2015 8 23

SUNDAY No. 104290

SUNDAY AUGUST 23, 2015

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

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Gov't offers boosted Nagamootoo support to Food For The Poor condemns racial - leading charitable organisation to get land, duty-free concessions, annual budgetary subvention Page 3

incitement

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- accuses PPP/C of re-introducing ‘aapan jaat’ politics Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Female passengers busted at Ogle airport Page 12 with cocaine

Gov’t continues to 4 monitor gas prices for further reduction

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President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger being escorted into the Savannah Suite at the Pegasus Hotel by Chairman of the Board of Directors of Food For The Poor (Guyana), Paul Chan-A-Sue (right) and Chief Executive Officer Kent Vincent (left). The event was the annual fundraising dinner hosted by the leading charitable organization last Friday evening. (Delano Williams photo)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Haiti defies odds to stage historic opening of CARIFESTA XII – CARICOM Secretary General underscores its importance to regional integration

One of the many colourful fireworks at last Friday evening’s opening ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti A Haitian national carrying the Guyana flag leads the country’s delegation through Magloire Ambrose Avenue on Friday

By Ravin Singh in Haiti THE heart of the Caribbean began beating in the small island of Haiti as the 12th edition of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) kicked off on Friday in fine style in the French-speaking nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

Despite a late start, the rendezvous point at Djymnia-

suom Vensan, in the city, provided glimpses of the rich cultural costumes of the 20 participating countries from the Caribbean and North, South and Central America.

This was succeeded by a two-and-a-half hour parade along Magloire Ambrose Avenue to Cuoss Ocsde Janty Champ de Marse – a semi, stadium-like facility which hosted the opening ceremony.

Spirits of Caribbean dancers were released along this journey as the various contingents gracefully gyrated to music emanating from small trucks which accompanied the delegations. Guyana in particular, had stamped their authority even before the procession began, by magnetising the crowd after one of its male dancers unleashed his distinct potential

through his art form.

But upon arriving at the Cuoss Ocsde Janty Champ de Marse, it was quite evident that Haiti had successfully shielded itself, perhaps temporarily, against the general perception of being synonymous with poverty.

A semi-decorated, illuminated grand stage facilitated the Traditional Orchestral Band of Haiti, whose members were decked sleekly in their black attire. Haitian renditions by the band provided entertainment for the sitting

A section of the Haitian crowd at the Cuoss Ocsde Janty Champ de Marse at last Friday night’s history-making event

crowd of a few thousand, even as scores of Haitians flocked the streets to witness this historic occasion.

At this point, the Haitian faction of the crowd erupted as one of their local iconic artistes Micka Benn graced the event with his presence, performing several renditions on behalf of the host country.

A kaleidoscope of colours through well-oriented fireworks, complemented his performance.

Strong sentiments aimed at pushing regional integration were then expressed

by Secretary General of the Caribbean Community Irwin LaRocque, who delivered the feature address.

According to LaRocque, CARIFESTA, which embodies the spirit of community since its birth in 1972, aims to support and promote regional integration which is key to the development of the Region.

The Secretary General highlighted that this historic moment, which history will record as Haiti’s first time hosting CARIFESTA, was greeted with support when the country signalled its intention in 2013 to host the event.

Describing it as one which provides a platform for the Region to strengthen

its cultural identity, the CARICOM Secretary General related that the regional body has highlighted culture as an area for development and growth through the provision of jobs and the true realisation of regional integration.

However, the true potential of the Caribbean, culturally, is yet to be realised. And according to him, the Heads of Government of CARICOM remain committed in this regard - to be a vehicle for regional integration and the advancement of the Region as a unit. “Our culture plays a fundamental part in building regional integration,” LaRocque stressed.

Expressing similar sentiments was Haiti’s fiery President, Michel Martelly, who, even without the use of a speech, demanded the attention of the attendees with strong words of nation-building and regional advancement.

“We [Haiti] want to see you [CARICOM] more often. We want to look you in the eyes and say, we have problems, but together we can fix it,” the Haitian President said, adding that CARICOM’s support in assisting them to host the event is invaluable.

He, like LaRocque, reflected on the regional body’s support for his country to host the event for the first time, after it was hinted at in 2013. To this end, he expressed sentiments of gratitude to all participating bodies and welcomed them to the beautiful country of Haiti.

Presentations were also made by Minister of Culture of Haiti, Joan Dithny Raton, and Culture, Youth and Sport Minister of Barbados, Stephen Lashley.

However, the highly anticipated opening ceremony ended prematurely as unexpected showers greeted the capital city of Haiti.

The event which facilitates the gathering of like-minded souls will continue for the next eight days with a Grand Market, exhibits, performances, and other cultural orientations dominating the festival.

These events will run daily from 10:00 hrs to midnight. It is expected to be a fair where Caribbean craft rub shoulders with fashion shows, gastronomy, music and other creative art forms. (Sponsored by Fly Jamaica)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Gov’t offers boosted support to Food For The Poor

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– leading charitable organisation to get land, duty-free concessions, annual budgetary subvention

By Navendra Seoraj PRESIDENT David Granger has declared that his Government, in its committed effort to eradicate extreme poverty, will be boosting the support given to the leading charitable Organisation in the country, Food For The Poor (FFTP).

Speaking on Friday evening at FFTP’s annual fund raising dinner held in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel, the President pointed out that, “If it wasn’t for Food For The Poor, Guyana’s poverty rate would have been higher.”

Therefore, supporting FFP would be equivalent to supporting the fight against poverty; which President Granger stated is because the Organisation’s goodness reaches every corner of the country.

“I applaud their immediate, industrial scale of existence...their income generating projects have been changing the lives of many from poverty to self-sufficiency and my Government is committed to the objective of eradicating extreme poverty from our country within the next five years…it is a bold and ambitious goal but it is a necessary duty if we are to reclaim our human dignity, if we are to reclaim our self-esteem and self-respect and if this country is to develop,” President Granger said.

Of recent His Excellency, after a visit to the Organisation’s headquarter in Festival City, Georgetown, discovered that they were suffering a space issue.

Hence, he declared that the Government will be offering two hectares of land free of cost for the construction of a larger facility.

A section of the gathering

President David Granger delivering the feature address at Food For The Poor Guyana’s annual fundraising dinner (Delano Williams photos)

This announcement was met with applause from the large gathering at the annual fundraising dinner where President Granger attended with First Lady Mrs Sandra Granger.

Apart from that, the support offered will also include duty free concessions for all vehicles imported by the Organisation, so that they could widen their outreach scale.

However, the support does not stop there.

President Granger said “the Government will be providing in the 2016 budget a fixed annual subvention to supplement Food For The Poor.”

According to the President, the assistance given to the Organisation will be instrumental in assisting them to help the Government in eradicating poverty. “With sufficient support, Food For The Poor’s work can be more impactful in alleviating poverty in our country,”

he said. would not be able to exist He emwithout the support of the phasised that Government, other organGuyana cannot isations and individuals. claim to uphold He made mention of human dignithis because, “when perty when many sons hear of the projects of its citizens we do, they think that subsist on an Food For The Poor is well income that is off, but in fact it is not insufficient to without the support of provide for their others that we are able to daily meals. do what we do.”

“Respect for Their support, he dishuman dignity closed, encompasses alChairman of the Board of Directors of calls for a level of most all of the ten adminisconcern, a level Food For The Poor (Guyana), Paul Chan- trative regions in Guyana; A-Sue addressing the fund-raising dinner of commitment whether it be in the form of and a call to achousing, education, health, tion in eradicating extreme poverty from our sports and so forth. society, Food For The Poor attempts to do just As such, Vincent stressed that “support is that but it has gone beyond providing hand- key for the future of this charitable Organisaouts; it has helped to empower individuals… tion, so that we can continue our fight against helping people to help themselves,” the Head poverty, so that persons around the country can of State posited. be assured of a comfortable life.”

The President also called on citizens, esFFTP has become the leading charitable pecially corporate Guyana, to recognise their Organisation in Guyana since its estabresponsibility to help those in need, since lishment here in 1991. Its reach extends Government cannot do it alone. throughout the 10 administrative regions In his remarks, FFTP’s Chief Executive in Guyana, providing food, clothing, shelOfficer Mr. Kent Vincent, conveyed the mes- ter, sporting equipment and other essential sage to the public that although FFP unveils items to thousands of less fortunate indiso many multi-million-dollar projects, they viduals.

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Gov’t continues to monitor gas prices for further reduction THE Government is monitoring the price of gas, for a possible further reduction. This was disclosed by Minister of State Joseph Harmon during his postCabinet media briefing at Ministry of the Presidency on Friday last.

While highlighting the efforts of the Government to reduce the cost at the pumps, Harmon noted that it may take a little while for costs to actually come down. “You purchase fuel and then you have a stock of fuel which might have been purchased at an old price. I believe that once there is restocking taking place and there is any benefit from that, at least a part of that benefit will be passed onto the consumers,” he said.

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan recently announced a reduction in gas and diesel prices. With effect from August 20, 2015, diesel price was reduced from $174.77 to $168, while gasoline saw a reduction of $11, taking it to $199 per liter.

Government hopes that the reduced fuel process would benefit the entire population but, more especially school children. It is hoped that public transportation providers pass on the savings to their passengers.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Digicel’s Back-to-School Dental Outreach a success in Timehri IN its continued effort to provide free dental services to children across the country, Digicel Guyana travelled to Timehri, East Bank Demerara with the dental bus on Friday, and more than 70

school-aged children were attended to by the Dental School staffers.

Apart from cleaning and extractions, children were gifted lunch packs, oral care packs, and some other school supplies to help them get ready for the new school year.

This activity was the second location Digicel visited during its dental outreach programme, which kicked off on August 19th at the Digicel office at

Staffers tending to children inside the dental mobile unit on Friday

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High Street, Kingston.

D i g i c e l ’s n e w S p o n s o r s h i p Executive, Louanna Abrams, had this to say: “The response here in Timehri is great; we were pleasantly surprised to see today’s huge turnout. We are happy that the children came out and everyone got to see the dentist. Mission accomplished in Timehri”.

Digicel will be visiting Hararuni, Skeldon, Mahaica, Tuschen and Anna Regina as part of this year’s dental outreach programme. The company is in partnership with the Rotary Club of Georgetown Central, to whom the dental bus is attached. (Michel Outridge)

A section of the children waiting to have their dental needs catered to via the dental mobile unit at Timehri on Friday

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Budget debate concludes…

If allegations were an economic sector - it would have contributed most to GDP

By Tajeram Mohabir THE budget presentations were concluded in the wee hours of Saturday morning; but throughout the week, members from both sides did their part to make the occasion a lively exercise, while outlining their visions for the country.

And in all of this, there were some serious insults and accusations traded, with some being less than honourable from the Honourable members of the House.

On more than one occasion, the Speaker had to remind the members of Standing Order 41 (4), which prohibits them from using derogatory remarks in their presentations.

From the look of things throughout the debate, the Government side appeared ready and prepared to deal with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and several former ministers.

And for their part, Members on the Opposition benches seemed preoccupied at using every available opportunity to get at Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and his close friend, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

Targeting of the two senior Government officials was probably understandable,

Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman speaks from the heart during the budget debate as both are former members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), which is now in Opposition. But Ramjattan and Nagamootoo, who appeared composed throughout the debate seem to have had their ears trained to detect the “right” heckle to launch their telling rebuttals.

Wi t h a t t e n t i o n o n him given the increase in serious crimes, Ramjattan spoke about measures the Administration is employing to bring the situation under control. From what the House heard, it was a full arsenal,

Young PPP/C MP Charles Ramson on the floor during the debate

complete with horses and dogs; and all was going well until members on the Opposition benches shouted: “We have no confidence in Ramjattan!”

That statement appeared to be fair, if not fine, until another member mocked the use of dogs and horses in the crime fight.

That was probably the heckle Ramjattan was waiting patiently to hear, and with the response of a tornado, he retorted: “We will use dogs and horses, but will ignore goats.”

The Vice President has been taking blows for the crime situation in the country, but he seems determined to succeed in his post as Public Security Minister, and to prove to his critics that “goat nah bite me.”

At times during the debate, Ramjattan would recline in his chair, but he would quickly sit up when a member of the Government’s side speaks about a project that has telling symptoms of corruption. Amidst heckling from the Opposition benches, the Vice President was heard retorting, “Thief! Jail them!”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo was, on several occasions, greeted

with a rather unique, if not novel, heckle: “Meow!”

The expression was at first bewildering, until Opposition Member of Parliament Dharamkumar Seeraj claimed that Nagamootoo was transformed from a Bengal Tiger into a cat, being in the coalition. He perhaps was comparing the Prime Minister’s present demeanour with his days in the PPP/C before 2011.

According to Seeraj, a certain “Mighty Joe” had tempered Nagamootoo’s powers in the coalition, and Nagamootoo is not as big as he was envisioned to be.

The statement was political grandstanding at best, and one of many from both sides of the House. Such statements had nothing to do with any substantive issue in the budget.

Nagamootoo, for his part, did not take the matter lightly. He registered with the Speaker his protest at the demeaning remarks, only to be countered with claims from the Opposition benches that he was being “thin-skinned.” Not one who is easily lost for words, the Prime Minister responded with a strong retort: “Not only am I thick-skinned, I can

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo addresses the House in the wee hours of Saturday morning say that I don’t mind being a cat, because it’s necessary to deal with those rats over there.”

The quip evoked laughter from both sides of the House, but PPP/C MP Juan Edghill was quick to point out that he does not fit the likeness or description of any vermin. He spoke with great authority, having the assurances of “the Lord.”

Aside from those exchanges, one member proposed to find a desirable partner for the other, and another member reprimanded

his colleagues from the other side for their perceived “doltishness,” none of which was good for social cohesion.

But the latter member could be forgiven, as he withdrew the comment and cautioned his ‘opponents’ to “rest themselves.”

In all of this, one could not understand why a former minister from the Opposition benches would want to strongly advocate for Government’s Region

Please turn to page 17

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

EDITORIAL

GUYANA

What Ethnic Cleansing?

WHEN the PPP/C assumed power in 1992, after 28 years in the Opposition, one of its first moves was to rid the top echelons of the Public Service of those it deemed to have been operatives of the previous Government. Very few, if any of those fired were identifiable members of the PNC or were candidates on the party’s list at the elections. And those identified as PNC members were, for the most part, suitably qualified in their fields. But that made little difference to the new Government.

Many observers still recall the then Minister of Foreign Affairs undertaking an overseas trip that culminated with the firings of several Foreign Service workers. Other agencies of the Government were targeted for similar action.

What was noticeable about the firings was the ethnicity of the vast majority of the victims - they were AfricanGuyanese.

This prompted some PNC leaders to label the Government’s action as “Ethnic Cleansing,” a term that was being used to describe the ethnic conflict that was raging in the then Yugoslavia. The term was coined by academics to describe the physical removal of rival ethnic groups from communities where they had hitherto belonged.

In the case of Guyana, no such thing was happening or was even suggested. Yet Opposition elements chose to use that extreme term to describe the firings. In the end it became obvious to even the PNC leadership that the term “ethnic cleansing” was being misused.

It eventually disappeared from public discourse and the term “marginalisation” emerged to describe the African-Guyanese sense of discrimination.

Fast forward to 2015.

The APNU+AFC Government comes to power after 23 years of PPP/C rule.

In its first few months it relieved some identifiable PPP members and election candidates from their jobs – most of which were political appointments. As was the case in 1992, most of the victims were of one ethnic group – Indian-Guyanese. In a carbon copy of the 1992 scenario, top PPP leaders charged the new Government with “ethnic cleansing.”

So what are the lessons here? First, we do not learn from our mistakes. Perhaps, we don’t care to learn from them. For a political party to repeat the same mistake that it was a victim of displays an extreme form of political cynicism that will only continue to retard our national aspirations. If the PNC leaders could claim some misunderstanding of a term that was just being introduced, PPP leaders cannot make the same claim.

Second, at a deeper level, this situation brings into focus the difficulty of ethnic politics. Objectivity, which

is normally problematic, is even more problematic in ethnic societies. While in office the PPP protested against charges of ethnic discrimination. Yet, within a few weeks of leaving office it levels the very charges against the new Government.

Our politicians can’t not know that it is customary for political appointees to resign or face removal when a new Government takes office. The PPP can’t not know that some of its top members are still in their public service positions. They can’t not know that among those removed from their political jobs are a few African-Guyanese.

But in our ethnic environment, these realities don’t seem to matter.

Some have suggested that even if there is no “ethnic cleansing,” the firing of the GPL boss and other Indian-Guyanese reflects discrimination against that group. That may be true.

But it could also reflect a

situation where the previous Government overpacked the top echelons of the Government agencies with Indian-Guyanese. The larger issue, therefore, is ethnic imbalance in the top echelons of Government.

This is a persistent problem that has never been addressed by successive governments.

In the final analysis, complaining of ethnic cleansing does not help the situation. It can only serve to intensify the inherent ethnic fear in our society, especially when there is a change of Government. The overwhelming majority of Indian-Guyanese have not lost or are in danger of losing their Government jobs.

But when you hear your leaders speak of a well-orchestrated plan by the Gov-

ernment to fire those who are of your ethnic group, it is difficult not to be fearful.

The PPP needs to stop its fear-mongering. As a long-standing party it needs to be more responsible. There must be a way for that party to discharge its Opposition mandate without resort to the worst in us. And the Government needs to speak directly to the Indian-Guyanese community on this issue. The burden of explaining the difference between ethnic cleansing and removing political appointees is theirs. Some may argue that in our ethnic conditions such an explanation would not make a difference. But, as the old saying goes, it is better to try and fail than not try at all.

PM denies role in ‘hijack’ of Red House by PPP-run private company – leased at Gy$1000 per month for 99 years

By Derwayne Wills PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo has denied having any involvement in the 2012 transfer of the State-owned ‘Red House’ in Kingston, which houses the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, to a company run by executive members of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

Government Member of Parliament, Joseph Harmon made the disclosure in the National Assembly on Friday during his budget 2015 speech.

Harmon said the former PPP/C Government had transferred the State-owned ‘Red House’ in Kingston

under a 99 year lease at Gy$1000 per month to a company named ‘The Cheddi Jagan Research Incorporated’.

“That is not all,” Harmon continued, adding that persons at the property continued to be paid by the State even though the property was transferred to a private company.

Harmon went on to name the Board members of the private company as former President Donald Ramotar; former PPP/C Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall; former National Communications Network (NCN) General Manager Mohammed Sattaur; and just retired Permanent Secretary of the

Public Service Ministry Hydar Ally.

Other members included the late former President Janet Jagan, and the late Navin Chandarpal along with Derek Jagan; Geoffrey Da Silva; Michael Khan; Dionne Fries; James Rose; and Ariel Ramkarran as Secretary of the Board.

Harmon’s statement was challenged by Opposition MP Irfaan Ali, who alleged that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo was the Lawyer who had drawn up the contract for the transfer of the State-owned property in 2012. The Prime Minister was not in the Parliament Chamber at the time of Ali’s outburst.

The Government MP said the State Asset Recovery Unit would be looking into the recovery of the property.

That unit was set up under the new Administration to recover state assets transferred on or before the May 11 election.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo later that evening used his budget speech to pronounce on the allegation. He rejected it as an attempt to “use me as a fig leaf for their improper and illegal conduct of trying to hijack a Trust and put it in the name of a few cronies.”

“They said I had something to do with a document that leased the Red House for 99 years, to a company

comprising the top cronies of the PPP,” Nagamootoo said in the National Assembly, adding, “I have never been identified with that project.”

Nagamootoo said he left

the PPP in 2011, which is one year before the transfer document was drawn up.

The PM further called the move a “cowardly attack” on his person.

The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre commonly known as ‘Red House’ in Kingston, Georgetown

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Nagamootoo condemns racial incitement - accuses PPP/C of re-introducing ‘aapan jaat’ politics

VICE President and Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, has accused the Opposition People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) of re-introducing “aapan jaat” politics into the political landscape.

The Prime Minister was responding to claims by the Opposition of ‘ethnic cleansing’, during his Budget 2015 presentation in the National Assembly in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Addressing what he described as, “mischievous, malicious and wicked” comments from the Opposition, the Prime Minister said the PPP/C had attempted to incite racial sensitivities by accusing the now Government of not supporting the sugar industry when in fact the evidence would show that the governing APNU+AFC coalition supported the bail-

vent the Prime Minister from weighing into the Opposition Leader, who served as President from 1999 to 2011.

Moving right into the Opposition Leader’s speech, Nagamootoo expressed disappointment in the “pomposity, arrogance, and above all, the love of power” that the former President, now Opposition Leader, brought in his rhetoric which lasted one hour and 40 minutes.

“He tried, in a very bigoted way, to lecture to the House and to the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, who wrote his speeches for many years, and to lecture someone like me, Moses Nagamootoo, who was writing his speeches when he was President,” PM Nagamootoo said.

Nagamootoo told the House during his budget presentation after midnight yesterday morning that Mr Jagdeo had come to the de-

because of Guyana’s constitutional arrangements, the PPP/C held the Government.

“We won the elections but we lost the Government. They had 32 seats and we had 33 seats on that side, but because of the present constitutional arrangement, it was conceivable that a minority could masquerade as a majority.”

The PM objected to statements made by the Opposition Leader and his party calling out the new Government for being unable to handle Guyana’s crime situation.

Nagamootoo expressed shock that the Opposition Leader would even speak about Guyana’s crime situation.

“It was that Leader of Opposition, when he was the President, that wanted to bring an American here named Bernard Kerik. And Mr Bernard Kerik, he’s in jail,” Nagamootoo said. The PM went on to call the names

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo leads a PPP/C walkout of the National Assembly on Friday night

out packages for the sugar industry.

“No evidence could be introduced by those who make that claim,” PM Nagamootoo declared.

The Prime Minister also condemned all forms of political intimidation, especially ethnic and racial incitement.

JAGDEO’S ‘HARANGUE’ When Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo finished his budget presentation just before midnight on Friday, he, along with the Opposition PPP/C Members walked out of the National Assembly, although both Prime Minister Nagamootoo and Finance Minister Winston Jordan were left to speak.

But even the absence of the Opposition did not pre-

bates with a mission, “to buse down, and cuss down.”

The PM was convinced, however, that Jagdeo’s “harangue had failed to fall on fertile ears,” even in the just concluded elections campaign.

“The fact is that he is in the Opposition and we are in the Government. The fact is that he is the Opposition Leader, and I am the Prime Minister,” Nagamootoo said to the sound of his colleagues banging desks.

Nagamootoo said it is undeniable that the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) had won the 2011 general elections, since both parties, then in Opposition, had a combined majority.

He said however, that

of Roger Khan, Sonny Ramdeo, Khamraj Lall and Ed Ahmad, who were known affiliates of the PPP/C Government, and who are all either in jail or currently before international courts.

“I listened to him for one hour and 40 minutes, and you allowed him to speak, to bawl, to shout, to holler, to scream, and he fell with his own weight like a spent shell, he couldn’t go any further,” the Prime Minister continued.

Nagamootoo went on to denounce the Opposition’s claims of “ethnic cleansing” and attacking the sugar industry, which employs a considerable number of Indo-Guyanese in the lower economic bracket.

“We never opposed any subsidy to the sugar industry.

We voted subsidies in 2011,

Vice President and Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo addressing the House in the early hours of Saturday morning (Adrian Narine photo)

2012, 2013, and 2014. And in 2015 we again voted [a] subsidy as a bailout to rescue the sugar industry because we believe in the livelihood of sugar workers,” the PM continued, adding that $57B has thus far been plugged into the sugar industry to keep it afloat.

The Prime Minister also accused the Opposition Leader of attempting to filibuster and leave the house. He said that even though the Government had compromised, allowing the Opposition extra time for considering the budgetary estimates next week, “they realised that we gave in

and they had nothing to crow about in the public… so they walk out.”

The National Assembly is adjourned until Monday when the estimates for the various ministries will be considered from 9:30am to 11:00pm, ending on Wednesday.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

RACE AND POLITICS

IN GUYANA Analysis by Rickey Singh

AS if anxious to reflect the ideals of the iconic late President Dr Cheddi Jagan, his nephew, Dr Clive Jagan, chose his debut presentation as one of the new parliamentarians last week to offer a commendable appeal for “working together to build Guyana…”

He would know that though some remain cynical, there are other fresh-face parliamentarians across the political divide in the National Assembly with whom his appeal would resonate and, hopefully, be encouraged.

As is well recognised, Guyana is one of the major multi-ethnic nations within CARICOM - Trinidad and Tobago being the other -- where citizens of East Indian and African descent constitute the dominant composition of the population and with the socalled “race card” remaining a disturbing and challenging factor, particularly for national elections.

The significant difference is that with more careful political management in T&T -- where the dominant ethnic groups are not as significant as in Guyana -- this country has had to experience some of the most awesome, bloody, racial disturbances --under separate administrations of the People’s National Congress and People’s Progressive Party.

Ironically, neither of these two electoral thoroughbreds (PPP and PNC), could secure legitimate State power across ethnicities without multi-ethnic support and verified free and fair elections.

This is the harsh reality that the PNC had chosen to ignore in preference for notoriously rigged elections as independently documented by international, regional and local election monitors while in tight control of State power.

With the restoration in Oc-

President David Granger

tober 1992 of “free and fair elections,” for which the Carter Centre of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter had played a most significant role, along with local civil society organisations, the PPP/Civic achieved and maintained State power.

It was to retain the reins of power for almost the same period (23 years) as the PNC had done.

The fundamental difference was routine verification of free and fair elections by successive, independent monitoring missions.

Now, in August 2015 - just over three months after last May 11 general elections for the 65-member National Assembly -- while the governing coalition Administration led by President David Granger is engaged in debating the current national budget, the PPP is awaiting the outcome of a High Court hearing of an elections petition it has filed claiming documented electoral malpractices that robbed it of returning to government by a one-seat majority allotted to the governing APNU/AFC coalition.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

ENTER EX-PRESIDENT JAGDEO With former two-term President Bharrat Jagdeo in the new role of Opposition Leader as of this past Monday, the PPP has already telegraphed a warning to the Government and GECOM of “a struggle to change the claimed rigged parliamentary status quo” - based on the declared one-seat majority in the 65-member House of Assembly.

As claimed by Jagdeo, a development economist/politician by profession -- even the declared official results have confirmed that the PPP/Civic remains the country’s single largest party, having polled forty nine (49) percent of the officially declared valid votes.

Truth is that whatever eventually develops in relation to the PPP’s elections petition, currently before the country’s Chief Justice Ian Chang, the harsh political reality points to a clear, and urgent, need for new, enlightened approaches on the way forward

T&T’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar

T&T’s Opposition Leader Keith Rowley

for national unity in Guyana. This remains the big challenge for both President Granger and former President Jagdeo.

This would require practical initiatives to avoid the pattern of negative head-counting for local and parliamentary elections.

They must seriously and sincerely move toward the highly desirable goal of fostering practical national unity that’s based on mutual respect for the fundamental social and political rights that could enhance Guyana’s endearing national motto: “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”

Meanwhile, across in neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, some 55 minutes Caribbean Airlines flying time from Guyana,

where the “race factor” is once again being played out for the coming September 7 general elections, the incumbent People’s Partnership Administration of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, is parading confidence for a second-term victory.

For his part, leader of the opposition People’s National Movement Keith Rowley, is boldly seeking to energise supporters of the PNM with the promise of “our turn next,” while quite aware that his party is facing an uphill task for a return to State power in the face of some strong criticisms over his own leadership style. (Rickey Singh is a noted Caribbean journalist based in Barbados)

MINING WEEK 2015 BEGINS TODAY

By Clifford Stanley

TODAY marks the beginning of Mining Week 2015, the annual observances held by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to highlight the significance of contributions of the mining sector to Guyana’s development.

Mining Week 2015 is being held under the theme : ‘Science & Engineering Solutions for

Safety, Security & Success in Mining.’

A Mining Walk of staffers and other stakeholders in the industry, from the Bank of Guyana to The Square of the Revolution, starting today, Sunday August 23rd, at 07:00 hrs is the first activity of the week of observances..

Following this on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th, there will be a national mining and

quarrying conference and exhibition to be held at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre starting from 08:00 hrs on both days.

During the two days, local and international experts in the field of mining will make presentations on various aspects of the industry, field questions and take note of observations from participants with the aim of consensually identifying further

advances which are required to take local mining operations to a higher level of production, productivity and profitability.

Sports and recreational activities, to be held in the main mining communities namely Mahdia and Bartica in Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and at Port Kaituma in Region 1 (Barima/ Waini), will comprise the lighter side of the week’s observances.

There have already been

playoffs for finals during Mining Week, at Mahdia on August 16th and at Port Kaituma on August 22nd.

The week’s observances will culminate with the traditional fun-filled Pork–knockers’ day on Saturday August 29th at the Bartica Golden Beach Pavillion.

The GGMC says it invites all Guyanese to participate in this annual salute to the mining industry this year.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

HINDS'SIGHT

The Perception and Reality of Ethnic Discrimination are Real

I HAVE read, as I always do, Ralph Ramkarran’s latest commentary –“Perceptions of Discrimination”- in this past weekend’s edition of the Stabroek News.

Mr Ramkarran raises a very pertinent issue that has to be persistently addressed in a country such as ours. I do hope that supporters of the Government do not see malicious intent in the comments. This column is not a response to Mr Ramkarran. Rather, it is what I hope is a continuation of the discussion.

Charges of racial discrimination are a fact of life in ethnically plural societies. Such charges arise from the inevitable conflict over the distribution of common economic, political and cultural resources.

This is a contentious issue even in ethnically homogenous societies. Governments are always challenged to distribute resources fairly among the different groups in

the society. Very few, if any, have managed to escape the charge of discrimination.

Here in Guyana, where our ethnic divide has tended to be wider and more turbulent than many, we have had more than our fair share of charges and counter-charges from the major ethnic groups and increasingly from our Amerindian community.

The charges of ethnic favouritism against the PPP Government of the 1960s were partly the cause of the ethnic strife during the period 1961- 64. The table turned when the PNC came to power.

The Indian-Guyanese narrative of suffering is built largely around the charges of discrimination against that Government. During the PPP’s most recent tenure, African-Guyanese renewed their charges of marginalisation. And now, just three months into the new Government’s stint, the PPP has already begun to make the most extreme charges.

These charges of discrimination are in all instances grounded in both reality and perception. The reality is that no Government of one ethnic group could be totally fair to other competing groups. It has never happened in the modern world. Governments are invariably pressured to be more charitable to their own constituency simply because that’s where their votes come from. And since resources are finite, discriminating in favour of one group automatically results in discrimination against the other group. This is not to discount instances where a Government has deliberately set about to discriminate against other groups. Or where some governments have made genuine attempts to satisfy some of the concerns of the opposite groups.

The perception of discrimination by the out-groups is a direct outgrowth of a feeling of disenfranchisement born of a winner-take-all system whereby the winning party, often of one ethnic group, wins control of all the levers of power and the losing party-group loses all control. Out-groups automatically perceive discrimination. This explains why the PPP in a matter of weeks could move from victor to victim.

In the circumstances, it is not difficult to convince Indian-Guyanese that the new Government is discriminating against them, even though members of that community are still firmly entrenched in the sectors of the political economy they controlled prior to May 11. And that the government has shown no inclination in policy or deed to interfere negatively in those sectors. Yet perception is real and eventually becomes reality. A large part of that perception is grounded in fear of total disenfranchisement.

That’s why it is easy to label normal removal of political appointees from Government as ethnic cleansing. It is not the first time we have heard that dreaded term in Guyana.

The issue, therefore, is not so much whether the charges are true or not. In societies such as ours, most truths are ethnically determined. The major issue is how to manage the perception and reality of ethnic discrimination so that they do not lead to instability and conflict. One place to start is at the point of distributive power—the executive branch of Government. We have talked and talked about power-sharing but never acted on it. Sadly, the PNC in the early years of the 1992 PPP government complained of discrimination against its constituents but rejected power- sharing. The same is now true of the PPP in Opposition. Since its first loss in 2011, it has shown no inclination to seriously pursue shared governance.

Mega ICT projects on stream Minister announces new Central Advisory Board for Education

– Minister Harmon MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon, has informed the National Assembly that the Government would be pursuing mega Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Projects.

“What we have is some mega projects that do not link or connect to one another. So you have a cable running from Georgetown to Lethem that is not connected to anything else,” Harmon said.

In respect to fiber optic cables, the minister pointed out that the Government is working on sorting out the problems with the project and has approached the Indian Government for assistance. This will be forthcoming.

In addition, there are nearly 10,000 computers that are underway from China, to be distributed to teachers, educators and education officials, under a One Laptop Per Teacher (OLPT) programme.

According to the Finance Minister Winston Jordan, in his Budget presentation, this is “a departure from the discredited and corrupted One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme of the past regime.”

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

A National Advisory Council will be established to advise on the Ministry of Education Vision 2020 Education Policy for the growth and development of the sector.

This is according to Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine.

Addressing the National Assembly last Friday evening, Minister Roopnaraine explained that through the Council and other stakeholder consultation mechanisms, the ministry intends to construct and implement an evidence-based strategy for the development of the sector. He said the strategy would have as it basis a strong monitoring and evaluation component to guide both the sectors’ success and failure.

The Council will advise on a number of other core tenets including a broad multi-faceted strategy framework for national education reform and development, reconciliation with existing internal policy and operational strategy and, external consultancy recommendation.

He said particular focus will be placed on how technology could be used in the education sector for the management and delivery of service to advance hinterland education reform.

“We need all stakeholders on board,” Minister Roopnaraine said, explaining that the advisory council would be open to Former

Ministers and Advisors.

He explained that his policy is that only through meaningful consultations with experts and stakeholder, in developing the programme, will the ministry initiate programme with an inherent monitoring and evaluation component.

Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

We can expand the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Runway?

By Sase Singh in Washington, DC

the construction of a commercial mall are all great ideas to retrofit the CJIA as a viable air-gateway. With this runway extension, the CJIA will be upgraded to a category 4E runway. Such a runway, at minimum, can safely accommodate a 747-400 aircraft (jumbo jet).

The refurbishment of the terminal, how-

able to attract more flights to the CJIA, with the extended THIS nation is about to go through some runway. tumultuous change in the way we do There are less than 10 inbusiness. We had 50 years during which ternational airlines currently allegiance to political strongmen/woman servicing the facility every was the status quo, but that model failed day, although we are so famiserably. We have, by and large, squanvourably placed geographidered the last 50 cally. If one looked at years. the schedule for August To d a y w e 2015, one can find Guyanese must become watchmen and speak 11th, have a chance several gaps of idle times to mold the next for as much as one hour up when they see financial 50 years using a where there are no deskullduggery. It is the patriotic thing to do. different goverpartures or arrivals at the Sase Singh nance model; we CJIA. Compared to the We must speak up or perish. No more blind must not fail our main Caribbean airports, people this time the CJIA comes across puppetry from major stakeholders, be it the around. With the as a sleepy hill station. For Guyana to any works on the terminal? Was a proper private sector or the religious leaders. right vision, at the be taken seriously in the eco-tourism payback analysis done, especially in light end of 10 years, trade, this runway must be completed. of the fact that our Debt to GDP ratio on a new generation The Germans and other intelligent the aggregated Domestic and External Debt will grow up and be ready to take over from ever, is a real sticking point and I continue travellers are not keen in stopping all over continues to march to 71%? Do we have to spend loan funds on a perfectly good this generation as we all march forward in an to be unconvinced as to the rationale for the place before reaching their destination. terminal? This situation at the CJIA says environment of national cooperation. this investment. The Communications and much about our country’s ability to take on That is why it is so important that the Technical Team at the Ministry of InfraGAC? ordinary people not blindly follow leaders structure should better explain why they On July 21, 2013, Mr Moses Naga- critical and massive infrastructure and make anymore. Good public actions must be com- have agreed to refurbish this terminal and mootoo and I did an opinion piece in the big decisions. mended; bad public actions must be rejected. inform the nation on the details according- Kaieteur News captioned: “Extended AirPROPER ENGINEERING The Granger/Nagamootoo Administration ly. To make my point, in 2004 with an IDB SUPERVISION made a great start with this pro-poor and A proper international consultant should pro-working class 2015 budget and these progressive positions must not be allowed be hired to further review the updated deto slip. signs and the current engineering works.

Guyanese must become watchmen and This project will need careful monitoring speak up when they see financial skulldugduring construction to mitigate the risk asgery. It is the patriotic thing to do. We must sociated with this contractor, since its track speak up or perish. No more blind puppetry record is far from exemplary. We cannot from major stakeholders, be it the private afford another Skeldon Sugar Factory-type sector or the religious leaders. investment disaster. Hiring this international It was encouraging to observe that some engineering consultant will be money well $97 billion was targeted on current and spent to cover all the important bases. capital expenditure for the last four months of 2015. This is an ambitious intervention THE REALITY that demands every Guyanese stay militant Politicians will have to understand that and alert; backward never. If we say we will close the Cheddi Jagan International Airport with the budget soon to be passed, the usual (CJIA) Expansion Project by the second half post-honeymoon drag on the Government of 2017, then let us hold that minister and his will step in and ministers will become Technical Team accountable to this deadline, bogged down in all sorts of implementation since the expectation is that all possible dematters, especially those that require their lays are designed into the time-line. urgent attention to stimulate economic “This time nah Jagdeo time”; where growth and improve the well-being of the The revised design plan for the CJIA Expansion project (Adrian Narine photo) slippage after slippage were allowed to ocpeople. However, we have a “jump start” cur on the big projects without any proper explanation from the Project Managers. loan, the basic physical infrastructure at the port Runway a better Option” (see - http:// on this CJIA Project and it is likely to add Remember the Hope Canal Project? Delays terminal was upgraded with several critical www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2013/07/21/ cumulatively between now to 2017 about cost money; taxpayers’ money. In most of improvements. These improvements in- extended-airport-runway-a-better-option/), 1% to real GDP growth. Thus, managing these cases, these capital works are being cluded a totally new lighting system, brand which outlined a position at that time. In that this project as efficiently as possible remains carried out with borrowed funds that were new sewage system, complete overhaul piece we argued why it made better sense to vitally important so that we can add as much sourced in the name of the people. Never of the roofing including a totally new and only expand the runway and provided evi- value as we can to the economy. again should we allow any minister to expanded arrival terminal, the rehabilitation dence on the economic justification for not spend on top of a proposed budget without of the control tower and so on. Thus, I am even touching the current airport terminal.

CONCLUSION a clear justification. Ministers and Project very puzzled as to the motivation behind One of the outcomes from that conversaI continue to strongly support the extenManagers should be relieved of their duties refurbishing this terminal. tion was the call for a re-introduction of a sion of the runway and the abandonment of when major bungles happen, such as the The highest priority for the CJIA today National Carrier (Guyana Airways) to first the terminal building. However, once the reAmaila Hydro bungle (under the Ramotar is an extension of the main runway; FULL serve the Guyana/Trinidad route with room Administration). Running a country is not STOP! for expansion. The objective remains get- vised design is implemented in an open and a karaoke session. ting people in and out of Guyana as fast as transparent manner, it should be successful.

AIR TRAVEL CAPACITY possible, but at a profit. This is still a valid My biggest worry remains slippage in the total contract value past US$150 million.

CJIA EXPANSION PROJECT The fact that the CJIA is basically a idea in 2015.

Next time I shall be continuing our Many eyes are on the CJIA Expansion termination point on most flights continues conversation by sharing my views on the Project. The extension of the runway to to cut Guyana out of the mainstream travel THE RISKS 10,800ft must be welcomed, since it has the market and thus solidly justifies an extended The CJIA expansion project suffered Wage Situation as a result of the National ability to make air travel to and from Guy- runway. Our role as a serious transit termi- from a fate whereby it was poorly concep- Budget that was read on August 10, 2015. ana much more affordable and accessible. nal for international flights continues to be tualised in 2011. This situation resulted in (The writer can be contacted via email at: Also the expansion of the cark park, the miniaturised because of the lack of a long an under-designed project. Why spend most sasesin1@yahoo.com) provision of new navigation equipment and enough runway. So hopefully, we will be of the US$150 million loan if we can avoid

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Like every ethnic group…

Africans must be assured of equal opportunity

By Lincoln Lewis THE 1st of August is an important date in the world’s calendar.

On this date in 1838, Africans in the British Commonwealth were emancipated from chattel slavery. Usually the community dedicates this month to examine the African condition and advance their cause.

I am a trade unionist of African descent. The principles that guide my work are grounded in international conventions, charters and recommendations which cut across ethnic barriers.

Having examined the path Guyana has travelled and confronted with recent issues and incidents, it is incumbent to examine the African condition with regard to where the group stands today and the positions advanced on their behalf. Every person brings to this conversation his/her own experiences. My experiences as a trade unionist are guided by the tools that are used internationally in determining what is right and just.

From the outset, let it be known that Africans are in a better position than they were in 1838. Prior to 1838, Africans were treated as subhuman; they were not allowed basic things we take for granted today, such as having families, being able to own property and walk the streets without a pass permit. There was no education or healthcare. Voting, self-determination, freedom of movement, speech and association were not considered rights for this group. Slaves were not allowed to negotiate their working conditions. The tenets guaranteed

On one hand there is an argument that Africans are lazy, not business-oriented, love to party, wear fancy apparel, and are criminal-minded, hence deserving to be put on the fringe of society and their rights trampled on. On the other hand, some African leaders having bought into the stereotypes are saying to Africans what they believe ought to be done, but yet at the same time are failing to agitate for, or put systems in place to facilitate the ideas they advance. under the International Labour Organisation and United Nations were not applicable to Africans.

Africans are taxpayers and have participated in the constitutional process of electing governments to manage the affairs of the nation, regions and local authorities. Yet they have experienced structured and sustained programmes put in place by elected governments to marginalise them, destroy what they had and repossess what they have historically struggled for and achieved.

And this brings me to the issue of cooperatives, which have their genesis in building the post-slavery economy of the African community. From this economic philosophy, villages were purchased across the country, which saw the establishment of the Village Movement and local government. In recognition of this important plank in our economy and the role it played in the nation’s historical development, this country was named the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Yet this nation bears evidence of the former PPP Government putting systems in place for their friends and cronies to confiscate

African ancestral lands and break up of the cooperative movement, up to the point where “Cooperative” has been removed from State documents. This disregard has seen those who rely on this avenue for upliftment deprived of opportunities.

Under the cooperative principle, institutions that were established such as the Guyana Agricultural and Industrial Bank (GAIBANK) and Guyana National Cooperative Bank (GNCB) were destroyed by the PPP. These institutions were destroyed not merely because they failed to deliver on the philosophy upon which they were founded, but because the policymakers never cared about the consequences that would befall those who stand to benefit from these institutions.

The disparity in treatment is further compounded by the pronouncements of the ethnic entrepreneurs in our midst. On one hand, there is an argument that Africans are lazy, not business-oriented, love to party, wear fancy apparel, and are criminal-minded, hence deserving to be put on the fringe of society and their rights trampled on. On the

other hand, some African leaders having bought into the stereotypes are saying to Africans what they believe ought to be done, but yet at the same time are failing to agitate for or put systems in place to facilitate the ideas they advance.

Within the Afrocentric leadership a blind eye is turned to the destruction of the cooperative movement that has benefited the African community throughout history. We witness the danger of some who have advanced the argument that the cooperative movement is small and ineffective, without checking to see the volumes of money that are in the credit unions.

Bauxite workers who are primarily Africans had a contributory pension plan worth in excess of $2.5 billion, which was the largest single pool of money owned by this race and this nest egg was destroyed by the Bharrat Jagdeo Government. A proposal by the trade union to the Jagdeo Government to have the workers’ money invested under the cooperative principle was not even entertained.

On the 11th of May, the country changed Government. The Indian Action Committee (IAC) was the first cultural group to engage the Government that Africans primarily voted for. The IAC met with the Government to “discuss issues which it considers to be of importance to its constituents and Guyanese in general” and secured the assurance that their concerns are taken on board. A few days ago the Government unveiled a 10-point Development Plan for the Amerindian community, inclusive of an economic component.

The Private Sector Commission, which is dominated by non-Africans, has had several meetings with the Government in furtherance of their economic interests and was even given the authority to assume an important responsibility of Government.

For the African community what it has heard thus far is that they should not depend on Government jobs, even as the cooperative plank that historically advanced their economic well-being has not been highlighted for any attention of priority. With African workers primarily in the public sector (public servants, police, army, teachers, etc.), with the exception of sugar, and of which unions are active there is no Ministry of Labour. It is historically known that the achievements of Government workers, through the unions, set the tone for how workers are treated in the private sector.

And while sugar workers see a 100% increase in taxpayers’ bailout money going towards safeguarding their economy because the industry is said to be too big to fail, and rice farmers are guaranteed Government’s attention - two industries where Indians dominate - Africans wish to see similar efforts made that can give them a shot at their economic dreams.

All groups must feel comfortable that they are being given equal opportunity. As a trade unionist, equal treatment and opportunity are prerequisites in creating a just and fair society. Africans must be considered for no less.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Rice industry to be boosted by moves to reduce production costs

DESCRIBING the rice industry as the most important agricultural industry in Guyana, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder placed it ahead of sugar in terms of foreign-exchange earnings.

He explained that more than 40,000 people directly depend on the rice industry for their livelihoods; thus, in terms of food security, the sector has helped to secure Guyana’s status as a food-secure country. He also spoke of Government’s intention to further accelerate production/ productivity, “with an emphasis on reducing cost of production.”

Minister Holder noted that over the years, rice has excelled in its production, moving from 298,125 metric tonnes in 2007 to 635,238 in 2014. “This represents a 113% increase in production,” he said.

Notwithstanding the increase, the minister said there are some major challenges that need to be addressed including drying, storage and marketing, which play a key role in the survival of the industry; compliance by millers; improving varieties to enhance productivity; good agricultural practices; energy-efficient management at rice mills; and value-added production.

For the minister, the real story of development remains investment in the nation’s citizens. He said the implementation of a rice-marketing plan, improving

- Agri. Minister Holder Despite the challenges, Minister Holder indicated that a record 360,325 metric tonnes in the spring crop of 2015 was produced, while 326,278 was exported. He pledged his ministry’s continuing support in exploring additional markets for rice.

The rice industry supports at least 10 percent of Guyana’s population

directly, and is the major source of incomes and employment in rural areas.

The industry contributes approximately 61 percent of agricultural GDP and 21.3 percent of export earnings. It has also been described as the main staple of the population, with per capita consumption estimated at around 50kg.

Two female outgoing passengers busted at Ogle airport with cocaine

Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder productivity, improving operational efficiency in rice mills and the development of value-added products for which markets exist, would be pursued.

THE Police Narcotics Branch arrested two female Guyanese passengers with cocaine on their persons as they were about to board an outgoing flight at the Ogle International Airport on Friday last at about 20:30 hrs.

One of the women had a consignment of one kilogram 372 grams of cocaine, and the other had a consignment of 976 grams of cocaine.

They are both in police custody assisting with the investigations.

Camp Street prisoners duping Digicel customers for credit - under guise of customers having won promos

By Michel Outridge THE new trend that has reportedly developed within the confines of the Camp Street Prison, is that some prisoners are accessing cellphones, blocking the numbers and making calls to unsuspecting customers of Digicel, informing them that they have won valuables in a promotion.

With finesse and suave, the prisoners are dialling random cellphone numbers to tell customers that they have won various prizes in Digicel promotions, and they need to make a purchase of whatever amount of credit these prisoners tell them. This credit tops up the prisoners’ phones, and sometimes the amount runs into thousands of dollars.

Some persons have unfortunately fallen prey to this scam. One elderly woman has since topped up the phone of the caller with $15,000. She was told to cut up the Digicel cards purchased after reading out the serial numbers behind them, put the cut cards in an envelope, and go to the Digicel Store at Regent and Camp Streets, Georgetown, to collect her prize of two Samsung cell phones and $500,000 in cash.

This woman recently showed up at the place promptly at 2:00 pm, and got the shock of her life when she was told that no such promotion was ongoing at that location, nor was there any such promotion ongoing anywhere.

Other members of the public were asked to do what the elderly woman had done, and members of the media even received similar calls -- all from a restricted number.

Senior officers of the Camp Street Prison were, on Friday, informed of the incident, but Director of Prisons Welton Trotz, was locked in a meeting and was unavailable for comment.

One unnamed officer told this publication that the service holds regular raids within the

prison, but by next day, cell phones and other prohibited items find their way into the prisons via some prison officers, and the situation continues at the prisons anyway.

Digicel Guyana, having since been

Digicel Guyana has published this advertisement to customers made aware of the scam, has published an advertisement in the daily newspapers with a glaring advisory.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Jordan dismisses Opposition’s assessment of Budget 2015

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan

FINANCE Minister Winston Jordan, was most dismissive of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

After expressing condolences to Mr. and Mrs. Nigel Hughes on the passing of Christobel Hughes, mother of Mr. Hughes, Minister Jordan explained that Jagdeo made no headway with his “nonsensical ramblings.”

Minister Jordan revisited the many budgets he was a part of, on both sides of the House. “So even though I may be a young Parliamentarian, I am an “ole head” and it is the same thing over and over. Nothing speaks to the issues of the day and I am sick of it,” the Finance Minister said.

According to Jordan, the repetitive sterility is not only in the style of Jagdeo, but in the speeches presented by Opposition members during their presentations. He noted that the public’s reaction (to the budget) has been positive and encouraging, serving as confirmation that they rejected former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s criticisms of the proposed 2015 Budget.

Jordan spoke into the morning and ended after 01:00hrs, bringing closure to the 2015 National Budget debate, even though by this time Opposition Parliamentarians had walked out, right after Opposition Leader Jagdeo finished his presentation Not harping too much on the attitude of the Opposition, nor the criticisms of Jagdeo, Minister Jordan recapped reasons for optimism in his 2015 Budget. He noted that one of the key signifiers for a positive look in any budget is the response of the private sector. “The Private Sector Commission (PSC) is pleased with the $221B fiscal Budget, noting its pleasure

that several of its recommendations were taken on board, in the crafting of the 2015 Budget, particularly those that would act as a stimulus to the economy,” Jordan said.

Jordan noted that the PSC had indicated that the allocations to the sugar and rice industries would allow those industries to regroup and recover, so that they can make significant contributions to the economy and that the assistance to small and medium-scale miners would also allow the industry, which has produced the bulk of our exports, to adjust to the new reality of lower gold prices.

Jordan also reminded the House that the allocation of funds for roads, bridges, air and river transport, and particularly the rehabilitation of hinterland airstrips, was also welcomed not only by the PSC, but also by the general populace as this kind of foresight will undoubtedly boost the integration of hinterland communities into the economic life of the coastland.

In terms of the salary hike, the minister emphasised that, “everyone welcomes the salary and wage increases for the Public Service and especially the significant increase in old age pensions.

These will undoubtedly provide welcome relief to a large section of the citizenry, as is the case with the decision to lower tolls for the Berbice River Bridge.”

Touching directly on economics, the Finance Minister said the economy registered a 3.8 percent economic growth, not the originally touted 5.6 percent, and not the revised target of 4.5 percent.

Jordan reported that Guyana’s economy is expected to grow by 3.4 % at the end of 2015.

He also, in closing, explained that growth in the first half of 2015, a period when the former Administration controlled the economy, was a miniscule 0.9 %. “The failure of the economy to realise the planned growth rate in 2014, and the below-par performance in the first half of this year, is conclusive evidence that the economy had slowed down long.” He emphasised that the data proves that the current APNU+AFC coalition Government is not the reason for a “slowing down” in business.

Budget 2015 is themed, ‘A Fresh Approach to the Good Life in a Green Economy.’ (GINA)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

National Veterans Rest Home - catering to needs of veterans of the Disciplined Services

By Michel Outridge

THE National Veterans Rest Home, located at Essequibo Street and Kamarang Avenue in Lamaha Springs, Georgetown, is a home away from home for the brave men and women who would have served in the Joint Services, and are now veterans, to enjoy their golden years stress-free.

There are residents of the Home who have served in World War 11. Among them is Wilbert Sampson, who celebrated his 103rd birthday last May. Sampson is a retired policeman who resided overseas for more than 15 years, but requested to return to Guyana to spend his days here until he is ‘called away’.

He is very chatty, is in charge of all his faculties, and is very much in-tune with the happenings.

Veterans who would have served a minimum of three years before being honourably discharged from the Disciplined Services are all eligible to take up residence at the Home. The Home has a capacity to house 20 residents comfortably, but at present there are only eight residents there.

Arthur pointed out that no matter how elderly the veterans are, they have a place there; but the Home does not cater for the bed-ridden, since it is not a nursing home per se.

There are five caregivers, two Carnegie-trained cooks and one cleaner/laundry staff who serve the Home. Residents have access to the GDF doctors and ambulance services, and they get to see the doctor regularly.

A monthly fee of $25,000 is required from each resident who can move around and help him/herself, but care is also provided

by trained and professional staff around the clock.

Staff members at the Home know it is necessary to treat every resident as an individual, because, as one gets older, one tends to change; and working along with the residents takes time, but it is very interesting and informative chatting with the residents, who would often talk of their experiences of yester-year.

Home Administrator, Margaret Rose Arthur, previously served the Guyana Defence Force for 25 years. She is now a retired Warrant Officer, and manages the day-to-day running of the Home.

She told this publication that the Home is funded by donations from organisations, including Food for the Poor and the Royal Commonwealth League of World War 11.

Some donations are also received from the GDF, but the Home is yet to get support from the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Prison Service.

She explained that managing the operations of the Home is not an easy task, and to understand the elderly residents is all about understanding and knowledge, since older people tend to have little or no recollection of short-term memory, but can narrate stories of their lives from many years back in time, when they served in wars.

Arthur said the National Veterans Rest Home was conceptualised after it was observed that veterans needed just such a place, because they saw each other only at funerals.

She disclosed that the Guyana Veterans Association has a presence in all the regions of Guyana, and members would meet and interact on a regular basis. But they knew more was needed to cater for veterans because

The National Veterans Rest Home only at Christmas time would they distribute hampers as part of donations received from the private sector. This was not enough, so members approached the Government of that time for a plot of land to construct a home for veterans. After a period of waiting, the then Chief of Staff, Brigadier Edward Collins, offered the association a piece of land at the Joint Services Scheme.

The building was built through money garnered from fundraisers, ‘Buy a Brick projects’, and from support from the diaspora overseas. The edifice was finally constructed after consultations and visits to the homes around the country, which gave them an idea of what kind of building was needed.

Arthur noted that the Government of that time gave G$45M towards construction of the building, and it was completed and equipped to accommodate residents. The first resident arrived in April 2012, and a total of 14 residents occupied the building at one time, but six have since passed away, including the GDF number one paratrooper.

The two-storey concrete building was commissioned on November 11, 2011 by then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and a board of directors was appointed to oversee its operation.

She said residents of today include two World War 11 veterans, one retired fireman, one retired prison officer and a female.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

International yachters coming to Guyana

Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes (third from left, sitting) and Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana Immediate Past President Kit Nascimento (third left, standing) with participants at the seminar for the Nereid’s Yachting Rally in Trinidad MINISTER of Tourism Cathy Hughes, accompanied by Tourism Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) Immediate Past President Kit Nascimento represented Guyana last Sunday at a seminar for the Nereid’s Yachting Rally 2015.

The seminar held at Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago was geared at briefing members of the international yachting community on the rally.

The rally, which is now in its 3rd year, is scheduled to leave Trinidad and Tobago on September 4 for the Essequibo River, Guyana and will conclude in St Laurent du Maroni, via Suriname, in French Guiana on

October 4.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism, Dr Lincoln Douglas, welcomed Minister Hughes, the Guyana and French Guiana delegations to the seminar on behalf of his Government, a release said.

In addressing the approximately 50 cruisers from some 25 yachts attending the seminar, Minister Hughes said her Government looks forward to officially hosting the rally on its arrival in Guyana.

The Ministry of Tourism will host the rally on September 11 at Hurakabra River Resort, which is close to Bartica where the yachts will be at anchor until September 17, when the

rally departs for the Maroni River.

The minister said she welcomed the opportunity to speak with the sailors and to encourage their participation in the rally. She emphasised the fact that already, with the support of the rally, yachting was a niche tourism attraction for Guyana and that her Government recognises it as an important area of potential development and growth.

The minister noted that the Essequibo River provides a magnificent selection of beautiful and safe anchorages for visiting yachts and Guyana has ensured that its customs, immigration and health clearance arrangements for yachts are amongst the easiest and most convenient in

the Caribbean.

Minister Hughes and Nascimento, in their respective video presentations, shared Guyana’s exciting and varied tourism attractions, including the spectacular Kaieteur Falls, the Rupununi Savannahs and heritage buildings of the Capital City, Georgetown.

The minister noted, in particular, that Guyana is becoming one of the most popular birding destinations in the hemisphere, with over 800 varieties of birds to be seen.

A delegation from St Laurent du Maroni led by Bernard Brieu representing the Mayor’s Office, addressed the seminar together with Guyana.

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If allegations were an economic ...

SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

From page 5

representative Jennifer Wade to become a minister, and for Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence to be the Minister of Finance.

But those low blows, high blows and political statements neither overshadowed nor detracted from the excellent presentations emanating from the floor, among which were Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr Karen Cummings, who, with command and persuasion, spoke about the Government’s vision for the health sector and plans to make health care acces-

sible to all.

Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry, spoke eloquently on plans to produce all-round students in the education system.

Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine was persuasive on fixing the weaknesses in the education system. Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, cogently articulated a case for participatory democracy and inclusive governance; and Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, was most lucid in outlining plans to enhance business and create a level

playing field.

There were, of course, other good presentations from the Government benches, and there were some commanding presentations from the Opposition side of the House.

Mrs Indranie Chandarpal must be singled out for reminding the Government of a number of dismissals that appeared to be politically influenced; Dr Vindhya Persaud pointed out that enough was not being done for women, and she spoke on the ill-effects of crime; Mrs Yvonne Pearson called for focus on development and advocacy

Welcome! Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is greeted by Minister of State Joseph Harmon on his arrival in the Parliament chamber

Opposition Leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo leading the Opposition into Parliament on Monday

PPP/C MP Dr Vindhya Persaud returned to her seat on Thursday after the PPP/C left the House at the start of the presentation of Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence

for a continuation of Amerindian development; and the veteran trade unionist Komal Chand proposed recommendations to improve the fortunes of GuySuCo. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Finance Minister Winston Jordan spoke passionately about their visions for a better Guyana, and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo brought his wealth of experience as an economist to the debate.

It was also good to see that Jagdeo, a former President, did not participate in the pointless and empty hecklings that came from both sides of the House.

From the outset, the debates had appeared to be a showdown between the Prime Minister and the

Leader of the Opposition; but they ended for the Opposition with a walkout in protest of a decision to not allow Jagdeo to be the penultimate speaker in the debate. The Government’s decision, the PPP/C said, is a breach of an established parliamentary convention.

During the five days of debate, conservatively speaking, about 25 per cent of all the presentations did not focus directly on budget considerations, having little or nothing at all to do with the budget.

If rumours and allegations and their responses were an economic sector, undoubtedly it would have been the biggest contributor to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP) Priya Manickchand exchanges pleasantries with Minister of Finance Winston Jordan

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Urica Primus Elected President of the GWMO

In photo,Urica Primus (third from right, front row) and other newly elected executive and committee members of the GWMO FEMALE miner Urica Primus has been elected President of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO).

Primus takes over from Ms. Simona Broomes, who had served as President of the GWMO since its formation in 2011.

Broomes had won a name for herself and had placed the GWMO on the international map in 2013 when she was honoured by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as one of the 2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Heroes .

Broomes is, since the ascension to office of the APNU+AFC Government, now serving as Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection,.

Other women miners elected to serve the GWMO for the next two years are:Donna Charles, Vice-President ; Joan Williams, Second Vice President; Marina Charles, Secretary; Marion Shepherd, Assistant Secretary, Allison Butters- Grant, Treasurer; and Ohio Thompson, Assistant Secretary /Treasurer.

Stepping into the shoes of Broomes, Primus, who had served as Vice President, said that the GWMO will continue its crusading work against TIPs and sexual exploitation of young girls and children and incidents of domestic violence, not only in mining areas, but countrywide.

The GWMO also intends to place greater emphasis on training and empowerment of women.

Primus said that many women miners had walked away from the industry in recent months due to the low gold prices .

“The main desire among women at this time is training, which they can use to move on to other areas of income-generation. We have started on this and we will be exploring all other possible avenues which we can utilise to empower them so they can achieve their objectives.”

Six arrested in ‘ganja’ bust - as police patrol unearth marijuana in minibus at Rosignol

AT about 01:00hr yesterday, a party of policemen on mobile patrol conducted a search on a mini-bus at Rosignol, West Coast Berbice, and unearthed one kilogram, 510 grams of marijuana.

Six men have been arrested and are in police custody assisting with the investigations.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

First win for Bournemouth, United held by Newcastle

By Tom Hayward LONDON, England (Reuters) - Promoted Bournemouth announced their arrival in the top flight with a bang after Callum Wilson’s hat-trick sealed their first-ever Premier League

victory in a 4-3 success at West Ham United yesterday.

The south coast side, who lost their two opening games 1-0, led 2-0 at halftime thanks to a double from Wilson but West Ham levelled through a Mark Noble penalty and Cheikhou Kouyate goal.

Marc Pugh nudged Bournemouth ahead again before Wilson converted a spot kick, after West Ham defender Carl Jenkinson was dismissed, to complete his treble before Modibo Maiga pulled a goal back in the 82nd to set up a tense finish.

Manchester United’s 100 percent start ended when they were held to a goalless draw against a battling Newcastle United at Old Trafford.

Tottenham Hotspur ended Leicester City’s perfect start under new manager Claudio Ranieri with a 1-1 draw after the impressive Riyad Mahrez cancelled out Dele Alli’s first Spurs goal.

Leciester lead the standings with seven points ahead of Manchester United on goal difference with Manchester City, who visit Everton today, in third on six points.

Champions Chelsea, who have one point from their first two games, travel to West Browmich Albion also today.

THRILLING ATTACK Bournemouth had won many plaudits during their opening two defeats and made the perfect start when Wilson volleyed home a superb 11th-minute opener before capitalising on a defensive error to double the lead 17 minutes later.

The hosts, under new manager Slaven Bilic, roared back after the break with quick fire goals from Noble - who converted a penalty following Josh King’s foul - and Kouyate.

Despite surrendering their commanding lead, Bournemouth remained dangerous every time they pushed forward and regained the advantage when Pugh scored after another impressive attacking move.

Wilson, Bournemouth’s top scorer last season, completed his hat-trick with a 79th minute penalty after Jenkinson had been sent off for bringing down Max Gradel.

West Ham’s response was emphatic with Maiga surging through the middle to stroke the ball home but Bournemouth held on to send their visiting fans into raptures.

“It was great to get off to a start with three points and I’m delighted for the team,” Wilson told Sky Sports.

“The main thing is the points. We’ve scored a few goals today which gets a bit of confidence in the team.

Manchester United’s Chris Smalling heads against the post.

“It shows people we can score goals in this league and hopefully we can pick up more points along the way.”

FRUSTRATING UNITED Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney had made a mediocre start to the season but began brightly against Newcastle although he had a sixth-minute effort chalked off.

United’s Juan Mata was twice denied by keeper Tim Krul and Memphis Depay was a constant threat but they nearly conceded against the run of play when Newcastle’s close-season signing Aleksandar Mitrovic rattled the bar with a thunderous header.

The hosts handed a first league start to World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger and the German was solid yet unspectacular before being substituted in the 59th minute.

The game burst into life with a frantic final 10 minutes as home striker Javier Hernandez was denied by a fine Krul save before Newcastle defender and man-of-the-match Fabricio Coloccini produced a superb block to thwart Antonio Valencia.

Chris Smalling headed against the post for the hosts while Papiss Cisse was just wide after a counter-attack

by Newcastle, who now have two points from three matches.

“It was a very important result for us,” said Coloccini as Newcastle ended a run of seven successive away league defeats. “We worked really hard.

Crystal Palace’s Bakary Sako snatched a late winner as they beat Aston Villa 2-1, while Stoke City, who handed record signing Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri his league debut, drew 1-1 at Norwich City with Russell Martin equalising for the home side after Mame Biram Diouf headed the visitors in front.

Jermaine Defoe secured Sunderland’s first point of the season with the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at home to Swansea City after Bafetimbi Gomis netted his third league goal in as many matches this season on the stroke of halftime.

Ghebreslassie becomes youngest man to win...

From back page passed the sights of central Beijing.

Pertile and his compatriot Daniele Meucci had taken over at the front by the 20-kilometre mark and they maintained their lead until Lesotho’s Tsepo Mathibelle took off at a sprint 10 kilometres later.

It was a pace that would prove impossible to maintain in the punishing humidity, however, and Ghebreselassie reeled him in to take the lead soon after the 35-kilometre mark.

The race was not his yet, though, and with just under two hours on the clock, Tsegay swept past as the youngster grabbed a bottle of water.

The pair battled it out for the lead for a kilometre or more but by the time the Bird’s Nest stadium came into sight, Ghebreselassie was more than 12 seconds clear.

“I was very close to him and started to think about gold but at 38km I had stomach problems and had to slow down a bit,” Tsegay said.

“Maybe it was because of the hot weather.”

Handed his nation’s flag just before he entered the arena, Ghebreselassie ran the final straight with it to claim Eritrea’s second world championship medal after Zersenay Tadesse’s 10 000m silver in 2009.

“Here it is very difficult, but we Eritreans never give up until the finish line,” he said.

The Kenyans had a disappointing morning with world record-holder Dennis Kimetto and previous world record-holder Wilson Kipsang both failing to finish and Paris marathon champion Mark Korir crossing the line in 22nd place.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Cook falls for 85 as Aussies remain on course for victory

By Ed Osmond LONDON, England (Reuters) - Australia reduced England to 203 for six to move to the brink of a consolation victory on the third day of the final Ashes Test at The Oval yesterday.

England captain Alastair Cook made a brave 85 before falling to Steve Smith shortly before the close and the touring side, with 129 runs ahead, need four more wickets to end the series on a high after relinquishing the urn.

England, following on 332 runs behind, lost Adam Lyth (10), Ian Bell (13) and Joe Root (11) cheaply in warm sunshine in south London.

Jonny Bairstow made 26 but he and Ben Stokes (nought) fell in the same over from spinner Nathan Lyon to leave Australia on course to win inside three days.

Cook, however, had other ideas and he and Jos Buttler added 59 to give the hosts an outside chance of saving the match with rain forecast over the next two days.

Just 15 runs short of his first century of the series, Cook pushed tentatively forward to part-time leg-spinner Smith and Voges pouched the catch at short leg to end the England captain’s five-hour

a wretched run of form for the England opener who will surely be dropped after failing to pass fifty in the series.

Bell never looked comfortable before fending a snorting delivery from Mitch-

mined to avoid a repeat of the collapse England suffered on Friday when they lost seven wickets in the evening session.

He was quick to punish the rare bad balls, however,

awkwardly and was well caught at the second attempt

by Voges at short leg.

Stokes survived only four deliveries before tamely edging Lyon to Clarke at slip.

Buttler was 33 not out at the close with Mark Wood on nought.

E a r l i e r, M o e e n A l i and Wood extended their ninth-wicket partnership in England’s first innings to 57 with a flurry of bound-

aries in the morning.

Wood struck six fours in his 24 before he attempted to pull Johnson and spooned a catch to Starc at mid-on.

Moeen, England’s top scorer with 30, edged Johnson’s next delivery to wicketkeeper Peter Nevill to end the innings on 149 and Clarke, playing his final Test, had no hesitation in enforcing the follow-on.

England lead the series 3-1.

SCOREBOARD Alastair Cook falls for 85 to part-timer Steve Smith in the day’s penultimate over at The Oval. stay at the crease.

FIRED-UP AUSTRALIA Australia’s fired-up pace attack had ripped through England’s top order.

Lyth was caught by Michael Clarke at second slip off Peter Siddle, continuing

ell Marsh to captain Clarke.

Root also struggled to cope with Australia’s pace attack and hooked a short ball from Mitchell Johnson to Mitchell Starc at long leg.

Cook took 27 balls to score his first run and batted with watchful intent, deter-

and hit nine fours on the way to a half-century off 119 deliveries.

BAIRSTOW DECEIVED Bairstow rode his luck in a stand of 41 with Cook but he was deceived by a ball from Lyon which bounced

AUSTRALIA 1st innings 481 (S. Smith 143, D. Warner 85, A. Voges 76, M. Starc 58) ENGLAND 1st innings (Overnight: 107-8) A. Lyth c Starc b Siddle 19 A. Cook b Lyon 22 I. Bell b Siddle 10 J. Root c Nevill b M. Marsh 6 J. Bairstow c Lyon b Johnson 13 B. Stokes c Nevill b M. Marsh 15 J. Buttler b Lyon 1 M. Ali c Nevill b Johnson 30 S. Broad c Voges b M. Marsh 0 M. Wood c Starc b Johnson 24 S. Finn not out 0 Extras: (b-1, lb-7, nb-1) 9 Total: (all out, 48.4 overs) 149 Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-46, 3-60, 4-64, 5-83, 6-84, 7-92, 8-92, 9-149.

Bowling: M. Starc 8-3-18-0, M. Johnson 8.4-4 -21-3, N. Lyon 10-2-40-2, P. Siddle 13-5-32-2, M. Marsh 9-2-30-3 (nb-1).

ENGLAND 2nd innings A. Lyth c Clarke b Siddle 10 A. Cook c Voges b Smith 85 I. Bell c Clarke b M. Marsh 13 J. Root c Starc b Johnson 11 J. Bairstow c Voges b Lyon 26 B. Stokes c Clarke b Lyon 0 J. Buttler not out 33 M. Wood not out 0 Extras: (b-5, lb-14, nb-1, w-5) 25 Total: (for 6 wickets, 79 overs) 203 Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-62, 3-99, 4-140, 5-140, 6-199.

Bowling: M. Johnson 132-51-1, M. Starc 14-4-32-0 (nb-1), N. Lyon 25-5-52-2, P. Siddle 16-10-14-1, M. Marsh 10-4-28-1 (w-1), S. Smith 1-0-7-1.

Mathews hits century but India take command (REUTERS) - Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews struck his sixth Test century but India took command on the third day of the second Test at P Sara Oval yesterday.

After a wicketless first session, the touring side dismissed the last seven batsmen for 65 runs to bowl Sri Lanka out for 306 and take an 87-run first-innings lead.

India then lost opener Lokesh Rahul to the fifth ball of their second innings before Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane guided them to 70 for one at the close of play, an advantage of 157 runs.

Vijay was unbeaten on 39 while Rahane was 28 not out after both survived loud lbw appeals.

Starting the day on 140 for three, Mathews (102) and Lahiru Thirimanne (62) enjoyed a productive morning session in Sri Lankan hero Kumar Sangakkara’s farewell match.

The pair added 84 runs in the session without being separated, much to the frustration of India who trail 1-0 in the three-match series.

Ishant Sharma struck two big blows after lunch to expose Sri Lanka’s late order before leg-spinner Amit Mishra polished off the tail with four for 43.

Paceman Ishant ended a 127-run stand by removing Thirimanne although the batsman looked unhappy with the caught-behind decision.

He also got rid of Dinesh Chandimal for 11 but Mathews brought up his century with a re-

verse-swept four off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Mathews faced 167 balls in a patient knock, hitting 12 boundaries in a display of controlled aggression, before becoming Stuart Binny’s first Test victim.

Mishra then removed Dhammika Prasad for five in the next over and also got rid of Jehan Mubarak for 22 and Tharindu Kaushal for six.

SCOREBOARD

Skipper Angelo Mathews celebrates his sixth Test century against India, in Colombo, yesterday.

INDIA 1st innings 393 (L. Rahul 108, R. Sharma 79, V. Kohli 78, W. Saha 56; R. Herath 4-81) SRI LANKA 1st innings (o/n 140-3) D. Karunaratne lbw b U. Yadav 1 K. Silva c Ashwin b Mishra 51 K. Sangakkara c Rahane b Ashwin 32 L. Thirimanne c Saha b I. Sharma 62 A. Mathews c Vijay b Binny 102 D. Chandimal c Rahul b I. Sharma 11 J. Mubarak b Mishra 22 D. Prasad c Rahane b Mishra 5 R. Herath lbw b Ashwin 1 T. Kaushal stp. Saha

b Mishra 6 D. Chameera not out 0 Extras: (b-2, lb-6, nb-5) 13 Total: (all out, 108 overs) 306 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-75, 3-114, 4-241, 5-259, 6-284, 7-289, 8-300, 9-306.

Bowling: I. Sharma 21-3-68-2 (nb4), U. Yadav 19-5-67-1, S. Binny 18-4-44-1 (nb-1), R. Ashwin 29-376-2, A. Mishra 21-3-43-4.

INDIA 2nd innings M. Vijay not out 39 L. Rahul b Prasad 2 A. Rahane not out 28 Extras: (w-1) 1 Total: (for 1 wicket, 29.2 overs) 70 Fall of wickets: 1-3.

Bowling: D. Prasad 4-0-12-1, R. Herath 11.2-3-23-0, D. Chameera 4-0-14-0 (w-1), A. Mathews 2-1-10, T. Kaushal 8-0-20-0.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Farah fireworks help shift focus from doping

By Nick Mulvenney BEIJING, China (Reuters) - Britain’s Mo Farah put a difficult few months behind him to retain his 10 000 metres title in some style as the opening day of the world championships finally shifted the focus from the doping crisis in athletics yesterday.

Even with the superstars of the sport taking centre stage on the first of nine days of action at the Bird’s Nest Stadium, however, there were some reminders of the troubles that have engulfed the sport over the last three weeks.

A few boos spilled down from the stands when convicted doper Justin Gatlin was introduced ahead of his 100 metres heat, which he won with the fastest time of the day to take a confident step towards today’s highly anticipated showdown with Usain Bolt.

Farah’s brilliant victory was achieved despite almost being tripped up on the last lap and also by the disruption to his preparations for Beijing following doping allegations levelled at his coach Alberto Salazar. Salazar denies any wrongdoing.

“It hasn’t been an easy year,” said the Olympic champion, who will go for an unprecedented back-to-back 5 000-10 000 metres world championship double next Saturday.

“As an athlete, I let my running do my talking. I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m good at and that is running

and winning medals for my country.”

Farah was almost tripped by Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor as the leaders rounded the first turn after the bell but somehow stayed on his feet to deliver his trademark finish over the final straight and cross the line in 27 minutes 01.13 seconds.

“I nearly went down but I managed to stay on my feet and win the race,” said Farah. “The (Kenyans) worked as a team, so hats off to them, they tried something different and they really made it hard for me.”

It was Farah’s sixth straight success in major championship distance finals since his second place in the 10 000m at the 2011 worlds in Daegu.

Jamaican Bolt’s record since his triple Olympic sprint triumph in the Bird’s Nest in 2008 has been even more impressive but he was served notice that he will have his work cut out to retain his world 100m title today.

YOUNGEST MARATHON CHAMPION Gatlin underlined his dominance of the sprints this season by storming to victory in the sixth heat in 9.83 seconds before world record-holder Bolt recorded the fifth best time to win his own heat in 9.96.

“If you look at Bolt, he did the same thing in 2012,” said Gatlin, reflecting on his experience of winning bronze behind the Jamaican at the London Olympics.

“He ran kind of slow in the first

round and the semi-finals then he triumphed in the final.”

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) would have been hoping for athletic excel-

Mo Farah of Britain celebrates after winning the men’s 10 000 metres final during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing, China, yesterday. (Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon) lence to take the spotlight after weeks of embarrassing leaks and accusations that it has neglected its duty to root out drug cheats.

They got it in the first event of the championships when Eritrean teenager Ghirmay Ghebreselassie became the youngest-ever marathon world champion with a stunning run in punishing humidity.

The second gold medal was won when Germany’s Christina Schwanitz clinched the women’s shot put title by just seven centimetres from China’s Gong Lijiao.

“I must be one of the happiest people in the stadium,” she said. “Seven centimetres, that’s hard core!”

That result may have disappointed a healthy crowd at the venue for the 2008 Olympics but the few Kenyans in the crowd would have felt harder done by.

A silver and bronze behind Farah for Kamworor and Paul Tanui came after two of the African powerhouse’s vaunted trio of marathon runners failed to finish and the other came home 22nd.

Ghebreselassie crossed the line in two hours 12 minutes 27 seconds to claim a first world championships gold medal for his country.

“My parents wanted me to be a great student but I wanted to be a great athlete,” said the 19-year-old. “Today’s victory will be a great surprise to them.”

There was better news for Kenya in the 800m heats, where David Rudisha looked in good, if not dominating, form with a run of one minute 48.31 seconds to reach today’s semi-finals.

Another East African world record holder, Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba, was in blistering form in the heats of the women’s 1500m, clocking four minutes 02.59 seconds for the fastest time ever in the first round at the world championships.

Britain look like quickly building on Farah’s golden start with Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill and team mate Katarina Johnson-Thompson first and second after four of the seven events in the heptathlon.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Diego Torres, GSSF launch PVC Archery Project in Guyana THE Guyana Sport Shooting Federation (GSSF), in collaboration with World Archery Americas, concluded phase one of its inaugural PVC Archery development seminar in Georgetown, conducted by international archer/coach Diego Torres of Columbia.

Torres is currently being hosted in Guyana by the GSSF to conduct various seminars for members of the Federation; the focus of which will be archery safety, the fabrication of PVC bows and teaching the correct form for target archery.

Seminars are geared to give participants the knowledge to further develop this longstanding Olympic sport by making these low-cost bows which will then be used for training and local competitions.

Torres indicated he is very happy that he is working with a lot of beginners so therefore no ‘bad-habits’ would already have been cultivated with respect to form which is significantly harder to remedy.

The first phase of the seminar which concluded last Wednesday saw participants instructed in hands-on fabrication of PVC target archery bows, complete with stabiliser system.

Members were trained in the safe use of power tools and handling chemicals in order to shape and assemble these low cost archery tools, with this phase materialising several PVC bows for use by the members of the GSSF. Nineteen individuals took part in

this phase and are now able to continue the project which is now current in four countries, namely Columbia, Bolivia, Paraguay and Guyana.

The second phase of the seminar involves members receiving expert coaching in the correct form of archery, safety instructions using the several newly fabricated bows, at both indoor and outdoor facilities.

Shooting sessions have commenced at the indoor facility thanks to the assistance of the Government of Guyana, Ministry of Education, Department of Sport and the National Sports Commission at the National Gymnasium for indoor shooting and at the Leonora Synthetic Track for outdoor.

President of the Federation, Ms Vidushi Persaud recorded her delight at this project and her sincere thanks to members Messrs Ryan McKinnon, Gamal Mohamed and Robert Badal.

She also expressed thanks to Mr Shameer Mohamed and the management of Ocean Spray International Hotel, Mr Ryan Rahaman of JR Burgers, Ms Sharda Veeren-Chand of Demerara Distillers Limited, Mr Komal Singh and Mr Lennox Cush of Star Party Rentals.

Ms Persaud stated that amidst the busy week of coaching, shooting lessons and various seminars, plans are progressing full-steam for the official launch of Archery Guyana prior to the departure of Mr Torres.

In this regard, she gave thanks for the

Mr Torres poses with some of the participants in the PVC Bow Fabrication Seminar. additional support the GSSF has been receiving from the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport

and the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs for planning an exciting launch of Archery Guyana.

FIFA cannot be dominated by one continent, warns Blatter

By Brian Homewood ULRICHEN, Switzerland (Reuters) - Scandal-hit FIFA can never be dominated by one continent, outgoing president Sepp Blatter said yesterday.

Without going into details or naming anyone, Blatter said that in the past one continental federation had tried to exert dominance over the others, using proposed reforms as an attempt to grab the presidency.

Tapeball and dominoes competition organised for August 30 FOREIGN Ministry Office Assistant and Sport enthusiast James Lewis has organised a day of sport for Government agencies and ministries on Sunday, August 30 at the National Park tarmac.

The day will commence with a tapeball cricket competition from 09:00hrs and winning teams will cart off trophies and medals.

The cricket tournament will be followed by a dominoes competition where teams of 4 will play against each other for trophies and cash incentives.

Closing date for entry into both competitions is Tuesday (August 25) and persons desirous of entering are asked to contact James Lewis on 6726179 or 666 5857.

To date, the sponsors are: Action Tyre, Regal Stationery and Office Supply and the National Sport Commission/Director of Sport.

“This is the key point which has (taken place) in the past years ... the takeover of one confederation towards the others,” he told a news conference. “But this cannot work in FIFA.” Blatter did not make clear whether that meant it would never happen or that soccer’s governing body would not survive if it did occur.

He then added: “This was a movement; this was a movement to get back the presidency.”

That remark may have referred to proposals drafted by European soccer’s ruling body UEFA in the mid-1990s for a radical reform of FIFA, which at the time was run by Brazilian Joao Havelange who had been in charge since 1974.

Amid bitter criticism of Havelange, UEFA produced documents known as Vision 1 and Vision 2 with proposals that included rotating FIFA’s presidency. Blatter’s comments came amid an increasing rift between FIFA

and UEFA. FIFA CONGRESS Almost all of Europe’s

FIFA outgoing president Sepp Blatter national associations voted against the Swiss when he was re-elected for a fifth term at the FIFA Congress on May 29.

He won the election against Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein with the backing of votes from

Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Blatter announced four days later he would step down as the organisation lurched into the worst crisis in its 111-year history with 14 sports marketing executives and soccer officials, including several from FIFA, were indicted in the U.S. on bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud charges.

His successor will be elected at an extraordinary Congress on February 26 and UEFA president Michel Platini, who has become a bitter foe of Blatter, is among the candidates.

European media have been critical of the system where each of FIFA’s 209 national associations holds one vote, meaning that four-time world champions Germany hold the same influence as Liechtenstein, the Cook Islands and St Lucia.

In June, German federation president Wolfgang Niersbach proposed that votes should be weighted, based on “size and sporting relevance of the

federations”. One of Blatter’s achievements as FIFA secretary general and president has been the creation of a match calendar that guarantees a set number of dates for international games each year.

The calendar ended a tug-of-war between European clubs and South American and African national teams over who got priority when there was a clash of dates.

However, European club managers still complain at having to release players for the biennial African Nations Cup. European clubs scored a victory recently when FIFA abolished an international date for friendlies in August.

Blatter was speaking yesterday at an annual soccer tournament he organises near his ancestral home in an Alpine valley.

Platini, who has attended in the past, was not present although Blatter said the Frenchman had been invited.

“All are always invited but he could not come,” said the Swiss.

30

SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

Young Chanderpaul looking to break into PCL 4-Day squad OPENER and former Under-19 batsman Tagenarine Chanderpaul is hoping to break into the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League’s (PCL) fourday squad for the 2015/2016 season, which begins in November.

The Guyanese, currently training with the Guyana Jaguars franchise, said that the upcoming season is one where he will look to cement himself in the longer format.

“Hopefully if I get a knock in the tournament, I’ll try and get some runs and do well for the team, because we are the defending champions and we have to retain that status,” he said.

Currently at 19 years, Chanderpaul, who has a total of nine first-class matches with an average of 20, will be looking to follow in the footsteps of his father, veteran West Indies middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

“After I finish training in the mornings here (with the team), I usually go

the 2014 World Cup in Dubai but his side still failed to secure the win.

For the longer format, however, he says that more patience is needed, declaring, “When you go out to bat, you try to get a start, don’t play too many shots, just try and stay tight until you

RHTY&SC invites nominations for 25 most popular cricketers TAGENARINE CHANDERPAUL home and practise my batting in the nets about an hour or so in the bowling machine,” said the young left- hander.

At the Under--19 level last year, he was an outstanding performer at the top of the order, scoring 112 against India at

Jury awards former basketball star Michael Jordan $8.9M in brand case CHICAGO, USA (Reuters) - A jury awarded retired basketball player Michael Jordan $8.9M in his lawsuit against a grocery store chain that used

Former basketball star Michael Jordan his name in a one-page magazine advertisement without his permission, the Chicago Tribune and other local media reported.

get a start.

“Get in and then you start scoring a bit more freely. I try and stay tight upfront. As an opening batsman, the new ball does a bit. You’ve just got to try and stay tight and bat off the sheen.”

(Stephan Sookram)

Jordan, 52, led the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association championships in the 1990s. He retired from professional basketball 12 years ago.

The jury deliberated six hours after a two-week trial in federal court in Chicago, and decided on the award amount on Friday evening.

Jordan took the stand earlier in the week to claim he should be paid $10M, which his business managers said was the fair market value for the advertisement, which appeared in a 2009 commemorative edition of Sports Illustrated to celebrate his career.

Attorneys for the defendants, now-defunct Dominick’s Finer Foods, a division of Safeway (MRWAY.UL), had claimed the advertisement was worth far less, around $127 000.

Jordan told reporters he was pleased with the jury’s decision and said he would donate the money to charity, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

His lawyer was not immediately available for comment.

Last year he made $100M from marketing his image through long-term deals with companies such as Nike, Hanes and Gatorade.

THE Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC) as part of its Silver Jubilee Anniversary (1990-2015) celebrations will be hosting a Night of Heroes Programme in October where twenty-five outstanding cricketers will be honoured for their services to the club.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the Club was proud of its achievements over its 25-year history and it has achieved much more than most clubs in Guyana, even those who have been around for centuries.

The RHTY&SC every year undertakes 200 programmes/activities under the sub-heading of sports, culture, education, anti-drugs, anti-suicide, youth development, charity, community development and religious among others.

In addition to the 25 cricketers to be honoured, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club will be honouring the contributions of 20 outstanding executives for the roles they have played in making the club into Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation.

The Club’s Cricket Development and Research Committees have shortlisted 70 players who can be voted on by members of the public.

The list of players includes Raymond and Stephen Cecil, Neil Williams, Ingram Dey, Randolph Keseram, Shawn Grant, Permanand Thikapersaud, Desmond Fraser, Joseph Arokium, Raymond Haniff, Inderpaul Mohan, Abdel Fudadin, Assad Fudadin, Esaun Crandon, George Paddy, Leonard Lashley, Andre Percival, Khemraj

Mahadeo, Rajiv Ivan, Renwick Batson, Michael Trim, Rasheed Bacchus, Steve Rengasim, Leon Wiggins, Shan Veerasammy, Ravi Narine, Farad Punch, Jermin Punch, Sherain Murray, Jason Sinclair, Askhay Homraj, Brandon Prashad, Clinton

RHTY&SC Secretary/ CEO Hilbert Foster Pestano, Eon Hooper, James Fraser, Shailendra Shameer, Dominique Rikhi, Terrence Madramootoo, Sheldon Sampson, Vivian Bryant, Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Eon Gibson, Leroy Bristol, Michael Hicks,

Randolph Latcha, Delbert Hicks, E. Barlow, Nyeem Abdool, Suluman Sahid, Plaffiana Millington, Clive Harry, Mahendra Srikissoon, Michael Rengasami, Phillip Sampson, Shevon Marks, Mark Papannah, Rondall Lewis, Rasheed Bacchus, Troy Mathieson, P. Sukhra, Takechand Beharry, Alston Hendrax, Tajpaul Gobin, Ajai Narine, A. Hendrax, Rawle Ferreira, Loyydel Lewis and Eon Gibson.

Members of the Club can submit their nomination of their favourite Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club players (up to 25) via email: foster_hilbert@yahoo.com or via postal mail to the Club’s office, Area “H” Ground, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice.

Nominations must be based on the players’ personal discipline, performances on the cricket field and a positive role model status for youths.

Each of the selected players will be honoured by the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club during the Night of Legends and will also be featured in the Club’s 2016 Youth Review Magazine.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday August 23, 2015) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1876-77 (2)AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1971

Today’s Quiz:

Who scored the first Test match hundred?

Who scored the first ODI hundred?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

31

SUNDAY CHRONICLE August 23, 2015

IAAF World Championships ...

Bolt, Powell lead Caribbean qualifiers in men’s 100m BEIJING, China (CMC) – Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell led a quintet of Caribbean qualifiers into the men’s 100 metres semi-finals at the IAAF World Championships here yesterday.

While Bolt won heat seven in a time of 9.96 seconds, Powell captured the opening heat in 9.95 seconds to advance to today’s elimination stage of the much anticipated event of the championships.

Their main rival and world leader American Justin Gatlin advanced as the fastest qualifier with a wind-aided 9.83 (+2.1) in heat number six.

Gatlin’s American compatriot Trayvon Bromell (9.91) won heat four and Jimmy Vicaut of France (9.92) was first home in heat five.

“It was a good run overall and I am happy with my performance,” said Bolt, the reigning World champion in both the 100 and 200 metres.

“I’m ready to go and it’s all about execution and power so I’ll be ready when it comes tomorrow and I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Joining Bolt and Powell will be Barbadians Ramon Gittens and Levi Cadogan, along with Nickel Ashmeade of Jamaica.

The Olympic and world champion Bolt knows that fast times in heats do not win gold medals, however, and was satisfied with going under 10 seconds to reach the semi-finals, which take place along with the final today.

Gittens clocked a personal-best of 10.02 to finish second behind Femi Ogunode of Qatar (9.99) in heat three while Cadogan finished fourth (10.12) in the final heat with Bolt, with America’s Mike Rodgers (9.97) and Churandy Martina of the Netherlands (10.06) as the automatic qualifiers.

Ashmeade (10.19) finished behind former world champion Tyson Gay of the United States who won heat two in a time of 10.11, with Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre (10.24) taking the third spot.

However, there were disappointments for Trinidad and Tobago’s national champion Keston Bledman, the Kittian trio of Kim Collins (10.16), Antoine Adams (10.23) and Brijesh Lawrence (10.40), Kemar Hyman of the Cayman Islands (10.32), Suriname’s Jeffrey Vanan (10.57) and Mark Anderson of Belize (10.87).

They all missed out on advancing.

Mike Rodgers of the U.S. (L) and Usain Bolt of Jamaica (C) competes in the men’s 100 metres heats during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing, China yesterday.

(Reuters/Phil Noble) Bledman suffered a groin injury halfway in his race and only managed 10.75 for the last position.

“I had a bad strain in my groin and I went Pan Am (Pan American Games) and it affected it, so I came here hurt,” said Bledman.

Collins missed out on qualification after a fifth-place finish in 10.16 with Gatlin, Aaron Brown of Canada (10.03), Henricho Bruintjies of South Africa (10.07) and Iran’s Hassan Taftian advancing from that heat.

Petra Organisation/GT Beer Futsal Championship

Sophia, Bent Street, West Front Road and Festival City in winners’ row THE Petra Organisation/ GT Beer Futsal Championship continued last Friday, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, where Sophia, Bent Street, West Front Road and Festival City all picked up victories.

Playing in the night’s opening game, Sophia easily brushed aside Showstoppers 11-7, thanks to a hat-trick from Dwayne Lowe (4th, 6th, 22nd minutes) and Akeem Jaikissoon (16th, 27th, 30th).

Shem Porter netted a double for Sophia; first in the 5th minute and his second in the 18th minute while Joshua Kamal (17th minute), Sheik Kamal (11th minute) and an own goal in the 21st minute

added to Sophia’s tally.

Showstoppers Simon Emmanuel’s helmet-trick and a hat-trick from Anthony Sancho were not enough to see them past Sophia.

Meanwhile, game two saw Bent Street defeat Beterverwagting (BV) 9-5 after National defender Colin Nelson turned in a superb performance and showed off his goal-scoring ability on his way to getting three goals (13th, 25th, 26th) of his team’s total.

Okeene Fraser, Daniel Wilson, Steffon Ramsay, Sheldon Profitt and Frank Crandon were the other scorers for Bent Street.

Warren Gilkes netted a double and a strike each from

Delroy Dean, Devon Griffith and Reon Hopkinson added up the tally for ‘BV’ in a losing cause.

Queen Street Tiger Bay went down 5-7 to Festival City, who were led by Dwayne Lawrence (9th, 18th, 22nd, 28th), Eon Alleyne and King Solomon Austin.

Quincy Hemmerding (4th, 29th), Darren Harris (23rd, 24th) and Alpha Fletchman (15th) were the scorers for Queen Street.

In the night’s final game, West Front Road outclassed Broad Street 7-2. Randolph Wagner opened the scoring for the winners in the first minute and found the net two more times (7th, 22nd), and Hubert Pedro scored in the

9th and 10th minutes.

An own goal in the 11th minute and a Michael Oie strike in the 19th minute were enough to see West Front Road past Broad Street.

TTCB official scolds WICB boss over failure to stage town-hall meeting PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) - A leading member of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Patrick Rampersad, has scolded the president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron, over his failure to stage a town-hall meeting on the island.

Rampersad has also taken issue with Cameron for refusing to hold the meeting while in Trinidad and Tobago for the final of the Caribbean Premier League.

C a m e r o n ’s l e t t e r t o TTCB reportedly listed “a critical change in my schedule” and “pressing obligations” as the reasons for not being able to facilitate the meeting.

Rampersad, third vicepresident of TTCB, has also criticised the WICB for Dave Cameron issuing a statement which erroneously stated that Trinidad and Tobago was among the countries which hosted town-hall meetings.

“In any event the town-hall meeting was not held in T&T and to suggest otherwise is misleading at best, and cynical at worst,” said Rampersad.

“It was disrespectful and dismissive of the local cricket community. Is it that the views of the local board and the fans and stakeholders are not important?”

In the meantime the WICB issued a statement yesterday saying efforts to host a meeting in the T&T could not be finalised from as far back as June when the president’s office made contact.

The WICB statement referenced a letter from TTCB general secretary Arjoon Ramlal, to WICB dated June 22, stating that affiliates could not agree on a venue for the meeting.

The letter objected to Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain as the venue for the town-hall meeting on the grounds that it is not a central location and would not attract the widest public participation.

The TTCB letter to WICB suggested that the meeting be held at the National Cricket Centre in Couva or at an Auditorium in Chaguanas.

“Any of these venues will draw much wider participation from our rich mix of cricket-lovers,” the letter said.

“Suitable arrangements can be made by the TTCB in the event that this recommendation is accepted.”

However, the WICB has said that it remains committed to hosting the meeting in Trinidad.

“The president while visiting for the Caribbean Premier League final, agreed to return to a venue and time suitable for all affiliates,” the WICB release stated.

Trinidad and Tobago and Leeward Islands are remaining venues to host WICB town-hall meetings hosted

by Cameron and vice-president Emmanuel Nanthan.

Barbados, Dominica, St Lucia, Guyana and Jamaica have already hosted meetings in which topics ranging from team selection and player relations to pitch preparation and governance issues have been raised.

Part of the action in the Petra Organisation/GT Beer Futsal Tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Sport CHRONICLE

The Chronicle is at http://www.guyanachronicle.com

IAAF World Championships ...

Bolt, Powell lead Caribbean qualifiers in men’s 100m See story on page 31

Guyana to face Cuba in a crucial CFU Women’s Olympic Qualifier today

The Lady Jags prior to their clash with St Kitts and Nevis last Friday.

DESPITE thrashing St Kitts and Nevis 8-0 in their opening game, Guyana’s senior National Women’s team will not be taking the Cubans lightly when the two sides meet today in Group Four of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) leg of the Olympic Qualifiers.

Otesha Charles’ hat-trick (23rd, 25th and 46th minutes), followed by a goal each from Mariam El-Masri (52nd), Kayla De Souza (65th), Alison Heydorn (85th), Calaigh Copeland (77th) and Olivia Gonsalves (87th) propelled the Guyanese women to an easy win but now, a clash against group favourites Cuba stands between coach Mark Rodrigues’ side and the next round.

Based on the result of the first game, a victory against the Cubans will solidify the Lady Jags’ entry into the next round of the qualifiers since only one team will advance.

As much as coach Rodrigues was pleased with the result of the game against St Kitts, he made it clear that his focus has already moved to the team’s next game today against Cuba, while trying to get the players to recover and to address what they need to work on to improve their performance.

This is not the first time the two countries are meeting. In fact, it was at the expense of the Cubans that Guyana qualified for the 2010 Gold Cup in Mexico, after winning a home (0–1) and away (3–1) playoff to become the first Guyanese team to feature at the Gold Cup - the pinnacle of CONCACAF football.

Ghebreslassie becomes youngest man to win World Championships marathon … Kenyans struggle with heat in Beijing

By Nick Mulvenney BEIJING, China (Reuters) - Eritrean teenager Ghirmay Ghebreselassie became the youngest-ever marathon world champion when he stunned a strong field of fellow East Africans to win the first title of the Beijing championships yesterday.

The 19-year-old eased clear of the field over the final six kilometres and

crossed the line in two hours 12 minutes 27 seconds to claim a first world championships gold medal for his country.

“I cannot explain what I am feeling, I am so happy,” he told reporters.

“I am so proud of this victory. My medal is the first gold medal in Eritrean history. It is a very special thing for our history.

“My parents wanted me

to be a great student but I wanted to be a great athlete.

Today’s victory will be a great surprise to them.”

Ethiopian Yemane Tsegay, who led briefly before Ghebreselassie’s final surge, finished 40 seconds behind the Eritrean in second place, while Uganda’s Solomon Mutai claimed bronze in 2.13.29.

Ruggero Pertile of Italy, who led for much of the

middle part of the race, finished fourth, while Uganda’s Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich gave up the world title he won two years ago from sixth place.

After an early morning start to mitigate the effects of the Beijing summer heat, Tsegay and Bahraini Shumi Dechasa set the pace in the early stages as the runners See page 26

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Eritrea’s Ghirmay Ghebreslassie won the marathon at the World Championships yesterday in a time of 2h. 12m. 27s.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015