Guyana chronicle 13 04 14

SUNDAY No. 103797

SUNDAY APRIL 13, 2014

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

GUYANA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER

PRICE: $120

INCLUDING VAT

Insel Airlines set to service the Guyana route from June 18

Page 3

Roraima Airways clinches General Sales Agent deal

Pakaraima Safari off

Page

15

GPF, NGOs 2 working together to make Albouystown safer Page

(From right) Chief Commercial Officer of InselAir, Jurgen Lippinkhof; CEO of Roraima Airways, Captain Gerry Gouveia; and General Manager of Roraima Airways, Captain Debbie Gouveia

First female Surinamese jet captain lands Boeing 737 at CJIA

-Impact Project launched

National clean-up programme gets Page 10 go ahead

Page

10

Captain Astrid Deira (centre seated) surrounded by Surinam Airways staff (Adrian Narine photo)

-as Local Gov’t Ministry’s 2014 allocation is approved

2

GPF, NGOs working together to make Albouystown safer

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

-Impact Project launched THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) in collaboration with Heavenly Light Full Gospel Fellowship and Masjid An-Najm Social Centre of Albouystown on Friday launched ‘Impact Albouystown’ project, the first of its kind, which through law enforcement and social interventions,

is intended to make the neighbourhood safe.

Through this project, youths of the Albouystown community will have the opportunity to empower themselves through training in areas such as, denial of criminal role model, computer training, job creation, workforce develop-

ment, clean and healthy environment, vocational skills, drug demand reduction, violence avoidance, literacy training, electrical installation and refrigeration and counselling.

Other activities include art and craft, theatre arts, See page 7

Commissioner of Police (Ag) Seelall Persaud, greeting a member of the Albouystown Community at the launch of the Albouystown Impact Project which was held at Independence Boulevard, Hunter Street, Albouystown

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

3

Insel Airlines set to service the Guyana route from June 18 Roraima Airways clinches General Sales Agent deal

CURACAO registered airline-Insel Airlines is set to become operational in June of this year with Roraima Airways serving as their general sales agent.

Insel Airlines which was birthed some eight years ago is one of the few aiming to market Guyana’s tourism to the international market through the provision of their services. Commanding thirteen fleets of aircraft, Insel provides flights out of Curacao to the neighbouring island of Aruba. Flights to Miami will also be provided via Aruba. The airline connects the Caribbean and South America and serves many other routes.

Roraima Airways will serve as the Ground Handling Services Agent and General Sales Agent for

Insel. Destinations that are included into the scope of travel are Jamaica, St. Maarten, The Dominican Republic and several South American destinations.

The MD-80 aircraft which could accommodate up to 150 passengers will be operated twice weekly on the Guyana route. However, in the case of having more or less passengers, Insel Airways will introduce other aircrafts capable of facilitating the capacity of customers.

One of the distinguishing advantages of flying will be that of the pre-clearance of US Customs and Immigration in Aruba, therefore, entering the United States as a domestic flight. Added to that, the airline offers a frequent flyer loyalty pro-

gramme known as “Insel star Miles” where members earn points for miles flown with benefits such as priority check in and free baggage allowances. The miles points are also credited towards free tickets.

Chief Executive Officer of Roraima Airways, Gerry Gouveia on Friday at the official signing of the contract between Insel Airlines and Roraima Airways, expressed how overwhelmed he was at such an initiative. He added that the process, which began a year ago through the Civil Aviation Authority, was finalised last month and the intention is to seek to boost tourism in Guyana through the provision of such services. Gouviea explained that the initiative was one that underwent

standard procedures of inspection to ensure facilities were competent enough to facilitate the aircrafts.

While he also acknowledged the avenue that will be opened up through this from Europeans to access Guyana more freely, he was keen to add that the tourism industry is booming with over 4,000 tourists visiting Guyana annually, hence the need for such implementations.

Chief Commercial Officer of InselAir, Jurgen Lippinkhof, in his address yesterday echoed the sentiments of Captain Gouveia adding that Guyana is seen as the Pearl of South America since we are the only English-speaking country in the continent and as such it puts us in an advantageous position of attracting more

European tourists.

“Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and most European tourists will feel more comfortable travelling to a country where they understand the language,” he asserted.

Lippinkhof assured that the company was launched against a backdrop of extensive research and as such, they will not follow trends of other chartered airlines who have abandoned their customers overnight. He was keen to add too, that, the airline is one of standard flights and not chartered. As such, he realised that they are subject to international laws and reiterated the company’s commitment to its customers.

He concluded by noting that fares will become more

InselAir Airlines

flexible after six months of operations and as such urged Guyanese to support the new airline as they offer beneficial packages to their customers who are sure to be impressed with their standards.

The airline which will begin operating its Guyana route from June 18 with two flights weekly (Wednesday and Saturday evenings) will be offering fares of US$270 from Guyana to Aruba, and US$345 from Guyana to Miami via Aruba. Passengers will be allowed up to 23 kg for suitcases and 10 kg carry-on for free with additional weight being charged at the rate of US$14 per 23 kg.

InselAir will be operated through Roraima Air Services at Duke Lodge.

4

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

Ukraine prepares armed response as city seized by pro-Russia forces

By Pavel Polityuk and Thomas Grove

(Reuters) - Armed separatists took virtual control of a city in eastern Ukraine on Saturday and Kiev prepared troops to deal with what it called an “act of aggression by Russia”.

Pro-Russian activists carrying automatic weapons seized government buildings

in Slaviansk and set up barricades on the outskirts of the city. Official buildings in several neighboring towns were also attacked.

The developments have increased concerns of a possible “gas war” that could disrupt energy supplies across the continent.

“The Ukrainian authorities consider the events of the day as a display of exter-

nal aggression from Russia,” Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a statement.

“Units of the interior and defense ministries are implementing an operational response plan,” he added.

Russia and Ukraine have been in confrontation since protests in Kiev forced the Moscow-backed president from office, and the Kremlin sent troops to annex Crimea,

the home of its Black Sea Fleet and a part of Russia until 1954.

Moscow denies any plan to send in forces or split Ukraine, but the Western-leaning authorities in Kiev believe Russia is trying to create a pretext to interfere again. NATO says Russian armed forces are massing on Ukraine’s eastern border, while Moscow says they are on normal manoeuvres.

At least 20 men armed with pistols and rifles took over the police station and a security services headquar-

ters in Slaviansk, a city of over 100,000 people about 150 km (90 miles) from the border with Russia.

Officials said the men had seized hundreds of pistols from arsenals in the buildings. The militants replaced the Ukrainian flag on one of the buildings with the red, white and blue Russian flag.

Washington backed Kiev’s assessment that Moscow was responsible. “Worrisome violence in ... Ukraine today.

Russia again seems to be behind it,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said

on Twitter.

Ukraine’s acting foreign minister, Andriy Deshchytsia, said he had spoken by telephone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and demanded Moscow stop what he called “provocative actions” by its agents in eastern Ukraine.

Lavrov, in a statement issued by his ministry, said there were no Russian agents in the region and that it would be “unacceptable” if Ukrainian authorities were to order the storming of the buildings.

Fading signals add urgency to search for missing Malaysian jet

By Swati Pandey

An armed man speaks on his mobile phone at an improvised checkpoint in Slaviansk, April 12, 2014. Pro-Russian separatists armed with automatic weapons set up checkpoints on roads Credit: REUTERS/Maks Levin

(Reuters) - THE search for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner resumed on Saturday, five weeks after the plane disappeared from radar screens, amid fears that batteries powering signals from the black box recorder on board may

mote southern Indian Ocean, believed to be “pings” from the black box recorders, were fading.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared soon after taking off on March 8 from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, triggering a multinational

A crew member looks out an observation window aboard a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion maritime search aircraft as it flies over the southern Indian Ocean looking for debris from missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 April 11, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Richard Polden

have died.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott warned on Friday that signals picked up during the search in the re-

DATE: 05/04/2014 M 11 13 20 26 15 24 22 DATE: 09/04/2014 A 27 02 10 05 14 22 15

search that is now focused on the Indian Ocean.

Search officials say they are confident they know the approximate position of the

black box recorder, although they have determined that the latest “ping’, picked up by searchers on Thursday, was not from the missing aircraft.

Batteries in the black box recorder are already past their normal 30-day life, making the search to find it on the murky sea bed all the more urgent. Once they are confident they have located it, searchers then plan to deploy a small unmanned “robot” known as an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.

“Work continues in an effort to narrow the underwater search area for when the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is deployed,” the Australian agency coordinating the search said on Saturday.

“There have been no confirmed acoustic detections over the past 24 hours,” it said in a statement.

The black box records data from the cockpit and conversations among flight crew and may provide answers about what happened to the plane, which flew thousands of kilometers off course after taking off.

The mystery has sparked the most expensive search and rescue operation in aviation history.

09/04/2014

18

21

07

16

17

09/04/2014

3

5

1

09/04/2014

20 07 13 09 15 02 06

10/04/2014

11

22

10

24

16

10/04/2014

1

9

10/04/2014

10 13 05 17 06 08 02

11/04/2014

06

26

23

16

01

3

11/04/2014

0

1

2

11/04/2014

12 17 18 13 03 05 15

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

5

Clashes as police evict squatters in Rio de Janeiro

Alan Gross, who was arrested in Cuba in 2009, had been on hunger strike for a week

US contractor Alan Gross ends Cuba jail hunger strike (BBC News) A US contractor who has been in jail in Cuba for more than four years has ended his weeklong hunger strike.

In a statement released by his lawyer, Alan Gross said he suspended his fast because his mother, 91, had asked him to end it, but added that “there will be further protests to come”.

Mr. Gross, 64, began fasting on April 2 to protest against his treatment by both the Cuban and US governments.

He was jailed for 15 years for taking internet equipment to Cuba illegally.

“My protest fast is suspended as of today,” Mr. Gross said in the statement.

“There will be no cause for further intense protest when both governments show more concern for human beings and less malice

and derision toward each other,” he added.

He had stopped eating after his last solid meal a week ago “to object to mistruths, deceptions, and inaction by both governments”.

The case of Mr Gross is seen as a major obstacle to better US-Cuban ties. The two countries have not had formal diplomatic relations since 1961.

Mr Gross was arrested in 2009 while working for a firm under contract with the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

(BBC News) A huge police operation to evict hundreds of families from abandoned buildings in Rio de Janeiro has ended with violent clashes and some injuries.

More than 1,500 police officers had arrived at dawn to evict nearly 5,000 people from the site, belonging to a telecommunication company.

Some families left peacefully, but clashes began when others resisted.

Groups of squatters threw rocks at police who responded with tear gas and stun grenades.

Hundreds of children were among the crowds.

Vehicles were set on fire and supermarkets were looted.

‘WE’RE HOMELESS’ Several people were injured, including children and police officers.

Cranes and tractors demolished wooden huts built around the buildings, many still full of the belongings residents had had no time

Squatters who opposed being evicted threw rocks at police

to pack.

There were chaotic scenes as the eviction took place, as Julia Carneiro reports “They (the police) came here breaking everything, removing the people from there,” said Sandro Sousa, a squatter.

“We lost our home and we are now trying to have a house,” he told the Associated Press news agency.

“I am crying because I have nowhere to go to. I have no place to live,” said

another, Drielo Almeida.

‘HELP OFFERED’ But the Rio municipal authorities insisted that help had been offered to the homeless families.

“Teams of social workers were on site, but only 177 squatters accepted the support,” the local govern-

ment was quoted as saying by the Globo news portal.

“The city provided trucks, buses and machinery so that the work of clearing the ground and evicting the people could happen in an orderly manner,” it said in a statement.

The police said the operation went as planned and had followed standard

6

EDITORIAL

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

GUYANA

FAREWELL: VISIONARY CARIBBEAN CRUSADER!

THE PASSING last week in Havana of Dr Norman Girvan, Jamaican by birth but undoubtedly a most distinguished son of our Caribbean Community and the Greater Caribbean, is a tremendous loss of one of the finest intellects passionately devoted to Regional social, economic and cultural progress and closest possible unity.

His was the life of a visionary academic totally committed to the highest ideals of ensuring the Caribbean as a proud Region of which to be a citizen. He was always willing, even in the face of known personal inconveniences at times, to share his talents in the service of our diverse multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Caribbean Community.

The Guyana Government, for one, would have known sufficiently of Girvan’s expertise and experiences when it succeeded in obtaining approval for him to serve as the ‘Good Officer’ representative of the United Nations Sec-

retary General on the commission that has been addressing matters pertaining to the colonial-inherited boundary dispute arising from Venezuela’s contention to this country’s demarcated 83,000 square miles.

Representatives of CARICOM governments, the UWI and scholars regionally and internationally, have been praising Girvan’s works as they lament his passing in Cuba to which he had been flown with great care by the administration of President Raoul Castro for the serious injuries suffered from a fall while on a visit to Dominica.

On Friday, while funeral arrangements were being advanced, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, Irwin LaRocque, issued a statement that gave fitting recognition to Professor Girvan’s manifold contributions.

Mr. LaRocque may well have spoken for all quite familiar with Girvan, as an ”unstinting advocate of Caribbean integra-

tion” who has left a void in the intellectual capital of the Caribbean Community…

“The gifts of ideas and vision, the uncluttered thought which Professor Girvan willingly contributed to this Region for more than 40 years,” said LaRocque, “have left an indelible mark on the landscape of the Caribbean…this Region to which he devoted his life’s work.”

Gone, dear Norman, but never to be forgotten!

APNU, AFC budget cuts disgraceful and heartless I sat distressed and disgusted in Parliament last Thursday night (April 10, 2014) as the AFC and APNU disapproved and cut out from the National Budget about $9.3B allocated for some very significant development in our country-development that would benefit citizens everywhere in Guyana.

The cuts targeted Guyanese in very sensitive areas, areas that would contribute to better lives for all. I believe APNU and AFC betrayed the people of Guyana once again by these cuts. It underlined the truth behind their intentions – they intend to suffocate Guyana’s development as much as they can and they intend to do so by directly affecting the lives of people. But I believe they disgraced themselves as representatives of the people. Quite simply, they took great delight in voting against the interest of the people and against our country.

APNU and AFC cut the total allocations for the following: *Specialty Hospital - $910M *Upgrading of Regional and District Hospitals, including Port Kaituma, Kwakwani, Linden, Bartica, Eye Surgery Operating Room at Linden etc. - $360M *Ambulances, ATVs and Boats - $42M *Surgical Equipment and Instruments - $32M *Amerindian Development Fund - $1.1B *Other Amerindian Programs, such as ATVs, Tractors etc. - $40M *?Cheddi Jagan International Airport - $6.6B *Civil Aviation - $50M *Hinterland Airstrips - $185M In addition, APNU also voted against a number of important roads and highways, such as the Linden Highway, the Corentyne River Bridge, the West Demerara Highways, etc. The total cost of these highways and bridges amounted to more than $13B. On this occasion, AFC abstained from voting. On this occasion, they knew that this was the wrong thing to do, but did not have the guts to stand against the wicked actions of their partners in misery.

But the PPP/C’s 32 votes stood firm against the 26 votes of APNU preserve these projects of roads and bridges in all ten geographic regions. Yet, we would have been appreciative of the support from the AFC. They stood silently and left

the PPP/C to fight on behalf of our people and country. But the PPP/C, whether alone or with the support of others, will always stand in absolute solidarity with our people.

Had APNU had its way, the total cuts would have been more than $23B. But as hard as we fought, APNU and AFC joined to cut $9.3B from the budget.

But the PPP/C stood firm with the people of Guyana.

We stand for development and we will continue to invest in people and in the projects that make their lives better. We will seek to find ways to ensure that these programmes are implemented. We will not abandon our people.

While the cuts represent a major barrier in our efforts to improve the lives of our people and the development of our country, the PPP/C will not be deterred in our pursuit of a better Guyana and better lives for all of our people.

I am particularly angry at both the AFC and APNU for trying to suffocate the development of our country by abusing the mandate of parliamentarians. They demonstrated in no uncertain terms that they do not deserve the title of parliamentarian. Parliamentarians must work for people; not against people.

In voting against development, as they did yesterday, they abdicated their responsibility to act in the interest of the people of Guyana. Cutting Budget, particularly programmes like hospitals and the Amerindian Fund, is not only morally wrong, but it exposes them as power-hungry politicians who do not care for the people and for our country.

The vote against $9B is a vote against people and our country. Yet, they openly gloated and celebrated their “victory” in blocking $9.3B and voting against the Amerindian Development Fund, the Specialty Hospital, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion, the Eye Surgery Operating Room at Linden etc. But it was not a “victory”; it was a shameless assault on our people’s welfare and our country’s development.

Voting against the Amerindian Fund is a betrayal of our indigenous sisters and brothers Cutting $1.1B from Amerindian Development Fund, the $910M from the Specialty Hospital, the $6.3B from the CJIA Expansion and monies for construction of an Eye Surgery Operating Room at Linden, is a clear indication of levels the

Opposition APNU/AFC is willing to go in order to hold the country at ransom.

APNU in its 2011 Manifesto spoke of hinterland development being a top priority to the party and they claimed that “indigenous communities remain a disadvantaged zone”. The Amerindian Fund is a budgetary fund that responded to the recommendations of over 200 Amerindian leaders who identified these activities at the 2013 National Toshoa’s Council Meeting as important and necessary for the development of Amerindian communities and Amerindian people. But given a chance to demonstrate their commitment to Amerindian people’s interest, APNU and AFC chose to betray them.

The Amerindian Development Fund has in the past seen Amerindians receiving benefits through a number of areas including equipment, rehabilitation of community huts, benabs, acquisition of solar power, computer systems and the construction of dorms and hostels. The 2014 Budget Amerindian Fund sought to continue such development and now APNU and AFC have voted against these development programmes for our Amerindian sisters and brothers.

APNU also in its Manifesto spoke of its commitment to support a development strategy towards indigenous development and inhabitants. I ask today, where is that commitment and generosity? But the people will be the judge.

Throughout the 2014 Budget debate, APNU and AFC have criticised the government for not improving hinterland airstrips. Yet last year they voted out monies for the airstrips.

Again in 2014, they have voted against the airstrips. This is barefaced and shameless pretense of caring, while ghoulishly brandishing the dreaded scissors.

Is this putting hinterland and Amerindian development as top priority? I say shame on you AFC and APNU. I am convinced that the PPP/C government by budgeting for the Amerindian Fund has continued its strong commitment to the Amerindian people. APNU and AFC have again betrayed our Amerindian sisters and brothers by using the dispensation of the scissors.

The people of this nation must be the judge. For two consecutive years, the Opposition parties, APNU and AFC (PLEASE SEE PAGE 7)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

7

Government wants its budget passed but not at any price REFERENCE is made to an Alliance For Change (AFC) release captioned “Government sabotaging its own budget” the essence of which contends that the PPP/C “seems interested in having its own budget not approved.” What a ridiculous conclusion as any that could have ever been offered!

Obviously, this has to be the thinking of loonies or specifically, political lunatics; for which government that has worked as hard as this government since its ascension to office, thereby ushering in the numerous socio-economic changes that have set Guyana firmly on the path of modernisation, would ever want to undo all that it would have achieved for the Guyanese people. This ought to be the first reminder to such puerile thinking.

Of course, the government wants its Budget 2014 passed with its estimates, as after all it will continue the transformation programmes ever since underway for bettering the lives of the people.

But it does not intend that such be had at any price, such as the unreasonable demands and blackmail tactics by the AFC and its opposition colleague party, the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU).

Both opposition parties should be reminded that a country’s growth and development is successfully determined in a visionary and rational manner, and not via the big stick route.

MATTHEW HENSON

APNU, AFC budget cuts ...

(FROM PAGE 6) have cut the Amerindian Development Fund, despite detailed and rational explanation by the subject minister to justify spending and its necessity. APNU and AFC ignored the fact that these Amerindian Fund projects were chosen by the Amerindian leaders themselves.

Irrational behaviour such as those last Thursday night that cut the budget leaves one to ask: “was the interest of Guyana’s first people only a top priority during Elections”? Did APNU and AFC ever have the interest of Amerindians at heart? The answers are clear for all to see that the PPP/C has always kept the advancement of Amerindians on the front burner, not just at Elections time. We have demonstrated our commitment throughout the years, every time and anytime, once it is in the interest of our people.

I am glad I belong to a party that is not “fair-weather” friends of our people. I am glad I belong to a party that stands firmly all the time as friends of our people, fearlessly and fairly protecting the interests of ALL PEOPLE in Guyana.

Cutting the Specialty Hospital is cruel How can anyone vote against the specialty hospital? This hospital would ensure all Guyanese obtain health services that they can only access overseas. Cutting the specialty hospital is gross disregard, disrespect and insult to a whole nation. We should never restrict health care services and we should celebrate any development that improves and expand health services to our people.

The Specialty Hospital seeks to ensure that the Guyanese people access catastrophic health care services and to improve equity in health care. While the wealthy can access health care overseas, the majority of Guyanese cannot access these expensive health care services abroad. The PPP/C Government is catering for these services to be accessed locally at affordable costs, bringing health equity for ALL Guyanese.

The Specialty Hospital is being built through a low interest loan from India. APNU and AFC used their scissors to cut this important social welfare public good from the budget. I note also that they cut the budget for the Eye Surgery Operating Room at Linden Hospital.

This further exposes APNU and AFC as making a deliberate effort to hurt people merely as a power-hungry grab.

The vote to cut the Specialty Hospital and other health care services is cruel and inhumane and also exposes the AFC and APNU as not interested in the development of our people and our country.

Cutting the CJIA Expansion Project is a deliberate effort to derail Guyana’s development.

In regards to the CJIA Expansion, APNU and AFC displayed arrogance and an overt effort to derail Guyana’s development. We cannot seriously talk about tourism development and the overall development of our country unless we support projects such as the expansion of CJIA. Every economist and development specialist has recommended the expansion of CJIA. Yet APNU and AFC have sought to scuttle this major development project.

Conclusion In their hunger for power, APNU and AFC do not respect anyone and they do not care who or how many people they hurt. They merely want power and the more they create chaos and under development, the more they take delight in the misery that they cause.

I call on my Guyana brothers and sisters to stand in solidarity to condemn the reprehensible actions of APNU and AFC. DR. LESLIE RAMSAMMY

GPF, NGOs working together to...

(FROM PAGE 2)

music and steel pan training, basketball, football, table tennis, cricket and volleyball.

Speaking at the event which was launched at Independence Boulevard, Albouystown, Commissioner of Police (acting) Seelall Persaud said the Force has been establishing similar projects in several targeted areas, which were developed based on analysis that youths between the ages of 16 and 30 form the large majority of serious crimes.

Therefore, he said that the force’s strategy is to work in partnership with the joint services, governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious bodies, the private sector and the community leaders to ensure that the neighbourhoods are safe and programmes are implemented to target youths.

Persaud added that heavy emphasis will be placed on gun crimes in the Albouystown community, domestic and gender- based violence, illegal drugs, youth gangs and environmental crimes, truancy, vocational skills training and addressing material and physical needs of residents.

The Force selected Albouystown because based on analysis, the community is the most challenging at present.

“To the people of Albouystown…this is your time, your fortune is a safe decent, respectable and productive community where parents will be proud of their children and where children will look up to their parents as role models, so come work with us and your community leaders to deliver this fortune,” Persaud urged.

An area was also earmarked to construct a playground, and computers and garbage bins were donated to the community.

The Guyana Police Force has been embarking on several “Safe Neighbourhood” projects, and had been collaborating with other stakeholders in this regard.

These projects are intended to develop better community/police relations, many of which have a specific focus in the youths. Some of these programmes include the Community Action Component of the Citizen Security Programme (CSP), the Cops and Faith Community Network, House of Justice programme and establishment of scouts and youth groups in communities. (GINA)

Commissioner of Police (Acting) Seelall Persaud addressing the gathering at the launch of the Albouystown Impact Project

The garbage bins that were donated to the Albouystown community

8

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

PRICESMART AND CUBA IN ‘SHOPPING’ DISPUTE Perez Perez; and Guittermo Vazquez Moreno.

For Ambassador Hernandez, the decision by PriceSmart constituted “a criminal act based on an anachronistic law” which violates the Vienna convention.

In Barbados, Ambassador Perez disclosed that a representative of the local PriceSmart turned up to inform the embassy about the suspension of business transactions while, he explained, they invest “effort, time and resources” in pursuing lawful channels in the US which “may enable us to reactivate those accounts…”

The resident Cuban diplomatic missions in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have pointed to “unnecessary inconveniences” to non-embassies staff like Cuban doctors and teachers.”

According to Ambassador Perez, there seems to be an “underlying intention to encourage defections” by Cubans in favour of having permanent resident status that would enable them to do “membership business” with PriceSmart.

“This is the sort of contempt by those,” she said, “who do not really understand what the Cuban revolution and Cuban patriotism mean for us.”

Ironically, the move by PriceSmart to suspend business

transactions with Cuban diplomatic missions and Cubans who do not have permanent working status in CARICOM states, came against the backdrop of approval last month by the Cuban National Assembly of a ground- breaking foreign investment law to encourage a new “development partnership” that would be extended also to overseas-based Cubans.

The Return of the Dictators

By Gwynne Dyer

“I prefer death to surrender,” said Pakistan’s former military dictator, Pervez Musharraf, on April 1 to the special court that is trying him on five counts of high treason, but it’s a reasonable guess that he’d prefer exile to either of those options. The real

bizarre calculation could have led him to go home and put himself in the hands of his many enemies?

Musharraf said he was coming home to run in the 2013 election, which was delusional in the extreme.

There was little reason to believe that many Pakistanis would want to vote for him after living under his arbi-

“CRIMINAL ACT” Criticisms of PriceSmart’s suspension of business accounts for Cubans have come from Cuba’s embassies in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago headed respectively, by Ambassadors Bernardo Guanche Hernandez, Lisette

JEAN-BEDEL BOKASSA

puzzle is why he ever left his comfortable exile in England in the first place.

In theory Musharraf, who seized power in Pakistan in 1999 and finally gave it up under great pressure in 2007, could face the death penalty if he is found guilty, but in practice he is protected by the Important Persons Act, an unwritten law that operates in almost every country. High political office is a club, and the members look after one another.

Nevertheless, Musharraf is being greatly inconvenienced by the trial, and last week the Taliban nearly got him with a roadside bomb near Islamabad. Doubtless he missed Pakistan, but what

JEAN CLAUDE “BABY DOC” DUVALIER

trary rule for eight years.

There was no reason at all to think that he would not be disqualified from running in the election and put on trial for grave crimes.

Yet Musharraf is not alone. Other ex-dictators, far nastier than him, have succumbed to the same delusion, and gone home convinced that they would be welcomed back. Another recent case is Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, who took over as Haiti’s dictator at 19 when his father “Papa Doc” died in 1971 and ruled it until he was overthrown by a popular revolt in 1986.

Haiti was the poorest country in the Western

Hemisphere when he took power, and was still the poorest when he lost it, but he took an alleged $120 million with him into exile in France. His dreaded Tonton Macoute militia murdered thousands and drove hundreds of thousands into exile, and many of them were massacred in the revolution that ended his rule, but he lived on in Paris in great

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF

BY GWYNNE DYER

By Rickey Singh

THE MEGA commercial conglomerate of the USA, ‘PriceSmart,’ which operates in various Caribbean Community states, is under sharp criticisms for now involving Cuba’s diplomatic missions in this Region in the more than half century of America’s trade, economic and financial blockade of that Caribbean nation.

Immediately affected Cuban missions include Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago where accredited diplomats, their families and staff have been informed by PriceSmart management of the suspension of business accounts after being advised by their parent company of possible violations of the US embargo in transacting business with Cubans without “permanent residency” in countries of their operations.

In a mixture of hilarity and strong warning, current CARICOM chairman Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, said in a telephone interview yesterday that the US government should be “mindful of the implications of PriceSmart’s action.”

He pointed out that while at first he could not resist “laughing at this infantile political move,” he was nevertheless mindful that PriceSmart is incorporated into the laws of sovereign Caribbean states, and now engaging in “unnecessary, unprovoked acts” against Cuba’s diplomatic personnel and other Cuban nationals who are working in various regional sectors, including doctors and nurses.

The Vincentian Prime Minister said that neither the US government nor owners and operators of corporate enterprises like PriceSmart could be unmindful of the historic role initially played by CARICOM countries to bring Cuba out of the “diplomatic isolation” to which the US economic embargo had assigned it following its Fidel Castro-led 1959 revolution.

Further, of the Community’s continuing involvement with the rest of the international community, minus the miniscule exception of three, in passage, year after year, of resolutions denouncing the “archaic law” governing the embargo which has “miserably failed to destabilise” the government in Havana or to “quench the revolutionary spirit of the Cuban people….”

those charges, but in the meantime he is frequently seen lunching in the bistros of Petionville, and has even been welcomed at the same events as the current president, Michel Martelly. It’s safe to say that he will not die in jail.

And then there was Jean-Bedel Bokassa, president of the Central African Republic, later known as Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire. He was a brutal soldier who had served in the French colonial army, and seized power from his country’s first president (a cousin) in 1966. For the next thirteen years he ruled the country with great violence and practically bankrupted it.

The mass murder of school children and rumours of cannibalism finally moved the French to intervene militarily and overthrow Bokassa in 1979 while he was travelling abroad. He was sentenced to death in absentia in 1980

luxury.

Eventually Duvalier’s spendthrift ways and an expensive divorce got him into financial difficulties, but just going back to Haiti was not going to fix that. Yet he went home in 2011, after a quarter-century in exile. He said he was “just coming to help,” whatever that meant, but he arrived just as the recently elected president was facing charges of election-rigging, which led some to speculate that Duvalier still had political ambitions.

He was arrested and charged with embezzlement, human rights abuses, and crimes against humanity.

Three years later the courts are still pursuing him on (PLEASE SEE PAGE 9)

Inspiring Genius

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

By Keith Burrowes

L A S T S u n d a y, I w a s watching 60 Minutes and was completely taken aback with one story, that of Derek Paravicini. Now, before I go ahead, my admiration for Michael Jackson is well known; Jackson was a prodigy from a talented family, who used his natural musical gifts to establish a legendary stature in the history of pop music.

I’ve done a few columns on Jackson and the way his music not only touched the world, but touched me personally as an individual human being.

As I watched the opening of the story on Paravicini, listening to him play that piano in front of a small audience of people completely wrapped up in his music, I was taken with his virtuosity as a musician. I almost applauded when he finished his introductory piece – and like most of the audience I am sure, I was completely shocked when, during the interview after, he couldn’t tell his left hand from his right, nor his index finger from his little finger.

Derek was not only physically disabled but also intellectually so – he was born a premature baby who, due to too much reaching him in the womb, was both blind and partially brain-damaged. As the story informed us, despite his being unable to undertake simple tasks such as putting

on his own clothes, Derek is a musical genius. According to his music teacher of now 26 years, Adam Ockelford: “People call Derek ‘The Human iPod’, but I say, “Well, no he’s not-he is so much more than an iPod.” If he could just recreate what he heard, he’d be quite boring actually because we’ve got recording equipment for that. What makes Derek really special is that ‘creativity chip’, I call it. He can take different tunes, and mix them up. He can take different styles. He can take different keys and they all blend together and every, like every performance is unique and every performance is different.”

Born into a well-off British family, Derek’s ability was first noticed by his family when he as an infant would hear a song and reproduce it on a toy keyboard - it was then they sought out and called in Ockelford.

To understand how remarkable Derek’s ability is, you need to consider that even professional musicians incorporate a visual element, like sheet music, into not only learning music, but even performing it. In contrast, Derek only has to listen to a piece of music and it becomes hardwired into his brain and he can reproduce it perfectly, often only having to hear it just one. According to Ockelford, when he first heard the boy Derek pounding away at a keyboard, what he originally thought was a

The Return of the ...

(FROM PAGE 8) for the murder of many political rivals – but he returned from exile in Paris in 1986, seemingly confident that he would be welcomed with open arms.

He was put on trial and sentenced to death again – in person, this time. But the following year his sentence was commuted to life in prison, and in 1993 he was set free. In 2010, President François Bozizé issued a decree rehabilitating Bokassa and calling him “a son of the nation recognised by all as a great builder.”

Two things are odd about this phenomenon of ex-dictators confidently returning to the scene of the crime. One, obviously, is their belief that they are still loved (as if they ever really were). But that is less strange than it seems, for during their time in power very few people dared to tell them anything else.

What’s much more curious is the fact that the countries they misruled eventually find it necessary to forgive them.

They do this not so much out of sympathy for the man who committed the crimes, but rather out of a need for the nation’s history not to be merely a meaningless catalogue of blunders and misdeeds.

Musharraf may have come back a bit too early to benefit from instant forgiveness, for some of the people he hurt have not yet retired. But he will not face really serious jail time or the death penalty, because Pakistan’s army would not permit it. And he will be forgiven by Pakistan’s historians and myth-makers in the end, because somehow or other the history has to make sense.

jumble of noise was an untrained Derek’s individual take on ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’. Today, Derek has a personal memory of ten thousands that he can easily perform, often on request, and in a completely different key from the original.

Of course, Derek Paravicini’s story could have been completely different, were he not born into a society that treasures his artistic gifts even that it accounts for his physical and intellectual limitations, or into a family that could have afforded training.

In Guyana, I see we have a renewed focus on music in the education system and, while we are still a far way to go towards an ideal environment for music development, that step in itself should be encouraged and amplified. Equally important, and an area that also needs a great deal of work despite the initial steps taken, is the focus we see being placed on integrating persons with disabilities into the mainstream. Guyana took the welcome step of passing Persons with Disabilities Act in June of 2010, with the President Bharrat Jagdeo signing it into law later that very year. But laws in themselves are not enough – what is necessary is a conscious effort to change our attitude of automatically dismissing

9

KEITH BURROWES

people with physical and mental disabilities. What Derek’s story taught me is that once we are willing to recognize and actively develop the latent abilities that lie in all our citizens, even the ones we as a society tend to write off without a chance, then anything is possible, even the appearance of

true genius.

Who knows what tremendous talent lies in the minds of the most overlooked, most under-estimated section of our society? Like I stated before, I remain a great fan of Michael Jackson, and few things would please me more than if a true successor to his remarkable

ability to touch lives with his music and sheer force of personality were to be discovered among Guyana’s youth – one of those things would be if another Derek Paravicini were to be found among the people we too easily stigmatise as completely disabled.

(I will return to the issue of addiction next week)

Republic Bank conducts career coaching at University of Guyana

By Ravin Singh REPUBLIC Bank (Guyana) Limited, in collaboration with the University of Guyana, last Friday hosted the opening day of an

annual Career Coaching programme at the Education Lecture Theatre, of the University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus.

The programme is one geared primarily towards

equipping final-year students from all faculties of the institution with the necessary tools for succeeding in today’s work environment. This year, the theme for the career coaching fo-

General Manager of Corporate and Management Services of Republic Bank, Ms. Denise Hobbs, addressing participants at the Career Coaching. At the head table, from left, are: Michelle Johnson, Erica Jeffrey and Phillip DaSilva

cuses mainly on “Marketing yourself” and “Understanding the Working World”.

Participants of the event will be exposed to sessions dealing with Professional Image, Resume Writing, Money Management, Labour Laws and Policies, and Occupational Health and Safety.

This initiative was first launched in 2008 to fill a wide gap in the level of preparedness of new graduates to pursue their careers of choice.

This programme is one of many which Republic Bank shares with the University of Guyana through a partnership crafted under the Bank’s flagship social outreach initiative – ‘The Power to Make a Difference’.

General Manager of Corporate and Manage(PLEASE SEE PAGE 11)

10

First female Surinamese jet captain lands Boeing 737 at CJIA

By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally

ON Saturday Astrid Deira made her inaugural flight to Guyana as the first female jet pilot in command on Surinam Airways landing a Boeing 737 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Speaking to this newspaper at the Executive Lounge at CJIA Captain Deira related her journey as the first Surinamese jet captain: “I started working at Surinam Airways some 27 years ago in administration and I have been flying for 22 of those years, but since I was eight years old I told my teacher I wanted to become a pilot. I have flown from the Twin Otter for about 14 years, thereafter I flew the airbus 340 heavy jet

as co-pilot and now I am flying the 737 medium jets as pilot in command. From this I have about two to three years before I can become captain of the heavy jet.”

Her advice to young women who might want to enter into aviation is: “If you really love it go for it. There will be set backs and drawbacks; you will fall down but you have to get up and go. People will say you cannot, but if it is in your mind you can do it.”

Captain Deira is the first Surinamese woman in the aviation history of Suriname to be a captain on a jet aircraft and will serve the Region and the route Paramaribo to Georgetown to Miami and back. She is also a fully licensed quality safety inspector with Surinam Airways.

Captain Astrid Deira (centre seated) surrounded by Surinam Airways staff (Adrian Narine photo)

Schools hold kite–flying exercise in the National Park ––to cause parents, teachers and pupils to interact informally

By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally HUNDREDS of parents took time out from their respective busy schedules last Friday to facilitate a kite-flying activity hosted by various schools in the National Park.

It has become somewhat of a norm for pre-schools, nursery and primary schools to have an annual kite-flying picnic in which the parents, children and teachers get an opportunity to socialise and develop a better understanding of each other.

A few parents who spoke with this newspaper related that it was difficult to make the time because of the exigencies of work, but the opportunity to see how the children are happy at being in the outdoors and just

running and playing gave them great joy.

The parents commended the schools’ initiative to have the picnic, so as to give them a chance to socialise with each other and get to know the teachers and parents of their children’s friends.

Kite-flying is not unique to Guyana, and the activity is enjoyed by all ethnic and religious groups generally. The appearance of kites in the sky is a general indication of the onset of Easter. It culminates with the massive kite-flying festivity on Easter Monday.

In Guyana, Easter is a very joyful period. The Easter weekend offers an opportunity for families to come together and spend quality time in each other’s company; enjoying the traditional outdoor activities, such as kite-flying, rodeos, regattas, and picnics.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

National clean-up programme gets go ahead -as Local Gov’t Ministry’s 2014 allocation is approved THE $2.798 billion, 2014 operating budget of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, $1B of which will be for a National Clean-up programme was given the consensus of the National Assembly.

During the consideration of the estimates, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker noted that the Ministry, with support from the Ministries of Public Works, and Natural Resources, in 2013 started a regional solid waste programme. He, and that the $1B being made available will go a far way in advancing this programme. The minister explained that the main focus will be on cleaning drains and desiliting kokers.

Of the $1B; the sum of $500M will provide for the clean up of Georgetown. During the examination of the estimates, A Partnership for National Unity’s Member of Parliament (MP), Ronald Bulkan enquired how involved the Georgetown City Council would be in identifying the activities that would be funded under the exercise.

Whittaker said that the municipality would have an equal opportunity to be involved in the exercise like any stakeholder. “We would not exclude them, they will be a part and I have communicated this to the Honourable Mayor,” he said.

It was pointed out that some of the focus that the minister said would be addressed under the National Clean-up exercise, including cleaning up of the cemetery, provision to the tune of $484M was for the same under the Ministry of Housing and Water. APNU’s MP, Annette Ferguson noted that this therefore means that was a duplication of efforts.

Whittaker however, explained that the allocation to the Housing Ministry targets community road improvement and refers to work to be undertaken in the various Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC.) The 2014 provision of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development also covers a provision of $1.070B to improve sanitation, and includes institutional strengthening and capacity building, public awareness and community participation, construction and operation of Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill, waste collection and disposal from NDCs, treatment and disposal of health care and hazardous waste.

Alliance for Change MP, Moses Nagamootoo wanted to know whether this amount could conclude the dumpsite facility’s operations, and whether it covers provision for additional landfills. The allocation is solely to complete the construction of the Haags Bosch site, Minister Whittaker explained. He said that this contract comes to an end in December 2014.

A provision of $359M will cover capital subventions to the municipalities and local community councils and $24M will cover several infrastructure development initiatives including the completion of Mabaruma market tarmac and sanitary block at Buxton.

Minister Whittaker is expected to provide the National Assembly with a break-down of the $359M that will be allocated under the six municipalities and 65 NDCs. Also covered under the 2014 allocation of the Ministry is $108.368M for ministry’s main office for the successful implementation of its plan, policies and development programmes in accordance with good governance, facilitating infrastructure and human development.

Meanwhile, $59.638M provides for the Ministry’s administration to ensure effective administrative and accounting services; promote and coordinate careers development within the ministry.

Under this allocation, $12.5M will provide training in several areas for over 700 RDC, NDC and ministry staff. (GINA)

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

11

Inner Wheel Club to host Hat Show on April 26 in Promenade Gardens

By Alex Wayne FOR OVER twenty years, the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown has been hosting hat shows that have become a major annual event in Guyana, attracting hundreds of visitors each year at the Promenade Gardens.

This year’s Annual Hat Show and Garden Party is slated for Saturday, April 26, 2014; and the main attraction, as the name suggests, is a hat competition for children and adults in the three categories of elegant, topical, and original.

In the past, the colourful and elegant designs have stood out in particular, but the original and topical hats make a lasting impression, according to the organisers.

The organizers say hats were displayed in the past to raise awareness about topics such as inadequate housing by volunteers of Habitat for Humanity, and one regular contestant, when she was in her 80s, had depicted the deplorable state of Georgetown, which has been induced by ‘garbage overflow’.

Registration for the competition is done on the day of the show, and contestants are required to attend early to be registered by 14:30 hrs. Organisers noted at a small press conference yesterday that male contestants are still in the minority, and they think this category of participant may need a special invitation and encouragement to participate.

Visitors can also look forward to having delicious tea served at the ‘Tea Stall’. As usual, there will be various other booths, including a Book Stall; while games and a “sweet and savoury” stall will be available.

Music for the event will, as is customary, be provided by the Guyana Police Force Band, who will be installed in the Promenade Gardens Band Stand as the Hat Competition progresses.

HISTORY The Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown is a charitable organisation that raises funds in order to make an impact in the lives of the less fortunate.

Through scholarships for young adults seeking training in the fields of education and medicine, and by participating in community development activities that benefit children and the elderly, as well as by spreading cheer on festive occasions, the club goes about fulfilling its mission.

The Annual Hat Show and Garden Party held at the Promenade Gardens on Easter Saturday is the club’s largest fund-raising event. Entrance fee has been set at $200, while children under eight years old will be admitted free of charge.

Tea will be made available for a contribution of $1500, which includes the entrance fee.

Today, the International Inner Wheel Club has over 100,000 members located in 3,895 clubs in more than 100 countries worldwide. The work of this club started in 1924 when the wives of Rotarians sought to assist their husbands in fund-raising efforts towards Rotary projects. The Inner Wheel International Club was formed in 1967, and while Inner Wheel Clubs continue to support Rotary, they also have their own projects.

The Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown, chartered on March 16, 1985, recently celebrated twenty-nine years of service, and still has active members like Charter President Maylene Davis, who has served from inception of the club.

To mark this year’s anniversary, and in keeping with its theme, “We for Women”, current President Aretha Campbell made a presentation on behalf of the organisation to assist Help and Shelter.

On March 28, 2014, representatives from eleven special schools located in Linden, New Amsterdam, Grove and Georgetown gathered at the National Park where they received gifts from the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown.

The National Park Playground is one of the organisation’s more visible projects.

Representatives of the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown pose with pieces of their Easter Hat Collection.

Republic Bank conducts career ...

(FROM PAGE 9) ment Services at Republic Bank, Ms. Denise Hobbs, said the Career Coaching initiative was launched in response to a national need for better prepared and informed applicants.

“We believe that Republic Bank Career Coaching offers the workshop participants the power to succeed in preparing their applications, facing job interviews, and integrating into their work environment of choice,” she explained.

Hobbs stressed that critical to national development and the advancement of Guyanese is a capable and efficient workforce, hence she noted that Republic Bank has an obligation to ensure such development by equipping the participants with the requisite level of awareness, knowledge and skills to propel their careers.

Friday was the first day of this two-day event, and it ushered in the interactive participation of members of the Board of Directors: Mrs. Yolande Foo; Ms. Joyce Sinclair, Management and Training Consultant; Ms. Bonita Hunter and Mrs. Coreen Jacobs, UG lecturers; Dr. Ken Hunte, retired University of Guyana lecturer and educator; and Mrs. Jannis London, who heads Republic Bank’s Training and Development Centre.

Participants at the Career Coaching session at UG

To date, over 300 final-year UG students have participated in these workshops, and over 100 students have registered this year.

Ms Hobbs has affirmed that Republic Bank holds fast to the commitment of being stewards of our nation’s prosperity, and with the vision of fostering dedication, professionalism and integrity, the Bank can pave the way for engendering the culture of excellence to which the country aspires.

Only last month, the Bank granted awards to two graduating students at UG for outstanding performances in their fields of academics. The awards went to Best Graduating Student in the Social Sciences, Eileen Marray, who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree; and Vikesh Persaud, who graduated with a Diploma in Banking and Finance.

The awards and the career coaching are components of the Republic Bank’s ‘Power to Make a Difference’ social investment initiative, and are a part of an ongoing multifaceted partnership with the University of Guyana, as the Bank seeks to instill in students the power to learn and succeed.

Other aspects include scholarships and the provision of business journals to the library of the University of Guyana.

12

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

Chronicle Weekend Roundup with Telesha Ramnarine April 7-12, 2014 Monday 7

Gov’t to work along with GPSU on salary negotiations for 2014

THE Government will work with the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) to set mutually agreed deadlines to complete negotiations for salary increases for public servants this year. This was disclosed by Public Service Minister Dr. Jennifer Webster who said in the National Assembly that the fact that no increases in wages for public servants were announced in the 2014 budget did not mean that there was nothing for workers this year.

First Lady’s Foundation sponsors Autism and Health Walk

IN EFFORTS to promote autism awareness, the First Lady’s Foundation organised an autism and health walk.

President Donald Ramotar, First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar, Minister Jennifer Webster and other ministers joined dozens of stakeholders for a walk through the city. Emphasising yet again the government’s support at a brief ceremony after the walk, which began at the Bank of Guyana and ended at the Children’s Monument in the National Park, President Ramotar said that good health is important to the nation’s development and it is important to take away the stigma associated with Autism.

EBB highway reconstruction to begin in October

MINISTER of Transport & Hydraulics Robeson Benn announced that the much anticipated reconstruction and upgrade of the East Bank Berbice (EBB) highway will begin in October this year. He disclosed too that Government also plans to carry out improvements on the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue roadway for a distance of 7.2 kilometres at a cost of US$25M with funding from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). During his presentation of the 2014 national budget, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh had said that the work to be done on the EBB highway will be the complete reconstruction of 6 km from Stanleytown to Everton and the upgrading of 11.5 km from Belle Vue to Light Town. With respect to the CDB-funded Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue improvements, Benn said that the Government had consultations at the local and technical levels on it, and the prequalification of contractors for the civil works is in progress, while actual works will begin in June this year.

Tuesday 8

Notorious bandit ‘Popcorn’ killed in late-night Police operation TWENTY-YEAR old Deodat Seecharran, alias ‘Popcorn’, met his demise in an exchange of gunfire with police ranks aback Betsy Ground Village in the community of East Canje, Berbice. ‘Popcorn’ and his accomplice, 22-year old Zaheir Abdul, called Imran, of New Scheme, Adelphi, East Canje Berbice, had returned to the Betsy Ground mandir to retrieve three cellular phones which they had left charging there; but the police, in an earlier visit to the place of religious worship, made in response to residents’ complaints that persons were acting suspiciously in close proximity to the mandir, had removed the phones and had left the premises, but returned minutes later on foot. It was during this second visit to the mandir that the police had spotted two persons riding towards them. When the police shone a spotlight on the riders, the men dropped their bicycles and fled on foot, with the police in hot pursuit.

Youth drowns attempting to save someone else

TWENTY-TWO-YEAR OLD Jemel Thompson drowned in a bid to save someone else.

The tragedy occurred when employees of Qualfon were on an excursion at Blue Lake Creek in Linden. Reports said about 45 persons had gone there to enjoy themselves but one of them, who was said to be under the influence of alcohol,

fell into water below a hill. Thompson and another friend, who was said to be the better swimmers, went to the rescue.

Both of them plunged into the deep but, after swimming half way, the friend turned back, fearing danger.

Doctors lose battle to save life of 18-year old asthmatic girl

DOCTORS at the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) eventually lost the battle to save the life of an 18-year-old asthmatic girl, on life support, whose condition dramatically deteriorated after she was treated for asthma at a health centre in the city. Dead is Nashwanttie Raghubar (also called Ambika), who had been asthmatic ever since she was five years, but whose condition was monitored and managed by the hospital for more than five years. She recently joined the clinic at the health centre.

According to her death certificate, the teen died of Cardio-Pulmonary Arrest and Severe Bronchial Asthma, two days after her eighteenth birthday.

Wednesday 9

Waruni youth accused of setting fire to mother’s kitchen remanded

DWAYNE Jones, 19, of Waruni Village, Berbice River, accused of setting fire to his mother’s kitchen, appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and was remanded to prison until April 14.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge, particulars of which said that on March 23 at Waruni Village, he set fire to his mother’s kitchen. Police Inspector Michael Grant, prosecuting, said that on the day in question, at around 17:30 hrs, the defendant, having consumed alcohol, went home and an argument developed between himself and his mother, whereupon he lit a kerosene stove and threw it to the ground, causing the fuel to spill and the place to catch afire. This matter was transferred to the Kwakwani Magistrate’s Court.

Ernest Elliot is new Opposition MP FORMER Parliamentarian and long standing People’s

National Congress Reform (PNCR) Member Ernest Elliot was sworn in as a Member of Parliament in place of recently resigned Jaipaul Sharma. Speaker of the House, Raphael Trotman disclosed that following the resignation of Mr. Sharma and his call to the APNU list of candidates to find a replacement, Mr. Elliot had been duly elected a Member of Parliament.

Mr. Elliot took the oath of the National Assembly, administered by the Clerk Sherlock Isaacs. Mr. Elliot, who served in the Ninth Parliament, will represent Region 4 in this the 10th Parliament.

Mechanic in Stabroek Market area hid ganja in his crotch, court hears

EIGHTEEN-YEAR old Andre Christian was refused bail when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry accused of trafficking in ganja in the Stabroek Market area. The mechanic pleaded not guilty to the allegation that on April 3 at Stabroek Market Area, Georgetown, he had in his possession 33 grammes of cannabis sativa (marijuana) for the purpose of trafficking. Police Inspector Michael Grant, prosecuting, said that on the day in question police on patrol observed the defendant acting in a suspicious manner, and with Christian’s consent, the ranks carried out a search on his person, thereby unearthing the prohibited substance in his pants crotch. The matter will continue on May 8.

Thursday 10

Kidnapped car dealer’s body dumped in cemetery

THE body of 40-year old kidnapped auto spares dealer, Rajendra Singh, was found in Le Repentir Cemetery with a gunshot wound to the head, hands tied behind his back and a cloth around his neck. The four-day search for him ended when a City Council worker stumbled on the body in a section of the burial ground while preparing for burials. Singh, also

called ‘Sunil,’ was kidnapped at gunpoint from his Foulis, Enmore Public Road, East Coast Demerara, business place.

Two men had turned up at the premises under the pretext of being customers. The kidnappers had initially demanded $50M, but later reduced the ransom to $25M.

GuySuCo workers boo, chase Nagamootoo

HUNDREDS of sugar workers stood outside Parliament to protest the use of the scissors to reduce the $6B allocation to the sugar industry. And Alliance For Change (AFC) member, Moses Nagamootoo, was booed and chased away vehemently by the sugar workers when he walked over to speak to them. Protestors shouted: ‘Shame Moses!’ ‘Moses must go!’

And booed the politician, formerly associated with the ruling party, for what they called a “betrayal” of them and their interest. Nagamootoo, speaking to the media after being moved from the protest area, noted that the AFC has never opposed the allocation to the sector or ignored the interest of the sugar workers, but has been calling for better accountability of the monies injected into the sector.

AFC member Sasenarine Singh resigns GENERAL Secretary of the Alliance For Change (AFC),

Mr. David Patterson confirmed that Mr. Sasenarine Singh has resigned with immediate effect as a member of the AFC. According to the General Secretary, Singh tendered his resignation for personal reasons and those are respected.

“There is no hard feeling and the mutual respect remains.

We wish Sase all the very best in the future and look forward to the time when he will remigrate to his homeland to continue the struggle for a better Guyana.”

Friday 11

Sooba’s appointment as Town Clerk quashed

ACTING Chief Justice, Mr. Ian Chang, quashed Carol Sooba’s appointment as Town Clerk of the Georgetown Municipality. And, according to the judge, she is now an Acting Town Clerk of the Municipality. Justice Chang ruled that the Local Government Minister did not have the power to appoint Sooba and therefore the appointment was illegal. The Chief Justice was delivering his decision in the High Court in relation to an application from Public Relations Officer Royston King for Writs or Orders of Certiorari, calling on Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud to show cause why his decision to appoint Carol Sooba as Town Clerk in preference to other candidates who were more qualified for the job, should not be quashed.

Provision of specialised health care for Guyanese threatened

THE combined Opposition signalled that they are against specialised health care for Guyanese through their disapproval of funding for the much anticipated Specialty Hospital.

The Opposition voted against the $910 million which was allocated for the project in the 2014 National Budget. In so doing, the Opposition in reality voted against funding for the provision of other regional and clinical services. This will affect the Ministry of Health, buildings, doctors’ quarters, land and water transport, furniture and other medical equipment.

Schools close for three weeks

THE Ministry of Education wishes to advise the public that all public schools will be closing on Friday, April 11, 2014 (today) for the commencement of the Easter break.

This break will last for three weeks. Schools will reopen on Tuesday May 6, 2014. “We would like to take this opportunity to wish the students preparing for the National Grade Six Assessment on April 16 and 17, 2014 the best of luck. And, an enjoyable Easter to all,” the Education Ministry said in a statement.

See page 13

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

Chronicle Weekend Roundup

From page 12

with Telesha Ramnarine

Teenaged taxi driver hangs himself

KENRICK LALL, 18, of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, was found hanging by a fellow worker at the White Diamond taxi base, where he was employed. The dispatcher who came upon the body is a popular DJ in the village and he identified himself as Selector Gavin. He told this publication that he woke up from a nap and went outside where the drivers usually gathered and he found Lall hanging from a beam. The mother of the deceased said that Lall, who is her only son, was loved by his relatives. “I don’t know why he did this; he loved his work and his family, Why did he kill himself,” she said.

Saturday 12

Linden girls exposed to ICT INTERNATIONAL Girls in ICT Day is an initiative backed by ITU member states to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of information and communication technologies (ICTs). National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) Managing Director, Valmikki Singh during his address to the students at the ICT Tech Day Camp at Lichas Hall, Linden, Region 10. The National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) held a Tech Day Camp at Lichas Hall, Linden, Region 10, in observance of Girls in ICT Day slated for April 24. This event saw 9th and 10th grade female students from several schools in the region being provided an opportunity to become inspired about the ICT sector by getting a first-hand look into the ICT institutions and listening to women role models.

President slams Opposition for callous attacks

PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar slammed the parliamentary political Opposition for its callous and brutal assault on several crucial national developmental projects in Budget 2014.

“The Opposition has demonstrated by their cuts that they are opposed to development. This is evident by the fact that they are attacking important national infrastructural and developmental projects for narrow and selfish political interest,” President Ramotar told the Chronicle in an invited comment.

The President said he is ‘baffled’ as to the reason behind the Opposition cutting “willy nilly” some of the most important projects in the budget. He also expressed alarm at the Opposition’s obvious ‘double standard’ whereby, on one hand, they are voicing their support for a sector such as Tourism; yet on the other hand, they are cutting the important Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project, which is crucial to the development of tourism in Guyana.

Carol Ann Lynch murder PI to continue April 24

THE Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of former Swiss House Cambio managing director Farouk Razack will continue on April 24 before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry. Former beauty queen Carol Ann Lynch was recharged for the same murder after the case against her was dismissed in 2008 by then Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys on the basis of insufficient evidence. Particulars of the capital offence said she murdered her husband Razack at their Lot 106 Ireng Place, Bel Air Park, Georgetown home on May 7, 2007.

Thus far, 15 witnesses testified in the matter and seven remain to be called. However, two of the seven witnesses reside overseas. On the last occasion, Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru called on Police Photographer Corporal Laikhram Datt to testify. Lynch is represented by attorneys-at-law Mr. Peter Hugh and Ms. Latchmi Rahamat. The post-mortem report showed that Razack died as a result of asphyxiation (suffocation) due to possible ligature strangulation.

13

NAACIE/GUYSUCO pay dispute still unresolved

By Ravin Singh A SMALL section of the sugar workforce represented by the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) continued their strike up to Friday last over claims for payment which the Guyana Sugar Corporation (UYSCO) deems workers are not entitled to.

Some 137 workers from a bargaining unit of 1,000 went on strike on Wednesday with the majority of 39 workers from Blairmont. However, information from GUYSUCO revealed that except for Blairmont where the preparations of payroll may be affected, the operations on the other estates, including factory operations, are unaffected.

In the meantime, the corporation is urging the striking workers, and NAACIE to allow better sense to prevail so that every opportunity could be taken to assist in realising its production target for this crop. And the Corporation remains very optimistic that with the good prevailing weather and labour turnout, coupled with excellent cane quality and yield, the target for this crop could be surpassed.

NACCIE claims that their members, working in the categories that are

represented by the Union proceeded on Wednesday to take industrial action in keeping with an ultimatum sent by the Union to GuySuCo informing them of their intention to do whatever it takes to cause the corporation to pay salaries to their members in keeping with the Norman McLean Arbitration award and Collective Labour Agreement dated July 8, 2011.

They expressed disappointment over their category of workers in GuySuCo not being paid according to agreements while the Union has done all they think was in the interest of the production of sugar, and in the interest of Guyana as a whole.

“After long and consistent struggle with many annual impositions of wages and after many considerations our members were successful in causing an agreement which included the price for the job.

Because of bunching of salaries caused by that agreement, another agreement was reached between the (parties) GuySuCo and NAACIE, causing workers with up to 10 years’ service to receive 2% per year added to the price for jobs for each year of service as their personal salaries. The years of service agreement was never a contentious issue with the Union and the Corporation,” they ex-

plained.

NAACIE also said that the corporation is still resisting the proper implementation of the Tribunal Award along with the year of service agreement between the parties even after being advised to. “We will insist that our members be paid according to fairness and agreement and will represent this matter at all levels,” they stressed.

However, GUYSUCO in their response stated that at the genesis of the workers’ claim this time is a misinterpretation of the Norman Mc Lean Arbitration Award, which was made in April last year while adding that only recently, during the current crop, a section of the NAACIE workers at Blairmont took a two-day industrial action on reasons similar to that of Wednesday, and the workers resumed on their own accord without the corporation conceding to their claim.

This newspaper made telephone contact with the union’s General Secretary to have a confirmation from him on the workers’ intimation that they would be proceeding on strike.

However, the union’s head refused to confirm his union’s call for any strike, which therefore rendered the strike action being unofficial, and a clear violation of the extant grievance procedure.

GUYSUCO explained that the tribunal made its award, after presentations by the Union and the corporation in April 2013. The award, which was within the terms of reference, corrected the anomalies that were presented by the Union. Subsequent to the award the Union in its letter dated July 16, 2013 sought further adjustment to the award, which the tribunal in its letter dated October 15, 2013 stated that “the Union is seeking to take us outside of our Terms of Reference and whatever is done now would be ultra vires to those Terms.”

They further added that the Corporation during several meetings advised the Union that it could not acquiesce to their request for adjustments to pay the workers more than what was awarded by the tribunal. Despite these meetings with the Corporation and a meeting with the members of the tribunal on October 18, 2013, the Union persisted in its demand.

Meanwhile, the $6B budgeted to revive GUYSUCO through mechanization; improvement of cane production; factory upgrades and the purchasing of equipment; and improving field infrastructure was approved in the National Assembly last Wednesday evening.

IRO SENDS RIDVÁN GREETINGS THE Inter-Religious Organisation of Guyana (IRO) has extended to the Bahá’í community, greetings and best wishes on the observance of the 12-day Festival of Ridván, from 21 April to 2 May. It marks the period when Bahá’u’lláh declared His Mission in Baghdad in 1863.

An IRO release said: “The arrival of Bahá’u’lláh in the Najibiyyih Garden, subsequently designated

by His followers the Garden of Ridván, signalizes the commencement of what has come to be recognized as the holiest and most significant of all Bahá’í festivals, the festival commemorating the Declaration of His Mission to His companions.”

“The ethical, the moral and doctrinal foundations of a nascent community had been established, in the course of Bahá’u’lláh’s exile in Baghdad. And finally, it was in the Garden of Ridván, on the eve of His banishment to Constantinople, that He made the Declaration of His Mission.

What now remained to be achieved was the proclamation, in the city of Adrianople, of that same Mission to the world’s secular and ecclesiastical leaders, to be followed, in successive decades, by a further unfoldment, in the prison-fortress of ‘Akká, of the principles and precepts constituting the bedrock of that Faith, by the formulation of the laws and ordinances designed to safeguard its integrity, by the establishment, immediately after His ascension, of the Covenant designed to preserve its unity and perpetuate its influence, by the prodigious and world-wide extension of its activities, under the guidance of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of that Covenant, and lastly, by the rise, in the Formative Age of that Faith, of its Administrative Order.”

During this period, Bahá’ís also assemble for the annual elections of their local and national administrative institutions.

14

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

Former CANU officer remanded for Repeat possession of arms and ammunition offender remanded pending probation report

FORMER Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officer Roberto Cosburg was refused bail for possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition on Friday when the 30-year-old businessman of Lot 117 Third Street, Alberttown, Georgetown appeared in Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry’s court.

Cosburg pleaded not guilty to both charges, one of which said that on Wednesday, April 9, at Durban and Princes streets in Georgetown, he had in his possession one silver coloured Smith and Western semi-automatic pistol without being the holder of a firearm licence.

The other charge said that on the same day, at Durban and Princes streets, Georgetown, he also had in his possession eleven live rounds of ammunition.

Police Inspector Michael Grant, prosecuting, said that on the day in question, at around 18:15 hrs, the defendant was observed in a yard at Durban and Princes Streets behaving in

a suspicious manner.

A rank saw Cosburg throwing something in a nearby trench, and the officer followed him and found the said weapon in the trench.

Cosburg’s attorney-at-law Mr. Gordon Gilhuys said his client denied any knowledge of having any weapon. He said the accused was playing dominoes and there were several persons who could testify in the matter.

However, the Chief Magistrate informed Mr Gilhuys that, in the statements, his client was seen throwing an object in the trench. Upon checking, the rank observed bubbles and pushed his hand in the trench and retrieved the weapon.

Bail was refused since the defence had advanced no special reason to justify bail being granted. The case was put off to April 28.

SEON Blair (no address given) appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on Friday, and pleaded guilty to an offence that said that on April 9 at Kitty Public Road, Georgetown, he broke and entered the dwelling house of Delwyn Winter and stole a Coby stereo set, two pairs of jeans and two jerseys, together valued $75,000.

Police Inspector Michael Grant, prosecuting, said that on the day in question, at around 14:45 hrs, the virtual complainant (VC) was at home sleeping with the front and back doors of his home open. He woke up to the sound of noises, and subsequently saw the defendant in his home. The VC closed the doors and called the police, and Blair was caught red-handed with the articles he had stolen in a bag on the ground.

The unrepresented 24-year-old told the court he has two prior convictions and asked that the Chief Magistrate be kind in her judgment, since he is not the first. He said he is the father of three, with his fourth child on its way.

The Chief Magistrate asked the prosecutor to verify the defendant’s prior charges, meantime remanding him to prison pending the probation report. He will make his next court appearance on May 9.

Alleged armed robber remanded until April 29

MOHAMED Rafeek Hamid (no address given) was refused bail by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on Friday when he answered to an armed robbery charge in her court.

The unrepresented defendant denied that on Thursday, April 10, at Kingston, Georgetown, being armed with a knife, he robbed Rehanna Benjamin of one Nokia Smart cellular, one BLU cellular phone, one shoulder bag and cash $9,000, together valued at $114,000.

Police Inspector Michael Grant, prosecuting, said that the virtual complainant and a friend were walking on the seawall with the articles in her handbag when the defendant approached her with a knife and demanded that she hand over her bag. The victim refused to give up her belongings, so Hamid pushed her to the ground, and when she fell, he snatched the bag and escaped, but an alarm was raised.

The police in the area responded, and caught the defendant with the articles in his possession.

The prosecutor successfully objected to bail by citing the seriousness and prevalence of the offence and the fact that violence was used in the commission of the offence.

Hamid was remanded to prison, and the case was transferred before Magistrate Faith McGusty for trial on April 29.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

15

Pakaraima Safari off

THE long awaited and planned Pakaraima Safari 2014 rolled off on Friday at 23:00 hrs from the Regent Street branch of the Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil).

Officials made the final inspection on April 2 at the Guyana Tourism Authority’s (GTA) office for vehicles taking part in the 2014 Pakaraima Safari.

Some 24 vehicles were registered and checked for the compliance to the requirements needed to complete the journey of between 529 and 600 miles.

The excursion is also set to coincide with the Rupununi Rodeo in Lethem, affording both the option of returning to Georgetown for Easter Monday or remaining in Lethem for the rodeo.

This event is being sponsored by Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL), Marketing & Distribution and Mekdeci Machinery and Construction (MMC).

L-R (Front Row) Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh, Mr Frank Singh, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Mr Harripersaud Nokta with the participants of the Pakaraima Safari 2014 (Sonell Nelson photo)

16

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

Cuban Medical Brigades continue

By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally

“IN Guyana a total number of 531 professionals have graduated in the health field (from Cuban medical institutions) where 92% or 488 of them are physicians. We have been graduating Guyanese professionals since 1976” said the Head of the Cuban Medical Brigade, Dr. Midalys Otero Hernandez.

Speaking to this newspaper in an interview held at the Cuban Embassy Dr Hernandez highlighted several activities which the Medical Brigade has been spearheading. She said “the miracle operation was started in 2004 and in Guyana the Eye Hospital (the Port Mourant Ophthalmological Centre) was inaugurated on July 25, 2009.”

Dr Hernandez explained that Cuban Medical Brigades offer their services in rural areas where their work do not interfere with that of the doctors within the countries they service. The doctors offer their services to all sectors of the population, without making any kind of distinction due to race, ideology or religious beliefs, also without getting involved in political matters, respecting the laws and traditions of the countries they bring service to.

Asked about her experiences with the population and authorities here in Guyana Dr Hernandez said: “It is positive, the Guyanese people are friendly, and have shown respect and love for the Cuban doctors. They are very disciplined; never miss an appointment and fulfill all medical indication. The Guyanese authorities have supported us in our work and in

the improvement of the living conditions of the collaborators. We have an excellent relation with the Minister of Health, Dr. Beri Ramsaran as well as Minister of Public Services, Dr. Jennifer Westford who are very professional and whose only aim is to continue improving the health conditions of the people of Guyana.”

Her response, when asked what motivates Cubans to have these Medical Brigades worldwide she responded: “It has always been to share professional experiences, to know new health systems, and to help the poorest people to improve their life quality and expectancy. Cuban doctor’s formation involves values like humanism, solidarity and internationalism; we have never seen patients as merchandise or clients. We are part of the humble Cuban people and have the capacity to transform, offer help and to establish relations with patients.”

Dr Hernandez concluded: “Our perspectives are to continue our collaboration fulfilling in this way with the agreement between

Dr. Midalys Otero Hernandez and Professor Mercedes Ganesh-Ally.

L-R Head of the Cuban medical Brigade Dr. Midalys Julio Cesar Gonzalez Marchante and Professor Merce

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

17

e their yeoman service in Guyana the two countries and this will last while the Government of Guyana needs our cooperation. And to work with the Guyanese Ministry of Health in implementing the health strategies 2020, to continue the quality in the pre and post graduate formation and consolidate the historical bonds between the two countries�. “There are presently 83 Cuban trained Guyanese medical students completing their six- year medical studies and 278 newly graduated doctors under the Cuban Brigade who have passed the 18 months of training� Professor Mercedes Vasallo Zulveta disclosed.

Professor Zulveta indicated that she has been teaching and assisting the students presently in Guyana to finish their medical studies and she has had numerous workshops open to the public to build awareness as well as to educate persons on different aspects of health. She reiterated that medical science changes every day and for students or doctors research and experiment

Vasallo Zulveta being interview by Reporter Rebecca

s Otero Hernandez, Ambassador of Cuba to Guyana edes Vasallo Zulveta (Sonell Nelson photo)

is necessary at all levels.

On May 23, 1963 the first Cuban Medical Brigade was sent to the Republic of Argelia to fulfill an international mission comprising of 55 collaborators, 29 of them were doctors, this was the Cuban Medical Collaboration official start with permanent brigades aboard.

Cuba remembers the act of solidarity and courage shown

by Guyana and three other independent countries in 1972. It has consistently forged and strengthened its relations with Guyana through cooperation agreements in the areas of health, education, culture, sport and agriculture among others.

Guyana has been receiving Cuban medical personnel since 1978 where the Cubans have provided health care and services to Guyanese at home and to those who have travelled

to Cuba for specialist treatment at little or no cost. Guyana has benefited from more than hundreds of scholarships, with the majority being in the field of medicine. Also Guyana has the largest contingent of scholarship students from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) studying in Cuba. The Operation Milagro Programme and the three Diagnostic Centres in different regions of Guyana perhaps best illustrate the value of the relationship.

Cuba has been facing an economic blockade by the United States for just over five decades, is a friend to the entire developing world. Since the Cuban Revolution in 1959, 27,000 professionals from 119 countries have graduated from Cuban institutions. Of this total 5,000 are from the Caribbean of which 554 are Guyanese.

18

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

Practices for Spray Painting Operations

IN recent years, there has been an emergence of an increasing number of Automobile Spray Painting Shops. No doubt, this is associated with the increasing number of vehicles being imported into the country which provide steady business for these shops. Also, locally, the auto sales business is highly competitive, creating the need for vehicles to be regularly sprayed to enhance their visual appeal to customers.

Though business is a good thing, it is a fact that spray painting poses health and environmental risks if best practices are not followed. An observed trend is that many Spray Painting Shops begin as small operations in residential areas

but soon expand to a larger scale thereby magnifying the risks to nearby residents and shop operators alike. These risks are associated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are released during the spray-painting operation.

Cognizant of the risks associated with Spray Painting Shops, the Environmental Protection Agency developed Environmental Guidelines for these operations to safeguard the health and safety of workers as well as persons who reside in close proximity to such operations.

Over the coming weeks we will be focusing on the Spray Painting Guidelines beginning this week with best practices.

Location • Spray painting shops, should be located in a commercial or industrial area and not a residential area and at

least 50 metres (164 feet) away from the nearest residence.

• Shops should not be in close proximity to dust producing facilities as dust will greatly affect the coating quality.

Setting Up • Spraying must be done in booths or rooms that are constructed with non–flammable materials, such as steel, concrete and brick.

• Booth walls must be smooth and without edges to avoid the trapping of residue.

• Booth floors and fire doors must be non-flammable since chemicals used in spray painting can explode in the event of a fire.

• Booths should be adequately ventilated to keep vapours and paint away from other work areas or have an exhaust vent to remove them.

• Booth exhaust vents should be at least 2 metres above the highest roof in the surrounding area and equipped with an effective filter or water wash system to reduce emissions.

Handling Equipment • Workers should be trained in the proper use of spray-painting materials.

• T h e spray-gun should be held at a right angle to the surface being sprayed.

• T h e distance between the spray gun’s tip and painting surface should be maintained based on the equipment specifications. (This will give the proper coat thickness, and minimize the use of more coats and so help to reduce VOCs emissions).

• Choose spray equipment that will cause the most paint to be applied to the surface when sprayed, e.g., HVLP – High Volume Low Pressure paint gun.

• Determine the type of coating that will be sprayed through the equipment and use the paint gun that works best for the application of such coating. Follow the manufacturer suggestions regarding air pressure and tip sizes for the specific product and equipment being used.

Preparing for Spraying and Topcoats • Wash dirt/grime from the vehicle using water or a soap and water mixture.

• Water based cleaners can be used to remove sanding, sludge, fingerprints, waxes and other contaminants.

• Use solvent based cleaners sparingly; mostly to remove grease, road tar, silicone, and driveline oils.

• Choose products that lessen the need for additional surface coating.

• Choose prep coats, primers and sealers in colours that can be easily covered with the topcoat.

• Apply only the number of coats needed to achieve a quality finish.

• Avoid the use of lacquer-based topcoats.

• Keep the use of paint additives to a minimum.

• When available, use water based coats.

• Use low VOC primer-surfacers, primer-sealers such as Chrome-Free Etch Primer, Epoxy Primer-Sealers, and top coats products such as low VOC Lacquer Topcoats.

• Avoid zinc-phosphate primers with high volatile organic compounds (VOC) content.

• As much as possible, perform body work using a minimal amount of primer-surfacer.

Next week we will examine other aspects of the Spray Painting Guidelines.

Share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail. com

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

19

Mabaruma aunt remanded for attempted murder of niece UENITA Marcellino of Hobo Hill, Mabaruma, North West District was not required to plead to the indictable charge of attempting to murder her niece, Lynette Morgow, when she appeared unrep-

resented on Friday before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, charged with attempting to commit murder.

Particulars of her offence

For Sunday April 13, 2014 -14:30hrs For Monday April 14, 2014 -14:30hrs

state that on Tuesday, April 8, at Mabaruma in the North West District, in the Essequibo Magisterial District, she unlawfully and maliciously wounded Morgow.

Police Inspector Michael Grant, prosecuting, said that on the day in question, the accused was under the influence of alcohol when a heated argument developed between the parties, in which Marcellino accused Morgow of having an affair with her husband.

Marcellino then armed herself with a knife and dealt several stabs about her niece’s body. The matter was reported to the police and the accused was arrested and charged. Morgow is still hospitalised.

The prosecutor successfully objected to bail, citing the seriousness and prevalence of the offence, and the fact that the victim was still hospitalised.

The 26-year-old accused was remanded to prison and the case was transferred to the Mabaruma Magistrate’s Court for May 19.

Taxi driver on $150,000 bail for fraudulent conversion of $1M+

THIRTY-TWO-year-old taxi driver Shimell Thomas of Lot 1 Enmore Public Road, East Coast Demerara appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Seenarine-Beharry on Friday charged with fraudulent conversion, and was placed on $150,000 bail.

It is alleged that between February 1 and March 28, 2013 at Georgetown, being solely entrusted with $1,007,000 by Jennifer Sertima to pay a lawyer, he fraudulently converted the money to his own use and benefit.

Police Inspector Michael Grant did not relate any facts to the court, but, Thomas’s lawyer, Mr. Paul Fung-a-Fat, alleged that the virtual complainant had given his client the money to bribe someone at the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Fung-a-Fat successfully requested that his client be admitted to bail in a reasonable sum, and the case was postponed to May 9.

20

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

21

22

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

23

24

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

25

26

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

27

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

from back page

SCOREBOARD T&T first Innings (overnight 274 for eight) L Simmons c Singh b Joseph 12 E Lewis lbw b Bishoo 64 D Bravo lbw b Bishoo 61 J. Mohammed c Griffith b Bishoo 17 J. Augustus c Johnson b Bishoo 15 R Emrit c Barnwell b Bishoo 26 S. Ketwaroo c wkp Bramble b Bishoo 3 I. Khan c Barnwell b Bishoo 44 M. Richards lbw b Bishoo 20 A Jaggernauth c Beaton b Bishoo 12 S Gabriel not out 4 Extras (b5, lb9, nb2) 16 TOTAL (all out, 101.4 overs) 294 Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-128, 3-147, 4-164, 5-187, 6-207, 7-220, 8-266, 9-285, 10-294.

Bowling: B e a t o n 1 6 - 3 - 4 8 - 0 , Joseph 19-5-53-1, Barnwell 122-47-0, Shadir 12-0-50-0, Bishoo 38.4-15-78-9, Griffith 4-1-4-0.

Guyana first Innings

T Griffith c wkpr Ketwaroo b Gabriel 23 T Chanderpaul run out (Augustus) 14 S Hetmyer c Richards b Jaggernauth 00 L Johnson c wkpr Ketwaroo b Jaggernauth 78 V Singh c wkpr Ketwaroo b Jaggernauth 02 A Bramble b Jaggernauth 16 C Barnwell b Emrit 50 Z Shadir not out 39 D Bishoo not out 18 Extras (b4, lb2, nb1) 07 Total (for 7 wickets off 82 overs ) 247 Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-37, 3-51, 4-59, 5-89, 6-169, 7-213, To bat: R Beaton K Joseph Bowling: Gabriel 15-4-29-1 Richards 4-0-21-0 Jaggernauth 24-5-78-4 Mohammed 14-3-27-0 (nb1) Khan 19-2-56-0 Emrit 6-130-1

Racing Tips ENGLISH Wincanton 08:50 hrs Third Act 09:20 hrs Acapulco Bay 09:50 hrs Very Noble 10:25 hrs Massena

11:00 hrs The Wealerdealer 11:30 hrs Alopicgros 12:05 hrs Oscarslad 12:40 hrs Neck Or Nothing Stratford 09:00 hrs Call Me Vic 09:30 hrs Bellenos 10:05 hrs Tony Dinozzo 10:40 hrs Queen Spud 11:10 hrs Paint The Clouds 11:45 hrs Classic Case 12:15 hrs Don’t Take Me Alive WETHERBY 09:10 hrs Kings Bandit 09:40 hrs Master Red 10:15 hrs Dreamy George 10:50 hrs Executive’S Hall 11:20 hrs Ballypatrick 11:55 hrs Shantou Tiger 12:30 hrs Big News 13:00 hrs My Old Lady SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Turffontein 08:45 hrs Cervantes 09:20 hrs Baracah 09:55 hrs Forgive No Forget 10:30 hrs Reign Victorious 11:05 hrs Quad Bay FRENCH RACING TIPS Longchamp 08:30 hrs Indonesienne 09:08 hrs Baz 09;40 hrs Ectot 10:10 hrs Lily Carstairs 10:40 hrs Miss Massucco 11:10 hrs Paint The Clouds IRISH RACING TIPS Curragh 09;15 hrs Splashtop 09:45 hrs Beyond Brilliance 10:20 hrs Truthwillsetufree 10:55 hrs Custon Cut 11;25 hrs Parish Hall 12:00 hrs Srucahan 12:35 hrs Adjusted

28

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

Everton go fourth as relegation battle heats up

By Mike Collett LONDON-(Reuters) - Everton won 1-0 at bottom club Sunderland to leapfrog Arsenal into fourth place in the Premier League yesterday while the relegation battle intensified with wins for three clubs in danger of the drop.

The only goal at the Stadium of Light came after 75 minutes when Sunderland defender Wes Brown chested a cross into his own net to give Everton a seventh successive victory and move them into the Champions League places.

With five matches to play Everton have 66 points, two more than Arsenal who were playing FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Before match Sunderland manager Gus Poyet said his team “needed a miracle” to survive the drop and he now needs an even bigger one as Sunderland’s defeat left them four points adrift at the bottom.

Second-from-bottom Cardiff City won 1-0 at Southampton with defender Juan Cala scoring after 65 minutes and Fulham, who are 18th, beat fourthfrom-bottom Norwich City 1-0 at Craven Cottage.

Fulham’s winner came from Hugo Rodallega who had not scored in the league until last week’s win at Aston Villa and has now grabbed two in two games as Fulham eye an unlikely escape.

Crystal Palace eased their relegation fears with a 1-0 home win over Aston Villa

thanks to Jason Puncheon’s 76th minute winner but West Bromwich Albion, who started the day in 16th place, drew 3-3 with Tottenham Hotspur after leading 2-0 after four minutes and 3-0 after 31.

Palace’s victory saw them climb to 37 points and virtual safety while West Brom stayed in 16th place.

The bottom four positions are occupied by Norwich who have 32 points, followed

by Fulham (30), Cardiff (29) and Sunderland(25).

Sunderland have two games in hand on the teams above them but look to be slipping out of the top flight.

FULHAM AGAIN Fulham manager Felix Magath admitted that Norwich, playing under

former youth team coach Neil Adams for the first time following Chris Hughton’s sacking on Sunday, were the better team, especially in the first half, but he was delighted with the three points.

“I am happy with the win but today I am not so satisfied. We have to respect Norwich were the better team but we had a very good goalkeeper who saved us from defeat,” he told the BBC. West Brom manager Pepe Mel was far from pleased after watching his side squander a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Spurs.

West Brom were 2-0 ahead inside four minutes with goals from Morgan Amalfitano in the first minute and Chris Brunt three minutes later.

Emmanuel Adebayaor then missed with a soft penalty for Spurs before Stephane Sessegnon seemed to have wrapped up the points for the Baggies, scoring after a great solo run in the 31st minute.

The Spurs fightback began when Jonas Olsson put through his own net two minutes later before a 75th minute header from Harry Kane and a goal in the 90th minute from Christian Eriksen saved a point from Spurs.

Mel told the BBC afterwards: “We did start very well, we had a good first half but the result has gone against us.

“The problem is we are so keen to win the points. We need to play the same way regardless of being 3-0 up or if 0-0. This is very difficult

for me, the players are very down but we have five games to come. Every point is very important.”

The top three sides Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City are all in action on Sunday with Liverpool playing Manchester City at Anfield and Chelsea going to Swansea City.

All of yesterday’s matches kicked off at 1507 local time (1407GMT) to commemorate the Hillsborough disaster 25 years ago this weekend when 96 Liverpool fans died at their FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest in Sheffield.

That match was abandoned after six minutes and the sevenminute delay on Saturday marked that duration and also included a minute’s silence around the grounds.

Ninety-six Liverpool scarves are placed on seats on the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster before the FA Cup semi-final soccer match between Arsenal and Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium in London, yesterday.

(Credit: Reuters/Eddie Keogh)

96 seats left empty as Wembley remembers Hillsborough tragedy

By Mike Collett LONDON- (Reuters) - Ninety-six seats were left empty and draped with Liverpool scarves at the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley Stadium yesterday as English football paused to remember the Hillsborough tragedy that took place 25 years ago this weekend.

Matches in the top eight senior English divisions kicked off at seven minutes past the hour to mark the anniversary with the especially poignant commemoration taking place at the national stadium where Arsenal were up against Wigan Athletic.

The disaster, in which 96 Liverpool fans died at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, occurred on April 15, 1989 with the match abandoned at 3.06pm, six minutes after kickoff.

Every senior game in England kicked off late with a minute’s silence following the six-minute delay to kickoff times.

At Wembley the 96 seats were left empty level with the half-way line each with a Liverpool scarf laid on it.

The captains of both Arsenal and Wigan were laying wreaths in the technical area with the names of the victims visible on the electronic scoreboard around the stadium.

Players wore black armbands, and fans and players alike observed the minute’s silence in the Premier League, the three Football League divisions, the Conference and the Conference’s three feeder leagues.

The memorial was expected to be observed at lower leagues throughout the country as well.

Services are also being held at Liverpool’s home ground Anfield and neighbouring Goodison Park, the home of Everton on Tuesday, the actual anniversary of the tragedy, the worst sporting disaster in British sporting history.

A new inquest into the disaster opened last week and is expected to last until next year.

29

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

Miller, Taylor lead Jamaica’s fightback CAVE HILL, Barbados, (CMC) – Inspired spells from Nikita Miller and Jerome Taylor led a Jamaica fight-back and intensified their battle against Combined Campuses & Colleges for the last semi-final slot in the Regional FourDay Championship here yesterday.

Left-arm spinner Miller was the pick of the Jamaican bowlers, capturing five for 31 from 31 miserly overs bowled on the trot, and Taylor supported with three for 40 from 15 overs, as CCC were dismissed for 161 to concede a first innings lead of 21 on the second day of the seventh round match.

Kevin McClean, batting at eight, hit the top score of 36 for the home team, pugnacious opener Shacaya Thomas made 33, Kyle Corbin got 22 and their captain Steven Jacobs added 20, but the rest of the CCC batting failed miserably to put up the resistance required to reinforce the advantage they secured on the

opening day.

Jermaine Blackwood was not out on 23 and West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels was not out three, as Jamaica reached 79 for two in their second innings when stumps were drawn at the rain-sprinkled 3Ws Oval for an overall lead of 100.

Left-arm fast-medium bowler Raymon Reifer gave CCC the breakthrough, when he had Nkrumah Bonner caught at second slip to give Corbin his 20th catch of the season, and John Campbell was caught at leg-slip off left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican for 28 in the final half-hour to unsettle the Jamaicans.

With the top three teams – Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and Windward Islands – having all secured a place in the semi-finals, the last slot has come down to a straight shoot-out between CCC and Jamaica.

Two points separated the two sides before the start of the match and it remained that way following the CCC’s capitulation

Nikita Miller was the pick of the Jamaican bowlers with five for 31. earlier in the day, which left the contest a virtual second-innings battle for supremacy and the right to meet the first-placed side in the Final Four.

Starting the day on 59 without loss, the CCC had the worst possible start and Jamaica the best, when Taylor bowled Thomas with the very first delivery of the day.

Taylor further set the home team back, when he had Raymon Reifer caught behind for a six-ball duck from a loose drive at the first delivery of his next over, leaving CCC 59 for two.

When the first stoppage for rain occurred, CCC were already on the ropes on 70 for four, after Miller had Corbin caught behind and trapped wicketkeeper/ batsman Chadwick Walton lbw for seven.

Following the interruption, veteran left-hander Floyd Reifer was lbw to Miller for 11 playing back and across and Akeem Dewar was spectacularly beaten and bowled for six by an in-swinging delivery from Sheldon Cottrell, as the hosts sunk to 106 for six at lunch.

After the interval, McClean, a lanky left-hander, led the resistance in between showers, but the CCC could not put together any significant partnerships in the tail to place the Jamaican first innings total under any serious threat.

Miller continued to wheel

Brathwaite misses out on century again but Barbados in control ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Captain Kraigg Brathwaite missed out on yet another century but Barbados strengthened their bid for victory over Leeward Islands, on the second day of their final round Regional Four-Day match here yesterday The right-handed Test batsman scored 92 as the visitors pushed on from their overnight 167 for one, to 326 all out after tea at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, and take a first innings lead of 232 runs.

Leg-spinner Anthony Martin picked up five for 78 while off-spinner Jacques Taylor (2-42) and seamer Kelbert Walters (2-64) finished with two wickets apiece.

Batting a second time, the Leewards reached 54 for two, with captain and Test batsman Kieran Powell unbeaten on 23. The hosts requiring another 178 runs to make Barbados bat again.

Barbados had a huge slice of luck early in the day when Brathwaite was put down behind after he had added just

one to his overnight 73.

He and Kirk Edwards (23) made slow progress, however, and Barbados put on just 12 runs inside the first hour.

Edwards was the first to fall, driving to Orlando Peters at point off Taylor attempting to break the shackles, with the score on 189 for two.

Unbeaten on 92 at lunch with Barbados on 219 for two, Brathwaite perished to the fourth delivery on resumption, lbw to Martin pushing forward.

It was the third time this season Brathwaite has fallen in the 90s, after missing out against Jamaica and Combined Campuses and Colleges.

Barbados then stumbled, losing Jonathan Carter for 39 at 246 for four and all-rounder Kevin Stoute first ball without scoring, yorked by Walters.

With just seven runs added, wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich drove Taylor loosely to point to fall for two and Barbados’ slide continued, with the last five wickets falling for 73 runs.

Shai Hope, with 29, and Carlos Brathwaite, 20, provided the energy in the late stages of the innings.

SCOREBOARD TOTAL (all out, 68.1 overs) 161 Fall of wickets: 1-59, 2-59, 3-68, 4-70, 5-87, 6-106, 7-124, 8-143, 9-157

CCC vs Jamaica JAMAICA 1st Innings 182 COMBINED CAMPUSES & COLLEGES 1st Innings (overnight 59 without loss) S. Thomas b Taylor

33

Bowling: Taylor 15-4-40-3 (nb5); Cottrell 15-3-36-1 (nb1); Miller 31-16-31-5; Jacobs 5-118-0; Lambert 2.1-0-4-0 JAMAICA 2nd Innings

K. Corbin c wkpr Baugh b Taylor

22 N. Bonner c Corbin b R. Reifer

12 R. Reifer c wkpr Baugh b Taylor

0

+C. Walton lbw b Miller

7

F. Reifer lbw b Miller

11

*S. Jacobs lbw b Miller

20

A. Dewar b Cottrell

6

K. McClean run out

36

J. Warrican st Baugh b Miller

4 P. Palmer c Jacobs b Miller 4 R. Austin not out

0

Extras (b4, lb8, nb6) 18

away and tightened the noose, adding the scalps of Jacobs, Warrican and rookie Paul Palmer, before McClean was run out

J. Campbell c Corbin b Warrican

38

J. Blackwood not out

23

M. Samuels not out

23

Extras (b3) TOTAL (2 wkts, 38 overs)

3 79

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-69 Bowling: McClean 4-0-20-0; Austin 13-2-29-0; R. Reifer 6-213-1; Warrican 9-5-5-1; Dewar 6-2-9-0.

Position: Jamaica lead by 100 with eight second innings wickets standing

going for a second run to bring the curtains down on the CCC innings about 40 minutes before the rescheduled tea break.

GCA/Brainstreet Under-15 competition set to begin tomorrow THE Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and The Brainstreet Group are partnering once again to deliver the GCA- Brainstreet Under-15 Cricket Competition 2014.

The competition is set to begin tomorrow and will see matches being played during each week of the Easter Holidays at a number of venues in Georgetown.

Chief Executive Officer of Brainstreet Lance Hinds stated that his company was delighted to partner with the GCA for the fourth year running to give the youths the opportunity to showcase their skills and looks forward to another successful competition.

The Competition will involve ten teams; Everest CC, GYO, GNIC, DCC “A”, DCC “B”, GCC, Malteenoes SC, St Stanislaus College, Transport SC and Bel Air Rubis. Once again the competition will be in two phases: The League phase which will see teams playing each other once and the winner will be the team with the most points; The Cup phase which will see the top four teams from the league competition competing in a straight 50-overs knock-out competition.

Kraigg Brathwaite missed out on yet another century

Demerara Cricket Club will be trying to do the double for a fourth year having won both the League and the Cup competitions in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

30

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

Lara’s quadruple century A decade ago April 12, 2004, Brian Lara walked out to bat in Antigua with the West Indies 1-33 against England at Antigua. When he finally decided he was through batting, more than two days later, he had a world record score of 400. Not out.

Lara’s innings was a catalogue of exceptional stroke play. He passed the previous best of 380 by Matthew Hayden and then declared after reaching the quadruple century.

The Trinidadian left-hander faced 582 deliveries, hit 43 fours and four sixes after spending 778 minutes, or just shy of 13 hours, at the crease. He walked out to bat early on day one, and walked off again after lunch on the third day.

Hayden’s knock, against Zimbabwe in October 2003, not only set the record for the highest individual Australian Test score, surpassing the mark of 334 set by Sir Donald Bradman and Mark Taylor, had also beaten Lara’s previous best of

…A decade since new Test world record

Brian Lara on the go during his world record quadruple century.

375, also against England, in 1994.

Lara had resumed day three at 313 and shared an unbroken partnership of 282 with Ridley Jacobs, who hit a century himself, as the West Indies piled on runs to reach 5-751 when Lara declared.

Lara equalled Hayden’s score by lofting Batty over long-on for six and then

topped the mark with a swept four past fine leg “Matt (Hayden) said he had been listening to it and was very happy for me,” said Lara after play.

“He enjoyed the period he had the record and I am sure he is capable of doing it again, as are a lot of very good batsmen around

the world, and I really appreciated that he took the time out to make the call.”

Hayden said Lara’s innings was “awesome” and that he was proud to have his record broken by Lara’s effort.

“I spoke to Brian over the phone and passed on my congratulations for a truly amazing effort,” said Hayden.

“I feel proud to know he’s conquered me with such an awesome performance.

“I wanted to let him know how appreciative I was when he contacted me in Perth last October. I thought it was only appropriate that I pass on my own best wishes to him.

“Breaking Brian’s record against Zimbabwe was one

of the most memorable days of my cricketing life, but records are made to be broken, and as a batsman, I guess they can fall at any time.”

Lara’s bat was beaten by Steve Harmison early on in his innings, but he did not offer another chance until he was on 359, when a leg-side strangle was dropped by debutant wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.

“When I reached it (the record) before I didn’t know what to expect. This time it was very tiring but I’m here again,” Lara said.

“I didn’t really think about the record until I got to my double hundred and realised there was still a lot of time left in the game because of the rate we were scoring.”

The Test was drawn – a second-innings century from Michael Vaughan saved England – but the tourists had already won the first three Tests of the four-Test series, their first series victory in the West Indies since 1968. (CA)

DCB/DFGI INTER-ASSOCIATION U-19...

West Demerara retain title with victory over East Bank DEFENDING champions West Demerara retained their Demerara Cricket Board/Diamond Fire and General Insurance Company sponsored Under-19 title, after they defeated East Bank by 19 runs, yesterday.

Batting first at the Wales Community Centre ground, West Demerara got up to 186 all out in 47.5 overs, with Avenash Dhaniram top scoring with 35 while Ronaldo Renee and Richie Looknauth chipped in with 28 and 24 respectively.

Bowling for East Bank, Ryan Shun grabbed 4 for 42 and Deonarine Seegobin captured 3 for 25, but when their batsmen batted, they were bowled out for 167 from 47.5 overs, despite showing some resistance.

Seegobin, who was later declared the Man of the Match, led the way with 35 and got support from Ricky Debidial who made 22, as Ewart Samuels 2 for 15 and skipper Travis Persaud with 2 for 27, ensured West Demerara came away with the win and the title.

At the Everest Cricket Club ground, Georgetown shocked the competition’s favourite team and points leader East Coast, with a 27 runs victory.

Georgetown managed 145/9 off their 50 overs, thanks to Kemol Savoury and Cleon McEwan who top scored with 45 each, as Richard Woolford, Matthew Shutahal and Gavin Moriah took two wickets each for 15, 28 and 30 runs respectively.

In their chase, East Coast never got going and was

-GEORGETOWN TOO GOOD FOR EAST COAST

In the absence of the West Demerara captain, Vice-President of West Demerara Cricket Association, Anand Sanasie (left) proudly receives the winning trophy from Assistant Manager of Diamond Fire and General Insurance Inc, Rabindranauth Basil.

eventually bowled out for 118 in 27.2 overs, with only Rudolph Singh managing a significant score, making an unbeaten 58 as Sherfane Rutherford

destroyed East Coast’s batting line up with his 5 for 14, backed by Steven Sankar’s 3 for 33, with Rutherford being named Man-of-the-Match.

At the closing of the competition, Assistant Manager of Diamond Fire and General Insurance Inc, Rabindranauth Basil said they are satisfied

with the outcome of the competition and they are happy to be associated with youth cricket in Demerara.

Vice-President of the DCB Anand Sanasie, highlighted that this year’s competition was the best for the close competition he witnessed and further thanked the sponsors for coming on board and look forward for their support in the future.

The Vice-President complimented the Executives of Enmore Community Centre and clubs in Georgetown for ensuring that their areas were represented in this competition, saying that despite the challenges, he looks forward for the U-17 and Women competitions in Demerara.

31

SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014

NAMILCO One Love Football Classic

Alpha, Western Tigers, Slingerz & GDF clash in quarters today … Riddim Squad & Conquerors into semis THE final two semi-final spots are up for grabs this evening when the 7th Edition of the NAMILCO One Love Football Classic knock-out tournament continues at the Tucville P l a y f i e l d i n t h e C i t y.

Guyana’s leading club side and CONCACAF Champion’s League qualifiers Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United will match skills with Western Tigers in the first game with an eye on taking one of the two spots at stake.

The exploits of this side are well documented so it will not be too hard to predict which way the outcome will go, but ‘as the saying goes’ - it’s never over until it’s over. Western Tigers are known to have the big game temperament so Alpha’s work will be cut out as the Tigers will also

fancy their chances of advancing to the final four.

Ronson Williams will be in goal for the National Super League champions and he will be supported by forward Kithson Bain, Captain Dwight Peters, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant.

The Tigers will depend on their seasoned campaigners, Phillip Rowley, Hubert Pedro, King Solomon Austin, Jerome Richardson and custodian Derrick Carter to take the fight to Alpha.

Tonight’s feature game pits the pride of the west side, Slingerz Football Club against the Guyana Defence Force in what is anticipated to be an intense contest.

The Army has always been a tough side and is capable of stepping up their game

to match any opponent.

Slingerz has proven in their short career to date that they are a no nonsense side that is aiming to be the best and no doubt will continue on that path tonight. As usual, their quest will be led by the nippy Devon Millington, the dependable Vurlon Mills who is in fine form, the unstoppable Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams, Joshua Brown and Jason Cromwell between the uprights.

G D F ’s c h a l l e n g e f o r a semifinal place rests with the likes of William Europe, Nigel Braithwaite, Kennard Simmons, Delroy Fraser and goalie, Rawle Success. Kick off time this evening is 18:00hrs.

In the first quarterfinal matches played, host team Fruta Conquerors and Rid-

Guyana Baseball League to host nationwide camps THE GUYANA Baseball League in association with E-Networks Inc. is offering nationwide baseball camps throughout the Easter school holidays, catering for young boys and girls between ages of 6 and 24.

According to a press release, the camps will be held in New Amsterdam on April 19 and 20 at Phoenix Primary School ground , Cornelia Ida ,West Demerara and the Georgetown Cricket Club on April 19 and 22-24 April, respectively.

Attendees can register by contacting Zahir Moakan New Amsterdam, Ravindra Seeram – Cornelia Ida, West Demerara, call 657-STAR – Georgetown, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ ENetworksbaseballstar or at the ground on the morning of the camps.

All equipment will be provided by the GBL and participants are asked to dress appropriately for sporting activity and in

Robin Singh is CEO of the Guyana Baseball League. the interest of preserving the environment to bring reusable water bottles to the camps, which will get underway at 09:00hrs and run until 16:30hrs each day.

There are no fees attached to this camp which will have all of the E-Networks Baseball Star contenders in attendance and all participants will be invited to take part in a two day

League tournament in Georgetown on April 23 and 24.

With the professionalism GBL has exhibited while coordinating E-Networks Baseball Star, many of the sponsoring agencies suggested we offer a wider variety of opportunity by way of baseball camps.

We guarantee that these camps will be run with the same philosophy of providing all children with the opportunity to develop sports skills in a fun and noncompetitive environment.

GBL programmes are designed to engage the imagination of the youth of today. Our energetic staff implement a unique camp atmosphere, which allows for safety, fun, and skills development.

All GBL camps will focus on helping the kids learn the rules of the game while working on sportsmanship.

Fruta Conqueror’s Trevon Lythcott keeps a close eye as this Pele player seeks to control the ball.

dim Squad booked the first semifinal spots’ following wins over Pele and Sunburst Camptown, respectively.

Conquerors disposed of the challenge from Pele, once known as the knock out artists in Guyana by a 2-0 margin. The game was by no means an easy one for either side but the home team played more compact and was the hungrier of the two.

Proceedings were set-

tled in a two minute burst deep into the second half.

Raphael Edwards finally broke the deadlock in the 71st minute much to the relief of his teammates and followers. Conquerors did not leave anything to chance and almost immediately put the sealer on the lid when Dwayne Lawrence rocked the Pele nets just two minutes after they established the lead.

Riddim Squad was final-

ly able to break the jinx of losing to Sunburst Camptown, churning out a composed 3-1 win.

Camptown was not able to score on the night, it was an own goal in the 33rd minute that accounted for theirs. On target for the Mocha based Riddim Squad were Amos Ramsey in the 10th minute, Sceyon Hope on the stroke of half time and Steffon Ramsey in the 62nd minute.

Sport CHRONICLE

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

Lara’s quadruple century Page 30

…A decade since new Test world record

Johnson,Barnwell engineer Guyana fightback after Bishoo’s 9 for 78

By Calvin Roberts AFTER seeing recalled leg spinner Devendra Bishoo record the best figures by a Guyanese bowler in a first class match, skipper Leon Johnson and all-rounder Christopher Barnwell engineered Guyana’s fight back at the end of the second day of their West Indies Cricket Board

Regional four day match against Trinidad and Tobago at the Guyana National Stadium, yesterday.

Scores -Trinidad and Tobago 294 Guyana 247 for 7, needing 47 more for first innings points.

Earlier in the day, T&T who lead the points standing with 72 points prior to the contest, began the day on 274 for 8 with Imran

Khan on 37 and Amit Jaggernauth 4 and quickly lost Khan, who was caught by Barnwell at extra cover off Bishoo for 44 (106balls, 4x4 113 minutes).

The discarded West Indies leg spinner closed off the innings two overs later, when Jaggernauth picked out Ronsford Beaton at wide mid-on after hitting three fours in his 12, leaving Shannon Gabriel unbeaten on 4, as Bishoo’s 9 for 78 eclipsed Narsingh Deonarine’s 7 for 26 against Barbados two years ago.

Openers Trevon Griffith (23) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (14) added 34 for the first wicket, with Griffith hitting Marlon Richards for two fours in the fourth over of the innings, while Chanderpaul was given a life by Lendl Simmons at slip off Gabriel, with the ball making its way to the boundary.

A tentative push from Griffith saw him edging one through to Stephen Ketwaroo off Gabriel, while debutant Shimron Hetmyer played a lofty drive to Richards at mid-on off Jaggernauth before he had scored, while Guyana went to lunch at 38 for 2 with Johnson on 1 Chanderpaul 14.

After the break, Chanderpaul played a delivery from Jaggernauth into the shin pads of Jonathan Augustus at forward short leg,

only to see the ball ricochet back onto his stumps, followed quickly by Vishaul Singh (02), leaving Guyana on 59 for 4.

Anthony Bramble, who has grown leaps and bounds during this tournament with the bat, replaced Singh and added 30 for the fifth wicket with Johnson, who had earlier struck Jaggernauth over his head for four, followed by a six back over his head.

However, Bramble, who was oozing with confidence, went down the wicket to a well flighted delivery from Jaggernauth, to which he played all around same and was bowled, at which point Barnwell came to the fore and partnered Johnson, adding 80 for the sixth wicket.

They took Guyana to tea at 144 for 5, with Johnson who posted his 16 th first class half century from 96 balls with three fours and one six while batting for 117 minutes, on 56 while Barnwell, who was given a life by Gabriel off Khan when on 14, on 28.

After tea, Barnwell got back to back fours off Emrit, while Johnson steered the same bowler through the slips cordon, before Barnwell got his fourth first class and first half century for this season from 88 minutes batting in which he faced 85 balls and struck seven fours,

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

Trinidad and Tobago’s Jason Mohammed looks on as Guyana’s skipper and middle order batsman Leon Johnson acknowledges the applause of his teammates and the sprinkling of spectators, after registering his 16th first class half century yesterday.

(Photo by Adrian Narine) before he was lbw to Emrit three balls later at 169 for 6.

Zaheer Shadir joined Johnson who looked set to post his second ton at this level for Guyana following his 110 in the previous match against the Leeward Islands and they added 44 for the seventh wicket, with Shadir hitting Jaggernauth over long on for 6.

In his attempt to steer Jaggernauth to the vacant third man position, Johnson got an edge through to Ketwaroo, handing the wicket-

keeper his third catch of the innings, while at the same time offering Jaggernauth his fourth wicket.

Johnson’s 78 took him 169 balls to accumulate while batting for 193 minutes wherein he struck five fours and one six and at his dismissal, Guyana were 213 for 7, which they increased to 247 at the close with Shadir and Bishoo on 39 and 18, respectively.

see scoreboard on page 27

SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2014