Weekend mirror february 11 12

11-12 February, 2017 / Vol. 9 No. 57 / Price: $100

Internet: http: //www.mirrornewsgy.com / e-mail: weekendmirror@gmail.com

Foreign exchange shortage:

APNU/AFC sapping confidence in economy – PPP

G

overnment’s poor handling of the economy has resulted in the country experiencing a shortage of foreign currency and the Central Bank and the Ministry of finance are frantically searching for measures to avoid a national crisis.

The political opposition, however, has warned that announced plans to “tighten foreign currency trade” will have “devastating consequences.”

The PPP, in a statement, said government’s move “will lead to more capital flights, greater hoarding of foreign currency and even less foreign and local investments.”

The Party said the current foreign exchange problems stem from bad policies of the government which are “sapping confidence in the economy.”

The full text of the statement reads: After denying for weeks that there is a shortage of foreign currency in the economy, Minister Joseph Harmon at last Thursday post-Cabinet briefing, finally admitted to a paucity of foreign exchange in the country. As a result, the government has announced plans “to tighten foreign currency trade.” The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) warns that any attempt to control the flow of foreign currency in the economy will have devastating consequences. Any such measure will be counter-productive and will lead to more capital flight, greater hoarding of foreign exchange and even less foreign and local investments. PNC governments in the past have travelled this path before with destructive consequences on trade and commerce in the country. On the other hand, we have witnessed

how the economy grew and how the Private Sector rapidly expanded in an environment of economic liberalization and free trade.

In the circumstances, we call upon the Government to stave off its plans to impose restrictions and undue regulations on the movement and circulation of foreign exchange in the economy. Rather than blame the Private Sector and foreign companies for the shortage of foreign currency in the country, the Government should first accept its mismanagement of the economy and recognize that the shortage of foreign currency is due not only to its incompetence but also to its regime of policies and measures which are undermining the private sector, destroying commerce and trade and sapping confidence from the economy; replacing it with fear, intimidation and uncertainty.

SEE INSIDE

Travelling the Road to Economic Ruin PAGE 3

Skeldon Sugar Factory – A Story Of Deceit, Deception, Corruption and Nepotism PAGE 3

Carl Parker charged with sexual assault PAGE 7

The mistakes of the past

PAGE 13

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Wales workers demand Further delays in naming GECOM Chairman severance pay T

T

he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) was puzzled by media reports quoting the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) to say in a recent press release that some 650 workers from the recently closed Wales Estate would be taking up employment at Uitvlugt Estate. The Corporation’s statement, as reported, appears to be definitive but is certainly not reflective of the discussions and conclusions reached at the GAWU-GuySuCo engagement on February 01, 2017.

At that meeting which took place at the LBI Training Building, the Corporation informed the Union’s delegation, comprising of Union officials and shop stewards, that it was seeking to have some 420 workers – cane cut-

ters and the workers engaged in transporting the canes from the fields to the factory – taking up work at Uitvlugt Estate to augment that Estate’s labour pool. The shop stewards advised the Corporation’s representatives at the meeting that they and their fellow workers were seeking to have, in keeping with the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, their redundancy pay arising from the discontinuation of cane growing and sugar processing at Wales Estate.

GAWU emphasized and entreated the Corporation to discharge its legal obligation to the workers and provide their redundancy payments and, thereafter, may encourage them to take up work at Uitvlugt and to which the Union is supportive. The parties concluded the meeting

by agreeing to jointly engage every one of the approximate 420 workers on the Corporation’s proposal. Such exercise would be conducted on February 08 and 09, 2017.

Notwithstanding the non-completion of the interviews with the workers, the Management of Wales Estate reportedly instructed the cane cutters to report for work at Uitvlugt Estate from this morning (February 06, 2017). The workers became angered and thus they staged a protest outside the Wales Administrative Office. They believe that GuySuCo is maneuvering to deny them their redundancy payment for the years of service they rendered to Wales Estate.

GAWU intends to seek clarification from GuySuCo regarding the Wales management’s advice to the workers as it is not an accurate representation of the meeting between the Union and the Corporation. (GAWU Statement)

No transparency in recruitment by REO

T

he Regional Democratic Council of Region Two totally rejects the efforts of the Regional Executive Officer, Mr Rupert Hopkinson, to employ retirees to fill fabricated positions within the Regional Administration.

In a memorandum dated 2017 /01/17 sent by the REO to the Ministry of Presidency, Hopkinson sought approval to employ senior citizens who are known supporters of the PNC to fill six (6) positions.

The various positions and age are referred to below: 1. Administrative Officer, 58 years.

2. Mechanical Superintendent, 63 years.

3. Superintendent of Works, 61 years.

4. Clerk of Works, 60 years.

5. Checker, 58 years.

6. Administrative Assistant, another senior citizen (age not stated).

The REO also requested ten thousand dollars ($10,000.) non-taxable duty allowance for each of the persons recommended for employment on Contract / Gratuity Terms.

The qualification, experience and ability of these senior citizens to function efficiently and effectively are highly questionable and will compromise the quality of human resource in the Public Service.

The Regional Democratic

Council observed with keen interest the President’s recent comments on the age of persons serving the public, in this case it is the exact opposite, most of the positions require rigorous field visits which will be a challenge for these elders.

The Regional Chairman wrote Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, criticising the approach to such employment practice which is strongly opposed by the Regional Democratic Council.

The Regional Democratic Council noted a lack transparency in the recruitment process. In fact it is a breach of employment practice within the Public Service.

The basics were not followed; no vacancy notice, no application, no short listing of suitable applicants and no interview was done.

The Regional Democratic Council noted with concern that one of the persons recommended for employment as Checker was recently charged by the Court for slapping APNU / AFC Councillor Mr. Naitram.

At a Statutory Meetings of the Regional Democratic Council, Councillors unanimously condemned this action against the Coalition Councillor.

Region Two has a high level of unemployment, many qualified young people,

graduates from the University of Guyana are seeking employment. This breach of employment practice points to the Government lack of interest in creating opportunities for young Guyanese.

Only in July of 2016; a qualified young Guyanese was appointed by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to be appointed Deputy Regional Executive Officer ( DREO), Region Two. REO Hopkinson was part of that interview panel that recommended the young man for the post of Deputy Regional Executive Officer. When the DREO reported for duties after being instructed by the PSC he was never given access to his office by Hopkinson.

Presently the Region Two Coop Department is not in operation because a qualified Coop Officer, a graduate from the University of Guyana cannot be provided with Office Space by the REO. The Regional Democratic Council calls on the Minister of Communities and Ministry of Presidency not to proceed with the employment of the six retirees and to pursue the appointment of the DREO as recommended by the Public Service Commission in July of 2016.

Devanand Ramdatt Regional Chairman Region Two

he process of selecting a new Chairman of the Elections Commission has been further delayed as the government has not yet clarified its position as regards its interpretation of the constitutional requirements to select the Chairman.

The government and the opposition are at odds over the interpretation since President Granger rejected a list of nominees submitted by the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo.

The deal with the situation the President named his Attorney General, Basil Williams, to talk with PPP MP, Anil Nandlall, the representative of Jagdeo, after the President refused a requested to meet with Jagdeo to thrash out the matter.

Nandlall and Williams met last week after a long delay and according to Nandlall, there was “nothing tangible emerging from the engagement.” Nandlall was accompanied by attorney-at-law, Priya Manickchand.

Williams said he needed time to consider the issues

raised by Nandlall and then he would give a response.

The Attorney General has not named a date for a further meeting. In a statement issued by Nandlall, it is stated: The meeting between Attorney General, Basil Williams and Member of Parliament, Anil Nandlall, took place last Wednesday after a long delay and it is Today, Priya Manikchand, Attorney-at-Law and I met with Attorney General, Mr. Basil Williams, pursuant to a proposal made by President David Granger to Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, to discuss the appointment of a Chairman of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). At the meeting, we proffered our interpretation of Article 161 of the Constitution, in writing, and we supported our position with a number of case law authorities from Guyana, the Caribbean and the Commonwealth.

Attorney General, Mr. Basil Williams, was unprepared to put forward his or the government’s interpre-

tation of Article 161 of the Constitution, despite our several requests for him to do so. Instead, he indicated that he will need time to interpret our contentions and prepare his response. All of the interpretations offered by us today were fully and publicly ventilated in the media.

The meeting ended with the Attorney General being unable to identify another date available in his diary for us to meet again.

I am disappointed by the lack of preparedness of the Attorney General, which resulted in nothing tangible emerging from the engagement. Moreover, the Attorney General could not even identify a date for our re-engagement. Quite frankly, I was hoping that the Attorney General would have been ready with his position on the matter today; that may have resulted in this matter being concluded with dispatch and decisively. In the meanwhile, Guyana’s democracy continues to hang in the balance.

We consider this a matter of great national importance.

Letter: M&CC should make parking meter studies public, give evidence of public tendering T he parking meter project had its genesis in the 1990’s when National Parking Systems ( NPS ) , a company headed by Mr Kamau Cush , presented a proposal for the metering of 2,386 parking spaces to the then City Council. At that time the project did not find favour with the City’s administrators. The project resurfaced in 2015 gaining the support of the Council and when the City’s leadership changed hands in 2016 it was quickly put on the front burner.

The new mayor was elected on April 1st ,2016 and by May 13th a contract between the M&CC and NPS had been signed. In June 2016 , the Mayor Ms Patricia Chase Green , Town Clerk Mr Royston King , Councilor Mr Junior Garrett and Mr Oscar Clark visited Mexico City at the invitation of NPS and Smart City Solutions (SCS) who by this time had been named as a partner in the venture. During this period , City Councilors ,who had not been informed about the purpose of Mayoral team’s visit to Mexico, de-

manded to see a copy of the contract and Mr Sherod Duncan ,the then deputy Mayor, questioned the bona fides of Smart City Solutions saying that he could find no trace of them online. Upon her return to Georgetown , the Mayor, at a press conference informed citizens that she had taken a deliberate decision to withhold the contract from scrutiny in order to “secure the investment.”

In July 2016 the Ministry of Finance issued their review of the contract between the Mayor and City Council (M&CC ) and Smart City Solutions which stated that based on their assessment there were grounds for the contract to be withdrawn. They cited among other things a lack of a socio economic cost benefit analysis and non -adherence to Government procurement requirements as their reasons for coming to this conclusion.

Notwithstanding the objections of the Ministry of Finance the M&CC proceeded with their arrangements to implement the project

and by December 2016 had installed a number of meters in the city.

The M&CC also proceeded to draft new bylaws to accommodate the operation of a metered parking system in Georgetown , putting these before the Council for approval on December 13th ,2016. Paid parking was scheduled to commence on January 23rd , but there was a last minute hitch when it was discovered just prior to this date that the subject Minister had not yet signed off on the bylaws which is a legal requirement before these can take effect.

With the Minister of Communities’ signature hurriedly affixed to the bylaws Smart City Solutions and the M&CC rolled out their project on Tuesday, January 24th ,2017.

That has been two weeks ago and we have witnessed a resolve by the citizens to refrain from utilizing the metered spaces at all cost.

The streets within the area designated as a metered zone have remained notice(Turn to page 4)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Travelling the Road to Economic Ruin

By Donald Ramotar

I

t appears that the Granger regime is determined to show that Burnham’s policies were correct and they could work in our country. From the inception of this government, it picked up from where the PNC left off and has been hastily implementing many measures that are a throwback to the worst days of the PNC regime.

Last week, the government finally admitted that there is a

significant shortage of foreign currency in the market. That, of course, has been known for a while and was repeatedly stated by the commercial banks and business people much earlier.

This was not a surprise.

What was surprising, however, was the announced measures to deal with the situation.

The regime said it would put in place arrangements to regulate and control the foreign currency supply. Later, the Bank of Guyana directed the banks and cambios of the rates they must buy and sell for.

This immediately raised red flags of a time past when this was done and the consequences of such actions, which were very destructive.

There was a time when persons travelling aboard had to seek permission from the Bank of Guyana to take foreign currency out of the country. A person was limited to US$15. That was then stamped at the back of one’s passport.

The control of foreign currency led to the creation of a parallel

economy. America Street became the place where a lot of buying and selling of foreign currency took place. The business was so ‘bright’ there that the street was renamed ‘Wall Street’ by the public.

Of course, we have had many unpleasant incidents there.

Police often raided the place to seize foreign currency. Vendors, and even stores were raided; clothing and other items were seized, because even if persons produced receipts for their purchase, they could not say where they got the foreign currency to make their purchases. They, therefore, suffered many heavy losses.

Most of those items seized were sold at Guyana Stores, which was then government-owned.

The foreign currency seized went to the coffers of the regime.

Many business persons were charged and hauled before the Courts. Many small vendors were jailed for having banned goods, for example, wheat flour, split peas, potatoes, etc. Some were jailed for selling goods above the officially controlled price, sometimes, only

by a small amount.

Even some lawyers who tried to send money out of the country to pay for their children’s education were hauled before the Courts, Deryck Jagan and Clarence Hughes among them.

In these conditions bribery and corruption became rampant.

The Customs and Immigration Departments were noted areas.

However, it was not confined there. It spread all over engulfing the whole country.

Those persons old enough would also recall the long lines for very basic food and household items. One had to have had ‘contacts’ to get toilet paper among other essential items.

Production suffered greatly, too, as replacement parts for machinery and equipment were hard to come by.

In these difficult times, people suffered greatly, not only from the shortages and the high prices, but from the loss of dignity. People were made into criminals if they had bread and roti in their possession.

Extreme malnutrition resulted, as Guyana was visited by illnesses such as ‘beri-beri’. This, of course, came about due to lack of nourishment.

Now, this regime, in its quest to prove Burnham right, is driving us along the same destructive road the PNC took.

Recall President Granger’s recent statement on the programme ‘Public Interest’.

Responding to his government’s poor record on job creation, he urged that people make pepper-sauce and cassava chips and sell!

This is the job creation policy of the regime. The results would not be different. Indeed, it cannot be different.

The private sector has already stated its opposition to this measure of government controlling the flow of foreign currency. Other democratic forces in the society must also make their voices heard.

The PNC-led APNU regime has clearly not learnt anything from their past mistakes.

We must stop this decline now.

Skeldon Sugar Factory – A Story Of Deceit, Deception, Corruption and Nepotism

By Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

S

ugar is under siege.

Since APNU+AFC assumed the control of Government, Sugar has been caught in a web of deceit, deception, corruption and nepotism spun by Granger, Nagamootoo and their colleagues in APNU+AFC. They told the sugar workers and Guyanese during the 2015 General Election campaign that under an APNU+AFC administration the sugar industry will become energized, sugar will retain its role as the KING in our economy and the sugar workers will be given a 20% annual wage increase.

But the deceit and deception have resulted, instead, in the sugar industry contracting, with the closure of Wales Estate and the ending of cane cultivation at Providence at the end of 2016 and the closure of Rose Hall estate in 2017. The promised 20% annual wage increase

was a monster deception with sugar workers impoverished by zero wage increases for 2015 and 2016, told that 2017 promises nothing better and denied their earned Annual Production Incentive for 2016. All of this are in direct contradiction to the $75M COI recommendations.

The recent revelation of a Nagamootoo-driven deal with an investor from India, with his son-in-law as a front man, is a blatant example of nepotism that has become a hallmark of APNU+AFC. Nagamootoo met representatives of the Company from India and linked them with his son-inlaw. He now claims that his son-in-law is merely acting out of the “goodness of his heart” because he wants to help his country. Nepotism is a poison to our democracy and development, but compounding the problem is the insidious stench of corruption.

After deceiving the na-

tion that there is no plan to privatize Skeldon Sugar Factory and after informing Guyana and the world that Skeldon Sugar Factory was a heap of scrap metal, worth nothing, we are now told that a company from India finds Skeldon an attractive investment. Skeldon is now a prime divestment asset, even after Clive Thomas, speaking on behalf of APNU+AFC, pronounced in late 2016 that Skeldon was a heap of worthless scrap metal.

Now an Indian company, brought to us by Nagamootoo and his son-in-law, is positing that Skeldon has enormous potential, just as the PPP has always insisted.

The Company is suggesting, moreover, that Skeldon factory has the potential to take off an additional 14,000 hectares of cane, confirming the PPP’s position and contradicting the claim made by Thomas and APNU+AFC, clearly exposing the deceit of Thomas and APNU+AFC.

Their pronouncement of Skeldon factory being a heap of scrap was a deliberate deception to set the stage for giving away Skeldon dirt cheap. Why would anyone want to cheaply give away national assets? The stench of corruption is so tangible it is stinking up the environment.

The suspicion of corruption is heightened when we consider that APNU+AFC had earlier confessed they had signed an MOU with a Trinidadian car parts dealer to buy out Skeldon. What happened to this arrangement?

More pertinently, how come this “heap of scrap”, unsalvageable according to Thomas and APNU+AFC, is generating such intense interest from international investors? Why is a national asset that APNU+AFC deems unsalvageable and worthless worth so much to international investors?

Inquiring minds and

people of reasoning in and outside of Guyana are suspicious that there is deceit and deception in undervaluing a national asset for the purpose of divesting it not to the highest bidders, but to those who may want to indulge in “hanky panky” deals. Hanky panky deals never benefit the country, but are highly beneficial to those who make those deals.

When an asset is deliberately under-valued and sold to others there is something sinister in such deals. The Skeldon Sugar Factory is caught in a web of deceit, deception and corruption, with a good dose of nepotism.

Nagamootoo was a chief accuser of the PPP gov-

ernment, charging Jagdeo, Ramotar and their Ministers with nepotism. Granger and APNU were frothing from their mouths alleging nepotism by the PPP when the PPP was in control of the government.

But never have there been a two-year period of government in the history of Guyana in which deceit, deception, corruption and nepotism have been as prevalent and pervasive as they are now.

Not only pervasive, but deceit, deception, corruption and nepotism have become the blueprint of APNU+AFC’s governance and their enshrining of dictatorship in Guyana.

PPP HOTLINE

Our valuable supporters and friends please call our hotline number 225-4279 and give us all important information.

Pensioners please inform us about any issues you may have in respect to you getting your well deserved pensions.

Further, let us know about the issues you are having in respect to your ID cards. Do not hesitate to speak to our activists and leaders in your communities. Call 225-4279.

The PPP will always represent you.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Grassroots Talk

By Jagnarine Somwar

H

aving discussed the atrocities of the “Fineman” gang at Lusignan on January 26, 2008, where eleven persons were murdered in their beds, including four children, the Grassrooters reminisced on the onslaught of the same gang at Bartica a few weeks after, on February 17, 2008, in which another twelve persons were brutally murdered, including three policemen.

The gang’s modus operandi at Bartica, in many ways, remind the people of insurgent movies and in some cases real action, as publicized by the media, that keep happening in some East and West African countries. It would be difficult to remember if ever any Police Station was overrun by criminal elements, prior to the Bartica incident or the Bartica Massacre, as it is now called.

On night of Sunday February 17, 2008, Rondell Rawlings and his gang of murderous marauders attacked the mining community of Bartica, killing twelve persons and injuring several others.

The group of about twenty armed gunmen arrived at Bartica by speed boat.

They landed at the Transport and Harbours Wharf around 21.25hrs on that fateful night. Upon arrival, they attacked the Bartica Police Station, where they killed Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constable Shane Fredericks and Constable Ron Osbornes and freed some prisoners.

After which, the gang stole cash, arms, ammunition and a vehicle from the police station and using the stolen police vehicle, they drove through the streets of Bartica shooting at civilians, fatally wounding Irwin Gilkes. T hey then proceeded to CBR Mining, where they killed Irving Ferreira, stole arms and ammunition, and removed two safes containing cash and gold. Next, they shot and killed Dexter Adrian before returning to the wharf.

At the wharf, they executed Abdool Yassin Jr, Deonarine Singh, Errol Thomas, Ronald Gomes, Baldeo Singh and Ashraf Khan. After their almost one-hour rampage, the gunmen left the mining Town by boat.

The brutal slaying of there individuals without cause or reason had been recorded in this Country’s annals of history, like the Lusignan Massacre, as the most dastard act of cold blooded murders.

The Bartica Massacre had been linked with the Lusignan Massacre, while some initially questioned the link; the Police have attributed all of the murders to Rondell Rawlins and his criminal gang. In the immediate aftermath, the then Opposition (PNC/R) and some of their supporters decried the apparent inability of the government and the security forces to deal with the extended crime wave.

The same PNC/R membership that earlier labeled those criminal elements as Freedom Fighters and supported the actions of those marauders, begun to question the inability of the ruling PPP, to fight crime.

Talking about double standards!!

During June 2008, the Joint Services attacked a number of gang members at a camp near Christmas Falls, killing one and recovering weapons and ammunition.

On July 17, 2008, two other members of the Rawlins’ gang were killed by the police near Aroiama after hijacking a bus travelling from Aroaima to Linden. Police then recovered weapons, ammunition, literature and the personal property of slain Former Agriculture Minister Satydeow Sawh, they also

arrested a teenaged member of the gang.

In August, 2008, Rondell Rawlins and another gang member, Jermaine Charles, were shot and killed by the Joint Services. Rawlins and Charles were killed after a seven-hour standoff, which left one other person dead.

During March 2011, five men were committed to stand trial for the murders at Bartica. One of the accused, Clebert Reece, has implicated three of his fellow defendants, along with Rawlins and other dead gang members.

A few months ago, Clebert Reece, one of the men who pleaded guilty to killing the 12 persons at Bartica was sentenced to 420 years – 35 years on each count of manslaughter. Reece and his co accused, Michael Caesar was originally charged with 12 counts of murder.

He pleaded guilty to the lesser offence when he appeared before Justice Roxanne George, in November. He had offered to plead guilty to manslaughter.

Earlier he was sentence to 65 years for each of the 12 counts of murders but the Judge deducted 10 years for the guilty plea; 12 years for the mitigating factors and eight years for the time Re-

ece spent in prison pending the High Court trial. However, she ordered that the sentence run concurrently hence Reece will only serve 35 years in the prison.

Earlier this month, Mark Royden Williams called ‘Durant’ and ‘Smallie’, one of the accused in the Bartica Massacre, was sentenced to death by hanging before Justice Roxanne George after a 12-member jury returned seven guilty verdicts for murder, and five guilty verdicts for manslaughter.

Dennis Williams, called ‘Anaconda’, was also sentenced to death by hanging after seven guilty verdicts for murder were returned by the jury.

Roger Anthony Simon called ‘Goat Man’, was acquitted of the 12 counts of murder, and 7 counts of manslaughter. However, he was not freed since there is a second indictment against him.

Simon’s other charges include three counts of breaking and enter/larceny, one charge of unlawful wounding, and one for terrorism.

Of almost twenty persons who attacked the Bartica Township and brutally murdered those twelve persons, only five stood trial for their involvement and five were killed by the Joint Services,

Letter: M&CC should make parking meter studies... ably free of parked vehicles since the meter programme has come into effect. MAPM believes that this boycott of the metered spaces by the citizens is their spontaneous reaction to a number of issues in connection with the

implementation of the parking meter system that appear to be wrong.

MAPM believes that there was no feasibility study done on the project prior to its implementation. MAPM believes that there was no

Interested in Buying, Selling or Renting properties?

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Petes Real Estate Lot 2 George Street, Werk-En-Rust Tel: 227-2487, 226-5546, 623-7805

socio economic impact study done on the project prior to its implementation.

MAPM believes that the procurement regulations of both the M&CC and the GoG have been breached . MAPM believes that the requisite due diligence by the M&CC on Smart City Solutions has not been done.

Intuitively MAPM , along with the rest of the citizenry , senses that something is amiss when the Mayor refuses to make the contract with SCS public. Above and beyond all of this MAPM believes that the parking meter fees set by Smart City Solutions and the M&CC are exorbitant when viewed in light of the fact that a significant number of persons live and work in the metered zone and therefore need to park there for eight hours or more , every day of the week .

We feel that this situation will be further exacerbated when the programme is expanded into its second phase.

We have already seen the teachers come out successfully against parking meters outside schools , and by giving in to their demand for an exemption from payment while on the job , M&CC and Smart City Solutions have conceded that all day parking fees are beyond the means of the average public servant. We go further than this by saying that for a person with an average take home salary of around $112 ,000 , the parking fee , based on a 9 hour day and a 5 day week represents around 37% of their monthly take home pay .

Compare that to midtown Manhattan which is probably the most expensive parking zone in the USA

including Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins, the mastermind, but certainly not the intellectual author of the crimes.

What has happened to the others?

Are they still out there committing heinous crimes?

What about the millions of dollars worth in gold bars and cash that were looted during the attack?

Why has the trace of the cash gone cold?

Was the monies placed in special funds for the family of the murderers or was the monies been used to finance more ‘Freedom Fighters”?

Was the stolen funds used for lobbying and campaign efforts in 2011?

The list goes on and numerous questions will remain unanswered.

Has justice been served?

The lives of those that were snubbed out would always be remembered by their loved ones. Justice could never be served because those gone could never be replaced.

If justice is to be completely served then the families of those innocent persons that were slaughtered at Lusignan and Bartica should be heftily compensated just as the many families and friends of the Freedom Fighters are enjoying the loot.

(From page 2)

where the monthly parking fee is around 13% of the average monthly salary.

Elsewhere in the USA we see figures closer to 5 and 6 %. SCS cannot exempt one professional group from payment on economic grounds and ignore other groups of a similar financial status. We believe that because there was no feasibility study done a whole range of issues have not been addressed.

For example no provision has been made for parking for the disabled . Are these persons expected to trek the relatively long distances to a meter, where, if in a wheelchair, they are barely able to operate the device?

Since the commencement of the programme we have seen numerous operational issues that attest to the inexperience and general disorganization of those implementing the

parking meter system. We have noted that the few persons who do wish to comply , despite the public being assured that an adequate PR campaign was carried out by SCS, are at a loss when trying to pay for parking.

We have noted that persons have been booted even though valid tickets have been displayed.

We have noted that even though VAT has been reduced to 14% SCS still applies this at the old rate of 16%.

We have noted the discourteous, often belligerent manner in which the SCS operatives go about enforcing their system.

We strongly object to the fact that SCS continues to penalize citizens even though the bylaws that enable them to do so legally have not (Turn to page 5)

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

By Dr. Bheri Sygmond Ramsaran

Getting It Right

CHALLENGES IN 2017 – More peaceful protests - are parking meters here to stay?

G

uyana entered 2017 embroiled in protests and scandals.

This trend seemed to be here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Our tryst with mass protest from the very break of the New Year took a new turn with the parking meter fiasco.

Hundreds last week gathered peacefully outside City Hall to publicly voice disapproval and resistance to the imposition of the meters and especially the added financial burden it will bring to the widest cross-section of Guyanese. City dwellers are particularly incensed.

They are angry at the high handed manner in which this new burdensome arrangement was done.

Firstly, by the lack of consultation and secondly they are angry, especially the city dwellers, because they voted for the APNU+AFC Government.

Thirdly, by the aloof, hands off approach of the Administration, which saw President Granger and his senior ministers intoning that that was a decision for the City Council and that Central Government had no say.

But it was Mr. Bulkan, Minister of Communities, who signed the official document to legalize the project. But, finally - and most distressing - is the callous response from Mr. Royston King, Town Clerk: “PARKING METERS ARE HERE TO STAY!” This has been the last straw.

City dwellers, and increasingly residents of wider areas and even in the Diaspora, have had enough. The massive peaceful protest last Friday was followed up with an even larger and more representative demonstration this Thursday, less than a week after the first one.

And just as organized and as peaceful!!

The impasse has deteriorated to such an extent that President Granger has had to abandon his aloof posture and make mutterings and take steps to reduce the original rate/fee as demanded by City Hall to be paid at the Parking Meters.

But this may be case of “too little too late”.

This latest intervention on Granger’s part demonstrates that we have entered a period of continuous struggles, protests

to achieve hard won gains. That the regime’ will respond to popular needs and concerns only if forced to do so. As I noted in the previous installments of Getting It Right during the first month of 2017 organized push back of the citizenry is taking hold, becoming bolder and more organized.

Recall the sustained peaceful mass protests of the residents of the Coomacka/Linden/Kwakwani communities against the

deplorable condition of their road.

That protest, the first significant one for 2017, if we disregard the smaller and earlier “Vigil To Save Red House,” was ignored by the APNU Government for its first seven days. Only on the seventh day of peaceful protest did a senior representative of the APNU Government visit in the person of Minister Annette Ferguson. Promises of remedial road works were wrung from the Minister.

These remedial works have been started and are well advanced.

The lesson is not lost on the disgruntled residents of the area: betterment, redress and solutions came only after a fight, a struggle for common concerns. This particular case highlighted the reality that, contrary to the Administration’s claims and protestations, funds do exist for infrastructure

5 and services to the common Guyanese citizens. This quick response to protest action demonstrates that.

But moreso, it explains the hardening of opposition to the regime even amongst its support base since funds were lavishly made available for drastic increases in salaries and benefits for APNU+AFC Cabinet Ministers and Advisors but not readily available for such key and critical community road works.

And those drastic salary increases came even as the Government sought to mislead Guyanese into believing that the PPP/C Ministers enjoyed “fat cat” salaries.

Well, if that was indeed so, why the need for hurried further and hefty increases of the same “fat cat” salaries?

These instances fuel the growing perception among ever widening sections of Guyanese of rampant scandal and corruption in the coalition.

Since the APNU+AFC government came into power, Mr King has been acting in a power drunk manner.

The question is “why?”

The answer is simple -- he feels he has protection from the Government. That he fully resonates with the Government’s objectives and approaches. Another question becomes relevant.

Is the central administration offering a cover to King for the abominable violations he has been committing one after another??

And every one reinforced by bombast?

Yes. Someone is protecting King, because King has become bombastic, unruly and opaque. His violations keep stacking up. And with each successive violation he becomes more bombastic, more unruly, more opaque.

Mr. Royston King is going to destroy any semblance of good governance of David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo.

And he will create for them growing numbers of detractors and enemies, especially for the City Council.

Recall that the City is home to almost a quarter of the entire population.

King is no stranger to controversy and “dotish” schemes. An enumeration of this man’s excesses as a City official makes for disturbing reading. More and more Guyanese are becoming more and more disturbed and distressed as his excesses become more and more numerous and more and more excessive.

Mr. King some time back cordoned off the avenue between the two sections of East Street between Middle and New Market Streets and made it into a paid car park.

Yes. He is no stranger to car parks either!

He then in that instance began charging local residents and visitors to the Public Hospital $500 an hour and $200 every hour after to use the car park.

The staff at the Georgetown Hospital and the residents in the area rejected King’s imposition. The parking lot is now a desolate open space.

Previously the said space was used by these same persons to neatly and safely park their vehicles.

But, wait a minute!

Can Mr. Royston King, Town Clerk and prime example of Burnhamism in full flow be solely responsible?

Did not a Minister of the Central Government, Mr. Ronald Bulkan, sign on to the regulations needed to lawfully operationalize the parking meter project?

Has not the President himself made interventions - first to have the parking meter contract document reviewed by the Ministry of Finance and by the Attorney General Office??

And more recently -- did the President not intervene, all be it in the face of growing public protest and disquiet, to have the rates reduced?

Letter: M&CC should make parking meter studies... been gazetted and in fact , according to the Minister of State are still under review by the Attorney General .

We strongly object to VAT being applied to penalties incurred through breaches of SCS’s parking rules. It is our understanding that VAT is only applicable to goods and services.

We, the supporters of the “Movement Against Parking Meters”, therefore

object to the implementation of the parking meters in Georgetown on the following grounds inter alia: • The lack of transparency of the process.

• The lack of adherence to the Public Procurement process.

• The lack of consultation with the people of Guyana .

We, the supporters of the “Movement Against Parking Meters”, request that the M&CC and the Govern-

ment of Guyana disclose and make public the following documents related to the imposition of parking meters in Georgetown : • The Feasibility Study.

• The Impact Study.

• All reports ,minutes etc from Stakeholders’ meetings held prior to the implementation of the parking meters.

• Evidence of the tendering process.

In the absence of any of the

above then we, the supporters of the “Movement Against Parking Meters”, request that the M&CC and the Government of Guyana: • Rescind and revoke the current parking meter contract between the Smart City Solutions & M&CC. • Implement a transparent process that involves all stakeholders viz a viz the introduction of a parking meter system.

(From page 4)

In the event that the current contract between Smart City Solutions and M&CC is revoked and due process with regard to consultations and tendering is carried out , then we, the supporters of the “Movement Against Parking Meters”, would be amenable to the following: • A reduced parking fee that is affordable by all.

• Special considerations and/ or exemptions for certain

categories of persons ie residents , businesses, employees , public servants ,etc .

We, the supporters of the “Movement Against Parking Meters”, are committed to ensuring the adherence to due process by the M&CC with regard to the implementation of a paid parking system.

MOVEMENT AGAINST PARKING METERS (MAPM)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Local Government and You!

he continued presence of the embattled Dr. Steve Surujbally as the Chairman of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is very questionable and somewhat perturbing.

This is since his engagements at the Commission’s Office exclude addressing meetings of the appointed Commission per se, but other apparent undercurrents.

Although he has signaled his necessary resignation from this all-powerful office where he acted as though he was ‘Superman’, it came amidst unacceptable public credibility and massive corruption scandals. Given the level of massive public outcries, his current accommodation by Government continues to raise eyebrows.

Received credible information that he is putting in place genuine systems to cover the most brutal corruption that took place at that Office, during the time when he was at the helm at GECOM. Further, Surujbally is trying to extend the contract of GECOM Chief Executive Officer, Keith Lowenfield, and the

GECOM Chief Account, Joseph Eastman.

There is sufficient information to confirm that both Lowenfield and Eastman played significant questionable roles in the many corrupt scandals, and are certainly, the most unwanted and notorious characters at the GECOM Office. Hence Surujbally’s interventions in this respect and many other areas are unwarranted since he has resigned.

As Guyanese await the Auditor General’s Report regarding the infamous and most shameful/ thieving corruption that took place, and is currently still vigorous at the GECOM Office; we still see efforts to address related matters in a clandestine manner and contrary to known and acceptable principles and practices.

But these things cannot go unaccountable for too long, and the necessary corrective mechanisms will have be realized in whatever way.

Dr. Surujbally recently wrote in the press that he is leaving the Office of GECOM’s

Moment in History

Chairman with a heavy heart. He said that after 15 years at the helm …“I have established a close linkage with the staff of GECOM many of whom have evolved into more than colleagues; rather they have become friends and in some cases, ‘family’ away from home”.

Regardless, however, the real issue is that questionable and sub-optimal performances have influenced the significant loss in credibility in the organization. On this, the Guyanese people cannot stand. Surujbally, therefore, although in his own words, must not only take full responsibility along with his Chief Executive Officer and the other staff members, but be held accountable in this respect.

Further, all who are guilty of serious fraud and corruption that took place, as well as the ones taking place at GECOM, must be sanctioned and removed from this critical institution.

It has been reported that hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ hard earn dollars was stolen from GECOM. The orchestrators utilized a massive contract manipulation racket, associated with links and fraudulent spending on false contracts and inventories. There were also consistently serious breaches of procurement procedures, for wasteful excesses and wanton spending with significant kickbacks.

The fact when revealed would show that many items were purchased, at prices more than six times the average retail prices.

Leaked information suggests that the Auditors’ findings into the purchasing of high frequency radios, toners for printers, photocopiers and pliers/nippers are the most appalling. Additionally, there are many relevant and significant questions with respect to the highly questionable circumstances of how all these transactions took place.

Many further examples can be highlighted to justify the immediate riddance of the key

players in attempt to cleanse the organization of unwanted negative influences. Another is the purchasing of Duracell batteries at prices six times the retail price is amazing and outright unacceptable.

More serious is the ordering of these batteries to the tune of $14, 529,000 days before the 2015 National and Regional Elections, demonstrates clandestine intent, and convenient use of the time.

Further, GECOM awarded a second contract to purchase the same Duracell batteries on May 21. It is alarming to know that after the elections were over, less than two weeks after this brazen thief ordered a further $9,180,518.

Heaven knows that GECOM paid $23,709,518 for simple Duracell batteries to operate simple lamps if needed on the night of the elections.

It is clear that GECOM paid for batteries which they never used.

There are scores of cases that the Auditors are looking at. However, GECOM and other Government sources have confirmed that findings will worry the administration and a number of sweeping adjustments will have to be made to this entity which is tasked with issuing National Identification Cards and overseeing General and Regional elections.

As for the corruption in hiring and recruiting staff for GECOM, it is abominable. It is clear that Surujbally is a man who Guyanese have little or no respect for, is leaving without answering for hundreds of millions of dollars that was stolen by the same people who he claims he love so much.

In one voice, Guyanese must oppose the thieves and call for their removal from GECOM. Let us have the Local Government Commission now!

(This column is prepared by Neil Kumar along with Mr. and Mr. A)

Beaton a true Comrade is no longer with us G

erald Beaton, a genuine PPP member, died recently after a short period of illness.

Gerald Beaton was dedicated a working class representative. He worked as a Field Secretary with the most powerful trade union in Guyana - GAWU. He served in this position on the East Coast, Demerara and was a highly respected and always offered good representation for the workers.

Gerald was highly trained both in Guyana and overseas.

He was a successful student at the Accabre College. He later went on to study trade unionism in the USSR. As a Trade Unionist, he was elected to and functioned in the General Council of the GAWU. He was such a loyal and dedicated member of the PPP that he was chosen by the party’s leadership to work directly with Dr. Cheddi Jagan, who he worked with for many years.

When the PPP/C won the

Regional and National Elections in 1992, he was elevated and continued to work with President Jagan as a senior officer in the Presidential Guard.

This loyal son of the soil was privileged to work with four Executive Presidents in Guyana and retired after reaching pensionable age.

Gerald was extremely popular in the PPP. As a result he was elected to be a member of the Party’s Central Committee.

He was well respect and was held in high esteem with both the Party’s General Secretary and President.

Beaton, during his last working days, returned to his first place of employment and work with his good friend Brian Tiwarie.

Gerald Beaton was indeed a dedicated and loyal Party comrade. He was a recipient of several awards, including the Twenty- Five years Award at the Party’s Congress.

Beaton was a proud father of eight children. He was always quick to boast about

his son who followed his footsteps as a President Guard.

One is presently a National Karateka in the senior division who wore the National Colours and medal for his country.

Keith Beaton, his eldest child, is presently an Inspector in the Guyana Police Force. He has expressed his desire to be like his father and entertain his community with his dance and songs.

His family and many friends turned out in very large numbers to his funeral last week where former Presidents, former Ministers and prominent citizens, spoke glowingly about him.

Gerald leaves to mourn his wife, children mothers, children grand children and many others. His friends will always remember him as a jovial person and man of integrity.

Gerald leaves us with a legacy of what a true father and genuine party activists is. (Neil Kumar)

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Party News

District Committee/ Group Unit events

A

s February 2017 proceeds, efforts are being made at the organizational level to coordinate and advance the process that would facilitate District Conferences for Georgetown, as well as the lower and Upper East Bank of Demerara.

Groups are expected to submit the relevant lists setting out delegates, suggestions and at times special motions or proposals.

Tentatively, March 19th 2017 is being considered for Georgetown District

January 2017), the PPP has taken a firm, principled position on the issue of the Red House tenancy and associated rights (see also Stabroek News, February 2) for item on affidavit served on behalf of the CJRC Inc. on January 31 2017.

The CJRC Inc. has made the legal response to the move by the APNU-AFC

land for educational/ research purposes; number 3068, dated March 30 2012, in respect of Area “A”, now called the Red House-Lot 66,67 High Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

General Secretary issues call for coalition accountability

Addressing press conferences held mainly at Freedom House over the past three weeks since his appointment as General Secretary, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo touched on a cluster of issues and concerns.

A number of these were controversial; and where necessary and possible clarifications were provided.

Party members who access Freedom Radio and/or obtain those mainstream media organs that would carry PPP storylines, may or may not have been apprised of the clarifications as well as the stated positions taken as representative of the PPP political

West Berbice local decision making

In the party, Region 5 (5B,5A), there were very successful District annuals recently- all on February 5th.

The equation represents three Districts.

District No. 1 with 15 party groups witnessed 46 persons (delegates/observers). District No. 2 held a conference attended by 77 delegates and others, whilst District No. 23 conference had 54 delegates drawn from 7 party groups.

These programmes were enacted at various locations, namely Shieldstown, Bath Settlement and Dundee.

Three resolutions were unanimously approved. These identified the “unjust imposition of taxes on farmers by the MMA/ ADA; the demand for the democratization of the Guyana Elections Commission in terms of the chairman being appointed in accordance with the Carter formula and also, a firm solidarity with the entire Guyanese community in Support of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre remaining as the organic legacy of Dr Cheddi Jagan and the Nation.

Red House Update

As reported in this newspaper (WM 7- 8

Supporters at a vigil for the CJRC

government to revoke the release held by the occupants and terminate the tremendous work this Centre has been doing.

In the affidavit, the respondents have sought to refrain and annul the illegality of the Attorney General, Mr Basil Williams, acting as the legal adviser and member of the Granger/Harmon Cabinet.

The submission essentially affirms that then President Donald Ramotar had authorized the issuance of a lease for government

stance.

Amongst the topics addressed were the following (though not in dateline sequence): ● The 2017 budget measures and discrepancies revealed in the perusal of the line items of sections of the Budget Estimates. ● The falsity of the claims of Finance Minister Mr Jordan as to ‘fiscalisation’ of the economy, capital movements and the availability of foreign exchange resources (i.e. The Commercial banks- the responsi-

bility these have to customers creditability and forex needs ● The unprecedented fiasco of ‘Pharmagate’ that led to Dr Norton being made a scape goat by the political directorate as well as the continuation of the arrangement forged with one Mr Larry Singh over the Albouystown/Charlestown property housing the bond. ● The fact that lack of confidence in the management of the economy is also manifested by or through the kinds of signals that the private sector receives or perceives from the government ● The imposition of taxes on farmers in the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary by the MMN / ADA would have a potentially disastrous impact.

More recently, Dr Jagdeo dealt with the trend set by President David Granger where the media is invited to “pre-packaged interviews” instead of open press/media conference as has been the practice for decades, and especially since October 1992.

At that time, after being sworn in, Dr Cheddi Jagan held regular press conferences often chaired by then Information Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

These media exchanges at times featured a panel of Ministers or leading government officials such as then Foreign Minister Clement Rohee, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon and Adviser Kellawan Lall.

Since May 2015 President Granger has held one press conference sometime during October 2015. During the PPP/C years, Presidential press conferences were not as frequent as the Regular post-cabinet news briefings.

Erratum Banks DIH/BGoC AGM

Inadvertently there were two errors in the article on Banks AGM (WM 4-5 Feb 2017). The text SRC in relevant section Compared with 2015 the corporation attained an after tax profit of $ 4. 357billion, an increase of $1.788 billion. Also SRC in section. Twenty five (25) of these are for the 25 year category whilst 20 are of the twenty-year grouping.

Carl Parker charged with sexual assault – granted $200,000 bail

R

egion 9 Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker, was on Thursday granted $200,000 bail, when he was presented before city magistrate Judy Latchman to answer to a charge of sexual assault against one of the region’s elected representatives.

The matter was held out of the view of the public, in keeping with laws which protect the identities of victims of sexual offenses.

Parker, 53 years, of Lethem was taken out the courtroom in handcuffs, smiling with

the press corps while his photo was taken.

His attorney, Jerome Khan, told the press outside the courtroom the accusation against Parker is one which has shocked the region.

Khan believes his client is a victim of a political assault “intended to remove Parker from Region 9.”

Khan told the press corps these attempts to remove Parker became evident when allegations were made against him that he was shifting sides from the governing A Partnership for

National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) to the People’s Progressive

Party (PPP). The Attorney-at-Law said the accusation has been trumped up

because he has refused to facilitate contracts for supporters of the APNU+AFC coalition.

“His problem he was approached by elected officials in Region Nine to award contracts to friends and he stoutly resisted against that approach. They even went and complained that he not giving contracts to long-standing supporters of the current administration,” Khan told Demerara Waves Online News. He said the REO, whose work has been “exemplary”, has been insisting on the need to follow the procurement rules.

Khan said although the sexual assault incident occurred on June 13 last year, it wasn’t until December last that the matter was reported to the Police. The attorney said his client cooperated with police throughout the process.

Quite recently, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told the press corps there was an attempt by this administration to suppress the sexual assault allegation against the REO, Carl Parker. Jagdeo also said Parker had another allegation made against him by a region 9 official.

8

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

EDITORIAL

The actions of some REOs are clouded by Corruption political allegiance and directives I

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he Regional Executive Officer cannot discharge his duties and responsibilities as head of an Administrative Region without accounting and reporting to the Regional Chairman and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) on the implementation of the approved RDC projects and services.

Funds entrusted to the REO are to be applied only for the stated purposes as approved by the RDC in the first instant and in the National Assembly. In fact, RDC Councillors have a right and duty to question the propriety of any expenditure authorized by the Regional Executive Officer from RDC-approved funds.

Some REOs often times refuse to attend statutory meetings of the RDC, sending their DREOs instead. Many of these Officers are often not positioned to provide the required information /responses.

Several REOs continually display a lack of accountability and transparency in respect of the implementation of the Regional Budget. Progress updates on their RDCs’ Capital and Current Works are kept as a secret. Bills of Quantities are not circulated to RDC Councillors. The REOs here obviously believe they have a monopoly of the information in respect of these matters. Resultantly, many of them are insubordinate and disrespectful to the Regional Chairman; often refusing to provide answers to questions asked; even when given additional time to enquire and to respond is granted.

There have been verified reports of the work of several Regional Councils being undermined by their REOs vide the use of Regional Tender Boards; the splitting of contracts; use of REOs prerogative to reward APNU+AFC Cdes. There are also issues of REOs arbitrarily/unilaterally amending, altering, modifying and manipulating their RDCs’ approved Annual Estimates without RDC concurrence and seeking to justify their actions as being inherent in the Office they hold..

REOs are expected to help foster teamwork with the RDC, but most lack experience in managing publicofficeand/or else are often guilty of not supporting or facilitating the work of the RDCs and its Committees; and not ensuring that Officers attend Regional Administrative Council (RAC), Standing Committee meetings etc. where Issues of accountability in respect of the implementation of the RDC’s Work Programought to be addressed and project updates re the RDC’s Capital and Current Works provided. These must not be seen as a closely guarded secret.

There are verified reports that meetings of the Regional Tender Board chaired by REOs are often convened in a harum scarum manner. Concomitantly, the overt flaunting of financial regulations and procurement procedures is very much evident among many of the REOs who know little or nothing of the relevant Laws and Regulations, Customs and Practice governing their mandate and who make very little effort to become familiar with them.

Contract splitting and awarding of contracts for the provision of goods and services to friends, relatives, known political supporters and lackeys of the APNU+AFC are apparent among some REOs who also refuse to provide BOQs, Tender Board minutes to the Regional Chairman, members of the RDC Works Committee etc so that they can help to monitor approved works done. REOs are also often tardy in responding to the directions of the RDC, viz: submitting Financial Reports Add to these facts the many complaints of residents that are not addressed in a timely manner or not at all. The actions of some REOs are obviously clouded by political allegiance and directives which suggest that they are obviously playing an overt political role in regional governance.

Their protected positions seem to dictate that they are above the law and rules and regulations and thus are taking positions that are directly opposite to the needs of the people in the various communities.

But, may I inform readers that the Regional Democratic Council in each Administrative Region has overall responsibility for the administration of that Region. In this regard, the REO on whom responsibility for the execution of projects and the delivery of services in the Region devolves is accountable to the RDC. It is for this reason and not by accident that the Regional Executive Officer serves also as the Clerk of the Regional Democratic Council.

(Guest editorial by Norman Whittaker)

Dear Editor,

have noted the response of the Attorney General, Mr. Basil Williams in the Chronicle newspaper, to the piece I wrote in relation to issues in the Ministry which he heads.

I wish to thank him publicly for acknowledging that so many persons have left the Ministry since the change of government and in particular, his Ministry.

It has been a virtual exodus.

It is indeed more than passing strange that in the present economic environment, where there is no job creation, and no programme for such either, that so many people have left their employ.

Incidentally, as I noted in my piece, the vast majority were persons of Indian Guyanese decent. They were replaced by persons of non-Indian origin.

Note also, that this is a relatively small Ministry and Indian Guyanese were always in the minority.

I note also Mr. Cecil Dhurjon’s response as well. I know Mr. Dhurjon still has substantial benefits for his long service to the Ministry and the country.

It is apposite to recall that Mr. Dhurjon’s wife is still in the employ of that Ministry.

I have no desire to jeopardise either the jobs or the receipt of benefits for

at its highest level

anyone. Further, I say not.

The vindictiveness that this regime has displayed is intimidating to many.

In relation to the Attorney General, I have seen his explanations for the exodus of so many in his employ.

I do not wish to respond to them.

I will merely recite his recent known actions.

You, the readers, will decide on how credible and what weight you wish to put to his most recent explanation.

This is the same man who denied that he ever sought to compulsorily acquire two private lots in Carmichael Street when this was publicly advertised in the Official Gazette.

This is the same man who, together with his colleagues in the APNU+AFC, voted against the AML/CFT Bill brought by the PPP/C administration.

That placed our country in grave danger of being blacklisted.

Yet, Basil Williams shamelessly and barefacedly blames the PPP/C. This is the same person who blamed the PPP/C for the more than one billion dollar judgment that the Courts awarded to the Rudisa Company. The whole country knows that it was Williams and all of his colleagues in the APNU+AFC that voted against the Bill being passed in the National Assembly by the PPP/C government. The failure to pass this Bill led to a humongous cost to the

country.

This is the same Basil Williams who placed his name on a case when he was never a party in the case involving Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Opposition Leader and Magistrate Charlyn Artiga. He refused to take the advice of the Solicitor General and the Deputy Solicitor General not to do so. However, when the case was thrown out he blamed the Deputy Solicitor General for his folly.

This is the same Basil Williams who denied that Brian Tiwari was paid US$5.7 million on a mere letter threatening litigation. All Guyanese know that it was Minister Bulkan who disclosed that information. Yet Basil Williams continues to deny.

This is the same Attorney-General who viciously attacked the Chancellor (ag) in the state-owned Chronicle newspaper. Later, he denied doing so and threatened journalists who reported on the issue.

This is the same Basil Williams who was recorded thanking Winston Felix, then Commissioner of Police, for diverting the public’s attention from the criminal link (Fine Man Gang) with the PNC after the East Bank slaughter, where eight persons lost their lives.

Further, I say not.

Donald Ramotar Former President

are held and the PPP wins by a landslide, what will the Jeffries of this world say or do about that?

Or is that another “wasteful thought?”

Jeffery adopts what is clearly an anti-dialectic, traditionalist view. He must be aware of the results of the elections in the United States, where it was widely predicted that Hilary Clinton would have won the Presidency, and in the U.K. where the people, contrary to general expectations, gave the mandate to have Britain pull out of the European Union. Big political upheavals are further expected in Europe. The Romanians are on the streets and squares. And in East Africa Yayah Jameh had to go.

Jeffery must know in politics nothing is cast in stone.

So while he constructs theories from an anti-dialectical and traditionalist perspective about marginal electoral results and its implications for “either party to take to government in a “marginal fashion” what if it turns out otherwise trumping his thesis?

Jeffery claims that the PPP “has no moral legitimacy” to make proposals on “sharing political space “ nor “sharing government.”

In the same breadth, he claims that the APNU+AFC has compounded the problem by not recognizing the role it should be playing in facilitating the creation of that very “space” because it is afflicted by the same dilemma. Yet

Jeffery goes on to attack the PPP as the guilty Party for “devising a dangerous strategy of ethnic mobilization to attempt to recapture its majority.”

This is an intellectual concoction that is politically misdirected. I challenge Jeffery to provide the concrete evidence to prove his assertion. At the same time, he must demonstrate that APNU+AFC as a political alliance and a coalition government is above the fray and has clean hands when it comes to ethnic mobilization vis-a-vis its support base. The plague cannot be on both houses.

The question posed by Jeffery to the effect that ;” how do we get to a government that can ensure the psychological and actual peace and prosperity for all of us?” is indeed a most intriguing one.

Leaders of the APNU+AFC reading Jeffery would no doubt find his question amusing since as far as their administration is concerned they have been providing the populace with the “good life” ever since they assumed office.

Jeffery and “those” that support his view have the enormous task of convincing the APNU+AFC that they are wrong and the Jeffries of this world are politically correct. Jeffery does not want either Party, assuming that they both win marginal votes, to hold political power.

Are we to understand from Jeffery’s argument that both political Parties, (Turn to page 9)

Jefrrey’s follies and unsound musings Dear Editor, Henry Jeffery’s piece “About the PPP” in his “Future Notes” of Wednesday, February 1, 2017, makes interesting reading.

Like so many who went before him, he examines from an intellectual and abstract perspective what he perceives to be the socio-psychological thinking and praxis of the People’s Progressive Party.

Jeffery is quite in order to express his views publicly on such matters and absolutely nothing is wrong with that.

In fact, we should have more critical analysis expressed from all sides, but not only about the PPP, but also about the APNU+AFC. I, therefore, challenge Jeffery to formulate a similar critique of the APNU/AFC. The “near universal belief” that Jeffery refers to is highly questionable in today’s context. Apparently he has not been reading “Hindsight” or, like most academics, he has neither his feet on nor ears to the ground.

And what is this “sensible response” Jeffery refers to that PPP “needs to craft?” And to whom should that response be directed?

After all, according to Jeffery, he is “one of those who do not believe that it is in the best interest of Guyana for the PPP to return to government in the near future.”

How many “of those” Jeffery has behind him is anybody’s guess.

So what when free and fair elections

9

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017 is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which encourages individuals to regulate their eating habits through goal setting and self-monitoring strategies. These therapies can help reduce the frequency of binges: In a study of 125 obese patients with B.E.D., published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, just over half of the

Myths and Facts about Binge Eating Disorder

M

ost of us have experienced times where we overindulged on food. And that’s okay—the occasional Netflix-and-junk-food marathon feels good, even if we may regret the jumbo-sized bag of cheese doodles later.

Binge Eating Disorder isn’t like that.

B.E.D. is a serious medical condition characterized by regular episodes of binge eating.

It’s more than just overeating: People with the disorder feel like they lose control during a binge, which can cause feelings of distress, self-loathing and shame. There are several misconceptions about B.E.D., even though it’s the most common eating disorder—more so than anorexia and bulimia combined. Here,

increased weight, but the disorder affects people of all shapes and sizes; normal-weight, overweight and obese individuals can have B.E.D. One survey even found that the majority of adults with B.E.D. are normal-weight or overweight. In the study, 55% of participants had a BMI of 30 or lower, versus the 45% who had a BMI over 30, putting them in the obese range.

Myth: B.E.D. Only Affects Women

Real Talk: It’s a widely-held belief that only women and girls suffer from eating disorders, but that simply isn’t true. Binge Eating Disorder affects both men and women.

Doctor’s Note: The advice given by the Mirror Doctor is issued free of charge to all readers and contributors to the column. All letters are answered with the exception of those with illegible handwriting.

participants went into binge-eating remission one year after using CBT. Other treatment options include nutritional counselling and medication. If you think you may have B.E.D., start the conversation with your family doctor. You may not feel comfortable talking about it, but asking for help is the first step to recovery.

Mirror

Dear Doctor, What are the risks of shingles during pregnancy?

Molly Dear Molly, If you develop shingles when you’re pregnant, it’s usually mild and there’s no risk to you or your baby. You can only get shingles if you’ve already had chickenpox.

Both illnesses are caused by the same virus: the herpes varicella-zoster virus (VZV). After you recover from chickenpox, the virus stays in your body and can become active again later, in the form of shingles. This can happen at any time after you have chickenpox, sometimes years later.

You can’t catch shingles from someone else. If you’re not immune to chickenpox, it’s possible to catch VZV, which causes chickenpox, from someone who has shin-

Readers wishing to ask questions, which will be kept in full confidence, can write to: Mirror Doctor, PO Box 101088, Georgetown or 8 Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

gles. However, the risk is low, particularly if the person’s shingle’s rash is covered, for example, by clothing or a dressing.

In shingles, the herpes VZV is passed on from the exposed rash, usually by direct contact – for example, by touching the person’s open blisters. However, the risk is very small.

The risk of someone with shingles passing on the virus is higher if their rash is widespread or on an exposed part of their body, such as their face If someone has shingles and their immune system is weakened – for example, as a result of chemotherapy treatment for cancer – they are considered infectious, even if their rash is covered. This is because their body may release (shed) more virus than a person whose immune system is working normally. Once all the blisters have crusted over, the person is no longer infectious.

Jefrrey’s follies and...

we clear up some common myths about the disorder.

Myth: Binge Eating Disorder is a Choice

Real Talk: For people with B.E.D., bingeing is not a “lifestyle choice,” or a “phase.”

It is a mental illness associated with mood disorders, anxiety and depression. The exact cause of B.E.D. is unknown, but research suggests that family history and brain chemicals may be involved. Stressful life events could also play a role in the disorder.

Myth: Only Obese Individuals Suffer from B.E.D.

Real Talk: B.E.D. is associated with

It’s estimated that approximately twice as many women are affected as men: A study by researchers at Harvard University found that lifetime prevalence of B.E.D. was 3.5% in women and 2.0% in men.

This myth about eating disorders being exclusive to women can make it more challenging for men to seek treatment. They may not come forward because of embarrassment, or they may not even recognize that anything is wrong.

Myth: Recovery is Not Possible

Real Talk: There are several management options available to people struggling with B.E.D. One widely-studied treatment

in their respective manifestos and electoral campaigns preceding the elections, must commit to the establishment of national unity government?

The big question is how politically and culturally realistic is this in the Guyanese context given the very argument which Jeffery raised to the effect that both political parties are affected by what is euphemistically referred to as the “racial problematic.” And that neither of them are prepared to commit political hari kari.

Incidentally, Jeffery has argued in the past against national unity government on the premise that, in a Guyanese context, it would result in the absence of any robust political opposition to such a government and that it do away with transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business. Jeffery’s analysis of the PPP though not acceptable, is of a higher quality given his academic qualifications and experience compared to the Sunday Stabroek Editor, who in last Sunday’s editorial “GT strikes back” framed the leadership of the PPP as composed of traditionalists, hipsters and tricksters. The “Traditionalists” were deemed to have a “class obsession” implying there was some other scientific, sociological method of analyzing the social composition and stratification of any given society.

Assuming there is another or other scientific methodologies to investigate such social phenomenon I would be the first to express an interest in learning more about them. In other words; “Let a thousand flowers bloom.”

One last word on this particular matter: Ever since its formation, the PPP has accommodated within its membership and indeed at the leadership levels, various hues and shades of ideology and philosophy. As a political party fighting from the outset for independence, the PPP, due to the nature of the struggle at that time, could not have been made up, neither at the rank and file, nor at the leadership level of individuals who shared a common ideology and philosophy. The struggle for independence involved all Guyanese.

This was precisely why Martin Carter captured the national sentiment at a time

(From page 8)

when the national movement was threatened proclaiming ; “All are involved, all are consumed.” Throughout its organizational and structural evolution the PPP has always maintained the need to accommodate within its ranks individuals as members who are Marxists, non-Marxists (but not anti-Marxists) religious believers, socialists, democrats, revolutionary democrats, progressive nationalists, revolutionary nationalists, pacifists, petit bourgeois elements, representatives of the middle class and the patriotic business community, youth and students.

It is true that for a considerable period of time the Marxists dominated the leadership of the Party. It was they who led the struggle for Independence, and later for free and fair elections. They formulated the line of “critical support,” the call for a National Patriotic Front and National Front Government, the creation of the Civic component resulting in the formation of the PPP/C electoral alliance and finally, it was they who were in the forefront of the struggle at home and abroad that eventually brought the PPP/C to victory in 1992. Recall the famous words of Dr. Jagan when referring to the ideological and class construct of the PPP/C alliance; “We don’t want to dominate but at the same time we don’t want to be dominated.” Here Dr. Jagan was referring to ideological and philosophical considerations. By “we”, he implicitly meant the Marxists in the PPP. If according to Stabroek News present-day categorization at Freedom House the Marxists are the “traditionalists” in the PPP then we should concede that they did a really great job and continue to do so. Who says Marxists can’t be hip too? It’s the stereotyping that casts them in a negative light.

Indeed, in keeping with the long held tradition in the Party, there must be a place at the table for the” traditionalists,” the “hipsters” as well the “tricksters,” who ever they might be.

After all, they all have a role to play given the nature and vagaries of Guyanese politics. All must be involved!

Clement J. Rohee

10

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Cambio dealers against central bank regulations T

he Government, through the central bank has targeted cambio dealers in its bid to deal with the growing foreign exchange problem in the country.

Cambio dealers across the country are up in arms over Government’s strict regulations on their prices for trade, especially since there is legislation which grants them the freedom to determine their own rates.

Government, through the Central Bank, issued a circular to cambios and the local banking sector informing them of the regulated rates for foreign currency trade.

According to the circular non-bank cambios must reduce the spread between the buying and selling rates on

foreign currency transactions to no more than G$3.

This means if a cambio dealer purchases currency at G$210, then the dealer cannot sell it for According to the relevant section, “The price at which a licensee may buy or sell any foreign currency shall be determined by the licensee and shall be displayed at a prominent place on the licenced premises.”

A dealer said that by imposing such a limit on the prices, cambio dealers stand to suffer significant loses when the world market prices fluctuate.

The dealer explained that if a particular foreign currency is bought for G$150 today and then tomorrow the

selling price drops to G$140 on the world market, then by forcing cambios to sell the currency at the highest $143 would be detrimental to their business.

They were also concerned about the duration of this imposition and how badly it will affect their earnings in the long-term.

In an invited comment, legal practitioner Anil Nandlall explained that any changes in the licence condition in accordance to Section 7 cannot interfere with the cambio dealers’ legal entitlement under Section 9.

He contended that the only body with the power to adjust that entitlement is the Parliament of Guyana.

“Central Bank is not

above the law. Therefore, though the Central Bank has a regulatory role to play, it is enjoined to do so in accordance with law. It cannot purport to regulate by violating the law of the land. In so far as it does so, it would be acting unlawful,” the former Attorney General asserted.

Former President and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo already condemned in the strongest possible terms this new foreign currency policy being implemented by the Government through the Bank of Guyana.

According to Jagdeo, such a move is “absolute madness” and will only hasten the decline of the economy.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) also took a swing at the Government over this move, noting that the People’s National Congress (PNC) Government in the past had embarked upon this route before and the outcomes were devastating.

An influential Private Sector operator said such a move would drive a lot of

business underground, as already being unfolded in the mining sector with the new taxation measures.

Government has also received scathing criticisms from the Private Sector Commission (PSC) when it initially announced such an intervention.

The PSC also reminded that Guyana had gone down this path before with disastrous consequences to the economy. Minister of State Joseph Harmon, during a post-Cabinet press briefing, announced that the Bank of Guyana, as the regulatory body for banks and non-bank cambios, was instructed to respond with stricter regulations and closer monitoring of the foreign exchange market – following reports of foreign exchange, as well as foreign currency hoarding.

The Central Bank has issued certain guidelines in which it seeks to control the price at which licenced dealers in foreign currency can buy and sell foreign currency. The Central Bank purports to act under Section

7 of the Dealers in Foreign Currency (Licensing) Act, Chapter 87:01. This Section provides: 7 (1) Every licence shall be subject to the provisions of this Act, and as such conditions may, from time to time, be prescribed or specified in the licence.

(7(2) The conditions as to the furnishing as security by the licensee, the amount and forfeiture thereof and the owner of the bank to vary the amount of the security from time to time.

It is clear that this Section does not empower the Central Bank to issue the type of guidelines which touch and concern the rate at which foreign currency can be sold by a licensee. Moreover, new conditions cannot be unilaterally imposed upon the licensee, expo facto, the grant of the licence; and perhaps of greater significance, conditions and guidelines cannot be issued which are in breach of the Act, or indeed, with any other law.

Section 9 (3) of the very Act provides that: 9(3) The price at which a licensee may buy or sell any foreign currency shall be determined by the licensee and shall be displayed at a prominent place on the licenced premises.

To my mind, Section 9 is quite clear in its language and spirit. It harbors no room for ambiguity or equivocation. It is the licensee and no one else who shall determine the selling price of foreign currency sold by that licensee. The Central Bank can lawfully play no part in fixing or influencing those prices.

In the circumstances, it is my considered view that the guidelines issued by the Central Bank in so far as they seek to influence the price at which foreign currency is sold by a licensee, is ultra vires, the Dealers in Foreign Currency (Licensing) Act, Chapter 87:01, and unlawful.

11

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Kick-down-the-door bandits strike in Corentyne – domestic worker killed by bandits for not having money

A

t least seven persons are in custody in connection with what is believed to be an execution of the Corentyne, Berbice woman, whose home was invaded by armed men on Tuesday evening.

A source close to the investigation told INews that the suspects are presently being grilled in relation to their involvement in the crime.

Lilawatie Muhammed, 45, a domestic worker of Lot 198 Sixth Street, Tain Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice was shot in the presence of her children about 23:30h by gunmen who kicked down the door to her home and shot her.

According to the woman’s 18-year-old son, Ashad Ishack, he and his 21-year-old sister and their mother were at home when two masked men kicked open the front door of their home. He said one of them was carrying a shotgun.

He explained that they were all put to kneel on the floor and the men then demanded money. However, the mother of four said that she did not have any money.

The teen related that one of the men responded by placing the gun to her throat and pulling the trigger. The bullet exited the top of her head and she fell dead on the floor, the young man said.

After shooting Muhammed, the men immediately exited the building, scaled the fence and disappeared into the bushes between the village and the sea. The two siblings then alerted Police and rushed their mother to the Port Mourant Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

B Division (Berbice) Commander, Assistant Commissioner Ian Amsterdam visited the family on Wednesday, along with members of

Two persons wanted in connection with murder

K

Lilawattie Mohamed

the Cops and Faith Network, to extend his condolences.

The Commander promised the family a thorough investigation.

According to him, the Police are not counting it as a robbery based on the fact that nothing was stolen. “So we got to look to see if it was an execution as against a robbery.”

In 2016, Muhammed’s home was destroyed by fire in what was believed to be an act of arson. The suspects in that act are all overseas.

The family of three has since been renting the Tain Settlement house. Police are continuing their investigations.

eon Ashby, of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and ‘Waynie’ or ‘Shark’ of Diamond EDB are wanted by the police for questioning in relation to murder which occurred on 2017-01-23 at Kaneville, EBD. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Keon Ashby and ‘Waynie or Shark’ are asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 227-2128, 226-1389, 2267065, 225-6411, 225-2227, 225-0575, 911 or the nearest police station.

(L) Keon Ashby b- (R) ‘Waynie’ or ‘Shark’

Berbice mechanic robbed at daughter’s birthday party

T

hree men, two of whom were armed with handguns, on Tuesday morning robbed a Corentyne mechanic of cash and jewellery.

According to reports, about 01:00h, Davindon Reddy was packing up after his daughter’s birthday party when three armed men

entered his yard.

The men all had handkerchiefs tied over their faces, in an attempt to conceal their identity.

They relieved Reddy of one gold chain worth $100,000 and $15,000 in cash.

B Division (Berbice) Commander, Assistant

Commissioner Ian Amsterdam said the perpetrators then jumped the front fence and made good their escape on foot.

He said the Police were investigating the incident, but, up to press time, have not arrested anyone. Several leads are being followed as the investigations continue.

Corentyne in terror as bandits kill another One dead, another injured after

A

Corentyne businessman was on Wednesday afternoon killed following an invasion at his store in Adventure, Corentyne, Berbice.

The dead man was identified as 44-year-old Famoso Jag of Adventure Village.

Reports indicate that two men ambushed the phone card distributor in his shop, shot him, then escaped on a

motorcycle.

Jag subsequently died and police are presently hunting for the two suspects.

More details in a subsequent report.

However, this killing at the hands of armed bandits comes hours after a Corentyne mother of two was shot and killed.

The woman, Lilawattie Mohamed, a 45-year-old

domestic worker was reportedly in the company of her two children at their lot 149 Tain Settlement, Corentyne home when two armed bandits ambushed them and demanded money.

When the mother related that she did not have any money, one of the bandits shot her in her face. They fled the scene after the brutal attack.

Printery employee robbed by well dressed bandits

T

wo ‘well dressed’ bandits earlier this week relieved an employee of a printery of her mobile phone, and fled the scene.

According to the employee of a printery located in Barr Street, Kitty, Georgetown, at approximately 16:15hrs today, one male and one female who appeared to be young adults, pushed their way into the staff section of the entity and snatched her cell phone from her desk.

She noted that the employee section of the office

was locked, but she had opened the door to allow her boss to enter. As such, the male suspect who was seen lurking outside of the business, pushed the owner of the entity out of the way and grabbed the Samsung S7 mobile phone which was in plain sight.

The traumatized staff relayed that the young man then fled the scene,with his female accomplice running behind him.

“They were all well dressed. You’d think they worked in an office! The

girl had on long heels, and she took them off and ran away with her partner,” the employee recalled.

According to information received, the duo allegedly intended to rob the business, since they noticed that only one staff was still on duty at the time. However, when the owner of the business showed up unexpectedly, they changed the course of their plans.

The police were contacted and investigations are ongoing.

police close down night club

P

olice are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the murder of Sunil Singh, 42, a laborer of no fixed place of abode and the wounding of Charles Valenzuela, 21, a bartender of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, which occurred about 02:45 hours.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning at Owen Street, Kitty and 169 Lamaha Street, respectively.

Enquiries disclosed that at 02:00 hours, police ranks went to a Night Club at Lamaha and Newtown Kitty and closed the club after

which they left.

Shortly after, it was alleged by Valenzuela, who is employed at the Club that three males arrived and wanted to enter the club and he told them it was closed. As a result, an argument ensued and one of the trio stabbed him (Valenzuela) to his left arm.

Singh (deceased) who was present, intervened and was trying to make peace

when the said suspect who stabbed Valenzuela dealt Singh a last to his head. Singh then allegedly ran north into Railway Street Kitty and was pursued by the said suspect who stabbed him several times.

Both Singh and Valenzuela were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where Singh was pronounced dead on arrival and Valenzuela was treated and sent away. The body of Singh is presently at the Hospital’s Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

The suspect has not yet been apprehended.

12

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

There’s a new sheriff in America!

By Clinton Collymore, CCH

A

new sheriff is in charge in America.

Donald John Trump is his moniker.

He reminds me of a movie star named Ronald Reagan.

In his heyday, Reagan acted as a Sheriff in the Wild West.

In one movie, as he was loping through town on his horse, he was accosted by a deputy who told him that a posse has captured a gang of outlaws. If my memory serves me correctly, the conversation went like this: Reagan: Where are the outlaws now?

Deputy: In jail sir. What should we do with them?

Reagan: Give them a fair trial and hang them in the morning!

Ronald Reagan went on to become a President of the

USA. One is left to wonder if a similar situation is happening in the USA today.

President Donald Trump is at the centre of a tremendous commotion in that country.

He has unsettled the majority of Americans, guests of the country and many foreign governments. Millions are demonstrating against him in US cities and in cities around the world. It was only on January 20, 2017 that he took over from Barack Obama, but already there are calls for his impeachment.

Racist graffiti isp rominent. Here are three: “Jews belong in the oven!”

“Kill niggers!”

“Not my President!”

Donald Trump is powerful. He not only controls all three branches of government

in the USA: the Presidency; the Senate; the House. He is a multi-billionaire businessman, with hundreds of companies scattered all over the world, even in Russia! So, on the one hand he is top dog in the US state sector and on the other hand he is top dog in the US private sector. He has now fixed his eye on the US Supreme Court. His pick is sure to fill a crucial vacancy in that 9-member Court.

His critics say that he wants to control the Court by inserting a hand picked conservative judge. Currently, the Court is evenly balanced, 4 liberals and 4 conservatives. Trump himself is a conservative. Former President Obama, who is a liberal, had picked someone to fill that vacancy late in his presidency, but the Republican controlled House and Senate objected.

Obama’s choice wasn’t even considered.

Trump’s pick is a tough conservative named Neilson Gorsuch.

To all intents and purposes, Mr Trump will have a 5-4 majority on the Supreme Court. This is a disturbing configuration for the people to contemplate. Mr Trump is the strongest Head Of State America has seen in several decades.

Visions of a dictatorship loom on the American horizon.

Trump has locked horns with the mass media and has the super rich on his side.

Many fellow billionaires appointed by him, occupy high seats of power. He is putting his startling campaign rhetoric in place.In his avowed intention to “make America great again” heads have begun to roll.

Already, as the 45th President, his administration is being compared to what is portrayed in the Cold War best seller, 1984, as written

by George Orwell.Trump is seen as Big Brother!

His pronouncements are being viewed in the media as “double speak”. Somewhere down the road, Room 101 will be used. In the book, that is the dreaded room in which dissidents and enemies of the state are placed, along with hideous pythons.

They confess at once to everything. Trump has said openly that he finds nothing wrong with Water Boarding as a torture technique.Water Boarding is euphemistically referred to as “enhanced interrogation”. Thus one can conclude that the objectives of Room 101 and enhanced interrogation are the same.

From the time Trump announced his candidacy for the US Presidency, he collided with his many contemporaries in the Republican Party (GOP). He dealt with them in a cavalier fashion. He not only booted out those 16 competitors but cowed other would be aspirants.

He openly alleged that the 2016 elections are rigged against him. This charge appalled the entire GOP Establishment and considerably embarrassed America overseas. With the elections over, he was confirmed as President by the Electoral College.

After noting that his adversary Hillary Clinton emerged with a popular plurality, he slammed the entire electoral system,reviving his pre-election rigging charges.

He could not digest that Hil-

lary won more votes than he did. Some pollsters put those votes at 3.5 million.

How incongruous!

So he is again outraging the US Establishment.

He has called for an investigation into the elections and the registration system.

He is annoyed by media critics who trumpet that Hillary has won the popular vote, while he has only been able to gain the Presidency via the Electoral College.

He is not alone in this odium. Recall that the Supreme Court had handed George H. W Bush the Presidency some years ago and had sent Al Gore to the dog house following a similar dispute with the popular vote in Florida. Al slunk away in humiliation.

No person in the USA (corporate or otherwise) argues with the US Supreme Court. It is supreme!

If that Court says you lost, you lost.

If the Electoral College had not voted in favour of Trump, the Supreme Court could have been moved to rule in his favour. Perhaps the time is right for a new look at that College.

While on the super-heated campaign trail, Trump hoodwinked millions of people around the world. He made startling comments and promises. He sounded genuine. For example, here are a few examples of what he is reported by the media to have said: 1] I will build a wall on our southern border and Mexico will have to pay for it!

2] All we get from Mexico are bandits, whores, rapists and drug addicts.

3] I will re-arrange the nuclear chess board in Western Europe.

4] NATO is obsolete.

5] I will ban all Muslims from entering the United States of America.

6] I will ban all refugees from entering the United States of America.

7] I will repeal Obama Care as soon as I get into office.

8] The TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Area)are unfair to US trade. I will scrap them.

9] I will extend a hand of friendship to Russian President, Vladimir Putin. I respect him.

10] I condemn Obama’s plan to bring in over 100,000 refugees to America.

11] I will bring back jobs to America.

12] I will make NATO pay Turn to page 13 ►

The mistakes of the past 13

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

By Hydar Ally

O

pposition Leader, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has served notice that when the PPP is returned to power, his Party will reverse several of the taxation measures imposed by the current APNU-AFC administration.

This declaration has resonated well with a wide cross section of the Guyanese community, who are already forced to dig deep into their pockets as a result of the slew of new taxation measures.

The introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on water and electricity represents an assault on the quality of life of the Guyanese people, since it is impossible for anyone to survive without them.

Having a refrigerator and other household consumer items is not indicative of any enhanced social or economic status. In today’s technological world, these are considered basic for survival.

Having to pay VAT because of owing a refrigerator or air conditioning units, which is considered elementary in today’s world, is totally unacceptable and unfair and does not measure up to the government’s stated objective of providing citizens with the good life.

It is clear that the regime is going back to old and dis-

carded economic and fiscal policies, which had created economic and social havoc during the tenure of the previous PNC regime. The taxation regime then was so draconian that the purchasing power of the minimum daily wage could hardly buy a pound of chicken or a pint of cooking oil.

Imagine a worker having to toil an entire day in the late 1980s just to buy a pint of peas or cooking oil!

That was even worse than the period of chattel slavery in terms of what the slaves received as daily rations from a money perspective.

It is a frightening scenario when one considers what Guyanese experienced during those sordid days.

While no one in their right mind would want to see a return to those dreadful times, the descent into chaos does have some familiar beginnings. It had its genesis in a political crisis, which in turn led to a socio-economic crisis of horrendous proportions.

From a relatively prosperous country in the 1960s, the country was reduced to one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere by the late 1980s.

At the bottom of it all, was a precipitate decline in production and productivity

There’s a new...

more for their own Security.

13] As far as corruption in America is concerned, I will drain the swamp.

14] A Visa Bill is coming up shortly in the US Congress.

15] I consider myself at war with the media. They are liars. They spread fake news.

16] Where women are concerned, I usually grab them by their pu…ssy!

17] I respect Obama, but this gay shit (LGBT) is about to come to an end.

18] A 20% import tax will finance the wall with Mexico.

19] You claim that Putin is a murderer: you think our country is so innocent?

20] If the Senate continues to stall my Cabinet picks, GOP will go nuclear.(50% instead of 60%).

21] The media in America is the most dishonest in the world. At the top of his list is CNN. 22] I know more about war than the Generals.

23] The deal between Australia and USA as signed by Prime Minister Turnbull and

From page 12

President Obama is a dumb deal.

24] Where the nuclear deal with Iran is concerned, all options are back on the table.

25] The Turnbull-Obama deal to send 1,500 refugees to America via Australia is a “dumb deal”. They are not coming here. .

26] Where sanctuary states in the USA are concerned, the Federal funds have come to an end. No more sanctuary.

Let the refugees return home.

27] I will deal with China which is dumping cheap steel on the US market.

28] I will impose a 20% tariff on imports from China.

29] I will soon end the war against ISIS. 30] I will make America great again.

Trump has indicated that besides draining the corruption swamp, he will crack down on fraud, remove regulations against big business, proceed with the internal pipeline across the US to the Pacific, (probably by butchering protesting Red Indians

in all the major sectors of the economy, in particular sugar, rice and bauxite. As a compensatory mechanism, the government resorted to borrowing both internally and externally and to taxation measures.

These measures further exacerbated an already bad situation, reaching a stage where at one time debt and interest payments were more than gross revenues. A vicious cycle of borrowing to survive and surviving to meet debt and interest repayments had characterized the decade

of the 1980’s which the IMF medicine failed to remedy.

If anything, the situation got progressively worse with each successive dose of IMF medicine.

The fact is that there was a fundamental problem that engulfed the body politic during that period, which was the unrepresentative nature of the state.

Taxation without representation was the order of the day as the government lacked political legitimacy as a consequence of over two decades of rigged elections.

who are in the way. He intends to turn all of Obama’s legacies up-side down. His threat to “jail Hillary,” however, is on a back burner.

The confusion is tremendous and the injunctions against his Directives are choking the legal highways.

The Federal judge who granted the injunction against his Travel Ban policy has been condemned. Trump referred to him as a “so-called Judge”.

He has pledged to over turn Obama’s regulations against firearms. The notorious gun-lobby is fully behind him. And we should not forget what he had said about black people: He described them as “lazy: all they are good for is to make babies.”

From a socio-economic standpoint, the regime of Donald John Trump would be intolerable to the working class. In this, he could be said to be in the same group with Obama. Mr Obama hardly ever spoke about the working class.

Both Obama and Trump speak about the “middle class”. The main spokesman for the working class in the

US Congress remains Senator Bernie Sanders. .

While Trump maintains that the 2016 elections were rigged against him (notwithstanding that he

The root cause of the problem was not money as the PNC regime borrowed more money from the IMF, the World Bank and other financial institutions than the law allowed. Debts were also incurred at the bilateral and multilateral levels not to mention the billions from the local banking system.

Not even teachers and public servants were spared, as they were forced to have monies deducted from their miserly salaries through a Deferred Income Account plan.

The fact is that there is a dialectical relationship between the economic base and the political and ideological superstructure. Without a conducive and facilitating superstructure at the political and ideological levels, economic development will be stymied.

At the same time, if the economic fundamentals are flawed and the relation of production is skewed in favor of capital, the incentive to produce by the laboring class will be diminished.

What is needed is a healthy balance between labour and capital, which must be buttressed by a governance mechanism that is democratic, transparent, accountable and rules-based.

Any departure from such a model is fraught with dangers

as happened during the tenure of the previous PNC regime, when there was a crisis of confidence and a demoralized populace.

The current APNU-AFC is well advised to learn from the mistakes of the past. So far, there is already some striking resemblance to the failed policies of the past when the productive sectors, in particular sugar and rice, were downplayed in preference for the non-productive sectors, mainly the military and para-military institutions and the Foreign Service.

This resulted in severe foreign exchange earnings shortages as exports plummeted. The government was forced to institute foreign exchange controls with devastating consequences for commerce and trade. A flourishing underground economy flourished in which the working people were forced to pay through their noses for basic food items.

It is said that a word to the wise is enough.

One can only hope that the current administration would heed the call of the political opposition and the business community and revisit the new taxation regime which would inflict harm on the economy and the quality of life of the citizens as a whole.

copped the Electoral College vote), we Guyanese are disconcerted over the roles America played in our rigged 2015 elections.

This is not to say that

we share his lament about the mysterious 3.5 million votes allegedly cast against him. Let there be an investigation as to what took place.

Unruly

14

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

The

Horse

The Green Monster

By Mohabir Anil Nandlall, M.P, Attorney-at-Law

ublic protests and public opinion continue to mount against the implementation of parking meters in Georgetown. At the same time, the City Council, through Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and Town Clerk Royston King, continue to hold resolutely to their position that parking meters are here to stay.

In the meanwhile, the erstwhile hidden cracks in the ruling political architecture have become axiomatic.

The APNU+AFC government has long decided to distance itself from this fiasco. They have done so by conveniently acknowledging that the Georgetown Mayor and City Council is an autonomous statuary body of elected officials.

The hypocrisy is obvious when one takes into account that is it the very government which reviewed the parking meter contract at Cabinet and sent it for further review to the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Finance.

The picture becomes even clearer by the public announcement of Minister Harmon that the By-Laws which give teeth to the project are currently being “checked” at the Attorney General’s Chambers.

The mere fact that these ByLaws require the signature of Minister Bulkan removes all doubt as to whether the government is part and parcel of the parking meter project.

They certainly are.

tion of this project intensifies, the government will find itself in an even more invidious position. Unable to sustain the public hammering, the Alliance for Change (AFC) has broken ranks.

They have betrayed their Valentine partner, as we approach the third anniversary of the Cumminsburg Accord, which was consummated on February 14, 2014.

Embracing the position of their Former Deputy Mayor, Mr. Sherod Duncan, and utilizing the most measured and conservative language which they could have possibly mustered, they have withdrawn their support from the parking meter project.

The APNU has been left to swim alone.

The implementation of the project itself seems to be faltering badly.

Dozens of parking meters, which have been installed along several streets, have not been brought into operation.

Persons continue to park alongside them with impunity. No reason/s have been given for their in-operation. But they are more worrying aspects of this project which touch and concern its legality.

As I write, the By-Laws, which gives the parking meter project, its enforceability and which authorise penalties, have not yet been published in the Official Gazette.

Yet these By-Laws are being enforced and monies are collected thereunder although they are not in force.

AFC has broken ranks

By-Laws not gazetted

P

However, as the public’s rejec-

Section 21 of the Interpretation

and General Clauses Act Chapter 201, Laws of Guyana, provides that all By-Laws must be published in the Gazette and shall come into operation on the date of publication, unless, it expressly provides that they shall come into operation on some other date.

The very Section also provides that while subsidiary legislation, of which By-Laws are one, may be made to operate retrospectively, “… no person shall be made or shall become liable to any penalty whatsoever in respect of any act committed or the failure to do anything before the date on which the subsidiary legislation was published in the Gazette.” (Section 21(3)) It is clear that the parking meter By-laws impose numerous heavy penalties. It should be equally clear that these penalties cannot take effect or, cannot be enforced until they are published in the Official Gazette.

Based upon disclosures made by Minister Joseph Harmon, these ByLaws are currently being reviewed at the Attorney General’s Chambers.

This means that they have not been signed by the relevant Minister nor published in the Official Gazette.

As a consequence, in so far as the operations of these parking meters depend upon the By-Laws for their legality, they are unlawful since they are no such By-Laws in force.

More significantly, the penalties which are currently being imposed are unlawful. Therefore, the collection of monies as penalties by those administering these parking meters is not only unlawful, but may

amount to obtaining monies by fraud and false pretenses, both of which are serious criminal offences.

Dozens of persons have called upon me to file legal proceedings. I may, in due course, but others must play their part.

In my last article, I opined that the Guyana Bar Association and the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers have become defunct.

Notwithstanding, there are hundreds of lawyers who should consider it their responsibility to challenge this travesty.

Where is Christopher Ram? Where is that one man protestor, Gino Persaud?

Where are Red Thread and TIGI? Where is the Committee For The Defence Of The Constitution Inc? These were all vibrant and energetic movers and shakers not so long ago. After all, I believe they voted ‘change’ when there were no parking meters. The change has come.

There are now parking meters.

Royston King was very clear, and I dare say correct, when he pointed out that the Mayor and City Council are elected and they are acting with the mandate of the people.

I did not give him that mandate.

It is only fair that those who did, lead in the undo of the damage.

One-term government

Speaking for myself and my party, our position was made clear from the inception. We do not support parking meters.

We believe the project should be scrapped. In one calendar

year, nearly two hundred (200) tax measures and increases in public licenses fees have been imposed on the backs of the Guyanese people.

Every productive sector is either, or, under-preforming or in crisis.

There have been no new investments since 2015. Inflation is on the rise. There have been no significant increases in salaries.

There is no confidence in the economy.

Naturally, there is declining economic growth and no job creation opportunities. At the same time, the government continues to dismiss persons in the public sector in a rampantly discriminatory manner. Expectedly, in such an environment, crime continues to reach unprecedented heights.

To impose parking meters in such an economic, financial and social environment is unconscionable and will only make the city of Georgetown more moribund.

One needs no schooling in economics to draw such a conclusion. It is common sense.

When one takes into account that Georgetown is the heartland of the APNU, it lends great credence to a view that is gaining substantial momentum: that this government is determined to spend only one term in office.

In the end this will benefit everyone.

So on the horizon of the dark cloud, there is, indeed, a silver lining.

Provisions of Animal Welfare Bill ‘another backward bureaucratic measure’ that burdens Guyanese – Needkumar T he challenges of implementation and the impacts on Guyanese, not only livestock sector stakeholders, were underscored by Opposition Parliamentarian, Needkumar, in his contribution to the debate on the Animal Welfare Bill 2016.

“This Bill in inundated with shortcomings,” he said, urging that the Bill not be rushed through the National Assembly.

As such, he endorsed the call by his colleague, Dha-

ramkumar Seeraj, for the Bill to be sent to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee.

According to him, the Bill contains “too many” subjective provisions and onerous enforcement penalties. “There is a lack of practicality in implementation, but also the immediate inconsistent balance with other legislation in force, as well as the onerous impacts in many cases,” he said.

Needkumar pointed out that the provisions of the Bill

do not care for the customary “survival methodology of many persons” and lack of clarity in several sections of the Bill, pointing to the requirement for persons with animal to register with the Guyana Livestock and Development Authority (GLDA) as one such provision.

“This is just another backward bureaucratic measure to further burden the poor people of this country,” he said, also warning that persons can be “selectively” targeted.

Commenting on the provision that regulates transportation of animals, he said, “What is being created here is a formula for harassment. The impact envisaged is that on many days, there shall be long queues of cattle trucks lined up on the roadside at several police stations and outpost, not to mention the significant increase in costs of beef and other meat products.”

Needkumar warned too that the Bill will create a situation where profitability will

decrease, fees will be increase and act an as disincentive for sector stakeholders and other negatives.

“We are not opposed to an improved, constructive and meaningful regularization of the issues related to animal welfare in Guyana…we must do so with a n approach with will impact positively on our economy and citizens, while achieving acceptable standards,” he said.

The Bill will affect stakeholders in the local livestock

industry directly and includes requirements that relate to: Prohibited acts and protection of animals; Protection of animals while kept or raised; Protection of animals during health care provision and zoo technical interventions; Protection of animals at the time of humane killing; Humane killing without delay; Protection of animals during transport; Humane transportation of animals; and Protection of wild animals, among other provisions.

Corner

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Economic

PANIC MODE Dr. Peter R. Ramsaroop - Economic Advisor to the Leader of the Opposition

- The OUT-OF-TOUCH PRESIDENT

– Bent on implementing 1980 failed policies – Cabinet in panic mode on the economy

Summary

W

hile campaigning in the 2015 elections, then Mr. Granger, as Opposition Leader, campaigned on creating jobs for young people. He blasted the then PPP Government for the lack of jobs and a poor economy even though Foreign Direct Investments were at an all-time high, GDP growth was positive and money was circulating and everyone was benefiting from that circulation.

Businesses and jobs were booming, even the vendors and horse cart owners were doing well Houses were being built, cars being bought, savings in households, banks loaning money. He was quoted during the campaign as saying “young people with 10 CXCs subjects were working at Mario Pizza or being a Bus Conductor.”

These individuals all had jobs then.

He said the PPP was not doing anything for jobs.

Fast forward to 2017, he now says, “Government is not in the business of creat-

ing jobs”, while his Minister of Business is begging us to become entrepreneurs.

What crass hypocrisy!

Promise the earth, hoodwink people whilst trying to get into power and change your tune when you have achieved your objective!

The question now is how can they ever achieve what they had promised - with what

right and therefore going back to what they know – the failed and discredited policies of the 1980s – when will they ever learn?

Finance, Money and the Economy

Government’s intention to tighten “foreign currency trade” will have destructive consequences on trade and commerce in Guyana, Opposition Leader Dr. Jagdeo has warned.

This was in response to Minister Jordon saying they will tighten the Foreign Exchange Currency Regulations.

In the 1980s, we were burdened with limited US dollars to travel with.

We seem to be going back to another 1980’s policy.

This will lead to even more tightening of the money in circulation and will lead to hoarding.

This is where the ‘Out of Touch President Granger’ and his team keep getting it totally wrong. They want to control the economy as Burnham did in the 1970/80s, resulting in the massive collapse of our exchange rate and economy. We seem on track to repeating these failures again. This is an area that does not need regulation at this time.

Just one more indicator of poor management of our economy, which is causing a rippling effect on businesses.

Such monetary policy will severely affect our domestic economy, leading to a decrease in income and jobs. We should not, simply follow a contractionary monetary policy.

Why would anyone want to leave their money in Guyana, knowing the possibility and being fearful of Government’s seizure of assets, basically by regulating our exchange rate convertibility? It will certainly add a new layer of uncertainty and bureaucracy to the trading process.

We have already seen a slow down on money in circulation. The PPP Budget in

The bottom line is that a country should have no activist exchange rate policy because exchange rates are market-determined prices that are best left to the market

The PPP Budget in 2014 was $220Billion with the theme “A Better Guyana for All Guyanese”. APNU Budget for 2017 was a Whopping $250Billion with a theme a “A Good Life” Where is the new money going? Have you seen it? money or with which products?

They have basically squandered their inheritance from the PPP/C, uplifting their Ministers salaries no sooner than they had got into government and now shutting down our economy with failed 1980 policies.

Granger, as the ‘Out of Touch President’, seems to be facilitating a Cabinet that is simply panicking because they cannot get it

2014 was $220 Billion with the theme “A Better Guyana for All Guyanese”.

APNU’s Budget for 2017 was a whopping $250 Billion with a theme a “A Good Life.”

A good life for whom, the Out of Touch President and equally out of touch Ministers?

I raised the question before - if the PPP was stealing so much money each year and we now assume that no money was stolen in the last 2 years, and APNU/ AFC have $30 Billion more to spend in their budget, why then is there no money in the economy?

The answer is simple - it was a false assumption, yet they can’t even manage the economy with a bigger budget yet they continue to tax us to death, with over 200+ new taxes and new ways such as parking meters to get at our hard-earned dollars and even allowing their pals in Georgetown City Council to start adding additional fees when you are buried in taxes.

Conclusion

As we continue to analyse in real time the differences in the management of our economy post-PPP Administration, one can understand why many across the political divide feel the need to return to the sound fiscal management of the PPP. The contrast of results and outcomes can now be measured with real data.

Steady positive growth of our economy for over a decade to declining growth over the last two years under APNU. Even the sleeping AFC has finally come out against the parking meters, only because both the PPP and citizens have expressed their outrage at the draconic measures presented by the PNC run City Council.

Get involved, all of us, to make this APNU Administration “less” than a one term Government.

We cannot afford the failures to continue.

Stop it while we can.

No Upturn to the 1980s.

Time for the Out of Touch President and his team to go.

Parking Meters could end up in court

T

he Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) is in the process of legal recourse with regard to the controversial Parking Meter Project which is being ‘forced’ upon the citizenry by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and Smart City Solution (SCS).

Supporters of the Movement held a press conference today at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce’s (GCCI) office in Waterloo Street, Georgetown.

Attorney, Nadia Sagar while not disclosing fully what this legal action would entail, disclosed that MAPM is considering approaching the Commission of Information for access to the contract between M&CC and SCS, an avenue many have not explored.

Asked if the Movement would consider supporting the project if the rates are lowered, the Group responded in the negative noting that the entire project is “shady”. The lack of transparency of the process, the lack of adherence to the Public Procurement Process and the lack of consultation with the people of Guyana are some of the grounds cited by MAPM for its lack of support.

It calls for a Feasibility Study, Impact Study, evidence of the tendering process and all reports, minutes etc from Stakeholders’ meetings held prior to the implementation of the project and in the absence of these, MAPM is requesting that the M&CC and the Government of Guyana revoke the current contract.

The MAPM has also not-

ed the discourteous, often belligerent manner in which the SCS operatives go about enforcing the system. The Movement strongly objects the fact that SCS continues to penalize citizens even though the by-laws that enable them to legally do so have not been gazette.

It also strongly objects to the VAT being applied to penalties incurred through SCS’s parking rules.

One of the members who has been at the front of the protest action, Christopher Chapwanya made it clear that MAPM is not affiliated with any political party rather, it is citizens’ movement which represents thousands of Guyanese across the country of all religious and ethnic backgrounds and social class. apwanya when asked

about the Alliance For Change’s recent call for the project suspension, maintained that the group is not politically aligned and welcomes support from any group that is against the Parking Meter Project deeming the contract a “vile document.”

He said the citizens have united for one cause and that is they will not be “bullied” into accepting the Parking Meter System.

Another member, Andrew Mcbean noted that the group is not opposed to the meter system but wants it done in a sustainable and fair manner with due consideration to its effects. McBean reminded that it is everyone’s problem because it affects us all whether directly or indirectly.

The comparative analysis with the first world, he noted

is unfair, since those countries have affordable transportation options.

Commenting on the commercial impact member of the Private Sector Komal Ramnauth said there have been several complaints from businesses that there has been a tremendous drop in sales, noting that these companies pay a lot of taxes. He questioned how can businesses sustain themselves. Ramnauth pointed to the fact that if these businesses are losing sales then eventually employment for many persons would be lost.

He too raised concerns with the way the contract was initiated with an alleged illegal company that would be reaping most of the profits from the deal. The PSC member said even the Traffic Chief

has raised numerous issues that would arise from the project. These were highlighted, he noted, during a meeting between the PSC and the Traffic Chief on November 29 2016.

The fact that the Ministry of Finance’s Report highlighted various irregularities with the contract was brought to the attention of the media.

MAPM finds it incredulous that this report made it past cabinet, even though many of the procurement laws were not followed and the necessary studies not conducted to determine its effects.

The Movement is hopeful that the interest of the people will trump those of Smart City Solutions and the Mayor and City Council calling for the intervention of the Government before the situation spirals further out of control.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Highlights

News

Peter Okoye brutally Prince, George Michael to get Grammy tributes attacked by fans

P

opular Nigerian singer, Peter Okoye has been blasted by his fans for making an insensitive statement after the nationwide protest.

He took to his Instagram page to tell Nigerians to leave celebrities alone and face the government and he posted an emoji which he captioned “celebs dis!… Celebs dat! Like seriously! Face the F**king Govt! #EnoughIsEnough.”

Nigerians you know have got no chill for any celebrity who does not feel or respect the plight of the masses especially in this time of serious economic recession.

He was immediately fired by a lot of fans. One of the fans identified as edgegoodguy advised him to keep quite just like other celebrity did instead of ranting.

While dammyegan replied that it baffles him so much that the celeb you talking about will post and ask fans to contribute for their fellow celeb and fans do, and when other countries are going through turbulent times you put a write up PRAY FOR PARIS or so, please may I ask which of their celebrity is praying for Nigeria.

Fame has robbed me of my freedom - Ella Mensah

G

hanaian cum Nollywood actress Ella Mensah has disclosed that her plans ten years from now are to build an old people’s home.

She said that her aim is to give hope and happiness to those old people who do not have families and those whose families have abandoned them.

The actress who has journeyed through both industries said that she would also improve on the brand of Ella Mensah.

Speaking about her relationship with her fans she said that a fan did something to her that she cannot forget in a hurry in the United States.

The actress said that when she was in the States, a fan quickly ran to him and took a selfie with her without seeking her permission but there was nothing she could do about that because fame is very expensive and has cost her, her freedom.

Glitz

‘Ok Jaanu’ star Aditya Roy Kapur to sign another romantic film?

A

ditya Roy Kapur can’t seem to have enough of love stories, reportedly the young actor is eyeing another rom-com and would very much like to be a part of it. His last romantic flicks ‘Ok Jaanu’ and ‘Fitoor’ have done lukewarm business at the box-office but that doesn’t seem to deter the actor from signing up for another love-soaked saga.

Aditya was last seen with Shraddha Kapoor in ‘Ok Jaanu’ and had starred alongside Katrina Kaif in ‘Fitoor’. By the actor’s own confession, the 31-year-olds star’s next film will be a comic caper, with a love story at the center of it, as reported by a daily. Would you want Aditya try something new in his next film? Leave us a comment below.

P

rince and George Michael will be honored at the Grammy Awards on Sunday with separate tributes, but organizers did not say on Wednesday which musicians will perform them.

Recording Academy President Neil Portnow said “Purple Rain” singer Prince, and British star Michael, who both died suddenly in 2016, were “pop icons who showcased rare musical genius and otherworldly charisma.”

“The passings of two such creative innovators were a huge loss for the creative community; The Recording Academy is humbled to pay homage to their tremendous legacies on the Grammy stage,” Portnow added in a statement.

The Recording Academy said it was not announcing details of the tributes and who will participate.

Prince, a seven-times Grammy winner, was found dead at his Minneapolis studio complex in April. An autopsy revealed the 57 year-old died of an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl.

Michael, 53, known for songs like “Last Christmas” and “Freedom,” was found dead at his British home on Christmas Day. The double Grammy winner’s manager said the singer died of heart failure, but the official cause is still being investigated.

Witherspoon, Kidman debut female-centric ‘Big Little Lies’

T

wo of film’s b i g g e s t names, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, have come together on screen to champion female empowerment in HBO’s “Big Little Lies.”

The Oscar-winning actresses both star in and executive-produce the seven-part limited TV series, based on the 2014 novel of the same name, after seeing the opportunity to put diverse women on the screen.

“It’s powerful, you know, when you actually connect with women and reflect back to them their lives and they see themselves on film,” Witherspoon, 40, told Reuters at the show’s Hollywood premiere this week.

Kidman, 49, currently Oscar-nominated for “Lion,” said she was “committed” to supporting female talent and young actors.

“It’s a lovely place in the world right now to be able to throw whatever power, whatever support I can be behind that,” she said.

“Big Little Lies,” debuting on HBO on Sunday, sees Witherspoon, Kidman and Shailene Woodley playing three mothers and also stars Zoe Kravitz, Laura Dern, Adam Scott and Alexander Skarsgard.

Makdee’s baby returns as Varun Dhawan’s bhabhi

A

fter National Award glory and acclaim as a child actor, Shweta Basu Prasad is set to return to Bollywood with a role that will make audiences see her in a new light.

Shweta Basu Prasad, who, at 11, won the Best Child Ac tor National Award for her show-stopping twin turn in Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Makdee’, is staging a comeback. She plays Urmila, the hero’s sister-in-law in Shashank Khaitan’s Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt-starrer romance-drama, ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’.

In early 2015, the actress, now 26, had received a call and instantly came on board after a look test. “It’s very different from how the audience last saw me -as a kid in Makdee and Iqbal. It’s a grown up part in the otherwise glam film, as close as possible to the real me because Urmila is earthy and humble,” asserts Shweta.

Her words ring true after learning that Varun couldn’t believe his bhabhi was only 25 after watching her in action during the film’s Jhansi schedule. “He laughed and remembered watching Makdee when he was in school. I had to explain to him that I was in school as well at the time,” chuckles Shweta, who cannot wait for the audience to see her in a new light.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Kenyan closure of Dadaab refugee camp blocked by high court BBC -- The High Court in Kenya has blocked the government’s bid to close the largest refugee camp in the world.

A directive to shut the Dadaab camp and forcibly repatriate about 260,000 Somali refugees living there was issued last year.

The deadline for its closure had been extended until

May, but a high court judge ruled the decision was tantamount to an act of group persecution.

The government says it will appeal against the ruling on security grounds. It said that attacks on its soil by the Somalia-based al-Shabab group had been planned in the camp.

Dadaab was set up in

1991 to house families fleeing conflict in Somalia, and some people have been living there for more than 20 years.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and lobby group Kituo Cha Sheria challenged the decision in court, saying it was discriminatory and contrary to international law.

New Dead Sea Scrolls cave discovered BBC -- Archaeologists have found a cave that once housed Dead Sea scrolls in a cliff in the Judean desert - the first such discovery in over 60 years.

Israel’s Hebrew University said the ancient parchments were missing from the cave, and were probably looted by Bedouin people in the 1950s. Storage jars, fragments of a scroll wrapping,

and a leather tying string were found at the site. The Dead Sea scrolls date from as early as the 4th Century BC. The priceless records include more than 800 documents written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, mostly on animal skin and papyrus.

As well as containing the oldest copies of many biblical texts, they also include

many secular writings about life in the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD. The first Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in 1947, reportedly by a young Bedouin shepherd hunting for a lost sheep in Qumran, on the modern-day West Bank. It is not known who wrote the scrolls, although some scholars have credited a Jewish sect called the Essenes.

Trump attack on judges ‘demoralising’ says Supreme Pope says ‘at peace’ confronting Court pick

Vatican corruption, sex abuse P ope Francis says he is at peace with himself and not taking “tranquilizing pills” while dealing with corruption in the Vatican and clergy sexual abuse.

“There is corruption in the Vatican but I am at peace,” he told leaders of

religious orders he met last November in the Vatican, according to a transcript published on Thursday.

“Never wash your hands of problems,” he said, according to the Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica.

At his election in 2013, Francis was mandated to

tackle financial scandals in Vatican departments, notably its bank.

He created a new economy ministry to centralize operations, strengthened the power of the Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority and appointed a general auditor.

BBC -- President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court has described the president’s attacks on the judiciary as “demoralising” and “disheartening”.

Neil Gorsuch’s comments were made to a Democratic senator and confirmed by his spokeswoman.

The president called a judge who halted his controversial travel ban a “so-called judge”, and said any terror

attacks on US soil would be his fault. The ban on arrivals from seven mainly Muslim countries faces a legal test.

After meeting Mr Gorsuch on Wednesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal revealed the Supreme Court nominee had found the president’s criticism to be “demoralising and disheartening”.

Mr Blumenthal said in a statement: “As the nominee of a president who has

viciously attacked the independence of the judiciary and declared multiple litmus tests for justices, Judge Gorsuch has a special responsibility to reassure the American people that he will be an open-minded and independent jurist.”

In a Thursday morning tweet, Mr Trump accused the Democratic Connecticut senator of having misrepresented his discussion with the Supreme Court nominee.

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Children’s Corner

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

The Canary and the Prophecy

T

here was another boy, a little older. He was very fond of birds and felt willing to do anything he was able to perform, to earn money enough to buy himself a canary and a cage. Very soon he managed to find employment, sometimes one thing and sometimes another, always so prompt, faithful and cheerful that he soon found persons inquiring after him, instead of having to hunt work.

After what seemed a very long time, for birds used to be very dear in those days, my little friend had a sum sufficient, and started out, as happy as could be, to make his purchase. The bird was selected ; the price was $5.oo, and the cage was $1.50. He then bought ten cents’ worth of seed to feed it, intending to soon purchase more. The merchant began laughing and ridiculing him about the small package of feed. The poor boy left the store with his treasure, but far from being as happy as when he entered it, and going home with burning cheeks and heavy heart, he told his gentle mother.

The father arrived and

was informed and immediately started down town.

When he entered the store, the merchant knew something was coming, and soon found out what it was. ‘’Where was your man- hood when you could ridicule a little child that had worked for weeks and weeks to pay you a high price for a bird and cage? I promise you here that that boy will rise and have name and wealth when you are down and poor! You may watch him and I will watch you!”

The man of avarice shrank before the eye and

voice of the man who uttered those significant words.

Within ten years the merchant had lost his fine store, his comfortable home property, and was scarcely earning a living, besides being an object of sympathy, from his altered health and dejected appearance. Two years later, and while he still lived, the boy had realized the fulfillment of that portion of his father’s prophecy which related to him, by an office of trust and emolument, which his proven integrity and ability had qualified him for, being conferred upon him.

Dear Children,

T

he winner of the colouring contest Thumbelina is Amanda Persaud. The picture to colour this week is entitled Lion Tamer and is submitted by Bryan Chan.

Colour and send it to Weekend Mirror, PO Box 101088, Georgetown or 8 Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

The winners will receive the prize of a storybook.

Name: ............................................................................................................................................

Address: ........................................................................................................................................ ......................................................................................... Tel. No: ................................................

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

19

20

WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Discuss your Problem

with

PORTIA

This feature explores personal problems. We invite you to write to Portia, c/o Mirror, P.O. Box 101088, Georgetown,Guyana

My Boyfriend Is Exchanging Shirtless Selfies With His Guy Friends Dear Portia,

I

s this a thing now? My boyfriend exchanges topless photos with other male friends via smartphone. The guys (in their late twenties, early thirties) are straight, and he says they do it as an immature joke. But some of the poses are so provocative! And though he says he wants to stop doing it, it’s now weeks later and he’s still at it.

Foolishly in Denial?

Dear Ms Denial, I haven’t heard it’s a thing. It could be a thing. It certainly should be a thing. But even though it’d be great if guys were able to flaunt their buffness and shout, “Hell yes!

I look awesome!” without having their sexuality labeled, alas, I don’t think it’s a thing.

Meanwhile, listen to your heart, which knows—hold on!

I just heard the topless male pectograph is a thing among well-defined dudes. I’d say stick with him. But if he starts exchanging Anthony Weiner shots, that’s another kettle of jockstraps.

My Wife Read My Diary Dear Portia,

M

y wife recently confessed to me that she read my diary. It contained very personal information, most of which was about her (and my fears regarding our marriage). After apologizing, she got angry with me for being upset. Am I wrong to make this about trust and respect? Or should I just forgive and move on?

Michel C Dear Michel, Hell, I believe a person should barely read her own diary, let alone someone else’s. But I’ve come up with a solution.

Thank you for waiting for the corollary—here it is.

Put a 28-year-old in a room alone with his/her loved one’s open diary, and no matter what the reward, my guess is two thirds would devour the diary.

Why? Facebook.

A revolution in our attitudes toward privacy, starting with Mark Zuckerberg’s invention of social media, and then Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, TMZ, Airbnb, Yelp, eBay, OkCupid, Google, Gawker, YouTube, and Uncle Sam monitoring our calls and e-mails, has made it possible for your wife to feel entitled to read your diary (and probably check your phone) just like she reads your Twitter feed. But I promised a solution: Tell her she may read your diary on condition that you are permitted to read hers. Then keep a private diary for yourself. I call this tactic the Count Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy and his wife read one another’s diaries throughout their marriage as a deep, inventive, tender, dangerous, passionate form of communication. It worked pretty well, until Mrs. Tolstoy found his Diary for Myself Alone and confronted him. The greatest writer who ever lived fled the house in the dead of night, made it as far as the Astapovo railway station, and died. That’s how strongly people once believed in privacy.

Corner Stages of a healthy relationship

every couple should be aware of E

very relationship has its different stages, and although one hopes endlessly for a secret formula to make a relationship work, the secret actually lies within us. It completely depends on our ability to deal with things and make things work for the better.

The excitement about falling in love is universal all over, but to maintain the relationship takes more effort than you could ever think of!

Although there are predictable stages of being in love, a healthy relationship is far more different from just being in love. If you are often confused where your relationship is headed to or if you often wish to have and maintain a healthy relationship, take a look at some of the stages of a healthy relationship given below. These stages might help you to understand and overcome any shortcomings in your current relationship.

Wooing Your Love

This stage is most popular and common with many of us. The feeling of falling in love and the sleepless nights that follow are an obvious indication you wish to spend more time with each other. This is the time a couple uses to create a better impression on each other. Roses, scented candles, chocolates, and teddy bears ... gift shops perhaps would never have seen their cash registers ringing if it weren’t for couples madly in love! Wooing one’s love in great style is the obvious beginning to a relationship, and the joy of acceptance from a partner is something that cannot be described!

Emotional Attachment

A healthy relationship is possible only when you feel a mutual attachment for each other. Emotional attachment is the mainstay of any relationship for that matter; this forms a foundation to build a future together! This is the time when you can probably call him/ her at odd hours. He/she would be the first person you ring up to convey your happiness or share a sorrowful moment.

This is one of the most important stages

of a healthy relationship as it is during this phase when you begin to unbosom yourselves and trust each other as well.

Physical Intimacy

Let’s face it; a certain level of physical intimacy is required for a healthy relationship. Physical attraction towards your partner is important and natural as long as you do not get obsessed with the same. This is the period when you wish to spend every waking hour with him/her, but learning to curb those feelings to a certain extent would help form a firm base for a healthy relationship. Physical attraction when based on your emotional feelings rather than just outward appearance would help you to have a meaningful relationship rather than just a fling. Emotional intimacy is the foremost thing if you are looking for stability in relationships. Although it’s not a crime being physically attracted to your partner, you should know where to draw the line.

Strengthening the Bond of Friendship

Having your partner as your best friend is one of the best stages of a healthy relationship. Being friends with each other will help to bring you closer with your partner and also increase the trust element between each other. Considering your partner as a friend is also a sign of acceptance. It means you have accepted him/her completely and share a certain level of maturity between each other. Every meaningful relationship of our life germinates from friendship, and so if you have it with your partner, you have unlocked the door to having a healthy relationship.

Dealing with Flaws

After all the initial euphoria of being in love, comes the stage of discovering each other’s flaws! Learning to deal with your partner’s shortcomings is an important stage in any healthy relationship. At times, certain traits of a person are probably visible only as time flies by. Short tempers and attitude problems are some things

you may have to deal with once you are in the relationship. Recognizing your partner’s problem area is another important stage required to maintain a healthy relationship. Learning to deal with it and sorting the issues amicably will only strengthen your relation with each other.

Retaining Individual Identities

No matter how much amount of compromise is involved in a relationship, you must retain your individuality to some extent. Being a doormat has not helped any couple; in fact, it only tends to worsen things for the couple.

Know yourself from within and mold yourself only for the better. At this stage, when you both maintain your individuality and respect each other for what you are, it would be a step towards the right direction for any relationship.

Commitment Levels Between the Couple

Falling in love is easy, but being in love for a long period of time requires commitment. Commitment towards each other is required for any relationship if you wish to have one that’s for keeps! A commitment towards each other only helps to establish more faith you have for each other. This means that both of you will have to be transparent and unambiguous about each other’s lives. Likewise, both partners need to be ready for commitment to have a healthy relationship. The stage of commitment is reached when couples realize they have common goals and would want to spend every bit of their joys and sorrows with each other.

Marriage is something you can decide later, and if you both are willing to take the plunge, then having complete faith in each other is requisite.

These stages of a healthy relationship should help you to analyze your relationship and know where it’s headed. With a little bit of understanding, love, and care, you would have the right recipe for a successful relationship!

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Ways to get rid of negative Recipes Pineapple energy in your home Parfait with Nuts

E

veryone experiences gloomy Sunday afternoon feelings from time to time. But if your home feels like it’s been in a constant state of the blues, it’s time to banish those negative, sad and downright depressing vibes that can have a dramatic effect on your mood once and for all. Trust us, you do want to try these techniques at home.

Try Airing Everything Out.

The first step to moving negative air out of your home: “\Open up all the windows and create a draft to let the air come through, even if it’s freezing outside. Fresh aair is everything. While you’re at it, shake out your pillows and blankets, too.

Carefully Burn Some Incense.

This fragrant smoke has long been a spiritual and meditation practice — so why not try it at home? It’ll help elevate the energy, creating a calm and serene atmosphere.

Be Sure To Repair Or Remove Broken Things.

Even though you’ve been meaning to get around to fixing that office chair, it might not be worth holding onto. Broken things bring that stuck and negative energy into your home, Spray Orange Essential Oil Around Your Home.

If there’s something about the smell of oranges that reminds you of smiles and sunshine, you’re not alone. Not only does it clear the negative energy, but it uplifts your mood. You can dif-

fuse drops into water or use an organic essential oil spray.”

and throw it away in the trash.

Remove Clutter As Soon As Possible.

When someone purchases a new home, they should clean and wipe down surfaces before moving their belongings into the home. This will aid in removing any type of negative energy from the previous owner.

Yes, there’s a reason you feel so good after you clear off your counter.

Objects retain lots of energy and physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually block our ‘path’ forward. Oh, and did we mention clutter makes you feel tired and stressed, too?

Start With A Clean Slate.

Add More Mirrors

Sadly, you can’t just pick out your favorite color for this practice. Black Touraline is known to ward off and dissolve negative energy, while Rose Quartz replaces negative emotions and feelings with positive ones.

To add positive energy (also known as chi) place mirrors around your home — but remember to avoid ones with sharp edges. “This will not only help you create more positive energy in your decor, but it will also help to cleanse the mind,” says Zuravliova.

Ring A Bell In Your Room

Stick With Neutral Colors.

Protect Your Space With Crystals

It sounds almost too simple, right?

Just give [your bell] a ring in each corner of the room and in your doorway..

Then, set the intention in your mind for the sound waves to move the bad energy out, and the good energy in.

Paint Your Walls Yellow

Color plays a pivotal role in your home and yellow neutralizes bad energy.

From an interior design viewpoint, this color will also make your space appear bigger and add a warm tone to a room.

Salt The Corners Of Each Room

To absorb the negative energy of previous owners, pouring salt into the four corners of your rooms, then letting it sit is recommended. After 48 hours, either vacuum or sweep the salt

Ingredients: 1 can evaporated milk, 1 pkt pineapple Jello, 1 cup hot water, 15 oz crushed pineapple, fresh or canned, 2 tbsp crushed nuts

Think about it: Dark, rich colors are full of personality. But sometimes, when you’re already overwhelmed by life, that’s the opposite of what you need to create a relaxing environment. Steer clear of anything dark that might feel negative and make spaces appear smaller than they actually are.

Protect Your Entrances.

Doors and windows to the outside act as entrances for energy. To keep these areas purified, fill a bucket of water with lemon juice, salt and white vinegar, and wipe doorknobs and windows with your mixture. Afterwards, pour sea salt by all of your entrances and cover it with a doormat to prevent negative energy from entering.

Preparation Chill the milk for at least 2 hours. Dissolve pineapple gelatine crystals in hot water, add juice from crushed pineapple and chill until partially set. Whip the milk until doubled in volume. Add gelatine and whip until thoroughly mixed. Fold in the crushed pineapple and chopped nuts, and chill to serve in parfait glasses.

Note: If fresh pineapple is used it must first be cooked.

Spicy Marinated Chicken in Orange Sauce Ingredients: 4 large onions, thinly sliced, ½ cup fresh lime juice, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 (3½ lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, 3 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 medium carrot chopped, 1 medium celery rib, chopped, 4 garlic cloves, minced, 1 fresh hot pepper, seeded and minced, ½ cup chicken broth

Preparation In a large bowl, combine the onions, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 to 6 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels.

Drain the marinade in a colander set over a large bowl, reserving both the liquids and the solids. Heat oil. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat, turning often, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes per second. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.

Add the reserved marinated onions and the carrot, celery, garlic, and pepper in a pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and the reserved marinade.

Bring to a boil. Return the chicken to pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the chicken shows no sign of pink at the bone when prodded with the tip of a sharp knife. This should be for 35 to 45 minutes.

Serve over hot rice.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Grade Six Assessment Social Studies EXERCISE A Components of a Map 1. Maps usually have a to show what distance on the earth is represented by a certain distance on the map. a. grid b. scale c. legend d. cell 2. What is the purpose of the legend on a map? a. To tell you what you are looking at on the map. b. To show distances on the map. c. To tell you what the symbols mean on the map. d. To show directions on the map.

3. A smaller map set within the border of a larger map. a. legend b. inset map c. political map d. none of the above 4. A physical map focuses on a. elevation. b. population. c. land surface d. boundaries.

5. A.........................is a symbol that shows us directions on a map. a. globe b. compass rose c. map d. ocean 6. A map that shows human-made features such as borders, states, and countries. a. political map b. legend c. compass rose d. none of the above 7. One of the different ways of showing earth’s curved surface on a flat map. a. equator b. Map Projection c. Cartographer d. Prime Meridian 8. Which of the maps listed below shows elevation by the use of contour lines and the horizontal position of terrain features and land formations? a. city or state road map b. geographic map c. topographic map d. tourist map 9. Latitude lines: a. run north and south of the Equator b. run east and west of the Prime Meridian c. meet at the poles d. have a maximum of 180 degrees 10. Longitude lines: a. run east and west of the Equator b. run north and south of the Prime Meridian c. meet at the poles d. have a maximum of 90 degrees

EXERCISE C What is the difference between a consumer and producer? Place the correct words in the blank: consumer, producer 1. A……………………makes and sells goods or services. A…………………buys goods or services.

2. What is the difference between goods and services? ……………………are things people make and grow; they are things we can touch or hold. …………………….are actions; things people do for others. a. Services, Goods b. Goods, Services 3. Which product is not made from a natural resource? a. a television b. a picnic table c. a newspaper d. clothes 4. Mrs. Smith raises bees as a hobby. Every summer she collects the honey, and puts it in jars to sell at the fair. Mrs. Smith is a of honey. a. consumer b. producer c. teacher d. cook 5. List five examples of natural resources.

Transatlantic Slave Trade Use arrows to draw the routes of the Triangular Slave Trade.

Write what goods or services were being traded along each route.

Countries of Europe Fill in the letter of the following countries on the map.

1. Ukraine 2. Greece 3. Russia 4. France 5. Spain 6. Italy 7. Germany 8. Great Britain 9. Austria 10. Finland 11. Denmark 12. Switzerland 13. Romania 14. Netherlands 15. Bulgaria EXERCISE B Goods and Services 1. Which is a Human Resource? a. A secretary b. Trees c. Schools d. Library 2. People must make...................... to obtain needs and wants. a. toys b. Food c. choices 3. Which of the following is a need? a. toys b. Computer c. food 4. A consumer is a person who buys or uses food or other products. a. True b. False 5. A worker in a factory that builds chairs is called a . a. producer b. Money c. Consumer d. toys 6. What term describes a person who uses goods and services? a. money b. Bartering c. consumer d. saving 7. When a person visits the dentist for a check up, the dentist is . a. producing a good b. using barter c. providing a service 8. The students made popcorn to sell at the fair. The popcorn is a . a. good b. Barter c. service d. money 9. Not having enough resources to meet people’s unlimited wants. a. service b. goods c. benefit d. scarcity 10.

A.............................makes goods. a. consumer b. Goods c. service d. producer

Fill in the blanks with one of the following religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, or Buddhism.

1.

What religion believed in organizing societies by castes?

2.

Christianity was derived from this religion?

3.

What religion was started by Muhammad?

4.

What religion refers to their members as Muslims?

5.

The Arabic term for the holy pilgrimage that Muslims make to the city of Mecca is .

6.

The Four Noble Truths belong to what religion?

7.

Followers of this religion are required to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime if at all possible.

8.

The five pillars of faith are associated with the religion

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

The Other View

US, EU Food Standards Major Hurdle for Caribbean Exporters

By Jewel Fraser (IPS) - As Caricom countries struggle to move away from their traditional reliance on a single industry or major crop in the face of growing economic uncertainty worldwide, they are finding it increasingly difficult to enter markets in the EU and North America with new types of food products.

But tariffs are no longer the main barriers to accessing important markets, according to a document produced by the ACP-EU Overcoming Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) programme.

Latin America and the Caribbean provide over 90 per cent of the fruits and nearly 80 per cent of all vegetables imported by the US. Nonetheless, some countries in the region have “very high rejection rates” at US ports of entry.

The ACP-EU is of the view that “Non-tariffs barriers will become the main challenge of the future multilateral trade system.” Specifically, technical barriers related to compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) in export markets and other standards including those relating to labelling and packaging.

The EU considers these technical, non-tariff, barriers to trade so challenging for its African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) partners that it provided 15 million euros starting in 2013 to help those developing countries upgrade their processes and become compliant, thus giving them a better chance of success on the EU and North America markets.

The Caribbean Agribusiness Association (CABA) is one Caribbean organisation that was able to access funding to help its members move toward HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) certification, which the ACP-EU TBT programme identified as a crucial requirement. Since the early 2000s, the

US and EU have stipulated that foods entering their markets must have HACCP certification.

Ten of CABA’s members were present at a regional conference, held at the Radisson Hotel in Port-of-Spain Jan. 2930, to report on the benefits they received from the HACCP training. They heard some sobering statistics with regard to the EU and US food industry that provided context for the TBT programme.

Dr. Andre Gordon, chief executive officer of TSL Technical Services Limited, told delegates that each year, the UK records approximately one million cases of food-borne illnesses, of which about

20,000 require hospitalisation, and 500 deaths are recorded. The cost to the UK of dealing with food-borne illnesses is 1.4 billion pounds annually.

In the US, approximately 48 million cases of food-borne illnesses are recorded annually, resulting in 128,000 hospitalisations and 3,000 deaths. The cost to the US of dealing with food-borne illnesses is approximately 77.7 billion dollars annually, the delegates heard.

The 2016 report, “Addressing Food Losses due to Non-Compliance with Quality and Safety Requirements in Export Markets: the case of Fruits and Vegetables from the Latin America and the Caribbean

Region,” by two Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) experts, underlined how much is at stake for Caribbean agribusiness exporters.

The report reveals that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) provide over 90 per cent of the fruits and nearly 80 per cent of all vegetables imported by the US. Nonetheless, some countries in the region have “very high rejection rates” at US ports of entry, including Jamaica, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic, the document states.

The report said, “While many LAC countries have a good rate of acceptance in comparison with other countries exporting to the USA and EU, a few countries within LAC perform very poorly, revealing great disparity in preparedness for export trading within the region.”

The report noted that “Multiple handling failures along the chain are likely the cause of the most frustrating complaints by international buyers.”

Dr. Gordon, who oversaw the Jamaica ackee industry’s transformation that made it compliant with US Food and Drug Administration regulations in the early

seem unattainable and not good value for money. A lot of firms have issues with understanding the value for money proposition of embarking on a certification programme.”

The briefing paper “SPS measures lead to high costs and losses for developing countries”, published not long after the EU mandated HACCP certification for all exporters to the EU, noted that “As the income level of developing countries is far smaller, …the opportunity cost of compliance is relatively far higher than that for developed country exporters.

“The rapid change in SPS measures, regulations and notifications of new regulations is another problem facing developing countries in preparing for compliance.

It also imposes extra costs on investors and exporters and creates uncertainty for them.”

However, the paper’s author concluded, “while the cost of compliance is high, the cost of lack of compliance is even higher” because of loss of market share or reduced access to markets.

Dr. Gordon revealed that in 2010, the Caribbean had the second highest level of food rejections Oraine Halstead (left) and Rhys Actie tend tomatoes in a of any region at US greenhouse at Colesome Farm ports of entry. at Jonas Road, Antigua A March 2016 FAO report highlighted other issues hindering Caribbean agribusinesses in their efforts to export. The report states: “A number of deep-seated challenges inhibit Caribbean agriculture diversification and competitiveness: the small and fragmented nature of most farm units; the absence of strong farmer grass-roots organizations; the cost of agricultural labor; the ageing demographics of Caribbean farmers; an education system that does not prepare youth to seek 2000s so that it could gain access to the employment opportunities in the agriculUS market, explained to IPS the obstacles tural sector; and extension systems that facing Caribbean exporters. have historically focused on managing the “The problem in general with all agri- traditional export crops.” business companies in the Caribbean is The problem of small farm units is typically lack of technical capacity and being addressed head on, said CABA’s knowledge of the requirements and lack president Vassel Stewart, with the forof the resources to implement the systems mation of CABEXCO, a new umbrella as required,” he said. organisation for SMEs in the Caricom However, Dr. Gordon said, “The cul- agribusiness sector, which will jointly tural change that is required is probably procure raw materials and services as well the biggest single limitation to imple- as market its members’ products and reach menting and sustaining certification sys- out to new buyers. tems…If the management and ownership The resulting economies of scale will [of agribusinesses] do not have a vision also hopefully make it easier to bear the of becoming global players then the ef- cost of becoming compliant with US and fort and resources required are going to EU food export regulations.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Remembering Our Former Friends & Comrades

J

ust recently, while working on my article, my longtime friend “LJ” came to my mind. Despite not having spo-

ken to her for ages, she is often in my thoughts. Whenever that happens, I usually make a mental note to call her.

However, as you probably have experienced yourself, activities like “catch up” calls often get neglected as the more “urgent” things on our to-do list take precedence.

This time, however, I felt compelled to give her a call.

And I am so glad that I did because she said that she had been feeling really down and needed some cheering up.

Her youngest child left home this past September and she had been suffering from “empty-nest” syndrome. Years ago, she was a successful graphic designer but while she was raising her kids, technology transformed her profession, and now she is just feeling old and left behind.

I asked her why she hadn’t called me, and she said that she did not want to dump on me. We chatted for a while, and it felt so nice to catch up. Her friendship is very important to me. I tried to cheer her up during our talk and must have succeeded, because a few days later she called back to tell me how much the talk had meant to her. She said that my reaching out to her had helped her to snap out of herself. Then she shared news that warmed my heart. First she said that she was feeling much better and was ready to begin making changes in her life. Then she said that she had signed up for some re-training graphic design classes, had joined a gym and was going to change her hair color!

Now, my dear Readers, I did not actually do anything remarkable or give her any special insights. I believe that she popped into my mind because she needed to hear from me and that is why I am sharing this story with you. I am reasonably sure that you too have had times when you found your thoughts straying to old friends/ comrades who have drifted out of your life. I want to remind you how precious your friends and comrades are. The next time that happens to you, make time for them right away.

Remember, we are all connected, and you never know when the sound of an old friend’s voice at the other end of the line will be a godsend to you!

Happy 67th Anniversary to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). Remember to purchase and read your copy of the Mirror Newspaper and tune to Freedom Radio, streaming on 91.1 FM in GT and its environs, 90.7 in Essequibo and 90.5 inBerbice. Streaming online freedomradio 91.com. Have an enjoyable weekend.

G. Persaud

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Key friendships vital for effective human social networks

C

lose friendships facilitate the exchange of information and culture, making social networks more effective for cultural transmission, according to new UCL research that used wireless tracking technology to map social interactions in remote hunter-gatherer populations.

The research demonstrates how increased network efficiency is achieved through investment in a few strong links between non-kin friends connecting unrelated families, as well as showing that strong friendships are more important than family ties in predicting levels of shared knowledge among individuals.

The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, was funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

Hunter-gatherers offer the closest existing examples of human lifestyles and social organisation in the past, offering vital insights into human evolutionary history.

To map the social networks

This research demonstrates how increased network efficiency is achieved through investment in a few strong links between non-kin friends connecting unrelated families, as well as showing that strong friendships are more important than family ties in predicting levels of shared knowledge among individuals

of populations of Agta and BaYaka hunter-gatherers in Congo and the Philippines, researchers from the Hunter-Gatherer Resilience Proj-

ect in UCL Anthropology used devices called mote -- a wireless sensing technology worn as an armband that can record the interactions a per-

son has in one day.

The motes recorded all one-to-one interactions at two minute intervals for 15 hours a day over a week in

six Agta camps in the Philippines (200 individuals, 7, 210 interactions) and three BaYaka camps in the Congo (132 individuals, 3,397 interactions).

With this data, they were able to construct and examine social networks for both groups in unprecedented detail.

Many unique human traits such as high cognition, cumulative culture and hyper-cooperation have evolved due to the social organisation patterns unique to humans.

First author of the study, Dr Andrea Migliano (UCL Anthropology), commented: “Making friends and having a friendship network is an important human adaptation, one that has helped us develop cumulative culture.

“What we see in these hunter-gatherer camps is that people have very strong relationships with their friends -- and those relationships are as strong as those with family. These friends connect

the different households, facilitating the exchange of information and culture. And it is those connections that make a network efficient.”

The analyses show that randomization of interactions among either close kin or extended family did not affect the efficiency of hunter-gatherer networks.

In contrast, randomization of friends (non-kin relationships) greatly reduced efficiency.

The researchers also found evidence that friendships began very early in childhood in both populations.

Dr Migliano added: “In contemporary society, we have the technology to expand these social networks, increasing flow of information over much larger numbers of people. This allows humans to co-operate and work together to build wonderful things. Our work illustrates how friendship is one of the secrets to humans’ success as a species.”

What happened to the sun over 7,000 years ago?

A

n international team led by researchers at Nagoya University, along with US and Swiss colleagues, has identified a new type of solar event and dated it to the year 5480 BC; they did this by measuring carbon-14 levels in tree rings, which reflect the effects of cosmic radiation on the atmosphere at the time. They have also proposed causes of this event, thereby extending knowledge of how the sun behaves.

When the activity of the sun changes, it has direct effects on the earth. For example, when the sun is relatively inactive, the amount of a type of carbon called

carbon-14 increases in the earth’s atmosphere. Because carbon in the air is absorbed by trees, carbon-14 levels in tree rings actually reflect solar activity and unusual solar events in the past. The team took advantage of such a phenomenon by analyzing a specimen from a bristlecone pine tree, a species that can live for thousands of years, to look back deep into the history of the sun.

“We measured the 14C levels in the pine sample at three different laboratories in Japan, the US, and Switzerland, to ensure the reliability of our results,” A. J. Timothy Jull of the University of Arizona says. “We

found a change in 14C that was more abrupt than any found previously, except for cosmic ray events in AD 775 and AD 994, and our use of annual data rather than data for each decade allowed us to pinpoint exactly when this occurred.”

The team attempted to develop an explanation for the anomalous solar activity data by comparing the features of the 14C change with those of other solar events known to have occurred over the last couple of millennia.

“Although this newly discovered event is more dramatic than others found to date, comparisons of the 14C data among them

Picture of the bristlecone pine forest in California, the United States where the bristlecone pine sample for this study used to live (taken by Prof. A.J.T. Jull). In this forest, there are many living old trees exceed 1000 years old. Harsh environments make bristlecone pines very dense and long lives

can help us to work out what happened to the sun at this time,” Fusa Miyake of Nagoya University says.

She adds, “We think that a change in the magnetic activity of the sun along with a series of strong solar bursts, or a very weak sun, may have caused the unusual tree ring data.”

Although the poor understanding of the mechanisms behind unusual solar activity has hampered efforts to definitively explain the team’s findings, they hope that additional studies, such as telescopic findings of flares given off by other sun-like stars, could lead to an accurate explanation.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Sharapova handed Madrid Open wildcard T

Japan chief questioned over Tokyo bid payment: report

F

ormer world number one Maria Sharapova has been invited to play at the Madrid Open in May, which takes place less than two weeks after her 15-month doping ban expires, tournament organizers said on Wednesday.

The five-time grand slam winner has been given a wildcard for the event, which begins on May 5.

It is scheduled to be her second comeback tournament after her suspension for doping, with the Russian set to return to action at the Stuttgart Grand Prix in April.

“Sharapova requested an invitation to play... (She) is one of the best players of the last 15 years and also a past winner of our tournament,” said event director Manolo Santana.

“In Madrid she always

plays well and I’m sure she will come back to the courts highly motivated and hoping to do well.”

Following a positive test for the drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open, the Russian was suspended

for two years by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) cut the ban by nine months last October, allowing her to return from April 26.

Harper-Nelson banned after not checking medication properly

B

eijing Olympics 100 meters hurdles champion Dawn Harper-Nelson has been banned for three months after she tested positive for the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said on Tuesday.

The ban is effective from Dec. 1, 2016.

USADA said it had accepted Harper-Nelson’s explanation that her positive test was caused by medication she was prescribed by a physician to treat hypertension.

“Harper-Nelson further explained that she made efforts to determine if the medication contained prohibited substances; however, due to using partial search terms, those efforts were unsuccessful,” USADA said in a statement.

okyo prosecutors have questioned the president of the Japan Olympic Committee over controversial payments made to a Singaporean consulting firm during the bidding for the 2020 Summer Games, Kyodo News agency reported on Wednesday.

The questioning of Tsunekazu Takeda, who led the successful bid, and several other people involved in the bidding, was voluntary and carried out at the request of the French authorities, Kyodo said.

Takeda and the others denied doing anything illegal, the report said.

The Tokyo prosecutors’ office and the JOC declined to comment on the report when contacted by Reuters.

French prosecutors last year announced an investigation into more than $2 million of payments made by the bid committee to the consultancy, Black Tidings.

Black Tidings is headed

by Ian Tan Tong Hon, who

is known to be friends with Papa Massata Diack, son of disgraced former international athletics chief Lamine Diack.

Japanese officials repeatedly said the payments had been legitimate consultant’s fees, and a panel commissioned by the JOC said in September it had found that the payment was legitimate.

Tokyo 2020 organizers

have been grappling with a list of headaches including soaring costs and calls to change venues.

The country club that will host the golf tournaments has come under fire for its policy of barring women from becoming full members, and a trade show group is calling on Tokyo to find a new location for the international media center.

Lasith Malinga picked for T20Is in Australia

D

Harper-Nelson, who also clinched silver in the 100 meters hurdles at the 2012 London Games, said the

medication had been prescribed after she was taken to hospital suffering from high blood pressure.

inesh Chandimal, who led Sri Lanka in the last of the T20Is in South Africa, has been dropped from the squad for the three T20Is in Australia, while a clutch of players stage a comeback to the side. The most notable of these is Lasith Malinga who has now recovered from injury.

Allrounders Dasun Shanaka and Milinda Siriwardana, and batsmen Dilshan Munaweera and Chamara Kapugedara were also named, after being left out of the squad to South Africa. Upul Tharanga, who is currently leading Sri Lanka in the ODIs in South Africa ODIs, will lead the team in place of Angelo Mathews, who remained unavailable

through injury.

Dhananjaya de Silva, Thikshila de Silva, Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal were left out of the squad.

There was still no place for wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera or legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay.

This is the first time Malinga was picked since he withdrew from the side ahead of the 2016 World

T20, citing a bone bruise in his left knee. He was originally expected to only be unavailable for about five months, but had setbacks during his recovery - most recently suffering from dengue in December. If Malinga plays in the first T20I in Melbourne, it will be his first competitive match - international or domestic - in nearly a year.

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WEEKEND MIRROR 11-12 FEBRUARY, 2017

Sport View

Referee mishap at Nitro Series leaves headliner Bolt fuming

by Neil Kumar T Jaguars fail again – Axiomatic sign that better administration needed at the highest level

G

uyana Jaguars lost their crucial match against Jamaican Scorpions.

The Jamaican Scorpions defeated the Guyana Jaguars in a crucial Group B game of the Regional Super 50 tournament.

The win put the Scorpions in a strong position to move into the final four of the prestigious Regional Tournament.

Taking first strike, the Scorpions scored a challenging 255 runs. The Jaguars did well to bowl out the Scorpions in 49.4 over’s. Batting for the Scorpions, Steven Taylor scored a solid 86 runs, receiving valuable support from Andre McCarthy who made 45. After they lost two early wickets, Taylor and Mc McCarthy put on a century partnership for the third wicket. However, the Jaguars were able to restrict the middle order and lower order batsmen and bowled them out for 255 runs.

Bowling for the Jaguars Raymon Reifer captured four wickets for thirty-eight runs and Ronsford Beaton took two wickets for thirty-three

runs.

The Jaguars, in reply, lost both their opening batsmen via the run-out route. Rajendra Chandrika was first to go for 15 runs, while Assad Fudadin top scored with a solid half century. However, the Jaguars’ senior batsmen failed in an all important match.

Leon Johnson was dismissed for a mere 3 runs.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul only contributed 17 runs to the score and Christopher Barnwell, who must have played in his last match at this level, went back to the pavilion for a duck. Anthony Bramble and Veerasammy Permaul gave the Jaguars some hope, but they were unable to take the Jaguars home.

The Jaguars also lost for the second time to the Barbados Pride. Both matches were challenging and the Jaguars failed because they lack the quality leadership and their batting was inconsistent.

The Guyana cricket administrators must make a serious analysis of what took place during this tournament.

It seems clear that the Jaguars

are on their way home, as they cannot get into the final four.

Leon Johnson is not the best player to captain the team. “Shiv” must now make space for younger players.

He is the ‘master’, but it is time for him to be around as a motivator and inspire the younger players.

There are several young players who are knocking at the door to make their way into the national team. The young all-rounder Kemo Paul must now replace Barnwell, while Yadram should find a place in the team. As for the young Chanderpaul, he needs to cement his place in the senior team. Hetemyer is a player who should have been prominent in the team.

The team also needs a better coach. If the persons at the helm of our cricket do not wake up with the disaster that took place in the Super 50 tournament, then the people in waiting will move them out.

It is extremely sad to the Jaguars come home as little rabbits.

he second installment of the Nitro Athletics Series ended in farce in Melbourne on Thursday, with a referee error that initially awarded the Australia team top ranking for the night by mistake, leaving headline athlete Usain Bolt fuming.

In the final 4x100 meters relay event at Lakeside Stadium, Australia were disqualified for a botched baton change and Bolt’s ‘AllStars’ won the race comfortably. But the hosts were erroneously awarded points that left them at the top of the table at the expense of the Jamaican’s team.

The mishap was eventually corrected, awarding the night to the ‘All-Stars’, but not before the live broadcast

of the event had finished and most of the crowd of 6,500 spectators, including IAAF President Sebastian Coe, had filed out of the stadium.

Bolt, who ran the third leg of the relay, was incredulous. “(It’s) because it’s Australia. It’s biased!” Bolt yelled at trackside officials before the result was corrected. “I’m going to protest that - it makes no sense.”

“I don’t know what happened. I thought if you were DQ’d you’d be out (of the race) for sure or even lose some points but you can’t not lose any points,” he said.

Organizers said the error lay with an Australian referee.

Bolt was paid a seven-figure appearance fee to commit to all three meetings of the series in Melbourne this month and given a stake in the company running the event.

The series’ opening night last Saturday was hailed as a success, with solid television ratings and a decent crowd. But the organizers may hope to move on quickly from the second.

The scoring problem followed confusion during the women’s mile elimination race, which saw one of the runners leave the track in error, wrongly believing she had been knocked out for crossing the line last behind the other runners.

I will never feel great again, says Woods

F

ormer world number one Tiger Woods has accepted that he will “never feel great” again after suffering a number of back and knee injuries in recent years.

The 14-times major champion returned to action in December following a 15-month layoff but was forced to pull out of the

Dubai Desert Classic last week after the first round due to a back spasm.

“There were a lot of times I didn’t think I was going to make it back. It was tough, it was more than brutal,” Woods told Dubai magazine Vision.

The 41-year-old American has racked up 79 PGA Tour victories in his career

but has not won a major championship since 2008.

“There have been plenty of times when I thought I would never play the game again at the elite level,” Woods, ranked 674th in the world, said.

“It was tough, it was more than brutal. There were times I needed help just to get out of bed.

“I feel good, not great. I don’t think I will ever feel great because it’s three back surgeries, four knee operations,” he added.

Woods is hoping to play in the U.S. Masters in April, the first major of the year.

“I’m always going to be a little bit sore. As long as I can function, I’m fine with that,” he said.

GAWU exposes govt’s hypocrisy on Skeldon T

he country’s main sugar union, GAWU, has exposed the government’s hypocrisy in dealing with the sugar industry. The union pointed out that the government says Skeldon estate is a “ticking time bomb” yet a potential Indian investor

says that the estate can be profitable in a short period.

In a statement on government’s move to sell Sheldon estate, the Union stated: The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has said that news of an Indian firm being in-

terested in the takeover of Skeldon Estate is intriguing, since the factory was described by officials of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) not too long ago as a “ticking time bomb” requiring an astronomical sum to be put right. In a state-

ment, the Union said, “We also found it noteworthy too that the investor advised that in a short period it would make the estate profitable.

It begs the obvious question why couldn’t GuySuCo’s management have similar success. In our view, it con-

firms, the weaknesses of the current Managerial cadre within the Corporation and points to the urgent need for reform at that level. Our Union holds that they are many capable Guyanese who can grasp with the present situation and, we are confident will be motivated by the need to see the viability of the industry, to safeguard and promote the interests of our country and people.”

According to the Union, news on developments are Skeldon were made public via the media, and it pointed out that the plans of the Indian firm – seeking to have control of the co-generation plants and was desirous of setting up of a refinery to tap into the lucrative Caribbean market – mirrors the recommendations of the GuySuCo CoI report.

“Such a direction was also recommended by the Sugar Commission of In-

quiry (CoI) and was a part of GuySuCo’s original intentions for Skeldon and is strongly supported by our Union for adoption by the Corporation. We believe such a move will see the industry benefitting from higher revenues which would be in the interest of the industry and the thousands linked to its operations. The situation calls for our active vigilance,” GAWU said.

It maintains that the investor interest demonstrates the value of Skeldon Estate as well as its possibilities. “It has also further reinforced the GAWU’s strongly held view that Skeldon was the right step and that its success will benefit the entire sugar industry. We urge the Administration to consider carefully the ramifications of the decision in this regard and the consequences for our economy and most of all our people,” GAWU said.

PSC calls for SARA Bill to be sent to Parliamentary Special Select Committee – says provisions in Bill constitute a threat to democracy and good governance

T

he State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) Bill came up for a second reading on Thursday in the National Assembly and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) maintains its concerns about the “draconian nature” of the Bill and the potential negative impact on investor confidence.

The Commission has since written to House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, and noted that it was informed that the Bill was “essentially the same Bill” that was sent to stakeholders for consultations and no “meaningful changes” were made to its provisions – despite the concerns of civil society.

As such, the PSC made clear that he Bill is in conflict with the rights enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana and constitute a threat to democracy and good governance.

The Commission called

for the Bill to be sent to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee so that its provisions, and the implications of those provisions, can be thoroughly examined at a level where civil society may be invited to speak.

The SARA Bill was tabled last week in the House.

The bill addresses the establishment a State Assets Recovery Agency to be headed by a Director who shall be a corporation sole to recover through civil proceedings State property unlawfully acquired by a public official or any other person, to provide for investigations leading to the granting by the High Court of Restraint and Civil Recovery Orders in respect of unlawfully acquired property, to engage in international cooperation in the recovery of stolen assets of States within the contemplation of the Act, and for related matters.

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