2015 4 7

GUYANA

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

NOMINATION DAY! No. 104151 TUESDAY APRIL 7, 2015 GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

PRICE: $80

INCLUDING VAT

Parties submit lists of Candidates at City Hall President Donald Ramotar

Ramotar to head PPP/C list of candidates – says candidates include ‘surprises’

APNU+AFC NOMINATION DAY rally set for today

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Other parties submitting lists today 12

David Granger

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Alfred Parks

Body of Cummings Lodge man found in Festival City

President mingles with thousands on Easter Monday

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– with bullet to head

President Donald Ramotar, and Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority Indranauth Haralsingh presenting a woman with a prize for winning in the Tourism Ministry’s Kite flying competition

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

President mingles with thousands on Easter Monday

– touched by unity displayed by Guyanese

President Donald Ramotar taking time out to for a photograph with a family at the Number 63 Beach annual Easter Monday kite flying event

THOUSANDS of Guya n e s e s t re t c h i n g f ro m Number 63 Village, Corentyne, Region 6, to Meten-Meer-Zorg on the West Coast of Demerara, Region 3, were given the opportunity to interact with President Donald Ramotar yesterday, as

he visited several hubs across the country which are used to facilitate the symbolic kite flying.

As part of his Easter Monday activities, the President started at the Number 63 Beach where he met with families who had gathered at the popu-

Head of State, Donald Ramotar interacting with persons at the Meten-Meer-Zorg seawall, West Coast Demerara

lar site to be a part of the celebration.

While mingling and catching up on the excitement at the beach, the President also took time out to take photographs with eager families.

President Ramotar also assisted in giving out prizes for the Ministry of Tourism’s Kite flying competition.

The Head of State then made his way to the Lusignan Golf Course on the

East Coast of Demerara, where he met with persons there who were also a part of the kite flying exercise.

After his brief stop at that location, the President made his way to the Joe Vieira Park on the West Bank of Demerara, where again he met and interacted with patrons at that location.

Persons who were gathered there were elated to see the President, as many of them opted to have their Turn to page 11 ►

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Ramotar to head PPP/C list of candidates – says candidates include ‘surprises’

FLASHBACK: The PPP/C procession making its way to City Hall on Nomination Day 2011

President Donald Ramotar

THE expectation is that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will pull a “big crowd” at today’s nomination day march to City Hall, from its headquarters, Freedom House, Robb Street.

And President Donald Ramotar disclosed that the PPP/C list of candidates will also feature a few “surprises” this time round.

Mr Ramotar, in an interview with the Guyana Chron-

icle yesterday, maintained that his Party’s list will be reflective of Guyana’s national diversity.

“The list of candidates will reflect our national diversity. We have new names on the list, many professional people, working people, and many youths,” he said.

According to him, a representative list has always been a focus for the PPP/C and Mr Ramotar pointed out that full representation has

always been a consideration for the PPP/C, as is reflected in the policies, programmes and legislative actions advanced by successive PPP/C Administrations.

The 65 members of the National Assembly, relative to representation in the House, will be decided on the basis of the outcome of the upcoming General and Regional Elections, and who those individuals are will be based on the names submitted, via the Lists of Candidates.

The President disclosed too that he will be heading the list.

The former PPP General Secretary, now the party’s presidential nominee, headed the List of Candidates in the November 2011 General and Regional Elections.

GECOM GUIDELINES Additionally, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has made public its guidelines for the composition of the necessary lists that need to be submitted, come April 7.

Contesting parties are permitted to submit three separate lists on Nomination Day. These Lists of Candidates are in respect of: Geographical Constituencies Lists; National Top-up Lists; and Regional Democratic Council Lists.

In accordance with the electoral system of Proportional Representation, in order to qualify for a seat in the National Assembly, contesting parties must contest a minimum of six (6) of the Geographical Constituenciestotalling at least 13 seats for eligibility to contest and submit Geographical Constituen-

cies lists and National Top-up Lists. This arrangement will provide for that qualified contesting party to submit on Nomination Day, two separate Lists of Candidates.

Any contesting political party can contest the election of members of any of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils. For this purpose, a List of Candidates must be submitted on Nomination Day REMINDER TO PARTIES Meanwhile, the Chief Election Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, over the weekend, reminded the various political party representatives that Nomination Day activities will commence promptly at 13:30 hrs.

Political parties wishing to present their respective lists of candidates must enter the compound of City Hall

through the western entrance on Avenue of the Republic.

The CEO stressed too that no more than 20 persons from each political party would be allowed to enter the City Hall compound and into the Chambers of the City Hall to present their respective lists of candidates to GECOM. Upon the completion of the presentation of their respective lists of candidates, political parties and their representatives will depart City Hall using the eastern door of the Chamber and exit the compound through the southern gate at Charlotte Street.

GECOM has committed to ensuring that all activities leading up to the May 11 General and Regional Elections, just over a month away, will be conducted in an efficient and transparent manner. (Vanessa Narine)

April Criminal Session C J grants 11 petitioners in Demerara to be bail amounting to $3.9M opened today A TRADITIONAL ceremonial parade will be held outside the Supreme Court, South Road, Georgetown this morning to mark the opening of the April Criminal Session in Demerara.

Sixty ranks of the Tactical Services

Unit which will accompany the parade will provide a Guard of Honour that will be inspected by one of the judges.

That judge will also take the salute during a march-past of the parade.

ACTING Chief Justice, Mr. Ian Chang has granted 11 petitioners bail amounting to $3,995,000, pending the hearing of their cases.

The offences, offenders and the amount of bail are: Possession of narcotics for the purpose of traffick-

ing: Mabi Jon Pimental De Souza - $250,000; Jessica Messias Pereria - $250, 000; Marcio Leandra Magelhes - $750,000; Kathlene Trotman - $225, 000; Matthew Rodrigues De Carvalho $300,000; and Terry De Freitas - $1, 200,000;

Trafficking in persons: Sheldon Brown - $300,000; Simple larceny, threatening behaviour, assault: Jason Burnette - $80,000; Errial Adams Greene - $600,000; Assault causing actual bodily harm: Sherwin Pratt - $40,000.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Kenya says it destroyed two al Shabaab camps in Somalia

Czech PM criticizes country’s president after U.S. diplomatic spat (Reuters) - THE Czech prime minister criticised the country’s president, Milos Zeman, on Monday for instigating a public spat with the U.S. ambassador, saying he wished the president was more professional in diplomatic affairs.

On Sunday, Zeman told a local news site he had “closed the door” of his official residence to U.S. Ambassador Andrew Schapiro following the envoy’s comments the president perceived as critical of his decision to attend a World War Two commemoration in Moscow in May. European Union leaders are boycotting the ceremony over what they say is Russia’s role in the conflict

in Ukraine but Zeman - who has frequently departed from the EU line and criticised sanctions against Moscow - has said he would attend.

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka made clear his view that it was crucial for the security of the former Soviet-bloc nation to remain in lock step with NATO and the EU. “I would of course welcome if Mr. President’s approach to foreign policy and diplomacy in general was somewhat more professional,” news agency CTK quoted Sobotka as saying.

The Czech presidency is largely a ceremonial role but Zeman - who was the first president directly elected when he took office in 2013

- has frequently drawn the ire of government leaders for his public comments on domestic and foreign affairs.

Sobotka said Zeman reacted disproportionately to the U.S. envoy’s comments.

Schapiro had told Czech television it would be “awkward” if Zeman attended the ceremony as the only statesmen from an EU country. He later said he had no intention of telling a foreign statesman where to travel.

“I understand the desire to honor all who sacrificed in World War Two, but I think it would be unfortunate for President Zeman to be there as perhaps the only EU head of state, watching a military parade, at a time when Russian troops are de-

stabilising a neighbor in violation of international law,” Schapiro said in a statement.

“I regret that President Zeman was offended by that; as someone who claims to value blunt talk, I would have expected him to appreciate my candor.”

Zeman, a former prime minister, has frequently departed from the common EU line on Ukraine and has criticised sanctions against Moscow. The government, which is responsible for foreign policy, however, has held the EU line fully.

Moscow has backed the rebels in eastern Ukraine but denies Western accusations that it provides them with money, arms and troops.

(Reuters) - THE Kenyan air force has destroyed two al Shabaab camps in Somalia, it said on Monday, in the first major military response since the Islamist group massacred students at a Kenyan university last week.

Al Shabaab denied the camps were hit, saying the air force bombs fell on farmland.

Gunmen from the al Qaeda-aligned group killed 148 people on Thursday when they stormed the Garissa University College campus, some 200 km (120 miles) from the Somali border.

Jets pounded the camps in the Gedo region on the other side of the frontier on Sunday, Kenya Defence Forces spokesman David Obonyo said. The mission was part of efforts to stop fighters from those camps carrying out cross-border raids into Kenya.

“Our aerial images show

that the camps were completely destroyed,” he said, though cloud cover made it difficult to estimate the death toll.

Al Shabaab has killed more than 400 people on Kenyan soil in the last two years, including 67 during a siege at Nairobi’s Westgate mall in 2013, piling political pressure on President Uhuru Kenyatta that intensified with last week’s killings.

Kenya has struggled to stop the flow of militants and weapons across its porous 700-km border with Somalia, and the violence has also damaged the economy by scaring away tourists and investors.

Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters that none of its camps were damaged in Sunday’s raid, and that the fighter jets had instead struck farmland.

Syrian insurgents kidnap then release 300 Kurds: Kurdish official (Reuters) - ISLAMIST insurgents have released 300 Kurdish men in the country’s north who were taken captive on Sunday, a Kurdish official said on Monday.

Nawaf Khalil, a spokesman for the Kurdish PYD party in Europe, told Reuters by phone that the “men were released by the Islamist militant groups who were holding them”.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, which tracks the

conflict from Britain, also said the Kurds had been released. However, it said around 200 had been held, taken at several checkpoints over the past two days.

Khalil and another Kurdish official reported earlier on Monday that the men were taken on Sunday evening.

Idris Nassan, an official in the Kobani canton, said they were kidnapped by al Qaeda’s official Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, as they were traveling from the town of Afrin, which is under Kurdish control,

to the cities of Aleppo and the capital Damascus.

“They left women and children but they kidnapped 300 men and young people,” he said.

“They captured them in Tuqad village, 20 km (12 miles) west of Aleppo and then they moved them to al-Dana town in Idlib province,” he said. The Nusra Front was part of an alliance of militant groups that captured Idlib city last month.

The Nusra Front has not claimed the

kidnapping. Syrian state media did not report the incident.

Kurdish militia and Islamist militants have fought territorial disputes in Syria during the four-year civil war. Some hardline Syrian Islamist militants consider Kurds heretics.

The Observatory also reported on Monday that insurgents from Jaish al-Mujahideen had traded 25 kidnapped women and children in exchange for one of their commanders.

Yemeni fighters attack Houthis as aid flights delayed (Reuters) - SOUTHERN Yemeni militias backed by warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition attacked Houthi fighters across several provinces in south Yemen on Monday, driving the Shi’ite rebel forces from some of their positions, witnesses and militia sources said.

The southern fighters’ gains came on the 12th day of an air campaign by Saudi Arabia and mainly Gulf Arab allies trying to stem advances by the Iran-allied Houthis, who

control the capital Sanaa and have advanced on the southern city of Aden.

The fighting has killed hundreds of people, cut off water and electricity supplies and led the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF to warn that Yemen is heading towards a humanitarian disaster.

Saudi Arabia, the main Sunni Arab power in the Gulf, launched the air campaign on March 26 to try to contain the Shi’ite Houthis and restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour

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Hadi, who has fled Aden for refuge in Riyadh.

The International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF plan to fly aid planes into Yemen on Tuesday, but the missions have been delayed as they seek clearance from Arab states waging the air strikes and hunt for planes prepared to fly to Yemen.

In Aden, Houthi forces gathered at the edge of the main port area on Monday but pulled out of two residential quarters on its fringes, residents told Reuters. Around 60

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people were killed in heavy fighting in the area on Sunday, they said.

Explosions shook Aden’s suburbs as residents reported a foreign warship shelling Houthi positions on the outskirts.

Military momentum is hard to judge in a disjointed conflict playing out across hundreds of miles of mountains, deserts and coastal positions, but in the southern provinces surrounding Aden the Houthis’ foes said they had made gains.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Mexico oil rig fire: Pemex searches for missing men MEXICO’S state-run energy firm Pemex says it is still searching for three workers who went missing after a fire at an offshore oil platform.

Four people were killed in Wednesday’s fire, the cause of which is unknown.

More than 300 workers had to be evacuated from the rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Daily production in the area fell from 650,000 barrels to 430,000 barrels, a company official said, losing Pemex close to $10m (£6.7m) a day.

Pemex’s director of exploration and production said it was difficult to restore production because of the large number of pipelines which had been affected.

The fire broke out at the Abkatun A-Permanente complex in the Campeche Sound.

One survivor described

More than 300 workers had to be evacuated from the Abkatun A-Permanente rig how workers had “jumped into the sea out of desperation and panic”.

It took eight firefighting boats to quell the blaze.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said there would be a thorough investi-

gation into what had caused the fire.

Pemex said that while the accident had caused some oil to run off into the sea, a “considerable oil spill” had been averted.

In 1979, a blowout at a

Pemex well in the Campeche Sound led to one of the worst oil spills in history, It took Pemex more than nine months to stop the leak, during which time the oil travelled as far as the Texas shoreline.

Stand firm!

(Jamaica Observer) – THE Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (JCHS) said it has noted an online letter to US President Barack Obama by various Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) groups in that country urging him to advocate for rights of local members of that community during his meeting with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Caricom Heads of Government this week.

In light of this, the JCHS said it is anticipating that the Government will uphold its reported commitment made at the Caricom Heads of Government meeting last July to seek the full and informed consent of the Jamaican people on such fundamental issues.

“We commend the Honourable Prime Minister for her recent bold stance in New York and urge her to maintain this position in her upcoming meetings,” the JCHS said, adding, “We urge her to continue defending the truth, that there are no reports of abuse by the Jamaican State against homosexuals, that MSMs have no impediments to access to health care, that Jamaica’s model for HIV/AIDS treatment is praised around the world.”

In a statement released to the media yesterday, chair-

…local group calls on Portia to maintain stance on buggery laws during meeting with Obama

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller man of JCHS Dr Wayne West said the coalition has also taken note of the recent US State Department’s appointment of its first-ever special envoy to advocate globally for the “sexual rights” of LGBT people. Jamaica and other Caricom nations, it said, have been named as countries to be targeted for the repeal of their buggery laws.

“The JCHS takes this opportunity to remind the Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica and other Government officials that LGBT ‘sexual rights’ and lifestyles are not supported by the majority of Jamaicans,” the JCHS said.

This, it noted, was made clear in last September’s Bill Johnson poll as well as with the presence of over 40,000 Jamaicans attending the combined Jamaica CAUSE rallies in Kingston and Montego Bay last June and No-

vember.

“Additionally, 140 organisations from 11 Caricom territories representing hundreds of thousands of Caribbean nationals rejected attempts to change our laws through the PANCAP Declaration (June 2014).”

“The Caricom Heads then agreed to defer discussions on this declaration pending further national consultation,” the JCHS noted. The coalition said it denounces violence against all people, be it children or “such self-described LGBT persons” and affirms the inherent dignity of every human being.

“We make a clear distinction between the discrimination against persons and discrimination against behaviours that are high risk for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs),” the group noted.

Nine murders since Holy Thursday

(Trinidad Guardian) – THE Easter weekend murder toll climbed to nine Sunday with the killing of 24-yearold Mikhail Dyer who was gunned down at his Enterprise Village, Chaguanas, home at around 3:00 pm. Police said two gunmen stormed into Dyer’s home and shot him several times in the head and upper body. He collapsed and died in his yard.

Head of the Central Division Snr Supt Johnny Abraham told the T&T Guardian the killing might have been an overspill from the ongoing warfare between the Rasta City and Muslim gangs. He said a cyclist armed with a pistol was held a short distance from the murder scene and is being questioned.

Shortly after that arrest, officers went to Bagaloo Trace where they seized three more firearms.

“I am sending a message to them, I am not scared of anybody and I am not going to tolerate that nonsense in central Trinidad, so from to-

day we are going to be hitting the ground hard against whoever has to get pulled in, has to get pulled in,” Abraham said. However, while the police are linking Dyer’s murder to gang activity, residents claim it stems from a recent robbery at the victim’s home.

They said last week Dyer was robbed but managed to hold one of the bandits who was severely beaten and had since then been threatening the father of three.

Relatives said Dyer was an ambitious man who had only on Holy Thursday obtained his heavy-T driver’s licence and was looking forward to being promoted from a labourer to driver at Kiss Baking Company. In an unrelated killing, police are awaiting the autopsy report to determine the cause of death for Junior Bernard Sanchez, 39, whose body was found at his home at Joseph Morantez Trace, Substation Road, San Raphael, on Saturday. Police said the body bore marks of violence.

Cuba says Obama’s steps to ease embargo ‘insufficient’ HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) – CUBA’S trade minister said Monday that US President Barack Obama’s moves to ease the five-decade embargo on the communist island are “incomplete and insufficient.”

With Obama heading toward a potentially historic meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro this week, Trade and Foreign Investment Minister Rodrigo Malmierca criticised the US leader’s limited steps toward easing the crippling trade and financial embargo the United States has maintained on Cuba since 1962.

After the old Cold War foes announced a historic rapprochement on December 17, Obama loosened several components of the embargo, allowing more travel from the United States to Cuba, raising the limit on cash remittances to the island and easing restrictions on certain kinds of trade, among other measures.

“The measures Obama ordered are incomplete and insufficient, and do not change the essence of this unilateral measure taken by the US government against Cuba,” Malmierca told state newspaper Granma.

He said the measures were a “step in the right direction” but did not go far enough toward ending the embargo.

Obama “has vast prerogatives -- far beyond the measures approved last January -- that he could use to make substantive steps toward normalising bilateral relations,” he said.

He called on Washington to allow

Cuban President Raul Castro (PHOTOS: AFP) Havana to use dollars for international transactions and clear the way for Cuban exports to the United States beyond the small quantities of rum and cigars that Obama allowed travellers to bring back from the island.

“Beyond traditional goods like rum and tobacco, there are others of excellent quality that can be included in this possible exchange, such as biotechnology products,” he said.

Obama and Castro will cross paths at the Summit of the Americas in Panama on Friday and Saturday, which could yield the first substantive meeting between US and Cuban leaders in half a century.

The two men shook hands briefly at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in South Africa in December, 2013.

To lift the full embargo, which Havana says has cost it $100 billion, Obama would need the blessing of the Republican-controlled Congress.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

EDITORIAL

GUYANA

Moses’ character cannot be equated with Harper’s

ANYONE who abuses children and disrespects women has no leadership qualities.

Moses Nagamootoo’s tirade against Elisabeth Harper comes as no surprise to those who heard him admit, in the National Assembly at that, to using abusive language to a tired little grandchild whose only offence was incessantly asking when they would reach a destination after a long drive.

‘Shet yuh so-and-so mouth’ Nagamootoo admitted to telling the child; and one can only imagine the tone he used and the actual words he used that he replaced, for propriety’s sake, with ‘so-and-so.’

Career diplomat Elisabeth Harper would be known by Moses Nagamootoo, who was once part of the PPP/C Government structure and would have become very familiar with the woman who was integral to many events where she officiated as representative of Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

He therefore should be aware that Harper is a very deserving prime

ministerial candidate because of her commitment to a work portfolio, her integrity as a person, her patriotism, and her years in a public domain where she never faltered in her duties; but instead worked always with a calm and pleasant demeanour.

His public persona, on the other hand, cannot bear scrutiny, for a multiplicity of reasons that space does not permit to elucidate herein; yet he dared to compare himself with her and derogate her credentials as a prime ministerial candidate of this country.

Apart from the fact that Nagamootoo’s personality and character cannot be equated in any shape and form with Elisabeth Harper’s, because the woman stands head and shoulders above him in every way that matters, he disdainfully repudiated her credentials as a worthy opponent.

The prime ministerial candidate of A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition on Sunday 29th March lambasted Mrs. Harper at a

rally held at Whim.

“Do you know me? Do you know who Elisabeth Harper is…

Well, this Harper lady says she wants to be Prime Minister because she was a victim of domestic violence.”

This horrible man has reduced, by his gross insensitivity and subversion of Mrs. Harper’s words – typical of Moses Nagamootoo, all the efforts of the myriad of people striving to empower abused women.

It takes great strength of will for a woman to stand on a public platform and confess her vulnerability by admitting to allowing the abuse of herself; and she has thus displayed with her courage more testicular fortitude than Nagamootoo has.

A country needs leaders who can empathise with the plight of its people, and abuse of women is a plague that is destroying families, communities and consequently entire societal constructs, because of the fallout of delinquent children and perpetuation of abusive situations by the children who have lived in that

environment.

Ms. Harper numbered several areas of particular interest that she will personally take interest in, apart from her mandated portfolios when (not if) she becomes Guyana’s next Prime Minister.

She has therefore, even from the inception, signalled the type of proactive prime minister she plans to become; while Moses Nagamootoo has once again underscored another glitch in his personality – that added to his being a self-admitted child abuser, he is also abusive of strong women, whom he has not qualms in degrading.

Nagamootoo is always attempting to portray himself as propagator of Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s legacy. Well, among Dr. Jagan’s legacy was a Janet

Jagan – first female President and Prime Minister of Guyana and the Women’s Progressive Organisation, and a powerful youth unit in the Progressive Youth Organisation. Dr. Jagan never abused women and children, but always facilitated their empowerment and upward mobility.

Conversely, the PNC, Nagamootoo’s current political allies, has a track record of abuse of its female and youthful members.

Only a weak man abuses women and children; so judge the calibre of of Nagamootoo against that of Elisabeth Harper’s. On this basis, one can answer Nagamootoo’s question at the coalition’s Whim rally: “Do you know me? Do you know who Elisabeth Harper is…?”

Bharrat’s boon to the people of Guyana--Black Bush Polder THE PPP’s Black Bush Polder project continues to be a boon for the people of the Corentyne and Guyana as a whole.

A few months ago, I went on an excursion to the Polders via the Adventure entrance. My first surprise was to discover that most of the residents remaining in the Polders have moved from the back streets closer to the public road because of the constant rains and migration of the young generation to the urban centres. The other surprise was that most of the other residents, older citizens, have moved back to their village of birth.

This was troubling to me because I was a frequent visitor to the Polders, having family, and class mates from the Polders. I tracked down some of my family members as well as friends to find out the reason for the exodus. I was pleasantly surprised when I was informed that the rice farmers had found a win, win situation.

The large rice producers offered to rent the lands from the farmers, thus giving them monthly cheques for their fifteen acre

parcels. The farmers, some of them women, but most of whom are of retirement age, were more than happy for the opportunity to rent the lands. They were also happy to sell their machineries as well. In addition to renting their lands, some of the farmers were offered employment by the entrepreneurial rice producers.

The more efficient use of the land by the expert producers has led to an increase in rice production and decrease in prices to local consumers.

With a wide variety of jobs, such as construction and GuySuCo, available to the citizenry, the farmers who left the Polders were immediately inducted into the work force. The more populated areas, with their more convenient facilities, such as stores and hospitals, have led to a better quality of life as well.

Renting the land provided the farmers with a better deal than what occurred to the Midwestern farmers of the USA who were force to sell their lands to giant corporations because of low prices for grains and at a

time when land prices were most depressed.

The ex-farmers have mentioned over and over to me their thanks to Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP for the bonanza the Polders have delivered to them.

The rent from the land is the major source of income for some of them.

Only a Bharrat could have envisioned a project like the Polders that would become an ATM 50 years after it was launched. No other project in the history of the land can boast continuous prosperity from the day it was opened to the current day and projected to be prosperous into the indefinite future.

This project wrote the book on human environmental sustainable development. Three generations have profited from Bharrat’s dream and many more will do so as well.

Let me be fair to the PNC and list their accomplishments in the Corentyne.

Firstly, Forbes fabricated two toll gates and employed approximately thirty people accompanied by armed personnel to seize food items and harrass Indians. The PNC’s second accomplishment was to fabricate

and install several arches that are still there. Moses (Nagga) can hang around on the arches so that we can take “selfies”.

Does Moses and the PNC/APNU-AFC have plans to reactivate the toll gates?

The AFC toll gate record in parliament preventing the extending of the Cheddi Jagan Airpot, the Amaila Hydropower Project and the Specialty Hospital demonstrates their hate for progress. Anything with ‘P’ in front of it reminds them of the PPP and they want to avoid it at all cost. This kind of anemic politics by PNC/APNU-AFC must be dealt with at the polls on May 11, 2015 The farmers’ question to the PNC/APNU-AFC, is if they have ever developed any project of this kind? Do they have any such project in mind that can compare to the Polder project?

Can Guyanese Grand Pa Moses tell the young (Indian) generation his visions, besides wanting to become a bride of the PNC/APNU?

GANESH PERSAUD

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Forward to the Past…

APNU/AFC Vision

DREAMS die hard for the Grangers of this world, and so it is for the Retired Brigadier. Granger swore of his membership of the PNC during his military career when competing with Carl Greenidge for the leadership of the PNC. Somehow he felt the membership in the PNC was not incompatible with his oath as an officer of the GDF. I guess it would be too hard now to ask the General Secretary of the PNC to confirm whether indeed Granger had been a member of the PNC while in the military.

That might be too uncomfortable with the Dr. Walter Rodney Commission of In-

quiry breathing down his neck.

But the Burnhamite policies he now advocates point to his intellectual mentor.

Like many Latin American Political Organisations, the APNU has increasingly become openly Military run.

Its leaders are formally Retired Military Officers and their Military minds are forever at work. Like Burnham, he, Granger craves power, but he has never acknowledged nor repented for his active support and participation in Burnhamite PNC Government excesses, and as he conducts his political campaign, Guyanese can see why his dream is to reintroduce these policies.

His dream is to succeed where Burnham failed. Like Burnham, he embraces the military. He would discipline Guyana starting with the youths and their return to National Service.

Like Burnham, his planned Government would have the commanding heights of the economy and the Private Sector will know its place.

He plans to nationalise the privately owned and run Berbice River Bridge Company. Like Burnham, he has led APNU to embrace the Burnhamite political credo ‘All or None: Control or Destroy’.

He has used APNU in the entire 10th

Parliament to delay, frustrate and prevent the development of Guyana. He was prepared to destroy Guyana’s gains if he could not get his way. Burnham held on to his policies and doomed Guyana. He died in office. It is a great pity that Granger’s dreams of Burnham policies did not die then too.

So today, Guyana is faced with an aged Burnhamite follower planning to plunge Guyana into the past, a past of failed policies, savage repression and loss of hope for the future.

Moses should say he is a proud Indian, not deny his ethnicity MUCH brouhaha has been made about a statement attributed to Prime Ministerial candidate Moses V. Nagamootoo that he was “not an Indian” during a speech he made on the campaign trail in Queens, New York, ever since the information was brought to our attention in a letter written by Dr. Baytoram Ramharack. While the PPP/C sought to capitalise on the statement, others, like Christopher Ram, David Hinds and Freddie Kissoo, have asserted that it is somehow unpatriotic for a person to claim to be an “Indian” in our multi-ethnic society. Ram, Hinds and Kissoon are guilty of conflating the issue of nationality (citizenship) with that of ethnic identity, and of wanting Moses to adopt a politically correct position, to wit, being “Guyanese”. This is understandable, given their political conviction and passionately anti-government posture. Perhaps Moses can clarify the issue with a response.

Some facts have gone unnoticed in the rush to defend Moses.

One, it appears that Moses, now part of a “multi-racial coalition”, by making such a statement, was appeasing his fellow African Guyanese. Listening to the speech on the internet, it is clear to me that Moses went to great lengths in his NY presentation to make it a point that he was not an “Indian tribalist”, because he shared so much in common with David Granger and African Guyanese. Instead, Moses should have made it clear that his presence within the coalition was designed to allay the fears of Indians.

He was certainly clear about the fact that the APNU will deliver 40% of the vote. In other words, he left himself open to criticism from the PPP: he is a turncoat who is dividing the votes on behalf of Granger and APNU. A rational Indian voter will ask, what is the basis for this statement if his argument now is that he will deliver “11% of the Indians” into the APNU camp.

Second, what makes Moses’ statements even more suspect is the fact that he dismissed what he termed as attacks against the PNC for “alleged rigged elections”. This is quite a stunning declaration, given his past experience. In describing an event that transpired during the 1985 elections, Dr. Odeen Ishmael, quoting

from international observers to show how the “election was crooked as barbed wire” wrote that “PNC gun-wielding thugs unleashed a violent attack on British journalist Anthony Jenkins and Dr. Jagan at Haslington, East Coast Demerara”. Dr. Jagan, Moses Nagamootoo and a bodyguard had gone there “to investigate why a polling agent had been ejected from the polling place and why a PPP supporter had been refused the right to vote”. Instead, as Dr. Ismael noted “a group of armed men then rushed into the building, attacked Dr. Jagan, and pushed him down the stairs. The British journalist who was standing on the roadside was then set upon and severely beaten by the thugs.” Maybe Moses has forgotten this event? He now evokes as a moral equivalent “PPP refusal to hold local elections” with “alleged PNC rigged elections”.

This position poses a dilemma for the AFC leader, namely that he is more interested in a marriage of convenience that will guarantee him a seat in power.

Third, his “I am not an Indian”statement creates a paradox, and a contradiction when measured against his previous political positions in our bifurcated state where ethnicity has so clearly defined who we are as a people.

Ethnicity (often confused with race) refers to identity with a group of people who share common cultural traditions of a particular homeland or hearth. The cultural traits displayed by an ethnic group are derived from particular historical experiences, practices and connections with other groups. One should not confuse the symbols of nationhood, nationality or citizenship with our rich cultural heritage, a heritage which the AFC in a recent statement noted “our diversity is our greatest strength.” We can deny or suppress our identity but we cannot choose to change it in the same way we can choose to speak a different language or practice a different religion. In the political sphere, ethnicity can act as a positive centripetal force (as in the case of English as a unifying language in Nigeria) or as a centrifugal force (as in the case of ethnic conflict leading to the balkanisation of the former Yugoslavia). In our bifurcated state, where primordial sentiments are often invoked, it is difficult to avoid this issue. Moses has

added to the confusion for some by insisting that while the APNU will bring a guaranteed “40%”(Africans) he can deliver the “11%” Indians to assure the APNU/AFC a victory at the polls.. Is Moses not now invoking his “Indianness” or the “ethnic identity” by which the 11% perceives him?

Finally, Moses has further added to the confusion. In a presentation Moses made in June 16, 1997 in NY commemorating the Enmore Martyrs at the Guyana Consulate, he clearly identified himself as an Indian, being one of the “unlettered people, barefooted workers”, much like the Enmore martyrs (Pooran, Surujballi, Rambarran, Harry and Lallagaghee). As far back as 1988, on the 150th Anniversary of Indian Immigration, Cheddi Jagan - in collaboration with Nagamootoo (“The Afro-Guyanese Experience”), complimented Dr. Walter Rodney for being a “Pan African”. But in the same year as Dr Jagan’s compliment to Rodney, the Marxist leader had also written: “It is short-sighted to see the “Caribbean man” only as a “Black man”, and Caribbean culture as African culture. Apart from the different countries of their origin, both our Black slave and Indian indenture ancestors watered the sugar cane with their blood. Through their struggles and sacrifices, they have made valuable contributions to our historical and social development.” In his writings, Moses clearly demonstrated knowledge of the following: discrimination of Blacks by Europeans in Guyana, Rastafari movement, Pan African Movement, Dr. Walter Rodney, Kwame Nkrumah, WEB Dubois, Paul Robeson and the Black Power movement in the Caribbean.

Moses should also know that his new friends in APNU have long gone past that complex - the complex of denying one’s ethnicity - especially David Granger, who, as a historian, has written analytically and proudly about the African experience in Guyana. Moses should say he is a proud Indian, not deny his ethnicity or hide it in his nationality in his quest for political office.

The irony is that he does not see the irony in his statement.

Vishnu Mahabir

Dr Roger Luncheon Head, Presidential Secretariat

From the frying pan AS Guyanese get ready to vote for a government, they should think clearly and examine their future.

In Antigua in 2004, the ALP had been in power for 28 years and the country had seen unbelievable development. The opposition launched a massive and glitzy campaign of change and people bought into it.

Change just for the sake of change.

A good tag line.

So in 2004, Antiguans voted for a change and had 10 years of hell. The country went backward 30 years.

Over 15,000 Guyanese lived in Antigua in 2004. Many of them had to run back home as unemployment and high, violent crime took over.

Let the Guyanese who lived in Antigua prior to 2004 and then had to run after the 2004 elections tell their story.

People will begin to understand that change for the sake of change makes no sense.

You know what you have. In spite of all the blockades set up by the Opposition in Parliament, you have seen development. And now this same Opposition is talking about implementing many of the projects they have blocked over the past 3 years.

Do not be fooled. The frying pan is better than the fire.

GUY TIGUAN.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

ELECTIONS FLASHBACK!!!

Chaos in the Capital IN Guyana, during February 1962, opposition political parties and the Trades Union Council (TUC) mounted street demonstrations against the Budget introduced by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government led by Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

These (demonstrations) culminated in riots, arson and looting on Friday, 16 February. At that time, Guyana (then known as British Guiana) was still a colony of Great Britain. Subsequently, on the request of the Government of Guyana, a Commission of Inquiry was appointed by the British Government to investigate the causes of the disturbances.

The February 1962 disturbances were part of a series of politically inspired activities which (were) continued in 1963

and 1964 (and were) aimed at destabilising the PPP Government, which was labelled as being “communist”. This was during the period of the Cold War, and US anti-communist trade unions and other organisations were overtly and covertly involved in providing financial and propaganda assistance to the TUC and the opposition political parties.

The United States Government itself was deeply involved in the effort to replace the PPP Government; and, at the highest level, it encouraged the British Government to change the electoral system, which eventually, in 1964, resulted in what it wanted.

The featured image captures the heart of Georgetown after a fire swept the shopping centre in February, 1962.

Special corruption investigation body to comprise part of PPP/C’s ‘Guyana 2.0’

By Vanessa Narine THE incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has committed itself to taking several measures that will up the ante in the fight against corruption.

These measures, representing continued efforts to fight corruption at all levels of Government and society, were among the major highlights in excerpts of ‘Guyana 2.0’, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) manifesto which was made public on Sunday.

“The PPP/C will continue the fight against corruption, and (will take measures) for strong standards of transparency and accountability,” the party assured.

Among these measures are: establishment of a Special Investigation of Corruption body with powers to investigate corruption and prosecute crimes of corruption; establishment of confidential complaints mechanisms to encourage people to report incidences of corruption; establishment of codes of conduct for public officials at all levels; strengthening laws and regulations with regard to bribery of public officers and officials; and support for and strengthening of the Human Rights Commission, Police Complaints Authority, Office of the Ombudsman, and the Integrity Commission.

Improved functioning of Parliament and the Judiciary, and appointment

of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) with the requisite Parliamentary support, whilst retaining Cabinet’s oversight role through its ‘no objection’ function, were also listed as other undertakings envisioned over the next five years of a PPP/C administration.

CONCRETE ACTION Additionally, a report compiled by the Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP), a premier academic institution that is a large, cross-national regional research project which undertakes surveys in the Americas and has over 30 years of experience, was released on December 3, 2014.

It addresses ‘The Political

Culture of Democracy in the Americas’, and speaks to the incidence of corruption in Guyana. That report finds, between actual incidences of corruption and mere perception of corruption, a huge gap measuring a whopping 84 per cent.

That 2014 Americas Barometer study is based on interviews with 49,738 respondents in over 20 countries. Nationally representative surveys of voting age adults were conducted in all major languages using faceto-face interviews in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Internet surveys were used in the United States and Canada. The sample size was over 1,500 Guyanese.

Other concrete action by the current administra-

tion has been viewed in a favourable light in sections of society.

Guyana signed the Inter-American Convention against Corruption in 1996, and ratified it in 2000. As recently as on June 16, 2011, Guyana has designated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as its central authority to deal with matters related to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption.

Under its obligation, Guyana has had its first review in 2006; its second in 2008, and its third in 2011.

In September 2011, when the third-round review of all the countries was completed, the committee decided that the fourth round would include visits to countries as well as a follow-up on

implementation of the recommendations that were made during the first-cycle review in 2006.

As it relates to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the areas addressed include prevention, criminalisation, international cooperation, and asset recovery.

Guyana signed on to that Convention in 2003, and ratified it in 2008. Guyana has also taken steps to address the issue of corruption.

By becoming party to the two anti-corruption conventions, the country has undertaken obligations and expectations for enactment of the standards and rules that are central to both conventions.

PPP/C declares its manifesto is about tangible goals, not glorious promises CRITICS of ‘Guyana 2.0’, the Peoples Progressive Party’s 2015 manifesto, were answered by the ruling party with one line: “(the party’s) main objective is not to give ‘glorious promises’ that cannot be realised, but to give society real ‘tangible goals’ which are already in the pipeline.”

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) made public excerpts of its manifesto -- the party’s vision

for the next five years -- last Sunday, and contends that its track record has been one “sprouting with real development” that is evidenced across Guyana.

The party said, “In the next five years, our Party-led Government and leaders will continue to foster positive, sustainable management practices. Our framework is predictable, with policy implementation flowing from a societal consensus for function, and desired outcome.

“As our Party seeks re-election, we should be judged by our fiscal development and infrastructural track record, which has transformed the lives of all our citizens.”

IDENTIFIABLE POLITICAL FORCE The incumbent party also described itself as a “political force that is clearly identifiable” through commitment to democracy, freedom, diversity, non-violence, gen-

der equality, and global sustainable development.

“The Party’s track record has been one sprouting with real development, of which the evidence is overwhelming across the ten regions. A casual comparison of Guyana today against two decades ago would realise that the positive transformation is not a dream, but a reality where every day something is being done to make the lives of Guyanese much better,” the party has said.

The party added that the challenges over the past three years have re-emphasised that only a majority PPP/C government can ensure, through its prudent management, a future where Guyana’s potential of becoming a developed country is realised, in the interest of all Guyanese.

The ruling party also made clear its commitment to inclusive and participatory governance: “The choice that you make on

May 11 will determine whether Guyana continues on its developmental path…. We urge all Guyanese to cast their ballots on May 11 for the PPP/C; and by so doing, allow for the growth and development momentum unleashed by this current Administration to continue its work of community development and restoration within our dear Guyana,” the PPP/C concluded. (Vanessa Narine)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Keeping promises

By Shaun Michael Samaroo

HOW could we ensure political parties keep their promises after elections?

Now we’ll hear all manner of promises, with political parties regaling us with their plans, programmes and projects in their quest for our votes.

This we must grasp and understand; that we the people hold this country in our hands today. Guyana is no longer the forte of politicians and misguided political opportunists. Guyanese today control Guyana, and we come together, empowered, joining hands and hearts, to vote for the Government and Parliament that we feel would make the difference for our nation as we propel ourselves to be a resounding 21st century society.

Today, our democracy hums and thrives with a pulsing aliveness. After two decades of free and fair elections, where our Government guards with care that sacred right of free and fair national and regional elections, we stand a democratic, noble people in the eyes of the world: we are a democracy, the people of our nation in charge of Guyana.

We must know the positives of who we are today: * We hold dear our fundamental right to free and fair elections, and it is grotesque that we still harbour among us some who seek power without respecting democracy, without denouncing the decades of rigged elections that crippled our socio-economic wellbeing, whereby we had to repair our nation over the past 23 years; * We see the vibrant aliveness of our democracy at play on the campaign trail, with political parties fully confident that the vote of the people decides our Government for the next five years. No one could possibly deny the democratic culture of Guyana today. We see it today in a healthy contest for Government; * The ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) maintains its strong participatory philosophy that won it elections in 1992, with its embrace of Civic society. The PPP is the only political force in this country that reaches out to the Guy-

anese Civic society to engage civic experts and technocrats in the work of Government; * In the Opposition, we see lots of talk of partnerships and alliances, but no concrete reaching across to Civic society. Nowhere in the proposed Government, in those luxury chairs of high offices, with three vice-presidents and a president and a prime minister, nowhere on such a bloated Government, do we see a Civic member of society. That’s disappointing, given the lofty promises inherent in the name of the party – A Partnership for National Unity – Alliance For Change. * It is the Opposition that triggered two dictatorial terminations of two legal, freely and fairly elected Governments in this country, one in 1998 when Janet Jagan was President, and the other now, in 2015, with the cutting short of this Government from its constitutional five-year term to a three-year term. Our national media, civic organisations and human rights advocates need to speak out against this dictatorial tendency of certain Opposition leaders, who would, without regard for free and fair elections, terminate governments of the Guyanese people at their whim and fancy, inconsiderate of free and fair elections.

People with such dictatorial mindsets and worldviews, blind to their own flaws, cannot lead us into being a secured, democratic 21st century nation.

When we look to the political parties as they promise us a magnificent utopia filled with our dreams and our aspirations and our desires, we want to inspect how their words line up with their actions.

President Donald Ramotar’s Government knows its strengths and its weaknesses, and the President reaches across

the society, and even internationally, to plug the leaks, seeking solutions to such debilitating handicaps as our severe skills crisis and brain drain.

These issues the Government grapples with today because by 1992 we had become a gutted, devastated society, and we cannot today ignore the fact that our body politic got crippled and that extensive systematic surgery had to be employed to bring us to where we are today, to repair our socio-economic devastation. We’re far from perfect, and we cannot ignore the reason why, that we are on the tail end of a massive recovery road.

Government works to correct deficiencies and malfunctions, but it takes time.

When the Opposition won the majority seats in Parliament in 2011, they promised a new culture of collaboration and cooperation. Instead, they reduced our nation to a daily rant of demoralised rows, filling the national media with ugly words, refusing to inspire us, to lift our spirits, to cooperate with President Ramotar to build our country.

Seeing President Ramotar’s weakened position as a Minority Government, and assuming his character was weak and frightened, the Opposition-controlled Parliament bullied and harassed the Govern-

ment at every turn. That’s simply not right, and our hearts go out to the President, a man of such humility and quiet love for his nation.

So who’s gonna keep their promises to us?

In two crucial areas the Opposition lacks credibility: in failing to honour its much-touted rhetoric of “partnership” and “alliance”, whereby it failed to include any Civic-minded Guyanese in its proposed top Government posts, thus becoming a political animal without a Civic component to keep it in check; and in its move twice in the past ten years to terminate freely and fairly elected Governments in this country, showing disdain and disregard for voters.

So, who’s going to keep their promises?

The ruling party embraces Civic society, and remains answerable to civic leaders who engage it with respect and professionalism, including the Private Sector Commission and the Trade Union movement. The ruling party also guards with its heart and soul and very life this idea that free and fair national and regional elections are sacred, entrenched, noble rights of the Guyanese citizen. In that conviction and belief, we see authenticity, a quality we could trust.

Defence and prosecution to address jury in ‘Plastic City’ murder trial tomorrow

By George Barclay THE Michael Powley murder trial which began in the January session is nearing an end.

When the session was about to be closed on Holy Thursday, Powley who had pleaded not guilty to killing Vish-

nauth Narine, called ‘Buddy’, maintained his innocence in an unsworn statement from the dock.

In his statement he told Justice James BovellDrakes and the jury that he and ‘Buddy’ had a scuffle after the man had attacked his wife.

According to Pow-

ley, the rain was falling on that day and the area a t P l a s t i c C i t y, Vr e e d en-Hoop was slushy and s l i p p e r y.

He recalled that he was on the ground after being attacked with bottles by Buddy who had cursed and assaulted his wife, when he saw two of Buddy’s friends run-

ning towards them with cutlasses.

The accused told the court, “I got up and run away, I did not chop Buddy, I do not know how he got chop.”

Defence counsel Mr. Basil Williams is appearing for the defence.

Prosecuting for the

State, lawyer Miss Natasha Backer, told the jury that the judge will direct them on the law while Mr. Williams will represent the interest of the accused.

The accused, she said, has nothing to prove and is innocent until proven otherwise.

Pointing out that it

is the duty of the State to prove the guilt of the accused, she added, “We must prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt which means that we m u s t p ro v e o u r c a s e to the extent that we feel sure that it was the accused who murdered Buddy.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

PPP/C commits to facilitating investments in oil and gas

A WELCOME feature of ‘Guyana 2.0’, the vision of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) for the next five years is the focus on facilitating investments in the oil and gas sector.

In the excerpt of the manifesto made public on Sunday, the party committed to: “The creation of jobs, increased income and greater wealth for our people will be driven by a balanced approach to ensure buoyant and sustained growth from both traditional economic sectors such as sustainable mining, forestry, sugar, rice and from new economic frontiers.”

The PPP/C committed to facilitating increased domestic and foreign direct investments in the area of oil and gas exploration and extraction, as well as in agro-processing and agro-business, environmental and climate services and tourism and hospitality.

“Such investments are made possible by a prudent and business-friendly macro-economic framework,” the document said, pointing to the eight consecutive years of economic growth and Guyana’s ability to withstand the crippling effects of the global financial crisis.

Additionally, President

Donald Ramotar, in February, dropped the proverbial bombshell when he announced that Guyana is to soon join the ranks of the oil and gas producing countries.

“We cannot stand still,” he said. “We can never be content with what we have, because standing still is to be left behind in a rapidly changing world. We have no choice but to go ahead,” he said then.

EXXONMOBIL Expectations of Guyana becoming a petroleum-producing nation are buoyed by the ongoing operations of ExxonMobil, which started last month.

The drill site is a deep water concession over 100 miles off the Guyana coast.

Exxon will undertake the activity under its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).

The area comprising 26,806 sq. km is known as the Stabroek Block and EEPGL intends to drill 1750 meters in 200-3000 meters deep water, Country Manager of (EEPGL), Mr. Jeff Simon said in a prior interview.

He said that the company has mobilised a special drill rig which will be on site next

ExxonMobill rig

month.

The rig in the form of a huge ship, the length of two football fields, is one hundred and fifty feet wide and will accommodate some 200 workers for the duration

of the drill.

Simon disclosed that the company was investing US$200 million in the venture and was hoping for a very big prize in return.

EEPGL opened a perma-

President mingles with...

nent office in Guyana at 99 New Market Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown, last November.

The investment was welcomed by President Ramotar during the opening

of the EEPGL local office.

ExxonMobil is the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company and has been in operation for the past 130 years. (Vanessa Narine)

From page 2

A very excited young woman at the Lusignan Golf Course making her way to greet President Donald Ramotar

President Donald Ramotar assisting a lad with hoisting his kite at the Number 63 Beach, Corentyne

photographs taken with the Head of State.

Shortly after that stop, the President then made his way to Meten-Meer-Zorg on the West Coast of Demerara, where he continued his interactive session with

President Ramotar said he was touched by the unity shown by the thousands who had gathered at every location he visited, noting that this year’s celebration was indeed special.

Given the fact it is on

happy kite flyers.

Meanwhile in summing up his Easter Day activities, the President said he relished the opportunity to have rubbed shoulders with so many Guyanese of all walks of life in one day.

Speaking from what he experienced at every visit, the Head of State said he got a firsthand look at why the United Nations had stated that Guyanese are some of the happiest people.

the eve of National and Regional Elections, President Ramotar said in keeping with the season, all Guyanese should look forward to a bright future.

He added that under his administration, Guy-

ana has achieved a lot, and it would be beneficial to all Guyanese for Guyana to keep soaring to higher heights with the aim of providing a better quality of life for citizens.

(GINA)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

APNU+AFC Body of Cummings Lodge man found nomination day in Festival City with rally set for today bullet to head

– Details on manifesto expected to be disclosed PARADE Ground will be the venue for the leadership and supporters of A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), which is expected to host a rally after it delivers its list of candidates to Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, at City Hall today.

Contesting parties are permitted to submit three separate lists on Nomination Day. These Lists of Candidates are in respect of: Geographical Constituencies Lists; National Top-up Lists; and Regional Democratic Council Lists.

In accordance with the electoral system of Proportional Representation, in order to qualify for a seat in the National Assembly, contesting parties must contest a minimum of six of the Geographical Constituencies- totaling at least 13 seats for eligibility to contest and submit Geograph-

ical Constituencies Lists and National Top-up Lists. This arrangement will provide for that qualified contesting party to submit on Nomination Day, two separate Lists of Candidates.

Any contesting political party can contest the election of members of any of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils. For this purpose, a List of Candidates must be submitted on Nomination Day. The representative of the APNU+AFC alliance Candidates List is expected to be Professor Harold Lutchman, a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Caribbean Court of Justice and also a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana.

The political Opposition is expected to have a large following that will converge at the Square of the Revolution and then proceed towards City Hall, Regent Street, with some amount of pomp, as is

the tradition on Nomination Day, before heading to Parade Ground.

Dubbed the ‘Nomination Day Rally’, things are expected to get underway by 5:00 pm.

APNU+AFC candidate, Christopher Jones, told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, that in addition to members of the leadership, the majority of the speakers at today’s rally will be taken from the Alliance’s youth component.

He added that a major feature of the rally will be disclosures of programmes and policies that will be included in the APNU+AFC manifesto.

“There should also be some details on the date for the release of the manifesto,” Jones said.

“Come out in your numbers and hear the Leaders of the APNU+AFC Coalition..... IT IS TIME,” the APNU+AFC alliance has urged. (Vanessa Narine)

Kaiteur News story on ‘murder of GGMC engineer’ is false, police say THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) in response to an article published in the Kaieteur News edition of April 5, 2015, under the caption “Ex-cops, ex-soldier paid to murder GGMC engineer” said the information peddled by the newspaper is false.

In the article it is alleged that police investigators have received information that a businessman with ties to the mining sector had recruited a former army intelligence rank and two ex-policemen to kill Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) engineer, Trevor Abrams,

who was shot and killed while driving a motor vehicle along the roadway at Diamond, EBD, on February 27, 2015.

The release added that it is claimed in the article that this information was provided to the police by one of two men who were arrested in a house at Diamond, EBD, recently, in which a firearm and ammunition were found.

The men have been charged and are at present on remand in the Georgetown Prisons.

However, GPF categorically refutes the allegation that its investigators have received such information

from either of the two men as the investigations continue.

Noting that this inaccurate information in the Kaieteur News has been attributed to “top police sources”, the Guyana Police Force wishes to remind media operatives that the authorised persons within the Police Force from whom information on criminal investigations can be sought are the Commissioner of Police, the Assistant Commissioner ‘Law Enforcement’, the Public Relations and Press Officer and the respective Divisional Commander, police said.

By Leroy Smith

QUINCY Bowman of 426 Eight Street, South Cummings Lodge was yesterday morning found dead with a suspected bullet wound to his head.

According to information reaching the Guyana Chronicle, the body was discovered on a bridge linking Festival City and Guyhoc Park at approximately 5:00 hrs yesterday.

Persons in the area told this publication that sometime after 04.00 hrs yesterday morning they heard what sounded like two gunshots

in the same area Bowman’s body was discovered.

Shortly after when someone was attempting to cross the bridge they discovered the body and raised an alarm.

When police investigators arrived on the scene they found that the man had in his possession his mobile phone and cash which caused them to rule out robbery as the primary motive for his murder.

A visit to the man’s Cummings Lodge residence found that no one was at home at the time. Persons in the area said that the man who resided for a period in French Guiana lives at the apartment build-

ing with two other persons.

They said that he was last seen leaving his home early Sunday evening but was not seen again. Other occupants of the six-room apartment building were not aware that the man was killed and only learnt of this when the Guyana Chronicle visited the community.

The Guyana Police Force had earlier issued a press statement about the shooting but had indicated that the identity of the man was unknown.

The police are continuing their investigations into the matter.

The other parties submitting lists today MARK Benschop’s Independent Party (IP); Vishnu Bandhu’s Guyana Republican Party (GRP); Marisa Nadir’s The United Force (TUF); Sappier Hussain’s National Independent Party (NIP); and Alfred Parks’ Healing the Nation Theocracy Party(HNTP) will all be heading to administrative building of the Capital.

Once there, and at the horse shoe table in City Hall, they will each present three separate lists to GECOM. These are the Geographical Constituencies Lists, the National Top-up Lists, and the Regional Democratic Council Lists.

Yesterday, these parties, like their big rivals, were apparently busy finalising preparations for the big day.

Many calls to them went unanswered, except the one to leader of Healing the Nation Theocracy Party, Allred Parks.

He accused the APNU+AFC Alliance of trying to play‘politricks’ with the Theocracy Party and attempting to “get we to lie

HNTP Leader Alfred Parks

down and roll over”.

“No way” this will happen, he said, declaring that the party will not be daunted, and is going it alone today.

He told his publication that his party will only be contesting for a Regional Democratic Council (RDC) seat in Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica), where it hopes to nibble away at the

APNU+AFC support base.

According to Parks, his 300-strong contingent today will include ‘Bald Heads’, some who are not bald, and plenty dreadlocks Rastas, all bedecked in ice, gold and green.

The Theocracy Party leader said his band will be a light in the City, but promises that there will be no smoke.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

QUESTIONS ON COST OF NEW MAGISTRATE’S COURT…

Nandlall rubbishes Harmon’s criticism as baseless QUESTIONS on value for money, relative to the recently commissioned No. 51 Magistrate’s Court, raised

by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) member, Joseph Harmon, were received by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, who had questions of his own.

“How do you question value for money without examining the facilities? As a member of the practicing bar, Mr Harmon ought not to jump to conclusions without examining the evidence,” Nandlall said.

He explained that the new courthouse is a modern facility that is fully air-conditioned, with a large magistrate’s chambers and restroom facilities, similar facilities for members of the public and separate accommodations for incarcerated individuals who are required to appear in court, as well as separate access driveways for

‘I understand the Opposition’s contention has always been that the public procurement process must be free from Governmental interference, well it is and that is what it had produced. Mr Harmon and the Opposition cannot on one hand demand an independent public procurement process and when that is done, still blame the Government when they perceive, not justify, an irregularity.’ - Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall

Anil Nandlall

Joseph Harmon

both the magistrate and other users of the court.

“It is unfortunate and wholly reckless for Mr Harmon to have made such outrageous statements, without attempting to see the facilities. If he had taken the opportunity to do so, he would have observed that the court is perhaps one of the best magistrate's courts in this country,” the Attorney

General said.

He underscored the fact that the construction of the new courthouse was the product of an independent, transparent and accountable public procurement process.

“It is a process that is manned by public servants and it is one in which the only role of Government is the offering of the no objection at the end of the process,”

Nandlall said.

No contracts are awarded

by Cabinet; rather contracts above the $15M mark are taken to Cabinet only for its no-objection. Contracts above the $5M mark must by law undergo a public procurement process under the supervision of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

“I understand the Opposition’s contention has always been that the public procurement process must be free from governmental interference, well it is and that is what it had produced. Mr Harmon and the Opposition cannot on one hand demand an independent public procurement process

and when that is done, still blame the Government when they perceive, not justify, an irregularity,” the Attorney General said.

Importantly, he highlighted that the commissioning of the new courthouse is a delivery on the Government’s commitment to ensure that the judiciary is adequately resourced.

“The point I want to make is that Mr Harmon, being a practising lawyer, ought to know more than most the need for greater allocation of resources to the judiciary. Indeed over the last seven years this Government has provided the necessary resources to rebuild or to repair every single courthouse across the

length and breadth of this country,” Nandlall said.

The Attorney General referred to several courthouses that were commissioned in the last few months, including the ones at Wales, West Bank Demerara, and Leonora, West Coast Demerara.

“We will continue to provide resources to continue our transformation of the judicial system to ensure that all of our citizens, wherever they may, have ready access to a competent, efficient and impartial judicial system,” he stressed.

The No. 51 Village Magistrate’s Court, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) was completed at a cost of $46M. (Vanessa Narine)

Mother and son suffer losses as fire sweps through Triumph home

These young men assisted in saving the building from total destruction by fire yesterday

A FAMILY of two escaped with their lives following a fire which is believed to be electrical in origin that swept through the lower flat of their two-storey dwelling house at Lot 6 Section ‘B’ Republic Drive, Triumph, East Coast Demerara.

Fire victim, Bernadette

Hinds told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that she had just left home for an errand nearby shortly after 09:00 hrs when she got a call saying her house was ablaze and she rushed there to see if it was true.

The woman stated that at the time no one was at home but the television and radio

were left on but there was no cooking.

Hinds said her son, Mikel Hinds, was not at home but neighbours and public-spirited citizens, who observed the fire, acted quickly and managed to take out some of the furniture and other household appliances from the lower flat of

The house where the fire consumed the interior of the lower flat

the house.

The mother of one added that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was summoned to the scene and contained the conflagration to the lower flat of the house. However, the flooring of the upper flat was badly damaged and most of the household articles are water-soaked.

Hinds told this publication the fire started in the lower flat of the building and quickly consumed most of the furniture and household appliances in the kitchen and living room.

She disclosed that yesterday was 15 years and one month to the day that her husband passed away and

although nothing much was saved she was grateful for life and at least the top flat of her house.

She was in loud praise of her neighbours and others who were at the scene and assisted her and her son yesterday, and some who stayed to offer their support. (Michel Outridge)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

NIS must show urgency in disposing of backlog – Finance Minister FINANCE Minister, Dr Ashni Singh has called on the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to put its shoulder to the wheel and dispose of the huge backlog of contributors with the greatest of urgency.

The matter is currently before the NIS Board, Dr Singh noted, and he is aware of the frequent lament of contributors, many of whom say NIS could not locate all their contributions.

In recent years, many of the complainants have been retired workers in the sugar industry.

Many have said they worked with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for more than 15 years, and would have made more than the mandatory 755 contributions to qualify for full pension.

Retired sugar worker Lakesh Persaud, who hails from Port Mourant, Region 6, had told one section of the media that he worked with GuySuCo for more than 15

years.

But, he said, the NIS branch in New Amsterdam said it has no record on him, even though he produced a pay slip.

Persaud is one of hundreds of workers, not only in the sugar industry, with similar complaints. Given the consistency of the complaints, Region Six Chairman David Armogan said he has set up a special desk at his office to handle these matters.

The Regional Chairman’s intervention has brought some relief to the retired workers, though not all of them.

The Chairman said he tries his best, but emphasised that the scheme has to get its house in order, since even a minor error takes a ridiculously long time to be rectified.

IMPORTANT OBLIGATION Dr Singh said NIS has an important obligation in posting all contributions received

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

to contributors’ record.

“Everybody’s statement should be up-to-date and should include all of their contributions,” he said, noting that if the records are not processed in a timely manner, issues will arise.

“Employers come and go, businesses come and go, an employer might exist for 10 years and then they close up operations… a man who has been working for 35 years, chances are, he was working with a company, someone

who started the scheme in 1969, chances are the employer that he was working with in 1969, does not exist any longer, you cannot find the employer or you cannot find the employer’s records.

In those days systems were not computerised and so it is a nightmarish task to resolve this matter.”

The Finance Minister said too that on more than one occasion, he was approached by members of the public who complained about miss-

ing claims.

He urged the Scheme to spare no effort in fixing this problem.

This situation, he said, is disheartening, and where deductions were made from workers’ contributions and paid over to NIS, the contributors are legitimately entitled to concomitant benefits.

EMPLOYERS PAYING CONTRIBUTIONS In October last year, NIS was criticised in

various sections of the media following reports that only 6,100, out of 27,000 employers, were paying contributions to the Scheme on behalf of their employees.

The NIS main office is in Brickdam, Georgetown, but the Scheme has 13 branches at strat e g i c l o c a t i o n s a c ro s s Guyana, providing social security to more than 45,000 pensioners.

Many self-employed persons do not pay NIS –Dr Singh cautions: “You don’t think you need it until you actually need it”

By Tajeram Mohabir A LT H O U G H s e l f - e m ployed persons -- most of whom are entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized businesses -- generate a lot of income and wealth, not many of them contribute to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

Over the years, change in the structure of the economy has allowed for significant growth of these operations, as well as new and emerging enterprises; but the growth in self-employed persons has not been concomitant with growth in contributors to the NIS, a situation which Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said is not good enough.

“I believe that this is reflective of under-participation in the scheme, and I don’t believe that there is any doubt or pretense that there is a significant number of self-employed

persons who are not participating in the scheme,” he said.

The law requires participation in the NIS, but this aside, Dr Singh said, insurance is a peculiar thing.

“You don’t think you need it until you actually need it. You might happily go along with your life and think, ‘well, I don’t need insurance’, but then suddenly a calamitous situation falls upon you -- a medical emergency perhaps -- and indeed, you reach the age of retirement and you discover that you do not work as much as you used to work when you were of employable age…; and suddenly you say ‘hold on a second, who will look after me?

How will I live?’

“Well, the law told you a long time ago that you should be setting aside a few dollars, and the NIS rates are not phenomenal or unaffordable to anybody

in Guyana today,” Dr Singh declared.

Underscoring the need for self-employed persons to contribute to the NIS, the Minister said one should not wait until a medical emergency arises to realise the importance of being a contributor to the Scheme.

LEGAL OBLIGATION “There is a legal obligation to participate, but it is in your interest to participate to become eligible for medical benefits and a retirement pension. Those things will not happen automatically, you are expected to participate and contribute to the scheme,” he said.

Guyana, he said, is a very unique country, and is probably among a tiny number of nations the world over where a person, once they reached the appropriate age, could potentially qualify, not for one, but three pensions.

The average Guyanese worker would probably qualify for a post-employment pension at his/her place of employment if the company, whether a private or public sector agency, participates in a pension scheme.

A case in point is the Guyana Public Service Union, which pays a pension to various categories of public servant contributors, including teachers and nurses, when they retire.

An NIS contributor gets an NIS pension when he/ she retires and would have made the requisite number of contributions. And without making a single contribution, in the case where he/she attains the age of 65, he/she automatically qualifies for Old Age Pension.

Dr Singh explained that whether a person is employed or self-employed, once that person has been contributing to the scheme,

he/she automatically qualifies for NIS benefits.

The law provides for it, he said, noting that Old Age Pension was never intended to be the sole source of income for some in old age.

“Contributing to the NIS might appear as a sacrifice today, because you have to pay a small contribution every month; but you would recognise the value of that sacrifice once you have a medical situation that requires medical insurance, which the NIS provides, and once you achieve pensionable age and become eligible for an NIS pension,” Dr Singh said.

He also called on management of the scheme to escalate public awareness about the value of NIS, so that the masses become fully aware of the immense value of contributing to it (NIS), and to avail themselves of the many benefits.”

It is estimated that some 650,000 employed persons are registered with NIS, but only about 117,000 are active members.

For self-employed persons, the number is more than 29,000 persons, but just around 8500 are active, remitting contributions to the Scheme.

Dr Singh said the task of ensuring a stronger NIS is not only the work of Government; those who benefit and are expected to benefit have a key role to play.

He commended employers who remit their employees’ contributions to the Scheme, and he urged those delinquent ones to change their bad habit.

The Minister explained that delinquents do not only break the law, but they deny their employees valuable contributions in the event they are met with an unfortunate incident.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Thousands celebrate Easter in traditional way

By Ravin Singh

THOUSANDS of Guyanese yesterday celebrated Easter Monday in the traditional way, flying kites in the wide open spaces along coastal Guyana.

The key spot in the capital, Georgetown, which has over the years attracted the multitudes, is the National Park on Carifesta Avenue.

This year was no different as thousands of people converged there to spend time with their families and of

course to raise their kites.

As early as 2:00 pm, the sky above the National Park had been transformed into a kaleidoscope as persons used every possible space to add another kite to the thousands already dancing in the skies.

Kites in all colours, sizes and shapes were in the air, as gleeful children held onto their balls of twine yesterday at the National Park. Several children took time to speak to the Guyana Chronicle, expressing their satisfaction at the event; and they seemed

This parent was just ‘chilling’ on the cooler, enjoying the scene

The older folks enjoy a quiet time in the National Park, looking on at the activities

to be having a good time.

From children raising their own kites to parents helping them, the atmosphere facilitated displays of affection and togetherness which parents were obviously eager to express to their children.

It was evident that much preparation was invested in the day’s activities, seeing the large tables lined with trays of food and snacks and large coolers with beverages of all sorts.

Vehicles, bordering the

road along the National Park, were not only used to store food but acted as stereo systems, blaring music for those who couldn’t resist a Soca rhythm or a hot chutney tune.

The traditional practice of some families taking their hammocks there to rest during the day was not neglected. Those who didn’t have hammocks rested under trees, lying on blankets, their stomachs satiated with good food and copious drinks.

The day appeared to be a

fun-filled one for all those in attendance.

In the afternoon there was a small turnout at the seawall which has been considered the “top spot” by many who use the venue to raise their kites because of the ocean breeze sweeping the shores of Guyana. However hundreds of persons were expected to venture there during the late afternoon and evening.

There were families however, who had already constructed tents along the

seawalls with the intention of marking their picnic territory for the day.

Speaking with a young lad who seemed disgruntled because his kite wouldn’t go up, he said, “I ain’t happy right now. I been trying long to put up my kite man and it hard cause breeze barely blowing. But it gonna pick up just now.”

His kite finally got the boost it needed and lifted slowly into the skies. A now happy youth shouted, “It’s finally up”.

Turn to centre ►

Tough luck! But these two were still determined to fix their kite and raise it

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

“Is wey me kite deh boy?� A young lad looks on as his kite vanishes among the thousands while his family enjoys their picnic

This happy family knows what it is to spend time together during the holidays

This beauty in her straw hat was happy to strike a pose for us!

This adorable youngster was sure to win an award with that outfit and smile

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Easter action on the Westside HUNDREDS enjoyed a fun-filled Easter Monday at Joe Vieira Park, West Bank Demerara, as they engaged in kite flying and picnic activities with friends and family members in an atmosphere

dominated by bonhomie.

The park was filled to near capacity with people from all walks of life, some of whom relaxed in hammocks suspended from trees, whilst others either had tables and chairs to uti-

lise, or spread blankets on the ground. A wide variety of appealing foods were displayed, just waiting to be devoured.

Vehicles also were filled with drinks and food as families gathered at the

location to participate in the Easter festivities and enjoy each other’s company as well.

There were several barbeque stalls, drink bars, and large music systems blaring popular songs.

The children had a grand time engaging in kite flying under the supervision of their parents and others.

The atmosphere was one of celebration in a very crowded park, where people found their spots and set

A section of the picnickers at Joe Vieira Park

These children are about to fly their kites yesterday at Viva-La-Force, West Bank Demerara

Family picnic and lime

Family picnic and lime

up tent, while others took shade under large trees.

Airborne kites in all designs, colours, sizes and shapes created a splendid kaleidoscope in the clear, sunny Westside sky. (Michel Outridge)

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Private farmers critical to GuySuCo’s turnaround

– refineries offering premium as inducement - CEO THERE is much hue and cry over many of the woes facing the sugar industry and according to Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuYSuCo), Raj Singh, the success of the sugar industry is linked in part to the coming on stream of more private cane farmers.

Singh was speaking during a recent media engagement when he was asked about the current fortunes of the industry as it relates to cane supply.

He noted that the Skeldon Sugar Factory was commissioned with the intention of a third of all the

cane required for the facility coming from private cane farmers.

PARTNERING WITH FARMERS This has been working well, he said, pointing to an attempt at expansion at the Blairmount Estate through partnerships with private cane farmers.

“We believe strongly in partnering with farmers in this country across the industry,” said Singh.

Speaking about additional incentives for venturing into private cane farming, the GuySuCo CEO noted that the refineries which pur-

chase the sugar, pays a premium to encourage farmers to get into sugar production.

“We see them as critical partners and we will continue to work with then,” he added.

The comments by Singh were made at a time when Guyanese from all walks of life are engrossed in the elections campaign.

The incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) over the weekend released snippets of its 2015 Manifesto, Guyana Version 2.0, and included a promise to invest some $20B in the industry once re-elected to office.

Brazilian businessman shot dead in Arau robbery A BRAZILIAN businessman was shot and killed on Saturday during an armed rob-

bery at his place of business at Arau Landing, Wenamu River.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Wednesday, April 8, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Thursday, April 9, 2015 - 08:30 hrs

He has been identified as Antonio De Sena, 59, who was killed by a gunman, who entered his business and held him up at gunpoint at about 20:00 hrs.

When the robber demanded gold and cash, De Sena resisted and was shot to his chest by the perpetrator who took away a sum of cash and escaped.

Investigations are in progress.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident at about 14:00 hrs on Saturday, the police conducted a search on a mining camp at Arau Landing, Wenamu River, during which an unlicensed Smith and Wesson .45 semi-automatic pistol and an unlicensed Smith and Wesson .38 revolver along with three rounds were found.

Four men were arrested and are in police custody assisting with the investigations.

In another incident, a search was mounted following a two-boat collision in the Pomeroon River for the body of Kelton Benjamin, who is missing and feared drowned.

Police reported that at about 19:00 hrs on Sunday two boats collided in the Pomeroon River, Essequibo, in the vicinity of Charity, and Kelton Benjamin, 2, of Coffee Grove, Essequibo Coast, is missing and feared drowned.

The central themes of ‘Guyana 2.0’ include: Economic Growth: Jobs, Income & Wealth Creation; Transformative Infrastructure; Enhancing the Well-Being of Our People; Fighting Crimes & Protecting Our People; Fair Governance; and Guyana in a Modern World.

The preview of the PPP/C manifesto details a vast number of policies and measures centred on these themes and the supportive initiatives include: ● Supporting the sugar sector with a minimum investment of G$20B for the continued viability of the industry;

● The implementation of measures to improve financial intermediation and expand opportunities for ‘development type’ finance; ● Enacting legislation to liberalise the telecommunication sector and reduce the cost of voice and data services; Establishing a National Rice Price Support System for farmers to ensure that payments are made within the legally required time frame and to assure the viability of the industry and wellbeing of our rice farmers; ● Creating a special development fund for Regions 2, 6 and 10 patterned, after

the Amerindian Community Development Plan to encourage jobs and wealth creation activities; ● Establishing ICT parks and infrastructure across the country; and ● Enacting the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Terrorism Legislation, among others.

Under ‘Transformative Infrastructure’, the flagship projects for the incumbent including the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, remain on the cards, with other additions that include the Linden/Lethem/Brazil Road Corridor and a Deep Water Harbour.

Relatives insist child killed by minibus was doing curb drill RELATIVES of four-yearold Jadon Andrews, who died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) moments after being struck down by a route 45 minibus last Saturday on Water Street, Georgetown, are insisting that Jadon was no stranger to the traffic, and that he was exercising the curb drill when struck down by the bus.

This, they say, contradicts the driver’s story about how the child was struck down. Their contention was also verified by footage on Giftland’s security camera.

“My brother was going back home; and as soon as he stepped out of Giftland yard, he looked left, and, before being able to look right, the bus came with a speed and knocked him

down,” his elder sister told the Guyana Chronicle.

She said the kids would normally practise the drills which are taught them or shown on television by the National Road Safety Council.

Jadon, who had been a corner away from home playing with other boys, had been moved to compassion when a two-year-old began crying because he had no kite. Jadon had called on the child’s mother to give him money to buy the kite, but an older brother of the child took the money and went to Giftland Officemax to make the purchase.

Unknown to the lad, Jadon had made his way to the store, and was about to return home when the vehicle struck him down as he was doing the curb drill. His mother, who was

at the N & S Mattai store when she received the horrifying news, hastened to the hospital, where she met Jadon being given oxygen.

Reports are that Jadon had suffered fractured ribs and possibly a perforated lung.

Although experiencing severe pain, Jadon had pleaded with his mother not to go and leave him in hospital. She promised not to, and held his hand, at which point he breathed his last.

A visit to her home on Sunday found Jadon’s mother, Onicka Charles, still tearful and suffering severe headaches associated with her grief.

A post-mortem is to be performed on Jadon’s body on Wednesday.

The driver of the minibus was up to Sunday afternoon still in police custody. (Shirley Thomas)

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Cook eyeing hundred as England dominate tour game BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Captain Alistair Cook coasted to the brink of a hundred as England made an enterprising

start to their tour of the Caribbean by dominating a St Kitts Invitational XI on the opening day of their first two-day game here yesterday.

At the close at Warner Park, the tourists were 181 for one in their first innings in reply to St Kitts’ paltry 59 all out, with the left-handed Cook unbeaten on 95 while Jonathan Trott scored 72, the pair adding 158 for the first wicket before being separated.

Cook has so far faced 188 deliveries in just over four hours at the crease and counted ten fours and a six while the right-handed Trott struck nine fours off 149 balls, in a knock consuming 3-3/4 hours.

The pair carried England to 65 without loss at the tea interval before controlling the final session, spending precious time at the crease ahead of next week’s first Test against West Indies, before off-spinner Steve Liburd got the only wicket when he had Trott caught at short leg

by Ross Powell.

Gary Balance, unbeaten on nine, joined Cook to see England safely to the close without further loss, after their seamers had earlier crippled the St Kitts Invitational innings, after the hosts won the toss and opted to bat.

Ben Stokes led with 3 for 10 while Stuart Broad (2-16) and the Barbados-born Chris Jordan (2-19) finished with two wickets piece.

St. Kitts Invitational XI wicketkeeper Jason Peters looks on as England’s opener and skipper Alistair Cook cuts this delivery during his unbeaten innings yesterday.

(Photo courtesy WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks LaTouche Photography)

England’s Ben Stokes (left) and Chris Jordan celebrates taking another wicket against St. Kitts Invitational XI on the opening day of their two day game yesterday.

(Photo credit: © WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks LaTouche Photography) Jason Peters, batting at then fell to a catch at slip by Cook number seven, top scored with off Stokes for six with the score 22 while openers Shane Jef- on 27. fers (11) and Sherwin Peters Two balls later in the same (10), were the only other two over, Jeffers was taken at point batsmen to make it into double by Balance and when Liburd figures. was snared at slip by Cook off They added 18 before James Stokes, St Kitts had slumped Anderson removed Peters in the to 32 for four, from which they morning’s ninth over and Powell never recovered.

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Evans, Dunwoody, Titus sparkle as records tumble WILDEY, Barbados (CMC) – Bahamian Joanna Evans broke two long-standing records and Barbadian Nkosi Dunwoody reset another en route to two gold medals, as both countries dominated day two of the 30th CARIFTA Swimming Championships here last Sunday.

Barbados’ medal quest was helped by the outstanding Danielle Titus who picked up three gold medals in the girls 11-12 age category while the Bahamas were further boosted by their capture of two of the 400 metres medley relays.

Both teams finished day two with eight gold medals, but the headlines belonged to Evans, though, as she took control of the girls 1517 category for the second straight year, following her exploits in Aruba during the last CARIFTA Games

there.

She claimed the 200 metres freestyle, clocking two minutes and three seconds, to touch the wall well ahead of Barbadian Hannah Gill who was timed at 2:09.81, with Jamaica’s Michelle Dols third in 2:10.92.

Evans’ new time eclipsed Olympian Janelle Atkinson’s 15-year-old record of 2:03.72, and the victory was in her second straight in the event after also winning last year.

She wrote her name in the record books for a second time dismissing her challengers in the 400 Individual Medley to win in a time of 4:59.25 and the time erased the old mark of five minutes flat set by Evans’ compatriot McKayla Lightbourn back in 2008 in Aruba.

Teammate Albury Higgs finished second in 5:07.81 with Rebecca

Maduro of Aruba claiming bronze in 5:22.89.

Dunwoody, meanwhile, streaked to victory in the boys 11-12 400 IM in a record time of 5:08.18, to make up for last year’s disappointment when he finished down the field, his time breaking fellow Barbadian Luis Sebastian Weekes’ two-year-old mark of 5:09.20.

Guadeloupe’s Lucca Batrin claimed silver in 5:14.99 and Trinidadian Aqeel Joseph, bronze in 5:26.07.

Dunwoody also won the 200m freestyle – an event dominated by Barbados – clocking 2:11.47 to finish ahead of the US Virgin Islands’ Ky Odlum in 2:12.89, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Lleyton Martin who was timed at 2:14.38.

Barbados won four of the 200m freestyle events, with Titus picking

up one of her gold medals here when she clocked 2:18.63 to beat Trinidadian Jahmia Harley (2:19.31) into second and Cayman Islands’ Holly Stradling (2:19.97) into third.

Titus added to her tally the 100m backstroke in a time of 1:09.60 and also picked up the 400m IM in 5:37.51, as Barbados completed a one-two with Ashley Weekes second in 5:40.92.

Barbados laid claim to another record in the 13-14 400m medley relay when the team of Jack Kirby, Jumar Walrond, Luis Sebastien Weeks and Damon St Prix, broke the three-year-old mark of 4:12.25 with a new time of 4:11.48.

Not to be left out, Aruba also rewrote the record books in the girls 13-14 400m medley relay, posting a time of 4:38.35 to erase another three-year-old mark of 4:40.03.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Kevin Pietersen retains England comeback dream ENGLAND’S attempt to move on from their woeful World Cup began in St Kitts yesterday, but on home shores Kevin Pietersen is still refusing to accept his place in the past.

England take on a St Kitts & Nevis XI in Basseterre, the first in a pair of gentle warm-ups before the West Indies Test series, with batsman Gary Ballance calling on the side to draw a line under their dismal efforts in the 50-over showpiece.

That fixture should present a comeback for Jonathan Trott at opener, but he will be the only South Africa-born 30-something returning for action - at least for the time being.

Pietersen still harbours hopes of joining him in time for this summer’s Ashes, spurred on by an apparent olive branch from incoming England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Colin Graves, but his talent for falling out with influential figures reared its head again on Sunday.

Pietersen took exception to a radio interview by Graham Gooch - England’s record Test run-scorer and a recent batting coach - and took to Twitter to unleash his response.

Gooch had told BBC Radio Five Live England needed to win in the Caribbean to silence calls for Pietersen’s return, but elsewhere he was largely supportive of the 34-year-old, even claiming he had “wiped the floor” with his former employers in the PR stakes.

Pietersen nevertheless argued his own hopes of a recall

Kevin Pietersen were no less fanciful than Gooch’s reintegration after leading the 1982 rebel tour to Apartheid-era South Africa. ‘’Graham Gooch - you captained a rebel tour of SA, got

banned & then returned to the England team. I don’t think I’ve done anything as bad!’’ posted Pietersen.

“He shouldn’t be commenting with his history! If anything, he should be saying there is always a way back!!!”

Pietersen had earlier told his 2.3 million followers he was considering using the new Periscope broadcast app to live-stream his first net session of the season later today.

He is back with Surrey having cancelled his Indian Premier League contract and hopes to score heavily enough to force the selectors into reconciliation.

He tweeted: “Starting to bat tomorrow ... might @ periscopeco it, so all of you can watch it Live & see how I get on. Should I? #comeback’’ Ballance, meanwhile, argued that the West Indian trip offers a chance to leave a troubled winter of white ball cricket behind. ‘’It’s been tough but you have to move on,’’ he said. ‘’What’s gone is gone; you have to move on and get better from it. We’re obviously disappointed with how it went but you can’t really dwell on it too much. It’s a change of format now and we won our last three Tests so you have to take those positives into this series. We have to look at last summer and produce the same kind of cricket in this series.’’

England could use 12 players in the warm-up fixture, deferring a decision on their preferred side until the first Test in Antigua.

Holding sees hard times for Windies MICHAEL HOLDING has written off West Indies’ hopes in the Test series against England as cricket in the Caribbean enters one of its most critical stages off the field.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is likely to discover in the coming months whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will pursue a £28 million compensation claim for their abandoned tour last October.

With reports the BCCI is also weighing up whether to pull out of their scheduled tour of the Caribbean next year the WICB which last month announced a £1 million loss for the previous 12 months - faces the prospect of two major financial blows that could result in bankruptcy.

The predicament is a culmination of a dysfunctional relationship between the board and players, who initiated the embarrassing India tour walk-out following a protracted payment dispute also involving the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA).

The fall-out has now not only left the WICB waiting nervously under the BCCI’s legal high ground, but also without most of

their star names for the three Tests against England.

Eight potential first-choice players will instead play on the other side of the world - in the cashrich Indian Premier League - which effectively represents the divide in West Indies cricket.

“Cricket in the Caribbean is in desperate trouble,” Holding told Press Association Sport.

“The board are muddling from one fiasco to another and now we have the Indian fiasco hanging over their heads. It’s not surprising that the players have no respect for their employers and as a result they are showing them no commitment.

“Against England, with so many players out of the team, they do not have a ghost of a chance.

That’s the honest truth.”

West Indies have always been hardest hit by IPL absentees - due to a clash with their domestic season - but Holding believes the WICB must be held accountable for failing to promote hope the tide might be turned.

Most recently all-rounder Dwayne Bravo retired from Tests after he was removed as ODI skipper, and omitted from the World Cup squad, after he was in charge during events in India last autumn.

Michael Holding Holding believes the 31-yearold was “victimised” despite claims from chairman of selectors, and revered former skipper Clive Lloyd the board had no axe to grind with Bravo, who will instead play for the Chennai Super Kings this month.

“What makes things worse is when the president and the chairman of selectors comes out and tries to tell the public they have selected a team purely on merit,” Holding said.

“They either take people for fools or they are fools. One of the two. They have lost all credibility.

I don’t know why they all just don’t step down. They obviously won’t because they have their own private agendas but they have lost all credibility with the people.”

Holding’s hope for change at the top appears unlikely in the short term after WICB president Dave Cameron was last month re-elected for a second term, until 2017, after staving off a challenge from 58Test paceman Joel Garner.

Cameron has his detractors following his handling of the India tour pull-out while during the World Cup he re-tweeted a fan’s claim that Chris Gayle should be given a “retirement package”.

Gayle made a double-century in his next game.

The Jamaican nonetheless retains the faith of his peers; he beat Garner 8-4 in a vote, and has overseen the newly-expanded Professional Cricket League, while the appointment of Phil Simmons as coach last month has been met with near-universal approval after his success during eight years in charge of Ireland.

Closer links have also been forged with WIPA - the legal cost of their previous disagreements

has cost WICB almost £3.4M - but it is distance with the players that remains the gravest concern.

Repairing that bond was one of the key objective when WICB implemented a five-year plan in 2011, but which has clearly failed to deliver on that objective.

The fear in the Caribbean is that divide is creating a generation of cricketers who view playing for West Indies as a stepping stone to lucrative Twenty20 deals.

“The young cricketers are happy to play for the West Indies because they know they will not make a name for themselves without playing for the West Indies,” Holding said.

“As soon as they make a name for themselves, and some Twenty20 franchise comes along, they are gone.

“The West Indies needs a structure to promote young players to get to first-class cricket before worrying about how much they should pay them. They must get to that stage being better cricketers rather than better paid cricketers.

At the moment the administrators are looking at it from the top rather than the bottom. Until that changes West Indian cricket faces a long wait to change.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

2015 Pepsi Indian Premier League

IPL giants seek to end title drought

By Arun Venugopal

(CRICINFO) - After a strong start that included six wins on the trot, Super Kings’ form tapered off towards the end of the league phase, but was still good enough to take them to the second qualifier, where they lost a runathon to Kings XI Punjab R Ashwin’s stated ambition of Chennai Super Kings becoming the IPL’s Manchester United is the sort of chest-thumping theme, fan boys and brand managers swear by. Such comparisons are, however, little more than a gimmicky twist given the relatively recent origins of the tournament itself.

Still, it can’t be ignored that Super Kings have been the gold standard for teams in the IPL. They have made the last four in each of the last seven seasons, including four straight final appearances and two titles.

Given the Super Kings’ success rate, three consecutive years without an IPL title is deemed an underachievement, but even as their supporters twitch nervously, Super Kings are

unlikely to panic.

The team’s accomplishments have come on the strength of sameness, and despite the inevitable shuffling, they have managed to keep their core intact, investing mainly in must-haves at the auction.

Michael Hussey, who played for Mumbai Indians last year, is back, even as captain MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ashwin remain the team’s constants, while another familiar figure is coach Stephen Fleming, whose cricket brain is only one of his many strengths in the set-up.

Apart from rigorously implementing his pet phrase ‘consistency of selection’, he has also been Super Kings’ trusted stone-waller at media interactions. His man-management methods - ranging from prankish bonding exercises to crisp team meetings - have kept the unit in a happy place.

On the field, what hurt Super Kings the most in 2014 was the runs bled by their seamers. Their three frontline bowlers were hit around for more than eight an over.

McCullum was the third-highest scorer for Super Kings last year with 405 runs at an average of 31.15, but with a surprisingly middling strike-rate of 121.62.

Super Kings will also do well to remember that his dropping down to number four in the knockout games yielded poor returns.

New Zealand’s Kyle Abbott bellows an appeal for lbw, during his country’s matchup against Pakistan in the recently concluded 2015 ICC World Cup. Seam-bowling has been their longstanding weak spot, and they tried to remedy it at the auction, acquiring Kyle Abbott, Irfan Pathan and Andrew Tye, who Aaron Finch called the find of last season’s Big Bash League, after offloading Ben Hilfenhaus and James Hastings.

With Mohit Sharma, Matt Henry, Ashish Nehra, Ishwar Pandey and Dwayne

Bravo already in the squad, it would appear this flank has more beef now.

The batting department doesn’t lend itself to much change, but Hussey’s arrival will likely see him open with Brendon McCullum, while Dwayne Smith, Super Kings’ highest-scorer last year, will remain an option as well.

BIG PLAYERS

Super Kings have a big complement of star names to call on, with Dhoni and Raina, who haven’t yet missed a single IPL fixture, leading the way.

But this year’s big draw has to be Brendon McCullum, after his smashmouth striking - 328 runs at a strike-rate of 188.50 - and leadership brought New Zealand within a match of the World Cup title.

BARGAIN BUY With every ball Kyle Abbott bowled in this year’s World Cup - he picked up nine wickets in the four matches as replacement for the injured Vernon Philander - the Super Kings management must have been progressively thrilled and at Rs30 lakh (US$50 000), Abbott was shopped for a steal.

Abbott is tall, pacy and is capable of swinging the ball. It helps that he is tidy - at 4.19, he was South Africa’s most economical bowler in the tournament, but McCullum will miss the last stretch of the tournament with New Zealand touring England in May.

Explosive Kings XI aim to go one better

By Devashish Fuloria

(CRICINFO) - Runnersup in the 2014 tournament, Kings XI Punjab had one hand on the trophy after scoring 199 in the final, but the grip slipped once they failed to control Manish Pandey.

Kings XI Punjab underwent such a positively radical change in the 2014 season - not only in assembling an enviable lineup of overseas cricketers purpose-built for T20 cricket, but also in extracting the best out of their local talent - it was no surprise that, apart from minor tinkering, they did not touch the squad ahead of the new season.

So from a batting that was explosive right through the tournament last year they had the best run-rate for any team across IPLs - more entertainment is in order.

George Bailey, the captain who did not get to spend much time in the middle last season, scored 257 runs at a strike

rate of 135.26, fairly good numbers in their own right.

But consider this: five batsmen scored more than he and all at a higher strike rate, with Glenn Maxwell - 552 runs at a strike rate of 187.75 - leading the pack which included three Indians in Virender Sehwag, expectedly, along with two surprises in Manan Vohra and Wriddhiman Saha.

That batting order has been further beefed up by the addition of M. Vijay who despite not having played a lot of limited-overs cricket recently, has a reputation that has been enhanced internationally after a fruitful year in Tests, and he will provide the solidity Kings XI sought from Cheteshwar Pujara last year, minus the drag.

Kings XI have retained the core of their bowling too, with only L Balaji missing from last year’s squad. Shardul Thakur watched from the sidelines last season as Axar Patel, Sandeep Sharma and Rishi Dhawan achieved considerable success and were among the wickets.

Up, up and away: Australia’s Glenn Maxwell hoists the ball over the on side, during his country’s 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup encounter against Sri Lanka. (Photo by Getty Images) After a fantastic Ranji during the 2014 auction, had season, in which he finished been behind designing an as the joint highest wicket- almost-perfect squad while taker, Thakur, too, can hope to others spent millions of rupees be in the starting XI of a TRP- chasing big names. grabbing team.

At the end of the season, Last season, it was a case Bailey appreciated Bangar’s of everyone coming together role by saying, “Everything in perfect sync to make a you see and like about Kings perfect multi-punch combo XI starts with Sanjay Bangar.” and the credit for that went This season, more than to the man behind the scenes. entertainment, what the Sanjay Bangar, a quiet face Bangar-led team management at the Kings XI team table would want is a perfect finish.

BIG PLAYERS Last season, Glenn Maxwell personified how Kings XI played their cricket - unhindered, unbridled aggression - and a year since then, as his 53-ball 102 against Sri Lanka in the World Cup showed, there is no sign of a change in style.

He complained about losing momentum after being rested in the latter half of last season, but the crowds will be expecting him to smash the ball into the stands every single game this time.

Mitchell Johnson may not have been menacing last season nor was he the side’s leading wicket-taker but there was no questioning the fact that he was their leader.

With an experienced Johnson to advise them on the field, Sandeep and Dhawan, without express pace, managed to snare 31 batsmen between them, while Johnson had an average World Cup until he ramped up in the knockouts and was the leading wicket-

taker in the final, which bodes well for Kings XI.

BARGAIN BUY Kings XI entered this year’s auction with only a minor requirement - a replacement for Cheteshwar Pujara - and they found a solid batsman in Murali Vijay for Rs 3 crores.

Vijay was a good buy, but check this out: the team bought Yogesh Golwalkar, a 35-year-old leg-spinner, for Rs 10 lakh and what Pravin Tambe has shown is that one doesn’t need major cricket league pedigree to succeed in the IPL. Golwalkar may sound like Kings XI’s Tambe-like pick, but the bowler has a solid first-class experience, with 45 games and 21 List A matches. In his eightyear career that ended in 2008, he played most of his cricket for Madhya Pradesh but was also called up by county side Middlesex as a replacement for Stuart Clark.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

‘Double-wrist’ Deosarran emerges champion in Sanjay’s Jewellery Golf tournament VETERAN Deosarran ‘Double-Wrist’ Sookram, who placed second in the 0-9 handicap category in last year’s Sanjay’s Jewellery Classic which was played in October, emerged a clear winner in last Sunday’s exciting Sanjay’s Jewellery Golf tournament at the Lusignan Golf Course.

Another veteran player Kalyan Tiwari, who placed third and had the Best Net and Nearest to the Pin in last October’s tournament, did better this time to place second to Deosarran.

The other winners from last year’s October and March, Sanjay’s-sponsored tournaments were not able to keep up with the performance of the players this year, as third place saw a new winner in ‘Pandit

From left to right, LGC president David Mohamad (left), B. Harry, Kalyan Tiwari, winner Deosarran Sookram, the brother of Sanjay Persaud, Pandit Ravi Persaud and Sanjay Persaud.

Ravi’ Persaud.

Chief Executive Officer of Sanjay’s Jewellery, Sanjay Persaud, whose business motto is ‘Creating Memories, One Piece at a Time’, expressed his continued willingness to

support golf in Guyana and this time he even brought his brother along, who assisted with the distribution of prizes.

At the end of the day’s play, the winners and their handicaps and net scores were as

follows: 1st Best Net, as well as Best Gross, Deosarran - 6/64; 2nd Kalyan 19/65; 3rd Rabindindranath ‘Pandit Ravi’ Persaud - 25/66. Nearest to The Pin was won by B. Harry.

Narine, the invisible

By Nagraj Gollapudi in Kolkata CRICINFO) - KOLKATA Knight Riders’ match winner, equipped with an altered action, gets back to work quietly at the Eden Gardens.

Pink shoes, pink glares, the Mohawk. Sunil Narine stands out from the rest of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad even from a distance, yet not many, including the media, are paying attention to the West Indies offspinner.

It is three in the afternoon. Peak summer heat soaring at about 38 degrees centigrade along with Kolkata’s extreme humidity levels. It is unbearable. A fan, sitting behind the nets where Narine is bowling, collapses and has an epileptic fit, forcing Knight Riders physiotherapist Andrew Leipus to rush to the spot.

Amid all this chaos, Narine remains unflustered.

It is only his second day at training having endured a difficult last week. Forced by the BCCI

diktat, he had to travel to the ICC-accredited centre in Chennai to get his action retested despite having got a clearance from the testing centre at University of Loughborough in March.

Although Narine got an all-clear from BCCI’s subcommittee dealing with suspect actions, the Knight Riders management fears that mentally it might have had an impact on him on the eve of the tournament.

That pressure will not cease till sometime at least considering the BCCI has instructed the umpires to take tough stance against bowlers with suspect actions.

But in the nets, with no umpires observing him, Narine is his usual languid self. He does not rush in to bowl. It does not bother him that his first few balls are easily dealt with by Ryan ten Doeschate.

Glares on, he takes the short run-up to deliver to ten Doeschate. Watching from behind the nets, to the untrained eye, it is difficult to pick the subtle changes Narine has carried out as

Sunil Narine part of the remodelling of glares upside down and his action. sticks them at the back of Ten minutes into his his head. He is now ready. bowling, Narine flips the There is a new batsman.

Yusuf Pathan. The second ball he faces, Narine delivers the carom ball. The trajectory is a little flatter.

But Yusuf has not read Narine’s hand as he defends unconvincingly.

The next ball is flighted and it dips. Yusuf has to lunge forward to tap it safely. Few balls later Narine bowls a rank half tracker and Yusuf gleefully steps back and pulls powerfully. Yusuf probably imagines it to be a six but Narine signals a four.

Yusuf does not respond and Narine does the signal once more, this time with a modest smile, Yusuf acknowledges.

A few more balls, Narine wraps up his training after 15 minutes and walks away into the dressing room only to emerge couple of hours later to enter the team bus. A few fans shout “Narine, Narine” and he acknowledges them by raising his right hand. The loudest cheers are reserved for “Yusuf bhai”, “Robin”, “Gambhir”, “Surya”.

Even during the nets it is former Pakistan fastbowling ace Wasim Akram, the Knight Riders bowling consultant, who is the

cynosure of the 50-strong fans. “Wasim bhai, ek baar dal do. Dil shant ho jayega (please bowl one ball. It would relieve the heart) shouts a young security guard.

Another group of teenagers walk in excitedly and suddenly spot Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan. They decide to take a selfie with him in the background. Not one is interested in Narine.

Interestingly as you walk into and inside the Eden Gardens, Narine remains inconspicuous.

Gambhir, Uthappa, Yusuf - all of them are staring down from huge billboards. Andre Russell and Morne Morkel are part of the screens that separate the Cricket Association of Bengal lobby and the home dressing rooms.

There is a side profile of Narine that looks at you from the screen covering the visitors’ dressing room, but you are bound to miss it as it is partly hidden by a pillar.

Knight Riders’ most valuable player remains invisible.

Perhaps it suits him. Quiet in celebration. Quiet in agony.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Millington brace guides Bakewell Slingerz to title on debut ... Pele down Riddim Squad to take third place

By Rawle Toney STRIKER Devon Millington scored both goals for tournament debutants Bakewell Slingerz who defeated Alpha United 2-0 at the Guyana National Stadium on Easter Sunday, to claim their first-ever Kashif and Shanghai title, doing so in their tournament debut.

But the win for the Vergenoegen-based club meant more to them than just pocketing the $2M top prize and the 25th Kashif and Shanghai Football tournament title.

It (the win) meant that after falling three times to the ‘Hammers’, Slingerz have finally beaten their foes in a match that was highly anticipated and regarded as the biggest final in the history of the Kashif and Shanghai tournament.

Also, Slingerz became only the second local team after Topp XX (1994/1995) to win the tournament on debut.

The promoters described the meeting between the two as the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao of local football and after a 30-minute delay due to

power failure to three light towers at the Providence, East Bank Demerara venue, football fans’ ‘dream final’ was on the way.

By virtue of their dominance in local football over the years, Alpha went into the contest rated number one and coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover’s men had the game’s first attempt on goal.

Skipper Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson manoeuvred his way between Colin Nelson and King Solomon Austin, but his shot from just on the edge of the six-yard box was hit too hard and went over the bar and into the VIP area.

A minute later, Richardson got around his defenders and this time picked out Sheldon Holder whose attempt was also hit too hard and went wide of the goal.

In the 14th minute, Vurlon Mills had the opportunity to give the eventual victors the lead when he slid around defenders Kirk Duckworth and Jamaal Smith with some smooth footwork, but his shot went trickling past the goal mouth after it had already beaten Alpha

custodian Ronson Williams.

The crowd rose to their feet in appreciation and remained when Mills, this time from a free-kick taken by Tichard Joseph from approximately 25 yards out, connected his

saw the first half ending goalless; but the huge crowd at the venue did not have to wait long for the game’s first goal when the second stanza resumed.

Millington, 11 minutes

Alpha United’s Kris Camacho paying close attention to Slingerz’s Vurlon Mills during their 25th Kashif and Shangai Football tournament final at the National Stadium last Sunday night. header that forced Williams to make a save.

Several attempts by both teams came up short and

into the second half (56th minute) intercepted a pass from Holder some 25 yards from goal on the right side of

the pitch and used a Cristiano Ronaldo-like ‘step-over’ to get the ball on his ‘sweet foot’ and hammered a shot past Williams who had no chance of getting a touch.

Pandemonium broke out in the stands as Millington and his teammates celebrated, but the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championships-bound Alpha quickly responded when Panamanian Manuel Vargas lashed on to the ball from 30 yards out and hammered a right-footed strike that forced Akel Clarke to pull off a brilliant save between the uprights for Slingerz.

Alpha, Guyana’s number one club, kept their feet on the gas in their hunt for an equaliser but Bakewell Slingerz defenders were resolute at the back.

With time ticking away for Alpha who for the first time trailed an opponent whom they had defeated three times before last Sunday’s encounter, Millington knocked the wind out of their sails with his second goal of the night in the 90+3 minutes.

After the fourth official

had signalled five minutes of extra time will be added to the contest and Alpha already in desperation mode by throwing every player forward including Williams after they won a corner kick, it was a plan that backfired as they conceded the second goal.

Millington picked up a loose ball from the corner kick and raced past both Smith and Shevane Seaforth, who were unsuccessful in stopping the Slingerz talisman, who had an empty goal and he made no mistake as Williams also found it difficult to get back in time.

Slingerz 2 Alpha 0 and it was a goal that once again sparked jubilation around the ground given the fact that it meant that Slingerz had won the Kashif and Shanghai tournament in their first outing.

Meanwhile in the third place playoff, former champions Pele Football Club defeated Riddim Squad, the tournament’s upstarts, 2-1 to take home the trophy and $500 000 while the Mocha Arcadia side had to settle for $250 000 and fourth place.

GLTA serves off 2015 with Assuria Insurance tourney … Action commences Saturday THE GUYANA Tennis Association (GLTA) will serve off its season for this year on Saturday, April 11, with the rebranded Assuria Open Singles Classic formerly called Assuria Invitational.

According to a release from the governing body for tennis in Guyana, the tournament was rebranded as an Open Singlesonly tournament, to increase its number of participants and popularity among players, a decision that was influenced by the loss of two of the top-three Men’s seeds in Jeremy Miller and last year’s Champion Gavin Lewis.

Both players have migrated from these shores and the GLTA has since added two new categories, the Men’s Over 45 Singles and Novice Medley Singles in addition to the

Ladies’ Open Singles, Men’s Open Singles and Men’s Over35 Singles which existed before.

This year’s tournament would be played at two venues, the National Racquet Centre in Woolford Avenue and the Le Resouvenir Tennis Court.

At the recent sponsorship meeting, the Surinamese insurance giant was represented

by General Manager, Yogindra Arjune and Operations Manager Clyde Muntslag who both recommitted the support of the company towards the development of tennis in Guyana, while expressing their desire to see tennis participation grow laterally throughout communities outside of Georgetown.

However, the management team voiced their concerns about the insufficient spectatorship for the sport in

Guyana and the GTA is fully aware of this trend which developed with the loss of the Pegasus Open from its calendar in 2013 - a tournament which was the source of excitement for several years.

Local tennis lacks a ‘home’ where players and spectators can frequent, foster comradeship and partnerships and witness matches being played in the evening under floodlights.

Current and former presidents of the GTA, Grace McCalman and Ramesh Seebarran respectively were both in attendance where they lamented the numerous annual attempts by all recent presidents to seek better tennis facilities which would allow the sport to grow exponentially.

This includes Wilfred Lee and Christopher Ram

Assuria General Manager Yogindra Arjune (left), along with GTA president, Grace McCalman (2nd right) and vice-president Ramesh Seebarran (right), looks on as GTA secretary Elizabeth Persaud accepts the sponsorship cheque from Assuria Operations Manager Clyde Muntslag.

for a total of 11 years since the reestablishment of the association in 2004 from a defunct state and there are several new and potential players who frequently make contact with the GTA about where to start playing but many reconsider when they learn of the overriding constraints of facilities and the fact that all play ceases with sundown at public facilities.

In spite of all the shortcomings, Assuria’s management sees the need to provide necessary support to

ensure that the tournament is once again successful and that it brings out the best in our advanced players.

It is the intention for this tournament to evolve into one of international standard starting with the introduction of Surinamese players into the tournament, but this can only happen when there is significant improvement to the available tennis infrastructures and supporting framework.

Registration forms have been distributed via the GTA Facebook page and at clubs

and the due date is tomorrow with the draws being done at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) on Thursday at 17:00hrs.

The Opening ceremony for the tournament will be held at the National Racquet Centre at 09:00hrs this Saturday and all officials and players are asked to attend, with the first match serving off at 09:30hrs. The GTA extends an invitation to all to come and witness the action and give support to their favourite players.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday April 7, 2015

Kudos are in order for Petra Organisation of Petra Organisation.

They switched their attention to the secondary schools two years ago and with valuable support from M. Beepat and Sons through their Nestle Milo brand of products, the Schools Under-20 championship was born and to date has grown tremendously as the years go by.

Even though it is only a threeyear-old tournament, the talent on display every year has improved, which certainly says the objectives and achievements of the organisers are being achieved.

tournament, with the aim of securing a scholarship whether locally or internationally.”

For this year’s Nestle Milo Under-20 tournament, the Petra Organisation teamed up with Chase Academy to offer scholarships to five outstanding players.

Not one to rest on its laurels, the Petra Organisation will be taking on the responsibility with support from Banks DIH, to organise the Berbice and national playoffs of the

to teams who will be competing in another maiden tournament, the Guyana Beverage Company Busta Soft Shoes football tournament.

This tournament was launched last week Monday, even as plans were being mainstreamed for the successful culmination of the Nestle Milo Under-20 and East Coast ‘Guinness Greatest of De Streets’ competitions.

“One must tip his hat to this dynamic duo for a job

The dynamic duo of Petra Organisation directors Marlon Cole (left) and Troy Mendonca, who organise several football tournaments around Georgetown and Guyana.

Says Calvin Roberts IT IS NOT often that we, in the Land of Many Waters, find sports organisers irrespective of their status, planning in the background the successful hosting of another tournament in the same period that one is in its completion stage.

But recently, while their Nestle Milo-sponsored Under-20 Inter-Secondary School Football Championship was winding down and the Banks DIH’s Guinness ‘Greatest of De Streets’ for teams on the East Coast of Demerara was entering the knockout stage, the Petra Organisation was streamlining arrangements to launch another tournament under its umbrella of activities for this year.

But who is Petra Organisation and why would it be receiving tremendous support from corporate Guyana, when it comes to the hosting of tournaments?

First of all, it is an organisation that is manned by two former football stalwarts, Troy Mendonca (Sunburst Camptown) and Marlon Cole (Fruta Conquerors) - two gentlemen, who, when they were in charge of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA), transformed the playing of football in the Capital City tremendously by organising 11 tournaments at all age groups.

There is a proverb that is used a lot by all and sundry: ‘Progress breeds enemies” and certainly, the progress being made by the GFA under the watchful eyes of Mendonca (president) and Cole (general secretary), certainly bred a lot of enemies, who planned a coup to evict them from office.

The rest is history, as the coup succeeded. Mendonca and Cole lost the stewardship of the GFA, whose president Vernon Burnett recently announced his resignation and refused to disclose his reason for doing so, until such time as he sees fit.

Nevertheless, Mendonca and Cole continued to fight for

the development of football in Georgetown at various levels, starting with the COURTS (Guyana) Inc. Pee-Wee Under-11 tournament, followed by the resuscitation of the Guinness ‘Greatest of De Streets’ in Georgetown.

This tournament is being played in Linden and for the first time this year, it was contested on the West Coast of Demerara and is set for in Bartica as well.

“Before we were unceremoniously removed from the hierarchy of the GFA, we organised 11 tournaments within the year for the clubs who were affiliated to us, from Under-11 right up to Premier League for those who had first division status.

“However, after we left the GFA, COURTS (Guyana) Incorporated, having been impressed with our organisational skills, sought us to continue the Under-11 tournament, but due to certain hiccups some clubs who are affiliated to the GFA faced with the GFF, we could not run it as a club tournament,” said Cole.

He added, “We, at Petra sat down and looked at ways in which we can give to the sponsor and also football fans alike, hence the Schools Under-11 programme was born and that was a blessing in disguise.

“We approached the Ministry of Education and got its blessings while COURTS and the GFF also gave us their blessings and with COURTS adding more prizes and even doubling their budget for this year’s tournament while indicating their interest to make it a nationwide tournament, soon told us at Petra that we are doing a wonderful job.”

That Guinness ‘Greatest of De Streets’ tournament has spread its wings, since Linden and East Coast had their version being played, while there is a national tournament that sees the winners and their runnersup do battle for the top prize, which includes a trip to the Caribbean ‘Guinness Greatest of the Streets’ tournament first held in Guyana in 2011, once again under the guidance

Part of the action in this year’s Petra Organisation/Nestle Milo Schools Under-20 football championships which Chase Academy won last Tuesday.

In fact, two years ago when the Kashif and Shangai Organisation - another organisation which has done its bit to see football in Guyana develop - was forced to play an Inter-School tournament, Kashif Muhammad in an interview said, ‘The Milo and Digicel Inter-School tournament can be used as a feeder by his organisation to select teams to compete in its CHICO/Elite Next Generation competition.

“Tournaments such as the Petra/Milo Under-20 and Digicel nationwide Inter-Secondary School competitions can be used as feeders to our very own Chico Elite Next Generation (CENG) tournament,” said Muhammad Quizzed on his thoughts about such comments, Cole said, “The fact that two tournaments can be seen as feeders into another programme is great for the sport of football in more ways than one.

However, we would like to see more tangible rewards being given, such as scholarships to players who perform exceedingly well both on the field of play and in the classroom; where a player who has gotten five subjects at CSEC will earnestly stay in school and look forward to playing in the K&S/CENG

Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ competitions.

But while they are working out the logistics towards making their programmes a success story as was evident over the years, tonight they will be issuing uniforms and fixtures

well done, when it comes to the development of football in Georgetown. Hence I say again, congratulations to the Petra Organisation and keep up the good work as it relates to the playing and development of football.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)

Charlotte

Street,

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

WI vs AUST, Brisbane, 1960-61

(2)

WI vs AUST, Melbourne, 1984

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who are the only two bowlers to capture all ten wickets in a Test innings?

(2) In which ODI game two bowlers took five wickets apiece?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Sport CHRONICLE

Kudos are in order for Petra Organisation

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Millington brace guides Bakewell Slingerz to title on debut

See story on page 30

See story on page 31

Bakewell Slingerz Football Club players and their supporters celebrates after defeating Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United 2 – 0 to win the 25th Kashif and Shanghai Football Tournament.

Bakewell Slingerz’s goal scorer Devon Millington (second from left) scores the game’s opening goal against Alpha United.

Slingerz’s Vurlon Mills unleashes a tackle on Alpha United’s Panamanian midfield player Manuel Vargas, while Slingerz’ Dwain Jacobs looks on appreciatively.

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Well done son!

Bakewell Slingerz’ Devon Millington strikes a pose with his mom and the Kashif and Shangai first place trophy that was donated

by Trophy Stall of Bourda Market and Hadi’s City Mall.

(Samuel Maughn photos) TUESDAY APRIL 7, 2015