Chronicle 10 12 2015

GUYANA

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

RK’s guard shot, robbed millions No. 104339

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…was escorting cash from Balwant Singh’s Hospital

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Baby critical after Kitty smash-up Elderly woman nabbed at OIA with ganja P.2

Guyana/Venezuela border controversy

Ban in brief visit ahead UN-brokered talks 3 P.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon being escorted to the VIP lounge at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport by Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge and other officials of the Guyana Government and the UN office here (Samuel Maughn photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 12, 2015

RK guard shot, robbed of millions … while escorting cash from Balwant Singh’s Hospital

By Shauna Jemmott A GUARD attached to a private security service was shot and robbed yesterday afternoon of cash he and a co-worker had just uplifted from the Balwant Singh Hospital near East and Middle Streets.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that two RK Security guards, who were escorting a bag of money in a company vehicle, were robbed after coming under fire by armed bandits near the former Crown Taxi Service, where a man had fatally shot five persons before killing himself almost two years ago.

Efforts to gather information on the incident from Roshan Khan Security Service

and Balwant Singh Hospital proved futile. However, ‘A’ Division Commander, Clifton Hicken disclosed that two guards were transporting money from that hospital and had just driven off with the cash when the robbery took place.

Hicken said he had not received information about the name of the wounded man nor the sum of money stolen.

Meanwhile, Online news outfit, Demerara Waves yesterday evening carried an urgent appeal for donations of O-Negative blood to help save the life of the Roshan Khan security guard who was shot by bandits near Balwant Singh Hospital, identifying him only as 25-year-old Mr. Trotman.

According to reports, the injured guard was driving the vehicle at the time he was shot in his shoulder, and walked to a city hospital just after the incident.

An eyewitness told this newspaper that around 13:40hrs, the guards had just picked up the money at the Balwant Singh Hospital and were heading towards Middle Street when gunshots rang out. He said saw two or three gunmen approach the vehicle and shatter the windscreen with gunshots before demanding the money.

Said he, “I heard about six shots, and at first I thought it was squibs [fire crackers]; I did not realise it was a robbery until I heard one of them say, ‘Pass the bag, pass the

bag,’ about three times. I am not sure how much money it was, but I know they took a bag of money.”

Several taxi drivers were on the parapet just opposite where the robbery took place at the former Crown Taxi Service location.

Some ran, while others took cover by dropping to the ground when the shots rang out as the bandits shattered the right-side windscreen of the car at the driver’s end, took the bag of cash and made good their escape west along Middle Street on two motorcycles.

The shot man drove the vehicle across Middle Street before stopping; and exiting the wagon, he walked in the direction of a city hospital.

The witness said about seven minutes after the robbery, a policeman on a motorcycle arrived on the scene.

When Guyana Chronicle arrived around 14:27hrs the damaged car was parked in front of a building on the corner of East and Middle Streets and a few persons were on the scene, including officials from RK Security Service.

Hire car drivers were gathered just across the street close to the scene of the robbery and a trail of blood was evident along the road from where the shooting took place to where the wounded man drove and parked the vehicle.

The shot security guard was already taken to a city hospital, while the other security guard wearing a bullet proof vest over his uniform

sat in a silver-coloured car speaking with police. A few minutes later he was escorted to a police vehicle and taken away from the scene.

In the same vicinity in November 2013 miner Deryck Kanhai went berserk and shot dead Police Lance Corporal 20293 Michael Forde, Constable 18053 Sherwayne Pantlitz, 38-year-old Vanessa Vyphuis of North Ruimveldt, a dispatcher at Crown Cabs Taxi Service, which was at the time headquartered in the bottom flat of his house, and 75-year-old security guard Hugh Paul, popularly known as Bonny.

Kanhai had also wounded a taxi driver attached to the service in a fit of rage that reportedly erupted after his 25-yearold lover had walked out on him a week before.

Tourism Ministry boosts capacity – with appointment of director-general WORK at the Tourism Ministry is set to pick up pace with the recent appointment of Donald Sinclair as the Director-General.

Sinclair, who assumed duties on October 1, was functioning in Suriname as a Director at the Suriname College of Hospitality and Tourism prior to his appointment. The Director-General, who is no stranger to the tourism industry, had served as Special Assistant to the late Minister of Tourism, Michael Shree Chan. He also served as the Executive Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) under the stewardship of former Tourism Minister, Manzoor Nadir and was also named Coordinator for Tourism and Transport at the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation in Brasilia.

Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes announced Sinclair’s appointment during a press conference last

Thursday at her ministry at Colgrain House, Camp Street. She also disclosed that the Tourism Ministry’s five-year strategic plan is slated to be completed by April 2016.

NATIONAL TOURISM POLICY Hughes said the plan, which is being crafted at present, is in keeping with the ministry’s mandate to design and implement a national tourism policy that will move the industry forward. Existing policies and researched information are being reviewed at the moment.

“We want to go through, read and asses it [data] so when we create this strategic plan, we have a policy and we have a road map for Guyana going forward, initially for the first five years.”

Minister Hughes also used the opportunity to discuss the roles and responsibilities of the Tourism Ministry and those of the

Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA).

It was explained that in addition to developing a National Tourism Policy, the Tourism Ministry is responsible for regional and international cooperation, the establishment of strategic marketing policy, budget coordination, training and education, and most importantly tourism investment facilitation.

On the other hand, GTA continues to focus on human resource development and training, research and data collection, the monitoring of standards and regulations within the industry, among others.

In addition to differentiating the Tourism Ministry from the GTA, Hughes also used the opportunity to update the press on her recent visit to Suriname where she paid a courtesy call on her Surinamese counterpart, Rusland Andojo. At the time she was en route to the final leg of Nereid’s Yachting Rally in French Guiana.

During that visit on October 2, the two ministers had an in-depth discussion on the plethora of opportunities that can foster the growth of tourism in the Guianas Shield.

She conveyed Guyana’s desire to work in close collaboration with Suriname and French Guiana to collectively promote the tourism industries in the Guianas and to market their destinations under the um-

(L-R) GTA Director Indranauth Haralsingh, Tourism Minister Catherine Hughes and Director-General of the Tourism Ministry, Donald Sinclair

brella of the historic Guianas Shield. The various areas of cooperation that exist, including the vast potential for visitor exchanges

and for jointly marketing the Shield as a multi-destination tour package, were among areas discussed.

The newly-appoint-

ed Director General and GTA Director Indranauth Haralsingh were also present at the press conference.

Baby critical after Kitty smash-up JONIQUE Abrams, a five-month-old baby, was yesterday afternoon among three persons rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after the car in which they were travelling slammed into another at the corner of Alexander and David Streets, Kitty.

Up to press time, the child’s parents were reportedly moving to have her undergo a CT scan to determine whether she suffered any internal injuries.

According to eyewitnesses, both cars failed to stop at the intersection, causing the accident that resulted in the vehicle with the baby onboard, which was being driven by her father, to flip several times before turning turtle.

The other two occupants of that car, Jude Abrams and Leena Abrams, the child’s father and aunt respectively, had to be assisted out of the car by public-spirited citizens.

According to his fiancée, Svetlana Mar-

shall, who is also the mother of the child, Jude Abrams, who lives in Barbados, is here on a visit.

The woman, a senior journalist at the Guyana Chronicle, was too emotional to speak about the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Persons who know Abrams told this publication that it was only recently that he started driving here. The vehicle is registered to his fiancée, Marshall.

When this publication arrived on the scene of the accident, the owner of the other car, along with his associates, were removing components of it.

Police traffic ranks arrived at the scene yesterday following the accident, took statements and ordered that the vehicles, PTT 4022 which belongs to Marshall, and PNN 3404, which belongs to the other driver who gave his name as Mervin Moses of Alexander Street, Kitty, be taken to the police station.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 12, 2015

Guyana/Venezuela border controversy...

Ban in brief visit ahead of UN-brokered talks

The scene yesterday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, following the mid-afternoon arrival of UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and his entourage. Above is the visiting team being met by local officials, while below is a close-up of Ban interacting with Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge and UN Resident Coordinator to Guyana, Khadija Musa in the airport’s VIP lounge (Photos by Samuel Maughn)

By Ariana Gordon F R E S H f ro m C l i m a t e Change talks in Bolivia, United Nations SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon made a brief stop-over here yesterday on his way home to New York.

His visit, albeit fleeting and mere hours before the arrival of a crack team of UN officials to help make peace between Guyana and neighbouring Venezuela, prompted widespread speculation that it must have had to do with the proposed UN-brokered meeting.

Shortly after his arrival, on board a privately owned

Bolivian aircraft, Ban met with senior representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the VIP Lounge of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), among them subject minister, Carl Greenidge; Director-General, Audrey Waddle; and Chief of Protocol, Esther Griffith.

His coming here, for the very first time ever, follows his commitment to the presidents of Guyana and Venezuela at the recently concluded United Nations General Assembly held in New York to have an investigative team visit the two countries with the aim of resolving the border controversy.

While Ban made no comments on his brief meeting with the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, it is widely believed that discussions were about the border con-

troversy.

Guyana has maintained that the border issue with Venezuela was settled in 1899 by way of an Arbitral Award; but Venezuela is

holding strong to its claim on the Essequibo region.

In May, Venezuela’s illegal claim to the Essequibo resurfaced following an announcement by U.S oil giant, ExxonMobil, of a significant oil find here.

On hearing this, Guyana’s Spanish-speaking neighbour swiftly issued a decree, claiming part of Guyana’s territorial space; that decree was eventually recalled by the Venezuelan President as the international community mounted pressure.

Last month, the situation escalated even further when the Venezuelan military heightened its presence at its end of the Guyana-Venezuela border, while missile-laden vessels were deployed in Guyana’s Cuyuni River.

Guyana viewed the move

by Venezuela as “aggressive,” “hostile” and “provocative,” and petitioned the international community to condemn such acts.

Venezuelan Minister of Defence Vladimir Padrino Lopez had said that the high presence of marine troops and other military forces near the Guyana border was due to “operational exercises” being conducted by the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) in East Venezuela.

President David Granger has indicated that Guyana will go the juridical route to finally resolve the border controversy, as efforts by the United Nations over the years have proved futile.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday October 12, 2015

Turkey sees Islamic State hand in bombing, vows election will go on

By Orhan Coskun and Ece Toksabay ANKARA, (Reuters)-Turkey is targeting Islamic State in investigations of a double suicide bombing in Ankara that killed up to 128 people, officials said yesterday, while opponents of President Tayyip Erdogan blamed him for the worst such attack in Turkish history.

Government officials made clear that despite alarm over the attack on a rally of pro-Kurdish activists and civic groups, there would be no postponement of November polls Erdogan hopes can restore an overall majority for the AK Party he founded.

Thousands of people gathered near the scene of the attack at Ankara’s main railway station, many accusing Erdogan of stirring nationalist sentiment by his pursuit of a military campaign against Kurdish militants, a charge Ankara vehemently rejects.

“Murderer Erdogan”, “murderer police”, the crowd chanted in Sihhiye square, as riot police backed by water cannon vehicles blocked a main highway leading to the district where parliament and government buildings are located.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), a major presence at Saturday’s march and holding seats in

Family members of Korkmaz Tedik, a victim of Saturday’s bomb blasts, mourn over his coffin during a funeral ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, yesterday. Reuters/Tumay Berkin suicide bombing in Suruc near parliament, said police attacked its leaders and members as they tried to leave carnations at the scene. Some were hurt in the melee, it said in a statement.

The attacks have shocked a nation beset by resurgent conflict with the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in its southeast and increasingly threatened by spillover from the war in neighboring Syria.

Islamic State fighters are encamped close to its borders,

the Syrian border, also blamed on the radical Islamists.

“All signs indicate that the attack may have been carried out by ISIL (Islamic State).

We are completely focused on ISIL,” one of the sources told Reuters.

CHP opposition leader Ahmet Kilicdaroglu, speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, said he had been told both suicide bombers were men.

State-run Anadolu Agency said police detained 43 suspects in operations targeting the Islamic State across Turkey from Sanliurfa in the southeast to Izmir in the west and Antalya on the south coast. It was not clear when they were held.

The Haberturk newspaper reported police sources as saying the type of explosive and the choice of target pointed to a group within Islamic State known as the ‘Adiyaman ones’, referring to Adiyaman province in southeast Turkey.

Turkey is vulnerable to infiltration by Islamic State, which holds swathes of Syrian land abutting Turkey where some two million refugees live.

But the group, not normally reticent about its attacks, made

which mark also the frontier of the NATO alliance, and last week Russia launched air strikes in Syria, its planes violating Turkish air space on several occasions.

SURUC BOMBING SIMILARITIES Two senior security sources said initial signs suggested Islamic State was behind the Ankara attack, and that it bore striking similarity to a July

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no claim to the Suruc bombing and has made no reference to the Ankara attack in internet postings The HDP, which expanded beyond its Kurdish voter base and drew in mainly left-wing opponents of Erdogan at June elections, said the death toll had risen to 128 and that it had identified all but eight of the bodies.

The prime minister’s office said late on Saturday that 95 people had been killed.

The scale of the casualties eclipsed attacks blamed on al Qaeda in 2003 when two synagogues, the Istanbul HSBC Bank headquarters and the British consulate were hit, killing 62 people. Questions have been Prime Minister Davutoglu, exposing a mosaic of domestic political perils, said on Saturday Islamic State, Kurdish militant factions or far-leftist radicals could all have carried out Saturday’s bombing.

Some direct their suspicions at militant nationalist groupings, with or without ties to the state, who are opposed to any concession to Kurdish demands for greater minority rights.

HDP leader Selahattin Demirtas said the government had blood on its hands, accusing it of failing to fully investigate the Suruc bombing or another attack on an HDP election rally in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir on the eve of the last parliamentary election in June.

But government officials made clear that, despite the security concerns, elections would go ahead.

“Postponing the elections as a result of the attack is not on the table at all, even as an option. The elections will be held on Nov. 1 as planned,” one senior official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity as the government observes three days of national mourning.

“Because of the rising risks, the security at election rallies, which is already being increased, will be raised fur-

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ther. The election will be held in a secure way.”

Erdogan hopes the AK Party he founded will regain the overall majority it had held since 2002, but lost at June elections, partly because of the success of the HDP. After meeting Davutoglu on Sunday, main opposition CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said he told the prime minister that the interior and justice ministers must resign over the bombings and that the HDP’s Demirtas should not be sidelined.

WAR ON PKK CONTINUES The bombs struck seconds apart as crowds gathered for a planned march to protest over the deaths of hundreds since the collapse in July of a ceasefire between security forces and the rebel PKK, which is deemed a terrorist group by the United States and the EU as well as Turkey. Some 40,000 have been killed since the insurgency began in 1984.

The government has shown no sign of stopping its war against the PKK, even after the militant group on Saturday ordered its fighters to halt attacks on Turkish soil. The government dismissed the declaration as a ploy.

Turkish warplanes struck PKK targets in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey on Saturday and Sunday, and security sources said some 30-35 PKK guerrillas were killed in the northern Iraqi raids on Sunday alone.

“The PKK ceasefire means nothing for us. Operations will continue without a break,” a senior security official said.

Newspaper headlines reflected a mixture of grief and anger.

“We are in mourning for peace,” said the front-page headline in the secularist Cumhuriyet newspaper.

“Scum Launch attack in Ankara,” said the Haberturk newspaper. “The goal is to divide the nation,” said the pro-government Star.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 12, 2015

The island where men are disappearing

By Hernando Alvarez AT first glance it’s paradise, a small Caribbean island with palm trees swaying in the breeze, white sands and emerald waters, untouched by mass tourism.

But Old Providence has a guilty secret: The huge number of people who have turned to drug-running and then disappeared.

On Old Providence, nobody rushes. Nobody looks stressed; they never stop smiling.

It’s a tiny island, colonised by British Puritans in 1629, and used as a base by British privateers, including Capt Henry Morgan, as they attacked Spanish shipping and trading centres in the New World.

Although Old Providence has long been part of Colombia, and lies close to the coast of Nicaragua, the mother tongue remains a form of broken English.

The islanders, who number between 5,000 and 6,000, feel more Caribbean than they do Colombian.

Many are Rastafarians, and for a long time, the place remained untouched by Colombia’s violent narco-traffickers. You don’t see guns or hitmen; there are no bodyguards, or the bling typical of drug lords.

The problem is below the surface, but no less serious for that.

“We are losing our men,” one islander told me, asking to remain anonymous.

“According to my research, there are at least 800

men that are imprisoned in different jails abroad or have simply disappeared.”

That means more than one in four of the island’s menfolk have gone, if this research is correct, and the island’s population divides equally into men and women. There are no official figures.

The fact is that Old Providence couldn’t remain immune to Colombia’s problems forever, and a few years ago, drug smugglers discovered the islanders were excellent mariners, with invaluable knowledge of the surrounding waters inherited from their privateering forebears.

“They are the last rung of the drug-trafficking trade,” says veteran journalist, Amparo Ponton, who has lived on the island for 25 years.

“Islanders read the ocean better than anyone, so they are hired as pilots in the narco-speedboats.”

If they successfully deliver a boatload of drugs to the intended destination -- which may be anywhere from Honduras to Florida -- they make thousands of dollars.

If they get caught, they end up in jail.

Things get awkward when a boat is chased by the coastguard. In that case, the crew throws the drugs overboard - and then has to explain this to the drug lords.

The next job they are asked to do is one they cannot refuse.

“My boy ended up in a jail in Mississippi, USA,” one mother told me.

“He had already served a six-year sentence in the United States. But he tried again and failed again.

“I think he tried again because he didn’t find any work...

“Most families on the island have been affected by this one way or the other. We

are losing our boys.”

One way of creating more jobs would be to develop tourism, but this is a path Old Providence has deliberately shunned, in sharp contrast with its neighbour, San Andres, which is now dotted with resorts.

But the researcher who calculates that 800 islanders have disappeared says the lack of opportunities is only one part of the problem.

“There is also a lot of juvenile adrenaline at play,” she says. She has often overheard youngsters say: “I’ve got three options: Hit, miss or get.” In other words, you score, you get arrested, or you get killed.

“We have already lost 10% of the generation before mine,” says 26-year-old fisherman, Loreno Bent.

“There are children who wake up daily not knowing their father because he was lost in the high seas when the child was a four-month-

May showing the location of Old Providence in relation to other countries in the area

Lorenzo Bent old baby.

“Mothers are crying because their boys left and never returned. Nobody knows where they are. They could be in a jail anywhere in the world. We simply don’t know.”

But he doesn’t criticise those who run drugs.

“The sea is our economy, it doesn’t matter if it’s legal or illegal,” he says.

“What matters here is that acquiring your money hasn’t involved a crime against another human. In Colombia it’s considered illegal, but to many of us it’s our sole subsistence. So we don’t see it as something illegal.”

He adds: “People say this is easy money, but no - it’s the hardest type to obtain. If you wake up in the morning

knowing you’re putting your life in danger, then it can’t be easy money.”

When a son disappears, parents often do not know where he has gone, or if he will return - many seem to feel too ashamed about the crime to make a concerted effort to find out. The number of such enquiries from Old Providence is extremely low, according to Colombia’s consul in the US. But that doesn’t mean the absence is not deeply felt.

“There are families,” says journalist Amparo Ponton, “where the great-grandfather, grandfather, father and son are imprisoned.”

Colombia’s narco-business has given rise to many tragedies. This is just one more. (BBC)

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Guyana

EDITORIAL

African people and reparations AT a recent event at the United Nations (UN) in New York, Raull Santiago, a Brazilian human rights activist, recounted a harrowing scene he witnessed. Some members of the audience flinched noticeably when Santiago, a resident of the notoriously dangerous Brazilian favelas, Complexo do Alemao, described how the military police “slammed a young man against a wall, threw him to the ground and shot him in the head.”

Mr. Santiago, co-founder of the Coletivo Papo Reto (Straight Talk Collective), a network of young activists who use smartphones to “record racist attacks” of Brazilian police against residents of the favelas, spoke at a UN panel debate organised by the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations.

The panel debate, themed ‘Self-Representation as a Strategy to Fight Racism’ was the first of a series of decade-long planned events to examine the experiences of people of African descent; a people “in deep crisis,” according to Dr. Molefi Asante of Temple University in Philadelphia.

The crisis, to which Dr. Asante refers, runs the gamut: frequent police murders of Africans in countries such as the United States and Brazil; alleged state-sanctioned murders of hundreds of Africans in Guyana under the regime of former President, Bharrat Jagdeo; widespread poverty among Africans across North and South America and the Caribbean; limited educational opportunities; poor healthcare, etc.

This crisis, Dr. Asante explains, is, in part, the result of the “African Diaspora losing its identity and appreciation of its culture.” The United Nations General Assembly attributes the crisis to more concrete factors such as the ‘lack of adequate representation in the administration of justice,’ resulting in the mass incarceration of Africans in the United States, and barriers to ‘quality education, health services and housing which results in the intergenerational transmission of poverty’ for huge swaths of the African diaspora, notably Haiti.

Celso Athayde blamed the “political framework” for the ongoing racist oppression of Africans in the

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday October 12, 2015

We need to be vigilant and seek the support of the UN against Venezuela IN order to properly assess the present Guyana/Venezuela issue, it is necessary first of all to separate the historical from the present.

President Granger in his address to the United Nations General Assembly gave an excellent summary of the facts of the matter, both its history and the more recent acts of provocation and aggression committed by Venezuela against Guyana. But there does not appear to be a clear demarcation and differentiation of the history of the issue from the subsequent and recurring acts of aggression by Venezuela.

These are two distinctly separate but related issues, each easily compartmentalisable and each clearly following one upon the other. Each requires separate treatment and response and possible paths to resolution. The first issue concerns Venezuela’s contention that many years after the 1899 Arbitral Award there appeared a certain letter (document), which cast aspersions on the integrity of the award and therefore in the opinion of Venezuela, would automatically constitute a nullity of the award itself. Further, by means of some strange logic, this would not only destroy the award but would legitimise and reinstate Venezuela’s original claim to Guyana’s territory and would also grant them the right to commit aggression and provocation.

This single document discovered decades after the award does all of this, all at once, no questions asked. Clearly, this is foolishness and needs to be treated as such. This burning issue is altogether separate and distinct from Venezuela’s acts of aggression based on this false notion.

A document by itself surfacing decades after the award cannot possess the power to create a nullity, to re-open a claim, to pursue the claim and to purport to confer rights to territory, to justify aggression and bullyism which the whole world must accept. This now infamous document is presented by Venezuela as being capable of doing all of this. Venezuela’s obsession with this “revelation,” suddenly and curiously enough took on some importance on the eve of Guyana’s Independence History will record that Venezuela prior to the run-up to Guyana’s independence, whether by themselves or with the help of others, never challenged the British in Guyana and never sought to provoke them or commit acts of aggression. This simple fact lends support to the theory that the so-called claim to Guyana’s

territory is purely a manufactured claim, comprehensible only in the context of Guyana’s pre independent situation (Jagan, Castro, Cuban revolution etc), but which over time acquired a life of its own and became a fixture in Venezuela’s domestic politics.

The mere fact that Venezuela never pursued the so-called claim with the British for all the years since the document surfaced is sufficient to dismiss the claim based upon estoppel. Simply put, if you didn’t do it then when you first became aware of it, then you cannot do it now. This is the first issue that needs to be tackled. There is a lot of talk about a “judicial” settlement of the overall problem, meaning presumably a type of binding decision acceptable to all the parties that would put an end to the matter once and for all.

It is hard to believe that anyone in Guyana contemplates that such a “judicial” settlement would require Guyana to give up its territory. Those who propose it cannot know beforehand what such a court comprising foreign judges would actually do in such a case. Stranger things have happened in similar situations.

But then again, which court would hand down this “judicial” settlement? And would it require the consent of both Guyana and Venezuela to take the matter there and would they be bound by the decision? This is dangerous. We have our strong belief that Venezuela is completely wrong on the issue, but because of the unpredictability of foreign judges and the added problem of lending legitimacy to what President Granger rightfully described as a spurious claim, added to the fact that appeal processes are not available would militate against such a gamble.

This is not like going to the Supreme Court and if you lose, you can still go to Kingston and even if you lose again, you can still try your luck at the CCJ. There is no such thing here. And what exactly is the legal issue involved here? Which law is to be relied upon here and by whom? Can a spurious issue be the basis for a legal adjudication? But even if we assume for one moment that a single letter can cast aspersions on matters dealt with by colonial powers 116 years ago, there really is nothing that can be done about this now. A reversal of colonial decisions carried out by competing and victorious powers over 116 years would, if such a thing were possible, redraw the

diaspora. Mr. Athayde is a Brazilian activist who works with young people living in the favelas. He aims to change the “political framework.” Athayde is the founder of CUFA – Central Unica das Favelas, a non-governmental organisation which works with young people in some 400 cities throughout Brazil to build institutional capacity that’s sustainable. Favela Holding is one of those institutions. It’s a venture comprising several companies that promote social inclusion through entrepreneurship and job creation. “Either the world shares the wealth with people of African descent or it will suffer the consequences of its exclusion” of African people, Athayde warned at the UN panel debate.

In its proclamation, the United Nations, recognising the institutional racism that’s pervasive in many countries, urged its member nations, inter alia, to ensure African people enjoy ‘equality before the law;’ enjoy equal treatment ‘before the tribunals and all other organs administering justice;’ and, provide ‘equal access to all levels of quality education.’

Dr. Gerald Horne saluted the UN for proclaiming 2015 – 2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent. However, Horne, author of the ground-breaking new book, The Counter-Revolution of 1776, which chronicles the centuries-long, valiant struggles of enslaved Africans in the Americas and the Caribbean for freedom, said that the UN’s urgings to its member states will be meaningless “unless reparations are placed on the table.”

Dr. James Conyers of Kean University in New Jersey was dismissive of the UN proclamation: “Any recommendations made without a call for reparations will not make us whole. I don’t see this going anywhere!”

Conyers added that “considering how much Africans have suffered at the hands of Europeans, the UN should have issued a call for reparations.” Dr. Asante, who has just finished writing his 78th book entitled The African Pyramids of Knowledge, does not expect much from the UN on the subject of reparations either: “There is no voice in the United Nations for reparations” for African people, he declared. Asante continued: “The UN can advance useful proposals like its proclamation, but we have to save ourselves.”

A sentiment echoed at the UN panel debate by Mahen Bonetti, a filmmaker from Sierra Leone who lives in New York. Bonetti, founder and executive director of New York’s African Film Festival, believes that African people must be “self-validating,” advising that African economic empowerment “starts with us without looking to others for validation.” The UN’s theme for the next decade is: People of African Descent: recognition, justice and development. Africans will be recognised and there will be justice as governments around the world are forced by activists to prosecute state actors who murder African people. However, without reparations, economic development will be our cross to bear.

See Page 7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 12, 2015

Strategic plan for tourism sector being crafted

THE Tourism Ministry’s five-year strategic plan is slated to be completed by April, 2016, subject Minister Catherine Hughes disclosed last Thursday.

Hughes said the plan, which is being crafted at the moment, is in keeping with the ministry’s mandate to design and implement a national tourism policy that will move the industry forward.

Existing policies and researched information are being reviewed at the moment.

“We want to go through, read and assess it,” Hughes said, “so when we create this strategic plan, we have a policy, and we have a road map for Guyana going forward, initially for the first five years.”

Minister Hughes, who was at the time speaking at a press conference at her Ministry, Colgrain House, used the opportunity to discuss the roles and responsibilities of the Tourism Ministry and those of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA).

It was explained that in addition to developing a National Tourism Policy, the Tourism Ministry is responsible for regional and international cooperation, the establishment of strategic marketing policy, budget coordination, training and education, and most importantly tourism investment facilitation.

On the other hand, the GTA continues to focus on human resource development and training, research and data collection, the mon-

itoring of standards and regulations within the industry, among other tasks. .

In addition to differentiating the Tourism Ministry from GTA, Minister Hughes also used the opportunity to update the press on her recent visit to Suriname, during which she paid a courtesy call on her Surinamese counterpart, Rusland Andojo. At the time, she was on her way to French Guiana for the final leg of the Nereid’s Yachting Rally.

During that visit on October 2, the two ministers had an in-depth discussion on the plethora of opportunities that can foster the growth of tourism in the Guianas Shield.

She conveyed Guyana’s desire to work in close collaboration with Suriname and French Guiana, to collectively promote the tourism industries in the Guianas, and to market our destinations under the umbrella of this historic Guianas Shield. The various ar-

7

eas of cooperation that exist, including the vast potential for visitor exchanges and for jointly marketing the Shield as a multi-destinational tour packages were among areas discussed.

Newly appointed Director-General of the Tourism Ministry Donald Sinclair, who assumed duties on October 1, 2015 and GTA Director Indranauth Haralsingh were also present during the press conference on Thursday.

Elderly woman nabbed at OIA with ‘ganja’, ‘coke’ (L-R) GTA Director Indranauth Haralsingh, Tourism Minister Catherine Hughes, and Director-General of the Tourism Ministry, Donald Sinclair

A SIXTY-year-old woman was arrested yesterday at the Ogle International Airport (OIA) by ranks of the Police Narcotics Branch following the discovery of a quantity of marijuana and cocaine in her luggage.

According to a statement from the Guyana Police Force, the arrest was made around 14:40hrs, when it was found that the woman, who was an outgoing passenger, had in her luggage 3 kilograms 826 grams of marijuana, and 4 kilograms, 612 grams of cocaine.

She is expected to be charged soon.

We need to be vigilant and seek the ...

From Page 6 boundaries of the world including the USA, Mexico, Japan, Russia, Poland, Finland, most of Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. This would not happen.

Generally speaking, parties agreeing to arbitration also agree to accept the award as final. So therefore the first issue of the claim is clearly not a legal issue that is adjudicable. We should stop characterising it as such. It is a political matter that requires a political, diplomatic solution with the help of mediators and the United Nations convincing Venezuela that the world’s borders cannot be re-opened or redrawn on the basis of a dubious document alleging colonial wrongdoing 116 years ago. The world at that time was dominated by colonial powers and many decisions in those days had to do with the relative strengths of the contending parties. This cannot be challenged now even if a document surfaces decades later. This is a settled world as far as borders are concerned. If therefore Venezuela really believes that a revelatory letter unearthed decades after an award can lead to a nullity and consequential grant of territory, they must be put to prove that notion and to prove also that international law and relations in 2015 could accommodate such a preposterous idea.

But this notion is not capable of a “judicial” settlement because the issue itself is not legal. It is purely and historically political. Now for the second issue dealing with actual, proven, incontrovertible acts of provocation, aggression, threats of force, intimidation and bullying from the Venezuelan side towards Guyana. There is clear law for this and known agencies that deal with this. These are the United Nations, its Charter and the Security Council of the UN charged with addressing complaints of aggression by any member against another member. The Security Council has the power to issue resolutions which are binding on

all members. Guyana and Venezuela are members of the United Nations and Guyana ought to go there and present its complaints to the Security Council and request a resolution in keeping with the Charter. This approach requires a lot of lobbying of all the members of the Security Council.

Venezuela, which at the present time happens to be a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council will have every opportunity to defend itself. In its defence it may wish to inform the members of the Security Council that it found a letter that justifies aggression and the redrawing of the borders of Guyana. Obviously, such nonsense will never be entertained in the Security Council. By going to the Security Council Guyana will then get to know who its friends really are, especially among the permanent members of the UN, some of whom are arming Venezuela to the teeth. Guyana cannot lose this case because it separates and differentiates aggression from some nonsense about a letter found decades ago. Even the United States would have to clarify its position. CARICOM too.

To sum up, this present Guyana/Venezuela problem has two elements that we do not call a controversy nor a dispute. Firstly: the preposterous idea that a “letter” can overturn an Arbitral Award and justify aggression, provocation and bullyism. Secondly, clear acts of aggression that need to be dealt with. The former is not a legal issue and it will be dangerous to place before foreign judges with no appeal process. The military option has been ruled out. Political/diplomatic/ mediatory efforts are the only options available and we must use all of these to defend Guyana and put an end to this matter once and for all. Giving away resources to super powers and hoping for their support is a fallacy. We have already given away the gold, bauxite, oil, forestry to the Brazilians, Russians, Chinese and Canadians.

Yet the aggression took place and none of them said a word. They never will. They are all just interested in exploiting the natural resources of Guyana and its people.

It is clear that over the years Guyana had many opportunities to resolve this spurious claim but the PPP/C administration focused instead on selling rice at a premium to please their constituents and to get oil on credit. The former President now glibly talks about resolving the matter by dialogue. The question is: why did he not pursue this course of action during his time in office?

It did not help of course, that the Granger administration unilaterally scrapped the useless Good Officer process which was jointly agreed upon many years ago without putting in place a mutually acceptable alternative mechanism.

In addition, the ExxonMobil rig proved to be a total disaster, because they merely identified the presence and quantum of “oil reserves” and promptly capped the well and happily sailed away, leaving us holding the proverbial bag and lots of bags of rice at the docks. It just was not worth it at this time. No one knows when Exxon Mobil would be ready to exploit these resources (maybe in 10 to 15 years) and even so, no one really knows how much economic benefit would accrue to Guyana and its people, if any.

Guyana’s recent intervention and speech-making at the General Assembly hardly accomplished anything other than a promise of normalising resident diplomatic relations and receiving a UN team. Venezuela’s military pulled back after being exposed. We need to be vigilant and seek the support of the UN’s Security Council the very next time that Venezuela commits aggression against Guyana.

Yours faithfully RAMON GASKIN

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GDF joins police in probe of arms, ‘ammo’ find HEAD of the Guyana Defence Force Brigadier Mark Phillips confirmed yesterday that the army is assisting with investigations into Saturday’s arms and

ammunition find.

The items, comprising several grenades and a small quantity of live ammunition among other paraphernalia, were reportedly found in a

partly submerged box near the Lamaha Canal on Sheriff Street, just behind the Botanical Gardens.

Phillips told the Guyana Chronicle that the GDF

is supporting the Guyana Police Force in its investigations to determine how the items ended up there.

He, however, said it is too early to say whether the items belong to the GDF, since there is no clear evidence of this. That can only be determined, he said, when the army completes an inventory check, which has already commenced.

The items found included 11 fragmentation grenades, four concussion grenades, seven 9mm rounds, two blank concussion grenades, one firearm cleaning kit and an officer’s badge of rank.

The grenades found are said to be ones used in combat, according to a senior member of the armed forces.

It was also pointed out that based on the condition of the items, they might have been there for some time.

On Saturday, a vigilant city constable on the lookout for garbage dumping,spotted the box partly submerged on the northern edge of the Lamaha Canal.

The discovery was made just a few days before the government’s extended gun-amnesty programme comes to an end.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 12, 2015

Audit Office going – in pursuit of hi-tech paperless trail

By Shauna Jemmott

IN a bid to improve its operational effectiveness and efficiency, the Audit Office of Guyana is in the process of upgrading its systems so as to get the job done with less paperwork.

This is according to Auditor-General Deodat Sharma, who at a recent function said that part of a US$488,073 grant acquired through an agreement between the government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will go towards developing the material necessary to achieve the required change, using TeamMate audit-management software.

“With the evolution of Information Technology,” he said, “we are aiming to work in a paperless environment, and will be implementing an audit management software (TeamMate) to improve the efficiency and productivity in our audit process.”

This latest agreement between the government and the IDB, Sharma said, is currently ongoing with one of its main objectives being “improving the operational effectiveness and efficiency” of the office, via “applied information technology for audit business, with special

emphasis on reducing document-retrieval time, as well as condensing the amount of paper stored; that is, moving to a paperless environment.”

He is confident that the implementation of the audit-management software, which covers the entire audit process, and is being used in countries such as Jamaica and Canada, will accomplish those objectives.

Technical capacities in areas such as information technology, performance auditing, procurement auditing and forensic accounting and fraud investigations will also be strengthened through the project.

And to facilitate collaboration with the work of the audit office, awareness campaigns will be launched to inform stakeholders of its roles and functions, with emphasis on the value of audit work for better use of public resources.

He said his office would continue capacity-building initiatives, specifically in areas of performance, information technology, and procurement audits, as well as forensic accounting and fraud investigations and intends to reach stakeholders especially in the hinterland regions.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 12, 2015

Diamond Special Needs School launches Creativity Centre tress thanked the Ministry of Education and the UWFSC for their continued support and promised that their efforts will not go in vain.

Some of the teachers told

Minister Roopnaraine sharing a moment with the students and teachers of the Diamond Special Needs School (Photos by Adrian Narine)

By Navendra Seoraj “CREATIVE spaces and programmes add dimension to education,” said Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine yesterday during his address at the launching of the Creativity Centre at the Diamond Special Needs School, East Bank Demerara.

The $5.5M project will allow students of the school to be engaged in creative activities such as arts and craft, along with other activities geared at developing skills.

According to the minister, “We must ensure that no child is left behind, especially in the realm of special needs,” given that there must an inclusive effort to ensure that every child in Guyana is given an opportunity to be educated.

Taking into account that

some of the children might not be able to grasp academics, a skill and creativity could still be introduced to them.

The efforts of the United Women for Special Children (UWFSC) ought to be applauded given the fact that the initiative is their brainchild, he said, adding that,“we must applaud the efforts of persons who are filling the gaps.”

ALL-INCLUSIVE EDUCATION Further, Minister Roopnaraine noted that there must also be an abundance of music and sports in all schools, because it is the only way they could establish an all-inclusive education.

Meanwhile, President of the UWFSC, Ms. Angela Rahaman, made it clear that their hope and mission are to promote creativity in the stu-

dents, which in the long run will help them to integrate into society.

The project, she noted, started in July this year after much deliberation among members of the group and the Head Teacher Wendy Webster Apart from the Diamond Special Needs School, she said that over the years they have been involved with the development of the New Amsterdam Special Needs School and the David Rose School for the Handicapped.

Referring to the Diamond Special Needs School, Rahaman recalled that “during 1995, students were housed in an old building not far from the current location, therefore, we saw the need and built the school.” And next month will mark 20 years since the school was built.

Meanwhile, the headmis-

this publication that it is not an easy task to deal with students with special needs, as it takes more time and extra effort.

However, they stressed

that it is a joy to see the students smile whenever they accomplish something, and there is a sense of satisfaction for both the teachers and students.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 12, 2015

GNRSC official...

Foolhardy trendsetters out to break road safety laws

By Michel Outridge THERE’S a new and foolhardy trend developing here, whereby people are either crossing the road while texting, talking on their cell-phones or listening to music via their headphones.

This is in direct contravention of the laws governing road safety practices, according to Coordinator of the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC), Ramona Doorgen.

She said it is a very unsafe practice, because they are not alert and a series of unfortunate things can happen.

Meanwhile, Doorgen announced that Road Safety Month will be celebrated from November 1 and a calendar of activities has been planned.

She added that their aim is to promote road safety awareness and public education to a wide cross section of citizens because they want to get the message out that ‘road safety is everybody’s business’.

ATTITUDE CHANGE Doorgen said that there must be an attitude change and once that happens “we will see a transformation on our roads where there will be less accidents and fatalities.”

She stated that drunk driving is also worrying and people must be held accountable for their actions because “we have too many fatalities as is.”

Doorgen told this publication that drivers need to be courteous and allow people to cross the roads, drawing attention to the plight of the elderly, children and others who have to endure a considerable wait before they can do so.

She disclosed that during Road Safety Month they will focus on training of teachers for schools’ road safety programmes and first aid training as well.

Doorgen told this newspaper that they have seven road safety associations so far and another will come on stream shortly. They are working collaboratively with the Guyana Police Force, the Pan American Health Organisation, the Ministry of Public Security and the Road Safety Association.

Meanwhile, she is urging members of the public to get involved in their activities since they need to bring about change and for that to take place people must come out and support their efforts.

Doorgen also encouraged citizens to do their part in road safety even if it is assisting children to cross the roads in their community.

Monday, October 12, 2015 - 14:30 hrs Tuesday, October 13, 2015 - 05:00 hrs Wednesday, October 14, 2015 - 05:00 hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, October 12, 2015

Roopnaraine urges nation...

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See education as a worthwhile investment – in the next generation

By Ravin Singh EDUCATION Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine said Friday that our best bet as a nation is to plant the tree of education, which will in time benefit Guyana’s next generation.

Reflecting on the significance of the National Tree Planting Day Initiative, launched last week, Dr Roopnaraine drew an interesting correlation between trees, children, education and growth in the society.

In the words of Roman comic poet, Caecilius Statius in describing a fellow Roman, he told the sizeable gathering at the National Park for the annual Education Month rally: “He plants trees to benefit the next generation,” adding: “All of you gathered here today are part of a system, the core purpose of which is to plant a tree to benefit the next generation; that tree is

education, and it is our responsibility to ensure it grows and blossoms within each and every child.”

With the education system in the rebuilding phase at present, he underscored how imperative it is for Guyanese to cultivate in their children two fundamental qualities which he believes will be critical to their survival as a people. The first quality, he said, is that of mutual respect for each other’s culture.

Offering that no natural ecosystem can sustainably exist with one component excluding all others, he noted that no human society can sustainably exist with one culture or ethnic group creating and maintaining hegemony over another.

And he pointed out that our greatest strength as a people lies in the fact that we possess cultural diversity. But this diversity, he added, is the very thing which according to our history has divided us.

Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine delivering his remarks at the annual Education Month Rally held Friday at the National Park (Photo by Adrian Narine)

STILL HOPE However, there is still hope. Roopnaraine offered that once we are able to fix these issues, it will serve us well in a world in which our survival as a small country will largely be determined by how we can interact with our counterparts and other cultures in an environment of mutual respect and coop-

eration. “This entails the sort of massive cultural paradigm shift that the education system will be central in undertaking,” he asserted.

“As we close off the activities for Education Month and get down to the business of putting in place the policy directives we have assigned ourselves in the various sub-sectors, let us recommit to planting the seeds of tolerance, of knowledge and of mutual respect for the sake of our next generation,” Dr. Roopnaraine added.

Not limited to respect for cultural diversity, Dr. Roopnaraine stated that the second quality needed to be cultivated in children is that of respect for the natural environment.

Positing that climate change is threatening to replace war as the leading source of human misery and underdevelopment in the world, the Education Minister reasoned that the consensus is that this condition is as a direct result of human action.

To this end, he referenced the drought currently affect-

ing the Rupununi which he described as not being a force which discriminates in terms of culture or ethnicity. The effects of environmental challenges, he argued, cannot be combated if we remain divided as a people.

The education system, the minister added, has to accept as a critical mandate environmental matters and the primary responsibility to create a culture of conservation remains in the hands of all Guyanese.

He then recalled what he described as a privileged moment just last week when he commissioned a Creative Space building for the United Women for Special Children, an NGO that has been at the forefront of special needs education for almost 30 years.

The Education Minister highlighted his experience of witnessing courageous children committing to their own empowerment despite adverse circumstances.

Acknowledging that the education system should aim to serve every child of this

country, he said there is need to focus particularly on those who are faced with severe personal challenges to learning.

“More often than we acknowledge, sometimes those we consider the least among us are - by virtue of their courage and the sheer intensity of their personal struggle - in fact the greatest among us and as a society we owe them the best opportunity we can create,” the minister told the audience.

B u t m o r e o v e r, s p e cial-needs education, according to him, remains arguably the most significant indicator of overall sector development by virtue of its inherent challenges.

In light of this, he opined, “Once it is, we can confidently say that we as a society have significantly created a system that satisfies our special education needs, the likelihood is that the rest of the education system would have been improved to a satisfactory level as well.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday October 12, 2015

Cyber-crimes high on Budget 2016 agenda

By Rabindra Rooplall

GOVERNMENT will be moving early next year to address the issue of cyber-crimes among other pressing matters currently engaging the attention of the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

“I’ve proposed, in our 2016 Budget, to have funding to host certain consultations from time to time as matters arise; these are the things we have to look at… We have inherited things from the previous government that we don’t

necessarily have to keep,” said Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams early last week.

What the government would ideally like to have he said, is a national consultation on cyber-crime legislation so that persons could have a better understanding of what constitutes a cyber-crime offence .

“We have to train investigators, so that they could investigate them and prefer charges; prosecutors have to know how to prosecute

for such offences, and magistrates have to understand them,” Minister Williams said.

Meanwhile, Guyana is moving to tighten a number of loopholes, so as to drastically reduce the temptation and opportunity to commit a cyber-crime, which can range from website hacking to out-and-out fraud.

Experts are already being trained in cyber-crime legislation and enforcement, while plans are in train to enact several laws related to cyber-security.

Cyber-security attacks on websites, such as defacement, can be reported to the Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) at http://www.cirt.gy/ According to a report on Latin American and Caribbean Cyber-security Trends published in June, 2014, Guyana has made several noteworthy advances on the cyber-security front, the main one being the establishment of CIRT in August 2013 as the “designated authority

responsible for managing cyber incidents at the national level.”

The report notes that Guyana is expected to formulate a policy framework for addressing cyber-security in a more strategic, comprehensive, and proactive manner, and engage in an aggressive public awareness campaign.

CIRT, according to the report, was also expected to make mandatory reporting by government agencies to promote more

effective cyber-security administration and the gathering of accurate and detailed statistics on cyber incidents.

Back in August, Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan had addressed the opening of the National Cyber Security Sensitisation Workshop.

He told the opening session of the workshop that in addition to public awareness and training, cyber-security should be taught in primary and secondary schools.

Cost factor forces CAL to ditch London service

CARIBBEAN Airlines (CAL) is dumping its London, Gatwick service. The last flight will be on January 10, 2016,three months earlier than industry insiders had indicated.

This decision comes on the heels of the airline pulling its Boeing 767 fleet, which serviced London, because of the high costs associated with operating the planes.

“This has not been an

easy decision, since the airline’s customers have loyally supported the London service, especially in the peak periods,” the Trinidad-based carrier said in a statement, adding: “Unfortunately, the costs associated with maintaining the Boeing 767 aircraft operation has led Caribbean Airlines to the decision of simplifying its fleet and focusing its limited resources to build connectivity in the

North American and Caribbean markets.”

CAL said the decision was taken after conducting a detailed review of its network, taking into account the current competitive environment.

The announcement was confirmation of reports that surfaced in early August that CAL’s three-weekly flights to Gatwick, which began in June 2012, would cease at the end of March

next year, and that the airline would return its leased Boeing 737 planes to the International Lease Finance Corporation.

Industry insiders had said that the long-haul route was performing below expectation, and that CAL would cut it to reduce operational costs so as to allow the carrier to focus on its viable North American routes.

At the time, CAL had

said that it was reviewing its network profitability, but neither confirmed nor denied reports that it would stop flying the Port of Spain-London route.

CAL says it will assist customers in finding alternative travel arrangements to and from London, and that a dedicated unit at its call centres will assist affected customers with their travel needs.

Those who were booked

for departure and return after January 10, 2016 have the option of getting a full refund or being reallocated to other services; while those who were scheduled to commence travel before that date will either get a full refund or be refunded for the return leg of their trip.

CAL said customers can discuss other options by contacting its call centres.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 12, 2015

Society crying out for better standard of living --Freddie Kissoon

By Shauna Jemmott SOCIAL activist Freddie Kissoon is calling on the government to significantly improve the standard of living here by offering more attractive remuneration packages.

He also feels that age 55 is much too early for public servants to retire.

He made these suggestions during a hearing of the Public Service Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Tuesday last at the Public Service Department of the Ministry of the Presidency.

Before CoI Chairman Professor Harold Lutchman and Commissioners Sandra Jones and Samuel Goolsarran, Kissoon testified that the work of public servants must be recognised and the level of their salaries must be updated.

“If we’re going to get a credible Public Service, and if we’re going to recognise their work, then those salaries have to be civilised ones. We need to have immense elevation in public servants’ salaries. Just take a look at how they live,” Kissoon declared.

Kissoon related that in other countries, civil servants and university lecturers are among the most respected groups, and they live fairly comfortable life-

Freddie Kissoon

styles. They live in ways strange to Guyanese public servants.

“Once you leave these shores and you go to any society that is not in civil war, a society that is fairly well structured and has a fair economy, two of the most respected and prestigious sectors of the society are civil servants and academics,” he said.

“I remember an administrative officer in one of the faculties at UWI (University of the West Indies)

came here to buy furniture.

An administrative officer in any one of the UG (University of Guyana) faculties would have to buy Chinese-made furniture with the incomes they get,” he pointed out.

Public service is a vital element in any country, he testified, and even though public servants in Guyana are not properly compensated, every aspect of the country’s economy depends on them.

“A society is held together by the Public Service. Every paper that is signed to own a house, to invest, to buy a cow, to buy a cutlass, to use it… you trace this paper trail, and it goes back to people who run the society and keep it going, the public servant… You go to GRA (Guyana Revenue authority) and public servants are in that place without a proper air condition. And we go to them to get our licence. They sit from nine to five, and examine their payments.”

Kissoon attributes the loss of credibility and original status of the public

sector to the implementation of the structural adjustment programme by the late President Desmond Hoyte. This, according to him, shifted emphasis to other sectors of the economy, and has defunded the main one.

“I honestly think it began with the structural adjustment programme of President Desmond Hoyte.

That programme nearly degutted the public sector… because it shifted emphasis to other sectors; the public sector was defunded [and] the rate of exchange was almost tripled. “…public servants who were income-earners woke up a morning under structural adjustment, or what you call the ERP (Economic Recovery Programme), and found that the five million dollars that they had in the bank, they only had two now…structural adjustment went too far, and it hurt seriously public service more than any other sector of this country.”

Kissoon said he is shocked at the post-retirement state of some prominent retired public servants

who had dedicated their lives to serving Guyana.

He was especially hurt when, one afternoon, he was walking in the National Park and met a respected retired teacher at Bishops High School, whose appearance was that of a homeless woman. A conversation with her saddened him after she revealed the amount of her pension to him.

He said that at another time, he caught up with a retired University of Guyana (UG) Vice Chancellor (VC), who is the holder of a PHD in Chemistry and is now living on a $6,000 monthly pension.

“If I tell you my pension, the next thing I’d ask you is for some help,” he said, inciting laughter at the hearings.

RETIREMENT AGE The former UG lecturer said the retirement age of 55 does not allow senior public servants the freedom to enjoy their after-retirement lives.

“Some of my colleagues [fellow lecturers] left [after retirement] and went to

other universities after. And when they came back here, it was as if in those years they earned more at those universities than for the 30 years they worked at UG,” he said.

“People work very hard, and you now have to liberate their spirit,” he said, adding that the concept of retirement is to live without the rigors of everyday employment, but to still live well. “People live very badly, and you’re going to retire them with what kind of income?” Kissoon asked.

Kissoon also warned the CoI and the government that society will not forgive them if they do not ensure a better life for public servants.

“In all academic seriousness, this society cries out for some recognition in meaningful ways of the public servant; and the society, this commission and this government will not be forgiven by history if, in the next five years -- until we reach the next election -- if there is not extensive improvement in the all-round life of public servants,” he warned.

National Quality Week activities commence today

By Rabindra Rooplall

IMAGINE a world where your credit card would not fit into every cash machine, or where you could not just stroll into a shop and find the right lightbulb for your lamp.

For that matter, imagine a world without telephone codes, country and currency codes, and access to the Internet. How would you know where a call came from, or how to reach a GNBS Public specific region?

Relations Officer, If we didn’t have stanLloyd David dards, communication between people, machines, the Guyana National Buparts and products would be reau of Standards (GNBS) extremely difficult. As such, will be observing National

Quality Week commencing October, 12 to October 16, 2015. In addition, World Standards Day will be commemorated on Wednesday, October 14.

GNBS Public Relations Officer Lloyd David, says World Standards Day will be commemorated under the theme, ‘Standards: The world’s common language.’ As is customary, he said, the bureau has planned a week of activities to mark the occasion. These include television programmes; a mini exhibition at Main Street, Georgetown; print (newspaper) and electronic (radio) messages; an

education forum for secondary school students from schools in Regions 3, 4 and 5, to be held at the Benab at the Exhibition Complex in Sophia; and a staff- appreciation day and long-service awards ceremony among other events.

David explained that standards bring technological, economic and societal benefits. They help to harmonise technical specifications of products and services, making industry more efficient, and breaking down barriers to international trade.

“Conformity to international standards helps reassure consumers that prod-

ucts are safe, efficient, and good for the environment.

International standards are strategic tools and guidelines to help companies tackle some of the most demanding challenges of modern business. They ensure that business operations are as efficient as possible, increase productivity, and help companies access new markets,” David expanded.

He noted that when products and services conform to international standards, consumers can have confidence that they are safe, reliable, and of good quality. For example, ISO standards

on road safety, toy safety, and secure medical packaging are just a selection of those that help make the world a safer place, he said. “To make sure that the benefits of ISO International Standards are as broad as possible, ISO supports the involvement of consumers in standards development….

ISO standards draw on international expertise and experience, and are therefore a vital resource for governments when developing public policy.

National governments can use ISO standards to support public policy,” David underscored.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday October 12, 2015

Scenes from UN Secretary-General visit to Guyana

The Bolivian aircraft on which UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his team arrived yesterday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (Left to Right) Chief of Protocol Esther Griffith; UN Resident Coordinator (Guyana) Khadija Musa; UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge; and Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Audrey Waddle (Photos by Samuel Maughn)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and team being escorted to the VIP lounge at the CJIA UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and

by Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge; UN Resident Coordinator to Guyana, Khadija Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge sharing a light moment Musa; Director General, Audrey Waddle; and Chief of Protocol, Esther Griffith

UN Resident Coordinator to Guyana, Khadija Musa looks on as UN Secretary-General Ban UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon shakes hands with Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge Ki-moon speaks with Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 12, 2015

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 12, 2015

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SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Flamingo Park 08:20 hrs Song Jet 08:50 hrs Evercell 09:25 hrs Blast 09:55 hrs Miss Lecture 10:25 hrs Devious Tiger ENGLISH RACING TIPS Salisbury 08:50 hrs White Shaheen 09:20 hrs Beauchamp Monarch 09:50 hrs Gale Song 10:20 hrs Kakashan 10:50 hrs Arkansas Slim 11:20 hrs Highland Colori 11:50 hrs Hit List 12:20 hrs Scrutinise WINDSOR 09:00 hrs Fighting Temeraire 09:30 hrs Dismantle 10:00 hrs Weetles 10:30 hrs Brutus 11:00 hrs My dad Syd 11:30 hrs Ghinia 12:00 hrs Freight Train 12:30 hrs Candella SEDGEFIELD 09:10 hrs Vancouverite 09;40 hrs Amuse Me 10:10 hrs Ashcott Boy 10:40 hrs Highland Code 11:10 hrs Maybe I Wont 11:40 hrs Court Of Law 12:10 hrs Snowed In AMERICAN RACING TIPS Belmont Race 1 Watch the Tie Race 2 Bass River Road Race 3 Thirst for Glory Race 4 Forest Boy Race 5 Lady’s First Race 6 Egyptian Magic Race 7 Skinner Box Race 8 Carrumba Race 9 Partisan Politics

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 12, 2015

AB deVilliers sparkles as Proteas edge India in first ODI KANPUR, India (Reuters) - AB de Villiers and Rohit Sharma enhanced personal reputations with scintillating centuries but it was the timely intervention of South African bowlers that secured the visitors’ five-run

in his final over.

Paceman Kagiso Rabada then dismissed two Indian batsmen in two deliveries in the final over to put South Africa 1-0 up in the five-match series.

India needed 22 runs of

South Africa’s captain AB de Villiers hits over the top in his unbeaten 104. win over India in the first one-dayer yesterday. de Villiers’ unbeaten 73ball century provided the late impetus as South Africa posted 303 for five, the highest team total at the Green Park Stadium, after deciding to bat first.

Sharma led India’s strong reply with a brilliant 150 before leg-spinner Imran Tahir turned the run feast on its head by claiming two wickets

the last two overs with five wickets in hand and Dale Steyn conceded 11 before 20-year-old Rabada claimed back-to-back wickets to restrict the hosts to 298 for seven.

“I thought Imran Tahir first of all changed the game and gave us a chance,” de Villiers, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his unbeaten 104-run blitz, told reporters.

“And lot of credit to Dale and Kagiso. The youngster proved quite a handful and he has got a bright future,” added the South Africa captain who set alight the stadium with his superb stroke-making.

Containing de Villiers is one of the toughest jobs in international cricket and India were severely handicapped when their strike bowler Ravichandran Ashwin left the field after sending down only 4.4 overs.

Ashwin struck in his first over to dismiss Quinton de Kock but Faf du Plessis (62) and Hashim Amla (37) shared a half-century stand. de Villiers did not hit a boundary in the first 33 balls he faced but was unstoppable when he got going.

The right-hander clob-

bered his sixth six off the final ball of the innings to bring up his 21st ODI century as South Africa plundered 109 runs from the last 10 overs.

When India came out to bat, Sharma added 149 runs with Ajinkya Rahane (60) and the hosts looked on course to chase down the target without any fuss.

Sharma hit six sixes and 13 boundaries before giving a return catch to Tahir who dismissed Suresh Raina in the same over.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (31) struggled throughout his scratchy knock and fell in the final over.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will join the Indian squad as Ashwin’s cover before the second match in Indore on Wednesday.

SCOREBOARD SOUTH AFRICA innings Q. de Kock c Raina b Ashwin 29 H. Amla b Mishra 37 F. du Plessis lbw b U. Yadav 62 A. de Villiers not out 104 D. Miller stp. Dhoni b Mishra 13 J. Duminy c Dhoni b U. Yadav 15 F. Behardien not out 35 Extras: (lb-3 w-5) 8 Total: (for 5 wickets, 50 overs) 303 Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-104, 3-152, 4-197, 5-238.

Bowling: B. Kumar 10-067-0, U. Yadav 10-0-71-2 (w-1), R. Ashwin 4.4-0-14-1, A. Mishra 10-0-47-2 (w-1), S. Binny 8-0-63-0 (w-2), S. Raina 7-0-37-0 (w-1), V. Kohli

0.2-0-1-0.

INDIA innings Ro. Sharma c & b Tahir 150 S. Dhawan lbw b M. Morkel 23 A. Rahane c Miller b Behardien 60 V. Kohli c M. Morkel b Steyn 11 M. Dhoni c & b Rabada 31 S. Raina c Duminy b Tahir 3 S. Binny c Amla b Rabada 2 B. Kumar not out 1 A. Mishra not out 0 Extras: (lb-4, w-13) 17 Total: (for 7 wickets, 50 overs) 298 Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-191, 3-214, 4-269, 5-273, 6-297, 7-297.

Bowling: D. Steyn 10-0-54-1 (w1), K. Rabada 10-0-58-2 (w-4), F. Behardien 6-0-38-1 (w-1), M. Morkel 10-0-51-1 (w-2), J. Duminy 4-0-36-0 (w-1), I. Tahir 10-0-57-2.

First three through in Africa World Cup qualifying JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) - Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania became the first African countries to advance in qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia yesterday despite only one of them winning.

Kenya were held to a surprise goalless draw at home by Mauritius in the second leg of their preliminary round tie but progressed after a 5-2 victory on the Indian Ocean island last Wednesday.

Kenya, who were captained in the two legs by Southampton’s Victor Wanyama, now play the

Cape Verde Islands in the next round of knockout matches next month.

Tanzania lost 1-0 at neighbours Malawi in Blantyre yesterday but a 2-0 victory from the first leg in Dar-es-Salaam last Wednesday ensured they advanced.

John Banda scored just before halftime for Malawi but they could not find a crucial second goal. Tanzania’s next opponents are Algeria.

Tiny Sao Tom e Principe, who won their first World Cup tie last

week by beating Ethiopia with a late goal at home, were brought back to earth with a thud as they lost 3-0 in yesterday’s return in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia’s opponents in the next round are Congo.

The balance of the eight preliminary-round, two-leg ties will be completed tomorrow.

The 11 winners advance to the next knockout round, to be played over two legs in November, after which 20 aggregate winners are divided into five qualifying groups.

Mexico head to Confederations Cup after 3-2 win over USA PAUL Aguilar struck with two minutes remaining in extra time as Mexico overcame United States of America (USA) 3-2 to book their spot at the 2017 Confederations Cup. Penalties looked likely after Bobby Wood and Oribe Peralta exchanged goals in either half of extra time in California on Saturday.

But Aguilar popped up with a memorable volley from an acute angle in the 118th minute at Rose Bowl as Mexico claimed the winner-takes-all CONCACAF Cup play-off and a trip to Russia two years from now.

Mexico were a class above throughout the fixture - a contest between the winners of the two Gold Cups prior to the Confederations Cup - and the 2015 Gold Cup champions took the lead in the 10th minute.

After a frenetic start to proceedings, Javier Hernandez combined with Peralta and scuffed his shot past USA goalkeeper Guzan for his 42nd international goal.

USA eventually found their feet and levelled the match within five minutes.

A teasing freekick across the sixyard box from Michael Bradley picked out defender Geoff Cameron, who headed powerfully past Moises Munoz.

Bradley was at the centre of all USA’s PAUL AGUILAR plays throughout the first half, and the Toronto FC star came close on two occasions to put the hosts ahead.

The 28-year-old made a streaking run through midfield in the 32nd minute, drifting past two defenders but fluffed his shot wide of the post, before forcing Munoz into a scrambling low save on the stroke of halftime.

It was more of the same early in the second half as Mexico settled quicker.

Guzan was quick off his line to deny Raul Jimenez from close range two minutes after the break.

Mexico continued to press USA back into their own third and went within a whisker of taking the lead just shy of the hour-mark, when Hernandez failed to make clean contact with the ball as he attempted a back heel inside the six-yard box.

USA, though, held firm as the match headed into extra time after Mexico’s cries for handball on Matt Besler and a penalty were ignored during the closing stages of regulation.

Visibly tired, USA were caught napping early in the additional period, though Guzan was on hand to deny Peralta in the 93rd minute.

Peralta was not to be denied three minutes later, however, controlling the ball inside the box and firing low past Guzan.

But just as USA appeared to be out on their feet, second-half substitute Wood guided the ball through the legs of the advancing Munoz in the 108th minute.

In another twist, however, Aguilar produced a world-class strike inside the final two minutes before penalties to send Mexico to Russia.(Sportsmax.com)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 12, 2015

Mercedes take title as Hamilton wins in Russia

By Alan Baldwin SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Mercedes clinched their second successive Formula One constructors’ championship yesterday and Lewis Hamilton took a huge stride towards his third drivers’ title with victory in Russia.

Congratulated on the podium by President Vladimir Putin, Hamilton took his ninth win of the season and 42nd of his career after a throttle problem forced the early retirement of German team mate Nico Rosberg.

The Briton now has a lead of 66 points over Ferrari’s second-placed Sebastian Vettel and, if results go his way, can secure his own second successive crown in Austin, Texas, in two weeks’ time.

Mercedes team bosses had left the circuit long before the constructors’ title was confirmed, however, with the outcome depending on a stewards’ enquiry that eventually demoted Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen from fifth to eighth.

“We found out (about the title) upstairs. It just feels special to be a part of it and to have contributed to a team success,” Hamilton told reporters some two hours after the race had ended.

“It is a great, great, great feeling.”

With four races remaining, and a maximum 100 points to be won, Hamilton has 302 points to Vettel’s 236 and Rosberg’s 229.

“It looked like we were going to have a race and I was thinking this is great and we were going to put on a good show,” said Hamilton, who also won the inaugural Russian Grand Prix last year, of his afternoon.

“Nico made a mistake at turn one and went wide.

I overtook him and after that, or maybe even before, he started to have some problems. It is very unfortunate for the team.”

Mexican Sergio Perez finished third for Force India, in a race with two safety car interludes following crashes, after Raikkonen rammed the

rear of fellow Finn Valtteri Bottas’s Williams while battling for the final podium place.

ployed after Perez’s team mate Nico Hulkenberg spun on the opening lap and was hit by the Sauber of Marcus

Lewis Hamilton shakes hands with Russian president Vladimir Putin after winning in Russia. (Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty Images) “It doesn’t matter if he’s penalised, because I’m never getting those points back,” said Bottas bitterly.

OPENING LAP The safety car was de-

Ericsson with Max Verstappen’s Toro Rosso also caught up in the action.

Rosberg had led from pole, holding off Hamilton through the opening corners, but was forced

to retire in the pits on the seventh of 53 laps.

“F1 is pretty incredible sometimes how tough it is,” the German told the BBC. “After a great start, leading the race and feeling confident. Straight after the safety car the pedal broke. It was quite dangerous. Definitely not a nice way to end the day.”

Hamilton, who has now won more races than the late triple champion Ayrton Senna, had already taken over the lead as Rosberg wrestled with the problem.

However, his advantage was whittled away when Frenchman Romain Grosjean, who was unhurt, crashed heavily on lap 12 and brought out the safety car again.

Perez had thought his podium hopes had gone when Bottas and Raikkonen, on fresher tyres, passed him in the closing laps but the collision put him right back for his first top three finish of the season.

“One lap before the end it seemed like everything went

away from us. I was very unhappy with myself but in the end I thought ‘’I gave it all”,” said the Mexican.

“I did plenty of laps with my tyres and had massive degradation. On the last lap when it came it was just amazing.”

Brazilian Felipe Massa finished fourth for Williams while Russian Daniil Kvyat was sixth for Red Bull, ahead of Sauber’s Brazilian Felipe Nasr and Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in a Lotus.

Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso finished ninth and 10th respectively for struggling McLaren but the Spaniard lost his point after being handed a penalty for exceeding the track limits.

That left Toro Rosso’s 18-year-old Dutch rookie Max Verstappen with a point instead.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who was in hospital only a day earlier after crashing his Toro Rosso in practice, had been heading for his best result after running as high as sixth but retired eight laps from the end.

Albanians celebrate reaching first major soccer finals YEREVAN, (Reuters) - Albania qualified for Euro 2016, their first ever major tournament, when a 3-0 away win over Armenia clinched second place in Group I above Denmark yesterday, sparking wild celebrations across the country.

The Albanians finished behind group winners Portugal and ahead of Denmark, who will await their playoff fate, in the final group standings to reach the tournament in France.

Portugal, who won 2-1 away to Ser-

bia, have 21 points, Albania 14 and Denmark, who had finished their matches, 12.

Serbia and Armenia finished with only four and two points each.

Albania went in front after nine minutes thanks to an own goal by Armenia’s Kamo Hovhannisyan and they added further goals through defender Berat Djimsiti and substitute Armando Sadiku.

Across Albania and in Kosovo, the mainly ethnic Albania state where some of the players were born, fireworks lit up

Elated Albania players celebrate their win.

the sky before the match ended. People streamed on to the streets after the final whistle, waving flags and driving around town.

“This qualification is historic,” Albania’s FA president Armando Duka said. “We did not deserve the defeats at home (to Portugal in September and Serbia on Thursday).

“We do not have a team of superstars, but they have heart and a collective spirit.”

Referring to the 2-0 home loss against the Serbs, Italian coach Gianni De Biasi added: “It was not easy after the defeat with Serbia. We felt the pressure, but the boys played extremely well. I wish the country grows having these boys as an example.”

“Few people believed we could have made it in the beginning, but we all made it. We all contributed to this achievement.

“The renewal of my contract is automatic. The figures need to change though,” he quipped.

FIRST CHANCE Armenia had the first chance when Yura Movsisyan’s powerful free kick pierced Albania’s wall and was saved by Etrit Berisha.

The opener came after midfielder Odise Roshi’s deflected strike set up Migjen Basha inside the area. His shot came off goalkeeper Gevorg Kasparov and defender Hovhannisyan turned the ball into his own net trying to stop

a charging Shkelzen Gashi.

In the 23rd minute, Djimsiti touched a free kick from Ledian Memushaj into the net to give Albania a 2-0 halftime lead.

Heckled by their fans at the break, Armenia played better in the second period, launching several dangerous attacks, with Marcos Pizzelli striking a powerful shot in the 71st minute.

However, Albania sealed the victory in the 76th when striker Sadiku fired home inside the area from a pass by Roshi.

“When I first started playing for Albania 12 years ago, I never thought this day would come but we always tried and now have managed to do it thanks to the willpower of this group, this fine generation of players,” said captain Lorik Cana.

Albania had a roller-coaster qualifying campaign, which included two bruising politically-fragile encounters with Serbia, who beat Albania with two goals in added time.

The previous fixture in Belgrade was abandoned after a drone flying a banner depicting the so-called Greater Albania was flown over the stadium, provoking a brawl among the players and the invasion of the pitch by some Serbia fans.

Albania were given three points on appeal by European soccer’s governing body UEFA and Cana added: “Despite beating us on Friday, Serbia will now watch us in France drinking beer in front of the TV.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 12, 2015

Impressive Ireland top group but at a heavy cost

By Mitch Phillips LONDON, England (Reuters) - Ireland beat France 24-9 in a brutal Cardiff encounter to earn a quarter-final meeting with Argentina, leaving the well-beaten French the daunting prospect of facing New Zealand as the Rugby World Cup’s pool phase came to a close yesterday.

In the most eagerly-awaited match outside of Pool A, Ireland overcame their Six Nations rivals for the first time in four World Cup meetings. But the win came at a heavy cost, with the flyhalf Johnny Sexton and captain Paul O’Connell in danger of missing the rest of the tournament.

Ireland have never previously reached the semi-finals but have given themselves every chance this time, while France will have to repeat their stunning 2007 quarter-final win over the All Blacks in a game that is also a re-run of the 2011 final.

It will not be plain-sailing for the Irish, however. Argentina warmed up nicely with a nine-try, 64-19 thrashing of Namibia and look a considerably more dangerous attacking side than the toothless French.

Earlier yesterday Italy ended their underwhelming

involvement with a 32-22 win over a spirited Romania to secure third spot in Pool D and automatic qualification for 2019.

The hosts of that tournament, Japan, signed off from their best-ever World Cup

Millennium Stadium produced an atmosphere worthy of the occasion.

Ireland fans were in the majority but their faith was severely tested by early injuries to Sexton and O’Connell, with the latter likely to be

dominance with tries from Rob Kearney and Connor Murray.

“I’m incredibly proud of the performance,” Ireland coach Joe Schmidt said. “It was a battle that was attritional but a battle that showed

Ireland players celebrate at the end of the match. (Reuters/Rebecca Naden) with a 28-18 victory over the United States, becoming the first team to win three pool games and not progress -- having only ever won one match in all their previous World Cups.

CARDIFF CRACKER The game of the day, however, was in Cardiff.

France and Ireland had both cruised through their first three pool games with an eye on yesterday’s finale and the

forced into retirement from international rugby three weeks earlier than planned after 109 Ireland appearances and seven for the British and Irish Lions.

The squad’s strength in depth was illustrated however, by the way they took the problems in their stride to lead 9-6 at the break.

They then strangled the life out of a disappointing France in the second half and underlined their

a fair bit of character in the side.”

Argentina’s final outing in the pool phase was a considerably less taxing affair and nine different Pumas players scored a try.

Juan Martin Hernandez, playing at flyhalf, Matias Moroni, Horacio Agulla, Facundo Isa and Lucas Noguera helped them to a 36-7 halftime lead, with Matias Alemanno, Leonardo Senatore, Julian Montoya and Tomas

Cubelli joining in after the break as the Pumas turned on the style against the tiring Africans.

Namibia, as they have all tournament, showed real grit and were rewarded with tries for Johan Tromp, JC Greyling and Eugene Jantjies.

UPLIFTING MOMENT The largely amateur team also provided one of the uplifting moments of the tournament when giant prop Johnny Redelinghuys was given the chance to convert Jantjies’ last-minute try to mark his 50th and final international.

After lumbering up, his kick dropped short and wide but produced smiles and handshakes all round and earned the loudest cheer of the day from the Leicester crowd.

It is easy to forget how dire Japan’s record was before this year, with their only win in seven previous tournaments coming against Zimbabwe in 1991 and an unwanted World Cup record to their name when New Zealand hammered them 145-17 in 1995.

However, after shocking South Africa in their opening game and then beating Samoa, they played with confidence and panache to beat the United States in Gloucester

but finished behind Scotland, who gathered two bonus points and also beat Japan.

Loose forward Amanaki Mafi and wingers Yoshikazu Fujita and Kotaro Matsushima scored tries for Japan, with fullback Chris Wyles and winger Takudzwa Ngwenya replying for the Americans, who depart having lost all four games.

Italy, still the only Tier One country never to reach the quarter-finals, looked set for a convincing win when tries by Leonardo Sarto, Edoardo Gori, Tommaso Allan and Alessandro Zanni had them in control at 29-3.

But Romania, who came from 15-0 down to beat Canada on Tuesday, again hit back with two tries for Adrian Apostol and one for Valentin Poparlan in a rousing final 15 minutes.

There was bad news for Wales after their defeat by Australia on Saturday as back Liam Williams became the latest to join their long injury list and has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a foot injury.

Wales face South Africa in the quarter-finals while Australia will take on Scotland, both games at Twickenham next weekend. The other two quarter-finals will be at the Millennium Stadium.

Ruthless Djokovic crushes Nadal to win China Open BEIJING, China (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic continued his recent dominance over Rafael Nadal when he beat the Spaniard in the final of the China Open to win the tournament for the sixth time yesterday.

The Serbian showed no mercy against the Spaniard, who was hampered by a foot problem in the second set, as he cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 victory at the National Tennis Centre in the Chinese capital.

“I played a great tournament overall and continued playing well today,” Djokovic said at the trophy presentation.

“This definitely has been my most successful tournament in my career. I have won the Australian Open five times but Beijing has been a lucky place for me.

“I keep on coming back here and have very positive memories.”

Djokovic has now beaten Nadal in seven of their last eight meetings, dating back to the 2013 China Open, and is on the verge of levelling their head-tohead record.

The pair have played each other 45 times with Nadal, who has struggled with his form and niggling injuries in the past year, hanging on to a 23-22 advantage.

The world number eight took a medical timeout early in the second set when he hurt his right ankle but continued on, despite appearing to be in discomfort.

“I hope Rafa’s foot is fine and he’s able to play next week (in Shanghai),” Djokovic said.

“It’s always a pleasure to play against him on a big stage.

“We’ve played, I think 45 times against each other and we keep on going. Hopefully, we can have many

Djokovic has never been beaten at the China Open, winning 29 matches in a row, and six titles in total. The 28-year-old has now 56 career titles, eight of them this year, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open grand slam crowns.

“I have to say congratulations to Novak, he’s having one of the best seasons in the history of our sport,” Nadal said.

“For me, it’s also been a very positive week.

“I’ve been improving every single match and all the matches are good practice for me and especially the victories (because they) are a lot of positive energy for next year.”

Slingerz FC down ...

Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses his trophy during the award ceremony after winning the men’s singles final match against Rafael Nadal of Spain at the China Open Tennis Tournament in Beijing, China, yesterday. (REUTERS/Stringer) more encounters.”

Djokovic was already well on top and in complete control when Nadal hurt his foot. He broke Nadal’s opening service game and fought off two break points on his own serve in the sixth game.

He broke Nadal again and took out the first set in 41 minutes then ran away from his ailing opponent in the second.

From back page the goal.

The 25-year-old, who played last season with the club before leaving for a try-out in England, was by far the most sought-after by the Buxton United defenders after his goal which came in the 21st minute.

Domini Garnett, the former Grove Hi-Tech and Morvant Caledonia United striker doubled his team’s lead when Vurlon Mills worked his magic in the midfield then slipped the ball through. The forward controlled nicely to net his second of the league.

Slingerz could have ended the game with at least 10 goals if their forwards, especially substitute Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams, had converted half of their chances.

Buxton were at a disadvantage throughout the game, because of Slingerz FC’s superior defence.

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 12, 2015

UG Wolves outrun GDF for Trophy Stall 7s tournament Ervine’s unbeaten ton seals one-day series win for Zimbabwe

AN UNBEATEN century from Craig Ervine sealed Zimbabwe’s first one-day series win for more than two years after a five-wicket victory over Ireland gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series in Harare.

Zimbabwe won the toss and for the second consecutive match chose to bowl first, but a much-improved batting display saw Paul Stirling’s rapid 72, Niall O’Brien’s half-century and Gary Wilson’s quick-fire 65 help Ireland reach 268 for seven from their 50 overs.

Paceman Sikandar Raza was the pick of the bowlers as he took three for 49, including the wickets of O’Brien and Stirling.

Ireland then restricted the hosts to 53 for two until Ervine, who hit a half-century in Zimbabwe’s two-wicket win on Friday, came to the crease and claimed another half-century off 68 balls before hitting the winning runs off a boundary in the 48th over to register his second ODI ton. (Euro Sport)

By Stephan Sookram

THE University of Guyana Wolves, the institution’s Rugby team, carted off the Guyana Rugby Football Union’s (GRFU) one-day 7s tournament, held at its Turkeyen Campus yesterday.

In what many called a tense final, the scholars inched their Defence Force counterparts 17-12 in the Trophy Stall-sponsored tournament.

The Wolves who held true to their names hounded the military unit with some physical displays to cart off the top prize.

A pair of tries by winger

Godfrey Broomes, coupled with a conversion by Lance Adonis and a try by Ja-

mal Angus, were the main reasons for UG’s triumph, though much praise was

It was a physical game UG’s Rondell McArthur is taken down by the Defence Force. (Adrian Narine photo)

Simmons demands answers before WICB meeting EMBATTLED West Indies coach Phil Simmons will not meet with WICB officials until he has been formally informed of the regulations that have been breached.

Simmons was suspended indefinitely by the WICB two weeks ago following statements that the selection process was being influenced by outside factors. The coach was due to meet with a human resources committee set up by the WICB last week where he would have been required to explain what was meant by his statements. If the resources committee found the allegations to be unprovPHIL SIMMONS en Simmons would be required to face a disciplinary committee, which would decide his fate.

However, in a twist of events the coach has demanded that the specific breach be named in order to be able to adequately prepare himself to face the committee, Trinidad and Tobago publication Trinidad and Tobago Guardian has reported.

In light of his suspension ahead of the West Indies team tour of Sri Lanka Simmons was replaced by selector Eldine Baptiste as coach for the current series in Sri Lanka.

The West Indies and Sri Lnaka clash in the first Test on Wednesday.(Sportsmax.com)

The victorious University of Guyana team show off their prizes. (Adrian Narine photo)

heaped on the pack leader Rondell McArthur.

On the opposing end, Patrick King and Avery Corbin were the fighting force as their captain Dwayne Schroeder also chipped in with a conversion, but in the end, the military could not run with the wolves.

However, GDF’s Corbin was handed the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

In an invited comment, captain McArthur said, “This is the first time we played a tournament on our home turf and we won this championship.

“It was very challenging because all these teams especially GDF came here today hungry for the championship. I must take my hat off to the guys; we have improved tremendously under coach Larry Adonis.”

He added that “the victory for our team means a lot“.

Before the men’s final, the Over-35 female team dominated their rivals to take home the spoils.

The Wolves will be happy with the form that they have found as they head into next weekend’s Banks DIH 7s tournament with momentum on their side; something they will need as the defending champions.

Siriwardana strengthens Test case with unbeaten 105 MILINDA SIRIWARDANA’s unbeaten 105 from 149 deliveries was the highlight of the third and final day of the West Indies warm-up encounter at the SSC. Siriwardana is in line for a Test debut on Wednesday when the first Test begins at Galle. Sri Lanka Cricket Board’s President’s XI finished their first innings on 455 for 6, at which time the match was called off.

The practice outing was a difficult one for West Indies, who had earlier been bowled out for 209 in their first innings. They did, however, have tougher conditions to bat in. The pitch had slowed down and flattened out by the second day, when the President’s XI began their innings.

A debut was always likely for Siriwardana, as the selectors had

chosen only eight batsmen for the Test squad. This performance makes

Milinda Siriwardana hit 18 fours during his century.

it almost a certainty. He hit 18 fours in his innings, and was involved in a 68-run stand with overnight centurion Udara Jayasundera and a 93-run stand with Angelo Jayasinghe.

The West Indian bowlers gave away 222 runs and took three wickets in the 48.2 overs that were bowled in the day. Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel and Marlon Samuels claimed one apiece. Perhaps of concern to the visitors may be their spinners’ inability to return good figures on a track that Presidents’ XI off-spinner Suraj Randiv had taken a five-wicket haul on - particularly as spin is always expected to feature at Galle.

As this practice game had been postponed by a day, the West Indies only have two clear days in which to recover and prepare for the Galle Test. (ESPN Cricinfo)

Sport CHRONICLE

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

UG Wolves outrun GDF for Trophy Stall 7s tournament

See story on page 23

Slingerz FC down Buxton United 2-0 –– Monedderlust in come-from-behind 2-1 win over GFC

SLINGERZ Football Club and Monedderlust were the latest teams to record wins in the STAG Elite League, when the action headed back to the #5 Ground, West Coast Berbice on Saturday night.

Playing in the opening game of the double-header, Slingerz FC defeated Buxton United 2-0 while the home side Monedderlust came from behind to knock off the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) 2-1.

Watched by a huge c ro w d , M o n e d d e r l u s t found themselves down just nine minutes into the heated contest when Mikhail Stewart gave GFC the lead.

However, coach Gordon Braithwaite’s men held their composure, regrouped and took the fight to GFC. The city side fell back into a more defensive still of play since Monedderlust applied the pressure in their hunt for an equaliser.

Coming close on several

In this composite photo, (L-R) Monedderlust’s Travis Henry and Kevin Cottoy along with Julian Wade and Domini Garnett of Slingerz FC. occasions, Travis Henry’s shot from approximately 25-yards out from goal was hit too hard for GFC’s Derrick Carter to put a hand on.

Henry’s goal, a classic

strike, sent the football fans into frenzy and it also changed the momentum of the game.

It was all Monedderlust and the Berbice club’s relent-

less attack paid off again this time, with diminutive forward Kevin Cottoy scoring in the 44th minute to extend his club’s lead 2-1.

In the second half,

nothing much changed, except for GFC getting a little aggressive but that didn’t translate into more goal-scoring opportunities.

The result meant that

Monedderlust rebounded from their three-game losing streak to pick up their second win in the STAG Elite League while GFC registered their third loss.

Meanwhile, the Slingerz/ Buxton United clash was a lopsided affair with the Vergenoegen-based club being too strong for the young East Coast Demerara side.

Dominican international striker Julian Wade made his debut in the STAG Elite League for Slingerz FC and made his presence felt when he netted the first goal of the game.

Having missed several clear chances, Wade timed his run to perfection as he collected a pass and used his head to push the ball between two defenders before going one-on-one with the Buxton United keeper then used his experience to nicely glide the ball around him for See page 22

‘Obeahman’ Jeffrey grabs ‘Ounce of Gold’ cycle road race

… laps National Park field TEAM Coco’s Raynauth `Obeahman’ Jeffrey won his second race yesterday in as many days leading up to the much-anticipated `Tour of Guyana’ Five-Stage cycle road race billed for this month-end and which is expected to attract a number of international riders.

Yesterday, Jeffrey, who is based in the United States and has just completed a two-week high altitude training programme in Colombia, registered a time of three hours 12 minutes 28.35 seconds in narrowly winning the 4th Annual Mohamed Kadir Memorial 80-mile’Ounce of Gold’ cycle event ahead of Alanzo Greaves.

In the process of winning the event, Jeffrey was rewarded with one ounce of raw gold along with a

trophy and four of the eight prime prizes that were up for grabs.

Jeffrey narrowly edged Alanzo Greaves by one cycle length while Raul Leal, Andrew Hicks, Hamza Eastman, Michael Anthony, Jamaul John and Orville Hinds occupied the other top places in the Open category.

Berbician rider Hicks was the first junior rider to cross the finish line in his category while Jamaul John placed second and Raphael Leung finished third.

The veterans’ Under-45 age category was won by Horrace Burrowes, followed by Raymond Newton and third was Ralph Williams.

Ian `Dumb Boy’ Jackson won the veterans’ Over-45 years category ahead of Shameer Baksh and Kennard Lovell respectively.

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In this Samuel Maughn photo, Raynauth Jeffrey (left) edges Alanzo Greaves to win the 4th annual Mohamed Kadir Memorial 80-mile ‘Ounce of Gold’ cycle road race.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2015