Guyana chronicle 06 12 13 by Chronicle

GUYANA No. 103672

FRIDAY DECEMBER 6, 2013

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NELSON MANDELA

DIES

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Mandela was one of the most outstanding statesmen of all time - President Ramotar Page 8

South Africa’s first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela died yesterday at the age of 95.

reedom fighter, statesman, moral compass and South Africa’s symbol of the struggle against racial oppression. That was Nelson Mandela, who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead his country out of decades of apartheid. He died yesterday at age 95. His message of forgiveness, not vengeance, inspired the world after he negotiated a peaceful end to segregation and urged forgiveness for the white government that imprisoned him. “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d

still be in prison,” Mandela said after he was freed in 1990. Mandela, a former president, battled health issues in recent years, including a recurring lung infection that led to numerous hospitalizations. According to a CNN report, despite rare public appearances, he held a special place in the consciousness of the nation and the world. “Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father,” South African President Jacob Zuma said. “What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.” His U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, echoed the same sentiment. “We’ve lost one of the most influential, courageous and pro-

foundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth,” Obama said. “He no longer belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages.” In a televised message to the Guyanese nation last evening, President Donald Ramotar described Mandela’s passing as a “loss not just for the people of South Africa, but for Africa as a whole, and the world at large”. He also said Mandela was “a giant in defence of human rights and for a free and just society, not only for his beloved South Africans, but for the oppressed the world over”. The Chairman, Board of Directors, Management and Staff of the Chronicle newspaper also join in expressing our profound sadness at the passing of this towering giant among men.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

NELSON MANDELA DIES

(BBC): South Africa’s first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has died at the age of 95. Mr Mandela led South Africa’s transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s, after 27 years in prison for his political activities. He had been receiving intensive medical care at home for a lung infection after spending three months in hospital. Announcing the news yesterday on South African national TV, President Jacob Zuma said Mr Mandela was at peace. “Our nation has lost its greatest son,” Mr Zuma said. “Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss.” He said Mr Mandela would receive a full state funeral, and flags would be flown at halfmast. A crowd has gathered outside the house where Mr Mandela died. Some are flying South African flags and wearing the shirts of the governing African National Congress, which Mr Mandela once led. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was one of the world’s most revered statesmen after preaching reconciliation despite being imprisoned for 27 years. He had rarely been seen in public since officially retiring in 2004. He made his last public appearance in 2010, at the football World Cup in South Africa. His fellow campaigner against apartheid, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, said he was “not only an amazing gift to humankind, he made South Africans and Africans feel good about being who we are. He made us walk tall. God be praised.” BBC correspondents say Mr Mandela’s body will be moved to a mortuary in the capital, Pretoria, and the funeral is likely to take place next Saturday. ‘BID HIM FAREWELL’ Mr Zuma said in his statement that “what made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves. “Fellow South Africans, Nelson Mandela brought us together and it is together that we will bid him farewell.”

ordered Mr Mandela’s release, called him a “unifier” and said he had “a remarkable lack of bitterness”. He told the BBC Mr Mandela’s greatest legacy “is that we are basically at peace with each other notwithstanding our great diversity, that we will be taking hands once again now around his death and around our common sadness and mourning”. UK Prime Minister David Cameron also paid tribute, saying “a great light has gone out in the world”. Earlier this year, Mr Mandela spent nearly three months in hospital with a recurring lung infection. He was moved to his home in the Houghton suburb of

The UN Security Council in New York stood for a minute of silence TRIBUTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was “a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration”. “Many around the world were greatly influenced by his selfless struggle for human

dignity, equality and freedom. He touched our lives in deeply personal ways.” US President Barack Obama said Mr Mandela achieved more than could be expected of any man. “He no longer belongs to us - he belongs to the ages,” he said, adding that Mr Mandela

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“took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice”. Mr Obama, the first black president of the United States, said he was one of the millions who drew inspiration from Mr Mandela’s life. FW de Klerk, who as South Africa’s last white president

Nelson Mandela on his 94th birthday

Nelson Mandela taking the oath of President in 1994 (internet photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

NELSON MANDELA DIES From page 3

Johannesburg in September, where he continued to receive intensive care. ROBBEN ISLAND Born in 1918, Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1943, as a law student. He and other ANC leaders campaigned against apartheid. Initially he campaigned peacefully but in the 1960s the ANC began to advocate violence, and Mr Mandela was made the commander of its armed wing. He was arrested for sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, serving most of his sentence on Robben Island. It was forbidden to quote him or publish his photo, but he and other ANC leaders were able to smuggle out messages of guidance to the anti-apartheid movement. He was released in 1990 as South Africa began to move away from strict racial segregation - a process completed by the first multi-racial elections in 1994. Mr Mandela, who had been awarded the Nobel Prize in 1993 jointly with Mr de Klerk, was elected South Africa’s first black president. He served a single term, stepping down in 1999. After leaving office, he became South Africa’s highest-profile ambassador, campaigning against HIV/Aids and helping to secure his country’s right to host the 2010 football World Cup. He was also involved in peace negotiations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and other countries in Africa and elsewhere.

Many of those gathered outside the former leader’s home were reduced to tears at the news

1918 Born in the Eastern Cape 1943 Joined African National Congress 1956 Charged with high treason, but charges dropped after a four-year trial 1962 Arrested, convicted of incitement and leaving country without a passport, sentenced to five years in prison 1964 Charged with sabotage, sentenced to life 1990 Freed from prison 1993 Wins Nobel Peace Prize 1994 Elected first black president 1999 Steps down as leader 2001 Diagnosed with prostate cancer 2004 Retires from public life 2005 Announces his son has died of an HIV/Aids-related illness

CXC top achievers awarded at gala ceremony

Minister of Education, Hon. Priya Manickchand with C.X.C officials and awardees last evening at the National Cultural Centre (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo) OUTSTANDING achievers at the May 2013 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations were awarded at the opening ceremony of the 45th meeting of the Council, which was held at the National Cultural Centre last evening.

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Guyana’s own Yogeeta Persaud received the ‘Most Outstanding Candidate Overall’ Award in the CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate) category. Receiving the Most Outstanding Candidate Overall Award in the CAPE

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(Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations) category and the Dennis Irvine Award was Dea Thomas of Ardenne High School in Jamaica. Dennis Irvine contributed to the establishment of the CXC and served as chairman

from 1974 to 1979. He was Chairman when the first exams were administered in 1979. After the CSEC exams were well established, he worked with the Council to conceptualize the CAPE, which was administered for the first time in 1998. His Excellency President Donald Ramotar said at the event: “It is a testament to culture that people have used education to improve individual lives and collective society”. (Kindly see tomorrow’s edition for full article/photos)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

IMF: Haiti GDP grew by 4 percent in 2013 HAITI’S gross domestic product grew by around 4 percent in the 2013 fiscal year, according to preliminary data from the International Monetary Fund. That number was better than had recently been projected. In June, the IMF lowered its growth forecast for the country to 3.4 percent, down from an initial projection of 6.5 percent. The country’s growth was the result of ongoing reconstruction spending, increased textile exports and a better-than-expected outcome for agriculture, according to the fund, which completed a mission to the country last month to complete a review under its Extended Credit Facility arrangement. Inflation finished at 4.5 percent for the fiscal year, which ended in September, after spiking to nearly 7 percent following last year’s drought and hurricanes in the country. Haiti’s fiscal deficit was “larger than programmed,” however, the fund said, due to higher transfers to the country’s EDH utility. “The mission and the Haitian authorities discussed a number of risks surrounding these projections, and the mission recommended that buffers – in the form of government deposits at the banking system – be kept at levels sufficient to allow intervention should weather-related or other risks materialize,” said Gabriel Di Bella, who led the IMF mission. The mission also emphasized that efforts should be strengthened to combat tax evasion, so as to ensure more robust revenue collection, which is essential to offset gradual declines in foreign assistance. (Caribbean Journal)

DAY OF PAIN

‘COMFORTED’: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, left, consoles Simone Williams following Wednesday’s funeral service for her six-yearold daughter, Keyana Cumberbatch, at the Council of Elders Spiritual Shouter Baptist Empowerment Hall, Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, Maloney. Williams described her murdered daughter as the “light of everybody’s life”. Williams said Keyana, whose home name was “Key Key”, was not planned, but she came into her life and was a blessing. “Keyana was not supposed to be with us, but she came. She came by the grace of God and the six years I had her, that we all had... she was a blessing,” Williams said. (Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK)

Antigua targeting Sept 2014 for new Airport Terminal

ANTIGUA and Barbuda says it is planning to open the new terminal building at VC Bird Airport in September 2014. The new, modern terminal will cover a total of almost 250,000 square feet of space, with four jet bridges, four escalators, four elevators, 12 x-ray machines and complete monitoring by CCTV.

UN expresses concern at migrant boat tragedy in Bahamas THE United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is expressing concern at the recent incident in which a boat of migrants from Haiti capsized in the Bahamas. That incident led to the deaths of at least 30 people. It was the latest in a string of incidents in which migrants in the northern Caribbean lost their lives at sea. Since the beginning of this year, there have been 128 maritime incidents in the region in which 4,281 people were intercepted or rescued at sea. The UN said that represented a “very significant” rise, compared to a total of 2,600 people involved in such incidents in 2012. “In this hemisphere and globally, we have seen increasing numbers of desperate people fleeing dire levels of economic deprivation or escaping political turmoil and violence by taking to the high seas in search of safety or a better future,” said Shelly Pitterman, the UNHCR’s regional representative in Washington. The number of reported deaths or missing people at sea in the northern Caribbean has risen to at least 81 so far this year, according to the UN. (Caribbean Journal)

Migrants at sea (Photo: UNHRC/A Di Loreto)

It will feature 46 “common user terminal equipment” check-in stations, along with 15 self-service check-in kiosks, according to the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority. The ground floor of the airport will have a mini-food court and light shopping. The airport will also have full climate control, the authority said. (Caribbean Journal)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

GUYANA

Kaieteur News scores, Guyanese youth lost again

EDITORIAL

Bridging the education access gap

UR education system was modelled after that of our colonial master which was designed to primarily serve the needs of the privileged class and this resulted in a historical sharp education gap between the affluent and the poor and under-privileged class. Consequently, during the colonial era, and even in the early post-colonial era, only an elite group were being able to qualify in the legal, medical, engineering and academic fields. The parents of the working class simply could not afford to finance higher education for their children, and even for those who could have afforded the opportunities were not there as they were restricted for the children of the privileged class. So the children of the poor were destined to a life without education or to a very low level of education, which aggravated the already high level of poverty. However, following the establishment of internal self government, the PPP government between 1957-1964 made a determined and persistent effort to change the education status quo. In this regard, secondary schools were established across the country, during the tenure of Cedric Vernon Nunes as Education Minister. As a result, thousands of students in the rural communities were able to access secondary education and many went to pursue higher education and this was significantly enhanced with the establishment of the University of Guyana and the Guyana School of Agriculture, both being the brainchild of Dr Cheddi Jagan. In-service teachers’ training centres were also established in rural communities. During this period our educational standards rose significantly and we became the most literate country in the English-speaking Caribbean. Unfortunately, with the ousting of the PPP government in 1964, and the advent of the PNC government the solid education system created by the PPP government began to plummet at an alarming rate and by the end of its 28-year term our education system was crawling on its knees and we became the least literate in the English-speaking caribbean and also our performance at examinations were the lowest. However, with the return of a PPP-led government we have seen our education system not only transformed to respectability, but it has made significant strides albeit there is still much to be done. In recent years our students have been copping top awards at CSEC and CAPE and what is extremely encouraging is the fact that many of these students have been coming from our rural secondary schools, unlike the past when they came almost exclusively from the urban-based top schools such as Queen’s College, Bishops’ High, President’s College, St. Stanislaus College and a few others. This clearly tells us that we are rapidly moving towards achieving equity in our education system. On this note we are also seeing a most heartening development with the establishment of A-list schools, the most recently commissioned one being Bygeval Secondary. Students who would have missed placement at the

FOR how long will the youths of Guyana remain silent and allow the Kaieteur News and its opposition elements to continue to deny them a prosperous future? Kaieteur News has once again, through its deliberate distortions and outright lies resulted in another major private investment project by one of Guyana’s leading and innovative private sector companies shelving a major investment in Guyana. What makes this proposed investment stand out is that its beneficiaries would have been exclusively the youths and the two most popular sports in Guyana – Cricket and Football. What is even more stunning is that the proposed investor has proven its worth and dedication to the development of sports not only in Guyana but also in the Caribbean. It has been credited with bringing back the sting, excitement, professionalism and economic viability into Caribbean cricket. You would recall the loads and loads of garbage that were thrown by Kaieteur News on the Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 Cricket in a desperate attempt to make it a failure. But as fate would have it even Mr. Glenn Lall is suspected to have enjoyed it from beginning to end. More so, every commentator, without exception, accepted that the Limacol CPL 2013 tourna-

ment was the best and most successful cricket tournament the Caribbean has had in almost 20 years. Who was responsible for this? What amazes me is that a large part of our supposedly intelligent public seems to have a great appetite for garbage as if it is some sort of delicacy. They feast on it daily, poisoning their body and mind, destroying their future with the false belief that they are building themselves a bright future. Come on young people, it is time you get real. You don’t need a better example of how the Kaieteur News and its opposition elements, out of pure vindictiveness and total disregard for your welfare, are denying you a prosperous future. Who would have been the primary beneficiaries of a total transformation of the Bourda Ground? The answer is staring you in the face. Face it. Can’t our youths see that Mr. Glenn Lall is raking in millions while destroying their future with their own hands? He has made enough millions to last him many generations. How much have you made? SUNDAR NAUTH

Passage of the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill is an imperative I UNDERSTAND that the passage of the Cricket Administration Bill 2012 (the Bill) tabled in Parliament has become stagnated. The content of this Bill has been ventilated at no less than sixteen (16) meetings of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) comprising members of all three (3) parties in Parliament. The three (3) parties signed acknowledging the merits of the Bill. I am now informed that the AFC has decided that they will no longer support the bill due to the following absurd excuses: 1. That the Bill does not reflect discussions held at the PSSC meetings 2. That the recent Court of Appeal ruling / decision change the premise upon which the Bill was initially laid before the Parliament. 3. That the West Indies Cricket Board will not accept the legislative remedy and that there would be a removal of international cricket from Guyana. Bearing in mind the fact that the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board and the Barbados Cricket Association are legal entities through similar Parliamentary processes, the above excuses are flimsy and cannot be accepted as the reasons for the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) “backward somersaulting”. With regard to item 1, if there are problems with the Bill viz a viz minutes of the PSSC meetings, the simple thing to do is to identify the areas of concern and effect the required corrections. In any case, why wasn’t proper checking and verification of each set of minutes done at the meeting and why was the Bill signed off unanimously paving the way for the second and third readings without the concerns raised then. This is standard practice. With regard to item 2, the Court of Appeal (CA) ruling has nothing to do with the work of the Parliament regarding the passage of the Bill. The CA in a half page order of court has ordered that the matter must be heard again by the Hon. Chief Justice Ian Chang. Essentially, the situation remains the same as when the Bill was first tabled in 2012 and for the AFC to say national or senior secondary schools by a few marks earn placement at A-List Secondary Schools. These schools are equipped to accommodate and bring out the best academic and extra-curricular performances from its students. Over the last few years, some of the A-List Secondary Schools and the students who attend those schools have been performing as well as, and even better than, some of the Senior Secondary Schools. For example, in 2012, the student who topped the Caribbean at CSEC attended the Abram Zuil Secondary School in Essequibo and in 2013 the student who topped the Caribbean at CSEC attended the Anna Regina Secondary School, also on the Essequibo Coast. Anna Regina Secondary also received the best performance prize in the Caribbean for Technical Vocational Education. These schools are both A-List schools. So we are currently seeing great strides being made in reducing the gap between students in urban and rural communities being able to access quality education. This is an imperative if we are going to make that quantum leap in socio-economic advancement as a country.

otherwise is extremus callide dolus and smacks of dishonesty. With regard to item 3, the WICB has never indicated that there will be a removal of international cricket from Guyana but they did express ill-conceived concerns regarding the content of the Bill. The AFC, as a political party in Parliament, has a responsibility to address these concerns and must not conveniently abandon the process. It is apparent that the real motive for the AFC new position is to support its few cohorts that have hijacked Guyana’s cricket at the expense of order, decency and transparency which the Bill seeks to provide. With free and transparent elections emanating from the Parliamentary process, the AFC’s diabolus cronies that hijacked the GCB will not find favour with the electorate. The AFC’s calculated action is a deliberate attempt to permanently exile in excess of forty thousand (40,000) residents of Upper Demerara /Region 10 from being involved in Guyana cricket. The AFC seems unmindful of the continuing chaos in cricket which adversely affects its supporters particularly in Regions 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10. They are now reportedly attempting to influence A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to also change from supporting the Bill. However APNU being a mature and responsible political party will no doubt carefully consider the likely consequences of such action and its impact on its constituent members particularly in regions 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10. It is important to note that an Executive Member of APNU with a strong cricket background who supports the Bill presented a very informative analysis of the cricket scenario including recommendations. It is very clear that the Cricket Administration Bill 2012 seeks to provide a permanent remedy to the unacceptable chaos which presently consumes our cricket. These include three (3) constitutions, illegal elections, financial improprieties and the lack of any structured programme for cricket development. The Bill will provide a legal veil that will engender order, transparency and accountability to the operations of the GCB and its constituent members. There is no intent to dissolve the GCB. The WICB’s concern is that the Bill seeks to dissolve the GCB is highly misplaced. Over the years, cricket in Guyana has been a unifying experience and has contributed to our collective national identity. In this regard, cricket must be held up to the strictest of scrutiny and must at all time be projected as a clean, transparent and disciplined sport at all levels including the administrative level. The past three (3) years have seen our dear national game sink to an all time low. There are many ongoing court cases as well as accusations of financial improprieties and money for votes and through it all the progress and development of our cricket and especially its ethos have fallen away abysmally. The cricket chaos must come to an end and toward this end the support and successful passage of the Guyana Cricket administration Bill in Parliament is a political imperative. PARASNAUTH SEERAM LLM, Hons. London

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Pregnant woman wins $1M in Courts promotion By Telesha Ramnarine

SHE is a 30-year-old woman who is due to give birth in one month’s time. What could be better for her than to win a

whopping $1M in the Courts ‘Become a Millionaire Promotion!?’ The already mother of one, Ms Savita Singh, who hails from Peter’s Hall, on the East

‘OFF THE GROUND’: Heavily pregnant Savita Singh’s initial reaction after winning $1M in the Courts ‘Become a Millionaire Promotion’

Bank Demerara, was one of twelve winners drawn from Courts branches from around the country. The winners were all vying for the million dollars yesterday. But none of the other eleven went away empty-handed, for other prizes included televisions, a washing machine, chair sets, a freezer, etc. Each winner was offered up to $200,000 to swap what they originally got after popping a balloon of their choice. But they each refused the money and opted to take home the prizes that they actually won. The crowd loved Singh and it seemed that each one wanted her to win the money. So there was a lot of screaming and cheering for her once it was revealed that she won. In fact, the promotion was full of excitement yesterday morning! Each winner was asked to get up and dance as part of the fun. And they all did! For this year’s Christmas, Courts said it wanted to make one fortunate customer a millionaire each week until the end of the year. The promotion commenced last November 7

At Berbice Assizes…

Teenager jailed for 17 years for almost beheading his friend By Jeune Bailey A BESPECTACLED Royston McAllister had partially severed the head of his friend Steffern Andrew Noel Bacchus as he sat putting on his shoe on a stairway at Crabwood Creek, Corentyne. And on Wednesday, he was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment by Judge Dawn Gregory-Barnes at the Berbice Assizes. Prior to the slaying, the teenagers, then 17, had left their Korthbaadt Village home , East Bank Berbice, for Jackson Creek, Corentyne, where they were employed at Mary’s Cane Farm as cane harvesters. State Prosecutrix Ms. Renita Singh had revealed that on November 9, 2011, the lads, in company with others, had finished working at midday and had returned to their camp to prepare their lunch. Then, Bacchus had rebuked his childhood friend for not assisting with the cleaning of the ‘logie’, in which they lived, and had threatened to put ‘Martindale’[a cutlass] on him. After McAllister was slapped and laughed at, Bacchus grabbed a broom and swept the building before smoking a cigarette and retiring to his room. At 14:45hrs, witness Darrel Brandham recalled knocking on the door of Bacchus’ room, telling him that it was time to get up. Bacchus responded by exiting his room and sat on the stairway

of his ‘logie’ where he begun to put on his shoe. The witness, thereafter, went to McAllister ’s door, where he said, ‘Wake Up, Work time’. Brandham, then sat on the rail of the ‘logie’ stairway fixing his shoe, when he heard a loud sound as if one was being broadsided with a cutlass.

‘CONVICTED’: Royston McAllister He looked to where Bacchus was sitting and noticed him, ‘rolling’ down the steps. At the time McAllister was standing at the top of the stairway, with a cutlass in his hand. In the caution statement, McAllister said he got annoyed after he awoke and Bacchus continued to tease him. As a

result he got ‘vex and got in a passion’. A post mortem revealed that Bacchus was an adolescent of mixed ancestry with finely plaited hair. He succumbed to shock and haemorrhage. Defence Counsel Charrandas Persaud, in a plea of mitigation , said his client had no intention to kill his friend and has since expressed remorse over the incident. Meanwhile, Justice Gregory- Barnes noted that having perused the evidence from the deposition, the caution statement, the mitigation and the medical report, she observed that the now deceased was sitting, putting on his boots when he was attacked. ‘There is no knife, nor provocation at the time, this has caused me to view this case more severely. I will start with twenty five years, as it is the term for the penalty [manslaughter]. ’ “I reduce it by six years for your plea of guilty’, and a further two years for the duration spent as a remanded prisoner. I am not inclined to take any more time off. The injury inflicted and the circumstances are aggravating factors. You are sentenced to 17 years imprisonment”, the Judge pronounced. The convict stood with a slight grin on his face as the sentence was passed, while relatives and villagers sighed with relief.

and will continue until December 28. Any customer who shops $5000 and over will get a chance to be one of the five remaining millionaires. “At Courts Guyana Inc. we are always looking for an opportunity to reward our customers for their loyal patronage throughout the year, and the ‘Big Prize’ Promotion will allow them to win and become a millionaire! So we are pleased to serve and reward our customers in a way that no other furniture and appliance store is able to match,” the store said in a media statement.

Managing Director at Courts, Clyde De Hass, presents the $1M prize to Savita Singh, yesterday (Adrian Narine photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Mandela was one of the most outstanding statesmen of all time - President Ramotar says he was also a giant in defence of human rights PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar has extended condolences to the family of the late anti-apartheid leader, icon and Former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela who passed away yesterday. In a televised message to the nation, President Ramotar described Mandela’s passing as a “loss not just for the people of South Africa, but for Africa as a whole, and the world at large”. He also said Mandela was “a giant in defence of human rights and for a free and just society, not only for his beloved South Africans, but for the oppressed the world over”. The President added that the world is much poorer after the passing of one of the most outstanding statesmen of all time. “The struggle he led with other distinguished anti-apartheid fighters has entered into the annals of world history as one of the most defining periods in our world. However, it was not only President Donald Ramotar the struggle, but the manner in which it was conducted which will always remain an example and an inspiration for others working for social and economic justice everywhere”.

of the most outstanding statesmen of all time. The struggle he led with other distinguished anti-apartheid fighters has entered into the annals of world history as one of the most defining periods in our world. However, it was not only the struggle, but the manner in which it was conducted which will always remain an example and an inspiration for others working for social and economic justice everywhere. He was truly the Father of his Nation, tirelessly devoting his life to serving the people of South Africa with humility and dignity in leadership, and an unwavering commitment to preserving that hard won unity and the pride of liberation. Highly loved and respected the world over, his memory will forever be cherished. For Guyana, this is particularly so, as we recall the strength of character which he continually displayed during those long, dark years of incarceration, a grave injustice. As we mourn now with South Africa, we rejoiced then, when he won his freedom and took his rightful place as leader of his country. Mandela’s name and work will endure throughout the ages. I have asked that the President of South Africa Jacob Zuma, convey our sympathy to his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time.”

Nelson Mandela

THE Alliance For Change (AFC) has joined with others from around the world who are mourning the passing of a truly great leader, Nelson Mandela. “Few men of his kind have walked this earth,” the AFC said in a condolence message last night. “A fountain of inspiration to millions across the world, Nelson Mandela became the ultimate symbol of forgiveness and reconciliation,” the party stated.

‘God’ sentenced to thirteen years for slaying cattle farmer at Paradise By Jeune Bailey Vankeric THIRTY-TWO-year-old Elroy Grenville, alias ‘God’ and ‘Rasta’, was sentenced to thirteen years imprisonment after he confessed to inflicting a fatal wound on the neck of a fellow cattle farmer following an argument over a missing bull at Paradise Village, West Coast Berbice. Initially facing a murder indictment, Grenville pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, and his plea was accepted by the state. Justice Dawn Gregory imposed the sentence after deducting six years for him not wasting the court’s time, and six years for the period ‘God’ had spent as a remand prisoner awaiting trial. State Prosecutrix Ms Renita Singh revealed that on June 9, 2007, Grenville, of Belladrum Village, had a verbal altercation with Brentnol Reynolds, which led to him delivering “a chop to the neck” of Reynolds. The incident was witnessed by Claude Williams and Earl Mingo, who were both acquainted with the men since their childhood. At about 16:00 hrs on that fateful day, Williams saw Grenville chasing cows and goats across the Paradise Public Road, and he overheard him telling Reynolds, “Country Man, how you go say I tie up your cow?” The witness revealed that Reynolds was unarmed and there was no prior fight between the deceased and the accused at the time. But he noted that the accused was armed with a cutlass, while the now deceased Reynolds had in his possession a water bottle and a

THE main Opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has expressed “great sorrow” at the passing of Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and an icon in the struggle for peace and justice around the world. APNU, in a condolence message, said Mandela was a leader whose transformative life became a symbol of resistance and triumph over racial segregation and all forms of institutionalized apartheid. “Nelson Mandela never wavered in his devotion to democracy, equality and learning. Despite terrible provocation, he chose forgiveness instead of hate. His Opposition Leader life has been and will conDavid Granger tinue to be an inspiration to all, who are oppressed and deprived, to all who are opposed to oppression and deprivation around the World,” APNU stated.

‘A bright star has fallen’

Following is the full text of the condolence message by His Excellency President Donald Ramotar: “On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Guyana and on my own behalf, I express sincere condolences on the passing of Former President Nelson Mandela. This loss is not just one for the people of South Africa, but for Africa as a whole, and the world at large. Nelson Mandela was a giant in defence of human rights and for a free and just society, not only for his beloved South Africans, but for the oppressed the world over. The world is much poorer after his passing for he was one

APNU expresses great sorrow at Mandela’s passing

whip. The witness Williams shouted to Grenville saying, “Don’t do anything stupid!” The witness revealed that Reynolds had gone to graze his cows, and had taken them halfway up the savannah before taking a break for lunch. He later observed that two of the cows were missing. Whilst searching for the missing animals, he saw the accused and a young boy in the backlands, and he accused Grenville of tying up his cows. But the accused responded, “The lil boy you see me with is Sampat son, and is water coconut we drinking.” Brentnol Reynolds turned to Grenville and made mention of, saying, something to his big brother Marlon. However, Reynolds repeated the word ‘Peace’ thrice, but witnesses recalled that as soon as the last Elroy Grenville, word left his mouth, Grenville alias ‘God’ and Rasta turned, saying, “You all does look for people kill out you all family.”

- AFC on Mandela’s passing It noted that after quarter of a century imprisoned by the racist ‘Apartheid’ system in South Africa, Mandela walked free choosing to reject hatred, revenge and bitter memories for the sake of unifying South Africa for the benefit of all. The AFC noted that “with humility and the highest moral integrity he went on to inspire the world”. These are the quality of a great leader, the AFC said. “May we all take from this exemplary life the great lessons of tolerance, engagement, justice, equality, reconciliation and hope. The Alliance For Change extends deepest sympathies to his family and the people of South Africa. Farewell Madiba. May your soul soar forever.” Reynolds replied, “Look me family de home, go and kill them.” Consequently, Grenville turned to Reynolds and said, “Me go catch you before you cross the road”. The witnesses recalled Grenville being armed with a cutlass in his right hand, while Reynolds had a water bottle and a whip as they faced each other. Grenville took a step backwards and fired a chop at the left side of Reynolds’s neck, before running away. The wounded man, with his hand on his neck, walked 70 to 80 feet before staggering and falling along the roadside. A gaping wound to the exterior of the neck was observed. In his statement to the police, Grenville reported that it was the now deceased man who had initiated the first blow, but he avoided being injured by ‘ducking’. He then retaliated by firing a chop, which connected with the neck of the accused. In his plea of mitigation, Attorney-at-law Joel Persid Edmond noted that nothing was forthcoming from the prosecution in respect to his client’s previous conflict with the law. “As a matter of fact, in the indictment he is known as ‘God’, been called by such since age 15 years, due to his fair and good deeds. While he has thrown himself at the mercy of the court, he has been incarcerated since June 2007, and has faced five magistrates while having to endure four preliminary inquiries,” the lawyer told the court. With respect to the facts, the lawyer agreed that his client had fired a chop before running away. Nevertheless, he asked the court to consider what any reasonable person would have done in similar circumstances. He questioned how a cattle farmer could have gone to the backlands without a cutlass, as presented by the prosecution. Edmond also told the judge that his client has expressed remorse for what had happened, while noting that if the hands of time could have been turned backwards, the incident would not have occurred.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Nagamootoo suffers from amnesia MOSES Nagamootoo, as a former cabinet minister, should remember the uphill task the government confronted in efforts to improve working conditions in Guyana. Nagamootoo had spent an acknowledged 50 years of his chronological existence in the service of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), and which organisation rewarded him handsomely when it returned to power in the historic elections of 1992. For reasons that he would have given for leaving his natural political home, and which were never convincing, he has since ensconced himself in the high citadel of the Alliance For Change (AFC) party, headed by another political buddy of his, one who had also left the PPP/C. Well, this is a democratic country, which allows persons to make

their own political decisions. But what has been interesting about Moses are the many statements made, since his departure, alleging all manner of charges against his former party. And the question would always be the same: Why did he spend all his years giving service to a party, where the very alleged anti-state activities were being perpetrated? No one who is assumedly upright as he is, ought to remain, be a part of, or aligned, for so long as he had been, to any organisation that has ‘committed all those sins’ as alleged by him. It is a fair rationale. Being a part of the PPP/C government for so long, he would have been privy to the many challenges that it would have confronted as it sought to re-build a shattered economy, especially inclusive of

bettering the working conditions of the Public Servants. It was no easy task, particularly in the light of a huge public debt. Thus, he should be the last person to criticize comments made by any of his former colleagues with regard to wages and salary hikes. Of course, government is cognisant of the need to improve working conditions of the Guyanese worker, as it is aware of the many demands that have to be met in terms of daily sustenance. It explains why it has made interventions, such as raising of the income tax threshold, so as to give more disposable income to the average worker. This of course comes with a cost, in terms of reduction of government revenue; yet, it is a sacrifice toward improving living Moses Nagamootoo conditions, which even the Unions would have acknowledged. He must be reminded that the economy can only afford that which is permissible, as reiterated by Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford. What has he and his other Opposition colleagues contributed to the advancement of the nation’s workers, since their combined one-seat majority?

Guyana’s Foreign Minister tells WTO conference in Bali, Indonesia…

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION - registers CARICOM’s support for multi-trading systems

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, yesterday addressed the ninth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in her capacity as CARICOM Ministerial Spokesperson on WTO Matters. She registered the Community’s continued support for the multilateral trading system and stressed its importance on the effective functioning of the rules-based multilateral trading system. “We see this (the effective functioning) as the best guarantee for our successful integration into an increasingly globalised economy. I cannot over-emphasise that it is the small and vulnerable economies that stand to lose the most if success eludes us here in Bali. For us, failure is just not an option. We must succeed in Bali.” STILL TO BE REALISED The minister bemoaned the fact that the promise of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is still to be realised. “We had hoped that this would have ushered in a new dispensation of development-oriented solutions to problems faced by economies such as ours in this era of globalisation,” Rodrigues-Birkett said. Also referred to as the Doha Development Round, it is the current trade-negotiation round of the WTO which commenced in November 2001. Its aim is to achieve major reform of the international trading system through the introduction of lower trade barriers and revised trade rules. The work programme covers about 20 areas of trade. The Round’s fundamental objective is to improve the trading prospects of developing countries. It was officially launched at the WTO’s Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in November, 2001. The Doha Ministerial Declaration provided the mandate for the negotiations, including on agriculture, services and an intellectual property topic, which began earlier. In Doha, ministers also approved a decision on how to address the problems developing countries face in implementing the current WTO agreements. According to the minister, considerable efforts have been made over the past few months by the Director General and members of the WTO to craft a package for adoption by the ninth conference, but lack of consensus in Geneva on the call for the necessary political impetus to allow for the Bali package to be agreed on and adopted is disappointing.

She said, “We believe this is possible.” CARICOM places great importance on the negotiating function of the WTO, which still holds the promise of finding development oriented solutions to a wide range of trade related issues of concern to small and vulnerable members. “Another failure in the decision-making function of the WTO will lead to a greater loss of confidence in the Multilateral Trading

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, addressing the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia yesterday System’s ability to deliver results, beneficial to all and in particular, the most vulnerable.” CONCERNS Rodrigues-Birkett also underscored few areas of concern for CARICOM, as delegates look ahead to the post-Bali work programme. She said, “We must work towards the completion of the Doha

Development Agenda with particular emphasis on Special and Differential Treatment for developing and least developed countries. We must ensure, among other things that draft modalities, which provide flexibilities for small, vulnerable economies, particularly in agriculture and NAMA (non-agricultural market access), are preserved and become part of a final outcome.” The minister also underscored the importance CARICOM placed on the work programme on Small Economies, which, according to her, must be intensified in accordance with the Ministerial Decision to be adopted by this conference. “The operations of the Dispute Settlement process continue to be of concern. The ongoing reform negotiations must address issues of compliance with rulings, especially those in favour of small economies. A CARICOM member has experienced this first hand and situations like this serve to undermine the credibility of the Dispute Settlement Mechanism. The enhancement of third party rights must also be addressed so that small economies can represent their interests more effectively,” she said. The ‘Aid for Trade’ was also a concern brought to the fore and Rodrigues-Birkett called on the WTO Secretariat to intensify its advocacy and monitoring role. She said: “CARICOM launched its regional Aid for Trade Strategy earlier this year and the support of the international community in making this strategy a reality is vital as the Region seeks to integrate into the global economy. “CARICOM takes note of the growing trend towards plurilateral arrangements in the WTO system and their implications for the effective functioning of the multilateral trading system. This is a trend which requires careful evaluation…CARICOM also calls upon the WTO to support the simplification of the accession process for small and vulnerable economies. These countries should not be called upon to give concessions beyond their levels of development.” On that note, the Foreign Affairs Minister welcomed the new Director General, Ambassador Roberto Azevedo, and the energy and dynamism he brought to the organisation, coupled with the deep understanding that he has demonstrated for the issues of importance to developing countries, including small, vulnerable economies. She thanked the government and the people of Indonesia for the “warm hospitality and excellent arrangements” made for this meeting.

President calls for patriotic and unanimous support for CFATF bill

THE Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Amendment (AML/CFT) Bill, will be re-tabled at the next sitting of the National Assembly, and President Donald Ramotar is calling on all stakeholders to support the bill, noting that it is time to pass the legislation unconditionally because of the possible setbacks that can occur. “It’s time for us to show maturity…it is so important that I don’t think it should be tied to anything else,” he said, during remarks at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s dinner and awards ceremony on Wednesday evening. “The consequence of not

passing it is difficult to contemplate at this time,” he stated. In addressing the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) call for the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) as a pre-requisite for the party’s support for the bill, he said Government is ready to proceed with the setting up of a PPC, but reiterated that it must have the right of a “No objection” clause. “Our government as it stands now has given up more authority in that area than any other government in the Caribbean. We are the only Cabinet that does not award contracts, all we do is we have the right to give no ob-

jection. It is not a question of not wanting to set it up, but there are many, many reasons to have that. You can’t want to hold me and the Cabinet accountable and don’t give us that authority”. Guyana stands to face international sanctions following the Political Opposition’s decision not to support the AMLCFT bill. The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), of which Guyana is a member, recently blacklisted the nation. If the Bill is not approved and passed into law by May 2014, Guyana will be referred by CFATF to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG).

- as it is set to be returned to Parliament

President Donald Ramotar addressing stakeholders and guests at GCCI’s 124th Dinner and Awards ceremony at the Pegasus Hotel on Wednesday evening

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

GHRA welcomes ban on road to New River Triangle & steps for Guyana to join the EITI THE Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) said it welcomes the decision of the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, to set in train a process aimed at Guyana becoming a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The EITI is an international mechanism encouraging transparency with respect to revenue transfers in countries engaged in extractive industries. Member countries commit to production of an annual country report by the government, which is independently verified by the international body. The ministry has also written the respective indigenous communities advising them that no mining-related road construction must take place within the Parabara, South Rupununi, location. GHRA, in a statement yesterday, said the decision to seek membership of the EITI was announced during a meeting on Wednesday at the invitation of the ministry, between a GHRA delegation and a high-level team from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, to discuss mining matters of concern to the GHRA. The ministerial team included Minister Robert Persaud, Permanent Secretary, Joslyn McKenzie and Deputy Commissioner of GGMC, Newell Dennison, while the GHRA was represented by two of its Co-Presidents Charles Sohan and Mike McCormack and Board Secretary, Michelle Kalamandeen.

Minister Robert Persaud and his team meeting a delegation from the GHRA on Wednesday

Police identify mutilated body found on seawall last Wednesday THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday reported that the mutilated body of a male that was discovered on the seawall last Wednesday has been identified as fifty-four-year-old Andrew Erskine, who hailed from Fourth Avenue in Subryanville, Georgetown. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) ranks of the Guyana Police Force were called upon last Wednesday to investigate the circumstances surrounding the lifeless body of the man being found over the seawall at Camp Street and Seawall Road, a short distance from the CID headquarters. A police source told the Chronicle that the body of the man of African descent bore marks of violence on the hands and to the side, and that the victim appeared to be in his fifties. It was also disclosed that the man’s genitals had been castrated. According to the police source, the body seemed to have been dumped there hours before it was discovered, possibly just before sunrise on Wednesday morning. The body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Parlour until it was identified. A post-mortem is expected to be performed on the body today. (Leroy Smith)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Digicel launches ‘Brighten Someone’s Christmas’ promotion … with attractive handsets starting from as low as $2,900 By Michel Outridge

DIGICEL Guyana, yesterday, launched its Christmas promotion, dubbed “Brighten Someone’s Christmas”, at its flagship store at the City Mall on Regent and Camp Streets, Georgetown. Their 12 affordable and attractive handsets, starting from as low as $2,900 VAT inclusive,

were introduced. The phones on sale include the DL 700 and BlackBerry 9720. However, building on the runway success of its own affordable android smartphone, the DL 600, the latest version to join the range, was also introduced, as well as the DL 700 which delivers an even bigger android experience. With the continuing ex-

pansion of its network across Guyana, Digicel’s sights are firmly set on ensuring that all can benefit from access to internet, calls and SMS at affordable prices and achieve astonishing things in their everyday lives. As such, the DL 700 and BlackBerry 9720 will be competitively priced at $24,000 and $35000 respectively, making it part of the most attractive range

Digicel Guyana Head of Marketing, Jacqueline James (right), Communications Manager, Vidya Sanichara (left) with their loyal customers, yesterday, during the promotion launch. (Adrian Narine photos)

Digicel’s flagship store at the City Mall on Regent and Camp Streets, Georgetown was a hub of activities yesterday of handsets available on the market today. Head of Marketing, Jacqueline James stated, “With prices starting as low as $2900 and the latest addition to our own range of android phones, the DL700, we are continuously delivering on our promise to offer value for money, and at the same time offering the best smartphones at the lowest prices.” These phones will only be available at the current prices during the “Brighten Someone’s Christmas” promotion.

The public is, therefore, urged to visit their nearest Digicel store as soon as possible, while stocks last. During the launch, Digicel Guyana also brightened the Christmas of several of their loyal customers with free phone upgrades. As part of Digicel’s “Brighten Someone’s Christmas” promotion, James indicated that Digicel will be visiting numerous communities throughout the country, starting with Baramita and Arakaka in Region 1 this weekend, where they will be

spreading the joy of Christmas. The Digicel Morning Vibes radio team, alongside the Christmas Cheers team will also be out in the Stabroek Market area with a live broadcast and early morning fun today. Customers can definitely look forward to great surprises and treats when the annual “Christmas Cheers” activities come their way. At the launch yesterday, the new Communications Manager, Vidya Sanichara, was also introduced to the media.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

U.S. Embassy’s Youth Action Network observes International Volunteer Day with community service IN observance of International Volunteer Day, which was commemorated yesterday, members of the U.S Embassy’s Youth Action Network (YAN) and staff visited the Joshua House Orphanage to intermingle and spread some Christmas cheer with approximately 60 children ages 4 to 17. On Sunday, December 1, the YAN members spent time doing creative arts, reading, and playing games with the children, after which they were treated

to early Christmas presents donated by the U.S. Embassy and YAN members. Dennis Glasgow, a YAN volunteer said “this is an afternoon well spent. The warm feeling I got around those kids just reminded me of the reason why I love volunteering.” According to a statement from the U.S. Embassy, Blossom Dublin, another YAN volunteer echoed similar sentiments – “volunteering always gives an unusually purposeful

feeling! We had a great time at the Joshua House!” International Volunteer Day is a celebration of young people serving as agents of change in their communities and towards global peace and sustainable human development. It provides a chance for volunteer-involving organisations and individual volunteers to promote their contributions to development at local, national, and international levels. Established in July 2013, under the theme ‘Ready to

Members of the U.S Embassy’s Youth Action Network (YAN) and staff during their recent visit to the Joshua House Orphanage Serve, Ready to Lead’, the Embassy’s Youth Action Network gives motivated youths an opportunity to participate in networking and training

activities to enhance their leadership skills and professionalism, as well as to promote their involvement in volunteerism.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Cool Square surveillance camera Moon Notice pictures presented in court to support evidence at murder trial By George Barclay

PICTURES from the Cool Square surveillance camera on the night of March 2, 2010 when a Canada-based Guyanese Rawle Harding was fatally shot during a robbery were shown at the trial on Monday to support the evidence of a star witness for the prosecution. It is alleged that Junior Bourne of Lot 687 East Ruimveldt murdered Harding. Justice James Bovell-Drakes is presiding. The star witness, Mr. Andrea Patterson, manager of the Cool Square bar in West Ruimveldt, said that after he heard the explosion, he learnt that Harding was killed. He carried out an inspection and then consulted his cameras. According to him, “I was able to recognize two men who participated in the alleged robbery murder – a fair skinned man who I can recognize if I see him again and the accused Junior Bourne, the man accused of the killing of Rawle Harding.” Patterson said that Cool Square had been in operation for the past 16 years. He said that about 9:30 pm on the night in question he arrived at Cool Square and went into the Bar area where he saw Mr. Harding with two friends drinking. He said that he had a conversation with him and then went upstairs and retired to bed. The witness declared that while he was in bed at about quarter to eleven he was awakened by an explosion. He went downstairs to see what had happened. He saw Harding and observed that there was a hole in his chest but he did not see any blood. Patterson said that he went back upstairs and reviewed the camera footage. From the review, he saw two men entering the Bar and then they called on the waitress who was working at the time. They bought a drink and began sipping at it. Later they launched an attack on Mr. Harding and both men were armed with firearms. After they attacked Mr. Harding they began relieving him of his jewellery. Another shot was fired and then Mr. Harding fell. One of the men jumped over into the Bar area and opened a drawer and took some cash, the camera disclosed. The witness told the judge and jury that the accused sitting in the dock was one of the men who had entered the Bar that night and

Buxtonian remanded over theft of kitchen utensils By Geeta Rampersaud A 40-year-old Buxton resident who is accused of stealing a quantity of kitchen utensils from a mobile caravan in Georgetown was yesterday remanded to prison when he appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan. Clive Bob denied the allegation that said between December 1 and 3 at East Street, Georgetown, he stole from Dean McRae a quantity of kitchen utensils that included two ware plates, one rice colander, two pressure cookers, two stainless steel pots, a quantity of cutlery, two graters, one kettle, one glass bowl, one hot and cold cup, four food warmers, one gas stove, one stew cooker and one pack of plastic spoons, all to the value of $211,450. The court was told by Police Corporal Dinero Jones, prosecuting, that the virtual complainant (VC) is the owner of a mobile caravan on East Street. Jones said that on the day in question the VC secured his caravan and left to conduct other errands and on his return he noticed that there had been a breakin at the facility. Subsequent checks revealed that the articles mentioned in the charge were missing. According to the defendant, he was hired by an East Indian man to drop some bags to Bourda for $2,000 and on his way a police patrol stopped him and told him to put the bags at the back of the vehicle. He added that by the time he turned around the East Indian guy was nowhere to be seen. The defendant told the court also that he resides at Buxton Front, East Coast of Demerara but cannot remember his lot number. The stolen items were allegedly found in Bob’s possession, the majority of which was recovered. The police prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that the defendant has no fixed place of abode, as well as the serious nature of the offence. Jones also indicated that the prosecution file was incomplete since some statements are outstanding. The magistrate refused bail and the matter will be called again on January 13 for report and fixture.

killed Mr. Harding. In answer to defence counsel Mr. Hukumchand, the witness said that he did not make a mistake. He had viewed the film over and over again and had recognized the accused by his face. The video was shown to test the validity of the witness Patterson. But neither the prosecution nor the defence asked Patterson any question at that stage. But at a later stage, State Prosecutrix Miss Natasha Backer questioned the witness about the effect of the video shown in court. The witness explained that the production shown in court was the product of a copy which, according to him, was a copy of the original and was not as persuasive as the original from the camera. The hearing is continuing.

THE Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (C.I.O.G.) wishes to inform the muslim community that the moon was sighted on Tuesday December 3rd, 2013. Therefore the 1st day of Safar 1435 A.H will correspond to Wednesday 4th December 2013. SH. MOEENUL HACK CEO-Education, CIOG

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Canadian company to develop solar plant in Suriname CANADIAN gold miner, IAMGOLD, says it will develop and operate a solar plant in Suriname at a cost of US$14 million. “The project will help meet the electricity requirements of the mine in district Brokopondo, and at the same time free up power for use by other customers in Suriname,” the company said. The five-megawatt plant is expected to be commissioned during the third quarter of 2014.

“IAMGOLD is fulfilling a prior commitment to the Government of Suriname through this green project,” said the company, which has been operating the Gros Rosebel gold mine since 2006. In April this year, the company signed a new agreement with the Suriname government, which reduced IAMGOLD’s 90 per cent stake to 70 per cent and effectively made government a partner in Rosebel Gold Mines

NV, the operating company for the mine. Rosebel produced nearly 385,000 ounces of gold in 2011. This year, IAMGOLD reported a big drop in third-quarter revenue and earnings, due to lower prices for gold and higher operating costs. Net earnings plunged 68 per cent to US$25.3 million or seven cents per share. Revenues fell 13 per cent to US$293.5 million from US$336.2 million,

as lower gold prices were only partially offset by a higher volume of sales. The release said the solar project is expected to reduce

energy costs, which should provide a boost to the company’s margins. “During the course of mining for gold, the transi-

tion process from soft rock to harder rock deposits requires a high amount of power to crush and grind the ore,” the company said. (CMC)

Voir dire continuing in US$700 paid for stepfather’s death matter THE voir dire (a trial within a trial) to determine the admissibility of four caution statements by the four accused in the payment of US$700 for a stepfather’s death is continuing at the Demerara Assizes. Conducting the voir dire is Justice Navindra Singh, the presiding judge, who will decide whether or not those statements are admissible and should be admitted in evidence or thrown out. The accused Bissoondial Mahadeo, Hoosman Khan, Shamiza Khan and Farida Khan, all of Windsor Forest, West Coast of Demerara, are on trial for the murder of Motilal Singh which occurred on September 7, 2009. A post-mortem revealed that he had been stabbed 21 times. The witnesses who have so far testified in the voir dire are Constable Keith Brandford, Sergeant Naraine Lall, Constable Mohan Ramdolai and Corporal Cranston Fraser. The hearing is continuing. (Barclay)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Fogarty’s sets record straight … building sold, but not the business

By Jimmy Roos THE management of Laparkan and Fogarty’s called a press conference yesterday in the wake of an explosive report in the Stabroek News of November 27, 2013, alleging that the Fogarty’s store and building were sold to American Stores, the Trinidad and Tobago based furniture chain. The report quoted an unnamed source, purportedly at Laparkan, as well as sources within American Stores confirming the deal. However, Fogarty’s subsequently released a statement denying that they had sold the business. At yesterday’s press conference, which was called to set the record straight, Laparkan Chairman Mr. Glen Khan, who came from Miami specifically for the press conference, stated that he was very disturbed when he read the Stabroek News report as Fogarty’s is an iconic building, which is over 100 years old. He took the Stabroek reporters present to task, saying he was only a phone call away, and they could have called him to verify the story before publishing it. He stated that they, in fact, sold the building that is currently housing Fogarty’s and other departments of Laparkan, but not the store itself, known as Fogarty’s. Mr. Khan explained that this is a process called financial engineering, which is well-known in the United States and other developed nations, but not in Guyana. What they have basically done, according to Mr. Khan, is to sell the building with the purpose of leasing it back. The aim of the exercise was to release the cash presently tied up in the property. The Water Street building has been sold together with the Norton Street bond to the same buyer, who Mr. Khan described as a Guyanese group. The leasing arrangement is part of the deal to sell the building, according to the Laparkan boss. Mr. Khan said the decision to rent the Norton Street bond

Laparkan & Fogarty’s Chairman Glen Khan, centre, addressing the media to American Stores was made after they’ve already entered into building together with Fogarty’s. Mr. Khan stressed that there will the deal to sell the properties. Consequently, the new owners be no layoffs and that they actually plan to hire even more workers. had to approve the arrangement to rent the Norton Street bond “However, we will have to wait and see how it all pans out once to American Stores. Khan said it is totally up to the new owners the new owners take charge of the building, which would likely be how long they will allow the furniture chain to rent the Norton early in the New Year. Street facility. Mr. Khan further told the media that their freight businesses As far as the day-to-day business of Fogarty’s downstairs diviare sound and that they are expanding in a number of other areas sion is concerned, not much is likely to change. However, some other such as money transfer. He mentioned Antigua which is a good departments on the other floors may be affected, as Laparkan will market for them, because of the number of Dominicans who live no longer own the building, and it is not clear who else will rent the there and send money back to the Dominican Republic.

Reduction of poverty and extreme poverty - according to slows down in Latin America THE number of Latin American people living in poverty in 2013 climbed to around 164 million (27.9 percent of the population), of which 68 million are in extreme poverty (11.5 percent of the Region’s inhabitants), according to projections that the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) released yesterday. Although a decline in poverty and extreme poverty rates was seen in the Region in 2012 (falling 1.4 and 0.3 percentage points, respectively, in comparison with 2011), the pace of that decrease has slowed sharply after a decade of progress, says the ‘Social Panorama of Latin America 2013’ report that was presented yesterday in Santiago, Chile. In absolute terms, poverty remained stable in 2013 compared to 2012, when 164 million people were counted among the ranks of the poor, although the percentage of the population in

this situation fell slightly (0.3 points). In contrast, the number of extreme poor, which totalled 66 million in 2012, climbed to 68 million in 2013 (a 0.2 percentage point increase). These results are closely related to the macroeconomic performance of the Region, the document says. More specifically, the increase in extreme poverty has been caused by rising food costs that outpace general inflation. “Since 2002, poverty in Latin America has fallen 15.7 percentage points and extreme poverty 8.0 points, but recent figures show a slowdown. The only acceptable number of people living in poverty is zero, which is why we call on countries to carry out structural economic changes to achieve sustained growth with greater equality,” said the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Bárcena. Six of 11 countries with

available information in 2012 showed reductions in their poverty levels compared to 2011. In Venezuela, the rate fell 5.6 percentage points to 23.9 %

Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC from 29.5 %, in Ecuador it declined to 32.2 % from 35.3 %, in Brazil to 18.6 % from 20.9 %, in Peru to 25.8 % from 27.8 %, in

ECLAC’s latest report

Argentina to 4.3 % from 5.7 %, and in Colombia to 32.9 % from 34.2 % of the population. In Costa Rica, El Salvador, Uruguay and The Dominican Republic, the values kept constant in comparison with 2011. In Mexico, poverty rose slightly in 2012 to 37.1 % from 36.3 % a year earlier. In this edition of the Social Panorama report, ECLAC has explored the use of multidimensional approaches to evaluate poverty, which complements the conventional measurements based on monetary income. “A multidimensional measurement of poverty limited to unsatisfied basic needs shows that shortages like the lack of access to drinking water or to appropriate sanitation systems still affect a significant number of people in the Region. That makes one wonder if the public

policies intended to overcome poverty put enough emphasis on the achievement of minimum standards,” says the report, which also analyses the evolution of child poverty from a rights perspective. In a similar vein, the report analyzes three aspects of well-being—space, time and co-existence—which tend to be ignored in discussions about Latin America. It examines problems such as atmospheric pollution and the high murder rate, as well as the use of time and other matters. Regarding income distribution, although the level of concentration rose slightly in some countries in 2012, overall the downward trend continued to hold firm after a decade. In spite of this, high inequality still defines the Region in the international context. On average, the poorest

quintile of the population (20 % of households with the lowest incomes) gets just 5 % of a country’s total income, with extremes ranging from less than 4 % in Honduras, Paraguay and The Dominican Republic, to 10 % in Uruguay. Meanwhile, the share of the wealthiest quintile is 47 % on average, with that percentage rising from 35 % in Uruguay to 55 % in Brazil. In matters of public social spending, the 2011 figures and the limited data available from 2012 (mainly from budgets, not layouts) suggest a trend of relative contraction, which doesn’t necessarily mean an absolute reduction in the resources allotted to social areas, but does signal attempts to curb the expansion of social spending and thereby bolster public finances. The report points out that social spending showed accelerated growth in the second half of the 2000s, above all due to policies aimed at easing the impact of external shocks. Finally, ECLAC confirms that the affiliation of employees to health and pension schemes has grown in the Region (in different magnitudes and from different starting points), revealing positive dynamics in the job market. Nevertheless, it’s still very low and relatively stagnant in some countries, and the lower the average affiliation rate, the more income is concentrated.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Fisherman gets 12 years for killing man who denied him a job By Jeune Bailey Vankeric A CORRIVERTON fisherman has been jailed for 12 years for killing a man who had denied him a job. Mulshankar Sukharan, also called ‘Greg’, pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter in the Berbice Assizes on Wednesday, when he appeared before Judge Dawn Gregory-Barnes on an indictment of murder. On April 3, 2011, Sukharan unlawfully killed Krishnadat Kolandawel, also called ‘Sham’, of Number 79 Village Corriverton. State Prosecutrix Ms. Renita Singh told the court that on April 3, 2011, Sukharan went to the home of Kolandawel, where he verbally abused the man’s wife, claiming that the now deceased refused to employ him as a worker. Kolandawel, on receiving the report from his wife, went to the home of the accused, who verbally challenged him. Kolandawel gained entry to Sukharan’s house by kicking and smashing a chair against the front door. Sukharan armed himself with a knife with which he inflicted a wound on the man’s neck. The men scuffled in the street, where witnesses saw Sukharan stabbing Kolandawel. The accused got up, questioned the injured man as to whether he was all right, and after receiving a positive response, he walked away. But Kolandawel got up, scaled a nearby fence and lay on the

Nurses on sick-out ahead of conciliation talks

HOURS before conciliation talks were due to begin, yesterday, between the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and the Ministry of Labour, nurses at several publicly-owned hospitals reportedly were on a ‘sick-out’ as they intensified industrial action to pressure government into paying more than a five percent back-pay for 2013. Several union officials and workers confirmed that sick-out was underway at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), New Amsterdam Hospital, West Demerara Regional Hospital and the Linden Hospital Complex. Feedback about the effectiveness of the two-day sick-out, which ends today, is, however, unclear. At least one union official indicated that he does not expect a 100 percent favourable response, since some nurses are still attending to their duties at the various hospitals. Top officials of the GPSU are accusing management of the Linden Hospital Complex of threatening to regard workers reporting sick as absent, with the ultimate aim of deducting pay. Officials, however, noted that legally workers can report sick up to three days after which they must submit a medical certificate. The GPSU is demanding an interim 15 percent pay increase for this year, and the start of negotiations for an overall 25 percent hike. But government has been repeatedly saying that it could afford to pay only five percent.

Eleven petitioners granted $2.4M bail ACTING Chief Justice, Mr. Ian Chang, S. C., last Friday granted 11 petitioners $2,445,000 bail pending the hearing of their cases. Following are the offences, the offenders and the amount of bail granted to each: Grievous bodily harm - Raymond Mentore - $60,000; Owen Learwood - $270,000; attempted murder, Shawn Emblem - $400,000; robbery under arms, Ulric London - $400,000; Neilson Pratt - $200,000; Ronald Faria - $150,000; Keslow Anthony - $250,000 and Ramesh Chammalall - $225,000; simple larceny: Tillony Peters $500,000; Nelo Devonish - $150,000.

ground, where he subsequently died. The Prosecutrix noted that the two men had a history of verbally abusing each other. At the time of the murder, the accused was 19, while the deceased was 40. A post mortem report gave the cause of death as hemorrhaging due to a stab wound to the neck. In a plea for leniency, Attorney-at-law Mr. Raymond Ali submitted that the Mulshankar Sukharan in tears after deceased was the receiving a 12-year aggressor and that sentence on Wednesday. the accused tried to protect himself. “There is evidence of provocation,” he argued. Ali asked the court to find that there was genuine remorse. “After he realised what he had done, he asked the deceased if he was all right. He did not flee the crime scene, something people would expect him to do.”

He said remorse was also reflected in his guilty plea. Prior to imposing the sentence Justice Gregory-Barnes noted that the incident was a classic case of a high degree of provocation, rather that self-defence. She said the court was forced to determine whether his response was reasonable. Sukharan was facing a 25year sentence, however, the Judge deducted two years representing the time spent as a remanded prisoner, and an additional five years were deducted, due to the level of provocation which led to the unlawful killing. In addition, a further six years were deducted for the plea of guilty to the lesser count, as he did not waste the court’s time, resulting in a balance of 12 years which were Mohanie Dasrat, 72, weeps imposed on him. Sukharan lived with his after hearing the sentence that her grandson received 72-year-old grandmother, Mohanie Dasraj, and when asked by the Court whether he had anything to say, replied, “I am sorry. I am begging for mercy”.

NDIA installs mobile pump while works- Timber continue on Buxton Sluice shortage, inclement weather stalls completion TO ensure that the livelihoods of the residents of Buxton and its surrounding communities are protected, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has installed a mobile pump to drain the area as works continue on the state-of-the-art sluice. Shortage of timber piling, coupled with irregular weather patterns has resulted in the delays, according to a statement from the Agriculture Ministry. The $78M structure which was awarded to Colin Talbot Contracting Services, has encountered major difficulties including the delay in pouring concrete to complete the foundation in September due to the bad weather. An access road was then completed to rectify the situation. The structure which had a November 16, 2012 completion date, also suffered due to a six-week delay (July 18 - August 31, 2012) in sourcing the timber piles. “The timber tanking piles were unable to penetrate the soil strata for the footprint of the structure and the consultant thereafter recommended driving of steel sheet piles which were later sourced,” stated Lionel Wordsworth, CEO of the NDIA. The low demand coupled with high cost of the steel pile sheet has seen local companies being reluctant to import as the sale has been slow resulting in the product being left on

hand. As such, the contractor was forced to source the piles externally. “Also, the Foreshore didn’t allow for deep penetration of the strata to accommodate a coffer-dam for the construction of the structure north of the sea defense…advice was sought from Sea Defense department and we have since been advised and we can now finalise connecting the sluice to the sea defense,” he said. The communities were designed to have drainage through a pump sluice combination which has seen them suffer from flooding in the past, hence the move by the NDIA to have such a structure erected. The erection of such a sluice according to Wordsworth is necessary as the existing sluice discharge box presently sits below the seawall and therefore suffers from siltation. The new sluice is designed with a vertical lift gate which will allow for free flow discharge from the high level discharge basin into the foreshore. This will allow for a more efficient and reliable discharge from the existing drainage system. The NDIA said it will continue to monitor works on the project and ensure that the community is not affected by this delay.

Teen dies in Berbice River boat collision ANDREW James, 19, is now dead following a collision of two boats at Sand Hills, Berbice River, at 23:00 hrs on Sunday. According to information, James and his father, Andrew James Sr., 75, of Kimbia, were in their boat heading South up the River when they collided with another boat travelling in the opposite direction, piloted by Delroy Husbands, 25, a male Amerindian of Waruni, Berbice River. Husbands’ brother, Vanwest, 27, was also in the boat with him. According to reports, both captains swerved in the same direction and the one boat struck the stern of their other boat. As a result of the collision, the younger James pitched out of his boat, fell into the river and failed to surface. Searches were conducted, but he was not found; his 75-year-old father survived the collision and was rescued. It is understood that the body subsequently surfaced around 05:30 hrs on Tuesday morning. Police were informed by the toshao of the area some time on Monday about the mishap. Ranks on Tuesday journeyed up the river and recovered the body which was brought to New Amsterdam and taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital mortuary where it is awaiting a post mortem. Delroy Husbands, the captain of the other boat, was arrested and is reportedly in custody at the Reliance Police Station. Investigations are continuing. (Michael Khan)

Nine persons nabbed in Upper Corentyne drug raid

NINE persons were nabbed as Police in Berbice on Tuesday upped the ante against drug dealers in the Ancient County. The police, acting on information and after conducting surveillance around 15:00hrs raided a premise at Grant 1806 Crabwood Creek, Upper Corentyne and seized 1kg, 23 grams of marijuana and 6 grams of cocaine. Nine persons who were in the yard were taken into custody and are being questioned as investigation continues. (Michael Khan)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Flashback...

Contact # 616-0301 227-5216

Apsara’s ‘Evening of Dance’ a resounding success AS expected, Apsara’s ‘Evening of Dance’, hosted recently at the Monument Gardens in Bourda, Georgetown, left its audience spellbound, and that with good reason. From the dazzling performance of Miss India Worldwide, Nehal Bhogaita, to the riveting cultural presentations, one just had to exclaim that Apsara has done it again!!! The evening began with clear skies and a whirlwind of colours, costumes, unique moves and stylish grooves as the dancers executed each piece with poise and great expression, accentuated by sterling costumes and elaborate moves. The first item was a well choreographed dance fusion that incorporated a range of dance styles, kathak, classical and belly dancing among the favourites. Moreover, all the new students of Apsara Dancing School danced for the first time on stage, and were well received by the audience. Also bringing dancing steam to the venue were Organiser Chandini Rambalak, Lucria Rambalak and Kiran Mattai. Then came the introduction of the Mistress of Ceremony, Miss India Guyana and Miss Guyana Universe 2013, Katherina Roshana, who delivered a sterling presentation. The Apsara group always performs numbers that are well received by the audience, and

ana India Miss Guy atherina , t h ig n e , K ens of th uyana Universe orldwide, The que W s G ia is d M n / I e s id ith and Mis Worldw photo w ) e a tr r n e fo c ( e s a o n p a ght) Rosh ogaita (ri balak Nehal Bh EO, Chandini Ram C ’s ra Apsa that was indeed the case as the through her feet, she counted the dancers executed each number steps in her mind and executed exceptionally well. an exceptional dance piece. Her One of the greatest expehumility was expressed through riences of the evening was to her interpreter when she was asked witness the reigning Miss India about her experience here, and also Worldwide, Nehal Bhogaita, when awarded tokens of Guyana the first deaf queen in history of by Apsara Entertainment CEO, the pageant, perform to a dance Chandini Rambalak. medley. Through the rhythms The crowd was delighted of vibrations which she feels to be addressed by our Katherina, who delivered to the audience a motivating speech on youth empowerment and her experiences at the recent Miss Universe Pageant. The event was further heightened when sponsors, Fly Jamaica, held a special drawing that saw one individual winning an all-inclusive trip to New York. Through this medium, Apsara wishes to thank all the event sponThe lucky winner of a round trip to New York (center) sors and patrons is flanked by Katherina Roshana, Nehal Bhogaita and for their support representatives of sponsor Fly Jamaica and patronage.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

You shouldn’t do that!!

A night of bliss sees East Coast ‘shottas’ getting a royal ‘put out’

The top performers in last year’s Carib Soca Monarch

Carib Soca Monarch 2014 launched along with music workshop THE 10th Carib Soca Monarch Competition was launched with a simple ceremony at the Sidewalk Café on Middle Street in Georgetown some time ago. This year, however, the launch was a bit different, in that organizers added to their list a two-day music workshop which was conducted at the same venue on December 02 and 03, 2013. That workshop was geared at allowing past participants of the CARIB Soca Monarch, as well as other musicians and generally anyone interested in developing their musical skills the opportunity to further develop their talents and enhance music in Guyana. The music workshop was conducted by Trinidadian Songwriter and Producer Klase Gonsalves, better known as ‘1st Klase’. Speaking at the function, ANSA Mc AL’s Public Relations Officer Darshinie Yusuf said that, next year, her organisation expects to see Guyanese music excel and Guyanese artistes increase regional performances and appearances. She said that, come February 2014, her entity would be setting the vibes and rhythms for Mashramani 2014; and will not disappoint, since exciting music, thrilling performances and an explosion of fabulous lyrics are expected to be the order of the day. She explained that while the 2013 competition proved to be one of the best ever hosted by the Carib Brand, organizers would still be aiming to surpass that level of success with the multi-talented, vibrant artistes that are in Guyana. The proposed dates set for this competition are February 08, 2014 (semi-finals) in East Berbice, and February 15, 2014 (finals) at the National Park in Georgetown.

N East Coast D e m e r a r a ‘shottas’, as he calls himself, received a rude awakening recently when he arrived at his g i r l f r i e n d ’s h o m e after a night of sensual rollicking with a ‘hottie’ he had raked in at a Buxton party. This individual is a well-known minibus conductor on the East Coast bus park, and everyone around there knows that his girlfriend was faithful to him and was just allowing him to ‘sow his royal oats’ with the ladies. For years this has been the trend, and the girl would just sit and cry her eyes out as he frolicked and flirted with the ladies right under her nose. “Well, if yuh see how dis bai grinding pon dis gyal he hook up at de Buxton party, yuh woulda lef wid yuh mouth open,” someone offered. “And dat woman was just a slacker!!! Serves you right, young upstart. You There she was, dressed should have known that a woman of with portions of her the quality you had ought to be treated ‘rear-end’ exposed, alright always. lowing de man to be tossing her into de air like a rag doll, and placing she to lie on de ground wid she legs open wide, as he ran from a short distance and jumped on her! “Then he would execute some of the most vulgar pelvic movements ever seen in public as he made it clear for all and sundry to see what he had in mind for the woman later,” the observer continued. “He was drinking the alcohol like crazy with money that was supposed to be purchasing rations for his girlfriend, and he certainly didn’t seem to care!” another observer detailed. Eventually, word of his ridiculous and disrespectful behaviour got to his girlfriend of three years, and a nosy neighbour prompted the poor girl, “Come see fuh yuhself!” Well, the girlfriend finally decided to visit the scene, and her jaw dropped open when she saw what the supposed ‘love of her life’ was doing with the female on the ground. She stood there and wept bitterly for a good twenty minutes, until he noticed her standing close by. Ignoring her totally, he continued his frenzied gyrations; but as she wept, there was a certain ‘steely expression’ taking over her face, even as her body became rigid with anger. There is a saying affirming the existence of ‘a thin line between love and hate’, and this dude certainly did not know that ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman spurned’. He paid no attention as the lady turned and wiped her tears before leaving the ball field with her head held high. When this young man was finally satiated with the ministrations involving this new hottie, which occurred in an abandoned house nearby, he trudged to his girlfriend’s home, smirking at his new conquest.

Out you go!!!

ANSA Mc AL’s PRO, Darshinie Yusuf, and Trinidadian Songwriter and Producer Klase Gonsalves at the recent launch.

“Yuh see de minute he arrive deh, if yuh see how he bags and other items come flying through de air!” the observer reported. “De girl friend was raging like Sheena, de Queen of de Jungle, and de young man had to run ‘helta skelta’ to avoid de items thrown at him,” the observed laughed. “Well, de biggest joke of all came when she began to throw out his underwear! Dis man had some ‘oldd bucktas’ that been around since Yasin Store days. Most ah dem had de colour of charcoal, and dere were quite a few wid de crotch area missing. Some had gaping holes to de back, and de girlfriend hang two ah dem high on de fence for all to see!” another observed exclaimed. “There he was, scrambling to gather up dem discoloured garments, shouting at de top ah he voice, ‘Gyal, is wha really yuh doing?’” Well, he certainly was not prepared for the bucket of dirty soap water that drenched him seconds later, and the longsuffering girlfriend turned on her heels, exclaiming, “Good riddance to bad rubbish!” The last I saw of the ‘village shottas’ was him sitting on the road weeping bitterly now that he realised his days with the young woman were over. Serves him right!!! “Bucket ah guh a well every day; one day de battam does leff right deh!”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

DHARMIC SANSKRITIK KENDRA RENAMED IN HONOUR OF PANDIT REEPU DAMAN PERSAUD

HE Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha recently renamed its headquarters the Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud Dharmic Sanskritik Kendra, after its late president. It was the late Pandit Persaud’s dream to have a Hindu Academy in Guyana that would provide training in all of the art forms for pandits and for young people. The Sabha’s Kendra holds the distinction of being recognized by the Government of India as the first Hindu Academy in the Caribbean built by Caribbean nationals. Since its opening on May 5, 1991, thousands of students have been trained for free at the Kendra in Sanskrit, Hindi, Geeta, singing, tabla, harmonium, dholak, kathak and other dance forms; counselling, dressmaking, Indian cookery and craft. There is also a specialized

Vocal Arena, Winner in the Male es his trophy eiv rec o, Simon Naido izers. an from one of the org

pandits training programme. The ceremony was a simple one, with the Sabha’s pandits chanting mantras while current President, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, in keeping with tradition, broke a coconut at the entrance and performed aarti. The beautiful new sign was unveiled by the Sabha’s executive members. President Donald Ramotar and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds were present to witness the ceremony. Both spoke glowingly of Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud and his contribution to Guyana’s

religious and political landscapes. They congratulated the Sabha on preserving his legacy. Dr. Vindhya Persaud also addressed the gathering, outlining the Sabha’s vision for the Kendra. The renaming ceremony was followed by KALA UTSAV, the Sabha’s festival of arts, which saw participation by some 163 young people in a friendly competition in the categories of Ramayan chanting, male and female singing, duet singing, classical dance, junior folk dance and Kirtan singing. The large audience, which came from all over Guyana, cheered loudly as the youths performed competently in the various categories. Among the memorable performances of the day was the winning Ramayan Chanting piece by Dhanpaul Mohan and Ganita Bindra of the West Berbice Praant, which was accompanied by dramatic display by beautifully costumed actors and little Simon Naidoo’s sweetly rendered ‘Bhajan’; while a very touching rendition of “Papa Mere Papa” was done by Layshtianna Hansraj. There was also a good attempt at Shreya Ghoshal’s intricate “Mere Dholna” by Balika Seenarine, followed by a fabulous Kathak performance by students of the Dharmic Sanskritik Kendra, which won the judges’ nod for ‘Best Classical Dance’. One will always remember the colourful and energetic folk dance put on by little dancers of the West Demerara Praant. The Kirtan segment was also very impressive and saw the largest amount of participation, indicating that this tradition is being safely preserved. Winners of this year’s Utsav were as follows: Ramayan Chanting: 1st -West Berbice Praant, 2nd – Essequibo Praant, 3rd – Upper Corentyne Praant Male Singing:1st – Simon Naidoo of Central Corentyne, 2nd – Devchandra Ramrattan of East Bank Demerara, and 3rd – Krishna Balkarran of West Berbice. Female Singing: 1st – Pushpa Samaroo of Georgetown, 2nd – Layshtianna Hansraj of West Coast Demerara, 3rd – Balika Seenarine of West Berbice Duet Singing: 1st – Akarshini Singh and Anuradha Singh of Queen’s College, Georgetown; 2nd – Devchandra Ramrattan and

Bombshell’s most eligible bachelors

Lauris Jordan

is assuredly a red hot cauldron of desire SOME ladies prefer their men to be a package of rippling sinewy muscles accompanied by a heart-throbbing smile. And of course there are others who prefer that special dude to be ambitious, intelligent, creative, and very adoring. Bombshell features this week 26-year-old Lauris Jordan, who claims he has everything a woman can possibly desire. He says he is fun loving, outgoing, smart and ambitious; and certainly has the body to match his arresting virile qualities. His special lady for sure will have to be blessed with a gorgeous body; she must certainly be intelligent, and of course know how to ‘tickle his fancies’. This dude, a teaser, as usual, sadly did not leave a phone number. How disappointing! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I say to you, my divas: seek and you shall find...Lol

The winning folk dance was done by the West Demerara Praant. Christina Sugrim of East Bank Demerara; 3rd – Devina Mohan and Navita Kalicharan of Upper Corentyne Kirtan: 1st – East Bank Demerara Praant; 2nd – West Coast Demerara Praant; 3rd – West Berbice Praant Classical Dance: 1st – Nirmala Persaud, Indira Persaud and Farzaana Khan of Georgetown; 2nd – Ashwini Sarran, Veena Sahadeo and Melisha Seeram of West Demerara; 3rd – Kajal Singh, Praimwattie Nauth and Keshwantie Singh of Essequibo. Junior Folk Dance: 1st – West Coast Demerara Praant, 2nd – West Berbice Praant, 3rd – Essequibo Praant. The judges for the day were Pandit Shamkumar Ramlochan; Chandra Gajraj; popular singer Sookrane Boodhoo; Caribbean Hotshots Band leader Dharmendra Gobin; Georgia Harry, Sandra Khan, Satya Budhram Khan and Indian Cultural Centre’s dance and vocal teachers Ashok Chakravorty and Bhagwan Prasad Shukla.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Let’s tell it like it is…. Humble yourself, and you wouldn’t have to be humbled

OME people in this life just do not know -- or maybe just ignore the fact -- that it is always wise to humble themselves, lest the force of circumstances humble them. Not so long ago, there was this supervisor working at a very popular business that was doing really well. And this man was so wicked that he had all the other staff working in fear, since he would run to the boss with horrid lies about them, and of course the boss believed him. Some of the staff members eventually were so harassed that they resigned, or were dismissed because of the fables this man was circulating in the compound. If yuh see dis man, waltzing in to the boss’s office whenever it pleased him, and coming out with an evil gleam in his eyes when he succeeded in creating unnecessary chaos.

Look how yuh making dem workers’ life miserable

Well, like he graamudda nevah tell he dat de table does turn pon wicked people. There was a very gifted and ambitious manager working in the office, and this supervisor made the man’s life a living hell. Then the manager decided to put up a front and the ‘bacchannal’ began. Well, people, dat manager was ‘different’, if yuh know what I mean; and de supervisor attacked dis man daily about his sexual preferences. No one had de inclination dat de table wouldah turn on dis wicked supervisor, who was ‘living a secret life heself’. He brought a dashing young man to work wid de company, and every baddy wondered why he had such control over dis bai, and would talk to de bai harshly and embarrass de bai terribly in de presence of customers. But things began to come to light when the new boy began to take an obvious fondness of the manager who, by the way, was an athlete extraordinaire and was particularly a ‘running sensation’. This development sent the supervisor crazy, and he would march up when the two were conversing and order the young man to get about his duties, even if there was nothing for the poor chap to do. Then one night all hell broke loose, and no one seemed to be able to locate the young boy or the wicked supervisor. Somebody gave the authorities a little tip off,

Humble yuhself, lest you be humbled! and the staff began search the compound. Suddenly, the manager saw the boy darting from a certain location in the compound, and oh man, the lad was furious!! The manager finally got the lad to cool down, and he narrated a story that he had no place of abode and that the supervisor had befriended him and had allowed him to stay at his place. Now, this supervisor was married and had four kids, but that did not prevent him from having ‘steamy relations’ with the young man when his wife had gone to the market. Shame! Shame!! Shame on that dirty supervisor!!! The young boy confessed that, on the night in question, the supervisor had forced him into a room, and was making ‘serious advances’ on him, even as he tried to fend off the attack. Well, the whole story came to light because the boss summoned the supervisor and the boy to his office, where the boy narrated the same story in presence of the wicked supervisor. That supervisor must have wished the earth had opened up and swallowed him. Oh me mama whoy!!! Two days after this incident, the boss discovered that some equipment was missing from his store room, and he flew in a rage, since nobody seemed to have knowledge of the disappearance of the items. With another ‘tip-off’ from the young man, the boss turned up at the supervisor’s home unexpectedly and found all the missing items in his bedroom. Oh goodness gracious me! Well, I hope this supervisor has learnt his lesson. My grandmamma always used to say: “Humble yuh self, lest you be humbled!”

Bombshell’s Artiste of the Week

Jivonski Thorne is a musical tidal wave threatening to engulf universally

UYANA is known for her pristine tropical jungle; sprawling pastures; abundant waterways and happy people. But, over the years, our country has become quite popular universally for producing some of the most talented musicians. A few years ago, a young and extremely gifted singer came on the scene and shocked audiences with his vocal versatility and natural ‘onstage finesse’. His voice drips like liquid honey, and his notes and range are quite astounding for a singer who has not yet attained the ripe era of ‘developed teenaged journey’. The singer

Growing up in Craig, a small East Bank Demerara village, he was just like any ordinary child who had found a passion for a sport, a favourite cartoon character, playing a video game, or who even wanted to be like his/her icon. He is the youngest of eight, and from a tender age had a passion for dancing, and liked listening to all types of music. He was always fascinated by Jumo Primo (a member of the popular duo X2 of Guyana) and even first danced on stage to the song ‘Tick Tack’, which was done by the X2 artistes. But who could have known that this little one’s passion would lead to him becoming the next ‘big thing’ in Guyana? This vibrant little lad, a Michael Jackson fanatic, is one of reasons why anyone should think twice about ever giving up. As he was always outgoing with his older sisters, they all came to notice that he had more inside of him than he was showing. It came to the fore some time ago when they were at Cinderella Records, one of the many recording studios in Guyana, and discovered that their brother was not only a really good listener, but he also had a fantastic voice. Never did they think that he was so talented, and this

automatically brought him attention. Wanting to become a superstar was always his dream, and he is one of the few young people who are willing to work for what he wants. His talents were later recognised by Jumo Primo, who recommended that Kross Kolor Records was the ideal place for him. His parents took the advice, and later took him to meet the manager of the recording company. He auditioned and was gladly accepted to be part of the Kross Kolor Family. His dream is now on its way to becoming a reality, and he is truly a hard worker, and just never gives up. If you think that an eleven-year-old can’t make it, then you have never met Jivonski Thorne. He is currently the youngest artiste signed to the Kross Kolor Label, and also the youngest performing artiste in Guyana. He is also the reigning winner of the 2010 Cellink Kids Stage competition, the first one of its kind. He is one little man with a whole lot of attitude, and when it comes to performing, he does it with ease and confidence. He is a very fast learner, and is a very promising person to work with. He has already recorded his first two singles, ‘Too Young’ and ‘Hello’, which are making waves in the Guyanese music industry along with his signature performance which mimics the moves of the late great Michael Jackson, from whom he has gained all of his inspiration. Jivonski’s mind is already made up; he aspires to become a musician. With more songs and videos on the way, this young man is ready to take his career to the next level. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “children are our future leaders”. Well, they are, and you’re about to learn of someone who contributes to making this statement true. A child who is respectful, never tired to work, and is always willing, always smiling, and makes you believe that anything is possible. Born on January 3, Jivonski Thorne was created to perform.

Jivonski Thorne has raw vocal talent from the tropics

80-yr-old woman dies after being struck down by motor vehicle

THE Guyana Police Force reported that, at about 15:30 hrs yesterday, pedestrian, Nazo Saddick, 80 years, of Little Diamond, East Bank of Demerara, was crossing the main road at Little Diamond when she was struck down by a motor vehicle. The police said she was pronounced ‘dead on arrival’ at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre. The driver of the motor vehicle is in police custody assisting with the investigations.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Aries March 21 - April 19

You might not believe that you have all the determination and ambition you need to make some major headway today, but you definitely do! Early in the morning, if you can devote some time to figuring out a few shortcuts, you will be able to free up valuable time in the afternoon to get more work done. Your brain will be sharper as the day goes on, so try to save complicated or detail-oriented work for the end of your day. In the morning, your mind will be creative but indecisive.

Taurus April 20 - May 20

You would be wise to give your buttoned-up, conservative side control today. Don’t get involved with anything you’re not totally sure of. Stay a bit cautions through the end of the week, and you’ll be able to avoid some bad investments, unwise purchases and friction-filled social events. You might think you can handle a greater amount of risk right now, but the stars say that now is not the time to push any limits.

Gemini May 21 - June 21

Solutions are easy to come by today, in part because your sixth sense is especially keen. Your strong ability to interpret signals and read subtext will come in handy today -don’t be afraid to follow your gut and take a few calculated risks. If possible, apply your intuition to your career. Solving a few puzzles in this area will have a very beneficial impact on your financial health.

Cancer June 22 - July 22

Today, while working in a team environment, you’ll need to work a little bit harder to come up with new ideas. It seems that groupthink has taken over, and no one is able to think innovatively -- including you. If no results are required today, then suggest a brainstorming session. But if you need fast results, you must go against your urge to keep quiet. Don’t be shy about sharing your wildest ideas.

Leo July 23 - August 22

Your imagination is quite vivid right now, but try not to let it lead you too far into a fantasy world, particularly when you meet someone new. You need to keep your feet on the ground and base decisions only on the facts at hand -- drawing conclusions or making any type of assumption could take you a long way down the wrong path. But just because you have to keep it cool doesn’t mean you can’t have fun! Unleash your charm, and you will be the life of the party.

Virgo August 23 - September 22

Trial and error is a very effective way to learn, so remember that if a few of your experiments go awry today. These aren’t failures -- they are wonderful learning opportunities! There is a silver lining in every cloud that appears in your life, though some may be harder to find than others. Despite a failure here and there, you cannot give up your quest to try new strategies and see how they turn out. This type of curiosity is a valuable asset that will yield amazing results soon.

Libra September 23 - October 22

Hang on tight, because your creativity is about to skyrocket! Today you’ll be able to find multiple ways to add more fun, colour, music and beauty to your life with little (if any) effort. Pay attention to things that confuse you, because each of them offers something you can use to create something new. Your mood will stay bright and positive throughout the day -- and no one will be able to deter you once you have a goal in mind.

Scorpio October 23 - November 21

An idea you used to think of as quite radical will be proved to be the right strategy today -- and you might be served up a piece of humble pie for doubting it. The good news is, your self-esteem is riding high, and you won’t let yourself get too depressed about your error. Mistakes happen, and assumptions are made from time to time -- there’s no harm in that. Take this as the universe’s suggestion that you open your mind and give things a chance before you turn them down.

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21

Strangers have the potential to be very inspiring right now -- but you need to interact with them to uncover what they have to offer. Interactions and conversations don’t have to be deep to be illuminating, so feel free to say things in passing to people you’ve never seen before (and may never see again). Do try to get more creative than simply commenting on the weather -- but you may be amazed at the rewards a simple smile can bring today.

Capricorn December 22 - January 19

Your actions will impress people today, even though you may not completely understand why. Lately you’ve been pleasing people and making a major impact without even trying, and this type of oversized effect is going to continue for a few more days. So be mindful of the fact that your small actions can trigger big events. Beware of getting too friendly with new acquaintances -- they may mistake your geniality for flirtatiousness.

Aquarius January 20 - February 18

Do not be afraid to be compared with someone (anyone) else today -- you will come out on top every time, no matter what the judging criteria are. Your brilliance is exceptionally shiny today. Knowing and believing this will give you a strong sense of confidence that will carry you through the day and intimidate anyone who might contemplate trying to take you off your throne. You deserve to be there -- you’ve worked hard for it.

Pisces February 19 - March 20

Your dreams are trying to provide you with some important insight about a real-life dilemma, so pay attention to recurring images, and take note of the cast of characters that has been parading around your subconscious at night. Today, it’s time to trust yourself and take a risk. Deep down inside, you know you have everything you need to get what you want, and your inner self may be trying to communicate this -- don’t you think it’s time to listen?

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013 18:00 _ NCN News Magazine – Live

20:05 _NCN Annual Night

18:30 _ Pulse Beat

21:30 _ Grow with IPED

19:00 _ NCN Annual Night of Caroling 20:00 – 3d/daily millions/ play de dream/lotto draw CHANNEL 11 03:00 _ Movie 05:00 _ Inspiration 05:30 _ Newtown Gospel 06:00 _ NCN Late Edition (r/b) 06:30 _ BBC 07:00 _ Guyana Today 08:00 _ Bollywood Hits (r/b) 09:00 – Stop the Suffering

10:00 _ Food Network 11:00 _ History 12:00 _ CNN 12:30 _ NCN Newsbreak 1 2 : 3 5 _ Po l i t i c a l S c o p e R/B 13:00 _ National Geographic 14:00 _ NCN Newsbreak 14:05 _ Sacha Make Up Demonstration –Live* 15:00 _ Feature 16:00 _ NCN Newsbreak 16:05 _ Disney XD 17:00 _ OWN

Below rates for December 5, 2013 CURRENCY G$/US$ G$/GBP G$/CAD$ G$/EURO G$/BDOS$ G$/EC$ G$/TT$

BU3ING 205.48500 335.92688 192.55498 279.17192 101.49563 75.18194 31.69361

SELLING 207.93125 340.13394 194.77429 282.70333 102.51313 75.93565 30.01134

For Friday December 06,2013 -05:00hrs For Saturday December 07,2013 -08:30hrs

of Caroling 22:00 _ Late Edition 22:30 _Caribbean Newsline 23:00 _Movie

Guide is subject to change without notice!

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Chanderpaul joins the 11 000-run club as Windies struggle to avoid defeat DUNEDIN, New Zealand (CMC) - Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the seventh player to pass 11 000 runs in Test cricket, as West Indies face an uphill struggle to avoid defeat against New Zealand on day three of their first Test match here at the University Oval yesterday. The veteran left-hander hit the top score of 76 to join the esteemed company of the recently-retired Sachin Tendulkar of India, Ricky Ponting of Australia, Rahul Dravid of India, South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis, former teammate Brian Lara and Australian legend Allan Border. However his half-centu-

ENGLISH Lingfield 07:45 hrs Sotise 08:15 hrs Water Hole 08:45 hrs Electric Qatar 09:20 hrs Just One Kiss 09:55 hrs Officer In Command 10:30 hrs Souclier 11:05 hrs Rocket Rob 11:35 hrs India’s Song EXETER 08:25 hrs Cuckoo Rock 08:55 hrs Portway Flyer 09:30 hrs Caid Du Berlais 10:05 hrs Alderluck 10:40 hrs Foggy’s Wall 11:15 hrs Tara Rose 11:45 hrs Kingfisher Creek SANDOWN 08:35 hrs Abracadabra 09:15 hrs Foundation Man 09:45 hrs Saint Roque 10:55 hrs Milarrow 11:25 hrs Keychain GERMAN RACING TIPS Cagnes-Sur-Mer 07:50 hrs Peaceful Mind 08:20 hrs Solariza 08:50 hrs Beauty Celeste 09:20 hrs Portos Marzio 09:55 hrs Golden Shower 10:10 hrs Tamaline 11:00 hrs Maestru 11:35 hrs Vanadium IRISH RACING TIPS Dundalk 13:45 hrs Not Your Call 14:15 hrs Under Review 14:45 hrs Times In Antefka 15:15 hrs Represent Yourself 15:45 hrs Lord Kenmare 16:15 hrs Valley Queen 16:45 hrs Cheers Buddy 17:11 hrs Cottesloe

ry was the highlight of a West Indies first-innings batting collapse in which they were dismissed for 213 after resum-

At stumps Bravo, who had taken the attack to the Black Caps, was unbeaten on 72 with Marlon Samuels on 17.

SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL ing from an overnight 67 for two and were forced to follow on. The Caribbean side batted with more purpose in their second innings to reach 168 for two at stumps. Trent Boult struck early when he had Kieran Powell caught at second slip by Tim Southee to leave the West Indies 18 for one. But Kirk Edwards and Darren Bravo steadied the innings, putting on 117 for the second wicket before the leg-spin of Ish Sodhi trapped Edwards in front after a well crafted 59.

NEW ZEALAND first innings (6099 declared)WEST INDIES first innings (o/n 67-2) Kirk Edwards c Fulton b Boult 0 Kieran Powell c wkp. Watling b Southee 7 Darren Bravo c McCullum b Southee 40 Marlon Samuels c Taylor b Southee 14 Shiv Chanderpaul lbw b Boult 76 Narsingh Deonarine c Taylor b Southee 15 Denesh Ramdin c wkp. Watling b Boult 12 Darren Sammy not out 27 Shane Shillingford b Sodhi 9 Tino Best run-out 0 Shannon Gabriel lbw b Sodhi 0

Earlier, Kiwi paceman Tim Southee picked up four for 52 to trigger the West Indian batting collapse that saw them concede a huge first-innings lead of 396 runs, as six of the top seven in the batting order were caught behind the stumps, with Chanderpaul the sole exception. The 39-year-old who was dropped at slips on 70 held the West Indies first innings together as he worked his way to 76 before being trapped lbw by Boult without offering a shot. Although he challenged the dismissal, video replays showed the ball would have clipped the top of the bails. It was Chanderpaul’s 62nd Test half-century while Bravo’s first innings cameo produced 40 and Darren Sammy not out 27. West Indies, with eight second innings wicket in hand and two days of play remaining, are seeking to avoid a third innings defeat after being subjected to back-toback innings defeats by India.

Extras: (lb-11, nb-1, w-1) 13 Total: (all out, 62.1 overs) 213 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-24, 3-70, 4-73, 5-106, 6-174, 7-183, 8-202, 9-205. Bowling: Boult 18-5-40-3, Southee 16-1-52-4, Wagner 13-2-47-0 (nb-1, w-1), Sodhi 15.1-2-63-2 WEST INDIES 2nd innings Kirk Edwards lbw b Sodhi 59 Kieran Powell c Southee b Boult 14 Darren Bravo not out 72 Marlon Samuels not out 17 Extras: (lb-2, b-4) 6 Total: (for 2 wickets, 49 overs) 168 Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-135 Bowling: Southee 10-0-36-0, Boult 9-2-26-1, Wagner 9-1-35-0, Anderson 6-1-8-0, Sodhi 13-1-51-1, Redmond 2-1-6-0.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

de Kock bludgeons ton as S. Africa overwhelm India in first ODI

(REUTERS) - A swashbuckling century at better than a run-a-ball from Quinton de Kock helped South Africa to a massive 141-run victory over India in the first one-day international played at The Wanderers yesterday. de Kock’s career-best 135 was scored off 121 balls and included 18 fours and three sixes as he helped catapult the Proteas to 358 for four in their 50 overs after being sent in to bat by India. South Africa were playing in a pink kit in support of a cancer charity, but looked red hot in the field as they restricted the tourists to 217 all out in 41 overs on a lively track perfectly suited to their allpace attack. Left-handed 20-year-old de Kock and Hashim Amla (65) put on 152 for the first wicket for South Africa at a decent run-rate before the innings exploded into life in the final 15 overs, wherein AB de Villiers

plundered 77 from 47 balls, including four sixes, and JP Duminy got an unbeaten 59 from 29 balls, the pair adding 105 in 46 balls for the fourth wicket as they dispatched the bowling to all parts. India slipped to 65 for four in their reply as their innings stuttered along, not helped by the run-outs of Rohit Sharma, who took 43 balls to score his 18, and Suresh Raina (14). Dale Steyn (three for 25 in eight overs) was ferocious in his opening spell, but it was Ryan McLaren (three for 49) who put India on the back foot when he picked up Virat Kohli (31) and Yuvraj Singh (0) within three deliveries. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni provided some late innings entertainment with a fine 65 from 71 balls, but the wickets continued to tumble around him and when he was bowled by Steyn to leave India nine down, their faint hopes evaporated. The second of three one-day internationals will be played in Durban on Sunday.

Quinton de Kock pulls away to the leg side.

MCYS and NSC host successful Day of Interaction in Kwakwani THE MINISTRY of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS), in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC) last Sunday organised a highly successful Day of Interaction at Kwakwani, with the participating communities being Ituni, Hururu, Landernville, Aroaima and Kwakwani. A t h l e t e s a n d o ff i c i a l s turned out in their large numbers at the Worrell’s Park and competed in softball (male and female), football and dominoes. Present at the opening ceremony were Mrs Maylene Stephens the Deputy Regional Executive Officer, D. Bremner, A. Forsythe and Mr Rozario, who all made brief remarks pertaining to the aims of the games and encouraged the athletes to participate keenly and competitively. Forsythe represented Director of Sport within the NSC

Neil Kumar, who was unavoidably absent and declared the day’s activities open. The fans and supporters alike were treated to a day of exciting, competitive and rewarding day of sports as the athletes performed at their best in the various disciplines. The results are listed below: Softball Cricket (female) Kwakwani met Aroaima in the semifinal. Kwakwani scored 49 for 6 from 10 overs, as the multitalented athlete, Ann Gordon, led the way with an unbeaten 27. Angie Grimmond of Aroaima took 3 for 7, before she returned to hit an unbeaten 20 as her team completed an easy victory, scoring 50 runs from 6 overs. In the final, Aroaima made 84 for 4 wickets with top scores of 26 from M. Fredericks and 21 from T. Hartman to which Ituni responded with 61 for 7 from 10 overs. S. Benjamin scored

26 for Ituni, while R. Williams 2 for 5 and M. Fredericks 2 for 12 were the successful bowlers for the Aroaima. Softball Cricket (male) 2 teams participated in the competition and in a keenly contested match, Ituni batting first made 35 for 9 from 10 overs as J. Archer 3 for 15, C. Simeon 2 for 1 and T. Garraway 2 for 16 destroyed their batting before Kwakwani in reply, stormed their way to 36 for 5 from 5.3 overs. The football contest was won by Kwakwani, who got the better of Ituni 1-0 and in dominoes, three teams namely Kwakwani, Ituni and Backstreet Boys contested the final, which was won by Ituni who chalked up 86 games, to Kwakwani’s 83 games and Backstreet Boys’ 76. All the winners and runners-up were presented with trophies for their outstanding performances, while sports gear and equipment

were donated to communities and clubs to assist in the continuity and development of sports in the region. Words of appreciation

were extended to Mr A. Gobin and his team, management of Rusal, the participating communities, officials, athletes, regional officials,

supporters and fans and all other stakeholders who contributed towards the success of such a rewarding Day of Interaction.

CPL appoints a new chairman KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) - Leading sports administrator, Richard Bevan, has been elected new Chairman of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), officials have disclosed. Bevan, who has over 20 years experience working with elite level sports, is to assume the position with immediate effect. He is the current Chief Executive of the League Managers Association (LMA) in the UK, having previously held the role of CEO at the English Professional Cricketers Association (PCA). “I am delighted that Richard has taken on the role of Chairman of the CPL board. Richard has huge experience in the business of sport and a track record in leading

RICHARD BEVAN organisations through significant growth and expansion,” said Damien O’ Donohoe,

CEO of The CPL. “His knowledge of international sports administration, especially in cricket, will be of huge value to The CPL as we look to build on the successes of our first year. The CPL is very honoured to have him lead the team.” Bevan was the founding director of the Federation of International Cricketers Associations and remains a trustee of the Team England Players’ Partnership. CPL held its inaugural season over the summer, hosting more than 250 000 fans across six countries and even drawing investment from Hollywood stars like Gerard Butler and Mark Wahlberg and the league says plans were under way for the second edition

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Shabazz supports K&S/ E’bo 101 for 3 Chico Schools Tourney against Demerara GCB/GT&T/HAND-IN-HAND 4-DAY

ONCE AGAIN, former Technical Director of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Jamal Shabazz, who was the main presenter at the recently concluded Coaches seminar for the 24 schools taking part in the Kashif and Shangai/Chico Inter-Secondary School football extravaganza, has shown his support in a different way. Shabazz donated a quantity of game balls for the tournament and after his presentation a few weeks ago with the coaches, they requested assistance for acquiring bibs, which were handed over to Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major at the Jean Pierre Complex in Trinidad. In making the presentation to Major, Shabazz threw out the challenge to the rest of the coaches to seek his assistance and guidance,

promising to garner even more support for next year’s K&S/Chico Tournament, with the blessings of Allah.

In addition to the support he has given both technical and material, Shabazz and two scouts will be at the tour-

Former Technical Director of the Guyana Football Federation Jamal Shabazz (right) assists Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major in displaying one of the bibs while the remaining bibs and balls are in front of them.

nament looking at the current talent with the possibility of top players doing stints later in the Trinidad and Tobago League. Major thanked Shabazz for his continued support to the development of Guyana’s football and has promised that the 24 Schools taking part in this year’s tournament will be the pillar on which Guyana’s football will stand. Meanwhile, the organisers have released the fixtures of the tournament, which kicks off on December 8 at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground with a double header, following the opening proceedings. The opening matches show Wisburg Secondary clashing with East Ruimveldt Secondary from 16:00hrs, and Ann’s Grove facing Christ Church at 18:00hrs

Kumar calls on WICB to make genuine effort to solve Guyana’s cricket issue By Calvin Roberts DIRECTOR of Sport within the National Sports Commission (NSC) Neil Kumar last Tuesday night called on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to make a genuine effort to resolve the little controversy that is plaguing the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). Kumar was at the time, delivering brief remarks at the GCB’s Annual Awards ceremony which was held in the upper pavilion of the Georgetown Cricket Club and saw in attendance, two former presidents of the GCB, Chetram Singh and Ramsay Ali, and four directors of the WICB - Baldath Mohabir, Anand Sanasie, Clifford Reis and Anand Kalladeen - among other specially invited guests. “I recall, when Chetram Singh took over the GCB over two decades ago, they were at that time, in the red to the tune of G$4M and he was able to bring together a team of people who gave the game a good shot in the arm and at the same time brought the sport alive,” said Kumar. Kumar reminded his audience which also included Retired Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard, of Guyana’s rich crickCLIVE LLOYD eting history which saw the country produce the first two World Cups’ winning captain Clive Lloyd. “We have a very rich history where cricket is concerned. I heard about the magazine the GCB intends to publish and this is great as young players will have an opportunity to read about their fellow countrymen achievements in the sport. The first time the West Indies won a Test match was under the captaincy of a Guyanese in M.P Fernandes and thereafter, the most successful captain in West Indies cricket, in our very own Clive Lloyd, who went on to win the first two World Cup tournaments,” said Kumar. He added, “After that, we did not stay there as we produced three consecutive captains for the West Indies team in Lloyd, Rohan Kanhai and Alvin Kallicharran, while we produced three other captains in Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, so West Indies cricket owes Guyana.

“I recall when Roy Fredericks would tell us that the West Indies team looks forward to Guyana to produce the top order batsmen in the team and we need to look at the history our cricketers placed there for us and at this stage when we are having our problems, all of us must knock our heads together and try to resolve it as mature people, let’s see how we can get there.’ Kumar reminded his audience about the togetherness shown by the people, during Guyana’s preparation for the 2007 ICC World Cup. “I think all of us would be proud to know that we have one of the best cricket stadia in the Caribbean. When we were preparing for the 2007 World Cup, Chetram would tell you how many problems and issues we had. “People never thought we would have worked it out to host the matches, but today the Brian Lara Stadium is not finished, there is no light at Sabina Park and we can say that we have a proud, proud stadia and I feel that the merger of GCC and GFC should be discussed at length.” He added, “As Clive Lloyd said, it should have occurred more than 25 years ago and I don’t think we should allow GCC to become a ‘White Elephant’. As I walked up the stairs this afternoon, I always go and look at the records which are indeed motivating … we feel different.” SCHOOL CRICKET According to Kumar, over 147 schools were competing in cricket in Guyana sometime back and he wished to see the game being revived in the schools, even as he welcomed the GCB’s plan to have same implemented sometime next year. “I remember when we had 147 schools playing the game in the NSC/GCB Inter-Schools competition and we should resuscitate this tournament as quickly as possible. It is true that we have more cricket grounds in this country than the entire Caribbean put together and nobody can deny that. “We also had more people playing cricket and to this effect, we need to see more cricket at Under-15, U-17 and U-19 levels, but more importantly we need better administration of our cricket and that is why I want to appeal to the GCB to resuscitate the game in the schools,” said Kumar. He challenged both Reis and Mahabir, describing the former as a man of substance and quality, taking into consideration he is heading one of the largest beverage manufacturing companies in the Caribbean, to get the problem with Guyana’s cricket solved as quickly as possible, while asking the GCB to make 2014 the Year of Recovery for Guyana’s cricket, even as he congratulated the awardees.

at Enmore … No play at Everest By Calvin Roberts

PERENNIAL whipping boys of local cricket Essequibo were 101 for 3 at the end of a rain-truncated first day of their Guyana Cricket Board-organised Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company in collaboration with Hand-in-Handsponsored four-day competition at the Enmore Community Centre ground yesterday. At the Everest Cricket Club ground, no play was possible in the match between former champions Berbice and the President’s XI, as the heavy early morning showers which drenched the city and parts of the East Coast of Demerara, left some areas of the outfield under water, with play expected to start today at 09:00hrs. At Enmore, where play managed to start at 14:30hrs, Essequibo won the toss and opted to take first strike against the defending champions who left out Randolph Knights and Totaram Bishun from their final 11, while Joseph Perry did the glovework behind the stumps in the absence of Derwin Christian. The Cinderella County openers Kevon Boodie 32 (4x4) and Royan Fredericks 29 (5x4) posted 56 for the first wicket, before Fredericks was caught by Christopher Barnwell at mid on off the bowling of Amir Khan (2-24). Boodie was next to go, bowled by Zaheer Mohammed (1 for 17) to leave Essequibo on 68 for 2, which became 96 for 3 following the departure of Ricardo Peters who picked out Paul Wintz off Khan, after contributing 13 to his team’s total. At the close of play, Dillon Heyliger and Kemo Paul were the unbeaten batsmen on 16 and 7 respectively and when play resumes this morning they will be looking to post a total that is challenging enough for the opposition, whose batting lineup includes former Guyana and West Indies skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan, to chase.

GSCL shifts final four and finals to DCC

THE semifinals and final of the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. (GSCL Inc)\ Digimax tournament are set for tomorrow and Sunday at the Demerara Cricket Club and Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) grounds respectively, and not the Everest Cricket Club as was previously published. Tomorrow’s action which gets under way at 10:00hrs at DCC will see Regal XI play Ogle in an Over-35 contest while at the same time Success Masters will face Savage in the same category at the GNIC ground. After the Over-35 contest at DCC, Regal will challenge Farm XI in an Open semifinal, followed by the other semifinal matchup between Wolf’s Warriors who will take on their nemesis Trophy Stall in the second semifinal, with all the finals taking place at DCC on Sunday from 10:00hrs. The winning teams in both categories will receive a trophy and $100 000 each, while the runners-up will collect a trophy and $50 000 apiece and the player-of-the-finals for both categories $5 000 each while there will be one exhibition game before the finals with Romain XI playing GSCL XI.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday December 6, 2013

Disciplined England hold Australia in Adelaide By Ian Ransom (REUTERS) - A disciplined England attack shrugged off the challenge of a bland Adelaide Oval wicket to limit Australia to 273-5 and leave the second Ashes Test delicately poised after the opening day yesterday. Trailing 1-0 in the fiveTest series, England could do little about the coin-toss, but will rue some poor fielding late in the day, with three dropped catches letting Australia off the hook. The third, a regulation chance spilled by two-Test opener Michael Carberry at backward point, spared Brad Haddin in the third-last over and the wicketkeeper survived to stumps on seven not out with Australia captain Michael Clarke on 48. “I think it’s a fairly even day,” spinner Graeme Swann, who took a sharp catch at backward square leg to remove George Bailey on 53, told reporters. “Having lost the toss at Adelaide you always fear the worst as a bowler but I think five wickets in a day is a pretty good return. Obviously six or seven would have been a lot better. We missed a couple of half-chances that we’ll rue but if we turn up in the morning and take a couple of quick wickets, it could all quickly be forgotten.” Blessed to bat first on a gentle Adelaide Oval wicket, Australia failed to cash in with four of their five batsmen throwing away their wickets after making promising starts. In the final hour’s play, Bailey was the third to score a half-century, his maiden in his second Test, but will regret flashing at a Stuart Broad delivery that ended up in a leaping Swann’s sure

hands. Like Chris Rogers (72) and Shane Watson (51) before him,

seen both Clarke and Bailey trudge back to the dressing room and expose Australia’s

Rogers was caught behind by Matt Prior for 72 off his Ashes nemesis Swann

England’s Stuart Broad (L) kicks the ball towards Australia’s George Bailey during the first day’s play in the second Ashes cricket Test at the Adelaide Oval the one-day specialist Bailey was on top of the England bowlers and had carted recalled spinner Monty Panesar for two sixes over his head and Broad for a third over the square boundary. The England selectors’ decision to pick a second spinner was validated as Swann and Panesar gleaned some encouraging turn from a flat deck that offered little for seamers Broad and James Anderson and skipper Alastair Cook may rue the loss of a second straight toss with the wicket likely to break up later in the match, however. DROPPED CATCHES He would certainly have bemoaned the dropped catches that would have

tail. Panesar spilled a kneehigh chance off his own bowling in the seventh over after lunch, granting Bailey a life on 10, while Clarke was dropped on 18, with a diving Joe Root unable to bring down a flick to mid-wicket from the Australian captain off Swann. England’s task could have been yet steeper, however, with Australia having cruised to 155-1 midway the second session before Watson maintained his habit of failing to convert starts by spooning a catch back to bowler Anderson. That ended a 121-run partnership with Rogers and sparked a collapse as Australia lost three wickets for 19 runs before stumbling to 174-4 at tea.

Raj Singh Insurance Brokers/Trophy Stall Over-40 T20

Bulls advance after rain hampers semifinals WEST Bank Demerara Mavericks were knocked out of the Demerara Cricket Board/Raj Singh Insurance Brokers/Trophy Stall Over-40 T20 competition, after their semifinal game against East Coast Demerara Bulls, which was set for the Lusignan Community Centre ground last Wednesday was rained out without a ball being bowled. The second semifinal is scheduled for today at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground,

Bourda between West Coast Demerara Seals and East Coast Demerara Tigers, with the winner going on to face the Bulls in the final, at date and venue to be announced. If the game is rained out, the Tigers will go through to the final by virtue of gaining more points from the preliminary round games, as was evident with the Bulls/Mavericks encounter.

the over after Watson’s departure and Panesar bowled all-rounder Steven Smith for six. The quick wickets breathed life into a meandering contest which started with three rain interruptions which cut an hour’s play in the morning at the re-developing stadium. Opener David Warner was also culpable for an unnecessary dismissal, giving up a simple catch to Carberry at point for 29 in the morning. “(The pitch) is hard to judge,” Rogers told reporters. “We probably expected at one st age 500- pl us ( as a par score) but t he way it started to play t ri cks and even spun t o ward the back end of the day, I think if we can get 4 0 0 t h e n w e ’l l b e r i g h t in the game and probabl y have enough runs t o creat e enough chances.” New Zealand-born

all-rounder Ben Stokes was handed his first Test cap by former England captain Andrew Strauss before the toss, and finished with 0-26 off his eight overs. Root has been moved up the order to replace Jonathan Trott at number three after the South Africa-born batsman left the tour this week to deal with a stress-related illness.

AUSTRALIA first innings C. Rogers c Prior b Swann 72 D. Warner c Carberry b Broad 29 S. Watson c & b Anderson 51 M. Clarke not out 48 S. Smith b Panesar 6 G. Bailey c Swann b Broad 53 B. Haddin not out 7 Extras: (b-5, nb-2) 7 Total: (for five wickets, off 91 overs) 273 Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-155, 3-155, 4-174, 5-257. Bowling (to date): Anderson 21-9-561 (nb-1), Broad 19-3-63-2, Swann 192-55-1, M. Panesar 24-4-68-1, Stokes 8-2-26-0 (nb-1). England: A. Cook, M. Carberry, J. Root, K. Pietersen, I. Bell, M. Prior, B. Stokes, S. Broad, G. Swann, J. Anderson, M. Panesar

Sport CHRONICLE

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

Shabazz supports K&S/Chico Schools Tourney

Page 38

Dependable West Indies lefthanded batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul is watched by New Zealand’s wicketkeeper Bruce Watling and skipper Ross Taylor, as he gathers runs on the leg side during his first innings’ 76. (Photo courtesy flickr.com/windiescricket)

Please see story on page 36

Kumar calls on WICB to make genuine effort to solve Guyana’s cricket seePlease story issue on page 38

Director of Sport Neil Kumar delivers his brief remarks at the Guyana Cricket Board Annual Awards Ceremony last Tuesday night. (Photo by Cullen Bess-Nelson).

Chronicle Sport’s Senior Sports Reporter Calvin Roberts accepts his plaque for his contribution to the development of cricket as a Journalist, from Demerara Cricket Board Administrator Melinda Bishundial. (Photo by Cullen Bess-Nelson)

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013