2015 9 10

GUYANA

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

3 PPP Reg. 6 councillors resign No. 104308

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Last bill for LGE passed

Rowley takes charge of T&T

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Man charged for Albouystown execution Page

– GECOM to announce date soon Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan addressing the House

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

Three PPP Reg Rowley takes 6 councillors charge of T&T resign A MERE two months since their selection as councillors representing the People’s Progressive Party on the Region 6, Regional Democratic Council, the former Vice Chairman Bhurpaul Jhagroo retired Regional Education Officer, Shafiran Bhajan and Quincy Henry have furnished the Clerk of the Council , with letters indicating their unwillingness to serve , citing other commitments.

Since the swearing in of the regional councillors on June 30, last, the identified persons, never took up their positions, but subsequently wrote letters which were read to the council on Thursday during a statutory meeting.

The similarly drafted pieces of correspondence highlighted the fact that the signatories were of the opinion that they could not do justice to the job and as a result opted to resign.

Subsequently, Regional Chairman David Armogan indicated that there were now vacancies on the opposition side of the Council. On June 30, last Armogan was returned as chairman of the Regional Administration while, Dennis Deo Roop replaced Jhagroo for Vice Chairman-

Bhurpaul Jhagroo

ship.

De Roop, who had previously served in a similar capacity, during the 2006 and 2011 period when he worked under the then chairman Zulficar Mustapha, won his position after 15 of his peers on the People’s Progressive Party side, also voted for him.

The A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change [APNU/AFC] Coalition, had nominated Jevaughn Stephens and Donna Mathoo for the Chairmanship and vice Chairmanship positions respectively, but although they were on the governing side they just managed to secure 10 votes each.

Former Regional Education Officer Shafiran Bhajan

Following the Regional elections on May 11 last, the PPP/C amassed 39,610 votes in the East Berbice/ Corentyne district, which allowed them to secure 19 seats at the democratic council. The governing APNU/ AFC secured 22,103 votes, which allowed them to have just 11 seats. Those now listed as PPP/C Councilors are Zamin Ally, Teerbhawandat Arjun, Gloria Beharry, Sheriann Beharry, Lloyd Douglas, Grayson Halley, Zamal Hussain, Vinashi Khirodar, Bijulee Moti, Ishwarsammy Narainsamy, Thakoor Persaud, Philip Rose, Lalbahadoor Singh and Haseef Yusuf.

The coalition team consists of Jevaughn Stephens Sandra Chisolm, Samuel T Fraser, Khousal Goberdan, Gobin Harbhajan, Sharon Harvey , Hazrat Hussain, Patricia Lynch, Donna Mathoo, Janet Samuels, Devindra Sookraj.

( Tr i n i d a d G u a r d i a n ) PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley has been sworn into office as this country’s seventh prime minister at a ceremony at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s by President Anthony Carmona.

The Diego Martin West MP took the oath of office before a packed audience, which included politicians, diplomats and school children.

The event was broadcast live on television and streamed live on www.otp.tt San Fernando West MP Faris Al-Rawi was sworn in as Attorney General and retired Major General Edmund Dillon, the MP for Point Fortin was sworn in as Minister of National Security.

Minutes after being officially appointed as Prime Minister of T&T, Rowley called on all citizens to “take a little less at the top and leave a little more at the bottom” for the young people in this country.

At the swearing-in ceremony, Rowley expressed gratitude to T&T and promised that his administration would serve the country to the best of its ability.

Among his first order of business is to prepare for the 2015-2016 budget.

“I am starting with today to make sure everybody else works. I want to make one appeal to our people in T&T, we have a lot to be thankful for. We have a lot to be grateful for. Spend a little more time enjoying it, looking at the positive side of life,” Rowley said.

“If we take this approach, life in T&T can become a whole lot more

President Anthony Carmona presents the instrument of appointment to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley after he took his oath of office Wednesday (Photo courtesy CNC3)

pleasant and a whole lot more enjoyable.

“Let us remember who put us on this path and what is expected of us.”

Rowley recalled being a member of the faculty of the University of the West Indies and watching students pouring out of school, and asking himself who was looking out for them.

He said, having entered the political arenas, he always felt that those who had “made it” had a responsibility to others.

“I embark on this exercise, this assignment to have responsibility to all the people of T&T, to manage their affairs.

He thanked God for bringing him to be of service to the people of T&T and specifically thanked the people at the Seventh Day

Adventist church in Mason Hall, Tobago, who raised him along the way, and everybody else who gave him advice.

“You got an opportunity, take it, behave yourself and make good. That was the advice I got from the village of Mason Hall and I have taken that advice. Today I give you assurance that the team you put in place as government of T&T will make every effort that whatever is available to us, we’ll take the best opportunity to be the best that we can be.

Rowley was elected as the seventh Prime Minister of T&T in a 23 to 18 victory to the People’s National Movement on Monday.

No date has yet been fixed for the swearing in of the other members of Cabinet.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

Last bill for LGE passed …GECOM to announce date soon

By Tajeram Mohabir The National Assembly late Wednesday night passed the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2015, with minor amendments as government gears up to call the long overdue Local Government Elections.

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan said despite the passage of the bill it would be the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) which will soon announce the date for the poll, which was not held here since 1994.

Bulkan made the disclosure following repeated queries from the Opposition benches, many of whom claimed that the Administration will not be in a position to hold the elections by December 7 as had promised.

Minister Bulkan nevertheless informed the House that as the government awaits the date from GECOM; it has heard the cries of the people, has felt their pain and remains resolute in ensuring their right to constitutional democracy.

The Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2015 seeks to amend 22 sections and insert a new section in the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, clearing the way for the holding of the long-overdue elections. The approved bill also widens the definition for Election Officer to include Deputy Chief Election Officer, Assistant Chief Election Officer and Deputy Returning Officer.

In addition, it widens the definition of identification card to include a card issued during the continuous registration process and inserts

a definition of by-election.

The bill deems vagrants as not ordinarily residents anywhere and provides for the Preliminary List of Voters to be extracted from the National Register of Registrants and not from the 1992 Official List of Electors.

The amended legislation also removes bankruptcy as a qualification for election as a councillor or for continuation in the office of a councillor, provides for the transmission of sealed envelopes containing cast ballots to the respective returning officers for each local authority area as well as gives the polling agents the power to verify ballots and the recounting of votes cast in each local authority area by the Presiding Officer.

An amendment tabled by the Opposition was agreed upon by the Government to have the results of the elections be declared no later than 5 days. Minister Bulkan told the House that the Government is ready for the elections and there will be no delay in holding it.

“We do not believe that the people will be kind to us if we agree to any further unreasonable delay in the holding of these elections and to deny the people their right to participate in Local Government Elections and to enjoy local democracy,” he said passionately.

The minimal days for application of approval of symbols for candidates contesting the elections have changed from 21 days to 71 days.

There are two components that are responsible for this, Minister Bulkan explained.

“First is the fact that 21 days are now required be-

tween the application for the approval of symbols to be used by a candidate and for a determination to be made

by GECOM and the second component has to do with the submission of lists or the nomination of lists where the period is increased from the current 21 days to 50 days.

It is this 50 and 21 days that now increase the period for the application of symbols to 71 days.”

He informed that the period was increased from 21 to 71 days to provide for more time for the 71 local authority areas which have been sub-divided into some 585 geographic constituencies to adequate manage the elections process. Persons desirous of contesting in any of the 585 constituency will be required to get 15 electors within the area they are contesting to support their candidacy, and 20 such registered voters in the case of a municipality.

This allows for not only politicians, but civic groups to vie for the position of councillors within a particular constituency. By virtue of this, it increases the number of lists from the constituencies and the burden on Gecom to scrutinise all of these lists as well as the logistical arrangement to the management of the elections.

Members of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) reiterated to the House that the party remains committed to the holding of Local Government Elections but accuses the Government of hurrying the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2015 through the House.

All of the speakers from

Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman making a brief but spirited contribution to the marathon debate on the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill yesterday (Adrian Narine photo)

the Opposition party asked the Government to put the bill through a Special Select Committee for examination for at least a week where objections and deficiencies can

be remedied in a transparent manner.

But Minister Bulkan said that to do so will be adhering to a further delay of the elections and went

ahead with the support of the Government’s side of the House to get the critical legislation for the holding of Local Government Elections approved.

Charlestown man remanded over Albouystown execution KEIRON Taylor, 21 years, of Charlestown was yesterday remanded to prison until October 1, after being charged over the gunning down of an Albouystown man last week.

He appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Taylor, the court heard, worked at “Junior Pipe and Tanks”.

The accused was unrepresented in court yesterday when he was accused of the murder of 22-yearold Sanasie Lewis, who was shot execution-style on Friday, September 4, in Albouystown as he stood at the corner of James and Albouys streets, outside the Ghetto Flex Bar. Taylor was not required to plead to the indictable charge. No facts were dis-

Keiron Taylor

closed in the court yesterday but Police Prosecutor Deniro Jones informed that additional investigations were being carried out. He then requested additional time to allow for the complete file to be submitted to the court.

During the brief period that the young man was being grilled about his name, age and occupation,

he seemed nervous, especially when the magistrate addressed him.

Taylor’s relatives were in the courtroom yesterday when the matter was called.

When he was being escorted to the prisoners’ lockups, they shouted words of encouragement, even as some of them sought to insult media operatives who were rushing to photograph the accused.

Lewis was gunned down last week Friday by two gunmen who fled on foot and then joined a car to make good their escape.

The suspects were later identified as brothers by eyewitnesses.

Three other men were injured during the shooting.

Lewis, according to an autopsy, received fifteen bullets about his body.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015

Juncker urges Europe to welcome refugees (Reuters)EUROPEAN Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker urged EU governments on Wednesday to accept a mandatory system to share out a wave of refugees fleeing war and poverty but also promised to improve frontier defenses and deport more illegal migrants.

In his first State of the Union address to the European Parliament, Juncker outlined an emergency plan to distribute 160,000 refugees among the 28 EU member states and promised a permanent asylum mechanism to cope with future crises.

Defending his much-criticized proposal for mandatory

burden sharing, he said Europe could not leave Greece, Hungary and Italy, the main receiving countries, to cope with the flood.

He appealed to Europeans to respond to the crisis with humanity, dignity and “historical fairness” and not take fright, saying the vast majority of the 500,000 people who had arrived in Europe this year were fleeing war in Syria and Libya, “the terror of the Islamic State” or “dictatorship in Eritrea”.

Europe was a continent where many had been refugees over the centuries and it was rich enough to cope with a challenge far smaller than the one facing Syria’s

Volunteers form a human chain to transport donated goods at a makeshift camp outside the foreign office in Brussels, Belgium, September 9, 2015. Reuters/Yves Herman policy to halt a flow of “bibneighbors - Turkey, Jordan “The Europe I want to lical proportions”. and Lebanon. live in is illustrated by those Italian lawmaker Gianlu“It is Europe today that who want to help,” he added, ca Buonanno of the anti-imrepresents a beacon of hope, denouncing calls to discrimi- migration Northern League a haven of stability in the nate among refugees accord- donned an Angela Merkel eyes of women and men in ing to their religion. face-mask to interrupt Junckthe Middle East and in AfHe was heckled by Nigel er in an attempt to suggest rica. That is something to be Farage, leader of the anti-EU that the German chancellor proud of and not something UK Independence Party, who was dictating asylum policy to fear,” the former Luxem- said most of those arriving to Europe. Berlin has said bourg prime minister said were economic migrants it expects to receive up to in a marathon 80-minute and the EU should emulate 800,000 asylum seekers this speech.

Australia’s “stop the boats” year.

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Juncker said the refugee crisis was his top priority, before the economy, Greece’s debt woes, Ukraine, climate change and a looming vote on Britain’s membership of the bloc.

That list of issues showed the European Union was in a bad state, he said, declaring: “There is not enough Europe in this Union, and there is not enough union in this Union.”

He confirmed plans for a common EU list of “safe countries of origins” whose citizens would be subject to fast-track deportations if they breached EU immigration laws.

He also urged EU member states to allow refugees to work from day one while their asylum applications are processed.

Juncker’s proposals face opposition from several central European governments when EU interior ministers meet on Monday.

Many reject compulsory quotas and some, such as Slovakia, want to take in only a handful of Christian refugees.

But under strong pressure from Germany, France and Italy, the tide appears to be turning towards more European solidarity.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015

12 schools stay closed as new term begins ( Trinidad Guardian) APPROXIMATELY a dozen schools were forced to remain closed Tuesday as the new school term began.

President of the T&T Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) Devanand Sinanan said the problems ranged from unsafe structures to some schools being totally unacceptable for students to operate.

Listing some of the affected schools, Sinanan said the entire compound of the Moruga RC Primary School had been deemed unsafe as part of the building had collapsed, while at the Arima Boys’ RC Primary School, only Standard Four and Five pupils attended school.

Confirming that the above - mentioned schools had been affected, chief executive officer of the Catholic Education Board Sharon Mungroo explained that due to the age of the Moruga structure, the building began crumbling during the vacation period as workmen effected repairs to the roof.

She said yesterday while the old building had since been demolished and the site cleared of the rubble, a temporary structure was yet

Aryanna Sookoo a first year pupil of TML Primary School San Fernando, is all smiles following her first day of the new school term which started yesterday. Photo: KRISTIAN DE SILVA be in place by September to be erected to accommo- 14 so that classes could date the students. resume. Meanwhile, only Mungroo said they have Standards Four and Five been assured that alterna- pupils of the Arima Boys’ tive accommodation would RC Primary School at-

tended classes at the Arima Girls’ RC Primary School and the church hall. Mungroo said that move resulted after the building previously occupied at the old site, which was located next to the Hearty Foods Supermarket, Arima, had been deemed structurally unsafe after last month’s fire. She said arrangements had been made to accommodate the boys in the interim but that other pupils had been told to remain at home while cleanup efforts were carried out in Arima.

Although they reported for classes as normal yesterday, pupils of South Oropouche RC Primary School were allowed to return home after it was discovered that repairs to the school’s toilets had not been completed. It was a similar situation at the Aranguez TIA Primary School and the D’Abadie Government Primary School where repairs to the electrical systems, toilets and roofs remained incomplete. Sinanan said: “Piccadilly Government Primary has been condemned by the engineer, while at Mucurapo Girls’ RC, there is an electrical problem that was not attended to and there is a shortage of teachers.”

Kamla goes home with no security escort

A SPECIAL Branch inquiry is being done into why outgoing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had no security escort to her home in Phillipine after arriving there in a private car when the official vehicle PM 1 stalled at her Siparia constituency office in Penal early Tuesday morning.

After a 30-minute concession speech, following her People’s Partnership Government defeat to the People’s National Movement in Monday’s general election, Persad-Bissessar was taken home without a security detail, as Special Branch officers remained at the constituency office trying to get PM 1 to start. It appeared the ignition failed.

Persad-Bissessar was making her way to a door leading to a downstairs exit when a Special Branch officer informed her the keys to PM 1 were locked in the ignition and the official vehicle could not start.

Persad-Bissessar immediately responded by thanking the officer for “taking care of me”, indicating her family would take her home. The officer, however, asked the outgoing Prime Minister to wait a while until what was described as a minor mechanical problem was solved.

Persad-Bissessar replied: “No, everything is okay, I am with my family.” Another Special Branch officer chipped in, “We called a mechanic; we should get it sort out.” All the while, the driver of PM 1 was seen fiddling with the keys but to no avail. Persad-Bissessar walked downstairs and insisted to the security detail she was happy to be with her family and needed to go and repeated, “I’m okay; I’m with my family.” A white Toyota Axio then backed up in front of PM 1 and Persad- Bissessar got into the back seat.

The car was driven by a supporter and seated in the vehicle also were two of Persad- Bissessar’s relatives.

The white Axio drove off. However, Special Branch officers assigned to the two jeeps for her security detail did not follow and their vehicles remained parked near to PM 1 on the constituency office compound.

An officer from the nearby Penal Police Station then arrived and was allowed to attend to the locked steering wheel and got the keys out of the ignition.

And when another attempt was made, PM 1 started.

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Guyana

EDITORIAL

Begin talks on a National Government Now

YESTERDAY we made reference to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s revelation that he was appointed head of a negotiating team to pursue a National Government involving the PPP. It is a significant announcement, which shows that the APNU+AFC government is serious about making good on its campaign promises. This is a good sign that augurs well for our politics and political culture. For too long we have had to endure the politics of unfulfilled promises on significant issues. Many had chided the APNU in particular for not moving on a similar campaign promise at the 2011 elections. Now it seems to be moving to correct that blot on its record book.

But what are the prospects for a National Government? One can only wish Mr. Nagamootoo and the coalition well. As we have previously noted, despite the rhetoric of national unity, the quest for such a government has been elusive. Parties have tended to champion the cause while in opposition only to turn in the opposite direction when in office. This coalition government seems to be going against that grain, but does it have a willing partner?

From all indications, it is the PPP, now in opposition, which seems to be unenthusiastic about a National Government. Since the change of government in May, the coalition has sent out public and private feelers to the PPP. But the response from the latter has been lukewarm at best. It was quick to repeat its longstanding line that there needs to be trust as a prerequisite for any national unity government. Apart from crooked logic of the formulation, it gives the impression that it is being used to avoid dealing directly with the issue at hand.

Prior to coming to power in 1992, the PPP was a champion of such a National Government. In fact, negotiations with the PNC on such a government were far advanced in 1985 and a positive outcome was scuttled with the sudden death of PNC Leader and President, Forbes Burnham. But with the prospect of free and fair elections, the PPP dramatically changed its position. It turned its back on the possibility of an interim power

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015

Enough is enough on Regent Street IT is a vexation to the soul to confirm what one always believes with respect to abuse of workers’ rights. When Minister in the Ministry of Social Protection Simona Broomes visited several Regent Street business establishments on Tuesday September 8 2015, much evidence was found of blatant violations of the law.

I trust some court action will be pursued by this new government.

The workers could not depend on the old government (Ramotar administration) that always attempted to brand itself as pro-working class. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. How can you call yourself pro-working class when for years, under your government, these Regent Street workers endured so many abuses, yet your so-called working class government did so very little for them.

For the PPP, many of these workers on Regent Street have only one value – the vote. On elections day, many of these poor workers are corralled to the polling station like sheep going to the slaughter house with racist messages of fear. Well today the grand coalition

of six political parties has come to the rescue of these long-suffering workers at the bottom of the pay scale.

It matters not, if many of them voted PPP; they are Guyanese first. Well done Minister Broomes! I hope GINA does a full feature on these abuses and spreads the word in rural Guyana what this government is really doing to help the poor and the working class.

In the minister’s words – “massive violations of occupational health and safety standards were discovered”, but there was more. Workers’ rights and labour laws were also violated. Can you imagine in 2015 a worker who worked for six whole years was only offered paid leave for maternity as a one-off favour to her by her employer? Shame on that business owner! In Guyana there is the “Leave with Pay Act No. 6 of 1995”, which clearly outlines that “every worker must be granted one day paid leave for every completed month of employment”. That young woman is due 72 days leave with pay – simple. Yet her unprincipled boss violated her human rights. Where is the Guyana Human Rights Association? Has it gone into hibernation on these violations, or is it only a

sharing government in 1990. And when it won the election in 1992, it in effect shut the door on the matter. Despite Dr. Jagan’s rhetoric of a “Mandela” solution—a reference to Nelson Mandela’s inclusive government in the immediate post-apartheid period - there was never any movement in that direction. His death in 1997 effectively put an end even to the rhetoric.

Now in opposition, the party seems to be a prisoner of its own logic. Having convinced itself of the correctness of its position for so long, it may now find it difficult to shift gear. To accept an offer to join the government would be a tacit acceptance that the party has been wrong on the issue or it may open it to charges of opportunism. The PPP may also be hesitant about a National Government because of its confidence of recapturing the reins of power on its own at the next election.

Whatever its’ reasons, we feel that the party is wrong.

After six decades of one-party rule, Guyana has retrogressed on all fronts. Ethnically plural societies that cling

press release tiger? Where is the WPO (women’s arm of the PPP)? Did the WPO do a “Houdini” on these violations over the years, although most of the shop front associates on Regent Street are young women from rural Guyana, where the bulk of their support comes from?

This is the hypocrisy of the system - come support me, but when you are in your mess, you are on your own.

The law is clear, even if you work for less than a full day for a complete month – you are entitled to a prorated pay.

PERIOD! Thus there is no getting around this situation by gerrymandering around the law. But there is a higher law than the written rule of law; a karmic law! So even if these businesspersons violate the written rule of law, they cannot violate the karmic law. In karmic law, the poor are always looked after.

Wasn’t it Proverbs 14:31 that said, “He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honours him?”

Yet many of these business owners are the leaders in the Christian Churches, the Islamic Mosques, the Hindu Temples and the Sai Centres around Guyana, doing socalled “sewa” for the poor, but quite hypocritically are

actively fleecing the poor at their place of work.

In 2015, we cannot be paying workers US$164 per month when the legal minimum wage is approximately US$240 per month. We cannot have legal citizens of Guyana working off the books and hence not entitled to NIS benefits. Where are the NIS inspectors, have they been bribed into capitulation, and in the process sold out the workers? It is time for stage two of this exercise – unionisation. Unions such as CCWU or NACCIE have to step up to the plate and unionise these workers. In conclusion, well done Minister Broomes and keep it up. Thank you for letting all the oppressed workers in Guyana know they have a friend in power. I trust you will do a follow up visit to Regent Street in six months to ensure that the working conditions of these workers have improved and if not, take some of these business owners to court.

Enough is enough!

SASE SINGH

to the majoritarian winner-take-all model are bound to be problematic; it is not sustainable. Our present situation since the change of government is a classic example. After more than two decades of one-party rule by the PPP, during which it was charged with ethnic discrimination, once in opposition the party lost no time in levelling similar charges against the new government. It is this cycle of charges and counter-charges of discrimination born of a deep-seated culture of insecurity and fear that is at the heart of our problem.

One hopes that the PPP has a change of heart and at least begins talks with the governing parties. We agree that putting together a National Government is not going to be easy. Both sides would have strong pre-conditions.

The issue of the removal and prosecution of PPP members and friends would, no doubt, be front and centre.

But there is need for a start; all things are possible once negotiations begin. Ask the PNC, the WPA the APNU and the AFC.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015

Climate change stakeholders meet to craft plans for UN confab

At yesterday’s meeting at the Grand Coastal Inn. Seated from left at the head table are: Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman; former Presidential Adviser and Head of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Andrew Bishop; and Presidential Adviser on the Environment, Rear Admiral Gary Best servation International Guyana THE Department of Natural Resources and the Environment yesterday (Wednesday) held its National Stakeholders Consultation, in an effort to formulate Guyana’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) on Climate Change for presentation at the United Nations Change Conference in Paris, France in December.

INDCs are key to the Paris climate agreement, in that they demonstrate a country’s intent to decarbonise their economies, and invest in resilience, the Ministry of the Presidency said in a release.

The event was held at the Grand Coastal Inn, and

saw in attendance Adviser on the Environment Rear Admiral Gary Best; Minister of Governance with responsibility for Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE), Raphael Trotman; Permanent Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, Joslyn McKenzie; Adviser on Sustainable Development at NRE, Clayton Hall; Head of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr. Mahender Sharma; and former Presidential Adviser and Head of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Andrew Bishop.

Also in attendance were representatives of various organisations, such as the European Union (EU); Con-

(CIG); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC); the Iwokrama International Centre; and the Guyana Human Rights’ Association (GHRA).

Minister Trotman, who declared the discussion open, told the representatives that the engagement was not only timely, but also needed.

Cabinet, he said, had mandated that a task force be set up to prepare Guyana for the conference in Paris, and that it was out of this task force that a draft document had come.

To arrive at a final document, however, meant that a forum needed to be held so as to obtain comments, criticisms

Was there really a $20M heist at the hotel?

RECENT reports carried in some sections of the press on a multi- million dollar heist in the parking lot of a popular hotel on the East Bank of Demerara vary, and this is cause for concern in these times of escalating crime.

Initial reports suggest that an elderly man was robbed of a whopping S20M in cash by a gang of men who escaped.

There were no reports of shots fired or injuries to anyone.

Here is where the matter gets complicated. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum advised that no such incident was reported to the Guyana Police Force and further that a check with the hotel management confirmed that no such robbery occurred.

Interestingly, sources at the very hotel said that there indeed was a robbery there and that the amount stolen was $10M and that the entire episode

was recorded on the hotel’s surveillance cameras. With this critical informantion, it is expected that the police will secure this footage for examination towards a possible apprehension of the perpetrators.

There is every likelihood that the alleged victim may not have wanted to file an official report or to be interviewed by the press as he may be asked by the authorities to account for having that large sum (whether $20M or $10M) in his possession.

The hotel management, for its part, may have decided to keep the incident under wraps because of the expected adverse publicity for the hotel.

Surely the police have to get to the alleged victim as well as the known character who reportedly handed over that large sum of money. It is strange how some person,

having had earlier and very serious brushes with the law and the courts, cannot seem to keep out of trouble.

Now, are these large and mind–boggling sums of monies be a part of the landscape of the casinos?

How are such sums acquired and how could they be spent so flippantly at casinos? I know this much, that anyone who earns his money the good, old fashioned way of hard work and paying taxes would not throw it away at the addictive gambling tables.

It has long been established that casinos are used for a variety of questionable activities. More importantly, do we need casinos in Guyana? Maybe, it is time for a rethink?

G.SOMAR

and suggestions on how the draft could have best been improved.

According to the minister, it is always in the best interest of the country for national stakeholders to be allowed to give their input and advice on a matter of such importance.

Said he: “We are happy that this engagement is taking place. All of you are well aware of the need for Guyana to have an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution. You are all well aware of matters of climate change and adaptation, and about upcoming meetings which culminate in December…

“We felt that this should be brought here for you to give your input and take a position.

You don’t have to agree; the important thing is that you have a position on the matter.”

As PS McKenzie of the Department of Natural Resources observed in his presentation, climate change is one of the defining global challenges of our time, and poses a seri-

ous threat to the well-being of humanity and the security of peoples and States.

Its adverse impacts, he said, are being felt by countries the world over, whether developed or developing, and as such the fight must be aggressive.

Noting that it is in this regard that the INDC is crucial, McKenzie said: “The INDC should provide a clear signal to the general public, and of course the international community, that Guyana is fully committed to achieving the paradigm shift towards low-carbon and climate-resilient development.

“The INDC needs to make a long-term commitment to this, making use of both domestic resources and international support… It is essential that Guyana’s INDCs be ambitious, while leading to transformation in the most carbon-intensive sectors and industries.”

Stakeholders invited to participate in the forum shared

their thoughts on how best the document can be improved, and even pointed out areas which were not covered in the draft document.

One such invitee was Shyam Nokta, a consultant, who was high in praise for the initiative, saying that the move by the government should be commended.

“I want to thank the government for taking this initiative,” he said. “The draft presentation was excellent, and I think it covers a lot of critical areas as we move towards making a submission from Guyana.”

Meanwhile, a participant named Bernard said that while the presentation was most informative, he was concerned that the initial process did not begin with consultations, and that a document was drafted before it was seen by the national stakeholders.

“If we are going to combat climate change,” he said, “we need the support of everyone.

It concerns me that this INDC has been drafted, but we are now coming together to sit as stakeholders.”

He, however, conceded that he was pleased that there is a consultative process being conducted.

Participants of the National Consultation at the Grand Coastal Inn yesterday

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

CSEC/CAPE crème de la crème meet Pres Granger

President David Granger and the top CSEC and CAPE students

PRESIDENT Granger on Wednesday met with some of the country’s top performers at the 2015, Caribbean Advanced Proficiency

Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

During the brief interactive session with the students,

President Granger stressed on the importance of educating a nation and he spoke of some of his administration’s plans for the

country’s education sector.

At CAPE this year, several candidates recorded outstanding performances.

Among the top perform-

ers are Cecil Cox, Larissa Whiltshire and Sasha Woodroffe all of Queen’s College and Shonta Noel of St Rose’s High, who all

secured Grade One passes in six units. With regard to CSEC, forty seven candidates secured eleven Grade Ones or more.

SOCU gold smuggling probe New Canadian HC discusses LGE with GECOM Chairman nearing action station

By Navendra Seoraj SEVERAL local and international players in the gold industry are on the radar, as investigators intensify their probe into the organised billion dollar gold smuggling racket.

Speaking at a post-cabinet press briefing yesterday, Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman disclosed that, “There are some known persons and other players, local and international, that are on the radar and as I said, we are moving to take action.”

The current investigations are headed by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), and Guyana is working in collaboration with foreign governments to tackle the smuggling racket which has been fleecing the national treasury.

Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman, who has responsibility for the Natural Resources sector, had reported earlier that the new Administration had found evidence of “rampant” gold smuggling, particularly to neighbouring countries Brazil and Suriname, and also the United States.

“From what we are seeing gold is going over our borders to Brazil and Suriname and some amounts are going up to the U.S.,” said Trotman, according to media reports.

“There is gold smuggling going on in Guyana. We’re aware of it and it is a problem

Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman

that’s being addressed and in fact a meeting is being convened on Thursday (September 10) with some agencies and persons concerned to see how we can better streamline our activities.”

Meanwhile, according to reports, a number of businessmen who have an interest in the gold mining sector have been fingered in the smuggling ring; most of them have businesses in Georgetown, Bartica and other interior communities.

While pointing out that several steps are being taken to arrest the situation, Trotman did not want to reveal what measures will be put in place by the APNU+AFC Government.

“Bringing something like smuggling to zero is not always possible but it is the duty

of government to bring it to a minimum,” Minister Trotman said.

Reports indicate that the U.S. embassy has already moved in and revoked the visas for a number of businessmen over money laundering and smuggling suspicions.

However, the minister referred members of the media to the embassies for more information on that aspect, noting that he was unaware of this.

Meanwhile, observers are of the view that the gold smuggling has played a huge part in lessening the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It was first felt that scores of miners had been affected by the falling price on the world market for the precious metal, bringing a subsequent drop in production.

However, the evidence now emerging indicates that the huge drop stems from an organised smuggling racket that involved ordinary business persons as well as licensed gold traders. The racket also points to collusion by key personnel at the country’s airports.

Though it is alleged that customs officers from the Guyana Revenue Authority are involved in the scam, the agency has refuted this in a statement, saying that its officers play a limited role at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport with regard to the movement of passengers.

Canadian High Commissioner Mr. Pierre Giroux and GECOM’s Dr Steve Surujbally in talks Tuesday at the latter’s upper High Street, Kingston office

NEWLY-accredited Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mr. Pierre Giroux on Tuesday paid a courtesy call on Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr. Steve Surujbally.

According to a release from GECOM, the two gentlemen used the opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest, among them matters pertinent to the 2015 General and Regional Elections; the continued focus of the possible introduction of electronic tabulation machines,

via the DELIAN Project, to aid in the faster tabulation and declaration of results of elections in Guyana; and the customary printing of ballot papers/statements of poll and tally sheets in Canada.

During the course of the meeting, GECOM says, Dr. Surujbally acknowledged the support received to date from the Canadian Government relative to the conduct of elections in Guyana, and expressed optimism that such gestures will continue to be forthcoming, especially with regards to the upcoming

Local Government Elections.

Mr. Giroux, in return, expressed appreciation for the updates provided him by Dr. Surujbally, relative to the Commission’s recent past, ongoing and future areas of primary focus.

In so doing, Mr. Giroux gave Dr Surujbally his word that the Government and People of Canada will continue to be supportive of GECOM, as it strives to honour its collective responsibilities to the satisfaction of all concerned.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

Gov’t sticking with Nagamootoo for unity talks with PPP GOVERNMENT believes that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo is best suited to head a team of government officials on social cohesion and national unity talks.

This was disclosed yesterday by Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman.

Trotman said it is believed that the discordant relationship between Prime Minister Nagamootoo and the People’s Progressive Party should not be a deterrent for the two to work together for a greater good.

Nagamootoo has been credited with reducing the PPP to a minority government following the 2011 elections and then this year

sweeping that party from office.

“There are two schools of thought, you can say that because relations were acrimonious in the past we should avoid using those persons to talk, and there is another school of thought that says because relations are acrimonious it is better to put them to talk immediately with each other so that you don’t leave it and delay it and pretend and skirt around it,” Trotman said.

The team comprises Vice Presidents Carl Greenidge and Khemraj Ramjattan, Minister of Social Cohesion Amna Ally, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Attorney General and Minister

of Legal Affairs Basil Williams and Raphael Trotman respectively.

“I think His Excellency favoured the second school of thought and that is to have Mr. Nagamootoo who is seen of course as a contentious person in the eyes of the opposition up there and upfront.”

Tr o t m a n a d d e d : “ O f course, if we are to have genuine and long lasting reconciliation we have to confront the devils that beset us and lessen the ways we demonise each other, deal with each other respectfully whether we like each other or not.”

Nagamootoo last Saturday at the Whim Cricket

Ground, on the Corentyne, extended an invitation to the PPP to work with government. But opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday said he would prefer if President Granger extends the invitation to him as opposed to the Prime Minister. “I would prefer to hear things from the President and his office… it would be more credible… I won’t respond to Nagamootoo, I don’t think he is authorised to make any offer…He can’t even secure his own concerns under the Cumminsburg Accord.”

But Trotman said the issue of trust will always exist. “There is always a talk about trust and there

are a few areas where he (the President) believes they can start building trust. The coalition, APNU+AFC, is in itself for all intents and purposes a national unity government and of course will always extend a hand to the PPP/C to join and to participate. Trotman noted too that the fact that the National Social Cohesion Round Table held earlier this month was endorsed by both local and international institutions such as the Commonwealth and the United Nations “speaks a lot, not only for Guyana’s desire to obtain peace, but also the world wants us to reach to that

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

stage. It is unfortunate that one of the first acts as leader of the opposition would be to refrain from participating in something that would lead to cohesion.”

Gov’t blasts Jagdeo’s ERC claims GOVERNMENT yesterday dismissed claims by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo that the setting up of a Ministry of Social Cohesion serves to usurp the roles of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).

“In no way does it supplant or take over or usurp the functions of the ERC. The ERC needs to be appointed very quickly and get busy and so, too, the other Rights Commissions,” Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman told reporters at his post-cabinet press briefing.

He said that government is currently examining the possibility of endorsing the list of nominees for the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) that was recommended during the 10th Parliament.

“We are examining whether the PPP would agree to a process whereby perhaps the 11th Parliament could endorse the list produced by the 10th Parliament, if not we have to start the process all over again. We are in receipt of legal opinion which says that we have to restart the process which is unfortunate because it took months to build consensus around a few nominees which were nationally acceptable,” Trotman told the media during a question and answer segment following his post-cabinet press briefing yesterday.

On Tuesday, the opposition leader called on the government to swear-in members of the ERC, while stating that his party will not participate in any social cohesion activities as it believes it undermines the basic principles and seeks to

usurp the power of the ERC. “Swear-in members of the ERC now… if government is so concerned about social cohesion,” Jagdeo told reporters.

But the Governance Minister believes it would be a tedious task to restart the process while emphasising that “the last administration failed to appoint the members.”

“The question is ‘can the President in the 11th Parliament go and pick up a list generated by the 10th parliament and enact it.’” The administration is hopeful that Opposition Leader Jagdeo would agree to a motion that says the 11th Parliament “will endorse the list generated by the 10th Parliament.” The truth is, Trotman said, “It is the same players, just that they have changed sides.”

Government finds the statements by the opposition leader laughable, as it was under the previous administration that members of the ERC were not appointed. “…it was a very long and sometimes painful process to identify the nominees of the new ERC… between July 10th of 2014 to November and then when parliament was prorogued and then it was dissolved, the Donald Ramotar administration made no steps whatsoever to appoint the persons, including members of the PPP/C who are part of that committee and had worked to produce that list.”

Trotman described the utterances of the opposition leader as “passing strange”, noting that “the PPP did not find favour with its own list but all of a sudden now, this list is being waved around and you

are being dared.”

He said too that government would “hate to restart that process.” Asked whether the presence of a Ministry of Social Cohesion usurps the roles of the ERC, Minister Trotman said no. “No, impossible! In fact, the ERC remains a constitutional entity; whether you have an ERC Commission or not, it is the duty of a responsible government to seek social cohesion in our society, so the fact that the President has named a ministry and minister to that portfolio, I think speaks volumes…and in no way does it usurp the powers of the ERC.” He believes, however, that the ERC members, like all other rights commissions, need to be appointed quickly.

The National Assembly back in July 2014 had approved the names of those nominated from ten broad categories to be considered for positions on the ERC. Those names were drawn from a pool of Christian, Islamic and Hindu groups; representatives from the Labour Movement; private sector and youth groups; women’s groups; and cultural and ethnic groups from Amerindian/Indigenous peoples, and African and Indian bodies respectively. Then Chairman of the Committee on Appointments, Dr. George Norton had asserted that in keeping with Resolution 68 of 2004, the Committee consulted the approved list of entities for nomination to the ERC; and those entities met, and later submitted their nominations between April 30, 2014 and June 6, 2014. The ERC had

comprised representatives from seven different constituencies.

These included a representative each from the three main religions – Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, labour, the Private Sector, and youth and women’s affairs organisations.

Among those chosen

by the Appointments Committee were: Pastor John Smith who represents the Christian community; Rajkumarie Singh, the Hindu community; and Shaykh Moeenul Hack from the Muslim community; Norris Witter, Labour; Ravindra

Dev, Private Sector organisations; Gomattie Kalicharran, youth organisations; Ruth Howard, women’s organisations; Peter Persaud, Amerindian groups; Barrington Braithwaite, African groups; and Neaz Subhan, Indian group.

IDB approves climate-smart To help reduce greenagriculture fund –house gas emissions THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced that approval has been granted the $5M Climate-Smart Agriculture Fund (CSAF) for the Caribbean and Latin America to encourage private sector companies in the Region to invest in projects that increase farmers’ incomes while addressing climate change.

Created in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the goal of the CSAF is to unlock greater private-sector investment in sustainable land-use and climate-resilient agribusiness.

“Our efforts thus far have produced solid results on climate mitigation,” said Kelle Bevine, Head of Strategy in the Structured and Corporate Finance Department of the IDB. “This new initiative complements those achievements with a first-of-its-kind fund to pursue equally ambitious results on climate adaptation,” she said, adding: “Concessional financ-

ing tools like this help to unleash the innovation of first mover projects and shift from business as usual.”

Climate-smart agriculture is a business model that increases agricultural output, while maintaining or lowering amounts of inputs, such as land, water or fertiliser.

It also increases total productivity, while reducing environmental impacts and building resilience to threats to production induced by the effects of climate change.

Climate-smart agriculture investments, however, face a number of hurdles in the access of finance, including lengthy payback periods, as well as significant barriers to information on sustainable practices.

As a result of these challenges, climate-smart investments may be put off indefinitely, perpetuating poor land-use management, additional greenhouse gas emissions, increased vulnerability to climate change, and lower incomes for small producers.

The Fund addresses these barriers by offering risk-tolerant capital with long tenors to catalyse private investment by cushioning early losses, and providing a concessional tranche of resources that can transform projects into sustainable business investments.

Associated technical assistance will enable the IDB to build the necessary capacity for project implementation, and to disseminate lessons to other private-sector investors.

The Fund’s investments will focus on the restoration of degraded lands through reforestation and other measures to increase productivity and profitability, and enhance carbon stocks.

They will also improve agricultural management, including sustainability certification of agricultural products and water efficiency investments.

Across the Region, the forestry and agriculture sectors are already affected by climate change.

10

Goat thief shot in buttocks – arrest three accomplices TWENTY-one-year-old Phillip Rodney, of Buxton Sideline Dam, was yesterday shot in the left side buttocks after allegedly attacking a uniformed police rank with a pair of scissors.

Rodney and three other men, one a Buxtonian like himself and two from Mon Repos, had earlier eluded police ranks at Mahaicony, where they were caught trying to bundle two stolen goats into the trunk of a Toyota 212 motorcar, PKK 831.

The police were alerted by persons from the Mahaicony area of the men’s presence in the village, and what they were attempting to do. They were given the description of the car, and its registration number, and as they headed in the general direction of where the goat thieves were last seen, they encountered them on the way.

The police signalled the driver of the vehicle to pull the car over, which he did, and to pop the trunk.

Immediately after popping the trunk of the car, the four men made a run for it. But even though the police were hot on the men’s tails, they eventually lost them.

As the police were heading back to the station, however, they spotted the men crossing a bridge some distance away, and immediately resumed the chase to intercept them. But again, the men made a dash for it, running in different directions in an attempt to frustrate the police.

One police rank who was closing in on one of the fleeing suspects, was reportedly forced to resort to the use of force when the suspect pulled a pair of scissors on him.

He was shot to the buttocks in the process, while the

other three men were arrested without incident.

Up to late last evening, the police were not able to ascertain to whom the stolen goats belonged, and, perforce, had to impound them at a police facility on the upper East Coast.

Up to late last evening also, the shot suspect was being held under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital, while his three accomplices were still in police custody assisting with investigations.

Over the past few months, there have been several instances where wandering animals were bundled into vehicles and taken away by unknown persons.

In most of the cases, the animals were stolen by persons who lived very far away from where the grazing or wandering animals and their owners actually resided. There are matters of this nature engaging the courts in at least two police divisions, namely Divisions ‘B’ and ‘D’.

Rice producers want stabilisation fund

…tout development bank to secure industry ACTIVISTS in the rice industry want the government to set up a stabilisation fund they say will bring control to paddy prices.

The Rice Producers’ Association Action Committee (RPAAC) said the recommendation is in keeping with promises made by the governing coalition before it took office following the May 11 polls. The Committee is also recommending the establishment of an agriculture and industrial development bank to aid in the development of the rice industry.

Millers look at the available markets and then demand prices based on what interest rates are at commercial banks given that there is no agriculture bank, suggested, Dr. Turhane Doerga, the former head of the Alesie milling group and Co-Chair of RPAAC. However, he said that pricing mechanism run millers into trouble, with rice farmers demanding prices based on suggestions they get from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). “…so the farmers who are the majority and driving force of the economy…are being told by millers that they have lost money because GRDB told them to buy paddy at $3250 a bag.

“When they did that they

have to eventually liquidate the stock for any price they can get because it’s perishable.

“This is because there is no structure for marketing.” Doerga lamented.

Doerga also called for the democratisation of the Rice Producers Association (RPA) namely the holding of free and fair elections, which would install a new executive. The RPA is currently headed by Opposition member of Parliament Dharamkumar Seeraj.

Further, Doerga said there is a need for a structured marketing strategy for rice since it appears “that the old cartel is still in place and they are making things very difficult to change for the betterment of farmers.”

Reflecting on the rice sector, Doerga noted Venezuela had been paying GUY$9,000 per bag, but farmers only got between $2,500- $3,200 per bag – down from $6,500 in latter part of the 1980’s. “These corrupt practices are now being investigated by a special forensic group of auditors.”

He challenged statements by former president Bharrat Jagdeo, former GRDB head Jagnarain Singh, Seeraj and others that there was no crisis in the rice industry. The Committee would like to see the Minister of Agriculture fulfil

the promises made by the government in its manifesto which would lead to the development and transformation of the rice industry.

“I am giving him a window of opportunity to realise the commitments within the APNU/AFC manifesto especially pertaining to rice that it should be taken seriously and should be fulfilled,” Jinnah Rahman, Chairman of the Committee stated.

“We had joined the APNU coalition because we believe that the PPP betrayed the trust of the rice farmers in this country; they (rice farmers) were used as political footballs and we are not going to allow it under the coalition.”

Doerga said he would like to see the GRDB being completely free of former board members, whom he suggested been “on the board for over a decade while mischief was happening.” The rice industry is the only private sector entity that is legally controlled by the state through an Act of Parliament, the committee said.

Guyana has been breaking production records in recent years, with more than 630,000 tonnes of rice produced in 2014. A record-breaking 500,000 tonnes was exported last year.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

Kaieteur Park reopens - safety initiatives to be implemented THE Kaieteur National Park was Wednesday morning reopened to the public, following the closure that was made to facilitate the search for female tourist Dr. Gyaneshwarie Laleta Sivanand.

During the post-Cabinet press briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman disclosed that following the incident, several initiatives to improve safety were discussed. This is to help prevent future occurrences of this type of incident.

Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, and Minis-

ter of Tourism, Cathy Hughes representatives of The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Air Services Limited (ASL), the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) met on September 08 to determine new measures and protocols for visiting guests.

According to Trotman, one of the measures that may be put in place is, the recording of visitor’s personal data.

“We are still in the process of refining and defining exactly what it is we are going to do. We decided to introduce a manifest system, so that

everybody who comes has to display a form of identification to the park ranger.”

He added that tour guides will be on the ground to assist tourists and make sure that no one wanders off. In addition, there will be a zero tolerance for persons who want to enter the water or who want to consume alcohol.

Minister Trotman noted that there is a possibility of putting rails along the water. Government will be seeking advice from parks across the world in dealing with the issue. Even though rescue search for the missing tourist was called off, surrounding communities were urged by Government to be vigilant.

Guyana’s zoo to benefit from $30M rehabilitation GUYANA’S Zoological Park will benefit from a $30M financial support towards rehabilitation works along with fifteen animals from the Hyde Park Zoo Sanctuary and Tropical Gardens of Great Britain.

Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman on Wednesday at a press conference made the announcement. He said the benefits come as a result of Cabinet agreeing to proposals for a Zoo-to-Zoo exchange programme following negotiations between Guyana’s National Parks

Commission and the Hyde Park Zoo. “Under this programme four manatees will be loaned.

In return, Guyana will receive fifteen animals in a few months. These include: two peacocks, two pairs of ostriches, one pair of antelopes, a pair of lion cubs and three zebras.” Trotman said.

He added that while many myths and legends surround the operation of the zoo, the idea is to restore the park and the botanical gardens to a pristine state. “This is in keeping with the adminis-

tration’s thrust for a greener environment and economy,” Trotman said.

Further, the administration is collaborating with the World Wildlife Fund to increase Guyanese knowledge of local animals, flowers, and plants.

Towards this end, the special characteristics of the animals will be explained and highlighted so that they can be respected and protected thereby making the zoo a place of learning rather than just an exhibit.

(GINA)

Kamla to challenge elections results PEOPLE’S Partnership to File Election Petitions to Declare Elections held on September 7, 2015 Null and Void.

A decision has been taken to challenge the results of the General Election based on legal advice the People’s Partnership has received. The challenge is based on the sudden decision of the EBC to extend the time for voting from 6pm to 7pm throughout the country without any official notification to the People’s Partnership and its constituent parties. The rules which govern a general election are quite clear. Strict adherence to these Rules is absolutely necessary to minimise and avoid irregularities.

Failure to do so will result in allegations and perceptions of unfairness and favouritism.

Information and data received by the party strongly suggested that the People’s Partnership was comfortably ahead in the polls at 6pm. The march to victory adversely af-

fected by the sudden unilateral decision by the EBC to extend hours of the poll from 6pm to 7pm.

The EBC cannot and should not change the rules of engagement without giving proper notice to candidates, political parties and voters. We have received reports that citizens were unable to cast their vote at certain polling stations because the officials of the EBC were themselves unaware or uncertain about the decision to extend the time of voting until 7pm. Additionally, many citizens were unaware of this extension of time and hence did not cast their vote.

Rule 27 (1) of the election rules is quite clear: the taking of the poll at each polling station shall be between 6 0’clock in the morning and 6 o’clock in the afternoon of the same day. Any suspension or adjournment must be based on fair and adequate prior public notice to en-

sure there is a level playing field. Thus, the poll could have been adjourned to the following day to facilitate those who were unable to cast their vote for good reason.

This has in fact happened in the past. We have been advised that the decision by the EBC to give an extra hour undermines the legal framework which governed the conduct of the general election and was tantamount of the shifting of the political goal post at the end of the game. This might have very well affected the integrity of the process and the results in critical constituencies. This is a serious and important violation of the spirit and intention of the Constitution, the Representation of the People’s Act and the election rules. We will therefore file these election’s petitions to ensure that the rule of law is upheld and justice is done.

(Trinidad Express)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

Trucking fuel to Vreed-en-Hoop costs GPL a pretty penny

A truck pumping fuel into the GPL Vreed-en-Hoop plant

IT costs the Guyana Power & Light Inc $10M per month to truck fuel a c ro s s t h e D e m e r a r a Harbour Bridge to the Vre e d - e n - H o o p p o w er station on the West Coast of Demerara.

And this is even after the power company spent US$36M to construct the power plant, and an adjoining wharf at Vreed-en-Hoop several months ago. “The wharf was incomplete under the former CEO, so we have to barge-and-truck the fuel every day. This costs GPL $10M per month in transportation,” Minister of Public Infrastructure, with overview of the sector, David Patterson, has said.

The 26-megawatt power plant which was commissioned in early February reportedly demands a large intake of oil daily. With the wharf incomplete, GPL has been forced to hire trucks to transport fuel from Kingston in Georgetown, across the aging Demerara Harbour Bridge, to the new power plant.

Almost 20 truck-loads, the equivalent of approximately quarter tank of oil, are reportedly taken to Vreed-en-Hoop daily

to keep the power plant running. The fuel is transported in this manner because of weight restrictions on the bridge. The US$36M Wartsila plant was commissioned by former President Donald Ramotar without the critical component of the fuel lines being operational.

The entire project was delayed by almost two years, sending costs up to US$36M. GPL had signed a US$26M contract with Wartsila, a Finnish company that supplied several engines. In addition to the US$36M tag price for the new plant, another $242M have been awarded in a contract to BK International for the building of the wharf and fuel lines.

GPL has been under scrutiny as consumers complain of blackouts and escalating costs for electricity, especially since the business community has been calling for cheaper and more reliable power.

The plant has been indispensable in boosting and stabilising GPL’s supply of power to the nation, with the power being distributed as far as Berbice through an inter-linked system.

(Rabindra Rooplall)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

New EU ambassador pledges continued support to Guyana PRESIDENT David Granger says Guyana’s partnership with the European Union has impacted the local economy to a great extent, especially within the context of trade and development assistance.

The President made these comments on Wednesday at the Ministry of the Presidency, as he accepted Letters of Credence from the new European Union, Ambassador to Guyana, Jernej Videtic.

“The EU has sought to craft the cooperation agenda to meet new challenges such as climate change, food security, regional integration, state fragility and aid effectiveness. These are all issues that impact on Guyana’s development. We are happy to learn that the EU remains committed to working with Guyana to meet these challenges,” President Granger said. He added that his administration is pleased to continue its cooperation with the European Union with regard to a new UN development agenda for 2015 and beyond. Pillars of development cooperation, economic and trade cooperation, and reinforcement of political

institutions will be crucial to the implementation of such an agenda, President Granger added.

Further, Guyana has been visible in this process through its role as co-facilitator for the recently concluded Third International Conference on Financing for Development.

However, moving forward, the President said his administration will continue its constructive engagement as the world approaches the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change, later this year.

Meanwhile, the Ambassador Videtic, in brief remarks after presenting his credentials conveyed the best wishes of the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the President of the European Commission, JeanClaude Juncker, to the representatives and the people of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. “This is of course a very important year for Guyana given the general and regional elections which took place in May. I wish the new Government the very best in furthering the development of Guyana. 2015 is a special

European Union Ambassador, H.E Jernej Videtic as he presented his Letters of Credence to President David Granger, in the presence of, Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge and Director General, Ambassador, Ms. Audrey Waddell

year for our relationship for a number of reasons: 2015 is the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the European Union Delegation in Guyana, which ushered in a close and mutually beneficial partnership between Guyana and the EU, based on shared values, which continues to this day and which I intend to build on during my mandate as Ambassador.” He said he found it auspicious that he

is commencing his mandate here in the “European Year for Development”, the motto of which is “Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future”.

“Guyana has always played a prominent role in regional and international relations, especially in formulating international development policies. Indeed, this year we mark 40 years since representatives from close to 80 African, Caribbean and

Pacific countries met here in Georgetown to sign an agreement which created the ACP Group of States and became the Group’s fundamental charter,” the new ambassador said.

According to him 2015 is also a critical year for the entire planet: in December the COP21 summit takes place in Paris with the objective of securing an ambitious agreement

that will ensure the world remains on track to keep global warming below a 2° C increase limit. He said all countries are affected by climate change, most of all vulnerable states. We, the EU and Guyana, can do a lot by acting together in international fora to bring about change to protect our fragile planet. Another extremely important event is this month’s United Nations Sustainable Development Summit which will decide on the Post-2015 Agenda, the ambassador noted, adding that Guyana has again showed its continuing engagement in shaping international development policies by having played a prominent role in the preparations for this summit, serving as co-facilitator for consultations on the Financing for Development Conference which took place in Addis Ababa in July this year – on which depends the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of the post-2015 Agenda. “This new Agenda will also influence the new post-Cotonou framework.

Four ferries for dry East Ruimveldt man remanded over – $220M allocated for unlicensed revolver and ammo docking maintenance work

By Clestine Juan

PLANS are apace to undertake maintenance works on a number of ferries under the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), that would cost the government a total of $220M, according to Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson.

During a press conference at her Kingston office, Minister Ferguson said that Lady Northcote will be dry docked for two months and serviced at a cost of $70M. That ferry was tasked with plying the Georgetown-Port Kaituma route.

Meanwhile, the minister said, the ferries MV Kimbia, MV Sandaka and MV Barima will also be dry docked for maintenance and this will cost $150M. The North West ferries will be docked until December for maintenance repairs. Other vessels will be assigned to various districts during the docking.

The MV Kimbia is approximately 42 years old and

A MAN from East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was yesterday remanded to prison

by Magistrate Alex Moore when he appeared before her on a charge of having an unlicensed revolver and ammunition in his possession.

Devon Garraway of 317 East Ruimveldt pleaded not guilty to the charges which

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson

has serviced the North West District for over 20 years but had a torrid history in terms of repairs.

Today the steamer service, which has for many years provided an effective and relatively cheap form of transportation, appears to be declining, partly as a result of modernisation and the emergence of smaller and faster, privately-owned vessels that ply the country’s numerous rivers daily.

stated that on Sunday, September 6 at East Ruimveldt, he had in is possession a .32 revolver along with 24 matching live rounds, without being the holder of a firearm licence.

Corporal Shawn Gonzales, prosecuting at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, said that the 24-yearold Garraway was arrested by the police during a sting operation, and a subsequent search

of his person unearthed the gun and ammunition.

Garraway in his defence said that the gun and ammunition did not belong to him and he was sent by his roommate, who resides with him, to uplift a package on his behalf which he was told contained clothing and some food items.

The accused said further that he had been tracked by a police officer, who pounced

on him and innocently charged him when he had no knowledge of what was in the package.

The prosecutor objected to bail after the defendant failed to provide a special reason on his behalf for the granting of bail.

Garraway was remanded to prison and will make his second court appearance on October 13, for report.

Armed robbery victim admits mistaken ID THE virtual complainant in an armed robbery case avoided a miscarriage of justice yesterday when she informed City Magistrate Judy Latchman that the matter should be discharged against the accused because she was ‘traumatized’ at the time and wrongly identified him as her attacker.

Roy Sandiford, 27, of Lot 970 ‘A’ Field, Sophia was charged with robbing Onessa Semple, a receptionist at Modern Hotel, on September 4 in Georgetown.

It was alleged that on the day in question Sandiford, be-

ing armed with a gun, robbed Semple at her workplace of two pairs of gold earrings, along with two gold rings, valued $52,000. On the said day also he was accused of stealing from Semple $5,200 in cash, property of Godfrey Raid. Sandiford denied all the allegations.

His lawyer, Mr. George Thomas, told the court that Semple had requested the police to drop the charges due to mistaken identity.

However, the prosecutor, Corporal Keri Boswick, was quick to present the file against the accused and the victim’s statements. He ex-

plained that according to the file, which had Semple’s statement, she had ample time to see the face of her attacker and had indicated to the police that it was Sandiford.

Boswick further disclosed that the accused allegedly held-up the victim at gunpoint and relieved her of the articles while requesting her to empty the fridge before making good his escape from the hotel.

The matter was stood down while the magistrate requested the prosecutor to seek the guidance of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Upon recall, the virtual complainant was made to step

into the witness box to give her sworn testimony.

She stated that Sandiford was not the attacker who robbed her at her workplace and expressed regret at the inconvenience. However, she was scolded by Magistrate Latchman who informed her that it is a criminal charge for giving the police wrong information. Cross-examination of the victim was denied by the lawyer.

Both armed robbery charges against Sandiford were dismissed and he walked out the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court a free man.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

Concerned citizens want urgent remedy for vagrancy problem Health in the PPP administration, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy had said that his ministry was charged with extending its public health care and mental health services as part of a collaborative programme to eliminate the presence of vagrants on the streets of Georgetown.

He said the programme would have seen officials at both the Health and Human Services Ministries working in collaboration with officials at City Hall. It was decided that the City Council would be tasked with locating the vagrants and handing them over to the Ministry of Health. The minister said that although the health ministry was at the time offering limited assistance to vagrants, the next step would be for them to be granted medical attention and psychiatric treatment, as required. Then

By Shirley Thomas THE threat to property, life and limb posed by vagrants, and persons of unsound mind, roaming the streets of Georgetown, is assuming alarming proportions, but Town Clerk Royston King recently disclosed plans to deal with this issue.

However, most disturbing to citizens is the tendency for some vagrants to unleash wanton violence in the streets, via such weapons as stones, bottles, sticks, and ‘jukkas’ (homemade daggers).

In view of such threats, concerned citizens are now calling on the competent authorities to move urgently to institute systems to rid the streets of the vagrancy problem.

POLICY FORMULATION Meanwhile, Town Clerk Royston King said recently that an inter-agency committee has been set up in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection to deal with the homeless and vagrants.

The M&CC and the ministry have begun to formulate a policy to address this issue.

But the problem runs beyond just homelessness and sleeping on the pavements.

Vagrants of unsound mind,

particularly those who are substance abusers, have a history of displaying violent behaviour - often squabbling over cardboard boxes to set up their pavement ‘bed’, property disputes, and sudden attacks against passersby.

They are also known to become abusive and aggressive to persons who do not respond appropriately to their supplications for money.

They are known to react by tossing mud or sand on car bonnets and windscreens, among other displays of disaffection.

Citizens recently recalled one incident, way back, when a vagrant struck a passerby on the head with a coconut in the vicinity of the former Guyana Broadcasting Corporation on High Street, resulting in the man’s death.

And about two years ago, another vagrant who used to lurk around Parliament Buildings struck a St. Stanislaus student on the head with a piece of greenheart wood, resulting in him being hospitalised.

Another recorded case occurred in the Psychiatric Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital when a socalled ‘junkie’ (substance abuser) violently attacked a female nurse on the ward.

The internal security intervened and an ugly scenario erupted, wreaking havoc in

the ward with the man of unsound mind gaining the upper hand.

And two weeks ago, another person of unsound mind, near the Guyana Chronicle, threatened to kill a customer at a nearby business enterprise for not complying with his request for money.

And more recently, another mentally unstable person, smashed the windows of at least three cars in the compound of the GPHC because he was not allowed to have his way.

However, plans are on the cards for a collaborative effort among the M&CC, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Public Health to rid the streets of vagrants.

PASSING THE BUCK But while the M&CC seems eager to ‘get the ball rolling’, this publication has received no clear word from the two ministries. Asked for a comment on what steps it plans taking in this joint initiative, an official from the Ministry of Social Protection said the issue was the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Health. But an official contacted at the Ministry of Public Health expressed confidence that the responsibility rests with the Ministry of Social Protection.

Former Minister of

those found to be mentally disturbed would be transported to the Psychiatric Hospital at Canje, where they would be admitted.

However, the problem faced by the Ministry of Public Health is that often after being treated and released, many vagrants “end up right back on the streets,” since they are not readily admitted back into a family home or re-integrated into society.

The Ministry of Health, at that time, threw the challenge out to the then Ministry of Social Security to make available another facility to house the discharged homeless persons.

This is so, since the East La Penitence Night Shelter is intended basically for homeless persons and not for substance abusers or persons who are prone to be violent or abusive.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

Gov’t moving ahead with Tumatumari, Moco Moco hydro projects – Patterson ALTHOUGH the Amaila Falls hydro project is on hold, pending the completion of a report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) pertaining to the economic viability of the project, government will be moving ahead with the construction of small hydro systems at Tumatumari and Moco Moco.

Minister of Public Infra-

structure David Patterson, during a press conference at his Kingston office yesterday, said further that “if we could have gotten the Amaila Falls project completed in a way [that’s] beneficial to the public, then we would have, and we made this offer to the opposition, if they are claiming its feasible in its current construct, but it is not.”

The project which has

been suspended would have cost almost US$1B, making it easily the most expensive project ever in the country.

Based on figures, it was found that the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) would have been required to make annual payments amounting to US$130M to the operators of the hydro facility, costing the country a total of US$2.6B over the 20-year

commitment period of the power purchase agreement.

Unlike the Amaila Falls hydro project which needed a government guarantee, Patterson said the Tumatumari and Moco Moco hydro projects will be working with a power purchase agreement which is more feasible.

The government’s vision, he said, is to have the new townships being powered by

alternative energy sources, starting with Bartica.

The Tumatumari Hydropower Station was the first hydropower station to be constructed on the Potaro River, Region 8. The plant was constructed in 1957 by the British Goldfields Limited and operated until 1959 when the mining operations ceased. In 1969, the Government of Guyana re-commissioned the station where the power was transmitted to serve the Guyana National Service Camps at Tumatumari and Konawaruk. The development included an embankment dam, a concrete overflow dam, and a two-unit powerhouse with an installed capacity of 1500 kw, using 2 X 750 kw Francis turbines.

THI and Hydro Quebec International signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of this hydro station and were looking for a developer to complete its final works.

Several MOUs were signed with various companies for the development of the Tumatumari Hydropower Project. However, all have since expired.

Under the previous administration, a small hydropower project was developed with assistance from

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson

the Government of China in 1995 at Moco-Moco.

This assisted a small network for Lethem which was then still dependent on fuel (and everything else) being flown in from Georgetown, or coming by road from Venezuela and Brazil. On beginning the operation of the Moco-Moco hydro plant in 1999, Lethem Power Co Inc. was born. However, Moco-Moco was disrupted by a landslide in 2003 which affected the hydro plant.

Thursday, September 10, 2015 - 14:30 hrs Friday, September 11, 2015 - 14:30 hrs Saturday, September 12, 2015 - 14:30 hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, September 10, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015

Jamaica, SVG advance to first group stage

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (CMC) - Substitute Simon Dawkins pulled Jamaica from the brink of expulsion by scoring in the penultimate minute of regulation time to hand Reggae Boyz a two-nil victory over Nicaragua in their second-leg thirdround World Cup Qualifier here Tuesday night.

Dawkins’ late goal added to a first half conversion

by Darren Mattocks and allowed Jamaica to advance to the Fourth Round of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying phase.

The match momentum swung back and

forth for the most part, with Jamaica pressing the Nicaraguans deep while the home side opted for a strategy of chasing long balls at Estadio Nacional.

The Jamaicans repelled the attack and did not repeat the defensive blunders that allowed the Nicaraguans to score three goals on Friday night.

Needing to win by two clear goals, after the 2-3 loss to them in the opening leg, the Reggae Boyz pressed the hosts and created a number of corners from which the opener emanated.

Mattocks put his country

ahead in the 13th minute, slamming home the first goal after Demar Phillips executed a corner from the left side.

Dawkins’ winner in the 89th minute of play also originated from a corner after the ball was cleared into his path allowing him to fire with his left foot to silence 20 000 Nicaraguan fans inside the stadium.

Jamaica will join Group B which includes seeded teams Costa Rica, and Panama, as well as Haiti who advanced after beating Grenada three-nil Tuesday to win the tie six-one on aggregate.

St Vincent and the

Grenadines also advanced to the next round despite suffering a two-one defeat to Aruba in their second leg tie in Oranjestad.

Tevin Slater scored a late goal after Aruba had erased a two-goal deficit within the first 50 minutes from an Erixon Danso brace.

The 21-year-old striker chipped over goalkeeper Eric Abdul from 10 yards out to hand SVG a 3-2 victory on aggregate and a berth in the fourth round where they will face Group C opponents United States, Trinidad & Tobago and Guatemala.

However Belize, Anti-

gua and Barbuda, Curacao and Grenada were not so fortunate.

Will Johnson’s goal in the 45th minute lifted Canada to a 1-1 draw at the FFB Stadium, giving them a 4-1 aggregate victory after earning a 3-0 win in Friday’s opener.

Guatemala bounced back from a loss in the series opener to defeat visiting Antigua & Barbuda 2-0 and progress 2-1 on aggregate.

Curacao were eliminated after suffering their second one-nil defeat to El Salvador while Grenada perished 3-nil against Haiti at Stade Sylvio Cator.

GFSCA make big impression ...

From Backpage

Sports Club.

GFSCA skipper Rickey Deonarine was however undaunted by all the “big names” and the reputation of Our Own and felt the 128 for eight they made after being inserted to take first strike, was reasonable.

He is, however, worried about the fielding and so it turned out, as a few catches went a-begging while the ground fielding was also

suspect at times.

Eventually the GFSCA score proved inadequate as Our Own went on to win in 19.1 overs as the experience of Gobin (43 not out and Chumney (36) prove the difference.

Deonarine acknowledged afterwards that they needed to score at least 150 to be in with a realistic chance of winning. He also pointed to the fact that they failed to build on the rapid start given by opener Uniss Usuff whose blistering 20 included three massive sixes.

However, the loss of

four quick wickets forced Deonarine to play a consolidating knock of 42 instead of his usual cavalier style and with the Our Own bowlers executing fine discipline the lower-order never got going.

Deonarine was full of praise for the staging of the inaugural tournament and felt that the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs (OMSCC) had done a fantastic job. The Guyana captain disclosed that he was looking forward to future tournaments here.

In the meantime, the

Australia’s Haddin ...

From Page 20 surpassed 50 in six of his eight innings and took 22 catches as Australia won back the urn with a 5-0 sweep.

“The 5-0 one was an amazing series, not just the cricket but the whole theatre around the country, how everyone embraced that campaign and the way we were playing,” he said.

“But the highlight for me is the support you get in the good and the bad. The support me and my family have had over the last couple of years from the Australian public is amazing.”

Haddin, who will continue to play some domestic Twenty20 cricket, said he had confidence Australia’s

Test future was bright despite the loss of so many experienced players.

“It’s an exciting time, I think we can cover all the retirements, we’ve got a great leader in Steve Smith,” he said.

“He’s going to be a great leader for a long period of time. Australian cricket is always healthy.”

A reminder of his fiercely partisan nature came when he paid tribute to his former coaches at New South Wales, Steve Rixon and Trevor Bayliss.

“This is going to hurt,” he said. “Trevor’s the England coach now and after what he did to us I don’t really want to talk about him too much.”

attention now switches to the staging of the Guyana Softball Cup 5, set for October 30, 31 and November 1 at several venues around Georgetown and according to both Deonarine and president of the GFSCA, all systems are in place for what they described as “the best softball tournament in

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The GFSCA executives pointed out that they are expecting a record 26 teams to participate in the annual extravaganza, including several from the host nation, Canada, New York and Florida. More details will be forthcoming shortly.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015

Australia’s Haddin calls time on first class career

By Nick Mulvenney SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) - Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin announced his retirement from first class cricket yesterday, following Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Chris Rogers in stepping down from Tests in the wake of the Ashes series defeat.

The pugnacious 37-year-old, who retired from one-day cricket after Australia’s World Cup tri-

umph earlier this year, kept wicket in 66 Tests, scoring 3 266 runs at an average of 32.98 and taking 262 catches with eight stumpings.

“I’ve had an outstanding career, I’ve enjoyed every minute, and in the end the decision was not a hard one,” Haddin, who played 17 seasons for New South Wales, told a media conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

“Once you’ve lost that will to get up and do the things you need to do to

… Talkative, tough competitor on the field

play for Australia, it’s time to walk away. I’ve had a great run and I couldn’t be happier with the way I’m leaving the game.”

He possessed an assured pair of hands behind the stumps. Haddin’s runs were often extremely valuable to his country, coming as they did, in counter-attacking tail-end partnerships.

Haddin, renowned as a Brad Haddin

talkative, tough competitor, played his last match in the opening Test of the recently concluded Ashes series against England in July.

He missed the second

Test at Lord’s to be with his sick daughter and failed to regain his place in the side from Peter Nevill for the remainder of the series, which England won 3-2.

“I came to the realisa-

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

tainted by the practices of the past.

“Since the last election, I have thought long and hard about how to reform FIFA. It will be a difficult task. We must overcome deep-seated corruption and political deal-making.

“I will not be a pawn for others. I cannot leave the field that I have cleared, only to allow a flawed system to continue.

“To Member Associations of FIFA, I say, you are the backbone of football and FIFA should serve you. FIFA will not be run as the personal fiefdom of an all-powerful clique.”

tion, probably after Lord’s, that I’d lost that fight to continue,” he said.

“I was all about trying to make myself the best cricketer I could be every time I walked out on the training paddock and I probably lost that hunger from there.”

Like Adam Gilchrist his predecessor, Haddin had to wait until he was 30 before he played his first Test, against West Indies in 2008.

He lost his place in the side in 2012 when he stood down from the tour of West Indies for personal reasons but returned in early 2013.

Appointed vice-captain for the home Ashes series against England, he See Page 19

Prince Ali back in FIFA race

AMMAN, (Reuters) Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan is back in the race to be elected FIFA president having declared his candidacy yesterday four months after losing May’s vote to Sepp Blatter.

Prince Ali, 39, announced in a speech in the Jordanian capital that he would run again for the top job at world soccer’s governing body.

“Friends, I stand here in this ancient place in the timeless heart of Amman to once again launch my candidacy for the presidency of FIFA,” Prince Ali said.

“Let me be clear, I want to finish what we started,” he added.

“We have come too far to walk away now. I have thought long and hard on this, I believe in the road we started, I believe in the moments I shared with people all over the world, who told me their hopes and dreams.”

Prince Ali is the third heavyweight to declare, following UEFA chief Michel Platini of France, and former Asia vice-president Chung Mong-joon of South Korea.

He also said in his declaration speech that his campaign will depend on reforming the organisation.

“It is only through new leadership that FIFA can change I do not believe that FIFA can give this sport back to the people of the world without new leadership, un-

WORST CRISIS Ali lost by 133-73 votes to incumbent Blatter in the election on May 27 before the Swiss announced he was standing down from the po-

sition four days later after FIFA was plunged into the worst crisis in its 111-year history following arrests of its officials and others two days before the election.

A fresh election to find a successor to Blatter will be held in Zurich on February 26 and Ali will again campaign on an anti-corruption, reform programme.

Backed by Platini in May’s election, Ali now faces him as an opponent in the race, describing the Frenchman as a ‘Blatter protégé’ who is not the man to lead FIFA into a new era of transparency and democracy.

Ali has already defeated Chung in an election when he took his Asian vice-presidency seat on the FIFA executive committee in 2011 which ended the Korean’s 17-year stint at FIFA’s top table.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday September 10, 2015) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: Today’s Quiz: Two West Indians have made ‘pairs’ on their Test debut. Who was the first?

Who is the only West Indian to make a century on his ODI debut?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015

Williams sisters add new chapter to `greatest story in tennis’

By Steve Keating NEW YORK, USA (Reuters) - Serena and Venus Williams added another chapter to what the world number one claims to be the greatest story in tennis when she outslugged her sister 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open.

There are few that would disagree with Serena that the Williams sisters’ rise from the hard scrabble streets of Compton to the top of the tennis world is both fascinating and inspiring.

But it is a story still being written and what is unfolding at Flushing Meadows this fortnight could well provide a chapter all its own with plot centring on what was an enthralling 27th meeting between the siblings.

“I think it’s the greatest

Serena Williams winds up for a shot against her sister, Venus. Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images story in tennis because we really - you know, with our how we started and how we grew up and how we were able to

win championships and be, you know, such inspirations for so many women across the globe, I mean, it doesn’t get better than

Cool Pennetta upsets Kvitova to return to U.S. Open semis

By Steve Keating NEW YORK, USA (Reuters) - Italian veteran Flavia Pennetta reached the U.S. Open semi-finals for the second time in three years yesterday, outsmarting fifth seed Petra Kvitova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to add to the Czech’s Flushing Meadows frustration.

The Italian flag will feature prominently in the semi-finals with the 33-year-old Pennetta, joined in the last four by 32-yearold compatriot Roberta Vinci, who booked her spot on Tuesday with a victory over Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic.

“I was just trying to fight every ball, running and trying to push the most I can,” the Italian said in an on-court interview.

“The second set I was really in trouble, but I just kept going, playing and playing. It’s unbelievable.”

Pennetta has always been at home on the New York hardcourts having now advanced to quarter-finals or beyond in six of her last seven visits to the National

Flavia Pennetta Tennis Center.

The same courts, however, have not been kind to Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledon champion, who never ventured past the fourth round until this year.

Kvitova, one of only two players to beat Serena Williams this season, had been in superb form winning her final U.S. Open tune-up in New Haven and carried that momentum into Flushing Meadows, reaching the quarter-finals without dropping a set.

The Czech had looked well on her way to a first semi-final appearance when she easily took the opening but the veteran Pennetta kept her cool on another sizzling day in New York.

Serving at 5-4 in the second, Pennetta wobbled, missing an easy winner to hand Kvitova a break chance but the Italian did not buckle and hung on to level the match and then dominated the third set as Kvitova wilted in the oppressive heat.

“It’s not just the heat, it’s the tension for the match, for what you think you have to be, what do you want to be, what do you want to do,” said Pennetta.

“It’s so many things in your mind. You just try to take everything out of your mind and just play tennis.

“I’m sorry for her. It’s not a good feeling when you feel so tired and you cannot move very well.

“We played a really tough match, more than two hours running everywhere. She has to be proud of herself because she was playing up to the last point.”

that,” said Serena.

Certainly Serena seemed inspired on Tuesday as she and Venus played with the fire and passion that had been missing from many of their other 26 head-to-head meetings.

But never before had so much been riding on the result.

A win by 35-year-old Venus would move her a step closer to a first grand slam since 2008 Wimbledon but would scuttle Serena’s chances of joining their sport’s most exclusive club of calendar year grand slam winners which includes just three

members Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court and Steffi Graf.

Certainly there are no secrets between the sisters who knew exactly what to expect having played each other since they were first handed racquets and started playing on the cracked public courts of their Los Angeles neighbourhood.

The 33-year-old top seed, winner of 21 grand slam singles titles, took charge of the opening set by securing service breaks in the fifth and seventh games of a match that felt like a heavyweight title bout after a brilliant start by Venus.

However, Venus looked

more like the player who has claimed seven grand slam singles titles in the second set before Serena seized control early in the third and rode the momentum to semi-final meeting with Roberta Vinci.

“There’s nothing that I did different,” shrugged Serena. “I just was out there to play a really tough opponent today.

“Obviously we are very, very tough competitors on the court, but once the match is over and the second it’s done, you know, we’re sisters, we’re roommates, and we’re all that.

“Down to the match point it just was not easy.

“It’s probably the toughest match I have played in a really, really, really long time where I wasn’t actually beating myself.

“I was out there facing an incredibly tough opponent.”

Yorkshire skittle Middlesex to seal title YORKSHIRE clinched a second consecutive Championship title as a superb bowling display dismissed Middlesex for 106 on the first morning at Lord’s.

The home side were 0-3 at the end of Ryan Sidebottom’s opening over, taking him past 700 first-class victims.

The left-armer later bowled last-man Tim Murtagh for figures of 5-18, with Tim Bresnan contributing 4-30.

Yorkshire also struggled with the bat in reply, but skipper Andrew Gale made 98 as they reached the close on 238-9.

Their title was confirmed when Notts were bowled out for 204 in their home game with Durham.

Following Middlesex’s collapse, they were the only side with a mathematical possibility of denying Yorkshire, but needed the maximum of five batting bonus points to stay in the race, and only managed one.

Yorkshire arrived at Lord’s with a 43-point lead over Middlesex, and opted to put them in on a greenish surface after winning the toss.

Sidebottom’s third ball trapped Paul Stirling lbw and he had Nick Compton caught behind and bowled Dawid Malan with successive deliveries later in the over.

Debutant Stevie Eskinazi edged to Adam Lyth in the slips and when Bresnan took over from Sidebottom’s new-ball partner Jack Brooks, he quickly had Neil Dexter caught behind.

Sam Robson (26) followed in similar fashion and off-spinner James Middlebrook removed John Simpson (28) with t h e f i n a l b a l l b e f o re lunch.

From 92-7 at the interval, Middlesex lost their last three wickets for 14 runs as Sidebottom finished the innings with the final ball of the 33rd over.

Failing to gain any batting bonus points meant the home side could no longer catch Yorkshire in the Division One table, even if they somehow manage to win the match.

The visitors progressed to 129-3 at tea in reply, with skipper Andrew Gale, who was not on the field when they won the title in 2014 because of suspension, unbeaten on 54.

The left-hander looked

set for a third century of the summer, but was caught at second slip off Neil Dexter (3-24) as he looked to play the ball into the leg-side and the champions slumped from 187-4 to 221-9.

It looked like they might be dismissed before stumps, but bad light brought a slightly premature end with Jack Brooks 12 not out and Sidebottom on nine Yorkshire cricket director Martyn Moxon: “The first win is really special, but given the circumstances this is probably a bigger achievement than winning last year.

“That first over epitomised what Ryan was all about, and to get his 700th wicket as well, he’s been a fantastic bowler over the years and there’s still a lot of life left in him.

“To combine developing England players with domestic success is a fantastic effort from everyone involved.

“To have provided so many England players this summer and still won the Championship, with two and a half games left, I think it’s a remarkable achievement.” (BBC Sport)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015

Sir Bobby Charlton congratulates Rooney … admits he’s disappointed to lose England scoring record While admitting he was disappointed to lose the record, Charlton said he is happy it has remained with Manchester United following Rooney’s 50th international strike.

“I would like to congratulate Wayne on becoming England’s leading goalscorer,” he said.

“I have always been very proud to hold this record.

“Playing for my country was always an honour and a privilege and something I did with great pride.

“I obviously cannot deny that I am disappointed that I now don’t hold

SIR Bobby Charlton has congratulated Wayne Rooney after the England skipper broke Charlton’s England goal-scoring record.

Rooney went into Monday night’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland at Wembley level with Charlton on 49 goals - following his penalty against San Marino on Saturday.

It looked as if the wait would go on that evening, but Raheem Sterling won a late spot-kick, and Rooney stepped up to dispatch the ball into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Sir Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney

Taylor elated over appointment KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) - New captain of the West Indies Women cricket team Stafanie Taylor says she is elated over her elevation to her new role in the regional outfit.

Taylor was appointed to replace the long-serving Merissa Aguilleira as Windies women begin preparation for the home series against Pakistan starting next month.

An 18-member squad has also been selected to begin training for the series

against Pakistan.

“I’m feeling honoured to be the captain,” declared Taylor in an interview with the Pakistan Observer.

“The good news was conveyed to me by the WICB president. Obviously my family members were elated and congratulated me on this appointment.”

Aguilleira has not scored a half-century in over three years and managed only 69 runs from

ten ODI outings last year and 86 runs from 12 T20 innings.

Taylor, by contrast, has been one of the most prolific batsmen in the women’s game in recent years garnering 3 115 runs from 84 One-Day Internationals, already with five centuries and 20 half-centuries.

“I knew at some stage this (captaincy) was to

come,” said the Jamaican cricketer.

“I would want the long-serving Merissa Aguilleira in the team. I would expect her views just like any other player on and off the field.”

Taylor, 25, has played over 80 ODIs and 62 Twenty20 matches while scoring over 3 000 and 1 800 runs in both formats of the game.

She has also captured over 100 wickets in ODIs and more than 50 wickets in T20s.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Thursday September 10, 2015) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market &The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

Today’s Quiz: Two West Indians have made ‘pairs’ on their Test debut. Who was the first?

Who is the only West Indian to make a century on his ODI debut?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

New Windies Women captain Stafanie Taylor

this record. However, I am absolutely delighted that it is Wayne, as captain of my beloved club and country, who now holds this record.

“On behalf of myself and everyone at Manchester United I would like to say congratulations Wayne, this is a very proud moment for you and your family.

“It is a record that I am sure you will hold for a long time, and it is clear to see that you will go on scoring for your club and country for a long time to come.” (Mirror website)

West Indies set for 44-day tour of Sri Lanka

WEST Indies embark on a 44-day tour of Sri Lanka, which includes two Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is in October and November, an SLC press release has said.

The first Test begins in Galle on October 14, where West Indies have played only two matches in 2001 and 2010. They will only have three days to acclimatise to the venue.

The SLC interim committee had earlier said that the board was trying to reduce the costs it will incur by hosting games in Galle, as well as at other venues for the tour.

That could be the reason West Indies will spend much of their time ahead of the first Test in Colombo - seven days of training at the Sinhalese Sports Club, followed by a three-day game at the venue.

Following the Galle Test, West Indies return to Colombo for the second Test at P Sara Oval, where they have never played red-ball cricket before. Three days’ practice at the venue will lead them into the match starting on October 22.

West Indies have never won a Test series in Sri Lanka. They drew with the hosts in 1993 and 2010, and lost in 2001 and 2005.

The ODIs start in November and will be day-night affairs. The first two ODIs will be held at the R Premadasa stadium on November 1 and November 4. Pallekele will host the final ODI on November 7 and the teams will stay back for the first T20 two days later. The final T20 will take the teams back to Premadasa on November 12.

These T20s are the only confirmed matches that West Indies play before the World T20 in India in March 2016. Sri Lanka have two more on their docket when they visit New Zealand in December 2015-January 2016. (ESPN Cricinfo)

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015

Gafoor looking to build experience RACING action in the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship gets going in just under four days in Barbados and debutant driver Nazim Gafoor has considered this leg to be an experience gaining occurrence Gafoor, who drives a Mazda Miata, built and tuned for the Group 2 division says that while it may be his first time out, he is still looking to make an impression.

“Well it’s my first time outside of Guyana (South Dakota) but I’m still very confident in my abilities as

a driver. Many may think that I am young and inexperienced but I think my youth is an advantage; my reflexes are in tip-top shape,” said Gafoor.

Gafoor, a newcomer to circuit racing recently has been involved in drag racing as well, indicating to Chronicle Sport that he is trying to be as competent as possible.

“What I am hoping to

Nazim Gafoor

WICB urged to come clean over Ramdin’s sacking PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC)-Former West Indies manager Omar Khan has called on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to come clean on the sacking of Denesh Ramdin as captain of the regional test side.

Ramdin was axed as Test captain after just 15 months in charge and replaced by One-Day skipper Jason Holder.

A WICB statement said that Holder’s appointment had been recommended by the Clive Lloyd-chaired selection panel and “endorsed unanimously” by the directors.

However Khan has pointed to comments in the media by director Azim Bassarath who s a y s h e w a s u n a w a re of the decision and is against it.

“The WICB sends out a press release stating that the directors of the board unanimously agreed to remove Ramdin based on a recommendation from the selectors,” said Khan.

“Yet one of the directors Azim Bassarath comes out and says that he knew nothing of this and is not supporting the move.

At the moment people are trying to fool the people of the Caribbean and it is about time someone speaks the truth.”

Meantime Khan is suggesting that Ramdin may have been fired as Windies captain because of his deci-

Denesh sion to resign from the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).

The Trinidadian wicket-keeper batsman was one of the players who aborted the West Indies tour of India last October over a payment structure dispute between WIPA and the WICB. “It is alleged that a number of senior West Indies players have resigned from the Players Association (WIPA) with Ramdin being one of them, and it seems as if this has cost him the captaincy,” said Ramdin.

“The relationship between the WICB and the WIPA is known to be very close and it may have been the thinking of the board that they needed their Test captain to be a member of the player’s body. I hope that this is not the case because if it is, then it is a very sad state of affairs.”

Ramdin, 30, who was appointed in May last year,

Ramdin led West Indies in 13 Tests – winning four, losing seven and drawing two.

As captain Ramdin, managed 472 runs at an average of 22, and a highest score of 57.

“All the other international teams have given their captains time to build their squad and it is unfortunate that Ramdin’s tenure has been cut short. The WICB has failed in terms of preparing their leaders,’ said Khan.

“When you look at the other countries, they send their captain and those who they think could become leaders to seminars to develop them. This is not done at the WICB, they just ignore this and once they continue to operate in this manner our cricket will continue to be in the doldrums.”

West Indies are preparing for a tour of Sri Lanka to play two Test matches, three ODIs and two T20s.

do at this meeting is to gain some more experience and basically see what some of the other styles the Caribbean drivers have. My main goal is to be competitive, come November (4th leg of CMRC in Guyana) so that I can really put up a fight on my home turf..

Gafoor is the only Group 2 representative in the 11-member team which

also includes Danny Persaud, Mark Vieira and the father-son duo of Kevin and Kristian Jeffrey.

In the two-wheel category, Stephen Vieira will lead his cousins Matthew and Elliot along with Joel Neblett and Kevin Persaud.

The third leg of the CMRC 2015 will be held at the Bushy Park Raceway this Sunday..

Masters want level playing field for their athletes

By Michael DaSilva

WITH just 10 days before the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) stages the COURTS 10K Run as part of its anniversary celebration, the Masters Athletics Association is calling on the organisers to create a level playing field for its athletes.

This call was made at the conclusion of the recent Massy 10K Run. The athletes who spoke to Chronicle Sport vented their feelings about being placed at a disadvantage.

They said masters who are in their early 50s have to compete against others who are 40 years plus but not exceeding 55 years, while others who are in their late 60s have to compete against others who are younger by 10 years or more.

For the just concluded Massy 10K, the organisers had only two age groups for the Masters - 40 plus and 56 plus.

In an invited comment, 68-year-old Franklyn Archer, an active athlete since his teenage years, complained bitterly about having to compete against much younger athletes. “This is real advantage … at my age I have to compete against persons 12 years my junior. This should not happen. This is real advantage,” Archer lamented.

Carlton Stephenson, who is in his mid-60s and who placed second in the 56 years and over age group, said, “It was a total disadvantage for me being much older than most of the other athletes in that category … and when you finish all you get is a trophy or a hamper, not a cent to get transportation home.

Carlton Stephenson According to the athletes, S t e p h e n s o n ’s a g e group category was won the AAG did not adhere to

by Llewellyn Gardner who the world governing body’s clocked 43 minutes 12 sec- (IAAF) rules pertaining to onds (43.12). Stephenson’s Masters’ age groups. Which time was 54.43 and Charles are: 40-44; 45-49; 50-59, Casse who placed third 60-65 etc.

They all said the AAG’s returned 55.30.

The case of the masters actions should be corrected who contested the 40 plus for the upcoming COURTS age group category was no 10K which is set for Sepdifferent as there were some tember 20.

They also threatened to in their very early 50s competing with others 10 years boycott the activity if the situation is not rectified. younger.

Their threat came minThis category was won

by Larry Josiah (40.01). utes after AAG president Second was Eion Archibald Aubrey Hutson, in brief (40.25) and finishing third remarks before the presentation of prizes to the was Kwame Bright (42.23).

Only two women par- winners, called on other ticipated in the Masters master athletes to get incategory, as it was open to volved and resuscitate the women 40 years plus. The Masters Association.

Efforts s to contact Hutwinner was Cyrleen Phillips (50.22), while Carla son for a comment proved futile.

Adams finished second.

Sport CHRONICLE

Gafoor looking to build experience

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

See story on page 23

CONCACAF World Cup

Jamaica, SVG advance to first group stage See story on page 19

Jamaica’s Simon Dawkins (#18) is mobbed by teammates after scoring the World Cup Qualifying series-clinching goal against host Nicaragua on Tuesday night in Managua.

(Photo: www.pinolerosports.com)

GFSCA make big impression in Toronto Cup

… set sights on upcoming Guyana Softball Cup

By Frederick Halley TORONTO, Canada – Despite failing to emerge as champions in the Masters category of the just-concluded Toronto Cup softball tournament the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFCSA) made quite an impression, ending in the runner-up spot.

In a closely-fought final, the GFSCA went down to the experienced Our Own Sports Club, featuring several former Guyana players and a former Canadian World Cup batsman in Desmond Chumney.

The former Guyana players included Sunil Dhnairam, Shivnauth Seeram, Troy Gobin and Jaimini Singh. Added to

that, the captain of the team, Mahendranauth ‘Bobby’ Parasnauth, is regarded as one of the best softball player in and out of Canada.

Our Own were also credited with winning 55 consecutive matches over a three-year span up until two weeks ago when they lost to nemesis Guyana See Page 19

GFSCA skipper Rickey Deonarine collects the runner-up trophy for the Masters category. President Ramchand Ragbeer is at left.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015