Kaieteur News

Page 2

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Child Abuse is inexcusable - Minister Webster “We all need to speak out,” said Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Ms Jennifer Webster, as she declared a zero tolerance stance on child abuse and sexual violence yesterday.

The Minister was at the time delivering the feature address at the launch of ‘The Tell Scheme’, a public awareness campaign aimed at supporting the Sexual Offences Act which was enacted in 2010 under the purview of Priya Manickchand, the then Human Services Minister.

It is designed especially to encourage primary-age

children to report acts of sexual abuse perpetrated against them. The campaign comes at a time when national statistics show that of the total reported cases of sexual abuse, 715 were against children.

Speaking at the event at the Regency Suites/Hotel, Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Minister Webster stated that a life free of violence is in fact a basic human right. Guyana is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and a number of international conventions which are aimed at safeguarding the rights of

...as ‘The Tell Scheme’ is launched children.

However, the Minister lamented, “it is quite unfortunate that on numerous occasions those rights are violated by adults.

There is nothing remotely excusable about child abuse and more so sexual violence...there is absolutely no justification for this.”

Evidence of such cases has in fact caused the government to channel support to foster much needed change in this regard

since, according to Minister Webster, “Quite frankly the status quo is unacceptable.”

With the introduction of ‘The Tell Scheme’, the Minister is optimistic that this move will help to empower children to speak out against “unsafe touches” and other abusive situations they experience.

She said, too, that there are plans to continue to educate children during the ambitious campaign. ‘The Tell Scheme’ will teach them some

of the ways that they can recognise when they are being sexually abused.

“It is our intention that our children are taught that by speaking out they can do what is right. This is therefore a step in the right direction to prevent and to reduce the incidences of abuse which occur in our society.”

While the focus of the campaign is on children, the Minister insisted that the role of adults in eliminating sexual violence and abuse in the society is necessary.

“It is time adults take responsibility to ensure that children are kept safe from harm, neglect, sexual abuse, pain and other forms of violence, all of which are factors that should form no part in the lives of children.”

PREVENTION It is the belief of Minister Webster that both child abuse and sexual abuse can be prevented. She said, “Adults owe it to children in their homes and communities to take action to prevent any form of abuse.”

Moreover, parents are obligated to nurture, love and care for their children and to create an environment that would facilitate the development of productive adults since children are the nation’s future, added the Minister.

She related too that quite often the adult/child relationships are violated since some parents and guardians are guilty of abusing children’s trust. This state of affairs, she added, is compounded because children are sometimes fearful of speaking out and sometimes adults themselves are aware of children’s sufferings but take the position that it is not their business.

But according to the Human Services Minister, “child abuse and sexual abuse is everybody’s business; we all need to speak out. It is my hope that through this scheme we will all unite and join forces to

Minister of Human Services, Jennifer Webster fight this scourge and do whatever it takes to prevent and reduce the (abuse) incidences that occur.”

Against this background the Minister made a clarion call to all to report cases of child abuse to either the Child Care and Protection Agency or the Police Force. According to her, community members must learn to recognise when a child is at risk and be able to ascertain what support and assistance should be offered.

“We must dedicate our efforts to change some of the inappropriate attitudes and behavioural patterns towards our children which exist. We must see our children as having the right to grow up in an environment that is free from abuse, neglect and exploitation...Child abuse leads to the destruction of a child, we must stop the abuse now!”

Also addressing yesterday’s forum were First Lady, Mrs Deolatchmee Ramotar and Programme Director of ChildLink Guyana, Ms Omattie Madray. An overview of the initiative was delivered by ‘Tell’ Scheme Expert, Mr Alex Graham.

The gathering at the launch yesterday was also exposed to a ‘Tell’ Video and jingle which emphasised how child abuse can unfold and what to do should it occur.

Both the video and jingle featured Grade Six Pupils of the Success Elementary School and GT&T jingle finalist, Nia Allen.

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

Guyana is not that bad Guyana is not necessarily a devilish state in which to live. Rather, it is safer than most and one must give credit to a culture of respect for the elderly, religion, and a case of brute force when the occasion arises. However, this is changing rapidly because children are being taught to respect themselves above all others, to abstain from religion because religion is the root of most conflicts, and to inflict violence where they feel necessary in the pursuit of their objective.

This is because of the quality of what passes for parenting. Gone are the days when values were taught, when the issues of right and wrong were as clear as daylight and where respect was the order of the day. There are still people who spoke of being so respectful of their teachers that the respect bordered on fear. No child would be seen in a public social frequented by a teacher.

People in rural Guyana still talk about the days when a young person dared not pass an elderly person without a greeting. This tradition is still entrenched in communities like Bartica, the more distant communities of East Coast and East Bank Demerara, Essequibo Coast and parts of the Corentyne.

The reason is that the big city influence has not spread as fast although there have been interactions between the already lost generation who live in the city and the hinterland and rural communities where the parental and community influences are so strong.

It is not a coincidence that the best performing children are those from the rural areas. This year’s top regional performer at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council hailed from the Essequibo Coast. This trend explains the incidence of crime in the city and its environs. For some reason parents do not pay attention to their children with the result that these children soon develop errant behaviour.

When these children suffer some hardship, most likely at the hands of the law or some public spirited citizens, the parents seek to profess their children’s innocence or accuse those who cause harm to their children of brute force which sometimes is used as people vent their feelings.

A recent study showed that society fashions these children. This explains why in the absence of good role models the children, particularly the boys, look to those who appear to lead a colourful life. They do not see that more often than not these role models often come to a brutal end. The present situation is not irreversible. Perhaps too much emphasis is placed on the school which is sometimes placed in strange situations when parents seek to chastise those teachers who try to ensure the stability of the child.

The records would show that such behaviour is most common in the capital where there is the greatest concentration of people and the bulk of the business places. Correspondingly, one would have expected most of the youth clubs in the city but these have disappeared.

Given that the city is not as large as people would want to believe and given that the crime hotspots are the depressed areas, one would expect more police patrols in those areas. In the outer world the police know where to concentrate their efforts. At the drop of a hat multiple squad cars would descend on areas considered crime hotspots.

This is because the police know about nipping crime in the bud.

In Guyana there are those who know that Guyana is a country that has lost many of those capable of ensuring morals. The result is that they seek to fill that breach. They seek to adopt schools and by extension, the children. They host events that they hope would serve to channel children in the right direction but the environment in which these children live does not lend support.

In cases where these children reach out for support some are molested. Guyana is seeking to plug this loophole.

All in all there needs to be some enforcement of the rules of society. Only then will people realize that Guyana is not the devil some are wont to believe.

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Letters... Where your views make the news

Granger and Ramjattan can do no more to disappoint DEAR EDITOR, It was Catherine Hughes MP, while addressing the National Assembly on July 25th 2012, who made strong reference to the violation of the rights of Lindeners who peacefully protested on July 18th 2012.

Three Lindeners were shot and killed on that fateful day. There has been no justice and some opined that there will be none forthcoming.

The APNU and AFC in parliament moved a no confidence motion against Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, to no avail.

Rohee continues in parliament and the Opposition vows that there will be non-support for any Bills presented by him. Mr Rohee also has the unwavering support of

President Donald Ramotar.

The relatives of the three dead Lindeners, and the more than twenty protesters who were shot and sustained serious injuries, have seen no justice. Some opine they will see none.

We are in the month of November, five months on since the killings. During those months there has been international outcry in the forms of protests in the UK, USA and Canada, condemning the grave human rights atrocities on the people of Linden. International human rights groups have condemned those acts of senseless murders and urged that there must be swift justice. No justice to date.

Some opine there will be none.

The Joint Opposition and the ruling PPP agreed to a

Ongoing noise nuisance despite police reports DEAR EDITOR, I wish to draw the authorities’ attention to an ongoing noise nuisance at Curtis Street, Albouystown.

Every Sunday night, music could be heard blaring from large speaker boxes until the early hours of Monday mornings. This has been ongoing for months.

I have reported the issue on several occasions via telephone to the Ruimveldt Police Station (telephone 2252683) including last Sunday night, but this proves to be an exercise in futility, as the ‘dance’ usually continues after 4 a.m. Whether they actually dispatch the patrol as promised is unknown.

Apart from being a major noise nuisance, the bass from the speakers causes car alarms to constantly ‘go off’ forcing persons to turn off their alarms and leave their cars at risk.

One wonders if and how these individuals could be given permits to hold a loud outdoor event on a Sunday night. What is even more puzzling is that during the night police patrols traverse Albouystown and surely they must hear this deafening noise.

I am therefore calling on the relevant authorities to investigate and address this problem urgently.

Distressed resident

‘kangaroo’ Commission of Inquiry into the killings. They did not bring commissioners from the UK, USA or Canada.

Why? I guess they could not afford for an impartial ruling that would make solid recommendations with the view of seeing justice.

When David Granger and Khemraj Ramjattan agreed with the PPP to have Caribbean lawyers preside, they knew that justice would hang from a pernicious precipice. Strange things happened during the life of the Commission of Inquiry into the killings of the three protesters at Linden…very strange developments - even though this did not come as a surprise.

Nigel Hughes may know a lot more. He may be president one day. Hughes gives hope to our struggles for equal rights and justice in Guyana, but fate can be sometimes cruel. The men and women who are sacrificing so much to save Guyana may not be given any opportunity to rule and save our country; at least, not in the near future, by the way things are happening.

Until Granger and Ramjattan stop their weak posturing, we may just roll into another election year to once again give the PPP a majority in the National Assembly. It is for Nigel Hughes and Moses Nagamootoo to create an urgent political fever amongst the masses as if we are in an election year. This must be sustained until we feel the winds of change beginning to gently brush against our bruised cheeks.

Linden has received not a single thing coming out of their high profile meetings with the government; no satellite dish, no transmitter, no independent TV station…And nothing coming out of countless talks with the Regional Chairman and his team and the Government of Guyana. No compensation for the families of those killed and the injured victims.

My meeting in September of this year with Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon gave me the impression that the government was forthcoming with the ‘TV Promise’. The Regional Chairman was optimistic about positive results and gave a guarantee that we would see independent TV at Linden two weeks from the time of our meeting. It is two months and counting.

The PPP wins every time.

They can do anything and stand untouched.

Meanwhile, Granger collects his pay as Opposition Leader, sounds and looks important, wears green which symbolises militancy and talks a lot about Guyana and where it should be. As an historian he forgets that history can and will be harsh on him if he remains ineffective as Leader of the Joint Opposition.

The parents and relatives of those killed are left with nothing.

Hughes gives me a lot of hope. Nagamootoo can bring some hope too. He seems very quiet lately. Mark Benschop, Freddie Kissoon, Gerhard Ramsaroop and Lincoln Lewis press on (continued on page 6)

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 5

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

Urgent need for PPP and PNC to transform themselves into genuine multi-racial parties DEAR EDITOR, I refer to Geralda Dennison’s letter titled: “The Guyanese people will just have to learn to live and let live”. (KN Nov. 17th), in which she commented on my earlier letter titled: “Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan bequeathed ethnic parties and ethnic voting to Guyana”.

Geralda opined, “I find it difficult to believe these men were racists”. The word “racist” would refer to someone who advocated or personally committed acts of discrimination on the basis of race. I too, like Geralda, do not believe these men were racists. Yet the big organizing principle of the institutions they created was based on race. They themselves, by becoming founder-leadersfor-life – and eventually ethnic gods - would have known that this idea in itself would bequeath a bitter legacy of ethnic voting by future generations of Guyanese.

Such all-consuming ethnic voting, over which they presided in their lifetimes and which continues today 15-25 years after their deaths, will forever thwart any chance for the development of a genuine multiracial democracy in Guyana.

In fact a Washington Post reporter told me in 1991 that “Western Ambassadors in Georgetown” told him that “you cannot have democracy in Guyana because every last man there votes race”.

Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham should have emulated the example of George Washington, who could easily have declared

himself king of the United States in 1790s, as the people in that age were calling on him to do. Washington would have none of it – he chose to serve two terms as president and then retire to his farm.

I have been writing on this theme in the Independent press for the last few years in the hope of stirring up a national conversation on this topic, and one that could potentially generate enough public pressure on the ethnic parties – PPP and PNC – and force them to change. At least two prominent letter writers have always justified ethnic voting. One of them, Sultan Mohamed, often cited the fact that Africans in New York City voted 90 percent strong for Mayor David Dinkins, or for Barack Obama, and therefore, concluded it is okay for Guyanese to vote race. Such absurd reasoning.

The truth is that in the United States, we have always had a band of voters of all races (swing voters) who will vote for one party in an election and another in a subsequent election. Their differing vote is always based on the way they perceive the issues and the candidates. The effect of this tradition is that the baton of power always passes from one party to another every two or three election cycles; this builds confidence in the democratic process, prevents ethnic tensions from accumulating in multi-racial societies and avoids ethnic riots.

The Indo-ethnic PPP has been in power for the last 20years, thanks to the Indian majority and the legacy of ethnic voting. During this time the ruling party has been

DEAR EDITOR, I wish to convey my condolences to the family and friends of the late John Caesar, Senior Lecturer, University of Guyana who passed away recently. The academic community, in particular the Natural Sciences Faculty, is certainly poorer for his passing, as he was known to be a very dedicated and committed academic and someone who pursued his task with passion and diligence.

Even though not Guyanese by birth, he took an active interest in the country’s development and served on a number of Boards and Committees including the Guyana Forestry Commission, where he served as Chairman up the time of his death.

I happened to know him

at a personal level when I served as a member of the University Council and on the Appointments Committee some years ago. I was always impressed with his modesty and the unassuming manner in which he conducted himself and his sense of loyalty and commitment not only to the University of Guyana, but to the country as a whole.

May I also express my condolences to the relatives and friends of the late Professor Calvin Eversley who also passed away after a brief illness. Like the late John Caesar, he also served the University community, in particular the Law Faculty with great commitment and dedication.

May God bless their souls.

Hydar Ally

Condolences to the families of Mr. Caesar and Professor Eversley

accused of “marginalizing the Africans”; both sides debate the evidence of marginalization. The reality is there doesn’t have to be any proof; it is the perception that matters. To remove the perception of discrimination we need to end the existence of ethnic parties and reduce the high levels of ethnic voting. Geralda also writes: ‘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”.

Former history lecturer of UG, Dr. Tyran Ramnarine agrees.

He said it is the “reality of Guyanese politics; we just have to work around it”.

Really? Isn’t the history of mankind and the art of governing steadily evolving?

A dynamic process? Changes forever instituted by great leaders? In the meantime I will only say that what exists in Guyana is not genuine democracy. And, the main reason is the existence of

ethnic parties and the extremely high levels of ethnic voting.

While I have exploited Geralda’s letter to bring the focus back on a discussion of ethnic politics and how it has negated the very essence of democracy, I must say that I know this name Geralda Dennison as an accomplished writer to the letter columns of the Independent press. Her letters on the history and culture of Guyana are fine pieces of writing. I recall one on her visit to Essequibo

Coast and her observations of the “dyeing” ritual that precedes Indian weddings – and how the practice changes one’s complexion. Her letters represent excellent commentary.

Indeed Geralda, Burnham and Jagan were not racists, but their legacies are undeniably ethnic parties and ethnic voting, and these legacies are a cancer that thwarts the development of genuine democracy in a multiracial society.

Mike Persaud

Page 6

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

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

Politics should not only be about staying in power DEAR EDITOR, President Ramotar does not get it and has mistakenly vowed to continue Jagdeo’s policies with the hope of staying in power and not be pushed out by the Jagdeoites.

The truth is Mr. President, it is not about maintaining political power, because ultimate power does not reside with you; it resides with the people. The people can take away that power in the same fashion that they entrusted it to you. Therefore, your focus ought not to be on becoming totally dependent upon the Jagdeoites, who we believe are in control.

Instead, your focus should be on the authority vested in you by the constitution and finding the right way to use it fairly and responsibly to improve the lives of all Guyanese, especially the poor and the working class who are at the bottom of the economic ladder.

The authority entrusted in you on December 5, 2011, is not about you; it is about the people who are saying that it is time to review your leadership and act

independently of your predecessor. What is so disgusting is that you have made little or no effort to distance yourself from the previous regime which has a very poor record on good governance.

We expect you to do your utmost to act in the best interest of the poor and the working class which your party claims to represent. We expect you to embark on a series of legislation and a sound economic program that will bring prosperity to Guyana and thus improve the lives of all Guyanese. We expect you to fulfill your election promise to end corruption, lower the crime rate, reduce VAT and increase wages/salaries by 10%.

Last but not least, we expect you to provide good and transparent governance and to govern in the interest of all Guyanese. But after almost one year in office, you seem to have lost your way, as none of the aforementioned issues has been achieved.

It is not the norm for the president to lambaste and accuse others, especially the

opposition and the printed media of unfairness, because they find aspects of his leadership style to be flawed.

Good leaders are never preoccupied with how good they think they are, but rather with how much better they can become.

So if President Ramotar is serious about holding on to power, it could redound to his benefit to start connecting with the people, reduce VAT and the toll on the Berbice Bridge, stamp out corruption, and develop an economic program that will provide employment for the youths, and effectively manage the resources of the state so that not only the privileged few, but all will benefit, irrespective of their ethnicity or party affiliation. This is the transformational role expected from the head of state to bring meaningful change to the lives of the citizens of Guyana.

And although we have sensed some disappointment in Mr. Ramotar, we believe that he should move away from the petty politics of the past and engage all the stakeholders to help him identify viable developmental

projects, and should not give up an inch of ground to those who want him to allocate taxpayers’ money toward political payback favors or to fund risky political projects such as the Marriott Hotel.

But we are convinced that the Jagdeoites will not allow Mr. Ramotar to do what is in the best interest of the poor and the working class, but what is in their own interest.

In fact, Mr. Ramotar has given us a taste of his arrogant and inept leadership when it took him over a month to visit the people of Linden during the month-long unrest, and his contempt of the laws and disrespect for Parliament and the people’s representatives as he continues to ignore the noconfidence motion passed by the Assembly against Mr. Rohee.

His support for Rohee has not only delayed the country’s progress, but he and his cabal have made this individual the centre of their political focus thus abandoning the people’s business.

So far, the PPP has

accomplished what they had set out to do and that is to deceive the people. In 1992, they had promised to end corruption, power outages and the shortage of potable water, but 20 years later corruption remains rampant, there are more blackouts now, and potable water has become a scarce commodity in the land of many waters.

The PPP has also blamed the PNC for lack of good governance and transparency in government, today Guyana has the most secretive government in all of the Caribbean. Not only is the government involved in secret deals with the Marriott Hotel, the Amaila Falls Hydro Project and the expansion of the airport, they also cannot account for billions of

taxpayers’ dollars that are missing from NICIL, NIS, the Contingency Fund and the Lotto fund.

It is plain as daylight that the people are being duped by the regime and the opposition is missing in action most of the times, as the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal runs around like a chicken without a head.

The opposition needs to be in touch with the citizens of the country in order to know the pulse of the nation. They must step up, expose and rebuke the evil and corrupt practices of the PPP regime and encourage the people to speak out against extravagances of this regime.

Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

( from page 4) tirelessly.

The ball is in Hughes and Nagamootoo’s court. Maybe, we will have to start holding them accountable.

Where potential is great

and experience is not a problem. Where there is a will; these two men must now make a way. I am through with Ramjattan and Granger. They can do no more to disappoint.

Norman Browne

Granger and Ramjattan can do...

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 7

City Constabulary to commence Christmas … to zoom in on pick pocketing, excess security system dumping of garbage, vending practices Come next week, the City Constabulary will officially get underway with their Christmas Security programme.

They are applying zero tolerance towards negative activities such as pick pocketing, excess dumping of garbage and irregular vending practices that are prevalent during the Christmas season.

Deputy Chief Constable (ag) Trevor Merriman, told Kaieteur News, yesterday, that numerous measures have been put in place to ensure a safe and congestion-free shopping environment.

Merriman said that some of the main focuses of his staff will be on increased criminal activities; an undertaking that would see the collusion of the police force.

“We w i l l b e o n t h e lookout for the petty criminal activities that normally take place during this time,” Merriman noted.

“This will include the police force and we have extended our co-operation as well as them extending theirs.”

The Constable mentioned that his staff

will also focus on the prolonged dilemma of indiscriminate dumping of garbage and excess vending.

He explained that no new vendor will be allowed to occupy sidewalks and erect additional structures to their existing stands. The Constabulary is further clamping down on vendors who impede the smooth flow of traffic and hinder shoppers on thoroughfares and sidewalks by restricting seasonal sellers.

“There will be no new vendors during the Christmas period,” Merriman said. “But we will also ensure that the old vendors do not extend their businesses, since during the season they have the tendency to add to their existing structures; having a host of goods on the pave blocking people’s business entrances.”

Merriman noted that although there have been requests by some persons to vend for the season; it has been made clear that no new vendors will be tolerated this year. “Some vendors have been coming in and we have been saying no to them.”

Vendors gear up for the Christmas rush

The Chief Constable however added that with the entity being understaffed, it is hard to say how much additional vending can be kept under control since during the season, a large number of persons come out whether stationary or active.

On the issue of pollution and littering, Merriman told Kaieteur News that the Constabulary has forever been tackling the issue but for the season it intends to intensify the fight against indiscriminate dumping and littering.

He said that it is normal for

the Constabulary during this time to close down its clerical sections and have the staff out on the streets aiding the situation.

It was noted that a team of persons from Keith Burrowes’ office and members of the Constabulary are collaborating to deal with littering matters.

He said that for the last two months, the Constabulary has been able to place plain clothes officers in strategic areas, monitoring dumping activities.

From that initiative, Merriman said that at least 90 persons have been arrested and charged since last month.

These persons, he said, included ordinary citizens, social rejects and business owners who often pay those rejects to dump their waste.

Merriman said that apart from increased street patrols, those plain clothes officers will remain at strategic areas such as Robb Street, Regent Street, Stabroek Market, Bourda Market and other busy business areas to ensure that the season does not bring an influx of haphazard dumping.

Public Relations Officer for the Mayor and City Counsel, Royston King, contended that the Constabulary was given specific instructions that would aid with the shopping process this season.

He noted that vendors and legitimate business owners were encouraged to adhere to the Constabulary’s orders.

Page 8

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kitty resident dies in late night crash

Liliendaal resident shot in groin Jermaine Peters

Efforts being made to retrieve the mortally injured man

By Abena Rockcliffe Scores gathered at a gruesome accident scene last evening to witness the state of 38 year-old Reeshee Baksh of Thomas Street Kitty as he lay helplessly in his mangled car after crashing into the median on the East Bank Highway.

Baksh was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The accident occurred at

the junction of the East Bank highway and Flour Mill Road sometime shortly after 23:00hrs Eyewitnesses reported that Baksh, who was driving a green Toyota 170 bearing number plate PGG 1661, while travelling south, collided with the edge of the median and ended up on the other side of the road.

“We see he fly pass we then all we hear is a loud sound; when I look round all I see is this thing a spin, but

he only spin. Lucky fuh he, he only spin one time but was a big spin that is how he end up on the other side of the road. Only God he self could come down and put hand pun he fuh he live cuz de car propa smash with he.”

Baksh was wearing a black and red jersey and blue jeans. His entire right side lower body was crushed.

When this newspaper arrived at the scene, police and firefighters, with the help of public spirited citizens, were

working feverishly to get the mortally wounded man out of his mangled car. However, no ambulance was on the scene.

After about 25 minutes of persistent labour, Baksh’s body was removed from the vehicle.

He was then place onto a stretcher after which he was transported to the hospital by a police jeep with his hands and feet tied. It was not until this newspaper was making its way back to town that the ambulance raced to the scene.

A 28-year-old Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara resident was shot in his groin around 11:30 hrs Sunday night by someone wearing a hood that covered his face.

Jermaine Peters of lot 625 Liliendaal was shot in front of his yard. He is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in a stable condition.

Yesterday, at the hospital, Peters revealed to this publication that he had just returned from the seawall and had gone into his house to collect some money. He then left to go to a nearby shop to purchase a phone card.

“When I was coming back from the shop and was entering the yard somebody appear behind me and say don’t move,” Peters recalled.

According to Peters, although the shooter demanded him not to turn around, he turned. This may

have angered his attacker and caused him to be gun-butted on his left side face, right under his eyes. “I fall and when I try to get up, he shot me,” the construction worker said. The motive for the shooting is unclear since the gunman did not steal anything from Peters.

He said that his attacker was wearing a dark hood, covering his face so he did not recognize the person. “After I get shoot I don’t know what happen after that.” The injured man was then rushed to GPHC by his mother who was inside of the house.

Police in a statement said that about 23:20hrs Sunday, Jermaine Peters was shot by person (s) unknown.

His mother, Karen John, said that her son left home to buy a phone card, when she heard an explosion. On checking, he saw him lying on the parapet in front of their home with a gunshot wound.

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 9

THE MORE I LISTEN IS THE SAME THING I HEAR Most Presidents rise early in the morning and retire to bed late at night. These are the occupational hazards of the job.

Their time is not theirs to do as they please. It is in great demand. Everyone wants a piece of the President and there are always so many meetings to attend.

Most US Presidents would indicate that they begin their day trying to get filled-in on what happened while they were asleep. This is called a briefing.

A typical working day for a President of the United States would usually begin with briefing from his senior advisers. So what is a typical day for the President of Guyana?

It would be expected that as soon as he has arisen, that the President would have a working breakfast where he would be briefed, for example, on the rescue exercise that is being launched to find the members of the crew of a barge and tug that encountered problems.

The President needs to know the state-of-play with EZ Jet. He can do two things to find this out. He can pick up the Kaieteur News to see what is being reported or he can contact the Minister of Public Works who is heading the rescue operations.

Then the President may be interested in finding out about the national security situation.

So he picks up the phone and calls Roger. He gets his briefing.

In parting, he may ask Roger about the situation with the opposition in parliament. Roger may advise him to contact Gail.

He rings Gail. She explains that there is some “rubbish” taking place with the opposition but hopes that things would get better. “Yes,” he says, “I must check on the preparation of next year’s Budget.”

So he calls Ashni. The diminutive financial wizard gives him a briefing about what is taking place, including about developments in the housing sector.

He must therefore call Irfaan for a further briefing. As he is speaking, to Irfaan, he asks about how West Indies is doing in Bangladesh.

This triggers an interest in the President as to how the court action involving the Guyana Cricket Board is proceeding. So he has to call Anil.

He gets his briefing.

Everyone that he has called so far has been closely associated with the outgoing Jagdeo administration or with the outgoing President.

This is the problem that the new President faces. He is expected to look, sound and smell differently from his predecessor. Yet he is dependent on the same old guard for his briefing. So how much different are things going to be for the new President when he still is relying on the same old personnel?

What different things are they going to tell him? Or will it be the same old political strategy that will inform the advice that the President is having?

The President has appointed a team and all his ministers and advisers are part of that team. He does not have to change that

Dem boys seh...

Nuff people mouth tape up Killa Lall really quiet. He suh quiet that people wondering if he come back from Brazil. Bharrat did send he to Brazil after he knock down a policeman and drive away. Uncle Donald bring he back and put he in a corner and tell he to behave heself.

Dem boys seh that de man really behaving because dem ain’t seeing him and dem surely ain’t hearing a word from him.

It just go to show that Uncle Donald can silence people. He silence Brazzy because de man ain’t saying nutten bout de Marriott. He ain’t even telling people that he smart de nation when he announce that he was selling out de shares in de telephone company. Is now dem boys understand.

De shares been giving de government a cool $500 million every year. That is good money but Brazzy and he kavakamites did want money to build de hotel. As soon as dem get de money dem pay down pun de hotel and then dem get Gee Nah fuh tell people how dem got a

shortage of hotel rooms in Guyana.

Uncle Donald silence Walter de Willy. He talk bout one of de Bee Kay and dem silence he. Dem was so vex that dem mek Willy find he own lawyer fuh defend heself in court against Bee Kay. Uncle Donald silence Easy Come because he refuse fuh put in money fuh help de airline. Nuff people vex but Uncle Donald suspect that something wasn’t right.

Well dem boys seh that because of that action at least two people hiding in a basement in Queens. One of dem hiding from de Feds and de other one hiding from two Bees—Barbie and Bharrat.

Dem boys seh that Bharrat like travel suh he buy de cheap ticket that woulda mek he fly whole day and whole night. He lose he money suh he vex and that is why Rosa hiding. Barbie lose money too.

And Uncle Donald remain silent, too.

Talk half and shit you mouth fuh de other half

team immediately. In many respects, his hands were tied as to who he could have chosen because, for his Cabinet, he had to choose persons that were on his party’s List of Candidates and since the campaign was based on the successes of the previous administration, it was only natural that the members of the previous government would populate the party’s List of Candidates.

The President has to also listen to those whom he has appointed to top positions within his government. But if he wants to be different, if he wants to look and sound and smell different from his predecessor,

then he has to also talk to other people. This is why he needs a new coterie of Advisers.

He is the President. He does not have to accept what his Ministers are saying. He only has to listen to what they say.

He is the President and ultimately he can listen and disregard. But if he is only obtaining advice from the same old sources as his predecessor, how different is his rule going to be?

The President has already received applause for being a good listener. During his first national stakeholders meeting, he was said to have listened keenly and responded favourably to

those present. He made an impact.

But he needs to also do this in the day-to-day affairs of his office. He needs to listen to views that are outside the box.

He needs to pick up the phone and talk to persons whose views may not coincide with that of his administration.

He needs, for example, to see whether the approach that is being taken to the financial management of the economy is the best one. The PPP had a remarkable run of economic success by any standards. It expected to win the elections easily. So why did it not gain the 55 per cent that it expected? The

President may have been led to believe that his party was robbed along the way. This is what some of his close people may be telling him.

But suppose this is not so.

Is there a problem with the economic model that the country is pursuing? Was the participation of Private Sector firms in the housing drive responsible for the high prices for housing? Are food prices too Continued on page 10

Page 10

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

=== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ===

State institutions in the reign of Bharrat Jagdeo As time turns the pages of the book of the PPP Government, the more graphic is the picture of the Jagdeo disaster. As the sun is about to set upon the National Insurance Scheme, you can’t help think of the irony of the life of past President Forbes Burnham and the paradox of the Champion of the Earth If Mr. Burnham was not

struck with the lust for power and belief in absolute power, he would have taken his place not only as a great Caribbean leader but one of the best in the entire post-colonial world.

It was Burnham that gave Guyanese the National Insurance Scheme. The headquarters sits about two minutes walk from where I was born; it reminds one of the patriotic instincts of

Burnham. It was built not with imported cement but our own clay bricks.

Only a stupid mind would deny the priceless value of the NIS. To sugar workers it is a permanent source of income.

But can the NIS remain alive?

Mr. Jagdeo, the leader whom sugar workers elected as the President of Guyana in two general polls, until 2011, has done a number on the NIS.

He spent the NIS money totaling more than eight billion dollars. Six billion dollars into investment in CLICO and is now lost.

Another two billion dollars went into building, in my opinion, the worlds’ cheapest and ugliest bridge, the Berbice Bridge (crossed it a few weeks ago to speak to members of a new union on their horrible mistreatment by

a German company as part of Rusal operations).

The amount of money the NIS has lost will not be easy to replace, may never be replaced and may soon kill off the NIS. By the time sugar workers drive the final nail in the coffin of the PPP, the workers themselves may starve to death in their old age because NIS may not be around to subsidize their old age.

With an economy like this, with retirement age in the public service being 55, and with a substantial percentage of self-employed not contributing to the NIS, any analyst will tell you the sun will soon set on the NIS. For last year, NIS operated with a huge deficit. It may worsen in 2012, get disastrous in 2013 and limp to death in 2014 .As we are on the topic of Mr. Jagdeo and the NIS and as we mentioned the self-employed, we need to remind you that a businessman friend of Mr Jagdeo was charged by the police for preventing NIS inspectors from examining his books. The story of NIS is the tale of the failure of the fifth executive president of Guyana (Sam Hinds was fourth but he is a mere statistic in Guyanese history).

In 2011, while he was President, the NIS operated with a deficit. By what standard can you judge this man as a successful president? The NIS is as priceless a State institution as any in Guyana. For the NIS to be facing dissolution is a terrible indictment of Bharrat Jagdeo. But does the PPP care?

In many seminar presentations at UG and at academic conferences, I have argued that there are fundamental differences in the philosophical conceptualization of nationalism between the

African middle class which took control of the administration of the country after Independence and the Indian propertied strata.

The African middle class is congenitally a group of people wedded to the State.

They see the existence of their class as being coterminous with the State.

Because of the contractual nature of indentureship, Indian saw the State as an intrusion into the life of private entrepreneurship. They are not State-oriented people.

The NIS is not the only public sphere that is facing collapse. No one will be so stupid to say that UG is in any shape whatsoever. The public school system is in a mess.

Not most but all the prestigious private schools have a long waiting list.

Parents know they have to bite the bullet and provide their children with a good primary and secondary education and they will not get that at public schools.

Any statistical analysis of Mr. Jagdeo’s rule would reveal a substantial decline in the quality of delivery of most public institutions. A horror story awaits you at the record-keeping system of the High Court and the registry of births and deaths.

No one in this country would give a passing grade to the Georgetown Hospital.

Public infrastructure from roads, to sea defence to drainage and irrigation, to market facilities, to public parks to traffic lights, the public ownership of Guyana has had a terrible performance under Mr. Jagdeo.

From page 9 high and are the poor hurting? Is tax administration really as successful as it is claimed? How can sugar be turned around? Or has the demographics changed unalterably against the PPP? Right now all that the President is hearing are from the same individuals who ran the Jagdeo administration. He needs to hear some others and therefore he should appoint a team of advisers to help him so that he gets all sorts of views.

In the end, he has to decide how to act and he will act in the best way if he has the benefit of varying viewpoints.

He should encourage

differences of opinion and should remove all those “yesmen” that like to hang around.

There are persons who will be willing to give the President advice free of cost once they know that he is serious about doing things differently. He should not be afraid to bring in experts in the various fields to advise him, since a different view may be the answer to the problems that the country faces.

It is all up to the President.

He has to decide whether he will continue to rely solely on the old guard or whether he will have the old guard as well as a new guard that he can turn to get the fuller picture.

Frederick Kissoon

THE MORE I LISTEN ...

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Man shot by motorcycle bandits An East Coast Demerara businessman narrowly escaped death when armed bandits opened fire on him during what can be described as a daring opportunistic robbery yesterday morning.

Chandradat Nandalall, 38, of Vryheid’s Lust North was wounded w h e n h e t r i e d desperately to cling on to his gold jewellery he was wearing after he was attacked by a gunman, who subsequently escaped with his accomplice on a motorcycle. The incident occurred around 09:15 hours at a Le Ressouvenir car wash, where Nandalall had gone to have his vehicle cleaned.

According to eyewitnesses, the businessman was sitting on a bench in front of the wash bay when the two bandits rolled up on their motorcycle. One of them immediately pounced on Nandalall. “One jump off de bike and come and tell he fuh tek off wha he gat, but like he get bassody and the bandit pull out he gun and shoot he,” said an eyewitness.

The woman said that the bandit then snatched Nandalall’s gold chain.

“He see like de man pocket full up and he start bullying de man fuh wha inside. But de man had two cell phones and he wallet and de bandit tek it,” the woman added. After robbing the businessman of the items mentioned, the bandit tried to grab his gold band but Nandalall would have none

of it and made a dash for safety.

This angered the gunman who discharged several rounds at him and a few more for good measure at some eyewitnesses who were staring transfixed at what was playing out in front of them.

Shamdai Khan, whose son operates the wash bay, told this newspaper that she is still traumatized by what she saw, while peeping through her window.

“De bandit fire at me son, he had to crawl pon he belly.

Me peep th r o u g h d e window but me mind nah give me fuh go out. Is de fuss time me see something like this,” Khan told this newspaper. She said that after the bandits left, her son rushed the injured businessman to a private city hospital where he is receiving treatment. “Dey say de bullet hit he hand and pass through near he heart. He gat fuh get surgery,” Khan said.

She is not too pleased with the response she got from the police in her district.

According to Khan, immediately after the first gunshot, she telephoned the Beterverwagting Police Station, then Sparendaam but on both occasions the phones were busy. She even contacted the area Community Policing Group but none of them showed up until about 30 minutes after the robbery. By then the bandits who were described as very young boys had made good their escape.

KN office assistant recovering from gunshot Investigations are still continuing into the shooting incident which left Kaieteur News staffer Shaun Persaud injured on Sunday last. Persaud was shot by bandits in the thigh. The two thieves managed to escape with his motorcycle CF4664 and a pouch containing his driver’s license during a brazen robbery at the corner of Broad and Ketley Streets, Charlestown. Persaud told Kaieteur News, yesterday, that doctors have cleaned out the gunpowder that was inside of the wound.

According to Persaud he was told that the bone has received some damage and doctors would have to replace it with steel. He said that no police has visited him to get a statement. Persaud, 45, of Lot 94 La Penitence Street, Albouystown, remains in a stable condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Persaud, an Office Assistant with Kaieteur News, related that he was on his way home when a friend invited him to take “a drink” at a rum shop in Charlestown. Persaud said he wheeled his motorcycle into the shop and was having a “drink” when two youths rode into the beer garden on a motorcycle and immediately began assaulting him while demanding the keys for his bike.

He estimates that the attackers were both in their teens.

The father of two added that while the bandits ‘braced’ him at a corner, one of them took the motorcycle keys from his pocket.

They also relieved the Kaieteur News staffer of a pouch containing his driver’s license. Despite being gun-butted, Persaud said that he tried to prevent the robbers from making off with his motorcycle. Persaud said that this angered the robbers and one of them shot him in the left thigh. They then escaped with his motorcycle. Other patrons at the beer garden took the injured man to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Persaud suspects that the bandits trailed him to the rum shop. He recalled that his attackers went straight to him and demanded his key.

Page 15

81-year-old granny goes missing An 81-year-old broom vendor from Mocha, East Bank Demerara has gone missing since last Friday and her family members are worried since they have searched everywhere but cannot locate her.

Margaret Harris, of Lot 274 Cemetery Road, Mocha, has been living in that village with her granddaughter and great grandchildren. She also owns a farm in the village.

According to one of her granddaughters, Shondell Rutherford, her grandmother has an old habit of visiting the farm every day to check on her vegetables and also to

cut coconut branches to make brooms to sell.

Rutherford said that her cousin who takes care of her grandmother, informed her that the 81-year-old left home around 13:30hrs Friday to go to the farm as usual and she was healthy too.

Her family members became alarmed when it was after 19:00hrs that night and the woman did not return.

They formed a search party and went into the farm but their efforts were to no avail.

A missing person report was made at the Providence Police Station but the family was told to return after 24 hours.

Last Saturday and Sunday, the family searched for the broom vendor but again there was no trace of the woman.

It was early yesterday that they got the biggest shock.

“Every time she goes to the farm, two of her dogs follow her. The dogs followed her last Friday but this morning (yesterday) only one of them returned,” Rutherford claimed.

The elderly woman was last seen wearing a blue floral top with a straw hat. Anyone who may have some information about the woman’s whereabouts is kindly being asked to contact

Missing: Margaret Harris, 81 her family on 233-2000, 6770680, 699-8764, 217-0338 or call the nearest police station.

Page 16

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 17

Page 18

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

TCI election results to be challenged in court PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands — An unsuccessful candidate in the recent general elections in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) has reportedly filed a legal challenge to the result in his constituency. A second such challenge in another constituency has also reportedly been filed.

Given that the winning party in the election, the Progressive National Party (PNP), obtained only an eight to seven seat majority over the other main party, the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), any successful challenge could result in an immediate change of government, raising the spectre of a similar situation in 2003 when the situation was reversed and a successful challenge by the PNP in one district resulted in a by-election in which the PNP prevailed, thereby giving them the government.

The petition filed by PDM candidate Oral Isaac Selver in relation to Electoral District

Election candidates (L-R) Oral Selver, Edward Smith and Amanda Missick Number 7 (Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hills, Providenciales) is grounded in an alleged failure by a third party candidate, Edward E. Smith of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), to declare his US citizenship.

Section 49(1)(a) of the TCI constitution provides that “No person shall be qualified to be an elected member of the House of Assembly who, on the date of his or her nomination for election… is, by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to any foreign

power or state.

Section 50(1) of the constitution goes on to provide that “Each candidate for election to the House of Assembly shall, on the date of his or her nomination for election, make a written declaration to the Supervisor of Elections that he or she is qualified for election under section 46 and that no disqualification mentioned in section 49 applies to him or her.”

Further, under subsection (2) “The Supervisor of Elections shall publish any declaration made to him or her under subsection (1) by the

close of the next following working day” and “(3) Within five days of the publication of any such declaration, a challenge to the veracity of that declaration may be brought by any registered elector or by the Attorney General before the Supreme Court.” Selver claims in his petition that, at the time Smith made his declaration to the supervisor of elections under section 50(1) of the constitution on October 25, 2012, he was disqualified for election to the House of Assembly under section 49(a) of the constitution because he (Smith) is a citizen of the United States of America, a foreign power, and is under an acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to that country being the holder of that country’s passport.

Selver claims further that the Supervisor of Elections, Dudly Lewis, failed in his duty to ensure that Smith was qualified to be nominated as (Continued on page 20)

Page 19

Barbados lawyers want gag order in Shanique Myrie case (Jamaica Observer) KINGSTON, Jamaica — Barbados lawyers representing their Government in the Shanique Myrie case have told Jamaican ministers to shut up and let the court decide.

According to reports in the Barbados Nation, the statement came on the heels of comments made by a Jamaican government minister regarding Myrie’s lawsuit before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The alleged comments from the Jamaican have not gone down well with attorneys representing the Barbados Government in the matter.

Lead attorney for the Barbados Government in the matter, Roger Forde, QC, has sent off a letter to t h e s o l i c i t o r g e n e r a l ’s chambers in Kingston, requesting the Jamaica

Shanique Myrie government implement a g a g o r d e r o n ministers when it comes to the Myrie case, the report said.

Myrie was allegedly sexually assaulted by an immigration officer while entering Barbados just over a year ago.

Page 20

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Big plans for heritage sites Miller rebukes preaching ban – Rev. says move curtails freedom of religion

Minister Clifton De Coteau, foreground, third from left, and other members of the touring party at the Banwari site, San Francique. — Photo: Louis B. Homer (Trinidad Express) Clifton De Coteau, Minister of National Diversity and Social Integration, announced on Saturday that the National Trust will be embarking on a number of initiatives, aimed at involving the national community in the preservation of the natural and built heritage of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Minister made the comment during a visit to the Banwari site at San Francique with environmentalists, members of the National Trust, students, representatives from the Siparia Regional Corporation and staff members from the Government Archives.

He announced that signs will soon be erected at all historical sites to assist and encourage members of the

public in visiting their local heritage.

He said, “Banwari site and the Pitch Lake at La Brea are in the process of completing the UNESCO requirements to be included as World Heritage sites, and in the coming year twelve tours to historic churches, temples, mosques and cemeteries where national heroes are buried will be organised by the National Trust.”

De Coteau said places of worship had played an important part in bringing communities together.

He singled for mention the Siparia church of La Divina Pastora which has in the past served as a living vehicle to unite Hindus and Christians in common worship, and the facilities

at Mount St Benedict that provided spiritual comfort to many.

He said the Trust had already paid a visit to the Doon Pundit Temple at Arima where several people had received cures for various ailments, including Josephine Shaw, wife of former governor of Trinidad and Tobago.

Th e M i n i s t e r s a i d , “Other initiatives soon to be implemented are the launching of a book detailing the history of 50 natural and built heritage sites, encouragement to students of primary and secondary schools to form heritage clubs, and distribution of literature to build greater awareness of the rich heritage of our country.”

(Jamaica Gleaner) Local clergyman the Reverend Al Miller has lashed out against a recent decision to ban preaching on Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses, saying it is “part of a bigger agenda to remove the strong Christian belief system inherent” in the country.

“It is thought that this is what is hindering the speedy advance of the liberties for embracing habits and lifestyles that are opposed by biblical Christianity,” Miller said in a release Sunday.

He argued that preaching “on the bus, on the street corners, town squares with absolute freedom is part of Jamaica’s Christian heritage,” and that the Church would not keep silent on the issue.

“We will not sit by and allow the few, who are attempting to destroy ‘faith’ among our people, to advance negative destructive alien philosophies to overrun our nation.”

“At a time of declining morals and values, increased

crime, violence and disregard for sanctity of human life, a time when the cry is for a calmer and gentler society, it is certainly not the time to be reducing anything that produces inspiration and positive influence on the minds of our people.

The country has nothing that offers more positive thoughts than our Christian faith, whose central message is love: love of God and love of neighbour,” Miller said.

Rear Admiral Hardley

Lewin, managing director of the JUTC, told The Gleaner last week that a directive had been given to the drivers to “politely” tell preachers that they could no longer trumpet their divine messages on the state-owned buses.

On Sunday, Miller, while claiming that the practice of preaching on buses is a harmless and positive act, called on Lewis to prove otherwise.

“Mr Lewin, tells us what harm is being done by persons preaching on the bus? Tell us who are the objectors and the percentage that consider it grossly offensive.”

“Mr Lewin, I am sure you would not prefer the continued lewd, filthy and violence-invoking music that contaminates the minds and souls and, ultimately, the bodies of our youth,” he said.

“Jamaica is still a nation with freedom of religion and Christianity is our national religious heritage. Any attempt to curtail, restrict, etc. will be met with serious objection,” he said.

incumbent People’s National Movement will be fighting money power when it comes up against the People’s Partnership (PP)/Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) in the pre-Carnival elections.

To the cheers of the crowd, London said he was confident “people power will defeat money power anytime.” He said the elections will have implications, not only for the THA and Tobago, but the entire country. “The Tobago House of Assembly elections is everybody’s business,” he said. L o n d o n s a i d t h e people of Trinidad have been abused by the PP Government over the past 30 months and the THA polls must send a strong message

to the Kamla PersadBissessar-led coalition that the abuse will be stopped in Tobago. The TOP, the main challenger to the PNM, is a member of the PP Government. The THA chief secretary said if the PNM did not achieve a resounding victory on January 21 the country would be saying, “We like it so.”

London said the people of Trinidad, who felt the pain of the “atrocities, victimisation and discrimination of the People’s Partnership Government” had a responsibility to help Tobagonians realise the importance of a fourth consecutive PNM victory in Tobago. Later, in an interview, London said selection of election candidates has started and they will be screened by month end.

From page 19 a candidate in the general election to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly and that Lewis further failed to publish such candidate declarations within the time limit required by the constitution, thereby denying opposing candidates the opportunity to challenge such nomination(s) prior to the election.

In the constituency ballot, Selver received 364 votes, Smith received 58 votes and the successful PNP candidate

Amanda A. Missick received 394 votes.

As the difference between the top two candidates was only 30 votes, Selver claims that, if Smith had been declared as unqualified prior to the election, the 58 votes cast for Smith could have accrued to the other candidates, thereby having the potential to affect the outcome of the election, which according to local sources is the benchmark the court must use in deciding whether or not to overturn a result.

Al Miller

London on THA elections: It’s people power versus money power

Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Orville London says the January 21 elections will be a battle between “people power and money power.” In his address during the first Tobago Day held in Trinidad at Balisier House in Port-ofSpain, London said the

TCI election results...

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

‘THEY MUST GO!’ - Opposition Leader blasts Gov’t for failing to seal IMF deal

(Jamaica Gleaner) “It’s my generation now! We must stand up and take charge of our country. I am sick and tired of them! They must go!” declared an uncharacteristically impassioned leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Andrew Holness as he addressed the party’s annual conference on Sunday.

After unleashing his fury on the Portia Simpson Miller administration for failing to ink a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Holness donned his party hat and turned his wrath on recalcitrant forces in the JLP that led to a near court action on Saturday.

He noted that there were some members who believed that the party is available to serve their narrow selfinterest. “I am sick and tired of those people. None of that anymore! I have been patient, but none of that anymore,” he declared to rousing applause.

“Now is work time and those who have an issue,

leave!” declared Holness.

The usually mildmannered politician chastised the Government for its failure to hammer out an IMF deal, nearly a year after being victorious at the polls, on a promise Simpson Miller made during the leadership debate that a deal could have been inked in record time.

Holness also flailed the Government for being evasive when they face the people and play politics by accusing the JLP of criticising the Government on a sensitive issue. He warned that his team would not be silenced. “ N o b o d y i s going to silence us from making our points in a significant way. I know the sensitive nature of the financial market, but I know the plight of the people,” he declared. “As Opposition, we have a duty to protect Jamaica.”

Holness also sounded a rallying cry to delegates to rise up for party and nation.

Asserting that poverty has reached unprecedented heights, Holness called for a widening of the benefits and beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education as he addressed delegates at Sunday’s annual conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

He promised that a JLP administration, under his leadership, would reform Jamaica. “We are going to introduce comprehensive reform of this country to ensure that the poor are

provided for,” he asserted.

“It is better to pay youths to stay in school than for policemen to throw them in jail. It is better to pay them than to allow the devil to find work for idle hands.

“Today, I want, as a party, to talk about the workingclass people, the Jamaica Labour Party must return to its roots,” Holness declared.

“Today, the party must reclaim that support base that we have always had,” he asserted.

Proclaiming that founder of the J L P, A l e x a n d e r Bustamante, was the original champion of the p o o r o f t h e c o u n t r y, Holness declared: now more than ever, Jamaica needs a champion of the working class once again.

In unleashing a barb at Simpson Miller, Holness declared: “It’s one thing to kiss baby and say I love you ... many of those babies are adults and they can say they have not seen any changes. There is so much apathy ... given the resources with which we are blessed, we should not have anyone languishing in abject poverty.”

Holness asserted that while it was the Government’s prerogative to review the free-user-fee policy in public facilities, “but after that, you make sure you don’t take away the rights of the people ... I am making it my mission, we will come again, we will run this country again and sooner than you think”.

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Citizens from five Caribbean island nations will soon be able to travel to the Schengen area without needing a visa.

This will open up to opportunities and advantages both for the EU and the nationals of these five countries.

“Travelling without a visa is not just a symbolic gesture – it will have a direct impact on citizens of these countries and on EU citizens, in the form of more people-to-people contacts and business opportunities,” said Cecilia Malmström, EU Commissioner for Home Aff a i r s . On Friday, the European Commission proposed to add five Caribbean island nations (Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and

Tobago), ten Pacific Island Nations (Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu) and Timor-Leste to the list of third countries and territories whose nationals are exempt from the visa obligation. St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda has had visa exemption since June 1, 2009.

The objective is to simplify travel to the Schengen area, as well as to Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania. A national from one of these countries would no longer require a visa for short stays (up to 90 days) if he/she is in possession of a passport, be it for business, touristic or family visit purposes.

This will make travel planning easier and reduce the travelling costs.

Member states’ limited consular presence in many of these countries has resulted in visa applicants often having to travel abroad to apply for a Schengen visa.

The Commission’s proposal foresees that the visa exemption will be reciprocated through visa waiver agreements, ensuring a visa free regime for all EU citizens who wish to travel to these countries. Moreover, specific categories of British citizens currently under the visa obligation (an estimated 300,000 people mostly residing in British Overseas Territories like Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands) will also be exempt.

It is now up to the European Parliament and to the Council of the European Union to take a final decision on the Commission proposal.

Opposition Leader Andrew Holness

EU Commission proposes visa-free travel to citizens of five C’bean countries

Page 21

CLICO policyholders: Let Dziadyk testify (Trinidad Express) Former consultant and director of Colonial Life Insurance Ltd (CLICO) Gene Dziadyk should be allowed to give evidence before the Commission of Enquiry into the collapse of CL Financial, according to the Clico Policyholders Group (CPG).

Last week the Express exclusively reported that Dziadyk (pronounced zadic) was facing eviction from his home in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and was willing to tell all to the police, in the wake of a criminal investigation into key executives of the former insurance giant.

On Saturday, the CPG noted the Express report and a subsequent article which stated that Dziadyk will not be called as a witness in the enquiry. The CPG stated that Dziadyk would “have some serious questions of his own to answer should he be allowed to give evidence”.

“Not the least of which is: if Mr Dziadyk joined CLICO

CLICO director Gene Dziadyk in 2001 as CEO, was fired after six months and was subsequently retained as a consultant up until April 2008, why did he stay on so long at the troubled insurer after his first firing, particularly since, based on his own admission, no one listened to his advice?” questioned the CPG. The CPG stated further that Dziadyk’s willingness to tell all was a tacit admission “that he was aware of wrongdoing that was taking place at CLICO up to that time that he was there but appears to

have done nothing about it”.

“It therefore seems to the CPG that unless he can prove he took reasonable steps to report same to the relevant authorities, he could be deemed complicit,” stated the CPG. “Moreover, we are persuaded that it would be a greater travesty if Mr Dziadyk is not afforded an opportunity to tell his story to the Commission having been an insider for so many years,” stated the CPG. “In fact, we believe he should be given an opportunity like everyone else to submit a witness statement replete with exhibits (in the event that he has not done so already) which would, in turn, allow Sir Anthony Colman sufficient time to review the document, carefully taking in to account its probative versus prejudicial value and take appropriate action if necessary,” the group added.

The CPG stated that it will be guided by the ruling of Colman.

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

FARC declares ceasefire as peace talks start with Colombia

Colombia’s government head of negotiators Humberto de la Calle (C) speaks next to negotiator Frank Pearl (R) and Sergio Jaramillo before boarding a plane to Havana at a military airport in Bogota Sunday. REUTERS/John Vizcaino HAVANA (Reuters) Colombia’s FARC rebels said yesterday they would call a two-month unilateral ceasefire, the first truce in more than a decade, as peace negotiators met in Cuba in the latest attempt to end the fivedecade war.

President Juan Manuel Santos’ government, however, has so far rejected any stoppage of military operations until a final peace deal was signed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and even vowed to step up the

offensive. The FARC said it would halt all offensive military operations and acts of sabotage against infrastructure beginning at midnight on Monday night and running through January 20. “This policy decision of the FARC is a contribution

made to strengthen the climate of understanding necessary so that the parties that are starting the dialogue achieve the purpose desired by all Colombians,” FARC lead negotiator Ivan Marquez said as he arrived for talks in Havana.

The gesture is a positive sign that the rebels are keen to push talks forward to a successful end, something that was thrown into doubt by long, drawn out speeches by its leadership calling for major changes to Colombia’s political system.

Delegations for the government and the FARC arrived in black luxury cars at Havana’s convention centre where they will meet almost daily until the talks end.

The complex is located in Havana’s plushest neighbourhood, filled with palatial houses that once belonged to the elite, virtually all of whom fled Cuba after the 1959 revolution.

Colombian government negotiators did not speak upon arrival. The war has dragged on for nearly half a century, taking thousands of lives, displacing millions more and causing damage to infrastructure in Latin America’s longest running insurgency.

Failure of the peace process would mean years

more of fighting and further blight on the reputation of a country eager for more foreign investment and regional clout, yet which has been unable to resolve its most serious domestic problem.

The announcement by the FARC would be a breather for oil and mining companies, the target of many FARC attacks in recent months as the group seeks to hobble Santos’s main source of international revenue.

Colombia’s conflict proved to be intractable in three previous peace processes, but both the government and the FARC have expressed optimism that this time might be different.

Santos wants an agreement within nine months, although the two sides face plenty of thorny issues in their five-point agenda, which will begin with rural development.

The other four points are the political and legal future of the rebels, a definitive end to the conflict, the problem of drug trafficking and compensation for war victims. “You have to take this announcement with a grain of salt,” Felix Lafaurie, head of the National Federation of Cattle Ranchers, said on local radio.

“I hope this is going to

be a sign of the FARC’s good will and not that they’re then going to take swipes on substantive issues.”

The conflict dates back to 1964 when the FARC emerged as a communist agrarian movement intent on overturning Colombia’s long history of social inequality.

The group has been weakened by a U.S.-backed military offensive started in 2002 that has reduced its numbers to about 8,000 and forced them into remote mountain and jungle hideouts. But it still has the strength to launch attacks that Santos wants ended so the country can grow its economy, boosted in recent years by fast-growing oil and mining sectors.

The FARC has sustained itself by cocaine trafficking, kidnapping, ransom and “war taxes” charged within the territories it controls.

Its leaders deny involvement in the drug trade and renounced kidnappings earlier this year, but the United States and European Union consider it a terrorist organization.

Officials want the talks held in the strictest possible secrecy, which is likely the reason they are in Cuba, where the government is expert at keeping information close to the vest.

(CNN) The biggest news to come out of China’s major international air show, which concluded on Sunday, is the announcement of orders for 50 C919 commercial jets.

The C919 is China’s answer to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 — a singleaisle, 168-seat, narrow-body commercial liner produced by Chinese state-run aircraft manufacturer Comac (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China).

According to a company statement, GE Capital Aviation Service (a GE subsidiary) placed an order for 10 planes,

while two Chinese airline operators, Hebei Airlines and Joy Air, placed orders for 20 aircraft each.

The China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition was held from November 13 to 18 in Zhuhai.

Eastern Air Lines, a defunct U.S. carrier that may be revived with an injection of investment, may become the first U.S. airline to fly Comac planes.

At the air show, representatives from Eastern Air Lines signed a memorandum of understanding with Comac

for future aircraft sales.

Chinese carriers such as Air China, China Eastern and China Southern have been Comac’s biggest buyers to date. The latest order places total C919 sales at 380.

In the same announcement, Comac predicted that the world will need 31,739 new aircraft by 2031, with the Chinese market being the largest, with a need for 4,273 new large passenger aircraft by the same date.

Test flights for the C919 are scheduled for 2014, while the first orders are slated to be delivered in 2016.

Jet sale boosts China’s rivalry with Airbus, Boeing

Stampede kills at least 10 in eastern India NEW DELHI, India (CNN) — At least 10 people were killed in a stampede during a Hindu ritual in eastern India yesterday, police said.

The crush occurred on a bridge along the banks of the river Ganges in Patna, capital of Bihar state, according to

authorities. The site was packed by hundreds of thousands of devotees celebrating the annual festival of Chhath, Patna’s police chief Jayant Kant told CNN. Sparks from power cables because of an electric short circuit triggered panic that

Kant explained led to the stampede.

Some eight people were also injured, he said.

Worshipers during Chhath, one of the biggest festivals of eastern India, gather along river banks to offer prayers to the sun.

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Israel says it prefers diplomacy, but ready to invade Gaza Israel yesterday, causing no casualties, police said. Israel said it had conducted 80 air strikes on the enclave. The figures meant a relative easing in ferocity - over 1,000 rockets have been fired in the six days, and 1,350 air strikes carried out.

For the second straight day, Israeli missiles blasted a tower block in the city of Gaza housing international media.

Two people were killed there, one of them an Islamic Jihad militant. Khaled Meshaal, exile leader of Hamas, said a truce was possible but the

Black smoke rises after an Israeli air strike and smoke trails are seen as three rockets are launched from the central Gaza Strip towards Israel yesterday. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (Reuters) - Israel bombed dozens more targets in the Gaza Strip on Monday and said that, while it was prepared to step up its offensive by sending in troops, it preferred a diplomatic solution that would end Palestinian rocket fire.

Egypt said a deal for a truce could be close, though by late last evening there was no end to six days of heavy missile exchanges as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed his next steps with his inner circle of senior ministers.

U.S. President Barack Obama called Egypt’s President Mohamed Mursi, who has been trying to use his influence with Hamas, his fellow Islamists who run Gaza, to broker a halt. Obama “underscored the necessity

of Hamas ending rocket fire”, the White House said.

The leader of Hamas, speaking in Cairo, said it was up to Israel to end a new conflict that he said it had started. Israel, which assassinated a Hamas military chief on Wednesday, says its air strikes are to halt Palestinian rocket attacks.

To Mursi and in a subsequent call to Netanyahu, Obama said he regretted the deaths of Israeli and Palestinian civilians. Israeli attacks on the sixth day of fighting raised the number of Palestinian dead to 101, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said, listing 24 children among them.

Subsequent deaths raised the toll in Gaza to 106. Hospital officials in the enclave said more than half of those killed were non-combatants. Three

Israeli civilians died on Thursday in a rocket strike.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, touring the region in the hopes of helping to broker a peace deal, arrived in Cairo, where he met Egypt’s foreign minister in preparation for talks with Mursi today. He also plans to meet Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

With the power balances of the Middle East drastically reshaped by the Arab Spring during a first Obama term that began two days after Israel ended its last major Gaza offensive, the newly reelected U.S. president faces testing choices to achieve Washington’s hopes for peace and stability across the region.

ROCKET FIRE Militants in the Gaza Strip fired 110 rockets at southern

Islamist group, in charge of the Gaza Strip since 2007, would not accept Israeli demands and wanted Israel to halt its strikes first and lift its blockade of the enclave.

“Whoever started the war must end it,” he told a news conference in Cairo, adding that Netanyahu, who faces an election in January, had asked for a truce, an assertion a senior Israeli official described as untrue.

Meshaal said Netanyahu feared the domestic consequences of a “land war” of the kind Israel launched

four years ago: “He can do it, but he knows that it will not be a picnic and that it could be his political death and cost him the elections.”

For Israel, Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon has said that “if there is quiet in the south and no rockets and missiles are fired at Israel’s citizens, nor terrorist attacks engineered from the Gaza Strip, we will not attack”.

Yaalon also said Israel wanted an end to guerrilla activity by militants from Gaza in the neighboring Egyptian Sinai peninsula.

Page 24

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Asia trip takes Obama White House into Myanmar time warp (Reuters) - It won’t be mistaken for a Nixon-goes-toChina kind of moment.

But President Barack Obama’s visit to Myanmar yesterday sometimes felt like a return to an earlier era of presidential diplomacy - and his aides were determined to make sure that no one missed its historic significance.

The trip was carefully choreographed to highlight what the White House sees as a first-term foreign policy success for a newly re-elected president whose record on the world stage shows few triumphs so far.

There was the cautious first meeting with reformist President Thein Sein to keep him on track, landmark talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and a speech to the Burmese people at a university steeped in the country’s turbulent political history.

But there were also a few unscripted parts that underscored how strange it was for Obama to be feted by cheering crowds lining the streets of Yangon little more

U.S. President Barack Obama waves as he embraces Myanmar democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi than a year after ordering entourage went barefoot as aides to explore part of Buddhist tradition at rapprochement with the long- the revered shrine.

Even Obama’s Secret shunned Southeast Asian country after decades of Service agents were left scurrying shoeless and military rule.

On the fly, Obama decided sockless, talking quietly into to make an unscheduled stop their radios, as they secured at the Shwedagon Pagoda, the area.

The road to Suu Kyi’s where he, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and their entire lakeside villa, where she was

kept under house arrest by the country’s military rulers for much of two decades until her release in 2010, took Obama through a decaying but bustling city still bearing the marks of its British colonial past.

Strangely, Obama - in his statement to reporters after their meeting in which he hailed Suu Kyi for her heroism - mispronounced her name at least twice. And there was another awkward moment at the end when he embraced and kissed the devout Buddhist, leaving her visibly uncomfortable.

Obama also took a linguistic leap when - after his talks with Thein Sein - he referred, once, to the country as Myanmar, the name the former ruling junta changed to years ago. Obama aide Ben Rhodes said it was done as a “diplomatic courtesy” and that U.S. government policy was still to refer to it as Burma.

At times, it felt like the White House and its sometimes-pampered press corps had stepped into a time warp.

U.N. court ruling expands Nicaragua’s offshore rights THE HAGUE (Reuters) The International Court of Justice ruled yesterday a cluster of disputed small islands in the western Caribbean belonged to Colombia and not to Nicaragua, but drew a demarcation line in favour of Nicaragua in the nearby waters.

The court said the territorial waters extending out from the seven islets, which are nearer Nicaragua’s coast than Colombia’s, should not cut into Nicaragua’s continental shelf. The ruling reduced the expanse of sea belonging to Colombia.

The decision, which is binding, increases the size of Nicaragua’s continental shelf and economic exclusion zone in the Caribbean, potentially giving it access to underwater oil and gas deposits as well as fishing rights.

“The court agrees that the achievement of an equitable solution requires a line of delimitation to allow the parties to attain their maritime rights in a mutually balanced way,” said Peter Tomka, presiding judge.

In 2007, the court, which is based in The Hague, ruled in a long-running dispute between the two countries that the three larger islands of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina belonged to Colombia.

“This is the best result we could hope for,” Carlos Arguello, Nicaragua’s representative before The Hague, told local television.

“The court has awarded us an big maritime area.”

The ruling yesterday related to a further seven islets and the associated offshore rights surrounding them.

The three larger islands have been controlled by Colombia since Nicaragua ceded them in a 1928 treaty.

The cluster of islands is over 700 km (435 miles) from the Colombian coast but only 200 km from Nicaragua.

Nicaragua argued the territorial rights extending out from the islets’ shores deprived it of offshore economic rights to an excessive degree.

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

India win first Test by nine wickets on final day India dismissed any chance of a famous England escape by wrapping up a nine-wicket win on day five of the first Test in Ahmedabad.

Alastair Cook (176) and Matt Prior (91) kept England alive on day four, but when they both fell to Pragyan Ojha, the tourists were on the way to defeat.

England were bowled out for 406 before lunch as Ojha finished with 4-120. Set 77 to win, India lost Virender Sehwag, but Cheteshwar Pujara took them to victory inside 16 overs. Pujara, opening in place of the absent Gautam Gambhir, added 41 to his first-innings double century as he and Sehwag raced towards their modest target.

Sehwag was well held by Kevin Pietersen at long-on off Graeme Swann, leaving Virat Kohli to drive Swann down the ground and seal England’s seventh loss in 12 Tests this year. The home side fully deserved their lead in the four-match series, having had the better of all but two sessions in the match, while England must improve in all departments when the second Test in Mumbai begins on Friday.

The efforts of Cook and Prior, who shared a sixth wicket stand of 157, just about kept England competitive after their first-innings collapse to

191 all out. Between them, the captain and wicketkeeper scored 356 runs in the match, while the rest of England’s frontline top seven Pietersen, Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell and Samit Patel - managed only 114.

The failure of the majority of England’s top order had echoes of the 3-0 Test series defeat by Pakistan and the failed defence of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, when they struggled to deal with high-quality spin on slow, Asian pitches.

The visitors can at least take heart from the way Cook and Prior dealt with India’s slow bowlers in the second innings - Ravichandran Ashwin went 54 overs without taking a wicket - but 13 England wickets in the match fell to spin.

That fact seems to suggest that England’s selection of only one frontline spinner in Swann was a mistake, while the pace trio of James Anderson, Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad failed to find any of the reverse swing exploited by Indian pair Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav.

Cook’s men can justifiably argue that their bowlers created chances - four catches were missed on a first day when India racked up 323-4 but this highlights that fielding is another area that

requires improvement.

One enforced change will be made, with Bell returning home for the birth of his child, while left-arm spinner Monty Panesar and pace bowler Steven Finn - if fully recovered from a thigh injury - could come into the reckoning.

Whatever tweaks England make to their attack, this match was lost b y t h e i r f i r s t - i n n i n gs batting.

Cook and Prior saved them from an innings defeat on the fou r t h d a y a n d needed to do the bulk of the work on day five if the tourists were to avoid defeat.

They survived the first half an hour, only for Prior to miss out on a deserved century when, playing back, he tamely patted a return catch to left-armer Ojha.

Cook had defied India for more than four sessions on his way to the highest score by an England batsman following on, but his resistance was broken four overs after Prior fell by one that turned and kept low.

England’s demise was only a matter of time, especially with Broad offering a leading edge back to Yadav.

The counter-attacking Swann was bowled attempting to reverse-sweep Ashwin, before Bresnan drove Zaheer to cover.

Herath spins Sri Lanka to crushing victory Rangana Herath exposed New Zealand’s weakness against spin with a six-wicket haul as Sri Lanka raced to an emphatic 10-wicket win on the third day of the opening Test in Galle on Monday.

The left-arm spinner finished with 6-43 off 18 p r o b i n g overs as New Zealand, trailing by 26 runs, crashed to 118 in their second innings after losing their last nine wickets for 83.

Sri Lanka effortlessly chased down a 93-run t a r g e t , w i t h d e butant Dimuth Karunaratne remaining unbeaten on 60 and Tharanga Paranavitana 31 not out.

Karunaratne, who failed to open his account in the first innings, made amends with a 60-ball knock which included nine fours.

Herath, who took 5-65 in the first innings, finished the Test with 11-108, his

second haul of 10 or more wickets in a match.

Middle-order batsman Daniel Flynn, who made a halfcentury in the first innings, top-scored with 20 in a dismal New Zealand batting performance on a slow turning track.

It was New Zealand’s fifth successive Test defeat this year after they lost two matches each in the West Indies and India.

The Test was evenly poised at stumps on Sunday when New Zealand were nine runs ahead with as many wickets in hand, but Herath swung the match in his team’s favour with four quick wickets in the morning.

The Sri Lankan spinner continually tested the batsmen with his shrewd variations, removing skipper Ross Taylor (18), James Franklin (two) and then Flynn and Doug

Bracewell off successive deliveries. Herath was well s u p p o rted by paceman Nuwan Kulasekara and offspinner Suraj Randiv, who bagged two wickets apiece.

New Zealand’s batting woes began against pace, when Kulasekara struck twice in his opening three overs, dismissing overnight batsmen Martin Guptill in his second over and Kane Williamson to have the tourists struggling at 46-3.

Williamson was caught down the leg-side by a diving wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 247 in their first innings on Sunday in reply to New Zealand’s 221, with skipper Mahela Jayawardene scoring 91 and vice-captain Angelo Mathews 79.

The second and final Test starts in Colombo on Sunday. (Yahoo Sports)

Page 25

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Banks Beer Cup magnetism draws more support

Staffer of Body Image Boutique Nazirah Bacchus hands over cheque to Manager / Coach of Riddim Squad Lloyd Millington in the presence of staff & other officials.

In just one year, the magnetism of the Banks Beer Knockout Cup has drawn enormous support from many corporate entities and the latest to become attached to the tournament is Body Image Boutique of Station Street, Kitty where a pledge of support was confirmed, during a simple presentation ceremony which was conducted recently, at the Company's location.

Making the presentation was staffer Nazirah Bacchus, who acted on behalf of the Company by handing over

their support to Manager / Coach of Riddim Squad Lloyd Millington in the presence of Rajendra Rajcoome, Manager Shaanz Haniff and Georgetown Football Association Assistant Secretary Treasurer Charmine Wade.

The tournament carries prize monies in excess of $9million and is expected to last for eight playing days commencing on December 16 and concluding on January 1 with matches being played, at the GCC and GFC grounds.

The winning team will receive $4Million, runner-up $2.5M, 3rd place-$1.5M and 4th place-$1M with outstanding individual performances to benefit from additional incentives.

The clubs confirmed for participation are Houston Stars, GFC, Riddim Squad, G D F, G P F, F r u t a Conquerors, Camptown, Banks All Stars, Georgetown Masters, Nothern Rangers, Black Pearl, Flamingo, Beacon, Santos, University of Guyana and Charlestown United.

GASP holds special AGM to elect office bearers

A

ffiliates of the G u y a n a Association of Scrabble Players (GASP) will be installing a new Executive at a Special General Meeting scheduled for Sunday November 25 at the Malteenoes Sports Club.

The meeting will be called to order at 13:00hrs and shortly afterwards there will be the election of office bearers to fill existing positions. Other business

matters will be addressed thereafter.

The meeting became necessary after an earlier attempt had proved inconclusive after only four positions, Assistant Treasurer and those for the three committee members, were filled by Rudolph Michael, Orlando Michael, Wakefield Skeete and Colin Chichester respectively.

Rudolph Michael has since passed away.

The imminent meeting will attempt to fill those positions that have been vacant since, including the President, Vice President, S e c r e t a r y, A s s i s t a n t Secretary/Treasurer, Public Relations Officer, Treasurer and Organizing Secretary.

Members unable to attend and wishing to exercise their franchise by proxy may contact Colin Chichester at the earliest opportunity.

BCC 40 over cricket...

Garraway hits century for Rising Star A fine century by Sean Garraway guided Rising Star to a comfortable 304 run victory over Hampshire when play in the Bartica Cricket Committee 40 over cricket competition continued last Sunday at the Bartica Community Center Ground.

Garraway hit 126 in his team's total of 392 all out in 33 overs.

He was well supported by Whitney Welcome 72, Jerome Basdeo 49, Kellon Tracy 40, Oswald Hutson 43 and Carl Spenser 31. K. Persaud took 3-83 and Delory Mc Intosh 2-54.

Hampshire in reply were skittled out for 88 in 20.5 overs. Safar Khan made 30, Andrew Jackman 15 and Akash Jagroo 12, the only players in double figures.

Garraway and Spenser claimed 2 wickets each for the winners. The competition continues on Sunday.

Page 27

Page 28

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

BCB unveil 20 overs tourney Lower/Central Corentyne Zone starts tomorrow The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continues to fulfill its commitment to cricket teams in the Ancient County with the unveiling of a 20 overs tournament for teams in the Lower/Central Corentyne Zone.

Earlier this year, the Board had committed itself to organising tournaments for teams within the five Zones in an effort to return cricket to the grassroots.

Some have already been played for teams in Berbice River, West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje and Upper Corentyne and with this latest one for the Lower/Central Corentyne; it fulfills the BCB's commitment.

Chairman of the Special Events Committee, Hilbert Foster, stated that they are quite delighted at the support of the general public to all

tournaments and more so, at the zone level.

The Board is seeking to organize a 40 overs tourney also for teams in this area and Foster is urging all clubs to put proper structures in place for the playing of nonstop cricket.

Some 27 teams will participate including Rose Hall Town, Chesney, Albion, Belvedere, Jai Hind, Guysuco Training Centre and Mibicuri Sports Club.

Each would only be allowed to play one first division player in each match while the games would be played in white clothing and red balls.

Fixtures for opening ro u n d , We d n e s d a y N o v e m b e r, 2 1 , 2 0 1 2 Tamarind Root vs No. 1 Road @ Hampshire Albion Community Centre vs Guysuco Training

School @ Albion Letter Kenny Young Stars vs Fyrish Road @ L e t t e r K e n n y Mibicuri Sports Club vs Whim @ Mibicuri Rose Hall Town vs Johanna Bush Rangers @ Area “H” Chesney vs Whim “A” @ C h e s n e y Jai Hinds vs Nigg Intruders @ Albion Front Yakusari Young Carib vs Kildonan @ Yakusari Tain Block Four vs Mibicuri Striker @ Tain Port Mourant vs Gun & Cannon @ Port Mourant Fyrish vs Belvedere United @ F y r i s h Kennard's Memorial vs Courtland All Stars @ Kennard's Memorial Big Star vs Young Adventure @ Ulverston Travelers drew the bye bye All matches starts at 13.00 hours.

More matches set in Mayor Green's 78th birth anniversary footbal Five matches, all anticipated to be action packed, are carded for the day's play when action in the tournament to commemorate the 78th birth anniversary of Mayor Hamilton Green continues at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) tomorrow evening.

The first match kicks off at 18:00hrs when Bagotsvile Vet e r a n s t a c k l e s G F C Veterans in an exhibition game. The second match of the night will see the involvement of teams participating in the tournament and West Corner

Mayor Hamilton Green will tackle Eveleary.

Tiger Bay will then take on Bagotstown shortly before Werk-en-Rust and

Sophia oppose each other.

The final two matches for the evening pit the skills of West Ruimveldt against Kingston and West Ruimveldt Estate against Kitty.

Matches will also be played on Friday November 23 and Saturday December 1 before the teams for the semi-finals and quarter finals will be decided. The winners cart off $200,000 and a trophy while the runners up win half that amount, also with a trophy. Ricks and Sari has also donated several food hampers to be distributed to members of the winning team

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Exciting races as Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club concludes

Banks DIH Ltd Supervisor, Nandram Basdeo (l) presents the winning trophy to a representative of the Simple Royal Racing Stable. The top horse ‘The Score is even' is in background.

T

urfites enjoyed a full day of exciting horse r a c e s w h e n t h e Ry a n Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports Facilities staged the Banks Classic one-day horse race meet at the Alness, Corentyne Racetrack over the past weekend.

On a track that was bone dry and lightning fast 'Score is Even,' owned by Dennis De Roop of the Simple Royal stables and ridden by veteran jockey Desmond Ramkissoon, registered a notable victory in the feature event, 'B and Lower over 1700M,' while 'Sleep in Thong' rose to fame after registering two wins at the eight race meet.

Indeed, the feature event was a hard fought and grueling encounter that boiled down to a battle of wits punctuated with a bit of controversy towards the end. Nine horses were locked in intense competition shortly after the gates were raised.

Mission King of the Elcock stable burst ahead with 'California Strike' and 'Got to Go' in close pursuit with the 'Score is Even' moving into position.

The animals headed down the back stretch and into the far turn as each jockey attempted to retain the lead. Mission King, ridden by Rupert Ramnauth,

then took over, closely followed by 'The Score is Even.'

The leaders were thrown out of stride following a close brace involving three horses and 'Got to Go' surged ahead going into the homestretch.

The Score is Even' called on its reserves and galloped over the line to take the $1M and trophy first prize donated by Banks DIH Ltd. 'Mission King' and 'California Strike' rounded out the top spots.

The little known 'Sleeping in Town' chalked up two victories in the E and G class events over 1200M. For his efforts, that jockey received $250,000 and a trophy.

That race over 1500M carried a first place prize of $350,000 and a trophy and once again Jockey Solomon proved his worth edging out a fast finishing War Craft while 'Night Crescendo' and 'The Bailiff' finished third and fourth.

'Serenity,' ridden by Raj Drepaul of the Jumbo Jet Stables rode off with the $400,000 top prize and trophy in the 1600M event while 'Ameera's Joy,' ridden

by Junior of the Inshan Bacchus stables, rode off with the $350,000 winner's money and trophy in the event for the two years old over 1200M. Princess Alisha and Gold

Rush finished second and third respectively.

'Joyful Victory' of the Jadgeo Stable won the 'H and Lower' over 1100M sprint as well as the $200,000 top prize and trophy leaving 'Wicked Intentions,' 'Third World' and 'Watch My Shadow' in his wake.

'Easy to Win' of the Dookie Stable won for the second time of the day in the 'I2 and Lower' event over 1200M ahead of 'I Want revenge,' 'Mona Lisa' and 'Savion' for the $150,000 first prize and trophy. The 'J2 and Lower' event over 1200m for $150,000 and trophy was won by 'Wonder Flower' of the Goberdhan stable with Colin Ross on mount.

Jockey Solomon took the top jockey honours with two wins while another apprentice Jockey, Junior, registered two wins for the r u n n e r- u p s p o t . T h e y received trophies donated by the organisers and Trophy Stall of Bourda Market.

The day was incident free and officers of the Guyana Police Force received kudos for exemplary work while Sergeant Shurland Semple, one of the Commanding Officers was singled out for his professional and efficient conduct. Over 95 horses took part in the $7M Horse race meet.

Page 29

Page 30

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Ravens through to Phillip Brazil's Roraima dominate George Legacy semis SCV Championship - Guardians exit after crunch time jitters

Rodwell Fortune

R

avens thrashed Eagles Sunday night to become the first team through to the semi-finals of the Phillip George Legacy Basketball Championships while the Plaisance-based Guardians choked in crunch time to exit the competition after their second loss.

Ravens took Eagles apart to win 69-45 in the first game of a double-header at the

Drumson McCullay

Mortimer Williams

Burnham Court with Rodwell Fortune scoring 15 points and Stephon Henry adding 14 points; Ian Hiles also had a good game with 10 points for Ravens.

Quincy Easton scored 14 points and Kevin Higgins seven points for Eagles, who were trailing by 10 points (22-32) at halftime.

In the feature game, Nets fought back into contention in the last five minutes and

eventually the Guardians failed to protect a crunchtime lead that cost them the game. Nets won 64-58 and their hope of a semi-final berth was kept alive.

Darrion Lewis scored 14 points while Hodayah Stewart added 11 points.

Mortimer Williams and Drumson McCullay added 10 points apiece. Veteran point guard, Enoch Mathews was the only player in double figures for guards with 22 points.

Nets played superior basketball in crunch-time, using their height to an advantage with Williams, McCullay, Fabian Johnson and Darren Thomas. Nets battled from being down 50-51 to equalise at 55 apiece with less than three minutes left in the game.

Nets recaptured lead 5756 with aggressive defence that intimidated Guardians.

Nets defended their slim lead well and used clock to secure the win.

The competition continues this weekend at the same venue.

The Brazilians pose with awards after the presentation ceremony last evening.

Brazil's Roraima proved too strong for their opponents by winning the Junior Female, Male and Senior Male titles when the Confederation of South A m e r i c a Vo l l e y b a l l (Northern Zone) championship ended in the wee hours of Monday morning at the National Gymnasium.

They overcame a spirited Guyana 3 games to 2 (25-11 25-17 20-23 24-26 13-8) in the Junior Female final.

The locals also suffered at the hands of their neighbours in the Junior Male final 3 games to 1 (25-17 25-17 2125 25-19).

In the Senior Male final, the South Americans overcame Big Sepos of Trinidad and Tobago 3 games to 1 (25-15 21-25 2826 25-20).

Meanwhile, Big Sepos got the better of Port Mourant Training Centre of Guyana 2-0 (25-18 25-21) while Roraima overpowered Suriname's Lyzeck by a

similar score line (25-22 2522) in the Senior Male semi finals.

In the other preliminary games which were contested earlier on Sunday, Roraima went down to Lyzeck 2-1 (18-13 14-18 16-17); Young Achievers of Guyana lost to Big Sepos 2-0 (10-17 10-20) and Port Mourant Training Center defeated their Guyanese counterparts Castrol 2-1 (12-15 17-16 2110).

The first and second

place finishers in the junior divisions received trophies.

Awards were also given to PMTC (4th), Lyzeck (3rd), Big Sepos and Roraima in the Senior Male category.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Roraima Under-17 Coach George Pereira thanked the G u y a n a Vo l l e y b a l l Federation for hosting the tournament and Tradewinds Tankers, Digicel and Ansa Mcal Trading for their sponsorship.

Eight more matches on this evening at Burnham Court Eight more matches in the preliminary round of the Banks DIH - sponsored Guinness 'Greatest of de Streets' Futsal Competition is scheduled to be played this evening, at the Burnham Court on Middle Street.

In the opening fixture, Leopold Street tackles Sophia 'B' and that will be followed by California

Square versus Bent Street; Durban Street vs. Island All Starr; Princess Street facing Globe Yard, Kingstown square off against Norton Street East; Kitty vs. East Front Road; Broad Street ACharlestown vs. Queen Street-Tiger Bay and Hope Street-Tiger Bay vs. Lodge Housing Scheme in the final game of the night.

Tuesday November 20, 2012

Kaieteur News

Elizabeth Styles U-21 cricket ...

Blairmont creates history with 1st Berbice title

A

fter decades of coming close to winning a Berbice cricket championship, Blairmont finally broke the jinx when they defeated favourites Albion by 4-wickets to win the Elizabeth Styles Under21 tournament.

Playing as a united team and spearheaded by a brilliant all-round performance by man-of-thef i n a l K e v o n J a w a h i r, Blairmont used their home advantage to good effect to completely outplay Albion, sparking joyous celebrations among its supporters.

Batting first after winning the toss, Albion lost Balchan Baldeo lbw to medium pacer Devendra Prashad for 6 to be 9-1 in the 3rd over but a solid second wicket partnership of 59 between Kandasammy Surujnarine and Veerapen Permaul allowed Albion to recover to 68 for 1 before Surujnarine was bowled by leg spinner Jawahir for 29 in the 12th over and without addition to the score Sharaz Ramcharran was trapped lbw by the same bowler.

Albion lost Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai 6, David Latchaya 0, Andy Mohan 0, Andrew Harripersaud 0 and Avinash Wajid 4 to find themselves in deep trouble at 92 for 9 in the 20th over.

Calm headed Veerapen Permaul 53 (6x4) and Latchman Bishram 11 then added 35 runs, taking Albion to 127 before both were dismissed in quick succession as Albion folded for 129 in 32 of their allotted 50 overs.

Jawahir bowled superbly to end with bowling figures of 8-1-22-5 and received support from left arm spinner Waqar Hassan 7-1-23-3.

Needing to score 130 runs from 50 overs,

Bissoondyal Singh presents trophy to Blairmont captain Devendra Prashad Blairmont suffered an early loss when opener C. Harrinarine was trapped in front by off spinner Veerapen Permaul for 5 at 9-1 in the 5th over.

H o w e v e r, s k i p p e r Devendra Prashad 37 (3x4), Parmanand Ramdhan 22, Dereck Narine Jr. 19 guided them 100 for 6 in the 33rd over before Jawahir 18* and Nick Ramsaroop 15* added 32 for the 7th wicket to lead them to victory.

Bowling for a visibly shocked and crestfallen Albion team, leg spinner Avinash Wajid took 2 for 29 and Permaul 2 for 23.

BCB Treasurer Anil Beharry recognized the historic nature of the Blairmont victory at the presentation ceremony stating that it was a positive sign that the Board's effort of assisting lower ranked clubs was working.

He encouraged the Blairmont team to use the

Ramdyhan upsets Sukra ...

From back page his composure eked out the win 13-11 to win his first boys Under-18 title. The match ended 7-5 5-7 13-11 in favor of Campbell.

Meanwhile, the finals for the Men Doubles was down to be contested last evening after Leyland Leacock /Nicholas Fenty outlasted the pair of Andre Lopes/Daniel Lopes 7-6 6-3 in their semi final encounter. They were down to face Jeremy Miller /Jason Andrews.

The semi-final encounters in the Men's Singles will be played today and will see Jeremy Miller taking on Gavin Lewis while Anthony Downes will match racquets with Leyland Leacock.

victory to aim for higher glory at all levels. Chairman of the Board's Special Events Committee Hilbert Foster informed that in 2012 they have achieved a record breaking 160 activities /programmes and 25 cricket tournaments have been planned.

Foster expressed gratitude to the Management of Elizabeth Styles for investing in the game. Representative of Elizabeth Styles Bissoondyal Singh praised the BCB for organising a tournament of the highest standard and for promoting the Company's brand in Berbice.

Singh encouraged the players to maintain discipline at all times and then announced to great applause that the sponsorship would be renewed in 2013.

Former BCB President Malcolm Peters also spoke while former West Indies Captain Clive Lloyd also met both teams during the lunch break.

Both teams and the umpires received Elizabeth Styles hampers while best batsman Veerapen Permaul, best bowler and man-of-thefinal Kevon Jawahir were also rewarded with hampers.

The champions collected $50,000 and trophy, the runner-up $30,000 and man-of-thefinal $5,000 and a trophy.

Page 31

t r o Sp

National Schools' Championships open today

By Edison Jefford

N

orth Georgetown, District 11, which is historically one of the strongest teams in the National Schools' Championships, has set its sight on claiming its 13th overall title when the 52nd edition of the competition starts today at several venues in Georgetown.

The Ministry of Education and Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) Digicel-sponsored National Schools' Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships will start this morning at 6am with the 10km Road Race.

The road race will be held along the South American 10km route that starts and end at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.

Following this event, the Long and Triple Jump events will be held at the Rudolph Harper facility at YMCA with the High Jump and Shot Putt events together at the GTU field.

While those events are underway, the Swimming Championships will commence at 9am at the National Aquatics Centre with the 40km Cycling Road Race starting and finishing outside Ocean View International Hotel at Liliendaal.

Following these early competitions, the official Opening Ceremony will be held at the National Stadium at Providence at 5pm.

At which time, there should be some early

- District 11 set sight on number 13 indications as to whether District 11 is on its way to a 13th overall title or Upper Demerara and Kwakwani, District 10 will extend its dynasty.

Several other Districts should also be in the hunt, including East Georgetown, District 12, the Corentyne, District 6 and Bartica, District 7, who are all traditionally strong teams.

Speaking with Kaieteur Sport yesterday, North Georgetown Team Manager, Mark Wills said that he anticipates a 13th title that will haul his team to one title behind current overall leaders Upper Demerara, which has amassed 14 titles.

“We fell short last year because of our cycling team, but our chances this year are good because we have realised our shortcomings and we know our strengths,” Wills said, adding that he knows that his swimming team will win again today.

Corentyne won cycling last year while Upper Demerara won track and field; the team that gets the most points from their placement in the four competitions, including the teachers' contest, is the one that walks away with the coveted overall Championship trophy.

“We needed to strengthen our track and

field team. I know it might be hard to match Linden, but more than likely we are there, our thinking so far is to retake what is rightfully ours.

Everything is streamlined in such a way that once we work together as a team, we will be able to take back our Championships,” Wills boldly told this newspaper.

He said that they did specific work on strengthening their athletics team with coaches working on the technical disciplines such as triple jump with athletes.

In addition, Wills said that the likes of national junior athletes, Stephon James, Jevina Straker and Jevina Sampson have improved the chances of North Georgetown breaking Upper Demerara's streak.

Upper Demerara has never lost the track and field title at the National Schools' Championships and will be definitely aiming to keep that going from today. “From Under15 upwards, I think we will be able to challenge District 10. We will be on top,” Wills said.

According to the North Georgetown Team Manager, his officials have sought to build a team to win all four competitions at a single 'Nationals', which has never happened

before.

“I don't think any other district will be close.

We are aiming for perfection,” he boasted.

Wills indicated that he has enjoyed the rivalry and competitive spirit of the Districts, which some misconstrued; “although we have the usual rivalry, there was an oneness that we're all teachers, students and athletes and we all have a common goal to win,” Wills said.

But to achieve his goal of winning the four competitions and winning overall, North Georgetown must withstand the challenge of 16 Districts from across Guyana. Banks Malta Supreme, Courts, Gatorade and asics are also sponsors of the 2012 event.

Pegasus Tennis Open ...

Ramdyhan upsets Sukra for Girls U-18 title; Campbell wins Boys U-18 in marathon Nicola Ramdyhan captured her first Under-18 Girls title when she defeated Krystal Sukra in the final of the Pegasus Tennis Open tournament. Playing the round-robin format both players won all their matches for 2 wins each before facing off in the final.

Ramdyhan counter attacked well against her hard hitting opponent and managed to out rally her opponent in most of the exchanges. Her consistent defensive style coupled with the ability to hit winners when required frustrated Sukra who couldn't control her emotions and made a lot of errors.

Ramdyhan took advantage of that and stayed focused to defeat Sukra for the second time in the tournament 6-4 6-4. Her previous win over Sukra was in the Ladies Open semi finals which gives her the opportunity to win the Open title at age 14. The match will be played on Wednesday

Nicola Ramdyhan (tomorrow) against seasoned Berbician, Carol Humphrey.

Nicola Ramdyhan who is the daughter of ITF Level 2

Coach Shelly Ramdyhan separates herself from her counterparts with her ability to stay focused and to play consistently and has performed well both locally and internationally over the past year.

In the Boys Under-18, Craig Campbell survived a scare after a meltdown against Seanden David Longe in the championship game. After taking the first set 7-5 and leading 5-0, David Longe reeled off 7 straight games to force a super tiebreaker decider.

Both players played at the same level in the first set but at 5/5 Campbell decided to play a more attacking game at the net to go ahead.

In the second set, Campbell riding the first set momentum raced ahead 5/0 before David-Longe, the more experienced of the dup launched his comeback.

Longe and Campbell battled point for point before Campbell who had regained (continued on page 31)

Shiv Nandalall

Maria Thomas Senior Chess players Maria Thomas and Shiv Nandalall with careful and solid play against their opponents are jointly leading the Dr. Chase Senior Chess Championships which began over the weekend at the Ocean Spray Hotel and Olympic House in the city.

Defending champion Taffiin Khan is following closely behind. After three rounds, Thomas has racked up recorded victories over Glenford Corlette, Kriskal

Persaud and Frankie Farley while Nandalall has taken care of Loris Nathoo, Corlette and Persaud.

The defending champion won his matches with Craig Sylvester and Corlette but drew his encounter with Nathoo.

The seven challengers who are participating in the single round-robin Championship along with the defending champion are Loris Nathoo, Glenford Corlette, former national champion and Berbician

Kriskal Persaud, lone female player Maria Thomas, Shiv Nandalall and Craig Sylvester.

The scores after three rounds reads; Thomas and Nandalall 3 points apiece, Taffin Khan 2 ½, Frankie Farley 2, Loris Nathoo 1 ½ while Craig Sylvester, Kriskal Persaud and Gelnford Corlette are yet come off the mark.

Fourth round matches commences at the Ocean Spray Hotel on Wednesday (tomorrow) from 17:30 hrs

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