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Berbicians to get own radio station

No. 104305

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

INCLUDING VAT

…as govt recommits to free press

By Ariana Gordon RESIDENTS of the Ancient County will soon receive a radio station, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Trinis vote to 5 elect new govt

Page

Kamla Persad Bissessar

announced on Saturday at the Whim Cricket Ground, Corentyne, Berbice. “Soon, we want to add quality to Berbice,” he said, adding: “Not only will we improve delivery of NCN television programmes in Berbice, we are working in

the new year to see if we can have Radio Berbice for all Berbicians, so you can have access to your own radio, a dedicated radio...”

SEE FULL STORY ON PAGE 3 ►

Green drive heats up

Page

Dr Keith Rowley

Suspect in Alboustown execution 9 surrenders Page

Dead: Sanasie Lewis

Two volunteers of the Green City initiative moving some of the waste collected during their clean up exercise on Regent Street on Sunday

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 7, 2015

Immigration Office to of be manned by civilians Toshaos urge– sayrevamp current setup not – cops to give up rank, with years of service intact celebrations having long-term impact Indigenous Heritage Month...

THE Ministry of Citizenship has set up a permanent office at the former Ministry of Public Service building at Waterloo Street, Georgetown, with a full complement of staff from the Ministry of Public Security from which matters of citizenship/immigration were delinked. Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix said that Immigration Services are located on the middle floor of the three-storey building, after it was delinked from the Ministry of Public Security on Brickdam. He added that staffers were brought over to perform duties in the administrative department in the Ministry of Citizenship, and they have a working relationship with the Guyana Police Force Immigration Office. Felix said plans are on stream to have the ministry manned by civilians, as cops will be transformed into civilians, with their years of service to account for the Immigration Office aspect.

Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix

WEBSITE Their main objective is to launch a user-friendly website, which they are in the process of doing, but it will be some time before it is completed. In the meantime, persons can visit the office to have questions and issues addressed by the relevant staffers. Felix disclosed that their prime objective is to simplify access to informa-

tion in which persons can do business online and rid themselves of the ‘old’ way which entails a lot of paperwork but for now that old system remains in place until it is phased out to accommodate the new system. He also pointed out that they will focus on training for employees as to their roles and a meeting with the General Registry Office was held and some objectives were outlined and there is appropriate staffing as well. The minister added that their work entails general naturalisation outlined in the law and after seven years of living in Guyana, a person can apply to become a Guyanese citizen and the ministry also deals with daily requests for visas and extension of visas. He added that they also deal with matters of birth, death, marriage registrations and it is important that they make the system simpler via the use of information technology to launch a user-friendly website.

Ramayya says better able to serve Berbicians demands forensic audit of Region 6. RDC

By Jeune Vankeric NEWLY appointed Regional Executive Officer of Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) Dr. Verasammy Ramayya says his position will now allow him to better serve the constituency in Berbice. He is also demanding that a forensic audit be done into the operations of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), which has been dominated by the PPP/C over the years. Ramayya, a former Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament, had recently made the headlines with reports that he had resigned from the Coalition.

He told the Guyana Chronicle he had actually never sent the AFC a letter of resignation. He, however, confessed that initially, after being offered a job, he resigned, as the job was not what he wanted. “I want to go into the fields;, have a look at drainage and irrigation; the playgrounds; empower youths; and to deal with issues which are affecting the people,” Ramayya, a key member of the AFC’s Berbice constituency said. “So, that was what I wanted. I got a bit fed up; I was not quite satisfied, as my potentials were underutilised,” Ramayya pointed out, noting that his three years as parlia-

mentarian would have helped him prepare for the new post. He also said that he was instrumental in reducing the PPP/C to a minority government at the 2011 elections, which resulted in the Donald Ramotar Administration imploding, and ultimately being defeated at the May 11 polls. “I was the architect of that,” he said. “Berbice delivered in 2011, resulting in a minority government. But it did not just start then; in 1994, the ROAR party, which I was affiliated with, procured over 6000 votes at the local government election in Region Six, and which allowed us to gain six seats at the Regional Democratic Council…” Despite varying political challenges, Ramayya said he is pleased with his new portfolio, which would be used to ensure accountability and that mandatory inspections are carried out on governmental projects. AUDIT However, he is a bit uncertain as to whether he will commence his duty today. “I am not certain whether I Turn to page 3 ►

Amerindian craft on display at an Amerindian Heritage Month event

By Ravin Singh INTENDED to promote and preserve Amerindian Culture in Guyana, Indigenous Heritage Month, which was birthed in 1995, has been described by a local Toshao as an initiative which is not fully achieving its intended purpose. And he called on the new government to find ways of revamping the activity so that it can make a bigger impact on Indigenous Peoples. The sentiment was expressed by Toshao of Moraikobai (Region 5), Colin Adrian, who lauded the efforts of local authorities to recognise the contributions of the Indigenous People to Guyana. According to him, while the Amerindian Month initiative is one which provides some amount of marketing for local Amerindian products, which include art and craft, food, and fashion, it is not a long-term plan to combat the erosion of Amerindian Culture. With globalisation rapidly shifting the socio-economic landscape of the world, Guyana, too, has fallen prey to these new adaptations, which contribute to the loss of traditional practices by indigenous groups. Against this backdrop, Adrian reasoned that the onemonth activity cannot be deemed, in his estimation, “too successful”, since there is a diversion from traditional

practices within these Amerindian groups. He offered, though, that this diversion allows for new avenues to be explored, and new systems to be adapted to combat this issue. Presently, the Toshao revealed, his community is working on a pilot project to revive the traditional language of the Arawaks, the Amerindian tribe which dominates his community. “We are hoping that this will take us somewhere in restoring an element of our culture which makes us distinct,” he said. Additionally, he underscored how critical the support from Central Government is, through the issuing of training schools or other facilities to lend support in this regard. Meanwhile, another Toshao, Lenox Shuman, from St. Cuthbert’s Mission in Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica), suggested that instead of having the event held for one month, it should be for nine days; one day for each of the nine Amerindian tribes in current existance in Guyana. Shuman explained that this one-month event is used as an escape route for many who refuse to work during this time, and say: “This is my month; I don’t have to work.” The Toshao said this has had negative effects on the communities, through the loss of labour. “This puts families and communities at a disadvantage, since the production rate drops,” he said. He maintained, howev-

er, that this is not a sweeping generalisation, as many still remain committed to their work during this time. He however, suggested that instead of having one month of activities, nine days should be set aside during the month, for each tribe to present and promote their cultural diversity and uniqueness. This year, Amerindian Heritage Month, or Indigenous Month as it is now called, is being celebrated under the theme, “Preserving our Customs and Traditions”. Santa Aratak in Region 3 has been chosen as the Amerindian Village of this year. In additional to cultural exhibitions and performances which are being held across the country, the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry has revealed that a series of school lectures will form part of this year’s celebration. This initiative which will be held at various schools across the country, will seek to sensitise students on the way of life of the Amerindians and their diverse culture. Amerindian Heritage Month has its beginnings in Amerindian commemorations of 10 September 1957 - the day on which Stephen Campbell became Guyana’s first Amerindian Member of Parliament (MP). On 10 September 1995, Guyana’s President at that time, Cheddi Jagan, officially designated September as Amerindian Heritage Month.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 7, 2015

Berbicians to get own radio station …as govt recommits to free press By Ariana Gordon RESIDENTS of the Ancient County will soon receive a radio station, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo announced on Saturday at the Whim Cricket Ground, Corentyne, Berbice. “Soon, we want to add quality to Berbice,” he said, adding: “Not only will we improve delivery of NCN television programmes in Berbice, we are working in the new year to see if we can have Radio Berbice for all Berbicians, so you can have access to your own radio, a dedicated radio...” Many of the residents present on Saturday were elated by the Prime Minister’s remarks. Paul Sookhoo of Whim told the Guyana Chronicle that Berbice de-

serves as much attention as Georgetown and other areas. “I think we deserve we own radio station; we only get NCN and Radio Guyana, so it would be good for we. I would be happy if we get that,” Sookhoo said. Another Berbice resident, Samantha Prince, said a radio station unique to Berbice will encourage Berbicians to listen to the radio more. She also believes that a Berbice radio station will focus more on things central to Berbice. “I would be really happy if the Prime Minster delivers on his promise to get the people of Berbice their own radio station. I think it will help with the broadcasting of information. We appreciate the radio stations we have, but they are not for and about Berbice people; they are national stations,” Prince said.

Ramlall said.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Ryan Ramlall, of Port Mourant, said that while he doesn’t listen to the radio, he is sure it would benefit others. “I don’t really listen to the radio, but my chirren and grandchirren does listen. So if it happens, I would be happy so they can listen,”

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nagamootoo emphasised government’s commitment to the freedom of journalists. “We want to enlarge on those freedoms; we want to enlarge in a way... a qualitative way that will bring professionalism to the job they do. Because the job they do is a dignified job,” he said. He expressed disgust, however, at what he deems to be finger-pointing by many within the media who suggest that he is seeking to censor the State media. He said, too, that he has in no way been responsible for the resignation of a certain Guyana Chronicle employee. “It is wrong to say that to the world, when around us, we have not fired anyone who has even been dangerously

playing politics with their jobs in the past.” The Prime Minister said the press has been “playing up certain issues of freedom of the media in Guyana,” so much so that they are “inventing a jumbie when they talk about violation of freedom of the press.” To press home the point, he noted that a certain editor of the Guyana Chronicle is still on the job, despite carrying a headline that referred to him as a jackass, replete with his photograph. “I didn’t dismiss him,” he said. “He offered me his resignation, but I haven’t fired him. “Then recently, a columnist resigned and he didn’t know who to blame for the resignation, but he decided to say that I was interfering. I have not seen this journalist for over 15 years; I have not spoken to this journalist for over 15

years. I am least interested in the journalist’s affairs; I read his columns, but I had never spoken to the editor of the Chronicle newspaper in relation to his columns, I have never mentioned his name to the editor in relation to his columns, I have not interfered or given an instruction to the journalist to feel displeased and resulted in his resignation or withdrawal of his column,” the prime minister maintained. The accusations, the Prime Minister said, are made on racial grounds. “But he chose me; to identify me, because many people cannot stand the fact that Moses Nagamootoo, an Indo-Guyanese, has teamed up with David Granger, an Afro-Guyanese, and that we have, today, a government of national unity.”

Govt settled all debts to rice millers – GRDB

CHAIRMAN of the Guyana Rice Development Board Claude Housty said government has settled all of its financial obligations with rice millers. The GRDB executive made the comment when he joined the Acting General Manager of the GRDB Nizam Hassan and GRDB executive Dr. Peter De Groot for a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA). According to Hassan who also supported the statement made by the GRDB’s Board Chairman, “All the millers have been paid moneys that were owed to them by the Government of Guyana”. It was explained that some millers may still owe rice farmers but this is due to private contracts for other markets that they have exported rice to. This Hassan said the GRDB “didn’t have

those contracts”. The current issue of some rice producers being owed by millers has been compounded by the fact that supplies were purchased, with prices based on the demand and prices obtained via the Venezuelan markets, Dr. De Groot added. He further explained, “When the Venezuelan market came to a sudden stop, millers were caught with stock on their hand. This was purchased at a high price, higher than the millers could make money on…Millers are caught with stock on hand that they have difficulty in exporting and they will not be able to export it and make a profit”. The aforementioned, he said, has contributed to the difficulties some millers face in paying the farmers. It was also revealed that there are an equal number of millers who are owed moneys by farmers, Dr. De Groot said, “Some of them finance

the farmers in order to go back into the crop”. Essequibo millers are often the least indebted, he noted, but with regards those in Region 5 and 6, “the reverse is probably true”. Moneys are sometimes advanced to farmers during the crops, to pay for fuel, fertilizers etc. When the paddy is delivered, the moneys owed to millers are then deducted, he said. Weighing in on the issue, GRDB Chairman Housty remarked that oft-times, one side of the issue is being highlighted when there are several sides to it, “Many millers are also owed but many times you don’t hear about this”. Recently, the GRDB released figures showing the names of millers who owe payment to rice farmers and urged those who still owe, to clear their outstanding debts. Due to several reasons, Venezuela has suspended rice shipments but the contract,

as agreed to under the Petro Caribe Deal, still remains in place. Rice exports which accounted for most of the funds garnered, amounted to around 500,000 tonnes, of the more than 600,000 tonnes in 2014. The temporary halting of rice exports to Venezuela has resulted in more of the staple being shipped to the European market, some 51% of production has been earmarked for this, Dr. De Groot said. The catch is, he added, is that the prices are much lower than those obtained for the Venezuelan market. Production of rice currently stands at 23% more than for the same period last year, but it was pointed out that the actual value is less. Falling rice prices on the international market have been a trend for the last 6 months and this has significantly impacted on the local suppliers. It was in light of this,

Ramayya says better able... will be in that office today. The Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Communities) is expected to be here. I would prefer a forensic audit before I take over; I was informed that several contracts were signed on Wednesday, although the former REO was given notice of his impending leave,” Ramayya said. Meanwhile, responding to those critics who say he is not qualified for the job, Ramayya wants them to know that he has an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts, and that he pursued his studies at the City University of New York Hunter College, where he

created history by simultaneously obtaining two Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology and Political Science, whilst minoring in Economics and Psychology, all prerequisites to studying Law. Subsequently, he applied to the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados to purse Law education, but, as a Guyanese, that campus was being subsidised by the then Guyana Government and to be awarded a placement, he had to enlist in the National Service for two years, and do a one-year study at the University of Guyana, which,

to him, was a waste of time. Thereafter, having attended the School of Social Research in New York, he graduated with a Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies Degree in 1986. But he was not finished. He obtained his Doctorate Degree in Psychology from Pacific Western University, and subsequently a Doctorate Degree in Sociology. The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) last week criticised the appointment, saying that Ramayya was unprofessional and unqualified to fill the position as Regional Executive Officer.

From page 2

that the GRDB is always seeking to get access into other markets and this is a continuous process, the GRDB Chairman Housty stressed. These efforts must be formally set before being publicised, he said. Recent efforts in this area, has resulted in another contract

being agreed to with Panama. Some 7,000 tonnes will be sent to the Central American country. Efforts are also being focused on other countries, including those in the Region, to ensure that local rice producers are able to find market. (GINA)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

Critics push U.S. to help Europe by taking more refugees By Bill Trott and Matt Spetalnick WA S H I N G T O N , ( R e u ters)-The United States came under more pressure yesterday to help Europe find sanctuary for a flood of immigrants displaced by war and chaos, but Washington showed no signs of planning a dramatic increase in its intake of refugees. David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee and former British foreign secretary, called on the United States to bring out “the kind of leadership America has shown on these kind of issues” in the past.

“The United States has always been a leader in refugee resettlement but 1,500 people over four years is such a miniscule contribution to tackling the human side of this problem,” Miliband said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” State Department spokesman John Kirby, in an interview with Reuters late on Saturday, offered no indication the United States would be greatly boosting the number of immigrants it would allow into the country. He cited the $4 billion U.S. contribution to refugee relief and reconfirmed the Obama administration’s position about security concerns.

“There is a significant vetting process here for folks from Syria that we have to follow,” he said, adding that the Obama administration had been in contact with European allies and was exploring options. U.S. authorities want to prevent militants from Islamic State or al Qaeda from slipping into the country as refugees. But there are risks to sticking to current policy and not playing a more active role in helping Europe. Another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that, given the graphic images of the refugees’ plight, Washington may face an international image problem for admitting only a small number compared to European countries. Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees, said the United States had not put a quota on the number of refugees it would accept. She said the UNHCR had submitted almost 16,300 refugees for resettlement in the United States and would continue submitting cases for consideration.

David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee

‘FUNDAMENTALLY FALLS ON EUROPE’ Europe has been operating

without a consensus on what do with the flood of refugees. Austria and Germany, which expects to receive 800,000 refugees and migrants this year, have opened their borders in recent days to thousands of mostly Syrian refugees who had been stranded in Hungary. Pope Francis on Sunday called on every Catholic parish and religious community in Europe to take in at least one refugee family. Since the Syrian conflict began in early 2011, the United States has taken in 1,500 refugees from there, the vast majority this year. Kirby said as many as 1,500 more refugees could be admitted by the end of 2015 and maybe more next year. Immigration has become a major issue in the campaign leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has risen to the top of the Republican field with a hardline stance calling for deportation of undocumented migrants and a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, but said last week he would consider allowing Syrians into the United States. Another Republican presidential candidate, John Ka-

sich, also appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” said he favored a somewhat enhanced U.S. role with the refugees but that the situation was not primarily a Washington problem. “I think we do have a responsibility in terms of taking some more folks in, making sure they assimilate,” he said. “This is fundamentally an issue Europe has to come to grips with. We can provide some humanitarian aid to them.” Writing in the New York Times, Michael Ignatieff, a former leader of Canada’s Liberal Party and now a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, said the United States, Canada and Middle East nations were wrong to consider the crisis as Europe’s problem. The United States and its allies have a responsibility to the Syrian refugees - estimated at 4 million since civil war began in their homeland - since they are arming Syrian rebels and fighting Islamic State in the country, he said. “Blaming the Europeans is an alibi and the rest of our excuses - like the refugees don’t have the right papers - are sickening,” Ignatieff wrote. He called on the United States and Canada to take in a minimum of 25,000 Syrians and said pressure on those governments may intensify after publication in the past week of dramatic photographs of the refugees’ plight.

Austria to revoke measures that let migrants cross from Hungary

By Michael Shields and Irene Preisinger

VIENNA/MUNICH ,(Reuters)-Austria said on Sunday it planned to end emergency measures that have allowed thousands of refugees stranded in Hungary into Austria and Germany since Saturday morning. Austria had suspended its random border checks after photographs of a Syrian toddler lying dead on a Turkish beach showed Europeans the horror faced by those desperate enough to travel illegally into

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the heart of Europe, which is deeply divided over how to cope. After 71 people suffocated in the back of a truck abandoned on an Austrian highway en route from Hungary, and as thousands headed from Budapest toward Austria on foot, Vienna had agreed with Germany to waive rules requiring refugees to register an asylum claim in the first EU country they reach. Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said that decision was being revised following

04/09/2015

“intensive talks” with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and a telephone call with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, bitterly opposed to the waiver. “We have always said this is an emergency situation in which we must act quickly and humanely. We have helped more than 12,000 people in an acute situation,” Faymann said. “Now we have to move step-by-step away from emergency measures toward normality, in conformity with the law and dignity.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

Parties confident of victory, opinion polls say tight race

Trinis vote to elect new govt By Peter Richards

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – The two main contenders for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago Saturday appealed to supporters to vote them into office even as the latest opinion poll published here yesterday showed that the race is still too close to call. Both the incumbent Coalition People’s Partnership and the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) held final rallies a few miles from each other along the east-west corridor hoping to get undecided voters into their camps ahead of Monday’s general elections. But while Prime Minister Kalma Persad Bissessar and PNM leader Dr. Keith Rowley were urging supporters to ensure victory, the Nigel Henry/ Solutions by Simulation (SIS) pre-election tracking poll published in the Sunday Express newspaper said both parties were capable of winning 18 seats each with the remaining five to decide the outcome of the election. In the 2010 general elections the coalition had won 29 of the 41 seats. “Poll results project that the winning party is likely to capture 21 or 22 seats,” SIS said after interviewing 1,997 adults by telephone during the period Augusr 25 to September 3. The poll has a margin of minus or plus two per cent. The pollsters found that the coalition People’s Partnership would receive 51 per cent of the votes when respondents were asked which party they would support in the general election while the PNM got 48 per cent.

“However, when voters were asked who they think would win in their district, the result was reversed with 37 per cent believing the PNM would win, 36 per cent the People’s Partnership and 25 per cent saying both major parties had an equal chance of success.” Prime Minister Persad Bissessar, who is leading the coalition comprising the United National Congress (UNC), the Congress of the People (COP), the Tobago organization of the People (TOP) and the National Joint Action Movement (NJAC) into the election urged supporters to return her administration to office. “Do not take a decision you will live to regret. Stick on the right path to a better future. “Stay with me, stay with the plan, stay on the road to a better tomorrow,” she said promising voters that her government “will remove VAT (value added tax) from utility bills for pensioners...create over 1,000 new jobs by establishing three economic zones... provide a tablet for every primary school student ...(and) take a zero-tolerance approach to crime by requiring each police station to meet spefici crime reduction targets”. She said a Ministry of Defence would be established based on the new threats and clear and present danger all nations face both in border protection and problems encountered with illegal entry of weapons and drugs and human smuggling. “I will never leave you, not in the worst of times. I will stay with you in service until the day when there are no more days,, until I cross the River

Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar Jordan and my ashes find their way to the River Ganges,” she told supporters as she sought their support for another fiveyear term at the head of the government. But Rowley told PNM supporters that the government was bankrupt of ideas and the latest figures released by the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago showed both the Finance Minister Larry Howai and the government itself had been lying to the population. “Last week the Minister of Finance said to us, we expected a deficit of four billion dollars (One TT dollar =US$0.16 cents), but we only recorded a deficit of one billion. “Today it has been revealed that the Minister of Finance lied to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The Central bank revealed that the country’s overall deficit has doubled from one billion to TT$2.17 billion,” Rowley said, adding “If the

Minister of Finance could be so boldfaced to tell you such unvarnished lies, what business you have considering him as a minister,” Rowley asked supporters. “Kamla Persad Bissessar and Larry Howai have a plan to bankrupt this country. I am appealing to the people of this country to save us froW m Kamla and Larry Howai,” he said. In his address, Rowley also urged the supporters to reject the government’s position that everyone in Trinidad and Tobago is corrupt.

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley This government is about self-enrichment and making millionaires of their friends. There is one lawyer who is under criminal investigation, yet every time the government has a case, the UNC keep calling him over and over again.” Rowley said that it was strange throughout the three month campaign none of the government ministers took to the podium to detail their successes “but they are the one who would run the country if you put your X anywhere expect the baliser”.

Rowley told supporters that there was light at the end of the tunnel adding “let’s go do this together, let’s go and save Trinidad and Tobago”. The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) said just over 1.09 million people are eligible to cast ballots today and that there are more than 2000 polling stations scattered across the two islands. The polls are being monitored by teams from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Commonwealth.

Guyana

Shaky Venezuela rice deal, empty PetroCaribe Fund were hidden from new government Dear Editor:

EDITORIAL

Jason Holder ascendancy

WHEN we thought that the Clive Lloyd-led West Indies selection-panel had given us enough surprises in recent months, this past week they sprung yet another one. Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was sacked as the test captain after a mere 13 months on the job. His place is taken by young Barbadian pacer, Jason Holder, who in an earlier surprise move had replaced Dwayne Bravo as the captain of the One-day team. Despite the show of confidence in the young man at the time, many pundits felt that he was being gradually eased rather than rushed into the job of full-time captain. They were patently wrong. Since assuming the job, the selection panel, which apart from Lloyd, includes two other West Indies players, Courtney Walsh and Courtney Browne, has in very quick time overseen what almost amounts to an overhaul of the team. In addition to turning the reins over to the 23 year old Holder, it has for all intents and purposes rid the Test team and to some extent the One Day team of those players whose commitment to West Indies cricket has been questioned. The panel seems to be very serious about the “West Indies First” policy. Then, to the shock of most, they retired the long-serving dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Those who are familiar with Lloyd’s stint as captain of the all-conquering West Indies team of the 1970s-1980s should not be surprised at these moves. When he assumed the captaincy of the team in 1974 he quickly molded a new team of young men whose collective outlook mirrored the radical nationalist spirit of the time. They would go on to rule the cricket world for the next two decades. One remembers, for example, Lloyd’s gamble with the young, untested Michael Holding who was plunged into the fray in Australia in 1975-76. Many questioned his selection, but he would quickly begin to play a pivotal role in the ascendancy of the team and distinguish himself as one of the alltime greats. Jason Holder has been similarly plunged into the proverbial deep end. But unlike Holding, he is given the leadership of the team. One suspects that it is only a matter of time before he takes over leadership of the

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

WITH reference to Benjee Singh’s letter published in the Kaieteur News on Friday, September 4, 2015 under the caption: “APNU\ AFC did promise rice farmers $9,000 per bag of paddy”, permit me space in your newspaper to offer a gentle rebuttal. To begin with, assuming that Mr. Singh is correct with the evidence put forward in his missive the public should and must understand that the promise was made under the pretext that the PetroCaribe Fund was intact. The current government while in opposition was told by the now opposition who was in government that the PetroCaribe fund is alive and well. Knowing this, the APNU\AFC must have made the promise to offer rice farmers $9,000 for a bag of paddy. Again I am assuming that Mr. Singh’s letter is meritorious in nature for I was not present

at all the public meetings of APNU\AFC. I maintain, however, that at the meetings I attended that promise was never made. Secondly, one will recollect that it was May 26, 2015 that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro disrespected Guyana by signing a decree claiming Essequibo which later put the Petrocaribe deal in limbo. I need not go into details with this point for the public is well aware of it and I am absolutely sure Mr. Singh knows it well too since my assumption is that he is au fait with current affairs. Editor, please do recognize that even though I did not hear the APNU\AFC making that promise to give rice farmers $9,000 per bag of paddy, I am not disputing Mr. Singh’s claim for he may be correct since as I said before I was not present at all the public meetings. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. However, what bothers me is the fact that Mr. Singh

T20 team from Darren Sammy. The big question is whether the panel and the WICB would sustain this initial confidence in the young man. In the past, they have not shown a tendency to do so. Most captains—and there have been quite a few in the last two decades of downward slide— became victims of a combination of regime change and popular pressure. The most recent long-term experiment with Darren Sammy eventually crumbled in the face of the relentlessness of the latter—the selectors and the WICB buckled. Truth be told, Sammy was removed just at the time the team was showing signs of recovery. That his replacement has been sacked after a year and a few games, proves to some extent the wrongheadedness of the move, but that is behind us now. The way of the youth is the chosen path. It should be supported. We have tried everything else in the last two decades with minimal success. We congratulate Jason Holder on his appointment to what has been dubbed the equivalent to a Caribbean Head of Government. How he meets the inevitable challenges would be largely determined by the vibes and energy from the wider West Indian society. His destiny is in our hands. One positive for Holder is that he would not have to deal with the so-called rebel group, which made Sammy’s job more difficult than he bargained for. Lloyd has cleared the way from Holder. Although new coach, Phil Simmons, seems

did not find it necessary in his letter to publicly condemn the PPP\C Government for managing the PetroCaribe fund in a haphazard manner. The public was lied to about the amount of money available in the PetroCaribe fund and officials were withdrawing monies at their own whims and fancies. (Reference: Kaieteur News July 12, 2015 - “Billions missing from PetroCaribe fund,” and “Caribbeannewsnow.com July 24, 2015 - “Forensic Audit in Guyana reveals unauthorized transfer from PetroCaribe fund”) No right-minded person would ever pressure this government to deliver $9,000 per bag of paddy when they are aware of what the PPP\C government did to the PetroCaribe fund. Had the PetroCaribe fund not been raped, used and abused I would have also requested of this government to fulfill the promise because my entire family are rice farmers. Adding

insult to injuries was the Venezuelan barbarism. Editor the APNU\AFC government went into office not expecting half of the ills that they unearthed. Let us give them a chance to make things right. It has only been 5 months now. Our President and Ministers are human beings, not machines. Mr. Singh, I know you are not intellectually circumcised, thus I beg of you to stop stifling your conscience. I know that you are aware of the many hurdles this government had to jump over and is still jumping over to give that good life they promised. Let us work with them to ensure that everyone gets that good life. Let us be objective in our writings and let us be fair in our judgments. Let us assist in offering solutions. In other words, let us co-operate for Guyana. Yours faithfully, GANESH MAHIPAUL

intent on bringing the group back into the fold, Lloyd is obviously not interested. For Holder and his new young charges to meet the challenges of pulling us back from the edge, they must be given time to settle. The WICB and the rest of us have to come to grips with the fact that reconstruction is not an overnight phenomenon. It is not sprinting, Usain Bolt style; it is medium-to long distance running. David Rudder in the original version of his celebrated, Rally Round the West Indies, which urges patience and support in the face of setbacks, draws attention to the impatience in the West Indian psyche—ask Darren Sammy. Already the familiar chorus can be heard in the background—Holder’s automatic selection cause an imbalance in the team. The translation is that he does not deserve his place in the team. Lloyd and his panel should not allow such platitudes to influence their stewardship. And for us beyond the boundary, David Rudder’s positive battle cry is worth remembering—Never Say Never/ Pretty soon the runs are going to flow like water/ Bringing so much joy to every son and daughter/Say we’re going to rise again like a raging fire/As the sun shines you know we gonna take it higher/Rally, rally round the West Indies/Now and forever/Rally, rally round the West Indies.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

Giftland Mall is on the right track Dear Editor:

I have read with mixed emotions the critical reviews, compliments and, sometimes with amusement, various articles published in the newspapers since the opening of the Giftland Mall. In particular I would like to comment on two. The first is Mr. Freddie Kissoon who is claiming that the government built the public access road to the mall. Let me enlighten him on that - when we moved to Turkeyen this was not even a tract, it was a dam which we had to excavate, discharge the sludge, build shoulders, build drainage, provide concrete walkways and

provide street lighting, which is powered not by Government but by the Mall itself. O u r e n g i n e e r, M r. Marcel Gaskin provided the engineering design for the sub-surface, which comprised international standards of road building specifications using materials and processes which were verified by the Public Works Division and we undertook the works of laying sand, loam and crusher run stones. We had to grade and roll these, add quarry shifting and roll this again after which the Government provided a top coating of asphalt. So if this qualifies as the Government building

the access road, then he has redefined the meaning of the word. However, this is nothing unusual coming from this particular author, a simple call to me would have given him these truths, but why worry with facts which are an unnecessary inconvenience. Secondly, I want to thank Mr. Bernard for his compliments on the Mall. A country is defined by the quality of life. The Mall goes a long way towards improving ours, in the two months plus of operations we have been inundated with congratulations and heartfelt gratitude for providing something which has been sadly lacking in

Guyana. Ask the hundreds of thousands of shoppers, wheelchair persons, families, expats, Guyanese from all walks of life, etc., to ascertain this. We hope through our success that we have paved the way for more companies to make the developmental plunge needed to stimulate and move this country towards its goals. I would also like to enlighten Mr. Bernard that not only are my Board members whose total experience number hundreds of years in the business world, but also four of the larger financial institutions in the Region have analysed the project through many different credit, risk and other critical operational and func-

What’s in a name? Dear Editor: IT was less than 2 years since I had visited the Essequibo Coast. So I prepared for my recent travel there by looking up the destination in Google Maps. To my astonishment what I knew as the Anna Regina Public Road was named Av. 100 Bolivar and a main street was named Calle 100 Guyana. On my arrival at Supenaam, I heard folks joking about being in Venezuela, and I remembered Shakespeare’s Juliet: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” So I resolved to ask some upstanding citizens who lived there from birth the name of the road I knew as the Anna Regina Public Road, and they without exception said “the … Public Road.” What got me more alarmed was that when I showed one of them the map he said it must have been from when the Spanish were here. I can’t say whether Columbus or some Spanish sailor stopped over for a peep, but that road was certainly not made and named by the Spanish. Historians will have to correct me if I am wrong. I went to the Anna Regina Town Council office, met Town Clerk Ms. Diane Critchlow, and explained the gravity of the situation to her. Google must have gotten that information from somewhere, because when on the Google map I clicked on roads in Suddie, a box popped up and said, “Unnamed road”. Google is big and only big countries like the USA or China can shift its policies. But it is also a business that is subject to popularity pressure. We must enlist all our many friends to get Google to change those names. But to what? We have neglected to name our roads, so they must first be named, muy pronto. And please

don’t delay by squabbling. Let those living there become involved in naming their own streets, put their names and addresses to the agreement, and send it to the Town and Village Councils to send copies to Google. We can’t afford to wait, not even for Local Government elections. The internet is increasingly influencing and creating opportunities (and even reality) for the younger generation in the world. Surely our CXC students of History and Geography can be assigned SBAs that will be relevant to this purpose. All human knowledge is built by 3 principles: existence, relation, and change. The first one is identified and communicated by chosen name. Delay, and before we know it a majority in the increasingly technological and democratic world will swear on Google Maps for their authority. So my present local response to Juliet would be: “But when ‘twas not of th’ ancestors who chose, in the case of naming Guyana Street and Bolivar Avenue to impose on the Essequibo Coast, us to cheat, then must we rise, the claimer to defeat.” Here is where the Guyana Press Association and its member media can assist in relating the names to people and places (perhaps the new GHRA civic grouping can also help here) to effect a change in Google Maps before Av. 100 Bolivar comes to be regarded by the growing googling world as the eastern frontier of our western Bolivarian Republic neighbour. Their Ministry of Propaganda is certainly working. Again I urge, speed. Yours faithfully, Alfred Bhulai

tional analysis and have all been satisfied with not only the project but also the success which we have so far experienced. They have also concluded that we are on course with our projections. I think that the financiers waiting for our failure will have to keep their check books in their collective pockets. There is an old adage which comes to mind, and that is: “The proof is in the pudding”, and by all accounts

this pudding is being well received. On a final note, I personally would not invest in a Specialty Hospital which is an investment that is fraught with risk and in terms of comparison with the Mall cannot hold a candle as an investment, but there again what do I know ? Yours faithfully, ROY BEEPAT President, Giftland Mall

Paddy bug can wreak havoc in rice industry Dear Editor:

LIKE red rice, the ‘paddy bug’ or ‘stink bug’ as known by all rice farmers is another menace to the rice industry in Guyana and capable of causing significant damage to the rice crop during the reproductive stage, especially from flowering to maturity of the paddy grains. It is no secret, over the past few crops farmers have been battling to minimise the damaging effect of this deleterious pest but still end up suffering a high percent damage when their harvest reaches the mills. The damage caused by the paddy bug reduces the quality and the overall yield of the rice crop which resulted in farmers suffering great financial losses because of the amount of extra weight the mills take to compensate for the damaged grains and the low prices they would offer to the farmers. With the rice crop in most of the rice growing regions in Guyana almost heading towards its reproductive phase, the farmers need to be more alert and take the necessary steps to control the paddy bug early. I was once told by a learned person that “the paddy bug is here to stay and we have to learn to live with it.” Besides, farmers are trying their best and in many cases they fail to manage the bugs either because the chemicals currently in use are ineffective or the pests have become resistant. In my view, the government and the rice board need to overhaul the Burma Rice Research Station and remove the head who is bent on stymieing progress. Also consideration must be given to the setup of a dedicated team headed by a qualified pest control specialist to investigate and find solutions for the control of the paddy bug. As our President said: “Rice is too big to fail…” but without structural and other important changes the industry may fail. Yours faithfully, TERRY ROSS

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 7, 2015

Suspect confesses to molesting, battering elderly Stanleytown woman POLICE have arrested a man who has reportedly confessed to the fatal battering and sexual assault of an elderly Stanleytown woman back in July. Magon Jones-Cox, 68, also known as Jean Bernard, was found in July with several broken bones and part of her tongue severed. She was reportedly battered by three men and sexually assaulted before being left to die on the jetty at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle late yesterday, the dead woman’s daughter, Cleotha Cox, said that she last saw her mother on July 10,, 2015 in Bartica. Cox said that her mother had been mentally unstable due to family issues, and other domestic problems. She related that on the same day her mother was battered, she had travelled by herself from Bartica to

The late Magon Jones-Cox

the West Demerara Regional Hospital for her medication. She said that after collecting it, the woman went to visit another elderly woman who had been her schoolmate. After visiting the friend, the woman then left to take a walk in the Vreed-en-Hoop area and she had planned to return to her son’s house

at Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara. While she has hanging out by herself, she was attacked by three men, according to her daughter. The woman recalled that when her mother was found, she had a broken jaw, part of her tongue was severed, and her ribs, right arm and leg were broken, while her right eye had been plucked out. Cox was rescued by persons from the community in a semi-conscious state. She was asked if she could speak and responded by nodding her head in the negative but when asked if she was able to write, she nodded in confirmation. It was then that the woman wrote her name and how persons could contact her relatives. Additionally, the woman also reportedly wrote the names of the persons who had battered her and that information was reportedly passed on to the police

The Guyana Chronicle also learnt that the woman was first admitted to the West Demerara Regional Hospital and subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she died three days later. However it was only two weeks ago that the woman’s body was identified by her daughter who visited the hospital morgue to identify the body of another relative who had died after ingesting poison. Cox explained that when she visited the hospital to identify the other relative, someone who heard her name told her that they believe that her mother was also in the morgue. The woman immediately went to the morgue and asked if there was a body there bearing her mother’s name. An employee confirmed that the records indicated that there was such a body. Cox was then told that she

had to check with the Alberttown Police Station since the matter was the subject of a police investigation. At Alberttown, she was told that she needed to check with the police at the Vreeden-Hoop Police Station. However, the ranks there were not quite co-operative, Cox recalled. After she left there, she told a stranger on the road about her difficulty at the station. The stranger summoned two other women and together they told her that they were familiar with the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death. One of them also took her to someone who had retrieved her mother’s severed tongue. Cox said that she immediately went back to the police station, showed the ranks the plastic bag with the tongue and also related to them that she was given the names of the persons who had battered her mother.

It was while at the police station that one of the suspects was passing by and the distraught woman pointed him out to the police but she was told that they needed to first perform a post-mortem on the body before they could make an arrest. When the post-mortem was performed last Friday, it was found that the woman had broken bones and was also sexually assaulted. The police then acted on the first set of information they received, and arrested the very person Cox had pointed out to them. The suspect, who was picked up on Saturday, the same day that Magon Jones was laid to rest, reportedly confessed to battering the woman, and told the police that he did so all by himself. The police then released another man who was also being held over the same matter.

Indigenous community proves language, culture not lost By Shivanie Sugrim AMID spectacular displays of Indigenous cuisine and talented artistry, the Amerindian community last Friday proved to a gathering of thousands that their language and culture are not lost. An array of indigenous persons draped in their native clothing dominated the celebrations of Indigenous Heritage Month at the Sophia Exhibition Site last Friday, just after sunset. The talented artistes illustrated life in the various indigenous communities through the use of songs and poems in native languages and lengthy, but appealing ancient stories about their villages. Leading the show was the Surama Cultural Group that comprises the Makushi tribe from Surama Village, which is nestled in North Rupununi. Decked in their colourful head dresses and fine jewellery made of beads and feathers, the group performed a captivating cassava-processing dance in the Makushi language, illustrating the making of cassava dishes in the Surama Village. The village is blessed with huge rivers and wildlife in its open savannahs and is home to nearly 500 people. Nestled in the village is the Surama Eco-Lodge that offers guests an opportunity to have an experience of a lifetime in a region that has been largely untouched by tourism. The village is made up of a few communities where Wapishana and Patamona are spoken besides Makushi. While being the leading participants at this year’s Indigenous Heritage Month observances, the Moraikabai villagers from Region 5, (Mahaica-Berbice) came second in dominating the stage as its Wakaraiyo Cultural Group displayed traditional Arawak dances, the Mari-Mari and Koroberu. Moraikabai is the only indigenous village in Region 5 and is situated about two and a half miles up the Mahaicony Creek and has a population of 1,500. They are chiefly descendants of the Arawak tribe, and are largely Christians, being either Anglicans, Pentecostals or members of the Church of Christ. Other excellent village displays were exhibited by the Katiwau Cultural Group, the Karandanau Cultural Group, the Masekeneri Cultural Group and Paramakatoi and St. Cuthbert’s Mission villagers.

The Katiwau Cultural Group doing the ‘Vaquero’, or cowboy dance (Photos by Adrian Narine)

A young Surama girl delivering a poem titled, ‘My Guyana’ in her native clothing

Children from Rupertee Village doing the cockroach dance

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 7, 2015

Granger issues stern warning to race-baiters

Greater spotlight to be placed on suicide, mental health

…says offenders will face full brunt of the law By Tajeram Mohabir PRESIDENT David Granger said his administration will not go soft on peddlers of racial hatred and division, declaring that the laws will be robustly enforced against them. The President made the announcement on Thursday at the opening of the social cohesion round-table discussion at the Arthur Chung International Conference Centre. “We will enforce the existing laws against racism more vigorously and vigilantly guard against bad elements who foment social and racial strife,” President Granger said as he outlined government’s plans to build a united Guyana. A criminal charge has been filed against former President Bharrat Jagdeo for comments he made during a political rally at Babu Jaan, Region 6, during the recently concluded General and Regional Elections. The former President at that rally had said“… but they consistently, they shout about racism of the PPP, but they practise racism. They whisper campaigns. In the last elections they went to some of the Afro- Guyanese villages and beat some drums at 6 o’clock in the morning and say let us throw out these

neys-at-Law to challenge it in the High Court.

President David Granger

coolie people. Get up, go out and vote, throw out the coolie people. That’s the kind of language they use. Anybody from our party who uses that sort of language, we will kick them out. This is our approach.” The private criminal charge was filed by Attorney-at-Law and prominent Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram. Jagdeo was forced to make an appearance at the Whim Magistrate’s Court where the charge of was read to him by Magistrate Charlyn Artiga. The former President has contended that the charge against him is politically-motivated and has since moved through his Attor-

NO SHOW Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was a no-show at the opening of the social cohesion round-table discussion at the Arthur Chung International Conference Centre. The PPP/C had described the round-table as a “merely window dressing” and said it would not participate since many of its supporters or persons perceived to be its supporters have been dismissed since the new government assumed office. The PPP/C has called the situation a witch-hunt, but President David Granger yesterday said that is not so, as there are valid reason for all the dismissals. The dismissals are reportedly linked to the disappearance of funds and other malpractices. Meanwhile, the international community has commended the round-table discussion with British High Commissioner to Guyana Greg Quinn expressing high optimism that it will be a success, though not overnight. He said for Guyana to develop and prosper, social cohesion is necessary, and the round-table discussion is a step in the right direction.

Suspect in Alboustown execution surrenders TEENAGER, Keron Taylor, called Layrow, of Sussex Street, Charlestown has been arrested in connection with the execution-style killing of Sanasie Lewis, 22, on Friday morning, and the shooting of three others outside the Ghetto Flex Bar in Albouystown. On Saturday, the police expressed an interest in questioning the teenager and his brother after Lewis, of Pineapple Street, East Ruimveldt was gunned down, and the suspect turned himself over to the police in the custody of his attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes. Information reaching the Guyana Chronicle stated that the police are also looking for another suspect, who is said to be Keron’s brother.

According to reports, it is felt that the shooting Friday was in retaliation to an earlier shooting in another community in the city last week. Sources who spoke with this publication stated that the teenager who is in police custody, as well as the one being sought, are children of a man who is no stranger to the police. Additionally, the two young men are also known to the police, especially the one in custody, as he was picked up and held by the police in the past for several serious offences. Meanwhile, police would have checked Taylor for evidence of gunpowder residue. During the shooting incident on Friday morning, three

other persons were injured as the gunmen opened fire at their main target, Sanasie Lewis. Those injured were identified by the police as Jamal Bascom, 23, of Independence Boulevard; Jonathan De Freitas, 20, of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara; and Kurt Francis, 16, of Princes Street, Georgetown. Eyewitnesses at the scene told this publication that there were two gunmen who approached on foot and started firing shots in the direction of Lewis, who appeared to be the intended target. The men than reportedly fled on foot, joined a waiting car, and made good their escape. (Leroy Smith)

Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr Karen Cummings

By Tajeram Mohabir WITH Guyana having an alarmingly high suicide rate, strong attention will be placed on helping families, caregivers, schools, colleges, universities and faith-based institutions to develop strategies to tackle the scourge. Equal attention will also be paid to mental health with focus on early intervention. Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr Karen Cummings said these will form part of a plan to create mentally-healthy workplaces. Recently, US Chargé d’Affaires Brian Hunte had observed that with a suicide rate of 44.2 per 100,000 per year; too many lives are being lost in Guyana. Guyana has also been struggling with the problem of human capital shortages. The loss, Hunte said, is due to a lack of solid investment in improved mental health outcomes. He was, however, quick to recognise the efforts being made by the Administration to tackle this problem. Dr Cumming said the government will be moving to address mental health and suicide holistically. “We are going to expand the capacity of older folks, families and communities to promote mental health later in life and intervene, to reduce and prevent suicide whenever possible, modernise mental health facilities and establish community centres for nursing suicidal persons and their families back to

Greater attention will be placed on tackling suicide and mental health

living productive lives,” the Minister said. World Suicide Prevention Day 2015 will be observed on September 10 under the theme: “Preventing Suicide: Reaching out and Saving Lives”. Dr Cumming said in observance of the occasion, the Ministry of Public Health will partner with stakeholders such as the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and others to commence work in Baramita, Region 1. In Baramita, the figure had risen to crisis proportion. Some 69 persons within the last 4 years have committed suicide. The youngest person who attempted suicide in the village is 6 years old while a successful attempt was made by a 10-year-old. REGIONS 2 AND 3 “We will also be focusing on other regions such as Region 2 and Region 6, which have been the regions observed, from research, to have been the most challenging regions,” Dr Cummings said. Within the Ministry of Public Health, there is a draft strategic plan for tackling mental illness. According to the draft National Mental Health Strategy for Guyana 2015-2020, between 78,000 and 114,000 Guyanese are suffering from a mental disorder and require some level of mental health care service. In addition, 20,000 Guyanese suffer from severe mental illness. Guyana’s population is 748,000. Unipolar depression is the fifth greatest contributor to the disease burden in Guyana; and suicide,

a mental health issue, is the leading cause of death among Guyanese. “We will be reviewing that plan carefully with a view to operationalising it as quickly as possible so as to be able to effectively manage mental illness and mental health issues in Guyana,” Dr Cumming said. She said much work needs to be done in diagnosing and treating all aspects of mental illness. The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO 1999) defines mental health as a state of emotional and social well-being in which the individual can cope with the normal stresses of life and achieve his or her potential. It is a result of a complex interplay of biological, psychological, social, environmental, and economic factors. Good mental health is more than the absence of mental illness; it is a complete sense of well-being and quality of life on all levels, the United Nations body on health says. Dr Cummings said neuro-psychiatric disorders, like any other diseases, require careful treatment and the Ministry of Public Health will manage mental health and suicide by addressing a number of known risks and protective factors. These will focus on setting clear objectives that are sustainable over the long run and support villages and regional communities to take appropriate action. Some priorities include increased education on how to prevent mental illness and suicide wherever possible and eliminate stigma.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 7, 2015

Tourism Minister, CAL commit to working together for the long haul TOURISM Minister Catherine Hughes and a team from the Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines recently underscored their commitment towards working together for the long haul. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle at the Ministry’s Boardroom at Colgrain House on down-town Camp Street, Minister Hughes explained that during a recent meeting, both entities assured each other of their commitment to working together, and discussed some priority issues. “Caribbean Airlines asked to have a meeting with us; their directors are in town,” Minister Hughes said, adding: “They came to meet both myself and Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson as new ministers in a sector that directly relates and impacts on them.” She said that during their

Tourism Minister, Catherine Hughes greeting Caribbean Airlines CEO, Michael DiLollo (Photo by Adrtian Narine)

discussions, CAL explained how the airline operates, and that both parties started off by discussing their areas of concern in the airline market.

COST CUTTING Minister Hughes said she learnt that the airline last year sustained huge losses, and

Disability rights advocate calls for special needs schools – in five regions where none exists DISABILITY rights advocate Ganesh Singh is calling for a strong disability unit presence in several regions across the country, and for implementation of disability schools for those children who have special needs and live in regions where such schools do not exist. This newspaper understands that no special school or disability unit exists in Regions One, Two, Three, Five, and Eight, although there are physically disabled children with special needs residing in those regions. For this reason, Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Council of Organisation for Persons with Disabilities, disability rights advocate Ganesh Singh, is calling on the relevant authorities to plug services, particularly educational services, geared at enhancing the lives of those children and persons living with disabilities in those regions. “I know of children with disabilities residing in Region 5, (Mahaica-Berbice) and have the ability but cannot go to school because of the lack of systems and infrastructure,” Singh said. Though some of those children are accepted in the nursery and primary levels, Singh pointed out, teachers do not have the necessary resources to carry out the curriculum

for the rest of their schooling. Singh said the Ministry of Education is currently doing a lot for special education at the central ministry level, but the problem lies in those mentioned regions. “The Regional Education Officers (REdOs) in some regions are not as supportive to special education as others,” Singh added, while pointing out that the REdOs of Regions Six and Seven must be complimented since they have taken it upon themselves to establish a special needs unit for children with disabilities. Singh, who is also the Project Coordinator of the Guyana Society for the Blind Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) programme, is urging the new administration to take a hands-on approach in dealing with this issue. Visually impaired, the disability rights advocate holds a Diploma in Social Work obtained from the University of Guyana. There are presently special schools and disability units for children with disabilities in a few regions in Guyana. In Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica), the Diamond Special School, the David Rose Special School, Harold B. Davis Special School, the Ministry of Education Resource Unit for the Blind, and the Guyana So-

that the new management is now making some adjustments to their budget “to cut those losses, which range from somewhere between US$70 to US$100M yearly.” She said the team also met with the travel agencies, which is something she was very happy about, “because, in my presentation to them, I raised that many Guyanese are very concerned about the high cost of air travel. So we talked specifically about that.” She said that the travel agents, in turn, were very worried about the change in their commission structure, but “after the meeting, they have come to a compromise and have highlighted to us that they will be able to offer additional deals to assist the agents to earn an income.” IN-TRANSIT Many complaints, the

Minister said, were raised about the manner in which Guyanese are treated when having to in-transit in Trinidad and Tobago. “One of the new areas they are going to implement in the immediate future,” she said, is having Guyanese disembark the plane and go straight to the departure lounge,” rather than disembarking, then going through security all over again. High on their priority list also, the Tourism Minister said, was the London route. “This route has, in fact, not stopped as yet, and their main concern is that they were flying their Boeing 767s, and these aircraft are very expensive to maintain.” She was, however, happy to report that both parties are committed to maintaining the service, and will be putting

other arrangements in place to sustain it. “As an industry, I was a bit worried that we were not going to be able to offer the quality of airlift we would like to out of the London and the European market,” she said, adding: “The airlift will continue, but as of now, we are not certain of the arrangement that would be put into place. But there would be some form of arrangement; we will not be out of an option.” In summing up the outcome of the meeting, she said: “We were to the point and frank that we think the high prices is a direct detriment to the development of our tourism industry, and to Guyanese who have been strong supporters of Caribbean Airlines.”

GPL ups ante against electricity theft – but admits Sophia, environs challenging By Rabindra Rooplall

Ganesh Singh

ciety for the Blind CSEC Programme support the disabled. There are three special needs private schools nestled in Region Four: the Gifted Hands School for Special Children, the Step By Step School and the Greenheart Autistic Society. As for Region 6, (East Berbice-Corentyne) the New Amsterdam Special School, the CBR Special School in Rose Hall Town, the Corriverton Deaf Academy and the Region 6 Disability Unit comprise the disability entities in that region. Region 7 (CuyuniMazaruni) has only one disability unit -- the Region 7 Disability Unit; while Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) has two special needs units: the Linden Special Needs School and the Wismar Hill Primary School Unit for the Blind. (Shivanie Sugrim)

AS the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) makes good on its threat to prosecute and disconnect persons found guilty of electricity theft, it continues to suffer billions annually in technical and commercial losses. Reports reveal that 17 per cent of losses by the power company are as a result of electricity theft, and this amounts to some $2B each year. GPL says disconnections are part of a monthly routine, and targets various areas where customers are seeking to bypass the system so as to illegally obtain electricity. It says there were instances where one pole connection was used to power several houses in the streets and in a squatting settlement. “It was found that a pole had wires running in all directions, and in many instances, these illegal connections were running on the ground to homes,” the company reported. The Electricity Sector Reform Act outlines severe penalties for persons found guilty of electricity theft. The authorities have made

several raids in these communities before, but they are not sure of the kind of impact they have had in reducing the number of illegal connections. The conviction rate is very minimal when compared to the number of persons charged for electricity theft. More than 30 persons were arrested and charged in August alone, while the list continues to grow for this September month already. These persons are in court for fraudulent diversion of electricity. On Friday last, raids were conducted in ‘D’ Field and Cummings Park, Sophia and its environs, and unearthed scores of illegal connections. Recently, another campaign around the Vendors’ Arcade saw over two dozen stalls being disconnected because of illegal connections. GPL has undertaken a vigorous approach to loss reduction, in that it has initiated its loss reduction project that targets mainly commercial losses. The project initially adopted practical measures such as upgrading and controlling metering of its largest

A GPL official severing an illegal connection during one of the company’s many disconnection campaigns

customers. Subsequently, GPL embarked on a campaign to inspect all its customers, replace defective meters, and change the unusual existing interface arrangement for low-voltage users, which is extremely susceptible to fraud. The Evaluation and Prioritisation of Loss Reduction Investments serves as the basis for the strategy to address the electricity loss problem.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, September 7, 2015

Police still hunting killers of Leopold Street man

POLICE are still hunting the killers of Deon Macey, who was murdered last week for allegedly “peeping” women in the Leopold Street, Georgetown area. Police reported yesterday that while three suspects are still in custody and assisting with investigations, they are interested in questioning several more persons, all residents of Leopold Street. It all began in the yard in which Macey resided, when he was allegedly observed peeping through a hole at a woman, who was at the time changing her clothes. On raising an alarm, the men in the yard responded and surrounded the small apartment he was in. An argument ensued, then the gang closed in on him. He was overpowered and was fatally stabbed to the chest and abdomen, and left in sitting position until his corpse was removed by undertakers in the presence of the police. Reputedly a drug addict, Macey, whenever he was high, was in the habit of

peeking at females while they were bathing, undressing, or sleeping in the large yard in which he lived. He was reportedly warned before to desist from doing so, but last Wednesday, he was brutally murdered when he was caught red-handed once again. Initially, police reported that Macey was killed during a fight with a group of men, following an argument at around 06:50hrs on Wednesday. He occupied a small shack at Lot 67-68 Leopold Street, Werk-enRust, Georgetown, in a yard which has a large house with several apartments occupied by scores of residents. They told reporters that they did not hear anything which indicated there was a fight which eventually led to murder. The bloodied body was found in a slouched position in his modest apartment which had spots of blood on the ground and walls. The police was summoned after calls to him went unan-

Monday, September 7, 2015 - 13:30 hrs Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - 14:30 hrs Wednesday, September 9, 2015 - 14:30 hrs

swered and upon checking at his apartment his body was discovered by residents. Macey was last seen alive at about 02:00 hrs when he said he was going on a ‘fine hustle’.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

Indigenous women proudly showcase Amerindian cuisine By Michel Outridge

L O L I TA Wi l l i a m s , 58, is one of the many indigenous women at the Amerindian Village, Sophia Exhibition Site in celebration of Indigenous Heritage Month. She is from the Patamona tribe, and specialises in Amerindian cuisine such as wild cow, deer and labba curries, and tuma pot, which is made from smoked haimara fish. Williams is originally from Waipa, in the Pakaraimas, Region 8 (Potaro-Siparuni), but she has since relocated to Kabauri, a quaint little village of about 300 residents in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), some 72 miles from Bartica. Williams told this publication that their main sources of income in the village are farming, hunting, and small-scale mining and logging. She said that though Kabauri boasts a nursery and primary school, the nearest secondary school is at Bartica. Most residents use solar power, but some have small generators. There are two playfields, but there is need for a pavilion and sports gear for the youths. Cricket, football and volleyball were recently introduced to the community. Williams, the mother of one, said that generally, Amerindian men and women work equally long hours. She added that they are a quiet and resourceful people. JANE CAMPBELL, 50, a mother of six, was another indigenous woman at the Amerindian Village at Sophia who was selling Amerindian cuisine. She was alongside her friend and villag-

Lolita Williams and Jane Campbell display their Amerindian cuisine and beverages

er, Lolita Williams, and together they prepared sumptuous pots of curried wild meat, farine, and cassava bread. She told this newspaper that life in her village is very simple; she sells cassava and cassava by-products in the backdam, while her husband fishes and hunts. And SUNSHINE WILLIAMS, 49, who hails from Paramakatoi, is a fun loving singer of all genres of music, particularly the calypso, and was one of the many performers in the cultural show held at the Amerindian Village last week at Sophia. The father of four said that since he was a child, he liked singing, and still does, even to this day. He is from the Macushi tribe, and his advice to Indigenous youths is:

“Remember your roots; don’t forget your culture. And try to do something to enhance your life and desist from smoking cannabis sativa, and pilfering, and instead use your hands to earn.” Williams belted out many songs, which were well received by the audience. One of the crowd favourites was, “Don’t call me a Buckman”. Back home, Williams is a security guard. The village in which he lives has about 1,000 residents, whose way of life is almost incident-free. Everybody, he declared, is in the same line of business. He said his village is very remote, and the only way to get there is by plane. But it is a very costly trip. However, he says that he always enjoys his time in the city.

The charming Sunshine Williams

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

Clean-up drive begins, spruces up Regent St. --as scores of volunteers get onboard

THE ‘Green City’ initiative, which was launched last Thursday, took to Regent Street yesterday in an effort to rid the major commercial zone of mounds of garbage and derelict materials. Decked in their green “Green City” T-shirts and hats, the many volunteers worked diligently to clear drains, weed clumps of bush and cart of piles of carelessly dumped garbage. Speaking with the Chronicle yesterday, Town Clerk Royston King said the day was dedicated to cleaning the entire Regent Street on both sides, from Avenue of the Republic to Vlissengen Road. “This is the beginning of a series of cleanup exercises which will be done around the city as of today, as next week, we intend to clean the entire Water Street, while the Bourda cemetery and Sea Wall will be treated as a special project,” King said. He said further that they will be raising awareness about the benefits of a clean and healthy environment, and meeting with young people in the schools. They will be moving through with these initiatives right up until Guyana celebrates its 50th Independence Anniversary on May 26, 2016. When this publication returned to Regent Street late yesterday, the area was spick and span, as dedicated volunteers could still be seen hard at work. Meanwhile, persons are being urged to keep the city clean, because such exercises in the past have been undermined by litterbugs and slobs. Addressing the audience at the launching of the initiative, Mayor Green announced that through this initiative and from now on, there will be “zero tolerance” when it comes to anyone, whether rich or poor, who compro-

An example of a cleaner Georgetown. If persons appreciate everywhere can look as beautiful as this the environment clean.

mises the drainage system, litter or engage in any illicit activities in Georgetown. Through this initiative, volunteers will be selected to do a number of activities around the city in terms of cleaning up and public awareness regarding keeping

what is being done,

The volunteers, he said, will benefit from being part of this initiative and they will receive certificates to show that they were involved in this local effort, and more persons are urged to come onboard and support the work of the M&CC.

Effective teamwork in action!

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

Forde retains male title, Morgan races ... From back page

SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Fairview 08:50 hrs Starstepper 09:25 hrs Masterly 10:05 hrs Deepo 10:40 hrs Count Zafonic ENGLISH RACING TIPS Windsor 08:50 hrs Heroic Heart 09:20 hrs Gravity Flow 09:50 hrs Michael’s Mount 10:20 hrs Cartago 10:50 hrs Majestic Hero 11:20 hrs Perfect Rhythm 11:50 hrs Rockfast 12:20 hrs Etienne Gerard BRIGHTON 09:00 hrs Magical Daze 09:30 hrs Perkunas 10:00 hrs Port Laigre 10:30 hrs Equity Risk 11:00 hrs Sociopath 11:30 hrs Silver Lining 12:00 hrs Harry Bosch PERTH 09:10 hrs Strobe 09:40 hrs Bennachie 10:10 hrs It’s All An Act 10:40 hrs Officer Sydney 11:10 hrs Solway Legend 11:40 hrs Rosie Revenue IRISH RACING TIPS Galway 11:35 hrs Cole Porter 12:05 hrs High Focus 12:35 hrs Simannka 13:05 hrs Ibergman 13:35 hrs Almela 14:05 hrs Gelenschik 14:35 hrs Alveena AMERICAN RACING TIPS Saratoga Race 1 Burdines Race 2 Surprise Cameo Race 3 Shadow Jack Race 4 Infinite Wisdom Race 5 Moneyinyour Pocket Race 6 Wedding Dress Race 7 Uncle Sigh Race 8 Gap Year Race 9 Ironicus

after, they (athletes) got separated into several packs with the leading pack involving Forde, Cleveland Thomas, Nathaniel Giddings and Tyshon Bentick among others. The front bunch stuck together for quite a while until they reached Crane where Forde increased the pace and was followed by arch rival Thomas. Meanwhile, Morgan was doing battle with Andrea Foster who at the time had the lead by approximately 20 metres. Forde and Thomas kept extending the lead and stuck together, but approaching the western end of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, the Kenyan-trained Forde upped the ante and moved away from Thomas who failed to respond. Forde, who won the event on four consecutive occasions, went on to seal his fifth victory in the history of the event. He crossed the finish line

some 120 metres ahead of Thomas who clocked 33.58. The third-place finisher in this category was Winston Messenger (34.38) It was just over nine minutes later when Morgan crossed the finish line, way ahead of Fortune (43.52) who collapsed after the race and had to be assisted by her club mates and other public-spirited citizens. She, however, recovered in time to collect her prize. Finishing third was Alicia Jack (44.33. Most of the athletes complained about having to run in hot humid conditions and said that took a toll on their performance. In other results, Matthew McKenzie (35.32) won the junior boys’ division ahead of Odwin Tudor (35.43) and Samuel Lynch (40.43) respectively. On the distaff side, Shantel Hinds (35.32 won the junior girls’ category ahead of Maria McKenzie and Yulit Charles (50.220 respectively.

Cyrleen Phillips (50.22) was first among the female veterans 40 years and over. Second was Carla Adams. In the male veterans 56 years and over event Llewellyn Gardner (43.18) continued his dominance of 10K runs by winning ahead of Carlton Stephenson (54.43) and Charles Crosse (55.34). The masters’ 40 years and over age group was won by Larry Josiah (40.01). Second was Eon Archibald (40.25) and finishing third was Kwame Bright (42.22). The 10K run also had a 5K fitness walk/jog for fitness enthusiasts and this attracted a number of Massy employees who came to the capital from as far as Berbice and Essequibo along with other enthusiasts and their numbers topped the 100 registrants for the event. The presentation of prizes to the respective winners was done by Massy Group of Companies executives and managers of the various groups.

From back page

Football Club (GFC), Pele and Fruta Conquerors are the eight participating teams. “I hope also to see in the future that the GFF doesn’t own the league, but the clubs in the league to rightfully take charge. We (GFF) are starting it now but the long-term plan is to ensure that those clubs can manage, run the league and share the revenue,” Urling said. He added “The last league I think the prize money was about $6.5M and this year we pumped it up to $15M. The first time, the GFF will be paying the players. So for ever match played, the players will be receiving a direct support from the GFF”. Urling said that the league, apart from the tangible support from corporate Guyana, is heavily funded by the sport’s world governing body FIFA, since they (FIFA) believe that “the league is where you develop players and teams and to have champions. Not just one of competitions”. “Football is the world’s biggest sport; the world’s most commercially viable sport, and FIFA, if you look at their World Cup – Guyana’s GDP is $3.2 billion and FIFA in the 2014 World Cup revenue is 4.8 billion which is more than ours (Guyana) GDP in an entire year,” said Urling. The former chairman of the Private Sector Commission further pointed out that “the potential of football in Guyana is huge, but to get to that level, there’s

a lot of investment that has to go into the sport; the intangible that people don’t see. When we came in as an NC, we thought it was easy to do an international match, but to prepare your teams and ensure we have the adequate infrastructure - football is a very costly exercise and this league is a costly exercise

Stag Elite League ...

date at the Leonora Track & Field and Football Facility. Apart from securing one of the two spots to represent Guyana at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) club championship and probably the CONCACAF Champions League, a club could pocket as much as $10M at the completion of the league. The league will be split into two - Genesis and Finale, with the club coming out on top taking home $4M, second-placers $2M, third-placers $1M and fourth-placers $500 000. There’s also a $1M bonus for the club with the most points at the end of both seasons. Ansa McAl, behind their Stag Beer brand, is the league’s title sponsor while COURTS Guyana Inc. and E-Networks have thrown in hefty sums behind the hosting of the league. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalisation Committee, Clinton Urling, said the league in itself, will be football’s ‘litmus test’. The Normalisation Committee tenure will come to an end on November 14, when football stakeholders head to the polls at their ‘Congress’ and, according to Urling, all eyes will be on the new administration to ensure that the league is sustained. Alpha United, Slingerz FC, Buxton United, Monedderlust, Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Georgetown

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT Notably missing from the list of sponsors is the Government of Guyana, but last week, the GFF met with Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who stated that the David Granger-led administration is keen on playing a part in helping in the development of football in Guyana. U r l i n g a t S a t u r d a y ’s launch, emphasised, “Football in Guyana can never develop if the Government doesn’t come on board and financially support the football programme. People like to use the examples and to tell you what’s happening in Jamaica and Trinidad but those programmes receive tremendous support from the Government. FIFA’s support is not sufficient, corporate support is also not sufficient so we would definitely have to get the Government’s support.” “I’m pretty confident after our meeting last week that they will come on board and I hope that we can build on that relationship with the Government and the Public Sector,” Urling noted.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

No pressure for Hamilton in dominant Monza win By Alan Baldwin MONZA, Italy (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix to take a 53-point lead in the Formula One championship yesterday after Mercedes team mate and closest rival Nico Rosberg retired with his car in flames. The Briton had to wait several more hours, however, for the result to be confirmed after a stewards’ enquiry into low tyre pressures on his car. With some rivals calling for the reigning champion to be disqualified, the stewards ruled Mercedes had followed the specified procedures and decided to take no further action.

Apart from that scare, Hamilton’s win was an afternoon remarkably free of pressure in all other aspects. He enjoyed a commanding cruise to the top step of a podium, standing high above a throng of Ferrari fans who had hoped to acclaim one of their own as winner but had to make do with Sebastian Vettel finishing runner-up. It was Hamilton’s 40th career victory, one less than his boyhood hero Ayrton Senna, and seventh of the season. “This weekend’s been just fantastic, a perfect weekend for me,” said the Briton, who dominated practice, started from pole position,

led from the first corner and set the fastest lap. “I don’t know if I have ever had a weekend like this. This circuit is such a special one for me ... when you stand on top of that podium you feel an incredible pride, incredibly proud to be amongst the greats who have stood there. “The sea of fans is just unlike anything I’ve seen.” He had led from start to finish, with his points advantage in the championship gaining a sudden boost when team mate and closest rival Rosberg retired two laps from the end with flames flickering from the engine. Vettel finished a massive 25 seconds behind

while Brazilian Felipe Massa took third for Williams a mere 0.3 ahead of his Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas.

circuit, whose future on the calendar remains in doubt. He had been unaware of the tyre pressure issue until after the finish, when stew-

a fresh one with upgrades for the fastest circuit on the calendar. The German had started fourth but lost places taking

Lewis Hamilton leads the Italian GP from start to finish - but is made to wait for three hours before his win is finally confirmed at Monza yesterday. A Hamilton disqualification would have put both Williams drivers on the podium and that team’s head of engineering Pat Symonds felt that should have been the case. “There’s a list of penalties for sporting infringements, technical infringements are disqualification,” he said. The win was Hamilton’s third in Monza and also made him the first driver since compatriot Damon Hill in 1994 to take back-to-back wins at the historic Italian

ards said the left rear tyre -- measured before the start -- had been 0.3 PSI below the minimum specified by Pirelli. Rosberg’s tyre had even less pressure but the German was past caring, his hopes literally going up in flames when the German pulled over with smoke and flames billowing out from the rear of his car while in third place. A pre-qualifying problem had forced Rosberg to start the race with an engine that had previously done five races, while Hamilton had

evasive action when Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, on the front row with Hamilton, struggled to get away with cars swerving around on either side. The Finn was last into the first corner but fought back to take fifth place. Force India’s Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg were sixth and seventh with Australian Daniel Ricciardo eighth for Red Bull. Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson was ninth for Sauber and Russian Daniil Kvyat 10th for Red Bull.

Injury-plagued all-rounder Watson ends Test career

(REUTERS) - Australia all-rounder Shane Watson quit Test cricket with immediate effect yesterday, accepting defeat in his battle against injuries that have ravaged his career. The 34-year-old announced the decision after sustaining a calf injury in Saturday’s one-day victory over England that ended his tour, Cricket Australia (CA) said on their website. “I announce my retirement from Test cricket today with a heavy heart,” Watson, who finished his 59-match Test career with 3 731 runs and a 35-plus average, said in a CA statement. “I have given my all to be the best I can be, physically, technically and mentally, and while I have not always achieved the personal goals that I set myself in Test cricket, to have played over 50 Tests and to have captained my country is more than I ever dreamed of.” Watson, who remains available for one-dayers and Twenty20 Internationals, played his last Test in the Ashes opener at Cardiff before being dropped from the

Australian side who lost the series 3-2 last month. Two other members of Australia’s losing Ashes party -- Michael Clarke and

SHANE WATSON Chris Rogers -- have also announced their international retirements. “On this tour I have seen how the next generation of young Australian cricketers are ready to take the game forward,” Watson said. “I hope to continue to represent my country in both shorter formats of the game, and I believe that

I still have a significant amount to contribute.” Since his 2005 Test debut against Pakistan, regular hamstring and back injuries have taken toll on Watson’s body and his stock has fallen considerably over the last couple of years. Once the golden boy of Australian cricket, Watson lost his place at the top of the batting order and his bowling, which earned him 75 Test wickets and was once considered essential to the team balance, has also lost some of its bite. “He has been an outstanding contributor to the team on and off the field and a great thinker on the game as well as a hugely talented cricketer,” coach Darren Lehmann said. “Behind the scenes he has done so much work with our younger players and that has been something that has impressed me.” Skipper Steve Smith said he was among those who benefited from Watson’s experience. “It has been a pleasure to play alongside Shane and he has been a huge influence on my career and the team as a whole,” said Smith.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

Serena Williams to meet sister Venus in U.S. Open quarter-finals By Piers Newbery, BBC Sport at Flushing Meadows

“Obviously I had to - I knew I wouldn’t have too many chances to break.” SERENA Williams saw off a significant threat to her In a match dominated by short rallies of fewer than Grand Slam hopes with victory over 19th seed Madison four strokes, Keys cracked first with two double faults in Keys at the U.S. Open, yesa row to give up the break in terday. game eight. Wi l l i a m s , t h e w o r l d Williams duly served out number one, beat her fellow and kept the pressure up in the American 6-3, 6-3 to set up a second set, missing a host of quarter-final against her sister break points before converting Venus. the seventh to lead 4-3. Serena, 33, is now three She did not require any wins from completing the first help, but a net cord handed calendar Grand Slam since Williams match point and a Steffi Graf in 1988. Keys double fault brought an Men’s defending chamend after 68 minutes. pion Marin Cilic and 19th The next player in Serena’s seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga both path is her 35-year-old sister won and will meet in the last Venus, who beat Estonia’s eight. Annett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-1. Top seed Novak Djokovic Cilic survived an examplays 24th seed Roberto Bauination from France’s Jeremy tista Agut later today. Chardy, and a twisted ankle, Williams knew she faced to return to the quarter-finals. a serious threat in the powerAfter winning the first ful 19-year-old Keys, and the set, the Croat rolled his ansix-time champion produced kle in losing the second and Serena and Venus Williams a clinical performance. was taken to a third-set tieShe had looked nervous break. and on edge throughout the first week, with her normally imBut he took that with the help of four aces and breezed pregnable serve vulnerable - the most dominant shot in tennis through the fourth to complete a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6, (7-2), 6-0 win. was broken five times in three matches. “Jeremy played really well from second set on and Williams hit the practice court hard after her third- I was having trouble with my movement after twisting round match, and she would not offer up a single break my ankle,” said Cilic, a first-time Grand Slam winner at point against Keys. Flushing Meadows last year. “I served much better today,” Williams said afterwards. The ninth seed will next play Tsonga, who beat fellow “I’m so proud I was able to serve better. Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

Klinger ton sinks Yorkshire as Glous reach final

MICHAEL Klinger's unbeaten century led Gloucestershire to an eight-wicket win over Yorkshire in their Royal London One-Day Cup semi-final at Headingley. The 35-year-old hit 137 off 145 balls and shared an unbroken 177-run third-wicket stand with Hamish Marshall (78). Scores: Yorkshire 263-9 (50 overs): Lyth 96, Bairstow 34; Howell 3-37 Gloucestershire 267-2

(46.5 overs): Klinger 137 not out, Marshall 78 not out England opener Adam Lyth made a superb 96 for Yorkshire, but they were limited to 263-9 as Benny Howell claimed 3-37. Klinger and Marshall were rarely troubled during the run-chase and saw their side home with 19 balls to spare. Lyth put his Ashes woes behind him in a brilliant attacking innings, which included 10 fours and a six,

which was in stark contrast to that of his Yorkshire opening partner Alex Lees, who struggled to find the middle of the bat. Gloucestershire were not flawless in the field with three difficult chances going down and a comical dropped catch by Liam Norwell off his own bowling looked like it might be a turning point. Jonny Bairstow was the man reprieved as Norwell grounded the ball as he looked to throw it up in

celebration having taken a simple return catch. However, the England Test player - who was later called up for the three remaining one-day internationals against Australia - failed to make the most of his let-off as 23-year-old Norwell trapped him lbw in his next over. After racing to 168-3 from their first 30 overs, the Vikings innings stuttered as they managed just 95 runs from their last 20 and lost six wickets in the process.

Wales draw with Israel to leave champagne on ice CARDIFF (Reuters) - Wales will have to wait to book their place at Euro 2016 after they failed to break down a defensive Israel in a goalless draw in Cardiff yesterday that kept them top of Group B but left the champagne on ice. Bidding to qualify for their first major tournament since the World Cup in 1958, they might not have to wait for more than a few hours to pop the corks should Belgium fail to win in Cyprus later on Sunday. Wales lead the way with 18 points, four clear of Belgium in second and five ahead of Israel in third. They will all have two games to play after yesterday’s fix-

tures. Wales, who require one point from games away to Bosnia and at home to Andorra, had a handful of chances to clinch victory with Aaron Ramsey spurning their best opportunity when he headed over in the first half. Simon Church thought he had won it in the final minute of stoppage time but was ruled offside when he headed the ball into the net. “They made it difficult for us, we wanted a win but it is another point and another clean sheet,” Wales captain Ashley Williams told Sky Sports. “We wanted to get it done and dusted today but is has been a positive week with

four points.” Backed by a raucous home crowd at the Cardiff City Stadium, Wales made a fast start and dominated the early possession but stuggled to find a breakthrough against Israel’s deep-lying defence. Chances were limited in the first half although Arsenal midfielder Ramsey wasted a superb opportunity on 10 minutes when he headed over a gaping net from close range after Andy King’s shot had been blocked by keeper Ofir Marciano. Israel came out of their shell after the break, pushing further up the pitch, but that merely encouraged Wales’s efforts to find a winner. Talisman Gareth Bale

lifted a free kick over the bar from the edge of the area two minutes after the break, but was not at his match-winning best as the hosts continued to pile forward. A corner by Ramsey found King but his powerful header was saved by Marciano and Hal Robson-Kanu had loud appeals for a penalty waved away when the ball hit Eytan Tibi on the arm as the Wales forward was poised to volley. The noise levels increased as Wales pressed in the final stages and the stadium erupted when Church headed the ball past Marciano only for their celebrations to be curtailed by the linesman’s flag.

GRFU annual general meeting set for September 27 THE Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) will hold its long-awaited Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of office-bearers on September 27, according to current president Peter Green. Greene said that the lack of an updated financial record had delayed the election process but now that everything has been settled, elections will go forth as planned. The current GRFU head said, “Some people would say that my style of leadership is very stern and they are people that want to see the back of me and then there are people that want me to come back; it’s all up to the general membership.” Meanwhile, Green disclosed that they are keen on getting a newer beach form of the game launched, an initiative that is the brainchild of the North American Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA). He continued, “Starting next year, sometime in November we will be introducing to the public beach rugby, with a complete beach rugby pitch coming down in November from NACRA, and we are hoping to approach Hits and Jams for the use of their water world. It would be great.” He noted too that NACRA has reviewed its stance on the women’s side of the game adding, “The NACRA people are looking to change up the programme, so women rugby will be very up there because NACRA wants to see women’s rugby international by April 2016.” “Our girls have already had their taste for 7s this year in North Carolina. They didn’t do too well but they have a lot of promise, so we have women’s rugby, the Under-19 and then we have the school developmental programme,” said Green.

Australia call up Handscomb & Hastings for Coulter-Nile & Watson PACE bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile has become the latest Australia player to be ruled out of the rest of the one-day international series against England. Opener David Warner broke a thumb during Saturday’s second ODI and was replaced by Yorkshire’s Aaron Finch. Injuries to all-rounder Shane Watson (calf) and CoulterNile (hamstring) in that game have forced the tourists to raid county cricket again. John Hastings and Peter Handscomb join the squad for tomorrow’s third ODI. Seamer Hastings, 29, has been Durham’s overseas player this summer. He has played 11 ODIs for Australia, with his last international appearance being his only Test in December 2012. Uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman Handscomb, 24, born in Melbourne to English parents, has been playing for Gloucestershire this season on a UK PETER HANDSCOMB passport. Although he has featured for Australia A, if he were to appear for the full international side, it would threaten his ability to continue as a “domestic” player in England. It means Australia have lost the services of seven players since their tour began in late June. Paceman Ryan Harris retired before the start of the Ashes Test series, keeper Brad Haddin missed a Test for family reasons and left the tour early, while captain Michael Clarke and opener Chris Rogers retired after the final Test. Coach Darren Lehmann said of the latest trio of withdrawals: “We looked at all options including the possibility of flying in cover from Australia. “But the fact all three of the players we have drafted in are already in England means they can join us at short notice, be acclimatised to conditions and be available for selection immediately, if required.” Australia lead the five-match series 2-0. (BBC Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

Injuries make it harder and

Colts edge Bulls 63-59 to win harder to get ageing Bolt in shape inaugural Forbes - Mills Burnham title GLEN Mills, coach of world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, admits that the sprinter’s battle with injuries makes it increasingly harder to get the athlete to impervious shape ahead of major events. The sprinter faced down his biggest challenge in years at the recently concluded Beijing World Championships, in the figure of American Justin Gatlin, going on to claim the 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles. Heading into the event all the talk had surrounded whether Bolt, hampered by injuries in recent years, could outperform the inform American who headed into the Championships with the world’s best times by a distance. In the end Bolt delivered, but Mills the man responsible for conditioning the sprinter is quick to a point out that it is only getting harder. “Bolt is probably the greatest talent in sprinting that the world has ever seen but that said, getting him to be able to perform

By Joe Chapman

Champion sprinter Usain Bolt in converses with his coach Glen Mills. at his best level has its challenges. It’s like there is a diamond in a particular area but to get to it or to get it out, there are a lot of dangers to be encountered,” Mills said of the sprinters preparation. Bolt announced his intention to dominate the world of sprinting at the 2008 Olympic Games, and has made

good on that promise, going on to claim the sprint double at every Olympic or World Championship since, the exception being the Daegu World Championships where he was disqualified in the 100m final. Mills is now, though, uncertain of the 29-year-olds dominance going beyond next year’s Olympic Games

in Rio. “We are going all out to give the Olympics one last fling and after that retirement beckons. If he gets through this Olympics I don’t think he will be able to continue at this level because you can see that it’s now beginning to affect him more than before.” (Sportsmax)

Africa Cup of Nations …

Champions Ivory Coast held again, Morsi inspires Egypt

IVORY Coast are without a win in their first two African Cup of Nations qualifying matches after they were held by Sierra Leone. Defending champions Ivory Coast were held to a goalless draw by Sierra Leone in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group I yesterday. After drawing their opening group game in Gabon 0-0 back in June, the Ivorians were toothless once again

Buttler rested, Bairstow recalled by England for ODI series ENGLAND will rest wicketkeeper Jos Buttler for the last three games of their five-match one-day series against Australia. They have called up fellow keeper Jonny Bairstow, 25, as his replacement. Lancashire’s Buttler, 24, made four and nought as Australia won the first two ODIs. “It has become clear in the last couple of days that Jos will benefit from a break from cricket ahead of the winter tours,” said coach Trevor Bayliss. “While we initially felt Jos would have enough left in the tank, rest is key and Jos has had a heavy workload throughout 2015.” Bairstow made 34 off 40 balls on Sunday as Yorkshire lost to Gloucestershire in the One-Day Cup semi-final. He will miss Yorkshire’s trip to Lord’s this week as they look to beat Middlesex and secure the County Championship title for the second successive season.(BBC Sport)

in a match played in Port Harcourt as Sierra Leone have not yet been cleared to stage matches due to the Ebola outbreak. New Ivory Coast coach Michel Dussuyer was without captain Yaya Toure, who is considering his international future, and his Manchester City team-mate Wilfried Bony as well as Cheick Tiote and Max Gradel. Those key men were sorely missed as the holders failed to secure a first victory in the group and remain level on points with Sierra Leone, who had their chances to claim a shock win. Basem Morsi scored a hat-trick as Egypt hammered Chad 5-1 at Stade Omnisports Idriss Mahamat Ouya to move above Nigeria at the top of Group F. Morsi struck twice in the first half and Mohamed Salah added a third before the break after Nadjim Haroum had pulled a goal back, then Mahmoud Kahraba added a fourth and Morsi completed the scoring to claim the match ball. Zambia came from behind to stun Kenya with a 2-1 away victory in Group F to move level on points with Congo. Michael Olunga put Kenya in front, but their joy proved to be short-lived as Winstone Kalengo and Collins Mbesuma struck to put Zambia in front at halftime and the home side were unable to respond. Algeria needed two El Arbi Hillel Soudani goals in the last five minutes to beat Lesotho 3-1 and make it two wins out of two in Group J. Cameroon have also won both of their games in Group M following 1-0 away triumph over Gambia, while DR Congo were beaten 2-0 by Central African Republic in Group B and Angola played out a goalless draw with Madagascar. Zimbabwe were held to a 1-1 home draw by Guinea and their Group L rivals Malawi and Swaziland also had to settle for a point apiece from a 2-2 draw. Mauritius got up and running, by beating Mozambique 1-0 in H, with Cape Verde seeing off Libya 2-1. Morocco have six points in Group F. Elsewhere, there was a 1-1 draw between Benin and Mali in Group C.

SWINGMAN Shelroy Thomas with a game-high 29 points was sublime in his execution at both ends of the floor as Georgetown’s Colts won the inaugural Forbes Burnham Memorial basketball final with a tense 6359 win over Linden’s Half Mile Bulls. The game was fitting to the expectations of a tribute in honour of Guyana’s first Executive President early Sunday morning at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court in Linden. The win by the Colts was their second nationwide tournament since claiming the official National Club Championship in 2004 which was also staged by the governing Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF). Colts must give credit for their win to shooting guard Thomas. He was clinical in posting the leading score after opening the score. He later piloted his side from early danger against the young Bulls, who were taking the challenge to their more seasoned opponents, by holding the advantage early after trailing 2-0 when Thomas scored off the glass. But the Bulls led at the end of the first quarter 2110 through fine displays from guard Terron Welch and power forward Travin Dryden. The Georgetown side did come with some support in the stands and Thomas engineered a nice comeback as they were adrift 20-25 as he hit a ‘trey’ from downtown with 4 mins 16 secs to go in the second quarter. A steal by Thomas resulted in a two-point game 2729 and back-to-back scoring by Dave Causeway pushed the City lads ahead, 31-29 with 1 minute 16 seconds remaining. A garbage basket and a follow-up jumper by Thomas ensured the Colts had opened a 37-31 cushion to conclude the first half. The Bulls had, to some extent, been able to control the run-and-gun game of the Colts but in the process Dryden found himself in foul trouble with four fouls and this took away from his game defensively, as he was assigned to mark Colts’ centre Shane Webster. With him being limited, the Colts opened double-digit leads of 46-36 and then 50-40 to coast along 54-40 when the third period ended. Soon it was 58-40 and the game seemingly was slipping away from the home side. However, the Bulls with several players, who in recent times were wearing junior national colours, showed their potential and reduced the deficit to trail 58-62 when a glass bottle and plastic chair were thrown on the court after a no-call by the game officials on what appeared to be a foul on Michael Turner of the Bulls. This caused the game’s first of two stoppages and the game officials concurred and awarded the infringement on Colts with 1 minute 37 seconds to go, but Turner was unable to capitalise from the stripe. The final seconds saw frenzied play and play was halted after a call was blown against the Bulls; and what appeared like three bottles were pelted in response by a disgruntled spectator. However, quick action by president of the GABF, Nigel Hinds, ensured the playing area was brought back to normalcy and the game continued as the Colts held their nerves to romp home winners 63-59. Causway contributed 14 points, three steals and two assists in tandem with Thomas for the champions. Dryden top-scored with 16 points and hauled in 12 massive rebounds for the losers, while Welch notched up 13 points, ten rebounds and five steals, Terron Welch had 13 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists and Turner added 10 points in a losing cause. President of the federation, Nigel Hinds, presented the $100 000 cash incentive to the winners, $60 000 to second-placers Bulls and third-placers Pacesetters collected $40 000. Trophies and medals are to be presented to the champions Colts along with a Most Valuable Player award and the Most Disciplined award for the tournament. Hinds reported that President David Granger was supportive of the championship.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday September 7, 2015

A dark horse in the mix WITH the hype building for the third leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship in Barbados, fans are already showing support for their favourite racers, but many have forgotten the dark horse in the mix - Joel Neblett. Neblett, the fifth member of the team in Guyana’s superbike division to Bushy Park, has often shown his ability to upset a field and is banking on this factor come September 13. Neblett, known trackside as GM, said “All in all, I’m pretty confident about bringing home points, even considering myself as a dark horse in this one because of the hype that some of the other riders have generated on social media and in the press, so I will use that as a motivating factor.” “My bike had some issues the other day (August 9) when we raced, but we have since corrected those

Joel Neblett leads the pack. problems and we are hoping for a trouble-free day of racing next week. I hope that we can get the bikes early so I can get some seat time before qualifying,” he added. He continued, “From what I’ve heard, the competition this year (in Barbados) will be stiff, the guys have

been really practising and I expect a challenge.” His yellow, blue and black Suzuki GSXR 600, sponsored by Leon Dorado and Ryan Busby, will join the likes of Matthew, Elliot and Stephen Vieira as well as Kevin Persaud on the superbike team on tour to the land of the flying fish

On the four-wheel end of things, the Group 4 has a strong showing with Mark Vieira, the Jeffrey duo of Kristian and his father Kevin as well as Danny Persaud. Persaud will also represent Guyana in the Group 3 division while Nazim Gafoor is in Group 2. (Stephan Sookram)

OMSCC, Trophy Stall recognise stalwart contributors TORONTO. Canada – The inaugural Toronto Cup softball tournament, featuring teams from the host country Canada, Guyana and New York, got off to an auspicious launching last Thursday night at the Tropical Nights Restaurant and Lounge here. Among those in attendance at the scenic open air setting was Bas Balkissoon, Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the riding of Scarborough Rouge River, officials of the organisers, Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs (OMSCC) and players of the competing teams. In brief comments, Balkissoon urged the visiting teams from Guyana and New York to take the time out during the holiday weekend to visit Toronto in order to take back fond memories of “this beautiful city”. President of the OMSCC, Jai Singh, said he was delighted with the response to the tournament and showered praise on his organising committee for the splendid and tireless effort in ensuring the tournament became a reality. Special commendations were also reserved for businessmen Nasser Baksh and Teddy Hussein whose initiatives, according to chairman of the organising committee Azeem Khan, played major roles in tournament’s success. The OMSCC presented

plaques to both in recognition of their commitment to the game of softball and their contribution to the Toronto Cup. Khan also had special praise for the dynamic input from Mahendranauth

Khan respectively, and Parasnauth. Sports journalists Frederick Halley and Ravendra Madholall were also recognised. Meanwhile, the finals in both Open and Masters categories were scheduled to be

Auto Body, Rajin West Indian Roti Shop, Boodhoo Construction, Top’s Automotive Supply, Feroze Yakub – Demand Maintenance, Our Own Auto Repairs, Ken Jewellery, Shine Party Rentals, Win-

OMSCC vice-president Azeem Khan hands over plaque to Nasser Baksh. ‘Bobby’ Parasnauth who was instrumental in getting most of the overseas teams’ participation and also was a staunch member of the organising committee. Trophy Stall of Guyana, through its proprietor Ramesh Sunich, also took the opportunity to honour several individuals for their contributions to softball in general and to the Toronto Cup. Among those presented with plaques were OMSCC president and vice-president, Jai Singh and Azeem

staged yesterday at the University of Toronto ground, Scarborough. Powerhouse Dant were down to face the unbeaten New York Enforcers in the Open while the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSC) faced off against giant killers Our Own Sports Club. The OMSCC would also take this opportunity to thank several sponsors, including Trophy Stall, Laparkan Trading, Charley’s West Indian Foods, Roop

dies Restaurant, Berbice Window, Persaud Dry Wall and Taping, L.A Auto Body Collision, Norman Sue Bakery, Caribbean Sensation Cricket Club, Azeem Karamat First Realty, Air Touch Travel, Nirad Lall, Scotiabank, Tropical Nights Restaurant and Lounge, Clifton Yacoob – Cads Window Fashions, Kawall Narine – Jemtexusa Sports. Jeff Mirza 0 Danplas Pipe Systems and Robert Lall among others. (Frederick Halley)

Bassarath not on board with decision to sack Ramdin PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board president, Azim Bassarath says he disagrees with the decision to sack Denesh Ramdin as Test captain and hopes the move is not part of any plan to target Trinidadian players. The outspoken WICB director also said he was not a part of the West Indies Cricket Board directors’ teleconference last Wednesday when the decision to remove Ramdin was ratified. Ramdin was on Friday axed after just 15 months in charge and replaced by one-day skipper Jason Holder, a recommendation from selectors which the WICB said had been “endorsed unanimously” by directors during the teleconference. But Bassarath told the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday he had not attended the meeting because of his commitments as a Returning Officer for today’s General Elections here. He also contended that Ramdin should have been allowed to lead the squad on the tour of Sri Lanka starting next month, so selectors could further assess his performance. “I think we should TTCB president have given him anothAzim Bassarath er opportunity to tour Sri Lanka as captain and then look at his performance if the selectors had a problem,” Bassarath was quoted as saying. “What is shocking to me is that earlier this year, Denesh led the team against England and we came away with a credible draw. “Against Australia we lost 2-0 but I didn’t think he performed that badly with the bat that he deserved being dropped. I am disappointed that the selectors came up with that recommendation. Very, very disappointed.” The 30-year-old Ramdin, who took over from Darren Sammy as Test captain in May last year, led West Indies in 13 Tests – winning four, losing seven and drawing two. During that time, he managed 472 runs at an average of 22, and a highest score of 57. Bassarath said he hoped Trinidadian players were not being specifically targeted because of their alleged role in last year’s controversial abandoned tour of India. “I am hoping the (WICB) president (Dave Cameron) is not part of this move to spite and victimise Trinidad and Tobago players because of what transpired in India where Dwayne Bravo was captain and it is alleged that some of the Trinis were leading the charge,” Bassarath said. “I hope it also does not have anything to do with Baldath Mahabir and the TTCB not supporting Mr Cameron for the presidency of the WICB. I would hate to think it has reached that level where the TTCB, which was considered the best territorial board in the Caribbean - and I still think we are - that we are treated in this manner.” He added: “I would not sit down idly by as a WICB director and allow any victimisation and vindictiveness to creep into West Indies cricket.” Bravo was last December sacked as one-day captain and replaced by Holder, and also dropped from the one-day squad for South Africa and the subsequent World Cup. Fellow Trinidadian Kieron Pollard was also axed from the one-day squad.

Sport CHRONICLE

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

A dark horse in the mix

See story on page 19

6th edition Massy 10K run

Forde retains male title, Morgan races unchallenged to win ladies category By Michael DaSilva ON A HUMID and sunny Sunday morning Guyana’s premier 10K runner Cleveland `The Little Kenyan’ Forde and long-distance `Queen’ Alika Morgan won the male and female categories in the 6th edition of the Massy 10K run yesterday.

The Massy Group of Companies-sponsored event under its Seven Seas brand which attracted over 60 athletes in the open, juniors and veterans categories saw Forde and Morgan win their categories unchallenged. Forde’s time for the event which started at the Vreed-enHoop junction on the West Coast

Demerara and concluded at Massy’s head office, Ruimveldt, East Bank Demerara, was 33 minutes 15 seconds (33.15), while Morgan returned 42.08. After a late start, the athletes jostled one another for a position at the head of the affair, but shortly see page 19

Prize winners of the various categories strike a pose with executives of the Massy Group, Standing at centre with white T-shirt and spectacles is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer Doodnauth Persaud.

In this Samuel Maughn composite photo, Cleveland Forde (right) stops his clock as he crosses the finish line, while at left, Alika Morgan approaches the finish line. Both athletes won their respective categories unchallenged.

Stag Elite League – football’s ‘litmus test’ By Rawle Toney

THE highly anticipated Stag Elite League was officially launched on Saturday evening at the 704 Sky Lounge. Eight teams will do battle to see who will cash in on the league’s $15M prize money with September 18 set as the kick-off see page 19

Sponsors and representatives of the eight teams at Saturday’s launch. (Adrian Narine photo)

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2015