 14,000 people during the first week after the hurricane in late October, said that it would continue to assist 20,000 of the worst-affected households, with almost 800 tons of food during the month of November.

The agency also stressed that its activities in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country would focus on preventing and treating malnutrition for 100,000 women and children, as well as on “Cash for Assets” projects to provide income to 170,000 people

working on rehabilitation of agricultural land, flood c o n t r o l a n d watershed managements, among other activities.

An estimated US$19 million will be needed to fund these programmes, which will be carried out in conjunction with the Haitian Government, partner non-governmental organizations and other UN agencies including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), WFP noted.

“Our donors’ support is crucial not only to ensure that we maintain our emergency response capacity in Haiti, but also to support rural people to get back on their feet quickly,” said Ms. Kaulard. “ Wi t h o u t i m m e d i a t e cash contributions, the situation of these rural households will continue deteriorating until the next main crop in mid2013,” she added.

Page 19

IMF will only pay out money due under JLP Govt. – Audley Shaw

Audley Shaw JAMAICA Observer Opposition spokesman on Finance Audley Shaw said no large sum of money will be coming to Government’s coffers when the new agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is eventually signed, as the payout will only be the remainder of funds agreed on in the first deal with the Jamaica Labour Party-led Administration.

According to Shaw, when

his Administration signed the standby agreement, only US$800 million of the agreed US$1.2 billion was disbursed.

“My credible information is that this new agreement that is negotiated, only the remaining US$400 million that is from the old agreement will be available in the new agreement,” Shaw told journalists at a media briefing at the JLP’s Belmont Road headquarters in Kingston Tuesday. As such, Shaw said the US$400 million will only be available to buttress the gross foreign exchange reserve but not the formal Net International Reserves (NIR). Shaw also expressed concerns about the rapid decline in the NIR, noting that when the JLP Administration left office in December 2011 the reserves were just over US$2 billion, but that has now dropped to US$1.1 billion and falling at a rapid rate. T

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

CARICOM disappointed at Britain’s response on APD CASTRIES, St. Lucia – CMC - Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Chairman, Dr Kenny Anthony has expressed disappointment that the United Kingdom has “opted to retain its discriminatory approach” in dealing with the controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD).

Anthony, who is also the St Lucia prime minister, had written to the British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne on the “deleterious effect” the controversial United Kingdom Air Passenger Duty (APD) tax is continuing to have on Caribbean economies.The APD, instituted in 1994, is a British environmental tax aimed at offsetting aviation’s carbon footprint. In its initial stage, it was set at £5 (US$7.85) per person.

Regional governments have been lobbying London to remove the tax, which they said negatively affect the growth of the tourism industry since the Caribbean has been placed in a band that makes travel to the region much more expensive than

Dr Kenny Anthony travelling from London to the United States.

Anthony said he had received a response from the British government official which he described as “interesting in one respect”.

“The Chancellor more or less confirms that the APD was introduced primarily to raise revenue to tackle the deficit in the United Kingdom,” Anthony said.

“In your letter you recognize the fiscal challenge that the UK faces and so I hope you will understand that

the Government remains focused on tackling the deficit in order to protect the UK economy from global instability and secure sustainable long-term growth. Air passenger duty makes a vital contribution to the public finances and it is important that revenues from the duty are maintained,’ Osborne wrote.

Anthony said it is interesting “that the United Kingdom opted to retain its discriminatory approach in the implementation of the APD. “In my letter, I drew to the attention of the Chancellor that it was unfair and unjustifiable for travellers from the United Kingdom to the United States to pay a lower duty than travellers from the UK to the Caribbean, when, for all practical purposes, the United States and the Caribbean are in the same geographical zone”. But Osborne replied “you refer to revenue neutral solutions for changing the structure of the APD in your letter. As you will be aware, changes to the

UK technocrat pledges continued support to Jamaica

banding structure were considered in detail within the consultation.

“In weighing up the case for reform, the Government recognized that no banding structure would be entirely free of anomalies and that a revenue neutral move to a two or three band system could not be achieved without a rise for passengers flying to band A and B, some 90 per cent of total passengers.”

The Chancellor agreed that the “links between the UK and St Lucia are important for both countries, especially given the large Caribbean Diaspora in the UK, for whom air travel is an essential means to visit friends and family.”

T h e Wo r l d Tr a v e l a n d Tourism Council (WTTC) said that new research shows that removing the APD would result in an additional 91 000 British jobs being created and £4.2 billion (US$6.5 billion) added to the economy within a year.

Jamaica Gleaner - Kate Smith, director of the Americas Department at the British Foreign Commonwealth Office, s a y s despite the tough economic conditions facing the United Kingdom at this time, her country will not withdraw its support to developing states like Jamaica.

“We are absolutely clear that this Government is committed to maintaining its spending on overseas aid and fulfilling its commitment, and that won’t change,” Smith told The Gleaner in an interview.

The UK senior

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan authorities deported a prominent drug trafficking suspect to Colombia yesterday, nearly two months after his capture in an operation aided by Colombian and U.S. authorities.

Colombian officials consider Daniel Barrera one of the country’s mostwanted drug lords.

Barrera was handcuffed as he was led to a waiting plane at Caracas’ international airport along with two other drug suspects, including a U.S. citizen.

Venezuelan Justice Minister Nestor Reverol said Barrera had a false passport when he was captured in September in the southwestern Venezuelan city of San Cristobal.

Barrera is known as “El Loco,” or “The Madman,” and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has called him “the last of the great capos.”

The 50-year-old Barrera was arrested after Colombian officials, who had been working with U.S. and British authorities, notified Venezuela that Barrera was making a call from one of

dozens of public phones that were being monitored, officials said.

Colombia police say Barrera had been in Venezuela since 2008 and owned ranches worth millions of dollars.

Colombian police had offered a reward of about $2.5 million for information leading to his arrest.

The authorities have said Barrera operated in a swath of eastern Colombia including areas along the border in Venezuela, and had a drug smuggling alliance with rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC. According to a 2010 grand jury indictment in U.S. District Court in New York, Barrera was both manufacturing and trafficking drugs on a large scale, buying raw cocaine paste from FARC rebels and converting it into cocaine at his labs in eastern Colombia.

The indictment said that amounted to as much as 400 tons per year, and that Barrera then arranged shipment of the drugs through Colombia and Venezuela to the United States, Europe and Africa.

Kate Smith

technocrat, however, pointed out that her country’s traditional development aid to India, another Commonwealth state like Jamaica, would come to an end in the next few years. The Government of Britain says it is seeking to forge a modern partnership with countries in the region, including Jamaica.

“Economic conditions in Britain at this time are not good, (but) we want to work to build an environment both in the UK and in the countries which we have partnerships, where business, trade and investment can prosper. That’s a key part of the modern partnership we are seeking to forge,” Smith stressed. On the question of the flow of illegal drugs into the UK from Jamaica, Smith divulged that the authorities in Britain have had considerable successes in seizures. “One important indicator is the price of drugs on the streets in the UK and that has gone up and that means it is harder for traffickers to get the drugs into the United Kingdom.

Venezuela turns over wanted drug lord to Colombia

Daniel Barrera The other two drug trafficking suspects handed over to Colombian authorities yesterday included Jorge Cifuentes Villa and Eduardo Acosta Mejia.

Reverol said the 30-yearold Acosta is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the Dominican Republic, and is wanted by Colombian authorities on drug trafficking charges.

Acosta, who was arrested in western Tachira state in August, formerly was a member of the U.S. military and served in special forces for the Navy, Reverol said.

He said that Acosta has worked as a “bodyguard for criminal organizations” in Colombia, and that Ve n e z u e l a n a u t h o r i t i e s determined he had the “profile of a mercenary.”

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 21

IMF warns of loss of momentum PM: I’m a for Dominica’s economic recovery fearless leader WASHINGTON - CMC The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says even though the economic recovery in Dominica is continuing, it has lost momentum.

Over the past two years, Dominica’s economy grew at a tepid rate of about one per cent, supported by a notable fiscal stimulus, and output recovered to its pre-crisis peak. But the IMF said yesterday that the pace of activity has been decelerating so far this year with weakening external and domestic demand, and is now forecasting growth of about half a per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012.

It said weak demand has kept price pressures subdued and, along with a recovery in service receipts, contributed to a significant adjustment in the external current account deficit. “While rising world food prices may contribute to a modest pickup in inflation and weigh on the balance of payments in 2012, pressures are expected to subside later next year.

“Downside risks to the near-term outlook have

intensified with heightened global uncertainty and the planned stoppage of flights from the only non-regional carrier servicing the island.

Geothermal energy development or the opening of new tourist facilities could strengthen the long-term outlook,” the IMF said.

The Washington-based financial institution said that weak growth and the earlier failure of regional insurance companies have weakened the resilience of the financial sector in some areas.

“While the system as a whole remains highly liquid, nonperforming loans and exposures to the failed insurance companies remain a drag on financial sector’s income and capitalization, especially in the large credit union sector.”

The IMF said that monetary conditions have not eased meaningfully.

It said that with policy and lending rates stable throughout the crisis, as monetary policy in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) remains fully committed to maintaining the hard peg to the U.S. dollar,

Dominica has not benefited from the significantly eased U.S. monetary policy rates.

“Moreover, the real effective exchange rate has depreciated only moderately, strengthening recently with the appreciation of the U.S. dollar vis-à-vis major currencies. Expansionary fiscal policy has thus been the only tool to support economic activity, but strains on the fiscal position have been mounting with subdued growth and the need to respond to natural disasters.

“The overall central government deficit widened to about 4.5 per cent of GDP in fiscal year 2011–12 and pushed debt to over 70 per cent of GDP, almost seven percentage points above precrisis levels.” The IMF said to meet the increasing financing requirements; the authorities successfully launched a T-bill in the regional securities market for the first time since the 2004– 05 debt restructuring. “With fiscal policies reaching the limits of their ability to support economic activity, the authorities have budgeted a strong

retrenchment for fiscal year 2012–13, although weakening economic conditions may undermine its feasibility.”

The IMF said that supportive policies have helped the Dominican economy weather the effects of the global financial crisis.

However, worsening external and internal environments have weakened the forward momentum and amplified risks to macroeconomic stability. It said continued prudent macroeconomic policies, enhanced vigilance in the financial sector, and accelerated structural reforms remain key to stronger growth prospects.

Noting that the room for countercyclical fiscal support has narrowed considerably, the IMF said it welcomed the intention of Dominica to return gradually to pre-crisis primary surplus target.

It said the authorities agreed that the proposed pace of fiscal adjustment strikes a right balance between the need to rebuild fiscal buffers over time and the need to support the flagging recovery.

Trinidad Guardian Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has described herself as a fearless leader and insisted she was not afraid to tackle life’s trials and tribulations.

She said she would also serve the country without fear or favour and gave the assurance that the power which was entrusted to her and her Cabinet would not be abused.

Persad-Bissessar made the comments while addressing the audience at the closing night of Divali celebrations at the Divali N a g a r, C h a g u a n a s , o n Monday night.

She said she drew strength from her Hindu faith and in particular from Lord Hanuman, the mighty ape that aided Lord Rama in his expedition against evil forces.

Hanuman is worshiped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion.

Persad-Bissessar said like Lord Hanuman she too had learnt to face fear head on. S h e

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar a d d e d : “I am not easily driven to be fearful.

I might be cautious, as I need to be, but I am not a f r a i d t o t r e a t with the challenges which confront our nation, which confront our people and which confront principles of our nation.

“Hanuman declared fear has no place in the personality and psychological make-up of a leader…a leader who is filled with fear has already lost the battle.

“I want to give you the assurance that I will go about my duties without fear and without favour.”

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Anti-austerity strikes sweep southern Europe MADRID/LISBON (Reuters) - Police and protesters clashed in Spain and Italy yesterday as millions of workers went on strike in organized labour’s biggest Europe-wide challenge to austerity policies since the euro zone debt crisis erupted three years ago.Hundreds of flights were cancelled, schools were shut, factories were at a standstill and trains barely ran in Spain and Portugal where unions held their first joint general strike. Stoppages in Belgium interrupted international rail services.

Workers also protested in Greece and France against austerity policies that have taken a heavy economic toll and aggravated mass unemployment. But the demonstrations organized by the European Trade Union Confederation seemed unlikely to force hard-pressed governments to change their cost-cutting strategies.

In Spain, 110 people were arrested - including two allegedly with material to make explosives - after confrontations at picket lines

and damage to storefronts.

Riot police fired rubber bullets at protesters in central Madrid in one brief clash.

Even non-union workers jointed protests and marches.

“This isn’t about politics or unions. This is social and economic. If we have to shut down the country we’ll shut it down,” said 24-year-old Mariluz Gordillo, a nonunionized phone operator at El Corte Ingles department store.

In Rome scuffles broke out between police in riot gear and demonstrators who threw stones, bottles and fireworks at police. About 60 demonstrators were detained.

Protesters occupied Pisa’s mediaeval leaning tower for an hour, hanging a banner reading “Rise up. We are not paying for your crisis”.

In Portugal and Greece both rescued with European funds and under strict austerity programmes - the economic downturn sharpened in the third quarter, data showed yesterday.

Portuguese unemployment jumped to a record 15.8 percent while in neighbouring Spain,

one in four of the workforce is jobless. Greece’s economic output shrank 7.2 percent on an annual basis in the third quarter as the debt-laden country staggers towards its sixth year of depression.

Close to 26 million people are unemployed in the European Union while governments take aim at spending on treasured universal health care and public schools.

Throughout southern Europe governments are trying to put public finances back on track after years of overspending. Portugal and Greece have cut pensions and, with Spain, have slashed public sector wages as well as spending on hospitals and schools. Italy and France are also under pressure to control their budget deficits.

EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn praised Spain yesterday for making progress in trimming its budget but acknowledged many Spaniards are struggling.

In Spain, most of the savings have been gobbled

Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration

by French labour unions against austerity policies in Europe, in Marseille yesterday. REUTERS/Jean-Paul up by higher interest payments on the national debt, swollen by the cost of rescuing banks after a real estate bubble burst in 2008.

Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, said in a report yesterday that the euro zone debt crisis is still the number one risk to German banks and insurers, and the situation had not improved from last year.

Promises from the European Central Bank to support sovereign bond prices for countries that seek aid have brought some relief to Spain and Italy in the capital markets. Yesterday Italy sold 3-year bonds at the lowest borrowing cost in two years.

While several southern European countries have seen bursts of violence, a coordinated and effective regional protest against austerity has yet to force a significant policy shift.

Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos told reporters yesterday the government would stay the course with spending cuts to meet ambitious deficit cutting targets, despite the strike.

“We’re on strike to stop these suicidal policies,” said Candido Mendez, head of Spain’s second-biggest labour federation, the General Workers’ Union, or UGT. Union leaders in Spain said more than 9 million

workers joined the strike - the second this year. The government said participation was much lower and played down the impact, saying many services were functioning normally. Stores opened normally in many parts of the country, though some had protesters outside.

About 5 million people, or 22 percent of the workforce, are union members in Spain.

In Portugal about a quarter of the 5.5 million strong workforce is unionized.

Passions were inflamed when a Spanish woman jumped to her death last week as bailiffs tried to evict her from her home. Spaniards are furious at banks being rescued with public money while ordinary people suffer.

In Portugal, which took an EU bailout last year, public and political opposition to austerity is growing, threatening to derail measures sought by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho.

Passos Coelho’s policies were held up this week as a model by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is despised in much of southern Europe for taking a hard line on the conditions attached to EU aid.

Inspectors from the “troika” of the International Monetary Fund, ECB and European Commission - who monitor implementation of the conditions - also drew the

Arab League to hold meeting on Gaza - diplomat CAIRO (Reuters) - The Cairo-based Arab League will discuss the Israeli attack on Gaza at a special meeting to be held either today or Saturday, a senior League diplomat told Reuters.

“We are working to

gather the Arab states’ permanent representatives in the Arab League to hold an urgent meeting...that could either be today or Saturday,” Lebanon representative in the League, Khaled Ziadeh told Reuters.

protesters’ anger.

In Lisbon, thousands filled a square in front of the Portuguese parliament shouting “This debt is not ours” and “Out IMF, out troika”. Police were guarding the building.

“I’m on strike because those who work are basically being blackmailed into sacrificing more and more in the name of debt reduction, which is a big lie,” said Daniel Santos de Jesus, 43, who teaches architecture at the Lisbon Technical University.

Major demonstrations were planned for the evening in Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona and other cities.

Protesters jammed cash machines with glue and coins, and plastered antigovernment stickers on shop windows around Spain.

Power consumption dropped 16 percent with factories idled.

More than 600 flights were cancelled in Spain alone, mainly by Iberia and budget carrier Vueling. Portugal’s flag carrier TAP cancelled roughly 45 percent of flights.

In Greece, which saw a big two-day strike last week as parliament voted to approve new cuts, hundreds of strikers rallied peacefully in central Athens, holding aloft giant Italian, Portuguese and Spanish flags and banners proclaiming “Enough is enough.”

In France, five trade unions organized marches in more than 100 cities but did not call for a strike. Left-wing critics of Socialist President Francois Hollande said he has failed to address the concerns of French workers who have the same fears as their counterparts in southern Europe.

“It’s an unconditional surrender,” hard left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said on France 2 television.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Israel launches Gaza offensive, kills Hamas commander GAZA (Reuters) - Israel launched a major offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza yesterday, killing the military commander of Hamas in an air strike and threatening an invasion of the enclave that the Islamist group vowed would “open the gates of hell”.

The onslaught shattered hopes that a truce mediated on Tuesday by Egypt could pull the two sides back from the brink of war after five days of escalating Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli strikes at militant targets.

Operation “Pillar of Defense” began with a surgical strike on a car carrying the commander of the military wing of Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls Gaza and dominates a score of smaller armed groups.

Within minutes of the death of Ahmed Al-Jaabari, big explosions were rocking Gaza, as the Israeli air force struck at selected targets just before sundown, blasting plumes of smoke and debris high above the crowded city.

Panicking civilians ran for cover and the death toll mounted quickly. Seven people including two girls under the age of five were killed, the health ministry said.

A second Gaza war has loomed on the horizon for months as waves of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli strikes grew increasingly more intense and frequent.

Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009 began with a week of air attacks and shelling, followed by a land invasion of the blockaded coastal strip, sealed off at sea by the Israeli navy. Some 1,400 Palestinians were killed and 13 Israelis died.

Hamas said Jaabari, who ran the organization’s armed wing, Izz el-Deen Al-Qassam, died along with an unnamed associate when their car was blown apart by an Israeli missile.

The charred and mangled wreckage of a car could be seen belching flames, as emergency crews picked up what appeared to be body parts.

Israel confirmed it had carried out the attack and announced there was more to come. Reuters witnesses saw Hamas security compounds and police stations blasted apart. “This is an operation against terror targets of different organizations in Gaza,” Israeli army spokeswoman Colonel Avital Leibovitch told reporters.

Palestinians extinguish the fire after an Israeli air strike on a car in Gaza City yesterday. REUTERS/Ali Hassan (GAZA) Jaabari had “a lot of blood on his hands”, she said. Other militant groups including Islamic Jihad were on the target list.

Immediate calls for revenge were broadcast over Hamas radio.

“The occupation has opened the gates of hell,” Hamas’s armed wing said.

Smaller groups also vowed to strike back.

“Israel has declared war on Gaza and they will bear the responsibility for the consequences,” Islamic Jihad said.

Southern Israeli communities within rocket range of Gaza were on full alert, and schools were ordered closed today. About one million Israelis live in range of Gaza’s relatively primitive but lethal rockets, supplemented in recent months by longer-range, more accurate systems.

“The days we face in the south will, in my estimation, prove protracted,” BrigadierGeneral Yoav Mordechai, Israel’s chief military spokesman, told Channel 2 TV. “The home front must brace itself resiliently.”

Mordechai said Israel was both responding to a surge in Palestinian rocket salvoes earlier this week and trying to prevent Hamas and other Palestinian factions from building up their arsenals further.

Among the targets yesterday’s air strikes were underground caches of longer-range Hamas rockets, he said.

Asked if Israel might send in ground forces, Mordechai said: “There are preparations, and if we are required to, the option of an entry by ground is available.”

Israel’s intelligence agency Shin Bet said Jaabari was responsible for Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007, when the militant Islamist group ousted fighters of the Fatah movement of its great rival, the Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

It said Jaabari instigated the attack that led to the capture of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit in a kidnap raid from Gaza in 2006.

Jaabari was also the man who handed Shalit over to Israel in a prisoner exchange five years after his capture.

Israel holds a general election on January 22 and conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to retaliate harshly against Hamas.

Hamas has been emboldened by the rise to power in neighboring Egypt of its spiritual mentors in the Muslim Brotherhood, viewing them as a “safety net” that will not permit a second Israeli thrashing of Gaza, home to 1.7 million Palestinians.

Egypt condemned Israel’s strikes on Gaza and urged it to end the attacks at once.

Hamas has historically been supported by Iran, which Israel regards as a rising threat to its own existence due to its nuclear programme.

In the flare-up that was prelude to yesterday’s offensive, more than 115 missiles were fired into southern Israel from Gaza and Israeli planes launched numerous strikes.

Seven Palestinians, three of them gunmen, were killed.

Eight Israeli civilians were hurt by rocket fire and four soldiers wounded by an anti-

tank missile. Helped by Iran and the flourishing contraband trade through tunnels from Egypt, Gaza militias have smuggled in better weapons since the war of 2008-09. But Gaza’s

estimated 35,000 Palestinian fighters are still no match for Israel’s F-16 fighter-bombers, Apache helicopter gunships, Merkava tanks and other modern weapons systems in the hands of a conscript force

of 175,000, with 450,000 in reserve.

Israel’s shekel fell nearly one percent to a two-month low against the dollar yesterday after news of the Israeli air strikes broke.

Page 24

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Obama pressing business and labour on fiscal cliff WASHINGTON (AP) — In a challenge to Republicans, President Barack Obama urged Congress yesterday to extend expiring tax cuts immediately for all but the nation’s highest income earners as a way to eliminate half of the so-called “fiscal cliff” that threatens to send the economy back into recession.

“What I’m not going to do is to extend Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent that we can’t afford and according to economists will have the least positive impact on the economy,” the president said at his first news conference since his reelection last week.

Standing in the East Room of the White House, Obama pointedly noted he had campaigned on a platform that called for allowing tax breaks to expire as scheduled on Dec. 31 for the wealthiest income earners.

“A modest tax increase on the wealthy is not going to break their backs,” Obama said. “They’ll still be wealthy.” House Speaker John Boehner and Senate

Republican leader Mitch McConnell have both said they are eager to compromise with the president to avoid the immediate tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect at the end of the year. But at the same time, they have said they won’t agree to raise tax rates for the wealthy.

Boehner arranged a late afternoon news conference in the Capitol to respond to the president’s remarks. The congressional leaders are slated to meet with Obama at the White House tomorrow for the first time since the election, and are expected to agree to designate aides to begin the search for a compromise.

Obama met on Tuesday with allies from labor and liberal groups, and invited a group of CEOs to the White House for a mid-afternoon session, also to focus on the threat posed to the economic recovery by the combination of tax increases and spending cuts.

At the news conference, he laid out a two-step process for an overall compromise —

Now, he said, legislation that keeps most of the cuts in place but not those for the upper-income earners would be “actually removing half the fiscal cliff.”

Asked if he viewed it as a deal-breaker if Republicans refused to allow the top tax rate to revert to 39 percent from the current 36 percent, he said, “I just want to emphasize I am open to new ideas if the Republican counterparts or some Democrats have a great idea for us to raise revenue, maintain progressivity, make sure the middle class isn’t getting hit, reduces our deficit.’”

White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president would bring to the table a proposal for $1.6 trillion in new taxes on business and the wealthy when he begins discussions with congressional Republicans, a figure that Obama outlined in his most recent budget plan. The

targeted revenue is twice the amount Obama discussed with Republican leaders during debt talks during the summer of 2011. Carney said the figure, combined with $1.1 trillion in spending cuts already signed into law, would reduce deficits by $4 trillion.

Earlier, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, part of the Democratic leadership team, said that many “many Republicans believe now is the time to sit down and talk more revenue.” Durbin said the number of GOP lawmakers in the Senate willing to work toward accommodation now totals 20.

But Durbin also said “there is a great distance” between Republicans in the House and Senate, “and basically it comes down to the question of whether Speaker Boehner is willing to look for a bipartisan solution.”

Durbin told MSNBC he thinks lawmakers should “use this fiscal cliff” to resolve a problem that has plagued Congress for four years.

The president pledged to raise taxes on the rich during his first term but backed off his stance in late 2010 after Republicans seized control of the House in the midterm election. During his meeting with labor leaders, Obama said he was not going to bend on letting tax cuts expire for top wage earners, according to a participant in the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private session.

The president said the tax issue

was clear during the election and said he had extended those enacted during the George W. Bush administration once and would not do so again, the participant said.

The CEOs have urged Congress to extend the Bushera tax cuts until a tax overhaul can be reached and prevent the spending cuts from taking place. The executives say the uncertainty over the fiscal cliff is hurting the nation’s business climate and preventing hiring.

Obama will meet with several CEOs, including the heads of Aetna, Honeywell, Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and Ford.

The participants include members of the Campaign to Fix the Debt, a group founded

by Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles that has pushed for a long-term plan to fix the nation’s debt and deficits.

Simpson, a former Wyoming senator, and Bowles, a former White House chief of staff, served as co-chairs of Obama’s bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which proposed $3 in spending cuts for every $1 in additional revenues.

Among the CEOs attending the meeting are General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, who chairs Obama’s jobs council, and American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault and Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, who are members of the council.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) Libya’s first elected government was sworn in under tight security yesterday, inheriting the daunting task of establishing democracy in a country plagued by rival militias who helped overthrow Muammar Gaddafi last year.

In a national congress hall built by Gaddafi shortly before his fall, new cabinet ministers swore an oath to protect the North African state, a major oil producer.

“I swear to God that I will fulfill my duties with all dedication to be loyal to the goals of the 17th of February Revolution, and to respect the constitution and its rules and its articles and to completely care for the needs of Libyans and to protect the Libya and the unity of its lands,” each minister intoned from a podium. In a continued sign

of disarray, eight of the 27 ministers nominated by Prime Minister Ali Zeidan did not show up after some members of the elected congress queried their credentials.

Ministers in charge of electricity, higher education, relations with congress and interior were rejected by the North African state’s integrity commission because of questionable backgrounds, including alleged ties with the Gaddafi regime.

Rulings on four other cabinet nominees - foreign affairs, agriculture, social affairs, and religious affairs were pending.

“The country cannot suffer delays any more so we needed to swear in this government and hand it power,” said congress member Mohamed al-Hudeiri.

“Pending a decision by the commission, these portfolios

will be handled by the deputy ministers until we find replacements for them.”

Libya’s national assembly approved Zeidan’s proposed government on October 31 after rejecting his predecessor’s line-up.

But the list of members sparked violent protests outside the congress, forcing it to adjourn early. Former rebel militias gathered with weapons outside the building, shooting in the air and at one point tried to storm into the congress’ building, demanding the removal of those members they accused of being old Gaddafi loyalists.

To avoid similar violent outbursts on Wednesday, Libyan national army forces cordoned off the congress headquarters, standing guard with pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft weapons. Sniffer (continued on page 25)

Barack Obama immediate extension of all the expiring tax cuts except the top rate, followed by a comprehensive agreement in 2013 to overhaul the tax code and the government’s big benefits programmes, which include Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Obama signed legislation two years ago extending the Bush tax cuts in their entirety after saying he wouldn’t.

Asked why this time will be different, he said, “what I said at the time was what I meant, which is that this was a one-time proposition.”

Libya swears in new government despite security challenges

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 25

China’s new leadership faces obstacles to rule BEIJING (AP) — Months of sharp behind-the-scenes jostling reach a climax today with the announcement of a new Chinese leadership that almost regardless of its makeup is likely to be much like the one it replaces: divided, deliberative and weak.

All but officially announced, Xi Jinping is expected to head the new leadership as Communist Party chief, joined by Li Keqiang, the presumptive prime minster, in a choreographed succession that began five years ago when the two were anointed as successors. Alongside them at the apex of power, the Politburo Standing Committee, will be a handful of senior politicians drawn from top positions in the provinces and bureaucracies.

Their ascent was nudged along yesterday when a weeklong party congress closed by naming Xi, Li and the other leading candidates to the Central Committee, a 205-member body which appoints the new leadership today. Left off the list was Hu Jintao, who is retiring as party chief after 10 years. A top general told reporters that Hu is also relinquishing his sole remaining powerful post, as head of the military, a significant break from the past that would give Xi leeway to establish his authority.

Leadership lineups typically strike a balance between different interest groups in the 82 millionmember party. None of new leaders owe their positions to Xi, but to other political patrons. Decisions are made largely by consensus, forcing Xi to bargain with his colleagues who have their own allegiances and power bases. Party elders, with Hu being the newest, exert influence over major policies through their protégés, further constraining Xi. While China’s leadership may have an image in the rest of the world as decisive and all-powerful, the reality is that decision-making tends to be a slow-going affair.

“It’s a power game,” said

Chinese vice President Xi Jinping, centre, Central Commission for Discipline Inspection head He Guoqiang, left, and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Jia Qinglin. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Zheng Yongnian, a China politics expert at the National University of Singapore. “The Standing Committee doesn’t function well. They all have to agree, and there are too many checks on each other, so nothing gets done.”

If not gridlock, the incremental, step-by-step policy-making of the past comes as China confronts slowing growth, a cavernous rich-poor gap and a clamor for change, in protests and on the Internet, for better government and curbing corruption and the privileges of the politically connected elite.

“Even for a coherent leadership, those problems are challenging, not to mention a divided leadership, which hasn’t consolidated its own power base,” said Zhu Jiangnan of Hong Kong University.

Unlike the stiff, ultrareserved Hu, the 59-year-old Xi exudes a comfort with his authority, as befits the son of a hero of the revolution born into the Communist elite. Like Xi, the rest of the leadership came of age as China reopened universities and reached out to the world after the isolation of Mao Zedong’s radical rule. As such, their educational backgrounds are more varied than those of Hu and the engineers he led, and they’re believed to be more open to ideas. Charisma is feared by

the party, which promotes capable administrators. Bo Xilai, a telegenic top politician once considered a candidate for the leadership, was purged this year in a scandal that buffeted the party.

Though he is accused of corruption and aiding the cover-up of his wife’s murder of a British businessman, his crime may have been his populist rhetoric and policies that gave him a popular following, but alienated other leaders.

“The system discourages people of unique personalities. It often results in those with colorful characteristics losing out,” said Wang Zhengxu of Britain’s University of Nottingham.

China’s long march to collective leadership marked a concerted attempt to move away from the ruinous later years of Mao when he was worshipped as infallible and factions battled each other like street gangs. Millions of Chinese died or saw their lives and careers upended in the persecution.

The victor in the struggle for power after Mao’s death, Deng Xiaoping, sought to end the cult of personality and put China on the path of market-oriented reforms. He was the last strongman from the revolutionary generation, able to summon alliances across the party, the government and the military

Libya swears in new government...

From page 24 dogs were also deployed.

Aware of Libya’s sharp regional tensions, Zeidan had said he had tried to strike a geographic balance among his 27 ministers. He nominated Ali Aujali, Libya’s ambassador to the United States, as foreign minister; Mohammed alBarghathi, who served in the Libyan air force, as defense

minister; and Abdelbari alArusi, from the western town Zawiyah, as oil minister. A former diplomat who defected in the 1980s to become an outspoken Gaddafi critic, Zeidan will govern the country while the congress, elected in July, passes laws and helps draft a new constitution to be put to a national referendum next year.

Congress elected Zeidan

prime minister this month after his predecessor, Mustafa Abushagur, lost a confidence vote over his choice of ministers.

Fighting in Tripoli earlier this month between competing militias underlined the challenges Libya’s first freely elected government faces in overcoming clan, regional and sectarian divisions standing in the way of modernization.

and impose his vision on others. Ever since, each successive generation of leaders has been forced into painstaking coalitionbuilding to get things done.

The most rumored leadership lineup among Beijing’s political watchers seems to favor allies of Jiang Zemin, the 86-year-old former party supremo who stepped aside for Hu a decade ago.

Aside from Xi, a Jiang

protege, and premier-inwaiting Li, who is Hu’s man, the contenders include Zhang Dejiang and Zhang Gaoli, two technocrats who worked with Jiang, and Liu Yunshan, the strict propaganda czar who counts Hu as an early career ally and Jiang as a later mentor.

Certain to be included is Wang Qishan, a longtime trouble-shooter who was named to the party’s internal watchdog agency on Wednesday. Also in the running is Yu Zhengsheng, Shanghai’s party secretary whose main qualification is his family’s ties to long-dead reformist patriarch Deng, another sign of the lingering influence of party elders. If true — and bargaining continued to take place over the past week, according to party-connected academics in Beijing — the roster leaves out key Hu allies. It’s also heavy on older politicians who under current practice would have to retire at the next congress in five years.

That’s a recipe for continued wrangling as Hu’s proteges, feeling left out, resist Xi’s rule and campaign for the next

leadership, political analysts said.

“China’s not a democracy but the leadership is a not a monolithic group,” said Cheng Li, a Chinese elite politics expert at the Brookings Institute in Washington. “Balance is important because it’s in everyone’s interests.”

Even with unity in its ranks, Xi’s collective leadership will need the better part of a year to assemble a full team. Government offices, like the prime minister or the ceremonial state presidency Hu still holds, do not change hands until the legislature meets in March, delaying the transition. Should Hu give up his role as head of the military commission, he can still count on the commanders he has promoted across the services of the People’s Liberation Army. Proof of that muscle came on the eve of the congress. A general whom Hu appointed to manage the military parade for the 60th anniversary of Communist rule in 2009, Fang Fenghui, was named chief of the general staff and a vice chairman of the commission.

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Russia expands treason law, critics fear crackdown

Vladimir Putin MOSCOW (AP) — Adding to fears that the Kremlin aims to stifle dissent, Russians now live under a new law expanding the definition of treason so broadly that critics say it could be used to call anyone who bucks the government a traitor.

The law took effect yesterday, just two days after President Vladimir Putin told his human rights advisory council that he was ready to review it.

His spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news

agencies yesterday that Putin would be willing to review the treason law if its implementation reveals “some problems or aspects restricting rights and freedoms.”

But what Putin might consider a problem is unclear.

His opponents say a series of measures enacted since Putin returned to the Kremlin in May for a third term show he is determined to intimidate and suppress dissidents.

One recent measure imposes a huge increase in potential fines for

participants in unauthorized demonstrations. Another requires non-governmental organizations to register as foreign agents if they both receive money from abroad and engage in political activity. And another gives sweeping power to authorities to ban websites under a procedure critics denounce as opaque.

After fraud-tainted parliamentary elections last December, an unprecedented wave of protest arose, with some demonstrations attracting as many as 100,000 people. Putin still won the March presidential election handily, but the protests boldly challenged his image as the strongman Russia needs to achieve stability and prosperity.

Under the new law, anyone who without authorization possesses information deemed a state secret — whether a politician, a journalist, an environmentalist or a union leader — could potentially be jailed for up to 20 years for espionage.

While the previous law described high treason as

espionage or other assistance to a foreign state that damages Russia’s external security, the new legislation expands the definition by dropping the word “external.” Activities that fall under it include providing help or advice to a foreign state or giving information to an international or foreign organization.

The definition is so broad that rights advocates say it could be used as a driftnet to

sweep up all inconvenient figures.

“I believe this law is very dangerous,” said human rights council member Liliya Shibanova, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency.

Shibanova also heads Golos, Russia’s only independent elections watchdog group.

“If, for example, I pass on information about alleged poll violations to a foreign journalist, this could be considered espionage,” she

said.

“It’s very broad and it’s very dangerous,” Rachel Denber, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division, told The Associated Press.

She said it’s not clear yet how vigorously Russian authorities will enforce the bill, but says it recreates a “sense of paranoia and suspicion and uneasiness about foreigners.”

Jilted Suu Kyi asks India to stand by democracy in Myanmar

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) speaks with Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during their meeting in New Delhi yesterday. REUTERS/Harish Tyagi/Pool NEW DELHI (Reuters) Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi urged India yesterday to stand by Myanmar on its journey to democracy, on her first trip to Myanmar’s neighbour since it dropped its support for her democracy movement two decades ago in favour of the ruling junta.

Suu Kyi spent part of her youth in Delhi and was close to independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru but, after first backing her democracy movement, India began courting the junta as part of a “Look East” policy partly aimed at competing with China.

“We have not yet achieved the goal of democracy, we are still trying, and we hope that in this last, I hope, and most difficult phase the people of India will stand by us and walk by us,” Suu Kyi said, in a memorial lecture for Nehru.

“I was saddened to feel that we had drawn away from India, or rather that India had drawn away from us, during our very difficult days, but I always had faith in the lasting friendship between our two countries.”

India’s shift in loyalties began when Suu Kyi was

under house arrest in 1993. At that time, China was gaining access to energy resources in Myanmar, which is located on Indian Ocean sea routes and is at the crossroads of South and East Asia.

Under a series of democracy reforms begun by President Thein Sein last year, Suu Kyi has been allowed back into politics. Her visit to India follows trips to the United States and Britain.

The lecture was attended by much of India’s current leadership and also by Nehru’s great-grandson Rahul Gandhi, who may run for prime minister in 2014.

Rahul’s mother Sonia, the leader of the Congress party and perhaps India’s most powerful politician, sat next to Suu Kyi, who earlier had lunch with the Gandhis and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Suu Kyi also met Singh for a short time without any aides present, his office said.

She talked with Indian officials about ethnic violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, where India is building a port, and said it needed a “firm but sensitive” approach, a senior source at the Indian Foreign Ministry said. Suu Kyi, a devout

Buddhist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, has refused to condemn either side in the violence between the majority Buddhist population and the Rohingya Muslim minority, prompting criticism from international human rights groups.

At least 169 people have been killed and more than 100,000 Rohingya forced from their homes since June, in what some are calling ethnic cleansing.

Official statistics say Rohingyas, who are stateless because Myanmar considers them all to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, make up 97 percent of the people who fled the latest bout of violence in October.

A Reuters investigation found evidence that the wave of attacks was organized.

In an interview with Indian newspaper The Hindu published this week, Suu Kyi seemed to blame the violence partly on immigration.

“For years I have been insisting, and the National League for Democracy also, that we have to do something about the porous border with Bangladesh because it is going to lead some day or the other to grave problems,” she said in the interview.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 27

Sanasie 40 over cricket in Leguan Spurs down Lakers ahead Razack slams half century of D’Antoni arrival as Satro beat Maryville

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - San Antonio’s Danny Green drained a three-pointer with nine seconds remaining and the Spurs’ defense then denied Kobe Bryant the ball as the Western Conferenceleading Spurs produced a dramatic 84-82 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

Bryant, who rose above a defense-dominated contest with 28 points and eight assists, was shadowed by San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard and unable to get his hands on the ball after Green’s clutch shot, forcing Pau Gasol to attempt a long three-pointer that ended their chances.

The win was the third in a row for the Spurs (7-1), who got 19 points and seven assists from Tony Parker, as well as 18 points and nine rebounds from Tim Duncan.

The Lakers (3-5) had won their two previous games since coach Mike Brown was fired but are still waiting for his successor Mike D’Antoni to take over.

D’Antoni, who was named on Monday to replace Brown, is unlikely to make his debut until later this week because of recent surgery. His arrival should rejuvenate an offense that was held to a season-low total on Tuesday.

In a close battle throughout, San Antonio pulled 67-62 ahead early in the fourth before Bryant entered

the game and ran off seven of the team’s next nine points to tie the game at 71-71.

KOBE PATIENT Bryant then assisted on three of the Lakers’ final four field goals, playing the role of facilitator in the absence of injured point guards Steve Nash and his backup Steve Blake.

“When Steve (Nash) comes back I’m finishing plays (instead of starting them) which makes us more dangerous,” said Bryant, who is anxiously awaiting his new coach and a full roster.

“It’s not frustrating at all, we’ll just wait.”

Nash will eventually be reunited with the coach that helped him earn two league MVP Awards, but for now the current Los Angeles team fell to 2-1 under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff.

San Antonio, meanwhile, is rolling along smoothly with

a Western Conferenceleading start.

Despite shooting just 39 percent from the field, San Antonio forced 17 turnovers from the Lakers and made it a war of attrition.

Dwight Howard finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds but found foul trouble while Gasol added 10 of each. “I thought we had it in the box,” Lakers forward Metta World Peace added.

A fine half century by Zahir Razack guided Satro to a comfortable 97 run victory over Maryville as the Anand Sanasie 40 over cricket competition continued in Leguan last Sunday.

At Whyte’s Park, Satro batted first after the game was reduced to 30 overs due to rain and posted 221-9. Razack top scored with 51 and got

support from Shahad Razack 39 and Huckumchand Savitir 32. Tatteshwar Chetram captured 4-29 from 6 overs.

Maryville in reply were bowled out for 124 in 25.1 overs.

Paul Williams 36 and Royan Jacobs 17 were their leading batsmen as left arm spinner Trevor Whyte picked up 3-20 off 6 overs and Kevin

Gordon 3-22 off 6.

At Enterprise, Undertakers and Blenheim were awarded 3 points each after their match was rained out without a ball being bowled. Satro currently lead the points table with 18 followed by Rebels 7, Young Warriors 6, Undertakers and Blenheim 4 each and Maryville 2.

Page 28

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Flex Night International

Lucky patrons to win attractive door prizes Patrons that will be attending the Flex Night International Bodybuilding, Health and Fitness Expo will be happy to know that quite a few of the lucky ones will be leaving the National Cultural with smiling faces on December 8, 2012.

To ensure that the evening is satisfying apart from the onstage competition

that will feature athletes from Guyana, Suriname and Brazil, fans will be afforded the opportunity to win attractive door prizes that have been made possible through the kind partnerships of some of the sponsors.

Below is a list of door prizes that will be on offer.

Flex Night Inc. expressed

PRIZE Day Trip to Arrow point Resort One fitness hamper Swedish full body relaxation massage One month’s membership Supplement pack Cash voucher redeemable from any booth at the Fitness Expo or at D&J Shipping Supplement pack and Axis footwear Three (3) nights & breakfast

gratitude to all the sponsors for partnering to ensure the event is a resounding success.

Meanwhile, tickets are expected to go on sale from later today at the National Cultural Centre.

Auditorium front will cost $1500.00, Auditorium Rear $1000.00 while Balcony will be $800.00.

SPONSOR Roraima Airways The Gift Center B’s Beauty Circle & Naturopathic Center Fusion Fitness (19 Water Street) Fitness Express (Sheriff Street) D&J Shipping Giftland Officemax Eco Resort in Suriname

GCA\Noble House Sea Foods 2nd division 2 day

TSC, GNIC record victories

By Zaheer Mohamed Transport Sports Club defeated Ace Warriors by an innings and 102 runs and GNIC overcame Everest by 5 wickets when action in the Georgetown Cricket Association\ Noble House Sea Foods second division 2 day tournament continued last Sunday.

At GYO, TSC in their second innings scored 151 before being bowled out in 33.4 overs. Sherwin Mc Pherson led with 61 and got support from Shawn Massiah 55 as left arm spinner Ryan Jones bagged 4-33 to end with match figures of 12 -67. Murtland Ward also claimed 3-31.

Ace Warriors in pursuit of 255 for victory fell for 153 in 27.2 overs in their second innings. Ronald Hercules 44 and Rawl Enmore 26 were their principal scorers. Clyde Hoyte 2-39, Ewart Samuels 2-29 and Azim Azeez 2-22 were the main wreckers for the victors.

Scores: TSC 200 and 151, Ace Warriors 96 and 153.

At, GNIC, the host resumed on their first innings overnight score of 119 and were bowled out for 199 in 52.4 overs. Clyde Butts scored 56 while Jason George assisted with 23. Saheed Mohamed snared 4-52 and Deon Thomas 4-67. The visitors in their second turn at the crease scored 182 all out with Ta g e n a r i n e Chanderpaul leading the way with 70.

Sherfene Rutherford supported with 38 and Saheed Mohamed chipped in with 25 as Premchand Sookdeo claimed 3-25 and Butts 2-25. With 96 needed to win, GNIC knocked off the target in 20 overs finishing on 98-5. Javin Collins led with 45, while Butts supported with 36.

Deon Thomas and Riyad Sattaur captured 3-25 and 2-25 respectively.

Scores: Everest 112 and

Eight more matches are scheduled to be played tonight when play in the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition continues at the East Ruimveldt Basketball Court tonight.

In the fixtures starting at 18:00 hrs Festival City plays Bent Street; 18:30 hrs Princess Street tackles Laing Avenue; 19:00 hrs Lodge Housing

Scheme engages Albouystown ‘B’; 19:30 hrs Island Allstar square off against Sophia ‘B’; 20:00 hrs Back Circle collide with Norton Street West and at 20:30 hrs East La Penitence battles Norton Street East; 21:00 hrs Globe Yard versus Albouystown ‘A’ and 21:30 hrs Queen Street Tiger Bay tackles East Front Road.

Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Competition continues tonight

182; GNIC 199 and 98-5.

At MYO, GDF and the home team played to a draw with GDF taking first innings honours. MYO began the final day on 130 and were skittled out for 222.

M o h a m e d Wa z i d a l l y slammed 69 as Dennis Legay grabbed 5-71 and Paul Castello 3-22. The visitors then declared their second innings on 265-4 in 36 overs.

Randy Lindore was their leading run getter with 65, while Isaiah Brijadar made 41, Marcus Watkins 39 and Travis Blyden 30.

Shafeek Ishmael took 2-26.

Set a victory target of 269, MYO reached 122-3 in 21 overs at time in their second innings. Saheed Gittens got 42, while Mohamed Wazidally and Abdullah Wa z i d a l l y contributed 21 each.

Jeremiah Harris picked up 3-55.

Scores: GDF 226 and 265-4 dec.; MYO 222 and 122-3.

At DCC, the host drew with Malteenoes. DCC declared their first innings on 133-7 in 34 overs.

Jahron Byron scored an even half century (6x4, 1x6) as Antonell Atwell bagged 5-73. The visitors in their second turn at the crease closed on 150-5 with Kareem Naughton scoring an unbeaten 72 and Delvon Mc Ewan 45. Byron claimed 2-21.

Scores: MSC 29 and 150-5; DCC 133-7 dec.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Feroze Amin T20 final in Wakenaam

Osborne, Ramnarine guide Sans Souci to victory Opener Wayne Osborne hit four sixes and two fours in a top score of 47 and off spinner Vickram Ramnarine snared 4-18 runs off 2 overs as Sans Souci defeated Noitgedacht by 71 runs in the final of the Feroze Amin Twenty 20 tournament which was contested last Sunday at the Wakenaam Community Center ground.

Noitgedacht won the toss and asked Sans Souci to bat, Osborne and fellow Opener Tulsieram Ramadeen put together 65 for the opening stand before Ramadeen was dismissed for 30 (2x6, 2x4).

Pacers Hassan Mohamed

and Kemo Paul maintained a steady line and length as Sans Souci middle and lower order batsmen found scoring difficult with the e x c e p t i o n of Oyono Sampson 32 (1x4, 4x6).

Osborne slammed two fours and four sixes as Mohamed finished with 2-13 and Paul 2-24. Paul then returned with the bat to top score with 57(4x6) but got little support from the rest of the batting with only Neil Ramalho 15 (2x6) managed to reach dou b l e f i g u r e s .

Gurnauth Khemraj supported Ramnarine with 2-21.

Paul was given the man of the match award, while

Osborne with 266 runs received the best batsman of the competition t r o p h y.

Hassan Mohamed with 10 wickets collected the prize for being the tournament m ost outstanding bowler. Both finalist received trophies for their efforts. Secretary of the Wakenaam Cricket Committee Nazeer Mohamed thanked Amin for supporting the game on the Island and congratulated the winner, while Amin said he was pleased to be associated with the game in Wakenaam and pledged to continue with his sponsorship.

Thursday November 15, 2012 ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) A better diet, exercise, or a change to a relaxed atmosphere could be ways to soothe your nerves. Be careful disclosing information. You will gain valuable insight and knowledge through the experiences you have along the way.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) You can win points if you present your ideas today. It's doubtful anyone will try to stand in your way or cut you off at the pass today.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Do what you can to help them but don't neglect your own family. You can help a close friend find solutions to personal problems.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) You can surprise members of your family, which in turn will bring you a pat on the back. You may have taken on a little too much, but you will enjoy every minute of it.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) You may have been trying to do too much, leaving yourself exhausted and open to colds and infections. Someone left a real mess for you to sift through.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Don't let your partner get you going. You are best to travel or attend lectures or seminars.

Disappointments are likely if your mate embarrasses you in front of friends. Take time to talk things over. Travel for business

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Do things with your children and avoid situations that make you feel as if you've neglected the ones you love.

Obstacles may stand in your way where career and success are concerned. You could find yourself left with someone's dirty laundry.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Be sure to keep communication open with those you live with. Your desire for excitement and adventure may be expensive. Older relatives may be a burden.

SAGIT (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) You may not want to spend time around family or your home. Don't let others put unreasonable demands on you. Don't let your lover put demands on you.

CAPRI (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) You can make changes to your living quarters that should please family members. Be firm when dealing with matters pertaining to your environment. Children may be on your mind.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) Do some research if you want to find information that you can apply against the opposition you face.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Partnerships may be plentiful. Don't overindulge in anyway. Keep an open mind when dealing with youngsters.

Page 29

Windies on top as Chanderpaul...

From page 32 overnight 361-4 without losing another wicket.

ANXIOUS MOMENTS Chanderpaul, resuming on 123, survived a few anxious moments as a catch fell short of the slip cordon and a short ball from paceman Shahadat Hossain rubbed his shoulder before reaching the slips.

He reached his double century with two runs off a delivery from off-spinner Sohag Gazi and West Indies waited only one more over to declare.

Chanderpaul, who joined West Indies’ Garry Sobers on 26 test centuries, faced 372 balls and struck 22 fours during his more than 7-1/2 hours at the crease.

“If you noticed I didn’t score too many test 200s. I only had one before this game, so it is always pleasing to get past that landmark,” Chanderpaul told reporters. “(But) Sir Garry is Sir Garry.

Being level on centuries with Sir Garry is always good but I cannot be Sir Garry,’ he added.

“I have played a lot more games than Sir Garry but it’s a great honour to be with Sir

Gary.”

He added 296 runs for the fifth wicket with Ramdin, a record partnership for West Indies in Bangladesh, with the wicketkeeper having earlier completed his third test century after resuming on 52.

The pair built on the foundation provided by opener Kieran Powell, who was out for 117 on the opening day.

Scores: Bangladesh 164 for 3 (Tamim 72, Rampaul 249) trail West Indies 527 for 4 dec (Chanderpaul 203*, Ramdin 126*, Powell 117, Gazi 3-145) by 363 runs.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

Georgetown XI triumph over DCC in T20 fixture It took a super over to decide to winner between a Georgetown Select XI and host Demerara Cricket Club when the teams clash last Tuesday in a Twenty\20 match organized by the home team.

Leon Johnson belted two sixes and a four in scoring 18 as the Georgetown XI rattled up 25 in the super over before restricting DCC to 10. Earlier, DCC batted first and managed 126-9 after the game was reduced to 18 overs. Andrea Stoll 24, Andrew Lyght Jnr 21, Travis Dowlin 17 were their leading run getters. Joshua Wade and Kellon Carmichael grabbed 3 wickets each while Johnson took 2-19.

The visitors in reply scored 126-9 when their overs expired.

Johnson led with 58 (2x4, 4x6), while Stoll and Christopher Barnwell picked up 3 wickets apiece. Both teams received trophies while Johnson was named man of the match.

Meanwhile in other activities during the day, Kevin Abbensetts won the 100 meters in the male U-19 and open category, while Shamar DeSouza copped the male 100 meters U-15 title.

Georgetown defeated Eagle’s United 6-4 in the female 5-a side football. Shevon Baptiste netted 3 goals for the winners, Lisa Thomas 2 and Alicia Mentore 1. Andrea Lashley

and Charmine McPherson scored 2 goals each for the losers. In the male category, DCC overcame Upper Level Barber Shop 3 goals to 1 in the final. Andre Stoll 2 and Christopher Barnwell 1 were the goal scorers for the victors, while Aaron Fraser found the back of the net for the runner up team. Both teams were given trophies.

The activities, which were organized by DCC, were sponsored by Trophy Stall Bourda Market, Woodpecker Sports Complex, Nigel’s Supermarket, Life Time Real Estate, Ansa Mc All, Elegant Jewellery and Pawn Shop, Gift land and Sterling Products.

From back page and the event has been mutually rewarding.

“Events like these prepare our future athletes for global stardom and as such Gatorade is proud to be associated with Nationals,” Langhorne said, adding that athletes will be able to have unlimited access to the Gatorade station set up

to refuel them throughout the event.

On behalf of the Ministry of Education and Guyana Teachers' Union, Marketing and PR Officer for the Championships, Edison Jefford, thanked DDL for their continued support and interest in the development of sport and athletes for

the junior levels.

Jefford said that DDL has taken a leading role in the efforts to rebrand 'Nationals' and raise the bar of schools' sport in Guyana.

He said that the Management Committee is working overtime to ensure that there is a smooth and successful 2012 Schools Championships.

Gatorade to rehydrate athletes...

Thursday November 15, 2012

GFF/EBFA U-14 tourney

Craig beat Diamond 7-1

The victorious Craig Football Team takes time out for a photo after their win over Diamond.

Craig Football Club recorded an emphatic 7-1 win over Diamond Football Club when play in the Guyana Football Federation sponsored East Bank Football Association Under14 tournament continued on Sunday last at the Grove

Playfield.

In a game that saw the Craig team in total control, Kirk Cummings and Trevon Gaskin netted a hat-trick each.

Hitting the network in the 2nd, 10th and 15th minute was Cummings while Gaskin inked his name on the score sheets

in the 5th, 35th and 40th minute. The other goal came off the boot of Marlon Livan in the 17th minute.

Scoring the consolation goal for Diamond was Joel Tobin in the 58th minute.

More play is set for this Sunday at the same venue.

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Shariff Business Establishment to partner with Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club “Horseracing is the King of Sport, and will remain that way.”

That was the sentiments of the organisers of the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports Facilities annual one day Banks Classic horserace meet set for this Sunday November 18 at the Club’s track, Alness, Corentyne Berbice.

With just days away before race day the principals of the tracks are pulling all the stops to make sure the activity is a memorable one.

So far the entire arena has been spruced up with the Grand Stand, the pavilion,

stables and track all having been redone for the intended large turnout of Turfites expected. The Track is undoubtedly the best in the country and with the current dry weather prevailing record breaking times are expected to be recorded.

Meanwhile, the Shariff Business entity of No 4 Village West Coast Berbice, with businesses in general construction, trucking, transportation, gas station, cattle and rice farming and racing stable , on Tuesday handed over a substantial sum to the organisers at the business establishment No4 headquarters as part

of their sponsorship deal in the $7M race meet.

Eight races are listed for the day which will see the winners racing away with cash, trophies and other incentives. Among some of the major sponsors are Banks DIH Limited, Digicel, Sankar Auto works, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, Trophy Stall and Innovation Constructions.

Over 65 of the country’s best horses have been registered so far in what is expected to be an action pack day of racing.

A number of the big names in the horseracing circle have been entered for

Chief Executive Officer of the Shariff Business Establishment Mohammed “Nankoo” Shariff hands over Sponsorship to Colin Ross Of the RCMTC.

Exhibitors introduced; quality education...

From page 32 according to Sinclair is to raise the awareness on a national scale of the importance and benefits of pursuing the health and fitness lifestyle.

The Expo itself will spotlight the following: nutrition and supplements; exercise equipment; accessories and attire; health information; healing therapies and remedies; sports programmes; fitness and exercise routines; fitness recreation options.

In an invited comment, Noshauyah King of Genesis Fitness Express, a fitness company that offers classes along the line of zumba, toning belly dancing, steps, Exhibitor Ansa Mcal Arrowpoint Resort B’s Beauty Circle Giftland Officemax Genesis Fitness Express Interline Fitness MCY&S Fitness Paradise Gym D&J Shipping Spice Garden Poolside Restaurant & Bar Digicel

basic aerobics and other fitness aerobic classes said she was delighted to have her entity be a part of the Expo.

“We’ll be there at the fitness expo and those are the classes that we will be demonstrating for about 30 minutes from 16:00hrs on December 8.

The public is invited to come out and see what we’ve got to offer. The excitement is already building and we are looking forward to this.”

Ms. King noted that Flex Night is very important and is one of the largest shows in Guyana.

“Fitness is something that we all should be taking part in, not only in body building; you can do aerobics, eat healthy and all

Product Health Drinks Outdoor Recreation Natural Products Sports/Exercise Equipment Fitness Exercise Routines Exercise Equipment Sports Resources & Initiatives Fitness Attire Shipping Material Healthy Snacks & Refreshments Cell Phone Assistance

is tying into this one event, Fitness Expo.”

Nizam Haniff, Owner and Manager of Interline Fitness Gym, which has its headquarters at Versailles on the West Bank of Demerara and branches at Diamond and Meten Meer Zorg, commended the organizers for bringing off such an event stating that his gym has always been supporting health and fitness from its inception. “This is a golden opportunity for us to showcase our gym equipment that are locally made as well as our gym. This expo needs to be done on a yearly basis so that people in Guyana can learn about healthier lifestyles and things

that are made here.”

Haniff informed that he makes the equipment himself and this is a fantastic opportunity for persons to see firsthand the kind of stuff he has been producing over the years.

He also had some good words about the organizer, Donald Sinclair: “Donald has always been a great organizer and with his skills and knowledge I know for sure this event will be something to look forward to with him back on the scene.”

Interline Fitness he said will always be around to support and promote athletes and the sport, “Health and Fitness has always been the key to our existence.”

Exhibitor Alter Body The Bag Bay Inc. The Gift Centre Fusion Fitness Fitness Express IPA NAPS Flex Night Inc. Geddes Grant Planet Fitness

Product Mixed Martial Arts Bio-degradable bags Exercise Equipment Fitness Routines Supplements Supplements Aids Awareness Flex Night Souvenir Vitamins Sport & Fitness Attire

Curtis Workout

Fitness Routines

the feature B and lower event.

The race is expected to be a scorcher especially since the horses will be competing for a winning take of $1M and trophy over 1700M with a total purse of $2M. Horses such as the Message, California Strike, the Score Is Even, Mission King, Who So Ever, Marathon Man, Technology, Night Crescendo, Work Force, War Craft, Irish Gel, The Bailiff, Fairy Landing Reina Del Café, and this Trip on M e a r e a m o n g those expected to enter the starting gates.

The other events which are also expected to see full gates are the 3yrs old race f o r We s t I n d i e s B r e d horses over 1600M, the E and lower 1500M race 1500M, the race for the West Indies Bred two year old animals over 1200M, the event for G and lower animals

over 1200M, the H and Lower 1100M sprint, the I2’ and lower 1200M race and the event for animals classified J&K (Division 1 and 2,) over 1200M. Race time is 13:00hrs: Outstanding individual performers, including top Jockey, trainer and stable will be presented with accolades compliments of the Trophy Stall Bourda M a r k e t a n d t h e Ry a n Crawford Memorial Turf Club.

For additional details contact can be made with the club’s office at Number 13 Hermitage East Coast Berbice (19 Road). Bobby Vaughn can be contacted on telephone number 6246788 or Larissa Mohabir on numbers 333-0290 or 3330301. Dr. Dwight Walrond on Telephone numbers 623-0100 or 220-6557.

(Samuel Whyte)

From page 33 he got out.

“I’ve seen him score two Test hundreds already and I do not see anybody getting him out. He’s the one giving his wicket away.

This is something about which I have spoken to him. I feel West Indies cricket looks

very bright for the future. We have some really good, young players.” Chanderpaul said West Indies will be looking to step up the pressure on Bangladesh on Thursday’s third day, as the hosts resume on 164 for three, seeking a further 164 to avoid the followon.

Second Test “double” ...

Page 32

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 15, 2012

Flex Night Inc. Health & Fitness Expo 2012

Exhibitors introduced; quality education (practical & otherwise) in store for public

Director of Flex Night Inc. Donald Sinclair (left) makes point to the representatives of the 22 Exhibitors that will be part of the Health & Fitness Expo.

By Franklin Wilson With a few short weeks away from what is anticipated to be one of the biggest Health and Fitness expositions to ever hit the shores of Guyana, the Exhibitors who will play integral roles in the success of the event were yesterday officially introduced to the Media.

The well attended activity was held at the National Cultural Centre where the respective entities expressed

delight at being a part of a necessary venture that will seek to further educate the public on the importance of disciplined healthy lifestyles.

Fitness Expo International is set for Saturday December 8, 2012 at the National Cultural Centre where athletes from Guyana will compete against counterparts from Suriname and Brazil.

Facilitator and Director of Flex Night Inc. Donald Sinclair guided the representatives through some in house

matters before a few interfaced with the Media to share their thoughts on the event and their level of involvement with the Expo.

Some also took the opportunity to present to the organizers with items they will be putting up for door prizes as added incentives for the hundreds of patrons that are expected to attend the December 8, activity.

The objective of the Health & Fitness Expo Continued on page 31

Windies on top as Chanderpaul hits double ton

Tamim Iqbal plays an off drive (AP) DHAKA (Reuters) - West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit his second ever double century and Denesh Ramdin struck an unbeaten 126 as the tourists took command of the first test against Bangladesh on Wednesday.

West Indies declared their first innings at 527 for four just before tea on the second day after Chanderpaul reached 203 to equal his career best innings.

The hosts responded in typically aggressive manner

Denesh Ramdin celebrates his third Test hundred (AP)

and lost three wickets to leave them on 164-3 at the close. Tamim Iqbal, who led the Bangladesh attack, was the last man out, caught by Sunil Narine at mid-on off Darren Sammy for 72 from 71 balls.

Earlier, West Indies’ Ravi Rampaul took the wickets of opener Zunaed Siddique (seven) and Shahriar Nafees, who made a quick-fire 31 off 27 balls, but Tamim was unperturbed. The left-hander brought up his 12th test 50 off only 38 balls when he

charged off-spinner Narine down the track for a six and struck an almost identical six three balls later to help Bangladesh past the 100-run mark in 13.4 overs.

The hosts, who still need 164 runs to avoid the follow on, slowed down after Tamim’s dismissal as Naeem Islam, unbeaten on 27, survived alongside Shakib Al Hasan (16 not out).

West Indies dominated the first two sessions and added 166 runs to their Continued on page 29

Thursday November 15, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 33

‘Mystery Lady’ Alfred Second Test “double” undergoing exercises pleases Chanderpaul to combat high altitude

Guyana’s Shondell Alfred seen (with Elevation Mask on face) undergoing simulation exercises to combat the high altitude in Mexico.

Having considered the difficulty faced by athletes who come from low altitude countries to compete at a higher elevation, Guyana’s Shondell ‘Mystery Lady’ Alfred and her management have decided to let her undergo vigourous simulation exercises under the watchful eyes of Strength & Condtioning Trainer Andrew Hooper, at his base in Dowding Street, Kitty, yesterday.

Alfred, who is currently

preparing to fight for the vacant WBC Super Flyweight title against Mexican Zulina Munoz on November 24 in Mexico, was seen wearing the Elevation Mask, while being put through her paces by Hooper as Coach Sebert Blake watched on.

The hard hitting fighter, who has been working on her strength and conditioning over the past two weeks with Hooper, stuck to her task and seemed

determined to not let what has been a major hurdle for visiting athletes and teams be a hindrance in her quest to wrestle the title from the Mexican in her own backyard.

Munoz, a 25 year-old fighter goes by the sobriquet, La Loba (the SheWo l f ) a n d h a s a n outstanding 38-1-2 record with 24 knockouts, having held the WBC Silver Female Bantamweight title since June of 2011. She won the WBC Silver Female Super Flyweight title in September this year and is considered a seasoned and tough campaigner.

Kaieteur Sport speaking with Hooper inquired from him how important it is for her to do the simulation exercises and he responded by saying that it is extremely important that she gets accustom to the type of air she will face at high altitude hence the need for the Elevation Mask which reproduces condition similar to that between 3,000-9,000 feet above sea level.

According to the Trainer, the exercises with the Mask will give her a better chance of coping with the difference in altitude and also help her to retain her power, a necessary ingredient, despite the fact that she is coming from diverse conditions.

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Shivnarine Chanderpaul said he welcomed his second Test double hundred.

The veteran West Indies left-handed batsman gathered an undefeated 203 to lead West Indies to 527 for four declared in their first innings in the first Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium here.

Chanderpaul stretched his innings to when West Indies made the declaration about 20 minutes before tea on the second day, equalling the same score he made against South Africa seven years ago on home soil at Bourda Oval in Guyana for his highest score in Tests.

The 38-year-old reached his landmark from 367 balls, when he turned a delivery from Sohag Gazi into midwicket for a deuce.

He is now level with the peerless Garfield Sobers on the list of century-makers in Tests from West Indies with

26.

“Sir Garry is Sir Garry,” he said. “Being level on centuries with Sir Garry is good, but I cannot be Sir Garry. “I have played a lot more games than Sir Garry, but it’s still a great honour to be mentioned in the same sentence with Sir Garry.”

He added: “In my career, I have not scored too many Test double hundreds, so it was truly satisfying to get past that landmark. “The team comes first [so I am not concerned about passing my highest Test score]. No matter what is the individual’s score. Whatever is the team plan, we have to stick to it. I was just happy to get past 200.”

Chanderpaul said his desire for runs and the love of the game were God-given talents which he has worked hard to cultivate over the years.

“It is something that I have tried very hard over the

years to do,” he said. “I’ve tried hard to improve and tried hard to get better at everything I do. I’m happy that I am still able to score hundreds and batting well at this stage.

“Where I bat could be one of the reasons why I have not scored many more double hundreds. But I had many opportunities to get big scores and I didn’t. It’s unfortunate, but it’s how the game is played at times, so I was thankful that I was able to cross the double-hundred mark this time.”

Chanderpaul showered Kieran Powell with praise for his second Test hundred and felt the rookie opener was an example of the talent which West Indies will have to offer in the future.

“Powell played a fantastic innings,” he said.

“Unfortunately, he got out when he did. I had a quiet chat with him about the way Continued on page 31

t r o Sp Flex Night International

Lucky patrons to win attractive door prizes

Windies on top as Chanderpaul hits double ton

Shivnarine Chanderpaul celebrates his double century (AP)

Some of the sponsors of Door Prizes pose with members of Flex Night Inc., Donald Sinclair (3rd left), Diane Sinclair (right) and Onai Vasconcellos (left).

Gatorade to rehydrate athletes at National Schools' Championships Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), the authorised distributors of Gatorade in Guyana, yesterday officially announced that it will once again partner with the National Schools' Championships to ensure that the athletes are properly rehydrated with the globallyrenowned sports drink.

The athletes competing in the 52nd Edition of the Ministry of Education and t h e G u y a n a Te a c h e r s Union, Digicel-sponsored Schools' Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships that starts on Tuesday, will benefit from supplies of Gatorade.

The National Schools' Championships, or 'Nationals' as it is commonly called, will start at the National Aquatics Centre, where the Swimming Championships will be held, on Tuesday before moving to the National Stadium on Wednesday cycling and

Sales Manager at DDL, Alexis Langhorne hands over samples of Gatorade that will be available to athletes at the National Schools' Championships to Marketing and PR Officer, Edison Jefford yesterday. athletics. DDL had committed to its support several weeks ago, but yesterday finalised their arrangements for the competition.

Speaking at the simple Presentation Ceremony

y e s t e r d a y, D e m e r a r a Distillers Limited's (DDL), Sales Manager, Alexis Langhorne told the media that her company is happy to be associated with 'Nationals' for the third year Continued on page 30

GUYANA LOSE 1-0 TO HAITI Guyana went down 1-nil to Haiti in the Caribbean Cup Football Championship in Grenada. A second half free kick neddled the Guyanese chances. (Details Tomorrow) Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210