Guyana chronicle 04 12 13 by Chronicle

GUYANA No. 103670

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4, 2013

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

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Government to enhance transparency and accountability in local extractive industries

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Minister Robert Persaud

Family Court GNBA to take unlicensed should broadcasting entities to court Page

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Disabled persons among some of the poorest globally -Canadian High Commissioner -non-inclusion and overlooking sighted among the factors Page

become operational next May

Dr Roger Luncheon

LACK of 15 public awareness hindering solid waste disposal, management Page

Roraima Airways celebrates 21st anniversary Page 7

Students of the centre are assisted by their tutors along the way as they try out the new ramp

Capt. Gerry Gouveia

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Disabled persons among some of the poorest globally-Canadian High Commissioner

-non-inclusion and overlooking cited among the factors

A view of a section of the Câ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Shaped Ramp which was built according to international specifications

By Leroy Smith

THE non-inclusion and overlooking of persons living with disabilities in society and its activities have resulted in them being among some of the poorest persons globally, this is according to Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicole Giles. The diplomat made the comments yesterday while commissioning an $8M ramp at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre on Carmichael Street in Georgetown. The project was a partnership between the Governments of Guyana and Canada and was executed through the Ministry of Health and the Canadian High Commission in Guyana. The (C-shaped) ramp links two buildings within the complex and was built according to international specifications and replaces a wooden structure. The administration of the centre approached the Canadian High

A student of the centre assists High Commissioner Giles with cutting the ribbon to the new ramp Commission for partial funding to facilitate the replacement of the wooden structure which was determined unsafe for the students and staff of the facility. According to Dr. Giles the commissioning of the ramp could not have been done at a better time since it coincided with the International Day for Persons with Disabilities and which both Guyana and Canada joined the rest of the world in observing yesterday. Nations should use the opportunity to pause and check on

the principles of the United Nations Convention on the rights of Persons Living with disabilities and for there to be energies focused towards a change in attitudes and approach to the persons living with disabilities, Dr Giles exhorted. The adoption of the convention of the United Nations with respect to persons living with disabilities have seen much strides made in supporting persons living with See page 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Government to enhance transparency and accountability in the local extractive industries T HE Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, is moving to improve the level of transparency and accountability in the extractive industries, particularly mining. This undertaking is being advanced through the hiring of an international or local consultancy team to commence a Scoping Study of the adoption of the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Guyana. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has begun the process of advertising for the consultancy, through both local and international media, as well as on the E-procurement website. Guyana is primarily a resource-based economy. The extractive industries are an important source of employment, income and government revenue. The sector occupies a central place in the economy due to attractive commodity prices, the availability of mining properties, increases in production and technological improvements. With further hydrocarbon exploration, the resumption of manganese mining, increased production of bauxite and gold and the opening to new exploration, the extractive sector is expected to continue growing rapidly. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a global standard aimed at improving revenue transparency and accountability in the extractives sector. EITI was established in 2002 and since then has become a robust yet flexible methodology for monitoring and reconciling company payments and government revenues from oil, gas and mining at the country level. The implementation of the EITI standard has two main components: i) the disclosure of payments to the government from private companies, and the disclosure of receipts from the government, by means of an Annual Report, and ii) the constitution of a multi-stakeholder group including representatives from the government, private sector and civil society responsible for overseeing the process and communicate the findings of the EITI Report. In 2012, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MoNRE) re-engaged the EITI International Secretariat to implement the initiative in Guyana. This request was followed by the visit of Mr. Jonas Moberg, Manager of the EITI International Secretariat, and the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding in May 2012 to assist Guyana in its preparation for the consideration of EITI candidacy. The MoNRE has since then participated in several EITI conferences and workshops in an effort to build local capacity in understanding the EITI processes. Moreover, in February 2013, the MoNRE formally established a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) for the consideration of a potential candidacy to the EITI. As per the EITI standard, the MSG is responsible for the identification of the goals to be achieved through EITI compliance as well as the implementation of the actions necessary to realise those targets; its composition is a critical step for countries intending to implement the EITI. As part of their commitment to exploring the implementation of the EITI in countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank are providing technical advice to the GoG in its efforts towards EITI candidacy. In addition, the EITI Secretariat has provided guidance on the content of both “feasibility” and “scoping” studies necessary for taking forward the initiatives. The former is to identify the challenges and opportunities of EITI implementation, the latter to determine the scope of EITI reporting. Scoping and feasibility studies help assess challenges and opportunities associated with EITI implementation and determine the scope of the EITI reporting. The objective of the assignment is to produce a study which will inform the MSG’s discussions regarding the scope and implications of the implementation of the 2013 EITI standard for Guyana’s

Disabled persons among ... From page 2

disabilities, however there is always the room for more to be done and for improvement, the diplomat added. Dr. Giles urged that there should be no relenting in the efforts to ensure that there is full and active integration into society of persons living with disabilities. She applauded those who have been working with this special group for their com-

mitment and fortitude. According to the High Commissioner it is very important for societies to note that disabilities not only affect the persons living with disabilities but all society and there must be a multi stakeholder approach to dealing with the issue. She also called for there to be advocacy on the part of the members of the society at all levels for those persons living with disabilities and their total inclusion and

respect for their rights. From time to time there has been the overlooking of the prejudice and hardship that are faced by persons living with disabilities, Dr. Giles noted. Disabled persons form a critical part of the society and they need to be celebrated especially those who would have risen above their difficulties and have become advocates for others living with various disabilities.

extractive industries (oil, gas, large and small-scale mining). The consultants’ assignment will consist of two parts i) A detailed study to asses Guyana’s extractive industry and to highlight opportunities and challenges of EITI implementation; and ii) Dissemination of results and capacity building. The study will consist of three sections: * Information/Context * Information for and scope of the EITI report * Cost/benefit analysis and workplan The benefits for a country such as Guyana that seeks to implement the EITI include an improved investment climate by providing a clear signal to investors and international financial institutions that the government is committed to greater transparency. EITI also assists in strengthening accountability and good governance, as well as promoting greater economic and political stability. Minister Robert M. Persaud has underlined the importance of transparency by the government and companies in the extractive industries and the need to enhance public financial management and accountability. Thus, the achievement of greater transparency must be set in the context of respect for contracts and laws which will enhance the environment for domestic and foreign direct investment that financial transparency may bring. As such, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment believes in the principle and practice of accountability by and to all citizens for the stewardship of revenue streams and public expenditure. Hence, it is committed to encouraging high standards of transparency and accountability of government operations through the contributions of stakeholders, including the Government and their agencies, extractive industry companies, service companies, multilateral organisations, financial organisations, investors, and non-governmental organisations.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Militias battle anew in Lebanon’s Twelve killed in Tripoli, army arrests 21 fighters Central African Republic attack: U.N.

written behind him. electricity and water supplies to both sides. (Reuters) - CLASHES reThe 19-year-old refused to be cut off. Analysts say that the seemsumed on Tuesday between give his name while sheltering The latest clashes startingly pointless battle in which Lebanese militias who back from the rain in the Taqwa ed after repeated attacks on neither side gains ground is beopposing sides of Syria’s war mosque, one of two Sunni reliAlawite targets over the last ing directed by regional powers and 21 fighters were arrested gious compounds hit by bombs week in which several peowho fund militia to send politby the army as it pursued a in August that killed 42 people ple were wounded. Ten people ical messages and assert their six-month-long mandate to and angered Sunni fighters even were killed over the weekend. control over Lebanon, a weak end bloodshed battering the more. The army provided no details sectarian-run state wrecked by city of Tripoli. its own civil war from 1975 The conflict between to 1990. the majority Sunni Muslim “Lebanon is not a sovBab al-Tabbaneh district and ereign country,” said Beithe adjacent Alawite neighrut-based political scientist borhood of Jebel Mohsen in Hilal Khashan. “Each sect has Tripoli has killed over 100 foreign patrons and they know people this year. But residents, they need foreign patrons; fighters and a local politician this country is run from the told Reuters on Tuesday it was outside.” unlikely to end soon despite Misbah Ahdab, a Sunarmy efforts. ni Tripoli politician from The two neighborhoods a secular party, said the have been in on-off conlocal battle was a “regional flict since the 1980s but the fight between Iran and the 2-1/2-year-old civil war in Gulf”. neighboring Syria pitting Sunni Saudi Arabia is Alawite President Bashar locked in a struggle with al-Assad against majority Shi’ite Iran for influence Sunni rebels has opened old wounds on both sides in Trip- Lebanese army soldiers are seen on their military vehicle as they across the Middle East. In oli, and fighting has become deployed on the streets of Tripoli, northern Lebanon, December 3, Syria, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries support 2013. Credit: Reuters/Stringer more frequent and intense. the rebels while Iran backs “They (Alawites) are usAssad, whose Alawite sect Over the weekend, the relon the 21 militiamen seized by ing big mortar bombs now,” is an offshoot of Shi’ism. atives of the car bomb victims soldiers. a teenage fighter from Bab Tiny, coastal Lebanon has protested in a Tripoli square, Reuters was unable to speak al-Tabbaneh said on Tuesday, suffered from violent spilldemanding that leading Alawto fighters and residents in Jebel showing pictures on his mobile overs of the Syrian conflict, ite political leaders be arrested Mohsen because the roads to it of himself holding assault rifles especially in Tripoli. and calling for Jebel Mohsen’s were cut off by sniper fire on with Sunni Islamist slogans

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(Reuters) – AT LEAST 12 civilians were killed and 30 wounded, including children, in an attack northwest of the Central African Republic capital Bangui, the U.N. mission there said on Tuesday. The U.N. Security Council is to vote on Thursday on dispatching French reinforcements to restore order in a country that has slipped into chaos since mainly Muslim rebels seized power, leading to tit-for-tat sectarian violence. BINUCA, the United Nations office in Bangui, said unidentified armed men had targeted Boali, about 95 km (60 miles) from the capital at the weekend. The U.N. office did not give details on who was responsible but it warned of tensions between communities leading to “a climate of increasing violence” in the country. Amy Martin, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Bangui, said the attack occurred on Monday and that Christian militias known as “anti-balaka” appeared to have targeted Peul herders, who are mostly Muslim. Martin said the incident was one of a number in recent days, including fighting on Tuesday just 45 km north of Bangui. “It looks much more organized just than community defense groups,” she said, referring to the mainly Christian militia that have formed to counter abuses by the former rebels, who are known as Seleka. Prospere Ndouba, an adviser to Michel Djotodia, the rebel chief who is now serving as interim president, said anti-Seleka youth backed by supporters of ousted president Francois Bozize were responsible for the Boali attack. Around 460,000 people, a tenth of the population, have fled the sectarian violence since the Seleka rebel coalition, a loose alliance of warlords, seized power in March. France has begun dispatching reinforcements to its former colony, where it will have around 1,000 troops to support an African force that has so far struggled to contain the fighting.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013 5

Jamaica job joy Huge power cut blacks

- Survey shows most workers satisfied with employment

(Jamaica Gleaner) A NEW survey has revealed that the vast majority of Jamaican workers are happy in their jobs, or so they say. The survey, conducted by Johnson Survey Research Limited and commissioned by the Jamaica National Building Society, revealed that 75 per cent of Jamaica’s full-time workforce said they have achieved job satisfaction. “For every four full-time workers, three say they are satisfied,” stated the survey. But while acknowledging those results, consulting psychologist Leahcim Semaj has noted a “significant discrepancy” in which daily complaints of low productivity continue to mar the local productive sector. “It’s one thing for workers to be satisfied, but is he/she delivering value for money?” questioned Semaj after exploring the contents of the survey. “I have measured companies in which you have high satisfaction and low productivity because the workers figured out how to get paid and without delivering,” Semaj told The Gleaner. Added Semaj: “If workers at a company are very satisfied, meaning that they get what they want to do and enjoy being there, but don’t have to do what the company wants them to do, that doesn’t benefit the organisation,” he argued. Semaj stressed that the ultimate goal is to have high job satisfaction along with high alignment levels between the workers’ and company’s values. “That’s really where you find the discrepancies,” he stressed. He blamed poor management offerings for the discord between high satisfaction levels on the job of full-time employees and low productivity output. The survey revealed that 74 per cent of full-time Jamaican workers expressed satisfaction, compared to 24 per cent who were dissatisfied. Full-time employees describe themselves as happy rather than unhappy with their job by a 64 per cent to 18 per cent majority. It also noted that job satisfaction was highest among persons in the Corporate Area - 78 per cent. This is followed by managerial personnel - 85, those with either university education - 79; or graduate school education - 80. The study found that the levels of job satisfaction in the manufacturing sector was 86 per cent; telecom/communications, 80; and financial, 78. The report stated that perceptions of the empathy that immediate supervisors have towards those who work for them appear to play a major role in overall employee satisfaction and happiness. The survey found that 11 per cent are actively looking for another job at this time, while 38 per cent say they are not looking for another job but would be amenable to considering one they heard about, while 49 per cent say they are not at all interested in another job at this time.

out much of Venezuela

(BBC News) A MASSIVE power cut plunged the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and other cities into darkness on Monday evening. The Caracas metro ground to a halt and people had to be evacuated from shops and offices. President Nicolas Maduro tweeted that the cut had been triggered in the same place as an outage in September, and suggested “sabotage” was responsible. Power cuts are common in Venezuela, especially in the inland states, but rarely affect the capital. Although Venezuela has large oil reserves it is dependent on hydro-electricity for about Venezuela is no stranger to power cuts, 70% of its pow- despite its oil wealth er. The blackout took place shortly after 20:00 on Monday (00:30 GMT Tuesday) as President Maduro was addressing the nation on television. Deprived of the airwaves, Mr Maduro took to Twitter to say that the government was monitoring the “strange blackout that occurred

in the same place as the last act of sabotage”. “I ask the people to stay alert,” he tweeted. Caracas resident Olinda Reyes was evacuated from a shopping centre in eastern Caracas shortly after power was lost. “We are afraid,” she said. “There are no buses, the subway doesn’t work and we’re in complete darkness at the mercy of God.” The blackouts did not affect Venezuela’s oil refineries, which are powered by separate generator plants. Some time after the outage, Electricity Minister Jesse Chacon said electricity had been restored to most of Caracas but was still cut in several regions. He said the blackout had originated in central Venezuela. “It was a direct fault in the systems at the sub-station. It is too early to speculate but we are looking into the problem,” he said. The opposition says the governments of President Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, have failed to maintain the power grid to meet growing demand, and resorted to conspiracy theories to divert attention from mismanagement. Correspondents said that while Caracas was in darkness, people could be heard banging pots - a frequent means of protest. During the September black-out, the president said that “the extreme right has resumed its plan for an electrical strike against the country”. Last month Venezuela’s National Assembly gave Mr Maduro controversial powers to rule by decree for a year. Local elections are due to be held on Sunday.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

GUYANA

EPA responds to Stabroek News

EDITORIAL

Guyana’s public transportation woes persist GUYANA’s present public transport system of minibuses and taxis is woefully inadequate. It can be described as a broken system, because it is poorly regulated and doesn’t work the way it was intended to work. For any system to work well, there has to be a set of mechanisms in place to ensure that it does. If there are no such mechanisms in place, the system falls apart, and that is what is happening right now. A prime example of this state of affairs is the fares charged by minibus operators. From time to time the operators increase the fares they charge commuters. When commuters complain, the authorities place notices in the newspapers, informing the public that fare increases have not been approved, advising commuters not to pay the increased fares. However, not paying the requested fares may result in an assault on the commuter or him/her being left stranded. To avoid this, commuters quietly pay up. Another example of the broken system is, the crowds of commuters who assemble at the bus parks and along the minibus routes every morning and night, sometimes long after dark, including schoolchildren and the elderly, waiting to be picked up by a minibus. Fights often break out at the minibus parks, exposing the young and vulnerable to injury. And when a bus eventually arrives, there is a stampede as commuters try to get onto the bus, only to be told that they have to pay double or three times the regular fare. It is a take-it-orleave-it situation, because there is someone waiting behind you who is willing to pay that price. If you refuse to pay, you may be stuck there for most of the night, if not for the whole night. The situation gets worse at month-end, when the minibus operators demand even higher fees. Apart from the high fares charged, the buses travelling to the different destinations are not easy to tell apart, as buses travelling in the same general direction have the same numbers and designations, although their final destinations may be different. Although this may not be a problem for commuters who daily travel the same route, it may present a challenge for those not familiar with the setup. There is also the question of speeding, which often results in serious or fatal accidents. A minibus is more likely to end up in an accident than a private vehicle, simply because of the carelessness displayed by the drivers. So what is the solution? There is clearly a need to ensure that operators abide by the approved fare structure and that consumers are not overcharged. However, enforcement is a different matter. How would the ministry compel operators to abide by the approved fare structure, when commuters are left at the mercy of these operators who can choose not to pick you up when you refuse to pay the fare? Will it help to place a ministry official or policeman at the terminal where commuters get onto the buses? But what about when the

THE agency wishes to clarify several subject matters which the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2012 Annual Report has highlighted. The Annual Report served as a reporting mechanism against its work programme, which identified both achievements and challenges for the year 2012. In light of the aforesaid, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE) has recognised the challenges and has since implemented and recommended a series of actions to address these matters. With regard to staffing, the agency wishes to advise that at present, 98 percent (98 %) of the staff positions under its various programmes have been filled. The newspaper could have presented this updated information to the public had it taken the time to verify this with the agency. According to the article, a number of staff were assigned by the MNRE to its head office. The agency would like to further clarify this statement by explaining that the former Director of the Natural Resource Management Division (NRMD) is currently the Commissioner of the Protected Area Commission (PAC), while the coordinator of the Pick-up Campaign is currently housed at the ministry to better facilitate coordination among its sister agencies. As it relates to the current Environmental Management Division, MNRE has since given its no-objection to split the division into 1) Permitting, and 2) Compliance Divisions, both of which have independent Directors and staff to manage their affairs. In addition, the MNRE and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in August 2013 signed a grant agreement for

the drafting of the Agency’s Compliance and Environmental Regulations in support of the EPA’s Act (1996) to give the Compliance Division more teeth and to strengthen the overall capacity of the EPA. The MNRE has recognised and recommended that there is need for an in-house legal officer because of the number of cases engaging legal attention in the courts. As such, the ministry has given the agency permission to recruit a legal officer who has already been hired, thus strengthening the capacity of the EPA to take action against persons who infringe on the EPA Act. The newspaper article reported on the agency conducting extensive monitoring assessments in 2012, which have only continued to increase in 2013. As a result, the ministry has endorsed the proposal for the EPA to establish a Water Quality Unit for which new testing instruments are being procured. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has recognised that there is an increasing demand for the services of the EPA and that it has been somewhat lacking in capacity to effectively achieve its mandate. For that reason,the MNRE has since engaged with the EPA and an international consultant to draft a proposal to 1) investigate means to strengthen the EPA, 2) improve cost-recovery mechanisms, and 3) improve staff retention. The EPA encourages Stabroek News to continue to show interest in its valuable work towards addressing environmental compliance in Guyana. EPA

A horrible miscarriage of justice THERE is a lot going on in Guyana today where injustice is concerned, I am talking about the focus on the rights of the criminal as if they are the only ones who have rights and feelings, while there is firm evidence of the total disregard for the rights of the victims. The situation is so obvious that even if you have half a brain you can detect this and most distressing of all it is coming from some of our judges and magistrates. The people whom you would least expect to commit such crimes are the very ones guilty of it. In my discourse with you today, I shall look at a recent case where there was a horrible miscarriage of justice. The story is told of Carlyle Barton having an altercation with Shawn Nelson, as a result of which the accused went for his gun and discharged same on his victim, killing him instantly. The entire episode was carried out in broad daylight and was captured on one of the security cameras installed in the city. Barton was subsequently charged and held over for a preliminary inquiry and for further trial. It is alleged that the matter came up for hearing before Magistrate Fabayo Azore some three times, after which the magistrate summarily struck out the matter and freed the accused. There was no preliminary inquiry, no case, nothing to indicate that this matter would ever come up for trial. In essence, the magistrate just freed a criminal. It is as simple as that. Unbelievable! And it is all happening right before our very eyes; a case of blatant injustice and a foolish magistrate. The shameless excuse for this injustice is that she is tired of calling the matter only to be greeted by the non-appearance of the police who investigated the case. Then, if we are to go by that excuse of being frustrated a mere three times in calling, a paltry three times and this magistrate is frustrated to the point of striking the matter from the records and freeing the criminal. Well I am shocked, appalled and horrified to say the least as to what passes for justice in Guyana today. People come to court to lay their grievances expecting justice to be served, only to be greeted by this foolishness. This is preposterous under any circumstances and I call on the chief justice and the attorney general to

bus leaves the park ? Are there enough policemen or ministry officials to police each and every bus? What about corruption? It is a well-known fact that some policemen and government officials accept bribes. Wouldn’t they just turn a blind eye even when they see operators overcharge commuters? People are generally afraid to be seen as reporting on someone, because they might be targeted. So what can be done? Many members of the public have called for the government to bring back large buses, but is that really the solution? Right now the roads which are already narrow are at maximum capacity, with the many cars which are on the roads. GRA has just announced that 2013 has become the year in which the

act quickly. I call on them to get a grip of that magistrate and put a handle on this grave injustice. In my book that magistrate should be sent packing, there is no way we can tolerate such nonsense. At a time when gun crimes are at an all-time high, some justices can act in such reckless and carefree manner, then something must be done about this magistrate. A life has been brutally snuffed out here and some mindless magistrate in her recklessness frees the suspect even before a trial; utter trash! That magistrate needs to be sacked, end of discussion. What Fabayo Azore should have done, was to subpoena the officer to attend court. Police officers have other pressing matters to attend to, especially in a crime-infested city like Georgetown. I am also told that some officers are not aware of pending court matters, that is, when these matters are called, so, there are very many reasons for the officer not turning up for court. In any event, what is so special about Barton that he cannot spend a few more days or weeks or maybe months cooling off in prison? What is so special about a brazen criminal “relaxing” (for want of a better word) in prison contemplating his evil deed before a trial date? Finally, I would close by relating to you one of the root causes for Colombia’s serious drug problem and it is all bundled up in the justice system. The documentary I saw showed justices being paid or otherwise in open collusion with the accused drug kingpins. The long and short of Colombia’s drug menace meant that most of the cases brought before them would see an early dismissal and no conviction of known offenders. That documentary revealed a weak, broken, ineffective justice system. The point I am making is when you take a close look at our system in Guyana lots of questions come up unanswered. My plea to the authorities at home is let us take stock of what is going on in our country and get to the bottom of this matter as well as some others in our broken justice system. I rest my case. NEIL ADAMS highest number of private vehicles have been registered. Bringing in big buses will add to that number and will further congest the roads. The other question is, how many buses will there be, and which routes will they travel? What times will they travel? There is also the question that commuters might prefer to travel with the minibuses in the morning, since the big buses are bound to be slower and commuters generally want to get faster from point A to point B, especially in the mornings. So, if government decides to bring back the big buses, it might perhaps be more cost effective to deploy them in the evenings, because that is when commuters feel most of the pain.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Family Court should become operational Guyanese not interested in protesting next May K AIETEUR News columnist Freddie Kissoon has been with the national readership for a little over two decades, over which span of time he has established a peculiar and well known media repertoire for, among other things, inciting racial animosity and violence against the State. Of course, he is supported by a publishing house that has articulated a caravan of hatred, abuse, misinformation and misrepresentation against the PPP/C Government. Also, he is among the many perennial critics that have abused media freedom and the right of expression, despite his constant, deceiving line that the country is governed by an authoritarian government. But OBSERVER must remind himself that for his many articles of a seditious type, his likes would have been heavily sanctioned in such a State, if it were in existence here. But he is the calibre of activists/social commentators that one is forced to list in a column captioned, “Permanently Forgiven”, because he knows not what he is doing. Not because of any redeeming quality, but because of disgust when one reads his articles that are always on the same theme, seeking to discredit the Government and fomenting public dissension. Again, he has chosen this traditional line via a recent column “One Day the PNC will wake-up and say enough is enough. Let’s hope it is tomorrow”. Immediately, an interpretation of its content

Trio charged with creating noise nuisance at seawall

A BUSINESSMAN, a self-employed man and a DDL line attendant were accused of creating a noise nuisance on December 1 at Seawall Road between Camp Street and Vlissingen Road, operating a music set in a loud and continuous manner that caused a nuisance to the neighbourhood. Wendell Baird, a 52-year-old businessman of Lot 221 Lamaha Street, Georgetown, Delroy William, 25, self-employed (no address given) and Shawn Levan, a line attendant at DDL (no address given), were all unrepresented but Attorney-at-law James Bond, appearing amicus curiae, said on behalf of the defendants that there is no neighbourhood in that area as there are grounds and the seawall. Police Corporal Renetta Bentham, prosecuting, told the court that around 22:00 hrs on the Seawall Road, Baird did not obtain a police permit and operated a liquor bar and permitted the other defendants to operate a stereo set in a loud and continuous manner which caused a nuisance to ranks on duty at the Earth Station. A report was made to the police and the trio was subsequently arrested and charged. Baird said, “If I had known that it was disturbing at the Earth Station I would have turned it off completely because it would affect my business.” He added that when the other defendants came, he told them to play but not to use too much bass. Baird contended that there was another music set between the ground and the Earth Station, which was playing loud music and was facing the station. He also said that their music set was facing the opposite side of the seawall, which cannot disturb the Earth Station and based on his explanation a not guilty plea was entered. Baird, who is married with 13 children, was placed on $20,000 bail until December 10. Meanwhile, the other two defendants were fined $10,000 each with an alternative of seven days imprisonment.

is clearly another hope nurtured in his mind, for subversion of the peace and tranquility of the State. This must not escape the attention of the relevant authorities, who must begin investigations into such dangerous intent. One does not have to be a political scientist to fathom the gist and dangerous tone of such an article. In fact, it is an unmistakable call for the PNCR to lead its supporters onto the streets. The good thing about this appeal is that it will not be heeded by that party. Its former leader, Robert Corbin, brought such a self-defeating and dangerous strategy to an end just after assumption of the party’s leadership. He realised, quite sensibly, that such a tactic had in the past seriously damaged the party’s image, and most importantly, destabilised this country’s efforts at national reconstruction. Who will forget the Hoyte’s slow fyuh, mo fyuh call, and the destruction that followed thereafter? A most senior PNC chieftain, some months ago, repudiated such a party strategy, declaring emphatically that political street protests are not going to happen again. In fact, that party’s supporters are aware that they themselves and families cannot progress as they have been doing for the past 20 years, should this nation revert to such a non-productive and unbeneficial activity. Guyanese in general are interested in living, not protesting!

Over-drinking leads to $40,000 fines for construction worker A CONSTRUCTION worker who appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman yesterday admitted to two counts of threatening behaviour and would have to pay up $40,000 in fines, despite claiming to be under the influence of alcohol at the time. Twenty-seven-year-old Odell Drakes (no address given) pleaded guilty to both offences that said on Thursday, November 28 at Georgetown, he made use of threatening behaviour to Trevor Maxwell and Bevon Thorn. Maxwell told the court that on the day in question he went to a shop to get C-point and afterwards as he was going to his car, the defendant, whom he is not familiar with, armed himself with a knife and gun and threatened to murder him. Thorn, the other virtual complainant (VC), noted that he lives in the same area as the defendant and the incident with him occurred prior to the one involving Maxwell. He further explained that on the day at around 17:20hrs he went to the said shop to purchase a soda and the defendant who was also there said: “People like y’all have to die” and kept on in that vein in a rage. He added that after Drakes threw a punch at him, he dodged and subsequently lifted him up and put him to the ground. The shopkeeper then told him not to do anything to Drakes. Drakes in his defence explained that what both victims were saying was true but at that time he was not armed with any gun. He added that he could not recall what exactly took place since he was under the influence of alcohol Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Vishnu Hunt told the court that the facts were as stated in the charge. Drakes who had no previous conviction was fined $20,000 on each charge with an alternative of six months imprisonment.

Complainant in robbery matter ordered to pay $50,000 costs for wasting court’s time THE Virtual Complainant (VC) in the alleged robbery of a gold chain and a Blackberry cell phone was ordered yesterday to pay court costs of $50,000 with an alternative of 14 days’ imprisonment for wasting the investigating ranks’ and the court’s time. And Oriley Small (no address given) had his case dismissed yesterday after the VC Hoosay Barker of Lot 56 Russell Street, Charlestown informed Magistrate Judy Latchman

that he wished to discontinue the matter. Small made his first appearance in court on November 8 to answer the charge that said on October 4 at Georgetown, he robbed Barker of one gold chain and a Blackberry cellular phone, together valued $655,000. The unrepresented defendant was not granted pretrial liberty. In light of no further evidence being offered the prosecution was unable to proceed with the matter.

By Telesha Ramnarine

THE first ever Family Court in Guyana is expected to be operational by May next year, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon told the Guyana Chronicle last Friday. In an invited comment following his post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President, in Georgetown, Luncheon informed that the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the death of Dr Walter Rodney is currently stalling the court from becoming functional. “So there is no possibility of the Family Court being in operation until that is finished and we [are] probably looking at some time about May next year,” stated Dr Luncheon. He observed though that furniture, furnishings and equipment still have to be acquired. “These need to be procured to the satisfaction of the judiciary for the opening of the court. Everything else has been done; building, power, utilities and everything. That’s why it is being used first for the Linden COI and now for the Walter Rodney COI. So it is serviceable. It could be used,” explained Dr Luncheon. Meanwhile, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster told this publication that her ministry, through the Probation and Social Services Department, along with the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA), will be providing support to the court. She said the responsibilities of the ministry will also be increased since approval has been granted for it to receive additional staff, specifically to deal with Family Court issues. Webster informed that officers of the ministry will assist with such as guardian investigation, child custody counseling and assistance to families in domestic circumstances, among other issues. The initiative for the Family Court was prompted by the awareness that the unit is severely affected by societal demoralisation. This recognition has motivated the emphasis on providing an environment where adults and children can seek justice and family law can be dealt with in a specialised manner. The new facility will handle matters including divorce, division of property, domestic matters, adoption, guardianship and custody. Rules of the court were significantly changed by an expert from Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), to whom they were submitted on the recommendation of local officials.

Cabinet gives no objection to contract for rehabilitation of former GRA building CABINET last week gave its no objection for the rehabilitation of the former Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) building located at East and Lamaha Streets, Georgetown. The contract was awarded for $19.1M, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon announced at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President, in Georgetown, last Friday. According to Luncheon, segments of the staffing at the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, at Cornhill Street, will be relocated to the rehabilitated building. This is until the authorities are ready to implement its “grand design” for the Cornhill Street location, Dr Luncheon informed. “We are not going to abandon Cornhill Street although it is abandonable. So the intention is to phase its abandonment. So indeed, you are looking at a stage evacuation of Cornhill Street using East Street as one of the newer locations,” Dr Luncheon said. A s f o r t h e G R A b u i l d i n g o n M a i n S t re e t , L u n cheon said it is not intended to house public offices. The authorities are preparing to sell the building, he informed.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

GNBA to take unlicensed broadcasting entities to court

By Jimmy Roos

CHAIRPERSON of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), Ms. Bibi Safora Shaddick yesterday updated the media on the state of the licencing landscape. According to Ms. Shaddick the entities which received television licences are GWTV 2, Pinnacle Commutations, MTV Channel 14/65, CNS 6, DTV 8, Blackman and Sons and Little Rock. Radio licences were granted to Radio Guyana, Telecor, NTN, Hits and Jams Entertainment and Little Rock with five cable licences given to Atlantic Cable Networking and E-Networks. Ms. Shaddick added that letters of approval were sent to a number of applicants including Movie Star Inc., Star TV, WRHM Inc., 21st Century Communication, Rambarran Broadcasting System, NCN TV and Radio, HGP TV, ANG Radio, Wireless Connections, Linden Radio, Pinnaccle Radio (Essequibo), Particle Communication (Cable). There are problems, with respect to some entities, which need to be solved before they can be issued with a licence. The entities include NTN TV, which paid their licence fees, but there appears to be a problem with the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) that needs to be sorted out. Another entity that is presenting a problem to the GNBA is Tarzee of Bartica, which is not even incorporated as a company yet. According to Ms. Shaddick, STVS

Love triangle sees women appearing before G/t magistrate By Jenel Rockcliffe CHELSEA Mearns, 19, of 10 David Rose Street, South Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown allegedly threatened to murder her ex-lover’s girlfriend, and appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman to answer to two charges. She was granted $120,000 bail. Mearns is alleged to have made use of abusive and threatening language to Anita Ferreira at Stabroek Market on November 26. The teenager, who said she was presently unemployed, entered a plea of not guilty on both charges when they were read to her. According to the prosecutor, Corporal Renetta Bentham, Mearns visited Ferreira’s workplace and initiated a verbal beatdown. In the ensuing argument, Mearns threatened to ‘bore up’ and ‘kill’ the virtual complainant, and cursed her using a series of ‘fs’ and ‘ss’. Unrepresented by a lawyer, Mearns stood beside her accuser and told the magistrate that: “This… this woman that is standing next to me here, her fiance, her partner, her gentleman, I had an affair with him, and when we broke up, he took my phone away.” She revealed that when the man called her to collect her cell phone, he told her that it was currently with his girlfriend and she can go and retrieve it there. When she arrived there, she claimed, the victim terrorized her with indecent words. When the virtual complainant was given an opportunity to speak, she told the magistrate that she was “too old for that, and I warned her to stay away from me; and every time she keeps throwing a lot of slangs.” Continuing, the woman said she was tired of the torment, and wanted the issue resolved. “I can’t handle it anymore,” the defendant said firmly. The prosecutor did not object to bail for Mearns, and the magistrate transferred the matter to court 10 for call up on December 10.

GNBA Chairperson Ms. Bibi Shaddick speaking at the press conference

Channel 4 is currently in talks with Hits & Jams concerning a possible takeover and has to sort that situation out before a licence can be issued. Ms. Shaddick then informed the media that the GNBA board took a decision at their last meeting to take those entities that continue broadcasting without a licence to court. These include: NCN, NTN, Linden Wireless Communication Network, HGPTV, WHRM, Star TV and Movie Star Inc. Shaddick says they are currently consulting with three lawyers to take the case forward. In terms of considering applications for more licences, she informed the media that they plan to hold at least one more meeting after December 16, 2013. The Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB) was established by the Postal and Telegraph Act, which was repealed by the Broadcast Act of 2011. However the monitoring body created under the ACB has been fully constituted and is now operating under the GNBA. Ms. Shaddick said that retired Major General Norman McLean, who was a board member on the ACB, has been retained on this body. Other members appointed include Dr. Paloma Mohamed, Dr. Seeta Shah Roath from the Learning Channel and Attorney Sase Gunraj. According to Shaddick, the monitoring body will be responsible for formulating regulations which will then be sent to the Minister of Information, President Donald Ramotar to be published in the Official Gazette.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Gizmos & Gadgets launches commercial line of BOSE products By Alex Wayne

Representatives of Gizmos and Gadgets pose with a few of the BOSE products that can be accessed at their Georgetown store.

IN a simple ceremony at its Georgetown store yesterday, GIZMOS and Gadgets business entity officially launched its line of world renowned BOSE products. The entity was, however, excited to announce that it is now the sole authorised dealer of BOSE product line, which is popular for its outstanding quality and standard in audio equipment. Gizmos and Gadgets will offer full warranty on all products at prices that will virtually match what is offered on items here, so as to be on par with what is offered by BOSE itself. The commercial line of BOSE products, which are primarily used by hotels and bars, is also available on request. Speaking at the launch, Gizmos and Gadget’s Ravi Mangar noted that the entity feels the launch was initiated at a time when the BOSE product line should be introduced to local customers. He added that the company recognises the demand for quality products, particularly in the line of televisions, gaming, and audio equipment, demand for which has grown exponentially; and in doing so, researched extensively before making a decision on BOSE products as being the best to satisfy that demand. He added that the partnership between his company and BOSE is a natural progression in his company’s continuous quest to offer the best line of products at affordable prices to customers. In closing his speech, he indicated that customers can look forward to more high quality products like BOSE to be added to the company in the coming months. Gizmos and Gadgets is a leading store that offers ‘topline’ electrical appliances, mobile phones, computers, tablets and gaming equipment. Its sister companies include Glamour Designer Brands and Shoe Heaven.

Govt/ constructing reinforced concrete bridge at Hampton Court E/bo Coast GOVERNMENT of Guyana has, through the Region 2 Administration, started construction work on the Hampton Court Bridge that links the public road. The old timber structure is currently being replaced with a modern concrete-and-steel reinforced bridge. Contractor of the project, Mr. Manboardram Sukhai, has already completed constructing one lane of that bridge. The PPP/C Government has already constructed modern concrete bridges to link the public road at Hampton Court, Devonshire Castle, Walton Hall, Paradise, Perth, Dartmouth, Andrews, Maria’s Delight and Somerset and Berks. Rajendra Prabhulall in Essequibo.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Breast Feeding Workshop…

Nurses gear up to support mothers to increase

national breastfeeding rates

By Shirley Thomas

THE Ministry of Health yesterday declared open its annual ‘Baby- Friendly Breast Feeding’ workshop, targeting members of the National Breastfeeding Committee and representatives of Regional Breastfeeding Committees countrywide. The workshop being held at the Regency Suites will end today, wrapping-up two days of deliberations on how nurses can support mothers in the concerted national bid to increase breastfeeding rates exponentially. This year’s World Breastfeeding Week theme, ‘Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers’ is being replicated for the workshop. For the first time in the 20year history of the initiative locally, all ten administrative regions are being represented at the meeting. Previously, the remote Regions 1, 8, and 9, were not included, but this year, all regions from one to ten have representation at the meeting. Co-ordinator of the National Breastfeeding Committee, Ms. Ninian Blair, said that 19 of the nation’s hospitals are involved in the baby-friendly initiative. Three have already been conferred ‘Baby-Friendly’ status, while the other 16 that are currently working towards this end were subjected to national assessment which was concluded last September. However, the three designated ‘Baby-Friendly Hospitals’ are now working towards re-assessment. The final report is being prepared at the moment, Blair said. Blair also noted that based on preliminary findings at the national level, more work needs to be done in relation to Step 10 (in the Baby-Friendly Hospital criteria). That step deals with support for women following delivery of their babies. However, she admitted, “That has been found to be one of our weak areas; hence this workshop is targeting support for women.” Further, she said, research has shown that mothers who have breastfeeding support within the first seven days of delivery are more successful at exclusive breastfeeding, and threw out a challenge to the nurses. “Can we as healthcare workers reach all of our mothers within the first seven days of birth?” The workshop sought to examine how, and the community support group was one idea mooted. COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROUPS “We have to robustly pursue the formation of community support groups. So through this workshop, we are aiming to help the same health team that we have here. And that team comprises of the national Regional Hospital Committees. We will help them to form their support groups by giving them the strat-

be anyone from the community who is trained to learn to support mothers. They become the lifeline for mothers with breastfeeding questions and issues, she said. Blair ended on the note that: “The key to best breastfeeding practices is continued day-to-day support for the breastfeeding mother within her home and community.” National Breastfeeding Coordinator, Ms. Ninian Blair addresses participants egies and the methods that we can use, to help them to become baby- friendly. We need to make their support more functional and working, so we can refer our mothers to them, “the co-ordinator proposed. Explaining the ‘baby-friendly’ concept, Blair stated: “The initiative seeks to help mothers to have a safe delivery, and to ensure our babies are breast-fed within the first hour of birth. It also entails training for staff, training at the healthcare level, protecting our mothers from the formula companies in keeping with the International Code of Marketing of breast milk substitutes.” She said that while the Ministry of Health /National Breastfeeding Committee is not preventing persons from selling the breast milk substitutes, the real challenge faced, is the marketing which can negatively impact the success of the breastfeeding initiative. In the supporting documents received from the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), it was stated that even when mothers are able to get off to a good start, all too often, in the weeks or months after delivery, there is a sharp decline in breastfeeding rates and practices, particularly exclusive breastfeeding. The critical period when mothers do not visit a healthcare facility is the time when a community support system for mothers becomes crucial. She said that continued support to sustain breastfeeding can be provided in a variety of ways. DAY-TO-DAY SUPPORT To this end she pointed to the traditional support provided by the family, but was concerned that as societies change, support for mothers from a wider circle is needed. “Whether it is provided by trained health workers, lactation consultants, community leaders, or from friends who are also mothers and/or from fathers/ partners, support is needed,” she contended. Meanwhile, the Peer Counselling Programme, Blair advised, is a cost effective and highly productive way to reach a larger number of mothers more frequently. Peer counsellors can

Participants at the Ministry of Health’s two-day breastfeeding workshop at Regency Suites, beginning yesterday

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Corporate workshop focuses on solid waste management THE Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development in collaboration with Guyenterprise yesterday hosted a corporate workshop to educate various stakeholders regarding their roles in solid waste management. This initiative serves as part of the ministry’s public

awareness and community participation component in the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme (GSWMP). The workshop was held at the Georgetown Club, Camp Street, Georgetown and was geared to get stakeholders to address plans for their involvement in such

an initiative, as well as to discuss and share ideas on the issue of solid waste management. There were presentations on the GSWMP, community participation and public awareness and various stakeholders also made presentations. The GSWMP was

The audience at the Solid Waste Management Workshop launched in February 2007 to the tune of US$18,070,000, following an agreement with the Ministry of Local Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) with the goal of putting initiatives and mechanisms in place to enhance and modernise the way in which Guyana deals with solid waste management. Speaking at the event, Oliver Insanally, representative of Guyenterprise noted that the community participation and public awareness component was designed to educate the public on their roles in solid waste management, through various means. The session entailed very detailed discussions on SWM and possible solutions. COMPOSITING FACILITIES President of the George-

town Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Clinton Urling, suggested that composting facilities be established at the landfill site. This, he explained, will help to create natural fertiliser that can be made from waste products on a large scale and can be retailed to the private sector, thus making available another source of revenue. Urling also suggested that a central coordinating agency be set up to host meetings and discussions between representatives of the stakeholder groups on matters regarding SWM. And representative of Bounty Farm Ltd, Mr. David Fernandes in his presentation noted that while the discussions are merely the first stage in the initiative, the work actually begins when stakeholders and governmental bodies become involved.

‘ECO PAKS’ Meanwhile, Ms. Pat Bacchus, Chief Operating Officer of Caribbean Container Inc., (CCI) emphasised that the entity has been manufacturing environmentally friendly products for many years in the form of corrugated boards and ‘eco paks’ (biodegradable food packaging). She also indicated that the company is offering to buy cardboard for recycling from local businesses. Another point that was explored at this workshop was the possibility of strategically placing large containers around the city to aid in the disposal of garbage. They also discussed having the collection trucks pick up the garbage on a more regular basis, especially since it’s the festive season of Christmas.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

‘Big Foot’ charged with murder of South Road hotelier - fingered after allegedly selling stolen phone, police say

BRIAN ‘Big Foot’ Leitch was on Monday charged with the murder of South Central hotelier Joseph Alexander Jagdeo, after he was allegedly fingered in the selling of a stolen phone. The 19-year-old labourer was not required to plead to the indictable offence when he appeared before Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The accused who was unrepresented was remanded to prison until December 7, 2013. Police Prosecutor, Bharrat Mangru told the court that the accused and a female companion were staying at the South Central Hotel owned by Jagdeo who discovered that his cellular phone was missing on November 13, 2013 and subsequently approached Leitch, causing him to be offended. On November 14, the hotel’s caretaker went to clean Jagdeo’s room and found it locked. The caretaker later gained access into the room and found Jagdeo’s body underneath a bed, bound with pillow cases. During police investigations, the cellular phone was found in the possession of a woman who said she had purchased it from Leitch. Leitch has denied killing the hotelier but reportedly confessed to tying him up and pushing him under a bed. A post-mortem had found that Jagdeo died as a result of asphyxia due to manual strangulation. Brian ‘Big Foot’ Leitch

16 letters of approval sent for broadcasting licences

THE Board of the Guyana National Broadcast Authority (GNBA) has issued and given approval to broadcast entities and to those that have applied. Chairperson of GNBA’s board, Ms. Bibi Shaddick, reported yesterday that licences thus far have been issued to entities which have complied with the regulations contained in the Broadcast Act. Television broadcast licences have been given to Television Guyana (TVG), GWTV 2, Pinnacle in Essequibo, MTV Ch 65, CNS Ch 6, DTV Ch 8, Blackman and Hoyte Ch 9, and Little Rock.

Radio broadcast licences have been issued to Radio Guyana Inc., Telecor Broadcasting, NCN Radio, Hits and Jams and Little Rock Radio. Cable licences have been granted to E-Networks, Atlantic Cable Network, Ali Broadcasting Corporation, EC Communication and Infinity Telecommunication. Almost ready to be disbursed are licences for the Guyana Learning Channel and Countryside Broadcasting. Ms. Shaddick stated that all fees have been waived for the Learning Channel.

– Shaddick

Meanwhile, letters of approval to broadcast have been granted to entities that have not yet received licences. They were given to Movie Star Inc., Star TV, WRHM (2), 21st Century Communications, Rambarran Broadcasting Service, HGPTV, NTN TV and Radio, New Guyana Company, A & G Radio, Wireless Connection, Linden Wireless Network, Pinnacle Communications Radio, Elamco and NTN TV. Letters are pending for Tarzie of Bartica and STVS.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Comfort Sleep fire probe still ongoing

– Fire Chief Marlon Gentle By Michel Outridge CHIEF Fire Officer Mr. Marlon Gentle, yesterday, said the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is still investigating the cause of the fire which destroyed the building that housed Comfort Sleep business entity at Industrial Site, Eccles, East Bank Demerara; the probe has not been completed. On October 31 last, fire allegedly caused by a chemical reaction in a storage bond ripped through the building and a shed on the premises of that business entity, resulting in millions of dollars in losses. Then, on Thursday, November 28 last, fire of an unknown origin reduced the building to a pile of rubble and left dozens of workers out of employment. Four fire tenders were rushed to the Comfort Sleep factory at Eccles Industrial Site on that fateful Thursday evening when, aided by a brisk wind, the fire quickly swept through the entire manufacturing complex and threatened nearby buildings. Although that building was lost, the GFS was fortunately able to save other buildings from going up in flames. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the fire which destroyed a dwelling house at Plaisance Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara on November 28, 2013 was caused by an unattended candle or lamp. That fire displaced seven persons, including an 18-month-old baby. Fire Chief Marlon Gentle added that the candle or lamp ignited a fire which quickly consumed the wooden edifice. The house was without electricity at the time of the blaze, which started at about 08:00 hrs. Residents had quickly formed a bucket brigade to fight that fire, but their valiant efforts had been in vain. Occupants of that edifice had, at the time, been too distraught to speak to the media, since they had lost everything to the fire. Another fire had destroyed a dwelling house at ‘A’ Field, Sophia on November 28, 2013. Fire Chief Marlon Gentle related that the cause of that fire is yet to be determined. Lovern Trotz, who had lived in the upper flat of that destroyed two-storey house with her two grandchildren, said she had received a call just after 10:00hrs to say that the house was ablaze.

All schools affected by last Wednesday’s historic rainfall reopened for classes --Anna Regina Secondary still affected by water

By Tash Van Doimen THE Education Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Ms Suelle Findlay-Williams, told the Guyana Chronicle in a telephone interview that “all the schools affected by flooding (from the record rainfall of Wednesday, November 27) are now open and operational, except Anna Regina Secondary School, which is still affected by some amount of water accumulation”. She added, “Hence we would expect that, as of Monday, all teachers and students would have resumed their daily routines; except, of course, those at Anna Regina Secondary”. Accordingly, 43 educational institutions, comprising 14 nursery, 13 primary and 16 secondary schools, are all open and operational. Last Thursday, the Ministry of Education informed the public of the closure of approximately 44 schools which were heavily affected by flooding caused by record rainfall that occurred on the previous day. Forty-two of those schools were located in Georgetown; one was on the Essequibo Coast, and one was on the East Coast of Demerara. The decision to suspend operation of the schools was made after the Education Ministry had received reports from several teams, which had been dispatched to assess the effects of the rainfall on the school buildings and their immediate environs. Led by Chief Education Officer (CEO) Mr Olato Sam, the assessment exercise resulted in suspension of classes at several schools, including the Alexander Village Nursery School, the Chateau Margot and Winfer Gardens Primary schools, and the Brickdam Secondary School, among others.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

LACK of public awareness hindering solid waste disposal, management By Clifford Stanley

Brother on $150,000 bail for threatening life of sister, assaulting policeman By Jenel Rockcliffe A handyman sought after for making death threats to his sister was yesterday placed on $150,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman to answer additional charges. Following a complaint made by his sister, the police are alleging that Kurt Heyliger of 215 Deodiny Street, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown made use of threatening language to Somella Joseph, and further verbally abused her on November 29 in their home. It is also alleged that, on the same day, he assaulted police officer Clive Clark, who was acting in the execution of his duties. The father of three denied the allegations when they were read to him, and the prosecutor, Corporal Renetta Bentham, said that Heyliger told the VC that he wanted to set the house afire and let it burn with her in it. She told the court that police officer Clive Clark, who went to the assistance of the terrified Joseph, was obstructed from performing his duties because Heyliger delivered a direct punch to his lips, which caused them to burst. However, the medical certificate was not provided to the court. According to his sister, Heyliger constantly targeted her life in the form of harsh words. “He always keep abusing me, and he insisting that he will kill me, even up to when he was locked up; and when you question him about it, he denies everything,” she said. Heyliger told the court that he pressure washes buildings for a living, that he never touched his sister in any violent way, and that the accusations levelled against him were “rubbish.” Police Constable Clive Clark was not present for the court hearing, but the magistrate ordered that a writ of summons be issued for him. The prosecution did not object to bail for the defendant, but asked that he be bonded to keep the peace. The magistrate then granted Heyliger $150,000 bail, and set the matter for recall on December 5. When Heyliger asked for a reduction of his bail, the magistrate told him he could apply for that concession at the High Court.

LACK of public awareness about waste separation is a complicating factor in the management and disposal of solid waste at the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill (HBSL) Head of the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme (GSWMP) Mr. Gordon Gilkes has said. Mr. Gilkes disclosed that operations at the site would be much more efficient if citizens were to separate waste into categories most likely using different containers for different kinds of solid waste so that for example materials which could be recycled can be easily retrieved. There will also be significant benefits for the environment. He said that the HBSL has a data centre on site which monitors the various categories and types of waste being deposited. The categories include all packaging such as empty tins, plastic packages, plastic bottles etc, paper, books and cardboard packaging ie: those that can be recycled. Then there is food waste such as egg shells, scraps of food fruit and vegetable waste, nutshells, coffee filters, tea bags, as well as garden waste like greenery and grass clippings. Another category comprises broken household appliances such as refrigerators, gas stoves, plastic toys, glass and glass bottles clothing and old shoes, batteries and electronic waste such as television sets, computers and radios; old DVD Players etc. Gilkes said that the problem is that most of the waste arrives at HBSL mixed up so that the recyclable materials such as cardboard and plastic cannot be separated to reduce the volume of waste that the site has to deal with. Another problem is that health care waste which is considered hazardous gets into the mix. He noted that most of this category of waste is treated before it reaches HBSL but it is invariably transported in vehicles containing other categories. Health care waste, he said, must be brought with a vehicle dedicated to the transportation and delivery of such waste and not merely dumped into any other vehicle which already has other categories of waste in it. He said that the GSWMP is now being involved in a public awareness campaign which would sensitise citizens about the importance of sorting out their waste into categories and thus making the management and disposal of such waste much easier for the authorities. Other challenges to good Solid Waste Management at the moment include undesirable activities of waste collectors and transporters such as transporting garbage in uncovered trucks, dumping garbage at the side of the access roads and speeding. He said that the project is challenged to ensure that vehicles transporting waste to HBSL are covered. While the landfill operator is also challenged to ensure that the site is covered to prevent the activities of birds and rodents. Gilkes again appealed to citizens to avoid littering and dumping of solid waste and to embrace the three Rs namely: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Minister Anthony calls for community, regional festivals

THE curtain came down on the 2013 National Drama Festival on Saturday evening with the hosting of the awards ceremony at the National Cultural Centre, amidst a call by Minister of Culture Youth and Sports Dr. Frank Anthony for the holding of village and regional drama festivals. This would allow winners to advance to the National Festival, and encourage the emergence of more groups and more plays. Minister Anthony posited that by restricting the number of plays one person can be in would encourage others to participate. He stressed that the ministry was pleased with the success of this year’s festival, noting that this would not have been possible without the support and participation of the performers. The minister emphasised the need to look at what was done, whether correctly or not, and for participants to work on further improving those elements. He expressed his satisfaction with the fact that some of the students who recently graduated from the Drama School were involved in the festival as playwrights, actors/actresses, technical personnel, producers and directors. He highlighted the ministry’s focus on the development of drama in Guyana which is evident in the amount of money being invested in the festival. In this regard, he said the ministry would like to employ several from the drama school to be trained in various areas such as lights and sound. The spin-off of this would boost the investments being made into the National Cultural Centre (NCC) to enhance the lighting and sound systems. He observed that the way business is done at the centre has to be changed, and threw out an invitation to the performers to meet with him to discuss what could be done to improve the festival. Chief Judge Al Creighton, in his report, emphasised that this year’s festival was better than last year’s in terms of production and creativity, and while the festival is a contest, it is also a training tool that encourages the production of new plays of which there were many this time around. While he recognised that there is great value in plays that have already been written, Creighton noted that one of the challenges was time, and suggested that time limits be set for the junior and debutant plays. He also noted that the panel of judges observed that too many performers were cast in too many plays. He stated that a limit should also be applied here since this would allow for more persons to become involved. Overall, the judges found that the drama festival attracted a wide cross section of performers, however, the reputable secondary schools are still not participating in the festival. Director of the Festival, Godfrey Naughton, noted that the festival was a product of hard work, and at the same time it offered a glimpse of the resources that are available, and

Neaz Subhan receives his award for the Best New Guyanese Stageplay, “When Chocolate Melts”

– as 2013 National Drama Festival winners announced

The cast of ‘Before her Parting’ receiving the award for best production in the short play category from Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony where those resources can take the theatre industry. He noted that over the years, the enthusiasm of the artistes has been noticeable, and the need for them to go into the field was even more noticeable. This realisation saw several training sessions being held around the country. Naughton explained that teachers were targeted to be instructors and mentors. The just concluded festival saw better productions in terms of the technical aspects.

SOME OF THE 2013 NATIONAL DRAMA FESTIVAL AWARDS Open Category Full Length Plays

BEST PRODUCTION Watch De Ride 2-Justice – H & T Theatre Arts Group Best Production First Runner Up – ‘Anybody See Brenda- – The Theatre Guild of Guyana Best Production Second Runner-Up – ‘When Chocolate Melts’ Best Director – Ronald Hollingsworth & Sheron Cadogan-Taylor – ‘Watch De Ride 2-Justice’ Best New Guyanese Stageplay – ‘When Chocolate Melts’ written by Neaz Subhan Best Actor – Mahadeo Shivraj – Watch De Ride 2-Justice; Mark Luke Edwards –Anybody See Brenda Best Supporting Actor – Sean Thompson– Watch De Ride 2-Justice Best Actress – Melissa King – Watch De Ride 2-Justice Best Supporting Actress – Sonia Yarde– Watch De Ride 2-Justice OPEN CATEGORY SHORT PLAYS Best Production – Before Her Parting – The Theatre Guild of Guyana First Runner Up – Mommy – Queen Of Arts Productions Best Actor – Kijana Lewis– Before Her Parting Best Supporting Actor – Paul Budnah – Farepicker Best Actress – Colleen Humphrey – ‘Farepicker’; Nicola Moonsammy –‘Mommy’ Best Supporting Actress – Sonia Yarde – “Before Her Parting “ Best Actor – Joshua Griffith – Mara’s Faith Best Supporting Actor – Colin Primus – Bamboo Alley Best Actress – Shantel Mclean – 3rd Degree Graduate Best Supporting Actress – Stacy Semple – Third Degree Graduate SECONDARY SCHOOLS CATEGORY Best Production – The Lost Hope – West Demerara Secondary School First Runner Up – Massacuraman – Berbice High School Best Actor – Ezekiel Fraser – A Flower without Petals Best Supporting Actor – Shemroy Reynolds – A Flower

Nkosi Layne who was named best director in the junior category for the production ‘Creative Burial Ground’ receiving his award without Petals Best Actress – Hebron Edwards – The Lost Hope Best Supporting Actress – Jelena Dos Santos – I Should Have Known DEBUTANTS CATEGORY Best Production – ‘Mara’s Faith’- Bethel Gospel Hall Youth Group Best Production First Runner-Up –‘Third Degree Graduate’ – the Surmounting Thespians JUNIOR CATEGORY Best Production – ‘Creative Burial Ground’ Best Director – Nkosi Layne – ‘Creative Burial Ground’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

IT auditing workshop geared to develop skills in digital forensics, cyber-security

By Shirley Thomas THE Institute of Internal Auditors, Guyana Chapter, in collaboration with BDO Forensic Accounting Limited of Trinidad and Tobago, last week conducted its third and final Seminar/Workshop for the year on ‘IT Auditing’, moving progressively closer to developing a cadre of auditors and others who will be well versed in digital forensics and cyber-security. The workshop was held at Regency Suites, Hadfield Street, Georgetown, over two days - November 27 and 28 - and brought together more than 70 enthusiastic participants from more than 25 public service and public sector organizations, for an inspiring and brain-storming forum, on ‘Audting IT in Digital Forensics Environment’. The resource persons were BDO Director Stephon Grey, CFE, CICA and Sean Hoyte, MSc Forensic Information Technology, both of Trinidad and Tobago. The Trinidad BDO Forensic Accounting Ltd is a member of the UK-based BDO International Ltd. In brief remarks to the gathering, Mr. John Seeram, Immediate past President of the IIA Guyana Chapter, said that as part of the Global IIA, the Guyana Chapter is required to engage in staff development training, as part of its education delivery programme. He reminded the practising internal auditors that the Chapter has a major role to play in the development of their professional practice. The first seminar conducted here for the year was on ‘Communication Skills for Auditors’, presented by Mr. Larry Kowlessar of the Trinidad and Tobago IIA Chapter. The second which addressed two-fold topics on “Forensic and Investigative Accounting” and “The Role of the Internal Auditor in detecting money laundering transactions”, was presented by Mr. Stephon Grey, Director, BDO Forensic Accounting, Trinidad and Tobago. Meanwhile, Seon Hoyte, a cyber-security and anti-crime consultant private sector representative, was the presenter at this most recent seminar/ workshop. Hoyte is also Managing Director of Cyber-Security and Anti-Crime Services Ltd (CSACS), a cycber-security and law enforcement training and investigations agency that provides training and consultancy services throughout Trinidad and Tobago. BDO Forensic Accounting Ltd. provides customized inhouse training for all personnel involved in accounting, auditing, compliance, investigations and anti-fraud duties. Its methodology is not limited to only identifying financial discrepancies, but also determining – who, what, where, when and how of each white collar crime,

- sees need for Cyber-security Faculty in Guyana among other things. Giving a brief synopsis of the programme, Director Stephon Grey, in an invited comment told the Guyana Chronicle: “What we are seeking to do is to guide them [the participants] through basic investigative steps in the IT and computerized environment, looking at cyber-crime, fraud and systems expertise. ‘ON-BOOK’ AUDITING Grey said computer forensics is basically a new concept in most of the Caribbean Islands

realize that they are telling a lie. Forensic auditing on the other hand looks at both ‘on book’ and ‘off book’ elements. FORENSIC AUDITING Forensic accounting goes into the system, and based on an allegation or a hint – the forensic auditors go after everything, holistically, to find whether fraud has taken place. Grey also made reference to computerized crimes, pointing to the use of the server to store information, and added that even such technology is being

seminars summed up: “The objective really is to sensitize people on cyber-crime and cyber-security. Crime is not only the police business; It is everybody’s business, so that is the aim today - to widen everyone’s scope on computer crimes, and have them understand how terrorists use technology to commit crime, etc.” Expressing satisfaction with the response by the participants, Hoyte said even though some participants would have been exposed to such concepts, they never went to the extent of the courtroom.

“A lot of persons know about IT; they know about auditing, but what we brought to the table today, is the forensic side of auditing, and IT. And when we say forensics, we mean ‘to the courts’. Forensics always ends up in court. It entails: How do we prepare and package evidence for court purposes; explaining it to a jury in a terms they would understand so we can secure conviction. So all this is in the aim of combating cyber-terrorism; white collar-crime, computer fraud, etc.” And the next step for the participants: Hoyte not-

Participants of the IT Auditing Seminar at Regency Suites. being coached by Instructor, Sean Hoyte. where it has been introduced over the last five years. He said, whereas, previously financial fraud was committed, ‘on book’, today everything is put into a computerized system… “So we just have to be equipped with the tools to go into a computerized system to conduct the audits, and not just on paper

ed that, as is the case with his students in Trinidad, he would recommend certain programmes they can pursue, but invariably, these will have to be done overseas. But the aim is to set up a Cyber-security Faculty in Guyana, which should be affordable and reachable to all the students/ participants of the seminar. PARTICIPANTS’ RESPONSE Meanwhile, participants have expressed being highly satisfied with the seminar/workshop and commented: * “ This seminar/workshop is timely indeed for the country and for us as auditors because right now the country needs legislation concerning these cyber-crimes. People commit these crimes which might be considered ‘white collar crimes’ and naturally should be prosecuted. * The seminar is so informative and it helps us so much – how to take care of the evidence; how to present it in court. So at the end of the day you can have results from whatever fraud is committed. * The course is in direct response to the need for tracking down cyber- crimes. It is helpful because we are having a lot of these crimes, in regards to money laundering, money transfer, etc. * Even though we would have discovered the fraud, while we may think you have enough evidence to take them to court, without the legislation we cannot.

surpassed by what is known as ‘cloud computing’. Cloud computing is a a new paradigm that offers a huge amount of computer and storage resource to the masses. It offers internet-based storage for files, applications and infrastructure. “But most firms now are going ‘cloud computing’. They

Computer forensics is basically a new concept in most of the Caribbean Islands where it has been introduced over the last five years. He said, whereas, previously financial fraud was committed, ‘on book’ today everything is put into a computerized system… “So we just have to be equipped with the tools to go into a computerized system to conduct the audits, and not just on paper anymore.” - Stephon Grey anymore.” With auditing, a sampling activity done by firms, auditors have been trained to conduct, more or less ‘on book’ exercises, so that the auditors might not necessarily pick up all or just any of the discrepancies. “But in most frauds, there is ‘on book’ and ‘off book’ elements involved,” he reasoned. Grey said that since in auditing, the accountants work with just books, where a person having committed a crime would have ‘doctored’ the books to get the results they wanted, on paper, it may look as though that person is innocent. But if you interview them you might

don’t need a server to store their information, but send the information to cyberspace to store it. So if there is no server, you now have to know how to go to the Cloud to retrieve the information. So those are some of the new concepts, and technology is moving very fast. So it is all these technological advances that are causing the upsurge in cyber crimes. Thus we now have to teach the auditors the technology,” Grey said. CYBER-SECURITY And cyber-space security and anti-crime consultant, Sean Hoyte who conducted the

Miss Guyana Universe/Miss New GPC/Limacol hands out food items to those seeking service and love

Miss Guyana Universe in humanitarian work in New York MISS Guyana Universe/Miss New GPC/Limacol was invited to assist the Calvary Mission

Food Pantry to serve the homeless and needy in Richmond Hill, New York City recently. This service-oriented religious and charitable organisation is led by Mr. Gary Singh and assisted by several others, including Roger Gary. She says that it was a truly moving experience to have been invited to help this great organisation which on every Saturday of every week distributes essential food items to the needy. While distributing the food, she spoke to the recipients and found them to be most joyful, cheerful and full of life. They were grateful to the Calvary Mission for its constant service and to the Miss Guyana Universe for being there to spread her love and goodwill. They asked to meet her again, and she promised that whenever she is in New York City she will be there at the Mission to help to serve them and give comfort.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

US$700 paid to have stepfather killed murder trialâ&#x20AC;Ś

voir dire continues to determine admissibility of alleged statements from accused By George Barclay JUSTICE Navindra Singh, presiding in the murder trial in which the four accused, it is alleged, paid US$700 to have their stepfather killed, continues to hold a voir dire to determine the admissibility of four statements. Defence counsels are contending that the statements allegedly made by the accused had not been obtained in accordance with the Judgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rules, and Justice Singh has decided to conduct the voir dire to determine admissibility of those statements. Attorney-at-Law Mr. Glenn Hanoman is appearing for number 1 accused, Bissoondial Mahadeo, while Senior Counsel Mr. Bernard

The accused: Bissoondial, Hoosman, Shamiza and Farida Khan are being escorted at their trial at the Demerara Assizes. De Santos is representing accused Hoosman Khan, Shamiza Khan and Farida Khan. They are all on trial for the murder of Motilall Singh, which occurred on September 7, 2009 at Windsor Forest,

West Coast Demerara. Senior State Counsel Mrs. Judith Gildharie-Mursalin is prosecuting.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013 23

Aries March 21 - April 19

The best thing you can do for yourself today is to get more physically active. Jog an extra block or so. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park extremely far away from your destination and enjoy the fresh air. You are capable of doing more than you think, and today is a wonderful day to push yourself. Getting your heart rate up will feel so good, it could become a new habit. It’s nice to feel the drive toward success, but sometimes you need to get out and walk.

Taurus April 20 - May 20

You’ve been making a good impression on some very powerful people, and today your perseverance will pay off handsomely. Get ready to be invited into the inner circle, either through a social or a work-related invitation. The nature of your time with these people isn’t as important as the length of time you will have with them, so be relaxed and grounded when you’re in their presence. They want to get to know you better, so be confident and smile!

Gemini May 21 - June 21

Have you been getting mixed signals from someone that have left you feeling confused? Get away from the person who makes you feel this way. Even if they are not doing it on purpose, it’s not a type of energy you need in your life. Getting distance will give you clarity and it will send a message to this person that you aren’t going to keep taking what they are giving. Plus, you’ll give them a feeling of what it would be like if you weren’t in their life, which will knock some sense into them.

Cancer June 22 - July 22

If you are seeking a romantic relationship right now, meeting someone through work is a highly likely scenario. But first, find out if office romances are allowed! You can’t start flirting with them before you know that it’s okay to take things further. It’s not wise to set up expectations that won’t be carried through, and it could spell disaster for your relationship with your boss or coworkers. Your heart deserves to be happy, but first your job needs to be secure!

Lone gunman robs two, shoots one at wash bay on Mandela Avenue ONE of two persons who were at a wash bay at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown was shot and injured when a gunman pounced on them during an armed robbery. Fenton Duncan, 48, of Roxanne Burnham Gardens, was shot and injured by a bandit who escaped with his licensed firearm. He is a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) nursing a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Police reported that at about 12:25 hrs on December 03, 2013, Fenton Duncan and Sherry Ramroop, 38, of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, were at a car wash on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown when they were held up by a man armed with a handgun. The perpetrator took away the personal jewellery of the two victims; and when Fenton Duncan, a licensed firearm holder, retaliated, the armed man shot him to his abdomen and relieved him of his firearm before escaping. (Michel Outridge)

For Wednesday December 04, 2013 -05:00hrs For Thursday December 05,2013 -05:00hrs

Leo July 23 - August 22

Any health concerns you’ve had should start to fade today, when you wake up feeling better than you’ve felt in ages. Your positive thinking has started to pay off psychologically, which is sometimes the hardest part of the healing. Keep up the good work and pat yourself on the back. If you start to feel under the weather before the end of the day, don’t take it as a sign that you’re back to being ill. Your energy is likely to lag a bit, but that is perfectly normal. CHANNEL 11 05:00 Inspiration 05:30 Newtown Gospel 06:00 NCN Late Edition (r/b) 06:30 BBC 07:00 Guyana Today 08:00 Guysuco Round up r/b 08:30 GINA Presents 09:00 Stop the Suffering 10:00 Food Network 11:00 History 12:00 CNN 12:30 NCN Newsbreak 12:35 Movie- A Christmas Wish 14:00 NCN Newsbreak 14:05 Youth Media Guyana 15:00 African Moves 16:00 NCN Newsbreak 16:05 Disney XD 17:00 OWN 18:00 NCN News Magazine - Live 18:30 Political Scope 19:00 Al Jazeera 20:00 3d/daily millions/play de dream/lotto draw 20:05 NCN Newsbreak 20:10 Money Moves 20:40 Oral Traditions 21:00 NCN Sports Magazine 22:00 NCN Late Edition 22:30 Caribbean Newsline 23:30 Movie

GUIDE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

Virgo August 23 - September 22

Your ego hasn’t become as healthy as it is right now due to compliments and flattery alone -- it took lots of hard work and risk-taking! Your growing self-worth has come from deep within you, so don’t be so quick to attribute it to other people. Wield your self-esteem without hesitation, especially if someone tries to knock you down a peg or two today. As long as you are respectful of other people, you are well within your rights to defend your position.

Libra September 23 - October 22

You’ve been running around, booked solid for weeks now. It may have been fun, it may have been overwhelming -- but it all finally ends today. The trend now will be for unexpected cancellations, delays and last minute rescheduling. It won’t all be welcome news, but the time it frees up will prove invaluable. One thing to watch out for would be hasty decision making -- don’t do it if you don’t have to. But this freedom should loosen you up and help you relax.

Scorpio October 23 - November 21

Are you being just the tiniest bit too harsh on someone right now? If you can be more flexible, they can be more flexible too -- you just have to give them a chance to show you! You two can work well together, but first you have to trust each other! Let go and believe that this person will meet your expectations. It’s true that you might have to give them a bit more time than you would like, but isn’t it better to wait for what you want than to rush and not get what you need?

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21

Everyone has their own interpretation of what art is -- and some people don’t even care. But art offers a lot of enrichment to your life, and you should get more of it into your life today. Explore what other cultures have to offer in terms of music, painting, film and other types of artistic expression. Some things will bore you, some will amuse you, some will shock you -- but all will educate you and make you glad you have this kind of appreciation.

Capricorn December 22 - January 19

All of your projects are humming along nicely at work, and your relationships are doing quite well, too. Spinning plates is your specialty, so don’t even flinch if a few more items will get added to your list unexpectedly. You’re in ‘the Zone’ and a few more projects won’t make much difference to you! Plus, accepting new tasks with a smile will go a long way toward impressing other people. You make it look easy and people are amazed by how you keep that relaxed look on your face.

Aquarius January 20 - February 18

Just because you’ve got a busy day planned doesn’t mean you need to hit the ground running as soon as you wake up! If you just burst out of the gate without a well-formed plan, you are bound to flail all day long -- you have got to discipline yourself before you break into action. It could be as simple as putting together a to-do list or as complicated as creating a timeline broken down in fifteen-minute increments. Just be realistic in the schedule you set for yourself.

Pisces February 19 - March 20

Bold behaviour might not be typical for you, but you recently took a brave step out of your comfort zone and you deserve credit for that. If you don’t get the positive reinforcement you feel like you deserve from coworkers, seek it from the people you know will always be your cheerleaders -- your friends. Share your story in a quick email and get a group conversation going about what you did. Sharing your experiences will help everyone get a better perspective and help you feel better.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

New Zealand progressed to 445 for five at Lunch on Day 2

DUNEDIN, New Zealand - West Indies were further frustrated by an unbroken, half-century stand between R o s s Ta y l o r a n d B r a d -

ley-John Watling, after they bowled with greater discipline and were rewarded with a couple of wickets before lunch in the first Test against New Zealand on the second day here. Windies captain Darren Sammy and fast bowler Tino Best grabbed one wicket apiece, as the New Zealanders, sent in to bat, reached 445 for five in their first innings at the interval on the second day at University Oval with Taylor undefeated on 144 and Watling not out on 26. Sammy has so far taken 2-79 from 23.1 overs and Best has 2-101 from 26 overs, as they and the rest of the visitors’ attack bowled with far greater control than they did the p re v i o u s d a y a f t e r t h e

Black Caps resumed from their bedtime total of 367 for three.

DARREN SAMMY This built-up the pressure on the New Zealand overnight pair of century-makers

Brendon McCullum, the current captain, and Ross Taylor, the former captain, as they shared a record fourth-wicket stand for the hosts against the Caribbean side of 195. Sammy benefited, making the breakthrough, when he bowled McCullum for 113 with a perfectly-pitched delivery that moved back to extract the off-stump. The home team captain struck 14 fours and three sixes from 134 balls in close to three hours. Three overs later, Best had the little-known left-hander Corey Anderson caught behind down the leg-side for a 14-ball duck to leave the New Zealanders 385 for five. But Sammy was forced to leave the field with a tight right glute muscle after the first delivery of his 24th over and the pressure eased, as Watling joined Taylor and they put on 60 - unbroken for the sixth wicket.

McCullum, Taylor tons ... ENGLISH Lingfield 08:00 hrs Pearl Spectre 08:30 hrs Revise 09:00 hrs Prohibit 09:30 hrs Uramazin 10:00 hrs Shaunas Spirit 10:30 hrs Kaunyao 11:00 hrs Sir Boss 11:30 hrs Epsom Salts CATTERICK 08:20 hrs Funky Munky 08:50 hrs Samblucky 09:20 hrs Most Honourable 09:50 hrs Holywell 10:20 hrs Maison De Ville 10:50 hrs Everaard 11:20 hrs Falcon’s Present LUDLOW 08:40 hrs Emiratesdotcom 09:10 hrs King Massini 09:40 hrs Buxom 10:10 hrs Cootehill 10:40 hrs Oscar Hill 11:10 hrs Motou 11:40 hrs Side Step SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Kenilworth 08:20 hrs Acrostar 08:50 hrs Roman Manner 09:25 hrs Sovereign Sound 10:05 hrs Maties Wildekat 10:40 hrs Petara 11:15 hrs Boniface FRENCH RACING TIPS Deauville 08:30 hrs Al Khisa 09:05 hrs King’s Risk 09:35 hrs Hernan Cortez 10:05 hrs Bella Qatara 10:40 hrs Sea Trial 11:10 hrs Marendinio 11:40 hrs Albert Hall

From back page in the final session to beat Taylor to the century milestone by a few minutes. “It’s been well documented that he has been under the pump after a lean patch ... and it was a very special moment for him ... but our jobs are not done yet,” Taylor said of the fact the pair would need to refocus when play resumed today. “We need to continue on come the morning ... and hopefully a score of 500, 550 is realistic.” BOWLING GAMBLE The visitors had gambled on the composition of their attack with Tino Best and Shannon Gabriel the only front-line pace bowlers with captain Darren Sammy taking the third seamer role. The punt failed to pay off on the first day, though, even after Sammy won the toss and asked the hosts to bat on one of the greenest wickets the West Indian skipper said he had seen. He had hoped his side would be able to utilise the lively strip and overcast conditions to put the hosts on the back foot early. However, new-ball pairing Best and Gabriel failed to exploit the conditions by bowling too short of a length and Fulton and Rutherford put on 95 for the first wicket before the latter was dismissed shortly before lunch. The West Indies’ only period of dominance was for about an hour after the first interval,

when a hostile Best dismissed Aaron Redmond for 20 and peppered Taylor with a barrage of short-pitched deliveries. When Fulton was dismissed about 15 minutes before tea, the hosts had looked slightly vulnerable but Taylor and McCullum saw New Zealand through to the break then attacked in the final session as the pitch flattened out. Shane Shillingford, who had been under a selection cloud following bio-mechanical analysis of his action when he bowled his ‘doosra’, was the most economical of the visitors’ attack. The 30-year-old had figures of 1-88 off 28 overs but was extracting little assistance from the pitch and got more expensive as the day wore on.

NEW ZEALAND first innings P. Fulton c Edwards b Sammy 61 H. Rutherford c Deonarine b Shillingford 62 A. Redmond c Samuels b Best 20 R. Taylor not out 103 B. McCullum not out 09 Extras: (lb-7, nb-1, b-4) 12 Total: (for three wickets, 90 overs) 367 Fall of wickets: 1-95, 2-117, 3-185. Bowling: Best 21-4-87-1, Gabriel 17-3-98-0, Sammy 18-3-68-1 (nb-1), Shillingford 28-5-88-1, Deonarine 6-0-15-0. West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Kieran Powell, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Denesh Ramdin, Shane Shillingford, Tino Best, Shannon Gabriel.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Ashes bowlers brace for heavy workload in Adelaide By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Resurgent Australia had enigmatic paceman Mitchell Johnson to thank for their crushing win over England in Brisbane and will put their hopes on another unknown quantity when the coin is tossed for the second Ashes Test in Adelaide. Adelaide Oval’s new dropin pitch is only expected to enhance the ground’s reputation as a batsman’s paradise, and Australia captain Michael Clarke will be keen to win the right to bat first ahead of counterpart Alastair Cook. The pitch has drawn criticism for producing two runheavy draws in the domestic Sheffield Shield, and groundsman Damian Hough has been at pains to spice it up while leaving something for the spinners late in the match. “We think it’s pretty close to what we have had in previous years,” he told reporters yesterday. “It might be a little bit slower this year, being brand new.”

Australia carry all the momentum into an Adelaide Oval in the midst of a A$535M ($487M) re-development after their fired-up

MICHAEL CLARKE attack dismissed England cheaply in both innings to seal victory within four days at the Gabba. England, however, have fond memories of their last match at the picturesque ground, having pounded Australia by an innings and 71 runs in 2010, a rousing victory

that helped set up their first Ashes win Down Under in a quarter of a century. F i re d b y a s p a r k l i n g first-innings 227 from the inimitable Kevin Pietersen and 148 from Cook, England put 620 on the board before Graeme Swann sealed the win with a five-wicket haul in Australia’s second innings. While the drop-in pitch will be docile in comparison to the bouncy Gabba wicket, it is expected to provide something for Swann and his opposite number Nathan Lyon, who both come into the match with a point to prove. Swann was roughed up by Australia opener David Warner and captain Clarke in Brisbane and emerged with figures of 2-215. Lyon, a former groundsman at Adelaide Oval, enjoyed a far better Test than Swann, taking key wickets in both innings, but question marks remain over the 26-year-old’s ability to close out victories. Lyon missed a chance to silence the doubters against South Africa in Adelaide last

The heat is on as FIFA announces draw procedure By Mike Collett C O S TA D O S A U I P E , Brazil - (Reuters) - FIFA will go ahead with its controversial decision to stage World Cup matches at midday in tropical venues, president Sepp Blatter said yesterday as football’s governing body announced a bafflingly complex procedure for Friday’s draw. General Secretary Jerome Valcke caused general bewilderment as he tried to explain the workings of the draw which will decide which teams comprise the eight first-round groups at next year’s tournament. “It’s not easy to understand it the first time, I agree with you,” he said. “It took me some time to be sure I had the right explanation.” Each group will consist of one team from each of four pots with Pot 1 featuring the top seeds: Brazil, the host nation, alongside Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland. The other pots will be based on geographical criteria so that countries from the same confederations are kept apart. Pot 2 will contain the five African teams, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria and Cameroon, plus the non-seeded South American teams Chile and Ecuador and a European team to be moved out of Pot 4 in a pre-draw.

Pot 3 will feature Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras while nine European sides, Bosnia, Croatia, England, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia and France, will comprise Pot 4. Valcke revealed that a pre-draw will be held to move one of the nine European teams into Pot 2 where they would then be drawn against one of the four seeded South American teams to preserve the geographical balance of the draw. To complicate matters further, the four South American seeds would form a temporary Pot X and the three not drawn against the European team in Pot 2 will return to the main draw. NOT BENEFICIAL A seeded team’s place in the draw will determine how much travelling around the vast hinterland of Brazil, the world’s fifth largest country by area, will be involved and may therefore not be so beneficial as in the past. The seeded team in Group H will have a relatively easy first round schedule with matches in the milder conditions of Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. But the seeds in Group G will play in the intense heat of northeastern cities Fortaleza, Natal, Salvador or Recife. The team that meet Brazil in the opening game - position A2 in the draw -- will

face a 3,880-km flight to Manaus in the Amazon for their next match before a 4,508-km flight to Recife for their third game. Any team surviving that probably deserves a place in the last 16 for stoicism alone. Kickoff times could also pose a threat to a team’s chances depending on whether they play in the humid north or the chilly south. From June 12 until June 22 when there are three matches a day -- the programme switches to four a day from June 23 to June 26 for the last round of group games -- matches are due to start at 13:00hrs, 16:00hrs and 19:00hrs local time which is 1600GMT, 1900GMT and 2200GMT to maximise European television audiences. H o w e v e r, t h e e a r l y kickoff time has sparked some unease as it will be very hot in the northeast at that time of day. Blatter said last month that FIFA could reconsider but changed his mind yesterday. “We are sticking with the kickoff times, they have been decided. There is no change,” he told reporters. From June 23 until June 26 a pair of games will kick off at 13:00hrs and the other pair at the same time later in the afternoon, although the clock will show 16:00hrs in one stadium and 17:00hrs at the other because they are in different time zones.

year, but managed only one wicket on the fifth and final day as the Proteas salvaged a fighting draw with only two wickets left at the close

KEVIN PIETERSEN of play. “Fingers crossed there’s a little bit more spin down there and we’ll see how we go,” Lyon said on Friday. In contrast to the assured unit that arrived in Adelaide three years ago after dominating the latter half of the series-opening draw in Bris-

bane, England have had their confidence rocked by the departure of number three batsman Jonathan Trott due to a stress-related illness. AUSTRALIA UNCHANGED Joe Root and Ian Bell, named man-ofthe-series for feasting o n A u s t r a l i a ’s b o w l e r s during the 3-0 Ashes win on home soil earlier this year, are the candidates to move up the order to take T r o t t ’s s p o t . Bell left training nursing his shoulder yesterday but team officials were confident he would be fit to play. Selectors have no experienced replacement for whoever moves up, though, and will pick from Jonny Bairstow or the uncapped duo of Gary Ballance or Ben Stokes. Paceman Tim Bresnan, who played a key role in the 2010-11 series, has been named in the Test squad in a boost for the tourists after missing Brisbane with a back

injury. He would be expected to replace fellow seamer Chris Tremlett. Clarke missed training yesterday to rest an ankle he rolled the previous day but was expected to be fit in time for the opening day’s play tomorrow. Australia are likely to bring an unchanged lineup despite speculation injury-prone paceman Ryan Harris might be rested due to the quick turnaround between Adelaide and third Test in Perth. The opening Test in Brisbane saw some heated exchanges and neither team is expected to give any quarter in Adelaide, where a possible storm is forecast on the opening day and temperatures are expected to rise as the match progresses. “Players I’ve seen who’ve dealt with (sledging) best either smile at the opposition or take it as a compliment,” England batting coach Graham Gooch said on Monday. “Generally if you get sledged, you’re doing okay.”

Taylor in the running again for ODI cricketer-of-the-year DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC) - West Indies cricketer Stafanie Taylor is once again a major contender for the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketerof-the-Year. Taylor, who won the event last year, is among several players shortlisted for the award this year which would be announced in a TV show that will be broadcast on December 14. Taylor is joined by New Zealand captain Suzie Bates, Australia’s Meg Lanning, South Africa’s Dane van Niekerk and the England pair of Charlotte Edwards and Anya Shrubsole. Taylor, Bates and Lanning also feature in the short-list for the ICC Women’s T20 Cricketer-of-theYear, along with England’s Sarah Taylor and the West Indies duo of Shanel Daley and Deandra Dottin. This year ’s ICC Awards includes 11 individual prizes, including the People’s Choice Award. The long lists of nominations for each award were put together by a five-person ICC selection panel, before a 32-member voting academy trimmed the nominees to the

short-list. Meantime, England’s James Anderson, South Africa’s Hashim Amla and Australia captain Michael Clarke have all been

STAFANIE TAYLOR short-listed for the top honours at this year’s Awards. The three cricketers have been shortlisted for both the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer-of-the-Year and the ICC Test Cricketer-ofthe-Year. The votes for the Awards short-lists have now been cast by the independent, 32-person voting academy, and these three men,

alongside England captain Alastair Cook, India captain MS Dhoni and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara are the nominees in the running to receive the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. Also featuring in the short-list for the ICC Test Cricketer-of-the-Year Award alongside Anderson, Amla and Clarke, are Dale Steyn of South Africa and the Indian duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara. Both Sangakkara and Dhoni also feature in the short-list for the ICC ODI C r i c k e t e r- o f - t h e - Ye a r, which also includes the Pakistan duo of Saeed Ajmal and Misbah ul-Haq, as well as the Indian pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Ravindra Jadeja. The Twenty20 International (T20I) Performanceof-the-Year sees Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis being shortlisted alongside Pakistan’s Umar Gul and New Zealanders Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum. The LG ICC Awards is now in its 10th year, and this year will be broadcast as a TV show.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Albion lift Balram Shane trophy after Bishoo’s superb 128 By Michael Khan

A MAGNIFICENT all-round performance by Guyana and West Indies player Devendra Bishoo saw defending champions Albion Community Centre Cricket Club snatch victory from the jaws of defeat over arch rivals Port Mourant Cricket Club with one delivery to spare in a gripping encounter of the annual Balram Shane Memorial 50 overs cricket match which was played last Sunday at the Albion Community Centre ground in front of a sizeable crowd. In a typical belligerent fashion Albion refused to give up and fought back brilliantly, led by Bishoo’s outstanding century, to win by a cliffhanger, scoring 234-9 in 49.5 overs in reply to Port Mourant’s challenging 232-9 in their allotment of overs. Port Mourant won the toss and took first strike on the flat track and compiled their challenging total through consistent batting from Davendra Takurdeen

58 (8x4), Ameer Khan 47 (3x4), Troy Gonsalves 37 (2x6, 2x4), Andrew Lyght Jr. 18 (3x4), Arif Chan 16 and Renwick Batson 15, Parsram Tilkuram 12 and Joshua Ramsammy 11 being the principal scorers. Bowling for Albion, Balchand Baldeo picked up 3-40 while there was one apiece for Bishoo, Avenash Wajib, Sharaz Ramcharran, Satesh Dwarka and Jonothan Foo. Albion were off to a reasonable start with opener Sewnarine Chattergoon 30 (1x6, 3x4) and Kandasammy Surujnarine 18, putting together 47 for the first wicket. The home team then found themselves in dire straits at 77-5 and 136-7 before the Bishoo show. Entering the fray at 55-4 he blasted 128 with 15 fours. Bishoo’s knock brought wild celebrations from the Albion camp as the dejected Port Mourant team and supporters pondered how they managed to lose a match that they actually thought they had wrapped up.

Bowling for Port Mourant leg-spinners Khan and Gonsalves caused early trouble as they rounded out fine all-round performances with figures of 3-46 and 3-55 respectively. Bishoo received the manof-the-match award along with the accolade for being the best batsman on show while teammate Baldeo, received the prize for being the best bowler. Albion received the beautiful Balram Shane trophy, a hamper - compliments of Geddes Grant, along with cash incentives while Port Mourant were presented with cash by donor Deonarine Balram. The Balram Shane Memorial match is played annually between the two teams in memory of Mr Balram Shane, a former cricketer and ardent cricket fan who hailed from the area. The rivalry started in 1998 and is used as a fundraising venture for both clubs and some other second division teams and other sporting organisations on the Corentyne. At the closing ceremony

The victorious Albion Community Centre team along with their manager and organiser Deonarine Balram pose with the winning proceeds. which was chaired by Human Resources Manager of GuySuCo, Vemen Walters, organiser Deonarine Balram of the Balram Shane General Store at Rose Hall Corentyne congratulated both clubs for putting on an excellent show. He said it was the most exciting in the 14-

Rain fails to dampen ‘Day of Interaction’ in Region 2 RAIN was unable to stop or even dampen the spirits of the participants in the ‘Day of Interaction’ conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/National Sports Commission and the Regional Administration Region #2 at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground last November 24. While there was no formal Opening Ceremony, because of the adverse weather conditions, the Director of Sport Neil Kumar and Regional Chairman Parmanand Persaud mingled and encouraged the participants to have an enjoyable and competitive day of activities. Hundreds of athletes and officials participated in sport activities - softball cricket (male and female), football and table tennis. The weather was challenging for the outdoor sports, but the athletes and officials braved the weather and the condition and displayed great skills and ability as they performed in the various sport disciplines. Results Softball Cricket (male) 10 teams participated in this competition - Taymouth Manor, Affiance B, Charity, Good Hope, Capoey, Cullen, Anna Regina Multilateral, Essequibo Technical Institute, Affiance A and the Golden Fleece. After the preliminaries, quarterfinals and semifinals, Cullen and Golden Fleece

battled in the final. Batting first, Cullen made a stunning 62 for 1 of the allotted 4 overs with Ricardo Peters scoring 31 with 4 sixes and 1 four and Syad Singh making a spectacular 27 which included 3 huge

and Capoey A. In the semifinals, Yakishuru Mines drew the bye, while Capoey A defeated Charity Emerals. The final saw Yakishuru Mines come up against C a poe y A . In the ma tc h

A super over was used to determine the champions. Yakishuru Mines in their effort scored 9 runs with Mecia scoring 5 and Wazeeda 4. In just one over Capoey A scored the required 10 runs for victory with Esther hitting the very first delivery for 6, the second for 2 and finished off with a 4, thus winning with 3 wickets to spare. Football 4 teams were involved in this competition - Essequibo Technical Institute, Henrietta A, Charity and Henrietta B. In the semifinals, Essequibo Technical Institute defeated Henrietta A, while Henrietta B got the better of Charity. In the final, Essequibo Technical Institute were victorious over Henrietta B by a 3-1 margin.

Director of Sport Neil Kumar makes one of his presentations. sixes. Golden Fleece in reply were able to score only 51 for 3 with scores of 20, 13 and 11 from Ganeshwar, Ajay and Yagesh respectively. Softball Cricket (female) 5 teams were involved Charity Emerals, Yakishuru Mines, Capoey B, Pomona

which was described as the most competitive, Yakishuru Mines batting first made the defendable total of 43 for 1. Lydia brought the crowd to their feet with an exciting 38 not out. Capoey A started their reply strongly and effortlessly, but the Yakishuru Mines’ bowling in the final over restricted them and they ended with 43 for 3.

Table Tennis Of the four competitors Malcolm Hinds and Nathan Persaud contested the final with Persaud being the winner with an 11 to 9 score. Winners and runners-up were presented with trophies for their outstanding performances. Director of Sport Mr. Neil Kumar presented several communities with sports gear, while representatives from the Region #2 Administration presented trophies to the winning teams.

year history of the competition. Proceeds from the game will be divided equally between the two teams to assist them with their cricket development programmes. Balram Deonarine said that a number of second division clubs and other organisations will also

benefit from the proceeds of the game. These entities have been given tickets to sell and keep the proceeds from the ticket sales. Over $500 000 will be split between the two clubs and other organisations.

New Amsterdam United win Hope FC/Metro U-20 League

NEW Amsterdam United’s Jamal Butts’35th minute goal was all it took for his team to come out on top against Monedderlust FC when the two sides clashed in the Hope Football Club-organised Under-20 tournament, which was sponsored by Metro Office Supplies and Copy Centre and dubbed the ‘BFA/Hope FC/Metro Under-20 League Competition. The League which involved six clubs and seven teams in a one-round, round robin basis, saw Monedderlust FC who lost 0-1 to N/A United in the final game placing second, while Rosignol United who defeated Hope FC 1-0 through a Dane Johnson goal in the 61st minute placing third. Hope FC fielded two teams while the others were Cougars FC, N/A United FC, Rosignol United FC, Monedderlust FC and Paradise Invaders FC. The round robin tournament commenced in July and concluded last Sunday under floodlights at the #5 Ground, West Coast Berbice. Devon James of Rosignol United was adjudged the Best Forward for his six goals in the League. Jeremy Samuels of New Amsterdam United was awarded the Best Defender prize while the Best Midfielder award went to Kevin Layne of Monedderlust. Jovano Luiz Dos Santos of New Amsterdam United got the nod for the Best Goalkeeper and Stephon Boucher also of New Amsterdam was voted Most Valuable Player after scoring a hat-trick among his other earlier exploits.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 2256158; 223-6055)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 8032 runs; 235 wickets (2) Rameez Raja (PAK vs ENG, Karachi, 1987)

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who led the WI to a 5-nil Test series win over England in 1986? (2) Which two played both ODIs and Tests? Milton Pydanna; Keith Semple; Everton Mattis; Irving Shillingford; Henderson Bryan

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday December 4, 2013

Letter to Sports Editor

BUSTA/RHTYSC ‘CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS’

GBC strengthens relationship with organising club … sponsors tournament to tune of $1.5M

By Calvin Roberts

Supporting democracy caused me to earn a number of enemies

“EVERY DAY is a new beginning, so treat it that way, stay away from what might have been and look at what can be”. Mr Editor, I am just responding to a few critics who felt that I have committed the gravest sin by supporting the GFF president Mr Christopher Matthias in his quest to reform football in Guyana. Will Rogers once said “Live your life so that you would not be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip” After being involved in football for such a long time, I am now aware that I have accumulated a number of enemies who were charading as friends all these years, “One of the secrets in life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks”. My upbringing in humble surroundings has taught me that knowledge is gained by learning, trust by doubts, skill by practice and love by love. “Rumours are carried by haters, spread by fools and accepted by idiots”. Persons who have the audacity to deal with personality rather than with issues are contentious and ludicrous. Mr Matthias was elected during a democratic process conducted by a special committee comprising of three (3) Attorneys-at-Law approved by CONCACAF & FIFA. The Wikipedia Dictionary has Elections as an event at which people vote; it is an organised event at which somebody is chosen by vote for something, especially a public office. So by saying that the elections were mired in controversy from the beginning is tantamount to saying that skullduggery was committed by the learned legal minds. Elections are usually conducted after vigorous campaigning, public speeches, promises and pledges and all the vagaries associated with elections. It is my view and understanding that manipulating of elections and the electorates is usually done by the incumbent -I may be wrong and if I am, I am inclined to be corrected and edified. All persons who were interested in becoming President along with their campaign managers and supporters all had a level playfield, maybe for the first time in the GFF electoral process, mind you I said maybe. So at the conclusion of the elections when Mr Matthias was elected as President, where and what did he do wrong and how am I wrong in supporting him so that he could fulfil his mandate. “One good rule for living is not to worry about the future until we have learned to manage the present”. “There are four steps to accomplishment: Plan Purposefully, Prepare Prayerfully, Proceed Positively and Pursue Persistently”. Mr Editor, until we as Guyanese attempt to refrain from dealing with personalities, petty issues and fabrications we will continue to thrive in the doldrums in the football world. There are some people who are just bent on creating mayhem and anarchy and in the words of a wise man, he said “Greatness is discovered in goodness, humility, service and character”, so to all those who hate my guts for supporting democracy I will leave these few words with them, “REMEMBER TODAY IS THE TOMORROW YOU WORRIED ABOUT YESTERDAY”. May God bless you as we approach the festive season and I wish everyone all the best for the season and the New Year. Remember the reason for the season - the Birth of Jesus and what He endured during His years on the earth. LAWRENCE GRIFFITH

TEN YEARS ago, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) with the blessings of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), conceptualised the idea to host a ‘Champion of Champions’ knockout cricket tournament, featuring the top eight clubs in the Ancient County of Berbice. Having worked out the logistics and budget for the tournament, the club consulted the Guyana Beverage Company Inc. (GBC) for sponsorship and was

Berbice. In addition, the club has records for everything they have done and with accountability being a key factor in any sporting organisation, we are pleased to say that we are happy with what we have seen from the club over the years.” Selman reminded all and sundry, that the GBC is only the sponsor and not the organiser of the tournament, and his office would not be entertaining any complaints from individuals who are not comfortable with how the

bond between the top eight teams in Berbice, namely West Berbice, Blairmont, Universal Solutions Bermine, Albion, Universal DVD Young Warriors, Port Mourant, Upper Corentyne and Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets (RHTGG)” said Foster. When the tournament commenced a decade ago, the winning team took home $50 000 and a trophy and the runners-up half of that amount. This year, the victorious team will pocket $100 000 and the Busta ‘Cham-

Flanked by the Busta Girls and members of staff of both the Guyana Beverage Company Inc. and Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, a smiling Robert Selman (7th from right) presents the cheque to Hilbert Foster. successful, hence the birth of the tournament under the sponsor’s Busta brand of products. Yesterday, a proud Robert Selman, Managing Director of GBC Inc. expressed his pleasure at partnering with the RHTYSC for the past 10 years with this tournament, saying he has never had any hesitation to sponsor the tournament when asked, since accountability and credibility are two key words that govern Guyana’s most successful youth and sports club. “The RHTYSC is one of the best run clubs in Guyana with great accountability and if I did not have confidence in the club and the way they organise and execute the Busta ‘Champion of Champions’ tournament, I would not have entertained them over the years,” said Selman. He added, “One of the main sports in Berbice is cricket and the GBC’s main focus, as I have said time and time again, is to give back to the people of Guyana through sports and with the RHTYSC organising this tournament, we have seen a way to do so to the people in Berbice for the past 10 years and that is why we are pumping $1.5M into this year’s tournament. When we were approached to sponsor this tournament, we decided we will go with it because we felt we must do something for the people of

tournament is being executed, no matter what. “However, I would expect persons to honour and respect our brand at all times and the RHTYSC has been doing that for the last 10 years and we are satisfied with the way they have respected the brand, while they have made Busta a household name in Berbice and we are thankful to that,” said Selman, who promised to continue his company’s partnership with the club in the future. In his remarks given on behalf of the club, RHTYSC’s Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster thanked Selman and his staff for their positive response to his application for sponsorship once again, saying that the ‘Champion of Champions’ tournament has developed into a premier one in Berbice. “This year, the tournament would be extra special for us, as it would be the 10th edition and for the Busta Company to be on board for 10 years is quite remarkable, since we all know that sponsorship of cricket is not too popular in these times. This sponsorship clearly reflects the confidence shown by the GBC in the organising skills of the RHTYSC and it also shows the remarkable

pion of Champions’ trophy, with the runners-up receiving half of that and a trophy. The Man-of-the-Match in the final, which will be broadcast live on NCN Radio once again, making it the lone first division final to have such privileges in Guyana, will pocket $15 000 and a trophy while the organizers, through

the kind generosity of the sponsor, will be outfitting all teams and umpires with Busta T-shirts. With regard to the disturbance which plagued last year’s tournament, the RHTYSC would like to inform all teams that no form of indiscipline would be tolerated, adding that all decisions of the umpires must be respected. “Any team that shows disrespect to umpiring decisions, break up or stop matches to protest an umpire’s decision or decisions, would be thrown out of the competition and would not be considered for future tournaments, while only players who are registered with the respective clubs for 2013 are allowed to play,” said Foster. According to Foster, the action was to bowl off this weekend but was pushed back since the Guyana Cricket Board is expected to commence their GT&T/ Hand-in-Hand-sponsored four-team four-day tournament sometime this week. However, when the tournament does get under way, the opening round fixtures are as follows, with the host team being mentioned last: Upper Corentyne go up against RHTGG, West Berbice meet Albion, Blairmont clash with Universal DVD Young Warriors and Universal Solutions Bermine take on Port Mourant. F o s t e r e x p re s s e d h i s heartfelt gratitude to Selman and his team, especially GBC Inc’s Marketing Manager Shameiza Yadram on behalf of the RHTYSC, before the cheque was handed over by a proud Selman himself.

Raj Singh Insurance Brokers /Trophy Stall Over-40 T20

Semifinals showdown on today THE SEMIFINALS showdown of the Demerara Cricket Board Over-40 T20 competition, sponsored jointly by Raj Singh Insurance Brokers and Trophy Stall, is on today with Lower East Coast Bulls locking horns with West Bank Demerara Mavericks at the Lusignan Community Centre ground from 13:00hrs On Friday, Upper East Coast Tigers will clash with West Coast Demerara Seals at the Zeeburg Community Centre ground from 13:00hrs, with the winners of both semifinals meeting in the final at a venue and on a date to be announced by the DCB. After the preliminary rounds, Bulls finished at the top of the points table with 27 points, followed by Tigers with 26, Seals with 18 and Mavericks with 17. In addition to their three victories (12 points), Bulls amassed 11 bonus points for exceptional achievements, while they also had one loss, one tie (2 points) and two no-result matches (2 points). Tigers recorded four victories (16 points), had one loss, two no-result matches (2 points), and eight bonus points. The Seals won three, lost two, two were no-results and had four bonus points, while Mavericks won two, lost one, tied one, had three no-results, and accumulated four bonus points.

Sport CHRONICLE

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

McCullum, Taylor tons put New Zealand in charge … put on unbeaten 182 for fourth wicket

Ross Taylor celebrates his century.

(REUTERS) - Brendon McCullum ended a barren run of scores and three-year century drought as he and Ross Taylor tore apart a weakened West Indies attack to drive the hosts to 367 for three at the close of the first day of the opening Test yesterday. The 32-year-old McCullum, who last scored a Test century in November 2010 and had accumulated just 85 runs in his previous four Tests, was back to his aggressive best as he finished the day on 109 not out including 14 boundaries and three sixes. Taylor was on 103, his ninth Test century, as the pair added an un broken 182 runs in a little under three years as the hosts plundered the under-powered West Indies bowling in the first contest of the threematch series. “He was back to the Brendon of old,” Taylor told reporters at University Oval in Dunedin. “The way he went about his innings, he let the ball come and once he got his eye in ... he batted very well.”

Statement on TV coverage of WI vs NZ ST JOHN’S, Antigua - The West Indies Cricket Board joins with cricket fans in the region in encouraging television companies operating in the Caribbean to secure the television broadcast rights for the ongoing West Indies v New Zealand Test, ODI and T20 series. While the WICB recognises that there continues to be a challenging financial climate regionally, cricket fans have been disheartened that they are not able to see the West Indies team play against New Zealand. From the responses there are legions of fans who are desirous of viewing the matches and that represents obvious interest and demand.

Through its broadcast rights deal with TAJ TV the WICB has played a major role in ensuring that when the West Indies team plays at home the television broadcast is provided to CMC free-to-air partner stations so that fans can view the matches live. Contrary to some misinformation, the WICB does not own or control the broadcast rights for the West Indies v New Zealand series or any series played outside the region. The WICB looks forward to cricket fans being able to view the matches on television with the favourable consideration and intervention of television companies.

McCullum came into the match under an injury cloud with reports suggesting he was contemplating retirement with a long-standing back problem that was not responding to treatment. The former wicketkeeper, who was seen doing stretching exercises when at the non-striker ’s end, however, did not appear to be too troubled as he built his innings. He was initially cautious having joined Taylor shortly before tea with the hosts on 185-3 and aware another quick wicket could have ended the good start provided by openers Hamish Rutherford (62) and Peter Fulton (61). The aggressive McCull u m , h o w e v e r, i n c re a s e d the tempo after the break as he scored 103 runs

New Zealand Page32 progressed to 445 for five at Lunch on Day 2

Brendon McCullum cuts strongly through point in his century on the first day in Dunedin.

Please see page 32

World Cup prize money set for huge increase By Mike Collett COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil - (Reuters) - The prize money at next year’s World Cup finals will be increased by at least a third from that on offer in South Africa in 2010, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said yesterday. The overall prize money for the tournament will rise to approximately $560.0M (£341.3M), around $140M more than the $420M available in 2010, when $30M was on offer to the winners. It means the winners of next year’s tournament in Brazil will pick up around $40M.

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FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke “There will be a large increase of at least 33 per cent if you compare (the prize money)

with the last World Cup, but this figure will be confirmed after the finance committee meets today,” Valcke, speaking at a news conference at the resort in Bahia state where the draw for the finals will take place on Friday, told reporters. “A l s o , t h e r e w i l l b e around $70M available to the clubs who provide pl ayers f or t he t eam s i n the World Cup, higher t han l ast t i m e as wel l .” Valcke said full details of the prize money would be announced today. The prize money available in South Africa was 60 per cent higher than that offered for the 2006 finals in Germany.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2013