Thursday Edition November 29, 2012 - Vol. 5 No. 47
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House collapses, pins student nurse
Maternal complications…
NFMU investigating “We want to Two mothers CNS 6 signal break the experience gridlock” interference claim - Moses Nagamootoo “horror” at GPHC Standoff between Opposition and govt. ...
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Kaieteur News
Thursday November 29, 2012
Student battered by man of unsound mind A 15-year-old student of the Brickdam Secondary School escaped with his life following a vicious attack by a mentally challenged man outside Parliament Building yesterday morning. Kenneth David, of Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara, received several sutures to close two lacerations to his head, which he sustained during the attack while he was on his way to school at around 08:00 hours. Thankfully, he is out of danger but his attacker, who was severely beaten by irate onlookers and a relative of the wounded student, remains in hospital. The incident, which according to eyewitnesses was unprovoked, has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many who are now calling for urgent action to remove persons of unsound mind from the streets. Speaking with this newspaper shortly after he was discharged from hospital yesterday morning, David said that he was walking along Brickdam,
just outside the Parliament Building with his younger brother when, without warning, he came under attack. “This ‘junkie’ was bracing the fence and all of a sudden he ran out to me; he had wood in his hand and he lashed me on my head twice. I was running and he lashed me on my hand and I eventually got away. I was screaming,” the injured student stated. David never lost consciousness throughout the attack. He said that the attack came as a major shock since for years he has been traversing that very area, where his attacker would normally be, without incident. “I did not tell him anything. I never said a word, because I’m not a person like that,” David said. Onlookers saw what was happening and immediately rushed to his aid. Some of them pounced on the mentally challenged man and dealt him several blows in an attempt to subdue him
before handing him over to the police. David said that although he has suffered physically, he has forgiven the mentally challenged man. “First of all he should be locked up…I forgive him,” David stated. Initially, there were reports that the young man had suffered a worse fate and several of his colleagues left classes and converged at the hospital where they were relieved to see that he was alive and well. The young man’s elder brother, Kevon David, who normally drops his siblings off at the junction of Brickdam and Avenue of the Republic, had just driven off when he received a call on his cellular phone informing him that his brother was struck by a madman. “When I reached, they were saying that he died,” Kevon David told media operatives outside the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital. He said that he later (continued on page 17)
The injured Kenneth David. His mother Abigail Edwards and brother Kevon are in the background.
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Standoff between Opposition and Govt. ...
“We want to break the gridlock” By Latoya Giles Yesterday marked one year since Guyanese went to the polls and Alliance for Change Executive Member Moses Nagamootoo says that his party still wants to break the gridlock and meet a consensus since there is the need for serious negotiations. On this first anniversary of “the people’s victory”, AFC s t r o n g l y condemns “the PPP’s divisive tactics. We call on the administration to halt its campaign of racism and division; to stop its wanton attacks on Alliance For Change and our leaders.” According to Nagamootoo, one year ago, the triangle of political power in Guyana was turned upside down. He s a i d t h a t t h e majority of Guyanese forming the base of that power, chose to be on top, and created history by forcing government to be accountable to them. “At the November 28, 2011 elections 342,126 voters, forming 65 per cent of the electorate, a c tually voted…the low voter turnout told its own story of rebellion by our people, fedup as they were with the dominant, old parties, their abuse of power principally through racism and corruption,” Nagamootoo stated. He said that when the Alliance for Change (AFC) contested, it was the youngest party, with a brighter vision. Nagamootoo said that it inscribed on its banner the ambition and hopes of young people. It was to provide an alternative, and made a difference by holding, for the first time ever, the balance of power between the two rival blocs, he added. The results he said gave PPP/C 166,340 or 48.62%; APNU 139, 678 or 40.83% and AFC 35,333 or 10.33% of votes cast. Seats in the National Assembly were 32, 26 and seven respectively, thus giving the combined opposition a one-seat majority. Those results, Nagamootoo said, showed for the first time in 20 years, that the PPP lost its absolute majority in Parliament. It took the presidency and formed the government on a minority of the votes. “Its side-kick, The United Force (TUF), was decimated after its leader defected to PPP/C,” Nagamooto said. He went on to say that the story of the past 12 months has given new life to politics in Guyana. Nagamootoo said that Guyanese have never been so aware of the level of
- Moses Nagamootoo new Guyana dispensation. “The PPP alone has to be blamed for the stand-off between the President and Parliament and it is now busy engineering a confrontation between the Judiciary and Parliament,” Nagamootoo stated. Nagamootoo further stated that the PPP has foisted its paramountcy over the state media and flagrantly uses them as party organs to carry singularly party views and opinions, and more
Member of Parliament (AFC) Moses Nagamootoo corruption in Guyana as the parliamentary opposition initiated an unrelenting process of exposure. With assistance from the non-government and independent newspapers, Nagamootoo said that the AFC played no small role in unearthing botched state contracts, hidden funds and widespread corruption. According to him, the budget cuts have exposed the bureaucratic “fat cats” and party activists in sinecure positions drawing down million-dollar salaries and allowances. He said that the AFC has “de-gutted” the wicked waste of our people’s monies on unnecessary projects like a Marriott Hotel/Casino, hefty benefits for past presidents, subsidies to corrupt propaganda machinery like GINA and NCN. He said that they have argued that such monies were better spent on old age pensions and community improvement. The fire in Guyana’s politics for accountability is responsible for the display of despotic tendencies by the PPP, Nagamootoo said. His party is also exposing its distressful dissent to rabid racism and political insanity. “How else could anyone explain the President’s odious comparison of a section of the opposition with a hog and a pig,” Nagamootoo questioned? Nagamootoo said that his party strongly believes that such reckless talks belonged to an era of political cannibalism as when Hitler compared Jews to “vermins” and “rats”, and Rwandian killers condemned opponents as “cockroaches”, in order to justify their extermination. He said that the minority PPP government has been masquerading as a majority and therefore refuse to accept the
especially as vehicles for cowardly lies, disinformation and slander of our leaders. He said what appears to be a rehash of an FBI Manual used in the United States against the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panthers is now seen in Guyana as the “Donald Duck Doctrine”, where disinformation and duplicity are weapons of choice in a campaign of division and diversion. Spying and wiretapping are now “legal” and routine. He said that the PPP has
misappropriated state resources nationally and in the various regions as social bribes in a failed bid to garner political support. All those acts which continue unabated have undermined the political f a b r i c o f o u r n a tion, weakened our democratic institutions and incited racial insecurity and social fear throughout Guyana. Nagamootoo called for the confirmation of appointment of suitably qualified persons to such constitutional posts as Chancellor of the Judiciary,
Chief Justice, Commissioner of Police and Ombudsman and for the cessation of oneparty control and manipulation of State Media, and ensure equitable access by all parliamentary parties to state media and respect of the right to reply. Nagamootoo maintained that the AFC is a serious national political player, which places the nation’s business above party interest. He said that they have no vested interest in any stalemate or gridlock that would cripple national development or commercial life.
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Cyber crimes are no crimes in Guyana Computers came to Guyana more than three decades ago. Of course the first computers were little better than glorified typewriters. They were ridiculously slow and could process precious little. There was no internet and all the chats and social networks were simply not there. Indeed in Guyana, these computers replaced the ticker tape that brought news feeds from the wider world and aided in the transmission of news from the rural community. Since then things have come a long way. Not only do computers provide information and ready access to the world, they also are tools to fashion just about anything. The daily newspapers are no longer the technical things they used to be; they are all produced on a computer. Editors and publishers can actually see the finished product in living colour before the newspaper comes off the press. None can deny that the computer is a more than useful gadget. In many countries information is stored on the computer to the extent that law enforcement agents can access information on an individual from within the confines of their vehicles. They can track vehicles, weapons and people without the legwork of years gone by. Guyana should have been at that stage, had it not been for the reluctance to spend money in that direction. There has been talk for years about computerizing anything. The various registries should have been computerized so that any information was only a click away. These agencies may be progressing in that direction, but the move is as slow as molasses flowing up a hill. The National Insurance Scheme, which must serve more than 600,000 people, is not yet computerized, to the extent that records for contributors from the early days cannot be located. It is not unusual for people in those countries that have fully embraced computerization to pay fines to the courts, update their personal documents and even shop online. The computer has made it possible for just about everything to be done within the confines of the home. Yet for all the good there are negatives and Guyana is nowhere near to deal with the negatives. In Guyana we hear of identity theft. People simply use the computer to become someone else. With this information they have accessed people’s accounts and have caused a great deal of inconvenience. Just recently, some smart people were able to use the social security numbers of children yet unborn to good effect, to the point where the child has been saddled with untold debt. It would not be surprising if these children find that they have criminal records before they could walk. But there are laws to deal with the scammers and the penalty is severe. Guyana has no such laws. This is why the Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Power and Light, Bharat Dindyal, could only monitor attempts to hack into his system with a view to stealing electricity. Guyana should have realized that computer hacking would come to these shores once it existed in the outside world. Yet the authorities never contemplated legislation to deal with hacking. We know that there have been attempts to hack into the commercial banks. Whether these attempts have been successful, it has never been declared and for good reason. We know that just about every installation in the most developed country has been hacked. The Central Intelligence Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and even the companies that make the computers and the people who monitor the internet have been hacked. Yet Guyana continues to sit idly by as though it is immune. And it is not that Government systems have not been hacked. In fact, the very government has people who are said to be hacking into those systems that the government finds interesting. As things stand, if a man hacks into a commercial bank and transfers a lot of money he has committed no crime. The old laws simply stipulate that there must be the physical removal of property for there to be theft. The lawmakers cannot be so naïve in this day and age. But then again, some things are of little interest to the government. Unless the very government is under threat there is hardly likely to be any movement toward legislation to combat cyber crimes.
Thursday November 29, 2012
Letters... Where your views make the news
One has to wonder who is really in control of this country DEAR EDITOR, I think Freddie Kissoon’s analysis of Donald Ramotar is spot-on (“Amidst bombs, guns and dead bodies, a lesson I learnt”, KN, Nov. 21, 2012). Peeping Tom still refuses to accept the truth. Kissoon notes that Donald Ramotar has always been a second fiddle kind of guy, a man who has always been overshadowed by and has always intellectually surrendered to more brilliant minds in the PPP. The Jagans were bang-on regarding Ramotar. They never saw him fit for any national profile or leadership role like ministerial duties and we are seeing exactly why. They intimately knew Donald Ramotar and his shortcomings of confidence. Donald Ramotar is no leader. Most definitely not the kind of leader Guyana desperately needs. He is not confrontational and does not possess the confidence, passion, desire, hunger and work ethic of Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Ralph Ramkarran and Moses Nagamootoo. The PPP has disintegrated as a party under his watch. Donald Ramotar also has unwavering allegiance to the PPP. He lives for the PPP. It is his entire life substance. Therein lies the problem. Ramotar’s dedication to the PPP blinds him to its faults. He will serve the party and the party will command him, no matter who has hijacked it. These are key facets of Ramotar’s personality and his ideology
and after 40 years, he cannot change them. It is these attributes of him that leads me to my theory; that Donald Ramotar was carefully identified and targeted by the Jagdeoites for the presidency because of these characteristics. Donald Ramotar could not become president without the support of the Jagdeoites. They control the PPP Central Committee. They ensured that control by suspending a party general congress now for over a year because they feared being voted out by an angry PPP membership. They determine who becomes the PPP presidential candidate, and in turn, who becomes president. They handpicked Ramotar because of his easygoing manner, his love of the party, his ability to be easily manipulated, his nonconfrontational style, his lack of confidence and his inexperience in any kind of governance. To the Jagdeoites, Ramotar was the ideal man to keep their gravy train flowing. He tends to accept things on face value. He lacks the cunning necessary to navigate the Jagdeoites and their leaders. He will concede rather than confront when wrongdoing occurs. He will accept and condone a lot of venality for fear of exposing the party to backlash. So, the Jagdeoites could do whatever wrongdoing they want, knowing Ramotar would not rock the boat because he fears the impact on the party.
The Jagdeoites knew that unlike Nagamootoo or Ramkarran, Ramotar could be easily manipulated and that he lacks the probity to think independently. He must rely on them at every turn, and this enables them to control him. They knew Ramotar would rather accept skulduggery from them than to confront them for fear of internal squabbling making the PPP look bad. None of the Jagdeoites could have run for the presidency in 2011 without the PPP risking losing the election. They are all deeply unpopular. Nagamootoo or Ramkarran would have guaranteed the PPP a majority in 2011. However, the Jagdeoites had no room for independent thinkers. They cost the PPP its majority by going with Ramotar who delivered a minority government instead. Even worse, his insipid performance in the past year has plummeted the party’s fortunes. The PPP is bleeding votes from its supporters. Its own internal polls paint a dismal future. Even worse, the invincibility of the PPP has been dashed. The fearmongering by the Jagdeoites about the effects of the PPP having a reduction of power has not materialized. Many PPP supporters are seeing this new arrangement with the split in power as a necessary new check and balance on the tyrants who have hijacked the PPP. Because he lacked confidence and was handpicked, Donald
Ramotar had to run on a campaign of continuing Jagdeo’s legacy, one of the worst legacies in this country’s history. He was a mere shadow behind Jagdeo on the campaign trail. After the election was over, Ramotar picked more Jagdeoites to Cabinet than Jagdeo himself. Jagdeo himself did not pick certain people in his cabinet, but Ramotar did. It was the very emblem of shamefulness. Donald Ramotar has developed the convenient blindness to corruption and wrongdoing in the PPP. Quickly too. It is tragic how quickly he lost the moral moorings some claimed he had. One has to wonder who is really in control of this country. Ramotar cannot and should not be judged based on his presidency. While he has been elected to it, it ends there. It appears Donald Ramotar is just a front for the Jagdeoites who handed him the candidacy. Where Ramotar has to be judged is how he managed the PPP since Cheddi Jagan died. He failed miserably. Not only was the PPP hijacked by the Jagdeoites under his watch, it has become the most dictatorial and Stalinist party in Guyana. Many PPP supporters are shamed by the fact that the PNC is now more democratic than the PPP. Donald Ramotar had a choice to stand up and fight for the working class people who back the PPP or let the rogues (Continued on page 7)
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
You cannot have it both ways, President Ramotar DEAR EDITOR, President Donald Ramotar on Sunday, November 25, said the governing party, the PPP/C, has no confidence in Speaker Raphael Trotman following his decision to restrict Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee’s participation in the National Assembly. We thank God it was Sunday, since the very next working day was Monday, which would have provided the opportunity for the President to do the right thing and instruct all PPP/C MPs to withdraw their services from the Parliament in which they have lost confidence in its Chairman; the Speaker of the House. We view Mr. Ramotar’s statement as divisive and with contempt for the people, the rule of law and the constitution. For over a decade, the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal has abused their power by using state resources to help themselves and their friends which, in turn, has made life unbearable for the masses, especially the poor and the working class. We pray for the mothers and children of Plastic City, hoping that their lives will improve. At least the majority
opposition has been ethical in their position whereby they have lost confidence in Rohee as the Security Tsar and have withdrawn their co-operation with him on all matters with respect to the Security Sector. It is now November and still no action from the President after almost a year in office. Such inaction clearly exposes the modus operandi of the cabal. They are experts in spreading propaganda and spewing sound bites with no substance. We blame President Ramotar for the mal-administration of the state and lack of a transparent government. His wild and reckless statements with respect to the Speaker have smashed a beautiful picture by the careless handling of his axe. Also, it clearly shows his and his minority regime’s disrespect for the majority opposition in Parliament which could also undermine the foundations of the democratic process. This will only cause the majority opposition to stand firmly behind their principled position that Rohee must not be the Minister of Home Affairs in the 10th Parliament. As a result of the intransigence of President Ramotar, the Security Sector is now essentially headless
and law-abiding citizens are vulnerable. To have such an untenable situation is nothing else but reckless and incompetent leadership from the President. He must have a contingency plan to ensure that the affairs of the state continue without Rohee. But in true flock mentality, he is
following the Jagdeoites at Freedom House and doing what they say, which is nothing of substance. We call on the President to think carefully on his next move. Given his reckless statements against Speaker Trotman, he only has two honourable options left;
totally withdraw his minority PPP/C MPs from a Trotmanled Parliament or call new elections. Failure to do any of the two will result in him losing the little credibility he has left with the voters. We believe that this will provide greater inroad for the majority opposition, particularly the
A F C , into PPP former stronghold. It is time the President put up or shut up. He cannot have it both ways. The people elected him to rule in their interest and not in the interest of the PPP cabal’s relatives and friends. Dr Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh
A case of the Executive versus the Legislative DEAR EDITOR, The current state of politics in Guyana seems to suggest that the November 2011 National and Regional Elections have produced a situation of the Executive versus the Legislative. November 28, 2011, marked one year since those historic elections which resulted, for the first time, in the Executive Government’s status reduced to a minority in the National Assembly. As such, one might argue that this unorthodox situation sees that minority PPP/C government reacting in a way which intimates that it is either unaware of its relegated status or refuses to accept the will of the Guyanese people, who through their ballots rejected that party. Others might argue that the PPP/C’s reactions
towards the people, after those elections, conform to the attitudes and actions of an undemocratic regime, consumed with the obsession of power. Whichever rationale is accurate, the fact is the PPP/C has decided that it will have its way and will not cede its obsession with absolute power, even if it has to disregard the will of the people. So when one looks at what happens (with the regular running to the courts to block actions taken by the people, in the parliament) the PPP/C is attempting to stall work of this supreme law-making body. They simultaneously attack the people by using State resources, such as NCN and Guyana Chronicle, to unleash their vile propaganda against the very people
whose tax dollars upkeep those media entities. Like a tyrant and bully, who couldn’t care less about the alarming backlog in the court system, the PPP/C ratchets up its rhetoric and appears to engage in actions intended to coerce the Courts to rule in their favour. We have witnessed the judicial charade with respect to the budget cuts among other cases; we are now at the stage of the ‘Rohee gag saga’ and the court case against the Speaker of the National Assembly. When will this assault on the people of Guyana cease? In a country which professes to; be democratic; uphold the rule of law; be guided by the principle of Separation of Powers, inherent in its Constitution,
the executive refuses to abide by the rulings of the Parliament. Yes, in this same Guyana the Executive President, Mr. Donald Ramotar, made a bold announcement that he, as president, will not sign any Bill into law which is passed by the majority combined opposition, once that Bill does not find favour with his government. These are serious pronouncements which will continue to form the basis of interaction among the three branches of the state and which will also determine the level of parliamentary progress and the overall progress of the nation. It appears that the PPP/C is prepared to forego any development in the name of projecting its obsession of political power. Lurlene Nestor
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Kaieteur News
Thursday November 29, 2012
Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
The opposition remains conspicuously silent on City Hall’s incompetence DEAR EDITOR, After reading a pathetic response to my letter: “Is this a joke?” (Kaieteur News, October 23), by Royston King, Public Relations Officer - Mayor and City Council (M&CC), I am convinced more than ever, that the mindset of those at City Hall is indirectly responsible for the deplorable state of pollution that exists in Georgetown. It appears they lack the vision and the will to alleviate the environmental disaster that was once the Garden City of the Caribbean. I empathize with Mr. King, for it must be extremely difficult for him to defend the indefensible. But in his letter: “The problem of improper disposal of waste is national” (Kaieteur News, November 26), He attempted to do just that. He claimed to be “challenged to understand” certain aspects of my letter, and
tries to justify City Hall’s incompetence by stating the obvious: That the improper disposal of waste is national, and not restricted to the city. I agree with this observation, but Georgetown is the nation’s c a p i t a l c i t y, w i t h a Municipality, a Mayor and City Council. Unlike small villages, significant amounts of rates and taxes are collected, and the business community deserves to see those tax dollars at work. His neighbour’s yard may look like a pig sty, but that is no excuse for him to keep his surroundings the same way. City Hall should lead by example, not reduce the city’s landscape to the slums of other communities. To continue using the excuse year after year of having “limited resources” is unacceptable. It clearly demonstrates the inability of those in authority to get things done. If City Hall was a private corporation, all the
top executives would be replaced, and that’s a fact. Quite notably, those in the opposition who were quick to judge the Home Affairs Minister on his job performance, remain conspicuously silent when it comes to City Hall’s incompetence, despite damning allegations of corruption and irregularities at the M&CC as cited in the Gaskin Report. In an article: “Massive fraud uncovered at M&CC - report”, (Kaieteur News, June 16, 2012), the Gaskin Report exposes damaging details of fraud and irregularities within the Mayor and City Council. Consultant Ramon Gaskin was a member of a special committee established by Government, and headed by Keith Burrowes. The Burrowes Commission was established in 2008 as a result of issues raised in t h e A u d i t o r G e n e r a l ’s Report of the same year. The Terms of Reference
required an investigation into the offices of the City Treasurer and Town Clerk; the procedures regarding regulation of staff loans and advances; irregularities in rate collection; municipal accounts in commercial banks; and restructuring of municipal departments and their operations. The Investigation had suggested, among other things, that about half of the 800 staffers of M&CC were believed to be “phantom workers.” Keith Burrowes was reported to have said, “Now if all those people are working, the city should be cleaner.” The overtime at M&CC, he said, is appalling, “I think that is the only place where the overtime is rivaling the overall employment cost.” According to the KN article, “The Government of Guyana, last year, handed over seven new garbage trucks to city council. However, recent checks disclosed that one of the trucks was inoperable. It had a burnt engine. So, he said, the team started to explore reasons. He said that it was soon realized that it was a deliberate ploy to have the trucks “lined up” instead of being used so that the “other people” could be contracted.” The article continued, “Norman W h i t t a k e r, Minister within the Ministry of Local Government informed that M&CC owes Guyana Power & Light $882 million. He said that GPL is now threatening to halt its street lights supply. What is interesting, he said, is that there are “persons and businesses out there that are indebted to the tune of approximately $12B…but there is no interest shown by the council to collect those monies - a lot of which is owed by commercial businesses.” And according to Burrowes, there are still businesses that are paying residential rates and taxes. As a result of the findings of the Gaskin Report, three top M&CC officials were sent home to facilitate a thorough (hopefully, criminal) investigation. What bothers me, though, is this irresponsible statement from PRO King: “It has not escaped our attention that Mr. Gill seems to believe that Council must be blamed for the current condition of the city. However, we have a different
view; citizens must demonstrate civic pride and respect for their general surroundings and the environment. We have said and continue to say that the problem we face as a municipality is not to clean up the city but to keep it clean.” Of course it is the responsibility of every citizen not to litter, but the M&CC cannot escape responsibility for the disgraceful, deplorable garbage pile-up that is so prevalent throughout Georgetown year after year. Responsible citizens are already doing their part. Environmental projects like ‘Pick it Up Guyana‘ and ‘Guyana Shine‘ were born because Guyanese are both concerned and embarrassed by the inability of the M&CC to keep our city clean. Admittedly, there are habitual polluters who continually hurt the environment, and need to be punished. But to many others, discarding another piece of paper or soda can in a drain that’s already polluted, makes no difference to the environment. There are simply very few garbage receptacles around to use, and not enough resources committed to the task. Restaurant and business owners may have a responsibility to provide adequate receptacles, but City Hall has an obligation to do so. And then this startling admission by Mr King which clearly demonstrates dereliction of duty: “...many big businesses are involved in illegal dumping around the city. Some businessmen pay pittance to “junkies” to remove large amounts of garbage from their premises to anywhere in the city. Every morning, workers employed by some businesses along Regent Street, Water Street and Robb Street could be seen sweeping debris from their stores into the street drains.” If this is so, and I believe it to be, why is this practice allowed to go unpunished? The solution is a simple one: You don’t h a v e t o b e a detective or rocket scientist to determine where the garbage comes from. A casual search through the garbage will uncover many clues and proof of ownership. Then, armed with the evidence, City Constabulary can now issue a violation to the owner of the offending business. It’s as
simple as that. As for those store employees who sweep debris from their stores into the drains “every morning”, Constabulary police armed with cameras, should stake out these places and catch the culprits in the act. Then issue violations to both employees and employer. Such punishment should cause the willful practice of littering to decline. M&CC does not need to seek the help of the Private Sector Commission and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry to “persuade their members to account for their waste and to secure the integrity of the city”. M&CC needs to enforce the laws on littering. But I guess too many corrupted Constabulary Police are more interested in extorting monies from illegal vendors, rather than executing the jobs they’re being paid to do. I’ve noted that Royston King chose not to respond to this accusation in my letter. He avoided it like a plague. With reference to the traffic congestion in the city, Mr. King stated that it “could not be fairly linked to street vending alone.” He added, “There are numerous other factors that contribute to the vehicular traffic problem in the city, including, the need for a different approach to public transportation in Guyana, the lack of proper parking facilities and a good network of appropriate public spaces to encourage cycling and walking by citizens.” While this may be so, one has got to be blind not to see the encroachment on pavements and roadsides by vendors plying their trade, unhindered and (I daresay) encouraged by City Hall. The Constabulary must do their part and remove these miscreants from the streets and sidewalks, and let the Police Traffic Department deal with other forms of traffic congestion. In conclusion, the M&CC has no one but themselves to blame for the demise of the Garden City. The municipality, which is entrusted with administering the affairs of t h e c i t y, h a s f a i l e d u s miserably. Perhaps the time has come for Government to install an Interim Management Committee to manage the affairs of the city, and to restore the pride we once had as Guyanese. Harry Gill
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Our discourses must be based on substance not frivolity DEAR EDITOR, It is with growing concern for the disrespect of the people with the dumbing down of our politics by leaders that this letter is penned. Usually it is the Head of State or Government, in this instance the President, who sets the nation’s tone and standard. As such, the president has to be ever mindful how society, at home and abroad, sees him. By virtue of his position he represents the country’s image and its intellect, and what he says, communicates to the world the nation’s thinking and conviction or lack thereof. It is hoped the president and his handlers see this commentary not as ridicule, but a red light to revisit a strategy that does not place him, the country and its people in a positive light. Unfortunately this nation continues to be subjected to public discourses on matters of national import that
strengthen the positions of two parents and a Caribbean colleague. The former told me they use our politicians as the standard bearer for what their three children must not be. When asked for specifics, the response was, “talking without thinking, rude, unkempt, dunderheads, discourteous, bullies, selfserving, greedy and lazy.” The latter jokingly said “politics in Guyana is now in the hands of the riff raff and control maniacs.” This is not what we need to hear or what parents need to warn their children against. The recent position by the president that he has noconfidence in the Speaker, absent of making a case that can withstand scrutiny, does not help this society or his image. If a case must be made against the Speaker, or anyone, the President owes the society leadership, by ensuring his case is built on
substance, which would give the nation the opportunity for intelligent discourse on his position and ensuring the integrity of our constitutional offices. It would also aid in earning him the needed respect to govern. One may have had differences with Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoyte and Cheddi Jagan, but there was no mistaking these men had strong convictions on their positions which they cogently articulated. Regardless of the side taken, the society was the better from these conversations. The president has said, “I say very clearly that we have no confidence in the Speaker because he took a political decision and not a legal position.” He is now asked to present his case in like manner so this society will be better served by his thoughts. Further, it is expected that with escalating domestic
The Speaker is wrong on sending Rohee to the Privileges Committee DEAR EDITOR, Regarding your news items, letters and commentaries on Minister Rohee being sent to the Privileges Committee, it is my informed understanding of parliamentary rules, from my studies in Comparative Politics and in conversations with Senior Counsel in Trinidad, that a Member of Parliament (MP) cannot be sanctioned for matters unrelated to the conduct of parliament. In Trinidad and Jamaica, the former in particular, MPs have been regularly taken before the Parliament Privileges Committee (PC) for violating the conduct of parliament. A prima facie case has to be first made out against the MP by the Speaker who can make a ruling to send the MP to the PC. If he does not want to make a ruling, the parliament can vote on the matter. Even if an MP makes comments outside of parliament, in which he or she lied or attacks the President or Speaker or PM, or makes references to business of parliament that are not accurate, the MP can be sanctioned by the Privileges Committee or the Speaker. My research reveals that MPs in Trinidad, Antigua, Grenada, Jamaica, etc., have been sanctioned by parliament and/or the Speaker. The current PM in Trinidad was taken before the Speaker when she was Opposition Leader for making comments about the PM and the President. She apologized and was not taken before the
PC. Basdeo Panday was taken before the PC and suspended from parliament for a year. Chandresh Sharma, when he was an Opposition MP, was suspended by the PC as was Patrick Manning, who was suspended last year. Minister Rohee has not violated any norm of parliament in his speeches or been accused of violating any such rules. Thus, according to the Senior Counsel I spoke with, Speaker Trotman erred in sending the Minister to the PC despite not committing any offence against any member of parliament or the House itself. Saying the MP is a Minister and his conduct as a Minister is under question does not wash – not the same as violating House rules. The opposition failed in its effort to sanction Rohee over the Linden shooting. They were convinced they had the hard evidence to nail Rohee for giving orders to shoot at Linden. Their own witnesses and evidence cleared Rohee. Now, they want to silence him in parliament, but lack a strong case and can’t drown him out much longer. So they plan to send him to the Privileges Committee to address a Ministerial matter – a violation of parliamentary norm – in order to quiet him. This is likely to trigger a snap poll that will hurt the opposition more than the government. Rohee did not violate any rules in the National Assembly or make comments offensive to the Speaker or any colleague outside of parliament. One has to be accused of committing an offence in order to be sent to the Privileges Committee. Speaker
Trotman’s ruling is unprecedented in the Commonwealth. It will be the subject of conversation for years to come. The opposition is simply looking to settle old political scores. In several parliaments, MPs are known to have drowned out speakers with their shouting or unruly behaviour or disturb proceedings of the House like rushing to the well of the Parliament and screaming. But one cannot prevent an MP from speaking, unless he or she breaks a rule. In India, for example, MPs have disturbed the proceeding of the Lok Sabha for the last several sessions, preventing the conduct of business. The Speaker can expel them from the proceedings. But the Speaker Meira Kumar chose not to sanction any member fearing the consequences. Instead, she adjourned the House after every disturbance. For five days in a row, the opposition has been disrupting the House unless their demand has been addressed to have a vote on a debate on foreign investment. The government is capitulating. The Guyana Opposition can continue to disrupt parliament when Rohee speaks. That should be tolerated. But it will be up to the Speaker to discipline those who disrupt the House. So far, there has not been a clear cut prima facie case made out against Rohee on any of the complaints raised by the opposition. I have numerous complaints against Rohee, but the opposition has not thought of any of them as yet. Vishnu Bisram
violence, urgent bread and butter issues, draconian VAT and PAYE, coupled with abuses in the workplace and poverty - which in most instances adversely affect women - the president would have addressed these anomalies at the Women’s conference and given the assurances his administration will put systems in place to alleviate them and ensure women are treated as equal. Placing these issues on the front burner and committing to assiduously working to address them are worthy of loud cheers and support. As a man, I urge women to avoid being the vessel of those who do not safeguard their wellbeing or treat them with the deserving respect. As a nation we know our politics has hit a snag from some politicians’ statements, the comments of the Caribbean colleague and parents, and the many that have become disengaged even as they ardently follow, share opinions and engage in conversations about the USA and global politics. It is hard to imagine Barack Obama - an icon for Guyanese conducting himself in any
unbecoming manner and civil society, his fellow Democrats, or Republican opponents allowing him to get away with it. It is harder to imagine Obama or his handlers allowing a public representation of his image that will do him more harm than good. It is known the admiration for Obama is not only for his racial identity, but moreso for his politics that eschew being narrow-minded, vengeful and vacuous. It is said the greatest form of flattery/admiration is emulation; as such we must now strive to ensure the political leaders at home adopt Obama’s approach. Governance is serious business and those in whose hands we entrust the responsibility of our welfare we must see to it they carry
out their duty with the seriousness it deserves. There is a saying, ‘a people get the government they deserve’ and in so far as we sit back and allow what is passing for governance to become the new norm is an indictment on us. Today, I challenge each and every one of us, including the media, civil society, trade union, bar association, church, business, religion, academia and politicians to stand up and speak out, in order that we can change course for the elevation of public/ political discourses and the nation’s business. The time is now to return to the culture where discourses, though varied, opposing and heated are based on substance not frivolity. Lincoln Lewis
One has to wonder... (From page 4) take it over and dominate it. We know the choice he made. From that moment of truth, the barbarians knew they could control Donald Ramotar. From that moment when he refused to fight for the multitude of poor people in this country who back the PPP, the Jagdeoites knew he
was their man. Cheddi Jagan would have never as General Secretary capitulated this easily to scoundrels. Donald Ramotar will continue to capitulate and the PPP supporters will continue to be treated as second class citizens by their own party while the entire country burns in a bonfire of PPP indignity. M. Maxwell
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Thursday November 29, 2012
Courts are impartial; do not take sides in matters - Chancellor Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh, has stated that Guyana’s judicial system is impartial and that the decisions taken by the courts are carefully made by the presiding officer, whether it’s a judge or magistrate. He was speaking at the recommissioning of the $22M Mibicuri Magistrate’s Court in Black Bush Polder, recently. The Chancellor said that in the course of its function, the court is presided over by
decision is given. Decisions in the court in this country are not given because the courts recognize the standing or identities of the parties before us”. He said that in recent times, there were some “rumblings” about the likely partiality of the courts, “but I tend to say that we are neutral and fiercely independent”. Over the years, he said, there has been a programme of support for the improvement of infrastructure
“Decisions in the courts in this country, are not given because the courts recognize the standing or identities of the parties before us” an official “who is blind”. “There is no partiality for one side or the other; whoever you are, the presiding officer in the court, be it the magistrate, is blind— not literally. He does not take sides and we pride ourselves in the neutrality of the court. Whatever the issue, whoever it is, whichever court it is, the courts in Guyana adopt a neutral position. We look at the issues before us and we look at the law that applies to the issues and the
at the courts. “But there needs to be minimum levels of comfort and the infrastructure must be there to allow us to achieve those levels of productivity”. Singh stated that when he assumed the office of Chief Justice of Guyana in 2001, the Magistrates’ courts were functioning “as half day courts and the other half day ,the presiding officers were at home in pajamas and watching TV. “I put my foot down and
Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh insisted that the courts must function for the whole day, because people come from long distances and want their cases to be heard. The efficiency of the courts can be measured by the timely delivery of decisions and that is the hallmark of an effective court”. Justice Carl Singh stated that he was shocked to see the old and derelict Mibicuri Court building that was there “lying in misuse and in a state
Invitees at the opening of the Mibicuri Magistrate’s Court of disrepair for a number of years—It was a derelict, run down building, leaking roof, infested with bats and wood ants and you had to carve and chop your way in to get through the thick bush that surrounded the premises”. He noted that if there is to be order in the country, “then our laws and rules must be obeyed. If you don’t run afoul of the laws of the country, then there is no need to come to the court. But it’s not only
when you violate the laws that you come to the courts— you have rights”. Justice Singh stated that the court is an institution that is of vital importance to society, for the preservation of the Rule of Law. He appealed to Guyanese to respect the institution and its officers and to protect it and maintain it. Justice Singh said that provision is being made for buildings, furnishings and for
“the tools of the trade—books “. I believe that the Supreme Court has benefitted”. The Mibicuri Court, he said, was lying in disrepair for a long time and “it has been made possible by the efforts of the Government of Guyana and IDB…and two people who have been instrumental in seeing that the work at this court was completed were Ms Evadne Mangar and Mr Mark Persaud.
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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The Chinese-owned stores are giving the local commercial class headaches There was a time when if you wanted a specific item, you had to ask around to find out where it could be obtained. Some items were often hard to come by and you were required to go from shop to shop in order to be able to procure what you were looking for. By and large all that has changed, and changed rapidly ever since the invasion of the commercial sector by stores operated by Chinese nationals. Whatever you want you can find in one or more of these stores. If one does not stock that item, another will. Obviously if you are looking for a hardware item, you will not go into a clothing store. But once you know the nature of the item you are looking for, you are bound to find it in one of the Chineseowned stores that have spread extensively in the city over the past two years. When this invasion of the commercial sector began, there was immediate opposition from elements in the commercial sector. They saw the danger to their survival early. For that they must be given credit. The moaning that is taking place now is not new. From day one of this commercial invasion, the commercial class developed apprehensions and fears about what it meant for their future. It did not stand silently
and look on. It spoke out. The members began by accusing these stores of underselling them and even questioned how it was that these stores could sell cheap, implying and imputing nefarious motives for the law prices. The fact is that the arrival of these stores exposed the imperfect competition that was taking place in our commercial sector. It also revealed how Guyanese consumers were being taken advantage of by some of the stores in the country. They too were sourcing their goods from China but when it was sold in their premises the prices were far higher than what these Chinese-owned stores are now retailing them for. Immediately, therefore, these Chinese-owned stores made an impact and were enthusiastically supported by the average citizen because the prices were so cheap. You could go into one such store with a handful of dollars and emerge with bags upon bags of items. Today, these stores have spread all over Georgetown and it is only a matter of time before they expand into other areas. The Guyanese public has been heavily patronizing these stores because bargains are available. As a result of the support that these stores are receiving, the local commercial store
Dem boys seh ... De Big Bee pocket de whole Guyana A lot of things got to come to light. EZjet is yet to come and it gun be brighter than de sunlight. Nuff names wha been hiding in de background gun call. Wait till de Feds put hands pun Sonny and send he in front of dem boys good friend, Aunty Judge Dora. Fuh sure dem got two Bees, one is Barbie and one is de Bar Rat. Brazzy ain’t got no share but he help put it together. Remember dem boys seh that de Bees own three-quarter of Guyana. Now dem putting dem hand inside de economic machine of Guyana. Everybody know that Bharrat own de Hard Times paper. He buy over Vieira TV and he give heself a radio licence. That radio now creating havoc wid poor CN. Suh is radio, TV , newspaper, dem still thinking fuh bring back Easy Come Easy Go, dem gun tek over de hotel (Marriott) and internet services, cable TV, data center, casino, restaurant, night club, wireless service, pharmaceuticals, commercial printing, water pipe factory, hardware supply, health care supply, and dem heading fuh own dem own private hospital. These are some of de things that form de tip of de iceberg. Put dem together and tell de people if dem ain’t own Guyana. Dem boys now telling Donald pun he anniversary wha dem people who he does defend really do fuh demself. When Donald and de nation believe that de Bar Rat and dem other Bees was doing things to benefit de people of de country, dem was really doing things to enrich and benefit dem own self. That list alone is proof beyond the shadow of a doubt. Dem boys gun talk bout a lot more wha dem do sooner rather than later. Dem plan to tell de nation more but dem don’t know everything. Some of you know things and frighten fuh talk. Just whisper and dem boys gun tell de world. Who would you equate this man, de Big Bee to? Mubarak, Saddam Hussain or Gadaffi, who didn’t siphon off a piece of de country but pocket de whole country. Talk half and tell we de other half.
owners have been complaining. And this complaint is likely to continue as the local business community tries to use its political clout to reduce the competition that it now faces and which it seems either unable or unwilling to keep up with. In the days ahead, Guyanese can look forward to attempts to put down these stores which have provided such a bonanza to local consumers. You can expect to hear arguments that these foreign storeowners do not pay taxes, do not issue receipts and do not invest in the country. What those who are making these arguments will not concede is that tax
avoidance and tax evasion by the local business community is also high, that many in the business community still ship and hold a significant segment of their profits outside of Guyana. Ho w e l s e d o e s o n e explain the high demand for foreign exchange relative to supply at a time when forex proceeds are booming because of the increased mineral exports? They will also conceal the fact that many local businesses are equally guilty of not issuing receipts and in fact many do not provide revenue stamps on the receipts that they do issue. Other arguments will follow about the quality of the products being sold. Well the
same argument can boomerang because the locally owned stores also stock a great deal of products that were made in China. Most of what comes here from China is of fair quality and good enough for the price and good enough for the small man. For the poor man, obtaining a slightly inferior item that is affordable to him is much better than a more superior quality item which he cannot afford. The rich folks know where to shop for the pricy items they want. The Chineseowned stores have been Godsend for the poor. The presence of these Chinese-owned stores has been good for ordinary
consumers. It makes shopping easier because you know that whatever you want you can get at one of these stores and at a price that suits your pocket. All that may soon end. There are indications that some of these stores, particularly those who deal in hardware items, are causing a fall in sales for some persons with connections to the oligarchy in Guyana and since this oligarchy has strong political clout and reach, it is expected to take action to reduce the presence of these stores which have undercut sales volume.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday November 29, 2012
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
The Stabroek News: The worst is yet to come This political activist here who has more than forty years of praxis is confessing here and now that I would never have anticipated what the PPP Government did to the Stabroek News in connection with the paper’s investigation into the National Intelligence Centre (NIC). It was an act of madness but as media practitioners and commentators know; whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad. The PPP lost its rationality a long time ago. I repeat for the third time in this column what American television journalist, Jonathan
Mann, said when he first met the then leader of Libya Muammar Gaddafi. Mr. Mann observed that he couldn’t believe a country can have such a leader. He was referring to the style, low intelligence, antics and stupidity of Gaddafi. It is simply amazing how a modern Caribbean nation in the 21st century can produce people like those we have in power in Guyana today. Surely Gaddafi could not have been as asinine as the people we have. Gaddafi had some intelligent sons and a smart daughter who made up for the silly antics of their
father. Sadly in Guyana, there are no offspring that could perform the same task. Look at the composition of the allegation against the Stabroek News by the Office of the President – that two reporters in trying to gain access to the NIC told the sentry on duty that Minister Rohee sent them. How unintelligent are the people that administer the government in this country! Rohee would be the last name any reporter would cite if they wanted to gain access to any door anywhere. It is not hard to imagine what went on at the Office of the President
when the local imperialists decided to harass the Stabroek News. A meeting was called and all the bigwigs were there including De Donald. Present were media underlings like Kwame McCoy and Prem Misir. This columnist is saying that he believes that it was a certain outlandish media person who suggested that Rohee’s name be mentioned and one could easily have imagined the congratulations he got from the entire Cabinet when he came up with that imbecilic strategy of accusing the two reporters of using Rohee’s
name. No one in this country would believe that the journalists did what the Office of the President has openly stated that they have done with regards to the Rohee thing. There isn’t much erudition at New Garden Street so the Rohee factor was not surprising. Do you know there is a very powerful person in the power establishment who did an extremely stupid thing about six years ago? With such a lack of intelligence in the corridors of power can Guyana ever have a future with these types? One once wrote letters in the newspapers and signed as Oliver Sam. The Stabroek News checked and found out that there was no such person. The letter writer responded and was enraged. He claimed that is a real person and can prove it. How idiotic can a human being be! You know that there is no such person, so you know you cannot produce Oliver Sam. Commonsense will tell you that you should evade the question. But no, he insisted there was a real Oliver Sam but after that, Oliver Sam disappeared. If you know who this person is you would shudder to think how far Guyana can get with the kind of power he currently has. The attempted victimization of the Stabroek News is yet another pathological sign of decay inside the PPP,
Frederick Kissoon I did a column two weeks ago in which I said some supernatural voice is egging on the PPP Government to reenact in identical fashion all the violations the PNC regime committed. And the PPP leaders are doing it. Every human rights atrocity of President Burnham they are copying in identical ways. The latest is the reenactment of sending police to arrest Stabroek News personnel as the PNC Government did with two reporters in 1987 from the same newspaper over their visit to a warehouse. The PPP is going through the final period of its rule. The writing is on the wall. The private media can expect the worse. I seriously doubt Guyana will move into another election before the PPP implodes. Dictatorships don’t operate with logic. They don’t possess logical thinking. This columnist is eagerly awaiting the response on the attack on the Stabroek News from the man in Barbados who ran from President Burnham but now supports a regime worst than Burnham’s. Over to the infamous Rickey Singh.
Gunmen invade Diamond supermarket The police on the East Bank of Demerara are hunting for two men who were caught on camera robbing a supermarket in the Diamond New Scheme. Reports are that the two gunmen entered the Trust Trading Supermarket around 13:45 hours yesterday. During the ordeal the men forced the supermarket staff and two customers to lie face down on the floor. However, one customer upon seeing the gunmen ran out of the supermarket. An employee of the supermarket told this publication that she was attending to a customer when the two men entered, both brandishing handguns. One of the men stood at the door while another ran to the back and ordered another employee and the two customers to the front of the store. The men then forced one of the cashiers to hand over the cash she had in the
register. However, after one of the gunmen looked up into the roof of the supermarket and noticed surveillance cameras he ran out leaving his accomplice. “After he see the camera he just run away but he was going to the other cashier and he partner start calling fuh he but he just run away.” After the second gunman realized why his partner exited the store he too ran out and jumped into a waiting yellow car. The police were immediately informed of the robbery and responded promptly. It was only after the ordeal then the employees realized that one of the men involved in the robbery was in the supermarket earlier in the day. This publication was told that one of the men went into the supermarket to purchase cigarettes. The owner of the store has since provided the police with surveillance footage of the robbery. Investigations are ongoing.
Thursday November 29, 2012
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Kaieteur News
Record-breaking 8,000 new customers for GPL this year Demand for power has been placing GPL under pressure with especially the new housing schemes that have been established. According to Dindyal, this year the number of new customers for GPL will break records, reaching 8,000 new connections for the first time. Te c h n i c i a n s , t h i s weekend, are expected to energise a new cable across the Demerara River. This cable will vastly improve the electricity to West Bank and West Coast Demerara by providing a link with generating systems in the eastern part of the country. The project is part of a US$42M Chinese-funded project that involves running new transmission lines, the construction of seven substations, a new control centre and the linking of Berbice and Demerara grid for the state-owned Guyana Power and Light Inc.(GPL). The current cable link from the Garden of Eden power stations has been problematic and unable to
meet the power demands of the West Demerara areas. The cable had been vital because of the lack of capacity from the generators in Versailles and Leonora locations, on the West Coast of Demerara. In recent years, there has been a spurt of new housing schemes in West Demerara area including at La Parfaite Harmonie, Canal Number One; Belle West, Canal Number Two; Tuschen and Cornelia Ida, among others. Under the Chinese project, a new fibre optic cable running from GPL’s Kingston location to Vreede n - H o o p , We s t B a n k Demerara, will be able to substantially take increased loads. Under the project, seven new substations will also be built across the coastlands. These include stations at Kingston, North Ruimveldt, Diamond, Vreed-en-Hoop, Edinburgh, and two on the East Coast of Demerara. Some 25 new feeder lines to replace the old transmission lines across the
…new Demerara River cable to be tested this weekend
GPL will test a new power cable linking East and West Demerara as early as this weekend.
coast, will also be a part of the project which was initially billed to cost US$33 million. The current power lines, too, have been giving GPL workers major headaches especially when it rains. GPL has been blaming line losses to the feeder lines. Just recently, the fragile
nature of the lines was highlighted after a bird flew into some at Sophia, causing a shutdown. According to GPL’s Chief Executive Officer, Bharat Dindyal, while initially the Chinese project was geared for certain targets, it has been expanded to allow the sub-stations to
have more flexibility and separate sections of the grid to prevent total shutdowns in cases of faults. There is also good news for the long-suffering Berbice with a cable planned for across the river to link the Demerara country. This will reduce the dependency on the Berbice
engines, Dindyal said. Berbice has been dogged by blackouts in recent years. Currently, a new power plant at Vreed-en-Hoop that will add another 26 megawatts from Wartsila engines is being constructed. This will help to further stabilize the power situation, the GPL boss said.
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NFMU investigating CNS 6 signal interference claim - Woolford calls for frequencies to be made public The National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) is investigating claims by CNS Channel Six that it has been experiencing problems with transmission since a new radio station friendly to the government began operating. “The NFMU has its investigators with their instruments out there,” Bibi Shadick, chairperson of the Broadcasting Authority told Kaieteur News yesterday. Owner of Channel Six, Chandra Narine Sharma, believed that the action was a deliberate one aimed at “silencing” the station. Sharma believed this to be the case since it is only when certain paid and informative programmes are being aired that reports of interference are received. The new radio station was set up by TVG channel 28, run by Dr Ranjisinghi (Bobby) Ramroop, the best friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. This radio station, Sharma said, has been affecting his television frequency since the audio received on Channel 6 reveals a transmission coming from
the TVG radio station. Sharma suggested that the interference did not happen by mistake. He believes that it is a tactic to make insignificant programmes such as Opposition Leader David Granger ’s one-hour television presentation, Voice of the People, and a host of other programmes that speak specifically to issues concerning affairs of the state. He said that when those specific programmes are being aired, music and the voice of a female deejay can be heard. While viewers are able to see the programme it is difficult and sometimes impossible to hear what is being said. In a statement, the management of the new radio station, called Radio Guyana Inc., denied the charges being made by Channel Six. RGI said it operates a radio station with an adult contemporary music format, transmitting on the frequency 88.5MHz. “Any concerns held by the management of CNS 6 should be reported to the National Frequency
Management Unit (NFMU) for investigation rather than making spurious claims in the media,” RGI said. Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop was one of a dozen people handpicked by the then President Bharrat Jagdeo for a radio licence. Jagdeo was known to frequent Guyana Times and even to recruit people for the newspaper, reinforcing the belief that he was a prime player in the paper. For his part, Dr Ramroop, in court documents stated that he was no more than a shareholder in the entity. It is believed that Jagdeo could very well be the owner of the new radio station. Meanwhile, veteran broadcaster Enrico Woolford has repeated his call for the NFMU to publish who is allocated or operating on what frequency in Guyana for public or cable broadcasting. “The airwaves are a limited public resource and the public needs to know who owns what or who was allocated what,” Woolford stated. He said that the NFMU should have a public register of who has what “claims.”
Thursday November 29, 2012
Students vacate Mahdia Secondary after alleged paranormal possessions Mahdia Secondary School had an early end on Tuesday after there were reports of students reportedly becoming possessed. And while many persons flocked the schoolyard to see what was unfolding, students wasted no time in vacating the premises for fear of becoming the next victim. A report reaching this publication stated that around 11:00hours, one after the other, seven female students reportedly became possessed by a force. The students who were said to be in the upper form were in their classrooms when one of them reportedly started shaking and speaking in a foreign language. Subsequently, another student started to behave in the same manner. According to the reports, the girls became violent, hitting anyone who came close to them. It was reported that several persons received split lips, kicks, punches and scratches as the girls erupted in violence while being transported to the Assembly of God Church. Prior to that, Kaieteur News was told that the girls had broken the louvre windows in the classroom and attempted to make the 12-foot
A student said to have been possessed
jump from the class to the ground. They were however rescued by persons who held on to them. Parents of students quickly appeared at the school while the police were reportedly called in. This publication was further told that at the time one female was able to recover from the
alleged possession. She reported visioning a man with a snake wrapped around his shoulder. One resident said that the phenomenon has been happening for almost seven weeks in the village. He claimed that last Sunday some women were also possessed in a church.
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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CHI to tackle heart rhythm - Resident Cardiologist disorders While the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI) is currently providing a reliable cardiac service, there is yet room for major improvement, an undertaking that the new Resident Cardiologist, Dr Mahendra Carpen, is set to take head-on. He said that it is his vision for an expanded operation during an interview with this publication even as he intimated ambitious plans for the heart facility which is currently accommodated at the Geor g e t o w n P u b l i c Hospital Corporation. “So far, what we have is good and capable of serving most of the needs but there are some things, such as dealing with heart rhythm disorders that we do not offer right now.” With radio frequency energy, experts the likes of Dr Carpen are able to burn specific conduction parts of the heart that cause people to have fast or slow heart beats. “We can do those things in the future but we don’t have the specialised equipment just yet. I am hoping that we will be able to get that moving. Before we
CHI’s Resident Cardiologist, Dr Mahendra Carpen didn’t have the capabilities of doing those things but now we do...” Not only is Dr Carpen well trained as an Interventional Cardiologist but he also brings to CHI added expertise in the area of Electrophysiology which caters specifically to heart rhythm disorders. In fact, CHI as a Regional provider of cardiac care, has made Guyana one of the two countries providing
Electrophysiology services on a full time basis. “It is possible in Jamaica but they don’t have a full time person there and it is possible in Trinidad which is the only other place in the Caribbean with a fulltime person,” said Dr Carpen. Since his arrival here three weeks ago at the behest of CHI’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Gary Stephens, Dr Carpen has been rendering an invaluable service to ailing cardiac patients. “Since I have been here we have had outpatient clinics, we have been taking referrals from all around the country including from outside hospitals...We have done angiograms and we have put in stents and pacemakers...The whole scope of what we can do has been somewhat utilised.” Just this past weekend four successful open-heart operations were conducted at CHI, but according to Dr Carpen, there is still a lot more that can be done. “We are trying to get our system developed to the point where we can actually utilise all the training that we
have had over the years to provide a quality service to the public.” Turning his attention to heart disease prevalence in Guyana, Dr Carpen observed that there is a great deal of very sick people who are in dire need of help, most of whom can access help right at CHI. Unfortunately there are some that cannot be helped at CHI, or anywhere else in the world for that matter, since according to the Resident Cardiologist there are some who are “too far gone.” “They are at the end and sometimes that is the harsh reality. It is a tough position to find yourself in when you have to tell someone I can’t do anything for you.” However, there are others whose lives can be greatly improved through the various cardiac interventions even allowing them to embrace longevity. In recognition of the fact that CHI is not the source for all possible cardiac services, Dr Carpen spoke of strategic moves to collaborate with (continued on page 15)
Thursday November 29, 2012
New Amsterdam hire car driver allegedly beats reputed wife, in-laws Hire car driver, Ryan Adams, 36, of Shoe Lane, New Amsterdam, who allegedly assaulted his reputed wife following a misunderstanding, then inflicted a beating on her parents after they intervened, is facing three charges before the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court. Adams is charged with one count of unlawful and malicious wounding committed on his reputed wife Nikki Luckhan and two counts of unlawful wounding on Ave Luckhan and Paul Luckhan on November 25. On Tuesday he was placed on $35,000 bail by magistrate Adela Nagamootoo after he pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutor corporal Orin Joseph said that the accused and Luckhan lived together. They shared a child. Following a misunderstanding, Luckhan moved out and returned to her parents’ home at Lot 50 ‘A’ Nurseville Housing
Scheme, New Amsterdam. On November ,24, last, the accused saw Luckhan in a car and became annoyed. He allegedly drove his car in front of the other vehicle blocking its path. He then proceeded to pull Luckhan from that vehicle. A physical confrontation ensued after Adams accused the woman of being unfaithful. The woman reported the matter to the police station. The next d a y, a r o u n d 0 1 : 0 0 h r s Luckhan was on her way home in a car and Adams reportedly accosted her. She however proceeded to her yard and was on her steps when Adams followed her. Another confrontation ensued; Adams lashed her on her head with a bottle he was carrying. Her parents who were at home intervened and they were also assaulted. The matter was reported and Adams was arrested and charged. He will return to court on March 22, next year.
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
Maternal complications …
Two mothers experience “horror” at GPHC Two mothers reportedly experienced “pure terror and horror” at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Friday and again on Sunday. One mother, Andrea Cort, complained that she essentially delivered her baby herself; while the other, Olinda Fredericks, suffered the loss of her daughter mere hours after she was delivered. Cort said that she was admitted to the hospital’s maternity ward last Thursday. The woman explained that she was in labour but nurses told her that she was dilating. According to Cort, on Friday she was constantly being monitored. “They check me and say that I was at three centimeters, and then they check me again and said that I went to five centimeters. Then another nurse check and she say that I went all de way back to one centimeter. A li’l time after that a male nurse tell me how I went straight up to seven centimeters. That is how I went whole day.” The woman said that all the while she had been experiencing excruciating pain and after some time she became very weak. “I couldn’t move; then I feel this sudden urge fuh vomit and I vomit right alongside me bed. De nurse look at me and start one busing; asking me if duh is what I do when I deh home; so I explained to her that I weak so I couldn’t move to go vomit. “She continue rowing and tell me that I should ah know what does happen when you delivering before I run go get pregnant. By the time she talking I done vomit two more time.” Cort explained that she was eventually placed on a wheelchair and was awaiting attention from a nurse when she started delivering her baby. “I sit down in this wheelchair waiting for the nurse to come and I feel this sudden pain in me back so hard like if somebody push me I fall forward. Then I fix back meself and for comfort I was in a laying position but still in the wheel chair. Then I feel like if he was coming so I
took off me underwear and I start holler for “Nurse, nurse come help me. “One a de nurse start holler don’t push but I de know how I feeling so I push and feel me baby head come out so I start push more and I end up sliding me self to the ground. I start pushing again then one a de other women in the ward tell me that de cord was around the baby neck so I call fuh de nurse and she come over me, watch me and tell me she get a mind lef me leh the cord strangle the baby cause I didn’t listen when she told me not to push. “I literally delivered my baby on the ground in the ward. Then after all ah duh they took me to the Labour Room.” Fortunately for Cort, she delivered a healthy baby boy and was discharged from the health institution the following Sunday. However, Fredericks lost her baby girl about 12 hours after going through a “painful” delivery. Fredericks’s husband told this newspaper that his wife was transferred from West Demerara Hospital after being told that that institution’s Maternity theater does not operate on weekends. The man said that his wife was two weeks over due and “de crying out for nuff, nuff pain so we ask for a C-section. They told us that she could do it the natural way. So I leff them fuh do they thing but they messed up big time cause if they de do the CSection me baby girl would
have still been alive.” “First thing I go to the nurse and I ask she what really happen to me baby. She tell me she don’t like the way I approach she. So I asked her if me baby dead how she want me to approach her…?Anyway, I de carry on, cause I was really hurt and I tell she that I thought that if me wife deh at a place with all these accoutrements she would a be alright but them ain’t fit a fart. “This nurse look me in the face and tell me I should a go to a private hospital. Why should I have to pay fuh hospital when I does pay me tax every religious month? If they had done that C Section me baby would a live.” The man said that medical professionals were fully aware that his wife was hypertensive and the pain she endured caused her blood pressure to “keep climbing”, that is why we ask them fuh do the C-Section cause of the pressure and that the baby was overdue.” The baby’s father and his sister-in-law accompanied the attendant to the mortuary with the dead baby. “When we at the back, if you see babies in deh and they put me baby with the rest and tell me they will bury it. I tell them no, that the least I could do for me child is give she a decent burial.” The new born was buried on Tuesday. Fredericks has been discharged but is still complaining of excruciating pain. The GPHC administrators have declined to comment publicly on the issue.
From page 14 institutions in Canada and India. The intention is to ensure that patients’ records are placed in a centralised database thereby paving the way for the patient to get the best help available. “If we can’t get patients out to other countries then we will try to get the specialists to come. It will take some work and there will be some challenges but we are hoping to make things happen.” Dr Carpen, who is currently in his late 30s, insisted that his plan for the
heart institute is long term since he intends to remain there the rest of his career which he expects would span no less than 25 years. After completing his medical studies at the University of Guyana he studied in Jamaica, Canada and the United States. Before coming to Guyana he was offered a faculty position at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica, but decided to turn it down to render his service to CHI instead. “To be honest, it was a good and great opportunity
to go and be a part of UWI but when the opportunity to come home came up it was very hard to say no....regardless of what challenges I saw a head of me there was also the potential for great rewards mentally and the satisfaction of doing something that makes a difference.” “It is a special feeling to be able to do it at home,” said Dr Carpen who was forced to leave behind in Boston, his two-year-old daughter, and wife who is 18 months shy of completing her studies in Internal Medicine.
The dead baby
CHI to tackle heart rhythm ...
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Kaieteur News
Thursday November 29, 2012
No confidence High Court case postponed House collapses, pins student nurse
Lawyers for Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, yesterday asked for an adjournment in the no confidence High Court case. As the matter was called before Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang, Attorney at law Eusi Anderson, informed the court that Nandlall was out of the Jurisdiction. According to Anderson, the Attorney General was somewhere in South America and would return by Monday. There was no objection by either of the opposition sides. Present yesterday from the opposition were Attorneys at law, Basil Williams, James Bond and Khemraj Ramjattan.
The matter was later adjourned to Wednesday. Attorney General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall moved to the High Court seeking to have Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman’s ruling prohibiting Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee from speaking in the Parliament and referring him to the Committee of Privileges, declared “unlawful, unconstitutional, and without jurisdiction”. According to court documents, the Speaker, who is the second named respondent of the motion, has no power whatsoever under the standing orders, the laws
of Guyana, or the Constitution to impose a prohibition on a member of the National Assembly from speaking or performing the functions which devolve upon that member, either as a member or as a Minister thereof. According to Nandlall’s motion, the Speaker’s ruling is without any legal or factual base and therefore the privileges committee has no jurisdiction to deal with or determine any issue remitted to it. The AG is also moving to have an order setting aside, vacating, quashing or rescinding the decision and or ruling of the Speaker as well as any decision arising
from the privileges committee since the referral is without any legal base. The joint opposition (the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC)) filed a no-confidence motion against Minister Rohee, and used their one-seat majority to pass it. They subsequently brought to the House another motion to prevent the Minister from speaking. Their intention, which was disclosed at a public meeting on August 24 at Stabroek Market Square, is to suspend the Minister for a period of six months, if their no-confidence motion was not adhered to.
Eleven receive annual tourism awards Calls for Government to add tourism to the line of items of the national budget in Parliament were made at the sixth annual Tourism Award Ceremony last evening. These sentiments were made by Executive member of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Christopher ‘Kit’ Nascimento. Present at the event were members of the Diplomatic Corps, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority and special invitees. Eleven Tourism awards were distributed. The Community-Based Tourism Development Award was given to Conservation International; the Tourism Enterprise award was given to Colin Edwards; the Tour Guide of the Year was given to Paul Edwards; and the
Businessman Lennox John receives the Pillar of Tourism Industry from Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.
Tourism Pioneer was given to the Correia Group of Companies. A posthumous award was given to Richard Ousman for Tourism Recognition; the Best Tourism Marketing given to John Drepaul; and the Tourism Recognition award was given to best Supporting Hotel which was Princess Hotel Guyana. Nascimento said that over the six years, 65 awards were given out for excellence in Tourism. Noting that there was an increase in visitors for the year, he said there was also an increase in yachts visiting the Essequibo shores within the past three weeks. Nascimento called on the government to have a better docking facility for the yachts since if there is no development for this sector it will slowly disappear.
Eight persons are now homeless an d a s t u d e n t nurse, Selwyn Semple, 18, of Lot 8 Timmers Dam, Angoy’s Avenue was on We d n e s d a y seriously injured when their house that was being repaired collapsed and fell on the y o u n g s t e r, partially pinning him under the building. The young man who is the eldest of six children, was at the time assisting his father and a contractor to plumb the cottage. According to his father, Clarence Semple, who is a carpenter, he had hired a contractor, Allan Ally, to conduct repairs and plumb the house. Ally and his employee, with some help, were conducting repairs to the building. He said that his son, who is a student nurse, was in the process of writing his first year examination. He had written his first exams on Tuesday and had the day off on We d n e s d a y a n d w a s scheduled to write the f i n a l e x a m s t o d a y. H e said that his son decided to assist and was partially under the house at the front section. They had raised the house a considerable way and had another four inches to go when the house suddenly collapsed. His son heard the cracking noise and tried to
Selwyn Semple escape, but was hit on his head by a beam. He fell and was struck on other parts of his body. He ended up being partially pinned under the falling structure. Neighbours quickly arrived and assisted those in the yard to free the youth who was bleeding through his mouth and nose. He also sustained injuries to his eyes and head. He was quickly put in a neighbour’s car and rushed to the New Amsterdam hospital accompanied by his mother, Michelle Semple. News of his injuries quickly spread among his colleagues who flocked the hospital. Others held hands and started to pray. Up to press time Semple was still in the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital.
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
Pirate attack off Leguan shore…
Police release suspect, victim says police inaction frustrating Fisherfolk are calling on the Guyana Police Force and Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, to investigate the Police at Parika Police Station who apprehended a suspected pirate and released him. They are citing the inaction of investigators to review the case in a timely manner. This resulted in the suspect being released from custody. One of the victims, Arjune Inderdeo, called ‘Navin’, 32, of Met-en-Meerzorg, West Coast Demerara, who identified the suspected pirate Sunday night at a shop, said he recognised the man who attacked him and two others on the evening of 10th October last. However, police appear to be reluctant to investigate the matter. The other men on the vessel that were attacked the said night were Vicky Singh and Krishnadat Misir. They were attacked when they dropped anchor at Leguan Point when he observed a speedboat approaching but thought nothing of it since many such boats would pass by. However, pirates robbed the crew of three fishing boats just off the shore of Leguan Island, in Essequibo. Arjune Inderdeo said that he identified the man who attacked his vessel Sunday night after he collected the police from the Parika Police Station. The man was then arrested. He said that when police questioned the
Arjune Inderdeo called ‘Navin’ suspected pirate about where he worked “the man said he was working on the water top.” The man was taken into police custody Sunday morning. “Police said I would have to wait on another policeman from Essequibo who handled the matter. The police even said I would have to visit the Leguan Police Station where the report was made, along with the suspect. But we wait at the Parika Police Station all day and the police did nothing.” To date the police have not contacted them to relate anything about the case, they said. Recalling the ordeal, Inderdeo said that as the pirates’ boat was nearing the vessel he was in, it slowed down and bypassed him and
then suddenly, turned back. It was then that he realized that the men on board were robbers. The veteran fisherman said three men brandishing cutlasses ordered himself and his brother, Latchan Inderdeo to loose off their engine quickly. He said that when he hesitated, the attackers, who had wrapped their faces to disguise, became impatient and hit him across his back several times with their weapons, declaring they did not have time to waste. They then made off with his 15 horse power (hp) ‘Yamaha’ engine, two headlights and fuel. Inderdeo said that one of the men who robbed him is slim built while the other is burly and seemed to be the head of the gang as he was giving the orders. The captain said that in all his 16 years at sea, this was the first time that he suffered a robbery while fishing and it was a dreadful experience. He said that after the pirates left, they were drifting and had to break the wooden bench in their boat to use as a paddle. They paddled frantically until they reached some bushes and pulled into where they saw cane fields and met some residents at Leguan. On the island, they were able to use a telephone and inform their loved ones, as well, of their plight. They were taken to the Leguan Police Station where they made a report.
Student battered by man of unsound... From page 2 learnt that his injured brother had been taken to the police mobile outpost from where he was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital. “He (later) told me that he just felt his head hurting and when he turned around the man go to lash him and he barred; but one lash catch him on head and his hand.” Kevon David said that people of unsound mind are allowed to remain on the streets with the potential to cause harm to ordinary citizens. “These people are still a menace to society.” This sentiment was echoed by his mother Abigail Edwards, who is the Deputy Headmistress of the Brickdam Secondary School. With tears in her eyes, she recalled how she received a message that her son was walking his usual route when he was wounded by a person of unsound mind. “I normally walk there too and I would usually pass them by Parliament Building every morning. I feel that they
should generally remove them because I would be afraid of one of them who walks up and down…this is right in front of Parliament,” Miss Edwards said. This is not the first incident of a person of unsound mind attacking citizens. On a previous occasion one such person struck and killed a citizen, while some of them have caused damages to vehicles and other properties. Human Services Minister Jennifer Webster, expressed deep concern over the incident. “I am deeply disturbed over this attack on an innocent passerby…I will make an attempt to get in touch with the child and his parents to see what assistance they need because he (the child) was hurt,” the Minister stated. But the Human Services Ministry may not be the only agency responsible, since according to experts, about 90 percent of the vagrants on the streets are mental patients who require psychiatric treatment, which is more on the medical side. Health Minister, Dr. Bheri
Ramsarran, last evening told this newspaper that while yesterday’s incident is unfortunate there is no excuse for the occurrence. However, he pointed out that the problem of mentally ill persons on streets requires a collaborative multi-agency effort, involving his Ministry, the Ministry of Human Services and Home Affairs and other NonGovernmental Organizations. He noted that while the persons may be mentally challenged, in most cases, they are substance abusers who can be dealt with by way of social intervention. In this regard, the Health Minister said that the administration has been building capacity to deal with such persons and efforts will be intensified in the wake of yesterday’s incident. “It is a social issue that has to be dealt with collectively. There is no excuse… We will be intervening with this wakeup call. The administration is doing something but we need to speed it up,” Dr. Ramsarran told this newspaper.
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Kaieteur News
Thursday November 29, 2012
“Picture Boy double murder” Trial ...
Judge strikes out witness testimony By Latoya Giles Justice Diana Insanally yesterday struck from the records more than two hours of evidence given by defense witness, Dr. Dalgleish Joseph, because he was not deemed an expert before he challenged the cause of death given by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh. The trial judge acceded to an application made by Senior State Counsel Judith Gildharie-Mursalin at the conclusion of the doctor’s evidence. The Prosecutor submitted to the court that in accordance with Section 16 of
the Evidence Act, Chapter 5:03, being deemed an expert in a particular field is a precondition to giving opinion evidence on that subject. Defense Counsel, Lyndon Amsterdam, submitted that no application was made because that was an “oversight” and asked the Judge to consider that the doctor had testified before in the void dire and was deemed an expert then and ought to similarly be deemed at this trial. However, GildharieMursalin submitted that a voir dire was a separate trial
which was held in the absence of the jury and distinct from this main trial. She added that the judge ought not to deem the doctor an expert retrospectively. The doctor had already left the court. Dr. Joseph was the second witness called by the defense when the trial of double-murd e r a c c u s e d , Cyon Collier, called ‘Picture Boy’, resumed before a mixed Demerara Assizes jury. Collier is charged with the murder of Victoria brothers, Ray Walcott, called ‘Sugar’, and Carl Andrews, called ‘Alo’ on September 23,
2006. Dr. Singh, a witness called by the prosecution, testified in relation to the two post mortem reports and gave the cause of death for Walcott as “multiple gunshot injuries.” Dr. Joseph told the court that such a finding was not a cause of death. When cross-examined by the Prosecutor, the doctor admitted that he was not a Forensic Pathologist. He was then asked a b o u t h i m challenging the cause of death given by a specialist Forensic Pathologist on t h e b a s i s o f h i m ( D r. Joseph) having been
lectured to some 30 years ago on Pathology and his answer was that he was d o i n g s o b a sed on his knowledge as a surgeon and the number of patients he had treated with multiple gunshot injuries. The Prosecutor asked the doctor to look at the findings on Walcott’s post mortem report and say what the cause of death would have been. The doctor said it would take time for him to read it but the judge told him to do so, after which he said the cause of death would have been “lethal injuries that occurred at the level of the head, neck and chest.” Pushed further as to what would have caused those lethal injuries, he conceded that it would have been the gunshots. The Prosecutor asked Dr Joseph if he considered Dr. Nehaul Singh to be a professional colleague of his and he said yes. He was then asked if he was aware of the Medical Practitioners (Code of Conduct and Standards of Practice) Regulations 2008 which has as one of its aims and objectives to promote public confidence in colleagues and that his testimony was in contravention of these Regulations. Dr. Joseph said he was brought to court as an expert to give opinion and that was what he was doing and there was no law in Guyana which prohibits an expert from so doing. He was then read 46(3) of the said Code of Conduct which stipulates that an unsustainable comment of a Medical Practitioner which, directly or by implication, sets
out to undermine trust in the knowledge or skills of a professional colleague is unethical and prohibited and that by his testimony in court he was, by implication, undermining trust in the knowledge and skills of Dr. Singh. Dr. Joseph said his opinion was sought based on the evidence shown to him and no law or regulation can prevent a medical practitioner from giving evidence on findings in a court of law. He said if persons like him, in exercising their professional responsibilities can be accused of any unethical doings that obviously would be farfetched and dubious. Dr. Joseph also admitted that he did not examine the accused at any time and therefore could not say for how long he had the varicocele with hydrocele, nor could he say if Collier ever had a sexually transmitted infection or contracted filaria from mosquito bites which could have led to his condition. The Prosecutor referred him to Regulation 8(1)(c) of the Code of Conduct which provides that a Medical Practitioner shall be cautious that he should testify only to that which he has personally verified and then asked him about him testifying in direct contravention of same. Dr. Joseph said he testified based on the autopsy reports and medical records shown to him. Following Dr. Joseph’s evidence, the defense closed its case. The trial will resume on Monday when Amsterdam is expected to give his closing address.
$400,000 bail for causing death accused A 29-year-old father of two yesterday faced Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry accused of causing death by dangerous driving. The charge stated that on November 22, on the Houston Public Road, Colin Welch, of Lot 1715 Nineteenth Street Diamond Housing Scheme drove his motor car PJJ 6755 in a manner dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of Tony Singh, a pedestrian. The matter against Welch was indictable thus he was not required to plead to the charge. Reports are that the accident occurred while Singh was crossing the road using the pedestrian
crossing. Eyewitnesses related that the 56-year-old man known as Pauley, from Belle West, Canal Number Two was hit by a speeding motorcar and sustained several cuts and bruises about the body. Singh was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Welch, who was represented by Attorney -At –Law, Max Mc Kay, requested bail on the basis that the offense allows his client to be granted his pretrial liberty. As such Welch was released on $400,000 bail. He was ordered to return on December 18.
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
CANU confirms drugs found in Malaysia left Guyana Head of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit, James Singh, has confirmed that the drugs which were fo u n d i n a shipment of liquid coconut milk had indeed left Guyana. Singh when contacted yesterday declined to give any further comment. All the CANU head would say was that investigations are ongoing. But Kaieteur News has since learnt that several persons have been detained and that the local law enforcement agents have been able to track the shipper. A few weeks ago Malaysian authorities seized a container filled with over US$7M in cocaine in liquid coconut milk believed to have originated in Guyana. It is believed that the US’ Drugs Enforcement Administration (DEA) may have been tracking the
container since it left Guyana. The Malaysian official news agency, Bernama, yesterday disclosed that a Nigerian drug syndicate may be the ones behind this latest bust which has over time become more bizarre. Drugs have been known to be found in wigs, crotch, pepper sauce, and in some cases the carriers have been caught after swallowing tiny packets. According to Bernama, Bukit Aman Narcotics CID director Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said the tactic was foiled by the Selangor Customs Department after detaining a ship carrying a container cargo in which a section contained drugs worth RM22 (US$7.1M). “Based on information from United States Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA), the ship which arrived on November 12, last
West Berbice man on trial for wife’s murder
The trial of West Berbice farmer, Anderson Nicholson, called “Andy” and “Cowboy” of D’ Edward Village, West Bank Berbice, for the murder of his wife, began on Tuesday in the Berbice High Court. Nicholson allegedly killed Trevlyn Amelia Kingston, who was 23 at the time and a mother of one, on October 14, 2008 at D Edward, West Bank Berbice. State prosecutor, attorney at law Priteema Kissoon, presented the indictment to the court which is being presided over by Justice Roxanne George Wiltshire. Nicholson is being represented by attorney at law Tanya Warren Clement. The judge then adjourned the matter to Monday to give the attorney enough time to go through the deposition. She also stated that she will be unavailable on Thursday and Friday. When his name was called Nicholson told the court that he answered to the alias ‘Andy’, but does not know the name ‘Cowboy’. It was reported that on the
Anderson Nicholson day in question the man killed the woman at their home following a misunderstanding. He escaped, but subsequently turned himself over to the police a day later in the company of a lawyer. They had been married for only four months after living in a common-law relationship for a number of years. The state is expected to call seven witnesses.
at Port Klang was filled with 980 cartons of cans containing coconut milk and pieces of pineapple.” Bernama reported that 16 cartons comprising 384 cans of coconut milk were identified as mixtures with 400 grammes of cocaine in each can by the Malaysia’s Chemistry Department. Ibrahim said the container which originated from Guyana in South America was to be sent to Mozambique. From that transit point, it was to be transferred to another ship.
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Cane harvester granted bail for causing death A cane harvester was yesterday granted bail totaling $220,000 after being charged with causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and failing to render assistance. The accused, Edson Inniss, a 36-year-old cane harvester of New Amsterdam made his appearance before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo at the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Court. It is alleged that on November 24, he drove his motor car in a dangerous manner thereby causing the death of Sastia Phillips. It is
also alleged that on the same day the man fled the accident scene and the third charge read that Inniss failed to render assistance to Phillips. The accused was granted bail to the tune of $200,000 for the causing death charge and $20,000 for the other two charges. Inniss will return to court on February 1. Initial reports are that Sastia Phillips was walking along Main Street, New Amsterdam in the company of her reputed husband, Peter Greenidge, and their two-yearold daughter. The car which was reportedly driven by
Inniss came from behind and struck Phillips; she was tossed into the air before landing on the bonnet of the car and then to the ground. The injured woman was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital by her reputed husband where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The car immediately fled the scene but was subsequently found. The driver turned himself in two days after the accident. A post mortem subsequently revealed that Phillips died as a result of a broken neck attributed to the impact of the hit.
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CLICO probe: Attorney General blanks DPP’s request on Commission PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC – Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has blanked a request from the Director of Public Prosecution, (DPP), Roger Gaspard, urging him to either suspend or stop the Commission of Enquiry probing the collapse of the Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited (CLICO). Gaspard had indicated that the police have launched a criminal investigation against former executives and several corporate entities aligned to the collapsed insurance company and that the public enquiry being conducted by Sir Anthony Coleman could jeopardise a successful prosecution. The DPP had also asked Ramlogan that he should advise President George Maxwell Richards to suspend the Commission “immediately or to at least vary the Terms of Reference”. But in a lengthy statement released by his office late Tuesday, Ramlogan said that “Sir
Anthony has full and complete responsibility and control over this Inquiry. “In the circumstances the Attorney General considers that it would be inappropriate, if not improper to preemptively advise the Commission how it should conduct its ongoing inquiry.” Ramlogan said that the coalition People’s Partnership government ever since coming to office in 2010 had been dealing with the CLICO issue and had also considered various options. “It could not direct a police investigation because it had no power to do so. In October 2010 the government announced the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry to enquire into the facts and circumstances that led to the collapse of CLICO.” Ramlogan said that when the government made the announcement, it had the benefit of the experience of three high profile Commissions of Inquiry and that “no concerns were then raised about the potential for
compromising criminal investigations from the evidence which publicly emerged from any of these Commissions”. The Attorney General said that the Commission of Inquiry is an important tool that can supplement and even complement a police investigation as the Commissioner has powers which the police do not. “Whilst the AG is happy with the announcement of a criminal investigation, he is mindful of the wider public interest in having the CLICO fiasco comprehensively examined and fully ventilated. The AG does not share the view that it is necessary for the Inquiry to be stopped at this stage. “The position may have been different had criminal charges been laid and prosecution of someone about to start,” he added. Ramlogan said that the present commission was appointed by the present government in “the face of the silence and inaction on the
part of law enforcement authorities as evidenced by the recent announcement of the commencement of a belated and long overdue criminal investigation. “The available information in the public domain led to the inescapable conclusion that a criminal investigation was warranted and justified. The lack of urgency displayed was a cause for major concern.” Ramlogan said that the collapse of CLICO “has traumatized the nation and caused great distress, frustration and depression to many. The public interest therefore demanded swift action. “The government cannot direct a police investigation,” he said, noting that Sir Anthony is the Deputy Chief Justice in the Commercial Court of Dubai, a former Judge of the Commercial Court in the United Kingdom, a Queen’s Counsel of international repute and “recognized as one of the finest minds in the field of commercial law. “The on-going Coleman Inquiry is an independent Commission appointed by the President of the Republic. It has reached a critical stage and is about to examine crucial witnesses,” Ramlogan said, adding “the Commissioner would no doubt address the concerns raised by the DPP and conduct the Inquiry in an appropriate manner. “The independence of the
Anand Ramlogan Commission dictates that it alone should balance the competing principles of the necessity to protect the integrity of a criminal investigation with that of the continuity of the Inquiry in the public interest. “The failure to initiate a criminal investigation before the appointment of this Commission of Inquiry was appointed is a matter of grave public concern and disappointment. This was the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police and not the DPP.” Ramlogan said that while he is “grateful for the intervention of the DPP in this matter” he does “not need to intervene” The statement said that Ramlogan “could have remained in his Constitutional crease and simply await the report from the Police. His
expertise is clearly required in this matter. “The DPP has a duty to protect the integrity of any criminal investigation because it could lead to criminal prosecution. The AG respects this. Sir Anthony equally has a duty to fulfil his mandate to inquire into the collapse of CLICO in the public interest. “The AG is confident that the common goal of justice will guide both parties in their deliberations in this matter and hopeful that an amicable resolution can be found.” Ramlogan said that there are many innovative options that are open to both parties to reach a reasonable compromise to ensure that the interests of both are protected and that these two considerations of equal importance are not jeopardized.
More Bajans growing own food Barbados Nation - People have been heeding the advice to plant their own food, and Patricia Davis’ Davis Plant Nursery has been reaping the benefits. Davis, who has been into farming for well over 25 years, said that her business of selling seedlings has seen increased patronage. “Many people are interested in getting seedlings for some of the crops which are grown and ready to harvest in six weeks’ time,” she said. Speaking at the pre-Independence Farmers Market on the National Conservation Commission grounds last Saturday, she added that with Christmas just around the corner, pea trees had been very popular with people who wanted to make sure they had peas for the Yuletide season. “The green pea trees will be mature and people can get their green peas in time for Christmas. They also like Chinese cabbage and lettuce; those sell quickly too,” Davis said. As the farmers market got under way, people were trickling in at the Codrington Hill, St Michael compound to get some local produce at a “good” price. Marcina Mottley, a first-timer at the market, said the atmosphere was good and she would bring the produce she grows on her six-acre Sherbourne, St John farm to the public.
Mottley, who has been farming for many years, said the economic situation had put a damper on the business but thieves posed the greatest challenge. She said she had been hit by thieves many times and recently lost a considerable amount of yams and cassavas, but added she was not deterred and would continue to plant her crops. Meanwhile, Sheldine Davis and her mother Patricia are hoping to get people coming to the farm and getting their produce directly at the source. “We are trying to plant enough crops so that people can get them cheaper. Sometimes we have housewives coming to buy things. “Rather than going to supermarkets where they have to pay markup, they come [to our farm] where they get [produce] fresh and cheap straight from the ground,” Davis said. Sheldine, who was operating a stall, said she and her mother plant crops all year long at the Spring Hall Land Lease Project in St Lucy and they liked operating from that setting since cash-strapped customers could get food for less. “We plant year-round, but we can plant early [to supply] the farmers market so that customers can benefit from much cheaper prices,” Sheldine said.
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Colombia leaves pact recognizing U.N. court rulings BOGOTA (Reuters) Colombia has withdrawn from a treaty that binds it to the U.N. International Court of Justice in anger at a ruling that shifts some of its resourcerich waters to Nicaragua, President Juan Manuel Santos said yesterday. The Hague-based court ruled last week that a cluster of disputed islands in the western Caribbean belonged to Colombia and not to Nicaragua, but it drew a
demarcation line in favor of Managua in the nearby waters. The decision, which reduced the expanse of sea belonging to Colombia, set off a scramble in Bogota to see how to overturn the verdict and avoid diplomatic conflict with Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega, who said he had sent ships to the area. Santos has ordered the Colombian navy to remain in the waters granted to
Managua. “The highest national interests demand that territorial and maritime limits are set by agreements as has always been the case in Colombian judicial tradition, and not via rulings uttered by the International Court of Justice,” Santos said. “This is the moment for national unity. This is the moment that the country has to unite.” The 1948 treaty, known as
Ecuador says WikiLeaks’ Assange suffering lung problems
Julian Assange (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is suffering from a chronic lung ailment that could worsen at any time and is being checked regularly by doctors, the Andean country’s ambassador to Britain said yesterday.
Assange, 41, whose website angered the United States by releasing thousands of secret diplomatic cables, has been holed up inside Ecuador’s embassy in London since June to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations. Assange has denied any wrongdoing. “He has a chronic lung complaint that could get worse any time. The Ecuadorean state is covering Mr Assange’s medical costs and we have arranged for regular doctor visits to check on his health,” Ambassador Ana Alban told a local TV network during a visit to Quito. British authorities say Assange will be arrested if he sets foot outside the
embassy. The building, located just behind London’s famed Harrods department store, is under constant police surveillance. Ecuador said last month it is worried about Assange’s health and asked Britain to guarantee him safe passage to hospital from the embassy if he needs medical treatment. That would allow him to return to the embassy after treatment with refugee status. Assange is said to be living a cramped life inside the modest diplomatic mission. He eats mostly take-out food and uses a treadmill to burn off energy and a vitamin D lamp to make up for the lack of sunlight. In late August, the former computer hacker said he expected to wait six months to a year for a deal that would allow him to leave the embassy.
Opposition legislator wants Warner brought before Privileges Committee
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - CMC - President of the Senate Timothy Hamel-Smith has deferred his ruling on whether or not National Security Minister Austin Jack Warner should be sent to the Privileges Committee after an opposition legislator accused him of misleading the Senate. Opposition Senator Fitzgerald Hinds said statements made by Warner in the Senate last week about the ex-gratia payments to former police commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and his deputy Jack Ewatski had been contradicted by the Police Service Commission (PSC). Warner had informed the Senate that the Kamla Persad Bissessar government had paid Gibbs TT$1.27 million (One TT dollar = US$0.16 cents) and Ewatski TT$1.21 million upon cessation of their contracts based on a
Austin Jack Warner recommendation of the PSC. But in a statement, the PSC said it “wishes to state that it never made any such recommendation. Neither does the issue of such payments fall under the
constitutional mandate of the commission”. Hinds told the Senate that Warner’s statements were therefore “wholly untrue” and accused the National Security Minister of deliberately misleading the Senate, committing contempt of the Senate and being reckless and bringing the Senate into disrepute. The opposition legislator said that Warner, with his intimate knowledge of the situation, “should have known or ought to have known the information he was conveying to the Senate was inaccurate”. Hinds said the situation was a “disdainful desecration of the Senate’s privileges”. Senate President Timothy Hamel-Smith said he would rule at a subsequent Senate sitting on Hinds’ request.
the Bogota Pact, recognizes ICJ rulings to find peaceful solutions to signatories’ conflicts. Leaving the pact would mean Colombia is not obliged to heed the court’s ruling on any potential bids by Nicaragua to seek additional territory, the government has said. But its withdrawal would not have a retroactive effect, and it would be obliged to comply with last week’s ruling. Ortega has said he expects Colombia to recognize the court decision, which is binding, but experts have said Colombia may reject it and seek to negotiate a new border pact. Colombia’s withdrawal “doesn’t influence under any circumstance” the court’s ruling, Carlos Arguello, Managua’s representative at the Hague, told reporters. Santos has not yet said whether he will accept the latest ICJ decision. He has rejected the changes to the
Juan Manuel Santos border, saying the ruling had “omissions, mistakes, excesses, inconsistencies, that we can not accept.” Santos highlighted other countries that have taken similar decisions, including Norway, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Nicaragua’s continental shelf and economic exclusion zone in the Caribbean was increased by the court ruling, giving it access to potential underwater oil and gas
deposits as well as fishing rights. In 2007, the court ruled in a long-running dispute between the two countries that three large islands of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina belonged to Colombia. “The ICJ is not a biased court, and it followed established principles,” said William Schabas, professor of law at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom.
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Thursday November 29, 2012
Palestinians say UN bid is last-ditch peace effort RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A bid for U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine is a last-ditch attempt to rescue troubled Mideast peace efforts, a Palestinian spokeswoman said yesterday, rejecting Israel’s charge that it is an attempt to bypass negotiations. Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, urged the U.S. to drop its opposition to the bid, dismissing Washington’s stance as “pathetic” and harmful to American interests in the region. The Palestinians have come under intense pressure from the U.S., Britain and others to modify the bid but “have not succumbed,” she said. On Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans to ask the U.N. General Assembly to recognize Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, areas Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but still controls most access. The Palestinians expect some two-thirds of the General Assembly’s 193 members will accept Palestine
Mahmoud Abbas as a non-member observer state. The U.S., Israel, Canada and a few others are opposed. The vote will not change the situation on the ground, yet the Palestinians still say it is significant. Abbas has said U.N. recognition is not meant to replace negotiations with Israel, but to improve Palestinian leverage and secure the pre-1967 war frontiers as the baseline for future border talks — an idea Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected. This does not mean the
U.N. vote will pave the way for a quick resumption of talks, which broke down four years ago. Abbas has said he will not negotiate as long as Israel keeps expanding settlements on war-won land. Half a million Israelis now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, blurring the 1967 lines. Beyond a 10-month partial halt in 2009 that failed to restart sustained peace talks, Netanyahu has refused to freeze construction in settlements. Abbas aides have given conflicting accounts of whether U.N. recognition of “Palestine” would soften his demands for a settlement freeze ahead of any negotiations. Referring to Israeli settlement building, Ashrawi said Wednesday that the U.N. bid “is a last-ditch effort, because we believe the twostate solution (a Palestinian state alongside Israel) is in jeopardy as a result of these actions.” She said if the U.S. “can’t vote yes, at least don’t vote no, because that would be seen as being really pathetic
by the rest of the world.” Deputy U.S. Secretary of State William Burns met with Abbas Wednesday at his New York hotel in a lastminute attempt to halt the U.N. bid, Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said. Burns told Abbas that the U.N. vote goes against U.S. interests and President Barack Obama would make a new push in 2013 to see a Palestinian state formed through negotiations, Erekat said. Burns “asked President Abbas to change his mind,” the aide said. Abbas told Burns that the vote would take place today, as planned, Erekat said. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev dismissed the U.N. quest as futile, saying only negotiations with Israel can bring about a Palestinian state. “They can get pieces of paper from the U.N., but they are not going to move peace forward, they are not going to make a Palestinian statehood more real,” he said. “They boycott Israel. They refuse to talk to us. Who do they plan to make peace with?” he said. Surveys indicate most Palestinians have become disillusioned with prospects of setting up a state through negotiations. Two decades of talks have failed to produce
results, marred by intransigence and repeated bouts of violence. The vote comes at an important time domestically for Abbas, who has watched his political rival, the Islamic militant group Hamas, gain popularity, particularly after holding its own during an Israeli offensive on Hamasruled Gaza earlier this month. The military action was aimed at stopping almost daily rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel. Hamas, which seized control of Gaza from Abbas in 2007, argues that negotiations with Israel are a waste of time, but Hamas leaders have come out in support of the U.N. bid in recent days. During Israel’s Gaza offensive, Abbas was largely sidelined at his compound in the West Bank, underscoring international concerns that the deadlock in peace efforts is increasingly weakening him and other Palestinian pragmatists. Abbas aides have said they expect key European countries to support the U.N. bid in an attempt to strengthen Abbas. France, Spain, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland have pledged support. Germany said it would not support the initiative, while Britain’s foreign secretary
said his government would not oppose it. He said Britain would only vote in favor if the Palestinians softened some of the language. Israel appeared to be backing away from plans to immediately punish the Palestinians for going to the U.N. Instead, an Israeli government official said Israel would wait to see whether the Palestinians would use the world body’s expected approval to hurt Israel. The Palestinians plan to seek membership or access to a number of international and U.N. agencies, including the International Criminal Court, once their statehood bid is approved. Israel would respond “forcefully” if the Palestinians try to pursue war crimes charges against Israel at the ICC, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss policy considerations. If the Palestinians use their upgraded international status “as a tool to confront Israel in the international arena, there will be a response.” Until then, he said, Israel will be bound by its obligations to the Palestinians under existing peace agreements, but won’t necessarily go beyond them. Earlier there was talk of Israel’s retaliating by canceling the partial peace accords.
Cameron says media need independent regulator
LONDON (Reuters) Britain’s scandal-tinged media need an independent system of regulation, Prime Minister David Cameron said on yesterday, the day he received findings of a public inquiry into press ethics that is widely expected to advise statutory controls. The press was battling to avoid tougher statutory regulation ahead of today’s report by judge Brian Leveson, who was tasked with investigating media ethics after the phonehacking affair at Rupert Murdoch’s now defunct News of the World. Cameron, one of a small number of senior government ministers given access to the Leveson report the day before its publication, said the status quo needed to change but gave no indication of whether he would support statutory regulation. “The status quo, I would argue, does not just need updating - the status quo is unacceptable and needs to change,” Cameron told parliament when asked about media regulation.
David Cameron “This government set up Leveson because of unacceptable practices in parts of the media and because of a failed regulatory system,” Cameron said. Leveson is expected to recommend a new independent body, possibly with statutory powers over the press, instead of the current system of selfregulation the industry wants to retain. Newspapers argue that statutory rules would curb freedom of speech, though some phone-hacking victims
say the press is trying to bully Cameron into ducking far-reaching reforms. “What matters most ... I believe, is that we end up with an independent regulatory system that can deliver and in which the public will have confidence,” he said. Cameron will have to decide whether to accept Leveson’s proposals in full and risk the wrath of the press in the run-up to an election in 2015 that polls show he could lose, or face accusations that he is in thrall to the media. “Can I warn my right honourable friend not to be remembered as the prime minister who introduced state regulation of the press,” Conservative lawmaker Philip Davies told Cameron. “A free press is an essential part of a free democracy and would he agree regulation of the press is like pregnancy - just as you’re either pregnant or you are not pregnant, you either have state regulation or you don’t,” Davies said. Cameron said: “Whatever the changes we make, we want a robust and free press in our country.
Thursday November 29, 2012
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Egypt assembly seeks to wrap up constitution (Reuters) - The assembly writing Egypt’s constitution said it could wrap up a final draft late yesterday, a move the Muslim Brotherhood sees as a way out of a crisis over a decree by President Mohamed Mursi that protesters say gives him dictatorial powers. But as Mursi’s opponents staged a sixth day of protests in Tahrir Square, critics said the Islamist-dominated assembly’s bid to finish the constitution quickly could make matters worse. Two people have been killed and hundreds injured in countrywide protest set off by Mursi’s decree. The Brotherhood hopes to end the crisis by replacing Mursi’s controversial decree with an entirely new constitution that would need to be approved in a popular referendum, a Brotherhood official told Reuters. It is a gamble based on the Islamists’ belief that they can mobilise enough voters to win the referendum: they have won all elections held since Hosni Mubarak was toppled from power. But the move seemed likely to deepen divisions
Protesters hit a riot policeman (C) after surrounding him during clashes in front of the U.S Embassy near Tahrir Square in Cairo yesterday. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh that are being exposed in the street. The Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies called for protests on Saturday in Tahrir Square, setting the stage for more confrontation with their opponents, who staged a mass rally there on Tuesday.
The constitution is one of the main reasons Mursi is at loggerheads with nonIslamist opponents. They are boycotting the 100-member constitutional assembly, saying the Islamists have tried to impose their vision for Egypt’s future. The assembly’s legal
legitimacy has been called into question by a series of court cases demanding its dissolution. Its popular legitimacy has been hit by the withdrawal of members including church representatives and liberals. “We will start now and finish today, God willing,”
Hossam el-Gheriyani, the assembly speaker, said at the start of its latest session in Cairo, saying today would be “a great day”. “If you are upset by the decree, nothing will stop it except a new constitution issued immediately,” he said. Three other members of the assembly told Reuters there were plans to put the document to a vote today. Just down the road from the meeting convened at the Shura Council, protesters were again clashing with riot police in Tahrir Square. Members of the assembly watched on television as they waited to go into session. “The constitution is in its last phases and will be put to a referendum soon and God willing it will solve a lot of the problems in the street,” said Talaat Marzouk, an assembly member from the Salafi Nour Party, as he watched the images. But Wael Ghonim, a prominent activist whose online blogging helped ignite the anti-Mubarak uprising, said a constitution passed in such circumstances would “entrench authoritarianism”. The constitution is
supposed to be the cornerstone of a new, democratic Egypt following Mubarak’s three decades of autocratic rule. The assembly has been at work for six months. Mursi had extended its December 12 deadline by two months - extra time that Gheriyani said was not needed. The constitution will determine the powers of the president and parliament and define the roles of the judiciary and a military establishment that had been at the heart of power for decades until Mubarak was toppled. It will also set out the role of Islamic law, or sharia. The effort to conclude the text quickly marked an escalation, said Nathan Brown, a professor of political science at George Washington University in the United States. “It may be regarded with hostility by a lot of state actors too, including the judiciary,” he said. Leading opposition and former Arab League chief figure Amr Moussa slammed the move.
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Thursday November 29, 2012
Car bombs kill 34 in pro-Assad Damascus suburb BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two car bombs killed at least 34 people in a district of Damascus loyal to President Bashar al-Assad yesterday in the deadliest attack on the Syrian capital in months. The explosions struck the eastern neighborhood of Jaramana, home to many of Syria’s Druze minority as well as Christians who have fled violence elsewhere, ripping through shops and bringing debris crashing down on cars. Once a bastion of security in Assad’s 20-month campaign to crush an uprising against his rule, Damascus has been hit with increasing regularity as the rebels grow bolder. State media said a bomb also detonated in the southern town of Bosra al-Sham, near Deraa, where the revolt began with peaceful street protests in March 2011. It also said eight “terrorists” were killed near Damascus while they tried to booby-trap a car with a bomb. Authorities severely limit independent media in Syria and it was not immediately possible to verify reports. The government said 34 people were killed in Damascus but
A crowd gathers at a site of a blast in Jaramana district, near Damascus, yesterday. REUTERS/Sana did not give a casualty count for the Bosra al-Sham bombing. The attacks followed two weeks of military gains by rebels who have stormed and taken army bases across Syria, exposing Assad’s loss of control in northern and eastern regions despite the devastating air power which
he has used to bombard opposition strongholds. A resident of Jaramana said that rebels had been repeatedly forbidden by local Druze elders to operate in the district, which borders the capital’s center where government offices are located. “Tension have risen
between Druze elders and rebels and now there are 3 or 4 small explosions a week,” she told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Underlining the growing military muscle of the rebels, bolstered by weapons captured during raids on army facilities as well as supplies from abroad, fighters shot
down a war plane in northern Syria on Wednesday using an anti-aircraft missile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Opposition groups subsequently posted a video clip on the Internet that showed a man in a green jumpsuit being carried through fields. He was bleeding heavily from his head and appeared unconscious. “This is the pilot that attacked the houses of civilians,” said a voice off camera. Another video showed doctors treating the limp body of apparently the same pilot, who activists said ejected from his MiG 23 fighter jet before it crashed near Darat Ezza, about 30 km (20 miles) from Aleppo. The bloodshed came as Syria’s new opposition coalition held its first full meeting on Wednesday to discuss forming a transitional government crucial to win effective Arab and Western support for the revolt against Assad. “The objective is to name the prime minister for a transitional government, or at least have a list of candidates,” said Suhair al-
Atassi, one of the coalition’s two vice-presidents. The two-day meeting in Cairo will also select committees to manage aid and communications, a process that is becoming a power struggle between the Muslim Brotherhood and secular members. Rivalries have also intensified between the opposition in exile and rebels on the ground in Syria, where the death toll has reached 40,000, including soldiers, civilians and rebels. The Syrian state news agency, SANA, described Wednesday’s blasts as “terrorist bombings”, a label it reserves for attacks by mainly Sunni Muslim fighters battling to overthrow Assad, a member of Syria’s Alawite minority linked to Shi’ite Islam. Two smaller bombs also exploded in Jaramana at about the same time as the car bombs, around 7 a.m. (0500 GMT). In total at least 47 people were killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, giving a higher toll than the government. Eighty three people were seriously wounded, the British-based Observatory said.
Thursday November 29, 2012
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Thursday November 29, 2012 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You might wish you could avoid the intensity today as the easygoing Gemini Full Moon is eclipsed in your 3rd House of Communication. Seeking comfort sounds like a good idea, as long as you can balance lighthearted pleasure with serious discussions.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Share your vision of the future with your closest friends and family today, and be receptive to their feedback. The restless Gemini Full Moon Eclipse stimulates your 9th House of Adventure, fixing your emotions on the wide variety of possibilities in front of you.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You may be attracted to experiences outside of your regular comfort zone as today’s curious Gemini Full Moon Eclipse highlights your 2nd House of Simple Pleasures. Resisting strong desires might be futile now, but relinquishing control is just as challenging.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today’s inquisitive Gemini Full Moon Eclipse deepens your resolve to make the most of your current situation, even if it falls short of your ideals. Your mind is overactive as you run through every possible scenario.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) The Full Moon Eclipse in your versatile sign raises the volume on your emotions, yet it may be difficult to act on what you feel. The biggest danger now is a loss of perspective, since it’s all too easy to blow something out of proportion today.
SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) The interactive Gemini Full Moon Eclipse in your 7th House of Relationships is opposite your Sun sign today, and you may feel influenced by the changing feelings of those around you. A close friend or partner might be the source of an emotional conflict that distracts you from what you want to do.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Since you careful crustaceans are strongly influenced by the Moon, today’s Lunar Eclipse in your 12th House of Secrets makes you acutely aware of what you’re not sharing. However, the emotional high tides are strong now and the boundaries are changing between you and a close friend or sweetheart. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You cannot find happiness by trying to be everything to everybody as today’s adaptable Gemini Full Moon Eclipse illuminates your 11th House of Friends. Although you’re feeling more lighthearted now, conversations may quickly take you into deep emotional waters. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Today’s scattered Gemini Full Moon Eclipse rattles your 10th House of Career, possibly bringing turmoil to your job.
CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may not know how you got yourself into a complicated situation at work, but you can’t just walk away from it. Today’s noisy Gemini Full Moon Eclipse falls in your 6th House of Daily Routine, and there are lots of details that need your attention. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)
Yo u m u s t r e c o n s i d e r your recent commitments because you just don’t have enough time for everything you want to do with the restless Gemini Moon occurring in your 5th House of Fun and Games. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Even if your professional life is moving along well now, your stress level is high as today’s unstable Gemini Full Moon Eclipse rattles your 4th House of Emotional Security.
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Thursday November 29, 2012
GAPF Senior’s dubbed ‘Judgment West Indians win warm-up easily Day’ gets support from New GPC - Sunday is D day at Saints Auditorium
Kieran Powell was bowled by Farhad Reza for 34 (AP)
New GPC Human Resources Officer Ms. Fay Smartt-Scott hands over the cheque to Peter Green. With the cream of Guyana’s powerlifters set to collide at the Saint Stanislaus College Auditorium on Sunday when the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) brings off their Senior Championships, New GPC Inc. has added its weight to ensure a successful event. According to GAPG President, Peter Green, the entity has been quietly supporting the federation’s efforts through individual sponsorship of many lifters on their respective overseas sojourns.
Green highlighted that this is the first time that the New GPC Inc. has partnered with the GAPF for any of its local competitions and he is very pleased that it is their marquee event that they have come on board with. “On behalf of the federation and its athletes I am appreciative and thankful for all that New GPC Inc. has done to date in support of the growing sport of powerlifting and hopes this will be an ongoing annual affair,” Green stated. Handing over the cheque to Green was New GPC Inc.
was Human Resources Officer Ms. Fay Smartt-Scott who said that they were quite pleased to continue their support the sport by way of sponsoring the federation’s most prestigious competition which will showcase the best lifters from the junior to senior levels. Among the athletes who have benefitted from the benevolence of New GPC Inc. are 2012 World Masters Champion and record holder in the 74kg division Winston Stoby and 2010 CAC Junior Gold Medalist in the 105kg class, Kenneth Melville.
Lendl Simmons top-scored with 84
Cricinfo - The West Indians warmed up perfectly for the five-ODI series with a 118-run win over BCB XI in Khulna, where most of their batsmen and bowlers had time in the middle. Opening batsman Lendl Simmons led the domination with a quick half-century after acting captain Kieron Pollard decided to bat on a placid track. Simmons hit 12 fours and a couple of clean sixes during
his 82 off 81 balls but the next four batsmen were all dismissed in the thirties. Pollard was his usual brutal self during a 28-ball 44. However, it was wicketkeeper Devon Thomas who was happiest, making an unbeaten 61 that took the West Indians’ total past 350. Thomas struck three sixes and five fours during his 43ball innings and 97 runs came off the last ten overs. Elias Sunny took three
Diamond Mineral Water Hockey starts today Ten matches will signal the start of competition in this year ’s Annual Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival which is set to open at the National Gymnasium, commening from 16:00 hrs. In the fixtures: GCC vs OLD OLDFORT Veterans YMCA vs HIKERS Male
GCC vs Bokra Ladies OLD FORT vs Renegades Male CARIB vs MALVERN Veterans HIKERS vs FATIMA Veterans HIKERS vs Bokra Ladies FATIMA vs OLD OLDFORT Veterans HIKERS vs GCC Veterans HIKERS vs GCC Male
wickets while Marshall Ayub and Farhad Reza claimed two each. The most impressive part of BCB XI’s bowling was the three consecutive yorkers that Reza delivered to Andre Russell in the 38th over, with the West Indies allrounder getting bowled by the last of those deliveries. BCB XI began the chase of 361 with a 63-run opening stand. Opener Imrul Kayes, who is not in contention for a place in the Bangladesh ODI squad, batted fluently but fell for 43. Anamul Haque, who is set to make his ODI debut in Khulna, struggled and made just 22 off 42 balls. Mominul Haque scored 43 off 57 balls, but once he and Ayub fell, the innings was all but over. Sunny was unbeaten on 37 off 29 balls and BCB XI were bowled out for 243 runs in 49.1 overs. Scores: West Indians 361 for 7 (Simmons 84, Thomas 61*) beat BCB XI 243 (Kayes 43, Mominul 43, Narine 3-47) by 118 runs.
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Champs Back Circle into quarter-finals - joined by East Front Road, Sophia ‘B’ and Broad Street ‘B’ The increasingly popular Banks DIH-sponsored Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition continued on Tuesday evening with the final round of matches in the Round of 16 segment, while four more exhibition games highlighted the night’s action, at the Banks DIH Car Park. Those advancing to the quarter-finals are: East Front Road, Sophia ‘B’, defending champs Back Circle and Broad Street ‘B’. The night’s full results are as follows: Game 1 YMCA trounced Banks DIH Ltd 3-0 Goal Scorers YMCA Wendell Austin 17th & 19th min Devon Charles 25th min Game 2 Guinness Bar beat Oasis 3-0 Goals Scorers Guinness Bar Carl Edwards 13th & 14th min Dennis Edwards 15th min Game 3 Clippers Barber Shop crushed Quite Set Car Wash 7-0
Goal Scorers Clippers Barber Shop Jermain White 3rd, 5th, 16th & 21st min Devon Mosley 7th & 9th min Timothy Telford 19th min Game 4 East Front Road squeezed past North Last Entrance 1-0 Goal Scorer East Front Road Vashile Cantzlaar 31st min Game 5 GT All Stars edged Upper Levels Barber Shop 1-0 Goal Scorer GT All Stars Prince Johnson 9th min Game 6 Sophia ‘B’ cruised past Globe Yard 2-0 Goal Scorers Sophia ‘B’ Joshua Kamal 7th min Akeem Jaikisoon 30th min Game 7 Back Circle hammered Bent Street 5-0 Goal Scorers Bent Street Dexter Bentick 3rd & 7th min Wayne Wilson 16th min Vincent Thomas 17th min Leon Murray 27th min Game 8
Broad Street ‘B’ defeated East La Penitence 5-2 Goal Scorers Broad Street ‘B’ Daniel Favorite 6th, 21st min Jimmy Gravesande 9th min Rocky Gravesande 17th min Kevin Griffith 28th min
Part of the action in the clash between Broad Street B’ and East La Penitence which the former won easily.
East La Penitence Devon Millington 11th & 14th min Meanwhile, quarter-final action begins on Saturday with matches slated for the banks DIH Car Park. In the fixtures:
19:30 hrs Oasis v/s Media 20:00 hrs Sweet Hand v/s YMCA 20:30 hrs Upper Level v/s Banks DIH Ltd 21:00 hrs Guinness Bar v/s Clippers Barber Shop 21:15 hrs Leopold Street v/s
Hope Street - Tiger Bay 21:45 hrs Sophia B v/s Broad Street B 22:15 hrs East Front Road v/s Back Circle 21:45 hrs West Front Road v/s Queen Street - Tiger Bay
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Kaieteur News
Thursday November 29, 2012
Schools briefed and outfitted for Chico U13/Kashif and Shanghai Championship
K&S Officials and team reps display trophies and tournament balls for the Chico Schools U-13 football tournament. Teachers and representatives of the schools participating in the inaugural Chico brand sponsored Kashif and Shanghai Under-13 Inter Schools Championship were yesterday presented with equipment to aid in their preparation for the event, while also meeting with the organisors to iron out any issues that they may have had. At the meeting held at the Kashif and Shanghai head
office yesterday, schools rep and teachers applauded the effort made to invest in the nursery of the sport, sighting the importance of making sure that talent is nurtured. The teachers are of the opinion that the just concluded Courts Pee Wee tournament helped build the excitement among the players and called on parents to come out and support their children. Company Road, Uitvlugt, West Ruimveldt,
Grove, Tucville, North Georgetown and BV Quamina Primary Schools (and a replacement to be named for Marian Academy) will be teams vying for supremacy in the championship. The tournament kicks off on Saturday December 22 and concludes on January 1st, with all matches being played at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) Ground. Entrance into the ground will be free.
Unity\ Lancaster SC to honour Chanderpaul The Unity\Lancaster Sports Club will honour West Indies star batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul on Saturday at a ceremony which will be held at the club’s center ground starting at 04:30hrs. The club will also unveil a billboard featuring Chanderpaul and launch the Shivnarine Chanderpaul Cricket Academy, which is expected to kick start in January. A specially arranged T20 match will follow the ceremony
which will see the home team taking on a Guest XI. Chanderpaul will lead the host which also includes Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Krishna Arjune, Hemraj Gharbarran, Sheik Mohamed, Asif Chand and Lalchan Persaud. Among the players expected to turn out for the Guest XI are Ramnaresh Sarwan, Reon King, Lennox Cush, Gajanand Singh, Esan Crandon, Richard Ramdeen,
Assad Fudadin, Leon Johnson and Derwin Christian. GuyTrac, Buddy’s Pool Hall and Gym, Regal Stationery, Andrew Arts, Global Investments, Giftland, Ink Plus, Elegant Jewellery, ASS Shipping are some of the sponsors on board. Meanwhile, Unity\Lancaster SC will take on Crab Wood Creek in a T20 fixture on Sunday.
(From page 32) a winning purse of$ 170,000 and trophy. The J &K and lower horses will compete for a winner’s money of the $150,000 and trophy over 1400M. Among the sponsors already on board are Banks DIH, Digicel, Mohammed “Nankoo” Shariff Business Establishment, Rommel Jagroop, Trophy Stall, Jumbo Jet Auto S a l e s , Lakeram Sukdeo, Inshan Bacchus, Phagoo
General Store, Papie Supermarket, Guyana Tourism Authority, Shano Business establishment, Buddy Shivraj, Balwant and Lenny Singh among others. The top individual performers including top jockey, stable and trainer will be presented with trophies compliments of The Trophy Stall, Bourda Market. Turfites will also have the chance to win two Black berry Cell phones which will be up for
grabs. Ongoing sprucing up works is presently being undertaken at the venue which has made a surge in its horseracing activities over the past year. Interested persons can make enquiries with Coordinator and Treasurer Lakeram B. Sukhdeo on Number 232-0558 or 672-0810 or President Roop, Jagit (tel 232-0231) and Campton on 690-0569. Race time is 12:30 hrs.
Scores to be settled at...
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
Pollard sees runs flowing with new ODI rules KHULNA, Bangladesh – Kieron Pollard said the new playing conditions regulating field restrictions in One-day International could prove challenging for captains and bowlers. The all-rounder was speaking after he captained West Indies to a 118-run victory over a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI in a One-day practice match on Wednesday at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium here. Under the new rules approved last May by the International Cricket Council, the sport’s World governing body, there will be two blocks of Power Plays instead of three. In an uninterrupted innings, the first Power Play will be restricted to the first 10 overs with only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard, field restriction circle. The second five-over batting Power Play (in an uninterrupted innings) will have to be completed by the 40th over and only three fielders will be allowed outside the fielding restriction area at the time of delivery. In the non-Power Play overs, no more than four fielders will be permitted outside the 30-yard circle. Pollard, the Windies vice captain for the series, was
leading the side in the absence of Darren Sammy and said the regulations will make things quite interesting. “It was very challenging and the bowlers will have to be on their Ps and Qs,” he said. “They can’t let it stray because there are not many guys outside [the circle]. “But the rules have been set and players will just have to follow, so I think it is something that we have to get used to. Hopefully, we can develop the right combination and have the right tactics to counter not having that extra guy outside the field restriction circle.” He added: “With only four fielders allowed outside, I think a lot more runs will be scored in ODIs. You’ll see a lot more 300-run games instead of the 270 to 280-run games because of that extra guy inside. “I think captains will have a hard job in setting fields and bowlers will have an even tougher job in trying to restrict the batsmen with all the innovative stroke-play that has come into the game.” Pollard said powerful batsmen like himself and others in the West Indies side may relish taking advantage of the new rules, but felt that cool heads still needed to
prevail. “It can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing,” he said. “If you want to hit the ball outside because there are only four fielders, you can still find one of them, because you are too eager. “You still have to understand the situation and hopefully it will come off. We have a lot of power-hitters so clearing the boundary and the ball falling in gaps is important for us. Hopefully we can capitalise on it until there’s any further change.” Pollard said the practice match was a useful tune-up for the visitors with six players, including himself, shipped in to help form the limited-overs squad. “The guys arriving from the Caribbean, the batsmen got a hit and the bowlers got a run out in the One-day format with the white ball,” he said. “It was good all in all. I think we did well and hopefully we can carry this momentum into the ODI series against Bangladesh. “It was also a good experience for me leading the side for the first time. The players supported me and being able to have the amount of runs we scored on the board, I was able to try different things.”
T&T amateur boxers arrive today to keep ring date with locals
Stefan Gouveia
Imran Khan
The four local amateur fighters set to take on their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts on the amateur segment of the Fight night ProAm boxing card set for Friday are primed and ready for action. The T&T boxers are due in today and four exciting bouts are
anticipated when the leading young pugilists from Guyana battle their counterparts from ‘Humming bird’ country as both teams look to improve the abilities of their amateur boxers. Two of Guyana’s leading prospects for the future, Stefan Gouveia and Imran Khan, will be in action and
fans will be in for a treat. The amateur segment of the card will see Middleweight Dennis Thomas (GUY) vs Declan Calliste (T&T), Lightweight Stefan Gouveia (GUY) vs Michael Alexander (T&T), Eon Bancroft (GUY) vs Leon Nottingham (T&T) and Imran Khan (GUY) vs David Gonzales (T&T). The local team has been encamped at the Andrew Lewis GYM where they are involved in final preparation for tomorrow’s action. This programme is part of bilateral relations between the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association and the Trinidad association and is also one segment of GABA’s development programme where they will be kept active as the association implements their plan to have a well prepared team of boxers compete in the Brazil Olympic Games in 2016. GABA is also in the process of working out the logistics with their Jamaican counterparts to have four of their fighters visit these shores in December.
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Upper Corentyne 2nd div. T20
Persaud 118*, Gooniah 65 for No. 68 Turn Team The inaugural Upper Corentyne Second Division 20 over competition organised by the Berbice Cricket Board and sponsored by Safraz Photo Studio, Palace Liquor Restaurant & Taxi Service, T. Persaud (Redo) Business Enterprise and Larry Car Service all of Corriverton, continued recently with victories for No. 68 Turn Team, No. 48 Challengers, No. 70 M.Y.O and No. 43 Scorpion; all advancing to the third round. Toolaram Persaud registered the first century of the competition when he slammed 118* for No. 68 Turn Team against No. 73 Young Warriors. His knock which included 6 fours and 6 sixes together with 65 from former Berbice Under-17 player Viendra Gooniah. Persaud and Gooniah’s 176 run 3rd wicket stand in 16 overs guided No. 68 Turn Team to a daunting 210 for 3 in their 20 overs. The two of them came back with the ball and took 2 wickets each to bowl out No. 73 for 113. Off spinner Megnauth Homraj took 5 for 14 from 4 overs to help No. 48 Challengers bowl out Crabwood Creek Bible Church for 83. No. 48 went on to win by 6 wickets.
Toolaram Persaud After No. 70 M.Y.O had scored 173 for 7 in their 20-overs against Crabwood Creek their off spinner Jameel Azad took 5 wickets for 13 runs from 4 overs to see Crabwood Creek bowled out for 92 in reply. Skeldon Community Centre’s Gary Phillips’ 44 and off spinner Jamiel Jackman’s 4 -26 were not enough to stop their team from going down to No. 43 Scorpion. COLLATEDSCORESFROM THEMATCHES: At No. 73 - No. 68 Turn team hammered No. 73 Young Warriors by 97 runs. No. 68 Turn Team 210 for 3 in 20 overs; Toolaram Persaud 118*, Viendra Gooniah 65. No. 73 Young Warriors 113 in 16.4
overs; Lakeram Latchman 32, Toolaram Persaud 2 for 10, Viendra Gooniah 2 for 20, Vivendra Gooniah 2 for 21. At No. 48 - No. 48 Challengers beat Crabwood Creek Bible Church by 6 wickets. Crabwood Creek Bible Church 83 in 19 overs; Megnauth Homraj 5 for 14, Balram Persaud 2 for 23. No. 48 Challengers 86 for 4 in 10.4 overs; Balram Persaud 23, Ganesh Raghubeer 2 for 18, Romen Premsook 2 for 19. At No. 69 - No. 70 MYO thumped Crabwood Creek by 81 runs. No. 70 MYO 173 for 7 in 20 overs; Mohamed Azaruddin 32, Shabir Khan 32, Imran Khan 25; Omeshwar Singh 3 for 30. Crabwood Creek 92 in 17 overs with Jameel Azad 5 for 13, Mohamed Azaruddin 2 for 20. At Skeldon - No. 43 Scorpion got past Skeldon Community Centre by 2 wickets. Skeldon Community Centre 135 for 4 in 20 overs; Gary Phillips 44, Krishna Gopaul 33, Nigel Bownauth 2 for 28, Farook Drepaul 2 for 30. No. 43 Scorpion 136 for 8 in 19.5 overs; Farook Drepaul 25, Jamiel Jackman 4 for 26, Parmanand Narine 2 for 28.
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Kaieteur News
Winston Murray Memorial Softball Cricket...
Thursday November 29, 2012
Ackloo bowls Young Warriors to victory
Romano Ackloo bagged 5 wickets for 13 runs including a helmet trick as Young Warriors defeated Maryville by 39 runs to win the Winston Murray Memorial 6 over softball competition last Sunday at Enterprise in Leguan. In reply to Young Warriors total of 83-1 in 6 overs, Maryville were restricted to 44-8 off their allotted overs with Aseeb Khan 13 and Royan Jacobs 12 being their principal scorers. Earlier man of the match Brian Hubbert scored 44 and Tulsiram Premnauth made 23 for the winners. In the lone semifinal, Young Warriors defeated Parika Warriors by 37 runs. Young Warriors batted first and scored 77-2 in 6 overs with Muneshwar Jattan top scoring with 33. Parika Warriors then responded with 40-4 off their allocation of overs. Meanwhile, in the preliminary matches, Young Warriors overcame Rebels by 48 runs, Maryville got the better of Falcons by 10 runs and Parika Warriors overcame North Stars by 70 runs. Scores: Young Warriors 101-2 in 6 overs (Tulsiram Premnauth 59) Rebels 53-3 in 6 overs (Narendra Jagroop 22). Maryville 74-3 in 6 overs (Royan Jacobs 22, Ravi Singh 219); Falcons 64-4 in 6 overs (Ganesh Dhaneeram 2-17). Parika Warriors 87-5 in 6 overs (Dinesh Lallaram 41, A.George 3-14); North Stars 17-5 in 6 overs (Ganesh Lallaram 3-1). Young Warriors, Maryville who drew the bye to the final, and Parika Warriors were given trophies, while Ackloo received the most outstanding bowler prize. The best batsman trophy went to Brian Hubbert, while Marlon Narine grabbed the most valuable player award. Prizes were also given to Aseeb Khan (best fielder), Tulsiram Premnauth (Highest Individual score), Armstrong (only name given) of Parika Warriors (best wicketkeeper). The competition was played in memory of the late Winston Murray who was a resident of Leguan. Chairman of the Leguan Cricket Committee Virendra Chintamani thanked the family of the late Murray for giving back to the island through cricket.
The victorious Young Warriors team pose with their trophies.
Scores to be settled at Bush Lot United Horserace meet as preparations heightens The Bush Lot United Turf Club (BLUTC) of Sea View Park, Bush Lot West Coast Berbice will be a hive of activities as the horse racing band wagon makes its next stop. Preparation has heightened for the Club’s one day $7M horserace meet slated for Sunday December 9. The club in collaboration with the Young Achievers Sports and Entertainment Group are teaming up for this event. Eight races are listed on the day’s programme and so far over 50 horses have taken entry for what is expected to be an action packed affair. With the race meet just over a week away, already the buzz in the air with a number of the country’s top horses already entered for the Feature B and lower 1500M event, is who will capture the $1M first prize and Banks DIH trophy. Most of the top stables have more than one entry in the feature event and by the time entries close the gates should be bursting at the seam. A look at the feature race will see the Dennis De Roop
Simple Royal stable leading the way as they leave nothing to chance as they look for another big pay day. The inform Score is Event and Who so Ever will be leading their charge. Not to be outdone is the Colin Elcock Delmur Racing Stable which will be looking to redeem itself. They have already entered top runner the Message which should be accompanied by Mission King or Do Nut Prince or both as the Elcock stable looks for the big. The Jumbo Jet stable as usual will also be looking to have a grand time in their pursuit to go all the way with giant runners Got to Go and Grande De Roja in the entry books. Another top stable, the Shariff Racing stable has also booked two of its top horses in their hunt to strike the gold with Diamond Dazzle and California Strike down to do battle. The line up already seems threatening and with horses such as the up and coming War Craft, The Bailiff and Gold Plated and a few
others including some new arrivals still to enter, that event alone should be worth Turfites pocket. Reports out of the organisers stated that all the other races have already attracted top entries. The other races on the day’s card are the D3 and lower 1200M gallop for a winning purse of $450,000 and trophy. The Three year old race for Guyana and West Indies bred horses which also has a winning purse of $450,000 and trophy over 1500M. The G class 1000M sprint for a winning take of $300,000 and trophy, the event for two year old Guyana and West Indies Bred horses will also be a 1000M affair for a winner’s money of $350,000 and trophy. There is also a race for Two year old Guyana bred horses which will see the winner pocketing $200,000 and trophy also over 1000M. The ‘I’ and lower horses will also race over 1000M for (Continued on page 31)
Thursday November 29, 2012
Kaieteur News
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Windies full of ambition and targeting top spots, says skipper Aguilleira Bridgetown, Barbados – Captain Merissa Aguilleira believes that We s t I n d i e s w o m e n ’s cricket is on the rise and she is predicting “big things” for her team in the near future. The inspirational skipper said her players have their eyes set on winning the ICC Women’s World Cup in India next year, as well as making a charge up the ICC Players rankings. Before the World Cup, t h e Wi n d i e s w i l l h o s t South Africa in a sevenmatch series – five OneDay International and two T20 Internationals. The full match schedule will be announced s h o r t l y. Currently, the West Indies w o m e n ’s squad is encamped at the Sagicor High Performance Centre and will be there until December 15. T h e Wi n d i e s h a v e showed progress since the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) took over the
Merissa Aguilleira running of the game five years ago. Under the captaincy of Aguilleira and guidance of Head Coach Sherwin Campbell, the West Indies reached the semi-finals of the ICC Wo r l d T 2 0 o n t w o consecutive occasions – 2010 when the event was played in the Caribbean and two months ago in Sri Lanka. “We have developed quite rapidly as a team and credit must be given to the
WICB for putting things in place for us as players and as a team. This camp is a perfect example of the commitment to the development of women’s cricket. We will be together for a month and we have already seen the benefits,” Aguilleira said. “We are hitting all areas in our game and we know that we can reach the next level. We believe that we are on the right track and we aim to continue. We want to be the best team in the world and we know we have the players capable of taking us there. The World Cup in India is the next big occasion. We saw what happened when the men won the World T20 in Sri Lanka and we want that feeling. We want to be world champions too, not just for us, but for the people of the Caribbean.” Reflecting on the ICC Women’s World T20 in Sri Lanka, Aguilleira noted: “I was disappointed that we
did not reach the final of the World T20. It was a case of being so close and yet so far. But we didn’t let that get us down for too long, we bounced back quickly and we are here in camp to build towards the World Cup,” she said. “At the previous World T20 in the Caribbean, we were second in our group. This time around in Sri Lanka we topped our group, so that was an improvement in itself. We beat New Zealand for the first time in T20 cricket and that was a plus for us. We fought as a team and that team spirit and fight will take us to India. There are good things to take out of our performance...we are planning for bigger things...we are looking forward to bigger things.” The West Indies have been dominant at home. Last year they beat Pakistan and earlier this year won series against India and Sri Lanka on home turf.
Looking ahead to the home series against South Africa, Aguilleira noted: “I spoke to the girls and we know we are capable of beating South Africa. We beat them in the World T20 and that is our focus, to beat them again. At the same time, we want to make sure that we make progress and tick all the right boxes that we need to before we head off to India and face the best that the world has to offer.” Several Wi n d i e s players are ranked among the best in the world. St a f a n i e Ta y l o r i s t h e N u m b e r 1 a l l r o u n d e r, copping the prestigious ICC Women’s Player of the Year award in 2011. Deandra Dottin holds the world record for the fastest century in a T20 International by men or women, while allrounder Shanel Daley and offspinner Anisa Mohammed are ranked in the Top 10. The ICC Women’s World Cup India 2013 will be held in
Mumbai from January 31 to February 17. The tournament will feature the top eight ODI women’s sides in the world – Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The matches will be played at five venues across Mumbai, which are: Wankhede Stadium, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Cricket Club of India (CCI), Middle Income Group Club Ground (MIG) and DY Patil Stadium. FULL TRAINING SQUAD: Merissa Aguilleira, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Natasha McLean, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Juliana Nero, June Ogle, Amanda Samaroo, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smartt, Shaquana Quintyne and Stafanie Taylor.
t r o Sp
Outgoing TD pleads for end to chaos, disunity and treachery - tenders resignation to GFF By Rawle Welch “I have failed on two previous occasions to resolve the issues that affect Guyana’s football so I can tell you that there will not be another coming of Jamal Shabazz,” the former Technical Director (TD) of the ‘Golden Jaguars’ told a gathering of media personnel summoned to bid farewell to someone who was instrumental in orchestrating a change in the football landscape in Guyana. The parable speaking TD held a press briefing at the Raddison Suites in Queenstown yesterday to apprise the media about his decision to resign from the job which he said was mainly due to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation’s (TTFF) request for him to take up full time responsibility of the national team. Shabazz, who shared the Head Table with Brazilian Trainer Americo Falopa, Team Manager Mark Xavier, good friend Kashif Muhammad and Head C o a c h Wa y n e D o v e r touched on a wide range of topics during the briefing, before ending in an emotional state after expressing his love for Guyana footballers and its people. The TD whose first stint
Outgoing Technical Director Jamal Shabazz (centre) addresses the media following his decision to resign from the post yesterday.
with the team lasted for three years (2005-08) returned the same year for his second spell which culminated a few days ago after he tendered his resignation, but spearheaded a period which saw Guyana reach its farthest in World Cup Football qualifiers, making it to the fourth round of the competition, whilst playing against world class opponents some of whom have reached the finals on many occasions. It was definitely the brightest period in our history in the sport and it came during a time when the administration of the sport has been disappointingly entangled in bitter disputes with some of its affiliates. All credit must be given to Shabazz, who managed to put together a squad and prepare them to the best of
his ability during a difficult period. Shabazz informed that he was given a short time to respond to the offer from the TTFF, who according to him felt that he could help the staff and team going forward after their humiliating exit at the hands of the ‘Golden Jaguars’. He, however, blamed the chaos in our football which he reminded must not be hidden as a strong cause for his exodus, adding that he had to start thinking about his family and future even though he had grown to love this country. “It was by no means an easy decision because I know that Guyana’s football has a lot of potential, but there are some people in the fraternity who do not want it to go anywhere. What Guyana has that many other
countries in the Caribbean do not have is passion,” Shabazz said.While pointing to the current impasse between the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) as doing more harm than good for the sport, Shabazz said that the chaos, disunity and treachery that currently permeate the administration of the game should be highlighted. “If we claim to have the same interest then we should be willing to relook our positions to find a common ground. We fail to see the players or the football, but rather we see ourselves as strongmen,” Shabazz was quoted as saying. He, however, was quick to point out that his resignation was not linked to the players’ stance. Touching on the role the
Government should play in the development of the sport, he stated that until it is recognized the part sports and culture can play in the advancement of a country then and only then will the powers that be understand the need to plug serious money into football and many other disciplines. He added that too often pettiness is the factor that prohibits serious infusion of finance into the development of sport and according to him that stance must be challenged and changed. Shabazz called on the Government to honour a commitment made by the previous President Bharat Jagdeo, who had promised the players a house lot each should they advance to the latter stages which they did. Meanwhile, the outgoing
TD urged the warring factions (GFF and GFA) not to wait for God to act, but rather sit and talk and come up with viable solutions to the problems that presently inundate our football. He referred to rulers such as Muammar Ghaddafi and Hosni Mubarak as leaders who failed to listen to their nations and their fate is well known. “Guyana is not spared of such actions and that is why we have a minority Government,” Shabazz reminded. Quizzed on the future of the sport here, he responded by saying, ‘the future is dim, but the potential bright.’ Many positive tributes were in order for Shabazz, who many feel was among the best TD to have been retained by the GFF for quite some time.
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