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Guyanese Patrick Gomes is new ACP Secretary General Page 3

You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com ISSUE NO. 221

week ending December 14, 2014

U.S. Non-Immigrant Visas to Guyanese likely to exceed Well Done! Guyana’s top 50,000 this year students shine at

“We will win the majority” – President Ramotar Page 26

Page 23

See story on page 19

... Embassy warns of strict penalties against persons using visas for “economic gains” while in the U.S.

US authorities Page 5 release photos and info on woman busted in NY with cocaine …after arriving from Guyana

CSEC awards

Top honours! From left to right: Kishan Critchlow, Aliyyah Abdul Kadir, Elisa Hamilton and Ryhan Chand displaying their plaques following the CXC awards ceremony Thursday evening in Jamaica (Devi Seitaram photo)

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NEWS

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Demerara Bank launches Guyanese Patrick Gomes is new ACP Secretary General VISA Credit Cards …as Bank celebrates 20 years

DBL Chairman Dr Yesu Persaud addressing the gathering at Pegasus on Wednesday evening By Vahnu Manikchand

arry cash around when travelling can be a tedious as well as dangerous task but that can be changed now as Demerara Bank Limited has partnered with VISA Inc. to offer the most widely used payment card around the world. The Demerara Bank Visa Credit Classic and Demerara Bank

Visa Credit Signature cards were launched on Wednesday evening at the Pegasus Hotel, where the bank also celebrated its 20th Anniversary. The Visa Classic Card provides coverage of Visa travel accident insurance and travel assistance whenever the cards are used abroad, while the Visa Signature Card provides higher protection. It gives added protection

whenever purchases are made. According to DBL’s representative of the VISA programme, Jerret Morgan, the bank wanted to offer services that are not available in Guyana and the Visa Signature Card does that. He noted that VISA cards can be used at millions of merchants worldwide and at some 1.8 million ATM locacontinued on page 8

uyana’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Community, Dr Patrick Ignatius Gomes has been appointed the new Secretary General of the African, Pacific and Caribbean Group of States (ACP). He was appointed during the 100th Session of the Council of Ministers of the African, Pacific and Caribbean Group of States, held at the ACP Headquarters in Brussels. His tenure would come to an end in 2020 after commencing in 2015. The Foreign Affairs Ministry made this disclosure on Wednesday, noting that Ambassador Gomes will take office in March 2015 in the 40th year of the ACP. It was in Guyana, 39 years ago in 1975 that the ACP was birthed through the Georgetown Accord. Ambassador Gomes has been serving as Guyana’s Ambassador to the ACP Group of States and the European Union since February 2005. He is also the Chairman of the Ambassadors’ Working Group on Future Perspectives of the ACP. For almost a decade, Ambassador Gomes has worked consistently within the ACP to gain beneficial terms of trade and development in the markets of the European Union for ACP’s agricultural commodities and minerals. Additionally, he would have pursued improved financial support and services for joint ACP-EU institutions such as the Centre for Technical Cooperation in Agriculture and Rural Development and has been instrumental in promoting the potential for capacity development of the ACP through South-South and Triangular Cooperation. In thanking the ACP Ministers for

New ACP Secretary General, Dr Patrick Ignatius Gomes

the confidence they have exhibited in Ambassador Gomes, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said “the ACP is at a critical juncture and experience and wise leadership coupled with patience are critical if we are to overcome the challenges. Ambassador Gomes possesses these attributes and together with the support of all of us, I am confident he will not only keep the Georgetown Agreement alive but will make it thrive.” Minister Rodrigues-Birkett in congratulating Ambassador Gomes said “Warmest congratulations compatriot, the celebration will be short as you have a lot of work to do. Go now and serve the African, Caribbean and Pacific group with distinction as you have served your own country Guyana.” The Government of Guyana views this appointment as an honour for Guyana, the Caribbean and the ACP Group.

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INTERNATIONAL

This beautiful Land; Guyana

To contact: Guyana Times International

New York Office 106-15 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica NY 11435 Email: guyanatimesnyint@gmail.com Tel no: 718-658-6804 Preferred method of contact via EMAIL Guyana Office Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana. Tel no: (592) 227-0704, 227-0709. Fax (592) 225-8696, 227-0685 Email: guyanatimesint@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Guyana and Fiji

arlier this week our Government re-established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Fiji. It was explained that this was because Fiji held democratic elections on September 17, of this year and had been re-admitted into the Commonwealth after a seven-year rule by a coup-installed Government. Relations were resumed “also in keeping with the foreign policy of the Government of Guyana to develop relations with those member states of the international community with which it shares mutual interests and values”. The last laconic sentence is rather interesting and redolent of a significance that might not be immediately apparent. Fiji does indeed share much with Guyana, not the least because its politics, like ours, has been dominated by ethnic beneficence of British generosity with labourers from India. While they were brought to Guyana to replace the ex-African slaves on the sugar plantations, in Fiji, Indians were sent to save the indigenous Fijians from the “indignity” of labouring in the sugar planters that Australian capital established. By the time aspirations of “independence” began to flower after World War II (WWII), the Indian segment had risen to approximately to half of the population. This caused no little consternation among the native Fijian populace, who rented land to the Indians to cultivate sugar cane, and which the latter were not allowed to own. The Fijians lived and were organised in villages, run by hereditary “Chiefs” who were very powerful. Almost unique in the world, with the exception of apartheid South Africa, the polling registers were organised by ethnicity. Independence came in 1970 under a Fijian dominated Government, with the Indian party in the Opposition. In 1987, the Government was defeated at the polls by a coalition of a leftist Indian and Fijian party, which stressed “class” rather than “ethnic” interests. The traditional Fijian chiefs had controlled the first Fijian government, while the new Fijian party in the coalition was more attentive to ordinary indigenous Fijians. In the same year, the 3500-man army, was to stage the first of four coups within 20 years. The issues were depressingly similar to those in Guyanese politics within the same time frame: the Indian party was not given “legitimacy” – even when it was accommodative with indigenous Fijians, within a coalition framework. From 1987, even though there were a host of constitutional changes – including the promulgation of entirely new constitutions in 1990 and 1997, the bottom line was that no “Indian” Government – they could not be called “Fijian” by definition /would be recognised. The Constitution itself decreed Fijian dominance. The Indian population during that time has been reduced to approximately to 33 percent from its high point of 50 percent, through massive migration to Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Some of the contradictions within the Fijian population gradually rose to the fore and the later coups were to prevent the domination by the traditional, hereditary Chiefs. The last army coup in December 2006 led to its commander Frank Bainimarama eventually becoming Prime Minister. Elections were promised by 2009 but were never held because Bainimarama proposed that the country was “not ready”. The Constitution was changed once again. It abolished communal rolls while introducing, what even its admirers admit, is a “bewildering” electoral procedure in which candidates were represented by numbers without any party identification. The country became a single constituency while the votes are agglomerated by parties, which need a minimum of five percent of the national votes cast to be represented in Parliament. In the polls of September 17, the Fiji First Party of Bainimarama, who stepped down from his army post earlier in the year, secured 60 percent of the votes. The party received about half of the Indian votes. It is hoped that Bainimarama will execute the “non-racial” programme on which he was elected so that Fiji can be “coup free” for a while.

A stunning view of a part of Guyana's Rupununi Savanahs (John Greene photo)

Canada urges Guyana to capitalise on renewable energy opportunities

anadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicole Giles has stated that the potential for renewable energy is growing worldwide, and as such, she urged Guyana to capitalise on the opportunity to diversify its national energy supply to include more renewable energy and less fossil fuel. Delivering the feature address at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) annual Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony, Dr Giles said the time is now for Guyana to incorporate a larger mix into its energy profile; thus, reducing foreign imports of fossil fuel. This, she noted will guarantee Guyana’s security while at the same time increasing options and reducing costs for businesses. She noted that like Guyana, Canada also has immense natural resources with energy accounting for a sizeable and growing share of its gross domestic product. “Directly and indirectly, Canada’s energy sector accounts for hundreds of thousands of jobs for Canadians in every sector of the economy: skilled trades, manufacturing, clerical jobs, and the financial sector, economic and strategic resources that will likely grow with technological innovation,” she stated. The Canadian High Commissioner further outlined that the Sustainable Development Technology of Canada (STDC), a not-for-profit organisation that finances and supports the development of clean technologies, aims to de-risk clean technologies in order to attract private sector investments and make way for opportunities that will ensure commercial success. According to the High Commissioner, the SDTC has plugged some Cdn$684 million into 269 projects. “These

Canadian High Commissioner, Dr Nicole Giles

investments support jobs, furthering the research, development and demonstration of innovative clean energy technologies. With global clean technology demand estimated to grow from Cdn$1.1 trillion in 2012 to Cdn$2.5 trillion by 2022, international markets will create enormous potential for Canada’s clean technology industry,” she mentioned. Dr Giles explained that this type of investment has advanced four new clean energy technologies from concept to commercialisation, while adding that such initiatives provide opportunities for Guyana to move closer towards becoming a knowledge-based economy. She underscored that this provides opportunities for Guyana to move closer towards becoming a knowledge-based economy, adding that small and medium size economies can reap early benefits from investing in renewable solutions for power generation that is liable, low cost and provides a base load power solution.

Tailored solutions

The Canadian High Commissioner revealed that the SDTC is currently engaging both local and international companies that are working in Guyana’s mining sector in order to offer tailored solutions

that use renewable fuel sources such as garbage, biomass, high-density bio-carbon, solar and renewable diesel. “These options can offer real growth opportunities for SME’s in Guyana’s manufacturing and extractive sectors which are heavily reliant on affordable, reliable power. The coming years and decades will pose real challenges for energy consumption and security, particularly as we move more and more toward cleaner energy solutions,” Dr Giles said. She added: “In the same way a firm diversifies its investments, or even markets, firms should also consider diversifying their energy sources to mitigate risks and maximise potential for growth. All countries, and particularly developing countries such as Guyana that have huge potential to develop renewables, should be encouraged to seek out safe, secure energy sources to help ensure sustainable economic growth.” Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh acknowledged the presentation of the Canadian High Commissioner on renewable energy, noting that the Amaila Falls Hydro Project will allow the local private sector to reap such benefits.

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US authorities Diplomatic corps gives release photos and Gy$400,000 to NGOs info on woman busted – in move to spread Christmas spirit in NY with cocaine …after arriving from Guyana

he US Customs and Border Protection earlier this week released photos and information on a U.S. woman busted in New York after arriving from Guyana with cocaine in custard powder and milk packets back in November. "This arriving passenger was looking to make more than just dessert as U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport discovered. On November 21, CBP officers conducted a canine examination of luggage arriving from Georgetown, Guyana, when K-9 Elza alerted his CBP handler to a suspicious suitcase. CBP officers stopped Tricia Ann D’Aguiar; the owner of the suspicious suitcase. During the baggage inspection, CBP officers discovered three bags of milk powder and three bags of custard powder within

her luggage. When the packages were probed, they yielded a white powder which emitted a strong chemical odor. That powder tested positive for cocaine. D’Aguiar, a citizen of the United States, was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. The total weight of cocaine seized was approximately 13 lbs. with an approximate street value of $230,000. “Cocaine is a dangerous narcotic, and CBP does its part in keeping these drugs off the streets.” said Robert E. Perez, Director of CBP’s New York Field Operations. “Our Officers are determined to protect the American people from these illicit substances.” Tricia Ann D’Aguiar now faces federal narcontinued on page 19

he local diplomatic community, in a bid to inspire the spirit of giving in others, gave Gy$400,000 to the Guyana Relief Council (GRC) and the Help and Shelter to continue their work to the vulnerable in society. The donations were handed over to the charitable organisations by the Dean of the diplomatic corps, Russian Ambassador to Guyana, Nikolai Smirnov. The small ceremony occurred at the Iwokrama International Centre (ICC) Monday afternoon. Ambassador Smirnov said the GRC and Help and Shelter “are doing wonderful job(s) by stretching a helping hand to those who are in need”. The GRC has helped a total of 488 persons for the year so far, while Help and Shelter goes beyond its civil duty for those in need or in bad circumstances. He noted that such organisations cannot work in isolation, as they require the help of a number of organisations,

GRC Chairman Yvonne Hinds (far right) and Help and Shelter Vice Chairman Josephine Whitehead (third right) show off their cheques with the help of USA Embassy Charge d’ Affaires Bryan Hunt (second left) and Russian Ambassador Nikolai Smirnov (far right). Looking on are British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre (second right); Mexican ambassador Francisco Olguin (centre); Surinamese Ambassador Nisha Kurba (fourth left); and Diplomatic Corps Treasurer and CEO of ICC, Dane Gobin (third right)

businesses and other donors to ensure Guyana’s less fortunate get the help they need. “Let’s hope that there will be organisations and institutions that would follow our good gesture to the benefit of all needy people,” the Ambassador stated. GRC Chairman Yvonne Hinds received the symbolic cheque of Gy$200,000, and said that the organisation will continue to fulfil its motto of “caring and sharing” thanks to the contribution. Help and Shelter was represented by its Secretary, Gaitrie

Shivsanker, and Vice Chairman Josephine Whitehead, who received the symbolic cheque from Ambassador Smirnov. The Vice Chairman remarked on the good fortune of Help and Shelter in having the diplomatic corps as a benefactor, and said the funds would go a long way in helping it to carry out its work. She said the organisation had been experiencing a downturn in terms of finance, affecting particularly its ability to pay its utility bills and hoped that more would be forthcoming from other donors. The problem that the

charity institution has been experiencing is that most of its expenses are “recurrent expenses”, Whitehead says, and “donors don’t like recurrent expenses”. However, the fact remains that Help and Shelter needs help with its bills and it cannot function if these expenses are not attended to, including for security to ensure the safety of the women and children that it protects. Thus, the Vice Chairman pleaded for assistance, not only for the institution but for those it had taken a commitment to protect and empower.

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times International, Industrial Site Ruimveldt Georgetown, Guyana or guyanatimesint@gmail.com

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AFC did not bring the change I hoped for Dear Editor, It is a fact of life that many times we learn from the mistakes we make, and that can be quite costly, or sometimes we get cost-free benefits by learning from the mistakes of others. Politically, I have learned my lessons the hard way. I am fortunate that I can still make amends. In 2005, when I became a member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), my wife had warned me that I should not be carried away with this façade of dignity and respectability that the AFC leaders are peddling, and that these peo-

ple are there for their personal aggrandisement and vendetta. However, I supported the AFC and she supported the PPP/C. Then in 2011, I decided that it was time for me to go public. I wanted Utpoia in a hurry! I chaired several rallies, vociferously spoke at various public meetings and campaigned vigorously for the AFC. I truly believed that the AFC would bring about the change we needed to jump-start this nation. I believed that the AFC would remain independent and would mend the decaying moral fab-

ric of the nation by exhibiting high moral values and non-corrupt practices. I was rudely awakened just after the 2011 General Elections. This was the beginning of my political travesty. I had committed the cardinal sin of exposing corruption within the AFC. But what hurt me the most was that the AFC leadership failed to keep their promises to members and supporters. They began to barefacedly support the PNC in and out of Parliament in destroying economic and social development of the country.

They have formed a de-facto coalition with APNU and had formed a parliamentary dictatorship and they have joined in protests which saw atrocities being meted out to Indians at Linden and Agricola. As I continued to express my disappointment with the allegations of corruption and broken promises of the AFC leadership, I was unceremoniously expelled from the AFC. This is AFCstyle democracy. I then recalled Ramjattan’s quote about “let a thousand flowers bloom…” when he was expelled from the PPP/C.

What a hypocrite! But I have no regret, I became a “Majority of One”, but my country is now suffering because of my costly mistake. I thought that a truly intelligent person would have learned cost-free from my personal experience within the AFC. But alas, Professor Daizal Samad feels that he could at least mould the AFC through “imagination, intelligence and integrity”, although “simple decency” can do the job. I assume that despite the fact that he had read my letters in the press, he is of the opinion that he can make a differ-

ence in getting the AFC to make a right turn. Maybe he will understand that the newness he perceives in the AFC was just a figment of an intelligent imagination in an overdrive and that the integrity he saw in the AFC leadership was due to induced hallucination. He will also get to understand that the AFC will never be voted into power and that the only service that they are capable of is service to themselves. AFC Councillor Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne)

High hopes for Cuba Embargo to be lifted Dear Editor, As Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) meet in Havana, Cuba this week, hopes are increasing for the embargo initiated by the US Government in January 1962 will be lifted so that trading between Cuba and the outside world will commence and moreso Americans will be free

to travel to the communist state without any restrictions. Caricom Heads are looking at ways and means to strengthen cooperation in multi-lateral trade. The Fidel Castro regime signed an agreement in 2002 with three big states in Caricom – Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Barbados – which broke the protocol and signed

the accord for trade and economic agreement. The protocol calls for a confab every three years and December 9 is the 12th anniversary. In fact December 8 is called Cuban/Caricom Day. Several recognized newspapers in the US are calling on the US Government to remove the embargo on Cuba. There are signs of the removal

since the Organization of American States (OAS) at its 39th summit in San Pedro Sula, Honduras in June 2009 lifted the trade embargo. Hilary Clinton who was the Secretary of State at the time was at the conference when the decision was taken. She made it clear at that conference that the United States will not remove the embargo until there are fair and free elections in Cuba and US detainees are released. Despite travel restrictions on US citizens, more than 90,000 Americans visited Cuba last year – the most in 52 years. It seems as if the US is now in favour with people to people cultural exchanges. Moreover Cuba is included in the global climate change programme and efforts are being

made to include the communist island in the UN Post 2015 Development Agenda. Despite its limited economic resources, the communist island has one of the best medical facilities and has trained thousands of doctors free of cost from other Caribbean islands and the wider world. On the other hand, Cubans are not happy with the travel and economic restrictions imposed on them and they continue to flee their homeland for the United States in their quest for a better way of life. Reports state that the number of Cubans fleeing has doubled during the past year. Meanwhile, there are scores of Cubans who are detained in the United States for spying and there are a few Americans who

have been detained in Havana. One of them is 65-year-old Government contractor Alan P Gross, who has been arrested since 2009 on espionage charges. The US Government is calling for his release, but the Cubans are not prepared to do so until the US releases at least three of their detainees. A release from the Cuban Foreign Ministry stated that Caricom Chairman Gaston Brown, who is also Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Caricom Secretary General Irwin La Rocque and Cuban President Raul Castro will address the confab. The OAS and Caricom have issued calls on the US government to lift the 52-yearold ban. Yours truly, Oscar Ramjeet

When will Law students at UG speak up?

Dear Editor, The great Sir Arthur Lewis reminds us that “…asking questions is the principal business of university people; if we do not ask important questions simply because they are dangerous questions, we cease to be honest, and a dishonest scholar is a menace to society”. I submit that in my humble estimation, the weight of such a position takes on an even greater nature and quality when one dons the ‘title’ Student-at-Law. Since my foray into these Letter(s) to the Editor on the issue of reforms in legal education locally and regionally, I have contemplated this letter, which seems even more pertinent now in light of several revelations that have taken on an infamous tenor regarding our Attorney General Anil Nandlall and KN, and also in the wake of the President’s prorogation of Parliament. Almost a year ago, the Council for Legal Education (CLE) had suspend-

ed the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS), University of Guyana (UG) special arrangement regarding the latter’s ‘Top 25’ law graduates. I have written at some length on this and so will not wade again into these waters. Suffice to say that neither the UG Law Society (UGLS) nor the students of the Department of Law in any significant numbers have articulated any view publicly on the matter. When the dilemma regarding the2014 top 25 graduates was ‘remedied’, no mention was mentioned of the 2015 or 2016 batch and even though it seems UG has a new policy of accepting more students in the Department of Law, it is understood that new negotiations must ensue regarding the 2015 batch especially. Law students have thus far said nothing on the issue. I wonder when will UG law students speak up. Sherod Avery Duncan

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Health Ministry working to eliminate maternal deaths

s Guyana continues to grapple with the rising incidence of maternal mortality, Government through the Health Ministry and the agencies attached to the United Nations in Guyana, are valiantly working towards totally eradicating the bane, which is said to have the ability to crumble any economy. The improvement of maternal health is identified as Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Number Five, a declaration adopted by Guyana’s Government along with 188 other countries some 14 years ago. On Wednesday, the Health and Finance Ministries and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representatives, launched the Millennium Development Goals Framework and Campaign on Maternal Health, which is aimed at further improving the service offered to citizens of Guyana. In evaluating its progress toward the MDGs, Guyana’s Government has identified MDG Five; the improvement of maternal health as a goal

UNDP Resident Coordinator Khadija Musa at the launching on Wednesday

that needs prioritisation if its targets are to be achieved by 2015. In the presence of nurses, medex and doctors, the Health Ministry and agencies of the United Nations rolled out their plan of action to combat the scourge of maternal death, at the Herdmanston Lodge, Queenstown, Georgetown. Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud who chaired the programme said that while much has been done to achieve the MDGs, there is much more that needs to be accomplished to see a total eradication. Head of the Maternal and Child Health Department (MCH),

Health Ministry, Dr Janice Woolford said that the action plan undertaken has benefited from the input of stakeholders in Guyana. According to Dr Woolford, the MCH Department has also been actively involved in ascertaining the challenges and providing support where necessary to ensure effective service. Woodford said her department has also been working with midwives to strengthen their capacities and has been providing information and education in this area. “That is why we are launching this campaign with all these materials”, she said.

Head of Maternal and Child Health, Health Ministry, Dr Janice Woolford

Ongoing training

The MCH Head noted too that extensive training has been ongoing with young doctors, adding that the Ministry has indentified a special approach to the five pillars of care which include pre-conception, pre-natal, intra-natal, care of the high risk patient and post partum. Workshops on safe motherhood have also been held in regions across Guyana, all which have been deemed successful. Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran said his Ministry has been able to address some of the issues which hinder the progress of this MDG. He said too that this

year has seen a reduced number of reported maternal deaths when compared to last year. Minister Ramsaran also noted that Guyana’s MDG Acceleration Framework (MAF) has the potential to initiate the systematic changes necessary both at the central and national levels and at the institutional and regional levels to raise the quality of maternal health care in Guyana. “With the view of ensuring that this is indeed achieved and that a multisectoral approach is encouraged, a monitoring committee will be established. The committee’s mandate will be to track implementa-

tion of the activities included in Guyana’s MAF Action plan for improved maternal health against the established timeline and targets,” the Health Minister said. Although there has been progress toward this goal, significant challenges remain. To identify the current major bottlenecks in this area, a situational analysis was carried out using the MDG acceleration Framework and concrete solutions were then selected in line with the prioritised bottlenecks. Guyana’s MDG Acceleration framework was developed by the Government in collaboration with the UNDP with the view of accelerating progress toward achieving maternal health related targets. Khadija Musa, the UNDP’s Resident Coordinator, said Guyana has made tremendous progress towards meeting the various targets of the MDGs including the targets for nutrition and child health and made important strides in its efforts to reduce hunger. “But as we celebrate the achievements, we continued on page 9

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PPP/C reiterates radio licences issuance was fair

he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) said it has noted with deep concern recent statements emanating from certain “misinformed political quarters and mischief makers who are in the habit of spreading half-truths and distortions with respect to the

assignment of radio frequencies”. In this regard, the Party said it has taken note of the persistent and wrongful accusations levelled against former President Bharrat Jagdeo purporting that he “gave away Guyana’s patrimony” when he sought to ap-

prove spectrum space for radio broadcasts in Guyana. “The false accusation of “giving away to friends” needs to be addressed. Approvals to broadcast via radio were given to ten persons or entities in 2011 after the passage of the Broadcasting Act 2011. Chairman of the GNBA Board, Bibi Shaddick

Prior to this date, the only entity broadcasting via radio was NCN.” The PPP/C reminded, in its statements, that those granted radio licences were: Alfro Alphonso – Essequibo Coast; RS Christie – Berbice; Haslyn Graham – Linden; Hits & Jams Entertainment – East Coast Demerara; Rudy Grant – Georgetown; Telcor Inc – Georgetown; Wireless Connections Inc – Georgetown; National Communications Network – Georgetown; New Guyana Company Ltd – countrywide and Radio Guyana Inc – countrywide.

Court order, not friendship

The Party said that with specific reference to Radio Guyana Inc, it

Anthony Vieira

should be noted that this approval was given in compliance with an order of the court in a matter that had been filed by Anthony Vieira prior to his selling his communications empire to Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop. “Dr Ramroop is always referred to by the former President’s detractors as his “best friend”. Well, even Presidents deserve best friends, but the approval to operate a radio station given to Dr Ramroop’s company was not given by virtue of friendship. Instead it was by virtue of a court order,” the PPP/C asserted. According to the ruling party, one needs to look at the other nine approvals and judge whether it is not geog-

raphy rather friendship which was taken into account. The PPP/C said Vieira, truly one of the pioneers of television broadcasting in Guyana, notwithstanding how many copyright infringement laws he may have broken, now by his writings and utterings, seems to want to have his cake having already eaten it. “Vieira now wants to be recognised as an expert on technical matters regarding Guyana’ spectrum availability, misquoting the Chairman of the GNBA [Guyana National Broadcast Authority] in the process. “The truth is that Mr Vieira sold his interests in broadcasting for a hefty sum of money and is now desperately trying to remain relevant in the area of broadcasting. “The PPP/C denounces these blatant halftruths and distortions of the facts and calls upon Guyanese to reject the attempts by the mischief makers who waste no time to utilise every opportunity to throw dust in the eyes of the unsuspecting public.”

from page 3

Demerara Bank launches... tions globally. Morgan pointed out that that the Cards offer credit from as low as Gy$2 million. The cards can be used at stores, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, online sites and many other merchants across the world. He explained that there are no costs attached when purchases are made however

withdrawals and other bank transactions carry a cost. He went on to highlight the many benefits the VISA Cards carry such as 24-hour customer service especially for those who are traveling. Morgan mentioned that there are excellent replacement services in place if a card holder looses their card while traveling as well as emergency medical assistance. Additionally, he explained that VISA Signature card holders are afforded the highest level of service when traveling such luggage insurance of US$500 for items that are lost and US$1000 for theft. There is also purchase insurance of up to 45 years with repair allowances of US$5000 per year. Morgan further stated that DBL VISA Card holders will have to pay 5 per cent of the balance monthly or more if they wish to do so. He stressed that there are security arrangements in place to protect card holders. The technology system that is being used to operate the VISA programme was adopted from fellow Caribbean country, Antigua he stated. Persons interested in obtaining a DBL

VISA Card, can do so by filling out an application form available at the bank’s website or at any branches and drop it off at the latter. Qualified persons will need a good credit history and offer a stipulated amount of cash as insurance. The VISA Credit Card account will be separate from any other accounts with the bank. M e a n w h i l e , Chairman of the Bank, Yesu Persaud expressed his delight at the success the bank has had since its establishment 20 years ago. He assured that with new and innovated services such as the VISA Card programme and with the continued support of stakeholders, the bank will be around for a very long time to serve the Guyanese people. Meanwhile President Donald Ramotar and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh were both at the launching and applauded the bank for its consistent growth over the years. The bank handed out its first set of VISA cards to prequalified applicants, which included Minister Singh, Chief Executive Officer of GT&T RK Sharma, businessman Harry Mattai, among others.

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AFC/PNCR/APNU coalition…

Leader must be vigorously negotiated, says Harmon

he leadership slot of any coalition between the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) will not be automatically filled, as leaders of both parties must go to the table for negotiation. APNU General Secretary Joseph Harmon said the issue of leadership of any possible coalition would have to be “vigorously negotiated” between the parties of the political Opposition. Harmon was responding to questions on whether he was prepared to be led by AFC’s leader Khemraj Ramjattan, who on Saturday announced that his party was prepared to form an alliance with APNU, but it must be the one to lead. The leader of the sev-

(PPP/Civic) Government. He added that the most important element to be considered in all of this was the willingness of the AFC to work towards this objective. That, he stressed was most welcome.

Remarkable

APNU General Secretary Joseph Harmon

en-seat minority parliamentary Opposition party, during his speech at his party’s biennial conference, told supporters that if the party’s proposal becomes a reality, it must be at the helm of the leadership. He had said that while the party remained open to discussions on a broad national alliance to govern the

APNU’s Vice Chairman, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

affairs of the country, it must be understood that the AFC will not be taking the backseat in any such union. While APNU Leader David Granger has scoffed at the idea of Ramjattan and the AFC leading the coalition, the party’s General Secretary said there was more to mull than just the issue of leadership.

Harmon told this publication that as a nation, Guyanese need to see the true representation of the proposal by the AFC. He said that proposal represented a willingness on the part of the smaller Opposition party to work together with APNU to rid the country of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic

APNU’s Vice Chairman, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine expressed similar sentiments. He said the fact that the AFC could “concoct” such an idea was remarkable and such a move was a positive one by the party. He said an attempt to build a democratic coalition is nothing new for Guyana, as such was sought by the PPP back in the1950s with the People’s National Congress (PNC). According to Roopnaraine, the details of the leadership of any such coalition have to be

left for the deliberation period between the two political bodies. Granger on Sunday had described the proposal by Ramjattan to lead any coalition of “progressive forces” to contest next year’s general elections as premature. However, he related that Ramjattan’s proposal was welcomed, positing that he was looking forward to the fruition of the possibility of talks. He, however, explained that while APNU was looking forward to the possibility of the coalition, such declarations by Ramjattan on the leadership are too hasty. According to Granger, it would be through dialogue that the political factions would be able to reasonably determine which party would be at the helm.

FAO Food Price Index largely Health Ministry stable for third month in a row working to... from page 7

he Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) monthly Food Price Index was stable in November, as vegetable oil and grain prices inched up and offset ongoing declines in dairy prices. The Food Price Index averaged 192.6 points, marking the third consecutive month of stability. The Index now stands 13 points, 6.4 per cent below its level in November 2013. “The Index appears to have bottomed out with higher probabilities for a rise in its value in coming months” said Abdolreza Abbassian, Senior Economist at FAO. After some volatile movements in recent years, FAO’s Food Price Index, a trade-weighted index that tracks prices of five major food commodities on international markets, is now around its level of August 2010. The Index aggregates sub-indices for prices of cereals, meat, dairy

The Sugar Price Index dropped 3.2 per cent from October to average 230 points in November, about eight per cent below its level a year earlier

products, vegetable oils, and sugar. The FAO Dairy Price Index declined 3.4 per cent from October and 29 per cent from a year earlier to average 178.1 points in November, reflecting increased export availability of dairy products along with slower imports to large markets such as China and the Russian Federation. Sugar Price Index The Sugar Price Index dropped 3.2 per cent from October to average 230 points in

November, about eight per cent below its level a year earlier. The recent decline came as rain in Brazil’s main sugar producing region alleviated concerns about a prolonged drought in the world’s largest sugar exporter. Cereal prices rose significantly for the first time since March as growing conditions for the just-sown wheat crop in the northern hemisphere appear less than ideal. However, rice prices weakened as newly-

harvested supplies arrived to market. The Cereal Price Index averaged 183 points in November, up 2.6 per cent from October, but down 5.8 per cent from a year earlier. The Vegetable Oil Price Index also rose, increasing 0.7 per cent to 164.9 points – still almost 17 per cent below its level a year earlier – due to lower-than-anticipated global production of sunflower oil and some slowdown of palm oil production in Malaysia and Indonesia. However, soy oil prices were weak, dampening the sub-index’s rise. Meat prices were stable in November, although beef and most other types of meats are at historic highs. The Meat Price Index averaged 210.4 points, in line with its revised value for October while marking a 13.3 per cent increase from November 2013. Mutton and lamb prices moved moderately higher during the month.

A section of the gathering

recognise that much work remains to be done. We particularly note the remaining challenges in the area of maternal health, where work needs to be stepped up towards creating an environment for a higher standard of care and long sustainability. “In this regard, we are pleased and encourage the Government that has strongly demonstrated its commitment to achieving the unmet MDGs by identifying MDG5,” Musa said. It has also been able to increase access to so-

cial services and benefits, improve enrollment and completion of primary education, increase empowerment of women and achieve environmental sustainability. The country was also on track to achieving the goals relating to education, water and sanitation, and HIV/AIDS. Present also at the launch were PAHO/ WHO representative, Dr Adu Krow, Dr Roberto Campos from USAID, UNFPA representative Patrice La Fleur and Cornelly McAlmont, UNICEF representative.

10 NEWS …but ducks Presidential AFC floats new team and PM candidates S WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

ocial media activist Mark Ross and Dr Veersammy Ramayya are among 12 persons who were last Saturday elected to serve on the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Alliance For Change (AFC) at the party’s biennial National Conference. This was on Tuesday confirmed by AFC Youth Leader Trevor Williams, who was also elected to the NEC after the party’s elections on Saturday. The AFC failed to elect a Presidential

Mark Ross

Vladmir Glasgow

Abel Seetaram

or Prime Ministerial candidate for the up-

coming elections, notwithstanding its lead-

er Khemraj Ramjattan had declared months

ago that he was backing Moses Nagamootoo for the top post and Nigel Hughes as his deputy. Williams also confirmed in addition to himself, Ramayya and Ross, the following were appointed: AFC Member of Parliament (MP) Cathy Hughes; Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman; former MP Sarah Punalall; MP Valerie GarridoLowe; Abel Seetaram; Vladmir Glasgow; Michael Carrington; Neilson McKenzie; and

Charrandass Persaud. It was explained that these persons would be added to the existing contingent of the AFC’s Executive Committee. When the party’s National Conference concluded, there was no change in its leadership after the incumbent leaders returned unopposed. This was confirmed by the party’s ViceChairman, Moses Nagamootoo who remarked that the conference was a huge success.

Sharma’s JFAP shuns AFC-APNU coalition

eader of the Justice For All Party (JFAP), Jaipaul Sharma, has said that he will not be joining the Alliance

For Change-People’s National Congress-A Partnership for National Unity (AFC-PNCAPNU) coalition to contest the upcoming

General and Regional Elections next year. Speaking to the Guyana Times International, Sharma pointed out that while he

would not be joining forces with the AFC-PNCAPNU he was of the opinion that the move to coalesce was a good one. “This should have been done a long time ago, but it’s good that they have taken this step. It will make them a wider and broader coalition,” he stated. The JFAP Leader explained that as far as coalescing goes, the other small parties and unions have already coalesced with other bigger entities such as APNU. As such, he noted that the question of JFAP joining forces with another party was out of the question. He said the JFAP intends to contest the elections as an independent party; however, he was unsure whether he would meet the criteria of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and be allowed to enter the race for the poll. “We will go as an independent party if we qualify, then we will go to elections, but if not, then we can’t do anything,” the former Member of Parliament said. The JFAP had joined the APNU coalition for the 2011 elections and was given one seat in Parliament. However, in April during the 2014 National Budget Debate, there was a confrontation between Sharma and Education Minister Priya Manickchand,

Leader of the Justice For All Party Jaipaul Sharma

who had heckled some ridiculing statements about his father and party founder, Chandra Narine Sharma. The APNU had spoken out against Manickchand’s behaviour; however, Sharma subsequently felt upset that there was not much support from the leading APNU members sitting in the front row. “APNU did not do well in protecting the coalition. I was waiting for them, but when no one got up, I decided to protect myself,” he had stated in referring to his resignation. Asked on Tuesday whether he had gained the support of the AFC MPs at the time of the incident, Sharma explained that while no one stood up in his defence in the National Assembly, there was some level of support ex-

tended after he had resigned.

Flawed approach

On Saturday last, AFC held its Biennial Convention where reelected leader Khemraj Ramjattan, announced that the party was willing to lead a broad prodemocracy coalition inclusive of the APNU to remove the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) from Government. He said, “The AFC is ready to enter, if necessary, into negotiations and to lead a pro-democracy alliance of progressive forces that is comprised of civic groups, workers’ unions, political forces – and by political forces here we are talking about even PPP/C members who have been disenchanted with the performance of the PPP/C thus far and even APNU.”

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Massy Guyana Limited cops GCCI’s large Business of the Year award … Private Sector urged to excel despite political gridlock By Vahnu Manikchand

assy Guyana Limited has copped the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (GCCI) large Business of the Year award last Thursday evening for its good performance in the areas of financial growth, customer satisfaction, internal processes improvements, employee relations, development and corporate citizenship. GCCI held its annual Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony last Thursday at the Savannah Suite, Pegasus Hotel. Speaking at the ceremony, President of GCCI Lance Hinds pointed out that the Chamber’s role is to support the growth and sustainability of the Private Sector; as such, it is important that those businesses that perform

GCCI’s President Lance Hinds addressing the gathering

exceptionally well be recognised. “If all of these businesses are expanding and investing in their facilities and services, and investors continue to show interest and make inquiries, don’t we have a responsibility as national stakeholders to ensure that this invest-

ment in Guyana that is currently in progress is justified and secure? That the faith shown in this economy is rewarded, and the excitement that is being generated inside and outside Guyana continues, and is turned into our national advantage,” Hinds mentioned.

The GCCI President noted there are delegations and large companies that are interested in entering the market and have approached the Chamber to get a complete picture of the local business environment. On this note, he added that the members of GCCI, as well as the pri-

vate sector, will have to be more prudent and responsible. With the current political climate and challenge the country is facing, Hinds pointed out that all eyes are on the Private Sector to see how it progresses during this current state of Guyana’s political gridlock. “Everybody is watching us now to see how we conduct ourselves during this period of some uncertainty… The Chamber believes that this is a time for maturity and level headedness, and not some of the political mechanisms that have characterised our landscape in the most recent past. According to Hinds, the country is currently at a crossroad of its history and future, adding that the way its national affairs, political and democratic processes are

dealt with, will set the tone and direction of the nation for years to come. In the meanwhile, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh believes that this current situation that Guyana is experiencing will result in the country emerging stronger in the end, having learnt the lessons of political gridlock. “Having learnt and discovered the lacuna in our Constitution and the rest of our legislative framework and having corrected ourselves with the accumulation of experience and benefit with the passage of time, like the child falling off the bicycle, these are growing pains we must experience,” he stressed. The Minister remarked that a lot has been achieved in the country, noting that when he looks around, continued on apge 22

Guyana Times cops top PAHO media awards

Guyana Times’ Tajeram Mohabir receives his secondplace prize for the Best News Feature in Print Journalism from United Nations Resident Coordinator Khadija Musa

uyana Times Journalist T a j e r a m Mohabir copped the first prize in the Best News Story Category of the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation ( P A H O / W H O ) Excellence in Health Journalism competition when the awards were presented Saturday evening. Mohabir, who is also a Sub-Editor at this publication, was placed second in the Best Feature Story Category; the first place was secured by Stabroek News reporter Jeanna Pearson. The winning piece from Mohabir titled “Ebola monitoring in Berbice weak” shed light on the country’s porous borders amid heightened calls for greater local attention to be paid to the ep-

idemic following the outbreak in West Africa. The news feature, which earned him second place and US$500 headlined “Some 15,000 unaware they have diabetes” spoke to issues of unhealthy eating and lack of exercise and how they contribute to diabetes.

High level of understanding

From the judges’ report, Mohabir exhibited a high level of understanding of the issues he wrote about and great depth and skill in the presentation of information. In brief remarks that were well received by a sizable gathering of Health Ministry officials; representatives of PAHO and Caricom; and members of the diplomatic community, at the Savannah Suite,

Pegasus Hotel, Mohabir thanked Guyana Times Publisher, Dr Bobby Ramroop and his Editor, Nigel Williams for their support and encouragement in writing on issues of human interest and development. He also praised PAHO for giving the media an opportunity to be recognised for their work, in raising awareness of health issues and providing solutions to them.

Both Mohabir and Pearson have been awarded a one-week trip to PAHO/WHO headquarters in Washington DC, USA. The trip will happen sometime next year. The other winners of the prestigious awards included Desilon Daniels from Stabroek News and Sharmin Granger from the Kaieteur News. PAHO Resident Representative in Guyana William Adu-

Krow said the Media Awards for Excellence in Health Journalism started in Guyana in early 2000 and petered out, but was resuscitated through the efforts of himself and Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament Cathy Hughes, among several others. Previous winners include Ruel Johnson, Oluatoyin Alleyne of Stabroek News and Shirley Thomas of the

Guyana Chronicle. Given the poor quality of work submitted for radio and television, no significant awards were made to applicants in these categories. But Handel Duncan of HGP Nightly News and Merundoi were recognised for their work in health journalism. The winning articles which cover areas ranging from Ebola to suicide will be posted on PAHO’s website.

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

news Sterling Products invasion, murder…

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Police arrest trio

– SWAT Unit not deployed

hree individuals have been arrested by the Guyana Police Force and are assisting with investigations into the Monday evening invasion of Sterling Products Limited at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) during which a guard was shot dead and another man injured. This was confirmed by A Division (Georgetown) Commander Clifton Hicken, who told this publication that the men were arrested and a silver car, impounded. It was revealed that the arrest was as a result of information received by the Police Force and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage acquired from Sterling Products. When asked about the surveillance footage, the divisional commander explained that the Police Force was in the process of “developing” the footage. Questions have been raised by sections of society about the time the Police Officers from the Providence Police Station took to respond to the in-

Where is the SWAT Team when it is needed?

cident. Observers said that the Police took too long to respond, given that the station was merely a stone’s throw away. Concerns were also raised about the availability of the Police Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) Unit which should have been available to respond to such an incident. However, Hicken made it clear that the ranks from Providence did not take long to arrive at the scene. He, however, did not state the length

of time it took them to arrive. Crime Chief Leslie James, in a subsequent interview with the Guyana Times International explained that sending in the SWAT Unit was a decision that would have to be made internally. No such decision was made by the Force on Monday evening. He said “whenever the need arises, the Force will make that decision”.

Questions

James was reluctant to provide an answer as to why no such decision was

Benn slams Kaieteur News report on Amaila Falls Access Road

ublic Works Minister Robeson Benn expressed his disgust over a photograph that appeared in the Kaieteur News to members of the media on Sunday. The photograph, which was carried in Sunday’s edition of the newspaper, was part of the headline story captioned, “Multibilliondollar Amaila Falls Access road… Chinesebuilt section washing away.” The article sought to establish that works done by China Railway First Group (Guyana) Inc on Section Seven of the access road were of a substandard quality. “Just a few weeks after Government said that a critical section of the multibillion-dollar access road to the Amaila Falls hydroelectric dam has been completed, there is indisputable evidence that parts of it are washing away,” the article claimed. However, speaking during the launch of the Guyoil aviation fuel farm at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Benn said that loam erosion is a normal

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn

maintenance problem for that type of road. “It was fairly annoying to me when I saw in one section of the press a photo showing a suggestion of a road we are building to the Amaila Falls.” Benn added that he was of the belief that persons from the newspaper may have travelled along the 200-kilometre roadway looking for holes to highlight in the article. Recently, Minister Benn had announced that the roadway was about 93 per cent complete. In April of this year, Gy$1.3 billion was approved by the National Assembly for the con-

struction of the roadway which leads to the hydropower project site. This was done without the support of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) while the Alliance For Change (AFC) abstained from the vote. AFC Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo told the Committee of Supply back in April that the AFC would not vote against the capital expenditure, although it had concerns about the provision of funds for the Amaila Access Road. The Minister said in order for progress to prevail, people need to stop beating up on each other on very specious grounds, as the constant back-and-forth bickering can discourage youths from working to develop Guyana. The Amaila Falls Project is expected to significantly reduce the cost of electricity across Guyana. President Donald Ramotar has continuously said that the realisation of this project will allow Government to invest its Gy$1.6 billion subsidy to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) in other sections of the economy.

taken on the part of the Guyana Police Force. Observers have also questioned why the SWAT Unit was not deployed during the robbery despite being in place months now. Government has said that the aim of the unit is to strengthen the Force’s law enforcement capabilities. “With a SWAT Unit, the Guyana Police Force would be better placed to make specialised interventions, thereby, ensuring law and order is maintained, and prospective threats are neutralised,”

the Home Affairs Ministry had said at the Unit’s launch. The Ministry had engaged the services of ‘The Emergence Group’ (TEG), a Washington-based consultancy firm, to realise this initiative. According to the Ministry, the establishment of a SWAT team had also received the full support of the leadership of the Guyana Police Force. Forty-five-yearold Wilfred Stewart, of Graham’s Hall, East Coast Demerara, a security guard employed with Edward Beharry Security

Firm, attached to Sterling Products Limited, was killed during the invasion on Monday evening. Stuart reportedly died on the spot after the gunmen opened fire indiscriminately. He was subsequently relieved of his firearm. Indian national Mario Gohill, a Chemist employed with the company, was also shot during the gunfire and was taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre after the gunmen had made good their escape. At approximately 18:45h on Monday evening, about 10 men, all of whom were armed with high powered rifles, stormed the compound through the front gate. But, according to a release from the Guyana Police Force, there were only three gunmen. The Police said too that Stewart was relieved of a .32 revolver with six rounds. Police say the men were able to locate a safe in the building, but were unable to open it and proceeded to leave empty handed.

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Contract inked for US$30M Movietowne in Guyana

The US$30 million agreement between CHEC and Derek Chin (third from left), Chairman of MovieTowne Cineplex, includes the construction of entertainment facilities, restaurants, and commercial space

hina Harbour Engineering C o m p a n y (CHEC), the Chinese contractor for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project Monday said it had signed a US$30 million deal in Trinidad for the construction of the MovieTowne complex on the East Coast of Demerara at Turkeyen. CHEC T&T Ltd on Monday signed a contract in Port of Spain, Trinidad, for the construction of MovieTowne Guyana, a release from the firm said. CHEC said the US$30 million agreement, between it and

Derek Chin, Chairman of MovieTowne Cineplex, includes the construction of entertainment facilities, restaurants, and commercial space. The project is expected to be completed in 18 months. CHEC, a Chinese construction and engineering company with offices located in Trinidad, is no stranger to Guyana, as the company has been contracted for the CJIA runway extension project, which is expected to be completed in 2017. In the Caribbean and Latin American Region, CHEC has been awarded several sig-

nature projects including the Port of Balboa & Container Terminal in Panama 2002; the Manzanillo Container Terminal in Mexico 2011, and most recently, in 2014 the North Abaco Port Project in the Bahamas. CHEC said in the release that it was a full service provider in the large-scale construction business for more than 30 years. This leading engineering company specialises in the areas of marine engineering, dredging, land reclamation, and in the construction of roads, bridges, airports and railways.

As such, the company has received more than 160 awards for a number of projects including the design and construction of two of the three longest sea crossing bridges in the world: the Hangzhou Bay Bridge (36 kilometres long) and the Shanghai Donghai Bridge (32.5km long], both in China. The company was also presented with the prestigious Jamaica Institute of Engineers Project of the Year award in 2013 and in 2014 for the completion of Westmorland Bridge and the first leg of the North South Highway in Jamaica.

Dominica Labour Party wins general election

O S E A U , DOMINICA: The ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) was returned to power in Monday’s general election winning 12 of 16 seats, according to the preliminary results released here. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is scheduled to address the nation at 9.30 (local time) according to his press attache, Daryl Titre. The DLP, which won 18 seats in the 2009 general election, is on course to win at least 15 of the 21 seats it contested in Monday’s poll. The main opposition United Workers \ party (UWP) has won four seats so far, with its new leader, Lennox Linton easily defeating Dr Martin Christmas by a margin of 935 to 299. Prime Minister Skerrit is on schedule to sweep his Vielle Case seat by a wide margin leading Alex Birmingham by 1,087 to 110 votes with just a few polling stations yet to report. The DLP lost the Wesley constituency after Ezekiel Bazil failed to win the seat for the incumbent party on his

Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit

first attempt. The seat was held by Community Development Minister Gloria Shillingford who had bowed out of active politics. The DLP also won the La Plaine seat. In the 2009 general election, Education Minister Petter St Jean won the seat by a mere two votes, defeating then UWP leader Ron Green. The issue went to the courts after Green challenged the results as well as St Jean’s citizenship. The preliminary results show that St Jean tallied 691 votes as against Green’s tally of 346, In the 2009 general election, the UWP won just three of the 21 seats in the general election. (Caribbean News)

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Jags Aviation to expand fleet USVI cocaine mule …launches Christmas package

gets Gy$49M fine, 5 years imprisonment

A Directors of Jags Aviation, sisters Briony and Alana Tiwari pose with their mother in front of the Cessna Grand Caravan By Royden James

omestic airline service Jags Aviation on Saturday officially launched its first Christmas package and officials said they have been making great strides since entering the industry. The airline’s aim is to create cheaper airfares for persons travelling to interior locations for

work or persons going to the Kaieteur or Orindiuk falls as well as the Quari in Bartica. According to one of the Directors of Jags Aviation, Briony Tiwari, apart from cheap airfares, passengers will also benefit from free meals. She said thus far a number of persons have used the new service and was waiting for the Christmas promotion to be launched to cash in on

a once-in-a-lifetime deal. She disclosed that a number of persons have also booked their flights for the various locations. When asked about the future of the air service, the Director said that for the New Year there will be a number of new aircraft operationalised to expand the fleet. She said they will also be expanding their service to full time in continued on page 23

Police Complaints Authority urged to be more proactive

uyana Human R i g h t s Association (GHRA) said the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) should be more proactive in the execution of its duties, especially in matters involving Police brutality. Referencing a recent matter in which fisherman Asif Rahim Khartoon allegedly died at the hands of ranks of the Leonora Police Station, the GHRA expressed disappointment that the case may have hit rock bottom simply because the wife of the deceased is unable to identify the perpetrators. In a recent interview, PCA Director, former Chief Justice Cecil Kennard signalled his disappointment that Khartoon’s reputed wife, Soorsattie Chandrapaul, was unwilling to attend an ID parade of the Police officers. “What is disturbing is that the wife has failed to go to the identification parade; she has to identify the men who allegedly beat her husband,” the former Chief Justice was quoted as saying. Khartoon, of West Coast Demerara, was arrested following reports that he had assaulted his wife. According to the human rights organisation, the wife’s reluctance to attend the ID parade is understandable. “Apart from the rea-

PCA Director, former Chief Justice Cecil Kennard

son she has provided, namely, it was dark and she didn’t get a good view of the Police, she may also suspect she is being drawn into a setup,” the GHRA opined. According to Chandrapaul, her husband complained bitterly about being beaten while in Police custody. Nevertheless, the GHRA said the impression being created was that charges cannot be laid without Chandrapaul’s cooperation, although the fatal injuries appear to have been inflicted in Leonora Police Station, when she was not present.

Reassurance

“The other question to be explained is why the Leonora Police Station itself cannot very quickly determine, as an internal matter, who the members of the patrol were on the night in question and who were on duty at the station. “Chandrapaul has lost her husband to the violent behaviour of the

Guyana Police Force and, therefore, should not be asked to endanger her life and that of her family, by identifying the perpetrators. “The posture of the PCA suggests little appreciation for its own role as supposedly a public defender against Police abuse. “Since Mrs Chandrapaul’s evidence is clearly valuable, what steps has the PCA considered to reassure her? Has the PCA, for example, offered to accompany Mrs Chandrapaul to the ID parade? Has the PCA given any thought to warning all members of the Police lineup that any attempt at retaliation against the Chandrapaul family will be dealt with severely?” According to the GHRA, the PCA should put the puzzle together between brutality and location. The organisation added that the Leonora Police Station is attracting notoriety for incidents of savage brutality, as it referenced the public outcry and millions of dollars awarded in damages to a 16-yearold boy whose genitals were set ablaze in that station in 2009. More recent cases involved a group of suspects who were cruelly beaten to extract confessions over the death of a businessman, the human rights organisation added.

28-year-old US Virgin Islands (USVI) national Tanasha LeSleming was sentenced to five years imprisonment and fined Gy$49,396,400 for trafficking in narcotics. LeSleming, who was unrepresented, appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday morning. It was alleged that on December 5, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), LeSleming had 18.295 kilograms of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. The unrepresented man pleaded guilty to the offence without hesitation, but noted that he had some monies (US$300 and G$6000) which he wanted to hand over to the American envoy to Guyana who was present in court, a request that was granted by the Magistrate. It was reported that the US citizen

Tanasha LeSleming

was about to board a Dynamic Airways Flight for the John F Kennedy International Airport when he was intercepted with the cocaine concealed in baking powder and custard powder. On the day in question, around 09:35h, ranks of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) were on duty patrol at the Airport when they stopped the accused after a strange image emerged when his

suitcases were scanned. The ranks then opened a suitcase and conducted a search in the presence of LeSleming. They found the cocaine in seven packages of Champion Baking Powder and five packages of custard powder. The accused was then shown the cocaine and was taken, along with his suitcases to the station, where the illicit substance was weighed in his presence.

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

news

EBD flooding…

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Gy$11M is flood relief, not compensation – Whittaker tells protesting residents

everal residents of Providence and Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara on Monday protested in front of the Office of the President, demanding higher compensation for losses they suffered during the recent flooding of the East Bank Demerara (EBD) communities. Subsequent to the breach of the koker in Peter’s Hall, residents suffered millions in losses as the floodwater swept in their homes and destroyed their hardearned valuables. The protestors were calling for Gy$31 million instead of the promised Gy$11 million, noting that Gy$11 million cannot even begin to compensate their losses. However, speaking with Guyana Times International, Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker clearly stated that the residents were not offered compensation, but flood relief and assistance. Whittaker explained that in order for the resi-

Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker

dents to get “compensation”, they would have to provide proof that they did indeed loose a particular item worth a particular amount, and it was lost owed to a particular nature. “You can only get compensation if you can prove that you endured these losses,” he said. He further stated that “You can’t come to us and say you lost Gy$200,000 in fowl and you want compensation for that,” he added. Nevertheless, due to the unfortunate incident, the Government granted flood relief and assistance to the residents of the affected areas.

Sattaur says very proud of GRA’s performance … in wake of growing criticism By Svetlana Marshall

n a quest to salvage the image of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) amid growing criticism, Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur on Friday said “GRA’s performance has been epic over the past 10 years”. The GRA has experienced phenomenal growth in revenue collection, jumping from Gy$41.5 billion in 2003 to a record-breaking Gy$126.5 billion plus, representing an increase of more than 205 per cent. The 2014 target has been set at Gy$135.3 billion.

Performance

The GRA maintained that it was proud of its performance, pointing out: “It is to be noted that while on an annual basis no new taxes are introduced and, quite on the contrary, the rates of taxes have been reduced in respect of the two major revenue categories, personal income tax and corporate taxes down from 33 1/3 per cent to 30 per cent; and 45 per cent and 35 per cent to 40 per cent and 30 per cent respectively, and economic growth did not exceed more than, on average, six per cent percentage points annually, yet the average increase of the revenues has shown a remarkable performance of over 11 per cent on an annual basis reflecting increasing levels of performance

GRA Commissioner Khurshid Sattaur

year after year,” he added. Nevertheless, he said it was no secret that there was a high frequency of Private Sector businesses offering bribes to tax officers not to unveil their fraudulent reporting. More alarming, it was a fact that billions are granted in concessions to businesses in machinery and equipment and raw materials that are either diverted for other purposes or sold to persons who are not entitled to such benefits. He stressed, however, that the GRA spends millions of its rather scarce resources as well as the officers’ valuable time to police such criminal activities.

Tax evasion

“This does not include the billions that are being evaded annually from fraudulent claims for VAT refunds even as many businesses continue to engage in the

very insidious practice by the Private Sector of offering not to charge VAT on condition not to provide receipts of such sales,” he said. Recently, a meeting was held with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Government during which calls were made for the Private Sector to access more efficient concessions and duty-free waivers on various items that generally attract taxes for the ordinary citizens of the country.

Loss of revenue

The Commissioner General is of the opinion that there was a strong correlation of corruption in the Agency with aiding and abetting by the Private Sector which is responsible for a significant loss in revenues. Additionally, Sattaur, who has been at the helm of GRA for approximately 12 years, believes that high-ranking officials within the commercial sector are not prepared to condemn this scourge, choosing instead to remain silent while all blame is being levelled at the door of the public sector. The highly controversial Corruption Perception Index of the Transparency International Inc, which was recently released, said Guyana, though showing improvement, was just above Haiti in terms of the most corrupt Caribbean countries.

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyoil launches US$2M fuel depot at CJIA By Erica Williams

he Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) on Sunday launched its US$2 million jet fuel farm at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). The facility was declared open by President Donald Ramotar. It is expected to act as a price regulator for jet fuel in Guyana thus attracting more airlines to fly the Georgetown route. President Ramotar, said the farm is a smaller aspect of a bigger picture. Ramotar said persons in some quarters were saying that the Government has chosen to invest in such a lavish facility but was neglecting the simple things such as village roads. However, the President explained that such investments create a chain reaction which trickles down the line and citizens across Guyana will soon reap the benefits. “While roads in villages are important and we need to fix them, you can’t eat the roads. These investments are to increase revenue in our country.” Guyoil’s Managing Director Badrie Persaud said the project fell under Guyoil’s recently-registered Aviation Services Limited. Persaud said Guyoil made the decision to enter the aviation fuel market in Guyana because of the growing opportunities. Persaud explained that while

President Donald Ramotar being escorted by Guyoil’s Managing Director Badrie Persaud during a tour of the state oil company’s US$2M Aviation Services fuel handling facility at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (Carl Croker photo)

the 38-year-old company could have gotten into the fuel market in the 90s, back then, it was not feasible. “In the 90s, we had maybe two to three flights operating out of CJIA daily, now we have about 10 to 12 flights daily.” This represents over 100 per cent growth in activity at the CJIA and as such, Guyoil tested the aviation market in 2010, by starting to distribute aviation fuel to smaller planes at the Ogle International Airport through the Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services (CAMS). The service was subsequently halted briefly in 2013 when the company invested

approximately US$1.5 million in phase one of its aviation services, because of local controversy. Guyoil in 2013 took the initiative to set up two 5000-gallon barrels at Providence, East Bank Demerara to supply jet fuel to CAMS. After seeing the growing possibilities, phase two of Guyoil’s aviation services was embarked upon. Phase two entailed the commencement of works on the fuel storage plant at the CJIA. Persaud said initially the plan was to construct a 5000-gallon storage facility, but because of the length of time that had required, Guyoil opted for a pre-fabri-

cated facility instead.

Attractive prices

Guyoil’s jet fuel is expected to be sold for approximately US$4 per gallon as opposed to the US$6 to US$7 being offered by private companies. This is intended to create competitiveness in the aviation fuel market thus forcing the competition to lower their prices. High fuel prices at CJIA have been cited by big airlines such as Delta as a main reason for neglecting the Guyanese market. Cheaper fuel prices are expected to realise the Government’s aim at making the CJIA a more attractive route for big airlines

and create the possibility of realising the dream of making Guyana an international hub. Public Works Minister Robeson Benn, who was also present at the event, said the goal is for Guyoil to create the same impact that it had on road fuel, in aviation fuel. “This is an opportunity for leveraging. The price of fuel has been critical in maintaining good gas prices in the road transportation and we are confident that this facility will do the same for air transportation operating out of CJIA.” President Ramotar said Guyana has been missing out on many business opportunities in this sector because of the small runway at CJIA and fuel cost. “The expansion of the airstrip …. will make an enormous contribution to our economy.” This and other developments are essential for the development of Guyana’s Tourism Sector and other aspects of the economy, President Ramotar said. Among other attendees at the opening was Director of Guyoil, Oscar Phillips, who gave an overview of the company, citing the move to make it completely computerised. Guyoil Chairman Keshav Mangal was also present along with Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh. Guyoil was lauded for being one of the most proactive companies in the Public Sector.

Guyana Goldfields Inc receives Outstanding Achievement Award - Canadian based company focused on the exploration and development of gold deposits in Guyana

EORGETOWN, G U Y A N A : G u y a n a Goldfields Inc (GGI) is pleased to announce that it has received the Outstanding Achievement Award given for notable corporate development success in the past year. This award was presented at the Mining Journal Awards dinner at the Mines and Money conference held on December 4th in London, UK. The company received the award for its success in obtaining its project financing requirements in 2014 through the completion of two transactions which resulted in raising total gross proceeds of US$ 226.5 million towards the development and construction of the Aurora Gold Project. The transactions composed of a US$185 million senior secured project finance facility with a consortium of senior lenders as well as a non-brokered private

placement equity offering in the amount of US $41,523 million (or Cdn$44,400 million). Scott A Caldwell, President and Chief Executive Officer, states: “We are honoured to be the recipient of this prestigious award which represents the significant achievement of raising funds in a difficult financial environment and reflects the quality of the Aurora asset. We would like to once again thank all parties involved in these transactions and the dedicated team at GGI.” GGI was advised by Endeavour Financial Limited (Cayman) on the project debt financing. The Mining Journal Outstanding

Achievement Awards have been established to honour those individuals and organisations who have made a notable contribution to the industry and who stand out from the crowd. Guyana Goldfields Inc is a Canadian-based company, focused on the exploration and development of gold deposits in Guyana, South America. GGI is focused on the construction and development of the Aurora Gold Project scheduled for commercial production in mid-2015. The Aurora Gold Project has a total gold resource of 6.54 million ounces in the measured and indicated categories (62.83 million tonnes at 3.24 g/t Au) as well as an additional 1.82 million ounces in the inferred category (16.93 million tonnes at 3.34 g/t Au). GGI also holds a significant portfolio of attractive exploration properties and holds cash and cash equivalents of US$68 million as of July 31.

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

U.S. Non-Immigrant Visas to Guyanese New USAID Director for Caribbean likely to exceed 50,000 this year appointed ... Embassy warns of strict penalties against persons using visas for “economic gains” while in the U.S.

he United States (US) Embassy in Guyana has said that it is expecting to issue in excess of 50, 000 visas to Guyanese nationals for 2014. This exceeds the approximate total of 35,000, which was given out last year. Speaking during a local radio programme on Tuesday, US Embassy Chief for Consular Affairs James Jimenez said there is no stipulated number of visas the Embassy is limited to issuing per year. “There is not a numerical quota for the amount of visas we can give, we can give as much as the amount of applications processed”. Commentators have opined that given the poor shape of the US economy, many Guyanese have been returning home. They said too that whereas in the past there were a lot of persons overstaying their time or simply live illegally in the US, many are returning to their country of birth. Jimenez also noted that there are no predetermined requirements needed by an individual when applying for a nonimmigrant visa. “Well first off, there are no basic requirements for a visa….If I were to list them, it would simply be that you’re alive, breathing and have a passport , so there are no specific assets or list of qualifications,” he added. However, Jimenez encouraged applicants to display complete honesty on their application form and during the interview process. “Be truthful, one of

the things all officers and the staff are trained in is recognising the ‘tells’… the reasons you would suspect a person is withholding information or telling false info…” The Chief for Consular Affairs noted that while the Embassy looks for ties that would connect a person to their home country, honesty is the main determining factor for granting a visa. Jimenez added that the Embassy is cognisant of the fact that the ties that would bind a person to Guyana vary among young adults, the middle-aged and the retired populations. It was noted that a visitor's visa is as the name suggests and therefore if anyone in possession of this category of visa is found working to achieve economic gains on US soil, strict penalties will be taken against him or her. He advised that persons who are applying for a nonimmigrant visa with the intention of going about things the wrong or illegal way would be faced with major hardships in the underground life.

Not worth it

“If you’re going for economic gains or any illegal reasons we’re gonna catch you and you’re going to make the mistake either at the interview or at the port of entry or with the authorities in the United States and being in the underground in the states is never easy life and not worth the effort,” Jimenez warned. He further explained that “the thing that we are trying to guard against are persons trying to go to the United States to seek economic opportunities, it is against our laws so what I tend to rely or concentrate on is questions about your job and situation in Guyana and once the situation is believable, then we would approve”. Meanwhile, the Embassy official cautioned prospective visa applicants to be wary of persons who claim to be equipped with the expertise of assisting in obtaining a visa. He stressed that the visa application process and forms needed for such are designed in a user-friendly manner, thus, much help is not

US authorities release photos and info on ...

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cotics smuggling charges, and will be pros-

ecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the

U.S. Eastern District Court of New York."

needed. However, the only acceptable help is that from Internet cafes that offer such services. Apart from assistance in completing the Embassy’s online application form, Jimenez said applicants should guard against persons promising them entry into the United States of America. “No one can help you obtain a visa; that is a scam, if persons approach you to say they can help with visa it’s a no, it’s a scam,” he stressed.

he United States Embassy has officially announced the appointment of Christopher M Cushing as the Mission Director for United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Eastern and Southern Caribbean. Cushing, who has been on the job since October 21, is based in Bridgetown, Barbados, the Embassy said in a release. Most recently, Cushing served as USAID Mission Director in Ecuador from August 2013 to September 2014. Prior to this, he served as the Director of the Strategy, Budget and Programme Office for USAID’s Latin American and the Caribbean Bureau (LAC) programmes, subsequent to serving as Deputy Director of LAC’s Regional Sustainable Development Office, which comprised technical and sectoral staff. He was also strategy team leader for Latin America and the Caribbean Strategy, Budget and Programme Office and a Supervisory Programme Officer in Panama and Honduras. Prior to joining USAID, Cushing served in Peace Corps staff in

USAID Mission Director Christopher Cushing

Paraguay and Costa Rica as Training Coordinator and in Slovakia and the Baltics as Programme and Training Officer. The Embassy said it also takes this opportunity to inform of the name change of the USAID office from USAID Barbados and Eastern Caribbean to USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean. The name change now more appropriately reflects the countries in which USAID assistance programmes are implemented, including the Southern Caribbean countries of Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and where US Embassies with which USAID coordinates are also present.

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Caricom should seek alternative to Police destroy Petrocaribe – former Guyanese diplomat large ganja farm

eteran Guyanese diplomat Rashleigh Jackson has said that he was in total agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which had urged regional countries to begin seeking out new markets for their rice deal with the oil-rich but financially-straitened Venezuela. As the country’s oil-dependent economy continues to falter in the face of oil prices dropping from around US$115 per barrel to US$70 per barrel, concerns are intensifying. Speaking to Guyana Times International recently, the former Foreign Affairs Minister said it was indeed worrying that the Venezuelan economy was declining. According to him, heavy pressure may come upon the Nicolas Maduro-led Government to review the generosity of the arrangement of the Petrocaribe deal. “Though they have said there will be no variation of the agreement, I think there are options if Venezuela adheres to its obligations, because they have agreements with China and many Caribbean countries,” Jackson told this publication. He said that it was rather important that Guyana, which has already found an additional market for rice in Panama and has been pursuing the West African market, ensures that its future in rice exportation is secured. “So the move to secure more markets is to deal with the increasing production in Guyana and to be on the alert for any possible fallout

Former Guyanese diplomat Rashleigh Jackson

from the Venezuelan deal. So forward planning would suggest that government should continuously look for other markets for rice and continue looking for alternative arrangements in relation to hydrocarbon supplies,” Jackson said. The IMF recently expressed concern over the future of the Petrocaribe oil-deal in the wake of Venezuela’s deteriorating economy and falling international oil prices especially since several countries had signed the energy agreement.

No guarantee

It had also urged these nations to begin seeking out other avenues for their respective transactions as there was no guarantee that the Venezuelan economy would see an improvement anytime soon.

Economists believe that the dip in the price of oil from US$100 to its current US$82.70 per barrel will persist into 2015, resulting in oil exports from Venezuela declining by US$15 billion to US$20 billion annually. Some analysts have said too that the initiative, which allows countries to pay for part of their oil imports from Venezuela over a 20-year period at two per cent interest, will have to be modified or discontinued amid the worsening economic situation in our South American neighbour. In 2005, Governments across the Region entered into the Petrocaribe accord, and many Caribbean economies are still heavily dependent on the oil subsidies. In spite of paying a discounted price for oil and only having to pay between 40 and 50 per cent upfront with the rest being payable over the 20-year period, all the participating countries, with the exception of Suriname, are running balance of payments deficits. Guyana, over the years, has been paying for some of the oil sourced from Venezuela with rice shipments. Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said Guyana has nothing to fear over the decline of the Venezuelan economy, since its 2015 market has already been secured. Ramsammy told this publication that Government was currently in negotiation with Venezuela over the securing of another Petrocaribe deal.

in Canjie River

olice in Berbice have found and destroyed more marijuana plants in the Canje River. The most recent discovery of cultivation of the illegal plant was made on Sunday when a joint Police/Army operation was carried out at Calabash Creek about three miles up the Canje River. One field measuring about one acre in size and with approximately 1500 marijuana plants ranging in height from one foot to four feet, was found and destroyed. The marijuana has an estimated weight of 4500 kilograms. No arrests have been made. Recently, Commander of B (Berbice) Division, Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph had promised to weed out the cultivation of the illegal plant in Berbice. He had pointed to areas along the Canje River and the Berbice River as the two main areas of focus as he declared war on ‘ganja cultivation’. Joseph had promised that it would not be an easy Christmas for per-

sons involved in the illegal cultivation. In the past, ranks from the Division have led operations to both districts and have destroyed several fields of the illegal plant. Baracara in the Canje River has been one community where it is believed that much of the marijuana traded locally is cultivated. Growers along the Berbice River have close links with Surinamese and there are reports that the drug grown along the Berbice River is traded there. Police have, however, not been able to arrest persons from both communities in recent times. Sources close to the Police have indicated that those involved in the cultivation of the illegal plant have placed lookouts at various points along the Berbice River and Canje Creek to inform them when the law enforcement officers are approaching by boat. On most occasions, Police only find the fields being cultivated and destroy them.

National Reparations Committee seeking active involvement of youth

uyana’s National Reparations Committee is acknowledging the call of Caricom Reparations Commission Chairman, Professor Hilary Beckles for more youth involvement in the reparations movement. The Reparations Committee is currently working on engaging a few young minds to be a part of the reparations movement. Thus, the mobilisation of youth has been ongoing for some months in the committee’s efforts to have a youth component established this week. Guyana’s National Reparations Committee Chairman Eric Phillips told this publication that youths are part of the committee, but the numbers are not what they would like them to be. Thus, the committee has seen it fit to open its mind to the modes of communication that are exploited by young people like twitter, Facebook and other youth appealing media. Phillips told this publication that the race for a youth branch of the Reparations Committee is due to Professor Beckles’ call, but also due to the fact that the Reparations Youth Conference will be held by Caricom in 2015, and Guyana will be vastly underrepresented if steps are not taken to shore up representation. Also, a more youth oriented-committee in Guyana will keep the reparations movement informed about the needs and thoughts of young people, and be able to give effective representation of the younger generation. Professor Beckles had reached out to youths in the Caribbean while at Kingston College (KC) in Jamaica, insisting that youths need to be more active and more vocal. “This subject is going to go forward

Dimitri Nicholson has taken up the challenge of the Reparations movement

and we are going to have justice only when young people step up and play their role.” Dimitri Nicholson of Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG) said he has willingly taken up the mantle. Aside from being the Executive Director of Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG), Nicholson is the youth representative in Guyana’s National Reparations Committee. Both positions fittingly complement the other as Nicholson has been given the task to mobilise youths for the National Reparations Youth Committee. He said he is able to reach a number of youths and has been able to educate them on the topic while getting a general gist of what his peers may be thinking. The Executive Director said “many Guyanese youths are supporting” the initiative and have been quite open in highlighting the need for more information. Information is disbursed through emails and other sources and youths have indicated being quite “appreciative of the move Caricom has taken as a region”.

NEWS

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Serious division in Opposition camp …over prorogation response

everal analysts say Guyana is perhaps the only country in the Caribbean where there are so many Opposition parties. Even though of recent there have been efforts to form broad coalitions, their problem is the same: extreme divisions. More than a month since President Donald Ramotar prorogued Parliament after being threatened with a NoConfidence Motion against his Government; there are still major divisions among Opposition groups that impede their own efforts aimed at achieving a political solution. It is this scenario that presents the electorate with a skewed view as to the real motives of the two larger groups: A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC). From the onset, the deep division was evident. Once the AFC-sponsored NoConfidence Motion was tabled, APNU listed as priority Local Government Elections, while the AFC was hell bent on ramming through its motion against the Government. “What we are seeing here is APNU having a separate strategy, one that is distinct and apart from that of the AFC,” AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan said back in September. He added that the No-Confidence Motion was the party’s priority, insisting that “the violations of the Government no longer should be allowed. We indicated our intentions to APNU and we were given full support… we never got a sense that the priority of APNU was to see Local Government Elections at this time,” Ramjattan had said. Around this time, there was widespread support for the

APNU Leader David Grange

holding of Local Government Elections with several organisations and even the international community pressing the Government to hold the poll. “I believe at that time there was indeed support for Local Government Elections, but somehow APNU allowed itself to get sidetracked from the real issue and AFC entered with its No- Confidence Motion… this threw everything aside,” a former Member of Parliament told Guyana Times International on Thursday. Even President Ramotar had alluded to the division, stating one time that APNU had to make up its mind whether it wanted Local Government Elections or General Elections, given its support for the NoConfidence Motion. Political analysts had posited that the APNU, being the major political player in the one-seat majority in the House, should have been the one to first put forward a proposal such as the No-Confidence Motion, against the Donald Ramotar Administration. They claim too that the coalition, because of its weakened state, might be trailing its ju-

AFC's Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo

nior partner in this regard. But Granger had explained to this newspaper that his party is not following the AFC. “We are not following the AFC; we have taken a line to support the No-confidence Motion. There were four courses of action and the No-Confidence Motion was only one.” Faced with the situation, of his party being the first to fall on an Opposition NoConfidence Motion, President Ramotar on November 10 prorogued Parliament and invited the Opposition for talks aimed at thrashing out their differences. But this instead, set off major confusion within the Opposition’s camp. Amid a flurry of meetings and statements, APNU arranged a rally a few days later at the Square of the Revolution billed as a forum where the Opposition would articulate their strategy to supporters and also explain the implications of the prorogation. At this rally, there were further divisions. The AFC decided to send two of its black leaders to the rally largely attended by Afro-Guyanese, while its two top Indo leaders: Ramjattan

AFC's Nigel Huges

and Nagamootoo stayed away. “At this stage, no; we are not going out there with APNU,” Ramjattan had said. Besides, the party has shunned APNU’s daily protests outside the Office of the President, instead taking its demonstration in front of the Regional Administrative Complex at Fort Wellington, Region Five (MahaicaBerbice). “We don’t want to go there. We will continue to protest using other methods that do not require them to be on the streets rallying alongside fellow Opposition party – APNU. We have indicated that we will maintain our hard-hitting press releases and comments in the press,” he said. And if these “double standard positions” by the AFC are not enough, APNU continues to face Opposition within its own ranks, which most people figure simply provides a fig leaf for the PNC. Its main ally in the sixparty coalition, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has been very critical of its daily protests, calling them “weak” and urging the coalition to be more aggressive. In a strong-

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

ly worded statement recently, the WPA also expressed concern over the AFC’s “conspicuous” absence from the protests. “The AFC, the Opposition’s junior partner that initiated the No-Confidence Motion which precipitated the prorogation move by the Government to thwart the vote for early elections, has been so far conspicuously absent from the firing line, except for a guest appearance at the APNU rally of November 14. Momentum is being lost and reaction to the Government’s derailing of the No-Confidence Motion appears to be protest in slow motion,” the WPA statement said. According to the WPA, when it comes to the protests against the prorogation of Parliament, there is need for a game plan to effectively tackle the issue. However, when contacted, APNU General Secretary Joseph Harmon said that the small crowds at the anti-prorogation protests were deliberate. He said that “from time to time…the attendance goes up or go down,” but insisted this was based on the message that was being sent to the President on the occasion.

Police reform team fulfilling mandate – Home Affairs Minister

he Strategic Management Department within the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is fulfilling its mandate despite minor challenges, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said. The Strategic M a n a g e m e n t Department was established with the primary goal of establishing and implementing a fiveyear strategic plan to aid in the reformation of the Guyana Police Force. The Home Affairs Ministry said it should not be forgotten that the Guyana Police Force in its 175 years of existence has never undertaken a task of such complexity and magnitude. Hence, the formulation of a strategic plan which

PPP/C General Secretary and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee

addresses both operational efficiency and organisational cultural reforms should be viewed as a step in the right direction. Additionally, it should serve as a reminder of the Ministry’s commitment to bring the

Guyana Police Force in line with modern Police forces globally. In this regard, the Home Affairs Ministry said the Strategic Management Department has been making process even as

recommendations continue to trickle in. It was explained that the department has conducted a series of assessments, in addition to the formulation of proposals which were submitted in pursuit of the objectives of the plan. Additionally, it has been providing technical assistance in the development of the action plan. “The Ministry of Home Affairs has been in the forefront of this effort and appreciates the combined efforts of all the players actively involved in this initiative.” Principal among the major interventions in that regard has been the recent commissioning of a management audit of the Strategic Management

Department. Based on the audit done, seven recommendations have been made and have since been communicated to the hierarchy of the Force for implementation under the watch of the subject Ministry. The facilitation of a multi-stakeholder forum and a citizen perception survey were among some of the recommendations made with the intention of highlighting the perceptions, expectations and potential contributions that stakeholders can provide to the Police in fulfilling their constitutional mandate in serving and protecting citizens. “At the Ministry of Home Affairs, we are satisfied that some work has been done and others are ongoing with re-

form and modernisation as the focal issues.” But the Ministry warned that these interventions could fail in the absence of ownership on the part of the Force. “The Ministry of Home Affair recognises that any institution steeped in a certain operational mode will sometimes quite unwittingly display signs of resistance at influential levels. In the case of the Guyana Police Force, although reforms are in themselves desirable, care must be taken that our expectations of a quick fix do not take root in unrealistic ways. Results will not come overnight.” Nevertheless, the Ministry reaffirms its commitment to the Force for the benefit of all Guyanese.

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Govt seeking to remedy Fibre Optic Cable Project … assures project hasn’t collapsed

ollowing a series of missed deadlines, Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr Roger Luncheon says he is involved in discussions for renovations and corrections of defects in the Fibre Optic Cable Project. Speaking at his weekly news briefing on Wednesday, Dr Luncheon explained that in 2011/2012, it was recognised that contractors were not meeting the requirements to develop and unfold the project. As such, he took the initiative to get involved in discussions to remedy the situation. Dr Luncheon then took the opportunity to clear the air on assump-

tions of persons in some quarters who have said that the project had collapsed. “You say the project was scrapped. I am doubtful whether the definitiveness of your statements actually accords with the status of the project right now,” Dr Lunchoen said in a response to a question posed at the news conference. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds earlier this year stated that some delays in the completion of the project stemmed from difficulty of procuring piles, adverse weather conditions, and the provision of electrical access to the sites. After a few local contractors were awarded contracts to work on various

sections of the fibre optic cable, sections of the cable became damaged due to poor handling. Hinds had revealed that the E-Government Project unit had aimed for an April 2014 completion date. However, this date was later extended to August 2014. Prime Minister Hinds had revealed of these dates following a written letter from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Joseph Harmon, who questioned the finances of the project. However, Dr Luncheon said discussions are being held with a local firm as well as another in a neighbouring country to conclude the rehabilita-

HPS, Dr Roger Luncheon

tion of the existing cable that spans from Lethem, Rupununi, Region Nine to Castellani House in Georgetown, Region Four. Construction and renovations on the cable are expected to cost approximately Gy$1 billion, Dr Luncheon added. “It costs a pretty penny for construction, I am certain it exceeds over

Fibre-optic cable being strung along the Linden-Lethem road from Brazil

Gy$1 billion in wiring, excavating to a required standard and purchasing the lengths of cable required for Lethem to Georgetown.” Some 200 kilometres of the cable leading from Lethem to Georgetown has to be repaired, Dr Luncheon explained. It was further explained by the HPS that the LTETowers that were erected belong to the Hauwei backbone project and the towers that support the network were established for the fibre optic cable programme. The project is intended to provide Government to Government communication, Government to citizen access to information and servic-

es, and Government to business communication. Additionally, a fibre ring within Georgetown has been set-up to allow for a more efficient communication system, while a high-speed microwave link will be installed between Moleson Creek, Georgetown and Charity and another between Linden and Georgetown. The microwave network will be an active backup to the fibre network thereby making way for high-speed communication between Government offices throughout the country. The Gy$3.1 billion project started four years ago but Guyana has thus far invested approximately Gy$1 billion.

Massy Guyana Limited cops GCCI’s large Business... from page 11

he sees manufacturing companies, service providers and franchise holders that can compete with competition from anywhere in the world. He added that persons should be proud of this, as it represents eight years of uninterrupted growth. Dr Singh believes that there are a lot of hard working Guyanese people who are willing to make the efforts to ensure that the country becomes a better place. “I believe we have a collective responsibility to ensure that we practice the profession of competitive politics… we need to learn to speak with each other a little bit more and I believe this will serve our collective cause better,” the Minister stated. Additionally, the small Business Award of the Year went to the New Guyana School; while proprietor Jason Wang of China Trading copped the young Business Executive Award. The Chamber’s Award was presented to both Patrick Sooklall of Impressions

and Christopher Ram, while the Media Award went to the Stabroek News. The Public Service Award of Excellence was presented to the Government’s Analysis Food and Drug Department, while the Corporate Citizenship Award went to Republic Bank Limited. Additionally, the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Gordon Lyken of the Lyken’s Funeral Parlour. Also, the Award for Innovation was given to Sterling Products Limited, while the Long Service Award went to Modern Industries Limited. Camex Restaurant Incorporated took away the President’s Award while the Past President Award was presented to Clinton Urling. Meanwhile, a posthumous award was presented to the widow of former Private Sector Commission Chairman, Ronald Webster, in recognition of his contribution to the sector.

news WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014

GGMC-GGDMA standoff…

| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Govt insists small medium- Well Done! Guyana’s top scale miners get concessions students shine at CSEC awards

The GGDMA pointed to several relief initiatives that could be implemented by Government to save the sector from its downward spiral

s the price of gold remains unsteady on the markets, and more gold miners contemplate their future in the mining sector, there is a virtual standoff between the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA). The GGMC and the Natural Resources and the Environment Ministry, in the face of calls for support to the mining sector over the past weeks, have pointed to several long term measures in place to support the industry. This included the provision of duty-free concessions to all miners for the import of vehicles to support their work such as All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). While this has been coming from the GGMC, the GGDMA has made it clear that duty-free concessions only go to large-scale miners and not the small and medium-scale mining community who are worst affected by the sharp decline in gold prices. But the Government is standing by its position that duty-free concessions

are filtered down to the small miners, but only on entry to the sector. “Small and mediumscale operations benefit from duty-free access to all terrain vehicles (ATV), excavators, bulldozers and other machinery used in the mining industry. These waivers on duty are available to new entrants to the sector and for current miners based on production levels” said a release from the Natural Resources Ministry and GGMC on Friday. According to the release, the GGDMA is cognisant of the fact that the Ministry and the Commission have made representation for the implementation of the waivers on equipment and spares and this has been granted to the mining sector; “not just large-scale miners but also small and medium-scale miners.” “Also position of the Association should be defined clearly as it regards the relief being sought on fuel. Given the request of the Association, the fuel licence was granted to allow for the cheaper importation of fuel. However,

the position currently seems to be one where in addition to the Fuel Importation Licence, a reduction on the levy on fuel is also being sought” noted the release. It was noted that discussions are ongoing with respect to the maintenance of hinterland infrastructure and ensuring that value for money expended is achieved. In this regard, a slew of approaches are currently being carried out by the GGMC. “The Commission is currently engaging the University of Guyana, the Institute of Applied Sciences, GGDMA and other stakeholders to identify feasible road designs and construction methods that can be adopted bearing the constraint of financial resources in mind. Simultaneously, efforts are being made to implement the requisite Road Users’ Agreement for specific heavily traversed roads that are prone to destruction, since it is recognised that heavy usage of the road in wet conditions lead to damage and require continuous rehabilitation at significant cost.”

he Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) last Thursday awarded four Guyanese students for their outstanding performances at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams. This year, Guyana copped the award for most outstanding candidate overall which was awarded to Elisa Hamilton from Queen’s College, as well as most outstanding school which went to Queen’s College. The students for both CSEC and the Caribbean Advanced

students are already enrolled in the first semester of their programmes at UWI Mona. Guyanese have been no strangers to sweeping the awards at CSEC every year. Last year five of eight students were among those awarded for their achievements. Guyana was awarded the most outstanding student prize, which went to Yogeeta Persaud of the Anna Regina Multilateral School. She achieved grade ones in 18 subjects. The Guyanese students this year dominated the CSEC awards

The most outstanding award for humanities went to another Queen’s College student: Aliyyah Abdul Kadir. She achieved grade ones in 15 subjects. A third Queen’s College student was awarded the most outstanding student in business award. Ryhan Chand achieved grade ones in 13 subjects. The final student Kishan Critchlow of the New Amsterdam Multilateral School was awarded for being the most outstanding student in technical/ vocation education.

Continue to work hard Vice

Chancellor

Jags Aviation to expand...

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Mahdia and other interior locations so that miners will be able to move on a more regular basis. Tiwari also disclosed that they will soon be entering into the tourism market as stated from the beginning to expand Guyana’s economy. “You will also see substantial investments in the promotion of Guyana as a destination for international and domestic tourism. We want to encourage everyone in the tourism and transportation sectors to work together to quickly bring Guyana’s tourism infrastructure to the place where we are hosting a substantial number of tourists each year,” she stated. The air service is working hand in hand with Dagron Tours which is responsible for selling individual seats to make sure that all passengers’ needs are met and fares are offered at affordable prices. Jags Aviation was launched in August by the BK International

Group of Companies. The airline will be providing domestic services to interior locations with a brand new aircraft recently added to its fleet. The Cessna Grand Caravan 208B EX, valued some US$3 million, has a seating capacity of 13, excluding the pilot. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and is fully air conditioned. The Director assured that her company will be continuing its efforts to improve the aviation sector by investing in new aircraft and higher standards of operations and customer care. Some of the services offered by the air service include interior charter flights, cargo flights, passenger flights, sightseeing flights, medical evacuation, aerial surveys, shuttles, and overseas charters. The airline is currently using the Wings Aviation facility at the Ogle International Airport; however, it is currently engaged in negotiations for land to build a new hangar.

The CSEC awardees with UWI Vice Chancellor and Chairman, Professor Nigel Harris

Proficiency Exams (CAPE) were honoured at a ceremony attended by officials and dignitaries from across the Caribbean Region at the regional headquarters of The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica. The awards included a plaque of recognition, a cash prize and a dictionary. But students were also given letters for full scholarships to pursue studies at the Mona Campus on the condition that they complete and excel at the CAPE exams. Some of the CAPE

only. Hamilton achieved grade ones in 19 subjects: Agricultural Science (double award): Biology: Chemistry: English A; English B; Food and Nutrition; French; Geography; Home Economics Management; Information Technology; Integrated Science; Mathematics; Physics; Principles of Business; Social Studies; Spanish; Electronic Document Preparation and Management; Physical Education and Sport; Human and Social Biology; and a grade two in Religious Education.

and Chairman of UWI, Professor Nigel Harris told students to continue working hard and engaging in extra-curricular activities that will help to build characters. He acknowledged that many criticisms are made of students who sit more than the average subjects but the awardees are well rounded: some dance, sing, and debate among other things. “Knowledge learning is important, but there are a number of important things. The book knowledge is not always imcontinued on page 24

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Guyanese author Ryhaan Shah launches two novels

eaving Water and A Death in the Family written by Guyanese author Ryhaan Shah have been released into the Guyanese populace. The two books, published in the United Kingdom by Cutting Edge Press were launched in the presence of a large group of book lovers and well wishers at the Cara Lodge Hotel, Quamina Street, Georgetown on Friday. Former University of Guyana Lecturer and Historian Pat Dyal said Shah is one of the only writers of her stature who have gotten their books published abroad and well received but has chosen to remain in Guyana despite pressures to travel abroad. He further explained that Shah’s work is unique to novels done by other Caribbean writers since she is the only Caribbean writer who has used a “complete mythology” – that of Hinduism in its entirety during her writing. Even writers like Derek Walcott, he noted, creolised Greek Mythology. Shah’s work, though fictional, creates a sense of realism Dyal said, as he explained the context on her two novels. In giving his synopsis on A Death in the Family, Dyal said it is a novel the Guyanese audience can relate to. The plot of the novel delves into the life of the Muslim Indo-Guyanese in the past 30 years. It follows the life of a young man who inherited his parents’ business and soon developed it into the biggest hardware store in the country.

A section of the audience gathered for the book launching at Cara Lodge Hotel on Friday greeted by former Member of Parliament Ravi Dev as author Ryhaan Shah looks on

A scenario similar to which many IndoGuyanese may have experienced, the character married a young woman, who was brilliant but not wealthy, and the saga unfolds…as the wife dies early and leaves four children. They all gather in Georgetown – from abroad and here – for his funeral and the undercurrents that had built up rise to the surface and are eventually resolved. Weaving Water was published in 2013, and involves the Hindu world view with the motif of the Devi or God in the female form, while the third novel written by Shah, A death in the Family was published in 2014. Shah studied in the United States and has a degree in journalism. For 20 years, she worked in the

UK , US and the Cayman Islands as a journalist. Her first novel is used in academia in Europe, the Caribbean and the US. Shah explained that the idea for Weaving Water was conceptualised after a late friend of hers; Gaitree told her the story of her ajee (grandmother) who was born aboard one of the last ships that came from India to Guyana to bring indentured labourers. Shah thanked the “Madrassie” Pandit attached to the Mon Repos Mandir, John Chinapen, who filled in details of Madrasi beliefs and culture necessary for the characters of Bila Kotiah and his son Krish. Shah also thanked former Member of Parliament Ravi Dev for significant

contributions to details in this novel. She explained that he coaxed her to incorporate the idea of the Gladstone family, a British family who brought Indian Labourers to Guyana during the 1900s. This aspect

of the novel is expected to capture the English audience. Shah said since her first novel A Silent Life was published in 2005, she thought it was due time for another novel. She felt it is well-justified to have two

novels entering the market consecutively after nine years of rest. A silent life was described by local artist Bernadette Persaud as “lyrical”. Persaud received high praises for successfully designing the covers of all three novels and pointed to the challenges faced by local writers. She lauded Shah for being able to acquire a UK publisher. Persaud said in order to successfully publish a book in Guyana, writers must unfortunately be well “connected” to a local coterie. However, Shah said she faced challenges in acquiring a publisher in the UK. She explained that after sending samples of her work to nine publishers, when she thought it was the end of the rope, her work was finally accepted. “When we got him, my editor was saying to him that he has to take both books. At this stage I thought ‘we are going to lose the cutlass and the guana’ but he took both. It just takes one publisher to say yes.”

Well Done! Guyana’s top... from page 23

portant… being able to communicate and speak as well… other interests such as debating will make you rounded individuals. And I know we don’t have nerds here like people think.” Harris, a UWI stalwart and an outgoing Vice Chancellor at UWI Mona in May next year, is Guyanese and a former Queen’s College student. He said the student’s achievement was the first step to success. “You can’t slack off now; if you want these scholarships, you have to continue working.” Harris, who has had an illustrious career not only as an academician but in regional development, noted that although the Region was plagued by various issues, CXC was one example of the Region succeeding and producing brilliant scholars, politicians and academics for the future.

Other achievements

Overall, Jamaica received three awards while Trinidad copped nine awards for both CAPE and CSEC. No other territory made the list of awardees this year. The candidates from Jamaica are Nile Anderson, who received the most outstanding candidate in sciences award with grade ones in 13 subjects and grade twos in three subjects at CSEC; Romario White from Campion College, who received the most

outstanding candidate in natural sciences award for CAPE; and Jozelle Dixon from the Wolmer’s Girls High School was the most outstanding candidate in Humanities also for CAPE. Students from Trinidad’s Naparima Girls High School received three awards. These are: most outstanding candidate in visual arts, two-dimensional work – Shivana Sookdeo (CSEC), and for CAPE, Sushma Karim – most outstanding CAPE candidate overall in the Caribbean, and Celeste Jaggai – most outstanding candidate in technical studies for CAPE as well. This school was adjudged the most outstanding school for CAPE. The other CSEC awards went to Kristan Mohamed for the most outstanding candidate in short story-writing and Nneka Toni Jones for the most outstanding candidate in visual arts, three-dimensional work for CSEC.

CAPE

The other CAPE awards went to Arifa Satnarine for most outstanding candidate in modern languages, Ranissa Mathura for most outstanding candidate in environmental science, Mandela Patrick for most outstanding candidate in mathematics and most outstanding candidate in information and communication technology, and

Sharda Goolcharran for most outstanding candidate for business studies, all from Trinidad and Tobago. Ronald Twaites, Minister of Education in Jamaica, delivered the keynote address, challenging students to use their success and knowledge to benefit the Caribbean Region. “The quest of our time is not to prove our brilliance or our acumen, but rather to make the exception the norm. You share a part in that, having succeeded so well and as you, seek your fortunes and own your own careers, surely the question in your mind should be how can your success and the breadth of knowledge you have been able to gain, the roundness of character become the characteristic of the entire Caribbean Region.” He added that the education received by students through CXC wasn’t any lesser than those available in First World countries. “Recent times we have had the selection of Rhode scholars taking their place among colleagues at Cambridge and Oxford and sometimes exceeding expectations. There is no reason our students can’t match strides with the best of the world.” He added though that while many of the region’s brilliant minds are serving other countries he hoped they will return to serve their countries.

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Geotextile tubes have improved International language Kingston/kitty seawall shorelines Institute opens in Georgetown

Amitab Babulal points to an area that has improved with the installation of the geotubes

ost-installation surveys carried out on the geotextile tubes along the Kingston/Kitty seawall indicated that the shoreline has improved with much wider foreshore area, the Ministry of Public Works has said. According to the ministry over a three month period – April to July – the Ministry of Public Works installed six tubes to form a groyne field. The project is an initiative under the 2014 Sea Defences Programme. Amitab Babulal, one of the Ministry’s Sea Defence Engineers who executed the project, stated that over the past few months there have been significant sand deposition recorded on the foreshore area.“The geotextile tubes have contributed to beach stabili-

sation and the retention of shell/sand/sediment drifting in the westerly direction. In recent years, the sediments have been moving towards the Demerara River channel, which would pose a challenge to marine/maritime businesses and operators,” Mr. Babulal explained. Due to the success of the beach material retention, the Ministry is identifying other vulnerable sites to replicate the exercise. According to Jermaine Braithwaite, a Senior Engineer of the Ministry of Public Works, geotextile tubes contribute to the longterm shoreline management and promote sustainable protection of the shoreline.“Parts of Guyana’s shorelines have experienced erosion and overtopping

due to the impact of high energy waves, and we have a rapid installation method that could help mitigate these adverse effects,” he added. Areas under consideration include No. 63 Beach, sites on Leguan and Devonshire Castle, Essequibo. The works comprise the installation of three geotextile tube (geotube) groynes of length 100m and circumference 6.4m long. Each groyne was constructed by sandfilling two 50m long geotextile tubes which were installed with a butt joint interface to form a continuous unit along the design alignment for each groyne. Babulal also noted that the tubes have minimum impact on the environment and are low maintenance.

uyanese national Enrique C o u c h m a n on Friday officially opened a language school in Guyana, the International Language Institute (ILI). The institute, located on the corner of Laluni and New Garden Streets, Queenstown, will target the younger population of Guyanese and Brazilian nationals. It will be offering classes where Guyanese children can learn Portuguese and Brazilian children can learn English from the age of five. However, the classes will not be limited to children, anyone whose mother tongue is neither English or Portuguese can attend the school to learn a new language. At the opening ceremony, Couchman explained that the inspiration behind his idea to open a language school came from his interaction with 10-year-old Kenneth Forde. He explained that Forde called in on his television programme and his fluency in responding to simple questions in Portuguese left him (Couchman) in

Enrique Couchman and Kenneth Forde

awe. Couchman also noted that his television programme, which was meant for adults, was largely supported by children. “I’m like ‘what is going on?’ It wasn’t for children.” It was these occurrences that led Couchman to opening a language institute. Furthermore, Couchman stated that the school will be of a high standard, providing quality service to the public. “They will learn the difference between ‘I thought’ and ‘I taught’, between ‘thank’ and ‘tank’, between ‘three’ and ‘tree’,” he said.

Additionally, Couchman envisions the school to be more than about learning a new language. “So little boys will have the opportunity to have free haircuts on Saturdays… in addition to that, they can play table tennis after they leave the classroom… and we’ll teach them about healthy eating habits.” Prior to the launching of the school, Couchman had told this publication that he wants to offer a different experience to his students, by exposing them not just to a new language, but a new culture.

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

“We will win the majority” – President Ramotar

fter three years of political gridlock, President Donald Ramotar has taken a decision to dissolve the 10th Parliament, paving the way for General and Regional Elections early next year. He made this announcement on Saturday at a press briefing at State House, noting that after hosting a series of consultations, he decided “we will go to elections”. Ramotar said that there is a possibility that elections will be held before the 2015 budget presentation, expected to be done in April. The President had suspended Parliament on November 10, after the combined Opposition threatened to proceed with a NoConfidence Motion against the ruling Administration at the first post-recess sitting of the National Assembly. The Head of State pointed out that his actions were aimed at the preserving the life of the 10th Parliament, while at the same time giving the parties the opportunity to engage in talks on matters that failed to gain adequate parliamentary consideration. From the onset, the Alliance For Change (AFC) stated its unwillingness to engage in any talks. Nevertheless, President Ramotar wrote Opposition Leader David Granger inviting him to dialogue. But

President Donald Ramotar announced on Saturday that General and Regional Elections will be held early next year

Granger responded in a brief letter dated December 2, refusing to have any discussions. “My Administration more than justified its resort to prorogation… During this time, the Guyanese people were exposed to an Opposition that rejected dialogue… I had to conceive that my objectives for prorogation were unlikely to be achieved. It logically followed that other options to prorogation be considered,” he stated. The President explained

that he had two options: either return to Parliament or go to elections. He noted that the former choice would allow the business of the House to reconvene which includes the debate of the No-Confidence Motion; as such, he resolved to call elections. The President disclosed that he will be announcing the way forward as it relates to the hosting of elections early next year. He further stated that he has already alerted the international community on the possibility of early

elections. President Ramotar expressed his confidence in the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) once again winning the elections, adding this time it will be with a majority so that this situation of political gridlock will not reoccur. “This situation has been an impediment to the development of our country and I think the Guyanese people are seeing that and this election the PPP/C is taking the majority,” he reaffirmed, while adding, “…we have been doing very well in reaching out to supporters. A lot of our party leaders have been out, I myself have been out, and I can tell you our responses have been very very good.” The President noted that he will be consulting with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to ensure that it is ready for the hosting of General and Regional Elections next year. He stressed that proroguing Parliament provided the opportunity to improve the enfranchisement of those Guyanese who are yet to be registered even after the completion of the six round of continuous registration by GECOM. President Ramotar also refuted suggestions that his decision to hold back setting a date for elections was based on a proposed plan by the Private Sector

Commission (PSC) that one month be set aside for talks between Government and the Opposition. He stated that the Opposition Leader already rejected the proposal so no consideration will be given to it. Nevertheless, the President said that his door is always open for consultations and talks with legitimate stakeholders within society. Ramotar further downplayed allegations made by the Opposition that his party is misusing state funds. “As I said before, prorogation didn’t give me the power to spend money as I would like in our society or to pass laws I would have liked. If that was the case, I assure you I would have passed the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill and other pieces of legislation pending that I wanted to pass badly… that has been the reason for me to prorogue Parliament to have discussions on these,” he remarked. In addition, the President said that while he had hoped that Local Government Elections (LGE) would have been hosted before General Elections, current events have “conspired” to knock that option off the table, as such, it will have to be held after. “When we win the next election, I’ll try to make it as early as possible,” he said.

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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Norton not in favour of Probe into “loose talking” APNU, AFC coalition magistrate yet to commence

eople’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member Aubrey Norton said he does not support the move by the Alliance For Change (AFC) to form any deal with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) in establishing a broad national alliance for the upcoming elections. AFC re-elected leader Khemraj Ramjattan at the party’s Biennial Convention on Saturday morning had told supporters that the AFC was ready to enter into negotiations to lead a pro-democracy alliance with “progressive forces” including the worker unions and political forces including disenfranchised members of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and APNU. But at a forum Sunday afternoon, during discussions on the way forward for Guyana, particularly as it relates to the prorogation of Parliament, Norton said the two main political parties must rid the country of the PPP/C administration. “The issue at hand is beating the PPP and getting rid of the PPP and the best approach to beating the PPP in my opinion, the APNU has to continue to do its work in its con-

PNCR member Aubrey Norton

stituency and the AFC has to continue doing its work with the aim of garnering more votes that were traditionally PPP,” Norton told the small forum. He added: “One will see that if (Nigel Hughes) becomes the Presidential Candidate of the AFC, he is more likely to draw the African Guyanese constituency and that will be negative for the APNU, and in my opinion that is how you stand your best chance,” Norton told the gathering. The announcement by the AFC on Saturday came weeks after the smaller political Opposition body had shrugged off calls for it to join forces with APNU. APNU’s Leader retired Brigadier David Granger

had been continuously proposing the idea of the parties coming together for a pre-election alliance to contest the General and Regional Elections. However, the AFC Leader has been ignoring such calls, pointing out that his party would stand a better chance being successful outside of a coalition with APNU. Ramjattan had also said that joining forces with APNU would severely impact the AFC’s constituency, especially supporters who are dissatisfied with both the PPP/C and PNCR/ APNU. The party had already raised concerns over the validity of reports coming out of Berbice; a known stronghold of the PPP/C, that it was losing ground there. Reports were that AFC supporters, particularly those who had crossed over from the PPP/C to the AFC at the last General Elections, were outraged at news that the AFC was planning to join APNU, a component of the PNC, which they believe continues to support the dictatorial and hardliner economic and social policies of the Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham regime.

ore than a week since Magistrate Alex Moore was suspended, the inquiry into the allegations levelled against him is yet to commence. Moore was suspended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) two Fridays ago after it was reported that he allegedly made some inappropriate statements to an East Coast Demerara businesswoman at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court. Member of the JSC, Justice Prem Persaud, told the Guyana Times International that a date has to be set by the chairman of the Commission and Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh. He added that after a date is set, the magistrate will be before the five member-commission. During the inquiry proceedings, Magistrate Moore will be given an opportunity to defend himself. Nevertheless, Justice Persaud noted that in the interim, the Magistrate will continue to be on suspension. The 47-year-old businesswoman Seerojanie Singh appeared before Moore at the Sparendaam

Magistrate Alex Moore

Magistrate’s Court on a cross charge of abusive language on November 12, when the incident occurred. The woman claimed that she was tormented by the Magistrate, who was “disrespectful” in the manner in which he handled the case and spoke to her in front of a packed courtroom. Singh was quoted in another newspaper alleging that the Magistrate questioned her and the other party in the matter about using expletives towards each other and further threatened to “prosecute” her because she refused to dismiss the matter. Following the incident, the woman brought the matter to the at-

tention of the Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General and also wrote the Chancellor of the Judiciary as well as the Ombudsman. The matter was then handed over to the JSC, which met on Friday when the decision was taken to indefinitely suspend Magistrate Moore with immediate effect. Over the past weeks, Magistrate Moore has come under fire from both civil society and the legal fraternity after he handed down an unprecedented ruling of a fiveyear suspended sentence to confessed drug trafficker Leonard Bacchus. Bacchus had pleaded guilty to trafficking 76 kilograms of cocaine in kunds worth some Gy$300 million, back in 2011 after a raid was conducted at his Enmore, East Coast Demerara home. Additionally, the 47-year-old businessman was also given a suspended sentence of two years for being in unlawful possession of 125 12-guage cartridges and 115 .32 rounds of ammunition. The man was further fined Gy$2.5 million and was given up to next June to pay.

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Guyana tops list of deportees from T&T

TT’s Attorney General Anand Ramlogan

T’s Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has described as “mischievous, malicious and very dangerous” charges of racial and religious discrimination in the arrest of people or racial profiling in the deportation of illegal immigrants by the Government of the People’s Partnership. Ramlogan said statistics from 2010 to October 2014 showed “the number one country with deportees from Trinidad and Tobago is not the African continent, not India, but Guyana. “The truth of the matter is that illegal immigrants from the African continent were way down on the list at number seven. The total number of African immigrants that have been deported from 2010 to now is 70 persons. Seventy African deportees in four, nearly five, years, against 734 Guyanese (in the same period). “So when we run to light a fire, coming on the heels of the Ferguson experience in the US and we jump to pour kerosene to light a social flame that we cannot control, then we must look to the truth which shall set us free. And the statistics show that we must reject outright that kind of nonsense and absurd allegation against the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.” There is absolutely no merit, truth or justification in it, he said, adding it was mischievous, malicious and very dangerous in a society such as this. Statistics: 1,757 deported He said he asked for statistics from the head of Immigration, Gerry Downes, because he wanted to see if there was any merit in this charge about discrimination against deportees from Africa.

The statistics provided revealed out of a total of 1,757 deportees between 2010 and now, 41.8 per cent of deportees (734) were from Guyana. He said coming second after “with a big gap”, was Jamaica, the country of origin of 18.5 per cent of deportees (325 people). Other Caribbean countries (Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Dominica) were third, with 11.4 per cent of deportees; fourth was Asia (China, India and other Asian countries), with 10.2 per cent; fifth was Central and South America (5.7 per cent); sixth was Caricom countries (excluding Guyana and Jamaica), 5.7 per cent. Speaking in the Senate on the Precursor Chemicals Bill, Ramlogan said: “We have a tendency in Trinidad to call upon the law enforcement officers to do their duty and enforce the law… and when they do… the very same people criticise and condemn them. The latest trend is if you arrest anybody—racial profiling, religious profiling. I don’t know what they expect the police to do. “It is high time that we stop this hypocritical behaviour in Trinidad and Tobago and allow the law enforcement agencies to do their job as we were trained to do.” The Attorney General said one had to be careful about pouring scorn on reports from security agencies in the country. He said on the African continent there was a “huge opium/heroin trade” and there was piracy on the high seas, therefore “one cannot bury one’s head in the sand”. Ramlogan said Trini¬dad and Tobago could not remain nonchalant in the face of en-

trepreneurial drug cartels which have already tried to use countries of the Caribbean to divert chemicals. He quoted a 2006 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report which stated: “Trinidad and Tobago has an advanced petrochemical sector, which requires the import and export of chemicals that can be diverted for the manufacturing of cocaine hydrochloride. Precursor chemicals originating from Trinidad and Tobago have been found in illegal drug labs in Colombia.” He said in a 2007 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Training Manual, an example of diversion was cited. “A Mumbai-based exporter presented to the Narcotics Commissioner of India a No Objection Certificate from the Competent Authority of the importing country for export of two million ephedrine tablets to Trinidad and Tobago. Suspicion led to enquiry, which confirmed that the actual quantity permitted in the NOC was 200,000 tablets only.” He said according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report 2014, cocaine supply indicators showed that the Central and South America and the Caribbean seizures in 2011-2012 amounted to over 70 per cent of global total. “This is a damning statistic and certainly supports the need for stricter controls on cocaine production,” he said. (Trinidad Express)

30 news Nandlall urges Guyanese citizens to vote on merit WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

- says nation must reject racist politicians

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall makes a point while Minister of Labour Dr. Nanda Gopaul listens. The moderator is Head of the Government Information Agency (GINA), Neaz Subhan

uyanese are being urged to be cautious of the racist platforms and screens that are being put forth during the run-up to general and regional elections, and to vote on merit, as racism would only serve to exacerbate the historical wounds that exist. Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minister, Mr Anil Nandlall, accompanied by his Cabinet

colleague, Labour Minister, Dr. Nanda Gopaul on the National Communications Network’s ‘Political Scope’ programme Monday evening made these statements. The two officials examined the decision of President Donald Ramotar to announce general and regional elections early in 2015, following the prorogation of Parliament.

Racist platforms

The AttorneyGeneral noted that when his Party pointed to the fact that the Alliance For Change (AFC) was aligning with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), it was they who were accused of racism. He pointed out however, that the decision not to have Khemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo speak at the recent APNU rally at the Square of the Revolution

was inherently racist. Citing another example, he said, “They (the Opposition) go to the sugar workers and say the government is giving Linden free electricity, but sugar workers are not going to be paid increases in salaries. When the sugar workers are paid increases in salaries now, they go back to the bauxite workers and say we are only paying sugar workers in-

creased salaries; we are not paying you increased salaries. There is racism; it’s innate in this type of political strategy.” He expressed the hope that persons are educated enough to see beyond these racist platforms and screens that are being erected by these political parties at this time. Guyanese politicians and leaders should be seeking to heal these problems and not worsen past wounds, he emphasised. The Attorney General called on the leadership of all parties to have their supporters vote on merit, not on race. He reminded that “we (PPPC) have a track record to defend. A track record that shows this country has moved from a state of bankruptcy to economic viability if not prosperity. Eight years of consecutive economic growth, a stable dollar, reducing interest, increasing salaries, and social benefits for people annually. That is our track record”. continued on page 38

DNA results confirm body is that of missing St Stanislaus teacher

Nyozi Goodman

he results of the DNA testing conducted by the Forensic Science Centre of Trinidad on the samples taken from the body that was recovered at Turkeyen, ECD, on July 24, 2014, have confirmed the body to be that of teacher Nyozi Goodman, of William Street, Kitty, the police said on Wednesday. . Goodman had been reported as missing on July 06, 2014. Additionally, samples taken from the body that was found at Graham’s Hall, ECD, on September 22, 2014, have been forwarded to the Forensic Science Centre of Trinidad for DNA testing. It is suspected that the body is that of businessman Mohamed Farose Khan.

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Panoramic view of Kurupukari ferry pier (Photo by jcdl. on Flickr)

Petroglyphs on the rocks (Photo by Peggy Rehm)

A canoe moored on the beach at Kurupukari, the western bank of the Essequibo River

Children enjoying a swim at Kurupukari Falls (Photo by jcdl. on Flickr)

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uyanese artist Paloma Bristol captures everyday life through her intricate paintings and sculptures. In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Bristol said that “even in still life and portraits, I tend to add a bit more warm colours” with much emphasis on light and its changing qualities. With 80% of her art work being described as “detailed”, Bristol uses colours and forms in a “nonrepresentational way” rarely depicting objects in

'The Forehead' (2010)

Guyanese artist Paloma Bristol

the “natural world”. “I love to take a simple composition and make it look extraordi-

nary. I'm still exploring when it comes to my style of work, but for now I can say I love abstract and surrealism more,” disclosed the artist. Always an avid art lover from a very tender age, Bristol draws inspiration from “the little things in life”: whether she begins with a sketch when bored or a great idea while involved in an art project. “In school, I was always involved in art activities,” she mentioned. Placed in the art class, Bristol had no art teacher

Still life painting (2011)

at her secondary school; however, perseverance and determination allowed her to complete her first large scale painting at 15 years old, and later fully enter the art field in 2009. “At age 15, I did my first large scale painting about masquerade on the seawalls between Sheriff Street and Conversation Tree along Rupert Craig Highway, which was done for Carifesta X,” Bristol recalled. After receiving formal training at E R Burrowes School of Art, where she studied fine arts for three years with a major in painting and minor in sculpture, Bristol graduated with a diploma in Art Education. She has since conducted and participated in numerous art exhibitions and fashion shows. Bristol mainly works with canvas and oil; however, she creates sculptures (using clay and paper) and designs (whether it is Mashramani costumes or designer gear). “As long as the work is art related I can handle it, be it interior decorating, face painting, land-

'Men on the other Side' (2012), won 3rd place for drawing category in the Guyana Visual Art Competition and Exhibition 2012

scaping and all other art related projects,” she outlined. The third place winner of the drawing category for the 2012 Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition, Bristol received accolades for her piece, ‘Men on the other Side’. Currently, Bristol continues to work on her art while she once again awaits the results of the Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition. “Being in the competition for me is not

about winning, but knowing that my work will be viewed by many,” Bristol declared. The artist aims to pursue a degree in Fine Arts and to further her knowledge of the arts at the Edna Manley's College of Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica. She also aspires to be a curator at the National Art Gallery at Castellani House or her own art gallery, where she can “support young budding artists and exhibit their work for all to see”. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

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The Amerindian Research Unit E

By Anu Dev

“There is no need to request You, Oh Durga, To protect and save us. For does the mother on whom children solely depend, Ever need such a request? And So our salutations to You; So pray the Gods to You.” As a Hindu young woman, who happens to worship God as female – in my case specifically Saraswati, in whom all knowledge reposes and emanates - I’ve sometimes wondered how some Hindu men who also worship the Divine in her various female forms and incarnations, can inflict violence on females. But of course, violence against women isn’t confined to Guyana and certainly not only to Hindus. It’s just that since we Hindus are supposed to have elevated women to the ultimate Divinity, I was kind of hoping our menfolk would’ve seen us as in a bit kinder light that those from other religions that insist that God is a man. In Hinduism, by contrast, while God is ultimately beyond categories – including sex or gender – the conceived female aspects are actually endowed with the Shakti – or animating power. In other words, the male manifestations are posited as completely inert without the female. Can’t do a thing! So we have, for instance, the Creator Vishnu with his female counterpart Lakshmi. She’s the power behind whatever “creation” – or “projection” if you chose – that’s going on. One third of Hindus are “Shaktas” – whose major object of worship is the Mother in her various manifestations. In all his human incarnations – whether as Ram or Krishna – Vishnu is accompanied by his Shakti. As Ram, for instance, his double is Sita. Bringing matters to the human level then, supposedly to provide a model for us to imitate. When one marries, the woman is said to be “the Lakshmi of the house”. In offering prayers to the Divine, the male householder is incomplete and the offerings aren’t accepted if he’s not accompanied by his “Lakshmi”. So what goes with all this wife beating and violence against females in our society?? Why hasn’t our elevation of women as Goddesses increased respect for women? Well for one, in the “modern” world, we have all accepted that “religion” is just one aspect of “life”. Religion as a seamless, integral way of life is “old fashioned” and “backward. Traditional Hinduism, we are convinced, can’t be “modern”. So our menfolk worship the Mother of the temple in the temple and then knock around the Mother of the house in the house. The view that the man is the owner of all he surveys – in reflection of the Fella with the grey beard who’s floating in the sky above looking down at us – undergirds what is called “patriarchy”. In modern Hindu homes, unlike the original model of society in which the female was equal in her own domain, boys and men are still socialized to see females as “their own”. And in a capitalist society, this becomes translated as their “property”. And more to the point “sexual property”, which he “jealously” guards. If we’re ever going to get rid of this mind numbing violence that’s inflicted daily on females, this structural power imbalance between males and females which starts in the home – ironically by mothers – must be eliminated. What was it they said about “the hands that rock the cradle”? It can help to make “ruling the world” a bit more fair. All hail the Devi!

mphasizing research, the study of different cultures and the way people interact, the Amerindian Research Unit (ARU), previously known as the Amerindian Language Project, provides vital information on the local indigenous culture. As an integral part of the division of the Faculty of Education and Humanities at the University of Guyana, the ARU evolved from the Amerindian Languages Project which was started in the 1970s with an interest in linguistic research. It began small in 1977 as the Amerindian Language Project, created by Dr Walter Edwards, to document indigenous languages spoken in Guyana; this enabled him to complete three Amerindian Language Dictionaries. “Dr Edwards had researchers go into the fields to collect information on the different Amerindian lan-

Louisa Daggers, the co-ordinator of the ARU and lecturer of the AST course

Dr Desrey Fox [et al], expanded the research area from just language to other fields of Amerindian Life,” Wishart added. ARU is continuously involved in collaborative research in the field of anthropology and archaeology, providing guest lecturers for interested groups, collecting artefacts and offering a service course - Introduction to Indigenous Peoples of

Diagrams of petroglyphs are found at the entrance of the Amerindian Research Unit

guages…affording them the opportunity to complete dictionaries for the Akawaio, Arecunas and Warau languages – all of which is available in the Unit today,” stated Jennifer Wishart, a founding member and currently a researcher at ARU. Today, ARU is a multidisciplinary unit providing an academic programme, general and specific information, archival documentation, publications, research assistance, consultancy and promotion of the interests of the indigenous peoples of Guyana in several areas. “Janette Bulkan was the coordinator of the Unit when it became the Amerindian Research Unit which evolved out of the Language Project. She, along with the late

Guyana (AST 1102). AST 1102 is a course that introduces students to the field of anthropology and archaeology and “captures the way of life of indigenous people both of the past and the present”. “We review a lot of literature on previous documentation for ethnographic work for anthropology in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, we have field sessions where

students get to look at videos, interact with indigenous people and actually visit these indigenous communities,” Louisa Daggers, the course lecturer and coordinator of ARU, explained. Catering for over 60 students from the faculties of Environmental Studies, Tourism and Forestry, the course covers the indigenous ways of life: past and present, myths, legends, languages and much more are covered for Guyana, the Caribbean and South America. “Although the AST course is just tailored for three categories [Environmental, Tourism and Forestry students], during the semester interested persons also have the opportunity to apply for the Denis Williams Summer School of Anthropology, for a more hands-on, shorter version [of the course],” noted Daggers. Daggers eagerly pointed out the importance of the course. “Sometimes we overlook the significance or importance of things we may call simple. I think…we learn to appreciate the simple things in life and also gain a chance to appreciate other cultures [through this course].” The research unit produces a newsletter, ARU egarei (‘ARU’, the Warau word for bitter cassava as well as the acronym for the research unit, and ‘egarei’, the Akawaio word for news), where

reports on excavations, current activities and achievements of ARU and factual tidbits in the field are published. Prior to the newsletter, the Unit “worked with medicinal plants and foods, a variety of things all of which were either published on its bulletin or in an occasional paper”. Moreover, ARU boasts a library where a copy of all these documents can be found as well as numerous books on archaeology and anthropology. “We collect artefacts and items, which are used for display as much as it is used to enhance the course, so when you talk about the matapee, for instance, the students can see one,” Wishart explained. According to the members of ARU, they are working towards establishing an Associate Degree in Anthropology; a course not based on the indigenous way of life alone but anthropology on the whole, including various cultures, languages, bio anthropology – just to name a few. “It is a wonderful field. It changes your view on daily life because it is the study of people; it is not a big field in Guyana but it is around the world. Particularly in human resources and analysis or any field where you work with people and understanding human behaviours and attitudes,” mentioned Daggers. Anthropology helps in understanding cultures and cultural influence, what is culture, where it comes from and how it develops. The applicability for anthropology is vast, encompassing the health sector, public sector, marketing, human resources, and other areas. ARU is currently working in collaboration with Iwokrama and the University of Newcastle’s Encompass project by making meaningful contributions to a travelling exhibition being hosted in Guyana. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

You can learn about these indigenous baskets at the ARU located at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus

34 news PM Kamla announces TT$55M for Christian churches P WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

ORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD: All Christian churches in Trinidad will receive an early Christmas present of TT$55 million from the government. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the announcement at a media appreciation function at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s on Thursday night. “I want to share with you that..., the Cabinet approved a sum of TT$55 million to be distributed to the churches in Trinidad and Tobago for the benefit of the Christian community and indeed for all those of our land as we celebrate a most generous giving and holy time,” Persad-Bissessar said. Saying the message of Christmas is one of hope, caring and expectation,

Persad-Bissessar said, “Just as Jesus was the agent of change in his time, so too can we foster change in this modern era.” Persad-Bissessar did not indicate the source from which the TT$55 million allocation would come. Last month, Finance Minister Larry Howai said all government ministries would be required to cut their expenditure by TT$45 million as a result of falling global oil prices. According to the Draft Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure for 2015, a sum of TT$50 million is allocated for 2015 for religious organisations. When the TT media contacted National Diversity Minister Rodger Samuel to ask him if any of the TT$55

TT Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (TT Gov file photo)

million that PersadBissessar referred to would be coming from his ministry, Samuel replied, “The Prime Minister will answer those questions.” Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Harris said money being given to Christian churches for Christmas

is not new. While he welcomed PersadBissessar’s announcement, Harris said he would have liked to see that money being directed towards some work to help young people in the name of Christian churches. Anglican Bishop Claude Berkeley said this was “welcome news” but he wanted to know what was the breakdown of this money and how will it be distributed among the various churches. Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) president Brother Harrypersad Maharaj said Christian churches who are members of the IRO did receive substantial contributions from the government last year. Agreeing with Harris that this was not

new, Maharaj said he could not comment on Persad-Bissessar’s announcement since he did not hear it. Episcopus Archbishop Barbara Gray-Burke, of the Council of Elders Spiritual Shouter Baptist faith, said her group used some of the financial assistance provided by government last year to undertake improvements at their church in Maloney. She said if her group receives an allocation from government this year, it hopes to use it to complete those works. Gray-Burke said many churches which received this money used it to upgrade their buildings since many edifices in the country are in a state of disrepair. Last December, government allocated a sum of TT$10 million

to religious bodies for Christmas. That allocation comprised a sum of TT$6 million from the National Diversity Ministry and TT$4 million from the Sports and Cultural Fund under the Office of the Prime Minister. Monsignor Cuthbert Alexander of the Roman Catholic Church; Berkeley; Gray-Burke; Reverend Dr Adrian Sieunarine of the Presbyterian Church; Robert Soogrim of Miracle Ministries and Reverend Noland Warner of the Pentecostal Assembly were among those present at a closed ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister last December when cheques were distributed to religious bodies for Christmas. (TT Newsday)

Jamaican B&D Trawling to export 1,000 lbs of live lobster daily

INGSTON, JAMAICA: Jamaican seafood company, B&D Trawling, says it intends to export 1,000 lbs of live lobster a day following its initial entry into that

market in November. It's the latest expansion at the 30-year-old company which exports other seafood. "The introduction of our conch skewers a few months ago has

reaped tremendous success for us, with the demand growing each day. Requests for live seafood have been mounting, so we decided to explore the possibility of undertaking this," Roderick

Francis, chief executive, stated in a press release last week. The first test shipment of 80 lbs went off in mid-November, with several subsequent shipments totalling over 400 lbs each. "Our shipments of 400 lbs each have arrived at their destination intact, so our current target is 1,000 lbs per day. Most of the live shipments have gone to the USA, but we are targeting Europe -- France in particular," Francis explained. The company, which specialises in the production, processing and export of seafood, has been successfully selling the frozen product to countries like Korea and Vietnam, for decades. The lobster is transported live from the sea on B&D's fishing vessels that are specially outfitted to carry the product, stated the release.

Roderick Francis, chief executive of B&D Trawling, shows two of the live lobsters his company now exports

"They have passed on knowledge of marine biology and sanitary handling procedures to ensure that the product is not only safe for human consumption, but [is] of the highest quality as well," Francis reasoned. "I am satisfied with the Vet Division and the ministry, who have moved quickly to facilitate the export process," he added. B&D also aims to open a retail arm which

will sell live lobster. "The demand is significant as there has been a paradigm shift in the way people view food, and more and more people are moving towards healthy unprocessed foods, in Jamaica and across the world," stated the release. The company is also looking closely at developing live conch for export for the upcoming conch season. (Jamaica Observer)

Thank you From the Ramjiawan family

t is with profound love and humility that we so graciously extend our warmest and most sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone for their love, support and cooperation rendered to the bereaved family of the late Pooran Ramjiawan. We are indeed pleased and most overjoyed by everyone's assistance in particular, the Arya Samaj Mandir of Richmond Hill/Ozone Park New York where the wake was being kept. To its president Mr Balram Rambrich and executives, we wish to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to you all for the privilege granted for the use of the mandir. We also wish to thank a very dear

and loving person, Anita Narine for her dedication, love and support. The Hibiscus Restaurant of Richmond Hill cannot be forgotten as they provided much help too. Most importantly, the Ramroop family has never ceased to exhibit love in its true spirit. The overwhelming love and support have provided much comfort and solace. The assistance given during this time by all cannot be quantified nor described, it can only be remembered, appreciated and cherished as everyone’s help was saturated with love and the spirit of selfless service. May you all be blessed and have your lives be filled with the nectar of the divine. OM SAI RAM

feature The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

‘Beacons of Excellence’ By Petamber Persaud Part Two

n Wednesday 19 November 19, Dr Juanita Cox, the contemporary authority on Edgar Mittelholzer, delivered the 2014 Edgar Mittelholzer Memorial Lecture at the Theatre Guild Playhouse, Parade Street, Kingston, Guyana. The novel title of Cox’s talk reads as follow: ‘Edgar Mittelholzer’s Creative Genes(is) and the Geni(us) behind it’. The substance and delivery of that lecture has ensured it a place in a series of publications by the Caribbean Press labelled ‘Beacons of Excellence’ edited by Andrew O. Lindsay. The Caribbean Press recently published two volumes of the Edgar Mittelholzer Memorial Lecture Series. ‘Beacons of Excellence’: Volume 1 covered the period 1967– 71, which comprised of four lecture series, while Volume 2 covered the period 1975–84 comprising an additional four lecture series. In Volume 2, the fifth series of lectures was delivered in 1975 by Michael Gilkes under the theme, ‘Racial

Dr Juanita Cox

Edgar Mittelholzer

Identity and Individual Consciousness in the Caribbean Novel’. Those three talks were namely ‘The Divided Consciousness’, ‘The Associative Attempt’, and ‘The New Caribbean Novel’. Michael Gilkes is a prize winning poet and playwright. His other interest includes filmmaking and imaginative literature. Gilkes has written extensively on the West Indian novel. The seventh series of lectures was delivered in 1979 by Joycelynne Loncke under the theme ‘Norman E. Cameron – The Man and his Works’. That series was divided into six parts. Joycelynne Loncke is a linguist and musician. For her sterling contribution to the University

of Guyana, she was conferred with the title ‘Professor Emeritus’. The eighth series of lectures was delivered in 1983 by Roy Heath under the theme, ‘Art and Experience’. The three talks in that series were namely: ‘The Sources of Fiction’, ‘Art and History’ and ‘The Artist and His Work’. Roy Heath was a prolific novelist. He was most noted for his ‘Armstrong Trilogy’ also known as the ‘Georgetown Trilogy’. His novel, The Shadow Bride, won the Guyana Prize for Literature. The ninth series of lectures was delivered in 1984 by Denis Williams under the theme ‘Ancient Guiana.’ Denis Williams was an artist, art historian, archaeologist, an-

thropologist, biographer and novelist. He is better known for his novel, Other Leopards. Edgar Mittelholzer was Guyana’s first internationally acknowledged novelist. Mittelholzer was born on 16 December 1909, in the town of New Amsterdam, British Guiana. He went on to live in Trinidad,

tus whereby Guyanese writers and intellectuals abroad could be invited to come back home at a level of honour in order to serve the country by bringing new ideas to bear upon the community’s inquiring minds”. Juanita Cox has done extensive studies on Mittelholzer, and she has also written and lec-

es to Ferro-Concrete: A History of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1914 -2014 by Joanne CollinsGonsalves, published by the Guyana Heritage Society, will be launched on 8 December 2014 at 18:30 in the church. • Coming soon: ‘Love in the time of technology’, poems by Sasenarine

Professor Emeritus, Joycelynne Loncke

Prize winning poet and playwright, Michael Gilkes

Prolific novelist, Roy Heath

Barbados, Canada and the UK. When Mittelholzer committed suicide in England on 5 May 1965, he had already published 25 books, including 23 novels. Mittelholzer was also a poet, painter and writer of short fiction. The Edgar Mittelholzer Lecture Series was started by Arthur James Seymour to “provide an appara-

tured on the man and his work. Cox recently completed her thesis, ‘Edgar Mittelholzer and the Shaping of His Novels’. All presenters of the Edgar Mittelholzer Memorial Lecture Series have distinguished themselves in one or more discipline of the arts.

Persaud. This is Persaud’s seventh book of poetry. • ‘An Introduction to Guyanese Literature’ by Petamber Persaud is available at the National Library, Austin Book Service, and by the author.

What’s Happening • The book, From ash-

Responses to this author: telephone (592) 2260065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

legal corner

Spending and the Holidays

Rummie and Nagga wanna be prodigal sons too

outh open, story jump out. Bag buss, every ting fall out. Well, some body buss de AFC bag de other day. Rum Jhaat bag buss down, and de Nagga Man bag buss down right after that. And if any body know de Rummie and de Nagga, both of dem got some real big bags wid a lotta tings hide away in dem from a very long time now. So a lotta tings fall out when de Rummie and de Nagga bags buss. Dem own member U-Stuff seh Rummie and Nagga tings scatter all over and tings still fallin out up to this day. On de other hand, de one in Essequibo had drop he pants and expose another kinda bag (he only had one), which nobody had wanna see. But plenty more bags gettin buss down, especially now that de AFC under pressure wid de Con Vention, which gon have a lotta contention, and which is wheh dem hope to convice every body that de Rummie and de Nagga ain’t two of de biggest con men in de country. Is a good ting Guyanese people always lookin out fuh people who lookin to con dem. So is no wonder Rum Jhaat and de Nagga Man havin a hard time to con people nowadays, like how dem use to con de Pee-P-P. That is exactly why Cement Roti seh de Pee-P-P find some prodigal sons and daughters in Berbice. He seh all de prodigal pickney wanna come back home to de Pee-P-P because de con men bags get buss down, even though Samad de Nomad gone again. Uncle Cement seh it look like Samad de Nomad still ain’t mek up he mind after all these years. And once Cement seh some ting, it does be hard like concrete. Nutten or nobody can’t change that, unless is Cement he self. Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! So look out fuh de two con men at de Con Vention. Dem wanna become prodigal sons too! But Uncle Cement is a hard man!

By Richard Kistnen, Esq.

or bankruptcy practitioners, the holidays pose a major concern when trying to prepare a person’s petition and schedules when filing for bankruptcy. More often than not, people will spend monies that may be available on gifts for relatives and friends rather than pay off creditors. While trustees, who oversee and administer bankruptcy cases, understand and appreciate the practice of gift-giving during the holiday season, there is a gray area that could present difficulties. A trustee can seek to recover those gifts, or the monetary value thereof, so as to pay off creditors. With some planning and conservative approaches, however,

a person filing bankruptcy can spend down and make purchases without running afoul of what is allowable in bankruptcy. First, credit cards MUST NOT be used. Purchases made on credit immediately preceding the filing of a bankruptcy may not be dischargeable. By using credit when you purport to be insolvent, a trustee may seek to deny your discharge for abuse of the bankruptcy system. Moreover, the creditor may seek to have the debt owed to it deemed nondischargeable since the debt was incurred while a debtor purports to be insolvent. If you are going to make gift purchases, make them in cash. Next, you should evaluate gifts as a “want” versus a “need.”

If you are buying a gift for your children, for example, avoid making “want” purchases. If they need clothing or supplies for school, use money for those “needs,” and avoid spending money on “wants,” such as electronics. Electronics are especially difficult because they tend to retain value, and a market for them exists. A trustee can easily demand turnover of a television or tablet for sale. Imagine a friend or relative who received a gift from you and then being served with a demand for turnover - it can easily turn the holidays sour. Finally, think about larger “need” purchases. Repairs around the house, health insurance, car repairs, education accounts. Maybe

not as fun as video games, but purchases like these tend to be the kind that people need but put off. Using money to make these purchases is generally safe in bankruptcy, so you generally will not be facing a demand for turnover for the trustee. In conclusion, as the holiday shopping season kicks off, if you are thinking about bankruptcy, do not believe that you can buy what you want and then file bankruptcy after without issues. The bankruptcy system is not to be abused, and lawyers and trustees are charged with protecting the integrity of the system. If you have questions about bankruptcy, call the Law Office of Richard Kistnen, (718) 738-2324, or visit www. kistnenlaw.com.

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

This week's Crossword

This week's Puzzle

J k es

Funny court transcripts

• Prosecutor: How fast was the car coming toward you? Witness: I am not a thermometer, so I can’t tell you the speed limit. • Attorney: What did the doctor tell you was the condition of the body when he performed the autopsy? Witness: He described it as dead. • Prosecutor: Do you see the defendant in court today? Witness: Yes, I do. Prosecutor: How is he dressed? Witness: He looks pretty sharp. • Prosecutor (addressing the court): The People have evidence that the life of the witness is in jeopardy, and it is reasonable to apprehend he will not be able to attend the trial if he is not alive at that time. • Attorney: Can you explain what “state-dependent memory” refers to? Witness: Yes. If a law student is drinking while studying for the exam, he would do well to bring beer into the examination, because he’ll be better able to re-create whatever it is he studied if he’s in a similar state of intoxication. Court: That’s a novel thought. Witness: You see why I’m no longer teaching at the law school. • Counsel (to man in hallway): Are you a witness, victim, or defendant? Man: I’m the guy who did it. • Q: Were you involved in a romantic relationship with her? A: I ain’t involved in no romantic relationship with her. I’m married to her. • Counsel (to witness): Are you telling the truth? Prosecutor: Objection; irrelevant. • The defendant said that prior to the offense, he’d hoped to become a physician. But he believes that with a felony conviction, he will be precluded from achieving that goal. So he is now considering becoming a lawyer.

I owe my life to Justin Bieber

I was in a coma for two years, until a nurse played one of Justin Bieber’s songs on the radio in my room, and I had to wake up to turn it off. Q: What’s the different between a cat and a comma? A: A cat has claws at the end of paws; a comma is a pause at the end of a clause.

All dolled up

A husband and wife had been married for 60 years and had no secrets except for one: The woman kept in her closet a shoe box that she forbade her husband from ever opening. But when she was on her deathbed—and with her blessing—he opened the box and found a crocheted doll and $95,000 in cash. “My mother told me that the secret to a happy marriage was to never argue,” she explained. “Instead, I should keep quiet and crochet a doll.” Her husband was touched. Only one doll was in the box—that meant she’d been angry with him only once in 60 years. “But what about all this money?” he asked. “Oh,” she said, “that’s the money I made from selling the dolls.”

Hammering the point home

see solution on page 47

A judge tells the defendant, “You’re charged with attacking your boss with a hammer.” “You jerk!” yells a voice from  the back of the courtroom. “You’re also charged with attacking a bartender with a hammer,”  says the judge. “Jerrrrkkkk!” bellows the same man. “Sir,” says the judge, “one more outburst, and I’ll charge you with contempt.” “I’m sorry, Your Honour,” says the man. “But I’ve been this jerk’s neighbour for ten years, and every time I asked to borrow a hammer, he said he didn’t have one.”

feature

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

One Laptop Per Family Project… A telling success story 90,000 Guyanese families. The programme was launched by then President Bharrat Jagdeo, who envisaged at the time, the ‘enhancing of lives’ for the beneficiaries of these laptops, but with a stirring, peopleoriented caveat.

PURPOSE & SCOPE

Two Amerindian women with their laptops

he One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Project breathes of far-sightedness, success and initiative; every Guyanese should sing a paean for this venture. At the end of 2014, the statistics will show that approximately 50 per cent of the entire OLPF Project quota will have been completed. This project proves an old adage to be quite true and relevant: “Dreams are today’s answers to tomorrow’s questions” and these words ratify the thinking of Edgar Cayce (considered the father of Holistic Medicine).

The quote also encapsulates this ingenious programme, laughed at initially by jealous doubters, but now the great debunker of critics and the ‘wonder-additive’ to a better life for so many Guyanese. The genesis of the One Laptop Per Family Programme goes back to January 21, 2011, when it was launched at the Guyana International Conference Centre. The objective was and still is about providing ‘at-home’ Information and Communications Technology (ICT) opportunities for an estimated

“The people who are collecting these laptops are not getting them free…you don’t have to pay for them, but it requires commitment in terms of time and effort and community work and with a promise to help others…This is a national project. It is a project that helps you to help others,” President Jagdeo said at the project’s launch. As for its scope, this project’s overall intention is to aid in Guyana’s goal of ensuring that all of its 180,000 households have computers. This means that the project’s 90,000 computers are really aimed at benefitting some 50 per cent of selected households, bereft of any. So the project did not start, nor is it being advanced, in a sporadic, hap-hazard manner, leaving to chance those continued on page 42

news

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Nandlall urges Guyanese... from page 30

Rejection of people’s franchise

The President’s decision to prorogue and the move towards elections, almost two years before constitutionally mandated, were on reflection a ‘déjà vu’ moment, Minister Nandlall reminded of what occurred in 1997. That year saw elections being called two years before they were due to be held. Notwithstanding this, the PPP/C was re-elected to office by a comfortable margin. This was described as a “rejection of the franchise of the people” as both occasions similarly resulted in the life of the government being curtailed, in terms of its five-year term of office. If the no-confidence motion that the AFC was pushing, with support from the APNU had succeeded, Dr. Gopaul said government’s business would have halted, and Christmas would not have been the same. The AFC had intended to push through the noconfidence motion at the November 10 sitting, but the president issued the proclamation to prorogue the 10th parliament.

Sheer unreasonableness

He added that a national government cannot be built on intimidation and threats and coercion, but only through dialogue, sensible proposals and true intelligence. He described the Parliament since the opposition gained a oneseat majority as “sheer unreasonableness”. It was noted that the prorogation, which forestalled the joint opposition’s attempt to force a no-confidence motion against the government, was aimed at allowing for dialogue between both sides of the National Assembly. The idea of having dialogue however, was put into some context by Minister Nandlall, who said that despite both sides often calling for it, it was the opposition which, when government advanced the concept, often fell short. He noted that the opposition would either refuse, citing a myriad of excuses such as key members being overseas or otherwise absent, or bring to the table unreasonable demands. Asked about the opposition’s call for, or its attempt to force early elections, particularly

during the festive season which would have been dampened by political campaigning, Minister Nandlall said the opposition cares less about the views of Guyanese since it has rejected transformational projects such as Amaila Falls Hydro project, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion and cuts to three consecutive national budgets. “Having a political campaign in the middle of the Christmas season would have been the least of their concerns because they were gunning to move a no-confidence motion according to them within the first hour of the parliamentary sitting of November 10. That would have catapulted parliament into dissolution and elections would have followed soon, within three months, right now we would have been campaigning.” Minister Gopaul added that the fulminations by the joint opposition showed that they were “caught with their pants down” because they ought to have known the options available to the president, especially since there are lawyers in their midst.

39 Berbice Wedding Expo to be staged annually B feature

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Beyond redemption … Nagamootoo The PPP/C has described Moses Nagamootoo – who jumped ship in a huff because he wasn’t voted as their Presidential Candidate – as an “errand boy” for the AFC/PNC/APNU. They’ve made the point that this Eyewitness’ been making ad nauseum. Why, out of the blue – Ramjattan nixed his party’s “racial leadership rotation” in favour of Nagamootoo as the party’s Presidential Candidate? It’s now obvious that this was the pound of flesh Nagamootoo must’ve demanded for hopping over to the AFC. This is a man who’s been consumed by that “mean and hungry” look for “leadership-ornothing”, as far back as anyone can remember. The question, of course, is why would Nigel Hughes, the “African AFC leader”, whose turn it was at the top slot, move aside for somebody like Nagamootoo?? Nagamootoo, of course, is a foul-mouthed race baiter of the PNC, who Granger rejected for Trotman as Speaker because he was “too PPP/C”. In PNC lingo (to malign the PPP/C), this meant Nagamootoo was an “Indian aapan-jaatist”. Well Hughes sidestepped because (1) his credibility was damaged since he’d been caught with his hand in Sithe’s till. But more so (2) because he figured Nagamootoo would poach PPP/C’s Indian voters in Berbice – to be delivered to the PNC/APNU to throw the PPP/C out of office! And Ramjattan?? Well, that wanker earns his keep from his foreign handlers who’re determined to see the PPP/C’s back so their multinationals could rape Guyana. So you see dear readers?? Nagamootoo isn’t an “errand boy”. He’s a PIMP who would woo the Indians of Berbice so that they – and all of Guyana – can be raped by the comprador PNC/APNU and their multi-national masters! O tempora!! O MORES!! …clueless slave Mook Lall’s house slave says as a kid, he was taught that “honesty is the best policy”. And that once you start lying, you have to keep on making up fibs…just to cover your ass. We wish he’d followed that advice as an adult. Can you imagine the amount of lies he’s had to concoct – and tell – as Burnham’s Editor of Chronicle for decades?? If he was a wooden puppet like Pinocchio, his nose’d be the length of a coconut tree!! Anyhow, right now, he’s following up on his master’s vendetta against Brassington and the Marriott. Jagdeo, of course, gets the obligatory lash. Sadly, Slaveboy just reveals how out of depth he is on matters concerning finances. But how could he be otherwise?? While he’s trusted to be chief cook and bottle washer to do the dirty on his master’s “enemies”, he’d better not poke his nose in finances!! Forget the tongue lashing…it’s the whiplashing that’s a bitch! He’d better “know his place”. He didn’t follow our friendly advice to find out the difference between a “debenture” and a “mortgage”. Let’s see if he can translate this into two-syllable words for his master: “a debenture’s one type of security a company (in this case AHI) may be asked to grant a lender” (here, Republic Bank). The debenture’s typically secured by floating or fixed charges, that is, the company agrees to put up assets as security. While this is technically a “legal mortgage”, the charge only crystallises when the lender decides to call in his loan, for example, on insolvency, and thus ranks before unsecured debtors for funds when the company’s liquidated. “A mortgage on the other hand, relates to a particular asset, generally land or buildings. When the debt is called in, the lender gets the proceeds of the sale of the asset and is an unsecured creditor for any shortfall.” …so “manners” them!! The AFC and APNU are going into a coalition to throw out the PPP/C on the strategy explained above. But they’re gonna be feeling the Rod of Correction from the people, come Election Day!!

erbicians turned out in their numbers to experience the ultimate wedding packages offered under one roof at the Berbice Expo. The inaugural event hosted by businessman Ryan Alexander provided potential married couples with the opportunity to get inspiration and information from the best in the business, on the invitation to the honeymoon. The exhibitors included wedding planners, hotels, caterers, florists, photographers, beauty salons, jewellery stores, makeup artists, wedding attire vendors, decorators, furnishings providers and venue pro-

Sampling some of the finger foods offered

viders. Guyana Tourism Authority Director Indranauth Haralsingh

praised the Businessman for taking the initiative to host the event of such magnitude in Berbice.

He said the Expo was an important one which allowed persons the opporcontinued on page 40

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Berbice Wedding Expo to be...

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tunity to showcase their businesses and consumers the chance to get all that they need for their big day.

Domestic tourism

“This is a good way of bringing businesses together and showing them, yes, there is someone out there who can pull all of these services together to promote a wedding expo. These events are also good for domestic tourism because it does bring persons from their house – leisure, recreation. I feel if there are more events, we will be happy to work along with people like Ryan and others in Berbice to bring higher and better quality events.” He added that the GTA will make the event an annual one in its cal-

Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Director Indranauth Haralsingh checks out a wedding cake made by Polly Delight

endar of events for tourism. Haralsingh also recommended the next expo be a two-day event with some live entertainment

added. Alexander, who is also the owner of Party Plus, said the idea to host the event was conceived af-

ter numerous calls from customers about wedding and party supplies. “We run a party business and we have seen tremendous response in terms of services as it pertains to wedding, parties, anniversaries, reunion, christening. The world has been evolving; Guyana has been evolving: services that are being demanded in North America, there is also high demand in Guyana. Because of that and the opportunities that are available, we decided to have the Berbice Wedding Expo so that persons can know about the services and the individuals to offer their services throughout Berbice. We have had persons from as far as Suriname seeking wedding services.”

Be careful …what you ask for, Ramjattan In one of his now characteristic acts of bravado – remember that’s when you “talk fat” because you want to impress – Ramjattan of the AFC wants the President to “call elections” at once. Like they say, he might just get what he asked for – but based on the sentiments on the ground – he’s not gonna like it. That’s for sure. Remember when he dared Trotman to leave the AFC when the latter refused to be his PM running mate in 2011?? Trotman didn’t see himself being even nominally “under” a non-entity like Ramjattan?? Well Trotman did quit – he said he was “ill” but recovered miraculously to accept the PNC’s nomination as Speaker. (Hallelujah!! Hallelujah!!) However, Trotman took all the Afro-Guyanese votes; the AFC lost its one claim to fame as a “multiracial” party (specious as that was) and Ramjattan was left holding “larwah”!! And what about his “news-carrying” to the US Embassy when they persuaded him that with their backing (“wink”, “wink”) he’d become President if he took on the PPP/C . The Americans did bring in “Big Dick” Morris, million-dollar presidential pollster – who ran a poll predicting he and Trotman would sweep all before them. The “poll” was more of a “pole” that was stuck up Ramjattan’s posterior orifice as he lost corn and husk and was left holding Big Dick’s larwah!! But you get the drift and the point, don’t you, dear reader?? This Eyewitness is firmly of the view that the President should set an outside date for elections – so that Ramjattan and Granger won’t be marching up and down screaming “The sky’s falling!!! the sky’s falling!!!” And spoiling people’s Christmas. But hold it!! Ramjattan won’t be marching with Granger – who, he implies, has KuhKuh-Beh!! He’ll be writing those stern letters to the press!! But for sure the President shouldn’t set elections immediately – which means in three months – early March. With elections looming and folks knowing that the PNC will “behave bad” when they lose for the sixth time…this’ll certainly ruin Mashramani. In fact, the President should wait until Guyanese have mashed to their heart’s content – and then schedule. The August holidays looks like the time to go to the polls. The kids won’t be in school – and won’t be trapped at Agricola if the AFC decides it has to get back at APNU for taking back its voters. But whether Prezzie sets the elections in three months or the “summer”, the AFC and Ramjattan’re gonna be “dead meat”. And we know how that stinks when it’s been in the sun for weeks – in this case pleading for votes!! …of unmitigated racism The Women and Gender Equality Commission expressed “shock” at Nandlall’s conversation with his school chum Gildarie of the MuckrakerKN. The Commission, chaired by Indra Chandrapaul – Nandalall’s PPP/C comrade, called for all “necessary sanctions to be taken”. They didn’t bother pronouncing on sanctions for Glenn Lall for intercepting a private conversation. Maybe it’s outside their remit to comment on violations outside sex and gender. Anyhow, in the blog following the Stabber’s report, appeared this comment: Uncle Joe: “We shouldn’t expect any better from people who still have the bottom house refuse under their toenails even though they now wear polished shoes. A dog might be born in a stable but that does not make it a thoroughbred.” This was too much for even the Stabber – which revels in anti-Indian race baiting: they took down the posting when your Eyewitness looked this morning. We wonder if Uncle Joe also included Chandarpaul in those “who still have the bottom house refuse under their toenails”.

41 More Jamaican youth involvement needed in agriculture K news

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

INGSTON, JAMAICA: Junior agriculture minister Luther Buchanan has pointed to the need for more youth involvement in agriculture, to ensure the sector's continued growth. Buchanan underscored this point while addressing the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) Hanover branch's recent open day exhibition, held at the agency's parish office in Lucea. In voicing concern over the reluctance of more young people to opt for careers in agriculture, against the background of an ageing farming population, Buchanan, said "We recognise that if the... sector is to continue on its growth path and

Junior agriculture minister Luther Buchanan (second right), converses with third year student of Knockalva Agricultural School in Hanover, Stacy-Ann Muir (left), about the products displayed at her school’s booth, mounted at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) Hanover parish office’s recent open day exhibition in Lucea. Others pictured include: RADA chief executive officer, Lenworth Fulton (right); and RADA’s Western Jamaica zonal director Donald Robinson (fourth right), and other agency executives.

achieve renewal and continuity, we need to attract and retain (more) youth." To this end, he said the government has sought to ensure that a component is reserved for youth involvement and facilitation in all major state production initiatives and programmes, such as the Agro-parks. He also advised that the administration will be engaging financial institutions to provide funding and credit for young people interested in agriculture. While the junior minister lauded the achievements of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs in recruiting and engaging youth in agriculture, evident by the enrolment of 85,000 members. He, however, stressed that the chal-

lenge remains in determining how best to encourage them to choose a long-term career in agriculture. Noting that the fortunes of the local and global economies will rely greatly on engagements in entrepreneurship, vocational enterprise, and cottage industries, Buchanan argued that "increasingly, young people will need to utilise their hands to create and nurture small businesses in order to create employment and income generation." In this regard, he contended that there are numerous opportunities in agriculture for enterprise activities and selfemployment. (Jamaica Observer)

Caribbean Blog Awards highlight excellence in cyber media

INGSTON, JAMAICA: The inaugural Caribbean Blog Awards (CBA) honoured the best among cyberspace and social media's #ArticulateMinority last Friday evening at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston. The CBA judges selected the winners from shortlisted nominees

amassed from the public voting. The event started on a high note with top News and Sport Journalists titles being copped by president of the Press Association of Jamaica Dionne JacksonMiller of the RJR Group, and the Gleaner's Andre Lowe, respectively. Special trophies were presented to Emily Shields (The Crooks

of the Matter) and Abka Fitz-Henley for Outstanding Coverage of the Vybz Kartel Trial; Natalia Outar (Natalia Oh!) and Rushaine 'Dutty Berry' Berry (The Dutty Berry Show) for Personal Achievement for Excellence in Blogging; Jessica Hylton for Jessica in the Kitchen; Chelan Smith for MamaChel;

and Christopher Lai for Living the Lai. In observing one of the main tenets of social media, some awardees opted for selfie sessions instead of acceptance speeches. The blog awards is the brainchild of Corve DaCosta, who expressed pride in its expansion to include the region. DaCosta lauded

Jamaicans' First-World approach to blogging and social media generally. He singled out Jessica in The Kitchen as a top-ofthe-line blog which aspiring bloggers should aim to compete and even surpass. The CBA segues from the Jamaica Blog Awards which only recognised the talents of Jamaican bloggers lo-

cally as well as in the diaspora. DaCosta also pointed out that the special awards were created to acknowledge bloggers who may not be widely known but are producing extraordinary work. The evening's entertainment, also from among the #ArticulateMinority, complemented the qualcontinued on page 43

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

One Laptop Per Family Project… who really need the laptops. The qualified households fall into various categories, and thus, those whose present amenities already include lap-

tops will not be surfeited. The ‘idea-inherent’ is about bringing parity to Guyana as a nation, giving its people an equally comfortable playing field,

and catering for its few minority groups, namely the hinterland citizens and the impaired. An important point to this Jagdeo mindset

is that laptops form part of routine and mundane living. The immediate past erstwhile president felt that, “… regardless of the educational background and income level of families, all children must have comparable levels of performance…” and so the necessity of these gadgets; they are not novelties and toys (any more), but form the base for almost everything in life. Take the case of the connection between classrooms and homes – it should be noted that the plan is that

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receive a single item, that item becomes a hub for mutual fellowship. The project then embodies this ‘unifying’ concept. It adds a great human and cohesive element to each laptop; giving it an immeasurable value.

SCORCHING REBUFF

If people take for granted this project and skeptics still scoff at it, the word of irrefutable rebuke comes from two groups of people – the mostly Amerindians from Guyana’s interior, and the few from the disadvantageous coterie of the infirmed. For too long,

with Speech (JAWS) that allows for visually impaired users, to read the screen of the laptop, using either a text-tospeech output, or a refreshable Braille display. Keyboards and headphones were also given to the recipients.

CULMINATION

The logical boast from President Ramotar is that Guyana is likely to achieve the status of ‘Developed Country’ in his life time. Is he farfetched? The answer is a resounding ‘no’. The reason is that upon culmi-

Members of the Blind Institute with laptops given to them through the One Laptop Per Family Project

Government and GT&T collaborate, so that families with the laptops can access the internet, and this brings in the aspect of school, since the internet is the great avenue for important and necessary information. When entire families

Amerindians and the handicapped people have been objectified, making them feel as some distant ‘other’. That is no more! Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), already earning millions, is not just about forest management and global concerns. These are important issues and maybe meant for the esoteric. The LCDS incorporates the element of the solar panel, largesse from Government to the Hinterland communities. This panel allows for electricity in the family, and this is where ICT takes off, for a people, whom many still consider archaic, and the Opposition still fails to cater for (as was reflected in the cutting of the Amerindian development Fund (ADF) from Budget 2014). Government, through this OLPF initiative, also takes into account another fringe group, for years never quite prioritised. In a great show of deference (and maybe compensation for years of neglect), the OLPF Secretariat recently distributed a second set of laptops to the Guyana Society for the Blind (GSB). No ordinary doing too, as these laptops are tailor-made for the group; the unit possesses the requisite computer software, that is, Job Access

nation of the project, a number of things will fall into place – LCDS’ benefits; Electrification of Hinterland communities; and high level of efficiency in Guyana’s telecommunications sector. This third aspect is tipping for explosion. The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph’s (GT&T’s) Suriname Guyana Submarine Cable System (SG-SCS) is bringing the prospects of a new generation of opportunities in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector; and Digicel Guyana has already begun taking steps to improve the delivery of service to Guyanese customers. This makes Guyana, with its eight successive years of economic growth, a major world force. Already, investments are multiplying both locally and internationally, tourism is a budding and expanding sector, and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport is racing towards global expectations. This means that Guyana must be on par where ICT is concerned. So far so good-the near end of the OLPF Project will tie up all the ongoing and loose ends, making Guyana an enviable country and one to be celebrated. (A GINA Feature)

News

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

New bacchanal at City Hall…Town Clerk, Treasurer reduce PRO’s salary – Mayor, Councillors outraged

Acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba

Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green

hat started off as a seemingly uneventful statutory meeting of the Georgetown City Council, quickly turned into a state of affairs that could be termed “the new normal.” Pandemonium reigned when Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green hinted at what he called the “arbitrary cutting” of salaries and stipends by the City administration, headed by acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba. This revelation

prompted Mayor Green, through the city’s councillors, to request a formal analysis, “so that we could demand a written explanation to what appears to be an improper administrative action.” But Acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba, who was fingered in the matter along with City Treasurer, Ron McAlmont, is adamant that her decision was one that could stand up to the scrutiny of the law. Sooba is of the view that Royston King’s cur-

rent matter before the courts was sufficient grounds for issuance of the order to make deductions to the embattled PRO’s salary. “I understand that deductions were made at the behest of the Treasurer’s Department for the PRO. I’m wondering if we could have an explanation for that. This is unprecedented,” Georgetown Mayor, Hamilton Green said as he demanded an explanation. In a court document dated August 25, 2014 seen by this publication, it was noted: “Royston King on the 13th day of July 2012, at Georgetown, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, County of Demerara, in the state of Guyana, wrote a letter to the Beacon Foundation and signed same purporting that he was the Town Clerk acting, which position he did not hold at the said time.”

Jamaican govt launches first recyling plant in St Mary

INGSTON, JAMAICA: The government has launched its first recycling project, which is seeking to recover some 4,690 tonnes of PET material (plastic bottles), and the creation of employment for over 3,000 persons over the next three years. Minister with responsibility for housing, and member of Parliament for Central St Mary Dr Morais Guy, said the project is an environment protection initiative, playing an integral role in the development of communities, in an environmentally and ecologically sound manner. "This programme will see the establishment of satellite depots in strategic locations around the island to facilitate collection of PET bottles. These depots will receive the reclaimed bottles, and bulk baled them, so as to increase efficiencies in handling, storage and transportation," the minister said at the launch on December 4, at the Anglican Church, in Port Maria, St Mary. The project is managed by Recycling Partners of Jamaica, a public/private sector group, aiming to build

and support national awareness of the need to recycle. Coordinated under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), the project has other partners, among them Wisynco, Pepsi-Jamaica, GraceKennedy Foods and Services, Jamaica Beverages, Lasco Manufacturing, Seprod, and Trade Winds Citrus. "I applaud you for the interest you have all taken in sustaining our environment, and by extension, our economy. This element of corporate responsibility is one that will auger well for your respective businesses," Guy said. PET bottles are widely used to store soft drinks, food products, alcoholic beverages, detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, and edible oils. The government, over the next three years, will be pumping Ja$150 million in the initiative, and the bottles, when purchased from collectors assigned to JEEP, will be weighed, baled and shipped overseas for further processing. The minister told the gathering that through JEEP and Recycling Partners of Jamaica, en-

trepreneurs are being created. The next depots to be operated will be in Kingston and St Andrew, and later in Manchester. Collaborating partners on the St Mary project are the St Mary Parish Council, and the Parish Development Committee. (Jamaica Observer)

Mayor Green questioned whether the instruction from the Town Clerk’s office was in writing, but while McAlmont responded in the affirmative, he could not produce those letters. This sparked some murmuring among the council-

lors, who were shocked by the discovery. With acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba given 24 hours to present a detailed report on the deduction from King’s salary, a motion to adjourn that day’s statutory meeting was moved also

by Councillor Jordan with a condition that no other business of the Council be considered until the motion which he had proposed has been approved and acted on. This too was supported entirely by the Council.

NEWS

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Caribbean Blog Awards highlight excellence in... ity of the awards. Singer Ikaya captivated the audience with a soulful rendition of her latest effort, Bang Bang. Actor Sean Bennett perplexed the audience with an emotional piece about the parent-child connection. Dub performer Sanj Thompson was well-received with his comedic take on #PSMBookTitles, cheeky made-up literary titles related to Prime

Minister Portia Simpson Miller. But vlogger Rushaine 'Dutty Berry' Berry's acceptance speech was the highlight of the event. The comedian shared stories about being unemployed after completing his university degree, being regarded as a science nerd, and 'running up' his parents' electricity bill by posting to YouTube. He wrapped

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up the speech by encouraging young people to believe in themselves and be relentless at pursuing goals, because hard work pays off. The CBA was sponsored by Project Grapevine, Voice Box Jamaica, Daily Veritas, NC3 Events, Respect Jamaica, Jamaica Observer, Digicel Jamaica, and Red Stripe. (Jamaica Observer)

Nationwide reporter Abka Fitz-Henley delivers his acceptance speech after receiving a special award for Outstanding Coverage of the Vybz Kartel Trial. With him are Nationwide boss and senior journalist Cliff Hughes, and Emily Shields, former Nationwide presenter-turned-attorney-at-law, who also received a special award for stellar social media coverage during the Vybz Kartel Trial.

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Early elections represent a new beginning

n December 6, President Donald Ramotar announced that he will decide on a date for new general elections and that he will inform the nation in January, after he would have consulted various stakeholders. The President declared that the prorogation of Parliament, which he had proclaimed on November 10, was intended to explore even the remotest chance of dialogue between political parties to end our political impasse. After 26 days, the President concluded that his pleadings for talks had fallen on deaf ears. It is frightening that the political leaders of APNU and AFC could not afford the Guyanese people one more chance for dialogue. They pounded their chest and huffed and puffed that the Government must go no matter what the consequences. Power is the only goal that APNU and AFC were after. The President was elected for five years by the people of Guyana in free and fair elections. That term only comes

to an end in November 2016 and the term constitutionally could last till February 2017. Parliament, far from being the beacon of democracy and the foundation on which we build a free and democratic country, has become the sledge hammer and a guillotine to fatally suck the nation’s blood and strangle democracy in the very halls of freedom. Many argued that the best possible outcome for Guyana resulted from the 2011 general elections. They called it the new dispensation, a creature of the people’s collective wisdom. It was proudly touted that the new dispensation would force political parties to cooperate and collaborate more. Many of us, indeed, had wished that the results of the 2011 elections would have provided us with a new dispensation in which political parties inculcate a culture of talking to each other in good faith. But the 10th Parliament, far from being a Parliament of respect, dialogue and compromise, turned out to be a hung Parliament. The Opposition parties thought that the

one-seat numerical advantage that the 2011 elections provided them could instead be used to create deadlock and impasse, disrespect democratic norms and that the muscle of a one seat numerical advantage gave them the right to reject any form of meaningful dialogue. The Opposition used the new dispensation to teach the Government a lesson, ignoring the welfare of the nation. Since Independence in 1966, the 10th Parliament has contributed the least to Guyana’s development. The 10th Parliament saw the Standing Committee for the Revision of the Constitution under the

leadership of David Granger, Leader of the Opposition, meeting only three times in three years. One of those meetings was to elect the Chairperson. At that meeting, the Opposition used its numerical advantage to elect the Leader of the Opposition as the Chair of the Committee. After that, the Committee met only twice simply to consider previous work done in earlier Parliaments. Many important Government bills ended up mired in Special Select Committees where the Opposition used their numerical advantage to suffocate Government’s business. In many cas-

es, the Opposition parties forced through measures that were unconstitutional. In the three years, the Opposition parties collectively cut more than Gy$90B from the National Budget. The Appointments Committee reversed the comprehensive consultation process for nominations that the 8th and 9th Parliaments developed. They sought to replace the Executive with the National Assembly. We can recall maybe two bills introduced by the Opposition in the three years and at least one of the two bills they introduced was unconstitutional. In previous Parliaments, they argued that it was not practical for the Opposition to introduce bills because the Government would use its majority to shut the Opposition down. What was their excuse this time around? It is a terrible tragedy that the 10th Parliament is coming to an end more than two years before its constitutional deadline. Since leaders like Granger and AFC’s Khemraj Ramjattan and their parties refuse to

serve the people’s interest, the time has come for the people to have a direct say. The next elections must replace the present quagmire with a genuine new dispensation, one in which the Government of Guyana is able to conduct the people’s business without destructive delays and childish tantrums. The 10th Parliament has caused Guyana to lose ground in consolidating democratic gains. Whilst split Parliaments with no single party majority might seem like an elegant formula to force dialogue and compromise, in fact, with powerdrunk leaders, the opposite could be true. The 10th Parliament presented Guyana with the worst possible option, the new dispensation that created impasse and stalled Guyana’s development. The President’s announcement of new elections will give us a chance for a genuine new beginning again, as in 1992, when democracy was restored. Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times.notebook@gmail. com.

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WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

ointed arches, flying buttresses, vaulted ceilings...the interior of the St. George’s Cathedral is as commanding to the senses as is its exterior, sited at the crossroads of major Georgetown streets. Described as arguably the tallest wooden building in the world, it serves as a magnificent example of architectural heritage. In 1807, Anglican church services were being carried out in the Court House room, but became inadequate for the growing congregation. Two lots of land were donated: the land where St George's School now stands. The Chapel was used for worship from 1810, and by 1 June 1811, it was completed. However several years later the structure was extended, and plans again began for a new church. But the new brick structure had to be demolished after it was found to be unsafe

due to structural defects, the result of faulty foundations. A third church was erected in Carmichael Street on the site presently occupied by the Deanery. However, the need for more space for 1,500 - 1,800 worshippers led to the design of Sir Arthur Blomfield, whose initial design of stone stucco was rejected because of the brick structure experience, and in 1885 he resubmitted the present design constructed with local hardwoods and English oak - though the ideal was to use only local hardwood. The St. George’s Cathedral was completed and blessed by Bishop Austin 24 August 1892. The present Cathedral was dedicated 8 November 1894. For more information visit www. stgeorgescathedral.gy

Western wall interior main entrance

St. George's Cathedral

Pipe organ

Nave - towards altar

British Guiana Bank, Georgetown (n.d.) Leave the writing on the photo

Rum Jhaat want people behind he

The Public Buildings, British Guiana. Illustration for The Graphic, 30 May 1885

long time now, when Rum Jhaat was lil Jhaat, he had tell de people wheh he grow up in Number 47 Village that he like to be first in every ting whah he do. Rum Jhaat mudda and fadda had know that and all he neighbours in de village had know that long before he coulda put on he own bukta. So every time dem lil boys and lil gyurls used to line up to go in dem class in school, lil Jhaat used to wanna be in front. Every time it had a line any where, and in dem Pee-n-See days it used to have a lotta lines, lil Jhaat had to be in front. At least lil Jhaat had tell every body de truth. Some body seh that is de only truth whah he ever tell when he was lil Jhaat. Now that lil Jhaat grow up big and turn Rum Jhaat, he still stay de same way – never tellin de truth and always wanna be first in every ting. Indeed, Rum Jhaat was first to get vex when he didn’t get to be Pee-P-P Prezzi. Then he was first to get kick out from de Pee-P-P ahead of Nagga Man and de other rummie Rumkarran. Just before he get kick out from de Pee-P-P, he was de first to run to de Embassy. Rum Jhaat is de first to collect de outtaway money whah does come fuh de KFC party, fuh which he still can’t give account. Is no wonder he was de first to con every body at de Con-Vention. He even seh he wanna be first in fronta Green Jah and in fronta de whole of de Pee-n-See fuh de elections. And now he also want some body to getta good whip to crack pun he back. Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! Is now every body realise that Rum Jhaat don’t really like to be in front. He just like a lotta people behind he, and one of dem must have a whip. A good whip!

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Simply the Truth

Do fuh do

atriricus was getting confused (as usual). He just couldn’t keep up with these politicians and their constant ‘jooking’ of each other. Was Rum Jhaat really a racist because he and his buddy Naga Man didn’t show up at the Square?? “Maybe they were just being honest when they said they thought it was a ‘black thing’. And that’s why they sent the brothers NoGel and Pat-a-Son,” thought Satiricus. Maybe the ‘N’ word was going to be used…and they wouldn’t want Naga Man to put his foot in his mouth again. Then there was Prezzie. Why did he have to keep pestering GrainJa for “dialogue”?? This was soooo provocative. Jeez…when would Prezie understand that GrainJa was a soldier…trained in warfare his whole life?? For a fella like GrainJa, “dialogue” was what you did AFTER you’ve defeated the enemy and you’re dictating the terms of ceasefire. (For example, “Give us all your firstborn for the next 50 years”.) Granger should be invited to a “dialogue” AFTER the next elections when the PNC would have gone down in defeat for SIX times. (“We’ll top up the Opposition Leader’s perks like we did the last time.” Wink, wink.) And GrainJa was just as bad. Why did he have to embarrass Rum Jhaat and Naga Man to invite them to Cuffy Square?? Didn’t he know that was a “Blackmaan” place and for two fellas from Berbice, that was suicide!! How would they be able to cuss down Blackmaan under the bottom house like they did in Whim last week?? Did Granger think that just because Berbicians led the country in suicides, he and Naga Man were ready to take the plunge?? “What a dope” thought Satiricus, “GrainJa should stick to marching up and down in the sun. That’s all he did when he was a soldier for 30 years!” “What to do??” moaned Satiricus as he held his head in his hands. And then he saw the letter from the Black Sage from Buxton in the Stabber News. “Glory be to the one most High!!” thought Satiricus. All his problems were solved. The Black Sage was answering the whining by a member of the PPEE – one HiDar. HiDar claimed it was “unfair” for the Opposition to take both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions – when for all of history this was shared between Government and Opposition. And the Black Sage who was the veritable fount of wisdom according to the Stabber News, gave his answer which brought light to Satiricus dim witted brain. The Black Sage said that he too had once felt like that. But then he had concluded that even though there was no tradition of the President sharing positions in the Cabinet to the Opposition, since the President didn’t do this, he should be punished. And so he declared his judgement, which Satiricus accepted henceforth: “Do fuh do na obeah.”

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Corruption

n terms of politics in this land of ours, one of the most frequently used words is the word “corruption”. We ‘ordinary’ citizens and some of our puffed up ‘academics’ and ‘social scientists’ and such are the most loud and aggressive. Invariably, they spit venom at Government Ministers and political officials. However, so much of it is based on rumshop-type rumour that the foundation of truth itself begins to crack and fissure. There is too much of who said what to whom and he-sayshe say. And yet, it is all bawled and written with so great a certainty that nothing at all becomes believable. Credibility is lost, and truth is cremated. And yet, if one percent is true, then it is one percent too much. This is true in terms of what we call the media or what we hear from media operatives. This vituperative nonsense! But it is not just these pretentious chaps! We find it in living rooms where simple folks make medical decisions based on what they hear someone say about what happened to someone at some time at some place. Our good doctors start second-guessing themselves. Or our living room ‘analysts’ would swat in living rooms, open-legged, leaned back and firm of conviction and proclaim their knowledge, which is just gossip about our best law enforcement officers. Our dedicated cops start second-guessing themselves. People die through this desperate ignorance. The same chaps that are open-legged and loud of mouth in their ignorance are the ones who beat and brutalize their wives, rape and beat and pillage them. They fear the law and depend on law enforcement to serve and protect them when they get brutalized by bullies who are more brutal than themselves. These same cowards rush to our good doctors to save their sisters, aunts and other family members from certain death. They come back to their ‘castles’ and bully and beat and rage against their female folk. These are our brave he-men, our intellectuals and those that ‘have God in them’. If it were not so dangerous and evil, it would be laughable.

These are the same people who talk about corruption in national politics, especially in politics. That corruption is there, and we all know it; and they should be seen off with dispatch! But we condemn good folk at the same time. We talk unstoppably about crooked cops, but nary a word about the good ones. We talk nonstop about our doctors, but fail to say a good word about the good and competent ones. Same with our nurses and our teachers and other professionals. Same with our politicians! It is true that our leaders must be held to higher standards than us ordinary folks. They must be dignified, intelligent, visionary, articulate, and moral. Very high standards, indeed. But people like me will not condemn anyone if and when I do not hold to the standards of conduct that I expect from others. This is simple hypocrisy, and we must avoid hypocrisy as if it were a plague. If ever I take the political stage, our citizens can expect high moral and intellectual standards. There

shall be no lies, ever! Yes, we know of the lasciviousness of some of our leaders, the arrogance and foolishness. We know of the lies and the stealing and the sheer vulgarity. However, we need to understand that corruption does not happen when one goes into politics. All corruption begins with moral corruption, an inner decay that no number of visits to places of worship can cure. No Police can track it down, not even our crack cops. No medical doctor can cure it, irrespective of expertise and dedication. No teacher can ‘unlearn’ it, no matter if that teacher is the greatest of all teachers. Moral corruption is there. It waits like a viper in the reeds to ambush others. It has one duty, and that duty is to confound good. It uses the innocent to get its way. It needs to dominate, but is very clever to disguise itself. As individuals and as a nation, we must constantly be on guard. We let our guards down when we let our self-importance and self-en-

chantment get in the way, our hubris. Some wonderful person talked about ‘power’. I am old enough to know that all power is fleeting, and I have been around in many places learning that it is only the work that counts. Moral authority is different from power. It withstands time and the decay of the body. Petty people are in love with positions. Wise people are about principles rather than their own personality. But it takes so much work, so much discipline to establish the difference. It is a perpetual struggle. This is why the greats will live on: people like Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Monet, Mozart, Beethoven, Einstein, Ghandi, Lincoln, Mandela. They had and will always have moral authority. We were blessed to have them on our planet; and, in our private moments, we need to know that we are putting our baby feet into the imprints left by giants. It is then that God Himself puts His forefinger upon our eternal souls.

hollywood

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Kate Hudson, Matthew Bellamy call-off their engagement

inger Pitbull has invited tour mate Enrique Iglesias to join him in a New Year show. The 33-year-old, who recently hosted the American Music Awards, will front a new year-end show titled "Pitbull's New Year's

Revolution", reports contactmusic.com. The show will be aired live from the Thompson Miami Beach hotel on Dec 31, and the line-up will include Iglesias, Fall Out Boy, The Band Perry, Fifth Harmony and Becky G.(TOI)

ate Hudson and Matthew Bellamy have broken off their engagement after four years of being together. The 36-year-old Muse frontman's rep told E! Online that though the pair, who had welcomed their son, Bingham Bellamy, in July 2011, has been apart for a while, they are still close friends and committed co-parents.

harlize Theron is reportedly unfazed by the reports on how her boyfriend Sean Penn allegedly cheated on her. The reports suggest that Penn had checked into the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood on November 14 with a woman in her 20s, reported the New York Post. In fact, the woman was Theron, 39, who went to the hotel for some alone time with Penn, away from her two-year-old son Jackson

per quoted the source as saying. She opted to stay with the 52-yearold star, following his divorce from Kidman in 2001 and alongside her father became interested in the Scientology religion. The source further claimed that since mov-

ing to England, Isabella has really taken to living in the British capital and now enjoys hanging out in new bars and restaurants with her fellow stylists. "She now has a wider circle of friends and has broadened her horizons," the source added.(TOI)

oe DiMaggio's love letter to Marilyn Monroe has been sold for 78,000 dollars at a recent auction, it has been revealed. Julien's Auctions announced that one letter from her ex-husband DiMaggio, the Yankee great, sold for more than USD$78,000 dollars, the Independent reported. Another letter from other husband Arthur Miller fetched nearly USD$44,000 the same auction that was held as a part of its Icons and Idols series. Julien's said that the collection was held by her mentor and acting coach Lee Strasberg, who passed along the collection to a friend. Other items also included black velvet opera coat that was sold for USD$93,760, and one of her pendant necklaces drew that fetched USD$34,375.

Monroe's silk coat sold for USD$1750,000. The Beverly Hills auction house offered up about 200 items that belonged to the actress including the letters, accessories and clothing. (TOI)

Taylor Swift ignores laryngitis to perform

espite her illness, singer Taylor Swift performed at the two festivals. The 24-year-old, who performed at the annual KIIS FM Jingle Ball at the Staples Center here Friday, warned fans ahead of the show that

and her mother Gerda, who was visiting from South Africa. "She was thrilled with the story. She said, 'Cool. I'm in my 20s'," a close friend of the couple said. Penn just finished directing Theron in 'The Last Face'. She plays the head of an aid agency in Africa who hooks up with a humanitarian doctor (Javier Bardem) against a backdrop of violent revolution. The 1983 classic also stars Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver.(TOI)

Marilyn Monroe's love letter from exhubby fetches US$78K at auction

ctor Tom Cruise's daughter has started working as a hairdresser . According to a source, Isabella - the adopted daughter of Cruise and his ex-wife Nicole Kidman - has completed a course at the Vidal Sassoon Academy and is now working at their salon. The 21-year-old hairstylist decided to follow a different path to her famous parents by signing up the 30week course, which costs 15,000 pounds. "Isabella has been getting stuck in at work and doesn't make a fuss about who her parents are. Some of her work mates don't even realize," The Sun newspa-

The split comes as a surprise as the couple had happily walked the LACMA Art + Film Gala red carpet together only last month, and the actress, 35, had even revealed her Thanksgiving family plans that included Bellamy. However, Hudson had also admitted earlier that it wasn't easy to be in a relationship, and it was challenging to make things last for a long time. (TOI)

Charlize Theron not affected by boyfriend's cheating rumours

her voice was not at its best, reports contactmusic.com. She wrote on her Twitter page: "I'm about to go onstage at... KIISJingleBall in La. Fun fact: I have a wicked case of laryngitis. This should be interesting!"

Despite her illness, Swift flew to London to headline the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball Sunday (07Dec14), and issued a second warning to her fans, writing, "The voice is feeling hella (really) bad but I'm here and ready to Party/sound like a frog." The "Shake It Off" hitmaker also thanked fans for their support while onstage, telling them, "I do have a severe case of laryngitis which is making it hard to sing, but you're helping me... I want to thank you for staying and hanging out with me." (TOI)

eality TV star KhloeKardashian is still in love with her husband Lamar Odom, despite separating and filing for divorce last December.

According to a source, the 30-year-old, who recently split once again from her on and off boyfriend, rapper French Montana, can't stop thinking about her es-

tranged husband. "Khloe can't stop thinking that she's meant to be with Lamar. She knows Lamar was her soul mate. She can't let him go," the source said. The "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star split from the basketball player after four years of marriage following months of rumours he cheated on her and was addicted to cocaine, but they have yet to move forward with their divorce even though she filed court documents in December 2013. "She's really confused. She's always wanted to stick by her wedding vows and give her marriage another shot," the source added. (TOI)

bollywood Saira Banu: Hope Yusuf Sahab is home for his birthday

e hope Yusuf Sahab is home for his birthday but even if it takes longer, it's fine as his health is a priority," said Saira Banu. The thespian was admitted to a suburban hospital on Saturday evening after the X-rays detected bronchospasm, pneumonia patch. The superstar's wife elaborated, "Antibiotics weren't helping much. He had to be on intravenous therapy and so had to be shifted to the hospital. He is a lot better now. He has recovered but a few doses still need to be administered." The yesteryear actress added, "You know, this was my biggest fear. Everybody kept asking me about his 92nd birthday plans. I kept saying nazar mat lagao. I was a little scared. Maine

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

oger Federer's presence in India has once again sparked the topic of the tennis legend and Arbaaz Khan resembling one another. The actor-filmmaker's wife, Malaika Arora Khan says she too spotted the similarity. She adds, "Everybody says he does (resemble Roger) and I think so too." Ask Arbaaz how Malaika teases him about the similarity and he says, "It was an inside joke. When Roger lost the Wimbledon final this

Yusuf sahab ke liye sadka diya... donated money, distributed food to the poor. If he gets dis-

charged by (his birthday), I plan on having a quiet dinner in the house." (TOI)

n Friday, a wannabe Roadies contestant, Amol Spykar, using the twitter handle, BBOY SPYKA, showed his muscle on social media and threw an open challenge to Esha Deol. The actress is one of the new judges of the reality show. He tweeted on Friday morning that he was coming to the Pune auditions on a skateboard and dared Esha to have a personal conversation with him, else `mundi neeche kar aur nikal ja'. He also threatened to let loose a volley of abuses. The actress refused to let such threats intimidate her. She pointed out that on a public platform like twitter, everyone has the right to say what they feel. Spykar was the only one to cross the line. When Mirror caught up with Esha after the first round of group discussions with the contestants, she laughed off the matter, "This show draws all kinds--most are excited, some are angry and some act a little crazy. I was actually waiting for this guy to show up on his skateboard but I didn't spot him in the crowd." Last Sunday, Gauhar Khan was slapped during the finale of a reality show she was hosting, by a man who had an issue with her wardrobe.The actress admitted in an interview to Mirror (December 3) that after the incident she has become mistrustful of crowds and is scared of even genuine fans now. However, Esha neither has any plans of filing a complaint nor has she asked for her security to be beefed up on the sets. Dismissing the incident as

one of the side effects of being a public figure, she reasoned, "We already have bouncers around.I've been on world tours alone. At a film premiere when a guy tried to act fresh with me, I gave it back to him. This one seems like an attention seeker. If I react to his tweets, it will only encourage him. I'm Dharmendra's daughter, I'm not afraid of anyone." She's also the daughter of actresspolitician Hema Malini, which puts her in even graver danger. "No one is safe anywhere. But that doesn't mean I'll sit at home," she retorted."If that was the case I wouldn't be on this show." Esha has been a Roadies fan since the show began a decade ago. She's happy to be in the company of her favourite judge Ranvijay, "who's very balanced", along with the other two judges, Vijender Singh and Karan Kundra (who was also targeted by BBOY SPYKA ). "I'll just be myself and go with the flow. I'm a married woman and have nothing left to prove to anyone. I'm doing this because I wanted to be a part of an adventure show. I remember, in one of my films, I was hung upside down from a 100feet pole and thrown into the sea. The stunt made my dad cry but I enjoyed the thrill," she said. There's also talk of her reviving the home banner? She acknowledges that she is working on a film she will be producing. Will she be acting in it too? "I don't know anything yet.These things take time," she said. "I should have more clarity next year."(TOI)

year, I joked how I had lost a match." He adds, "I know that people think I look like him. I don't

know, probably when I was younger â&#x20AC;&#x201D; during 'Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya days'." (TOI)

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan spot tigers in Ranthambore

he Nawab of Pataudi reached Sawai Madhopur on Sunday along with his entire family to celebrate his mother Sharmila Tagore's birthday. Saif, along with

Kareena, Soha and Kunal Kemmu, celebrated Sharmila's 70th birthday in their hotel on Tuesday, but before the celebrations, Saif and Kareena went on a safari in Ranthambore.

On Sunday afternoon, the couple spent a few hours in the tiger reserve, and was lucky enough to sight tigress T19 enjoying her kill with her three cubs in Zone 3. Kareena was excitedly asking many questions about the eight-year-old tigress, known as the shy ruler of the sanctuary. While exploring the reserve, the couple also spotted the ferocious tiger T28 at Karonji Nala on their way back. Saif's younger sister Soha also visited the sanctuary with fiance Kunal on Tuesday morning. (TOI)

Karan Singh Grover saves Bipasha Basuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life

e all know how the otherwise strong and beautiful Bipasha Basu is scared of water as she does not know how to swim. While shooting for her upcoming horror love story 'Alone', there was a scene that required her to jet-ski on the backwaters of Kerala, sitting behind her co-star Karan Singh Grover. Bipasha was really scared as it is, doing this scene, but she reluctantly agreed given the requirement. At a point while shooting, Karan had to make a sharp turn and as he did that, the jet-ski overturned. Bipasha not

only fell off into the water, but obviously as she did not know how to swim, she started sinking. The crew was far off with the camera, but Karan immediately jumped to her rescue and like a macho man and hero, saved his actress from drowning. A shocked Bipasha was

eteran actor Deven Verma's chautha was held at the late actor's residence in Kalyaninagar on Friday. Apart from family members, actors Rani Mukerji and Tanuja were also

brought on another boat and she took a couple of hours to get back to normal. But given the professional she is, she went back to completing the shoot that day. Well done, Karan. We do hope Bipasha will take swimming lessons now. (TOI)

seen attending the ceremony. Rani was accompanied by her mother-in-law Pamela Chopra. Pamela was also spotted interacting with Tanuja. Also present were Shahi Aga, Tejpal Gandhi and Anshul Goel.(TOI)

Sport

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Jamaican Olympian wins 100m breaststroke in record time

INGSTON, JAMAICA: Olympian Alia Atkinson made history for Jamaica on Saturday when she equalled the world record in the 100 metres breaststroke at the 12th FINA World Short Course Championships in Doha, Qatar. Atkinson touched just ahead of defending champion Ruta Meilutyte to claim the gold and equal the record of 1:02.36. Meilutyte was clocked in 1:02.46. The winning time was also a new meet record. "I'm not used to see-

ing my name up there at No. 1. It's a good shock," said a smiling Atkinson after her win. It is Jamaica's first short-course world title - a big improvement on Atkinson's achievement as the only Jamaican swimmer to ever finish with silver medals in the 50m breaststroke in 2012 and 2014 and the 100m breaststroke in 2012. Atkinson's time tied Ruta Meilutyte's world record of 1:02.36 from the Moscow stop of the FINA World Cup. It also broke Meilutyte's meet record of 1:02.43 set Friday dur-

ing qualifying rounds. With Saturday's win Atkinson also became the first black woman to hold a world short-course record since Enith Brigitha of the Netherlands 40 years ago. Brigitha set the 100m freestyle standard three times in her career. In Saturday's event both Atkinson and Meilutyte who are known for their fast reaction times, were off ahead of the field with reaction times of 0.65 and 0.59, respectively. Meilutyte led after the first 50 metres turning in :29.10 ahead of Atkinson's

:29.46. Atkinson then exhibited brilliant form in overhauling Meilutyte in the second half of the race and in the process became the first female Caribbean swimmer to win a World Championship gold medal. Overall Atkinson has been having an outstanding championships. Her silver in the 50m breaststroke on day two was achieved in a personal best time of 28.91. She also earned a fourth-place finish on day three in the 100m individual medley in 58.58. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Alia Atkinson of Jamaica poses with her gold medal after winning the women's 100m breaststroke during the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships in Doha on Saturday-AP

Lewis wants TT in two Olympic team sports

O R T - O F S P A I N , TRINIDAD: Brian Lewis, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC), is keen on seeing Trinidad and Tobago being represented at the 2016 Olympic Games in two team events. In a release to the media, Lewis stated: “The goal of two or more team sports qualifying for Rio 2016 and Tokyo

2020 Olympic Games requires two fundamental elements.” He explained that “national sport organisations must share the TTOC’s vision of Olympic qualification — qualifying for the Olympics must be as important to the national sport organisation as it is for the TTOC” and “national sport organisations must have a High Performance plan that is

based on best practices.” In reviewing the performances of the national team sports at the recent Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games held in Vera Cruz, Mexico last month, Lewis pointed out that only two team sports out of nine returned with medals. The Men’s Hockey team returned home with a silver medal while the men’s rugby 7s team

Brian Lewis, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC)

earned a bronze medal. Rio Olympic Games qualification in most team sports would be de-

termined in 2015. The TTOC had made it clear that team sports who medalled at the CAC Games would be shortlisted for resource assistance in 2015 with the stated objective of qualifying for Rio 2016. The TTOC General Council will meet at 5pm today at Olympic House to discuss mainly the CAC Games Veracruz 2014 report. On the issue of High Performance, Lewis added, “Trinidad and Tobago bringing home ten or more Olympic gold medals is both realistic and achievable. Sustained ef-

fort, scientific approaches, and ongoing development programmes are all necessary ingredients.” He noted that a critical success factor is access to dedicated, predictable and systematic funding but believes the challenge is to dedicate and commit the requisite resources both at the administrative and technical levels. Lewis believes Trinidad and Tobago can develop and sustain a high performance system that could deliver success once the dedicated financial investment is made. (TT Newsday)

Akshaya Persaud recounts beneficial CPL experience

uring last year’s C a r i b b e a n Premier League, a new concept was introduced whereby four promising Under-19 players were afforded the opportunity to train with the six franchises. West Demerara’s all-rounder Akshaya Persaud was one of the four selected by the Guyana Amazon Warriors, and today the talented young man reflects on his experience mingling with some of cricket’s biggest names. On being selected: When I was selected to be part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad, I was overjoyed. I was aware of my selection when I was in school writing my CSEC examination. It was two days before I finished my exams when I was made aware of my selection. At school, all my friends and teachers were very excited and surprised and many of them didn’t expect me to be selected for the team at an early age (16 years). My friends were more ex-

Akshaya Persaud with off-spinner Sunil Narine. “A picture I will always cherish”, he says

cited than I was when they heard the news. They gave me best wishes and my teachers gave me lots of advice. My parents were very happy when they heard and I knew that I made them very proud. Also, my relatives and my friends were very happy. The experience: My journey with the Guyana Amazon Warriors started on June 30 and ended on

the July 20. All the players had to join the team on June 30 for the start of the camp on July 1. The training started off tough for the first few days and as the camp was coming to a close the training became less tough. During the tough training, each and every Warrior of the team was motivating each other so that the team is at one continued on page 51

SPort

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Three Guyanese named in WICB provisional World Cup squad

hree Guyanese cricketers have been included in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) 2015 ICC World Cup squad when the board released the provisional squad on Monday for the tournament set for February and March, 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. Leon Johnson, Versammy Permaul and Narsingh Deonarine are the three Guyanese to be named to the squad. Further, the squad includes several players who are yet to play at the One-Day International level. These are left arm seamer Kenroy Peters; Imran Khan, the experienced leg-spinning allrounder; off-spinner Ashley

Leon Johnson

Narsingh Deonarine

Versammy Permaul

Nurse; 19-year-old fast bowler Marquino Mindley; Evin Lewis, the 22-year-old lefthanded opener; and Jonathan Carter, the left-hander from

Barbados. West Indies will play in Pool B in the preliminary round of the 11th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup.

They will do battle alongside defending champions India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.

Before the tournament West Indies will have warmup matches against England and Scotland. FULL SQUAD: Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Miguel Cummins, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Imran Khan, Leon Johnson, Evin Lewis, Nikita Miller, Marquino Mindley, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kenroy Peters, Versammy Permaul, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Devon Smith and Jerome Taylor.

Arnett to contest first Women's Premier League final in Jamaica ...to meet powerhouse defending champions Barbican

Chevin Blair (right) of GC Foster College challenges Arnett Garden's Shantel Bailey for possession during their JFF/Sherwin Williams Women's Premier League secondleg semi-final at Drewsland Mini-stadium on Saturday. Arnett won 4-3 on penalties.

INGSTON, JAMAICA: Arnett Gardens Football Club will contest their first Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Sherwin Williams Women's Premier League final against defending champions Barbican Football Club after both recorded contrasting victories in their respective returnleg semi-final encounters at Drewsland Ministadium on Saturday.

Arnett Gardens outscored GC Foster College 4-3 on suddendeath penalties after their mouth-watering contest ended 2-1 in favour of Arnett Gardens and 2-2 on aggregate. GC Foster College won the first leg 1-0. Meanwhile, Barbican FC followed up on their 2-0 first leg win to once again prove too formidable for Los Perfectos FC, whom they blanked 3-0 for a 5-0 aggregate

scoreline. The Arnett Gardens -GC Foster College encounter was expected to be a thriller, and it did not disappoint the moderate crowd that turned up at the stadium. Both teams were slow into their stride and took a while to settle in possession. However, Arnett gradually gained the ascendancy and pulled together a string of enterprising build-ups which

they failed to capitalise on. But the 'Junglists' eventually broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when KeanaShae Thomas slipped the ball through the legs of a defender before firing home a beautiful right-footed shot. Thomas's goal turned out to be the decisive goal of the encounter, after GC Foster College's Rashana Palache failed to put away a penalty kick in the second stanza. The St Catherinebased outfit were reduced to 10-players in the 75th minute after Chevin Blair was shown a second yellow card by referee Graffique King. With GC Foster College having held a 1-0 lead from the first leg, it meant that the teams would have to play an additional 30-minute of extra-time to decide a winner. GC Foster College increased the tempo of the game and stuck their nose back in

front at the end of first half of extra-time. Substitute Roberta Jackson dismissed three defenders before picking out Palache who calmly slotted home in the 104th minute to redeem herself. GC Foster College may have thought they secured a spot in the final for a second time. But it was not to be as Arnett Gardens were back on level terms in the 124th minute, thanks to leading goalscorer Shantel Bailey who finally came to the fore. Bailey outsprinted two defenders and tucked home a well-driven left-footed shot to the far corner to send the game into the dreaded penalty kicks. However, the star of the show was Arnett Garden's goalkeeper Kadian Edwards who blocked three shots compared to her opposite number Olivia Reid who

Akshaya Persaud recounts beneficial... level. The most amazing thing was that the senior players were always encouraging the other players so that the team was at the same point at the end of every training session. The activity which I enjoyed and loved the most during the training camp was the ice bath after every training session. We had to sit in the bath tub, which was filled with ice and water for seven minutes. The first day I went in the tub I felt like jumping out, because it was really cold, but the teammates were encouraging me a lot and they said not to worry about the pain, because

the time will be over soon. After the first day experience with the ice bath, it was very easy for me for the rest of the camp. I really enjoyed those seven challenging minutes in the bath tub. Another thing I will cherish is bowling and batting against both the local and overseas players. Firstly, bowling against Martin Guptill, Mohammed Hafeez, Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin was like a dreaming come through for me. All of them are sensational batsmen. Also, not forgetting the local batsmen like Christopher Barnwell, Leon Johnson,

Steven Jacobs and Trevon Griffith. Secondly, batting against the bowlers, both local and overseas, was awesome. The bowlers didn’t give me a chance to settle down and I enjoyed the challenge. Thirdly, I will cherish the advice and encouragement that I received from Veerasammy Permaul. He encouraged me a lot during my time with the team and he gave me some vital bowling tips, since both of us are leftarm spinners. The Warriors management: Being part of the Warriors squad was a dream come through for me at a very early age.

The Coach Roger Harper helped me a lot during that period of time. He gave me a lot of vital tips in my batting and bowling, and also fielding. The Manager Omar Khan is the best team manager I have ever come across. He also did his job and ensured that the players were also comfortable and had no problems to deal with. Not forgetting the captain, Denesh Ramdin, he is a very good captain. Also, he’s the best captain I had ever played under and he’s always thinking of another idea in the case of one not being executed properly. He always keeps

stopped two. Khadene Salmon, Melissa Bryan and Keneshia Ferron all converted from the spot for GC Foster College, while captain Amanda Maxwell, Monique Pryce and Reid saw their shots being saved. Meanwhile, Tamara O'Sullivan, Sasha Gaye Brown, Sobiham, James and Sasha Ranger converted for Arnett Gardens. Edwards and Neesh Gaye Leslie were the hapless kickers. The second encounter between Barbican FC and Los Perfectos FC turned out to be a onesided affair. The league's leading scorer Tashana Vincent increased her tally to 18, when she opened the scoring for in the 39th minute. Kenesha Reid extended the lead in the 43rd minute, before Tramaine Brown put the game to bed for the defending champions in the 51st minute. (Jamaica Observer)

from page 50

calm in any situation, which I admire the most. Not forgetting the legend, Sir Curtly Ambrose. He shared a lot of his memorable games with us. The rest of the management was very helpful and kind towards me. Special thanks: I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who helped me throughout my cricketing career. I would like to thank my parents, who played a very important role in my career, my friends, my school Saraswati Vidya Niketan, Cornelia Ida Cricket Club, West Demerara Cricket Association,

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, my relatives and other family members and also the Management of the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad and Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, the franchise owner of the Guyana Amazon Warriors and not forgetting my coach, Rabindranauth Seeram, who has been at my side from a very early age and who has guided me in every step of my cricketing career. My next goal is to be part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team as a member, playing in the Caribbean Premier League.

Sport

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

McKinnon win year-end Pompey has Hing, Practical Pistol shoot positive start to coaching career N The shooters take time out for a photo op during Sunday’s event

a t i o n al Smallbore C a p t a i n Dale Hing and leading handgun shooter Ryan McKinnon won the Production and Stand divisions respectively when the Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) Smallbore section ran off its Year-end Practical Pistol shooting championships last Sunday at the Timehri ranges. The programme con-

sisted of three stages, which were categorised into Standard and Production division. Shooters with stock firearms with no modifications shot under the Production Division, while shooters with modified firearms were placed in the Standard Division, according to the I.P.S.C. rules. Stage one of the Production Division saw Hing coming out ahead of Randy Sarjoo, who

finished second while Ray Beharry placed third. McKinnon was also victorious in the Standard Division at the first stage, beating into second position Gordon Richards, while Murtland Smith finished third. At Stage Two Production Division, Beharry turned the tables on Hing, while Sarjoo placed third. Mc Kinnon was beaten into second position

by Stage Two Standard division winner Joshua Ramlakhan, while David Dharry came in third. Stage Three proved to be critical for the shooters, but in the end Hing and Mc Kinnon won their respective categories. Beharry finished second in the Production Division, while Rajiv Latchana was third. In the Standard Division, Dharry was second and Dr. Johan DaSilva third.

Joseph tops Mekdeci to win squash final in Guyana Farfan & Mendes junior Christmas squash tournament… Aliann Pompey By Treiston Joseph

uyana’s 400 metres track great, Aliann Pompey started her coaching career with immediate success when her Red Storm team won eight events at their season opener at the Bill Ward Invitational. Pompey, responsible for most of the wins was still taking the new job in stride as she described her first outing as coach. “It feels great but at the same time it’s a bit unnerving… on one hand the bar has been set high, so now they’re hungry and anxious for all the possibilities but it’s a long year and so much can change in that time,” Pompey who knows about the highs and lows of athletics told Guyana Times International Sport in a exclusive interview on Wednesday. Pompey who is no stranger to the continuous process of development during her time as an athlete admitted that she still is in the learning curve of her new career. “There is still a lot I have to learn, we have 35 girls on the team and their preparation needs are different, I think the first meet gave us a really great momentum and it’s right before we break

for the holidays and they’ll have a month before we resume regular training. However, the Commonwealth gold medalist revealed how her own experiences have helped her with the team while relating the opening talent she has discovered in the team. “I won’t even lie, the transition wasn’t perfect, I graduated from college over a decade ago but there are elements to my experience that can be of value to them… I know what part of the season they would struggle with, what part of the year adrenalines are high and you can push them to the limit with little or no resistance and I know what they want to hear before they run. “We have several girls who ran their personal bests at their first meet… I have never done that in my career and that’s a huge confidence booster for them,” Pompey pointed out. Meanwhile as Pompey watched from the sidelines as her team performed, the 400 metres specialist reminisced on the satisfaction she felt for her athletes. “As cliché as it sounds, it was watching their faces as they truly came to grasp with their potential.

All the winners pose with their trophies after the tournamnet’s conclusion

ational champion Nyron Joseph was in top form, displaying his skill by defeating Ben Mekdeci in the final of the Digicel sponsored Farfan and Mendes junior Christmas tournament at the Georgetown Club squash courts. Joseph came from one set down tow in the Category A match-up 3-1 on an exciting final to defeat Mekdeci. Mekdeci looked in top form by easily claiming the first set of the match by an 11-5 margin. Mekdeci would come out in the second looking in rhythm once again flying out to a 10-8 lead before Joseph put on a show by winning the next four points to win the set 12-10. Joseph then went onto win the next two sets at 11-9 and 11-3 respectively to seal the win. Makeda Harding and Maya Collins also put on a dazzling performance as Harding won the Category C match 3-2. Collins took the first set 1311 as harding answered with two straight set victories at 11-8 and 114 before Collins answered with a fourth set win at 11-9 to set up the fifth and final set that Harding won 11-9. The days’ results are as follows:-

Category H: Mohyryan Baksh beat Paige Fernandes 11- 8, 9 – 11, 11 – 7, Beau Fernandes defeated Isabella Ramjohn 18 – 16, 23 – 21, Teija Edwards beat Geovanna Dos Santos 11 – 9, 12 – 10. Category G: Samuel InceCarrahal beat Jason Gomes 11 – 9,11 – 3, Liam Carpenter beat Chad De Abreu 11 – 7,6 – 11,11 – 5. Category F: Gareth Da Silva beat Halley Carpenter 11 – 7, 11 –7, Nathan Rahaman beat Gareth Da Silva 8 – 11,11 – 3,11 – 7, Nathan Rahaman beat Aliyah Persaud 11 – 5, 11 – 8. Category E: Zachary Persaud beat Madison Fernandes 11 – 8, 11 – 3, Kirsten Gomes beat Nechemiyah Levans 11 – 7, 6 – 11, 13 – 11, Zachary Persaud beat Nechemiyah Levans 10 – 12,11 – 8,11 – 3, Nechemiyah Levans beat Madison Fernandes 11 – 4, 11 – 8. Category D: Demetrius De Abreulost lost to John Phang 7 – 11, 8 – 11, 1 – 11, Gianni Carpenter beat Demetrius De Abreu 11 – 2, 3 – 11, 11 – 4, 11 – 9, John Phang beat Dominic Collins 11 – 7,11 – 8,13 – 11. Category C: Rebecca Low beat Jael Gaskin 11 – 6, 11 – 6, 6 – 11, 8 – 11, 11 – 1, Maya Collins beat Jael Gaskin 10 – 12, 11 – 9, 11 – 3, 3 – 11, 11 – 5, Makeda Harding

beat Maya Collins 11 – 13, 11 – 8, 11 – 4, 9 – 11,11 – 9. Category B: Larissa Wiltshire beat Taylor Fernandes 11 – 7, 11 – 6, 11 – 6, Taylor Fernandes beat Daniel Islam 11 – 7, 11 – 6, 7 – 11, 11 – 2, Shomari Wiltshire beat Alex Cheeks 6 – 11, 11 – 8, 11 – 4, 8 – 11, 11 – 2, Daniel Islam beat Matthew Phang 11 – 8,11 – 5,6 – 11, 9 – 11, 11 – 6. Category A: Nyron Joseph defeated Ben Mekdeci 5 – 11, 12 – 10, 11 – 9, 11 – 3, Akeila Wiltshire defeated Alec Melville 11 – 5, 13 – 11, 11 – 3. Final placing in the respective categories were as follows Category H: Mohyryan Baksh – Winner, Category G: Samuel Ince-Caralhal – Winner, Category F: James Mekdeci – Winner, Category E: Zachary Persaud – Winner, Category D: Gianni Carpenter – Winner, Category C: Anthony Islam – Winner, Category B: Larissa Wiltshire – Winner, Category A: Nyron Joseph – Winner. Most Improved boy- Anthony Islam Most improved girl – Kirsten Gomes Most Outstanding boy – Nyron Joseph Most outstanding girl – Larissa Wiltshire

53 CPL to review rules for 2015 A Sport

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

TT’ s Joseph takes RSML women’s crown

ORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD: Teenager Brittany Joseph was back to her best as she played unbeaten in a five-player round-robin series to take home the Reliable Maintenance Services Limited Super Singles Table-Tennis women’s title at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena on the weekend. Joseph of Arima Hawks had wins over clubmate Linda Partap-Boodhan 7-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 13-11; veteran duo Merle Bagoo 11-4, 3-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 and Verna Edwards 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 11-5, as well as recently crowned 11-time national champion Aleena Edwards 11-7, 11-9, 11-7. Partap-Boodhan made it a one-two Hawks finish as she won her other matches, over Verna Edwards 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 13-11, Bagoo 11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7 and Aleena Edwards, Verna’s daughter, 11-7, 9-11, 14-12, 13-11. The younger Edwards defeated her mother Verna Edwards 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 and Bagoo 4-11, 11-5, 117, 12-10 for a 2-2 record and third spot, while Verna came out on top in the clash of veterans with Bagoo, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7. In the men’s competition, newly crowned national champion Yuvraaj Dookram and defending champion Trevor Farley of Barbado heads the field of qualifiers for Wednesday’s “Big-Six” round-robin series. Farley brushed aside locals Che Pierre Fournillier and Aaron Edwards in his first two knockout matches before holding off a determined Declan John 1412, 13-11, 11-7 while Dookram dumped Daniel Henriques and Joshua Maxwell and then cooled off Aleric Humphreys 11-4, 12-10, 11-4. The four other players who will be in contention for the title on Wednesday are top ranked local Curtis Humphreys, five-time national champion and local table-tennis association president Reeza Burke, teenager Aaron Wilson, two-time Caribbean champion and veteran Lionel Darceuil. In the last-12, Humphreys defeated Sarvesh Mungal 12-10, 11-8, 13-11; Burke beat Everton Sorzano 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5; Wilson overcame Anson Wellington 11-9, 11-3, 11-2 and Darceuil humbled third ranked local, teenager Arun Roopnarine 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 1 (TT Guardian)

rising out of the contentious 2014 Final between Guyana Amazon Warriors and Barbados Tridents which was played on August 16th at Warner Park, St Kitts, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has agreed to review the rules and playing conditions for the 2015 tournament. The Guyana Amazon Warriors Franchise and CPL are pleased to announce that the issue has now been resolved and brought to a closure. Fans would recall that the final came to an abrupt end when rain interrupted the Guyana Amazon Warriors innings at 107 for 4 after 15.5 overs while they were in pursuit of 153 to win the game. After the rain had stopped and mop-up operations completed, the stumps went back up. However, after a delay, the match officials inexplicably decided that the allotted time – including extra time - for the game had elapsed and the Barbados Tridents were declared winners on the Duckworth/Lewis method. The Guyana Amazon Warriors Franchise

CEO of CPL Damien O’ Donohoe

Management wrote to CPL after the game, expressing its concerns on the unorthodox manner in which the game was ended. The Guyana Amazon Warriors, in an attempt to ensure that the playing conditions and tournament rules were adhered to rigorously and to avoid such a reoccurrence in the future particularly in a final, sought legal advice on this matter. After various consultations, both parties have agreed that, in the interest of this great game of cricket and in order to maintain the excellent reputation of the CPL, the matter is now closed and all parties concerned can now move

forward to the planning and implementing of a bigger, better and more exciting 2015 CPL. Towards that end, CPL officials, Franchise Owners/Partners and the Tournament Committee are currently reviewing the rules for the semi-finals and final with a view to using international umpires and match referees and extending the match playing time to midnight, if necessary. Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, Franchise Owner of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, commented after the matter was brought to a closure: “The game of Cricket should always be the winner

and the Guyana Amazon Warriors Franchise, remains steadfast in our commitment to make every contribution we can to bring enjoyment to the thousands of fans who support not only us but West Indies Cricket on the whole. We are of the firm view that the CPL can rejuvenate the passion and pride of all cricket lovers throughout the Caribbean and also all our supporters who reside abroad.” Damien O’ Donohoe, CEO of the CPL, said; “We are pleased that the two parties have reached an amicable conclusion and that the matter is closed. CPL 2014 set new standards on and off the field and sealed our reputation as the “biggest party in sport”. We are now in high gear planning for CPL 2015 which is set to electrify the region once again. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the fans and look forward to seeing them come out in their droves for another summer of fantastic carnival cricket. We would also like to thank the Guyana Franchise and the team for their continued support in building CPL.” (CPL Release)

WEEK ENDING December 14, 2014 | guyanatimeSinternational.com